Greyjoy(J) vs. Obvert(A) - The air war in China- DBB, SLs, PDU OFF

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Cribtop
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by Cribtop »

Have you considered that this early your reaction in SOPAC could be an apparently understrength counter invasion or reinforcement of a still held island specifically designed to draw him out for a KB whipping?
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GreyJoy
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

Hi Crib,

KB, KB has been spotted on the 11th. 10/10 DL and a Cat shot down 15 hexes west of Tabiutea. Despite the high speed run, I've been a couple of day short, again.
I really don't have the strength, right now, to try anything. Not even a CV-CV battle (Zuikaku has been sent back to Tokyo for the radar upgrade and the 2 Hyio Class CVs are reaching Saipan right now). I barely have 4 CVs and 1 CVL right now with KB1...and the allies should have 4 or 5 CVs at their disposal... not smart to fight now away from my LBA.

Now that I've shown him the KB, I can get back into the shades. Hopefully the presence of the fearsome Kido Butai may be able, alone, to slow him down.

Tabiutea is a tough loss. It's the only place that can guest 40,000 men... I don't really think I could do anything to hold it. I simply don't have the troops and planes to defend so deep into the pacific. Not at the moment.

I'm not so sure anymore this strategy of mine will pay off... We'll see. One thing is sure tough: this strategy will work ONLY if the KB remains a credible threat throughout 1944. If not, it's a losing one. So I need to fight ONLY battles that I am pretty confident to win. At the moment, I was not

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String
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by String »

You could, perhaps, keep good eyes on and around the place and use it as an opportunity to raid any allied resupply convoys? Keep the KB close just in case he brings escort as well.
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Yaab
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by Yaab »

Tabituea is lost, but do not forget about Umboi Island. Make a festung there, add IJN U-boot pens, bring Wake CD guns, moor Kitakami with 40 torpedoes and what not. Let the Allies crawl along the New Guinea coast while you harass every single Allied ship that tries to sail to the Phillipines via Umboi Island gate. Forget Ironbottom Sound - it is time to make Vitiaz Strait the Graveyard of US Navy!
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Lowpe
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by Lowpe »

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy
I'm not so sure anymore this strategy of mine will pay off... We'll see. One thing is sure tough: this strategy will work ONLY if the KB remains a credible threat throughout 1944. If not, it's a losing one. So I need to fight ONLY battles that I am pretty confident to win.

Well, you have the KB so no complaining![:D]

With this game engine...I am never confident about any battle! Part of why the game is so good.



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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by crsutton »

ORIGINAL: Yaab

Tabituea is lost, but do not forget about Umboi Island. Make a festung there, add IJN U-boot pens, bring Wake CD guns, moor Kitakami with 40 torpedoes and what not. Let the Allies crawl along the New Guinea coast while you harass every single Allied ship that tries to sail to the Phillipines via Umboi Island gate. Forget Ironbottom Sound - it is time to make Vitiaz Strait the Graveyard of US Navy!

Well, the hard reality is that at this point and from now on the Allies can build bases and defenses much faster than Japan can.
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ny59giants
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by ny59giants »

+1

The number of engineers and engineer vehicles the Allies start to get when those SeaBees come out in numbers will allow them to put 500 plus (engineers + vehicles) at a bases easily. Just take a look at one of the American engineer rgt. [X(]
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Cribtop
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by Cribtop »

GJ, couldn't you scrabble up some crap to land on a nearby island to dangle as bait, then jump the American reaction?

Second, agree that at this moment you don't want to take on the USN CVs with only part of KB. Given that your strategy relies as you say on keeping KB alive, isn't that an argument for re-combining it pronto?
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

June 16, 1942

The KB1 moves back to Rabaul area. Subs are getting closer. No reason to risk now that i have been spotted with a 10/10 DL...
The 2 Hyio Class CVs are now recombined with the main body of KB1.
I really don't want to engage the enemy's CVs right now. Carrier battles in mid 1942 are risky. There will be better moments. Now my priority is to consolidate my perimeter and slow as much as i can the allied advance.
Crib: your idea is brilliant, but i don't have the means to do that right now. Too few assets and the risk of being caught somewhere else with the pants down is high. Untill i know where his main vector will be (so to say, where his CVs are) i won't do such a thing. For the moment i'm jut sending reinforcements to the Marshalls. The Gilberts are lost.Period.

