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T25 - now the weather hates me ... - 1/23/2020 5:27:12 AM

loki100

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From: Utlima Thule
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T25 � 18 December 1943

Really not what I wanted � and not likely to improve next week. At least its snow over Germany.

Given their relative losses, BC mostly is now concentrated on the Ruhr but also goes for the U-boats at Luebeck. 8 AAF is spread out, heavily escorted B-26s at Hamburg, B-24s go for the tanks at Plauten (Pzr IV), the B-17s have a trip to Berlin. Tactical Air takes out the V-weapons at Cherburg.

First start at pulling planes back from Italy to the UK.

The only raid really worth the effort was the B-17s over Berlin. The rest did minimal damage (if any).

No attacks in Italy. Rome is now surrounded.

Random image of the week � Canadian troops at Ortana:

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Post #: 61

T26 - All I wanted for Christmas was Rome - 1/23/2020 10:36:32 PM

loki100

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T26 � 25 December 1943

Some (unexpected) improvement in the weather in Italy as it reduces to rain (but mostly heavy mud on the ground).

NW Europe, strategic bombing is in a bit of a holding pattern, realise not much will actually happen so sticking to a few large raids. But the V-weapon launch sites get more attention.

Italy, entire air campaign based around ground operations, given the weather my hope is to use airpower to compensate for ground problems.

Strategic attacks were better than last week. Bomber Command can now find the Ruhr in a snowstorm, Luebeck was removed from the U-Boat list, Tactical Air took out the Cherbourg launch sites and 9 AAF did a bit of damage at the Hague.

8 AAF did Berlin again to some effect but the secondary raids were a waste of time.

Anyway, airpower works.

So 8 Army abandoned its dreams of Venice and settled for consolidating at Ancona and shifted its focus to breaching the Appenines.

This unit was key, so was struck by heavy bombers with 4000lb bombs. My idea was the power and blast radius would compensate for the terrain. As you can see almost one quarter of their combat elements were already out of use even before I attacked.

This was the gamble, I had full detection on this hex and it was hit by FB (unit and interdiction). Again the air assault removed a lot of combat power. Also an example of why it really helps to flip a couple of Allied divisions to permanent motorisation, 51 Highland moved in from the coast once the earlier battle was over.

The 2 converted units (and now the NZ division) really help if you want to shift the focus of an offensive � and are much harder for the Germans to cover compared to standard infantry formations.

The only problem was that the PzrGr regiment retreated into the hex allocated to 1 Airborne.

I could have dropped the paras first but my fear was the attack would be held and then they were doomed.

Even so, it was a bit of a gamble. My guess was they were in a mess (in addition to the losses above they retreated into a hex with #5 interdiction already). The result really was to spoil their Christmas.

The FJ in Rome were also bombed so they didn't feel forgotten � this also helps reduce their ammo stocks as they use it up firing at my bombers.

Overall ground losses in that turn.

Not shown but German truck losses are now over 36,000. Not all combat related, as the weather has worsened they will get more destroyed etc simply delivering supply. This is my current information on their production, its clearly over-stated as I've not hit some plants for a few weeks (and my bombers do tend to be optimistic about where they actually put their bombs), but that should start to bite in 1944.

The idea is that it becomes increasingly hard to rebuild the German mobile formations so that if they get chewed up, they stay out of action much longer.

So despite the mud, 8 Army breached the Appenines, 7 Army pressed up the Tiber. The paradrop can be cut off but I'll reach them again next week, the regiment could even be destroyed. More importantly, combined with a massive interdiction effort, they have effectively closed off that sector to reinforcement � and will make even a retreat costly.

To the south, the starving men left behind in the bypassed FZ units surrendered and came down looking for food and to escape the bears.

Oh, and made my first decisions about France.

Random image of the week � a bear in the Abruzzi hunting some German soldiers?

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Post #: 62

RE: T26 - All I wanted for Christmas was Rome - 1/23/2020 11:00:49 PM

EwaldvonKleist

Posts: 2038
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From: Berlin, Germany
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quote:

Oh, and made my first decisions about France.

Following sheer endless debates, and many hearings of informants with local experience, the allied HQ finally decided on the best French Chateau to house the Allied theatre command. With this key milestone determined, detailed planning may begin.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by EwaldvonKleist -- 1/23/2020 11:03:55 PM >

_____________________________

The Library of Gary Grigsby's War in the East resources.
Do you want total war? Guide for WitE players

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Post #: 63

RE: T26 - All I wanted for Christmas was Rome - 1/24/2020 5:10:55 AM

GloriousRuse

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A German Interlude: 1943 in Review

Suffice to say 1943 was not the year I had hoped for. I went in thinking I wanted to break one landing, hold Rome, and at least keep the VP count to under 100 (the three are linked) � all while preserving the Heer for the big show.
An astute reader by now realizes I failed at two out of four of these. Also, despite Loki�s gracious comments on not destroying many units lets be honest: losing the equivalent of 2.5 panzer/grenadier divisions is hardly �well preserved.� And while Rome is technically mine, it is surrounded by an Allied army. So�call that a draw at best.
Part of me is terrified, knowing that if he went through me like butter when I had the mountains and a tolerable air ratio�how will this work in France? Still, in the spirit of learning from my errors, a review.

Big Sweeping Lessons

-The Sardinia/Corsica pair are more important than I originally realized. Having either one contested lets the Germans turns an early invasion towards Rome from �daring� to �foolish.� At the very least not giving up a free port on one will force the Allies to actually invade rather than traipse in, and that alone might throw a �43 Rome gamble out the window.

-The power of German elite formations is immense. Their basic infantry however�at best it can buy time. While elite regiments can�t hold on their own, they can force the allies to pile in entire Corps, and an Elite division can centerpiece a defense in �43. The regular infantry though � well, as Loki has demonstrated, a well constructed attack will move them out of any terrain if the Allies are willing to focus there. I did not appreciate the disparity, and had some nasty surprises when lines gave way earlier than expected.

-XIV Panzer Corps is not an offensive tool. It is a defensive tool that can launch local counterattacks to keep the Allies honest. As the beachhead and encirclement attempts demonstrated, it just doesn�t have the power to pull off a one move decisive blow�and the allies are too strong to count on getting two moves. But on the defense, it can hold a line indefinitely or serve as a �fleet in being� to keep an Allied player cautious.

-The Germans can pick a few things they want to do really well, but they must be disciplined and committed in execution. I had planned to hem in a Citavecchia area invasion with the panzers and air, while the FJs and infantry withdrew to the Bifano line. Then I threw my whole time table off for a shot at 6 BR Armoured. Who knows what the war would look like had I stuck my guns and the panzers were in their hide sites when the Rome landings happened.

