Travis's Panzer Corps Dynasty

[Hachiko]

Panzer Vor!

 

[Travis7401]

Scenario 6 - Modlin
Video 3/5



In turn 7, I realize I might have bitten off more than I can chew by throwing Panzer Group A at a series of mutually supporting forts, who now knock the fuck out of any unit within range during the CPU turns, forcing me to keep using very costly replacements. Fortunately, Panzer Group B destroyed the AT gun guarding Pultusk and I've got a breakthrough into the enemy rear area. My new plan is to keep grinding forward with Group A, and give the ol' reach around with group B to try to silence the second fort in that mutually supporting defensive position. With 10 turns, I should have plenty of time for this adjustment to plan.

In turn 8, my stukas kept working on the fortifications and earned a hero for one of my Panzer 38t units, giving him +2 defense. I then started my reach-around plan and detached one infantry unit from group B and attached them to group A for assault. Basically I've flipped the responsibility from Group A and Group B.

In turn 9, Panzer Group B started to cross the last river to move into the rear area for the enemy. Panzer group A was still stuck in place, reinforcing units that had been damaged by the enemy forts during the CPU turn. I also found out that, much to my chagrin, this armored train thing was able to reinforce, which is unusual for special units like this. All of my stuka bombing seems to be for naught if it can continue to reinforce without me having adjacent units. A more direct assault will be required.

So far this is easily the toughest mission I've faced.

 

[Travis7401]

Scenario 6 - Modlin
Video 4/5




In turn 10, I fucked up and accidentally hit the "end turn" button when I meant to resupply my artillery piece... HMMMMMM losing a turn due to a mis-click is not very fun. I decided to change tactics and be more aggressive in how I attack these forts with Panzer Group A. Time for @Reel to earn his hero status

In turn 11, at the 2:00 mark, Reel's Brigad starts attacking the AT unit and hammers them for a loss of 4 strength.

In turn 12, Panzer Group B completes their move to the enemy rear area and sets up for an attack to be made next turn on some infantry guarding the outskirts of the enemy rear area. Once I fight my way through this rearguard, I should be able to attack one of the forts. At 3:30, Reel's brigade destroys the AT gun and marches forward to confront the armored train next turn, I'm expecting heavy losses here.
In turn 13, I used dual stuka attacks to knock the armored train down to have strength, then at 5:35, Reels Brigade attacked and destroyed the armored tank without taking any loses. That worked out much better than I expected. I moved reel's brigade forward to confront a fort, another daunting challenge, but so far this hero unit has been up to every task! Panzer group B made good progress as well and began to work on destroying the enemy AA that had been guarding the eastern most fortification of Modlin.

In turn 14, the CPU started counterattacking on the western flank, and the forts did a ton of damage to two of my tanks. LAWD, things are tough this mission. While the war of attrition is generally going my way, this is not the type of battle I like to fight, as it is far too costly in terms of prestige. Reel's brigade and a stuka attack wore the Eastern fort down to 3 remaing strength, while Panzer Group B managed to destroy the enemy AA and move closer to the Western fort. With 3 turns left it will be a little touch and go if I can destroy both forts and fight off this counter attack on the western edge of the map (with CPU units coming from off the map, tricksy AI).

 

[Travis7401]

The Mystique of Modlin Fortress:

The Modlin Fortress was located where several rivers (Bug, Narew, and Visla) converged to form the Vistula River. The convergence of these rivers made the land in between them of great strategic importance, throughout European history, but the first permanent fortifications were erected in 1656 by Swedish armies. I'll leave the rest of the history to Wiki, but this fortress played important roles in basically every armed conflict in the region, including being captured by the Germans in WWI and then again in WWII when the Nazis defeated Poland at the Battle of Modlin. I'll let Wikipedia take it from here:

One of the Bridgeheads over the Narew River

Defensive Works at Modlin created during WWI

From Wikipedia:

History

Strategic importance of the area limited by the Vistula, Bug, Wkra and Narew was known to various armies throughout the ages. However, it was not until 1656 that a permanent fortified position was built there by the Swedish armies during The Deluge. The so-called Bugskansen was a star-shaped fortified military camp, located probably close to the confluence of the Narew and the Vistula, at the so-called Swedish Island[sup][1][/sup]. The camp was also guarding a wooden bridge over the Vistula prior to the battle of Zakroczym and served as the main supply depot of the Swedish army during the battle of Warsaw of July 1656. After the Swedish defeat the fort was demolished in 1660 and the area remained unfortified for roughly 150 years.

After the Partitions of Poland the area was incorporated into the Russian Empire. Shortly afterward Jan Pieter van Suchtelen, a Dutch military engineer in Russian service prepared a construction plan for a mighty fortress in the area, named after the nearby town of Zakroczym. The fort was to be a bastion fortress, located approximately 1.5 km from the rivers and with several forts guarding the area from the west. However, the project was never accomplished as in 1806 the area became part of the Duchy of Warsaw, a rump Polish state created by and allied to Napoleon Bonaparte.

From the very beginning of French presence in Poland, Bonaparte's engineers started to fortify the border with Russia, expecting either a Russian offensive towards western Europe - or a future offensive of the French armies towards Petersburg and Moscow. In December 1806, while in Poznań, Napoleon ordered a fort to be built on two islands located at the confluence of the Narew and the Vistula. The fortification was to be temporary and was to become primarily a supply depot and a huge granary, serving as a supply center for the forces operating in Poland or Russia. The construction started almost immediately, although Chief Engineer of the French forces Gen. François de Chasseloup-Laubat decided to build the fortress on the northern bank of the river rather than on the islands. The work started in early 1807, yet went on very slowly. It was not until the following year that the pace was speeded up and in 1809 the first casemates and walls were ready. It was there that the core of the Polish Army was stationed after the Battle of Raszyn against the invading forces of Austria. Soon afterward the outer rim of defenses on the right bank of the Vistula was ready. It ran more or less along the inner line of modern fortifications. It consisted of a semi-circular earthwork reinforced with wooden stockade and five bastions. In addition, the area was guarded by two fortified bridgeheads, one in Kazuń on the left bank of the Vistula and the other next to Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.

