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  The amphibious landings in India have been going well so far. We're poised to take Calcutta and the Andaman Islands, which will give us the ability to strike safely at Ceylon. And with all the core forces on shore, we're ready to push southward. Axis Turn 5: April 12, 1942 Rain (Mud) A lengthy period of rain has turned the Indian roads to mush.  As our forces link up around Calcutta, the Senpaku force the last of the city's defenders to surrender.  Meanwhile the landing force continues to clear the route between the city and our core at Cuttack.  Speaking of which, we capture the town and clear out the last few defenders in the pocket.  The damaged cruisers on our side pull away while we continue to battle the enemy fleet. Our sub tries to go after one of the light cruisers (Edinburgh class), but is chased off by their depth charges, one of which inflicts a fair bit of damage. Allied Turn 5: April 12, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The British take advantage of the poor weather to retreat and repair their ships. They still continue to engage us a bit, but without dealing any heavy damage.  The scout cars down south continue to bother the French troops.  Those Daimlers are much less effective when facing veteran Japanese tanks, however.  Although we are surprised to find that there are still more Mark III tanks to the north of Cuttack. Axis Turn 6: April 13, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  With Calcutta in our hands, we rush to get the port into condition for shipping in supplies -- and shipping out the forces that are there.  One of our tank units ended up way off course, and landed far to the south of Cuttack. Their attempt to rejoin the core leads them straight into an ambush.  The muddy ground is making it impossible for us to dislodge those scout cars easily.  Our landings on the Andaman islands are successful. We will be able to take the airfield with ease.  With the slightly better weather on the seas, we down a large number of British fighters. Allied Turn 6: April 13, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  The scout cars of Madras make any progress impossible for the French, and the artillery guns at the city keep them suppressed.  Allied naval bombers continue to be ineffective.  While their weaker ships are not hitting us that well, they somehow have located the Shokaku, which is nearly sunk.  The enemy forces sever the road to Calcutta; we'll need to shift the fight in this direction. Axis Turn 7: April 13, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The auxiliary forces (including the INA) are tasked with holding the northern perimeter at Calcutta while the core units ship out.  Airfields on the Andaman islands are captured, and the garrison forces are being reduced.  Far inland, the Teishin Shudan also capture the undefended airfield at Raipur. This will force all British planes to rebase far southward.  All our ships focus on taking down the Royal Sovereign.  Our subs run into a surprise encounter as they sail toward the coast, and they are forced to surface. Allied Turn 7: April 13, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The Warspite chases down the B submarine, and she is lost after the Royal Sovereign also brings its guns to bear.  Our wayward tanks are taking a lot of casualties, but they have been a rather effective roadblock. Axis Turn 8: April 13, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  It's a tough battle on the northern line, but the auxiliary forces are able to keep the road clear.  Fighting through the muddy ground makes it nearly impossible to push back any of the Indian forces.  We do eventually manage to get the road clear, but the tropical forests still hide a fair number of enemy forces.  Breaks in the weather let our carriers send out another strike. We're less concerned about any intefering enemy fighters now.  The Kongo scores the kill on the Royal Sovereign. Allied Turn 8: April 13, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  The continued presence of enemy planes suggests something more - there must be a British carrier in the region.  Allied troops from the south are unable to get past our tanks on the Calcutta road. There are more units to the northeast, however. Axis Turn 9: April 13, 1942 Rain (Mud)  It takes a surprising amount of effort, but we finally knock out those slippery scout cars.  That doesn't let us advance much farther due to the awful road conditions.  We capture Chandemagore to the north. This should take any pressure off the troops at Calcutta.  There's also a naval fight going on in the shallows. We're winning.  In the open water, we don't spot the enemy ships at the moment. We'll have to keep searching. Allied Turn 9: April 13, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The British light cruisers are rather more deadly than their smaller ships that our destroyers were picking on.  The road south from Cuttack is well-defended. Neither side can make progress. Axis Turn 10: April 13, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The auxiliary forces create a line establishing our northern advance.  Our tanks aren't able to gain any ground on the road southward.  While Port Blair is securely in our hands, it's proven difficult to eliminate all defenders on the island.  The Warspite is spotted. This time the Fuso is the one to finish it off. Allied Turn 10: April 13, 1942 Rain (Mud)  Both sides are losing more tanks in attacking than in defending.  The French nearly lose their guns outside Madras. It's been a serious naval battle, but we've managed to gain the upper hand. With Calcutta and Cattuck under our control, the first stage of the fight is over. Next it will be time to take as much ground as possible with the core, and to prepare our forces for the second stage: the invasion of Ceylon.  Unit Spotlights Here's a look at some of the units we're seeing for the first time, and the plane we just added to the lineup. Senpaku Kohei [Ship Engineers] or Special Naval Landing Forces PG Name: Senpaku Kohei Type: Infantry Effective Date: 7/40 Value:8 Cost:180 Spot:2 Move:2 MM:Leg Trans:Naval Fuel: - Init:2 SA:8 HA:5 AA:1 NA:1 GD:8 AD:9 CD:0 TT:Soft Ammo:7 Special: Banzai, Fearless As near as I can determine, the name 'Senpaku Kohei' was used for the 'ship engineers', which were merely a sort of auxiliary unit tasked with operating landing craft or otherwise assisting in amphibious operations. They don't seem to have been a significant fighting unit, especially compared to how frequently this unit shows up in the game. What seems more likely to be the case is that these units are meant to represent the Special Naval Landing Forces (shortened to SNLF and also called 'Rikusentai', part of their Japanese name). They were basically the Japanese Marines and considered top-quality units. They did indeed see plenty of combat. While some of them were in the war early on in China, many were deployed in amphibious operations during the offensives of 1941 and 1942. As the war went on they were of course more often fighting defensively. Tarawa is probably the most famous battle involving them - the defensive force largely consisted of these forces, and they inflicted tremendously heavy casualties on the US Marines who were landing on the island. In-game analysis: Except for their special abilities and high cost, these units are not that different from the HW unit. Since both of the specials tend to cause the unit to take higher losses, they lack usefulness as core units. Although it is true that the 'fearless' attribute is actually very useful for amphibious landings (units often have no retreat path in that situation and would otherwise surrender). They could also be invaluable in a desperate defensive position, though, given that they will stand their ground and are cheaper than engineers. Otherwise, it's better to just get an HW unit. Nakajima Ki-43 [Type 1] (Oscar) PG Name: Ki-43 Oscar / Ki-43II Oscar Type:Fighter Effective Date: 7/41 / 4/43 Value:20/24 Cost:240/288 Spot:3 Move:10 MM:Air Trans:No Fuel: 51/76 Init:6 SA:2/5 HA:1/4 AA:10 NA:0 GD:6/8 AD:8/10 Ammo:8 The Japanese designs of the late 30s and 40s favored light weight and maneuverability, and the Oscar was the best of the Army fighters to embody these principles. While not quite as magical as the Zero, the Oscar was still a fairly formidable aircraft thanks to its agility. Its armament and armor were a bit on the light side, making it better suited for dogfights than for going after enemy bombers. In-gama analysis: While there's nothing really wrong with this plane, it's rather average for when it appears. The Zero is still superior to it in every way save ammo and cost. I can't see a reason to choose it unless you're short of funds. The model 'II' is a very nice upgrade (and does make it a better value than the Zero), but you do wish the plane could have had those numbers a year or two earlier.
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Aug 31, 2017 01:19
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Yay it's back! Tough fight, although the insanely fast ahistorical invasion of India would probably have been pretty difficult all things considered.
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Aug 31, 2017 01:55
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 As the spring rains continue to fall, we're trying to clear the eastern coast of India with our core forces. Calcutta simply needs to hold the line. Meanwhile, the next phase of the operation -- the invasion of Ceylon -- is just about to begin. Axis Turn 11: April 14, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The tanks blocking the road have moved away, but we can't get past the infantry in our way any more easily.  Our fleet advances cautiously. Poor weather makes for bad hunting. Allied Turn 11: April 14, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The Kawaii tanks withstand all assaults on them. Axis Turn 12: April 14, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  These planes are definitely being supported by a carrier somewhere, but the Sea Hurricanes are not too hard to take down.  Shortly thereafter, we spot the carriers Hermes and Indomitable. The cruisers open fire.  Our light tanks finish off one unit of infantry, but at this rate, it'll still be days before we can get anywhere.  The French pull back to await more support from our forces before they press the attack on Madras. Allied Turn 12: April 14, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  Our core light cruiser gets the better of the Edinburgh cruiser.  Some of these naval fighters seem to have higher quality pilots.  Strike craft from the British carriers do manage to finally hit something -- the Takao.  The Mosquito proves to be quite dangerous to ships as well. Axis Turn 13: April 14, 1942 Rain (Mud)  Our cruisers send one carrier to the bottom of the sea.  With the southern battle at an impasse, we see if the auxiliary troops in the north can make any progress. Allied Turn 13: April 14, 1942 Rain (Mud)  Fighting continues near Jamshadpur. There are few actual casualties.  The British tanks chip away at our light tanks. Axis Turn 14: April 14, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  Skirmishing continues to the north of Calcutta, still to no effect.  The break in the weather allows us to send out the Vals and attack the ground forces.  That lets us push forward a fair distance down the road.  The torpedo bombers nearly take down the light cruiser before it gets to port.  The base in the Andamans allows all our fighters to get in on the naval action. Allied Turn 14: April 14, 1942 Cloudy(Mud)  Some of the newer Spitfire models are in the theater now, and they can battle with the Zero rather successfully. Axis Turn 15: April 14, 1942 Rain (Mud)  Jamshedpur is prepared to hold off our tanks. We'll need more troops to take it, assuming we really want to take it, that is.  We chase down the tanks along the shoreline, while on the road we knock out some of the infantry. Progress is definitely being made.  Most of the British capital ships appear to be gone now; all that is left for our battleships to engage are the smaller craft. Allied Turn 15: April 14, 1942 Rain (Mud)  A counterattack at Jamshedpur is less than successful for the Indian forces.  The French still can't get anywhere in range of Madras before the artillery guns scare them off. Axis Turn 16: April 15, 1942 Rain (Mud)  Prestige has finally built back up. We gain another squadron of Zeros.  The Indian troops appear to be trying to retreat. We're still inflicting casualties and taking more ground, but it's slow going in this muck.  We left Raipur undefended, and now the Indian forces are ready to reclaim it.  Things do improve in the north, as we capture Jamshedpur. Allied Turn 16: April 15, 1942 Rain (Mud)  Even with Jamshedpur captured, the enemy finds our weaker forces and hits them hard.  Our rear guard is attacked by the forces that fled into the hills. We may need to divert forces to secure the supply road from Calcutta. Axis Turn 17: April 15, 1942 Rain (Mud)  There are still a lot of troops all along the road behind us -- it's been too hard to really clear them out between the weather and the unforgiving terrain.  Another small stretch of road is secured to the south; it seems as though we're finally gaining the upper hand.  We continue to search the seas, but we haven't found any more sign of enemy ships. Allied Turn 17: April 15, 1942 Rain (Mud)  After more intense fighting, Jamshedpur is retaken by the enemy.  Fresh troops replace the ones that we've been beating up on down along the coast, but they don't achieve any success in battle. Axis Turn 18: April 15, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  The road is kept clear, but at a heavy cost.  The units that retook the Raipur airfield are about to move on Cuttack.  At long last, the tanks that bedeviled us on the southern road are eliminated.  Support from the ships offshore is assisting our advance, since the weather is too unpredictable to count on air support. Allied Turn 18: April 15, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  The Allies are using their own fighters to strafe our units.  Our artillery is going to be the key to taking Jamshedpur. While we haven't made much more progress, we have won the naval battle. We also have a secure position in the country and are now ready to take decisive control with our next steps.  Unit Spotlight Two capital ships today, since we haven't had a chance to see much naval action until this battle. Akagi-class Carrier (1 built) PG Name: Akagi Type:Carrier Effective Date: 3/39 Value:32 Cost:576 Spot:4 Move:6 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 64 Capacity: 3 Init:3 Range:0 SA:3 HA:6 AA:[9] NA:9 DA:0 GD:16 AD:8 TD:12 Ammo:40 In accordance with the 'conversion' allotment of the Washington Naval Treaty, the Akagi was built on a battlecruiser hull. Originally constructed in 1927, for a brief time it was the largest carrier in the world. It was extensively redesigned in 1938 to match more modern designs (switching to a single flight deck on top, and putting the island on the port side) which is presumably the in-game model. It served throughout the war with China and then was part of the Kido Butai, before being scuttled due to damage taken during the Battle of Midway. In-game analysis: This is slightly better than the Kaga for roughly the same price. It would be kind of nice to get a capacity of 4, just to make the decision that much easier. Still, this is in all respects a pretty decent middle-of-the-road carrier with no real deficits. Nagato-class Battleship (2 built) PG Name: Nagato Type:Battleship Effective Date: 7/36 Value:18 Cost:324 Spot:2 Move:5 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 90 Init:5 Range:6 SA:7 HA:10 AA:[4] NA:18 DA:0 GD:18 AD:9 TD:10 Ammo:40 Special: Night Optics The two ships of this class were built in 1920 and 1921, just before the Washington Naval Treaty. They were the first battleships entirely of Japanese design, and the first ships to use 16" guns. They remained as the fleet flagships all the way until the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. In-game analysis: This ship is no slouch -- it's nearly the equal of the Fuso. The problem is that it's only nearly the equal of the Fuso. For a rather small amount of prestige more you can get a significant boost to naval attack and defense, and that relegates this to a second-place choice. Given the price of a battleship, it's not worth it to skimp.
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Sep 4, 2017 21:29
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HannibalBarca posted:Yay it's back! Tough fight, although the insanely fast ahistorical invasion of India would probably have been pretty difficult all things considered. I feel like up until this battle, the alternate history nearly could work -- Japan wins or gets huge gains in China, and this frees them up to commit more forces to Burma. After that, they manage to kick the British Navy out of the Bay of Bengal by taking advantage of Indian anti-British sentiment (this assumes the battle goes more or less as it is here - these ports are being captured more to deny them to the British than to keep them for Japan). Combine this with maybe a collapse in Egypt and you'd have a fair shot of this working. The enemy strength in these scenarios kind of fits that. Of course, the real implausibility is the ability of Japan to sustain such operations until well into 1942. Although the next scenario throws plausibility right out of the window.
