Turn 12. Jul/Aug 1941. Allied #3. Impulse Planning. CW & France.
Disrupted Convoy Lines, Spare CPs, Current & Future U-boat/Sub Threats.
(1) Allied (CW) CPs took a severe beating last impulse in the Faeroes Gap.
(2) 6 of CPs were sunk and the 7th was aborted, leaving no CPs in Faeroes Gap and a big hole in CW production.
(3) The upside is that the CW & French have the spare CPs and the time (i.e., several impulses this turn) to repair their lines and get back full (CW) production.
(4) The CW didn't even bother to open their production form and see what their degrade production is as a result of this beating.
(5) Actually, there's no need as the CW & French WILL replace the lost CPs before any chance of this turn ending (i.e., by Allied #7).
(6) Also, the CW & Fr could ensure these replaced CPs are even attacked by moving them into the Bay of Biscay.
(7) However; this creates a significant vulnerability for next turn.
(8) Specifically, 16 CPs in the Bay of Biscay with Ge U-boats & Fr Subs based in adjacent ports, available to attack from the highest sea boxes and with a +2 for 16 CPs vs +1 for 10 of less search bonus.
(9) After looking at the situation, the British Admiralty has decided to wait as long as possible (e.g., Allied #7) to fix the convoy lines
and
(10) To risk replacement CPs being sent into the Faeroes Gap.
(11) The rationale for the latter is that the Admiralty feels this turn risk in the Faeroes Gap is less severe than next turn's risk of 16 CPs in the Bay of Biscay.
(12) Also, allied ASW in the 0-box is very strong and should inflict near parity losses on U-boats/Subs if found.

- 03-AL-Atlantic-CP-Routes.png (1.02 MiB) Viewed 707 times
Active CW WAR Directives.
(13) CW will take a
land action and use that action in West Africa to eliminate 3 of the 4 OOS, flipped & isolated Italian stacks in Morocco.
(14) Planners were able to get automatic blitz (x2) and assault (x1) odds to eliminate 24 BPs of trapped Italian ground & air units.
(15) I think from a counterfactual perspective it's safe to say that these three land combats are surrenders by the Italians with exceptions of some small unit (battalion or less) actions.
(16) The CW was also take advantage of their land to move in East Africa against the OOS & isolated Italian inf in Asmara, Eritrea.
(17) However; it was be several impulses (maybe not this turn) before Wavell will have the forces in place to make an assault.
(18) That is, unless the RN gets very lucky with a 10% ground strike from the RN carrier in the Red Sea.

- 03-AL-WAR-CW.png (43.93 KiB) Viewed 706 times
West Africa. Attack Planning (Three Sure Things).
(19) No retreat possible for the Italian stack in W1-Rabat, Morocco; so */B (or LCR=21 -> +19B) will do the trick (i.e., destroy the stack with no chance of flip or loss).
(20) The final AP odds were +21B > +19B required.
(20) Retreat is possible for the Italian Mtn in SW1-Casablanca, Morocco; so */B would be a mini-disaster forcing the CW to either shatter, meaning the Mtn escapes, or retreat to the 4th 2-stack in the Mtns & not being attack this impulse.
(21) Such a retreat would add 6 (3 x 2) or DF to the this 2-stack already at 8 (4x2) though OOS, flipped & isolated.
(22) This means that the required result was */1B (or LCR=22 -> +20B); the final AP odds were +20.5B > required +21B.
(23) The final land combat this impulse was an assault vs OOS & flipped Graziani HQ-A (S2-Rabat, Morocco), who's already escape once (i.e., retreated) surrender or destruction; but will have no possible retreat this time (meaning */B will do).
(24) The final AP odds got +19B (*/B) on the nose.

- 03-AL-West-Africa-AP.png (32.24 KiB) Viewed 706 times

- 03-AL-West-Africa-AP-CL.png (22.53 KiB) Viewed 706 times