In India the allies are really getting serious. Hyderabad is getting encircled by many minor allied vectors that are occupying the bases East, north and west of the key-city. Reinforcements are coming. 2 More divisions are on their way, while several supporting units are sent to fortify the retreat positions.

In China, Changsha is been bypassed, while the bulk of the 13th Army ha occupied the Changsha basin abbandoned by the chinese. Erik is occupying every single good-terrain-hex around the Basin. I will try not to fight for those hexes and aim directly at Chikkiang.
The other two vectors inSouthern China are taking shape. Chinese units are spotted moving towards Nanning, so he probably has spotted us. Let's see if i can make it...the window is already closing...

Economy: the supply situation is getting serious: 2,800,000 supplies and falling down every turn. Damn! The cost in RnD is really biting me back... i just hope all the supplies invested in the Zero and Oscar line will pay off in this PDU OFF environement.
I should be getting the A6M3a in Sept 42 and the A6M5 in october, while the KI-43 IIb (armoured) in october too. These should really give a boost to the status of my air force.

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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by veji1 »

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

I really don't want to engage the enemy's CVs right now. Carrier battles in mid 1942 are risky. There will be better moments. Now my priority is to consolidate my perimeter and slow as much as i can the allied advance.
Crib: your idea is brilliant, but i don't have the means to do that right now. Too few assets and the risk of being caught somewhere else with the pants down is high. Untill i know where his main vector will be (so to say, where his CVs are) i won't do such a thing. For the moment i'm jut sending reinforcements to the Marshalls. The Gilberts are lost.Period.

In India the allies are really getting serious. Hyderabad is getting encircled by many minor allied vectors that are occupying the bases East, north and west of the key-city. Reinforcements are coming. 2 More divisions are on their way, while several supporting units are sent to fortify the retreat positions.

Hi Greyjoy, 2 questions.
Regarding the bolded part, isn't it the point at this stage of the game for the allied player NOT to have a clear axis of advance but just to nibble where you aren't ? If I were him I wouldn't really commit my CVs anywhere. I might use them a little bit, sure, but always be ready to bug out fast and only use forces (land forces, surface forces) I am willing to lose.

Second question. In china you will be facing well entrenched forces you'll have a hard time dislodging with SLs. but in India it looks like a war of manouver where the terrain doesn't help defense a lot more. wouldn't that be a better place to use a few tank divisions and divisions to try and trap and destroy some overzealous Commonwealth forces ?
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GreyJoy
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

ORIGINAL: veji1

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

I really don't want to engage the enemy's CVs right now. Carrier battles in mid 1942 are risky. There will be better moments. Now my priority is to consolidate my perimeter and slow as much as i can the allied advance.
Crib: your idea is brilliant, but i don't have the means to do that right now. Too few assets and the risk of being caught somewhere else with the pants down is high. Untill i know where his main vector will be (so to say, where his CVs are) i won't do such a thing. For the moment i'm jut sending reinforcements to the Marshalls. The Gilberts are lost.Period.

In India the allies are really getting serious. Hyderabad is getting encircled by many minor allied vectors that are occupying the bases East, north and west of the key-city. Reinforcements are coming. 2 More divisions are on their way, while several supporting units are sent to fortify the retreat positions.

Hi Greyjoy, 2 questions.
Regarding the bolded part, isn't it the point at this stage of the game for the allied player NOT to have a clear axis of advance but just to nibble where you aren't ? If I were him I wouldn't really commit my CVs anywhere. I might use them a little bit, sure, but always be ready to bug out fast and only use forces (land forces, surface forces) I am willing to lose.

Second question. In china you will be facing well entrenched forces you'll have a hard time dislodging with SLs. but in India it looks like a war of manouver where the terrain doesn't help defense a lot more. wouldn't that be a better place to use a few tank divisions and divisions to try and trap and destroy some overzealous Commonwealth forces ?

