N44, 11th June

More than three weeks later, finally i will report on our progress in N44. Probably the only ones reading this journal are  the American players but nevertheless, i have the task of completing it and i will do my duty.

Weather: Overcast 2.

Only one day of clear weather and Allied Airplanes can not give support to the land forces.

Utah Beach:

After the fall of Crisbecq strongpoint and with most of his units routed/disrupted in this area, German has quickly moved any available reserves to make a front line at Montebourg. But the line is thin and a few units have the difficult task of guarding Merderet river.
Probably still overconfident from the success of the last turn, American has launched a complete series of attacks to break the front before German can get more reinforcements. Most of the attacks finished with Germans forced to retreat but the Axis gave clear orders to make determined defenses. But all of them failed and American gained a lot of room for maneuvering in this turn.

 

Omaha Beach:

At Omaha, German has decided to retreat behind Naval Bombardment line. The arriving units of the 77th Infantry Div will help to stop the advance of the Americans. Panzer Lehr units were redeployed to better fill the gaps.
American tried to open the position around Isigny-sur-Mer looking for connecting Omaha Beach with Utah beach. The poor Germans abandoned at the flooded hex were easily eliminated by the 2nd Armored Division. However at Isigny-sur-Mer, the attack leaded by the Rangers has failed.

 

CW Beaches.

Firmly placed at Tilly-sur-Seulles, 12th SS Pz Div launched and counterattack against the already weakened units of the 50th British Inf Div with the goal of making at least a cadre unit. But the attack failed and British quietly retreated from the first line of battle.
British attacked at the proximity of Caen trying to enter into the City. Up to three different attacks has been reported in this day. All of them were performed at low odds but with the valuable help of the Naval Bombardment.
At Buron, German rolled a nice '1' to fail his Determined Defense and retreat into Caen, letting the British to enter into the town. Feeling that the line will be impossible to maintain, German decided not to defend Epron and retreat also there.

In overall a good turn for the Allied. With bad weather, overcast 2, they have made good progress at Utah and Caen.

 

After writing this report, I believe that we have made some mistakes in the rules. I will note them and at the end of the game i will try to summarize the easy-to-forget /misunderstood rules.

TURN 7 spring 1863 "For the people"

Union begins prepearing an army for Grant, first great union leader of the war (activation rating=1, defense=3, attack=3) the best possible numbers in game for all ratings. (...the same as Lee, Forrest or Sherman). South plays one of the events that let him to put reinforcements on board, in this case (Chief of ordnance). Then north builds Army of the Cumberland (AoC), Sherman in charge (anyone shocked). Most of northern armies  had name of a river, on the other hand, southern armies had state names. South plays again an event to get reinforcement (bad thing for me!)

After all this prepearing actions AoC gets down West Virginia in order to reach Senandoah valley, but the way is log as every space must be converted (put a flag on it) in order to have a LOC (supply), so an army runs just three spaces if it is moving into enemy territory. Lee's AoW moves north to smash northern defences at Frederick (Va)...but this time McClellan AoP fails interception and it becomes a grey's victory. Gate to Washington DC is OPEN now, after Frederick battle, the rest of federal corp retreats back to Gettysburg. Army of the west continue moving (as it had before battle more than double strength points), and converts Frederick, defeats the small Baltimore garrison and comes back to Frederick for not being trapped in case of a northern attack.

Here comes maybe one of the first mistakes seen how the war was, the sacrifice of AoC in order to displace Richmond. AoC goes direct onto Richmond without LOC playing a Minor Campaign card, this allowed me to play a second activation tha twill sure make Richmond fall. This was the way it was, fail the first dr, Richmond didn't fall at the first time, but then, Butler's corp with 10000 men enter at Richmond displacing south capital (without flagging it!, as NO LOC). At the moment:

USA SW= 113(+)
CSA SW=63(-)   ...Always when scoring at FtP have to say if (+) or (-), just to mark how the tide of war goes. If you was (-) an add some sw (victory points) for any circumstances, then you win 2sw more for "Change of fortune". When you pass from (+) to (-) then loose 3sw.  Now Confederacy played a "Major campaign" allowing him to do three activations in a row. First sent an corp to strike Grant's AoC, northern victory but AoC has only 3sp. Then south send another corp, that were defeated again by Grant, but it was the swan song as in the third activation AoNV gets down to Petersburg and it was destroyed at the end, it had a cost of 10sw for loosing an army marker and 3sw for "change of fortune". Two northern leaders died in all these actions, Rosecrans and Pleasonton.

