509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Gary Grigsby’s War in the West 1943-45 is the most ambitious and detailed computer wargame on the Western Front of World War II ever made. Starting with the Summer 1943 invasions of Sicily and Italy and proceeding through the invasions of France and the drive into Germany, War in the West brings you all the Allied campaigns in Western Europe and the capability to re-fight the Western Front according to your plan.

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Easy301
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2022 7:01 am
Location: Currently Seattle Originally Chicago.

509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Post by Easy301 »

I'm attempting to set up an airdrop to support the mainland Italy invasion, all targeted in the same hex. I have three units in an airfield hex, two of the units had no problems targeting a hex for an airdrop.

The 509th just refuses to target any hex for a drop. I've read the manual regarding the airborne section probably three or four times in full now and I cannot figure out why this unit will not target a hex for dropping.

Here's the unit: Image

Looking at my overall strategic options It's probably going to be best not to drop this unit as is anyway, but I'd still like to figure out why the game isn't letting me target a hex for this unit.

Thank you!
Denniss
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Location: Germany, Hannover (region)

Re: 509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Post by Denniss »

509th has no movement points left, looks like it was moved this turn with SMP down to 12 instead of full 200
Easy301
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2022 7:01 am
Location: Currently Seattle Originally Chicago.

Re: 509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Post by Easy301 »

Denniss wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:07 pm 509th has no movement points left, looks like it was moved this turn with SMP down to 12 instead of full 200
Do you need movement points to designate a target hex for an airborne drop? I didn't see this in the manual. I was just trying to have this unit target a hex to start accumulating prep points in later turns.
Denniss
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Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2002 10:00 am
Location: Germany, Hannover (region)

Re: 509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Post by Denniss »

Several actions may require a unit to have at least one movement point left or even no turn movement at all. Dont know if thats covered in the manual.
Easy301
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2022 7:01 am
Location: Currently Seattle Originally Chicago.

Re: 509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Post by Easy301 »

Denniss wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:50 pm Several actions may require a unit to have at least one movement point left or even no turn movement at all. Dont know if thats covered in the manual.
Interesting, so this was indeed caused by me trying to target the hex with no movement points it sounds like? I did see another user who also had a problem with the same unit targeting a hex until a later turn and they didn't know what either.
kentkroeckel
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Re: 509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Post by kentkroeckel »

Hello Mr. Easy301. Mr. Dennis has answered the question for you. An airborne unit must have movement in order to target. Make sure also that an airborne unit does not have a support unit attached to it except another airborne support unit.

Naval invasion is the same thing too. Must have movement in Naval Task Force to create amphibious invasion. One other surprise is size of port. Say you set up an infantry division to invade from a small port. (15) Capacity. Then on following turns you add support units to the unit, making it greater than 15 naval transport size. The infantry division will not launch on the invasion turn. Of course this can be corrected quickly by removing support units to get under 15 transport size. The point is, if possible, launch from a 3 or bigger port size. There are plenty of 4, 5, 6, and even a few bigger ones.

Sincerely, Kent Kroeckel
Last edited by kentkroeckel on Fri Apr 17, 2026 4:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Easy301
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2022 7:01 am
Location: Currently Seattle Originally Chicago.

Re: 509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Post by Easy301 »

kentkroeckel wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 6:12 pm Hello Mr. Easy301. Mr. Dennis has answered the question for you. An airborne unit must have movement in order to target. Make sure also that an airborne unit does not have a support unit attacked to it except another airborne support unit.

Naval invasion is the same thing too. Must have movement in Naval Task Force to create amphibious invasion. One other surprise is size of port. Say you set up an infantry division to invade from a small port. (15) Capacity. Then on following turns you add support units to the unit, making it greater than 15 naval transport size. The infantry division will not launch on the invasion turn. Of course this can be corrected quickly by removing support units to get under 15 transport size. The point is, if possible, launch from a 3 or bigger port size. There are plenty of 4, 5, 6, and even a few bigger ones.

Sincerely, Kent Kroeckel
Got it, thank you! And thank you very much too Dennis, looks like you nailed it right on the head.
Denniss
Posts: 9299
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2002 10:00 am
Location: Germany, Hannover (region)

Re: 509th not able to target any hex for paradrop?

Post by Denniss »

That was actually just an assumption based on experience with WitE and WitE2 as they happen to say "Njet" if you try something with zero MP.
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