Nirosi vs Boldairade(Nirosi welcome)

[boldairade]

4-11-1941

Paladin, the invasion of Western Africa, was launched on a shoe string. Nirosi is teaching me why that was a very poor idea.

Immediately following my small landing, all the ports in N Africa, along with all the Vichy formations, become friendly to him. He takes advantage, occupying all ports, including the small ones south of my landing, which I was going to rely on for supply. Not only that, but my uprotected port, with troops embarked, is hit by his subs. Poor CV Illustrious, just out of dry dock, takes 2 step hits. More importantly, the HQ unit I had is SUNK! This was a horrendous oversite by me, and an opportunistic play by Nirosi.

Before I can think, I move huge amounts of RN assets to confront the subs, and manage to get them to attack and lose several steps(but I sink nothing). I then realize I should have stationed RN ships south to prevent further ships coming in with German troops. But it's too late now. I do get a tac bomber into Gibralter(should have been there last turn).

I take the plunge and send in 3 formations, including VIII armor. The question now is, can we grab another port? Without it, we will be on our hands and knees very quickly.

[boldairade]

4-11-1941

On the Tobruk front, we push hard. Using naval guns again, we shove back the Italian mech corps and partially isolate the Italian armor. To do so, however, we slightly overextend with our own mech and infantry formations. We do this because fresh infantry is on the march toward the front. We are burning through supply trucks at an almost unbelievable rate. The offensive is very close to running out of steam.

Malta is nearly out of supply again. A relief squadron will have to be sortied. Our ships bombarding the Tobruk area, however, are nearly out of supply, and their guns are desperately needed where they are.

[boldairade]

4-11-1941

German troops are ready for good weather in Yugoslavia. Considering Nirosi's track record in this game vs minor nations, it's unlikely I will ever get to control any of their formations. Still, even if it's only a turn or two, it will give Russia a bit more time. She will need it, upgrading is going far more slowly than I anticipated.

[boldairade]

4-25-1941

Not a good two weeks for the Allies.

Near Tobruk, our extended mech corps is hit. Forced to retreat, they head west, and are summarily eliminated. Looking at it, there was no other likely outcome. I was over aggressive, and paid the price. None the less, we push onward, and two Canadian corps manage to push up adjacent to Tobruk. English formations are also marching to the guns. Forces, we still have. Supply? not so much.

We are also losing some of our naval support. Another effort to resupply Malta is needed. Also, capital ships are about to be desperately needed for Paladin.

Ahh, Paladin. Nirosi is teaching a master class why this just isn't done. Italian forces are now threatening my only port, and we find out that a full German corps is Casablanca. In order to drive them out, a heavy naval presence will be needed.

In addition, the whole strategic aspect of it now seems foolhardy. The Axis has central position, as Vichy now belongs to them. They get the Vichy formations and railways. England is essentially split in two, and has great difficulty navigating the Med between the two theaters.



And at an even higher level, it's probably unwise to commit England to so many theaters. In trying to stress Germany, I've instead spread England terribly thin. Three infantry corps are in England, besides the port garrisons. Would that be enough to repel a legit Sea Lion? Germany still has many formations on the coast and in the Low Countries. And Germany's eastern deployment is unconvincing.

As such, the Narvik op is now shelved. Unless Germany decisively commits on the Eastern front, England simply cannot spare the formations. It's not good, since that op would have been far easier and more economically effective than Paladin. Also, ultimately securing the Norwegian ports to protect the Arctic Convoys was a high priority. Now? Much will be left to the will of Nirosi.

The only good news is, Germany's subs are not in the BOA raiding the MM. But that leads me to an even greater fear: with the Royal Navy attempting to support Malta, support the Tobruk offensive, save Paladin, and stretched across the Atlantic, the truth is, were Germany to sortie her surface fleet, they would be effectively unopposed. The losses to our MM fleet might very well put Germany over the top in the BOA.

[boldairade]

Tobruk is tantalizingly close.

Could we take it?

[boldairade]

Imagine her loose in the shipping lanes...

Where is the Bismark?

[boldairade]

Anzacs in the trenches near Tobruk.

[boldairade]

Hard to get much from this image. But you can see our effort at redundant lines. We are trying to have two lines in place and the beginnings of a third line on expected axis of advance.

Allied command, however, is beginning to think a 1941 Barbarossa is unlikely. Were I Nirosi, that's what I would do. England stands alone against a militarily superior Germany supported by Italy and many minor nations.

[boldairade]

May 9, 1941

Another bad bad turn for England.

