CONTINUATION OF “FRANCE 1944 D-DAY” AAR

[Curtis Lemay]

There are three ground formations in reorganization this turn. Again, ten V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 10 VPs for the Germans. The Allies must exploit the breach this turn.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the breakout has been thoroughly exploited. In fact, note that I’ve added the microscreen in the upper left corner to show the whole situation. I’ll have to continue that practice, since the field of battle will far exceed the main screen. So many hexes were gained (136) that, from now on, I’ll no longer keep track of the count. The loss penalties are now 282 for the Allies and 235 for the Germans. Once again, I only secured four combat phases. The loss rate is finally becoming more favorable for the Allies as the best German units, terrain, and density conditions are in the past.

Now, be honest. Looking at the situation back around turn 3, you didn’t think this was ever going to happen, did you. Nevertheless, the Allies are behind schedule, and will have to try and make it up.

[Curtis Lemay]

There are two ground formations in reorganization this turn. Again, ten V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 10 VPs for the Germans. And, for the first time, the Germans get 5 VPs for holding all four Brittany ports. Brittany should be cut off this turn.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the German lines finally had to be abandoned. Also, Saint Malo was captured, along with most of Brittany. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 292 for the Allies and 253 for the Germans. I secured five combat phases, inflicting pretty heavy losses on the German defenses. It was the combination of attrition and the extension of the lines that finally forced the Germans to shift over to a retreat. Normally, that is one of the few tough decisions for the German player in this scenario, but not this time. The line was secure at the end of his last turn and hopeless at the start of his part of this one. Note that many units have to be sacrificed due to the need for a rear-guard and routed & retreated units. That’s typical of retreats. The German player’s objectives are, first, to salvage as much as possible out of Normandy, and, second, to force the Allied player to cross the Seine as far south as possible. The second objective is important to allow as much of the 15th Army to escape, since its release will be phased, instead of all at once.

The Allies can finally breathe a sigh of relief. As decimated as the Germans are, the Allies aren’t much better off. They’ve been taking roughly two-for-one losses since D-Day.

[Curtis Lemay]

There is one ground formation in reorganization this turn. Again, ten V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 10 VPs for the Germans. And the Germans get 4 VPs for holding three Brittany ports. The Allies now get to exploit the fleeing Germans. The sweep across France is on.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Germans lines have withdrawn to the Seine. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 283 for the Allies and 253 for the Germans. I secured four combat phases in clearing the German rear guard. The German strategy is to try to force the Allies to cross the Seine south of Paris, to facilitate the escape of the 15th Army. The escape of the 1st Army from Southern France has been hindered by the FFI. These two factors have created an empty space between them that the Allies might choose to exploit. The point is approaching where the Allies must make that choice between exploiting Patton’s end run or throwing their weight behind Monty’s drive up the coast. That will be just as contentious a decision in the game as it was historically.

[Curtis Lemay]

There are no formations in reorganization this turn. Again, ten V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 10 VPs for the Germans. And the Germans again get 4 VPs for holding three Brittany ports. The Seine will probably be crossed somewhere this turn, and Paris probably invested, at least.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that, contrary to my estimate above, the Seine was not crossed nor Paris invested. I underestimated the difficulties of those goals. I could have crossed the Seine just above Le Harve, but chose not to do so (to avoid triggering the release of 15th Army early). Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 284 for the Allies and 262 for the Germans. I again secured four combat phases in clearing the German rear guard. The Germans have had to abandon the division in Le Harve, but remain determined to salvage the rest of 15th Army. Most of the German 1st Army has made its escape from the south, and won’t be caught. Clearly, the Seine will be crossed next turn, and Paris should be captured as well. That will put the Allies about half a turn behind schedule – they’ve caught up some in the last few turns.

