Transport routing and Island Bases

[mcbagpip3s]

I am into the end of January 1942 in the Quite China grand campaign and have a couple of questions regarding supply and fuel movement and mid pacific island bases.

I have found myself a little on my back foot with the demands of Australia and the DEI/Java/PM. To help with major shortfalls of fuel and supplies I have scrambled a bunch of transport/tanker fleets to meet short term goals (Running longer range ships directly to Sydney from the USA). Am I better in the future to arrange several smaller convoy routes from the USA to Hawaii and then onwards? I should suspect that I am.

What are my critical island bases to build up to cover all these routes? I am currently spreading myself across what I believe are far to many locations. I am attempting to secure the following:

Christmas Island
Pago Pago
Suva
Noumea
Savaii

Securing them in the sense of moving some small/medium garrison forces, destroyers and support for said ships (to ASW protect my transports) along with smaller units of patrol planes and some fighters.

[Feltan]

At first you are pressed everywhere, and it isn't easy; not enough ships (in the right places), not enough supply (in the right places), and the IJN goes basically anywhere it wants.

In the early stages, I run a lot of single ship resupply runs just to "prime the pump" so to speak.

Later, there is a virtual rat-line of ships leaving the US West coast and from Cape Town/Aden.

You will eventually develop a hub and spoke supply system. You'll have a couple of large ports that get the big convoys, and things will get dispersed from there. I have found it helpful to use the "continuous supply" or CS mode for cargo task forces for this latter task.

You might not believe it now, but by the end of '43 you'll be drowning in excess supply.

Regards,
Feltan

[HexHead]

More specifically:

My experience (only up to mid-42 in any start) has been that do what you're doing, your analysis is correct. At first, both Supply and Fuel in December and up to mid-Jan are tight, particularly in Oz. Now, about Oz - slam Fuel into Oz Big Time. You need Fuel for Heavy Industry and naval operations.

By February, March, Supply gets markedly better. But keep at Supply, 'cuz meeting Base requirements won't cut it. You need lots & lots of Supply, everywhere. To fly, to build, to meet certain thresholds for Replacements, Upgrades, and probably others.

Fuel gets better, but keep your eye on it.

I use AutoConvoy a lot in contravention of all received wisdom. The application makes little dribs and drabs for convoys with some DDs and other escorts if you designate them for the role. The Allies have boatloads, use 'em. I supplement with CS for safe, repetitive routes with Fuel at both ends. But my main effort is manual convoys - Troopships are always escorted and I run medium to big convoys, unescorted. Stuff gets through.

Anyhow, it's one approach.

[HansBolter]

I typically use Pago Pago as a staging base for fuel runs to the South Pacific.
The port there starts too small for most large supply TFs to be able to dock and refuel and a huge fuel stockpile there will spoil so I set a two tanker TF in the hex to serve as a refueling station until the port is adequately built up.

I sometimes also use Christmas Island this way.

I also set up runs directly from LA to Auckland and then feed Sydney from there.

Don't overlook the East Coast as a huge fuel/supply source. I set up Continuous Supply runs of both fuel and supply from East Coast to Cristobal and feed the Pacific from there as well.

I also set up CS runs from England and the East Coast to Cape Town. Cape Town supplements the feeding of Colombo by Abadan and also feeds Perth and Darwin.

Only the 12k leg tankers can really make runs straight from the West Coast to Auckland or Sydney. The 8k leg tankers need staging bases.

[Itdepends]

You will have more cargo lift capacity than tankers. I'd suggest turning off a couple of the larger heavy industry bases in Australia to avoid using the fuel up and transport supplies in.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

You will have more cargo lift capacity than tankers. I'd suggest turning off a couple of the larger heavy industry bases in Australia to avoid using the fuel up and transport supplies in.

I have yet to ever see the need to do this. It isn't really that difficult to keep enough fuel flowing to Sydney to allow it to be the supply production center for the smaller islands of the region.

[HexHead]

+1 to Herr General. Take a page from the Moose's book, I have: CT to Perth, one of the safest routes on the board. Slam Fuel into Perth umremittingly. It will distribute to the Oz eastern cities in time. Just keep at it, AKs, TKs, tugboats. I don't bother with USWC to Oz at all, really, just an occasional trip as needed.

And don't forget Bombay. Around late Jan or so, you'll start to see that Bombay has tons & tons of Stuff. Bombay is a major Supply source, at least for me - you can ship a lot of Supplies & Fuel from Bombay to Oz and other points. Just keep a modest effort for Fuel to Karachi/Bombay for the HvyIndustry & you should be fine. I love Bombay.

[guytipton41]

ORIGINAL: mcbagpipes

I am into the end of January 1942 in the Quite China grand campaign and have a couple of questions regarding supply and fuel movement and mid pacific island bases.

I have found myself a little on my back foot with the demands of Australia and the DEI/Java/PM. To help with major shortfalls of fuel and supplies I have scrambled a bunch of transport/tanker fleets to meet short term goals (Running longer range ships directly to Sydney from the USA). Am I better in the future to arrange several smaller convoy routes from the USA to Hawaii and then onwards? I should suspect that I am.

What are my critical island bases to build up to cover all these routes? I am currently spreading myself across what I believe are far to many locations. I am attempting to secure the following:

Christmas Island
Pago Pago
Suva
Noumea
Savaii

Securing them in the sense of moving some small/medium garrison forces, destroyers and support for said ships (to ASW protect my transports) along with smaller units of patrol planes and some fighters.

One little thing.

You know, my father always told me to not over invest in Noumea or Suva, because you can't hold them if the Japanese are coming hard. Pago Pago and Xmass Is are critical. Put two divisions with 250k supply into both as soon as possible. Then you need to wait to see if the Japanese are planning to take Noumea before you go to the trouble of building it up for them. If they are not coming for India or Australia then they might be coming for New Cal and Fiji.

Cheers,
Guy