How do you garrison captured islands?

[magic8796]

I'm looking for some ideas on how many / where you place your Japanese troops on their Pacific Island conquests. From Singapore, through the DEI north to Wake and then from the Philippines east through the Marshalls and Gilberts - how many of these do you leave troops on? Do you leave any HQ's behind or are they only with your frontline troops? I'm just looking for some ideas and if their is a general consensus as to the best strategy. Thanks.

[magic8796]

Over 60 views and no one wants to share their experience defending Japanese islands? :-)

[Isnogud]

From my expierence most player do not defend the worthless islands. Only the ones which provides MPPs are defended. It depends on the japs overall strategy.

If they plan to attack Australia or the US the islands nearby are also interesting.

HQ makes only sence on the bigger islands like DEI or Philipines.

Problem is that the small islands will be surrunded by ships then the support goes below 5 and the unit is destroyed by carriers. The deceicive battle will be the Jap vs. the US navy.

[magic8796]

Thank you.

[4th Bn 66th Reg]

I agree with Isnoguds overall assessment but would point out the following:

1. You pretty much have to defend Batavia in the Dutch East Indies (DEI) as that is a major amount do MPPs for Japan to lose. Also, even if the allies take Batavia, unlike when the Japs take Batavia, all of the islands still stay in control of Japan. I think that should be changed in the game, but that is the way it is now.

2. You should garrison Borneo only because if you do not, partisans will disrupt supply and the Japs will lose those MPPs.

3. I know lots of people do not garrison the islands, but I think you should garrison the fortress island Kwajalein in the middle of the Pacific. When the US takes those islands it gives them lots of ports to upgrade their fleets and because it is in the central Pacific, fleets stationed in that area can get to pretty much launch counter attacks or new attacks North, South, or West. This works both ways too, as the IJN based there can react to US fleet movements

4. If you are going to try to attack Australia, you pretty much should take and garrison New Guinea and the islands with MPPs in the South Pacific. Probably should take those islands even if you are not attacking Australia.

5. Lots of axis players like to take the island where the US tank shows up as there is really no way for the allies to defend that island before the US enters the war.

6. You should take and garrison the Solomon Islands. This might be a good spot to put an HQ's unit, as it will make it much harder for the allies to retake the islands.

7. Philippines, you pretty much have to garrison Manilla.

8. Saipan, Truk, Guam and Papua. You can pretty much load any one of these islands up with air, HQs, and ground units to disrupt US movement across the Pacific. I think Truk is a good place to heavily garrison if the IJN is attacking India.

9. You have to heavily garrison Japan itself. Some players like Isnogud will skip all the Pacific islands all together and unrealistically attack with landing craft from Hawaii or even the US mainland.

10. Most axis players actually make Japan a major land power, not a naval power like it actually was. The overall strategy is to defeat China first, then attack the USSR holdings in Siberia. Then the Japs go the land route to through Burma to take India. Aggressive axis players will maybe attack and take Hawaii or the US pacific fleet on the West Coast.

11. Ultimately the pacific is won or lost by the fleet battle, to this end the player who can position land based air to support fleets is in a much better position than the one who cannot. So if you are positioning your fleets to fight a naval engagement it is good to have land based air supporting their movement if possible.

[4th Bn 66th Reg]

One other thing to consider for the Pacific Islands. When the allies take Tinian, it will activate the atomic bomb option for the US to kick in against Japan in August of 1945. This can really help the allies out in regards to reducing Japanese national morale. In a game I am playing it reduced Japanese national morale from 112 to 87, plus it wiped out all MPPs going to Japan from convoys.

[Clausewitz]

One other thing to consider for the Pacific Islands. When the allies take Tinian, it will activate the atomic bomb option for the US to kick in against Japan in August of 1945. This can really help the allies out in regards to reducing Japanese national morale. In a game I am playing it reduced Japanese national morale from 112 to 87, plus it wiped out all MPPs going to Japan from convoys.

I am confused by requirement for A Bomb. Script says allies control Tinian but I read script construction text to say allies must control Manila 341/116 and one of 340/103, 346/99,363/100,375/116 342/85? If so Tinian is not crucial. Thank you to knowledgeable person.

[Hubert Cater]

That's a typo in the Decision Event Log PDF file. It should read that the US must control Manila and then one of Tapei, Naha, Iwo Jima, Seoul or Saipan.

[Clausewitz]

That's a typo in the Decision Event Log PDF file. It should read that the US must control Manila and then one of Tapei, Naha, Iwo Jima, Seoul or Saipan.

Thank you for clarification.