Warsaw fortified region, including Warsaw and Novogeorgievsk fortresses and connecting works. Works marked in grey were planned but never built. By 1914 the Warsaw fortress was deactivated.
In 1810 the very concept of the fort was changed and Napoleon decided to turn Modlin into a pivotal fortress in his line of fortifications and expand it significantly by adding an outer rim of defenses. General de Chasseloup-Laubat was replaced with a famous French engineer Jean Mallet de Granville (later a naturalized Pole under the name of Jan Malletski), aided by Gen. François Haxo. It is not certain whether the authors of the expansion were the two to supervise its construction, or Napoleon himself. The works continued on a very fast pace as Napoleon was planning his campaign in Russia and envisioned Modlin to become the main fortress behind his lines. By September 1811 more than 19,000 people were taking part in the works. Because of that the authorities of the Duchy of Warsaw were considering to grant Modlin with a city charter, which however did not succeed. Although the following year, shortly before the outbreak of the Franco-Russian War, the number of workers exceeded 20 thousands, the fortress was never fully completed.

The French plans included a fortified area composed of three, semi-independent fortifications. The main line of defenses was located on the right bank of Vistula and Narew, and was composed of apolygonal fortification with 4 bastions and 3 linking ravelins (one facing the Utrata river, one facing the village of Modlin and one in the centre). The ravelins were between 800 and 1000 meters away from the main line of fortifications, in order to reinforce the defenses against new models of heavy artillery. The second part of the fortress was the Kazuń bridgehead on the left bank of the Vistula, composed of a single ravelin. The third was a redoubt located between Vistula and Narew and the fourth was an artillery nest located on the Swedish Island. Among the engineers to supervise the construction were also Gen. Ignacy Prądzyński, Gen. Prevo-Vernois and Lt. Col. Filip Mięciszewski. After the defeat of the Grande Armée at Moscow, the fortress was taken over by the forces of the Duchy of Warsaw. On February 5, 1813 the Russian army of 36,000 soldiers arrived to the fortress and laid siege to it. The Polish forces under Dutch general Herman Willem Daendels defended the fortress until December 1, 1813. It was the last of the French fortresses along the Vistula to capitulate.

Fortress in the Congress Poland

After 1815 the fortress found itself in Congress Poland, a state which was a part of the Russian Empire, but had considerable autonomy and its own army. It was weakly manned by Polish and Russian units, but little new construction work was carried out. During the November Uprising of 1830 the fortress was prepared for defense by Polish units, but the Russian army did not storm it. It surrendered on October 9, 1831 as one of the last points controlled by Polish units during the uprising.

Russian Fortress Novogeorgievsk

After the uprising the Russian rule over Congress Poland became more severe. The Modlin fortress was renamed Novogeorgievsk[sup][1][/sup] in 1834 and during the years 1832-1841 underwent a huge expansion, to host garrison troops who were tasked with preventing another Polish uprising, as well as defense of Russia's western frontiers. It was part of the chain of fortresses which included Warsaw, Ivangorod, andBrest-Litovsk. The most notable new work built was a huge, 2200 m long fortified barracks building, which was to serve as the last line of defense for the fortress. For the next 40 years after 1841 construction work largely ceased, and the fortress gradually became obsolete.

When relations between Germany and Russia deteriorated in the 1880s, with Germany entering the Triple Alliance potentially aimed against Russia, the decision was made to expand the fortress and upgrade it to modern standards. In years 1883-1888 eight modern forts were added, each located from 2 to 4 km from the old fortress and forming a ring. In the following years these forts were modernized. At the same time, additional defensive works were built to integrate the fortress into the larger fortified region around Warsaw.

The defeat of Russia in the Russo-Japanese War caused a rethinking of Russian strategy. In particular the idea of concentrating forces in the interior away from the borders before hostilities began to gain popularity. This approach would eliminate the need for a chain of border fortresses to screen the mobilizing units. In 1909 when General Vladimir Sukhomlinov became the War Minister for the Russian Empire, one proposal he made was to scrap the bulk of the Russian fortress system, and Novogeorgievsk was a prime example of why they should be scrapped. The outer forts were built about eight kilometers from the citadel to protect it from artillery; by 1900, even field guns could fire past that distance.[sup][2][/sup]

Suhkomlinov was overruled. Instead of being razed, the fort system was slated for a 800 million ruble upgrade.[sup][2][/sup] A new belt of forts was to be added.[sup][2][/sup] The fortress was also to receive a large number of heavy artillery pieces. The intensive new construction work started in 1912 and continued almost until the German army approached the fortress in 1915 during World War I. The fortress was now designed to serve as a center of resistance deep behind enemy lines if the Russian army was forced to retreat from Poland. The works were carried out in great haste, not all equipment was fitted, and some construction materials were improvised and hence of lower quality. Even with these defects, the fortress with its 19 forts was one of the major fortifications in existence in Europe at the outbreak of World War I. The Russian high command expected that if surrounded by the German armies it would hold out for many months, serving as a major thorn in the German rear.

 

[Travis7401]

Mystique of Modlin Fortress Continued:

From Wikipedia:

Capture by the Germans

Further information: Poland in WWI
In summer of 1915, the Russians were reeling from the German attacks in Poland. They were faced with the reality of giving up Poland to the Germans or have their forces cut off from retreat.
The problem of the retreat was the abandonment of the fortresses especially Novogeorgievsk. Novogeorgievsk was seen as the “symbol of Russian rule in Poland.” [sup][2][/sup] It would also mean the abandonment of Poland, which would compromise their ability to negotiate for more territory if the Allies won.[sup][2][/sup]

Mikhail Alekseyev, the commander of the Polish sector, knew that to garrison the forts was a trap and the impregnability was an illusion.[sup][2][/sup] However, he was swayed by men with of a higher social standing and left a garrison to defend Novogeorgievsk. The troops that he was able to spare were the remnants of the II. Siberian division, the 63rd division, and 58th division.[sup][2][/sup]

To capture Novogeorgievsk, the Germans transferred General Hans Beseler who had successfully laid siege to the Belgian city of Antwerp early in the war. In a stroke of luck, his forces captured the chief engineer of Novogeorgievsk on the first day. The Siege of Novogeorgievsk lasted only a matter of days.[sup][3][/sup] When it fell, the Germans captured 1,600 guns and close to a million shells.[sup][2][/sup]

Post World War I

After the First World War Modlin became part of Poland and was modernized with modern bunkers, anti-tank and anti-aircraft equipment. Its main purpose was to provide cover for Warsaw from enemy attacks from the North. The fortress also housed several military barracks and military colleges for NCOs. Modlin fortress was the place of Battle of Modlin during the Invasion of Poland.

The Battle of Modlin took place during the German invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress was initially the headquarters of the Modlin Army until its retreat eastwards. From 13 September to 29 September in 1939 it served as a defensive citadel for Polish forces under the command of General Wiktor Thommée against assaultingGerman units. This fighting was closely linked with the strategic situation of the Battle of Warsaw.

