Part 64: Midwest: April 12, 1945

If we want to maintain our position of power in the Asia and the Pacific, the United States must be subjugated to our rule. There is no alternative for them now.



After our highly successful winter campaign crossing the Rocky Mountains (don't ask), we now stand at the gateway to destiny. The Americans are being squeezed on both sides now; it's a race against time as the Germans. They landed in the southeastern US and are fighting their way toward Washington, but they also have their eyes on the interior as we do.

Midwest: April 15, 1945





Objectives: (Kansas City [100x3]), Fort Leonard Wood [50], St. Louis [100x3], Paved Airfield (STL) [100], Minneapolis [100], St. Paul [100], Airfield (MSP) [10], Great Lakes Naval Base [100], Chicago [100x2], Paved Airfield (CHI) [100], Fort Campbell [100], Indianapolis [100], Dayton [100], Nashville [100], Memphis [100], Oak Ridge [200], Birmingham [100x2], {German-controlled: Atlanta [100x4], Paved Airfield [10]}

Germany is actually a separate 'neutral' power in this one, so we do have to compete with them for objectives.

Starting VP: 300 - 3087


OOB
Core land:naval/aux slots: 7:11/0
Starting Prestige: 44 after purchases/upgrades

To get our core in sufficient condition for this last battle, we've had to expend pretty much all our prestige. We have to hope it'll do and we can make it up in battlefield success. At this point, we're going to be up against some very tough American units, and although we don't need to preserve the core for the future, we need to keep them alive since nothing can be easily replaced.

We need more and better artillery, so we add a 120mm gun. We can also expect to meet with heavy opposition in the air, so we add another air defense unit to cover our ground units.



Chicago is the most major city in this region, and our plan is focused on capturing it. Much of the core will be driving to the northwest to begin the attack there as soon as possible. However, this northern group is also tasked with capturing Minneapolis and keeping the enemy contained to the north, so they aren't expected to be strong enough to take Chicago. They will be supported by the rest of the core that will need to take St. Louis first.


We keep an eye on the German positions; this is their current holdings, and we'll check in on them from time to time. For now, we aren't going to interfere with their plans, and we aren't going to be heading in that direction either. If it comes to it, we'll position units as needed to block them, or to capture whatever we can that they don't get to.

Although Germany gets its own turn after the Allies, we can't observe it unless we have units in sighting range. We'll only see their turns if/when that happens.



Our core is fairly tightly packed for now. With an expectation of heavy enemy opposition on land and in the air, we're not going to be trying to move too quickly at first.


Axis Turn 1: April 12, 1945
Fair (Dry)


We're faced with a tough line of heavy armor and dug-in infantry in front of us. We need to start off by getting some space on the southern flank.


Space is made on the northern side, too, as we push most of our forces over the Missouri.


Our new advanced fighter technology shreds the American fighters.


A small cadre of our spies and German sympathizers in the region steal some horses and form a renegade scouting unit.


Allied (USA) Turn 1: April 12, 1945
Fair (Dry)


Heavy flak guns knock down some of the rocket fighters.


The American artillery is a fair sight more accurate than ours.


American army rangers smash our bicycles.


Desperate American civilians gather their guns and start attacking our light armor.


Even our latest models can't match up against the American Pershing tank.


Axis Turn 2: April 15, 1945
Fair (Dry)


Our bombers are the only thing we have to reliably deal with the American armor; it's too bad we don't have more of them.


The Army rangers are eliminated by our tanks.


We push gradually forward north of the Missouri River.


In the center, we slip around behind the enemy lines and take out their artillery.


That allows us to suppress and knock out the tanks.


Allied Turn 2: April 15, 1945
Fair (Dry)


Enemy fighters overwhelm our outdated Zeros, and they barely make it out of there.


The Mustang is a threat to both our aircraft and our ground forces.


Constant artillery bombardment causes additional casualties.


