AO Simple AAR - General Tassadar and his Little Tanks

[Kerensky]

Note to self, Wagner's comments on enemy air force are sometimes of questionable reliability.

Randomized enemy reinforcements are randomized. It's possible to see no extra Polish aircraft, because the chance for them to join a wave is 25%. But if the game rolls that 25% over and over, as is possible, it can be a nasty surprise. I generally try for him to always have good advise, so it's worth reading what he is always saying, but when it comes to enemy reinforcement waves, what direction and with what force is extremely varied by nature.

You saw Char Bs in Warndt and again in Saarbrucken. But it's more likely that you'll never see a Char B, than it is that you will see a Char B. If you ever play it again, these situations really get spotlighted. And that's why complex reinforcement scripts were added to the game. Less predictable scenarios, more replayability.

Ebro is so hard because there is no one single 'plan' to tackle it. You have to have a generally good force with a good plan, and then adapt on the fly based on where the enemy throws reinforcements. First time I crushed Ebro with a sweep from North to South, encircling as I went. That playthrough where I mention only Killer Team and Generalissimus... that plan got mangled really badly because many early reinforcement waves happen to arrive in the north and attack my flanking drive. Many units were fully lost in that mess. Oh well, it's a long Grand Campaign, plenty of opportunities to buy, deploy, and lose even more units.

[Tassadar]

Note to self, Wagner's comments on enemy air force are sometimes of questionable reliability.

Randomized enemy reinforcements are randomized. It's possible to see no extra Polish aircraft, because the chance for them to join a wave is 25%. But if the game rolls that 25% over and over, as is possible, it can be a nasty surprise. I generally try for him to always have good advise, so it's worth reading what he is always saying, but when it comes to enemy reinforcement waves, what direction and with what force is extremely varied by nature.

You saw Char Bs in Warndt and again in Saarbrucken. But it's more likely that you'll never see a Char B, than it is that you will see a Char B. If you ever play it again, these situations really get spotlighted. And that's why complex reinforcement scripts were added to the game. Less predictable scenarios, more replayability.

Ebro is so hard because there is no one single 'plan' to tackle it. You have to have a generally good force with a good plan, and then adapt on the fly based on where the enemy throws reinforcements. First time I crushed Ebro with a sweep from North to South, encircling as I went. That playthrough where I mention only Killer Team and Generalissimus... that plan got mangled really badly because many early reinforcement waves happen to arrive in the north and attack my flanking drive. Many units were fully lost in that mess. Oh well, it's a long Grand Campaign, plenty of opportunities to buy, deploy, and lose even more units.

It actually is a positive comment on Wagner's briefings from my perspective as well. The fact that they are not 100% reliable adds to realism. With spies and scouts not being able to provide oracle level pre-battle info, there is that feeling of uncertainty as to the selected deployment, course of attack or even as in this case, thinking it is safe for fighters to do some sweeping target practice and forego covering my own troops. I enjoyed swearing at Wagner a bit each time an unexpected plane appeared over my artillery where things were in theory settled. I have a feeling this will become my "You told me that Luftwaffe can just pound them from the air" Dunkirk-type moment and poor ol' Wagner will get tired hearing this soon enough.

[WalterTFD]

I wonder if the hero enemies (not the nemesis, just the regular ones you meet from time to time) are also randomized? They are always a nasty bump if you don't see them coming.

[Tassadar]

AO 1939 - Lvov

Starting Prestige (after purchases and replacements): 41132


That's a welcome start. Can't say no to free units, especially free artillery. The only thing left to decide is to come up with a name and Hamburg seems fine. If I ever get a second one, I'll be sure to also use a city's name.

Hero:



Bernd Wolf can join II./JG 61 and provide my fighter force with the ability to immediately adapt to any unexpected situations. After the events at Bzura this has proven to be a valid concern. It is if the soldiers felt the same and offered a quick solution.

New Units Commisioned:

II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch
Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train

In addition to the armored train, I also deploy another recon plane. The cost is not high and they have proven to be useful in guiding artillery. With one more unit of that type it should be beneficial to have two recon planes now.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

Grenadier Reg 4 - Grenadier (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 33 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 34 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 57 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 58 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - Oleh Dir
Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) - Azul Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - No Retaliation

Tank

PzAbt 411 - Panzer IIC - * - First Strike
PzAbt 412 - Souma S35
PzAbt 502 - Verdeja 2 - *** - Steamroller, Survivor - Albert Kerscher

Recon

AufkAbt 11 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Envelopment
AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - ** - Field Repairs

Artillery

Artillerie Abt 601 - 21 cm Mrs 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Zero Slots
Artillerie Abt 602 - 10.5 cm leFH 18 (SdKfz 11) - **
Artillerie Abt 701 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Counter Battery Fire, Skilled Support
Artillerie Abt 702 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Counter Battery Fire, Double Support

Fighter

I./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Fast Rebase - Adolf Galland
II./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Leadership, Fast Rebase

Tactical Bomber

I./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Double Move
II./SG 7 - Ju 87B - **
I./ZG 6 - Bf110C - ** - Readiness
I./AG 9 - He 70 Rayo - ** - Prudent
II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch

Armored Train

Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train

Reserve

Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1 - Brückenpioniere (Opel Blitz)

PzAbt 401 - Panzer 38(t)A- ** - Steamroller, Survivor
PzAbt 402 - Panzer 38(t)A - ** - Steamroller
PzAbt 501 - Panzer 38(t)A - ** - Steamroller
AufkAbt 21 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 22 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - *
Panzerjäger Abt 201 - Panzer I Breda - * - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 202 - Panzer I Breda - ** - No Retaliation, Survivor
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzerjäger Abt 212 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - * - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
FlaK Abt 273 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 - Sturmpanzer I - *
III./JG 61 - Bf 109E - * - Legendary
IV./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *
I./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *
II./KG 43 - Do 17Z- *
III./KG 43 - Do 17Z - *

Highlights


As suspected, the Polish air force is far from beaten, but the difference in equipment is still significantly in my favor.