[Curtis Lemay]

There are two ground & one bomber formations in reorganization this turn. Again, ten V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 10 VPs for the Germans. And the Germans again get 4 VPs for holding three Brittany ports. The Seine will be crossed everywhere this turn, and Paris probably captured.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that, contrary to my estimate above, Paris was not captured. I again underestimated the difficulty of that goal. Otherwise, the Seine was crossed widely. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 283 for the Allies and 275 for the Germans. I secured five combat phases in clearing the German rear guard. The Germans remain determined to salvage as much of 15th Army as they can. They’re making a stand close to the Allied lines in order to do so. Also, some of the German 1st Army has made a stand to permit the arrival of the 19th Army next turn. The Allies remain behind schedule by about a turn or so.

[Curtis Lemay]

There is one ground formation in reorganization this turn. Again, ten V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 10 VPs for the Germans. And the Germans again get 4 VPs for holding three Brittany ports. Paris will be liberated this turn. The German 15th Army will be released and their 19th Army will arrive this turn, bolstering German chances to halt the Allied sweep across Northwest Europe. The Allies must make the Germans pay for their temporary halt to their retreat. Elsewhere, Brest may fall this turn.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that Paris was finally fully liberated. Brest was also captured. Attacks on the German main lines were started too late in the turn to have much impact. The Germans, nevertheless, fell back to the Pas de Calais (leaving a sacrificial rear-guard of mostly small, sub-divided units). The first part of the 15th Army was released, and the 19th Army arrived. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 283 for the Allies and 292 for the Germans. I secured four combat phases in liberating Paris and Brest. Note that this was the turn when I switched the Allied bombers from Combat Support to Interdiction, since fighters can be now provide full protection for the bombers over the entire map.

It may seem like the Germans could have made a stand at the last position. But note that they lack much in the way of armor and the Allies have tons of artillery. They need to put more distance between themselves and the Normandy beaches. And they need to get the entire 15th Army released, along with other reinforcements before making their stand. Finally, the terrain along the French coast is not good for defense. That generally means they must continue to fall back out of France. The line I’m aiming for will anchor on the Schelde Estuary. But the game allows other players to make a different choice about that, as a risk/reward option. (The Risk of getting your army smashed and thereby ultimately allowing a deeper than historical advance by the Allies vs. the Reward of delaying the Allies enough so that more of the map ends the game in your hands).

[Curtis Lemay]

There is one ground formation in reorganization this turn. Again, ten V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 10 VPs for the Germans. This turn, the Germans only get 2 VPs for holding two Brittany ports. The Dragoon forces have started to arrive, and they have the opportunity to trap some of the German 1st Army and 19th Army elements before they can escape to Lorraine. They will link up with the Normandy forces this turn. Elsewhere, the sweep across France will continue.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied advance has reached the Somme and various other parts of many WWI battlefields. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 282 for the Allies and 308 for the Germans. I secured five combat phases in clearing the German rearguard and the last defenders in the Brest area. Note that last turn’s switch to interdiction paid good dividends this turn, since the Germans suffered a lot of interdiction attacks and 246 German planes were destroyed.

Several units of the German 1st Army were trapped by the Dragoon forces (visible on the microscreen). That’s not unusual, and some similar historical forces were so trapped as well. They’re not a complete loss as they will delay and deplete the Dragoon forces eliminating them. The rest of the German 1st & 19th Armies aren’t completely out of danger yet, but many made good use of rail movement to escape.

Note that the Germans have started filling out the line they will make their stand at. It will use the entrenchment line along the Lorraine border, the West Wall along the German border, and anchor on the Schelde (in other words, about the same as historical). The choice was based upon the following considerations:

1. Minimizing the length of the line.
2. How defensible the terrain was.
3. The value of the objectives retained.
4. The relative condition of the two forces.

Obviously, it’s one of the major operational decisions the German player must make in the scenario. Other players could make many alternate line choices in their games, but in all cases, the choice needs to be made several turns in advance. Note that the choice I made abandons significant VPs in France and Belgium, which will probably mean that the best the Germans can hope for will be a draw.

