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WIELKOPOLSKA - Phase 1 - Final Preparations

August 1939 Final Preparations:

On August 13, Kutrzeba finishes researching Early Hospital System (+5% trickleback modifier). I'll need the little manpower boost this will gain me once I start incurring casualties. Since I'm feeling pretty good about my supply situation, I make a last minute deal with the UK (300 Supplies and 40 Money) to gain the Force Substitution Doctrine blueprint. This will allow me to begin researching technologies for my future air force. I then assign PZL to begin researching Basic Tactical Bomber using the blueprint I traded for earlier.

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By August 15, I have finished upgrading all divisions and I've nearly finished reinforcing the understrength divisions. My TC is strained. I begin to move my divisions into position now so their org can recover in time for August 30. I'll also be replacing some leaders which cost org as well so I can't afford to wait any longer.

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By August 24, my divisions are in position and I organize my korps and assign my leaders. As low as my manpower is, I know I'll need garrisons so I begin a single serial run of 12 garrison divisions.

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Leader Assignment:
The priority is no longer supply conservation but is instead combat effectiveness. Poland has a minister in place which effect leaders:
Head of Government: Marian Zyndram-Koscialkowski (-10% leader skill efficiency). I need to make sure I use the highest skill level leaders available to help offset this disadvantage. I have put red stars next to my most promising leaders.

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Order of Battle:
With my units organized into korps, and leaders assigned, I now have an order of battle in preparation for the imminent attack. Units are positioned and named as follows:

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Okalahan said:
are you going to defend your first line border? or are you planning to use rivers?? (like allied sugges in 1939)

I intend to give as little Polish territory as possible. Interesting to note a few things about the historical background to your question. Poland knew Germany would attack and developed a defense policy recognizing that fact. Poland had 2 basic choices in its defense against Germany:

1) Use the River Vistula as a defense line. There were also a series of old Russian forts corresponding to this line and the French (General Weygand in particular) advised this approach. The major problem with this approach is that this left the most heavily populated western Polish territory undefended. There was also a significant amount of industry in western Poland. Abandoning these areas for the more defensible line along the Vistula was not only politically unrealistic, it also doomed any reserves originating from these areas to never join their units.

2) The alternative plan was to position defenses west of the river defenses along the German/Polish frontier. This was the plan the Poles ended up adopting. Poland realistically feared that the Germans would use the exact same tactic used against the Czechs. If the western provinces (and Danzig and the Pomeranian corridor) remained undefended, Germany could simply waltz in unmolested and achieve a fait-accompli. This approach defended the most populous area, but offered no terrain advantage whatsoever. This area of Poland is a vast, flat plain. To make this work, the Poles needed a big army and better tactical doctrines.

My intention is to use the 2nd option and address the major failure of the Poles: they just didn't field enough men. When the Germans attacked, they simply went around the forward positioned formations and surrounded them. In the historical conflict, Poland fielded 30 divisions. I'll be fielding nearly 4 times as many (118).

One last note. I have much more than defense in mind here. I intend to attack and conquer! I'm simply using their DOW against them.
 
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Why don't you just attack now, instead of wait for Germany to attack. You do have a significant numerical superiority.
 
The stage is set, the actors know their lines... would it be a comedy or a tragedy?
 
Colonel Bran said:
Nope it will just be like rambo 4.

Incredibly brutal and incredibly crappy at the same time?
 
Colonel Bran said:
No, only brutal. I would'nt want to acuse our dear friend of
haveing not talent for writing a script.

Then it can't be like Rambo 4. :D
 
WIELKOPOLSKA - Phase 1 - Round Up

August 1939 Round Up:

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Józef Piłsudski speaks

So let's summarize our accomplishments in Phase 1:
  1. Join the Western Allies to gain blueprints and trade advantages. I gained many valuable blueprints.
    ACCOMPLISHED
  2. Increase Industrial Capacity by at least 60% to maximize TC and gain 3rd tech slot as rapidly as possible.
    ACCOMPLISHED Started with 37 IC and currently have 60 (62% increase). I built 11 factories within 2 years and added 15% industrial efficiency via industry techs plus another 10% using Kwiatokowski.
  3. Build an infantry based army with a minimum of 100 infantry divisions
    ACCOMPLISHED Exceeded goal by building 109 infantry divisions. Including all divisions, have a total of 118.
  4. Maintain Poland's proud cavalry tradition
    ACCOMPLISHED Expanded from 4 cavalry divisions up to 6.
  5. Maximize technological advances and focus on industry, manpower and infantry improvement
    ACCOMPLISHED Four major techs were researched before the August 30, 1939 deadline: Basic Inf Div, Mass Assault Doctrine, Trench Warfare Doctrine and Pre-Planned Defense Doctrine. Additionally, I managed to maximize my industrial techs, manpower techs and intelligence techs.

Battle Plan:
I can expect the Germans to hit Bydgoszcz hard almost immediately. I've intentionally made this point one of the weaker spots in my defense to encourage their attack and hopefully spring a trap that will encircle their advancing divisions.

I'm tempted to attack Oppelin since I have 3 adjacent provinces, but I'll wait until things play out in Prussia and Slovakia before I attempt to take any territory in Germany proper. I want to be sure the attacks in Prussia and Slovakia are successful and that I don't over extend my already precarious manpower shortage. I only have 1 HQ division and it's currently allocated to the Prussia Offensive. An attack here will need to wait.

Cracow is bordered by 4 German controlled provinces so it makes a tempting target. I'm relying on my land forts to help me hold this position and still allow me to support an attack into Slovakia.

I can expect no help from the allies other than some token supply offers and distraction of the Luftwaffe in the west. Poland will need to defeat Germany alone.

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This concludes Phase 1
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Seeing your order of battle, your first moves will be elimination of slovakia and clearing east-prussia. (I derived this from the setup of the cavalry divisions). While the first might have only a moral effect, I believe the second is the key of succesful polish defence. If you let east-prussia live, they're acting like a knife being thrusted in the side of the body. You'll have to take it down fast (four-five days is maximum) before you can focus on germany itself...

Other things I have noticed are your lack of airforce. Are you counting on your allies to send airplanes, AI has this nasty habit, you know...
 
squalleke123 said:
Other things I have noticed are your lack of airforce. Are you counting on your allies to send airplanes, AI has this nasty habit, you know...

The sad truth is I don't really need the air force. I'm playing DD 1.3a and the AI is pretty underwhelming when it comes to using air power effectively. I did knock up the difficulty level to "aggressive" so maybe there will be a few surpises in store. Because of the AI's shortcoming, I side-stepped any effort toward air force development or maintenance in favor of building the biggest possible land force to counter the Germans. I don't intend to ignore the air force forever, and have already laid some groundwork to begin air research in next phase.

One other note about the AI using air power. I have noticed it will ruthlessly attack single divisions left alone, so I'll be careful to keep my HQ and other independent units in good company. Yet another reason to stack units in korps of 3 divisions.

I'm curious...does Arma 1.2 improve the AI's use of air power? I have yet to really commit myself to Arma. I'm put off by all the lingering bugs.
 
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it looks promising :) if the numbers on the map are correct you have a numeric advantage (but the germans probably still have some divs deeper in the reich)

congratulations on achieving your goals so far !!
 
Awesome AAR, I love Pilsudski commenting on his progress. Keep it up!

Subscribed.
 
Indeed, I can't wait for the DoW, either! Just the lack of airforce sends chills through my spine, but, as said, let's wait and see.