In my '42 edition, Germany seems to have more options available, all over the place. But I don’t get to play that one very often. Most of my games these days are on gamesbyemail, playing the “old school” A&A. Germany needs the money from Africa to contend with the Allies until the cavalry (Japan) arrives, but the Med fleet seems to be vulnerable to a persistant UK player, unless you want to go sinking more money than you can afford into it. In my last 10 or so games, as the UK, I usually find a way to sink that fleet early enough that Germany’s money is always crippled. As Germany, I seem to either lose the fleet or spend too much money on it, which leaves me crippled in Europe.
I was just wondering what some of you do as Germany to keep the fleet intact without buying more than a transport the first turn or two (in order to keep chugging out the infantry). I can’t seem to spare more than one plane to go after the sub in the Eastern Med on the first turn, and if it misses, then the sub runs away. So the next turn, the UK can send a bomber and the sub, which have a good chance of sinking both transports in the Central Med before the battleship finishes them off. I can build more transports then, but I’m spending a lot of money, and the transports aren’t getting anything over to Africa in the meantime. Plus, the UK player can be building another bomber, moving fighters, or other means to finish the job. Once the fleet is gone, it’s hard for Japan to grow fast enough to make up for the UK having money.