Encircled by Enemies (PBEM gwgardner vs Chocolino)

[Michael T]

Nice, I am thinking of the same thing in my game. As the Brits seem to have denuded the UK. Gotta keep them honest.

[Flaviusx]

Continue to be amazed at all this sloppy port security. Not just in this game, but in lots of them.

The Brits need to be careful about this sort of thing especially until the Germans turn east. Then they can get a little frisky.

You have to lock down the UK, Egypt, Cyprus, and the Levant (including Syria.) Then and only then should you consider adventures with whatever is left over. And, really, maybe just wait anyways until Barbarossa is a go.

[Michael T]

I think that it's a little too easy to keep units supplied from a port. As interdiction only reduces the port supply by a max of 1 level. So once ashore with a port you can't starve the enemy out no matter how much air or naval power you have. Port Interdiction seems underpowered. The UK player in this game is going to find it very tough to remove those invaders.

[Flaviusx]

Well, Plymouth is a level 9 port to begin with. Even if interdiction was harsher that's a big port! Should never have been left uncovered. Likewise Glasgow, and any other substantial port in the UK.

If I was the German in this game, I'd be seriously tempted to put Barbarossa on hold until 42 and roll up the UK after being given a gift like that.

[Flaviusx]

There's 5 VP objectives in the UK and imo those 5 are easier to get than 5 in the USSR. (In this situation, at least.) In 42 you can grab at least Minsk, Riga and Kiev from Russia. Then sit and hold. That's a winning position right there. You won't knock out the bear, but you don't need to. Crippling the UK makes up for that.

[gwgardner]

Where's the Home Guard when you need them!

[Majmac]

The Home Guard are probably having their afternoon nap!

[821Bobo]

ORIGINAL: Michael T

Nice, I am thinking of the same thing in my game. As the Brits seem to have denuded the UK. Gotta keep them honest.

While unless I keep my fleet nonstop on see I can't prevent landing, if I recall you even landed reinforcements in Lybia while my fleet was lurking around the port. But you must noticed that most of UK ports are guarded. Full Sealion will probably work as it seems to be far too easy to do invasion. Especially in 39/40 when UK ground forces are spread out thin.

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Continue to be amazed at all this sloppy port security. Not just in this game, but in lots of them.

The Brits need to be careful about this sort of thing especially until the Germans turn east. Then they can get a little frisky.

You have to lock down the UK, Egypt, Cyprus, and the Levant (including Syria.) Then and only then should you consider adventures with whatever is left over. And, really, maybe just wait anyways until Barbarossa is a go.

Easier to say than done. Brits start with depleted units and lot of ports to guard.

[Michael T]

I think maybe the Brits are stronger at 1.02 start, rather than when we started with 1.01 Robert.

[Flaviusx]

It can be done but you will have to forego sending the BEF to France, let alone screwing around in Norway or whatever. You may indeed have to abandon Malta. (That garrison, split in two, can cover Cyprus.)

There is just enough there to cover the essentials, with a little bit of help from your Canadian friends.

As for fleshing out depleted units, this can be done in time. Set replacements to 50. Set priority to a few units at a time until they fill out. Avoid combat. That includes maybe strategic bombing if it starts getting expensive. Buy one convoy escort each and every turn at least until the Americans arrive.

[Flaviusx]

Britain has to be played with great caution and reserve early on, imo. At least so far as ground units go. The Royal Navy may find opportunities to mess with the Axis.

[gwgardner]

My only hope now is to hold out long enough to drain German resources, so that Barbarossa will be impossible in '41. I just have little confidence I can hold, unless my navy has some success blocking his reinforcements.

My success in North Africa now appears to be a complete and unneeded sideshow.

When Chocolino attacked Bulgaria, I was certain he was headed for Turkey. He still may do that, but I was caught completely off guard by his turn on the UK.

[Chocolino]

Thanks for all the helpful comments and good advice.