-The allies take the biggest operational/strategic risks, but the Germans have the slimmer margin of error at the tactical/operational side. One bad attack or poorly executed air plan can suddenly see the theater shift. Which means there is a premium on mechanical understanding and execution.

-German air can really provide some nasty punches in �43, and I strongly suspect it can�t pull it off in �44 even if you save it. While I obviously lack much in the way of mechanical skill, even my meager skillset was sufficient to cause most of those casualties on Loki's side. With a mechanically adept player, you might have a real chance to close down any invasion that isn�t tight to its fighters in �43. Maybe you kill it, maybe you just dance around carving isolation pathways and keep it on the beaches a few more turns�but there�s a real chance.

Things I Should Have Done Better on the Ground

- Hinged the coastal avenues with stronger units. Unless you commit elite everywhere (which by the second mainland landing, you can�t) The allies will have their day. The question is whether after that day they have to advance through more mountains, or if they can scream into the green fields beyond. On the coasts, there�s often one or two points that need to be broken and then many miles of open terrain, replete with ports and rails. In the center there�s�more mountains. In all likelihood I should have anchored the coastal key points with much stronger units to slow the breakout chances � even if it meant weakening the center.

- Used the �withdrawal� units more aggressively. I think over three panzer divisions went East without seeing serious combat. Meanwhile, my long running units kept getting hammered again and again. Part of me feels like a German commander who chewed up the units tagged for the Ostfront would not have many friends at OKH. The other part of me thinks the Germans never, ever have enough of anything�

- The attempt to encircle 6 BR AR was quite foolish�you just don�t have the power to hold a pocket with XIV Panzer.

- Generate an operational reserve. We all know we should do it. We all know that a commander without a reserve doesn�t have any decisions left � he just thinks he does. It is so tempting to �stop them dead�, or to build the strongest line possible as you starve for combat power, but the dark secret is that the Allies are going to break through somewhere or land somewhere. The difference between if that is manageable or a pell mell crisis where units are being thrown where-ever they can fit�which makes breaking the next line easier. And between garrisons, Uncle Joe, and more landings the reserve you were going to build �next turn� never gets built. This was a glaring failure, and it cost me badly when the Rome landings came, again with the second Adriatic landings as well as during Loki�s penetration along the Adriatic after that.

Things I should Have Done Better In the Strategic Air War

-Remember HQ Flak needs ammo�enough said there.

-Concentrate. I thought a few 200-300 fighter pockets would be sufficient. And for the initial stomps on the B24s and B26s, it was. A good pocket of auto-intercepts and high intercept percentage in the doctrine is a good way to break up smaller raids and punish the Allies if they try to shotgun raid. It does not work versus giant raids; for that you need Air Directives. I held on to the old way too long, and by the time I started using directives (with all the thought and target selection that requires as opposed to auto-intercept), the LW was starting to show signs of wear and tear. Beyond concentrating fighters, a good target defense needs layered flak. Besides the target itself, if you set an aerial ambush you should try to put HQs of Flak on nearby approach routes as well, trying to break up the bomber formation. Xhoels AAR shows how to concentrate 600+ fighters in one killing pack�read him.

-Repair early. I left many key factories on non-priority repair back when the VPs were low. But the net effect was that by October I couldn�t fix them fast enough and I was hemorrhaging VPs. I would still be bleeding badly; there�s just no way around that, but two or three VP a turn makes a world of difference � especially before the allies start plucking up cities.

Things I should Have Done Better with Italian Air

-Mines. Really. Mines.

-The LW fighters can hold on for a good while in Italy, if you choose your fights. If you bring them to the front, disable auto-intercept and fight only for those few key areas you need. They simply burn too fast and against too much otherwise. Also, don�t keep them stuck in just to do it. Rest and refit by transferring the whole force somewhere safe for a bit. I left mine in around Rome for too long without specific cause, and they got caught out in a lot of little battles they didn�t need to fight.

-If you are used to using the Commander�s air report as the allies, you need to realize that the LW is rarely a sweeping click set. The Italian Luftlottes need separate management from the Reich.

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Post #: 64

RE: T26 - All I wanted for Christmas was Rome - 1/24/2020 10:07:32 AM

loki100

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Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
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quote:

ORIGINAL: EwaldvonKleist

quote:

Oh, and made my first decisions about France.

Following sheer endless debates, and many hearings of informants with local experience, the allied HQ finally decided on the best French Chateau to house the Allied theatre command. With this key milestone determined, detailed planning may begin.

...

indeed, its vital to ensure the essentials are built into the plan early on. Of course the desired site must also be within an easy car drive to Paris, so I think we need something slightly grander?

Attachment (1)

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Post #: 65

RE: T26 - All I wanted for Christmas was Rome - 1/24/2020 10:17:43 AM

loki100

Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
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quote:

ORIGINAL: GloriousRuse

A German Interlude: 1943 in Review

Suffice to say 1943 was not the year I had hoped for. I went in thinking I wanted to break one landing, hold Rome, and at least keep the VP count to under 100 (the three are linked) � all while preserving the Heer for the big show.
An astute reader by now realizes I failed at two out of four of these. Also, despite Loki�s gracious comments on not destroying many units lets be honest: losing the equivalent of 2.5 panzer/grenadier divisions is hardly �well preserved.� And while Rome is technically mine, it is surrounded by an Allied army. So�call that a draw at best.
...

Big Sweeping Lessons

-The Sardinia/Corsica pair are more important than I originally realized. Having either one contested lets the Germans turns an early invasion towards Rome from �daring� to �foolish.� At the very least not giving up a free port on one will force the Allies to actually invade rather than traipse in, and that alone might throw a �43 Rome gamble out the window.

..

-German air can really provide some nasty punches in �43, and I strongly suspect it can�t pull it off in �44 even if you save it. While I obviously lack much in the way of mechanical skill, even my meager skillset was sufficient to cause most of those casualties on Loki's side. With a mechanically adept player, you might have a real chance to close down any invasion that isn�t tight to its fighters in �43. Maybe you kill it, maybe you just dance around carving isolation pathways and keep it on the beaches a few more turns�but there�s a real chance.

Things I Should Have Done Better on the Ground

...

- Used the �withdrawal� units more aggressively. I think over three panzer divisions went East without seeing serious combat. Meanwhile, my long running units kept getting hammered again and again. Part of me feels like a German commander who chewed up the units tagged for the Ostfront would not have many friends at OKH. The other part of me thinks the Germans never, ever have enough of anything�

...

