Question on UK surrender prevention

[voncasey]

Just want to pick the brains of the experts on their typical strategy on dealing with UK island surrender and capital transfer in WAW (of course this wouldn't usually happen with the experts)

Just had a human/human game waw where i lost the island to post fall of France 1940 Sealion. Then transfered UK to Egyptian capital. Thought i'd be ok since i had virtually wiped out the Italian navy but i couldn't get my naval readiness much above 30-40 so they were pretty useless down there. Also due to the loss of the island and axis Gibralter my readiness/moral of troops in Egypt was so poor i don't think i could have prevented powerful axis advance into Egypt no matter how manny troops i placed down there.

i retook the island in hopes of transferring UK capital back there, but found out that isn't an option only after i had mostly evacuated Egypt as the Axis were advancing.

i was thinking it may have been prudent to pump US troops into Egypt (althought i think they wouldn't be much help against lvl 3-4 luftwaffe and troops), or to take Gibraltar and spain back prior to trying to retake UK island in order to give the Limeys in Egypt a better readiness/morale

Just looking for standard strategy in this situation, although the next time i will likely just guard England tighter rather than sending the troops to France

[SeaMonkey]

The last paragraph is the essence of this post.

There is no standard strategy, your biggest mistake, IMO, you have already concluded the remedy.

I'll not profess to be an expert, but in reference to USA strategy, I would do both.

Awaiting the proper force configuration and recognizing that probably(depends on Axis commitment in USSR) most of the Axis forces would be in Egypt(attempting the UK knockout), a diversion, recon in force into West Africa comes first.

Not only would you draw away Axis attention you would gain the additional USA naval assets, by DoWing Spain.

A contingency force organized as either an Egyptian deployment or reserve force of exploitation for West Africa would also be in order to coordinate with any possible Axis developments.

If you have an adequate USA airforce, keeping some in the build Q for deployment at no MPP cost,

then you can operate them back and forth from each theater, west to east in Africa to support both your actions.

You know I'm an advocate of Strategic Bombing. There's no better way to isolate a battlefield from enemy manipulation then to reduce his supply to that area.

If successfully prosecuted it will grind his operations to a hault.

[voncasey]

hey,

thanks for the ideas

that actually helps alot

i know there is never any 'set strategy' but it helps to have some clue as to what someone who has played this more frequently would think this through

i assume by strat bombing you are refering to bombing NA ports to cut off axis supply (if i had landed US troops prior to axis taking alexandria, OR are you referring to strat bomb from England now that i have retaken it (my current plan)

[SeaMonkey]

SBing from anywhere the opportunity presents itself. Cut the rails ... cities/ports<50%efficiency...no operating forces into the area, no escaping through the ports. No supply unless HQ is directly on city.

"Lure them near with a crust of bread, then crush their little heads."

[Scook]

Vs. humans, if I think the invasion of Britain is coming, I do several things from the beginning:

1) Drop one point into infantry weapons and pray.

2) Build some corps.

3) Be willing to keep my whole navy next to the island, and be prepared to sacrifice it to prevent an invasion. Yes, this means I would let the subs run wild and keep the destroyers on picket duty.

Some things I like to do early, no matter what the game:

1) Drop 2 diplo points into Spain to slow or prevent that nation from joining the Axis. If Germnay declares war on Spain, I can live with that.

2) Move the STR to Africa and bomb the Italian all live long day, again to slow the move to Alexadria down.

3) Put at least two points into anti-sub warfare.

Yes, you won't have the money to do it all, so you have to be cagey and "outguess" your opponent. Your whole goal for invasion is to make it to Summer of 1941, and then the moment has passed.

Oh, bonus points if you can get an HQ on the island will all the above done