From where I sit taking England is not a done deal at all - and for certain not quickly. The UK units have some staying power and are not like the Greek or Bulgarians. Depends also on how many reserves the English have up their sleeve. I think gwgardner has it spot on when he says (second half of sentence):

I just have little confidence I can hold, unless my navy has some success blocking his reinforcements.

.

And that is exactly what he is doing now as we will see.

[Chocolino]

12-6-40

The Home Guard was there after all - the British put together a respectable line of defense alone the Bristol - Southampton railroad, cordoning off Cornwall. German units can however take Bristol harbor and one more hex.

British naval units have been seen of the coast of Portugal running at flank speed back to home waters. I assume it is the 2 CV carrier group last seen by the Italians near Corsica/Sardinia. But we are not sure of course.

Given the haphazard nature of the England enterprise, the German army has only a single corps sized unit it can ship to Plymouth as reinforcement this turn. Once the RN is back, German reinforcements will be trickier to ship in because of the ever present danger of naval interdiction.

However, a commando raid takes Hull on the east coast in the rear of the British line. (I don't remember if it was open already last turn or if the UK removed the unit in building the defense line). Unfortunately only divisional units could participate in this raid.

German paratroopers land near Nottingham and will hopefully link up with the forces in Hull. The purpose of this raid is to flush out any hidden defenders (build queue?) that now need to occupy the cities in the Midlands.

In Lybia (no pic this week) the British continue to pursue the Italians to Benghazi.

[Flaviusx]

For a completely off the cuff and unplanned offensive, this is turning out rather nicely. You've expended a grand total of 20 landing craft doing this. A splendid return on a minimal investment.

I would totally go all in on this. Pile on the panzers into the UK, and the luftwaffe too. Let Russia hang for a year.

If the Royal Navy wants to come to this party, why, bomb the crap out of it.

[gwgardner]

Oh, the RN is coming to the party! After we refuel ....

[Chocolino]

12-20-40

The British fought back Italian defenders from the hills around Benghazi and are now ready to take the next Italian town. The Italians seem unable to withstand.

[Chocolino]

12-20-40

Because of upload size limitation I have to make 2 pics for England. In the south Germans can take Southampton which is also a level 9 harbor. But it will not be available as a supply source until it is free from enemy ZOC - if I understand the rules correctly.

3 of 5 British naval task forces are in this area alone interdicting supply and reinforcements. The Luftwaffe focuses on naval attacks instead of much needed ground support. But the bombers are not trained for this task and have poor results.

[Chocolino]

12-20-40

The Paratroopers have managed to link up with the secondary German beach head near Hull. Two more British task forces make sure they will receive only sparse supplies and essentially prevent fresh reinforcements. (I am not sure how high the risk actually is to ship a corps near the British defenders but interdiction must be likely. I assume it depends on the British TFs effectiveness. I am not sure if it depends of the closeness they pass each other or the weather)

The British manage to garrison all threatened cities - also with the aid of some Canadian friends. How many more land units can they deploy? Their reserves must be deeper than German HQ assumed.

[Flaviusx]

Your bombers are fine. It's the weather that's the problem. You do not need dedicated naval bombers for this task.

The moment you get clear weather, bomb the RN to scrap. At the very least clear out everything within 5 hexes of Southampton and Plymouth. You should have every single bomber in the Luftwaffe in Northern France for this. Priority one. This is the game right here if you can do it. Heck, I would even send the Italians up here. They are not to be despised, the 2 tac bombers and dive bomber they start with are quite useful.

Everything else is a sideshow compared to overruning the UK. I will happily trade Libya for London. Frankly, I think the British player is bonkers for not stripping down the Med in the face of this emergency. What he has in the UK will NOT stop you if you go all in. This is a completely doable proposition. A half dozen or more panzer corps, plus plenty of infantry corps and the entire might of the Axis airpower will overwhelm Britain.

The sub could be problem to find, post patch. But surface vessels are dead meat.

This is assuming the subs are set to raider. If they are actually set to fleet, you can smoke them along with the rest of the RN.

You need to get an HQ in Britain ASAP, btw.