Few bits:

VP, I want (ideally) +250/300 by the time I land in France, that'll give me some fat to live off while I take losses for little gain (VP) till 1945. The bombing multiplier drops again in June 44 and the only VP rich city is Paris till places like Antwerp and Brussels fall. So chalk that one up to GR on the ledger.

Islands - yes at least one needs to be seriously contested. The Allies don't need to invade as such (as long they are in mainland Italy its likely that Italy will surrender in August or September), but you want them to have to send a couple of corps over there to clear them out. Its not a big diversion as odds on the units aren't really needed in Italy till the inevitable Rome landings occur but it all slows the Allies down.

We've had an email chat about 'can you close off a beachhead' by air. My view is you can't, you can indeed cut if off in the allied logistics phase (ie post the axis turn) but the Allies can always re-open some communications (ie remove the isolated tag). At a pinch, an AS will help degrade German interdiction levels. Key is if the Allied airforce is fully committed to a desperate battle over the sea lanes its not doing all the other things it needs to do, while, in reality, that is the very best place for the Luftwaffe to be. Also, in effect, trying anything over the sea lanes in 1944 is akin to creating a fly-die AD.

Be careful about running the withdraw units down. They get priority replenishment (at least up to 75% ToE) so they are not a free source of tanks etc. Their losses will be taken out of your reserves. So its no bad thing if they go having held a sector and deterred any Allied aggression.

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Post #: 66

T27 - Hallo 1944 - 1/25/2020 7:11:21 AM

loki100

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T27 � 1 January 1944

VP situation reflects the new bombing multiplier. Would ideally have liked to have been +100 or so better off but combat will inevitably slow over the next few months (& Rome will help with the city VP score).

The bombing in N Europe was dictated by the weather patterns. Central Germany was blanketed by blizzards, so the bombers were ordered to do a tour of the Rhine. A reinforced Tactical Air steps up its campaign in France and 9 AAF gets some practice in organising missions.

In Italy, the Germans have mostly disengaged so redeployed some planes and heavily bombed the FJ in Rome.

BC decided not to bomb the Ruhr this week (or couldn't find it), 8 AAF hit Schweinfurt (B-24s) and Frankfurt. And the Luftwaffe had their first introduction to P51s flying AS now they have better drop tanks.

Other implication of that is the Germans are already using untrained pilots (the low experience).

Opening battle for Rome

I don't normally do double attacks with the same Allied units but was worth the gamble. Regardless all those disrupted German elements won't recover.

Elsewhere, looks like the Germans are retreating to the Arno, realistically I am unlikely to be able to attack there to the spring. But there might be other opportunities � need to see how the German line is set out.

First win for the French mountain troops giving me a small pocket south of Foggia.

New Zealanders beat up some slow moving German infantry.

Not sure how I managed to destroy so many German tanks as my bombing was fairly limited. They may be related to the German retreat in areas of very high interdiction.

Destroyed unit list. I'll add 4 FJ, 243 Inf and an infantry regiment to that list next turn.

Random image of the week � New Zealanders looking for some Germans?

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Post #: 67

T28 - The Gauls enter Rome - 1/25/2020 3:25:37 PM

loki100

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T28 � 8 January 1944

Strategic bombing is mainly a case of large raids in the hope that something happens. But 2 Tactical Air gets to visit Burgundy and one of the few undamaged truck plants in Europe. It also carries on flattening the rail net in France and Belgium.

Other raids take out the V-weapon production at Ulm (BC) and Nordhausen (8 AAF). In Italy suspend most operations with the exception of bombing the FJ in Rome.

No sighthing of the Luftwaffe anywhere.

On the ground, ensure the bypassed units are going nowhere trying to find the German front line ... and Rome is captured. Lot of realignment of the airforces for the next stages.

Otherwise in no hurry to clear up the bypassed units, another turn out of supply will make it a lot easier. All the evidence points to a German line on the Arno, no idea what lurks in the Appenines but it maybe the route to Rimini is open, or at least the Germans along the Cesane are vulnerable. In case this becomes a running battle XXX Corps is deployed just behind the front.

Several potential naval and airborne operations are set up, depending on how the Italian front develops, but also starting to pull stuff back for transfer to the UK.

Random image of the week � French troops entering Rome [1]

[1] not shown in the battle image but a FF Engineering battalion took part in the final assault

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Post #: 68

RE: T28 - The Gauls enter Rome - 1/25/2020 5:00:34 PM

GloriousRuse

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One of the things Loki has very effectively demonstrated to me is the value of pressure against the Germans. From the get go you�re scrambling to actual assemble the force you need where you need it. If you can�t buy a few weeks of lead time, you�re trapped on the wrong side of the decision loop for each subsequent decision, so long as the Allies keep pushing. I wish I could blame the Allied advance on favorable weather, but in reality Loki has been unrelenting in his ground pressure - it�s been a helluva time trying to establish something that looks like a plan as a result.

The flip side of course is that every Allied move carries some risk with it, particularly once 5th, 7th, and 8th armies are mostly deployed. There�s always the chance an attack fails, or that a big airborne or naval move ends in tears. So far I haven�t been able to capitalize on that, partly because I�m not very good, but also because Loki has managed his offensive tempo very well.

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Post #: 69

RE: T28 - The Gauls enter Rome - 1/25/2020 9:56:08 PM

loki100

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what you have done very well is make me pay a price for being aggressive, compare this to Xhoel's AAR and I'm running near double the allied losses - now I've got (mostly) the rewards for that, but it is a trade off not a simple one-sided transaction

I think with the allies once Rome falls the advantages of your naval power drop. Partly there are less feasible targets, partly attention inevitably starts to shift to France, but up to that point keeping a couple of TFs out of sight is crucial, even if they are not actually preparing it is a concern to the axis player.

I also think that while its tempting to back off once the Germans form a line across from Naples - again you need some pressure or they can minimise their commitment there.

On balance in 1943, the allies have flexibility rather than power (esp in terms of ground-ground combat)

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Post #: 70

T29 ... anyone seen Godot? - 1/25/2020 9:57:46 PM

loki100

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T29 - 15 January 1944

VP chart, City VP score picks up � not just for Rome but places like Siena add to the running total.

For the moment the V-weapon launch sites are bombed out, still the main focus for 2 Tactical Air.

Not much to report for the air war, the only really successful raid (& that if I can believe my pilots) was BC over the Ruhr. Not much is going to happen till the snowfall stops, so keep on hitting larger targets as I am taking very few losses and any hits are a bonus.

