A history of World War II, by those who fought it (TFH UK AAR)

[Avindian]

Chapter 10: Taking a stand​

The strategic dilemma which faced the United Kingdom in July 1941 was an unenviable one to sort out. The lack of transport vessels that plagued the Royal Navy came to a head as two critical objectives appeared at the same time: the need to reinforce the Suez Canal but also the need to retake Ceylon and, if possible, push Japan out of the Indian Ocean. The decision was an almost impossible one to make, but the high command insisted on doing both. Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, Chief of the Navy, refused to even consider abandoning the attack on Ceylon. Field Marshal Sir John Gort, as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, worked feverishly to make sure that the transports worked over time.

Admiral Mountbatten received the orders to return to Madras on 27 July 1941 and pick up the remaining Marine divisions. All six divisions would be employed in the operation to retake Ceylon. At the same, Admiral Harwood of the Chinese Fleet took his unit back to England to begin ferrying reinforcements to the Suez Canal. Captain Larry Quentin remembered the trip with some trepidation.

Interviewer: So, Mr. Quentin, tell us about Ceylon.

Quentin: Which time? If the damned bloody fools at the War Office put decent garrisons on Ceylon, we would never have lost the island so many times. Even to this day I won't drink that bloody tea.

Interviewer: The July-August 1941 operation.

Quentin: Ah, that one. Right, so I just got promoted to Captain. I never wanted to be an officer, but here I was. Just because I've got a squirrelly brain, they think I should draw up the plans. Bloody stupid idea, I'd say, but it's my job, right? We had plenty of air support, what with the carriers off the coast, and battlewagons to rain hell on the miserable bastards. 'Snot rocket science, yeah? I had a loud and nasty conversation with the adjutant of General Dobbie, who insisted he needed all six divisions to take one beach.

Interviewer: General Dobbie did lose most of his men in the evacuation of Trincomalee, Mr. Quentin.

Quentin [sighs]: Yeah, that was bad. [Pauses for a moment] Dobbie and I became friends after the war, but at the time, I would have ripped his bloody throat out. I managed to get the General to accept my recommendations. The basic plan was simple. Recon said the Japanese had only garrisoned one of the bases: we'd take the other with half the Marines, pull the Japanese out of position, and then land the others.

Interviewer: Wasn't that a bit risky? What if recon had been wrong?

Quentin: War is risk. Anyway, it worked. By 16 August, the island was ours. Were there casualties? Sure. We killed a hell of a lot more of them than they did us, so mission accomplished, I'd say.

Interviewer: Thank you for your time today, Mr. Quentin.

With that particular hurdle out of the way, more and more attention shifted to the Mediterranean. A surprise Italian invasion of Alexandria was only interrupted by Admiral Tovey's rapid shift into position; although his units successfully engaged the transports, they could not sink them, and he had to remain off the coast of Alexandria to prevent a successful invasion.

The enemy approached closer and closer, at first in dribs and drabs, then a flood of men all rushing to the Canal. A corps of infantry arrived in Romani to shore up British defenses. The new arrivals argued for an advance, to meet the enemy head on. Field Marshal Gort's orders were clear: to prevent enemy capture of the Canal. However, he left considerable initiative to the men in the field; the trouble was, nobody could agree. With the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa all but cleared up, Field Marshal Gort decided to recall Brigadier Wallace Graham, promoted him to Major General, and put him in command of the situation. Although some of the general officers did outrank him, the British tendency to let positions speak louder than rank prevented too much squabbling, and Graham knew the ground from his campaigns in North Africa.

Major General Graham wasted no time in issuing a thorough plan for the defense of the canal.

The British Army has but one job at this time. We must defend the canal. All other concerns, including our own lives, are purely secondary. As reinforcements arrived, they will be assigned as evenly as possible, but the strongest contingent must remain at Romani. Germans have been spotted near Ramla, although they are wearing Hungarian uniforms.

No, repeat no, counteroffensives are authorized at this time. This is the best defensive position, and if we are forced to withdraw, the Germans will have to cross the canal to pursue us. Even though the army will remain in place and prepare trenches, the RAF has been tasked with destroying all roads farther south. Not a single Luftwaffe fighter has been spotted, but we have a wing of fighters, a wing of tactical bombers, and a wing of strategic bombers. This diagram shows the projected damage over time to the region.

Ideally, we will prevent them from advancing at all. At the very least, we should easily delay them until the armor arrives.

Back in the Indian Ocean, the Royal Marines secured the Nicobar Islands, driving them completely out of the Indian Ocean for the first since the war began. That was to be no easy task, however. The worst fears of Royal Navy planners were realized at the battle of the Eastern Bay of Bengal: for the first time, all four Japanese fleet carriers concentrated. Mountbatten's battleships, being repaired in Rangoon, had no choice but to hurry south, along with all available forces. The Royal Navy lost a transport flotilla, but did take a submarine squadron with them. They also bought enough time to land a single Marine division and regain the island chain. However, this attack all but prevented any kind of serious follow-up; the battleships, in particular, were heavily damaged and needed extensive repairs before they could see action again. Admiral Cunningham's carriers, based in Colombo, Ceylon, also joined Mountbatten in Rangoon.

