Game 92

[Edwin]

You have your provinces back.... Alborg, Vejle, Viborg, Esjberg, Arhus, Copenhagen and Odense.... now Shoo.. or my ally will try and land on xStettin again and you won't be so lucky!

[Mickey]

The German ministry of foreign affairs is delighted to see that Northern Russia has agreed to partake in the joint air-and-naval exercises off the Baltic coast. A slight misunderstanding seems to erupt into a conflict when the Russian fleet admiral seems uninformed it was to be a life fire exercise and engaged German forces to kill, but the discussion ended quickly with the sinking of his flagship.

 

Ministry of Propaganda on behalf of the Reichskanzlerei.

 

 

(Ouch, 5500 SHIP, that gotta hurt my Russian friend...)

[Saint Michael]

Northern Russia is still fighting====Very interesting

[Mickey]

Northern Russia is still fighting====Very interesting

 

Why would he not be?!? He conquered most of Finland, part of Baltic States (you can see his activity in the RWE of only 1 turn ago)) and now is facing South-West...

[Mickey]

Aah, the heroism of German sailors is examplified in the bravery of destroyer Z23 code-number 130, who was rushed off the docks straight into the hunt for the large Russian battlefleet threatening the Prussian coast.

 

DD(Z23)-130 rushed bravely into battle against withering fire of the enemy battleships, giving the elegant Prins Eugen class cruisers and the majestic Bismarch-class battleships the chance to approach unmolested. She and her sisters rushed straight into the enemy destroyer screen, pushing it back to close in on the lumbering Marats and unleash their torpedoes. DD(Z23)-130 was gallant and unwavering in her torpedo run, sinking 2 destroyers before she reached the (by then severely damaged) battleships to go toe-to-toe with them at what even bayonet-wielding infantry would call VERY close range:

 

DD(Z23)-130 (100%) is at yard marker 4132 and is maintaining the range and firing on BB(Marat)-36 at a range of 58 yards

2 of 58 5.9" shells hit

 

DD(Z23)-145 (84%) is at yard marker 8322 and is closing rapidly and firing on BB(Marat)-36 at a range of 4248 yards

1 of 4 5.9" shells hit

 

BB(Marat)-36 (35%) is at yard marker 4074 and is fleeing, but firing on DD(Z23)-145 at a range of 4248 yards

0 of 1 12" shells hit 0 of 4 4.7" shells hit

 

 

Even braver if you know the previous round:

 

 

BB(Marat)-15 (38%) is at yard marker -11151 and is fleeing, but firing on DD(Z23)-130 at a range of 17592 yards

0 of 1 12" shells hit

AD-23 (100%) is at yard marker -26796 and is fleeing the engagement

BB(Marat)-34 (68%) is at yard marker 2714 and is fleeing, but firing on DD(Z23)-130 at a range of 3727 yards

0 of 2 12" shells hit 0 of 9 4.7" shells hit

BB(Marat)-36 (40%) is at yard marker 4563 and is fleeing, but firing on DD(Z23)-130 at a range of 1878 yards

0 of 2 12" shells hit 0 of 6 4.7" shells hit

 

 

This brave destroyer faced off against three damaged battleships, even managing to fire her torpedoes a second time, but then fate caught up with her as she raced to yet another battleship to send her torpedoes in, the wrecked Marat getting of one last shot of her big guns before taking a torpedo in the side...

 

 

DD(Z23)-130 (84%) is at yard marker 2193 and is closing rapidly and firing on BB(Marat)-34 at a range of 1100 yards

0 of 5 5.9" shells hit

1 of 7 torpedoes hit with 0 duds

 

BB(Marat)-34 (13%) is at yard marker 1093 and is fleeing, but firing on DD(Z23)-130 at a range of 1100 yards

1 of 1 12" shells hit <*> 1 of 2 4.7" shells hit <*>

 

 

 

She will be remembered, her whole crew being given the Iron Cross for valor and bravery in the face of overwhelming force. Her destruction did not go unavenged, as the proud Bismarcks hunting down the squadron of Russian battleships finished of the already slightly keeling Marat:

 

 

BB(Bismarck)-31 (100%) is at yard marker 12145 and is closing rapidly and firing on BB(Marat)-34 at a range of 11052 yards

0 of 2 15" shells hit 1 of 4 5.9" shells hit 3 of 14 4.1" shells hit

BB(Bismarck)-35 (100%) is at yard marker 12145 and is closing rapidly and firing on BB(Marat)-34 at a range of 11052 yards

0 of 2 15" shells hit 2 of 4 5.9" shells hit 3 of 14 4.1" shells hit

BB(Bismarck)-36 (100%) is at yard marker 12145 and is closing rapidly and firing on BB(Marat)-34 at a range of 11052 yards

0 of 2 15" shells hit 0 of 4 5.9" shells hit 0 of 14 4.1" shells hit

BB(Bismarck)-37 (100%) is at yard marker 12145 and is closing rapidly and firing on BB(Marat)-34 at a range of 11052 yards

0 of 2 15" shells hit 2 of 4 5.9" shells hit 2 of 14 4.1" shells hit

1 secondary explosion was observed on the target

 

 

A minute of silence was given at Berlin HQ for the brave sailors of DD(Z23)-130.

