Great Pacific War Replay
1939 Campaign Scenario
Part 14: Summer 1944
By Doug McNair
February 2008

The Allies try to build momentum while Japan hits ’em where they ain’t in today’s episode of my Great Pacific War replay.

Last time, armored assaults by Britain and the Red Army shattered Japanese lines in Siam and Manchukuo but the U.S. Navy suffered a harsh defeat in the Sulu Sea. Japan is close to wiping out all resistance on Borneo, something she needs to do quickly so she can send the forces there to the Asian mainland. But the Americans have landed on the east coast of Mindanao, and the arrival of SAC and LSAC units on Marcus Island and Saipan means Japan’s wartime economy is about to confront a new threat.

The war continues.

Turn 20: Summer 1944

Production Segment: Britain builds an airfield on the Indian coast between Madras and Calcutta for 5 BRPs, so air units SR’ed from Britain to Madras can keep SR’ing eastward to the front. The U.S.A. builds another 5-12 LSAC and a 2-6 ARM division in the U.S. West Coast box for 25 BRPs. Japan rebuilds the KWAN HQ, a 3-3 INF, 3 x 2-3 INF, a 1-4 TAC, and 3 SURF factors at Japanese shipyards for 33 BRPs.

No new political chits go in the cup, and the chit drawn is NO EFFECT. The Chinas and the Soviet Union buy one impulse chit each, Britain and the U.S.A. buy two each, and Japan buys four.

Sea Zone Box Placement Segment: The Netherlands spends 3 BRPs to put 2 SURF and 1 SUB in the Java Sea control box. The U.S.A. spends 5 BRPs to put units in all the usual sea control boxes, including the surviving 2 SURF from Leyte in the Sulu Sea (forcing Japan to commit forces there to keep the supply line open to Davao), plus 3 SURF and 2 SUB from the Mindanao beachhead in the Bismarck Sea. Japan spends 5 BRPs to counter the American and Dutch deployments in the Sulu and Java Seas and to ring Japan with protection. No units go in raiding boxes.

Sea Control and Raiding Segment: In the Java Sea, Japanese 4 CV and 1 SURF attack Dutch 2 SURF and 1 SUB. In the Sulu Sea, Japanese 2-4 TAC and 2 SUB attack American 2 SURF.

The Royal Dutch Navy performs admirably, scoring two hits on three dice to sink a Japanese SURF and CV factor, but the Japanese score two hits as well and sink the Dutch SUB and 1 SURF factor. The remaining Dutch 1 SURF is outnumbered by more than four to one and thus has no control over the zone, so it retires to Batavia. The Japanese now have sole control of the Java Sea, cutting the supply line of the ANZAC 3-4 INF and RAAF 1-4 TAC at the south Borneo port of Pontianek.

Then in the Sulu Sea, the American 2 SURF scores one hit to none on the first round to sink a Japanese SUB factor, but takes a hit on the second round and thus becomes outnumbered by more than four to one since TAC counts double. The remaining 1 SURF retires to Leyte, leaving the Japanese in sole control of the Sulu Sea with a clear SR line to Davao.

Strategic Redeployment Segment: The Soviets SR a 1-3 INF west from the port of Sovetskaya Gavan to the south flank of the front. Mao SRs a 1-2 INF from the north end of his line to the provincial capital of Sian (near the Japanese breach). Britain SRs the 3-4 Indian INF from Taralam to Sandakar (the only supply source left on Borneo), a 2-4 TAC from Rabaul to the Dutch port of Hollandia on the Bismarck Sea, a 3-4 TAC from Madras through the new airbase and down to Rangoon, and finally sends 8 BRPs to the Soviet Union.

The LC at Truk SRs itself and a 3-4 INF to the Mindanao beachhead, the 9 SURF at Wake SRs the 2-6 ARM division from the U.S. West Coast box to itself, the 9 SURF in the U.S. West Coast box SRs the new 5-12 SAC to Guam for 2 SRs, the 5 SUB in the U.S. West Coast box SRs to Marcus Island for 2 SRs, and finally the 4 CV in the U.S. West Coast box SRs to Wake Island. Japan uses an LC to SR a 2-3 INF from Kyushu down to Davao, and then sends a 3-3 INF from China to Bangkok and four new units from Japan up to extend the lines in Manchukuo.

Operations Segment: The first chit drawn is . . .

BRITISH ATTRITION: The besieged ANZAC 3-4 INF and RAAF 1-4 TAC at Pontianak on the south Borneo coast try to cut their way out and establish a supply line to Sandakar on the north end of the island.

Unfortunately, the four-die-to-two attack scores no hits for either side, and the Allied units remain out of supply.

The next chit drawn is . . .

SOVIET UNION ATTRITION: The Soviets advance and attack the center of the Japanese line. Both sides throw in air support, and the Red Air Force downs the sole Japanese 1-4 TAC in Manchukuo. The 10-die-to-two attack gets blitzkrieg bonuses and scores two hits to one, eliminating a 1-3 INF and a 1-3 INF division while the Soviets lose a BRP. Soviet armor advances into the breach.

The next chit drawn is . . .

NATIONALIST CHINA ATTRITION: The improved Kuomintang Army (fresh from training by American advisors) spreads out westward and hits the Japanese line with a seven-die-to-one attack that kills a Japanese 1-3 INF. A Kuomintang unit advances into the breach.

The next chit drawn is . . .

