Rebuilding a shattered inf Div

[Hano]

I have just experienced a setback, as a result one of my UD divisions took 40% casualties attempting to retake Baker Island, theyre unfit for combat what is the best way to get them back up to strength....

Ship them back to Pearl or San Fran, rest them at Fiji (theatre command loc) or something else?

Any suggestions?

[Sardaukar]

Rest mode and enough supplies in base.

There might be problem getting replacements, so West Coast is the best bet.

[LargeSlowTarget]

Send it to a big base (to negate the effects of the malaria zone, if applicable) with lots of supplies and lots of HQ for sharing additional support squads. Set it to rest/training and exchange the leader for one with high admin ratings. Provide lots of the two things that start with "boo...".

[GetAssista]

Dividing a division into A/B/C will speed up replacements arrival.

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget
Provide lots of the two things that start with "boo...".

Correction, three things. Booze to supplement the four sets of two things in your signature.

[LargeSlowTarget]

LOL, I was actually referring to booze and the things in my sig - I just counted a set of the latter as one thing as they are usually provided in one package. Essential items for I&I... um, I mean R&R.

[HansBolter]

Rebuilding a Division can be a very slow process if every other unit in the army is also set to receive replacements.

It can be a snails pace process if the Division is Indian or British due to the very slow and sporadic influx of replacement troops.

The only way to have absolute priority given to the broken unit is to turn off replacements for every other unit in the Army.

This can often be impractical for units in contact with the enemy.


I would be curious to learn the details of how the unit was broken.

I have found that a Full Division with an artillery battalion, a tank battalion and a combat engineer regiment is usually sufficient for taking a defended atoll without the Division being shattered. Of course all need 100 percent prep.

[Ian R]

Baker island - it has atoll stacking limits on the map in use?

You will have to pour a massive amount of supply there (probably amphib load at first) to rehab the unit if over-stacked.

Therefore, I would pull it back to PH (or Seattle or San Diego rather than SFO where other units collect).

Baker is better off garrisoned by a USMC defence battalion and a small base force.

You might put an infantry battalion or CD artillery there, but you could also leave some stacking space for some extra AV squads which you slice off an air Hq by flying boat transport. That and some AV ships will give you a good search hub with PBs and SBDs, and some F4Us to CAP the base.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

LOL, I was actually referring to booze and the things in my sig - I just counted a set of the latter as one thing as they are usually provided in one package. Essential items for I&I... um, I mean R&R.

Split the division into battalions. take a shot for each BN. then watch Force 10 from Navarone. Works every time

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: LargeSlowTarget

LOL, I was actually referring to booze and the things in my sig - I just counted a set of the latter as one thing as they are usually provided in one package. Essential items for I&I... um, I mean R&R.

Split the division into battalions. take a shot for each BN. then watch Force 10 from Navarone. Works every time

Some divisions start out as battalions which combine to brigades and then to divisions, but when you split a division it goes to a brigade/regimental combat team (because of the extra devices a division has) called Div A, Div B, Div C. I have never seen to option to subdivide these into smaller units, so I am guessing you meant to say brigade rather than battalion?

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Ian R

Baker island - it has atoll stacking limits on the map in use?

You will have to pour a massive amount of supply there (probably amphib load at first) to rehab the unit if over-stacked.

Therefore, I would pull it back to PH (or Seattle or San Diego rather than SFO where other units collect).

Baker is better off garrisoned by a USMC defence battalion and a small base force.

You might put an infantry battalion or CD artillery there, but you could also leave some stacking space for some extra AV squads which you slice off an air Hq by flying boat transport. That and some AV ships will give you a good search hub with PBs and SBDs, and some F4Us to CAP the base.

Good advice.

While a full division plus is often required to take an atoll, you never want to leave a full division there after taking it.

I often keep the transporting amphibious TF that delivered the invasion force on station and immediately reload the division after all supply has unloaded. This leaves the supporting tank and combat engineer battalions/regiments as temporary garrisons until a proper Marine Defense battalion and/or independent regiment can arrive to take over the defense.

A gutted, or even heavily disrupted/disabled division may never recover fully on a heavily over stacked atoll.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy


Some divisions start out as battalions which combine to brigades and then to divisions, but when you split a division it goes to a brigade/regimental combat team (because of the extra devices a division has) called Div A, Div B, Div C. I have never seen to option to subdivide these into smaller units, so I am guessing you meant to say brigade rather than battalion?

To a degree. I was being facetious. Apologies. In terms AE, smaller units broken down from larger units, tend to recover faster. They also can suffer reduced casualties. This isn't a new thing. Been known for a long time. In the last big PBEM I played, my opponent and I explored the effects of having say, a Divisional level LCU in a hex, suffer bombardment and compare to a a hex where the LCU parent was broken down into components. There was a distinct advantage when LCU elements were broken down into smaller segments. It shouldn't be that way, but in the end one is dealing with code.

[Sardaukar]

On the other hand smaller units are more prone to be destroyed in combat, so there is that downside.

With recovery, it is indeed beneficial to divide to A/B/C, but I rarely use that. I play exclusively Allies and after 6 months of game time I start to have more units than I can shake stick at...so to speak.