Bob Flemin's MWIF AARse II The Sequel

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Reinforcement

Germany:
2 x Condor
Infantry

Italy:
Submarine placed in the Construction Pool
Fighter
Roma

Japan:
Air TRS
Yamato
2 x CP
Yamashita

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Initiative and Weather

The Axis wins the initiative and the weather is Fine everywhere (except the North Monsoon - Storm).

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Jul/Aug 1941
Reinforcement

China:
Garrison
Communist Infantry

CW:
AMPH placed in Construction Pool
Anson
London
Field Art
Fighter

USA:
Nothing

USSR:
2 x Fighters
2 x Infantry
1 x Para
1 X HQ
1 x Garrison

What is the reason behind the decision to produce nothing with US?

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Jul/Aug 1941
Reinforcement

Germany:
2 x Condor
Infantry

Italy:
Submarine placed in the Construction Pool
Fighter
Roma

Japan:
Air TRS
Yamato
2 x CP
Yamashita

Germany need to gear up for a land war with USSR.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Jul/Aug 1941
Reinforcement

China:
Garrison
Communist Infantry

CW:
AMPH placed in Construction Pool
Anson
London
Field Art
Fighter

USA:
Nothing

USSR:
2 x Fighters
2 x Infantry
1 x Para
1 X HQ
1 x Garrison

What is the reason behind the decision to produce nothing with US?

warspite1

This is the reinforcement section - not the production section [;)]

[Walker84]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Jul/Aug 1941
Reinforcement

Germany:
2 x Condor
Infantry

Italy:
Submarine placed in the Construction Pool
Fighter
Roma

Japan:
Air TRS
Yamato
2 x CP
Yamashita

Germany need to gear up for a land war with USSR.

Orm, you need to appreciate that for the likes of Warspite1 and myself supreme happiness is to be found in populating the map with as many different permutations of dark blue naval counters as the force pool will allow [:D]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Jul/Aug 1941
Reinforcement

Germany:
2 x Condor
Infantry

Italy:
Submarine placed in the Construction Pool
Fighter
Roma

Japan:
Air TRS
Yamato
2 x CP
Yamashita

Germany need to gear up for a land war with USSR.

warspite1

They are - they built an Infantry and an Armour but also need to replace their hideous losses in France and Belgium and so built 4 aircraft and 4 pilots.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Walker84

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Jul/Aug 1941
Reinforcement

Germany:
2 x Condor
Infantry

Italy:
Submarine placed in the Construction Pool
Fighter
Roma

Japan:
Air TRS
Yamato
2 x CP
Yamashita

Germany need to gear up for a land war with USSR.

Orm, you need to appreciate that for the likes of Warspite1 and myself supreme happiness is to be found in populating the map with as many different permutations of dark blue naval counters as the force pool will allow [:D]

warspite1

Ahh yes, the Senior Service suck-on-this Splendiferous Scenario. The Pacific Theatre 1944-45;

4 x Lion-class battleships
4 x Malta-class aircraft carriers
4 x Audacious-class aircraft carriers
1 x Vanguard-class battleship
5 x Neptune-class cruisers

I need a lie down...

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 1

What to do? Well there is only one thing to do for the Germans - get units to the Eastern Front asap. They are only 11.5 away from breaking the pact....

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 1

Well actually two things. A brace of Fw-200 Condors has arrived in sunny Munich for onward flight to Italy. Time to give the Royal Navy a new "Time of Trial".

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 1

The Axis turn comes to an end after much shuffling of units. The Japanese are hamstrung a) by the weather in the south, and b) by my continuing inability to play the game. I moved some Japanese units in position to attack a Chinese Communist on the east coast. When I then, later in the impulse, did an UNDO ALL, I forgot to go back and move the units in the east...

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 2

The Soviets are in all sorts of trouble here. The attack in Finland has stalled, their units are out of position, and the Germans are just five away from breaking the NS Pact.... Time to get the hell out of Finland says Uncle Joe.

