Nirosi vs Boldairade(Nirosi welcome)

[redrum68]

I'm having a difficult time learning the naval side of the game as well. Where and how are you losing the MM? Which convoy lanes? How many escorts do you have? Are they being killed mostly by subs or surface ships?

[boldairade]

ORIGINAL: redrum68

I'm having a difficult time learning the naval side of the game as well. Where and how are you losing the MM? Which convoy lanes? How many escorts do you have? Are they being killed mostly by subs or surface ships?

Nirosi is a good player. He moves wolf packs to certain lanes, waits for me to allocate escorts, then moves the subs elsewhere. As bad as it was with subs, it has gotten much worse now that the Kriegsmarine surface fleet is active. I can't really catch them. Even when I 'identify enemy fleet' I can't seem to attack them with surface ships, subs, or aircraft. I think I'm missing something pretty fundamental.

I have a lot of escorts, enough to put nearly 10 in every lane(N atlantic, S Atlantic, African coast). I run low when he threatens the Pan american zone.

It's nice to hear I'm not the only one! I wish you good luck figuring it out. Feel free to let me know anything you learn.

[boldairade]

It occurs to me that if Nirosi does his turn in the next 24 hours or so, Pearl Harbor will occur. And of course, tomorrow is the 80th anniversary of that fateful day.

It's good to remember that while we enjoy this(fantastic) simulation of WWII, millions of men fought through the 'real thing'.

[boldairade]

December 19, 1941

The USA enters the war. Two massive convoys immediately set sail across the Atlantic, heavily escorted. They carry Infantry corps, Armor, Fighters, Escort Fighters, and Heavy Bombers.

Additionally, the USA takes over security of the Pan American shipping zone, and dispatches a small fleet of CA and DD to counter the large wolf packs there.

Overall, the BOA continues to be horrific, another 8 MM go down. We again fail to engage the Axis surface fleet. Only 2 sub hits recorded.

In Malta, the defenders brace for another air assault. The skies, however, are clear. For one turn at least, the Axis bombers have had enough.

In Russia, Stavka decides to deploy AT Corps into the hills on the Dneister River line, NE of Romania in an effort to build a second defense line in response to the heavy German presence in Romania/Hungary. The armies from Siberia, however, remain in reserve. The armor modernization program continues to make headway.

[boldairade]

Russian troops disembark at a muddy train station east of the Dneister.

[boldairade]

January 2, 1942

US fleets continue to cruise across the Atlantic. Off loading in English ports will be problematic/delayed due to Axis air superiority over much of England. But that should be coming to an end.

The BOA remains horrific, with 13 more MM and 1 escort sunk at no cost to the Axis. We continue to shadow the Axis surface fleet, but simply cannot generate an engagement. The English fleet at long last is clearly superior, with two carriers(including unsinkable Illustrious, fresh out of dry dock), a BB, and 3 CA and 3 DD groups. But that superiority doesn't matter if we can't force an engagement. I'm simply out of ideas, and the losses in the MM are no longer fat-they are cutting into bone. We can't even seem to damage subs anymore, even with new escort tech.

Until something can be done to get some control in the BOA, no other ops can be considered.

With US capital ships available, UK halves its budget to repair its capital ships. Instead, MM will be purchased virtually every turn until something can be figured out to slow losses.

Axis deployment in the East has stopped. Stavka does not believe there are enough Axis troops for a successful invasion of the Motherland. That said, the frontline assault corps facing the Axis are old, 1939 tech units, with 20 steps. They will be even more vulnerable now than they would have been in '41. Stavka finds the sacrifice of these old units 'acceptable'.

[boldairade]

The one area of consistent build up is here. Stavka receives reports of more German formations arriving in Romania.

This is an axis of advance not considered. A new defense line, constructed of fresh AT corps, is being constructed in the hills NE of the Dneister River.

Stavka must now consider altering the Zhukov defense strategy, which expected an West-East thrust south of the Pripyat Marsh.

[boldairade]

January 16, 1942

Germany's campaign in the BOA continues, with losses again at unsustainable levels(10 MM and 1 escort, 0 sub hits). However, there is possibly a glimmer of hope. The RN Main Battle Fleet FINALLY engages the German surface fleet, scoring 5 hits on Bismark and 2 on a CA group. Additional UK ships, and then the entire US Fleet are brought to bare on the Germans, but cannot force another engagement. Frustrating that we couldn't score additional hits-or sink the mighty Bismark. But at least for one turn, we do something.

Additionally, all US forces make safe landfall in western Britain. The bombers, along with the US surface fleet, may be able to at least slow the onslaught.

UK ship repair has slowed, but BB Barnham is ready to return to the seas. For the second straight turn, UK uses all available PP to purchase MM.

The USA changes all PP to upgrades, attempting to modernize its bombers and escort fighters prior to its opening raids.