Italian air almost all on auto-GS missions for the moment. And redeploying to their nice new bases.

Beyond that, not much, a lot of shuffling, slowly pushing up to the Arno, all the bypassed formations dealt with that turn.

Which sort of makes the loss screen ok reading,my main problem is the inevitable attrition as some units sail back to the UK.

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Post #: 71

T30 ... throwing snowballs - 1/26/2020 6:54:32 AM

loki100

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T30 � 22 January 1944

Launched BC and 8 AAF at Berlin � not really sure anybody would have noticed.

Other than that, nothing happens, apart from the NZ division slipping into the German lines west of Rimini.

No sign of much change of weather next turn.

To be honest, this weather in Jan 45 will suit me fine, in NW Europe its excellent tank conditions but rubbish for airpower.

At least. I'm steadily gaining around 7 VP per turn for all this lack of action.

In the meantime, a picture of New Zealand tanks rampaging through the snow

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Post #: 72

T31 - Some more comparisons - 1/26/2020 3:56:23 PM

loki100

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T31 � 29 January 1944

Snow, rain and a sort of lack of a clear idea what to do. So a lot of bombers now over France, just hoping that BC and 8 AAF find their targets. More or less suspended aggressive air actions in Italy (given where the front is now I'm not so interested in the rail net).

The main reason for persisting is I am not taking any significant losses.

On the ground, I'm repairing the rail lines to the front, just in contact with the Germans along the Arno. They are pulling back in the Appenines to get out of partial pockets, suits me as I get rail links and can pull units off the line to refit.

Still it does seem as if inactivity is good for my VP score.

So while we are waiting, some context numbers.

Total losses so far. Combat losses have been exchanged at around 1-1, the only difference is in surrenders.

Comparisons help for any interpretation, so Xhoel reported 110,000 less axis losses (& 1,800 less guns and 600 less tanks). The fall out from the Rome battles have pushed axis PoWs in this game 70,000 over that one.

On the Allied side of the ledger, I've lost 60,000 more men, 600 more guns and 1,500 more tanks {you'd almost think I've been spending a lot of time testing WiTE2 with those numbers}.

So, while I have done a lot more damage, my losses are substantial. He has a VP chart for T32 that gives some indication of the costs/rewards. I am getting +5 VP more per turn for cities, +5 more (combined) for bombing but have lost 70 more VP for casualties (over the game so far).

If the reward for the losses is the city VP, then my 'investment' in Italy will pay back in say 12 turns.

German tank losses, they've also lost nearly 43,000 trucks. Quite a lot of Tigers, I'd like to think that my sustained bombing of Kessel has reduced replacement rates.

German combat squads. Most of the lost FJ squads came from the recent pockets.

Allied tank losses. Not sure this is particularly informative, I can usually replace anything (which is fortunate given how many I have lost), the issue is delivery to the front line formations.

Air losses. Good bits for me, well the exchange of fighters is actually in my favour (Axis 3,700, Allied 3,000), I suspect the core of the German bomber force is intact.

Again, a read across to Xhoel's AAR. Axis losses are 1,800 planes and 1,100 pilots more, Allied 1,000 planes and 1,000 pilots more.

Losses among my bombers. I've organised my 2 engined bombers around Mitchell/B-25 and Wellingtons. These probably have the best pay load and are relatively high production. There are some low production planes assigned to the Coastal Commands.

Bomber Command has lost 650 or so 4 engined bombers.

For the US, worth noting that the smaller volume planes (B-24/26) have lost more (1000 between them) than the B-17s (900) � especially as the British Liberators have been flying with the B24s. Reflects the risk of smaller raids were you can take heavy losses while the B-17s have mostly moved around in a single block. I'll adjust this in the spring but no point splitting them up for now.

Random image for the week. A British Liberator with an extra side door.

If I believe the weather report, next turn is cold/clear over NW Europe so some chance my bombers can actually find their targets.

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Post #: 73

An interlude with pictures of France - 1/27/2020 1:41:21 PM

loki100

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Dreaming of France

Since the speed of updates is going to slow a bit, you'll have to wait a little while to find out what happened on T32.

As promised earlier, some thoughts on France.

Few general issues.

I like to land 2 armies (2 Br, 1 US) with a single corps controlling 8 divisions each. This naturally gives you a 2*2 landing zone, optimises CV and minimises command problems.

The quicker you can get an Army HQ ashore, the quicker you can shift SU in/out.

Mulberries act as a permanent #4 port, you get 2, but they can be destroyed (by bad weather). The good thing is they don't need a TF to protect (but if they are lost to weather then a TF will preserve the normal landing port).

Ideally you don't want to leave a TF next to an occupied port (you pick up a lot of attrition).

Ideally you want to have to use as few TF as possible to keep your temporary ports in existence � they can move around in the turn but need to be back at the end of the turn.

Divisional paradrops add a lot of interdiction and seriously weaken any on-beach defenders. But they are vulnerable so best to have a retreat slot for them to fall back to.

Level 1/2 ports auto-repair if a TF is in (or next to), so while you want the big ones in the end, in the short term taking these can give you some supply quicker.

Other planning factors.

Some FB are very short ranged (the Hurricanes), but all gain from a short trip base/target as they can then fly more missions.

Some places have natural choke points for the flow of supply to the Germans � Normandy is best for this as you can interdict all the likely entry points.

The Seine. A second phase issue but this can be hard to breach as its a major river. In the end you can, but trying to offset it can be useful.

The Brittany ports. These can make a real difference to your supply but if you land east of the Seine will mean diverting troops for most of the summer/autumn to clear them.

Or in other words, the Seine issue is finely balanced with pros and cons either way.

In the end, its having Antwerp and Marseilles that will ease your supply problems.

So 4 options, I've used heavy lines to block off what I think are the main option in each area � but there are lots of small variants.

If I recall, Q-Ball used this to effect in one AAR.

See note [1]

There is a lot to be said for the historical landing sites � not least its almost the only place you can put all 4 landings together � this really eases shuffling units and HQs.

Any landing here is almost bound to be a bit broken up, but it does give you access to Paris. One problem is it is relatively far from the UK.

The 'win big or die horribly' option

Bigger picture.

Central France won't be defended, but you need to be cautious. A fast moving German mech brigade can emerge from the FoW and really upset your supply lines and air bases.

