Bob Flemin's MWIF AARse V - Fat AARse

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

Right there are three attacks this turn:

1. Liege
2. Northern Belgium
3. Sian, China

1. Yes, looks like using the Stuka for ground support would have been the better move. I will need to use pretty much all my bombers to get an automatic attack and so, with a +2 anyway, I decide to risk it....

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

Northern Belgium. The odds are 5:1 but with a +3. I get +1 for the Para, + 1 for Blitz bonus and +1 for the disorganised unit (I forgot about the Para so that's a bonus [:)])...

...it does not matter anyway. The throw is a 9(12). A breakthrough occurs and the Belgian 2nd Infantry Corps is destroyed.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

The 41st Panzer Corps, supported by an Anti Tank Division race for Antwerp in the breakthrough.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

The Liege attack is automatic. The Allied position in Brussels looks untenable....

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

For the first time in 5 attempts I have really got the Chinese hurting. The last attack this impulse is a 5:1 no modifiers on the Assault table. The Fractional odds make it 7:1. All the Japanese now are some decent dice...

...6! The Communists are in disarray. Both the 1st Infantry and 5th Garrison armies are destroyed. Northern China is almost entirely Japanese real estate!

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

The problem now is how to move south and stay in supply given the absence of road in the mountains around Ankang??

[composer99]

Too bad about Belgium. At least you're across the Dyle in Antwerp and should be able to avoid getting held up there.

[composer99]

For Japan, if you want to move in on Szechwan this summer, you'll need all 3 HQs in that sector to provide supply and support the offensive, and you need to screen the Communists in Yenan and coming from Lanchow.

If you want to move in on Lanchow you just need to screen Yenan, and the Nationalists are too far away to really be a bother - though watch out for the CAV.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 2

The main question for the Allies is what to do about Belgium. In previous games I have been able to significantly delay the Germans by moving into Belgium - and thus shortening the Allied line.

However, with Brussels surrounded and Antwerp gone, I can realistically only shorten the line by one hex - and in doing so I simply being the Allies closer to the German aircraft. The decision is therefore made for the French and CW to stick where they are.

CW - Naval
French - Land
China - Land
USA - Combined
USSR - Combined

[Orm]

What odds does CW get for a attack on Antwerp? Should be plenty of shore bombardment available. And maybe CW can land a additional unit in Belgium and attack with that as well?

Edit: Never mind. I see that CW selected a naval impulse.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

The problem now is how to move south and stay in supply given the absence of road in the mountains around Ankang??

Just screen the Nationalist and knock out the Communists instead. So much is won if all Communist cities are captured (and all on map Communists eliminated).

[Courtenay]

The communists might consider moving a unit towards Chengtu, so that if the Japanese drive straight east, there will still be a Chinese communist city. Unfortunately, the Lanchow warlord can't reach.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

What odds does CW get for a attack on Antwerp? Should be plenty of shore bombardment available. And maybe CW can land a additional unit in Belgium and attack with that as well?

Edit: Never mind. I see that CW selected a naval impulse.

warspite1

I thought of that - but they say never make an attack if you cannot afford the worst result. I have 10 German points in Antwerp vs 14 CW points. I So at maximum (with shore bombardment, that is 28 vs 10. I only have a Motorised in London so could not land that in the non-port west of Antwerp.

If I wanted to ground strike the hex the fighter strength would be 7 vs 7 and the CW would have to commit its 5 (Spitfire) and 4 (Hurricane) in advance. If the Germans then let that go, for the actual battle the CW would have 3 fighter strength vs the German 11! The Germans could bring 14 worth of aircraft factors - 10 of those would get through.

In summary, worst case the situation would be:

- BEF wiped out (except Gort)
- All fighter aircraft used up

I decided against [;)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

The problem now is how to move south and stay in supply given the absence of road in the mountains around Ankang??

Just screen the Nationalist and knock out the Communists instead. So much is won if all Communist cities are captured (and all on map Communists eliminated).

warspite1

Yes, that is the conclusion I came to given the terrain. Destroy the Communists if possible and then set about the Nationalists - probably from the south-east (the Japanese ARM should arrive soon).

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

The communists might consider moving a unit towards Chengtu, so that if the Japanese drive straight east, there will still be a Chinese communist city. Unfortunately, the Lanchow warlord can't reach.

warspite1

This is new territory for me - as Chinese and Japanese! The only problem I see with that idea is that the only unit that is available is the 7-3 and that means losing another city and leaving Lan Chow open.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

What odds does CW get for a attack on Antwerp? Should be plenty of shore bombardment available. And maybe CW can land a additional unit in Belgium and attack with that as well?

Edit: Never mind. I see that CW selected a naval impulse.

warspite1

I thought of that - but they say never make an attack if you cannot afford the worst result. I have 10 German points in Antwerp vs 14 CW points. I So at maximum (with shore bombardment, that is 28 vs 10. I only have a Motorised in London so could not land that in the non-port west of Antwerp.

If I wanted to ground strike the hex the fighter strength would be 7 vs 7 and the CW would have to commit its 5 (Spitfire) and 4 (Hurricane) in advance. If the Germans then let that go, for the actual battle the CW would have 3 fighter strength vs the German 11! The Germans could bring 14 worth of aircraft factors - 10 of those would get through.

