Division desingn for Coast defence

[N3UTR0N]

What and how much battalions would be enough for coast defence against naval invasions?


Would 10 width cavalry with Military police support company divisions should be enough for coast defence?

 

[Agiknight]

No, 10 width Cav would get destroyed by Marines. I like to use 20 width infantry (all infantry) with support artillery and engineers as my garrison units. Very cheap to produce, good defense and organization, easy to cover an entire coast line with them.

 

[Carroarmato-P40]

Add MP for extra defense, org and suppression if you're using them in occupied provinces.

 

[Warhammer]

If you want an even cheaper speed bump, I personally use 4 Battalions of infantry, Engineering company and Anti air guns if I have the industry. The engineers gives your division bonus defence and entrenchment to last abit longer while the AA guns are multipurpose, they basically help in everything plus have some piercing that's enough to defeat light tanks.

You could use a 20 width division as suggested above but when I'm doing coastline defence its the entire Chinese coast or the whole of Europe as Germany for example, tying up so much manpower and equipment in about 100+ divisions is too much for me personally but its up to you as the player. I'd rather keep some rapid response units ready nearby and rush them to the invasion spot while my speed bump divisions do their thing (takes more micro but cheaper long term I find).

 

[N3UTR0N]

What about minors? As minor you wont have so much manpower, you need most of manpower to able to invade neighboring countries, if the allies join in you're usualy screwed up since you wont have enough divisions to cover all the coast as a minor.

 

[Warhammer]

Well 4 Inf Battallions is roughly the absolute minimum I find, less than that they won't last more than a day so you won't be able to reinforce from nearby. Thats the joy of playing as a minor, you need to min max everything. Another option is just to heavily garrison ports, airbases and VPs and fight the enemy after they have landed, as long as they don't get access to any ports, airbases or VPs they will eventually die from supply shortages.

 

[a_sophist]

Against the AI I have yet to need more than 20 infantry battalions (normally in the form of 4 10-widths or 2 20-widths) to defend any naval invasion. Perhaps if AI Japan can effectively farm general traits and put a decent marine division together that might change, but I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[TT33B]

This is only against the AI, but I don't do the whole coast. Only ports (add some coastal forts if you can) and have reserves inland to push them back into the sea. If the invasion force can't get a port it will be easier to destroy because of lack of supply. Normally as Germany I use the Austrian infantry template for my port garrisons.

 

[Meglok]

Vs the ai or in MP? Makes a difference.

A good standard is 6-10 Infantry with Engineers for the entrenchment. The number of battalions depends upon your available manpower, doctrine line, and how long you expect rhem to hold before reserves arrive.

ALWAYS have reserves in the rear ready to rush to their aid. No beach defense will hold by itself forever vs a determined assault. I usually keep an Armor Corps in reserve in France and either Armor or Infantry in the Med (terrain is better for defense there).

Adjust as needed for MP and house rules.

 

[TorAndreKongelf]

People need to chill on this 20 width fanatism and believe they count everywhere. You will only get the penalty above 80 width if you are attacked from one side. Guarding ports you will only get attacked from one side so you will need a 82 width division to get combat with penalty.

As for the question. Since AI is more aggressive now to naval invade and my allies fail to protect against them I use as much manpower I can afford on a 6 battalions brigade with military police. They will hold most of the time if you have level 3 costal forts at the port. If you cannot afford making forts I suggest having a 30ish width that can hold until you can get an reinforcement army if they land. And also you can get the nearest garrison units to come and help in the invasion.

 

[seattle]

Width 12 infantry with engineers on each port.
Lvl 3 coastal and lvl 2 land forts on each port.
That's enough to protect against a.i. landings. The land fort cause landings are often adjacent to the port. Ideally you want them to land and starve, not prevent the landing. It's only crucial to deny them port access.

30 garrison divs are sufficient for the entire Atlantic wall.

 

[Ryousan2k]

6 Inf + ING did the trick for me in all my Austro-Hungarian Runs. Keep those Illyrian shores nice and clean

 

[him_15]

10 Inf + ENG and ART for me.