A promotion for AufkAbt 12. This battalion was put in reserve so often, that in fact it took them this long to achieve what should have been doable still in Spain.


Outmatched in the air, but still numerous, the Poles attempt to attack ground targets, so my forces come to provide cover.


AufkAbt 11 also took some time for this promotion. With Envelopment I mainly used them to attack just slightly and force surrenders, so the amount of direct damage done was lower so far.


Infantry also starts to pick up experience and trying to catch up the fact they were absent in Spain.


By the time my army goes through the thick forests towards Rzeszow, most of the defenders are already gone, leaving the city empty.


Even more infantry medals. With No Retaliation the Spanish volunteers are never afraid to charge into battle.


Fighting in swampy terrain proves costly and dangerous to both sides. Creating an encirclement is easy and retreating is sometimes impossible at all.


My artillery does its best to provide support in this situation.


After dealing with the retreating defenders and transports, I have all the time in the world to set up an attack on L'vov. After intensive bombardment the defenders loose a lot of their will to fight and are defeated without engaging in risky maneuvers.

Summary:

Final Prestige: 42116 (up 984)
CP gained: 2 (up to 4)

Equipment captured in scenario:

7TPdw - 3 (up to 21)
TKS - 1 (up to 6)
FT-17 (pl) - 7
SP wz. 29 - 3 (up to 21)
SP wz. 34 - 1

Overall:

Quite an uneventful scenario, hence the lower number of actual highlights besides unit awards. The turn limit is generous and the Polish army is in complete disarray, not being able to set up a proper line of defense. Even with just a few tanks I had no trouble advancing quickly and creating advantageous combat situations. The only true challenge were swamps on the banks of San river. It is much quicker to go around them, sending only a token force directly. This allows to significantly reduce losses, but the few units that need to attempt direct assault will surely suffer casualties. Overall however, that might be the easiest mission in the entire AO so far, not counting bonus scenarios.

[WalterTFD]

Warsaw awaits, herr Generalle! You are going from strength to strength.

I have a grim determination to train that train up to 5 stars by the end of AO, but that may be less possible than I'd like to think.

[Tassadar]

AO 1939 - Wlodawa

Starting Prestige (after purchases and replacements): 10711


That's a quick refusal. Not only agreeing with the demands does not sit well with me given historical context, but it is a perfect occasion to balance out prestige and gain some commendation points for interesting awards.

Hero:



Powerful hero for many types of units, Michael Schmidt will join I./SG 7 and make life against tanks that much easier. The ability to hit the strongest armored target, especially if followed up by an artillery salvo, can turn an unwinnable duel into an easy overrun.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

Grenadier Reg 4 - Grenadier (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 33 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 34 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 57 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 58 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - Oleh Dir
Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) - Azul Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - No Retaliation

Tank

PzAbt 411 - Panzer IIC - ** - First Strike
PzAbt 412 - Souma S35
PzAbt 502 - Verdeja 2 - *** - Steamroller, Survivor - Albert Kerscher

Recon

AufkAbt 11 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Envelopment
AufkAbt 22 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - *

Artillery

Artillerie Abt 601 - 21 cm Mrs 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Zero Slots
Artillerie Abt 602 - 10.5 cm leFH 18 (SdKfz 11) - **
Artillerie Abt 701 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Counter Battery Fire, Skilled Support
Artillerie Abt 702 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Counter Battery Fire, Double Support

Fighter

I./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Fast Rebase - Adolf Galland
III./JG 61 - Bf 109E - * - Legendary

Tactical Bomber

I./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Double Move, Crippling Blow
II./SG 7 - Ju 87B - **
I./ZG 6 - Bf110C - ** - Readiness
II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch

Strategic Bomber

II./KG 43 - Do 17Z - *

Armored Train

Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train

Reserve

I am setting up some rotation in tanks, recons and fighters to allow for more experience gained elsewhere and a more flexible core in the long run. Also, resistance has been lighter recently, so less powerful units do not automatically mean a significant disadvantage on the battlefield.

Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1 - Brückenpioniere (Opel Blitz)
PzAbt 401 - Panzer 38(t)A- ** - Steamroller, Survivor
PzAbt 402 - Panzer 38(t)A - ** - Steamroller
PzAbt 501 - Panzer 38(t)A - ** - Steamroller
AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 21 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - ** - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 201 - Panzer I Breda - * - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 202 - Panzer I Breda - ** - No Retaliation, Survivor
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzerjäger Abt 212 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - * - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
FlaK Abt 273 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 - Sturmpanzer I - *
II./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Leadership, Fast Rebase
IV./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *
I./AG 9 - He 70 Rayo - ** - Prudent
I./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *
III./KG 43 - Do 17Z - *

Highlights


Polish army sets up quite advantageous positions on hills and send some tankettes to harass ground troops.


My sneaky plan to let the enemy reinforce and have them surrender to take hold of 7TP tanks falls apart when their crews charge at my infantry and get destroyed, choosing not to give up their vehicles to the enemy.


My pioneers near Mircze close in towards the town, but step away from the protective line of artillery and get immediately attacked...


... but immediately they get back into cover range and the force immediately does a great job preventing more losses.


They even get some more experience of their own. That was a valuable lesson!


Fast push towards Lublin is supported by multiple units, not allowing the Poles to put up significant resistance, despite good initial placement of their forces.


With the lack of favorable ground targets in the Polish army, and no more enemy planes in the sky, my fighter "accidentally" takes a shot at Russian bridge engineers. I will explain this to High Command somehow.


