SC 2 Idea - Supply Neutrals with Arms

[Edwin P.]

Any comments?

Supply Neutrals with Arms - A major power can spend 125MPP to give any neutral nation (except another major power, Denmark, the Low Countries and Finland) an extra Corps.

The UK could spend 125MPP and give Norway or Spain or Greece an extra corps. This unit appears next to the capital city if the neutral country is attacked. Of course, if the neutral nation is never attacked this extra unit will never appear.

This option ensures that the 1 turn conquest of Norway or Greece is no longer a sure thing as the Allies might have sent these governments enough arms to equip an extra one or two or three or four corps.

And if you are thinking about taking Iraq, what if your opponent equipped them with an extra Corps or two?

[ February 16, 2004, 05:29 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Carl G. E. von Mannerheim]

I like this idea very much, however I beleive there should be a limit.

Unless we could have a situation where Greece has 7 corps or so. And that would not be good.

Cvm

[Edwin P.]

Agreed,

I would also add an intelligence report on the size of each neutral's army.

Click on the neutral nation in the European map screen and you get a report on the size of the neutral country's armed forces.

This would reflect the fact that any build up of a neutral nation's army could not be kept a secret.

[JerseyJohn]

Like the idea, in effect it's what Germany and Italy did for Franco.

I think the limit ought to be in relation to distance and control over the path. Germany tried to aid Iraq, but couldn't get it's aircraft there due to the great distance and also British influence over the intervening areas. Perhaps the aid should also be in the form of an understregnth air wing?

[Edwin P.]

Excellent point,

So Germany pays 125MPP to give Iraq a corps and it gets a Str 5 Corps due to the problems in sending aid to Iraq and the need to pay off the Government of Turkey.

One the otherhand, the British Navy gives the UK access to vitually every neutral nation, except for Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary.

And a nation can send aid in the form of a Corps or an understrength Air Wing?

But what should the limit on the number of Units be?

The number of free hexes surrounding the capital city? Six for Spain/Turkey, Four for Norway/Greece, Two for Portugal?

or a number based on the population of the country? Six for Spain/Turkey and two for Norway/Greece/Portgual/Iraq/Sweden?

or two for all neutrals?

[ February 16, 2004, 10:26 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[JerseyJohn]

I'd say based upon distance and population and would add Sweden to the nations Britain can't reach -- or, more accurately, that it can't reach if Germany controls Coppenhagen and Oslo.

[Edwin P.]

more accurately, that it can't reach if Germany controls Coppenhagen and Oslo.

Thus, if the UK wants to reinforce the Swedish Army it has to do it before Denmark and Norway fall to the Axis. Most excellent.

Now, what about Yugoslavia and Greece?

Aid to Greece would be limited by the balance of the Italian navy vs the UK Naval Forces. Aid can reach Yugoslavia only via the Adriatic or overland via Greece.

So - the UK can freely send aid to both neutrla countries until Italy enters the War.

After Italy enters the war aid can only reach neutral Yugoslavia while Greece remains neutral.

Futhermore, after Italy enters the war aid cannot reach Greece & Yugoslvia (via Neutral Greece) if Italian Naval Forces exceed Allied Naval forces by 2:1 in the Eastern Med (Med. east of Athens).

Now the Italians have a reason to engage the British Fleet in the Eastern Med. and the Brits have an incentive to keep a fleet in the Eastern Med.

[ February 17, 2004, 11:29 AM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[JerseyJohn]

You said what I would have said -- as in the First World War, the most practical route would have been through Thessalonika, avoiding much of the mountainous terrain. I think the Adriatic would have been too risky as per hostile aircraft.

As always a great idea of yours that becomes more interesting as it's further developed.

[Edwin P.]

Thanks,

and as for Aid to Turkey the UK can only send aid to Turkey if the Suez canal is allied controlled.

[JerseyJohn]

As always, my pleasure.

-- Suez, sounds good, although if the UK controls Malta with an air fleet the shorter route would probably feasible.

-- The thing about this subject is in late 1939 Italian Army and to a lesser extent Air Force units were actually short of weapons due to Mussolini's shipments to Franco, so it definitely is a consideration.

As the war went on, the UK parachuted crates of arms and munitions into otherwise inaccessable regions, such as Yugoslavia. But in this instance I believe the Partisan function takes care of things.

[Edwin P.]

I wonder if HC has considered somethig similar for SC.

It would certainly add a limited amount of unpredicatability to the traditional cookie cutter strategies that the Axis player relies on.

And I should point out that the limited UK/French/USA production base will probably only allow them to reinforce 1 or 2 neutrals. Will it be Norway?, Sweden? Spain? Greece? Iraq? Yugoslavia? Portugal? And MPPs spent reinforcing a Neutral nation are MPPs that are not available to defend Great Britain or support an invasion of Europe.

[ February 17, 2004, 12:22 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]