War Plan Orange

My defensive strategy is more or less historical in concept. At the beginning of the war, the Japanese are just too powerful, too prepared. Their task forces (TF's) are formed up and at sea. My units are scattered and off-guard. His goal consists of two important strategic objectives:

1. To secure the resource rich Dutch East Indies (DEI)
2. To extend the Central Pacific defensive perimeter of islands

Achieving these objectives as part of a timely operational framework is critical for my opponent. He must secure the Southern Resources Area (SRA) and fortify his island perimeter against my counter-offensive, expected to reach its full commitment by August of 1942. Until then, he has the advantage. I expected my opponent to execute his war plans in three stages:

1. FIRST STAGE:
- Disable the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor
- Secure the Allied outposts at Guam, Wake I., and the Gilbert Archipeligo
- Secure beachhead on the Phillipines
- Secure beachhead on the Malaya Peninsula
- Dislodge the Chinese salient at Changsa
- Secure a foothold in the Southern Resource Area, namely Borneo

2. SECOND STAGE:
- Occupy Singapore, Dutch East Indies, and crush the last Phillipines resistance
- Offensive into New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
- Offensive into Burma against the Burma Road supplying the Nationlist Chinese
- A 'specialized' offensive designed to bring the U.S. Pacific Fleet to decisive battle and destroy it (i.e. a Midway-style battle)

3. THIRD STAGE: Several options exist for the Japanese in this stage. Even if they are able to defeat the U.S. Pacific Fleet in decisive battle, it is unlikely they would have the resources to execute most of these options. This is especially so seeing as they should be expending resources in fortifying their island defensive perimeter. Historically, the only "third phase" operational commitment the Japanese made was its Icho-Go offensive of Spring '44 in Southern China, and a half-starved offensive into Assam, India.



As for my war plans, I can do little to avert him achieving success in the First Stage. As such, I can retain no initiative, but only respond as follows:

1. FIRST STAGE ALLIED RESPONSE:
- Move my air groups from Luzon to Mindinao in the Southern Phillipines.
- Withdraw the Royal Navy's Force Z group from Singapore to Java
- Concentrate a surface action group of Dutch, British and American ships at Java
- Agressive carrier raids against outlying Japanese islands to retain initiative
- Fall back from Burmese Coast to Ledo and Mandalay to defend Burma Road
- Make the Nips pay for every ground they take

2. SECOND STAGE ALLIED RESPONSE:
- Withdraw bypassed British forces in Malaya to Burma and Ceylon
- An American offensive designed to bring the Japanese to an attritional battle (i.e. a Guadalcanal-style battle), possibly in the South Pacific.
- Australian offensive into New Guinea or Timor Archipeligo.
- Guarding the southern overseas supply routes at all costs
- Guarding the approaches to India at all costs

I do not have a plan against my opponents third stage designs, likely because there is little certainty as to what the strategic conditions will be like by then. It is by then that the tide may turn in my favor, either through a crushing "Midway" style decisive battle, or a "Guadalcanal" style attritional battle. In the meantime, I have to make him pay for every inch of ground, and throw off his initiative as much as I can by making unexpected attacks. We both share the disadvantage of historical tendency, and the advantage of historical hindsight. It is the latter I must take advantage of.

So it is December 6, 1941.

I am "unaware" that the Kido Butai (the "KB") is lurking some 150 miles NW of Oahu. This is the Japanese "Deathstar" that in the early months of the conflict my opponent would do wise to keep concentrated, using it to deliver powerful blows to crack the nut of my Allied defensive perimeter. It would be insane for my two carriers to engage the six-carrier KB.



My two carrier groups, the Lexington and Enterprise are south of Hawaii enroute to Midway and Wake to deliver fighter contingents to my defensive perimeter. My local commanders in Hawaii have spotted Jap mini-subs around Oahu. The radio transmission reports show immense comm activity from Truk Island, Palau, Formosa and Hanoi.

The stalemate continues in China where the Nationalist Chinese hold a precarious defensive line, with a salient at Nanchang where one Chinese corps is fighting on the ground. At the foot of the salient is Changsa, defended by 20,000 men of two corps and one division. I would expect my opponent to launch an offensive there to "pinch off" the salient at Nanchang.



"Force Z," Churchill's token commitment to deterrence, is docked at Singapore and consists of Adm. Phillip's battleships (BB's) Prince of Wales and Renown. Dutch Adm. Doorman's Dutch fleet is concentrating at Java. The U.S. Asiatic fleet, commanded by Adm. Hart, has a meager force of two cruisers and a handful of destroyers. It is dispersed throughout the Southern Resource Area (SRA).

America is a sleeping giant at this time. I await my opponent's moves.