Hi mate!

1- Very true.For the very same reason, i am not willing to fight for some real estate i'm not really interesting to hold. It is a long war and Japan has very limited naval resources, so i need to be as carefull as possible. If he doesn't committ his CVs, the better:that means he won't go looking for some highly risk advances. A slow pace is what i am looking for.

2- Sure. That would be ideal. The point is that in China THIS is the moment to push forward. The window is very narrow and my time is limitd there, as limited are the resources (supplies) at my disposal for an attritional war. I need to estabilish a good perimeter ASAP and tanks can be very usefull there.
At the same time, in India, the present situation (see map) is not ideal for a counterattack. My perimeter is too wide and i don't have enough forces to garrison the needed bases and LOCs and to operate with mobile stacks. No, in India the real chance of a counteroffensive will be when the war will move on the eastern side of it (Assam). If everything goes as planned, my retreat to the "ASSAM LINE" will be smooth and, by that time (hopefully early 1943), i will have 4 tank divisions at my disposal, along with more IDs coming from China and Manchuria. Using Calcutta as a strong point i should be able to use the plains of Assam for a gigantic "Kassel". For the moment, i need to buy time and push as strong as i can in Central and Southern China
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GreyJoy
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

June 15-16, 1942

Cochin finally falls in India. The "A" regiment of the 6th Guards ID, with the help of 200 bombers from Ceylon and a Cruiser (bombing) managed to dislodge 6 units present there. The allies kept resupplying the base and sending there (with subs???) a lot of men and equipment... we got there just in time. Now that torn in my side is over (no more Catalinas looking for my KB2!)
However the situation in western India is getting really hot. 80,000 men are assembling south of Poona and more than 350 fighters and 300 bombers are spotted. Enemy tanks are moving NW and SW of Hyderabad. The japanese are doing what they can in order to create a decent defensive line. The battle will be decided in the skies. If i can contest the air space over Hyderabad i will have a chance to hold. If not, i will be forced to move back to Madras and then to Calcutta.
36 more Nicks are moved to Madras and we are waiting to create the first sentai of 42 Tojos. Another Sentai of A6M2 is almost ready to upgrade to the A6M3. Let's see...

In China the southern vector is spotted[:o] and several groups are spotted moving south from Kweiling. But in Changsha basin things seems to bedoing better. We're sorrounding Changsa and the 13th Army is alreadymoving towards Chikkiang. Everything is going smooth here; just the supplies are becoming a problem. A CArgo TF with 200K supplies is ordered at Sasebo. Hopefully these goodies will be in Shangai in less than a week.

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GreyJoy
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

Yaab: Umboi island is getting garrisoned but i don't know if i can create the fortress you mentioned. That flank is pretty exposed and am not so sure i will have the engineers to be able to reallybuild it. The last spare engineers are now enrouted to Ponape, Cocos and Horn Island.I need to have those two very well built up as they will be decisive in order to "force" the allies towards the Eastern NG vector.

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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by MrBlizzard »

Hi GJ [:)] I'm interested in your strategy, i think you're doing a good job here in India. I just don't understand one thing
Why you chose to defend in
Madras? Do you believe that it can add a useful stronghold to your defence? I understand that can be transformed in a fortress but I've a doubt that it could divide too much your forces. Wouldn't be more useful to put those divisions in Ceylon or in Assam instead? It seems that conquering it cannot add much to Allies, just one more airport on the east coast of India. Till you have ceylon should be very difficult to pass in Bengala gulf for his fleet with or without Madras.
Couldn't Obvert bypass Madras isolating it with some forces and attack directly Assam?
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leehunt27@bloomberg.net
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by leehunt27@bloomberg.net »

Ponape is a great thorn in the Allies's side. You build it up, it protects Truk and forces the Allies to either veer far north or far south. Either way it burns up a lot more time and fuel as they do so!
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GreyJoy
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard

Hi GJ [:)] I'm interested in your strategy, i think you're doing a good job here in India. I just don't understand one thing
Why you chose to defend in
Madras? Do you believe that it can add a useful stronghold to your defence? I understand that can be transformed in a fortress but I've a doubt that it could divide too much your forces. Wouldn't be more useful to put those divisions in Ceylon or in Assam instead? It seems that conquering it cannot add much to Allies, just one more airport on the east coast of India. Till you have ceylon should be very difficult to pass in Bengala gulf for his fleet with or without Madras.
Couldn't Obvert bypass Madras isolating it with some forces and attack directly Assam?