Few other bits. For interdiction, use either rockets or 250lb bombs, its the volume of activity that counts. For unit and GS missions, if you can then use at least 500lb bombs, 1,000 lb are good (& favoured by US FB, as an aside the P-38 becomes a first rate ground attack aircraft), 4,000lb are fun (unless its been dropped on you).

For the first 3-4 weeks after an invasion, the entire bomber force should be over France. Bombed railyards don't just hamper the flow of supply, they reduce the effectiveness of the linked depot. Rail interdiction can really increase the costs of moving supply.

After a while you can start to release strategic bombers back to the Reich � but remember the bombing multiplier drops again in mid-44.

edits:

[1] - the real problem here is it is outside the range of most allied FB, unless you first take the Channel Islands. That of course indicates exactly what you have planned and also releases the garrison requirement for NW France.

This was quite a popular option for 1943 invasions when the game first came out.

< Message edited by loki100 -- 1/28/2020 3:50:07 AM >

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Post #: 74

T32 - Jumping over rivers - 1/27/2020 8:22:31 PM

loki100

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T32 � 5 February 1944

The good news? Clear skies and only 22 formations resting. My reward for some discipline in the recent turns.

So a lot of bombs in N Europe. For the heavy bombers, Berlin is the focus for both BC and 8 AAF. B24s go for Stettin, B26s join more of BC and 2 Tactical Air at the Ruhr.

France, most of the V-weapon launch pads are smoking ruins but no harm in making sure. Destruction of the transport links starts and 2 Tactical Air practices attacking ground targets (I know there has to be something in Amiens so lets see if I can pick up some garrison VP by destroying it).

Italy is more focussed. I think I can see 3 possible attacks, not sure about any of them so these attacks are designed give me some flexibility (ideally I should concentrate on one of the options). Happy to sit back otherwise.

15 AAF is doing fuel and transport, I'll send it over the Alps when the weather improves.

So my losses were heavy. But Berlin raids had some effect (at least on the population) as both air groups seemed to hit manpower rather than industry. According to reports Stettin is in ruins, but ran into a huge concentration of German fighters.

Cologne badly hit as were the fuel plants at Baeur.

German ground losses were heavy � no idea what I hit to have taken out so many trucks.

Not too important, but first sight of the German deployment in France. If that is true, then it suggests abandoning the coast?

Mixed results in Italy left me needing to think carefully about options (if any). Was surprised to get Livorno for free

So decided to force the Arno, I'm still going to get hung up on the Apennines but this might ease open Florence. Given its size, another source of regular city VP.

Nice to find my old chums the Schmalz Brigade here after our earlier encounter on the Ofanto � so they have taken around 15 turns to recover.

Makes me wonder where Hermann's finest are in that case.

Second attack breaches the Misa, managed to push back the German second line but lacked the MP to properly exploit. Given the promise of decent weather for next turn, that should provoke a retreat up the coast and the possibility that something in the mountains can't get out.

Just to add to their problems I have decent interdiction around Rimini.

Situation in Italy, the narrowing of the front will suit me a little as there are still some formations that need to be back in the UK for May.

More or less what happened to my tanks as I tried to exploit the gaps.

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T33 - See Florence and die? - 1/28/2020 3:53:13 AM

loki100

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T33 � 12 February 1944

Not much to say about the VP chart. City pts up to +11 and last turn's bombing assault put that back to +4 and -1 for V-weapons (looks like the Amiens launch pad repaired).

Of course there was a cost for that, 140 air groups resting. Equally I have 330 available � so its not all bad.

So 8 AAF pulls back to the Elbe and BC to the Ruhr. All well within fighter range. AS set up just in case I get lucky.

BC reports significant damage (they always do), elements of 2 Tactical Air hit the western Ruhr and badly damaged Duisburg.

8 AAF encountered no resistance over Magdeburg.

15 AAF reported a lot of German fighters over NE Italy, but my raids are well escorted.

Ground attack missions disrupted a lot of the German defenders at Fano, so decided to press on with my Adriatic offensive.

Which came close to a clean breakthrough � well apart from this annoyance:

I really should have stuck to my original plan of not attacking along the Arno. Still after 3 battles did finally break through � was able to sustain this as each time used fresh formations.

But the VP score for this turn is going to be awful.

So, Arno line is now compromised and pushing towards the Po Valley.

But at quite a cost. Best I can say is that is some juicy knocked out German tanks. [1]

For context � air losses, only 2-1 against me makes this a very successful turn. Also a decent haul of German fighters � mosfly Bf 109s.

And for completeness, destroyed unit list, most in the aftermath of the Rome battles.

Weather warning of heavy rain over the UK next week, so that'll stop most bombing regardless of the weather over Germany.

And final decision about the French invasion now made.

Random image of the week, American tanks lost in an Italian town ...

[1] � to make this all the more annoying, I went back to this at the end of the turn and simply did one attack with all available units. Took the hex with about 25% of the losses first time.

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T34 - Heading for Rimini - 1/28/2020 7:46:11 PM

loki100

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T34 � 19 February 1944

So lets start with the bad news.

In addition to the losses, clear that the v-weapon factories have repaired, A problem made worse by all the N Europe being underneath storms and heavy rain.

Took the advantage to swap planes around, do upgrades and some redeployments. Flip some more from FB-F to FB as I have FB-F arriving in large numbers over the next few turns (so they can take on escort missions from the existing FB-F). Finally got rid of the P-39s in favour of planes with some value.

So not much air action, apart from in support of the offensive along the Adriatic.

Reached the outskirts of Rimini, need to think about the next options. There is some stuff there I want in the UK, but have a few turns before it needs to move. Its also the type of units of more use once I have some sort of depth to the bridgehead.

Weather forecast for next turn is good bombing weather. I'm sure that after a week off, my bombers will be very keen to return to the Baltic region.

If I wanted to, I could invade France next turn.

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Post #: 77

T35 - coffee in Trieste maybe? - 1/29/2020 7:34:43 AM

loki100

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T35 - 26 February 1944

Have been wondering where Hermann's personal Pzr division had got to � here they are on the beachfront at Rimini.

In N Europe clear skies, in Italy all air is either on the Arno or setting a little trap in support of a small naval invasion.

Outcomes, Bomber Command split into 2 groups north and south of the Ruhr. They at least claim it was very successful. I'm reverting to simply setting a relatively wide target area with multiple missions and let the automatic routines select the actual targets.

8 AAF's raid on the Baltic went fairly well. Enough escorts to make a difference even if I took heavy losses to the Liberators. Raids around Mainz a bit under-whelming.

I think they are overclaiming for the Magdeburg-Brandenburg operation, but I'd really like to believe they are right.

