Flaviusx v. Sapper 2229

[Flaviusx]

Situation in the west at the end of October 1939. The Germans have knocked out Poland, Denmark, and the Netherlands and are lined up to take Belgium next, but took a breather this turn thanks to rain. France is building up rapidly and going it alone. Britain is focusing its efforts at home and in the Middle East. The French are even sending the British lend lease. France has some infantry in the build queue. Britain is pumping out escorts and infantry divisions, 1 per turn, and gradually saving up for a mech corps by the end of the year. There will be no Sea Lion douchebaggery if I can help it. By the time France is out of it the fortress UK should be well set up and any ports within reach of the luftwaffe will have corps on them, dug in. The other ports will be secured as well, but these require smaller garrisons.

[AlbertN]

Oh you're playing against the player I face in my own AAR with Sealion!

Best of luck, Saper is quite good by my experience! (Games are 1-0 for him!)

[battlevonwar]

I am looking forward to seeing the Russian Bear pull through!

[Chocolino]

Looking forward to seeing your current Axis approach to the game. I am sure I can learn something....

[Flaviusx]

I'm playing the allies this time around. For my next game, maybe I'll switch it up again.

Nov 10: more mud, no attacks, no nothing. Which is fine by me. So no pics. It's just the same as last turn. The French army is basically ready for whatever happens now. The Germans need a clear weather turn to knock out Belgium in one go, I don't think they will move even if it is snow. Otherwise, the French will just march forward and assist the Belgians. Here's hoping the weather gods don't grant the Axis clear any time soon.

I sent the French navy (all of it) to raid German convoys off Norway and a RN battle group to boot for good measure. This is probably overkill. Unless he shut down the convoys in anticipation of such cheese.

[Flaviusx]

Nov 24, clear weather, Belgium taken out in a single turn before I can even respond. What bad luck.

France sits tight and hopes for better weather than this.

[Journier]

geez how many games is saper running lol hes my opponent as well

keep an eye on manpower during barbarossa flavius with 1.05 official. youll be on of the firsts on it to get numbers. along with me and cohen.

[MagicMissile]

Good luck.

Already interesting to see. Seems you disbanded part of French airforce. No active allied airwar anylonger but then something seems too have happened as the allies seems to do worse in the air now then they used too.

I also send money from France to GB good or not good I am not sure but France is such a lost casuse anyway and I dont know if it matters much if it falls in June or August.

/MM

[Flaviusx]

Feb 14, 1940. Snow and mud since that one clear turn in November and the phony war is all the rage. The Germans are waiting for clear weather and don't seem inclined to test French lines otherwise.

Allies are just quietly building up. Fortress Britain is coming along nicely. Merely pumping out an infantry division each turn adds up. I can put a full corps on any port within reach of his air by the time this is done with, plus all other ports are covered as well. The Middle East needs some attention here but I want to secure the home islands first.

Even the French have been able to build a few units despite sending aid to Britain. I've added about 3 new corps to the French army. With everything topped off and no fighting I have resources to spare here.

The allies haven't sunk a single German merchant, and I can only assume my opponent has turned off his convoys. The Germans ventured out on one turn and sank 5 UK merchants in the North Atlantic when it was raining and my carriers couldn't fly, then turned back home. This route is covered by a full set of escorts. Possibly they inflicted some hits on the Axis subs, but there's no way to tell on my end.

[Flaviusx]

May 10, 1940, clear weather arrives after a long and eventful winter and spring. Germany shatters two French corps and takes Lille. The poilus fall back in tolerably good order.

No action in Norway, to my surprise. That raises suspicions. He may be saving landing craft for Sea Lion. But I am very ready for that. The RAF has relocated to Scotland and both the RN and the French navy are patroling the waters. Down south all ports are held by corps; not likely he can take those with just a paradrop.

[battlevonwar]

This is a rather passive Allied Defense vs The Aggro Allied Defense I've been seeing... All or Nothing in France!

[Flaviusx]

I just want to draw this out as long as possible. Right now I'm guessing France falls in mid July. "Counterattacking" is just going to advance the German timetable.

Come at me bro.

[Flaviusx]

Given changes in the air war and the very real threat of a Sea Lion, I do not think the allies can afford to do much else in the west. Not against a competent opponent. Frankly, I got pretty lucky on the weather here and am pretty happy with that as it gave me more time than I expected to build up. There was a single cold weather turn in November, but otherwise I can't really complain here.

[Flaviusx]

June 7, 1940. Germans advancing towards Metz, Rouen and Paris. Still no invasion of Norway.

[tyronec]

Given changes in the air war and the very real threat of a Sea Lion

Am surprised that you are expecting Sealion or Norway.
IMO the optimal Axis strategy would not include either, just mop up most of Europe and then Barbarossa in '41.
So the logic for the Allies is to hold France for as long as possible while ensuring it doesn't cost the UK too much - a few points maybe but no whole units. Thus a moderate BEF.

By the look of his invasion force he has gone for lots of GS and some Mech, I take it there is no sub war ?
Might think he would be playing the convoy game to draw off some UK production if intending Sealion.

[Flaviusx]

He has in fact been sending out the subs and they've sunk maybe 20 merchants so far. I haven't been able to score a single hit against them with either air or CVs. Seriously considering buying a strat bomber with navigation and detection tech and putting that on Iceland. If I can somehow save up 400 production, which for the poor Brits is a fortune. Close to two months of full production, and Britain can hardly sit around and accumulate that kind of scratch at present time.

Convoy tech is up to 40. Doesn't seem to make much difference. The sub group is 3, so he's not using a doom stack. Subs just seem to have more punch now than before. That said, I have no idea what these escorts are doing to his subs, if anything. They might be doing something, because he generally turns around and sends the subs back to port fairly quickly, they are not lingering out there and using up their full supply.

If I sent the BEF in I doubt that would buy more than an extra month -- and I'd risk losing it which would leave real holes in my defenses and make an opportunistic Sea Lion possible. Allies cannot compete with Axis air in the early game now, so I'm not inclined to put too much into France.

[Flaviusx]

Paris is looking like it will fall the first turn of July, btw. So the French will surrender mid month. I'm not unhappy with that result.

[battlevonwar]

Would it be possible to see a Casualty Screen or list please?

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Paris is looking like it will fall the first turn of July, btw. So the French will surrender mid month. I'm not unhappy with that result.

[Flaviusx]

Loss screen as per request.

July 19 is a busy turn. France surrenders. Norway is invaded by paradrop and also surrenders. And, for good measure, the UK invades Syria and that surrenders, too.

I'm glad to see the fallschirmjagers in Norway...and hope they don't have company.

The Italians advance in North Africa just short of our MLR west of Alexandria. Highly doubt they can crack it without help.

I have no idea what the Axis plan here is. I looked around Italian ports and saw no Germans. They are bombing, without much effect, one of my corps in the small port east of London. Most of the German air force is still in the low countries. So the threat of Sea Lion exists. And using the paras in Norway means he didn't spend any landing craft up there.

[Flaviusx]

I assume those 8 German naval factors are subs getting dinged by my escorts, so at least they are having some effect. But losing 28 merchants already is worrisome.

I may be forced to start spending on the merchant marine here down the line. Not yet, but within 6 months or so at this rate it is going to be a concern.