Bob Flemin's MWIF AARse II The Sequel

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

Second thoughts - I do not like how few battleships I have in the area and so bring my strategic reserve - the four fast Kongos to the Bismarck sea too.

Meanwhile further west in the Bay of Bengal I am going to try and put the CW under a bit of pressure....

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

First off its the Indian Ocean Raid. The Japanese try and find CW convoys. The CW bring in an Indian Hurricane to cover the merchant ships.

The Axis throw a 3 and the Allies a 2. The Axis are successful. Because of the presence of the fighter, they choose to avoid a naval air battle.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

However, the CW are also asked if they want a Naval Air and of course say yes!

I assume the 1 surprise point is not enough to stop the Naval Air which takes precedence? The Japanese take a gamble. They fly the Kate as a bomber and the Judy as a fighter. This puts them at a 4.0:5.0 disadvantage.

Round 1

11 (DC) The Kate is cleared through!
19 (AX PX) Wow! The Hurricane is destroyed along with the pilot!! What a stroke of luck for the Japanese.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

Them lethal torpedoes do the trick and send the merchant ships to a watery grave...

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

Back to terra firma now and the Germans send in their trusty Stukas for more ground strike action in the east. Three hexes are targeted: west of Lake Ilmen, and the two hexes east and southeast of Smolensk. The Soviets decide not to contest. To do so in the north would take all their fighter strength and its too early in the turn.

The results are:

Lake Ilmen 1/3 disorganised
East of Smolensk 2/2 disorganised
Southeast of Smolensk 1/2 disorganised

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

Four attacks are planned: Principally, the Pesky Polish Partisan, Placed Potently in er...Katowice..damn, why couldn't it have been Poznan [:D]. The other three attacks will be against those hexes that were ground struck. The solid line west of the Don is left alone at this stage.

[Orm]

Japan declared war one year later so US had one more year to prepare. The US fleet looks dreadfully strong and if Japan overstretch then their precious carriers may be lost.

I think it is time for Japan to go on the defensive except, maybe, for one front. I would make capturing Rangoon first priority. The second priority would be to garrison the captured area and make sure that all the central sea areas can be reached by several land based NAV and FTR. Third priority would be to fix the China front. I would abandon all attempts to capture Rangoon. And instead contest that sea area with land based air.

Capturing more territory for Japan just means more territory that Japan has not enough units to defend.

One crucial task when playing Japan is to know when to stop the offence and begin to defend. But at the same time be prepared for fast, limited, offensives if US focus to much on the European land war.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

In the far north the Germans bring in a bomber to try and cement a 3:1. They also expend a fighter as escort as they will need to ensure no Soviet bombers get through if they intercept. The Soviets decline for the same reason as during the ground strike phase, but are pleased they have caused the Germans to use up precious aircraft.

Rommel seeks to use HQ Support in the attack across river east of Smolensk, but otherwise there is no aircraft involvement on either side.

The first attack is against the Polish Partisan and this is a straightforward Automatic victory.

The second attack is that west of Lake Ilmen. Its a 3:1 +3, but the Soviets have an Anti-Tank unit and force the Assault table on the Germans....

....its a 2(5)!. The Germans lose a unit and are disorganised. What an awful start....

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

"Well that's jolly well put a dampner on things" says Adolf, over at the Wolfschanze.

On to Smolensk and the hex immediately southwest. This is a 3:1 +1 and again the Soviets choose the Assault table...

....and the Germans throw a 1(2) that two units lost and all units disorganised...

This is now turning into a disaster....

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 2

The final attack is to the east of Smolensk and the Germans get the choice for this 3:1 +3. They choose the Blitzkrieg table and....

...roll a 9 (12). Both defenders are destroyed - but its the wrong hex to be getting that result.. the Soviets lose just two, weak infantry..

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

Japan declared war one year later so US had one more year to prepare. The US fleet looks dreadfully strong and if Japan overstretch then their precious carriers may be lost.

I think it is time for Japan to go on the defensive except, maybe, for one front. I would make capturing Rangoon first priority. The second priority would be to garrison the captured area and make sure that all the central sea areas can be reached by several land based NAV and FTR. Third priority would be to fix the China front. I would abandon all attempts to capture Rangoon. And instead contest that sea area with land based air.

Capturing more territory for Japan just means more territory that Japan has not enough units to defend.

