War in the East Q&A

[morvael]

Why is the replacement procedure so lazy? I have 558 85mm AA Guns in the pool, yet only 45 units use them (486 ready). On the other hand 80 units stick to obsolete 76mm AA Guns, of which there is only 11 in the pool (880 ready). Some of those units have only 25% of the number of AA guns prescribed by TOE, yet half thousand new guns is rotting in the pool. Surely, at least 25-50% of those 80 units could switch to the new guns?

[Rodimstev]

Hi all,

i would to understand how optimize the replacement (renforcment) in my units.
For example what is the best process to renforce a rifle division at 50% TOE to 80-90% TOE prioritary.

in general how the system allocate the squad, equipment to unit's front.
thanks for your response.
Rodimstev

[Joel Billings]

Best way to get reinforcements is to take a unit off the frontline and put it on a rail line and in refit mode. Set the Max TOE to whatever you want the unit to grow to, and you shouldn't have to wait long for it to fill up (unless you have lots of units on refit).

[Rodimstev]

thx Joel,

another question

what is the best way to intercept the JU-52 with the air red army forces?

for the moment i did put 50% fighter in night mode and another 50% in day mode with 300% in interception but i had no results.

kinds regards.
rodimstev

[44 and tripes]

Hi,
A small question about reinforcement:
I have seen that germans have 24 air bases in the campaing of 1941 and they got 32 in the
scenario starting in spring 42.
But if you play the whole campaing there's no airbases reinforcement for the german
(listed airbases)
(there are some minor axis airbases reinf BUT not german).
Is the german volontarily limitated to 24 airbases in the campaing (1941 to 1945)
or do these bases arrived if some specific territorial achievements are realised
(like fro army gruppe A and B).
Thanks for your answer.
Cedric

[Joel Billings]

It's very difficult to intercept them if they are not flying over enemy territory, and harder still in 1941 given limits on Soviet air force. All you can do is put fighter bases close to where you think they will be flying. Only night fighters have a decent chance of engaging night drops, so I wouldn't waste regular fighters on night mode (but that's just me, I could be wrong).

[Joel Billings]

Interesting note re the airbases. Trey, who I think did the OBs would have to answer why 41 and 42 are different. AFAIK there are no more air bases that come into the game for the Germans so you have to make do (you do have the army air bases for recon whereas I think they were eventually disbanded and wrapped into the Luftwaffe during the war).

[randallw]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

It's very difficult to intercept them if they are not flying over enemy territory, and harder still in 1941 given limits on Soviet air force. All you can do is put fighter bases close to where you think they will be flying. Only night fighters have a decent chance of engaging night drops, so I wouldn't waste regular fighters on night mode (but that's just me, I could be wrong).

That sounds rough, since the Soviets don't seem to have any design built night fighters?

[morvael]

Maybe they should have some? Pe-3 series (Pe-3, Pe-3bis, Pe-3M) seems to be designed as night fighter (and we have Pe-3 and Pe-3bis in the game, currently useless) as well as one Yak-9 variant (MPVO).

[Rodimstev]

Thanks joel for you answer.

the only thing to do is for a soviet to convert fighter in night fighter and put airbase near front.
i am going to try it and see.

Rodimstev

[Rodimstev]

thanks morvael too.

I am going to try use Pe-3 series.
rodimstev

[Rodimstev]

i think that a night airsupply would be more damaging as a day airsupply.

is it included in the game?

rodimstev

[Robak]

Hello all,
I am reading manuals, some tutorials and so on, but one thing I just don't get is the support level... Can someone please describe me what is it for?:)

[SigUp]

If I understood it correctly, let's say with a support level of 3 the engine tries to assign 3 support units of every type to that HQ. Most people, however, lock the HQs and do the distribution by themselves.

[Joel Billings]

ORIGINAL: Rodimstev

i think that a night airsupply would be more damaging as a day airsupply.

is it included in the game?

rodimstev

If by more damaging you mean more aircraft should be damaged flying at night, I think the answer is yes it should be in the game.

[Robak]

ORIGINAL: SigUp

If I understood it correctly, let's say with a support level of 3 the engine tries to assign 3 support units of every type to that HQ. Most people, however, lock the HQs and do the distribution by themselves.

I think that I've found the answer in some of the posts in the forum... It's strange that it is not written explicitly in the manual because for me it was completely not understandable.

[Joel Billings]

It's covered in the manual.

