Mayan Storyline War

[TacCovert4]

It works.  Also sets the stage for some serious pacific battles.

If the mayans aren't just defending their coastal areas, but rather are going to take a shot at reclaiming San Diego.....

[The Rock Doctor]

*Kirk receives plans, there are absolutely no conflicts, nothing gets shot, sunk or blown up*

[Kaiser Kirk]

*Kirk receives plans, there are absolutely no conflicts, nothing gets shot, sunk or blown up*

Theoretically, it is quite possible for the land war to kick off without a direct naval action.
Indeed "scout the foe" and "commerce protection" would not be unreasonable early orders.

The goal is to serialize this war as a "month" / week.

Something like an amphibious landing in Month 1 could then be reacted to in Month 2....
but it may take time to make a counter landing, meanwhile the first force has created an
ongoing supply problem.

Navies can be used in a variety of ways, and I hope to provide the venue for players
to explore their ideas.

...I would be surprised if those ideas were combat free....

[Kaiser Kirk]

I have tried to make a gallery of the various naval anchorages the players are using .
As I type this, I realize I forgot Acapulco, probably some other Aztec.
The Mayans may have a couple extra anchorages too, just currently without ships.

Well, since I don't know if these will be relevant later
and it's late.... I will worry about Acapulco later.
Hmm...did I edit cancun?
oh later...

Each map has an indication of where the anchorage would be,
a 5nm scale
an idea of if there would be shore batteries or not
Since Fox's Almirante port is inside a lagoon, I show the channels...basically it's an awful place for a submarine
to go hunting as it would get stuck in the mud.

With the Aztec and Maya, they are homelands, so plenty of time to dredge out the port and develop
a reasonable anchorage from lagoons.

Here is the link  for any interested : https://postimg.cc/gallery/tyXXKVV

[TacCovert4]

Given coastal fortification points, could we presume a reasonable level of anti submarine measures at those ports with fortifications?  Peacetime would probably just be ASW nets to block entrance to the naval port.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Given coastal fortification points, could we presume a reasonable level of anti submarine measures at those ports with fortifications?  Peacetime would probably just be ASW nets to block entrance to the naval port.

The chart produced for the Caicos war is still the one in effect.
So the level of passive defenses depends on the Coastal Fortifications level of the region and the type of asset.
The Labels "Naval Base" or "Major Port" were intended to relate to the chart's categories.

So the Aztec certainly have both ASW nets and pre-laid defensive minefields, both active and command detonated, covered by gun batteries.
The Mayan harbors have that level of coverage also.

Working Draft :
Coastal Defenses

Coastal Defenses are vexing.
They are points assigned on a regional basis which interact with very specific warships assigned a point target.
The abstract and the specific are difficult to reconcile.

I feel there needs to be a rough idea of what a Coast Defense point means, in order to evaluate things like naval raids.
How do we know if Scapa Flow has Torpedo Nets and defensive fields?  We look at what Walter's region has in Coastal Defenses.

The gun sizes are 'ranges'.
Once that gun is encountered, like a 305mm Mortar, higher levels provide more weapons.
I.e. doing an amphibious invasion against a 25pt fortified major naval bases will result in lots of very large mortars plunging down on any beachheads.
....don't try such a landing...

Appropriate support harbor craft are assumed.

