Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post descriptions of your brilliant successes and unfortunate demises.

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AlbertN
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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Deeper in July / August:

The Germans tried their luck with another carpet bombing run. The plan on the paper was marvellous, if the carpet bombing would have dignified itself with a success. Cutting out of supply the whole western branch of the Soviet defensive setup.

Alas, that was not the case and many bombs and fuel were wasted.

Von Bock led the assault nonetheless, with vehement brutality, and with ample air support from the Stukas. Managing to advance up to the southern mountain ridges ... shame ahead of that there is swampy terrain. But the Axis sensibly shortened their front.

The Soviets lost some units in that attack, and in the wake call of German aerial assets in range of their shipping in the Caspian Sea their fighters scramble to ensure protection to the convoys shipping resources to their core of factories in Siberia. (Note the "Naval" Stuka).

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Updated Destroyed Units:

On top of that in this turn the following ships have been damaged:

US CL Milwaukee
US CL Memphis
US CL Atlanta
GER Submarine
GER Submarine
ITA BB Impero
ITA CA Pola
ITA CA Eugenio di Savoia
CW CL Argonaut

11 CW CPs got destroyed.

Vatutin HQ (Soviet) and 1 US ARM 8-6 got both Shattered.

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

A brief analysys of the game situation:

I believe the Axis has pratically reached the high water mark, probably as powerful as it could reach in any game.
To my benefit there has been a very delayed US gearing up due to poor rolls and a Soviet warmongering against a few minors which helped in that direction.
Also due to previous games I had more experience in the "attack and expand" phase for the Axis, whereas my gaming buddy did hardly get in the "attack and liberate" phase for the Allies. (Crippling bugs, or other issues got us to restart).

In Russia, for what I saw from other AARs the outcome is pretty normal - the Soviets are slowed down by their Factory migration, but otherwise are free to run and the Axis cannot catch them at all. I struggled deeply to keep my forces in air cover, and the attacks too. The Germans do not have enough air actions to do all what they need, when they've a huge mass of troops to move forth. Short range fighters also cripple the Germans, and Italy cannot provide LND and FTR in abundance for Russia (Even got to use some NAVs as tactical bombers in Russia.). Me and my pal have very different opinions about Russia, he claims it's beyond recover once he gets to Siberia. I say they're fine and the US will save the day.

The Axis problem is the force pool limit for the Germans there, as the Italians can produce more Land Units but lack the means for. So meanwhile Germany by now with X points has not an "optimal" production (Call it lack of losses, but for 3 BPs I'd rather have an extra INF corp than a new AT Unit), the Soviets can still churn aplenty of regular line units (INFs, etc). Though the Caucasus situation is a double edge knife - because all the units the Soviet committed there risk to be "trapped" south of the mountains for a long while once the Axis switch to defensive posture, having to rely on the Siberian fronts to liberate them via pressure at the north and risk of encirclement for the Soviet defenders.

The Med Warfare? The Axis can do well there once the Germans can assist with air assets - but it's very luck dependant. My buddy tends to not believe much in a Med Philosophy, as I go for Gibraltar. He experimented both to evacuate it or to fight for it, ultimately at some cost the Axis seized it in all the games. For Suez it's just a matter of time usually - we play with the Convoys / TPs required to keep troops in supply. (And convoys add +1 to search rolls).
Suez can be well defended but there is always the issue of Japan. The CW lacks the means to protect their Indian seas early on against a determined Japan, and Japan can easily (along with proper rolls) have the CW go kaboom in the Arabian sea, and the whole of Suez defenders suddenly being means the Axis can stomp all over them with a sensible loss of BPs for CW.

