STBP 1943-45 devoncop (Axis) vs warspite1 (CW) - no devoncop please

[warspite1]

Turn 95
12th October 1943

The Germans have seen enough and begin to conduct a planned withdrawal. Sadly only one of their units was engaged. There are still significant forces left to deal with too.....

Five attacks are planned.

[warspite1]

Turn 95
12th October 1943

.....four of these are successful. Once again though the movement allowance runs out long before the end of the turn.

[warspite1]

Turn 96
13th October 1943

Nothing from the Axis this turn - devoncop's obviously sent almost all his artillery north. The one bombardment produced no results.

The bridge and rail repair is going very slowly in the east which is annoying as there is a whole division that needs to be on the move to help those to the west. I begin moving the 36th Division anyway and hope the engineers get their act together soon....

If I had a brain I'd be dangerous. I've just realised I left a whole tank regiment at Catanzaro.... nice one.

As for the turn well a US tank battalion was in danger of being cut off but a British/Indian force managed to force its way through to their Allies.

[warspite1]

Turn 97 - Axis Turn
14th October 1943

The Germans along the coast seek to get away and it seems largely succeed - only one unit is engaged.

There are then 5 bombardments. The 1st Armoured Division come under attack in the mountains but the losses are small.

On the east coast the 36th Division are met by a hail of shells and lose half their howitzers in just one bombardment.

A second barrage sees the howitzers reduced by another quarter - although at least this time there is some counter-battery fire that at least costs the enemy some casualties

A third barrage sees the howitzers reduced by yet another 25% in a shocking display of accuracy [8|] Once again there is at least the small consolation of some counter fire, but the losses to the American division have been pretty bad.

The last attack is on the west coast where the Luftwaffe try and attack the newly arrived Indian 8th Division. Losses are heavy once again but the German air force suffers too. 172 fighters escort 216 bombers and are intercepted by 1,097 allied fighters. The Allies lose 77 (16 destroyed) but the Luftwaffe lose 148 (44 destroyed)

[warspite1]

Turn 97
14th October 1943

I haven't got the details from this turn but things are looking decidedly worrying. The 1st Armoured in the centre and 36th Infantry on the east coast have run into a brick wall - a brick wall with artillery.

The German units on the west coast are delaying the British from engaging the defence line further north.....

I am in serious danger of being counter-attacked here....

[warspite1]

Turn 98 - Axis and Allies Turn
15th October 1943

devoncop must have heard me as he counter-attacked [:)]

More worrying though is the battlefield nuclear weapons the Germans seems to have available on the east coast. Being a daily turn game the losses of 18%, 19% or 20% artillery were not supposed to be a feature like in CFNA, but the 36th Division are simply being crucified by whatever devoncop has there.

As for the counter-attack the British were saved by the massed aircraft that appears to have saved the 7th Armoured Brigade - at least for now.

A look at the picture confirms that there is no quick win here and the safest thing all along the front is to withdraw and re-group. In so doing two units engage and are in big trouble, while an almost surrounded, out of supply German panzer battalion manages to get away despite being assaulted from almost all sides....

[warspite1]

Turn 99 - Axis Turn
16th October 1943

The number of Axis units - but moreover their firepower is not something that can be overcome without a lot of firepower of my own. 36th Division has not suffered any attacks but just lost soooo much equipment to bombardment - that was some deadly shooting. They will take a while to recover I suspect.

I will continue to withdraw - but remain north of the river it took me so long to repair the bridges for - then rest, re-group and try again.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 98 - Axis and Allies Turn
15th October 1943

devoncop must have heard me as he counter-attacked [:)]

Ah! I knew it! He's Cheating!

[warspite1]

Turn 100 - Axis Turn
17th October 1943

Not much to write home about. The Axis made four bombardments but the losses were in single digits this time.

[warspite1]

Turn 100
17th October 1943

Note to self. If playing this scenario again as the Allies then don't bother mending the rail lines on Sicily after the island is taken. US reinforcements seem to be appearing on the mainland now....

The turn is spent reorganising the forces that get mixed up during battle. I order 6 bombardments just to let devoncop know I'm still around.

The reorganising will probably take 1 or perhaps two more turns and then its a case of concentrating all available artillery and air power onto specific hexes to try and weaken the enemy before trying to advance once again.

[warspite1]

Turn 101 - Axis Turn
18th October 1943

There were two attacks - an attack on an airfield on the east coast and a bombardment mission on the opposite side of the peninsular.

The airfield attack was a huge undertaking with 162 bombers being escorted by 273 fighters. No less than 1,143 Allied fighters took to the skies to defend the airbase. The Germans lost 131 (29 destroyed) mostly fighter escorts. The CW lost a similar number despite the massive air superiority - 126 lost (24 destroyed).

The second attack was a failure. 175 unescorted bombers took part and 63 were lost (14 destroyed), courtesy of 332 intercepting Allied fighters.

[warspite1]

Turn 101
18th October 1943

With the Luftwaffe having taken a bit of a pounding I though I'd try moving into Sardinia. Unfortunately I couldn't land and I've no idea why.... the airborne drop worked though

Let's hope the Luftwaffe haven't recovered....

[hingram]

Off the top of my head.
Try attacking with ignore losses or single units at a time. The other possibility is that you ran out of time in the turn although I would be surprised at that.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: hingram

Off the top of my head.
Try attacking with ignore losses or single units at a time. The other possibility is that you ran out of time in the turn although I would be surprised at that.

warspite1

Yes I did 'ignore losses' - although not one unit at a time. If they survive the Luftwaffe riposte I will try one unit at a time (although I haven't needed this previously).

[warspite1]

Turn 102
19th October 1943

Nothing much from the Germans this turn - it looks like Taranto is being reinforced though and some aircraft are being re-based - presumably to take up a more central position to be able to cover off any threat of a landing.

On Sardinia the troops of 56th Division landed without any drama this time. The units start to fan out to take the airfields and towns that my be harbouring German defenders.


At first glance there don't appear to be many (any?) bridges that require repair. Sardinia in 1943 does not appear blessed with a huge rail network!

[warspite1]

Turn 102
19th October 1943

The rest of the turn was spent dishing out barrages against the front line German positions. The US forces took some withering counter-battery fire which I am going to have to keep any eye on.

All bombers are now on interdiction.

[warspite1]

Turn 103
20th October 1943

I will try and monitor the effectiveness of my artillery.

Opposite the British sector are an Assault Gun Battalion and a Panzergrenadier Regiment.

The damage done is reasonable. I hope these are left in place next turn so I can gauge replacement rates.

The turn continues with bombardments only on the west and east coast - with one exception. A German recce detachment headed south in front of the US positions. I thought I would teach him a lesson but simply ended up losing about 3 times as many units as the Germans....

[warspite1]

Turn 104
21st October 1943

Not too much to report except I've tried to advance on the east coast in the teeth of the battlefield nuclear weapons the Germans seem to have there. Stooopidly I didn't take a picture of this [8|]

[warspite1]

Turn 105 - Axis Turn
22nd October 1943

The Germans bring reinforcements down on the east coast but its the British that take the brunt of the bombardments - big losses in Field Guns.


Ignore the Turn 89 - this was the last turn.

[warspite1]

Turn 105
22nd October 1943

Interesting announcement - or at least it would be if the 4th Indian Division were in the game....[&:] I have the 8th Indian Division and that remains in place....