I don’t think you need to bring your cruiser over to help out in Java. An expensive sacrifice as the Japanese will sink it with a sub and fighters. There is a good chance the infantry and art will win without assistance. Maybe Borneo is a better choice than Java since it places the Japanese fleet a bit less convenient of a spot, but double check what makes sense. Alternatively, just get Dutch New Guinea this turn for the bonus.
I am also not excited with the trade of 3 anzac destroyers to sink a Japanese sub and destroyer. Not an awful trade but I think you lose a little bit in the exchanges. Perhaps consolidate your fleet in SZ54 and plan to move to Carolines next round. You leave out so many ships that get killed for little cost by the Japanese.
If you have a sub outside of SZ54, perhaps have it by the Carolines so it can do much more after the United States grabs the island on Turn 5.
For the french, you can have one of your ships move to the Med so it can join up next to Gibraltar next round. I don’t want to do an expensive battle with the Italians just to kill one French ship. Not awful for you if I do decide to attack it. I don’t see the use of joining up with the UK India fleet as those will be heading to Africa next turn as they are too small to come near the IJN.
I might have this type of moves. The United States should have had another transport or three in the Pacific. You need a bigger threat of invasion, purchasing in Turn 2.
@arthur-bomber-harris But I’m not meaning to invade. I’m meaning to pull the Japanese navy apart by giving them multiple enemies coming from many different directions. They will win every battle but be spread apart and weakened with every attempt to put out the fires around them. The temptation will be to use planes so that the force can stay bunched up. This will lead to losses in the air force. This will ensure that the troops supporting India can safely move out, into SE Asia.
The other option is to go all out towards Caroline and onto Japan. In all my other games I am favoring that plan. But the British navy cannot be left behind. Let me try again.
The British Navy won’t be able to combine with the Pacific fleet. There is no way to get them to SZ39 off the coast of India. They should have moved to the Med. The Japanese would wipe them out with little damage, and most of the hurt ships would recover immediately the next round.
In general, don’t do ship exchanges in the Pacific unless you are getting equal unit value in the fights. You tend to do battles with 1.3 : 1 loss ratios and slowly fall behind in TUV during the course of the game. Current income of the Axis and the Allies are roughly equal now, and there is no way to win the game with continued losses of 10-20 TUV every round. Current TUV comparison is 2143:1808. It should have been better at this moment given the Allies+100 bid.
does this aggressive move into the south Indian ocean make a difference? If I combine forces, I equalize and neutralize your j navy. If you come after me, you put yourself out of position for many turns.
If they are not good, perhaps I can go back to UK4 non coms.
It is 4 more turns for that French fleet to make it to Australia. I think that is way too late to be worth the effort.
You do sacrifice so much so often in attempts to get me out of position. If you want to redo UK4 non-coms, that is fine.
@arthur-bomber-harris the fr navy is not going to Australia. It’s going to Java next turn. As are all the ships in the pacific
Or is it Sumatra
double check the battle calc of what would be the outcome of a giant fleet battle off of Sumatra. You definitely would want the UK-India fleet to be there which would have require a naval base build on UK5.
My initial estimate was a disastrous -100 TUV swing if that battle happens, but I didn’t double check all potential units that could make it into the fight. That kind of fight is usually game-ending.
and even a naval base build in the Middle East wouldn’t guarantee the UK fleet wouldn’t be ship blocked by Japan.
to be clear, my goal is to make you commit to a sea battle. I lose. However you are forced to deplete your ships or your planes. And are out of position.
I do not think you can do both a land war and a sea war. I will not be attacking by sea. I will gather and then make my way to Philippines. You will be forced to attack. I will be attacking on land both in the north and the south and the west. The subs in 10 are going to 6 to convoy. Are you sure Japan can take all of that pressure?
As for blockers, they can be removed by minor ships and planes, and then the fleets will noncom into Sumatra. If I had to wait one more turn and go to Java, I’m fine with that. The land war is not going to be resolved any time soon. Am I crazy? I just played two KJFs and it looked ugly until the “straw that broke the camel’s back” moment.
@crockett36 just took another look. I must wait for the Brits to join the fr and then the fleets can collect, us moves to Sum, then Brits then fr
@crockett36 sea zone 57 would be better since it might put me outside of some of your coastal air force, acknowledging that you can do the air plane shuffle with 12 planes. Even 60 if I’m not in sacrificial mode. I really am trying to take out Japanese air.
This is a tutor game so you are free to do experiments and see what worked and didn’t work against an experienced opponent. At any time you can go back to a previous turn, or decide it would be best to just start over/quit. Go ahead and try your plan and see how I respond.
Personally, I try not to get my Egypt fleet to the Pacific and instead try to have it merge with the Atlantic forces near Gibraltar. The combined USA/ANZAC fleet usually hangs out off of Queensland and then move to Carolines. That opens possibilities of sending transport to seize islands, or have sub raiding parties head over to the rich waters off of Asia. Often it becomes an extended economic battle with a sub being exchanged for a destroyer. Ideally there is enough pressure that Japan can’t build destroyers in their home waters and have to waste valuable capacity in mainland asian factories.
I find the KGF to be far more effective than KJF. I just need to hold Queensland, Hawaii, and the Middle East to prevent the Axis from winning. Russia, India, and China inevitably fall which is acceptable if Northwest Persia can become a major fortress for the Allies, along with a foothold in Normandy, Greece, and/or Norway. That is the normal gameplan in most high-level matches.
let’s see what happens when I combine fleets. That was some gold you just gave out. Loved that last paragraph though I am shocked at how deep a penetration is acceptable. And still the Allies win? Economically it s the Axis for the win with those numbers, especially the bonuses for Caucasus Stalingrad and Calcutta.
Have you seen my Bering strait ball buster video? I might have cracked the code. Doubtful, but maybe.
Go ahead with Germany
@crockett36 It is close economically if 1) Sweden is captured by the Allies and 2) Italy is convey raided to near-zero income.
The Allies start having significant leverage if Germany has to heavily defend their capitol in fear of an amphibious attack from SZ110. It requires quite a big number of units stacked in the homeland to prevent a successful 1-2 attack from USA-UK.
Russia’s turn
@arthur-bomber-harris said in ABH and Crockett36, (A+100) tutor game:
@crockett36 It is close economically if 1) Sweden is captured by the Allies and 2) Italy is convey raided to near-zero income.
The Allies start having significant leverage if Germany has to heavily defend their capitol in fear of an amphibious attack from SZ110. It requires quite a big number of units stacked in the homeland to prevent a successful 1-2 attack from USA-UK.
I agree and those are optimal European Allied strategies, but they are expensive. After turn five, the Med navy needs to be able to sustain at least 12 casualties. The 110 fleet can scramble three figs but still needs at least 9 hit points to protect the transports.
Meanwhile Japan… That’s why I’ve been experimenting with KJFs for 6 months. I’ve invaded Japan successfully twice. It’s more fragile than Germany imo.
I will be trying a few games with your stated strategic objectives. Took a while to get that info. But it is gold. And I will be thinking through that. Funny, it actually opens back up the old classic Torch strategy. A constant flow of tanks into the Mor could support the Persian stronghold while forking Rome, WGe, Nor, Norw.
