Battlefield Europe v1.9 – Poland (Manstein)

[PeteMitchell]

Difficulty: Manstein and Limited (Dice Chess)

The Battlefield Europe mod (www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=147&t=47985) does not really seem to be made to be played on Manstein (McGuba’s suggestion is General) and I also don’t have much (i.e. almost no) experience in playing on Manstein...
...but since I am still puzzled how to solve the Kursk save (any hints would be very welcome), well I thought why not try something different/new in the meantime…

Scenario briefing:

BE_Turn_01_001_Scenario Briefing.jpg (37.33 KiB) Viewed 3664 times

Victory conditions:

BE_Turn_01_002_Victory Conditions.jpg (9.67 KiB) Viewed 3664 times

As with my other BE AARs, I would again be very happy to read any comments or suggestions!

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 1 – 1 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

Overall situation:
My objective is to invade Poland and capture all objectives within 10 turns (i.e. four weeks), also to have a chance to play the Norway scenario which follows after Poland. I decided to play this in campaign mode mainly due to the Norway option, although there isn’t much of an army to be built and prestige might be short from the get-go…

Furthermore (and maybe just as a side note at this point in time), I have no idea how far you can actually get with this mod on Manstein…

Anyways, the strategic maps at turn 1 look as follows:
(right click and open in new tab for larger picture, same applies to all others)

BE_Turn_01_003_Strategic Map.jpg (197.85 KiB) Viewed 3656 times

BE_Turn_01_004_Strategic Map Air.jpg (196.05 KiB) Viewed 3656 times

I will probably follow the historic plan as much as possible, i.e. German units were to invade Poland from three main directions and planned to converge on Warsaw.

Poland 1939 German Plan Map.jpg (366.44 KiB) Viewed 3656 times

Please note: all subsequent photos/screenshots will usually be taken at the end of the completed Axis turn.

[PeteMitchell]

In the north, German forces are moving towards the Free City of Danzig as well as towards Bialystok southeast of Königsberg.

BE_Turn_01_005_Northern Poland.jpg (253.94 KiB) Viewed 3615 times

The actual invasion of Poland started with the German attack on Danzig by air, land and naval forces.

BE_Turn_01_006_Danzig.jpg (272.96 KiB) Viewed 3615 times

In the center along the western border of Poland, German forces crossed the Oder River towards Poznan and Lodz while in the south, German and Slovakian forces are moving through the mountains towards Krakow.

BE_Turn_01_007_Southern Poland.jpg (265.47 KiB) Viewed 3615 times

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 2 – 4 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

Danzig could be seized relatively quickly, while further east a first Polish counterattack towards Königsberg could be repelled. In addition, the Polish Air Force is active in this area as well…

BE_Turn_02_008_Danzig.jpg (281.03 KiB) Viewed 3605 times

In the center, German forces are expanding the bridgehead across the Oder River.

BE_Turn_02_009_Breslau.jpg (275.64 KiB) Viewed 3605 times

Axis forces are heading along the Vistula River towards an airport in the south of Poland. The best way to cross the Vistula River hasn’t been decided yet.

BE_Turn_02_010_Krakow.jpg (281.28 KiB) Viewed 3605 times

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 3 – 7 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

Additional forces of Army Group North crossed the Vistula River and united with its remaining forces north of Modlin Fortress. In the meantime, the Polish Army evacuated Bydgoszcz (Bromberg) and moved south.

BE_Turn_03_011_Modlin Fortress.jpg (282.75 KiB) Viewed 3601 times

In the center, Poznan has been seized and the Polish Army is retreating towards the Lodz/Kutno area west of Warsaw.

BE_Turn_03_012_Poznan.jpg (277.35 KiB) Viewed 3601 times

In the south, large Axis forces came to an unexpected standstill.

BE_Turn_03_013_Krakow.jpg (278.22 KiB) Viewed 3601 times

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 4 – 10 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

In the north, the Polish Army started another counterattack while an isolated German attack on Bialystok in the east utterly failed. Here the objective was to open a path towards Brest.

(Please note: Isolated attacks that are also unsupported by artillery and/or air force seem a total gamble at Manstein difficulty. In addition, the attacking unit will most likely be lost in the next turn. Furthermore, given the difference in strength and therefore expected battle outcomes, the AI seems to be much more aggressive and is attacking proactively more often. At least this is my impression after a few turns already…)

BE_Turn_04_014_Warsaw.jpg (275.3 KiB) Viewed 3600 times

The German advance towards Lodz is much slower than initially expected.

BE_Turn_04_015_Lodz.jpg (273.43 KiB) Viewed 3600 times

Breakthrough in the south towards Lublin (in the center) and Lwow (in the east). At the same time, Polish counterattack across the Vistula River coming from the Krakow area.

BE_Turn_04_016_Lublin.jpg (273.7 KiB) Viewed 3600 times

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 5 – 13 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

Modlin Fortress has been reached. However, the German advance in the north has slowed down as well.

BE_Turn_05_017_Modlin Fortress.jpg (288.12 KiB) Viewed 3599 times

Heavy fighting around Lodz with strong forces visible in the Warsaw area further east.

BE_Turn_05_018_Lodz.jpg (288.99 KiB) Viewed 3599 times

[PeteMitchell]

Krakow could be seized with a strong frontal attack across the Vistula River.

BE_Turn_05_019_Krakow.jpg (287.64 KiB) Viewed 3598 times

In the east, Slovakian forces captured unprotected Lublin and fast German tank forces crossed the Bug River and stand in front of Brest.

