DQ2004's AAR #2 - "Ouch. ...that hurt"

[DQ2004]

Good evening (or morning, depending upon where you are upon the world).
Welcome to my 2nd AAR.
The first has stalled due to bug problems (reported). This one is now progressed to May-Jun 1941, so I have some catching up to do.

It all started when the bad guys decided to attack Poland over some trifling bit of territory. Hardly worth a squabble, they thought, but unbelievably both France and the British Empire took great exception to it. Which seemed even weirder when despite them overrunning Poland in a matter of weeks (well, two impulses, anyway), they did almost nothing!

In the east, the Chinese were still trying to fend off the rampaging Japanese Empire. To be honest though, they really didn't know what to do. However they decided to go for a fairly 'forward' defence, thinking that even if they lose that line, that would give them time to reinforce and prepare new defence lines. If they started too far back, well the enemy would simply just wander over to where they were, and wouldn't have to do anything else to get there. No, they should pay for the ground they take. A price in blood.

Here then, is my Chinese (Nationalist) setup...

[DQ2004]

After I started this game, I then decided I didn't want to play with the oil rules just yet (never have before), and so I started again. However, the setup was pretty much the same as this.

The Poles, frightened and isolated, weren't sure how best to deploy their army. Sadly, their deployment didn't last long...

[DQ2004]

So, since the so called 'Allied' powers wanted a war, the Axis powers decided that they'd better prepare for a long war. So they quickly overran Denmark, and invaded Hungary. Hungary? What did Miklos ever do to offend them?
Well, he had a red factory. He may have been handing over his resources, but the Axis wanted it all.
Poor Hungary.

[DQ2004]

Finally, just as the 'Allies' (more on this later) thought smugly, "Oh yeah, we know how this is going to go", the Germans invaded Belgium. Unfortunately on this occasion the Belgian set-up was also flawed (sorry forgot to screenshot it), and they broke through the flimsy Belgian line and took Brussels. The French had sufficient time to move their forces in to what was left of the country, and it was the end of October, 1939.

In the first turn of Nov-Dec 1939, the weather unexpectedly cleared, and Von Bock took the opportunity to launch a devastating attack on the still weak and unprepared French.

[Coeur de livre]

DQ2004 I am really looking forward to this AAR. I see that you, like many others, have declared war on Hungary. What is the advantage of an early DoW on Hungary rather than having them as allies in the later war against Russia? Cheers.

[DQ2004]

The idea of declaring war (& conquering) Hungary is (a): You get the red factory straight away. When the USSR claims Bessarabia, you deny the later claims of Hungary & Bulgaria (you have to declare war on Bulgaria also), which gives you (b) Rumania as a full ally (all units can leave Rumania), plus Rumania's factory earlier than you might have otherwise.
Then (when convenient later on, anyway) you should try to conquer Greece whilst ignoring Yugoslavia. Its best to be able to overwhelm Greece quickly, and once you have Athens you can align Yugoslavia. This means that (c): You have Yugoslavia's two blue factories and double bonus (d): Prince Paul HQ unit to use for supply purposes (eg. in France) plus triple bonus (e): No partisans in Yugoslavia (which has a higher partisan rating than Hungary and Bulgaria by far).
The reason you want to overwhelm Greece quickly is that otherwise if the Allies get four units into Greece (Allies support attacked minor) then they will align Yugoslavia, and whilst it is easy enough to conquer, all that work conquering Hungary and Bulgaria will be wasted.

Kind regards

[DQ2004]

Now, to getting back to our story so far.
It's Nov-Dec 1939. Poland, Hungary and Denmark have all fallen under the jackboot of the Werhmacht.
France is already under pressure, with not enough units and important reinforcements still to arrive.
The weather turns a little damp, but the Wehrmacht decides not to let a few drops of rain get in their way. They launch what seems a risky attack on Strasbourg...
...they lose three garrison units. But the fortifications are overrun. This is our first 'Ouch, that hurt' moment. Trust me, there will be more...

