Jan 36 invasion.

[Minodrin]

I was just thinking. Is it a worthhile strategy for Germany to try and invade either the US or UK in Jan 1936 with 2 panzer divisions? Neither of them can possibly get defending troops in time, and if they neglegt their fleet...
Ofcourse landing takes a few days, and if you fail, you are in very deep trouble...
Opinions? Other than that ths is a semi-exploit?

 

[unmerged(12746)]

Opinion

If you surprise them sure it can work, but as germany to start you have very few transports and both can place thier fleets and subs in the sea zone in which you have to transport your supplies into and kill your supply line.

So if you can land wonderful you can make some noise, but each nation can pull back to a defensive position and wait until your supplies are gone and counter attack then you loose your armor, your transports, some supplies. A miny Sea Lion, sure it could work but the lack of transports will get you in the end I believe.

Plus in the UK instance you would be attacking via thier strength the sea, Its never a good idea to attack an opponents strength. Taking Britian In MP and U.S. requires a lot of planning and a joint effort unless the players of those nations are not prepared and have fallen asleep.

Odin

 

[Diefledermas]

Invading the UK will allow France and the UK to be at war with you immediatly. In 36 France is on an equal footing with Germany. For the USA, those two Panzers could wreak a little havoc but thats it and then Uncle Sam is in the fight right away which spells your doom

 

[Mr.Bigglesworth]

In my current game as USA, I was wishing that Germany would try something squirrely like an early invasion. That would have put my CG at extremely low levels for the course of the game. It would have been over. If I would have gotten into any bad trouble, France and UK could have sent me expeditionary forces, and with my navy they wouldn't be able to keep in supply for very long.

 

[Minodrin]

Umm, forgive me for disagreeing but those 2 panzers could occupy the whole continental US (They face 4 divisions, right?) before the US would get reserves in. Although keeping the US against an allied invasion (If the UK pulls away it's African and Indian forces) would be impossible.
What about a surprise attack? Sneaking a massive invasion of the UK before you invade France (Landings in the west of Scotland) would "upset" the British plans...

 

[Diefledermas]

Umm, forgive me for disagreeing but those 2 panzers could occupy the whole continental US (They face 4 divisions, right?)

You would run out of gas before you got to Chicago. No suppy lines = no movement. And what about the Canadians? You think they're just going to sit there? Not to mention the US has a lot of airpower to slow you down.

 

[unmerged(12746)]

It would initially

Originally posted by Minodrin
Umm, forgive me for disagreeing but those 2 panzers could occupy the whole continental US (They face 4 divisions, right?) before the US would get reserves in. Although keeping the US against an allied invasion (If the UK pulls away it's African and Indian forces) would be impossible.
What about a surprise attack? Sneaking a massive invasion of the UK before you invade France (Landings in the west of Scotland) would "upset" the British plans...

But you still face two problems:

1. your attacking via your opponets strength the Sea. The UK may get caught napping but certainly some naval forces are around the british Isles so not only do you need a landing armada, you need battle fleets, or subs. Thats a lot of production, a lot of Ic's and a lot of Units to gamble on a surprise against an enemy strength.

2. You have to supply them. Even if you land you better have a lot of transports to commit to the supply line.

You can do Sealion its just a mamoth undertaking by Germany alone. The production of the force would be high and if it goes bad you set yourself back maybe 2 years. You need a joint invasion with another power and open two fronts, two beach heads. This way if one of you gets your supply cut you can give the units on Britian as expiditionary forces to the attacking ally so they now are supplied by them.

The U.S., sure 2 tanks can go pretty far early, but you have to supply them and you dont have the convoys to loose early in the game.

Odin

 

[Mr.Bigglesworth]

Let me preface this with a quote: "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." So anything is possible, but I'm going to assume that the USA player has some sense.

Originally posted by Minodrin
Umm, forgive me for disagreeing but those 2 panzers could occupy the whole continental US (They face 4 divisions, right?) before the US would get reserves in. Although keeping the US against an allied invasion (If the UK pulls away it's African and Indian forces) would be impossible.

Even if they were in supply the whole time, it would take those panzers two months to cross the country. Going to every state to occupy the whole thing, with resistance, would take probably take 2 or 3 times as long.

So even if:
1. You can manage to stay in supply.
2. UK, France, and USSR don't declare war on you
3. UK and France don't send any expeditionary forces
4. Your transports don't get sunk on the way to USA

It will still take you at least four months to take over the country, during which some the USA will have a good amount of IC's to play with, even if you take over a majority of the country. Militia only takes 1.5 months and will slow you down further, and hordes of inf will be ready in 3 months.

And if the invasion doesn't work, game over.

 

[Minodrin]

Anyway, I was just speculating. Big risk, big reward you know.
I seem to have forgotten the wird supply rules of HoI, but by landing in Texas should that oil atleast secure mobilety for your troops?

 

[unmerged(5553)]

Texas Oil

Nope. I was sitting on top of Iraq as Germany, and because I did not have a supply line back to Germany (I attacked through Vichy territory, silly me), my panzers were out of oil.

 

[Diefledermas]

just because you take oilfields doesn't mean you should access to oil (for tanks, etc...)

I needs to be processed, etc..