I./SG 7 usually attacked armored targets, but with limited number of them now, it gains some anti-infantry experience quickly.


Slow approach towards Wlodawa is interrupted by Soviet rocket launchers on the other side of the river. Attacking those bridge engineers might not have been the best idea.


Encirclement is complete and Polish forces quickly surrender. In such dense forested terrain completing this is easier, but also needed, since otherwise I would be looking at a long, bloody battle.

Summary:

Final Prestige: 11814 (up 1103)
CP gained: 14 from event (up to 18)

Equipment captured in scenario:

TKS - 4 (up to 10)
SP wz. 34 - 1 (up to 2)

None

Overall:

One of the quicker scenarios again, but with much more happening this time. An interesting point to note about Soviet bridge engineers. Attacking them might have been not needed, but I wonder if I left them alone, the Russian army would just cross the river and cause ma headache? I did not seriously attempt a clash with them due to the huge number of artillery units spotted, but that's a thing to consider for a purely challenge based run. A few marginal captures (I could field my own tankettes for a mission now - without reinforcements, but that's still cute) and no major trouble along the way. Army is cooperating nicely and efficiently, unless like in the case of my poor pioneers I forget to place forces in correct formations and have them needlessly exposed. I am also really glad about the hero this time, as a hard hitting tactical bomber is one of the easier ways to get out of seriously dangerous situations.

Warsaw awaits, herr Generalle! You are going from strength to strength.

I have a grim determination to train that train up to 5 stars by the end of AO, but that may be less possible than I'd like to think.

To train a train has some serious meme potential.

[Kerensky]

To train a train has some serious meme potential.

You better believe that ship has sailed.





Also, no attempt to engage the Soviets or capture their equipment. Interesting.

[Tassadar]

Also, no attempt to engage the Soviets or capture their equipment. Interesting.

This is the second time I played this route and in both cases I did not feel to compelled to do so since I did not rely that much on captured equipment, only keeping the Somua S35. If I did, that would be certainly a good occasion to restock on a lot of stuff that's otherwise not obtainable. Just shows there's value in replaying the campaign in many various ways. After a run with retrograde/slow modernization and declining CP awards maybe I can try out an extreme captured equipment run where I'm allowed to only use gift and captured units beyond the ones initially given and only upgrade based on captured stock.

[Tassadar]

AO 1939 - Warsaw

Starting Prestige (after purchases and replacements): 15522


Tempting offer. Too bad it does not yield any results... yet.

Hero:



Christian Richter can join II./SG 7 to provide my tactical bomber with extra siege capacity, perfect for the upcoming battle in fact.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

Grenadier Reg 4 - Grenadier (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 33 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 34 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 57 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 58 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - Oleh Dir
Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) - Azul Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - ** - No Retaliation

Tank

PzAbt 401 - Panzer 38(t)A- ** - Steamroller, Survivor
PzAbt 402 - Panzer 38(t)A - ** - Steamroller
PzAbt 411 - Panzer IIC - ** - First Strike
PzAbt 412 - Somua S35
PzAbt 501 - Panzer 38(t)A - ** - Steamroller
PzAbt 502 - Verdeja 2 - *** - Steamroller, Survivor - Albert Kerscher

Recon

AufkAbt 11 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Envelopment

Artillery

Artillerie Abt 601 - 21 cm Mrs 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Zero Slots
Artillerie Abt 602 - 10.5 cm leFH 18 (SdKfz 11) - **
Artillerie Abt 701 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Counter Battery Fire, Skilled Support
Artillerie Abt 702 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Counter Battery Fire, Double Support
Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 - Sturmpanzer I - *

Fighter

I./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Fast Rebase - Adolf Galland
II./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Leadership, Fast Rebase
III./JG 61 - Bf 109E - * - Legendary

Tactical Bomber

I./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Double Move, Crippling Blow
II./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Entrenchment Killer 4x
III./SG 7 - Il-2 Shturmovik - to join during the mission
I./ZG 6 - Bf110C - ** - Readiness
I./AG 9 - He 70 Rayo - ** - Prudent
II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch

Strategic Bomber

I./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *
II./KG 43 - Do 17Z- *
III./KG 43 - Do 17Z - *

Armored Train

Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train

Reserve

Recons would be great for those accuracy boosts, but in such terrain recon planes will probably serve me better. AT and AA units are probably of limited usage just at the beginning of the scenario and using all four fighter groups seems like overkill.

Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1 - Brückenpioniere (Opel Blitz)
AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 21 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 22 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - *
Panzerjäger Abt 201 - Panzer I Breda - * - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 202 - Panzer I Breda - ** - No Retaliation, Survivor
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzerjäger Abt 212 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - * - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
FlaK Abt 273 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
IV./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *

Highlights


I concentrate a large, mobile force in the northwest, as the flat terrain there allows for a direct approach towards the city.


Another group advances from southeast and both are attacked by Polish air force along the way. There are still some enemy planes that just refuse to give up.


I./AG 9 discovers some large ground forces deep within the city, all set up in defensive formations (albeit not optimal ones).


Investigation continues and hopefully this time it will yield much better results than some random piles of captured or damaged equipment.


Even small encirclements are safe to perform and place tanks in potential range of AT guns. The Poles won't abandon their positions and expose themselves to danger so easily.


Heavily armed PzAbt 502 is equally effective against other tanks as well as against infantry and proves that there was a fair share of such fights so far.


Finally! All that trouble to get something unique paid off...


...and is indeed a sight to behold. III./SG 7 is now reformed.


My southern advance continues west, clearing resistance district by district, as Wagner warned this will be. First supply point is taken.


Up northwest things are progressing slowly as well, with the second supply point occupied as well and remaining defenders entirely cut off.


On the eastern side of town Polish cavalry drives itself into an ambush...


