DAW - Der andere Weg - The other way

[Sonja89_1]

After 3 scenarios without DV, I have once again achieved a complete success in “St. Etienne”. This mission consists of a “normal” conquest part, followed by a very fierce counterattack from the 14th turn onwards and the completion of a small special mission at the end. Special care must be taken to prepare for the French flank attack in time.

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Here you can see the beginning of the French counterattacks. The enemy crosses the Loire at Roanne (1) and presses hard against my line in the small mountainous region. He also tries to cross the river further south (2). In addition, there are extensive air attacks and actions by paratroopers up to the gates of Lyon (3). In return, I also try to bring my own troops from the southern area back to Lyon with the help of the railroad (4). It is a mutual race to see who can bring up reserves faster.

Strategic map: First I advance east of the Rhone downstream (5) until I have reached the last two main objectives (6). In the center, I first successfully attack St. Etienne and can quickly conquer it (7). I can also defeat the defense of Le Puy until the counterattack begins (8). Le Puy, which I had temporarily abandoned in order to take up a better defensive position behind the Loire, can be regained relatively easily after the enemy onslaught (9).

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[Sonja89_1]

The “Grenoble” mission takes you to the mountainous region of the Western Alps. Here, infantry and air forces are more in demand than tanks. The battle is particularly focused on the two main target areas of Grenoble and Embrun. In between, the aim is to advance as quickly as possible along the valley roads. However, partisans and avalanches make success difficult for the player.

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After the first few turns, the French bridgehead defenses north of the Isere are successfully eliminated (1). From the western flank, own paratroopers can advance (2), ready for a coordinated attack. Grenoble is surrounded by 3 strong fortresses (3), which are not easy to storm. In addition, a very strong French armored unit (4) is ready to deal very hard blows as soon as the opportunity arises. However, the first and most important target of your own artillery and subsequent Stukas (5) is the enemy anti-aircraft guns. Once it has been knocked out, your own aircraft units can break even the toughest resistance in a short time.

Strategic map: My first attack comes from the north and northwest (6). In addition, a flanking attack from the west (7) brings significant advantages. Things are going well. But watch out - partisans (8), who are active from the mountains, are pressing against Grenoble, which has just been conquered. This city should not be left unguarded. In addition, avalanches (9) are causing me a lot of trouble. Of my core troops, one tank and one artillery unit are decimated down to 1 strength point and almost wiped out. Nature is often a much more formidable opponent than the worst enemy.

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[Sonja89_1]

The “Central Massif” scenario also takes you into a mountainous region. However, the unfavorable terrain in this low mountain range is somewhat easier to circumnavigate than in the Alps. For an MV it is sufficient to conquer the three main objectives, the DV requires the capture of all flag hexes. As time is short in this mission and at this high difficulty level, my goal is an MV right from the start.

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The first image begins with a jump to the 15th turn. I have already conquered Clermont-Ferrand when a French counterattack comes from the south (1). I counter this advance with my own air attacks (2). Although the French attack is not very extensive in terms of numbers, it includes 6 very strong enemy units that can crush weakened troops in a single blow (3). Among them is also a common anti-aircraft gun (4), which heavily damages one of my Stuka groups (5), whereupon I move it out of the battlefield. The other planes are also moved back at first. Only when the “evil” flak ventures further forward can I suppress it far enough with my own flak in ground combat mode to then sweep it completely off the field with my second Stuka group and a bit of luck. That was the best scene of the mission. After that, I can use my planes to attack his overpowered units, which are making slow progress on the narrow strip between the mountains and the river.

Strategic map: From the bridgeheads on the upper reaches of the Loire, I launch a concentrated attack on Vichy and Clermont-Ferrand simultaneously (6). Vichy is easier to take and falls first. Only then do I succeed in conquering Clermont-Ferrand from 3 sides (7). In the process, I lose a core unit (Kradschützen detachment) that I sent forward for reconnaissance but did not withdraw at the end of the turn. An unnecessary loss due to my own negligence. The fierce French counterattack (8) from the southeast was already visible in the first picture. At the same time, a number of partisans infiltrate from the north (9), but their advance does not have much effect. I approach the last main objective directly from the southeast (10) without going through Motlucon.

