Gensui jdsrae (J) vs SolInvictus (A). IJ War Council room

[jdsrae]

I've just agreed to start my first PBEM vs CrackSabbath who already has a few notches on his belt.
Neither of us can commit to a turn/day so it will be a relatively slow paced game.

The settings are shown below, intended to be a free play ahistoric game with the only rules being what the 1s and 0s allow.

With an ahistoric start the allies get to issue orders before turn 1, which means:
1. Allied ships can be ordered out of port and they will move out before the air orders are resolved, so that obviously raises serious questions about Pearl Harbour or Manila port strikes.
2. Allied air groups will still suffer penalties due to Dec 7th Surprise setting, but I expect that all allied airgroups will perform a lot better than historic first turn with surprise on, as they will probably have increased CAP %s or naval search / strike orders
3. Allied land units will probably also steal a 1/2 day march on wherever they want to move to.

I haven't played the AI with these settings before so it will be interesting to see what happens when we run turn 1.
Both of us are going to take a bit of time to enter our turn 1 orders so it might be a week or two before this kicks off.

I won't have time for a day by day AAR, but I might do a weekly or monthly summary.

[RangerJoe]

Allied or Japanese side?

[CrackSabbath]

jdsrae is playing the Japanese side. I'm one of those pesky APO types (i.e. lazy). [:D]

[jdsrae]

27 Nov 1941
I’ve called an emergency session of the War Council with GEN Sugiyama and ADM Yamamoto to figure out wtf to do now that the allies seem to have sniffed out our Pearl Harbour raid.
The Foreign Minister just advised that we have reached the point of no return as far as negotiations go with the allies so I hope they bring a copy of their respective Operation B-GO plans...
More to follow.

[CaptBeefheart]

CrackSabbath: Will you be doing an AAR or is that like too much work for the Dude?

Cheers,
CB

[jdsrae]

The Dude mentioned via email he probably doesn’t have time to do an in-character AAR like his last one but might do a weekly summary.
Now that I’m about to start entering orders I’ll ask that he doesn’t drop in here anymore

My biggest issue is trying to figure out what to do with KB for turn 1 whereas his is trying to figure out what to do with all the BBs at Pearl.
My cunning plan might be to leave him with so many big gas guzzling ships that he just can’t fuel them all!

I’m trying to second guess him now... I can’t see him leaving the BBs in port, but will he move them away from Pearl?
Maybe to a nearby Port to disband? If I try to hunt them with KB I fear I’ll just be punching at shadows and wasting fuel and time.
He’ll be trying to second guess me too. So much more interesting than the AI already!
I’m going to start entering orders tonight but might not finish this weekend.

I’m leaning towards keeping operations nice and tight for the first few months but I think I need to quickly setup search and strike on the Pacific flank to try and spot if the US Pacific Fleet is trying to move to the DEI. That’s going to be tough with the distances to cover though...

Contributions from the General Staff always welcome.

[RangerJoe]

Test this first but instead of Pearl Harbor, make deep raids into SoPac to cut off the supply lines to New Zealand and Australia. Of course, you can also go the North Pacific route and try to take Canada via Prince Rupert and through the mountains to provide bombing bases against US Cities and infrastructure. As long as you do no invade the US or take the southern most base of Vancouver Island, the US gets no emergency reinforcements.

[Hanzberger]

I would do a couple of tests, maybe position the KB to the SE of pearl. I think you still need to strike Pearl~! In the SE you would still have an escape route. I would also redo everything almost as far as AMP landings. Takes a lot of time but you really need to do this. With no HR's you are in control here from the beginning. Any units bought out can now be used outside of China and should be. Bomb Manilla's port to hell. Make sure you move those Mb's off the home Island to the party...Make sure you redo the KB also as far as how the DB and TB are setup on a couple of carriers. If my memory is still functioning I believe you have experience.

Wait does he get magic moves with all his ships or will they just be out at sea?

[Hanzberger]

Are you going for Mersing? Maybe even Pal? What's your R+D look like? I am very interested in this AAR, been a long time since I played. Curious as to what the Allied player can do without HR's. I think you guys should have played Scen 2 maybe.

[jdsrae]

I only know scenario 1 so wanted it for my first pbem.
No time for test runs, I need to start entering orders or we’ll never start!
I’m not planning anything too radical with the aim to capture the SRA without taking heavy losses, then assess where to after that based on the opening few months.
I will definitely be going through every unit plus setup as much industry as possible on turn 1.

The allies can change orders before turn 1 runs, so if I was him I’d move everything from PH to Lahaina or Hilo.
I really don’t think I can guess his move, or whether he will send them further S and just leave them at sea.

With 8 x US BBs likely to be in play from 8 Dec I don’t think I can afford to lose any of my BBs or CAs early with a magic move Mersing, especially as he will have POW and Repulse somewhere safe.

He will probably send his CVs S or SE too. I am thinking about KB in 4th Fleet area to try and block him coming west, but he could just sit and let me waste fuel patrolling with them for a month. KB could cover early Wake/Guam invasions and I’m thinking about a really early Midway just to see if that draws him out to fight. I need to find a decent land unit but if I took Modway early he’d have to be tempted to use his BBs to try and bombard it which might give me a chance to sink a few.

But then I think that my main effort needs to be the shores of the South China Sea to capture oil and fuel sources, so I might be better using KB there after flattening Manila, then get it quickly over to support Mindanao / Celebes ops and perhaps push to SEAF/4F after that.

I think I’ll just start entering industry and Army orders in China as that won’t change!

[Uncivil Engineer]

One very minor change to the Malaya invasion could drastically increase the speed of your conquest.

