DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

Post by DQ2004 »

Hi all,
OK well here we go with AAR number one. A 'sort of' AAR that has very few screenshots (sorry) because I've been spending more time playing the game than wanting to take screenshots. It might also be termed a 'Litany of Mistakes'. Because there's been plenty!

Please bear in mind this has been/is being played with me learning to use the computer game systems while I go along, so there has been, unsurprisingly, a long list of mistakes. However, having played and owned WiF 4.5, WiF 5 & WiF 6 (FE), I have some knowledge of what goes where and who does what, so you would think that the strategy mistakes wouldn’t be so bad.
Not so. Well, that’s because I’ve hardly played WiF the boardgame in the last 10 years, mostly due to lack of space. The first few turns also have no screenshots at all, because I was so busy enjoying the game.
In fact, on that note, I must say I have been thoroughly enjoying myself over the last few weeks, and a huge thanks and well done to Steve and all of the others who have helped. You have done an amazing job. I think my first real moment of 'WOW' was not when I started playing (although it was a wow), not when I got the manuals (although that was a wow), but when I overran some of the Netherlands navy when the Germans invaded the place. The way the game digressed into naval moves, naval combat and then returned to land movement was very impressive. I've had a couple of bugs but only one serious one so far, so I am very impressed.
Anyway, on with the war!

Sep/Oct 1919
The usual stuff happens, Germany attacks Poland, France and Britain are outraged. The BEF is moved to France. Germany then does a few other things, like overrun Denmark (the Peder Skram is scuttled by the Danes) and declare war on Hungary. The bad weather then intervenes, and Hungary thus survives the first turn (if I’d done the German setup a little better, they probably wouldn’t have).

Nov/Dec 1939
Hungary is falls but before she does so the Soviets demand Bessarabia. Seeing the large force on their borders the Germans advise the Romanians to acquiesce to the Bolshevik demands. However the next message that pops up says that the Hungarians and the Bulgarians now want their pound of flesh also. Well this creates a difficulty – we’re at war with Hungary!! Why would we allow them Transylvania? And why would we want Bulgaria on our side anyway? Their army is useless. So we say no. This is where I made my next big mistake – I forgot to immediately declare war on Bulgaria! So the next impulse Bulgaria is aligned by Stalin! Damn his hide!

In Jan/Feb 1940 the weather is still dreadful, and the Germans content themselves with moving units forward in readiness for the attack on the west.

In Mar/Apr 1940 the invasion of Belgium is underway, and proceeds fairly OK, but with some German losses that they can ill-afford. Norway is even worse – never invade if it’s raining! Or at least, not if you don’t have overwhelming force (which they didn’t). The 9-4 INF and a DIV die on the rocky beaches at Kristiansand. The UK gleefully relocates dozens of Norwegian convoys. Another costly mistake by Grofaz. After Belgium is overrun the French re-form their defensive line and the turns ends early.
Oh I should mention in China, over all this time, the Japanese have been slowly but steadily forcing what was a forward Chinese defence back, taking Chang-sha and various other places.

May/Jun 1940
The Germans throw an offensive chit at Rundstedt who smashes the French line. The French look at their situation and think; ‘We’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t!’
Fortunately for the French the weather intervenes and they are able to retreat into France.
For their last attack, however, the Germans smash the line again, destroying the one French armoured corps.

Jul/Aug 1940 commences with the French line looking decidedly dodgy. But they decide to ignore the panzers and 88’s (as it were), and they counterattack, destroying the German reserve mech.
The shot below is just after the French attack declaration. Note that the Germans hadn't attacked the Netherlands at this point.

Unfortunately they also lose two units and their entire northern line is disorganized, except for the forces at Lille. The Germans quickly ensure they too, are disorganized, and attack again, breaking through in the same place and reaching Paris.


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

Post by DQ2004 »

Jul-Aug 1940 - continued:
With Paris defended only by the Bordeaux militia (2-2 - eeek!), the attack looks a walkover. But the Germans have appalling luck again, and lose their two units (an ARM and the SS INF) in the attack. At the same time their attack on Lille also fails.

The French, completely immobilized, can do absolutely nothing to reform their shattered line, so they get everyone to pass, desperately hoping to end the turn – but fail, and Paris falls.


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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Sep/Oct 1940

With France 'Vichied' the Germans turn to other matters - like finishing off the BEF and Norway. Bad weather intervenes yet again (it seems to be my luck), and so the German navy puts to sea, hoping to prevent the BEF escaping. Apart from one 5-4 MOT, they failed, however.
Since this time the number of naval battles has been incredible, with losses on both sides.
Here the Kriegsmarine sorties into the storm, hoping to surprise some British carriers. On this occasion, they did not, but later in 1941 the guns of the Bismarck would account for the Illustrious and the Ark Royal, along with numerous convoys...


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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Sep/Oct 1940, continued.
Here the Germans finish off Norway, with a paradrop onto Oslo. I was very pleased with this successful paradrop, because I've been very slack about reading the rules and doing the tutorials, and so I've just been figuring things out as I go along. I must add that I am very impressed at how intuitive the game mechanics are.


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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Sep/Oct 1940 continued..
Later in that turn the Germans overran the Netherlands, who scuttled a number of their ships.
There was a huge naval battle in the Eastern Med, but the British came off worst, losing two battleships and a cruiser. Other battles in North Sea also cost them some ships, but the Germans also suffered, losing Blucher and Graf Spee. Here are the losses for that turn.


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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Nov-Dec 1940
So by the start of Nov-Dec the Germans were ready for Operation Sealion.
Unfortunately, due to various mistakes by corrupt officials, plus intrangisent Luftwaffe head Goering, there were no planes for the Graf Zeppelin!
However, it was all for nought, as the weather was simply dreadful. No one wanted to risk invading in the storms and blizzards of November and December of 1940.
Here is global control at that time. The Japanese had pushed south and despite losses, caused great damage to the Nationalists.



