ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play

[Wolf]

The Battle for Bardia looks like a text book Pyrrhic Victory.  Just ow!  It does look like the Allies are going to uncork Torch soon, though.

There is just so much Russia, and so many Russians.  The play down in the Caucuses looks very interesting.  Winter '42 is next.

Looks like a fun game so far. Nary a dull moment...

Holy cow.  I just noticed the two SS Heavy Panzers there at Stalino.  Scary stuff...

[Yoper]

I don't remember from my reading of the rules for this version how Vichy is handled.  I see a sizable French fleet in the Med. 

How is that dealt with in the new game? 

[Mark]

Winter 1942-43 - End of Turn

In Southern Russia, The Germans shift their focus toward Stalingrad.  Manstein strikes North and drives the Red Army back to the gates of Stalingrad.  Model's army drives the Russians out of Voronezh putting pressure on the Soviet center.

In Northern Russia, the Soviet clean up the mechanized incursions and salients on their front, re-establishing a front line before Moscow and Leningrad and shifting a lot of their air power to this theater.  The Germans continue to hold onto their position around Kholm.

In the Med, the Allies land in North Africa - bypassing Morocco and Algeria and landing all the way East in Tunisia first. At the same time, the British navy engaged the Vichy navy outside of Marseille.  The Allies were hoping for a Vichy collapse, but it did not happen - the Vichy continue to fight for the Axis.

Vichy has a chance to collapse for every US occupied Vichy PP territory. If one PP territory is US occupied, they collapse on a 1-2.  If two PP territories are occupied, they collapse on a 1-4 and if three or more are occupied, their collapse it automatic.  I only occupied Tunis and needed a 1-2 and did not get it. . .I guess the Royal Navy hammering them in port did not endear me to them. . .

In Western Europe, the German fleet and u-boats continue to create challenges for the the Allies as both sides begin to build up forces in France and England.

[Wolf]

 

In the bottom of the photo from Aut 42 for Gibralter, is that an American Oiler I see?  I was wondering how those ships could be parked in that Sea Zone.  Missed that on my first view.

Sneaky that...

[John D.]

Yes - the oilers become very important for certain operations - giving the navies much more flexibility and therefore options 

[John D.]

I don't remember from my reading of the rules for this version how Vichy is handled.  I see a sizable French fleet in the Med. 

How is that dealt with in the new game?

When France initially falls - each surviving French ship has a chance to go Allied, Vichy, be scuttled or be sunk by the Brits in Operation Catapult. No chance or going Axis initially.

[Mark]

Spring 1943 - End of Turn

In Southern Russia, Manstein takes Stalingrad and pushes Zhukov and the Soviet defenders back over the Volga.  Vatutin advances on Mozdok and Timoshenko liberates Novosibirsk in the Caucuses.  While the Germans have taken the important 2 VP city of Stalingrad in the South, their forces are dwindling and the Russians continue to build up.

In the North, the Germans have put most of their reinforcements into Army Group North and Rundstedt is driving on Leningrad with the 3rd Panzer Army and the 10th Army.  By taking the Soviet defensive position around Novgorod, the Germans have severed the land supply route to Leningrad - now only the River Flotillas in Lake Ladoga are keeping Leningrad in supply.

In the Med, fierce air and sea battles North of Tunisia have left he Italians in control of the sea zones there - isolating the Allied invasion and making it unsupplied.  The Vichy French continue to refuse to give up and the Axis have transferred Rommel and a significant Panzer Armee to a position near Mareth in order to launch an offensive to drive the Allied invasion of Tunisia back into the sea. . .I am beginning to regret my leapfrog of Algeria for my version of Torch. . .

The displacement of Rommel and many of the German units to Tunisia has opened up the Libyan front, however.  A reinforced 8th Army is driving on Tripolitania against a weakened army under the command of Graziani. . .Will Monty be able to put the pressure on fast enough to save his American colleagues from getting destroyed in their first major confrontation with the Germans?  Stay tuned. . .

