Oak Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 Turkey I have yet to see Shaka's latest move, but did want to comment on Turkey. I have realized that Turkey was more of a threat to the Allies than an asset because of the access it would provide into the Black Sea for the Axis. I also realized that whoever declares war on Turkey in this game will be at a disadvantage because the opponent can operate units in and turn it into a veritable fortress. So, I cannot imagine anything that the Axis could have done that would have made me declare war on Turkey. However, I have made sure that the USSR would be in a good position to defend Turkey if the Axis do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka of Carthage Posted August 27, 2003 Author Share Posted August 27, 2003 August 20, 1944 Submarin pack U-005 (Itl) attacks Hood CABG (UK) from Gibralter port, reducing it to str 4 (as well as itself). German submarine pack in the Baltic, attacks Marat CABG (Russ), reducing it to str 2. 30th Army (Ge) withdrawn to recover from the air strikes. 41st Army (Ge) attacks UK Corp (down str 4). Italian 1st Army (Itl) attacks US 4th Corps (down str 9). While the Axis powers have no fear of any ground Allied campaign, at this point, Allied ground units are nothing more than spotters for Allied Air. Axis lose at least a unit for each turn due to Air. (I've had my Iraqi nightmare, so I guess this is my Vietnam nightmare). Despite pleas from the General staff of all three services, the Fuhrer has approved the plans to invade Turkey to gain control of Istanbul port. While the General Staff was in favor of this plan months ago, the recent Russian buildup along the Turkish border and continuing buildup of Russian units had given them pause. Yet the Fuhrer, unwilling to negotiate a peace settlement, envisions a conquest like that of Spain. Army Group Asia has been formed to invade Turkey. Three (3) Luft units, two (2) Italian Aero units and one (1) German rocket detachment open up the offensive by bombarding the Turkish Corps outside and in Istanbul. XXXXVI Panzers and 5th Army (Bulgaria) break the Turkish Corp outside of Istanbul. 40th Army (Ge) break the Istanbul defenders. I Corps (Bulgaria) occupies Istanbul while XVI Panzers cross the straights into Asia. Generalleutnant J. Rambo, commander of the XVI Panzers reportedly then looked towards Russia, and said "Bring it on!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 August 27 The Axis attack Turkey and the USSR rushes troops in to protect the eastern cities of Ankara and Erzurum. The Turkish corps holding the Istanbul port transports across to Asia, attacking the German panzer spearheading the invasion when it lands. In the north ... Rommel is dead! Rommel and his HQ staff were assinated by UK air strikes, as was a nearby German army guarding him (with the army being finished off by the US corps that landed last turn. The 2 Italian armies guarding Copenhagen are now isolated from the rest of the Reich. The Italian tank in Konigsberg is attacked by the 3 USSR rockets and knocked down to 7. The German sub is bombed and then finished off by a UK battleship. Extensive diving meant that 3 bombers and 2 battleships were needed to kill the sub. Antwerp was bombarded and the 2 Allied cruisers move away from Gibraltar having been surprised and severely damaged by an Italian sub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 The Axis attack on Turkey will definitely bring some changes to the game. In particular, the Axis will now have access to the Black Sea (since there is no way the Allies can prevent the Axis from taking Istanbul port) and the potential for the Axis to attack the USSR across a much broader front. The Allies have a 2-fold strategy for dealing with this new challenge which, we hope, will safeguard the Russian homeland. First, the USSR will move in Russian troops to defend the 2 eastern Turkish cities. We believe that it will be virtually impossible for the Axis to break through a line of USSR troops (at level 4 AT) entrenched in the mountains and having HQ support. Second, the Allied policy has always been to use bombers to help defend against subs and transports. Any transports or Axis naval vessels (which seem to be all subs right now) entering the Black Sea will be bombed into oblivion before they ever have a chance to land. At least, that is the plan. It has been a long time since I've enjoyed a game as much as this one. Part of the reason is that the Axis high command is always full of surprises and each turn brings new challenges. I look forward to seeing how the Axis campaign in the south unfolds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 The Allied high command has decided to add a challenging (for the Allies) new dynamic to this game. From now on the carriers cannot be used to attack land targets. They can only be used for interception & escort duty, or to attack naval targets. That gives them more of a WW2 role, and will help to make the game a little more interesting. It will also make it difficult for the carriers to easily gain experience, while forcing the Allies to rely on troops, air fleets and bombers to attack/destroy Axis ground units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka of Carthage Posted August 27, 2003 Author Share Posted August 27, 2003 September 3, 1944 Army Group Asia reports that Littorio Armor (Itl) attacks III Corps (Turkey). Army Group North reports that Ariete Armor (Itl) is under bombarded by three (3) Russian Rocket detachments in Kongisberg. XXX Volkgrndr Corps (Ge) engages 4th Corps (US). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 September 17 In Turkey ... a Turkish corps moves towards Iraq and is surprised by a German panzer, while Russian/Turkish troops block the path into Asia and maintain control of the Istanbul port. Elsewhere ... Russian rockets attack Konigsberg but do almost no damage. It seems that the investment in rockets was pretty much a waste for both sides. With overwhelming Axis air forces now in northern Germany, Allied ships and transports move away from Denmark and the carriers huddle around London to protect it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka of Carthage Posted August 28, 2003 Author Share Posted August 28, 2003 October 1, 1944 Army Group Afrika reports that II Corps (Turkey) engaged XIV and SS Panzers in what appears to be a reconnaisance probe. The Turkish Corps are now POWs. The US and UK Corps in Denmark have been removed thru a combination of ground and aerial assaults. German rockets are hurled at a Russian Army moving towards Istanbul. Allied transports appear up and down the coast of Europe. [ August 27, 2003, 11:09 PM: Message edited by: Shaka of Carthage ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 October 15 Actions during the Allied move: - Continued rocket attacks on Konigsberg, with minimal damage to the Italian tank there (now at level 2 heavy tank) - Antwerp is bombed and intercepted by Italian air (with escorts from the Courageous carrier) - a German army on the Syria/Turkey border is attacked and killed by 3 Russian air and 1 bomber located between Grozny and Tiflis. - transports move away from the European coast - the defenses of Turkey are strengthened, with more USSR troops appearing around the isthmus and the Syria/Iraq/Turkey/USSR border area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka of Carthage Posted August 28, 2003 Author Share Posted August 28, 2003 October 29, 1944 Army Group Afrika reports that three (3) Russian Fighter units and two (2) Bomber units have shattered the 30th Army (Ge). Army Group Asia sends rocket attacks against a Russian Army, while Turkish units move into the outskirts of Istanbul, probably in preparation for an attack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 November 12, 1944 The big news this turn is that the Allies have taken Brest, and have landed 3 US armies, the Patton HQ and 1 UK corps. The entrenched German corps in Brest was first bombed twice, followed by bombardment from 3 UK battleships, and then attacks by 2 UK air. Finally, a British corps landed, finished off the German corps and took Brest port. The US troops and HQ then landed using the port. Other action this turn included: - the German rocket detachment near Istanbul was bombed (3 strikes altogether) by USSR bombers in Russia and Turkey. A transport that moved next to it confirmed that it was knocked down to 9. - Russian transports appear on the Bulgaria/Romania coast. - Russian rockets attacked Konigsberg, knocking the Italian tank from 12 to 9. - 2 US air, now located near Minsk, attack a Russian corp just south of Konigsberg with interceptions by German air around Berlin. Note: Although the Axis control Istanbul and the port, Axis transports and naval units cannot enter the Black Sea because a Turkish army is sitting in the isthmus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka of Carthage Posted August 28, 2003 Author Share Posted August 28, 2003 November 26, 1944 Brest falls to the Allies. Army Group West reports that three (3) US Armies and one (1) UK Corps are ashore. Two (2) additional US Armies are afloat off of the coast, possibly more. Russian Army offshore of Bulgaria, as well as one offshore of Romania. One is attacked by Rockets. Army Group Asia's 40th Army (Ge) engages IV Corps (Turkey) outside Istanbul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 December 10 The Allies are moving forward aggressively on all fronts: - the Axis have decided to try and retake Norway/Sweden, with transports appearing near Oslo. The UK carriers, now limited to sea targets, attack the transports with all 3 being intercepted. An Italian army transport is knocked to 2, a German army transport to 1 and the damage to a German corps transport is unknown. Allied units in Norway move to prevent the transports from landing. - the German rocket is bombed 4 times and then bombarded by the Russian cruiser. The rocket is down to str 3. - a Russian corps lands next to Bucharest, but goes nowhere. More Russian transports appear on the Bulgaria/Romania coast. - the 3 Russian air attack the Rundstedt HQ in Iraq, inflicting unknown damage. Russian troops in Turkey move to the border of Syria, attacking the Axis corps guarding that border. - the Russian front line moves west, and most of it is now 1 hex from the German border. - another Russian rocket (there are now 4) moves near to Konigsberg. - 5 US armies are now in western France, occupying a north/south line 3 hexes from Brest, where Patton is directing operations. - a newly formed Yugoslav partisan group moves next to Venice, but isn't quite able to reach the empty city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 The Axis high command has conceded the game. They are in no position to withstand a attack on all fronts. This was an extremely enjoyable game for me. Thanks for the game, Shaka of Carthage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka of Carthage Posted August 28, 2003 Author Share Posted August 28, 2003 Comments The Allies are moving forward aggressively on all frontsThat says it all, being the death blow for the Axis. Ever since the wimpy Barbarossa of '42, the one thing Germany couldn't have was a multi-front war. There just were not enough units to conduct both. So the plan(s) have always been to keep the Allied off-balance and finish off one front while the others are on the defensive. The American invasion into the Low Countries was a good example of that. There was never any attempt to conquer Turkey. Think of it as a big "feint". Granted, it extended the front by 700 miles, but the most important thing was the units Russia put into Turkey to protect it from falling. Those 12 or so units were units that couldn't be used elsewhere. But then the Allies finally attacked in the Middle East, Eastern Front and Western Front. The "thin grey line", that stretched from Prussia to Romania, had been stripped of supporting units, HQs and experienced units to provide the nuclues of other fronts. With three (3) different fronts, it was one (1) front too many. In a normal game, you would cash in your R&D chits and buy more units. I didn't have that option. In effect, I would have only needed to cash in R&D chits per turn when I ran out of MPPs for replacements. With six (6) or so US Armies in France, and Axis only having two (2) Armies to defend with, it wouldn't have taken long for France to fall. With France fallen, the Allies now have more manpower to use, the Axis less MPPs. You can see the trend. The game was very enjoyable, especially the strategical moves and counter-moves. Other than the you know what (ie carriers), it was very much strategical, not gameyness that decided the outcome. [ August 28, 2003, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: Shaka of Carthage ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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