The Spanish Gambit AAR (The War is Over.)

[trulster]

Re: Syria gambit. True, but then you hand the Allies all of France (both Free French and Vichy side with Allies) - so the Allies can easily ship those FF corps around the Cape to stop any oily wet dreams.

[rkr1958]

Re: Syria gambit. True, but then you hand the Allies all of France (both Free French and Vichy side with Allies) - so the Allies can easily ship those FF corps around the Cape to stop any oily wet dreams.

This assumes that the axis invades Syria before the Brits do. If you invade after them then you're invading a British controlled area. In fact, if you plan it just right then you might catch the allied player off guard and intervene with axis forces on the turn that the UK player invades. In you do intervene on the turn of UK invasion then you do need to be careful about putting a transport in Beirut. If Syria falls on the next turn then you'll lose the transport UNLESS you move the Vichy garrison out and put an axis air unit in the city. The transport will survive if the city is occupied by an axis unit ON THE TURN that Syria falls.

Also, don't forgot about Cyprus, which can provide the axis will valuable airbases if they take that island.

[rkr1958]

Turn 91. August 5, 1944.

The axis are besieged by allied forces in every European theater. German and Italian casualties are outrageously high. German manpower is at -2%. That's the bad news. The good news is that it can't get any worse.

Italian manpow3er is at 59%. However; it's the Germans that get PP's and can build units. This turn I repaired a number of ground units and built 6 garrisons.

Army Group South in southern Russia is on the verge of a full scale collapse.

However; the axis is still strong and will be able to hold out for a while. Will they make it to May? That's my hope but I'm not betting the farm on it. Also, the following German intercept and decoding of high level Russian communications give the German High Command hope there and elsewhere.

Russians are running all over Finland, while the breakthrough in the south continues to expand. It's very costly for both of us, but I suspect that I can dip deeper into my manpower than the Germans can.

The "hope" part comes from the statement, "It's very costly for both of us" implying that the Russians are suffering too and it's not a cakewalk for them.

The following one word message from OKW has gone out to all front commanders, "Hold!".

[richardsd]

I would get the German Corp's out of Finland if I was you, Finland mean's nothing and you could use them elsewhere

[rkr1958]

Turn 92. August 25, 1944.

The western allies continue their advance in France while I man the Siegfried Line and more importantly build a double defense line north. Also, the defenders of Paris were knocked down to 2-steps and I railed a replacement infantry corps to slow the allied progress.

The Russians have broken through between Army Group South (AGS) and Army Group Center (AGC). AGS retreats south to defend the oil fields and AGC retreats back to Poland.

Both axis air units in Egypt were put on sentry and not repaired. They both were in the orange wrt/effectiveness.

[rkr1958]

Turn 83. September 14, 1944.

12 turns to go for a victory and 11 turns for a stalemate. I don't see how I can make it for 11 much less 12 turns.

The Russians have driven a wedge between Army Groups Center and South and have smashed several corps of both armies. Army Group North and Center are retreating back towards Poland and Germany. Army Group South (or what's left of it) is retreating to protect Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. The only thing that will slow the Russians now is bad weather.

In the west the allies continue a slow but steady advance. The corps defending Paris was reduced to 3-steps. It was withdrawn and replaced by a fresh 10-step corps. The Italians sent a 10-step corps to France to help hold south of Paris. Bad weather in France next turn would also be welcomed.

The once powerful German war machine is crumbling before my very eyes.

[jjdenver]

I guess you are railing out of Spain as quickly as you can? You could also transport units from Egypt and Libya to Italy then rail them into Germany also. The 8 PP you spend for transport seems worth it to get a corp or mech or armor to Germany.

[joerock22]

You seem to have adequate defenses in the west. Now I think you need to occupy that row of forts east of Berlin as soon as possible to let the units get entrenchment before the Soviets arrive. If you force the Russians to go around the line of forts, it could buy you just enough time to win the game.

[rkr1958]

You seem to have adequate defenses in the west. Now I think you need to occupy that row of forts east of Berlin as soon as possible to let the units get entrenchment before the Soviets arrive. If you force the Russians to go around the line of forts, it could buy you just enough time to win the game.

Joe, will do. I'm planning to rail two or three corps from Army Group North to man the forts along with newly built garrisons. I'll try to pull more veteran corps from Army Group North if I can.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

I advise you to NOT build any garrisons and place them in forts. With manpower of 0 these units will have quality and survivability of -2. That means the garrisons will have really poor survivablity and they're destroyed for sure if attacked by enemy units. I see odds of losses like 10:1 when attacking garrisons that are built so late in the game.

The only use you have of garrisons is to use them as speed bumps in difficult terrain. Their ZOC can delay enemy advancement.

I suggest you build corps units and use them in the fortress lines.

[rkr1958]

I advise you to NOT build any garrisons and place them in forts. With manpower of 0 these units will have quality and survivability of -2. That means the garrisons will have really poor survivablity and they're destroyed for sure if attacked by enemy units. I see odds of losses like 10:1 when attacking garrisons that are built so late in the game.

The only use you have of garrisons is to use them as speed bumps in difficult terrain. Their ZOC can delay enemy advancement.

I suggest you build corps units and use them in the fortress lines.

O.K. Will do. Corps it is.

[rkr1958]

Turn 94. October 4, 1944.

Jim's writeup on his turn was very entertaining and captured the situation. I thought I'd post it for you.

