@simon33:
Tobruk does mean sacrificing a transport. Ethopia crush or Middle East conquest has an advantage here. Not sure which is best on this one.
While Sumatra does commit 13IPC on largely a suicide mission, what is the alternative use for the TT?
UK1
Take the TT from the Med, pick up an INF/ART and land them on Persia
Take the TT from Calcutta, along with the CR and DD, take an INF/ART from Calcutta and also bring them to Persia.
NCM the BB off Malaya to Calcutta
NCM the Inf to the non IPC Persian territory
NCM the 2 INF and 2 ART onto Persia
Net gain is the IPC from Persia without tossing away the TT to the Japanese
UK2
Bridge the INF from the minor persian territory, plus 1 INF from Persia to Iraq.
Move the BB from Calcutta to join your units off Iraq.
Amphib Iraq with your Persian INF, ART and the 2 INF on the TT, you get Bombards from both the CR and the BB as well.
Now you own both Persia and Iraq.
You didn’t trade out the TT to get Sumatra, or strand the INF on that island to die to the Japanese. Yes, you don’t deny Japan the DEI bonus, but you also didn’t trade much away and economically you just gave UK London 6 IPC and will continue to give it 4 IPC / turn going forward.
You also now have 2 TT with a DD, CR and BB to move into the Med to threaten all the gains Italy may have gotten in the interim.
Assuming you sunk the Italian ships on UK1, you should be in a very good position (without having to spend ANY additional IPC) to create serious headaches for them. If you withdrew, the Italians are not going to be able to leave the cover of their AB with a CV, 2 DD, 2 CR, 1 BB and 2 TT without investing in Naval from I1 forward. Chances are if you leave their navy alone, they’re going to invest in other things which just plays into your hands.
You can also now have the choice for the UK build MIC on Persia and later Iraq if you want to assist Moscow or push back against Japan’s KIF strategy or reclaim Calcutta if necessary by using London’s income.
I actually prefer to build a strong offensive force with Calcutta and eventually evacuate before the Japanese arrive. Reinforced with some purchases from London, Japan may find it prohibitively expensive to continue to invest in that region with the US and ANZAC now massing in other regions of the Pacific.