1939 Storm over Europe - AAR

[Catacol Highlander]

marker........

[abukede]

It's the middle of may. Not much happening. Waiting for Al's next move. Some sub and DD action north. The weather is poor so losses are small. That will change shortly.

Russia is standing by for a massive assualt.

[Catacol Highlander]

Cant edit my last marker!! But suffice to say that nothing happened - March 1942 was all about axis preparation.

May 1942 and I wanted to launch my offensive, but bad weather changed my mind. I want the power of the luftwaffe to support everything I do, and conditons just behind my jump off points were muddy and wet. Also "Russian Winter" had left one or two units short of ideal positions, so in that sense another turn's wait is not a disaster.

The only major action was in the North Sea where I followed up the sinking of a Russian destroyer last turn by sinking 2 British destroyers this turn. I am benefitting from Marc's rotten luck where he has not managed to get an anti-Sub upgrade. Curses!! Had my U boats got their expected improvements I could really have taken on the RN at this stage, but I am also tech crippled. However at the starting level of tech 1 the German subs can survive against base level RN destroyers and we will see how this particular battle goes.

Elsewhere I have had to shelve my plan to invade Yugoslavia. I cant spare the force, which is a bit annoying as there is a capital plus a mine square that would be very useful in my economic war, but I do not have the time now. Had Marc not invaded Spain I would certainly have done it - so in that regard his invasion has taken away from my productive capacity.

Spain itself was quiet, but I advanced my army back towards his beach head in the North West with a view to inflicting another costly defeat of precious UK assets.

Quiet also in the region south of Rostov. The oil wells there are now mine, and my forces took a turn to resupply and reinforce before starting on the next phase of their journey... There are 2 more oil wells to the far south east, or Stalingrad to the north east. Havent decided yet which it will be - both are attractive.

[abukede]

Not much to report... I think we are at the end of June now. No major fighting on the Eastern front. Al crept forward with several powerful forces without fighting. I pulled back giving him some ground. Al is very close to Moscow and Stalingrad with powerful forces. I wonder where he is going to go.

[crispy131313]

I think the Axis' passive nature is going to be their downfall.

[abukede]

Crispy... I just don't know.

[lhughes41]

Not seen him as passive. What I see is that he was fairly aggressive in the 1941 assault but stuck his chin to far out and got punched. That is, he put his panzers too far out with low supply.

So now he is being more cautious about exposing himself to that again, given the weather is limiting things.

He will go all out I predict now with this assault.

I still predict an Allied victory though, but let's see

I am concerned at how much the Axis has captured oil, that is significant.

[Catacol Highlander]

An odd turn all in. Started pretty well - counter attacked in Spain and took out a British para unit on the red cross. The allies future in Spain looks bleak, but it is looking more and more like a diversion anyway. I am sure Marc has something else up his sleeve:

In Russia my offensive began - and it took me totally by surprise:

As you can see the fortifications around Smolensk were abandoned, as were positions further south and off this map. I made good progress with no opposition and leading elements finished here:

Moscow is now very close. I am not sure what Marc has up his sleeve unless he feels he can achieve local superiority in one huge clash around Moscow. A massive battle is about to happen for sure, but now with Moscow so near I might take it a bit slow and make sure my supply keeps up with me.

In the south I continued my drive towards the oil of Grozny:

I am keen to get there now, and put an end to this phase of the campaign.

... and in the north sea my U boats abandoned the arctic convoys, largely because Marc did not attack me that turn. My feeling there is that he has possibly called carriers into the region to save his destroyers, and I dont want to lose my U boats in such a manner. I'll see if I can lead him a merry dance for as long as possible.

Crispy has described me as passive above. To be honest I dont know how I could have been more aggressive throughout the game without being foolhardy: but its all about interpretation. The next 3 months of 1942 will be critical. If Moscow falls I think I win the war.