France has a similar talk that is for Russia, that I have not covered yet. To defend is pretty easy in this game and an attack gone wrong can stall the attacker for a whole turn. Axis is on a dangerously thin time schedule to accomplish what they need before they are to get on the defensive. In this game specific my buddy opted to surrender France very prematurely - it could have held out for 1 more turn - but I assume he wanted to avoid a Vichy risk, in order to retain the whole of the French ships, Dakar resource, avoid French IndoChina for Japan (as Japan cannot claim it), etcetera. I think that was an interesting decision, I rejoiced at first as I got France all for myself when I was seeing another turn of fighting to get to the border of Spain to invade. Then I'd have invaded Spain and Vichy'ed once I did not needed the borderline anymore (Which means Vichy stocks up 2-3 BPs per turn with 2 factories - Vichy and Marseille - and 2 resources, Dakar and the one in southern France.) BPs to be saved and then claimed later on by Axis (Probably in '43).

The Western Allies are somehow a year delayed I believe due to the USA gearing up coming up late. Not only - they are fighting in Marocco, which makes me a happy Axis player - due to its rather insignificant strategic value.
Technically the Axis struggles to reinforce it (1 unit per turn via rail and something via sea), and it could even turn in a death trap once the Allies can exert air power in the Med too (I think), and land in Southern Spain; but besides that even if the Allies claim Morocco and seize it, what's next?
They'd have Gibraltar as strong as ever to the north, and a land way leading pratically to nowhere (Cutting 1 resource for Italy, that's pretty much it!)
A landing in France or Spain mainland would have been much more efficient.

And that is a worry I've - something which I see as a written hindrance for the Axis. In this game my pal has balanced the USA production for both fronts, but he sort of realized it's pointless because he's not accomplishing much in any.
We both agreed the strategic perspectives of Japan are null - they lack the force pool to defend decently what they've - and in other games China hold itself much better. In this game even Japan got boosted by the Russian resources (so that Japan even built 2 new factories!) but otherwise Japan lacks the means to defend their Island Perimeter; was struggling to fend off the Chinese in '43 due to China taking always Land Option and Japan cannot do that, and so forth. Any further horizon Japan can have, it's pointless to follow. It would equal to overstretch their already overstretched forces! To go in Australia, or an Indian invasion is beyond what they can do (and maintain after the spur of the moment).

Therefore the USA can very easily focus their production to smash Germany and Italy in the teeths, because the Japan is anyway helpless in pushing beyond their "default" island perimeter defence; and Japan can be dealt later on with the overwhelming carrier force the USA can deploy along air superiority in terms of land based planes.
Pratically - as I've experienced by reading other AARs - the UK and US should and must go EU-Axis first, and wrap the game by '44 in Europe. And that is how I feel the next game will go (and probably what I will do if I switch side and play the Allies, but I doubt so. I like to play Axis, my friend likes to play Allies and he will prolly tell me - with due right - that he's still learning how to play them.).

Strategic bombing? That is quite crippling, and I feel to play with the Variable Reorg Cost optional is a must. Otherwise the Allies will obliterate German production once they've enough LND4 and the HQs to reorganize them.
Now it's middle '43 and I lost 6 BPs due to strat-bombing, that is without any of their planes being reorganized (in one turn, that's it!). That ontop of having 2 AA and about 12 fighters defending factories.
AlbertN
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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

End of Jul / Aug 1943:

Germany attempts a desperate attack to seize the swamplands in the Caucasus, the attack is dire, the Soviets lend aid with bombers and recently relocated fighters; Luftwaffe FW190 scramble to intercept but are heavily mauled.
The land attack has no luck either (GER loses 1 FW190, 1 INF and 1 INF Div; SOV loses 1 CAV).

Japan reorganizes aerial assets with rebases.

Italy reinforces Marocco slightly, for what their abilities allow.

At the start of Sept / Oct the USA receive four brand new Essex class carriers, and other forces including 2 ARM and 1 quality LND3, meanwhile the Japanese struggle to produce enough pilots and planes, but they receive as well the Yamato and 1 ARM!

