Allies vs. Skynet

[John B.]

Well, someone has to do an AAR for this game!

It's turn one and I've picked the allies since hanging on by one's fingernails at the start of the game is always fun. As for events, it was a pretty typical first turn.

1. The Germans declared war on Belgium and Luxembourg then swarmed across the border. The British, having spent a lifetime invading and conquering smaller nations and foisting economic exploitation upon said conquered nations were outraged (outraged I say) at the fact that Germany was trying to invade and conquer a smaller nation and foist economic exploitation upon them so it declared war. It also elected to send the BEF to France.

2. Both France and Russia opted to send MMPs to Serbia. I have no idea how many I should send so they're each sending ten.

3. The Goeben got away and is not part of the Ottoman navy. Here's an idea for another strategic choice. Why not let Britain decided if it wants to impound the Turkish dreadnought? If it sends it to the Ottomans it may delay their entry into the war but it also would give them two good ships (assuming the Germans still turned over the Geoben).

4. My basic plan is to hold on in France to avoid losing in 1914 while the Russians try to put maximum pressure on the Austrians.

We shall see.

[John B.]

One thing I dislike about the Strategic Command series is the tiny amount of space allowed for pictures in the AAR section. So, tiny it's going to be until this is modified.

Here in Serbia, the AH took Belgrade suffering some heavy losses and they only took it on their last attack. Serbia opted to not counter attack and to dig in instead. I'm not sure if the 2nd army deployed here or not.

[John B.]

On the Western front, the Germans poured into Belgium and took Liege easily. Brussels held out and was reinforced while a Belgian corps fled the country. Almost as if it knew it would survive if Belgium surrendered. The Germans took heavy losses attacking the French line in the south and a French counter attack killed a German corps. French reservers mobilized near Paris. The British covered distant blockade boxes and a couple of the close blockade boxes as well.

[John B.]

In the east the Russians moved up to Gumbenien (sp?) and two Russian corps moving north got ambushed. In Galicia (pictured) the Russians moved their army up with the aim of prepared assaults next turn to try to take the oilfields. The French and British teamed up to kill an A/H light cruiser.

No news on the diplomatic front other than the Bulgarians pondering the idea of revenge for the second Balkan war and the US investing in fighter research.

[Sugar]

One thing I dislike about the Strategic Command series is the tiny amount of space allowed for pictures in the AAR section.

Don't know the reason, but others had no such issues:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4714728

[springel]

ORIGINAL: Sugar

One thing I dislike about the Strategic Command series is the tiny amount of space allowed for pictures in the AAR section.

Don't know the reason, but others had no such issues:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4714728

When you put your images on some other site and just embed it in your text, there is no limit.
The limit applies to images that you upload to the matrix server as attachments.

[John B.]

Sugar & Springel, thanks for the feed back. I have no idea how to put the images on another site and embed in the text. Do you mean type the message on, say, Microsoft word, embed the images and then cut and paste onto here?

I've posted AARs on other topics here (lots for War in the Pacific AE) and they allow bigger files to be uploaded. This AAR section limits file size to 200 KB.

In any event, the Central Powers have completed their second turn. Notable events include:

1. Britain seized the Turkish dreadnought (I guess they thought of adding that one before I did ) and Britain also started to build its new armies.

In the west, German attacks along the French boarder died down as the Germans put shoulder to spade and dug in. In Belgium, the Belgian army put up a heroic defense in Brussels and required most of the German effort to take the capital. The BEF and new french mobilized units may be able to at least make a line at Lille.

[John B.]

Hopefully this is the right map but here is Belgium.

[John B.]

Here is Galicia. The Austrian attack near Lemberg may have made it vulnerable and the Russians are well placed for their attacks. The Germans probed into Poland but did not destroy any Russian corps!

[John B.]

oops, here is the latest Galicia map.

[John B.]

The Entente has now completed their turn and given what appears to be slow German progress in Belgium the BEF moved into Lille and the French moved forward as well. Unfortunately, aggressive German patrolling prevented the French from making a salient out of the German corps and, instead, a french corps has it's head in a noose. General Joffre, ever phlegmatic, says not to worry while General Foch is spitting with rage that the French dug in rather than attacked.

Four French corps are moving up to reinforce the Entente left wing while Belgian detachments dig it at Ypres.

