Nordic Convoys

[Michael T]

@Alvaro

My Nordic Convoys are really getting chewed up by the Allied Navy's during the blizzard when the convoys have to go via the Norwegian route.

Can you add a function for players to pause a trade agreement?

Because my Merchant Ship losses are mounting and there is very little I can do to stop it.

So I would really like to be able to just halt the convoys until the weather clears and then resume so they can take the safe route in the Baltic.

Please...

[Flaviusx]

For whatever it is worth, if you are short on convoys I believe the Swedes will cover the shortfall. But yeah, I'd love the ability to suspend convoys.

The Allies can destroy the entire German merchant marine in one winter if they put their minds to it. Forget subs, surface fleets set to raiding will trash convoys fast.

[AlvaroSousa]

You could also buy escorts. I'll see what I can do

[Flaviusx]

Germany really cannot afford to be buying escorts in that first winter, not without badly compromising their builds against France in 40.

And it is a moot point anyways. By the time you get those escorts, the weather will have improved. So any escorts you are buying are for future purposes.

[gwgardner]

No, no, no! Now come on guys. You want Alvaro to change everything just to suit your mode of play. Find a way to protect your convoy. Get some naval air power up there to smash those Allied surface TSs.

[Michael T]

Escorts won't help against French or British Raiders either.

[Michael T]

I think it's sensible and realistic that if a convoy (any convoy) is taking too many losses that the defender should be able to suspend it.

[Flaviusx]

Naval air power from Denmark isn't gonna cover your convoy routes.

Yes, once you *have* Norway, you can shut down this nonsense. It's the first winter that is the problem.

[AlbertN]

The problem is that if the Royal Navy and the French Navy were manifestly violating Norway neutral waters other things may have happened. But alas Germany as it is now even lacks invasion ships to invade Norway early to send in the Luftwaffe (not that they've either planes to spare from France ... whereas the Allies are keeping their fleet sitting and doing nothing).

It's in general the system that I feel it is wrong - to stop the convoy is a neat production loss for Germany.
So it's a gain-gain move from Allied end, which costs them nothing except fuel - that they're not short of.

It can be simply fixed the way that if surface fleets end up a movement up to 2-3 hexes from the coast of a neutral country, it automatically consists in a declaration of war.
That way Germany gets Norway in the fold of Axis powers. (Which allows the Luftwaffe in).
Otherwise the Allies have to do it with submarines and that's it.

[Michael T]

But any convoy that is getting whipped should have the option of suspension. IIRC the allies temporarily suspended the Arctic Convoys after PQ17. My memory is hazy on it, but for certain they at least considered it.

[Flaviusx]

The allies could and did suspend arctic convoys. And you can actually do that in the game because those convoys aren't automated, they can be manually cancelled or set to whatever level you wish.

[Michael T]

Well if it's already in the game then why not any convoy.

[AlbertN]

Because a thing is a trade between two nations you control - and another is a trade that passively comes from a neutral!

[PJL1973]

ORIGINAL: Michael T

I think it's sensible and realistic that if a convoy (any convoy) is taking too many losses that the defender should be able to suspend it.

Seems reasonable, there were periods when the allied Artic convoy to Russia were suspended for that very reason IRL.

[Meteor2]

And, when talking about it...
Is the manual setup for convoy routes in generell a bad idea?
After Torch a route from the USA to NA maybe or the installation of a route from Sicily to Tobruk etc.
Each route displayed then in the convoy box and to be equipped with freighters and escorts.
Maybe a realistic approach to convoys and supply.

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx
they can be manually cancelled or set to whatever level you wish.

Well in our game you attacked and sunk my lend lease convoy and I had no lend lease convoy set up at the time, yet I lost transports to your attacks. I've also seen Italian convoys sunk if a British sub lurks near Syria along the convoy line there if Syria is neutral. In our game Syria is no longer neutral and my subs and fleets haven't sunk anything, so something odd there to look at too.

Jim