How Long Should Amphib HQs Remain off Invasion Beaches?

[Dereck]

How long do Amphib HQs need to remain off invasion beaches? It seems they need to be sent back to North Africa real fast after the Sicilian invasion if one wants to make the 9 September 1943 date for the Salerno invasion.

What is the prime motivation for KEEPING an amphib HQ offshore?

Thanks

[Joel Billings]

Your temp ports must have an amphib HQ adjacent to operate. These are important for bringing in units and supplies until you capture and repair enough ports to supply your forces. So you should return any amphib HQs that are not needed (because they invaded real ports or one HQ can cover 2 or 3 adjacent temp ports). This will reduce your shipping losses and allow you to start prepping. At some point, you won't need all your temp ports, but that's something you have to figure out based on the situation.

[carlkay58]

1. If the landing is into a port, the Amphib HQ is not doing anything other than supplying ground support. So the historic landings at Siracusa and Gela (both ports) can have the amphibs return to ports and start planning a Salerno type landing in turn 2.

2. If you plan landings adjacent to each other (such as the two southern British ones are) than a single Naval Amphib adjacent to both invasion hexes will keep them both operating at full volume. This is a third amphib that can be recalled on turn 2 and started to plan a new landing - perhaps into Sardinia or Corsica or for a larger mainland Italian invasion with the other two amphibs.

3. A Naval Amphib unit MUST remain adjacent to an non-port invasion hex in order to keep the temporary port functioning. Once captured ports are repaired sufficiently to maintain the supply situation, the naval amphib units can move away and the temporary ports vanish.

[carlkay58]

You are faster than me Joel.