World War 1 Mod (by BiteNibbleChomp) AARs

[Vulcan54]

I have played the first scenario on Lieutenant level, and made some detailed turn-by-turn notes.

Scenario 1 – The Schlieffen Plan

Turn 1 – Easily defeated the Belgian forces guarding the northern river crossing, and destroyed two of the strongpoints with minimal losses, but was unwilling to commit troops to assault the remaining strongpoints due to predicted very heavy casualties.
Turn 2 – Coordinated attacks across the river, preceded by heavy artillery bombardment, resulted in heavy casualties for the troops defending Liege, and some damage to the remaining strongpoints, but the Belgian artillery inflicted some heavy casualties to the forward German artillery units.
Turn 3 – The troops defending the city were finally overwhelmed, and German troops began to make their way around the city as well as attacking the fortifications, but with some heavy losses.
Turn 4 – The weakened unit which had made its way across the river to the north of the city was destroyed by a combination of artillery and troop reinforcements from the west. The Belgian artillery was significantly weakened by German counter-artillery fire, and one of the fortifications was destroyed.
Turn 5 – German troops finally managed to break out of Liege, wiping out the remaining fortifications, artillery and Belgian troops near the city.
Turn 6 – Zeppelin reconnaissance detected the presence of heavy fortifications around Namur. Cavalry units scouting ahead encountered barbed wire. German artillery was moved up closer to the front to begin bombarding the city in the next turn.
Turn 7 – A small force was sent towards Leuven, while the main force began its assault on Namur, artillery being used to soften up the defences before the infantry attacked.
Turn 8 – Namur was attacked in force, the north-eastern fortifications being heavily damaged, and a French unit was wiped out while another was severely mauled, but at the cost of one German unit surrendering after heavy casualties, and another destroyed.
Turn 9 – Leuven was taken and its defending artillery unit destroyed, but at the cost of a cavalry unit. The fort in Namur was heavily damaged, and two further strongpoints were destroyed.
Turn 10 – Namur taken, defending infantry units wiped out. Leuven reinforced and the defenders severely weakened.
Turn 11 – Charleroi taken, and the assault on Brussels began.
Turn 12 – All Belgian forces in the south were destroyed, with the exception of on strongpoint at Namur. The southern half of Brussels was captured, and the artillery battery in the northern half of the city all but annihilated. German forces began moving north towards Antwerp.
Turn 13 – The rest of Brussels was captured, and artillery began shelling the strongpoints around Antwerp while German troops continued moving north.
Turn 14 – For the loss of a cavalry unit, two of the strongpoints at Antwerp were destroyed.
Turn 15 – The shelling of Antwerp continued, supported by infantry attacks.
Turn 16 – The southern part of Antwerp was taken, and the fort in the eastern sector all but destroyed.
Turn 17 – Antwerp captured – a decisive victory!

At this level, the scenario was fairly well balanced. Victory came at the cost of several units destroyed, and the initial turns saw the Germans bogged down trying to take Liege. After the fall of Liege, the Germans were able to make faster progress, although the fortifications around Namur proved a difficult nut to crack.