Poland Sept 1st 1939-Blitzkrieg-AAR

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This screen shows the first combat resolution north of Warsaw, and the results bottom left shows the units attacking and the unit or units defending [only 1 unit defending]

I will not do the other attack screens as they are repetitive, you will see next the outcomes when all of the German units move into the captured areas.

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I was going to do all three attacks together but because there was a breakthrough by a German armored unit I decided to show you what happened [please bear with me if you find this too long]

The German Panzer corp the XL VII armored 8-6 unit has the option to move into the hex vacated by the destroyed Polish corp, normally the unit can only move into the conquered hex or if you so choose you do not have to move the unit at all.

But a breakthrough occured which allows the armored unit to go another 90km [1 hex] and the reason the axis player moved the armored unit was because the unit could cross the Vistula river with out opposition and be on what I would call the good side of the river. [combat wise] It also put the armored unit in good positon to attack the Polish 5-3 corp just west of Warsaw.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

Just a comment on the air support numbers in the earlier posts. The Stuka, for example, has a tactical factor of 5. Because Poland is surprised in the first impulse, it is doubled to 10. But then the Polish unit is in a forest hex so it is halved to 5.

Also, there is an upper limit to how much air support you can provide to a land combat: it cannot exceed the land combat factors of the side (attacker or defender) being supported.

And lastly, because Poland is surprised, it cannot use its air units in the first impulse.

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ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

Just a comment on the air support numbers in the earlier posts. The Stuka, for example, has a tactical factor of 5. Because Poland is surprised in the first impulse, it is doubled to 10. But then the Polish unit is in a forest hex so it is halved to 5.

Also, there is an upper limit to how much air support you can provide to a land combat: it cannot exceed the land combat factors of the side (attacker or defender) being supported.

And lastly, because Poland is surprised, it cannot use its air units in the first impulse.

Good point Steve, thank you.

Bo

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All combat has been settled in this particular combat phase and we are only in the first week of the attack on Poland and things are starting to look very dark for the Polish combat forces and for Warsaw, it might even behoove them to surrender so as to save more loss of life, but knowing the Poles you know they will fight on.

This is the air rebase form and the units on the left are all of the German planes that can rebase according to their range limits. In the interface at the top of the screen you will see the # of air units to rebase which is 4, I can rebase any unit on the left up to and including 4 , you need to choose carefully which units to move based on what attacks you will do next.
The next map will be the same map but it will be reviewd by the 2 German officers back near Berlin and their identity will be disclosed at that time.

The First German impulse in Poland is over except for a few minor screens that are not critical.

What will be the reaction in the Commonwealth and France.

Will they go to war over Poland?

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We are back in the map room in a German panzer headquarters unit just outside of Berlin the 2 officers we left before are intently looking at the map of Poland and sifting through all the reports coming in from the forward elemements of the German group leaders in West Poland and in North Poland. The one officer says " I saw you looking at another map when I came in anything important"

No nothing important just a feasibility study given to me by General Manstein who is heading up the call for more Panzer units. We will back to that later because Rommel I would like your opinion on a study I have going there. Yes sir.

I want to get back to all the reports we have coming in and I have put everything that have received onto the map so we can analyze what is going on, any opinions Rommel.

Well the surprise was so good the Polish air force could not even react to our invasion [surprise rule in the game polish air force can not interfere on the first move] but now we will have to deal with them in the second impulse coming up. von Bock is in an excellent
situation His lead elements are just 270 km's [3 hex's] from Warsaw and he will be able to hook up with Field marshall von Rundstedt's Panzer corp the XLVII just west of Warsaw. The infantry divisions will take a little time to get there but mabe he could release the armored mech unit which is very fast.

We see the elite Polish corp in the city of Katowise, at the moment its only viable move is to the east and join up with the Polish corp a 4-3 unit, if he tries to come northeast towards Warsaw he will be inhibited by the zone of contol of the German mech unit which neans the Polish unit can only go 90 km's [1 hex] instead of the 270 km's [3 hex's] he could normally
move. No real threat in my opinion.

