Fall Grau 1.16 [US side]

[Menschenfresser]

Fall Grau
...some deep thoughts...

This is the US side of a match between Mantis and myself. His AAR is in a different thread. Though it isn't frugal of me, I decided to open my own thread. I did so mainly because this allows us both to go on at our own paces, preventing the inevitable case of one side posting three turn summaries back to back. Perhaps once done, we can integrate them...if we get off our lazy asses, that is.

I kinda like this scenario because of its unpredictability. Once the game gets underway, the playbacks for the US become nerve-wracking to watch. The Axis seaborne units stretching out like a serpent coiling through the water will test your TOAW nerve for sure. In our previous aborted game, I would watch long lines of German units snake down the East Coast, and each time they made a motion toward the shore...I would gasp, and whisper, "Oh, no...not there...please not there." And as the units snaked away from the shore, I could sit back and relax for a few more seconds.

I haven't played that far into the scenario, so I don't know how much a chance the Amis have. I suppose I will find out...before your very eyes. The gist, for those who haven't seen the AARs over at TDG, is that the Axis have to capture a decent amount of my 10 point cities every 18 turns, as that is when the US replacement rate doubles. These 10 point cities cause me to lose 10% of my replacement rate. Roughly, or so I am told, this translates into the Axis needing to capture 6-8 each 18 turns. If they fail to, I will soon have a rate of over 150%. If I fail to defend enough of them, I might be looking at a 40% rate even after it has just doubled. You do the math.

I won't open a thread in the main forum...but please feel free to add comments about mine to the one Mantis has already started.

Turn One
Mantis opened by establishing three initial beach heads, capturing three 10pt hexes and three 10% losses to my replacement rate--(from north to south) Quebec, Boston & Baltimore. He coupled this with five separate para drops across New England, positioned along roads and bridges to delay my reinforcements from reaching the beachheads on turn one. While this was troubling at first, several of the drops could have been better placed (i.e. the one SE of Quebec); however, in light of the possible hope of recovering these units, he might have dropped them within a comfort zone. I say these things probably only to comfort myself...most of my TOAW skill is a mind game directed toward myself. They are effective...particularly those near the lakes and on the east-west road in and out of Baltimore.

The opening of three fronts is an aggressive move. Launching all three attacks upon the northeast, denies me one of my advantages...and that is space. I cannot afford to give up anything for free because he is too close to the heartland. Baltimore and Boston threaten to pinch New York. The least worrying is the Quebec landing. (I say that now, knowing I'll probably eat my words.) Only Montreal (10vp) is threatened. Once that falls I can defend using the lakes and the massive territory of Canada. The other two can move in any direction and hit 10 point hexes without, or so it seems on turn one, even breaking a sweat.

The plan for my first few turns is to keep the pockets separated for as long as possible. I've moved up everything I can, forcing back German HQs at both Boston and Quebec. The next two turns will hopefully open one of them to counter-attacks, but this mainly depends on where I can get reinforcements to. Quebec is a good case, as many of the Canadian units are close. Overall, my long term mentality is one of no relief for the Krauts. My units will stack, pack and attack...everywhere possible...all the time....from Joy-see to Bah-ston, from Gee-oh-gia to Quebec.

Now for the details...

[Menschenfresser]

QUEBEC:
As you can see, I have a good deal here on turn one. Several units are moving down from Halifax to slow either a move up the coast or across the mountains. Eventually I'll be falling back to the Great Lakes. The same will probably happen for the Boston landing. He has to head toward Toronto and Sault St. Marie for this landing to prove most effective. Cutting off the extreme northeast is of little value in my mind alone, so I expect the bulk to race straight down the St. Lawrence River. I managed to push back a little, taking back an airport with the Polish airborne division. I tried to take back as many exposed airports as possible, knowing that eventually some might end up stationed back where they started. I have no idea if that happened...I seriously doubt it.

http://users.rcn.com/almut/Pics/Quebec1.html

[Menschenfresser]

BOSTON:
The biggest threat and the best first turn...

It's a threat because I'll never be able to get enough through the German paratroopers to respond as I would like, and anything heavily engaged here could run the risk of being cut off, or at best out of position. However, a valiant effort by the 15th Armored Division saw the destruction of the German's IV Corp HQ. A previous rout of the Fallschirmjaeger HQ has reduced the landing to three beach hexes. If nothing more this will cause him to widen the pocket before seriously adding units to the fire. I para dropped in HQs to add more strength to my defenses. Paradropping all of one's HQ units, simply because one has so little else that can immediately respond to the Germans, could be one of the more hair-brained things I'll attempt in this match, but I've tried to keep them from sure destruction. Albany and Hartford are both 10vp hexes. The units you see pocketing the Germans have orders to defend to the last man.

http://users.rcn.com/almut/Pics/Boston1.html

[Menschenfresser]

BALTIMORE:
250 kilometers west to Pittsburg; 150 north to Philadelphia; and 250 south to Norfolk. It will be a few turns before he has enough to go in all three directions at once, but I have a feeling he'll first press north, and once reinforced, move west as well. South is also a possibility, but not vital. The win for the Germans is to press toward the Lakes area from all three landings.

I see New York as this bastion of strength, but I hesititated from bleeding it dry of the units stationed there. I moved two Divs from 10th Corp and one from the 12th out to meet the Germans at the Maryland state line, keeping back the armored division...allowing it to gather more strength. I didn't quite make it to the mountains west of Baltimore. Hopefully on his turn two, he'll devote most of this strength northward, allowing me to begin the formation of a line running north to south within the hills.

