Slitherine

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

Wesel, beta2

Colonel, Imported Core, DV 8/23

Prestige before/after deployment: 11148/8798
Prestige on last turn/incl. victory bonus: 9560/12260

Two attempts, on the first try I deployed too far west across the river, I made it but took some casualties due to the fact I was doing a fighting retreat into a funnel across the bridges, and lack of room to move units to ment some simply got stuck in the wrong place. Meanwhile I lost Hamminkeln, which was to be expected. Slowly I regained control, and still had a DV, but it was a slow and costly one.

Second attempt I upgraded my Fw 190's into Ta 152, placed fewer units less further on the west bank and immediately withdrew into Wesel and Lippendorf while agressively moving all the rest against the landing zones, this time I only just managed to keep Hamminkeln, and managed to get a DV before the American air wave hit me. This was about as fast as I could get a DV, my combination of four mobile AAA (SPAAG) and a load of planes was ideal to counter the Allied air units. The central airport next to Wesel was the only one I really needed, the first attempt had my air units scattered too much.

A very nice scenario, holding Wesel and Lippendorf was easy for me, hanging on to Hamminkeln seems to require a bit of luck and/or some very fast relief force. The setting reminded me of rooting out the high INI paratroopers during the Arnhem scenario from GC '44 West, but now with an extra armor attack and more planes to hold off. So a very nice mix of combat types, and an overspecialized core will probably have a tougher time here.

Oops, I must have forgot to post this:

11) Wesel – beta 2

Level: Field Marshal, stock/campaign corps
Prestige: Begin: 3,250. End: 3,400. Net: +150
Result: DV 13/23


Problems:

• • Victory screen: “…to cross the Rhine…”

General impressions/comments:

• • I did not deploy anything on the west side of the Rhine, so it was easy to maintain the crossings and (relatively easy) to clean out the light parachute forces on the east.
  • Damaged Allied air transports, instead of doing the logical thing and disembarking, would still hang around and make an easier aerial target than a (slightly) harder ground problem. Is there a way to make them behave more logically? Same problem as at Basra.
  • I deployed a few forces south in case of a minor river crossing diversion, or deeper aerial deployments, though nothing happened. A better air transport strategy would make the scenario tougher, or a minor river diversion (believe those were common during Rhine operations, if not necessarily during Op. Varsity).
  • Again I demobbed a V1 for prestige. Still have 2 and a single V2 left for last scenario.

Beta2 - Colonel level - Imported core - DV at turn 11

The allied paratroopers could capture Hamminkeln but were not able to stand against Tiger II. The allied counterattack from the south-east started to late and was to massive. The allied units were behind each other in three lines and were easily to destroy: one artillery attack to suppress strength and one ground attack so the unit could not be retreatet and was disband. The allied air-power was a challenge and could only be defeated by assitance of heavy air-defense (12,8 cm FlaK).