Slitherine

I think you have enough time for building a strong Barbarossa with sufficient air support. So it all depends on weather: fair weather on april 41 plus a strong Barbarossa could be lethal for the russians.

Unless SuperMax uses the long 40/41 hiatus to attack a minor country such as Portgual-Spain/Greece/Turkey, that may throw a spanner in the works.

In MED i spotted RN presence near Sicily, aswell as british strategic bomber in Lybia. I sent my Italian bomber to attack british BB, and it was intercepted with Egyptian fighter, based on Malta. Anyway my TAC and BB damaged british BB from 7 to 3 steps. Something has to be done with all this allies in MED. I railed 2 fighters to challenge RAF there. Also I railed panzer from France, it will be Guderian's HQ on southern ostfront (I purchased Guderian this turn), but for now he can command my airforce in Italy. Also panzer with leader in Italy can probably somehow confuse Max , that I am preparing something offensive in MED.

Since my railroad network was busy with units, listed above, I was not able to rail anything to ostfront.
But I bombed London again, taking 1 step despite winter weather.

I have to say that I´ve seen this North Africa italian evacuation strategy before. From a PP´s point of view, the italian only lose 3 PP´s. But from a strategic point of view the italian gain good defensive positions with all of their units with 5 supply level.

In the game in which my opponent used this strategy, I could see how the axis defensive positions in Italy were almost impregnable with a strong and high tech level fighter Luftwaffe presence and with 3-4 italian submarines. On these conditions, the allies are almost forced to launch a Torch operation for gaining air bases in Tunisia. And certainly a successful allied landing in mainland Italy is very difficult.

So let´s see how this strategy works in this game with an experienced player like supermax.

In general I don't value this strategy of giving up Libya for free - better to make the Allies pay for it when they are able to later in the war.

Will be interesting to see how it works here, maybe against a player like Supermax who seem prone to be overconfident and at times too aggressive, an early, overextended Allied invasion of Italy can be dealt with, severely setting back the Allied schedule.

trulster wrote:In general I don't value this strategy of giving up Libya for free - better to make the Allies pay for it when they are able to later in the war.

I agree with this as well, better to slow the allies down in North Africa before they attack Italy. But it will be very interesting to see how this strategy works out.

trulster wrote:Will be interesting to see how it works here, maybe against a player like Supermax who seem prone to be overconfident and at times too aggressive, an early, overextended Allied invasion of Italy can be dealt with, severely setting back the Allied schedule.

Since the axis are very passive, I believe Max has already guessed that there will a strong and early Barbarossa. My advice is not to underestimate him. He always manages to cook up some nice surprise and spring it upon you (just my personal experience )

In MED RN gone from Sicily, for now at least. Guderian arrived to his HQ-panzer korps in Italy, and started to rise effectiveness of fighters.
Next turn I will get strategic operations level 1 tech, so fighters are placed in this way to perform raid on Malta 2 turns later (if RAF fighter is still here, but why it should not?). Bad thing that it probably can be on "sentry" mode, like Max's fighters in England (I bombed london for 1 pp one more time).

Italian fighter still controls Tripole. Looks like Max decided to march there by ground.

In Atlantic some accident paralised my convoy hunting operations - I got submarines level 2 tech. Subs, going to deploy in northern and southern atlantic all now going to french ports to get their valueable +1 naval attack (aswell as +2 surv for old veteran subs near american shore). Upgrade looks very worthy to me, since it will spead-up convoy sinking.

I continue railing to the Ostfront. At the end of my turn Romania joined axis, kindly providing me with lots of poor trained troops (airforce and navy included) aswell as with ground to deploy my main Barbarossa strikeforce and with best oil field in the Europe.

I am saving PPs for now, two turn later I will build 2 more labs to fulfill 1941 increased limits.
Also maybe I will switch naval lab to armour, or maybe I will do it later, when I get subs lvl 6, and basically will not need naval research at all (battleship raiding naval warfare rejected , since I even don't have good bases (Norway or Spain) for battleships. French bases are bad, they are very distant from major convoy ways (aswell as they are overlooked by RAF),
P.S. In Intro of this AAR I have written, that I am going to rely on mechs heavily. After my game with Frank I am not so confident about this. Sometimes you need old good panzers to do the things right way. But we will see...

Now I am starting to get benefit from all this PP stored in early game to build more labs as fast, as possible.
This turn scientists and engineers provided me with better planes and tank destroyers.

