My second AAR (again)

[yvesp]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Good news. I continue to watch your AAR with interest.

Thanks. Its motivating to know that there are some people reading...

[WarHunter]

Good AAR.

There is a sly supply bug that can easily go un-noticed. I call it "Stealing Supply".

If you look at your screen shot post #36. There are 2 great examples of it.
Japan's out of supply 27th army cuts supply to the Commie 8th Rte.
The commie Cav is OoS by being over 2 hexes from a supply source.
The mud weather should be shutting down the commie offensive.

Instead they are drawing supply from a Nationalist city next to them.
Its sly because there is no way to cut commies from supply if they are near any city.
You can kind of workaround it at times. But not always.

Hope this get fixed with the next patch.

[yvesp]

ORIGINAL: WarHunter

Good AAR.

There is a sly supply bug that can easily go un-noticed. I call it "Stealing Supply".

If you look at your screen shot post #36. There are 2 great examples of it.
Japan's out of supply 27th army cuts supply to the Commie 8th Rte.
The commie Cav is OoS by being over 2 hexes from a supply source.
The mud weather should be shutting down the commie offensive.

Instead they are drawing supply from a Nationalist city next to them.
Its sly because there is no way to cut commies from supply if they are near any city.
You can kind of workaround it at times. But not always.

Hope this get fixed with the next patch.

This is not a bug: the Nationalist/Communist units can draw supply from any Chinese city, even if controlled by the "other" side.

[yvesp]

In France, the frontline is suddenly thinner.
But the rear line is not at risk. Yet.
West of Brussels, the crack French troops might hold an attack.
South, the not-too-shaby infantries hidden in the Ardennes are expected to hold against an assault.

[yvesp]

The weather being sour, not much happen.
Germany uses the opprtunity opened but Italy's war declaration on the Commonwealth to pound the French merchant still present in the mediterranean.

However, the bomber squadrons sent to destroy the factories are wayled by the low clouds and drop in the fields.

[WarHunter]

ORIGINAL: yvesp
This is not a bug: the Nationalist/Communist units can draw supply from any Chinese city, even if controlled by the "other" side.

Rules as coded.

18. COOPERATION
Units must be able to co-operate to do certain things together.
These rules will tell you who can co-operate, what they can’t do together even though they can co-operate, and what they can’t do together if they don’t co-operate.

18.1. WHO CAN CO-OPERATE
Ç Units from the same major power co- operate with each other (even if they are from different countries – e.g.
Australian and Indian units).
Ç Units from the same minor country co- operate with each other.
Ç Units from a minor country co-operate with units from its controlling major power or minor country.
Ç Units from a major power don’t co-operate with units from a minor country aligned with another major power.
Ç Units from one minor country don’t co- operate with units from another minor country, even if both are aligned with the same major power.
Ç US and Commonwealth units co-operate provided neither is neutral.
Ç Commonwealth and Free French units co- operate.
Ç US and (non-Vichy) French units co-operate once the U.S.A. is at war with Germany and Italy.
Ç German and Italian units co-operate if neither is neutral.
Ç Vichy French units do not co-operate with any major power.
Ç Units controlled by a neutral major power don’t co-operate with units from, or controlled by, another major power.
Ç Units from a liberated major power co- operate with units from the major power that liberated it.

. Ç Chinese nationalist and communist units don’t co-operate.

Ç Partisans co-operate with units from their own country only.
Chinese partisans only co-operate with Chinese communist units. No other units co-operate.
As an exception to the above, units of a liberated major power never co-operate with units of a major power that refused to return territory on liberation (see 13.7.5).
Clarification: Once two countries cooperate, they continue to cooperate unless an event occurs that mandates that they do not cooperate.
AfA option 10: The Italian AOI territorial can co- operate with all other Italian territorials (see 22.4.5). 18.2.

NOT COOPERATING Units that don’t co-operate cannot:
Ç Stack in the same hex, at any time that stacking limits apply; or
Ç Transport each other’s units; or

Ç Draw supply from a source controlled by the other; or

Ç Reorganize each other; or Ç Be committed to any combat or mission that the other unit is, or will be, involved in this step.
This doesn’t apply to naval air or naval air interception missions.

[yvesp]

After many debates, the Wehrmacht engages under bad conditions the entrenched French troops in the Ardennes. Even though the likehood of a failure is high, there are many reasons to try that attack.

Weakening the French comes first: more troops destroyed, less resistance, because the French economy is not up to the task of replacing heavy losses. Attrition is a friend.

Then, a grand success would very likely spell doom on the French defense, especially considering that an end of turn is possible.

And anyway, capturing either this hex or the hex west of Brussels is necessary to break the French. Better tried sooner rather than later!

Finaly, even a failure is acceptable, considering the possible reward.

But the gods of war did not favor that attack...

