golden delicious -> RE: Fall Grau 2.13 Jeremy vs. Ben (3/17/2021 7:28:38 PM)
|
Turn 55: Quebec A good start to the turn as the brigade on the shoulder of my breach in Jeremy's line is RBC'd out of the way. Scouting ahead with various pieces find his line drawn up east of Montreal, bridging the gap to Lake Champlain. I then switch over toward Ottawa, where subdivided brigades bar the door to the rest of Ontario. These too are RBC'd out of the way. It's at this point that I realise that I've cut Jeremy's rail line already. I had thought for some reason that he had fixed the line straight east from Quebec, but instead his line runs via Ottawa. This means that everyone west of here is on minimal supply and, more importantly, that he can't reinforce Quebec by rail. I think I'll make two advances- one directly at his new line near Montreal, and the other north from Ottawa to approach from the other side of the St. Lawrence. I certainly have the forces for both. The latter of these goes well immediately; with Jeremy's odd brigades shoved out of the way, I'm able to push my four AAC divisions as far as they will go, with the lead unit more north than west of Montreal. With this achieved, I pour most of my regular armour in to follow; the direct route will be the focus of the National Guard. Behind the armour, a brigade of 1st Canadian division re-enters their National capital. This is rather good. Jeremy will probably have something up his sleeve, but assuming I can't cross the super river I'm now ten hexes from Quebec City. I could in all probability be in possession of it by turn 57. But there are other fronts. The West On what I've been thinking of as the El Paso front, I'm in dire straits. Jeremy has brought up the Argentine army from Mexico and swamped the light forces I had here. I will extract the Commonwealth mobile army from Albuquerque and bring some or all of it around here with a view to routing these light forces; I also send a number of reconstitutes from Los Angeles here this turn. The Albuquerque front itself I allow to go quiet, and indeed most of the west is the same; I do continue limited offensive operations on the border between North Texas and New Mexico, but much of my armour is withdrawn from this front to rest. I also make a local counterattack at Iowa, but this has little effect. Jeremy has largely closed this offensive down so he can rebuild supply using the local bonus from Kansas City. So with such rapid success achieved in Quebec, the question is whether I need to further reinforce this area now, or should I focus on keeping the situation mobile in the west, or even on opening up the southern front as mentioned last turn? I think on balance it's best not to be too overconfident in Canada, and as such I do send more forces to the north, but on a significantly reduced scale, and prioritising rail movement of units in non-combat areas (which includes the second line positions from Detroit, which this turn are stripped out). Nevertheless, the front still receives two full divisions, one armoured, two engineer brigades, copious artillery and a range of smaller infantry detachments which will cover my flanks as I advance. I resolve to send no more major reinforcements to this front from next turn unless the situation changes. As such, I am able to recommit two fresh armoured divisions in the southwest, as well as bringing down my resting reserve of seven armoured divisions to Trinidad, Colorado, the nearest point to this sector where I have full rail supply. ANOTHER early turn ending! My turn was mostly movement so this isn't particularly troubling, but they seem to come up about one turn in three at the moment, and it may be the end of the Plains front (unless Jeremy decides it's time for his own offensive here, which is doubtful). With the capture of Ottawa (worth 25 points), my victory level is very briefly marginal victory, but I slip back to draw after combat. I suppose Jeremy will have Japanese troops at Quebec City before I get there, so he may hold the port itself; but I hope to be able to have his entire Ontario army out of supply by turn 58. I estimate this force at approximately forty divisions, plus attendant engineers and artillery (sadly all the panzers have withdrawn). By turn 70 I should be able to annihilate all of it. If I do get Quebec City quickly, I will take a shot at getting Portland, too, which bags me about another fourteen divisions, most of them good German troops. However that'll be a tougher fight. If I can't, I'll extract most of my forces and aim to start a new major offensive in the south around turn 70. But Jeremy's not done yet; he has a huge amount of strength on the board and he has just shipped the reconstituted IX Panzerkorps into Galveston. I think I have to assume that any gains outside of Canada will be extremely hard won. But I note that the section of front along the Cumberland is a good 12 hexes from the Axis rail head, and guarded by the weak 28. Jaeger division. I'll keep this in my back pocket for my next offensive. Allied forces breakthrough the Axis crust and envelop Montreal [image]local://upfiles/1060/1E132FE1193B4483A91B331E8DF5754A.jpg[/image]
|
|
|
|