Putting on the Reich: An Axis Strategic Command WWII: War in Europe AAR

[Drakken]

True. Right now it has been like a logistics simulator.

Excited to see more action.

They did not dub it the Sitzkrieg for nothing.

[Habbaku]

What is the restriction on non-German units operating against the Soviet Union, if any?

[grumbler]

Seems like another WW2 game that just doesn't get naval combat.  Not only are U-boats way OP in 1939, but the supreme commander of Germany is having to tell them when to run silent, run deep and when to resupply.

I will be interested to see how the game handles the battle of France.  It's probably more important to get that right than naval operations, anyway, because if it cannot handle France it likely cannot handle Russia, either.

[Valmy]

They should have done that. The freaking Communists were Nazi fifth columnists thanks to the non-aggression pact.

Actually, they did, Daladier, of Munich conference fame, décret-loi 26 September 1939.
Incidentally, some useful idiot named Guy Môquet later was branded a résistant due to post-war politics and all he did was parroting the PCF line about the capitalist war, as per Nazi-Soviet Pact Moscow guidelines. Vichy just used the Daladier law banning the PCF, law used to arrest his father.

Back to topic, on attend la suite Drakken, continue.

He gets unfairly tarred by that. Like he could have stood alone against Germany with both the British and his own military telling him to cave. I mean there is political courage and then there is suicide. He wanted to and might have even done it until his Airforce came with that scaremongering stuff.

Anyway I look forward to the genius of Maurice Gamelin putting the Axis in their place.

[Drakken]

Allies Turn 7: All Frozen on the Western Front

Winter keeps on not giving for the Allies too, as nothing happens on the map. North Atlantic is battered by storm and high seas around the British Isles, which hurt the visibility for surface vessels hunting my u-boats. None encounter my raider fleets.

In other news, both Russia and France are gearing up their industrial and military mobilization. This means that for France, more of their production centres start raking in MPPs, while in Russia they get some more troops and MPP production as well.




Also, the Polish I Corps gets formed in France from remnants of the Polish Army to help defend the Hexagon, with the spirit of Napoleon's loyal Polish Cavalry - that we will soon be crushing under our Panzers' tracks. 



We get two decision events before our turn.

The first, as expected, is the option to annex Lithuania next Turn, right under Stalin's nose. It takes me five microseconds to say Ja!, because Russian mobilization is so low currently that even a 10% jump is not that scary right now.

Plus by joining the Reich's protectorate Lithuania will supplement my MPP production each turn, so the vig's nice enough to risk pissing off Stalin.




The second one offers me to convert the hull of Graf Zeppelin to an Aircraft Carrier for a measly 200MPP paid over 8 Turns. It will arrive only in January 1942, but i will come fully equiped.

At that price given that I take Lithuania, it is rather a bargain and I want to have some naval muscle to compete with Britain in the North Sea. Germany does not suffer any lack of MPP from it, so Ja! for me again.

[Drakken]

What is the restriction on non-German units operating against the Soviet Union, if any?

USSR can only join the war against Axis. At 0%, it simply means that Russia will take longer to join the war.

If Germany sits on its ass, it is ineluctable that USSR will intervene and declare war against Germany when it has more troops. I'll have to check the exact rules, but IIRC when USSR has a ratio superiority in troops its mobilization starts ticking toward 100%. This is realistic with Hitler's real fear of letting Stalin reorganize and rearm on Germany's rear, and it encourages the Axis player to go for Barbarossa on Germany's own terms.

[Drakken]

Seems like another WW2 game that just doesn't get naval combat.  Not only are U-boats way OP in 1939, but the supreme commander of Germany is having to tell them when to run silent, run deep and when to resupply.

It's a computer board game, not ASL. To me it strikes a nice balance between an outrageously simplified game like Axis & Allies and an horrifyingly complicated game like WiF. And IMHO, against an Allied player who knows the Allies' early limitations, but also its early strengths, I would not be able to play like I do, because odds are he would not allow me to. As you can see, Germany is very vulnerable in the West while all troops are stuck in Poland...

With each individual attack there is a chance that the defending submarine dives on its own and start running Silent. Plus, running Silent prevents from raiding and decreases range, but decreases chances to be spotted by half. Still, they can be spotted and attacked even in Silent mode.

[Habbaku]

What is the restriction on non-German units operating against the Soviet Union, if any?

USSR can only join the war against Axis. At 0%, it simply means that Russia will take longer to join the war.

If Germany sits on its ass, it is ineluctable that USSR will intervene and declare war against Germany when it has more troops. I'll have to check the exact rules, but IIRC when USSR has a ratio superiority in troops its mobilization starts ticking toward 100%. This is realistic with Hitler's real fear of letting Stalin reorganize and rearm on Germany's rear, and it encourages the Axis player to go for Barbarossa on Germany's own terms.

That isn't at all what I was asking.

I'm asking what restriction there is on Axis minors sending troops to fight the Soviets.

[Drakken]

What is the restriction on non-German units operating against the Soviet Union, if any?

