Invading Bases with Minefields

[DaveP]

Any of you tactical experts care to share some advice?

I tried to invade Balikpapan which has a minefield. I put a Minesweeping TF of DMS ships one hex away. They cleared some mines and then were gutted by shore batteries. I ended up invading Samarinda and will march overland.

How does one sweep the mines so a base can be invaded without losing all you minesweepers to defensive fire?

Help,
Dave

[tbridges]

Good question, Dave. I'd like to know this as well.

I hope you don't mind me nosing into your thread if I follow-up with a couple of related questions. How many minesweepers and/or how many turns of "sweeping" does it take to clear enough of the mines in the port before its safe for the invasion force to move in and start unloading? How do you know when its "safe"?

[scott64]

Maybe go around like you did. Bypassing the tough stuff will your minesweeper for another day after you capture the place.

[rubisco]

I'm no tactical expert, but I'd suggest putting the minesweepers in the invasion taskforce. The heavier ships of the invasion taskforce (cruisers, destroyers etc) will provide suppressing fire to help protect the minesweepers. Nothing is 100% effective though and you'll still lose some ships to mines and some minesweepers to shore batteries.

[CMDRMCTOAST]

Pound the snot out of the base and ground forces with airpower for a week until port, and airfield are in ruins
and the coastal batteries are suppressed then sweep and bombard and have an escort force with your sweeping
force but you may go around as you will lose some ships..

[pad152]

Put minesweepers in your invasion TF. If you have control of the air, you can station a TF of minesweeps one hex away from the port (no retire) to clear mines before your invasion TF arrives.

[EUBanana]

DMSs are your friend. And heavy air support.

Still, think of Gallipoli, they had the same problem there, sweeping mines under the noses of CD guns is not easy.

[DivePac88]

With the amount of mines you have to play with in AE, I don't think they're really a problem. I think that CD guns will be your real problem, and for that you need gunfire support.

[tocaff]

This is a great question that the USN would really like the answer to.  In the first Gulf War there was a minefield that they wanted to sweep, but coastal defense prevented this.  It's a problem that has always existed and there isn't an answer to it (yet) that allows the sweeping without exposing the assets to getting clobbered.

[sprior]

You can put DMSs in your bombardment TF to start clearing the way.

[herwin]

ORIGINAL: sprior

You can put DMSs in your bombardment TF to start clearing the way.

Historically, that was the primary mission of DMSs.

[sprior]

Woo-hoo, something in AE works as intended! Just kidding guys.

[oldman45]

I have had better luck putting the minesweepers in the invasion TF than sweeping prior to the invasion forces arriving.