I have this scenario at difficulty level 148, which corresponds to “Rommel” + “Field Marshal” + 2/5 “Guderian” + 2/5 “Manstein”. I'm definitely reaching my limits here. I still manage to achieve successes, but my own units suffer more. The increased prestige consumption shows that I am living off the substance. If I continue to play the same way, I would have to start losing several scenarios without a fight to lower the level until the balance is restored. However, this would ruin the campaign game. I will therefore adapt the handling for changing the difficulty level. From now on, I will only increase the level when I get 3 DVs in a row. As before, I will lower the difficulty when I lose a scenario and additionally when the final prestige level has dropped by more than 3000 points within the last 5 scenarios. Let's see how the game then develops.

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[Sonja89_1]

The “Toulon” scenario marks the end of the campaign branch in eastern France. Our attack finally reaches the Mediterranean coast. In this mission, the player encounters a very tough French defense that is not easy to overcome. This time, I myself was wonderfully unsuccessful. Exactly, I wasn't able to fully achieve the primary mission objectives. Unlike “Lyon”, it wasn't a narrow failure, but a clear miss. Below is a brief description of what happened.

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In the first picture you can already see the final situation at the end of the 39th turn. My units had conquered Marseille on the western edge (1) and turned east towards Toulon. 2 heavily battered submarines (2) reconnoitred the coast off Toulon. A Fieseler Storch circled over the northern area. In the center of the enemy defense there are still 5 very strong units (3) (Foreign Legion - HW infantry, Char-B1, 155 mm Art., 47 mm Flak, HQ). Especially the artillery, the flak and the HQ, each with a range of 5 hexes and high attack values, are very strong obstacles that inflict heavy losses. In addition, there are three fortresses with a visual range of 4 hexes at the corner points (4). It's no coincidence that my units keep such a wide distance. In the final turns I had started to reduce the ammunition of the enemy artillery with a decoy (5) on a good cover hex. Thanks to the good cover, the infantry only lost a few strength points. At the same time, I was able to considerably weaken the western defense of Toulon. The best way to overcome such a defense is a well-coordinated mass attack that overloads the strong enemy cover. I was able to successfully complete this scenario in 32 turns during the test runs 7 years ago. However, that was on “General” difficulty level at the time.

Strategic map: My core units on both sides of the Rhone begin their attack south towards Nimes and Avignon (6). Further east, Aux units advance slightly towards the coast (7). After taking Montpellier (8), I throw all my core units to the east side of the Rhone and start attacking Marseille (9). I'm still well on schedule. At the same time, mountain infantry start their attack on Nice on the eastern edge of the map. The attack on the coastal region triggers the French evacuation. A total of 12 transport ships make their way south to the two escape hexes (10+11). To achieve a DV, at least 9 transport ships must be sunk. However, I only manage to destroy 5 of these ships, the rest escape. Afterwards I manage to conquer the coast between Cannes and Nice (12). In the end, time is too short for a final attack on Toulon.

I think I could have scored an MV with a better game, even at this difficulty level. But it wasn't enough this time. For the next scenario, I will reduce the difficulty setting by 3 levels. After all, I skipped a campaign exit due to the lost scenario, which, together with the rapidly dwindling prestige, justifies 3 levels. I already outlined at the end of May that I would keep the exits disabled in this variant. I hope to bring the downward spiral to a halt soon. After all, the missions from Toulon onwards (Toulon, Orleans, Paris, Sicily, Tunis, Gabes) are extremely hard and difficult to play.
Let's see how the next mission goes.

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[Sonja89_1]

In the “Orleans” mission, you achieve an “MV” for capturing all primary objectives and a “DV” if you also keep two specific areas free of enemy ground units at all times. I narrowly failed to achieve the latter, as an enemy unit was able to occupy such a HEX field for a short time. Otherwise, the scenario went very well and successfully. My own losses were limited almost exclusively to minefields. Even the loss of strength points for the core units was relatively low, given the high number of enemy units.