The month of September offered little action of note. The Bismarck broke out into the English Channel again, but apart from a few German destroyers meeting their doom, it escaped again. Bismarck was among the most hated of enemy ships, as it was the only ship to sink a British carrier in the war: the Hermes

There was help on the way for the forces in India; after rearming the Home Fleet with new carrier air wings, three more were sent to Cochin. They arrived just in time to join the carrier fleets there; the Japanese retook the Nicobar Islands in early October.

Worse still, Japanese carriers based in Sumatra pressed hard, defeating Admiral Horton's Mediterranean Fleet and forcing them to retreat to Teluk Anson. The Nicobars were retaken just two weeks later, and the transport which delivered Japanese forces was sunk, but that was little consolation for having to constantly retake the same islands. It was time to further reduce the Japanese position, which meant an attack on Medan, Sumatra.

In Africa, the last few divisions of Japan were about to be wiped out by the First Armored Corps, while the defenses of the Canal were finally supplemented by armored divisions of the Second Armored Corps.

After Medan fell, the Royal Navy continued farther south along the coast of Sumatra.

That left a single base on Sumatra still in Japanese hands: the former Dutch base at Oosthaven. The Japanese were prepared to defend that particular base with all the fervor they could muster, yet even Oosthaven was not enough of a prize: the port of Batavia, where Japanese carriers were refitting and being repaired, was another target. In his typically aggressive style, Captain Quentin's plan called for an attack on both ports simultaneously.

True, Batavia was entirely undefended, but three divisions, dug in, defended Oosthaven. General Pakenham-Walsh commanded the attack on Oosthaven, and he was superior to his Japanese counterpart, but it was as even a contest as the Royal Marines had encountered. It would be bloody, but it might be a victory. The Japanese carriers in Batavia tried desperately to fight off the British landing in Oosthaven, but to no avail.

David James knew little and cared less about the fighting in the Pacific. He was safely across the Atlantic in Washington DC and having a wonderful time. Most Americans didn't even know there was a war going on; those that did blamed "Silly old Europe" for everything. The Special Liaison to Washington happened to agree. He had been horribly frightened in Berlin and horribly bored in London; Washington offered plenty of adventure, but safe adventure. He'd met plenty of lovely girls, and was chatting with a pair of them when the Ambassador called him into his office. James recalled the conversation in his journal.

Washington is such a treat, even if it is ghastly warm almost year round. I get to see the latest toys the Yanks have cooked up; simply marvelous. I am sure my Dad would be delighted to visit here, but he's still working on that statistics project. Daft if you ask me.

[The next few lines are in a much more hurried script.]

Bugger. The fun's over. Why did those crazy Japanese have to go and do that? I'm sure Pearl Harbor is lovely; who'd want to bomb it? Bomb Manchester, it'd be a bloody improvement.

I was called into His Lordship's office to hear Prime Minister Chamberlain's speech. Same boring stuff. "We're beating the Japanese, and it'll be grand now that our cousins are in the fight, wot?" Something like that.

So the Ambassador tells me to "coordinate with the Americans to provide us with weapons." I've helped with attaches, I know how the game is played, so I ask how we are to get them the money. He says, get this, "What money?" I am completely knackered at this point. Turns out the joke's on me, don't you see, because the Yanks are giving us stuff for free, but we have to "give them back" when we're done with them. How do you give back a bloody exploded shell? Mail them the shrapnel? Oh, the Yanks are getting some lovely bases in Jamaica as part of the deal, which matters not a whit to them. This FDR chap wants us to keep fighting, I'd wager.

Well, if they'll give us free stuff, I've done my job. Ambassador says I'll be in Washington for the duration of the war now. Suits me, I guess, if they'll keep giving me easy tasks like this one.

Yet not all the news was good. The US entry into the war was offset by the appearance of the entire Japanese carrier fleet in one place: Oosthaven. Despite an almost certain victory, one of the transports was sunk by the Japanese and the remaining Marines returned to Singapore. Batavia was captured, and the Marines there continued to press further inland, but Oosthaven was safe, for the present.

Making matters worse was that the newly victorious Japanese Navy regained its old aggressiveness, and taking a page from Captain Quentin's book, landed in the Malay Peninsula.

Commander William Harris, with the Ark Royal, and Alice Digby exchanged plenty of letters during the period.

Dearest Alice,

I've got orders to sail to Singapore, my love. I will be delighted to see you again, of course, but I wish we were still in Sumatra. Oosthaven was just about to crack, I swear it, but those damnable carriers... I've never seen so many planes in the air. We gave as good as we got, but sheer numbers can't be beat.

William

Dear Billy,

You may be called upon to help us defend the city. The Japanese have landed, again, near Teluk Anson. The infantry garrison there is making a stand in Kuala Lumpur, and we've called back infantry from Kota Bharu, but I daresay it won't do much good. If they can retake Malay, I shouldn't wonder that Singapore might be next.

Alice

[There is a gap of a few days in the letters; the next letter from Harris is dated 17 November.]

Dearest Alice,

They've got me flying all sorts of scouting patrols, but it's nothing but practice. We can't do a bloody thing by ourselves. Kuala Lumpur fell, as you probably heard, although the chaps there did a fine job of holding them off. We evacuated most of the city, thank God. A couple of divisions are trying to push south, but the weather is just beastly and their progress is slow. If we lose at Ipoh, there'll be nothing between the Japanese and Kota Bharu.

