How to Perform a Naval Invasion in Hearts of Iron 4

Hearts of Iron 4 is an incredible World War 2 simulator that lets players get technical with research, diplomacy and warfare. One aspect of warfare that the game allows you to get knee-deep in is the naval invasion feature. Naval invasions are necessary for island nations to invade other countries, aside from simply being a really useful tool to open new fronts and perform complex battle strategies. Here is how to perform a naval invasion in Hearts of Iron 4.

Naval Supremacy

Firstly, you need to understand that supremacy of the sea is vital in ensuring your convoys make it safely to your target. The game will not let you launch a naval invasion if your supremacy is less than 50%.

To gain supremacy, you must have fleets performing activities in the regions of the sea your invasion will be crossing. The best way to do achieve this would be to send fleets on Convoy Escort missions in the regions of ocean your ships will be traveling in, to protect them and increase your naval supremacy.

Once your naval supremacy is sufficient, you can think about planning and launching your invasion.

The planning

A lot of planning goes into naval invasions.

Firstly, you must know your capacity. You can research upgrades to improve it, but if you are just starting out it will likely be 10 divisions. You can check this by going to the ‘transports’ tree in the naval section of the research tab.

Knowing your capacity, select the divisions you wish to partake in the invasion. The closer they are to a port you control the better, as that is where they will disembark. Gather your army and select the ‘Naval Invasion Order.’

You will have to firstly select the port which the invading force will sail from. Then, you must select the province/s that will be targeted. Try to also target a port, so once the invasion begins you can send reinforcements and supply your forces. With the target set, you can confirm the order.

The Naval Invasion requires a number of in-game days to plan, the larger your forces, the longer it will take. However, as soon as it is planned, the invasion can begin.

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Starting the Invasion

You will see your convoys sail across the sea. If you set up numerous landing provinces, they will split up to hit each one. Upon landing, it would be wise to set up a front and offensive line to create a beachhead to secure your troops’ position. Using aircraft and naval units to support the attack would be wise as well.

As soon as an enemy port is captured, send over reinforcements, especially if you could only send ten divisions.

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