Nirosi vs Boldairade(NO Nirosi for now...)

[MagicMissile]

Great AAR! Thanks for the effort. This AAR as well as Nirosis makes me want to play more WP [:)]. This game is like a drug I try to move on to other games having played this one quite a bit but it is hard to ween off this one.

/MM

[boldairade]

ORIGINAL: MagicMissile

Great AAR! Thanks for the effort. This AAR as well as Nirosis makes me want to play more WP [:)]. This game is like a drug I try to move on to other games having played this one quite a bit but it is hard to ween off this one.

/MM

thank you! i remember reading your aars when i first got the game. they really helped me get going/interested.

[boldairade]

May 7, 1943

BOA-11 MM and 1 escort go down this turn. Uboats take 4 hits. I believe next turn we will fall under the threshold necessary to carry all shipping. I am considering stopping aid to Russia to conserve MM, but I am not 100% sure on the mechanics of this.

Norway-Our infantry are gaining effectiveness, but VIII Armor seems to be failing to do so. This is putting a large crimp in our plans to pressure the Germans here.

[boldairade]

May 7, 1943

US Strategic Bombing-In an effort to wear down Luftwaffe interceptor squadrons, the best US bomber formations are sent to hit Dusseldorf, which is in range of our escort fighters. We draw I and IX Jagdcorps into furballs, and they do take losses while our escorts do fairly well. Bomber losses, however, are still high.

With the German interceptors spent, we then send our other bomber formations to hit the German refineries, which do not have AA guns. Since they are under strength and worn down, our bombers do not hit hard, but we suffer no step losses.

Ploesti is again hit hard and effectively by US bomber formations flying from Rhodes.

Africa-With our fighters worn down, the Axis squadrons pound our ground formations here. LXVIII Corps is holding the southern position of the Axis line here, where we have been consistently attacking. Our formations are battered, but so are the Axis formations. We have no air assets, but we can bring 2 armor Corps(US 1st Armor and WDF) to bare. It takes 4 costly assaults, but we force the Germans back. We occupy the hex with US 2nd Armor, which hits home two more times on LXVIII Corps and overruns it.

We aren't in the best of positions now. If we can manage to not lose any formations to a counterstroke next turn, however, we may be able to start to simply overwhelm the Axis line here with numbers.

[boldairade]

May 7, 1943

Greece-The expected counter strokes do not occur here. Our relief is short lived. Examination of Axis movement hints at a huge effort here next turn for them.

The Italian fleet rebased to Malta, putting them in striking range of Athens. XIX Pz Corps and the 2nd Italian Alpine Corps move into attack position north of Athens. We hit these formations with tac bombers.

Allied intelligence believes that the Axis will use a combination of frontal assaults on Athens and a naval strike vs our worn down ships to try and break the dead lock here. We counter as best we can, rotating out worn down ships and moving in better rested ones. Additionally, Canadian III Corps digs in around Athens and switches to garrison mode.

The more we examine this situation, the worse it looks. We cannot constantly keep our fleet adjacent to Athens. But if we remove it, Axis forces will likely be able to overrun this city, which is the key to holding Greece.

[boldairade]

May 7, 1943

East Front

Stavka detects no movement here. All along the front, we are seeing rising combat values on German units, as the winter weather dissipates. It is also possible some units are getting tech upgrades. This is concerning. We thought that the lack of units would prohibit a large scale offensive, but perhaps with it qualitative advantage, Germany will be able to carry out major ops without concentrating forces.

The weather across the front is sunny and clear. Is Germany not attacking because they are using the good weather to top off effectiveness? Or has Olympus in Greece caused Germany to divert troops it was going to use for an attack in the East?

There is another possibility, as well. Is it possible Germany has no more real ambition in the East? The Axis is well ahead in victory points. Could Nirosi be considering a defensive posture on the East Front, while aggressively defending every other theater?

This seems unconventional and far fetched, given his superiority of forces in the East. If this is the case, however, Allied grand strategy has been completely backward in its thinking.

[MagicMissile]

Thank you they were ok and fun to make but nothing compared to yours and Nirosis [:)].

/MM

[MagicMissile]

I dont know but if I was axis I would probably be content to just defend in the east and counterattack any weaknesses possibly Nirosi thinks the same.

/MM

[boldairade]

ORIGINAL: MagicMissile

I dont know but if I was axis I would probably be content to just defend in the east and counterattack any weaknesses possibly Nirosi thinks the same.

/MM

read on-it appears you are correct

[boldairade]

May 21, 1943

BOA-Only one raid in the Arctic, sinking 3 MM, one step hit on the subs. This is a significant turn, however. For the first time in the game, the Allies do not have enough merchants to carry all supplies. Right now, the shortfall is small(119/116), but as it grows, there will be progressively more problems.

US Bomber Command-Raids on German refineries draw the German interceptors into the skies. We take losses, but the German fighters lose even more. Germany shows 24 air step losses on the combat logs. After exhausting the Jagdkorps, we hit additional refineries and launch light raids deep into Germany vs undefended Linz. Wear and tear on US formations is high, but another heavy bomber is currently shipping over from the USA. Ploesti is hit with three raids from the Med bases, with mediocre results.

Africa-More air strikes vs our ground troops. For some reason, even though it is in port with 9 supply, my interceptor squadron is losing effectiveness even when idle. The Germans then drive back US 2nd Armor and the WDF. This leaves III Pz exposed, and we counter attack with 1st Armor and the Anzac Infantry.

