The Setting Sun - 1944 v1.2 DD

[Rapcw]

@Panzer6 : Convoys for Japan in this scenario are around 2000 so supplying islands is not the problem here. The problem is losing all those Pacific islands, which as you will see, happens quite often in 1.2.

@lifeless : Yes Burma is a main concern for divisions, for as you will see, things aren't going too well there. Unfortunately when I peaced with China, all those divisions were sent back to Tokyo, so I have to personally ferry divisions around.

@Mo-jo : I wish I could launch an offensive in the area, but as of right now my position there is precarious at best. I first need to stop the British advance, then I will think about offensives. But they have lots of superior divisions in the area. Oil is primarily supplied by Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, but it seems like if I don't cheat, I will be completely out by the end of the year, in energy supplies and metals too. What should I do? I would hate for the game to end in '45 simply because of supplies.

Thank you for all the replies and interest in this AAR, 1944 games sure seem like a hot topic for AARs. I will plan on updates today, but that could mean in one hour or in the evening, so stay tuned.

 

[unmerged(44118)]

since you have freed up some divisions you could try and land troops in india that will cut off the britisch troops in india this will also give you acces to the oil riches of persia

Also a quiestion about those light cariers are they a different research path (since i dont have doomsday)

 

[AOK. 11]

Excellent start, and with a nice turn with that truly amazing peace the Chinese gave you. You would think they would take another course of action..

Anyway, great AAR so far and good luck in the Pacific.

 

[Rapcw]

Stepping Stones to Defeat

By late June I have organized my fleets in a way I feel will be sucessful. Two huge attack fleets, 2 medium sized sub fleets, and two transport fleets. My plan is to use all of them cooperatively in one huge uber stack that will roam the Pacific and defeat its foes. Seems more like fantasy than an actual plan.

On June 25th, Finland gives me some techs, none of which are relevant to my current research, but it is a nice gesture. On June 27th Germany gives me a useful blueprint for Advanced Infantry Division among others, and on June 30th Hungary gives me Advanced Oil refining. Gotta love alliances, too bad they suck so much at fighting though.

On June 26th, while attempting to rebase at Tokyo, the sub fleet in Iwo Jima is anihilated by a massive carrier force. A sign of things to come? Perhaps.

On July 1st, the small island of Satawan falls to New Zealand forces. While not a BIG deal, all these lost islands will catch up with me. Also it allows them to assault my garrison at Truk which they do on July 3rd. However, due to the moral superiority of the Japanese fighting man, the attack fails. This time.

Also on July 3rd I lose my transport fleet coming from Singapore when it was caught by a huge carrier fleet. In a fit of anger I send my fleets based in Tokyo out to attack.

While I inflict some losses I lose a cruiser the Nachi. However, feeling I have a good chance of sinking some ships, I follow them from their retreat to the next sea zone.

Unfortunately it doesn't go to well. I lose a cruiser and a carrier overall for 1 crappy light cruiser? Great. It was a waste of men and oil and I won't be so brash again. Maybe.

On July 4th the Americans launch an amphibious assault on the island of Palau. My planes immediatly evacuate the island, but the garrison holds on against all odds, fighting for two days until the Americans are so badly beat they retreat. It was a small victory among defeats.

But even as the battle for Palau is winding down, the Americans launch an invasion of Wake Island. My forces are completely overwhelmed but hold as long as they can, under the command of Major General Banzai. For his courage he is posthumously promoted to the rank of Super Field Marshal.

On July 24th another island is lost in the form of Tinian, just south of Saipan. Man, this Pacific campaign is going great!

 

[unmerged(47162)]

well this is not looking good...losing all those ships already...i thought it wasnt a good thing to group bbs and cvs together...

 

[Rapcw]

Hmm... you're right. I should merge the whole fleet together and start new more efficient fleets. I will do this as soon as I play again.

 

[Duke of Wellington]

Hmm not looking good, but Go New Zealand

 

[unmerged(54970)]

I noticied something....Germany gave you all division techs, Finland all artilley techs and Hunagry resources techs

 

[Spitfire_Pilot]

Hmm, looking a little bad, those islands are starting to fall one by one. Lets just hope you can keep the Allies at bay for a bit.

 

[Rapcw]

August: A Month of Defeats

August starts out bad with the loss of Hong Kong. However, I had no troops there anyway, so it was inevitable, but still.

However, I could have done without the loss of Singapore. I quickly rush 4 divisions down from the 'quiet' Burma front, some from Rangoon...

On August 10th France invades southern Borneo. Great. I rush my 1 division there down to stop them.

However, its not all bad news, as by August 11th I have two new and deployed carriers for my fleet. They are attached to the fleet and ready for a trip to Saipan...

There is a lot of bad news though. On August 11th the Americans assault my tank division in Sorong, at the tip of Northern New Guienea. I have no choice but to retreat south.

On August 16th the United Kingdom annexes Croatia. In other words, Germany sucks.

