ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play

[Yoper]

It was a great venue. All I can say is that folks stay in good shape with the good year-round weather...

I think that it's the other way around.  They stay in shape because they don't want to look bad while out and about in the good weather.

Whatever it takes.

[John D.]

Yeah - either way works out ok 

[Mark]

Winter 1941 - End of Turn

America enters the war! Churchill is relieved and finally gets a good night's sleep!

Rommel's reinforced Panzer Army Afrika has again forced the 8th Army to Fall back on Mersa Matruh.  Cyprus fell to Italian and German paratroopers - but the Turks (wisely) do not tilt toward the Axis and remain neutral.  The British in Egypt are desperate for reinforcements to stop Rommel, but with Australian and Indian reinforcements no longer available due to war in the Pacific, things are looking 'untidy'.

On the Russian front, the Germans cleared the Crimea even as the Winter Soviet counter-offensive under Koniev and Vatutin liberated Rostov and also pushed the Germans out of Stalino.  at the end of Winter, the Germans established Panzer Army Caucasus under Manstein at Maikop.  Anticipating a German Spring offensive in the South, the Russians, have thrown together what troops they have in a desperate defense of Grozny. . .Not a Step Back!

In the North, the Soviet Winter counteroffensive made less of an impact on the German lines, but raids managed to take back Smolensk and a few other cities temporarily.

[Wolf]

  Winter 41-42 always makes me so sad when I play as the Germans.  Guderian, wo bist Du?

Mark, you are right, the Planes look awesome.  Kudos to whoever painted them.  However, what caught me eye and caused the comment was the Italian Naval Units.  Very Nice.

Hey!  I thought the Brits had to give that cruiser back to the Aussies!  (Sorry chaps.  We need for the War Effort, and all.)

Looks like you were having a lot of fun.  Whenever I look at the south, I always think "So much Russia, so few German Korps..."

[Wolf]

Here is a serious game question:

What keeps the Russians from using the port of Sevastopol (via Batum and Novirissiisk) to supply their units?

[John D.]

Axis air control of the sea zone of Sevastapol.

[Wolf]

Good answer... 

[Mark]

Guderian, wo bist Du?. . . .Hey!  I thought the Brits had to give that cruiser back to the Aussies!

Yes, it is sad for the Germans when Guderian is withdrawn. . .but think of it this way, maybe you would not get all those nice Tigers and Panthers if he did not become the inspector of armored troops. . .

AND - we did miss the withdraw of the Ausie Cruiser and transport at the end of the Winter turn - but we caught it shortly after the picture was taken - so they were indeed withdrawn to the Pacific. . .you won't be seeing it in any more pictures 

[Mark]

Spring 1942 - End of Turn

A reinforced 8th Army (even with US heavy bombers and armor) now under the command of Montgomery is building up in Egypt to face Rommel.  The Allies finally have air superiority and are feeling more confident.

In the South of Russia, Manstein decides to strike North first to clean up the Soviet Winter Counter-offensive bulge in the German lines around Rostov.  Vatutin and Koniev fall back on Voronezh and Stalingrad.  Timoshenko is building reserves up around Grozny while the German Armies in the Caucasus under Paulus and Von Kluge consolidate their infantry and artillery.  Summer 1942 could be very scary. . .

In Northern Russia, Hoth takes Kholm, Northwest of Moscow, and consolidates his army their while Weichs continues to put pressure on Leningrad.  The Russians continue to build up their fortifications in Leningrad and build reserves under Zhukov around Moscow.

[Wolf]

I think one of the things I find most interesting in these photos from Spring 42 is the distribution of Air Assets on the Russian Front.

From the photos, it seems the Germans have concentrated their Ju-87's to the Southern Front, with most (but not all) medium bombers to the North.

I was noticing the total lack of Russian fighters near Leningrad and Moscow.  I see what look like 2 Lagg's / Yak's in the Central Region, then the surviving I-16's in the South.

Very interesting that.

