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

[warspite1]

Turn 186
27th June 1942

Just rubbish. A quick look at the map and..... loads of CW forces reorganising. What makes things really annoying is there is a large stack of Germans (yellow dot) sticking out like a sore thumb south of Burg El Arab - but all my forces around them are reorganising. Great....

I also seem to have lost a Tomahawk squadron. Must have been last turn and I've missed it because it wasn't during the Axis turn.

As for the Victory conditions - all those losses have pushed out victory a little further, but only by one point at this stage.

[warspite1]

Turn 186
27th June 1942

Well with turns running out that was thoroughly depressing. Once again most of my aircraft are shot in terms of readiness after just one turn and I've rested anything not dark green. My artillery has been hammered and many units are on red and/or short on artillery pieces and/or reorganising. I've taken out of the firing line what I can. With so many troops reorganising I can't attack and so have concentrated on ensuring (as much as possible) that my stacks are not overstacked. There is only one that I can see that is a problem - but units are reorganising and so I can't move them.

My turn in limited then to bring the Australian 9th Division forward and....that's about it [:(].

[warspite1]

Turn 187 - Axis Turn (in real time)
1st July 1942

So now that devoncop must realise I’m in a bit of trouble, what does he do in reaction?

The turn starts with some aircraft manoeuvres – some east, some west

There is then a lot of reinforcing and invisible moves, including a lot more aircraft and other exotic units like commandos and paratroopers….

As a paratroop unit moved there was an Allied intercept. No idea what happened there as a result however.

Once again, lesser Italian aircraft seem to be heading west, while better quality German units head east.

The bombardments commence then lots of movement on the coastal plain and in the south before the artillery fires up once more

10 bombardments in total - the damage wasn't too bad.

[warspite1]

Turn 187
1st July 1942

The victory conditions continue to slide further away.

[warspite1]

Turn 187
1st July 1942

The order of battle from north to south is:

XIII Corps
1st Free French Brigade
1st South African Division
2nd New Zealand Division

Armoured Reserve
2nd Armoured Division
10th Armoured Division

XXX Corps
10th Indian Division
9th Australian Division
50th Infantry Division (less a brigade)

Armoured Reserve
1st Armoured Division
22nd Armoured Brigade
32nd Army Tank Brigade

X Corps
5th Indian Division
4th Indian Division
1 Brigade attached from 50th Infantry Division

Armoured Reserve
7th Armoured Division
1st Army Tank Brigade

Air Forces: 54 Squadrons (16 resting and 1 reorganising)
Operational squadrons
Fighters - 24
Bombers - 13

[warspite1]

Turn 187
1st July 1942

I can't afford another turn like the last one and so I am going to try and soften up the defences this time. Opportunities will be limited as I have had to do a lot of moving to get units into position, but we'll see where we get to.

Just the one attack was launched after 3 rounds of bombardment. The attack was led by 2 regiments of the 10th Armoured in support of infantry from the 10th Indian and later the 2nd New Zealand.

The losses taken by the CW were higher but not dramatically so. It doesn't really need to be said, but the air battle was once again disappointing for the CW. Air superiority doesn't seem to count and although losses were similar, the number of aircraft destroyed was double for the CW.....

[warspite1]

Turn 187
1st July 1942

I decide not to follow-up the attack but will instead finish the turn with a bombardment. I manage to evaporate 2 units in the salient south of Burg El Arab after 5 rounds of intense bombardment. Sadly the tanks of the panzer battalion there were barely touched.

[warspite1]

Turn 188 - Axis Turn (in real time)
4th July 1942

The turn starts with units from the Littorio Division moving east behind the front line, followed by assorted reinforcements – mostly Italian
devoncop reacts to my last attack by bolstering the front behind where I advanced.

In fact he does more than that; a panzer battalion moves into position ahead of my front line….
Artillery is then switched from the southern front to the centre. This could be painful….

In fact it looks like all his artillery in the south is moving

Damn – Alexandria is bombarded. I should have mentioned the house rule that the RN should be attacked….

More bombardments follow and more panzers move into the centre ready to attack; a battalion of Rajputana’s and an armoured regiment evaporate, while a battalion of New Zealanders retreat.

That attack hurt - especially the tanks, but its pleasing to see the enemy take some serious losses. Once again though I find the air battle a little disheartening. Despite overwhelming superiority the Axis receive less destroyed units than the Allies.

[warspite1]

Turn 188
4th July 1942

The losses that turn cancelled each other out and the Victory Score remains the same.

[warspite1]

Turn 188
4th July 1942

Not much to write home about as the CW decide to partake of some bombardments and only two attacks. Northwest of Burg El Arab a battalion from the 90th Light Infantry is destroyed. Further south the hex contested last turn is contested once again.

[warspite1]

Turn 189 - Axis Turn (in real time)
8th July 1942

I suspect I know what is coming and it starts with A and ends with Y and it’s going to hurt……

Well that’s a surprise. First time I’ve bothered to use interdiction for ages and I lose two fighter squadrons evaporated. As far as I can tell from the playback my bombers didn’t even attack.