U.S. AIR EFFORT: Using the Long Range Bombers rule (double air unit range and attack at half strength), the 5-12 LSAC out of Saipan and the 5-8 SAC out of Marcus Island make strategic bombing attacks against Osaka and Tokyo (respectively).

A 1-4 TAC out of Yokohama intercepts the Tokyo raid but scores no hits, and the SAC (rolling two dice) scores one hit on Tokyo while the LSAC (rolling five dice — they would roll 10 dice if attacking within their normal range) scores three hits on Yokohama to destroy a total of 4 Japanese BRPs.

The next chit drawn is . . .

BRITISH 14TH HQ OFFENSIVE: Commonwealth units wrap-around the exposed flank of the Japanese column that was driving toward Rangoon, and the British 4-5 ARM unit makes a surgical strike against the Siamese 1-3 INF unit guarding the supply line of the Japanese units at Moulmein. The attack scores one hit to eliminate the INF, and the ARM unit advances, cutting the supply line of the advance Japanese units with its ZOC.

The Commonwealth infantry then attacks the now-unsupplied Japanese 3-5 ARM and 3-3 INF, and the Japanese throw in air support from Tavoy. But something gets lost in translation between all the Indian, ANZAC and African units, because the 13-die attack scores no hits while the nine-die defense scores five hits, destroying 2 x 2-3 Indian INF units plus a British BRP. The British ARM opts to remain in place rather than move or attack in exploitation combat, because the Japanese have no way out other than through the ARM and its ZOC will slow the Japanese down and cut their supply line.

The next chit drawn is . . .

U.S. ATTRITION: The U.S. Army 3-4 INF that landed last turn on the coast of Mindanao advances inland and attacks the Japanese at Davao. The GIs score one hit to destroy a Japanese 1-3 INF, but the Japanese mount a determined defense, scoring two hits to kill 2 U.S. BRPs.

The next chit drawn is . . .

JAPANESE ATTRITION: The Japanese 2-3 INF that was guarding the now nonexistent right flank in Siam retreats toward Bangkok, and the unsupplied units across the border in Burma drive the one hex they can down the coast (after being slowed by British ZOC) and attack the 4-5 ARM exerting the ZOC. But the six-die-to-four attack scores just two hits to eliminate 2 British BRPs, while the British tankers score two hits on defense to reduce the Japanese 3-3 INF. The Japanese are still out of supply and will wither and possibly die during the Supply Segment.

The next chit drawn is . . .

JAPANESE NAVAL: 5 CV and 10 SURF from Japan and Taiwan escort 1 LC and a 3-3 INF from Japan south into the Bismarck Sea. The American 2 SUB and 3 SURF protecting the supply line to the Mindanao beachhead engage and gun for the LC, but the Americans score no hits while the Japanese score five hits to wipe out the entire American force!

The Japanese then land at Hollandia where the RAAF had sent a 2-4 TAC to protect the supply line to Mindanao next turn. One TAC factor escapes down the coast to Wewak, but the other is destroyed by Japanese landing troops. The LC is lost in the landing, and 5 CV and 7 SURF remain at Hollandia while 3 SURF return to Japan. The Japanese victory in the Bismarck Sea and capture of Hollandia all but guarantees that the American INF units on Mindanao will have no supply line next turn.

The next chit drawn is . . .

JAPANESE CEA OFFENSIVE: The Japanese bring in a 3-3 INF and attack the unsupplied ANZAC 3-4 INF and RAAF 1-4 TAC at Pontianak, but the seven-die attack scores no hits while the ANZACs score two hits on defense to eliminate an attacking Japanese 2-3 INF. But the ANZACs are still unsupplied and will be reduced in the upcoming supply segment. (The Japanese had hoped to reduce them in combat and finish them off.)

The next chit drawn is . . .

COMMUNIST CHINA ATTRITION: Mao plugs the breach in his lines with the new 2-2 INF and holds position.

The last chit drawn is . . .

JAPANESE ATTRITION: Japanese units in Manchukuo redeploy along the line and prepare to SR in more units from Japan.

Supply and End Segments: At Pontianak on Borneo, the ANZAC 3-4 INF unit is reduced and the 1-4 TAC is eliminated permanently. On the Siamese border, the unsupplied and reduced Japanese 3-3 INF makes its Bushido roll and is not eliminated, but the Japanese 3-5 ARM fails the roll and is reduced. All other units are in supply, so units return to base from sea zone boxes and the turn ends.

So at the midpoint of 1944, jungle fighting along the Siam-Burma border is slowly grinding down the Japanese army, and the ANZACs at Pontianak are still just barely holding on. But Japan’s destruction of U.S. naval forces in the Bismarck Sea and her subsequent landing at Hollandia will cut the U.S. supply line to Mindanao next turn and force the U.S. to bring a powerful force to the beachhead to contest the sea zone this winter.

That will incur larger BRP outlays from the U.S.A. this year than planned, so Britain will receive commensurately fewer BRPs. That means Japan still has a chance to keep Britain from conquering Siam, but Manchukuo is another thing entirely. Stalin has more than enough BRPs in his stockpile for an HQ Offensive next turn, and the unsupported Japanese infantry will be hard pressed to stop Soviet armor. Stalin’s goal is to conquer all of Manchukuo by the end of this year and use the extra BRPs next spring to build an army that can push the Japanese into the sea in 1945 and then invade Japan from ports in Korea by 1946. Can he do it? Tune in next time and find out!

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