SOE 1939 - Allies - Will vs Ash #2

[Will95]

Timoshenko arrived this turn. With His Tanks. Timoshenko and His Tanks- has quite a nice ring to it, doesn't it? It'll be even nicer with level 3 tanks, which appropriately hit at the end of this turn. Ash is in for a shock as he approaches Leningrad!

Down in the south the first of the infantry reinforcements arrived to shore up Dnepropetrovsk- from now on, for the rest of the war, the Soviet Union will not be short of troops.

Also, rain! Yay!

Intel level 4 reached for the USA, and once we're into November, we will begin the mass production of the US army.

[Will95]

Timonshenko's Tanks upgraded to level 3, ready for the glorious counter-attack. A flood-tide of troops arrived this turn of armies and ATG's. Most were directed to the northern defense of Leningrad and Moscow. The south saw the first counter-attack of sorts, taking down a Romanian unit to strength 2. I was hoping to kill it, but you can't have everything.

Over the winter we're going to continue growing our forces but divert some income to research- we don't want to get behind in the infantry tech race, and hopefully the level 4 intel from the Americans will hope with that. This may or may not be a terrible strategy, but as the Americans are nearing December and their intervention to the war, and they already have a significant amount invested in tech, I'm going to start stockpiling MPPs for unit production as soon as the economy gets that initial boost. Once we get to the year's end I'll update with a war map of my USA strategy.

In Africa we beat a retreat to reinforce. With a fighter wing now down there and the front-line towns upgraded with AA, the bombers will hopefully silence, or suffer heavy casualties. I would've liked to have made better progress around Tobruk, but Ash has played the Italians well, and got an early hit on infantry level 1.

[Will95]

Winter has arrived, and with it plenty of snow to slow the German advance.

In the north around Leningrad, Timoshenko's tanks were brought to bear against a German corps, destroying it utterly- the first total destruction of a German unit thus far, a pivotal moment! Another corps was taken down to almost destruction. Fighters surround the tanks to protect them from Stukas.

In the center, reinforcements deployed last turn were put into action damaging some German infantry in the area. Level 2 ATGs were deployed across the river against the highly developed enemy tanks that now prowl the Steppe.

Down in the south, our tank unit was blown away by enemy Panzers, which seemed like a good signal to retreat. It was a shame to leave behind the fortifications, but we must fall back and let winter take its toll on the enemy. New reinforcements will increasingly be diverted to this southern sector to hold the line a little better.

High Command noted with great pleasure the actions of Russian partisans to disrupt supply around the central push, bringing already low supply troops even lower.

America joined the Allies this turn (or rather, prepared for war at 99%) and recieved level 2 tanks appropriately. We will now begin building the army in preparation for Operation Torch.

[Will95]

Is the war finally beginning to turn? Only time will tell....

First, to the north at Leningrad. We weren't able to push our lines due to the snow, but we were able to chase down and destroy a corps out of supply, so no cheap rebuilding. Fighters scouted a large enemy contingent here though, so we may need to wait for spring reinforcements to mount a counter-offensive.

In the central thrust, we were able to advance in small steps and did some damage with fighters and ATGs to a tank group.

Down in the south, we fortified our positions at Stalino and did some damage to the German infantry at Kharkov. Little movement, and snow hit it hard at the end of my turn.

The overall situation is that we are still outnumbered in most areas, but the Axis spearheads are in terrible supply. Partisan activity is springing up and it's going to quickly turn into a nightmare for Ash unless he makes some decisive victories in the near future. We have a ton of reinforcements arriving in the New Year, as well as Siberian armies, so a counter-offensive for the spring of 1942 is on the cards.

The British bombing campaign continues, reducing the Ruhr once again to rubble, as well as another mine in occupied Belgium. In Africa the Brits aren't making much progress, although artillery did hurt the besieged infantry at Tobruk.

The Americans have now fully mobilized and joined the war, bringing a truly massive navy to bear. As the strongest part of its navy is in battleships, I'm going to send them to the Med to crush the Italians. American fighters are currently being upgraded and fitted ready to be operated to North Africa to support the British, while the infantry will be loaded up for Operation Torch. As most of the Italian army is in Africa, a combined infantry push + shelling of the Italian ports should trap the army almost entirely. We will then launch an invasion of mainland Italy itself.

