The First Blitzkrieg, SeaLion

[gwgardner]

I'm actually playing scenario 141, same setup as above but a bit better for the Allied AI.



20 Inf Battalions, 4 Pnzr Battalions in the amphibious assault, from Briton to Dover
10 Inf Btlns, 1 Pnzr Btln embarked awaiting berths in port

Four Fallschirmjager regiments have dropped north of Folkstone at the start.

The starting air forces are divided into Northern and Western groups, although nothing in the scenario description describes whether they are treated/used separately, or altogether.  Presumably the Northern group is based in Norway, the Western in France/Belgium/Netherlands.

42 level bomber groups
10 Stuka groups

Currently Luftwaffe has a 2:1 air superiority

The English Channel is heavily mined on both the Eastern and Western approaches.

Schedules reinforcements include 8 Panzer Divisions over the next three weeks:

[gwgardner]

The first objectives are to capture the three ports - Briton, Folkstone, and Dover.  Without them neither supplies nor reinforcements can be brought in to any sufficient degree.  Dover looks to be the more difficult of those onjectives, with substantial British forces present just to the west.

[gwgardner]

Sept 25-26

Good progress, with the entire landing force extending its control from Brighton to Dover and north almost to the Medway River - even crossing one Panzer Regiment over the Medway south of London.

Both the 9th and 16th Army HQs have crossed to the UK.

[gwgardner]

9/27-28

Limited advances against stiffening resistance, much of the last two days spent in bringing forces up to the front lines, and bringing in the first of the panzer divisions.

Continued interdiction attacks against railroads leading into the battle area.

German air superiority is at 2.4 to 1, which is a slight improvement over the previous days. 

[gwgardner]

One issue I was not prepared for is supply.  I had expected the major ports of Brighton and Dover to provide major supply, but I didn't read the rules carefully enough.  There is parameter data:

which indicates that those ports are 'suppressed' for 28 days.  During that time, they will only offer minor supply, with a supply range of 12 movement points, if I read it right.

Currently I'm only getting amphibious supply, and I don't yet understand why I'm not getting minor supply. Hmmh.

[later]

Turns out Brighton and Dover are minor ports (lower case lettering), and they are currently colored orange (ie suppressed), meaning they offer no supply.  So indeed, all my army is getting is amphibious supply.  That severely constricts my chances!  It is imperative now that I take a major port: London.

[Mr Grumpy]

Well that seems historical as trying to supply an army from a beach is a logistical nightmare, hence why the Allies developed the Mulbery harbours to solve this issue for D Day.

[gwgardner]

Sept 29-30

Logistics is the problem right now. The Army will operate at reduced capability beyond 3 MPs from a supply depot. Supply depots can be chained, so doing that would extend the operational area to the London approaches.

The rail lines out of Dover and Brighton are currently damaged, so it is necessary to bring across a rail repair crew from France. Putting those crews onto the limited transports will cause a many days delay in bringing across a Panzer regiment or an Infantry brigade.

So over the next 4-6 days, the currently available supply depots will have to be chained from either Brighton or Dover, and rail repair crews will have to be transported across the Channel.

[gwgardner]

Oct 1-2

Advances to the limit of the supply range and beyond, lead elements of the army are on the outskirts of London. My handling of the supply depots was flubbed, with the result that it's going to take longer to effect a chain of supply to the maximum possible from the beaches.

The game would not allow me to delay the transport of the Panzer Regiment, so the rail repair crews are still twiddling thumbs in France.

Air superiority has improved to 2.8-1, ground attacks have been devastating to the British forces, and their own air force has been mostly ineffectual against the German units.

Continued interdiction bombing runs have damaged rail lines into the London area, but the defense looks strong in the environs of the capitol.

[gwgardner]

10/3-4

As the supply depots are repositioned, the entire army is out of supply.  I would have pulled back a bit, but so far the AI has not attempted a counter-attack.

The AI has done a good job of attacking German strongpoints from the air, especially southeast of London, where the 10th Army has established a bridgehead across the Thames at Dartford.

The next army supply depot unit will arrive on the 12th, and that should extend the range of supply out to 12 hexes from the beaches, for most of the clear terrain near London.  Until then, both 9th and 10th Armies will hold the current line, giving the Luftwaffe time to soften up the enemy positions.

Air superiority was at 4-1 over the last couple of days, but the Luftwaffe took heavy losses.  The superiority is still good, at 3.4-1.

One rail repair unit has now crossed to Brighton.

[later: did some testing, and it turns out what I thought was a rail repair unit is not.  It's just and engineer unit.  There appear to be no rail repair units in the scenario]

[gwgardner]

Reading the rules again, I see that a minor report is un-suppressed in half the time of a major port. So that means Brighton and Dover should become fully capable fourteen days after the invasion, ie October 10.