Decline and Downfall

[AlbertN]

Ostfront South (June '43 - Turn 99)

Here the Allies have absolutely no airforce and their line is quite solid.

To be considered if to shift airplanes to the north where previews are of the enemy impending offensive.

Tradeoff of Supreme Range Escort Fighters? I can probably bomb around the Dnepr area and get some to react here as well without relocating the Luftwaffe.

[AlbertN]

June '43 - Finland Front

The Soviets probed Finnish defences in the north (Litterally just came close) but started to shift troops away - probably as they realized the Finns are quite though to crack.

In concern for Paratroop potential, Bulgarian units were issued to act as reserve behind the front.

A German unit has been sent to Helsinki before a pesky paradrop knocks Finland out of the war with tragic consequences. (Lots of cash was devoted to the Finns so that they could squeeze in 2 air units, brand new and not of the crappy Fighter-Bomber useless type).
Take note that Finland airforces has:
a) Winterized Status (no Efficiency loss in Snow!)
b) Base experience of 65 (Luftwaffe, RAF and USAAF have 50!!!)

Finland problem is their manpower that is very, very low and have a gain rate of 2 per turn.

[AlbertN]

June '43 - Middle East

An attempt to send submarines to interdict the ports in the Persian Gulf resolved in submarines taking heavy damage and one of them being sank. Not the most cunning idea - but I wanted to evaluated if I could do a night move there on arrival. It was not the case!

The mixed force of Soviets and Americans loom, ready to strike. Canadians man the ports.

Axis has some reserves but the region is overloaded and the supply chain is too long. The perspective of a retreat with intact forces is still there - the question is how much worth are these 15 oil points Italy is taking a turn?

There is another strategic factor to consider though - the diverting of air and armoured assets here means the enemy is less mighty in the Ostfront. Personally, I'd have sent strategic bombers and the escort fighters and keep in check the oil rigs that way. And if Italy wants to use their inferior fighters or build up AA to protect these oil rigs ... Ploesti is 1 hex, with 40 fuel. These are 3 different hexes with 5 fuel each. I do not believe the Allies desperately need that much fuel.

On the other hand Italians are undertecched compared to anything else pratically.

The Regia Aeronautica is recovering elsere, Cyprus, Crete, Rhodes - eating supplies of other ports. That presently leaves free reign to the USAAF in the skies.

[AlbertN]

In the coming turns the unpredicted happened ... (Just finished turn so do not have screenies at hand right now!)

Whilst in Russia the airforces were wrestling at some point the Allied pressure thinned. They shifted more planes down to the Iraq sector.
The Axis begun a retreat there, not feeling confident to be able to hold grounds without absolutely 0 air cover. The Allies are hesitant in giving pursuit - after all if they get off the range of their precious Persian rail, they'll get hammered by the limits of the Iraqi ports ... and Iraqi ports and 6 Armour / Mechanized soviet armies do not go hand in hand, not to count Canadians and USA troops.

But that left an opening around Vitbesk - or better pratically the grandtotal of 1 Allied bomber and many fighters. But as only 1 fighter can fight per battle when defending it was relatively relevant how many they were. Besides, it was turns and turns of attrition - no side probably had integer fighters except the Axis ones in the Dnepr River Bend. The feint was made there - a crossing gained. That was promptly rebuked by armoured intervention of Soviet reserves (taken from Vitbesk sector).

The thousands nations of the Persian Empire ... I mean, the half a dozen Axis nations in the sector (Everything except Italy) poured their pilot's hearts in the cauldron, with about ten panzercorps operational in the zone and well rested infantry that saw no action since over a year the offensive was unleashed. A grandtotal of 4 enemy armoured or mechanized formations were shanked and destroyed (Albeit 3 of them were relatively weak - I feel some 'old' units that had low experience...), and some more units were suffering damage.

Now that the Axis has left their entrenched position are prone to be counterattacked, and there are at least 3 more, visible, functional armoured enemy units of quality, plus two known at the Dnepr zone south-east of Kiev. But the Axis too has still fresh reserves ready.
Also most of the bombers are not anymore in range as the advance followed an axis that was not originally planned (Since no offensive was planned at all but an elastic defense!)