[Wolf]

   It is all about expectations, I can see.

Rommel, expecting to be on the defensive, has had 2 Korps of Tank Destroyers delivered to him.  Awkward in the face of a counter attack vs the Allies.  If he only had some Tigers...

Corsica and Sardinia make painfully convenient airbases for the Axis, in that portion of the Med.

To my mind, this is the best thing about these kind of games.  A relatively historical event goes totally sideways and a nasty, vicious a-historical fight ensues.  Well played, gentlemen.

[Mark]

Yeah - the Axis were committing a lot of airpower to the Med.  Basing them on Corsica and Sardinia is making my invasion of Tunisia challenging since I can't get my air forward to bases in Algeria.

Summer 1943 - Middle of Turn -

Summer 1943 was a massive turn of battles - so we paused and took a couple pictures of all the battles that were set up across the board.

In Russia, the Soviets had committed enough lend lease points to achieve motorization - and they were going to use it!  Stavka had two very ambitious plans: 1) to have Rokosovsky drive South from around Kursk to the Sea of Azov and cut off German Army Group South and 2) Have Koniev attack the Germans from near Rzhev and link up with Vasilevsky near Pskov and cut the German 3rd Panzer Army off around Novgorod. . .

In the West, Rommel's offensive in Tunisia and Algeria aimed to eliminate the Allied invasion of French North Africa while Montgomery attacked The Italian army in Tripolitania.  The Italian-Vichy fleet engaged Cunningham off the coast of Algeria in a major naval air showdown while Ramsay's Home Fleet engaged the Kriegsmarine surface fleet when it sortied from the Bay of Biscay.

Lots of battles to be resolved. . .

[John D.]

Wow - I remember that turn. Looks like 10 battles at once! That was fun!

[Mark]

Summer 1943 - End of Turn

Well - a lot happened - and most of it not good for the Allies. . .

In North Africa, the allies managed to keep their beachhead alive.  Rommel recaptured Tunis and then swung through Kaserine and Tebessa to take the port of Algiers, isolating Alexander and his army around Bone in Northeast Algeria.  On the positive side, Cunningham's navy drove off the Italian-Vichy fleet with heavy losses.  In Libya, Monty took Tripoli after destroying much of the Axis army there and driving its remnants over the border into Tunisia.  You also can not see from the picture, but the Allies have also landed a force in Morocco.  While Rommel made a very good go of it - the allies are confident that the days of Axis presence in North Africa are coming to an end (finally).

In Southern Russia, Rokossovsky's grand offensive to reach the Sea of Azov did not quite pan out - and he lost a lot of units battering himself up against Model's strong defensive lines around Stalino.  On the positive side, his offensive diverted enough Axis attention to enable Zhukov to retake Stalingrad and help Vatutin to liberate more of the Caucasus.  While the Germans managed to stop the Soviet offensive, their forces in the South are severely depleted.

In Northern Russia - an even greater failure befell the Soviets.  Not only did the Russian fail to encircle the 3rd panzer Army around Novgorod as planned, but they beat themselves against German defenses to the point that the Axis were able to launch an attack on the mechanized phase and drive the weakened and disorganized Russians out of Moscow. . .and they occupied it with Romanians no less. . .

So the end of Summer 1943 leaves the Soviet army severely depleted after their failed master offensives.  On the flip side, German forces in Russia are also battered and it looks like the Allies are on the verge of driving the Axis out of North Africa.  Time is running out, however.  If the Allies do not start taking back Victory Points fast, the Axis are going to win.

[Wolf]

 

Wow!  A lot really did happen!  With the Allies holding Tripoli, it makes up, a little, for not holding Tunis.  There are a LOT of Allies in North Africa. (And that is not counting the ones I cannot see in Morocco.)  I am wondering how Rommel is going to get his bacon out of the fire over there.

Cunningham did well in the Naval battle.  Very little left of the Italian Navy.  I always felt the Italian Navy would have been more of a thorn in the Allies side if utilized well.  But, maybe not.  Armchair Admirals, and all.