[Curtis Lemay]

There is one ground formation in reorganization this turn. Again, ten V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 10 VPs for the Germans (the Allies will finally be able to start to address that this turn). Again, the Germans get 2 VPs for holding two Brittany ports. The Theater Option to form the French 19th Division from the first four Resistance units (mostly destroyed by now) has appeared, and was selected. The only consideration in the choice was whether Rennes was Allied controlled. The sweep across France must accelerate to get into position for Market-Garden by turn 30.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied advance has entered the Pas de Calais. Three V-weapon sites were captured as well as Lorient and Le Harve. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 284 for the Allies and 325 for the Germans. I secured five combat phases in clearing the German rearguard and the defenders in Lorient and Le Harve.

The selected German defense line is clearly taking shape. Note that a lot of VPs are being abandoned in Southern Belgium and the Pas de Calais. Once they’re lost, the German player will only be able to secure a draw, at best. So it may seem to be the wrong choice. But it should be clear from the micromap view how much longer the German defense line would be otherwise. That would give the Allied player a chance to flank the German defenses toward the Ruhr – the most valuable prize on the map. Securing the Ruhr has to be the highest priority for the German player.

[Curtis Lemay]

There are no formations in reorganization this turn. Only seven V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 7 VPs for the Germans. The Germans get only 1 VP for holding one Brittany port. The sweep across France still must accelerate to get into position for Market-Garden by turn 30.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied advance has entered eastern Belgium. Two V-weapon sites were captured as well as St. Nazaire and Bulogne sur Mer. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 292 for the Allies and 341 for the Germans. I only secured four combat phases in clearing the German rearguard, the defenders in St. Nazaire, the residual forces in Lorient, and some of the pocketed 1st Army forces.

Frankly, the advance has been too slow to get into position for Market-Garden. Worse, all of 15th Army escaped across the Albert Canal and is now in position to further balk that operation. Market-Garden may have to be directed elsewhere. Historically, much of the 15th Army was cut off and had to cross the Schelde Estuary to escape, leaving a thinner defense in front of Market-Garden. Part of the problem has been the late start the Allies got in breaking out. Also, German rear-guards and bridge blowing operations have had some good delaying effect, too. Finally, the Allied forces paid a huge price breaking out & sweeping across France, and are not in good shape for further operations at this time – but there is no real choice except to carry on if victory is desired.

The German defense line is now well defined and well manned in most locations. They will not concede any more territory voluntarily. From that line on, the Allies will have to fight for every hex. The Germans will want to distribute some units deep into their rear, since they know an airborne offensive is very near.

[Curtis Lemay]

There are no formations in reorganization this turn. Only five V-weapon sites were operational, resulting in another 5 VPs for the Germans. There are no more VPs for holding any Brittany ports. The Allies should clear Belgium to the German defense line along the Albert Canal. They need to get the Dragoon forces in place for offensive operations too, since Market-Garden may have to be moved there.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied advance has reached the German defense line at all points. The last five V-weapon sites were captured, ending any further VP awards this game. Brittany has been completely cleared out and the pocketed 1st Army forces eliminated. The Allied forces from those actions are now on the way to the main lines. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 291 for the Allies and 349 for the Germans. I again only secured four combat phases in clearing those areas.

Only a handful of coastal hexes remain in German hands west of their defense line, and those should be cleared in the next turn or two. Note that two units that had appeared to be trapped south of the Schelde last turn have crossed it using the German sea-cap that was added this turn. That’s the only use that can be made of that sea-cap, and it will be canceled after the Allies capture the four port hexes on the southern side.

The victory total has dropped into the “draw” level, with the Allied player needing about 111 more objective VPs to get to neutral, and about 311 more to get to a marginal victory. Getting the higher total is going to take a successful airborne offensive. To optimize their chances of that, the forces that had been in the Pas de Calais have been positioned to give threat to the maximum length of the German defense line. They’re not quite as well positioned as I would like, due to the Allies being about a turn behind schedule (as I’ve mentioned before). And their supply/readiness condition is awful due to being so far beyond their supply terminals and so long moving and fighting without rest. But Market-Garden cannot be delayed.

The Germans must fight for every hex now. Fortunately for them, they’ve gotten into position to do so, and in pretty good shape. They will make the Allied task tough. They’ve somewhat spread out their forces a bit in response to the Allies not tipping their hand as to where the airborne offensive will be directed. They’ve also positioned forces throughout their rear areas in the high-value spots, ready to respond to that offensive, no matter where, or how deep, it is directed.

