1937 AAR

[rhinobones]

Manyoni forces moving N to the Sair Usa area. This area needs to be secured in the event Sair Usa joins the Imperial cause. Should they decide to join the Empire the territory needs to be Leftist occupied so Imperial Sair Usa forces cannot deploy.

[rhinobones]

Shows Imperial troops moving toward for a possible engagement on the Sair Usa front. Other units from Dalan and Kobdo are visible clearing rail line and about to move to the S.

[rhinobones]

T7 Situation Briefing shows changes in transport capacity and available supply.

[rhinobones]

Empire - Turn 8

Theater Option: TO for Unrestricted Submarine Warfare is offered but will not be exercised until the Leftist has a merchant fleet to attack. The Empire will keep the cost of sub warfare (20 supply points) until it has a strategic value.

A Replacement Center and Supply Center are occupied as troops clear rails and road just N of Yusun Bulak. They are just about to complete the E/W logistics trail between the two coasts.

Additional land forces are moved N of Sair Usa. Leftist forces appear to be moving to contest capture of Sair Usa.

Leftist – Turn 8

News: A captured Supply Center increases force supply.

Troops are being rushed into Sair Usa to prevent an Empire occupation. From Sair Usa E to the coast some troops are stationed to defend the right flank.

Empire - Turn 9

News: Imperial Rail Transportation system fully mobilizes (10,000 capacity)
News: Replacement Rate is increased.
News: Troops occupy a Supply Center.

Supply increased by occupation of 3 Supply Centers during prior turns. Total force stock level is raised to 85. There is more than enough supply available to pay the cost of activating sub warfare.

Leftist – Turn 9

News: Leftist Merchant Marine becomes fully mobilizes (12,000 capacity).

Commandos are air dropped on a Supply Center W of Sair Usa. Imperial troops do not appear to be threaten this area so holding the center should not be a problem.

Moving land units intended for Sair Usa defense are moved from Chunya to Manyoni area. These units will use the rails to move to Sair Usa.

[rhinobones]

T9 – Empire Grand Strategy

The Empire starts to formulate their Grand Strategy. There are four components:

1st – Set up blocking units S of Geita. Leftist are far from Geita so any attack by land would be slow in getting there. The Leftist could try an amphibious attack behind Geita but that would leave the landing force a long way from support. They would also need dominance of the seas and that isn’t happening anytime soon. Minimal forces should be an adequate blocking force.

2nd – Units starting from the Liwate area will drive S and then E toward Sair Usa. The Empire thinks this will make defense of Sair Usa impossible and the Leftist will withdraw to the S.

3rd – The existing force E of Sair Usa will be reinforced and used to pin the Leftist on the Sair Usa front. If they are able to break the Leftist lines that would be a bonus.

4th – Last move on the continent will be a drive from Sair Usa to Manyoni. Destruction of Leftist and capture of Manyoni should render Leftist resistance hopeless.

Should invasion of Pangani or Chunya become necessary, control of the sea and air will be required. This will take time to accomplish but will not change the result.

[rhinobones]

News report for Oct 30th thru Nov 3rd. Major events were the occupation of resource centers and increases to supply and replacement.

[rhinobones]

Shows the current disposition of Imperial units and the distance they need move before the Grand Strategy can be conducted.

[StuccoFresco]

I don't see the pictures anymore, is it just me?

[rhinobones]

ORIGINAL: StuccoFresco

I don't see the pictures anymore, is it just me?

Looks like for this AAR, and other AARs, the pictures links from 11/8 onward have been broken. I have an update to post today so we'll find out if the problem continues after 11/15.

Regards, RhinoBones

[rhinobones]

Empire – Turn 10

News: Troops occupy a Replacement Center.

Theater Option: Option for increasing recon via a spy network becomes available for a cost of 6 supply units. The TO increases recon capability by 2%. In this scenario fog of war is intentionally maximized forcing players to use any means available to gain intelligence on enemy disposition and movement. A small increase in Theater Reconnaissance by 2% may prove both tactically and strategically critical.

Theater Option: An option to start railroad interdiction is accepted at a cost of 20 supply points. This TO represents a concentrated air/insurgent effort to degrade the opponents rail transport capability. The map scale used in the scenario makes it important to have a functioning system to move both supply and personnel over large distances. Using this TO will have little impact on Pangani and Chunya but will hinder Manyoni attempts to move material to distant fronts.

Movement of ground forces from Dalan and Tszaq toward Sair Usa. Movement of ground forces from Kobdo and Bayan toward Geita.

Leftist – Turn 10

News: Leftist occupy a Supply Center.

Theater Option: Option to start railroad interdiction is accepted at a cost of 20 supply points. Degrading Imperial rail capability should have a significant impact on movement from the N coast to the S.