Madras won't be defended at the cost of Assam. The idea is to fight for Hyderabad, then move back to Madras, but just with 2 IDs and support units. The rest of the army will move east. If the allies will cut the road, the army will be evacuated by sea from Madras, with the help of KB2 and Ceylon Air Force.
Assam is already defended and the defensive line is being built.

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GreyJoy
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

ORIGINAL: leehunt27@bloomberg.net

Ponape is a great thorn in the Allies's side. You build it up, it protects Truk and forces the Allies to either veer far north or far south. Either way it burns up a lot more time and fuel as they do so!


Agree! I had faced the very same problem in my last game as the allies. A fortress at Ponape, de facto, prevented any real advance towards the Central Pacific. With Ponape and Truk firmly in Japanese hands, the allies will be forced to move down the coast of NG if they want to move towards the Mariannas.
And that's where I want them to go
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GreyJoy
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

June 17, 1942

In India a lot of AA units arrived, while 3 IDs (36th, 41st and 4th Guards) are on their way.
The allies are not attacking yet. The more days I gain here, the better. Need time for my Chinese offensive...

In China is where things are getting hot.
The general offensive in South-Central front is taking shape.
As far as I can tell, everything is moving properly.
In the Center, we're surrounding the 200,000 defenders of Changsha. Erik doesn't seem to be willing of abandoning it. Very well, i'll bypass it and neutralize a whole army of 200,000 men.
The 13th Army is aiming directly to Chikkiang. Won't be easy, I know. +3 terrain on the way and the Chinese need to be dislodged with brute force from there... but I am confident.
In the south, things are going well. The bait seems to have been eaten. Let's see...
The tanks are facing an opposition stronger than expected on the western flank... the river crossing will tell everything.

In PAC, we've reinforced Nauru Island, Maloep, Roi Namur and other Gilbert Islands.
More engineers are flowing to SOPAC.

The allies seem to be a bit quiet after the last attacks in the Marshalls.



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Lowpe
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by Lowpe »

Your feint seems to be working great!

I suspect with stacking limits, there is no place for those troops in Changsha to go. Might as well hold the city for as long as possible to slow you down, and then be reborn at Chungking. Just guessing here.

Alternate defense. What do you think if the Chineses didn't garrison the non-road hexes, and instead put units on the roads in depth. Would that change your axis of attack any? I guess this would assume not making a Changsha-grad type defense.

Would you be tempted to move off road? Could it possibly slow you down?



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GreyJoy
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RE: Carriers in the I.O.

Post by GreyJoy »

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Your feint seems to be working great!

I suspect with stacking limits, there is no place for those troops in Changsha to go. Might as well hold the city for as long as possible to slow you down, and then be reborn at Chungking. Just guessing here.

Alternate defense. What do you think if the Chineses didn't garrison the non-road hexes, and instead put units on the roads in depth. Would that change your axis of attack any? I guess this would assume not making a Changsha-grad type defense.

Would you be tempted to move off road? Could it possibly slow you down?


Very good question and I admit that I don't really know the answer.
The only thing I know is that I won't contest those non-road hexes, especially those with +3 terrain. What I need is to clear the roads and get the bases and keep on advancing. Without bases and roads supply won't flow and those units will be combat ineffective.
What if he choses to defend in deep the roads? Well, that's what I did in my other games. The only problem is that, with SL, once the first road-block is pushed back, the other hex where the units retreated to becomes overstacked, which eats supplies and lower the effectiveness of the combat units.
The best option is always to remain flexible imho...but that's not always easy when the road system becomes overcrowded.

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