On August 18th I attempt an invasion of Saipan. Unfortunately it is being defended by two divisions at the time, one tank. By August 20th I am defeated and drop my 9 divisions off in Iwo Jima, then head south for a resue operation.

On August 22nd British forces assault my position in Rangoon, forcing me to retreat to Sittang. Remember how I was forced to take troops from here? Thats coming back to haunt me, big time.

On August 23rd, another island says goodbye to the Empire of Japan.

On August 25th, the Americans attempt to take the island of Guam back. My troops stubbornly refuse, and the invasion is stopped. Yay!

On August 29th, no sooner than my troops arrive in Sittang they are assaulted and forced to retreat once again. Burma, once thought to be a staging ground for an invasion of India, is now a defensive strip of land protecting Siam. Heh.

On August 30th, my divisions in Mandalay, already in self retreat after the defeat in Rangoon, are assaulted on all sides by the British. I retreat as soon as the attack occurs. The Burma front is in shambles.

On August 30th, Sorong is captured by the Americans, leaving only one province to defend in New Guinea. Thankfully though, my fleet is on its way to rescue the trapped divisions. I hope they make it in time...

 

[elbasto]

Ouch!

 

[unmerged(47162)]

well this is not good...how long til reinforcements reach that front?

 

[unmerged(51077)]

This is tense

 

[Duke of Wellington]

Its starting to look like dominoes out there.

 

[AntiochusIII]

Yeah, Japan 1944 is arguably harder than Germany (even!). The islands simply prevent you from trying to locally concentrate your forces in the proper theaters. At least Germany can hope to crush the Western breakout and hold the Eastern front long enough for a counter-attack.

For Japan, without a fleet that can survive American taskforces and naval bombers your islands are gone for good at least until you finished China and India off (and probably Persia for the oil), and can concentrate on taking on the USA at last. I never pulled it off, though. :rofl:

Here's hoping you can. Good luck! And take down the landings in SE Asia! They will be where you are either saved or doomed!

 

[bubbelties]

Dont let them get Borneo, your only oil source! Pfff, this sounds really hard.

 

[unmerged(56754)]

oh sounds bad
and err, never amphipous assualt somewhere with more then 3 divs, or ull almost allways lose, i leason that took me ages in my japan. i think u attaked with 9divs yeh? split up into 3s, attak wid 3, then if u loose, attak wid another 3 and so on, and partisans can be friends, wen i played for me 1944 japs, i abonded all my island, they all suck and its just an excuse to loose troops, and if ur lucky, partisans will take over islands, since patisans r at war wid evryone, america will attack them, so delaying and weakin them
and tryin to hold burma IS Imposibble, fall back to siam or somplace, and dig in to 20, especially in mountains, the brits r stupid and try to attak, fail and attak with weak divs and stuff.
but then thats me

 

[unmerged(45985)]

Nice effort to try to slow down your demise! When I started my Japan AAR I thought about doing either '44 Jap AAr or the communist one. I made the communist one.

 

[Rapcw]

A Quick Defeatist Update

The month of September begins well enough, with the sinking of an American light cruiser and the infantry tech research completed. I begin research on the next infantry tech. Nearly my entire fleet is steaming towards New Guinea for a rescue operation of the 2 divisions there.

Under the cover of night the divisions on New Guinea are successfully evacuated, and an additional 2 divisions are evacuated as well. Their destination is the jungles of Burma to reinforce that hopeless front.

However there is more bad news as Eastern Java is invaded by two British divisions. The two Japanese division stationed on the island are rushed forward to contain this landing.

On the Malayan peninsula the reinforcements from Burma arrive and begin the slow process of pushing the British back to Singapore to contain and hopefully destroy them.

As you can see it is not looking too good, and as the month goes on it gets WAY worse.



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@lifeless : The 4 divisions mentioned in the update arrive in mid September, but those are the only reinforcements planned for now, and after what has happened late Sept. - Oct. they may be the only reinforcements period.

@AntiochusIII : Well if SE Asia is where I win or lose the game, based on what has happened so far, I AM doomed. I agree with you about Japan '44 being harder than Germany, for as Germany I was still going strong into '46. It is doubtful if the same can be said in this game. At this point taking even India let alone Persia is an extreme fantasy to say the least.

@Mo-jo : I'll try not to let them get it, but if they invade again with even 3 divisions I'm doomed there. And yes, this is really hard, the hardest game of any game I've played.

@elbasto : Indeed.

@General Jac: Think its tense watching it? Try playing it!

@Duke of Wellington : Yea and these dominoes are actually falling.

@Gigalocus : Nice tips on the amphibious assaults, thanks. I agree that holding islands with 1 division, but islands like Guam and Palau keep holding even in the face of 4 division attacks so those are good islands to hold, as they weaken and stall the enemy from important things. I've found that the border between Siam and Burma is a great defensive position.

@Jacko the Panda : Thanks, and 'try to slow down' are key words.

 

[Duke of Wellington]

Oh dear . At least there were some gains during that session. Well done for keeping this AAR going despite the odds I'm sure many would have given up.