[Mickey]

For those interested in how thoroughly mangled the Russian fleet got last turn:

 

This is what he started his turn with:

 

 

DEFENDER STARTING FORCES

 

Task Force 3

Ship Name Experience % Effective Ship Name Experience % Effective

Tashkent, DD-11 Green 100% Tashkent, DD-12 Veteran 100%

Tashkent, DD-13 Green 100% Tashkent, DD-14 Line 100%

Marat, BB-15 Green 100% Tashkent, DD-16 Line 100%

Tashkent, DD-17 Green 100% Tashkent, DD-18 Veteran 100%

Tashkent, DD-19 Line 100% Tashkent, DD-20 Line 100%

Tashkent, DD-21 Line 100% Tashkent, DD-22 Line 100%

AD-1, AD-23 Line 100% Tashkent, DD-24 Line 100%

Tashkent, DD-25 Line 100% Tashkent, DD-26 Green 100%

Tashkent, DD-27 Line 100% Tashkent, DD-28 Green 100%

Tashkent, DD-29 Green 100% Marat, BB-30 Green 96%

Marat, BB-31 Line 100% Leningrad, DD-32 Line 100%

Leningrad, DD-33 Green 100% Marat, BB-34 Green 97%

Marat, BB-35 Green 100% Marat, BB-36 Line 100%

AD-1, AD-37 Line 100% Marat, BB-38 Green 100%

Marat, BB-39 Green 100% Marat, BB-54 Green 100%

Uragan, DE-55 Veteran 100% Uragan, DE-56 Line 100%

Uragan, DE-57 Green 100% Uragan, DE-58 Green 100%

Uragan, DE-59 Green 100% Uragan, DE-60 Line 100%

Uragan, DE-61 Line 100% Uragan, DE-62 Green 100%

Uragan, DE-63 Green 100% Uragan, DE-64 Green 100%

Marat, BB-76 Green 100% Marat, BB-77 Green 96%

Marat, BB-78 Green 92% Marat, BB-79 Green 100%

Marat, BB-80 Green 100% Marat, BB-81 Green 100%

AD-1, AD-82 Green 100% AD-1, AD-83 Green 100%

AD-1, AD-84 Green 100% AD-1, AD-85 Green 100%

 

 

And this is what he had left after the German navy had run out of MUN:

 

 

DEFENDER ENDING FORCES

 

Task Force 3

Ship Name Experience % Effective Ship Name Experience % Effective

Marat, BB-15 Green 14% AD-1, AD-23 Line 100%

AD-1, AD-37 Line 100% Marat, BB-80 Green 23%

AD-1, AD-82 Green 100% AD-1, AD-83 Line 100%

AD-1, AD-84 Green 100% AD-1, AD-85 Green 100%

[Ike]

That are a lot of SHIP points against 1 destroyer

[Mickey]

That are a lot of SHIP points against 1 destroyer

 

Well, both fleets were well over 5000 SHIP with almost maxed out shipcount, so it's bound to get a little unequal here and there. The german fleet had a great advantage that all ships were roughly equally fast, so i got the chance to first take out his very fast destroyers with my whole fleet while the Marats were at a distance, then the whole fleet faced the Marats after all DD's/DE's were gone, where my DD's drew the Marat's fire while the capital ships fired unopposed, with none ending the battle under 97%.

[Mike B]

Hopefully, someone can convince the Brit guy to NOT commit Hari-Kari against Ireland.

His and Ireland resources would be much better targetted against Canada-Iceland.

[Ike]

Ireland had to see this comming, like Morocco and Algeria are being used by a clever Spaniard

[Edwin]

Hopefully, someone can convince the Brit guy to NOT commit Hari-Kari against Ireland.

His and Ireland resources would be much better targetted against Canada-Iceland.

 

I think a lot of British politicians in the House of Commons are doing exactly that for the last few turns...

 

Fire them all!

[Mickey]

Ireland had to see this comming, like Morocco and Algeria are being used by a clever Spaniard

 

Algeria was already dying when Tunisia overran them and Morocco seems to be doing just fine alongside the Spanish... i'm sure your coalition would have preferred to see them suffer the fate now becoming the Tunisian spearheads so you could pick up the pieces, but i think Morocco prefers it like this, alive and kicking.

