Withdrawals

[PetrOs]

I am in my first PBEM with withdrawals, always played without them before. So, how do I handle that issue best way? Am I correct in assuming:

For planes:
- withdraw or disband the group anywhere on map until the deadline. I could extract pilots and planes would go to the pool/other unit of same type, if possible.
- If I want to keep them, PP would be subtracted automatically.

For ships:
- place them in West Coast, Karachi or Offmap base, then withdraw. Penalty also automatic from PPs

For LCU:
Should I disband?

[GetAssista]

Airgroups - you better put them in a developed base to disband, smaller bases can lead to airframes being lost. Automatic PP penalty.

Ships - large ports away from the enemy presence, offmap always fine, but can take time to get there. No extensive damage to a ship. Automatic PP penalty. Also this tm.asp?m=4542373

LCUs - they just go *puff* and disappear, no action needed apart from checking if they were adding to garrison requirements in some base

[spence]

One other thing re: air-groups. For some air-groups you get a PP bonus if you withdraw them earlier than specified. Be sure to transfer out nearly all the experienced pilots before you withdraw the group. The PP bonus decreases as the withdrawal date approaches.

I've never figured out why there are only some groups (not all) for which a PP bonus is gained. You can find out whether or not a PP bonus is potentially gained by clicking the "withdraw button". A Yes/No option appears with the potential PP bonus noted.

BTW withdrawing one obsolete airplane early may gain you some PPs but withdrawing any ship early (can you say British carriers) will never give you squat

[Yaab]

Yep, PetrOs, check if you can get PPs in scen 2 for withdrawing the following air groups:

Remove the pilots to Reserve. Then Use WITHDRAW button to withdraw planes.

19/32 BG (B-17) in San Francisco – 26 points (FIRST you need to combine the Detachment there) button: WITHDRAW
7/22 BG (B-17) in San Francisco - 68 points! button: WITHDRAW
Beaufort recon in Kuantan - 12 points button: WITHDRAW
Walrus (7 planes) in HK (move to Kweilin) - 22 points . button: WITHDARW
Vildebeest in HK( enable drop tanks, move to Clark Field) – 17 points button: WITHDRAW
small Walrus Detachment in HK) –buton: WITHDRAW

[:)]

[tolsdorff]

If you withdraw (not disband) airgroups within a certain timeframe before their witgdrawal date, you can get a lot of extra pp's.

The timeperiod was something like from 4 months up until 1 month. You can get 1000s of extra pp that way.

[PetrOs]

Sounds great! Would do that ASAP (3rd turn). The HK guys will do it in Calcutta as they are on their way there, but else it would be like this. Could use alot of PPs;)

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: tolsdorff

If you withdraw (not disband) airgroups within a certain timeframe before their witgdrawal date, you can get a lot of extra pp's.

The timeperiod was something like from 4 months up until 1 month. You can get 1000s of extra pp that way.

Not sure I'd go that far. The typical bonus in in the 20-25 PP range.

[AcePylut]

Play around with the aircraft upgrades, and downgrade if necessary.

After all, why withdraw an airgroup that has B-17's... if you can switch that over to B-10's and "keep" the B17 airframes?

[PetrOs]

I tried that yesterday as I processed the next turn. It worked, and brought many PPs, which I desperately need to extract my boys from Philippines and DEI. I sent all their pilots to the pool, and then hit withdraw.
The question is - should I also replace the leader by some looser, or would the leader be in pool some time later? One or two leads were quite acceptable ones.

[Yaab]

Well, most of the leaders in those groups are flying leaders so you cannot send them to the Reserve pool and you would have to be replace them with another leader. Replacing leaders costs PPs so it kinda beats the purpose of disabnding the air group i.e gain 17 points for disbanding an air group and pay 13 points to change the leader. I never do that since you have got lots of good leaders available in leader pool.

[PetrOs]

Hmm, I actually managed to get the pilot lists absolutely empty by the withdrawal time - if you use the buttons "send to" reserve below the list. Normally you cant turn off retain mode for leader, but after using those buttons you can turn retain off for leader.
But I am not sure if the guy is not getting reassigned back.

[Macclan5]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: tolsdorff

If you withdraw (not disband) airgroups within a certain timeframe before their witgdrawal date, you can get a lot of extra pp's.

The timeperiod was something like from 4 months up until 1 month. You can get 1000s of extra pp that way.

