DLC '44 West #10: Toulon

[VPaulus]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[ThvN]

beta1

Colonel, Imported Core, DV 11/16

Prestige before/after deployment: 12473/9914
Prestige on last turn/incl. victory bonus: 11380/13380

Since Kamerer has the Normandy front covered, I could safely go on a little holiday to southern france. When I deployed I decided to play tourist, pretending not to know anything about the second largest amphibious assault of WW2 that was sure to come down upon me (Operation Dragoon). So I deployed for counter-insurgency as the briefing advised me, with light and mobile forces. I left the anti-tank units and Tiger II at home, no Flak, and spread my forces wide and thin.

When the Allies came visiting I decided to take some damage and capture all French flags in the interior first, to prevent units spawning everywhere. Thanks to my core I had no trouble with the enemy airforce, the land forces were tricky but not overpowering, although a single mistake or risky move can lead to setbacks that keep the player on his (or her) toes. So all in all a very nice fluid scenario where you have to deal with the radically changing battle and initial chaos from the landings.

In hindsight, I had a very good core deployed to deal with this kind of warfare; lots of recon, infantry in trucks (fast on roads!), mobile artillery and a huge airforce, and most tanks were either cheap (Pz IV) or fast (Panther), The only 'heavies' I used were a SE Tiger I +move hero and ordinary Tiger I, whose spotting hero made it unexpectedly useful. Although if the landings had not been disrupted early on by my fast forces, I would have had more losses. I was also depended on air power sometimes, which can be risky. So I think it will be interesting to play with a heavier force, if I have time to spare I will try it and see how that works.

I did notice some oddities/errors on the map:

The town of Fayence (27,1) shows no flag on the strategic map, and if captured stays flagged as allied on minimap, although the flag changes normally on the main map. It is a similar issue as with the Bayeux scenario.

The Argens river stops at (27,9), but it should connect to the sea. Same for the Gapeau river at (18,24).

[Kamerer]

10) Toulon – beta 1

Level: Field Marshal
Prestige: Begin: 14,575. End: 15,050. Net: +475.
Result: DV at 12/16
Replacements: none used.

Problems:

• • Fayence (town hex) – same problem as in Bayeux – once captured, it stays “green” on strategic/UI map, also does not spot/see around it on main tactical map like friendly hexes.
  • Rivers not continuous at 18,24 and 27,9.

General impressions/comments:

• • Scenario played well, seemed challenging and interesting.
  • Allied naval presence seemed uncharacteristically weak, but perhaps that is accurate.

[Kamerer]

10) Toulon – beta 2

Level: Rommel, stock core
Prestige: Begin: 0. End: 925. Net: +925
Result: DV 15/16

Core changes:

• • Disbanded Caen captures.
  • Upgraded Firefly to Tiger II.

Problems:

• • River hexes still have incorrect tiles at sea junction.
  • Free French Infantry, or Resistance? (can’t really be both - see below*)
  • Spawning units at the end - seems illogical for this in an amphibious assault. In theory, where do they come from?

General impressions/comments:

• • Newly added allied infantry upped the pressure a little, but it’s not overwhelming.
  • A very enjoyable scenario.
  • It feels very weird to see units just "pop up" on shore on the last few turns. Any way to eliminate that in amphibious landings? I understand opponents generating new units on home terrain, but not a foreign coast without transporting them there.

* - Something I missed on the first pass – the interior/inland units are labeled both “Free French Infantry” and “French Resistance.” Which were different things. If they are FFI, and the combat values indicate that – how did they get landed inland past the coastal defenses? If they are French Resistance (aka, Maquis), how can they have combat values on par with an early war Panzer Grenadier unit? If they are supposed to be resistance/Maquis units, something on par with Russian conscript units would be more appropriate.

[RobertCL]

Leutnant Level: Marginal Victory

An enjoyable scenario, one more turn and I had DV.

It feels very weird to see units just "pop up" on shore on the last few turns. Any way to eliminate that in amphibious landings? I understand opponents generating new units on home terrain, but not a foreign coast without transporting them there.

I destroyed many ships thx to the Luftwaffe (even with fighters, FW 190A at 14 strength and Me 210 at 13 strength).

* - Something I missed on the first pass – the interior/inland units are labeled both “Free French Infantry” and “French Resistance.” Which were different things. If they are FFI, and the combat values indicate that – how did they get landed inland past the coastal defenses? If they are French Resistance (aka, Maquis), how can they have combat values on par with an early war Panzer Grenadier unit? If they are supposed to be resistance/Maquis units, something on par with Russian conscript units would be more appropriate

.

+1