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The first picture shows the situation in the early part of the 26th turn. You can see the defensive ring of the French around the important hub of Orleans (1). In the previous turns, my troops have moved into the most favorable attack position possible. My small riverboat fires salvos at the enemy infantry in small advances and decimates their encampment levels (2). The French defense is very strong and well entrenched. The overpowered artillery north of Orleans is particularly dangerous. It has an increased attack value and a range of 5 hexes! This must be taken into account when approaching. However, the backbone of the enemy position is once again the anti-aircraft guns (3), which provide cover for each other and the artillery. The priority is to smash this supporting pillar. On the eastern attack front, I have a mobile anti-aircraft gun in ground combat mode with a +1 range and a 15 cm artillery unit (1+ movement) that can suppress an enemy anti-aircraft gun (4). In the southern area, an artillery (+1 range) (5) followed by an armored train (6) shoots the very strong enemy anti-aircraft guns with an increased attack value and a range of 5 hexes into a dazed state. Now the moment has come for my two first-class Stukas (7) at Montargis. They sit over the two battered anti-aircraft units and bring them to the edge of destruction. The way is clear for my remaining planes, which massively attack the most worthwhile targets. In the following turn, the two enemy anti-aircraft units can be completely destroyed. This leaves only the French air defense west of Orleans, which inflicts a few losses on my Aux planes, but can no longer stop my onslaught. The decisive ground attack comes via the north-eastern corner of the defensive ring (8) and hits hard and fast. By the end of turn 28, the enemy defense will have completely collapsed.

Strategic map: My core and aux units (9) attack from the south. At the same time, the French launch fierce counterattacks at Châtillon-sur-Seine (10) and Tours (11), which can also be repelled with the help of minefields. The counterattacks from north of the Loire on Tours continued until the end. The final attack on Orleans (12) has already been described in detail in the previous section.

Now that this important city has been taken, the way is clear for the next mission - to Paris!

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[Sonja89_1]

The “Paris” mission marks the end of the battle in France. It is mainly a siege battle against a strong defensive opponent who only has a few planes left. To make matters worse for the attacker, the battle takes place in November in rainy weather. Of the 29 rounds played, 10 were in rainy weather and 10 were on muddy ground. This means that your own troops are hindered accordingly. In addition, the bad weather leads to disruptive sickness absences. You can achieve a DV here if you completely destroy the 7 enemy fortresses in addition to conquering the primary objectives.

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In the first picture you get an overview of the enemy defense in the inner ring. This overview is achieved without risk by deploying my air force over Paris in a rainy turn followed by a turn with clear weather. You can see 4 fortresses (1) at the corners, which give the French a good all-round view. A hidden approach is therefore not feasible. There are also three heavy fortresses, one of which is particularly strong and dangerous (2). As always, I am particularly interested in the enemy anti-aircraft guns. There are a total of 6 units (4 anti-aircraft, 2 air defense) in the defense ring (3).

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The second picture shows the situation at the beginning of turn 21. With the support of long-range artillery (4) and my two Stuka groups, I was able to eliminate most of the enemy flak. The skies over Paris are mine and my bombers and fighters can hunt down the French artillery (5). My own artillery continues to soften up the enemy. From the northeast, my aux troops storm against the weakened French line (6). My core troops come from the south. The player has the option of undermining the southern edge of the siege ring. In exchange for some prestige, mines are detonated on 10 B-squares, which greatly weaken the enemy units and reduce their entrenchment to zero (7). This makes it much easier to break into the enemy position. The enemy defense collapses within a few turns.

Strategic map: From Amiens and Laon in the north, the player has many Aux troops available to launch a powerful attack on Paris (8). On the other side, the core troops start from the south in the direction of Orleans (9). You can see the outer and inner defense ring of Paris. After the outer ring has been overcome, the final assault is coordinated from the north (10) and south (11).

The year 1940 ends with this scenario and the troops take a break. I will also be taking a Christmas break over the next two weeks. The next report will be in about 3 weeks in the new year - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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[rubyjuno]

Good work and fascinating as always, Sonja. Enjoy your break and the festive season.

