4 Player Game AAR with new PBEM++ (Game 2)

[kondor]

To my Spring 42 as Germany turn.

If we look at the units screen at the start of my turn, it's obvious how grim this late Barbarossa looks like.
Even before the Rumania & unfreeze fiasco, the SU has about double of infantry, 25% more artillery units, FT-s and tanks are about the same, and the GE has bombers advantage.

Research wise the SU has the lead in FT technology (7/7 vs GE 6/6), artillery is now the same, and the GE has little advantage in infantry & tank tech.

[kondor]

I've closed the gap in arty attack this turn and completed the inf/tank upgrade.

[kondor]

Back to the front, I've destroyed the Black sea fleet, I don't care about the LF there, but that TF is important for SU movements.
Then I've concentrated my airforce on a single SU province, even with the SU FT tech advantage, I had a 2 to 1 chance for the airfield attack, and I've ordered the attack.

The combat resolved in more like 1:1. This is the beauty of it, you never know what will you get.
Well, the beauty of it went for the SU side .

I've spent 3 HB-s who managed to damage 1 track in Smolensk (without air defense). My pilots were drunk again, so I have halved the schnapps rations this month.

[kondor]

Tim is right, I can't possibly defend everything from the enemy troops in Rumania, and I can't get them out.
So, I've gathered all of my armies into one huge army in E. Poland.
SU can attack me from all sides, with a 1:1 chance I believe, and this is the best choice for me atm.
Now Tim will have to spend supplies on the attack.

If you look below - Jordan has been liberated this turn.
Norway has been conquered, we don't want WA planes situated there.

And the annoying Hungaria promised to join me the next turn? Always the next turn - let the SU have them if they want.

The troops are in anticipation of the upcoming battles, so I've doubled their schnaps rations again.[:D]

[rjh1971]

Sp42 Western Allies

It seems the tide is finally turning in favour of the Allies. In the Atlantic subs were hunted and sunk, good bye gold days for the U-boat skippers. Even though Gibraltar was taken and entry to the Med is closed due to coastal guns, there were no fighters to intercept allied CAGs from launching an attack to the Italian navy, turning out in a devastating attack with only two CAGs.

Another transport was sunk south of Norway.



In the Pacific the US clearly outnumbers the IJN. Before battles took place it was two to one in CVs, after the battle all Japanese flattops are in the seabed. Again with no fighter cover they were an easy prey for the superior US CAGs. Japanese fighter in Midway was also taken care of.
High Command is worried with the situation in India and the Middle East.

[kondor]

Finally a great turn for the WA! Incredible catch in the Pacific, US intelligence has done a great job pinpointing those IJN CV-s.
A major victory for the US, congratz Rafael!

Edit:
I was not worried in the Med, because I knew that WA has only 2CV-s there, and I figured that 1 CAG running protection would be enough. And with the juicy targets like subs would be more tantalizing, than the Italian ghost fleet. I was wrong.[:-]
Seems that those FT-s for Portugal spoiled my plans?

[kondor]

IJN side is the hardest one to play, this was Goran's baptism through fire [:D].
And another (not main) reason why I've tried to weaken WA as much as I could before venturing to Russia.

[rjh1971]

ORIGINAL: kondor

US intelligence has done a great job pinpointing those IJN CV-s.

Guam was not invaded and it prevented the area to have fog of war. Another lesson to be learnt, the tiny Island screwed up the Japs.

[kondor]

I'm too tired for a proper report, will make one later.
In short, WA CV-s were very lucky and avoided all the subs (only TF got hurt).

I've taken back Rumania, Hungary, and Kyiv with tanks. That was an error in judgment, as I thought I'll have 1 move left to get them back to Rumania. But I've forgotten that does not work on rough terrain, so now they will feel the full wrath of the red army.

I'll write a proper report tommorow.

[kondor]

Summer of '42
Germany turn.

FIghting the CV-s out of Gibraltar. IMO the subs should do a better job in this one.
Out of 4 subs, only one fired at CV and got a 10/12 roll. A silver lining- none of my subs were damaged.

[kondor]

At the east front, I've liberated Rumania & Hungary, retread a bit of force towards the west, and rolled my spearheads in Kyiv.
The idea was that after burning down Kyiv, I can retreat back to Rumania. The joke was on me - Rumania as rough terrain is not allowed for my panzer units. [X(]

On a side note, I launched 2 waves of attack against that SU militia unit in Bulgaria. I believe 2 + 2 (or 3+2) of my own militia vs single SU.
Both times SU unit held firmly and destroyed 2 of my units (one per wave). I'm a bit sad that the unit was not awarded a star. It's clearly a hero of the SU.

