How do you capture cities like Sevastapol?

inscrutible · Post by **inscrutible** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:10 am

I havent played since before christmas but in my last game against the AI, in 1942 I wasnt able to capture hexes in cities that were in supply. For most cities, I simply encircle them but others like Odessa, Sevastapol etc that can trace supply to other ports, I wasnt able to capture, even with INF divisions at max strength, backed up by HQs stacked with combat engineers and siege artillery (I know they were being committed to the attack as I even attached them to the INF to make sure).

I'd appreciate any advice as my current options seem to be limited to the interior cities such as Moscow which I can encircle......

Thanks.....

Denniss · Post by **Denniss** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:28 am

Soften them up by multiple aerial bombing attacks - you should prefer multiple smaller unit attacks over one or two large formation attacks.
It will inflict some equipment losses, generates fatigue and the targets may loose supplies/ammo/fuel.

Peltonx · Post by **Peltonx** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:48 am

Poineers. They can lower the fort level from 4 or 5 to 3, 2, 1 or even zero during the attack.

1. Ground attack 3 times with planes.
2. Have 1 divisions attack.
3. Large assualt with artillary, planes and poineers.

inscrutible · Post by **inscrutible** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:25 am

Thanks for the tips! Didnt realise that more smaller attacks would be more effective than all out assaults.....

Mehring · Post by **Mehring** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:56 am

Better than a direct assault, if you can draw the defender forward, bash them on the rebound and roll into the forts for nearly free.

Won't work on every opponent of course.

RCHarmon · Post by **RCHarmon** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:14 pm

Bomb the port. As soon as you can, without losing too many bombers, target the port and keep targeting the port. In this way you could leave fewer troops there and just wait it out. This does take more time.

vinnie71 · Post by **vinnie71** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:54 pm

ORIGINAL: Pelton

Poineers. They can lower the fort level from 4 or 5 to 3, 2, 1 or even zero during the attack.

1. Ground attack 3 times with planes.
2. Have 1 divisions attack.
3. Large assualt with artillary, planes and poineers.

Never tried it out - very interesting I have to say. I never realised that airpower had that much effect.

I just had to face the same problem in Gorky in '43 with the AI established in the city, but I couldn't cross the rivers in strength to encircle it (the AI counterattacked with heavily supported Infantry and Tank Corps and stopped my encircling forces and strangely did not withraw from Gorky itself). So basically I launched three heavy attacks in as many weeks with pioneers and even Stugs and only managed to lever the AI out of Gorky in the third attack with 6 divisions with full support and with heavy ground support.

Klydon · Post by **Klydon** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:56 pm

Honestly, ignore Sevastapol. (Although the tips given above are great information).

There is no advantage to take Sevastapol in the game right now from just about any way you want to look at it, be it industrial, manpower, or political.

In addition, it is far easier and more economical to guard the Crimea at the entrance than it is to try to capture the entire Crimea and then have to defend against Russian invasions.

karonagames · Post by **karonagames** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:15 pm

There is no advantage to take Sevastapol in the game right now from just about any way you want to look at it, be it industrial, manpower, or political.

In addition, it is far easier and more economical to guard the Crimea at the entrance than it is to try to capture the entire Crimea and then have to defend against Russian invasions.

I'm really not sure about this; again there is no right or wrong, but in one test game I did not get the Crimea, which allowed Ploesti to get bombed to the ground, and although I never saw the impact of the loss of Oil and Fuel, because a bug stopped the Game, I have always followed a "Crimea first" policy, and not regretted it. I have since modified my strategy so I get it after the blizzard rather than before, as bombing missions during the blizzard and snow are less effective.

Quite a few AARs show that attacks from the Crimea can be a nuisance, and tie down significant numbers of troops/units.

You could probably keep Sevastopol itself besieged with a few Rumanians, but I would not leave the big aircraft carrier in the Black Sea available for the Soviet Long Range Airforce.

edit: The AI does not use it's long range bombers or attack aggressively from the Crimea, so Klydon's advice is fine for playing against the AI rather than a good soviet PBEM player.

Ridgeway · Post by **Ridgeway** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:26 pm

ORIGINAL: inscrutible

Thanks for the tips! Didnt realise that more smaller attacks would be more effective than all out assaults.....

The danger with multiple attacks is that each failure can jack up the defenders' morale, which can make them even tougher to dislodge if the main attack fails. Back in 1.03, my opponent did this to me in Odessa. After a bunch of his attacks failed, he moved on and just screened Odessa with a few Rumanians. Big mistake. The blizzard came, and the defenders (who were now high-morale guards) opened up a can of whup-borscht in his rear, with reinforcements streaming in through the port as the original defenders advanced out..

Balou · Post by **Balou** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:34 am

@Pelton,
I remember posts of yours where you questioned the necessity of any Axis attack on Sevastopol.

@BigA,
aircraft carrier Sevastopol: do you have any idea why the AI doesn't make use of it ?

karonagames · Post by **karonagames** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:55 am

The AI has a very strange attitude to the air war. During testing I don't think there were any requests for "training" the AI to consider strategic bombing targets.

The whole bombing Ploesti to oblivion was on the testers list of potentially cheesey things to do. Historically there were approx. 50 raids before the Crimea was captured, but minimal damage was caused.

parusski · Post by **parusski** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 4:04 pm

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Honestly, ignore Sevastapol. (Although the tips given above are great information).

There is no advantage to take Sevastapol in the game right now from just about any way you want to look at it, be it industrial, manpower, or political.

In addition, it is far easier and more economical to guard the Crimea at the entrance than it is to try to capture the entire Crimea and then have to defend against Russian invasions.

That is what I have done on my latest game. Too costly and much to drawn out to take that hell-hole.

How do you capture cities like Sevastapol?

How do you capture cities like Sevastapol?

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