Early blitz game AAR (no trulster allowed in this thread)

[massina_nz]

You weren't able to invade Norway with two German corps at once? Any particular reason why?

[rkr1958]

You weren't able to invade Norway with two German corps at once? Any particular reason why?

I suspect that he's conserving his invasion points for use against Greece. The Germans regenerate invasion points at a rate of one every three turns. Assuming jjdenver is planning to invade Greece using two amphibious German units, this means he'll be able to invade 3 turns later on October 5, 1940 versus 6 turns later on December 4, 1940 if he had invaded Norway with two corps. This comes at the cost of having to take one additional turn to capture Norway. This "weak" invasion might also draw the British into trying to intervene in Norway. If they do, jjdenver is in position to severely punish them for that. But the main reason is to push the timetable up for the invasion of Greece by 3 turns, or two months.

[massina_nz]

Thanks, I forgot about the regeneration of Invasion points. But I won't forget about the RN getting a spanking in the North Sea, as trulster taught me. Once bitten twice shy.

[jjdenver]

Turn 20 - Sep 15, 1940:

A turn passes with no British response (turn 19) while the Wermacht begins to expand the beach head.

The RN then sails a BB squadron to intervene at Bergen and an STR bases out of Bergen. A combined service German response is ordered by OKH.

Here is screenshot at beginning of turn:


Here is screenshot after German response.

Oslo falls w/o the need for a 2nd corp due to heavy and sustained TAC bombing.

The BB is sunk, and the heavily damaged wolfpack sails north to interdict Trondheim. A bunch of garrisons are put to sea. These will serve as screens during the ongoing naval battle then be dumped into Norwegian ports as garrisons once the fight is settled.

[rkr1958]

jjdenver,

It looks like your preparation for a possible British intervention paid off. A word of caution; be careful with using your transports for screens. Every transport sunk or destroyed at sea or in port drops your transport capacity by 1. And, lost transports regenerate at the same rate as used amphibious points. So if you were to lose one transport it wold take you 3 turns to get that transport capacity back. If you lose two then it takes 6 turns to get both back.

[massina_nz]

rkr1958

What do you normally garrison Norway with? GARs or Infantry Corps. I've found (over only a few games) that GARs won't stand long if the Allied playeer really wants to liberate Norway in 42-44, when the Axis is transfixed on the East and North Africa. But garrisoning with Infantry corps seems expensive.

Massina

[rkr1958]

rkr1958

What do you normally garrison Norway with? GARs or Infantry Corps. I've found (over only a few games) that GARs won't stand long if the Allied playeer really wants to liberate Norway in 42-44, when the Axis is transfixed on the East and North Africa. But garrisoning with Infantry corps seems expensive.

Massina

I use garrisons. If you use Norway as a naval and air base to interdict the Murmansk convoy then that should keep the allies at bay for a while.

[massina_nz]

rkr1958

What do you normally garrison Norway with? GARs or Infantry Corps. I've found (over only a few games) that GARs won't stand long if the Allied playeer really wants to liberate Norway in 42-44, when the Axis is transfixed on the East and North Africa. But garrisoning with Infantry corps seems expensive.

Massina

I use garrisons. If you use Norway as a naval and air base to interdict the Murmansk convoy then that should keep the allies at bay for a while.

Which is normally the reason why you invade Norway, to interdict the Murmansk convoys

[jjdenver]

I think a lot of players put a corp in one of the Norwegian cities or somewhere in Norway to react to any invasion. That combined w/ subs repairing in the ports and air based there to hit Soviet convoys is a pretty good intrinsic defense net.

The Norway op I ran in this game is similar to the one that I usually run other than invading w/ a single corp. However my N. African strategy is quite different than I usually use and is based heavily on rkr1958's generous advice about how he usually handles the med.

[massina_nz]

I think a lot of players put a corp in one of the Norwegian cities or somewhere in Norway to react to any invasion. That combined w/ subs repairing in the ports and air based there to hit Soviet convoys is a pretty good intrinsic defense net.

The Norway op I ran in this game is similar to the one that I usually run other than invading w/ a single corp. However my N. African strategy is quite different than I usually use and is based heavily on rkr1958's generous advice about how he usually handles the med.

JJ

Do you have a link to rkr1958's advice?

Massina

[jjdenver]

Part of it is in the thread about how to win as Axis that I started on the main board. The other part was from PM's. We discussed the Greek invasion, but there was nothing too groundbreaking there, the same strategy that worked in BJR mod basically still works in GS mod. A minor difference is the Rhodes (?) airbase off the south coast of Turkey that can be used (I think it's new anyway)

We also talked about defending Libya, in particular whether to advance to the border or defend at Tobruk and what force comp works well. Basically 3 GE INF, 1-2 GE FTR, an extra IT INF or two defending at Tobruk was his advice, with the back door (Sardinia/Sicily) defended by an air trap, presumably w/ a sub or two out as early warning for any incoming invasion.

