Slitherine

I can conquer Rendova within 20-25 turns, and I've managed to take the main airfield once or twice, but then I get overwhelmed by massive counterattacks from the north.

Any tips on how to beat it?

Where do you beachhead? I beachhead south of the city to the east and have bought a couple of arty and an AA unit, but I still get crushed.

Any tips on how to protect the support ships once the bombers start attacking them?

Any help appreciated.

I too need some tips on New Georgia. Seems as if the Japanese holding the western tip of the island are too strong and I cannot seem to break through their defense line.

Here are some tips that can help:

1.schon what is established is important. 2 Kreuzer with speedboat are for coastal artillery on the Straits in the north-east and then for the Flak and artillery in the north of inestimable value, continue 2 hunters and when the lower airfield was conquered, up 2 bombers, enough at the beginning of its own artillery , later buy a second gun, best M1 Long Tom because of the firing range;
2. all infantry principle without Transporter ... the cost unnecessary points and those with vans also not fast as those without;
3. Only then capture the airfield (shorter flight times to the enemy), everything in the north;
4. the minefield "rooms" with the supply ships off the airfield, so the troops of Rendovadort can land;
5, the auxiliary or supplementary troops for the Japanese in the mountains use that are expendable.

So I go to the thing ever.

Here's how I won - and whoa, what an EPIC fight it was (WARNING - SPOILER ALERT):

1) split your starting force - main initial goal Viru Harbor but use one unit to capture the airfield.
2) once Viru is captured move to Rendova island with everything that floats, flies or crawls, leaving only one or two units as Viru security. DO NOT - REPEAT - DO NOT ENGAGE HOSTILE FORCES IN THE HINTERLAND OF THE LARGE ISLANDS.
3) Make sure you have some air cover against Jap fighters and bombers while moving west and attack Rendova port and it's complete east coast with all your might
4) once you got the island secured wait for the Long Tom Artillery that High Command will send your way - they ARE ESSENTIAL

NOW STARTS THE HARD PART... THE BLOODY ATTACK ON MUNDA AIRFIELD

5) Rest and collect forces but dont wait to long before moving north towards the Airfield
6) Keep a steady CAP in the air to protect your boats from bombing and strafing runs
7) Use whatever means necessary to attack by force along the eastern coast between Munda and the towns further east along the coast
create a DIVERSION along the coast bust stay focused on Munda with an elite main force - do not get bogged down only attacking secondary targets
9) prepare for losses clearing mines, getting shelled, bombed, strafed and kicked ass so bad that it hurts - I lost so many men i litereally was filled with rage
10) use your marines and supply boats to tenaciously deny enemy counter attacks, while arty and offshore ship based arty and dive bombers give the Japs hell on earth
11) Survive the onslaught until the initial waves of Jap infantry are spent and running home to Tenno (problem is they usually don't run - but stand their ground)
12) Reinforce and used combined arms tactics to mop up towards Bairoko - but beware... the fight ain't over yet - so move cautiously...

What helped me win was the assistance of a BB I had aquired earlier in the game and prodigiously replacing and reinforcing units all along the line.
If you have units you really love - be sure to wave farewell to some of them. I lost a general in the first wave against Munda - it really was a fight to teeth and nails.
I also upgraded lots of my infantry/marines with LVT's and other means as I simply couldn't wait for the men to get into their Higgins boats in a harbor.

Hope it helps son, war is hell!

Here is my tips and how I do it in the hardest difficulty mode sometime ago before the skin update so maybe there is some changes after that I am not aware off. If no changes then below written will help a lot.

1. P38 Lighting is the key for air as they can hit ground target hard and still able to hold versus Japanese aircraft. Use them to protect ships and bomb artillery, tanks or anti tank guns

2. Do not deploy all unit or use up all supply at the beginning. Safe at least 6 land supply lor later use. Use it to deploy AA gun or artillery on West Island. Send AA to small island in between the west and main island of possible send some artillery there too it helps a lot in the bombardment and air space control.

3. Taking west island fast as you will get the AA and artillery in position faster not to mention the free Long Tom. I did that with 2 marine and 1 para. Marine is in the blue transport. Don't land south of the island sail north tip where there is 2 towns. That's my landing zone for para and marine to land near that to move south to capture another town. Then once supply is ready from town deploy an artillery to help clear the south tip entrench troops. Do not for get to use P38 lighting to help with bombardment.

4. Main island, 2 marine with blue transport moving the east coast and capturing towns and continue north, do not use land movement, use sea movement. Capture towns and go back into the water and move on. 2 engineers with a blue tank go for the town. Blue tank can bombard from sea (adjacent only). So use that to clear AA, P38 can bomb the infantrt after AA is gone. Flank infantry with 2 engineer, use 1 to attack to remove entrench bonus and use the another for dmg and finally chase him off or run him down with that blue tank.

5. Once you got your first town supply will move in so deploy 2 marine on town and do the slow moving to the next town via land, blue tank go back into water and go for next coastal town, there is another marine and supply boat for you after u capture the first town IIRC. Use them to move up to the next coastal town to help the blue tank.

6. The east flanking marine should end up in north and flank down to middle so the south team can link up and effectively cut off the japanese troops on the east side of main island, there is tanks and artillery IIRC also AA and 4-5 infantry.

7. Then regroup at the town near the bridge to prepare for final assault. Always deploy troops in forward towns after u capture it, u need to wait for a few turn to be able to use the supply. By this time if u have setup artillery and AA on the small islands then the enemy should be weaken by the bombardment. Enemy planes should be thin down a lot too as once your AA hit them they will fly to airfield and land hence long Tom will bust them on the ground.

8. Final phase, send 2 bombers or all P38 to take out the fortress east of the map, the one guarding the sea, care there is an AA there. Then long Tom island force strike from east landing away from the sea mines, if u didn't neutralize the fortress, your force will be not in full strength during landing. At the same time move the east force and breach the bridge, send the blue tank in water to help jump up and cut off enemy supply and go back in water. With arty help you should cross with minimal losses, just remember to use engineer first as they will be entrenched. Then send a splinter force north to flank that big japanese artillery on the objective town.

Hope it helps

I have deployed an escort carrier to support and protect the landings on the north west end of the island. I do not use a BB as some have suggested because it is a one dimensional weapon. Then move on to Munda. I found that using the escort carrier to refuel 3 fighters and a dive bomber (for pounding ground targets) worked well. I also deployed AA next to the supply ships. Once the enemy's air power is greatly reduces I fly one fighter off the map and deploy a second dive bomber to support my ground forces' advance on Munda. The extra dive bomber also is useful for sinking Jap reinforcements coming onto the island.

The escort carrier can refuel one plane at at time and saves from having to fly aircraft all the way to the east end of the island, which wastes turns that the aircraft could be deployed in combat.