Versus Richarddsd
Yep, another game. Here's the status after the first Severe Winter.
I took Paris in May. Which is quite early for me, so I did something different and attacked Spain and then Portugal. I also took Yugoslavia. My opponent DOW's Vichy after the US entry into the war.
Barbarossa was launched on June 22, it was very tight for me to launch then and I didn't have my normal complement of Axis forces, especially as Italy has been given the task of garrisoning Spain. Despite this I made good ground as the Russians retreated, and IIRC there wasn't a Russian Winter counter-offensive. I have lots of PPs but I'm already at 75% manpower for both Germany and Italy. In hindsight I would have bought more expensive leaders.
The Russians have retreated to the Don river-line
Some reasonable Russian casualties as we fought over Orel-Kursk-Kharkov
42 Summer Campaign
I managed to cross the Don and engage in some good swirling battles destroying many Russian units, surrounding a few as well, I also lose some units, I then retreated behind the Don at the end of the good weather. There were some Russian Winter coutner-attacks south of Stalingrad but they didn't come to much. Neither of our front lines are two units deep across the whole front.
In other theatres, I still hold Libya, Spain, and Portugal. The Allies have made steady progress through Morroco, Algeria and Tunisia and now hold all those countries. I have been able to sink many allied naval units near Spain.
Status at the end of 42/43 Winter
Yep Axis manpower levels are suffering, but Russian casualties are high as well.
Postscript
I spent most of 44/45 running away from the Soviets and blocking Allied landings in Western Europe. They eventually landed in Denmark but were never able to take a city so they we relqtively easily contained.
The Axis hit oil problems in '44. The bombing of Ploesti assisted in that, but the root cause was much earlier in the game.
1..The Spanish gambit and the early DOW of Vichy France gave me many PPs to play with
2. I used the Italians to garrison Spain, so I could use a couple of their better commanders to give org bonuses for most of the country. This meant less troops for the Eastern front. In addition invading Yugoslavia reduced the available Minor power forces avaialbe as well.
3.. So I built too many units for the Eastern front, rather than less units and instead buying the best commanders (I bought the 55 pt ones). So my manpower dipped quickly.
4. So I then built large quantities of low manpower units, FTRs and TACs, which after upgrades burnt lots of fuel
5. And I used those TACs and FTRs too much, sometimes with little effect, e.g. burn 6 fuel for a 1-step loss, not a fair trade. I should have been more parsimonious with their use.
But despite all this I got a Strategic victory, holding onto to Hamburg, Paris and only losing 1 city in Siciliy.