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Sep 4, 2017 21:36
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Kangra posted:Although the next scenario throws plausibility right out of the window. Looking forward to it.
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Sep 4, 2017 21:43
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 The battle for India is near over, and it's been a long, hard-fought ... five days!? Somehow this seems impossible. We've managed to take all this territory in less than a week. Perhaps there's been a time shift that we weren't told about. Maybe we're now slipping through time. Is this an after-effect of the jump? If this keeps up, the war's going to feel like it lasts forever. Axis Turn 19: April 15, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  As we approach the port of Vishakhputnam, our ships continue to suppress the enemy infantry along the route, and with slightly improving weather, we're taking ground a bit more quickly.  Sabai's Flying Circus gets a chance to push their new planes to the limit, and go after those Spitfire Vb's. Allied Turn 19: April 15, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  Some of our Zeros get attacked by more Hurricane fighters, but they are surely not up to the task of shooting our planes down.  Fighting renews outside of Cuttack. Axis Turn 20: April 15, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The rain hasn't gone away, and that slows down our progress toward Vishakhputnam to a crawl. Allied Turn 20: April 15, 1942 Rain (Mud)  The British forces are unable to drive off our little tanks.  At Cuttack, they try a bit of trickery and send their forces past the road. Their scheme is foiled by the presence of our tanks close to the city. Axis Turn 21: April 16, 1942 Rain (Mud)  We're pushing hard near Vishakhputnam now, and we expect the British line to break soon.  Preparations begin for the invasion of Ceylon as our support ships reach the shoreline.  The attack on Madras is about to be renewed as our paratroops prepare to land on the north side of the city. Allied Turn 21: April 16, 1942 Rain (Mud)  Attacks persist near Cuttack, but little action occurs elsewhere. Axis Turn 22: April 16, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  It looks like most of the carrier planes have moved to the airfield near Trincomalee. Our fighters attack to clear the skies for our own bombers.  Vishakhputnam is reached, just as we run out of supplies. Thankfully we'll be able to use the port to build them back up more quickly.  The French attack on the south side of Madras to support our airborne assault. Some of our ships arrive to provide artillery support as well.  Bombardment begins at Trincomalee as well.  The Indian National Army is slowly reducing the last of the British forces near Calcutta. Allied Turn 22: April 16, 1942 Cloudy (Mud)  The artillery at Madras focuses on the French forces.  British troops arrive from the north to engage the Teishin Shudan. Axis Turn 23: April 16, 1942 Fair (Mud) The weather has finally cleared, and our fortunes are finally changing.  We shore up the defenses of Cuttack.  With support from the air and the ships off shore, we're able to eliminate the guns at Madras.  The 21st Zeros take a lot of hits from the Mosquitoes and will be forced to head back to the Kaga.  Our dive bombers start to soften up the defenses on Ceylon.  The cruisers near Vishakhputnam suppress the enemy troops while our ground forces replenish their ammo and fuel. Allied (United Kingdom) Turn 23: April 16, 1942 Fair (Mud)  The British infantry are unable to deal with our experienced airborne soldiers.  More forces are heading from Colombo to defend the northern beaches of Ceylon. Axis Turn 24: April 16, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Clear skies let us drop bombs all over the enemy units on the Godavari river.  After that we nearly finish them off, and when our troops roll over the bridges, we find the cities beyond totally undefended.  Even around Calcutta, we're having more success eliminating enemy forces.  The first of our assault troops get ashore near Trincomalee. Air raids and naval strikes reduce the enemy forces.  We don't have any units landing near Colombo, although we could likely take it if we'd sent them. It appears most of the enemy units there have moved out to the north side of the island.  The Haruna suppresses the city's defenders while our airborne soldiers drive them out. Allied Turn 24: April 16, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The Daimlers finally eliminate the French artillery, but the Teishin Shudan hold on to their position in the city.  The Senpaku Kohei hold off a series of assaults and even utterly destroy two attacking units. But all the combat leaves them vulnerable to artillery fire from near the airfield, which causes the unit to finally break apart. Axis Turn 25: April 16, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Trincomalee is captured by more landing troops.  The airfield is taken as well, although when the troops attempt to press their luck the further attack goes poorly. It does allow the second wave of our troops to get ashore.  Madras is taken, but with the French cut off, we lack the troops to hold on to the whole city.  Most of the rest of the coastline is entirely clear as well.  Cuttack is properly defended, and we could probably push inland there as well. Allied Turn 25: April 16, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Part of Madras is lost, but we'll get complete control before long.  The defenders on Ceylon have no hope unless they can at least knock out our guns. While they do inflict heavy casualties, there are not enough of them to dislodge us from our position. In a surprisingly short time, we've achieved total dominance of the Bay of Bengal. With these bases under our control, Britain is sure to withdraw from India. That will give us a free hand on the ocean and access from East Asia to the rest of the continent! Result: Decisive Victory Final VP: 1899-1129 Final Prestige: 1318  Type 88 75 mm AA Gun PG Name: 75mm Model 88 Type: Air Defense Effective Date: 7/36 Value:12 Cost:144 Spot:1 Move:1 MM:Gun Trans:Naval Fuel: - Init:2 Range:2 SA:[11] HA:[8] AA:11 NA:0 GD:2 AD:5 CD:0 TT:Soft Ammo:6 Yet another weapon that was decent at the time it was first produced in the 1930s, but proved to be obsolete as the war dragged on into the 1940s. Despite its limitations as an anti-air gun, it was quite usable as an anti-tank gun. That said, it wasn't particularly mobile, and was unlikely to last long in a sustained firefight. In-game analysis: An okay gun for the price. Similar models from other countries tend to have better range and anti-armor ability, which makes this one a model I'm not too enthused about. Aoba-class Cruiser (2 built) PG Name: Aoba/Aoba 1944 Type:Heavy Cruiser Effective Date: 7/40 / 1/44 Value:8/11 Cost:144/198 Spot:2 Move:7 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 60 Init:4 Range:4 SA:5 HA:8 AA:[4]/[6] NA:17 DA:0 GD:17 AD:7 TD:10 Ammo:40 Special: Night Optics, [1944]Radar The Aoba class was just a minor modification of the Furutaka class cruiser; both were originally produced in the 1920s. The modernization that this unit represents gave them more powerful guns which they definitely needed, and a bit more powerful engine. They were still lightly armored, although apparently this was one of the first Japanese designs to use armor structurally in order to save on weight. Neither of the two ships in this class survived the war, although the Aoba made it through several battles and didn't go down until 1945. In-game analysis: Not all that bad, given that it's cheap. It's rather weak for a Heavy Cruiser, however, and given that Light Cruisers are more versatile (they can travel into coastal water), I'd rather have a strong Light Cruiser than a weak Heavy one.
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Sep 11, 2017 17:27
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wait why did you have French forces in this scenario anyway
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Sep 11, 2017 17:38
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They're from the French colony of Pondichéry, but that doesn't quite explain how the colony apparently stayed part of Vichy France despite the British maintaining control of India. There's no evidence suggesting that they were eager to ally with the Japanese at all. (In real life, the colony briefly sided with Vichy in 1940 before switching to Free France once Britain threatened to take over. This made them declared traitors by the Vichy-aligned rulers in Indochina, but it's not like anyone was going to come kick them out.)
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Sep 11, 2017 19:21
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from what I've seen of this AAR and what I experienced first-hand while trying my best to crack the first few scenarios, historical fidelity didn't seem like it was necessarily this game's highest priority, I suppose
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Sep 11, 2017 20:25
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 With the Japanese carriers almost entirely out of the way, we have a free hand to begin taking bases in the Pacific.  Guadalcanal : August 9, 1942   Objectives: (Henderson Field [100]),(Pier [100]), Bloody Ridge [20], Mount Austen [50], River {62,18} [20], Clear {62,22} [30], Jungle {23.15} [30], Galloping Horse [30], Sea Horse [30] Some of the objectives here are weirdly non-specific, but at least we have something to aim at, instead of just trying to sink enemy ships. (The curly-bracketed values are the hex locations, which increase to the left and downward.) VP Start: 200 - 512 OOB pre:Unit Name Unit Type [Transport] Exp
Land Units
1.12th USMC Marines 1941 USMC Marines 1941 -
2.Stay Frosty USMC Marines 1941 -
3.14th USMC Marines 1941 USMC Marines 1941 -
4.15th USMC Marines 1941 USMC Marines 1941 -
5.16th USMC Marines 1941 USMC Marines 1941 -
6.17th USMC Paramarines 1941 USMC Paramarines 1941 -
7.18th USMC Engineers 1941 USMC Engineers 1941 -
8.21st M3 Stuart M3 Stuart -
9.Boondoggle M3A1 Lee -
10.19th 75mm Pack Howitzer 75mm Pack Howitzer -
11.20th 75mm Pack Howitzer 75mm Pack Howitzer -
Aux (by qty)
2 Infantry 1936 -
1 Infantry 1936 ***
1 USMC Engineers ***
1 USMC Raiders -
1 Seabees -
2 Fiji Guerillas -
1 Phi Scout -
1 USMC Raiders & Dogs -
1 M3A1 Lee -
1 M3 GMC -
2 37mm ATG -
1 40mm AD -
Air Units
12.7th F4F Wildcat F4F Wildcat -
13.8th F4F Wildcat F4F Wildcat -
14.9th F4F Wildcat F4F Wildcat -
15.10th SBD Dauntless SBD Dauntless *
16.11th TBD Devastator TBD Devastator -
Aux (by qty)
1 USMC F4F Wildcat -
2 P-40 Warhawk -
1 SBD Dauntless -
Naval units
17.New Orleans New Orleans *
18.Northampton Northampton *
19.Yorktown Yorktown -
20.Atlanta Atlanta -
21.Gato Gato -
Aux
DESRON 2 Sims -
DESRON 3 Porter -
DESRON 4 Somers -
Staring Prestige: 2008 Although we lost one destroyer at Midway, it doesn't need replacing just yet. None of our units have really had a chance to gain much in the way of experience, and our ground troops are as yet untested. Luckily we have a pretty decent auxiliary force, including units with some familiarity with the tropical Pacific island terrain.  Our aim is to largely avoid the jungle by pushing our way along the roads and trails wherever we can. It is likely that we will need to station units to keep the road clear as the troops march forward, since we never know who might be hiding out in the deep forest. On the eastern side, we're also going to avoid the dense vegetation by heading through the more open terrain and then hooking toward the coast. The Japanese can't easily move through the jungle any faster than we can, and it'll be up to our aircraft to spot any units trying to sneak behind us. Since these objectives aren't themselves worth a whole lot of points, we'll need to also work on reducing the enemy forces. It's less important to get speed on the target than it is to ensure that our route to it is entirely cleared and that we don't risk losing any objectives we now hold. If time and the enemy permits, we can make our way through some jungle routes to take Mt. Austen, but it's not a strict priority.  The forces are arrayed to carry out our plan. We'll begin by pushing out with the Marines, and using the tanks to spearhead a route along the road. A few other units are deployed on the east side, and in all sectors we'll have to rely on air support to really make progress.  Our support fleet is here primarily to keep the planes over the island. Although we also have control of Henderson Field, the Yorktown can handle more aircraft, even if it is a longer distance to go to refuel. Any opposing ships will be taken care of by the cruisers and our sub.  Allied Turn 1 (USA): August 9, 1942 Fair, Dry  No resistance is encountered as our forces head eastward.  We assault Edson's Ridge and take predictably heavy losses.  While the main road to the rest of the island is only guarded by some tanks, there are a lot of forces that will need to be rooted out of the jungle. Axis Turn 1 (Japan): August 9, 1942 Fair, Dry  Enemy planes are spotted en route to the island.  When they encounter our fighters, the Zeros slice up one squadron.  Artillery shells arrive from somewhere in the jungle.  The enemy bombers also reach their targets. Allied Turn 2 (USA): August 23, 1942 Fair, Dry  No ground contact has been made yet, but we have good reconnaissance on enemy positions, and are sending bomber strikes against them.  While the enemy fighters did a fair job hitting our squadrons, it has left the bombers vulnerable to our carrier-based planes.  One enemy destroyer has been spotted. We expect to make short work of it.  Bloody Ridge is captured after a sanguinary battle.  We push the encroaching soldiers back into the jungle. Axis Turn 2 (Japan): August 23, 1942 Fair, Dry  The enemy naval forces consist of some light cruisers in addition to the destroyers. Our sub takes damage.  The Ki-45 'Nick' is an annoying plane to deal with - it can both go after ground forces and capably handle our fighters.  Armored units heading to stop our main advance encounter the scouting Marine Raiders. Allied Turn 3 (USA): September 6, 1942 Night, Fair (Dry)  As we push onward into the jungle, the darkness conceals an enemy ambush.  Our Guerillas try to scout out routes in the darkness, but they too run into concealed enemy forces.  But other forces sneak into the rear area of the enemy, and the shock of the attack causes their artillery guns to flee. Axis Turn 3 (Japan): September 6, 1942 Night, Fair (Dry)  Night action between the surface ships leads to just a few minor hits; the Japanese are first to break off.  It seems the Japanese are still pushing through the jungle; our scouts are forced to retreat. Allied Turn 4 (USA): September 20, 1942 Fair, Dry  We keep pushing forward and reach the Japanese HQ center on the eastern side.  After bombarding one of the destroyers, the Northampton suddenly discovers several more contacts.  With some effort, we're able to reduce the enemy fighter craft to less dangerous levels.  The tanks are clearing a path along the road for our troops .  Meanwhile, most of the foot soldiers are stuck clearing out the jungle. Axis Turn 4 (Japan): September 20, 1942 Fair, Dry  Although we were unprepared for encountering the Japanese ships, our ships escape with hardly any damage.  The jungle combat remains intense. One of our Marine units is lost.  Losses are heavy at the other end of the island too.  Our tanks perform excellently when enemy AT guns try to stop our advance. Allied Turn 5 (USA): October 4, 1942 Fair, Dry  The Marines are having quite the struggle in their first major attack.  We've nearly cleared the coastal part of the road; more troops can now be brought safely westward. Axis Turn 5 (Japan): October 4, 1942 Fair, Dry  The naval fighting is leading to more hits now. The total damage is about even on either side.  The Fijian troops are forced to pull back in the face of a counterattack.  The pack howitzer provides a staunch defense against the Japanese on the other side of the battle.  Unfortunately it turns out that the enemy does have some tanks over here and they are put into the action. When they rush out of the forest they nearly destroy our guns.  Marine War Dogs/Raiders PG Name: USMC Raiders & Dogs Type: Recon Effective Date: 8/42 Value:15 Cost:180 Spot:5 Move:3 MM:Leg Trans:Airborne Fuel: 0 Init:4 SA:6 HA:4 AA:[1] NA:0 GD:9 AD:10 CD:3 TT:Soft Ammo:5 Special: Ranger, Fearless The Marines trained dogs for use in detecting both enemy soldiers and mines. The war dog platoons could be used as sentries, but also were sent as scout units into hostile territory, where the dogs could detect hidden enemy soldiers much more readily than human spotters. War dogs were used throughout the war, but the largest battle to involve them was the retaking of Guam in 1944. The Raiders are also included on their own as distinct infantry unit, and I'll talk about them separately. They likely appear mixed into a recon unit because they were used as scouts, too. In-game analysis: Despite the unusual classification as a recon unit, this is effectively an infantry unit. They're rather competitive with paratroops, and it's hard to decide between the two. These have less combat power but the higher initiative means they may actually fare better if they aren't in prolonged combat. The biggest downside is that they're much weaker against tanks. In a situation where back-up is available, they can be very reliable spotters, if a bit pricey. Lexington-class Carrier (2 built) PG Name: Lexington Type:Carrier Effective Date: 1/36 Value:40 Cost:720 Spot:4 Move:6 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 59 Capacity:3 Init:3 SA:3 HA:6 AA:[7] NA:9 DA:0 GD:18 AD:11 TD:10 TT:N/A Ammo:40 Special: Radar These carriers were converted battlecruisers in keeping with the restrictions of the London Naval Treaty. They were quite fast but as the longest ships in the world at the time, not very maneuverable. Sporting heavy belt armor due to a battlecruiser hull, these could hold up rather well to torpedo damage. Radar was added in 1942. The Lexington was sunk at Coral Sea in 1942, while the Saratoga lasted until 1946, when it was used in nuclear tests. In-game Analysis: This is the strongest aircraft carrier available for the majority of the war. With a high spotting range and thick armor, it can keep its complement of aircraft very secure. Still, it's rather expensive, and only stores three squadrons (which I'd consider adequate but not extravagant). It's really only worth it if that protection is deemed truly necessary. Kangra fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Sep 16, 2017 |