We need more men, and that's the truth. I even offered to pick up a rifle and drive those bastards back into the sea, but I was refused. I guess I'll keep flying my recon patrols. Maybe I'll see something that can help, eh? I know we planned on seeing each other this weekend, but I simply can't. Exigencies of the war and such. I hope you understand.

Your Billy

[Alice's reply is dated 23 November. Apparently, they had a bit of a falling out, as the tone of the letter suggests.]

William,

I have heard many a rumor about you flyboys and your dalliances. If you intend to make me such, you may think otherwise. I hear nothing from you for days, and when we have plans, you don't have the decency to ring me up, but you send a letter, which you know I will not receive until much later. I will not tolerate such treatment from you or any other man. I hear Lord Mountbatten is sailing for Singapore and will soon land with some Marines to help us fight. I am sure the Marines know how to treat a lady properly, sir.

Sincerely,

Alice Digby

[William's reply is dated 26 November.]

Dearest Alice,

I just received your last letter. It hurts to read such words. If you imply that I am spending time with other girls, you are mistaken. I am a naval officer, and the demands on my time are considerable. Don't you understand that? I expect your quest for Marines will be frustrated; they're on the move, attacking Johore Bahru in force. We're also transporting some Gurkhas soon, which means the city will be defenseless. I want you to stay brave, Alice, even if you no longer have regard for me. If this works, we should have Malaysia all but secured by the end of the year. If it doesn't, I and my mates will be too dead to care.

Billy

[The next letter is dated 6 December.]

Dearest Alice,

I must assume from your lack of response that you no longer want anything to do with me. I am saddened, but I understand. However, as I write this, I am injured and I am forwarding some personal effects to you. My plane crashed in the Singapore Strait; I'm not sure why, if there was some kind of mechanical failure or what, but my legs are both broken and I can't do much except write and think. I can share one piece of good news; the Gurkhas are moving on to Teluk Anson; if we retake it, they'll have nowhere to ship their supplies.

As you and I are no longer getting along, I have no desire to go to Singapore any longer. As soon as I am healthy enough, I will be transferring back to London to await a new assignment. They're going to put some pins in my legs which makes me too dangerous to keep in the air. I hear they are commissioning some new destroyers soon; perhaps I'll get my own command. I can still stand on a deck, even if I can't fly again.

Goodbye, Alice. I hope you find happiness.

Billy

Harris's personal problems aside, the Marines were that extra push needed to pin the Japanese into a corner, and throughout the rest of December and the first week of January, they maneuvered Japan into an untenable position.

In Egypt, 1941 passed without a single German or Hungarian soldier firing on a British one. In fact, most of their tanks were out of fuel; the RAF had done its job beautifully, and although they remained close to British lines, they had no ability to attack.

For the first time, Major General Graham permitted at least the draft stages of a counterattack. He put in a request for some Marines, if any could be found, to retake Tel Aviv while he and his men advanced up the Sinai Peninsula. However, he remained very cautious. It was good that he remained so cautious, as the war became infinitely more complicated on 6 January 1942.

Stalin's surprise attack on Poland left a sickening taste in the mouths of all good Britons. Feverish negotiations had been conducted all throughout the latter stages of 1941 to bring the Soviet Union in, but all attempts were rebuffed. Their foreign minister crowed about the "demise of the capitalist system and glorious world revolution." Poland, of course, had to be liberated first; whether or not the Poles wanted to be liberated was not Stalin's concern. Some observers suggested that Poland was a means to an end, a way to get at the real target of Germany. Prime Minister Chamberlain, however, who had consistently stood up to naked aggression from Hitler, wasted no time in replying, forcefully to Stalin. The battle was joined. The only question that remained was how many people would be alive to see its end.

======================================================​

In addition to the new CAGs, the most significant addition in this period were some new destroyer flotillas. While some readers would have preferred to see them tasked to ASW, I instead assigned them to screen my Home Fleet Battleships, which will let me put them into more active duty. It should let me pull some more carriers to the Indian Ocean, while still maintaining a relatively relaxed patrol of the British coast. The Japanese concentration of carriers is an extremely tempting target. If I can punch them out, once and for all, that would be an incredible boon to the Pacific campaign. So far, I've lost most of my battles, but some more carriers could shift the balance.

One of the little things I did during this update was shift some convoys around to fuel the Lend-Lease stuff. While that worked for a time, I also lost the convoys almost immediately. I think a more focused patrol around Newcastle, especially with my battleships (accompanied by the newest destroyers I've got) might ease the pressure there. Honestly, I'll cancel all the metal convoys if that's what it takes: American IC is, conservatively, double my own capacity on a bad day and right now I'm the only one getting Lend-Lease. (An unexpected bonus to the Soviets fighting against the Allies.) I'd even let the Germans invade Norway if it kept my supply lines open.

Speaking of convoys, I hope within the next few months to finally unlock the Commerce Defense doctrine; I'm not sure how useful it'll be, but it certainly can't hurt. Production wise, I'm still working on cruisers and destroyers, which will also help with ASW. I might also start trying to build a couple new carriers, but only after I've finally given the RAF some more upgrades and maybe finished some paratroopers. Manpower is no longer an issue for me (I'm at 605 right now), so it could also be time to invest in the army in a serious way. More infantry, more Marines, more armored divisions. My actual losses in the war amount to just the two Marine divisions.