From Section 5.4.16 in the manual:

Support Level: Indicates the number of each type of support unit that the computer will
attempt to automatically assign to the headquarters. Below this are buttons to increase
(ADD) or decrease (SUB) the current support level. Selecting LOCK will turn off the automatic
movement of support units to and from the headquarters. Note that automatic assignment will
not function for that particular headquarters unit if any higher headquarters unit in that HQ
unit’s chain, to include the High Command, is set to LOCKED (7.6.3).


7.6.3.2. AUTOMATIC ATTACHMENT OF SUPPORT UNITS
Each eligible headquarters unit can have its support
unit level set by the player by using the ADD or SUB
buttons located in the headquarters unit detail window
(5.4.16). The level setting indicates the number of each
type of support unit that the computer will attempt to
provide to that particular headquarters unit, based on
availability. For example, if the player sets “Support
Level” to 3 the computer would attempt to provide 3
support units of each type, to include Armored, Anti-
Tank, Artillery, Anti-aircraft, Rocket, etc.
This process occurs automatically during the phasing
player’s logistic phase and consists of two cycles
during which support units are moved first up the
chain of command (excess) and then down the chain of command (demand). Support units
in an unready status will be transferred to the applicable High Command headquarters unit
during the first cycle. Since there is no logistics phase prior to the first player-turn on turn
one, there is no auto move of support units in the first-player turn of each game. The entire
automated support unit transfer system can be disabled by checking the appropriate sides
‘Lock HQ Support’ buttons in the Game Options screen (3.3.3). In addition, the player can
disable the automated transfer function for a particular headquarters unit by selecting the
‘LOCKED’ button in its detail window. Note that all headquarters units subordinated to a
particular High Command headquarters unit will be locked out of the automatic attachment
transfer of support units if their High Command headquarters unit has its Support Level set to
“LOCKED.” In addition, if any of the higher headquarters units in a particular HQ unit’s chain
of command is set to “LOCKED,” that headquarters unit will not have the ability to utilize the
automatic transfer of support units. While the actual chain of higher headquarters units will be
dependent on current attachments, the notional German chain (from low to high) is Corps to
Army to Army Group to OKH, while the notional Soviet chain is initially Corps to Army to Military
District or Front to STAVKA, then Army to Front to STAVKA. Players can use the Order of Battle
(OOB) screen (5.4.1) to get a big picture view of their side’s chain of command and the filter
147
functions of the Commander’s Report (5.4.9) to view a specific higher headquarters unit and
its subordinate HQ units. For example, to view Army Group Center’s command chain, do the
following:
Open Commander’s Report (info screens tab or hotkey c)
Select HQ List tab
Select Army Group Center (This takes you back to Unit List tab with all units subordinated to
AGC selected)
Select “NONE” under ‘UNIT DISPLAY FILTERS’
Select Crps, Army, ArmyGr under ‘UNIT DISPLAY FILTERS’
Select HHQ column header twice to end up with sort with AGC at top of list and all other
subordinate HQ’s sorted by their next higher headquarters unit.
7.6.3.3. CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEER PERMANENT SUPPORT LEVELS
Construction and engineer support units have permanently assigned support level settings
that override player support level settings, with the exception of “LOCKED,” which will stop the
automatic transfer of any support units from the “LOCKED” headquarters unit. The permanent
support level settings for construction and engineer values are as follows:
Headquarters Type Construction Engineer
High Command (Type 1) 0 0
Army Group/Front (Type 2) 16 4
Army (Type 3) 3 3
Corps (Type 4) 2 2
Game play tip: Want to minimize the number of support units in a HQ
unit, but still allow automatic transfer through that HQ unit? Use a setting
of ‘0’ so that the only support units the computer will send to the HQ will
be the permanent levels of construction and engineers.

[newmanovci]

I promise I've scoured the manual for this already, but in case I've missed it, I'll apologise in advance for asking the bleedin' obvious [;)]...

Are there any benefits to assigning particular Soviet air units to particular base types (VVS, SAD, etc.)? And are there any benefits to having only a single type of plane (e.g. level bombers) in a particular unit, rather than a mixture?

Thanks.

[Aurelian]

See 17.1.1

Soviet partisan units are supplied through night air transport missions conducted automatically by the computer during the Soviet logistics phase. The computer will first utilize transport and level bomber air group units set to night missions and attached to VVS type air base units (8.2.1). If those night mission enabled air group units attached to VVS air base units are not sufficient to meet the partisan needs, then transport and level bomber air group units set to night missions and attached to DBAD, AD DD, GAD DD, and GDBAD air base units may be selected by the computer to also transport supplies to partisan units.

[newmanovci]

Thanks, Aurelian. I should have said that the partisan supply requirement is the one condition I was already aware of. My mistake! But thanks very much anyway.