Paladin is now a confirmed failure. It dies a wimpering death on the plains south of Casablanca, where the best units in the English army, with tac bomber support, fail to displace a Vichy formation guarding the city's southern flank. Considering the abysmal supply situation, this loss of momentum is fatal. Paladin has handed the Axis all of N and W Africa, free formations to guard it with, and made any future attempt in this theater exponentially more difficult. I'm not sure if it has lost the war, but its negative impact cannot be overstated. The key now will be an orderly withdrawl to try and preserve formations.



Another effect of Paladin is seen in the Eastern Med. The Royal Navy is just spread too thin. In a dangerous move, last turn much of the fleet was sent to resupply at Alexandria, while two battle wagons, Nelson and Ramilles, were left to cover the forces around Tobruk. Their presence was mostly a bluff, as they too were out of supply.

Nirosi sniffs out the ruse, and sends in Naval bombers, badly damaging Nelson(4 step hits). Italian subs move in and finish off the wounded behemoth, sending her to the bottom. It's a huge blow to the Royal Navy. Ramilles escapes back to Alexandria, but now the Regia Marina is in full force off the coast of Tobruk. Additional Royal Navy ships are pulled from Paladin and sent to Malta, to possibly rendezvous with the rest of the Med Fleet if a decisive naval battle must be fought.

[boldairade]

May 9, 1941

The Tobruk offensive has gone well, as additional ground south of the city is cleared and occupied. If we had complete control of the sea, and could apply the full naval power of the Med Fleet, I would like our chances. Of course, that is not the case. The fear all along has been that the offensive would falter not due to a lack of power, but due to a lack of logistics. It feels like that's exactly what is happening. To be repulsed here after the embarrassing failure of Paladin would be a bitter pill to swallow.





In other news, Germany sweeps through Yugoslavia as expected, wiping out that country in a single turn of good weather. Nirosi's ability to orchestrate these moves is so much better than my execution it makes me wonder how ugly Barbarossa might become. Perhaps a more pressing question is, is Barbarossa coming at all? Or is Greece on the menu? Or perhaps a more western target? There are plenty of troops in Denmark and the Low Countries.

The only fairly bright news is again in the BOA, where subs continue to pay for whatever MM they sink. Losses this turn, however, drop England below the magic 200 number of MM. More are coming. But again, my inexperience makes me wonder if we have enough.

[boldairade]

Nelson goes down in the Med.

[boldairade]

HMS Nelson goes under the waves...

[boldairade]

May 23, 1941


And things get really, really bad...

The situation for Paladin is spiraling completely out of control. Recognizing our vulnerability, Nirosi attacks in the north with his Italians to approach Rabat. Not a problem, we did not fear this. However, directly behind the Italians are two elite German formations, including armor. We withdraw a 20 strength infantry, but I doubt we will get even one more formation out. We move VIII Armor onto the port and use all remaining formations to screen it.

To try and help, we move two fleets adjacent. 300 hours into WP, and I still don't have even a basic understanding of Naval mechanics. As such, loitering sub fleets torpedo some of our surface ships, including poor HMS Illustrious, who is seriously damaged for the third time! Some of her sailors have nicknamed her 'Unsinkable" while the more jaded have coined her "The Old Torpedo Magnet".

Add this to the fact that the German subs ravaged a DD and a CA last turn off the coast of Africa, and the hunted have certainly become the hunters. I can't hit back, as surface ships cannot target subs. So I'm at a bit of a loss. In any case, the loss of 5 formations in Western Africa is likely a bigger disaster. I'm trying to keep my disasters in order...

Speaking of disasters, let's turn to Tobruk.

[boldairade]

5-23-1941

The Axis drive back our forces to the west, so we are only adjacent to Tobruk on two hexes. An op to retake the lost hex would likely exhaust us, leaving nothing to hit Tobruk proper.

It leaves us two bad options. Either attack tobruk on a two hex front, or begin the withdrawl. The second option makes more sense. But the Italian Navy has withdrawn. We decide to take a chance, and go all out. We move 5 BB and a carrier group with support ships next to Tobruk, and begin pounding away. We rotate through 5 formations and launch 6 assaults at appalling cost.

We fail. The Tobruk offensive has failed.

Had I done absolutely nothing the last 4 months, I would be so, so far ahead of where I am now. Paladin will ultimately lose 4-5 entire formations. Tobruk will lose my mech formation(already gone) nearly 100 supply trucks, a battle ship, huge amounts of step losses in all phases.

And between the two of them, we haven't destroyed one formation, sunk one ship or sub, gained one VP, all while activating Vichy, ceding Algeria, adding PPs to the Axis.