Waiting for the coming turn to see what will happen to the Axis spearhead!
The advance anyhow was not that big - following the north-eastern edge of the Pripet Marshes, from Mogilev-Vitbesk starting line, to the south of Mogilev. Pratically 8 hexes (thickness eastward of 2, in a row of 4 hexes)

For number crunching sake - that operation worth 8 hexes costed 250-300 oil points. I've not counted precise losses - I should have. It would do good to know how much an 'operational' turn costs here compared to what one gains.

[AlbertN]

Here the outcome after the Soviet Turn.

A German Panzergrenadier unit (Mech) got shattered on the spot after 2 rounds of combat, and a bazillion of bombing runs.

Combat intensity for -1- hex:

Total Axis losses: 36, 26 of which of the ground unit and 10 of air units.
Total Allied losses: 41, 14 of which of ground units and 27 of air units.

[AlbertN]

The Middle East

The Allies secured the rail cutting 2 out of the 3 oil fields of the Axis there. And are pulling off the Soviet mechanized forces and USA air back to Russia proper.

Should Germany content of the result achieved and pull back to previous positions or persist while some of the meaningful enemy forces are still away?

[AlbertN]

The exchange of blows in the Ostfront remains - there are no grand swings of territory, just vicious and ferocious attacks and counterattacks supported by the might of both airforces.
The Axis performs corollary operations around the Dnepr where they benefit of air presence.

The Soviets counterattacks annihilated an Elite Panzergrenadier and a whole Infantry corps that were foolishly holding their grounds to the last man (I suspect I may have understood 'why').
They were led by Manstein which has Mobility 9, that should shrink the possibility of retreat of an inferior Mobility leader (I thought that was Tenacity for! Mobility of the attacker vs Tenacity of the defender) - Now I've brought in another HQ, with Student into it - which still has 8 Combat (instead of 9, can live with that!) but only 3 mobility. The last turn it was the moment of a Soviet unit to make their last stand instead of retreating ...

In Iraq the Allies stopped to advance and indeed resorted to strategic bombing. To be decided where to send the Italian airforce - and if to try to hold oil fields that pratically keep busy a handful of enemy bombers.

The spur of '43 offensive deprived Germany of the grand plan to establish a strategic reserve for Western invasions though (barring withdrawing troops from other fronts - but at this stage the units in Iraq may as well be withdrawn depending on what the Allies do).

Italy - thanks to a massive lend lease from Germany - got back in production the destroyed mechanized units - which can be also used as strategic reserve considering the Iraq front is withering to a bulldog staring.

[AlbertN]

31 December '43

The USA started their Iraq offensive to dislodge the troops of Il Duce, now deprived of adequate German support.

The business here is strictly Italians vs USA; with some Canadian and German unit in rearguard (Germans are divisions though at the moment but they've a reserve in Greece, ready to be shipped back there or railed in Russia).

Considering the presence of US paratroopers to keep advanced positions is not adviced, but all Italian troops here are either mobile leg infantry or mechanized reserves. (Besides some port garrisons).
Just regular Italian infantry is of no match - because of the intrinsic limit of corps size. (I personally feel that Italians should have 30 sized corps too like minors even!)

[Flaviusx]

I have to wonder how the allies are keeping all this stuff supplied in the ME. They must be burning a lot of trucks.

[AlbertN]

'31 December '43

A grand shot of the Eastfront.

The Soviets begun their offensive in this last turn - having wisely waited an amount of turns to let the 'snow effect' kick in adequately (as German troops lose an amount of Efficiency each turn of snow).

A panzer unit was mauled after severe bombardment (Ended my turn with 20 something combat power, this turn was reduced to 6 after repairs and before moving).

The Air War sees Finns king of the arena, but there are only 2 Finn units. For reasons unknown to me the USA escort fighters are beating down regularly the Luftwaffe proper instead (I simply desume that either Escort Fighters are '45 already, and Germany has '44 interceptors still - or that Escort Fighters are far superior due to extra defence).

Suddenly the OKW is most happy to provide to panzer units adequate training and specialization for winter - in case of counterattacks are required against the pesky Soviets.

And whilst the Axis is pratically at its limits of troops (Italy has 20 Logistics free due to a unit just destroyed; and Germany has 200ish), I see the airbases of the Allies in the rearlines ever growing. That is still without UK in play except troops manning the southern edge of the River Dnepr.

[AlbertN]

@ Flavius

The railroad from Persia, I think it stretches for quite a far amount of hexes beyond it, as it is 9 Supply on the railroad - it goes out of quite a hefty amount of other hexes. That relieves all these units from the port limitations of supply.