Germany gets many forces but too few planes. It is decided by Goering to convert training planes to operational squadrons to help in Marocco (as per old DO17 planes and Henshel bombers of 1939! - Ultimately even a 2 factor bomber to have to pump up a notional or a defending unit / stack can do a tiny bit of difference. The last turn the NAVs had to be used again as tactical bomber!). Pride of the Luftwaffe, a new DO217 arrives to replace the squadron lost (and the lost one is promptly set in production.).

The Soviets get 3 fighters and more land forces, building up more and more to face the advancing threat of the Axis.

The Sept / Oct initiative roll is first won by the Axis, the Soviets - seeing the situation in the screenshot below, and unaware of the weather roll to come - call for a reroll in concern of German infiltration in their lines.

And then the skies started to cry sorrowful tears on the earth, to wash it from its sins and carneficine. (Weather roll: Rain in Russia).

Oddly enough Italy has placed a CPs in Persia, in the Caspian Sea. That could be a hint the Axis want to seize Astrakhan with the snow coming. Not surprisinly Mannerheim just got railed along more finns in the area. (Quite far from Finland!)


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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Coming production for Nov / Dec 1943 and Jan / Feb 1944.

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Longer Term Production:

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

To finish the "Pool" perspective - Construction and Repair pools.

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by Bo Rearguard »

ORIGINAL: Cohen

A brief analysys of the game situation:

I believe the Axis has pratically reached the high water mark, probably as powerful as it could reach in any game.
To my benefit there has been a very delayed US gearing up due to poor rolls and a Soviet warmongering against a few minors which helped in that direction.

Given that this appears to be the high water mark in the game, what are the current build point numbers of the major Axis powers?--strategic bombing notwithstanding.
"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist ...." Union General John Sedgwick, 1864
AlbertN
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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Germany has 60, Japan 35 and Italy 17. (Germany gives 5 to Italy so 55 and 22 after that.).
I think it's quite a very high Axis production!
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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by Bo Rearguard »

ORIGINAL: Cohen

Germany has 60, Japan 35 and Italy 17. (Germany gives 5 to Italy so 55 and 22 after that.).
I think it's quite a very high Axis production!

I guess that would explain why the German force pool is mostly maxed out. [:D]
"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist ...." Union General John Sedgwick, 1864
AlbertN
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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Yes, pratically the only further expansion I can foresee at the moment is the fall of Kunming.

I am extremely sceptical that Turkey will be aligned by now as the Soviets stiffened the resistance.

Eventually at the regular "end of the Game" as we agreed to play on, me and my buddy thought of some Axis production beefing up (Eventually Allies virtually DoWing some minors like Switzerland to give Axis factories to represent some minor further ramp up in production ability but that was vaguely talked at the start of the game so it's nothing scripted down.).

We'll see when and if we get there because coming Jan / Feb 44 the US will ramp up their production and probably is going to go past the 80 BPs per turn.
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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Impulse #1 & #3 - Allied / Axis - Sept / Oct 1943

Disaster looming in Marocco for the Axis, the situation promptly degenerated.

A sneaky French submarine intruded in the Italian sanctum of the Mediterranean and nailed the Italian shipping to Morocco (Cursing the supply through straits bug!).

Suddenly lots of planes and troops remain without ammos and fuel! And the USA - for Pacific related needs - fired a supercombined, but as this juicy situation created, they exploited it.

Waves and waves of bombers (even a Brazilian fighter used as bomber!) were shadowing the Axis trenches and outposts.
Cavallaro and his group had the unluck to remain stuck on the coast ... grim fate was waiting the moment both Cavallaro INF-HQ and a white print garrison got disrupted. Luck wanted (or in this case cursed... as you'll read), only 2 US units could attack, because the rest of the stacks were of British units, and the Brits did naval for their convoys!

Nonetheless the W.Allies, thanks to massive shore bombing were litterally overwhelming Cavallaro, who called for air support. Bravely, Luftwaffe and Regia Aereonautica flown unescorted naval bombers acting as tactical bombers, but the Allies were ready from carriers and with land based fighters. Almost a suicide mission. Half of the Axis bombers got shot down (2 NAV3 out of 4 total), and only the Condor squadron managed to get to the target.
The W.Allies still retained ample advantage (From +19 to +14) and ultimately vanquished the Italian resistance, getting at the gates of Casablanca.

