Plaid (axis) vs Vokt (allies) GS 3.0 beta AAR

[Kragdob]

Now you know where was all the escort.

If you mean Gibraltar, these are capital ships originally based in the Mediterranean, not escorts.

Nope - Vokt escorted his units to the Med with his DDs and he didn't protect convoys.

[Plaid]

So this turn I got my critical fixed defenses level 2 technology (+1 ground defense for infantry) and will upgrade my forces instead of attacking USSR.

Here are final pictures of Barbarossa build up.

Northern and central sectors :



Southern sector :



Delaying invasion by one turn have its own profs and cons.
Actually there is only one "con", but it is quite big one - less fair turns availiable to attack soviets in 1941.
profs are :
-upgraded infantry will suffer way less casualties
-commanders have one more turn to rise effectiveness
-couple of additional units redeployed, including 2nd italian TAC bomber
-USSR will also get slightly less PPs and build labs later (1 turn means very little here, but still)
-finns will be availiable for operations on the turn of DoW



Here is also picture of situation in Egypt - we are on full defense here. Not sure if I will transfer one armoured from here to Europe - probably I will just keep it here to scare allies.



Research status for Germany and Italy :





Casualties screen prior to starting eastern campaign :

[Plaid]

Nope - Vokt escorted his units to the Med with his DDs and he didn't protect convoys.

Ah, I see your point. Probably true.

[Plaid]

So we start Barbarossa this turn on historical date of 22 June, and its is quite late in GS terms.



Here are results and I can't say that they are great.






(sorry for defected picture here, no idea why it was saved this way)

Generally luck was below average with soviet units refusing to retread/die where they normally should. Lots of soviet mech units will escape now very likely.
On the other hand both axis minor fronts (Finland and South) performed above expected - managed to capture Kishinev on turn 1 here.



Another tricky situation in Atlantic - might be losing sub here, since convoy ended its movement in such a hex, that now my sub can be attacked up to 3 destroyers and they have reasonable ASW (6 sub attack).

[Plaid]

This turn I lost UF3 doing only 1 damage to DD. Totally expected, but still quite sad fact. Build of new sub flotilla and upgrade of 5 existing ones ordered (got subs lvl 2 tech this very turn, though all my flotillas in sea has level 0 upgrade).
By the way I write down subs damage done and taken into excel file in this game. UF3 had 33 convoy PPs sunk total.
In USSR usual progress. Catched up mech retreating from Minsk, but one in the south will escape because of rather weak axis forces there.
Also strategic bombers rebased to Minsk area - we will start bombing Moscow and Leningrad next turn.







Some allied movement in the MED. Still not sure what are they up to.



Italians build nothing after their 2nd TAC few turns ago - they just collect PPs and wait for tech upgrades, as there is no need for their troops for now.

[Cybvep]

Prioritise dog fight! It's probably the most crucial tech in the long-term. From my experience, losing air superiority early on is fatal to the Axis.

Have you thought about sending some subs to the Persian Gulf? It's not that the Italian subs are doing much ATM and maybe Vokt is careless enough to send unescorted transports to the Gulf.

[Morris]

since you get Said & Greece , the Italians are more effective than ever .Why not build more Italian units to enhance your Barbarosa ? Russia is too big to occupy by your present group .

[GPT55]

So this turn I got my critical fixed defenses level 2 technology (+1 ground defense for infantry) and will upgrade my forces instead of attacking USSR.
...
-upgraded infantry will suffer way less casualties

Maybe I'm mistaken, but doesn't the level 2 fixed defenses upgrade (+1 ground defense) only make a difference when defending? Not much defending needed until end of year.

[GPT55]

Together it means reasonable +10 morale boost for italian troops (equal to 1st +2nd level of organisation upgrade - roughly same morale, as UK units have now).

This brings up a question (probably for Stauffenberg). Does this +10 morale boost continue indefinitely, or until Greece and Port Said are recaptured by Allies, or what? If the Italians reach organization level 4 they will have better morale that anyone else at Org level 6 (except for leader bonus). I often reach Org level 4 for Italians, since I like to concentrate on it (the Italians being pretty useless until they reach Org level 2 at least).

[Plaid]

Prioritise dog fight! It's probably the most crucial tech in the long-term. From my experience, losing air superiority early on is fatal to the Axis.

Have you thought about sending some subs to the Persian Gulf? It's not that the Italian subs are doing much ATM and maybe Vokt is careless enough to send unescorted transports to the Gulf.

Dogfigth tech is now redesigned (more diffictult to research and less benefits, atleast at early levels) , so I believe its not as important, as it used to be. I am fine with 3 labs no focus, as I consider other upgrades pretty important aswell.

Didn't think about sending italian subs there at all. But thats an idea! One of my subs is busy overlooking Gibraltar, but second one can be sent there indeed.
Though I doubt that any transports will arrive - allies look purely defensive in the Med.

[Plaid]

Maybe I'm mistaken, but doesn't the level 2 fixed defenses upgrade (+1 ground defense) only make a difference when defending? Not much defending needed until end of year.

This is correct statement. Still, I felt like major upgrade never hurts. If I do it in autumn many units will likely be in enemy ZoCs leading to me paying 2more PPs for each unit.

[Plaid]

since you get Said & Greece , the Italians are more effective than ever .Why not build more Italian units to enhance your Barbarosa ? Russia is too big to occupy by your present group .

I don't like italian ground units in USSR in large numbers, they suffer from SW way to much. If there will be strong need for them, they always can be build, but now I see no such a need.

[Plaid]

Usual progress in USSR leads to more soviet units destroyed and cities captured.







