AAR -Petedalby (Axis) vs Taifun (Allies)

[Taifun]

August
In France, our losses continue to mount. One of the two anti-tank units defending Bordeaux is destroyed, while the AA unit is sunk at sea.
Petedalby is now fully committed in Algeria. Additional German bomber formations are identified operating from Sicily and Tunisia, while the Indian special operations unit is subjected to relentless bombing and repeated attacks by Italian forces. The port of Algiers is bombed and remains closed.

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I finally decide to land the British Army at Oran, while a second infantry corps remains embarked offshore as a strategic reserve.
September
One of our covering aircraft carriers is badly mauled by Axis naval bombers operating from Tunisia. The carrier crews are exhausted after months of intense aerial combat: two carriers have been reduced to 4 air strength, while the third survives with only 3 air strength remaining. Without a second HQ, I do not dare transfer RAF fighter units from the UK to Africa.
Petedalby is now operating from Tunisia with three tactical bombers and three medium bomber wings. The Indian special operations unit is devastated at Constantine and survives with only 2 strength points remaining. The situation is becoming critical. I transferred the British Army by rail to Algiers.

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October
October proves to be one of the harshest turns of the entire game for the Allies. The carrier stationed in the port of Oran is spotted by Axis bombers and savaged in the harbor.
At this moment, Petedalby decides to bring the North African adventure to an end by capturing Paris and establishing the Vichy regime. Instantly, every one of my units stationed in Algeria disappears from the map.

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I had always considered this possibility, although I assumed that the creation of Vichy France would result in the internment of both Axis and Allied forces in the region. That assumption proved entirely wrong Axis troops were simply transferred to the Libyan frontier, while my own forces spent the remainder of the war in prisoner-of-war camps.
And so ends this chapter on the fall of France. In truth, it was an extraordinarily brutal campaign in which I lost almost every British unit committed to the theater. I managed to save only a single anti-tank unit, while losing one HQ, two AA units, two armies, five infantry corps, the Indian special operations unit, four or five garrisons, and suffering severe damage to two aircraft carriers.
Although I succeeded in delaying the fall of France and indirectly aided the Soviet Union, I remain unconvinced that it was a worthwhile Allied investment. My only hope now is that Operation Barbarossa cannot be launched before late summer 1941…

[petedalby]

I'd never faced the 'All in' Allied defence of France before but I figured as long as I didn't recklessly expose my tanks I should just be able to chew through the defending units. Up to this point I'd lost no German units. Given the powerful Allied air force I was very pleased with this outcome.

With the heavy Allied losses I decided to go for all of France. But, with hindsight, I think this was a serious error. Eventually I had to accept that Taifun's defence of Algiers was too strong and I was delighted with the haul of 5 Allied units when Vichy was created.

Unfortunately delaying Vichy starves Germany of the plunder and the additional MPPs - both of which would weaken Barbarossa.

[wevilc]

Glad to have one of my prejudices confirmed - that the all-in defence of France is a bad idea. It’s unhistorical for one thing but also bad for other theatres the over-stretched Brits have to fight in. I speak, of course, as a lightweight, not remotely in the same class as these two sluggers.

[Taifun]

Germany harvests MPPs...

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To make matters even worse, none of the surviving French formations join General de Gaulle’s Free French forces. Usually, at least an air unit, the engineers, or even a French HQ manages to escape, but this time we will stand alone.

November
General Auchinleck fully understands the immense burden resting on his shoulders. He must hold the Nile Delta and the Suez Canal for as long as possible. Should Egypt collapse quickly, German panzers could sweep through Persia and threaten the Soviet Union via the Caucasus. Reinforcements will be scarce, but troops from across the Empire will do their best to support the defense.

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Under his command are three weakened infantry corps, an anti-tank unit, a tank formation, and a Rhodesian special operations unit. Two Indian formations have just arrived in the rear: an army and a paratrooper unit. Before vanishing from the war, the French engineers managed to construct three fortified positions along the Nile, although one of them faces the wrong direction — they probably drank too much red wine before finishing the job.

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The siege of Tobruk was nearing its conclusion. The Italian army defending the fortress had been reduced to zero supply and stood on the verge of surrender when major Axis forces suddenly emerged from the western desert. I immediately cancel the assault and order a withdrawal toward Egypt.

