Turn 60: August 6th, 1916
Long post today, apologies. I spun off on some tangents.
The Sub was found, for some reason I think KZ attacked mostly with light cruisers? It survived, miraculously. His fleet also doesn’t seem to have moved much, not sure why. I’m not sure where KZ is going to move yet, since he’s dawdling a lot. It’s probably smart to place the fleet a little more in between the North sea and the English Channel and move into position once I know.
The western front is quiet, again. On my part that’s nothing strange, taking a moment to stock up new shells, upgrade corps with better weapons and reinforcing damaged corps in the rear to make sure readiness stays high. Most of our corps sport readiness in the 90’s and 100’s versus German corps in the 70’s and 80’s. I’d like to keep it that way. We drive a detachment off the line.
This does highlight something that has had me puzzled for a while, an itch at the back of my head. The office of War Intelligence (an oxymoron both in the meta-perspective and the figurative) does not like being puzzled. I’ll go through the rest of the turn first to highlight my puzzlement.
Light fighting in Greece. Unfortunately General Meade and his artillery does not appear when the Ottomans are surrendered by treaty, they do if they are conquered. Drats. Miscalculation there.
Russia is likewise quiet, one corps is destroyed and cavalry breaks through, but not much else.
Now let’s take a look at these pictures again.
West front is using detachments to hold the line. That’s usually a desperation move. 10 units total visible, two guns confirmed. Let’s say half again that behind the lines based on all the scouting done up until two turns ago. So 17 maybe.
Two Bulgarian units in Greece visible, 6 Austrian. Plenty more Austrians there that I know of, so say three more Bulgarian and 6 Austrian if we’re spreading on thick in doubling it. Total 5/12.
16 Total German units visible in the east, again including a detachment. Add maybe 8 more to this, based on the very limited shuffling and attacks. 8 Austrians in the east, add 8 more for good measure. Total 24/16
Total estimated strength on the map: total German if we really overestimate as much as at all reasonable. 28 Austrian and 46 German.
Looking at the unit staples we’re pretty dead on the Austrians at 29, but despite seeing several detachments on the lines well short even with pretty inflated “shadow estimations” on the Germans.
Why the heck is he using detachments on the lines with a unit count like that? This is, I think, what experts refer to as “game sense”, Something they would have noted much clearer many turns ago and also they would likely know what’s up. To me this is a vague feeling over the last 5 turns or so that says “something is going on somewhere”. It’s just way too quiet on the fronts somehow.
Unfortunately, due to carelessness with aircraft and lack of cavalry I am almost completely blind.
Worst case scenarios then. I could be overestimating what is in the FoW behind the lines and KZ is hoarding up troops to strike through Belgium. That would be mildly bothersome, but not catastrophic. In fact, it would probably be in my favour.
What about amphibious invasions? Despite having ceded the Mediterranean for now I cant think of anywhere that would bother me much. The middle east doesn’t really do much for him, Egypt? I have units there, so not too worried
Greece capital is protected and enough troops are there to respond. The only place I can think of where one would be bad is the almost completely empty UK. Since the fleet is all in the west I’m lacking a defense on the fleet side. If KZ is crazy enough to try this and has teched amphibs he could land three units followed by transports and overrun most of Britain before I can respond…
Hm. It would be a huge cost for him, but also potentially game winning. Deploying a small force to complicate such a move is fairly cheap for me. I finally sent some of General Dubails troops from Mesopotamia to the North Atlantic three turns ago so they should arrive next turn or after that at the latest. I have a couple of British troops in France that I can send until the naval crisis is over and Britain is secure. I’ll keep Patrolling near Germany with Submarines as well.
Could he be readying an attack on Italy? I’ve been thinking about that in general, denying Italy and then attacking it with upgraded troops it would be pretty much completely defenceless and get slaughtered due to a total lack of tech. I have even considered attacking it myself, but haven’t checked the consequences for doing so in hotseat yet.
Regardless, the Entente wont be in any better position to respond sitting by the Italian border than on the west front, operating will get them in to help just as fast. Just in case, I change the deployment of the few Italian corps. Given the lack of buildup in Klagenfurt and near Bruneck this deployment should keep the Germans long enough for operating French to set up shop.
An attack on Romania doesn’t seem likely.
I think that’s all I can do to prepare for potential Shenanigans for now. Britain gets two Torpedo Boats, despite their limited range they might be good for clearing submarines out of the raiding hexes.
The US moves another 5% after more investments by the Russians. 37%, choo choo!
Finland declares independence from Russia, and KZ has let Lenin loose on the world as the Tsar abdicates and a provisional government is formed. Russia at 23% as the turn ended, getting a boost from the new government but will be going down due to agitation soon. Dark days...