[DQ2004]

The French try to fall back in good order, but there just isn't enough units. All of the other Allied powers pass the turn, desperately trying to help the best they can, but it's no good. The snow begins to fall, but this doesn't stop the rampaging panzers either; the Herman Goering Division breaks through south of Lille.
Whilst the French army continues to bleed, more German corps continue to arrive from the east, including Rundstedt, who will end up feeling somewhat unnecessary

[DQ2004]

With the Maginot line shattered it is only a matter of time before the eastern flank of the French front collapses. Yet with the rail lines to Lille cut there's no point trying to hang on to this otherwise vital industrial centre.
The French retreat, and mercifully the nightmare turn ends.
The snow continues into January and so Von Bock orders his troops to continue; there's no point letting the French off the hook. Der OberKommando das Heer throws an offensive chit at Von Bock. Metz falls. France is as good as done, and it is only three turns into the game.

[Coeur de livre]

DQ2004 thank you for this clear reply which answers a query I have had for a long time and thanks for this entertaining ARR.

[Klydon]

Interesting strat in regards to the Balkans. I was trying to figure out a way to get Greece without knocking out Yugoslavia, but the Italians really can't do it alone. I may have to give that a spin sometime. I am also enjoying seeing your AAR. Some interesting things going on for sure.

[DQ2004]

Thanks guys.
The downside of the Hungary strategy is that you lose the resource from the USSR. However, I have a plan for that...

Meanwhile, in China, the usual stuff is happening, where the Japanese Army is ganging up on the Chinese;

[DQ2004]

Back in France, the French army desperately tries to shorten the line. But many units are disorganized just from trying to retreat. They pray that the turn ends ... but it doesn't! The snow turns to storm but with their armies disorganized they are just cannon fodder for the panzergruppen. Even a miracle won't save France now.
After the devastation, the turn finally ended. Here is the French front at the end of February 1940;

[DQ2004]

Oh I almost forgot - the Italians declared war on Britain and France too. Seeing that France was going down, Mussolini had to get in on the action. A port attack on the surprised French fleet resulted in the loss of the Jean Bart. In Egypt Graziani charged across the border with a large army.
The losses for Jan/Feb 1940:

[DQ2004]

As March came around the Italians were on the verge of overwhelming Egypt; with four corps to Wavell's sole HQ unit, things looked bad. One Indian infantry corps was on the way, but yet again it was to be a case of too little, too late;

[DQ2004]

The Royal Navy sortied to try to cut the Italian supply lines. They gained a number of surprise points, but in the resulting surface combat, the Italian battleships withstood the barrage of 15inch shells, and retired damaged. Sadly for the Royal Navy, what they thought was their toughest ship... wasn't.
I'm sorry Warspite1

[DQ2004]

In France, despite the arrival of badly needed reinforcements, there was little that could be done to save Paris. OKH made sure of the assault, virtually surrounding the city prior to the attack.
In England, some strange reports were coming through of German army movements, however. Rundstedt's HQ seemed to have packed up already and was heading back into Germany. Other German units had been railed back to Poland. What was going on?

[DQ2004]

In China, the Japanese continued their campaign;

[DQ2004]

Poland.
April 1940.
The silence of the misty morning is broken by the sound of vehicles and aircraft overhead. In the distance the rumble of thousands of heavy guns is heard.
The young Soviet conscripts look at one another confused. "Don't we have a non-aggression pact with Adolf and all that?"
They are no less surprised than Iosef himself. The Germans have broken the pact and charged into Eastern Poland. The Soviets haven't even had time to claim the Baltic states. They have only just claimed Bessarabia because the US entry level was so low before that. Their armies are hopelessly out of position, not to mention drastically under-strength.

Their one saving grace is that the weather is foul and they will have time to gather their reserves.
The turn ends before the Germans can make much progress. But the Wehrmacht has already dealt with France, there are reinforcements arriving en-masse from the west, as well as new formations being assembled.
The clash of titans is on.
Here is the situation at the start of May/Jun 1940:

[DQ2004]

As May 1940 arrives Stavka is concerned but not worried. The Germans may have caught them on the hop but the USSR is large and they have plenty of reserves ready to be moved to the front. Grofaz looks to have overestimated what will be needed to conquer them, and in fact has only one HQ on the front at the moment.
Relaxed, Stavka orders the reserves forward to meet the German push.