Op-Fire against Amphibious Invasion

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided >> Op-Fire against Amphibious Invasion

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Op-Fire against Amphibious Invasion - 3/24/2020 10:36:24 PM

shilton2437

Posts: 20
Joined: 7/13/2005
Status: offline

After a long hiatus, I am getting back into the game and loving it.

I am re-discovering that even just a couple of artillery and/or aircraft units on a small island or coastal region can decimate a much superior invading amphibious force. Even when I conduct air attacks ahead of the invasion to try and eliminate those units, if even just one of those units survives it can be deadly to an invading force.

Any tips on how best to deal with Op-Fire during or prior to conducting an Amphibious Invasion? If attacking with air units prior to launching an amphibious attack, is it better to conduct a general attack or an airfield attack? Can fleets bombard and suppress enemy artillery by themselves before attempting an amphibious invasion. With a superior force I can usually get the job done, but it sometimes just takes several turns to do so.

An interesting challenge that I have yet to crack.

Thanks

Post #: 1

RE: Op-Fire against Amphibious Invasion - 3/25/2020 9:10:41 AM

rjh1971

Posts: 4919
Joined: 12/13/2005
From: Madrid, Spain
Status: offline

Hi R.

Best thing imo and iirc is to conduct air strikes supported with BB, if you have your aircraft upgrades even better. That way you suppress the artillery units. Be careful though with your BB units, they can be damaged by coastal guns (artillery).
If there are air units airfield attacks will have to be run.

_____________________________

GG's AWD, GG's WBTS, GG's WitE Beta Tester
Beta Tester: Panzer Corps, Time of Fury, CtGW, DC CB, DC3 Barbarossa, SC WWII WiE, SC WWII WaW, SC WWI

(in reply to shilton2437)

Post #: 2

RE: Op-Fire against Amphibious Invasion - 3/25/2020 12:16:05 PM

shilton2437

Posts: 20
Joined: 7/13/2005
Status: offline

I did some experimenting and careful reading of the manual, with some surprising results:

Situation: US wants to amphibious invade a pacific island that contains 2 (each of) Japanese aircraft, artillery, and infantry units. The US has a substantial (but not unlimited number) of aircraft, fleets, and land units and enough transports to support an amphibious invasion. The problem, unless I am missing something, is that if one conducts one giant amphibious invasion attack using all units simultaneously, the Op-Fire is resolved one invading land unit at a time before any fleets bombard or the aircraft attack. And a single defending unit can conduct multiple Op-Fire attacks. I have seen huge invading armies torn to shreds by just a few defending units capable of Op-Firing this way.

If the US uses its aircraft to conduct a preliminary airfield attack, it can likely eliminate the enemy air units, but leaves the artillery intact. And the fleets cannot bombard as part of this attack. And the enemy artillery are left intact to conduct Op-Fire at any followup AI.

If the US uses its aircraft to conduct a preliminary ground attack, they may be able to eliminate the enemy artillery units (which are targeted first), but only 1 fleet bombards as part of this attack. The rule on p.75 reads "The number of fleets that can bombard is equal to one plus the number of units amphibiously invading the region being bombarded." And of course the enemy aircraft are left intact to conduct Op-Fire at any followup AI.

An approach that seemed to work best was to conduct a sequence of air attacks against ground units, using 1 aircraft at a time. Each aircraft would automatically target an enemy artillery unit, and 1 fleet would also bombard an artillery unit on each such attack. After the artillery units are all eliminated, the remaining aircraft would collectively make an airfield attack, hopefully eliminating all enemy aircraft. If successful, I could then conduct an AI against no Op-Fire.

I believe the advantage of this latter approach is that it maximizes the number of fleets that can conduct a bombardment against enemy artillery before beginning an AI against possible Op-Fire. Maybe that is what you were saying, but it took me some time to figure that out, based on a close reading and understanding of the combat rules. And as you say, it is a good reason to upgrade the land attack capability of tactical aircraft. Thanks.

(in reply to rjh1971)

Post #: 3

RE: Op-Fire against Amphibious Invasion - 3/25/2020 1:04:30 PM

rjh1971

Posts: 4919
Joined: 12/13/2005
From: Madrid, Spain
Status: offline

Yes I think that's basically it.
A good way to practice is with Japan in the first turn taking Foochow. I always deploy the Japanese CVs in the East China Sea along with the Japanese BB. Then send one CAG committing one BB to bombard Foochow, the units will suffer suppression points and will fight worse once the land attack is launched. Even you can kill some militia units. Why is this necessary? Because you don want Japan to suffer unnecessary casualties given that its production is low (well the resources available to produce).
You can also commit other air units with BB, even fighter iirc.
If there were air units you would have to make an airfield attack to get rid of them.
Taking strongly defended islands can be hard, better to isolate them as long as they don't interfere with your movements with op-fire.

Would you like a game once you get the hang of it?

I'm quite rusty as well.

_____________________________

GG's AWD, GG's WBTS, GG's WitE Beta Tester
Beta Tester: Panzer Corps, Time of Fury, CtGW, DC CB, DC3 Barbarossa, SC WWII WiE, SC WWII WaW, SC WWI

(in reply to shilton2437)

Post #: 4

RE: Op-Fire against Amphibious Invasion - 3/25/2020 3:21:05 PM

shilton2437

Posts: 20
Joined: 7/13/2005
Status: offline

I don't think I was ever that good to begin with. Experimenting with some individual combats involving combined arms on both sides, I am realizing that the combat procedures and resolutions can be tricky. And the optimum attack strategy is often more complex than my usual practice of throwing everything I could into one big combat.

(in reply to rjh1971)

Post #: 5