TAIFUN (Axis) vs smckechnie (Allies) Full game 1939

[Taifun]

Army Group South charged with the Mayor NM objective of Rostov was under the overall direction of General von Manstein and included 2 Panzercorps plus the Italians and Rumanians, supported by 2 tactical bomber wings (in Rumania) and 1 Italian medium bomber wings plus fighters and the field artillery near Odessa.

[Taifun]

It was clear that the Soviets were not going to defend the forward area of their huge country and the important cities of Kaunas, Wilno, Brest-Litovsk and Odessa were occupied without a fight. The main objective of this first turn was to destroy the 3 Soviet Mechanized Infantry, 2 bomber and 2 fighter units and the HQ unit that will appear upon the war declaration. We were only partially successful as the bomber and the fighter unit near Riga escaped intact. Here the Soviets were waiting in a defensive line running southeast from Liepaja to protect these reinforcements. We were lucky to destroy the mechanized Infantry near Riga after taking Liepaja.

At the end of this momentous turn the Soviets had 51 land units vs 60 Germans. Our fighters were upgraded to level 2.

[Taifun]

Mediterranean. The British forces finally launched their offensive and assaulted Tobruk. The defending Italian Infantry Corps left the area by ship and disembarked in Sicily for a time of rest and refit.
China. The fortified line is finally broken and the hex North of Kweichow is captured. A 3rd tactical bomber wing arrives at the front (one is still in Korea) along with a strategic bomber wing.

[Taifun]

During the Allied next turn the Soviets attacked in force coming from the Murmansk area. They easily destroy the totally surprised Finish garrison defending Petsamo but failed to captured the town and key port. The Germans were not expecting an attack from that area and were caught completely unawares. In fact, they nearly destroyed our naval bombers based in nearby Kirkenes town. The bombers were based there covering a powerful Axis naval Task Force waiting in the area to ambush any Allied destroyer that might interfere with our raiding U-boot.

Mediterranean area. Tobruk is captured and British troops approach Benghazi.

[Taifun]

June 6 1941

Most of the Soviets troops defending the Riga sector were rail operated towards the interior or retired behind the Dvina river. Only one Soviet Infantry corps was left behind to defend Riga as a blocking force. German panzer forces easily captured Riga (the port was found operative at 5 strength) and swept the area of retreating stragglers. The main cities of Minsk and Daugavpils were devoid of any enemy troops and soon our spearhead troops captured equally abandoned Polotsk and Orsha towns. The first serious enemy resistance appeared to be centered around Smolensk.

The whole Soviet Baltic Fleet was sunk very fast, the last unit going down being the Russian submarine seen in this picture. The combined efforts of 2 destroyers and 2 new patrol boats was decisive. Thus the Baltic Sea was free of any enemy interference from now on. This was important as we will ship many units to Finland later on.

[Taifun]

In the Army Group South sector we reached the Dnepr river in force and the NM moral city of Dnepropetrovsk, defended by a token garrison, was captured in a coup de main. No key enemy units were to be seen in the Ukraine. General von Manstein was reinforced with an elite panzerkorps that arrived by rail near Cherkasy (previously earmarked for the Yugoslavian invasion).

At the end of this turn the Soviets align 46 land units vs 59 Germans.

[Taifun]

In the Far North, during the Allied next turn, a German garrison that was transported by ship to Petsamo (from Norway to gain some time) was easily destroyed and the Soviets captured the Petsamo town and key port and nearby Kirkenes also. The threat was great as they aimed to continue their advance west towards Tromso, where our planes operating in the area have taken refuge.

[Taifun]

July 4 1941
The USA mobilization was now 43% at the start of the turn but not for long…
Mediterranean area. Benghazi was captured (no Italian defenders) and British troops approached El Agheila. A Canadian naval bomber was now based in Gibraltar.

The Führer is mad about the loss of Petsamo and orders the town to be recaptured fast. The first German units arrive in Finland including a panzerkorps coming from Riga, an Infantry corps, an Antitank unit and the field artillery unit (both part of the original DAK) under the command of the Italian General Gariboldi. Finnish General Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim and 2 Finnish Infantry corps are already near Ivalo in the far north of the country.

[Taifun]

North of the Pripyat Marshes Army Group North continues the unopposed advance taking the empty city of Tallin in the Gulf of Finland and the town of Pskov. The First Soviet units to be detected are defending Novgorod and the Leningrad approaches.
In the center of the Front the advance is also unopposed: Vitebsk falls and Smolensk is captured!

[Taifun]

South of the Pripyat Marshes Kiev, Konotop, Kharkov, Stalino and Taganrog fall all in our hands bloodlessly. Where is the enemy? Did he retire all the way to the URALS? Some weak Infantry corps are spotted defending Rostov and the Crimean peninsula.