[Flaviusx]

You can counter this snow effect, btw.

You just have to burn a fortune in trucks to do it.

Germany can never have too many trucks, lol.

That said, I think maybe this snow effect is exaggerated and should be toned down some in the later war years. By 1943 it ought to be negligible on the Germans. I also think this effect is too subtle in 1941 -- it's really hard for the Soviets to get any kind of winter offensive going on in 1941 because the snow rule as is doesn't really reflect the total collapse of the German supply network. So the snow rule is both too weak and too strong.

[AlbertN]

I've about 100 trucks in stock right now but massed bombing on 1 unit still obliterates their efficiency before the real land attack begins.

I agree snow post '41 should not be that hammering - it mostly affects the capabilities to counterattack.

In '41 I feel it's more like the Soviets being short of adequate troops than else to launch an attack, as through the winter some 12 strong units can even drop to 3-4 combat value depending where they're.
Troops in rail do not suffer that much though.

[AlbertN]

Start of April '44 - Finnish Front

The northern front has been very quiet for a long, long time.
But Axis intel revealed presence of Soviet Airborne units at the ready behind the lines.

With suspicion of incoming airborne operations against the Finnish units, some reinforcements were issued. But ultimately the region is not exactly productive, and only Helsinki and Leningrad matter.

In the last turns of bad weather up there the Finns should pull slightly back, closer to their operational lines, and an inversion of which troops are static and which are mobile is to happen.

[AlbertN]

Start of April '44 - Middle East

Nothing happened here too - the USA are probably overstretched, and in the last turn, courtesy of some Iraqi nationalists (Partisans) their whole armada went out of supply for 1 turn or about that.

I feel confident these USA troops here are used better elsewhere - because unless they reach the ports in the Mediterranean and 'teleport' ships there (Which in this game can happen) they won't go far.

There is also relatively scarcity of VPs to seize here - and with the incoming Summer '44 I almost expect a relocation of most of the USA forces from here. (Which may not happen).

Even if the German units relocate, Italy has enough mechanized forces and troops to conduct a defensive war against an undersupplied aggressor. (Or at least these are the words of Il Duce. Hopefully that's not in a bombastic mood).

[AlbertN]

Start of April '44 - Ostfront

All seems tranquil here - but something happened albeit minor.

In the south the Soviets crossed the Dnepr in late winter. German defenders despite in hill terrain and behind the river had to buckle under pressure. Not much Germans can do when severe winter drops your unit organization down to 30 unless you use trucks. And certainly you cannot afford truck for the whole of your economy.
Alternative could have been to winterize the unit there - but Winter Spec is certainly 'special' as one benefits of it little in terms of window of time. Maybe a mountaineer could have done the trick here but I've not built any with Germany (My fault in this situation, I should have made some 2+2 here or brought the Romanian).

The air war started again - as per usual the Finns ruled supreme due to high experience, '45 interceptor model now, and maxed efficiency (did I said already, winterized?), obtaining ratios between 2-5 to 1-7 whichever enemy they faced. But that's just 2 units. The Luftwaffe traded blows evenly against Soviet and USA planes alike (Just I suspect they're '44 fighter escort models, and Soviets ... well what the Luftwaffe makes up in more experience, the Soviets are winterized too so have maxed or so efficiency).

Given with the latest patch so many fighters are entirely and wholly redundant as the 'double dip' does not work anymore (Good grace! A very positive change) - but as both sides are overinvested in fighters, it kinda balances out.

[battlevonwar]

What an incredibly odd situation and long game! Looks very entertaining...

[AlbertN]

June '44 - The Axis Kursk comes

Between the months of May and June there was a massive armoured battle around Vitbesk, that saw the Soviets emerging victorious.

Whilst the Soviets lost 4 units (3 of which mechanized) and got a few more mauled, the Axis lost 3 panzerkorps, 3 infantry corps and most of its armoured reserves are depleted.
Vitbesk was taken with all of its Flak power established (6!).

Both sides managed to do spearheads and pull backs overunning upfront air units (2 per side).

In the north Soviet airborne trap Finnish units, and the Finns lose 1 division, 1 Elite corp, and 1 german division that was in the zone. The Soviets are pulling their airborne units back to refit and reorganize - and supposedly, drop again. Axis rushes their scarce strategic reserves held in Germany.

The ghastly shadow of a mass retreat in Russia seem to be looming over the German army and its many allies.

