HamburgerMeat (Allies) vs Clausewitzclausewitz (Axis) Educational AAR (1.06)

[HamburgerMeat]

April 1942: This is situation at the start of the turn. Both targets are in low supply (5 or lower). Usually I don't go out of my way to destroy an axis corp, but by doing so I hopefully can draw some artillery fire away from the cities next turn

[HamburgerMeat]

The nice thing about strategic bombers is their versatility and long range. They can shut down supplies, destroy resources, reduce morale, and can sometimes even do damage. Here, the strategic bomber located in Sweden strikes a panzercorp right outside of Smolensk, then proceeds to damage Minsk.

[HamburgerMeat]

More of the same in China: I strike multiple supply hubs to slow down the Japanese advance

[HamburgerMeat]

After bombing a garrison in Denmark, a Polish corp lands in Denmark, thereby enabling Allied ships to enter the Baltic sea. Two German battleships, a destroyer, and a battle cruiser are destroyed.

On the eastern front, I suffer more losses than I would have liked, but most of the damage was absorbed by corps. Both targets are destroyed, and army group center will likely be hurting for supply next turn

[HamburgerMeat]

May 1942. The axis have punched through and damaged Rokossovsky's HQ, destroying an army, a tank corp, an anti-air unit, and two corp. I survey the landscape and mark my primary targets (all having 5 or less supply). I know that the two panzercorp west of Kharkov have 5 supply because the army in Kharkov has 4 supply. While watching the replay, I also noted that one his panzers went down to 7 strength.

[HamburgerMeat]

Using attacks from a corp, an anti tank, a tactical bomber, and an armored train, the panzercorp north of Kharkov is destroyed.

[HamburgerMeat]

However, after moving forward an army and a corp, I find that neither of the other panzers have 7 strength. With this knowledge, and poor odds when considering the defensive artillery, I decide to take my victory and let the axis speartip bend itself a little more before I fully engage.

[HamburgerMeat]

I move a corp in position to swap with the army to pull it back from the front (as i dont want it adjacent to the axis due to the readiness bonus) and fill in my gaps with corps. I decide to isolate the german corp instead of destroying it as it would be too costly. My attack near Smolensk goes quite well, and my mechanized infantry ends up breaking through and attacking the Romanian HQ.

[Marcinos1985]

Nice bloodbath [:)] I see you have AT units ,and at level one. Do they fare well? I usually refund this tech. Generally you seem to be in excellent shape, able to build new units.
Could you provide unit count for GER and USSR?

[HamburgerMeat]

I used to refund the tech, but as it only gives back 62 MPP, I decided to keep it around. AT units are quite powerful at what they do, but I wouldn't build any until you can't build tanks, and I wouldn't build tanks until you've bought your discounted infantry (with the exception of getting an HQ and two heavy tanks before the Barbarossa if you can afford it)

I'll post a unit count when I get my turn back

[Jackmck]

Thanks for the AAR- learned quite abit, especially about defense of Russia

What would you do against a more challenging Axis defense of Tobruk- i.e. like the one you did against me- two Italian HQ surrounded by three Armies?
With two HQ's, one is unable to draw down supply below 5 even if the port is reduced to zero and the bomber knocks down the city to zero- the multiple HQs keep each other in better supply- I found it difficult to advance


"UK Research priority is:

Infantry weapons > advanced aircraft > ground attack > naval weapons (mostly for your carriers) > advanced tanks > heavy bomber > LR aircraft > spying and intel"

Where does infantry and armored warfare fit into to this?

Finally- Had the axis invaded Norway, would you still have attacked there with the UK? or how else would you have tried to have them hurt the Axis?