December
Throughout December, the retreat continues. General Auchinleck establishes an intermediate defensive line at Mersa Matruh. For the first time in Africa, the dreaded German panzers are sighted — already upgraded to Level 2.

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[Taifun]

An Allied convoy waits to cross the Mediterranean from Gibraltar. The enemy has begun its assault on Malta, and we are searching for the right moment to slip through the dangerous strait between Tunisia and Sicily. The convoy carries the last British reinforcements currently available: an infantry corps and a second anti-tank unit.

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January
The defensive position at Mersa Matruh is smashed by two panzer formations supported by German bombers. The Sudanese and New Zealand corps are quickly destroyed. General Auchinleck falls back and entrenches around Suez with the last available Allied formations.

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The only encouraging news is that the anti-tank unit and the first infantry corps successfully landed at Haifa without incident.

February
We are close to achieving Advanced Fighters Level 2. Research investments have also been made in Spying & Intelligence, Industrial Technology, and Anti-Submarine Warfare, although available funds remain extremely limited. Amphibious Warfare has become our next priority.

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March
After months of aerial bombardment and artillery siege, Malta finally falls. Axis troops reach the El Alamein line, triggering an immediate American response: the United States transfers a second tank unit to our command.

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To support General Auchinleck, General Platt’s HQ is deployed south of Cairo, ensuring supply for Allied forces positioned along the southern sector of the front.

[Taifun]

April
The Indian paratroopers are destroyed in the oasis fighting, but they are quickly replaced by the 10th Armoured Division.

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July
For months, Axis forces assault our positions without respite. Both special operations formations — the Indian commandos and the LRDG — are eventually lost in combat. The forts west of the Nile must be abandoned as we simply no longer possess enough units to hold them.

Our anti-tank formations become the final barrier preventing the enemy from crossing the Nile. The Axis now dominates the skies completely. Three tactical bomber wings and two medium bomber groups support every enemy assault.

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September
One anti-tank unit has fallen, and General Auchinleck commits his best armored formation to the center of the defensive line. The British 10th Army replaces the Indian troops defending Alexandria.

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To our surprise, two German HQs are now operating in Egypt. Petedalby has clearly committed enormous resources to the African campaign. Two infantry corps and an Indian army, fresh from liberating Iraq, will soon reinforce the Allied armies fighting in Egypt.

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At last, reinforcements are scheduled to arrive from the UK. A convoy carrying the WDF Army and an anti-aircraft unit prepares to attempt the dangerous crossing between Tunisia and Sicily.

[Taifun]

November
General Auchinleck’s forces are no longer capable of halting the German advance. After crushing the Indian army, Axis troops establish a bridgehead across the Nile. No fewer than three panzer corps are now operating in Egypt.

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We are facing a critical situation. British armored units are hopelessly inferior to the enemy’s new Level 3 panzers. With only Level 1 armor and no Armor Warfare upgrades, our tanks are little more than easy targets.

After a year of relentless fighting, I decide to abandon Egypt. Continuing to resist the upgraded panzers has become futile. I order General Auchinleck to withdraw all remaining forces across the Suez Canal immediately. The retreat is difficult, but ultimately successful. The Indian paratroopers, called back into service for a second time, entrench in the Sinai as a sacrificial rearguard.

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The great Royal Navy fleet stationed between Cyprus and Egypt passes through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. Its destination is India.

December
The Indian paratroopers are swept aside by German panzers that emerge entirely unscathed. Our retreat toward Baghdad continues in great haste, although not every unit can keep pace. General Platt falls behind near Amman.

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Our greatest hope for delaying the super-panzers rests with the anti-tank unit entrenched at Level 3 in Amman. We can only hope it buys us precious time while blocking the mountain gateway into Iraq.

And so ends the year 1941 — a year of extraordinarily bitter fighting in the desert, during which General Auchinleck conducted a remarkable defense along the Nile. The enemy was forced to commit three panzer corps and virtually its entire air force to defeat the Allied armies.

We suffered terrible losses while the Axis endured almost none, but precious time was gained. With Japan’s declaration of war on the United States, a new hope begins to emerge. American forces will undoubtedly play a decisive role in containing the Axis advance across the Middle East…

[Taifun]

January 1942
The year 1942 begins — my favorite stage of the game. More often than not, this is the year in which the outcome of the war is truly decided, for better or worse.

