Supply

[warspite1]

How does the Afrika Korps get supplied when in North Africa?

[xwormwood]

Just like the Italians, they draw supply from the Axis towns and Harbors. And suffer just the same from the Malta effect.

[n0kn0k]

From the cities and ports as it's all abstracted at this level. If you press the supply button you can see where it's eminating from.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Xwormwood

Just like the Italians, they draw supply from the Axis towns and Harbors. And suffer just the same from the Malta effect.

warspite1

Okay so I see the Malta effect in the manual. So effectively if Malta is Allied I do not have any manual way of hurting the Axis supply line over and above the Malta effect?

If Malta is Axis, how do I hurt Axis supply to North Africa?

[n0kn0k]

Strategical bombing of cities might help. But not sure how effective that would be.

[warspite1]

Okay I'll have to see how it plays out but first impressions is that the designers have missed a trick here.

I really like the on map convoy lines idea but I feared this when I saw no convoy line between Italy and North Africa.

The naval war in the Mediterranean was (with of course a few exceptions), for almost three years about two things only; the British supply of Malta and the Italian supply of North Africa. The necessity to get supply to these places is what brought the ships to sea and was the catalyst for all the great naval engagements. Remove this and the naval war in the Mediterranean kind of loses its raison d'etre [:(]

[n0kn0k]

I agree. Now you know why I removed my whole fleet from there. [:D]

[xwormwood]

ORIGINAL: warspite1


The naval war in the Mediterranean was (with of course a few exceptions), for almost three years about two things only; the British supply of Malta and the Italian supply of North Africa. The necessity to get supply to these places is what brought the ships to sea and was the catalyst for all the great naval engagements. Remove this and the naval war in the Mediterranean kind of loses its raison d'etre [:(]

If I remember correctly this one is already on the improvement list of the developers. But you can only do one thing at a time.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Xwormwood

ORIGINAL: warspite1


The naval war in the Mediterranean was (with of course a few exceptions), for almost three years about two things only; the British supply of Malta and the Italian supply of North Africa. The necessity to get supply to these places is what brought the ships to sea and was the catalyst for all the great naval engagements. Remove this and the naval war in the Mediterranean kind of loses its raison d'etre [:(]

If I remember correctly this one is already on the improvement list of the developers. But you can only do one thing at a time.

warspite1

Now that is great news [:)] Let's hope its near the top of the list [;)]

[xwormwood]

Better save than sorry: best would be if you would contact Hubert on your own, describe the situation and make your suggestion.

[James Taylor]

Long have I been a proponent of the "logistical network", especially for the sea lanes. Things are acceptable for the land side and being able to park naval units off ports of entry somewhat excuses the lack of seaborne convoy lines for interdiction.

However, a dynamic communication network, one that allows players to modify the pathways, would be the icing on the cake for this series and almost a must when we move into the Pacific.

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: n0kn0k

I agree. Now you know why I removed my whole fleet from there. [:D]

I see this as a mistake. You can bombard HQ's on the coast (move a ship along the coast 1 hex at a time to spot for targets), Ports and towns with your ships to reduce the base level supply. If the Axis can't maintain a decent level of supply near the front, they can't repair damage or replenish ammo/strikes. If you keep all the coastal towns near the front at supply level 1 or 2 the enemy will be in dire trouble unless he has a chain of HQ's leading back to a decent source.

Your fleet is a powerful tool in the med. I moved the two battleships from Gibraltar to Egypt and that combined fleet devastated the Italian HQ every chance it got. Repair costs for that single HQ alone must have set back at least one or two Italian tech expenditures or expensive builds.

Eventually the Italian Navy was based at Tobruck and a big naval fight began. It was a lot of fun, sadly I badly screwed the pooch in Russia by getting so engrossed in Egypt I forgot to build anything but more importantly forgot to research inf tech so had to do a restart.

Jim

[n0kn0k]

I move the B.E.F. Bomber Command and R.A.F to Africa and wreck them anyway. I use the navy to inflict maximum convoy damage and protect from Sealion at first. In my current game i've already destroyed lots of ships and raided alot of mpp. This is on easy level though for my AAR.
I wouldn't do this in multiplayer. [:)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Xwormwood

Better save than sorry: best would be if you would contact Hubert on your own, describe the situation and make your suggestion.

warspite1

I don’t really have too much more to add than what has been said.

In the North Atlantic I have spent the game with my destroyers charging over the convoy routes in search of u-boats. Unless a surface raider comes out or there is a landing to support, my vulnerable surface units stay in port. The war is mainly about destroyers/escorts and later aircraft and CVL.

This models the North Atlantic convoy war quite well.

In the Mediterranean there is a mechanic worked out whereby supply can be interdicted by a ‘dice’ roll. Well why not enrich the game by making that automatic, behind the scenes process a manual one, that the players can affect (and in so doing find a realistic use for the RM and RN)?

In real life both navies had no choice but to commit their surface ships to aid the supply of North Africa and Malta (and Greece of course).

So instead of MPP being lost, the navies are trying to attack supply points. In the case of Malta, if Malta’s supply falls below a certain level the island surrenders. In the case of any other overseas situation – Norway, Greece, North Africa for example – the battle is for supply points that affect the units being supplied.

[sPzAbt653]

That is what we use the BB's for, to attack supply points [resources]. Subs are used to great effect to block ports. Strats are used to bomb those resources not on a coast line. I don't understand what you are missing [mechanic-wise].

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

That is what we use the BB's for, to attack supply points [resources]. Subs are used to great effect to block ports. Strats are used to bomb those resources not on a coast line. I don't understand what you are missing [mechanic-wise].

warspite1

Nor do I which is why I asked the question in post 4.

The Axis campaign in North Africa needed supply from mainland Europe. I want to cut that supply specifically.

If you are saying I can then fine no problem [:)]. The answer received suggested I couldn't hence my suggestion.

[sPzAbt653]

You can - interdict with Subs, BB's and Strats by hitting Resources. We just don't have a physical route like there are for some other convoys.

[Grotius]

Hitting resources where? In North AFrica or in Italy?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

You can - interdict with Subs, BB's and Strats by hitting Resources. We just don't have a physical route like there are for some other convoys.

warspite1

Which ones? Remember, I don't care about Italian/German troops in Italy or the Balkans or any that may be going to the Soviet Union. I want only to cut supply to North Africa - hitting which resources achieves this please?

[Jim D Burns]

It all depends where the front line is, since HQ's only radiate supply out as far as level and terrain costs allow. An HQ sitting in Tobruck can be a level 8 or so supply location on average (base of 5 plus HQ bonus). Reduce Tobruck to 0 or 1 via bombardments, and the same HQ is only a 3 or 4 (I think HQ's bump resource values by 3, but this may be modified by leadership ratings, and I'm not sure if a fully damaged location worth 0 can be modified or not).

So basically because of the low move cost of sand, the HQ can radiate supply out 8 hexes, but a unit at 8 hexes will only have a supply rating of 1 in its hex. I think you need 5 or perhaps a bit higher to draw replacements, and I assume replenishing strikes/ammo may also have a min level too, but not sure.

North Africa is a special case, since there are no rail lines except in Egypt. I think a rail line would make a reduced resource location worth its base value no matter what its damage level as long as the line leads to a main supply source like a capital via the rail line.

This is why I advocate sending more than one HQ to Africa, it allows you to chain HQ's back to an inland city/town so you're not so dependent on coastal city locations for supply. Inland cities are still vulnerable to bombers, but the navy is far more effective than air power at reducing resource levels enough to stop replacements since you have so many ships to hit a location with.

Jim