Not sure I'd go that far. The typical bonus in in the 20-25 PP range.

I concur with Sir Moose here.

Typically it is 20+ points if I recall correctly.

Further - if my memory is correct - in many instances declining the points allows you to send pilots and air frame back to the pool while still meeting the requirement to withdraw the unit.

With a number of British Aircraft - squadrons in Hong Kong / Singapore I have no qualms about the points trade off albeit British pilot pools can get very thin depending upon the aggressiveness of the war in Burma.

With American air frames - especially Catalina's - Marine squadrons - west coast arrived supplementary forces - I consistently prefer to retain the pilots and air frames in the early war. This will be a war of attrition in the Pacific - somewhere - some place eventually... and you need to bring enough to the party. I would prefer a Catalina squadron with extra planes in reserve rather than 22 points.

However the answer is "it depends" as many things in this game. There is no Universal rule.

The tactical situation / your strategies - will dictate advisability.

[rustysi]

It worked, and brought many PPs, which I desperately need to extract my boys from Philippines and DEI.

I chafe every time I read something like this, and I can't really understand it. To all AFB's, can't you guys find more valuable things to buy out with your limited PP's? You take the effort to get these additional PP's, and buy units out of the DEI????? WTF??????[&:]

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: rustysi
I chafe every time I read something like this, and I can't really understand it. To all AFB's, can't you guys find more valuable things to buy out with your limited PP's? You take the effort to get these additional PP's, and buy units out of the DEI????? WTF??????[&:]

Some small base forces in DEI are very cheap and can grow into normal-sized base forces. Which are sorely needed in Oz in 42.

There is little point in buying US DEI airgroups because US constraint is airframes, not units. Some Dutch patrol ones make sense since they get a number of replacement frames. For non-heavy usage

[tolsdorff]

ORIGINAL: Macclan5

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: tolsdorff

If you withdraw (not disband) airgroups within a certain timeframe before their witgdrawal date, you can get a lot of extra pp's.

The timeperiod was something like from 4 months up until 1 month. You can get 1000s of extra pp that way.

Not sure I'd go that far. The typical bonus in in the 20-25 PP range.

I concur with Sir Moose here.

Typically it is 20+ points if I recall correctly.

Further - if my memory is correct - in many instances declining the points allows you to send pilots and air frame back to the pool while still meeting the requirement to withdraw the unit.

With a number of British Aircraft - squadrons in Hong Kong / Singapore I have no qualms about the points trade off albeit British pilot pools can get very thin depending upon the aggressiveness of the war in Burma.

With American air frames - especially Catalina's - Marine squadrons - west coast arrived supplementary forces - I consistently prefer to retain the pilots and air frames in the early war. This will be a war of attrition in the Pacific - somewhere - some place eventually... and you need to bring enough to the party. I would prefer a Catalina squadron with extra planes in reserve rather than 22 points.

However the answer is "it depends" as many things in this game. There is no Universal rule.

The tactical situation / your strategies - will dictate advisability.

Of course it depends, I agree. On the strategy, the opponent's agrresiveness etc.

Personally I too keep the patrol squadrons as long as possible and the fighter training squadrons of the US the British. Most of the other ones however, I disband one month before their withdraw date and I don;t even bother with the Indian and Chinese airforces. Disband them as soon as they net points. There aren;t enough pilots to man these squadrons anyhow.

With regard to spending these extra PP's: There are 3 Dutch Base Forces extremely worthwile buying out as well as the Dutch AA btlns. The rest I use to buy out US Artillery, Tank and Infantry Units earlier.

[dr.hal]

The Dutch are in action early and often. IF, and that's a big IF, they survive the first few weeks they become very experienced and thus valuable during the early months. I try to hold all those folks back in the first few days so as to gain experience. I send them on relatively "safe" missions so they can build up confidence. Against a determined enemy they are lost unless they have time to build skill levels. If they do, then they are worth saving as a stop gap until US units come online in a big way.

[dr.hal]

Ship withdrawal is complicated as I never seem to know which rules apply! The rules seem to change given which version of the game or which scenario one is playing (campaign scenario). In one instance I believe I was told that if the ship was in passage OFF BOARD then it could be withdrawn, but only to find out it didn't happen and thus I spent LOTS of points until it could get back on the board and sunk!!! So I guess "know thy rules" is a good lesson to learn....