Blood, toil, tears and sweat - The war is over!

[zechi]

Turn 58 - Italy surrenders

I got real lucky this turn and after heavy air and naval bombardment an US INF takes Taranto and forces Italy to surrender. After bombardment by BB, CV and TAC the German 10 steps INF still got 4 steps left and results were 3:1 in favor for the US INF and I got an 4:0 result which destroyed the German defenders.



This was just in time, because Plaid brought in massive German reinforcements, which could drive my US/UK Invasion force from the mainland.

On the Eastern Front there is no action at all and the Red Army waits. I place my second new ARM, repair damaged units and buy the 12th lab.

On the Polar front my STR are quite succesful:

[Clark]

Wow! Looks like Plaid played with fire and got burned rather badly. Now he has to hold on yet another front, relying everywhere solely on the production and manpower of Germany.

I don't know unrealistic it is that the Italians surrendered with the loss of Taranto, as it's not like he has a ton of German ground forces in place, at least not that we can see.

[afk_nero]

To be honest I think you got very very very lucky with the result - I thought Plaid had you stalemated in Italy and only some miracle (such as happened) would save the operation.

I guess in war you got to take the luck even if it's once in a hundred.

You still have to fight your way through Italy - you should win but it will be tough for you going through those mountains.

Very interesting AAR - thanks for doing it.

[massina_nz]

I'm alway surprised by the results from play testing scenarios via hot-seat games, like my recent do-I-attack-Malta one. You can get some widely varying results. So when-ever I run a hot-seat test I have to do it several times.

[zechi]

Turn 59 - Axis Army retreats as severe winter hits

On the Eastern front severe winter hits and Axis retreat on the southern front:



Plaid played cleverly as he withdraw right in time. On the northern front nothing happens.

In the Med the surrender of Italy is a blow for the Axis, but German forces quickly form a defense line.



I mostly repair my badly damaged air units.

Losses so far:

[/img]

[zechi]

To be honest I think you got very very very lucky with the result - I thought Plaid had you stalemated in Italy and only some miracle (such as happened) would save the operation.

I guess in war you got to take the luck even if it's once in a hundred.

You still have to fight your way through Italy - you should win but it will be tough for you going through those mountains.

Very interesting AAR - thanks for doing it.

It was surely a lucky shot, but I think a miracle is exaggerated. The last few turns I tried to dispatch the INF defending Taranto and brought it constantly down to 3-5 steps, so the chance that a "lucky shot" will succeed after some time was not so bad. The BB bombarding Taranto has max experience and regularly did 2 steps of damage. As I first neutralised the Luftwaffe with other air strikes, my TAC and CV could also attack unmolested for good casualities.

I think Plaid did a major tactical mistake. He should have tried a counterattack against the US INF near Taranto with the MECH he stationed there last turn or attack my TAC with his FTR. With a damaged US INF I do not think I could have dispatched the defenders in Taranto and I only can repair 1 step each turn, because of low supply. I also think taht he should have brought another FTR a lot earlier than he did.

Nevertheless, I think Plaid will still get his stalemate, because US and UK forces are exhausted right now and there is still the Gustav line as obstacle.

[zechi]

Turn 60 - Southern offensive continues, Stalemate in Italy

Red Army advances on the southern front and destroys a German INF. Odessa will most likely fall next turn:



Soviet got Dog Fight Level 3 this turn. Zhukov will also be back in 9 turns.

In the Med i upgrade and repair my units:



Pattons Tank Corps could be destroyed this turn, if Plaid gets lucky.

On the polar front an US STR attacks the Hochseeflotte of the Kriegsmarine, but it inflicts not damage and is intercepted for 3 steps. I also buy a FTR and an ARM for the Soviets. In the US I place a new FTR. Next turn I will ship a TAC, FTR and MECH to Italy. Hopefully this will be sufficient to advance slowly in Italy. Furthermore I will begin building another invasion force, which either head to liberate Britain or France.

[Clark]

If you can muster up a decent invasion fleet for summer 1943, it would be a good idea to take back England and Scotland (and Wales, of course). It's harder and more costly for him to reinforce the Island than France or Italy, and it will both rob him of his platform for whacking at Soviet convoys and grant you a platform for bombing his subs and production capacity in Europe.