The Polish forces defending the fortress included the armoured train 'Śmierć' (death), and the Modlin anti-aircraft battery was credited with shooting down more Luftwaffe planes than any other in the entire September campaign.

Fortress Modlin capitulated on 29 September, one of the last to lay down its arms in the campaign. Several days earlier, Rochus Misch attempted to negotiate the surrender of the fortress despite being wounded, an act for which he was awarded the Iron Cross.[sup][1][/sup]
SS-men from Panzer Division "Kempf" did commit the Massacre in Zakroczym on September 28, 1939.
Present day

Some parts of the fortress are open to tourists. At the same time, the Polish military still has many facilities in the area and thus some forts are inaccessible. Some abandoned forts are not maintained and have deteriorated badly, with many metal elements pillaged for scrap. The Modlin airfield is located within the fortress area. It re-opened as the second civilian airport for the city of Warsaw in July 2012..

 

[fignuts]

May I request a name for the unit?

 

[Travis7401]

Sure thing. I was out of town this weekend and yesterday, but I'll start posting the end of the Modlin scenario and the next scenario soon!

 

[fignuts]

Phobos.

"I dub thee, Sir Phobos, Knight of Mars, Beater of Ass. Be a hitter babe."

 

[Travis7401]

Sir Phobos it is

 

[GR8 2 B FL G8R]

Buzz Aldrin's viagra is Phobos

 

[Travis7401]

Scenario 6 - Modlin
Video 5/5



In Turn 15, the weather (raining) kept my planes from attacking... hmmmm.... Basically I set up Panzer Group B to attack the Eastern fort in the following two turns. During the CPU's turn, the polish counter attack continued to the west with polish tanks attempting to surround and destroy one of my wehrmacht infantry. Fortunately they managed to fight off the assaults and inflict losses on the tanks. The Poles also managed to take a city back that I'd left unoccupied. not looking good for decisive victory

In turn 16, I was able to force the unit that had taken modlin to surrender and was able to inflict heavy losses and destroy the Western fort with my stukas, while reinforcing some other units. Unfortunately, I ran reel's unit out of ammo and left them stranded on a river hex by attempting to re-take Modlin. @Reel tells me that I'm about to catch a fade. With one turn remaining, I need to take out the final Eastern fort and hope the counter attack to the West doesn't kill some of my units.

In turn 17, I attacked the Eastern Modlin fort with double stukas, triple artillery attacks, and then destroyed the fort with an infantry assault! With just the computer's turn left I have all of the victory objectives locked down. During the final CPU turn, the polish counter attack continued and they nearly destroyed one of my infantry units, but did not. I earned a decisive victory.

This was definitely the hardest scenario yet, and the Modlin Fort was a tough nut to crack. A lot of the difficulty was due to me being complacent or suffering from mis-clicks that cost me a turn. Still, it was fun to play a scenario that was in doubt until the final turn.

 

[Reel]

where is your wife when you are recording

 

[fignuts]

Soup blackmail?

 

[ZackMills]

where is your wife when you are recording

I wondered this during his ARMA videos.

 

[Travis7401]

After a couple week break, we reach the decisive battle of the Polish campaign, the siege of Warsaw.

Scenario 7 - Warsaw
Strategic Overview

Following the Battle for Modlin fortress, I was given the choice to invade Warsaw from the North or South. So far I've had good luck in scenarios where I start in the South, and not so much luck when I start in the North, so with that scientific strategy, I selected to invade from the South. During the mission description I was told that there are several small towns East of Warsaw that are lightly guarded and hold Polish artillery works, so if I capture them I can capture some Polish guns as well. This mission is pretty straight forward other than that, I need to invade the giant city of Warsaw and fight my way through. Marginal victory requires a capture of 4 victory hexes, while a decisive victory requires capturing all of the victory hexes.

For this mission, I decided to stick with my typical Panzer Group A/B split, but utilize an under strength Panzer Group A to quickly flank Warsaw to the East and capture the polish artillery. I was also given some auxillary units in the North and I planned on flanking to the east with them as well to meet up with Panzer Group A and the captured artillery and then move on Warsaw. Panzer Group B has been refitted and overstrengthened for this mission with a full out assault on the city of Warsaw in mind. They will enter the city with over strengthened infantry and heavy air and artillery support from the southwest corner of the city and roll up the river from there.

Here is a map of my plan:

Order of Battle:
Panzer Group A
3 x Panzer 38t (including the Sir Phobos Brigade)
1 x Reel Brigade
1 x Sturmpanzer mobile Artillery

Panzer Group B (infantry and artillery over sstrengthened to 12 strength where possible)
3 x Wehrmacht Infantry
2 x SE infantry
3 x 105mm towed artillery
2 x Panzer 38t

Auxiliary Forces
2 x Panzer 1A
2 x Wehrmacth Infantry
1 x SDKFZ 222 armored Car
1 x 105mm towed artillery

Air Force
2 x JU87 Dive Bombers
1 x BF109 Fighter
1 x He111 Strategic Bomber (new unit for my core)
1 x BF110 Fighter/bomber (auxiliary unit)
1 x Do172 Strategic Bomber (auxiliary unit)

 

[Travis7401]

Strategic Bombers in Panzer Corps:
I have yet to use these much in the dynasty, as I don't have the prestige to afford them early in the war, but I added one to my core forces for the siege of Warsaw and was given another as an auxiliary unit. Strategic bombers don't kill as many units as tactical/dive bombers, but they cause long term suppression like artillery and also limit reinforcements and supply of adjacent enemy units. Basically, they are very good at parking over large cities and blowing everything to rubble.

From Game Manual:

Strategic bombers perform bombing raids from great heights and so are much less precise than tactical bombers. Their attacks rarely result in direct kills of enemy strength, but give a lot of other benefits: they cause heavy suppression of enemy troops and destroy their fuel and ammo reserves, thus making them easy targets for other units. Strategic bombers are useful against any ground targets and are usually much less vulnerable to ground anti-air systems (although they still must fear enemy fighters). They are also effective against enemy ships. When used against enemy cities or airfields, strategic bombers can destroy their capacity to supply enemy units and produce new ones.

 

[Travis7401]

Mystique of the Heinkel 111 Strategic Bomber: (From Wikipedia)

The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "wolf in sheep's clothing",[sup][3][/sup][sup][4][/sup] it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, though its actual purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium bomber.

