Revanchism in Europe (PBEM gwgardner vs Chocolino)

[Chocolino]

5-5-44

The Axis lost Turin but clings desperately to the eastern and western portions of upper Italy which control access to France and Austria/Germany.

[Chocolino]

5-5-44

The Allies have overrun southern Yugoslavia. Belgrade and Sofia are still in Axis hands - for the time being. In northern Yugoslavia there are still some few stronger defenders trying to protect the approaches to Austria.

[Chocolino]

5-5-44

A hotch-potch group of defenders consisting of Hungarians, Germans and Romanians try to delay the Russians from subjugating Bukarest.

Further north the remnants of AGS retreat towards the Polish border

[Chocolino]

5-5-44

The northern portion of the East Front has reached Königsberg and with it Eastern Prussia. The Germans have now to defend home territory.

The East Front has shortened considerably in the process and we were able to siphon off units to other threatened sectors.

[Chocolino]

5-19-44

Its close to summer '44 and Overlord has been finally executed by the Allies - albeit in the Bretagne which seems much easier in this game than in the Normandy.

The Allies would have been able to break through from Italy by itself. But with this new front they will overwhelm our defenses that much faster. We are now glad about our falling back in the East since we need the units thus freed up.

[Chocolino]

5-19-44

The Axis abandons the defense of the Italian-French border and withdraws into central France before we get cut off by the forces in the Bretagne moving east. We leave just some road blocks behind in key harbors and roads.

The Americans in the meanwhile push hard towards Austria despite the difficult terrain. We also loose Venice this turn.

[Chocolino]

5-19-44

The Balkan front is now a thin screen of units reaching from Trieste to southern Hungary. Luckily the Allies don't have the strongest forces here either.

[Chocolino]

5-19-44

The Soviet Romania front is approaching the Romanian oil fields. We have plenty of oil left and unfortunately only few units to use it. So that in itself will not be a problem. But the Reich is shrinking rapidly now.

[Chocolino]

5-19-44

In the Ukraine more German units are in danger of being surrounded. The heavy rain causes them to be very immobile. The collapse of AGS continues.

[Chocolino]

5-19-44

The only portion of our forces that are not completely compromised are in the East Prussia and Poland. Here the Axis continues to fall back in order to generate units needed elsewhere.

[Chocolino]

6-2-44

We build a rather weak new line along the Seine to prevent the Allies to just waltz from the Bretagne right into Paris. Southern France is left to its own devices - just some garrison units remain in and around Marseilles. But the British are not quick in persueing us there.

[Chocolino]

6-2-44

The Allies take Trieste and Zagreb - and more importantly link up their units in Yugoslavia with those in Italy. At least they did not move north much ....

[Chocolino]

6-2-44

Belgrade, Sofia and Bukarest are still in Axis hands - this let's our information ministry claim undisputed Axis control in these countries. Local field commanders know better ....

We used the Black Sea port garrisons of Romania and Bulgaria elsewhere now - no point any more in guarding against a Soviet invasion - the Russians are already there.

[Chocolino]

6-2-44

In the Ukraine the retreating Germans desperately refuse to be encircled and can barely keep a small gap open through which truck based supply reaches the endangered units.

While we have been frugal with truck supply earlier in the game we find ourselves now with a surplus. In hindsight it would have been better to spend it during our time in the offensive.

[Chocolino]

6-16-44

The Allies expand out of their beach head in the Bretagne and close in on our Seine line. In southern France the Allies busy themselves with investing Marseilles which is still in Axis hands. There are surprisingly few British troops moving into France from Italy. Where are they?

[Chocolino]

6-16-44

The Allied units in the Austrian - Hungarian front don't look that formidable. But this is deceiving - they have a huge amount of air power available (located just south of the screenshot in Italy mainly) and can break any Axis resistance at will.

[Chocolino]

6-16-44

The Soviets help themselves to Romanian oil and the German defenders have already departed in direction Budapest blocking this railway for the Russians. Belgrade is the first of the southern minor capitals that falls under the Allied yoke.

[Chocolino]

6-16-44

The Russians did almost cut off Königsberg this week. Most units in the pocket escaped to the west. The unit stranded in the city itself can either defend or ship out next turn.

The German units at the East Front look healthy - but it appears that the Russians can break our lines now with Schwerpunkt tactics. A very disconcerting situation. We are definitely now in the very final lap of this game.

[Chocolino]

6-30-44

The Allies are eager to finish the war and add more pressure. With support from paratroopers they land in Belgium and Holland - quite Market-Garden style. They overrun the division sized port garrisons easily and this throws the already collapsing Axis defense efforts into total disarray.

[Chocolino]

6-30-44

The fresh landings in the Netherlands make our Seine defense line obsolete and we decide to pull everything back to the Belgian border. Except for some Hungarian road blocks in Paris and Le Havre this means letting the Allies run wild in France.