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[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Mayhemizer

Germany has one O-chit, but even with O-chit attack would be 1:1 or little less.

If you have destroyed a unit in the first attack, use the chit for your second attack to get the odds you need...

[Mayhemizer_slith]

I think I will be disorganized. I will reorganize attacking units (if they survive, I have Ju52 to reorganize one unit if 2 of them are killed) and 2x artillery (4+3 strength) to get another attack.

If 2-3 units are destroyed I think about using that O-chit with my best units.

Hopefully Italians make CW fleet abort from West Med.

Edit: CW has a spare INF div in Africa ready to move to Gibraltar.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

I swapped places for Italian MIL in Bordeaux and SW of Bordeaux, now we have one more point defense in hex adjacent to enemy.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Where are Japanese MAR and INF HQ going to? Maybe somewhere else and they are not going to debark South China Sea area?

[AllenK]

Apologies, I'd meant to add disembark the 2 Jap units to Canton and no land combats to the Email I sent last night.

If Germany needs extra reorg points, Italian HQ is available.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Initiate also in West Med and try to hit TRS/organized ship which can provide shore bombardment.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Rain makes ground strikes and attack harder to Gibraltar. Convoys are all open in Bay of Biscay and Cape St. Vincent.

NAV and FTR are OOS in Spain, they can't fly to Cape St. Vincent.

We need to plan this well, should I try assault with O-chit in bad weather? Or hit convoys now, ground strike Gibraltar and reorganize artilleries using Ju52 and von Bock and hope for fine weather next impulse and then use O-chit?

[Jagdtiger14]

Convoys are all open in Bay of Biscay and Cape St. Vincent.

I would try to put Gibraltar OOS, and give yourself the chance to make an attack on it if you are successful in getting it OOS.

So, combined for Germany (or land if you don't need naval issues), combined or naval for Italy.

If you get Gib OOS, ground strike it with everything you got. Assuming you flip stuff, use the O-chit if you have to.

If Gib is not OOS, still ground strike it with everything and re-org Stuka's/ARTY. Can even do an air impulse later in bad weather for re-org purposes.

What's up with the PARA, and MAR's?

No matter what, stay on Gib...no matter how late it gets. If you need to postpone '41 Barb, do so.

Alea iacta est...literally!

[Mayhemizer_slith]

If I try to take out Gibraltar now before all CW ships sails to seas and I plan to use O-chit.

Rules question:
Can I double artillery during ground strike phase? Game freezes when I try to do that.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

This is what I get this impulse if I use O-chit:

Attack (HQ + INF + ARM div) 36:26 in rain
1:2 attack, fractional odds .769

Germany will use everything for ground strikes (Stuka, Bf110 and 2x artillery) 3+2+2+2 and 2+2 if artillery can be doubled in ground strike.

CW has 2 points shore bombardment (Italy can try sink them)
CW has 3 points ground support (if they are not shot down)
Germany has 1 point ground support (NAV so that in can be aborted and fighters can stay and shoot down enemy bombers)

Both sides can use HQ support
CW (2)
Germany (3 or 4, depending on HQ used)

[Mayhemizer_slith]

ORIGINAL: Mayhemizer

If I try to take out Gibraltar now before all CW ships sails to seas and I plan to use O-chit.

Rules question:
Can I double artillery during ground strike phase? Game freezes when I try to do that.

I answer myself: according to rules 9.2.24 I should be able to do that. I try it again tonight and report it if there is a problem. I can roll manually so this is not a problem for us.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Both artillery firing gives 59% chance to flip each unit.
If one plane also hits odds are 67-72% depending on plane.
If both artillery and both planes hit odds are 77%.

Let's say I succeed in fractional odds roll and both sides fail in HQ support. In this case final odds are 1:1 -1. If I disorganize all three units I have 20% chance to take Gibraltar.

Depending on all rolls I will have 0-30% chance to take Gibraltar.

Is it worth of risk? After this impulse CW will have lots of shore bombardment...

[Mayhemizer_slith]

I think I save O-chit. It is not likely to get them OOS.

Germany land

Fighter (3 range) to Bay of Biscay box 1 to prevent "in the presense of the enemy" in the future.

I hope Italy can fly planes both sea adjacent to Gibraltar, if CW sends fighters they are not defending Gibraltar later.

In case of Gibraltar goes OOS I give new instructions for ground strikes, other wise both artillery fires.

I will attack wave after wave until it is time to use O-chit. And I will bring nee naval planes to Spain.

[AllenK]

I might be inclined to take a Combined option. Move von Bock to bring the German Nav and Italian Ftr in supply for next impulse. Ground-strike with the artillery and use Rundstedt to reorganise them. You only need von Bock for the O-chit. Also consider sending the Me-110 to ground strike the 2 HQ's, escorted by the 6-factor Me-109. The CW will almost certainly scramble the Spitfire, rather than having it disorganised by the ground strike. That gets it out of the way, probably for the rest of the turn. With the naval move, bring the German fleet to St. Vincent, where it can join the Italian subs and limit the sea box ships can reach in St. Vincent. Don't try anything against Gibraltar but take an automatic against that Terr at Cadiz.

It looks like the best chance of success is disorganising the defence. A bonus would be putting it out of supply but, realistically, it will take more than one impulse to clear the CP's out. The more shots at disorganising you give yourself, the better. Who knows, the weather also might revert to fine and improve the odds.

[AllenK]

Other option for the naval move is to bring the German sub down to Cape-St Vincent instead of the surface units.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

OK, Germany takes combined.

No fighter to Bay of Biscay, 3 fast ships to Cape St. Vincent. Please send Italian plane to same box (3) for better odds to find enemy. One of the German ships can initiate combat so that plane can drop down one bix next impulse. I consider it as a victory if any fighters fly to cover CP's. Most likely only 3 factor plane will fly.

Both artillery fires to Gibraltar. Bf110 and Bf109 can hit HQ's and return where they started.

If Italians send plane to West Med and CA to East Med we hopefully put Malta OOS and Fleet in West Med has to abort.

You can save submarines for future impulses.

[AllenK]

Will do.

Another factor in not trying for Gib straight away is the potential it gives us for causing quite major attrition to CW CP's and the RN, using the easier to replace land-based air. All the time Gib remains in CW hands, they will be likely to commit units to the defence. Let's draw them in and smash them up a bit, while we prepare the battlefield, as it were.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Germany rails Inf div from Paris to Sevilla.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Let's see how they move their CV's.

Germany saves one NAV for ground strike (flying as front bomber with Stuka).

Shall we wait out impulse and fly Italian fighter to St Vincent box 2 and intercept with FW Condor and HE 115 to box 2 also?

[AllenK]

I think they will move the CV's and BB's to the West Med 3-box under cover of the Beaufighter. It leaves Gib devoid of fighter cover but they get decent shore bombardment support for Gib and the chance to take out the Italian Navs. With decent shore bombardment, even if the Axis clear St. Vincent of CP's and disorganise the Gib defenders (needing a fair amount of luck) it would still need a good die roll to take Gib.

Flying to box-2 in St. Vincent, so as to be under fighter support, remains a good choice