I would run some recon on the Italo-French border. While that's a tough position, it doesn't look like he has a whole lot there. If you can break past the mountain hexes, he'll probably need to abandon all of Italy, including Rome.
I would transfer units from the Cassino Line to southern france. There is no reason to leave anything other than a thin screen along the Cassino Line.
Fischia il Vento - loki100 vs smokindave34 ... German marginal victory T94
Moderator: MOD_WarintheWest
RE: Turn 63: 16-22 September 1944
ORIGINAL: jwolf
In an ironic way the map around Paris reminds me of WITE with a German push toward Moscow. In both cases the defenders have a seemingly unending series of really good positions behind rivers that are very difficult to cross. The drive from South France may open things up, but it will take time and the weather is likely to turn bad by then. Here's to hoping the 2nd British can get the breakthrough you need.
aye, it has that feeling to the game to be honest. Its a case of trying to use my one real advantage (airpower) to slowly create the conditions where he needs to fall back. We've just done T68 and a long slow offensive, with lots of attention paid to his supply lines has finally paid off and my troops will be spending November hitting the pastis.
ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
I would run some recon on the Italo-French border. While that's a tough position, it doesn't look like he has a whole lot there. If you can break past the mountain hexes, he'll probably need to abandon all of Italy, including Rome.
I would transfer units from the Cassino Line to southern france. There is no reason to leave anything other than a thin screen along the Cassino Line.
I did that against the AI and its actually very hard to supply any force once you cross the mountains. The Gran Paradiso block of mountains and the lower Ligurian Alps make it a challenge till you could grab Genoa.
I do start stripping down my lines in S Italy. Some are fed into the S France but most are going into reserve. I have the equivalent of 5 TFs that I can use and I think a new set of invasions may well undermine his current defensive lines both on the Franco-German border and in S Italy.
Turn 64: 23-29 September 1944
Turn 64: 23-29 September 1944
Well this was a shock, in fact it was an outrage.
Some readers may remember that in the last post I noted I was concentrating 2 British Army to attack south of Paris and some of the line was held by regiments. Well the Germans just went and took advantage ... I think this is utterly unsporting, not cricket and the sort of thing to make a chap doubt whats in his tea. Oh and they drove me back further south (but that was expected).
The resulting losses did wonders for my VP score.
After a bit of thinking (and an email of complaint to my opponent), I decided that actually reclaiming what I'd just lost was not that important. I could screen it easily and if they pushed any further west, well it was just a pocket waiting to be formed.
In revenge, Bomber Command wrecked their aircraft industries around Magdeburg and 15 Air went for aircraft and fuel industries in the south. 8 Air had a party over the Ruhr at which the Luftwaffe were unwilling participants.
Still in the spirit of taking revenge, the death star was briefly seen off Toulon
In northern France, 2 British forced the Seine, I can't follow up in force (yet) but that is now a breach in the fort line. Still I moved a British armoured brigade over the river (and displaced a HQ)
Probably the worst consequence of the German attack was the loss of Dreux depot.
And as I was still in a mood for some revenge, next landings go ashore. I'd decided on the Netherlands as it will tie down a lot of German divisions and gives me some invaluable airbases.
I'll then starting putting together another 2 planned landings using units freed from southern Italy and some of the fresh units.
Well this was a shock, in fact it was an outrage.
Some readers may remember that in the last post I noted I was concentrating 2 British Army to attack south of Paris and some of the line was held by regiments. Well the Germans just went and took advantage ... I think this is utterly unsporting, not cricket and the sort of thing to make a chap doubt whats in his tea. Oh and they drove me back further south (but that was expected).
The resulting losses did wonders for my VP score.
After a bit of thinking (and an email of complaint to my opponent), I decided that actually reclaiming what I'd just lost was not that important. I could screen it easily and if they pushed any further west, well it was just a pocket waiting to be formed.
In revenge, Bomber Command wrecked their aircraft industries around Magdeburg and 15 Air went for aircraft and fuel industries in the south. 8 Air had a party over the Ruhr at which the Luftwaffe were unwilling participants.
