2 warspite1 (Allies) vs AllenK (Axis) Full Campaign

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: John B.

Congrats and thanks very much for an enjoyable AAR!

warspite1

I am glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the support. This is probably useful if only to serve as a lesson in what not to do [:)]

[BillRunacre]

Thanks for the great AAR! [:)]

[boudi]

Yes, very interesting ! Thanks a lot !

[AllenK]

The View from the Other Side of the Hill.

First, thanks to Warspite1 for an entertaining game.

It's been interesting reading through the AAR and seeing how things looked from the Allied perspective and recapping on some of the high and low lights.

Norway, what a disaster! Seeing that Garrison desperately holding on while I got the relieving Corps into place and then forgetting to swap them over. What a basic rookie error but it's easy to forget things if you are not very disciplined. Simulates real life pretty well when orders go astray and SNAFU's happen. Had I done so, I couldn't see those SF's holding out for long unsupplied. An Army then thrown in to come to the rescue but Warspite1's nice little invasion further down the coast turned the rescuers into needing rescuing. Couldn't the relief into place quick enough and it was all diverting units away from Russia. The price of that was to come later. Had to cut my losses and fight as long a delaying action as possible as it seemed to be tying down UK forces.

The mini Sealion was a speculative gamble. I knew the consequences on US mobilization but seeing the number of UK units in France, I guessed the UK itself might be relatively weak. From the initial screenshot post the Para drop, it looks as though I was about right. When the Army appeared, I knew it was game over. I read Warspite1 purchased an Army by accident at the start of the game. If this was the one that then arrived just in time, what a fortuitous mistake that turned out to have been. Ultimately more losses that couldn't be made up sufficiently for Barbarossa.

In my first game against Warspite1, I went south for Barbarossa, concentrated the bulk of the armour there and took the Caucasus. It didn't really seem if there was much benefit, as the Soviet MPP's didn't appear particularly affected. This time I thought I would push in the North and Centre. The Northern push wasn't strong enough and bogged down well short of Leningrad. The centre went better and in the autumn of '42 got to the gates of Moscow but winter weather causing supply and combat difficulties stalled the attack.

If I'd checked the victory conditions before starting, I would have continued. Once I fell back onto the defence, it was at least an Allied minor victory. I can see why a lot of games don't go the distance. The Axis have to at least get one of Moscow, Leningrad or Stalingrad and then it's the little matter of holding them to the end of the game.

Similar situation in China. I should have kept pushing until the Japanese either succeeded or were completely burnt out. As in Europe, I wanted to keep forces intact to resist the counter-attack but with the victory conditions as they are, it's a pointless strategy. It's an Allied victory whatever. The only variable will be the time. After coming a cropper in the first game, when USSR declared on Japan after I'd stripped Manchuria to the minimum, I kept that more strongly garrisoned but it didn't seem to make much difference. Probably would have made better use of the units in China where I just couldn't get enough critical mass going whilst also being too cautious.

Was one turn too late getting my CV's into place for the Pearl strike. Partly a consequence of the earlier Sealion? I thought I'd completely blown it, so it was pleasing when two of the escaping BB's ran foul of the subs I'd speculatively placed for just such a purpose. After that, pretty average play as I just tried to keep the Japanese going against ever decreasing income.

That said, seeing how much I could still be holding onto beyond the real-life situation was an interesting challenge, especially given the earlier disasters! Overall, I'm pleased with how well Europe held but the writing on the wall was the Allies getting ashore and holding onto Brest and then Bordeaux. My reserves could deal with one invasion, even with the pretty devastating Allied air power but not multiples. Well persevered with Warspite1. Each time, just as I thought I was getting France back under control, another fire to fight. The knock on effect was no units going to USSR to make up losses there.

Well played Warspite1.