Respectfully request Allied players abstain from viewing AAR.

[Centuur]

That doesn't matter at all. An Italian ATR transporting a German PARA can only be intercepted by a Spanish FTR if the Italians didn't DoW Spain themselves. The actual land attack by the German PARA still means that the Spanish defenders are surprised...

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Barcelona attack will be 2,9:1 after CW def shore bombardment. It gives about 50% chance to take it. I would say I try for it. Any thoughts AllenK? No other attacks is Spain.

[AllenK]

Can the Italian Navy in the West Med assist or would the -1 be counter-productive?

It looks a pretty good odds to get 3:1. Have you got low-cost loss takers available?

[Mayhemizer_slith]

If Italians join the combat, don't I get -1 to roll? I also use HQ support and I have MIL/MOT div to take losses. I would say I try for it.

Edit: Yes, I would get -1 to roll.

[AllenK]

Agree. Go for it.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Here is plan for German troops in Spain for this impulse:

Germany takes land action

Rail moves: INF div from Vichy to Saragossa, INF from Vichy to Bordeaux and ARM from Danzig to Saragossa.

Situation after rail moves.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Then I will do some land moves so that we can rail units to Madrid and Valencia next impulse.

Germany plans to attack Spanish flipped stack 3:2 +2 with 27,3% fractional odds and 20% HQ support.

AllenK, you are free to start impulse. Sending Italian units using transporters to Cartagena as you planned sounds good. And next impulse you can rail more units. Actually, if you sail from port to port and Germany moves first, Italy can move their units in Spain as they are in supply. But is it worth it? Can they make any good attacks? CW has some planes to use for ground support.

I try to take ports in NW Spain as soon as possible so that CW can't cause any more harm. This is already looking like a real nightmare.

[Jagdtiger14]

Remember your prime objective: Gibraltar.

Sailing units into Cartagena would be good!

Look at it this way: Killing CW units in Spain is like doing economic damage to them...and the expensive stuff wont be around later as you take the rest of the Med. Use overwhelming force in each attack.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Gibraltar is my primary objective. But I would like fight only one front at time. I know evil CW forces would land behind lines as soon as they get a chance [:@]

[Barbuesque]

I would tend to go along with JT's take on this. You should have sufficient troops to contain the CW in the NW and keep pushing for Gibraltar.

Eventually you can turn the Bay of Biscay and NW spain into a deathtrap for the CW. You'll need sufficient fighters and Navs to swarm the 2 box for that. It's far better attrition than to slug it out in the mountains unless you can somehow get really good odds by flipping stuff and only then if it's spanish units that will always be in supply anyway.

Meanwhile I'd keep to pushing to Gibraltar and cut supply through cape st-Vincent when possible. Then take care of the Bilbao pocket and rip out some hair out of the RN at the same time.

[Centuur]

I agree. Bilbao isn't important, Gibraltar is...

The CW only have so much units to their disposal. Especially if you also put pressure on Egypt with the Italians, they haven't got enough to break out of Bilbao. Screen the area and bypass them.

But: don't forget to have a fast INF taking the northwestern ports of Spain, to prevent the CW from entering those ports too.

[Barbuesque]

That said, since that stack is entirely made of spanish units who will be in supply anyway, and it's already fully flipped (I think) - you might not get better odds and you probably need that hex eventually. So I think that attack is a good idea, especially since the turn might not last much longer.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

I will make that attack and then leave CW units to wait until Gibraltar is taken. I hope I kill those Spanish units and CW MIL is forced to move to coast.

Unless we get lucky at some point and can put them OOS by sending RN home from Bay of Biscay. Then we will ground strike and attack.

[Barbuesque]

It might be a good idea to build out your navs and fighters that can get into the 2 box. The siege of Southern Spain and Gibraltar could drag on. It's also an excellent way to inflict casualties on the RN.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Next turn Germany gets 4 range fighter. And first FW Condor is coming later this year.

[Centuur]

Still: I think you need all the NAV. Those are the key of getting the CW out of Spain and out of the Med. The Italians have some nice NAV too (long range and not too expensive). I don't like to use only the Condors. Always put a weaker bomber (the He flying boat, f.e.) in front of them...

[AllenK]

What do you think to that search result?

4-box only for a free hit on the CA or go for the 2-box and risk a hit on the Trans. Don't think choosing box 1 only gives us enough surprise to avoid combat. If my calculations are correct, Allied surprise would be 3+1 = 4, Axis surprise would be 5+2 =7. Difference is 3.

4-box would give an A on the CA.

2-box is anyone's guess but the A2A starts at +2. I wouldn't use the 2 surprise points (I think) at this stage, or on AA but adjusting the damage depending on how the air combat went.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

You can't cause any damage to CV's, you can try to shoot their planes down if you can risk transporters. Can you take the risk? You have chance to cause losses to CW.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Choose only box 2 and use surprise points for air combat. Next round roll even better and then sink CV [:)]

[AllenK]

Okay, best result (other than downed CVP's) would be a D on a CV and that's assuming AA only does 1 point of damage (assuming my surprise calculations are correct). If we can't avoid combat, I'll choose box 4 only and try to abort the CA. If it succeeds, it reduces the chances of a successful Allied search next round.