ground campaign

[Pete McCullagh]

I am looking at the ground campaign in Italy. Not really understanding what is going on. According to manual and forum info on v1.04 there are 3 things I can do as allied player.
1) create oil shortage
2) bomb supply route railyards
3) weaken units on front

I have done this, but do not seem to be affecting anything. What's up?

[Arkham]

As I understand it, ground combat is still pretty bugged, and the breakout from the Gothic[edit] corrected, Gustav line is a scripted event to happen in May 44, so nothing you do against ground troops really has an effect.

edit: see here fb.asp?m=4650692

[simovitch]

Just be aware that if you don't do anything it will be a challenge to overrun Germany in April 45 and capture those industries needed for the victory. So you will need to push the advance in France and Italy by at least a few weeks over the scripted dates to get there, especially with the campaigns shortened by 65 turns. You do this by reducing the German units and making it easier to win ground victories. If the Germans win ground victories the collapse is delayed and that will be bad news.

The problem is it's hard for the Allies to meter the success of the ground campaign. I wonder if it would be helpful to provide the Allied player with an indication of how well the advance is going, or did the original developers want to keep this unknown?

[Arkham]

I wonder if it would be helpful to provide the Allied player with an indication of how well the advance is going, or did the original developers want to keep this unknown?

True, the Air Generals in WW2 didn't have access to intelligence sources, such as 'Stars and Stripes'. [:D]

In all seriousness, right now in my campaign (oct 43) its hardly worth the clicks to target the lines in Italy. The entire 12th AF is pretty useless TBH, and I mostly use it to try to kill as many LW pilots as I can, since the entire avalanche mandatory targeting doesn't really help me any.

[Pete McCullagh]

All noted. I have played this since '86 USAAF. This has always been an issue. Historically no serious effort was made to break out of Anzio until May44. My current strategy is to cause as much oil shortage as possible until mid April the concentrate on railyards followed by one sector of gothic line. Biggest problem is air force(me) doesn't know where or when allied ground troops will attack. Overlord is easier, since it basically follows history. I really appreciate how the team is trying to improve the game. Keep it up!

[mark dolby]

From an Axis perspective I noticed that not one of the Allied attacks on Axis divisions in the Gustav line succeeded until the actual breakout in May '44.
After Overlord, several German divisions were attacked and defeated although the line held as more were in reserve to plug the gap. I even saw the 21st Pz defeated/retreat and move straight back into the line in one phase.
However, all my in the line divisions had been considerably beefed up in light aa defences.

[mark dolby]

Are there any actual dates set in the program that mean Axis divisions will be attacked by ground troops (and I am talking Italy) or are the attacks a random thing until the '44 breakout? I ask because I am wondering if it would be possible to put up a message on the Allied side at the start of mission planning to the effect of:

'29 Panzergrenadier Division will be attacked by ground divisions today'

The air commanders knew when a major attack was happening and directed more attacks to help.
Of course if the attacks are random then the program probably checks at days end which helps the Allied player not at all.