...followed by a tankette squad. You'd think the AI would learn the first time.


Even with support fire to help it's easy to get accidentally hit. Either by artillery on the other side of the river, or by forces trying to encircle the advancing army. Still, Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) with No Retaliation clears out city hexes without too much effort.


Despite thick armor, carefully selecting targets and not putting my tanks in too much danger, the Somua S35 battalion does loose some precious captured machines on occasions.


An curious little event foreshadowing a future, well known pilot, who hopefully will be recruitable.


Meanwhile less known recon pilots discover a beast of an AA gun!


Nec Hercules contra plures - my northwestern and southeastern forces create a joint encirclement and even the strongest of defenders are forced to surrender.


All that city fighting is resulting in same experienced infantry.


With one side of the river secured, it is time to move my army via train transport and quickly traverse the map.


In the meantime, a quick advertisement of recon units usefulness. Here is a potential battle result without recon support...


...and here with an experienced recon to assist.


That was a quick train journey. The main force is now ready to engage the defenders once more.


Artillery and planes remain based on the other side, softening up future targets.


In a slightly unexpected turn of events, PzAbt 402 gets some anit-tank experience during a city battle.


Last remaining forces are cut off from all supply and cannot retreat.


Final fights results in some further awards to my infantry...


...two full regiments in fact.

Summary:

Final Prestige: 16966 (up 144)
CP gained: 0 (6 left, 12 used up)

Equipment captured in scenario:

7TPdw - 12 (up to 33)
TKS - 8 (up to 18 )
SP wz. 29 - 6 (up to 27)
40mm wz. 36 - 13 (up to 23)
75mm wz. 36 - 8 (up to 15)
105mm wz. 29 - 6 (up to 12)
155mm wz. 17 - 6
75mm wz. 97 - 3

Other equipment gained:

Il-2 Shturmovik - gift unit
PZL P.11c - 18
I-15 - 19
PZL P.37B Los - 17

Overall:

Warsaw is a lesson in patience and also logistics. The fights are not necessarily difficult if a proper methodical approach is used, but any attempts to speed this up too much will likely backfire. The map seems larger than it is, but with use of trains or bridge engineers (but these cost core slots) forces can be really quickly moved to other places where they are needed more. Tanks are surprisingly useful as well, since despite this being mostly city terrain, there are a lot of places where mobility and options to create roadblocks of great benefit. In the end I'm up on prestige, massively up on experience and have a new, shiny unit that would not be possible to obtain otherwise.

[Tassadar]

AO 1939 - Raate Road

Starting Prestige (after purchases and replacements): 19097

Hero:



Well, let's not comment too much on poor Christian Fisher, I'm sure he tried... With this said, I figured out a potentially interesting use for such a hero. If he joins Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1, the end result might be a bridge engineering unit not too likely to get accidentally destroyed. Bridge engineers are terrible at everything aside from creating passages, and this might save them in a bad situation if it ever occurs.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

Infanterie Reg 58 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - Oleh Dir
Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) - Azul Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - ** - No Retaliation

Tank

PzAbt 401 - Panzer 38(t)A- *** - Steamroller, Survivor
PzAbt 402 - Panzer 38(t)A - *** - Steamroller
PzAbt 501 - Panzer 38(t)A - ** - Steamroller
PzAbt 502 - Verdeja 2 - *** - Steamroller, Survivor - Albert Kerscher

Recon

AufkAbt 11 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Envelopment

Anti-Tank

Panzerjäger Abt 202 - Panzer I Breda - ** - No Retaliation, Survivor
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)

Artillery

Artillerie Abt 601 - 21 cm Mrs 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Zero Slots
Artillerie Abt 701 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Counter Battery Fire, Skilled Support
Artillerie Abt 702 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Counter Battery Fire, Double Support

Anti-Aircraft

FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - * - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *

Fighter

I./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Fast Rebase - Adolf Galland
II./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Leadership, Fast Rebase
III./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Legendary

Tactical Bomber

I./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Double Move, Crippling Blow
II./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Entrenchment Killer 4x
III./SG 7 - Il-2 Shturmovik
I./ZG 6 - Bf110C - ** - Readiness

Reserve

The plan is simple. Separate the elite Soviet force by baiting them to run towards multiple targets at once, bombard and either surround them or just deal massive damage, whatever works faster. The elite column has some intense AA cover, but if I play my cards right, I might just be able to lure it elsewhere. With this in mind my tactical bombers deploy in full force to score hard hits.

Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1 - Brückenpioniere (Opel Blitz) - No Surrender
Grenadier Reg 4 - Grenadier (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 33 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 34 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 57 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - *
PzAbt 411 - Panzer IIC - ** - First Strike
PzAbt 412 - Somua S35 - *
AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 21 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 22 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - *
Panzerjäger Abt 201 - Panzer I Breda - * - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzerjäger Abt 212 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Artillerie Abt 602 - 10.5 cm leFH 18 (SdKfz 11) - **
Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 - Sturmpanzer I - **
FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - * - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
FlaK Abt 273 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
IV./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *
I./AG 9 - He 70 Rayo - ** - Prudent
II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch - *
I./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *
II./KG 43 - Do 17Z- *
III./KG 43 - Do 17Z - *
Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train

Highlights


Time to immediately take on some Soviet fighters to allow my bombers perform quick attack runs.


The plan to separate Soviet elites worked. My tanks in infantry took some hard hits as a result, but I plan to finish this early and avoid prolonged fighting, using up some of the prestige reserve accumulated over past scenarios, so I'm free to go aggressively. Also, 8.8 cm AA gun on a hill provide some serious cover against enemy aircraft.


Another separated part of the elite squad also hits hard, but is equally damaged in response and soon in deep trouble.


The plan works well. While the towed AA gun with the hero can seriously damage my machines, it cannot be everywhere at once. Lighter self-propelled AA guns are not nearly as threatening.