[acrashb]

We're going to try and hold at Riga,

At Riga (and Leningrad, etc.), if you are going to make a stand, build your fortifications behind the river, not in front of it. Attacking into a fortification across a river is quite difficult. Add in some anti-air to protect supply and your opponent will have a tough time.

[Will95]

Actually, that was deliberate

If you build them behind the river then it's equally difficult for me to counter-attack. By building them in front of the river then it means he still has a hard time attacking me, but I have an easier time attacking him.

[Strategiclayabout]

Hehe looking good so far, you still have ground to give for the summer of 1942 if needed, congratulations for destroying the first axis units in the East ^^ ! With bad supply and winter you'll keep piling up MPPs and troops with nearly no losses . Glad to see USA in and bombing having big results.

[Will95]

Zhukov was ordered to the front this turn, and we believe the Siberian Armies should be hitting the front shortly.

Down in the south, 2 new tank battalions were deployed for a strike against the Romanian troops. Ash feels quite weak here and is pushing far more cautiously than anywhere else, suggesting a lack of hard units. So far I've only seen 1 enemy Panzer division.

In the center, we continue to spread out and in a historical moment, actually TOOK BACK SOME TERRITORY!

The Panzers are in full retreat through the winter to avoid our AT cannons.

Up in the north at Leningrad Ash has a powerful force, but it's tightly clumped. I will try to cut his supply.

The Americans continue to mobilize more troops, and next turn the bulk of their imposing navy will be ready for service, fitted for battle and heavily upgraded. Hopefully we can get level 3 tanks before shipping off to Italy, but even if we don't Torch should go off without a hitch.

No pictures this time as it's just more snow, but the 'Soviet Winter Strikes' event occured this turn and seemed to attrition the German forces- excellent!

[Will95]

Into April 1942, and the rain has (mostly) lifted, the snow has gone, and it's back to the brutal realities of unmolested blood & steel warfare. Luckily, those harsh realities appear to be hurting the Germans far more than us. This turn represented a good 'killing'; a special forces unit in the north about Leningrad, a Romanian army in the south and a German army in the center.

The northern sector is in danger of becoming a pocket for the Axis. An encircling corps found a tactical bomber at 7 strength, which our fighters targeted for extra damage. Ash will be forced to fall back on this front now, thankfully, as the troops around Narva are getting war-weary. Another tank group was deployed here, just to the east at Novgrod. Zhukov can't arrive sooner, we will soon have too many troops to command at once!

Not much further south, we are making slow progress. 1 tank group was deployed here to strengthen this sector, the only one up until now to be lacking armour.

In the south, we hit back- hard. Kharkov was retaken, and the tanks swept forward to mop up a Romanian army. Next turn I'll upgrade the tanks to really start putting the hurt in, but for now being only at level 2 isn't critical as it's mainly Romanians and Hungarians in the south.

Across the pond, Americans are getting ready for battle. The first warships set sail for the Red Sea, while follow up units will go to the Gulf of Cadiz. This is also where we will send the amphibious transports. Even better, US recieved level 3 infantry tech this turn. This means that we won't have for overwhelming numbers to arrive before we attack the Italians- as soon as the first HQ arrives, we will send the boats to assault Tripoli and Benghazi while the navy shells the ports to prevent escape.

Also, the raid on St Nazaire worked!

[Will95]

The northern and central army groups will shortly meet up, trapping the Germans in between as they retreat. The retreat is tactical though, rather than sporadic, so it's not quite so easy to chase them down.

The army group in the south is now large and growing, punching against Romanian lines.

And strange things are occuring in the Adriatic, German special forces have prepared landing boats...luckily Intel spotted them before they landed, and they're in for a treat if they try and escape...

US hit level 3 tanks at the end of this turn, so when the armoured wave arrives in late 1942 it will be most potent indeed.

[Will95]

The Siberian armies have arrived...time to deal a heavy blow to the Whermacht. Elite tanks, elite armies, the works. I didn't screen cap it but I will next turn, before operating them. As the situation across the entire front is now more than stable, I can pick and choose where I want to send them- possibly to the south, to continue driving back the inferior Axis Minor troops.

