Snatching Victory from the Jaws of De Feet

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Caen area right now. There's a lot of pushing and shoving going on in this area.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T17 front lines and as you can see there's a column of men moving south along the road to get into the gap and take up positions. Maybe go on the offsnsive after a short rest.

[larryfulkerson]

This is one of my main problem areas. There's a major river to cross toward the north edge and the rails pass through this area feeding the other quadrants of the map and I need those system of rails so I can advance from there to the west and to the SW.

[larryfulkerson]

Quick question: why doesn't Andrew ever post in this AAR?
Enquiring minds want to know.

[AFBTD]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

ORIGINAL: AFBTD
Larry; am thinking on buying this game; hope that there is a chance of attach units to an HQ, (an reorganize) if not is extremly difficult to break paths

great document-AAr

I'm sorry Anton dude but the TO&E is fixed. There's no rearrangement of units from one HQ to another in TOAW. It's abstracted I'm guessing.

OK. Thanks Larry (asked for the Avalon hill games-operation crusader and stalingrad-where you can) then i will read some AArs and take a decision.

[MikeJ19]

Larry and Andrew,

I continue to enjoy watching your battles...

[hingram]

ORIGINAL: AFBTD
OK. Thanks Larry (asked for the Avalon hill games-operation crusader and stalingrad-where you can) then i will read some AArs and take a decision.

You can still play those games. They are in the public domain.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T18 front lines

[larryfulkerson]

It's T20 and this is what it looks like in the Valognes area right now. I've got ongoing attacks scheduled but this is PM and I'm thinking of giving everybody a day off except for the arty, which I want to shoot to keep up the pressure and try to get an advance going. More and more Germans are showing up at the front lines all the time. So many German units have moved south from Cherbourg that I question whether or not any progress past the lines where they are right now is possible. Without a lot of losses I mean.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like a little south of the above image. You can see the stacks of embarked German troops in the lower left corner and the pitiful few Americans NE of LA HAYE-du-PUITS so I'm probably going to need a large infusion of troops in that area pretty quickly now so I'd best get started on finding some troops to head this way. i'm thinking one of the fresh divisions that just landed on the mainland. Plus, there's the 82nd and 101st standing by in England.

[larryfulkerson]

I've run into a little situation south of Isigny in that there's a small stack of AT guns opposing one of my tank units and I'm not sure I want to wade into the thicket of the guns. Sounds like a lot of losses. I congratulate Andrew. Good defense. I'm impressed. The only thing missing is the small nuclear device for the doomsday weapon for the scenario. Stop 'em on the beaches, I say.

Yeah, I know it LOOKS like I mis-spelled Germans but actually Germsna is a small sect of a religious order that goes around the battlefield blessing the equipment. They light some kind of incense and wave it in smoking trails over the hardware and chant some kind of homily. They seem harmless so they are tolerated. They seem a liability to me. What if there's a counter-attack....they might get hurt. They are almost unarmed after all.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what the British sector looks like right now. I need to get organized very badly. I think I'll take a turn or two and rearrange the front lines so that like-formation units are closer together. It might pay off in the long run.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what the front lines look like in T20 and the first thing to notice is the extention to the front lines right across the Brittany peninsula as the 82nd AB Div dropped in last night and are currently consolidating their positions and getting ready for the German counterattacks. I've run out of air transport cap. for this turn but there's another slug of paratroopers coming next turn that is at least as large as this one. I'm thinking of dropping them where they can influence the juncture of the two different beach sections, at Carentan. I need that city and network of roads and rails going through there for free flow of my supply. It's important. The Allied side to the war can't proceed without it very far.

[larryfulkerson]

Hey you guys, it's only 08:40 on Monday morning and I'm already backed up. I was working on Overlord when two CSV's showed up almost simultaneously. I'm working them first come first served today and I'm hoping everybody can see how fair that might turn out to be in the long run. Plus I'm going to take an hour for lunch with my mom and my sister Jeri, who live in the same trailer park that I do. Jeri just happens to be an OR nurse who's watching our mom for us. She knows what a stroke looks like and I don't, etc. Plus, since she lives alone, I call her every day at 17:00 just to make sure she's not laying on the kitchen floor and can't get up or something. And if I forget, again, to call her at 17:00 the procedure is for her to call me at 17:30 to see what's wrong. It's been working so far.

[2clicks]

Well that para drop has really put a spanner in the works. I was hoping to hold out a bit longer but that has threatened the entire flank as nothing really available to stop them until the Cherbourg line. The SS troops that got the train up to Lessay will counterattack where possible and if I am very lucky will slow the advance or even encircle some. the Isigny garrison is getting pushed back despite the over abundance of AT guns.

I did find out how effective the Dual purpose AA guns are with over 100 shermans attacking with plenty being knocked out.

Troops are getting bogged down everywhere and I have fewer reserves to try and counter threats with. Most troops are being moved up and down the line. May try to reorganise and get some reserves, or even just address the balance of forces in some areas. Anywhere that my artillery has good supply I am trying to bombard as much as possible, try to wear the Allies down.

[larryfulkerson]

I've received some moves from Andrew and I'm checking stuff out before I start moving stuff. This is the supply situation and as you can see it's not too bad at all. I've been repairing the rails and the supply is almost as good as it's going to get until the rails get extended so that's almost a done deal. I still need to connect the two beach sections through Carentan and I just happen to have the 101st AB Div to drop yet and that looks like just the place for them. Somewhere in there. I guess to be realistic I should choose where they are to go NOW and then drop them there reguardless of what appears after they land. Sounds right. Passes the smell test.

[larryfulkerson]

I've sorted the expected reinforcements dialog in formation order and I've scrolled down to the British 6th AB Div and I see where the entire division is going to be withdrawn on T82 so I've got time to use them a couple of times maybe, between then and now. I'll look up the other AB divisions and check them out as well.

[larryfulkerson]

It looks like the 82nd AB Division is also leaving the game on T82. This looks like a pattern. I wonder about the 101st now.

[larryfulkerson]

Yep, sure enough, true to the pattern, the 101st AB Div is leaving the game in T82 as well. So I have a month of game time left to use the airborne before they must permanently leave the game. I'll have to take them off the front line at least a week before that to make sure there's no gaps in the front lines anywhere.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what I'm expecting next turn: a couple of AT guns and another British paratrooper that will have to be flown to the mainland. Either that or take the boats. I've got no airfields on the continent yet so the paratroopers may as well fly to the mainland rather than take the boat. I may even have a good spot for them to land on. I haven't decided where to drop them yet. I'm needing a game changing spot.