Hü (Axis) vs Morris (Allies)

[richardsd]

@richard & durk: I will not take Ireland: they have quite a strong army (5 or 6 10-step GARs), I prefer to prepare for a possible landing there different

Good call. Ireland is also not worth any PPs. If the Allies want to land there, you will get all of those free garrisons for defense. Overall, you are doing a great job so far at keeping the Allies back on their heels. There is really nothing the Allies can say that they have won so far. It's quite an accomplishment. If you play well in the USSR, this game will be won easily.

Indeed you are doing well - by sneaking into Casablanca I think you have been able to turn Morris's 'throw away' Brit strategy against him

I am looking forward to seeing how you deal with Morris in Russia - good luck

[hue]

Post-Turn



Persian GARs force slightly changes in our plans, but they will not hold long...




Same like in Portugal: defenders of the capital survive at 1-step ... well whatever, we'll take it next turn!




and more skirmish here ...

[hue]

Post-Turn



Somehow the Greek INF managed to hit 2-steps of the SS-MECH, but well Operation Marita finished!




Italians capture Bagdad. Rommel takes Mosul.




Maybe the last time a convoy hits the blockade ... Americans soon enter the war.




and casulties.

@joe&richard: thanks for your words!

[laramieela]

Interesting tour you are taking me on.
I am very eager to see what comes when you join with the USSR in combat.

[hue]

Post-Turn



USA enters the war! Axis fleet pulls back and SUBs take watching positions.

England & France: Partisans!




Defenders in sight! Montgomery himself is commanding the last line in Basra!

[hue]

Pre-Turn



We had a hard time digesting this: all three dived SUBs hit by exactly three DDs. Moreover morris hits 14 steps of those poor SUBs!

England: 2 Partisans! :/


Post-Turn



The SUBs go to hide at open sea, nevertheless it is hoped to spot all activities of American Navy with this loose net.




Slowly advancing here... we have a lot of time and respect for Monty and his famous counter attacks!

[hue]

Pre-Turn



Americans moving out! As can be supposed they are moving to Agadier or to help at Basra!
What else? Partisan in England!




Still skirmishing here, but American Air Force should be in the area by now ...




Basra before Axis troops start the attack.


Post-Turn



German and Italian wolf packs attack the forefront of the convoy and sink a DD. Their position should also slow down the hostile fleet and give the bigger Axis vessels time to take positions.




Plannings for the next turn: interception of hostile fleet!




The Vittorio Vennetto will stay a turn longer. Guess they should man the AA!




We take our time here and advance slowly: no counters should be lost due to a counter attack!




The Ostfront still under construction. In the Reich one can see a SS-MECH and a Pz. Div., those are fast reacting troops if a landing of the Americans should be successful somewhere.




Southern part of the Ostfront: only auxilaries here, still a lot to do till May! And in the Med reinforcements for the Persian campaign arrive. For the Italian INF the whole movement during the war is shown: Landing at Tunis, fighting at Algier and then marching to connect Tunisia and Italian-Lybia.




In the picture: the pride of the Kriegsmarine: two brand-new Battleships: Gneisenau & Scharnhorst! (BTW: the Battle in the Atlantic was assumed to be in around 5-6 turns, after the Americans would have build up something ... its now a little surprising that they leave American coast so early ... and obsoletes our plan to have the the new BB there in time ... )




Top secret rearmament programme: 20% of the total manpower and around 800 PP were spend in the last turns to build up for Russia!

[trulster]

Wise choice to build more BBs, with the combined Axis navies vs US (Brits all but eliminated) the battle for the Atlantic can surely be won. Somewhat brash of the American to sally forth alone in this scenario, should be a glorious battle!

[hue]

Post-Turn



No attacks by American Air Force, well then lets stay another round!




Where are they going? Basra or Agadir? In the west some latecomers.


In-Turn



Lets try to retrace the battle: Tirpiz is opening the attack on the main group, hostile destroyer fleets take heavy casualties.




The Bismarck sinks a DD with help of Spanish and Italian DDs.




Three SUBs launch their torpedos against the BB and CV before the Littorio attacks the CV directly.



And finally an Italian SUB and the Roma attack from South and East. Not much sunk this turn, but there are no good opportunities to escape for the American fleet ... a very good development of the first great battle for the Atlantic!


Post-Turn


Vittorio Venetto sinks another British DD into the Sankt-Lorenz-Strom.




And a curiosity: The British DEF-Commander, who was fighting 2 or 3 turns ago in Syria, now somehow managed to cross occupied Europe and make it to Northern Scotland where he commands some British Partisans!




Still advancing slowly and carefully here, just the tarnished INF was killed. But its getting tougher and tougher for Monty too .... Is this where the Americans try to reach?




and to close this turns report and overview of the slowly developing Ostfront.

[GogTheMild]

If Morris has sense ( ) then Basra is where he's heading. Although he might just be too late.

[laramieela]

Fascinating. Unlike GogTheMild, I have no guesses. Just watching.

[hue]

Pre-Turn



The remainings of the American fleet flee in all directions: Persian Gulf, Red Sea and back to American coast, the CV and a BB stay due to ZOC. Oh, and well: Partisans in England.




American Air force finally arrives here, time to leave for Vittorio Venetto.




A fleeing DD on the American coast and a convoy we can nothing do about spotted. The American BB which was heading north last turn has obviously turned around and heads south now (as the arrows South of Halifax indicate).




Interesting things going on in the Middle East: last Defenders of Basra are Persian Soldiers, Monty left by train we guess and the CV left to the Red Sea.


Post-Turn



CV and BB sunk by minor forces, rest of United Axis fleet heads West to pursuit the fleeing Americans but just finds a convoy ...




CV from Basra already spotted in the Red Sea ...




