Encircled by Enemies (PBEM gwgardner vs Chocolino)

[Chocolino]

My only hope now is to hold out long enough to drain German resources, so that Barbarossa will be impossible in '41.

I think you will achieve this goal. Yes, the UK looks bleak - but it will take quite some time to clear up. Will also be interesting how the Soviets will respond.

Also not sure which ports cut off supplies for the UK. I am surprised that the convoy captains cannot re-rout through Liverpool for example.

[Chocolino]

2-28-41

German troops slip into Wales and threaten undefended airfields in Cardiff. Cardiff is another level 9 port and a VP objective. Looks as if the British did run out of land units after all.

All other theaters including seas are quiet.

[Chocolino]

3-14-41

The weather is terrible and Germany takes essentially a day off.

3-28-41

Dover was abandoned by the British and German amphibious units moved in. Germany is hungry for harbors. Supply interdiction varies in severity from turn to turn but continues to go on. The Axis is now ready to attack London and Birmingham.

In an bit of international news, Finland joined the Axis and the US started lend-lease to the UK which - I am sure - will be much appreciated by them.

[gwgardner]

Turns out I never 'turned on' the convoys (a new requirement for the latest revision), so looks like the Admiralty took a nap for a a couple of months and just woke up. We'll see next turn if that makes a difference getting supplies from the Commonwealth to the UK.

[Chocolino]

4-11-41

The weather is terrible again (heavy rain) but we don't want to wait another turn. London seems weekly defended and falls (probably because of the supply difficulties that the UK reported on above).

Because of the many UK harbors in German hand German supply is always just enough for reasonable effectiveness despite constant interdiction.

[Chocolino]

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

Turns out I never 'turned on' the convoys (a new requirement for the latest revision), so looks like the Admiralty took a nap for a a couple of months and just woke up. We'll see next turn if that makes a difference getting supplies from the Commonwealth to the UK.

Glad that this is figured out - didn't make any sense otherwise.

[gwgardner]

Turning the convoy lines on made no difference, still getting no imports.

[Chocolino]

Your armor and mech recovered nicely though. I thought you did receive some influx there.

But of course, the Axis is not complaining. Perhaps the Axis propaganda (ah - education) has swayed the British merchant captains and now they wish secretly to serve the Axis....

[Chocolino]

4-25-41

There are still British activities in the Med. They just occupied Rhodes. Perhaps the Allies have a long term plan to invade mainland Greece and they wanted this island as a nearby base.

[Chocolino]

4-25-41

Mr. Churchill has departed England and fled with his government to a Pacific Island. (235,0) which is not even an urban location but a resource hex.

England continues to be a slow grind and the two strongest British units (that we are aware of) defend Birmingham.

[Chocolino]

5-9-41

After being dangerously encircled, the British leave the citizens of Birmingham to German administration skills. We take the key Birmingham railway junction without any further resistance. We have also two hexes next to Liverpool now. But the weather is still not cooperating in the UK. The locals will probably tell you that this is completely normal for May in this country.

[Chocolino]

5-23-41

The good weather and a successful week in England have created some euphoria in German HQ which caused them to attempt an invasion of the USSR already now with fighting in England still ongoing and more than half of their tanks in the West. More levelheaded planners call it foolish - but they could not made themselves heard.

German spearheads approached Riga and attempted an attack which was repelled however. Kaunas and much of Eastern Poland was traversed. The USSR - seeing how weak we actually are - was deployed fairly forward with many "road blocks" of 1-5 rifle corps and cav.

[Chocolino]

5-23-41

The Soviets seem to be even more forward deployed in the south were a basically infantry based attacking force managed to only take Lvov and cross the Bug. Romania has just hold orders and the borders to the two southern Allies are a concern.

Of course we also loose the pleasant shipment of 10 oil with which the USSR has so generously funded our England adventure.

[Chocolino]

5-23-41

The Axis could clear the East of England and also take Liverpool in the west, another large harbor. We are one hex away from linking up with the enclave at Hull. The British lost a total of 5 land units. It seemed as if England is crumbing finally and this weighted heavily in favor of an earlier Barbarossa. I don't think a Barbarossa gets any easier in '42.

[Chocolino]

5-23-41

Perhaps a good time to take stock of casualties at the beginning of a new campaign.

The USSR lost 9 under-strength corps in turn one and the UK is on par with Germany for land losses. The Axis is also proud to report the naval loss ratio of 210/80 Allies vs Axis.

[Chocolino]

6-6-41

The Germans link up to their Hull beachhead and reach the Trent river defensive line. Northern England and Scotland are much narrower and we won't need as many units here going forward.

[Chocolino]

6-6-41

Riga falls to a determined German attack. We hope we can soon transfer more planes to the east. currently there are only 3 German air groups operating in the east (plus a Hungarian and Romanian fighter). We can again cleanse the USSR army of 9 pre-war units and help its modernization.

There is basically a static front in the very south where the Soviets have moved forward into Bessarabia and probe the weak Romanian defenses. There are some border skirmishes in Finland and AGS is only inching forward against a sea of red.

[Chocolino]

6-20-41

Leeds is now Axis controlled - an important VP objective.

[Chocolino]

6-20-41

Finnish troops try to keep as many Soviet units occupied in the north as possible. In a hard fought battle they take the little town of Vyborg near Leningrad.

[Chocolino]

6-20-41

In the center we are ready to attack Minsk next turn.

In the south there is not much to report. Border skirmishes at the Romanian border and almost static warfare in the Ukraine - still far from Kiev.