Not only, US forces stormed the German positions at the southern edge of the perimeter. The "Munich" MIL fought bravely, delaying the enemy but ultimately succumbing to the sheer odds. (A lucky roll from the Allies, which attacked with only a +3, getting all of theirs disrupted but inflicting 1 loss to the defender).

That attack jeopardized the Axis defences, a pointe risking to cut Casablanca whole! (Especially as the Italians need a combined or naval to restore supply!). So a counter attack was issued, including precious mechanized forces from Italy - the only Mech corp in the area even by now! Yet the Allies prefer to try to hold the conquered hex - and they manage. The final outcome is 2 losses per side (2 MIL for Axis, and 1 Mot-ENG and 1 INF for USA).

Nonetheless, with Balbo disorganized in Casablanca, the mountain ranges suddenly undermanned, and the Allies with plenty of troops to throw in the fray ... the Axis situation is rather grim.
Italy at least now has lots of operational planes with fighters as well ready to provide air cover, meanwhile the W.Allies have almost exhausted in 1 impulse their airforce in the sector.



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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Impulse #1 & #3 - Allied / Axis - Sept / Oct 1943

In the while in the rest of the world:

Soviet Union: The Russians, moving slowly due to the snow, pull slightly toward the Urals; bring the freshly rebuilt Irktusk MIL to Chita; and rearrange their line in the Caucasus. Germans slug behind due to supply shortage, toward the Urals.
Mannerheim moves via rail north of Astrakhan.

France: All is idle there, some units from Germany move to new positions and Antonescu arrives from Romania directly to take lead of the defenders of Normany.

Japanese Raids: Japan has unleashed submarines, which all fail to find except one off the shores of Pago-Pago, sinking 1 US convoy point. Japanese Cruisers engage with large numerical superiority UK escorts in Arabian Sea. (1 Cruiser sank for the CW, and 2 CPs lost, Japan suffers 1 damaged Cruiser).

The American Plan to conquer Truk!
American submarines and a small cruiser force are setup to raid the convoy lanes of the Japanese, but their attempt is not blessed by luck - and actually Japanese land based planes find the cruiser squadron and sink one!

In the while USA marines with a grand stand of carriers, battleship and other lesser ships ready to land at Truk, where the Japanese main fleet is at the anchor.
The USA forward an amount of planes to bombard Truk, and the land based defenders are overwhelmed and scattered (1 7 and 2 * 5 Air to Air factor defenders, against enough planes to warrant a +2 to the attackers and -2 to the Japanese). Thanksfully only 1 Japanese is disrupted (The US boldly opted to attack with rain!)

Shore bombing ensures, and further air missions which are unopposed. The US land with 2 marine corps supported by marine engineers, against a MIL, a GAR and an ENG that served the purpose to have more planes in Truk. The US peels the needed roll - getting a 19. (A bug happens here, we need to artificially roll for 0 US losses and will subtract 4 BPs from Japan later on - you can read in the Tech Forum what happened!).

Four new Essex class carriers arrived at Majuro and got quickly reorganized by MCArthur who was waiting just there for them.

Japanese fleet retaliation - to hunt some old US battleships that served well in the shore bombardment - proved to be useless as they did not found the US Battleships.
New Japanese carriers are sent from Japan to Truk, but still 1 carrier is waiting for planes. (Even with a big production of 35, the Japanese are short of pilots!).

Here the current Destroyed Pool:

As mentioned, Japan and US got both 1 damaged cruiser.
US lost 1 CP, UK lost 2 CPs, Italy lost 1 CP.
The NAVs of the Axis where shot in friendly territory and their pilots got saved.
US used an O-Chit for a Supercombined.


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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

September / October 1943 - A bloody mess!

Playing on, the impulses turned hectic for both sides.

