The standard theory is that US and UK help each other in Atlantic, while they help each other with China and Anzac’s help in the Pacific.
UK helps USSR too. USSR helps China. France helps anyone it can.
All is is true about Allies.
For an Axis win, Germany has to help Italy. This happens occassionally.
But what we rarely see is Japan helping Italy.
RamRod is one of the few places that this Japanese to Italian help is crucial in securing Axis victory!
The counter as MOW and others have rightly said is the Persian and SA factory.
The UK transports are critical in the defense/offense role.
However, the Navy protecting them is weak….and there are really no airbases… or the planes in these Airbases are gone.
So, to make the Italian threat potent, the Japanese Navy (IJN) must help out.
This can be done in 3 ways:
A) By just sallying forth with the combat ships, 2 Subs, BB+ DD, 2CRU . There can be some additions or subtractions done here.
The point is… that the UK Navy with the TRs sunk… should make it much much more expensive for UK to attack Egypt AND - DEFEND- the Persian complex at the same time.
There is a potential for a 1-2 punch, wherein the Italian Navy could hit the UK navy in Red Sea first… and then withdraw… and the Japanese fleet off India mops up the survivors.
B) Using a CV+FTR+TB in addition to A) but removing the BB
C) Adding a LOADED TR to A or B
This when done on J4 or J5 will really mess up Allied efforts to get back Egypt.
How the US fleet build is on US1 and US2 and the fleet positioning is of paramount importance for this to succeed.
IJN Build on J2 and J3 are important too.
But if pulled off… correctly… or the UK Botches its play… by J5-I5 or J6-I6, Persia can be Italian or Japanese… and S. Africa could be Axis too.
Just a point i had not mentioned earlier.
MeinHerr
