Influence Wars - Japan 1936 HPP Interactive AAR - GAMEPLAY THREAD

I'm sorry for being silent.

As I see the plan is the exact same as the previous plan. So since it's the same,

APPROVE.

The senior members of the navy approve the plan layed out by Gen. Surt. We would like to add that our research projects have been layed out before as well.

Urgent To: General Yamamoto
I think we have to change our spy plans a little, from support our party to lower neutrality on Guangxi and Yunnan, else it will take far too long to align them?

The Situation with the Warlords diplomacy has cost me many sleepless nights and after much soul searching and meditating in a lot of Shinto shrines, I've come to the conclusion that we need the following for successful alliance.

1. Our own neutrality must be relative low for us to propose alliance, around 30 so do, hence we lower our neutrality.
2. The threat to the warlords must be high, hence the increase threat in NatChi and ComChi.
3. They must have a government that is sympathetic to us, hence the support party, this goal I think should be fulfilled now.
4. They must have a low neutrality to themselves want to ally to us. So we must lower their neutrality.

I'm changing the final proposal to that purpose.

Which means people need to accept the change again, and when enough have done so the Emperor should go on at his discretion.
If people reject ... well.

To the most Seaworthy Admirals,
I would not think there are any supply routes that can be discontinued as of now, further our trade is hampered by the missing transports which means we will run out of resources too soon for our plans to come to fruition.
A trade route to Europe cost 8-9 transports and one to the USA costs 6, most routes to China will cost 1-2, in peace time (including wars with none naval powers) we should keep enough transports for 2 of each of these 3, or in other words 30 transports as free reserve.
In a war with a real naval power, like US or UK we would need at least 100 free transports with continual rebuilding. Many more might be needed if the Navy doesn't prioritize ASW high.
I would suggest the Navy to start a 99 serial build of transports now, which would be around 25 transports a year. If we had any more budget for it we should start 5 more parallel single builds, but I don't think we got that.

Regarding the Emperors enquiry about the warlords.

For Guangxi the current difference appears to be 18%(43-25%) but in reality its only 13% with spies on lower neutrality and the 2 ministers with lower neutrality (we did set those in?) we lose 0.05% each day so in 20 days 1% meaning 260 days from now we will only be limited by their own neutrality.
That is a problem, as it is currently 76% and the threat is only 9.3 = 66.7 then difference down to 25% is 41.7, our changed policy of lowering the warlords neutrality and increasing the NatChi&ComChi threat should move that 0.07% / day or 597 days. Slightly longer than I thought! Well hopefully Yamamoto can say if it goes faster at some point!?!
Yunnan is a hopeless case right now at 100% neutrality, but might start to lower it itself later.

Honored Emperor,

we are delighted that the Spanish civil war has been solved with this result. We certainly can do without yet another communist state on earth and a Facist Spain may prove to be a factor in our favor in the future.

Stalins "precautions" will do a lot to improve our chances against the Red forces. Without proper leadership, their forces are all but useless.

We are humbled by your acknowledgment of Navy's contributions in our common war preparations. However, we have been doing this with the greater good of our people in mind.

Intelligence: We share the Emperors concerns about our abroad investments and, yet again, suggest to cut our losses there and instead invest more heavily in research and officer recruitment.

Production: Since the Emperor decided to abandon the 2nd treaty of London, the Navy suggests to replace the BC with a Battleship once the former is finished. Other than that, we suggest to start another "endless" run of convoy ships. On top of that, we would like to aquire 4 triangle marine divisions in 2 parallel, 2 seriell. These will be formed in one corps, directly under Navy command.

Research:
Light Cruiser main armament
Battleship Design Principle
Battleship Engine
Capital Ship Main Armament
+ doctrines benefitting our BBs BCs and CLs

Trade / home politics: We do not see much other options than to increase taxes. We would suggest to temporarily divert a lot of ICs to appease the population to an extend where we do not lose much IC compared to our current level. We need to get a lot of stuff built and ready anyway.

Operational plan:
vis a vis China: The marines, once trained and ready, will conduct amphibious operations along the Chinese coast. Their mission will be to establish bridgeheads and secure ports long enough to allow the army to follow up with more forces. Once this is achieved, the marine corps can either be put under army command for a while or returned to the ships to conduct further operations. I suggest that we wait and see what happens so we chose the best possible course of action in such a situation.

vis a vis Russia: The Marines will land up in the north, occupying a port near the smallest land connection between the Vladivostok enclave and proper Siberia. This will be aimed to cut off Russian supplies and reinforcements. The Marines will march south west from there to connect with the Japanese troops in Manchuko while the army will have an opportunity to encircle and destroy the Russian forces between the Vladivostok and the Marines.