Talked to von Bock, this morning and he is very concerned abut the weather. The weather, why the reports for the next week seem favorable to continue the attack.
I know but if it rains it will turn these Polish dirt roads into muddy quagmires and then we could have real trouble. Imagine our horses pulling our artillery through that mud and even my mech unit could have a lot of trouble it could turn Blitzkreig into fizzkreig.

von Bock's headquarters supply units can supply his mech and infantry units in clear weather up to and including 360 km's away [4hex's] If it rains he will only be able to supply units up to and including 180 km's away. [2hex's] A unit can defend itself if out of supply but it cannot move or attack in that condition. Let's hope for good weather then.

Ok Rommel come over to this table and look at this map and give me your opinon.

Bo

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sorry

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Heinz Guderian and Rommel stand over the map and a puzzeled look is on Rommel's face. What is this sir?

General Manstein as you know is the biggest supporter of tank warfare in Germany and he asked me to do a feasibility study of this area just in case France declares war on us because of Poland. I see the maginot line but this wooded area on the map here is hard for me to see I left my glasses in the other room could you see what the name is there.

Yes sir. Let me look it says it is the Ardennes sir. I know this area sir I hunted wild boar there with my cousin, very foreboding, very dark very few people live there it is so bad that only one dirt road runs through this whole area.

Well that does not sound to good does it Rommel. May I ask sir what is the study von Manstein would have you do?

Well you know he was involved in the great war some 22 years ago as a young officer and he said he never wants to go through trench warfare again.

So he came up with this plan and before he shows it to Adolph he wanted a study done on it, are you available for the rest of the day Rommel? Yes sir.

von Manstein believes we should attack France and Belgium the same way we did in 1914. What we dont know is what will Belgium do if we move our armed forces into Belgium to attack France. They could surrender because the situatuion is hopeless or they could fight, if they fight it will be over in a matter of days maybe a week but that would allow the French and any of their allies if any, to dig in at the Belguim border with France, and here we go again 1914 all over.

Okay here is what I propose Rommel to put our panzer's on that very narrow road in the Ardennes. Sir a full division? No every Panzer unit we can spare that will not be used for the Belgium attack, could be as many as [game wise] 5 or 6 units. here is what I hope might happen, our infantry backed by a few panzer corps and air power move into Belgium, when the French armies wheel towards our forces in Belgium which could take 4 to 6 days we strike through the Ardennes over the Maas river towards Reim and out into the French country side, no stopping just keep moving.

Rommel you are the point of my spear you are the lance of my attack why with any luck in a week or so you could reach this port here, what is it's name .

Dunkirk Sir!

Bo

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Well the die is cast we are at war with France and yes I understand that the Commonwealth has declared war on us also.

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With Germany at war now the German reserves were called up.

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Sorry about the left sid of the screen will correct after a few more pictures.

What you are seeing is the German reserves set up tray.

I have already set up units in mandatory areas like Kiel etc. These units that you see can be set up in any city in Germany, your choice.

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I would have normally placed these reserve units on the border of the Netherlands and Belguim but I wanted to show them more clearly out in the open, they are not needed in Poland and they will remain disorgnized [orange circle] to either the end of the 1st move [2 months] or until a headquarters unit organizes them.

The reason they are coming into the game disorganized makes perfect sense, they need combat training, they need to be brought up to combat readiness as soon as possible because they will be needed for the invasion of Belgium and France in the spring or earlier.

Bo

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What I have done was to use the pass option on all the allied countries so I can get back to the invasion of Poland. I am entering the 2nd phase of the 1st move for the Germans, there could be up to 6 German impulses in the sept/oct move. The line sep/oct 1939, then the next block has AXIS #3 [axis 1] [allies 2] [axis #3] it is the 3rd inpulse for those 2 months but the Germans 2nd move [hope that is not confusing.]

Several important views on this screen

1- the weather [this can be critical to some plans] it shows the current weather for that turn and the possible weather for the next turn but not guaranteed.

2-I also wanted to show the weather zones on the map I pushed the climate button up on the interface and you will see the leters NT [ north temperate]
[weather fine]

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To me this is the most critical screen in the game this is where a game could be won or lost, never played agame against anyone so I have never lost or never won.