German panzers storm into Jerusalem while our forces continue their retreat beyond the Euphrates River, south of Baghdad. I am still considering the possibility of making a stand around Baghdad itself. If the Desert Anti-Tank unit can hold for several turns at Amman, I may be able to establish at least a temporary defensive line between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

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January 30th
All such plans are shattered when a devastating wave of bombs falls from the sky, smashing the anti-tank unit, which is then swiftly overrun by German motorized formations pressing hard toward the heart of Iraq. An immediate withdrawal toward the ports of the Persian Gulf is ordered.

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As if the situation were not already desperate enough, our two aircraft carriers operating in the Red Sea are ambushed by enemy naval bombers and submarines. Both carriers suffer severe damage and are forced to withdraw to Indian ports for repairs and refitting.

Meanwhile, Axis troops continue advancing through southern Egypt and reach the northern frontier of Sudan.

February
The leading German formations approach Baghdad while our forces barely manage to reach the evacuation ports along the Persian Gulf in time, but General Platt’s HQ is destroyed. What remains of our air force is flown to Delhi.

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The first American unit finally arrives in India: a fighter wing welcomed enthusiastically by the population of Madras.

March
Most Allied forces have now successfully evacuated, either by sea to India or by retreating along the overland route linking Persia to the Indian frontier.

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[Taifun]

April
The last Allied troops evacuate Persia. The final man to board the ship is General Auchinleck himself, leaving the “Promised Land” behind with the immortal words: “I’ll be back… hasta la vista.”

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With his departure, our final hope of keeping the American supply route to the Soviet Union open through Persia vanishes as well. It is a devastating strategic blow to the Allied cause

[Jonny25k]

The losses in France and the strong Axis forces in africa and middle east should eventually weaken the Russian campaign decisively. Even in March 1942 at least 2 German panzers are still active in this region and it has the look German Luftwaffe is missing at least for a German spring offensive, too.

[LoneRunner]

This is the point at which I would love to see your evaluation of the merits of an Afrika Korps campaign. Is it worth it? Most of the top World at War players recommend that the Germans invade North Africa but I always wonder why.

Certainly Pete has conducted an excellent campaign. He severely damaged UK forces with minimal Axis losses, gained some MPPs in Egypt and Syria, and partially cut off American reinforcements to the USSR. But the absence of three panzer units, several armies, and a lot of air power surely have impacted the Russian front.

Now that Syria is conquered, what next? The Germans don't have enough units to occupy the Middle East for very long. Their army could continue to the Caucasus and perhaps catch the Russians from behind. But that's pretty risky. Supply is abysmal in the Persian wasteland, and the Germans will likely get hit from the rear with a UK invasion into Syria. Then pretty soon the Americans land in North Africa and Egypt.

[Taifun]

Johnny25k, thank you very much for following this AAR. That is exactly what happened, and as we shall see, the Wehrmacht was soon going to miss the Luftwaffe bomber wings dearly, the three panzer corps, and the two German HQs tied down in the Middle East.
April 1941
Soviet fighters operating from Tallinn spot the German High Seas Fleet moving toward the Gulf of Finland. According to our calculations, the Germans should not be ready to launch an attack against Stalin’s USSR until July or perhaps even August. These estimates are based on the time required to build, upgrade, and redeploy the new panzer formations into their optimal positions for launching Operation Barbarossa.

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Still, in case Petedalby decided to strike earlier than expected, we immediately upgraded all frontline infantry formations to Infantry Warfare Level 1.
On the technological front, the Soviet Union has already achieved Command & Control Level 1 and Advanced Tanks Level 1, although we remain far from obtaining Infantry Weapons Level 2 and Armored Warfare.

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May
Against all expectations, Germany declares war on the Soviet Union
In the north, Soviet forces manage to contain the German assault, and most of the spanning units survive. The situation is very different in Belarus and Ukraine, where most of our forward screening formations are crushed. Four panzer corps and two mechanized units attack across the northern and central sectors of the front, while south of the Pripyat Marshes, the Axis advance relies primarily on infantry formations.

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We have constructed fortifications defending Smolensk, Crimea, and the approaches to Rostov. Our engineers are currently working on additional defensive lines around Voronezh.

May 23rd
German forces prepare to assault Riga and Minsk. A German army has been transported to Finland and attacks the Soviet troops defending Leningrad. We suspect additional formations — possibly including panzers — may also have been redeployed to Finland. As a precaution, two elite Siberian armies are transferred from Siberia to the Leningrad Front, while another elite Siberian army is deployed to Pskov to secure the southern approaches to the city.