Across the board the Germans continue to beat a hasty retreat- back to places of better supply, no doubt. The Northern/Central amalgamation is quickly becoming something of a noose.

In the South we took back our mines and continue to advance, although cautiously given the heavy armour.

In Africa I did something very silly and sent forward the British armour without properly scouting or checking supply levels- as a result we took heavy damage and have little to show for it.

Elsewhere in the Med, the Italian navy appears to be massing in the Adriatic. We sunk a destroyer and 'plugged' the gap with a battleship. I didn't have time to upgrade the warships with level 1 naval warfare though, which may hurt me in the long run.

Across the Atlantic the American infantry have embarked on their voyage which will take them to Tripoli, and eventually Rome, when we have enough force- likely by 1943.

Soviets reached a new production level this turn, and with tech maxed out, we can keep growing the Red Army, supplementing it with Kaytusha rockets, special forces, and even a paratrooper unit- I'm going to give Ash a taste of his own medicine after Riga.

[Will95]

This'll be the last turn for a few days as Ash heads off to the continent for a bit.

At any rate, we're into the 'mutually assured destruction' phase of the game

In the north, tactical bombers and russian fighters fought to damage the Russian tank corps, who remained relatively untouched, although it forced us to retreat. There's a couple of paratroopers in this area, so I have to watch out for sneaky back-line shenanigans.

In the south, major victories were scored- a special forces unit was destroyed and Rommel's staff was smashed. A second SF unit was surrounded and cut off from his comrades. Some say he escaped at the last minute...but will we ever see him again?! The T34 commanders who smashed through have been issued bravery medals (which may very quickly become posthumous). A new HQ was operated in from the Siberian army haul to support.

In Africa it's a proper sitzkrieg as the British try valiantly (although without much luck) to destroy the Tobruk fortress.

In the Med, major naval battles saw the loss of a British battleship, followed by the swift retaliation that led to the sinking of an Italian battleship. I'm playing this quite M.A.D style because the American surface fleet arrived in the Med this turn, and should have no problems mopping up the Italian fleet.

Next turn the first amphib transports will embark for Cadiz.

In the Atlantic, the last few turns have seen heavy damage done to the Kriegsmarine u-boats. Several have been damaged and we're sinking one every 2 turns almost.

[Strategiclayabout]

How nice it is to be on the good end of the soviet club !

I think both of you now have a good grasp of the game and you're already creating your own evil plans.

[Will95]

Haha yeah it feels like we've got the concepts down pretty well, and actually this game has given me some food for thought regarding ze Germans...I've got some strategies in mind for when we switch sides again, but I reckon they're actually harder, on balance, than the allies. Seems that out of all the WW2 AARs, only have the Germans prevailed when they've wrapped the whole deal up by 1942 (more or less, even if the game lasts another year or two).

We've gotta get a game going sometime as well!

[Strategiclayabout]

Any side any campaign . Just drop me a word when you're ready !

[Will95]

Right, time to get back into the swing of things...

Ash and I went back and forth a few turns before I got around to updating the AAR, simply because it was so fast paced and the situations(s) so precarious for both sides, so lets get to it!

In the northern sector of the eastern front, disaster struck when a German para unit stole Leningrad, instantly causing the 20% mobilized Finland to join the war. Realistic? No- but a good move by Ash nonetheless. I've had to evacuate this whole sector, and I'm going to fall back to Moscow.

However, my southern push, supported by the Siberian troops, is cutting into the German rear, so it's a race against time for each side to try and encircle the other. We've both been inflicting heavy damage on each other in this sector, with many tanks and infantry units destroyed.

Down in the south, things are a little calmer. The Germans are lesser in force here but so are the Russians, but we keep pressing. We have almost surrounded this Axis pocket and hopefully we can force a fallback.

In Iceland, a little plan I hatched a few months ago finally came to fruition when a British corps stole the island from the Germans, meeting no resistance- one less handy submarine base for the Germans. I was rewarded with a free heavy bomber for my efforts.

In other naval news, we've sunk another 2 u-boats with British destroyers. The German surface fleet, consisting in this case of just a single battleship and cruiser, sallied out to hit back at the destroyers, sinking one, but carriers were on hand to send both the German surface vessels to the bottom of the North Sea.

