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July 10, 1915

A relatively quiet turn. I study the situation on the Western Front and consider whether I can afford to attack the UK corps guarding the end of their line on the English Channel. After a recon flight with an airship, I can see that he has six corps all within striking distance, two artillery and I would have to entrench units both in the captured hex and in Amiens. I don't have enough manpower spare to accomplish that in one turn. So, I decide to reinforce my units and deploy my upgraded artillery closer to the front line so it can counter-attack next turn if I wish.

In Poland, I execute a planned attack next to Warsaw. My artillery killed two strength points (lucky), so I destroyed a Russian corps with only two attacks, and then moved in an elite German corps. The fortress of Novo-Georgievsk is now surrounded on five sides. But with an entrenchment of 6, I will need one of my heavy artillery units to reduce this before killing it.

In Serbia, by prior agreement with Old Crow - to compensate for a glitch which brought in the Bulgarians two turns too quickly - I do not move forward against the Serbs holding Uskub. Instead, I move two corps and my artillery unit towards Montenegro - which I will have to take out eventually, so I might as well do it while I am waiting.

The Ottomans have simple reinforcement moves.

My naval movements mostly consisted of bumping into Entente defenders - a small task force in the Med close to the Egyptian convoy line and destroyer in the Atlantic on the Indian convoy line. The poor destroyer that mined Halifax bumped into a British destroyer guarding the exit route. It will surely get killed next turn. But the disruption was worth it.

This was a big tech turn. Germany invested in chits on Industrial Tech (for 2) and Artillery Weapons (for 2), and Production Tech (for 3). Plus bought back one destroyed corps. Austria-Hungary invested a necessary chit on Gas/Shell tech at 200 MPPs (for a max of 1) plus a chit on Industrial Tech for 2. The Ottomans, whose income is down 50 MPPs at the moment due to building the Baghdad railroad, managed to buy a Mountain division which will be needed in the Caucasus. AH reached artillery weapons 2 at the end of this move.

July 24, 1915

More naval action this turn than we have seen to date. In the Baltic, the Russians sent a light cruiser to follow up a sub attack on a German light cruiser stationed near Stockholm. I reckoned, correctly, that given the 6 AP to enter zones of control for surface ships, it could not be far away. I figured out a likely location for it, then used the German seaplane tender on recon mode to spot it and sent a dreadnought and a battleship to sink it. I then sent my three German destroyers to attack the newly arrived Russian sub Bars and killed 3 strength points. Given that he has pulled the Russian surface fleet out of port I sent a dreadnought and battlecruiser to reinforce my task force in the Baltic.

In the Med, he surrounded two AH subs with ships. I am not sure why: subs in silent mode can move through enemy ships without incurring any losses. I inflict 3 points of damage on a weakened French armoured cruiser and retreat both subs to the Aegean. I also now have a third German sub in the Med. Since subs that have to move only do one point of damage on surface ships, I can't sink the cruiser, so I decide to raid the Egyptian convoy line to the west of Malta, while his task force chases my AH subs towards Greece.

In the English Channel, I retreat my returning German sub up through the Dover Strait. To defend it against the British destroyer which I see making probes along the Flanders coast, I decide to deploy a mine next to the UK one and hide the sub behind it. Silent subs can travel through friendly minefields at no risk. In the Atlantic, a retreating German sub bumps into a British light cruiser. Although I can't sink it, I decide to send other subs to attack it and then move into raiding position on the Indian convoy line.

In the Balkans, this was the second turn of my agreed pause to compensate for Bulgaria's early arrival. But I used the forces I sent to Montenegro and destroyed the Serbian corps that was defending their capital, Podgorica. By capturing Podgorica, Montenegro surrendered, and thus their remaining corps and detachment disappeared too. I am sure this will be a blow to Old Crow.

The Ottomans reinforced again understrength and damaged corps. I am anticipating more attacks in the Caucasus where he will be using the Russian field artillery unit to good effect. I move the elite corps back to Constantinople so I can send it by naval transport to Trabzon next turn. I am not anticipating further British attacks at the moment in Gaza.

On the Eastern front, I simply moved corps and artillery into place to attack next turn the point in his line facing Krakow. I will need German heavy artillery to arrive and build up shells before I can take out the fortress defending Warsaw, so this will be a better place start an offensive while I am waiting. My AH airship deployed behind the lines next to Krakow, so it can recon for future attacks and find out where the Russian artillery unit is located,

In the West, I kill a 10-strength British corps on the front line for a cost of 4 strength points. Having general Von Kluck at 3 XP points makes a huge difference, as does an upgraded artillery unit to fire shells. I suspect the UK has not sacked and replaced General John French yet, as my odds were much better attacking this UK unit versus adjacent French corps, no doubt commanded by Foch. I would prefer to be making more strategic moves on this front, but until I can bring more corps and heavy artillery to this sector, sniping attacks like this are the best I can do.

At the end of the turn, the Germans buy two more full strength corps. AH buys back its last destroyed corps and save 100 MPPs towards the cost of buying a heavy artillery unit next turn. Having reached level 2 in Trench Warfare last move, the Ottomans invest a third chit in this tech - their maximum.

August 7, 1915

On the Western Front, I was interested to note that Old Crow has left two front line hexes open, which encouraged me to think again advancing to secure Amiens and to anchor my line on the English Channel. But my artillery unit is not yet in a position to attack the British corps holding the Channel line and the UK has reached Trench Warfare Level 2, so I move redeploy my units in the rear and reinforce them to be able to execute this attack next turn. Airship recon tells me that the French have not yet deployed artillery to counter-attack around Nancy or Verdun, so I can afford to concentrate my effort on my right flank in France.

