WIELKOPOLSKA - Rise of the White Eagle - A Polish AAR

**robw963** · 01-09-2008 00:46

September 3-4, 1939 - Battle for Poznan:

September 3, 1939 - 12:00:
Directly on the heels of the victory in Memel, the Germans mount an assault on Poznan, a crucial hinge point in my attempt to encircle Bydgoszcz.

Meanwhile...in the south - 12:00:
Before I get too distracted by the situation in Poznan, I check my advancing cavalry in Slovakia. I need to know when they're schedule to arrive in Banská Bystrica so I can coordinate an assault on Bratislava with my infantry in Zilina. Since I know the 7 infantry division advancing into Zilina will arrive at 17:00 on September 3, I'll stop the cavalry in Banská Bystrica so I can mount a 2 pronged assault on Bratislava at dawn on September 4.

Battle for Poznan:
My position in Poznan is almost immediately reinforced by the 3 retreating korps from Bydgoszcz bringing my total division count in Poznan up to 27. At first the battle seems to go well and I hold my own against the 3 sided German assault.

17:00:
While the battle in Poznan rages, the 7 divisions from Cracow arrive in Zilina at 17:00. 4 hours later, 2. Korp Kawaleria arrives in Banská Bystrica where I halt their advance to wait for a morning assault. In the process, the retreating Slovakian infantry division (originally defeated at Kosice) is overrun and destroyed.

September 4, 1939 - 0:00:
The first of my 2 retreating korps from Bydogoszcz arrives in Lodz. I move the HQ and 3 supporting korps from Torun to Lodz to reinforce the position.

04:00 - 06:00 - Assault on Bratislava:
Dawn arrives and I initiate an assault on Bratislava, the Slovakian capital. Rainy weather continues to persist.

06:00 - Flank attack on Oppeln:
The battle in Poznan continues. A significant part of the German attack originates in Oppeln so I seize the opportunity to make a flanking attack. I have significant forces in Czestochawa and Cracow, although the scale of my attack will be limited to the normal command capacity of the Generals since my HQ is still working its way south from Torun. I'm counting on the advantage I get with a flanking attack to offset this disadvantage.

08:00:
The assault on Bratislava succeeds although my advancing cavalry continues to get pounded by the Luftwaffe.

12:00:
Armia Suwalki, fresh off their victory at Memel, move south from Königsberg to Torun to replace POLSKA 1 which is moving towards Lodz. Mud slows their movement. Simulataneously, Armia Pomorze in Danzig moves into the void at Stettin left by the German troops who have now arrived in Poznan. Both Stettin and Kustrin will be crucial provinces to capture to complete the encirclement of Bydgoszcz.

13:00:
The attack on Oppeln, while succeeding, isn't giving the intended relief to Oppeln I was hoping for. I increase the intensity of the attack by throwing in my reserves. This will put me over the command capacity of the leaders there, but I'm hoping it will be enough to end the battle in Oppeln sooner.

14:00 - Defeat in Poznan:
I may have succeeded in luring a large German force into Bydgoszcz, but I'm unable to hold Poznan.

**Maj. von Mauser** · 01-09-2008 02:26

Darn.

Does this end your encirclement chances?

**robw963** · 01-09-2008 04:25

September 4, 1939 - Still Hope:

The defeat at Poznan is certainly a setback in the attempted encirclement of Bydgoszcz, but hope still exists if I can successfully take Oppeln and press on to take Kustrin supported from Stettin. It's a risk. Danzig will only have a single korp to defend it.

22:00:
1/1 Kawaleria reaches Memel capturing a small stash of German supplies.

September 5, 1939 01:00:
Fresh German divisions arrive in Bratislava in a last ditch attempt to prevent my complete occupation of Slovakia.

03:00:
Poznan falls to the Germans. Their hold there is weak, however, with only a single armored division.

13:00 - Conquest of Slovakia:
At 12:00, the German reinforcements sent to hold Bratislava are defeated. One hour later, 2. Korp Kawaleria enters the Slovakian capital.

I immediately annex Slovakia:

**elbasto** · 01-09-2008 04:57

I hope to see lot's of those ribbons!

**robw963** · 01-09-2008 06:44

September 5-6 1939 - Maneuver:

Bydgoszcz is still a long way from being encircled, but my numerical superiority may yet win the day versus the qualitative superiority of the Germans. I'll press towards Kustrin which is the key province to complete an encirclment.

September 5, 1939 - 14:00:
3 korps arrive in Lodz joining POLSKA 1 (the HQ) which arrived earlier. I still have a korp retreating from Bydgoszcz which allows me to see that the Germans have 18 divisions there although many of them are advancing into Poznan.

Victory in Oppeln - 15:00:
After 33 hours of combat, the Battle in Oppeln is won, but further south the Germans are attempting to re-take Bratislava.

September 6, 1939 - 0:00 - Capture of Stettin:
Armia Pomorze arrives in Stettin unopposed. Meanwhile the battle in Bratislava begins to turn in my favor.

September 6, 1939 - 1:00:
Immediately the Germans attack my weakness in Danzig.

September 6, 1939 - 9:00:
Forces retreating from Poznan have now arrived in Lodz where they will rest while POLSKA 1 begins an assault to re-take Poznan. It's an easy battle and the lone German armored division there is forced back to Bydgoszcz.

September 6, 1939 - 17:00:
Still waiting for the infantry korp from Zilina to arrive in Bratislava, 2. Korp Piechoty manages to fend off the German attempt to re-take Bratislava on its own. Unfortunately the battle of Danzig is lost.

September 6, 1939 - 20:00:
Armia Modlin (a total of 9 divisions) arrives in Oppeln at 19:00 and fends off a weak German advance. I'm just 1 province (Kustrin) away from forming the encirclement at Bydgoszcz.