How the Axis could have won II. Allied AAR

[warspite1]

30th June 1940

French and United Kingdom

The Wavell HQ continues to head south - and hopefully away from the prowling U-Boats....

I am able to find one of the U-Boats with two destroyer flotillas, but just to add to my general feeling of victimisation and feeling sorry for myself I get this:

British 11th Destroyer FL - expected 0:1 actual 0:0
French 7th Destroyer FL - expected 0:1 actual 1:1

Not winning anything at the moment.....[:@]

[warspite1]

30th June 1940

France

Weygand decides to try and get French troops in the Maginot Line back as quickly as possible. As a prelude the 6th Bombardment Group attacks the 5th Panzer in its exposed position south of the Marne. The French General Staff are all to aware that there is little chance of pinching out this bridgehead but they have to try. The 6th Bombardment Group achieve the results expected - absolutely nothing and the loss of half its aircraft....

3rd Army Group move first:
- XIII Corps takes up position in the town of Belfort.
- XLIV Corps moves to Epinal, leaving
- IX Corps to slot in between the two.

Before moving further French units the French put in a request for some assistance from Bomber Command in tackling 5th Panzer. The British agreed, which proved to be sub-optimal as bomber command lost no less than 7 points and scored no hits against the panzers.

Back to movement and it is clear that attacking the Germans leads to no good and so instead Weygand tries, to the extent possible, to bring French units back toward Paris. The town of Verdun is occupied by a sacrificial corps.

The British bring up their newly landed corps and remove II Corps from the line. They will hopefully soon be on their way to Blighty.

[warspite1]

30th June 1940

France

In the south the French Navy try and put some pressure on the Italian Army but achieves a big fat zero. Gunnery practice appears to be the order of the day for Gensoul's fleet.

The French try to hold a line on the north - south Axis Grenoble - Toulon. The depleted XV Corps withdraws to Marseilles and the Algerians slot in the line north of Toulon.

The need to move most of the army in the north means that there are a few MPP to spare for the Armee des Alpes this turn.

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

British 11th Destroyer FL - expected 0:1 actual 0:0
French 7th Destroyer FL - expected 0:1 actual 1:1

Not winning anything at the moment.....[:@]

I'd count that as a win. You traded a soon to disappear French point for an Axis point the AI will have to spend MMPs on to fix.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

ORIGINAL: warspite1

British 11th Destroyer FL - expected 0:1 actual 0:0
French 7th Destroyer FL - expected 0:1 actual 1:1

Not winning anything at the moment.....[:@]

I'd count that as a win. You traded a soon to disappear French point for an Axis point the AI will have to spend MMPs on to fix.

warspite1

True. But then I would have counted it as more of a win if at least one of them had been in line with prediction [;)]

Especially as the German sub just attacked and took out 4(!) points from the DD....

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

ORIGINAL: warspite1

British 11th Destroyer FL - expected 0:1 actual 0:0
French 7th Destroyer FL - expected 0:1 actual 1:1

Not winning anything at the moment.....[:@]

I'd count that as a win. You traded a soon to disappear French point for an Axis point the AI will have to spend MMPs on to fix.

warspite1

True. But then I would have counted it as more of a win if at least one of them had been in line with prediction [;)]

Especially as the German sub just attacked and took out 4(!) points from the DD....

Ouch.... nasty that sub is.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Aurelian




I'd count that as a win. You traded a soon to disappear French point for an Axis point the AI will have to spend MMPs on to fix.

warspite1

True. But then I would have counted it as more of a win if at least one of them had been in line with prediction [;)]

Especially as the German sub just attacked and took out 4(!) points from the DD....

Ouch.... nasty that sub is.

warspite1

Yes, apparently the wolf pack contains the following U-Boat captains:

Kretschmer, Prien, Schutze, Topp, Schultze, Schepke, Endrass and Luth.

I don't know who these guys are, but they seem to know their business....

[warspite1]

7th July 1940

France
Another bad turn, but one that would have been much worse had I not put the French AOF West Africa Corps into Verdun. The brave colonial troops were of course wiped out but the Germans put a lot of effort - including their air force - into ensuring the destruction of the French unit. This action almost certainly stopped even worse carnage nearer Paris (notice how the German panzer formations were sent back to deal with this perceived threat).

3rd, 8th and 9th Armies are all incapable of even defensive operations and 3rd and 8th Armies need withdrawing before I can strengthen them. Hopefully 9th Army can be built up at least partially.

[warspite1]

7th July 1940

France

The Italian Army is unstoppable - French bullets, even shells, seem to simply glance off their tanks and, according to some reports, even their troops. I just don't understand it.....


Italian Army. It's almost as if they have some secret weapon that makes them indestructible....

