Bob Flemin's MWIF AARse V - Fat AARse

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

von Rundstedt has a reorganisation factor of 4. That means in an offensive he can double 8 units. The Germans target two hexes; that west of Brussels and the hex in the western Ardennes. Stupidly I cannot reach the hex I need to with the German Engineer Division but its too late to back out now.

The Luftwaffe do not ground strike; there are three bombers left and these may be better employed trying to add ground support factors.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

The French do not use HQ Support. The odds of success are not great and they may well need these units face up....

The Germans can beat any combination of French fighter aircraft - albeit only by 1 factor. They are 7 factors away from a 7:1 in the north, but that would use up two precious bombers. In the south they only have a 3:1 attack. To increase to 4:1 they need at least two bombers - and both to get through.

The Luftwaffe duly commit 2 bombers and a fighter to that Ardennes hex. The French throw all their eggs into this one key basket. As in Belgium its going to be another major battle...

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

The Allies to throw first:

Round 1

14 - DA The Germans must abort its front fighter or bomber. They have to go for the fighter as they need both bombers through.
14 - DA The French now have the same decision to make. They cannot choose their fighter as the combat gap will be bigger. Besides, they only have to destroy or abort one German bomber.......

The gap will remain at +1/-1

Round 2

9 - AC The French must choose a German bomber to clear through. They choose the weaker Stuka.
14 - DA The French must abort their front fighter.

That makes things a little awkward. The Air combat difference goes up a notch. But fortune favours the brave and all that b******s and so they stick around....

Round 3

6 - No effect
4 - AX The gamble did not pay off. A Potez is destroyed (pilot survives).

The odds do not change. Do they risk it? Yes - it worked for the CW so they choose to stick around one more time. Can they get the break?

Round 4

13 - DC No! The second bomber is cleared through
7 - AA The last French fighter is aborted.

The Germans get the result they needed AND the French lose a fighter.....

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

Whoa, wait up what's this? I forgot there is a French AA unit in the Ardennes. Its not over yet...

So the question is, what is better, 3:1 +1 (which is the minimum that using this would give) or 4:1 no modifiers. The French decide not to use the AA on the basis that even if they did, and it worked, they may still be on the receiving end of a 4:1 because of Fractional Odds AND they would have a +1 penalty too.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

So - two stonkingly important attacks in Belgium coming up; one at 4:1 no modifiers and one at 5:1 +1 - both are on the Blitz table, although Mr Cock-up is in town once more [8|] I did not include an additional armour unit to get the blitz bonus in the southern attack - genius......

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

This is the sort of impulse that can really set up a great position for a side or.....

The first attack is the 4:1.

That is weird. The picture below suggests that its a French choice of combat table....

[AllenK]

I think it's because the French are in the forest, not in the open.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

The choice is clearly for the Germans so I choose the Blitz...

...its a 6. No losses to either side but the defenders are Shattered. I do not convert. It's tempting because of the +1, however I think I would rather thin out the French line at the moment.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: AllenK

I think it's because the French are in the forest, not in the open.

warspite1

No, subject to a number of things it is the Attacker choice if the defending hex is a non-city hex in clear, forest or desert.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

To northern Belgium now, and the second arm of the pincer. This is 5:1 +1 on the Blitz Table....

..7(8) The French lose two units and the 3rd is Shattered - again no conversion.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 5

That was pretty devastating. Although the first attack did not actually destroy any units the Allied front line is now completely breached. Furthermore none of the German units are disorganised and - to make matters worse - von Rundstedt has reorganised the two 5-quality Stukas....

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 6

USA + USSR - Combined
France and China - Land
Commonwealth - Combined

[AllenK]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: AllenK

I think it's because the French are in the forest, not in the open.

warspite1

No, subject to a number of things it is the Attacker choice if the defending hex is a non-city hex in clear, forest or desert.

Sorry, my mistake.[&o]

Looking at the forces involved, the French 37mm AT Gun counts as an ARM corps. With the Germans only having one ARM corps in the attack, they do not have more ARM and HQ-A than the French, so can't choose the table.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: AllenK

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: AllenK

I think it's because the French are in the forest, not in the open.

warspite1

No, subject to a number of things it is the Attacker choice if the defending hex is a non-city hex in clear, forest or desert.

Sorry, my mistake.[&o]

Looking at the forces involved, the French 37mm AT Gun counts as an ARM corps. With the Germans only having one ARM corps in the attack, they do not have more ARM and HQ-A than the French, so can't choose the table.

warspite1

Yes - because its factors are in Pink. That means I chose the wrong table [:@]

EDIT: Phew - not too much harm done. The result was still Shattered. The only difference is that the French would have lost a unit they didn't and I would have needed to use von Rundstedt to organise the land troops rather than the aircraft. This would not be an issue as the reorg cost is halved for the HQ using an Offensive Chit.

Good spot AllenK [:)] - and the program is right [&o]

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 6

What the hell do I do about this????!?!!?!?!?

The French have had effectively six units taken out of the immediate OOB...

I think I have no choice but to give up the Maginot Line.

In so doing I have formed a line of sorts. Let's see if it holds.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

The weather throw is a 6 - the Arctic weather is now Storm and the North Temperate has turned to rain.

Japan - Land
Germany - Land
Italy - Combined

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

The weather has curtailed any thought of action in China - the odds are just too low there. There is only one attack in France as the Germans try and exploit the advantage gained in their previous impulse.

Even with the -1 to the combat table odds, the Germans have managed to get a 3:1 blitz attack going. Once again Captain Numpty has not got a second armoured unit in the battle - thus stopping the Germans from a Blitz Bonus.....[:-]

....but it does not matter - an 8 is thrown. The French lose a unit and the other is Shattered (no conversion).

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 8

The turn continues. The French and Soviets need to do turns and there is still a 30% of the turn ending if they do.

The French continue to retreat to form a line - but that line is now perilously thin... I have learned from the mistake in one of the earlier Arse's and have put a unit in Paris in case of a breakthrough.

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 8

If the weather has been of no help to France, it has been a godsend to the Finns. The captial is now besieged....

[warspite1]

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 11

...and right on cue...

The weather is Fine everywhere. The worst news imaginable for the French - and not brilliant for the Chinese or Finns either....