Inexplicably, I continuously send 1st Armor to attack III Pz, even when my formation is ground down, and there are multiple other fresh formations available. The result, as you see, is we fail to displace the Germans, and 1st Armor is very vulnerable to overrun next turn. I realize that I am trying to do this turn when I have 90 minutes of sleep in the last 48 hours, so further decisions are put off until the next day. But the damage is done. A golden opportunity to overrun a German Pz Corps is wasted, and we expose ourselves to the same fate.

[boldairade]

May 21, 1943

Greece/Olympus-There was great trepidation amongst Allied planners this month(read: I did not even want to open this turn file for fear of what it might hold). However, much like real war, Warplan often hinges on the smallest things.

As noted last turn, the Allies anticipated a massive counterstroke vs Athens and the naval forces supporting it. Because we believed the Regia Marina would send all its power into the Eastern Med, we sent one lone transport sneaking up the eastern coast of Spain, attempting to get in range of an open port we noticed in Sardinia. We have long coveted this island as a base from which to threaten southern France, Italy, and N Africa.

Nirosi, of course, does not miss this trick(though I had hoped he would). He misinterprets the fleet, however. Apparently fearing a much larger scale op, he sorties the Italian fleet west, positioning it to ward off any landing in France. This allows us to sneak the US Marines into the port of Olbia on the northern coast of Sardinia. Likely they will be driven out. But it may occupy the Italian fleet. If they do not work to cut us off, heavier US formations have shipped into Gibraltar, and will be moved to occupy the port next turn.




In Greece, very little changes. Axis air formations, which had been a serious impediment to free movement of Allied supply and surface ships, are withdrawn to face the 'threat' in the Western Med. With a slight relenting of pressure, Allied navies are put in port to recover readiness, though a powerful surface group still covers Athens. Oddly, the Canadians in Athens have not dug in in three turns.

If the Axis forces are content to simply bottle up Allied forces in Greece, we may have to rethink our stance here. We are still not sure, however, that that is the case. Still, alternative ops are being considered.

[boldairade]

May 21, 1943

East Front

Axis combat values are no longer climbing. They have seemingly recovered from the winter. For the second straight turn, the weather is warm and clear. Yet the Axis forces do not lift a finger.

The earlier supposition-that the Axis will NOT conduct a Spring offensive in the East seemed preposterous. Yet, every turn, it seems more likely.


This is both good and bad. There was considerable doubt amongst the Allies of the ability of Russia to withstand another push. At the very least, Germany could have had its pick of targets that would have economically hurt Russia very badly. Additionally, taking Leningrad would eliminate the Baltic Fleet, freeing German surface units to raid the Atlantic at will. If none of this comes to pass, Russia could truly be a powerful force to be reckoned with in 1944 and 1945(which, I am starting to think, are real possibilities in this game-exciting, since I have never even played into 1943).

That said, if this is the Axis plan, Allied grand strategy has been 100% wrong. Literally everything we have done-from opening the Norway theater, our ultra aggressive attacks in Africa, the costly strategic bombing campaign in Germany, to the immensely costly Olympus operation in Greece-all of it has been to try and keep Germany from concentrating on Russia. It seems now possible, perhaps even probable, that none of this was necessary. Instead, a more long term strategy should have been considered.


It cannot be changed now. In Russia, upgrades to heavy armor continue at a very good pace. Additionally, the Red Air Force is also getting replacements in her run down formations. The Baltic Fleet continues to be repaired after its disastrous spring losses. K-12 Sub formations are withdrawn from the Baltic after the arrival of a fliegerkorps in Finland.

If survival is no longer the mission of the Red Army, then a doctrinal change must be considered. Rather than an impediment, built to attrit and slow down German formations, the Red Army will have to be forged into a far different beast. One capable of taking the fight TO the German. It is not an unattractive idea.

[boldairade]

Tens of thousands of tons of ordinance are being dropped on the Fatherland. Yet every turn, flack concentration grows heavier.

[boldairade]

In the planning rooms the bombing campaign is about numbers, theories and long term consequences. For the crews of the Flying Fortresses, however, it is a much different beast.

[boldairade]

US Marines secure the port of Olbia on the northern coast of Sardinia.

[boldairade]

A Panther dug in near Smolensk. Are German offensive operations in the East truly finished?

[aoffen]

ORIGINAL: boldairade

That said, if this is the Axis plan, Allied grand strategy has been 100% wrong. Literally everything we have done-from opening the Norway theater, our ultra aggressive attacks in Africa, the costly strategic bombing campaign in Germany, to the immensely costly Olympus operation in Greece-all of it has been to try and keep Germany from concentrating on Russia. It seems now possible, perhaps even probable, that none of this was necessary. Instead, a more long term strategy should have been considered.

It may be that all those actions have been the cause of the Germans going defensive. In which case it was a master strategy not a mistaken one.

[ncc1701e]

ORIGINAL: aoffen

ORIGINAL: boldairade

That said, if this is the Axis plan, Allied grand strategy has been 100% wrong. Literally everything we have done-from opening the Norway theater, our ultra aggressive attacks in Africa, the costly strategic bombing campaign in Germany, to the immensely costly Olympus operation in Greece-all of it has been to try and keep Germany from concentrating on Russia. It seems now possible, perhaps even probable, that none of this was necessary. Instead, a more long term strategy should have been considered.

It may be that all those actions have been the cause of the Germans going defensive. In which case it was a master strategy not a mistaken one.

+1

[boldairade]

Perhaps.

I am greatly l looking forward to Nirosi’s AAR when this is all over so I can see how it looked from the other side!

[John B.]

Oh those Marines are really out on a limb in Sardinia. If you can hold it, however, you basically have Italy flanked on two sides with air cover for invasions all over the Peninsula. When you get a chance, would you mind posting the current losses? Thanks!