How the Axis could have won II. Allied AAR

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Sadly its that work thing again, which means I cannot finish off this turn now....[:(]

now if you moved to Scotland this wouldn't be a problem (as we get an extra bank holiday to ease recovery from the New Year events) [8D]

[terje439]

Hmm, the last few pics of the Axis forces makes me wonder, as I see the same here as I do in my own games, is the AI too obsessed with upgrading its units, espesially the movement upgrade? If the AI had skipped all those movement upgrades, they should have been able to field quite a few more units...

[sapper32]

ORIGINAL: terje439

Hmm, the last few pics of the Axis forces makes me wonder, as I see the same here as I do in my own games, is the AI too obsessed with upgrading its units, espesially the movement upgrade? If the AI had skipped all those movement upgrades, they should have been able to field quite a few more units...

Yeah I'm starting to see in my game as Allies that even in late 1941 I'm not seeing any real danger from the Axis Barbarosa , yes there still attacking and in some areas having to give ground but I'm also destroying Axis units I've just easily destroyed a Panzergruppe, I'm wondering if I should give the AI maximum advantage in game setup

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Peter Zimmermann

Do you really get up at 4 am just to play this game? Admirable!

warspite1

LOL! No - but if I wake up and can't get back to sleep - happening more and more in my frail dotage - then I might as well do something useful [:)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Sadly its that work thing again, which means I cannot finish off this turn now....[:(]

now if you moved to Scotland this wouldn't be a problem (as we get an extra bank holiday to ease recovery from the New Year events) [8D]

warspite1

It wouldn't be a problem....except I would have to move to Scotland so...... [;)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: terje439

Hmm, the last few pics of the Axis forces makes me wonder, as I see the same here as I do in my own games, is the AI too obsessed with upgrading its units, espesially the movement upgrade? If the AI had skipped all those movement upgrades, they should have been able to field quite a few more units...

warspite1

Yeah I've been surprised by how few units the Germans seem to have. Of course they have to keep attacking, but with so few units that means getting isolated and surrounded.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: sapper32

ORIGINAL: terje439

Hmm, the last few pics of the Axis forces makes me wonder, as I see the same here as I do in my own games, is the AI too obsessed with upgrading its units, espesially the movement upgrade? If the AI had skipped all those movement upgrades, they should have been able to field quite a few more units...

Yeah I'm starting to see in my game as Allies that even in late 1941 I'm not seeing any real danger from the Axis Barbarosa , yes there still attacking and in some areas having to give ground but I'm also destroying Axis units I've just easily destroyed a Panzergruppe, I'm wondering if I should give the AI maximum advantage in game setup

warspite1

Well this is my second game and I'm at best a less than average wargamer, so yes I think the AI needs some additional help based on this AAR and others experience.

[warspite1]

16th August 1942

North of the Pripyat, Timoshenko's 4th Baltic Front are also ideally placed it seems to launch an encirclement of German forces near Minsk...

[warspite1]

23rd August 1942

The attack is deemed a success. On the right flank the 3rd Cavalry Division is put under pressure by I Rifle Corps and the 2nd Light Tank Corps, but better news still is that XX Corps is destroyed south of Minsk and thus opening up Timoshenko's left flank. Using the old military maxim that one should always reinforce success, the 1st Shock Tank Army is transferred to Timoshenko and, together with the 1st Tank Army, they set out for Pinsk.

[warspite1]

16th August 1942

Finally we come to the remaining three Fronts - Ukrainian 1-3 inc - and there is a Soviet dagger pointed directly at Cherkassy....

[warspite1]

23rd August 1942

The dagger was well aimed. 42nd, 3rd Guards and 1st Red Banner Armies lead the assault, targeting Kremenchuk, where they find a Lufwaffe base and destroy it completely. Sadly for the Soviets the advance runs out of steam before they manage to take the town itself.

To the east an epic dual between the 1st and 2nd Mechanised Corps and the 5th Panzerarmee, sees the destruction of the latter, while to the north, 1st Ukrainian Front get somewhat bogged down in futile full frontal attacks in front of Kiev. The Pripyat Marshes stop any quick manoeuvring on the right wing.

[warspite1]

Rats [:@] For the first time this game I have not taken a screen shot of the MPP position.... Oh well. Suffice to say the Soviets have a shed load of MPP and they are going to spend all of them on new units.

[warspite1]

30th August - 6th September 1942

The Kriegsmarine excursion into the Atlantic was bigger than I thought! There is another CA on the loose. In an effort to try and save the Tirpitz, this CA (possibly Admiral Scheer) attacks the, now unescorted, Ark Royal and Furious. The attack does not prove fatal however as the carriers had plenty of early warning from the CAP being flown, and they were able to launch torpedo bombers in time to ensure the German ship kept its distance.

