A Question or Two on Tactics??

[Blathergut]

In an attempt to improve even slightly in this game, perhaps souls out there could give me a few suggestions re:

1. The Italian sub blob. So, having lost Gibralter, the North Atlantic now teems with Italian subs. My US strategic bombers are at level 6 but still often inflict none or usually only 1 damage to the subs.
Why am I inflicting so little damage?
I have something like 8 US strategic bombers up in Labrador, but they are unable to keep the Italian subs from cornering the convoys on the edge of the map and slaughtering them.

How does one deal with this, if at all?

2. During the invasion of France, the entire German army swung around Paris, took out the west and south of France before taking Paris, and swam across to North Africa and took out everything there, as well, before Paris fell. Spain joined the Axis.

How do you deal with this? The Brits have little to send at the time and need to ensure the island is safe.

[Blathergut]

3. As well, when the entire German army then swings east into Egypt and beyond, how do you slow/stop that? Again, the Brits have little to send and nothing that will stand up to the German air and mech/panzers.

[JimR]

In my experience, when a large German force heads east from Egypt into Iraq, it means that Germany is understrength on the Russian front. Even if the British cannot hold out in Basra, the Russians can challenge the Germans by sending Soviet forces into Iraq via Iran. (In GS 2.0, Iran becomes an ally of Russia when the Germans start capturing Iraqi cities, or when the Germans attack Russia itself -- whichever happens first.)

[richardsd]

There is nothing you can do to stop a determined Axis from taking Egypt, but those troops won't be in Barbarossa.

I would suggest your first defence line is the Canal, the 'choke point', just gets you killed faster.

I have yet to deal with the Spanish siding with the German's, but I believe you need to leave a GAR in NAfrica to make this hard to achieve.

[Plaid]

I guess you need to keep french garrisons in NA and partrool western coast with navy, to prevent sneaky landing in Kasablanka.

After some date (I guess its june or july 1940) if there is no French unit in Paris, France surrenders instantly. So if you see axis surround Paris, and certain date passed, you just self-kill French unit in Paris and armistice get auto-accepted, ruining any german plans.

Its also good idea to preserve french navy units and fighter. If they all survive, you get more benefit from armistice reject, then axis from their spain activation.

If axis player wants to get spain on his side at all costs, and then go for Iraq/Persia, he will for sure, but its up to you to delay it and make costly.

[schwerpunkt]

If axis player wants to get spain on his side at all costs, and then go for Iraq/Persia, he will for sure, but its up to you to delay it and make costly.

Yep, its all about the brits delaying the Germans for as long as possible so that they cannot assault and knock out Persia before Russian reinforcements arrive in the key cities.

[schwerpunkt]

In an attempt to improve even slightly in this game, perhaps souls out there could give me a few suggestions re:

1. The Italian sub blob. So, having lost Gibralter, the North Atlantic now teems with Italian subs. My US strategic bombers are at level 6 but still often inflict none or usually only 1 damage to the subs.
Why am I inflicting so little damage?
I have something like 8 US strategic bombers up in Labrador, but they are unable to keep the Italian subs from cornering the convoys on the edge of the map and slaughtering them.

How does one deal with this, if at all?

High ASW tech and readiness are the only solutions. These make DDs and STRs more effective in inflicting damage. DD sweeps of areas covered by STRs are the way to heavily damage or kill SUBs. Although its nice to kill SUBs, taking 6 steps off of them by a DD strike and 2 STRs puts the SUB out for a fair time.

In an attempt to improve even slightly in this game, perhaps souls out there could give me a few suggestions re:

2. During the invasion of France, the entire German army swung around Paris, took out the west and south of France before taking Paris, and swam across to North Africa and took out everything there, as well, before Paris fell. Spain joined the Axis.

How do you deal with this? The Brits have little to send at the time and need to ensure the island is safe.

My view is that the brits can afford to commit a reasonable force to assist the French as a late FoF means that Sea Lion is likely to be difficult and likely to result in a 1941 conquest campaign, which either delays or weakens Barbarossa. My recent experience of 1942 Barbarossa's (having played on both sides) is that they suck for the axis as Russia becomes so strong that the axis player will battle to get to the Dnepr river , let alone cross it.

[Blathergut]

Thanks for the tips!!

[Schnurri]

1. Prevent German GAR from landing in Casablanca - simple sweep of North Sea on turn 1 should prevent this tactic - with SAC up North might get some subs as well.
2. Brit INF with leader in Gibralter (greatly prolongs holding of Gibralter and tying up German TACs).
3. Leave French GARs in NA
4. Preserve French air and land units once strategy becomes clear
5. Oil - Germans will be using oil the entire time to reach MidEast and supplies will be low - SAC German oil facilities non-stop - even with Mideast oil their supplies will take a while to build up
6. Mideast takes so long for Germans that Barbarossa will either be weak (defend forward) or delayed til 42 - aggressive Russians
7. Italian subs - DD's and SACs will eventually wear them down as Italy as little for PP's
8. Key - don't let Axis take Persia - transport Russians by sea to Bandar Pahlavi and overland to Tabriz - rail to Tehren. if they have taken Basra you probably can't save Ahwaz but it is very difficult for Axis to reinforce in Mideast and relatively easy for Russians if you have rail so you will eventually overwhelm them. Once they get lodged into Tabriz they threaten Baku and will at the very least take a long time to dislodge.
9. Relax, bide your time and combine an Allied landing with the Free French and retake Casablanca, then NA ports from where you can threaten Italy, Spain or France.