carlkay58 (Allies) vs Pelton (Axis) 43 Campaign

[carlkay58]

Turn 22: (Nov 27, 1943)

Invasion went in okay. Good coverage by the Axis in response to the attack. Massive Axis Naval Interdiction

of the invasion forces. I lost 27 VPs for US and Other Losses that turn so heavy casualties.

[carlkay58]

Air: I take both the Tactical and the 15th USAAF and fly Air Superiority over the beach heads. I also use the

15th USAAF to fly Naval Patrol over the area. The ETO is socked in with Very Poor weather.

[carlkay58]

Land: It is hard slogging with the rain and mud but the beach head expands. I lose quite a few transports

getting the second wave ashore through the Axis naval patrol but the losses are not too high. My air is not

flying very much because of the bad weather. But, as I said, waiting for good weather is April, 1944 and I

don't have that much time.

[Seminole]

I lose quite a few transports getting the second wave ashore through the Axis naval patrol but the losses are not too high. My air is not flying very much because of the bad weather. But, as I said, waiting for good weather is April, 1944 and I don't have that much time.

I take it that's why he's winning the naval interdiction air battle?
Have you been able to land any additional supplies? Looks like 5 temporary ports, but all cut off. Is 5 task forces all you have committed to Med, or are you already prepping another landing spot?
I'm very curious how supplies fare through heavy naval hex interdiction even if the control is neutral (e.g. Interdiction level 99 for both sides).

Invasion force OoB? Anymore expected reinforcements for the beachhead?

What's the strategic goal of the beach head? Are you planning to drive due east and try to force him to abandon his line south of Rome, or do you plan to press north and stretch him?

[marion61]

You need Coastal AF flying naval and Tactical AF. You need to maintain at least parity with him to get any supplies or replacements on the beaches. Auto naval patrols by Coastal AF is not enough to counter his naval interdiction. He can put a lot of planes over the area, make him pay for it.

[carlkay58]

Remember that we are currently on turn 44 or so and I am WAY behind on the AAR. This was also my first head to head game of WitW so I was playing with some things that, at the time, were considered major concerns. One of the major concerns was that the Western Allied player could just sail in and invade without penalty - so I decided to see if I could pull it off as easily as many were afraid it could be. You will see shortly what I tried and how Pelton countered - also how Pelton has solidified his Axis beach defense strategies into the tough nut it is today.

[carlkay58]

Turn 23: (Dec 4, 1943)

Heavy Axis counterattacks force back the Allies on the beach head and destroy the 1st BR Airborne and 3rd US

Armored Divisions. One of the beach heads is lost and the Allies are split in two. Over 38,000 casualties

this turn for the Allies. There is still heavy Axis Naval Patrols going on off shore but the Allies are

beginning to neutralize most of it. The main Axis defensive line is now down to regimental strength units for

the majority of it.

[carlkay58]

Air: Tactical and Strategic AFs concentrate on hitting the Axis and gaining both naval and air superiority in

the invasion zone. Ground Interdiction does not work, the best interdiction values I can get is 1 which does

nothing so I set the Ground Attacks to be against units and hope for some damage and disruptions. Although

the disruptions will go away during the Axis Initial Phase so that will only help me try and rebuild some of

the defenses. This could be a disaster in the making.

My air attacks cause the loss of 1853 men, 34 guns, and 18 AFVs to the Axis. Hopefully this will help.

[carlkay58]

Land: The 7th US Army ships into the invasion zone and takes command of the units there. The II US Corps

switches to the command of the 8th BR Army. More reinforcements are sent towards the invasion although they

will not reach it until next turn. The line is bolstered with attacks which clear out some of the

penetrations. Whether they will hold next turn is questionable. The bad weather is just getting worse - heavy

rain and mud through the majority of the area.

[carlkay58]

Turn 24: (Dec 11, 1943)

I control the seas now off the beaches. The Axis advanced in a few hexes but the Allies manage to hold. The

Axis lost over 400 aircraft last turn - about 20% of their total! Their land casualties were also high.

[carlkay58]

Air: I keep all of the AF's doing the same missions. It seems to be working in the MTO and the ETO at this

time. The Ground Attack missions cause 2515 men, 65 Guns, and 13 AFVs as casualties this turn. I find that

the beach head is entirely cut off from supply after the air phase - the Axis has naval interdiction of 9 in

almost every hex.

[carlkay58]

Land: More reinforcements land into the invasion area. Two major attacks in the south portion of the area are

repulsed - each time the Allies were only about 10% of their CVs. I fire and replace four Allied Corps

commanders. Patton is trying hard to motivate both his men and leaders to be more aggressive and stand up

against the German troops attacking the line. The main defensive line in the south is now three hexes deep in

fortifications so the invasion is my one chance to break the stalemate to the south. I don't know if I can

even hold the area let alone expand from it. But I seem to be more stable now than I was a turn or two ago.

[decourcy2]

Thanks for continuing the AAR, i am enjoying it, and i am using you as a canary in a mine to see what works and what does not.

Are you finding Superiority over beaches is helping shoot down his naval patrols? I use superiority, on land it seems to do nothing, but i am unsure whether it is helping with naval patrols.

[carlkay58]

It definitely seemed to increase the LW losses with Superiority over the beaches. I tend not to use the Coastal AFs for active Naval Patrols as their passive patrols are what keeps my rear area in good shape. Otherwise you lose too much just shipping things in 'safe' waters.

[carlkay58]

Turn 25: (Dec 18, 1943)

The Axis have captured the southern beaches and surrounded the three divisions of the V US Corps (29th US

Infantry, 5th US Infantry, and the 101st US Airborne Divisions). The cost to them was 717 aircraft destroyed

- dropping their total aircraft to about 1800. The Axis naval interdiction is again back up in the 6 to 9

range for all of the beach heads.
<no screenshot>

[carlkay58]

Air: I continue my support of the invasion area and shrink the naval patrol mission for the 15th USAAF in

order to concentrate control better. We shall see how that goes. The 2nd RAF Tactical AF is now targeting the

VW Launch sites in northern France as they replace U-Boats in VP penalties starting on January 1, 1944.

[carlkay58]

Note the successful bombing of the Cherbourg VW-Launch site by the 2nd RAF Tactical AF. I hit it for over

240% damage!

[carlkay58]

Land: Just shipping units in to the invasion area has high losses.

This is the naval interdiction in the area that caused those losses.

[carlkay58]

I did counterattack and releive the V US Corps which promptly skedadled back to the lines although they are

still vulnerable. I shift some units around in southern Italy but the best odds I can get down there are

pretty bad - strictly a suicide attack at this time. I build up in the area for next turn.

[carlkay58]

My evaluation of the invasion is that an invasion that works well against the AI is not good against a human

player. This is no surprise but it shows what the difference is. I went too far from my air support. Couple

this with a deployment glitch in my control and my air was absent for about six turns which cost me in

preparations for the invasion. On the other hand it is destroying the Luftwaffe. The aircraft losses he is

having is beginning to show up on the battlefield. While my aircraft losses are still high, it is because his

flak and the bad weather are causing more casualties than his fighters.