Blitzkrieg

[unmerged(252489)]

I am using AoD version 1.05 and I´m playing as Germany in April 1940 (1936 scen.). So I´ve successfully invaded and occupied Poland and I have almost all but a few divisions lined up against the Dutch-Belgian-Luxembourgish-French border (3 Panzer-corps). And when I attack using the real-life plan throught the Ardennes (Luxembourg-Belgium), I become almost immediately stuck into the French defenders (by the way, the French somewhy make Luxembourg a fortress, which is almost impenetrable), so Army Group A stops advancing completely and the plan, which worked so perfectly in real life, is ruined. I did read from the manual that combats last much longer in AoD than in HoI 2, but isn´t that a litle too long? Or am I doing something completely wrong? I think that blitzkrieg is a very important part of the game.

estcan5

 

[Eugenioso]

first of all, and i know i shouldnt be doing this internet arguing thing, but the blitzkrieg as a planned military concept does not really exist. it was only an evolution of different tactics applied to modern warfare.

now, as far as your question goes, if you want to try and go historical well good for you. in my case i prefer taking the northern route with my panzers and motorized, allowing me to encircle from the netherlands all divs and then doing a push south to encircle the marginot line. once encircled i lead my freed up panzer divs to push west and trigger vichy event.

 

[unmerged(252489)]

Yes, that does make things more difficult that the French AI masses all troops to the eastern border instead of Belgium.

 

[bestmajor]

maybe try to start at Aachen and Cologne, then go to Besancon via Liege, Reims, Chaumont, Dijon. that usually works very well. as for the Westwall provinces you just need 4 or 5 divs there.

 

[Mjarr]

You're not really doing anything wrong, it's just an issue with AoD that since AI skips over retooling it can easily outproduce you if you're not prepared to the point it's closer to a massive trench warfare than anything else, and most often it can be frushtrating. It becomes most noticable with river crossings.

Your best bet -- besides bestmajor's suggestion -- is to either simply outproduce the AI and be a sneaky bastard which is bit silly choice, or try to play with a mod.

 

[mcganyol]

as u became experienced u will realize that armoured spearheads works very well, especially against ai.
i dont know if this is the case or not, but novice players often attack benelux countries before spring (usually as soon as they finish Poland(39oct-nov), they rush westwards). panzers on the attack have a massive penalty in frozen/snow/blizzard weather especially in unfavorable terrain (river/forest/hills/marsh), while defending infantry is not heavily penalized.
attacking with 10-15 light panzers and at least 40-45 inf supporting them on the north, Paris should fall in a month or so.

attack benelux and france in winter only if u want a challange.

(and dont attack maginot, it's pointless, even when flanked. Sit in Siegfried line until they surrender, dont sacrafice that much needed manpower.)

 

[unmerged(252489)]

Ok, first of all, as I said earlier, I only launched the attack in April 1940, once I was sure, that the ice was gone on the weather map. Secondly, because I planned an encirclement in Belgium, once the Army Group A spearheads had reached Reims, I ordered them to strike westwards towards the English Channel (Calais via Valenciennes and Lille), but several dozen French divisions attacked from Metz and Chaumont, stopping the spearheds completely. So the main point is that whether or not is it possible to bypass these large French groupings to reach the English Channel?

 

[Amallric]

I think you do something wrong, blitzkrieg totally works in AoD.

 

[unmerged(252489)]

Maybe the problem is that I put too many divisions to defend the Siegfried Line (Army Group C)?

 

[Amallric]

In any case the problem was that you had not enough divisions in the breakthrough area. You need units to defend the ground and others to continue the attack. If you can't either you have not enough troops in the area or you don't have enough troops at all.

 

[unmerged(252489)]

I think that I had enough divisions and I also can´t soften up the other two sectors too much.

 

[bestmajor]

estcan,
maybe you attack to late? i usually start the western war (on normal, but with some boni for ai) in late october 39 (at least the described encirclement operation), finish the maginot line during winter and proceed in spring to paris.
then you can easily take off Holland and the rest of BEL and prepare for the yugos.
you really need to stress a bit until smolensk and kiev are yours.

 

[Rocket88]

What sort of airforce do you have? Try using Logistical strike in those provinces behind the Maginot Line and on the border - these are the ones the French AI needs to use to relocate forces from the south - so it seems to slow them down enough for your infantry to catch up.

In my experience the scale of provinces in AoD means trying to follow history doesn't always work - so going the northern route works rather well .....

 

[unmerged(252489)]

bestmajor´s idea seems a bit risky, since it´s probably very exhausting to my army and, I certainly need the winter for military buildup (recruiting new divisions). Rocket88´s advise is a very interesting idea and I certainly try it out.

 

[kane279]

Hi!
I never had a problem to vanquish France before End of Nov 1939.
Finish off Poland, move all but about 18 inf to the west (everything in Cologne/ Aachen Area) - should be ready on around 10.Oct (I would suggest 3+ motorized corps, 2 stacks of 9 inf each for Lux & Liege, lots of 3div Inf-Corps)
Declare war on Belgium & Luxemburg only (no use to annoy Netherlands)
attack Liege, Antwerpen, Bastogne, Luxembourg with around 9 inf each and bomb those provinces interdiction only
when you see, a battle is almost decided, plot the LARM & ARM corps path as you like it (e.g. Antwerp, Ghent, Lille, Amiens for the 1st, Liege, Namur, Valenciennes for the 2nd ...)
When you just keep Lux at battle, you can crush Belgium and reach the channel coast in about 10 days

 

[Johnhawkwood]

I take the historical route 80% of the time and have it so well rehearsed that I should stop as it feels like cheating now.

Air is the key. Have two airforces - one TAC heavy ( 8 TACS) and one Close Support heavy (8 Stukas).

Begin your air operations a few days before you start the ground assault with the TAC airforce - logistical bomb Mullhouse, Strasbourg and Chaumont down to less than 20% infra. This will mean the forces there will be unable to move to where they are needed.

Punch from Cologne through Bastogne and Arlon with 9 Panzer and motorized divisions. Move Fast! Attack Reims while softening up with the Close support/Stuka airforce. You should be up against a fairly weak force of survivors from Arlon.

On the north flank of your center drive hit Liege hard - (while driving through Arlon/Bastogne with your main tank force) - I drop paras here with some tanks and infantry lead by a fortress buster and take Liege ASAP as it will give you another angle to attack Reims if things get sticky as well as providing a flanking position for you northern drive on Brussels etc.

On the southern flank of your center drive hit Luxembourg hard with infantry and anti tank stuff - the French always commit a lot to defend Luxembourg and along with your TAC bombing of the above mentioned provinces this will deny the French the troops they need in and around Reims.

Once you are in Reims with your main tank force open the hatch of your tank and enjoy the ride to the Channel.

This is in fact a fairly realistic recreation of what actually happened including the Para drop on the Fortresses around Leige.

Just remember to save your two airforces only for the missions listed above at first - dont burn them out unnecessarily on other targets. After you have Reims then turn them to other targets. I have a third air force for the northern part of the campaign.
The Luftwaffe is best used en masse on select targets. Take a close look at the map in terain mode and you will see why logistical bombing Chaumont i particularly important for bottling up the French forces - the alternative routes are full of rivers and hills.

Happy Blitzing! (easy once you have tried it a couple of times - just watch for bad weather though)