In Africa, the British are making precisely zero ground, so the Americans have stepped in to lend a hand. Algeria was taken this turn, and the US Navy is out in force in the Med. The British RN has taken heavy losses courtesy of Italian battleships so their presence is much appreciated.

To summarise:

- The Leningrad fiasco is a major win for the Axis, and with Finland in the war I need to retreat from the entire north

- In the south we have the potential to wipe out a large chunk of Axis units

- Major reinforcement waves, to replace the recent losses, are on the way and most are set to arrive between September and November

- The British RN is doing a sterling job hitting u-boats, and the German navy is getting quite small

- Italian navy still a threat, mitigated by the presence of the USN

- American intervention in Europe will escalate from here, with the eventual fall of North Africa leading to an invasion of Italy, an assualt on Rome and an attempt to knock Italy out of the war

[Will95]

In the north we continue to fall back in terrible supply to Moscow. Hopefully we can operate there rather than walking, or I may have to force march my troops to save their asses. For some reason Ash is choosing not to pursue me with any great zealousness, so I have a bit of time to get away.

In the middle I lost 2 ATG's to the Panzers which are giving a serious headache- they seem to blow my tanks to smithereens while taking no damage.

In the south things are going well, with 2 more armies destroyed and a clear shot at the artillery behind. There's no less than 3 HQ's to bag here if I play this right- for the Motherland!

Algiers was taken, and most of the 1942 USA landing force is now back on dry land with the exception of 2 armies that have yet to arrive. There are still a few troops left back in the homeland but I'm going to wait for 1943- and all the reinforcements that it will bring- before sending them out.

The Italians, sensing the noose closing, evacuated Tobruk leaving a skeleton defence. I'm not sure where they have gone given there is no rail line, and the ports behind them are bombed to crap and have no way of transporting. The USN was put to the test, sinking 2 Italian battleships.

At the end of this turn, infantry level 3 hit for the Soviets- a massive tech victory. Hopefully the Germans are still some way off!

[Will95]

Phew, real slogfest this one.

Army group north continues to retreat along railway lines, although we have finally found a village with some meagre supplies- tanks get priority, everyone else is ordered to hot-foot it back to Moscow.

Army group center has sustained the worst casualties in recent weeks and was reinforced with 3 armies and a new AT battalion. AGC has the most potential to do damage at the moment too, as the northern German army group advances ever further creating something of a peninsula. A corps out of supply was killed.

Army group south took a breather this turn, to refit with the latest level 3 infantry technology after the enemy retreated to Odessa. We have also moved to cut off the infantry just to the north.

The pressure of the US invasion must've got to the Italians because they finally evacuated Tobruk, and one unit managed to escape via port transport. We moved to catch up with them as they went to escape, while the USN damaged a cruiser in the Med.

[Will95]

As things haven't really changed much this turn, I'll show you guys the whole world map to get an idea of how the various front lines sit at this point.

- The Leningrad fiasco, and subsequent Finnish entrance to the war, was unforseen. However, the overall impact appears to be relatively minor- army group north will fall back to Moscow and any attempt by the Germans to assualt the capital will ultimately be doomed. The force of army group north remains extremely strong.

- Army group center will try to hold the line at the Smolensk choke. With enough reinforcements and fortifications it should be able to withstand the Panzers now bearing down on them.

- Army group south will move upwards and attempt to hit key supply areas. This will no doubt force a reaction from Ash and alleviate some of the pressure on army group center.

- The whole of North Africa will soon be in Allied hands, with much of the Italian army hopefully destroyed. Once the rest of the Vichy territories have been captured and the Italians driven out, a combined British/American task force will move on Rome. The British got level 2 infantry this turn, which combined with the extremely high tech American army should have no problems knocking out Italy. I know Ash has grown quite attached to his Italians and may send German support, but this just means less pressure on the Red Army.

- As we head into 1943, we will start sending American troops to Britain. The actual landing may or may not happen in '43- it depends largely on how the war in Russia goes. If the winter and reinforcements are sufficient to drive back the Germans in a strong capacity, we will wait until 1944 to build up a force so large that the Axis will not be able to hold the western front. If the Russians start struggling, I'll launch the invasion early to force Ash to relocate.