[Hamish]

Algeria was already dying? That's history being rewritten..... Algeria and Libya declared war on me, and they gave Morocco an airbase and territory on my border. I only declared war on Morocco to prevent her from moving armies there. I don't think any other country fought Algeria in this game but me, but you say Algeria was already dying?

If they hadn't screwed up their assaults the way they did I would not be here to tell about it. But they did and here I am. Unfortunately Morocco and Algeria decided that screwing up this game by giving up their country to Spain was more fun than to just try to defend against anyone invading them. Algeria attacking me at xBrezina while Spain was taking xBayadh with a couple of divisions is just an example.

 

And now GB has finally shown how trustworthy this alliance is? I just hope Morocco realizes that Spain is just using her and if he succeeds in conquering Algeria, she is next. If she does, it would make things even more interesting in North Africa. Since I have never directly attacked a Moroccan army, she must have plenty of divisions ready to push Spain out of her country, yet she refuses to do so. Instead she is bombing me (or my allies since I put up that FC) and letting Spain rail lots of divisions into Africa. Amazing how such a silly small decision not to play like you should can affect the balance of the game.

[Mickey]

Heh, in no way am i trying to belittle the excellent achievement of Tunisia in fending of a 2-against-1 (3-against-1 if counting Lybia) attack and turning the tables on the Algrian/Moroccan team. You fought very well, turning it round and taking the battle to Algerian soil. When Spain intervened, you had already overrun eastern Algeria, isolated Algiers (it still is) and taken all but one of the major cities in western Algeria while your buddy Egypt began advancing through Algeria in the south, heading towards the oil fields. THAT was the situation Spain dove into, and THAT is a situation of Algeria already dying; had Spain remained in Europe, Algeria would have been gone in a few turns.

 

I do not see how you call getting some real resistance 'screwing up this game' though... that's a very personalized attack statement showing a lot of frustration. Spain had planned going to Africa from the beginning of the game, as she was practically cut off from the rest of mainland Europe by France being her TA and Italy being the terrain it is. The first idea, when we saw the political lay-out of Africa/Middle-East, was to fight with Egypt and her remaining TA's against a Moroccan/Algerian/Libian mass that would have just finished eating up Tunisia. However, around turn 12-15, when the preparations for activities in Spain were done, it had already become clear that the bigger group was low on experience and was being beaten up without a breath of a chance, with Tunisia (and Egypt) becoming the opponents-to-beat for Spain to expand in the mid-/long term. The simplest way would have been to invade Morocco and take that production before turning east, we had little doubt Spain could do that as she'd had the extra production of Portugal for 10 turns already.

However, several deliberations, not all of which i'm going to expand on here, made Spain offer Morocco to work alongside her and have a good shot at finishing the game. I wil be happy to discuss/explain this more off-line, but suffice to say Spain offered Morocco a lifeline and she took it, which makes perfect sense for her.

 

Uptick: this makes the war in Africa a 2-on-2 contest, both sides controlling roughly 3,5-4 countries worth of production, which in my view is much more interesting than you eating up the entire continent with twelve more legendary fortresses with INF/AAA filling being your only opposition. This, coupled with the rising war in the Med, where Turkey, France and Greece will chime in, should make this a very interesting game. Just as much as i as Germany look forward to the war extravaganza of Hungary, Poland, Northern Russia and perhaps even Sweden bearing down on poor little Greater Germany, with Switzerland coming to my aid after he transferred the war against Yugoslavia to france after France beat Italy who currently... etc.!!! Man, with a grand Atlantic/North Sea war in the making as well where Canada, Iceland and Sweden will be taking on Great Britain and the German battle fleet, this is shaping up to be an epic game!!!

[Hamish]

I'm not accusing Spain of screwing up the game, but Algeria and to a lesser extent Morocco. I don't think having your nation declared war upon and then offering no resistance at all while you are fighting elsewhere, just because you like one side better than the other, is the right thing to do. It is what is called a kingmaker play in other games. Morocco never answered my e-mails, we could have made a deal. As you know, my TAs are in the middle east, and by now you know I have British tech. I was not planning on conquering Africa when this game started. Obviously Libya was a target since he separated me from my TAs, but after that I could have crossed the Mediterranean. I was drawn into this conflict by Algeria and Morocco, and now I'm being accused of wanting to conquer all of Africa? Morocco didn't need a lifeline, she needed to talk to me.

And while I have had to fight hard for the territory I control now, especially at the start of the game, Spain has had a pretty smooth ride so far, Portugal offering little resistance as far as the RWE show, and Algeria an Morocco all too willing to give her (didn't know we had another female player there ) everything she needed to walk into Africa.

 

And that's what I'm frustrated about.....