Here is my basic plan for the opening phases of the war. I wish to prevent both Java and Australia from being reinforced. I want to isolate Java because I do not want my job of taking it to be any harder than necessary. I want to isolate Australia to prevent it from being used as a launching pad for an allied offensive, especially against the DEI, but also the Solomons.
To isolate Java, I will have two major thrusts: one towards Singapore and northern Borneo; the other towards Timor and northern Australia.
To isolate Australia, I wish to capture the following bases: Pago-Pago; Suva; and Noumea. Call this the south-sea thrust.
In order to execute the South-Seas thrust I have the following plans. First, use the 2nd and 56 divisions based in the home islands as well as the 65th brigade to take these objectives. I do not know what I will find when I get down there; I do not know how fast and where my opponent will reinforce these areas. I wish to take them either simultaneously or in quick succession. At any rate, I am going to bring a big hammer just in case. On the way down to Fiji/New Cal/Somoa, I will take Rabaul en-passant with the 146th regiment located at Badelbedoab. I will also take Canton/Baker with SNLF units based at Truk and Jailut.
The KB will obviously support this thrust. I have done the initial strike on PH and had mediocre results. The KB has now sailed 7 hexes directly west of PH and will do another port attack, this time using only Kates set at 9000 feet and set to use bombs rather than torps. From there, the KB will head west to support the invasion of Wake. It will then move to Truck to reload torps and to join up with the various invasion fleets. From there, the South-Seas force will move together, first towards Rabaul, and then further South. I am setting up a sub screen of Noumea on the west and Pago-Pago on the east to try to damage reinforcements going to these places and to alert me as to whether reinforcements are being sent. I have yet to decide whether to split the KB and go for Samoa and New Cal simultaneously or go from east to west as a group, i.e. Samoa->Fiji->New Cal. (Here is where I would like advice!)
For the Malayd thrust I am using the 25th Army. Because large elements of the 16th Army are now being used for the South Seas thrust, I will also add the following divisions to the Malay offensive: 38th division after the fall of Hong Kong and the 21st and 4th divisions, both attached to the Southern Army. This commitment is necessitated by the diversion of most of the 16th Army to the South Seas. This will give me 6 divisions to take Singapore.
Because the 21st and 4th divisions will be committed to Malaya, and the 65th brigade will be committed to the south seas thrust, this will mean the units available for taking Luzon will be rather weak. Basically, I will have two divisions from the 14th Army: 48th and 16th. This, in my estimation, will not be enough to secure Luzon. Instead, these two divisions will establish a beach head at Vigan where an airbase will be built in order to commence a continuous bombing campaign of Manila, Clark Field, and Bataan.
For the Timor thrust, I plan on using various SNLF units as well as the 41st infantry regiment based at Samah. The Timor thrust will be supported by LBA and large portions of the IJN surface fleet. Initial targets will be Jolo, Manando, Djadangas and Tenate. Air HQs from Takao will need to be brought down from Takao so that Netties can be stationed at these bases with torpedo ordinance. The first order target for this thrust is Timor, with a possible extension to northern Australia exclusive of Darwin (I do not feel I will have enough troops to take Darwin in the opening stages of this offensive.)
Likewise, the air HQ at Kampong Trach is moving to Victoria point so that I can base Netties there and prevent Malaya from being reinforced, resupplied, or evacuated.
So there it is: a plan built around isolating the major theaters of operations. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
