Plaid vs Vokt CEAW GS 3.2 beta AAR -- rematch

[Plaid]

During allied turn more Soviet unit movement near Dnepropetrovsk, but no attacks:



In Lybia British units are routed, both ground and naval ones. Transports were used for sweep in fear of subs.



During axis turn Italian mechs pursue retreating Simond's HQ infantry and destroy it. Battleship task force sinks one of sweeper transports (mostly for experience purpose only).
Persian transport is left alone.



Minor unit swapping and upgrading in USSR. No SW yet:





Oil level begins to restore and healthy 140+ PP reserve is formed. Manpower is 78% for Germany and 77% for Italy.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

Minor Soviet offensive in the south destroys German corps. Note high damage on non-guard armoured unit, it is reduced to 6 steps.



RN CV harass Italian BB for 4 steps of damage, no other action in the MED or elsewhere.



Axis turn:

Eastern front - another small retreat in the south. Airpower amassed in the area to counter Soviet armour if necessary. II SS Panzerkorps also arrives to the area.



In the north only repairs, upgrades and unit movement.



In Lybia Italians fall back to their position, naval units retreat to bases.



Italian PPs were spent on repairs, German PPs are kept in reserve for now.

[Cybvep]

The African Campaign is a disaster for the Allies. They have achieved almost nothing there so far.

[Plaid]

The African Campaign is a disaster for the Allies. They have achieved almost nothing there so far.

Looks like both high Italian tech level and Luftwaffe redeploying for the area were not expected.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

Winter offensive goes on with Yaroslavl retaken in the north and Bulgarian corps killed in the south. Number of other units also hit.





Italian recon sub reports invasion fleet spotted in Gibraltar straight. It is either Torch or direct Sicily invasion.



Research situation and casualties overview at the first turn of 1943:







Axis turn:

Defensive line in the east reinforced where possible. Even more airpower and ground units amassed in the south. We can't give much more ground now, frontline is already well to far to the west in the south and center.





Finally some convoy attacks - probably escorts are busy with protecting US transports for now:

94 PP Soviet convoy reduced to 28.



68 PP US convoy sunk completely:



In Lybia we might have to evacuate Italians, before they get trapped by massive allied naval assets.
Subs are already here harassing Italian warships. US sub was hit by German strategic bombers. Taken 2 damage from one attack and evaded second one.



German PP reserve spent on 2 mechs and 2 corps. Still have ~50 PPs stocked.

[Plaid]

Soviets stay on the offensive. We lost corps near Yaroslavl and two in the south (full strength one and depleted one in Krivoi Rog).

Also attacks in the middle, where Italian unit surprisingly hold its ground and inflicted some damage on Soviet shock troops.





Like we don't have enough problems, partisan spawned in Gomel as soon as city was left ungarrisoned for 1 turn.

Torch confirmed. Probably will be launched next turn.



Axis turn:

Main action was in the south of eastern front, where large luftwaffe force was tasked with halting Soviet armoured advance. Results are somewhat mixed.

After couple of turns fair weather in central Europe zone will become reality and all this Luftwaffe units will operate from Romania with much better results, if needed.






Cituation in the center is also worrying with Hungarian corps and Romanian garrison near Gomel likely to retreat.

In Africa evacuation started. We better finish while Americans are busy with Torch, or all those troops will be trapped here by allied navy.



Soviet convoy tracked down and sunk (will be ambushed during LL phase).



German PPs saved, Italian ones are payed for transports.

[Plaid]

Another SW turn:

Soviets push here and there, destroying German corps near Kaluga.

In the center Italian HQ mech lost aswell as Hungarian infantry unit and Soviet guard mech even links with partisan in Gomel.

In the south offensive halted atleast for 1 turn.





Torch is launched.



Axis turn:

This time main goal was to fix things a bit near Gomel. After heavy airstrikes Hoth's HQ mech together with Italian and German corps units achieved kill on tough Chuikov HQ guard mech.

Usual defensive action and mending holes elsewhere.





In the MED italians almost complete evacuation from Lybia, while most Vichy garrisons in Algeria and Tunisia were repaired to delay allied forces.



Purchased armoured unit and 2 infantry corps for Germany.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

Soviets attack in Gomel and Vologda areas:





Torch is in progress:



Axis turn:

No offensive action this turn, apart from ones against partisans (and Vichy BB attacking US transport for 1 step of damage).

Keep trying to mend my defensive line in the east and preserve heavy units form damage.





Italian evacuation from Lybia is complete. Garrisons left in Tripoli and Benghazi and corps in Tobruk.



PPs were used for repairs, upgrades and promoting one of recently deployed mechs to elite.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

SW continues. Soviet troops attack in the north and center, while retreat a bit in the south.





Torch progresses slowly, with Oran taken by US troops this turn (no picture, but its little difference from previous one anyway).

I missed the moment when allied fighters reached 12 range, so bombers gone for Frankfurt escorted luring my fighters. After that other bombers gone for Berlin and Hamburg unescorted, but there were no more fighters to intercept.
Atlest American fighter was hit hard in process.



Axis turn:

In the east frontline is slightly reformed near Gomel, with infantry units going into first line and armour retreating back.
Finnish corps reduced to 1 step was also swapped for fresh German one.





Picture with situation in Lybia:



In Germany Luftwaffe fighters were rebased further east to intercept only unescorted bombers.

Battered axis minor air units are brought into Berlin and synthetic oil plant to limit damage.

Also discovered level 4 radar this turn, further increasing flak values of resources. Weather is mud in central zone this turn, so little bombing expected.



Convoys attacked again.

Soviet one reduced from 40 PPs to 0



US one goes from 95 to 30 before any escorts arrive.



