How the Axis could have won II. Allied AAR

[warspite1]

1st September 1939

The Germans invade Poland!

The German 4th Army sweeps into the Pommeranian Corridor, annihilating two infantry divisions of the Pomorze Army and the attached Pomorska Cavalry Brigade. The remaining three divisions of the army were then surrounded and destroyed northwest of Kutno.

Meanwhile the 8th and 10th Armies of Army Group South launch a pincer movement aimed at Lodz. After four days of hard fighting, the four divisions and a cavalry brigade from the Lodz Army effectively cease to exist.

The Poles must try and plug the gap by falling back on the capital Warsaw with whatever they can.


Smigly-Rydz: Don't worry lads the French and British will now attack in the west.....

[warspite1]

1st September 1939

The British and French, having given a guarantee to the Poles, react....

3rd September 1939.
11.15 a.m. London. The Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain makes a speech to the nation. In Paris, and in the capitals of the Dominions, from Ottawa to Wellington, over the coming days, countries prepare for war with Germany for the second time in living memory....

"This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a
final Note stating that, unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were
prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would
exist between us.

I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that
consequently this country is at war with Germany.

You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win
peace has failed. Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything
different that I could have done and that would have been more successful.

Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful
and honourable settlement between Germany and Poland, but Hitler would not have it.
He had evidently made up his mind to attack Poland whatever happened, and
although He now says he put forward reasonable proposals which were rejected by
the Poles, that is not a true statement. The proposals were never shown to the
Poles, nor to us, and, although they were announced in a German broadcast on
Thursday night, Hitler did not wait to hear comments on them, but ordered his
troops to cross the Polish frontier. His action shows convincingly that there is
no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force
to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force.

We and France are today, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of
Poland, who is so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack on her
people. We have a clear conscience. We have done all that any country could do to
establish peace. The situation in which no word given by Germany's ruler could be
trusted and no people or country could feel themselves safe has become intolerable.
And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will all play your part
with calmness and courage.

At such a moment as this the assurances of support that we have received from the
Empire are a source of profound encouragement to us.

The Government have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the
work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these
plans need your help. You may be taking your part in the fighting services or as
a volunteer in one of the branches of Civil Defence. If so you will report for
duty in accordance with the instructions you have received. You may be engaged in
work essential to the prosecution of war for the maintenance of the life of the
people - in factories, in transport, in public utility concerns, or in the supply
of other necessaries of life. If so, it is of vital importance that you should
carry on with your jobs.

Now may God bless you all. May He defend the right. It is the evil things that we
shall be fighting against - brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and
persecution - and against them I am certain that the right will prevail."

[warspite1]

8th September 1939

United Kingdom

Decision time. The British war cabinet order the deployment of the BEF to France.


Neville Chamberlain goes into full 'Man from Del Monte' mode - he say YES

[warspite1]

8th September 1939

Soviet Union

Decision Time for the Soviets too. Well no decision really - Stalin has played what he thinks is a blinder in signing the Nazi-Soviet pact, and now he aims to begin collecting by invoking one of the secret protocols...


The poor Poles. A) they think the Western Allies are going to help them and B) they at least believe they don't have to worry about their eastern frontier....

[warspite1]

8th September 1939

The 'numbers' position at the start of the Allies first turn.

[loki100]

good to see this.

I'm just finishing up my first game so plan on round 2 with far less early war mistakes. I'm glad I kept going as I learnt a lot about the 1942-3 transition but wouldn't have survived apart from the warnings of things in your AAR.

Agree with your new Egypt strategy, get on the defensive, get very well dug in and stay on the defensive in the early phases.

[Hartmann]

Freeing the armies from the Maginot line (replacing them with corps) is a clever trick. I'm actually a bit worried that this time you will delay the German advance so much that this game will end early too. [;)]


Regarding the African and Syrian corps, removing them from their posts might trigger Italy early. It might still be worth it, though. Many players also just disband them to use the MPPs otherwise.

