Some probably really dumb questions.

[maximulanov]

Well for someone whose been playing HOI2 for years.

Okay first, I'm running some strategy tests for an AAR I plan to do in the future. I will be UK. And using the Arma Vanilla, 1.3B patch.

First, I would like to know if building the Chain Home System (radar systems on the British coast) is worth it? According to the Wiki it is, but that information is for 1.2, and I don't know if that has changed or not.

Second, a strategic bombing campaign--is it worth it to build a large air fleet of Lancs or not? From what I can tell playing otherwise, strat bombing Germany seems to do nothing but eat up my IC in supplies, construction and reinforcements that I could put toward the navy, Tacs, Navs, Int-F/Ftrs, building a larger army or even a few CAS for invasions in North Africa (Algeria controlled by Vichy France in particular) and later Italy and Greece.

Third, is it really necessary to build sea forts on the Home Island? I know that General "Tiny" Ironside did this IRL and I'm tempted to do the same. But I'm wondering if a 2 Militia (I rename the units "<Province> Home Guard" so I don't accidentally load them on a transport) is sufficient to prevent Operation Sea Lion should the RN fail completely in the North Sea. Perhaps unlikely but I've several times had the Tirpitz and the Bismark chew up Zerg Fleets (5 CA, 2 CVL, 11 CL-FC, all obsolete of course) And my CTFs and BB-SAGs being stationed in the Med (Italy has a much more threatening navy than the Germans).

 

[unmerged(105989)]

1) Never really had much of a use for radar stations. They provide some help in a battle for control of UK air space and the channel, but not enough in my opinion to stress too much over them.

2) A strategic air campaign is really beyond your abilities as UK. It will eat IC and MP both in terms of building and reinforcing. That, and if you build enough, then you won't have enough ground combat power to do other things that are more important.

3) I wouldn't worry about the sea forts on the home island. Instead focus on simply defending the beaches properly. You might also keep a small SAG handy at port in the channel to sortie and destroy landings in progress.

 

[pdBravo]

1. Radar. I usually build about 8 or so, they do give your fighters a bit of kick but like ecnan says not much to be bothered about too much. I build them partly for flavour as much as for the small bonuses they give my channel defence.

2. Strats imo are a waste of resources for UK. I tend to sell the early strats you get to save on supplies and bring in a few resources early on. All they do is give the enemy IC a bit of a kicking, which you could do with smear campaigns. Smear campaigns cost money which you can afford (although not always successful of course, but then again the bombers aren't always flying), and bombing costs supplies and manpower which you can't really afford.

3. Sea forts I never bothered with. I've found 1 garrison per beach is generally enough to defend against AI with maybe an extra militia or two with 'reserve' orders. A few naval stations about to lap up any small transport fleets, or main fleet reserves in port. Unless of course you lost the naval battle in which case you're in real trouble anyway.

The med fleet I usually send in the original CV's as a fleet, very rarely need a repair on a ship, let alone need replacements, with Italian fleet contacts. Though I usually restrict them to the vital area around the coast of Alexandria/Tel Aviv etc. Only when the German fleet are defeated do I send battle fleets to the Med.

 

[Conanteacher]

1- Don't build radars, have a couple of INT patrolling the Channel at full org all the time.

2- You could str.bomb with your tacs a bit, but it's not worth it either. If you want to do it for flavor, then try this:

RECIPE=
a squadron of 4 tacs will log attack the infra in a province (or an area, ok) below 5% (at 1-3% is best) and THEN str.bomb the factories. It will take them even a month to rebuild at their size 10 again. after 6 months of micromanaging this and with 4x4 TAC squadrons you could really do some damage. (ehm...have them escorted, of course)

3- Nah, the Jerries will not invade if you have a corps with 1inf+2mil or 2-3 Garissons at your beaches. Don't build forts.

As for the enemy navies, NAVs are worth it.

And never really worry about their SUBs.

Good luck!

 

[pdBravo]

Conanteacher have you ever actually played as UK?

2 int patrolling the channel would be annihilated very quickly, you need way more than that (I've found 2 groups consisting of 3 ints and a fighter patrolling the channel usually suffices, patrolling one at a time and after heavy contact, switch to the other). Though more fighter defence will be needed around Malta to stop airborne convoy attacks
If you have 3 divisions per beach you'd be using a heck of a lot of manpower on defence, in fact I think if you did that you'd struggle to put an army in the field in any theatre, depending on what difficulty setting you have it on of course.

Of course I only speak of strategies against the AI, human players a whole different ball game.

 

[Conanteacher]

Sorry, should be more precise.

I mean 2 squadrons x 4 aircraft at full org on air at any time - which means you need at least 4-5 squadrons (up to 20 wings)...

Usually I play on Normal / Aggressive, and I often mil control my allies
(I think it is historical since the battles of Britain and in the Med were also fought by Canadians, Poles, South Africans etc...)
So it is quiet easy to get those 20 wings.

As for MP, I Don't build that much - I transfer the African militias at home and use my army for defence before I attack.

Has AI ever done a Sealion after Barbarossa?

After D-Day You don't really need the militias either.