All quiet in Europe, only railing to the East and slow deploying in muddy weather.
In MED I have spotted allied convoy with fighter (or just renamed one with something different), coming from the west (Gibraltar way).
Italian naval and air power striked it for 3 steps. If it is real fighter and it will really unload into Malta airfield, it will be in trouble with 7 steps and low effectiveness, since luftwaffe JGs and italian bomber are placed properly, upgraded and ready.
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Also in atlantic I engaged convoy with subs going for upgrades, probably upgrades can wait a bit, while I am destroying it (attacked with 1 sub and ambushed with another, 6 (or 9?) steps left, its a goner).
This turn I purchased leader for Italian expedition force in Russia (Messe I guess) and another German TAC bomber.
P.S. Is it worthy to buy Italian AIR labs and upgrade their airforce? I have seen it in many AARs, looks like its only me, who ignores italian airforce (I often go for general + naval (subs) + inf only) Fron one point, if I don't upgrade, its waste for two air units, which soon become obsolete and useless. From another point even if I upgrade, they are still weak and low-effecient, compared to luftwaffe, while burning valueable oil from the same pool. Also same question for Italian tank. As far as I know only good thing about italian armour upgrades are cool pictures of StuG's

Plaid wrote:In MED I have spotted allied convoy with fighter (or just renamed one with something different)

It's not possible to rename the unit type, just the unit name. So whatever unit type the transport is that's what it is.

rkr1958 wrote:

Plaid wrote:In MED I have spotted allied convoy with fighter (or just renamed one with something different)

It's not possible to rename the unit type, just the unit name. So whatever unit type the transport is that's what it is.

Huh? I am kind of sure, that its possible. I even do it time to time.

Here we have Husky'41.

I don't care for Sicily, (thats why I didn't placed good units there), since its not connected to rail network and almost every hex can be shore bombarded from more than one naval unit. So this units will be used as speed bumps, while I am going to prepare defence of continental Italy. Only bad thing for now is that it looks, like Max trapped Regina Marina, but well, they have very limited use in later game (stay in base or be destroyed by RN and USN), so they shall fight and probably die now.
Anyway, I did my best here, and some damage inflicted to various british units.
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I am going to prepare front line in Italy, I need for it 2-3 german corps units, 1-2 fighters, 0-1 mechs and leader + italian units, while rear areas would be guarded with my numerous axis minor units, since I don't have to garrison something like Yugoslavia, they are free. I often buy good leader like Kesselring for this front, since this front is only way to fight allies ground units face to face for a while, and I want better performance. We will see, next turn I am sending Guderian's HQ and one fighter group for the Barbarossa, since I am not going to allow some british diversion to change my plans for soviet union.

Some stats for 1940, that finished just now.
I consider 1940 campaign executed well, France was conquered by scheduled time with low casualties, research base for future tech superiority is built up, I evacuated Italians from Lybia without good ground units casualties, forces deployed for barbarossa are already even or stronger, that what I often have in June 1941, while attacking in most of my games.
German research

Italian research

Casualties

Main goal of 1941 campaign is obviously Russia, and now Supermax opened second front in Italy. For now plan for Italian campaign is defence, while once severe winter hits in late 1941, I can do something more decisive with this allies.
Also England supposed to be very exposed to sea lion now (RAF and RN mostly gone for MED), but things done can't be undone - invasion with hungarian garrisons, which now patrol french coast, is not the best idea, you know Probably sometimes I will try fake barbarossa + sea lion' spring 1941, but not now.
P.S. I am surprised, but Romanians have AT tech level one, while Germans have 0, probably it can be used somehow

I think this Axis approach is a recipe for an Allied Ultimate victory. With Sicily lost then Italy will surrender with just one more city lost. What will happen soon after Sicily falls is that many Allied transports will pop-up near the entire Italian coast line. So the Axis will have to send many units to Italy to fend-off landings. That will drain them of units that should have been in the east.

Supermax can maintain the threat for a long time and if he finds a weakness in the Italian defenses he will land. Supermax will build more and more fighters and tactical bombers to send to the area. Sardinia will fall as well and the Allies will get air superiority already in 1941 over Italy. That's a disaster for the Axis. Even if he doesn't land he will continue to bombard the coastal defenders every turn with air and naval units. That means many PP's will go to Italy instead of the east.