Then, with AoC destroyed AoP moved to try to help a surrounded WDC and advanced to Maryland, but was intercepted at Baltimore by Lee's AoW. After that. AoNV goes to the front line again and in the way secures Ft Monroe to reopen Norfolk port. Hooker were then detached from AoP and went to Grafton, pick up almost all the garrison troops and moved to Strasburg. South placed then an ironclad CSS Arkansas to close vital suplly line of WDC. This will be dramatic later for the north!!!.

For the end of the turn, north plays "Grierson Raid" and places two PC markers at Hanover (Va) and Frederick (Md). That left both confederate armies without LOC. I think it is a "risky" bet that went wrong,  it could  have been used to place one of the flags to eliminate CSS Arkansas from Aqua Creeck opening supply line to WDC.  South reacted sending  general Polk corp from AoNV to reopen the vital suplly line from Hanover to Frederick... then AoP failed to intercept rolling a "5" and all the plan failed.

All in this turn happened at this  area of the war (east). This is just before the last Polk move, when he    opened the LOC for both southern armies and raided Maryland. At the end after all moves Hanover and Frederick (and Annapolis) changed to the south and it meant that AoNV, AoW didn't had to pass atrittion, could receive vital reinforcements, Washington DC was unsupplied, and all three spaces at Maryland were in southern hands, it meant a Raid, -5sw for the union, +5sw for the south.(Due to CSS Arkansas closing Potomac river at Aqua Creek). So union complete disaster.

Blockade level=3
                                                   USA            CSA
Turn casualties (battle) 75000           65000
Attrition                             15000            5000
                                                                                             USA           CSA
ALL WAR CASUALTIES (including attrition): 315000       230000      

WWII:BtB, Turn 13, Spring 44

 

Again we have seen a calm spring. Stalin gave orders to Stand Fast  around the Crimean Front while Fuhrer did not interfere with his OKW.

There has been several movements in France. German has been bringing more units to establish a defensive front from Oldenburg to Stuttgart. In the meantime, American has landed the powerful Third Army and has taken control of most of France sending the bulk of his units south towards Metz, liberated by the Americans, and Belfort, where British were the first Allied units to enter. In spite of the numerical superiority, Allied did not initiate the expected offensive.

In Russia, German has deployed the newly created 10th Army and the rebuilt 4PZ Army to close the hole in the North. They have been sent as a mobile reserve at Bialystok ready to react any Soviet offensive.
But the only combat that the war have seen during Spring was a limited attack against Melitopol where Russian Mechanized Fronts crushed the weak Hungarian garrison and destroyed the defensive trench system built by the Axis troops.

Allied has prepared a strategic bombing of Ruhr area with the play of the 8th US Air force (to reduce Axis hand by 2 next turn) but it was effectively rejected by FW-190 (winning 1VP for Axis, good card timing).

 

In Africa, British has spent most of the Spring to bring some reinforcements from Egypt to Tunisia. It looks like British is preparing the final attack on Tunis to completely free Africa from Axis units.

Map at the end of Spring 44

Losses:

HU: 4steps

VP: +5 for Axis (Axis win 1 Vp for playing FW-190 and Allied have taken in the Attrition phase Brest and Bordeaux).

WWII:BtB, Turn 12, Winter 44

 

After a turns of calm, again OKH gave orders to the German Armies for attacking Allied positions whereas Stalin command his Fronts at Rostov, Kharkov and Pskov to Stand Fast.

