Vokt (axis) vs Plaid (allies) 3.10 AAR

[Vokt]

Turn 38. September 10, 1941.

Eastern front Axis turn. Velikiye Luki, Bryansk, Chernigov and Dnepropetrovsk all fell to the advancing Axis forces. Crimean campaign started.

RAF strategic campaign in Germany continues Luftwaffe winning air combats so far(this turn by 3:2).

[Vokt]

Turn 39. September 30, 1941.

Axis forces took Stalino Kharkov held. at 1 step. Crimean campaign continued.

Western Europe. Luftwaffe permanently has 2 fighter units opposing RAF bombings. Dog fight combats scored 2:2 this turn.

Atlantic. RN is sort of struggling to properly escort convoys. This will be partially solved once already bought RN DD’s units (3) are available. And situation will change significantly once US (which has purchased 7 DD’s ) joins the Allies.

[Vokt]

Turn 40. October 20, 1941.

Eastern front Axis turn. Kharkov was taken. Kerch garrison held at very low strength a heavy German attack.

Eastern front aAllies turn. Soviet army is preparing to shift to the offensive when conditions are met. Several offensive commanders were bought.

In the Atlantic, 2 british DD’s bumped into 2 German subs for a 5:5 score.

[Cybvep]

I think that you are handling the Eastern Front well so far. You managed to create a strong defensive line quickly, which didn't give the Axis player much breathing space. I'm not sure whether the conquest of Greece and the delay of Barbarossa were worth it, unless they are the elements of a larger plan. I like the changes to air ranges made in 3.2, as they decrease the amount of necessary micromanagement and give the players more flexibility.

[Vokt]

Turn 41. November 9, 1941.

Mud in the east. Kerch fell to the Axis.

In Africa, Brits approached Axis positions in Libya.

In the Atlantic, another Allied DD sunk by German subs.

[Vokt]

Turn 42. November 29, 1941.

No Axis offensive actions.

Soviets busy preparing their Winter offensive.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Do you feel that Allied naval units have too low survivability vs subs? We want subs to prefer going after convoys and not escorts. At least full strength escorts. Finishing off very damaged escorts is ok.

These are the current bonuses in general.txt

BB_SURVIVABILITY_BONUS_VS_SUB 1 /* This number is added to the battleship survivability when defending against submarines */
CV_SURVIVABILITY_BONUS_VS_SUB 1 /* This number is added to the carrier survivability when defending against submarines */
DD_SURVIVABILITY_BONUS_VS_SUB 2 /* This number is added to the destroyer survivability when fighting submarines */

Do you think we could bump each value by 1?

I tend to use the higher speed of the surface ships to run from wolfpacks if I get depleted ships in engagements with subs. So quite often I get away and repair damage in port. Were you not able to disengage from the wolfpack and flee the area?

[Vokt]

I think that you are handling the Eastern Front well so far. You managed to create a strong defensive line quickly, which didn't give the Axis player much breathing space. I'm not sure whether the conquest of Greece and the delay of Barbarossa were worth it, unless they are the elements of a larger plan. I like the changes to air ranges made in 3.2, as they decrease the amount of necessary micromanagement and give the players more flexibility.

An early Barbarossa creates much more problems to the soviets than a late one. Futhermore, with the initial rail capability restrictions all of those units located all across the USSR cannot be redeployed immediately on the front line and you have to do that turn by turn. Creating ZOC dispositions and taking advantage of terrain allow the soviets to slow a litle initial axis fast advance.

Game has gained a lot with new air ranges. Not only they are more realistic than in 3.1 but also they give new chances to both axis and allies.

[Vokt]

Do you feel that Allied naval units have too low survivability vs subs?

I think current value is Ok. It adds more challenge for the allies in early game. My experience is that in early and mid game, engagements between subs and DD's are rather random so axis player going directly after DD's is not always successful. Another different question is when we have many German subs (let's say 4-5 units) attacking a lonely full strength DD. My feel is that the logical outcome of such scenario is the sinking of the allied naval unit. Success or less success of that operation will depend on the total number of steps lost by the subs so this is a choice for the axis player. Later, when DD's get really high ASW values, it is not worth at all for the subs to go after DD's. Not a choice anymore.

I tend to use the higher speed of the surface ships to run from wolfpacks if I get depleted ships in engagements with subs. So quite often I get away and repair damage in port. Were you not able to disengage from the wolfpack and flee the area?

On last turn sunk DD, this unit had not the chance to sail to a safer location since it bumped into a sub on the previous turn. I think the best thing to do is to escort bumped unit if you have available DD's around. This was not the case.

Also, let's remember that in real war many DD's were sunk by u-boats.

[Vokt]

Turn 43. December 19, 1941.

Severe Winter started. Soviet Winter offensive started NE of Sumy. The city was retaken and 2 German corps were killed. Air combats with Luftwaffe favoured VVS.

[Vokt]

Turn 44. January 8, 1942.

2 more German corps destroyed as a consequence of Red Army attacks.

RAF made a break on its strategic campaign for repairs.

Purchased DD units are becoming available. They are much needed on the struggle vs the sub menace in the Atlantic.

[Vokt]

Turn 45. January 28, 1942.

The Axis is trying to hold its positions on the east. As a result, more units are being destroyed: this turn 3 German corps and 1 Hungarian corps.

[Cybvep]

Good results in the East so far. I think that for the Axis it's usually better to withdraw and give ground rather than hold your ground and lose units during winter. The river line is the obvious choice, I'm surprised that Plaid didn't decide to move his units there. Anyway, as long as you are destroying units during winter, you are doing your job.

[Vokt]

Turn 46. February 17, 1942.

Still strong attacks from Red Army along Sumy-Kharkov sector. No Axis unit was killed this time but plenty of them ended halved or at low strength.

Western Europe. USAF will soon join RAF on its strategic campaign over Germany. For the first time in many turns air combats favoured RAF, dog fight upgrades being noted.

[Vokt]

Good results in the East so far. I think that for the Axis it's usually better to withdraw and give ground rather than hold your ground and lose units during winter. The river line is the obvious choice, I'm surprised that Plaid didn't decide to move his units there. Anyway, as long as you are destroying units during winter, you are doing your job.

It's a choice.

[Vokt]

Turn 47. March 9, 1942.

Strong and unexpected Wehrmacht counterattack destroyed 2 Soviet armoured units. Offensive action counted with intense air support from Luftwaffe. Soviets in return killed a German mech and a German corps.

Med. With air suport from Luftwaffe, the Axis took the initiative in Libya and desroyed a HQ Australian corps unit.

Southern convoy (20) was sunk by 2 German subs.

Bombings of Germany go now unopposed. They were extended to more targets.

[Vokt]

Turn 48. March 29, 1942.

Mud weather in the east. Offensive actions were much reduced. Still, Soviets managed to destroy a German corps near Chernigov in a concentrated attack.

[Vokt]

Turn 49. April 18, 1942.

Winter weather came back to the east. This allowed Red Army to make a further offensive effort that was rewarded with the liberation of Kharkov.

[Vokt]

Turn 50. May 8, 1942.

Once fair weather arrived again to the east, Germans immediately turned to the offensive. As a result, 2 Soviet corps were killed and a Soviet mech, halved. Later, in Allies turn, Red Army retreated.

[Vokt]

Turn 51. May 28, 1942.

Eastern front. Luftwaffe forces mostly concentrated in the south has, as a downside, that operations in the central sector of the front cannot be properly supported: a German assault without air support in Bryansk saw high losses on the attacking forces.

Soviets don't need at all to take risks so they retreated to Don river: