A boiling hot Pacific!

[Warspite3]

This is not really worthy enough to call it a true AAR (no pics and not much detail) but it is basically kind of like that although I was trying to write more of a review of my game. So since it is more of a rough AAR then anything else, I decided to post it here. I spent several hours yesterday playing the pacific campaign as US. I have now realized this game is NOT a pushover. It has been a struggle since the start fighting Japan. Early during the game, I attacked one of their main fleets with carrier strikes and I had a huge victory at sea by sinking several ships and some carriers. When I tell you I put them on the bottom I put them on the bottom, I was so happy with the results. After this, I thought I had a solid advantage and was able to smell victory, that was until Japan just rapidly started taking over everything! Maybe I am just used to some other games where the AI just kind of sits there and don't do too much but man this Japanese AI in SotP is all over the place! They are aggressively taking over everything! They have taken nearly all of china, more then half of southeast asia, the philippines, borneo and counting, I can't stop them but it is only mid 1942 so its early yet. So I assembled a force out of pearl harbor of 3 cv fleets each with 1 carrier group and 3 patrol groups and sent them off to fight Japanese fleets while I wait for my battleships at pearl to be repaired. Those fleets seens some decent action and was doing ok. I also had a tactical bomber group in johnston island and a strategic bomber group at midway (both with good commanders) that was inflicting some solid damage on japanese ships

After a short while, I realized I had to do something because Japan has no mercy and are not stopping. So I started planning to take back the philippines. I was finally able to fully repair all of my battleships from the pearl harbor attack, took a few months. Then I assembled 2 surface action fleets which consisted of 3 battle groups and 1 patrol group each. After this I put together a transport fleet with 1 patrol group and 6 transports carrying infantry divisions. Then I put an invasion fleet together at san francisco, 1 battlegroup and 3 amphibious ships w/ 2 inf div and 1 inf corp and sent them off to hawaii. The corp I put general MacArthur in command for historical flavor ("i shall return") and fun, plus he is good. Then I had all ships at pearl pull anchor and set course straight to the philippines with davao as my main target. I was going to take back the philippines! Or at least I thought.

Well, my fleets were not even able to make it to the celebes sea. Once i entered the caroline islands sea zone, all hell broke lose. I was surrounded by Japanese fleets, some were powerful! So I unleashed airstrikes from all 3 cv task forces, delivering some minimal to moderate damage. I ended up in a few surface engagements and suffered some damage, even losing a loaded transport. I remained in the caroline islands for 2 more weeks (2 turns) launching strikes from my carriers but this time delivering minimal damage After ending up in more surface battles, I was slowly starting to realize I need to get my forces landed on davao asap. So I said heck with it, I am continuing my progress west towards the celebes sea. So I moved my 4 surface/landing fleets to the celebes sea and left my 3 cv task forces in caroline islands. Well, just after entering celebes, I encountered another japanese fleet and ended up into a heavy surface battle. I lost 2 more transports and suffered heavy damage. I was losing, yep losing and at this point too many valuable ships were sent to the bottom. The celebes sea has become a watery grave. Now, the worst thing happened, I was only able to get 1 div landed because I lost the corp and the other div. After this, I was not able to bombard with my offshore battle group, not sure why and then my only landed div ran into supply issues. I then realized I made many mistakes here, from planning this attack to the forces I had assembled for it. Just too many mistakes. One was I should have used amphibious ships for my other div instead of tranports. The transports cannot make amphibious assaults and I knew this but I guess I forgot when I assembled the fleets. Another I was not flying enough recon, for whatever reason I just was not doing it and payed the price. Well, this game is still going on and is far from over but I can tell you things are not going too good for the US. If I don't start taking some ground back, the pacific will get overun by japanese forces. I had recently put 6 new carrier groups and 6 sub groups on order with more inf divs. Hopefully all of these will help turn the tide on this war. I do realized the US has to struggle a bit early in the war but can come back strong later as in most pacific war games and in history, so hopefull I will get my comeback. BANZAI? No sir! I will stop them! [:D]

Ok back to the war...

[gwgardner]

You're a glutton for punishment! Really fun read. Hope you keep it going.

[henri51]

The "direct to Philippines" strategy you have adopted (which was a possible strategy in WW2) as opposed to the historical "island hopping" strategy historically used is interesting, but is probably less forgiving of mistakes than the island-hopping strategy.

Also in WW2 the US decision to divide its Pacific forces into two distinct commands forced by Macarthur's political clout could have cost the US the War had Japan been stronger, but you are not hampered by political considerations. So go for it!...[:D]

(...but don't put your invasion forces into transport fleets...[:-])

Henri

[Tomokatu]

BANZAI? No sir! I will stop them!

Ils ne passeront pas!

[Warspite3]

Still struggling, here is a pic which shows some new divs I purchased and deployed in cali. Reason I choosed motorized and a couple armor is because I was planning on running them through new guinea after philippines were retaken. Here I was getting ready to stage them to board LSTs (i was going to build several within the next three turns) which would regroup with surface ships in hawaii before heading to the philippines. Hawaii has became my main rendevous point for ships and reinforcements coming from the west coast. Good thing this time I never made the mistake of putting them on transports...

