Need a refresher course on some basic stuff

[BBfanboy]

There are other large islands like New Caledonia, New Britain, Fiji, etc. that have multiple bases.
As for stockpiling, if you start doing that on a large land mass you can screw up the supply flow algorithm. Also, be aware that troops in the field still get priority for supplies so the stockpile at a nearby base will not affect them. This can be important in China where units at a base are starving but units in the field are still getting some supply. You might have to shuffle units back and forth to ensure they do not starve.

[Swayin]

Thank you! So a good setting for island bases?

Huh? Why would you stockpile on an island? Stuff doesn't flow off the island. If it's a large island, like Hokkaido, resources and supply will move around, but not off the island. I stockpile fuel at the HI producing bases on Hokkaido to help ensure they have fuel to make HI and it doesn't move away to fuel transports.

I assumed stockpiling = less wastage/spoil/loss. Which may not even be a thing.

[WEXF]

I don't believe stockpiling has any impact on the rate of spoilage of supply or fuel. If those items exceed the allowable amounts for any given base there is a real chance that spoilage will happen. Stockpiling really has very limited reasons for use.
WEXF

[Swayin]

When you bombard, depending on the target location and its infrastructure, sometimes you get "# fires" in the combat result ... what do fires do, practically? Chew up a supply point?

[WEXF]

See the manual page 264. There it talks about "firestorms". The main effect is that they can effect the industry in the bases.
The numbers vary a lot and can reach some pretty high levels. It is possible to check the "fires" each turn to see if they are being reduced or spreading.
WEXF

[Swayin]

I took Saigon weeks ago, but it hasn't begun any repairs - remains 100% damaged port and airfield ... it is fully garrisoned and has adequate supply. What am I missing?

[Nomad]

If you are talking about ports and airfields, you need engineers and they unit has to be in combat mode for them to repair.

[Swayin]

If you are talking about ports and airfields, you need engineers and they unit has to be in combat mode for them to repair.

ahhh .... it was the Combat Mode.

[BBfanboy]

I took Saigon weeks ago, but it hasn't begun any repairs - remains 100% damaged port and airfield ... it is fully garrisoned and has adequate supply. What am I missing?

Runways are repaired first. Any troops can repair runways but non-engineer squads do it much more slowly than engineers.
Airfield Services repair next. Only engineer squads work on this.
Ports repair last and only engineers can do that.
Forts cannot be worked on until the other base facilities are repaired.
Base repairs do not consume supply but you must have some supply at the base for the engineer squads to get the work done.

Industry repairs are carried out by abstracted civilians at the location and they do consume supply - 1000 points for each industry point repaired. Putting a point of expanded industry into operation is the same as repairing it.