[kondor]

If I'd known that the Rumania was not accessible by tank units (on their second move), I'd still go with the attack. But this time, I'd leave two tanks to attack and capture Odessa. And I'd move them all there.
This way they could feel the full wrath of the massive SU army forming in Belorussia.

[tcart]

Russian Summer 42 - My second try at a post as my first one timed out.

The Russians lose a bit of industry in Kiev, but the Germans must expose their panzers to counterattack with massed artillery and we are happy to oblige. A big chunk of the German armored force is lost.

I made a big mistake by not building enough supplies last turn, so I'm forced to move a decent but not invulnerable stack into Poland. The Germans might get favorable odds there, though attrition battles are very much to my advantage now. I can replace everybody. He can't.

Note that by taking E. Poland first I forced the surviving German tanks to retreat back into Rumania, which puts them somewhat out of position.

One twist on Russia entering the war as she did is that she hasn't gotten the big bump in WR yet. So her economy is lagging. Even with the factory I secretly built in the Urals. I expect we'll get there next turn, removing any remaining supply problems.

[rjh1971]

Summer 42 W. Allies

In Europe the Brits targeted Norway the sea areas next to it. The aim is to choke Germany's economy, they must now be struggling to obtain resources, their factories have the capacity but must be lacking from raw materials as well as from population to replace losses.

An operation to knock out coastal defences in Gibraltar failed miserably, resulting in one CAG and one BB damaged.

The hunt for U-boats continue but they must have upgraded their evasion because the don't sink so easy now.

Allied intelligence intercepted a coded message from the enemy "Probaj vidjet dal mu mozes CV-e s flotom SE ukjucuju zrance jednice prije?" What sort of language is this??? [&:][&:][&:]
We are working hard to decipher it but still need to improve our knowledge of Croatian [;)][:D]
The best we could do still doesn't make total sense.

Try to see if you can get his CVs with the SE fleet to include units before?

India will probably fall as WA were unable to reach her and send reinforces, but they are getting there. A light fleet was sunk in the horn of Africa.



As for the Pacific theater, the US navy discovered that the IJN has concentrated itself in the Philippines, an attack was launched was if not fully successfull partially successful.

The Mariana Islands were invaded and the Japanese garrison in Midway destroyed, though it could not be taken as we still are at level 4 amphibious capacity and transports though most sea lanes were restored are still overstretched.

[kondor]

their factories have the capacity but must be lacking from raw materials

I believe it's quite the opposite. GE has extra resources for all the factories. I think I'm not yet at full speed with factories.

[rjh1971]

ORIGINAL: kondor

their factories have the capacity but must be lacking from raw materials

I believe it's quite the opposite. GE has extra resources for all the factories. I think I'm not yet at full speed with factories.

Then it will be a matter of time.

[kondor]

It will not, just ask Tim. Or politely ask: dear Stalin, please remove your troops, we'd like peace- for a year or two. [:D]

[kondor]

Fall '42
In this turn, I've used Luftwaffe to the fullest.
Opportunity presents itself to hit the bulk of SU airforce located in E. Poland. Odds were on my side, and we won this fight.

That empty CV in the top left corner survived an engagement vs 2 subs, and send them home paddling, an astonishing turn of events given into the case there is no LF or air support. Only CV, an HF, and a TF or two?

[kondor]

I'm aware of the SU supply issues (without a land lease). It's must be hard supplying such large armies so far away from home.
I invite Stalin to disband all of his artillery forces (for example), it would solve all his supply problems [:D].

Anyway, I searched for a way to leverage that problem. Rumania proved as a staging point for my valiant, remaining, panzer veteran forces.
Target, first Odesa, then Kharkiv. It went as planned. After the damage I've done to Belorussia the last turn, now Kharkiv infrastructure got hit badly.
Of course, I'm sacrificing most of my panzer units doing these offensives, but I must hit the SU industry where I can.

Lt Gruber will have to find a way home...

At the bottom of the screen, you can see that Iraq is in axis possession. All the WA forces have been destroyed in the area. Africa corps proved victorious, without taking too many losses.

India is at the brink of defeat, will the IJN find the strength to take it? Before the WA reconnects it?

Again this turn, subs took losses, without scoring any major hits. Time for subs to retire, I'm sure Rafael will allow them that.

Edit: Red cross areas are areas where the remaining Luftwaffe forces destroyed SU railroads.

[kondor]

And the forces screen after these recent fights.
SU is still in the massive lead, except in the air.