Opening movements saw the Germans trying to stop Allied invasion in France and reinforcing his Caucasian Front.

With the knowledge of German movements for this turn given by the play of Enigma, Allied answered by successfully attacking at Calais for opening the beach before German could play for Atlantic trenches. In spite of the losses suffered by the British Armies, Calais was liberated and German force retreated to Antwerp.
Then, the three German SCU units still deployed at Norway and Denmark were called back to help into the defense of the Western Front to make a defensive lines at Reims and Antwerp. But Allied continued to push and assaulted Antwerp with a combined American-British force.

In Russia, Soviets have retaken Riga and advanced into Perekop menacing Hungarian positions at Melitopol from their rear.  But Hungarian resisted the attack and kept Melitopol at Axis hands.  Winter conditions did not help for the Russian offensive and with the Allied fully concentrated in the Invasion of France the operations were halted at this Front.

After the Battle for Antwerp Allied took a breath in their offensive and a series of strategic operations were seen in the Western Front.

 

First, both sides sent reinforcements to the area. German deployed 1st FJ Army at Ruhr and Allied sent to the beaches the 1st Canadian Army that it was the first unit to enter Belgium. German finally pushed their production industry by playing Speer that will allow the built of two more Panzer Armies. Both commanders played for replacements and, by the end of the turn, Axis decide to retreat to defensive positions at Saar and Ruhr in France. Allied ended Winter by Clearing the Scheldt, opening the port at Antwerp and establishing there their supply source that will allow to bring more units closest to the battle.

Map at the end of Winter 44.

Losses:

Russian: 4, US: 3, British: 5 steps

German: 12 steps, Hungarian: 4 steps.

VP: +7 for Axis (lost of Antwerp and failed to make MO).

WWII:BtB, Turn 11, Fall 43

 

No orders for the German this turn whereas Allied are compelled to attack.

After the defeat of the Allied invasion last turn, German redeployed his 18th Army from Calais to Dvinsk with the goal to reinforce his weak Army Group North.

In the meantime, Russian prepared an offensive to cross Strait of Kerch trying to liberate Crimea.

First assault was leaded by Soviet shock Armies with the support of a Mechanized Front. But the combined German-Hungarian forces managed to defeat the attack and almost destroyed Russian Infantry.
	Soviet decided to commit more troops into the area and the second assault was performed by two full Mechanized Fronts. This time Germans were clearly outnumbered and the remaining of his Panzer Army was forced to retreat to Nikopol liberating the road towards the liberation of Sevastopol.

The turn then moved into a series of logistics operations, with both sides looking for replacements and some strategic redeployments. Most of the operations were made at the North were Germans and Soviets maneuvered to prepare the new front line.

But, at the very end of the Fall, Allied launched Operation Round-Up and invaded France again at Calais. The experience of the previous year will be very useful to not commit the same errors as in the past.

This time two Mechanized Armies are sent in the first wave of the invasion. However weather conditions are not optimal in Fall for such a landing and in the first attack, Allied were stopped at the beaches.

As second wave, Allied sent a reduced British Army and rebuilt the destroyed American Army.

Map after replacements:

Losses:

Russian: 4 steps, American: 3

German: 6 steps, Romanian: 2 steps.

VP: +9 VP for Axis (lost Sevastopol this turn).

TURN 6 fall 1862 "For the people"

Good times for the union this turn. ( ...two turns left yet for hard days to come!)

No surprises in interphase stuff, AoP defends Maryland frontier with two strong corps, one in Frederick (Hooker) and another one at Grafton (Rosecrans) and one strong corp for Pope in Tennesse border to threaten Mississippi supply lines. Confederate reinforces a very strong Lee's AoW and a weaker AoNV to back cover. In the west a corp for Jackson (suported by cavalry brigades) to halt any union adventure to Mississippi forts.

