Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (Full Version)

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larryfulkerson -> Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 10:42:18 AM)

Now that I'm done w/ the Olympic '45 scenario Steve Sill wants me to playtest his changes to the modified scenario Sicily to Brenner Pass.
And the first thing that impresses me is the size of the map. It's a large one. I had to crop it to get it to fit into this picture. Next I'm going
to look through the units and I'll let you know what I find.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/272A30485BA34B40822D486CEF2BFC70.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 10:45:13 AM)

The Island of Sicily is the relavant part of the map at first since the invasion of Sicily takes place early in the game.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/270E51BA13E640A3BD0D604D26919D8F.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 10:56:19 AM)

The scenario starts w/ some Allied units already on the island of Sicily. I would have liked to have invaded Sicily but don't worry though I still have to invade Italy so there will be some invasion action. This scenario has 191 turns in it. So there's no appearant hurry I guess.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/E32A9B7341B6459F95115E9007BF5399.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 11:15:04 AM)

This is the list of airplanes the Allies get. I'll have to do one of these displays for the Axis to get a better idea what the Allies were up
against. Most of the bombers the Allies get are light and medium bombers. There ARE some Wellingtons but not very many.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/F43FA9C83AAF43628EC50B293393BB92.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 11:34:20 AM)

Here's what the Allied air force was up against. These are the aircraft the Axis gets at the start. Kind of formidable. The air battles
might be epic in size given this air armada and the Allied one.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/CF5149CC9F314E98AA244FD904452645.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 11:56:36 AM)

From the two previous pictures you have gathered the numbers of squadrons of each side, their condition, their location, their name, etc.
and from THIS picture you can get a grasp of the numbers of combatants. Notice the overwhelming number of P-40's. Cool. It might
behoove the Allied player to first attempt to get aerial superiority in the area of interest only, so that the numbers of planes can be
concentrated for more strength. Drive home any advantages the Allies might have in the air. I notice too that the strength of the
separate squadrons is lower for the Axis than the Allied squadrons. So the Axis planes are going to have to gang up on their target for
self protection and so on. That might be some kind of disadvantage that the Allies might be able to exploit somehow. Lemme think
about that.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/FC5F730662D64FDF834347D59E8680A0.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 12:04:46 PM)

In the airfield on the far left we have a typical P-40 squadron and you can see that in rounding down the strengths some of them were
rounded in such a way to disguise the fact that there's a tad more strength in the defense than there is in the offense but the actual
numbers themselves are close together when rounded by the game engine. That's my theory.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/D3C41695D1994F20B2EDB3757FF42752.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 12:27:11 PM)

This is an Allied Spitfire squadron and as you can see the Spitfire is a nasty little knife fighter although the range is way too low to be of
use in every situation. Definately good for defense of local areas.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/449AD93153C94A36A0ACE1A448FABC1C.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 3:04:04 PM)

I just got a PM from Berto that I'd like to share with you guys because it's got some suggestions
for scenarios that I think are great ideas. Anybody else have a scenario that needs some
work?

Hey, Larry.

I appreciate your AARs, and the vital work you are doing on vetting older TOAW scenarios.

If possible, I'd appreciate if you could fit the

Burma Campaign 1942-1945
Papua-New Guinea 1942

especially into your busy schedule. I know that 3.4 broke the former's supply. It would be great if that could be fixed, which may just involve specifying the exact set of optional rules to recreate the conditions under which the scenario was originally designed.

Whatever, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Berto



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 3:36:19 PM)

I set the game to play itself for two turns just to get a feel for the "flow" of the battle and here's what it looked like afterward. There was
a lot of airstrikes on enemy airfields by both sides. And there was boucou German movement into the area. Lots of good
opportunity for INT to happen. This game might just be a great one.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/E0A6849AA2A648058DF3CE362DABFFEC.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 3:39:09 PM)

It just occured to me that somebody else might like to play this thing as the AAR unfolds so I've attached the scenario to this
post. Just truncate the dot txt off the end of the file name and unzip it.



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 4:10:15 PM)

I've pulled up the German side just so I can take a picture of where everything German is before I start the game. I don't intend to do
this anymore besides this once, and only now because I'm simulating the intell that the Allies would have going into this battle. I don't
always win so I need the help I can get from this.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I was going to tell you my analysis of the situation. The German reinforcements in the upper left of the island need to
be trapped there for as long as possible so I intend to drop the bridges and have some INT missions set up. The supply point for the
Germans is in Messina so it makes sense to make that the objective. Once you have that the Germans are out of supply and they will
be easier to destroy that way. So the British will press north toward Messina and the Americans will provide the left flank cover force.
Once Messina is captured the rest of the island will be mopped up. That's the theory.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/FF1DB40215774B89A009C82BACA5A147.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 4:35:28 PM)

But before I do any bridge dropping or INT missions I need to deal w/ the Axis air force and I'm hoping I can hit most of the airfields on
the island of Sicily and drive the Axis planes into reorg so they won't fly during my half of the turns. So I'm going to spend a round of
combat just doing airfield attacks.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/C133334DE0F84247B9CDB3856CA54735.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 5:09:12 PM)

Oh and hey, I just discovered what kinds of stuff I'm going to get in T2: a whole boat-load of stuff.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/4318F3109D48465C82FB564845C10A41.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 5:25:38 PM)

