Plaid (axis) vs Supermax (allies) [no Supermax pls]

[Plaid]

Max got Messina and soon will get Palermo for sure, but its okay. This operation looks like attempt to weaken my barbarossa, not to conquer Italy. From my point he got Sicily, but he don't have airpower to place there and strike me in Italy, so its quite useless place for allies this early (even few planes, he have, don't have range to operate in Italy from Sicily).
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Italian defence force for now includes 3 full strength Italian corps units, Italian airforce, sub, dd and german FTR.
Probably italian planes will be sent to the east for very initial 2-3 turns of barbarossa, probably not.
Still, i don't feel like Italy is close to surrender. Now i got my armour tech and queued my 6th Panzer (have 95% on blitzkrieg, but I think 1 oil for 1 shock is bad deal, my armour will go to Russia without this upgrade). Since now I am building only german corps units, and I will have 3-4 ready to rail at start of every turn. If I see any real threat in Italy, some of this units will be railed there instead of USSR. For blocking beaches various axis minor garrisons are just as good, I already railed couple from Romania, and soon I will have 3 bulgarian corps and 2 garrisons aswell.
In winter 41-42 I will do something bad with all this allies in the MED, for now I will be defensive and build as much Italian subs, as I can.
Also, about subs, I am deffinetely lucky - another 40 PP convoy runed out of the FoW directly into one of my subs, deploying for northern convoy route. So this one will be destroyed aswell.

[trulster]

Should definitely use Axis air force to punish Brit navy and land forces as much as possible before rebasing them to Russia in April or so. If you are destroying all convoys as you say then the Brits will be hard pressed to replace losses.

[afk_nero]

Palermo is gone - why not save the garrison outside Palermo and leave the garisson (with its entrenchment) in the city to evacuate at the lat moment before it falls.

Either that or push the garrison up to stop the couble attack on the city.

Just an idea - every little helps now for the Italians.

[Plaid]

Loading garrison into tranport costs 8 PPs, new one costs 15.
They are both enrenched and will give some fight to british forces.

[Plaid]

Here is fresh pic from med.
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Garrison outside Palermo at one step, I didn't repair it even, because of low effectiveness, while I repaired one in Palermo itself.
Max sent two transports with garrisons further into Italy, I used them for getting some experience for my Italian naval and air units (both planes now have 1 star, aswell as sub). I blocked mountain hex, since it can be a pain, but I didn't block clear ones, since I don't mind half-strength garrisons landing into clear terrain - they will be destroyed very fast
Also here is some screens of convoy war.

Max called for escort DD, so I decided rather to reduce this convoy to 2 steps (it was 40) and let it go, than to risk engaging DD in any way.
Another convoy is unescorted and looks like will be reduced to 0.


Also about rebasing airforce - I don't want to do it now, since my barbarossa will happen on turn 31 or 32, depending on weather.
Next turn I will load my forces, prepared for amphibious assault somewhere in Baltic sea and place transports for landing spots, so if I get clear weather on last april turn (31), I will be ready to start Barbarossa this day.
Screen and detailed campaign plan would be posted soon aswell.

[Plaid]

All over in Sicily now, allies control it. Probably Sardinia will be next target.

Good news that next turn I will purchase Italian sub and hopefully soon I will have nice wolfpack of upgraded subs in the med, so it will be less comfortable for allies
And here is deployment for Barbarossa.

If i get fair next turn, I will start.
In the north I am planning some amphibious operation to capture Tallin (and destroy soviet sub) on first turn.
It will threat Riga aswell, denying good defensive line there.
In other ways operation will be quite standart, I want to reach Dnepr defensive line earlier, then Max can build defence there and go for Maikop oilfields.
Mission for AGC will be smolensk-bryansk region, and in the north I want to conquer Leningrad.
Now I have lots and lots of fair turns ahead for long eastern campaign, so lets see, what will come.

[gerones]

Have you purchased another italian sub unit yet?

[Plaid]

Nope, but I purchased 2 sub labs and now I am close to 2nd level tech.

[patton]

That is a much smaller Barbarossa force than I am used to seeing in these AARs.

[massina_nz]

Well it's threee turns before my normal barbarossa (June 2), so compared to mine it's has circa 400PP's less worth of troops, eg 8 MECH units. So I think Plaid has got a reasonable force here given the tight deadlines. Remember Russia will have quite a few less units at the start as well.

[Plaid]

That is a much smaller Barbarossa force than I am used to seeing in these AARs.

I have tank and 2 corps ready next turn, if it changes anything

[massina_nz]

I think I spot 5 FTRs, 4 TACs and a STR in your air-force, that's an ample air-force. I normally have 4 FTRs, 5 TACs and 1 STR. Being able to use that airforce for so many good weather turns could have quite a debilitating effect on the Russians. This will be very interesting.

[Plaid]

Well, this one looks promising.

But before we will get to ostfront some fresh pictures of convoy war.

Southern convoy lost 11 steps and will be ambushed for 8 more next turn.


Escort of 1 DD is not the best protection, this one lost 27 steps just now, meaning this turn I destroyed 46 british PPs without much effort or risk.

Also I finally purchased new sub for Italians and upgraded existed one. Allies in the MED look passive for now, but who knows for sure.

