Hi Bob -
Thanks for the posts over at that Avalon Hill site!
Now down to business. . .
OK, as for France: France can be tough (but if it was easy, a 1939 game would not be as much fun, right?) If you would like some tips on taking France out you can check out these posts:
http://www.ww2wargame.com/forum/index.php?topic=40.0Here are a few other specific things to consider:
Build the first 2-3 turns to take France out: no subs. fighters (2-4) and probably infantry and artillery with a little armor maybe.
Mass the Italians on the French border too - if the French don't defend the south - go in with the Italians in the Spring or Summer
On the first turn (Autumn 1939 - you don't need everything on the Polish border to knock Poland out - rail the artillery and a good chunk of the infantry to the French border and take out Belgium in the Winter to give yourself a little extra cushion.
In the Winter you can rail all of your armor that successfully knocked out Poland to Western Germany and then mech-friendly move it into Belgium on the mech phase to back up your infantry that took out Belgium.
Now your sitting with a big army in Belgium and most of your builds in the Saar when Spring rolls around (as well as a decent Italian army poised to strike Southern France).
The French now have a bit of a dillema. If they defend forward, pick the weakest territory, hit it, and then mech attack Paris. If they defend back in Paris, take a couple of French territories and then hunker down for the French counterattack (which they almost have to do given they give up on a 3 out of 6 if you own two territories. A good French player will want to take a few Germans down with him rather than risking his whole army going away for nothing).
Now the French counterattack is tough for the French. Because, after the first round, the French really have to retreat back into Paris. If they don't, the Germans should retreat (stranding the French army wherever they attacked the Germans and not in Paris) - this makes walking into Paris in the Summer easy.
Let me know what you are doing and I might be able to give you some other pointers.
As for out of supply fleets - let me think about your suggestion. . .I think a trapped fleet like that is pretty easy to take out anyway (surround it with Italian ships - so there is no place for them to retreat to and then just pound it with planes until it is gone).