Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

Inf cost 5 to move through swamp. But using the rail line costs one less, so a 4 mover Inf can advance one hex per impulse through the otherwise impassable terrain - if he is using rail lines exclusively.

EDIT: And you want to 'take' all those hexes because partisans can appear in them if you don't.

2nd EDIT: Aren't you suppose to be taking a nap?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

I used 5 of the 6 German land moves to set up an attack on Pskov, and the 6th to enter Persia with a MECH.

The 2 Italian land moves were used up by the Iraqi units. The MIL unit is at the end of his supply chain, but can still move as much as 2 hexes east or begin collecting hexes on the rail line in the clear terrain, if he's willing to be disorganized. More important is the fact that with some creative planning, I might be able to air transport the Italian MTN unit to one of those clear hexes. From there, he can either move up on the Soviet front in Azerbaijan . . . or he can help to claim the rail line all the way to the Persian Gulf. That would be a task completed next turn, with the help of the Iraqi CAV. By then (hopefully), Japan might be able to establish fleets in the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf . . . and suddenly, with an Italian Nav in the Red Sea, there's an overseas link to the Persian front.

The end result is that the Soviets, already stretched a little thin, though they do have another good white-print INF on the way, will need to get more units to this front due to the flexibility gained by the Axis. It also means that those USA and CW fleets heading to India need to get the job done.

If nothing else is gained by the Axis, this maneuver should end up having 8-10 Soviet land units committed to blocking the South passage into the Caucasus . . . units which they'd prefer to have on the German front lines. Even if the Italian and German armies can't break this line, it should help German make progress in the Ukraine and Belorussia. Or so the Axis hopes . . .

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Italy just gained another Oil Point that can be transported by rail to the factories in Italy. Or that 3 of the Soviet Oil Points are now pretty much lost to them. The one in Bushehr could be saved where it is, but it's probably best to skip that this turn and set up a Trade Agreement to give it to the CW to store in India.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Centuur

quote:

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

I used 5 of the 6 German land moves to set up an attack on Pskov, and the 6th to enter Persia with a MECH.

The 2 Italian land moves were used up by the Iraqi units. The MIL unit is at the end of his supply chain, but can still move as much as 2 hexes east or begin collecting hexes on the rail line in the clear terrain, if he's willing to be disorganized. More important is the fact that with some creative planning, I might be able to air transport the Italian MTN unit to one of those clear hexes. From there, he can either move up on the Soviet front in Azerbaijan . . . or he can help to claim the rail line all the way to the Persian Gulf. That would be a task completed next turn, with the help of the Iraqi CAV. By then (hopefully), Japan might be able to establish fleets in the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf . . . and suddenly, with an Italian Nav in the Red Sea, there's an overseas link to the Persian front.

The end result is that the Soviets, already stretched a little thin, though they do have another good white-print INF on the way, will need to get more units to this front due to the flexibility gained by the Axis. It also means that those USA and CW fleets heading to India need to get the job done.

If nothing else is gained by the Axis, this maneuver should end up having 8-10 Soviet land units committed to blocking the South passage into the Caucasus . . . units which they'd prefer to have on the German front lines. Even if the Italian and German armies can't break this line, it should help German make progress in the Ukraine and Belorussia. Or so the Axis hopes . . .

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Italy just gained another Oil Point that can be transported by rail to the factories in Italy. Or that 3 of the Soviet Oil Points are now pretty much lost to them. The one in Bushehr could be saved where it is, but it's probably best to skip that this turn and set up a Trade Agreement to give it to the CW to store in India.

8 to 10 units more to defend in the Caucasus? I think you are overestimating the possibility of the oversea supply path. There should be a nice CW fleet in Aden, which can prevent this. Together with the USA attacking Japanese convoys, I don't think that line is going to hold, because of a lack of Japanese ships.
And if those HQ aren't in the Syrian desert, things aren't looking good for the Axis at all. I wouldn't put any other units in Persia with the USSR at this point, except for the final unit to complete the line. The only thing I would try as the USSR is to get more FTR's in this region. Nothing better than to kill Stuka's flying without FTR escort.

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ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

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ORIGINAL: Orm

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ORIGINAL: Taxman66

There will quickly come a point where you want the pilot out of the Bolo (like right now since you can start building the strat bombers). I'd never bother to set that thing up and rather have kept the pilot on the reserve track.

