Status report
Germany 1936-1939
Czechs refused to cave in and became a in the long run worthless ally. Maybe they can guard some beaches against the limited invasions allowed. Poland still stands and had basic fighters... lots of them to my surprise. France went down easily enough but made a good stand. I'm not too happy that they "got away" with their entire navy and their entire airforce and twice as many troops as Vichy. Still if this is allowed I have nothing against it. Holland is about to be overrun by Germany and her faithful ally Japan.
I would consider the first round taken by the allies because of the czech event, France's large forces and Poland still being alive. This of course won't decide the outcome of the game.
Next session next monday or when?
EDIT:
I will post the limited invasion rule from the DEG rule thread here. If you want to modify it go ahead but here it is.
"I am sick and tired of the way the game system handles invasions. There are no special landing craft units so you can use steamers to land your troops. Gallipolli was the last time it was used partly sucessful on an undefended beach. My point is that NO nation had the ability to land 20-60 divisions at once and supply them in a cross ocean operation around 1940. Even less, which brings me to my next point, the possibilty to supply these troops without proper harbours. Remember the Mulberries and German fortifications of French atlantic ports as Cherbourg?
As it stands now no one bothers to defend beaches and fortify them because the enemy can always hit you with too much troops everywhere. I hav discussed a solution with some DEG people that might solve this until action is taken in a patch.
Invasions:
To simulate the amphibous capability of the nations in the conflict there is a limit of how many divisions you may use in a beach landing at once. This number is the number of transports deployed on board divided with X. X could be set to 10 for a start but modified later. The minimum capability for all nations is always at least one even if you own less than 10 transports. To calculate your own or the enemies amphibious capability hit F6 and divide by 10 round down if more than 10. Voilá!
Do all your transports have to participate in the invasion? No, not if you dont want to.
This would have the advantage of making unhistorical invasions harder and defending beaches worthwhile. Brigaded Marines will be worth constructing as elite units. Supporting Paras could be wortwhile instead of building loads of useless transports.
Will this hurt one side more than the other? Well the allies will have to construct a large quantity of transports before the race to Berlin can start but I only see this as an oppurtunity to make the war run a more historical and longer course while making the Eastern front more important as it was. While the Axis get a respite from a second front the alllies will have an easier time defending in the initial stages of the war. A "West first" policy by the axis actually takes some commitment rather than the construction of a few transports and massive air support that can be used elsewere later on anyways.
Is this limit too hard?
Not really since you can use that ambhibious ability over and over again. Its only the initial attack that will be weakened. Right after you landed some divs your capability is free again and you can land the same amount of troops at another location.
Follow up invasions:
To prevent abusive reinforcements of a recently captured beach troops may only be landed in captured harbour provinces in unlimited numbers. A beach province can only be reinforced from the sea with a new batch of troops not exceeding the amphibous limt.
Supply:
The allies had supreme issues supplying their forces in France after D-day before liberating major harbours. HOI doesn't portray this at the least.
Maybe the following house rule would simulate the reality better then the current supply system.
You may send unlimited supplies to a harbour province but only x ships to a non-harbour province fx 3. With the limited invasion rule above maybe this rule would be totally unneccessary.
The object is to prevent 3 marines from capturing an undefended beach allowing the 60 motorized infantry follow up forces to quickly advance inland or capture a harbour.
This would make defending ports valuable. The effect would be that an invasion of a beach province might be successful but you will have some problems supplying large follow up forces. Can anyone say Normandy?"
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