Still in the spirit of taking revenge, the death star was briefly seen off Toulon
In northern France, 2 British forced the Seine, I can't follow up in force (yet) but that is now a breach in the fort line. Still I moved a British armoured brigade over the river (and displaced a HQ)
Probably the worst consequence of the German attack was the loss of Dreux depot.
And as I was still in a mood for some revenge, next landings go ashore. I'd decided on the Netherlands as it will tie down a lot of German divisions and gives me some invaluable airbases.
I'll then starting putting together another 2 planned landings using units freed from southern Italy and some of the fresh units.
Turn 65: 30 September – 6 October 1944
Turn 65: 30 September – 6 October 1944
I carry on being lucky with the weather, rain and light mud hampers operations but is not a major problem.
As an experiment, I decide to convert one fighter squadron to a Meteor 1. Pretty short ranged, and I have complete air superiority in any case, but seems like a fun thing to do. The Meteor 2 is a much better plane with decent range.
Here's my bombing plan for southern France. Two things of importance. I'm running recon in NW Italy to see if its worth diverting 7 Army towards Turin and Milan. Also most of France has now flipped to my control and I'm busily repairing the rail lines in the Rhone valley. That will help pull supply from Marseilles (when I capture it) to my units fighting in the north.
In the air, Bomber Command take over hitting the Ruhr. I'm tending to alternate 8 Air and BC here as it forces the Germans to keep both day and night fighters. My new airbases in the Netherlands will be used by both strategic air groups to base fighters, extending my effective range to almost all of Germany.
In turn, 8 Air goes for Berlin.
Around Paris, the Germans pulled back to the starting positions of their earlier offensive and had regained the east bank of the Seine. However, they now lack forts so I was able to attack with less units and regain my bridgehead.
In turn, I had a prepared paradrop for the hex next to the bridgehead and as it was left vacant, I landed 1 British airborne. Again I expect to be driven back but it all adds to the interdiction and forces the Germans to move and fight in a sector where my airpower is very active.
I think that shows the impact of high levels of interdiction. Those two Pzr divisions started with a notional cv of 15 (combined), by the time they have been bombed and forced to retreat under heavy air attack they are down to 1.
To the south, US 1 Army has mixed results but does make some small gains.
Marseilles is now surrounded and will be attacked next turn.
Nothing really happened in the Netherlands, so I land some HQ formations and redeploy to attack a German unit now trapped behind my lines.
I carry on being lucky with the weather, rain and light mud hampers operations but is not a major problem.
As an experiment, I decide to convert one fighter squadron to a Meteor 1. Pretty short ranged, and I have complete air superiority in any case, but seems like a fun thing to do. The Meteor 2 is a much better plane with decent range.
Here's my bombing plan for southern France. Two things of importance. I'm running recon in NW Italy to see if its worth diverting 7 Army towards Turin and Milan. Also most of France has now flipped to my control and I'm busily repairing the rail lines in the Rhone valley. That will help pull supply from Marseilles (when I capture it) to my units fighting in the north.
In the air, Bomber Command take over hitting the Ruhr. I'm tending to alternate 8 Air and BC here as it forces the Germans to keep both day and night fighters. My new airbases in the Netherlands will be used by both strategic air groups to base fighters, extending my effective range to almost all of Germany.
In turn, 8 Air goes for Berlin.
Around Paris, the Germans pulled back to the starting positions of their earlier offensive and had regained the east bank of the Seine. However, they now lack forts so I was able to attack with less units and regain my bridgehead.
In turn, I had a prepared paradrop for the hex next to the bridgehead and as it was left vacant, I landed 1 British airborne. Again I expect to be driven back but it all adds to the interdiction and forces the Germans to move and fight in a sector where my airpower is very active.
I think that shows the impact of high levels of interdiction. Those two Pzr divisions started with a notional cv of 15 (combined), by the time they have been bombed and forced to retreat under heavy air attack they are down to 1.
To the south, US 1 Army has mixed results but does make some small gains.
Marseilles is now surrounded and will be attacked next turn.
Nothing really happened in the Netherlands, so I land some HQ formations and redeploy to attack a German unit now trapped behind my lines.