In Russia, significant modernization of armor continues, along with some AT corps and the continuing slow build up of supply trucks. Still, Russia's PP stockpile is gradually growing every turn. Some air groups are now earmarked for upgrades.

Here, we see the landing of US forces. England's damaged No 6 Fighter also lands in Mallaig. It will need heavy refitting before it is battle worthy. But it's likely to be a long campaign over Germany.

[boldairade]

US B-17 crew returns from a training flight.

Soon it will be the real thing.

[boldairade]

January 30, 1942

While the German surface fleet heads to port to lick its wounds, the untersea boats continue their reign of terror, sinking 7 mm and an escort, losing only 1 step hit. Still, it IS nice to have a turn without the German surface fleet present. At this point, the main UK battle fleet is refueling in Gibraltar. The US fleet fleet is in Cardiff, under heavy AA gun protection and multiple fighter covering groups. This allows us to bracket the German fleet, on the west coast of France, to the North and South. We are sincerely hoping the days of free raiding for the German surface ships is nearing an end.

In England, the US First Air Army selects three targets based on their lack of AA guns and being without fighter cover. Amsterdam, Brussels, and the synthetic oil refinery east of Cologne are all hit by US strategic bombers. Avoiding the Luftwaffe is not always going to be the strategy. Eventually we will attempt to wear the enemy fighters down. But for now, we want to keep the bombers flying.

In Russia, 4 1939 Assault Corps are disbanded and immediately 2 1942 Armies are ordered to be formed. These formations should be available prior to any spring offensive by the Wehrmacht.

England continues to plow all available resources into new MM. Also, CV Ark Royal is finally operational again. This means all 3 UK carriers are available, along with the USA carrier Ranger. 4 US BB and 2 UK BB are also in the Atlantic. We finally have regained naval superiority.

[boldairade]

B-17s form up and head across the Channel.

[boldairade]

February 13, 1942

BOA-German surface fleet remains in port. Uboat packs sink 7 MM and 1 escort. 4 step hits are scored vs the uboats.

The 1st US Air Army again is very active, hitting Essen, German oil facilities, and Brussels. Operating outside of current escort range, 5 bomber steps are lost. The Luftwaffe takes similar casualties.

In Russia, the urge to disband units and recreate armies is being resisted. Instead, some upgrades are undertaken on the Red Air Force, tank modernizations continues, and PPs are banked.

UK builds MM. UK currently has 161 MM, 127 in use. Some new MM will arrive in mid May, but heavy MM won't arrive until June. There will almost certainly be a short fall. It will be interesting to see if the US surplus in MM will help.

[boldairade]

February 27, 1942

BOA 8 MM lost, 3 sub hits recorded. German surface fleet remains in port on the coast of France. Current strategy appears to be 'Fleet in Being'.

Due to heavy MM loss, England again purchases MM.

In Malta, it takes only 5 air strikes and 9 bomber step losses to sink the British DD group there. Not bottomed, sunk.

This is a problem. The immense strain of the BOA, along with the losses in the Med mean England must consider replacing lost surface ships. A costly and time consuming prospect, and something I personally have never spent one PP on in WP. For now it is not possible, with the MM program and continued efforts to repair existing ships. But it will likely be necessary.

US bombing of Germany and occupied territories continues. Moderate success, with 13 PP damage, only two step losses on the bombers. Nirosi has cleverly withdrawn the Luftwaffe out of the battle. My guess is, German factories are pumping out absurd numbers of AA guns at this point.

In Russia, continued success of modernization efforts. Russia PP stockpile currently over 640 and growing.

Allied High Command, with a lull in winter operations, is currently considering three options for possible spring activity:

1-Easiest: looking again at a Narvik op. Attempts to determine the size of the Narvik garrison with surface ships have failed. This is a real sticking point. If Narvik has a division defending it, this op would likely be successful. More than that, and there could be real issues.

2-Rhodes: The situation in the Med is very bad. A possible island jumping campaign, from Rhodes to Crete and beyond, might be able to challenge Axis supremacy. Rhodes, eventually, might also be a base for heavy Allied bombers to hit Romanian oil fields.

3-France: Multiple avenues of invading mainland France are being considered. Until Germany is engaged in the East, this cannot be attempted. But planning and asset acquisition has started now. 1942 is likely premature for this type of planning.

[boldairade]

HMS Lance sunk in the Malta harbor.

The Allies still do not have a solution to the Malta/greater Med issue.

[boldairade]

March 13,1942


BOA- A brief respite here. 5 subgroups manage to score only 4 MM kills. No sub hits are absorbed. England buys more MM, Canada purchases 4 escorts. German fleet remains in harbor. Between Canada and England, 80 MM are on the way, though it will be summer before the bulk of them arrive. It is possible that is overkill. That said, the main German effort seemed to be to choke off Allied shipping. There is reason to be optimistic that while there may be some problems, it will never become a full blown crisis.