Strategically, priority one remains Japan. My bombing has stalled, if not totally stopped the German/Hungarian advance on the Suez Canal. The Soviets pouring through the undefended border with Turkey will complicate their supplies even more. For the moment, unless I can wipe out a massive stack of enemy troops, I'm content to let them stand around and do nothing. If I can sink a couple of Japanese carriers, there should be very little to stop me from wrapping up Indonesia. If I sink all of them (which might be a pipe dream, I know), I'm not sure I'm adventurous enough to try for the Home Islands yet, but it becomes a very attractive possibility. Cutting them off in Indochina or Korea could be a good idea too.

I haven't played since the DOW, and this is a busy weekend for me, so I can't say when I'll get around to it. Please, in the meantime, share your thoughts!

 

[Michaelangelo]

I'm impressed that the RAF can hold off the Axis forces from reaching the Suez Canal.

I guess all you can really do is go on the defensive against everyone but the Japanese. They seem to be the only one you can target without opening yourself to attack from someone else. Are the Americans at least starting to show up in the Pacific?

 

[markkur]

Very good update. Excellent defense of the Suez, too bad you don't have some paratroopers handy.<S> It sounds like the SU will eliminate those forces for you if they completely cut off the Axis troops.

I think you're making the best move by trying to knock out Japan. In a way, it would almost be better if the Axis didn't lose those forces and they returned to fight the soviets but I guess that's not likely? In the meantime, if the biggies are slugging it out and you weaken japan while the U.S. strengthens?...oh well, quite interesting events yet to come. Glad you've gone "tally-ho."<S>

 

[ThatStrategyGuy]

Do you know what the Japanese manpower/supply figures look like?

Is there any possibility of bringing China into the allies? At worst it'll drain Japanese manpower and supplies while they conquer china and at best China will kick them off mainland Asia and threaten the soviets in the east

 

[KyrionMyrthar]

Are the Japanese carriers in Oosthaven? If so, divert ANY TACs you have to Singapore and bomb the hell out of them. Get some air support from local fighters, if you have any, even if it means stripping some from Britain, itself. The dividends this will pay, long term, are huge. Even if you don't sink them, you'll be diverting Japanese IC to repairs.

 

[loup99]

Well, as long the Soviet Union does not threaten you, I guess you can continue on with defensive against everyone except for Japan. But there is absolutely no way of diplomatically leaving Poland to it's fate or surrendering to the Soviet Union?

 

[Stuyvesant]

Back-and-forth, back-and-forth... Still no knockout punches landed, although you seem better able than the Japanese to repel invasions. Did I count that right that the Japanese concentrated eight carriers against you?!? That'll be a tough nut to crack! I hope you start sinking some of those flattops soon.

You managed to keep the Germans from attacking the Suez Canal, which is good. Of course, the Soviet DOW is bad, but I do hope they mess up the situation in Turkey for the Axis. And I can always dream the two totalitarian systems will clash sooner rather than later.

 

[Avindian]

I'm impressed that the RAF can hold off the Axis forces from reaching the Suez Canal.

I guess all you can really do is go on the defensive against everyone but the Japanese. They seem to be the only one you can target without opening yourself to attack from someone else. Are the Americans at least starting to show up in the Pacific?

I've spotted some US submarines, but nothing more than that. Still, I'll gladly take them sinking Japanese convoys. Every little bit helps! I also added a bunch of allied war goals, but so far they've contributed nothing in terms of expeditionary forces, etc.

Very good update. Excellent defense of the Suez, too bad you don't have some paratroopers handy.<S> It sounds like the SU will eliminate those forces for you if they completely cut off the Axis troops.

I think you're making the best move by trying to knock out Japan. In a way, it would almost be better if the Axis didn't lose those forces and they returned to fight the soviets but I guess that's not likely? In the meantime, if the biggies are slugging it out and you weaken japan while the U.S. strengthens?...oh well, quite interesting events yet to come. Glad you've gone "tally-ho."<S>

One of the reasons I'm hesitant to go full counteroffensive is that if I wipe out some divisions, their supply situation improves.

Do you know what the Japanese manpower/supply figures look like?

Is there any possibility of bringing China into the allies? At worst it'll drain Japanese manpower and supplies while they conquer china and at best China will kick them off mainland Asia and threaten the soviets in the east

My spies (or rather, I should say spy) tells me that Japan has over 1500 manpower (over double mine); I have to believe that's complete malarkey. They've got about 32,000 supplies, but they also have some considerable dissent, so who knows what's actually true.

Nationalist China is drifting Axis; I've got most of my leadership working on tech, and I'm not sure it's a great idea to change that, but I could theoretically try to pull them closer to the Allies.

Are the Japanese carriers in Oosthaven? If so, divert ANY TACs you have to Singapore and bomb the hell out of them. Get some air support from local fighters, if you have any, even if it means stripping some from Britain, itself. The dividends this will pay, long term, are huge. Even if you don't sink them, you'll be diverting Japanese IC to repairs.

I've got the TACs I do have bombing the infra in the Middle East, but I could divert them, I suppose. That's not a bad idea at all. I could also try to rush out some NAV bombers.

Well, as long the Soviet Union does not threaten you, I guess you can continue on with defensive against everyone except for Japan. But there is absolutely no way of diplomatically leaving Poland to it's fate or surrendering to the Soviet Union?