The KGV and Queen Elizabeth were diverted from 'Tirpitz' duty to deal with the threat, and a combination of carrier aircraft and 14 and 15-inch gunfire sealed the German ship's fate.

As for Tirpitz, with the two British battleships departed, there was still more than sufficient firepower from Hood, Repulse, Rodney and Nelson - together with help from the aircraft from Iceland - to finish off the German Leviathan.

[warspite1]

30th August - 6th September 1942

Meanwhile the Graf Zeppelin, which the British thought they had spotted previously off the southern Norwegian coast, turned up off the coast of Northern Scotland?

The British forces around the UK were much reduced due to the earlier breakout but the forces available did what they could to meet the threat from both the German carrier and the existing U-Boat menace off Ireland.

Meanwhile the fleet that had destroyed the bulk of the Kriegsmarine off southern Iceland, was ordered back to the UK as quickly as possible.

[warspite1]

30th August - 6th September 1942

Back to North Africa now and, like the Kriegsmarine, the Regia Marina decides to go down fighting and a cruiser Squadron, valiantly tries to get amongst the American transports off Benghazi. However, a combination of the Royal Navy's 1st Submarine Flotilla and the 1st Cruiser Squadron ensure that the Italian cruisers find a new home at the bottom of the Gulf of Sirte.

The US 2nd Army and II Corps destroy the Benghazi garrison but have insufficient supplies to enter the port. The transports continue to wait at sea.....

[warspite1]

30th August - 6th September 1942

In Egypt the British try and link the units that landed in Gazala with Egypt.

Firstly the US bombers on Crete try and soften up the defenders of Tobruk. However the allied aircraft are badly mauled by the waiting Luftwaffe fighters.

XII Corps is ordered to set out for Gazala and comes across the enemy HQ's and main airfields. Some of the Luftwaffe aircraft have to be abandoned as their bases are overrun.

The main British effort is launched against the Italian Corps southeast of Mersa Matruh. A combination of tanks and attacks from Australian, New Zealand and British infantry seal the fate of the Italians. Meanwhile the Canadian 1st Army push back the German anti-tank screen to the south.

US fighters are rebased to Derna to provide protection for the recently landed forces in the Benghazi-Gazala area.

[warspite1]

30th August - 6th September 1942

In the south of the Soviet Union the Germans appear to be on the retreat and have, in the main, retreated behind the Dnepr. However they have left units on the 'Soviet side' of the river and the plan is to isolate and encircle these units.

21st and 48th Rifle Corps successfully forged a bridgehead across the Dnepr, but the German I Corps in Zaporhyze on the east bank of the river, successfully held off desperate Soviet attacks by two armies and a corps. With the Soviet units in the Crimea reinforcing their was little additional help that could be given to the infantry on the north (west) bank. The two Rifle Corps have been given the orders "Hold at all costs".

[warspite1]

30th August - 6th September 1942

There is little change to the Baltic Front following the AI turn from that shown previously. It looks like the Germans have done some retreating but the four units around Daugvapils remain in place and there has been no attempt at saving the pocketed units to the northwest.

14th Rifle Corps leads the attack, liberating Riga and attacking the HQ stationed just beyond. 8th Shock Army follows on and completes the job of destroying the German HQ - and almost surrounding Daugvapils in the process.

The Soviets then get greedy and make a mistake; instead of using 22nd Mechanised Corps to push northwest and complete the encirclement, the tanks push west for Kaunas and run into German artillery. Fortunately for the Soviets there is little damage caused - and they do have another bridgehead, this time between Kaunas and Wilno.

The German XII Corps dig in south of Parnu, as does 1st Army to the south, but 1st Army is in serious trouble. The Soviets have no intention of attacking Daugvapils head on - although limited attacks are made against the two corps on the north bank of the Dvina.

One army, two rifle corps and an attached tank corps to the north of Lake Narach head southwest for Wilno.


Destruction of Army Group North?

[warspite1]

30th August - 6th September 1942

Just north of the Pripyat the Germans are seemingly in real trouble. Minsk is no longer threatened and, instead, the Germans find their right flank in danger of being turned as the Soviet tanks push toward Pinsk and Brest-Litovsk.

[warspite1]

30th August - 6th September 1942

There is mixed news in the north and central Ukraine where 14th Army have been surrounded but otherwise it is proving harder going as there are a good number of German units in the area.