1933 Diplomacy again

[ernieschwitz]

Well,

Tweber is using 1949 style heavy bombers, vs. my 1939 style fighters...

While Tweber secretly developed his airpower to the max possible. I had to try and guess what his research strategy was... so i did a somewhat balanced developement. Which i see now was an error. I keep kicking myself for not prioritizing air defence more... but in the end, there is not much i can do about it.

Please note that the year is 1936... So while i had advanced technology, it just wasn´t advanced enough. Had Tweber attacked say, 3-6 turns later, i would have had adequate 1944 style fighters... But then, that is so much speculation...

[ernieschwitz]

Also, worth noting... and part of the reason this worked for Tweber...

I was so focused on defending against an assault with Artillery as the main ingredient, that i didn´t prepare too well for an aereal assault.. But logic should have told me that Tweber would come through the air.

[tweber]

A big factor that helped was that I was able to divert all of Italy pp production to Germany.  That speeded up my research by about a year. 

[ernieschwitz]

Yes, Tweber, i realized you were doing that earlier in the game, when i calculated the speed with which you where taking over countries. I failed to tell Britain and France, maybe Italy would have been in bigger trouble if i had told it. It makes sense too to transfer as much as possible... As long as France and Britain don´t think you are doing it... and as long as you have Turkey and Spain helping you...

[RufusTFirefly]

Turn 36:
France sent a DoW to Spain and attacked a group of infantry and artillery close to the French border. This should keep Spain from any invasion in France. French forces in Syria retreating.

[ernieschwitz]

1936 febuary,

Soviet troops continue to resist the German horde. Airfields are now mostly inoperable... but brave engineers are blowing up bridges and soviet troops are doing their best to defend mother russia. Stalin is getting increasingly nervous these days... trusting no-one and sending people to the front he does not trust, or getting them shot after speedy show-trials...

One bright spot... The Soviet Baltic Fleet, after engaging in an inconclusive battle in January with the German Kriegsmarine, moves towards the danish port of Copenhagen, here reports say a massive fleet of cargoships is being built... The Fleet sends a few of these to the bottom of the sea...

Also the Soviet Black Sea fleet begins an invasion of Bulgaria... while blockading Rumanian and Bulgarian ports with submarines.

[tweber]

Turn sent.
 
Most of bombing runs in France as I neutralize mainland France production.  Less fighting in the east as the middle of my line lost contact with the Soviets.  My army is not mechanized so it will take a while to bring them forward.  Naval victory in Med but I am still heavily out gunned in the area.  German and Italian armies hope to pressure Paris in the next few turns.

[ernieschwitz]

Russia 1936, March,

Soviets have been fighting hard to stop the Germans from bridging our main defensive positions, that are situatated along rivers, making up the Soviet and Baltic countries borders. This has so far been succesfull, as every bridgehead, except for 1 in the South has been beaten back. Soviet elite troops, manning our great tank divisions, and fast divisions, were used to this effect. This is probably the last hurrah, of these men, as i fully expect the German airforce to deal with them before the end of the month...

The supply situation is highly unacceptable. About 1/4 of all troops are getting the supply they are supposed to and tensions within the army are sharp. Stalin may soon face a coup and a delegation might be sent to secure a seperate peace with Germany. Stalin however vows to fight to the death, to his people, and to his allies, the Western democracies.

[Bombur]

The Spanish leaderships is suprised with an unprovoked DOW from France and Great Britain...as if they didn´t have enough enemies.... The Spanish surface fleet was almost destroyed but the enemy lost about 15 warships in the battles (mostly submarines and destroyers). Spanish troops are advancing to Toulouse without any opposition. In North Africa there is a stalemate.

[tweber]

Turn 38 sent.
 
My bombers focussed on the UK and took out several of the major cities.   I also cleared out the defenses around Paris by air and the have the city surrounded on 3 sides by Italy.
 
Fight in the east did not go so well.  My FB III are less effective against Rifle II and very ineffective against the Medium Tank IIs that have showed up.  That, couple with city and rivers to cross has bogged down the offensive.  Air can interdict land supply in this scenario.  I will have to rely on strafing and complete control of the sky will wear down the Soviets.

[ernieschwitz]

The end came quicker than expected for Stalin. ... But that it was nearing the end, was not as unexpected as such. Each day Stalin could survey his broken country, and read the reports from the frontlines, that not enough food, ammunition and other supplies were reaching their destinations. Just as he was finished reading the latest reports from the frontline, this one containing the ill fate of his elite armored formations near Klaipeda, there was the noise of several men forcing their way into his office.

They were representatives from the Army, Airforce (that had been grounded since their landing fields had been smashed during the early days of the war with Germany), Navy, Party members, and important citizens from Moscow itself. They were here for only one reason, to be rid of Stalin...

Without a fight, Stalin, still rank and proud, left the building with this gathering of people. Not long passed, and a volley of riflefire was heard. Stalin was no more.

End Game.

[ernieschwitz]

Here are the Soviet Positions at the end of the game...

As you can see, soon there would be nothing more to do than to surrender, as troops where getting no supplies at all, and that would in the end mean, no more movement.

[Bombur]

Turkish view....
It seems this scenario is already playable. The diplomatic engine is working pretty well, and tactical combat seems to be realistic too. However, it still has flaws. The tech tree allows 1945 tech to be developed by 1935. It also allows a country to transfer all the production to another by pp donations, so there will be changes in next version. Techs will be ready for research only 2 years before their historical year of development and also there will be a penalty for pp transfer. I think we can have this version ready in one month meanwhile, we will play another game.

[tweber]

We are doing a re-start and I am now playing the West (France and the UK).  In turn 1, I went to war with Italy.

[Bombur]

Tom, could you post your AAR in the v3.22c topic?