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[Seamas]

First of all, here's the link to the game website.  Panzer Corps is a turn based, hex-based strategy based on, you guessed it, WW2.  Specifically the vanilla version of the campaign game puts you at the helm of the German war machine.  I'm having an awful lot of fun with it so far.

http://www.slitherine.com/games/panzer_corps_pc

April 6th, 1941

So welcome to Sofia, Bulgaria, staff members.  Our current mission is to subjugate Greece.  This is a preliminary sideshow to the upcoming Operation Barbarossa (sshhh!) and this pesky thorn in our side must be eliminated before the campaign can open up on the Eastern front in proper.  The Italians have been trying, and failing miserably, to subdue the Greeks and Yugoslavs for some time now.  To bring about a swift end to this fiasco, our Panzer Corps has been deployed to the north of the Yugoslav border and our objectives lie to the south of us.  We must steamroll across these partisan yobs and raise our glorious banner in Athens (within about three weeks!) to please high command.

Fortunately, elements of our Panzer Corps have seen action already in Poland a year and half ago, as well as in the Low Countries and in France during the spring and summer of last year.  Many of our divisions not only proved their worth under fire but earned Iron Crosses of the 1st and 2nd classes, and lifted several heroic soldiers to notoriety.  We outclass our opponents in experience, that much is to be sure.

Unfortunately, our Italian and Bulgarian allies will be bogging us down with their inferior troops and dysfunctional warring ethic.  Let's hope they make themselves useful.  Ah-hem.

Here is the situation as it stands at daybreak of the 6th.  By the way, please do not track mud into the briefing room, we've just had these floors waxed.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It goes without saying our aircraft will be virtually useless until the weather subsides.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Our force is concentrated at the north end of this schematic.  Italians are situated at the west end of the big blue line.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Here's a close-up of the immediately relevant geography, and our Panzer Corps.  I've spared the details of the units for now, but as they become important, I will be sure to identify them.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Here is the Italian expeditionary force that we're counting on to help us out...somehow.  They'll have to move eastwards to reach their objectives, through a gauntlet of entrenched Greek troops on the mountainsides.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Italians have been so kind as to lend us a large fleet, which will have to round the southern edge of Greece from the west to offer any aid in subjugating the port cities.  Luckily, I don't think we'll have much trouble with the Greek navy.  Those ship cannons are powerful indeed when used on land targets.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Last but not least, here are our reserve divisions.  These four infantry divisions are actually among our finest troops.  All four have earned Iron Crosses and have some heroes in their ranks, to boot.  The artillery is also experienced, and can be relied on to be deadly effective.  Especially those big guns... yow!

Well this concludes the preliminary briefing.  As you read this, our troops are already advancing into Greece under my orders to find the enemy lines and wait for further orders.  Our reconnaissance will be virtually nil until the rain subsides, but this gives us a good chance to get our columns into place before any enemy aircraft can strike.

(BTW, please let me know how I can improve the LP,  I'm rusty)  Tomorrow morning I'll have an update for you guys on what's happening so far.  It's nothing complicated yet.  I'll try and do an update for every turn of the game (which is a day in-game), meaning morning briefings.

Also, if anyone would like a division assigned to them, I'd be happy to list them here and keep you well-posted on your unit's condition and engagements as the battle progresses.  That includes air wings (we have two squadrons of BF109's and a Junkers Tac. Bomber as well.)  Oh, and if someone would like to take the navy, that would be cool too.

------------------------------------------------
Updated Dec 23 - Current Unit Assignments

26th Panzer Div. - NotAQuisling
23rd Fallschirmjagers - Elfeater
36th SS Grenadiers - Taricus
1st Fallschirmjagers - Monkeyhead
22nd Panzer Div - EuchreJack
16th Panzer Div. - Sheb
sfH-18 15cm Artillery Battalion - Simmura McCrea
2nd Wehrmacht Div. - Hanzoku
10th Grenadiers - JacenHanLovesLegos (previously DarkerDark: MIA)
13th Gebirsjagers - Hitty40
6th 105mm Artillery Battalion - DoomLard
3rd Cavalry Div. Amedeo Duca d'Aosta - PhantomSpaceMan

Delta Foxtrot is waiting for a recon unit.
The traitor Fishbreath is commanding the Bolshevik defense of Volkovysk.

[Sheb]

Good LP so far. I'd like to take over one of the Tank unit.

[Anvilfolk]

Posting to follow!

[EuchreJack]

I hate to break this to you, but you could have gotten the predecessor of this game, Panzer General, for free.  From what I saw in the game trailer, only heroes are new.  I fail to see any improvement other than that.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, good luck.  I'll take a Panzer (tank) unit!

[DarkerDark]

I played the Panzer General series to death back in the day!

I'll take a division of Grenadiers, preferably Mechanized, but I'll settle for Motorized if that's all we have.

[Simmura McCrea]

Been kinda itching for some TBS goodness. I'll take the big guns, if that's okay.

[Seamas]

Good morning, commanders.  Here is the morning's briefing.  Try not to get the maps wet, please deposit your wet coats and caps by the door.  Sorry it's so drafty in here, I've asked the staff to get a fire going in the fireplace.