And it is only May. God knows what will happen the rest of this year.

I have an adventurous play style that often creates these scenarios. That's the price one pays I suppose.

On other fronts, the Allies still remain very doubtful that a 1941 Barbarossa will be launched. Redundant formations in Denmark and on the Western European coast make an invasion of Norway seem likely, especially when Germany bags 20% of the English army in Africa. They will know we cannot challenge them. The failure to deploy Germany's heavy surface vessels also makes the Allies think they are being preserved for something. That something is probably Sea Lion. If Nirosi launches it next turn, I am in huge trouble. IF we get one more turn AND can miraculously save VIII armor, we might be ok. But those are big IFs.

In the East, if they DO attack, my biggest fear is a large encirclement of our front line. We have left ourselves vulnerable to that.

[boldairade]

HMS Illustrious keeps taking hits. But refuses to go down!



*note, this is actually HMS Ark Royal-but I'm taking artistic liberties!

[boldairade]

The shattered remnants of some of the British assault groups near Tobruk.

[boldairade]

June 6 1941

Overall, this is a very costly turn for the Allies. That said, much worse was feared.

Most importantly, no landing in England are made. Had this been Nirosi's plan, it would have had its highest chance of success had it been launched this turn. Of course, there's no way he could really know that-Sea Lion isn't something Germany can launch on a whim. But had it been launched this turn, I do not believe we could have stopped it.

In other good news, the Battle of Rabat sees immense heroism. The fleet off the coast of Rabat, which remained to cover the pull out, takes savage damage. The Uboats, themselves damaged, pull out. But the Fleigercorps does not. They launch 6 naval strikes, sinking a English cruiser group, and inflicting heavy damage on BB King George V, CV Ark Royal, and CV Illustrious(but again, she refuses to go down). The losses are appalling, but what remains of the fleet is there as the Germans push aside the screening units and launch an attack vs VIII Armor and the port itself. If they take it, all hope is lost for the remaining units of Paladin. Both sides know this.

The fresh German II Infantry Corps and III Pz Corps launch 5 consecutive assaults' on Rabat and VIII armor, attacking that formation through withering naval gun fire and carrier air strikes. In the end, VIII armor is reduced to almost nothing-but they Hold! VIII Armor lives to fight another day, and is withdrawn to Plymouth. UK I corps drops back into Rabat to try and hold it another turn, and while I am not sure they can hold, I like their chances better than I liked VIII Armor's last turn. They will get a lot less naval support, as many ships are withdrawn(and some sunk). Still, the RN refuses to give up on Rabat's beleaguered defenders.

In other distressing news, the UK intelligence is proved correct in Norway. Germany lands and takes the capital in one fell swoop(stand OP for Nirosi). What the Allies feared most-those Norwegian ports falling into German hands-comes to pass. It would be a great time for the Royal Navy to swoop in, land troops, and punish the German surface fleet supporting the invasion. Unfortunately, Scapa Flow is empty. All the ships of the RN are elsewhere. The return of VIII Armor to England, and the arrival of a fresh corps next turn, however, give England the confidence to release a full corps, and an amphibious landing at Bergen is made, capturing that port.

While most of this is "Bad news that wasn't as bad as we feared", there is some good news for England. At it is very good news.

On the Tobruk front, English intelligence expected a full German corps to occupy that fortress city after the most recent all out failed assault. That does not happen however. Germany does not have those forces available, likely due to supply constraints. Instead, Afrika Corps moves its best remaining formation, XVI Panzer, into Tobruk. It is a reduced formation, but still formidable. Still, without time to entrench, it makes another assault on Tobruk seem possible.

The last of the supply trucks are allocated to another offensive, and the Eastern Med fleet, which also took hits from Axis naval bombers last turn, is ordered to remain on station to support the Second Battle of Tobruk. ANZACS and the South Midland corps spearhead the attack, and despite sickening losses, manage to shatter XVI Panzer! A fresh infantry corps, on the march from Alexandria the last few weeks, moves into Tobruk and is told to hold at all costs. If we can hold the port even one turn, we can turn the supply situation, which has favored the Axis, on its head.

[boldairade]

England's aggressive ops on multiple fronts have exposed the Royal Navy to tremendous danger. In truth, we have been fortunate to not lose more ships. But that's not to say there hasn't been a cost. Despite constant heavy allocation of reinforcements being prioritized to the RN, this is what the shipyards at Portsmouth look like this turn.

[boldairade]

June 6, 1941

In the East, there is still no heavy deployment of Axis forces. Barbarossa does not appear forthcoming. On some level, this is good.

