AWD deluxe AAR: Marshall Art - Lebatron

[Marshall Art]

Prime hunting grounds for the Uboats remain the Indian Ocean and the Southern Atlantic as Allied DDs do not pursue the Uboats to greatest extent there. The Wallied trannie pool declined down to 44 again. Still high enough not to hinder any operations but the investment of significant pop points cannot go anyplace else. To make sure the Uboats survive the ASW3 that surely will kick in soon I started to research EV 4. If I get lucky in early 1943 the subs will even jump quickly to EV5 limiting the extent of any Allied 1943 landing operations.

[Marshall Art]

Summer 1942 – After the Madagaskar event fired the Wallied are faced with an even thinner supply line around Africa. The Allied CV fleet strikes at the small fleet guarding the Johnston Atoll, it appears the superior Japanese CAG attributes deter the Allies from going after the Japanese CVs so far. The Red Army has left Stalingrad and Gorki for Germany to plunder, instead they advanced into Kalinin threatening the Northern flank of the Axis. The Army in Maikop was left to die.

[Marshall Art]

German Paratroops seize Baku and the Maikop Army (about ¼ of the Red Army) surrenders. The valuable resources of the Caucasus are secured  at a total cost of 4 German units! The tank units blitzing through Stalingrad and Gorki advance into Kazan to increase the gap between the Northern Armies and the Ural group. Rail bombings support this operation.

[Marshall Art]

Axis troops march towards Cairo, having naval supremacy in the Western part of the Med due to the Wallied withdrawal.

[Marshall Art]

Over to Asia where Japan seizes Midway in a close fight, the defending fighters are destroyed as a result. In preparation of the invasion of Hawaii the defending arty is taken out.

[Marshall Art]

Fall 1942 – A Chinese attack on Shanghai was repulsed, overall losses were comparably low on both sides. The Chinese also came up with a novelty – after buidling a second fighter they teched them up to AA6. Zero pilots are wetting their pants . Now all the Chinese need is a range extension so they can reach Japan....

[Marshall Art]

The German tank unit in Kazan pays for its boldness and is destroyed, after hitting a T-34. A major air and sea attack by the Baltic fleet causes significant damage on both sides. I found it strange that the German BB was not involved at all in the naval confrontation. An auto hit of the Russian DD killed a Z-class which in return sunk the Russian DD. The Russian TacAir attacked trannies instead of warships, too. At least there is no Russian fleet left in the Baltic.

The US CAGs perform some target practice at a few Japanese DDs dispersed over the Pacific.

[Marshall Art]

As the Wallied transport capacity is 5 it is time to reassess the defenses of Fortress Europe. In Russia the bomb runs on rail continue to yield good results. Russia is slowly immobilized and forced to spend its supplies on rail instead on attacking manouvers. The southern Ural factories are unter threat as Stalingrad is reinforced. Same applies to Cairo. As the Allied pressure in the skies starts to mount more fighters are put into the production queue.

Japan sees an opportunity to hurt the Wallies. A CV is lightly defended in an Indian port, thus an air strike is ordered with HBs causing CAP disorder to allow a CAG to get to the CV. The plan works perfectly this time, with the CV sunk and the CAG becoming elite. CV count currently down to 7 for the Wallies, 6 for Japan. Other than that, Hawaii is successfully invaded and some resources repaired.

[Marshall Art]

Although it is too early to judge, it seems that next turn the first watermark is within reach. If Japan can hold its gains for 2-3 turns and Germany can fully repair the Caucasian and Ukranian resources the second watermark could be also possible without much fighting, but Moscow or even further victory cities are needed to get closer to AV. The Allied resitance is rising however, and Jesse has promised the Allies are coming back stronger than in stock AWD, let alone GG4.040.  

With Cairo at siege I hope the Wallies are too busy there to seriously launch any counter offensive in Europe until end of 1943. More subs are to come and with EV4 or even EV5 (depending when the snorkel event materializes) the Allied shipping lanes still should be a constant drain of manpower and resources for a while, as the DDs still have ASW2.

With Russian production about halved, and its resource pool even smaller, it does not look like Germany will face a real threat in 1943 from the East either. Russia cannot keep up with German supply, tech and unit output all at the same time. The Wehrmacht is equal or superior in key attributes, and even in troop numbers there is no big difference. Thus both a defensive posture if required is possible but there still is some gas in the Panzer’s tanks left - I hope.

[Marshall Art]

Winter 1943 – As expected the Allies invaded Madagaskar, taking away the supply base Japan never was able to use. A CAG strike into the Java Sea sunk one Japanese CV and its elite CAG, followed by air raids to reduce Japanese shipping around the DEI. The US CVs are anchoring in Port Darwin. In a first successful air raid 3 Allied H.B.s damage a resource in E. France.