I recommend that you keep the Bolo as front bomber and use it to soak up negative air combat results. And if you are lucky the pilat survives when it is destroyed.

It takes up to much transport capability to send it back to US just to get the pilot transfered to the reserve track.

Edit: It is always nice to have a bad bomber that can be taken as a loss in air combats.

I think that Dublin can be used to recover pilots for the US.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

Red Prince, you have a lot to learn about convoy defense. You can't ever neglet it and you should be prepared for getting attacked on the first impulse. This means defensive units in the 4 box, the 1 box and 0 box. The 1 box so that they can move down and be in the 0 box at the start of the next turn. The next most important piece is getting A2S factors into the 0 box, the best bet here is by 1/2 range reaction of naval air, and for old or light carriers in the zones out of range of naval air. Naval air in the zero box has the wonderful effect (except in storm) of burning 4 axis surprise points. The next step is getting A2S factors into the highest box possible for the high priority sea zones.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

Yes, recovering the pilot in Ireland was what I was thinking.

However, the Bolo does have a good range and a NAV factor. You could always use it for convoy support.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Of the 2 attacks this impulse, the one on Kunming is the most important. If Kunming falls, China is at an end . . .

So, the attacks:




And the results:

Attack on Kunming: Assault, Roll = 6+2 = 8 = */2S (all defenders destroyed, due to no valid retreat hex)
Attack on Pskov: Assault, Roll = 4 = */2S

Not wanting to take any chances, I decided HQ-I Umezu could risk being disorganized providing HQ Support. He's still within range to let his troops collect the rest of the Burma Road (connecting Rangoon to China) without having them move out of supply -- as long as the weather stays Fine, and it probably will (famous last words). I'd have to look through all of my notes, but I think that both sides have had very good success trying to provide Support. Of corse, I haven't always mentioned it in the AAR when they fail, so it may seem like more success than there actually was. As I said, I'd have to look through my notes. Anyway, Umezu succeeded, so the chances of Kunming falling move from 50% to 70% and in this case, I really don't care if it disorganizes the attackers. Getting the job done is good enough for me.

At Pskov, since this is a bit of a pit-stop along the way to better things, I wasn't willing to risk disorganization, so I found the best troops available to take on the lone defender at 7:1 odds. A 70% chance to stay organized is what I like (Big Bopper, anyone?). The Soviets might have been able to provide 2 factors of Ground Support, but at the risk of getting shot down at +2/-2 odds in Germany's favor. It would only have dropped this to a 5:1 attack, which is better, but not good enough to risk the LND (at extended range). I want to save those factors for a time and place where they can really mess things up for Germany.
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So, here's a question: both of these rolls were "average" rolls . . . not too high, not too low . . . but in both cases, they were just enough to keep the attackers from being disorganized. Should this be considered luck or not? I consider it to be good planning . . . after all, 4 of the 9 other possible rolls at Kunming would have meant the same thing, and 6 of the 9 other possible rolls at Pskov would have, too. So, is it "lucky" that these weren't '5' and '3' instead of the rolls they actually were?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Centuur

quote:

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Of the 2 attacks this impulse, the one on Kunming is the most important. If Kunming falls, China is at an end . . .

So, the attacks:




And the results:

Attack on Kunming: Assault, Roll = 6+2 = 8 = */2S (all defenders destroyed, due to no valid retreat hex)
Attack on Pskov: Assault, Roll = 4 = */2S

Not wanting to take any chances, I decided HQ-I Umezu could risk being disorganized providing HQ Support. He's still within range to let his troops collect the rest of the Burma Road (connecting Rangoon to China) without having them move out of supply -- as long as the weather stays Fine, and it probably will (famous last words). I'd have to look through all of my notes, but I think that both sides have had very good success trying to provide Support. Of corse, I haven't always mentioned it in the AAR when they fail, so it may seem like more success than there actually was. As I said, I'd have to look through my notes. Anyway, Umezu succeeded, so the chances of Kunming falling move from 50% to 70% and in this case, I really don't care if it disorganizes the attackers. Getting the job done is good enough for me.