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General Zhukov establishes his headquarters at Gomel and assumes command of the central sector of the front.

[Taifun]

June
In the southern sector, German and Axis allied forces — composed mainly of infantry — advance toward Kiev and the great Dnieper River. Soviet formations guard the approaches to the key bridges.

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Crimea, considered vital by Stalin himself, has been heavily fortified and is defended by three Soviet armies, one AA unit, and an infantry corps.
July
In Finland, cavalry formations protect Murmansk, while near Leningrad, the elite Siberian armies relieve inexperienced frontline troops.

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September
After capturing Riga, the enemy advances through the Baltic States toward Leningrad. Our final strategic reserve, the Siberian Heavy Tank Unit, is redeployed to Narva to defend the southern approaches to the city.

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Further south, after taking Minsk, German forces advance toward our fortified defenses around Smolensk. General Zhukov relocates his HQ to Orel.

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[Taifun]

October
The Germans fielded only 60 ground units against 58 Soviet formations.

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November
The weather deteriorates across the entire front. Axis troops captured Dnepropetrovsk and are close to severing the rail connection between Crimea and Rostov. Stalin now considers the city of Kursk critical and the elite Siberian army, together with several supporting formations, protects the southern flank of General Zhukov’s position from the city. The Voronezh fortifications have been completed, and our engineers have begun constructing defensive lines around Stalingrad.

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December
Russia freezes solid. Crimea becomes isolated while the Germans reach Kharkov. Enemy troops prepare to assault the fortifications defending Smolensk. Soviet engineers continue fortifying positions along the Volga River.

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January 1942
Finally, some encouraging news. We are close to achieving Infantry Weapons Level 2, although we would have preferred to obtain Armored Warfare Level 1 before the German spring offensive begins.

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[Taifun]

April
We finally achieved Infantry Weapons Level 2 just before the renewed German offensive against the Soviet Union. Investments are also being made in Infantry Warfare and Artillery Weapons, and soon we expect to achieve AA Level 3 and Armored Warfare.

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June
Good weather returns to the front. The fortified city of Sevastopol falls in Crimea, while Kharkov is also lost in Ukraine. A heavy tank formation guards the Kerch Strait crossing.
Stalin remains obsessed with holding Kursk in the center of the front. It is regarded as a cornerstone of our defensive line and continues to be held by an elite Siberian formation.

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The Smolensk fortifications have fallen, and the enemy is preparing to assault the city itself. General Zhukov relocates his HQ once more, this time to Kaluga. Soviet bombers are concentrated near the front to strike German armored spearheads advancing toward Moscow.
July
The enemy captures Smolensk. Heavy fighting continues in Ukraine, but the Germans fail to break through the fortified lines defending Rostov. Across the entire Russian Front, only two German bomber wings remain operational. The Germans can field merely four panzer corps and two mechanized formations — insufficient strength to create breakthroughs in our defensive system.

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September
The Germans are unable to advance beyond Smolensk and Kharkov toward the east. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Petedalby launches an assault against the center of our defensive line and captures Kursk. Stalin flies into a rage and executes a few officers to “motivate” the troops.

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From Kursk, the enemy could either advance directly toward Voronezh or turn northward to threaten the Soviet formations blocking their advance east of Smolensk.
But time is running out, the weather is worsening, and Germany desperately needs more panzers in Russia.

[Umeu]

lvl 3 panzers in 41 in NA :O that must be some kind of record lol.

Usually lvl 3 doesn't arrive till early 42.

I'd never faced the 'All in' Allied defence of France before but I figured as long as I didn't recklessly expose my tanks I should just be able to chew through the defending units. Up to this point I'd lost no German units. Given the powerful Allied air force I was very pleased with this outcome.

With the heavy Allied losses I decided to go for all of France. But, with hindsight, I think this was a serious error. Eventually I had to accept that Taifun's defence of Algiers was too strong and I was delighted with the haul of 5 Allied units when Vichy was created.

Unfortunately delaying Vichy starves Germany of the plunder and the additional MPPs - both of which would weaken Barbarossa.

Yeah, it was a mistake, also because it slowed down your NA progress and allowed him to fortify his position even more. But luckily you had super panzers early so you could break it.

