Guide to the Opening Phase of the War?

[propbeanie]

Yes, DEI is just as much, if not more so on the chaotic side of things. Very dangerous situation, since by the time of the Java attack, the Japanese had Indo-China, Malaya, Philippines, including Davao Gulf, and could come from several different directions at one time, which they did.

Balikpapan is still tenable into January, 1942 in RSRDC, so if you are conducting a patrol while retreating, which most boats did, unless they had restricting mechanical failures, some did stop at Balikpapan during during their withdrawal, with one even doing a short "rest period" of about 7 days while repairs were made. In real life, the location was under constant observation and then attack, as Borneo, Celebes and other nearby areas were attacked and taken. If you want to "play" it like most of the US skippers did, you'd come in for fuel and torpedoes, if available, and you would NOT terminate the patrol. Even a couple of the boats that went into Soerabaja and Port Darwin went right back out within two days, and did more patrols, sometimes with new skippers ...