Early blitz game AAR (no trulster allowed in this thread)

After action reports for Commander Europe at War.

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jjdenver
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Early blitz game AAR (no trulster allowed in this thread)

Post by jjdenver »

Turn 2, Sep 21, 39

Trulster and are I enjoying a game with Trulster as Allies, and I'm playing Axis.

OKH has ordered an immediate assault on Belgium to coincide with the war on Poland.

On turn 1, 2 panzer corps, and the entire Luftwaffe moves to Belgian border. Runstedt is placed on a Maginot garrison to command the offensive.

In Poland, Krakow is assaulted but does not fall.

On turn 2 war is declared on Belgium and 2 INF and 2 PZ, supported by the entire Luftwaffe surge west toward Brussels. Progress is swift and panzers roll into the countryside around Brussels after overwhelming the Belgian army around Liege. The blitz is on!
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Last edited by jjdenver on Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 3: Oct 11, 39

The situation at the start of turn 3 is good in Poland as Warsaw has been surrounded and Krakow has fallen. A MECH and an INF have been railed west to join the assault on Belgium. Weather is clear. Here's the situation at start of turn:
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An immediate assault is ordered on Warsaw and 6 corps assault the city from all sides but the Poles hang on grimly and deny the Wermacht the city center.

In Belgium more reinforcements arrive by rail - 2 more INF corps, and another INF corp rails into the Maginot for possible infiltration offensives if the French pull troops from the line to move west.

Brussels falls easily to a combined arms assault and the Wermacht advances on Lille, dealing heavy losses to an opposing French INF corp. BEF transports are reported sailing for Antwerp.

In the Atlantic, 2 wolfpacks sail north of Ireland headed for a blockade position between Britain and Canada. A 3rd wolfpack spys the eastern Canadian ports.
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Last edited by jjdenver on Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 4: Oct 31, 39

Weather in France is clear for a 4th turn in a row. This unexpected good luck will be put to good use by OKH. Every effort must be made this turn to achieve maximum penetration into France before mud and snow arrive.

The spy wolfpack off the coast of Canada sees a convoy sail by headed northeast. Orders are given to engage the convoy. Other wolfpacks are ordered to move south along the coast of Ireland and west toward the convoy. Every effort must be made to intercept what is presumably the Canadian FTR headed for Britain.

The Polish capitol must fall this turn. Wermacht formations have taken heavy losses but the Poles are also exhausted.

Some allied counterattacks near Lille target panzer spreadheads. Every effort must be made to protect the panzers from heavy attacks or attrition. If losses from the counterattacks are heavy they will stop for replacement or be pulled back for a full refit.

Here's the situation at start of the turn:
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The wolfpack trailling the convoy launches an attack, but unfortunately will be subject to depth charge attack by the French destroyers.

In Poland the weary and battered Wermacht finally take the city center and the Polish government collapses.

In Belgium, a damaged PZ is diverted north to take Antwerp from a weak French corp. Surprisingly elements of the BEF have landed on the coast west of Antwerp - a position that seems untenable. They can be safely isolated and bypassed.

Light air strikes are launched on Lille and the city is assaulted but the assaults are complete failures, causing few French casualties and heavy German casualties.

The French armor corp is subjected to attacks by all avaialble Stukas, and takes some losses. This is followed up by an assault from an INF that forces a retreat and takes the forested area south of Lille.
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Last edited by jjdenver on Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.
joerock22
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Post by joerock22 »

Hmm, very interesting, going after Belgium on turn 2. It's amazing to me how many ways players think of to go about 1939-40 as the Axis.
Lexmanbis
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Post by Lexmanbis »

As joerock stipluates a very interesting setting, attacking so early Belgium and France..... What about the The Netherlands? Will you deal with them later on or will they stay neutral?
massina_nz
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Post by massina_nz »

I presume you put Rundstedt on the GAR becssue you had no other option and are willing to pay the relocation costs in the future. Good early spotting of the CAN air force BTW.
jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Thanks for the comments.

Q: I presume you put Rundstedt on the GAR becssue you had no other option and are willing to pay the relocation costs in the future.
A: I usually put leaders that don't have att/def values on GAR and shuttle them around behind the lines. It prevents them receiving a possible wound. If I put them on an INF or other valuable unit then I'm shy about exposing that unit to danger and can miss an opportunity.

Q: What about the The Netherlands? Will you deal with them later on or will they stay neutral?
A: NE can be dealt w/ after France. I wouldn't want to give the allies an easy landing against unfortified minor unit at 0 tech, and the extra PP's are easy to get. For similar reasons Denmark has to be dealt with later also. Norway is optional.

"Hmm, very interesting, going after Belgium on turn 2. It's amazing to me how many ways players think of to go about 1939-40 as the Axis."
I can't claim to have originated the idea. An opponent tried something similar against me. It worked pretty well although he later stalled and quit the game. I saw the potential in the strategy so have adapted it.