[jomni]

ORIGINAL: henri51

The "direct to Philippines" strategy you have adopted (which was a possible strategy in WW2) as opposed to the historical "island hopping" strategy historically used is interesting, but is probably less forgiving of mistakes than the island-hopping strategy.

Also in WW2 the US decision to divide its Pacific forces into two distinct commands forced by Macarthur's political clout could have cost the US the War had Japan been stronger, but you are not hampered by political considerations. So go for it!...[:D]

(...but don't put your invasion forces into transport fleets...[:-])

Henri

Well island hopping doesn't work in the current build. Lol!
Maybe after the patch is out.

What about a direct to Japan attack?

[Warspite3]

Unfortunately, here is a pic of the result of my entire "take back the philippines" attempt. So much for macarthur and his promise to return huh? Well, I don't feel so bad because in history it was oct 20th 1944 when he had actually returned. I choosed to return two years earlier when he had left the philippines in history since I let japan take the philippines much earlier. Well, as you can see my units won't be able to hold out too long but I am working on bringing in more reinforcements. So I guess my efforts have not failed completely yet but I think an attempt at retaking the philippines this early was not a good idea anyway. I will still keep trying...

[jomni]

Well US ground troops are outclasses in tech and quality at the time. 
How's your reserch levels?

[Tomokatu]

Warspite3 speculated:

I choosed motorized and a couple armor is because I was planning on running them through new guinea

I strenuously advise NOT sending motorised OR armoured units to New Guinea
 
Here's why: The ridges across the spine of the island
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/072188
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/072331
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/OG2772
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/054775
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/055619 + http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/055620 (These two form a panorama)
 
The North Coast (where most of the advances WERE made) looks like THIS
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/P02443.002
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/106527
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/014187
http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/014245
 
In summary, the terrain that isn't too waterlogged is too steep.
 
It's definitely infantry country & even the infantry travelled by barge!

See also the history of the Aust 36th Batallion ("Ike's Marines") at http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11954.asp
 
Don't waste your armour! [:-]

[jomni]

How does the game handle this?  Do we get armor / motorized penaly in the terrain?

[Tomokatu]

Warspite3 deliberated:

So much for macarthur and his promise to return huh

MacArthur was a great general in his own estimation. He certainly captured a lot of media releases.

[doomtrader]

Warspite3, it will be hard to get Philippines so early

Tomakatu, some nice pictures here

[gwgardner]

ORIGINAL: jomni

How does the game handle this?  Do we get armor / motorized penaly in the terrain?

Yes, there are terrain penalties per type of unit.

[Tomokatu]

Doomtrader was complimentary

Tomakatu, some nice pictures here

The whole site is a searchable goldmine. Worth spending LOTS of time browsing. Try the Gallipoli landing sometime, too http://www.abc.net.au/innovation/gallipoli/
 

[Warspite3]

I have some more images of this war (which is still going on btw, its may 43) to share. Maybe in my game I should refer to it as "hell over the pacific" [:D]Since it has been just that. Anyway, my tech levels are still weak, my infantry just got to level 2. When and if I attempt to recapture New Guinea, I will take the suggestions and use infantry. This pic shows some progress near Davao, finally. If you will notice, I have decided to station land based tactical bombers there, all this while I never realized I can used strategic movement to move them down there. They have made a difference in supporting the troops fighting down there.

[Warspite3]

Now as you see in this image, its the same turn as the one above, there is a powerful Japanese fleet with carriers that has moved into the Celebes. I will have a fight on my hands now. Notice the amount of ships and how they have 19 to my 10 CAs...

[Warspite3]

Here you can see I am in trouble! [X(] I had several fleets seperated into a few groups, I imagine this is why only 4 of my ships fought. That screen shot showed the Japs had 3 CVs in their fleet, here there is 5 in the battle. At this point I was worried that another fleet could have been in the area that I did not notice. I was afraid this was the turning point in the whole war when I seen this because I may have to withdraw from the philippines all together...

[Warspite3]

After a series of naval battles, I am talking all over the place... the caroline islands, marshalls, central pacific, the battles raged. I have lost several LSTs carrying reinforcements from the west coast, to hawaii and to the philippines. Several other surface ships and carriers of mine were lost. I was able to dish out some punishment of my own but not enough. Overall the naval battles went into japans favor both in numbers and value. Despite all of this, I kept on with my plan to take back the philippines with whatever I had. I was able to eventually fight the jap fleet off in the celebes by putting my tactical bombers into the fight which i deperately needed on land but i had to get that fleet out of there. Also, I want to mention I had to move some fighters there for the bombers because jap airstrikes were becoming a problem. Here shows the most progress I have made, I still have not taken Davao but managed to take that city northeast of cebu...

[Warspite3]

This image shows a decent size japanese fleet with carriers off the coast of midway. They have been causing a lot of problems but there is not much I can do at this point. They have been pounding midway for the last several turns, i have retaliated with tactical and strategic bombers in midway and johnston island...

[Warspite3]

So whats the current result of all of this? Well here it is. It is NOT good at all but I am still fighting and it is mid 43 so who knows what will happen as the war continues on...