GD1938 Game 25 old VC

[ernieschwitz]

When Isolationism ends for US, it can declare wars and enter into alliances. It also has normal chances of influencing countries (there is a modifier that makes them less able to while under Isolationism).

I think Chuck is giving his promise not to declare wars until January 1940.

[cpdeyoung]

Ernie has correctly identified my intent not to have an active USA. It is interesting that in a situation where I pre-commited to not entering till 1940 the USA escapes isolationism in three tries!

In this game the war started in January 1938 and the USA will enter two years later. In World War Two the war started in Sep-1939 and the USA got in two years and three months later, so about the same.

This delay will allow Rufus to have a normal war against Great Britain, France (and the USSR).

Chuck

[tortugapower]

I've read that USA typically spends a lot of PP (for many months) ending isolationism. Do you think the early end of isolationism will have a significant effect on game balance?

[ernieschwitz]

Well.. they will save some amount of PPs (the exact amount for each isolationism attempt eludes my memory) and that would be available for improvement of industry, research and the like. I'd expect a more well equiped US when it enters in Jan 1940, it might be a very powerful ally indeed. Those PPs add up, in a cumulative sense...

But it was fair, there was a 3% chance of this happening, and it did... in most games it won't happen for several attempts more...

[RufusTFirefly]

It was fair and as it was a 3% chance. So Chuck was lucky that it happened so early in the game.

But it will change balancing drastically. USA will easily be able to clear the Atlantic ocean from German subs. A landing anywhere on European coasts will eb possible. Axis will have to secure coastlines and have far less forces availabe for the war against France (not to mention the minors that are anything but weak.

There is already an influence of USA on balancing. US subs near Hamburg enable Western Allies to see positions of my naval units in Northe Sea while Axis gets with full effect of FoW. The battle for the Atlantic is difficult to fight as many of my subs might hardly be able to reach the Atlantic before being spotted and attacked. Same at Chinese coastlines, where US subs doing recon. (Please note that I am not talking about any historical situation but only talking about the ingame effects.)

[cpdeyoung]

@Rufus,

I have pulled all submarines away from Europe, but you may not have opened the turn yet. The British play before the Americans so any "spotting" will have a German turn between, nearly valueless for the Royal Navy. I intend to do less than the actual USN did in this regard.

The USA will not be clearing any subs from the Atlantic till war comes, and unless you attack me that will not be till Jan-1940. This gives you nineteen months to play with no interference from the USA. This is more time than the Germans had between the attack on France and Barbarossa. Don't the Axis powers always have to secure their coastlines? There must be something about the perceived lack of balance I do not understand. Rufus, what concerns you about this game? It is GD1938 which you have been playing "no holds barred" for a long time. There have only been five turns played and you are worrying about USN subs scouting the IJN near China. Do you think this does not happen in every single game of GD1938? The same goes for Europe. I send subs to do recon and almost always share relevant data with the world. Look at my "periscope photos" of Tom's fleet in Game 23 for example. What do you expect the USA player to do for all those turns? You have a guarantee that the USA will leave you alone for more than a year and a half. In no other game would you get this.

There really is little more I can do to balance this game and still have it look at all like WW2. Lets - play the game - and see how it goes.

Chuck

[tortugapower]

I see. As things diverge further from a strict historical narrative, it makes sense that nations will be allowed more freedom to act. On the other hand, I like USA's self-imposed neutrality (which does follow historically); it's an honorable move and what's more I think it can prevent a very early victory for the Allies, which would be no fun. I'm sure everyone here wants a good and balanced game.

Can't wait for the next turn.

[RufusTFirefly]

Competely agree with you, Tortugapower. The offer not to DoW before Jan 1940 is really very fair and honorable.

I am always at a state of allert when I see and early wake up of USA. In all games I played recently there was one oft two outcomes. In case Axis was successful in the beginning the players of Western Allies/ USA quit although there had still been a lot of turns to play. Maybe they thought Axis would become too powerful to be defeated. They did not trust in long term development and the increasing strength of USA. The other outcome was an early defeat of Axis caused by an early activation of USA and early landings of US forces in Europe. In any case the games did not last long and Axis was far from a position where victory might become a possible outcome.
So I was on allert when USA became activated early in this game as well.

But lets see how it plays out.

Have made some screenshots of the current turn and will start some posts to report how war develops at the different fronts (as an AAR is meant to be).