April 8th, 1941

We've at last made contact with enemy ground forces.  The past two days have been, as you know, raining heavily and this has kept our aircraft grounded.  It's also greatly impeded the progress of our troops moving W-SW out of Plovdiv.  There's no paved roads leading towards Strumica in this region, so our tanks and infantry are churning their way through some mud and making slow progress.  Fortunately the sun appears to be coming out today, though we can't expect the ground to harden up until tomorrow at the soonest.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It appears the position to the east of Strumica is heavily defended by entrenched Greek mountain troops, the (3rd, 4th and 5th infantry, respectively).  Yugoslav troops hold the city.  Although they are green, their entrenchment and position makes a great obstacle.  We'll have to divert forces from the westward drive to the city in order to push back the Greek troops.

To the Northwest, the 16th Panzer division under Sheb's command has reached the defenses of Skopje.  It's lightly held, though I've ordered his tanks to wait for an infantry unit to storm the city rather than take too many unnecessary losses attacking pre-emptively.  Fortunately, during a break in the pre-dawn rain I dispatched the 23rd Fallschirmjagers (paratroops) and had them jump out on the southwest outskirts of town.  With any luck, they should be regrouped sufficiently to attack tomorrow.  Just over the mountains east we have some 105mm artillery that can shell the defenders in the meantime.
(BTW, would a division commander be a general? colonel? anyone know anything about the ranks?)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

In other news, our fleet has rounded a cape and come in sight of Kalamata, the first Greek port city we have encountered.  It appears to be lightly defended. 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

On the Italian front, I have some rather discouraging news.  Our lack of reconnaissance led us to believe a swift advance could be made past the Greeks towards Monastir, but this plan was compounded by the muddy terrain and turned out to be a bloody mess.  The 18th Italian infantry was ambushed by, (of all things) a division of Greek cavalry.  They suffered very heavy casualties and retreated to the hills to get their **** together.  Now that the weather is clearing up, I'll bring in those Italian planes and bomb the hell out of the hills before trying again to dislodge their occupants.

Lastly, in the bottom left of the main schematic, you can see a Ju 52 transport idling over enemy lines.  This is the 1st Fallschirmjagers, who I have not yet figured out what to do with.  Any ideas?  I have a history of getting paratroopers annihilated through poor-decision making.  Airfields are few and far between on this map, meaning these paratroops will have few chances to get airborne later on.

That's all for now.  Your opinions and ideas are always welcome, that's what the staff meeting is for!  In the meantime, I'm going to go ahead and put our troops into action for the day.  I'll have a juicy briefing for you all in the morning.

Also, here's what I have for unit assignments so far:
Sheb - 16th Panzer Division.  These tankers have been in battle but are not yet veterans.  These are Panzer IV D's, the paint is still wet on these babies.
EuchreJack - 22nd Panzer Division.  About as experienced as the 16th Div.  These tanks are Panzer III F's.  Currently outside of Strumica, (not in the best position actually) wedged between the defenders and an entrenched Greek infantry unit.
DarkerDark - I've assigned you the 10th Grenadiers, who are in reserve at the moment.  They are motorized.  This unit is actually one of my cherished infantry divisions and is relatively well-experienced.
Simmura McCrea - You'll have the 15cm artillery that is currently in reserve.  This unit has seen action in France.  They never fail to do a good job.

[Simmura McCrea]

The UK's division commander is a Major General, according the wikipedia. Not sure what the WWII German equivalent is.

EDIT: "Prior to 1955, the rank of Generalleutnant was used to define a division commander"

[Fishbreath]

Watching.

[EuchreJack]

Ah, the Panzer III-F, a fine war machine (at least until we face the Soviets).  Just as long as my unit doesn't attack the entrenched infantry, my division should be fine.  First strafe, then bombard, then flush out with infantry.  I'll ensure no survivors.

I like the graphics.

[DarkerDark]

Lastly, in the bottom left of the main schematic, you can see a Ju 52 transport idling over enemy lines.  This is the 1st Fallschirmjagers, who I have not yet figured out what to do with.  Any ideas?  I have a history of getting paratroopers annihilated through poor-decision making.  Airfields are few and far between on this map, meaning these paratroops will have few chances to get airborne later on.

Yeah, Hitler had the same problem. You should probably just do as he did and use the FJ as elite frontline infantry instead of actual paratroops.

[Sheb]

Panzer IV D? Not bad I guess, although they are kinda weak. I approve you decision not to send them on their own in Skpoje.

[MonkeyHead]

Posting to follow, and hopefully get my name on some forlorn heroes that wil be in the front ranks of any idiotic rush.

[Stworca]

The UK's division commander is a Major General, according the wikipedia. Not sure what the WWII German equivalent is.

EDIT: "Prior to 1955, the rank of Generalleutnant was used to define a division commander"

Also SS-Gruppenführer, depending on the force.

[DarkerDark]

I just drew a comic summing up our actions so far on the Italian front. I have a feeling it's going to be a reoccurring theme.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)