With the most dangerous tanks units dealt with, the rest is now easy prey.


Intense combat continues in the center section, but a small encirclement helps me mop up the remaining forces.


Final elite tanks is trapped and taken care of, completing the bonus objective.

Summary:

Final Prestige: 18960 (down 137)
CP gained: 2 (up to 4)

Equipment captured in scenario:

None

Overall:

With how aggressive I went with my approach, I expected the prestige to go down a lot more. With the per round increase from my heroes, especially with extra bonus from III./JG 61 this ended up not as bad as I worried. In the end I destroyed the units outright and did not capture any, but again, I'm not using them really in this run aside from the Somua S35 exception, so that's nothing major to worry about. Such a high density of heroes on enemy units is really not easy to take down - things will for sure get interesting in future AO years as allies get access to more experienced troops and will be easily able to rival my own.

[Tassadar]

AO 1939 - Taipale

Starting Prestige (after purchases and replacements): 21308



Torsten Schäfer might not be the absolute best hero (again I got a relatively low impact roll), but I think assigning him to Infanterie Reg 57 will help the unit's survival as it's the one I will not upgrade to more specialized infantry for flavor reasons.

Hero:

New Equipment Provided

Former Infanterie Reg 58, now Gebirgsjäger-Reg 88 - Gebirgsjäger

Perfect, time to remove transport from Oleh Dir's unit and bet on that amazing 5 alpine movement ability for a superb amount of tactical uses.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

Gebirgsjäger-Reg 88 - * - Oleh Dir
Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) - Azul Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - ** - No Retaliation
Grenadier Reg 4 - Grenadier (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 33 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 34 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 57 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - Prudent

Tank

PzAbt 401 - Panzer 38(t)A- *** - Steamroller, Survivor
PzAbt 411 - Panzer IIC - ** - First Strike
PzAbt 501 - Panzer 38(t)A - ** - Steamroller
PzAbt 502 - Verdeja 2 - *** - Steamroller, Survivor - Albert Kerscher

Recon

AufkAbt 11 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Envelopment

Artillery

Artillerie Abt 601 - 21 cm Mrs 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Zero Slots
Artillerie Abt 602 - 10.5 cm leFH 18 (SdKfz 11) - **
Artillerie Abt 701 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Counter Battery Fire, Skilled Support
Artillerie Abt 702 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Counter Battery Fire, Double Support
Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 - Sturmpanzer I - **

Anti-Aircraft

FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - * - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *

Fighter

I./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Fast Rebase - Adolf Galland
II./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Leadership, Fast Rebase
III./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Legendary
IV./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *

Tactical Bomber

I./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Double Move, Crippling Blow
II./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Entrenchment Killer 4x
I./ZG 6 - Bf110C - ** - Readiness

Reserve

Defensive scenario incoming, so I deploy all fighters, but decide to keep AA units in reserve. Tech advantage is on my side in the air, I should do fine without support.

Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1 - Brückenpioniere (Opel Blitz) - No Surrender
PzAbt 412 - Somua S35 - *
PzAbt 402 - Panzer 38(t)A - *** - Steamroller
AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 21 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 22 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - *
Panzerjäger Abt 201 - Panzer I Breda - * - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 202 - Panzer I Breda - ** - No Retaliation, Survivor
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzerjäger Abt 212 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - * - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
FlaK Abt 273 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
I./AG 9 - He 70 Rayo - ** - Prudent
II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch - *
III./SG 7 - Il-2 Shturmovik
I./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *
II./KG 43 - Do 17Z- *
III./KG 43 - Do 17Z - *
Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train

Highlights


During an intense air battle, Soviet fighters ganged up on II./JG 61 and as if ignoring serious damage the aces did, they continued to inflict some significant losses on my end as well.


In the meantime Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 gains support experience...


...while providing valuable fire cover to my defending infantry.


Taipale is quite secure. Artillerie Abt 702 with its double support causes the Soviets to stop right in front of my troops and not attack at all.


Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) inflicts so much damage, that gaining experience and awards is amazingly quick...


..but my other infantry units do not want to stay too far behind as well.


First wave of attackers is dealt with on the western side and I take time to replace losses...


...while on the outskirts of Taiapale a few Soviet units still remain.


More attackers appear, but they make questionable moves, getting themselves destroyed by my units.


Additional planes allow III./JG 61 pilots to join the even more experienced fighter ace club.


With the situation mostly under control, I intercept more incoming attacks directly before they reach Taipale.

Summary:

Final Prestige: 24034 (up 2726)
CP gained: 2 (up to 6)

Equipment captured in scenario:

AT-1 - 2
76.2mm M1939 - 11
85mm M1939 - 2

Overall:

A lot of prestige gained and bonus objectives cleared, I can't be dissatisfied with the result. I loved the idea of having to first reach unoccupied positions and quickly form defenses before things spiral out of control. After dealing with the first groups of attackers the front becomes stable and not too difficult to manage, as it is all a few bottle-necked passages. I even took the liberty to counter attack when I felt confident, pushing the Soviets back to their own fortifications (but not coming to close, the artillery behind them would cost me some resources).

[WalterTFD]

Finishing strong, way to crush them in Warsaw. I agree that the elite Soviet units are a preview of dangers to come...so many heroes!

[Tassadar]

AO 1939 - Denmark

Starting Prestige (after purchases and replacements): 21308


With the decided approach to the game this will just be a souvenir, but at this point I don't really need more CP, so why not take the offer.

Hero:



Finishing with a much better hero than the last few ones. Lars Braun is joining PzAbt 401 and adding some serious intimidation factor to my forces.

New Units Commisioned:

Fallschirmjäger Reg 1 - Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger Reg 2 - Fallschirmjäger

These guys should prove useful in specific scenarios. Might not get too much experience too quickly however, since I'll probably have much more needed units to deploy most of the time.

New Equipment Provided

I./KG 43 - Ju 88A
II./KG 43 - He 111H2
III./KG 43 - He 111H2

While the 1 slot cost of Dorniers is great, the increased stats and especially increased range makes newer strategic bomber models an alternative to consider.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

Grenadier Reg 4 - Grenadier (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 33 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 34 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 57 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - Prudent
Gebirgsjäger-Reg 88 - ** - Oleh Dir
Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) - Azul Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - ** - No Retaliation
Fallschirmjäger Reg 1 - Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger Reg 2 - Fallschirmjäger

Tank

PzAbt 411 - Panzer IIC - ** - First Strike, Steamroller
PzAbt 412 - Somua S35 - *

Recon

AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 21 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - ** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 22 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - *

Artillery

Artillerie Abt 601 - 21 cm Mrs 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Zero Slots
Artillerie Abt 602 - 10.5 cm leFH 18 (SdKfz 11) - **
Artillerie Abt 701 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Counter Battery Fire, Skilled Support
Artillerie Abt 702 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Counter Battery Fire, Double Support
Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 - Sturmpanzer I - **

Tactical Bomber

III./SG 7 - Il-2 Shturmovik
I./AG 9 - He 70 Rayo - ** - Prudent
I./ZG 6 - Bf110C - ** - Readiness

Strategic Bomber

I./KG 43 - Ju 88A - *
II./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *
III./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *

Reserve

Keeping many experienced and armored units in reserve. Time to give other battalions some room to gain experience.

Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1 - Brückenpioniere (Opel Blitz) - No Surrender
PzAbt 401 - Panzer 38(t)A- *** - Fearsome Reputation, Steamroller, Survivor
PzAbt 402 - Panzer 38(t)A - *** - Steamroller
PzAbt 501 - Panzer 38(t)A - *** - Steamroller
PzAbt 502 - Verdeja 2 - *** - Steamroller, Survivor - Albert Kerscher
AufkAbt 11 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Envelopment
Panzerjäger Abt 201 - Panzer I Breda - * - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 202 - Panzer I Breda - ** - No Retaliation, Survivor
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzerjäger Abt 212 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
FlaK Abt 273 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
I./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Fast Rebase - Adolf Galland
II./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Leadership, Fast Rebase
III./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Legendary
IV./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *
II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch - *
I./SG 7 - Ju 87B - *** - Double Move, Crippling Blow
II./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Entrenchment Killer 4x
Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train - *

Highlights


With no air oppositions, strategic bombers and artillery can operate freely, clearing the path for a direct assault.


Other part of the army lands at the beaches and prepares to attack the capital.


Finally, paratroopers land in key locations to cut of part of the Danish forces.


Danish army uses some unique tanks. My collector's soul immediately wants to capture some of them to show them of in a garage after the war.


Paratroopers redeploy and help take the final target. They really were useful, but not to a degree that would make them irreplaceable, we shall see how this continues.

Summary:

Final Prestige: 25811 (up 4503)
CP gained: 0 (5 used, 5 remaining)

Equipment captured in scenario:

T-15 - 4
DK Motorcycle - 6 - I actually had no idea these can be captured!
T-13 - 4
20mm M/38 - 3
75mm FRC M27 - 5

Other equipment gained:

KV-2 - 35

Overall:

Quick and simple, a relaxing scenario after more challenging ones. With no air force and very limited tank resistance, there are multiple approaches here that can be tested. The prestige gain is absolutely crazy, I was not expecting this much. Time to prepare for 1941 with a really solid core and prestige to spare. In the meantime, I'll likely replay SCW and AO 1939 in some unique challenge runs.

AO 1939 - Summary

Starting Prestige: 21837
Final Prestige: 25811 (up 3974)

Final Army Composition:

Infantry

Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1 - Brückenpioniere (Opel Blitz) - No Surrender
Grenadier Reg 4 - Grenadier (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 33 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 34 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 57 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - Prudent
Gebirgsjäger-Reg 88 - ** - Oleh Dir
Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) - Azul Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - ** - No Retaliation
Fallschirmjäger Reg 1 - Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger Reg 2 - Fallschirmjäger

Tank

PzAbt 401 - Panzer 38(t)A- *** - Fearsome Reputation, Steamroller, Survivor
PzAbt 402 - Panzer 38(t)A - *** - Steamroller
PzAbt 411 - Panzer IIC - ** - First Strike, Steamroller
PzAbt 412 - Somua S35 - *
PzAbt 501 - Panzer 38(t)A - *** - Steamroller
PzAbt 502 - Verdeja 2 - *** - Steamroller, Survivor - Albert Kerscher

Recon

AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Envelopment
AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 21 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - *** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 22 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - **

Anti-Tank

Panzerjäger Abt 201 - Panzer I Breda - * - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 202 - Panzer I Breda - ** - No Retaliation, Survivor
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzerjäger Abt 212 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)

Artillery

Artillerie Abt 601 - 21 cm Mrs 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Zero Slots
Artillerie Abt 602 - 10.5 cm leFH 18 (SdKfz 11) - **
Artillerie Abt 701 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Counter Battery Fire, Skilled Support
Artillerie Abt 702 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Counter Battery Fire, Double Support
Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 - Sturmpanzer I - **

Anti-Aircraft

FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
FlaK Abt 273 - SdKfz 10/4 - *

Fighter

I./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Fast Rebase - Adolf Galland
II./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Leadership, Fast Rebase
III./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Legendary
IV./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *

Tactical Bomber

I./SG 7 - Ju 87B - *** - Double Move, Crippling Blow
II./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Entrenchment Killer 4x
III./SG 7 - Il-2 Shturmovik
I./AG 9 - He 70 Rayo - *** - Prudent
II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch - *
I./ZG 6 - Bf110C - *** - Readiness

