D-DAY April 1943

[Toby42]

ORIGINAL: The Land

Well, it's early October 42 and in the last couple of weeks the US lost 7 Corps and 2 Armies while moving troops across the Atlantic, in a battle which has also cost the Allies 4 carriers, 3 battleships, a cruiser and a destroyer - against 2 battleships, a cruiser and a destroyer for the Axis.

If they try to perform a D-Day in April '43 they will do it without half the troops, and might find that it never reaches land at all.

I'm feeling confident enough to move the reserves I was keeping in the West to the Eastern Front over the winter....

Was it the AI that allowed the US to be massacred? That is really not very realistic!

[Christolos]

ORIGINAL: The Land

Well, it's early October 42 and in the last couple of weeks the US lost 7 Corps and 2 Armies while moving troops across the Atlantic, in a battle which has also cost the Allies 4 carriers, 3 battleships, a cruiser and a destroyer - against 2 battleships, a cruiser and a destroyer for the Axis.

If they try to perform a D-Day in April '43 they will do it without half the troops, and might find that it never reaches land at all.

I'm feeling confident enough to move the reserves I was keeping in the West to the Eastern Front over the winter....

That's interesting. I imagine you ventured out with the entire Kriegsmarine to accomplish this...but where was the RN...or did you manage to render it ineffective as well?

It is now January 1943 in my game and you just gave me the idea to try something like this...although it may be too late if the bulk of the US forces have already arrived in England. Some reconnaissance is order [:D]

C.

[The Land]

The German U-boats were positioned north of the Azores. The Italian fleet assembled off the north-west corner of Spain, and the German battlefleet made its way down from Norway. I also had a maritime bomber with level 2 long range in NW Spain, though it only played a marginal role.

On the first turn only the U-boats attacked (where they could find targets, sank a transport or two). On the second turn there was a bit of a bloodbath of the USN and the transports. After my 2nd turn the RN appeared who had been hiding in the Irish Sea (having refused to engage me over the Arctic convoys all summer) attacking with 3 carriers and a battleship. On my third turn I cleared out those RN units. That's where things stand now - there is one US battleship and several British ones still alive, and if they come out to play now I will take more casualties but probably annihiliate them. That would leave me in a fairly happy position for the rest of the game...

[Christolos]

Thanks The Land.

Well it looks like it is too late for me as I just experienced an all out May 1943 D-day assault at three points simultaneously!!! In Brittany, In Normandy, and at Le Havre. I can understand a 1943 invasion but to this extent and all at once, with 10 Corps, 2 Armies, and 1 AA unit, not to mention 2 Paratroop units which is realistic, just seems way too unrealistic!!![:(][&:].

I know now that I should have been better prepared with fortifications and I like your idea of actively seeking out the transports before they arrive in England, but because of the difficulty in taking out Mother Russia, I am now convinced that the best way to try and achieve an Axis victory, is to attempt a Sea Lion in 1940 and take out England first.

C

[Christolos]

ORIGINAL: ParadogsGamer

A Solid tactic is to take out Britain before you go deep into Russia. No allied landing.

I think I will try this next. [:D]

C

[johng5155]

An invasion of Europe in Spring of 1943 was planned (Operation Sledgehammer), expected to employ 48 division supported by 5,800 aircraft. It did not move forward for a number of reasons, including the need to contain the Japanese, the small size of the initial invasion force, and the need to reinforce the British in North Africa. Check out Chapter 1 of "Cross-Channel Attack", the official US Army history. It is available for free at:

http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/ ... _7-4-1.pdf

[Christolos]

Thanks for the link johng5155. [:)]
It looks like a very interesting read.

48 division supported by 5,800 aircraft over what period of time?

C

[Yogol]

D-Day is in 1943 in all my games, even the ones on highest difficulty setting, where I make little progress into Russia.

ORIGINAL: Treale

Was it the AI that allowed the US to be massacred? That is really not very realistic!

No.
The US and UK would have been massacred in reality, if the Germans had the same intel as you and me have now.
If the Germans knew the US & UK would come there when they did, D-Day would have been a Allied disaster.

If you have problems preventing a big D-Day, you can defend France by...
- putting all the Spanish troops there: the HQ, the armies, the tank and the corpses.
- create a German group with -say- a HQ, 2 armies, 2 tanks, 2 corpses and 2 fighters.

But, ofcourse, the best way to "deal with D-Day" is to prevent it from happening, by taking out ALL the US troops and most of the UK troops on sea, before they land.

[petrosian]

If the Axis had Russia on the ropes in 1943 the Allies would have launched D-Day then. Part of the delay was that Russia had turned the tide and Allies let Russia take the bulk of casualties. I keep a wall of garrisons and corps and coastal guns from Dunkirk to around the corner at Brest and 2 tanks behind to get airdrops. Keep all units upgraded with anti air . I have tried the sub wall, although I sink a lot of transports I eventually get done in by the endless swarming destroyers.