Europe 44 v6.0 - Mark Stevens (Allies) vs sealclubber (Axis)

[sealclubber]

Eastern Front - South - End of Turn:

The Hungarian Pz Div and 14 Pz Div shore up the breaches in the line. Axis forces in the South know this is only the prelude to the main attack and with most of Army Group South's reserves withdrawn to reinforce Army Group Center, there are no illusions that they will be able to halt the Red Army.

[sealclubber]

T5 - July 20, 1944

The Allies launch another major attack on Caen. In Italy, Allied forces re-establish contact with their isolated eastern forces. On the Eastern Front, the Red Army maintains its pressure. Army Group North is still threatened and Red Army units commence a tour of the Transylvanian Alps.

Scandinavian Front:

No major action this week. The Finns withdraw and prepare to fortify, settle down and await withdrawal. This will be the last report from this front unless something interesting happens.

[sealclubber]

French Front - Start of Turn:

A major attack on Caen this turn. 2 SS Das Reich proves its elite status by holding on against overwhelming odds. Unfortunately, two weeks in the Caen meat grinder has all but destroyed the division from full strength. Caen cannot be voluntarily given up and only the Panzer divisions stand any chance of repelling the Allied attacks.

[sealclubber]

French Front - End of Turn:

OKH reshuffles some defenders, orders everyone to dig in and throws 10 SS Pz Div into the Caen meat grinder. The Axis cannot win here, but they will buy as much time as possible.

[sealclubber]

Italian Front - Start of Turn:

Allied forces here re-establish contact with the 3 cut off corps as well as continue their attempts to retake Rome. As is the story in Caen, Rome is becoming a meat grinder. The attack on Rome may be motivated by the fact that it is a reinforcement hex and most of the US 5 Army is probably trying to arrive here.

In the eastern part of the boot, the Allies re-establish contact, but leave themselves vulnerable.

[sealclubber]

Italian Front - End of Turn:

9 Pz Division overruns the defending tank brigade and Axis forces seize the coast road towards Pescara. Simultaneously, two corps assault an Allied armoured division forcing it to retreat. The Axis have once again encircled 3 Allied Corps, 1 Allied Division and 3 Allied armoured brigades.

Rome is reinforced again.

[sealclubber]

Eastern Front - North/Center - Start of Turn:

To this point, OKH has lost almost 19 weeks of infantry replacements in 4.5 weeks of combat. The withdrawal has been in relatively good order with few units completely cut off and lost, but the cost to mount a forward defence has been high. The lack of any air cover in the East is also a problem, but OKH has chosen to press home the advantage in Italy for the time being.

[sealclubber]

Eastern Front - North/Center - End of Turn:

Fresh panzers pinch off the Soviet encirclement movement in the North and in turn, encircle one Soviet Army. Further south, Axis forces counter-attack locally to stabilize the line. Slow withdrawals continue. OKH refuses to give up 5 Pz Div and gambles the salient can be held open long enough to extract the division in tact.

[sealclubber]

Eastern Front - South - Start of Turn:

The Red Army launches various attacks here forcing some Axis units to retreat while others hold their ground. Of note is the Red Army push straight into the heart of the Carpathian mountains. Once again, the shoulders of the breakout are weak - held only by a couple of cavalry divisions. Unfortunately, having stripped most of the panzer reserve from Army Group South, OKH has nothing available to counter-attack.

For now, the Axis will permit the Red Army tour the Transylvanian Alps.

[sealclubber]

Eastern Front - South - End of Turn:

The line here is relatively stable at the moment, with the exception of the push through the mountains. There is insufficient Red Army strength here to pose a significant threat (at least until the Ukranian Fronts activiate), so the Axis more or less let the Red Army wander through the mountain range.

[Cfant]

You're doing a very good job, it seems. [:)] Do you work with tactical reserves in Caen to burn the enemys turn? Would it be useful to attack the allied battleships, or isn't it worth the effort? As much as I know (from other scenarios) the ship artillery can proof quite deadly to ground units... And, most important: Will you destroy the British in Italy? Quite a show you put up in this theatre! [&o]

...well, that leads us to the east [:D] Nothing to say there. Well, maybe this: Just hold on. Wunderweapons are in development at this very moment [;)]

Edith say, I should have waited for the end of the update. Well done, holding the Baltikum open!

[governato]

ORIGINAL: Cfant2

...well, that leads us to the east [:D] Nothing to say there. Well, maybe this: Just hold on. Wunderweapons are in development at this very moment [;)]

Edith say, I should have waited for the end of the update. Well done, holding the Baltikum open!

Funny you should mention it, but there are 'Wunderwaffens' in this scenario. They are a bit abstracted and only show up in Summer 1945 *if* the Axis manages to hold on his industrial centers. Usually quite difficult to pull off.

The idea is to keep the scenario as historical as possible until May 1945 and then reward the Axis player with a few turns where he can turn on his inner Wagner on.....otherwise these late wars scenario are a little grim!

Historically a lot of Axis forces were relocated to the East Front after the disastrous Summer, So sealclubber
is taking a bit of a gamble trying to seal the Italian theater for good, but if it pays off we may be able to see those Maus Panzers ...

[sealclubber]

I have only started using tactical reserve recently (in real-time.. we're on turn 20) with some perceived success causing tactical round burn. But I did not use TR in Caen. Caen is a slaughter house and I don't see any reason to subject twice as many panzer divisions to get slaughtered at any given time. Infantry divisions are ineffective in tactical reserve (given Allied firepower) and I never had any to spare before losing Caen anyways.

I think utilizing tactical reserve in the East is a good tactic for the Axis. The only challenge is you will not have any panzer/panzergrenadier divisions to spare for such missions early on. Everything is on the front, in reorg, or resting after being splattered.

I never bothered attacking the Allied ships. Tried that in a hotseat game before playing my first turn. Pretty sure you are wasting your time, even in favourable conditions. I think you you would have to catch the Allied fleets outside of strong fighter cover, which is not very likely.

As for the Brits in Italy... well, you'll have to wait and see

[Josh]

Marvellous job there in Italy Seal. Didn't expect that to happen. Poor brits/poles/french/americans.

[sealclubber]

Truthfully I didn't expect it either. It started as an opportunistic, limited offensive to try and destroy the American force in Italy, but as things started unfolding it's become a full-fledged attempt to terminate the Allied position in Italy.

[tcarusil]

Gentlemen:

If I might ask, what graphics package are you using? I think it may be time for me to try something different. Thanks

TomC

[sealclubber]

I checked my graphics folder and I think this is the v3.4 default graphics. Honestly it's been so long since I installed TOAW3 that I couldn't tell you either way, sorry.

[sealclubber]

T6 - July 27, 1944

The Allies make progress on all fronts. The Finns will "withdraw soon", so this front is effectively finished unless the Red Army pushes into Norway. Army Group South fully activates and starts a massed withdrawal towards the Transylvanian Alps and Hungary. Romania is being abandoned.

French Front - Start of Turn:

The Allies seize Caen this turn, although only two small recon units are able to secure it.

[sealclubber]

French Front - End of Turn:

OKH doesn't see much choice but to continue to hold Caen. 2 Pz Division, still exhausted, attacks into Caen and throws out the Allied recon units. They dig in, knowing they are being sacrificed to buy time.

[sealclubber]

Italian Front - Start of Turn:

The Allies re-establish contact with their cut off corps, if barely. The game is being played under the old turn rules and old supply rules. Generally this works against the Axis as units start the Axis turn unable to move (routed, retreated, 0 MPs, etc) but in this particular case, it provides an advantage as the cut off Axis units are still in supply and can therefore attack without tremendous loss.