I thought I'd get started moving the units. No attacking yet just moves. I'm discovering German units as I move. A small garrison on
the east coast should be no problem next turn and it looks like so far the way might be open to Messina. We'll see.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/C388F06FBF2A46888BD0D02B5A6163A0.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 5:41:29 PM)

Here's the kind of results I'm getting from my airfield strikes. It's getting expensive but the good news is that the Allies might be able to
take the losses more gracefully than the Axis. There's prescious little in the pool but they are built fast.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/6BBA43DDDADA410687EF560C8F4F622D.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 5:50:56 PM)

I lost one of my bombers attacking that German stack ( there was an HQ unit on top previously ) but I got lots of good recon about
what's in that stack. Namely 10 leaders that need to be killed. More airstrikes are on order.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/D722D4C5FB174E54A57889624AA78697.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 5:58:01 PM)

I found 5 more leaders to track down and kill. I like to hit the HQ units because sometimes the entire formation gets driven into reorg and
it's easy to kill them when they can't move.

EDIT: This wasn't the last attack of the combat phase but after the last attack of the combat phase there was 80% of the turn left.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/281885130DF5429BA3315D7379097AD4.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 6:17:56 PM)

Here's the airplane losses for both sides. The Allies lost more but I'm thinking that they can afford it better than the Axis can. So more
airfield attacks are set for round two.

EDIT: Does it change anything for you if I tell you that each category for both sides started w/ an on-hand number = 0.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/1AD69C4477FC4D87B1C1CA61FF94D3AF.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 6:24:43 PM)

I've set the missions and I'm ready to start the combat phase but first I wanted to show you how many airfield attacks I have planned and
notice the number of squadrons that are in reorg. I'm hopiing that that doesn't happen to the rest of the planes that fly in round two.
That would be a problem.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/29A1FB1F2DDC4DD3A5BB57B63689782A.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 6:30:03 PM)

OK. I'm running the combats and here's the results of the first. I think I'm starting to make a dent.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/F59CC60FBA154C33B90D1B9C7479B98D.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 6:33:20 PM)

So round two combat is done and there's 70% of the turn left and this is how the air war says it's going right now:

EDIT: Some have questioned my going into so much detail, mostly the voices in my head, saying that at this rate this AAR will be over
1K pages and may never end. I'm not planning on playing to the end of this thing and I'm trying to give my reader(s) the impression that
he/she is playing this game w/ me as an ally. If there's a need for less detail just say so you guys and I'll give this AAR a different feel.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/AB2EE8961ED24A6A8FA66D8F91E2188D.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 6:43:58 PM)

Ok, so with only 70% of the turn left I think it's time to start the land-combat(s) and while we're talking about airplanes, this is the
results of two rounds of air strikes. The planes are mostly tired and lots of them are in reorg. I'm putting a lot of fighters on INT
missions because I think it's that important to the war effort.

EDIT: I should say before too much more has passed that I've been making one-dot attacks. Minimize losses so far.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/28AEEFA6091B4CE4B59227984B386A1E.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 7:15:45 PM)

OK. It's the Axis turn and they've moved and now here's one of their airfield attacks on one of my airports.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/20C075E8CAE74B8B8EDA75906C1929A5.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 7:25:30 PM)

So it's turn 2 now and here's the condition of the planes. A lot of them are still in reorg and I needed them so I'd best not drive my
planes so hard this time.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/2FC2350090684B16B8B2AF894E9A6F2B.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 8:09:43 PM)

OK. I've done my turn 2 moves and I think I'm ready for combat. I've got a single airfield strike planned and so far nobody is on INT
missions. I'm hoping I'll get a round two to set some INT ( they're CS now ). Here's my moves.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/D7DAB05F387F46069B9C200A3FE3CDE5.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 8:17:51 PM)

Here's the result of the airfield attack I ordered:

EDIT: Turns out this was the last attack of the round and there's 70% of the turn left:

[image]local://upfiles/16287/C5720FE5F520479585D543C63CE5E1B9.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 8:30:36 PM)

So this is the condition of the planes after the airstrike and the combat support they lent. I'm thinking that I don't want to try to push my
planes any more this turn because so many are already on reorg and I need everybody else who still can fly because of the
strength of the opposition right now. Later on, after we have air superiority ( if we ever do get it ) we can afford to put some of the
fighters on INT missions but right now the air-to-air fighting is already running on lean.



[image]local://upfiles/16287/B5F4C6D425F847AA9C9553B6E51AA845.gif[/image]



larryfulkerson -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 8:37:06 PM)

Some random thought just occured to me just now. I'm going into such detail in this AAR that it is the sort of document *I* wish I had
when I was learning TOAW, tactics, strategy, etc. Not that I'm an expert or anything, I just happen to post a lot.

EDIT: here's the front lines just before combat round two. I'm in the mopping up processes in the tip end of the island and it looks like
the Americans might be staying on the beach at least one more night, no wait, Steve changed it to a half-week per turn. Okay.

[image]local://upfiles/16287/762753902EA54633A75B49F61408FC1D.gif[/image]



berto -> RE: Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised (12/23/2013 8:55:15 PM)


Yes, these are extremely useful living documents for newbies and anybody else looking to up their game.

As you well know from the profusion of WITP:AE AARs. [;)]



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