Your experience with the partisan attacks

[schascha]

Hi,

I've read some AARs but I didn't find out informations about the influences, the effects of partisan attacks.
Could you share your experiences?[&o]

schascha

[turtlefang]

It's hit or miss.

You need to make sure that your VVS airbases have decent level bombers set to night missions to supply the partisans. In 41, I use DB, TB and SBs. And I tend to keep using these due to the long range. Otherwise, very little to nothing will happen.

Flav gave me a good suggestion a month or so back - put three VVS airbases under three BAK HQs, split the front up into thirds to cover the area to supply the partisans, put one HQ group (HQ, 3 ABs) to cover each third, and keep them close enough to do their job and far enough back not to get over run. Then check them occasionally to make sure the air units stay up to strength. Works well and doesn't take much time.

From what I can tell, partisans will only break rail lines. And while their numbers go up as the years go on, the influence actually drops a lot after the first blizzard. By then, the German RR units have connected a lot of the cross RR lines in the back so a single attack won't cut supply lines. You would have to have two or three in an area to have more than a minor impact.

And per some other post, partisans are like other units - you have to reach an effectiveness score for TOE being filled out + training (or morale I can't remember) for a unit to attack a rail line. The attack shows up in the phasing between player turns when supply, leader change out, etc.. happens.

In 41, a single partisan, given some luck and at the right time, can put a lot of Germans in a supply bind. And if the German player isn't paying attention, he may even miss the reason for the lack of supply. Other than that, I haven't seen any impact to speak of in the game.

After the first blizzard, I haven't just don't see much impact. But then again, they don't really take up much time or resources.

Would be interested to hear what others have seen.

[swkuh]

Thought that if ignored they could surprise at inopportune times (happened once)... playing AI, always since do whack-a-mole with security reg'mnt and w/allies in AGS. Don't know & can't prove that's optimal approach, but doesn't seem to cost much.

[governato]

[edited: Bombers need supply points to build, NOT arm points thanks to gingerbread for the reminder!]

As Turtlefang said partisans are useful mostly in 41 when the German railway network is fragile as there is no redundancy. I had partisans cut a vital German rail line on a mud turn, putting my opponent's panzers into isolation (too many MPs away from railhead). That was sweet, but one has to be a bit lucky and put a lot of resources (bomber and transport planes) into supplying the partisan units. What has recently started to worry me is the attrition on the SU bomber fleet. A bomber that crashes behind enemy lines is worth about 900/20 supply points (see section 21.1.7) and the loss of an experienced crew. After the blizzard, depending on your supply situation I would suggest limiting the number of VVS transport/bombers assigned to night missions.

[turtlefang]

I understand what your saying about the bombers and arm pts but you get sooooo many of the bombers whether you want them or now between the DBs, SBs, and TBs. And these last petty much the whole game for me on the VVS a/b.

Reality is that the only ones I really use anywhere else the first blizzard are the IL2 and the IL4 plus the recon and transports - and maybe a few PE2 until the IL2 production catches up. And supplies haven't ever been much of problem for me as the Russian. So "feeding" the partisans hasn't been a major drain. If it ever was, these would go first.

And the partisans might, just might, block a rail hex at a critical point. Hasn't happened, but then I keep buying lottery tickets too.

[gingerbread]

Bombers costs supply to manufacture, not arm.

On topic: The probability that partisans will have a significant (as in interrupting a main feeder line) effect has a very high variance. It's like an (extra) turn of mud for the mot/mech, unless some happened to do a HQBU the turn before, and I would not mind if the effects were levelled out. Perhaps extra vehicle attrition and rail supply modifier in proportion to partisan strength.

[EddyBear81]

Another thing with partisans is that they add a (very) little something to attrition through all those mini-battles. Since Partisan losses do not take Manpower from the Soviet pool, it's all a bonus for Uncle Joe.

[turtlefang]

I understand that bombers cost arm pts to build and not supplies.

But partisans cost supplies each turn - and depending on how many they are, how strong they are, the level bombers that you dedicate to supporting them will drop supplies each interphase between turns. These can add up. And if your short of supplies, you may not want to support the partisans. Best way to stop that, at least in the short term, is put the bombers back in the national reserve and don't staff you VVS airbases.

Fifty or sixty supplies each interphase = 100 to 120 supplies each turn in 41. Over the first 30 turns or so (it takes a few turns to get the partisans up and going), your talking about 3000+ supplies.

[Peltonx]

I have not played SHC much, but GHC allot. Only in 2 games have they had any effect and that was to cut rail lines 1 once in one game and 2 times in another where it mattered.

After March 1942 I have never seen them have any effect.

Also I am the worst at garrisionning citys and proud of it hehheehe. I am the best at something hehehe

Personnally I think transporting a single supply pt to them after 3/42 is a total waste. The SHC has a tough time during 42/43 with supplies ect why would you wast a single plane/supplys on something that has ZERO effect by March 42?

I personally hope and dont try stopping the planes after 3/42, why would I? Its helping the GHC war effert [8D]