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Sep 16, 2017 00:15
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 We've definitely gained a good amount of control over this island, but it's been many days of fighting and we're only making slow progress pushing the Japanese back.! Allied Turn 6 (USA): October 18, 1942 Fair, Dry  With our line in danger of being broken again by those tanks, we press the attack. But the Japanese HQ withstands our assault.  The enemy has retreated deep into the jungle, and the Fijians lead the way to attack them.  The western advance halts at the Mataniko River. The Japanese are very dug in on the other side.  The Naval battle is raging on. The Northampton has a damaged power plant and having trouble keeping its speed. Most of the enemy ships are destroyers, with a few light cruisers that are a bit harder to tangle with. The torpedo bombers have finally arrived from the Yorktown to even things out. Axis Turn 6 (Japan): October 18, 1942 Fair, Dry  The Japanese ships retreat rather than risk being sunk by carrier attacks.  Some infantry come down the jungle path and try to dislodge our tanks. They are unsuccessful. Allied Turn 7 (USA): November 1, 1942 Rain, Dry NIGHT  The Japanese used the cover of darkness and rain to pull back and defend closer to the shore.  We are not content to merely occupy their headquarters; we instead chase them down before their forces can regroup.  With the Fijians guiding them, the Seabees sneak up on the enemy and knock out the artillery guns. Axis Turn 7 (Japan): November 1, 1942 Rain, Dry NIGHT  There are still a lot of soldiers in the jungle; we have some scouts holding the line, but if this force is larger, our flank is in trouble.  It turns out there are more forces, but luckily they are farther from the road than we feared. It's still going to be a pain to clear this jungle.  Our push eastward has put us at risk, as the lines here are rather confused. Allied Turn 8 (USA): November 15, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  The light enemy tanks are able to slip away from us through the bamboo forests.  Paramarines drop right near Mount Austen. The defenses look formidable.  In the roadless hilly area, our tanks have a bit of trouble moving southward.  Carrier-based planes win the naval battle as they sink a Katori-class cruiser. Axis Turn 8 (Japan): November 15, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  Although our Engineers are tired out from combat, they are able to withstand an attack on them.  With the battle at sea going against them, the Japanese ships attempt to sink at least one ship, and concentrate their fire on the New Orleans. Allied Turn 9 (USA): November 29, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  We're pushing the enemy back to the shoreline on the eastern side.  One of our tanks has crossed the Mataniko River, but we need the Bridging Engineers to arrive soon.  The Paramarines drive off the enemy pack artillery. They'll need the forces in the jungle to help them in order to really take the objectives.  At sea, the battle's not quite over, but even our fighters are scoring hits now. Axis Turn 9 (Japan): November 29, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  The Japanese planes continue to harass our forces.  Their ground troops are a lot stronger, but we're able to hold them off.  The jungles are just as bloody as ever. It looks like this won't be over by Christmas. The battle to take this island might not even be over by then. It's gonna be a long time before we get home.  M3A1 Medium Tank 'Lee' PG Name: M3a1 Lee Type: Tank Effective Date: 5/42 Value:20 Cost:240 Spot:4 Move:7 MM:Track Trans:Naval Fuel: 35 Init:7 SA:11 HA:11 AA:0 NA:1 GD:11 AD:3 CD:2 TT:Hard Ammo:7 Unlike the Stuart, the Medium Tank M3 was a completely new design rushed into production when Europe went to war. While its quirky offset gun mount and unusually high profile were somewhat obvious flaws, the British nevertheless were desperate for any armored vehicle they could get their hands on, and many were delivered via the Lend-Lease agreement. The M3A1 was little changed from the original model, and not that many of the update were produced. Very few of these tanks were used in combat in the Pacific. In-game analysis: While hampered by a low fuel capacity, this model is a big jump from the M3 Stuart, and it carries the price tag to show it. It's still the only really good tank in the lineup for (almost all of) 1942. It's merely adequate once newer models start to come into production. Northampton-class Cruiser (6 built) PG Name: Northampton Type:Heavy Cruiser Effective Date: 1/36 Value:8 Cost:144 Spot:2 Move:6 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 78 Init:4 Range:3 SA:5 HA:8 AA:[8] NA:17 DA:0 GD:17 AD:8 TD:10 TT:N/A Ammo:40 These cruisers were made at the end of the 1920s, and thus were built according to the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty; they came in about 1000 tons below the limit, and so were a bit lighter than they had to be. They improved on a previous design (the Pensacola-class) by adding more armor but reducing the number of guns by 1. Near the start of the war their anti-aircraft armament was improved to make them more effective at protecting the bigger ships against air attacks. Four of them were sunk in the course of the war, and the other two were decommissioned once the war was over. In-game Analysis: The American Heavy Cruisers are on the whole not the best. They tend to be decently powerful in combat but with a short range and only average speed for a cruiser. That makes them basically very strong escorts, although only against surface ships (or aircraft). This is simply the cheapest one, and possibly the best choice if you really need to fill that role? Kangra fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Sep 18, 2017 |
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Sep 18, 2017 18:14
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 This war's not going to be over by this Christmas, and probably not the next one either. But we are establishing our presence definitively in the South Pacific, and every island we take will not be yielded back to the Japanese. Allied Turn 10 (USA): December 13, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  The tanks have been busted thanks to our air strikes, and we're pushing the remainder of the troops on this side into a corner. This sector, at least should be clear within a month.  The Seabees finally clear out the jungle. All these troops can now make their way westward toward Mount Austen and beyond.  Our Marines hew their own path around the main jungle route, and surprise the Japanese soldiers.  While the jungle is less dense here, the enemy positions are more fortified. They will be tough to dislodge.  Confusion on the roads near the shore has caused a delay in getting the Bridging Engineers to the river. More troops are forced to attempt the crossing on their own.  The surface ships struggle to finish off just one wily destroyer.  The Gato is sneakier, and their target sinks beneath the waves. Axis Turn 10 (Japan): December 13, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  An attempt at driving off the airborne troops results in heavy casualties for the Japanese.  The forts rebuff our light tanks. Allied Turn 11 (USA): December 27, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  The eastern end continues to be reduced, but we haven't secured the objective yet.  The medium-sized M3 proves more effective at knocking out those strongpoints.  The tank has a tougher time against an entrenched HQ, however.  With the sea battle all but over, the carrier planes head inland to strike the hardened Japanese positions. Axis Turn 11 (Japan): December 27, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  The Gato spots a lone enemy ship heading out of the area.  A suicide charge rushes from the forts. Apparently the enemy troops were nearly out of supplies, and chose to die rather than surrender.  A similar thing occurs on the opposite side of the island.  The escaping enemy fleet spots the Gato and the destroyers. They chase it down with depth charges, inflicting heavy damage. Allied Turn 12 (USA): January 10, 1942 Cloudy, Dry That's not a typo, the date screen in fact says 1942. The New Year finally arrives, and the men seem mightily confused. We all know the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor just a month ago, and then hit places all around the Pacific, but what are they doing entrenched here, on a British island in the middle of the ocean? This enemy army. Where'd it come from? How'd it steal onto the island? Who is killing us? For that matter, we're not even sure how we got here. Something feels wrong about this, but every time we try to get a hold of it, it slips away. Rumors abound regarding some new reality-altering technology, and there are whispers of a secret Japanese laboratory on some nearby island. Some of the men suspect that everything they're being told is a lie.  As the Gato flees, we send our cruisers and destroyers to punish the ships that stuck around.  Somehow there's an AA gun that we missed within the jungle. Tracking it down to destroy it distracts us a bit from securing the shoreline.  Pushing through the jungle is taking far too long for our tired soldiers.  We are weakening one end of the line, but we're still a long way from eliminating the sizable enemy force here. Axis Turn 12 (Japan): January 10, 1942 Cloudy, Dry  At Mount Austen, the Paramarines are too low on supplies to make an attack. But they are able to withstand a counterattack from the fort.  Japanese cavalry forces disrupt the actions of our Engineers, preventing them from preparing for the river crossing. Allied Turn 13 (USA): January 24, 1942 Fair, Dry  At the southeast end of the battle, we push the enemy back and just about clear them out.  The tanks still aren't that effective at clearing the bunkers out.  Marines do a much better job at that.  Our bombers hit the lingering cruisers. It should convince them to withdraw or be sunk. Axis Turn 13 (Japan): January 24, 1942 Fair, Dry  The Japanese troops in the jungle attempt to get back to their lines, but after a skirmish against the Raiders, they make no progress. Allied Turn 14 (USA): February 7, 1942 Fair, Dry  The AA guns keep running away from us.  The Gato delivers the final blow to the Kashima.  The Engineers sense an opportunity to strike at the guns holding the other side of the Mataniko River. They leave off bridge-building and march through the jungle to knock the defenders out of position.  We bomb the Ordnance Depot at Mt. Austen, but unfortunately no damage is done.  The tanks are making a bit of headway, but their losses are pretty significant now. Axis Turn 14 (Japan): February 7, 1942 Fair, Dry  Air strikes hit our troops as they cross the river.  The Marines remain undaunted by the strong point.  The Japanese on the other side manage to slip across the river and hit our light artillery guns.  Boondoggle is hit hard by the Japanese cavalry and forced to withdraw. Allied Turn 15 (USA): February 21, 1942 Fair, Dry  The infantry that tried to knock out our guns is eliminated. The AA guns manage to get away.  After some artillery bombardment and more bombing raids, Mt Austen is taken by the Seabees.  The objective is captured, and we weaken some of the defenders, but there are still a lot of enemy forces close by. Axis Turn 15 (Japan): February 21, 1942 Fair, Dry  The Japanese artillery first suppresses our own guns.  Shortly thereafter, a series of attacks eliminates the engineers. But the enemy is unable to advance and retake any of our gains. In the end, we can claim a victory on this island. Let us hope it is the first of many, and this will be the only one that was won so narrowly. Ending prestige: 1773 VP: 598-467 (Minor Victory)  (There is a Japanese unit on that objective, but it's an AA gun, so it failed to switch the hex's owner.) Unit Spotlights 75mm M1A1 Pack Howitzer (M8 Carriage) PG Name: 75mm Pack How Type: Artillery Effective Date: 6/42 Value:8 Cost:96 Spot:1 Move:2 MM:Leg Trans:Air Fuel: 0 Init:1 Range:2 SA:12 HA:5 AA:0 NA:0 GD:2 AD:6 CD:0 TT:Soft Ammo:6 The US had a lightweight howitzer suitable for field disassembly (and transport by pack animal) as early as 1927. It was modified to be mounted on a carriage for towing in 1940, and the gun was given the designation M1A1. The M8 was an alternate carriage, and it could be dropped by parachute with airborne units, adding even more versatility to its many applications. The Pack Howitzer saw use in every part of the war, particularly in regions where vehicles could not easily travel. While it did not have the power or range of most of the more common guns, when nothing else could get there, it proved to be vital. In-game analysis: The extra movement rate makes this definitely better than the base 75mm gun; the trade-off is the same as it was for the Japanese mountain guns. However, this model arrives just a short while before better guns become available, and it's harder to see a real need for it. Tennessee-class Battleship (2 built) PG Name: California Type:Battleship Effective Date: 1/36 Value:16 Cost:288 Spot:3 Move:4 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 150 Init:5 Range:5 SA:7 HA:10 AA:[3] NA:18 DA:0 GD:18 AD:9 TD:8 TT:N/A Ammo:40 Special: Radar, Night Optics The Tennessee class was developed right after the end of World War I, and it was one of the most advanced in the world at that time. It was a pretty good performer on the water, and boasted an advanced underwater protection system that ended up becoming the standard for similar ships. Radar was actually not added until 1942, and these continued to receive upgrades through 1946, before being decommissioned along with most of the other surviving battleships in 1947. In-game Analysis: The most expensive American battleship at the start of the war is paradoxically the worst in combat. Its only edge is its ability to operate at night, but unless you really need that, I'd pass on this one. Kangra fucked around with this message at 21:51 on Sep 21, 2017 |
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Sep 21, 2017 21:43
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More time travel shenanigans! 
