BTW This AAR passed 40k views
Are you going to take that event that permits you to cede your chunk of metropolitan France for a higher chance at allying with Vichy (I think it's the Montoire conference, and I don't remember if there's a dissent penalty or something like that), or have you decided that you actually don't want an alliance of any sort with them?
Yay, an update, finally
I also strongly advise against attacking the Soviets in the winter. It's unlikely you'd make much headway over the frozen terrain, and it would give the Soviets time to redeploy and dig in - plus they'll probably get some bonuses once the war with Germany starts. Finish off Poland (and Yugoslavia, since the Italians will surely drag you into the Balkan mess) first, and launch Barbarossa in late spring/summer 1940. The Soviets should still be relatively unprepared.
Yeah, winter offensives against the USSR are the height of folly without at least mountain divisions, and you've rejected those on the grounds of cost. I'll add my voice to the "wait till spring" chorus.
Nice conclusion of Fall Gelb. I would suggest you wait until some event fires about Spanish cooperation / Vichy cooperation in which you can trade land for a Vichy ally, although it would be better if a neutral Vichy would guard the beaches, less beaches to take care of in case some Brits try to get to Berlin quick.
Furthermore, I would wait until you have defeated Poland, upgraded the most important bits of your army and invade in 1940 as soon as the snow/mud etc. allows it...
Tim
Spring 40 is the time to hit the ruskies, especially if you can catch them tied up in finland or just after the end of winter war, better before, Finnish ally and all that, good to see you back KW.
Attacking SU in winter would be the most foolish move, they would surely crush you . Spend time to get more armored divisions, airplanes and airports (you are building them, aren't you?) online and go for a 1940 spring offensive.
Great AAR man! I've been waiting a long time for this update.
Great AAR. 2 days to read. All of it worth it. I wait in anticipation for more updates sir.
+1 from me. Keep up the good work!
BTW This AAR passed 40k views
That's because people are checking for updates all the time...
I agree wholeheartedly. It should stack fewer divs there and be more concerned with the Paris area. They should only stack more troops on the Maginot Line when the Germans are overstacking the Siegfried Line.The French AI overstacks the Maginot Line to an extent that it becomes nonsensical and harmful.
Yes, they should prioritise the defence of their VPs more, especially if the Germans have many mobile divs or PARAs.The French AI fails to concentrate on their main objective (defense!) and instead is too easily distracted by traps and rather unimportant minor opportunities.
Surprsingly enough, the WWI French strategy went pretty much along this way. They used two armies to pin the Germans in Alsace Lorraine and wanted to use their other three armies to push into Germany, across Saarbrücken and continue into the Rhineland. This was despite the knowledge of the Schlieffen Plan which would have meant an encirclement of the French forces if the French had continued their attacks.[*]The French AI fails to concentrate on their main objective (defense!) and instead is too easily distracted by traps and rather unimportant minor opportunities. It would be already a step forward if an AI switch that forbids the French AI to take enemy territory during the first weeks of Case Yellow would be activated. Taking Trier or Luxembourg while my main attack forces are steamrolling Belgium is foolish, plain and simple.
It wasn't stupid. Joffre surmised that if the Germans were strong on their right (and that's what their ostensible plan called for) and if they were strong on their left (the apparent result of the battles of Morhange and Saarburg) then they had to be weak in the center. Unfortunately, they were not, in fact, weak in the center, but quite strong, having not moved Fourth Army in particular over to the right wing. The result was a two-day evisceration of two French field armies in Luxembourg.Surprsingly enough, the WWI French strategy went pretty much along this way. They used two armies to pin the Germans in Alsace Lorraine and wanted to use their other three armies to push into Germany, across Saarbrücken and continue into the Rhineland. This was despite the knowledge of the Schlieffen Plan which would have meant an encirclement of the French forces if the French had continued their attacks.
He is not talking about pinning. He is talking about the French AI being too eager to conquer unguarded or poorly guarded territory while its very existence as a major political entity is in danger.
You should have no problem with Poland, as the British won't be able to do much in the West in 1939-40.
Surprsingly enough, the WWI French strategy went pretty much along this way. They used two armies to pin the Germans in Alsace Lorraine and wanted to use their other three armies to push into Germany, across Saarbrücken and continue into the Rhineland. This was despite the knowledge of the Schlieffen Plan which would have meant an encirclement of the French forces if the French had continued their attacks.
So, while you assume the AI is stupid, it's rather... Old guard ;-)
He is not talking about pinning. He is talking about the French AI being too eager to conque unguarded or poorly guarded territory while its very existence as a major political entity is in danger.
Still, the Soviets have a great deal more space, and it's a bit harder to make grand encirclements. Hopefully it won't be nearly so easy next time around.
"Hey, look, Pierre, the Germans have left this part of the border completely undefended!"
"Oh my, you're right, Francois, let's invade through there with half our available reserves, it can't possibly be a trap!"
This is great! One of the best AARs ever.