Optimal UK1 med to clear italian fleet


  • Hi guys,
    what’s the best use of your resource to kill the Italian fleet UK1? Do you go for 2 of the 3 fleets or concentrate on SZ97? Which one and what do you bring to bear? I can’t seem to find options of what works well.


  • I think the normal attack is sending everything in 97.  including the cruiser if you still have it, and bomber from Britain.  First time I did Taranto that’s what I did.  2nd time I decided to get creative and purchased an airbase for malta, and attacked sz96 and had all of my ships left plus 1 or 2 I could scramble from the airbase.  I think I also sent a transport and attacked Libya to cause a small nuisance to italy’s forces in Africa, although unnecessary and you will lose your transport.  Due to lucky dice I actually came out better than I should have, but I still stand by that option.


  • I always ponder attacking that transport and destroyer in SZ 96 with either a fighter or a destroyer. It’s a 50-50 fight and a little better if you send a fighter, and you get rid of the transport for free. What’s your thought on diverting one resource to try your luck?


  • I think the standard move is the 3 warships from 98 with the Tac and Malta’s Fighter and Gib’s Fighter(landing on the CV) with the UK Bomber vs 97.
    SZ91 Cruiser goes alone vs SZ96.

    If the German player did not land 1 Ft or 1 Tac in Rome, you could send Gib’s Ft against SZ96 as well as the Cruiser from SZ91.
    If you have lost this Cruiser and the German player landed Air units in Rome, you will need to decide if you only hit SZ97 or take your Gib Ft against SZ96(land on Malta) and either risk the under strength attack or add one of UK’s Fts to the SZ97 battle, again saying it will land on the CV in 97.

  • '15 '14

    Hey Wittmann,

    according to the games I played German can even put 2 fighter to Southern Italy in order to make sure IT at least keeps one fighter even after a 3 fighters scramble. I at least find this very sound as it gives Italy certainly better options in its first move and German can compensate a fighter way better.
    Furthermore DE went for the UK transport in Canada and left the Cruiser in my games.

    Not using the cruiser leaves 2 scenarios for me:
    1.

    • AC, BB, DD, tactical + 2 fighter and 1 Bomber from UK in SZ 97 (~75%)
    • Malta and Gibraltar fighter in SZ96 (~95%)
    • AC, BB, DD, tactical + 2 fighter and 1 Bomber from UK  + Malta Fighter in SZ 97 (~92%)
    • Gib fighter alone in SZ 96 (~50%) –> I would certainly go for that fight. It is +4,4 IPCs and I think a surviving transport has a high positive interest for Italy as additional ground units moved to Norther Africa will crucially facilitate Italy’s fight the way till Morroco.

    Adding the cruiser you can:

    • Make SZ96 95% (imo best option, killing this transport is imo crucial)
    • Or you could send 1 fighter less from UK making sealion harder for Germany
    • Or you could use the cruiser to block Germany another round to capture Gibraltar*

    *No idea if this makes sense, the idea is:
    Uk1 you can block using the destroyer in SZ110
    UK2 you block with the cruiser in SZ104
    If I am not mistaken this would prevent Germany from taking Gibraltar till German4
    –> Could this provide a realistic chance for US to successfully take Gib in US4 directly?

    This might be a bit off and I still lack both, experience playing Europe only + playing the Allies. However I somehow believe that the chances for the Allies are best the earlier US starts bothering Germany. What do you think about that?

    Cheers!


  • Two German Air units in Italy would be better, yes.
    I use the Hungarian one against South France(with 2 Mech).
    I can only spare the Yugoslavia one which came from Poland.

    I never kill the 91 Cruiser, electing to take out Canada’s two ships.
    This is probably a mistake. Many here favour killing that Cruiser.

  • '15 '14

    I’d say killing transport and cruiser is the better choice as it will additionally provide a convoy attack until US4, there is usually no way to clear the sub(s) before that.

    I’d also say that no air is required to take France, you still have 98% or so with ground only and Germany loses Inf only unless dices run horribly. You also dodge the AA then. This means however waiting for Round 2 to take Normandy - which imo is not a big deal.

    Leaving the cruiser is not a super big deal to me as well usually German Air can kill the residual UK fleet in Round 2 anyway (It kills FR fleet), German Air clears SZ97. IT has decent chances to kill the residual UK fleet in Round 2. Germany can usually easily wait till round 3 to declare war on Russia as they need to move forces anyway and can only take the border territories lightly which even creates an IPC loss as the +5 bonus is lost –> The Airforce has nothing better to do in Round 2 than wiping out the UK fleet in the Med. In addition transport and Carrier take Gib which creates further threats in the Med.

    I think a good question is what the SZ95 transport does in IT1. Right now I somehow prefer a suicide mission to bring tank and Inf over to Libya.
    Otherwise IT must be careful. If they split their forces by taking Tunisia Round 1 there is the danger that UK simply drops one Egypt and the Malta Inf to Libya with support of up to 4 air. This made the difference in my previous game in favor of the allies to get control in Northern Africa.


  • I take it you leave the British carrier in 98 so the fighter from Gibraltar  can land there?


  • I view Malta is my CV in the Med.

    SZ97: CV, DD, CR, 1 Ftr (Malta), 1 Tac (SZ98), 1 Bomber (London)
    SZ96: CR (SZ91) and FTR (Gib)
    I use the TT to move 1 INF/ART on NCM to activate Persia, joining up with the Indian DD/CR.  Round 2 I can use the CR via the TT for an extra bombard to take out Iraq.  Bomber is in range as well if Italy stays in Europe.

    I’ll sac the CV on the first two hits in SZ97, because its not going to survive an axis counter attack anyways and I don’t want to lose aircraft as sitting ducks to a full swing by the Italians if they elect to not scramble and counter with their airforce and naval ships in SZ95.

    I generally end up after Turn 1 with a CR in SZ97 or a CR in SZ96 with 1 Ftr and 1 Bomber on Malta.  Sometimes its an empty Med with a UK DD waiting to slide in on UK2 or act as fodder if the Italians have ships left in the Med.  The French DD in SZ98 will suffice to deny the Italians the Med NO going forward if I’ve cleared the Med as the UK.

    Having aircraft in position, plus a DD inside the Suez generally keeps the Italians bottled up buying ground units or a Ftr.

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