Turn 66: 7 – 13 October 1944
Turn 66: 7 – 13 October 1944
Weather worsened a little to heavy rain but still light mud.
When I got the turn back, it was clear that my last round of attacks had led to permanent gains. My paras were driven back by German paras but I held the bridgehead and gained the east bank of the Seine.
In southern France, Marseilles falls to the death star.
In the Netherlands I eliminate a German division trapped behind my landings. I reported this as a bug but it can happen if the defender shatters in combat regardless of the outcome. I have seen this once in WiTE so that seems plausible
The only fighting in France is around Paris. I'm prioritising this in terms of supply and airpower as I think its key to dislodging the German defences. My logic that Paris the only reason for the Germans to fight on the Seine so if I threaten a pocket here they will fall back.
Weather worsened a little to heavy rain but still light mud.
When I got the turn back, it was clear that my last round of attacks had led to permanent gains. My paras were driven back by German paras but I held the bridgehead and gained the east bank of the Seine.
In southern France, Marseilles falls to the death star.
In the Netherlands I eliminate a German division trapped behind my landings. I reported this as a bug but it can happen if the defender shatters in combat regardless of the outcome. I have seen this once in WiTE so that seems plausible
The only fighting in France is around Paris. I'm prioritising this in terms of supply and airpower as I think its key to dislodging the German defences. My logic that Paris the only reason for the Germans to fight on the Seine so if I threaten a pocket here they will fall back.
RE: Turn 66: 7 – 13 October 1944
Seems like really tough going around Paris. You still need to cross the Marne (or perhaps break through farther to the north somewhere). The Dutch landings tied down some German divisions, but it looks rather difficult to break out of there. Any chance of another landing? [:'(]
RE: Turn 66: 7 – 13 October 1944
ORIGINAL: jwolf
Seems like really tough going around Paris. You still need to cross the Marne (or perhaps break through farther to the north somewhere). The Dutch landings tied down some German divisions, but it looks rather difficult to break out of there. Any chance of another landing? [:'(]
I must confess I'm taking this one river at a time, my hope is that the German player in WiTW lacks the means to set up multiple defense lines so if this one breaks he may have to fall back a long way.
The Dutch landing is pretty efficient. I have six divisions there pinning down 12-15. It also gives me fighter cover over all of northern Germany, which in turn hits what is left of the Luftwaffe hard. Of course its not going anywhere but for the moment that is not a concern.
I have two more big invasions brewing - going to be interesting to see if I dare do them in winter.
Turn 67: 14-20 October 1944
Turn 67: 14-20 October 1944
Weather is back to light mud and rain.
Since I've been experimenting with a variety of set ups for my tactical air efforts, thought it might be useful to provide a bit more detail than my usual quick statement. What I am trying to do is both to reduce the supply the Germans get on the critical sectors (so a bit of a long term project) and make it near impossible for them to move or react on the frontlines. I'm then using both Ground Support missions (to support attacks by ground units) set at the army level and Ground Attack (set to hit specific units) to support my actual attacks.
I've not shown the air allocation to each box but that should give some idea. One allocation that I changed in later turns is I have transferred about 5 squadrons of Spitfires to Bomber Command. They are a far more efficient way to escort day bombing raids in France by the Halifaxes than hard to replace NF planes.
I'm selecting the boxes for the rail usage attacks by using the map tooltip that tells you how much rail usage there is in a given hex. My idea is from 20.1.5. Every interdiction level adds a base of 500 tons of notional usage to a hex (14.2.4), once usage reaches 5,000 then to push supply over a given hex starts to cost more rail capacity. I'm going for high volume usage hexes to be sure that I am causing at least some friction.
If you bomb a hex with a load <5,000 tons then there is no guarentee that your interdiction will push them to point where it actually costs them anything more than normal.
As such its less a means to stop supply on a particular route and more that this reduces the total amount of supply the Germans can move around.
So rail attacks makes it harder for the Germans using those hexes for strategic movement and raises the costs of resupplying all their units.
Here's my side of the supply map. My basic problem is lots of small depots, so I'm not really able to build up substantial reserves close to the front.
