Encircled by Enemies (PBEM gwgardner vs Chocolino)

[Flaviusx]

So far as Libya goes, the only thing that matters is Tripoli. It's a VP. The rest is expendable.

Your position in Benghazi is untenable. Pull back all the way to the port east of Tripoli. The logistics here are terrible for the British player. He will have serious problems supplying his forces here. It's a long ways from Benghazi. He will have to spend a fortune in trucks to keep anything supplied there.

A minor German contingent can stiffen the Italians in this area. Say, two infantry corps and an HQ. Don't even need panzers for this. Set it all to hold in this logistical desert and let him dash himself to pieces trying to crack it while Britain falls to the panzers.

You are going to lose the trash Italian infantry doing this, but whatever. Save the mobile units and the HQ. Maybe leave the infantry in Benghazi will hold order to cover your retreat. Let him waste his time on them while you set up your real position further west.

[Chocolino]

Your bombers are fine. It's the weather that's the problem. You do not need dedicated naval bombers for this task.

Thanks - yes I did some tests and can confirm that the weather makes all the difference. I am wondering if it affects naval interdiction as well.

You need to get an HQ in Britain ASAP, btw.

Its sitting in port waiting for an opportune (safe) moment. May be a couple of turns.

[Chocolino]

Your position in Benghazi is untenable.

I am not planning of holding it. But I thought about giving El Agheila a try.

A minor German contingent can stiffen the Italians in this area.

I was not planning on sending the DAK. But if the Italians continue to collapse I may change my mind and follow your advice.

Independent from the above I am also starting to worry about what the Soviets can do proactively come 1942. It seems a long way off but these turns go by like nothing. I understand they are free to act by then even if not attacked first. They may not be ready to strike at Poland but they have perhaps other painful (for me) options. Hence I am still considering a 1941 Barbarossa even with reduced forces and opening up the dreaded 2 front war.

[Flaviusx]

I have playtested this Soviet thing! Solo only, but it's interesting.

The Soviets are not going to be quite as strong as you would think. They're going to have a ton of production, yeah. But there are problems.

They cannot build any infantry armies until they are actually at war. Nor will they get any of their massive reserves until they are at war.

The other big problem is they will be frozen at 35% experience levels until they are at war. This is abysmal. It's fully half what the Germans get intrinsically. Worse yet, many of their starting formations are well below this 35%. The stuff they start with is rocking 20-25%. It's a big army. A big garbage army. The Red Army learns best in the school of hard knocks.

When the German AI finally got around to declaring war on my Soviets in 1942, it did actually push me back and grab places like Riga and Minsk and Kiev before my lines solidified. Admittedly, this is the AI and I had it set at max levels to see what it could do. A human may or may not be able to do this with normal levels of play.

This AI spent all of 1941 doing a western campaign, Iberia and NA. It was basically unstoppable. The British got pushed all the way back to El Alamein before they could hold the Germans. The AI might be dumb, but it was so strong I couldn't come to grips with it in a stand up fight for quite some time.

[Chocolino]

1-3-41

It is already 1941. German progress in England is slow. The Germans have also not enough troops to occupy all 3 cleared hexes safely. So they contend themselves with just one hex.

A British sub is lurking nearby. Since the weather was better air attacks could at least damage it. This may have distracted the British captain enough to let a German troop convoy pass unmolested.

[Chocolino]

1-3-41

Near hull the British close in to contain the beach head (or worse). The paras take over port security. The two British TFs still guard all approaches to Hull.

[Flaviusx]

Basically, your infantry *divisions* are going to be better than any infantry they have and able to give a good account of themselves even against their mech on the defense. You can hold the eastern front with a semi scratch force worst come to worst.

But the whole idea here is to wrap this UK thing up well before May of 1942. You should have plenty of time to complete this and have a fully prepared Barbarossa army for 1942. Indeed, a stronger one. You yourself will have time to build up.

[Chocolino]

1-3-41

The British are in splendid shape in Lybia and drive the Italians westward (well - southward for now).