[Sonja89_1]

Good work and fascinating as always, Sonja. Enjoy your break and the festive season.

Nice to read something from you in the forum again after a long time. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[rubyjuno]

Nice to read something from you in the forum again after a long time. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Unfortunately, I had an accident in July and haven't been on my computer much since then. I was seriously injured (my first ride in an ambulance but I don't remember it!) and I'm still recovering. Using the computer is still quite difficult for me but eventually I was able to use the iPad so I have been playing Panzer Corps on there. No mods on the iPad sadly!

Thanks for the good wishes, and the same to you.

[Sonja89_1]

Nice to read something from you in the forum again after a long time. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Unfortunately, I had an accident in July and haven't been on my computer much since then. I was seriously injured (my first ride in an ambulance but I don't remember it!) and I'm still recovering. Using the computer is still quite difficult for me but eventually I was able to use the iPad so I have been playing Panzer Corps on there. No mods on the iPad sadly!

Thanks for the good wishes, and the same to you.

Oh, man. I hope you get back to full health soon. In a situation like this, you fully realize what a crucial value health has above all other things. All the best to you and have a healthy 2025.

[Sonja89_1]

The very extensive scenario ‘Sicily’ (Sizilien) is the conclusion of the battle in Europe within the second campaign. Many naval units on both sides are also deployed here. It is a multi-layered air, ground and naval battle. For an MV, all primary objectives must be captured and at least 9000 prestige points must be retained. As there was plenty of prestige after the ‘Paris’ scenario, the last point is not a problem. For a DV, capture all flag hexes and prevent the Italian Comando Supremo from escaping.

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At the start of the third turn, the first own troops have already landed and are fighting their way towards Messina (1) supported by further attacks on the flanks (2). To support the sea landings, extensive airborne troops are ready, which have already been placed over the open mountainous region north of Taormina (3). At the end of the second round, however, there was a fierce Italian counterattack with several fighter groups and bombers (4). Although all transport aircraft were covered by own fighters, the deterrence of a new, still inexperienced fighter group was not sufficient. The AI attacked despite the cover and sent more attackers, which then almost destroyed a cargo glider with mountain troops (remaining strength 1) and the Polish paratroopers from the core force completely (5). I will reactivate this unit for the next mission, but the 360 experience points are lost. There are miscalculations that can have a bad effect. Once the mines on the coast and on the beach have been cleared, the landing of the core troops between Taormina and Messina can begin (6).

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10 turns later, the ground forces have established an extensive bridgehead between Acireale and the north coast, from which they can now advance towards the south-west (7) and Catania (8). Ships and planes support the attack. At the same time, there was an extensive counter-attack by French air groups (9), which were sent from Tunisia to support the Italians. Fortunately, there were no serious losses of our own. With the help of my strong anti-aircraft divisions (10), the most dangerous French fighter groups are shot down and the rest destroyed by my fighters.

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In turn 17, my ground troops are in front of Syracuse (11). In the meantime, the Italian navy had advanced to the coast of the city with cruisers and battleships and I was able to fight them off one by one (12). I was then able to push the slower enemy submarines (13) to the coast with my own submarines (14). My strong Stuka group was already able to sink one of the 5 submarines (15). The remaining opponents fared no better in the following turns. The way to the west was then clear.

[Sonja89_1]

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In turn 26 I advanced along the north coast with my ships beyond Palermo (16). The enemy ships were almost completely destroyed. The Comando Supremo sets off for Africa on board one of the last destroyers (17). But it will never get there. In the Palermo area there are 3 enemy units to pay special attention to (18 - an overpowered artillery, an anti-aircraft defence and the army HQ). After my naval artillery has weakened the air defence, my Stuka group (19) is deployed. With no more flak protecting the sky, the enemy artillery and HQ have no chance of holding out any longer. Finally, the ground attack can begin from Termini (20).

Strategic map: Two groups north and south of Reggio start the attack (21). Gradually, enemy ships from the French (22) and Italians (23) must be expected. After the ground troops have gone ashore between Messina and Taormina, the attack begins southwards towards Catania (24) and along the north coast towards Palermo (25). One by one, the resistance zones on the island were overcome until the final attack on Marsala (26). The last two Italian bases on the Aegadian Islands and on Pantelleria (27) are conquered by paratroopers. The springboard for the next operation to Tunis in North Africa is prepared.

