Troop Buildups/Insufficient Transports

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> Uncommon Valor - Campaign for the South Pacific >> Troop Buildups/Insufficient Transports

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Troop Buildups/Insufficient Transports - 6/16/2006 10:17:34 PM

Mike Wethington

Posts: 60
Joined: 4/12/2006
From: Austin, TX (A Blue Atoll in an Ocean of Red)
Status: offline

I'm in 2/43 as the Allies and have HUGE numbers (40000+) of troops stuck on Noumea and, to a lesser degree, Brisbane. There are 2 full US divisions sitting around waiting for sea transport.

Even when I completely cannibalize my AK supply transports to move troops, I'm, at best, able to load about 6000 troops. My question is, how do people keep their supplies up, move land units to forward areas, and put together reasonable invasion forces? Have I just lost too many APs and need to settle down for a while? LSIs and LCTs are just now arriving in theater.

Your recommendations are appreciated.

Post #: 1

RE: Troop Buildups/Insufficient Transports - 6/17/2006 1:55:52 AM

DEB

Posts: 687
Joined: 1/29/2005
From: Bristol , England
Status: offline

If AP losses have been high, then you indeed have a problem.

As you have lost lots of AP's then you may need to consider how they
( & other transports ) are used & protected. Also whats your main reason/source of lost AP's?
I.E. Level Bombers, Torpedoe/Dive Bombers, Submarines, Naval Fire.
Have they been lost in landing troops or on supply runs.
Were they in convoy's or on solitary runs?

1. Increase naval escorts ( particularly DD's ).
2. Don't use them too far in advance of your front line or within range of Rabual without units to provide AA fire ( CLAA's, CL's) or CAP Air cover.
3. If losing them to Subs., then place aircraft on ASW missions in affected areas ( Catalina, PB4Y, B-24, Hudsons, & land based Avengers are good for this - along with Kingfishers when available ).

Other things to use are:-

Basic cargo vessels ( AK ), particularly to move units from Australia & New Caladonia to say Port Moresby & Guaducanal. These will require some escorts ( DD's & maybe CL's or bigger depending on whats on the ships).

Barges from the barge hub/s for local supplies, ( Gili Gili is one, can't recall other ). Don't use larger transports for this.

C-47 transport planes.
(Better for supplies, as AK's above ; but can be used for small/light combat groups.) Remember to rest them when fatigue gets high.
I tend to rotate 2 on Ops and 1 at rest ratio.

Submarines.
(Better for supplies , but can be used for small/light combat groups.)
I have not yet had to use Subs. much this way but they can be useful.
( Not sure exactly how yet though. )

Good luck.

(in reply to Mike Wethington)

Post #: 2

RE: Troop Buildups/Insufficient Transports - 6/17/2006 8:47:17 AM

Moondawggie

Posts: 403
Joined: 10/18/2003
From: Placer County CA
Status: offline

Mike, DEBs comments are right on!

(I'd hate to go up against him in a PBEM game, but I'm not up to that level just yet.)

IMHO, APs and AKs are just as valuable as major combatants, and need to be protected accordingly.

Having huge numbers of infantry, armor, combat engineers, etc, "stuck" at Noumea or Brisbane isn't such a bad thing---when they are positioned there, they retrain, reprovision, and most importantly, resupply from a bottomless check-book of computerized wealth every turn----if you move them to a forward base and then have them sit around for months at a time, then you have to run huge convoys to replace the supplies they consume; the need in terms of AKs, APs, etc., to run continuous supply convoys from Noumea/Brisbane to whereever the heck you sent them impede your ability to load troops for actual assaults.

To me, in a game, this constitutes an unnecessary logistics nightmare, although someone with "real world S-4" experience might find it fascinating...

So, IMHO, it is OK to leave them in Noumea or Brisbane until you absolutely need to transport them to the combat zone for serious action, and then---fully rested, undisrupted from enemy air activity, and really pissed off that they are no longer able to hit the bars in some backwater port---turn them loose for a brief violent period until they take their objective.

I also like to kill any enemy transport asset whenever I find one---that was the approach the USN subs actually took in WW2, and it works just as well in Uncommon Valor. As we used to say in the WestPac:

"Fighter pilots make exciting movies, and attack pilots make history, but logistics wins wars..."

Moondawggie

_____________________________

"The Yankees got all the smart ones, and look where it got them."

General George Pickett, the night before Gettysburg

(in reply to DEB)

Post #: 3

RE: Troop Buildups/Insufficient Transports - 6/17/2006 10:18:32 PM

CMDRMCTOAST

Posts: 673
Joined: 5/3/2003
From: Mount Vernon wa..
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Moondawggie

"Fighter pilots make exciting movies, and attack pilots make history, but logistics wins wars..."

Moondawggie

Couldn't have said it better, Transports on both sides are valuable assets
that tend to be squandered immensely, if as the japanese you lose too many you lose
the war..
If you are trying to bring in counterinvasion forces too the hotzone then fast
transport taskforces and aircraft are the best means if the base is heavily contested.
if you have great cover then move the transports in ..
If you station transports further away from the combat zone say several hexes too allow for a day or two's sail then slip them into the base 1 at a time over several days or weeks, less chance of detection that way and if you are unlucky enough to time your
arrival with one of his surface forces or carrier groups you only lose 1 or two
and can retreat the others further back, surface forces need fuel so when they are hitting the base you can send in the transports between there runs..
I have succesfully defended Gilli Gilli with nothing but aircraft bringing in troops
faster than an apponants fast transport forces could, and when sighting his transports
you try too eliminate and damage as many as you can but I wouldn't sacrifice a carrier force too the cause unless I know exactly were his carriers are..

_____________________________

The essence of military genius is to bring under
consideration all of the tendencies of the mind
and soul in combination towards the business of
war..... Karl von Clausewitz

(in reply to Moondawggie)

Post #: 4

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