Fall Green

[John B.]

I managed to do a couple of additional turns. At the end of German turn 10 (halfway through the game) Hitler is clearly furious and, one suspects, the General Staff may be getting up its nerve to toss the bum out. The Germans have taken very heavy losses. The German loss modifier is at 7 and the Czechs are only at 2. Thus far, it's WWI in Bohemia and that's not to the German's advantage. Of course, France and Britian continue to bemoan the entire war which isn't helping since they have done NOTHING to help.

[John B.]

Although this is turn 9's map, it pretty much holds true for Turn 10's German turn as well. Germany is finally making some minor progress in the East having breached the line out there. The Czechs are retreating in good order but the Germans are taking a real beating. Near Prague, however, was a German catastrophe. Two stacks wiped out in a pocket.

[John B.]

In the space of just three attacks those two stacks were wiped out. Here are the German losses for the last of the three attacks. Look at all that heavy artillery that was lost. No blitzkrieg here.

[John B.]

Not without Czech losses, of course, but not on the same scale as German losses. Check out the Czech massed tank attack. So may P-38(ts) and not one of them lost. Looks like someone read Gudarian's book after all.

[John B.]

In turn 10, some of the Czech units are starting to be ground down and retreat and one or two evaporated. A fair number of battles being waged. The Czechs are not moving too much. They are staying put and digging in. 10 more turns of this!

[John B.]

Got in a couple of additional turns and here, on turn 12, you can see that the Czech losses have started to creep up. No doubt Hitler knows that the survival of his regime probably depends on taking out the Czechs and he continues to drive his army forward. But, he has still failed to capture any of the objectives. He is next to three of them but,so far, they're holding.

[John B.]

The bitterest fight right now is over the city of Plzen (southwest of Prague). The 1st mountain brigade is holed up there with orders to fight to the last man. The Czechs were able to counter attack in turn 11 to reopen a supply corridor that gave these hard bitten men the ammo and at least some replacements. But, this turn they have had to hold off two frontal attacks by an entire division. They are holding onto the rubble of Plzen with about 50% of their strength left but the Germans are still outside the city and licking their wounds.

[John B.]

Basically the Germans appear to have given up trying to take Prague from the north (since the destruction of an entire division and the army support troops in the pocket a couple of turns ago they may not have much left up there). But, they continue to push from the south. There are at least two rested veteran Czech divisions defending Prague plus siege artilley that is all well supplied so I don't think that they'll get there, but, the Germans will likely eventually lever the mountain unit out of Pilzen and take 2-3 other objectives that they're next too. If so, they may manage to squeeze out a victory but Hitler's time is running short and a defeat means a likely coup d'tat.

[John B.]

Unfortunately, glory isn't cheap. It looks like about 20 percent manpower losses.

[John B.]

Tanks are doing fine, but not so the airforce.

[John B.]

We are nearing the end of October and German losses are climbing again. One can hear the muttering of the General Staff officers as their fine army is being broken by Hitler's relentless calls for attacks and still more attacks. "This corporal learned nothing from the war" they say in the shadows. And, now Europe is aligning against us.

[John B.]

But, the Czechs, with no help from the West. Are starting to crack. Here is the battle of Ostrova. The Germans took heavy losses.

[John B.]

While the Czech losses were more bearable.

[John B.]

But, Ostrova falls and with it the first objective captured by the Germans. Even worse, this loss causes the Soviet Govenrment to withdraw its overt support for the Czechs who have been pounded from the air. "My generals no nothing of politics. The Western allies are worms and the Soviets quit at the first sign of trouble" gloats Hitler as this minor success appears to have bought him a few more weeks to continue the war. Meanwhile, the central staff in Prague fret over the loss of Ostova's arsenals and ammo factories as supply levels start to run down while the Czechs burn through their pre war stockpiles at a furious rate.

[John B.]

The Germans did fail a proficiency check as both sides appear to be punch drunk boxers reeling from blow to blow!

[John B.]

The Germans have pushed into Svitavy and picked up 5 more VP allowing Hitler, agian, to point to success on the battlefield to keep this battle going. But, as you can see, at ever higher losses.

[John B.]

Here are the German losses at Svitavy (the Czech losses were less than 10 percent of this).

[John B.]

I've circled the VP hexes (Bratislava is in the south and not under threat) thus revealing to the world that I don't know how to use graphics. But, as you can see the Germans are next to each one of them except for Prague. At Brno the Czech lads held this turn, but barely. Local reserves made it into the battle and one of the regiments broke into its component battalions under the strain but one final battalion refused to leave and is clinging to the rubble.

[John B.]

Here is that 3rd battalion. It's under severe strain and I'll be able to move in reinforcements but the Germans just might pick up this city as well.

[John B.]

The Germans are trying to cut off Plzen (where the brave mountain regiment is still standing firm) and now it's down to a narrow resupply corridor. The Czechs failed a proficiency check in turn 14 so my plan is to continue to entrench in front of the German advances. The computer won't get to Prague but it could still pick up additional VP hexes and, if the Czechs really start to crumble the loss difference could narrow. The feckless western allies have done nothing to stop this!