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[Sonja89_1]

As in the previous scenario, a significant number of air, naval and ground units must be successfully deployed for the landing in Tunisia. The landing zones are located at Biserta and Cape Bon, allowing Tunis to be captured. In addition to capturing the primary objectives (MV), 4 reconnaissance units must be positioned on defined hexes to the west and east of Tebessa (DV).

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The first picture shows the start of the third round. It had rained during the first two laps, which on the one hand caused a disruptive delay. On the other hand, however, it also allows a safer approach, especially for the airborne forces. A large number of landing ships are positioned on the coast of Cape Bon, ready to unload the troops (1) after the mines have already been cleared. Paratroopers are getting ready to jump behind the enemy defence line (2). My reconnaissance aircraft and fighters were spread out over a wide area in the previous round to make as much as possible visible in clear weather (3). I had positioned my bombers in places where I recognised or suspected good targets (4). After all, I already have a Stuka unit over the air defence at El Haouaria. After a few hits from my naval artillery, the Stuka will be able to destroy the air defence.

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Some time later, the attack has developed well. My Aux units advance from Biserta towards Tunis (5). At the same time, my experienced veterans are punching their way through the positions east of Tunis and drilling into the French defence (6). They are constantly supported by my own air force (7), which massively weakens enemy attacks time and again. My navy has advanced into the Bay of Tunis and is concentrating its fire on the air defence in Tunis (8), which is not visible in the picture. East of Beja there is a French counterattack with an overpowered Char-B1 unit (9), which has just beaten one of my reconnaissance units down to one strength point. At least this unit survives the mission at the end with this one strength point and even helps to fulfil the DV condition.

Strategic map: The landings take place at two locations at Cape Bon (10) and near Biserta (11). In addition, a larger contingent landed by air east of Tabarka (12). However, this task force had to contend with considerable French counterattacks and was only just able to hold its ground. During the initial phase, the Italian navy launched a very dangerous attack from Linosa on our important supply base on Pantelleria (13). This must not be lost under any circumstances, as otherwise our own air forces would no longer have a place to land outside Sicily. In addition, there are repeated attacks by Italian air units (14) and also by French and Italian ground units (15). In the mid-game I occasionally have doubts as to whether I will reach all the primary objectives in time, but in the end I manage to do so.

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[Sonja89_1]

The ‘Gabes’ scenario takes place in the central and southern part of Tunisia. It describes the separation of the French and Italian allies, who each continue to fight for themselves after this battle. In order to achieve a DV, all primary objectives must be conquered, for an MV the possession of 6 primary objectives is sufficient.

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The first picture shows the advance of our own troops on the Kasserine Pass south of Tebessa (1). The difficult terrain is slowing down the pace considerably. At the same time, there is still considerable offensive pressure from the French, who are also attacking with very strong units (2). By the time the overpowered French armoured unit reaches the German Panzer IV unit to the west, there is not much left of it. At the same time, I build up pressure north of Kasserine to flank the enemy from the east (3).

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On the Mediterranean coast, the advance proceeds more quickly. After taking Sfax, my units advance further towards Skirra (4). They are supported by a few ships that provide valuable fire support (5). Here they are wearing down 2 Italian anti-aircraft units, one of which is completely destroyed by a subsequent Stuka attack (6), while the other is left with only a single strength point. In the same turn, I surround Skirra to the west with my armoured force, using the strongest unit to smash an overstrength Italian armoured division, which is thrown back onto the wadi (7).

