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Der Weltkrieg Grand Campaign AAR


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Der Weltkrieg Grand Campaign Replay

This will be a 4-player battle report for the tabletop game series Der Weltkrieg (by SPW and Decision Games), with all games in the series linked together to simulate all the major land fighting of WWI. Der Weltkrieg is a mostly divisional-level operational combat game with 20km per hex and 4 days per turn (7 per month). It has many good features allowing the game to be of reasonable complexity, yet very realistic. As my favorite series, I have done some volunteer editing of Der Weltkrieg to help make new editions of the rules. The best place for Der Weltkrieg discussion is probably Consimworld, which is at:

http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@276.2Md4a5BApju.12555832@.ee6ded6

Central Powers:

I will command the Imperial German forces on all fronts. My units are known for their discipline and stylish hats. The former is important, for in a less disciplined army (*cought*alltheotherones*cough*), the stylish hats would cause significant casualties before the war even starts. If things don’t go well for me, I’ll just edit the rules in a certain way...

I am also known for my stylish hat.

My brother Sam, new to wargaming, will command the Austro-Hungarian forces. His forces are known for their multi-cultural perspective. He will also take over the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria later on as they join in.

Entente:

My father Rob, an experienced wargamer, will command the Western Allies (Great Britain, France, Belgium, and later some others) and Serbia and Montenegro. His forces are known for their willingness to attack, regardless of the battlefield situation. He will later take over Greece if they enter the war.

My sister Melissa, new to wargaming, will command the forces of the Russian Empire. Her forces are known for getting themselves surrounded at the darndest of times. She will add the Italians and Romanians when they join the war, and is known for personally engaging enemy generals in hand-to-hand combat when disgruntled.

In Europe, we have the German forces poised to march through Belgium and on to Paris. Meanwhile, the French are deployed to attack Alsace-Lorraine and through the Ardennes.

In the east, the brave, stoic men of the 8th army are ready to hold off the Russian hordes themselves. Further south, the Russians and Austro-Hungarians are set to attack each other with their main forces.

In the south, Austria-Hungary is mobilizing to punish those upstart Serbs.

The war has begun...

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1375/franceturn1august1914r.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5670/eastfrontturn1august191.jpg

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7186/prussiaturn1august1914r.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2039/galiciaturn1august1914r.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/5346/serbiaturn1august1914r.jpg

Sorry images are a bit blurry. This is fixed, but not until October...

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I start off with an attack on Liege, necessary to dislodge the infantry defenders there. I then push forward with my cavalry divisions. My 2nd army will advance south of the Meuse, so it’s important to keep this corridor free of enemy ZOCs. French cavalry try to screen, but they’re not very effective. Some French infantry take unoccupied Mulhouse. They will pay for this slight against the fatherland!

Turn 3 of August is when the real action starts. My invincible German infantry divisions of the 1st and 2nd armies advance north and south of Liege, while the siege artillery is brought up to destroy that fortress. The 3rd and 4th armies advance through the Ardennes. In Alsace-Lorraine, I organize my forces to repel the inevitable French offensive. In the east, screening groups of the 1st Russian army are met by my 8th army, while in Serbia, the Austro-Hungarians begin their attack, achieving a minor success.

French cavalry is brushed aside, allowing for rapid progress of the 1st and 2nd armies. The German cavalry push through Lille, and forward infantry divisions outflank the BEF, reaching as far as Amiens by turn 5. The BEF and French 5th army take flight, the latter losing a couple reserve divisions surrounded in its haste. The French 1st-4th army attacks on turn 5 hit powerful German forces of the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th armies, suffering heavy losses, though my usual poor die rolls prevent total disaster.

In Prussia, the German 8th army conducts a delaying action, slowing falling back as the Russian 1st and 2nd armies advance methodically. So far, casualties on both sides are extremely light. An opportunity arose to punish a corps of the Russian 1st army, but I didn’t’ attack, fearing that my forces would be surrounded in turn... Right now, I need my forces in France...

In Galicia, both sides are slower to mobilize, but the Austro-Hungarians begin their attacks, with both sides suffering moderate casualties.