Back to the war ... where it took me 3 attacks to dislodge one German unit
An attack to the south was a bit more elegantly executed giving me a small breakthrough. But overall, not exactly a turn of sweeping advances. Still the gains are solid and all contribute to slowly disrupting the German front lines.
Weather is back to light mud and rain.
Since I've been experimenting with a variety of set ups for my tactical air efforts, thought it might be useful to provide a bit more detail than my usual quick statement. What I am trying to do is both to reduce the supply the Germans get on the critical sectors (so a bit of a long term project) and make it near impossible for them to move or react on the frontlines. I'm then using both Ground Support missions (to support attacks by ground units) set at the army level and Ground Attack (set to hit specific units) to support my actual attacks.
I've not shown the air allocation to each box but that should give some idea. One allocation that I changed in later turns is I have transferred about 5 squadrons of Spitfires to Bomber Command. They are a far more efficient way to escort day bombing raids in France by the Halifaxes than hard to replace NF planes.
I'm selecting the boxes for the rail usage attacks by using the map tooltip that tells you how much rail usage there is in a given hex. My idea is from 20.1.5. Every interdiction level adds a base of 500 tons of notional usage to a hex (14.2.4), once usage reaches 5,000 then to push supply over a given hex starts to cost more rail capacity. I'm going for high volume usage hexes to be sure that I am causing at least some friction.
If you bomb a hex with a load <5,000 tons then there is no guarentee that your interdiction will push them to point where it actually costs them anything more than normal.
As such its less a means to stop supply on a particular route and more that this reduces the total amount of supply the Germans can move around.
So rail attacks makes it harder for the Germans using those hexes for strategic movement and raises the costs of resupplying all their units.
Here's my side of the supply map. My basic problem is lots of small depots, so I'm not really able to build up substantial reserves close to the front.
Back to the war ... where it took me 3 attacks to dislodge one German unit
An attack to the south was a bit more elegantly executed giving me a small breakthrough. But overall, not exactly a turn of sweeping advances. Still the gains are solid and all contribute to slowly disrupting the German front lines.
Turn 68: 21-27 October 1944
Turn 68: 21-27 October 1944
Still remain lucky with the weather, rain and light mud over most of France (but heavy rain over Germany).
My supply network is working at full capacity with most of the advanced depots full and the rail net working at near full capacity.
I'm using my rail repair units to try and fill in the gaps in the rail net, that way I maybe able to move more (or certainly more cheaply), I'd ideally like not to have most the lines shown as yellow.
Not shown the VP chart for a while. Remains fairly dire, the need to launch multiple assaults on well defended positions means I am losing a little each turn.
Fortunately, my manpower and other reserves are in good shape.
Keeping to the theme of rail interdiction from the last post, here's the interdiction levels I've managed to generate this turn.
My opening blow is to try and get in behind Paris. Again I think the collapse of the German cv reflects sustained interdiction over multiple turns. It may also reflect supply shortages.
While it took me 2 attacks, I also made good progress a little to the south. Note that I have exploited my earlier victory and pushed a US armoured division east along the Marne. Its vulnerable but its cut one of their rail lines.
In the south I followed up that partial retreat and the French manage to cut off a security regiment.
If the weather holds up, I think I have finally done some serious damage to the German defences south of Paris. A counter-attack could cost me most of what I've just occupied but there are now some real holes in their fortification lines.
Still remain lucky with the weather, rain and light mud over most of France (but heavy rain over Germany).
My supply network is working at full capacity with most of the advanced depots full and the rail net working at near full capacity.
I'm using my rail repair units to try and fill in the gaps in the rail net, that way I maybe able to move more (or certainly more cheaply), I'd ideally like not to have most the lines shown as yellow.
Not shown the VP chart for a while. Remains fairly dire, the need to launch multiple assaults on well defended positions means I am losing a little each turn.
Fortunately, my manpower and other reserves are in good shape.
Keeping to the theme of rail interdiction from the last post, here's the interdiction levels I've managed to generate this turn.
My opening blow is to try and get in behind Paris. Again I think the collapse of the German cv reflects sustained interdiction over multiple turns. It may also reflect supply shortages.
While it took me 2 attacks, I also made good progress a little to the south. Note that I have exploited my earlier victory and pushed a US armoured division east along the Marne. Its vulnerable but its cut one of their rail lines.
In the south I followed up that partial retreat and the French manage to cut off a security regiment.
If the weather holds up, I think I have finally done some serious damage to the German defences south of Paris. A counter-attack could cost me most of what I've just occupied but there are now some real holes in their fortification lines.
Turn 69: 28 October – 3 November 1944... pastis in Paris
Turn 69: 28 October – 3 November 1944
Really this turn only needs one screenshot. Finally it appears as if my relentless (and very costly) offensive to the south of Paris has paid off.
Started to organise a pursuit and to think long and hard about how to redeploy my attacking armies. In particular US 1 Army is now badly out of position as its a waste to commit all that armour to fighting in the Jura and Ardennes.
But I also need to wait a few turns to see where the Germans will make a stand. My guess is that their current line is not well fortified but was chosen to minimise the number of units I could cut off.
I suspended all air operations with 2 Tactical Air and 9 Air to let the fighter bombers recover morale. I also rested the Lancasters from Bomber Command as they have been battered by constant operations for the last few weeks.
My only active missions were a lot of recon and 8 Air strategic bombing of the Reich. Here, having access to fighter bases in the Netherlands, I can start to escort my bombers almost anywhere.
This turn I lost 114 planes and they lost 188. This was the first of a number of turns where the Luftwaffe took very heavy losses.
Ok, that is two screenshots. But 8 Air around Frankfurt/Essen inflicted very heavy losses. Also a lot of German planes were lost for operational reasons as they were forced to deploy inexperienced pilots.
Really this turn only needs one screenshot. Finally it appears as if my relentless (and very costly) offensive to the south of Paris has paid off.
Started to organise a pursuit and to think long and hard about how to redeploy my attacking armies. In particular US 1 Army is now badly out of position as its a waste to commit all that armour to fighting in the Jura and Ardennes.
But I also need to wait a few turns to see where the Germans will make a stand. My guess is that their current line is not well fortified but was chosen to minimise the number of units I could cut off.
I suspended all air operations with 2 Tactical Air and 9 Air to let the fighter bombers recover morale. I also rested the Lancasters from Bomber Command as they have been battered by constant operations for the last few weeks.
My only active missions were a lot of recon and 8 Air strategic bombing of the Reich. Here, having access to fighter bases in the Netherlands, I can start to escort my bombers almost anywhere.
This turn I lost 114 planes and they lost 188. This was the first of a number of turns where the Luftwaffe took very heavy losses.
Ok, that is two screenshots. But 8 Air around Frankfurt/Essen inflicted very heavy losses. Also a lot of German planes were lost for operational reasons as they were forced to deploy inexperienced pilots.
Turns 70-71: 4-17 November 1944
Turns 70-71: 4-17 November 1944
I'll conflate these turns as the weather worsened and it was mostly about moving up to the new front line and creating a supply infrastructure.
T70 saw a couple of useful victories. In the north I took an unoccupied Dieppe (this is, oddly, quite a prize as a level 2 port can be automatically repaired by a TF) and the death star helped out at Le Havre.
In combination that will help both with the amount of supply arriving in France and its allocation to the front line.
The other useful victory was to destroy a mountain division that I'd trapped the previous turn.
Some small stirrings in the east, first signs of a renewed interest in actually reaching Berlin.
On T71, the air conditions improved to cold/snow even if the ground in France remained heavy mud.
In turn I did a massive raid with the US 8 Air on the Ruhr. This did massive damage on the ground but I also managed to wreck the morale of the entire air group. Bomber Command were more successful at Hannover inflicting damage on the cities and the Luftwaffe. Day attacks on the German rail system, escorted now by Spitfires, shot down a lot of German planes
By the end of the turn, seem to back in contact with the Germans.
Over the last few turns I've deliberately left about half the army (and most of the armour) static. Helps shed fatigue and means they were still well connected to the supply network. So my frontline is vulnerable but I'm not really afraid of an attack, not least hard to see what the Germans would gain.
