Initial setup. Of the Greeks below. If you recall we had the reboot because we had issues with our dear cleaner she trashed my game table). We also realized that the VC were wrong, or not playable.
This title apparently had known flaws and was always planned to be replaced by the subsequent release title with 1200 odd pieces and many more maps.
Not sure that I would want to game that for this specific part of our walk thru World War II. But in any case here we are, using a system that gives us some insight into the military and political aspects of a difficult situation. The British as this time are hard pressed in Afrika (in my DAK2 play at least, if not historically), the Med is seen as a corner-stone to the British strategy. Their alliance with Greece requires them to support with troops. The Greeks put up a good show in this war, they just had their armies in the wrong locations due to their treaty arrangements and perceived threats.
NOV I
Initial attacks were…lack lustre. Except for Corfu which is captured right off the bat with a 3:1 attack. 3rd Mtn and Cavalry attack into the mountains and force Greek Arty to retreat…
See I said it was lackluster.
Greeks begin building Forts in Mountains. Finish their obligation to reinforce the Metaxas line.
They move forces to the front. Early losses are high!
I realize here that really it is in the best interests of the Greeks to ‘let the Italians win’ to avoid intervention, then smack the snot out of them.
NOVII-DECI Poor Weather.
A 2:1 attack stalls on the mountain road. The 8th Greek Infantry hold tough. Italians press up to also construct forts along the Albanian border.
Greeks respond by attacking . Remembering that all Grk attacks in Mountains earn a +2. The first attack forces a retreat and the second a HX or Half Exchange on 1:2! This was 4519. This reduce a It mountain unit to Cadre status for the Italians. 5 other factors die. Greeks lose 10 factors.
DECII
Snow. Minor movements by Italians, who were caught hopping on the Snow and Poor weather from previous turns (whose fricken idea was it to attack in Nov.)
The Greeks attack and take 4 hexes of Albanian territory. In the farthest Northern reaches.
JANI
Greek attacks secure more ground and now the VP levels are moving where the historically created VP conditions want them to be.
JANII
FEBI Snow!
FEBII
Clear weather and German Intervention.
The special rules here facilitate the Blitzkrieg style surprise intervention via a ‘free’ turn excluding exploit for the Germans. So the turn begins with move and attack.
As we place the Germans and Hungarian forces any that are adjacent at the start of the turn or during the first move to Jugo units we get to roll for the defection of the Jugos!
Several units do so, opening up some nice movement opportunities for the Germans. This changes the initial plan a little. The Germans had 2 goals. Firstly capture as many VP cities to force surrender in the opening two turns, second breach the border of Greece as rapidly as possible.
Axis forces attack into SKOPLJE, BEOGRAD and Press onto the Northern passes to isolate and attack LJUBIJANA. 2 Hungarian divisions are eliminated and 2 II of forces are wiped out in rough fighting.
The Airforce makes itself felt with no response allowed from the Jugos in the Invasion turn. 3 Greek III are eliminated along the border and one hex of the Metaxas line.
In the full German turn immediately following the invasion the Germans take NOVIGRAD.
The Greeks are caught flat footed with the advent of the Intervention.
The Das Reich SS Div moves to SKOPLJE.
Forces approach the foothills of SARAJEVO and secure the AXIS supply lines. LJUBJANA is captured in this turn without a fight.
During the time the Italians gird their loins and get busy clearing the coastal road hexes and destroying a large force in hex 4619 in a 3:1 attack.
The Northern Border valley line had just one unit guarding it. With a deft overrun, follow through movement, the Germans are upon heavily Guarded Thessalonika and also pushing motorized formations South towards the Greek Airbases. The 2nd,11th and 15th Panzer Divisions combine to pound on Thessalonika.
THESSALONIKA falls game over.
Jugo’s lost 9 Divisions the Greeks 2 and 2 Regiments and 2 Bns of forces in the FEBII turn.
The Italians took heavy losses over the course of the game, 4 Divisions and 5 Regiments.
At Game end the Jugos had about 10-14 effective divisions left – 4-6 units who were not OOS or in a precarious position.
I think the Jugos could have held on one or two turns in and around SARAJEVO.
You can see above the dep early penetration by the German forces into the Northern areas. With supporting Hungarian units attacking where allowed also.
Holding much for the Jugos longer that that was certainly not an opportunity
MM is a very interesting game with flawed, broken Victory Conditions. Suffice to say I cannot comment on accuracy of OB, but the game played well and was actually a bit of a hoot. I would have liked to see the Naval aspects come to life and the seaborne efforts and airborne efforts to quell Crete,