Timelines for frontlines?

[Kursk1943]

I remember playing a similar game 40 years ago on C64. There was a map with the timelines of the advance of the front lines in Italy, France and Russia, so I could evacuate my advanced airbases just in time. I could not find anything about it in the manual of BTR. Any hints when and up to what line this happens in BTR? Is it following the historical events, for example in Italy in the beginning of Sept 43 up to a line north of Naples?

[CCIP-subsim]

Well, it's a little more dynamic here - how you do in terms of your campaign can move the dates a bit.The frontlines on the ground all follow the "Invasion - Defensive Line 1 - Defensive Line 2" phases. Unfortunately the game doesn't let you directly know in advance when the next phase is expected to begin, but you can make educated guesses. The invasions happen roughly at historical dates, but can happen sooner if you weaken the enemy enough. From there, enemy ground units will advance or retreat depending on their combat strength, and regain combat strength based on the enemy's war industry output + the chain of rail yards leading to the unit. Once weakened enough, they will retreat to the 1st line of defense (Gustav Line in Italy, or the defensive lines in Normandy). They will be much harder to get to move from there and the frontline will be static for some time. If you do enough damage, there will eventually be a "Breakthrough" and the frontline becomes fluid again until until you finally chase the enemy down to the 2nd defensive line (Siegfried Line in Europe, Gothic Line in Italy). Breakthrough in those is basically your ticket to ending the war.

So in short: Invasions themselves are roughly at historical dates (+/-), breakthroughs can take time but depend a lot on the damage you do to the enemy. You can end the war early. There's no direct way the game lets you know when these events will happen, but you can know indirectly (e.g. before Italy and Normandy invasions it'll lock your air forces to Avalanche/Overlord targets, or by the strength of enemy ground units).

[Kursk1943]

Thanks for the information, much appreciated!

[Ekaton]

In my game it's now 9/9/1943 and Allies have liberated the whole Naples area and Foggia, and the invasion actually began on August 30 (In Calabria), though Salerno Landing commenced as historically. It really depends on how well you're playing. I've managed to destroy every rail depot between Rome and Naples, and attacked German units heavily since the landings, and consequently shattered the enemy pretty badly. So far it seems to have accelerated Allied progress significantly.

[Kursk1943]

I'm not too sure of the effect. In my game as Axis, Foggia was lost 09/05/1943, despite I challenged nearly every raid in that area. Then I pulled my planes back north of Rome and only Flak defended the ground forces which were pretty disrupted all the time. Despite this they formed quite unimpressed the Gustav-line north of Naples. It's now 04/24/1944 and the line still holds. Historically it should hold till middle of May. Nearly all my divisions there are red hot disrupted since months. I only reinforced them by Flak, no fighter defence. I will report when Gustay-line gives way.

[Soldmax]

Gustav line will fall around the 10th of May. In my last 44 game something new happened to Gothic line - Rimini airfield always been captured being behind the line - for the first time remained in German hands. Every time I played the 44 game before it was captured and became the formation spot for Austria bound raids to counter which I placed multiple heavy flak in Rimini town and nearby land units.
This time I continue using it in late August of 44...

[Soldmax]

And here is what it is in mid run to Siegfried line

[Kursk1943]

It's 5/9/44 and the Gustavline has been breached, Rome has just fallen, nearly 4 weeks earlier than historically. So the boming effects on ground forces really seem to influence the timelines. Now I'm curious when D-Day will happen, because I don't defend France with the Luftwaffe, only put a lot of Flak into the V-weapons-launching -sites.

[Soldmax]

Don't forget - you can move your planes away from the endangered site during the turn with "Campaign Summary"-"Order of battle" first change, then move without loosing transfer points.

[Kursk1943]

No further experience possible, I won the game 05/23/1944, so I will never know, when D-Day would have happened without me defending France against air attacks. Next I will try the February campaign 1944.