Why the Axis lost. Axis AAR

[warspite1]

25th April - 6th May 1940

Donitz won't be impressed with the returns... he will need to request new boats and soon...

[warspite1]

25th April - 6th May 1940

The Germans declare war on Luxembourg.

Phase 1
The Luftwaffe attack French formations in Belgium and south of Luxembourg at the extreme end of the Maginot Line (they should have attacked the corps on their left flank instead [8|] )

If I had a brain, I'd be dangerous. What could have been a really good attack was compromised by the wrong placement of units, the slow build up and the air attack on the wrong hex.

Phase 2
The French 11th Corps, defending northeast of Verdun, was finally ejected via a combination of attacks spearheaded by Guderian's XIX Panzer Corps. The 7th Flieger Division then mounted a parachute drop and destroyed the remaining elements of the French Corps.


[Adolf Hitler] A question for you von Brauchitsch if I may make so bold. If the whole point of the plan is a diversion in Belgium and a schwerpunkt in the Ardennes, what may one ask, is the ******* point of placing the bulk of the panzer forces and infantry armies in Army Group B to attack through Belgium? Or have I totally missed the ****** point??

[warspite1]

25th April - 6th May 1940

Phase 3

14th, 4th and 10th Armies combine to destroy the French XLIV Corps that was guarding the approaches to Antwerp.

8th Army, supported by III and VIII Corps overrun a Belgian fighter unit, forcing the remnants to withdraw, before destroying the retreating unit completely.

However, this proves a mistake and, one again, shows up the distinct lack of planning by the Germans. In taking up position to attack, VIII Corps takes up position south of Antwerp that Hoth's XV and Reinhardt's XLI Panzer Corps were supposed to use as a springboard for an attack against the BEF.

Hoth tries to rescue the situation, and get the original plan more on track, by switching south to attack the Belgian I Corps at Liege - but the Belgians hold and the remaining German forces are limited by the narrowness of the front.


Well to quote a line from a famous film. The German attack makes the Charge of the Light Brigade look like a sensible military operation....

[warspite1]

17th - 28th May 1940

The Germans pay for their nonsense attack - 8th Corps is destroyed in Belgium. Here is a summary:

[warspite1]

17th - 28th May 1940

Wolfpacks Rosing and West are almost destroyed. They desperately try and make their escape.

In replacement, Wolpack Kurfurst heads for the Norwegian coast.

The Norwegian ore convoys are moved to the Skaggerak to hopefully provide better protection.

Meanwhile over at Case Yellow:
The French ordered an offensive over the Maginot Line, causing some casualties. However, I am more than happy for them to continue with that!

Phase 4
The Luftwaffe try and blast a hole for the infantry and armour to breakthrough. However the Luftwaffe units must need a rest as their attack was limited to say the least.

Phase 5
With the Aerial artillery failing, the panzers are needed to keep momentum going - rather than exploitation. Guderian and the infantry of Army Group A forge a bridgehead over the Meuse at Sedan, but Guderian's tanks are depleted in so doing. Reinhardt and his panzers are required to remove the obstacle that was the Belgian I Corps, thus opening up the front. Hoth cannot get into the action.

Phase 6
14th and 8th Armies, supported by III Corps are ordered to hold the line Antwerp-Maastricht rather than fight their way through Belgium. It is hoped the British will seek battle with these troops rather than try and squeeze out the bulge forming to the south.


This image shows what could have been achieved had I got a grown up to help me [8|]

[warspite1]

17th - 28th May 1940

Reinforcements
None

MPP Expenditure

Germany: Reinforcement and upgrade of whatever they can inc KM units
Italy: Reinforcement of the RM

[Klydon]

Something I missed in one of my earlier games, but you may wish to check and that is to make sure you have enough of a garrison around Warsaw. If you don't, the Russians accelerate their preparations for war and the game doesn't bother to give you a warning each time your garrison doesn't meet requirements.

[warspite1]

8th - 19th June 1940

The Kriegsmarine continue to run into the enemy [X(].

The AI is taking the "sacrifice the French Fleet to get at the Kriegsmarine routine". I trust that this has suitable penalties as in a multi-player game this is a no-brainer - and is so ahistorical...".

Wolfpack Hartmann runs into a British destroyer flotilla off Africa, while the newly formed kufurst wolfpack does exactly the same off the Norwegian coast....

