Timeline - when to go to the Mediterranean?

[kdv]

Am wondering what time in the war was good for missions in the Mediterranean?

I am at about December 1940, there's hardly any enemy ports in the Med. now, risking getting sunk at Gibraltar for no reward doesn't seem too smart...

[mookiemookie]

The 29th Flotilla at La Spezia was established in December of '41. Rommel's attacks in Libya didn't really start until early to mid '41. I'd wait if I were you.

[Jimbuna]

I'd patrol about 250km west of Gib to get a feel for what your likely to encounter when you do eventually attempt your transit.

[kdv]

OK, so about another year then.

About the same time the east coast of the USA should ramp up :).

Have spent alot of time patrolling the area just south of Newfoundland, just south of the Grand Banks (shallow areas).

There seem to be alot of single ship traffic, including troop ships, tank-carriers, lone merchants, etc.

It's just a long sail to get there, at least I'm based in France finally.

Thanks Gents.

[Pisces]

Read it from the man himself (Dönitz). In october 1939 he allready ordered boats to Gibraltar and on 22 october he said U26 was eventually (after minelaying ops) to get into the west med. I uploaded the warlog into my filefront page. I don't remeber how I got it, but I'm sure it's from someone in here.

http://files.filefront.com/U+boat+movementspdf/;13499409;/fileinfo.html

[timmyab]

I had a go at the Gibraltar single mission the other day and it was good fun.I particularly enjoyed dodging the destroyers on the surface at night and luckily they didn't appear to have radar at that stage of the war.watch out for those fast MTBs, they will catch you out if you're not careful.If you do get spotted you can expect plenty of this.
http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp315/timmyab/SH3Img18-3-2009_21.jpg?t=1237579292
Incidentally, it's a shame that the AI can't use a bit more of the I in these circumstances.If some of these guys could fan out and ping you they'd have a reasonable chance to nail you.As it is you've only got to survive the first few minutes and stay silent to get away.

[Hitman]

The beauty of the Mediterranean is that it is a wholy different campaign to anything you are used to :DL In the Atlantic you are used to engage slow convoys (<12 knots) of fat targets with variable escorts in the open ocean, but the Mediterranean is essentially a place to go hunting warships, which run fast (>15 knots) and well escorted by fleet destroyers. You can eventually find merchants, but either they will not be worth a torpedo because of their small size, or else be well escorted. In any case, -as already said- it's warship what matters there :up:

So I would recommend going there only when you master the technique of U-Boat attacks, and are ready for an additional challenge :yep:

[rubenandthejets]

December 1940, things start hotting up historically. Wavell and the "British" 8th Army hammer the Italians all the way back to the Libyan border.

No insult to the British meant here, it's just that the Australians, New Zealanders and Indians make up most of the forces involved.

[mookiemookie]

Sending in contact reports become a viable strategy when you're in the Med, as the Italian airbases are within range of your targets, too.

[RoaldLarsen]

December 1940, things start hotting up historically. Wavell and the "British" 8th Army hammer the Italians all the way back to the Libyan border.

No insult to the British meant here, it's just that the Australians, New Zealanders and Indians make up most of the forces involved.

No insult intended to the Indians, Australians and New Zelanders who all fought well in North Africa, but at the time of the December 1940 offensive, the Western Desert Force, which actually conducted the offensive under Lt.Gen. Richard O'Conner, was primarily British. The original Order of Battle included
British
7th Armoured Division
16th Infantry Brigade
7th Royal Tank Regiment
3rd bn, The Coldstream Guards
Indian
4th Infantry Division

The 4th Indian Division was redeployed to East Africa in mid-December, and replaced at that time by the Australian 6th Division.

[rubenandthejets]

Sorry, it's been a long time since I played Jedco's "The African Campaign", I was just going from memory. I loved gaming the ambush outside Bengazi the 11th Hussars pulled off. Isn't there a motorised infantry brigade of Poles running around North Afrca in December as well?

Things get interesting, none the less. Lots of RN units scurrying about.....one of these days I'm gong to check out the campaign layers in the Med and see about turning up at Matapan and turning the tables on a few uppity battlecruisers to help out Mussolini. Also keen to get a few hits on that convoy Churchill ran straight through the Med full of tanks.

[RoaldLarsen]

Isn't there a motorised infantry brigade of Poles running around North Afrca in December as well?
The Carpathian Rifle Brigade was deployed to Tobruk in the second half of 1941. Before that they were used as garrison troops well behind the front.

[rubenandthejets]

Cheers-I knew I remebered those guys! That was a handy little counter in "The African Campaign"-they got blooded pretty early on in my games as they were great for soaking up casualties.