AI for MWiF - France

[peskpesk]

Main base Marseille, CV Brest

[peskpesk]

Two main bases Marseille and Brest

[peskpesk]

Oran

[peskpesk]

Main base Marseille, risk CV

[peskpesk]

Main base Morocco and Brest

[Ullern]

Again fine choices but I think the TRS in Syria don't need escort. France would want to make that a port to port in the first allied impulse anyway, so the escort is just wasted oil. (Put an escort in the intended target hex for the port to port would be better.)

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: ullern

Again fine choices but I think the TRS in Syria don't need escort. France would want to make that a port to port in the first allied impulse anyway, so the escort is just wasted oil. (Put an escort in the intended target hex for the port to port would be better.)

I sometimes move the transport to Cape St. Vincent rather than to move it to any of the French south coast ports where the TRS can be subject to a port strike on a suprise. It depends a bit on what submarines Italy has drawn. But I usually try my luck against the subs rather than the port strike.

[composer99]

The French should consider having setup SUBs and/or lousy cruisers for immediate deployment to the Baltic. You will probably lose them unless the weather turns bad right away but they might provide a turn or two of disrupting the sensitive early-war German economy. Cost them a unit or two that they would use against you for the loss of some ships that would probably be Vichy, anyway.

[brian brian]

I've been playing LoC Vichy so long that French fleet deployments are hard to figure out now.

A raid on the Baltic without Vichy chits at stake is definitely worth while, I would send at least three CA on this.

I set up three CA with the TRS in Syria to deliver the INF there to western Algeria on the first French impulse. The TRS does need escorts when it is hanging out there in the West Med after unloading the INF.

I like to set up the CV with three more CA in the southern port in Morocco so it can possibly help out in the Med for a turn or two before internment. Set up there it is not subject to surprise Frog-man or NAV attack. If the French have the range 4 cv plane (2/3 chance), it can really be an edge in a naval battle.

[brian brian]

as for the convoys, route #4 is the best. the CW convoys can bring the Indo-China resource to France, and the French can supply part of the 'front-line' convoy forces to take any early losses. setting up French convoy points around the world seems rather silly; making a convoy plan should be done in conjunction WITH the CW plan, not separately from it.

In any plan it is best for the Allies to have a minimum of one CP in each Med zone, just to supply Malta. These CPs can deliver the Cyprus resource to the UK on the first turn and to France after that. The French oil can be safely stored in Syria and used from there each turn, there is almost no chance the Axis can completely break the world-wide CW convoy net early in the game, and the French get just as many BPs from 9 resources on the 1st turn as they do from 10, so they can just store the oil.

Putting a bigger convoy route through the Med is an option but has to be considered carefully, there are upsides and downsides.

[brian brian]

oh and for the first French move of the TRS, I do slightly prefer to leave it at sea so it can return to base towards Senegal (to eventually deliver the MIL to France), or towards wherever the 'Europe' TERR drawn randomly appears, it it is not in Algeria or Tunisia, to also bring that to France. And I don't scrap any French TRS to maximize the ones delivered to the Free French Force Pool upon Vichy creation, so at times I am dealing with the oldest, 2-range TRS, although I guess I should count up the total French TRS pool and look at how the half-total-quantity breaks to see if maybe I should just go ahead and scrap the old TRS with no change to the eventual Free French pool. ???

[peskpesk]

I promised Steve to make on more pass at the French convoys and go through all the forums post of AI for MWiF – France. Many good suggestions from forum members, and from that work and the earlier I have now compiled it to define 8 possible convoy routes for the French, from which the AIO will chose from.

As always if you have any comments about these convoy routes, we would love to hear them. If nothing else, you could help us decide on their probabilities.

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French Convoys plans/routes Global war

Route 1: French Convoys for French Resources (Standard).
Route is used to get home Senegal, Iraq and Indo China. Useful if not using Option 48 and Option 31 or if France want to use the Oil for production, or help Commonwealth with Cyprus. 0 CP in reserve.

Route 2: French Convoys for French Resources using options Oil and Saving build points and resources.
Route is used to get home Senegal, Indo China. Useful if using Option 48 and Option 31 or if France does not want to use the Oil for production. The Oil in Iraq is used for reorganization. 2 CP in reserves

Route 3: French Convoys around Africa.
Route is used to get home Senegal and Iraq. Used when Commonwealth and France do not want any convoy chain running through the Mediterranean. 0 CP in reserve.

Route 4: French Convoys in the Mediterranean and front convoys in the Atlantic.
Route is used to get home Senegal, Iraq. French convoys are used as front-line of the Commonwealth convoy pipeline in the Atlantic, letting them take losses when the Axis makes naval sorties.1 CP in reserve.

Route 5: French front Convoys in the Atlantic.
Route is used to get home Senegal. French convoys are used as front-line of the Commonwealth convoy pipeline, letting them take losses when the Axis makes naval sorties. French convoys also assist Commonwealth with over sea supply in the North Sea. Used when Commonwealth and France do not want any convoy chain running through the Mediterranean. 1 CP in reserve.

Route 6: French Convoys in West Africa, the Mediterranean, Australia to Canada.
Route is used to get home Senegal and Iraq and to help Commonwealth with convoying resources from Australia to Canada. When Vichy government is installed many French pacific convoys can be returned to New Caledonia where they have a high chance of becoming Free French. 1 CP in reserve.

Route 7: French front convoys in the West Africa and in the Mediterranean.
Route is used to get home Senegal, Iraq, Indo China. Commonwealth convoys are used to bring back the French RP east of the Mediterranean and France does the same in Mediterranean for Commonwealth helping with Cyprus. French convoys are used as front-line of the Commonwealth convoy pipeline, letting them take losses when the Axis makes naval sorties. 0 CP in reserve.

Route 8: French convoys in the Mediterranean and front convoys in the Atlantic high risk areas.
Route is used to get home Iraq and Senegal. Useful plan if late Italian entry is expected. Almost half of the French convoys are in the Bay of Biscay and in the other half North Atlantic. The French convoys are used as front-line of the Commonwealth convoy pipeline, letting them take losses when the Axis makes naval sorties. Commonwealth convoys are used to assist bring back the Senegal. 0 CP in reserve.

Base Convoy Deployment %
Route 1 25%
Route 2 15%
Route 3 5%
Route 4 13%
Route 5 12%
Route 6 15%
Route 7 10%
Route 8 5%

Optional rules that might affect Convoy Deployment %
• In the presence of the enemy
• Options Oil and Saving build points and resources (need transport home Iraq?)
• Rough Seas
• Convoys In Flame
• Oil tankers
• Cruisers in flames

[peskpesk]

Route 1: French Convoys for French Resources (Standard).

[peskpesk]

Route 2: French Convoys for French Resources using options Oil and Saving build points and resources.

[peskpesk]

Route 3: French Convoys around Africa.

[peskpesk]

Route 4: French Convoys in the Mediterranean and front convoys in the Atlantic.

[peskpesk]

Route 5: French front Convoys in the Atlantic.

[peskpesk]

Route 6: French Convoys in West Africa, the Mediterranean, Australia to Canada.

[peskpesk]

Route 7: French front convoys in the West Africa and in the Mediterranean.

[peskpesk]

Route 8: French convoys in the Mediterranean and front convoys in the Atlantic high risk areas.