husky65

Hit Low countries and France, ignore Maginot - meanwhile hit Sweden - 3 x corp, 1 x Army (2 x C + 1 x A amphib at the capital - 1 x C for the mines from Norway), plus a cruiser bombarding can sometimes get you a surrender next turn - if it doesnt, you'll need a HQ + Luftflotte as well to end it. Spend most of your MPPs on Luftflottes and set them up along the channel coast (after France surrenders), amphib attack UK with massive air support. Italians attack Vichy (2 x Army plus build a HQ) - It navy sweep western Med clear, build a third army to finish european Vichy France, then amphib armies plus HQ to Africa and finish Vichy off (can send a german corps to get points). As soon as UK falls start redeploying for Yugos and possible last turn USSR declaration. You can get Low Contries, Sweden, France, Vichy in the demo before the USA can intervene - I always leave the possibility that USSR may intervene on, as it forces me to deploy troops to cover it - as it will in the full campaign, so its good practice.

The bombing effort was effective in a number of areas, it forced the Germans to react, provided the allies for a way to hit back, forced the germans to build an entire day and night air defence system - deploying thousands of 88mm Flak guns as AA weapons rather than as AT weapons, it forced the Germans to disperse factories, and the day effort drew the luftwaffe up to be destroyed by escorts allowing the D-Day invasion to proceed, the oil offensive and transport offensives meant that the German military was starved of fuel at its most critical time. The question isn't how much did the Germans produce given the bombing?, its how much could they have produced without it?

The first Wellingtons were delivered to RAF Sqns in 1939, the Armstrong Whitley was the first 'heavy' bomber in RAF service (entering in 1937) - max loaded weight of the a/c (Whitley III) was 24,430lbs, not much higher than the max bombload of a Lancaster Special. Early war strategic bombing should be ineffectual.

You are forgetting the timeframe of the demo, West front strat bombing only became effective Late 43/44 (the tonnage of bombs dropped by US/Brit bombers only exceeded 50,000 tons a month in april 44 - in Aug 41 it was only 4,242 tons). Without looking up the exact quote it was said of the early Brit bombing effort (at the time) "that it was only known that we were exporting a certain amount of bombs in the general direction of Germany" and some of the bombing was so inaccurate that even the Germans could not determine which city had been the target! Do a search for the Butts report on bombing accuracy, it was when they realised that serious steps had to be taken to increase the accuracy of bombing.

I lean towards a delay (random of 1 to 3 turns)before you actually get your MPPS from a disband - then you have the reality of an admin delay whilst the troops are shuffled between units and the player doesn't have the certainty.

Strategic bombers were the most effective counter to subs in the war. Long ranged Liberators used as sub hunters made life very difficult for the U-Boats. One of the dumbest decisions (for the allies) in the war was to keep squandering 4 engined bombers and modern radars in Bomber Command whilst the U-boats were coming close to cutting Englands supply lines, they would have been way more effective hunting U-Boats.

Airpower is the key to taking england, expend the Kriegsmarine ruthlessly to get your barges across the channel and use the luftwaffe to pound important units (any in London or Manchester, plus the RAF and Brit HQs), then smash them with ground attacks, but always focus on the objectives. Keep an eye on the Russians and use spare MPPs to build a wall of corps in the east - remember it is a limited time demo, you don't have to hold for long if the USSR attacks.

I assume that you dont know about the allied ships that were lost or damaged doing shore bombardment at normandy?

Why?, 'different' does not equal better. They have updated the graphics, done a few things differently and made the AI a lot better, that all = 'better'.

Historically the Nazis stole way more than what was produced in the last few months - they pinched everything that wasn't nailed down and if it was nailed down they pinched the nails to prove they could have had it if they'd wanted it.

Originally posted by Lars: Re where Strategic bombing will come from after the fall of England. "Operation Torch. Then work your way up the hard way. Just like real life." Torch is not going to do well with U-boats based in England and Spain and bombing from N.Africa with fighters based in Spain, France, Italy and N.Africa? ouch.

Strategic bombing from where?

Once the UK falls Australia and New Zealand are probably starting to look towards the growing threat of Japan and considering their own futures, particularly since the perception was that their defence was very much tied up with the empire defence scheme - ie Singapore, and the underpinnings of that had just been kicked out (UK surrender). India is probably looking towards its own independence. Nth Africa is not a particularly productive area (particularly for recruiting) for the UK. Canada would be pretty much going it alone or in concert with the US I suspect.

I'm pretty sure most would fight to the last regardless.[/QB]

In multi player will it be possible for one player to command the US and another to command the UK against the Axis controlled by the AI? I've looked at the FAQ and had a look at the existing posts and I have seen nothing that covers it.