warspite1 (CP) Vs Colberki (Entente)

[warspite1]

Turn 64 – 23rd November 1916

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

The British must be up to something. Apart from Artillery and Aircraft, there are no British in the line facing the Germans – and there hasn’t been for some time. Perhaps they are in Italy? Perhaps they have all been disbanded so the British can research more… it’s a mystery.

Italy

Nothing to report.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Turkish 2nd Infantry north of Damascus just about survived, but the pursuit by the British is quick and the Bulgarian 4th Army get hit too.

I continue to pull back.

[warspite1]

Turn 65 – 7th December 1916

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

The only German Airfleet gets blown out of the skies thanks to a series of vicious dogfights… In the follow-up, I lose an Infantry Army (and have a severely damaged Artillery) thanks to a combined French / Belgian attack southeast of Liege. I counter-attack using 11th, 25th and 30th Armies, and remove the offending French Infantry.

Italy

Nothing to report.

Turkey and Bulgaria

I continue my headlong retreat back towards Aleppo with the Bulgarians and Turks. I intend to split my Army group into two. A Main force around Aleppo and a second force, on its left flank, behind the Euphrates. This plan depends on my army not being mauled by the advancing British beforehand, and actually being allowed to dig-in.

[warspite1]

Turn 66 – 21st December 1916

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Air power is really going to be decisive now. I lose an Infantry and an Artillery to a co-ordinated attack. Unfortunately the advanced French unit is behind water, full strength, and I cannot reach with my Artillery. I have little choice but to give up Strassburg and retire the line one more hex. I keep a Garrison in Strassburg as a delaying tactic, but this is grim.

Italy

Nothing happening here.

Turkey and Bulgaria

I detect Entente units heading for Baghdad. The Turkish 3rd and Bulgarian 5th Armies, staying behind the Euphrates, push southeast to head them off if possible. The rest of the Army Group continue to fall back on Aleppo and have been joined by the Bulgarian 1st Army.

Meanwhile the 4th Basra and 1st Damascus Garrisons continue southwest through the Arabian Desert. Let’s just hope the British have not left a Garrison behind.

[warspite1]

Turn 67 – 4th January 1917

…and the hits keep on coming. Apparently the Arabs are revolting….

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

The Portuguese have been joined by the Italians around Strassburg. The Entente do not attack this turn and I await the next turn with growing unease…

Italy

The Austrian 10th Infantry in Trento are attacked, and I take this unit out of the line to recover. Otherwise there is little action here.

Turkey and Bulgaria

I ignore the Arab revolt for the moment as a) I have no idea what that is all about, and b) I cannot see any Arab units anyway…

There seems to be some change in border thingy in Medina so I place a Garrison in Riyadh and await developments. Further north my Garrison units wheel west toward Aqaba.

Half-way between Beirut and Mosul I catch one of the British Garrisons attempting to capture my eastern cities. The 3rd Turkish Army cuts it off and 5th Bulgarian engages. A little to the west an Italian Garrison is also caught and attacked by 20th Army. I have sent the Turkish 1st Konya Garrison and the Bulgarian 6th Infantry to assist.

South of Aleppo I have three Bulgarian and one Turkish Army together with a Turkish Garrison. Two Bulgarian Armies are awaiting rail capacity and will be sent to this sector as quickly as possible.

[warspite1]

Turn 68 – 18th January 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Nothing happening in the snow and ice.

Italy

Ditto…

Turkey and Bulgaria

Okay, I see the Arab forces around Medina. I order the 1st Riyadh Garrison toward the enemy while maintaining the objective of the 4th Basra Garrison as Aqaba - but switching the 1st Damascus to Tabuk.

To the north I can do nothing about the British Garrison getting back in supply, but I reduce it to a 3-strength. Its Italian comrade to the west has been joined by a British Army. I ignore the latter and attack the Italian using the Turkish 20th and Bulgarian 6th Armies.

[warspite1]

Turn 69 – 1st February 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

My frontline units take a pounding but they survive. I decide to mount an attack against a French Infantry Army east of Liege and reduce it to a 1-strength. An Artillery attack on a Portuguese Infantry south of Strassburg has no effect.

Italy

I continue to cycle units in Trento otherwise the sector is quiet.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Garrison units are both 3-hexes away from their targets…are the British there???

Further north the position becomes more confused. The enemy has at least 5 Armies, 2 Garrisons and an Artillery in the area between Damascus and Aleppo. Many units on both sides are red or yellow. My plan to stick behind the Euphrates has gone. Instead I am now going to try an encircling manoeuvre led by 3rd Infantry, with three Bulgarian Armies providing the main block to Aleppo. On the coast, the Turkish 5th Army sacrifices itself trying to get at the British Artillery, which it partially achieves – reducing it to a 7-strength.

[warspite1]

Turn 70 – 15th February 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Strassburg fails to survive this time and is occupied by a Portuguese army. I attack his countryman to the south of the city using Austrian 9th and the German 20th Armies preceded by an Austrian Artillery barrage. But it’s a struggle just to reduce the unit to 5-strength.

Italy

Trento receives a pounding once more….

Turkey and Bulgaria

What a mess.. There are no British in Tabuk and the 1st Damascus Garrison in one hex from reaching this destination. But around Aleppo every movement seems to turn a unit red or yellow. As expected I lose 5th Army, but more annoyingly an attack by the full strength 5th Beirut Garrison sees a 2-0 loss against a red French Infantry.

