Idea to improve UK's defence of the Home Island

[Filou]

The present British AI seems fine when the threat of SeaLion is gone, but fails to properly defend Britain.

A simple remedy would be to have an extra AI script for when the threat of SeaLion is present, basically as long as Germany is not at war with SU and/or as long as the US is not a member of the Allies.
This ealy war AI would mainly focus on defendig the Home Island and key assets, maybe with limited focus on taking Italian East-Africa.
Hopefully that would make SeaLion more difficult to acheive as more troops would defend the Island.

I hope this idea can bu usefull.

 

[unmerged(32639)]

The present British AI seems fine when the threat of SeaLion is gone, but fails to properly defend Britain.

Actually British defence didn't seem too weak to me. It is quite realistic also as it is the question of getting enough of your troops onto the Island. The Home fleet and RAF should do the job more effectively - but they're already strong - especially when joined by the Americans. The AI of air units could be improved though as they tend not to fight for air superiority in the English Channel which presents a chance for baiting the fleet out there and bombing it to pieces while being supported by the aggressor's fleet of course.

 

[daedalus]

Actually British defence didn't seem too weak to me. It is quite realistic also as it is the question of getting enough of your troops onto the Island. The Home fleet and RAF should do the job more effectively - but they're already strong - especially when joined by the Americans. The AI of air units could be improved though as they tend not to fight for air superiority in the English Channel which presents a chance for baiting the fleet out there and bombing it to pieces while being supported by the aggressor's fleet of course.

I agree with you. In my experience, the UK does a decent job of defending the home islands army wise. But we cannot hope for them to compete man by man with the germans. It is simple not possible and not realistic that once that the germans achive complete domain of the seas and air space, the UK will be able to hold them in land. The numbers are just not there. I have seen the UK defended by 40-60 divisions, but it is not match to my 120 divisions invading army, with great amounts of armors, brigade and superior techs.

So the UK has to stop germany where it can, and that is in the seas, in particular in the channel. I believe the UK naval AI can do this. In my game as France I have seen extremely large task forces patroling the channel, 80+ ships. So it should not be a problem, but for the danger of naval bombing.

And that brings me to my third point. The key to protecting the home fleet, and allow it to do its taks is in air superiority over the channel and britains costs. As germany, my naval bombers/TACs decimated the home fleet bit by bit over the channel, unconstested. Air superiority is a must over the channel. Instead of building so many expensive strat bombers, the AI should be taught/set to build enough int/f, fighters to protect the home fleet.

In conclusion channel air superiority -> powerful home fleet -> british islands protected from major invading forces.

 

[unmerged(2037)]

With the easy naval retreat it is quite possible to make Sealion without destroying RN and having air supremacy. I have managed to slip a small fleet and land 3 marines in northern England . Once you have beachhead the retreat behavior allows you to ferry as much troops as desired despite opposing fleet.

 

[daedalus]

Yes, you are right. I hardly ever retreat. And that only after hours of combat. I like watching the progress screen and see all the things going on . However, the engine should force you to stay in combat for several hours before allowing retreat. And retreat should always be done to the province/zone you came from, or any other adjacent to the one you came from, never forward.

 

[unmerged(32639)]

I actually seized British resistance on the Isles with no more than 35 infantry divs + 60 air divs (15 Nav bombers) + 70 Ships + 3 A-bombs (mainly for fun).
First I made a shock attack destroying the 3 brit naval bases north from Norwich with A-bombs. That also divides the Island in half at Liverpool making it hard for them to bring troops south with infrastrastracture 0.
Then the whole fleet occupies 1 territory in the Channel and shells something like Portsmouth. Air divisions go off hunting ships and hostile aircraft...Tacticals go on interdiction. At that point everything is set for 12 divs of best Airbourne divs (max doctrines, max effeciency). Pretty simple frontal war after that.

PS 15 Turbojet Nav bombers turned out to be a devastating power - 2*4 sunk 5 out of 7 level 3 US carriers. That's why no problem with Home fleet.

 

[unmerged(38094)]

"In conclusion channel air superiority -> powerful home fleet -> british islands protected from major invading forces."
Thats not all... Distance from Amsterdam to Scapa Flow/Inverness is less than 800 km... and thats the reach of Ju-52 and Fallschirm-divisions. Drop 2 of them, one for one province. The closest english troops schould be in Glasgow ( and in `40 it`s usually Garnison/Home Defence). Then simply send Your transport ships from Bergen or even Kiel and then all You need is enough "ghost"transports/escorts to supply them. When You really affraid of RN, send some U-Boots for naval interdiction.
The problem is not the amount of ships/fighters/divisions on the British Islands but the way of use it by AI .
Dunno... Maybe more powerful fortifications on beach-provinces and at least one squadron of interceptors constantly with patrol mission on the north and some squadrons of destroyers/light cruisers with ASW duty on North Sea ?

 

[unmerged(35645)]

Britains home defence is very weak

In every game I have played at vhard whether as Japan or Germany ( atleast 10 games) I conquered Britain easily because it does not defend its home island beaches properly usually just a division or 2 per beach. Also the AI seems to create flotilas that are to small and easily defeated by 20 or 30 stack flotillas.

The AI does not value its home island enough. British AI will put 50 or 80 divisions in Gibralta or Iraq or even Malayasia but never seems to Guard England as aggressively. Whereas in reality if England was attacked I am sure the colonial possesions would be a secondary consideration to home defence.

I would suggest the following alterations to the British AI. Put 5 or so divisions on each beach and some mobile reserves and Sealion would be much harder a few coastal forts would complete the picture.
And for goodness sake form some 30 stack flotillas and sink the German and Jap fleets.

 

[unmerged(17392)]

I rarely ever use more than 20 divs to invade the UK. that is more than enough to take on the handfull of divs that the UK uses to guard the home islands. generally, i have seen between 4-8 divs (including militia and garrison) in the whole of england.

it doesn't matter if the UK is at war with Italy or with Japan, the UK still leaves their home islands near undefended.