John Lee's 'great war' Entente vs MP9090 as Central Powers

[GenSlack]

Did you guys quit?

[gwgardner]

No, I got lazy in making screenshots, probably because I'm getting creamed in Italy. Next turn I'll update.

[GenSlack]

The scenario looks very interesting, but with the flaws you mention (the shared replacements being particularly bad).

[gwgardner]

Aug 15
Turn 55

German and Austrian offensives in France, Italy, and Serbia have been relentless over the last month. And successful.

The Italian aggressiveness at the start of their involvement in the war has devolved into a string of disastrous battles in which entire divisions have been smashed, surrounded, surrendered, disbanded. Trieste and Venice have fallen, and the Italian army is struggling to establish a line west of Venice.

In the Tyrol it's the same story, with the Italian 3rd Army making a fighting withdrawal with heavy losses to Trentino.

[gwgardner]

The Italian 1st Army in Serbia has fared little better, being forced back from their farthest advances and attempting to establish a firm line that can be held. To make matters even more tenuous, Bulgaria has entered the war against Serbia, and Turkish troops have already advanced across Bulgaria to the southeastern Serbian border.

The Serbian response has been to pull forces from its strong lines around Belgrade. If the Austrians can muster a stronger force there, the loss of Belgrade seems imminent.

[gwgardner]

In France the Germans continue their push through the Ardennes region. It still baffles GHQ to determine what the ultimate goal of this offensive is.

Sedan has fallen, but there is no general, disastrous collapse in France as there is in Italy.

[gwgardner]

There is no improvement on the replacements front, and perhaps that is the goal of the Germans. They have been wildly successful in increasing the casualty totals.

[StuccoFresco]

Such a pity for the promising Italian front...

[Cfant]

Caporetto reloaded... any french/british troops left to bolster the Italians?

[gwgardner]

August 22
Turn 56

disaster -> catastrophe -> disintegration
That would be one way to describe my handling of the Italian Front

3rd Army is now isolated and soon to disintegrate. 2nd Army is doing little more than serve as a punching bag for the German and Austrian divisions pouring into Lombardy.

I just did not foresee ANY German involvement on this front.

To answer it I should have followed the advice in previous comments above, to send in British or French help.

Now too late?

[gwgardner]

Unfortunately for the Italians, all recent British reinforcements have been ear-marked for an offensive in France and Belgium.

Having looked with the editor at the scenario replacements schedule, I see that the long-awaited surge in manpower is never to come. Rifle squad replacements are slated to remain at 350 till the end of the war. In short, there will never be a surplus, never a reserve. Thus waiting to try to shake things up in France and in the East is useless. It might as well be done now.

[gwgardner]

Nothing shaking on the Eastern Front, but the Russians are reorganizing and planning a renewed offensive.

[Cfant]

Could you show a map of Italy? Stop the Central Powers at the Piave, as historical [:)] Oh, and by the way: If you attack anyone in WW1, ALWAYS expect Germany to teeth gnashing save the day [:D] Otherwise WW1 had been 1914-1914. [;)]

[gwgardner]

The enemy is already beyond the Piave. better screenshot when I get my next turn

[Cfant]

Ok, but in the screen there is "3rd Italien army cut off". But cannot you rail them out?

[gwgardner]

Yes, my bad. An excess of panic on my part.

[Cfant]

Let's better call it roleplay of Italian High Command [:D]

[gwgardner]

Sept 15, turn 58

With Italy prostrate before the combined German/Austrian onslaught, the French government finally was able to pressure GHQ to send a relief force.

The situation in Italy seems to have been saved (at least temporarily), along the line of the Adige and the southern Tyrol.

[gwgardner]

Of course sending a force to Italy necessarily caused a weakening of the front in France. GHQ is gambling that the British offensive through Abbeville will make it impossible in the short run for the Germans to exploit the French line northeast of Paris.

The British 3rd Army is spearheading the offensive, using the entirety of the recent reinforcements from the UK.

[gwgardner]

In Serbia, the Central Powers are tightening the noose. Inevitably, Serbian lines are being stripped and weakened in the north, in order to try to stabilize the line against the Bulgarians and Turks in the southeast.

It has the appearance of a lost cause at this point.