Crossing Straits of Messina

[Ski01]

Working through the Italy Campaign as a learning exercise. I am having my backside handed to me.
Have just crossed the Straits of Messina (way late) - I found the only way to do it was to use the Amph HQ as 'ferry' and sledgehammer directly across with 2 Div up head-butt attacks. But it took several weeks of attacks to get across. Is there a better operational technique?
(No I did not have Amph prep done to mount a lateral landing in the Gulf of Taranto unfortunately....)

[cfulbright]

I didn't even know you could do that!

Cary

[apd1004]

You might check out some of the tutorials & walkthroughs in the War Room, in particular the ones on invading Italy. There are so many more possibilities than just the historic ones.

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3964247

One strategy that is suggested is to re-target the airborne drops and some of the amphibious invasions (I just invaded Sicily with the US seaborne units only) on turn 1 so you get back 49 of their prep points which means you can conduct another invasion by turn 3. (not sure if the Italy scenario refunds the prep points as well, might just be the 43 Campaign).

In my current game I never did cross the Straits of Messina. In my mind, Taranto and the backside of the heel (Foggia-Brindisi-Bari area) is a much bigger prize than Reggio Calabria is. Instead I chose to invade the upper toe area which cuts off any German troops in the toe, then I moved on Reggio Calabria from the north. If you can then cut off and/or disable the ports in the toe, the entire area will become isolated and you can bag all of the units left there without much of a fight.

[Ski01]

great - thanks - forgot about that resource!!

[Chuske]

Opposed crossing at Messina is tough. If your opponent holds both hexes opposite the ferries it is better to do an amphib landing elsewhere in Italy but keep some troops in Messina to keep some enemy units tied up in the toe.

The AAR by loki100 even though it's the full campaign may help you in future tm.asp?m=4429752 in particular he discusses that the amphib task forces are not all needed from turn 2 in Sicily so you can free some up immediately for landings in Italy, Sardinia or Corsica. As you repair ports then you can free even more up and abandon your temp ports created when invading.

[Ski01]

thank you all!

[sandman2575]

In all the grand campaigns I've tried, the Axis AI strongly blocks the Straits passage by garrisoning Reggio de Calabria and the Toe in general. It means that, unless you plan from Turn 1 or 2 for a non-historical landing in Italy, you will definitely fall behind the Allies' historical schedule. It's pretty frustrating.

[GeneralDad]

In all the grand campaigns I've tried, the Axis AI strongly blocks the Straits passage by garrisoning Reggio de Calabria and the Toe in general. It means that, unless you plan from Turn 1 or 2 for a non-historical landing in Italy, you will definitely fall behind the Allies' historical schedule. It's pretty frustrating. -sandman2575

Agreed. While I just won a major victory in an Italian campaign big where I used partial FOW and upped my air game - I only did so because the AI made egregious mistakes and left a number of pocket-able and destroy-able units for me to kill. I landed at Taranto and Salerno - the big Taranto landing being my departure from history. If I can figure out how not to destroy my strategic air on turn one (its getting better for me), I will continue on with the 43-45 campaign I have started. But I am worried about suffering your your Stalingrad at Naples and my general perception that the game either favors the defense or the Germans over history - especially if you try a historical Italian landing.

GeneralDad