BE_Turn_05_020_Lublin.jpg (281.13 KiB) Viewed 3598 times

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 6 – 16 September 1939
Weather: cloudy and dry

As historically, about two weeks after the German invasion of Poland, also the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east which eventually lead to the two-way division and annexation of Poland by Germany and the Soviet Union.

BE_Turn_06_021_Strategic Map.jpg (204.96 KiB) Viewed 3596 times

Modlin Fortress seems impregnable but most Polish forces north of Vistula and Bug River have been defeated.

BE_Turn_06_022_Modlin Fortress.jpg (289.34 KiB) Viewed 3596 times

Strong Polish forces remain active southwest of Warsaw, similar to the historic Battle of the Bzura.

BE_Turn_06_023_Lodz.jpg (289.93 KiB) Viewed 3596 times

[PeteMitchell]

In the east, Soviet forces reached the Sarny Fortified Area.

BE_Turn_06_024_Sarny Fortified Area.jpg (284.5 KiB) Viewed 3594 times

Also further north, Soviet forces crossed the Neman River and are heading towards Brest.

BE_Turn_06_025_Brest.jpg (289.89 KiB) Viewed 3594 times

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 7 – 19 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

The battle of Warsaw has started!

BE_Turn_07_026_Warsaw.jpg (293.74 KiB) Viewed 3587 times

Further to the east, Brest has been encircled with the help of Soviet tank forces. In addition, first Soviet forces broke through the Sarny Fortified Area.

BE_Turn_07_027_Brest.jpg (291.32 KiB) Viewed 3587 times

[goose_2]

Do you control the Russian units, or does the computer?
Does this scenario end after 14 rounds?

[PeteMitchell]

Do you control the Russian units, or does the computer?
Does this scenario end after 14 rounds?

Yes, I control the Russian units in this scenario (they come as reinforcements basically at turn 6), i.e. based on the secret protocol of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

Yes, this scenario ends after 14 rounds, with a DV you go to Norway (after that France), with a MV you go to France directly. The last scenario of the four campaign scenarios is the Mediterranean (with Balkans and North Africa). After that the big Barbarossa scenario (the one with the 99 turns) starts but I am not sure I can get much further than Poland on this level...

People usually don't show/mention these four pre-scenarios (i.e. Poland, Norway, France, Mediterranean) as they are (normally) fairly easy but also fun playing... so here is me trying them on Manstein...

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 8 – 22 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

German forces are crossing the Bug River north of Warsaw, Brest has been seized by the Soviets and the Polish troops in Bialystok are almost defeated as well.

BE_Turn_08_028_Warsaw.jpg (294.86 KiB) Viewed 3581 times

In the west, Lodz has been seized under heavy fighting.

BE_Turn_08_029_Lodz.jpg (289.04 KiB) Viewed 3581 times

Also in the northeast, Wilno (i.e. Vilnius but under Polish control between WW1 and WW2) has been encircled by Russian forces.

BE_Turn_08_030_Wilno.jpg (271.77 KiB) Viewed 3581 times

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 9 – 25 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

Warsaw has been encircled with the help of the Soviet forces and the airfield has been seized as well already. However, heavily entrenched Polish forces are still holding the western part of the city, also protected by fortifications. Only strong artillery fire can help solve this in time…

BE_Turn_09_031_Warsaw.jpg (296.05 KiB) Viewed 3580 times

Katowice in the southwest might remain in Polish hands for now/until Polish surrender.

BE_Turn_09_032_Katowice.jpg (282.24 KiB) Viewed 3580 times

[PeteMitchell]

Also the fighting for Lwow in the southeast continues.

BE_Turn_09_033_Lwow.jpg (282.92 KiB) Viewed 3578 times

In the northeast, Bialystok and Wilno are under German and Soviet control respectively.

BE_Turn_09_034_Wilno.jpg (271.02 KiB) Viewed 3578 times

[goose_2]

This is exciting
Kind of playing out historically kind of, enough to make it exciting

[PeteMitchell]

This is exciting
Kind of playing out historically kind of, enough to make it exciting

Thanks a lot goose_2, kind of, yes. Well, McGuba did a great job in researching and implementing an awesome mod.

In reality, the Soviet forces didn't get that far... However, if you play this scenario on General (i.e. as intended/suggested by McGuba) you almost don't need the Soviet support and you can get very close to the historical disposition of forces:

Disposition of all troops following the Soviet invasion.jpg (610.26 KiB) Viewed 3572 times

[PeteMitchell]

Turn 10 – 28 September 1939
Weather: clear and dry

Warsaw has been seized and Fall Weiss has been completed.

BE_Turn_10_035_Warsaw.jpg (294.66 KiB) Viewed 3569 times

Katowice hasn’t been seized but it also wasn’t that critical for the overall success of this mission.

BE_Turn_10_036_Katowice.jpg (281.15 KiB) Viewed 3569 times

Nonetheless, Lwow could still be captured in time.

BE_Turn_10_037_Lwow.jpg (281.78 KiB) Viewed 3569 times

[PeteMitchell]

For completeness, here is also the overall map of central Poland as well as the two strategic maps:

BE_Turn_10_038_Overall Map.jpg (276.7 KiB) Viewed 3568 times

BE_Turn_10_039_Strategic Map.jpg (200.69 KiB) Viewed 3568 times

BE_Turn_10_040_Strategic Map Air.jpg (198.78 KiB) Viewed 3568 times