Perhaps the best-recognised German bomber due to the distinctive, extensively glazed, bullet-shaped "greenhouse" nose of later versions, the Heinkel was the most numerous and the primary Luftwaffe bomber during the early stages of World War II. It fared well until the Battle of Britain, when its weak defensive armament, relatively low speed, and poor manoeuvrability were exposed.[sup][4][/sup] Nevertheless, it proved capable of sustaining heavy damage and remaining airborne. As the war progressed, the He 111 was used in a variety of roles on every front in the European Theatre. It was used as a strategic bomber during the Battle of Britain, a torpedo bomber during the Battle of the Atlantic, and a medium bomber and a transport aircraft on the Western, Eastern, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African Fronts.

Although constantly upgraded, the Heinkel He 111 became obsolete during the latter part of the war. It was intended to be replaced by the Luftwaffe's Bomber B project, but the delays and eventual cancellation of the project forced the Luftwaffe to continue using the He 111 until the end of the war. Manufacture ceased in 1944, at which point, piston-engine bomber production was largely halted in favour of fighter aircraft. With the German bomber force defunct, the He 111 was used for transport and logistics.[sup][4][/sup]

The design of the Heinkel endured after the war in the CASA 2.111. The Spanish received a batch of He 111H-16s in 1943 along with an agreement to licence-build Spanish versions. Its airframe was produced in Spain under license by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA. The design differed significantly in powerplant only. The Heinkel's descendant continued in service until 1973.


After its defeat in World War I, Germany was banned from operating an air force by the Treaty of Versailles. German re-armament began in the 1930s and was initially kept secret because it violated the Treaty. Therefore, the early development of military bombers was disguised as a development program for civilian transport aircraft.

In the early 1930s Ernst Heinkel decided to build the world's fastest passenger aircraft, a goal met with scepticism by Germany's aircraft industry and political leadership. Heinkel entrusted development to Siegfried and Walter Günter, both fairly new to the company and untested. In June 1933 Albert Kesselring visited Heinkel's offices.[sup][5][/sup] Kesselring was head of the Luftwaffe Administration Office: at that point Germany did not have a State Aviation Ministry but only an aviation commissariat, the Luftfahrtkommissariat.[sup][5][/sup] Kesselring was hoping to build a new air force out of the Flying Corps being constructed in the Reichswehr[sup][5][/sup] and convinced Heinkel to move his factory from Warnemünde to Rostock and turn it over to mass production with a force of 3,000 employees who would produce the first He 111. Heinkel began a new design for civil use in response to new American types that were appearing, the Lockheed 12, Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2.[sup][5][/sup]

The first single-engined Heinkel He 70 Blitz ("Lightning") rolled off the line in 1932 and the type immediately started breaking records. In its normal four-passenger version its speed reached 380 km/h (230 mph), powered by a 447 kW (600 hp) BMW VI engine.[sup][6][/sup] The elliptical wing that the Günther brothers had already used in the Bäumer Sausewind sports plane before they joined Heinkel became a feature in this and many subsequent designs they developed. The design drew the interest of the Luftwaffe, which was looking for an aircraft with dual bomber/transport capabilities.[sup][7][/sup]

The He 111 was a twin-engine version of the Blitz, preserving the elliptical inverted gull wing, small rounded control surfaces and BMW engines, so that the new design was often called the Doppel-Blitz ("Double Blitz"). When the Dornier Do 17displaced the He 70, Heinkel needed a twin-engine design to match its competitors.[sup][6][/sup] Heinkel spent 200,000 hours developing it.[sup][8][/sup] The fuselage length was extended to just over 17.4 m/57 ft (from 11.7 m/38 ft 4½ in) and wingspan to 22.6 m/74 ft (from 14.6 m/48 ft).[sup][6][/sup]
First flight

The first He 111 flew on 24 February 1935, piloted by chief test pilot Gerhard Nitschke, who was ordered not to land at the company's factory airfield at Rostock-Marienehe (today's Rostock-Schmarl neighbourhood), as this was considered too short, but at the central Erprobungstelle Rechlin test facility. He ignored these orders and landed back at Marienehe. He said that the He 111 performed slow manoeuvres well and that there was no danger of overshooting the runway.[sup][9][/sup][sup][10][/sup]Nitschke also praised its high speed "for the period" and "very good-natured flight and landing characteristics", stable during cruising, gradual descent and single-engined flight and having no nose-drop when the undercarriage was operated.[sup][11][/sup]However during the second test flight Nitschke revealed there was insufficient longitudinal stability during climb and flight at full power and the aileron controls required an unsatisfactory amount of force.[sup][11][/sup]

By the end of 1935, prototypes V2 V4 had been produced under civilian registrations D-ALIX, D-ALES and D-AHAO. D-ALES became the first prototype of the He 111 A-1 on 10 January 1936, and received recognition as the "fastest passenger aircraft in the world", as its speed exceeded 402 km/h (250 mph).[sup][12][/sup][sup][13][/sup] The design would have achieved a greater total speed had the DB 600 engines of 746 kW (1,000 hp) been added.[sup][7][/sup] However, German aviation industries lacked power plants with more than 447 kW (600 hp). Heinkel were forced to use the BMW VI glycol-cooled engine.[sup][10][/sup]
During the war, test pilot Eric Brown evaluated many Luftwaffe aircraft. Among them was a He 111 H-1 of Kampfgeschwader 26 which was forced to land at the Firth of Forth on 9 February 1940. Brown described his impression of the He 111s unique greenhouse nose:

The overall impression of space within the cockpit area and the great degree of visual sighting afforded by the Plexiglas panelling were regarded as positive factors, with one important provision in relation to weather conditions. Should either bright sunshine or rainstorms be encountered, the pilot's visibility could be dangerously compromised either by glare throwback or lack of good sighting.[sup][14][/sup]​

Taxiing was easy and was only complicated by rain, when the pilot needed to slide back the window panel and look out to establish direction. On take off, Brown reported very little "swing" and the aircraft was well balanced. On landing, Brown noted that approach speed should be above 145 km/h (90 mph) and should be held until touch down. This was to avoid a tendency by the He 111 to drop a wing, especially on the port side.[sup][14][/sup]

 

[Travis7401]

Mystique of the Heinkell 111 Bomber (continued)

Basic design

The design of the He 111 A-L initially had a conventional stepped cockpit, with a separate pair of windscreen-like panels just for the pilot and co-pilot. The introduction of the P variant meant that the He 111P and following production variants would be fitted with a fully glazed "bullet" or "fishbowl"-like nose. The resulting "stepless cockpit", which would be a feature on the majority of German bomber designs during the war years in varying shapes and formats, no longer had the separate windscreen panels for the pilot, who now had to view their exterior flight environment through the same bullet-like glazing that was used by the bombardier and navigator. Within the cockpit the pilot was on the left and the navigator/bomb aimer on the right. The navigator went forward to the prone bomb-aiming position, or could tilt his chair to one side so that he could move into the rear of the aircraft. There was no cockpit floor below the pilot's feet - the rudder pedals being on arms - giving very good visibility below.[sup][20][/sup]

