Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Ten

This is getting old fast:

The consequence of this is that supply has become a real problem. It will be hard for my units to maintain combat effectiveness going forward, given the absence of replacements, fuel, and ammunition.

Not only that, but the VP numbers are starting to go the wrong way:

Ian has cut off elements of the 78th Infantry, which were pushed way out to the east, as well as a unit of the 2nd Panzer, which I will need to rescue. Meanwhile, he has seized Hasting, which accounts for the 1 VP I lost.

The Front, Turn 10

First order of business: Freeing the 2nd Panzer.

Freeing the 2nd Panzer

Now that I’ve freed the 2nd Panzer, I try to close up the gap in the line by pushing back the British Tank Division to the west.

Attacking a British Tank

I force a retreat, but I would have preferred to shatter the unit.

Retreat

While attacking the western side of the line, I decide to eliminate the Swindon Home Guard unit that has been sitting there.

The Last Stand of the Swindon Home Guard

I also attack a weakened motorized brigade, supported by a couple of weakened infantry units.

Attacking a Weakened Motorized Brigade

I managed to do some damage to the units, eliminating the motorized and the engineer unit.

Did Some Damage

By the end of turn 10 the front has mostly stabilized. This is not good for me, because I need to capture London. If I am lucky, I can turn the western edge of the line and do some damage, but that doesn’t seem likely, especially with my supply difficulties.

The Front at the End of Turn 10

Things will continue over at Sugar Free Gamer.

Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Nine

Things are really going from bad to worse (or perhaps worse to worser). The supply situation is brutal, replacements are few and far between, and the British are wearing down my Panzers.

The Front, Turn Nine

Two encircled infantry units – not the Wehrmacht’s finest hour. First I try to free the trapped 15th Infantry:

Trying to Free the Trapped 15th

At least something goes right:

Success!

I then shuffle my units, attempting to create a new line. Hopefully my units Zone of Control will keep the British from breaching it:

Trying to Reestablish a Line

Meanwhile, on the western half of the front, the 2nd Panzer attacks! First I use Guderian’s “Achtung Panzer II” card to increase their attack power:

Using Achtung Panzer II on the 2nd Panzer Division

They attempt to eliminate the weakened British 53rd Infantry. If successful, we can cut off the motorized division and destroy it at our leisure.

Taking out a Weakened 53rd

A Retreat is Good Enough, but I'd Prefer to Shatter Them

Finally, I try to push the Oxford home guard out of the forest. I figured that it would be full of school boys, easy to defeat. Imagine my horror when it appeared to be full of rough and ready townies.

Picking on the Oxford Home Guard

Surprisingly Resistent; Must be Townies

I them move in an additional infantry corps. I need more bodies on the front.

Moving in an Infantry Corps

The ever increasing losses from British naval interdiction are going to prove increasingly unsustainable.

At the end of the turn, one of the infantry divisions is freed, but things don’t look much better. I am going to keep trying to push at the outside of the British line, and try and outflank him. It is a desperation strategy, but at this point my offensive has mostly stalled. Supply will only get worse, so I need to push now. It is probably already too late, but no point giving up now. I’ll save the surrender for at least a few more turns.

The Front at the End of Turn Nine

See what Ian is up to at Sugar Free Gamer.

Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Eight

Things start out bad this turn, and then they get worse.

First, the intercept capacity of the royal navy continues to improve. That means that it will be harder both to resupply my units in England and to land reinforcements.

Second, I’m still at 8 VPs, and my losses are increasing to levels that may be unsustainable:

Third, I see the front for turn 8, and things are beginning to fall apart. Note the encirclement of several infantry units on the East side of the front:

The Front, Turn 8

First I try to use my infantry to break out of the encirclement, but that doesn’t work particularly well:

The Failed Breakout

All my other rescue operations fail, so I shift focus to the Western flank. First I eliminate the home guard unit there:

Taking out the Home Guard

I then move out to the West, trying to get around the flank. I encounter a refugee polish unit, and attack it:

Trying to Turn the Flank

I land some new Panzers, but get more bad news:

This Probably Means I Am Hosed

I push a couple more attacks in the center, but there are no real breakthroughs. At this point, I am very concerned about being able to sustain the current front, let alone advancing on London. Things are looking bleak.