[yvesp]

Meanwhile, Mussolini salivates at the idea of capturing a weakly defended Egypt.

Note that in this picture, we clearly see the effect of a naval combat bug! The French convoy was destroyed in the previous naval air step...

[yvesp]

The turn did not end.
It might end this impulse.

The British decide that they must do something in the Mediterranean or they risk losing it.
The decide on two raids from Gibraltar.

The first is led by the Ark Royal and the Hood, the finest ships of the Royal Navy, accompanied by two lousy light cruisers. Its purpose is multiple: catch ongoing reinforcements so that they never reach Africa, and remove the merchant ships that provide supply to Africa.

The other is done in the east Mediterranean and involves the Renown, accompanied by 5 cruisers. Its purpose is mainly to disrupt supply.

Both are somewhat risky, because in both case the Axis holds long range land based planes patrolling the areas. Furthermore, alongside the Italian coast, the Italian air force could help.

Indeed, a fighter sorties to cover the convoys and transport (box 0)

[yvesp]

However, the British are lucky enough to destroy a good many Gabbianos, leaving the sea area without serious cover.

[yvesp]

Now the Italian are faced with a tough decision: do they vacate the sea area before the roaming British force, or do they risk a dangerous combat ?

Considering that the odds of another combat are low, and that furthermore the land based fighter could force an air combat, the Italians decide to stay. Not doing so would of course fill up the British agenda...

[yvesp]

Neptune like the British.

The Italian force is again drawn into a combat. The British refuse the air to sea combat against the Italian figher and spend 4 points for a surface combat. Why risk a highly prized carrier plane ?

[yvesp]

The combat result is not that good, not that bad. Convoys are lost, and the transport is forced to land in Tripoli rather than its expected destination in Tobrouk.

The Commonwealth retreats after this victory, leaving the Italian fighter patrolling an empty sea area.


In the east Mediterranena, the British force fails to find anything.

[yvesp]

ORIGINAL: WarHunter

Rules as coded...

You're right of course, but the better rule is:

2.4.2.
TRACING SUPPLY
...
A primary supply source for a unit is:
* Any friendly city in the unit’s unconquered home country; or
...
A city controlled by the communist Chinese is not friendly to the nationalist Chinese (and vice versa), even though both are (nominally) on the same side. Deviation: While the USSR player always moves and makes other decisions for the Communist Chinese units, the USSR and Communist Chinese do not cooperate. In particular, they do not provide supply to each other.

There cannot be any ambiguity!

Possibly, I have always made that mistake. Unsure of that though, because when playing the boardgame, I spend a lot of time in the rules when I have a doubt. Clearly here, I was confident in the RAC (well, not so much coded it would seem!)

[Centuur]

This should have been fixed, I believe. Are you using the latest patch? If not, can you please put a saved game in here, so this can be investigated?

[yvesp]

Although extremely tempring, an +5 attack is not tried at El Alamein. The only viable table would be the blitz table, and a loss would have to be Wavell. Too expensive, even though a success would likely break the Italian back for some turns.

In China, despite the weather, Mao attacks a weakly defended Kaifeng. This attack can only meet success, which will force the Japanese to relent on the South. If extremely successful, this would even open up new opportunities should the turn not end.

Furthermore, Kaifeng being home to the G3M2 long range bombers, which were already used up, the capture of the city is indeed a severe setback for the Japanese.

[yvesp]

In Tientsin, the partisans decide to pick up the freshly transported militia from Korea. Even though these are not combat ready and unsupplied, this is an uphill battle. But Mao insisted on that combat, telling that it was better dying for something that being later trapped by superior forces as happened in Haichow.

[yvesp]

ORIGINAL: Centuur
This should have been fixed, I believe. Are you using the latest patch? If not, can you please put a saved game in here, so this can be investigated?

I'll check. If I have one, I'll send it direct to Steve.

Now, I'm using the official release, the one which is downloaded when updating. You might have a better beta on hand ?

Edit: I've searched, but none of my save correspond to that particular situation. This was yesterday. In my current situation, I think this bug did not change anything, because Mao stayed close to the railway, and I could move him before moving the cavalry, putting it back in supply.

Yves

[yvesp]

As the turn ends, it is clear that France lost too much and that things did not go as planned for Japan. It is worth noting that all of the Japanese losses happened in the last, rainy, impulse. What can one believe now, if even rain doesn't protect against the Chinese ?
The picture doesn't show up the lost convoys, which makes the turn rather poor for Italy too, considering the lost resource (3 build point for the turn, 4 lost.)

[yvesp]

As expected the weather is good and it is time to break the French defenses.
Germany takes the initiative and launches the Stukas on the Ardennes.
Considering the protection of the forest, the French declines using the Anti Air, division, keeping it for later attacks. This is not a good choice.