Nope. HOI3 system says that factions fight to the death.

Back-and-forth, back-and-forth... Still no knockout punches landed, although you seem better able than the Japanese to repel invasions. Did I count that right that the Japanese concentrated eight carriers against you?!? That'll be a tough nut to crack! I hope you start sinking some of those flattops soon.

You managed to keep the Germans from attacking the Suez Canal, which is good. Of course, the Soviet DOW is bad, but I do hope they mess up the situation in Turkey for the Axis. And I can always dream the two totalitarian systems will clash sooner rather than later.

Five full size carriers and three escorts. Wow, no wonder they were knocking me silly! Maybe KyrionMythar's suggestion will help even up the score.

 

[sebas379]

Japan's 1500 manpower doesn't seem too unreasonable to me. Remember they've had the Chinese coast for who knows how long, and whilst it is no core terrain, it does add quite a bit of mp. Consider this: In my and TehDarkMiner's coop game, where I have not taken any Chinese land but have not invested in the army apart from marines and mountaineers, I was rocking close to 1700 manpower in January '42. So balancing out their control of the Chinese coast with their extra infantry, 1500 sounds about right to me.
You can't bleed Japan white in a war of attrition, their limiting factor is IC and resources, not manpower. Destroy divisions and they are hard-pressed finding the IC to replace them. Stop them from getting their hands on the riches of the East Indies etc, and their resources will suffer, killing IC.

NatChi won't stand a chance I'm afraid, unless you can confirm Japan has pulled most of its troops back from there. In that care its a very interesting idea. But they have lost their major cities which hurts their limited IC.

I suddenly wonder. Where do the Japanese supplies in China come from? The magic supply teleporter to the Manchukuan capital or convoys to Korea? If the latter, and once you beat their fleet, you could weaken them to the point where China can beat them.

 

[KyrionMyrthar]

If you can afford to move even two TACs, do it. Put a trio of fighters over Oosthaven to take out the CAGs (which they will do), and run in two TACs non-stop, keeping an eye on their physical state.Possibly keep some battleships in the Sunda Strait area, too, to intercept any attempted retreats. You'd be surprised how much damage you can inflict. Hopefully the USA starts giving you assets, too.

 

[Avindian]

Japan's 1500 manpower doesn't seem too unreasonable to me. Remember they've had the Chinese coast for who knows how long, and whilst it is no core terrain, it does add quite a bit of mp. Consider this: In my and TehDarkMiner's coop game, where I have not taken any Chinese land but have not invested in the army apart from marines and mountaineers, I was rocking close to 1700 manpower in January '42. So balancing out their control of the Chinese coast with their extra infantry, 1500 sounds about right to me.
You can't bleed Japan white in a war of attrition, their limiting factor is IC and resources, not manpower. Destroy divisions and they are hard-pressed finding the IC to replace them. Stop them from getting their hands on the riches of the East Indies etc, and their resources will suffer, killing IC.

NatChi won't stand a chance I'm afraid, unless you can confirm Japan has pulled most of its troops back from there. In that care its a very interesting idea. But they have lost their major cities which hurts their limited IC.

I suddenly wonder. Where do the Japanese supplies in China come from? The magic supply teleporter to the Manchukuan capital or convoys to Korea? If the latter, and once you beat their fleet, you could weaken them to the point where China can beat them.

I can certainly check convoy routes, but for the moment I'm more focused on taking out their fleet. I don't have any subs (because I suck at keeping them alive, always have, always will) right now anyway.

If you can afford to move even two TACs, do it. Put a trio of fighters over Oosthaven to take out the CAGs (which they will do), and run in two TACs non-stop, keeping an eye on their physical state.Possibly keep some battleships in the Sunda Strait area, too, to intercept any attempted retreats. You'd be surprised how much damage you can inflict. Hopefully the USA starts giving you assets, too.

Good advice! Thank you!

I'm going to get ready to play, for better or worse. Let's see if I can sink some flattops!

 

[Avindian]

Hey, I could use some help. I'm trying to divert ships from one convoy route to another, but the game seems to be pulling those units right back to their original convoy. (I thought the Germans were sinking them, but while they are sinking some, they aren't sinking them all that fast). I've got automated trade off; is there something else I'm missing?

EDIT: Specifically, I'm trying to shift units to my lend-lease convoy.

 

[markkur]

Hey, I could use some help. I'm trying to divert ships from one convoy route to another, but the game seems to be pulling those units right back to their original convoy. (I thought the Germans were sinking them, but while they are sinking some, they aren't sinking them all that fast). I've got automated trade off; is there something else I'm missing?

EDIT: Specifically, I'm trying to shift units to my lend-lease convoy.

Don't you have to take over the convoys too? You know, un-tick those three boxes you must uncheck to make your own trades.

 

[4th Dimension]

You were lucky to loose only one hip to FIVE full fleet carriers + 2 CVLs. That kind of airpower disbalance shpuld have flattened your fleet.

 

[misterbean]

Avindian, this may be a dumb question, but are you sure they're actually your convoys and not those of the US?

 

[Avindian]

Don't you have to take over the convoys too? You know, un-tick those three boxes you must uncheck to make your own trades.

Now I feel extremely silly. You're absolutely right -- that's what happened.

