Port Moresby is lost, next move?

[sufa101loofa]

It is Jan 22, 1942 and I have already lost Port Moresby to my PBEM Japanese opponent.
KB has left the area to resupply. My question is this - I have paid the PP cost to release the Australian 14th, 8th and 5th brigades and was intending to place them in Noumea (Southwest Pacific HQ going here). Should I now try an Amphibious landing at PM instead? To support the landing I have a Surface Combat TF with one CA, 2 CL and about 7 DD. Little air cover and no real way to repel the KB if they come back. I am playing scenario 1 with no house rules. Yes this is my first PBEM game.
Thanks in advance for your help.

[Lokasenna]

You don't need Moresby. Noumea is easier for you to bug out from if the KB shows back up.

It is still very, very early. I would advise caution. It is easy for you to lose important early war brigades and ships on foolish ventures. I would call going to Moresby in January foolish, as if he has Rabaul he can sink your ships with Bettys and you won't have any air cover as you shouldn't be sending the CVs under the Betty umbrella until July at the earliest (when their F4F squadrons are size 36).

However, New Caledonia presents an opportunity to force your opponent to commit there, which is a very long ways from his fuel supplies. IF you can land at Koumac or La Foa to avoid a heavy IJA/IJN presence at Noumea, do it. However, if he's got planes at Noumea... beware, the same applies here as at Moresby.

I would bide my time. Take Noumea back later (and skip Moresby) as it's worth a large amount of VPs for the Allies, which can help stave off an AV.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: sufaloofa

It is Jan 22, 1942 and I have already lost Port Moresby to my PBEM Japanese opponent.
KB has left the area to resupply. My question is this - I have paid the PP cost to release the Australian 14th, 8th and 5th brigades and was intending to place them in Noumea (Southwest Pacific HQ going here). Should I now try an Amphibious landing at PM instead? To support the landing I have a Surface Combat TF with one CA, 2 CL and about 7 DD. Little air cover and no real way to repel the KB if they come back. I am playing scenario 1 with no house rules. Yes this is my first PBEM game.
Thanks in advance for your help.

It's Jan 1942. The Japanese are at their strongest, while the Allies are still on the back foot, and it's not a time where you should be considering such a risky venture. You're going to be using Austrailian units with CMF squads (aka, milita) rather than the much better AIF squads and warships without radar.

Port Moresby is lost, for the time being. Look at putting more force at where the next logical Japanese move would be, in this case, Noumea and New Caledonia. Get troops on the ground, planes in the skies above it and ships off-shore in case your opponent decides he wants it.

Meanwhile, make him pay for holding Port Moresby - get some B-17s to start hitting the base from Austrailia to provide a nusiance to his flank.

[Cap Mandrake]

Yes, completely agree. It's one thing to stage a raid to throw the IJN off balance but it's quite another to land near a capable Japanese base in Jan 1942.


While you are off on the expedition, he might land at Townsville or Noumea could be bait. The IJN is the 600 lb gorilla right now.

You can oppose new IJN landings with surface forces or throw some small ground units into Timor or the Sundas for speed bumps if you want. Don't commit your carriers unless you have good intel on where the KB is.

[Feltan]

ORIGINAL: sufaloofa

It is Jan 22, 1942 and I have already lost Port Moresby to my PBEM Japanese opponent.
KB has left the area to resupply. My question is this - I have paid the PP cost to release the Australian 14th, 8th and 5th brigades and was intending to place them in Noumea (Southwest Pacific HQ going here). Should I now try an Amphibious landing at PM instead? To support the landing I have a Surface Combat TF with one CA, 2 CL and about 7 DD. Little air cover and no real way to repel the KB if they come back. I am playing scenario 1 with no house rules. Yes this is my first PBEM game.
Thanks in advance for your help.

In January 42 the Japanese can go anywhere they want -- they just can't go everywhere they want.

If you opponent made an early play for Moresby, give it up. He's got it.

But, to do that, he didn't go somewhere else -- every Japanese conquest requires time and resources and he only has so much of both.

Your amphibious plans for Moresby are woefully inadequate. Don't do it. Defend where you can and let him bleed off some steam before you strike.

Regards,
Felatan

[LargeSlowTarget]

ORIGINAL: Feltan

In January 42 the Japanese can go anywhere they want -- they just can't go everywhere they want.

One more for my collection of great WitP quotes! [:D]

[Feltan]

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

ORIGINAL: Feltan

In January 42 the Japanese can go anywhere they want -- they just can't go everywhere they want.

One more for my collection of great WitP quotes! [:D]

danke vielmals [:D]

[derhexer]

Your Japanese opponent still have 6 fleet carriers several light carriers, well-trained pilots, battleships, cruisers etc. You will put your invasion force at risk.
You can bomb PM into uselessness with 4Es from Townsville and that area while you try to sink your opponent's carriers.

Hold on to New Caledonia and make him pay if he goes after it. Move that Australian infantry force to Noumea and give it fighter planes for cover. Force the Japanese
to spend a lot to take it. If he waits long enough you can put a US Marine Division in Noumea and that will really give the Japanese a bloody nose.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: sufaloofa

and no real way to repel the KB if they come back.

Well, what everybody else said. But you answered your own question long before we all chimed in. [;)]

[dr.hal]

You need to be where he is not.... with all you've got...

Sun Tzu like to have things rhyme... I think.

Hal