Slitherine

*Due to some problems with the image hosting website which made to lose all the images, content of this AAR has been deleted*

Turn 15. June 7, 1940

Turn 16. June 27, 1940

Turn 17. July 17, 1940

What? You did nothing in France this turn?

Vokt wrote:This will mean additional North Africa axis supply points as you must know. Graziani arrived to Lybia.

Does it? I thought that you had to actually capture Malta to get this.

Maybe you could score some hits on these BBs with your subs?

Cybvep wrote:Maybe you could score some hits on these BBs with your subs?

The results probably wouldn't be that great because they're Italian, and then the RAF would probably hurt him too.

joerock22 wrote:

Cybvep wrote:Maybe you could score some hits on these BBs with your subs?

The results probably wouldn't be that great because they're Italian, and then the RAF would probably hurt him too.

Yes; in the early game I have sometimes even used UK BBs as sub hunters .

Victor told me that it's fine for me to check the AAR at this point since Case Yellow is complete. I'll offer my quick comment on the game so far.

As allies I keep trying different French defenses. It seems to me that no matter which I try the outcome is similar. I've tried stuffing the border with Belgium, I've tried pulling all the way back to a line along the Seine. I've tried various ZOC-based defenses to try to prevent German attacks while falling back as the Germans come forward. All of them seem to have similar outcomes. I've probably played the allies 4 or 5 times using CEAW GS 2.1. To me the deciding factors are how early clear weather arrives, and how aggressive the Germans are willing to be. If the Germans are aggressive I can usually kill an ARM but Paris might fall quickly when combined with clear weather. What I haven't tried yet is the Dyle plan. I always feel like allies have an advantage so using Dyle plan just seems like a cruel punishment against the Axis. My failure to Dyle plan is because I want to play a full game and using Dyle plan seems like it might ruin the game in favor of allies in 1940.

This game featured a careful offensive Germany and German losses were very low but it took a long time to take Paris. The trade-off for lower losses is fewer BP's from captured France, and fewer strategic options in 1941 (impossible to Sealion, difficult to refuse armistice and have time to accomplish much before May 41, difficult to go after Spain directly with an attack, late arrival of Germans in Libya/Egypt, not much time for Norway).

As France I kept the French navy alive and tried not to spend the French army too quickly. I put a defensive leader in Paris, and later in the campaign shipped in a couple GAR for Nice/Marseilles and also built a couple of GAR for Bordeaux and Marseilles. I left most GAR in Maginot. All of this was in case Germany refused the Armistice.

Once I realized how the course of the battle in France would go I sent some RN BB's into the Med (I had 2 already detached to garrison the Med before IT entry and used those to escort the Malta FTR away). I didn't realize that leaving Malta AF with the FTR would increase Axis supply in N. Africa, but it doesn't matter too much I think in this game. I also moved the BB from Persian Gulf to E. Med. This heavy concentration of RN forces will hopefully make it more difficult for the Axis to make progress against the CW line in Egypt if they choose to attack it.

This has some seeming drawbacks for Britain because moving a couple of HS away from the UK might make a 1941 Sealion easier for Germany. However, I have some thoughts on that which I'll share later if Sealion 41 does materialize.

I didn't send any BEF to France since I don't think it's worth the losses for Britain to help France (I like to keep all possible units in Britain - including Canadians - in case of a Sealion 40) but maybe I'm wrong about that like a lot of other things.

The U-Boats have been fairly careful in this game and I think the RN has managed to slow the pace of their attacks by rushing to and fro with a force of 4 DD's. Britain also took advantage of the U-Boats appearance in the W. Atlantic to slip some units down toward N. Africa in case the Germans refused the Armistice. This would have allowed a BEF to land in Morocco.

So far British losses are very light, German losses very light, no appearance of Axis in N. Africa (my SUB has been spying for transports sailing to Libya and none spotted so far unless I somehow missed them), no Norway.....so I have a strong feeling that I have divined the Axis plan for 1941 but we shall see.

I'll visit the thread to offer further comments the next time that Victor tells me it's ok to visit.

Turn 21. October 5, 1940

Turn 26. January 13, 1941

Are you able to keep up with your research?