[warspite1]

Turn 70 (Cont)
Middle East

[Orm]

It looks like an artillery supporting the combined Turkish and Bulgarian armies in the Middle East could be decisive. It might not be easy to free an artillery but it could be worth it to launch an counter attack in the desert.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

It looks like an artillery supporting the combined Turkish and Bulgarian armies in the Middle East could be decisive. It might not be easy to free an artillery but it could be worth it to launch an counter attack in the desert.

warspite1

There is no way I feel I could release an Artillery piece at that time. The Italian and German fronts came close to collapse a few times and I needed all the weaponry available.

[Orm]

To bad. I think you need to launch an counter offensive somewhere. Not just play an active defense. But I do understand your reasoning. As always it is a lot easier to fight battles when one stand on the side watching.

Thank you for writing about this conflict. It is a real thriller. [:)]

[warspite1]

Turn 71 – 1st March 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Nothing happening this turn.

Italy

Madness.. I literally have a conveyor belt going to recycle damaged units from Trento…

Turkey and Bulgaria

Damn….. A British Garrison stops me from making Aqaba, although Tabuk is re-captured and I place the newly arrived 1st Guards Army northeast of the city.

In the north both sides take a breather and try and recover from red/yellow status.

[warspite1]

Turn 72 – 15th March 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

A pretty disastrous situation. An Austrian Infantry was assaulted by two Artillery, three Bombers and two Infantry. No chance of surviving that kind of attack.

I have enough units to mount a counter-attack and manage to take back the hex, destroying the enemy unit in the process but if that is a sign of what is to come from the Entente then……

Italy

Further re-cycling….

Turkey and Bulgaria

The revolting Arabs reach Tabuk and my attack on the half-supplied unit sees a loss of 1-strength point to the Turkish Garrison…

South of Aleppo the Bulgarian 1st Army launches an attack on a red strength British Army unit. The Bulgarian 8th Army follow-up and force the British Artillery to retreat. To the east I am trying to manoeuvre my Armies to surround the easternmost British Army. Unfortunately I cannot attack it as he is too strong and dug in.

[warspite1]

Turn 73 – 29th March 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

My troops hold on this turn.

Italy

Nothing to report – the Italians must have temporarily run out of ammo.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Arabs attack Tabuk, while an Arab cavalry moves to cut-off the city. What do I do? I want to use 1st Guards Army to hit Aqaba but I cannot afford to be cut-off myself. I order the Guards east to intercept the Cavalry and hit an Arab Infantry for six on the way. Meanwhile the 4th Basra Garrison reaches Gaza.

In the north the British, sensing the possible surrounding of the Army, turn south. I pursue but do not attack – other than Izzet Pasha’s 3rd Army’s assault on a British Garrison in Damascus.

[warspite1]

Turn 74 – 12th April 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

I lose another Garrison and take a pasting in the air, but I am able to restore the frontline at the present.

Italy

More conveyor belt action….

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Entente units in the Middle East are now on half-supply and the Bulgarians set about the British Infantry – though these remain powerful units. I make a mistake in taking Jerusalem, which may allow the British to get back in supply next turn… we shall see.

[warspite1]

Turn 75 – 26th April 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

I lose another unit but continue to hold on – just about.

Italy

I’m not entirely sure, but I may have won an air battle!! More conveyor belt action ensues..

Turkey and Bulgaria

The British bring reinforcements to Gaza in the form of a full strength Infantry Army… This puts my unit in Jerusalem on half supply. In further bad news, at least one British unit is getting supply from a Cruiser offshore… rats!

[warspite1]

Turn 76 – 10th May 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

I make a mistake hoping to catch an Entente Artillery…. First I destroy a Belgian Infantry east of Liege, using 10th and 11th Armies, and then move von Hindenburg’s 18th Army into the gap. Unfortunately they are then faced with a French Infantry and a Garrison….Goodbye von Hindenburg….

Italy

Nothing happening here.

Turkey and Bulgaria

Terrible news - the Entente takes Jerusalem and put all units back in supply. The British/French/Italian force is out-numbered, but so much better quality. In better news, the Bulgarian 4th Army re-takes Damascus. I will need to be careful now or a well timed counter-attack could see my forces annihilated.

In the south, the 1st Riyadh Garrison continues its slow march on Medina, while the 1st Guards Garrison pushes south, attacking the revolting Arabs as it goes.

[warspite1]

Turn 76 – 10th May 1917 (Cont)

[warspite1]

Turn 77 – 24th May 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

The German Infantry dies as expected. I can do nothing but wait.

Italy

Nothing to report here.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Arab revolt is sprouting units all over the place! At least two Infantry Armies and a Cavalry Army are stationed between Medina and Tabuk. I destroy the Cavalry Army and maul one of the Infantry units using the 1st Guards and 1st Tabuk Garrisons. Meanwhile the 1st Riyadh Garrison is almost at Medina.

Further north the Bulgarians destroy an Italian Garrison, but the Entente have a solid line of Infantry stretching from Jerusalem to Beirut. I cannot hurt these units and take losses with Kemal Pasha’s 20th Army when trying to northeast of Jerusalem.

I try a speculative attack on a British Garrison north of Aqaba, but the result is disappointing and there is no chance of putting the Entente forces out of supply again.

[warspite1]

Turn 78 – 7th June 1917

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Nothing to report.

Italy

More Trento shenanigans…more recycling of units.

Turkey and Bulgaria

Time to pull back before I get completely destroyed here; none of my attacks against the French or British units are even touching the enemy…troop quality the same, better efficiency, but I take more hits… I will try and fall back south of Aleppo if I have not left it too late to extricate my forces, and see what happens. 1st Riyadh Garrison is almost at Medina – I hope that quells the revolt!