Three units from Chunya’s support formation deploy after their arrival hex is vacated. These units had been prevented from deploying do to over stacking in their designated arrival hex.

Empire – Turn 11

News: Replacement rate is increased.

Dalan Dzadagad deploys the 12th Army. This is the third formation allotted to the Empire’s capital city force.

Commandos are dropped between Geita and Mwadui. Their mission is to destroy bridges which might be used by the Leftist to move N into Imperial territory. This is part of the grand strategy blocking action.

Commandos capture port of Butembo on the large island W of Mwadui. Their target is the Replacement Center located to the NW of Butembo. This island is far enough away from Leftist territory that it shouldn’t be threatened with destruction.

Leftist – Turn 11

News: Supply is increased.

Just in time Sair Usa joins the Leftist cause, Imperial troops can be seen massing to the E and attack is expected soon. Troops are immediately deployed to the front lines. Heavy artillery units back them up.

Empire – Turn 12

Theater Option: Activates the TO for unrestricted submarine warfare at a cost of 20 supply. This action is intended to limit Leftist capability for amphibious assaults behind front lines.

Commandos are dropped S of Liwate to clear rails. They move N to link up with units moving S.

A unit is moved to the island off Dalan’s E coast to occupy the port, supply point and airstrip.

Continue to mass troops moving S toward Liwate.

On the Sair Usa front, Imperialist probe and attack positions to the SE. There are moderate casualties and the Leftist are forced back. The attack reveals previously unseen enemy units.

Light naval units discover some Leftist CLs off the E coast of Sair Usa. Heavy units are called in and the CLs are destroyed. First significant victory of the war.

Leftist – Turn 12

News: Supply is increased. This supply replaces some of the supply used for interdiction.

Additional troops are moved to the Sair Usa front. Units counterattack near the coast with few losses.

[rhinobones]

Overview of the Imperial troop disposition. Units in the center are clearing roads and rails to the S. The troop buildup on the Sair Usa front is visible along the E coast

[rhinobones]

Imperial probes and attacks along the Sair Usa front are shown. The Empire still has limited intelligence on Leftist troop strength and disposition.

[rhinobones]

Leftist troop strength is quite a bit more than expected by the Empire. Leftist are able to inflict losses on the Empire.

[rhinobones]

News for Nov 6th thru Nov 13th.

[rhinobones]

T12 Situation Briefing. Note the resources available and force supply levels. All supply points used to activate TOs have not yet been deducted from the force supply levels.

[StuccoFresco]

The Empire seems to control a larger area, and with the Leftists having to ship a lot of troops from the islands to mainland, the early naval victory and unrestricted submarine warfare can deal a lot of damage to them. The rebels, however, have a stronger concentration of force at Sair Usa. If they manage to achieve a breakthrough there they could run up the eastern coast.

At least that's what I'd try to do: let the Empire overextend and try to achieve a big victory in a single area.

[StuccoFresco]

Wait, how does the LEftists hold so much VPs?

[rhinobones]

Empire - Turn 13

News: Replacement rate is increased

News: Kongwa rejects the Leftist and joins with the Empire. However, the Leftist have occupied most of the territory around Kongwa so only a single motor Bde, air units and the naval units are able to deploy. Air units deploy offshore on an island just S of Manyoni. Naval and air units escape N while the Motor Bde does the best it can to disrupt the Leftist.

The Motor Bde attacks Kongwa and captures the city.

Additional land forces move by rail from Dalan to the Liwate area.

Leftist – Turn 13

Kongwa siding with the Empire adds a new dimension of difficulty to the war. The lone Imperial unit occupying Kongwa requires immediate attention. The unit is surrounded using air drop units and a strong amphibious force is tasked to make a frontal attack. The attack is successful, Imperial Motor Bde eliminated.

The danger posed by an Imperial Kongwa is not over. Most of the Kongwa land units were unable to deploy due to their designated entry points being occupied by Leftist forces. Should the Empire be able to turn those entry points to Imperial territory, the Kongwa unit placed there will deploy. The problem for the Leftist is to prevent occupation of Kongwa territory.

On the Sair Usa front a mass attack is made against the center with elements flanking the enemy left flank. Assaults are successful resulting in penetration of the Imperial defenses and pinning some units against a small lake.

[rhinobones]

The reinforcement table shows the air, naval and land unit which were able to deploy. The Leftist effort to occupy potential entry points around Kongwa has denied valuable land forces to the Empire. The Empire is performing the same type of denial occupations around Geita and Undur Khan.

[rhinobones]

A total of 15 Kongwa land units have been prevented from deploying. Had they deployed the ability of Pangani to support the Leftist cause would have been seriously jeopardized. The Kongwa air and naval units will be able to escape N and support the Empire.