I foresee that Italy will surrender in 1942, maybe before if Supermax gets an early landing. Then a lot of support units for the eastern front will disappear. The Axis player will have to send German units to Italy to delay an Allied advance towards the Alps.

Supermax is way too good to collapse in Russia even from a strong and early Barbarossa. The Russians can always give extra ground in 1941 to save their army. I simply fail to see the benefit of ignoring the Med by evacuating Libya.

Another problem is that the Americans are now not required to start Torch. So the US units can join with British units and make a 1942 Overlord. The Allies already have control in the Med so they can go for an early landing in France.

Plaid wrote:

rkr1958 wrote:

Plaid wrote:In MED I have spotted allied convoy with fighter (or just renamed one with something different)

It's not possible to rename the unit type, just the unit name. So whatever unit type the transport is that's what it is.

Huh? I am kind of sure, that its possible. I even do it time to time.

Those of the kind of "dis-information" tactics that I find fun to use. For example, renaming all your sub flotillas to the same name so it makes it hard for your opponent to get an accurate count of them. However; I haven't been able to figure out how to rename the unit type so that it shows up as a different type of unit than it really is when you're transporting it. I'd appreciate it if you'd show me how you do that.

Maybe I underestimate Max, but in all my games I either go for MED as major direction, or abandon it and hold in Italy. Other options looks like waste of troops to me. And in all this games Italian front was really boring and stagnant, holding in same place until the end of war.
Once I build more Italian subs and deploy more luftwaffe here (for example, when I get mud->winter->severe winter late autumn in Russia), it will be very painful place for RN and RAF, but for now I shall only defend to strike Russia harder. After first campaign in Russia I don't need in fact Italian Expedition Force aswell, they can return.
Anyway, report from MED theater is here - my united forces broke naval blockade, DD gone from Sicily, while BB destroyed RN BB. Good news that if Max wants to keep my BB locked, he have to use some weak unit (no high strength BBs near, as I see), and it can be destroyed next turn aswell.
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Guderian's panzer group and fighter gone for barbarossa, as planned, while I am going to keep Italian airforce and another fighter here.
Also this turn I got my fixed defence tech, rising ground defence of INF to 4, and finally started to produce them.
For Italians I purchased 2nd naval (sub) lab
News from Atlantic - more allied convoys ran into my subs randomly (looks, like 2 western subs will never reach France for upgrades)

Anyway, I destroyed small convoy and trapped large one, which will be destroyed soon aswell.
I think, my kriegsmarine operations are quite effecient (partly because no any RN resistance), something like 300 PPs didn't reach England already.
Together with casualties of expensive navy and air units in MED campaigns, i think, that UK have problems either with labs or with troops, and D-Day in 1942 can't be executed with strong forces.

I agree with Stauffenberg but not all is lost.

You need to defend Sicily in my opinion. Send some german troops and coupled with air power you can do some damage to him that will limit his offensive capability for a little while.
If you give him space you are as good as dead in Italy as he then has an air base to put both american and UK air. You need to retain both Islands but especially sicily.

If you do hurt Supermax there is a potential for a counter punch which he may not expect (ie a landing in Africa again).

rkr1958 wrote:

Plaid wrote:

rkr1958 wrote:It's not possible to rename the unit type, just the unit name. So whatever unit type the transport is that's what it is.

Huh? I am kind of sure, that its possible. I even do it time to time.

Those of the kind of "dis-information" tactics that I find fun to use. For example, renaming all your sub flotillas to the same name so it makes it hard for your opponent to get an accurate count of them. However; I haven't been able to figure out how to rename the unit type so that it shows up as a different type of unit than it really is when you're transporting it. I'd appreciate it if you'd show me how you do that.

I just click into transport name field, so cursor appears and I can write whatever I want. "Transport(Corps)" is just a normal unit's name, like "XIX Panzer Korps", you can click it with mouse and type whatever you like instead. You can fake carried unit, or even just leave "transport" without idea, whats inside.
One time, when I played vanilla with Jay and did Sea Lion, I even forgotten myself, what transports I renamed, and what are true, it was confusing...

Plaid wrote:

rkr1958 wrote:

Plaid wrote: Huh? I am kind of sure, that its possible. I even do it time to time.

Those of the kind of "dis-information" tactics that I find fun to use. For example, renaming all your sub flotillas to the same name so it makes it hard for your opponent to get an accurate count of them. However; I haven't been able to figure out how to rename the unit type so that it shows up as a different type of unit than it really is when you're transporting it. I'd appreciate it if you'd show me how you do that.