[Will95]

Snow bit this turn as we got well into December. The US army continued to advance in North Africa, forcing the Tunisians to surrender. The Italians are now backed up against a wall, sandwiched between the Brits and the Americans. The only possible problem remains the issue of the Italian navy, which just commissioned an aircraft carrier into service. I've sent naval reinforcements from the Atlantic to the Med to try and ensure the invasion of Italy goes as smooth as possible.

In Russia the snow allowed me to advance and take Odessa with special forces. We are now very, very close to level 4 tanks for the Russians, and army group center is constantly being bolstered with more reinforcements. Smolensk could be the site of the biggest battle yet.

[Will95]

Still wintery so no major offensives. The Italians continue to beat a hasty retreat, leaving Benghazi wide open and head back to Tripoli. Unfortunately for them, that port is bombed too, and the Americans are approaching from the opposite direction...

The Soviet army continues to grow to massive proportions and is now almost as big as the entire German army combined. And level 4 tanks hit this turn. Oooh yeeeeeah. I've indulged in a few luxuries besides the bread-and-butter tanks and armies recently, with Russian paras, Kaytushas and special forces.

The first American planes are being operated across to Britain to begin the razing of German cities....one by one.

[Will95]

A few turns of nothing much- I've been upgrading to level 4 on the Soviet armour and mainly shuffling troops around for some major spring offensives. Down at the Odessa river, Ash seems pretty happy to camp there with his elite tanks- no problem. Corps are capturing swathes of territory to the west and will continue to cut into the German rear until resistance is met.

Around the center, a truly huge Soviet force is gathering. The main force, when it is ready, will advance forward while Zhukov, in the north sneaking about in the mountains, will swing down to the south to hit the German rear.

In North Africa, the retreating Italians continue to be picked off, with another army going down. There is just one army and the HQ left, and with the US advance finally catching up to Tripoli, there is nowhere for the Italians to go. On a more sour note, the Italian navy has remained a major pain in the backside, damaging US warships. Major reinforcements are being sent to the Red Sea to deal with them and assure safe passage for our troops when they invade Italy.

This is the calm before the storm- if either side advances, it will be into a brick wall of entrenchments, tanks and artillery. However the Soviets now have equal or superior tech and far greater numbers (something like 63 total Soviet units vs 75 or so total German units)- I should be able to come out on top. Ash's elite Panzers are definitely a cause for concern though.

With Soviet infantry and vehicles now at a good stage, tech focuses now become increasingly about putting the screws on the Axis- the glorious Russian industry, powering us all the way to Berlin!

[Strategiclayabout]

The Leningrad surprise was a naughty one but maybe a blessing in disguise .

- Having to evacuate in the north, you were able to focus more in the center and south, concentrating forces. Interesting plans in the center and lots of tanks everywhere, summer 43 will be hot ^^ .

- I'm curious to see what Ash will decide when Allies begin to push in the West. Any of those elite panzers can cause trouble but can he afford to operate them away from USSR ?

- Question: I only see one soviet tac bomber in the pics, do you have more around or in production ?

[Will95]

Yup I've got another 2 on the way for the summer and tech invested to upgrade them. Right now Ash has level 1 AA on most of his tanks anyway so they're not massively useful unupgraded, I've just been using that one to finish off 1 strength units.

I think Ash missed a trick a bit with Leningrad, if he'd have surged forward while I was in 2-3 supply he could've wiped out a third of the Soviet army O_O

As it is it's not actually that bad as you say, I just hope I can hit him before he gets tech parity on his tanks.

[Will95]

Some odd moves from Ash this turn. He invaded Switzerland and Vichy France, granting France a psuedo entrance back into the war as Libya. Spain got a little tetchy (understandably) and dropped all positive relations with Germany. Hitler is clearly going a tad insane due to the losses incurred on the eastern front.

I would have liked to start a major offensive this turn but Russian morale took a nosedive and it wouldn't have been very smart to go in now.

The rest of the Italians in North Africa were finally sandwiched between the Americans and British and all that remains is an understrength army. The first waves of US infantry began making their way to the North Atlantic, where they will start forming up on British shores ready for D-Day.