Axis Turn 3: April 15, 1945
Rain (Dry)


Reports are coming in that the Germans have captured Chattanooga.


Our spy scouts note no American forces in most of Wisconsin.


The southern flank is secured.


Spies in the south find no enemies in Arkansas either.


The northern line is opened up as well.


Allied Turn 3: April 15, 1945
Rain (Dry)


The response to our breakout northward is only coming from overhead. The spring storm prevents them from being effective.


Our anti-tank guns put up a brave fight, but eventually are forced to retreat as the Pershing tanks come at them.


Axis Turn 4: April 15, 1945
Rain (Mud)


We're gaining ground in the center, but not having much success eliminating enemy units.


Roads north to Minneapolis are seized.


Allied Turn 4: April 15, 1945
Rain (Mud)


There isn't too much fighting due to the poor weather, but the American guns are still pretty deadly.




Unit Spotlight

Type 3 Chi-Nu [Medium Tank Model J]
PG Name: Type 3 Chi-Nu Type:Tank
Effective Date: 3/45
Value:29 Cost:348 Spot:2 Move:4 MM:Track Trans:Naval Fuel: 55
Init:10 SA:11 HA:14 AA:0 NA:1 GD:14 AD:2 CD:3 TT:Hard Ammo:9

This design, an improvement on the previous medium tanks, saw a rushed development, but that appears to have produced something decent. It sported a heavier 75mm gun and better armor than the Chi-He. One wonders how this would have actually performed in the field; one more reason the Japanese tank development lagged behind the West was that they just didn't get to see many of their designs tested in battle, so they weren't able to improve based on actual performance. There were actually a fair number of these produced in 1944, but the Chi-Nu was held in reserve for the defense of the Home Islands. None of them ever ended up facing enemy forces in combat.

In-game analysis: This is a pretty good tank... for 1943. It's roughly equal stat-wise to the Churchill III or the T-34. As the final tank for the Japanese, though, it is hardly impressive. Ultimately it's just a decent unit without any glaring flaws. It is a shame this one doesn't have at least a movement rate of 5, which would make it a lot more effective.


Kairyu Midget/Suicide Submarine
PG Name: Kairyu Type:Submarine
Effective Date: 7/45
Value:2 Cost:24 Spot:1 Move:2 MM:Coastal/Sub Trans:Naval Fuel: 23
Init:3 Range:0 SA:0 HA:0 AA:0 NA:12 DA:0 GD:4 AD:4 TD:8 DD:4 Ammo:1

While the Kairyu was designed as a midget sub, the lack of available torpedoes led them to be converted for use as suicide craft, similar to the Shinyo boats. It was not much of a change in tactics, as the crews of the midget subs already had the expectation that they were not going to survive their mission. While potentially a slightly more reliable suicide craft than the Kaiten, none of them were ever deployed.

In-game analysis: Even worse than the Kaiten, given the terribly slow speed of these. It's fairly clear that none of these are meant to be actually used in a campaign, but might simply be present on the Japanese side in late-war scenarios.


Nakajima Ki-84 "Hayate" (Frank)
PG Name: Ki-84 Frank Type:Fighter
Effective Date: 11/44
Value:32 Cost:384 Spot:3 Move:10 MM:Air Trans:No Fuel: 76
Init:6 SA:5 HA:4 AA:16 NA:0 GD:10 AD:14 Ammo:8

This was developed during the war as a replacement for the Oscar, and is generally considered the best-designed plane from Nakajima. Its performance in the air was as good as Japan's other fighters, and on top of that it had sufficient armament and protection. Production problems meant that they were less reliable than hoped for, but they still performed quite well in the last year of the war.

In-game analysis: The first good fighter-bomber in a while (and also the last one available). It lacks some of the Nick's niceties like naval attack and a high fuel capacity, but it can definitely hold its own against enemy units. Perhaps the best part about it is the price - the no-frills nature of it makes this one of the better value planes.