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

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: ChuckBerger

Forgive the impertinent question... but haven't you just kicked some ***? It seems like you have surrounded and destroyed many top quality German formations. Whatever difficulties you think you have in terms of a broader front and tired/depleted troops must surely be worse for your opponent. And you must have him demoralised from the recent battles as well. You see strung-out, scattered, depleted Allied formations in sore need of a rest - your opponent sees a tide of unstoppable, constantly replenishing forces, with the threat of amphibious invasions everywhere and he hasn't got the troops to delay much less stop the tide!

Charge, good sir!

warspite1

[:)]

A commander often sees only his own weaknesses and so it is nice to receive a pep talk every now and then - thank-you [:)]

As to whether I've kicked serious bottom, I've certainly had some good results but to what extent that has weakened the Germans I can't say as I've never played this scenario, I'm not looking at the other threads and this is a campaign of WWII I probably know least about (the China theatre aside).

But you're right and, heeding your impudent advice [:D] I've attacked one turn early at Policastro (I was going to wait for the units off road to be able to join in). The result? A Fallschirmjaeger Regiment evaporates and the Germans lose large numbers of tanks and artillery (which was nice). The town falls to the 21st Tank Brigade - Hussah!!

EDIT: I thought Policastro was taken but it appears it was the hex to the southeast.

[700851McCall]

I was also thinking you have cracked it over the last couple of turns. I can see the Axis having to withdraw much further north after this.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: 700851McCall

I was also thinking you have cracked it over the last couple of turns. I can see the Axis having to withdraw much further north after this.

warspite1

devoncop doesn't seem to be showing any signs of moving back (although my intelligence of course remains sketchy). He's hit back quite hard this turn with bombardments and even evaporated a fighter squadron so maybe the Luftwaffe have got their second wind.

[warspite1]

Turn 120 - Axis Turn
6th November 1943

Sure enough an analysis of the last turn shows a disturbing picture. The Allies - even on their best turns, having surrounded units and other low on supply etc - can't get anywhere these numbers. None of the below involve attacks - just bombardments. The losses inflicted by German artillery is just incredible. The nos. below don't include the evaporated squadron as the game gives me no nos. or any detail for this.


I thought it was an amazing achievement to destroy 165 German infantry units. Then the next turn the German artillery rocks up and simply removes almost 400 Allied rifle squads from the OOB....

[warspite1]

Turn 120
6th November 1943

The plan for this turn is to just keep going as much as possible, in line with the general plan outlined in post 299.

On the west coast the British can't get into position to attack so will no doubt face another slaughtering at the hands of the Axis guns as they consolidate the position at Policastro and beyond. To the east, most of the artillery is reorganising so can't move up in support or indeed support the attempts to liquidate the Germans trapped southwest of Lauria. Its left to the 24th Guards Brigade to try and reduce the artillery of the HG Panzer Artillery Regt. Meanwhile the 7th Armoured Division combines with the 1st Canadian Division and other British units that can be scrapped together to attack the units in the east of the pocket.

[warspite1]

Turn 120
6th November 1943

In the US sector the plan is for four attacks. Three of these are to continue the liquidation of the pockets previously created, but the main focus is in the east and an attack led by the 36th Infantry Division with armour support, artillery and air support.

[warspite1]

Turn 120
6th November 1943

Only the attack in the east is 'Poor' - all others range from 'Good' to 'Excellent' but of course that does not prove to be the case.

The first attack by the Guards infantry doesn't cause a single loss to the Germans and is repulsed with loss and reorganisation for the British.

The remaining attacks go reasonably well with some destruction of enemy units and retreat.

Sadly on both the US and the British fronts there is little possibility to follow up as the units have insufficient movement allowance left. Just two attacks can be mounted

[warspite1]

Turn 121
7th November 1943

There was little from the Axis this turn - just one bombardment with limited damage.

The mopping up operation is taking longer - and using more units - than I'd hoped. I decide to be more sensible about this and begin withdrawal of all surplus units.

