Japan 45

[Elxaime]

My reference was indeed to the point that the plan for Operation Olympic could be reinforced if needed by forces being gathered for Operation Coronet.

"Should these four corps prove insufficient to accomplish the tasks assigned, a build-up from the elements earmarked for "Coronet" would be instituted at the rate of three divisions per month beginning about X+30. The "Coronet" operation would be adjusted accordingly."

https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/MacA...1/ch13.htm

On planning, Marshall had made clear he was not going to let MacArthur act as a veto to things Marshall wanted done.  So on the issue of using Allied forces, which MacArthur opposed, if those were deemed needed then MacArthur could have been overruled.  Bear in mind Australia was more or less demanding to be part of the finale, but MacArthur had a history of fraught relations with the Australians and this may have colored his view.  MacArthur thought the Japanese were more or less finished already and didn't see the need for the USA to share the limelight.  Mac also had difficult relations with the British, who were not as enthusiastic as Australia but who could have mustered a Commonwealth Corps.  The equipment standardization issue hadn't after all prevented the Normandy invasion.  

My sense from all this is that, if Allied planners had assessed the Japanese strength as being as great as it became, e.g. the dreaded "1 v 1" ratio, then they had options to reinforce Olympic, either initially or with follow on forces.  This would be true not only in the land element, but also naval and air.

*** Some other comments from playtesting the campaign ***

1.  In the "Take Kyushu" big campaign, it looks like the Japanese reinforcement strategy choices appears twice, meaning the Japanese get duplicate divisions

2.  In the campaigns, but not the "East Beaches" smaller scenario, the Japanese get a bunker at 150,64, right on the beach.  In the smaller scenarios this is a trench.  Given that bunkers are modeled at -40%/+40, this must be a mistake no?  

3.  Speaking of bunkers, the -40%/+40 rating seems out of whack, especially given the default optional rules which include optional assault rule.  In other PzC titles, e.g. Stalingrad 42, the bunkers are the usual -40%/+10.  Is this WAD or an oversight?  A -40%/+40 bunker decently held by Japan is well-nigh untakeable in this game given the strong infantry defense values and fanatical rule.  I did some testing with multiple full US Army battalions assaulting this bunker defended by a single 4-gun Japanese battery - it took four turns, whittling away the battery one gun at a time.  Seems to me the bunker values should be dropped down

4.  Are the default optionals just for playing the AI or also for PBEM?

5.  On optionals, just curious why the artillery/airstrikes by the map option is not a default?  Weren't US and Allied air doctrines so advanced by the end of the war that they could strike by map?

Thanks in advance for any answers to the above.  Great game, and hope it gets some more love.