As my supply lines improve, and hopefully rain gives way to snow, I should have a well rested armour force with decent cv.
I'll conflate these turns as the weather worsened and it was mostly about moving up to the new front line and creating a supply infrastructure.
T70 saw a couple of useful victories. In the north I took an unoccupied Dieppe (this is, oddly, quite a prize as a level 2 port can be automatically repaired by a TF) and the death star helped out at Le Havre.
In combination that will help both with the amount of supply arriving in France and its allocation to the front line.
The other useful victory was to destroy a mountain division that I'd trapped the previous turn.
Some small stirrings in the east, first signs of a renewed interest in actually reaching Berlin.
On T71, the air conditions improved to cold/snow even if the ground in France remained heavy mud.
In turn I did a massive raid with the US 8 Air on the Ruhr. This did massive damage on the ground but I also managed to wreck the morale of the entire air group. Bomber Command were more successful at Hannover inflicting damage on the cities and the Luftwaffe. Day attacks on the German rail system, escorted now by Spitfires, shot down a lot of German planes
By the end of the turn, seem to back in contact with the Germans.
Over the last few turns I've deliberately left about half the army (and most of the armour) static. Helps shed fatigue and means they were still well connected to the supply network. So my frontline is vulnerable but I'm not really afraid of an attack, not least hard to see what the Germans would gain.
As my supply lines improve, and hopefully rain gives way to snow, I should have a well rested armour force with decent cv.
RE: Turns 70-71: 4-17 November 1944
Congratulations on liberating Paris! It took a lot of tough fighting to persuade the Germans to fall back like that. As for the Eastern Front picture, I would bet that Churchill, Roosevelt, and Eisenhower thought about the same thing as you.
How long do you expect until you will have serious ground operations again vs the Germans?
How long do you expect until you will have serious ground operations again vs the Germans?
RE: Turns 70-71: 4-17 November 1944
ORIGINAL: jwolf
Congratulations on liberating Paris! It took a lot of tough fighting to persuade the Germans to fall back like that. As for the Eastern Front picture, I would bet that Churchill, Roosevelt, and Eisenhower thought about the same thing as you.
How long do you expect until you will have serious ground operations again vs the Germans?
it was a grim business but reinforced my suspicion that the Germans lack the units to pre-dig multiple lines and the admin pts for FZ spam. So once you comprehensively demolish a defensive line they have to pull back radically.
Its going to take about 4 weeks, need to find out where Dave has set up his new defenses (he has to try and fight west of the Rhine or he's at risk of me breaching that barrier when its frozen), then it'll take a few turns to sort out the supply lines. Found the hard way from my AI game that there is no point attacking off a weak supply base, no matter how tempting. better to wait an extra turn or turn and be able to hit hard and hopefully sustain the operation if you get a breakthrough
Turn 72: 18-24 November 1944
Turn 72: 18-24 November 1944
Not too much happened this turn, moving up to the front and recreating a supply network.
One advantage of a few turns of limited fighting, and of liberating most of France is that the VP score is slowly improving. I can't see this ever becoming a draw but at least the relentless slide to an Axis major victory has stalled.
I've annotated that to compare with T68. Note how much taking Paris is doing for my score.
Here's the supply net before I created the depots for this turn. I tend to do this at the start of the turn and then work out where the rail repair units are to be allocated. At this stage I'm prioritising incorporating potential depot locations as much as actually building the rails up to the front lines.
Le Havre, is already proving a very welcome addition to my capacity to bring supply to France.
Bombing is really about hitting the German supply network. I've been refining this a bit, if you look at the map with the 'ground attack' filter on you'll see where the partisans have cut the German rail lines. That, in turn often pushes freight onto a single line and creates an attractive spot to bomb.
All my tactical bombers are having a well earned rest (as are the heavier bombers of 8 Air). Bomber Command is going for Hamburg as I've not bombed that for some time. The result was substantial damage.
Again, the Luftwaffe took heavy losses, mostly operational.
Not too much happened this turn, moving up to the front and recreating a supply network.