To begin Union decides to spread out over a wide area to close Richmond supply line via Tenessee and to threaten Georgia. Greys attack Grafton with biological weapons (disentery) and reduces Rosecrans troops from 6sp to 5sp. Then north cavalry troops raid Hanover (Va) in order to cut supply for both confederate armies. AoNV quickly answers turning back south to reopen  vital supply lines. McDowell at Misouri begons to accumulate foods and bullets to prepare his offensive to Arkansas. Confederate spies inform of McDowell plans and greys build a fort in "little rock" (Ar). Meanwhile Van Dorn returns wit his 10000 men to AoW.

After half of the autumn preparing his supplies McDowell moves and spreads over a wide area of Arkansas, reaching even New Madrid (Misouri) in the Mississippi river. Southern political preassure flips support in two Misouri spaces, St Louis and Ironton leaving McDowell corps without supply after so delay to advance!!.

In the west, Anaconda plan of general Scott arises blockade level to three. (good point for blues). But Confederate men were preparing a smashing coup, using rail concentration card (Chickamauga) rises AoW to is limit of 15sp (75000 men) and launched a surprise attack to Frederick (Md). There Hooker seeing what was coming asked for help to McClellan's AoP. Once again, old McLellan didn't fail and reach Frederick just in time to defeat Lee in a wild fight with about 55000 casualties. This big battle was quickly reported all over the country rising Union strategic will. Smith and Freemont leaders among others died there at Frederick fields.

Union continues with political warfare and reopens supply for McDowell believing AoW will seek for rest after last battle. Antoher mistake, Lee's AoW fearless goes through Senandoah battle to try now on the other side of northern defences.  But again McClellan reachs Harper Ferry to fight another battle (mid battle this time) in order to defeat greys again. Buell dies this time.

Misouri joins the union at last, but people is tired of war after two years of war (war weariness ) leaving score:
Union SW= 110 (-)
Csa SW=81 (-)

A good tunr for the union considering there were 4 "1" cards in hand. McClellan intercepting capacities also helped! only had 44% of hiting both interceptions.
                                                  Union                Confederation
turn casualties (battle): 40000                 40000
                     Attrtion:  15000                  5000

                                                                             Union         Confederation
All war casualties (including attrition)  225000          140000

                                              Situation in the west at the end "fall 1862"

N44, 10th June

 

After the big storm of the precedent day, sun is shinning again and Allied will enjoy a clear day.

This not only will give strong Naval and Allied support but also will reduce German mechanized movement by 2 points.

German reinforcements include 3FJ Div, 77Div.

Utah:

German relocated some defenses waiting for the Americans to attack. And the attack came towards the Crisbecq battery where a combined force of paratroopers and armored units assaulted the German fortification. At Carentan and St Mere Eglise, Allied were expecting the results of the attack and were massing more units with armor support. Germans spent his IP point by building construction of trench positions at Isigny-sur-Mer.

With all the Naval and Air support available, Americans rolled a ‘6’ to get a A1/D2 result. Then Germans are forced to retreat four hexes (no DD possible) and must abandon the fortress.  This cleared the road towards Valognes as only a small Ost unit is guarding the outskirts of Montebourg.

Omaha:

Concentration of forces was the key in this movement as Americans attacked the Pz Lehr units that were guarding an important crossroad south of the Trevieres village. Germans were forced to retreat through bocage and Americans advanced into the zone.

 

CW Beaches:

German made some erroneous decisions here. The front line was still guarded by 12SS and 21st Pz Divisions. A counterattack was prepared at the Orne Channel, outside of Caen by Armored elements of the 21st Pz against 3rd Brit Div. However, in spite of the superior odds, Allied Air Superiority played an important role to help the British to maintain the position. This lets the German tanks exposed to a counterattack with the lack of infantry support.

Seeing  an opportunity to get into Caen, British commander did not hesitate and sent there elements of the 8th Div. Moreover, he decided to make a frontal assault along the whole line, with heavy artillery support.

However, German were able to keep their positions although they had suffered heavy losses, specially in the armored units.

Map at the end of Day.