[Taifun]

The Soviet Union is not only fighting German forces on Russian soil but also confronting Axis troops in Persia. To defend Tehran, Stalin has committed a substantial force: two armies, two infantry corps, two AA units, and one anti-tank formation now defend Persia.

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Nor are Soviet troops engaged solely against Germany. In the Pacific, seven infantry formations defend the vital port of Vladivostok and Siberia against Japanese forces.

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German casualties are beginning to mount. So far, the Wehrmacht has lost four infantry corps and four armies. U-boat losses have also been severe, with four submarines now resting on the bottom of the sea.

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October
The Red Army is learning to fight effectively and becoming increasingly dangerous. For example, the 1st Tank Corps has evolved into an elite armored formation and has destroyed three German armies during the summer campaign.

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[Taifun]

Likewise, the 5th Tank Corps has become highly effective at annihilating German corps-sized formations.

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Soon, we will achieve Artillery Weapons Level 1, while Infantry Warfare Level 1 and Advanced Tanks Level 2 are also within reach.

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[Taifun]

This is the point at which I would love to see your evaluation of the merits of an Afrika Korps campaign. Is it worth it? Most of the top World at War players recommend that the Germans invade North Africa but I always wonder why.

Certainly Pete has conducted an excellent campaign. He severely damaged UK forces with minimal Axis losses, gained some MPPs in Egypt and Syria, and partially cut off American reinforcements to the USSR. But the absence of three panzer units, several armies, and a lot of air power surely have impacted the Russian front.

Now that Syria is conquered, what next? The Germans don't have enough units to occupy the Middle East for very long. Their army could continue to the Caucasus and perhaps catch the Russians from behind. But that's pretty risky. Supply is abysmal in the Persian wasteland, and the Germans will likely get hit from the rear with a UK invasion into Syria. Then pretty soon the Americans land in North Africa and Egypt.

Petedalby was extremely fortunate with his technological development in armored warfare. He achieved three breakthrough hits in Advanced Tanks research, allowing him to reach Advanced Tanks Level 2 as early as August 1940 and Level 3 by July 1941. This is both extraordinarily rare and enormously important, potentially transforming the Panzerwaffe into an unstoppable force against the Russians.
Needless to say, it made an even greater difference against the British, especially considering that Churchill had invested neither in Advanced Tanks nor in Armored Warfare.
In my opinion, the capture of Cairo and the Suez Canal represents a devastating blow to Britain — not only in terms of national morale, but also because of the loss of such a critical strategic position. Axis control of the Suez Canal effectively isolates the Mediterranean and disrupts maritime traffic between Britain and the Pacific.
However, in this particular case, I believe Petedalby made a major strategic mistake by committing an excessive number of key formations to Egypt. We must not forget that the Second World War is ultimately won or lost in Russia. The absence of three panzer corps and five bomber units from the Eastern Front had serious consequences for German ambitions.
I believe Germany should have transferred at least part of those forces back to Russia after the capture of Suez in November 1941 — at the very least the bomber formations. They would still have arrived in time to support a major summer offensive in 1942.
But it is easy to fall under the spell of the mirage offered by the oil fields of Iraq and Persia. As I understand it, even Alexander the Great was tempted by them…
Something similar happened to Rommel in 1942. After capturing Tobruk in June, instead of waiting for Field Marshal Kesselring to secure Malta, he pushed onward into Egypt with exhausted troops and dangerously overstretched supply lines. Hoping to exploit momentum and strike before the British could recover, he ignored several fundamental principles of strategy. In the long run, the decision proved disastrous, as his own advance ultimately collapsed due to lack of supplies.
I genuinely believed that Petedalby would eventually redeploy those panzer formations to the Eastern Front, but as we shall see, he had very different plans in mind.

[LoneRunner]

Petedalby was extremely fortunate with his technological development in armored warfare. He achieved three breakthrough hits in Advanced Tanks research, allowing him to reach Advanced Tanks Level 2 as early as August 1940 and Level 3 by July 1941. This is both extraordinarily rare and enormously important, potentially transforming the Panzerwaffe into an unstoppable force against the Russians.

Thank you for your reply Taifun. Good point, Russia is the key to the war. With level 3 tanks and more air power the Axis could have blasted through Russian defenses during the summer of 42 and taken Stalingrad and the Caucasus. Maybe even more.