As a noteable event Luftwaffe performs Moscow strategic bombing, according to the plan. City reduced to 2 steps with only one bomber step loss. Next turn Moscow going to have 0 production and we will switch on Leningrad.

Also some feint in the center (actually it is not a feint, I just wanted to attack corps with my panzer and got good 6:1 roll ) - looks like there are several soviet mechs around and they can attempt to destroy this armour. But russian morale is still very low and it take major effort of 4-6 units - large german armored force around here will be happy to punish this units, if counterattack occures (I bet it will not!)

[Plaid]

Our bait works indeed, but in a wrong way! Its like I caught an old boot instead of a fish.



Garrison moves forward and cuts my panzer supply line and thats all. Disappointing and smart play on Victor's end.

Apart from this Moscow reduced to 0 PP income and number of cities captured.







Convoys look heavily escorted these days - no attacks.

[Kragdob]

Upgrade your SUBs and attack DDs

Did you check if your Italians are behind Suez Canal? It seems to me that they are not protected by the canal...

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Together it means reasonable +10 morale boost for italian troops (equal to 1st +2nd level of organisation upgrade - roughly same morale, as UK units have now).

This brings up a question (probably for Stauffenberg). Does this +10 morale boost continue indefinitely, or until Greece and Port Said are recaptured by Allies, or what? If the Italians reach organization level 4 they will have better morale that anyone else at Org level 6 (except for leader bonus). I often reach Org level 4 for Italians, since I like to concentrate on it (the Italians being pretty useless until they reach Org level 2 at least).

They lose 5 morale for losing Athens and another 5 morale for losing Port Said. So the gained morale will be lost if the reason for having the extra morale is lost.

It takes very long time for Italy to reach organization 4. By that time the other powers should have organization 5 or even 6.

You also have to take into consideration that Italian leaders have lower values than the other major powers so the Italian units will reach a lower max morale. Only Messe is semi-decent with a value of 6.

Getting 10 extra morale from Athens and Port Said is about similar to having organization tech 2. That means the Italians can become a bit useful if you go after the conquests.

One reason to introduce the changes is see more attacks on Greece and Egypt in games. Many players felt there was too little to benefit from engaging in a war against Greece and even Egypt. Now Italy benefit substantially if the Axis manage to take Athens and Port Said. Both with morale, but also income.

[Plaid]

Upgrade your SUBs and attack DDs

Did you check if your Italians are behind Suez Canal? It seems to me that they are not protected by the canal...

DDs have high ASW values (6-7). I can sink them with 3 or 4 sub attacks, but my own casualties will be probably even higher then 10 steps.

First row of Italian infantry is not protected by Suez, but these hexes are needed to actually control transportation loop.

[Plaid]

Our eastern campaign goes on.

Here are pictures of pre-turn disposition:





Commonwealth troops also planning something in Egypt. Or just look like they are.



RAF keep bombing Paris. Luftwaffe command considers intercepting unworthy and leaves flaks to do air-defending alone.



And here are post-turn pictures of fighting in the East (as fighting occured nowhere else):

North - here large armoured force cleans the way to Bryansk and capture the city from soviet corps.
Luftwaffe bombers attacked Leningrad this turn, but results are not so great, as at Moscow - Leningrad lost 2 PP production, while we lost 1 bomber step.
Vitebsk holds this turn, but going to fall next one.

Additional infnatry reserves allocated here (including strategic reserve pz.gr. from Berlin which was railed to Pskov to cover the flank of another pz.gr. operating south of Velikie Luki ). Probably it will discourage soviets from any counterattacks, as both northern 8 step mech and 7 steps panzer korps are quite exposed.



In the south objects of Odessa and Dnepropetrovsk secured. Both our and soviet forces in this area are relatively weak, but we are stronger.



Question is where are soviet mechs - can't see any single one of them.
I should rail more garrisons into soviet cities, as they have increased partisan spawn chance, but I am little short of rail points for now.

[Plaid]

This turn no counterattacks happened - instead soviets go for full retreat :





In our turn we do some local attacks to secure last objectives for this campaign - Vitebsk, Kherson, Kharkov and Stalino, aswell as Kursk, which was undefended at all.
Moscow was reduced to 0 PPs again and bomber attacking Leningrad did only 1 step of strategic damage (<1 PP).





Soviet lines spotted all over the front, and I don't like troop concentration in the south. Some measures are taken to minimize chances of counterattack very this turn - additional ground and air assets redeployed to Kharkov area.
Panzers near Bryansk are also ready to react to any offensive here.
Still I place my bet on no counterattack next turn.

Egypt - nothign to write about it.



Also convoy near irish shores ended its turn adjacent to my sun, which means nothing good probably.

[Plaid]

This turn we were quite lucky - soviets did not attempt counterattack and UF1 (which was detected by DD) scored reasonable 2:2 result.



No soviet attacks is really good, as winter starts this turn, and if red army attacks last turn , axis would have trouble retaliating.





British troops in the Med. are also up for something. Probably, can't be sure here, does not look like much offensive army aswell.



We disengage in Russia where needed (i.e. where soviet can reach us in 1 turn).







Redeployed some air units to the southernmost hexes, where no SW happens. They also can reach Egypt faster from here, if needed.
Occupied part of USSR really needs some more garrisons. I am trying to build 1-3 german garrisons every turn (for example this turn build were 2 mechs, corps and 2 garrisons). I agree with Ronnie, that axis minor corps units are still corps and should be used on the front, not for garrisoning duty, so building few german garrisons is a way to go.

Convoys are heavily protected these days - no opportunity for attack. We will go to origin points and try our luck there.
From the other side DD mass production is an indicator of effective atlantic campaign. This resources spent on DDs could be spent on strategic bombers or 1942 invasion in France or somewhere else.