How would stop US sub convoy raid in Med and Europe


  • I got to thinking about this today after playing a game against my friend and he sent subs to convoy raid me in Japan and sent the Russian sub into the Med Sea.  I was able to stop the convoy raid in Japan but then I looked at the map in the Med Sea.  I started to wonder how bad the Allies could convoy raid the Axis there.

    Now lets say UK does not do the Italian Navy raid turn one and Italy’s Navy gets to live through that.  We will assume that Italy then wins control of Egypt.  What if America uses it’s starting Bombers, and starts making some Early sub purchases and a some more bombers early.  It then puts enough inf and fighters in Gilbartar with its bombers to make sure it can’t be taken by Italy.  The next turn the bombers and subs could sink the Italian fleet.  Once the Italian fleet is sunk the allies can potentially convoy raid the axis for 18 points a turn for territories the border convoy zones there.  Once the Italian fleet is sunk it would need to build a new one with at least one destroyer if not more.  The US could then use the bombers in Gilbartar and the subs in convoy zones to sink the fleet before they could remove the subs.  Once those subs get inside the Med Sea it would be next to impossible to get them out in my view.

    To me this seems this would result in Brittan pushing back and also taking Egypt due to the fact that Italy is losing too many points to convoy raids.  So that would be another 5 point loss for the axis and a gain in IPCs for the allies.

    I believe the loss of IPCs to the convoy raids would make it easier for the US to spend major points after that in the Pacific to make sure Japan does not kill Australia or take Hawaii.  The US could also build up more and more in Hawaii to force the Japan Airforce to stay close to home or they would risk losing Tokyo.

    It would seem to me to be an effective tactic to slow the axis on both sides of the board.  Italy would be spending not much more than ten points a turn even if it held Egypt and no ships were in the Med Sea.  The US could then decide to either smash Rome on the cheap or try to maim Japan and stop it from reaching equal power.  There would be no real practical way to get German destroyers in the Med Sea to remove the subs either.

    The convoy raids in the Med would also remove 4 German IPCs a turn assuming the axis took Yugoslavia and Greece with Germany.  I also believe the Allies could convoy raid Norway and Normandy to rub off 5 more German IPCs after that.  It would be very hard for Germany to build destroyers to fight off these raids in Europe as well.

    The axis can not do a similar tactic to the allies except in maybe WUS if the US were to allow it.  But after the subs and bombers were built and sent off the US could afford to send most of its forces at Japan and feel safe that Russia and Brittan can hold there own against a weakened Germany and a near useless Italy.

    The Germans could maybe Sea lion but they would have to go all in because as the UK player I would buy all inf the first two turns and fly the tactical bomber off my carrier into UK.  Sea lion may be a viable counter but it would cost Germany big.

    So I am curious on how you would counter the convoy raids by the allies?


  • The subs won’t get into any convoy zones before turn 6 or so. By then, Italy should have a massive fleet, including a carrier and more DD’s. Block the subs with DDs and the bombers aren’t enough


  • If Italy is spending that much on fleet they won’t be sending many troops to the African front or their capital will be completely undefended.  Also Italy is prone to lose fleet just getting the French and Brittish out of the Med.  So if the US shows up with about 9 subs and 3 or so bombers that could smash the rest of any Italian fleet.  Then once inside the Med Sea it would be impossible to get them out


  • Yeah even if Italy can stop the subs they will not have enough cash for land units to hold Africa.

    The convoy raiding would effectively take them out of the game.


  • @Frank:

    It would seem to me to be an effective tactic to slow the axis on both sides of the board.  Italy would be spending not much more than ten points a turn even if it held Egypt and no ships were in the Med Sea.  The US could then decide to either smash Rome on the cheap or try to maim Japan and stop it from reaching equal power.  There would be no real practical way to get German destroyers in the Med Sea to remove the subs either.

    The convoy raids in the Med would also remove 4 German IPCs a turn assuming the axis took Yugoslavia and Greece with Germany.  I also believe the Allies could convoy raid Norway and Normandy to rub off 5 more German IPCs after that.  It would be very hard for Germany to build destroyers to fight off these raids in Europe as well.

    I used this tactic on my last Europe game: bought 5 subs on US1/2 and by US5 (after helping to sink the Italian navy) they were off the coasts of Normandy, S. France and Italy/Greece/Albania/Yugoslavia. SZ97 is particularly good since 4 subs there would remove 4 IPCs from the Germans and 8 from Italy, effectively removing Italy from play.


  • Get more Axis ships into the open waters of the Atlantic to at least stall the Americans.  Tighten the noose on England and hope that Japan is threatening the USA enough that they can’t afford tons of units for the Europe half.  Italy has always been the weak point to the Axis, hence why we took them out first in the real war.

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