QUESTION ABOUT OPS FIRE

[randell765]

As Japan, lets say I have an infantry and an artillay and flak gun on each island,does that mean that every ship that goes through a sea zone with my units on the island get fired upon?

Does a flak gun automatically fire at the planes?(not sure on this if the planes are considered on a carrier if they go past or if their considered flying)

Thanks for any help

[AnimalAl]

I am pretty sure the answer is no. I think the plane/arty auto attack is only at the narrows, e.g., Gibralter, English channel, Suez Canal, some spots around Indonesia.

[Dalwin]

I disagree. Op fire is definitely more than just at the narrows. Op-fire from artillery may just be at narrows or when landing on that island, but I think aircraft will get op-fire at any fleet passing throught he zone that contains their island.

If they did not do it this way, all of the strategy of the island war in the Pacific would be negated. The whole point to that ring of islands is to set up air bases that interfere with the enemies ability to move through the area.

EDIT: ah just noticed that the original post didn't mention air. If you want a ring of defense around Japan, put air on the islands. Other assets there are mainly to protect the airfield.

[Mr.Frag]

Op Fire looks to apply in 3 cases. (air+arty only)

Ships moving through narrows. (not subs)
Ships moving past enemy held island. (not subs)
Heavy bombers transporting inf/supply through enemy held region.

Nice manual, very easy to find stuff. [8D]

[Dalwin]

In may not be in the manual, but I have seen another time when op-fire applies.

The game will allow you to move tanks through enemy held territory without taking it first. If you do this, units in the bypassed area get op-fire.

I discovered this by accident on my first game. I am used to games where you do all moves first and then do all combats. I knew I wanted the second move for my tanks to put them in Paris so I gave those orders without first conducting the battle for the Netherlands.

Granted, no one would intentionally pass through the Netherlands like that. However, the game does allow it and op-fire does apply. This could be important at times on the Russian front. Especially if some tanks have gotten encircled.

[Mr.Frag]

It's there, just rereading it now ... for the purposes of figuring that out, Rail is the same as a Transport ship. The unit leaving the hex (moving into the next hex) incur the Op Fire. Effectively, it sounds like by moving through that hex without taking it first, your armor did a strategic move instead of a tactical move which made it subject to the rule. The poor dutch shot at the passing trains [:D]

Pg 61 (8.5.3)

[Dalwin]

Of course, unlike a strategic move the tanks were still allowed to attack once they reached Paris. However since the Dutch had killed 2 of the 7 as they passed through, I restarted and called it a learning experience.

[Mr.Frag]

One more fine print rule on Op Fire ...

Amphib Invasions.

Each unit landing gets hit by Op Fire from any Arty. Important fine print note ... evasion of the transports goes up for each unit already in the hex so dropping some airborne boys in first might just save you a ship or two! Of course the example doesn't mention that the heavy bomber delivering those airborne boys is subject to Ops Fire too!

Tough to weigh that one out ... as the evasion bonus is increased for each successful landing, it probably works out that risking the heavy bombers + airborne is more cost effective then loosing transport + ground pounder.

Section 8.5.4 (read it a couple of times) [:D]

[Reinhardt]

Ships moving through narrows. (not subs)
Ships moving past enemy held island. (not subs)
Heavy bombers transporting inf/supply through enemy held region

According to the manual...(pg 61)

Subs moving through narrows (all naval units) do take Op fire from air/arty

Arty doesn't fire off of islands

[Mr.Frag]

Arty doesn't fire off of islands

Unless you happen to be landing troops in which case it eats your transports. [;)]

[batou]

I don't have the manual with me, but I seem to remember one other instance of op-fire. That is, when fleets pass from one sea zone to another and the border between the sea zones abuts a single land province, units in that land province get op-fire at the fleets. I am not sure if I was dreaming this, or it is really in the manual... Oh, just found it in the manual. Turns out this applies to interdiction points rather than op-fire

-jim

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

One more fine print rule on Op Fire ...

Amphib Invasions.

Each unit landing gets hit by Op Fire from any Arty. Important fine print note ... evasion of the transports goes up for each unit already in the hex so dropping some airborne boys in first might just save you a ship or two! Of course the example doesn't mention that the heavy bomber delivering those airborne boys is subject to Ops Fire too!

Excellent catch Frag I bet many missed that one. One of the best uses for Paras is to soften up the defence during (or actually before) amphib landings. I call this "Pegasus bridge rule". It was used couple of times to good effect in our early beta AARs.

O.

[Mr.Frag]

Excellent catch Frag I bet many missed that one. One of the best uses for Paras is to soften up the defence during (or actually before) amphib landings. I call this "Pegasus bridge rule". It was used couple of times to good effect in our early beta AARs.

Rapidly coming to the conclusion that reading the manual cover to cover about 20 times is a good plan to start with. Little things like that can obviously make a huge difference.

[SugarBear]

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag
Rapidly coming to the conclusion that reading the manual cover to cover about 20 times is a good plan to start with. Little things like that can obviously make a huge difference.

AMEN!

Wish I had read this post 2-3 days ago... the Mediterranean might look a lot different than it does right now... one day I'll figure out all the nuances of this fine game!... this I swear... [:'(]