New PBEM adaptation of TGW-Div 1.6: Playtesting!

[Moff Jerjerrod]

Sorry about that. I had brought a mine to Constantinople that was rushed from another city.

It's always a good idea not to leave a ship parked next to a city.

 

[Tigranes]

Entente lost 6 (old) battleships in the Dardanelles, 8 submarines and one DD. Mine sweaping was a pain and even when part of the Narrows was cleared Turks secretely deployed new mines.

By 1.25pm [March 18, 1915] the Turkish defences were mostly silent so de Robeck decided to withdraw the French line and bring forward the second British line as well as Swiftsure and Majestic.

At 1.54pm Bouvet, having made a turn to starboard into Eren Köy Bay, struck a mine, capsized and sank within a couple of minutes, killing 600 men. The initial British reaction was that a shell had struck her magazine or she had been torpedoed. Most reports state that they remained unaware of the minefield; however, mines in the string had been spotted earlier that morning, and their sighting relayed to Admiral de Robeck. Civilian trawlers acting as minesweepers in front of line 'A' discovered and destroyed three mines in an area thought to be clear, before the civilian crews withdrew under fire. This information was not passed on to de Robeck.


The British pressed on with the attack. Around 4pm Inflexible began to withdraw and struck a mine near where Bouvet went down, killing 30 men. The battlecruiser remained afloat and eventually beached on the island of Bozcaada (Tenedos).

Irresistible was the next to be mined. As she began to drift helplessly, the crew were taken off. De Robeck told Ocean to take Irresistible under tow but the water was deemed too shallow to make an approach. Finally at 6.05pm Ocean struck a mine which jammed the steering gear leaving her likewise helpless. The abandoned battleships were still floating when the British withdrew. A destroyer commanded by Commodore Roger Keyes returned later to attempt either to tow away or sink the stricken vessels but despite searching for four hours, there was no sign of them.

It needs to be noted that Ottoman success was a surprize for Turks themselves. Talaat Pasha had a car ready to flee in case that mighty British-French fleet actually force the Narrows. So many things went wrong during that black day of March 18. It is possible that Armenian Genocide could have been prevented if the Allied fleet would be able to make its way to the Sea of Marmara and bombard Constantinopol, complelling Turks to step out of the War and form a new goverement.

 

[Cyc]

Ok, first TGW turn on the road, first without notes.

Russia was shocked by the constant assault on Lodz. The entire Brusilov Corp fell back to safety and lick it's wounds. Fresh troops roar down the same road in the opposite direction to replace them. Troops in both directions seemed grateful. The Artillery in Lodz shelled the stack outside and caused 3 HPs damage.

In the Black Sea there was a lot of finger pointing over the loss of the 1st Gangut produced by Russia. The small accompanying group of ships moved around nervously, one even tried to shell the railway road, but failed.

Kossacks watched as Turkish Infantry amassed on the railway below the hill they had gathered on. They struck the turks fiercely, 3 or 4 died and the rest redlined and retreated. They might have caused 2 or three HPs worth of damage. More Kossack rode in to replace them.
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The Allies, starting with the Italians, followed by the French, the Russians, and the British all declared war on the Neutrals for some reasons. Maybe Tulips were out of season....

Tried shelling the trenches by Strausberg again, but there must have been some miscommunication to the front line. A minor rescue mission is in order to compensate for the fat finger error.

French ships continue to scour the Mediterranean for Turkish adversaries. One slipped out and up the straits to bombard the railway heading West out of Constantinople, with some success.

 

[Tigranes]

It's nice to resume our war

Neutrals mostly declare war when one of their transports run into Entente submarines. I have edited last save so that Neutrals are again at Peace with all Entente. Cyc, please just accept peace offer, and RoP will be reinstated after that automatically. I am thinking how to overcome this problem. Perhaps Neutrals should have alliance with Entente, they contribute to Victory Points very little anyway...

Britain

BEF left Belgium and swiftly arrive to Italy with a simple yet noble mission: kill some Germans and save Venice. Italy was also helped financially this turn.