[abukede]

Not much going on. I mauled a German corps that got too close on the East Front. I could have easily finished him but had to restrain myself. I think he was put out there to draw out armor. lol

It's now the middle of July and we have two extremely large armies facing off one another. Russia is close to 70 units and Germany in the low 90s. Both armies are maxed out with infantry and armor tech. We have 7 or 8 turns before the weather turns ugly. Al inched forward this turn with some powerful army groups and I had to seriously restrain myself from attacking. I feel I could have easily destroyed 5 to 7 armies with 3 or 4 corps and 2 HQs.... but I think I would prefer to let him strike me first hammering against my fortifications which will be very costly. He will not be able to continue to inch up and if he is going to go for it it must be soon. If it was me... I would proably have unleashed the German army last turn.

I am wondering if Al at this point intends to fight a defensive war and go for a draw. If so... he may be able to pull it off. His industrial base is massive and the allies will not really be ready to challenge him on the continent till 44. If he goes this route... it will be incredibly difficult for me but a hell of a lot of fun.

On a side note... I evacuated Spain this turn for the most part. The Germans are just too strong... allied tech is lacking but I got some great hits this turn so that is changing. I also still have the rail links cut so Al is only making 50% of the income from spain... also he's still missing some production cities I still hold.

The US 8th airforce put in an appearance this turn... hammering German industry. British air got in on the game too but rain into fighter cover... so our fighters dualed it out.

All in all a fascinating game.

[Catacol Highlander]

It rained in Russia which was seriously not good for me, but in the first 2 turns of my offensive my 3 spearheads have advanced 7, 7 and 9 hexes respectively so those seeing this as a slow advance should think again.

Next turn will see some big casualties either way as the armies are now right up close. I am hoping to draw Marc out of his defensive lines: I see plenty of units, but if I blitz up and hit them I will do less well than if I can draw him forward, sacrifce the first line or so of units and then hit him on the counter.

Time is not a factor now. Once the fighting starts in the East it will all be over in 3 or 4 combat turns: either I will smash his defences and make it to Moscow, or I will fail and be held up. We shall see, and some graphic images of the fighting should be interesting to post.

Elsewhere the U boats remained out of the convoy lanes for now, and the last ports in NW Spain were retaken. As I suspected it might be it was merely a diversionary affair, but I destroyed a couple of very good British units for virtually no loss so I am not unhappy. Economic damage is hard to quantify - the biggest impact was to save Yugoslavia and from that perspective it probably did the allies some good, but really I blame myself for not taking Yugoslavia: I had the force to do it much earlier in 1941 but held off, and that was a mistake.

[abukede]

Okay… it finally got ugly on the East Front this turn. Let me say first this game is giving me an ulcer. I can not decide if I made a mistake by striking first or I had no choice. I had excellent intelligence and saw the buildup of forces over the course of the winter… a sledgehammer drive toward Moscow it looked. So I concentrated 20 armies, a like number of corps and 10 armored corps, 5 fighters, 1 tactical unit in and around Moscow. I also concentrated a small mobile force around Stalingrad. The Germans advanced in two wedges that I could see or a haphazard approach leaving open key units to a lightening strike which upon discovering I took advantage of though in all likelihood my advanced offensive units will suffer in return as a result.

I think it is a good thing I held back about 50% of my force to hammer Al’s counter attack. Though I will not post a picture of it… a mobile force around Stalingrad Surged forward too.

This is how the offensive started. I probed south to see the extent of Al’s offensive thrust. I discovered an uncovered Romanian fighter. Unfortunately, I left it at 2 strength and not 0.

I discovered an exposed HQ Rundstedt and destroyed it. I used a combination of advancing with weak units and recon air strikes to find vulnerable units behind enemy lines. An HQ is a prime target as Al swept forward the last turn… and supply has not caught up.

I surged forward with armor killing an SS unit and an army I believe and I discovered another HQ List. He was farther in than I was prepared to go… I had expected to destroy the armor unit but take advantage of an opportunity I may not get again and decided to kill the second HQ.

Here I am drestoying an army. Notice the SS unit that was damaged by fighting.

Another picture hammering a corps.

