Cohen_slith
Posts: 2518
Joined: 10/5/2010
From: Italy
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I believe you are talking of the game against me - and I've to play Allies to experiment with something about defending UK.
BUT I do agree there are 4 main problems - that go both ways anyhow:
A) How easy is to 'bait' planes to bomb meaningless targets before the real invasion comes. (The Allies can do exactly the same later on anyhow and it pairs up to the next problem)
B) Supreme projection of invading power. (Read as, invasion range is -way- too long).
C) CVs rule surpreme - if a CV was sent in range of LBA planes, its Gladiators or whatever would have hardly managed to fend off waves of LBA force. (This is definitely pro-Allies and not related to UK invasion but subsequent ones)
D) Fighter baiting (Works both ways, as the Allies will do precisely the same later on). Same as bombers, fighters can be baited to fight for some minor bombing missions that are non relevant, get unable to fly anymore and cannot intercept what is meaningful (read: Paradrop). Twice so if fighters are parked in the open, and the Para drops on them and moves, and sends 2 UK fighters in the production queue. But how is that a problem? Simple, German fighters have 6 range so could not cover a 8-ranged paradrop. Bomb away some troops halfway, get British fighters come in, eat whichever Luftwaffe loss you are to take and then drop safely once you see the enemy airplanes don't come anymore to intercept. Then yes, the RAF just gets paradropped on its head, and their fighters are grounded.
But by my own experience, Russia is safe and sound (given atm Allies can send troops there but I do not think that was the problem more like their super armoured armada - that they can produce not depending on Axis invasion of UK)
And the Allies could otherwise merrily invade anywhere they like including retake UK by late '41 with the forces that are there in Russia.
My opponent does not seem crippled at all, actually stronger, by the seizing of UK by Axis hands, with the Allies spearheading an offensive in Russia -AND- being already back in the Middle East to deny Axis the oil.
Given, main difference I feel is that my opponent in that game packed up and left UK as soon as possible once the situation was compromised, salvaging a bucket of UK units which now are in Russia.
Historically there were reasons if the Allies arrived in Tunisia first, and then invaded Sicily and Sardinia. Same was that from UK they invaded Normandy. Air cover was the key. Sure they could have invaded Norway but they'd have risked a brutal reaction of the Luftwaffe - Torch was surely out of air cover, but Vichy France air was the opposer.
Right now I can just send 2 DDs to soak whichever air attacks are there, LBA planes run out of actions / organization as they activate, and dang, then I can invade.
But the same is if let's say Axis has Spain (conquered or else) or even Bordeaux - they have 1 plane squadron there (Which mirrors a large amount of planes).
Allies send in 1 DD, plane goes! Another DD, plane goes again. Dang, out of actions. And at worst the DD gets damaged, maybe sunk but... you know, it's a Patrol Group, nothing really 'omg!'.
And then the invasion happen.
As it is now, air cover to protect shores can be very redundant.
At same point I can say there are many type of business that right now may be wrong - like the whole Royal Navy and Marine National (French navy) raiding the Nordic Iron Ore line and litterally shutting down a hefty chunk a turn of German production (as Germany -must- shut down the convoy pipeline).
Given I do not what the UK produces but I believe as of now UK cannot really afford to send a BEF (or better, they can send a BEF - to be precise they cannot afford to lose it), need a good infantry spam at the start for a Mechanized Unit can invade (it has 4 action points against the 2 of an Infantry Corps; and more punch) and can easily dislodge a division in a port. Once the port falls, panzer pours in and it tends to turn into written history.
I am not sure if Mechanized units should be able to invade in fact. But before to rush to the repairs for that I feel the real issues are how Air Units live and operate in the game.
I've achieved Sea Lion in another game - but there the British player too has exhausted himself in France with a rather robust expeditionary force of which less than half made it out alive.
What I've seen is that the Brits tend not to use the Royal Navy adequately to cover northern invasion spots out of Luftwaffe range. (Park ships out in the sea to intercept enemy vessels coming) If the Royal Navy sits in ports or raid the North Iron Ore they're not defending the homeland. To just sail out to cut port supply -after- the invasion happens is relative. (Count hexes, stick 10 hexes away from French / Benelux coast and you're fine. If KM comes, eat them).
In that situation a single division in northern zones is more than adequate per port. (Germany ought not to risk a Mech to land up there out of air cover)
Like the Soviets protect their Black Sea ports by keeping their fleet out in night movement mode too to avoid planes (That's what my opponent is doing in the same game where Axis has all of that).
Some just leave ports open like Edinbourgh. It can be invaded slightly south and in good weather one marches in. Supply source ensured!
Then UK needs infantry, infantry, infantry. I do not know which production is there in people spirals but when I got to play Allies I just churn out infantry at the start. To have to the relevant southern ports.
< Message edited by Cohen_slith -- 1/1/2020 3:31:47 PM >
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1939 Scenario and Loss of England - 
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