Decline & Fall AAR v2

[composer99]

Chinese land moves in the centre.

The Nationalists encircle the city of Nanchang. They will probably want to ground strike and disorganize the defending Japanese unit.

An out of supply, disorganized unit has 1 combat factor on defence, unless it is elite (its combat and movement ratings are printed in white on the counter), then it is 3.

That makes a big difference in deciding whether to attack or not, especially for the Chinese Nationalists, who, per one of the optional rules I have selected, have attack weakness - their combat factors are halved on the attack. This halving is cumulative with other, similar, effects, so a Nationalist unit stack attacking across a river (which also halves attacking factors) attacks with one-quarter its printed strength.

That being the case, there are no land attacks this impulse (again, the only power that could conduct any is the Nationalist Chinese).

[composer99]

Rebases & Reorganization

Not much happens here: the US moves a bomber from the US to Honolulu and another one from the Marshalls Islands to New Guinea.

The USSR does reorganize some air units on the southern front, using Koniev.

Edit: The USSR ends up using Rokossovsky to reorganize some air units on the northern front, too.

[composer99]

Thus ends the first impulse of this scenario. Whew! On to the Axis.

[composer99]

Axis Impulse #2

(Impulse numbering in MWiF is a bit of a carry-over from the table-top game, where the numbering of the impulse has a game-mechanic meaning beyond simply its number: it also affects the end-of-turn check.)

Neither Axis power elects to declare war on any other major or minor powers (Germany because, well, what's the point of being at war with China, too, and Japan because it can't break the pact with the USSR).

[Klydon]

I am enjoying reading through this. Thanks for doing it!

[composer99]

Impulse Calls

Germany
Germany basically has two choices:
(1) Call a land impulse and try to repair the situation in the USSR, particularly in the north where it still has reorg capacity. This also allows general land unit redeployment elsewhere.
(2) Call a combined impulse, do what it can move-wise, and sail the subs out to try to sink Allied sealift, thus thwarting the invasion of France. This has the particular disadvantage of basically preventing Germany from reorganizing any units effectively, because all units cost double to reorganize.

In the end, sinking even one amph is too much of a temptation. Germany will call a combined.

Japan
Japan basically has the same choice as Germany (land vs. combined), although it could also play a naval impulse and sail ships out as required, particularly to set up pickets to slow the Allied attack.

However, right now the Japanese convoy chain has remained intact and sending units to sea in the core could spark an Allied response. Finally, because the Allies went first they have established presence in the sea areas of conflict.

So Japan will play a land impulse to get some more land moves, and start laying the groundwork to fight the Allies at sea, preferably later in the turn to see if it can prevent the American main carrier fleet from entering the fray.

Japan also has to think hard about whether to stay committed to China or not; either way better to have the land units to move its armies around.

So the impulse calls end up being:
Germany - combined
Japan - land

[composer99]

Port Attacks & Naval Air

Japan does not have any air units in range of Allied naval units it can port attack (except the Soviets with whom Japan is at peace).

Germany could port attack the handful of convoy points in Liverpool that are the only Allied ships in port in the UK. But since that entails running afoul of Allied interceptors without any fighter escort of its own... it won't.

As far as naval air goes, Germany will send a naval bomber out to the North Sea to boost German searching, while Japan will fly airplanes out to the Marianas and the Bismarck Sea to establish presence for future impulses.

Here is Japan's naval air moves. I will show Germany's once I also move the subs.

[composer99]

Naval Movement

Germany is the only Axis power making naval moves this impulse.

Germany gets 1 naval move on a combined impulse. Fortunately for Germany, as per the rules for naval movement:

You make 1 “naval move” with SUB units every time you:
(a) move a task force of face-up SUB units from one port, to any
number of destinations (ports or sea-box sections, even in different
sea areas);

So Germany can send its big ol' fleet of submarines in Kiel to any number of destinations.

I should also note that there is a snag: because the Allies control London, Germany can't move naval units directly from the North Sea to the Bay of Biscay, even though they are adjacent, representing Allied control of the Channel mining.

Here are Germany's naval moves. Not shown is the naval bomber in the 3-box of the North Sea (it is stacked under the sub).

[composer99]

Naval Combat

Germany is the only Axis power that can initiate naval combats this impulse (Japan having picked a land impulse).

The screenshot shows its options.

Initiating a combat in the Baltic basically gives the tapped-out Sunderland a chance to bomb German naval units; so pass.

Germany will initiate combat, though, in the Bay of Biscay and North Sea, where its submarines are located.

[composer99]

As an aside, the North Sea happens to be where the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Nigeria is on patrol, as you can see from the upper row of Allied units, on the right hand side.

The Nigeria, which as you can see is my avatar here, happens to be the ship my paternal grandfather served on during the war. So as you can imagine it has a certain sentimental value for me. It starts the 1939 game in the construction pool, so I tend to finish it as soon as possible.

(Maybe the Germans should target the Nigeria to demoralize the CW player? )

[composer99]

Naval Combat - Bay of Biscay

The Germans initiate a combat in the Bay of Biscay.

With Ultra intercepts providing intelligence of German U-boat activity in the area, the Allies fly naval bombers: a short-range bomber flies out to the 0 box to defend the convoy, and the long-range NAV flies out to the 4-box to cover the invasion force.

Naval units are treated as being in a higher box if they are sharing a sea box with a NAV, or with a carrier holding a carrier plane with a range of 4 or more. Naval units also get a search bonus if there are enemy convoy points. So both sides can find on a 5.

The big difference is Germany needs a lot of surprise to get to call the combat as something other than an air combat (which would result in Allied naval air wrecking the submarines), and even more on top of that to pick targets to hit the sealift.

[composer99]

Bad news for the Germans: both sides found. So the Allied naval air in the 3 and 4 boxes have found and will bomb the submarines.

[composer99]

Tipped off by superior intelligence, and guided by training, the Allied bombers scatter and wreak havoc on the first wave of German subs.

[Zorachus99]

Time to curse the decision for a combined eh? [:D]

[composer99]

While both sides decide to remain at sea, the German submarines remaining in the area decide to lie low. They will re-emerge if a better opportunity arises.

[herulf]

Great AAR! Thank you composer99!

[composer99]

Naval Combat - North Sea

The U-boat squadrons in the North Sea either have not yet heard of the fate their compatriots have met, or they are undeterred by it.

The Allies only send out a fighter to cover the 0 box, more against the bomber than anything else (fighters do not get search bonuses while at sea).

[composer99]

Fate has once again not smiled on the U-boats. This time not only have the naval bombers found the submarines, they have the opportunity of picking their targets.

The Allies elect to bomb everything, meaning there will be an air battle.

[Zorachus99]

Great job on the AAR!

[composer99]

Thanks all for the kind comments.

Moving on, the Allies have 3 surprise points. They could spend some to alter the air combat, but they have a +4/-4 combat in their favour, so they would rather spend it on reducing damage they might suffer (in the event they clear through the German NAV) or increasing the damage they might inflict on the submarines.