[abukede]

Note: Photo Post limit so I had to split this into 2 posts... sorry

On his battle group to the North I left them mostly untouched because I sense a hole forming center that I may be able to exploit next turn but I did hammer the forward units with arty fire. They were low on supply 2s and 3s and I wanted to wreck their readiness which I did. There is an HQ there but they will be less effective than they would have been next turn… forcing Al to take more casualties.

I would love to show you the entire front as the offensive drive finished but that would be giving away too much, including my reserves. So I will show you a larger picture to illustrate the size of the offensive area.

This is the front during the drive: There are a lot of hidden units.

Summary: I am disappointed with my immediate results. Not having motorized 1 hindered the overall effectiveness of my drive. (luck of the tech draw) Al has a lot of power concentrated in the offensive are… and depending upon how many backup HQ’s there are in the area will determine how badly I suffer. I do think my forward units will get hammered hard by air and ground. I do have a lot of air in the region but it’s not the equivalent of German fighters though they will hurt the Germans. It’s my counter-punch that may decide this summer on the East Front. If I had not gone after the HQ’s I would have probably destroyed an armor and probably 3 more armies and a corps. I think I got 2 HQ, 2 armies, 1 SS and a corps or 2 with a bunch of units damaged in the mix including a fighter. I wish I had gotten more, however the HQ’s were a risk I felt I could not ignore.

We both have a lot of units… I wonder how badly the loss of those 2 HQ’s will be for Al. If I were Al… I might back off, regroup and strike elsewhere. It’s a big front. His next actions may decide the war.

[The K Man]

So, I'm assuming (since I don't see any) that there are no AA units in this campaign. I'm guessing that is due to the fact that you can upgrade your units with AA tech (if you have it.) Just wondering what you both think of the AA upgrades, if its worth upgrading the units and how the Tac bombers are fairing vs the enemy. Killing machines or more realistic in this game?

[robert.l.hatcher]

There is AA, but it is best to upgrade AA as a tech for everyone. It really whittles down your air when you are striking units with aircraft and taking damage. It goes in increments from 1-5 but I usually get no further than 2 because of priorities for upgrades. It is a very expensive upgrade for a HQs, costing 30 MPPs. I found AA units have little use except to hold cities like garrisons. They are good for France to help against the Allied bomber onslaught.

TAC air is still deadly, and a must to soften up tanks before you hit them with your own or an infantry assault. However, TAC air does not usually kill on its own, and with the number you can purchase relative to the scale of the game, you end up with entire fronts with limited air support or even none.

I like to group 2 fighters, 2 TAC air, and a long range bomber with a HQs that follows the main effort. That way I give the main drive firepower to punch through and I have a HQs that can keep them supplied and able to upgrade. I may even keep a corps or two with that group to destroy partisans which crop up the further you drive in to the USSR.

[Catacol Highlander]

OK - in a rush, but here goes...

Anyone know much about the Battle of Kursk? German armour smashing into a prepared line? Yup - as a historian I know it will, and was not going to make the same mistake in this crucial battle. I wanted to do 2 things in the run up to this - firstly, prepare to protect my armouras they will decide the battle (and not sacrifice them as Hitler did...) , harvest my Tac Air which is hugely important; and secondly try to not give away the main thrust of my attack.

I think I have succeeded here on both counts.

A shot from Kursk itself (ironic...)

What do you see here? The answer is not a lot. The loss of Rundstedt in this weak area was a blow - I had not expected Marc to counter me from due east, but in essence my tactical plan was actually to put as much force as possible in the northern arm of my attack, as far from the Rostov thrust of 1941 as possible. Now - this was not easy. It costs a boatload of points to operationally move stuff, and supply in Russia was a pig, but I managed it. Marc attacked roughly where I wanted him to.

The result was that my own forces on the weaker southern arm of the assault withdrew a short distance to Bryansk and destroyed 3 armoured units in the process, mauling one other.

