DLC '45 West #14: Antwerp

[VPaulus]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[Kamerer]

14) Albert Canal Redux (aka Antwerp) – beta 1

Level: Rommel, imported corps
Prestige: Begin: 2,900. End: 8,500 (at DV). Net: +5,600
Result: Loss 21/21, then DV at 26
Replacement policy/prestige: none used.

Core changes: Purchased a Maus for static defense in this scenario.

Problems:

• • Victory screen text: “…Wacht am Rhein…”
  • Victory screen text: “... never came close…

General impressions/comments:

• • I did not capture Antwerp in 21 turns – but I did not actually notice the “Victory or Death” thing, or take it literally, when I saw it later. I probably could have been done in 21 by forcing everything up the middle. After the walk-over in the prior scenario I was complacent. It was still slow in the middle and w/o the small force swung all the way around to the rear of Brussels, it would have been slower getting into Antwerp. I added five turns and had a DV at 26 so I could play onward. I wasted effort on Brussels and Eindhoven so re-focusing on the task at hand would likely make 21 a fine limit. I'll see in beta 2 (though with a weaker stock corps).
  • The added fighters make the air game very easy, though this is an imported corps with 2x Me 262s, 2x Fw190s, and the SE Me109 from Cassino in it already.

[ThvN]

Antwerp, beta1

Three attempts, first a loss on turn 21 while I had only two more victory hexes in Antwerp to seize, and suffered heavy losses. Second attempt was an experiment, didn't work out well but it had promise:
I sent two flanking groups, one along the extreme South of the map, one North, and the main force through the center. The flanking groups were just a little too weak and the center too strong, although I managed to get the Southern group through Brussels and around Antwerp. The Northern group, while approaching Eindhoven looking for supply depots, bit off more than it could chew and spent the rest of the turns trying to stay alive.

Third attempt, I left the AAA at home, took all my air units, and overstrenghted everything and upgraded units where I thought it was feasible. I was sitting on a ton of prestige from the last scenarios so I figured I had been too frugal. I deployed a slightly stronger Southern group which hugged the South side of the map, then took Brussels and attacked Antwerp from the Southwest. The rest went through the middle. So, third time, finally:

Colonel, Imported Core DV 21/21

Prestige before/after deployment: 12644/4592
Prestige on last turn/incl. victory bonus: 12818/18318

Came very close to losing a couple of units, although the air units had very little trouble with the Allied airforce. And apparently I destroyed all supply depots/pumping stations according to the messages, netting a big prestige bonus.

Fun times: halfway along the scenario, a lone Allied infantry from the Eindhoven counterattack got into his truck, drove into Lommel (28,11) and then headed straight for Zonhoven (30,20), while I was frantically chasing it with a recon unit and a Grenadier in halftrack (couldn't attack it from the air because of the weather), I caught it just in time on the edge of Zonhoven victory hex. So, the most succesful enemy unit of all nearly turned out to be a a '43 British infantry in a lorry...

[Kamerer]

I replayed this with the supplied "stock" corps, building it up from Scenario #1, Field Marshal.

Result : Loss.

I had the benefit of playing the scenario before, but the handicap of working-up the stock corps. I used a cleaner and more focused strategy, but was still in the same position pretty much as the 1st time I tried with my imported corps I was ready to clean out Antwerp and the northern pumps - still four or five turns from finishing.

I see ThvN's 3rd strategy working, but:

• a) Not with the stock corps, and
  b) only with substantial reconnaissance or clear briefing as it's very counter-intuitive.

[ThvN]

Kamerer, I didn't try the stock core, but your analysis is right. On the first try I had sent a couple of fast recon plus some supporting units (in case I ran into trouble) to see if there were any supply depots hiding along the southern edge, and it was completely empty. I thought my Southern group would be too weak to attack Brussels, and moved the fighting part to Leuven and sent a single recon North towards Antwerp to keep scouting. This is a three-star Luchs with extra spotting and defense heroes. I found these units to be very good recon, they are very cheap so fairly disposable, but this one I managed to keep alive, hence the heroes.

The second attempt I assembled two flanking forces, but still a bit historical and suboptimal in composition. The Southern one was a bit too light to capture Brussels, it took them too long and they were quite damaged as well, and the North group near Eindhoven was nearly wiped out and had to 'tactically regroup' (run away, that is).

Now, for the third run I gave up on the Northern group and upgraded a Panzer IV with +2 move (which was the former captured Firefly which I had downgraded) into a Tiger II (yes, very gamey, I know) and added that and an extra StuG IV with +1 move to the South group, left the Flakpanzer etc. in the reserve and took more aircraft, with good results. And instead of leaving all heavy armor at 10 strenght I overstrenghted to the max, so the centre suffered less and could keep going instead of having to reinforce them every couple of turns.

For some odd reason I ended up with a lot of spotting heroes in this core, I even had a Tiger I with +2 spotting, and I usually have a couple of recon units and a lot of air units that can also provide extra lookout. So this way I was able to quickly spot Allied units before they spotted me, which helps a lot to make the fighting easier, more than the odd attack hero here and there. Being able to see Allied planes/Fireflies/Comets coming in before they hit you saved me a lot of trouble and losses.

Although I suffer somewhat when the weather turns bad, as I have a heavy airforce and lack initiative heroes on my ground units, which can make a large difference under those circumstances. I try to compensate this disadvantage by having four StuG IV in artillery mode follow my frontline units to help those survive any encounters.

[monkspider]

Antwerp
Beta 2
General level
Imported Core
Loss
Losses: 1x Flying Wing, and 1x Ar-254
Ending prestige 6600

Ah Antwerp, I remember this battlefield from the old Albert Canal battle from DLC 1940. This was a truly epic slog, but ultimately there are just not enough turns to complete it. The map is so big with so many side objectives, it is easy to get distracted. I did send a small force south to try to capture Brussels but when I realized Brussels would not fall easily and that things were getting bogged down on the road to Antwerp, I sent this force back north. Really there are just so many enemy units, and with the weather, frequent supply issues. I also used the "cheat function" to add some extra turns and ultimately gained a decisive victory on turn 27. I would recommend significantly increasing the turn count on this one, possibly as high as 28-30.

The message was definitely received on the unintimidating Allied airforce complaint. The Allies air units were a considerable threat and incredibly deadly. Overall my losses in this battle were simply horrendous and allied air power contributed significantly to that.

[billmv44]

Beta 2, General. Starting Prestige 6823, ending 6825. Standard core.

This was a long tough battle. I was lured into thinking I could take Brussels on the fly, but it turned into a long grind. I finally took it on turn 21. This distraction kept 2 infantry, 3 panzer and 1 artillery unit out of the fight for Antwerp. Antwerp itself was a very tough nut to crack. I finally was able to crush all resistance there on turn 24. I was barely able to take out all the pumping stations and all of the supply dumps. I also tried to take Eindhoven but it was impossible with the small force I had available. The AI began attacking out of there and I was barely able to contain him. As mentioned the allied air power is very strong here too. I finally gained air supremacy on turn 18. The extra 2 fighters from the Liege scenario are really coming in handy.

This probably could be extended a couple of turns.

[Kamerer]

Beta 2

Stock/game corps, Field Marshall
MV(Loss) 24/24, DV 26/24

I tried this again in Beta 2 with the stock or game-provided corps. Still two turns short of a DV and bludgeoning into Antwerp in the provided turns.