[Curtis Lemay]

Two ground formations are in reorganization this turn. The five remaining V-weapon sites were captured, ending the awarding of VPs for the Germans. This is the turn of Market-Garden. Since I exercised the 6th Airborne TO, I’m guaranteed to get the full five-division offensive over a three-turn period. Seeing the German defenses, I’m going to need every bit of it. The offensive can be directed anywhere on the map, but a new house rule has been added as follows:

“All units of any given airborne formation must be targeted to the same hex, and all drops of a turn completed before any dropped units are moved.”

This rule is to prevent using the first unit dropped to scout safe drop zones for all subsequent units of the formation. Drop zones were set in advance. And it also ends the tactic of dropping units all over the map to secure VPs that the German player will not have time to retake, regardless of the hopeless position of such airborne units. The scenario gives the German player enough time to deal with that if they’re concentrated, but not enough for a “shotgun scatter”.

Up to this point, given competent play by both sides, the current situation should more or less always result. But, from this point on, nothing is guaranteed, and what happens will determine victory. There’s a lot of room for operational variety in choosing how to execute the airborne offensive. One choice is where to direct it along the German defense line. Another is how deep & narrow or shallow & broad to extend it. The historical choice was very risky. The best-defended section of the front was targeted, and the drop extended deep into the enemy rear along a narrow line – “A bridge too far” as it famously came to be known.

It depends upon the relative condition of the forces at the time, but I generally recommend doing either one or the other – not both. If you choose to target the well defended part of the line (usually the ends) then make the drop shallow and broad – aiding the breakthrough but not helping the exploitation much. If you want to extend it deep and narrow then target the lightly defended part of the line (usually the center) where it will aid the exploitation after an easy breakthrough. The problem with the latter is that there won’t be much in the way of VPs in the center – and the German player will be well aware of it. If you’re not yet familiar with just where the VPs are concentrated, getting informed about it before making this operational choice is vital.

Regardless of your choice, the drop zones should always be targeted at “observed” locations, lest you drop on top of a panzer division and get your airborne unit evaporated. Note that if that happens, you will be obligated by the new rule to drop the rest of that formation onto that same hex.

The attached screenshot shows the airdrop just after it was completed (except that one unit RBC’d the rail artillery unit, as shown by the arrow). Note that I chose the “shallow & broad” drop near the historical drop area. The circles show the three target hexes. The dropped units, though they may have to endure a couple of turns out of supply, should be able to hold until the main force links up with them. Keeping them out of combat will help them preserve unit supply levels for that purpose. Below the drop, note how engineer units have been lined up to assist crossing the Albert Canal, since the Germans have blown all the bridges across it. Note that the German defenses are three hexes deep, making the linkup with the paratroops tough. This is especially true since the breakthrough attempt will get a late start due to the Allies not being fully in their starting positions.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied offensive to linkup with the paratroops has cleared one row (seven hexes total) of the German defenses. The Germans weren’t in position to attack the paratroops this turn, but may be next turn. So the need to make the linkup will get more urgent each turn. Calais, Dunkerque, and La Rochelle have been captured, leaving only a couple of minor spots still uncleared west of the German defense lines. Other Allied forces captured Liege. That effort, which could threaten the Ruhr, may siphon off some Germans from Market-Garden. Finally, down in the south, the Dragoon forces captured Belfort. Some opportunity may develop there, since that is a gateway to some valuable hexes. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 328 for the Allies and 377 for the Germans. This time, with special care taken to try to minimize all combat complexity, I managed to secure seven combat phases in the push to link with the airborne forces.

The Allied forces are visibly fading, while the Germans continue to strengthen. It’s questionable just how much longer the offensive can continue without a long break to refit. But no matter what, it must continue until the paratroops are relieved – and more of them are coming.