You were lucky to loose only one hip to FIVE full fleet carriers + 2 CVLs. That kind of airpower disbalance shpuld have flattened your fleet.

I ran away.

Avindian, this may be a dumb question, but are you sure they're actually your convoys and not those of the US?

Nope, I was right about that part.

 

[Avindian]

Just a quick update (as to why there is no update... yet). I am about to reach a pretty special milestone in the game which makes things look very nice from a narrative perspective. Once I've accomplished that task (and I can find some free time to write), I'll update.

 

[markkur]

Teaser! <g>

 

[Avindian]

Chapter 11: A trifecta of battleships (and some carriers too!)​

(The following is an excerpt from William Harris's autobiography, I Fought the Good Fight. He discusses an unwelcome tour in London and the immediate effects of the Soviet Union's decision to attack Poland.)

Everybody remembers 6 January 1942: the day the United Kingdom went to war with the Soviet Union. I give Mr. Chamberlain tremendous credit; he could have abandoned Poland, or tried to negotiate his way out of our guarantee, but he didn't. I wonder where the United Kingdom would be today without the tireless efforts of our greatest hero. Sometimes I still wake up in a cold sweat, thinking what might have been if a bumbling fool like Winston Churchill were running our country. Oh, he had his speeches, and he was first to point out how dangerous Stalin was, but he also ruined us at Gallipoli. Take it from me: nobody in the Royal Navy ever wanted to see him in charge again.

For me, 6 January was a personal tragedy. The surgery to repair my legs did not go well, to say the least. I understand, now, what happened: the very best doctors in the British Empire were in the field. For all of my accomplishments to that point, I was a pilot, and there were dozens of those. I did not merit first-class medical treatment. But at the time, I was hell to deal with. Breaking up with Alice by letter hurt almost as much as my legs did. When that doctor messed up my legs, I missed the chance I dreamed about, my own command. The destroyer went to some other Commander. I never did bother to find out.

As I convalesced, I distinctly remember Admiral Somerville visiting me in hospital. He returned to Newcastle with his battleship fleet a few days before the Soviet declaration; he was soon to go out on a patrol for any Soviet ships that escaped the Baltic, and to protect our precious link with the United States. The Admiral was very kind to me. I remember that he said how much of a shame it was that I could not join his fleet, and that he would love to serve with me in the future. What was even more welcome was the news that he had put in for my promotion to Captain before I was injured, and partially to make up for the botched surgery, the paperwork was pushed through. I, of course, have been promoted several times in my career, but making Captain was honestly the proudest moment in my life.

A couple of days after Admiral Somerville visited, Admiral Sir Dudley Pound also visited me. He was very much the same sort of man as Sir Ernle Chatfield was when he served as Chief of the Naval Staff. Sir Dudley, later on in our acquaintance, used to share the most hilarious stories about some of the men at Jutland, but early on he was very intimidating. He was not unkind, but he was far more gruff, and I got the opinion he did not approve of pilots. He was a battleship man through-and-through. Our first meeting was very brief, only a couple of moments, before Admiral Fraser paid his respects. He too was on the way to a new assignment.

I thought it was somewhat unusual that Admiral Fraser would ask for my opinions on the war in the Pacific, but I suppose, looking back, I had the battle experience and he did not. In any case, he was going to stop in Port Said to take on fuel and provisions before his trip to Ceylon. I was delighted to see the photos of the Formidable and the Victorious; fine ships that made me long for the flight deck once more, although I knew I would probably never fly again. The Admiral also commiserated with me about Alice; apparently, his younger brother worked with Alice's father, and the brother proclaimed the whole Digby clan "a pig-headed bunch of territorials." Admiral Fraser also confided in me that he had requested my services on his staff, but that Sir Dudley had different plans for me. I received my orders on 8 January 1942: I was to serve on the Naval Staff. Originally, my duties included signals traffic, which is how I learned of the bombing campaign in Medan shortly after the Japanese recaptured it.

The suggestion to attack the Japanese in port ultimately paid huge dividends. I wish I could claim credit for it, but all I did was receive and decipher the coded message reporting the success of the attack. When I brought the letter to Sir Dudley, he smiled in triumph, and confided in me that as soon as the Marines cleaned up Malay, he was going to have them retake Medan and let the Royal Navy sort out the Japanese. Although the Akagi once again escaped our grasp, the other ships attached to it did not fare so well. On top of that, the HMS Barham recorded a huge victory in sinking a Japanese battleship.

As my health improved, I was eventually transferred to the Planning desk at the General Staff HQ. I had done a little planning in my days with Sir Ernle, but I got my first real taste of the job at the end of January 1942 and beginning of February. With a significant chunk of the Japanese navy at the bottom of the Pacific, we were going to try Oosthaven again once the Marines finished with Dumai and Medan. Although it pains me to say this, we never had enough Marines in World War II, certainly not for all the tasks we had. They accomplished remarkable feats and were every bit as heroic as the proper Navy was. I have shared many a beer with my brothers-in-arms, and I will continue to do so at every opportunity.

The Oosthaven operation was a combined arms operation; my job was to coordinate with the RAF to provide suitable fighter cover. Three Marine divisions would scramble off of the transports, with orders to go straight for the airfield. Once the Japanese lost their fighter support, our lads were to shoot down the Japanese CAGs. I hoped they'd get a least a few of the bastards who killed my mates, but I never found out if they did. The operation itself was a smashing success, mostly because the Japanese had already pulled their troops out of the harbor to engage in their own operations against the Yanks.