Aircraft swapping positions (presumably depleted for fresh units)
a Wellington squadron evaporates – funny this I thought I had air superiority….. oh I did…

More artillery moving up to the front now – lots and lots of artillery….

…wow this is a long turn – I guess the downside of better recce is sitting though longer playbacks
Here comes a German paratrooper landing at Dekheila I think….

[warspite1]

Turn 189 - Axis Turn (in real time)
8th July 1942

Mmmm struggling to remain coherent at the moment. The paratroopers have now marched on Alexandria and all the RN ships have moved out.

An attack on the coast road pushes the Allies back

A South African AT and an LAA battery evaporates and a battalion of infantry retreat

The bombardments start

A battalion of infantry evaporates

Now back to the paratroopers who are attacking RAF base units and support units

Yet another battalion of South Africans evaporate

More units retreat

Another Hurricane squadron evaporates

Another Wellington squadron evaporates

An LAA unit evaporates

[warspite1]

Turn 189
8th July 1942

So what happens now? Does this mean the navy are back in play? According to the scenario briefing they are permanently out of play if Alexandria is lost - but I can still move and shoot with them.....

Not that it matters much - at the start of that turn I had air superiority I lost 6 squadrons and had an airborne drop take place near Alexandria where most of my fighter squadrons are. I've lost, evaporated, most of my South African infantry, as my coastal plain defence line has disappeared and yet.... looking at the German units that have achieved this it appears they used two tank battalions????

Okay.....

I've been looking at the coding and I think I've spotted the fundamental flaw with the scenario....

[warspite1]

Turn 189
8th July 1942

It's difficult to see a way back from this. I suspect the paratroopers will be like the panzers and very difficult to dislodge with the little I have available.

My initial feeling is that I will simply have to throw everything at it and not worry about the consequences. The CW air force is totally pointless anyway, the artillery is weak and the infantry disappear in a cloud of smoke if they so much as look at an Axis soldier.

The other alternative is simply to keep withdrawing until turn 201. I no longer have a naval base to protect and, frankly, there is no point looking after the fighter and bomber squadrons, and get them to full strength just to be shot down on the first turn they are used.

Its pretty scary that he's destroyed my forces in the north and yet I can see the bulk of his armour elsewhere!

I'll sleep on it and then total up the damage from the last turn before deciding what to do.....

[warspite1]

Turn 189
8th July 1942

Well I think I might as well attack. I've not bothered trying to manage the air situation anymore as it doesn't seem to work; basically if it is not reorganising then its flying - regardless of supply, readiness etc.

I can't garrison every airbase. I'll just have to ignore them and hope that last turn was a one off and that as a general rule lumbering Ju-52's can't simply rock up to downtown Cairo and drop an airborne division unopposed.

It's a case of just blasting away, hope I get lucky and the turn doesn't end early and seeing what happens.

Four attacks planned. I can't get at Alexandria at present.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 189
8th July 1942

So what happens now? Does this mean the navy are back in play? According to the scenario briefing they are permanently out of play if Alexandria is lost - but I can still move and shoot with them.....

Not that it matters much - at the start of that turn I had air superiority I lost 6 squadrons and had an airborne drop take place near Alexandria where most of my fighter squadrons are. I've lost, evaporated, most of my South African infantry, as my coastal plain defence line has disappeared and yet.... looking at the German units that have achieved this it appears they used two tank battalions????

Okay.....

I've been looking at the coding and I think I've spotted the fundamental flaw with the scenario....

The alternative explanation is that your august opponent is...ahem..cheating. [:D]

[warspite1]

Turn 189
8th July 1942

The attack on Dekheila went well and the paratroop battalion was unable to retreat and so destroyed.

[warspite1]

Turn 189
8th July 1942

An all too familiar story.....

The attack against the Axis forces west of Burg El Arab was successful in so far as the enemy retreated. In terms of losses the 'Excellent' attack with 'moderate' losses turned out to be a little different. The lost enemy infantry didn't even reach 20 squads. The CW lost 115....

[warspite1]

Turn 189
8th July 1942

The attacks to the south followed similar patterns. The most southern attack saw the enemy retreat but the CW lost 3 times the men plus aircraft and tanks.....

The attack just north of that says it all. Again the losses were 3 times greater for the CW, the panzers held their ground and 12 Me-109's came off better against 87 Spitfires, Hurricanes and Kittyhawks.....

[warspite1]

Turn 189
8th July 1942

Once again I can't get to Alexandria - or at least I can but the odds against two parachute battalions are woeful.

I therefore try and push ahead on the coastal plain. The odds are not great for two of the attacks but its difficult to see why and so I am going to have to ignore the prediction. I have plenty of artillery and air support for each and so I'm hoping this will have the desired effect on the outcome.