CFNA 1940-43 devoncop (Axis) vs warspite1 (CW) - no devoncop please

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Szilard

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 183
17th June 1942

I am considering doing something I thought impossible; losing the use of Amiriya.

The thinking here is:

Advantages
- I need to hold out for just two more turns before I lose one of the two remaining disadvantages i.e. the 4% CW Shock Penalty.

Sure about that? I thought that one went away with Monty's arrival, on turn 201.

warspite1

Yes - or at least that is what the docs say.

4% CW Penalty goes away on turn 185
4% Axis Bonus goes away on turn 201

[warspite1]

Turn 183
17th June 1942

As the air penalties have gone I will start to make some of my aircraft operational once more. This won't include the bombers as I want these fully in shape for my offensive.

The following airbases will become operational and ranges on aircraft to be set to allow defensive missions over my troops only:


If the Axis make El Hammam operational, they will have the closest airfield, but the CW have the next three closest.

[Szilard]

Oh, right. I confused myself again.

[warspite1]

Turn 183
17th June 1942

With a few exceptions - units reorganising and others engaged - I am able to straighten out the line. 20 fighter squadrons have been brought to readiness.

Its back to the Axis.....

[warspite1]

Turn 184 - Axis Turn (in real time)
20th June 1942

This critical turn begins with units being moved up on the coastal plain to take the hexes recently vacated.

Worryingly there is a lot of new/replacement artillery and panzer units on the coast road. Interestingly some units are heading west…..

Artillery is moved into the airfield at Burg El Arab – and units moving further to the south where the line dog-leg’s.

The bombardment commences and a HAA battery evaporates (possibly one other but it’s not clear)

Movement in the Jebel now and then back to the Bardia area

Damn I can hear aircraft which I can only assume are units moving to El Hammam – Me-109’s….

More bombardments now – followed by more aircraft… some aircraft are moving west too. Strange. Maybe just making room for better quality units. I see some biplanes heading in that direction.

Lots of invisible moves and then more bombardments

The turn ends. No attacks and only 7 bombardments.... what is devoncop up to?


Interestingly there were no attacks and Axis forces did not push up in the south... Despite what it looked like on the playback, there appears to be no enemy artillery in the front line...

[warspite1]

Turn 184 - Axis Turn
20th June 1942

The Axis turn to feel aggrieved perhaps? In the first air battle I had the superiority and won the battle, but in the second, my fighters were out-numbered but this time the Axis came off worse..... My field guns took something of a battering again...

[warspite1]

Turn 184
20th June 1942

So next turn I will have made it to turn 185! I stick with the plan not to attack until my 4% penalty goes away then.

This decision still has risks as the Axis can still pack a punch - but the loss of aircraft devoncop suffered last turn makes it less likely - I think (hope) - that he will reinforce El Hammam.

I need to spend the rest of this turn:

- deciding on where I am going to attack*
- deploying forces where required**

* and hope that devoncop's action next turn don't frustrate these
** and hope the forces earmarked don't decide to reorganise.

[warspite1]

Turn 184
20th June 1942

I increase the operational fighter squadrons to 21. The bomber force remains grounded until next turn.

Back to the Axis....

[warspite1]

Turn 185 - Axis Turn (in real time)
24th June 1942

The turn begins with Coastal Defence artillery ominously moving east up to the front…..lots of it….

But there is also some moving west still. There is also plenty of Italian infantry moving east south of Tobruk

German and Italian units now moving east through the Jebel – and even west of that – I’ve not been able to see in this sector for ages

Sadly there are plenty of Me-109’s reinforcing the front….Italian units heading the other way so as suspected before this must be swapping quality units for lesser quality in the limited airfields

The bombardments start all over the front – seven in total but the punishment dished out is relatively light.

[warspite1]

Turn 185
24th June 1942

With turns starting to run out I will do a summary at the start of each turn as follows:

[warspite1]

Turn 185
24th June 1942

As ever the biggest problem (or at least one of them [:D]) that the CW have is the propensity to fail a proficiency check.

In planning an offensive I have to take this into account - but at the same time I can't just assume it will always happen

My first target is Burg El Arab at the northern tip of the enemy salient on the coastal plain. There is then a second prong to what I hope will be a pincer movement in the southern tip. Finally there is an attack in the centre to try and kick-start an offensive in that sector.

[warspite1]

Turn 185
24th June 1942

The first of the attacks is in the centre. The battle goes fairly well for the CW with infantry and tanks advancing as the Axis retreat. However, the air battle that raged over head went very badly for the CW with 30 more aircraft lost and more than double the number destroyed.

[warspite1]

Turn 185
24th June 1942

The attack at the northern end of the salient was tough and cost the CW hugely in infantry. Things were a little better in terms of aircraft and tanks lost - but a German panzer battalion still holds the ground.

[warspite1]

Turn 185
24th June 1942

The third of the three battles confirms how costly these have been for the Commonwealth. The only consolation is that they've advance in two of them....

[warspite1]

Turn 185
24th June 1942

The plan is to follow up with four further attacks:

- a second crack at the northern salient
- two attacks further south to try and force enemy units northwest and to try and create a wedge between the forces further south.
- an attack in the centre

[warspite1]

Turn 185
24th June 1942

Well it looks like I've done something very wrong. The losses amongst the Commonwealth forces have just been crippling. Maybe I should just bombard before attacking and risk the counter-bombardment. Whatever it is, I can't have anymore turns like this or there will be no 8th Army left....

[warspite1]

Turn 185
24th June 1942

In view of the losses I ended the turn with a series of bombardments to try and put some losses back on the Axis. Stupidly I attacked a lone German recce battalion and lost the best part of 100 infantry squads and had an AT unit evaporated which rather spoilt that idea.

I could end up getting badly counter-attacked here.....

[Zorch]

I remember watching a TV show about the Battle of El Alamein when I was young. It consisted of Monty in front of a map talking about how brilliant he was. For a very long time.

I now return you to reality.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

I remember watching a TV show about the Battle of El Alamein when I was young. It consisted of Monty in front of a map talking about how brilliant he was. For a very long time.

I now return you to reality.

warspite1

Indeed he was. I could do with some of his ability right now.....

[warspite1]

Turn 186 - Axis Turn (in real time)
27th June 1942

So how does devoncop react to that – somewhat disastrous offensive?

Well the bad news is the first thing I see is a panzer battalion moving along the coastal path to join its comrades at the front – as does a second, followed by an Italian artillery regiment. I guess a counter-attack is coming….

This is followed by a ton of movement in the Mersah Matruh and Jebel areas as reinforcements head east.

There are plenty of reinforcements still piling in from Tripolitania too.

No further movement along the front and then the bombardment starts – 3 of these before enemy moves get underway again – although this is behind the lines once again

Aircraft flying east now – Ju-87’s

Bombardments start up again

So no counter-attack but the Axis still pack a punch and there were some losses there I could have done without - the field guns in particular....