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After playing the Tutorial for some time I finally started the BIG campaign. Now the logistics trouble begins... My questions:

1) If I place an HQ in say Dacca or Calcutta - how effective is the over land supply pull from Karatchi?
2) Same for Australia: Do I get Supplies from Perth to Brisbane over land effectively? Should I better use AKs to haul the precious stuff?

Well, I'm a newbie too so I have no answers but your question is one that I have had for some time.  Over land supply has been a bit confusing to me.  In China for example, I have some bases that have lots of supplys but others that should bee getting overland supply from those bases have little to none!  I look foward to an aswer to your question.

ORIGINAL: CallMeFrank

After playing the Tutorial for some time I finally started the BIG campaign. Now the logistics trouble begins... My questions:

1) If I place an HQ in say Dacca or Calcutta - how effective is the over land supply pull from Karatchi?
2) Same for Australia: Do I get Supplies from Perth to Brisbane over land effectively? Should I better use AKs to haul the precious stuff?

Welcome to the forums, Frank! [:)]

I'll take a stab at answering your supply questions. First, section 14.3 of the manual gives a good summary of how supply moves overland. The key is the distance between the locations and the type of path. Assuming you are using the stock map, both India and Australia have rail connections between the areas you mention. It costs 2 "supply movement" points for every hex along a rail line between the end points. The total supply movement cost is subtracted from 100. If the cost is over 100 no supply can move between those locations. Less than 100 allows more supply and more frequent supply movement. Karachi to Dacca/Calcutta is about 24 hexes by rail, which costs 48 movement points. This will severely limit the amount and frequency of supply movement. Perth to Brisbane is way over 50 rail hexes, so no supply will move directly between those bases. For distances like these, use your AK's.

One other point to remember is about HQ's. Only Command HQ's will attempt to draw excess supply to the base where they are located. Usually, they try to "collect" 25k supply points above what is normally needed at that base. The various Corps and Air HQ's will not draw excess supply.

This is a good question to dip your foot into the deep, deep pool of WitP knowledge. [8D]

Thank you for the welcome and the answer. I knew it would not be that easy...[:)]

And I have a follow on question as well:
I read somewhere that between "close" island bases automated supply transportation takes place. This should apply to the Hawaiian bases, shouldnt it?

Frank, for port to port movement across water to an adjacent hex, one if the keys is that both ports must be at least size 3. 
 
Check out this thread from the magnificent collection of Must Read Threads - Thread:  http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1349415
 
That one concentrates on oil/resource movement.  I'm trying to find confirmation somewhere that port to port movement over water will happen for supply as well, but I'm out of time.  Maybe someone else can find a quote somewhere. 

I don't believe supply moves across water.

ORIGINAL: USS America

ORIGINAL: CallMeFrank

After playing the Tutorial for some time I finally started the BIG campaign. Now the logistics trouble begins... My questions:

1) ...

Welcome to the forums, Frank! [:)]

I'll take a stab at answering your supply questions. First... [8D]

One other thing to remember is that a base will only draw supply once every three turns. Another, up to 20% of the supply drawn is expended in the movement of the supply.

The only over water movement of supply occurs bewteen bases that are seperated by a single ocean hexside.

Dacca can easily draw supplies from Karachi and Bombay. The other bases in India proper that have resources and heavy industry will make and transfer some supply also.

My thoughts: I always ship a massive amount of supplies to Chandpur and Diamond Harbor. This is not so much to avoid the overland movement losses as it is to get excess supplies near the battle. Consider Akyab. While it is technically within supply range of Dacca, when the Japanese reach it, the supplies get cut off. Multiply the problem by Mandalay, Lashio, and Myitkyna. Then consider supplies consumed for righting, building, moving, breathing, etc. When these get cut off, you will only be able to prolong your defense, thereby slowing the enemy, by flying in supplies. China is always tetering on the brink with supplies. Any serious operations in or around China will require supplies flown in over the hump.

Don't rely on the base transfer. Move massive amounts of supplies forward to key depots and use your transports to fly supplies when they are not flying troops.