Blitzkrieg 1950 (Curt vs RB)

[rhinobones]

Introduction

Started 8-23-2020
1st Force, Curt: Great Blue
2nd Force, RB: Big Red

This match is intended as a play test of the RBv01 changes made to Curt’s scenario version 4.2. The Theater Option for the short 25 turn game has been activated.

An AAR for an game played against the PO can be found here:


Big Red Strategy

Every battle needs an opening strategy if for no other reason than as a measure of things gone wrong. Big Red plans to block Great Blue on the northern and southern fronts then split the country in two with a central thrust. This should keep the blocking units close to their support infrastructure and allow the supply, engineering and repair units to concentrate their efforts in the center. The main effort is planned to stay close to the rail lines in order to maximize supply logistics.

Chances are that the battle will result in a massive show down in the center. The plan intends to siphon enough Great Blue strength off to the flanks so that a breakthrough can be made in the center. With Big Red forces in the north and south primarily in defensive positions, it is expected that the overall causality count will be in Big Red’s favor.

[rhinobones]

T1 Great Blue (April 1st, 1950)

Great Blue opens the invasion with a multi-prong attack into Yellow Steppes. Combat results are mixed with most Yellow Steppes (Big Red allied) units able to retreat. Appears that Great Blue will need another week or two before Yellow Steppes is fully subdued. One recon unit does make a deep penetration into Yellow Steppes territory, but no Yellow Steppes units are exposed.

A small incursion into Greenland territory has been made, but the invading unit is not fully identified.

[rhinobones]

T1 Big Red

Placed all Yellow Steppes units, Greenland units and static Big Red defensive units on Ignore Loss settings. These units are ordered to take out as many Great Blue units as possible before relinquishing their position.

Looks like Great Blue was busy blowing up Big Red bridges. At least this will give my engineers something constructive to do. Also discovered that all Big Red aircraft begin the war in “Rest” status. Great Blue bridge busters faced no opposition in their opening attacks. This has been rectified.

Moved the fleet to make an airfield attack and blundered into a land emplacement and lost my heavy naval unit. Then airfield attack was able to take out over 100 Great Blue fighter aircraft, but the cost is ships was prohibitive.

Invasion columns successfully moved into White Sector and Black Zone territories, captured or encircled designated objectives. Big Red forces are on pace to move into the Greenland and Brown County where they should run directly into the bulk of the Great Blue army.

Failed proficiency test ended the turn after the first round of combat.

[StuccoFresco]

Nice idea to use the navy for an airfield strike: 100 fighters destroyed aren't a bad prize.

[rhinobones]

T2 Great Blue (April 8th, 1950)

In the desert Great Blue has one more Yellow Steppes city to capture before the conquest is completed. As far as Big Red is concerned they can have the desert and the logistics problems that goes with it. The desert will keep their rail repair crews busy.

Using both land and air drop special forces Great Blue moves deeply into Greenland territory. This move will probably make it necessary for Big Red to establish their planned blocking force on a line further south. It will also give Great Blue a wider front to occupy.

Great Blue attacks the Big Red Task Force off their home coast but do not complete the destruction of the Big Red fleet.

At least for the moment. Great Blue seems to have eased up on their bridge busting campaign.

[rhinobones]

T2 Big Red

Big Red completes the occupation of White Sector by capturing the three remaining White Sector cities. Big Red is now free to set up the planned defensive line along the eastern edge of the Yellow Steppes desert and reallocation of some of the assault forces to the central theater.

Big Red occupied two of the remaining three Black Zone cities. Most of the assault troops will be released to the central theater and the remainder ordered to the defensive line in Greenland. In Greenland, advanced armored units encountered the Great Blue Special Forces, attacked and forced some into reorganization. These lightly armed troops proved to be no match for armored forces. Expect that Great Blue will send a contingent of strong land forces to their rescue.

The naval task force which participated in the airfield attack was able to make their escape. The fleet took heavy losses (which are not replaceable) but made it to port for repairs. Great Blue seemed to have them bottled up but pulled back giving them an escae route.

