Was awesome session.
On the retreat just at then end thos transports had already done there itme for the delay penalty (no red symbol) after the land combats had ended. I retreated from the carrier battle you were having with munster and should have been in the next seazone in about 10 hours. It was about 3 days later when your BB fleet turned up right at then end there. The retreat ETA says Jan 2nd with no year in there. Same with other fleet off dover it wont move either. Anyway it should be fixed when we reload like your prob and all will be good.
The Italian Fleet did exist the med prior to war as munster wanted to fight out in the atlantic instead of the confines of the med, and help with an invasion if i attempted it. I did warn munster that it will leave him vulnerable in the med, but we shall see how he does. Certainly added some spice to the war around the UK, with 4 Italian CV's.
On the invasion i was not going to invade the UK but then munster said you had lots of forces he could see in alexandria, malts, tel aviv and cpyrus. Lots of land forces and airpower, and thats only what we could see with intel, so i expect it was more. When he kept saying as france went on you had heaps of forces there and once he joined all the airpower you had in the region i saw an opotunity to exploit your lack of airpower and maybe land forces in the UK.
After France feel in 2 weeks and then vinchy fired a week later i massed every Germany plan i could find and some minor allied bombers. Reorganised troops, airfields and fleets to prepare for an onslaught. I didnt rellay think i would get ashore but main gold was to force UK to keep larges force in the UK. With the Italian fleet supporting and 3 fleets of german subs and 16 transports the invasion was planned. The mina problem as major would know is bombers dont bomb where you want to straight way. I have figured it out and thats why i kept switing my attack until i found out how bombers would support the invasion. Its random when you bomb prior to the battle starting, but once your invasion begins the bombers will target that province as major so nearly found out. My 6 moutain troops invading in Norwhich beat of 3 candians, then a HQ and Armour, then 2 more armour, motorised, then the same HQ and armour came back again and then 3 moutains. Between all this i was ment to land at 23:00hrs, major got fresh troops to the battle i think 2 hours befroe i land and secured the province, with 12 armour waiting of shore to rush into the port. Had that armour landed, well i think it would have been curtains for the UK.
My stukas supported by the luftwaffe did a brillent job over the UK and shashed all resitance that came to the beaches. In the air to air battles the UK desperation showed as a number of fighter and bombers units were totaly destroyed in the air with the intense battles. Had germany built a few more mountains troops the invasion would have worked. It would have alos worked had we not lost out para at cardiff, we should have attempted this first, but like i siad we couldnt get the bomber to bomb were we wanted too. If we had the para we would have secure the province instantly after we won the battle at norwhich and the Panzers would be ashore.
So good lessons here. Ive learnt invasions ca indeed be very sucessful now with airpower if you do the battle first, the airpower will go to the province being invaded after a short while. I think major might have tohught this as well, as when i was contanstly bombing the UK he didnt panick and bring back alot of airpower as he knew from previous games this makes invasion tough. But now it works. So airpower is the key element now, good to know if your the UK, you cant send lots of forces overseas like airpower or tanks, you need them at home.
The Italian navy did well, in numerous skirmishes around island with thel uftwaffe provinding aircover and mauling th royal airforce. How ever after the failed cardiff operation, we dedcided norwhich was the best option. And like i said above, Germany won countles battles on the beaches but the troops wouldnt unload quick enough. Having armour going to beach is not enough, you need air countrol, as armour with no org is no good. Had i organised better i owuld have destroyed that armour on the retreat with stukas, but to much was going on and it slipped my mind.
Around norwhich the UK lost 1 CV in battle with the Italian fleet and numberous italian CVs were damaged through airpower. The luftwaffe came to the rescue to fight of the British bombers and fighters. Germany lost 3 transports i think, with 1 mountain divisions drowning. They will be remebered for there herousim and there many victories on the shores of norwhich.
This was probably the most intense session of HOI 2 or DD that i can recall. The Russian front is great, but its not life and death in one battle like it is with the UK. The UK knows should germany get tanks ashore its basicaly over. The air, land and sea battles were all desperate affairs with both sides know the stakes. Awesome session, really awesome.
Well played majors, was best series of battles i can recall for a long time. I bet you didnt really expect me to invade, i normaly dont. But this time i thought what the hell. Really good game. Wonder what next session will bring, still a few months till winter, time is still on our side for the moment.
Next session Tuesday 7pm
