Slitherine

Allied response in France was rather painful:



And in Iraq Italian frontline slowly starts to crumble. Not that bad for now, but it will probably only get worse over time - can't send any major reinforcements to this scenario.



Still quiet in the East:





During Axis turn some minor action here and there, nothing noteable.

Once you have the chance to kill that low tech US armoured in Normandy (a tac hit plus an attack from one of your panzerkorps in France might suffice), things will get clearer there. With so many tacs built it's unlikely that US has that much land units available. Furthermore, you have lots of subs in the English Channel that makes the supply of the Normandy beachhead hazardous to say the least.

This turn we got breakthrough in Poland and almost another one in Iran, which is not very good, but manageable.









Our Italian BB was torpedoed by US subs near Spain:



In Axis turn breach near Lvov was (almost) dealt with and we killed couple of Allied units in France.

Again more Allied attacks everywhere, several Axis units lost, while others held at 1 step.









Doing what we can to fix situation:









Meanwhile casualties increase at alarming rate.

Unexpectedly, both Eastern and Western fronts came close to collapsing, facing lots of Allied units and overwhelming air support.









In Axis turn positions were somewhat restored, but it getting harder and harder every time.



General retreat started in Middle East, as I can't send new units there and I can't form long enough line with existing ones. Atleast we have plenty of oil for the rest of the game.







Still have good PP income and some good veteran units, but manpower keep melting and Allies getting stronger every turn.

This time Eastern front in Poland collapsed for real - Soviet basically have free ride for Berlin at the moment.





Middle Eastern front is slowly collapsed too, probably its time to abandon this area completely and evacuate what I still can.



In France lines hold, but casualties remain high every turn.



In Axis turn reserves were utilised to fix Eastern front once more, but its only temporary measure - positions are fragile here, while Soviets have lots of land and air units ready to attack.

Well, I expected something bad to happen this turn in the East, but not on that scale - all German units between Danzig and Warsaw were just wiped out by Red Army.





Allied attacks in other fronts continue too:





Axis had to flee and form weak defensive line on Wisla, to slow down Soviets. Most of remaining airpower assigned to this front too, going to delay fall of Berlin as good as we can.





In France and Iraq situation does not get better aswell.

This turn Soviets break through Wisla line, forming solid bridgehead, while Western front collapsed aswell. I don't worry about the West much though - it looks like Soviets will be taking both German capitals well before Western Allies.









In Axis turn we, with extensive air support, sort of fixed East, removing all Soviet bridgehead in Wisla, but biggest one near Warsaw. Starting to abandon positions in the south, to use units for defense of Germany instead.





Its chaotic retreat in France and Middle East.





PP income is still ok, allowing to field multiple corps units every turn, so it will be a bit slower German collapse, than it happens in 1944-45. But low manpower together with low tech (thats only mid 1943, don't have late game surv. upgrades, for example) makes new German units really fragile.

It's interesting that the Axis controls most of the map and has a very high PP income, yet the strategic situation looks very bad for the Axis. Morris used the potential of 1942-activated SU and all-powerful Western Allied airforce very well.

I always wonder what his Lab strategy is for the Russians.

I think one of the keys has been the Allies been able to easily take Cherbourg as early as 1942. Since Allied landing in Normandy made the Axis to divert forces from the Eastern front, Soviets started to take the initiative and so on.

A 2-fronts situation that early seems to break the game for Axis.

So should we make harder for the Allies to get a foothold in France as early as 1942? My feel is that we should.

That way, should Cherbourg become a fortress-city before the other French coastal cities? Maybe Cherbourg should be possible to be attacked only from 1 land hex.

In this game we had one of the weirdest things I've ever seen: so Axis cripples Royal Navy, sinks lots of convoys, conquers Spain, closes the Med and gets all the Middle East and still that's not enough??

Cybvep wrote:It's interesting that the Axis controls most of the map and has a very high PP income, yet the strategic situation looks very bad for the Axis. Morris used the potential of 1942-activated SU and all-powerful Western Allied airforce very well.

Axis income can be high, but Allies still collect at least twice as many PPs, as Axis do. And they don't have manpower issues too.

Plaid wrote:

Cybvep wrote:It's interesting that the Axis controls most of the map and has a very high PP income, yet the strategic situation looks very bad for the Axis. Morris used the potential of 1942-activated SU and all-powerful Western Allied airforce very well.

Axis income can be high, but Allies still collect at least twice as many PPs, as Axis do. And they don't have manpower issues too.

yes , manpower is the fatal problem for Axis in this AAR . Axis player has to control the balance of PP, oil & manpower level all the time .



BTW , I disagree to make any change such as making Cherburg to fortress realier or less attack position just because of this pbem . If Allies also get Sicily in 1941 ,shall we also change Sicily to fortress in 1941 ?! It just need Axis to pay more attention to France when Germans are marching towards Moscow .

Frontlines further collapsing everywhere, not much we can do from now on.









In Axis turn all units which could retreated from Poland.
New defensive lines formed on Oder and Rhine.

More of the same:









Axis turn:

And we already have Soviets behind Oder in October 1943. Still Germany will probably hold into early 1944, and Italy can hold to mid 1944 with some luck.
PP income is still good and we still field several corps every turn, but they are very weak and get decimated by Allied airpower.





South abandoned almost completely, German units evacuated to defend other valueable areas.

Allies keep attacking:





Axis managed to somewhat reduce Allied bridgehead near Berlin, but still we have Soviet shoch unit right next to Berlin and can't do much about it.

Even bad weather did not help to slow down Allies. Atleast they move slow and can't exploit that huge hole in the West.



West was mended, but no counterattacks this time.

We keep losing units and ground. As soon as fair arrives Germany will surrender quickly.

So we survived into 1944, but not going to last much longer: