Bangkok or Bust 1945
Artist Credit: Imperial Japanese Army
The South East Asian Theatre (China, Burma, and India) suffered from the problems of a complicated command structure and divergent national aims from the very beginning of the war. The creation of the South East Asia Command (SEAC) did not completely alleviate the problems of getting the British, American, and Chinese forces to coordinate their actions but it did create a new sense of purpose among the allied forces in the region and spurred them toward finally launching several offensives to retake Burma.
During 1943-1944 dry period dawned, both sides were preparing to take the offensive. The New Chinese Army Corp under General Joseph Stilwell and British Fourteenth Army under General Slim, struck first, but only marginally before the Japanese.
The Japanese threw themselves repeatedly against the defenses of the two strong points, in the battles of Imphal and Kohima, but could not break through. At times the supply situation was perilous, but never totally critical. It came down to a battle of attrition, and the British forces could simply afford to fight that kind of battle for longer. The turning point of the battle at Kohima was the Battle of the Tennis Court. It was the Japanese high water mark on their advance into India and in the end, the Japanese ran out of supplies, and suffered large casualties. They broke and fled back into Burma, pursued by elements of Fourteenth Army.
- General William Slim to the 11th East African Division, Palel Plain, 1944'
After the successful operations in Northern and Central Burma the allies stand on the brink of retaking Rangoon. The British have halted their drive in November to reorganize their formations replacing the 11th Army Group with the Allied Land Forces of South East Asia with the XV Corps being directly placed under it.
With the reorganization done the Fourteenth Army made the main thrust to destroy Japanese forces in Burma. The Army had IV and XXXIII Corps under its command. The conception of the plan was that XXXIII Corps would reduce Mandalay, and act as a diversion for the main striking force of IV Corps which would take Meiktila and thus cut the Japanese communications. The plan succeeded extremely well, and Japanese forces in Upper Burma were effectively reduced to scattered and unorganised pockets. Slim's men then advanced south towards the Burmese capital.
The British RAF and USAAF 10th Air force have expanded the airfield at Magwe into a major (even if primitive) base capable of supporting the American B24J bombers. While the capture of the airstrip at Toungoo has allowed the allies to shift several of their fighter units forward to gain air superiority over Rangoon in prelude to a British assault on the city.
With the fall of Rangoon a foregone conclusion the Lord Mountbatten has already drawn up campaign plans to retake the south of Burma and to push all the way to the Bangkok in Thailand.
The remnants of the Japanese 33rd Army have fallen pulled most of their forces to the south of Rangoon only leaving a token force in place to stall the allied advance to give them time to regroup what units they have left. Under constant pressure in the Pacific from American offensives and with the continuation of their offensive against the Nationalist Chinese no reinforcements can be spared to send to the beleaguered 14th Army. However, the Imperial Command, in the face of the deterioration of their south west flank of their empire and the threat it poses to the vital oil rich areas of the East Indies has scrounged up several air assets to send to Burma to try to stop the allied advance in Burma and save Thailand and Malaya from future invasion by the British.
Several fighter squadrons of the Ki61s, Ki84s, and a strange new beast, the N1K2, have been dispatched along with several Ki67 bomber squadrons to Burma and Thailand. The Imperial Command hopes that the use of these more advanced aircraft (replacing the tired Ki43s and Ki27s) will enabled General Masaki Honda to fight the allies to a stand still.
During 1943-1944 dry period dawned, both sides were preparing to take the offensive. The New Chinese Army Corp under General Joseph Stilwell and British Fourteenth Army under General Slim, struck first, but only marginally before the Japanese.
The Northern Front: 1944
General Stillwell with 3 Chinese Divisions, Chindits and Merrill?s Marauders struck in the North with a goal of carry the offensive on through to Myitkyinan and Mogaung so that the allies could build the Ledo Road and get supplies overland to China. The Nationalist Chinese army then struck with 12 divisions in April forcing the Japanese to fight Stillwell?s forces in North West and the Nationalist Chinese in the North East. Sapping resources away from the Japanese offensive in Central Burma against the Indian 4th Corps. With the fall of Myitkyina on August 3rd the Northern part of Burma was roughly secured by the allies.The Southern Front: 1944
In Arakan, a British advance began on the XV Corps front. However, a Japanese 55th Division counterattack halted the advance at Sinzewa and threatened to destroy the Indian 7th Infantry Division. Unlike during previous operations, the British forces stood firm, and were supplied from the air in the Battle of the Admin Box from February 5 to the February 23 1944. The siege was lifted when the Japanese were taken from the rear by the Indian 5th Infantry Division advancing over the Ngakyedauk Pass. The resulting Battle of Ngakyedauk Pass saw a heavy defeat handed to the Japanese. Without the possibility of aerial supply, their infiltration tactics, relying on units carrying their own supplies and hoping to capture enemy victuals fatally compromised Japanese operations.The Central Front: 1944
On the central front, IV Corps advanced into Burma, before indications that a major Japanese offensive was building caused it to retreat on Kohima and Imphal. Forward elements of the corps were nearly cut off by Japanese forces, but eventually made it back to India. As they waited for the storm to break, the British forces were not to know that the successful defense of the two cities would be the turning point of the entire campaign in south east Asia. HQ XXXIII Corps was rushed forward to help control matters at the front and the two corps settled down for a long siege.The Japanese threw themselves repeatedly against the defenses of the two strong points, in the battles of Imphal and Kohima, but could not break through. At times the supply situation was perilous, but never totally critical. It came down to a battle of attrition, and the British forces could simply afford to fight that kind of battle for longer. The turning point of the battle at Kohima was the Battle of the Tennis Court. It was the Japanese high water mark on their advance into India and in the end, the Japanese ran out of supplies, and suffered large casualties. They broke and fled back into Burma, pursued by elements of Fourteenth Army.