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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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Nov/Dec 1940 continued
With fine weather in the North Monsoon area, the Japanese continued their push in the south.
Here's a shot from their 3rd impulse of the turn, after the fall of Kweilin.



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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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In Jan/Feb 1941 the Japanese advance into the south continued, the main goal being to secure the two resources and of course the rail lines to them.
However at Nanning, the first of the Flying Tigers had arrived...


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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And then, they struck!!
Devastation and disaster for the Japanese Army Air Force.
Unfortunately for the Flying Tigers, it was not enough to save Nanning.


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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As February went into Mar-Apr 1941, the RAF continued to be the loser in the fight over Britain.
The weather still wasn't good enough to consider Sealion. But by this time, there were just too many British Army units defending the island, never mind that they had little air cover. Parachute and Marine units were hastily re-deployed to the Mediterranean.



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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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At sea, the Royal Navy was fighting the good fight, and aggressively seeking battle wherever it could.
But eventually, this began to provide some bad results. They were lucky that more ships were not sunk, but the damage pool was very big at this point.


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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As you can imagine, the RAF and the RNAS didn't fare too well in the battle that had been looming for months. But they did get some shots off


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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In the Med, the reinforcements were soon telling.
Italian naval air turned up in force, and with the RAF under pressure at home, there just weren't any fighters to go around. Acceptable losses became defeats, and more ships were sunk.
The Condors flew in and after some heavy fighting, Malta was isolated and it's defenders disorganized by Stuka strikes (sorry no screenshots). The end was inevitable.
With Malta the ideal fleet base for the Regia Marina, and German and Italian NAVs sinking ship after ship, what looked like sufficient reinforcements for Egypt were suddenly far too few and too late. The German and Italian Marines landed from Italian transports precisely where Churchill was hoping they wouldn't.
It was November 1941.


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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

Post by Wuffer »

great AAR!
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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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So with Axis to the left of him, Axis to the right, what was Wavell to do? Whichever choice he made, things weren't looking good. Reinforcements were on the way, but they weren't gonna get there in time, certainly not before any Italian and German reinforcements. An attack on either the marines on the opposite side of the canal or the advancing Deutsches Afrika Korps was going to compromise the defence on the other. So what to do?
Well, he did the only thing one can do in such circumstances... ATTACK!!
But it failed. Wavell was disorganized (along with all other attackers) and the DAK was merely pushed back to where it was (SW of Alexandria). The downside of the attack was that the Axis could now advance across the canal and cut Wavell off from supply - well, as long as the Condors & Sparvieros did their job in the med.
But just then, when it seemed things couldn't get worse, another German unit arrived...

It was January 1942.

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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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By the end of Jan/Feb 1942, Wavell's HQ had been cleaned up, Cairo taken and the battle for Egypt and the Eastern Med was as good as over. Reinforcements nearly arrived ...but they weren't going to do anybody any good.

The marines did find it a bit of a job in the sweltering desert conditions, mind

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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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The disaster in Egypt was reflected in that turn's losses, as seen here;

The Italian AOI territorial was in Nairobi, and attacked by two CW corps ... they were all destroyed.

The Ark Royal was sunk by the guns of the Bismarck in a storm in the Bay of Biscay.

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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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I should mention at this point that in December 1941, with a 30% chance of declaring war on Japan, Roosevelt had optimistically asked Congress to declare war on Japan, after a string of atrocities in China.

Congress, somewhat foolishly as it turned out with the benefit of hindsight, refused.

Emboldened, Japan waited a bit longer. But eventually the loss of oil supplies from the Netherlands plus the growing vulnerability of the Commonwealth meant that they could wait no longer...
...the fleets set sail, and waited for their signal.

Mar 12th, a date which (won't, actually) will live in infamy (a random date in March, no coincidences intended)...



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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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Now, I must apologize for at this crucial moment I failed to take many screenshots. I'm sure I'd taken one from May/June but I can't find it. I also suffered from the fatal port attack bug as mentioned in the latest mini update from Steve (thanks). So instead of bombing Pearl, the Japanese resorted to just ... taking it for themselves.
The resulting overrun took some time to resolve, and only resulted in 2 ships and a lousy submarine falling into Japanese hands. But the toll of scuttled ships was high...

Now, I should mention I have a 'house' rule. I always scrap destroyed (sunken) ships. Why? Because no one ever rebuilt a sunken capital ship identical to one that was lost, unless it was a class still being constructed. And in any case, the force pool is constantly being provided with new ships for all sides, most of which are better than the ones you started with anyway. And it strikes me as too 'gamey' to be able to rebuild a sunken ship. So I scrap them.
So here are all the sunken ships (scrapped ones from the setup phase have been edited out) up to the end of the Mar/April 1942 turn.

HMS Rodney had gone down just in that turn, in the last desperate attempt to get supply to the Australian defenders of Alexandria. Those Condors have surely been the scourge of the Royal Navy...

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RE: DQ2004's AAR #1 - A 'sort of' AAR

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In May Jun 1942 the war became global, as Grofaz threw yet another Offensive Chit at Rundstedt who promptly smashed a gigantic hole in the Russian lines. Stalin was overwhelmed with shock, and the Soviet armies reeled.
Bulgaria was swiftly overrun, and then Greece. Yugoslavia was aligned by Mussolini.
All was not necessarily well, however, as the Soviets were a little bit prepared, having built every armoured and mechanized unit in the force pools, with all air units hanging well back.

Here is the situation in June 1942. Yes, rain!! Unbelievable. I am having such bad luck on the weather rolls.

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