The fuselage contained two major bulkheads. The cockpit was at the front of the first bulkhead. The nose was fitted with a rotating machine gun mount which was offset to allow the pilot a better field of forward vision. The cockpit was fully glazed, with the exception of the lower right section, which acted as a platform for the bombardier-gunner to be positioned. The bombsight penetrated through the cockpit floor into a protective housing on the external side of the cockpit area.[sup][20][/sup] Between the forward and rear bulkhead was the bomb bay, which was constructed with a double-frame to strengthen it for carrying the bomb load. The space between the bomb bay and rear bulkhead was used up by Funkgerät radio equipment and contained the dorsal and Bola style casemate ventral gunnerpositions. The rear bulkhead itself contained a hatch which led to the rest of the fuselage which was held together by a series of stringers.[sup][20][/sup] The wing was a two spar design. The fuselage was formed of stringers to which the fuselage skin was riveted. Internally the frames were fixed only to the stringers which made for simpler construction but at the loss of some rigidity.[sup][21][/sup]

The wings' leading edges were swept back to a point inline with the engine nacelles, while the trailing edges were angled forward slightly. The wing contained two 700 L (190 US gal) fuel tanks between the inner wing main spars, while at the head of the main spar the oil coolers were fitted. Between the outer spars, a second pair of reserve fuel tanks were located carrying an individual capacity of 910 L (240 US gal) of fuel.[sup][20][/sup] The outer trailing edges were formed by the ailerons and flaps, which were met by smooth wing tips which curved forward into the leading edge. The outer leading edge sections were installed in the shape of a curved "strip nosed" rib, which was positioned ahead of the main spar. Most of the interior ribs were not solid, with the exception of the ribs located between the rear main spar and the flaps and ailerons. This was of solid construction, though even they had lightening holes.[sup][20][/sup]

The control systems also had some innovations. The control column was centrally placed and the pilot sat on the port side of the cockpit. The column had an extension arm fitted and had the ability to be swung over to the starboard side in case the pilot was incapacitated. The control instruments were located above the pilot's head in the ceiling which allowed viewing and did not block the pilot's vision.[sup][22][/sup] The fuel instruments were electrified. The He 111 used the inner fuel tanks closest to the wing root. The outer tanks acted as reserve tanks. The pilot would be alerted to the fuel level when the tank had 100 L (26 US gal) left. A manual pump was available in case of electrical or power failure, but the delivery rate of just 4½ L (1.2 US gal) per minute demanded that the pilot fly at the lowest possible speed and just below 3,048 m (10,000 ft). Fortunately, the He 111 handled well at low speeds.[sup][22][/sup]

The defensive machine gun positions were located in the glass nose, the Bola-mount ventral, dorsal and lateral positions in the fuselage and all offered a significant field of fire.[sup][23][/sup] The design of the nose allowed the machine gun position to be moved 10° upwards from the horizontal and 15° downwards.[sup][23][/sup] The gun can also traverse some 30° laterally. Both the dorsal and ventral machine guns can move up and downwards by 65°. The dorsal position can also move the 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun 40° laterally, but the ventral 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 81Z machine gun could be moved 45° laterally. Each MG 81 single machine gun mounted in the side of the fuselage in "waist" positions, could move laterally by 40°, and could move upwards from the horizontal by 30° and downwards by 40°.[sup][23][/sup]

 

[Travis7401]

Scenario 7 - Warsaw
Videos 1-3

This is a pretty long scenario, so I'll just post the videos in groups of 3 and give a brief description of what we've covered, with some notable highlights.






Video 1 covered the deploy phase to the start of Turn 3, which was pretty much just moving Panzer Group B forward toward Warsaw and starting to grind away at some of the enemy AA guarding the SW corner of the city. Panzer Group A and the Aux group both made good progress in the enemy rear area. Video 2 covers turn 3 to turn 5 and everything continued to go well with Panzer Group A and the aux forces making great progress through the enemy rear area, capturing the first of the Polish heavy artillery pieces. Panzer Group B continued to grind into Warsaw doing the dirty work with heavy artillery and air support. Video 3 covers turn 5 to turn 7. Panzer Group A and the auxiliary forces manage great progress through the enemy rear area, capturing cities and captured all but one of the cities with Polish heavy artillery units for me to take. By the end of Video 3, Panzer Group B has managed to grind out a solid foothold in the southwestern corner of Warsaw, capturing an airfield and a couple of key cities. It is slow going wearing down the matrix of AA and artillery units backing infantry in the city hexes, but my dominant air force and heavy artillery support are making it a lot easier than I expected. Overall, the plan is going flawlessly at this point.

Highlights:
Video 1
- @fignuts , Sir Phobos Brigade gets their first action as the new recon unit for Panzer Group A at 2:25, that long range spotting of 4 hexes is really nice for showing what guards a city without moving too close.
- @Reel 's Brigade does work at 2:50, destroying a half strength polish infantry group.
- at 7:25 I used Sir Phobos Brigade to scout a polish bridgehead and found it to be unguarded. I moved Reel's brigade forward and captured. My two hero units working in harmony
- at 8:50 more of Sir Phobos Brigade's long range scouting reveals an enemy unit 4 hexes away. \
-at 9:00 Reel's Brigade gets too big for their britches and the Polish unit they attack got a "Rugged Defense" dice roll. Reels brigade lost 4 strength and inflicted 0 losses.

Video 2
- 3:05 Reel's Brigade gets some artillery backing, and this time goes in and kicks ass, wiping out 7 of the enemy strength. I brought a tank in to finish the enemy off and then captured the city with reel.
-3:30 Sir Phobos Brigade captures undefended enemy airfield and scouts further.

Video 3:
- At 6:25 I led with a double artillery attack prior to Reel's brigade launching an assault. Unfortunately the enemy rolled "rugged defense" and reel only caused 1 casualty while losing one unit himself.
- at 9:30 I again use a double artillery barrage and then an assault by Reel's brigade and this time the results were better, as he destroyed 4 enemy units and took no losses.
-at 9:45 I followed up Reel's assault with one by the Sir Phobos Brigade and they caused 3 damage to the enemy and forced a retreat, while only taking one loss. This city is now successfully captured.

