TCP/IP Game AAR #2

pzgndr · February 17, 2006

Started another game today as Allies. No, not against the AI. I'll provide a brief summary of events and update periodically as we continue.

German attacks into Poland progressed OK on first turn but then units started withdrawing for other actions in the west. The Poles conducted a series of counterattacks to inflict casualties. As suspected, Germany DOW'd Denmark in October. Poland held out until November.

UK DOW'd Iraq in January 1940 and advanced tanks out of Syria. It takes another turn to capture Baghdad, which falls in March. The western front is quiet except a few attacks on the Maginot Line. The French hold and Germans take casualties. Winter weather helps. The Italian navy is moving around in the Med, trying to gather some intel I guess. A plan develops...

Mud in May delays the German attack into Benelux, so I have another turn to prepare. I have moved a British corps and army (BEF) into France. My French strategy was to focus on diplomatic efforts to sway Turkey. UK's attack on Iraq has a negative effect on Turkey, so my intent was to at least counter this and maybe hopefully get a significant breakthrough. We chose non-consumable diplomacy chits for this game, so effects might continue to accumulate. UK moved its bomber to Malta, primarily to see what the Italians are up to.

Germany DOWs Benelux in June and hits one of two French armies on the border. I've got armies on the Maginot Line, my tanks on the mine, a corps in the woods, and my HQ in Paris. No AF, since I disbanded it for diplomacy. The British corps is SE of Paris and the BEF to the NW on the coast. So after Germany attacks, I withdraw the damaged army and move the other back between Paris and BEF. On next turn, the NW Maginot fortress takes a beating and my damaged army is destroyed. Germans spot my UK corps, but a German army blitz is surprised to find BEF and takes a surprise encounter hit. In my riposte, I destroy the army and destroy the corps involved in my French army's destruction. At this point, I've abandoned the Maginot and started to withdraw my Brits to safety.

In July, the Maginot and mine fall. Paris is attacked but the HQ is fully entrenched and holds. We have selected the railheads option for this campaign, which means only units in or adjacent to cities can op move. I wanted to op move BEF to Brest but forgot this little detail, so moved it towards Bordeaux instead. I don't expect France to hold much longer. I finally get a diplomatic result in Turkey, a whopping 5% change. This bad luck was not worth the many MPPs I spent, however better luck on other days may be worth it.

The French had another surprise waiting. My strategy was to move the French fleet into the Med and hope to catch the Italians in the open. In this game, we also selected the US historical entry option so I wasn't concerned about the political effect of an Allied DOW. Between the French and Royal Navy, I sank an Italian battleship and cruiser. With one last turn available, the French fleet pursued the Italians into the Adriatic and heavily damaged another cruiser. France then surrendered in August.

I managed to get my corps out of Bordeaux but the BEF was trapped and lost. Overall, the French sacrifice was not in vain. Germany had lost a couple of ground units and the Italian navy was wounded. And to add insult to injury, my escorts for the corps transport out of Bordeaux found and sank a German sub off the coast of Spain in September. Also in September, the British army advanced into Libya and layed seige to Tobruk. My bomber on Malta was helping by cutting Axis supply. The siege continued through October and Tobruk fell in November. Hungary and Romania joined the Axis. Other than a couple of air attacks on London, the west was quiet.

To be continued.

pzgndr · February 17, 2006