One advantage of a few turns of limited fighting, and of liberating most of France is that the VP score is slowly improving. I can't see this ever becoming a draw but at least the relentless slide to an Axis major victory has stalled.
I've annotated that to compare with T68. Note how much taking Paris is doing for my score.
Here's the supply net before I created the depots for this turn. I tend to do this at the start of the turn and then work out where the rail repair units are to be allocated. At this stage I'm prioritising incorporating potential depot locations as much as actually building the rails up to the front lines.
Le Havre, is already proving a very welcome addition to my capacity to bring supply to France.
Bombing is really about hitting the German supply network. I've been refining this a bit, if you look at the map with the 'ground attack' filter on you'll see where the partisans have cut the German rail lines. That, in turn often pushes freight onto a single line and creates an attractive spot to bomb.
All my tactical bombers are having a well earned rest (as are the heavier bombers of 8 Air). Bomber Command is going for Hamburg as I've not bombed that for some time. The result was substantial damage.
Again, the Luftwaffe took heavy losses, mostly operational.
RE: Turn 72: 18-24 November 1944
What you need now is for the Germans to burn out their army in a doomed offensive. [;)] But Dave is a much more careful defender than Hitler was. Good luck as you continue, hopefully into Germany itself very soon.
RE: Turn 72: 18-24 November 1944
ORIGINAL: jwolf
What you need now is for the Germans to burn out their army in a doomed offensive. [;)] But Dave is a much more careful defender than Hitler was. Good luck as you continue, hopefully into Germany itself very soon.
I'm starting to try and set traps to tempt him, but in snow I can't really generate the interdiction levels to make him suffer as much as I'd like [;)].
Traps in this sense are to encircle a few divisions with a slightly flawed screen ... weak enought to tempt a counterattack.
My goals over the winter are to breach the Rhine while its frozen and trash whats left of his decent armoured formations.
Turn 73: 25 November – 1 December 1944
Turn 73: 25 November – 1 December 1944
Weather was predictably bad this turn, so my response was to let most of the airforce rest. Supply lines are now mostly up to front, so its now really a case of waiting for my chance.
Should note that my structured repair effort is driven by two goals. One is to integrate towns and cities – this means I can set up depots. You can see the new depots as they are the ones just showing capacity (the black line on the right). The other is I am trying not to be reliant on just a single rail line if I can help it.
The situation west of the Seine shows the problem I have. I actually now am landing enough supplies (especially with Marseilles repaired and the two lines in the Rhone valley repaired), and am not too badly off for rail capacity in France (I tend to repair rail junctions as a priority). So the challenge is of delivery.
Where the line is shown as green rail costs are normal, yellow means there is too much demand on the capacity so the cost increases. In other words every yellow (or worse orange/red) hex takes up more of my finite rail capacity. So two parallel lines are much better than one.
This is going to have a huge impact when added to WiTE where at the moment you can support every Pzr division in the German army at the end of a single rail track.
Second bit of the supply distribution system is unit priority. This determines where the supply reaching a given depot is going to. At the moment, my two offensive armies (1 US and 2 British) are at #3 or #4, 1 CA has one corps at #3 (that is the formation clearing out the Channel ports) and the rest, plus 1 FF are at #2. US 7 and 9 Army for the moment is #1.
Just to keep on with supply a little longer, if you swap these priorities around, it takes a few turns to adjust. So ideally you need to preplan over a couple of turns if you can.
Anyway, here's some images of actual fighting:
1 FF tries to take advantage of a weakly held German line around Belfort.
More successful was XX Corps, which did what it does so well ...
This turn I moved up all the units I'd left on the Seine. They are now well rested and more importantly well stocked with fuel, supply and ammunition. I have one 18 cv infantry division and a lot of the armour is over 15.
My goal is to cross the Rhine before winter is over, when frozen that will be a lot easier than later on. For the moment, I plan a two pronged offensive. 2 British will try to break the German lines between Namur and Brussels and push towards Maastricht. 1 US is to attack south of Namur, clear the Ardennes and push towards Cologne. For both operations, taking Liege is going to be critical as it controls the rail links on this sector.
