Description[]
Preparations for Invasion is the sixth scenario in the German Campaign in Empire Earth.
Briefing[]
Preparations for Invasion: 1940
With Continental Europe largely under the control of the Axis, Great Britain finds itself isolated and relying increasingly on supplies from America. Knowing this, Germany has dispatched additional U-boats to blockade the island nation, seeking to destroy all convoys bound for its shores. But a weakened Britain is not a defeated Britain. To achieve absolute victory, a German invasion will be necessary. But an invasion can never succeed so long as the British Home Fleet protects her coast. Prior to launching an amphibious landing, Germany must build up its naval strength. Then, they must send the Home Fleet to the bottom.
Objectives[]
- Weaken the British by sinking their Transports. Each enemy Transport sunk will provide you with resources and remove resources from the British.
- Destroy all British Docks located in Britain. Each time a Transport gets through, the British will be able to rebuild their Docks.
- Destroy all ships belonging to Britain's Home Fleet.
History[]
High Command had hoped that German victories on the continent would persuade the United Kingdom to abandon the war. But British resolve did not waiver and so Germany had to find a way to deal with the island nation. German U-boats were given the task of sinking supply ships coming in from America. Additionally, the new battleship Bismarck was being constructed to further whittle away at Allied shipping and the British Fleet.
The sinking of the Bismarck is one of the best known naval stories of the war in the Atlantic. After leaving port, the massive battleship was spotted off the coast of Norway by a British plane on May 18, 1941. The British immediately dispatched ships to intercept the Bismarck, including the H.M.S. Prince of Wales and the pride of the Royal Navy, the H.M.S. Hood. The British force caught up to Bismarck near Iceland on May 24. In the ensuing battle, the Prince of Wales sustained heavy damage and the Hood was sunk with a loss of 1,416 men - all but 3 of her entire compliment. The Bismarck escaped with only light damage. British torpedo bombers from the aircraft Victorious scored a hit on the Bismarck in another skirmish, but the Bismarck again slipped away.
The Bismarck was not spotted again until May 26. Naval groups sailing from the west and north set off in pursuit while more British warships approached from the south. Late in the day, repeated attacks by torpedo bombers finally scored two hits on Bismarck, one hitting in the rear and jamming the rudder. As a result, the Bismarck lost maneuverability and sailed uncontrollably toward the British fleet. The next morning, the British closed in.
The battleships Rodney and King George V opened fire at about 8:45 AM. The Bismarck fired back, but, unable to maneuver, was an easy target. Within half-an-hour, the Bismarck had suffered multiple direct hits that had destroyed several turrets, taken out the fire control center, and killed most of the senior officers. The British warships continued to pound the Bismarck, which fired its last ineffective salvo at 9:30. With the once mighty battleship now little more than a floating hulk, the surviving crew set scuttling charges. The British cruiser Dorsetshire moved in and fired several torpedos, which exploded at about 10:30. The Bismarck finally capsized and sank about ten minutes later on May 27, 1941. Only 115 sailors of a crew of over 2,000 survived.
Hints[]
- Extra Gold and Iron can be found in Ireland and Iceland, but you will receive more by sinking enemy Transports.
- Landing Citizens in Britain itself will not be permitted by the German High Command.
- Building the Espionage Center will allow you to see the position of enemy Docks.
- Building the Lighthouse will allow you to see the position of enemy ships.
- Move quickly because the North Sea will fill up with enemy warships after a few Transports get through.
- Take advantage of the fact that the British need a convoy to arrive in order to repair their Docks - after intercepting a Transport, you might be able to quickly wipe them out.
- The FW-190 is more effective against enemy aircraft than any of your other fighters.
Storyline[]
Hermann Goering is relaying his battleplans.
Hermann Goering: This is Paris. From here, we coordinate the defense of the German continent. Navel operations are based in Wilhelmshaven, up the coast.
The camera moves over to Wilhelmshaven.
Hermann Goering: Here is Wilhelmshaven, the base of the North Sea fleet. We have also acquired a Navy Yard in Norway, which we can put to good use.
The camera moves over to Stavanger, where the battleship named "Bismarck" is being constructed.
Hermann Goering: Here at Stavanger, Germany will construct a mighty warship to blast the English from the water.
Somewhere off the coast of Scotland...
U-Boat Captain: Until Naval Command builds up the surface fleet, we are on our own. May our enemies taste these black waters before we do. Find the convoys and, fire at will.
A U-Boat fires a missile at a fishing boat, sinking it to the bottom.
U-Boat Captain: Another victory! But all too easy. This time the fish win, Englishman. Now... let us find prey that has teeth.
The Bismarck is highlighted before construction is completed.
Naval Constructor: As soon as construction on the great German battleship is complete, I will transfer control over to Naval Command. The yard must be protected until that time.
The first British convoy has been sunk.