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Sep 21, 2017 22:41
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 With firm command of most of Asia, we can now set our sights even farther afield: all the way to the Middle East.  England and Russia invaded this land barely a year ago. We must free this territory both for our side, and for the Germans, who also seek the riches of this ancient land.  Persia : August 12, 1942  Objectives: (Basra [50]), (Bandar Shahpur [50]), (Dirt Airfield [50]), Hamadan [10], Baghdad [200], Esfahan [100], Tehran [100], Tehran (Airfield) [100], Tabriz [100], Tabriz (Airfield) [100] Starting VP: 150 - 1351 OOB pre:Unit Name Unit Type [Transport] Exp Land Units 1.1st Hohei 1940 Hohei 1940 [Isuzu] ** 2.2nd Teishin Dan Teishin Dan *** 3.3rd Hohei 1936 Hohei 1936 [Isuzu] **** 4.4th Hohei HW 1936 Hohei HW 1936 [Isuzu] *** 5.5th Engineers 1936 Engineers 1936 [Isuzu] ***** 6.26th Hohei 1940 Hohei 1940 [Isuzu] - 7.29th Hohei 1940 Hohei 1940 - 8.The Japonies Kihei ***** 9.My Tanks are so kawaii Type 95 Ha-Go ***** 10.13th Type 1 Chi-He Type 1 Chi-He *** 11.27th Type 97 Chi-Ha Type 97 Chi-Ha - 12.31st Type 1 Chi-He Type 1 Chi-He - 13.22nd Type 92 Type 92 **** 14.25th RA 97 RA 97 [Isuzu] - 15.Steel Death Ho-Ni 3 ** 16.28th Ho-Ni 2 Ho-Ni 2 - 17.Cherry Blossoms Float Type 91 105 [Isuzu] * 18.24th 94 Mtn Gun 75mm 94 Mtn Gun 75mm - 19.23rd So-Ki So-Ki ***** Aux (by qty) 1 Hohei 1940 [Isuzu] - 1 Hohei HW 1940 [Isuzu] * 4 Wehr 1936[Opel] * 1 Wehr 1936[Opel] - 1 Engineer 1936[Opel] * 1 PSW 222/4r * 2 Type 97 Chi-Ha * 1 Pz IIIe * 1 Pz IIIj * 1 Pz IIIj ** 1 Pz IIIj *** 1 Pz IVd * 1 8.8 Fk ATG[Opel] * 1 10.5 leFH18[Opel] * 1 15 sFH18[Opel] * Air Units 20.Hirohito's Hieneys Nakajima Ki-27 Nate *** 21.Sabai's Flying Circus Ki-43 Oscar *** 22.Nicholas is my Father Ki-45 Nick **** 23.21st A6M Zero A6M Zero ** 24.Remember Remember Eni A6M Zero - 25.11th G3M Nell G3M Nell ***** Aux (by qty) 1 G4M Betty ** 1 G3M Nell ** 1 Ki-43 Helen ** 1 FW 190a ** 1 Bf109f ** 2 Ju 87d ** Starting Prestige: 290 after purchases/upgrades While we do add a few upgrades, this time around we've been focusing more on troop quality. We're up against the Soviets and the more competent British soldiers now, and we have to put our best foot forward. One thing we know is that we'll need some better tanks, and so the 13th gets the more powerful Chi-He model. Our aircraft are being slowly upgraded as well -- the Ki-45 will let us be effective against air and land targets.  We are cooperating with our Axis partner on this one. The Germans have better tanks than us, we must admit, and also a few very excellent aircraft. Rommel's forces have stormed across the desert from North Africa all the way to here. Their supply lines are thin, but these are competent troops. It's plain to see that this region is quite valuable to Germany's war aims as well. Their main task will be capturing the ancient city of Baghdad. A few extra forces will be sent northward to suppress any Soviet response. We'll also send some Japanese forces, mostly auxiliary, to mop up the retreating British and guard our own flank.  The main goal for the core will be advancing into British-held territory in Persia. The best line of advance will be to zigzag through the passes, starting by going northwest and then shifting eastward. The ultimate target is Tehran. Any spare units will be sent northward toward Tabriz. Once all primary objectives are secured, all forces will converge northward to engage the Soviets. A smaller force will be given the job of finding a route in the east and taking Esfahan. It's an important target, but we'll have to call it off if they encounter stiff resistance. That would actually be an okay outcome for us, as our assessment of the current enemy strength suggests they can't send forces to hold us at every point. Axis Turn 1: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  We need to get off to a quick start. The bulk of the core converges on Ahwaz and Ahvaz (Ahvaz is the airfield).  The fighters of the Luftwaffe engage the British planes, and put in a good showing.  The German line advances forward in an orderly fashion. Allied (United Kingdom/Russia) Turn 1: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The British AA guns fail to hit our bombers.  Their interceptors are growing more effective against our own fighters.  The British troops here have fairly decent anti-tank capabilities, emboldening them to attack us. This time, however, it fails against our veteran tankers.  In the desert, the enemy blows back the advancing tanks by first weakening the artillery behind them. Axis Turn 2: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The So-Ki proves its worth in its battlefield debut.  The towns are resisting our assault for now, but we're not taking heavy losses.  Esfahan is scouted. There are many tanks there, but no anti-air defenses.  The northern end of the German line reacts quickly, and pushes back on the weak infantry sector.  Most of the rest of the British line dissolves quickly or runs away. Allied Turn 2: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Soviet planes are now harassing the German forces.  The British tanks retreat, but not before inflicting heavy casualties.  Anti-air guns start to find their mark, and then Hurricanes strike at the Nells, nearly destroying one squadron. Axis Turn 3: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The Mosquito is pretty dangerous to our ground troops, and even to some of our fighters, but the FW190a is the current best fighter in the air.  The outskirts of Baghdad are scouted.  The towns are cleared out, and we just need to make our way through the pass.  A lot of our forces have to move up into the hills and mountains to eliminate the remnants of the enemy units. Allied Turn 3: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  An armored car chases off the German scouts at Baghdad.  To the east of the city, Grant tanks block our scouting units as well.  British units coming out of Al-Musil blunt the Germans coming at them. Axis Turn 4: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The German fighters continue to have more enemy planes flying around them than they can deal with.  Clearing out the valley is not too hard, but our units may need some time to organize their route along the narrow road.  The paratroops are deployed to Esfahan. This should be a good diversion for the enemy, and given time and enough air support, they may well take the objective. Allied Turn 4: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The paratroops are barely on the ground before they immediately come under fire.  Soviet planes strafe the German guns.  They have some quality fighters as well.  Tanks at Baghdad knock back our own lighter tanks.  Our own vanguard takes a big hit from what we thought were fairly light tanks. Axis Turn 5: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Al-Musil is finally captured, but at a fairly high cost.  More air units diverted to protect our forces in the open desert.  The So-Ki is just as effective against targets on the ground as in the air.  Over at Esfahan, the paratroops get some relief as bombers hit the tanks there. Allied Turn 5: August 12, 1942 Fair (Dry)  These Daimlers are always a nuisance. They're holding up our advance.  Our own fighters stop the enemy from bombing the forces at Esfahan.  The So-Ki can even hold off a medium tank.  Al-Musil is recaptured after another bloody fight.  Unit Spotlight I'm doing land/air/sea units, since I probably won't be able to get to all of the available units otherwise. Type 1 Chi-He [Medium Tank Model F] PG Name: Type 1 Chi-He Type: Tank Effective Date: 7/42 Value:14 Cost:168 Spot:2 Move:5 MM:Track Trans:Naval Fuel: 42 Init:8 SA:7 HA:9 AA:0 NA:1 GD:10 AD:2 CD:2 TT:Hard Ammo:13 Essentially an improved version of the Chi-Ha, this model never really made it to wide production. It shared the same improved 47mm gun that was put in later Chi-Ha models. It also added a few other improvements, like a more powerful engine and a better armor design. Unfortunately that gun still wasn't adequate to deal with anything the Western countries were fielding by the end of the war. Given that this model wasn't put into full production until 1943, and none of them ever left the Home Islands, its appearance this early in the game could be interpreted as being mixed with the availability of the upgunned Chi-Ha models. In-Game Analysis: This is a nice upgrade from the Type 97, but we're already seeing the slowdown in the rate of tank development. By this time the Allies are fielding the Grant/M3 models, and the M4 and Churchill III are just around the corner. This model is simply weak on offense. About the only edge it has on its contemporaries is an extra point of initiative, though admittedly that's not a bad edge to have. Before long, however, it's just not going to be able to penetrate the enemy armor without a good deal of luck. Mitsubishi Ki-51 (Sonia) PG Name: Ki-51 Sonia Type:Tac Bomber Effective Date: 3/40 Value:14 Cost:168 Spot:3 Move:9 MM:Air Trans:No Fuel: 51 Init:3 SA:4 HA:2 AA:5 NA:0 GD:7 AD:11 Ammo:4 The Sonia was a light two-seater bomber intended for ground attack missions. It had quite good armor, but it was a bit slow. Still, pilots seemed to like it a lot. It stayed in production until 1944, although by that time it was mostly being kept away from heavy combat areas, as it was too vulnerable to Allied fighters. Ultimately it was used in a kamikaze role in the waning months of the war. In-game analysis: Thanks to its high defensive values, this plane stands a good chance of surviving a fighter attack. However, it's not very effective as a bomber. Probably its best use would be to hold it in reserve and pick at weakened ground units so they can't recover. I'd rather it had a bit more fuel for that role, though. The low price is a positive - they can be cheaply repaired or replaced. Type A Midget Submarine (50? or more built) PG Name: A-C Midget Type:Submarine Effective Date: 7/36 Value:2 Cost:24 Spot:1 Move:2 MM:Coastal/Sub Trans:N/A Fuel: 14 Init:3 Range:1 SA:0 HA:0 AA:0 NA:8 DA:0 GD:4 AD:4 TD:8 DD:4 Ammo:2 The 'midget' submarines were tiny 2-man subs armed with only two torpedoes. They typically were launched from a larger vessel (often a larger sub). Their effectiveness is questionable; while they could sneak into shipping lanes and score hits on enemy transports, they were also quite vulnerable, and not nearly as effective as a proper sub. There was a Type B and Type C midget, but those were released later in the war; this seems to be the game trying to cover all three with one name. In-game analysis: These dirt-cheap subs definitely have some appeal. They're practically kamikaze units, but if they get lucky they can actually manage to survive a bit longer. In fact, given the propensity for submarines to evade attack, they may be disproportionately likely to survive. They would be nice throwaway aux units to tie up an enemy force if need be. Kangra fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Sep 27, 2017 |
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Sep 26, 2017 22:22
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and in this scenario the game finally jumps off the ledge of plausibility 
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Sep 26, 2017 22:27
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Greater Mid-Eastern Co-Prosperity Sphere
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Sep 26, 2017 22:53
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and actual axis cooperation!  
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Sep 27, 2017 00:15
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Yeahhh. Japan going through India to hit Persia while Germany hits Iraq.. Then again nearly as weird as direct cooperation by Britain and The Soviets!
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Sep 27, 2017 05:38
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wedgekree posted:Then again nearly as weird as direct cooperation by Britain and The Soviets! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Soviet_invasion_of_Iran Or I am missing 
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Sep 27, 2017 05:44
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I.. Did not know that had happened. Thanks for informing me of something that's a part o fhistory I never knew of! Cool.
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Sep 27, 2017 07:00
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middle east and Africa is a gold mine of fascinating unsung wars in history but games that cover them are few and far between because it is a massive political  and the few devs that do cover those wars tend to be outright neo nazis and the like. 
