struggling with loss of Italian navy and no Afrika Korps

[Treefrog]

British CV and French navy can keep the Italian navy inport and pound them from the air badly, even if the Germans send a fighter to help defend the Italian navy in port. While this is happening the RN is blockading the North African ports and reducing their value to "0". The naval situation leaves the AK with no place to got as most players don't like the result of running an AK transport through a RN CA or BB just to enter the port. When the port is reduced below 5 the AK sits on its transport waiting for the RN CV to sink them before unloading.

So now Italian morale is reduced to the 60% level and their fleet has no real options unless their naval weapons and naval doctrine receive roughly 600 MPPS and they wait two years + for the 2nd naval weapon upgrade to kick in.

Is there a way out of this quagmire for the Italians? I've read where a player sent the navy to the Baltic which led me to think maybe send them to the Pacific and they can serve as auxiliaries to the IJN so long as Italy exists.

What say you?

[HamburgerMeat]

Most axis players I play against purchase maritime bombers for both Italy and Germany. They are extremely deadly and cost effective versus naval units.

Place as many of your capital ships deep within the adriatic sea, in port, try to block the entrance to the sea with submarines, and bring down the luftwaffe to help. Taking france might be delayed by bringing down the luftwaffe to help Italy, but the british navy cant stand for long vs bombers

[HamburgerMeat]

Alternatively, you could gamble and go for a sealion invasion

[lwarmonger]

If the british player fully commits to the med, if you have an opportunity for a successful sea lion, take it (I have traded north Africa for England in two games now... worth it!).

Or just put everything into Russia while using naval bombers and subs to make the British navy pay.

[Helsingor]

An Italian AA unit can also be helpful, if placed in Venice. That, plus the Italian fighter, and one German fighter flown down from Germany can blunt 5 of the 6 carrier air attacks that the RN can launch. If you stack the upper Adriatic with BBs furthest north, then CAs then, CL and DD, with subs furthest south, you can make it very difficult for the French fleet and the RN to get to the more valuable assets with their surface ships. If your subs are blocked in, they can't dive out of the way and open up the sea lanes for attacks on the surface ships behind them. You might lose a ship or two, but not the whole fleet. And if you have a Maritime bomber, you can probably do some serious damage in riposte, since the British carriers will likely either be gone or in Naval/Tac mode and unable to intercept