Finally, on the Serbian front, the north is very quiet. Almost too quiet... The only action is in the southern mountains, where the Serbs and Montenegrins slowly fall back, and the Austro-Hungarian 7th army steadily advances.

Overall, my German forces have advanced very quickly on the west front, but the east is worrying. Melissa is not launching any suicidal attacks like I hoped she would, and is not really leaving any important units exposed to attack. My 8th army will need to defend against both armies simultaneously... Hopefully long enough for me to reach the Seine in France...

Sam and Melissa have been quite timid overall, and Rob is on the run. I’m the only one doing anything around here...

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/4913/francer.jpg

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/3420/prussiar.jpg

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3867/galiciar.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/2913/serbiar.jpg

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The attack against French 4th and 5th army units on August turns 5 and 6 is so rapid and decisive that three French divisions become exposed, and are surrounded! A nice bag to add to a couple other smaller ones. The second battle of Sedan has gone almost as well as the first...

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/1815/sedanr.jpg

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/6121/sedanpocketr.jpg

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Through Turn 1 September 1914

In France, the Entente is in full flight, and my light screening forces have reached the coast along the Somme. Unfortunately, I find that I don’t have enough troops to continue the offensive on a broad front, and the 1st army curves inward, away from the Somme. The Aisne is crossed, and German units reach the Marne, surrounding a small French fortress with an infantry corps in it. An entire army of reinforcements from the 5th-7th army areas is on the way to the right flank...

The Prussian front isn’t going so well. Damn Melissa for not letting me surround her guys. My armies are still withdrawing, and the Russians have finally attacked with the 1st army. The attack didn’t go well for them, but I can’t sustain this attrition. I’ll have to send reinforcements soon, or East Prussia will fall, along with its precious cities (German cities count double for demoralization points).

In Galicia, the Austro-Hungarians have concluded their mandatory attacks, which went slightly better than historically, both sides suffering moderate losses. They are now in full flight from the stronger Russian forces, running for the Carpathian Mountains...

The Serbian front is going better for us Central Powers. Of course, this is because my Sam transferred a mere two divisions of the second army to Galicia (despite my repeated requests to strip that front bare). Bah, damn perfidious Austrians. Things are still quiet in the north around Belgrade, but both sides are suffering steady attrition in the mountains, with the Serbians gradually retreating...

Unfortunately, it looks like the Entente frontline is stiffening. The French have left mostly fortresses in the east, transferring their mobile infantry divisions to the west, where the action is. I doubt I’ll be able to take Paris, the siege artillery is too far behind, and busy reducing fortress Namur (Liege was destroyed recently). My plan now is to obtain a good frontline for an offensive in the future. This will be along the Somme, with the forested area in front of Paris captured, and a bridgehead over the Marne in a defensible forest. I will also transfer the siege artillery to Verdun, to reduce part of that Salient (Verdun itself is out of the cards – the fortresses in that area are too powerful).

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/4913/francer.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3420/prussiar.jpg

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3867/galiciar.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/2913/serbiar.jpg

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The Germans slip through a hole in the Entente line, crossing the Marne! Unfortunately, these divisions are cut off in a powerful Entente counterattack combined the BEF and the French 4th and 5th armies (they some traded places... crazy French). The German response is immediate, breaking through in another lightly held area over the Marne, and rescuing the two trapped corps before they surrender. Truly a miracle at the Marne!

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/8159/trappedr.jpg

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/1746/breakthroughr.jpg

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My imperial siege artillery has been very active lately. They finished off Namur and the south-west fortresses of Antwerp. In addition, some other siege and heavy units are slowly working on the Verdun salient.

The French have conducted another major retreat. I’m a little surprised, since it was actually past where I wanted to advance. Still, the temptation to move forward is too great, and I order my finest guards units to secure the northern suburbs of Paris for the Greater Reich. Unfortunately, the damn pesky BEF is guarding Paris! It’s too strong, and my siege artillery won’t be effective against the Paris fort, so Paris is still out of the cards... for now.

I finally cracked and sent major reinforcements to the east. The Russian pressure was too great, and I can’t afford the DM points for losing Allenstein and other cities in East Prussia. Beside, who really cares about France anyway? I already have a nice defensible line there. It’s time to deal with the east. First, two corps and many cavalry divisions (which freed an addition three infantry divisions screening Poland) were sent east, and the front was reorganized. Now, sufficient forces are in place to hold off the Russian 1st and 2nd armies, and a cavalry screen is in Poland. Finally, one infantry corps was sent to the south flank to help the Austrians secure their left flank on the Galician front.