The turn ended early. An attacking unit used 2 movement pulses then burned 8 pulses during the attack. Since the MRB is set to 4 this anomaly needs to be investigated.

[Raindem]

Great report.

My main goal for the first couple turns was to gain control of the Greenland Isthmus. That is a dangerous area for Great Blue, since a Red breakthrough would threaten our entire army. In the north I was just trying to cover as much ground as possible knowing that I would have a temporary superiority. For me, the big question mark was (and still remains) the center front. I like to concentrate there. But if Red does the same it will just turn into a bloodbath with neither side gaining much ground. So we'll have to wait and see.

[rhinobones]

T3 Great Blue (April 15th, 1950)

Great Blue penetrates deep into the Yellow Steppes desert and would seem to be at the end of their supply train. It will be interesting to see if Great Blue decides to reinforce the advanced units or pull back to a better supplied position. Meanwhile, Great Blue tries to occupy the remaining Yellow Steppes cities but finds the defending units difficult to defeat.

In the center Great Blue enters Brown County and begins to reinforce the occupation force. Looks as though Great Blue intends for this area to be their main theater of operations.

In Greenland territory Great Blue captures a coastal city which hosts a supply point. Considering that the rail roads and bridges feeding Great Blue units in Greenland are mostly demolished, holding this supply point is critical to their plans. The Greenland city to the east of the supply point is attacked but not destroyed by Blue.

Overall, the visible destruction of the Great Blue rail system would appear to be crippling Great Blue’s advanced units. Possibly Big Red can take advantage of their reduced supply state by conducting a Big Red offensive.

[rhinobones]

T3 Big Red

If the Air Briefing can be believed total aircraft losses so far are 323 Big Red and 634 Great Blue aircraft. That is almost a 2 to 1 ratio. The numbers may not be completely accurate, but I have noticed a decrease in Great Blue air activity.

Great Blue is seen to stack airfields with maximum fighter aircraft units, i.e. fighter units are not being dispersed. This is a tempting target for an airfield attack.

In the north Big Red establishes a defensive line in well supplied positions. It is yet to be seen if Great Blue will attack this position while at the far reach of their supply line.

In the south Big Red pulls back to the Greenland / Black Zone boarder and begins to build a defensive position. Great Blue has occupied a Greenland supply point which is close enough to keep troops in this area reasonably supplied. However, the Great Blue attack into Greenland does not appear to be their main effort.

Strong formations, with reinforcements following in trail, move into Brown County. Their objectives are to 1) deny Big Red the use off the Brown County supply point and 2) drive Big Red forces back to Big Red territory. Large formations of Great Blue have been identified; this is going to be the battle for dominance.

[rhinobones]

T4 Great Blue (April 22nd, 1950)

The showdown is shaping up to happen in Brown County. Great Blue has moved into central Brown County, exactly where Big Red plans to start their drive into Great Blue. Great Blue was observed moving aircraft into the western Brown County airfield. Expect that these are probably short-range tactical aircraft.

In the north Great Blue seems content with a standoff in the desert. I suspect that the battle in Brown County will turn out to be a battle of attrition and troops from this northern front will provide fresh meat for the grinder.

Down south in Greenland, Big Red has established a blocking force a bit further south and east than planned, but there is a river there to provide some defensive value. Great Blue used a destroyer flotilla to do a little reconnaissance along the coast. There is a medium bomber unit there with sea interdiction orders, hopefully they did their job and busted up a few destroyers.

[rhinobones]

T4 Big Red

Main action is in the Brown County area of operations. Big Red uses heavy armored formations to envelop a Great Blue armored division and reduce it to a depleted regiment. A commando unit was dropped to complete the envelopment. The commandos will be an easy target for any Great Blue counterattack.

G2 spots a group of embarked units and calls for an air strike. The strike hits embarked units (Corps HQ, 4 Divisions, 1 Artillery Bde, 1 Armored Division) but the results are disappointing. Great Blue intercepts and a number of aircraft are lost with little to show for the effort.

Units are entrenched defensively in the north and south.

[rhinobones]

T4 Big Red Losses

For land units losses through Turn 4 are deemed acceptable. Suspect that Great Blue losses are larger. Big Red has lost its heave cruiser and quite a few fighter aircraft.

[rhinobones]

T5 Great Blue (April 29th, 1950)

Great Blue seems to be moving a lot of troops behind his front line, out of sight of Big Red observers. From what can be detected units from around Great Blue’s capital appear to be moving into the Yellow Steppes desert. Some other troops in Greenland seem to be redeploying toward Brown County. The Fog of War is keeping Great Blue’s intentions well hidden.

Great Blue moves a few units up to the Greenland/Black Zone line and makes a few defensive redeployments in Brown County. Otherwise, Great Blue is keeping a low profile.

[rhinobones]

T5 Big Red

To the north and south troops are deployed to strengthen the defensive lines. Otherwise, the sectors are quiet. Waiting to see Great Blue’s reaction.

In the center Big Red continues the main offensive. The battle starts off with an airfield attack on a stack of tactical aircraft. Great Blue fighters are pulled in and Big Red kills more aircraft than are lost. Ground forces eliminate a decimated tank regiment then make major assaults toward the Brown County supply depot and capital. Both objectives are taken, and Great Blue is pushed back with heavy casualties.

Although successful, Big Red is concerned that deployment of the full Great Blue armies is unknown.

Great Blue air strikes at turn end seem lighter than usual. Maybe the airfield attack had the desired effect.

Strategic observation. Great Blue appears to have significant problems with damaged railroad track. This should be having a negative impact on supply and the ability of troops in Brown County and Yellow Parish to conduct combat operations. This should be something that gives Big Red an advantage.

[StuccoFresco]

Good success in Brown Country, but except the surrounded armored division, where are Blue's armored forces?

[rhinobones]

T6 Great Blue (May 6th, 1950)

A small group of units is seen moving across the desert toward the north flank of Big Red in Brown County. If the force is larger than that observed it could be trouble, however, there are troops available to counter this move.

Rangers make a surprise move and mount an amphibious assault along the southern coast of the Black Zone. Supported by a naval task force they make an assault against an entrenched engineering division. Somehow the engineers are able to defend their position and keep the Rangers embarked offshore.

Great Blue moves additional units along the Greenland/Black Zone front and make a couple of ineffective attacks. There are more troops moving up behind them and they look to be getting ready for a major assault.

Meanwhile, major attacks are conducted in Brown County. Great Blue gets the better of these attacks but fails to recapture either the supply point or capital. Big Red suffers shattered infantry and armored divisions. At the conclusion of the attacks, deployment of the Great Blue units does not appear to be well positioned for the inevitable Big Red counter attacks.

[rhinobones]

T6 Big Red

G2 Intelligence officers look over the Great Blue deployments in Brown County and Greenland, and they appear to be lower on attack/defense values than can be explained by combat losses. Suspect they are low on supply.

Big Red begins with an airfield attack which entices Great Blues fighters to respond. The airfield is hit hard but Great Blue aircraft losses are a bit higher.

Artillery is brought up to the coast and pounds the embarked Great Blue assault troops. After a couple rounds of fire all troop transports are sunk resulting in the loss of the entire Great Blue Ranger regiment. Big Red passes out medals!

The big show is in Brown County. Heavy units strike westward and push Great Blue back with heavy losses. An attempt to encircle an infantry division fails, but it is shattered with the possible loss of two regiments. The front line is reinforced, and artillery is set to support with defensive fires.

[StuccoFresco]

There seems to be a strange gap south of Great Blue's troops ion Brown Country, and I see you have armored units there. Will you try a flanking move?

[rhinobones]

ORIGINAL: StuccoFresco

There seems to be a strange gap south of Great Blue's troops ion Brown Country, and I see you have armored units there. Will you try a flanking move?

The original version of this scenario had Theater Reconnaissance set at 100% which mimicked the board game. This version has Theater Reconnaissance set at 15%, so there could be a substantial number of enemy units which have not been observed.

Regards

[StuccoFresco]

Makes sense.