Germany continues to jostle her forces on the Romanian front. Also, a formation we have been keeping an eye on along that frontier, which was set to garrison mode, has been activated. Germany is clearly prepping for a spring offensive. Russian armor, which was being held south of Kiev on rail lines, is being moved to a third river line. Clearly, this is going to be a primary axis of advance. Germany is likely looking to take Krivoi Rog and continue on into the Caucuses. Despite a continuous three figure upgrade budget, Russian PP reserves now top 800.

[boldairade]

March 13, 1942

Industrial bombing by the USA continues. Solid but unspectacular results. More bombers will be needed to have even a moderate impact. At some point, the anti sub heavy bomber in Gibralter may be converted. Additionally, two more bomber formations have been begun.

As far as joint US/UK ground ops, another option is being considered: a second Tobruk campaign. This is attractive for a few reasons. First, we don't have to risk another landing, something clearly I do not have the expertise to pull off. Second, it's a broader front that might allow us to employ attrition, which should benefit us once Germany is engaged in the East. Finally, it would offer at least a beginning to challenging Axis Med supremacy and offer solutions to the Malta issue.

The problem is, it would be a massive Op. It would require air cover for the fleet, a massive surface fleet capable of defeating the Regina Marina, large numbers of supply trucks for the land campaign, tac bombers, and would likely result in immense ground casualties.

High costs, but lower risk of disaster. Right now, avoiding another disaster is high on our list.

[boldairade]

March 27, 1942

The BOA is far from under control. But losses remain below the catastrophic level they had been. 6 MM go down, with 4 step hits to the uboats. Current UK MM usage is 127, total fleet availability is 143. Our margin for error grows slimmer by the turn.

Allied forces have decided on a course of action to attempt a second Tobruk campaign. Some USA forces are already in transit to the Red Sea, and still more ship out from the UK this turn. Our primary concern for this campaign is retaining naval supremacy, which will be difficult considering Axis air power. As such, priority to Allied fighter squadrons is paramount. Supply trucks will also need to be stockpiled.



These are fairly mundane reports.

There are, however, two immensely impactful occurrences this turn.

The first is the Axis move to take Malta. It may sound ridiculous, but this actually surprises me. I had never seen it attempted, and also thought that it would have been done prior to now if Nirosi intended it.

I am wrong. After a brief bombing, a full German corps lands and overruns the Malta defenders. Perhaps wary of us attempting to reoccupy and out of movement, an Italian para unit drops and occupies Malta proper.

Really, the effect of this cannot be overstated. The Axis naval bombers can now be redeployed, not to mention Malta itself now becomes an Axis stronghold. No attempt to traverse the Med can now be made. In addition, 6 AA guns are captured by the Italians. Likely other implications are eluding me.

The second major occurrence is Axis redeployment in the East.



Movement of Axis forces allows us to recognize the large number of Armor and Mech units. Russian deployment did not anticipate those forces being deployed in that area, and had left a major gap in between the defensive lines in the Bug and Dniester rivers. Because the Axis forces can easily exploit this with their mobility, hasty redeployment of Red Army forces is made, using river lines and ZOCs to hopefully slow the opening Axis attack, which we expect virtually any turn.

More of the Zhukov force has been deployed in a 3rd river line defense near Krivoi Rog. This is concerning because if the armor is deployed in defensive lines, it will not be available for a counterstroke. But for now, we must be ready for the worst. For it is surely coming.

[boldairade]

Malta's defenders, disarmed, are marched into captivity.

[boldairade]

April 10, 1942

In the BOA, the German surface fleet returns to the fray, sinking 4 MM. In a bit of irony, we finally intercept the German fleet, but it is with a single squadron of RN patrol boats. They are, of course, summarily sunk, inflicting no casualties. Our main fleet gives chase from Gibralter, but only scores a single hit vs a DD group. An additional fleet, with 2 CV and 2 BB as well as support ships, sorties from England, but cannot make contact. Our ineptitude in the BOA continues. The loss of more ships means we finally must purchase a UK DD group, but when we attempt it, we cannot, as all ship yards are busy attempting to replace MM. UK MM, by the way, have 132 in use, with 135 available. We are about to go negative, with no new MM until March 20.

US industrial bombing continues. Dusseldorf is within range for our escort fighters, so that city is targeted, drawing I Jagdcorps into the fight. Both sides take losses, but the German fighters lose 5 steps. Probably not a problem now, but Germany will soon need nearly all her focus in the East.

In Egypt, Canadian and English forces push further west toward Tobruk, anticipating the arrival of heavy reinforcement from the USA. A German Armor formation is spotted. British air assets are moved as far west as possible by rail.

In Russia, merciful snow blankets all battlefields. Barbarossa will have to wait one more turn. Russian PP stockpile is approaching 1100. I'm sure it will be spent quickly after the opening of hostilities.

[boldairade]

In Russia, a breakthrough in medium tank tech is near.

Here, we see the T-34 in late trials. It represents a significant improvement from the current light and medium armor available to soviet mech and armor units.