A World on Fire

[Orm]

And the attack that I forgot to cancel was a disaster. [:(]

[Courtenay]

ORIGINAL: Orm

And the attack that I forgot to cancel was a disaster. [:(]

If you make a mistake in a solitaire game, live with it. However, if the mistake is the result of a computer error, then I feel you are perfectly justified in going back to the autosave and fixing whatever the mistake was. Here you did not decide to make an attack, and it it turned out badly; you thought you weren't making the attack, but the computer thought differently. Show the machine who is boss. Go to the autosave for combat declaration and cancel the attack. (Make sure you then do the attacks you meant to do with the same die rolls as the first time, though.)

[Braig]

My thoughts exactly! And I've done so. My bad usually as it's easier to just let the program calculate for me so I've gotten used to declaring, and then cancelling, attacks

[Orm]

When I make a mistake like that I can go back with a clear conscience but the truth is that I was to lazy to do so. I also thought that I deserved to live with the attack so I could learn better from my mistake. But it was mostly that I was lazy. [:(][:D]

[Orm]

Umezu reorganizes three Armies after the disastrous attack.

[Orm]

CW and France declare war on Germany and one US entry chit is removed. Of course it was the best chit. [:(]

CW, France and Germany calls out their reserves.

Germany placed a reserve garrison in Stettin in order to stop a possible advance from the Polish Pomorze Army.


Picture from Sep/Oct 39 Impulse #2 (Allied) - Call Out Reserves

[Orm]

CW selects a combined impulse. France does not like the number of German land units in the West so they decide to select a land impulse in order to reorganize some of the reserve units.

CW sends the Harrow to bomb the German fleet in Kiel and it resulted in two damaged ships.



Picture from Sep/Oct 39 Impulse #2 (Allied) - Port Attack

[Orm]

No naval air.

Nimitz is transported to Hawaii.

CW sail a battleship fleet along with three transporters and BEF to the North Sea.

No strategic bombing.

France ground strike von Bock (HQI). Germany fires with the AA against the bomber reducing its strength by one. This do not change the result and one LND2 (Stuka) is disorganized by the ground strike.



Picture from Sep/Oct 39 Impulse #2 (Allied) - Ground Strike

[Orm]

No rail movement.

Poland moves a 3-3 out of Lodz and the 4-4 into Lodz strengthening the Lodz defence by one.

Gort (HQI) debarks into Calais.

Poland rebase their air force to Warsaw.

Georges (HQI) reorganize three reserve corps.



Picture from Sep/Oct 39 Impulse #2 (Allied) - HQ Reorganization

[Orm]

New weather is a 5 which means rain in the arctic and the south part of China and fine weather everywhere else. Germany grumbles over the fine weather. Rain would have been preferable but since there is a tight timetable fine weather will not be an excuse for delay.

Germany declares war on Belgium! This cause one US entry chit to be picked. Belgium aligns to CW.

CW ponders on how to place the Belgian land units. [&:] This is my current idea on how to place the units. [:)] Maybe I can hammer out a better set up.



Picture from Sep/Oct 39 Impulse #3 (Axis) - DOW: Setup Attacked Minor

[Courtenay]

What is the longest range German air unit on the Belgian front? Do they have anyone who can ground strike west of Anwtwerp? If not, put two units there. Here is a rules question: If the Belgian unit west of Brussels, gets flipped, does MWiF allow the French to move through it? According to RAW, you should be able to do so, since stacking only applies at the end of an impulse, but I am not sure if MWiF is coded properly here. Does anyone know?

[Jaimainsoyyo]

Courtnay , yes you can do it.

[Orm]

Should I be concerned with that Germany has the capacity to invade Antwerp with two divisions? If the notional defender is ignored the Allies should be able to launch a strong counter attack on Antwerp. And there is a good chance that the Royal Navy will intercept the invasion fleet and abort or sink it.


Picture from Sep/Oct 39 Impulse #3 (Axis) - DOW: Setup Attacked Minor

[Centuur]

It's a lot of build points the Germans are than putting at risk if they do. If they do, this limits the number of attacks and land moves they have (since they need a combined impulse) and that means the Poles might survive this turn. So strategically speaking, this invitation might be a good one...

