Morning Knp.
The Italians had no inclination to fight the British and even less the Americans, when they joined the war.
There was also a massive class divide between Officers and the enlisted man. This made morale very low and did not help create a fighting force. Italians were happy to be left alone.
The Italian army was also a foot one. Hardly any units were motorised and that would prove a problem in the vast expanses of desert and the seesaw nature of the campaign.
The British were lucky when they attacked in Dec of 1940 as they had only had limited objectives. The advance was so uncontested, that they kept going until they had Benghazi and Tobruk.
Being Italian, I love to laugh at my WW2 army’s dismal performances and unwillingness to throw their lives away for someone else’s glory.
When the Italians switched sides, however, things got very bloody as civil war broke out amongst the Fascists and Communists. Many Italians proved they were not afraid of dying once they had a real cause and future in which they believed.
My dad’s dad was in Africa, Russia and later ran and hid from the Fascists in Tuscany.
Carrier Question
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I posted this in the Europe 1940 section but this seems to be a bit more active with readers so I will post it here as well.
In the Ed.1 manual it states that defending carriers planes are considered to be defending in the air. It also states that units trapped on a damaged carrier cannot participate in battles or move until the carrier has been repaired by a friendly naval base. I was always under the assumption that when a sub attacks a loaded carrier that… 1) if it only scores one hit and damages carrier then the planes are trapped until it can get back to a friendly naval base 2) If it scores two hits then carrier and all cargo are lost since they don’t participate in battle against subs w/o a destroyer present. If this is not the case then it seems to me that there is no way for cargo to get trapped on a carrier?
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If a sub attacks a loaded carrier without a destroyer, the planes crash into the sea unless then can land on an adjacent friendly land territory. Always have a destroyer with your carrier.
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The absolute only way that a plane can be trapped is if:
- a friendly plane is on a carrier during the carrier’s owners turn (it is cargo)
- the carrier is used in combat during the carrier’s owners combat phase. (it is still cargo)
- the carrier takes a hit during the battle. (it is cargo and now cannot take off)
- the carrier survives combat and is not adjacent to a naval base for repair. (trapped until repair)
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Cool. Makes sense but I think (not that it means much) that planes on a carrier don’t defend in the air unless there is something to defend against. I’m new here but I’ve been reading for well over a year and I appreciate all the info given! Thanks!
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Cool. Makes sense but I think (not that it means much) that planes on a carrier don’t defend in the air unless there is something to defend against. I’m new here but I’ve been reading for well over a year and I appreciate all the info given! Thanks!
If it helps justify it, imagine that they’re flying CAP, and were already in the air when the subs struck. The only time aircraft aren’t considered “in the air” is when attacking with a carrier that has a friendly plane. In all other circumstances, the airplanes are independent of the carrier (and already in the air). Not just when attacked, but even before they were attacked. Hence, Combat Air Patrol.
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