The Front at the End of Turn 8

See what Ian is up to over at Sugar Free Gamer.

Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Seven

Things are just getting worse and worse in the channel. This is going to put a serious damper on my supply situation. I need to take London before my Panzers grind to a halt, with the fuel gauges reading empty.

Also, it decided to rain this turn. That means that (once again), my Panzers are delayed in landing. As a consequence, I have 10 points left over to spend this turn, which will go towards more engineers and artillery. Also, I am holding steady at 8 victory points, needing 16 more for the win.

The front has my offensive power concentrated on the western side. Hopefully I can use my Panzers over the next couple of turns to turn the British flank. If I can get some encirclement, I may be able to get rid of some of these troubling defensive units.

The Front, Turn 7

First, I send the 1st Engineers to build a bridge in the southwestern edge of the front. This should help my infantry units (and eventually my Panzers) move around to challenge the western flank of the Brits.

Using the 1st Engineers to Build a Bridge

Meanwhile, I finally eliminate that pesky tank that is running around, hopelessly out of supply, in my rear.

On the north west edge of the front, I start to try and turn the western edge. That means I target the home guard on the flank, hoping to wipe out the weaker unit.

Taking Out Some of the Home Guard

Forcing a Retreat

I try to recreate the 1st Panzer’s mighty victory from last turn, but it doesn’t go quite as well this time.

Trying to Recreate the 1st Panzers Feat From Last Turn

Not Bad, But Could Have Been Better

I then turn and finish off the home guard:

Finishing Off the Home Guard

Next, I decide to try my luck, and have the 1st Panzer try to root some British out of the woods. Unfortunately, the lessons of moving through the forest in the Ardennes do not apply to fighting in the forest.

The 1st Panzer Attacks

Tanks Plus Woods Do Not Mix

The panzers have a better time attacking tanks in the woods:

Attacking the 1st Armoured Division

Always Good to Cause a Panic

A couple of infantry attacks, including one that forces the French elite legion to retreat.

Infantry Attacks

Light Losses to Do A Fair Bit of Damage

Taking on the French Foreign Legion

The French Retreat, (Un)Surprisingly

I land my artillery and engineer unit, but they take substantial casualties. At the end of turn 7, the front has widened, but a breakthrough does not appear imminent. I am running out of time, and I’m not sure that I can break through before my supplies become too low to support my army.

The Front at the End of Turn 7

Now go see what Ian is up to over at Sugar Free Gamer.

Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Six

So this is probably a bad sign:

This Could Get Bad Quickly

The Royal Navy is back in business, and this could make supply and reinforcement difficult. As a consequence, I’m thinking that I should save shipping points this turn so that I can send my valuable Panzer Corps as soon as possible, as they can least afford the losses.

The British Armored unit hanging out in the rear has actually pushed towards a victory hex. Unfortunately for Ian, that unit is never going to get there. The line is pretty stable at the forest south of London, but hopefully I can get around the flank and start to encircle the city.

The Front, Turn 6

First, I send some infantry to engage and eliminate the 1st Armoured Division. They are ultimately unsuccessful, but the Division is surrounded and on death’s door:

Trying to Eliminate the British 1st Armoured Division

Moving west, I target the 20th Infantry Brigade near Brighton, eliminating the last unit resisting in that area:

Eliminating the 20th Infantry Brigade

In the north, the drive to surround London continues. I target the British 4th Infantry, hoping to eliminate it. I begin with an artillery bombardment:

Artillery Bombardment

And I follow that up with an attack:

The Follow Up Attack

That attack forces a retreat, so I try to finish them off:

Maybe We Can Finish Them Off

The Second Panzer Division is going to try and move around the west flank of the British Forces. They attack one of the units in the line, trying to clear a ZOC free path to surround the enemy.

The Second Panzer Division Attacks

They do plenty of damage, but the British units are tenacious and hold their ground.

Meanwhile, the First Panzer Division is trying to punch above its weight, targeting a stack of four British infantry, with a relatively high total strength.

