Slitherine

I agree that France is too weak at the 1939 stage, and also in the 1940 scenario. The French army was initially almost as strong as the German in numbers, it was the German armour that made the difference. Unfortunately the game gives Germany too much initial numerical strength.

marklv wrote:I agree that France is too weak at the 1939 stage, and also in the 1940 scenario. The French army was initially almost as strong as the German in numbers, it was the German armour that made the difference. Unfortunately the game gives Germany too much initial numerical strength.

French army can increase much its strength from the initial 4 corps to 7-8 corps when Case yelow is launched.

These are the numbers at the start of the game:

Germany

11 infantry corps
3 mech corps
3 armoured corps

Poland

7 infantry corps

France

4 infantry corps
1 armoured corps

UK

1 infantry corps
1 mech corps

Keeping in mind that the germans almost cannnot afford to build land units since they have to focus in labs and air units at the first stages of the game and that the french can build at least 3-4 infantry corps until Germany attacks, nominally, the balance of forces when case yelow is launched in march-april 1940 in GS is the following:

Germany (no changes in land units)

11 infantry corps
3 mech corps
3 armoured corps

Allies: France+UK(BEF)+Belgium+Holland

11 infantry corps (8 french infantry corps+1 british infantry corps+1 belgian infantry corps+1 holland infantry corps)
1 mech corps (british mech)
1 armoured corps (french)

So german numerical superiority is only based in armoured and mech units (as it happened historically) and also in tactical bomber units (they can have 3 or more tacs available for case yelow) but not in number of units.

So I don´t really see any overwhelming german superiority in number of units but a balanced parity keeping also in mind the thousands of french garrison units that helps much to delay german advance in France.

You also fail to see the forest from the trees. Invasion of France is very much a prelude to real war or real action. It's more important that the avarage fall date of France is acceptable than what units are involved.

Great success, difficulties or blunders during the invasion will have their affect on both sides over the upcoming years as they should.

_augustus_

marklv wrote:The French army was initially almost as strong as the German in numbers, it was the German armour that made the difference.

Personally, I think it was the new type of warfare called Blitzkrieg that made the difference. German armor supported by concentrated air strikes would break through and again, supported by strong air, attack allied command and control. And in doing so they would isolated individual allied units from the whole creating confusion and, in some cases, panic.

Below is a comparison of the number of tanks, anti-tank guns, heavy guns, mortars and machine guns between Germany and the allies. Interesting isn't!

marklv wrote:I agree that France is too weak at the 1939 stage, and also in the 1940 scenario. The French army was initially almost as strong as the German in numbers, it was the German armour that made the difference. Unfortunately the game gives Germany too much initial numerical strength.

Would you like to play agaist me? I will play Allies you Axis, as France is too weak you should have few problem.
The invite is valid to any good/competent/expert Axis player.

-Silvano