How to employ landing craft

[firefly177]

I got the part where you can look at your intel screen and see how many landing craft you can create. Once you have created them, how to use them for an amphibious assault to a base further then 1 hex away is beyond me at the moment. Maybe I am making assumptions here and going down the wrong path. Wouldn't be the first time.

If some kind soul would explain how the process works, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance...

[dr.hal]

Well firefly I could have this wrong, but I think you're confusing inherent landing craft that are part of an invasion force with the landing barges you can "buy". Auxiliaries such as AKs, AKAs, APs, and those with the "x" prefix (meaning they are civilian manned ships and thus not as effective) have their own small landing vessels. Thus they carry with them the tools needed for a landing (which can be enhanced by a Amphibious command unit). What you are talking about is really for "local" redistribution of supplies or other goods or for VERY local amphibious operations. Thus the one hex range. Others might chime in here to help you out, but that's how I've seen it. Hal

[Chris21wen]

What Dr Hal said.

Plus the Allied LCUs/Japanese Barges created in ports cost supply, linited in range (1/2 respectively) and can be returned to the pool so they can be re-used elsewhere a few turns later. The number created depends on how many you have available but no more than 12 at a time all going into a single Barge TF (even the allied LCTs) at the port of creation. You can continue to create these barge TFs until you run out of those available in the pool and out of supply. If you run out of supply at a port then you can alway create them elsewhere.

Even though barge TF are createed you can disband them in port and create various other types of TF with them including Transport/Landingcraft/Escort.

You can find out what is available in the pool through the Intel screen/ships available. Those listed are built in the regular fashion, those created at ports are shown at the bottom as landingcraft available along with PT boats and MGB.

To return them to the pool first disband them to port then list ships in the porrt where there's an option to 'return type to pool' at the bottom of the screen.

I should point out that the Allies have longer range landingcraft of various types, sizes and range, some of which are also created in the same way, other built normally. The later are much more useful.

Personnally I don't find them that useful due to their limited range, barges more so as they have a greater range.

[Chris21wen]

Forgot, you can also create barge TF from any transport TF that has sufficient supply.

See section 6.2.16 page 107 for more.