I just click into transport name field, so cursor appears and I can write whatever I want. "Transport(Corps)" is just a normal unit's name, like "XIX Panzer Korps", you can click it with mouse and type whatever you like instead. You can fake carried unit, or even just leave "transport" without idea, whats inside.
One time, when I played vanilla with Jay and did Sea Lion, I even forgotten myself, what transports I renamed, and what are true, it was confusing...

This is definitely a great discovery. In the real war in UK after Overlord, there was what it was called units for deception purposes. These units were created even with corps size level and they didn´t exist at all.

Then, the allied player has the possibility of create confusion on the axis player about where is the main landing force.

afk_nero wrote:I agree with Stauffenberg but not all is lost.

You need to defend Sicily in my opinion. Send some german troops and coupled with air power you can do some damage to him that will limit his offensive capability for a little while.
If you give him space you are as good as dead in Italy as he then has an air base to put both american and UK air. You need to retain both Islands but especially sicily.

If you do hurt Supermax there is a potential for a counter punch which he may not expect (ie a landing in Africa again).

Also agree w Stauffenberg, in one game as Allies in which Libya was not reinforced, Sicily was taken in late 40 and the game ended in 41 with Italy on the brink of surrender.

However, there is hope in this game in that the Sicily landing does seem a bit premature. A strong counterstrike winter 41 before the Yanks can join up in the Med could prove decisive, do not let the Allies get Sicily without a fight.

I think that this is a too early operation Husky and Plaid is right when he says that is very difficult to put a foot on mainland Italy if you don´t have an overwhelming air support with tactical and strategic bombings and a significant naval force. Supermax doesn´t have both things for he has only fighters and a reduced navy for this kind of operation. The only thing that supermax is going to achieve is an extra oil cost for Plaid to prevent the landings because of Luftwaffe presence in Italy and the rail network capability exceeded because when supermax conquers Sicily we will see lots of transport ships trying to land everywhere and Plaid will have to rail units to the possible landing hexes.

So I agree with most of the things that Borger has pointed except about such an early conquest of Italy he foresees. Let´s remember the recently AAR joerock-ftgcritt on which joe conquered sucessfully Sicily in august 1942 but he was not able to land in mainland Italy no matter how he tries it during 1 year! so he finally decided to land in southern France and this way he gets the 3rd italian city by conquering a northern city like Turin. But no landings were done in mainland Italy in all the game.

So the same way, supermax is going to try landings everywhere but with the tiny air and naval support that he has now he will have a hard time for achieving it.

You have to remember that in order to keep Italy alive the Axis player must guard part of the coast line in Italy in addition to having several air units in the area. That drains units that should have been in the east. The 1941 Barbarossa is quite critical for the Axis because it has to be quite strong to get far enough to truly weaken the Russians.

So even if Supermax fails to land in mainland Italy he will indirectly weaken the Axis strength in the east. Then the benefit of an early Barbarossa is offset by a weaker attack force. So Plaid might get as far in the east as with a normal Barbarossa start. The main difference is that Libya and Sicily would be lost.

Sicily can still be saved if Plaid sends all air units to southern Italy to bombard the crap out of the British units in Sicily. Overusing the rail capacity might be necessary. Then they air units can be there for some turns to destroy the Allied land units and weaken air and naval units. Then the air units can be railed back to the east to start Barbarossa normally (instead of early). A benefit from this is that if the British lose their good units in Sicily then it will take awhile for them to get offensive firepower back in the Med. The downside is that by saving Sicily the strong and early Barbarossa won't take place.

I think Plaid has one chance now. That is to be so aggressive in Russia that he can force a Russian surrender in 1942. Then it's possible to get units back to the west to hold till the very end. But this strategy is quite risky. It means having a minimum of defending forces in Italy and France for quite some time hoping that Supermax would not jump to the next invasion area for some time.

I think it's a good idea to make the playing strategy from analysis of your opponent. Knowing that Supermax is super offensive and excels in making surprise attacks I think the best way to defeat him is to grind him down by not panicking and absorb the losses when they occur. His weakness is that he drains the resources too much because he's a bit impatient. Try to think what he HAS to achieve in order to sustain his offensive. E. g. when he's the Axis you should defend your oilfields more than capitals. He burns his oil and manpower and eventually will have to pay the price, if you survive long enoigh.