In Italy, hopefully the ports at Trieste and Venice both out of action. 2 possible targets on the Arno heavily bombed.

First attempt on the Arno failed, in part due to reserve reactions.

Second attack made no progress either, but did do more damage. Best part of both attacks was the heavy German fighter losses.

Ok, if I can't go through them, can I go around them? If that fails or is easily blocked, I'll pull out, no point staying there. Very frustratingly, the planned paradrop was cancelled, transports were too far away.

Rest of the Italian deployment is sort of half/half. Some stuff can either move back to the UK over the next couple of turns, or can move back into the front lines if the Germans pull back again.

On the other hand, 8 Army is also in a defensive layout with the armour set to reserve � there is potentially some offensive power in Rimini.

Some of those formations can then start to prepare for S France.

Ground losses � need to gain something to justify this. At least I suppose I am keeping axis forces in Italy. But it is increasingly looking like a stalemate now.

Air losses. Decent hit on the German fighters, 90 of my 250 lost LB were Liberators of some sort. I suspect they'll be grounded next turn but also have done their job.

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Post #: 78

T36 - Time to reverse down a busy side-street? - 1/29/2020 3:07:32 PM

loki100

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T36 � 4 March 1944

Heavy rain in Italy, snow in Germany (if we could have this in 1945 I'd be soooo happy).

Less happy with the VP chart, thats a lot lost to V-weapons. Overall fast losing all my gains from the 1943 phase in Italy, frustrating as its self-inflicted.

The attempt to catch out the inevitable axis air response to my landings partly paid off. I set up 2 AS over the sea-zones but only to fly in the axis turn (so no warnings on the map), didn't do much damage to their bombers but did catch their fighters � over sea that is a few less experienced Luftwaffe pilots to worry about.

Gambled over Germany and almost no German fighters. BC did an ineffective raid on the Ruhr but hit Nordhausen and some surrounding towns. Main goal was the V-weapons. B26s returned to the Baltic (they were less chewed up than I'd expected), B-17s shifted to Leipzig and German fuel production (VP).

Outside Germany, Tactical Air went for V-weapons and ports in the Netherlands and rail yards east of Paris. 9 Air went for the V-weapons at Cherbourg and decided to bomb the Channel Islands ... because (?).

In Italy, I thought I'd suspended all my AD but forgot the AS over the Adriatic. Thats a small sample but is some significant damage to the German bombers. The net effect of that was a much higher ratio of lost pilots:planes for the Axis.

No real changes on the ground. What I do at Pola really depends on what they are facing.

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Post #: 79

T37 - advancing backwards? - 1/30/2020 5:55:15 AM

loki100

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T37 � 11 March 1944

VP chart is a bit better reading, but still too much lost on the V-weapon line.

Strategic bombing, trying to avoid too many direct losses for the moment. BC claims a sucessful raid on the Ruhr and to have knocked out all the Tiger plants at Kassel, 8 AAF had little impact around Hannover. 15 AAF made its first trip to Vienna, not very effective and enough German fighters to make it costly.

Some tactical bombing on German positions on the Arno.

That in turn gave me a breakthrough (assumption was that brigades can't hold when faced by a large attack) � especially after nearly 400 bombers have been dropping 1-2,000lb bombs on them.

So I suspect this is the Italian front for some time now. Pisa and Lucca are feasible final gains. Then need to shake out the invasion units for France while keeping enough near the front to prevent too much of a German move to France.

So that was a bit of an X-certificate set of turns. Things I know full well, but forgot:

a) Paras need to be near to their transport planes, not left up in Tuscany when your air transports are at Bari;
b) a TF in a port does not protect the adjacent temp port;
c) just because you have a vague plan to do something does not make it a good idea.

Anyway, some background stuff. Formations with over 40 kills. Clearly the escort formations for 8 and 15 AAF are top of the list. Unexpected to see my few Mosquito FB-F but then they have been in action a lot and usually sent on deeper raids than the bulk of my fighter bombers.

Top performing bomber is a B-17 formation with 35 kills.

Latest new toy, identical load outs to the Typhoon, better range and a lot more robust. I like to convert by Hurricane IIC formations to Tempests and keep the Typhoon formations as they are.

And, here's a picture of one:

< Message edited by loki100 -- 1/31/2020 8:54:15 AM >

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RE: T37 - advancing backwards? - 1/31/2020 2:32:19 AM

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A German Lesson From Pola

As I�m busily losing the rest of the war (early Rome & Tuscany really, really hurts), a rare bright spot for the Germans. Which points out a technically useful lesson:

The Germans benefit greatly from interior lines. For the allies, every move has to be planned in advance for amphibs, advance at marching speed, or wreck the rail network by putting units on it. Changing theaters takes a months by the time all the withdrawing, refitting, and re-approaching the front occurs.

The Germans, in contrast, can shift combat power virtually any where on the continent in two weeks. In the case of Pola, units that were bound for France or doing double duty while refitting and securing key rear area hexes were put on trains and had established a line by the second week. The level bombers I was comfortable committing (gotta save a little to keep other invasions honest) flew down from Germany and were flying missions the same turn. The allies just don�t have that kind of agility.

All of which places more light on just how badly I screwed the pooch when I didn�t have a reserve formed earlier. The allies can (and as Loki routinely demonstrates) will gain momentum at some point on the front. It doesn�t matter how strong it is; if the allies are willing to focus and pay, they�ll start moving. Your ability to move forces to blunt that steam roller is far more important prtnant than being 5% tougher across the line.

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T38-9 - Leaning on Pisa - 1/31/2020 4:17:09 PM

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T38_T39 � 18/25 March 1944

I've run these turns together as both saw heavy rains in N Europe. I'd reduced the loss to the v-weapons back to -2, but no doubt the things will breed while I am not culling them.

In Italy, on T38 not much happened and 15 AAF refused to fly over the Alps in any case.

For T39, all my heavy and 2 engined bombers attacked at Pisa. Hurricanes did interdiction attacks on what appeared to be their reserve. Was surprised at the number of German fighters who appeared � especially as I had fighters to spare this close to the front lines.

Despite all the pre-attack bombing, attack only just succeeded.

US tanks then swatted aside the reserve line (this too had been heavily bombed) and my enthusiastic New Zealanders pushed up.

I'll keep on with this 5 Army offensive for a while. Should take Lucca soon. Most of the formations involved I want to keep in the Mediterranean theatre in any case.

Taking Pisa brings Livorno into full use � helps a lot with moving units off the front line for other theatres, before it was a one turn rail journey back to Naples, a turn in Naples and then off by sea.

