STBP 1943-45 devoncop (Axis) vs warspite1 (CW) - no devoncop please

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Zorch

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 8
17th July 1943

I've run into something of a meat grinder here. I tried an attack which slaughtered my attacking units so ended up bombarding only. I should re-evaluate my strategy and try something different but hey, if it was good enough for Paulus at Stalingrad, Napoleon at Borodino and Haig at the Somme, then its got to be a good strategy right?

Ho hum....

Have Patton do a left hook. [:D]

warspite1

What on the Italians or his own injured men? [:D]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52EEzBNn48g
You didn't hear any complaints from his men. [;)]

[warspite1]

Turn 9 - Axis Turn
17th July 1943

I guess I will have to withdraw, an entire brigade from 5th Division evaporates.

[warspite1]

Turn 9
17th July 1943

Damn I didn't take a picture [:@]

Will catch up next turn, but basically the British continue to fixate on the coastal road while the US forces try and outflank the enemy. Ohhh sounds like D-Day.

[warspite1]

Turn 10 - Axis Turn
19th July 1943

It's grim for the Commonwealth forces - but the Americans win an air battle - Hussah!!

[warspite1]

Turn 10 - Axis Turn
19th July 1943

In the west the US 2nd Armoured Division make some headway - albeit slow. The Axis air forces are dominant and their artillery is so numerous. Just about every single road, rail and bridge is broken which means supply is a big problem and I don't have enough engineers.

[warspite1]

Turn 11
20th July 1943

I decide to pull back with the British - the losses are just ridiculous for no gain. Instead I push ahead with the US 2nd Armoured Division which are targeting Nicosia.

[tverse]

To bad you don’t have naval support for the 8th army going up the coast. Some ship to shore fire on the Axis artillery would have been helpful.

[cpt flam]

part of your losses come from your over-stacking, i think
i would rather attack from multi hexes without this penalty

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: cpt flam

part of your losses come from your over-stacking, i think
i would rather attack from multi hexes without this penalty

warspite1

But because the enemy can provide an unbroken line of defenders, the number of hexes I can attack from is limited (two in the case of the attack on the coast) and less units in the hex just means an even weaker attack surely?

I am not sure how the calculations work but if the same amount of artillery attack a stack of 1 unit with 100 men or 3 units with 300 men - is the damage inflicted a % of the number of men in the target hex or is it a set number of men based on the guns fired?

[warspite1]

Turn 12 - Axis Turn
21st July 1943

Axis bombardments are thankfully limited to 6 this turn, and only one gets into double figures percentage-wise. The target is the British, who, like all my forces, needs a thorough rest and refit....

Never in the field of computer war gaming has so many been lost against so few thanks to one total idiot...

[warspite1]

Turn 12
21st July 1943

I content myself with a few desultory bombardments as I try and figure out what to do. Fact is I've made a total hash of this but it is a 600- turn game so no harm in realising that things need a re-think.

[warspite1]

Turn 13 - Axis Turn
22nd July 1943

Not much to report from the Axis this turn.

[warspite1]

Turn 13
22nd July 1943

Nothing much to report from the Allied side either. I am really struggling with this one. I bring air units over from Tunisia and Malta but otherwise....

I try bringing in my air units for an attack close to my base to try and attrit devoncop's air assets. I cause losses of 35 (9 destroyed) and receive 20 of my own (6 destroyed).

[warspite1]

Turn 14 - Axis Turn
23rd July 1943

devoncop tells me he suffered a proficiency test failure, which explains the marked lack of activity..... but I'm not complaining about that!!

[warspite1]

Turn 14
23rd July 1943

On the west coast of the island I order a bombing mission thinking that most Axis aircraft would be in the northeast.....

....sadly things didn't quite work out that way. 127 bombers, escorted by 287 fighters fail to get anywhere near the Italian troops they were to be attacking because 44 German fighters decide to intervene. I see that the Ju-87 is shown as a fighter in this scenario as well as CFNA??? The result is that for the loss of just 9 aircraft (1 destroyed) the Germans inflict 15 losses on the Allies (2 destroyed)....

Its the same old story in the centre of the island, where the US 2nd Armoured forces back some Italians in difficult terrain but they only have a tenuous hold on their gains. But once again the losses in the air are really tough...


There is also some strange maths going on.....

[warspite1]

Turn 15 - Axis Turn
24th July 1943

Another quick turn from the Axis.

[warspite1]

Turn 15
24th July 1943

I maintain my focus in the centre and the American forces to hand. The British have got nowhere and taken large scale casualties and so I'm hoping the Axis have to react to what is happening elsewhere and will thin out their defence. That said I don't actually know what they have available to defend with so I might be smokin' crack of course.

[warspite1]

Turn 16 - Axis Turn
25th July 1943

My opponent very kindly attacks my airfields to reduce my fighter strength - he obviously doesn't realise what a total arsehead I've been in commanding my air assets [:D]

Attack 1 - 156 Allied Fighters vs 138 Bombers and 81 Fighters
Result: 22 aircraft lost (7 destroyed) vs 37 aircraft lost (8 destroyed)

Attack 2 - 69 Allied Fighter vs 40 Bombers
Result: 1 aircraft lost (0 destroyed) vs 6 aircraft lost (2 destroyed)

[warspite1]

Turn 16
25th July 1943

In the west of the island the entire US 3rd Division decides to reorganise just as I hoped they could take Palermo [:@]

[warspite1]

Turn 17 - Axis Turn
26th July 1943

This is a limited turn from the Axis. I notice them sending Italian reinforcement along the coast road in the west. A pioneer battalion gets caught trying to disengage from the 82 Airborne. This unit will hopefully receive some attention this turn.