Speaking of the Yanks, it was around this time that I made the acquaintance of some American paras. They were enroute to Singapore by way of the Suez Canal, and were going to be attached to our forces in the Pacific. They seemed jolly lads, very cool customers, and eager to see some action. We did not yet have the transports they required, but some were to be finished soon. I was beyond excited to see them in battle, to finally give those nasty Japanese a surprise of our own.

1 February was a very special day; my second surgery was scheduled that day, and it went off without a hitch. My road to recovery was still a long one, but I had my first session of physical therapy later that afternoon. If I couldn't walk, I couldn't stand on a deck, and while I did enjoy staff work, I needed to get back out to sea. Sir Dudley had me accompany him to hear Mr. Chamberlain speak before the House of Commons, where he praised our lads for sinking our first full Japanese fleet carrier, the Akagi, our first victories against the Soviets, and for our overall efforts. Every sailor who had spent more than a month in the Pacific was awarded a very handsome campaign ribbon and, even better, an extra £5 a week. That was welcome news, I can tell you that. I even got to shake Mr. Chamberlain's hand. He knew my name!

I was a little disappointed when the Army got the same ribbons a couple of days later, but at least they only got an extra £2 a week.

I met a Colonel in the US Marines on 6 February, who told me that he, too, was bound for Singapore. He pressed me for information on what he could expect in the Pacific. There really was not much I could tell him about the fighting; I was a pilot and rarely, if ever, saw what was happening on the ground. I did give him some directions to the best restaurants in the city, some places to find companionship, and also passed along his new orders: he, along with some of our own Marines, was going to embark on a campaign to drive the Japanese from Indonesia once and for all. The repeated attacks in Malaysia and Sumatra were beyond irritating at this point, and prevented us from taking true offensive action. First was Celebes, then the Moluccas, and finally Papua New Guinea. Other British forces were to secure Borneo and all of its ports. [1]

For the rest of February, I spent every morning in the office, every afternoon in therapy, and every evening at the pub. I cheered when the Italians lost their battleship and wept when Iraq was annexed by Bulgaria. [2]

Sometime around the second week of March, I could walk reasonably well with the aid of a cane. Sir Dudley congratulated me on my speedy recovery, and gave me a new assignment. I was to fly (sadly, not in the pilot's chair) to Singapore and serve as his personal representative in the planning and execution of our operations to retake Indochina. I took it as a good sign that, while I was in the air, there were reports that another Japanese battleship had gone to the bottom of the ocean. The loss of a light cruiser dampened the mood somewhat, but I was too excited to begin a new assignment to care.

Going from the freezing cold in London to the sweltering temperatures of Singapore was not nearly as unnerving as seeing Alice again at the officer's mess. We exchanged pleasantries, she congratulated me on my promotion and hoped I was healing well, but we did not resume our stalled relationship. I had heard rumors that she had found a new beau, although she artfully dodged the question whenever I tried to bring it up. As March continued, I was too busy to worry much about her. I was on much firmer ground with my American friend, Colonel Puller, who was to be part of the operation. Six full Marine divisions (including the smaller but better equipped Americans) would storm the beach at Saigon and My Tho simultaneously.

Saigon was secured by 2 April, and the Marines split into two groups. The Americans and two divisions of Royal Marines, 7th and 8th, were to work their way inland, rooting out any detachments of Japanese left in the southern portion of Indochina. The other three divisions were to make their way to the coast and take other ports, including Cam Ranh, after driving back the Saigon garrison further into the interior of Indochina.

The not unexpected but still sad news that Poland had surrendered on 4 April, just under three months since the Soviet invasion began, was tempered by wild success for the Royal Navy. Three full German U-boat squadrons, seven complete Japanese transport squadrons, and the capture of Cam Ranh were topped by the best possible news: another Japanese flattop went to join her sister Akagi on 22 April.

Quang Ngai and Haiphong both fell by the middle of May, and the city of Hanoi taken on 26 May. I was delighted with our rapid movements through Indochina, but a small part of me was disappointed at how easy it had been. The entire march up the peninsula, including three amphibious assaults, met a single infantry division and two headquarters brigades.

Sir Dudley called to congratulate me after Hanoi fell. Even Alice seemed pleased to associate with me, at least for a little while. I think she became reconciled to the fact that I hadn't written because I was forbidden to, not because I didn't want to. She was a sweet girl and one of the brightest people I had the fortune to meet during the war. We grew closer in 1942, close enough that she'd written her mum and dad about me. I thought about writing Uncle Stephen, but the truth was, I was worried about how long this relationship would last. I had only been a few days late in writing to her; as a naval officer, I could not control my own assignments, and most importantly, I wanted to get back in the thick of it just as soon as I could. Still, it made life more pleasant and easier as I planned the next phase of our operations: taking the fight to Japan and seizing the island of Hainan, capturing Japanese territory instead of only recovering our own. The Japanese didn't give up on Indonesia without a fight, which forced us to blunt our attack at least a little to hang on to Java, but we had plenty to get the job done. I had the privilege of planning the first airborne assault in British history, as supply issues prevented the Marines from taking the city as planned.

