Supply and rail lines

[p35flash]

My understanding of WW1 was that rail lines were critical to supply and the massive size of the armies and supplies that they consumed.

I'm really frustrated because as the French I selected Plan XIX and drove through the Ardennes and cut off every rail line into Belgium. It has been this way for a year of turns and the German Armies in Belgium continue to fight as normal.

This is quite annoying. Furthermore, I have the setting that allows automatic supply in large cities turned to off.

Anybody got any idea as to why this is happening?

[McNaughton]

My understanding of WW1 was that rail lines were critical to supply and the massive size of the armies and supplies that they consumed.

I'm really frustrated because as the French I selected Plan XIX and drove through the Ardennes and cut off every rail line into Belgium. It has been this way for a year of turns and the German Armies in Belgium continue to fight as normal.

This is quite annoying. Furthermore, I have the setting that allows automatic supply in large cities turned to off.

Anybody got any idea as to why this is happening?

Quite possible that they have convoys operating? Do they have control of ports in Belgium? Possibly something along with Holland causing this as well?

[clandini5]

In my current campaign as the Western Entente, I chose plan XIX while the Central Powers went with Schlieffen Plan. The right wing (or most of it) went to Paris, and is now bottled up east of there surrounded by my troops. They continue to fight quite well even though when I kicked up the other side the supply filter indicates they should not be receiving supplies from Germany. However I have easy supply on, and they do control some towns and cities in the area. Perhaps this is why they seem in supply for me and perhaps this may apply to you as well.

[elxaime]

Heh, all this sounds familiar. I am in a PBEM as CP and the my esteemed French opponent has kept about four full armies in supply in Western Germany without a continuous rail line back to France. I have the impression in this game it is possible to simply move off the rail grid and live from captured cities a la the Thirty Years War. If you capture an enemy city and are surrounded, but not under siege, it seems a city can support an entire army indefinitely.

[Sir Garnet]

Well, in my experience, supply can present a desperate challenge if rail lines or other supply flow is cut in East Prussia, the Carpathians, Caucasus etc. Belgium is mostly wealthy, flat and well-roaded - good campaigning country.