Meanwhile the French fleet are off Helgoland and find Scheer/Hipper and Gneisenau. If the Royal Navy are close by its goodnight.....

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Something I missed in one of my earlier games, but you may wish to check and that is to make sure you have enough of a garrison around Warsaw. If you don't, the Russians accelerate their preparations for war and the game doesn't bother to give you a warning each time your garrison doesn't meet requirements.

warspite1

Thanks. I have four corps in Poland - I will check out what I need.

[warspite1]

8th - 19th June 1940

Reinforcements
None

MPP Expenditure

Germany - Purchase a Corps
Italy - continue to reinforce what they can

[warspite1]

8th - 19th June 1940

The Germans crack on, ignoring Belgium and the Maginot Line, in order to deepen their penetration of French territory in front of Paris. In the van are the XIX Panzer Corps and the IV Infantry Corps. The southern flank of the bulge looks reasonably secure, the northern flank however is tenuously held by 1st Army....

[warspite1]

30th June - 7th July 1940

Sure enough the French Fleet was waiting off the German coast and Gneisenau, Hipper and Scheer are no more. Just to add insult to injury, the brand new Kurfurst wolfpack has also been destroyed, having never even got beyond the southern Norwegian coast....

All remaining wolfpacks, the original four, are trying to get back to Germany - or at least avoid detection until France (hopefully) falls....

[warspite1]

30th June - 7th July 1940

The French have used operational movement to take units back to Paris. There is not much the Germans can do as this needs to be very much an R+R turn.

The exception is in the south of the bulge, where Student's paratroopers force a bridgehead over the Seine. Whether this lone unit can hold for any length of time is key to unlocking Paris from the south...

[warspite1]

30th June - 7th July 1940

Reinforcements

Germany
A little late in the day sadly, but the Luftwaffe adds Fliegerkorps IX to its arsenal. Sadly there is little navy left to protect....

MPP Expenditure

Germany - reinforcement and upgrade and anything and everything ahead of the final push toward Paris.

Italy - continues to reinforce the navy.

[warspite1]

14th - 21st July 1940

Reinforcements

Italian: The Italians receive and engineer that is placed in Calabria.

MPP Expenditure

Germany: Research AA and Heavy Bombers
Italy: The Italians finish off reinforcing the RM.

[warspite1]

14th - 21st July 1940

The Germans push north and south to expand the breach in the French lines and try and stop assistance coming to the capital, Paris. Two French armies and an HQ are destroyed opening up the way to Paris, but Guderian's panzers have taken a heavy toll in so doing.

DeGaulle's tanks have been targeted in particular by air and land attack - although the Luftwaffe struggled with units no longer being in range. The BEF appear to have disappeared. Whether that means retreat to defend Paris or removal from the continent is unclear.

[warspite1]

28th July - 4th August 1940

Well that is really annoying. Am I in charge of the Axis or what? Or what obviously because Italy has just declared war.... thanks [:@]

Anyway I am asked if I want to convert the Roma (currently building) to an aircraft carrier. I say no. 200MPP - even with the generous instalment plan offered - is just too much.

[warspite1]

28th July - 4th August 1940

Reinforcements

Germany: Prinz Eugen/Seydlitz joins the Kriegsmarine. VIII Corps forms up in southern Austria. While a new wolfpack - Hammer - completes its training at Kiel.

MPP Expenditure

Germany - Reinforcement and Upgrade + Research Industrial Technology
Italy - Reinforcement

[warspite1]

28th July - 4th August 1940

Everything is thrown at Paris - the entire Luftwaffe strength, most of the remaining panzers and all the infantry I could find - at the end of which 1st Army occupies the French capital. The French 8th Army to the north, and 7th Army to the south, are then attacked to ensure they are pinned down and cannot launch a counter to re-take the capital.

The Italians, at Enzo Ferrari's insistence, occupy Monaco. They then stop. The Scuderia are airlifted to the principality to conduct testing of its latest Grand Prix cars.

[warspite1]

11th - 18th August 1940

No sign of Vichy sadly. So what is happening?

Well firstly the four crippled wolfpacks continue their slow journey to Norway. Until France falls there is absolutely no point in sending out other wolf packs - the French Fleet, which is expendable, will simply gobble them up.

The newly formed Fliegerkorps IX attacks British destroyers off Haugesund.