Looking for strong Axis player to play Harsh Winter

[kklemmick]

I mostly just look at the total numbers. This turn it wasn't bad:

Warplan-Nov43.png (113.81 KiB) Viewed 1011 times

I think this includes losses from the previous two turns actually, and recently mine have been about 1.5x the total for the allies. This time around I gave slightly more than I got, but for most of the last year it's been pretty bad.

Germany is having manpower issues now too, of course. It's difficult to use the reinforcement system the way I want it. Right now I have a ton of units I'd rather upgrade than reinforce, since I have tons of production but low manpower, but no matter how I set my reinforcement orders, I still seem to use up more manpower than I want.

I anticipated the manpower issue, so early on built a lot of cheap '39 units when I had the manpower (I tried to never let it max out), and now those units which were used as garrisons are all being upgraded to '44 units, but the game tends to favor units that are low on strength even when I give priority reinforce orders, so I have to cut my reinforcement budget to keep from using to much manpower. Manual reinforcement and upgrading would be a godsend at this point.

Heavy rain this turn, so I will probably get a small break, but man.. My biggest concern is how to pull back once the weather breaks without losing a ton of troops.

I did the whole US invasion thing as a joke. I had no idea it would help you, lol. Well, live and learn. :/

[stjeand]

Late November 1943

HEAVY RAIN EVERYWHERE...another odd weather turn.
All operations all over are haulted.

Russia
Units try to recover.

UK / US
Air recovers, land units get drenched.


-Odd, last turn I saw Russian losses 354 German losses 250.
NO idea how this works or displays...

And when I look no idea how the numbers even match. When I look at the actual combat logs they are one sided...
Here they look good for me.

But the Russians lost more last turn than the Germans in my combat logs, then again the US took out a full corps, or a small corps...not sure to be honest.
Should have 0 losses this turn so will be interesting what numbers show.

[kklemmick]

Yeah, normally that report seems to add up, but recently it's been way out of whack. This is what I saw this turn.

Warplan-Dec43.png (131.16 KiB) Viewed 998 times

I think what it counts is the previous 2 turns for the active player and 1 for the other player (maybe only allies), so the statistics look way worse than they are.

It's too much work to add up all the combat reports, so I usually use this as a guide, but it's possible it's either wildly inaccurate or not as good a guide as I thought.

[stjeand]

Early December 1943

Russia
Snow and Rain all over...Russians resupply as Germans dig in.

UK / US
Resupply...massive bombing of oil refineries..

[stjeand]

Mid December 1943

Russia
Snow...Russians continue to resupply and rebuild their airforce

UK / US
Bombing of oil continues...quiet otherwise.

[stjeand]

End December 1943

Russia
North / Center - Russians try a few probing attacks in a blizzard and get beaten back badly.


US / UK
Germany - More oil refineries burn.

France - US / UK attack by land, sea and air and break through the Loire River line and armor begins to cross. There is little in France to slow the US / UK forces other than weather.

Italy - US / US play cat and mouse games with the German / Italian air with their naval units. The Spitfires and P51s shoot down quite a few unescorted bombers, though they do get 2 bomb hits on the Nelson...

[stjeand]

Early January 1944

Russia
North - Blizzard. One probing attack goes badly, the Russian high command is not shocked.
Center - Blizzard.
South - Snow

The Russian airforce is finally reappearing.

UK / US
Germany - The UK highly decorated WDF attack the LVI corps and drive it back...expanding the Hamburg offensive line.
It may hold...though it may not. Germany is getting spread thin with the French line expanding.

France - US dig in with their armor as German panzers move to plug the breakthrough.
With all the air and naval support it is unlikely that they will be able to break the line but never say never when highly experienced units roll in.

Africa - US / UK naval play chicken with air units...the Nelson takes another bomb hit but the RAF and US Airforce shoot down more bombers.

[kklemmick]

Interesting that the Soviets are so low on forces now. You were over 3000 factors at the start of the year. I doubt all that was from losses, so I'm guessing you scrapped some infantry to solve your manpower problem? Not that you need to tell me or anything, I'm just curious.

Warplan-Forces-Jan44.png (374.1 KiB) Viewed 943 times

The Germans got another burst of foreign volunteers, so manpower is good again, for now. Let's see how long that lasts.

I'm also curious how impactful the oil bombing will be long run. I have more oil stockpiled now than I have since I started paying attention, mostly because I rarely attack any more; but I assume Germany will need as much as they can get as they start to crumble, as they'll lose the Romanian oil pretty quickly. I'm very interested in the dynamics of the Axis collapse.