The 1st Panzer Division May Be Trying to Punch Above its Weight

I’ve been avoiding posting the combat results in this post, especially hen they are particularly boring. This one deserves posting though:

The Panzer Divisions are Absurdly Powerful

The Panzer Division does substantial damage to the British, causing all of the units to break or panic, despite only attacking with 1/3 of the division’s total strength.

Another element of the 1st Panzer attacks a British Armoured unit, but is less successful, only forcing a retreat:

More 1st Panzer Heroics

I save my points this turn, hoping to bring in Hoth’s Panzer Division next turn:

At the end of turn six, my units are breaking out in the east and west, getting ready to move out and try to pick up some cheap victory cities while the main battle rages in the north. The Panzers in the North are trying to punch through the British infantry and start an effort to encircle London. Hopefully they will have reinforcements soon.

The Front at the End of Turn 6

Now it is time to see what Ian will do.

Next Post: Weather Strikes Again

Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Five

It’s been too long since I’ve used the banner I borrowed from Ian:

The Battle of the Blogs continues with Turn Five. This puts use one quarter of the way through the scenario, and I am sitting at 8 of 24 victory points. That makes me feel like I’m ahead of the game. The next 16 can come from London, if I am so lucky.

Victory Status

There is now increasing cause for concern, however:

What’s worse, it is raining again. The Germans hate shipping in the rain:

Things are looking OK on the front lines, however. We have one isolated British unit in the rear, but it shouldn’t trouble us for too long. We should be able to use the Panzers on the west flank to start a drive to encircle London. Hopefully, on turn 7, I will get the chance to land an additional Panzer Corps, which will allow me even more freedom of movement.

The Front, Turn Five

I decide to open the turn with an armored assault on the British 50th Infantry Division, which results in heavy losses. The follow up attack forces a retreat.

Attacking the 50th Infantry Division

Heavy Losses for the British

A Follow Up Attack on the 50th Infantry Division

Elements of the 2nd Panzer Division then move to attack the British 3rd Infantry Division, stacked with a Home Guard brigade.

Panzers Assault the 3rd Infantry Division

The results are devastating for the British, as you may have predicted:

Another Victory for the Panzers

The effort to finally push British units out of the Southwest continues, with an multi-divisional attack on the British 20th Infantry Brigade.

Attacking the 20th Infantry Brigade in the South

Panic Grips Southern England

Now I need to ensure that I can contain the British unit that has forced my way into my territory. I grab elements of the 15th Infantry and move them in position to assault. Hoping to end this quickly, I play my HQs “Infantry Attack II” card to boost their effectiveness. They cause more panic, but sadly do not eliminate the unit.

I Use My HQ to Boost the 15th Infantry

The Attack on the 1st Armored Division

Resulting in Panic

Now that the armor is at least contained, I move to eliminate the Hasting Home Guard, which has survived for an admirable length of time against my infantry division. This time I break them, which enables me to move infantry out towards Dover. Perhaps later I can pull them towards London, in an attempt to isolate it.

With the Armor Contained, I Move to Eliminate the Hasting Home Guard

Success!

Finally, I launch an attack on the infantry on the north east flank of my advance. At this point, I am hoping to advance with the Panzers on the north west flank, and hold the line in the East. Depending on the success of my Panzer Corps, I will either reinforce with an additional Panzer Corps in a few turns, or use that Corps in a double envelopment of London.

Attack on the 37th Infantry Brigade

Forces a Retreat

I have 10 shipping points to use, and I hope to avoid the mistakes of last time, where I let them go to waste. Instead, I decide to spend them on an artillery unit and an engineer:

Over the next couple of turns, I will be trying to push the 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions through (or around) the forest south of Guildford, which will put me in a position to begin the encirclement and siege of London. At the moment, the front looks like this:

The Front at the End of Turn Five

Next Post: The British Put Up Some Resistance

Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Four

At the beginning of the turn, we receive good news. The weather has cleared, and we now have enough shipping points to send in Guderian’s Panzers.

Here is the front at the beginning of turn four:

The Front, Turn Four

The big thing that is troubling me is the encirclement of an element of the 7th Fallschirmjager Division. First, I try to push it south to link up with my main force.