USSR can only join the war against Axis. At 0%, it simply means that Russia will take longer to join the war.

If Germany sits on its ass, it is ineluctable that USSR will intervene and declare war against Germany when it has more troops. I'll have to check the exact rules, but IIRC when USSR has a ratio superiority in troops its mobilization starts ticking toward 100%. This is realistic with Hitler's real fear of letting Stalin reorganize and rearm on Germany's rear, and it encourages the Axis player to go for Barbarossa on Germany's own terms.

That isn't at all what I was asking.

I'm asking what restriction there is on Axis minors sending troops to fight the Soviets.

Sorry. None, AFAIK.

[Habbaku]

Is it feasible to just send the majority of the Italians off to fight the Soviets in hope of a faster knock-out, then? 

[Drakken]

Is it feasible to just send the majority of the Italians off to fight the Soviets in hope of a faster knock-out, then? 

If he is willing to give up Lybia and leaving Italy vulnerable to an Allied invasion doing so, sure.

[jimmy olsen]

What is the restriction on non-German units operating against the Soviet Union, if any?

USSR can only join the war against Axis. At 0%, it simply means that Russia will take longer to join the war.

If Germany sits on its ass, it is ineluctable that USSR will intervene and declare war against Germany when it has more troops. I'll have to check the exact rules, but IIRC when USSR has a ratio superiority in troops its mobilization starts ticking toward 100%. This is realistic with Hitler's real fear of letting Stalin reorganize and rearm on Germany's rear, and it encourages the Axis player to go for Barbarossa on Germany's own terms.

The allies seriously contemplated bombing the Soviets because of their invasion of Finland. Can that happen?

[Drakken]

The allies seriously contemplated bombing the Soviets because of their invasion of Finland. Can that happen?

Fortunately for the Allies, not in the base game.

However, I am sure it has found its way into one of the more serious mods. I'd have to look in Fall Weiss II.

[Duque de Bragança]

He gets unfairly tarred by that. Like he could have stood alone against Germany with both the British and his own military telling him to cave. I mean there is political courage and then there is suicide. He wanted to and might have even done it until his Airforce came with that scaremongering stuff.

Anyway I look forward to the genius of Maurice Gamelin putting the Axis in their place.

Yeah Chamberlain and Lord Halifax on one hand, and the French top brass on the other are more to blame.  This anecdote supports it: when coming home from Munich, Daladier expected to be insulted then was surprised to be applauded, he mumbled "Ah les cons! S'ils savaient".

Après la signature des accords, à son retour en France, Daladier imagine qu'il sera hué pour avoir cédé à Hitler, les accords de Munich octroyant aux nazis une partie de la Tchécoslovaquie sans contreparties significatives, hormis des promesses de paix. À sa grande surprise, il est acclamé à sa sortie de l'avion au Bourget par une foule qui le perçoit comme le sauveur de la paix. Il aurait alors marmonné devant le diplomate Alexis Leger : « Ah les cons ! S'ils savaientn 1. » Dans ses Mémoires, Daladier dira de façon plus modérée : « Je m'attendais à recevoir des tomates et j'ai reçu des fleurs. »

It's wiki, but I have seen from other reputable sources.
Reminds me of a EU French forumer nicknamed Supergamelin (sic). I asked him once what would be his super Saar offensive but got not real answer.

[Drakken]

Axis Turn 8: Setting up the chessboard

We are now February 10th, 1940. Late Fall and Winter turns skip faster, counting for 21 days each turn compared to 11 days for the remaining of the year.

Most units on the Western front are now refitted and ready to strike as soon as good weather sets in and my new units are available. And they are starting to arrive: Already, 18th Army and 1st Fallschirmjäger are now ready to be deployed.



I displace two Corps towards the rear and place both of them in vicinity of Cologne. Student's Paratroops will fly and jump in the Netherlands, while 1st FSJ will jump behind Belgian lines, hoping to cut their supply lines in the rear. 

I also take the occasion that my airplanes being stuck in hangars to spend MPPs to upgrade all my Fighters to Advanced Aircraft, plus and my Medium Bomber to Advanced Ground Weapon 1 in preparation for the coming invasion. This is with the British in mind, in case I decide to go for Sealion...



Moving around my u-boats, some of them toward the North Sea, U-32 has fallen straight into a Polish destroyer that fled to England after Operation Peking. Exchange of fire scratching the u-boat, but U-32 was able to move a few hexes away. However, the Allies are now alerted and will have a region to concentrate their naval might to search for u-boats.

Plus, now U-32 is away from the convoy lines - they have to be on it or one-hex away to raid.




In Italy, I receive the only units being produced at the start of the game: Gariboldi's shitty 4-rated HQ unit (Graziani's 5-rated) and I Corps, not even at full strength.

Pipeline is now empty: Good luck, Raviolis. 



I move Graziani's to BENGHAZI!!!!, aiming for Mekili as the main HQ and supply base because Tobruk is too vulnerable to naval bombardments. Meanwhile, Gariboldi will head to Albania for some 'leisure vacation' in Tirana, Albania.