My only counter attacks came against several of the para units. HQs have been deployed to keep them away from the landings or simply slow wherever they mean to go.

http://users.rcn.com/almut/Pics/Baltimore1.html

[Menschenfresser]

Turn 2
A predictable turn by any count. The Germans widened their landings with ease. My effort the bottle up the Boston beach head seemed to have little effect. At this point I am willing to bet that one or both of Albany and Hartford will fall next turn.

Rolling everything I can eastward...as if the entire continent has shifted. The corps on the west coast are staying put for now, but as soon as my rail increases, they will begin the trek. More airplanes arrived this turn as reinforcements. It's really the last thing I need right now as I already have an abundance. I suppose that if things get too bad, I'll take a play from the Japanese book and start crashing them into the German lines.

Washington DC fell, but honestly, I don't give a rat's ass because it has nothing to do with replacement rates. Victory Points be damned! Tanks and infantry moving up from the south--Atlanta and New Orleans should keep the Germans away from Norfolf for a few turns unless they make a concerted effort to get there. It's looking more like the first real line of the game will run down the App. Mountains. I predict another two turns before New York is effectively sealed off from the rest of the US. With landings at both Boston and Baltimore, and the Quebec landing diverting all the Canadian units, I have nothing I can position between the two German pistons closing on the city. Most likely I'll have to let the city fend for itself, drawing the line down from Lake Ontario, through the mountains and into Virginia or the Carolinas.

The Germans must be keeping most of their airforce on active duty, because we are both losing 100s of aircraft per turn. Many of my bombers are reorging.

Quebec saw the loss of the Polish paratroopers, but they will reconstitute soon and just out of spite, I'll drop them on the Reichstag. I'm sure they'll practically beg for such a mission. Although the Quebec Defense Force is mostly out of supply, I have enough cannon fodder to keep me going for a few turns. If things start to look bad, I can always run back to the Lakes; however, I need to hold Montreal as long as possible. With the Americans practically handing their over the keys to their cities, the Canadians feel it is their duty to pick up the slack.

I'm beginning to construct defensive contingincy plans, and I've included a top secret operations map, drawn up by the C&C's daughter on her Barbie laptop. The light green symbolizes where I see the first real lines forming over the next few turns. The pink is where I expect the first signs of stress as the Germans push toward 10 pt hexes, and the light blue are eventual fall back lines, using the lakes to reduce the number of units I'll need to hold them. As you can see, I've left out New York.

[Menschenfresser]

Turn 3
Ok...I'm writing this one from memory. Mantis just couldn't wait until I got home to get the turn back, so I did it covertly at work and stupidly forgot to send the end sal to myself so I could retrieve it for writing purposes. So if I exagerrate, cut me some slack...I need it.

Hartford fell this turn and Albany will next turn...unless a miracle happens. What's the Saint of Albany, NY, BTW?

Germans pushed to the outskirts of Philadephia from the Baltimore landing. They threw back a armored and infantry division like ragdolls which were guarding the pass through the hills to Pittsburg. I'd rather have him attack here than anywhere as it is one of the easier places to reinforce. New York is being squeezed even tighter. Soon my line in Connecticut will break and the Germans will pour around the end of Long Island Sound. A German Panzer Div landed at Boston and ended the turn positioned on the north side of the pocket east of Albany. Not sure where it's headed. Possibly to force a quick link up with the Quebec landing zone.

The brave Canadians forced back a German division at the gates of Montreal using just about everything in the area. With the line redrawn, units out of supply and the rest of the Canadians somewhere near Lake Manitoba, this is going to get worse before it gets less worse.

Taking volunteers for the 1st One-Way Air Division....we've got two thousand crop dusters barely fueled waiting on an airstrip in western PA.

Until my rail capacity rises, the American units will trickle in out of supply from crossing half the continent. I'm doing my best to fix several bridges leading to the front...but it ain't working. With the insane amount of track laid in the US in the 19th century, you'd think the Army could put together one regimental sized band of civilians to throw bridges back up and fix the rails. Jeez.

Just about everything which had come in contact with the Germans last turn is routed, retreating or reorging. Very little on the fronts to move. What little MPs remaining are used to dig in.

Soon as I find a hat, I'll try to pull something out of it.

[Menschenfresser]

Turns 4-7

I bet you thought I forgot about this little AAR...well, I tried, but I couldn't. Mantis' ability to manhandle my divisions has me shivering in cold sweats the whole night long. Well, actually, the game ground to a halt for various RL reasons. Hopefully we're back for good.

The Battle for Richmond:

As you can see, as of turn 7, Richmond has been holding out against what is a determined German effort. The SS Panzer Wiking is disturbing, but reinforcements are on the way. This front was much more stable until Mantis landed Wiking behind my lines, just south of Norfolk on turn 5 or 6. Norfolk is another 10 pt city. I doubt it will hold another turn, but it's presence this next turn will keep the Germans from pushing too far down the coast on turn 8.

[Menschenfresser]

Turn 7

Mountain Defense:

Here's a pic of the main defensive lines. The panzers along the road to Pittsburg are, I judge, to be the main thrust of the German effort. I'm going to try and hold Pittsburg for a few turns, but it may eventually be outflanked to the north. This is the gateway to the heartland. NY was lost some turns ago. Montreal was lost last turn and the Italians are on the outskirts of Ottawa...a 25 pt city.

Mantis has also decided to beach several division in Mexico. Usually this is a cakewalk on turn one, but I used almost all my rail capabilities to move in well supplied and strong American divisions from the west coast. I believe some national guard will show up next turn and I'll have to decide whether to send them to Mexico or the east. The more I put down south...the more Mantis has to put down south...far, far away from Detroit.

He's also sieging the Panamal canal, which does not lower supplies, but awards a good deal of points.

[Cmdr_Vessery]

Can somebody point me in the direction to acquire this scenario?

Or better yet, just email it to me.

thanks,

Vessery