[Curtis Lemay]

One ground and one bomber formation are in reorganization this turn. This is the second turn of Market-Garden. The airborne forces being dropped this turn are the second halves of the first turn’s divisions (the artillery, AAA, and AT), plus the 6th Airborne Division. They are under the same house rule as before, but note that they are all separate formations (despite having the same names) from the ones dropped last turn, so can be targeted to new hexes. For sure, I’ll drop the first three division’s second halves in the pocket where their first halves are. But I may possibly use the 6th Airborne elsewhere. That needs to be considered.

The drive to linkup with the paratroops definitely needs reinforcement, as the gains last turn were costly. Getting them there may delay things again. Finally, note that, while Antwerpen was captured last turn, no supply point has been placed on it. To review, the rule on Antwerpen is that not only its own hex, but also all the hexes adjacent to the Schelde Estuary be held by the Allies as well, before a supply point will be placed. So one hex on the south side still needs to be cleared, as do all the hexes on the north side.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied offensive has linked up with the first set of paratroops. The 6th Airborne was dropped to the Northwest of the first drop, and some progress was made towards linking up with them, but they remain isolated. Note that the house rule had to be deviated from just a bit, since subdividing associated with scattering caused the hex to fill up before the last unit dropped. Those last units were just dropped in adjacent hexes. The second drop has forced the Germans to scramble to contain it – delaying any plans to squeeze the first drop. The last German positions (other than islands) west of their defense line have been captured. The push from Liege continues against strong opposition. Down in the south, the Dragoon forces had further success, and the Germans had to send reinforcements. A minor push has developed in the Nancy area. The German sea-cap has now ended with the Allied capture of all four port hexes on the southern side of the Schelde. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 344 for the Allies and 401 for the Germans. I managed to secure five combat phases in the push to linkup with the airborne forces.

[Curtis Lemay]

No formations were in reorganization this turn. This is the third turn of Market-Garden. All that remains to be dropped is the 52nd Airlanding Divsion. Same house rule as before, but note that it can be dropped anywhere. That was useful with the 6th Airborne so it should probably be tried again.

The second drop and the success of the linkup to the first drop makes it probable that the Schelde Estuary will eventually be cleared – placing a supply point on Antwerpen. That may come too late to be of any real use, though. The Allies continue to fade – they desperately need to halt, but can’t just yet.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied offensive has linked up with the second set of paratroops. The 52nd Airlanding was dropped to the North of the first drop, and some progress was made towards linking up with them, but they remain isolated. The third drop has again forced the Germans to scramble to contain it – delaying any plans to squeeze the first or second drops. Nevertheless, there will be no more airdrops, so the Germans no longer need to deploy in as much depth as they had been in. That has released significant reinforcements to the front lines.

The push from Liege continued against even stronger opposition. Although Maastricht may yet fall, efforts elsewhere in that area may have to be abandoned. Down in the south, the Dragoon forces had a little further success, but at significant cost. That effort may also have to be abandoned. The push in the Nancy area may also fall short, since its defenses were reinforced, but Metz was captured nearby. The German defenses on the northern side of the Schelde are now isolated. They urgently need to be eliminated to get the Antwerpen supply point. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 358 for the Allies and 418 for the Germans. I only could secure four combat phases in the push to linkup with the airborne forces. Attack complexity is returning to Normandy levels. Note that the repaired railhead reached Paris this turn, to give an idea of the pace it should be able to meet.

[Curtis Lemay]

One bomber formation was in reorganization this turn. Market-Garden has no more drops (and airlift capacity has returned to zero), but it remains the one real exploitation opportunity for the Allies. And that opportunity is right in the middle of lots of VPs. I’ve been directing all available Allied reinforcements to that offensive. But so have the Germans. We’ll soon know which effort will pay off. Other efforts may need to be scaled back (since, otherwise, they might burn extra rounds), to maximize round usage for Market-Garden.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied offensive has linked up with the third set of paratroops. But the Germans managed to eliminate one battalion of the 52nd Airlanding and retake its hex. There is a real urgency to widen the connection to it and get reinforcements (especially artillery) into its lines, to secure those gains. That effort also has the best shot at real VP gains. But it is clear from the screenshot that German defenses are quickly becoming formidable.

