Moving supply to Darwin overland?

[Chad Harrison]

Hi all

Am playing Scen 001, with the latest beta installed, against the AI and I am having a hard time moving supply overland when there is no railroad - namely getting supply to Darwin overland.

I have tried requesting the max supply, I have tried moving supply to Alice Springs and then getting it to transfer, I have tried stockpiling - nothing I do can get supply up there.

Is there some trick I am missing?

Also, it says on there something like 'Max Draw 3000'. Is that a daily supply draw? From where? Or what?

Thanks in advance

Chad

[HansBolter]

I can't tell you how to increase the overland supply draw nor what criteria determines it's paltry limitations over minor roads.

I can tell you that I have learned that I need to ship supply to Darwin from Capetown if I want to be able to build a decent stockpile there.

[Schanilec]

Like Hans said. I do a slightly different take. Capetown to Perth. Then up the coast using local merchant ships and a couple of the western ports north of Perth for staging supply convoys. From Broome to Darwin, they all need supplies. But make sure you keep those convoys under a good air umbrella. I learned the hard way heading to Darwin. I got jumped by some Betties and lost five out of six xAKL's.

[Bill Durrant]

Play Scenario 2 against a Human opponent. You won't have to worry about Darwin for too long [:(]

[Yaab]

There is a post in the forum somewhere about supplying Darwin from Normanton, but I don't remeber the author . The general idea was to bulid up Normanton first with supplies moving there overland. From Normanton you can use xAKLs from Australian ports and provide some LRCAP from Merauke.

[CaptBeefheart]

Another way is single xAKLs or xAKs bringing supplies from Geraldton to Brrome, Darwin et al. The AI doesn't seem to bother single-ship TFs much.

Cheers,
CC

[Sardaukar]

You will need to build up AFs and Fort levels in every base between Alice Springs and Darwin to increase overland supply flow. You see the max. daily amount allowed through base on base screen as for example (max. 1000).

[ny59giants]

You will need to build up AFs and Fort levels in every base between Alice Springs and Darwin to increase overland supply flow. You see the max. daily amount allowed through base on base screen as for example (max. 1000).

Correct - start with Tennant Creek and then move north with your massive number of SeaBees as each base is built up to close to max. Add in the use of your transport aircraft. However, you have to decide which theater is more important, Burma/India or here?? You don't have enough transport planes for both.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

You will need to build up AFs and Fort levels in every base between Alice Springs and Darwin to increase overland supply flow. You see the max. daily amount allowed through base on base screen as for example (max. 1000).

This helps but you will not be able to supply any substantial force via overland supply. If the Japanese player is willing to hold a large garrison there it is very difficult to take Darwin back with an overland campaign. As said before if you want to use Darwin as a major Allied base, you will have to support it by sea. Difficult to do if the Japanese are aggressive and hold Timor and such.

It is a bitch but this fix is one of the best historical fixes as Darwin was never really in the Allies offensive plans for this reason.

However, what is totally wrong in the game is the ease in which the Japanese can invade via a 0 or 1 port hex, march over hundred of miles of primitive track, and support a massive offensive in North OZ to take Darwin. Total rot.

[Richard III]

Exactally so...no way to supply Darwin in a PBEM, to easy to interdict the supply convoys from Timor with naval strikes.

(This real world history seems interesting however;

Commonwealth takeover of the rail lines: The Commonwealth Government took control in 1911, having promised to complete the railway from Adelaide to Darwin but without setting a time frame for so doing.

The line was extended to near Katherine in 1917. A further extension saw the line reach Birdum in 1929.

In 1930 a mixed train, called Leaping Lena[2] ran to an established timetable.

***Depart Darwin at 8.00 a.m. on Wednesdays***
Arrived at Pine Creek at 4.46 p.m.
Depart Pine Creek 8.00 a.m. on Thursdays.
Arrived ad Katherine 11.00 a.m. on Fridays.
Depart Katherine 12:00 p.m. Fridays.
Arrive Birdum at 5.51 p.m. Fridays.
During the Second World War Larrimah, nine kilometres north of Birdum, became the effective railhead as it was on the Stuart Highway, unlike Birdum. The 100m bridge across Birdum Creek is still present. There were loco turning triangles at both locations. The busiest time for the railway was during the Second World War. As many as 247 trains ran per week in 1944.)

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

You will need to build up AFs and Fort levels in every base between Alice Springs and Darwin to increase overland supply flow. You see the max. daily amount allowed through base on base screen as for example (max. 1000).