[HamburgerMeat]

ORIGINAL: Jackmck

Thanks for the AAR- learned quite abit, especially about defense of Russia

What would you do against a more challenging Axis defense of Tobruk- i.e. like the one you did against me- two Italian HQ surrounded by three Armies?
With two HQ's, one is unable to draw down supply below 5 even if the port is reduced to zero and the bomber knocks down the city to zero- the multiple HQs keep each other in better supply- I found it difficult to advance


"UK Research priority is:

Infantry weapons > advanced aircraft > ground attack > naval weapons (mostly for your carriers) > advanced tanks > heavy bomber > LR aircraft > spying and intel"

Where does infantry and armored warfare fit into to this?

Finally- Had the axis invaded Norway, would you still have attacked there with the UK? or how else would you have tried to have them hurt the Axis?

Against the Italians, I would use battleships to attack the Italian army/corp along the coast to soften their morale, and chip away at them with my ground units. Meanwhile, use carrier's naval/tactical attack on the HQ outside of tobruk, tactical bombers, and strategic bombers (but keep bombing Tobruk with strategic bombers as well). The outside HQ will be unable to regenerate fast enough (limited to recovering 3 strength per turn) and either be

A) forced back to Benghazi, at which point you try to cut off the road to prevent a boost

or

B) swap with the HQ inside. Depending on which HQ has more command rating, the HQ inside Tobruk will be the booster rather than the boosted, resulting in lower supply to the frontline units.


-armored warfare probably comes at the end of that list, then infantry warfare after that.


If the axis had invaded Norway, then this would have been my preference order

A) Tunisia into Italy, then use Italy as an aircraft base against German minors in the Balkans. Italian NM is quite low, and this directly hurts axis MPPs
B) Norway anyway - taking a port and landing an HQ with other units is not too diffcult. Knock out the ports with battleships to prevent reinforcement. I wanted to get to Leningrad as he was attacking only from Finland.
C) Turkey into the Balkans, using Turkey as a strategic aircraft base to help support the southern USSR

[HamburgerMeat]

June 1942: The axis are falling back from most positions. If the axis stop pushing in the USSR, that means it is very likely game over. Therefore, I will assume that he has finished researching advanced tanks level 3 and is waiting to upgrade, as well as waiting for heavy tanks. With that in mind, I plan to destroy what units I can without over committing

[HamburgerMeat]

Having strategically bombed Helsinki, bombarded and blocked the port, placed two adjacent ground units, and cut it off from all other sources of supply, Helsinki started this turn with 0 supply, making it easy to cut through. Finland surrenders, knocking out another axis minor

[HamburgerMeat]

I push forward from Smolensk and destroy a Hungarian army. In the south, I primarily use infantry to destroy a German army, corp, and artillery. I take this turn to upgrade my tanks.

At this point, barring something crazy happening, I think an allied victory is inevitable. I spend every US MPP on garrisons this turn, and plan to plant them all along the coast to protect myself against any potential crazy axis gambit

[HamburgerMeat]

Current military sizes. Considering that the USSR has very few garrisons, the USSR and Germany are probably about tied.

[HamburgerMeat]

Current losses

[HamburgerMeat]

July 1942:

Smelling blood in the water, soviet forces advance, retaking Minsk and Wilno, as well as setting up positions along the southern parts of the Dnepier river. At the same time, UK forces from Estonia move down into Latvia and retake Riga. American reinforcements will soon be landing in the eastern front as well. With 20 armored corps (4 USSR heavy tanks, 5 USSR tanks, 4 UK tanks, and 7 US tanks) soon to be baying after Germany in a fantastic clamour, the end appears to be drawing near for the European axis powers.


(Note,: you can exceed the US tank limit if you buy all six tanks bdfore you get the marine tank in the pacific in 42

[HamburgerMeat]

August 1942:

The Soviets reestablish a line at the Dneiper, and destroying/picking away at what units they can. If I see 1:1 odds at this point, I usually take them. Be careful not to outrun your own supply line, as scorched earth tactics by the axis will cause your liberated towns to not provide much in the way of supply.

[HamburgerMeat]

Seeing an HQ in range, I use my carriers naval/tactical mode to bombard it, inflicting at least 5 points of damage.