Strategic Bomber

I./KG 43 - Ju 88A - **
II./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *
III./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *

Armored Train

Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train - *

Trophies of War:

Tank:
FT-17 - 35
Vickers Mk.III - 13
BT-5 - 39
T-26 - 78
Trubia - 57
Char B1 - 22
AMC 35 - 1
Somua S35 - 27
Renault R35 - 5
7TPdw - 33
7TPjw - 11
TKS - 18
FT-17 (pl) - 7
KV-2 - 35
T-15 - 4

Recon:
Bilbao - 25
UNL-35 - 58
AAC-1937 - 15
BA-6 - 3
AMC P16 - 6
Panhard 178 - 8
SP wz. 29 - 27
SP wz. 34 - 2
DK Motorcycle - 6

Anti-Tank:
37mm M1930 - 12
45mm M1932 - 6
25mm SA 34 - 9
37mm wz. 36 - 3
AT-1 - 2
T-13 - 4

Artillery:
105mm Vickers M22 - 31
70mm Schneider M08 - 21
203mm M1931 - 29
152mm M10/30 - 13
122mm M10/30 - 25
75mm Schneider M06 - 16
75mm mle 1897 - 10
155mm C mle 1917 - 8
105mm mle 1913 - 6
105mm wz. 29 - 12
155mm wz. 17 - 6
75mm wz. 97 - 3
76.2mm M1939 - 11

Anti-Aircraft:
20mm M33 - 48
75mm Vickers M1931 - 6
76.2mm M31 - 8
37mm mle 30 - 4
75mm mle 39 - 5
25mm CA mle 39 - 4
40mm wz. 36 - 23
75mm wz. 36 - 15
85mm M1939 - 2
20mm M/38 - 3
75mm FRC M27 - 5

Fighter:
I-16 - 30
PZL P.11c - 18
I-15 - 19

Strategic Bomber:
PZL P.37B Los - 17

Thoughts:

Things went quicker and easier than in SCW for several reasons. One is the veteran force that already had some useful experience and could outperform the French, Poles and Soviets. Second is the new equipment, bringing technical advantage on many sides or at least bringing my army up to the level presented by the opposition. 1941 will for sure be less forgiving. Norway has terrain that works in defenders favor and will not allow to end maps with small losses. Meeting the core of the French army will also not be an easy task - the initial scouts that appeared in 1939 were just a demonstration of what the French can really do.

[WalterTFD]

Strong force, ready for the next DLC. I'm in the same boat, can't wait for 1940!

[Magic1111]

Sorry if I use this thread for a question ... but I like to follow it ... I played the Battle of the Bzura scenario yesterday and got this message too.

What does that mean in concrete terms? Must I have to pay attention to them? If yes why?

https://ibb.co/XZmwsh5

[Tassadar]

Sorry if I use this thread for a question ... but I like to follow it ... I played the Battle of the Bzura scenario yesterday and got this message too.

What does that mean in concrete terms? Must I have to pay attention to them? If yes why?

https://ibb.co/XZmwsh5

This is a teaser of Rudel appearing in future AO as a hero. Probably not yet scripted in any way and added for flavor reasons, just some heads-up on things to come. However I deployed a recon plane after that and got a message in Warsaw as well. Again, probably just another teaser, but maybe it's worth not to risk it? Only Kerensky (the designer) knows.

[Magic1111]

This is a teaser of Rudel appearing in future AO as a hero. Probably not yet scripted in any way and added for flavor reasons, just some heads-up on things to come. However I deployed a recon plane after that and got a message in Warsaw as well. Agni, probably just another teaser, but maybe it's worth not to risk it? Only Kerensky (the designer) knows.

Ah, okay!

Then it's the same as in Panzer Corps 1. At that time, I think in the first Minsk scenario, we had to deploy the reconnaissance unit with Rudel to get the "strong" Rudel.

[Magic1111]

AO 1939 - Saarbrucken

...


Meanwhile my forces in Saarbrucken occupy great elevated potions creating a formation that is only vulnerable to possible bridge engineer raids over the river and towards my artillery (which actually happens at one point - good thing bridge engineers are lousy fighters).

Here I had successfully gone the way that I had not deploy any units on the two hexes with the bridge, only in the two victory hexes behind it. This then covered by artillery and/or AT.

This means that the enemy units had to drive onto the bridges. Here they could be eliminated relatively easily.

Otherwise, the enemy troops stand on fortifications where they have a high base entrenchment. Even if your own troops are covered by strong artillery, they are still on a bridge hex, and so are more vulnerable.

I also placed a reconnaissance unit in the middle of the hill in front of the airfield (or directly on the airfield, don't remember exactly). This can drive down to the bridge hex and, if necessary, eliminate suppressed enemy units with only strengths 1-3, and then retreat back up.

Towards the end of the scenario, when only a few or no troops were arriving, I moved out and captured the two flags on the bridge for myself.

It is not necessary to keep the two bridges with the own flags all the time during the scenario. At the end of the scenario it is enough.

[Tassadar]

True indeed - I got a bit fixated on the idea of protecting the bridges as well, rather than just backing off a bit more. However, the defensive position is strong enough that it was never really in danger - so much heavy artillery support almost entirely shuts down attempts to attack my infantry anyway, provided that the heavy guns and bombers keep opposing artillery suppressed.

[Tassadar]

AO 1940 - Fornebu

Starting Prestige (after purchases and replacements): 26607

Hero:



AO 1940 starts well for the Little Tanks with a useful hero with a trait that already was proven useful by Galland. Thinking about this in air force related notes, I assign Robert Becker to IV./JG 61 that did not have any heroes so far.

