Supply Convoys

This rule is intended to be played with SiF option 11 (Limited Overseas Supply).

Whenever convoys or tankers enter a sea area, they may be designated as supply convoys. To show them as supply convoys, place them in the open sea, away from the sea-boxes. Alternatively, if you're not playing with tankers, you can use tankers to mark supply convoys (this is our preferred method). Supply-convoys are considered to be in the 0 box along with any regular convoys and their escorts. Supply convoys are treated like regular convoys except for the following exceptions:

  • Supply convoys cannot carry resources or oil
  • Supply convoys do not provide convoy search bonuses. Do not count supply CPs when determining the convoy search bonus.
  • Supply convoys do not count as convoys when determining if a submarine combat can be called.
  • Supply convoys do not count as ships in submarine combat. (Note that CW & US supply CPs may still provide ASW)
  • Losses inflicted by the Sub side in submarine combat cannot be applied to supply convoys (unless the sub side spends 3 surprise points).

Rationale

Limited Overseas Supply (LOS) is supposed to simulate the logistical difficulties of keeping of keeping an overseas theater in-supply. Unfortunately, the rule relies on convoys which primarily are strategic units that carry resources, BP, etc. The sub rules are really designed with this in mind. Subs are meant to sink convoys and so convoys are particularly vulnerable in sub combat. The problem is that historically, subs never cut supply to a theater. But LOS makes subs the ideal weapons for this role.

This rule attempts to address the issue by making supply convoys harder to find and making them essentially immune to submarine combat. That's not to say that subs could not still cut supply by calling surface combats, but at least then they have to fight their way through escorting warships. The idea is that military supply convoys are generally smaller and better escorted than the merchant marine. Hence the reason that they are far less vulnerable to subs.

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