IJNR: These ships are outdated and thus should not be used in regular fleets unless damaged / lost ships need to be replaced. Furthermore, these ships will form a constant source for both, the army and the navy, to protect transports across the sea while still enabling us to detach ad hoc anti submarine units.

Submarines: While it would be tempting to use our subs in anti-trade roles, they lack range and efficiency to do so. Hence we plan to use them primarily for recon and only occasionally for trade interdiction.

To his Imperial Japanese Majesty,
We are delighted that the Spanish have sensibly restored the monarchy and crushed the pathetic forces of the leftists and Communists. May other Nations follow their example.

We are also glad that Stalin has decided to kill his officers. This should help our cause immensely if and when we remove their foul influence from the Earth.

Future Planning

When HIJMS Soryu is completed, we would like it very much if 2 parallel builds of 2 CAG's are built to equip our carriers. This would also help us with building single engined aircraft in general for both the army and navy by increasing our practicals. We would also like another carrier started as well but this is dependent of our Industrial situation.

Research

We would like the following projects researched
Heavy Fighter 1937
Submarine Design Principle 1936
Aircraft Carrier Deck Armor 1938

Errata

We have no disagreements with Admiral Bathasar about the use of the marines, submarine or reserves. The operational plans sound good as well.

Most seaworthy Admirals,
It appears like you intent to further spread the research, I take it that both factions wants to research their pet projects CV/BB and an escort to these namely the CL, and all doctrines for those (except the commerce hunting ones), but do you really want to add all sub doctrines and BC research to that?
May I remind you of the extremely limited amount of research we can do.

ps. Isn't it only 1 CaG that is missing on the new CV?

Dear Admiral Darthkommandant,

we do not need submarines. Whatever purpose they have in your mind, the surface vessels can do the job as well. The only thing submarines are better at is recon, which is what we're going to use our current assets for anyway. Furthermore, investing into submarines would mean less advanced technologies for the other classes, which is, quite frankly, unacceptable. It seems to be more advantageous put some research in resource production, be it rare materials or supplies.

Surt said:

ps. Isn't it only 1 CaG that is missing on the new CV?

Click to expand...

This is what militarists call 'reserve'.

Dear admiral Baltasar,

I wasn't aware that subs were so useless. I am of course happy to give them up for 2 techs in the resource production, preferably rares and metals but which ever the Emperor chooses is fine with me.The other tech I wanted was already researched leaving the carrier deck armor un-reasearched which is something on which i wont budge on as I don't want our carriers on the bottom of the pacific. This does not have to happen this year however but I would like this improved before the war. One thing that does worry me is the lack of investment in the airforce. Whil not necessary for china and probably russia they will be necessary to fight the western powers in the pacific. This is why I am hoping to build so many CAGS .

Dear Admiral,

I do not oppose raising more CAGs, as they can be detached to the army as long as the Navy doesn't need them. A plentiful reserve of CAGs would thus benefit the army as well and would still mean that we can limit the number of techs we need to research.

Your Highness, honored Generals, fellow Admirals,

regarding the future of he Navy, I humbly suggest that the Navy cooperates closely with the army to supress any trade the Chinese or Russians may be running through our waters as well as annihalating any of their naval forces in our area of operation. Once naval supremacy in these waters have been accomplished, the navy will continue to operate there to sink hostile merchants and to support any land operations within gun or aircraft range.

Last but not least, we will support the army by spearheading landing operations, which will either relief the opposition our northern troops will face or will trap them between our northern armies and the supporting units in the south. Even if the Chinese manage to put up resistance against both fronts, the landings will catch them by surprise and force them to divert their troops. Even better, since we do have the element of surprise, the Chinese will lose a lot of their industrial centers, which are located along their eastern coast, making things for us easier if the Chinese should turn out not to be the roll over we think they will. However, the army will be asked to indicate where they see potentials for landing sites and to prepare follow-up forces to exploit these.

Once the Chinese question has been solved in a satisfying way, the navy will need to be upgraded substantially, both in numbers and in techs. We will have to face the British sooner or later, most likely the USA as well. To this end, we will need the best ships available and in large numbers. This does not only mean combat ships but convoys and escorts as well.

This means that we will need to relief the army of having to occupy the whole of China. To achieve this, I suggest to establish contacts with the dissidents in China and to allow them to raise their own flag - under Japanese protection. A regime with the old capital of China Nanjing as it's center. This would enable us to exploit China almost as good as if it was in the Emperors hands but would mean that we could extract almost all our forces from there. If we allow the puppet regime to raise their own troopy, we could eventually use all our troops elsewhere.