The 7th Fallschirmjager Tries to Escape Encirclement

The 7th encounters British units in the south, which prevent it from linking up with the main army. I attempt to bomb my way out, but am ultimately unsuccessful.

A Failed Attempt to Bomb my Way Out

Before I bring the Panzers across the channel, I decide to finish clearing hte coastline. First, I target the British 20th Infantry Brigade west of Brighton, and force a retreat.

Clearing the Coastline, Part 1

Forces a Retreat

After forcing the 20th Infantry Brigade to retreat, I shift my focus to the Brighton Home Guard unit. I attack once and break one of the units stacked there.

Clearing the Coastline, Part 2

One Home Guard Unit Broken

I follow up the attack, hoping to clear out the last home guard unit.

Follow Up Attack

The attack is successful:

Home Guard Units Eliminated

After clearing the Brighton Home Guard, I send my infantry east to clear out the Hasting Home Guard Brigade. An attack and a follow up cause panic, but fail to destroy the unit.

Clearing the Coastline, Part 3

Home Guard Panics

Follow Up Attack

More Panic

Now it is time for the Panzers:

I decide to land the Panzers in Brighton, where I will push them forwards toward London, hopefully freeing the 7th Fallschirmjager.

Panzers Land in Brighton

The 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions Move to Relieve the 7th Fallschirmjager Division

My initial attack is successful, so I follow up, attempting to free the 7th Fallschirmjager. I do a lot of damage, but am ultimately unsuccessful.

Follow Up After My Panzers' Initial Success

The 7th FJ is Not Quite Relieved

At the end of turn four, my Panzers have landed, and the beach head is mostly clear. Hopefully I can use my Panzers to surround and eliminate some British units, and eventually push them and the infantry forward to surround and besiege London.

The Front at the End of Turn Four

Next Post: Pushing the panzers forward.

Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Three

At the start of turn three, we check the victory situation:

Only 18 VP to Go

I’ve got 17 turns to pick up 18 VPs – I think that is definitely doable. I can get 16 from London, and then I just need two more. Completely possible, especially once my Panzers land.

Of course, it isn’t that simple. Who would of thought that their might be rain in the channel?

Weather, My Archnemesis

I need 40 points to bring my tanks ashore. That means I won’t be able to land anything this turn. (Of course, after my turn was over, I realized that I could have landed some artillery and engineers with 10 points, and hoped for 20 points next turn to land my Panzers. Since the max is 40, I’m probably throwing 20 points away.)

After the disastrous weather, we can survey the front:

The Front, Turn 3

The plan for turn three is to try and eliminate the Brighton home guard, and then get my troops in the north in position to form a line, holding the British off until my powerful armored corps lands.

First order of business, attempt to eliminate the Brighton Home Guard:

Trying to Eliminate the Brighton Home Guard

Unfortunately for me, the attack stalls. The Home Guard shouldn’t be a real threat to my position, but I’d still like to clear the coastline.

The Attack Stalls

In the north, the 22nd Luftlande Division has encountered some resistance:

The 22nd Luftlande Division Runs into Trouble South of London

The 22nd Luftlande is probably best off attacking. I can get a 70% bonus for combined concentric attack and divisional cohesion. May be my best chance to push back the British units in the forest:

Plus 70% Sounds Like it Will Help

My units were able to push the British back, but I’d rather they had done more damage:

Victory

At the end of turn three, my units have established a clear beach head. My main problem at this point is that my units are slow, and lack serious offensive punch. Once I am able to land some Panzers next turn, I should be able to attempt to surround and eliminate some of the British units. At a minimum, I should be able to hit a lot harder on the offensive.

The Situation at the End of Turn 3

Next Turn: Guderian comes out to play.

