Questions for Some Experienced Axis (and Allied) Players

[anthonykevinluke]

Evening All,

Back playing this game after many years and just getting into it. I am getting some experience learning against the AI (before going to PBEM) and have come across some questions.

I note that when Italy dumps out of the war the germans have to garrison N Italy with 40 CV and a Sec unit. So in addition to this need how many divisions would you have in Italy to hold the Volturno Line and other successive lines? It seems the only place to get them is the East Front as up to Sept 43 the Germans only get 4-5 depleted Inf Divs and a single SS PZGdr Div. So how many Divs from the East Front to hold the line and meet Garrison CV? It seems I would need some 16 - 20 Divs drawn from the East Front (and is this best done in one hit or spread out noting the morale hit).

In theory could you put an Air Superiority Box over Holland (constant 8th AF approach route to Nth Germany and Ruhr) to strip away escorts and then another box with the mass of Luftwaffe behind it to hit the unescorted Bmbrs?

Last Question; for the Allies - after landing and beginning Sicilian conquest are the Amphib TFs best put back into African ports to begin prep for Italy or put in the Sicilian Ports and launch from there?

Many thanks in anticipation of vetran help and advice.

Cheers,

Tony

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: tony luke

...

In theory could you put an Air Superiority Box over Holland (constant 8th AF approach route to Nth Germany and Ruhr) to strip away escorts and then another box with the mass of Luftwaffe behind it to hit the unescorted Bmbrs?

...

Tony

I wouldn't - or more strictly might only do it every now and then.

The problem is that the Netherlands are also well in the range of the shorter ranged allied fighters, so they can respond with their own AS mission, tangling up your fighters with Spitfires etc. You may 'win' the particular battles but it will increase the speed of attrition on your pilot pool.

At some stage in July-October 1944 the Luftwaffe will effectively fall apart. At some point your pilot losses will be so bad that you need to start using untrained pilots in your fighter units. This will increase your losses and ... well you can guess the rest.

Playing footsie with Allied fighters in the Low Countries is a good way to accelarate this process [;)]

Now is it worth doing sometimes? Different question as a lot of the air game is about ambushes and setting up traps (both sides). An echeloned set of AS missions may well pay rewards if you catch your opponent out - but I'd do it as a one off (and hope I'd gambled correctly).

[Carterjon]

Last Question; for the Allies - after landing and beginning Sicilian conquest are the Amphib TFs best put back into African ports to begin prep for Italy or put in the Sicilian Ports and launch from there?

I think they prep much faster in the larger and undamaged African ports.

[anthonykevinluke]

Thanks so far; any thoughts on forces for Italy from the EF, how many etc (well, there is no where else to get them from!)

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: tony luke

Thanks so far; any thoughts on forces for Italy from the EF, how many etc (well, there is no where else to get them from!)

If you are playing EF BOX ON, then pull them from the East Front, by all means. EF ON makes Italy easier to manage for sure. If EF BOX is OFF, then you'll have to make-do from the surplus in France.

There is no hard answer on how much you need, but in general:

-Holding a mountain line can be done with 6-10 divisions or so if you set it up right. The terrain is really a bear.
-You need reserves around Rome, including a line of forts just off the coast, to guard against an Anzio-type landing

If you are transferring units to Italy, use Mountain Divisions first. They are very handy in Italy. Paras also work well, because you can break them into regiments and stretch the defense a bit, given that they are so tough.

[anthonykevinluke]

Ack, thanks all.

Cheers,

Tony

[LiquidSky]

I found the best way to get more units into Italy was from the Garrisons in Europe.

Set your supply priorities to 4 for your units. Let them absorb all the manpower they can. This will increase the CV of the garrisons, and allow you to pull more units out.

Use all your support units too. Attach them to units in garrison to increase (or tailor) to get exact values....so you are not under but just over. I usually go 1 point over.

Park the mobile units in Northern Italy. Spread the infantry out at least one unit per port. Around Rome, put the bulk of the infantry to instantly contain the inevitable invasion. The rest can easily form a line in the mountains, behind the river north of Naples.

Replacements are freight. All your supply depots should be high priority in France etc....you have tons of rail points, and the allies are probably not bombing them (yet) so get those depots full.

Supply priority 4 for the units means they will fill up to above TOE if they can....and you should have enough manpower to fill them all until around the end of the summer. After that you may want to do some creative disbanding for some more manpower.

It is best to do this in the summer as your national morale is still okay....

[LiquidSky]

As for the allies...well, they want to keep those amphs prepping as much as possible. I use the little French units a lot to prep even faster....I sometimes leapfrog invasions up the Italian coast to ensure his withdrawal and to keep him on his toes.....maybe even every 2-3 turns. Usually I have to keep changing targets...but I like to plan for the worst. Same for the paratroopers.

I always keep one amph free though to use for shore bombardment. This one gets all the marines/commandos/rangers.

The germans should never ever fly a daylight superiority mission. The Luftwaffe has lost the war...they just havent realized it yet. You want to prolong them from finding out for as long as possible. I usually park the Me410 squadrons around ploesti to build up....plus they make a wonderful surprise for the inevitable unescorted US bombing mission. I think I once shot down 200 bombers that tried that.

Give the German Fighters loadouts that make sure they dont use drop tanks. The longer and farther they fight, the more you will lose. As well, the mission is not to try and shoot down the allied bombers...the trick is to damage them since they dont bomb (or bomb poorly) if they are damaged.

I usually build up level 3 airbases in the Ruhr area and park the entire luftwaffe day fighters there. As well...transfer all the flak you can from other bases. There is a lot of flak defending ports that would better serve you in Cologne....Essen....etc.

The allies will still try and fight you, but you will usually out number him over the summer...and that is when he gets the best bombing points. Once the bad weather hits...and a new year begins..you can move back to Berlin and central Germany.

If you want to fight the luftwaffe as the allies...then you want airsuperiority...and you want to encourage the German player to use his planes in Italy....If you suspect the luftwaffe is around....use your strat bombers and bomb the airfields. You can devestate the luftwaffe in one turn. You may lose a lot of bombers...but even a 1-4 loss ratio will benefit you.

Well..that was some random thoughts...probably posted elsewhere.

[Bismarck2761]

VERY helpful.

[barkhorn45]

Put one amphib north of the northern ferry hex but not next to messina and another one adjacent to southern one but not next to reggio Calabria to interdict supply.

[anthonykevinluke]

Very useful, thank you gentlemen.

Cheers,

Tony

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: barkhorn45

Put one amphib north of the northern ferry hex but not next to messina and another one adjacent to southern one but not next to reggio Calabria to interdict supply.

but be careful, this would tempt me to expend the LW bomber force. The ability to severely damage 2 TFs would end secondary threats in the Med for most of 1943. Also while they are doing this they are not preparing other attacks - LiquidSky above makes a good point about the value of brigade sized raids,

[HMSWarspite]

ORIGINAL: Carterjon

Last Question; for the Allies - after landing and beginning Sicilian conquest are the Amphib TFs best put back into African ports to begin prep for Italy or put in the Sicilian Ports and launch from there?

I think they prep much faster in the larger and undamaged African ports.

They do. The Sicilian ports are smaller and will be damaged so an invasion build up will take weeks longer (like for like) in Sicily vs the larger North African ports. There is also the minor issue that the invasion divisions they build up with will be eating Sicilian supply rather than NA supply (of which there is plenty). The ranges from NA mean you can still invade most places you want to, except will into the Adriatic. It isn't usually feasible to invade there anyway...