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Sep 28, 2017 01:40
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We appear to be caught in yet another time loop. We could swear we sailed up into the Persian Gulf over a week ago, but it turns out it's only been a day since we landed. It's probably going to help us if we can get to Tehran before any sign of winter appears. Although sometimes I think the Germans would welcome some reprieve from all the air strikes in the desert. Axis Turn 6: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  As our forces stay put on the east side of Baghdad, the German forces begin to approach from the west.  Elsewhere in the desert their units are somewhat scattered, and they need to use their bombers to suppress the British tanks threatening their supply depot.  After prolonged fighting, we finally get rid of the scout cars, and we're through the first pass. Allied Turn 6: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Allied planes have control of the skies around Baghdad. We can't get enough planes up against them.  The So-Ki appears to have finally met its match.  At Esfahan, the paratroops are barely hanging on, but they are still fighting with vigor. Axis Turn 7: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  To reduce the enemy air presence, we send some forces to capture one of the airfields in range of the desert.  The So-Ki strikes back, knocking out the AT gun that dared to damage it.  More German units are committed to Al-Musil, and the city is finally rid of its defenders, even if it's not totally under German control yet. Allied Turn 7: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  There are still way too many attack aircraft near Baghdad.  In a bizarre turn of events, the tanks on the east side end up retreating into an empty and undefended airfield at Baghdad.  A hitherto undetected tank arrives to keep the Germans out of Al-Musil for a little while longer. Axis Turn 8: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The tanks are pushed aside, and the town is finally secured by German forces.  Heavy infantry arrive to relieve the advance forces at Esfahan. Their initial assault drives out the defenders.  Our core forms up to move on Hamadan. Allied Turn 8: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Baghdad is rather quiet for once, but the air raids continue. Axis Turn 9: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Esfahan is taken, and we can probably push ahead from there.  Hamadan has considerable defenses. It will take some time to wear it down.  Our position in Baghdad is still holding, but we desperately need the Germans to get their troops organized.  The Germans are now encountering Soviet troops to the north. Allied Turn 9: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The Germans lose one of their bombers. We also lose one of the auxiliary bombers on the other side of Baghdad.  The British forces are worn out near Baghdad, and are unable to fight off the advancing Germans. Axis Turn 10: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  German units are starting to reform in the desert near Baghdad, but the Afrika Korps is looking quite the worse for wear.  The Zeros arrive to help clear the skies over the city.  Hamadan's troops are being ground down gradually.  Farther east, we aren't spotting any enemy units south of Tehran. Allied Turn 10: August 13, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The British planes have moved away from Baghdad, but they're still a danger to any ground units.  On the northern side, they hit the line of Germans as well.  It turns out that there are some tanks and even Russian forces ready to block the roads to Tehran. Axis Turn 11: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Bombers strike at the enemy armor to allow our little tanks to pull back from those Grants.  Our fighters engage the Spitfires -- the Ki-45 is proving very effective against anything it chooses.  The Germans have reached the edges of Baghdad and are now engaging in combat. Most of our forces have had to pull back, but we are maintaining a position on the south side. Allied Turn 11: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Allied aircraft are hitting the Germans more frequently as they push northward to Tabriz.  Although the Germans are fighting hard, they aren't really in condition to attack. Axis Turn 12: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The eastern battle reaches a standstill.  We're gaining the edge at Hamadan.  The Luftwaffe is not totally out of the fight.  The battle for Baghdad is going in an unexpected direction -- as the British shift to deal with the Germans, they're leaving the city vulnerable to attack from the eastern side. We strike, and nearly capture the airfield.  The Germans find some unprotected Soviet artillery. Allied Turn 12: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The Soviet guns fail to disrupt the German tanks.  Hamadan looks like it will fall soon enough, but the British do push back a bit on our weaker flank.  Unit Spotlight Teishin Shudan (Army Special Forces/Airborne) PG Name: Teishin Dan 1936/1940/1943 Type: Infantry Effective Date: 1/36 - 1940/ 1/40 - 1943 / 1/43 Value:11/12/13 Cost:132/144/156 Spot:2 Move:3 MM:Leg Trans:Airborne Fuel: - Init:1 SA:8/8/8 HA:2/4/6 AA:0 NA:1 GD:8 AD:9 CD:0 TT:Soft Ammo:8 Special: Banzai (1940/1943 only) The Teishin Shudan was a division-sized unit of the Japanese Army trained for airborne drops. There were additionally 'paramarine' airborne units that were part of the SNLF. While Japanese airborne troops were deployed in some battles in the East Indies in 1942 (most notably at Palembang), they did not play a significant role elsewhere in the war. These units, like many of the German airborne units, were instead used in a light infantry role as the war went on. In-game analysis: I rather like the versatility of airborne units. They combine the mobility of basic infantry with the combat power of the better units (at least against soft targets). Of course, the primary reason to use them is for drops behind enemy lines. If there aren't too many enemy tanks to fight they can be used as regular ground troops fairly effectively. The Japanese units are statwise on par with the German FJ. Nakajima Ki-45 "Toryu" (Nick) PG Name: Ki-45 Nick/Kawasaki Ki-45 KAIc Type:Fighter Effective Date: 2/42 / 2/44 Value:26/29 Cost:312/348 Spot:3 Move:10 MM:Air Trans:No Fuel: 102 Init:5 SA:5/2 HA:4/2 AA:10/11 NA:3/0 GD:7 AD:12 Ammo:8 Special: -/Radar This twin-engined plane was intended to be a long-range escort fighter. The development process was lengthy and when it proved to be unsuited for attacking other fighters, it ended up being used for ground attack, or for going after the heavier Allied bombers. Thanks to better armament and protection than most other Japanese fighters, it served rather well in this role. The KAIc was a night fighter variant that also added two extra machine guns. In-game analysis: While not a great interceptor, this does indeed make for a rather good fighter-bomber. Its fuel capacity is great and it can even attack naval targets with some success. The air defense is decent (even better than the Zero), so it should be able to fly in and soften up ground forces without fearing enemy fighters. The night fighter variant isn't worth it unless you really want the radar, since it loses the ability to carry out its primary role of ground attack. Ryujo-class Carrier (1 built) PG Name: Ryujo Type:Carrier Effective Date: 7/36 Value:15 Cost:270 Spot:2 Move:6 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 89 Capacity: 3 Init:3 Range:0 SA:3 HA:6 AA:[11] NA:8 DA:6 GD:15 AD:2 TD:12 Ammo:40 The Ryujo was originally constructed in 1931, but underwent modifications (first to add a hangar deck, and then to deal with the instability that occurred because of the new hangar deck) in the mid-1930s. It has an unusual design for a carrier. The flight deck was pushed toward the back, and the bridge just below it, which meant no island on top and a prominent 'bow deck' below the flight deck. It was kept as a reserve carrier initially, but in the Pacific War it did see a lot of action before being sunk in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. The existence of the depth charge attack may be a conflation of this ship with the Ryuho, a light carrier that was outfitted with depth charge launchers and sonar. In-game analysis: If the Hosho is the bargain-bin carrier you really don't want to get, this is the discount one that's a fantastic deal. The capacity is as good as you realistically need, and it's got the nifty ability to fend off subs. The only place it's really lacking is in air defense. As part of a strong fleet with a decent CAP, this is a great little carrier.
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Sep 29, 2017 16:58
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I think my favorite part of this mission set-up is when the briefing says thanks to us conquering India, we're in a 'stronger position' to invade Persia. I guess otherwise we'd have just gone through Central Asia.
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Sep 29, 2017 17:03
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if we're in a shooting war with the Soviets in the Middle East, does that mean we're invading Siberia too?
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Sep 29, 2017 19:22
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Tearing through Persia in Japanese tanks after the conquest of India. The Bushido Train has no brakes!
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Sep 29, 2017 21:21
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HannibalBarca posted:if we're in a shooting war with the Soviets in the Middle East, does that mean we're invading Siberia too? Not if Hitler gets there first! Now I'm wondering what games let the Germans and Soviet go at it all the way to Siberia (outside of the global-scale ones like HoI or World in Flames).
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Sep 30, 2017 16:07
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The 4-sided battle for the Middle East rages on. Axis Turn 13: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The units in east are actually making a decent push towards Tehran.  At last Rommel seems to be getting a handle on things in the desert.  Hamadan surrenders, although there are still a fair number of troops to clear out before we can move onward. Allied Turn 13: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  It turns out that not all of the desert is clear; a scout car is spotted attempting to flee northward to the Soviet lines.  Now the Soviet bombers in the north are hitting the German forces in earnest. Axis Turn 14: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Tehran's forces aren't doing much to hold us back. We continue to creep closer.  We knock out the forces holding the airfield at Baghdad. Allied Turn 14: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  One of the Wehrmacht infantry units is lost.  The 88mm guns blast the attacking Russian infantry.  Tehran only seems to have Soviet conscripts to throw at us. Axis Turn 15: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The Japanese forces at Baghdad have exhausted their supplies. Luckily it's right at the same time the Germans are mounting their assault.  Tehran may not have much in the way of offensive units, but their defenses clearly run deep.  We continue to probe Tabriz, but those advancing Soviet tanks look ominous. Allied Turn 15: August 14, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Baghdad's units are once again pushing out to counterattack the Germans, but this time looks like a mistake.  The one-two punch of Il-2 air strikes and a T-34 attack knocks out some more German tanks.  Our own units aren't faring so great against the Russian onslaught either.  At least one enemy unit starts to fight back near Tehran, but the main assault is now coming from the east, not up from Esfahan. Axis Turn 16: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The Germans cut the British engineers off from the city, and get to work making a hole in the enemy lines.  The only thing holding us back from getting to Tehran is that there are so few roads, and moving our units quickly is a problem. Allied Turn 16: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Tabriz is looking a bit out of reach now, as the Soviets are sending down a serious armored counterattack. Somehow we hold on for now.  Baghdad does manage to repel the first armored assault from the Germans on the western side. Axis Turn 17: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Our Esfahan forces put pressure on Tehran's eastern flank.  Baghdad falls as the city center is captured by the Germans. There will still be plenty of fighting in the city, but the battle there is all but over.  We may have to do our best to merely contain the Soviets. Allied Turn 17: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The T-34's seem to not even care about the German anti-tank guns.  Those conscripts are simply ineffectual, and the Russians basically are just throwing them in our path to block us now. Axis Turn 18: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  We're putting the squeeze on the units close to Tehran.  Reinforcements are rushing to stem the tide of Soviet armor. Allied Turn 18: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  Thankfully the Soviets hold off their armored assault for a moment.  Meanwhile the Germans have all but disappeared in the north. Al-Musil falls once more.  One of the weak points in our lines at Tehran is discovered by British forces. Axis Turn 19: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  A concentrated assault forces the British to retreat from the Tehran airfield.  Our defenses against the Soviets are prepared as best we can make them. Allied Turn 19: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The Ho-Ni gives covering fire and the RA 97 holds off the T-34 tanks.  Spitfires come down at our guns, but they score no hits. Axis Turn 20: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  In our push to Tehran, we've allowed a few enemy tanks to slip through our lines.  It's no matter, as we capture the city with little difficulty, and even seize the airfield to the north. Allied Turn 20: August 15, 1942 Fair (Dry)  The Soviets flank us and push back the artillery.  More tanks toss our forces around, but our units do survive.  It may not be the best outcome since we could not get Tabriz, but we have secured the majority of Persia. The Soviets will likely have to pull back before winter cuts their supply lines through the Caucasus ... assuming we can get time to flow at a normal rate again. Final Prestige: 1007 Final VP: 1490 - 1098 (Marginal Victory)  Unit Spotlight So-Ki [Experimental? Anti-Aircraft Tank Model C]/ Ta-Se PG Name: So-Ki Type: Anti-Aircraft Effective Date: 7/42 Value:16 Cost:192 Spot:2 Move:5 MM:Track Trans:Naval Fuel: 42 Init:5 SA:6 HA:4 AA:14 NA:0 GD:6 AD:7 CD:2 TT:Hard Ammo:6 This appears to be another prototype weapon that never reached production, and there are not many references to this actual name being used. This was a redesigned Ke-Ni tank, apparently, which eventually had twin 20mm AA guns mounted on it. That doesn't really explain the curiously high anti-air capability. It seems the reason this never went into production is that the 20mm cannon just wasn't very effective when shooting at aircraft; the small chassis may have been too unstable. It might well have proven reasonably powerful against ground units, however. In-game analysis: Thanks to those odd numbers, this may be one of the best anti-aircraft units available. It does have the highest Air Attack of any ground unit (only equalled by the 120mm Type 10), and has the ability to deal real damage to weaker ground units. It's roughly on par with the Wirbelwind (only losing out in ammo supply). My favorite use for AA units is to clean up the battlefield remnants, and this one can do that while also being a very serious threat to aircraft. Kawanishi H6K Flying Boat (Mavis) PG Name: H6K Mavis Type:Level Bomber Effective Date: 7/36 Value:25 Cost:360 Spot:6 Move:8 MM:Air Trans:No Fuel: 150 Init:3 SA:1 HA:4 Size: 20 AA:[9] NA:3 GD:10 AD:10 Ammo:6 The H6K was a seaplane developed for the Japanese Navy in the 1930s. It had decent range and had no trouble in water. Despite not really having any armor, it could withstand damage moderately well. Nevertheless, by the 1940s it was too outdated to be anything other than a sitting duck when facing most Allied fighters. In-game analysis: This is best used as a reconnaissance plane (since it has that huge spotting range), but early on it can also serve as a reasonably effective bomber. Kongo-class Battleship (4 built) PG Name: Kongo / Kongo 1944 Type:Battleship Effective Date: 7/36 / 1/44 Value:18/22 Cost:324/396 Spot:2 Move:5 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 83 Init:5 Range:5 SA:7 HA:10 AA:[5] NA:18 DA:0 GD:18 AD:7 TD:10 Ammo:40 Special: Night Optics/ +Radar The Kongo-class was a British design (the Kongo itself was even built in Britain), and they were originally classed as battlecruisers. Later upgrades in armor caused them to be rated as battleships. They remained on the light side in combat power, but they were faster than most battleships from the same era. None of them survived the war. In-game analysis: Relative to the Nagato, this model is slightly better since it can fend off air attacks a bit better. But once again, it loses out to the Fuso-class for power and value.
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Oct 3, 2017 05:42
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uh, Banzai I guess?
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Oct 3, 2017 14:50
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Sorry to disappoint, but taking on T-34's with Chi-He's just wasn't going to happen. Not with all that air support, either. This one actually had me a bit worried for the state of the core (my first attempt I barely got to Tehran and losses were too great for a victory). Luckily the next battle suggests we'll probably be okay. These American battles, though... the next scenario is a pretty awful design. I had to try three times because I didn't realize that the objectives seem meaningless (but might not be) and you have to destroy a ton of stuff to win (but also avoid going certain places due to intentional map tricks).
