How to make a good use of the British fleet in the Indian Ocean

This answer is an easy one for me ^^

NO!

It is only useful and necessary if you try a Kill/Slow Japan strategy. If you don’t back it up with more ICs from US in Sinkiang and China, and with Russian inf/tank support early, you get beaten up there and lose an IC to the Japs in a very important zone. Then it’s usually game over.

To give you a few reaons: If the Japs get a single IPC from the bid, they open with 1 IC, 2 TR and place the IC in FIC. If they get nothing, I would counter the IC mostly with double-IC in Kwantung and FIC. Then you cannot hold it against the mass of their troops, especially if Germany pushes hard vs Russia and Russia cannot help you out. It might be enough to give Japan a playground for the early rounds, but usually Japan gets neglected anyways (because Germany is easier to kill) so they have enough free resources.

If you like to know more about the KJF strategy or play a game on TripleA, let me know.

@Amon:

• Pull back the carrier but keeping it into position for an air attack on the Italian fleet (you’ll have to move a fighter from the UK to West Russia/French Equatorial Africa for this) or send it to Borneo if you decided to attack it.

Italian fleet  :?

aka German fleet on the Mediterranean. During non-combat you move the UK carrier to SZ33 and land the plane there after the attack on Egypt. You also move 1 of the fighters from the UK to either West Russia or French West Africa (not Equatorial like mentioned above).
If the German fleet on G2 attacks and conquers Trans-Jordan while the units on Libya take Egypt you can still sink the BB and transport since the carrier on SZ33 will allow for the 2nd fighter on WR/FWA to attack the fleet.
Of course, Japan might decide to attack the carrier and fighter on SZ33 with 2 planes to prevent such a move but it is a risky attack on their part.

@Hobbes:

@Amon:

• Pull back the carrier but keeping it into position for an air attack on the Italian fleet (you’ll have to move a fighter from the UK to West Russia/French Equatorial Africa for this) or send it to Borneo if you decided to attack it.

Italian fleet  :?

aka German fleet on the Mediterranean. During non-combat you move the UK carrier to SZ33 and land the plane there after the attack on Egypt. You also move 1 of the fighters from the UK to either West Russia or French West Africa (not Equatorial like mentioned above).
If the German fleet on G2 attacks and conquers Trans-Jordan while the units on Libya take Egypt you can still sink the BB and transport since the carrier on SZ33 will allow for the 2nd fighter on WR/FWA to attack the fleet.
Of course, Japan might decide to attack the carrier and fighter on SZ33 with 2 planes to prevent such a move but it is a risky attack on their part.

Japan can send the bat too

@Amon:

Japan can send the bat too

Takes 3 moves from SZ37 to SZ33

There are a lot of different possibilities. All depending on what strategy you take as the allies. You could also just keep the fleet at india for one turn. Use the fighter to sink the transport at sz 59 and then return. Use the australian sub to either attack the sub in sz45 or move with the transport to sz39. Depending on the Japan player, you may now have an opportunity.You can then take East Indies or Borneo with 4 inf (2 from australia and 2 from India) and support from the fighter. 
If he goes after you fleet he will have divided his fleet wich should give some options the next couple of turns and it might disrupt some of his plans at the mainland of Asia.

in any case try playing with NAs

Colonial Garrison can help a lot here

cheers :)

Keep the fleet there summon more fighters inside and support egypt .  british fleet in that sector will  make a invisible wall inside japan players head like ^he was never gonna make it into medeteriianian or  land on africa^.With some Usa pressure Japan will turn to pacific again.than with  a  industrial complex in india you can press japan out of main continent . airdcraft help needed as well

Generally speaking that fleet is useful for harrassing the japanese forces, and not much else.  If you send the fleet into the mediterranean it risks becoming redundant (and this is only possible if Germany does not close the Suez Canal due to error or bad rolling).  I consider the Indian Ocean fleet to be basically the same as a lot of Allied units in Asia - something that you can throw under the bus to slow down the Japanese advancement.  Japan WILL advance; be sure of that.  Just do your best to buy one turn, then one more turn, then another.  Stall Japan and kill Germany.

I like several of the strategies mentioned above, and I’m glad that I read this thread because it gave me some new ideas.  For example, I had never even considered strafing the submarine with the fighter and protecting pearl harbour.  Of course, Japan should still be able to sink the whole mess, but it does provide slightly better chance of a successful American counter-attack.

My personal feel on Slow japan first

Attack FIC
3 inf, 1 fig Kill the units if possiable if Fig lives land in Sinkiang.

Kill transport in SZ59

I would go both AC and dst to be sure, use trnsport to reinforce india depending on succes of attack in fic i guess.

Attack New guniea, Australia will fall soner or later anyway, if succesful its annoying for japan.

Also attack japanese sub with your sub.

As russia you should have stacked 6 inf in Buryatia, and sent 2 arm from Russia to Yakutsk (i usually open with west russia belo attack and 3 inf, 3 arm Buy.)

The easiest way to cripple japan is to kill of it´s land units and make sure there are to many targets.

Myself it really depends on what Germany does, though my standard moves are, Dest from SZ35 to SZ59, Sub from SZ40 to SZ45, The Subs a 50/50, some people like to take the carrier to the tran as well but, I prefer the Dest Alone. If Africa is going good, Namely if I can retake EGY, then the tran in SZ40 takes two inf from AUS and invades New Guinea (Something nice to try) If I cannot retake EGY I like to use the Tran to pick up 2 INF from AUS and then move to SZ30, then on UK2 drop them anywhere along the Africa coast (Even Persia if it needs them). If Germany takes EGY and you “can” retake it, then do it bringing 2 inf from IND, 1 INF from TRJ and the Fighter from SZ35 (You can also bring your Bomber but I usually don’t). Otherwise I like to stack 2 inf in TRJ and the 3 Indian Inf and A-A gun to Persia. The AC stays with the Tran wherever it decides to go. If Germany is stupid and doesn’t take EGY, then smile :lol: happily and move the INF from TRJ into it, stack 4 + A-A gun in Persia, move the FIG to EGY and move the Tran and AC to SZ33 (Out of reach of the IJN).
The SAF INF always moves up, regardless of what you do.