Burma & Thailand: 1945
'I have been kicked by this enemy in the place where it hurts, and all the way from Rangoon to India where I had to dust off my pants. Now, gentlemen, we are kicking our Japanese neighbours back to Rangoon.- General William Slim to the 11th East African Division, Palel Plain, 1944'
After the successful operations in Northern and Central Burma the allies stand on the brink of retaking Rangoon. The British have halted their drive in November to reorganize their formations replacing the 11th Army Group with the Allied Land Forces of South East Asia with the XV Corps being directly placed under it.
With the reorganization done the Fourteenth Army made the main thrust to destroy Japanese forces in Burma. The Army had IV and XXXIII Corps under its command. The conception of the plan was that XXXIII Corps would reduce Mandalay, and act as a diversion for the main striking force of IV Corps which would take Meiktila and thus cut the Japanese communications. The plan succeeded extremely well, and Japanese forces in Upper Burma were effectively reduced to scattered and unorganised pockets. Slim's men then advanced south towards the Burmese capital.
The British RAF and USAAF 10th Air force have expanded the airfield at Magwe into a major (even if primitive) base capable of supporting the American B24J bombers. While the capture of the airstrip at Toungoo has allowed the allies to shift several of their fighter units forward to gain air superiority over Rangoon in prelude to a British assault on the city.
With the fall of Rangoon a foregone conclusion the Lord Mountbatten has already drawn up campaign plans to retake the south of Burma and to push all the way to the Bangkok in Thailand.
The remnants of the Japanese 33rd Army have fallen pulled most of their forces to the south of Rangoon only leaving a token force in place to stall the allied advance to give them time to regroup what units they have left. Under constant pressure in the Pacific from American offensives and with the continuation of their offensive against the Nationalist Chinese no reinforcements can be spared to send to the beleaguered 14th Army. However, the Imperial Command, in the face of the deterioration of their south west flank of their empire and the threat it poses to the vital oil rich areas of the East Indies has scrounged up several air assets to send to Burma to try to stop the allied advance in Burma and save Thailand and Malaya from future invasion by the British.
Several fighter squadrons of the Ki61s, Ki84s, and a strange new beast, the N1K2, have been dispatched along with several Ki67 bomber squadrons to Burma and Thailand. The Imperial Command hopes that the use of these more advanced aircraft (replacing the tired Ki43s and Ki27s) will enabled General Masaki Honda to fight the allies to a stand still.
Arena
SEA
Country Percentages
45% Allied55% JAAF
|
|
Allies |
Axis |
|
Units: |
B26B
P38J P47D25 P51B (20 Max) Spit VIII Mossiquito VI |
KI61 KI84 KI67 N1K2 |
|
Restrictions: |
Restrictions on numbers and type of aircraft will be determined for each frame. Allies must use all plane types and the P51B will be restricted in numbers. |
Restrictions on numbers and type of aircraft will be determined for each frame. However, the JAAF/IJN will not be allowed to up all Ki84s or N1K2s |
Victory Conditions
10 pts - Single Engine AC with 1 crew
15 pts - Single or double engine AC with 2 crew
20 pts - Double Engine AC with 3+
05 pts - Per car of a train
03 pts - Per truck in convoy
Airfields and Cities 200 points (based on % destroyed)
Arena Settings
- Rangoon terrain
- Fuel 1.0
- Icons short
- .4 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 52,000 (about 10 miles)
- Tower range set to 52,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Clouds / visibility 17 Miles
- Radar off
- Friendly collisions off
- Kill shooter off
- Calm winds
- Time: 1 PM
Designer Notes
The Burma theatre has always been sort of backwater for allied operations. Resulting in not only not many forces deployed there but also not the latest aircraft. To represent this the Allies have the P38J, P51B, and P47D25 instead of the P38L, P51D, and P47D40 (which were available to other theatres).
By 1945 JAAF air power had basically been destroyed but several hundred aircraft were still left in the region and in Thailand and units had started to recieve driblets of the newer aircraft such as the Ki61 and Ki84. Although the main bulk of the JAAF airforce still consisted of older aircraft like the Ki43. But to balance the scenario the JAAF get the newer aircraft since the A6M5b would be hopelessly outmatched.
CM Notes
This FSO should be a real brawl since there are very few airfields available to each side. Allowing both sides to concentrate their bomber and escort forces to try to win air superiority over specific targets.
Design By
Darren 'Ghost Dancer' Gideon