Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cpt.Buckmaster

I'm about to send a US Army force in (the marines are occupied ATM ) to take a medium-defended Japanese base (3-4 units sighted). Since you guys are all so wise and seasoned (hehe), I'd like to hear what 'salad' of ground units you guys would land there if you were planning the invasion. A few basic details about the base (which will remain unnamed at this time... heh) has a size 4 AF, 75-100 costal guns, and is on a medium-sized land mass (i.e. not an island, but not a continent either). Also, I don't anticipate any huge counter-attacks since there aren't many other enemy ground forces within any distance to worry about. I'd like to drop on in, fight a few rounds, laugh at a final banzai charge, and then set up shop at the airfield for some medium-bombing and whatnot.

For example, I was thinking of landing the following cast of characters:

1 x USA Inf
1 x USA Cav
1 x USA Arty
1 x EAB
1 x Aviation Rgt
3 x Seebees

Now, I'm sure the above force would probably do alright, but I'm still kindof a rookie here and I'd like to hear other people's strategies and thoughts.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ctid98

All I'd like to add is RECON, RECON, RECON!!!!

I'm making my way up the Solomans at the moment, have just landed on Munda and I'm about to send 4 Raider Battalions up to Buin as it seems lightly defended. Intel had it that there was only 1 unit there, but no idea what type of how many. For such a small place no problem, probably a small base force for the Marines to blood themselves on. So I decided I'd send a bombardment TF up to soften them up before landing the troops. Boy am I glad I did that!!! Not because it did a lot of damage but because I have my float planes on battleships set to recon and after a couple of flights the enemy ground troops grew from 1 spotted unit to 6,000 troops, to 10,000 to 12,000!!!!

Unsurprisingly I've re-evaluated the situation and added a combat team to the assault force to give the Marines a bit of backup, plus hitting the base with 4 B-17 groups out of Gili Gili! I'd send in a Marine division but they're prepped for follow one operations at Shortlands which also 'seems' lightly defended..........

quote:

ORIGINAL: Beezle

You only want units with big assault factors (Inf, Cav and maybe arty) in the intial wave. Have the others sit 1 hex away until the beach is friendly.

quote:

ORIGINAL: BraveHome

quote:

ORIGINAL: Beezle

You only want units with big assault factors (Inf, Cav and maybe arty) in the intial wave. Have the others sit 1 hex away until the beach is friendly.

Regarding 'sitting one hex away', the manual (that Mantra of Truth) states only ships unloading in an assault are targets for coastal fire. So (I'm presuming) you can have the other ships in the same hex (guarded by the escorts!) so long as you have the DO NOT UNLOAD option switched on the initial invasion turn.

quote:

ORIGINAL: pompack


It's been my experience that as long as you have the second echelon set to "follow", it will not unload and doesn't take damage from shore batteries. Switch to destination when the beach is friendly. Only thing to be careful of is if the first echelon finishes unloading before the hex is friendly, the second echelon will just "follow" the first back to base; usually not a problem as long as there are supplies in the first echelon to unload.

quote:

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658

For my initail landing I always use Load troops only. This lets the transports unload faster, epecially under fire. No need to have your transports sunk unloading supplies.

In the second wave I have a base force/avaition reg, engineers, fuel and supply. This is not landed until the beach is secure.

This game does not have a learning curve. It has a learning cliff.

"Bomb early, bomb often, bomb everything." - Niceguy

Any bugs I report are always straight stock games.

quote:

ORIGINAL: dtravel

quote:

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658

For my initail landing I always use Load troops only. This lets the transports unload faster, epecially under fire. No need to have your transports sunk unloading supplies.

In the second wave I have a base force/avaition reg, engineers, fuel and supply. This is not landed until the beach is secure.

Without supplies, don't your troops perform worse?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

This is where I get scared ... no matter how much I tell you guys that HQ's are a huge bonus, they still get left at home.

Wake up! Free bonus for that extra ship worth of grunts! Take it!

quote:

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658

For my initail landing I always use Load troops only. This lets the transports unload faster, epecially under fire. No need to have your transports sunk unloading supplies.

In the second wave I have a base force/avaition reg, engineers, fuel and supply. This is not landed until the beach is secure.

quote:

Excuse my razor-dull wit, but how did HQs get morphed into this discussion of following?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag

quote:

Excuse my razor-dull wit, but how did HQs get morphed into this discussion of following?

He was listing his assault force makeup. I noted there is no HQ in it which is a fairly large bonus being thrown away.

Keep in mind that the HQ *ALSO* affects your defence during those critical first turns while you have not unloaded completely and your troops are hurting giving you better odds of not being pushed back into the sea.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hornblower

I agree with the Beezle. i put the supports in a second TF to land following the combat troops, which also brings in the bulk of my supplies

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hornblower

BH-

1st, just cuz i say this and it works for me- most of the time- doen't mean its right.. now that being said using Cpt.Buckmaster's TOE as an example i would have the aviation reg and the CB's in the second wave. the combat troops i would try to load a complete regiment in LST's for fast unloading- more if the lst's are available. no use having the support troops banged up by bombardment attacks and the like. the support TF i normally sail a day or two after the assult force if its close enough to the target. If not, then i have it toggled to follow, then when its close to the destination- say a day sailing, then i set it to patrol/do not retire. then i send it in. WHY? it seems to work for me. your idea of DO NOT UNLOAD might work better.

quote:

ORIGINAL: BraveHome

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hornblower

BH-

1st, just cuz i say this and it works for me- most of the time- doen't mean its right.. now that being said using Cpt.Buckmaster's TOE as an example i would have the aviation reg and the CB's in the second wave. the combat troops i would try to load a complete regiment in LST's for fast unloading- more if the lst's are available. no use having the support troops banged up by bombardment attacks and the like. the support TF i normally sail a day or two after the assult force if its close enough to the target. If not, then i have it toggled to follow, then when its close to the destination- say a day sailing, then i set it to patrol/do not retire. then i send it in. WHY? it seems to work for me. your idea of DO NOT UNLOAD might work better.

Curious, do multiple TFs in the same hex gain from each others AA defenses? If so, that would be one benefit from having the 2nd wave in the same hex as the initial wave....

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hornblower

No. TF's if attacked do not gain the AA of another TF.. IF there is cap involved the cap of the hex does.. call me old fashioned but when i go to take a base the CV's go in first, then a bombardment TF, then the CV's then the bombardment TF, then the troops.. and even then the CVE's TF is standing by to provide cap and support.. again this works for me, but there are others who may have a better way of doing it.. Happy Holidays