Strategic map: The first half of the scenario is characterised by massive French attacks on Tebessa (8) and Italian attacks on Sousse (9). The attacks on Tebessa are hindered by the narrow Kasserine Pass. However, this bottleneck also hindered the subsequent counterattack, which was correspondingly time-consuming (10). However, as soon as the strong French troop build-up at Kasserine was smashed, the advance to Gafsa, Toseur and Kebeli progressed rapidly. On the Mediterranean coast, the counter-offensive via Sfax, Skirra and Gabes (11) is easier and comes to an end on the island of Dscherba. However, even the coastal region is no walk in the park and my submarine, which I added to my core troops in the ‘Sicily’ scenario, was almost completely sunk by an Italian bomber. With one last strength point, I had to get it to safety quickly. ‘Gabes’ is one of the heaviest material battles in the 4 DAW campaigns and the heaviest so far in this run.

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[Sonja89_1]

After 6 difficult and very extensive scenarios (from Toulon to Gabes), ‘Algiers’ is a more ‘normal’ mission. For the conquest of all primary objectives and the possession of 10,000 prestige points, there is an MV. If you take control of all flag fields, you will receive a DV. A special feature is the danger of heat failure in the vicinity of desert fields.

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The first picture shows the situation in the southern area after the first breakthrough through the enemy position. Coming from Constantine, a small battle group advances southwards through a mountain pass towards Biskra (1). This southern group is supported by 3 air units (1 x Bf109, 1 x Bf110, 1 x Ju87). The French spot the Ju-87 through a scout car and attack from the north-west with two strong fighter groups (Morane-Saulnier 411). They encounter the Bf110 and trigger the Bf109's fighter cover (2). This decimates the overpowered MS411 and causes only minor damage to the Bf110. However, the second attack hits the Bf110 harder and decimates it down to 2 strength points. This destroyer group is therefore out of action for the rest of the scenario, as repairs would be too expensive. However, the two strong French fighter groups do not survive the following turn after anti-aircraft fire and counter-attack. The way is then clear for the ground attack on Biskra (3).

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By the 16th turn, I have approached the main objective of this mission - Algiers. After preparation and reconnaissance, 2 armoured units and a StuG move directly in front of the enemy front (4). This is also to prevent the overstrength French armoured unit (5), which has already been decimated a little, from taking the space for a counterattack. My artillery (6) takes the enemy flak under fire and my cruiser (7) the more distant air defence (8). My bombers then launch attacks to neutralise the enemy air defences. Unfortunately, the nearest own airfield is relatively far away. My fighter groups can hardly give the bombers any fighter cover. This can be very problematic. Here you can see an MS-406 attacking my Stuka on the outskirts of Algiers, but fortunately it doesn't do much damage. After the French anti-aircraft guns have been knocked out and my air force can then pounce on the enemy artillery, the time comes for my own ground attack (9).

Strategic map: From Bone and Tebessa, 2 attack groups move against the French defence (10). At the same time, my naval units advance westwards along the coast and take enemy positions under fire (11). After capturing Philippville and Constantine, the main advance is quickly made towards Algiers (12). At the same time, a smaller group was sent south (13) to occupy the French bases on the edge of the desert zone. After good preparation, the decisive attack on the well-armoured Algiers took place (14). The long distance to the nearest airfield near Constantine was problematic.

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[Sonja89_1]

Casablanca’ is the last scenario of the 2nd campaign. This also marks the end of the battle in North Africa against the French and Italians. In this mission, you earn an MV by capturing all primary objectives and a DV by saving the POW figure from disintegration. This is not easy, as the prison camp is very far away from your own front line. It becomes necessary to carry out an action with paratroopers, who can only be given limited cover due to their lack of range.

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The first picture shows this prison camp at the beginning of the 12th turn. In the meantime, 13 of 20 strength points have already been removed (1). They are transported to Guyana. There are still 7 remaining. 4 of my units have landed to the east (2). They are now ready to clear a minefield (3) so that the prisoners can escape eastwards into the desert with the help of lorries.

The next picture shows the situation in turn 23 before the attack on Fes. In the previous turn I was able to paralyse the enemy air defence with my artillery and then carry out a concentrated attack with all my air forces (4). In a direct counterattack, a strong French fighter group, which also did not bother with my fighter cover, inflicted heavy losses on a Bf-110 unit (5). My strong infantry launched a frontal attack on Fes (6), while particularly fast units moved around to the north, created a crossing over the Sebou and caught the enemy in the rear from the west (7). However, I did not take this bypass into account during the approach to Fes, which means I lose time unnecessarily by regrouping. I now only have 11 turns left, it's getting tight.