With an Impulse of good weather the following happened, per sectors:

Burma & Kunming:

The Japanese are meeting passive resistance there, with artillery strikes they soften up Kunming perimeter before to storm it.
China fighter-bombers sweep to help, without Japanese air assets to stop they succeed and return to Kunming.

Yamamoto and Yamashita both lead the attacks of their related sectors, conquering at the cost of blood (1 INF-Div and 2 MILs total) their intended target.

Burma can be considered entirely Japanese now, including the oil rigs.

The northern sector of the Chinese perimeter is now out of supply, though they can march to link up with Kunming again, more vital space around the City has been gained by the Japanese. Chiang is cold sweating by now for sure.

Screenshot is taken at Allied #7 (Start of their 3rd Impulse - where weather is different)

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Sept / Oct 1943:

The Japanese are advancing toward Chita - and detatch a single division of Motorized Infantry to rush toward Ulan Bator, capital of Mongolia.

A cheap way maybe to get rid of one unit of the Soviets.

Screenshot is taken at start of Allied #7, when weather is rain and not clear.

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Sept / Oct 1943:

Truk - of Naval Operations.

The main carrier task forces avoid each other, the previous landing in Truk failed (Though due to a bug Japan has still 2 units there that would be destroyed. The Japanese player will "waste" 4 BPs during the production phase.

As the fleets do not find what they can (A Japanese convoy, admittedly forgot there - and some old US BBs that are pinned by their shore bombing), not much happens.

Also the US had a minor side fleet tasked to perform a landing in Porta Vila - New Hebrydes, but as their plan to cut it out of supply (and thus erase the Notional, bringing it down to 0) failed they forfeitted the operation.

Australian land based air squadrons provided enough interdiction (In the presence of the Enemy) to slow down a possible Japanese reaction force, and the Japanese opted to let the US scoot away with no consequences besides fuel being used.

Japanese INF-Div is extracted from Kawejin and is placed in Porto Vila though; leaving only a 6-1 Garr in Kawejin; as the US now has got many carriers, the island could as well be evacuated over time, being only a minor port. For now the Garrison remain in place, it's still a delaying token that could exact a toll on the Marines, but the Japanese now lack the means to actively defend the Marshalls.


Other happenings in the Pacific Theather:

Japan quells down partisans in Saigon - leaving Singapore temporarily vacant; and sweeps in China too freeing up a resource from Partisan presence.
Another resource is occupied at the present, and Japan railed a HQ to deal with the insurgents accordingly.

Commonwealth examined the possibilities to link up with India again, weighted their naval assets at avail and opted to forfeit the Indian resources. (To an extent, for the better, as they played before the Axis...)

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Sept / Oct 1943:

Caucasus:

First of all it is to note Germany used their single O-Chit for a Supercombined too.

The Axis bombers have flown the usual by now Carpet Bombing mission - failing again pretty miserably and leaving behind wrecks of precious Luftwaffe planes and of VVS (The Red Airforce).

An amount of Stukas performed ground strikes, litterally stunning in their entrenched positions the Russian defenders, but when the assault was unleashed, the Russians bled the Germans at little cost. (Germany ran out of upfront sacrificable units there, so they lost 1 CAV and 1 INF, where the Russians lose 1 DIV only).

The Soviets and the Germans also tried to bring support to the combat via air, but the escorts did a poor job, and the intercepting fighters shot down all the bombers, from all sides! (Both obliterated the counterpart with choosing the victim, both Germany and Soviets gunned down the bomber of the counterpart).

No ground was gained.

Convention: The Axis player - me - screwed up with assigning losses, and there would be 1 German less with Von Bock and instead 1 German unit in Mt. Elbrus.



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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Sept / Oct 1943:

Ural Front:


The Soviets decided some mild retreat, establishing in the riverline from Kirov and southward; but their southernmost front did not retreat at full speed as expected.

The smell of prey was grand and the Axis generals pushed forth requests of an offensive before winter hits.