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Oct 3, 2017 21:36
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Kangra posted:Sorry to disappoint, but taking on T-34's with Chi-He's just wasn't going to happen. Not with all that air support, either. This one actually had me a bit worried for the state of the core (my first attempt I barely got to Tehran and losses were too great for a victory). Luckily the next battle suggests we'll probably be okay. No worries, that is a shitload of russian armor  they even had a KV-1 in reserve! (and a T-28  )
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Oct 3, 2017 22:23
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  After taking Guadalcanal, we had the option of conducting more operations with the Marines, or to continue operations here with naval support. We choose to take the Solomon Islands. Since the Japanese route I chose follows the land forces, I'm choosing this one for the Americans since it seems to show off more of the naval units.  With one island secure, we can retake more bases and put pressure on Rabaul. Taking them in force and quickly will ensure that the Japanese will be unable to respond with reinforcements. Solomon Islands : June 21, 1943   Objectives: Lanbeti[50], Zanana[50], Munda Point[50], Buin[50], Kieta[50], Numa Numa[50] Starting VP: 0 - 995 Scenario Gripe #1: The Axis are spotted almost a 1000 points. There are only 300 VP possible via objectives... ... and you need to be something like +250 just to get a 'Marginal' victory. I'm pretty sure this means that the Japanese AI can win by disbanding every single unit on Turn 1. OOB pre:Unit Name Unit Type [Transport] Exp
Land Units
1.1st Seabees Seabees -
2.12th USMC Marines 1941 USMC Marines 1941 **
3.Stay Frosty USMC Marines 1941 *
4.14th USMC Marines 1941 USMC Marines 1941 -
5.15th USMC Marines 1941 USMC Marines 1941 -
6.16th USMC Marines 1941 USMC Marines 1941 *
7.17th USMC Paramarines 1941 USMC Paramarines 1941 -
8.21st M3 Stuart M3 Stuart -
9.Boondoggle M3A1 Lee *
10.14th M4A1 Sherman M4A1 Sherman -
11.18th M15A1 M15A1 -
12.19th 75mm Pack Howitzer 75mm Pack Howitzer -
13.20th 75mm Pack Howitzer 75mm Pack Howitzer -
Aux (by qty) - 'CW' disambiguates Commonwealth units
1 Infantry 1936[GMC] -
3 Infantry 1936 CW -
2 HW 1936[GMC] -
1 HW 1936 CW -
1 Engineers CW -
1 Rangers 1943 -
2 USMC Raiders[GMC] -
1 Fiji Guerillas -
1 Fiji Guerillas *
2 USMC Raiders & Dogs[GMC] -
2 Valentine Mk III -
1 M3A1 Lee -
1 USMC Sherman POA -
1 M5A1 with E7-7 -
1 6 Pdr ATG -
1 37mm ATG -
1 37mm ATG *
2 25 Pdr Gun -
1 75mm Pack Howitzer[GMC] -
Air Units
14.7th F4F Wildcat F4F Wildcat -
15.8th F4F Wildcat F4F Wildcat *
16.9th F4F Wildcat F4F Wildcat -
17.10th SBD Dauntless SBD Dauntless *
18.11th TBD Devastator TBD Devastator -
Aux (by qty)
1 USMC F4F Wildcat -
4 USMC F4F Wildcat *
3 SBD Dauntless *
1 SBD Dauntless ***
2 TBD Devastator *
Naval units
19.New Orleans New Orleans **
20.Northampton New Orleans **
21.Yorktown Yorktown -
22.Atlanta Atlanta -
23.Gato Gato *
24.23rd Somers Somers -
25.24th Cleveland 43 Cleveland 43 -
Aux
DESRON 10 DD S CW -
DESRON 2,6 DD Porter -
DESRON 5,7,8,10,11 DD Somers -
Leander, Achilles CL Leander -
Columbia CL Cleveland -
Brooklyn CL Brooklyn -
Wichita CL Wichita -
Pennsylvania BB Pennsylvania -
Lexington CV Lexington -
Hornet, Enterprise CV Yorktown *(Hornet)
Staring Prestige: 871 We add a few small ships to the core, a destroyer for hunting subs, and another quality light cruiser of the latest model. On land, we get one of the newer tanks, and an Anti-Air unit, which will be effective where the fighters can't reach, but also to deal with some of the weaker ground units.  Some of our forces have already landed on New Georgia, Rendova, and Kolombangara. Australian units are about to make a second landing on New Georgia, so we're well-covered there. Our other major landing will be at Bougainville. Most of the core is loaded into transport ships and ready to sail. However, we are expecting a potential enemy naval force blocking this move, and we'll need to be cautious not to blunder into an ambush. There are additional troops on the northern side of the island group. They won't be landing at Kolombangara, as it's not a primary target. Neither will they be heading directly to Bougainville. Going that route, they would be unlikely to run into naval ships, but would be in range of enemy aircraft ranging from Vella Lavella in between. Instead they'll swing out to see and take the island of Choiseul before pushing onward to back up the forces on Bougainville. Scenario Gripe #2: Although Kolombangara does have a port on it, you can't actually go from it to anywhere else, as it's blocked in by impassable reef hexes. So if you do land any units there, they are stuck. While you technically can transport them off by air, they can only go (one per turn) to another friendly airfield, which means you most likely can't use them in combat again.  On the northern end of New Georgia, we have a decent array of forces ready to go.  The invasion force for Bougainville is still in the water. Destroyer escorts will keep them safe from subs.  Some of the other cruisers set up to guard the carriers on the north side of the island group.  Allied Turn 1 (USA): June 21, 1943 Fair, Dry  Bombers are sent to soften up Zanana and Munda Point.  The Australian landings are unopposed initially, but the defenders of Lanbeti are in clear view.  We march toward the cities of Kolombangara and also Zanana on New Georgia (at the lower right edge of this shot). Axis Turn 1 (Japan): June 21, 1943 Fair, Dry  Forces at the north end of Kolombangara come under heavy air attack.  Our core units come under artillery fire on New Georgia.  The Commonwealth troops get attacked just as they start to clear the beaches.  We also discover that there are some surprises on this island -- a new heavy tank from the Japanese. Allied Turn 2 (USA): June 21, 1943 Cloudy, Dry  We want to secure an airfield on one of these islands, and the one on New Georgia is given priority.  Subs are detected in the channel. Fortunately our transports are all being unloaded.  The Wildcats do what they can to reduce the numbers of Japanese planes attacking the troops.  The AA unit gets its first chance at combat, although it lacks experience and doesn't inflict much damage.  A combination of air strikes and tank attacks drives back the heavy Japanese tanks.  One of the defensive structures is taken out by our Fijian friends.  Search planes detect enemy cruisers in the path of our Bouganinville landing group, and the torpedo bombers even score a hit.  Additionally, a sub is found and sunk by our destroyers. Axis Turn 2 (Japan): June 21, 1943 Cloudy, Dry  The sheer number of Zeros proves to be more than the Wildcats can take.  Bigger explosions suddenly rock one of the destroyers. She's not taking fire from those cruisers -- a battleship is in the region!  The captain reports the presence of additional cruisers before the ship is hit again and lost.  Rocket attacks scare off the initial probes on Rendova, but casualties turn out to be rather light.  At the south end of New Georgia, the Aussies are taking a beating.  So are the Marines on Kolombangara. Allied Turn 3 (USA): June 21, 1943 Fair (Dry)  We have quite the naval battle on our hands, but air power should give us the edge. So far we are unopposed in the air when attacking the ships. The Kongo takes a hit to her engine room.  The Aoba has come dangerously close to our forces, and even the Yorktown is forced to man its surface guns.  More subs are prowling around the inner passages. It seems the Japanese have been expecting us to head that way.  On land, the Commonwealth forces are making progress toward the New Georgia airfield.  The soldiers in the M15A1 get a better handle on their equipment, and shoot down some Zeros.  The Japanese tanks prove to be no match for the M4. Axis Turn 3 (Japan): June 21, 1943 Fair (Dry)  The crippled Kongo is barely even able to damage a cruiser.  The Japanese air units show up late to the party out over the water.  As we draw close to Zanana, the troops come under heavy fire.  The troops on Kolombangara take heavy losses and are forced to retreat.  Combat on Rendova also results in a large number of casualties. Allied Turn 4 (USA): June 21, 1943 Fair, Dry  Our tanks are providing us a winning advantage around Munda Point.  We start to hit back on Rendova, as the Japanese rocket attacks have slowed considerably.  Out in the naval battle, the fighters handle the interceptors, and our torpedo bombers are able to complete their runs.  With our own surface ships engaging them as well, the Japanese naval forces are nearly finished.  We're starting to reduce the fighter presence on Kolombangara as well. Axis Turn 4 (Japan): June 21, 1943 Fair, Dry  Commonwealth troops are holding at Lanbeti, although casualties there are rather high.  Rendova continues to be a bitter struggle to the death. Allied Turn 5 (USA): June 21, 1943 Fair, Dry  Just as the Japanese are moving to defend an attack from the south, the Paramarines show up on the other side and push them away from the airfield.  Artillery at Munda Point is eliminated.  We're not winning the air battle over Kolombangara right now.  The troops on the ground are standing their ground. Once some of the other islands are taken, we'll be able to commit more air resources here.  On the positive side, the transports have nearly reached Choiseul, and it seems as if they have thus far gone undetected.  As we pick off the remains of the Japanese fleet, the Bougainville transports are able to make speed toward their landing zone. Axis Turn 5 (Japan):June 21, 1943 Fair, Dry  Land-based bombers hit one of our cruisers. Thankfully they failed to locate the landing ships.  Tanks on Kolombangara press the counterattack.  Zanana's defenders still have plenty of fight in them. We can't afford to get too close to those pill boxes, however weakened they might seem.  Unit Spotlight M5A1 variant with E7-7 Flamethrower (link is for pic only) PG Name: M5A1 with E7-7 Type: Tank Effective Date: 1/43 Value:26 Cost:180 Spot:2 Move:8 MM:Track Trans:Naval Fuel: 41 Init:4 SA:15 HA:3 AA:[1] NA:1 GD:6 AD:1 CD:2 TT:Hard Ammo:3 Special: Bunker Killer, Guard The flamethrower proved to be an effective weapon in circumstances where the enemy position often proved difficult to even detect, which was often the case in the tropical forests of the Pacific islands. The flame tanks were intended to provide the same or better firepower as the man-portable model, and additionally provided the operators with some measure of safety. They did not enter combat until 1945, and even then only very few of this model were used. The M5 made for something of an easy target; any of them sporting a flamethrower would likely become a high-priority target for enemy AT assets, and might end up being lost before it could get close enough to be effective. In-game analysis: This is a highly situational unit, but until the enemy infantry gets its last upgrade in AT ability, these can be very effective. Ammo consumption is a bit of a concern, so these are probably best deployed only when needed for an attack instead of like a typical tank in the fighting line. I don't generally like to have such specialized units in a core, even if it is a decent value. Grumman F4F Wildcat PG Name: F4F Wildcat / USMC F4F Wildcat Type:Fighter Effective Date: 4/42 / 6/42 Value:29 Cost:348 Spot:3 Move:10 MM:Air TT:Naval/Naval Fuel: 76/114 Init:6 SA:2 HA:1 AA:16 NA:1 GD:7 AD:10 Ammo:6 Grumman iterated on the FF-1 design several times, but when their model eventually lost a competition to the Brewster Buffalo, they came back with a powerful monoplane design that brought renewed interest from the Navy. The new design proved to be successful, and the F4F replaced the Buffalo; it was the primary carrier-based fighter at the time of the war's start. With good power, protection and diving ability, the plane was able to go up against a Zero and win if the pilot knew the right tactics. The Wildcat also featured wings that folded up very compactly for improved carrier storage. In-game Analysis: Almost identical to the Zero, and in fact very slightly better, the Wildcat is a solid fighter and a good value. Although since it shows up more than a year after the first Zero model, something better would be hoped for. It is the best interceptor on the American side once it appears, however. Nevada & Pennsylvania-class Battleship (2 built of each type) PG Name: Pennsylvania/Nevada Type:Battleship Effective Date: 1/36 Value:12 Cost:216 Spot:3 Move:4 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 72/61 Init:5 Range:6 SA:7 HA:10 AA:[3] NA:20 DA:0 GD:20 AD:8/7 TD:8 TT:N/A Ammo:40 The Nevada and Pennsylvania were fairly similar designs introduced in 1916, with the Pennsylvania's main distinction being triple turrets for all the main gun positions. The Nevada introduced the concept of 'all or nothing' defense, in which heavy armor was used to protect the most critical sections, and effectively no armor was used elsewhere. All four of these battleships were present at Pearl Harbor, with only the Pennsylvania escaping serious damage due to being in dry dock at the time. While the Arizona and Oklahoma were lost, the Nevada was salvaged during the war and survived to become a test target for nuclear weapons in 1946. In-game Analysis: I've grouped these because they are so similar. It's plain that the Nevada is slightly worse than the Pennsylvania for the same price, so there's no reason to ever purchase it. As for the Pennsylvania, it's not quite as good as the Maryland, and lacks any special features like the California. So while it's not all that bad on the whole, it's simply not as good as something that's available at the same time.
