Back on the Offensive - Autumn, 1939

On the Offensive at Sea

    As 1939 comes to a close, most of the action takes place at sea.  As autumn progresses, it becomes increasingly clearer how significant the turnaround at sea has been.  Up until recently, offensive operations (port strikes and convoy raiding) in southern zone 2 were out of the question.  However, since the war began in Europe, the British have withdrawn the bulk of their fleet, leaving around 20-30 (mostly small) ships.  And, in the Pacific, the American navy has been severely hobbled by their botched invasions of July and August.  Thus, I can now begin offensive operations in both zones 2 (around Singapore) and 3 (around Guam).

    After the invasion of Marcus Island, the Pacific is a fairly fertile area in early autumn.  2 Kaigun is sent to patrol the area around Marcus Island, and is able to sink three American heavy cruisers and a destroyer in early November, before heading back to Tokyo for repairs.  1 Kaigun is sent to lurk around Guam, where we find that the Australians have taken up guard duty for some reason.  We sink three Aussie destroyers on November 5^th and then another two on the 18^th, before turning over patrol to 4 Kaigun.  They run up against a strong American gunship fleet, which belies my earlier estimates of American battleship quantity.  In a hard fought battle we lose the light cruiser Kitikama and sink two American destroyers.  All other ships engaged are severely damaged, and we head back to our respective ports.  In Saipan we station a pair of unattached carrier flight groups.  They launch constant port strikes towards Guam, finishing off the battleship Maryland on December 25^th and driving the rest of the fleet away.  As the year closes out, 3 Kaigun is able to take over patrol duty in the region.  Hunting down another American gunship fleet, they are able to sink the battleship New Mexico and a destroyer on the 30^th.  One American battleship escapes, and I again come to the conclusion they have only one battleship left afloat.

    In zone 3, we begin long-overdue offensive operations against Singapore.  In the beginning of November, a healthy 10 Kaigun is sent to the area to conduct port strikes while 5 Kaigun will perform convoy raiding and open-sea interceptions.  By the 9^th, 10 Kaigun has sunk three destroyers in Singapore; they move northward to Khota Bharu, and sink four British submarines there during the last week of the month.  5 Kaigun is no less active, sinking a light cruiser and a landing craft on the 27^th, a pair of heavy cruisers and a destroyer on the 28^th, and a landing craft on the 29^th.  They then return to port, where Vice Admiral Fukudome is promoted to full Admiral.  2 Kaigun takes over patrol duty around Singapore in early December, sinking a destroyer, transport and a landing craft, as well as numerous convoys.  At the end of the month 1 Kaigun takes over, and sinks a light cruiser, destroyer, and landing craft on the 28^th.

The Noose Tightens in Burma

    By October, the encirclement of the Allied forces in Burma is complete.  Three divisions of mountain troops captured Dhaka and began pressing southeast in an attempt to capture Chittagong.  VIII Gun has fanned out along a wide front and is moving southward, while VI, VII and IX Gun drive the British northward.  At first, the Allies put up a strong defense, taking advantage of the rugged terrain and numerous rivers.  We fight countless battles, in which each side loses 200-500 men.  The fighting around Chittagong is especially fierce, and the Brits drive us back more than once.  However, we able to advance from all directions, and my superior numbers begin to overwhelm the defenders.  By mid November the Allies are in full retreat in the southern portion of the pocket, and VI Gun has met up with VIII Gun, improving the efficiency of my supply chain.  On Demeber 22^nd LI Gun marches into Chittagong, finally sealing the fate of the Burmese pocket.  They are now completely cut off from supply or more importantly, evacuation.  I suspect we have already overran or forced the disbanding of one to three divisions, but unfortunately Hearts of Iron doesn’t give messages for that, and my attention was diverted.  Even so, the final elimination of the Allies in East Asia is imminent.

The Burma pocket begins to implode

Elsewhere…

    In other portions of the world, a number of events deserve mention.  Nepal surrenders on October 5^th, and the portion of LI Gun not involved in the Burma Pocket proceeds unopposed through Northern India and Pakistan.  LXI Gun begins its drive back down the Malay Peninsula, but encounters continuous heavy fighting.  The parity of the opposing forces and the rugged terrain indicate slow progress there for the near future.

    With my supply lines now fully secure in zone 2, I have decided to employ V Gun in conquering Java.  I dropped them off in the eastern part of the island, and supply them through Soerabaja.  They have occupied about half of the island, and thus far have encountered only a single headquarters brigade in resistance.

    In Europe the Germans are making better time than I expected.  By the end of the year they have fully occupied the Netherlands and Belgium.  Belgium officially surrendered on December 26^th, and the Germans begin to chip away at France before the end of the year.  In Africa the situation is reversed.  The Italians have met with some success in Tangiers, but are losing ground in Libya, and have been completely driven from East Africa.  Ethiopia surrendered on November 18^th, and Italian Somalia is being occupied by the British as fast as they march.

    Of mild interest is the situation around the Baltic Sea.  On November 30^th the Soviet Union declares war on Finland.  Historically, this didn’t work out too well for them, and generally this has little effect on the outcome of the game.  On December 25^th the Soviets annex the Baltic States, which bolsters their strategic position marginally.

    As the year closes out, I begin to face the problems brought about by my successes.  In particular, my land forces deserve attention.  Up until now, my army has been more than adequate to deal with whatever the enemy throws at them; in fact, nearly half of my army is currently marking time in Japan.  Soon, however, I will have to spread them out into multiple and diverse theatres: Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, India, East Africa, South Africa, North Africa and the Middle East.  I will soon have to walk a very narrow line, balancing convoy usage, troop transport capability, and strategic needs, which should pose an interesting challenge.

    The farther outlook appears even more daunting.  I estimate I will need between 80 and 160 brigades of Rikusentai (marines); I currently have 30.  I also anticipate a need for between 120 and 250 brigades of mountain troops, and I have only 15.  The biggest discrepancy, however, is the gap between required and needed conventional forces.  I currently have nine Gun (corps) of conventional troops; not a single division has an armor component.  In order to conquer the United States, however, I expect I will need around 35 Gun, each filled out with expensive and time consuming armor.  Up until now I have had the luxury of fighting exclusively infantry, but the Americans can be expected to have tanks around every corner, and my current force is woefully unprepared for that.  Worse yet, the Americans, when at war, can far out-produce me, meaning my estimates may end up falling short.  The gains of the upcoming year should give me a good idea as to whether or not I can ramp up my resource and industrial production sufficiently to complete my goal of world domination.