Using freshly arrived (The turn before) Ju88 bombers and Me110 fighter bombers the Germans try to pin some of the Soviets before they can retreat more.
The VVS scrambles an amount of fighters, of which they've in larger number than the few elite germans, and prevents the Me110 to get to the target meanwhile the Ju88 is delivered safe and sound on the verticals of the Soviet columns.

The southern edge of the Soviet deployment is attacked from four different directions; Rokossovski and a MECH and an ART unit in the woods (Where now a German 6-4) is are all battle ready; and the Soviet ARM-HQ provides support to his own troops.

Meanwhile the Caucasian effort was in vain, here the Germans obtain a grand success, destroying both MECH and ART and ensuring Rokossovki withdraws (In the hopes that the turn last long enough to catch the ARM-HQ in the open!).

A minor attack was performed in the center where there was just a MIL alone, too slow to keep up with the rest of the Soviet forces. But that attack led to the partial trapping of more Soviet units, left in a rather unconvenient advanced position.

Meanwhile the Axis troops are still all fresh and ready - except few planes that Manstein could not reorganize, the Soviets have some disrupted units due to the bombing.

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Sept / Oct 1943:

Marocco:


The Allies, even if pratically out of planes, keep pushing.


Their analysts once realizing the shore bombardment could not be extended to Casablanca (Their ships were exhausted already or too low in the box!) opted to attack a single Italian INF defending the mountain ridge south of Casablanca.

In the while US siege artilleries start to bombard Casablanca in preparation. Meanwhile the Italian land units seems to be well sheltered in the City, the two air squadrons present there got their airfields ruined and cannot take off.

With the air superiority the Axis has at the present, the attackers had to led their advance under the bombs of the Regia Aeronautica. Nonetheless the W.Allied prevailed, at a cost (2 British INF-Div traded for the hex and the Italian INF).
Montgomery led the assault in person; but the W.Allied forces remained exhausted as well after the push.

The Italian situation in Marocco is anyhow rather precarious.

It seems thanksfully that the W.Allies have spent their pushing ability here for the turn, and the Initiative the next turn will have a lot to say about what is to happen.
The Italians cannot abandon their positions ... yet, because in Casablanca there is Balbo and 2 FTRs disrupted!

Mussolini commanded more reinforcements anyhow, so Italian transports arrive in Tangier with new infantrymen, Hitler sends more planes in the sector to replace some of the lost ones; and a port strike is performed against the BB Queen Elizabeth. But the German planes seem to take a wrong route and they never arrive on Mogador.

The Allies on the other hand have aplenty of goods coming their way.
There are two UK 8 Air to Air factor planes at the ready, embarked in Faroes Gap; 2 US ARM, 1 US MOT, 1 US LND3 with 5 tactical factor, and other less important stuff in the East Coast waiting for arrival.

Uncertain of where they'll land - Morocco or UK proper, but if they're brought in Marocco, it will be a hot winter down there!

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RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR

Post by AlbertN »

Sept / Oct 1943.

Strategic Bombing:


Only the US 8th Airforce performed bombing, with the escort of many UK fighter assets.

Paris, Lille and Bruxxels got targetted, and the Luftwaffe intercepted.

Paris got successfully defended, at the cost of the best German fighter (An 8 Air Factor FW190) in the zone that got shot down by the pesky Typhoon.

Lille got bombarded to no effect, and the German fighters got gunned down (A 6 Air factor Me109). The side fighters quickly withdrew once their team leader got obliterated (Twin Engine fighters).

Bruxxels did not got intercepted at all, as the Allied brought in ample escorts; and the factory was bombed (1 damage for Production).

Gort reorganizes the Typhoon, ready to escort the amount of UK bombers still ready for a second go, whereas the Luftwaffe spent an amount of fighters in this preliminary interception.

Luftwaffe rearranges its defensive assets to protect the factories better from the UK raids, but they lack fighters to match the power of the Typhoon.

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