This is the actvities chart, it will be easy to understand as you use it more and more. But using it correctly to win. hmmmmmm [&:]

In many computer war games or at least the one's I have played Strategic Command etc. seem to have unlimited moves whether it be air, land, sea there is just no limit to what you can do, that is not very realistic because no nation could go in 5 different directions anytime they wanted. Why didnt the US capture Tarawa, Kwajeline, Guam, Iwo Jima all at once. they did not have the resources to do this, it was one operation at a time could you imagine how many LST's that would take.

This chart curtails that kind of war.

You may use only one of the below per phase.

1-use a naval move
2-use a land move
3-use a air move
4-use a combined move
5-pass

I am just going to show the naval column the rest is self evident.

Naval column

Air missions -2
Naval moves - unlimted
Rail Moves -none
Land Moves-none
Land Attacks-none

In this next round of combat, German impulse [ 3 ]I would normally want to continue with a land attack and would have checked that box. But I checked the combination box [blue line]

I wanted to show you the Offensive chit, Had I checked the box "Use Offensive Chit for Action" I would have had unlimited resources from all my armed forces. You will notice I did have one available.

An offensive chit is expensive I believe 15 production points, that could be a whole turn 2 months production for some nations, points that could be used to build several armored units 5 infantry units and other units even though not all at once.

To me it represents an all out effort in a critical part of the game, invasion of France etc.

I hope I have explained this properly if anyone wants to jump in with something I missed I would appreciate it.

[CrusssDaddy]

Playing World of Tanks and WiF simultaneously, you are truly multi-tasking!

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ORIGINAL: CrusssDaddy

Playing World of Tanks and WiF simultaneously, you are truly multi-tasking!

Thats my release when I get all flustered trying not to screw up an AAR and get all things right which will never happen, when you got on my case the other day I put your rear end in the Leichttractor and blew you away with the E-100 [:D] I normally play with a Stug III a small tank destroyer, Rommel I am not [:@]

Bo

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ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

Just a comment on the air support numbers in the earlier posts. The Stuka, for example, has a tactical factor of 5. Because Poland is surprised in the first impulse, it is doubled to 10. But then the Polish unit is in a forest hex so it is halved to 5.

Also, there is an upper limit to how much air support you can provide to a land combat: it cannot exceed the land combat factors of the side (attacker or defender) being supported.

And lastly, because Poland is surprised, it cannot use its air units in the first impulse.

See what not knowing cetain rules can do to you, I should have used the Stuka on the unit in the clear but I am not sure I could have reached that unit.

Bo

[wodin]

Very informative Bo. I think some forget many might be total newbies to the game knowing nothing of the boardgame..and this AAR is very helpful explaining the UI etc etc. I'm not bothered about how to be good at the game..just how to play it first.

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ORIGINAL: wodin

Very informative Bo. I think some forget many might be total newbies to the game knowing nothing of the boardgame..and this AAR is very helpful explaining the UI etc etc. I'm not bothered about how to be good at the game..just how to play it first.

Appreciate your comment, the hardest part of this for me is I never did this before and I am not really sure what information to post so that it will be helpful. So I hunt and peck and hope for the best.

Bo

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When I beta test Fascist Tide I normally press on with the attack of Poland but I thought I would show some other minor side play at the same time. In the activity panel I chose Comination option instead of the Land option, this curtails me from using all of my land units to attack in Poland, but allows me to do a naval move.

The screen shows where I just sent a scout seaplane into the North Sea [He 115C] to see if there was any Commonwealth Warships in the North Sea, the reason is because I would like to send the pocket batteship the CA Graf Spee anchored in the Port of Kiel into the North Atlantic to commence with commerce shipping raids. [Destroying convoys and transports that may come from Canada if she should join the Commonwealth against Germany]

Decided To send the Graf Spee before the CW could react to the war news and I know no CW ships are there so I am sailing on the German naval move. If there were CW ships there I would sail when there was a storm in the North Sea which would give additonal cover to get to the North Atlantic [the game calulates the weather and interception] The next screen will be a write up on the Graf Spee available from the game.

Bo