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Oct 5, 2017 21:25
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My Japonies have come so far
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Oct 6, 2017 00:14
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We're making progress in the Solomons, but we have yet to land on Bougainville. Fighting is intense in nearly all sectors. Allied Turn 6 (USA): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Another sub is spotted dangerously close to our invasion transports. The escorts make short work of it.  The fighters work on preventing the enemy bombers from getting back to base.  A hole is blasted in the Japanese lines on New Georgia, and the Commonwealth forces stream through.  We break down more of the defenses on the other end of the island, and the Marines on Rendova also start to close in on the port. Axis Turn 6 (Japan): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  The Japanese continue to push back on Kolombangara.  Enemy fighters spot our approaching invasion force.  Japanese amphibious tanks attempt the crossing to reinforce Lanbeti. Allied Turn 7 (USA): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  One of the objectives on New Georgia is cleared out.  The airfield is also in our hands, and the surrounding enemy forces are nearly gone.  Marine Raiders manage to sneak their way to capturing the Kolombangara airfield, forcing the enemy planes to rebase.  Some forces are ashore at Choiseul, and with artillery support from the escort ships, they knock out a pill box.  Initial raids begin to soften up the forces on Bougainville as the troops get ready to land. Axis Turn 7 (Japan): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Air Defense guns open up at us from near Buin.  Choiseul responds and sends their own tanks up against the flame tanks. Allied Turn 8 (USA): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  After an intense battle, the Aussies are victorious at Lanbeti.  Munda Point comes under fire and is likely to surrender soon.  Free from the suppression of the planes, the flamethrower tanks are able to operate very effectively against the enemy defenses.  The Shermans on Choiseul fare badly against the troops in the hills, though they do force a retreat. The Rangers come in behind them and also drive back the enemy tanks.  The beaches are not quite clear on Bougainville; we spend more time hitting the defenders, so that we won't lose any troops when we land. Axis Turn 8 (Japan): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Pillboxes on Kolombangara pound the troops holding the airfield.  The Japanese tanks are still running around on New Georgia. Allied Turn 9 (USA): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  The the New Georgia airfield has a few units holding on near it.  The landing gets underway on Bougainville as the naval guns wear down the enemy positions.  Choiseul is nearly under our control. The units here will be able to depart for Bougainville fairly soon.  The forces on Kolombangara are starting to engage in combat again. Axis Turn 9 (Japan): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Enemy fighters strike at the units as they get ashore.  Then troops on the ground come at them, and the auxiliary artillery is lost.  The Marines near Munda Point take casualties as the defenders fight back. Allied Turn 10 (USA): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Now that we have some land airbases, we're finding it easier to support the forces from the air.  Air support is turning the tide on Kolombangara as well.  All resistance is cleared off on Choiseul.  With offshore bombardment able to hit Buin, we're able to send some of the troops on ahead up the island. Axis Turn 10 (Japan): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Although they've had to shift their base, the enemy fighters have not all been shot down.  Those heavy tanks keep striking from the jungle.  High casualties are taken by the Seabees in their first amphibious assault. Allied Turn 11 (USA): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  With New Georgia fairly well secured, the Australians send probes the short distance to Vangunu to see if they can take it too.  Air power can handle the remnants of the units on New Georgia.  Many ships are suppressing the enemy guns at Kieta. That allows our tanks to approach the town. Axis Turn 11 (Japan): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Other than some bombers spotted on a flight over New Georgia, the Japanese side is quiet.  Unit Spotlights Philippine Scouts PG Name: Phi Scout Type: Infantry Effective Date: 6/41 Value:6 Cost:72 Spot:3 Move:3 MM:Leg Trans:Air Fuel: - Init:1 SA:6 HA:4 AA:0 NA:1 GD:8 AD:9 CD:0 TT:Soft Ammo:5 The Philippine Scouts were American army units that largely consisted of Filipino soldiers, with most of them in service prior to World War II. They were some of the first ground units to enter combat for the US, and likely the best-trained units in the early going. They defended the Philippines from 1941 and into 1942 until the Japanese conquered the islands, at which point many formed guerilla units. Many were also taken prisoner, and formed the majority of those involved in the infamous Bataan Death March. When MacArthur returned, the Scout units were re-established to secure the islands and also to continue the fight, with some forces even being prepped for the invasion of Japan. Additionally, there was a unit formed from Filipinos who lived in the mainland US when war broke out; they were sent to Australia and then later to the Philippines. In-game analysis: These occupy something of an odd space -- they aren't cheap militia, but they aren't quite front-line quality either. The main things going for them are an interestingly high Hard Attack, and the extra spotting range. They could be useful against weaker tanks (and there are no lack of those on the Japanese side), and they won't crumple too quickly in the face of attacks. Still, they can't really go toe-to-toe with other infantry, and while I'm happy to use them if available, I would not purchase them on their own. Curtiss SBC Helldiver & Martin T4M-1 PG Name: SBC Helldiver/T4M Type: Tac Bomber Effective Date: 1/36 Value:13/11 Cost:156/132 Spot:3 Move:8 MM:Air Fuel: 51 Init:2 SA:4 HA:2 AA:[3] NA:14/10 GD:8 AD:5 TT:Naval Ammo:4 These are separate units, but quite similar, so I've grouped them together. Not to be confused with the SB2C Helldiver, the SBC was a two-seater biplane that was seriously obsolete by the time of the war. Its design was fairly staid for the late 1930s. Pilots seemed to like it, but it wasn't anything spectacular. Once war became a reality, it was never expected that these would be effective in a real fight. The carrier Hornet actually still had some on board in December of 1941, but they were replaced before the ship went into combat. The T4M was another biplane design, this one dating to the 1920s. It was a torpedo bomber, but would not have been very effective against any enemy warship by the time of the war, since it was far too slow and weak to survive a run at them. The plane was withdrawn from service in 1938, and thus would appear to only be present in the game for the purpose of speculative scenarios. In-game Analysis: It's nice to see a carrier-based bomber that's this decent against ships early on. These won't survive long without an escort, and with a low amount of fuel and ammo they can't spend too much time on the target, but they at least hit hard for how relatively cheap they are. Given that the T4M can stand off to fire torpedoes, and is actually cheaper, it may be the wiser choice, especially if you want it to last longer. Porter-class Destroyer (8 built) PG Name: Porter Type:Destroyer Effective Date: 1/36 Value:4 Cost:48 Spot:1 Move:7 MM:Coastal Fuel: 84 Init:3 Range:1 SA:3 HA:6 AA:[3] NA:10 DA:8 GD:14 AD:6 TD:16 TT:N/A Ammo:40 There were plans to enlarge the US destroyer fleet as early as 1916, but it was not until the 1930s that authorization was given to construct the 8 ships of this class. Designated as 'Destroyer Leaders', they were slightly bigger than their contemporaries, and their intended role was to lead the assault of a flotilla against enemy shipping. The ships were given various upgrades throughout the war, mostly to improve their anti-aircraft ability. In-game Analysis: Nice and cheap, but still reasonably effective. While better ships are available at the same time, this model represents a great value for what may well be a disposable ship.
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Oct 9, 2017 05:28
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It's time to finally clear out the Solomon Islands. Allied Turn 12 (USA): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Units continue to stream onto Vangunu Island.  With replenished supplies, the Marines Stay Frosty as they finally knock out Munda Point.  Kolombangara is all but conquered as well.  We haven't initiated the attack on Prieta yet. Another round of shelling will make it a much easier task.  The Seabees force a retreat from Buin, but they are wary about rushing into the village too quickly. Axis Turn 12 (Japan): June 22, 1943 Fair, Dry  Air raids are heading toward Kolombangara, but we're more than prepared to deal with them.  The Australian tanks are being worn down, even by relatively light units.  Enemy artillery is not too effective against our tanks. Allied Turn 13 (USA): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  Some solid hits suppress the enemy guns.  We wear down the defenders from the side just as we have forces arriving from the rear to take out the flak guns. The first troops have also made it ashore near Numa Numa.  Buin is taken. Hopefully our cruisers and the Pennsylvania will be sufficient to suppress the enemy forces.  What is believed to be the last of the enemy units on New Georgia is dispatched by our M4 tanks. Axis Turn 13 (Japan): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  At Numa Numa, there's a nasty surprise : heavy artillery guns (that's what is firing here), and a lot of enemy soldiers. Scenario Gripe #3: Many of the units in this scenario are custom-made, instead of the normal ones off the unit roster. I don't know why they didn't just give them bonus experience. I can sort-of accept the unrealistic presence of heavy tanks, lots of ships, and extra enemy air power -- that at least is not too crazy for this game. But the mix of units just feels very artificial and makes the scenario feel over-designed.  The first wave of the landing fails completely against the tough resistance. Allied Turn 14 (USA): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  Most of the forces at Prieta have been rendered ineffectual by our constant bombardment. We knock out the guns with ease.  Repeated assaults causes the dug-in forces in the town to yield as well.  Progress is made on Vangunu, but it's likely that more troops will be required here to really take control the island. Axis Turn 14 (Japan): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  The Seabees hold against the first Japanese counterattack.  The Australian AT guns take a beating after being hit from multiple sides. Allied Turn 15 (USA): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  The flamethrower tanks are clearing a path to Numa Numa.  The final Japanese airbase is on Vella Lavella, but it's defended by some quality fighter pilots.  On Vangunu, the fighting reaches a stalemate as the Japanese forces are forced back, and we regroup around the artillery guns. Axis Turn 15 (Japan): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  Disaster strikes on Vangunu: the enemy pokes a gap into our lines and captures the guns.  The flame tanks are forced into an isolated position on the shoreline and destroyed. Allied Turn 16 (USA): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  The Australians are galvanized by the attack on their artillery. They jump into action and make a charge on Vura.  After a furious but brief fight, the port is captured.  A tough fight in the air leads to our fighters finally coming out on top.  We don't take Numa Numa, but we are drawing close.  Troops in the hills are taking care of the forces there, to keep them from reinforcing the town. Scenario Gripe #4: Note the path on the left side there. Because that's at the edge of the map, those hexes cannot be entered. So the map is designed to give the appearance of an alternate route to Numa Numa that does not actually exist. Axis Turn 16 (Japan): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  A Japanese cavalry unit goes after the AT guns, but the infantry in the port is undisturbed. Allied Turn 17 (USA): June 23, 1943 Fair, Dry  Combat continues on Vangunu. The Australians have a clear advantage.  We have actually landed troops on Della Lavella to deal with the last airfield, but there are a fair number of enemy forces still there.  The naval shelling decimates the enemy forces in Numa Numa.  With the capture of the town, we have gained complete command of the Solomon Islands. VP: 1354-898 (Decisive Victory) As a final note on this scenario's design: Capturing the last objective ends a scenario immediately. What I don't know and haven't tested is whether that causes an automatic win. As previously mentioned, capturing objectives alone does not provide enough VP to overcome the initial deficit the American side is saddled with. So I don't know if this effectively forces you to take all the objectives, or if that's required in addition to destroying enemy units. Something I also realized is that you can't purchase new units at just any city now -- it's restricted to predefined ones (seemingly 'ports' on this map). I had planned to add an airplane to this battle, but you cannot purchase them since none of the airfields here count for unit creation. Ending Prestige: 2374  M4A1 Medium Tank 'Sherman' PG Name: M4A1 Sherman Type: Tank Effective Date: 12/42 Value:26 Cost:312 Spot:2 Move:5 MM:Track Trans:Naval Fuel: 45 Init:9 SA:11 HA:12 AA:[2] NA:1 GD:12 AD:3 CD:3 TT:Hard Ammo:12 Prototyping of the M4 began almost immediately after the M3 'Lee', but it was recognized that to fix the M3's flaws would require an extensive re-design. A proper turret was used for the M4, and the height was reduced, although the M4 still had a noticeably high profile when compared to its contemporaries. An incredible 50,000 or so of the various models were produced, and the Sherman became practically synonymous with 'tank' for Americans. Owing to their availability and relatively decent performance, they saw action in parts of the world for several decades after World War II. The Sherman was quite effective against the German tank models made through 1942, but its armor and main gun proved to be weak when facing anything produced later. In the Pacific, however, it was one of the stronger tanks in the theater, and could hold up admirably against almost any vehicle the Japanese were fielding (but could still be vulnerable to AT guns). In-game analysis: The M4 tanks are all neutrally-balanced units, and this first one is perhaps the most mediocre. While it doesn't have any notable deficiencies, there aren't any features that really stand out either. Against the Japanese tanks, they are actually more than capable, and remain effective for quite some time. Douglas TBD Devastator PG Name: TBD Devastator Type: Tac Bomber Effective Date: 4/42 Value:15 Cost:180 Spot:3 Move:8 MM:Air Fuel: 51 Init:2 SA:6 HA:6 AA:[3] NA:8 GD:8 AD:10 TT:Naval Ammo:4 Special: Torpedo The Douglas Devastator was a rather forward-thinking design when the Navy first deployed them in 1937. It was the first monoplane carrier-based torpedo bomber, and the first with a canopy-covered cockpit for the crew. By the time of the war with Japan, it was outdated, and the slow attack speed necessary to drop its torpedo made it an easy target for enemy gunners and aircraft. The Navy did not have a ready replacement, however, and it continued to see use into 1942 (fairly famously in the Battle of Midway, in which losses were high). In-game Analysis: This is a balanced aircraft that can inflict decent damage against ground targets, but it's not quite as effective against naval units. It's also not as good as the Dauntless, and is superseded by a better torpedo bomber just a few months later, so I'd skip it if possible. Brooklyn-class Cruiser (9 built) PG Name: Brooklyn/Brooklyn 1944 Type:Light Cruiser Effective Date: 8/38 / 1/44 Value:7 Cost:84/108 Spot:2 Move:6 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 113 Init:4 Range:2 SA:4 HA:7 AA:[6]/[9] NA:18/7 DA:0 GD:18/14 AD:6/8 TD:11 TT:N/A Ammo:40 Special: [1944 only] Radar This was the last cruiser design of the inter-war years, and reflects the limitations that prevented any additional heavy cruisers (i.e. ships with 8" guns) from being built. This was a ship with armor comparable to the New Orleans cruiser, but with 15 6" guns for its main armament. It proved to be a decent light cruiser, but the weaker hull of its design made it not quite as tough as a bigger cruiser. The 1944 refit removed the conning tower for stability while adding more AA guns. In-game Analysis: This is just what you need in a light cruiser, without any bells and whistles. That makes it probably the best value in the game for this type, and arguably the best option for the Americans until midway through the war. Incidentally the 1944 model of this is absolute garbage, as it's a terrible downgrade.
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Oct 12, 2017 19:39
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I find it amusing that the town hexes always seem to include a building with a pagoda, even where it makes no sense, like in Iraq or the Solomon Islands
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Oct 12, 2017 19:55
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Of course the odd thing is that they didn't have to do that, since the maps were painted manually. I guess they wanted to make the city tiles look consistent. It's also funny that the sides are hard-coded to have red dots or yellow stars for ownership symbols, and the Japanese-style interface for an Axis player. So even though there are some European maps in the game, and the potential for German scenarios, they'd all be stuck with looking like the Japanese controlling German forces, as in Persia. What they do have is a whole lot of possible countries for the units to be, which makes me realize that in the Solomons, most of those units I called 'Australian' were actually from New Zealand ( I did not notice that New Zealand got its own flag, because there is a 'Southwest Pacific' set as well, which is why I referred to the mix as 'Commonwealth' units in the OOB).
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Oct 13, 2017 06:22
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An interesting tidbit is that the absolute only ship that has been sunk by a nuclear-powered submarine during war was a Brooklyn-class cruiser. The USS Phoenix, later sold to Argentina and christened ARA General Belgrano, sunk during the war of the Malvinas.
