Iwo Jima

@shadowhawk

Hypothetically, that is.

I was referring to the kamikazes in destroying American ships if the Americans go after the island on the first turn (the cruiser is required to have a good chance to demolish the garrison).

Hypothetically, you’re right. I don’t remember exactly the past games that I tried this, but I think the Americans didn’t have enough resources to amass such a powerful force. I can’t remember why though, it could’ve been them going KGF.

@SuperbattleshipYamato In my game, I took the island without a fight with 1 transport loaded with infantries because the Japanese player evacuated the garrison earlier in the game to reinforce China. My opponent sank my transport with air but was too busy to recapture the island.

If the island is garrisoned, a transport loaded with a tank and an infantry could do the job but that kind of battle could get dicey. To send more stuff seems to me like it’s too much money spent to invade a low income and strategically placed island like Iwo Jima.

@Sire-Fred

Agreed.

@SuperbattleshipYamato said in Iwo Jima:

@shadowhawk

Hypothetically, that is.

I was referring to the kamikazes in destroying American ships if the Americans go after the island on the first turn (the cruiser is required to have a good chance to demolish the garrison).

Hypothetically, you’re right. I don’t remember exactly the past games that I tried this, but I think the Americans didn’t have enough resources to amass such a powerful force. I can’t remember why though, it could’ve been them going KGF.

Depends what turn, Turn 1 then no they dont have the resources.
But turn 3 they could have well over 4 loaded carriers in the pacific and a decent fleet in the atlantic. With starting ground units so capture the island with ease.
You got over 100ipcs to spend the first 2 rounds, and start out with enough air to fill 2 new carriers.

@shadowhawk

Then of course it’s possible.

@Cornwallis

Getting there though would be a challenge. Takes two turns from Hawaii to Iwo Jima, the fleet can be destroyed on the way.

Also, land based aircraft from the southern strongholds like the Philippines, Carolines, and French Indochina can attack that fleet, so the navy doesn’t even need to be that involved.

@Cornwallis

Oh shoot, I was thinking of Okinawa, sorry. You’re right.

Lost a P40 game with this strategy. Mid-game Allies were winning, having flattened Japan’s rise in IPC production and were outproducing them and gaining back territories, and I felt like I could start the endgame to take the home island.

I set up Iwo Jima as US forward base to attack Japan, with a Naval base. (As noted no need for air base with Strat Bombers). He max-bought subs, which (being inexperienced) I didn’t see coming - so I attacked them on my turn and wiped them out, it was that or give up my shiny new naval base and turn tail back to Hawaii (which would have been smarter).

That unfortunately left me sitting in his waters for the strafing counterattack by air force racing back from China and a couple nearby DDs. I had no DDs remaining, so his next round sub buy deployed silently under my wounded navy. I limped back to Iwo Jima where he sank what was left of my fleet before it could be repaired. I lost what was an easy win, if I’d been patient.

@Colonel-Mustard

At least it didn’t seem to be Iwo Jima that caised you to lose. Did the bombers do a lot of damage?

@Colonel-Mustard said in Iwo Jima:

Lost a P40 game with this strategy. Mid-game Allies were winning, having flattened Japan’s rise in IPC production and were outproducing them and gaining back territories, and I felt like I could start the endgame to take the home island.

I set up Iwo Jima as US forward base to attack Japan, with a Naval base. (As noted no need for air base with Strat Bombers). He max-bought subs, which (being inexperienced) I didn’t see coming - so I attacked them on my turn and wiped them out, it was that or give up my shiny new naval base and turn tail back to Hawaii (which would have been smarter).

That unfortunately left me sitting in his waters for the strafing counterattack by air force racing back from China and a couple nearby DDs. I had no DDs remaining, so his next round sub buy deployed silently under my wounded navy. I limped back to Iwo Jima where he sank what was left of my fleet before it could be repaired. I lost what was an easy win, if I’d been patient.

It wasnt iwo jima, actually it was a good move, you just had to attack their subs with 1 DD and all the subs + airforce you could muster. If it was only subs, if it was his whole fleet then you traded and should have won the game.

Also you should have bought DD’s when you knew you where losing them so you could have moved them up to your fleet and protect your ships with them.
If you can get to Iwo and keep it with a naval base japan has a whole range of issues, your fleet can attack them everywhere. You can deploy subs and kill destroyers without much risk.

@shadowhawk Yes, looking back, I was overloaded with BBs (of which I was enamoured when I first started playing) and did not have adequate DDs nor any Subs coming up in support. I felt invincible with the heavy ships. Lesson learned!

@Cornwallis I had several battleships and a destroyer, cruiser, and loaded carrier. Three
bombers and a couple fighters on Iwo Jima, but I used them all on the Japanese home navy. Didn’t strat bomb because I was concerned to do it with no escorts. Many mistakes.

@Colonel-Mustard

Wanna play a game with me to try it again?