CEAW - Axis sub warfare

maple155 · Post by **maple155** » Wed May 06, 2009 9:39 pm

In several games playing the Axis my submarine warfare strategy largely consists of "hope I get lucky." By this I mean I stake out a spot in the Atlantic, wait until a convoy comes into range, attack it, then try to withdraw without suffering major damage/having my sub(s) sunk.

I've had some success stationing subs off the west coast of Africa since this tends to be off the beaten track for the Allies, at least early in the game, but in general Axis submarine warfare has been sufficiently costly so as not to seem worth the effort when compared to the cost/benefit analysis of going after the USSR or the UK. I do recognize that historically sub warfare resulted in substantial losses for the Germans. I have, I should also say, invested in naval tech and used focus points to concentrate on sub warfare. Is it necessary to pour a ton of tech into subs to get a pay-off? Are there other strategies experienced players recommend for submarine warfare? Thanks.

OzHawkeye2 · Post by **OzHawkeye2** » Thu May 07, 2009 4:19 pm

My attitude to the Battle of the Atlantic when playing as the Axis is generally either not to contest it, or to make sure as hell I win it.

If I'm not contesting it then a few sub units to make hit and run attacks on convoys is about the best I'll hope for, make sure to stay outside the range in particular of ground-based air units, and try to attack convoys when they are most out of the way.

If I'm in it to win it, then I've made a massive sub-building exercise, at the cost of weakening my Barbarossa campaign or my attack into France (in the end, much the same thing really) and I've got a dozen subs or more ready to shut down the Atlantic for good.

If you really own the Atlantic it cripples the UK player and denies the Russians some pretty major convoys as well towards the end of that campaign, so I generally go for the second strategy.

jjdenver · Post by **jjdenver** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:11 pm

It depends on whether you are playing vanilla or BJR mod. With BJR mod Axis sub warfare is very effective since your sub can't be attacked other than by naval units that start adjacent to it, or by air that start within range - and even then the air is limited to a total of 2 attacks max vs a sub

You also can't attack a sub with a sub and if a sub finds another sub you can't attack the discovered sub based on it being sighted solely by a sub.

You also can't surround a sub completely to prevent its escape

These rules force the allies to escort convoys with 2 destroyers per convoy or leave them vulnerable to wolfpacks.

Vilkman · Post by **Vilkman** » Sun May 31, 2009 1:53 am

Are these submarine rules programmed into the BJR version or are they just house rules? I play the BJR version. My German sub attacked a UK destroyer in the mid-Atlantic and did some damage. The start of the next turn the damaged destroyer was the only Allied ship adjacent to my sub. However, after the AI retreated that destroyer, two other Allied ships sailed from North America and attacked my sub.

jjdenver · Post by **jjdenver** » Sun May 31, 2009 2:38 am

house rules in the specifically labeled house rule document are only that - not programmed in. So things like invasion limits, sub attacks, garrisoning capitols, etc are up to you to follow - not programmed in.

OzHawkeye2 · Post by **OzHawkeye2** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 1:20 pm

jjdenver wrote:house rules in the specifically labeled house rule document are only that - not programmed in. So things like invasion limits, sub attacks, garrisoning capitols, etc are up to you to follow - not programmed in.

And (unfortunately) the computer won't follow them either. I could see how those house rules would benefit the Axis sub-warfare very handily.