Minor operations took place in the Dnepr River bend sector - the USA forces are trying to apply some pressure to force the Axis to keep reserves there (As some units already went to the Vitbesk sector), whilst any spot of the Dnepr that is being manned by a depleted Soviet unit for rest can get bombed and stormed. (as it happened!)

[AlbertN]

February '45

For the remainder of the summer the Ostfront was a wrestle in the Vitbesk sector, seeing the 'Flak City' (Heritage of previous German occupation) switch ownership a few times until the Rasputiza came, seeing the city in Soviet hands.

A few turns of fair weather saw more punching back and forth between the factions but once snow kicked in, the Axis airforce begun to gain air superiority with the Finns still spearheading the fights. Soviet pilots were subpar, USA fighters suffered from the snows as much as the Axis (This is before the nerf of Escort Fighters which anyhow by now both sides possess in relative abundance), and mostly with a huge expenditure of trucks on Axis end to keep their squadron operational.

In early '45 the Allied airpower was kept mostly grounded and the Soviets begun their human wave tactic against a 'corner' of the Axis defence line (2 hexes north of Vitbesk) where the German troopers, having suddenly received winter gear, held their grounds defiantly (and with air support). Just as the Soviets were whittling that corp down despite usage of trucks and prioritized reinforcements, the Germans had enough for another Specialty. Placed it to the adjacent infantry in reserve, and swapped them them around. Pratically the 2 Winterized infantry corps proceed taking a turn or two of assaults and switch around to get repaired proper.

In the while the Axis managed to reconstitute their Panzertrupped, having replaced the losses of the summer and now licking the wounds of the bombers and most mauled German fighters.
The brunt of the aerial fight was kept up by the Axis minors that have pretty much ample manpower reserves - except Finland that's running out. Their fighters, despite having amazing successes, take their toll in replacements and Finland only gain 2 manpower per turn - but once better weather comes, the Luftwaffe should be able to take over the fight again (but so USA!)

Nonetheless, with no invasion on the sights on the West, and the Syria front stabilized (Italians retreated in worry of paradrops and are defending very close to their ports, with some German reserves just in case), the Axis situation is definitely rosey.

[AlbertN]

Start of May '45

Rain comes to the East after some turns of good weather where the Germans kept the Soviets honest, after Vitbesk it was the turn of Velike Luki to be subject to a few switches of hand, but in the end (for now) it remained in German hands.
The bulk of the aerial fight is done by the minors, and Germans provide bombers (Ironically enough - due to manpower constraints). By now all of the minors have their sector of the front - albeit small in some cases. Bulgaria has specialized in Winter Warfare, counting 3 Winterized Infantry corps, positioned in easily tenable spots but low on supply level (Winterization does not let you lose Efficiency in winter - so they hardly feel the low supply level unless put under pressure, and as they're holding the eastern edge of the Pripets and some Finnish chockepoint between lakes if the enemy breaches there, it's hardly a headache). Romanians and Hungarians are kept in good order behind the Dnepr riverline facing USA forces. Their relative airforces restructured into Interceptor or Escort Fighter proper (Reiterating, Fighter-Bombers are useless).

German manpower floats at the 50% magical number but then again the combat has been low intensity in general - anyone who attacks without severe bombing beforehand is to get a big, red, bleeding nose.

In the West maneuvers are happening in the Atlantic Ocean, with an increase of Allied ships traversing waters and more reserves of American troops in the USA proper. Considering the game ends in August 1, that leaves the Western Allies with 3 months to conquer the Axis nations and considering the level of reserves that Germany can safely strip from the Ostfront (probably even more with a fall back toward Poland) I feel the Allies need a miracle by now.

In Iraq the situation has turned dormant with a '45 Phoney War.

I admit when I saw USA entering the war in February '41 I thought it was game over. And I had twicefold that though once the Soviets yawned at the Germans and stalled them at the Dnepr-Vitbesk-Leningrad line, being fully aware that they would so retain a bulk of their manpower and production.
My math is that the immediate UK production loss is made up by early USA boost in production. BUT on the longer run USA production normalizes (The 'real bonus' is that between start of Sealion and end of '41 the USA produce more that makes up for UK loss of production if not even outweighting it). But the moment said production normalizes, all UK production then is amiss unless regained. (Plus their whole Logistic allotment pratically). I feel that this is what costed the game - as in my previous game the Allies were playing bowling with Axis forces already in '44.