[Marshall Art]

Russia did not do much except counter rail bombings and reinforce Leningrad, Moscow and S. Urals as major defense points. Spying reveals that the WA are not investing into intel at all.  

The rail bombings continue also some Russian resources are damaged. The Stalingrad garrison almost matches its S. Ural counterpart, a pivotal battle can be expected there in 1943, similar to the situation in Finland/Leningrad and Cairo.

[Marshall Art]

Not quite as hoped, the snorkel event fired, actually delaying German Uboats development as the EV4 level was reached. If it had fired next turn, I would be a ble to invest the max. RP number in this and next turn instead of none this turn and only a few next turn.. On the other hand, the Jet event is delayed, allowing me to finish fighter EV8 in time to be researching EV 9 by the time the event may fire. AS Allied ASW ist still at 2 the Uboats still find prey at little risk of being hit themselves except for lucky hits.  

As the WA are trying to hit Japan in the DEI,  a counter offensive against Allied shipping in the Pacific is launched. Based from Hawaii CVs and CAGs and H.B.s from the DEI sink about 8 trannies. The Allied pool drops significantly from 47 to 34. Another blow like that (a total of 10 subs will run down the shipping lanes next turn) and Allied troop movements will be severely hindered.

[Marshall Art]

Spring 1943 – The Wallies land in Morocco, opening up a new front in Africa.  

The Soviets move into Minsk, attempting to threaten the Axis’s supply route towards the Caucasus.  

TacAir from Norway sinks 2 trannies, the Bismarck sorties and damages a lone DD.  Despite Allies ASW just turning 3 all subs sail out, scoring several hits including a damaged CV at a cost of 2 subs damaged. Allied transport pool down from 43 to 37.

[Marshall Art]

Cairo is attacked to increase Allied demand on pop points, the losses being well in favour of the Axis. Finland is abandoned again as part of troop movement into W. Europe.  

As a result of the last Japanese sweep the Allies have lost any link between the US and Australia. An elite Uboat patrols the Pacific to make sure it stays that way. Besides that, Japan slowly pulls back its CVs from Hawaii.

[Lucky1]

Very interesting guys!

[Marshall Art]

Summer 1943 – The Russians launch several attacks. A tank each is sacrificed to disrupt supply lines in Poland and Hungary. Stalingrad was attacked and taken yielding even losses which hurt the Axis more of course.

[Marshall Art]

While the events in Russia were not good news those in the Med are even worse. Although I thought my defenses were solid several Allied BBs managed to break through to cut off the Italian Fleet and Rommel’s Army in Africa. Not a big problem if I had left some supplies in Africa but I chose to send another Infantry instead, leaving Rommel and the Italian BBs at the Wallies’ mercy.


No Allied moves in the Pacific. Strange. Secret preparations? 8 CVs now anchor in Australia.

[Marshall Art]

All Uboats are sent into the Med to attempt to breach the blockade. While one BB is damaged the other successfully evades the torpedoes and even the first TacAir misses - my last hope lies on the remaining TacAir within range in Northern Italy. Never ever had I been so releaved to see an auto hit!!! The BB is sunk, leaving a path for the Italian trannies to get at least a few supplies through, just enough to get the Italian Navy and the Panzers going again.

And I thought the only chance to supply Rommel was getting HBs to Greece asap. Now its the British BBs in the Aegean that are stuck....  

Immediately Tripoli is retaken, with Pz IV specials leaving little chance to US General Lee tanks. The Med appears shomewhat secured at the moment. Despite most Uboats busy hunting down BBs some Trannies are sunk in the Pacific, Atlantic and on the Arctic convoy route.

[Marshall Art]

The Russian tanks are punished, one DD shelling them lands an auto hit while the Pz IV lands another, damn I must have used all my remaining auto hits for the rest of the game by now...  

Despite high losses the Red Army seems to have gained the initiative until the Axis powers get their troops back together after the recovery actions this turn.

[Marshall Art]

Japan’s spies gain insight into Allied research activities. Mostly TacAir and CAG attributes are hot also sub evasion and CV AA, a sign of battles in the pacific to come... For the moment the US seems to be reluctant to directly assault the Japanese Fleet as the Jap CAGs are superior. Increased EV and AA has widened that gap and as a large shipment of land based fighters is expected to arrive next turn Japan shall still bid for air superiority in its area of influence.  

Before the Axis decline really kicks in a look at the loss table – the amount of Allied transport losses is probably the most important one, next to the Uboat losses which still are very low. IMO if Jesse had spent a few supplies to hunt the Uboats he might have saved quite a few pop points.