COMPLETED - Mistakes in the Baleares - Newbie vs Nationalist AI scen 6

[WingedIncubus]

September 27, 1936

Whatever the Italians had left floating in Pilar de Mola harbor are running East to escape back to Italy. Our sub patrol intercepted one of their task forces, but only the tanker Campuzano was caught and sunk with a single torpedo.



However, our scouts report a lone enemy sub a few dozens nautical miles away from the Mallorcan coast, heading west. Two of our float planes on ASW are ordered to fly in the area to sink it before it can become a threat.



Meanwhile, our air squadrons that were in shape to fly have started transfering to Son San Juan after the arrival of the airfield support squadron, much closer to Palma. The rest will soon follow after maintenance is complete.

Two others squadrons are moving from the mainland to be shipped to bring more support teams to the base.

[WingedIncubus]

Superb results reported from our air raids: 8 structure destroyed, 2 damaged.

We will soon be starving them out into surrender.




The battle itself, however, remains in a stalemate.

Our casualties have increased but so have theirs, despite their entrenched positions. Their lines and running thin but the few columns we had set into reserves were insufficient to exploit the lines. Five columns are put into reserve, as we plan to continue the offensive in the next few days in the hope that we shall finally make some progress inside the city.

[WingedIncubus]

September 28, 1936

The Fascists are starting to crack!

While we did not progress further inside the city, these losses should slowly become unsustainable for the Nationalists - almost 1,200 casualties today, from both naval bombardment and close-up battles inside the city!

Holes were quickly exploited to inflict massive losses to the Fascists, and further two facilities were damaged in the battle.

[WingedIncubus]

September 29, 1936

Well, we can't always have good days, can we. Clock is ticking but despite horrendous losses, the Fascists still hold the outskirts.





The Drydock has arrived to Pilar de Mola but both Italian ships are in such condition that even fixing them into being buoyant and floating would take at least two years. They are beyond saving.

[WingedIncubus]

September 30-October 2, 1936

We've pulled away from suicidal attacks for the time being. Even with switching to air ground attacks and strafing runs, continuous naval bombardments, and horrific accumulating losses on the Nationalist side - over 2,000 dead and wounded in 4 days, we haven't moved any further into taking control of the city. The Fascists' resistance is furious, intent to deny us complete control over the Mallorcan island. They are surely expecting a miracle counter-debarkment by Mussolini's stooges!

This is getting frustrating, as Madrid continually calls me for further updates on the situation. Am I doing something wrong? Are me and my staff missing something? I can feel it through the reports - they are on the verge of collapsing!

Our last reinforcements are currently debarking in Puerto de Soller. Wven the Aragon Theater commander himself has been dispatched with his staff to take position in Son San Juan and directly give orders. I should I have done that much earlier as soon as I started receiving the 'no HQ guidance' penalties in my reports.

[WingedIncubus]

The three most exhausted and disrupted columns had been pulled to Son San Juan to rest and refit. They are moving to Marraxti to join one last big push into the flank of the enemy.

[WingedIncubus]

October 3-5, 1936

One last offensive. All fresh reinforcements are now heading toward Palma for the last push. While most of our columns are disrupted, I gave most of them a little rest from attacking to decrease their fatigue before the shock attack.

The Aragon Theater Command HQ Unit has now in Son San Juan, right by Palma... however, I still get no HQ Guidance issues during the fight? I am confused here.

However, our air forces are now 100% coordinated with the Son San Juan airport full of support staff, while the last base air support unit is being flown from Barcelona through air transport flights over the Mediteranean.



This is now less about taking Palma, but killing as many Fascists before I am recalled to Madrid. If I can at least have a hold inside the city to report to Minister of War Indalecio Prieto, at least it will be a moral victory for me.

[WingedIncubus]

General Llano Encomienda is in Son San Juan in person to command the battle. Hopefully, we'll find the solution to resolve those communications issues.

[WingedIncubus]

Casualties on the eve of the grand finale, per day and total.

[WingedIncubus]

October 6, 1936



El ocaso de los dioses.



On land, sea, and in the air, every worker and defender militian of the Republic makes a simultaneous shock attack. The goal now is simple attrition - if we cannot take the city of Palma, we will bleed the Fascists dry.

To ease the overloaded burden of command on General Encomienda, half the columns in Palma are reassigned to the Levante Theater Command under General Miaja Menant.

[WingedIncubus]

October 7, 1936

Finally, they are breaking!





Every column reporting troops almost to the point of exhaustion are assigned to the reserve, while the rest serve as our patriotic shock troops!



Viva la Republica!

[WingedIncubus]

October 8, 1936

We gave a day of respite to our troops to consolidate, but our valiant assaults continue despite our lack of battlefield control over Palma itself.




