Part 14: Burma: January 2, 1942

Our plan to secure Burma early in 1942 continues apace.

Axis Turn 10: January 3, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


We manage to steal our way to Yenang-Yuang while keeping the only opposition in the area engaged well away from the town. This provides us critical access to the road to Imphal.


We pull up our forces on this side of the river. The enemy naturally expects us to attack toward Mandalay, but they do not neglect the other routes.


Allied Turn 10: January 3, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


We see no activity on the front lines, but our spies in Sadiya are finally rooted out and captured.


Axis Turn 11: January 4, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


Overhead, the Blenheims are steadily being reduced, but it is taking a toll on our planes as well.


The tanks push on past Yenang-Yuang. They are stopped short by an ambush in the narrow valley.


The airborne troops secure a position on the north side of the Irrawaddy; the operation is proceedingly precisely as planned.


Gaining control of an airfield is definitely going to help us push the offensive onward.


Allied Turn 11: January 4, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)

-no response-


Axis Turn 12: January 5, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


The Teishin Shudan hit the river defenders from the rear, allowing our engineers to secure the bridges.


Japanese forces now are flooding over the river, west of Mandalay.


Nathan is my Father continues to struggle against the enemy bombers.


The western force pauses to regroup.


Allied Turn 12: January 5, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


Our forces are met by tanks rushing southward to engage us.

Axis Turn 13: January 6, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


Using a combined attack of bombs and tank power, we eliminate the strongest of the British tanks.


What remains is the 6-ton Vickers. They are small vehicles around the same size as the Ha-Go.


The bombers are hunted down, but the last few are difficult to knock out.


As we secure more of the country, we do have to watch that we don't leave any important locations bypassed. The small coastal town of Sandoway is secured.


Allied Turn 13: January 6, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


Those Vickers tanks may be about the same size as the Ha-Go, but their gun is a little bit stronger.


Axis Turn 14: January 7, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


The enemy probably thinks they're stopping us from attacking Mandalay ... but engaging them up here is exactly where we want to be.


Now that we have the bridges under control, no forces will be able to escape Mandalay.


Allied Turn 14: January 7, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


The narrow road to Imphal has scout cars coming down to block us.


On the other side, there only seems to be infantry.


Axis Turn 15: January 8, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


The Burmese Independence Army is ready to liberate its first populated area.


At Mandalay, we commence with air raids to block any unit that even thinks of trying to break our blocking line.


There are a lot of troops to deal with on the road northward, but our tanks are pretty good at handling infantry.

Allied Turn 15: January 8, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


The scout cars prove unable to damage our tanks, but they could effectively block the road. Luckily for us, they actually pull out after their failed attack.


Axis Turn 16: January 9, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


The dangerous road to Imphal has enemy soldiers hiding in the jungle at every turn, and it is severely slowing our advance.


On the other line of attack, our tanks have much more room to maneuver, and can clear the highway more easily.


Tanks have also shown up to hold the Imphal road near Kalewa. We try to hit them with strafing fighter planes but the Zeros prove vulnerable to ground fire.


Allied Turn 16: January 9, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


We have the stronger tanks at the head of the column. Enemy attacks have no effect.


Axis Turn 17: January 10, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


As the Japonies knock back the last enemy ambushers, the road to Myitkina is finally fully clear.



The western route is getting a bit bogged down, but with control of the skies, we should be able to gain the upper hand.


Shelling of Mandalay commences.


Allied Turn 17: January 10, 1942
Day, Fair (Dry)


The tanks skirmish on the road, but neither side is willing to take a big risk.


The stage is set for the final assault on Burma. If everything goes according to plan, we'll surround and capture Mandalay while simultaneously knocking out resistance at Myitkina, thereby securing the road to and from China. On the Imphal side the outcome seems a bit more in question, but we have every confidence that we'll be able to capture the city and force the British to pull back deep into India.




Unit Spotlight

Type 1 47mm AT Gun
PG Name: Type 1 47mm Type: Anti-Tank
Effective Date: 7/41
Value:3 Cost:36 Spot:2 Move:1 MM:Gun Trans:Air Fuel: -
Init:7 SA:1 HA:8 AA:0 NA:0 GD:8 AD:6 CD:0 TT:Soft Ammo:10

This was the first fully Japanese-designed AT gun of the war, and ended up being the most commonly produced one. While it would have been quite effective against the early-war tanks for which it was first developed (namely the Soviet models), by the time it actually saw action in the Pacific, it was inadequate to the task of reliably knocking out anything heavier than a light tank. Despite over 2000 being produced, it was never deployed in enough quantity to be a serious threat.

In-game analysis: This only has one more point of Hard Attack, for a relatively high premium over the Type 97, making it a bad buy. AT guns with low Soft Attack are really only usable defensively in this game, making the extra point of initiative almost useless in this model. Relative to the other 47mm AT guns in the game, it's about average, but the mid-level AT guns are generally not a good choice - neither powerful enough to be on the front line nor cheap enough to be a last-ditch defense.


Kaidai Submarine aka 'KD' type (7 revisions, 8 KD-6 built)
PG Name: Kaidai Type:Submarine
Effective Date: 7/36
Value:7 Cost:84 Spot:3 Move:4 MM:Coastal/Sub Trans:N/A Fuel: 87
Init:3 Range:2 SA:0 HA:0 AA:0 NA:10 DA:0 GD:6 AD:4 TD:8 DD:7 Ammo:12

Kaidai was the Japanese name for a series of 'fleet' submarines that had a moderately large size and a fast enough speed to travel with a surface fleet. The in-game ships could be anything from the KD2 to the KD6, but the KD6 seems most likely. The KD6 was the fastest sub on the surface when it was constructed, and this model ended up being the most successful one used by Japan.

In-game analysis: One of the better early-war submarine models; possibly the best value sub for any country at the start. That doesn't make it anything magical, but it's the sub to pick if you need one at that time.