The push from Liege finally captured Maastricht and a smaller town. But the effort cost so much, and the German defenses strengthened so much, that that drive will now have to be discontinued. Down in the south, the Dragoon forces pushed a little further, but actually gaining any VPs for that effort is doubtful. The push in the Nancy area surprisingly succeeded and captured Nancy. All that remains for that effort now is to make that gain secure. Some progress was made against the German defenses on the northern side of the Schelde. It must be continued so the supply point can be received as soon as possible. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 367 for the Allies and 431 for the Germans. I again could secure only four combat phases in the push to linkup with the airborne forces.

[Curtis Lemay]

One ground formation was in reorganization this turn. Most effort this turn needs to be directed to the areas north of the drops and clearing the Schelde. Note that this is the last turn that is guaranteed to take place. But scenario variability allows for the chance of a few extra turns. That prevents the German player from being able to do something reckless that he might if he knew there couldn’t be another turn. Note that historical reinforcements for up to five extra turns have been programmed.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that the Allied offensive made some significant progress. This was a good turn for the Allies. They captured Eindhoven, Dordrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague, along with a few other small towns. That pushed the victory total into the black for them for the first time this game (still well within draw levels, however). They also cleared a path to the 52nd Airlanding, and thereby secured its position. Some of the extended German positions had been beyond good artillery support and so were easier to clear than they might normally have been. There are still good VPs in the immediate area, but German strength, including Tiger battalions, continues to flow into it.

The push from Liege (between Maastricht and The Hurtgen Forest) was finally discontinued and its excess artillery redistributed. Down in the south, the Dragoon forces tried to gain ground, but were decimated for no gain. That effort may need to stop, too. The push in the Nancy area was halted, since there were no real VPs in the area and I thought it might burn some combat phases that could be better used in Holland. Progress continued against the German defenses on the northern side of the Schelde, but one hex remains to be cleared before the supply point will be received. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 361 for the Allies and 442 for the Germans. I secured five combat phases during the operations in Holland.

[Curtis Lemay]

One ground and one bomber formation were in reorganization this turn. Almost all effort this turn needs to be directed towards final exploitation of the drops and finally clearing the Schelde. Note that this is an extra turn, received due to scenario variability.

The attached screenshot of the end of the German player turn shows that little was achieved this turn. While the Schelde was finally cleared, attempts to take Zoetermeer failed. While the infantry in the hex was cleared out, the dug in Tiger II’s just couldn’t be pushed out. Down in the south, the Dragoon forces actually managed to capture Mulhouse at the end of the turn, but the decimated unit that advanced into it was easily overrun by the Germans, which took it back. Elsewhere, several bombardments were employed to good effect. Note the microscreen in the upper left corner. The loss penalties are now 354 for the Allies and 449 for the Germans, partly thanks to all the bombardments. I secured five combat phases during the few operations.

The Germans now have such force in Holland that any continued progress there would require grinding attrition. The Allies have needed to stop, rest, regroup, reorganize, and refit for some time. Since Antwerpen will finally be opened next turn (meaning that the supply point will be placed), it’s clearly time to take that stop. As it turned out, the game ended. But, had it continued, I would have stopped all offensive operations anyway (with the possible exception of resuming the push in the Nancy area).

[Curtis Lemay]

The final victory total was 65 in favor of the Allies. That is well within the Draw levels (the boundary for Marginal Victory is 400). The screenshot shows the victory message.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached file is the movie of the game. Note that it uses the German player-turn saves. So part of the Allied force is usually invisible due to fog-of-war.

[Curtis Lemay]

Now let’s do some statistical analysis. The attached screenshot charts the loss penalties over the course of the game. The red line is for the Allies, and the blue line is for the Germans. Remember that replacements reduce the loss penalty, explaining how the Allied line often decreases, due to their huge replacement edge. It’s clear from the chart where the worst grinding was done by the Allies in Normandy, where the breakout and sweep across France occurred, where Market-Garden kicked off, and where the Allied offensive finally stalled out.