[tortugapower]

(Unusually long turn for me: wife's birthday, election day, and my own birthday. I apologize once more. Save game is finally up, thanks for your patience!)

[RufusTFirefly]

ORIGINAL: tortugapower
(Unusually long turn for me: wife's birthday, election day, and my own birthday. I apologize once more. Save game is finally up, thanks for your patience!)

Congratulations and best wishes! Hurray, hurray!

[cpdeyoung]

27 Jun 1938

Gallant Poland continues to resist attacks from both sides.

[cpdeyoung]

27 Jun 1938

The Italian positions in North Africa.

[cpdeyoung]

27 Jun 1938

Italian positions in Ethiopia.

[cpdeyoung]

27 Jun 1938

General appreciation

=United States : Having reduced isolationist sentiment, the USA has formed alliances with France, Great Britain and China, all nations currently at war. The US is not going to make war on the Axis, and has agreed to not allow US units to serve under foreign flags. Also, no units, not even liaison units will base on the soil of warring nations. All of this is due for further review in January 1940 if the current wars are still being fought. The USN will continue to do "Freedom of the Sea" cruises, but will not engage in combat. USN vessels will pick up survivors of sunken ships wherever prudent.

=Poland : Very impressive performance by the Poles. The Germans have been fighting on two fronts, but the Soviets have concentrated on attacking Warsaw, and are causing casualties. The Soviets probably could be more aggressive and we suspect some sort of pact between them and the Germans.

=Africa : The British and French are taking the clearing of Imperial Italy's colonies seriously. Libya is under pressure from land and sea. In Ethiopia the XX Corps is pressing, and building strength.

=France : Two thirds of the Maginot line has been reduced. The battle for France has not yet begun in earnest.

= China : Tsingtao is lost, but Japanese losses continue to be painful. China is under siege, but holding.

=At sea : The RN and French fleets under British command are still only picking away at the Italians and Germans. The naval war looks like a long term affair.

[RufusTFirefly]

ORIGINAL: cpdeyoung

27 Jun 1938

=France : Two thirds of the Maginot line has been reduced. The battle for France has not yet begun in earnest.

Although Maginot line has been reduced the front still holds. The French have concentrated an impressive amount of forces along the small line from Luxemburg to Switzerland. Fighting is heavy and losses are severe.

Battle results of an attack, launched after heavy bombardment by artillery and air units:

[tortugapower]

The French seem to focus very heavily on armor. Double the number of armored divisions to infantry ones. Interesting.

[cpdeyoung]

25 Jul 1938

The French have one of the finest tanks in the world, and it is developed and in production now. The Char B1-bis is a great weapon system for this period in the war.

In the Italian attack to the east of Marseilles they stripped every "soft" asset from the position with artillery, air and assaults. The eight B1-bis units there held through every attack, and hurt the attackers very badly.

Here is a nice photo of a model of the B1-bis. The 75 m howitzer in the bow is rough on soft targets, the 47 mm AP gun in the turret could take on any contemporary panzer, and it had 2 machine guns.

[tortugapower]

It is, according to that last German report at least, the French armor which fights on when the foot soldiers are all killed. Fun to spectate the real war while bombarding Poland into the stone age (as well as stealing Chinese land, one hex at a time).

*ahem*
What I mean is:

[press release voice]
The Russians have already shown they are the world's premier fighting force with a avalanche of victories against the mighty Polish army. Truly, what better showing is needed than stomping an army which has held the Germans to only a miserly amount of territorial gains.

[cpdeyoung]

25 Jul 1938

The Italians in Libya are nearly besieged.

[cpdeyoung]

25 Jul 1938

Staff Appreciation

Poland - Neither the USSR nor the Germans are fighting hard to take Polish territory. The impression grows that there is some protocol in place to prevent a secret arrangement from miscarrying. The two satellite divisions to the east and west of Warsaw still hold. We have no doubt that Poland could have been finished off by now.

France - The attack shown by the Reich Propaganda Ministry was a victory for the French, but the losses were not all that lopsided. French, German and Italian soldiers are all taking heavy losses, especially infantry. It is going to be a costly war, and one that the USSR and USA are taking very low losses in.

At Sea - Smaller scale battles and light losses. The army's campaign in North Africa is being aided by the Royal Navy, which has not engaged the Regia Marina in the western Mediterranean. In the North Sea RN forces are sinking U-boats where they find them.

United States - Building the economy and researching technology for a possible war.

China - Japanese losses were lower this month, but we still are growing stronger, producing more each month than we lose.