Witness to World War 2.

[composer99]

The Red Army probably feels under-manned up front because so much of it is sitting back in the rear guarding the huge pockets of German troops. I don't think it needs a bunch more armies, though - it needs offensive chits now that it's coming up on fighting within the boundaries of the Reich itself.

Speaking of pockets, courtesy of the Allied double impulse, the Red Army is going to bag yet another pocket of German troops in East Prussia, consisting of the forces currently retreating through the Baltics. The only thing keeping it from being as bad as the other pockets is the fact that Königsberg is a primary supply source.

Two game years ago, I had already pegged Japan as finished, although I don't recall whether I said so at the time or not, on account of their overall positioning, and especially with how late they left their attempt to overthrow the Anglo-American order in the Pacific.

What I did not guess was how badly things would go for Germany. I could not have predicted that in two game years the Red Army would already be on the verge of seizing Warsaw. Having left the withdrawal from Persia and the Caucasus until it was far too late has left them with, what, 20-odd corps trapped and starving thousands of kilometres from home? I think there are more men trapped beyond rescue in the depths of the USSR and Persia than started the war under arms.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: composer99

The Red Army probably feels under-manned up front because so much of it is sitting back in the rear guarding the huge pockets of German troops. I don't think it needs a bunch more armies, though - it needs offensive chits now that it's coming up on fighting within the boundaries of the Reich itself.

Speaking of pockets, courtesy of the Allied double impulse, the Red Army is going to bag yet another pocket of German troops in East Prussia, consisting of the forces currently retreating through the Baltics. The only thing keeping it from being as bad as the other pockets is the fact that Königsberg is a primary supply source.

Two game years ago, I had already pegged Japan as finished, although I don't recall whether I said so at the time or not, on account of their overall positioning, and especially with how late they left their attempt to overthrow the Anglo-American order in the Pacific.

Interesting.

ORIGINAL: composer99
What I did not guess was how badly things would go for Germany. I could not have predicted that in two game years the Red Army would already be on the verge of seizing Warsaw. Having left the withdrawal from Persia and the Caucasus until it was far too late has left them with, what, 20-odd corps trapped and starving thousands of kilometres from home? I think there are more men trapped beyond rescue in the depths of the USSR and Persia than started the war under arms.

I guess one could call these pockets self sustaining POW camps. I'd say that the number and quality of Soviet units tied up in keeping the Germans in these pockets is way less than what would have been required to destroy them. Also, the German units that are pocketed can't be rebuilt as destroyed units can be. These pockets include three quality German HQ's (Rommel, Manstein and Kessilnger). Also, the Turkish HQ is trapped in Persia. I'll make a screen cap of the trapped German units using the "emergency supply" select forms.

[Courtenay]

There is one thing that can save the Germans in Poland right now. They just have to make the right prayer to the weather gods.

(Unfortunately, I think I am on the weather gods blocked list.)

[rkr1958]

Hope this captures it. Here's a list of all OOS German & Turkish units and five pockets/areas where the majority of these units are.

[brian brian]

ORIGINAL: composer99

So, will the collaborationist government in Vichy fall because Paris is liberated, or because the Allied armies take Vichy? Which will come first? Stay tuned to find out.

Yeah the Americans aren't going to let anyone commute Petain's sentence in this war.

What really fascinates me in this game is, to me, it reveals quite a realism hole in the rules that I have never considered before: what does Vichy France do if the Germans don't collapse it, and the Americans invade it?

I think it should surrender at least as easy as Italy does, if not easier. I just don't see Vichy troops fighting intense pitched battles with the Allies in France when, let's say, the Americans have more combat factors in Vichy than Germany does.



Meanwhile the Russians are about to achieve the dream of 1,000 years as they approach the Bosporous. Churchill is aghast.

[Courtenay]

Just noticed a place where the Italian surrender bug made a big difference: Genoa. If Italy had been liberated, and did not keep surrendering, then the Italian cities would have been able to supply German units, and Genoa would have had a defense of 12, not 2.

[brian brian]

The Russians won't feel still short on troops once a few things happen - the weather slows operations, a few more of their troops catch up to the advanced front in Poland, a few more troops finish their mop-up jobs (as noted, an unusually high amount of them tied up guarding prisoners right now), and the front stabilizes along the Oder, perhaps. the distance from Stettin to Trieste is dramatically shorter than from Vologda to Baku.

The attack in Crimea was not wise because the Rumanian unit will disappear in the Conquest phase anyway. And MIL can't be scrapped, but the good ones (Kiev, Leningrad, Moscow, a couple more) are worth re-building as assault troops in multi-hex battles, if the MIL pool is empty. A 2-2 MIL isn't worth spending BPs on later in the game, and can be saved for garrison duty in the Balkans.


The new rules in Collector's Edition would allow the Germans here to destroy any of their isolated units, such as their key HQs, which would have been a help to them, though not a large one as things shook out, given the build times on HQ units. The Russians tied down by the isolated units are also helping all of the Allies by NOT attacking much - thus keeping the Germans from being able to re-build those units. Though the Germans will soon accept their fate and figure out the solution to that.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: brian brian
The attack in Crimea was not wise because the Rumanian unit will disappear in the Conquest phase anyway. And MIL can't be scrapped, but the good ones (Kiev, Leningrad, Moscow, a couple more) are worth re-building as assault troops in multi-hex battles, if the MIL pool is empty. A 2-2 MIL isn't worth spending BPs on later in the game, and can be saved for garrison duty in the Balkans.

Again, you guys have an impressive eye to detail. The fact that the Romanian unit was going to disappear due to the imminent surrender of Romanian didn't occur to me. It was only after Romanian surrender and the Romanian unit in the Crimea disappeared did I realize that. So, yes the attack was foolish. Fortunately for the Soviets they rolled a 13 on the assault and the attack really become a non-attack.

ORIGINAL: brian brian
The new rules in Collector's Edition would allow the Germans here to destroy any of their isolated units, such as their key HQs, which would have been a help to them, though not a large one as things shook out, given the build times on HQ units. The Russians tied down by the isolated units are also helping all of the Allies by NOT attacking much - thus keeping the Germans from being able to re-build those units. Though the Germans will soon accept their fate and figure out the solution to that.

Yes, I know. Emergency HQ supply and all out attacks. Though that doesn't solve the problem with the HQ's, which don't get emergency supply and, therefore, can't disband through attacking. A gamey move would be for the Soviet to never destroy those HQ's and just keep them bottled up for the remainder of the game. This would certainly be worth the two or three weak units per HQ to do that. However, in the spirit of simulating the war, if and when Germany exhausts their emergency HQ supply, the Soviets will work to "disband" the surviving German units including HQ's.

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Actions.

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. IJN Assessment.

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. Sea of Japan.

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. Bismarck Sea.

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. The Marianas.

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. South China Sea.

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. China Sea (1/2).

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. China Sea (2/2). Allies are unable to find and sink Japanese supply convoys to Formosa. With Formosa in supply and rain in the area amphibious landings are called off for now.

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. USN Ground Strike (1/3).

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO. USN Ground Strike (2/3).

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. PTO/Southern China. USN Ground Strike (3/3).

[rkr1958]

Turn 31. Sep/Oct 1944. Allied #1.

Western Allies. Turkey. With the failure to flip the OOS German garrison, no attempt this impulse to try to capture Ankara.