I recently encountered an Axis attack against Holland on turn 1. I think it's safe to say that one is not a winner.
ftgcritt2
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Post by ftgcritt2 »

jjdenver wrote: I can't claim to have originated the idea. An opponent tried something similar against me. It worked pretty well although he later stalled and quit the game. I saw the potential in the strategy so have adapted it.
Would that opponent be darkmatter? He did the exact same thing to me that you are doing and it worked beautifully. But then he got frustrated and quit.
jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 5 - Nov 20, 1939:

In the Atlantic the chase is on. 2 wolfpacks off Ireland have a shot at the transport. The chances are though that the wolfpack that made the initial attack has been outrun. As it turns out only one of the subs sailing south from Ireland is able to get an attack in. The FTR transport from Canada will be able to reach England, but not unscathed.

In France the allies have launched counterattacks but the big news is another turn of fair weather. This period of clear weather is completely unexpected and the Luftwaffe is exhausted and out of positiong, but OKH orders more attacks to take advantage of this good fortune.

btw, yep it was darkmatter.
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jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 7 - Dec 30 1939:

I missed getting screenshots on turn 6. Weather was bad, and not a lot happened. In the last 2 turns Lille fell and part of the Luftwaffe has based forward into Belgium. Losses have been replaced across the front.

One interesting event is that the Wermacht has been able to infiltrate through the Maginot, threatening the French left.

Damaged wolfpacks are sailing home to repair. In hindsight they probably should have stayed at sea until fall of France.

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jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 8 - Jan 19, 1940:

Infiltration continues in the east of France.

A bridgehead over the Somme is gained north of Paris.

Luftwaffe continues to rebase forward and repair in preparation for renewed offensive in the spring.
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Last edited by jjdenver on Tue Jan 26, 2010 3:00 pm, edited 3 times in total.
jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 9 - Feb 8, 1940:

Bridgehead over the Somme is expanded as the Wermacht inches forward through heavy French and British resistance.

Farther east there is more infiltration and a breakthrough in Lorraine.

Priority next must be to renew air strikes against the French armor corp which has been reinforced and is near Paris. This dangerous corp must be constantly attrited to prevent a deadly counterattack against the panzer spearheads.
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jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 10 - Feb 28, 1940:

The Seine is crossed below Paris and the Luftwaffe is ordered to interdict the nearby French armor corp.

More progress is made in the east of France as resistance there crumbles. A 2nd bridgehead above Paris is gained by an infantry korp. The war in the east has been mostly a war of manuever rather than battle as the toehold gained by infiltration of the Maginot has been parlayed into a series of flanking and encirclement manuevers.

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jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 11 - March 19, 1940:

Paris is nearly surrounded as the Wermacht launches many attacks.

Troops are also railed and marched into northern Belgium to prepare for an offensive on Holland once Paris is taken. This offensive is probably 2 turns away. Every effort is made to prevent oil burn by railing motorized units. This focus on conserving oil will be kept throughout the game.
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Peter Stauffenberg
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Post by Peter Stauffenberg »

I wonder what kind of fonts you have installed. It seems Haettenschweiler is not installed or you have windows setup with large fonts. The city names are supposed to use a smaller font size.
jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 12 - April 8, 1940

Paris falls to a many-sided assault. Troops are also dispatched toward western France in case the BEF remains there. The invasion of Holland preparation is finalized. In retrospect I would have been better off to arrange the invasion of Denmark first since invasion limits will crimp my upcoming ops in Norway and the Med.

A sub building program is launched. A total of 6 wolfpacks (3 start + 3 new) should be the result. They begin to arrive in time to support the invasion of Norway.

As cleanup tasks are accomplished (Holland, Denmark, perhaps Norway) and the entry of Italy draws closer, OKH weighs its strategic options. At the start of the war OKH had a specific plan in mind but if that is ever going to change, now is the time.
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jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 13 - April 28, 1940:

Holland is quickly over-run. Denmark must quickly follow to kick off Operation Weserubung.

BEF is fortified in Bordeaux so Luftwaffe elements rebase to west France and PZ and INF close in on the area.
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jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 14 - May 18 1940:

The battle for Bordeaux kicks off with air strikes and assaults over the river. Next turn should see a river crossing and the fall of the city.

Denmark operation is ready to go.

In the Atlantic the subs fan out to search for convoys.

Italy still neutral.
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Last edited by jjdenver on Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 16 - Jun 27, 1940:

A naval operation is launched to move German and Italian forces from Taranto to Benghazi. This can be a tricky operation as the RN will have at least one, perhaps 2 subs in the area, and probably a few surface fleets and at least a CV ready to pounce.

A BB is positioned in Taranto and a DD in the hex SE of Taranto. This operation is predicated on the fact that a unit loaded at Taranto when the port is occupied will always load to the SE hex. Thus the DD starts here and can sweep the sea lane for subs before any corps move from the same hex as they load.

In the Atlantic OKH realizes too late that more u-boats are needed to support the invasion of Norway so 2/3 of the Atlantic u-boat fleet sets sail back to the North Sea. All of this useless sailing about could have been avoided and oil saved with proper planning. Lesson learned.

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Last edited by jjdenver on Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jjdenver
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Post by jjdenver »

Turn 18 - Aug 6, 1940:

The invasion fleet sails for Norway and a corp lands SW of Oslo. Subs screen Bergen with newly commissioned u-boats ready to support from the Kiel Canal area. 2 Luftwaffe TAC in Denmark bomb Oslo, with other Luftwaffe elements ready to respond to any attempt by Britain to intervene.

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