Wake island defense for japanese player

[Marshall]

One of the hardest points of defense for japan, I always found Wake a very difficult point.
it is close enough to midway for allied forces to mount a well planned and protected assault, and japan has no bases very close to it.
with troop levels capped at 6000, the number of defenders is severely limited.

I tend to put up an airbase with betty bombers and zero escorts, to try to strike early at any invasion fleet, but an allied carrier force of 3 carriers will surely brush aside the air threat
if a bombardment force is also part of the invasion fleet, the island is doomed to fall, and give the allied player a very fine airbase to jump to the next target.

The marshall islands is good to defend, but in my opinion, wake is a weak point, and I haven't found a proper defense to it yet, besides keeping a KB close to the region, to jump in for defense

any Japanese players with the same experience, and perhaps good tips?.


cheers

Marshall

[wdolson]

Relatively isolated, small islands are pretty much impossible to defend if the enemy brings enough to the fight. Unless you have the KB intact and capable of reacting to an invasion threat, there isn't all that much you can do. About the only thing a defense of someplace like Wake can offer is to make life difficult on the enemy if they try taking it with an anemic force.

Bill

[dr.hal]

My defense is to not bother with it. Let the Allies keep it and use it as bombing practice if you want (in other words, use its disadvantages against the Allies much like they would use against Japan if Wake as captured).

[Marshall]

I usually put a betty sqdn and zero's on it, with mines and well dug in forces
just to make sure it is not a cheap present for the allies, but indeed when the carrier forces come along with Bombardmend fleets, the island is doomed.
also, to commit the KB there, is usually the scenario the allied player dreams of, the KB will be pretty much exposed, without supporting airbases, and it needs to get a surprise or good first strike in to get a result worth while.

I never considered a "don't bother" policy, perhaps it is one to consider.
just the location is so darn perfect for an allied island hop towards the Bonin Islands

[dr.hal]

True Marshall, but in the early year or two of the war, an Allied thrust would be so VULNERABLE, much like the Japs trying to keep Wake supplied and supported in the latter years of the war. It would be tempting for the Allies to use it as a staging post, but as such it then lends itself to an ambush by the Japanese.

[Lowpe]

In my AAR, Wake is under pressure with an Allied deathstar, several bombardment groups, and invasion fleet all headed there in Sept of 43. Seemingly.

Wake does have the fearsome Wake Coastal gun unit, some of the best heavy CG around.

[pontiouspilot]

After mid-43 it is a death trap for Japanese.

This doesn't mean don't defend it as the Allied player must still bring a good concentrated mix to take it. If careless it could be a bad bloody nose. I simply wouldn't base any valuable air assets there. I would only use it to base search aircraft out of.

[Marshall]

I normally place an air HQ there, the 25th or 26th air flotilla, to provide torpedoes for my betty bombers
mine the place and dig in as deep as possible

for me it is THE weak spot in Japanese defenses in 43, when the allies get hold of the BONIN islands, these 4 engine bombers will drop loads of bombs on japan, and have a great path to the phills.
and when phill falls, well these airfields there are killing for japan, and it will be obliterated.

I plugged every hole in the defensive line, I have resized kate and val units at airbases, ready to get to grip with any allied invasion force.

but wake island.......... I still haven't found a solid solution for it, and I am playing this game since the first day it got out LOL
keeping a KB near the place makes sense, but its also a very sweet spot for the allies to force a carrier battle on their terms and time.

I have a screen of subs in front of wake now, to see if that helps out.

[Alfred]

The only correct defence for an atoll is one based on having both air and naval superiority.
 
If you want to keep an atoll, there is no alternative, aerial and naval superiority must be provided.  Unable to, or unwilling to achieve it, then no atoll is defensible.
 
Wake Island is no easier to attack for the Allied armada than it is to be defended by the KB.  It is essentially a rock in the middle of nowhere and both Japanese and Allied ships are vulnerable to the power of the enemy.
 
Alfred

[Rising-Sun]

There isn't much you can do about Wake Is. Either you capture it and abandon it or you can put decent ground forces there and pump up that fortification. If you mine it, you going to need ACMs to support the mines and ships in the harbor would be easy target in front line. Subs may helps and you going to need to resupply that base once in awhile depending on size of forces. You can also use supply transports from bases that are in range to supply without risking ships.

If you are lucky, knowing when they are coming, just put a handful of subs, carrier forces behind Wake by three or four hexes away and wait for them. If their forces are greater than you in carriers and planes, better pull out unless you have very good pilots to deal with those planes.