@Asalto: Indeed. I know I have not been showing it very much, but massive use of airpower has been a key factor to being able to hold places like central China, Manchuria, and Southeast Asia. Japanese, Thai, Korean, and Manchukuo aircraft have been pummeling the enemy in many fronts, causing huge losses on their forces and allowing my ground troops to make considerable gains.
@KcindX, CylonAndrew: Ship counts will come later, but I think by now I have more carriers than the US Navy, and thats the key thing in the pacific war.
@pat97ryk: Its a Russian puppet state and a member of the SCO.
@son of liberty: I actually do lose a heavy number of bombers when I launch sustained air raids on enemy naval bases full of ships, as well as to enemy ground forces if they are very well dug in. As for SSGN's, I can't really tell what they are supposed to be useful for. They are classified as capital ships for some reason, and I think they use the files for heavy cruisers as their base. They don't seem to be very useful when they are grouped together with carriers like the Americans are doing either.
@everyone else: thanks for the comments!
The East Indian air force gives the British some bombing raids to welcome them to the Pacific War. The Indian's encounter very well armed and dug in British troops, but it does not deter the Indians from raining bombs and missiles down on their heads.
Along the northern front of the ground war in Asia, Japanese and Korean forces are working to destroy invading enemy forces moving in from Mongolia. The enemy takes huge casualties to Japanese/Korean forces, something that is greatly leveling the odds in Japan's favour.
Similar battles are taking place in the restive Yan'an region. Through a combination of massive airstrikes and ferocious counterattacks, Japanese and Allied forces are bleeding the enemy into exhaustion. The battlefields are being littered with the hulks of destroyed tanks, armoured vehicles, and the bodies of dead SCO soldiers.
At sea, the Americans once again challenge the blockade of Guam navalbase, hurling themselves at Japanese warships in one of the largest carrier battles of the war. Japan responds in kind, pounding the American ships with no mercy.
In this battle, Japan gains a decisive victory, sweet payback for the Japanese navy after the Americans had sunk some of Japan's precious capital ships. 4 American cruisers, and an aircraft carrier, the USS Constellation, are sent to the bottom, joining many other US and coalition vessels whose wrecks now litter the ocean floor.
The Americans strike back by launching more attacks on Borneo. At this point, the American landings there are becoming extremely difficult to stop. Every time Japanese troops and aircraft destroy an American landing force and retake control of the island, yet more Americans come. They are even now landing in different locations, launching an invasion of Northern Borneo as well as another landing in the south. Also note the Battle of Changde, which is very typical of many battles of the Chinese front in this war. (large battles initiated by Japanese/allied forces which inflict huge casualties on the enemy for little friendly losses)
In Southeast Asia, the combination of massive RTAF airstrikes and Thai/Singapore/Vietnamese reinforcements have stabilized the Southeast Asian front in this sector. Feeling invigorated by recent successes, a joint RTA/ARVN/SA force lay's siege to Hanoi, capital of Northern Vietnam. The city is very well defended by Sino-Russian-PAVN troops, but they are vastly outnumbered by the Allied forces.
More heavy fighting in outer Mongolia. Japanese troops withdraw from combat to avoid taking heavy losses to attacking SCO troops. Also note the presence of European SCO forces along the front in Asia, such as a unit from the Danubian Federation fighting all the way in Asia.
August 8th, 2015. After heavy fighting, ARVN troops raise the flag of South Vietnam high over the skyscrapers of Hanoi, joining the flags of Singapore and Thailand to symbolize the fall of the city to Japanese allied forces. North Vietnam's government is captured, after failing to escape for exile in either Russia or China. The north vietnamese politburo then surrenders to the Republic of Vietnam, resulting in the reunification of the Vietnamese people for the second time within 40 years. North Vietnam has surrendered, the first SCO member to surrender to a member of Japan's alliance in this war. The act is a great morale booster, as it may symbolize a growing shift of momentum in this war favouring Japan and her allies. (also note that the SCO had launching a large invasion of western Thailand, but it was driven back after heavy fighting and huge airstrikes)
The SCO still has a lot of fight in it left however, as shown by a massive Sino-Russian offensive on Ganzhou, which forces Japanese troops to withdraw to the east. Japanese forces positioned further south are also compelled to withdraw eastwards as well, to shorted the frontlines and prevent the formation of any salient which could be hard to defend.
Back in Japan, another dozen Marine infantry brigades finish training and are ready for service.
Their most likely destination is India, where Japanese and allied forces are holding a shaky perimeter around the city of Calcutta. Sheer attrition has taken a heavy poll on Japan's allies, whose, units are largely combat ineffective. Their forces, along with those of the Japanese army, are holding their ground against the SCO forces in the north and east, as well as Indian and Coalition forces in the West. Until reinforcements arrive however, Japan and its allies will not be able to go on the offensive again to retake lost ground.
Back in China, Japanese forces go back on the offensive to retake lost ground in Southern China. Ganzhou, which the Chinese and Russians have spent lots of weapons and soldiers to take, is retaken by a massive Japanese attack. SCO forces fight almost to the death to hold it, but they are eventually overrun or destroyed by Japanese forces.
Along the northern line, Korean units are holding their ground in the face of heavy Russian attacks. It seems that the Russian Army may be finally running out of steam here, allowing the Korean army to hold territory that has been bitterly contested in constant battles over the last few months.
Finally, some bad news. After yet more American landings on Borneo, and the failure of Japan's airforces to stop all of the American attacks, Japanese commanders decide it is time to cut their losses and withdraw. Vastly outnumbered, and also losing increasing numbers of aircraft to American anti-aircraft weapons, Japanese forces withdraw from Borneo. Japanese aircraft give the Americans some parting gifts in the form of some bombing attacks, before all Japanese forces leave the island, abandoning it to the mercy of the Americans.