At least next week, I'll be able to bomb again. Do hope the Red Army is making the most of all that late snow. The front is only 6 hexes from Ploesti (which I've not yet managed to bomb).

All my French invasions are ready, secondary forces organised around the larger ports, still some stuff in Italy I want in the UK, but these are very much for when the battle zone opens up a bit.

Other small bits of preparation. Converting some of my remaining FB-F to Mustang IIIs. Some are assigned to BC (I'll start daylight bombing soon [1]), others to FC as it extends my AS range deep into the Reich.

Don't overlook this CW model, its basically the P51 so you get range and hitting power. Then keep the Spitfire formations for shorter range missions.

[1] Its a myth that BC only bombed by night. This was adopted for pragmatic reasons (high losses in daytime) by 1941 and retained due to ingrained doctrine (by 1944 they had invested a lot in this approach both in terms of tactics and plane design), but from mid-44 they did a lot of daytime raids over Germany.

Basically the clear loss of the Luftwaffe's effectiveness removed one reason to bomb by night. Linked to this, the LL Mustangs gave them an effective escort aircraft for day missions quite deep into Germany. Harris stuck to night bombing for many raids as he was convinced it was effective (by then everyone else knew all he was doing was flattening German cities with any military targets hit almost by accident).

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Post #: 82

T40 - Fooling around in April - 1/31/2020 10:15:04 PM

loki100

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T40 � 1 April 1944

Well despite my lack of attention, the V-weapon situation is not too bad.

France is all transport links and launch sites. 8 AAF is sending the Liberators (with 430 escorts or P51s on AS) to the Baltic, the other raids are Hannover again and some smaller targets in the Rhineland. BC is doing the Ruhr by night and Stuttgart by day (using the Mustang escorts), 15 AAF is popping up to bomb the tank production at Steyr.

FC is also pushing its AS deeper into the Reich.

In Italy, all connected to 5 Army's offensive.

So, BC at the Ruhr was a decent set of results (mo German fighters), Stuttgart got off lightly.

8 AAF had fun up on the Baltic as its massed escorts and the AS went hunting the Luftwaffe. Hannover got hammered (it now has a hangover). The Rhineland bombing added to the overall damage.

Now I have the long range fuel tanks, my P-51s can go anywhere, in large numbers. So in addition to the close escorts over the Baltic, this lot went a hunting. Usual mindset, I'll trade 1-1 losses all the way to Berlin.

Picking one out in detail, AS is designed to look for action, I'm at an altitude I want to be, the Bf-109s in particular start to lose effectiveness this high up.

Other raids. 2 Tactical Air did its job well, 9 AAF proved to be more interested in bombing the Channel Islands than Cherbourg, 15 AAF worked over Steyr. Again note how much the fighter battle has suddenly shifted my way.

With the new fuel tanks, I'm no longer shedding the escorts short of the target.

On the ground, Lucca is taken, as usual preceeded by a massive bombing campaign.

< Message edited by loki100 -- 2/1/2020 8:18:40 AM >

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T41 - sort of an interlude - 2/1/2020 7:19:14 AM

loki100

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T41 � 8 April 1944

For the most part decided to repeat last turn's bombing pattern � my logic at this stage of the campagin is 2-3 raids will push a sector into heavy damage, raid and then move on allows the repairs to take place.

Most did enough damage to justify the raid. If I can believe the report 15 AAF has added to the damage to German medium tank production.

On most sectors, no sign of the Luftwaffe, here and there some one-sided encounters.

Main concern from my point of view is the high pilot:plane loss rate on my side.

Nothing happened in Italy as I re-organised.

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T42 - still mostly waiting - 2/1/2020 8:50:29 PM

loki100

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T42 � 15 April 1944

VP chart recovering from my incautious few turns. I'd like it to be higher to absorb the inevitable damage from invading France.

Air campaign shifts more to France, pulled US B-26s away from Germany to add to the port and rail attacks. Also a few experimental attacks with the tactical bombers, trying to work out plane density/hex/interdiction outcome. 15 AAF carries on over Steyr, main B-17 raid goes for Leipzig, secondary raids around Ulm and Nurnberg.

Italy is focussed on the next step of the Arno battles.

The various ground attack missions inflicted fairly heavy losses on the Germans, including almost 800 trucks.

For the Air-to-Air combat, I came out around 2-1 ahead.

In terms of bombing results, BC didn't do much damage over the Ruhr despite swapping to the Cologne sector (I'm not sure there is that much left to bomb), the day raid on Ulm was more successful.

Note that for these missions I'm opting for low intensity raids a couple of days a week.

The targetting of the German tank production continues. 8 AAF reports damage around Leipzig-Magdeburg and 15 AAF again at Steyr � where there was a lot of German fighters. But I now have so many bombers arriving as reinforcements its much easier to stand down chewed up formations and just replace them with fresh/recovered.

In France, besides the usual transport and V-weapon targets, ran some practice interdiction. This was the Mosquitos back to hitting the railways. To put that into context a #3 pushes notional rail usage up by 15,000 and a #4 by 18,000. That is quite a lot more rail capacity consumed.

Main target in Italy was hit 28 times by various 2 and 4 engined bombers.

With a lot of elements already disrupted, the usual bloody assault cleared the hex. This now gives me a few options as to the next target.

So the front line in Italy. Florence should fall in the next 2-3 turns. Apart from the lost VP for the battles, this is a bit of a no cost offensive to me. Most of 5A is not needed for the UK, but it will have to go into S France. So for the moment, this is a reasonably effective use of the resources.

The city VP is welcome, its pinning the Germans down and there is an outside chance of forcing the Appenines.

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T43 - chilling out - 2/2/2020 9:49:53 AM

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T43 � 22 April 1944

Heavy rains over the UK so no air attacks on NW Europe. 15 AAF swapped over to Vienna, rest of the missions along the Arno.

If I can believe the reports, that has to be a successful raid, both for damage on the ground and relative losses.

Usual bomb-attack routine for 5 Army.

Which gives me 4 hexes on Florence, or possibly the scope to push deeper and unhinge the entire defensive line?

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T44 .. things warm up - 2/2/2020 9:33:06 PM

loki100

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T44 � 29 April 1944

Given the lack of effective German fighter cover, flipped BC over to day raids. The Mustangs make a difference in case of any miscalculations. 8 AAF goes for Berlin and the Baltic, not just heavily escorted but covered by an AS too.

