A Slim Victory

[AGRICOLA]

@tech
The second to last version of events. I didn't want to change events once more in mid-stream so I just kept going with what was providing reinforcements every May. You may want to check your FTG thread to see the pretty Christmas card that Freddy sent out in Dec, 1760.

[Boco]

Thanks for the ideas! Okay, I broke out the pencil and paper this afternoon.

• Map0: main map, very few arrows. Can't have too many riches!
• Map1: China map, many WoW's being built that require freights to complete. Only accessible through Kunming in NE corner. Gee, a road from India to Kunming could help. Might be a tad tough to go straight from Chittagong or Imphal, though.
• Map2: OOB map with a twist that I think will simulate the need for supply.
• Map3: strategic air map. Dips as bombers that steal techs -> set flags -> reduce Japanese reinforcements. I'm looking forward to testing parts of the offensive AI treatise of Agricola et al. in this scen. Part of the events that transform the AI from offensive to defensive mode will be triggered on this map.

Btw, any suggestions for a scenario name?

[Patine]

Btw, any suggestions for a scenario name?

I was under the impression 'A Slim Victory' was the scen name.

[techumseh]

No, more of an ironic title. How about 'The Road to Mandalay, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope do Civ2'?
Or more seriously, 'Burma, the Forgotten War'? Or 'Chindits, the Dawn of Airmobile Warfare'?

[Boco]

@ Road to Mandalay. . I should rent that movie. Yes, "A Slim Victory" is only a bad pun to cover this thread.

"Burma, the Forgotten War" sounds good. It's similar to Allen's book, "Burma: the Longest War". While the Chindits title is intriguing, it may over-emphasize their role in the campaign. Then again, Lawrence is hardly the complete focus of El Aurens, but that was because the scenario evolved. Other book-inspired titles include: "The Road" +/- Burma or Ledo in the middle, "Black Cats and White Tigers" (references to Indian and Japanese divisions at Imphal),"Mavericks, Marauders, and Madmen", "Confusion Beyond Imagination", or "Confused B*st*rds in India", but these don't do it for me at this time.

Any ideas based on the fact that this was the colonial Indian Army's finest campaign? This was largely their show, and they gave the Japanese Army its greatest defeat in terms of numbers of troops involved.

What were some nicknames for Slim or other leaders in the CBI? Perhaps a title derived from these would work. Vinegar Joe Stillwell and Old Leatherface Chennault I know.

[GhostOfDisco]

For a title, how about "Road to Rangoon"? Given that Rangoon, being the southernmost city (besides for that little coastline thingy in the southwest) is the southernmost major city in Burma and so, given that and the fact that it was the capital of Burma, would make it the ultimate primary objective in any "take back Burma" campaign.

Originally posted by Boco Any ideas based on the fact that this was the colonial Indian Army's finest campaign? This was largely their show, and they gave the Japanese Army its greatest defeat in terms of numbers of troops involved.

Well, you could give the player to option of raising Indian troops (given that this map does some parts of India) much like Patine allowed you to raise South Korean troops in his Korean War scen, but it seems more like a geographical question that one of skill. I dunno ... a variety of Indian Army units or something?

[Boco]

Oops! I wasn't clear with my question. Is there a title that I could use that would reflect the contribution of the Indian Army in this theater.

Right now, I'll be following an accurate OOB as in El Aurens. There will likely more what-if formations added to the broth, than was the case for EAv2. There were a lot of unexecuted plans for this theater that hoped to use units diverted elsewhere. A request for the community at large, please post any info regarding these aborted operations that you can, even if it's only the name.

[Case]

Originally posted by Boco
Is there a title that I could use that would reflect the contribution of the Indian Army in this theater.

There's a book in my old university's library on the Indian Army in Burma called 'Phoenix from the Ashes' which is an OK title.

There will likely more what-if formations added to the broth, than was the case for EAv2. There were a lot of unexecuted plans for this theater that hoped to use units diverted elsewhere. A request for the community at large, please post any info regarding these aborted operations that you can, even if it's only the name.

Churchill engaged in a lot of skulduggery in early 1942 in an attempt to divert the Australian I Corps to Burma. At one stage he even ordered the ships bringing the 7th Division home from Egypt to Rangoon without telling the Australian Government. While the Australian Government historically stood up to this bullying and no Australian Army units served in the CBI theatre, if you've got a (very) spare unit slot you could include the very slim possibility of the Australian government allowing the 7th Division to be sent to Burma just prior to the historical fall of Rangoon.

[techumseh]

I think it should have 'Burma' in the title to avoid confusing folks.

[Patine]

'Phoenix from the Ashes' or 'Road to Rangoon' both sound like good titles. Or maybe the 'Forgotten War.' I might also support GoD on allowing IA units to be built, at least those at the militia level of training, if only given the population base that could be tapped by the Raj.

[typhoon]

The Indian Army was the largest professional volunteer force of the war and the main combatant in the Burma theatre. Their level of training was neither at militia level nor was their contribution to victory marginal, unlike how you have portrayed them in Empire of the Rising Sun.

[Krill]

Is everyone enjoying themselves?

[Patine]

I stand corrected. My apologies on not doing my homework. I am, actually, in the process of adding a seperate Indian Infantry unit in EotRS, as currently it wasn't it's own slot. Any suggestions on it's stats, at least as opposed to Japanese and British infantry?

[Krill]

I'm hoping on one of those myself...

[Krill]

Damn you.