653Nv1.7 Axis AAR

[sPzAbt653]

AGS
The Dora Rail Gun supports the southern area, in order to help reduce those areas that become holdouts. It's a little difficult to use and I usually have it out of position and it spends most of the game moving around. The one Srat I have supports the northern area, it is much more flexible to use, but costly to repair and it take a lot of casualties.

[sPzAbt653]

The Rumanians - they're not as good as the Germans at eliminating units, and sometimes they need a little help. It's best to keep them away from important areas as they tend to clog things up and bog down advances. I usually keep their HQ back at Jassy, but this game I moved them up to Kishinev. Not a good move, but no harm done.

[sPzAbt653]

Mid-East Review.

Axis forces are regrouping after the fierce battles in Egypt.
Iraq has revolted and joined the Axis. [Germany gets MPP's from Iraq Oil at this time, which I don't think is fair because they have no link to it, let alone no real historical way to use it. So I will think about doing something about this].
After the UK left, one Canadian unit stayed behind, and Palestine and Transjordan remained totally Allied property.
I'll use the Germans to eliminate the Canadians, then the Italians will take Palestine and Transjordan. and then attack and take Saudi Arabie. This will give Italy a few more MPP's.
I'm not sure what to do about Syria. From what I know it was an independent country that had to abide by a treaty with France, which meant they had to agree with Vichy rules, and therefore had to allow Germany to use bases there. It's all very confusing. On Bill's recommendation I got a book by Colin Smith called 'England's Last War Against France', maybe that will help me decide what if anything should be done with Syria.

[sPzAbt653]

Italy.
With the UK out, there are no active threats to Italy, so I have a few Corps that can be used instead of watching beaches. Maybe send them to Spain once the USA enters. Maybe to Russia to fill gaps. We also have to watch the Red Sea and Persian Gulf once the USA enters, so maybe send them there. [&:]

[sPzAbt653]

End of turn 2 - AGN

We are one Motorized Korps less than historical in this area, because one of them is in Afrika. Knocking the UK out of the war was worth having it there. It will ship to Italy this turn then be Operated to AGN next turn.

Opie has built a line along the ... what is that, the Dvina River? I'll have to mark that on the map.
With these game mechanics, it's not really beneficial to me to get behind this line, it works better to take the towns, Riga, Dogpile and Polotsk, and then the defenses there fall apart. It would take more time to work around behind the line, plus such a maneuver will leave the Panzers generally out of supply and at 4%, which sucks.

[sPzAbt653]

AGC
Not much resistance. Lots of my infantry marching east.

[sPzAbt653]

AGS
Same as AGC, little resistance, lots of marching.

[sPzAbt653]

The Rumanians - Usually I wouldn't leave units behind me and such gaps in my lines, but this early in Russia, the Soviets don't pose any threat.

[sPzAbt653]

From now on the Lend-Lease contributions to Russia will grow, and there isn't much I can do about it. Capturing Persia will stop that southern route aid. Murmansk and Archangel aren't important because the USA could have sent that stuff thru Vladivostok [and in 653N they will, if you capture those locations]. All of the important MPP spots for the USSR are far away because they moved all their industry east. There are mines in the south, and oil in the far south, but before I expand the front to try and get those areas, I will get Leningrad first. This links the Finns to me, and actually shortens the front due to all the unplayable marsh areas around Ladoga. Then I will take Moscow. This will be in 1942. Then the 1943 campaign will be heading into the expanses in the south. For now I will continue to damage the Soviet Army as much as possible, while making sure that I maintain my own army is good enough shape to be successful in the future.

[sPzAbt653]

North Front

[sPzAbt653]

South Front

[sPzAbt653]

They get the USA, I get Finland.

[sPzAbt653]

I will say YES to this. I'd like to spend all my MPP's right now on Research and some more HQ's for the Russian Front, but this looks like a good deal.

And it's [nor Morocco] not [not Morocco] ! The typist gets an 'F'.

[sPzAbt653]

North Front

[sPzAbt653]

South Front
Kiev falls - now the 1.PzGr will move South East down the river to get Dnepropetrovsk.

[sPzAbt653]

Opie never seems to defend this area. I've looked at the scripts and it looks like he should. I'll have to try and take a harder look.

[sPzAbt653]

I generally transport somebody up thru Turku to help the Finns take Hanko. It's not important at all, just something to do.

[sPzAbt653]

North Front
2.Pz Grp has run into foul weather and crappy supply and slowed to a crawl.

[sPzAbt653]

South Front

[sPzAbt653]

Research

As I said earlier, the Germans have all the advantages at the beginning, so no reason to spend on early Research, in my opinion. After France I had built all the Mot. Korps that I could, plus a bunch of HQ's, all to help in Russia. Then I built all the Subs that I could, in order to attack shipping and defend coasts. Now I can focus on Research.

The categories for 653N are reduced/combined to make it easier for me to get my head around. I look on Research as being four main categories [blue] and I like to keep one of them active in each of the four categories at all times, for the Germans.
The green highlighted categories are separate and I usually throw something on AAA early on to help combat the USA/UK Strat attacks. The Naval Escort category isn't very important to the Axis as they aren't making any Amphibious Assaults. However, this category improves the Defense Strengths of AV's, AVL's and Transports [due to the limited available escorts in 653N, because capital ships have been removed]. So this category is handy for the Allies.

For the Italians, I invest in Industrial Technology whenever I can afford it, but I'm usually busy spending on keeping a small part of their force in decent shape.