Land a tank regiment (or 2) at Patani instead of Singora. It can quickly cross the peninsula and capture Georgetown. From Singora to Alor Star you move slowly on the RR track/trail.

If you want to land at Mersing early, all of 5 Div units are loaded on transports at Samah, but they are in various TFs going various places. You need to be meticulous in reorganizing all division elements into the same TF, but it can be done. Do NOT unload anything to do this, as you'll lose several days. Send artillery and some tanks with them, too. If you reorganize into one of the "magic move" TFs, you can land at Mersing on Dec 7. I would not advise that due to uncertainty with Force Z, but landing there on Dec 9 or 10 is certainly possible, and without "magic".

That's my 2 cents.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

I haven't played the AI with these settings before so it will be interesting to see what happens when we run turn 1.

You can't play the AI with these settings and get to issue orders to Allied units on December 7th.. Surprise ON versus the AI means the Allied player doesn't get to issue any orders until December 8th.

The only way for the Allied player to be able to issue orders on December 7th against the AI is to play with No Surprise.

[jdsrae]

I nearly finished industry orders last night, just need to resize as many aircraft research to size 30 as supply allows and set the supply toggles so I can finish this next turn, then its done.

I’ll then start issuing orders to Army then Navy, as let’s face it, now that Yamamoto is on the train back to Kure, the role of the IJN is to support the IJA. Air units will receive their orders after that in support of their local operations.

I do have a plan to reshuffle amphibious task forces that I will tweak from my last game vs AI to get myself organised.
It does already involve trying to get the scattered Divisions back together.
My target before crossing the causeway into Singapore is for 3 x full Divisions as I have to assume he will implement a Brave Sir Robin until recon tells me otherwise. I’ll see if I have a sketch of the Malaya and Luzon plans to post tonight.

Busy Saturday here in real life before I can get back to this but it’s good to get started!

[RangerJoe]

You will not have to pay the 1000 supply cost for the research factory repair unit it is actually done and for later aircraft, that can be a long time. Reminder, don't expand your research engine factories by more than 30 as you won't get research until they are finished and I don't believe that they will provide more than 1 research point per day (although I may be incorrect on this!) The engine factories will repair one point per day, costing 1000 supply per point repaired.

[Hanzberger]

I would save your R+D separately. Just in case you change your mind when moving your units into position. I would use the LB's for Manilla.
Do the Allies get any magic moves? If not then those battle wagons can't be more then 9 hex out right? I would go for Pal~!

[RangerJoe]

Yes, see just how far the significant portions of the Allied fleets can move and attack accordingly. Miri, Brunei, Tarakan, Kendari, Rabaul, Noumea, Fiji . . .

See if you can wipe out LBA by invasions as well.

[jdsrae]

No magic moves for the allies that I’m aware of, so yes I could plot a radius on where his ships will move.
I won’t do that exactly but I have a mental picture.
Most likely is he will do some hit and run off Luzon and in the DEI and maybe the Marshalls.
Most dangerous in the DEI he combines all ABDA naval forces and sets a big ambush ala Obvert v Lowpe.
More dangerous if he gets the US BBs to the DEI fuel sources, I’ll check but somewhere like Soerabaja can probably rearm them...
I am starting to think my priority needs to be to hunt down and destroy the ABDA force while screening approaches from the Pacific.

[BillBrown]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

I haven't played the AI with these settings before so it will be interesting to see what happens when we run turn 1.

You can't play the AI with these settings and get to issue orders to Allied units on December 7th.. Surprise ON versus the AI means the Allied player doesn't get to issue any orders until December 8th.

The only way for the Allied player to be able to issue orders on December 7th against the AI is to play with No Surprise.

This is totally wrong. Here is what happens for December 7th surprise on.

2.4.6 DECEMBER 7TH SURPRISE
If the player selects a scenario that begins on December 7th, 1941, this option may be selected.
When chosen, during the Morning Phase only on December 7, 1941, the following occurs to
represent Allied surprise:
»» Allied air units flying patrols (CAP, search, etc.) have a 50% chance of not flying any aircraft
»» If an air group passes this test and elects to fly, the number of aircraft that will fly is reduced by 75%
»» The Allies will launch no airstrikes
»» Japanese Naval TFs may have enhanced first turn movement, depending upon TF settings in the scenario (see Editor Manual for details)
»» Aircraft making a port attack during any December 7 phase will attack ships 100 percent of the time if there are at least 10 ships in the port
»» Aircraft hit on any Allied airfields suffer increased damage
»» Aircraft hit on any Allied ships suffer increased damage due to lack of Damage Control
»» Vary Setup option has been disabled for Admiral’s Edition.

Absolutely nothing about Allies not being able to input orders for December 7th.
I will say that the one in red is very important for an Allied player.

Please get your facts right Hans.

[BillBrown]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

No magic moves for the allies that I’m aware of, so yes I could plot a radius on where his ships will move.
I won’t do that exactly but I have a mental picture.
Most likely is he will do some hit and run off Luzon and in the DEI and maybe the Marshalls.
Most dangerous in the DEI he combines all ABDA naval forces and sets a big ambush ala Obvert v Lowpe.
More dangerous if he gets the US BBs to the DEI fuel sources, I’ll check but somewhere like Soerabaja can probably rearm them...
I am starting to think my priority needs to be to hunt down and destroy the ABDA force while screening approaches from the Pacific.

Remember that they will only move one phase, not two phases.

[durnedwolf]

SCEN 1 means you have to ramp things up fast while on a tough budget. I just wanted to wish you both a great game.