Helpful advisors have suggested to send in German troops to rectify the situation. But Il Duce considers this a slight to Italian honor and has refused any help so far.

Also overlooked to retreat the Italian tank one more hex to open up a retreat hex for the Benghazi garrison. Now it will surrender instead. That was simply bad play.

[John B.]

here is the RAF? I would think it would be out hunting Germany resupply convoys. I'm impressed that Germany has enough shipping to keep what I count as about 17 divisions (assuming two divisions per corps) in combat supply in England even in the face of merchant shipping losses to the RN and still have shipping left over to bring in reinforcements. Does shipping get used up like supply trucks?

[Chocolino]

Does shipping get used up like supply trucks?

I don't think shipping gets used up like trucks. The exception is "landing crafts" for amphibious operations. But there is a limit of regular sea transport that can be used per turn. This is similar to strategic rail transport.

According to the manual there is a small chance that transport points can get sunk if enemy supply is interdicted. However, this has not been the limiting factor so far. More limiting is rather overall supply levels.

There is a formula that you can use on how many units a port of a given size supports. What I do not know is if having captured multiple ports (e.g. Plymouth and Southampton) has a cumulative effect on supply. Perhaps somebody with a better understanding can answer this.

Edit: Just read that it does. Units use the nearest port for supply and use farther away ports if the nearest port is empty. However, if a port is too far away (even via rail) the effectiveness of the supply decreases - i.e. the units consume more supplies to represent loss.

[Chocolino]

1-17-41

The ground is frozen and the Germans can insert a small wedge into the British line. All air attacks on the British ships are again useless because of the bad weather.

[Chocolino]

1-17-41

The Kriegsmarine was asked to clear the sea lanes to Hull and sailed in force. But bad weather prevented any major actions - our attack failed. Unfortunately the location is currently out of reach for our bombers.

[Chocolino]

1-17-41

The British capture Benghazi and the garrison surrendered (see above for why). The Italians fall further back to El Agheila.

[Chocolino]

1-31-41

The weather was excellent and the Luftwaffe could finally step out of the shadow of their successful Italian counterparts and sink several capital ships in the English Channel that were interdicting supply and attacking airbases. Now it will be harder for the British to maintain their supply interdiction activities but I think the British had no choice than to risk these ships. They are no good in port.

The nosy German infantry corps that edged into the British lines was punished severely and driven back during the British turn - then sent to Bristol for garrison duty to recover (red-line).

Near Birmingham the British fell back behind the river line pro-actively.

[Chocolino]

1-31-41

In Lybia the British are still in hot pursuit of the Italians who have now dug in near El Agheila. The RM did sail once more against the British before Tobruk but did not achieve anything.

It may be worth mentioning that the British did withdraw from Crete as well as from two Norwegian ports (Trondheim and Bergen). But they still keep a stranglehold on Narvik and prevent the shipment of 25PP during the winter months which is quite a lot since this is before the German multiplier is applied.

[Chocolino]

2-14-41

The Germans follow the retreating British to the Thames - but don't dare with their run down Panzerkorps near London. Supplies would be fine but in this game ports were reduced occasionally from level 9 to 4 via interdiction (i.e. takes away 100 of 180 supply).

[Chocolino]

2-14-41

There was also a major surface battle in the North Sea. Both sides took heavy losses - but only Germany lost a capital ship. (The Italian DDs were sunk near Tobruk without any compensation).

[Chocolino]

2-14-41

The British attack Italian positions near El Agheila but then retreat during their own turn. Not sure if they will come back. The Italians have occupied Crete after the British abandoned it. Prophylactically they send a small corps to Olbia in Sardinia since the Allies showed some interest in it earlier. Later Sardinia will make a great air base for the Allies.

[gwgardner]

Should be easy now for the AXIS in the UK, as the home country is completely cut off from Commonwealth supplies of oil and other resources. Production is down to practically nothing, oil is depleted. I'm not sure which port(s) are involved in the cutoff.

The fight will carry on as long as possible at home, then continue from Egypt.

[Michael T]

The fight will carry on as long as possible at home, then continue from Egypt.

That's the spirit