Stavka woefully underestimated the time and PP needed to update the Red Army's armor forces. Despite allocating virtually all of the production power of mother Russia to the project 4 of the last 5 turns, the armor force remains understrength, and outdated.

The project is so vast, that Stavka is now cannibalizing BT-5s and T-26s to render some formations operable. Still, there is a long, long way to go. This is a logistical problem, as more formations are needed, and the Red Airforce has received absolutely nothing in terms of upgrades. That said, had Barbarossa been launched, it wouldn't have been a problem-it would have been a disaster.

On the plus side, vast numbers of supply trucks are now becoming available. Not needed now, but at least in some areas, Russia is ready for the coming storm.

[boldairade]

6-20-1941

Disaster in the eastern Med! The Eastern Med fleet, considered one of the most powerful in the world, had been key in the capture of Tobruk. At the beginning of last turn, it was composed of 5 BB groups, all except one at full strength, the other slightly damaged, a full carrier group, and a full cruiser group. By the end of the turn, the carrier Courageous and BB Revenge are sunk, and virtually ever other ship heavily damaged. That is bad enough, but to make matters worse, in their massive surface battle with the Italian Navy, they don't so much as scratch one ship! That's right, not even a single hit is landed on a measly DD.

I've played hundreds of hours of WP, and I honestly am more confused about the naval combat system than I was in my first game. Which is why I ended up not purchasing WPP. Perhaps some day it will makes sense. But not this day.

The battle starts with heavy attacks from German land based air. My fighters, positioned to give air cover and set to active, neglect to intercept. The German bombers score heavy hits on CV Courageous. The Italian navy then moves in and attacks, and even though my fleet appears superior in every way, they score hits on 4 ships, while receiving none. The Italian subs score 4 step hits on the battleship Barham.

This naval massacre has immense ramifications. Tobruk, our only victory, now becomes immensely vulnerable. Our only defense is land based bombers now...but Nirosi lands Italian marines and overruns them! The marines will die, but he clearly grasps that the point now is naval supremacy. And he has achieved it. The amphibious raid also cuts supply. The turn I hoped for, with me gaining a supply advantage, becomes just the opposite.

Understanding the vulnerability of Tobruk, we use the supply trucks produced this turn to power an offensive to clear the Italian formation south of Tobruk. This, at least, will start the Axis with only a one hex frontage vs Tobruk.

The Naval disasters don't end there, however. The Naval group off the coast of Rabat takes massive damage to German land based aircraft, with the carrier Glorious suffering 4 step hits. The Axis does not attack Rabat this turn, which allows the withdrawal of the elite UK I corps. This is huge. However, the Axis formations have now regrouped and will almost certainly overrun the Canadians that now hold the port next turn. Still, overall we are happy with what we could save. It's our own 'Little Dunkirk". The cost to the RN, however is staggering.

Nirosi knows this. The full German surface fleet hits the North Atlantic. We have nothing to answer the challenge. We consider shutting down the N Atlantic trade route. A disastrous move, we know, but it may be necessary. For this turn, at least, we will keep it open.

His uboats have taken many losses hunting the RN surface fleet. But once they are repaired(they've lost zero formations) the terror in the Atlantic will be extremely problematic.

In Norway, somehow Germany occupies all ports. We had a formation ready to take Narvik, but somehow he got there first. Not thinking, it is redeployed to England, while it would have been wiser to send it to reinforce Bergen. I am flustered.

I do not think Germany is preparing for Sea Lion. And Barbarossa is not happening. This means the strategy is to take Norway, and perhaps Iceland. More German formations in eastern Italy also make me think a larger push in the eastern Med may be forth coming. No effort for Greece is apparent.

As for England, her troubles continue. The non stop campaigning, along with the constant deployment of the surface fleet, has left England's oil stocks perilously low. The arrival of a new formation in the Persian Gulf offers a solution, which coincides with Iraq's political defection away from the Allies this turn: taking the Iraqi oil fields. We had planned on using our mech formation for this, but it was destroyed near Tobruk. Now, it will be a slogging infantry offensive, scheduled to begin next turn.

England turns her full industrial might to repairing her decimated fleets. The goal now will be to simply hold on for 6 months until US assets can again give the Allies the edge on the waves. Even the Russian Navy might help.

As for Russia, the few forward mech units have all been brought up to strength, if not all modernized. The 'Zukhov Force' near Kiev is still fairly woeful. Russia too is using all her might to refit and retool.

It's an asymmetrical conflict right now, with the Axis very strong, and the two strongest Allies still out of the fight. 1941 is a hard year for England. I have made it much harder by losing control of the oceans.