Weather was predictably bad this turn, so my response was to let most of the airforce rest. Supply lines are now mostly up to front, so its now really a case of waiting for my chance.
Should note that my structured repair effort is driven by two goals. One is to integrate towns and cities – this means I can set up depots. You can see the new depots as they are the ones just showing capacity (the black line on the right). The other is I am trying not to be reliant on just a single rail line if I can help it.
The situation west of the Seine shows the problem I have. I actually now am landing enough supplies (especially with Marseilles repaired and the two lines in the Rhone valley repaired), and am not too badly off for rail capacity in France (I tend to repair rail junctions as a priority). So the challenge is of delivery.
Where the line is shown as green rail costs are normal, yellow means there is too much demand on the capacity so the cost increases. In other words every yellow (or worse orange/red) hex takes up more of my finite rail capacity. So two parallel lines are much better than one.
This is going to have a huge impact when added to WiTE where at the moment you can support every Pzr division in the German army at the end of a single rail track.
Second bit of the supply distribution system is unit priority. This determines where the supply reaching a given depot is going to. At the moment, my two offensive armies (1 US and 2 British) are at #3 or #4, 1 CA has one corps at #3 (that is the formation clearing out the Channel ports) and the rest, plus 1 FF are at #2. US 7 and 9 Army for the moment is #1.
Just to keep on with supply a little longer, if you swap these priorities around, it takes a few turns to adjust. So ideally you need to preplan over a couple of turns if you can.
Anyway, here's some images of actual fighting:
1 FF tries to take advantage of a weakly held German line around Belfort.
More successful was XX Corps, which did what it does so well ...
This turn I moved up all the units I'd left on the Seine. They are now well rested and more importantly well stocked with fuel, supply and ammunition. I have one 18 cv infantry division and a lot of the armour is over 15.
My goal is to cross the Rhine before winter is over, when frozen that will be a lot easier than later on. For the moment, I plan a two pronged offensive. 2 British will try to break the German lines between Namur and Brussels and push towards Maastricht. 1 US is to attack south of Namur, clear the Ardennes and push towards Cologne. For both operations, taking Liege is going to be critical as it controls the rail links on this sector.
RE: Turn 73: 25 November – 1 December 1944
Do you have a rough estimate of how strong the German line is, say in comparison to the line they had along the Seine earlier?
RE: Turn 73: 25 November – 1 December 1944
ORIGINAL: jwolf
Do you have a rough estimate of how strong the German line is, say in comparison to the line they had along the Seine earlier?
its *weaker*, in that at any spot if I really concentrate I can break it - at a cost. Bit like in my AI game, I think the German army is now weak enough that they have to gaps somewhere. I've just sent T77 back to Dave and the losses are horrendous (feels like I am re-enacting Bagration but in Belgium) but it seems as if he can't quite hold.
Airpower and thus weather is the key as ever. One turn I struggled to get much interdiction and had to wade through a sea of reserve re-actions, this turn it cleared enough that I was able to suppress his reserves. The earlier turn I suffered for a lot of counterattacks, I'd be surprised if he managed that this time as for 2 hexes behind the front are pretty solid #4 interdiction.
My reckoning is that a normal infantry division can easily be a 1-1 ant (and struggles to get over 3 cv), the Pzrs are entering that phase where they are one-shot formations, still exceptionally deadly but I can grind them down and they stay weak afterwards.
Also the terrain is different. Before the Seine north of Paris was a solid invulnerable line, so he could either let me attack way to the south or closely contest the advance around Paris. Now river lines are intermittent so its almost always possible to attack around them.
final bit - this is a less well-prepared line. I think he'd starting setting up the Seine line in 1943, this is being dug as I arrive. I think Dave's logic is right, if he fights the winter on the Rhine I'll be over by the spring, so he has to fight the winter west of the Rhine and hope he has enough of an army to make that a real barrier for the end of game sequence.
RE: Turn 73: 25 November – 1 December 1944
ORIGINAL: loki100
final bit - this is a less well-prepared line.
Yeah that is what I was guessing (and hoping) was true. But you have less time ... it may depend on the weather dice. Good luck!