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OK, situation is as follows: This is my first play-through as the Axis in SC:WIE and so I've made a lot of mistakes. Probably the worst of which was not just attacking the USSR when they got to 99% mobilisation which resulted in them retreating their forces out of reach when they declared war on me in July 1941.

It's now March 1943 and the situation seems to be turning against me. In the north my forces still haven't reached Leningrad due to poor supply. In the centre, though my forces have reached the outer defences of Moscow, the USSR holds Kursk and a large salient around the Pripyat marshes. In the south, my forces have taken Stalingrad but the Kursk/Pripyat salient means they have a vulnerable northern flank. In the middle east my forces, having stormed through Egypt and Iraq, have just liberated Tehran and are fighting in Tabriz. Still, the USSR has deployed strong forces opposite me there and my planned blitz through the Caucasus appears now unlikely. On every front the Soviet forces have built up to the point where progress has stalled, and they seem to be getting stronger.

And just to add to my problems, the Americans have just invaded Algeria. I had figured there would be an Allied entry in to the Mediterranean at some point and had upgraded the Italian navy ready to meet it, but in the event my forces were based slightly too far to the east to meet them in strength. I only managed to intercept one transport before the invasion. The rest of my fleet destroyed two US battleships and a heavy cruiser for the loss of a light cruiser. I've hastily cobbled together some Italian and German forces to stop their advance in to Tunisia (the forces I was going to use to finally take Kursk) but they are already launching strategic bombers from there against Italy and France... On the positive side? I figured an invasion of Iceland might offer some interesting possibilities, and I've repeatedly used battlecruisers and heavy cruisers based there to intercept destroyers and light cruisers trying to stop the work of my submarines. I now have two units of marines headed towards Newfoundland to try to create a similar base there.

The oddest thing about this situation for me is, the USSR doesn't seem to have been harmed much by losing Stalingrad and having supplies through Iran stopped. I really thought that having the Afrika Korps turn up at Tabriz would stretch them but they've blocked any advance with units to spare. I'm about to get totally destroyed, and I'm playing on intermediate.

The losses from this turn: I have lost a single tank or mechanised unit the whole game starting in 1939, and this turn I've lost three. The Soviets have discovered armoured warfare and are using their numerical superiority to devastate my forces.

FOARP wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2024 2:23 pm The oddest thing about this situation for me is, the USSR doesn't seem to have been harmed much by losing Stalingrad and having supplies through Iran stopped. I really thought that having the Afrika Korps turn up at Tabriz would stretch them but they've blocked any advance with units to spare. I'm about to get totally destroyed, and I'm playing on intermediate.

Well, don't forget they are likely still getting 80 MPP a turn through Vladivostok which can't be interdicted, plus the Russians probably have their new Urals industrial base all moved in and cranked up at this point.

However, I'd say for a first play through you're doing pretty good. Iceland is a good catch. But I probably would have prioritized getting Moscow over Stalingrad though. That is a very long flank comrade.

Realising that sitting back on the defensive was just asking the Soviets to slowly grind me down, I've taken a high-risk strategy of going on an extensive offensive on all fronts now that we are in May 1943 and the weather has improved.

In the north, my forces have finally battered their way in to Narva and a parachute drop has temporarily isolated the Soviet forces in front of Leningrad. My hope is that, with low supply, the Soviets will have to withdraw and allow my artillery to get into range of Leningrad and enable it to be taken. In front of Moscow, my forces have advanced in to range of the city, though getting the artillery in to range of central Moscow will leave it exposed to a counter attack - I'm gambling that any counter-attack will be limited. In the south, the Soviet offensives near Stalingrad and along the northern flank of my advance in to Stalingrad limits any offensive on my part to finally storming the Soviet fortress of Sevastopol which has been ground down by besieging Italian forces that have recently been reinforced by artillery. This front is particularly concerning as the army at Stalingrad is very much at risk on encirclement - my hope if the offensives in the north and centre will draw forces away from here. Finally, in Tunisia Italian forces including the Littorio tank division, backed up by German artillery, destroyed a US infantry corp in front of Bizerte, and German infantry and heavy tanks smashed the American force holding Tebessa. My hope is that this front can be liquidated quickly and the forces returned to the Eastern Front against the USSR.

The cherry on top of the German spring offensive is a landing by German special forces in Newfoundland. The small RCAF force based in St. John's was overwhelmed by Waffen SS attacking from the north and Brandenburgers advancing from the west.

So, the Allied turn was, um, interesting. Again the Soviets took a toll on my Panzer forces. And the situation around Stalingrad is getting worse and worse. But the worst news was of allieds landing in Normandy and Brittany, something I have no forces at all ready to meet. Again, if anything is to be done here, it means diverting forces intended for the Eastern front which is already very much in danger.

FOARP wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2024 3:42 pm The cherry on top of the German spring offensive is a landing by German special forces in Newfoundland. The small RCAF force based in St. John's was overwhelmed by Waffen SS attacking from the north and Brandenburgers advancing from the west.

The Deutsches Neufundland Korps is pretty cool but you might be wishing you had those guys back in Normandy.