There will be 5 attacks and two bombardments. The bombardments are at the two extremes of the line where I can't get attacks in.

[warspite1]

Turn 121
7th November 1943

The turn proved to be less than hoped. I attacked with the British east of Pisciotto but it was perhaps too early and the 78th Division and its armoured support suffered as a result. This meant the turn pretty much running down with bombardments. In the centre the lead elements of the US 45th Division push on towards Viggiano.

[warspite1]

Turn 122
8th November 1943

The Axis remain hell bent on destroying my bridges. Perhaps I should put an AA unit on the hex, although (touchwood) so far it seems to be a useful tool to deplete the Luftwaffe. The Allies lost 25 fighters (8 destroyed) and the Luftwaffe 59 aircraft (13 destroyed) - the bridge remains intact.

Elsewhere there were 4 bombardments - 2 each against the western and eastern fronts. Both US and British forces took a bit of a beating.

[warspite1]

Turn 122
8th November 1943

Well that was really dumb on my part. I've tried to land a Free French Division at Taranto and I can only assume they came from too far away. Only one or two had the option to land and none did - even though there appears to be nothing in the hex. Well done. If the Luftwaffe have anything left then that division could be blown out of the water.....

[warspite1]

Turn 123
9th November 1943

I don't think the Germans sunk any of the Free French landing ships so they survive for another turn. The Germans did send aircraft reinforcement to the heel of Italy however.

Taranto aside there were four a number of bombardments against the east and west coast as before. These are starting to hurt but are by no means in the critical category..... yet.

[warspite1]

Turn 123
9th November 1943

So what is the plan for this turn?

I intend to attack Pisciotta head on, while other units (the newly arrived Kiwis and Canucks) are racing to try and outflank any Germans coming to bolster the defences. I have disengaged most of the 46th Division and they too are racing to the scene - but will be sometime.

[warspite1]

Turn 123
9th November 1943

In the centre the Germans are proving tough nuts to crack - particularly as there are less and less Allied units to do the job. Surrounding units in this terrain is not always easy.

A regiment from 45th Division has taken Viggiano.

[warspite1]

Turn 123
9th November 1943

On the right the Frenchmen will try and land again. The US forces south of Pisticci are in desperate need of reinforcement and supply.....

[warspite1]

Turn 123
9th November 1943

The British attack forced the Germans out of the town and so I aim to follow this up. The US forces in the east will also attack - supply problems notwithstanding.

I have no idea how an amphib landing is supposed to work and needless to say the poor Frenchmen are still at sea, unable to move and about to become shark food.....

[warspite1]

Turn 123
9th November 1943

The British attack goes well once again and the 26th Panzer Division suffers a loss of a lot of its tank strength. There can be no more attacks this turn but if I'm lucky I can get a couple of rounds of bombardment in.

In the east the 191st Tank Battalion brushes aside the German artillery but supply for almost units in this sector is critical and operations will need to cease.

Sure enough, I got two rounds in and caused further casualties to the 26th Panzer and its comrades.....

[warspite1]

Turn 124 - Axis Turn
10th November 1943

There were three bombardments from the Germans this turn, two of which landed with reasonably bad results for the British/Canadians and Indians.

More annoying however is that none of the German units escaping in the west were engaged [:@]

[warspite1]

Turn 124
10th November 1943

I got a game crash for the first time. This was when I tried to move the Free French. Two units are at sea but show not on board ship. I got the game back and sent the entire flotilla back to port. I'm not risking losing the game over that load of nonsense.

[warspite1]

Turn 124
10th November 1943

I've been inundated with e-mails, phone calls, texts and letters "Hello warspite1 old boy, where does one currently find the British 56th Infantry Division"? or "Yo W1, where da 56ID at"?

Well worry yourselves no further, for I can reveal that, having spent some months on a tour of Sardinia and Corsica, they have now moved onto Elba - or at least two brigades have. The third remains on Corsica.