Slitherine

East Front North and Center

Hardest defense.
East Front South.

Storming Sevastopol. And surprise from Russian Navy.
Just before I think to start loading Kampfgruppe Caucasus on ship Russian light cruiser appeared suddenly and strikes Romanian destroyer. Landing operation was delayed again

panzerdim wrote: ↑Sat Apr 20, 2019 11:20 pm Difficulty – medium (colonel)
Notes. Many years’ experience in games modding and consulting game designers convinced me that best AI performance was on medium/normal level of any game. All other difficulty levels making troubles for gamer but not doing AI better rather doing the opposite.

I just noticed your difficulty level (which is fine)... I just need to keep this in mind going forward as it impacts some situations (e.g. timing of some scripts, etc.)...

Yes, when I review new game or mod first time I use normal level only.

Turns 17 – 24.

Key events:

Gibraltar.

British fleet was sunken and Gibraltar captured on Turn 23. France.
Massive air attacks on Reich started.

Norway.

Do not remember exactly the date. First British attempt to touch our positions in Norway. Easy repelled.

North Africa.

All is good but not good.
Here we did our primary tasks.
Tobruk was captured and we created a new defense line again.
Our plan is stay here and wait British attack. But no any attacks from 8th British Army occurred and we move towards and stands at Mersa Matruh British Fleet got a small re-enforcement with light cruiser and destroyer through Suze Channel. These ship was quickly sunken by Regia Marina and Ju-88.
So, we need to attempt to block Suze Channel by submarines and MAS.

North Atlantic.
FJ assaults Greenland airfield. 2 U-boats still alive and operated on convoy routes.

East Front.

Army G South.

Sevastopol was fallen and Crimea peninsula captured. Great place for summer vacation.

Army G South.


Rostov was captured and hot bloody summer 1942 in Don’s steppes was begun. Kampfgruppe Caucasus.

Start move to Poti

Army G North.

Start to assault Leningrad and on turn 22 Leningrad was captured. Gain very important prestige points.

Army G Center.

Cruel battle on the outskirts of Moscow. Second wave of Russian tanks arrived.

Turns 25-29.

Key events.

North Africa.

No any activities from British 8th Army again and we decided to move towards to Alexandria and start to crack a defense at El-Alamein. MAS moved to Suez.

East Front.

Army G South.

Army Group south was divided. Main part consists from mainly mtn infantry and mobile forces were moved to North Caucasus. Small part consists of Romanian forces moved to north to Stalingrad.
Here I’m makes a second tactical mistake. Army G South has a small number of tanks. I hoped on infantry, Arty, Luftwaffe and some AT guns for defense but Russians have here huge armored forces with T-34.
In future turns RKKA will starts an armored counter-attack between Stalingrad and Caucasus Mountains and I will have a severe losses and lose here some units with heroes. Kampfgruppe Caucasus.

Ready to landing. Losed 1st naval transport. It has been attacked by Russian marines

Army G North.
Wehrmacht infantry bogged down in the northwest forests and swamps.


Army G Center.

Assaulting Moscow

Turns 30-32.

Overall strategic situation. First results.

North Africa.

Battle at El-Alamein. Few turns and DAK will stands on Suez. MAS blocked Suez from sea. I supposed that no more British ships will appear in Mediterranean because Gibraltar was blocked too.

North Atlantic.

Grunland Task Force was formed. KG40 and AG12 started hunting on Atlantic convoys. In North Atlantic Allied Air Forces lacked fighters support and have long ranged Coastal Command bombers only. I moved to Greenland a long ranged Ju-88D and it covered U-boat from Coastal Command bombers attacks successfully. Norway.

British Air Command tries to recon where a Tirpitz is. France.

Dieppe Raid was repelled.

Gibraltar.

We still do not know is an Operation Torch cancelled or now. We hope that it was cancelled because Gibraltar is in our hand. But we not sure and using "history after knowledge" began concentrate fleet and air force near possible points of landing
Note. I stupidly lose MAS boat because playing with "big ships" forgot about boats low fuel capacity.

So, on West Front we are practically finished our “indirect approach” tasks.

Now we are looking forward to see AI reaction.


East Front

Here is a direct approach performed by alternative way.


Army G North.

Wehrmacht and Finnish infantry starts slow move to Arkhangelsk and Vologda through forests and swamps.
Now is autumn. Winter will be soon. I upgraded a one more Finnish infantry to Jagers. I planned to make a deep Jagers raid and attack Arkhangelsk from rear.

Army G Center.

Moscow was assaulted and fallen on turn 32. Got prestige which is very need. It is time to upgrades Army G South and Kampfgruppe Caucasus.

Bloody horror of Stalingrad began. Battle for Caucasus oil also began.
Landing on Poti was finished. We started attack on Caucasus from 2 sides – from North and South of Caucasian ridge.

Strategic Maps at time of Turn 32, September 1942

Turns 33-41

East Front - Bear waked up. Bloody winter 1942-1943.

Stalingrad.

It’s a real horror for all combatants. First RKKA started a powerful counter-attack from North. Shortly they are start attacks from east, south and from Voronezh side.

Stalingrad

It is a real Stalingrad. Even AA units fighting as ground support and ATG.

We have losses in ruins of Stalingrad and around.

New Year 1943. We still fight in Stalingrad.

Army Center

Part of Army Group Center tried to breakthrough Russian defense in east of Voronezh to help our troops which are struggles for Stalingrad. Still can't break up Russian resistance.
Only 17 Pz.Div was able to break through to Stalingrad and even it is a great support to our troops