At the end of this turn the Soviets align 45 land units vs 59 Germans.

[Elessar2]

They are using the Brave Sir Robin Defense I see. The good thing for the Axis is that the scorched earth penalties will be minimal: most conquered enemy towns get supply level 5 the same turn. They'll have to make a stand somewhere eventually...

[Taifun]

Brave Sir Robin Defense! [;)]

[Taifun]

August 1 1941
China. The Chinese Capital Chungking is being outflanked by our forces pushing North from the Kweichow area. Preparations were made to cross the great river next turn and surround the big metropolis. Sian comes also under increasing pressure. All our Air Force was concentrated around Ichang under the command of our best General.
But even greater news were that Japan declared war to the USSR on July 4th and that Vladivostok just surrendered!!! Banzai! The USA reacted exaggerated to the the fall of the Great Russian Siberian Port. USA mobilization went up very fast and every turn since!

[Taifun]

North Scandinavia area. During the Allied July turn, as expected, the Soviets advanced west and entered Alta with the Mechanized infantry on their push towards Tromso. The Finns marching North from Ivalo recaptured Kirkenes and isolated the Soviet Mechanized infantry from their comrades holding Petsamo. Our U-Boote are sinking MPPs Murmansk bound fast!

[Taifun]

Army Group North offensive strength was increasingly waning as more troops were sent to Finland. A second panzerkorps (from Tallin) and our only remaining Army (from Riga) left the area and crossed the Gulf of Finland to join General Gariboldi in Helsinki. The only forces remaining in General Rommel’s Army Group North were a couple of weak under-equipped Infantry corps and a single panzerkorps level 1! A flimsy invading Army indeed! Thanks to the Luftwaffe bombers available in the area they were able to take the town of Novgorod in a last furious assault. But Rommel’s troops were at the end of their strength and no more could be demanded of them until seriously reinforced.

Army Group Center was in no better shape. The only forces still moving forward were another couple of weak under-equipped Infantry corps together with two panzerkorps plus the reconnaissance unit! Without bomber support all that could be done was to wait for serious infantry reinforcements. As an epilogue, the capture of the town of Rzhev by the recon unit, was our last final heroic action.

[Taifun]

Rostov was evacuated! By far General von Manstein's Army Group South is now the most powerful of the invading Groups. With the easy capture of Rostov the gate to the Caucasus was now wide open and much was expected from his troops.

At the end of this turn the Soviets align 42 land units vs 62 Germans.

[Marcinos1985]

Very good read, thank you.
Question is - where are UK carriers? [:)] Not in the North Sea, not in them Med (?), maybe a long trip to Japan?

[Taifun]

Hi Marcis! Nice to hear from you, thanks for following this AAR [;)]

An important naval battle took place during the following 4 turns. During the August Allied turn the Royal Navy suddenly appeared at the Vestjorden area near Narvik and attacked our naval bombers repeatedly with a CV and a CVL.

[Taifun]

August 29 1941
The presence of those 2 tempting targets (CV+CVL) was enough for Admiral Erich Raeder to order a full counterattack: the British Task Force did not appear to be a large one. A summer storm hit the Atlantic around the Vestjorden. Our Navy sunk the escorting DD and hit hard the CVL (2 points strength left) but that was all. The British Task force was was much bigger than we initially thought and a second British CV lurked in the area. It was now clear that those 2 carriers were a bait and that we have been lured into a trap. As reinforcements the Italian naval bombers were recalled from Sardinia and a supplementary wing of fighters were flown from the Reich to protect the area.

During the next September Allied turn, in again stormy seas, the Royal Navy hit hard and sunk the BB Bismarck, the Italian BB plus another German BC and only because of the high seas did the rest of our surface fleet escape total annihilation.

[Taifun]

September 26 - October 24
In the final phases of this engagement the Royal Navy was operating with 3 CVs and at least 1 CVL. They sunk the Italian CL and last remaining German BC while they were trying to leave the area eastbound to safety but in retaliation the British lost 1 BC.
Unknown to them a big Wolfpack of 4 new U-Boote level 2 with the Italian BB Giulio Cesare were fast approaching their position in the Norwegian Sea coming from the southwest. Admiral Doenitz ordered them to concentrate their attacks against the British CVs. They were lucky that the seas stayed calm and counterattacked furiously sinking 1 CL, 1 CV and damaging the CV Formidable very seriously (1 point of strength) but the CVL was not found (also 1 point of strength). We were not sure if a second CVL was involved in this naval battle. We lost heavily but the Royal Navy left the area with a bloody nose.

By now the Soviet Mechanized Infantry unit was surrounded at Alta and soon destroyed out of supply by our panzerkorps.