@theROCmonster:
Clyde, Grasshopper has it right. Every expert would agree you want to maximize IPC lost vs gained. SO if you are going to hold a southern island put an airbase there and planes you are going to loose A LOT more IPC’s than Japan is going to in taking it out. Granted japan won’t be able to get their NO bonus or attack other Islands, but taking out that many IP’Cs is way more worth it. Killing UK India men and planes will make it even easier to take out india later on because what can india counter attack with when all her fighters are dead?
Thats a good point, I would then supplement the UK India fighters with the ANZAC ones instead, and try to make holding Java an ANZAC exclusive operation as much as possible. The rest of what you bring up is irrelevent as it dosnt take into account the situation im buliding this idea on. IF the US fleet is concentrated off the coast of Queensland, then I can afford to use ANZAC forces here as the US will be defending me from early turn (turn 3) invasion from Japan. Second, any Japanese force the is left down off the coast of Java will be weakened and attacked by the stronger American fleet from Queensland, thus removing it from play. Japan will have to counter this but may not be in a position to do so right away. If the force sent to take out Java is killed, and a strong US fleet is there, what force is Japan going to be sending against India? If we assume that by turn 3 India has stopped sending things to Egypt and has a fleet of 1DD 1CA 1BB 1AC with air support and fighters to scramble not to mention anything else India has moblized in terms of ground forces, what is Japan going to do? You seem to think they would just push on and attempt to make a run at India regardless, but the US can counter any offensive movement Japan makes at the Indian ocean from its new position in Java.