We are going to stamp all over one's Blau Swede Schuhe

[warspite1]

Permission to adorn myself of the sensible hat.

I'd say no. Reason is that it just helps open up Lodz if the weather stays fine. We could still do it later in the turn but let's stick to Poznan for the mo.

[AllenK]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Permission to adorn myself of the sensible hat.

I'd say no. Reason is that it just helps open up Lodz if the weather stays fine. We could still do it later in the turn but let's stick to Poznan for the mo.

Permission granted but perhaps you might want to see a different take on 'sensible'.

They can get up to a 7:1 attack on it at Poznan if they use some air support, so it's pretty much open anyway. If they want to press on to Lodz and ignore it, then they are going to have to bring units back from the west. If they do that, it's a minor victory to us. If they don't and haven't pulled units back to block or take it out, then you could get the opportunity to move to that resource hex between Leipzig, Dresden and Nuremburg. That would need a bit of luck to time it with ending the turn but if it succeeded a big loss to their production. I'm sure they won't take that chance so at least one unit, probably the 6-4 INF, will move back to block but they will have to move more back if they want to make sure of taking you out. If they suffer a loss or disorganisation in doing so, it's a minor victory to us. Only blocking still means the resource it is on is lost, which is again a minor victory to us.

It all adds up to delay, which is our best friend.

[warspite1]

Okay go for it you little tyke.

[AllenK]

I'm just trying to see if there is a downside I am missing in my enthusiasm.

[AllenK]

Apart from the Poles, any air rebases for CW/US?

I'm guessing no reorganisation.

[AllenK]

Bon soir mon ami,

This was the Dutch set-up I used for our game.

Align to CW. INF to Amsterdam. 4 CA/CL's and 1 x CP to Rotterdam. 4 CP's to Dutch Guyana, TERR, 5 CP's, Sub and TRANS to Batavia.

Essentially, it's which ones you are prepared to gamble on being captured or destroyed and which ones you want to keep. The CP split depends on where you want them as reserves initially.

[warspite1]

Are you sure about the Chinese? I can re-do

[AllenK]

If you are happy to. You should have the save at land movement so it wasn't too much more after that.

Thanks.

[warspite1]

I'm thinking of putting the Dutch infantry in Rotterdam.

Rationale. In Amsterdam its unlikely we can stop an auto - 7:1 best.
In Rotterdam we could get it to 5:1.

Amsterdam falls with the latter - but as said its going to fall anyway.

[AllenK]

I don't think there is a right answer to this.

If they are patient, they don't need to do any attack on Rotterdam. Occupy Amsterdam and wait for the turn to end. As long as the unit in Rotterdam is ZOC'd so it can't wander off and do any damage it vanishes automatically.

If you were prepared to have Gort in the front line in Calais with one other unit, you could try unloading your other available unit in Rotterdam if it doesn't fall. That way it would potentially still be occupied at turn end even with the departure of the Dutch. You'll need the RN and CP in the North Sea to provide defensive bombardment, supply and possibly air cover from Ark Royal if you can get it up there (that too may dependent on the Italians) as only one unit in the hex would be vulnerable if we lost the initiative. If we got it, you could reinforce.

[AllenK]

France and China will be land and USSR won't be doing anything until land movement, so probably best if you start the turn off to do whatever naval and air missions CW and US are planning.

[warspite1]

Okay so do you want the CW units (not the HQ) in Calais or are you happy for them to be in the North sea?

[AllenK]

I think there will be a DoW on Belgium on their next impulse so in Calais is probably best.

[warspite1]

I'm bored of this - I'm going on the offensive and I'm gonna roll the sort of dice that you won't believe. I'm kicking bottom (as Basil Fawlty would say). You may have gathered from that that I am going to declare war on Italy. Would the French care to partake in this wonderful adventure?

[AllenK]

That's the spirit. "Up and at 'em".

The French will join the Commonwealth in their endeavours.

What are you planning to do on the surprise impulse? French need to take a land to reorganise the reserves at Lille and one other, using Georges, so won't be able to do much else.

[warspite1]

What am I going to do? What am I not going to do more like. Woof!!

I've sacked Pound - a decent man but he was getting too old for this. This is serious big boy ****. I need a new broom to come in and shake this party up.

If you are of a nervous disposition look away now. There'll be lots of claret as its all goin' to get a bit untidy.

No, the French have done a good job at sea first impulse - but now its time for the big boys to take over. Stand aside mon ami, Nelson, Collingwood, Drake, Effingham and Lord Flashheart ride again!! Engage the enemy more closely!!

[AllenK]

Just seen you are going for a naval.

Keep a CA/CL that can reach the West Med 3-box in reserve. If you take out the CP in the Italian Coast and any replacement they try to send, you could get the chance to get an automatic landing on Sardinia using the INF Div at Oran. You just can't land it at Cagliari.

They have units at La Spezia they could use to reinforce the island but great if they do. They aren't available for use in France or Africa. If you can put a decent sized naval force in Italian Coast it might deter them or, if not, give you a crack at them.

[brian brian]

I’ve been gaming out Allied responses to a France First strategy with a friend.

For the defense of Holland, Rain is obviously a major aid. If it Rains, the best Dutch defense is in one of the clear hexes in front of the 2 cities. Ahh, but then the Axis simply Ground Strike the Dutch INF, put a ZoC on each city, and overrun the now OoS INF - that’s no defense at all! Except, this all requires a lot of units to flip over, and a lot of high movement point units all correctly positioned in the key advance hexes - are there enough such units? 5 movers flip to take a 3rd hex in rain, and an overrun costs 4...but the best outcome for the Allies is flipped German units. How many ART (pre-positioned, perhaps) and Air, each halved by Rain, will they commit to ensure the demise of the INF? Also, in Rain, they can just make a regular Blitz attack on the INF, but they can’t move a second hex off a B result, so the INF has to be overrun to reach Rotterdam.

Now if the Germans have enough high MP units positioned on the Dutch border (stacks make the best target for surprise impulse Ground Strikes) to do all of the ZoC positioning, then the overrun, then take the 2 cities (a lot of assets req.), or the weather is Fine, then the Allies should defend Amsterdam and land troops in Rotterdam. Without Rotterdam, the Germans can only get a one hex attack on Antwerp. That is not impossible, but it entails at least some risk. So the 1939 Germans will often seek to invade Rotterdam when Amsterdam is defended. Then the Royal Navy has a say, hopefully with a 4 range Gladiator on a CV in the 4 box of the North Sea, giving about a 65% ish chance of whacking whatever Kriegsmarine task force tries this.

Because without Antwerp, the Allies can easily hold the Dyle line until the weather clears in M/A or even M/J and all the new British financed Char B1 and especially the 47mm AT guns can give Heinz and Erwin a bitter taste of their own medicine.

But when the Germans look at Holland, the one hex they most want to see the Dutch INF in is - Rotterdam.

[AllenK]

Thanks Brian Brian. I realised afterwards Rotterdam is not the place to set up the Dutch INF. Oh well.

[brian brian]

Also by far the best French decision on their DOW impulse is a Surprise Ground Strike on the Rundstedt HQ. Leaving it in a clear hex in normal range of the French LND3 was a mistake. If they flip the HQ-A, or the RAF can do that to the HQ-I, you have just flipped 4, or 3, other units, as well as probably removed the ability of the Germans to use an offensive chit on the first turn as they need to use at least one HQ to re-organize additional troops.

Often that HQ is hidden in woods at long range from the French. Then a juicy stack of 3 land units + air in clear might be a better target.