This helps but you will not be able to supply any substantial force via overland supply. If the Japanese player is willing to hold a large garrison there it is very difficult to take Darwin back with an overland campaign. As said before if you want to use Darwin as a major Allied base, you will have to support it by sea. Difficult to do if the Japanese are aggressive and hold Timor and such.

It is a bitch but this fix is one of the best historical fixes as Darwin was never really in the Allies offensive plans for this reason.

However, what is totally wrong in the game is the ease in which the Japanese can invade via a 0 or 1 port hex, march over hundred of miles of primitive track, and support a massive offensive in North OZ to take Darwin. Total rot.

[Chad Harrison]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

I have been doing fine with single ship xAKL's - but as was pointed out, the AI is much more forgiving with allowing these to pass than a human opponent!

Thanks again

Chad

[JeffroK]

I tried succesfully to recreate the convoys which ran up the track from Alice Springs to Darwin by putting in a convoy unit to arrive in Darwin monthly, it avoided the use of shipping which could be interdicted and wasnt 100% historical (some shipping was used for big items)

Only problem was how much supply, you need enough to keep the troops alive and a limited air campaign, so dependent on what was happening at the time.
Also, a lot of vegetables and meat was available in the region, maybe Darwin needs to provide a small amount of daily supply.

However, what is totally wrong in the game is the ease in which the Japanese can invade via a 0 or 1 port hex, march over hundred of miles of primitive track, and support a massive offensive in North OZ to take Darwin. Total rot.

What do you mean primitive, the roads were not good enough to rate primitive!!   More like tracks for horses to follow.  I'm happy the japanese can occupy the bases, but not expand from them.

[crsutton]

Which begs the question. If the Allies really wanted to use Darwin to strike into the DEI could they have built the railway from Darwin to Alice Springs? If they really felt the need?

I guess they felt there were better uses for their resources. Of course, I can't imagine one AFB who would not like to build that rail line...[;)]

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Which begs the question. If the Allies really wanted to use Darwin to strike into the DEI could they have built the railway from Darwin to Alice Springs? If they really felt the need?

I guess they felt there were better uses for their resources. Of course, I can't imagine one AFB who would not like to build that rail line...[;)]

Not that simple. To turn Darwin into a major offensive hub serviced by railway would have also have required an upgrading of the existing Adelaide to Alice Springs line which was very much prone to wash outs and poor carrying capacity. You are really looking at building a 3000 km railway.

Alfred

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Which begs the question. If the Allies really wanted to use Darwin to strike into the DEI could they have built the railway from Darwin to Alice Springs? If they really felt the need?

I guess they felt there were better uses for their resources. Of course, I can't imagine one AFB who would not like to build that rail line...[;)]

The game also doesn't let us build the road to Alaska that the American's did build historically. [:(]

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Which begs the question. If the Allies really wanted to use Darwin to strike into the DEI could they have built the railway from Darwin to Alice Springs? If they really felt the need?

I guess they felt there were better uses for their resources. Of course, I can't imagine one AFB who would not like to build that rail line...[;)]

You are asking for the equivalent of a rail link from Casablanca to Cairo across arguably harsher terrain.

They could also have built up the Pt Hedland, Broome, Wyndham bases to provide support to shipping resupplying much quicker. IRL shipping came out of the East coast around Thursday Is with air cover provided out of Horn Is, Gove, Millingimbu & Nhulunbuy. Convoy escort was one of the uses the Boomerangs were put to.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Which begs the question. If the Allies really wanted to use Darwin to strike into the DEI could they have built the railway from Darwin to Alice Springs? If they really felt the need?

I guess they felt there were better uses for their resources. Of course, I can't imagine one AFB who would not like to build that rail line...[;)]

Not that simple. To turn Darwin into a major offensive hub serviced by railway would have also have required an upgrading of the existing Adelaide to Alice Springs line which was very much prone to wash outs and poor carrying capacity. You are really looking at building a 3000 km railway.

Alfred

Which I think they could have done but it would have been a waste of time and effort.

[castor troy]

If an Allied player wants to hold Darwin then he has to decide it early on IMO. If you make the decision on 12/7/41 then by the end of December you can easily have 125.000 supply there and 600 av and twice that another 6 weeks later. I think the question on supply and troops at Darwin isn´t a question on building up the bases between Darwin and Alice Springs (which I´ve also done before and am still doing additionally) but a question on when you decide to reinforce/resupply Darwin. And if you don´t lose PM (Darwin and Port Moresby should be seen as a whole IMO) then you can either move ships from the West or the East to Darwin so trying to completely isolate Darwin will be more than tough for the Japanese.