One crucial task when playing Japan is to know when to stop the offence and begin to defend. But at the same time be prepared for fast, limited, offensives if US focus to much on the European land war.

warspite1

Let's see what happens in this impulse... [X(]

[Orm]

The battle for Kursk has commenced and so far things do not look well for Germany.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 3

Right I don't really know what is and isn't possible with these counters so let's give it a go. The US send both their Pacific Fleet from Honolulu and their South Seas Fleet from Samoa to the Bismarck Sea. They can only reach the 0 box but are much the stronger....

The Japanese fail to intercept both fleets during the movement phase.

Both sides are asked if they want to initiate combat - that's a yes from both Fletcher and Yamamoto...

...the Americans throw a 4, the Japanese a 6. There is no combat this impulse.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 4

The Japanese try and get something going in the Bismarck Sea by sending in a cruiser squadron. But the search rolls are 7 and 10!

In the Soviet Union the Germans go for just one ground strike - against the Soviet stack guarding the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. The Soviets can not afford to intercept once again - but with luck like the Germans had last time, they don't need to...

The Stukas and tank buster Henschels do the biz and disorganise all three Soviet units.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 4

There are three attacks this impulse: Rangoon, Gulf of Finland and east of Smolensk.

In the Gulf of Finland, Admiral Lutjens directs the naval gunfire support from his Flagship the Tirpitz.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 4

East of Smolensk, Zhukov successfully provides HQ Support.

The first attack is in Burma, where I am confused on the odds - it shows as 1:2! Not sure what this is all about - the Notional unit is +7?? and I was not given the chance to shore bombard either..

Anyway, I am going to do something I have not done to date and will affect the outcome. The reason is that I would not have done such an attack if I had known about this (whatever it is) and so will make the throw a 9 which means the Japanese lose a unit but at least land.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 4

Okay weird..

Anyway, back to the Eastern Front. Zhukov's successful throw means that both attacks are a worrying 2:1....

First attack in on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. Its a 2:1 + 3 on the Blitzkrieg table....

....its an 8(11). The defender looses a unit and is shattered (no conversion).

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 4

Final attack of the impulse. Its 2:1 + 1 only (but at least on the Blitzkrieg table)...

....its only a 3(4). The road to Moscow is painful for the Germans... One loss each and all units disorganised.

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 5

Back to the Allies and both sides try and initiate combat in the Bismarck Sea once more..

The Allies roll a 7 and the Axis a 3. The Japanese get 7 surprise points!

I have absolutely no idea what I am doing here...

I am asked to choose fighter or bomber mode for the various aircraft. I choose a mix for each side.

I then use the surprise points to increase A2A combat value x 2 and decrease opponent value x 1.

More by luck than judgement the fighter values come out quite even 8.4(Allies):8.5(Axis), although the Japanese have double the bombers. Given the surprise, perhaps I should have given the US more fighters? But then the whole point of this is to hurt the IJN.

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea

[warspite1]

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 5

Round 1

5 (AX) Japan can choose which front aircraft to destroy (don't know if the pilot is killed - is this an unfriendly sea area?). The Japanese remove the Wildcat Fighter.
10 (DC) Japan clears through an Emily.

The A2A is now swinging firmly in the Japanese favour. But the US decide to stick around at least more round to see what happens.

Round 2

10 (AC) The Japanese clear through a Dauntless
16 (AA) The US can abort the front fighter or bomber - they go for the Zero

What do you know? Suddenly the A2A rating swings in favour of the Americans.

Round 3

10 (DC) The US clear through a Dauntless
10 (DC) The Japanese clear through a Kate

Round 4

8 (DA) The US must abort a fighter or bomber. It chooses a bomber.
15 (AA) The US can choose whether to abort an Axis fighter or bomber. They choose the Zero fighter.

The fighter superiority is now clearly in the US favour, but the Japanese have sooo many bombers, they have to risk it.

Round 5

10 (DC) The US clears through the CW Beaufort
4 (AX) The US chooses whether to destroy the Axis front fighter or bomber. Only one choice - the fighter goes (no idea again about the pilot)

The Japanese decide to risk one more round, but frankly given their surprise, they have been pretty unlucky here....

Round 6

13 (AC) The last Allied bomber is cleared through
9 (No Effect)

Round 7

8 (No Effect)
13 (DA) The Japanese abort their front bomber

Round 8

9 (No Effect)
19 (AX PX) That's it! the US destroys the Japanese front fighter - there is no way the Japanese can afford to stick around any longer....