Why can't I transport tanks from UK to Gibraltar over sea?

[hulkenstein]

As UK, when I order a naval transport of medium or heavy tank divisions from UK (I tried to depart from both Plymouth and Belfast) to e.g. Gibraltar, the transport starts and the tanks go out to sea. However, in the Bay of Biscay (or at a similar distance if departing from Belfast), the transport order is automatically cancelled, the division stops while a red "out-of-supply" symbol is shown on the division icon. After a few seconds, the transport heads back to my closest port, which is Plymouth. This makes it impossible for me to move tanks out of UK. The same thing happens if I do a naval invasion.

Why could this be? Is it a bug or should it not be possible to transport medium and heavy tanks long distances? I have enough 426 convoys available, so I suppose that's not the problem.

Below is an image showing the tank division before the moment it turns back to Plymouth (after departing from Belfast).

 

[xtfoster]

As UK, when I order a naval transport of medium or heavy tank divisions from UK (I tried to depart from both Plymouth and Belfast) to e.g. Gibraltar, the transport starts and the tanks go out to sea. However, in the Bay of Biscay (or at a similar distance if departing from Belfast), the transport order is automatically cancelled, the division stops while a red "out-of-supply" symbol is shown on the division icon. After a few seconds, the transport heads back to my closest port, which is Plymouth. This makes it impossible for me to move tanks out of UK. The same thing happens if I do a naval invasion.

Why could this be? Is it a bug or should it not be possible to transport medium and heavy tanks long distances? I have enough 426 convoys available, so I suppose that's not the problem.

Below is an image showing the tank division before the moment it turns back to Plymouth (after departing from Belfast).
View attachment 1333279

Without more info, my best guess would be that you have lost access to the Med. Obviously you still control Gibraltar, but did Spain join the Axis (which would turn the straits of Gibraltar to contested). Hover over the straits icon (in naval mode) to see the current status of them.

 

[hulkenstein]

Spain is neutral at the moment and hovering over the straits icon shows permission type "Friend" (see image below).

Also, I manage to get other troop types to and through Gibraltar. Infantry, Cavalry and Light Tanks manage to pass, but not my Medium or Heavy Tanks. I get this out-of-supply notification when the ship is in Bay of Biscay and then the transport turns around and goes back to UK again.

 

[Reni Malaj]

What order is that division assigned to?

 

[hulkenstein]

If I recall correctly, that army in the screenshot had a defense order in Egypt.

Previously, I did also try to put the tank division in a separate army without orders and just transport the division to Gibraltar. The effect was always that it turned around in the Bay of Biscay.

Now, however, after playing a few more hours, I mange to transport the troops as expected. Thanks for helping out, I now suspect I ran into a bug of some sort...

 

[hulkenstein]

A follow-up. The issue is still there but in another form. I think I have lost three tank divisions to the sea. They are stuck and cannot move anywhere. Below is a GIF animation with one of the divisions selected. I just gave it the order to move to Gibraltar (once) and then it cancels and reissues this order over and over again indefinitely. There are also two other divisions in the same tile, and they are stuck in a similar manner. I don't know how to get them out of there.

 

[Joshua Happytree]

the transport heads back to my closest port, which is Plymouth. This makes it impossible for me to move tanks out of UK. The same thing happens if I do a naval invasion.

There was/is a bug with invasion orders and saves. If you save when an invasion order is being executed and then load this save then the invasion order is cancelled and the troops go to your nearest port. My guess would be this may affect division trasport as well. I observed this bug with infantry so it should not be limited to tank divisions. The bug started to present itself when another major bug of disapperaring convoy ships sprang up and I assume they may be related. For a split second after you load the save and unpause, the proper division convoy icon is replaced with the overland one right in the middle of the sea as if the division is not being transported and/or does not have convoy ships available. THEN an invasion order is cancelled, the division is rerouted to the nearest port and provided with convoy ships again. I haven't found any workaround and just avoided saving during invasion execution. I haven't filed a bug report because it's a waste of time IMHO, major bugs are left unfixed for many years.

 

[KubiG37]

That garrison order might be an indication. Isn't it cancelling/overriding your manual orders? Units at sea sometimes behave weird, do weird pathfinding etc.

Have you tried cancelling all orders first? Or did you try to first order the unit to a different sea tile and then ordering it to a port?

I've also seen a somewhat similar behaviour with units in a port that is damaged (lowered to 0) trying to move away- they would constantly try to 'board a ship' and move away, then cancel and stay where they were, until the port is repaired.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

That garrison order might be an indication. Isn't it cancelling/overriding your manual orders? Units at sea sometimes behave weird, do weird pathfinding etc.

no order will freeze units in place at sea when functional

 

[hulkenstein]

I was away for a week. Thanks for you replies. I tried to load a game, cancel the orders, save again, and load that game. However, they keep repeatedly try to go to Gibraltar and then stop like in the GIF. I have tried cancelled all orders too and to try to move them to an adjacent tile. They refuse that however.