Too much carping about the U-boats

[Talen]

First, I don't have the game yet. Second, I have read almost all - and there is a whole lot of it - of the arguments about the U-boats being weak and ahistorical so I believe I understand the argument. The critics are essentially complaining that the U-boats are not as effective in the game as they were in 1940 to early 1943 in the North Atlantic. Well, so what. The U-boats were never more than a big irritant to the allies. Yes, I know Churchill is quoted as saying he was terrified of them. If so then why, every time the navy asked for a handful of bombers to close the Greenland Gap, did he always side with the Bomber fanatics and refuse these planes? And, by Donitz's own figures, the Germans needed to sink at least 600,000 tons of shipping each month to starve Britain out. I believe they made this exactly 2 months in whole war. Donitz, like most fanatical Nazis, was delusional. The U-boats never had any chance of winning the war for Germany, unless the Allies abandoned the convoy and sailed all ships individually. So is it really a big deal that you can't sink allied shipping in the North Atlantic for 2 and a half years.

This game, from all that I have read, was designed to be an intermediate level between the simple non-historical Axis and Allies type and the spend-the-rest-of-your-life moving individual ships over half the globe War in the Pacific type. A number of posters report success with a U-boat war, just not in the North Atlantic. I doubt if the designers wanted the historical accuracy to be that exact. And they have shown theyselves open to change (see the Change in Carrier range after attacks about Uber Carriers).

The design looks good. Now, tell me to shut up until I buy and play the game. Thanks.

[syagrius]

In my current game as Axis, I managed to sink several British ships in 1940 and now my Uboats are taking an heavy toll on allied convoys. Even with the US entering the war I still sinking a lot of convoys. Its a choice you have to make: if you invest more in naval tech and construct enough subs and ships you will have more results. Some of the people complaining are just buying a few subs and think they will win in the Atlantic.

[Stryder]

German armored production was curtailed in 42 to build more U-boats if memory serves me correctly... so there should be a tough choice on which strategy to pursue..