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JWE -> RE: DaBabes - Comment Call (3/30/2010 5:15:02 PM)
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First, having less than the required amount of Support doesn’t mean that units automatically slide down the tubes. It does mean that when they “do” something (combat, etc..) it is much more difficult to recover fatigue, disruption, etc.. This is why combat units were rotated out of combat and into a rear area for RRI&I. Second, combat units are not getting whacked. They will have exactly the same % of Support they do right now. Treespider will have exactly the same amount of Support (with 25th and South Army HQs) as he does now. The idea is to remove BF “units” per se, and aggregate their stuff into other, more actual, units. The further idea is to have the numbers of these other units represent a particular actuality. The number of supporting LCUs will be more limited, yes, but both sides can still put in big pushes. It just means that a big push has to be organized in scope as well as scale. One will need appropriate HQs, and specifically designated supporting units, to be able to herd the cats. There was a reason why Watchtower was called Shoestring. As the war progresses, and these things arrive, it will become easier, but there was also a reason why there were so few staging bases for operations, and why early staging bases were left in maintenance mode while the capability was “advanced” to the next designated spot. Too many arbitrary BFs just means this operational imperative is lost, and makes it too easy. There are units called BFs, and other units called Eng, that have some Sup functionality. Port Maintenance and Air Base Maintenance Bns have extra Sup over requirements, but only enough for some extra AA or Arty Bns. A Navy Port Bn is not expected to have hospitals, chowhouses, bunkhouses, outhouses, cathouses, and doghouses to recover a MarDiv. AAF BFs are now Airbase Groups and Airbase Squadrons, each of which have an increment of Sup over requirements in order to help support appropriate combat units (AAA, fx). Some of the Construction Bns (Navy and Army) have an increment of Sup over requirements in order to help support appropriate combat units (AAA, fx), while they are at work building stuff. Some garrison-type units (USMC Def Bns, fx) have just enuf Sup (barely) to keep them alive while fighting, but don’t forget that combat preferentially target devices with the biggest “number”, so Sup is gonna get whacked, and disabled Sup squads don’t hep ya none. Point is, this is like a game of cards. Japan has lots of cards on opening day (way more than the Allies and way enuf to go hog wild for a while), but every place she targets, she has to lay down a card. Sooner or later, she runs low on cards, and either ops go to hell, or combat units go to the hospital. She gets more cards as the game goes on, but for a big op, she either has to wait, or grab some discards; i.e., leave her butt hanging somewhere while she boogies somewhere else. Lots of “permanent” BFs in certain cities and towns with gobs of RRI&I. Paradigm for Japan is a bit different, but she has these too, for her island bases (Truk, Palau, fx). Were a bit more gentle with Japan because of her historical disadvantages in every dimension. Tried to make mid ’43 the break point in the Pacific. China/Burma was a whole different can of worms. Hope this helps explain the philosophy a bit.
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