“Stars & Stripes” reports the following war news in its September 14, 1944 edition:


GENERAL EISENHOWER TRICKS THE AXIS AGAIN

SHAEF reported today that the operations in the south of France, which appeared to be focused upon capturing the last Axis port on the Atlantic, La Rochelle, instead made a quick dash to the east, capturing the key city of Toulouse. Speaking on behalf of General Eisenhower, General Bedell Smith said that the success of this operation ensures a number of things. Foremost, a railhead deep in the southern interior of France, allowing a buildup for a push into northern Italy. “Even if Jerry doesn’t believe we’re heading for Rome, he has little choice but to act as if we do” said General Smith. “So we expect to see some units siphoned off from the Siegfried Line, and perhaps our Russian Ally will notice a thinner German presence in the east as well”.

PARIS BYPASSED

Anglo-American forces, which appeared poised to capture Paris this week, instead completed an encirclement of the French capital, and then sent units dashing east to capture Reims. A spokesman for British 1st Army HQ in Rouen advised that Paris is unimportant, and the German corps trapped there may be considered a “self-supporting POW camp”. He refused to answer any speculation that the prize of Paris was being left for the Free French army to capture.

GIBRALTAR UNDER SIEGE

American forces, supported by units of all the western Allied navies, landed at Gibraltar recently, and the “rock” is now under siege.

TRIPPING OFF TO TRIPOLI

A large Franco-American force is attacking Tripoli, which is expected to fall within the next couple of weeks. We wonder whether the fall of Tripoli will see Axis forces start a “bug-out” from the Suez, or will they fight to the bitter end?

UNCLE JOE’S BOYS CLOSING IN ON WARSAW

Lead elements of Marshal Koniev’s Byelorussian Front are reportedly within 100 miles of Warsaw. We salute our gallant Russian allies, whose indifference to casualties is quickly becoming legendary. Old “Blood & Guts” has a serious rival in the east!

FINLAND ON THE BRINK

All major cities except Helsinki and Vaasa are now in Russian hands. Reportedly the Finns themselves want out of this war, but a German corps sitting in Helsinki is making it a bit awkward for the Finns at the moment. So perhaps the Russians will have to fight for Helsinki.

I railed four corps to man the eastern forts. I also have four corps in the build queue, which will be ready next turn. Of course, the four corps that I railed will be of much higher quality and effectiveness of the four in the the build queue.

There are 12 allied turns left to May 1945. This doesn't look good.

[joerock22]

At least it's October. The weather will slow the Allies down and give you some time to prepare for their final offensive. It had better come soon though.

[rkr1958]

Turn 95. October 24, 1944.

Axis casualties mount and German manpower is no longer a concern because it can't get any worse than it is now. It's deep in the red (-17%). Also, oil is not an issue and not even a consideration. It's over 300 points and growing each turn because I don't have that many oil consuming units left!

Not show but the six axis corps in Egypt still how the canal and will likely hold the canal for the remainder of the game. Gibraltar is under assault and will likely fall in one or two more turns.

In the east the axis are in full retreat. In the west the allies are about to cut off the Spanish front from France and Germany.

The axis need bad weather next turn in the east and west. There are 11 more allied turns left. My turns are now very easy to play because there isn't much for me to do. I'm 100% on the defensive and have very little, if any, offensive capability left.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Remember that Jim needs to take Rome in addition to Berlin to get a victory. I can't see how he can easily take Rome unless he makes an invasion of Italy and forces an Italian surrender.

[gerones]

May be it would have to change the victory conditions so it will be a draw when the allies liberate France and Italy at least in 1944, because I keep on thinking it´s a little bit difficult for the allies to arrive in time and achieve a victory with the new weather conditions in which they almost can´t use their unlimited air superiority in the decisive last turns. Let´s think that the last turns in which the allies can achieve a victory are all of them bad weather. So for me if the allies succeed in the landings in 1944 and the axis don´t succeed in dropping them to the sea this have to be a draw, not a axis victory. Let´s remember that in this case in the vanilla game (the allies liberate Paris and Rome in 1944) it was an allied victory so the change would be to consider this a draw.

[rkr1958]

Turn 96. November 13, 1944.

Fair weather in central Europe, which is where all my forces are except those in the Med. The GS weather gods again show their wrath against me at a critical time.

One error that I did make, which wasn't the fault of anyone but me being sloppy, was that I tried to evacuate a full corps from Riga but its transport ran into the Russian sub. I should have sent the German DD squadron in first to sweep the transport lanes but I didn't.

As you can see I no longer need two screen caps to show my western and eastern front forces. One does nicely now.

In the Med, I'm moving one Italian corps and two garrisons back to the mainland for defense. I've also moved the DAK armor corps for transport. I will also move the three Italian garrisons in Tobruk and Benghazi back with this corps.

Well I'll at least get winter weather next turn all across Europe.

[joerock22]

It might be a good idea to put corps in Berlin and Hamburg now. If they get up to 8 entrenchment, they could buy you an extra turn in the spring.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Remember that you will win if you keep Rome in May 1945 so you could use Italians to defend the Italian cities. They will surrender when Sicily and one mainland Italian city are captured. So the Allies don't need to take Rome itself to win if they can force a German surrender. It seems you can get a victory because of the Italians.

The western Allies will probably not reach Berlin in time, but the Russians can. You have manned the Ostwall so it will be tough to get past there. Remember to also man Prague and the rough hexes south of Prague. The Russians can also make seaborne invasions west of the Ostwall so you need to prepare for that as well.

[rkr1958]

Turn 97. December 3, 1944.

Romania surrendered and Gibraltar fell. The Med is no longer an axis lake. DAK and two Italian garrison transports supported by an Italian BB squadron and sub flotilla are making a mad dash through the Med to Europe. All transports are out of air range of Malta but not out of range of the two allied sub groups. Getting the DAK back to Germany would add a lot to its final defense. But, it's got to brave getting across the Med first.

Winter hit on both the eastern and western fronts. If it wasn't for weather then the axis would have 0% chance of holding out. There are 9 allied turns left to the end of the game.

Where did my once mighty army go?