At Pskov, since this is a bit of a pit-stop along the way to better things, I wasn't willing to risk disorganization, so I found the best troops available to take on the lone defender at 7:1 odds. A 70% chance to stay organized is what I like (Big Bopper, anyone?). The Soviets might have been able to provide 2 factors of Ground Support, but at the risk of getting shot down at +2/-2 odds in Germany's favor. It would only have dropped this to a 5:1 attack, which is better, but not good enough to risk the LND (at extended range). I want to save those factors for a time and place where they can really mess things up for Germany.
-----
So, here's a question: both of these rolls were "average" rolls . . . not too high, not too low . . . but in both cases, they were just enough to keep the attackers from being disorganized. Should this be considered luck or not? I consider it to be good planning . . . after all, 4 of the 9 other possible rolls at Kunming would have meant the same thing, and 6 of the 9 other possible rolls at Pskov would have, too. So, is it "lucky" that these weren't '5' and '3' instead of the rolls they actually were?

No, those aren't lucky rolls. With these high odds attacks you might get unlucky someday. High odd attacks takes good planning.
The roll on Kiev was another thing: there you were lucky, since the chanche of getting disorganised was far, far greater...

quote:

ORIGINAL: Centuur

quote:

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

Yes, recovering the pilot in Ireland was what I was thinking.

However, the Bolo does have a good range and a NAV factor. You could always use it for convoy support.

To recover the pilot, you need a home country hex. Northern Ireland isn't US home country. From RAW:

44. US occupies Northern Ireland - You can declare control of
Northern Ireland during any future Allied declaration of war step
that the Commonwealth controls every hex in Northern Ireland
and provided the Commonwealth agrees. Northern Ireland
becomes US controlled. Move any other Allied units there to the
nearest hex their major power controls. From now on, the US
may use the Belfast factory and Belfast becomes a primary
supply source for the US.

There is no mention of Northern Ireland becoming US home country hexes, so you cannot put US reinforcements there and cannot move aircraft to the reserve pool to collect pilots.

quote:

ORIGINAL: lordzyplon

quote:

ORIGINAL: Centuur

quote:

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

Yes, recovering the pilot in Ireland was what I was thinking.

However, the Bolo does have a good range and a NAV factor. You could always use it for convoy support.

To recover the pilot, you need a home country hex. Northern Ireland isn't US home country. From RAW:

44. US occupies Northern Ireland - You can declare control of
Northern Ireland during any future Allied declaration of war step
that the Commonwealth controls every hex in Northern Ireland
and provided the Commonwealth agrees. Northern Ireland
becomes US controlled. Move any other Allied units there to the
nearest hex their major power controls. From now on, the US
may use the Belfast factory and Belfast becomes a primary
supply source for the US.

There is no mention of Northern Ireland becoming US home country hexes, so you cannot put US reinforcements there and cannot move aircraft to the reserve pool to collect pilots.

I can't remember if it's an optional rule, but if he flies the Bolo into Ireland, it is interred (plane destroyed, pilot on track.)

quote:

ORIGINAL: composer99

Re: obsolete US planes in service
Someone upthread mentioned keeping the Bolo around, now that it's made it to Europe, to use as the front-line bomber in future air combats. This I agree with. It also is an extra bomber which can threaten to groundstrike or strat bomb targets (not very well, but well enough if left to its own devices).

quote:

Re: CW/US Convoy Defences
Getting the hang of setting up convoy defences properly is something that comes with time. Usually the sooner it gets done, the less disruption one faces regardless of other events in the game. Generally, just as the USSR's best bet is to always assume the Germans will attack in 1941 and build/plan accordingly, the Western Allies are best off always assuming that every turn the Axis will try to sink convoys with every unit they have in reach and deploy their defences on that basis.

Re: Groundstriking German hexes with ART in USSR
Obviously, this move would have been "better" post facto if it had hit the HQ (to be fair, the Germans probably didn't want to move an HQ up to the front line if it wasn't participating in an attack straightaway). However, it was a reasonable enough move until Dnepropetrovsk falls or the Germans cross the river further south. Then the ART will probably be helpless & overrun.

Of course, now that it's the 4th Allied impulse, the turn now has a chance of ending every impulse: 10% this impulse, 20% during the Axis impulse, and so on. IMO the Allies should now strongly consider passing save for the USSR starting on impulse 9 (base 30% chance of ending the turn, increase to 40%).

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Re: USSR counterattacks
An attack with cheap units against HQ-A Rundstet was, I suspect, reasonable. Even if they had died or been disorganized, chances are the bp exchange would have favoured the USSR, and of course there is always the possibility that the Red Army would be as fortunate on the offensive as the Germans have been thus far.

