SOE 1939 - Allies - Will vs Ash #2

[acrashb]

Hitler is clearly going a tad insane due to the losses incurred on the eastern front.

Desperate for resources? Can't get enough Swiss chocolate?

[Strategiclayabout]

- Classic move when Hitler's short on cash and diplomatic penalties don't mean anything anymore (all major players already in). There should be an event "Nazis can't do money laundering anymore, you lose 50MPPs per turn" when invading Switzerland .

- More seriously, since Benito's african empire is over and with all those GIs sunbathing on Med beaches, can be a way to secure Axis southern flank.

[Will95]

Ah ok, that makes more sense.

Well, the Battle of Smolensk is underway. After a lengthy build up between Axis and Red Army forces, the Germans were the first to advance. Here's how the front line looked before the Soviet counter.

And here's how it looked afterwards.

3 German armies were destroyed, although Soviet tanks were left exposed, and there's some very intimidating Tiger tanks in the back lines...

In the north, Zhukov advanced to try and take some backline supply lines.

In the far south, I'm pressing further towards the German border. I suspect that Ash doesn't have much force here, and he isn't even aware of my 3 tanks I have in store for him. He's strong in the middle, but if I press hard enough in other areas he's going to be forced away.

In Africa, the last of the Italians were wiped out in their entirety- North Africa is now in Allied hands! More US troops were sent to the Atlantic and Cadiz to support the push against Italy. With so much of the Italian force destroyed, I may go straight for the KO against Rome...

[Will95]

The Battle of Smolensk continues, with heavy Soviet losses- 3 tank corps and an army were lost. The elite Panzers are proving their worth in battle, although sheer numbers of Red Army troops are allowing us to gradually surround the Axis forces. This turn we destroyed another German army and did heavy damage to a SF unit.

In the North Zhukov's HQ took a supply town and are now positioned directly to the enemy rear.

The first Americans landed in Britain, along with Eisenhower. I sent quite a lot of extra reinforcements to Italy, but mostly infantry. The big guns, the tanks and special forces, will land at Normandy.

[Will95]

The Battle of Smolensk continues, with elite Panzers blowing away Red Army troops by the dozen...

As I can't afford to take them head on (I have literally nothing that will beat them in a head to head fight), I spied an opportunity to take a shot at Kesserling's extremely experienced (3 star) headquarters. The army will be lost, but it will be worth it to kill Ash's supply and readiness. I also did good damage to a SF unit, but failed to destroy it. Ash pulled back his troops from the city gates this turn, but I don't yet have the forces to counter-attack. Replacements for the losses taken will arrive in a few months.

Further north, Zhukov fights in the marshes against Finnish troops, taking 2 armies down to less than half health. We may even try and retake Leningrad.

In the south, I finally got a chance to use Russian paratroopers, who dropped into surprisingly empty territory and took shots at Rommel's HQ (the bastard, must've escape the last time we destroyed him!). A supporting German army was destroyed, but there's another elite Panzer unit here which will no doubt inflict some pain next turn...

In Africa it's just logistics at the moment as we get ready for the invasion of Italy, which will hopefully take place within the next 3 turns. I would like to invade on this side of 1943 and deliver a quick killing blow to Italy. With so much force tied up in Soviet-land, I don't expect much German resistance. A sizeable navy has been assembled to assure safe passage for troops as they cross the Med.

[Strategiclayabout]

Seems the decisive moment is around the corner. instead of Kursk you had a Smolensk battle but german elite tanks couldn't make any gain so initiative is definitely in your hands now .

[Will95]

Feels that way, Smolensk remains in Soviet hands!

Ash pulled back his lines and shortened them around his HQ's. With 2 tac bombers now ready to start hitting his HQ's at will, he should have a pretty tough time ahead. His elite panzers are definitely still a danger but should become dramatically less so when the major reinforcement waves arrive next turn.

In Africa, the first allied troops have embarked on their amphibious transports to hit Sicily. A huge allied fleet protects them, including level 2 US battleships and multiple carriers. It seems Ash managed to get his hands on a carrier of his own which has made it's precense known a few times.

Also in the Med, Hitler's need for cash drove him to an amphibious special forces landing in Athens, forcing an instant Greek surrender. Luckily, this also means the Italian navy is somewhat distracted from what I'm about to do.

[Strategiclayabout]

So you decided for Sicily instead of going for the KO at Rome. Any reason ? Some intelligence tip about unit locations or was it just about taking the short way ?

[Will95]

A few reasons:

- I had so many ships in the port areas I couldn't actually amphib more than 2 at a time

- Intel showed several corps in and around the Rome area, so I reckon Ash has probably concentrated everything there

- I want an air base a bit closer to the capital and to give me somewhere to hit his fleet from

So, the invasion! As we're now just into September, I didn't want to wait any longer. Stalin was getting impatient with the Allies lackluster intervention so far, and mourns the loss of many a Red Army unit to the elite Panzers.

In Italy, as said I was only able to get 2 units out from each port, so in a combined US/British invasion, special forces and british army units landed on the island of Sicily, destroying 2 bombers. Waves of reinforcements will flood the back lines, and after some thought I'm going to take quite a leisurely approach to the invasion- with the aim being to draw units away from the USSR.

In the center we advanced the line cautiously, but I'm not about to start wading forward out of position into the waiting arms of the Axis tanks. Heavy artillery and rocket batteries now support the front wave of infantry.

In Russia, elite panzers struck around Odessa, killing an army. However, our ATG's were able to finally hit back at the seemingly unstoppable beasts, and did enough damage to hopefully kill a few experienced tank commanders (down to strength 6 from 12).

I moved forward, taking out an Italian tank unit. I'm hoping the sight of the Soviet armour will distract him from pressing too hard in Odessa, which is in danger of falling unless aided. Fortunately, from the middle of September we will recieve major reinforcements to replace the battle of Smolensk losses.

In Britain, the first US tanks embarked for an early invasion of Normandy, with a view to catching Ash off guard (hopefully he operates the big guns to Italy in his turn, and the following turn I hit France) and liberating it before the year is out. Things are about to get rather sweaty for Mr Hitler...

[Strategiclayabout]

- Hoho, early Overlord, that should be interesting . I wonder where all of those red tanks in the south will go, Romania, Hungary, Poland ?

- About your port/amphibious problem in NA, remember you don't need ports to ampbib special forces.

- And as long as an unit is adjacent to a port (or "able to transport" from that port because some adjacent tiles are sometimes cut from the port by terrain) you can still amphib them, the amphibious transport should just pop on the nearest free sea tile (random if several eligible tiles are available).

[Will95]

Unfortunately, it seems that if you have enough of a navy surrounding the port, then you can't amphib all eligible units

[Will95]

Phew, what a turn this was.

The Italian navy, in itself only consisting of 6 ships (although upgraded and most dangerous with their superior ports), was dealt a massive blow, losing 2 battleships, a cruiser and a submarine. This was the prelude to a follow-up invasion of Italy, which saw an Italian army brought down, Sicily conquered and more British and American reinforcements arriving. We are now into Italy proper- the march on Rome can begin.

Ash continued to fall back from Smolensk, and I continued to advance.

In the south, tactical bombers spotted an elite tank retreating having been hit last turn by the AT guns. Our own elite tanks gave chase and did yet more damage- even if I don't destroy it, that should mean the end of its elite steps. More tanks poured in from behind, and an army advanced to be pleasantly surprised by a 'rear admiral' of the Romanians.

And if you want to see a really frightening picture....

D-Day has almost arrived. I'm short a commander (sent my spare to Italy when I should have really sent him to Britain, but the early French invasion was something of a spur of the moment choice) but Eisenhower should have no problem commanding the level 5 Pershing tanks at his disposal.

[Will95]

D-Day has arrived.

And it was extremely uneventful!

The main landings hit Calais and Dunkirk, where the might of the US armour landed. Paratroopers took Le Havre and another army took Cherbourg. A corps was redirected to Holland to liberate the peoples of the Netherlands. The real test will be the Axis response to the landings.

In Italy, the trapped Italian corps was wiped out and Allied troops pressed on. The allied navy found and trapped the carrier in harbour.

In the south of Russia, where the only real fighting is happening right now, the Soviet tanks surged forward and destroyed a German army and artillery piece. A wounded Panzer sits in the backlines looking threatening.

The Russians got level 1 ground attack aircraft this turn. With the rains now setting in for winter, we won't get a chance to use them until 1944, but it'll be worth it when they arrive.

[Strategiclayabout]

Unfortunately, it seems that if you have enough of a navy surrounding the port, then you can't amphib all eligible units

- Too many naval units near port to amphib, that's not a common one huhu . Well it's true that Tunis only has 2 sea tiles adjacent to port... Still good to know there is a limit to amphib capacity of ports, thanks for that .

- Now that you did your Overlord, I think you see how doing a "Dieppe" with minimum forces in 1942 or even late 1941 can bring interesting results by distracting some german forces from the eastern front.

- Seems there isn't much left in the south to stop your soviet tanks, smelling like romanian oil in the morning :cool: .

[Will95]

Ash surrendered. My first win against him, whoopee!

The American tanks had just wiped out the (only?) HQ in Normandy, the Soviets had just virtually destroyed one of the few remaining elite tanks and in the south I was about to break through.

All in all, a fun game, and one which I'm sure we'll debrief fully in another thread.

Thanks all for reading!

[Strategiclayabout]

Congratulations for your win .

[Bill101]

Yes, definitely, and thanks for the AAR!