I would like to hear how people are managing Italy? I found that is difficult to maintain supplies to Tirana for a campaign in Greece and at the same time fight a front in North Africa with supplies being run there also. I run out of sea transport points.
Thanks, that's what I have been doing. It's a challenge as Italy trying to manage your limited PP's. You really have to ask yourself what you want to spend it on like upgrading your armor units to corp level or going after faster research or buying STP's.
You don't as Italy start off in a very strong position like Germany with a more advanced doctrine, better levels of troops and larger industrial (PP) base.
Just curious to how everyone is managing, any good war stories
The key to the Mediterranean was Italy. Ignore Albanai and Greece. Send armor and motorized units and a few extra infantry and one air unit to Tobruk, Africa EARLY via eastern Mediterranean naval zone before hot war with Britain. Reinforce infantry to corp level there at Egyptian border. These moves counter Wavell's offensive. Reinforce Tripoli against surprise French attack by land. Slowly replace naval losses to combat strong British navy in Mediterranean. Build air units that can badly weaken British naval power by naval air strikes. Research Italian infantry and armor to level 2 units. Build German armor and motorized units, send to Trieste, Italy, sea transport to Tobruk via eastern Mediterranean naval zone.
I agree with Gary. As the Italian, you may get away with it against the AI to fight in Africa but you won't be able to maintain a force in Africa for long against somebody focussing efficiently on supply convoy destruction in the Med. The RM is no match for RN and - even worse - when combined with the French Navy (if it is still in play as it probably is if you play a human). You will spend more PPs than you gain to replace STP losses.
In my next game I will play VERY slow with the Italian, build strength and conduct campaigns not requiring supply via sea as long as there is no naval supremacy in the Med.
In "At the request of Herr Oberst" the Italians are sitting peacefully in their villas reading the newspapers.
I believe the Malta event has been modified to fire only once, which is great. Malta is an island, a base, but it must have subs and planes and attack craft to actually sink Italian vessels.
I would like to hear how people are managing Italy?
Thanks
I thought you might like to know your post inspired me to give Italy a try. I didn't get to far, ran into an unusual supply issue after taking Yugoslavia.
JFalk68;
Hi, try this in a 1939 game. Concentrate the Italian forces against Yugo from the start and attack it in the winter months before germany ia an ally. 6 units in the south, the rest in the north. Invest in Infantry Tech, then warships.
After Yugo, upgrade your planes and move them to the boot. Upgrade African units to Corps size and get the Armor & moto units there then upgrade them to Corps size.
Purchase 3 Amph points (1 Corps to move to malta) with bombardment and your Air.
Group your fleets in Toronto (Repair as much as you can), create 2 sub & 2 surface fleets (One each for the central & Eastern Med)
When war begins through an antry alliance with Germany, waste no time in torching Malta, Offensive with the Infantry, Armor & Moto Corps size units (Place a level 5 leader with as many of the armor & moto corps as you can) into Egypt (Holding Action for the French in Africa & static front in France).
When France goes then so do your western worries. Egypt should fall, then attach Saudi and take Iraq. Later form up on Greece for a two pronged attack on Turkey and hence the huge Russian oil centers of the South.
The Italian navy with active air attack of the central & eastern Med areas is enough to waste the British fleet.
“I got a great deal on some French WW2 army surplus guns. Never used and only dropped once...”
Keep your Armour and your level 2 motorized in Europe send level 1 infantry to Africa to keep the brits busy. By all means send the level 1 motorized to Africa if you wish. Be wary of a French push from Algeria, if they can cut off Tripoli your slim chance of keeping africa supplied goes to just about nil. Take Yugoslavia, threaten the German player with pugilism if he dares create Croatia.
If you can survive in Africa till the French are out of the game, then you can actually make a play there. Put the Regia Marina in the central med, patrol it with your tac bombers, and prepare to spend on transport points. You will need to keep the supplies flowing to Tripoli. If you reach this point there is hope in Africa... start sending some motorized forces.. as N Africa will become a battle of manouver and you will need some manouuver forces as the brits will have motorized and armour there.
Do NOT send any aircraft there until your certain you can keep it supplied, there is nothing worse than seeing your airforces stranded somewhere for lack of supply. Your tac air can stay in Italy to patrol the med anyway and your fighters should be doing whatever the German player needs done with them.
Concentrate on artillery tech. You can only afford to keep infantry units resupplied in reality, and even if you teched up your armour you will never match the USSR or the UK in any case. Level 1 Armour Divisions make excellent manouver elements on the Russian Steppes, and if you smash through Egypt they will be sufficient for whatever middle east objectives you decide on. With infanty and the occasional motorized formations you will be good on the ground for bolstering the Romanians and Hungarians. If you can afford it tech your air, you start at level 2 air which is as good as anyone, if you can keep parity your air will be a nice bonus force in the USSR, and you will be able to hurt the British in the med. Don't bother teching subs or warships you will never catch up, and you will need the PP for everything else.
Greece may or may not be worth attacking, its a few extra pp, but you will likely need some German help so it depends upon his willingness to committ his Panzer Corps for a month and a half... I always tend to see the 100pp bonus for the Greek event and choose to invade.. but I am impetuous and I am unsure if its worth it.