Army and Fleet together have cut Gaza from the rest of Ottoman Empire.

Holy city of Islam, Medina was captured by advancing Royal Marines. Surprisingly Turkey did not rush any additional defenders to the Division which already claimed lives of British soldiers (see report from previous turn).

British destroyer attacked German CL near Denmark but was sunk by excellent German gunnery. British submarine avenged the death of their brave comrades.

We still have no clue about the whereabouts of German blockade Runner near Iceland. We can see that German city Munich experiencing some 2-tile shortages (former "pollution"). Clearly Central Powers don't have enough available War Materials to eliminate those shortages!

Italy
Italian forces spotted all 4 German Corps near Italian Borders. All the available German artillery is deployed against Venice. Clearly this should enable France and Russia to be more active against Germany!

It is a grave mistake on scenario design part that Italy has no Conscription! The only country without Conscription must be Britain, historically. I propose to give Italy and Turkey Conscription right away! If all the players agree I will patch it to the Save next turn.

German Corp near Venice was shelled mercilessly by 6 guns and 4 ships. Offending Corp got yellowlined. Venice got even more reinforcements during this turn. First Counterbattery Artillery made by Italians from Toronto attacked Skoda Siege gun (bombard 31, rate of Fire 4, causes collateral damage). Unfortunately our mission failed and we lost our precious Counterbattery!

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

I propose to give Italy and Turkey Conscription right away!

Turkey already has conscription. I am indeed able to draft troops as needed. I agree that Italy should be given the draft, perhaps they did not research the necessary tech yet?

Britain on the other hand did not draft men into the army until 1916? Maybe you can still allow Britain to draft but only after researching some tech later on in the tech tree?

 

[Tigranes]

Yes, I meant to say that everyone from the START must have draft, except for Britain. But right now it is both Italy and Britain. Britain can research Conscription.

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

gps Cyc

Week 45, 1914

Ottoman Empire:

Turkish guns shell French Armored Cruiser in the Bosporus. No other action to report.


Austria-Hungary:

Austrian CL's patrolling the Adriatic shell the Italian BB Leonardo da Vinci. Then an Austrian Semi-Dreadnought that was in the area can't resist this tempting target and engages the Italian BB of the Regia Marina. After what looked like would be a lost battle the Austrian captain manages to fire just one more shot than the Italian captain can thus ending the contest with the Austrian as the victor. Will she be able to go home? Unfortunately there were no survivors.


Germany:

Lodz gets shells some more. Brusilov absorbs some hits but remains steadfast in his defense of Russian soil. Then a German counterbattery gun comes up and duels with a Russian Light Artillery. The Russian is the victor!

Strassbourg is the scene of a morbid battle against those French forces who lost their way. However it was not to be a walk in the park. 3xGerman Rifle As and 1xGerman Rifle R dies horribly as they charge the French Rifle A and her artillery support. Finally an Elite unit of German Rifle A comes in and finishes the wounded French Rifle thus opening the way for the German Rifle Rs waiting to pounce on the two French 155mm batteries. The French stack is cleared but at great cost.

The Kriegsmarine sends out it's BBs for a limited engagement with the Royal Navy. Two RN Predreads are spotted near Amsterdam and sunk by Kaiser class BBs. One German Dreadnought class goes down however in the fight. Then another Kaiser class comes out and sinks a RN Armored Cruiser. Elsewhere in the North Sea German submarines attack the RN BC Invincible. At first we believe that she is indeed invincible as the first U-boot goes down. Luckily though the second U-boot is equipped with stealth and she picks off the wounded RN BC. There were no survivors.

