Poland Sept 1st 1939-Blitzkrieg-AAR

[bo]

I do not intend to show writeups on units but this one to me is kind of unique. It is woth reading.
Bo

[bo]

The Graf Spee slipped through the North Sea up into the Norwegian Sea into the Denmark Strait and then southwest into the North Atlantic and into sea box 2, you also see a CW convoy in the North Atlantic also, in sea box 0, all convoys must be in sea box 0, you have no choice about convoys that is controlled by the program. At this moment there is no interception. [big area the North Atlantic.] You will notice under the option I picked, I only recieved 1 naval move, I am now out of naval moves.

[bo]

This is the interception screen, it is asking the German player if he would like to initiate combat, to "try to initiate combat" The wording "initiate combat sounds like a done deal and it is not. There is also a search going on here and when I hit the "initiate combat" button the search really is decided at that moment. This means I may not find that convoy.

[bo]

Hmmmmm! I let the program play it out without a beta tester interference, I could have forced a interception with the tools that Steve gives us. I forced interceptions in the Guadalcanal scenario just to show naval battles. If I had forced an interception here you know what the out come would have been, a CA vs a convoy. I had a 30% chance of finding the convoy in clear weather and less in a storm. This is why this game can be played solo, anything can happen.

Bo

[bo]

Because I took a combine move instead of a Land move I only had 6 land moves allocated to me. The first move I made was to bring the Mech corp XLVI 8-6 to the border of Denmark I used a flyout to also show the unit under the mech unit the 4-4 corp. The reason for the mech corp is not for combat but speed, the unit must reach Frederikshavn in one move after war is declared on Denmark, the 4-4 corp will invade Copenhagen in one move if it is not raining.

With my remaing land moves the German infantry close in on 5-3 Polish corp in front of Warsaw.

Other players much more astute at this game than I am might question my tactics and my answer to them is "My name is Bo not Rommel" [:(]

[bo]

The attack was a success the 5-3 Polish corp was destroyed in front of Warsaw. On the allied move I will try to do something with the other Polish units even though the situation looks hopeless. I really did not want to use the 7-4 German motorized corp which had to cross the Vistula northwest of Warsaw, River crossings can be dangerous, units attack with half of their attack factors across rivers.

The full weight of the German panzers is starting to take effect, what they learn here will have a major effect against the French.

Bo

[bo]

Warsaw is in immense danger of falling, in the battle my Panzer corp the XLVII broke through and ran over the Polish 5-3 unit in front of Warsaw in conjunction with all the other infantry attacking and moved 90 km's southwest of Warsaw it was able to move 180 km's from its starting point instead of just 90 km's, because of the breakthrough rule. The Polish air force has to something quick, but doing this German air rebase phase I might bring some German fighters east to interdict them. We are appx. 2 weeks into the attack. Poland shoud fall before October.

Bo

[composer99]

The Poles called let the Germans launch a blitz attack on Lodz?

I mean, if there was any chance of the Germans taking a loss it might have been a good idea, because the Germans would have lost a 4-build point MOT corps.

But it looks like it was, what, a 6:1 or even a 7:1 attack. So a German loss is very unlikely (in fact, I think on the 1d10 table it would be effectively impossible...)

All the same, the timetable is about right. Barring bad dice rolls on land combats or bad weather, as long as the German positioning isn't horrible (or the bulk of German forces aren't stationed elsewhere) they should knock over Poland in about 3 impulses.

[bo]

ORIGINAL: composer99

The Poles called let the Germans launch a blitz attack on Lodz?

I mean, if there was any chance of the Germans taking a loss it might have been a good idea, because the Germans would have lost a 4-build point MOT corps.

But it looks like it was, what, a 6:1 or even a 7:1 attack. So a German loss is very unlikely (in fact, I think on the 1d10 table it would be effectively impossible...)

All the same, the timetable is about right. Barring bad dice rolls on land combats or bad weather, as long as the German positioning isn't horrible (or the bulk of German forces aren't stationed elsewhere) they should knock over Poland in about 3 impulses.

3 impulses [&:] yeah good players might knock off Poland in 3 impulses, but I am no Rommel [;)]

[composer99]

Well, unless I missed an impulse you're only 1 impulse away from doing just that. [:)]

[bo]

ORIGINAL: composer99

Well, unless I missed an impulse you're only 1 impulse away from doing just that. [:)]

Knowing me I am never sure what impulse I am in [&:] besides I think Steve wants me to halt the Panzers to get a rest and attack Denmark. And if I dont, Adolph Steve has a little suprise for me I better think more about his suggestion.

Appreciate you keeping an eye on me, let me know when I am making a military mistake

Bo

[composer99]

I guess it depends on whether the Allies are going to attack and invade Denmark themselves or not.

As long as you're playing a land impulse you can sack Warsaw and attack Denmark at the same time.

When you posted the picture of your setup against Denmark, you showed that you had the infantry corps ready to nab Copenhagen, and the mechanized corps ready to guard the coast (and especially the northern island).

