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RE: Turns 69-70: 4 – 17 November 1944

 
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RE: Turns 69-70: 4 – 17 November 1944 - 1/30/2016 8:12:00 AM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		sorry about this - this is so frustrating. It appears as if imageshack has decided to change the code you need to embed in a post to link to an image on their website. This forum software has always been a bit of a pain in this regard as you need to edit the standard code but this has also now blocked all images on the AGEOD website too (which used the simple default code).

its only happened today so maybe there is a solution. For the moment, I think with this AAR I can simply use the 'free' single image upload that is available, but obviously all the earlier posts now make very little sense.

R

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Post #: 121
Turns 71-72: 18 November – 1 December 1944 - 2/1/2016 8:13:06 AM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		Turns 71-72: 18 November – 1 December 1944

T71 saw relatively little happen, the Allies destroyed my units on the Maas but are clearly #far too scared to attack my powerful defences# [1]



Anyway to celebrate the collapse of the Allied offensive, the German army counter-attacks ...



T72 brought a bit of a shock



Unfortunately smokindave seems to have mastered the WiTW supply system. Send your best units back to resupply, let supplies build up at the forward depots and then attack.

[2]

Losses



VP



Time to unleash the Kraken ... or the Luftwaffe ..., may as well use it up and I'll try to impose some interdiction on the Allied spearheads. Might just buy me a bit of time – as the army runs off behind the Rhine.



Still no sign of really bad weather. Not sure if this is patch related as in my vs-AI game I think the autumn weather has been much better, certainly few if any turns of heavy mud?



[1] This claim may have been a bit delusional
[2] Since this is a family forum I'll not repeat my full description of the effectiveness of the German defence, but it involves marzipan and a scene from the 'Thick of It'



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Post #: 122
Turns 73-74: 2 – 15 December 1944 - 2/4/2016 7:25:00 AM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		Turns 73-74: 2 – 15 December 1944

Turn 73 saw the allies encircle what was left of my units on the Maas and push up to the Rhine.

Unfortunately T74 brought fresh disasters as my Rhine defense fell apart like a ... (well something soft and useless).



To make it worse, Uncle Joe had a good week too



Losses so far:



And, just for a change of scale, here's the overall situation. I've basically left a strong stay behind force in the Ruhr. This time I think that is a sensible decision as there is a lot supply there and it makes a mess of the Allied rail network (and thus their forward depots).

In true Frederickan style I intend to fall back to Berlin and then when they are overextended, surround and destroy their armies [1]



At least the Reich will last into 1945 ...

[1] Well that is what I'd be planning if we were playing Rise of Prussia


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Post #: 123
Turns 75-76: 16 – 29 December 1944 - 2/8/2016 7:51:00 AM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		Turns 75-76: 16 – 29 December 1944

T75 opened with the Ruhr encircled but hopefully that will take some digesting ... with a knock on impact on allied supply lines



T76 saw some allied attempts to capture the region beaten off



Also my radical retreat has at least given me a bit of time to repair the combat values of the few armoured units I still have in the West.

Losses



One of my better turns in the air for a while. I'd concentrated the Luftwaffe around Berlin (as well as redeploying a lot of flak) and both 8 Air and Bomber Command took heavy losses as a result.



VP



Less to say here, add on 900 for the beachhead penalty and this is still heading for an allied Major victory (my assumption is that Berlin will fall early due to the rapid Soviet advances).

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Post #: 124
Turns 77 – 78: 30 December 1944 – 12 January 1945 - 2/14/2016 7:35:17 AM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		Turns 77 – 78: 30 December 1944 – 12 January 1945

Usual two turn conflation as from my point of view its all about reacting and trying to survive.

It was about this stage I set all the Luftwaffe to a generic Ground Support mission for the western armies – apart from I and II Jagd that were left with no missions so as to contest allied bombing raids.

Anyway, T77 saw some reduction of the Ruhr pocket.



A process that carried on during T78, plus the Allies had a bit of an offensive around Frankfurt.



Losses



VP



Anyway, with the Allies badly off balance and clearly only advancing so as to find German units to surrender to ... I struck back



I fully expect to be back over the Rhine in a few turns

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Post #: 125
Turns 79-84: 13 January – 23 February 1945 - 2/18/2016 8:15:04 PM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		Turns 79-84: 13 January – 23 February 1945

I think its safe to conflate quite a few turns.

Here was the situation on 13 January. My plan to lure the Soviets and Western Allies into central Europe before the final set of victories was working very well.



Only problem was my spearhead in the Ruhr decided to surrender



But not deterred, the main offensive commences



Even more success the following week



This so disorientated the Allies that they advanced even deeper into my trap



Here we are, the final victory is almost upon us – note how well defended Berlin is. This cunning lure has confused the enemy.



Heres the VP situation. As before Dave can have 900 of his beachhead Vps back (as that was a mistake in any case), so clearly the Allies are in the minor/major victory range.



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Post #: 126
Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 2/22/2016 6:53:33 PM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945

The only thing that kept me from defeat till the end of this sequence was bad weather.

By early March, Berlin was surrounded



This is the last turn where I have the VP screen.



So add on the bonus for the early fall of Berlin (100?), give Dave back the beach-head penalty (+1000) and it comes out at around +850 – so somewhere very close to a well deserved Allied Major victory.

I made a number of mistakes, including not pulling the Panzers back to Germany after the Italian battles so they could refit properly. Need to take more care about setting up fort lines behind likely landing spots (Italy again). Clearly a 'stay behind' strategy doesn't really work against a human opponent.