With the port secured, supplies began flowing into our new territory, and we made preparations to cross the strait and seize Zhanjiang, which fell 22 June 1942.

Mr. Chamberlain's speech on the radio actually credited me, specifically, with our successes of late, which earned me plenty of teasing from the lads and Alice, but it was worth it. The supply situation was a nasty one, and I had an especially difficult time getting support from some of the Marine and Army quartermasters back in Singapore. [3] Sir Dudley gave me the rank of Commodore to help convince some of the officers that I wasn't just some ex-pilot with a bum leg. The food and fuel started flowing in, and before too long, we were ready to end this particular campaign. The Gulf of Tonkin was totally secure, but it had never been our real target.

The liberation of Hong Kong was one of the proudest moments of my naval career. Unfortunately, we didn't sink any of the Japanese carriers holed up there, but we lost nothing and still sunk our fair share of screens. I learned from my experiences in the Gulf of Tonkin and planned our logistics much more thoroughly. The entire operation took nine days; at the end of that period, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and the surrounding area had the British flag waving over them.

16 July 1942. What a day. I used my now burgeoning influence to get Alice transferred back to Hong Kong. I took the sinking of a Soviet battleship as a sign from God that I needed to make my move now, because there might never be a tomorrow. I proposed to Alice almost as soon as she touched shore in Hong Kong; I wanted to be married on properly British soil, and Hong Kong was as close as it got. She said yes almost instantly and we were married that night. I didn't want to wait: anything could happen, after all.

The war was far from over, of course, but we were so close to the Japanese Home Islands we could taste it. We needed to finish cleaning up Indonesia, but Hong Kong was a perfect staging area, with a large enough base to repair and refit every ship in the Pacific Theater. We could command seven Marine divisions and at least a full corps of infantry to support the invasion, if we moved quickly, not to mention our American paras. If the entire Japanese fleet gathered in one area it would be the happiest of days for us; our new landing craft made amphibious assaults faster than ever, and the cruisers that defended them were the state of the art. We could sink any ship foolish enough to cross us (except, unfortunately, the carriers, who kept slipping away like the cowards they were.) I knew that, by the end of 1942 (at the latest), I'd be able to get back into the field. I also knew that I wouldn't be stuck with a destroyer.

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[1] If you are eager to see pictures of my invasion of the Moluccas et al., you are going to be disappointed. My little island hopping campaign was extremely dull, for the most part.

[2] How many AARs have Bulgaria annexing Iraq? All too few, I'd say.

[3] The real issue was that I'd forgotten that I'd left allocating convoys on manual, so while the game created the Zhanjiang and Haikou routes for me, it didn't actually give them any transports. The paradrop would have been totally unnecessary if I had remembered that and planned accordingly. Still, it was cool to get to use them. I sent my transport west this time, over the USA, so it didn't get shot down.

If you're curious about Africa, a whole lot of nothing went on this update. I briefly advanced a single province, realized that infrastructure made that stupid, and went back a province. No bullets were fired.

So far, the Soviets have advanced into Czechoslovakia, but have done nothing with Turkey. I suspect the Germans or some Axis power might have left a few divisions there; they can technically invade Turkey, because the territory isn't neutral, but the armies defending it would be. Of course, they could also be totally ignoring Turkey in favor of wrapping up the Czechs. Who can say.

I picked up the Carrier Task Force doctrine at some point during 1942, and finally added some nav bombers to the queue. I now have an excess of spare CAGs, something like, eh, 7 wings at this point? I've got two more carriers under construction and the requisite screens. Ever since I transferred convoys to the Lend-Lease route and had my battleships basically sit on it, I'm still losing metal but I don't care anymore. If I can fix the metal problem, obviously, that would be dynamite, but it's no longer a top concern.

I'm having a hard time deciding what to do next. I think I can actually reach Nagasaki from Hong Kong (I haven't checked), but I'm not sure 12-ish divisions would be enough to take the Home Islands, and I don't want to do it half-assed. I could go for Taiwan instead, maybe the Ryukyu group, but I don't want to waste time by going farther east. The Americans have actually screwed up a bit, and the Japanese got Guam somehow. It's immaterial; they've got one port left in Indonesia, and nothing would make me happier than to see them ignore the US fleet to try to retake it.

At the very least, I'd like to take a breather, in the sense of letting my CAGs upgrade (new light bombs) and repair some nagging injuries to my ships. I actually lost a transport flotilla, which was irritating but not crippling when you add five flotillas of assault craft two weeks later. Germany has still failed to invade Norway despite much looser patrols on my port. I'm pretty sure they've got most of their troops on the Polish border and/or coming after me at the canal. We'll have to see how it plays out!

I'll take any advice you've got, obviously. One thing I was curious about: I can't build a supply convoy to Hong Kong from the UK. I presume this is because Hong Kong was originally British, not French or Japanese or Dutch. Does this mean it will automatically produce all the supplies my invasion force might need? Narratively speaking, I didn't necessarily intend to go the Game of Thrones route and have the entire chapter from one character's perspective, but you might see that quite a bit until the Pacific War is finished and/or something of note happens in Europe.

 

[Baltasar]

Taking Taiwan should help you solve your supply issues regarding an invasion of the Japanese Home Isles. It would also mean a good staging area for all your forces. May be you would want to liberate Korea first?