[rkr1958]

A minor difference is the Rhodes (?) airbase off the south coast of Turkey that can be used (I think it's new anyway)

Rhodes was there in the old mod; however, the difference in the expansion is that it's now an airfield resource hex. Since it's a one hex airfield this means that it can never be captured by the allies similar to the way that the Azores, Greenland and Iceland allies airbases can never be captured by the axis.

We also talked about defending Libya, in particular whether to advance to the border or defend at Tobruk and what force comp works well.

In my current game as the axis against Boyd, I wanted to implement a passive North Africa defense strategy but Boyd wouldn't let me. He bodly marched the Brits into Libya in the fall of 1940. So I was forced to respond very aggressively and push the Brits back to Egypt and to El Alamein. I had no intention of trying to take the canal but just wanted to pacify that front so I could concentrate on Russia. This "pacification" forced me to forgo conquering Crete and delayed my invasion of Russia by 1 or 2 turns.

Anyway, the axis desert army maintained their defensive position west of El Alamein until US entry at which time they bugged out back to Libya and the Tobruk defense line. Of course, the Brits are following; but I do have some surprises in store for them when they arrive.

The reason that I'm giving you all this background is one thing that occurred to me about my forward desert defense and the reason I'm high tailing it back to Libya. And that is, a forward axis desert defense without taking the Suez Canal is highly vulnerable to a flanking allied invasion into western Egypt or eastern Libya; especially, after US entry. Here I was sitting fat, dumb and happy in my forward axis defense position when it occurred to me that Boyd could fairly easily cut off and trap the majority of my desert defense land forces. So, unless you're planning for an all out assault to at least take the Suez Canal it's best to stay put in Libya and build your defenses around Tobruk and Benghazi. Of course, you'll need to keep an eye out west of Tripoli for a possible "surprise" allied invasion there and deploy additional ground troops to that area too. Remember, the axis does not have rail capability in North Africa and must move ground units either by land or transport, which is very dangerous.

[jjdenver]

Turn 23 - Nov 14, 1940:

The last turn and this turn are quiet as Axis planners begin to prepare for an assault on Greece.

Off the coast of France, there are a bunch of opportunities for Wolfpacks. Wolfpacks are also out hunting in the Atlantic for convoys.

[jjdenver]

Turn 24 - Dec 4, 1940:
The Greek invasion force is in place. Next turn should see the DOW and landings around Athens. Strong Luftwaffe elements are in place to deal with any RN intervention.

[massina_nz]

JJ, just make sure you have plenty of air-cover for your presumably amphib invasion of Greece. Make the RN pay, if they come out and play.

[jjdenver]

Turn 25 - Dec 24, 1940:

The last turn of 1940 sees the RN sail in strength to hit the Greek invasion flotillas.

A Regia Marina BB squadron is sunk, and a DD task force badly damaged. Both invasion flotillas are mauled as well.

The invasion has to be called off and the Luftwaffe responds.

[massina_nz]

JJ, probably a wise move to withdraw if you can. I was in a similar situation once, and pushed on with the invasion, only to lose three Axis Corps, and almost the entire Regia Marina.

[jjdenver]

JJ, probably a wise move to withdraw if you can. I was in a similar situation once, and pushed on with the invasion, only to lose three Axis Corps, and almost the entire Regia Marina.

Germany can't withdraw. The Luftwaffe is set up to deal with a strong British response and that's what they're going to do.

[jjdenver]

Turn 26 - Jan 13, 1941:

The Luftwaffe and Regia Marina response to the RN intervention is able to sink a CV and damage 3 BB's. The RN chooses to withdraw after these heavy losses. A new German corp moves into position west of Athens and the badly damaged invasion flotilla sails for port.

Fleets are again in place after 2 turns of manuevering (first turn bombing, 2nd turn just moving into position - this turn) for the invasion of Greece.

[jjdenver]

Turn 27 - Feb 2, 1941:

The pugnacious RN again intervenes to stop the Greek invasion! 2 subs torpedo the German invasion flotilla east of Athens.

The Luftwaffe responds again, badly damaging both subs but unable to destroy either sub group.

Off the coast of France a RN BB squadron chooses the wrong time to bombard Brest. There are many Kriegsmarine wolfpacks nearby, the weather is bad which will mitigate any RAF strikes, and a German FTR can be railed in. All of this combines to form a perfect trap for the BB.