And Rommel finally reached Basra! Unfortunately the Italians had conquered Bagdad and now get control of the whole country as it surrenders. That means a lesser oil production due to lower industry tech. Lets hope this will not be punished later in Russia ...

[hue]

Pre-Turn



A quiet turn this time ... some survivor reach safe American harbors.




Allied transports in the Red Sea!




And some kind of cease-fire happens here. We don't want to make Stalin angry and respect the Persian borders - for now!




Still building for Barbarossa, we decided to initiate a Talin gambit, mainly to kill the Russian SUB. 2 INFs, the Gneisenau, Luftwaffe and 2 Fallschirmjäger should be sufficient for the operation!




Ostfront overview... next turn should everything be ready, we expect the DOW by Stalin within the next turns!

[Cybvep]

You want to be aggressive in Russia, too? Ambitious. I'm wondering how you will do there, because as far as the western Allies are concerned, you simply crushed them. Even in Fortress Europa scenarios, it's not common to see the Axis in control of GB, Spain, Norway, Greece AND the Middle East in 1942.

[trulster]

You want to be aggressive in Russia, too? Ambitious. I'm wondering how you will do there, because as far as the western Allies are concerned, you simply crushed them. Even in Fortress Europa scenarios, it's not common to see the Axis in control of GB, Spain, Norway, Greece AND the Middle East in 1942.

Yeah, but in this case the Allied navies have been all but wiped out, which is rather unusual and allows the Axis to max out production for the Eastern Front.

[Kragdob]

The problem is fuel so I doubt Axis can afford all-summer offensive. To be honest I don't believe Allies are able to do anthing more in this game as well but a stalemate on Eastern front is OK for Axis.

[hue]

Pre-Turn



American land on Sinai ... we will have to react ... a little.




Also in Peria an American Tank division lands. Later this turn it was bombed to 7-step (not in pictures).


Post-Turn



Rommel railed in position to clear Sinai, the FTRs fight with the CV.




And, this is it: Ostfront ready for attack, or being attacked. Could be more power in the South, but overall its more then expected in Mid '41. Stalins DOW can happen at the end of this turn, if not Axis will open ...




Last time before Barbarossa: casualties.




On the eve of Barbarossa some statistics:

- German manpower as low as never before, it was build as much as possible!
- PP in comparison: Allies and SU should get around 50-70 PP more each turn.
- Oil-level on a all-time-high ... though this will change very quickly soon ...


@ Cybvep: Yes, that is the plan. It will be tried to catch some of the near-border units and then advance as far as morris allows... but carefully. This is the first time for me to play a '42 Barbarossa, and I am concerned about those 3000PP the Russians must have spend by now!
@ Trulster: Yes, its good to have the western front cleared and a temporary control of the seas ! Though I am sure Morris will attack again and with a stronger Navy!
@Kragdob: You are right: even with all the Middle East oil, soon fuel will be a problem...

[hue]

Pre-Turn



No DOW by Stalin! Meanwhile the American Tank Div. tries to get to a railpoint...




Situation just before the start ... this time with OHLs plans for winter-positions (orange) and dreams (Kiew and Leningrad)!


Post-Turn



British CV sunk by German FTR.




As German troops advance into Persia to kill the Tank Division, war with Russia cannot be avoided anymore. Stalin is upset and we will just anticipate the situation.




War with Russia...




After the first turn on the Ostfront:

- Finnland: Advance into Leningrad suburbs, rest of the front is just holding positions!
- Heeresgruppe Nord: Baltic states almost liberated completely, Talin Gambit worked without the Fallschirmjäger and Russian Tanks at Minsk bombed.
- Heeresgruppe Mitte: also good progress here, Lemberg liberated and advancing fast. First Russian tank division killed at Vinnitsa (at the selected HEX), parts of Stalin-line encycelt
- Heeresgruppe Süd: catastrophic failure: lots of attacks were rejected by Russian GARs, almost no advance at all ...

Also in the picture: Russian tanks are technologically advanced. Seems Morris puts a focus on tank research.




Casualties ... 18 kills, among them 1 Tank, 3 MECH, 4 INF and 1 SUB

[Cybvep]

IMO you should have tried to capture Leningrad instead of Tallin. It's definitely possible in 1942 to do it in 1-2 turns if you send 2 MECHs and concentrate your air power there. It's hard to get much out of Russia in the Fortress Europa scenario, because the western cities aren't worth much and there is little chance of reaching Kiev etc. When captured, Leningrad is easily defensible and can be a thorn in the Soviet side for a long time.

[hue]

@Cybvep: Now that you say it: yes... good idea, didn't even think of it :/

Pre-Turn



Lots of movement on the American coast




More Americans land on Sinai and Brits win an air-battle in Irak.




and the thrilling East: Red Army flees everywhere except in the North!


Post-Turn



Ostfront after the turn: Axis troops drive the Sovjets in front of them, after two turns the desired winter-positions have been reached.

Finnland: Outskirt of Leningrad cleaned,
Heeresgruppe Nord: Two spearheads are formed: one goes very compact in direction of Minsk, one in direction Pskov. Maybe it is possible to put some pressure on Leningrad.
Heeresgruppe Süd: Fast progress here too, auxiliary troops finally make some progress.




Convoy sighted but nothing to attack in range... we guess Morris tries to bring more troops to Sinai and bring our fleet in position to prevent him reaching the passage:




on the way South we hit an 6-step American SUB, something strange happens: the DD hits the SUB and then jumps to a position South of it ... well but end of story: Spanish DD and Strategic bomber from Portugal finish the Sub.




Rommel advances, Americans don't look very fresh already.




The two counters in the South were killed... meanwhile three INF Divisions move towards the last Persian Oil resource.




Oil-level drops much to fast ...




Casualties.