Immortal POW

[Naomi]

I regularly sent POWs to Madrid. They were of different nationalities, though they had one in common - they were all Spain's enemies. Now I am at peace with Europe and Britain, looking on the ex-POWs - like 100 divisions-strong (a 5-year build-up) - are close to bringing Madrid's defence down to heels.

POWs' immortality is way far from reality. And, besides, POWs forget about their homes on release.

[Ralegh]

Do I have this right - as Britain, you were sending your POWs to Madrid for 5 years (tricky!). Now you are at peace, the Spanish (who I presume are your ally) are being overwhelmed by all the ex-POWs. Is that the issue?

In 1.2.14, POWs are lower morale and lower quality troops than they were when they were captured - anyone should be able to clean them up pretty easily. But the sheer numbers you have mentioned will overwhelm the city, since force quality isn't a determinant in seiges.

Perhaps if released POWs remained non-combatants until they were in paid supply (reflecting the arrival of weapons, ammo, and orders) - that might avoid the sort of issue you are seeing, since these forces are unsupported, and only there because you (Britain) put them there. What do you think of this idea?

In the meantime, I suppose the lesson is not to stockpile POWs in a capital province.

[Naomi]

Let me provide more info.

I played France. I had a habit (acquired before the new duo of patches) of sending POWs to Spaniads-controlled Gibratar. When the Britons surrendered (no clue why they did so) to me, in case the POWs might be released by new British arrivals there, as the POWs were Albion-allied and I had seen POWs let go of by their allies, I moved them to Madrid. However, when all hostilities were brought to a treaty-bound close, the POWs were not arranged to make it home but rather became an expedient besieging force (that happened to be in large numbers) around the adversarial Spanish capital, where no Spanish effective was present.

Before the new patches, I did not care to relodge POWs after the initial placement of them in either Gibratar or Malta (in effect Central Mediteranean), as by the time I ceased war with the POWs' nations, the majority of them would have whittled to a bare skeleton, if not perished, through malnutrition.

[Grand_Armee]

POW's of certain nations fared really badly. Those that went to Russia starved. Many rotted away in Spanish prison hulks. Point one, they should never be rearmed until in supply. Point two, there should be some attrition to their numbers if they spend a long time as POW's. I had some Brits in my last game cooling their heels in Posen for 15 years. Certainly some of them would have died of some malady or other, escaped and deserted, or just disappeared.

[Naomi]

A thought of a cramped prison that easily squeezes the tenants into anywhere beyond the Three Dimensions may help to tell this POW immortality isn't one of the facts of life.