Atoll invasion

[LoBaron]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

ORIGINAL: jmalter
then switch to full speed / unload / do not retire for the next turn.

Whats the benefit of setting an amphib TF to full speed? Except maybe posing a less juicy target for subs and eating
up fuel at quadruple rate?

Unloading has nothing to do with TF speed, and the TF is already in the hex, correct?

Correct - also there will only be two unloading phases, not four. Each navel movement phase allows unloading, which can be partial if the TF is interrupted by, say, approaching enemy warships.

One old practice is to stop 1 hex away in a hex with no land whatsoever. Then move that last hex (at normal speed, not full speed) with Unload settings on the invasion turn. This was because of bugs where some troops would begin unloading in spite of the Do Not Unload setting if they were in a hex with land (your intended target or not). Of course those few troops always got trashed in the shock attack. I have not heard of that happening in a long time so Michael might have found it and fixed it quite some time ago.

Thanks! Thought so.

I remember that bug, but I think it was in WitP, have not heard of it in AE...

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: jmalter

Whats the benefit of setting an amphib TF to full speed?

often, my AmphTF is set to arrive 1 hex away, so i use fullspeed for the final approach.

also there will only be two unloading phases, not four. Each navel movement phase allows unloading, which can be partial if the TF is interrupted by, say, approaching enemy warships.

AmphTFs unload 4 times a turn, before the naval movement & after the air operations, in both the night & day sections.

Thanks for the correction.

[JocMeister]

Thank you all for the advice! [:)]

I will land 2 Tank BTL 1 USMC RGT and 2 engineer RGTs in the first wave. The second USMC will be in reserve! I really, really hope it will be enough. As I said this time I will spend a lot more time working over the island with naval and air bombardment!

[jmalter]

hope you have good results w/ your atoll assault, JocMeister.

hope you have more than a few 'supply only' ships in your 2nd-wave AmphTF. if the defenses are tough, you need to go in initially w/ enough troops & supply to 'gain a lodgement'.

but IMO the overstack penalty (which destroys your supplies) is applied during the 'Calculating Spoilage' section of the game-turn, after land-combat is finished. so if you can start the next day w/ add'l supply unloading into the target hex, you won't be caught short during the 2nd-day land-combat phase. nor should you send all your 2nd-wave supply in to unload on day 2, but meter it out so that you can unload supply each subsequent day.

[JocMeister]

Woops! Had forgotten this thread I started but was reminded when a similar thread was posted. [:)]

I did learn from all the advice I got here and have now made two successful atoll invasions. Canton island was inconclusive as my opponent withdrew in the last minute but using the same recipe I just secure Baker Island.

I though I bump this thread as this thread is kind of a 101 on atoll invasions!

My own advice for Atolls: Bombard, bombard, and bombard for two weeks. Then land! [:)]

[goran007]

I always thought that only penalty for overstacking atol is penalty in supplies consumption?

If i am correct, go against atols with 2-3 times of what is stacking limit and take the base on first shock attack. That is what i do against AI at least.

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: goran007

I always thought that only penalty for overstacking atol is penalty in supplies consumption?

If i am correct, go against atols with 2-3 times of what is stacking limit and take the base on first shock attack. That is what i do against AI at least.

That is a limitation of defending an Atoll .. however, a defender can overstack at the last second and meet your now comitted forces[AI does not do that] on the first wave and we stalemate with two depleted forces .. if you do not have reserves I accomplish my mission because you will not take the atoll with the depleted troops .. so .. the thought is first wave takes all the penalities and checks out force comittment .. second and subquent preppred waves take the Atoll ...

[JeffroK]

All of this fiddling around with settings and bombarding for a couple of weeks only sets you up for a beating.

Your opponent will be getting Air Land & Sea elements into the area by every possible means.

Plus its going to take a long time to conquer the Pacific at those speeds.

IMVHO, if you are attacking a Bn sized force, take a Division plus support, 1-2 days air and sea bombardment and heavy units in the amphib TF. Upsize this formula as the defender number increase. Be 75%+ prepped and have competent commanders.
Dont fear overstacking, as long as you win the day it works, losing a few disrupted squads is acceptable.

As mentioned, bring extra supply while you reload the attackers and leave a garrison. Losing a few disrupted squads is acceptable.

Atoll invasions need to smash your opponent, not pry him out using minimal force and Clauswickinan tactics.

[bigred]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

All of this fiddling around with settings and bombarding for a couple of weeks only sets you up for a beating.

Your opponent will be getting Air Land & Sea elements into the area by every possible means.

Plus its going to take a long time to conquer the Pacific at those speeds.

IMVHO, if you are attacking a Bn sized force, take a Division plus support, 1-2 days air and sea bombardment and heavy units in the amphib TF. Upsize this formula as the defender number increase. Be 75%+ prepped and have competent commanders.
Dont fear overstacking, as long as you win the day it works, losing a few disrupted squads is acceptable.

As mentioned, bring extra supply while you reload the attackers and leave a garrison. Losing a few disrupted squads is acceptable.

Atoll invasions need to smash your opponent, not pry him out using minimal force and Clauswickinan tactics.

well, you can use a division on an atoll if u want to beat a
BN . I prefer one marine defense battalion, one combat engineer, one naval support section, and one tank unit. I find this gets the job done.

[John Lansford]

Bring a hammer to smash a walnut when you invade a defended atoll. A BIG hammer. I use fully prepped Marine divisions, plus tank and combat engineer units, only after repeated naval and air bombardment in the weeks before the Big Day. I also use the AKA/APA/Landing Craft units so they unload everything immediately rather than dribbling them out over several days.

If you've got air cover, the garrison was isolated so they couldn't resupply, and you've been pounding them by air and sea for a while, the assault will be bloody but quick. The longer you are just on the island without taking it, the worse it will be for your troops.