Melissa took advantage of my weak cavalry screen to launch an attack. It wounded my poor cavalry division near Lodz! Anger rising forth, I sent my adjacent cavalry division to surround the attackers in turn, and used the efficient German rail system to bring in additional brigades. The enemy battlegroup was trapped, and failed to break out, surrendering the following turn. Unfortunately, it was only 6-7 strength points worth of units... not even a full corps.

On the Galician front, the Russians are advancing, but the Austro-Hungarian line stiffened behind Prezmyl, maintaining contact with the important fort. On the other hand, the Russian 8th army on the east end of the line has outflanked the Austrians, achieving some success in the Carpathians.

Not much has happened on the Serbian front. The Austro-Hungarian 6th army continues its plodding advance, and each side suffers some casualties.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4913/francer.jpg

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/1121/parisr.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/3420/prussiar.jpg

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/2262/lodzr.jpg

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/3867/galiciar.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/2913/serbiar.jpg

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Practice taking some better pictures please. Turn off the overhead lights, and use the low-light setting with macro zoom.

And a tripod or some other way of fixing the camera so that it doesn't shake when you snap the photo. Do you have some kind of glass or plastic overlay over the map? That's a good idea, but it does reflect the light in a distracting manner. The suggestion of turning off the overheads and having two light sources off to the sides beaming down at an angle so that they don't reflect off the glass back into the camera is a good one.

I know this may sound like an awful lot of hassle for anyone who isn't a dedicated shutterbug, but otherwise you may as well forget about the pictures, since most of the ones in this thread are unreadable.

Good thread though.

Michael

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Hey hey, the little sister is only 16.

There is a plexiglass cover on these maps, and only overhead lights in the area, so it's hard to eliminate the problems from that. I've played around a bit, but so far no satisfactory results. I'm not through, though...

Starting with the update after this one, the picture quality should still go way up, though. Apparently, I wasn't focusing the camera...

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Well, it looks like the west front has finally turned to a complete stalemate. The lines have solidified. My forces are more powerful, and I could keep attacking before the trenches go up, but that would only give me a few hexes here and there. Meanwhile, I would suffer significant attrition, which as I mentioned earlier, I need to avoid... so the question become, what to do with my supplemental forces?

The answer is clear. I will strip the west front of forces to parity with the Western Allies, and use the reinforcements where they can make the greatest difference.

However, I am somewhat limited. Austria-Hungary is very territorial about German units entering their “sphere of influence”, so I can only have four divisions in Austria-Hungary, the Balkans, and Italy (which has still not entered the war).

I discuss with Sam the options to use the reinforcements from the west. It would be nice to take out Serbia. This will temporarily (until the Allies invade Salonika) shut down the Balkan front and after we advance far enough, bring Bulgaria into the war. It will also delay Italian entry a little bit. The question is: how? I can send a small German battlegroup directly to the Balkans, or use it to secure the Carpathians, freeing up Sam’s forces to deal with Serbia. Due to the technical difficulties of exchanging fronts with an army in the middle of a retreat, we decide on the former option, and I dispatch four full-strength regular divisions. These will participate in ‘Operation Southern Axe’.

While a powerful force, my German divisions will initially have only a secondary role in the attack. Hungarian spearheads cross the Danube, while the 6th army continues grinding through the south. The Serbians retreat, but not fast enough. The Austro-Hungarian 2nd army attacks north of Belgrade, while the Austro-Hungarian 5th and German battlegroup attack to the south. Three Serbian divisions are pocketed! The rest of the Serbian army is in dire peril due to the good (though bloody) progress of the Austro-Hungarian 6th army...

Back west, ‘Operation Western Cloak’ is put into effect. This involves the massing of troops near Antwerp, bring them up to strength with new replacements. To add to the confusion, several troops earmarked for the Antwerp attack are sent east, and Landwehr brigades are displayed prominently at the top of the stacks. Below them are the weakest reserve units, while at the very bottom, are the most powerful. I know Rob, who is old, will not look at all the units in the stack, because that would require good counter handling abilities, which he lacks (which is odd, since he’s a decent surgeon...). The transfer of forces east will also lull him into a false sense of security. He does not redeploy any Belgian units to assist those defending the Scheldt.