Palma has become a slaughterhouse, the Fascists sending ever more fanatics to the meatgrinder. According to our reconnaissance, 75% of those Riquetes traitors are in no condition to fight.

We can almost taste victory.

[WingedIncubus]

October 9, 1936

As I get ready to depart for Madrid to make my final report, our troops have finally broke through and exploited the enemy's weak lines.

We are soon to be penetrating inside Palma and holding it. They cannot be resisting for long.

[WingedIncubus]

October 10, 1936

My plane is about departs from Barcelona. Right as I enter the cockpit, one of my aides tend me the last report from Palma.

I remove my cap and lower my head. With a sigh, I thank my staff before closing the door - unsure of the reception I shall be receiving in the capital.

[WingedIncubus]

Endgame

With a heavy sigh, I enter the Minister of War's office. I was so taken by the conduct of the war in Mallorca that I had forgotten that the Head of the government himself, Francisco Largo Caballero, had taken the portfolio of Minister of War for himself.

With a salute and knocking my heels together, at the ready, I make my report.

"Senor Presidente del Gobierno, I make my report. I was given two months to liberate the Mallorcan islands from the Fascists. I am happy to report that Ibiza, Formentera, and the quasi-totality of Mallorca is now under the control of the Republic."

I pause... then continue.

"Unfortunately, Palma itself is still completely in the Rebels hand - the battle has been continuous for weeks now and the urban nature of that battle requires that we clear every house and every building of their Fascists, and they are desperate. However, each day the reports I received had the Fascists taking increasing casualties, constantly more than our proud workers and militians. The city's harbor is no longer functional to receive supplies by the sea, their planes are not in condition of flying, and the streets and facilities of Malta are getting disabeled, their rear areas drowning in the wounded and the dead, while the front line is bombed daily by air, sea, and land.

Aside of an Italian battalion stuck behind in Palma, the Italians have all but evacuated the zone of operations. The skies and the seas are completely under Republican control, not a single airplane is flying over the islands, and the Regia Marina has evacuated the seas.

We tabled over 10,000 dead, wounded, or captured. However, according to our estimations, the Fascists and Italian casualties mount to almost 18,000 men - with more as the battle of Palma continues. Waiting for further orders."



I wait, staring in front of me expecting to be cashiered or sent to fight the Africanistas with a single battalion... but Largo Caballero stands up and simply asks, "How did our workers fight, General?"

I dare to look at him, "They fought like lions for the Republic - Senor Presidente del Gobierno. Socialists, Communists, Anarchists, loyal soldiers, even local volunteers rising in the defense of the Republic; all united against the Fascists, I am happy to report that none of the columns have showed any infighting, nor disrepute or cowardice in front of the enemy. They fought like it is expected of Spanish patriots."

He beams a smile, "They are stuck in Palma with no supplies, no reinforcement, and no hope, Senor General. The Italians have given up on them. Despite having no reinforcement to spare, I am more than confident that by November, Palma will be in our hands. Thanks to your efforts and your loyalty to the Republic, Senor General. We are content. Had you had more time... but the Fascists are getting organized, the rebel Franco at their head with the Nazis and the Capitalists behind him. Your bravery shall be needed in that fight. Go rest, I shall arrange for new instructions for you in a few days. You are relieved with the honor and the gratitude of the people of Spain, Senor General. Dismissed."

He extends his hand. I shake it, then salute with a bottled sigh of relief brushing in my throat.

Result : Minor Republican Tactical Victory

[WingedIncubus]

Aftermath

While I committed quite a few mistakes due to inexperience or failing to grasps some game concepts, I can summarize my main errors as the following:

a) Failing to trust and act on the information I gathered from my recon.

While estimation of the number of troops always vary, I should have taken the fundamental data I had gathered with high DL into account when selecting which units would be better fir for the task at hand, rather than just send human waves of militia men into entrenched or well-defended positions.

For example, my recon had spotted earlier that Ibiza had been left empty or lightly defended. Rather than waste days with frontal attacks that needlessly cost me casualties and emptied my device pools I could have maneuvered around the defenders to probe Ibiza instead and, if seized earlier, saved myself valuable time and resources that could have been used in Palma instead. Similarly, had I understood earlier that they held quite the artillery superiority there, I would have immediately sent columns with artillery and engineers rather than militia and infantry devoid of artillery support.

b) Not focusing on Palma early.

Really, the sight of the AI sending so many troops on Ibiza and Formentera should have been a great news for me - that meant less troops to defend Palma itself. I hope the Devs will adjust the AI weightings in that scenario so that it is less eager to overcommit to defend Ibiza and Formentera when the real prize to defend is Palma.

While I tried to deny him all the supply bases on the islands, I ended up waiting too long and concentrated force on Palma last. Doing so pushed defenders into Palma, when instead, as soon as feasible, I should have find out what AV was defending Palma and try to have at least 2-3-to-1 one into it earlier.