[n0kn0k]

ORIGINAL: Hartmann

Freeing the armies from the Maginot line (replacing them with corps) is a clever trick. I'm actually a bit worried that this time you will delay the German advance so much that this game will end early too. [;)]

I did this in my AAR, but the Germans attacked in early March so entrenchment wasn't optimal yet. [:@]

[Hartmann]

ORIGINAL: n0kn0k

ORIGINAL: Hartmann

Freeing the armies from the Maginot line (replacing them with corps) is a clever trick. I'm actually a bit worried that this time you will delay the German advance so much that this game will end early too. [;)]

I did this in my AAR, but the Germans attacked in early March so entrenchment wasn't optimal yet. [:@]

Cool, I like that! [8D] When I did it, they also once attacked somewhat earlier than historically, but the Maginot line still held. In all European Theater WW2 grand strategy games, I always try to have at least one run where I hold the Germans at bay as France. I don't know if it is possible here, I tried three times and couldn't make it work. I achieved delaying the Germans until 1941, though (which essentially means the game is over for them as well as they will never recover from having lost so much time).

[Lecivius]

I say, Warspite1 old fellow. Have you found the bugs in this game to be marginalized by the fun to be had in playing this collection of software? I am giving it serious consideration. Your opinions would be duly noted [;)][:D][:'(]

Glad your doing another AAR. I am enjoying them.

[Jim D Burns]

Make sure you repair the Polish destroyers with Polish funds before Poland falls and the destroyers become British. Not a huge expense if you wait and let Britain repair them, but every little bit helps in the early game.

Jim

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns

Make sure you repair the Polish destroyers with Polish funds before Poland falls and the destroyers become British. Not a huge expense if you wait and let Britain repair them, but every little bit helps in the early game.

Jim

warspite1

Aren't Polish resources best off being spent on Polish units to delay the fall of the country as long as possible?

[warspite1]

8th September 1939

Poland

The Germans have fallen into the Polish trap Mwahahahahahaha! Two cavalry brigades are ordered to try and cut off the lead elements of the German 8th and 10th Armies west of Czestochowa, while the third surviving cavalry unit occupies Kutno.

The remaining units of the Poznan, Krakow and Karpaty armies head for Warsaw as quickly as they can - although are each some way short - while the remaining Polish units form up around the capital.

The Polish air force are ordered to assault the lead German panzer formations - but are badly mauled in the process.

The Prusy Army is the only unit able to continue its formation.


Smigly-Rydz to Gamelin: Right, I've got 'em surrounded - I just need you guys to take them in the rear and the war is over!

[warspite1]

8th September 1939

France
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Army Groups begin their hot shoe shuffle to new starting positions. I intend to hold two lines Amiens-Nancy and the Maginot Line.

Most of the French MP have been used up in beginning the process of getting their North African troops to mainland France. At least the Armee des Alpes will have some units this time!

[warspite1]

8th September 1939

United Kingdom
That leaves the British. Not much to report here. The RN in the Med is looking to concentrate on Alexandria and the destroyers squadrons start to take up station in the Western Approaches.

MPP are saved. I want an Engineer ASAP!

[steel3250]

If you do not keep some unit in Tunis the Italians will quickly mobilize for war. There is 4 towns the Allies need to stay in until Italy enters. Now the benefit of your strategy if that is what you are doing is you can try to instigate a naval fight to use the French to take the burden when otherwise they will disappear once France surrenders and take a step up in the Naval battle.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: steel32

If you do not keep some unit in Tunis the Italians will quickly mobilize for war. There is 4 towns the Allies need to stay in until Italy enters. Now the benefit of your strategy if that is what you are doing is you can try to instigate a naval fight to use the French to take the burden when otherwise they will disappear once France surrenders and take a step up in the Naval battle.

warspite1

I could use the Toulon naval garrison there?

[warspite1]

15th September 1939

Poland
Well it was worth a go I think. Let's face it one way or another the Polish cavalry brigades were dead meat that turn. Better to go out in a blaze of glory as they say.


Normal service has been resumed.....

[steel3250]

Yes that can work with Toulon garrison

[Hartmann]

Having Italy in the war early can actually be turned into an advantage as it might give the French fleet something to do while it's still operational ...