There are finally some MMPs available that were put into infantry war fare and trenching as the case may be. England did plop a chit into ASW just to be on the safe side. England also covered more blockade boxes, both distant and near.

[John B.]

The real Entente action came in Galicia where the Imperial Russian army came down like a wolf on the fold, with their cohorts gleaming in purple and gold (thanks to Lord Byron) on the hapless A/H. A Russian cavalry corps got behind Tarnopol and the oil fields and the endless waves of Russian infantry destroyed two A/H corps that were surrounded. A bit further on, an A/H cavalry corps was destroyed and Lemberg is in peril.

Not much happened in Serbia. I reinforced one of the corps and sat tight. Serbia's goal is to tie down Austrians as long as possible.

[John B.]

Well the Imperial German army is not pussy footing around. Faced with the prospect of Austrian collapse they redeployed seven (7!) German corps to Galicia. Lemberg is still vulnerable and should eventually fall but there will be no Russian victory parade in Budapest this year. There were not many attacks in the east this turn.

The Austrians did attack in Serbia and took heavy casualties without gaining any ground.

[John B.]

Sorry, here is the correct east front picture.

[John B.]

As you can see on the west front report. The French did lose their corps and they lost another outside of Epinal. But, the Germans did not make much headway at all in Belgium. The British are firmly entrenched in Lille and the Belgians still hold Antwerp. It's entrenchment level is down to 0 so it's not going to hold long but it is helping to get reinforcements into the gaps. The Germans launched a series of attacks in Alsace Lorraine and took heavy losses without gaining any territory. The one dead French corps managed to hang on long enough that it prevented the Germans from moving in before reinforcements can arrive this turn.

In other news:

1. Japan declared war (don't think that there is any game event;
2. Hunger reported in A/H;
3. The Serbs sent and HQ to help bolster Mongenegro;
4. A french marine unit deployed in Boulogne (sp?);
5. The French gave an army command to Foch at the recommendation of Joffre;
6. Britain opted to send its Indian army to Egypt.

No Turkish declaration of war. Yet.

[John B.]

The Entente responded with its own series of offensives. In France, the French army has completely discarded Plan XVII and has held the line in Alsace while forming a line in the north. But, France launched two limited sets of attacks. They recaptured the town at the end of the German salient eliminating a German corps in the process but leaving another French corps vulnerable. France also destroyed a German cavalry corps that stayed on the front lines in the Ardennes. I need to reinforce the belgian detachment in Antwerp but for now it looks as if the Germans are not going to be marching into Paris this year.

[John B.]

Russia launched a minor offensive at Gumbinen. As you can see, heavy Russian losses but the hope will be to destroy the German corps in the next turn assuming it stays there. It's currently out of supply so it should not be able to reinforce very much. The Germans continue their probes into Poland.

[John B.]

And finally Galicia. The Russians managed to destroy two German corps this turn (mirable dictu). But, the Tsar's army is not replacing it's own losses very fast. Lemberg still looks vulnerable but there are a lot of Central Power's corps in the area. The Russians did push towards Tarnow and can threaten that rail line.

Serbia reinforced its corps and waited.

[John B.]

Well rehearsed spontaneous demonstrations spilled into the streets of the Entente capitals as Albania threw its hat into the ring! Otherwise, not much happened on the diplomatic front other than the fact that it was noted that the Tsar of Bulgaria was very complimentary towards the German Kaiser at a reception.

German attacks continued in France with the destruction of a French corps. And, perhaps more ominously, a German artillery unit has been spotted near the front. On the other hand, recon shows that the BEF might be able to sneak behind two German corps cutting them off and making the front line in Belgium rather than northern France.

[John B.]

In the east, a furious combined A/H & German counter attack destroyed to Russian corps and pushed the Tsar's army back. This is becoming a real toe to toe fight. Tarnow looks vulnerable but initial recon shows that attacks on Lemberg would cost too much and make little headway. The Russians are going to have to spend time dealing with this Central Powers attack.

At the same time, Gumbinen remains surrounded and was only able to reinforce to about half strength. The ladies of St. Petersburg anticipate good news at any moment. Sadly, a deep German cavalry raid destroyed a corps next to Warsaw that was at a strength of 2 and then managed to withdraw before there could be a reaction.

The A/H attacked in Serbia and managed to push around the Montenegran corps without taking any losses.