scout1(WA) v ultradave(GER) - War over - Major Axis Victory

[ultradave]

Turn 22 late October 44. Western Allies still bottled up in the bocage. They own the Contentin peninsula but have not been able to break out. I think their lack of success in the air has had much to do with this. Interdiction levels are shown below.

[ultradave]

Another turn - now at the end of October 1944. Turn 22 coming up. Allies still not able to break out. Italy stalemated. For a change I zoomed out for the wide view

[ultradave]

And then the interdiction levels end of October. Bad weather played a part.

[ultradave]

And lastly the victory points end of October 1944

[ultradave]

November 21, 1944

I didn't make any screenshots this time. Lost quite a few bombers to flak, but shot down a fair number of Allied fighters in return. Nothing at all has changed on the front lines.

It's now Nov 21st, 1944 and the Allies are still bottled up at the base of the Contentin peninsula. In Italy the front line is as it was at the start. Planes are flying overhead, but both sides are dug in and pretty much immovable. Victory point total currently at -600

[ultradave]

Nov 28 44

The Allies try a flanking invasion in Italy north of Rome, near Citivechio. It is promptly thrown back into the sea. Over Normandy it is quiet as the weather is atrocious so no one is flying. (Well, a few brave souls did).

[ultradave]

Dec 19, 44, Turn 30.

The war drags on. Snow in the north, rain in Italy. Very little happening on the ground as both sides dig in and try to stay warm and dry. The Allies still have not been able to break out from Cotentin. In Italy an invasion on the west coast just north of Rome was defeated.

First picture is the hex possession with units removed. Stalin is on the move but still only near Warsaw.

[ultradave]

Next the area of the invasion in Italy north of Rome. The invasion came ashore at Tarquinia and was ejected from the beaches by the units bordering it and 2 motorized divisions which have moved back to their original positions in the defensive line.

[ultradave]

And lastly, victory points.

[loki100]

comparing this to your last tussle, it beyond any doubt hammers in the message that the only real force multiplier for the allies is their air power ... and you can't leave that to the AI (at least in PBEM).

His failure to generate a deadly level of interdiction over Normandy early on really allowed you to re-act with no constraints?

[ultradave]

I think that is really the key. His airborne drops were aborted/defeated and he's never had good interdiction levels over northern France. I was able to pretty freely move reinforcements up to the line in Normandy. In the previous game with roles reversed, I know I had quite high interdiction values very deep into France. He had complained a lot about not being able to move units that were anywhere near the front. I did a pretty good job of keeping that up all the way to Berlin, although obviously with a much broader front they weren't always as high as just after the invasion.

Losing the airborne drops was also a key I think as it left him for quite a while with no room to bring in reinforcements to the beach head. Until he was able to pry his way on his right and take the end of the peninsula he was bottled up. Having even 2 or 3 extra hexes that the airborne troops take is key.

The invasion I did in Holland when I was the Allies had 5 airborne divisions and 4 beach hexes so I had an extensive footprint right off and was able to reinforce the beach. It took only about 3 turns to have a full Army PLUS the Airborne Army ashore. Again done under heavy air cover, even considering the not great weather (I forced them to fly anyway - too important to have then sit at home because of a little rain )

Right now I'm anticipating some secondary invasion in the north somewhere. There must be a lot of units sitting in England looking for something to do right now. But I've been able to create a reserve to handle that, as long as I can get to wherever it is quickly enough. The Russians will eventually reach Berlin, but it will be interesting to see where I hold out agains the Allies.

[scout1]

ORIGINAL: ultradave

I think that is really the key. His airborne drops were aborted/defeated and he's never had good interdiction levels over northern France. I was able to pretty freely move reinforcements up to the line in Normandy. In the previous game with roles reversed, I know I had quite high interdiction values very deep into France. He had complained a lot about not being able to move units that were anywhere near the front. I did a pretty good job of keeping that up all the way to Berlin, although obviously with a much broader front they weren't always as high as just after the invasion.

Losing the airborne drops was also a key I think as it left him for quite a while with no room to bring in reinforcements to the beach head. Until he was able to pry his way on his right and take the end of the peninsula he was bottled up. Having even 2 or 3 extra hexes that the airborne troops take is key.

The invasion I did in Holland when I was the Allies had 5 airborne divisions and 4 beach hexes so I had an extensive footprint right off and was able to reinforce the beach. It took only about 3 turns to have a full Army PLUS the Airborne Army ashore. Again done under heavy air cover, even considering the not great weather (I forced them to fly anyway - too important to have then sit at home because of a little rain )

Right now I'm anticipating some secondary invasion in the north somewhere. There must be a lot of units sitting in England looking for something to do right now. But I've been able to create a reserve to handle that, as long as I can get to wherever it is quickly enough. The Russians will eventually reach Berlin, but it will be interesting to see where I hold out agains the Allies.

Naa ..... MacArthur won that argument ..... Nearly ALL US units in England were sent to the Pacific .....

[ultradave]

You must be playing a parallel game of WITP

[Peltonx]

UD you using RR?

Are you rotating front line SU's?

What is you depot chain look like?

You using air drops to keep front line depots full?

[ultradave]

Peyton, pm sent

[ultradave]

Jan 16, 1945. No change in the front lines at all. Both sides huddles in their fortifications, while there was some limited bombing of the front lines. Other than that, no activity at all.

VP are -735 I think it was.

Meanwhile it hasn't stopped snowing for what - 5 weeks now?

[ultradave]

End of January, '45

Recon and interdiction flights over the front lines (not that anyone is moving - snow, snow and more snow). Several cities were bombed. The Luftwaffe managed to shoot down a decent number of Allied bombers and damage was minimal (probably more due to the bad weather than anything else).

The front lines have still not changed. It's like WW1 out there. The units in Normandy and in Italy have been in the same positions for many months now.

The Russians are doing all the work and will reach Berlin probably before the Allies reach Paris.

[scout1]

All's Quiet on the Western Front ....

[scout1]

Still snowing

[ultradave]

Feb 16th, 45, Turn 37

Snow this week. Forecast for more next week. Everyone is hunkered down. The Russians must think the Allies are a bunch of wimps

Some city bombing but not enough to cause serious damage.

Victory points as of now -782