Now, one possibility that arises is that if the Germans get across the Dneipr in, say, but one hex towards the centre of the line, the USSR can respond with their o-chit to push them back. Because the Germans do not have an o-chit themselves, the USSR is under less pressure to hang on to its own. An o-chit can make a questionable attack a reasonable one. Ideally, this would be combined with the turn ending right after so the Germans find themselves at the start of July/August on the wrong side of the Dneipr. Even better would be if the Allies get a double impulse (ending May/June and starting July/August) so they can run away once they are reorganized.

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Re: Guard Banner Armies
That they are not implemented as of this test game makes me sad.

quote:

ORIGINAL: composer99

South Front:

The USSR has two things going for them here. One is that the Germans are short bombers. They have 1 Stuka and 2 FTR3 that are acceptable bombers (3 & 4 tactical factors respectively). The other is that the Germans haven't seeped up to the hexes adjacent to the empty part of the line. IMO this combination buys the USSR 1 impulse of time, as long as they're willing to risk losing a FTR against German bombing missions (namely against the Stuka). The Germans can make risky attacks to cross against organized forces, but without engineers they'll be looking at attacks comparable to the one vs Kiev.

The USSR needs to move the ARM that is holding the flank closer to the centre where it can make a difference defensively and put something else in its place. The USSR being short on ARM and anti-tank/anti-air guns is the weakest part of this front, since it gives the Germans a great deal of blitz flexibility.

IMO the USSR sits tight this impulse in this sector and brings some FTR in to fly up vs the Stuka. The FTR should be deployed such that if they survive they can return to base to future strongholds such as Kursk & Stalino (part of the factory line) - keeping in mind FTR can return to base at full range after intercepting at half range.

The North Front
Here again, the USSR looks like it can sit tight apart from some minor adjustments. The Germans aren't in position to push east straightaway, and again they are short good bombers (1 Stuka that I can see). Because two of the three key hexes in this sector are in forests, I don't see a need to defend against bombing there. The hex in the riverbend named "Mogilev" should be defended with FTR and it really needs a division (ideally an anti-tank/anti-air gun). Also swap one of the corps there with the MECH nearby. HQ-I Yeremenko does not currently need FTR support unless I am not seeing a German bomber that can reach him.

Persian Front
The USSR needs a few more troops to fill out the line here. Each hex can afford one strong unit and one weaker unit. Zhukov should be replaced on the line (the 7-4 INF in reinforcements would do this job nicely) and should eventually be sent north with a less powerful HQ (Timoshenko comes to mind) brought in to replace him. FTR reinforcements would be put to very good use here as the Axis have many bombers but little FTR cover.

Siberia
Short-term the USSR can't do much here. Long-term, some of its weaker units (and 1-2 6-moving blitz units) can be sent here, along with a single HQ such as Vatutin or Timoshenko to begin a counter-offensive to retake any land lost along the Trans-Siberian railroad as well as invade Manchuria. Probably 40 or so combat factors of units will be fine along with some airpower.

Overall
It looks like the USSR might be able to get away with a combined impulse themselves. Some of the navy in Leningrad can sail out and try to sink German convoys in the Baltic. Sure, they might not reorganize for lack of oil once Novgorod is seized, but whatever. However, railing out factories is still important and may outweigh the desire to perform a combined impulse. It hurts production, but the more factories that escape and the sooner they do it, the stronger USSR production is later.

Edit: Added thoughts on Persian front, Siberian front, & production. And a reason why the USSR should not do a combined.

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ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

When considering the force pool you should also show the units in the Destroyed Pool.

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ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

I agree with Composer99. A few tweaks here and there is all that is necessary.

What the Germans did wrong last impulse is that they did not move up against the Russian front line. Not doing so means they effectively lost a summer impulse. Yes, I know that the desire to send the SUBs out to ravage the British convoys was oh so tempting. Nonetheless, what is more important: Commonwealth production or the loss of Russian land units? Production is not a problem for the Allies (except in the USSR). The US can build whatever needs to be built to fulfill immediate needs.

My opinion is that if the Russians continue to hold in front of the Moscow-Don-Rostov line at the end of this turn, they should be able to hold forever. That is, the Russians should be able retreat to that excellent defensive line during the next turn - which is the most difficult for the USSR because they will have so few reinforcements. But then comes their big blustery friend from the arctic to halt the German advance for 6-7 months.