Coastline

Naval Base

Major Ports

Minor Ports

Coastal DEF value

MG

Mortar

IG

TG

Garrison

Nets

Mines

MG

Mortar

IG

TG

Garrison

Nets

Mines

MG

IG

TG

Garrison

Nets

Mines

1

Coast Watch

Company

Company

2

Light fortifications

75mm

Company

75mm

Company

3

120mm

75mm

Company

yes

75mm

battalion

4

245mm

120mm

75mm

battalion

yes

yes

120mm

75mm

battalion

yes

75mm

Platoon

5

210mm

245mm

155mm

75mm

battalion

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

battalion

yes

75mm

Platoon

6

210mm

245mm

155mm

75mm

battalion

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

battalion

yes

75mm

Platoon

7

235mm

305mm

155mm

75mm

battalion

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

battalion

yes

yes

120mm

75mm

Platoon

8

235mm

305mm

155mm

100mm

battalion

yes

yes

210mm

245mm

155mm

100mm

battalion

yes

yes

120mm

75mm

Platoon

9

255mm

305mm

155mm

100mm

battalion

yes

yes

210mm

245mm

155mm

100mm

battalion

yes

yes

120mm

75mm

Platoon

10

Medium fortifications

255mm

305mm

210mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

210mm

245mm

155mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

120mm

75mm

Company

11

300mm

305mm

210mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

210mm

245mm

155mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

120mm

75mm

Company

12

300mm

305mm

210mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

210mm

245mm

155mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

120mm

75mm

Company

13

330mm

305mm

210mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

210mm

245mm

155mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

Company

14

330mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

210mm

245mm

155mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

Company

15

345mm

305mm

250mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

210mm

245mm

155mm

100mm

Regiment

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

Company

16

345mm

305mm

250mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

255mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

Company

yes

17

360mm

305mm

250mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

255mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

Company

yes

18

360mm

305mm

250mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

255mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

155mm

120mm

75mm

Company

yes

19

380mm

305mm

250mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

255mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Regiment

yes

yes

210mm

155mm

120mm

Battalion

yes

yes

20

Atlantic Wall

380mm

305mm

250mm

155mm

Brigade

yes

yes

255mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Brigade

yes

yes

210mm

155mm

120mm

Battalion

yes

yes

21

405mm

305mm

300mm

155mm

Brigade

yes

yes

255mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Brigade

yes

yes

210mm

155mm

120mm

Battalion

yes

yes

22

405mm

305mm

300mm

155mm

Brigade

yes

yes

255mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Brigade

yes

yes

210mm

155mm

120mm

Battalion

yes

yes

23

Max

305mm

300mm

155mm

Brigade

yes

yes

300mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Brigade

yes

yes

210mm

155mm

120mm

Battalion

yes

yes

24

Max

305mm

300mm

155mm

Brigade

yes

yes

300mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Brigade

yes

yes

210mm

155mm

120mm

Battalion

yes

yes

25

Max

305mm

300mm

155mm

Brigade

yes

yes

300mm

305mm

210mm

120mm

Brigade

yes

yes

210mm

155mm

120mm

Battalion

yes

yes

[TacCovert4]

Very well.

I'm back home now,  so I'll check and confirm my naval bases.

Also, for storyline purposes,  about what month will hostilities commence?  So those of us writing stories can keep within the lines.

[Kaiser Kirk]

The hostilities are kicking off in the last week of January, 1923
For the Maya the timing is based on the dry season timeline.

In the meantime, these are OTL basemaps I will be working from to sketch out trade routes in N7.
As we have some different elements, there will be modifications.

[TacCovert4]

Not sure if it's going to matter, but martinique and grand turk are bases for the fleet.  The outer gates, complete with significant fleet elements and dry docks.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Not sure if it's going to matter, but martinique and grand turk are bases for the fleet.  The outer gates, complete with significant fleet elements and dry docks.

They do count as 'Naval Bases'.
As they are islands, they assumed to have 1 major port facility by fiat.
That may or may not be where the ships wind up.

Grand Turk actually isn't the best spot for the base as there isn't a great sheltered
anchorage, but Iron bottom bay is. Unless specified by the player, I try to pick the
best spot for the

Continental provinces, the "Port Symbol" means one or more Major Ports
and a naval base could be at any of them.

If there is no "Port Symbol" things become problematic.
If there is IC, then a "Minor Port" exists - like the banana ports in Costa Rica.
However they are limited by nature. They may not be suited for a 'Naval base'
simply by geographic constraints. 

In general, when it comes to provincial 'Naval Bases'  and when the Coast Defenses apply,
the question is roughly - how much effort has gone into this place.

The tests I'm trying to apply are  :
1) are they central to the theater's effort. I.e. if there's 5 potential anchorages, only one would have been developed. Unless specified, I will choose the most suitable.
2) do they consistently support a cruiser division or greater- sign of use. Not going to put lots of funding into an area never used.
3) presence of drydocks  - i.e. has the nation developed repair and refit facilities at that location. Strategically that's worth protecting.

[The Rock Doctor]

I'll adjust the dates of my news.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Ok, so taking those earlier maps as guides for where the major routes were- particularly for exiting the Carrib
I have made this conceptual for where they are for this war.
Major in red, lesser in Orange, minor in yellow.

there is a scale bar of 300nm
24hrs at 10 knots = 240nm
24hrs at 12 knots = 280nm
24hrs at 14 knots = 366nm
24hrs at 16 knots = 384nm


<a href='https://postimg.cc/rdTrZ1vB'; target='_blank'><img src='https://i.postimg.cc/rdTrZ1vB/1923-Mayan-Theater.gif'; border='0' alt='1923-Mayan-Theater'/></a>

[Kaiser Kirk]

I'll adjust the dates of my news.

Originally I had expected to start this a couple weeks ago, but the preamble discussion meandered on too long.

Timewise, I had also expected end of HY 1, but once I looked at the weather for the area, that's a bad time.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Status Update :
I continued getting orders into Saturday.
Then started a round of back and forth into this morning.

While the fastest way is for the players to give general goals, and I figure out the rest, that's really not fair or fun for them.
So I had to step through things, which ate up my battle -gaming time

I had a meeting this morning that took until a little after noon.

There appears to be 2 naval battles in the offing, I will hopefully get the small one done this afternoon,
then I will work on the large Mon/Tues/Weds

Once those are done, I can resolve the land combat and rest of the month.

All and all I could see matters extending into next Friday.
Sorry,

In the future I will try to be more proactive about any back and forth elements,
so battles can be gamed on the weekend, not my weeknights, and we can keep the timeline
I will attempt t

[The Rock Doctor]

So be it.  Take the time you need.