I was also noticing that no Russian troops in the south directly border any German troops (except for Novorissiisk).  The strategy of "Want some Russia? Here, we have lots...".  All those pesky AT guns make it dangerous to slap them in the Mech phase.

Definitely looking forward to what Summer '42 brings...

[Mark]

I think one of the things I find most interesting in these photos from Spring 42 is the distribution of Air Assets on the Russian Front.

Yeah - I'll have to let John comment on the distribution of German air - I think he was economic bombing Leningrad and Moscow - which is maybe why the medium bombers are up North.  I felt like his air was a little out of position in the South with the Stukas too far back from where the battles are likely to be.

As for the Soviet air, I could not defend everywhere, so I concentrated more of my AA assets in the North so I could get some advantage in the South where I felt more threatened.  All of my planes could concentrate on Stalingrad if needed and I could also achieve superiority down in Grozny since his planes were based too far North - at least that was my thinking. . .

[Wolf]

"Localized Superiority"  Got it.

I really LOVE how the Air rules work, especially as they pertain to Ground Support.  A Stuka or Medium Bomber added to the support mix can really help out an Army.

And lets face it, if you are flying a Stuka, even an I-16 is scary...

[Mark]

Summer 1942 - End of Turn

In Southern Russia, Manstein drives on the oil fields.  German reconnaissance forces occupy Grozny after a German mechanized attack takes the city. Timoshenko falls back with the Soviet Caucasus Front on Baku.  Meanwhile, Vatutin advances on Manstein's left flank trying to put pressure on the long German Salient reaching down toward Baku.

In the North, German recon-en-force take Kalinin and Tula.  The Soviet Leningrad Front builds up reserves.

In North Africa, Rommel withdraws back across the Egyptian border again.  A reinforced 8th army, with air superiority, now under the command of Montgomery, advanced under much fanfare and over exposure in British newspapers. . .

Meanwhile, checking in on Western Europe. . .The Kriegsmarine has sallied forth - with 2 battleship units - and is ported in the Bay of Biscay in order to wreak havoc on Allied shipping in the North Atlantic.  The Luftwaffe has transferred several fighter air units to France in order to protect the fleet from Allied bombing.   the German navy is not only a threat to British convoys, but also to the movement of troops to Africa and the Middle East since the Allies can't move through German controlled sea zones on the non-combat movement phase

[John D.]

I'm a pretty big believer in investing in the German Navy - its good in the long run, especially if you are careful not to squander it. It really makes the Allies pay attention. The previous comments concerning air placement were pretty accurate. I was on a bombing campaign and need to situate myself where the enemy was not. Russia was careful to place air units where they had the advantage. Neutralizing the effectiveness of Stukas is pretty easy in that regard...

[Mark]

Autumn 1942 - End of Turn

Monty goes on the offensive attacking Panzer Army Afrika in and around Bardia.  The 8th army is victorious, but Rommel's skillful defense inflicts punishing casualties on the British.  So, while they took the ground, Monty withdraws his battered army back into Egypt as more Axis reinforcements land at Benghazi.  Bloody, bloody battle for the British - I'm not sure the Germans missed with a single unit.

In the South of Russia, Manstein withdraws from his drive on Baku to shore up his Northern flank that was being threatened by Vatutin's Stalingrad Front.  An Italian-German Mountain corps drives the Russians out of Novosibirsk and Timoshenko liberates Grozny.

In central Russia, Koniev concentrates reinforcements around Voronezh as a Hungarian mechanized corps exploits a gap in the Russian lines to wreak (temporary) havoc in the Soviet rear.  In the North, Vasilevsky drives the Germans back from the gates of Leningrad and liberated Pskov.

In Western Europe, the Allies have concentrated a significant force in and around Gibraltar.  The British have managed to keep the German surface fleet bottled up in the Bay of Biscay by sending in the Royal Navy for the last two turns to blockade them - despite Axis are superiority.  Cunningham has been lucky so far in not losing any major ships from the Axis airpower and the maneuver, while risky,  has kept Allied shipping lanes free of German cruisers and battleships. German u-boats, however, continue to create problems for Allied shipping in the North Atlantic.