In Serbia, I move up to able to capture Uskub next turn and advance the Bulgarians to the border with Greece. By prior agreement with Old Crow, I declare war on Greece at the end of the turn, so the Serbs can retreat there in his next move. This was meant to compensate for the fact that due to glitch we discovered during this match that prevented both the Entente intervention in Salonika DE and the Greek mobilization scripts from firing properly - which should have given him an out to escape to Greece.

On the Eastern Front, the Germans carry out their attack on the salient in front of Krakow. I noticed in the replay that both Russian field artillery units are now operating against the Ottomans in the Caucasus. So, I decide I can afford to move up the Austro-Hungarian corps to replace German corps that have been helping to hold the line in Galicia. Germany's first heavy artillery unit arrives which I deploy on Thorn, where it can build up the shells that will be needed to take the fortress of Novo-Georgievsk.

The Ottomans reinforced their lines in the Caucasus and as planned, I transported by sea an elite corps from Constantinople to Trabzon. It looks like the Russians opted on the first turn to place most of their optional naval units in the Baltic, so I am not much concerned about Russian naval interdiction against these moves in the Black Sea. In Gaza, I can see that he is moving elite corps into place to attack at El Arish. So, I retreat one hex and bring up a rear area corps from Smyrna by rail. I also spend 90 MPPs to sack and replace the existing general on Gaza (rating 4) with Kemal Pasha (rating 6) who is the Ottomans best general.

In naval moves, I pull back both damaged AH subs to ports in Turkey for reinforcements. The German sub in the med takes a free shot at the British light cruiser which bumped into it and then moves to raid the Egyptian convoy. In the Baltic, I reinforce my task force with a sub for reconnaissance but since he is not raising the Swedish convoy, I do not go looking for Russian ships in the open. In the Atlantic, I move three newly arrived subs to raid the Indian convoy line and sent a damaged and a low supply on silent mode on the long trek home.

At the end of the turn, the Germans buy their last heavy artillery unit, invests one chit on Fighter Tech and two chits on diplomacy in Denmark (my first diplo chit purchases). This was immediately rewarded by a 6% swing by Denmark to the CP. (In this mod, when Denmark reaches 30%, the German navy can use the Danish straits freely to access to the North Sea, and they can gain access to the port of Reykjavik in Iceland). Austria-Hungary buys the first of its two heavy artillery units and a detachment, which will be needed to hold the line against Italy. Germany reaches Infantry Weapons 1 at the end of the turn - which will be an important asset in the coming turns in France.

August 21, 1914

It is Serbia's last turn as an independent power. Old Crow was able to evacuate his remaining Serbian corps into Greece, leaving only a detachment behind on Uskub. After two attacks, it retreats one hex south and rather than finish it off, I leave it to surrender after I occupy the city. As part of our arrangement, I agree not to attack the British units he transported into Greece last turn (since they are replacing a Greek corps and a detachment which should have mobilized in Salonika and Kavalla). But I take Kavalla with a Bulgarian detachment and entrench a Bulgarian corps in the mountain hex in front of Salonika (which he could have moved into last turn).

On the Ottoman front, I am able to transport another detachment by sea from Constantinople to Trabzon, so I can move up closer to the front the elite corps I transported there last turn. I swap move a detachment back onto the road line between Erzurum and Eleskirt. Facing at least two Russian mountain division and at least one artillery unit, I fully expect to take casualties here and will ultimately lose Erzurum. But if I can tie up a significant amount of his units and MPPs on this front, it will make it easier for me to advance in Poland. Gaza is quiet as he has pulled back (probably to reinforce his position in northern Greece).

On the Eastern front, I carry out my planned attack on the three point corner on his line south of Warsaw and kill a Russian corps. I move up and entrench. My intention is to roll up his line like a zipper until I have enough shells to de-entrench Novo-Georgievsk, and then frontally attack that fortress followed by Warsaw. In Galicia, the Austro-Hungarians reinforce after taking heavy losses on two corps in Russian attacks last turn. An airship flight shows he does not yet have artillery in this sector, at least not west of Lemberg.

On the Western front, I execute my attack on the British corps holding the coast of the English channel and destroy it. I am able to move and entrench two fresh corps on this hex and Amiens, now giving me a straight line to defend in France. A strategic bonus is that I can now use the port of Boulogne to harbour German subs coming and going up and down the English channel. I could even try placing a surface raider in the red hash-marked hexes in front of London, if I wanted pull more of his capital ships to this sector.

Since I reached Infantry Weapons 1 last turn, I upgrade as many corps as I can that are not on the front lines on all fronts. I use detachments in places to replace front line corps so they can retreat and upgrade.

For my naval moves, I send three German subs further west in the Atlantic to raid the convoy from India. In the Baltic, I attack a Russian sub that was raiding the convoy line from Sweden. In the Med, my very successful German sub bumps into two British ships off Tobruk and puts two points of damage into the British battlecruiser Indomitable.

At the end of the turn, the Germans invest a new chit in Infantry Weapons and two more diplomacy chits on Denmark. Austria-Hungary invests a needed third chit on Trench Warfare and reinforces damaged units, including their two subs that retreated to ports in Turkey last turn. The Ottomans invest a second chit on Industrial Tech (after reaching level 1 last turn) and they buy a garrison, which will be necessary in Arabia to defend against the Arab Revolt coming up at the end of the year. Germany gets a bonanza of tech results at the end of the turn, reaching level 1 in Aerial Weapons (they start with one chit), Shock Infantry, Advanced Subs and Spying and Intelligence. Austria-Hungary also earned a healthy 236 MPPs in plunder when Serbia surrendered which will enable it to buy either a second heavy artillery unit or a new HQ for the Italian front.