I don't think I'd bother with the EF box in a future game. Its a great idea but now it is better balanced its really a lot of micro-management for no real gain. Since I didn't micro-manage it for the first 6 months of the game, I was then forced to send masses of new units east in an attempt to stave off complete disaster.

About the only thing I think I did well was the air defence of the Reich – but even here I was a bit slow in scrapping the night fighters to free up trained crews.

Anyway, smokindave is a great opponent and I've really enjoyed our two games. Played in a great spirit and lots of fun chat around the game (which is an aspect of PBEM I really appreciate). If you get the chance to play him, take it. You'll be challenged and entertained – a perfect combination.

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Post #: 127
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 2/22/2016 11:21:59 PM   
smokindave34


Posts: 877
Joined: 1/15/2008
Status: offline 		Thanks for the kind words Roger.

I agree that your air defense of the Reich was strong and 15 USAF did pay a heavy price.

I don't know how many units you had to send east but once I reached eastern France it never seemed like you had enough units for any defense in depth. I agree - I would not play with EF box on again.

One more thing.....you remain the master of creating a great AAR. I don't know where you get all these WWII era photos from.

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Post #: 128
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 2/23/2016 2:04:21 AM   
Q-Ball


Posts: 7336
Joined: 6/25/2002
From: Chicago, Illinois
Status: offline 		Nicely done gents, to Loki on the AAR and Smokingdave on the victory.

That's the first time I've seen the Allies really get into Germany proper, so nice job there. Every game I've been involved in sees the Allies stalling along the Rhine as time expires.

Well done all around!

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Post #: 129
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 2/23/2016 8:50:22 AM   
Helpless


Posts: 15793
Joined: 8/27/2004
Status: offline 		Great ARR and game, indeed. Thanks guys.

The only bad thing that it is over :)



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WITE/WITW/WITE-2 Development

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Post #: 130
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 2/23/2016 3:58:33 PM   
IslandInland


Posts: 891
Joined: 12/8/2014
From: YORKSHIRE
Status: offline 		I've really enjoyed this AAR. Thanks guys.

Nice to see the Allies reach Berlin.

Loki, you're a great AAR writer. I love reading your accounts.



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War In The East 2 Beta Tester and
War In The West Operation Torch Beta Tester
XXXCorps

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Post #: 131
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 2/23/2016 7:40:26 PM   
loki100


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

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

Thanks for the kind words Roger.

I agree that your air defense of the Reich was strong and 15 USAF did pay a heavy price.

I don't know how many units you had to send east but once I reached eastern France it never seemed like you had enough units for any defense in depth. I agree - I would not play with EF box on again.

One more thing.....you remain the master of creating a great AAR. I don't know where you get all these WWII era photos from.


must confess that beating up 15 Air kept me amused for some time ... think its very vulnerable as most allied players rarely send escorts from 8 Air and it remains a mix of airframes.

I reckon that from about Feb 44 I probably sent around 80% of my new units east, so once I started to lose units in France, even making use of regiments not divisions, I really couldn't manage a decent front line

quote:

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Nicely done gents, to Loki on the AAR and Smokingdave on the victory.

That's the first time I've seen the Allies really get into Germany proper, so nice job there. Every game I've been involved in sees the Allies stalling along the Rhine as time expires.

Well done all around!


Dave did well at using the supply system. One good decision was he sent nothing down to Belfort but kept his entire army in the north, think on balance he had better supply more often and seemed to be able to pull units off the line and send them back to resupply.

Certainly something I'd do in a future game as Belfort is really hard to supply - at least enough to actually make into an offensive

quote:

ORIGINAL: Helpless

Great ARR and game, indeed. Thanks guys.

The only bad thing that it is over :)




thank you ... and for putting together such an interesting game. There is so much depth in here, but you can also play it with a relatively low level of attention to detail

quote:

ORIGINAL: XXXCorps

I've really enjoyed this AAR. Thanks guys.

Nice to see the Allies reach Berlin.

Loki, you're a great AAR writer. I love reading your accounts.




I think this maybe the first AAR I've seen with the Allies actually taking Berlin ... now that may say something about my abilities

I find if I write (or plan to write) I pay more attention which helps my own gameplay

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Post #: 132
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 12/1/2016 8:04:12 PM   
chrispanton

 

Posts: 15
Joined: 4/21/2008
Status: offline 		Nice AAR, some useful learning points for sure. As they say you can learn more from a defeat etc... Except was it really a defeat? Strikes me that the Allies taking Berlin is a win-win situation; he kicks off the cold war with a few more cards in his hand / you save more of your pixel-population from the scourge of the Reds Army tearing through. Glass half full etc... ;)

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Post #: 133
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 1/19/2017 7:25:57 AM   
kch

 

Posts: 194
Joined: 12/31/2014
Status: offline 		Looks really interesting, but I cannot see the images, anybody else have this problem?

(in reply to chrispanton)
Post #: 134
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 1/19/2017 7:47:02 AM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		I can see most of them. A few were lost when Imageshack (which I use to host the images) had a major IT failure and they lost a number of links.

If you can't see any maybe an idea to try a different browser ... never understand why but things work on some better than on others

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Post #: 135
RE: Turns 85-92: 3 March - 5 April 1945 - 1/20/2017 11:51:30 AM   
kch

 

Posts: 194
Joined: 12/31/2014
Status: offline 		Ok.. thanks for the advice

(in reply to loki100)
Post #: 136
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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Gary Grigsby's War in the West >> After Action Reports >> RE: Turns 69-70: 4 – 17 November 1944 Page: <<   < prev  1 2 3 4 [5]
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