Over the Ruhr, Bomber Command is now facing no opposition, its going to run out of targets soon.

Its deeper raid on Schweinfurt-Nuremberg (the Pzr V plants) ran into more oppostion but the Mustang escorts drove off the Luftwaffe.

8 AAF over Berlin ran into a lot of fighters, but no German air defences on the Baltic.

15 AAF hit Vienna again, no real opposition.

This is one of those hard-wired transitions in any game of WiTW. First, I no longer have any shortages of planes and the 1944 Mustangs (both US and CW) are readily available. Second, inevitably, the average experience of the Luftwaffe starts to slide. So they can't sit back into safe space and in the WiTx air model, experience trumps almost any other characteristic.

There is not much the German player can do about this. The swap to less trained pilots can be delayed but only by not using your airforce in 1943. In truth come the second half of 1944, the Allied player does strategic bombing simply as you have the assets and you might as well use them.

So near Vienna:

BC at Nuremberg, experience and the Mustangs.

P51s near Berlin. Here its not so much greater experience, its making the Luftwaffe fight well above their effective altitude.

On the ground, a shift from my usual cautious approach, tried to take Pirato. Both attacks failed, but after that and the bombing I doubt the infantry will be much use next week.

To the east, took advantage of the weakening of the German defensive line. Did a temporary motorisation for the 2 Allied divisions (have admin pts to spare) which allows you to attack even where you have no apparent threat. French mountain troops pushed into the gap.

So the Italian front, nice to see partisans so active in Genoa � historically the only Italian city to liberate itself against German forces during the war before the arrival of Allied ground units.

I am now ready to invade France, only issue remaining is timing and the weather. Have a lot of airpower arriving in the coming turns but its a case of being reasonably sure I get good weather the turn after landing now.

So here's the land OOB, there are still a few units in the Med that I want in N France, but they are very much for the breakout phase not the landing zone battles.

And the air. I tend to not use Malta air command unless I am operating in two distinct theatres � in other words once I invade S France, I'll use it to keep the allocation of the tactical air formations reasonably simple.

Ground losses so far.

Air losses.

And my bomber losses.

And what I know about the German army in France � not much but some Pzrs lurking around Paris. Still looks like a decision not to deploy onto the beaches � I'll keep an eye on this as it will influence my pre-invasion bombing plans.

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T45 ... keeping it all simmering - 2/3/2020 8:18:23 AM

loki100

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T45 � 6 May 1944

Nothing really different this turn, similar bombing pattern, probing for gaps in Italy.

Anyway back to the details, VP situation:

Bombing was much as before � hit some unit targets in France, usual range of attacks over Germany. Came out around 2-1 in A2A combat.

On the ground 8 Army cleared out a small German enclave, helps move me across the Appenines. 5 Army made some more gains and another failed attack at Prato.

So no real change, but my 2 small gains all help move across the barrier � still more likely to get around by sea.

Weather next turn � clear skies and light mud in N France.

< Message edited by loki100 -- 2/3/2020 8:19:07 AM >

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T46 - a day trip to Picardy - 2/4/2020 4:18:53 AM

loki100

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T46 � 13 May 1944

So probably the most important piece of information. Its clear and dry this turn, rain next.

VP score churns along happily.

Have 121 air groups resting, 370 (excluding Transports), ready. It does seem to be a pity not to invade?

So a far more complex set of AD as a result � not helped by only limited recon on the German army.

BC, 8 AAF and 15 AAF all run one strategic bombing mission with the V-weapon factories as the prime target.

Given poor intelligence, I'm actually holding back some tactical air, or allocating it to GS.

So the bulk is direct attacks on a few hexes, and setting up interdiction over the more likely routes any German reserves might take. Heavy bombers take out most of the rail yards and ports in the immediate sector.

And lost in the new focus, decide its time to simply take Florence which gets heavily bombed as a result.

Strategic bombing missions mostly seemed to work and encountered little direct opposition.

The surprise was the commitment of the Luftwaffe into the invasion zones despite the volume of my aircover. Given I shot down almost 70 bombers, I doubt they can repeat it [1].

So to take my mind off that problem, off to Italy, where the first attempt to take Florence failed. Given that the city is largely isolated for reinforcements, decide against a new attack, my troops can recover, the German defenders can't.

So there we are, relatively little attrition, supported by 2 planned para drops (one a gamble as I know the hex is occupied but the target has lost about half its combat squads in the recent bombing).

Depending on what the response is I may have a 5 hex wide landing zone and maybe some depth, if so I can start to add HQ and armour fairly quickly. I don't have much already at sea as I wanted to avoid too many losses to the axis interdiction.

In a way its a set up that invites a counter-attack. The 2 paratroop drops will generate a lot more immediate interdiction and I have (as above) deliberately kept a lot of tactical air back (including the Hurricane IV with their tank destroying load out).

And Italy, 8 Army carries on clearing up its flank and easing contact with my advanced units.

Despite my earlier guess, looks like HG is still in Italy.

And, as we haven't had one for a while, a random image � transporting trucks to France:

[1] in this sense, read the word 'doubt' as actually being 'hope', but I guess this is a useful commitment even if it can't be sustained.

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T47 - liberating the Uffizi - 2/4/2020 8:37:16 PM

loki100

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T47 � 20 May 1944

Combination of the landing battles and the Florence attack has produced fairly heavy losses. In a way its a surprise to have the +1 but it helps that the v-weapons are out of action.

8 AAF and BC keep up some attention to the Reich but again the bulk is assigned to France. B-17s carry on hitting the railyards and v-weapon launch pads.

BC and Coastal Command, protected by FC and elements of 8 AAF cover the sealanes.

Ground attack missions are aimed at 4 specific hexes, this'll give me depth if I can push those units back and some protective interdiction. I'm holding about 25% of Tactical Air back till the German armour appears on the front lines.

Also keeping a lot back assigned to protective GS missons.

In Italy, spotted HG in open terrain so shift some bombing focus to hitting that specific formation.

The strategic bombing knocked out Nordhausen and some damage in the northern sectors of the Ruhr.

Luftwaffe intervened again over the sea lanes

But they were also mostly unescorted.

Quick trip to Italy. The units defending Florence had lost about 25% of their combat elements in the pre-attack bombing, even so, much closer than I'd expected.

On the east, 8 Army clears out San Marino.

In France, 2 British Army pushes off the beaches, but first attempt to make deeper gains is stalled.

Still overall have a bit of space, 2 hexes where I can land and a bit of retreat space if needed. The two advanced stacks could be beaten back but both would demand a lot of commitment to do so.