New Units Commissioned:

Fallschirmjäger Reg 3 - Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger Reg 4 - Fallschirmjäger

Let's try to save those pilots with the maximum possible paratrooper help. I am also tempted to head one of my planes east and change some history...

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

Grenadier Reg 4 - Grenadier (Opel Blitz) - *
Infanterie Reg 57 - Wehr Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - * - Prudent
Gebirgsjäger-Reg 88 - ** - Oleh Dir
Infanterie Reg 99 (span.) - Azul Infanterie (Opel Blitz) - ** - No Retaliation
Fallschirmjäger Reg 1 - Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger Reg 2 - Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger Reg 3 - Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger Reg 4 - Fallschirmjäger

Tank

PzAbt 401 - Panzer 38(t)A- *** - Steamroller, Survivor
PzAbt 402 - Panzer 38(t)A - *** - Steamroller
PzAbt 502 - Verdeja 2 - *** - Steamroller, Survivor - Albert Kerscher

Recon

AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Envelopment
AufkAbt 12 - SdKfz 222 - *** - Field Repairs

Artillery

Artillerie Abt 601 - 21 cm Mrs 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Zero Slots
Artillerie Abt 602 - 10.5 cm leFH 18 (SdKfz 11) - **
Artillerie Abt 701 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Counter Battery Fire, Skilled Support
Artillerie Abt 702 - 15 cm sFH 18 (SdKfz 7) - *** - Counter Battery Fire, Double Support

Fighter

I./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Fast Rebase - Adolf Galland
II./JG 61 - Bf 109E - *** - Leadership, Fast Rebase
III./JG 61 - Bf 109E - ** - Legendary
IV./JG 61 - Bf 109E - * - Aiming Assistance

Tactical Bomber

I./SG 7 - Ju 87B - *** - Double Move, Crippling Blow

Strategic Bomber

I./KG 43 - Ju 88A - **
II./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *
III./KG 43 - He 111H2 - *

Reserve

Pionier Brücken Bataillon 1 - Brückenpioniere (Opel Blitz) - No Surrender
Pionier Bataillon 33 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
Pionier Bataillon 34 - Pioniere (Opel Blitz) - *
PzAbt 411 - Panzer IIC - ** - First Strike, Steamroller
PzAbt 412 - Somua S35 - *
PzAbt 501 - Panzer 38(t)A - *** - Steamroller
AufkAbt 21 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - *** - Field Repairs
AufkAbt 22 - SdKfz 231 6Rad - **
Panzerjäger Abt 201 - Panzer I Breda - * - Field Repairs
Panzerjäger Abt 202 - Panzer I Breda - ** - No Retaliation, Survivor
Panzerjäger Abt 211 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzerjäger Abt 212 - 3.7 cm Pak 36 (SdKfz 10)
Panzer Artillerie Abt 611 - Sturmpanzer I - **
FlaK Abt 271 - 8.8 cm FlaK 18 (SdKfz 7) - ** - Fast Learner, Lethal Attack
FlaK Abt 272 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
FlaK Abt 273 - SdKfz 10/4 - *
II./SG 7 - Ju 87B - ** - Entrenchment Killer 4x
III./SG 7 - Il-2 Shturmovik
I./AG 9 - He 70 Rayo - *** - Prudent
II./AG 9 - Fi 156 Storch - *
I./ZG 6 - Bf110C - *** - Readiness
Panzerzug Hamburg - Armored Train - *

Highlights


Time to save that ship and change history! I./SG 7 with Crippling Blow hits hard against Norwegian fortifications and assistance from Fallschirmjäger Reg 4 helps secure the location.


Meanwhile remaining paratroopers land to assist forces near Fornebu. Interestingly, the opposing forces are not too interested in grounded planes, focusing on my infantry. I hope that as long as my units hold the line, they should be able to survive until heavier reinforcements arrive by sea.


Success! The for goes down and the Blücher is thus saved from grim fate.


High command is really impressed and grants me an experimental unit. Little do they know, I'll refrain from using it on this run, but will for sure try it out in an alternative universe.


With Fast Rebase Adolf Galland quickly arrives to the scene up north and dos not mess around with planes that were shooting at my infantry units.


Once armored support arrives at the scene, the obsolete Norwegian tanks don't stand a chance and my forces quickly move east...


...encountering no meaningful resistance in Oslo itself.

Summary:

Final Prestige: 29001 (up 2394)
CP gained: 4 (up to 4)

Equipment captured in scenario:

40mm m/36 - 3 (up to 3)

Other equipment gained:

Wurfrahmenn 40 - 30 (up to 30)

Overall:

This was completely different to what Norwegian scenarios taught me in Pazner General and Panzer Corps games. There's some naval combat and a lot of sea to traverse (with nasty patrol boat surprises), but no mountain roadblocks that make tanks impossible to use and no multiple isolated landing areas in the traditional sense. The bonus objective seemed scary, but I was either extremely lucky, or the AI just decided to almost never attack the planes, they focused on my forces instead. Defense seemed more of a headache than it ended up as, but with the obvious point that Fornebu needs to be taken ASAP and held at all cost. As for the hidden objective, it was a really nice touch. I immediately was tempted into trying to change the course of history and trying to do the impossible. Luckily for me, first two fort hits only took one point of strength fro the ship and I was then able to bombard the fort significantly from the air, land paratroopers who secured to port to break encirclement after landing and secure the location. Very solid star, but I am concerned a bit by what I reported in the bug section as well. Retrograde trait prevents buying Fallschirmjäger, so both my Slow Retrograde and Paznermon runs will likely not be able to save the Blücher and might even struggle to secure the Bf 110 protection objective. Hopefully this is just a small oversight that will be adjusted in a hotfix by the time I move to those runs, but if it is intentional, I'll play with the cards I've been dealt.