HB (Axis) vs MM (Allies) No MM for now

[Harrybanana]

APR 26, 1940,

Snow. So in both games the weather is rain or snow throughout all 5 turns of March and April. Bad weather isn't too bad for me as I have been waiting for my techs to level up and my panzers built last fall to arrive. I want to capture Belgium in 1 turn. The problem is that the last 2 turns (and 3 of the last 4) have been snow. This means that my units are losing effectiveness each turn rather than gaining it. To compensate I burn through about 40 supply trucks this turn. So if next turn is rain I will have wasted 120 production for nothing.

6 MS sunk. Germans build 30 supply trucks and Italians build 10 supply trucks.

[Harrybanana]

MAY 10, 1940

Clear (thank god). Supposedly I sunk 7 MS and an escort.

[Harrybanana]

But that French escort continues to be invincible. This happened at least once more; so obviously there is a bug some where.

[Harrybanana]

The map after my first attack. Note that all my armour, mechanized and air units have received a supply bump. I started the turn with 121 supply trucks and ended with 78.

[Harrybanana]

The map at the end of my turn. I was especially pleased with only 8 total casualties (6 land and 2 air). The French air force was absent, but I did shoot down 12 British fighters. The reasons for my success in the air are superior experience and effectiveness. My fighters were at about 100% effectiveness due to the expenditure of the supply trucks and the bump I got at the beginning of my turn from the improved weather. The UK won't get this bump until their next turn.

[Harrybanana]

Current Tech Levels. I am really concerned about the very slow progress of my German heavy armour tech.

[Harrybanana]

MAY 24, 1940

Remember what I said about my concern with the slow progress of my Heavy Armour tech. Well it didn't advance at all since the last turn. With 5 points invested I don't think I have ever seen that before. Meanwhile my assault tech advanced by almost 50 days.

[Harrybanana]

Edit: Oops ignore this, I screwed up. I did not advance this far on May 24.

[Harrybanana]

MAY 24, 1940,

I sorta got my turns mixed up. In fact all I managed to capture this turn are these 5 measly hexes. I also sank 5 more MS and built 20 more German supply trucks.

[Harrybanana]

JUNE 7, 1940,

Below is the map at the end of my turn. I was feeling pretty good. I destroyed a UK infantry Corps and made some progress towards Paris. Casualties were reasonable and I was killing MM in the air. Some of my armour are looking worn though, even though I again spent about 40 supply trucks on them and my air. Do you think the mechanized unit circled in red is safe? I thought so. He isn't that close to the enemy armour and has a retreat route. I didn't build anything as all my production is being spent on replacements and remotorizing my infantry.

[ago1000]

I think its safe too. 2.4 MMs sunk per turn, not bad.

[Harrybanana]

JUNE 21, 1940

It wasn't safe. MM retreated the 2 infantry corps so it had no where to run to and then finished it off with the WDF. He had to make several attacks to accomplish this using, as far as I could tell, a French armour (wish I had one of them in our mirror game), the WDF and 2 mechanized units. Losing 330 production is not good; but the war goes on. Looking at the map I agonized over 2 choices. One was to drop a para NW of Paris to block his retreat and take a go at his armour and mech units; which I hoped were pretty weak after all of his attacks. If successful this would reap me the highest rewards, but it was also risky. The other option was to drop a para a couple hexes east of Paris and attack and breakthrough South through the weakest part of his line. If successful this would hopefully force him to start evacuating his British and therefore speed up the fall of France. So did I seek revenge for my mech, or let the British go in the hope of a speedier conquest?

[Harrybanana]

I attacked South. In the process I shattered 6 French corps and made something of a breakthrough. But will it be enough to send the English dogs running? Meanwhile I sink 2 more MS and yet again sink the unsinkable French escort (are you reading this Alvaro?). I am rapidly depleting my supply trucks. So I build 10 more. The Italians build 20 LC.

[Flaviusx]

Harry, you need to use the hold ground option to prevent this sort of thing. All your leading units should be set on hold here. Much harder to get retreats this way.

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Harry, you need to use the hold ground option to prevent this sort of thing. All your leading units should be set on hold here. Much harder to get retreats this way.

True, but not retreating is not always a good thing. One of my pet peeves is when units will refuse to retreat no matter how battered they are until finally they just shatter. So when units have retreat paths I generally like to let them retreat. In this case, with 2 potential hexes to retreat to, I thought my mech was safe. But in hindsight you are correct and those 3 frontline units should have been set to hold.

[Harrybanana]

JULY 5, 1940

Here are the current Forces and Casualties at the beginning of my turn. So I anticipate that I will have at least 300 total (Land and Air) casualties before the Battle of France is over. Is that good or bad? Keep in mind that I didn't suffer any of the usual casualties invading the Netherlands. Note as well that MM has 19 UK escorts; so he really did start building them early.

[Harrybanana]

Before my moves. MM's escorts return to give battle. I only sink 1 MS and sustain 1 sub hit.

[Harrybanana]

The map after my turn. I decided it was time to start capturing some of the objective Cities. I destroyed 1 UK Corps and isolated another out of supply with a paradrop to capture the port. As I was about to end my turn I realized that I had made a big mistake by moving out of the hex circled in red. The reason is that this is my only rail line into France. I can't use the rail line with red X because I never conquered the Netherlands. If MM advances into that hex my units will still be in supply, but at a much reduced supply level. I could only afford to build 10 supply trucks. The rest of my production was spent on replacements.

[Harrybanana]

JULY 19, 1940

The map at the beginning of my turn. MM did not move into my rail hex (Whew!). But he did make a number of suicide attacks to cause me as many casualties as possible. The UK has pretty much left France except for in the South. I am guessing the units there are on their way to the Middle East. I have not yet taken my turn because I have a decision to make that I have not yet decided upon. The obvious (and safest choice) is to simply destroy the UK Corps in the North and otherwise just capture Paris to trigger the Vichy surrender. The other is to go for the complete conquest of France. I don't usually do this, but the French are very weak right now. The only objective Cities that might be difficult and costly to take are Metz and Marseille. The advantage of this is that I will then gain all of French North Africa without having to fight for it. The disadvantages are that the entire French Navy goes over to the Allies and I will suffer more casualties. I would really appreciate hearing what others think about this.

[Flaviusx]

Vichy. What does North Africa do for you besides create a lot more places to garrison? And why hand over the French Navy?

The only reason to knock out France entirely like this is if you intend to go all in on the West. If you are planning on a 41 Barbarossa, wrap this up ASAP.