Most notably, El Arenal held no VP value at all - and yet, I forgot that and wasted three columns to force the bottled garrisons there to surrender. They'd been far more useful going for Palma instead. That was quite the oversight from me.

c) Exploiting Son San Juan's air base too late and not properly denying supply.

A 4/5 airport right by Palma devoid of any Italian airplane is a great asset. As soon as it was feasible, I should have moved my assets there to spare myself the maintenance because of wear and tear rather than dally around it. The closer, the better.

Also, while I battered Palma harbor and emptied its supply, I did not attack its airfield very much. Perhaps that allowed him to keep supply storage enough to keep itself reinforcing? I am flabbergasted how even devoid of supply, it managed to just repair and field troops from the Nationalist pool despite thousands of casualties. Like almost 15% of the number of soldiers the Nationalists fielded in fall of 1936 were lost in that campaign.

I tested with a naval bombardment of the port at the end and only a trickle of fuel and supplies were left to be destroyed, so I knew it was short of supply for the amount of troops it fielded inside the city. I know there's an hospital, but still...

d) Not mastering the concepts around Ground battle in urban settings

When to Cautious vs Deliberate vs Shock Attack, or how to use same-hex artillery barrage versus how not to, or how to properly manage Disruption and Fatigue, or how hex control works.

That will come with time, but I should use the information from combat results better when assessing how much AV is required before I commit to battle.

It seems also that my engineers in Palma were totally useless; not once did they manage to decrease their fortifications inside the city. Also, I have no idea how to solve the "no guidance HQ" issue, even with my Army HQ right nearby in Son San Juan or distributing HQ assignments of Regiments between Aragon and Levante HQs.

[RangerJoe]

The AI reacted to your invasion of the other islands. If you would have left those alone, then the computer would not have sent those islands reinforcements. Keep your eye on the prize and not the low hanging fruits.


I covered the no HQ guidance on my AAR here:

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 0&start=60

[WingedIncubus]

The AI reacted to your invasion of the other islands. If you would have left those alone, then the computer would not have sent those islands reinforcements. Keep your eye on the prize and not the low hanging fruits.


I covered the no HQ guidance on my AAR here:

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 0&start=60

I read the part about the no HQ guidance, multiple times, and I am still confused about what much I could do to alleviate this.

All my Columns were assigned to Aragon Theater, and even assigning some of them to Levante to offload them didn't help. Perhaps I should have used the Mahon naval HQ as well, then?

What I understand is that, given that I play with historical LCUs so I cannot edit or customize their TOE as I please, it seems that I just didn't have enough HQ support squads inside the Aragon/Levante Command HQs to cover all the Regiments, and thus it is part of the early Republican "mob army" experience?

Lenin Sector Div HQ arrives at the last turn of the scenario, so I couldn't use it much either.

[RangerJoe]

Okay then . . .

If there is no immediate HQ in the hex to give the LCU battalion orders, you get the message. Then the higher level HQ takes over and gives directions. The higher the level of HQ, the more communication devices there are and thus a better direction for that unit and then the units under the HQ within range. If there is no range listed for the HQ, then the range is just that hex. Units should perform better if they are within range of their immediate HQ.

Basically don't worry about the message but get your regiments, brigades, and divisions formed up into one unit. That will remove a lot of those messages. It happens early in the game until the smaller HQ units come in and combine with their subordinate units. Unless you want certain parts of the unit to act independently. But vehicles in the logistical company will help move the entire unit as well as help supply the entire unit. If the unit is at a base, any excess supply capacity will support other units. Units at a base can draw supplies (including ammo) without needed the logistical devices.

[WingedIncubus]

Okay then . . .

If there is no immediate HQ in the hex to give the LCU battalion orders, you get the message. Then the higher level HQ takes over and gives directions. The higher the level of HQ, the more communication devices there are and thus a better direction for that unit and then the units under the HQ within range. If there is no range listed for the HQ, then the range is just that hex. Units should perform better if they are within range of their immediate HQ.

Basically don't worry about the message but get your regiments, brigades, and divisions formed up into one unit. That will remove a lot of those messages. It happens early in the game until the smaller HQ units come in and combine with their subordinate units. Unless you want certain parts of the unit to act independently. But vehicles in the logistical company will help move the entire unit as well as help supply the entire unit. If the unit is at a base, any excess supply capacity will support other units. Units at a base can draw supplies (including ammo) without needed the logistical devices.

Got it.

Would putting the Aragon Theater Command HQ directly into Palma have helped? I thought about trying it, but didn't want to risk it being damaged or disabled. Then again, the Theater Command had 50+ range, so it's not an issue of them being beyond its range.

All my subunits were rebuilt together into their parent Regiment, except the group of long-range artillery (as I couldn't assign it, them being all Infantry Regiments).