[WarInEur] (Spain attack)Fw: hi cant seem to post to list, post up my reply to you if you like(from Martin Bolanca)

[srm]

This is from Martin Bolanca.

Cheers,
S.
--- On Wed, 8/20/08, martin.bolanca at anu.edu.au <martin.bolanca at anu.edu.au> wrote:

> From: martin.bolanca at anu.edu.au <martin.bolanca at anu.edu.au>
> Subject: hi cant seem to post to list, post up my reply to you if you like
> To: foufut at yahoo.com
> Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 8:10 AM
> I have.  (Invaded an Axis Spain in the late war period).
> 
> While there is nothing ground-breaking here are my
> observations:
> 
> 1. You need surprise and most of the allied army to do it
> properly (surprise) - by which I mean prevent the campaign
> from being a total waste of time and resources.
> 
> 2.  Anything you don't take has to be left in in
> England/Med to force the German to leave garrisons there
> rather than throw his main force against you.
> 
> 3. You need to use lots of amphb and paras to take the two
> minor ports on the first turn and get momentum (and
> don't forget to get the rail into Gibralter).
> 
> 4. You need to commit overwhelming air power for support
> and to interdict german reinforcements. This has several
> interesting effects, firstly the german will tend to avoid
> committing his air to conserve it, secondly he will tend to
> avoid committing his main land force because of the danger
> of it being trapped, ie unable to make a quick retreat if
> something goes wrong, thirdly it tends to turn reinfs into a
> manageable trickle.
> 
> 5. You need to push hard in order to achieve OOS situations
> and accept an exchange or two to keep moving forward. Low
> unit density favours you with your better move and airpower.
> And don't forget to save an assault para or two force
> strongpoints and clinch surrounds.
> 
> I had all these factors and stormed out of Gibralter &
> beachheads and paradrops and captured Madrid in about 4-6
> weeks, destroying maybe 10 german divs in the process.
> 
> The original axis forces besieging gibralter were
> overwhelmed as were several delaying forces and small waves
> of reinforcements. However even with optimum conditions it
> was a close race to Madrid. After that the continuing
> airpower made the German nervous and he steadily retired
> until I held the south-western half of France. There ended
> up being a 6+ hex no-mans land between our armies as the
> Allies lacked the counters to take the war to the Germans
> and they lacked the manueverability to counter-attack due to
> air.
> 
> In this respect it could be considered to be an
> 'easier' way of getting ashore, rather than hitting
> the beach in France. Even so, like too many what-ifs in WIE
> the campaign takes too much time and has too few benefits
> (except getting rid of those irritating regenerating Spanish
> Fascist units). Its probably an alternative you only choose
> when you are already going to lose, and feel to weak to
> directly confront the nazi beast.
> 
> In my game it was 1943 the war in the east was going very
> badly, turk & spain had joined Axis and the Allies had
> to do something to help, but felt there were too many
> Germans in France and Italy to achieve anything there.
> 
> I can dig out the save games of D and D+6 if anyone really
> wants them. Email direct.
> 
> Martin