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Oct 13, 2017 20:51
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 With as much of Asia under our control as we require, it's time to expand our holdings in the Pacific.  What better place to take now than Australia? It'll ensure that the Allies can no longer threaten Southeast Asia.  Australia: February 16, 1943  Objectives: Adelaide [150], Melbourne [100], Canberra [100], Sydney [200], Brisbane [100] Starting VP: 0 - 1328 OOB pre:Unit Name Unit Type [Transport] Exp Land Units 1.1st Hohei 1940 Hohei 1940[Isuzu] *** 2.2nd Teishin Dan Teishin Dan **** 3.3rd Hohei 1943 Hohei 1943[Isuzu] **** 4.4th Hohei HW 1936 Hohei HW 1936[Isuzu] **** 5.5th Engineers 1936 Engineers 1936[Isuzu] ***** 6.26th Hohei 1940 Hohei 1940[Isuzu] - 7.29th Hohei 1940 Hohei HW 1940 - 8.The Japonies Kihei **** 9.My Tanks are so kawaii Type 95 Ha-Go ***** 10.13th Type 1 Chi-He Type 1 Chi-He **** 11.27th Type 97 Chi-Ha Type 97 Chi-Ha ** 12.31st Type 1 Chi-He Type 1 Chi-He * 13.32nd Type 98 Ke-Ni Type 98 Ke-Ni - 14.22nd Type 92 Type 92 **** 15.25th RA 97 RA 97 [Isuzu] * 16.Steel Death Ho-Ni 3 ** 17.28th Ho-Ni 2 Ho-Ni 2 - 18.Cherry Blossoms Float Type 91 105 [Isuzu] ** 19.24th 94 Mtn Gun 75mm 94 Mtn Gun 75mm - 20.23rd So-Ki So-Ki ***** Aux (by qty) 1 Senpaku Kohei ** 1 Senpaku Kohei *** 2 Hohei 1943 [Isuzu] ** 3 Hohei 1943 [Isuzu] *** 1 Hohei HW 1943 [Isuzu] ** 2 Hohei HW 1943 [Isuzu] ** 1 Imperial Guard *** 1 Engineers 1943 *** 1 Type 1 Chi-He - 1 Type 1 Chi-He *** 1 Type 98 Ke-Ni *** 1 Ho-Ni 2 *** Air Units 21.Hirohito's Hieneys Nakajima Ki-27 Nate *** 22.Sabai's Flying Circus Ki-43 Oscar *** 23.Nicholas is my Father Ki-45 Nick ***** 24.21st A6M Zero A6M Zero **** 25.Remember Remember Eni A6M Zero - 26.11th G3M Nell G3M Nell ***** Aux (by qty) 2 A6M Zero ** 2 A6M Zero *** 1 A6M Zero **** 1 Ki-45 Nick *** 2 G4M Betty *** 1 Ki-49 Helen *** Naval Units 27.Katori Katori (CL) * 28.Asashio Asashio (DD) - Aux Asashio Asashio (DD) *** Asashio Asashio (DD) **** Katori x 2 Katori (CL) *** Mogami x 2 Mogami (CL) *** Faux-so Fuso (BB) *** Starting Prestige: 520 after purchases/upgrades At this point, we don't really need to upgrade many of our units, aside from the infantry. Hirohito's squadron is still patiently waiting for their Hiens, but the quality of the enemy planes in Australia is not expected to be much of a concern. Also, while this is indeed a naval operation, we're not allowed to bring our fleet with us (including the carriers; capturing an airfield early on is therefore a necessity).  The landing zone will be in the northeast part of the country. Our aim is to establish a safe beachhead as quickly as possible, and then push out from there to cross toward the main objectives in the south. Not all parts of the interior are well-connected by roads, which makes rapid advancement a bit tricky. We can make a good push close to the shore where the transportation network is stronger, but this will likely be the most heavily defended region. Therefore some of the core units will swing a bit more to the west and make their way toward Melbourne. A secondary landing is taking place via the Gulf of Carpentaria. With luck, this group will clear a path all the way down to Adelaide. That should keep our flank safe for the Melbourne advance, or at least tie up any enemy units trying to make their way eastward.  We actually have a fair amount of time for this invasion. While we do want to get the troops ashore quickly, we don't want to crowd the beaches too much. A central spot for the forces should allow us to get a second wave in more safely. We can also count on naval support for at least the early part of the attack.  Axis Turn 1: February 16, 1943 Fair (Dry)  Offshore bombardment creates an opening for the troops to get on the beach.  We're able to grab an airfield almost immediately.  Bombing raids allow the tanks in the south to gain a good position as well.  The Carpentaria force gets off the beach easily, and encounters only light resistance as they head inland. Allied (Australia/USA) Turn 1: February 16, 1943 Fair (Dry)  The air battle is fierce - the enemy pilots inflict heavy losses on our own planes.  The American forces here knock our troops around quite a bit as well. Axis Turn 2: February 16, 1943 Fair (Dry)  The troops in the north are already nearing the airfields up here.  Dogfights show that we have the advantage as we knock out a squadron of F4F Wildcats.  We're working on eliminating as much of this (largely American) force as we can. We don't want to give them a chance to retreat and regroup.  The north end of the landing zone has proven too well-defended for us to get more than a few troops unloaded.  But we do have a safe zone in the center of the zone to get nearly all of our units out of the ships there. Allied Turn 2: February 16, 1943[/b] Fair (Dry)  Although we engaged the interceptors, we aren't able to stop the enemy bombers from hitting us.  A dangerous Grant tank hits one of our own, and it is lost to the American infantry shortly afterward.  The tanks on the north side are not much to be concerned about. Axis Turn 3: February 16, 1943 Cloudy (Dry)  We're taking ground as quickly as we can. With these airbases gone, the enemy won't be able to strike back very easily.  The So-Ki shoots down an obsolete bomber.  We're seeing the disposition of the enemy at Brisbane. As expected, there are a lot of troops to get through.  On the northern end, we're clearing up space for the remainder of the forces to land.  In the middle, there's very little that remains to oppose us. Allied Turn 3: February 16, 1943 Cloudy (Dry)  Allied bombers put some brakes on our rapid advance.  Casualties are relatively heavy near Townsville. Axis Turn 4: February 16, 1943 Fair (Dry)  The only problem with those Valentine tanks is the nearly-impenetrable armor. They aren't too dangerous, but they are very hard to get rid of.  The paratroops and the Japonies cut off the rear of Townsville.  We spend some time forcing the vehicles back, and we'll be able to launch an attack near Brisbane soon.  Some of these American bombers are remarkably hard for even fighters to deal with. Allied Turn 4: February 16, 1943 Fair (Dry)  More American forces show up on the north side to slow us down.  Air raids interdict our main attack as well. Axis Turn 5: February 16, 1943 Rain (Dry)  Townsville is in our hands. We can land our planes here since the rain is inhibiting any further combat.  We seize control of the roads southward.  The heaviest fighting is at the coast, but at least we still have some naval support here. Allied Turn 5: February 16, 1943 Rain (Dry)  The Americans are making a stand at the airfield near Cloncurry.  Delays in deploying our artillery lead to the loss of the AT guns.  Hidden soldiers in the hills strike out at our column.  Unit Spotlight Type 98 Ke-Ni [Light Tank Model D] PG Name: Type 98 Ke-Ni Type:Tank Effective Date: 9/42 Value:6 Cost:72 Spot:3 Move:8 MM:Track Trans:Naval Fuel: 44 Init:3 SA:3 HA:4 AA:0 NA:1 GD:9 AD:2 CD:2 TT:Hard Ammo:9 This model is a refinement of the light tank line, and thus follows after the Type 95 Ha-Go. While it apparently improved on it in nearly all aspects, especially in maneuverability, it seems that it never saw widespread adoption. That was possibly due to production limitations, or possibly because the Army may have been happy enough with the performance of the Type 95. In-game analysis: This is a fast light tank that's fairly useless in combat. In almost every aspect save movement and supplies carried, the Type 92 'Armored Car' is better. This is in fact a better choice as a recon vehicle, and that one is more useful as a light tank. Nakajima Ki-49 "Donryu" (Helen) PG Name: Ki-49 Helen Type:Level Bomber Effective Date: 7/40 Value:27 Cost:324 Spot:2 Move:8 MM:Air Trans:No Fuel: 127 Init:4 SA:1 HA:4 Size: 10 AA:[10] NA:3 GD:10 AD:9 Ammo:6 This was the successor to the Sally, but it didn't seem to offer much over it. While its ability to defend against fighters was improved, there was not a lot to otherwise distinguish it from its predecessor. It still couldn't deal with fighters on its own, and ended up not being put into wide use as a bomber (some did see use as transports or patrol craft). In-game analysis: This costs more than a Sally, and only adds a few points of defense -- while also being less effective at strategic bombing. I'd skip it. Mogami-class Cruiser (4 built) PG Name: Mogami/Mogami 1944 Type:Heavy Cruiser Effective Date: 4/40 / 1/44 Value:21/24 Cost:378/432 Spot:2 Move:7 MM:Deep Naval Fuel: 60 Init:4 Range:4 SA:5 HA:8 AA:[13]/[19] NA:18 DA:0 GD:18 AD:9 TD:10 Ammo:40 Special: Night Optics, [1944]Radar The Mogami class was a new design in the 1930s, and started out as a somewhat stronger light cruiser. There was a lengthy refinement stage that eventually led to them being heavy cruisers (the constraints of the treaties probably influenced the initial design). The Mogami itself was eventually converted to a partial aircraft carrier. None of the ships in this class made it past 1944. In-game analysis: These are edging close to Battleship prices, and while the anti-air power is quite impressive, it's difficult to prefer one of these to a real one, as it would have a longer gun range and equivalent surface power. That said, this could be a reasonable upgrade or purchase for surface combat in the war's later years.
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Oct 18, 2017 19:51
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I am skeptical as to the strategic viability of advancing an army from North to South Australia across the outback, but hey.
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Oct 19, 2017 16:04
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We've established a solid position in northern Australia, but now we have to advance southward. Axis Turn 6: February 17, 1943 Cloudy (Dry)  We finally get control of both airfields on the western side of the front.  It's unlikely that any enemy forces remain in the northeast, but there are some planes still flying around.  Naval support is key to getting rid of the enemy tanks.  The back half of our advancing column has to hold up and deal with all the enemy infantry that fled inland. Allied Turn 6: February 17, 1943 Cloudy (Dry)  An American charge finds its way to our artillery.  The Carpentaria group is facing more experienced units now. Axis Turn 7: February 17, 1943 Cloudy (Dry)  We're squeezing the remnants of the enemy forces in the central region.  Meanwhile the first portion of the core has nearly reached the southern objectives; the ones we can see appear to be undefended.  We're not gaining ground near Brisbane, but we are effectively reducing the enemy troop count. Allied Turn 7: February 17, 1943 Fair (Dry)  The Allied response to our advance is swift: our light recon tank is chased around and destroyed after attacks by multiple units.  They aren't having any success with tanks in the north, however. Axis Turn 8: February 17, 1943 Rain (Mud)  Summer rains make for slow going as the ground stays muddy.  We are able to break through near Brisbane and pocket the enemy infantry. The port itself will soon be ours too.  The way is finally clear to the south. Allied Turn 8: February 17, 1943 Rain (Mud)  The Allied tanks roll northward and hit our meager vanguard.  The good news is that their attempt to divert the remainder of the column is failing. Axis Turn 9: February 17, 1943 Cloudy (Mud)  We form a defensive line as best we can and pray for the rest of the core to catch up.  Brisbane's forces are mopped up.  Our western force is starting to pass near the vast Australian desert. Allied Turn 9: February 17, 1943 Cloudy (Mud)  The mud may have saved the lives of our units since it blunts the effectiveness of the Allied tanks.  To the west, the Australians do their best to keep us from using the main roads. Axis Turn 10: February 17, 1943 Fair (Dry)  There's one straggler infantry unit that we can't seem to get rid of in the north.  We have to eliminate that tank if we want to get to Adelaide.  The rear column has cleared their way to the south.  A little bit of air support arrives to hold off the enemy counterattack. It's not much, but it raises morale.  We're also giving relief to those units by encroaching on Sydney from the coastal road. Allied Turn 10: February 17, 1943 Fair (Dry)  Rather than turn and hold back our units on the coast, the Allies only push harder with their tanks.  It works, as they nearly break through on our left; we cannot hold this line any longer.  The western units have lured the Australian tanks out of their blockade position on the highway. That's some good news for us, since some of our troops can now proceed toward Adelaide.  Unit Spotlight Type 1 Ho-Ni II [Self-Propelled Gun Model D, version II] PG Name: Ho-Ni 2 Type: Artillery Effective Date: 7/41 Value:20 Cost:240 Spot:1 Move:3 MM:Track Trans:Naval Fuel: 40 Init:5 Range:2 SA:15 HA:8 AA:[1] NA:0 GD:10 AD:6 CD:1 TT:Hard Ammo:10 While the Ho-Ni III is incorrectly classed as an artillery unit, this one is correctly categorized. The Ho-Ni II was a variant of the Ho-Ni I, keeping the open top, but adding a larger 105mm gun. It was intended for indirect fire, and probably much better suited for that role since the exposed crew would be less likely to face close-range attacks. Like so many Japanese ground units, it suffered from an unreliable production output, and couldn't be fielded in significant numbers. In-game analysis: This is a quality mobile artillery unit, although it does suffer from the lack of speed that plagues nearly all Japanese vehicles. It's a significant improvement over the towed Type 91 or the mobile 'Ho-Ni 3' in combat power, and being armored makes it the best option for assaults. It also carries a good amount of ammo. It would be nice if it had a higher range, but being mobile partly makes up for that. Aichi D3A1 (Val) PG Name: D3A Val Type:Tac Bomber Effective Date: 6/40 Value:18 Cost:216 Spot:3 Move:8 MM:Air Trans:Naval Fuel: 76 Init:5 SA:6 HA:8 AA:[5] NA:14 GD:8 AD:9 Ammo:4 A carrier-based bomber designed to work alongside the Claude, the Val was a dive bomber with fairly good flight performance, especially in maneuverability. First used in a major role at Pearl Harbor, the Val came to be feared by Allied ships. It actually didn't have much in the way of offensive power, and it was more often the skill of the pilot that determined how effective it was when attacking. In-game analysis: The specialty of this plane is in going after ships. That makes it excellently suited for use on carriers, and it's a good value too. An escort (or lack of enemy air power) is pretty much a necessity if it's going to stay alive, however. Type C Submarine PG Name: C Type:Submarine Effective Date: 10/40 Value:15 Cost:180 Spot:3 Move:4 MM:Coastal/Sub Trans:N/A Fuel: 148 Init:3 Range:2 SA:0 HA:0 AA:0 NA:13 DA:0 GD:8 AD:4 TD:8 DD:10 Ammo:20 The Type C was modeled after the KD6, but purpose built as an 'attack' sub. That meant it was supposed to go after enemy warships, and could expect to be in the more dangerous situation of dodging depth charges and return fire. The Type C subs were typically the ones (of the later A-B-C sub strategy) to carry midget subs as well. In-game analysis: While I like that it poses a more serious threat to capital ships, it's a little expensive for what you get. Still, at least it excels at something, so you feel like you are paying for a real feature instead of just minor improvements here and there.
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Oct 20, 2017 19:29
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