How the Axis could have won. Allied AAR RTW

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Hotschi

Thanks for the fast response - I already thought I am doing something wrong.

warspite1

Maybe we both are because I may be about to get creamed here [X(]

[warspite1]

18th May 1941

AI Turn
The Axis declare war on Greece and, just as in Yugoslavia, they start to go through the defenders like a knife through butter.

[warspite1]

18th May 1941

United Kingdom
As expected the Afrika Korps is just too strong. They have two fighter units too and the British fighters continue to be knocked out of the sky with ease.

I must have played too conservatively and should have brought my infantry to the desert immediately - but then that would have left the UK open to Sea Lion.

Maybe my tech focus has been wrong too?

[warspite1]

18th May 1941

United Kingdom
The Admiralty orders the fast convoy to Egypt as fast as possible - even if that means losing their escort. In so doing, the breakaway transports come across a seemingly unescorted Italian troop convoy. The 1st Submarine Flotilla is ordered to the area.

[warspite1]

18th May 1941

United Kingdom
A couple of escort flotillas off the African coast finally corner a wolf pack, reducing it to 4-strength.

Given what is about to happen in Egypt, I am delighted with this result [:)] HMS Exeter delivers the death blow to the Italian 1st Army....

....except she didn't. The indicator was showing a 0:7 loss. Instead the convoy is untouched as 'damage evaded' came up. Seriously?....

....so I sent in the battleships Valiant and Malaya...

....and the result was 'damage evaded' and the transport moved north east....

....so I sent in the 1st Destroyer Flotilla and they sank 4 points...

....so I sent in the Greek navy from Salonika - and they finally sank the transport!! [X(]

[xwormwood]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

18th May 1941

United Kingdom
As expected the Afrika Korps is just too strong. They have two fighter units too and the British fighters continue to be knocked out of the sky with ease.

I must have played too conservatively and should have brought my infantry to the desert immediately - but then that would have left the UK open to Sea Lion.

Maybe my tech focus has been wrong too?

I don't think that your tech focus is the problem. It looks like you moved too far out of Egypt with too weak forces, and as if you stayed a bit too long out there once you met strong opposition, and that this brought you into this dangerous situation. A retreat to the El Alamein line is no shame.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Xwormwood

ORIGINAL: warspite1

18th May 1941

United Kingdom
As expected the Afrika Korps is just too strong. They have two fighter units too and the British fighters continue to be knocked out of the sky with ease.

I must have played too conservatively and should have brought my infantry to the desert immediately - but then that would have left the UK open to Sea Lion.

Maybe my tech focus has been wrong too?

I don't think that your tech focus is the problem. It looks like you moved too far out of Egypt with too weak forces, and as if you stayed a bit too long out there once you met strong opposition, and that this brought you into this dangerous situation. A retreat to the El Alamein line is no shame.

warspite1

Well they never actually left Egypt as they could not even beat the Italian defenders on the Libyan border (which made me think its a research problem). Then once the British units were there - and entrenching - I thought they should hold with the air force and navy's help.

I didn't realise the Afrika Korps would be so big either - that caught me out.

But hey, we live and learn! No retreat possible so it looks like Egypt is lost.

[warspite1]

18th May 1941

United Kingdom
The Greek front looks as positive as everywhere else [:(] The Epirus Army and 1st Corps try and make a stand in the mountains north of Athens, but eastern Greece, around Salonika is about to be overrun.


Greece is the word
its got grove its got meaning.....

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

AI Turn
The Germans invade the Soviet Union. That's an interesting one. The Germans are still fighting in Greece, they have a large presence in North Africa AND they have just started to kick down the whole rotten edifice of the Soviet Union [X(]

And there's revolt in Iraq! I need to launch Operation Sabine - but that is going to cost. Oh well, as said before I will do what was done historically and see what happens.

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

Soviet Union
The Soviets have a decision to make - not that I see there is a decision to be made. Would they like to transfer industry to the Urals or have it nicked by the Germans? Er.... I'll take the former approach thank-you [;)]

A re-cap of what's happened in the last turn then.

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

And the military losses too:

- As expected the Soviet border units take a pounding (the Soviets are strangely lacking in units - I have no spare MPP but there is nothing in the way of Army Group North for example??

- Salonika and the whole of eastern Greece is lost

- O'connor has been captured and the whole of Wavell's 30,000 have been or are about to go into the bag

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

United Kingdom
2nd Army and the VI Infantry Corps arrive as reinforcements in the UK

Meanwhile at sea, I guessed the wounded wolf pack detected off the West African coast would try and head for Spain. I guessed right but the attack by the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla was wholly ineffective and costly for the British. The 4th Canadian Escort Flotilla came to the rescue and have reduced the U-boat to a '2' strength.

Here is the sorry picture from North Africa:
The potentially good news is that the British IV and Canadian 1st Infantry Corps have landed in Alexandria. However the Nile Delta is looking pretty sparse when it comes to troops. Where are those 150 tanks I requested previously??

The Mediterranean Fleet remains at sea in case the Axis try and reinforce their troops in Libya/Egypt further.


If the British think they can win this they are in de-Nile....see what I did there? [8|]

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

So what is going on in the Soviet Union?

Answer: absolutely no idea.

So I buy two Corps as I must have units and I really don't seem to have too many.

Northwest Front - Colonel-General F.I Kuznetsov

This map shows the current position. This does not look like this because the Soviets lost a load of units - there simply weren't any units to lose [&:]

I cannot see any reason to move the units currently in place as all they will do is lose entrenchment, although 23rd Army (what the hell is it doing there - it should be in the north??) will try and head for Daugavpils (Dvinsk).


The Soviets don't give a Baltics for their newly acquired territory it seems....

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

West Front - Colonel-General D.G Pavlov

This is weird! Here is the Bialystok pocket. Even allowing for the fact that the Soviets have taken some losses (and as seen above, not that many) there seems to be a rather shocking disparity in forces [&:]


Weirdest looking Soviet front I've ever seen...

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

Southwest Front - Lt-General M.P Kirponos

The Germans are looking to create a pocket centred on Lvov. I will try and retreat with whatever I can here.


Where are the Soviets?

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

Southern Front - General I.V Tyulenev

And I have nothing to say about the Southern Front....

Well maybe the Soviets start to get a ton of reinforcements or something but right now I am at something of a loss to understand what I am supposed to be doing.

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

United Kingdom
Before ending the turn I thought I would take the 1st Cruiser Squadron on a patrol of the North African coast. I came across the damaged Italian sub and an HQ in Benghazi. I called down my two destroyer flotillas to attack the sub - but despite the advantage, neither caused any damage and one was hit in return. I then detached Valiant and Malaya to bombard the HQ - but it too scored no hit but was damaged in return. 2 MPP were destroyed however.

[warspite1]

9th June 1941

United Kingdom
I have a decision to make - do I want to give funding to the SOE to 'Set Europe Ablaze"? I answer yes, that would be spiffing, I'll make a nice packed lunch.

United States
Does the US want to send supplies to the USSR via the Pacific? Er is the Pope a Catholic....

USSR
Hello - the Soviets order full mobilisation - maybe I'll get some troops

United Kingdom
Bloody Hell - I'm sprouting units in Egypt!

[warspite1]

1st July 1941

United States
Decision time. Do the United States want to supply the British in the desert with armour at a cost of 50 MPP for 4 turns?

YES [;)]

Soviet Union
Do the Soviets wish to impose 'harsh discipline'. Oooh I say, cheeky!

But seriously the answer is yes.

[warspite1]

1st July 1941

So a recap of what has happened. Firstly the combat losses