Defending the Reich - Dixie vs Swift - AXIS Thread

[wernerpruckner]

Once again I am on the defending side - this time it is BtR43 vs Dixie as Allied C in C.
On turn zero I used all movement points to spread out the forces.

Dixie send in a bunch of radar raids and some other minor stuff, as well as two BC raids.....all in all a quiet turn.

Here is the Overview after turn 1

[wernerpruckner]

At the start of BtR 43 there are three main Luftwaffe tasks:
1) defending southern Italy prior to the Invasion
2) defending our forward radar bases in France and the Low Countries.......my nightfighters need the extra warning time
and finally the most important task in 43
3) our nightfighters defending the Reich from the Bomber Command

I expect to see some deeper daylight raids in 43, first against the UFACs, later against some industry, but the 8th AF is only a minor threat until the P51 arrives.


Here are the losses from turn 1:

[wernerpruckner]

Another problem for the Axis side - there is much to cover with only very few toys.
Here is a picture of the AA situation.
All sites with at least one piece of AA or balloon are highlightend, all other sides have no protection - only the Luftwaffe.

[madflava13]

I'll be reading with interest. If you have time, could you discuss the production changes you are going to make, as well as the types of aircraft you'll be focusing on? Thanks.

[wernerpruckner]

Here is a picture of the used A/C types at the game start.
First I will change all the D.520 units to something useable.

Industry:
I will try to build up some stock for vital A/C that I have at the moment.
The best NF in my opinion in this game is the Ju88 - the C at game start and later the G variant.
The Bf/ME109 is the backbone of the Reichsverteidigung at the moment and depending on Dixies startegy it will stay the backbone for a long time
The FW190 is my frontline fighter for low and medium altitudes.
Zerstörer types and cannon fighters will be used as long as possible.

Co Axis wise - Archer and Centauro as well as some Messerschmitt 109 Ga2 and Ga6

I will not yet streamlighten my industry.....I will build everything, and I will use everything for at least one time!! [:D]

[wernerpruckner]

And here is the Luftwaffe situation on the Westfront.

[sven6345789]

regarding night fighters, you said you would stick with the Ju 88. IIRC, the He 219 was highly superior in just about anything compared to Ju 88C and at equal if not a little more powerful than the Ju 88G. And it becomes available in 08/1943, while the Ju88G becomes available in 1944.
wouldn't the He 219 be a better Choice?

[Hard Sarge]

that is the preproduction model (preproduction models are not player buildable)

and there may be some changes to the date, set up for the 219

a lot of people in high command didn't like it, most of the pilots did, but one thing that was odd and we can't do, there were only 7 Runways it could take off from (guess it had a long roll out (I got to look at the specs on that, i have read that from a High Command interveiw after the war, but with the trik landing gear, it should of had a shorter take off run then most ?)

[wernerpruckner]

The He219 was overrated, the probably best NF would have been the Ta154 Moskito.
The He219 is good, but only in its agile variants.....as soon as you put too much stuff on it
It is also quite shortlegged, which can be deadly in case of too many NIs around the air base

So I will use the Uhu for anti mossie work - hunting NIs and the annoying fast Mossie bombers

[Hard Sarge]

I don't think it was that overrated, what makes it overrated was all the talk about it being a Mossie killer, and it never had the speed for it, and then all the work to up the speed and over and over, and then wasn't about to be a Mossie Killer, for the job, it was set up for, it was very good

I agree, it never had the speeds that they wanted to claim for it

[von Shagmeister]

ORIGINAL: swift

The He219 was overrated, the probably best NF would have been the Ta154 Moskito.
The He219 is good, but only in its agile variants.....as soon as you put too much stuff on it
It is also quite shortlegged, which can be deadly in case of too many NIs around the air base

So I will use the Uhu for anti mossie work - hunting NIs and the annoying fast Mossie bombers

I agree with Werner that the He 219 was way overated. It was underpowered and it is pure myth that on operational testing it shot down 20 RAF aircraft (including 6 Mossies).

During beta testing of the opening phases of BTR the Ju 88C-6 was consistantly the most effective nightfighter in the Lw. inventory. Its FuG 212 offering some immunity to Window. The Bf 110G-4 is now blind as well as slow. In any event don't rely on sensors at the start of the game, Wilde Sau is the only way to get any results and that is dependant on conditions (ambient light, weather etc).

However my vote for best all round Lw. nightfighter would have been the Ju 388 (a Ju 88G-6 on acid)

von Shagmeister

[wernerpruckner]

Turn 2:

lots of short range missions in Italy and a few in France.
I am not impressed by my Italian units.....two units got mauled by patrolling allied squadrons - more than half my losss are made here.

[wernerpruckner]

Much more important is the action during the night time....I was able to use Zahme Sau tactic on the Buna raid....and BC suffered [8D]

[wernerpruckner]

And here a picture of the attacked Allied missions......you can see that my pilots over claim very heavy!

I have now changed the D.520 production to Re.2005 and MC.205 - both are nice Italian designs.

[invernomuto]

Subscribed, but could you please explain some acronyms?
Allied C in C = Chief in Command?
BC raids = ????
UFACs = ????

Bye!

[wernerpruckner]

BC....Bomber Command (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bomber_Command)
UFAC....U-Boot Fabrik...submarine factory
C in C...Commander-in-chief or Supreme Commander

[invernomuto]

Thanks![:)]

[Terminus]

I shall be joining this party very shortly. Looking forward to it.

[sven6345789]

when do you start to evacuate your units in southern italy. do you get an ahead notice? or will some airfields be overrun and others not? if overrun, will the squadons scramble to safety?
talking about the invasion here which will take place shortly.

[wernerpruckner]

I only move the German units to a save area and let the Italians stay there,
but I still have some time till the invasion