3 Infantry corps purchased for Germany.

[Plaid]

SW ended after Axis turn 66, but seems like normal winter rolled instead and Soviets stayed active.

We lost German and Finnish (1 step) corps units in the north and received some damage in the center (but looks like no units lost).





Partisan appears in annoying place, compromising strategic bomber bases.

Brisish lonely mech sieges Tobruk, while Americans advance in Algeria and Tunisia almost unopposed.



Axis turn:

Still winter in the east, so only defensive actions. Troops retreat from Vologda area. Once fair weather settles in larger scale retreat planned in northern forest.





West situation - we have here 4 German corps units, SS mech and Italian mech units. I hope its enough to discourage 1943 Overlord, but additional reserves can be sent to the region.



Picture with Torch progress:

[Plaid]

Soviets finished their winter offensive with Finnish corps destroyed near Kostroma and Gomel retaken from Hungarians.

British mech keep attacking Tobruk and Torch crawls forward towards Tunis slowly.

No objectives outside of allied fighter range were bombed strategically - only western Germany and France.

During axis turn small retreat ordered in the north and small advance forward in the south.

Luftwaffe fighters in the center launch direct attacks on soviet TAC bases with reasonably good results.

Our own bombers rebased to the west to avoid same action from VVS fighters - new ranges allow them to support frontline units from that far.





Italians decided to abandon Tobruk before harbor is blocked - infantry unit with experience can be used better elsewhere.



4 destroyers arrive to southern seas. Looks like no more good hunting for subs here.



Purchased infantry for Germany and garrison for Italy (will become paratrooper).

[Plaid]

Little things happen during allied turn:

Soviets reform their line and upgrade troops, USN sub attack Italian BB for 1:1 result, usual strategic bombing of unprotected objectives.
As an annoying bonus full strength partisan spawned in forest area near Brest (and another one in Pripyat marshes, but this one is not a problem).

Also one of uboats in the south was almost sweeped by USN DD (it ended adjacent, but failed to detect contact).





Mud rolled in the east (5% chance), so axis units mostly repair and upgrade. TAC from Romania also attacked Sevastopol defenders.





Situation in Italy:



Situation in France:



No signs of Overlord for now.

Recruited Henrici HQ for Germany, he will take care of troops in Kiev area.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Looks like the Allies are a bit behind schedule in this game. Looks like the Russians don't dare to attack in fair weather. I guess the 2 failed invasions of eastern Libya have come back to haunt the Allies.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

First attack against Tunis defenders and usual strategic bombings.





Just unit movement in the east:





Axis turn:

Attacks launched against Sevastopol and Soviet troops in Bryansk area. Moscow bombed strategically into 3 production.
Fresh fighters from Germany rebased to the east, since noone bomb objectives which they guard anyway. If things change I always can send them back.







73 PP Soviet convoy was reduced to 3.



British one also spotted, but escorted.



Partisan near Cherbourgh dealt with.

Germany ended turn with massive 185 PP reserve, Italy used PPs on repairs and upgrades again.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

Soviet counterattacks occured in the north and center, but no units were destroyed. Paratroops even landed to attack Luftwaffe fighter airbase, but looks like results were not great.





Surprisingly Sevastopol was abandoned by defending corps:



Picture of intensive strategic bombing campaign:



With so huge ammount of bombers built together with high casualties in Lybia in 1941-42 allies are unlikely to launch Overlord in 1943.

MED situation. CVs thanks to their new ranges can attack naval units from bases, and it does real damage because of high naval attack factor of CV.
I lost German BB to this and just got Italian one heavily damaged.

Axis turn:

Most air units in the East were repaired, but some flew missions instead. Moscow was bombed into 0 production.
Action in Gomel area continues, but it is of rather minor scale, with 3 steps corps finished off and guards at 8 steps destroyed.
Our own battered units retreat.



Sevastopol taken in the south and troops advance towards Dnepropetrovsk, but its mostly a feint, rather than real attack.



Also minor action in far North, with Finnish troops being unable to cut one of Soviet partisans out of supply in marsh terrain.



Italian battleship retreats from Sicily, while more ground troops arrive.



Escorted 82 step British convoy attacked and reduced to 26:



4 more corps drafted for Germany, jumping to 72% MP instantly. Still have ~60 PPs in reserve.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

Soviets attacked only corps near Cherepovets and it was reduced to 2 steps.





Both US DDs surprisingly missed their target uboats:



First airstrikes on Sicily defenders launched, but nothing major yet.

Axis turn:

Troops retreat from Kalinin-Cherepovets area, because place is becoming dangerous. One of Soviet fighter bases also attacked directly by our own fighter, reducing Soviet unit to 3 steps.





In the south on the contrary we attack, capturing Dnepropetrovsk and unguarded Stalino.



Med situation. Allies are going to be busy in Africa for few more turns.



Both UK and Soviet convoy remnants are tracked down and sunk.

[trulster]

CVs sitting in port bombing freely seems a bit off. Probably should remove defensive bonuses for being in port when CV attacking.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

You shouldn't get any defensive bonuses in port when attacking from it.

[Cybvep]

IIRC attacking from a port with planes based on carriers was pretty much impossible. This had to be done at sea and wind was an important factor.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

No offensive actions in the east, only couple of air attacks:





Intensive strategic bombing campaign over Germany and France goes on.

British carrier sails to Taranto and attack Italian TAC airbase.



Axis turn:

Attacks continue in the center. Soviet mech destroyed and guard corps reduced to 1 step. Soviet fighters also suffer badly.



In the south axis also advance forward and even attack Rostov. Massed Soviet armoured formations spotted near Kharkov.



RN CV near Taranto was attacked by BB and fighter and got its strength halved. I did not send other naval units, because the thing must be protected by subs heavily.