[warspite1]

7th July 1940

France

The French armies are again beaten back, but at least the corps in Toulon and in the mountains to the north, have not moved and so should have the advantage of entrenchment (2 and 3 respectively) to aid their defence. I have no idea what MPP will be left to spend in this theatre.

[warspite1]

14th July 1940

Reinforcements

None

MPP Expenditure

UK - UK reinforce the BEF, a fighter group and continue to upgrade the navy.
France - The French have to move so many units so once again there is little to spend on - and yet there is still not enough MPP! Reinforcement of units remains the order of the day.
USA - The US research AA and Naval Warfare.
USSR - Still nothing with the USSR. They have a grand total of 41....

[warspite1]

14th July 1940

United Kingdom and France

Wavell continues on his lone voyage to Egypt. I decide to put the RN destroyers in to port for upgrade. One of them encounters a German wolf pack and they exchange points. I send a French destroyer in and they too exchange points.

The German surface fleet remains ominously quiet - does this mean they are preparing for a Sea Lion perhaps?

The Mediterranean Fleet are almost all upgraded - a couple more to go.

The French Fleet get bored of attacking the Italian Army and have a go at Genoa instead - with disastrous results. Dunkerque and Strasbourg turn their attention back to the army units on the coast and, at last, score a hit! [a choir of angels descends - HALLEJUJAH!!]

The depleted II Corps leaves France and is sent to sea alone bound for Egypt.

[warspite1]

14th July 1940

France

The French undertake re-organisation of the front in order to try and save Paris.

- VIII Corps takes up position in Dijon
- XI Corps is used as a sacrificial rear-guard and heads to Strasbourg, where it sadly comes up against 1st Army and is severely mauled in the process.
- 3rd and 8th Armies are concentrated around Auxerre for reinforcing next turn (if possible).
- VI Corps takes up position northeast of Auxerre behind the Seine river.
- 4th Army, II Corps and 7th Army complete the units trying to hold the river.
- XLIV Corps take up position north of the river on the right flank to offer something to the Germans in order to desperately try and save the river line next turn.

At this point the French ask the British for assistance. The German 7th Flieger Division is sitting exposed northwest of Reims. The RAF's Blenheims and Battles of the AASF are ordered to attack this unit on the basis that the French bomber force will do the same. The attack is successful - albeit at some loss to the RAF bombers and their fighter escort. The big gamble is now - should the BEF attack this unit and try and destroy it - but risk suffering losses itself and being ripe for counter attack. Lord Gort orders the attack and the German unit is almost wiped out - at a cost of 2 points to the British. The French I Corps finish off the defenders.

- I Corps and the Polish Corps on their right flank are then ordered to remain in place. This heroic stand protects the British right flank but gives the Germans something else to consider when looking at targets next turn.

Sadly there are simply no MPP left for the Armee des Alps. General Olry asks Gamelin for reinforcements but all Gamelin can give him are his best wishes and a prayer book before falling asleep in front of the fire once more...

[warspite1]

21st July 1940

Sadly I have to go to work now so no chance to write up the German turn. Here are the highlights....

- The BEF is destroyed and the Somme river line breached
- The Seine river line holds!
- Marseilles is about to fall - but Toulon holds

[loki100]

this 'work' thing is really getting in the way of your AARing. Good attack in N France, would think the longer term trade off is worth the cost?

[Malor]

Warspite,

Please keep up the excellent AAR. I'm learning much about the game and various strategies from it.

Even learning what not to do is helpful. [:)]

Malor

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: loki100

this 'work' thing is really getting in the way of your AARing. Good attack in N France, would think the longer term trade off is worth the cost?

warspite1

Yes, I suspect the BEF would have been lost anyway - the Germans put a lot of effort into that attack. Regardless of whether its worth it, to be honest it was just nice to be on the attack for once!

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Malor

Warspite,

Please keep up the excellent AAR. I'm learning much about the game and various strategies from it.

Even learning what not to do is helpful. [:)]

Malor

warspite1

To be honest, my AAR are usually about teaching peeps what not to do. I am a pretty hopeless wargamer - although I guess you worked that out for yourself by now [:D]

[Hartmann]

If not for the loss of the BEF, I think you actually did a good job up until that point. I like how you cautiously managed to retreat from the Maginot line keeping your frontline intact. Also you managed to destroy some German units which will be costly for them to repurchase. Finally it looks as if you might delay the capture of Paris considerably.

It's hard to disregard the loss of the BEF, though ...

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Hartmann

If not for the loss of the BEF, I think you actually did a good job up until that point. I like how you cautiously managed to retreat from the Maginot line keeping your frontline intact. Also you managed to destroy some German units which will be costly for them to repurchase. Finally it looks as if you might delay the capture of Paris considerably.

It's hard to disregard the loss of the BEF, though ...

warspite1

Well I'll try not to lose the two Corps too but its not looking too hopeful [;)]