OTOH, next turn Italy will achieve a major individual victory, by points. So they can claim they won as they're surrendering this summer.

[stjeand]

I did not scrap that many units...maybe 150 at most.

Just a few 25% experience units. So odd they are so low.
But most units are damaged. That should all be fixed prior to the summer.

Crazy how not land useful the US is...though I spent on air which overall I think is better for them.

I am thinking bombing the oil is useless.
Then again you are not fighting with your armor every turn. One armor can use 10 oil on attacks alone...

Think of it this way...
2 armor attack a unit 10 times with 4 tactical air strikes.

That is 32 oil...
It goes fast.


If attacks in the winter cause less losses I would have attacked more with the Russians...but since their losses are 3 or 4 to 1, they would not be ready for the summer.

But the Soviet airforce is almost back...should be by spring...and with the US and UK airforce they should be able to eliminate the Axis airforce.

[stjeand]

Late January 1943

Russia - Nothing happening...snow and manpower issues end any chance of advance.

US / UK - Nothing happens other than bombing some oil refineries.

[stjeand]

Early February 1944

Russia
Snow all around
North - Russians drive an Italian unit back with heavy casualties for the Italians. An airbattle above Russia goes poorly for the new Russian pilots...they learn a lesson in training.

US / UK
Snow most of Europe
Germany - German pilots learn the same lesson Russians do as ME109s and FW190s are no match for the new Spitfire XIIs...

For now...all is quiet...
But the temperature is on the rise...

[stjeand]

Late February 1944

Russia
Snow - a few air battles...even battles overall...But the Russian airforce is finally something to be taken seriously.

US / UK
Quiet...

[stjeand]

Early March 1944

Russia
Heavy rain / rain - Re-equiping troops

US / UK
Germany - Quiet
Italy - US Strategic bombers strike at Taranto and sink an Italian destroyer...One of the few remaining Italian surface warships.

[stjeand]

Late March 1944

Russia
Heavy Rains / Rain - Continuing the unit upgrades, re-equip and resupply...
The Russian army is feeling optimistic about the coming Spring.

US/UK
Heavy rain / Rain grounds most air...
Units continue to resupply for the Spring offensive.


- Going to be an interesting year...Germany currently have 3 fronts to manage...and will likely have a 4th Italy, at some point. Not sure how they guard 4 fronts...Normally they have 3 but UK / US armor is 3 or 4 hexes from Berlin...and if that location breaks through it will be a nightmare to hold, as supplies start to get cut.

[stjeand]

Late March 1944

Russia
Heavy Rains / Rain - Continuing the unit upgrades, re-equip and resupply...
The Russian army is feeling optimistic about the coming Spring.

US/UK
Heavy rain / Rain grounds most air...
Units continue to resupply for the Spring offensive.


- Going to be an interesting year...Germany currently have 3 fronts to manage...and will likely have a 4th Italy, at some point. Not sure how they guard 4 fronts...Normally they have 3 but UK / US armor is 3 or 4 hexes from Berlin holding Hamburg, for now.

[stjeand]

Early April 1944

Russia
North - Snow
Center - Northing snow but clear south, which allows Russian armor to smash a German corps though just driving it past the river line.
South - Germans fall back. Russians are able to attack one corps at the River which goes the German way. Russian infantry to slaughtered and have to fall back calling in armor that are able to heavily weaken the unit but hold till more reinforcements can arrive.

US / UK
Germany - German mechanized units roll in and decimate the UK 8th armor. The unit has to retreat after major losses but it does considerable damage back. The Germans then roll in the elite LVII armored corps...which is unaware that the UK WDF and 10th armor have new Sherman Firefly tanks. The launch a major attack on the German units that just arrived and were beginning to dig in. Air units tear apart their supplies and with the help of the US 1st mechanized they are able to completely overrun the German corps. But this cost is high for both sides...UK and US forces move infantry in to hold the lines, neither side sure of the coming weeks weather so neither knows if they can hold.

France - US 2nd and 4th armored corps attack the II SS unit with heavy air support and drive it back. Then combining but thousands of infantry attack the German 10th corps but it is able to hold, with crippling losses.
The US tanks move into a precarious position, hoping that the weather turns bad...IF it clears it could be extremely bad for the US...but with all the German and Italian air in Italy...they will not have any air support.

Italy - US and UK naval units play cat and mouse with Italian and German air...US P51s and UK Spitfires shoot down hundreds of bombers...softening up the skies.

