Evacuate units on the beach

[Emporer]

Hi

Sometimes there are difficulties to invade via beaches and it could be needed to evacuate units them from the beach. Is it possible to evacuate units that are on the beach after landing?
Or have I missed something here.

Cheers
Captain Jack

[Platoonist]

I believe there is an intent to maybe change this in the future with a pick-up option but for now you either have to capture a port, provide beachhead supply, air supply, or simply let the unit attrit.

[ncc1701e]

Yes, I think I read that Alvaro was thinking of it. But, I am not sure it will happen.

Another thing missing is that DD were able to carry some troops and this was used by the Tokyo Express around Guadalcanal. And, for me, the Supply Beachhead should be able to bring 1 manpower to help repairing a landed unit each turn.

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supply.JPG (46.61 KiB) Viewed 786 times

[Platoonist]

Another thing missing is that DD were able to carry some troops and this was used by the Tokyo Express around Guadalcanal. And, for me, the Supply Beachhead should be able to bring 1 manpower to help repairing a landed unit each turn.

Yeah, the Japanese in particular were fond of moving troops by destroyer. Both the US and Japan converted some of their old DDs to fast transports (APDs) Japan used them a lot in the opening phases of the war. On APDs the torpedo mounts were cut away, but some gun and ASW armament remained. Often some of the boilers were removed, reducing the speed of the APDs by several knots, but rarely to less than 20 knots. Still darn fast for a transport and the shallow draft helped them get close to shore.

If I recall the Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal and maybe Kiska was exclusively done by destroyers and APDs. Nothing else could get in and out under cover of night fast enough.

[stjeand]

With 1 MP being about ~1,000 troops...that would take quite a few DD runs to replace.

In a two week turn though it would be possble.

[Platoonist]

Pulling the Japanese 17th Army off Guadalcanal involved over 20 destroyers undertaking three Tokyo Express runs within the first week of February 1943 to evacuate as many as possible of the 12,000 Japanese soldiers still there. They got 11,000 out which was far better than they expected.

However, most of the evacuees were in such poor physical condition it was likely months if ever before they were fit for combat again. The destroyer's decks were close to standing room only which is acceptable for an emergency but not an ideal way to transport troops over long distances. As at Dunkirk all heavy equipment was left behind.

[stjeand]

Pulling the Japanese 17th Army off Guadalcanal involved over 20 destroyers undertaking three Tokyo Express runs within the first week of February 1943 to evacuate as many as possible of the 12,000 Japanese soldiers still there. They got 11,000 out which was far better than they expected.

However, most of the evacuees were in such poor physical condition it was likely months if ever before they were fit for combat again. The destroyer's decks were close to standing room only which is acceptable for an emergency but not an ideal way to transport troops over long distances. As at Dunkirk all heavy equipment was left behind.

So perhaps a stack of 3 destroyers could move a division...
BUT for me they would have to lose efficiency and strength in order to simulate loss of heavy equipment.

Though I think it could work.

[AlvaroSousa]

Read about the Tokyo Express and how inefficient it was. This is something I am considering.

[Platoonist]

Read about the Tokyo Express and how inefficient it was. This is something I am considering.

It certainly had its drawbacks. Not only in terms of what could be carried, but the higher cost in fuel and the wear and tear on the IJN destroyers doing the flank speed runs and the occasional night clashes.

For Japan, short on both oil and DDs the "Express" was a mixed blessing at best although they kept using them as late as 1944 to run supplies into Leyte.