Final Plan of the Imperial Japanese Army
[DRAFT PENDING FULL APPROVAL]


Status:
Gensui Yamamoto [SS] – Pending Approved* (ABSENT)
General Veteran Lurker [SS] - Pending Approval* (ABSENT)
General Surt [SN] – Approved
General Comm Cody [SN] – Approved

Admiralty Stamp of Approval On Homeland Affairs and Naval Research - Pending Additions
* Don't know if your still taking part???

I.
Our general major strategy should be to seek 'Great Power' status (200+ IC) over the next few years via actions in China and factory construction, then onto ‘super Power’ (350 IC) status.

Let us remember our focus and overall strategy.

II. Diplomacy
1.a Continue to support our party in the Warlord cliques Yunnan in western China
1.b Lower the Warlord cliques Guangxi neutrality in western China
1.c Seek to, and repeatedly envoy Guangxi/Yunnan to sign a military alliance as they become threatened by the Kuomintang, and come to the axis corner if at “maybe” status.
2.Break the Naval Treaties.
3. When our 4 targets are up to 10, and we have 5 free spies, cut down spies LS to 0.4, put 1 in officers and the rest in research. Increase leadership to 1 if we don't have 10 spies in each and not 5 free spies.
4. Keep 0.1 LS in diplomacy for trade and embargoes.
5. Sign the Anti-Comintern Pact.
6. Accept the Emperors offer of cancelling supplies imports. So our negotiators can accept offers for our good and we can balance the budget.


III. Production
1.a Continue the current factory constructions, Replace as and when they are finished by new ones. Navy has Approved.
2.a Repeat build of 2/3xGar as reserve until all the following are properly garrisoned;

-Any port in mainland Japan, ie. where you can walk to from Tokyo, should have 3xGar(+Art)*.
-Any port on the Asian mainland should have 2xGar, including incompetent puppets ports.
-Any other pacific port should get 2xGar
-Any size 10 port should get 3xGar+(art)*, (that should be Truk and Kaohsiung on Taiwan).
-Any additional Garrisons to be formed to placed along the Soviet border

*2.b.I Build the pure garrisons first. Artillery should be constructed separately as a new stream to speed up garrison training. Artillery can be sited later, and individual garrisons can train with their guns while on site.

CLAUSE 2.b
We may need to start artillery builds at the beginning of 1938 in order that they will be ready come the end of the same period of garrison construction. Should all pure garrisons become finished during this time, then start on the Artillery brigades.

3a. Build of as many 2xINF reserve divisions as the budget allows in parallel, and continue production as and when each are finished. Goal is 80 division in late '38.
3b.As soon as the 8th Homengun is filled increase the production of artillery to 3 at the cost of infantry. The 3rd art is build as AA and AT, when all Gar got their Art, then build one of each type.
3c.When the supply of AC ends drop Inf production to 2 divisions of 2INF, the 3 produced art-types should then could keep up with the production. Start a Heavy fighter at this point.

4. Upgrades, reinforcements and supplies are paid in equal shares by the navy and army. Most of the upgrades after '37 will be navy (if they research AAA, Radar, ASW, Scout planes or Range(Underway replenishment), range is around 21IC for an average of one year alone).
4a. Move surplus IC from upgrades to supplies until it is at 20K supplies, then any excess to production. Keep upgrades fully funded at the cost of supplies supplies, if supplies falls to less than 10K take from production.
4b. The navy's offer of halting the BC is only needed during an eventual Mobilization, else the practice from it when finished is worth much more.
4c. Navy should start a CAG. repeat build it so the navy gradually gets a reserve of 4, the time of building 1 CV it is possible to build 3-4 CAGs. The proposal of the Carrier Admiral ties down too much IC with 2 parallel CAG (each cost ~10IC), instead the navy might want to consider building a CL as escort for their modern BC/BB/CV if they get any free IC.
4d. Navy should start a new CV when the current finishes, without CAGs (see 4c) to keep up practice.
4c. Navy should start a new BB when the BC finishes to keep up practice.

5. Increase reinforcement to 0.75 to keep up with attrition. Balance with supplies.

6. Budget will approximately be 40IC for upgrades+reinforcements+supplies and 73IC for production and 0(zero) for CG, total 113.
6a. Of the 73IC for production 23IC is used on new factories, leaving 50IC
6b. Of the remaining 50IC the army is currently using ~7IC on arts, ~20IC on Inf totally ~27IC, meaning the next Inf to finish production shouldn't be restarted. This should bring us to 64 divisions in 8 Homengun at the end of '37, and 10 Homengun at the end of '38.
6c. Navy is currently using 21IC on a CV+BC and 3IC on convoys, getting the 2.5IC from released inf from the army get 1/4 CaG build.
6d. Imperial clerks might calculate differently.

IV.
The IJA propose a 'research priority list'. I will separate it into three sections; Army, Naval and Homeland Affairs. Technologies at the top of each list are the highest priority.
"&" represents alternate between both programs.