Platoonist wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2024 4:24 pm

FOARP wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2024 3:42 pm The cherry on top of the German spring offensive is a landing by German special forces in Newfoundland. The small RCAF force based in St. John's was overwhelmed by Waffen SS attacking from the north and Brandenburgers advancing from the west.

The Deutsches Neufundland Korps is pretty cool but you might be wishing you had those guys back in Normandy.

LOL. Yeah.

Graziani's Italians will have to do until other forces come on stream.

It's now June 1943 and the Leningrad offensive appears to be bearing fruit - two Soviet armies are surrounded. It is possible that Leningrad will finally be brought within range of the long range guns I have in this theatre. The attack on Moscow has fallen short. The city may still be taken, but the Soviet storming of Vyazma places the entire future of the attack in doubt. The situation around Stalingrad continues to worsen. Withdrawing across the Volga or even abandoning Stalingrad entirely may be necessary in the near future.

Another Allied turn of heavy losses:

FOARP wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2024 6:16 pm The situation around Stalingrad continues to worsen. Withdrawing across the Volga or even abandoning Stalingrad entirely may be necessary in the near future.

Hmmm. Yeah, painful as it is to leave the Volga you might want to get those panzer units out of that deep salient and start playing the stubborn defensive game.

Wishing you all the best but long term you might wanna think about hooking up internet and TV in the Führerbunker.

This may be the turn I lost the war. The advance on Moscow has become a disaster, with the Soviets breaking through on both flanks and Moscow still holding out at the tip of the advance. I'm not sure it will be possible to save much from this. In the Stalingrad salient, the situation is also bad, with the bridgehead over the Volga eliminated and the Soviets capturing Kharkov. On the front before Leningrad, the pocketed armies have been eliminated and my forces have moved to bring the city nearly in range of the guns. It may be possible to take the city and use the forces thus freed up to repair the situation elsewhere.

Platoonist wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2024 7:44 pm

FOARP wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2024 6:16 pm The situation around Stalingrad continues to worsen. Withdrawing across the Volga or even abandoning Stalingrad entirely may be necessary in the near future.

Hmmm. Yeah, painful as it is to leave the Volga you might want to get those panzer units out of that deep salient and start playing the stubborn defensive game.

Wishing you all the best but long term you might wanna think about hooking up internet and TV in the Führerbunker.

At this point I'm mostly LARPing, so I think the German Reich needs to maintain a base on the Volga at all costs!!!!

The HQ nearest Stalingrad is von Kuchler ... we'll need to offer him a Field Marshal's baton...

Yeah, I really think I messed things up by not smashing all the Soviet forces in a surprise attack in June '41. I probably prioritised naval warfare a bit too highly as well. I always like it when AARs go right to the bitter end so I'll try to play this one out as well even though I hate losing.

FOARP wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2024 7:58 pm I always like it when AARs go right to the bitter end so I'll try to play this one out as well even though I hate losing.

Although grim those always tend to be the most memorable games.

July 1943, and German intelligence detected a formation of US transports transiting the North Atlantic, no doubt seeking to reinforce the Allied positions in Northern France or North Africa. Unfortunately for them a heavy force of German battleship and cruisers, backed up by a German carrier and destroyers, which were off the coast of Newfoundland supporting the landings there, and were within easy range to sortie and ambush them. The results were devastating for the Americans, with five transports sunk including General Patton's. US naval forces are present in the North Atlantic, but a long way off, so it looks like there is nothing to stop the Kriegsmarine eliminating the remaining four transports.

Loose lips truly do sink ships.

In Tunisia the Axis offensive goes well. Another US corps is encircled and faces imminent destruction. US tanks are other reinforcements appear to be arriving on this front though, but fingers crossed Algiers can be reached and this front liquidated so that the forces can be return to Europe for a renewed offensive in '44.

In Northern France the Canadians have failed to take Brest, but have taken Le Havre. Graziani's Italians have suffered heavy attrition in the fighting and Allied airpower is taking a heavy toll on the defenders, though the Allies are yet to make a major advance into the French interior. An HQ under General Model will reach the theatre next turn.

And now to the Eastern Front where things are... less positive.

Before Moscow, German forces have entered the Western suburbs of the city but cannot make any further advances in the face of mechanised and armoured opposition. The Soviet break-in on the Axis flanks has caused the Germans to adopt an all-round defence. Though a trickle of supplies still reaches the Germans under von Rundstedt, and the Italians under Balbo hold open a corridor around Rzhev, the situation is extremely dangerous.

Von Rundstedt's requests to the German HQ that his army be allowed to withdraw have so far been ignored... In the south the salient remains open, but the Soviets are advancing steadily into it from the North. Again, requests for a withdrawal to the Gröfaz have so far been rejected. In the front before Leningrad, Axis losses have been heavy but the guns of the Wehrmacht finally have the city in range and the connection between it and the rest of the USSR has been cut. Destruction of this Soviet base offers the possibility of freeing up forces for action elsewhere - and for this reason Axis forces are having to hold on in ever-worsening positions over the entire front against the USSR. Economically, this turn was the first where the entire German income of 1,200 MPP was eaten up in reinforcements. German forces are still more numerous than Soviet ones but a lot of this is eaten up by garrisons scattered around the map and forces deployed against the Western allies.