The mechanized corps should be sufficient to deter an Allied attack, although I suppose if the British are determined enough and are willing to commit enough units (and risk a bad roll wiping out the attacking force) they could scrape together a 2:1 or 3:1 assault.

One thing I like to do as the Germans is invade Denmark with enough units so that I take control of every hex on the North Sea coast - that is, so that no Allied units can simply debark there. This is prohibitive to do with corps units only, of course, you need to have division units in play to make it work.

[bo]

ORIGINAL: composer99

I guess it depends on whether the Allies are going to attack and invade Denmark themselves or not.

As long as you're playing a land impulse you can sack Warsaw and attack Denmark at the same time.

When you posted the picture of your setup against Denmark, you showed that you had the infantry corps ready to nab Copenhagen, and the mechanized corps ready to guard the coast (and especially the northern island).

The mechanized corps should be sufficient to deter an Allied attack, although I suppose if the British are determined enough and are willing to commit enough units (and risk a bad roll wiping out the attacking force) they could scrape together a 2:1 or 3:1 assault.

One thing I like to do as the Germans is invade Denmark with enough units so that I take control of every hex on the North Sea coast - that is, so that no Allied units can simply debark there. This is prohibitive to do with corps units only, of course, you need to have division units in play to make it work.

Good point composer, the mech unit has a lot of work to do, it has to move quickly. We shall see.

Bo

[bo]

I decided to bring 2 air wings east to interdict anything the Polish air force could throw at my ground troops. I put one of them 1 hex west of Warsaw the Bf 110c with a air to air rating of [4] --2 hex's west of that unit in the city of Poznan I put the other air wing the Bf 109 with an excellent air to air rating of a [5] I hope this will suffice and keep my ground units from suffering any damage if they are attacked.

Bo

[bo]

This screen shows a headquarters unit von Brock, and the program is asking if you would like to spend any of your reorganization points to reorganize any of the three units depicted in the upper left hand corner. When a headquarters unit spends its points it becomes disorganized depicting that it used all of its own resources to organize any of those units. The symbol on the unit 7[3]3 means 7 attack and defence strength [3] reorganization points available to the HQ unit and 3, movement.

I have decided to reorganize the Ju 87B which will need 1 point and the level bomber Do 17Z which will need 2 points. Normally the Ju 87B would have needed 2 points but 1 point was provided by an air transport plane supplying the Stuka with 1 point in a previous phase. [If this is confusing I trully apoligize but this will come to most of you very easy after a little bit of playing]

Why reorganize these 2 units? I probably wont need them for the attack on Warsaw it was I just wanted to show posters all possible phases and choices. Why did I pick the Do 17Z instead of the He 111h?

Reason the Do 17Z besides it's ground attack factor of 3 has an air to air combat rating of 3 it can defend itself very nicely while the other plane has a rating of 1. Just an easy choice for me.

[bo]

The reorganization is now complete. Now to show you the results of that reorganization.

Notice the Ju 52 in the city of Rostock 2 hexes northwest of Stettin, that is the transport plane that delivered supplies to the Ju 87B it is now disorganized because of that mission to replenish some of the Ju 87B's supplies to fight in the next impulse [1] reorganization point was all that the transport plane carried.





1-The Ju 87B no longer has the orange circle on top of it [orange meaning disorganized]

2-The Do 17Z no longer has the orange circle same reason.

3-The von Bock Headquaeters unit now has an orange circle over it [meaning it is now disorganized] due to resupplying 2 units.

If you notice the Ju 87B has only 270 km range [3hex's] it cannot reach Warsaw but it does not matter I just wanted to show how easy it is to organize units that have been disrupted.

Bo

[bo]

In a last ditch attempt to save Warsaw the Polish 4-3 corp and the elite 5-3 corp have moved next to the the German armored Panzer group to hopefully in conjuction of an air attack with the Polish bomber group escorted by the Polish fighter squadron. That attack is about to begin.

Bo

[bo]

This valiant attack against the German armored did not go well for the Polish units the Polish 4-3 corp was destroyed in combat the Polish elite unit was so banged up it became disorganized. Orange circle over the unit, the combat odds were [1/1] not good when you are attacking. I know you wont believe this but I blundered I did not calculate the Polish air force bomber unit distance correctly it can only reach 3 hexes.[&:] I got cocky and careless, you have to be aware of situations at all times.

The only light coming through this little crack of war is that they will be in the fight for Warsaw . I am serious I really made a mistake.

If I keep this up everybody will want to play me [:(]

Steve will be happy I just declared war on Denmark.

[bo]

The weather is fine the German invasion had better get moving before bad weather might set in.

[bo]

Sorry about the picture guess I am getting a little tired.

I chose a land attack for this 5th impulse of the sept/oct turn, but it is Germanys 3rd move [3 German 2 Polish]

Air missions -4
Naval moves- none
Rail moves-3
Land moves-unlimited
Land attacks-unlimited