Suddenly, the German forces deploy and immediately attack, crushing the Belgians defending the Scheldt. Antwerp is surrounded, and the entire Belgian army is encased in my iron grip!

Even with these two operations, there are a collection of units I can still transfer away from the west front. The will use a Ludendorff-ian tactic of “putting some guys through a breach and seeing what happens”. Thusly, they push toward the Vistula south of Warsaw. No Russian units are in front of them, but I expect Melissa will wake up and transfer some soon...

All is quiet in Prussia, while in Galicia, the Russians continue to make progress on the east flank. Things are starting to look dangerous for the Austro-Hungarian Kovess army. However, as per our house rules, I only discuss with Sam strategic matters and coordination of armies when our forces are in the same place. Therefore, I can’t point out his Kovess problems... This bodes ill...

On a better note, this will be the last update with blurry pictures. The next set of pictures is much better, though still not perfect. Since I am almost caught up in the AAR to the actual game, updates will slow down, though steadily continue to the bitter end...

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2913/serbiar.jpg

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4913/francer.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/7659/polandr.jpg

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/3420/prussiar.jpg

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3867/galiciar.jpg

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Through Turn 2 October 1914

West Front: Not that much happening here. To slightly shorten my line, I advanced over the Somme. Also, the siege artillery was finally brought up to the front line. Paris is burning... Murhahahaha! The only question is: destroy the Eiffel Tower now, or save it, so my troops can parade around...

parisc.jpg

Prussian Front: That damn Melissa finally woke up here. I had this weak hex with one Landwehr brigade, which I was hoping she wouldn’t notice, but she finally did... The Russian 1st Army attacked, but fortunately, a fierce counterattack by the 8th Army (now only responsible for eastern East Prussia facing the Russian 1st Army) pushed them back. The Russians weren’t finished, though, and destroyed my 1st cavalry division. I hate losing cavalry! Sadly, there was nothing I could do. Soon, though, the 1st cavalry would be avenged... I send reinforcements to 8th army to allow it to continue to hold.

prussiao.jpg

prussia.jpg

prussiay.jpg

Polish Front: The 9th army began operating over the Vistula east of Warsaw. A feint toward the east precipitated the withdrawal of two entire Russian armies west of Prezmyl, to avoid being cut off (sorry, forgot to take a picture of this, but I will get one early in Turn 3 October). The Austrians were quite happy about this. The Russian 2nd Army sent reinforcements to counter the 9th Army, allowing the previously mentioned German units to shift to the 8th Army zone. My 9th army still isn’t very strong, but I’m hoping to continue crazy maneuvering to keep Melissa off-balance. Already, the Warsaw forts were automatically abandoned because I cut two of the rails lines leading to Warsaw...

poland.jpg

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Galician Front: The Russians continue their inexorable advance here. Units cannot do the one-hex minimum move when moving front an enemy ZOC to another IF the movement cost is at least 4 for the terrain. This means that it is possible to trap guys in the mountains without actually surrounding them... Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to a large Austro-Hungarian group at the east end of the front. If The Russians capture one more hex, these units will surrender. They haven’t attacked yet, and with the great Russian retreat due to the 9th Army actions, the Austro-Hungarians have sent some reinforcements, trapping a Russian stack! Still, the Russians are overall stronger in this area...

galicia.jpg

galicia.jpg

Serbian Front: Ah, this is a happy front. Despite horrible rolls, a series of combined Central Powers attacks finally managed to bag the bulk of the Serbian Army! The advance towards Nish and Bulgarian entry continues. Only the Serbian 3rd Army HQ survives, and it has no more supply points. In a turn or two it will be time to transfer major reinforcements to the east front, to stabilize it once and for all...

serbiay.jpg

serbiay.jpg

Here’s a photo that clearly demonstrates the poor organization of the Russian Army. Notice the messed up counters, facing every which way. After realizing I was photographing them to post on the internet, Melissa desperately tried to fix them, but it was too late. Her counters clearly lack Prussian discipline.

