Strategic Questions: Mallorca

[Q-Ball]

Thinking ahead to when game is ready play human v human, I was thinking about one of the first decisions you have to make as the Republic: Are you invading Mallorca? And if so, when and how?

The first part of that question whether you should invade Mallorca. I think the answer is YES, but it's not 100% clear cut, IMO. What do others think?

Mallorca's Strategic Value: What is the import of Mallorca? It's primary impact IMO is on communications in the Mediterranean. It's a platform that can be used to attack shipping coming from Italy/Odessa, and thereby interdict fuel and supply shipments. The most important asset on the island is the Level-4 airbase outside Palma, as well as the port itself.

For the Republic, I think you want that cleared to keep supply and fuel flowing from Odessa; without Nationlists on Mallorca, it should be pretty easy to keep it flowing to Barcelona, outside submarines. It also will be a pain for the Nationalists, especially getting the CTV from Naples to Spain, if the Republic has bombers there.

Basically, control of Mallorca gives you the upper hand on shipping lanes

So, I think it's a worthwhile target

When?: This is why I think the Republican player needs to be thinking of this from Day 1; if you're going to do it, you should do it right away.

The Nationalists have no navy or airforce to speak of at-start. The first real warships, CA Trento and CL Cervera, can get to the area around August 4. This gives you 2 weeks to land cleanly. I think the Republic should target a landing for August 1 for that reason. Setting sail on July 29 or 30 gives you a couple weeks to pull together ships and some units. The ships are not a problem....and there should be a fair number of militia available at Barcelona, Valencia, Cartagena, and other ports by then. Quality is another matter.....

Forces: A landing that early means you're going to be doing it with whatever militia and few guns you can grab and get there. This does represent a COST: August is a critical time where there aren't alot of units on the map, and pulling units away from the Mediterranean ports for a month to invade Mallorca carries some risk. This is the main thing that should give Republicans pause; if I am the Nationalist player, and I see an invasion of Mallorca, I will know that there probably aren't many forces in Aragon or elsewhere. This would allow me to either a) push in that direction, or b) launch a push toward Bilbao knowing I don't have to worry about my rear. This, to me, is the primary COST that the Republic will pay for invading Mallorca

[Q-Ball]

The Battle: I didn't mention Ibiza, btw, because I think landing there is a no-brainer no matter what you do; the garrison is very small, only a couple battalions should be enough to clear it. I don't think the Nationalists will bother to stop you.

For Mallorca, a landing on the northern coast is pretty standard, staying away from the CD guns on the south coast. The Nationalist are almost certainly going to pull back to Palma, where many of the units are static and it's the only defensible point. That does mean taking the airfield is pretty easy IMO, even if you get stuck in a siege of Palma.

Speaking of the airbase, it's a good idea to bring an airbase unit or two to activate that base. Planes based there can help keep the Nationalist Navy away.

The Republic still has naval superiority during August/September, but you still don't want to be tied down on Mallorca 100%, because you are probably trying to interdict traffic from Morocco to Spain at the same time. For this reason, you really want to be ashore mostly early-August.

It seems like it will take a fair amount of troops to take it, given the poor quality of what you're working with.

What can the Nationalists Do About it?: I haven't quite teased this one out....certainly, Nationalist Cruisers will look to interdict any ships, so at a minimum you can force the Republic to tie-down some warships on escort. Bombarding troops is also not a bad idea. I don't think you can really do much with airpower before the airbase falls.

Getting reinforcements to the island is very tricky. A Tabor or two from Morocco would do wonders, but an alert Republican player will be looking for that. You could fly a unit in for sure, that's a possibility.

If the airbase falls, getting supplies there is going to be very risky. For this reason you may need to write it off if the Republic commits to this. That does complicate getting ships from Naples to Morocco/Spain, I haven't worked out yet the best way to make that happen.

Probably the main thing the Nationalists can do is take advantage of the lack of Republican forces on the mainland for August/September

Thoughts on any of this appreciated, I wonder if I'm on the right stack of mail here

[colt12myers]

I’ve played both sides for about 55 turns so far and the situation to me it seems both sides can take and hold the Balearic Islands to their advantage of controlling sea trade in the Mediterranean later when both sides get a real Air Force. However, it comes down to how many resources does either side want to commit to taking/holding them. Republicans can form up an invasion task force/force rather quickly and I did this in my campaign but I am still battering at Palma with about 7000 troops because I have committed most of my troops to attacking on the mainland in the north to connect up the two conclaves. While with the nationalists I really just started assembling a force to try and take Menorca it’s a little harder as you have to wait for some Naval units to show up and foreign air units to support the invasion and shift forces around.

So win/lose

Republicans - gain a base to interdict nationalist sea lanes in the med and secure their own to odessa/while they may lose more territory on the mainland because they have way less land power than the nationalists at the start of the game.

Nationalists - the opposite really they don’t really lose much in not holding the Balearics other than I good base to interdict republican supplies.

[Q-Ball]

Good points

I think against a human, a Nationalist presence on Mallorca will always be a little tenuous.....because the Republican Navy can get there so easily from the mainland, and the whole place can be bombed as well. I probably wouldn't attempt a Menorca invasion as the Nationalists against a human, but against an AI....sure, go for it

I think this will be a major focus area. As you said, 7000 guys probably not enough to quickly take Palma, though it is enough to take out the airfield and all the CD guns outside Palma, so that's not nothing

[RangerJoe]

Check my AAR, I did invade Mallorca early and I used some regular infantry units along with militia and artillery. I did manage to cut off some Nationalist units but I would have won eventually. If people want me to do so, I can go back and update my AAR for every turn that I played during that time. In fact, I am on 22 November 1936 and I am thinking about invading Afrika before I capture Burgos.

The Nationalist navy without fighter protection is asking for torpedoes from torpedo bombers plus bombs from other bombers. Not to mention submarines and the nationalists don't have too many ASW vessels early in the game.

[Q-Ball]

Check my AAR, I did invade Mallorca early and I used some regular infantry units along with militia and artillery. I did manage to cut off some Nationalist units but I would have won eventually. If people want me to do so, I can go back and update my AAR for every turn that I played during that time. In fact, I am on 22 November 1936 and I am thinking about invading Afrika before I capture Burgos.

The Nationalist navy without fighter protection is asking for torpedoes from torpedo bombers plus bombs from other bombers. Not to mention submarines and the nationalists don't have too many ASW vessels early in the game.

Could be helpful, though I think a human defender will certainly circle the wagons in Palma.

And you're right about aircover.....there's no way for the Nationalists to defend the airfield, so they will have zero aircover even if they do get some planes. Republican bombers can easily reach the area from the mainland.

The more I think about, the more I think the Nationalists can't really defend it (just hold out for awhile with the forces there)

[melvi]

Don´t forget the coal mines in Pollensa. There is a saying in spanish "from take my donkey to give me your donkey there is a 2 donkeys difference". You earn whatever coal production gives you after conquering it and deprive nacionales from that coal. And it is not an small amount at all.

PollensaCoal.jpg (428.97 KiB) Viewed 9 times

Regards:
Melvi