How did the big battle in the Atlantic go?  From the battle boards, it looked like it was going to be a doozy.

And there are still too many Russians...

Looking at the Spring 43 and Summer 43 photos shows a lot of the changes you mention.  Question: Paulus had a decent Korps down in Maikop. 2 TD, decent Inf and Art.  It is totally missing by Summer 43.  What happened?  Did it get destroyed? (this seems unlikely based off what could reach it) Or did it meet up with Mannstein in Don?

The Germans do look pretty thin in the south ( I cant see into the corps, so I am a little unsure) but I am noticing the almost complete lack of Soviet armor down there.  One can only assume they ran into German Armor and AT guns, and exploded...

[Mark]

How did the big battle in the Atlantic go?

I think the North Atlantic was about a draw - both sides lost a battleship group and I believe the German battlecruiser group was damaged.  The Allies can afford the losses in ships a little bit more, though, I think.

Paulus had a decent Korps down in Maikop. 2 TD, decent Inf and Art.  It is totally missing by Summer 43.  What happened?  Did it get destroyed?

I can't recall, but I think it did largely get destroyed by the Soviets. I believe the Soviets hit him in Maikop and even threw in the fighters and bomber air unit as well as Soviet Paratroopers as well.  The fact that there are no Soviet armored formations left down there as well makes me think there was a pretty significant battle that took out much of Paulus' army.

[Mark]

Autumn 1943 - End of Turn

In Southern Russia, the Soviets concentrate around Maikop and Stalingrad as well as Kursk.  The remnant of Manstein's Panzer army withdraws to Rostov and the Germans reinforce the Crimea with some SS Panzer Divisions.  Now that the German army markers have been removed, you get more of a sense for how battered the German forces have gotten over the last few turns with their offensives in the Caucasus and Stalingrad in the South.

In Northern Russia, Koniev retakes Moscow with a strong Soviet Army and the Germans scrape up and concentrate their reserves in front of Leningrad.

In North Africa, the Allies finally push the Axis out of North Africa with offensives launched from Mareth in the South and from Morocco in the West.  Rommel manages to escape the jaws of the closing Allied Armies and withdraws to Sicily.  The Axis heavily reinforce Italy with a tremendous Luftwaffe presence anticipating an Allied invasion.

In Western Europe, the Allies continue to build up in England.  German intelligence has noted that Montgomery has been withdrawn from the Med and now is in command of a joint US-British Army HQ'ed in Wales.

While the Allies are on the offensive in most theaters, they are behind the clock by several turns.  The Axis are close to winning by hanging on to so many VPs this late in the game.  The Germans appear to be massing for an assault on Leningrad - and with its 2 VPs in Axis hands, it may push the game over the edge to a German victory.  If they can do that - and prevent the loss of VPs in Western Europe or in the Med, they could win the game in the next turn or two. . .

[Wolf]

Crazy!

"Hollowed out" is how I would describe the German forces down in Southern Russia, although they are not kidding about Crimea.

Without seeing what the Germans have in their Armies in the North, I know from experience that Leningrad is a tough nut to crack, without giving them two years to build up their defences.  And attacking in the Winter...

Agreed, the Allies are really behind in their efforts to wrest VP away from the Germans.  The Germans might just be able to "run out the clock" on the Allies.  From the photos, it looks like their strategy might be to hold on to Italy at any cost.  That is an awful lot of Axis Airpower down there, I must say.

One of the big advantages that Russia has always had, in my opinion, is their ability to build new units right on the front.  The Germans get to deal with new Russian Armies simply appearing in their faces, and their own reinforcements have to travel all the way in from Germany.

I really do not envy the Germans on the Russian Front, but they have two major rivers to hide behind.  If they can just keep their northern flank from folding, they may be in a pretty good position.

I want to state that this after-action is ridiculously entertaining...

PS: 3 V-Weapons?  A little excessive, don't you think?