messedupcounters.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Turn 5 October 1914

Serbian Front: The remnants of the Serbian Army are making a last stand near Nish. If a Central Powers unit enters Nish, Bulgaria will enter the war on our side.

serbiab.jpg

Galician Front: Major Russian success on this front! The Russians just ignored that some of their units were trapped, and attacked the trapped Austro-Hungarian units. Their overwhelming strength trapped four Austro-Hungarian divisions, and destroyed two more due to overstacking (the units could not retreat). This is a big disaster, but fortunately, the Austrians are transferring units from the Serbian Front, and will be able to stabilize the line quickly enough.

galiciax.jpg

Warsaw Front: The 9th Army is across the Vistula in strength. The Russian response has been sluggish...

poland.jpg

Prussian Front: The 8th Army bags some Russian cavalry divisions that were overexposed. Melissa got REALLY pissed off and kept attack me directly... Ouch... fortunately, she doesn’t know that those were her GUARDS cavalry divisions. Murhahahaha!

prussia.jpg

West Front: I attacked near Rouen, but unfortunately, my forces were too exposed, and I was forced to retreat in a fierce French counterattack. To obtain the necessary strength, the French committed several cavalry divisions, however, so it was nice to be able to take out a few of those.

westtz.jpg

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Turn 6 October 1914

Serbian Front:

The last HQ of the Serbians is surrounded. Now the only have a few regiments running away... and Bulgarian entry is imminent. We don’t really need the Bulgarian forces, but it will be nice to have a rail connection to the Ottoman Empire when it joins, and another few divisions for the east front can’t hurt. Mostly, though, the Bulgarians will guard the border with Romania and Greece...

serbiai.jpg

Galician Front: The front stabilizes, but it won’t ever be the same... I lost my 22nd Landwehr Brigade in that big pocket last turn. I guess it just took a little while for the news to sink in... I sent them to help Austria-Hungary, but the bungling Sam got my brigade surrounded... Oh, 22nd Landwehr Brigade. You died so young. I would write a poem, but I feel that I could never do justice to the proud and mighty 22nd Landwehr Brigade.

galiciap.jpg

Prussian Front: In a sneaky assault, the invincible Prussian forces of the 8th army surround six Russian divisions! This should even the odds up there...

prussiapocket.jpg

Polish Front: At last, the pinchers of the 9th army and some brigades in the north close around Warsaw.

polandm.jpg

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Unfortunately, the damn Russians keep getting reinforcements! Another whole little army comes down from the north, threatening my encirclement. There’s no way I can trap those guys in a pocket now, but at least they are outmaneuvered, and have started to retreat to the north, out of the pocket...

warsawpocket.jpg

West Front: As revenge for defeating my earlier attack, I strike some exposed French units, temporarily leaving the safety of my tranches. The gamble pays off. Many French units are destroyed, and more are lost due to stacking limits. I retreat back behind the river and start rebuilding my trenches...

westg.jpg

Turn 7 October 1914

Galician Front: The Russians have actually broken though to the Hungarian plain in strength. They are not going anywhere, though, since strong Austrian forces are in position to oppose them. Still, the transfer of forces BACK from Serbia is taking a really long time. The rail network there is terrible, and out forces penetrated deep into Serbian territory.

galicia.jpg

Prussian Front: Those damn Russians I pocketed managed to break out, with help from the main body of their army. Still, many prisoners were taken, since the surrounded guys were forces to attack too, to have enough strength to force me to retreat. A disappointment, but at least the strength points of both armies are about even here, now.

prussiabreakout.jpg

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Ottoman Empire: The Ottoman Empire has joined the Central Powers! New fronts open in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. We will have a rail connection to the Ottomans in a few turns, so we won’t have to worry about Gallipoli as much, and can transfer forces to other Ottoman theaters. On the other hand, Rob is also planning on making a large commitment to these fronts. It will be difficult to improvise rules to link these fronts with each other and the rest of the war. I’ve been researching Ottoman rail lines and so forth...

cacasus.jpg

mesopotamiaw.jpg

palestinet.jpg

Finally, here is the whole setup...

wholesetup.jpg

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