This list will need to be updated every cabinet meeting, changing year, techs or processes. The list will be intended to require slightly more research programs than we can truly fund, such that as some projects are completed others can be started on.

Techs should be allocated by one from each sector, until total research capacity is filled. ---> research projects still retain tenure in the list until date is met. This means that we have recognised them as a long term investment than a single cycle tech now.

No ahead of time except:
*If a tech is before the year by less then a month (e.g. it is Dec '36, but the tech is a '37 tech (ie. 1 month before time), still begin research for competitive advantage)
Techs marked with + are new relative to the last half year, 2 doctrines.

Note: Homeland Affairs will need Navy ratification.

Homeland Affairs
Industrial Efficiency*
Industrial Production *
Supplies Production
Repair Workshops
Fighter Defence doctrine & Interception Tactics & Central Fighter Command Structure

Supply throughput*
Supply Cost*
Rare Materials*
Combat radios
Education*
Radar*(only first *)

IJA
The army is somewhat surprised that Small Arms already is ahead of time researched in mid-37, it shouldn't have started before December. If that means everything down to L.Arm is already updated any excess LS of the army should go to officers until December, where it is lowered again in favour new tech researches. In the very unlikely case all techs are up to date and officers is near 140% we will generously lend the extra slots to the navy, getting them back at the earliest possibility.

Manportable AT
Officers & Infantry Training & Artillery Training
Small Arms*
Artillery Barrel & Artillery Sights

Offensive Support Weapons
Timed artillery+
Independent tank units+
Arctic Warfare Equipment
AT Barrel & AT Sights & AA Barrel & AA Sights
Defensive Support Weapons
Ftr Ground Crew Training & Ftr Pilot Training (either as as good as either)
AC armour & Gun
CAS Ground Crew Training & Ftr Pilot Training
Central Air Command Structure & Communication Line Interdiction.

Should there be any left over slots after all the above is up to date:
L.Arm Gun 2 & Reliability 2 & Engine 2 & Truck Engine.
- Level 2 to open for medium armour and thereby for TD.


IJN
See navy's posts.

V.
Fill Homengun as described in the organization post.

If there are missing support units take them from the cavalry, should be enough AC to supplement the art and eng.


2.c Army groups can now be flexible filled with 1-4 of these. With surplus armies waiting to be filled.

3. The 7 Cav divisions of 2xCav should receive a AC to beef them up a little until we got Inf divisions that needs them. Organized in 2 corps in the Moukogo Homengun.

4. We don't expect any possibility to ally with the warlords in 2nd half year

5. Any plan of attack that doesn't secure us the 50 rares in south China is not a very good plan.

6. Deployment orders are against all possibilities. Only full Homengun are considered, a single none complete Homengun is kept in Nagasaki Japan. I count 49 divisions ex. Cav and Gar in the overview provided by the Imperial clerks meaning 6 full Homengun and 1 in progress. This should increase to 64 divisions at the end of '37, 72 in mid '38 and 80 at the time of war with China.
6a. Two plans are options at the moment, plan C - attack on China, plan B - attack on or by the Bolsheviks.
6b. Taiwan - Kaohsiung 1x Homengun, Plan A for use against Canton, when war with China is imminent reinforce to 3x Homengun. Plan B reinforce against Vladivostok then reserve.
6c. Hamhung and Sapporo each 1x Homengun, for invasion in the Soviet rear areas in case of war with the Soviets. Invades in or next to the 3 northern mainland ports, Ulya, Okha and Nikolayevsk, the Komandorskiye to be taken by any marine or free inf in Japan. Northen attack toward Huma, Okha homengun toward nearest Manchu border. Plan C take in case of imminent war to Taiwan for the Canton Ichigun.
6d. Moukogu Gun with the 2 divs of 7 cav along the Mongol border. Plan C Stays here in case of war with China, Plan B attack west into Mongolia.
6e. Northwest Manchukuo 1x Homengun. In case of war with the Soviets strike north and join up with the Homengun going south-west from Ulya. Plan C to Nagasaki for Shanghai.
6f. Kita-Shina Ichigun 2x Homengun, the allotted and minimum on this front. C+B.
6g. West Northwest, the 7th Homengun finished goes here. Plan B cover the flank for the the advance to Ulya by attacking toward Irkutsk. Plan C to Nagasaki for Shanghai.
6h. Northeaster Machukuo 8th finished Homengun. Plan B hold flank by offensive operations. Plan C to Nagasaki for Shanghai.
6i. 9th Homengun, plan C Qingdao, Plan B Vladivostok if needed else Mongolia/Irkutsk if we got supplies.
6j. 10th Homengun reserve.

VI.