 

[Travis7401]

Mystique of the Siege of Warsaw:

In Reel life, the poles actually repulsed an initial blitzkrieg style attack by the Germans during the first week of September, 1939. The Germans, having Warsaw virtually surrounded, then switched over to a siege and were able to force a surrender by the end of the month. The siege showed the power of the German Air Force, and was one of the first instances of a true terror bombing campaign where civilians were not just killed as collateral damage, but targeted. The Luftwaffe intentionally bombed schools, hospitals, etc. The terror aspect was a huge reason Warsaw surrendered so quickly. Terror bombing would continue to play a pivotal role in the war for both sides. Remember that terrorism is a tactic, not a team, and it is employed by the "good guys" far often than we'd like to admit. If you stick with my dynasty, I'll cover several such instances where the allies engaged in terror bombing campaigns.

From Cjones:

The Siege of Warsaw (1939)

The 1939 Battle of Warsaw was fought between the Polish Warsaw Army (Armia Warszawa) garrisoned and entrenched in the capital of Poland (Warsaw) and the German Army. It began with huge aerial bombardments by the Luftwaffe starting on September 1, 1939.

Land fighting started on September 8, when the first German armored units reached the Wola area and south-western suburbs of the city. Despite German radio broadcasts claiming to have captured Warsaw, the attack was stopped and soon afterwards Warsaw was placed under siege. The siege lasted until September 28, when the Polish garrison, under GeneralWalerian Czuma, capitulated. The following day approximately 100,000 Polish soldiers left the city and were taken as prisoners of war. On October 1 the Wehrmacht entered Warsaw, which started a period of German occupation that lasted until the Warsaw Uprising and later until January 17, 1945.

Air battle


Warsaw's downtown burning after an air raidby the Luftwaffe

From the very first hours of World War II, Warsaw, the capital of Poland, was a target of an unrestricted aerial bombardment campaignby the German Luftwaffe. Apart from the military facilities such as infantry barracks and the Okęcie airport and aircraft factory, the German pilots also targeted civilian facilities such as water works, hospitals, market places and schools. In addition, civilians were strafed from the air with machine gun fire in what became known as a terror bombing campaign.

The anti-aircraft defence of the city was divided into active and passive parts. The former was composed mostly of units of the Pursuit Brigade (Brygada Pościgowa) under Colonel Stefan Pawlikowski, and anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns detachments under Colonel Kazimierz Baran. The Pursuit Brigade was equipped with 54 fighter aircraft, mostly the PZL P.7 and PZL P.11 types. The AA artillery had 86 pieces of anti-aircraft artillery, as well as an unknown number of anti-aircraft machine guns. The latter was composed mostly of fire-fighter brigades and volunteers and was supervised by Colonel Tadeusz Bogdanowicz and Julian Kulski, the deputy president of Warsaw.

Initially the air defence of Warsaw was fairly successful. By September 6, 1939, the Pursuit Brigade had managed to shoot down 43 enemy aircraft, while anti-aircraft artillery had shot down a similar number of enemy bombers. In addition, there were also 9 unconfirmed victories and 20 damaged planes. However, the brigade also suffered losses, and by September 7 it had lost 38 machines, or approximately 70% of its initial strength.[sup][1][/sup]

The AA defence started to crumble when on September 5 by order of the military authorities 11 AA batteries were withdrawn from Warsaw towards Lublin, Brześć and Lwów. Also, as the war progressed, the German high command redirected more bombers to attack the city. At the peak of the initial bombing campaign on September 10, there were more than 70 German bombers above Warsaw. During that day, nicknamed "Bloody Sunday", there were 17 consecutive bombing raids.

Eve of the battle

On September 3, the forces of German 4th Panzer Division under Major General Georg-Hans Reinhardt managed to break through positions of the Polish Łódź Army near Częstochowaand started their march towards the river Vistula and Warsaw. The same day Polish Commander in Chief, Marshal of Poland Edward Śmigły-Rydz ordered the creation of an improvisedCommand of the Defence of Warsaw (Dowództwo Obrony Warszawy). General Walerian Czuma, the head of the Border Guard (Straż Graniczna), became its commander and colonelTadeusz Tomaszewski its chief of staff.

Initially the forces under the command of General Czuma were very limited. Most of the city authorities withdrew together with a large part of the police forces, fire fighters and military garrison. Warsaw was left with only 4 battalions of infantry and one battery. Also, the spokesman of the garrison of Warsaw issued a communique in which he ordered all young men to leave Warsaw. To coordinate civilian efforts and counter the panic that started in Warsaw, Czuma appointed the president of Warsaw Stefan Starzyński as the Civilian Commissar of Warsaw. Starzyński started to organize the Civil Guard to replace the evacuated police forces and the fire fighters. He also ordered all members of the city's administration to retake their posts. In his daily radio releases he asked all civilians to construct barricades and anti-tank barriers at the outskirts of Warsaw. On September 7 the 40th Infantry Regiment "Children of Lwów" (commanded by Lt.Col. Józef Kalandyk) - transiting through Warsaw towards previously assigned positions with the Army Pomorze - was stopped and joined the defense of Warsaw.

Initial clashes

The field fortifications were constructed mostly to the west of the city limits. Gradually, the forces of General Czuma were reinforced with volunteers, as well as rearguard troops and units withdrawing from the front. On the morning of September 8, the suburbs
of Grójec, Radziejowice, Nadarzyn, Raszyn and Piaseczno were captured by forces of German XVI Panzer Corps. At 5pm the forces of the German 4th Panzer Division attempted an assault on Warsaw's western borough ofOchota. The assault was repulsed and the German forces suffered heavy casualties with many Panzer I and Panzer II tanks lost. The following day, the 4th Panzer Division was reinforced with artillery and motorised infantry, and started another assault towards Ochota and Wola. The well-placed Polish 75 mm anti-tank guns firing at point-blank range, and the barricades erected on main streets, managed to repel this assault as well.

One of the barricades erected at the crossing of Opaczewska and Grójecka streets was defended by the 4th company of the 40th "Children of Lwów" Regiment. After the war a monument was built on the spot to commemorate the battle. On several occasions lack of armament had to be made up for by ingenuity. One of the streets leading towards the city centre was covered with turpentine from a nearby factory. When the German tanks approached, the liquid was ignited and the tanks were destroyed without a single shot fired.

The German forces suffered heavy casualties and had to retreat westward to help thwart the Bzura River counter-offensive. The 4th Panzer Division alone lost approximately 80 tanks out of the approximately 220 that took part in the assault.

