UK Convoy raiding

[KillOFzee]

As Germany, the new convoy disruption rules really kinda suck. Your subs which always did a reliable 3 damage now can now risk doing less damage. Even if one sub can do up to 6, Germany usually has a wolf pack in UKs convoy zones, so really its just a downside.

What I want to know is, what is the best way to raid the UK convoys. Should Germany still implement wolf packs, or should they augment their surface fleet to be parked right next to England?

It seems like a loaded carrier, battleship, and cruiser would do nicely, but is pretty susceptible to air attacks. But tell me what you guys think is the best way to hurt UK (Rhymes lolz).

[Young Grasshopper]

I'm going to answer as though you're using alpha+3.9, because that's where my heads at. The safe and wise play IMO dosen't include a G1 attack on 109 anymore, so the UK will have a destroyer available to take out any surviving u-boats. Expensive surface war ships in a convoy zone for no other reason but to convoy, also seems counter productive to me. At this point (and I could be wrong) the best way to disrupt UK convoys (if disrupting is still a good strategy) is to buy 2 subs per round, and scatter build them among their different factory sea zones.

[techroll42]

What I do is I put a few subs off of 109 and go from there, using NB Normandy to propel new subs along with them for an attack or to attack without 109's support. It eventually pays for itself, plus with the SBR UK can build UK once every 2 turns, and then barely anything. Now, when the US comes...

...Japan is in Calcutta, Germany is touring Moscow and the game is nearly over. Hopefully.

[Young Grasshopper]

What I do is I put a few subs off of 109 and go from there, using NB Normandy to propel new subs along with them for an attack or to attack without 109's support. It eventually pays for itself, plus with the SBR UK can build UK once every 2 turns, and then barely anything. Now, when the US comes...

...Japan is in Calcutta, Germany is touring Moscow and the game is nearly over. Hopefully.

What?

[techroll42]

So, what I do is keep a few subs in SZ 109 and SBR UK so that the UK factory is insignificant. I send subs out to try and hit the US, but usually with some "heavy" ship support.

Meanwhile, Germany is taking Russia and Japan Calcutta.

[Young Grasshopper]

So, what I do is keep a few subs in SZ 109 and SBR UK so that the UK factory is insignificant. I send subs out to try and hit the US, but usually with some "heavy" ship support.

Meanwhile, Germany is taking Russia and Japan Calcutta.

All the UK needs is a couple of destroyers (with air units) to prevent you from disrupting their convoys in 109 or anywhere else.

[Pherman1215]

There are two main reasons i favor going for convoy disruption as Germany:
1. You will have to fight UK regardless and it is strategically better to pin them in their own SZs by fighting them in the N-Atlantic than fighting them in Norway or France.
2.  Italy needs all the help they can get.  By attacking British convoys you drain their income they are collecting and forcing UK to spend resources to defend those convoys.  Resources that could otherwise be used to smash Italy.

[Spendo02]

So, what I do is keep a few subs in SZ 109 and SBR UK so that the UK factory is insignificant. I send subs out to try and hit the US, but usually with some "heavy" ship support.

Meanwhile, Germany is taking Russia and Japan Calcutta.

All the UK needs is a couple of destroyers (with air units) to prevent you from disrupting their convoys in 109 or anywhere else.

Both of which they have as early as UK1.

Personally I prefer sending SS down around Africa and "plinging" UK for a few IPC from Sea zones that they really don't want to deal with from both an IPC perspective and a unit perspective.

[techroll42]

Well, the theory is that one of the following will happen, allowing easy convoy raids:
1. UK fighters will die, either due to bad rolls or bad strat
2. UK airbase will be damaged and will be a drain to repair
3. UK destroyers will eventually be destroyed (and they actually could be UK1)

[Young Grasshopper]

Well, the theory is that one of the following will happen, allowing easy convoy raids:
1. UK fighters will die, either due to bad rolls or bad strat
2. UK airbase will be damaged and will be a drain to repair
3. UK destroyers will eventually be destroyed (and they actually could be UK1)

None of these things happen in our games.

1. If the UK loses fighters for whatever reason, they should simply buy more.

2. It's difficult to bomb both the factory and a base, and most bomb the factory first.

3. It's a stretch to say that fighters and destroyers will eventually be destroyed when subs defend @1.

[techroll42]

1. Hard to build more if your IPC's on hand are 20 and your factory is 20 damage. Although you could build in Canada, those fighters would take forever to get to UK.

2. It's not that hard if G1 you don't bomb but get rid of all the navy. UK won't build more navy off UK, and then G2 your tacs hit both bases (or Airbase only if you don't have enough) while your strats hit the IC. Eventually it'll just be strats flying raids.

3. Who says subs will ever be defending? I build 3 subs/turn of Normandy/Bordeaux. With the NB there, I can wreak havoc on the Atlantic.

[Young Grasshopper]

Are you using the latest Alpha+3.9 setup? Because if you are, you won't be able to get all of the UK fleet, in fact, the UK could be left with as much as 40% of its startup fleet.

[techroll42]

How do you figure? I only send 1 plane to France, and don't SBR...

[Young Grasshopper]

How do you figure? I only send 1 plane to France, and don't SBR...

2 air units and a cruiser can no longer reach the Atlantic, and 111 & 110 have both been reinforced. Do you have a blue print on how you plan to wipe all this out?

[techroll42]

Let me see...I am starting a game shortly on this forum. I will tell you then how I wipe out all the UK navy.