Further north my plan went into action. I was rather wasteful with my artillery, but scored the crucial breakthrough destroying a corps and some artillery:

The tip of that advance is visible at the top of this end of turn shot, and so is my defensive ring around Bryansk.

What Marc does now is crucial. If he pushes on to Bryansk he is going to lose a host of units - that's for sure. If he strikes me in the north on my main thrust he is going to be badly mauled too. I dont envy the position here. I am actually starting to relax in this a bit - I have a conveyor belt of units underway that will keep me very strong way into 1943 and I dont think Marc can sustain the losses that are going to come over the next 4 - 6 turns and recover from it. That, of course, is my interpretation as a new player of this game: it may be that I am way off the mark, but I can only post here the way the game "feels" to me.

... and at turn's end my MPPS topped 1000. I can rebuild as fast as I die, and the U boats are back on the arctic convoys just to try and rub salt into the wound.

In the south this:

The oil will be mine... Meanwhile I will need to replace at least one of the lost 2 HQs - I didnt want to lose 2, so hats off to Marc in being able to get Rundstedt. He was a 7* and 3* experienced unit, my best HQ. Why didnt I put him in the north with my main thrust? Good damned question - an error.

[Hyazinth von Strachwitz]

Great work, guys... looking forward to play it. That game is the best model of strategic warfare you can get these days.

[abukede]

Okay... no screenies this turn. Sorry. Too much to hide...

Al did not hit me back as hard as I had expected. As a result I had more options and I had to seriously resist the urge to hammer Al's center army group. I think I could have broken it but he is too close to supply and after hammering his HQ's he withdrew a little bit. I am not ready to take the chance that I could be hurt worse in the long run than him... Instead I reconsolidated my line and focued on reinforcement and repositioning. There was some fighting with the Northern Army group approaching Moscow as he worked his way through my fortifications. I mauled a corp, army and Panzer. The Panzer took an air-strike. In the south my offensive drive has taken a "lot" of territory. I've pushed all the way out from Stlalingrad and was just 2 movement away from attacking Rostov and cutting off the German army going for my oil. I also took back Orel, Kursk and almost Belograd... but there was a garrison in the city. Russian corps destroyed him but could not liberate that city. In the North the Italians are stalled on their drive for Lenningrad.

The Western allies invaded Syria... I needed Syria for a reason... will tell you later. In other places... the UK and US are building up for an invasion. I wonder where? Oh and the tech starved Western allies have improved their tech edge.

[Catacol Highlander]

My daughter's 11th birthday today - really short of time before I take her off to Harry Potter.

I will do a longer post when I get back, but quickly:

1. Advanced my northern drive for Moscow destroying 4 or 5 units in the process. I am very nearly at the gates of Moscow and could have possibly driven on to destroy an HQ as well, but am taking it relatively easy to keep in supply and let my air/armour/Special Forces combinations pick of Soviet units at will.

2. Consolidated in the centre and did some repositioning in the south.

3. Finally got the Italians to capture a town in the far north! Also killed the last of the Red Fleet in the Baltic - some interesting amphibious options in the Gulf of the River Neva out of Leningrad now appear...

4. Pushed closer to Baku in the far South West of Russia, but concerned by growing numbers of red "squares" on the map coming towards Rostov so did a bit of juggling there.

5. Noted allied bombing of Caen - is Marc about to launch an expedition to Cherbourg?

Overall feeling is that the Red Army is shrinking and will continue to shrink now for a good many turns. My air power alone can kill 2 - 3 units each turn unaided by ground forces while my mpps that last turn were a very healthy 890 for Germany and some more for Italy. Marc is holding his armour back now which he had to do really because it is easy meat for Tac Air on full upgrade.

Pics to add to all this when I return from watching the final battle between V and HP. Kind of appropriate with what is going on here on SC!!

[Catacol Highlander]

Cant edit my posts after 2 hours so I'll just post 2 follow up pics here:

Italians making slow progress towards Leningrad. I'd like to think it might scare Marc a bit to move some armoured reserves up there!! - but somehow I think now. :-P - still - I have an offensive supply base now quite close to Leningrad and that might be useful in the future.

