Case White PBEM: RocketMan-Poland vs. CYORESS1-Axis : Polish Thread

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - Start - Southeast.

I will pull back the line in this area and try to blow the two bridges circled in red.

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - Start - Losses.

Losses leveled out a little this turn after spiking last turn. Losses next turn will be pretty high as well as the last of my surrounded units are destroyed but will hopefully not be as bad as the last two turns.

[RocketMan]

And that completes the tour of the front lines at the start of turn 5. Next up will be the situation at the end of turn 5.

[RocketMan]

One more picture. Turn 5 - Start - Full Map.

Some of the units in the northwest forming the line around Strelno might actually escape the fate of being surrounded and destroyed like a lot of their comrades suffered. They still have a little ways to go yet though.

[RocketMan]

This is a test post.

[RocketMan]

I have never tried this before, so I decided to learn how to do it. Below is an animated gif of the situation at the start of the first five turns of the game. Unfortunately, I didn't have the screenshot option selected in the game that automatically takes screenshots of the entire map at the end of the turn so all I can make are screenshots from the start of the turns.

If you watch closely, you can see my strategy playing out in the animation. In the northern areas, I am doing a slow withdraw as the situation warrants. In the west and northwest, my units are fleeing to Warsaw. In the southwest around Lodz, I am trying to slow down the Germans by throwing as many units as possible in front of them. And in the south and souteast, I am trading ground for time.

Note: if you're interested, the previous test post was so I could test out how to post an animated gif.

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - End - Northeast.

Lines are still holding in this sector, but the big stack of artillery outlined in red will probably allow the Germans to create a bridgehead next turn.

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - End - North.

Pulled back the front line a little in this sector, but I'm sure it will be penetrated again next turn.

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - End - Northwest.

There are a few units still holding out here, but I'm sure they won't be for very much longer.

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - End - West.

Pulled back the line again and hopefully prevented the Germans from cutting off the retreating Polish units with their mobile formations on the north side of the Vistula river. A couple of units circled in red were unable to keep up with the rest of the retreating formations and will probably be surrounded and destroyed by the advancing German Panzers next turn.

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - End - South.

The Germans have almost reached the outskirts of Lodz. Units in and around Lodz circled in red will stop their retreat and fight to the death to slow the Germans down. To the North and south of Lodz, the retreat will continue.

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - End - Southeast.

Pulled back the lines again in this sector. The Germans have a long way to go to get to anything vital in this sector and all I need to do is to keep them from achieving a breakthrough, which would make it a battle of movement. And the Poles are be destined to lose in any battle of movement against the Germans.

[RocketMan]

Turn 5 - End - Full map.

I have actually formed an almost continuous line around Warsaw, with only the ends of the lines being lightly defended.

[RocketMan]

And just for fun: Turn 5 - End - Animated gif of starting and ending positions of Polish units.

[RocketMan]

And that completes the tour of the battlefield for turn 5.

[RocketMan]

Turn 6 - Start Messages.

When I complete my turn we will be halfway through the game. Losses aren't too bad so far but they are starting to creep up. If the current loss rate continued for the rest of the game the Poles would only have about 42% casualties for the campaign, although now that I need to start holding the Germans in multiple areas I expect losses to increase somewhat.

Only the standard Victory Status message this turn, I didn't get any new units.

[RocketMan]

Turn 6 - Start - Northeast.

Grondo fell this turn and the Germans got a bridgehead over the Nerew outside of Vizna just like I predicted. I have held the Germans long enough in the extreme northeast between Bialystok and Grondo and the units in that area will now start a rapid retreat.

[RocketMan]

Turn 6 - Start - North.

My lineses were penetrated in two spots in this sector this turn. I will pull them back a bit and reform them.

[RocketMan]

Turn 6 - Start - Northwest.

Still a few holdouts in Thorn and Poznan and one surrounded unit that couldn't keep up with the retreat. I will pull back the line one more time this turn to eliminate the bulge in it, but then these units need to start holding their ground in future turns.

[RocketMan]

Turn 6 - Start - Southwest.

The Germans have reached the outskirts of Lodz at the mid point of the game. Units on either side of Lodz will retreat, but the units between Lodz and Warsaw will hold their ground.

I am going to provide some editorial comment at this point. The two German spearheads are 13 and 14 hexes from Warsaw. The furthest German advanced (the Panzer unit with 38 strength) is total of 13 hexes from their starting position, which is an average of just over 2 hexes per turn. This advance has been against Polish opposition that was more than token, but less than all out. If I can keep the German advance to one less hex total in the second half of the game as I did in the first half I will win, otherwise I will lose. So, from here on out, the Germans are going to have to fight for every hex between Lodz and Warsaw. Hopefully I won't run out of units to keep throwing in the way of the German juggernaut.