In summary, worst case the situation would be:

- BEF wiped out (except Gort)
- All fighter aircraft used up

I decided against [;)]

Did you count the Belgian Corps in that attack? And if CW attack get such response from Luftwaffe then would not France gain air superiority on their front?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

What odds does CW get for a attack on Antwerp? Should be plenty of shore bombardment available. And maybe CW can land a additional unit in Belgium and attack with that as well?

Edit: Never mind. I see that CW selected a naval impulse.

warspite1

I thought of that - but they say never make an attack if you cannot afford the worst result. I have 10 German points in Antwerp vs 14 CW points. I So at maximum (with shore bombardment, that is 28 vs 10. I only have a Motorised in London so could not land that in the non-port west of Antwerp.

If I wanted to ground strike the hex the fighter strength would be 7 vs 7 and the CW would have to commit its 5 (Spitfire) and 4 (Hurricane) in advance. If the Germans then let that go, for the actual battle the CW would have 3 fighter strength vs the German 11! The Germans could bring 14 worth of aircraft factors - 10 of those would get through.

In summary, worst case the situation would be:

- BEF wiped out (except Gort)
- All fighter aircraft used up

I decided against [;)]

Did you count the Belgian Corps in that attack? And if CW attack get such response from Luftwaffe then would not France gain air superiority on their front?

warspite1

Good point. No I didn't count the Belgian Corps.

However I think you are wrong about the Luftwaffe situation. Because of range, if the CW are going to ground strike they need to commit their 6 + 5 first. If they do, the Germans (bearing in mind the low tactical factors of the CW aircraft) will simply say - over to you.

So then lets say the CW bombers get very lucky and ground strike both. THEN the Luftwaffe can bring in their bombers and only need a couple of fighters to outclass the Belgian 3-quality fighter.

If the CW do not ground strike - making the land attack more risky - then the they would be mad to undertake an air battle at 7 vs 11 factors.

Yes the chances of making much inroads vs the French that turn is now decreased, but the CW will have paid heavily for doing so.

I'll run the scenario now for a bit of fun [:)]

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 2

Neville Chamberlain is in a quandary... The small BEF are in northern France, guarding the Channel Ports and the extreme left wing of the Allied line. News of the destruction of two-thirds of the Belgian army, the breach of the River Dyle and the fall of Antwerp have come as a bitter blow.

The King of the Belgians requests urgent assistance from their Allies. The BEF are the only Allied units in a position to attack the German spearhead that have just captured Antwerp. "Damn the WIF rules that have movement before the air rebase phase - and damn the non-co-operation rules even more!" rages Chamberlain to the Cabinet.

After much deliberation, finally the question of whether to accede to the Belgian request is put to a vote. The votes are tied with only one Cabinet member to go. The newest member of the government, Mr Orm Ster (Lib) MP for Stockholm south, is firmly of the Winston school of thought. "We must do something to help our gallant Allies! I say action this day an' s***!"

With this, the die is cast - The RN - both the Home Fleet and the Channel Force - are ordered to the North Sea/Channel to provide naval gunfire support to the BEF who are to march on Antwerp for a pincer attack in conjunction with the 1st Belgian Corps, against the key Belgian port. Squadrons and squadrons of Spitfires and Hurricanes are readied - the whole fighter reserve of the RAF will be employed for this operation.

In his diary, Squadron Leader Rafe MacCauley (Eagle Squadron) writes "I think WWII has just started...."

And so begins:

Operation ORM

[Queue dramatic music]

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 2

Admiral Forbes, Commander of the Home Fleet, stands on the bridge of his Flagship HMS Rodney looking angry.

"Do we still have the bug in the North Sea sea box that means that we cannot separate our stack No.1?"

"Yes Sir I believe we do. Its been reported but its still there"

"Bugger. Well we are doing a combined so we only have two naval moves. If we want to bring Channel Command into the operation we will just have to settle for the 3-box"

"Damn these bugs sir, damn them to hell"

"Quite"

The two fleets take up station. It's a motley collection - 3 aircraft carriers (only one of which deserves the name - and which have not a single aircraft between them; the five R-class WWI relics... er .. I mean battleships; and a mix of heavy and light cruisers.

At least Forbes can call upon the services of the modernised Valiant as well as his own 16-inch gunned Flagship together with a few more modern cruisers should the Kriegsmarine decide to try a break-out.

The last remaining regular army troops in the UK are picked up on Transports to act as reserves depending upon what happens later.....

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 2

The reality of this sorry-arse plan is really starting to hit home. The CW look at the bomber forces available to launch a ground strike on Antwerp; A Fairy Battle, a Harrow and a Blenheim....
Four goes at throwing a 1 or a 2 (that assumes they even get through).

But a +1 is a precious commodity when you are attacking at these odds... oh what to do? The worst case scenario is they commit the Spitfire and Hurricane, the Germans do not contest, and then the ground strike fails. That does not help the French a scrap.

So instead, and in order to try and slow the Germans down, the RAF decide to take one for the team. They will go for ground support instead. If the Germans want air superiority they will have to use up a number of fighters to get it...