And here we have barbarossa itself.
Northern sector

Noteable operation is amphibious invasion, resulted in capture of Tallin. (Taked 1 TAC support run and bombardment from DD, but no casualties, while I destroyed soviet SUB and now threat Riga from behind)
I see Max have armour near Leningrad, its very good, since he spent his PPs on unit, which he will not be able to use until the winter (unless he wants to loose it, its good aswell ) instead of more then 2 valueable now corps for frontline defences. I hope he built more then one aswell as some planes...
In other ways offensive was quite standard, I managed to get Brest-Litovsk and Vilna here, destroying, pocketing and ZoCing good number or soviet units.
And here is southern sector

Aswell, quite good progress, Lvov and Chisinau captured, high soviet casualties, low axis ones.
I think initial strike was very reasonable for this early Barbarossa (in my games I sometimes have weaker one in June).
Axis casualties for barbarossa first turn were only 1 german INF step; 1 german FTR step; 1 italian mech step; 1 hungarian FTR step and 2 Hungarian mech steps.
2 more german corps queued, maybe I should buy something different, bomber for example, or fighter, since there is no major need for large masses of INF yet.

[Plaid]

Also question - is there any way to take CEAW screens other, then pressing "Prt Sc", than opening graph editor like paint and pressing "paste" ?
Maybe there is some way to save screens in game, I just don't know about?

[rkr1958]

Also question - is there any way to take CEAW screens other, then pressing "Prt Sc", than opening graph editor like paint and pressing "paste" ?
Maybe there is some way to save screens in game, I just don't know about?

Afraid not. "Print Screen" and paste is the only way that I know of.

[gchristie]

Plaid,

Smart move taking Tallin and eliminating the sub. If it isn't already, this is now in Axis players' play book.

Rooting for you in this one.

Regards

[ncali]

I have used the Talinn move a couple times but in my most recent game, the Russian garrison held out at 1 strength point (despite my use of 2 tacair, naval bombardment, and 2 inf's)! I think it will work 90+% of the time, but there is nothing certain in war!

[massina_nz]

The Early Russian Tanks are very vulnerable to TAC air. I suggest maybe focusing one or two TACs to knock out any Russian Tanks you see. You can kill a whole lot of Russian PPs very quickly that way. And in non-clear hexes they are even more vulnerable.

Looks like a good first turn to me.

[Plaid]

First of all, I noticed, that Max is going to do something with Finland. Probably he thought, that my barbarossa will not be so early and planned to do more INF later, since now with 2 tanks built at least he can't have enough infantry, to maintain reasonable frontline at common Dnepr position.

Anyway, barbarossa continues with good result.
AGN captrured Riga and will establish rail supply with marine forces at Estonia soon.
It taken air support from both TACs though, so redeployment to support Finland delays. Anyway I will do, what I can to defend Finland.

AGC captured Minsk, destroying number of retreating soviet units.
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AGS fighting for Odessa now, aswell as panzers advance forward to expected soviet positions. I decided not to attack vinnitsa without air support and with bad axis minor units, since it looks like casualties for nothing to achieve.

Question in Russia is what to do with pocketed garrisons - I can either destroy them fast with axis minor units, or slow with 1-2 german INF units, which will become elite experienced after this action. I think that speed is more important, than couple of 4 star corps though.
Allies are plotting something around Italy. I deffinetely want invasion from southern tip of Italy by ground rather than amphibious one somewhere else, its quite easy to hold good frontline in southern Italy, based on Taranto and Naples cyties (rough terrain + rivers + its onlt 4 hexes long)

This turn I queued german TAC bomber, it will be used in Russia or MED, depending on situation.

[Plaid]

Barbarossa continues.

AGN managed to capture Pskov, denying another good defensive line for Red Army and opening way to Leningrad.
Since both AGN native TACs were used to support this assault, I rebased one from the center to help Finns finally, as things are looking not very good there.
Also my fighters destroyed number of soviet planes, which must be good strike for soviet PPs this early. German corps sent from Riga to Helsinki, to help aswell.
Soviet Baltic Fleet tryed to break blockade , but lost 5 steps and now its not dangerous for my HSF, allowing free transport operations in Baltic sea.

AGC reached soviet defensive positions. Red army troops were not entrenched, so I managed to damage and throw back 1 corps unit, threating entire position.

Looks like AGS can't execute its initial order to destroy soviet defence along the Dnepr river, since there is no soviet defence
Anyway, I finally captured Vinnitsa (garrison knocked 3 steps from my german inf ) and sieged Kiev, destroying mech corps near it.
Soviet position in AGC sector now looks dangerous, since AGS tanks can help to pocket this units or strike them from behing, I suppose Max to retreat with his forces from previous screen.
In Italy allied landing expands, and I am happy with it, since once this units land, they are locked in this patch of land far from ports instead of swimming across all the med and forcing me to rail troops for beach blocking. I railed 1 italian corps from Ukraine and 1 german corps from reserves (it will be future german HQ in the region probably) to build my frontline, which is now almost ready.
Also I attacked RN BB with fighter and italian sub, reducing it from 6 steps to 2. Main idea of this action was to show Max, that ist not safe to sail wherever he wants (unfortunately, it is, since I have only 1 fighter, 1 sub and 1 dd for now) and bombard random garrisons.

This turn I purchased commander for AGN (with so much action in north USSR and Finland it finally needs it, but often I am happy without any) - von Kluge. I think, that higher level commanders are big question, since 5 stars one costs 55 and 8 stars one costs 125 PPs, while difference is only 6 effectivenes(I guess highest level commanders are good for real big armies, where this little +6 difference applies to great number of valueable units (for example Guderian, I think, is worthy where he is in AGS.)
Also I purchased german corps unit for remaining PPs, it will be railed where it will be needed (I like to have at least 1 ready for railing corps unit in Germany at start of every turn, to asnwer various changes on fronts)
Probably its time to think about commander for german forces in Italy, but they are few in numbers yet.