Now onto the battle of Venice. Tragedy once again strikes Germany as Hindenburg meets a gruesome death against Braithwaite. Not even our artillery bombardment of the British Corps is enough. Hindenburg hardly did any damage and all of the other German troops in the area watched in horror as their beloved leader was whittled down to death. A German counter battery gun however does destroy a British Light Artillery. Then Venice itself is shelled and a German Rifle A kills an Italian Rifle A that was at the top of the stack. More German troops are brought in to continue the attack and a German Rifle A and a Cavalry die while trying to dislodge an Italian Rifle A. The Italian is promoted to Elite status for his bravery. For now the battle stops.

 

[Tigranes]

Lol, I read these reports like a real battle reports fearing to see that Venice fell this turn! What a suspense )

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

I thought you might like how I saved the battle of Venice for last!

I watched in horror though as Hindenburg with 18/23HP versus Braithwaite with 12/22?HP died. All he did was score one hit against the British.

 

[Tigranes]

Then Venice itself is shelled

This was a mistake I was hoping for ! Artillery should always concentrate on 1 tile. If you split between BEF and Venice you will loose both rabits (what is the American version of that saying anyway?)

 

[Cyc]

This was a mistake I was hoping for ! Artillery should always concentrate on 1 tile. If you split between BEF and Venice you will loose both rabits (what is the American version of that saying anyway?)

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?

I'm baaack.

 

[Tigranes]

Welcome back!

No I wanted something like -- if you chase 2 rabbits you will catch none

Victorious reports from Western and Easter Front awaited! Let's show Germany how it feels to fight on 3 different fronts!

 

[Cyc]

Where to start...

This week had it's ups and downs. Luckily, the Russian nation has many cities to draft from, but the teenagers and old men that now swell the Russin ranks are ill trained and lightly armed. Let's take a look at the situation in Lodz...

2 of 4 Arties hit the stack of German units outside of the city, causing 3 HPs of damage. The healthy Counter-Battery shells the 210mm, and promotes to Elite with the victory. Brusilov is moved to safety. A new Corp with 2 Imperial Guards and an A-Inf atack, finding the Veteran Bav A Inf unit, but dies quickly, but bringing the German unit down to 2/6. Then the Grand Duke enters the scene. He dies at the hands of an A-Inf unit. This was followed by the Lodz Massacre. Through the week, 50 Russian A-Infantry Divisons fell, along with 1 Armored Car, 2 Entante MGs, 1 Russian MG, 2 Field Divisions, 1 Counter Battery, and 10 R-Infantry units. One Kossack unit was also redlined. All of these casualties without causing one death in the German stack. The Russian forces caused maybe 7 HPs worth of damage. But we did create a Great Leader for the Germans (Kluck) and a lot of Workers for them. Some of the new draftees went into Lodz, to burry the dead, but most went into Warsaw to await the arrival of the healed Brusilov Corp.

Elsewhere, 4 Kossacks attacked the re-inforced Turkish troops on the railway West of Varna. 2 died and 2 redlined, but they did create a new Great Leader for the Turks named Enver. And close by, a Pre-Dreadnought took out the railway East of Constantinople.
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The French had a better day. The French Artillery lead the charge to assist in the defense of Brussels. All the action takes place on the hills West of the Coal hills, South of Liege. An Artie hit an A-Inf for 2 HPs, a 155mm hit for 1 HP, a 155mm hit for 3 HPs, a 155mm hits for 2 HPs, 1 Artuie misses, and the last Artie hits for 1 HP. The Joffre Corp kills an A-Inf, redlines, and retreats. Petain Corp does the same. 2 Resistance units move in, 1 dies, 1 fortifies. 2 A-Inf die, an R-Inf kills an A-Inf, 2 T-Inf die, R-Inf kills and R-Inf?, R-Inf redlines the Kavillerie and the 59 R-Inf finishes it off, capturing 3 Workers PLUS 1 British Worker and 1 Italian Worker. All Workers cross the Luxembourg border to safety.

Down South in the warm waters of the mediterranean, a Condorcest killed an unknown vessel. A damaged Armored Cruiser took out the RR West of Constantinople. Also a powerful Turkish ship was found along the Western Ottoman Coast.

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

Wow Cyc! That is a staggering amount of Russians who lost their lives.