The Scharnhorst moves into the Baltic on a mission to try to try to disrupt the US and UK sinking of merchants...it is able to heavily damage the French battleship, taking minimal damage back...but then as luck would have it, it is struck by 2 torpedoes from a US submarine and another from a UK destroyer...it is likely the ship will limp back to port or will go on its final mission.

[kklemmick]

Oh, just read this after doing my turn and realized I forgot to move the Scharnhorst back to port. Oh well, they will die with honor at sea at least.

Was able to brute force destroy two allied armor/mech units this turn because of the bizarre early clear weather. Normally I'd say this weather would be to the Allies advantage, but it's possible they have few enough forces on both fronts that they won't be able to make use of it. We'll see. Things are going to go very badly for the Axis this year, but it's hard to say where the worst of it will come from. I'm most concerned about the Soviets in the east, but hopefully I can trade some territory for time there. I don't have that luxury with the US/UK, as they're just a few hexes from Berlin.

[stjeand]

Late April 1944

Russia
North - Snow. The build up is complete...as soon as the weather turns...
Center - Snow.
South - Clear. A few attacks along the lines as German and Rumanian forces make a controlled retreat. It is not likely that it will remain controlled but the Russians are waiting for a full line assault.

UK / US
Germany - Clear weather in April again, but this time it costs...The UK WDF is overrun by more German armor. UK forces are able to hammer back at the Germans but the damage is done...Both sides take heavy casualties...

France - Clear weather is once again costly...the US 2nd Mechanized is destroyed by mass German attacks and they are able to surround the US 2nd armor. But to do this they have to weaken their front...UK forces smash through the North and drive east, where there is little slowing them at the moment. In the south the Germans are not able to contain the US 2nd and it is able to break out with the help of the US 4th armor and nearly 100,000 UK infantry. German troops here are weakening...so the UK lands another 60,000 troops at least.

Italy - Heavy Rains keep both sides at the ready. The entire German bomber force and the Italian airforce are here...along with maybe 2 dozen mixed German units...But with France beginning to collapse...how long can they remain?

[stjeand]

Early May 1944

Russia
Artillery all along the front lines open up...Yak 9s and TU-2 attack and bomber targets all over...
North - A few penetrating attacks though there are lots of German armor around that will likely strike back, which is what the Russians need...they need to wear them down for their 2 dozen armor and mech corps....
Center - A little progress westward...
South - The Germans pull back and allow the Russians to come to them...a few units there take heavy casualties.
Overall the casualties are about even on the Eastern front...though I think the Russians took more overall, close to 1.5x.

US / UK
Germany - little happens here...as the Allies resupply due to multiple German armor and mechanized attacks.

France - a huge breakthrough along the northern coast gets units within 40 miles of Brussels. It is unclear if they will be able to hold the area...but with massive air superiority it should not be an issue.

Italy - A massive disaster in all places.
Every port holds...due to complete incompetence by Allied commanders and Italian . There is a chance of complete failure which would mean the end of any chance at defeating the Italians...Taranto is close to falling and will likely fall next turn unless something goes horribly wrong. It is not clear how Italian units became nearly invincible...but it appears that they did. Time will tell.

[stjeand]

Late May 1944

Russia
North - Russian forces unleash their latest creation, IS-II heavy tanks...they smash into the Germany lines just south of Kaunas and overrun multiple units...12 Russian armor and mechanized corps pour into the breach. The Russian nearly rebuilt airforce rain down on German panzers disrupting supply and forcing them to change their redeploying tactics.
Russian units are now within sight of Riga.
Center - German units continue to hold part of the swamp and Russian units are not able to make any headway though they have reached the outskirts of Kiev.
South - German units are falling back just enough to keep the Russian units at arm's length. Russian units continue to pursue...Russian units are within 80 miles of Odessa.

UK / UK
Germany - Hamburg pocket. US and UK units continue to dig in while air units keep striking at German forces.

France - US and UK forces make a bold move to capture multiple more ports...They are able to reach Calais and Dunkirk as well as move toward Bordeaux...German forces fall back but there are a lot of panzers still in France...the RAF and US air units continue to harass them due to good weather.

Italy - US forces with the help of nearly all of the Royal Navy, including all their carriers launch a massive attack on Taranto, overruning the German corps there and capturing the city. UK forces smash into Palermo and are able to drive the Italians from the city BUT are unable to capture the port. Italy fights on.


-- I think this was the first turn, HOPEFULLY of many that the Allies destroyed more than they lost...Nearly 2 to 1.
The Germans still have teeth in France but in Russia I suspect they have to fall back quickly with so many Russian units in the breach...unless they are able to close it. I do not believe they can but I have seen bad things happen before.