... and this pic

... shows how close I am to Moscow now. In the last 2 turns that we have each had I have destroyed around 9/10 units in this area and slightly further south near Bryansk (including 3 armour) to the 2 HQs and around 3/4 other units that Marc has destroyed of mine. My mpps are now double his, not taking account any attention I have to give to the West of course as happened in Spain. The economic logic is pretty inescapable at present, unless something changes. Add to that the fact that Moscow is a massively important transportation hub and I am very close to it and you will understand why I am beginning to feel a bit more comfortable.

While I am up and posting, some thoughts on all this. I went about Russia from an economic angle, knowing full well that if I blasted for Moscow in 1941 I might reach it but the capital would only be moved and all those mines and oil in the south would have been producing hard for Marc. Should I have split my forces and gone for both north and south? Might not have made enough ground on either front then.

Has my overall strategy in Russia been the best one? I am thinking quite a lot about this now in the background, and in particular wondering whether I would have gone about my defence differently had I been Marc. He has chosen to give ground and save units for the most part, bar a couple of sharp engagements. I am not sure whether the best Soviet option is to do this or to defend the economic resources in the south much more vigorously. Tech obviously plays a part, and I have a big advantage in my air force and had infantry advantage for a long time too, but then again he got level 4 tanks quickly so had much counter punch potential. I don't know... it is an interesting "late at night" musing topic...

- - - but the beauty of it is you can all give it a try when this is finally released to the general SC public! You are all going to love it - in my opinion (and I have only played it once of course...) this is the best incarnation of SC that I have played, and I think the range of strategic options combined with the need for tactical nouse will keep everyone busy and interested for months/years on end.

A big well done to the programming team. Great game.

[ev]

Looks like a great game!

Some of you have mentioned SS units. How are they different from regular units?

How are retreats working? ...I have not heard of any units retreating so far...

[Bossy57322]

This is better than some books I've read lately. Outstanding, gripping stuff.

[robert.l.hatcher]

Some of you have mentioned SS units. How are they different from regular units? How are retreats working? ...I have not heard of any units retreating so far

EV, the SS units are some of the best in the game behind tanks and tac air. They have good offense and defense numbers and lower the morale of units they attack. I don't have the game open but I think their numbers are better than armies and paratroops. I usually buy these first.

On retreats, it is useful and annoying. I certainly like it when my units back out and are not destroyed. I have noticed it more with mobile units such as tanks, but virtually all units will take a step back if there is room behind them. It actually does not occur often but that just may be my observation since I tend to attack units from multiple sides. I have noticed that garrisons will retreat easily under minor pressure. I would not use garrison units to hold the front line. They are better used in the rear or to cover locations to act as an alert and stall an easy landing, such as along the Normandy coast.

[Catacol Highlander]

Looks like a great game!

Some of you have mentioned SS units. How are they different from regular units?

How are retreats working? ...I have not heard of any units retreating so far...

The SS units are Special Forces by the old SC terminology. They have more action points than normal armies (ie can move faster) and also have greater punch when engaging armour. To be honest I think of them more as Panzergrenadier Divisions for the Germans even though they have a Special Forces icon.

Yes - units are sometimes retreating. The garrison in the pic above next to the Italian advance retreated in the end... My rather less than impressive Italian force had pinged it for 3 turns and eventually at strength 2 it withdrew. Other units in the game have retreated - unfortunately not possible to show it in a static pic.

[Ivanov]

Once again about tech. Don't you think that reaching maximum tech levels in armour, aviation and infantry by 1942 makes the game a bit unrealistic? Are there any other factors appart from cash invested and the level of intelligence that decide the speed of the tech advance?

It looks like the game may be decided by 1943. If the Germans manage to beat Soviet Union in the summer campaign of 1942, the Western Allies won't be able to face them on equal terms anywhere on the ground in Europe...

Great game guys - I am reading and learning...

[Panzerjäger]

When are we able too try the new game, cant wait