 

[Travis7401]

Mystique of the Siege of Warsaw continued:

Still from Cjones:

Second Phase:

Survivor of bombing of Warsaw

By then Gen. Czuma had gathered an equivalent of 2 infantry divisions under his command. His forces were supported by 64 pieces of artillery and 33 tanks (27 of Vickers E, 7-TP and R-35 and 6TK-3 and TKS tankettes). On September 8 the Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły ordered the creation of an improvised Warsaw Army (Armia Warszawa) under General Juliusz Rómmel. The newly created force was composed of the forces defending Warsaw and Modlin Fortress, as well as all Polish units defending the Narew and the Vistula between Warsaw and Pilicariver lines. Gen. Czuma continued to be the commander of the Warsaw Defence Force, which he split into two sectors: East (Praga) under Lt.Col. Julian Janowski and West under colonel Porwit.
The Army Poznań under General Tadeusz Kutrzeba, and Army Pomorze under General Władysław Bortnowski started an offensive on the left flank of the German forces advancing towards Warsaw. As a result of this offensive that later became known as the Battle of Bzura, German commanders withdrew the 4th Panzer Division and sent it to counter the Polish threat near Kutno. Its positions were replaced by forces of a weakened German 31st Infantry Division. In this sense the desperate attempt to buy time for organising a defence of Warsaw was a success. The defenders of the city were joined by various units of the routed Prusy Army. In addition, several new units were created in Warsaw out of reserve centres of Warsaw-based 8th Polish Infantry Division and 36th "Academic Legion" Infantry Regiment.
On September 11 the Polish Commander in Chief ordered that Warsaw was to be defended at all costs. The following day the forces of German 3rd Army (under General Georg von Küchler) broke through Polish lines along the Narew river and started its march southwards to cut off Warsaw from the east. It was assaulted by cavalry units under Władysław Anders, but after heavy fights the Polish counter-offensive failed and the forces were withdrawn to the south. Other Polish units fighting under Gen. Juliusz Zulauf in the Narew River area retreated and reached Warsaw on September 14. They were incorporated as the core of the defence forces of the borough of Praga.
On September 15 the German forces reached Warsaw from the east and the capital of Poland was under siege. Only a strip of land along the Vistula leading towards the Kampinos Forest and Modlin Fortress was still in Polish hands. Thedefence of the Modlin fortress was an important relief to the defenders of Warsaw.
Siege


Civilian refugees in Warsaw

On September 16 the forces of Gen. Blaskowitz tried to capture Praga on the march, but the assault was repulsed. After heavy fights for the Grochów area the German 23rd Infantry Regiment was annihilated by the Polish defenders of the 21st "Children of Warsaw" Infantry Regiment under colonel (later promoted to general) Stanisław Sosabowski.
After the Battle of Bzura ended, the remnants of the Poznań Army and the Pomorze Army broke through the German encirclement and arrived in Warsaw and Modlin. After that the forces of the defenders amounted to approximately 120,000 soldiers. The German forces preparing for an all-out assault numbered some 175,000 soldiers. On September 22 the last lines of communication between Warsaw and Modlin were cut by German forces reaching the Vistula.

As preparation for the storming, the city was shelled day and night with artillery and aerial bombardment. Among the guns used were heavy railway guns and mortars. Two entire air fleets took part in the air raids against both civilian and military targets. Since September 20 the forces on the eastern bank of the Vistula started attacks on Praga on a daily basis. All were successfully counter-attacked by the Polish forces. On September 24 all German units concentrated around Warsaw were put under command of general Johannes Blaskowitz

On September 25 the final preparations commenced and the following day in the early morning the general assault was started on all fronts of surrounded Warsaw. Western parts of the city were attacked by 5 German divisions (10th, 18th, 19th, 31st and 46th) while the eastern part was attacked by 4 divisions (11th, 32nd, 61st and 217th). The attack was supported by approximately 70 batteries of field artillery, 80 batteries of heavy artillery and two entire air fleets (1st and 4th), which bombarded the city continuously causing heavy losses in the civilian population.

The attack was repelled and the German forces had to retreat to their initial positions. The following night the Polish forces managed to successfully counter-attack and destroyed several German outposts, especially the from the Polish positions in the boroughs of Mokotów and Praga. On September 27 the German High Command organised yet another all-out assault that was yet again repelled with heavy casualties on both sides.
Capitulation


Polish soldiers march into German captivity on 30 September, following the capitulation

The military situation of Warsaw was relatively good[sup][citation needed][/sup]. General Czuma managed to gather enough forces and war material to successfully defend the city for several weeks longer. However, the situation of the civilian inhabitants of Warsaw became increasingly tragic. Constant bombardment of civilian facilities, lack of food and medical supplies resulted in heavy casualties among the civilians.
The water works were destroyed by German bombers and all boroughs of Warsaw experienced a lack of both potable water and water with which to extinguish the fires caused by the constant bombardment. Also, the strategic situation became very difficult. The Soviet Union's entry into the war and lack of support from the Western Allies made further defence of the city pointless.

On September 26 General Tadeusz Kutrzeba, deputy commander of Warsaw, started capitulation talks with the German commander. On September 27, at 12.00 a cease fire agreement was signed and all fighting halted. Soon afterwards Warsaw capitulated. Several units declined to put down their weapons and cease fire, and their commanding officers had to be visited by generals Czuma and Rómmel personally. On September 29 the garrison of Warsaw started to hide or destroy their heavy armament. Some of the hidden war material was later used during the Warsaw Uprising. On September 30 the evacuation of Polish forces to German POW camps started and the following day German units entered the city.

Casualties

The Polish Army lost approximately 6,000 KIA and 16,000 WIA. After the capitulation approximately 5,000 officers and 97,000 soldiers and NCOs were taken into captivity. The civilian population of Warsaw left 25,800 dead and approximately 50,000 wounded. As an effect of bombardment 12% of buildings were turned into ruins. No official list of German casualties was published. German casualties are estimated at 1,500 KIA and 5,000 WIA.

 

[Travis7401]

Wikipedia really is amazing, I mean I knew a lot about WWII and the battle of Poland, because I've always been a history nerd, but finding detailed articles about individual battles is pretty amazing. The Polish barricade defense that used turpentine to destroy a bunch of Panzer tanks really amazed me. I can't imagine how brave/scared you'd have to be to face down a bunch of tanks with nothing but a ham-fisted plan involving turpentine.