Seeing the Germans shaping up for an attack on Calais, the CW finally decide to evacuate Calais. A strong distant covering force, in the form of the Home Fleet, puts to sea to cover the evacuation.

Meanwhile in the Western Mediterranean, the CW put Force H to sea to try and tempt the RM to come out and play. This is quite a risky manoeuvre given the amount of air assets that the Axis can now employ.....

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 3

The Regia Marina, supported by Fliegerkorps X put to sea in the Western Mediterranean.
The Italians throw a 7, the Royal Navy throw a 4. The CW find the enemy and must decide what to do.

They choose to include only the 3 sea box section, thus removing Axis aircraft from the equation.

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 3

The CW have 4 points to spend. They can avoid combat [splutters, incredulously, trying to get the words out] "Avoid combat?" "We are the Royal Navy!! We put ourselves in harm's way!". "We fight!!".

Problem is, what do they choose? The RM has two 8-strength Littorios in their line-up, while the best the RN can manage is the 7-quality Hood. It has to be an air battle...

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 3

Firstly, the FAA need to decide whether to fly their Stringbags as fighters or bombers. With no Axis aircraft around, the decision is easy - and the torpedoes are mounted under the ancient aircraft.

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 3

The aircraft - both land-based and carrier borne - are sent aloft to attack Admiral Campioni's fleet.

The Italian ships put up a wall of desperate AA fire (they throw a 6). The 6 points are used to down one Swordfish and to reduce the Beaufort's bombs by 1 point.

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 3

The remaining aircraft continue with the attack. The first target is the Italian Flagship Vittorio Veneto. The dice rolled is an 8. The mighty battleship receives damage from a torpedo.

It looks like the Axis has the choice of ship for the second wave of aircraft. The elderly battleship Conte di Cavour is offered up. The dice roll is a 2, and she too is damaged.

The third wave is the Allies choice, and this time the second Littorio is targeted. A 5 is thrown. Littorio evades the navy bombers but decides that this battle is too hot to handle and aborts for home.

[Courtenay]

May/Jun 1941
Production

China:
Infantry
Garrison

CW:
3 x AMPH
3 x Carrier Air
2 x Pilot

USA:
4 x Essex-class carriers
2 x Carrier Air

USSR:
Armour
Motorised
Fighter
Land Air
Pilot

The US produced 4 Essex class carriers, which is not nothing. I submit, though, that this production is two turns late. See the 98 WiF Annual tm.asp?m=3472676 for a description of how the US can schedule its builds to start eight carriers in J/F 41, so the Independence class will be finished M/A 42 and the Essex class S/O 42. If Nimitz is in Pearl, S/O 42 sail three of the Essexes to Pearl, reorganize them, and the US should gain superiority in the Pacific.

This gives the US an edge of history, as Essex was not commissioned until Dec 42, with the next three Essexes commissioning in February, April and May of 43. On the other hand, it is not probable that the US will be able to pull off a Midway; they need these carriers to start beating Japan.

[warspite1]

Jul/Aug 1941
Impulse: 3

The final toll is two battleships damaged and one aborted for the loss of one precious carrier aircraft. The Axis have little choice but to abort the sea area..

However, the CW convoys are safe for the moment.

[Courtenay]

You seem to have spent your surprise points on picking an air battle. If either side has air units in a naval battle, that side can force an air action; it takes surprise points to avoid an air action if the other side has air units and wants to fight an air action. I would have used the surprise points to reduce the Italian AA fire.

Also, given your mixture of carrier and land based air, I would have aborted one of the land based air units rather than destroying a CVP.

For every 10 points in the total, the owner may choose to:

Destroy 1 land-based bomber; or
Destroy 2 carrier planes; or
Destroy 1 carrier plane and abort 1 land-based bomber.

If there are 5 points left, the owner may choose to:

Abort 1 land-based bomber; or
Destroy 1 carrier plane.

For every remaining point in the total, 1 further air-to-sea factor does not press the attack.

An aborted land based air comes back next turn, while a dead CVP costs money (OK, build points) and four turns to replace.