DQ2004's AAR #2 - "Ouch. ...that hurt"

[DQ2004]

With little else to do, the air war between England and Occupied France is now heating up. Both sides are launching bombing raids although usually with little effect. The previous impulse however the British lose their best FTR, a 6 factor Spitfire VB over Belgium.
The Germans hit back at London, and with nothing else to defend it except a Beaufighter group, it doesn't look good for the RAF. Sure enough, they suffer even more losses

[DQ2004]

On the Russian steppe, the rains clear again. It is a disaster for the Red Army. Yeremenko is encircled.

[DQ2004]

In Kuwait, the Italians attack despite having only disorganized one of the Commonwealth units. For the first time they win a battle without taking a loss, even if they don't achieve everything they wanted to do.

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In the Caucasus, von Bock is impatient and doesn't want to wait for reinforcements. He orders another attack. It is just as risky as the last one ...but this time the luck is on his side. Baku falls. There is now just one straggler to eliminate and the Caucasus campaign is over. It is a triumph for the Wehrmacht.

[DQ2004]

Meanwhile, in the Pacific, in late November 1941, the locals at Truk are stunned to see a huge Japanese fleet has arrived overnight.

[DQ2004]

In the Faeroes Gap sea area, the Royal Navy is hunting the Bismarck and it's escorting cruisers/panzerschiffe.
But it is the Kriegsmarine that gets the jump on the RN first.

[DQ2004]

Unsurprisingly the Germans choose the convoys, as the RN has been caught without any escort ships in the zero box.
It is a disaster for the Merchant Marine.

[DQ2004]

With some convoys left, and a handful of weak RN escort cruisers in the lower boxes, the Kriegsmarine stays to fight on. It is a disastrous mistake. They are caught by the Home Fleet and it's aircraft carriers. Someone had foolishly left the Graf Zeppelin back in Kiel without any planes. The Swordfish torpedo bombers home in on their target.
Bismarck narrowly escapes total destruction.

[DQ2004]

Even more foolishly, despite the damage to his ship, Admiral Lutjens hangs around. He figures the RN won't find him a second time.
...they do.
Ouch.
That hurt.

[DQ2004]

Back to Russia where Yeremenko has spotted a gap in the enemy's line. If they're lucky, and the turn ends, they could move twice and get back into supply! Its a faint chance, but its worth taking.

[DQ2004]

At Truk more reinforcements have arrived, as if the Combined Fleet really needed them. Along with the rebuilt Kongo class battlecruisers, there are now two super battleships. US intelligence does not even know for sure that these ships exist.

[DQ2004]

In Cape St Vincent, the Italian subs catch the merchant ships without an escort, and two more convoys are sent to the bottom.

[DQ2004]

In the Persian Gulf, the Royal Marines have arrived. Rather than muck about with a risky invasion, they disembark near Abu Dhabi, and will cross the Strait of Hormuz to Qeshm, then Bandar Abbas. With no rail lines to the port, the Italians have no way of countering this move.

[DQ2004]

Near Leningrad, newly promoted Erich von Manstein arrives at last. Whilst von Bock and Rundstedt have taken much of the credit for the war's successes so far, behind the scenes it is actually Erich who has been responsible for them. However Leningrad is a tough first ask; this will be a bloody assault.

[DQ2004]

At the top of the Persian Gulf, Graziani finally finishes off the resistance in Kuwait City.

[DQ2004]

In China, the Japanese advance towards slowly towards Kweilin.

[DQ2004]

The allies pass the turn, hoping to allow Yeremenko his escape. They fail.
Hindsight suggests it is better not to pass if there is something your other units can do. From now on the Allies will not be passing to end the turn early.
The German wolf packs are out, and they surprise the RN in the Faeroes Gap with only a few escorts. They don't do much damage, however.

[DQ2004]

In the North Atlantic, however, it is the RN who gets the jump on the subs, and they are lucky to escape with only one pack destroyed.

[DQ2004]

The Nov/Dec 1941 turn is going on much longer than the Allies really wanted, and with time on their hands the Luftwaffe launch a huge raid on London. The large air battle is a disaster for the RAF, with their Hurricanes and Mosquitos completely outmatched by Focke-Wulf 190s and Bf-109's.

[DQ2004]

To add insult to injury the only bomber that was cleared through hits a vital factory