Supplying the Raj

[OldCoot]

I've left the tutorials and am playing scenario 8 (stock). To keep things simple, I have given computer control of all areas except SE Asia. My first concern is how to set up supply lines to Eastern India.

As I understand it, all my unit reinforcements will arrive at Karachi and I will need to put together some transport TFs to get them to the Calcutta-Diamond Head-Chandpur area.

When I check my map I see that Calcutta, Columbo, Trivandrum, Panai, Bombay and Karachi all have manpower, Heavy Industry, and Resource icons. Are these cities the sole source of my supplies? If so, should I assign TFs to haul stuff from each of these cities to the front, or should I send some transports to Karachi and set up the automatic convey system? I have at my disposal 155 AK, 13TK, and 8 AP.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: OldCoot

I've left the tutorials and am playing scenario 8 (stock). To keep things simple, I have given computer control of all areas except SE Asia. My first concern is how to set up supply lines to Eastern India.

As I understand it, all my unit reinforcements will arrive at Karachi and I will need to put together some transport TFs to get them to the Calcutta-Diamond Head-Chandpur area.

When I check my map I see that Calcutta, Columbo, Trivandrum, Panai, Bombay and Karachi all have manpower, Heavy Industry, and Resource icons. Are these cities the sole source of my supplies? If so, should I assign TFs to haul stuff from each of these cities to the front, or should I send some transports to Karachi and set up the automatic convey system? I have at my disposal 155 AK, 13TK, and 8 AP.

First - never put anything under computer control... even if you put one area under computer control, you will find other things acting wonky. For instance, if you put China under computer control, you might find your subs doing strange and often fatal things.

Even if the computer control is working properly, it has a tendency to route task forces through enemy controlled areas - and get them sunk.

Supplies in stock will arrive in Karachi... you can generate other supplies at places with resources, or with heavy industry, but the primary source will be Karachi. Some will move over rail lines, and you can move some by ship, but this tends to be an iffy thing once Japanese long-range aircraft start to appear - they can hit anything in the Bay of Bengal once they get into N. Malaya and S. Burma.

i pretty much let the supplies distribute by rail once this happens - safest and quickest.

[AirGriff]

Auto convoy isn't a real good option, unless maybe for the most rear of rear areas.  I personally never used it...heard too many horror stories. 
 
Moving HQ's to remote bases draws supplies in.  Run supply ships to places that don't seem to be getting any from the rail and road lines. 
 
I'm sure you are aware to get all the oil you can out of Rangoon.  Otherwise, it's just going to get picked up by the IJN when they take the place.  Malaya is probably too risky to try and get resources out of...if you're going to throw ships away there, it may as well be in an effort to save LCU's. 
 
Good luck! 

[wwengr]

ORIGINAL: AirGriff

Auto convoy isn't a real good option, unless maybe for the most rear of rear areas.  I personally never used it...heard too many horror stories. 

Moving HQ's to remote bases draws supplies in.  Run supply ships to places that don't seem to be getting any from the rail and road lines. 

I'm sure you are aware to get all the oil you can out of Rangoon.  Otherwise, it's just going to get picked up by the IJN when they take the place.  Malaya is probably too risky to try and get resources out of...if you're going to throw ships away there, it may as well be in an effort to save LCU's. 

Good luck! 

Never use coputer control.

Auto-Convoy sucks except for a very few rear area bases. Even then, it does not work well. It is better to run your convoys manually and keep track of them.

[Chris21wen]

You can put a TF under computer contol but only too rear areas; which is not the same thing as the Automatic Convoy System. As has been said the computer will route TFs through enemy controlled areas, it seems to pick the shortest route.
 
What I find strange about this is the computer will reroute a TF if it suspect enemy subs are in a particular area but not for A/c.

[AirGriff]

You can put a TF under computer contol but only too rear areas; which is not the same thing as the Automatic Convoy System. As has been said the computer will route TFs through enemy controlled areas, it seems to pick the shortest route.

What I find strange about this is the computer will reroute a TF if it suspect enemy subs are in a particular area but not for A/c.

 
Yes, the manually created computer controlled CS convoy works well in rear areas.  I've seen the AI give subs a wide birth.  Gotta watch this in case it puts itself in enemy aircraft range, which is why I don't typically do those in forward areas. 

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Chris H

You can put a TF under computer contol but only too rear areas; which is not the same thing as the Automatic Convoy System. As has been said the computer will route TFs through enemy controlled areas, it seems to pick the shortest route.

What I find strange about this is the computer will reroute a TF if it suspect enemy subs are in a particular area but not for A/c.

i stand by my statement - never use computer control, whether it is for subs, areas, autoconvoys, invididual TFs, whatever. Bad things will happen because of it, guaranteed... it is only a matter of time.

[DivePac88]

IMHO never ever use the Convoy System. Used to use it in AI games when I was learning, bad annoying things used to happen. Most of the Supply would be sucked-out of the Home Islands to over-supply quiet back-yard Bases. Always leaving me short of Supply for Upgrades, and Operations, so I would end-up bringing it back to where I needed it. [:-]