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Another 6 turns later, I am in the final phase of the mission. Off the Moroccan coast, my naval units are firing in support of the attack on Rabat (8). Enemy submarines have got a sighting and attack me together with a cruiser and a battleship (9). As I don't want to get involved in a time-consuming battle with the submarines, I take wide evasive action with my ships and move off the coast of Casablanca while my submarine blocks the French submarines. However, one of my destroyers is lost in the process. At Rabat, the air defence is disabled, which gives my air forces free rein (10). My ground forces attack the weak points of the enemy position on the move (11). At the same time, I prepare to advance south past the remaining defences of Rabat towards Casablanca (12). There are only 5 turns left and the opponent still has some combat units at his disposal, it's getting very tight.

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[Sonja89_1]

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Strategic map: This map clearly shows the long distance that the airborne troops have to cover to free the prisoners (13). There is also a mobile field airfield to support them, providing fighter cover most of the time. The ground battle moves from Orleansville in the east (14) to Casablanca on the Atlantic in a relatively narrow area. First Oran and Udschda (15), then Fes (16) must be conquered. At the same time, maritime aux units must be brought together with the core naval units (17). The final attack on Rabat and Casablanca (18) should be launched in good time to avoid running out of time, as happened to me. In the last turn I managed to conquer Casablanca, also thanks to an excellent troop.

To round off the 2nd campaign, here is a list of the core troops still available at the end with their respective values. In the meantime, I have been able to form a very powerful, multi-layered force. The good values of the anti-aircraft units show that you can achieve a lot with a strong air defence. To be continued...

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[rubyjuno]

Hi Sonja,

Thanks for keeping us up to date with your adventures, and for providing the detailed information on your units. Fascinating!

[Sonja89_1]

Hi Sonja,

Thanks for keeping us up to date with your adventures, and for providing the detailed information on your units. Fascinating!

It's great that you're not losing the joy of it. You and your family stay healthy.

The third campaign deals with the duel between the German Reich and the Soviet Union. In this alternative history, the conflict begins in Greece in July 1941. In the first scenario, ‘Athens’, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria attack their southern neighbour Greece under the influence of the USSR. As Great Britain is already preparing for a conflict with Japan and concentrating its resources in South-East Asia, the Greeks turn to the German Reich, which has just completed the fight against the authoritarian regimes of France and Italy. However, the German ground forces are still on their way back to Europe from North Africa. Therefore, only the air force and paratroopers can be deployed in the first two scenarios. In the ‘Athens’ mission, the aim is to bring at least 20 Greek ground units into the evacuation zone west of Patras, thereby achieving a DV. The player achieves an MV if he still holds 4 primary objectives at the end.

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The first picture shows the Greek region north-west of Athens between the Gulf of Corinth (bottom left) and the large island of Euboea (top right). The main Greek defence line at the Sperchios River has already fallen in turn 6 and Yugoslav (1) and Bulgarian (2) ground troops are advancing south. The battered Greek troops retreat piece by piece as long as a meaningful defence is still possible (3). Greek units that were too badly hit were already transported by rail via Lewadia for evacuation. Now, however, a massive Soviet airborne attack (4) near Thebes threatens the rear of the defence line, which can no longer be held. Even the counterattacks by my air core troops (5) can only mitigate this, but no longer prevent it. The front collapses.

Strategic map: The Greek defence line at the Sperchios River is breached by Yugoslav troops to the west (6) and Bulgarian troops (7) to the east. This is immediately followed by Soviet attacks by air forces and airborne troops in the Thebes area (8). From the beginning, I move Greek ground troops mostly by rail transport via Athens and Corinth to the evacuation zone west of Patras (9). My air core troops (10) weaken the enemy and airborne troops near Athens (11) successfully cover the retreat.

Athen-15.jpg (910.05 KiB) Viewed 7086 times

[eskuche]

Hello! Happy new year.
How is your storage of units doing? Do you have a nice stockpile to sell?