[zechi]

Turn 61 - Soviet offensive continues, US Infantry is unbelievable

On the southern fron my offensive continues, but I do not get Odessa:



In the Med I lose both ARMs the last turn, but the US INF which took Taranto is unbelievable succesful:



I retreated most air units and repaired/upgraded other units.

My current build queue:

[/img]

[zechi]

Turn 62 - Odessa falls

This turn nothing really interesting happened. As expected Odessa falls and I upgrade most of my units:



In the Med Bradley takes command of US forces and most units are either repaired or upgraded:

[zechi]

Turn 63 - Southern offensive continues, Chinisau attacked

A real fat convoy got through this turn:



More of these!

My southern offensive in Russia continues and the Red Army destroys a German INF. I even break through the line and can attack a German FTR.



In the Med I destory a Romanian GAR and slowly move towards the Gustav line:



Last but not least, somehow the Axis occupied the Greenland and Iceland airbases? I thought this was impossible?

[_Augustus_]

Last but not least, somehow the Axis occupied the Greenland and Iceland airbases? I thought this was impossible?

From top off my head I seem to recall this was fixed with 1.07 or 1.06 and there was even a file to be applied if this had happened in game?

After a search on the forum. Please check this thread: viewtopic.php?t=18505

Sincerely,

_augustus_

[zechi]

Turn 64 - Mud stops offensives on all fronts

This is mud turn, so nothing interesting happens on any front. I upgrade/repair units. Furthermore, some reinforcements arrive near Italy and will be ready in two turns.

[zechi]

Last but not least, somehow the Axis occupied the Greenland and Iceland airbases? I thought this was impossible?

From top off my head I seem to recall this was fixed with 1.07 or 1.06 and there was even a file to be applied if this had happened in game?

After a search on the forum. Please check this thread: viewtopic.php?t=18505

Sincerely,

_augustus_

I installed the hotfix and I thin Plaid also, but will do it again, perhaps there was some kind of error.

[zechi]

Turn 65 - Offensive against Gustav line begins

Finally we are able to continue this game. As the weather is muddy on the eastern front, nothing interesting happens there, but in Italy my offensive against the Gustav line begins:



I bring the central MECH down to 3 steps after air and ground attacks, but I take also heavy losses. Will be hard to break the line.

[zechi]

Turn 66 - Attack on Gustav line continues, skirmishes on the Eastern front

In Italy my US Super INF destroys a German ARM with support of British units:



On the Eastern front I also destroy a German MECH, but no real breakthrough.

[zechi]

Turn 67 - Gustav line nearly breached, Commando raid fails, further skirmishes on the eastern front

In Italy I nearly destroy the central MECH in the Gustav line:



However, the German Luftwaffe is still very superior and my fresh US FTR is nearly destroyed and flown to safety. My MECH commando raid in the norther part of Italy near Genoa fails because of German counterattack.

On the eastern front there are more skirmishes an I have rather bad rolls. Red Army air force loses a lot of steps.

[zechi]

Turn 68 - Allies reinforce their units, Invasion force from US moves toward Europe

Finally an invasion force leaves for Europe from the US:



I'm unsure if I should first liberate Britain and then go for D-Day in 1944 or if I should directly land in France and try an early D-Day. The latter will be harder, but could break the Axis.

In Italy I replace the damaged units to move fresh units into position for another strike at the Gustav line. 1 step German MECH is of course eliminated through air strike:



In Russia I mostly repair and retreat some damaged units. Next turn I will massively attack the German line:



Strategic bombing of Ploesti begins.

[joerock22]

I think you should go for England. If you had a larger invasion army, I might say invade France, but he could easily rail in reinforcements and crush that small army if you land there. He probably doesn't have many reserves in either England or France because of his tenuous situation elsewhere, but the difference is that it is much harder for him to get reinforcements to England. You would also be pretty much guaranteed to find some open landing zones because of the size of the island, while your opponent could concievably cover every landing hex in France. You should reconquer England and then go for D-day in 1944, with plenty of air support based in England that you don't have now. That's the only way to succeed with D-day against a strong Axis resistance. It's probably not good to attempt a landing in France with the enemy at your back and no air support.

[zechi]

Turn 69 - Major Soviet offensive begins, Invasion force heads toward Europe

I begin to launch a Soviet offensive on the northern and southern front:





My goal is to inflict a lot of damage and eventually to break the Axis line in the south.

In the Atlantic my Invasion forces moves further towards Europe:



In Italy the Gustav line still holds out:



Rome is also strategically bombed.