I didn't expect your attack against my worker party on that hill. Good job!


Turkey is getting battered left and right. Soon we won't have lines of communications to the rest of the Empire. Turkey lacks coal too so these past few weeks have been very painful.

 

[Tigranes]

50 units and 2 Corps?!? Why, why would you do that Cyc? Lodz could be DEFENDED by all those troops with 120 % bonus after that cool Hospital you've built...

 

[Cyc]

50 units and 2 Corps?!? Why, why would you do that Cyc? Lodz could be DEFENDED by all those troops with 120 % bonus after that cool Hospital you've built...

Well, Tigranes, you've been wanting some Russian aggression. The reason I've just been fortifying and building is because the Russians are much too weak to be in a war with the Germans. Much too weak. We didn't kill 1 German unit. And you posted this....

"Victorious reports from Western and Easter Front awaited! Let's show Germany how it feels to fight on 3 different fronts!"

I was just trying to give you a victorious report. Unfortunately, the game is much too lop-sided for this. I just proved that. The Russians can do nothing in this game but barricade themselves in their cities and hope no-one attacks. My navy is gone. I can't trade with anyone. Not only am I broke, but the gang-buster ship I spent my gold rushing was sunk by a floating mine in a bay I had just swept for mines. And now I've just sent 60 men and two Corp to their doom without causing the death of one of the 7 or so Germans outside the city. I'm having way too much fun.

Now I am glad the French attack succeeded. That was a handy piece of strategy. Let's see what happens next. But I'm not expecting much from the French either.

 

[Tigranes]

Man, you need to read MY Russia reports from the old game me and Moff currently loosing to Lanzelot. I lost a stack of 45 units parked next to Krakow, but at least it was our tough German friend Lanzelot who recreated a Tannenberg for me and attacked my army with Germans in Austrian territory! But with Lodz it was different. I mean if you send attack 4 unit against defense 15 + 25% for forest, how many units does it take to loose before one realizes that any further attackes will end up in the very same way? This is the only reason for my frustration. We still Week 49 in our other game and I lost 5 Ganguts already. War was pain for Russia and this scenario recreates it faithfully. Everyone who played this scenario before (there was another PBEM thread for v 1.4) insist that Russian stats must be buffed.

The only hope for Russia is buying time and researching towards Russian Civil War. After you upgrade all your Cossacks to the White Guards Germany will be smoking

Victorious reports expected from Russia are very simple: Counterbattery results and occasional Brussilov kills, together with Black Sea activity. I really didn't mean to suggest to trade 40 troops for 1 German unit

 

[Tigranes]

Britain

BEF reports great success against the SuperHeavy German Artillery. Scoda Siege Gun and Bavarian Siege Gun where destroyed this turn, for the price of 1 Counterbattery. This were the only bombard 31 units left in German Army, we assume. And it will take awhile before Germany research a tech that allows more of those deadly guns to be built. Fat Berta is the only annoying super heavy artillery left alive.

Britain straggling to obtain her first Elite naval unit so that she could built long overdue Room 40 Wonder. Guess what? 3 Veteran CLs sunk 3 German ships during this turn, but none has been promoted to the Elite. Talk about British luck!

a) Near Southern Iceland German blockade runner is spotted and sunk
b) and c) Near South-Western Norway shores 2 Old German Battleships are spotted, shelled and sunk

No survivors from either victories. Some survivors recovered from past German attacks on our ships near Holland. Treasury in London gets ready to pay cash and VP for the DD delivering survivors next turn.

British Mediterranean Navy redlines 2 MGs in isolated Gaza. Field artillery adds few hitpoints to that carnage, but mainly misses. British ports in Alexandria, Kuwait and London welcomed Indian Divisions sent to fight for the glory of Empire!

War Cabinet supports distressed Russia both politically and financially sending entire week Revenue (1600 gold) directly to the Russian Naval Headquarters in Sevastopol via wire transfer. European and Asian parts of Ottoman Empire must be cut from each other!

