Revanchism in Europe (PBEM gwgardner vs Chocolino)

[gwgardner]

Our game started on a much earlier game revision. I did the landing to take Bologna thinking an earlier revision caused the surrender of Italy. Wow, i've wasted so many Allied troops!

My Soviet replacements/reinforcements are a big question for me also, again with an earlier game revision. I'm trying something right now which is very dangerous: almost all land units getting NO reinforcements, while all reinforcements are poured into my fighter units, to blunt the German air-assisted assaults. The Soviet air force is in very bad shape. I just don't see a major Soviet push in 1943.

The Allies now have 5 strategic bomber squadrons, with more coming. Escort fighters seem to have improved the survivability of my bombers, but the German AA is deadly.

[Chocolino]

Causing Italy to surrender would have been quite the coup. Now I understand what you were after. Italian morale was 61 (56 surrender threshold) last time I checked. I believe this includes the capture of Bologna already. Should that be lower based on cities captured?

The Soviets must get some reinforcements. Otherwise their troop strength would be lower based on losses I think. But I am of course not sure if it works in V1.3 as intended.

[Chocolino]

7-2-43

The Axis can only weaken but not dislodge the American corps in Bologna. New troops land as well just south of LaSpezia. And north of Rome a very strong UK tank corps makes an appearance - but not in an harbor. It looks very scary if they should get into harbor supply, though.

[Chocolino]

7-2-43

Without the Allied publication above the Axis assumed that the troops in northern Italy were just a distraction and possibly supply interdiction to have a free hand in Sicily. As it turns out it worked and the Axis is getting slaughtered there - Palermo falls for a second time into Allied hands.

Allied air power in the area is just too strong to resist. They can reduce defenders there at will.

[Chocolino]

7-2-43

All this would be more bearable if we were successful in the USSR. But a Russian counterattack manages to retake Kursk that we occupied just a month earlier. We could not take it back in our turn.

International observes even comment on the poor readiness of German troops - many corps sized units have just divisional combat strength. This is not only the result of fighting but also caused by frequent supply shortages via incessant partisan activity.

[Chocolino]

7-16-43

Fighting the Allied raid in northern Italy was mostly successful - we destroyed the two American corps and one supporting cruiser - Bologna is Italian again. The Allied units near Rome require attention next.

[Chocolino]

7-16-43

But Bologna was the only good news from Italy. The Allies take Palermo and make short shrift of the Axis defenders there. One Germans unit survived cut off and will have to surrender next turn. The strait of Messina is threatened.

[Chocolino]

7-16-43

The Axis makes some progress in the eastern Ukraine where we cut off one Russian corps and disconnect the defenders of the Crimea from the northern part of the front. Of course they still get supplies from Black Sea harbors. The strait of Kerch is passable for land units but there is no railway bridge of course.

But at the rate the Allies make progress in Italy this will be too little too late.

[Chocolino]

7-30-43

We eliminated the UK tank corps near Rome and sunk the BB New York providing supplies nearby.

[Chocolino]

7-30-43

However, the Americans were able to take the straits of Messina with no apparent trouble which we believed would hold them off for some time. This are very worrying developments.

[Chocolino]

7-30-43

In an inconclusive attack which aimed at making progress towards Leningrad Nikolai Vatutin was killed. The rate of senior commanders sacrificing their life on the battlefield is fairly high in this game.

I lost the pic but the small pocket near the Crimea was cleaned up and German troops pushed on towards Stalino. The Crimea itself is defended by the Russians at the narrowest point.

[Chocolino]

8-13-43

Despite being quite worn German troops can make some small gains along the Sea of Azov but Stalino is still in Russian hands.

[Chocolino]

8-13-43

This was the week of the highest Russian losses throughout the war. If we had managed anything close continuously we would probably have won the war by now. But for most weeks the Russian vs German losses were closer to 3:2 and much lower.

[Chocolino]

8-13-43

At least for now we can hold the tip of the Italian boot. No progress for either side this week. But throwing the Allies out of Sicily as we have managed last year is unthinkable right now.

[Chocolino]

8-27-43

Last turn we overdid our attacks in the forest southwest of Leningrad with little to show for. The USSR took advantage immediately and counter-attacked successfully, pushing us back. We have to fall back and struggle to reestablish a new front. Especially the forces holding the Neva crossings at the Baltic shore are extremely weak. A new corps railed in is not yet in place.

[Chocolino]

8-27-43

In the south the Russians fall back behind the river Mius and we can take Stalino without a fight.

[Chocolino]

8-27-43

So far the Axis front in the Mediterranean was called the Sicily theater. As of today German HQ has to rename it "Italy front" officially.

American paratrooper cut off the front-most German defenders which were overwhelmed and destroyed. (A very nicely executed manueuvre by my opponent). The Axis struggles to find a line that it can actually hold. More air is diverted to this theater which is considered now the most critical. The coming winter may change this assessment soon.

[sveint]

Very nice AAR!

Especially helpful to learn the game.

[Chocolino]

ORIGINAL: sveint

Very nice AAR!

Especially helpful to learn the game.

Thanks for following along ... I promise it will not be a very long read from here on as the Axis is at the end of its tether.

[Chocolino]

9-10-43

Since it is still summer the Axis makes a last desperate offensive against ever stronger Soviet forces around Kalinin. The attack is unsuccessful and W.v. Reichenau, the local HQ commander, is killed in action. At least he is spared the unpleasant remainder of the war.

The Allies have a breather in Italy this week.