Hermann Goering: The sinking of the convoy has increased High Command's faith in the fleet. They have released new funds to the navy and promise to reward future successes as well.
Ireland has been discovered.
Hermann Goering: The free people of Ireland have been persuaded not to enter the war.
The Bismarck is ready.
Naval Constructor: The great ship is ready! The English fleet will soon learn to fear the name Bismarck.
If the Bismarck is destroyed.
Naval Constructor: No! My glorious warship is destroyed! She rests now in her watery grave, never to be replaced.
Another British convoy has been sunk.
Hermann Goering: Another convoy has been sent to the bottom! High Command is duly impressed by such deadly efficiency.
The British turn to using larger convoys.
German Naval Officer: The English are relying on larger convoys now, which are better defended.
A majority of the buildings in London, barring Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, are all destroyed.
Hermann Goering: London is in ruins. It will take the English sometime to rebuild. However, her fleet still poses a threat that must be dealt with.
If an attempt at invading England is done.
Hermann Goering: An invasion of England is not prudent at this time. Her fleet must be destroyed first.
The British Home Fleet appears.
German Officer: Britain's Home Fleet! A formidable enemy. Soon or later, the German High Command knows it must be destroyed.
The British Home Fleet is defeated.
Hermann Goering: England's fleet and naval bases are smashed! The path to invasion is now clear.
Walkthrough[]
This scenario has three phases. It is a pure naval scenario, so you do not need or want other units. The enemy has neither Cruisers nor Submarines, so he is very vulnerable to a balanced fleet.
Civ points investments: Give Battleships and Cruisers the bonuses on attack and range. If you want, give the same bonuses to your subs, but that may be not very important in this scenario, and you do not need the subs in the next (last) scenario.
Phase 1 Preparations[]
There is no clock ticking, so you can take your time.
Economy: you have access to all resources. Build a settlement near the stone field west of your capital city and populate it to a Capitol. Build a fully manned and populated Granary just south of this Capitol. Send 6 Citizens each to mine Gold, Iron (with another Town Center), and Stone, and chop wood. Later, when you have enough resources, let some of the Citizens populate the Capitols to free population space. With your first Submarines, kill some enemy transports that come through the northern route to get the resource rewards, but when the Frigates appear, retreat the Submarines to your northern base (with the naval yards).
Defense: Immediately build 88mm AA Guns at your Airport, 4 on each side. Another group north of the stone field. Do not build more planes at the Airport.
Army: Britain's coastal defense consists of Battleships, Frigates, Fighter/Bombers, and Bomber planes. No Submarines. Build and group
- Group 1: the Bismarck: 2x attack, 2x range, 1x hitpoints
- Group 2: 5 Battleships: 2x attack, 2x range, 1x hitpoints
- Group 3: 5 Battleships
- Group 4: 4 Cruisers: 2x attack, 2x range, 1x hitpoints
- Group 5: 4 Cruisers
- Group 6: 5 Submarines: 2x attack, 2x range, 1x speed (because they will mainly do hit-and-run)
- Group 7: 5 Submarines
- Group 8: 5 Submarines
- Group 9: 5 Citizens (construction team)
- Group 0: 1 Aircraft Carrier (fully upgraded) with 5 Fighter/Bomber planes (for the last phase): 2x attack, 2x range, 1x flight time
1 Transport
Reconnaissance: Build a lighthouse in the south (slightly west of your capital city) and one in the north (slightly north of your naval yards). Build a Espionage Headquarters.
Phase 2: Britain[]
You have to destroy all English Docks, but Britain will rebuild them when any resource transport arrives at one of their Docks. You have to do two things simultaneously:
Raze every building that your fleet can reach (over 90% of the buildings), kill all Citizens: With the Bismarck, 5 Battleships and 4 Cruisers, clear the eastern and southern coast of England, then proceed along the western coast. With the other group, make sure the southern and eastern coast stay clear. Build some Docks along your coast so you can comfortably heal your ships. Use the Irish dock for the same purpose.
Blockade: Station a group of 5 Submarines at every of the three routes. Those are
- the southern route: at the southwestern tip of England or south of Ireland
- the middle route: north of Ireland, in the range of the Irish Dock
- the northern route: slightly west of the northern tip of England
The transports are faster than their escort fleets, and when they are destroyed, the escort fleet will retreat. The blockade is doable with minimal micromanagement – 5 Submarines will need only 1 volley do sink a transport.
When you destroyed all Docks, Town Centers and Citizens, Britain cannot rebuild Docks, the transports will stop coming and this phase is finished.
Phase 3: Homefleet[]
Very easy: Build a Lighthouse in Ireland. You now see the Homefleet in the southwest. The Homefleet consists of many Battleships, some Frigates and 1 Carrier. Group your Submarines into one group and let them slaughter Battleships and the British Carrier. When you spot the Frigates, retreat the Subs and let the Fighter/Bombers of your Carrier kill the Frigates. Let the Submarines finish their job.
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