Belgian culture of Ypres expanded last turn and destroyed Observation Balloon pro-actively deployed directly East from Calais . Combat Engineers helping to increase commerce of Italy were called back to deploy another Balloon

Italy

Careful examination of French Navy's reports allows Italians to score one of the most stunning victories in this War: "powerful Turkish ship" (old BB) was sent to the bottom of the sea near Rhodes together with the entire crew. This was done thanks to the even more powerful underwater explosion.

Italian Parliament finally passes Conscription law. Constitutional Monarchy allowed to draft just 1 unit per turn from Cities and Metropolitan Areas. Six Conscript Divisions were drafted and sent to reinforce Venice.

Both Army and Navy shell German invaders. 4-5 yellowlined units are the only results in Isonzo campaign this turn.

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

gps Cyc

Week 46, 1914

Ottoman Empire:

Turkish coastal battery sinks wounded French Armored Cruiser trying to escape the Bosporus. Turkish mine from Constantinople sinks Russian Destroyer Flotilla outside the Turkish capital.

Another mine finds a French Armored Cruiser near Constantinople and sinks it.


Austria-Hungary:

Nish falls! Nish was lightly defended by only a HMG and an Entente Rifleman. After a 1 hour artillery bombardment Austro-Hungarian troops move into the city. We now have a land link to Turkey which desperately needs all kinds of resources and military aid.


Germany:

Off the south tip of Norway a British unknown and two DD Flotillas are sunk by German CLs. There were only 1 survivor.

Near Liege the French Rifle R that killed my stack died but only after he killed one of our Rifle As. As usual there was a short artillery bombardment.

Lodz falls. Artillery pounds the city and then our wounded troops move in. During the fighting the Russians lose 1xRifle A, 1xCavalry, 1xCounterbattery, 3xLight Artillery. The Germans lose a Landwehr division.

Venice - The battle for Venice continues as German artillery pounds the city. A German Counterbattery gun dies whilst trying to kill one of the injured British Counterbattery guns.

Then the real fighting begins. German troops and a new Corps move in. The charge is costly for little gain typical of the fighting in this war. 4xGerman Rifle As die, 1xGerman Cavalry and we only killed 2xItalian Rifle As.

 

[Cyc]

Man, you need to read MY Russia reports from the old game me and Moff currently loosing to Lanzelot. I lost a stack of 45 units parked next to Krakow, but at least it was our tough German friend Lanzelot who recreated a Tannenberg for me and attacked my army with Germans in Austrian territory! But with Lodz it was different. I mean if you send attack 4 unit against defense 15 + 25% for forest, how many units does it take to loose before one realizes that any further attackes will end up in the very same way?

Don't be silly, Tigranes. I have known for quite a while that attacking the Germans was an exercise in futility (much like this war). I understand a war of attrition. It's not very exciting.

Everyone who played this scenario before (there was another PBEM thread for v 1.4) insist that Russian stats must be buffed.

Hmmmm. Maybe the Russian stats should be buffed.....

The only hope for Russia is buying time and researching towards Russian Civil War. After you upgrade all your Cossacks to the White Guards Germany will be smoking

Guess I should have played the Germans.

Victorious reports expected from Russia are very simple: Counterbattery results and occasional Brussilov kills, together with Black Sea activity. I really didn't mean to suggest to trade 40 troops for 1 German unit

Like I've said before. That's what I have been giving you, except Brusilov can't kill anything. That's all I've been giving you. But you keep stressing Russian aggression. Fine, I give you Russian aggression. I knew Vet and Elite Germans with 15 Defensive points fortified in the Forest were unbeatable, but those seven units took down all of my best men. Seven of them. This is too bizarre. I understand trying to go for realism, but when you have to purposely added a watered down human element to compensate for attempted realism, it's kind of self-defeating. Sorry I wasted all those troops. I guess I am too much like the European Leaders in WWI. Military experiments costing millions of human lives really doesn't mean that much to me.