And what if the CW decides to attack Antwerp in return. With only 2 ground factors defending the place, Germany won't be in a good position...

[Courtenay]

ORIGINAL: jaimain

Courtnay , yes you can do it.

Good. Thank you.

[yvesp]

It looks like a professional setup, if you're not expecting the turn to end now (I don't know the odds) : otherwise you risk a "double impulse" and the fall of Belgium for no significant fight.

But this should result in a strong defensive position for the allies after they play their impulse: I don't see how they would fail to hold the western side of the Dyle (Antwerp, Brussels, difficult to attack then) and the French will be able to advance in the Ardennes and take full protection from forests and the Maas. This completes well the Maginot Line and leaves little weakness.

That's also why I now almost always attack the Netherlands first, to ensure a foothold on the other side of the Dyle in Antwerp, to later attack Brussels with the full strength of three stacks (rather than two as would be your case.)

[composer99]

The two key hexes in Belgium for the Germans to secure, if they want to fight the Allies in Flanders rather than along the Dyle, are Antwerp and the resource hex south of Brussels. To expand their mobility and avoid forest fighting they should also occupy the hex labelled Luxembourg straight away as well.

As far as the invasion goes, it's not a big risk for Germany at sea; the CW has a 40% chance of finding, and (unless they have a CV in the 3 box with the battlefleet) only a 30% chance of finding with enough force to damage German ships that sail.

More risky is the possibility that the Allies will deny the notional, leaving Antwerp in the hands of 2 divisions, vulnerable to counter-attack and unable to use zones of control to keep the Allies out of Brussels.

Of course, this early in the game, especially if the weather holds, the lack of French army units currently in the field may keep the Dyle defence from being all that effective.

[yvesp]

Of course, in that case the British should deny the combat.

Next impulse, they will counterattack with 14 land points plus whatever they need in shore bombardment. They will also try to force the German navy into a fight, two times (first in the German impulse, then in their own impulse), where Germany is likely to lose much.

1) The British are very likely to be able to bring a CV into the 3 box. This should give them a 40% chance of finding the German forces. But conversely, the German forces may unwiligly find the British forces ; they may choose the 4 box initialy (sinking the Exeter), but then they'll have do decide on staying (for defensive shore bombardment if you have that option), or going back home. If they stay (necessary to prevent the mop up of the 2 divs by an attack of at best for Germany 28 to 4 -counting on air support which may not be available-), the likehood of a naval combat not occuring between the main forces will then be about 1 in 3. So overall, the likehood of Germany putting its fleet at great risks is strong.

2) Even if the fleet stays, the British will counter-attack at 28 to 6 -assuming air support in defense-) ; but anyway, air support may well fail, because the British will very likely CAP with the Spitfire, and I don't see equivalent German fighters in range. So the 28 to 4 attack is still possible.

3) At best for Germany, the counterattack will be 28 to 6. That's a +9 on the assault table. You may have Rundsted behind for defensive HQ support, and Gort as attacking HQ support, for a net +8. The counterattack succeeds at 55% chance.

So what ? At the very best, you have a 45% chance of keeping Antwerp. In the process you may lose some of your ships, be intercepted on the way to Antwerp, not succeed in ground support, be forced to flee with your fleet and fail in defensive shore bombardment. If any of these happens, the allies have a 90% chance of successfully recapturing Antwerp.

Well, I call that a bit risky. But who knows ?

[Orm]

Thank you for all the wise input. [&o][:)]

[Orm]

CW gains confidence by listening to all that good advice and place the units as Courtenay suggested.

Germany ponders on attempting to invade in Antwerp but in the end abandons that plan because they do not feel lucky. So instead they do a land impulse and get to move in Poland as well.

Japan selects a combined impulse in order to ferry troops over to China.

No port strikes. No naval air.

Japan sends out three transports that carry troops to China.

Italy remains passive and let their ships remain in port.

Japan decides to bomb the Changsha factory since their are not much else they can do. I am shocked that they actually managed to hit their target. [X(]


Picture from Sep/Oct 39 Impulse #3 (Axis) - Strategic Bombing