 

[Reel]

disappointed to see that this has been collateral damage now that you are able to go outside and go fishing

 

[Travis7401]

Were you not entertained by my last update? That was more recent than the last time you updated the Reel Report

 

[GR8 2 B FL G8R]

I look forward to the 1 entry next February, or perhaps early March, concerning the Mystique of Black History

 

[Reel]

errrday black history for me brah

 

[Reel]

where is the update faggot!!

 

[Travis7401]

I'll probably slow down my fishing season by September/October

 

[Reel]

I'll probably slow down my fishing season by September/October

O I C

carry on then

 

[Travis7401]

I know you all have been waiting months for this, WE HAVE AN UPDATE!!

Panzer Corps - Grand Campaign 1939 - Scenarion 10 - Narvik

With the Invasion of Poland complete, Field Marshal Trogtrapper set his sights on Norway and the combined Norwegien/French/British forces around the port city of Navrik. Fieldmarshall Trogtrapper was loaned relatively extensive naval forces (for the Germans) in order to blockade the port and prevent allied reinforcements. Narvik is one of the most important ice-free shipping harbors in Northern Europe, and the allies had been using the port to ship Iron Ore before the German Navy Blockaded it. This scenario includes both a land component, where the Germans attempt to capture the Port of Narvik (and surrounding cities); and a naval engagement between the German naval blockade and the British Navy. The British Navy came hard and pissed in order to destroy this blockade, even bringing an early Aircraft carrier, the HMS Glorious.

Scenario and Objective Overview:
Minor victory will be achieved with the capture of 3 objectives (out of a possible 5). Major victory will be achieved with the capture of all 5 objectives and by sinking the HMS Glorious

Battle Plan

This looks to be one of the most difficult terrain setups for a land battle to date. Field Marshall Trogtrapper does not like boats and gets sea sick, so he will opt to take the less direct overland route to the Port of Narvik and the surrounding cities of Straumsnes and Beisfjord. There is an objective North of the harbor that will need to be captured as well. Auxillary naval and airborne/mountain infantry have been attached as can be seen in the map below. Field Marshall Trogtrapper has divided his ground forces into three main elements. Group A is a quick strike force that includes @Reel and @Fignut's Brigades and will move rapidly for the bridges to the South of Beisfjord. Group B is a more slow paced siege group that is currently stationed off the coast (due to lack of ground deployment zones). After Group A clears a landing area for them, they will land and proceed forward and capture one of the Norwegian town objectives bypassed by Group A, before moving on Narvik. Group C has been deployed North of the harbor and is tasked with only taking and defending the small Norwegian objective located nearby. In addition to the ground forces, 2 paratroop units shall be committed and flown in to an area where 2 reserve paratroop units have already landed, South of Beisjord. They will secure the bridgehead for Group A. There are two isolated auxiliary airborne units located North of Narvik and they will be used to pressure the defenses from the rear once the Southern attacks have been mounted.

Forces Deployed:

Group A:
1 x @Reel 's Brigade (Mountain Infantry)
1 x @fignuts 's Brigade (Panzer 3f Scout)
1 x Sturmpanzer mobile Artillery
1 x Grenadier (Mechanized)
1 x Panzer 3f

Group B:
2 x Wehrmacht Infantry
1 x Panzer 3f
2 x 105mm artillery (with trucks)

Group C:
1 x Grenadier (Mechanized)
1 x Panzer 3f
1 x 105mm artillery (with trucks)

Airborne Troops:
2 x Core Paratroopers
2 x Auxiliary Paratroopers (already landed)
2 x Mountain Troops (already in place)

Air Force:
2 x BF 109 Fighter
1 x BF 110 Fighter Bomber
1 x JU87 Stuka Dive Bomber
1 x JU88 Heavy Bomber

Navy:
2 x Heavy Cruiser
1 x Battle Cruiser
1 x U-boat
4 x Destroyer
2 x Schnellboote

 

[Travis7401]

Panzer Corps - Grand Campaign 1939 - Scenarion 10 - Narvik - Video 1 (Covers Deployment through Turn 3)



Scenario 10 - Video 1

 

[Travis7401]

Panzer Corps - Grand Campaign 1939 - Scenario 10 - Narvik - Video 2 (Covers Turns 4-7)



Scenario 10 Video 2



@Reel I know you wanna watch some fuckshit... You and @fignuts combine for a nice kill in this video.

 

[Schauwn]

Not to de-rail this thread, but can I/we expect a Gettysburg LP? I really want to see that game in action to see if it would be something I might enjoy

 

[Travis7401]

Not to de-rail this thread, but can I/we expect a Gettysburg LP? I really want to see that game in action to see if it would be something I might enjoy

Sure, I'm playing the last battle tonight and I was going to do a review on it. I'm not as taken with it as I was the first time I played. There is some ham-fisted shit in the game engine that bothers me, especially regarding artillery and formation orientation and how it interacts with the terrain model. Total War series does a better job IMO, but I'll go over it in more detail in my lets play.

 

[Travis7401]

Just started the 1940 Grand Campaign and won decisive victories in the first 4 battles. Going to get counter attacked by French Heavy tanks in the Stonne scenario tonight. Will be fun to fight a defensive scenario for a change. Get them 88s ready! I should be able to win mostly decisive victories in this campaign because it heavily favors the Germans at this point in the war, but the real objective is to build my unit experience and save as much prestige as possible by limiting losses. That way I have a lot of $ to draw on in the 1941 campaign when I invade Russia.

 

[GR8 2 B FL G8R]

Antarctica and Argentina and NASA when

 

[Travis7401]

Antarctica and Argentina and NASA when

1946

 

[GR8 2 B FL G8R]

Is there an expansion pack where you can make generations of blue eyed Argentinian Sim dynasties

 

[Travis7401]

Just started the 1940 Grand Campaign and won decisive victories in the first 4 battles. Going to get counter attacked by French Heavy tanks in the Stonne scenario tonight. Will be fun to fight a defensive scenario for a change. Get them 88s ready! I should be able to win mostly decisive victories in this campaign because it heavily favors the Germans at this point in the war, but the real objective is to build my unit experience and save as much prestige as possible by limiting losses. That way I have a lot of $ to draw on in the 1941 campaign when I invade Russia.

Bump. Just shattered the B.E.F at Dunkirk last night. 3 Scenarios left in this Campaign and then it is off to 1941 (probably next winter). The British Air Force has sort of neutralized the free airspace my Stukas and JU88s enjoyed in 1939. I have to use fighter escorts a lot more now in order to avoid losses, and that restricts the tactical flexibility I have. Some of the French and British tanks are also pretty formidable compared to my Panzer 3f tanks.

@Reel's brigade and @fignuts brigade are still key pieces to my fast strike group.