Battle of the Blogs II: Sealion Turn Two

At the beginning of turn two, the sea corridor remains intact:

Victory status puts me at 4 points:

During the British turn, Ian has moved some units in the north, around London. The landing area is still mostly clear:

Invasion Area, Beginning of Turn 2

In an effort to clear out the beachhead, I use elements of the 15th and 78th Infantry Divisions to assault the home guard:

First Attack on the Home Guard

The result? Victory:

Total Victory

After clearing out the Home Guard at Eastbourne, I shifted my attention to Brighton. Brighton is held by two elements of the Home Guard, but I am able to bring a fairly substantial force against them on the attack. The result is never in doubt:

Attack on Brighton

Victory in Brighton

Having cleared out the beach head, it is time to decide what units will follow up the initial invasion. First, I’ve chosen the 22nd Luftlande Division:

22nd Luftlande Division

I plan to use the 22nd to flank the British in the north, hopefully setting up some future attacks against the British army (and French Foreign Legion) units near London. The landing goes about as planned:

Flanking the British

Once they land, I move them to attack an element of the British 55th Infantry Division:

22nd Luftlande Attacks

It may have been a better idea to wait for them to land before throwing into the attack, as it did not go very well for me:

Perhaps I should have waited a turn...

I have 20 shipping points now. Assuming everything stays the same, I should get an additional 20 points next turn. This raises a question: do I land an infantry division now, land some support elements now, or save my points to land a Panzer division next turn. The answer, in my mind, is simple:

Next Turn: Guderian's Panzers?

At the end of turn two a beach head is relatively well established. The goal now is to push out and take a port, to make shipping and supply easier, and then close in on London, hopefully securing some victory points.

The Situation at the End of Turn 2

Next Turn: The best laid plans…

Battle of the Blogs II (Take 2): Sealion

Given our problems with Combat Command (hopefully soon to be resolved), Ian and I have decided to return to Decisive Campaigns for another go. Figuring that an amphibious assault was on the menu, we chose to give Sealion, the hypothetical German invasion of Britain a try. Ian, fittingly, will be taking the British, while the Germans fall to me.

Sealion is a tricky scenario, given British naval dominance. Most of the Luftwaffe will be tied up keeping the channel open for three days, so that I can move at least some of my units on shore. My units will also have less access to artillery and other heavy weapons, because they are difficult to ship across the Channel. Given that I only have a 3 day window of absolutely open sea, time is of the essence.

To win this scenario, Germany needs 24 victory points. London and its surrounding cities are worth 16 points (4 points per hex), which is a prize that is too tempting to turn down. That means that I need 8 additional victory points. Conveniently, the southern coast of England can provide just that. I can land on the Southern coast, drive towards London, and send out armies to take and hold the coastal cities, which will provide both victory points and a place to land reinforcements, as long as my flyboys can keep the channel open to German shipping. Here is the map, and a rough plan:

The Map

A Rough Plan

Landings will occur on the coast between Brighton and Eastbourne. We will try to seize the cities quickly, if possible. Paratroopers will drop behind enemy lines, and attempt to hold the roads toward London and the interior. If I can scrounge up the shipping points, I hope to land Heinz Guderian and his Panzers, who can slash forward in the country side in an attempt to cut off London. But first, we need to try the landing.

Recon photos show light forces on the beaches, and the city of Brighton empty of even the home guard. Time to make the British pay for that mistake:

Recon Shows a Clear Beach

Landing Von Manstein Outside Brighton

Von Schweppenburg Storms Eastbourne

I land my forces in the landing zone, and am able to take Eastbourne unopposed. I am not yet in a position to take Brighton, but I hope to do so at the beginning of next turn.

Having successfully landed my infantry divisions, I now turn to the Fallschirmjager. This does not cost me any shipping points (for obvious reasons), but does cost me 10 political points. I have a significant number of points now (40), but I will need to be careful to save 20 to bring on Guderian’s Panzer Divisions.

After dropping the 7th Flieger Division, and exploiting to seize various roads, the situation looks like this:

The Front, End of Turn 1

Next turn, assuming all goes well, I plan to hoard my 20 shipping points. On turn 3, I will be able to land a Panzer Corps, and start doing some damage to the British infantry divisions lurking in the fog of war. I will be able to drop more Fallschirmjager for support, or to try and create an encirclement threat. I won’t know until I see what Ian is doing with his forces.

Next Turn: Taking Brighton