A musical global war AAR...

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French North Africa:

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China:

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The weather roll for next impulse is an 8, meaning that the weather doesn't change.

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March-april 1940/Allied impulse 5

The CW, France and China take land, the USSR and the US combined actions.

The CW starts to move forces in Egypt and in Morocco towards the Italian positions. It looks like they are preparing for war...

France concludes that the German Panzers have made a mistake by racing into an out of supply position within reach of the French FTR 3. They decide to ground strike the Panzers. If they become disorganised, they can be attacked and destroyed...

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It is partially succesfull, reducing the defense of the hex to 9. That still is a lot for the French to cope with. However, after carefull review of the possibilities, it is decided that to attack is better than to remain passive at this stage and for peace talks it might be better if Germany is looking at a couple of lost Panzers.

Therefore, here is a French song made in 1937: Gaston Montéhus and Roger Chantegrelet with: “Vas Y Léon“.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d--FtGAxFO4

Pretalat throws in HQ support and the Luftwaffe is ordered in for ground support. The German general staff decides to go for a +3 on the assault (and not for a +4 on the Blitzkrieg table).

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The Germans realise that they are lucky here. It could have been far, far worse. The French destroy the Bordeaux MIL. A FTR is rebased in Toulouse, making this the situation in France end of the impulse:

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In China, the Communists decide to withdraw the line one hex. The city of Tungkwan will be surrendered to the Japanese without a fight. The Nationalists decide to resume the mobile war by again oozing towards Japanese gaps in the frontline. Everything to keep the Japanese from moving to much units towards attack positions...

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March-april 1940/Axis impulse 7

All Axis major powers take land impulses.

An Italian INF is railed into Paris. A German INF is railed into La Spezia and a GAR railed to Poland. Hungarian and Bulgarian forces are now all in a position where they count towards the garrison ratio for the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

And here is another French song: “Ca sent si bon la France”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wiz2tkecq7Y

Italian and German forces move further into France and the positions around Algiers are strengthened for an attack there. The Italian division withdraws from the CW forces and is disorganised while doing so. Attacks are declared in France (a +21 on the Blitzkrieg table, making it an automatic victory) and at Algiers.
The Italian fleet provides shore bombardment at the last attack:

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Italian planes appear above the city, bombing the defensive positions of the surrounded defenders, making this attack a +16.

Time for an Italian song: Violetta, Cancion swing, Orquesta Nicasio Tejada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs9ZRfViZYM

Italian? No, it was first made in Germany: Hör' mein Lied, Violetta by the "Grammophon" Tanz Orchester.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08yJTc4jrNo

The planes rebase into the city of Oran, within striking distance of The Rock. The French in the city are dead anyhow, so they choose the assault table to maximise losses for the Axis:

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To no avail. The city is taken without Axis losses. Here is the situation in French North Africa at the end of the impulse:

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And France at the end of the impulse... Maréchal Pétain makes an official announcement on French radio, asking the Axis powers for an armistice and peace talks. Admiral Darlan is furious and threathens to sail the French fleet to French overseas territories... Hitler doesn't seem to eager to start talking (conquest of France seems possible), but Mussolini thinks otherwise. In a meeting on the Brenner between the two Axis dictators, it is decided to commence peace talks in the Forest of Compiègne...

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In China, Tungkwan is taken. The US is occupied with the coming presidential elections, because speculations of Roosevelt running for a third term as President are published in several newspapers. No US entry chit gained. There are now 3 chits in the Ge It entry, 2 in the Japanese entry and 1 in the Ge/It tension pools. The Japanese move agressively in the direction of the cities of Ankang and Sian. The Japanese MECH disembarks in Haichow. The Japanese decide to make two attacks.The first attack is on the CAV near to Haichow (+12). The other is risky, but if it clears the hex, this will spell doom for the Communists. Terauchi throws in HQ support:

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And the Japanese airforce add another 5 factors to the attack in ground support:

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This makes this attack a +7 and the Chinese choose the assault table...

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The Japanese general staff is very pleased by the outcome of this attack. Sure, units are getting disorganised, but the fact that the hex is emptied is far more important...

The other Japanese attack is made on the Blitzkrieg Table, due to the presence of the MECH division:

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During the breakthrough, the city of Suchow is retaken by the Japanese MECH, who were in a hurry to proceed. No US entry chit gained.

Here is the situation in China at the end of the impulse:

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Turn ends!

Here is Harry James, with Cherry, of course the 1942 version...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADrAW5707ws

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No partisan appear. On the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact, the USSR and Germany draw chits, totalling now 9 defensive points for the USSR (4 chits). Germany has 8 defensive (3 chits) and 13 offensive points (5 chits). It will be a long time before war starts between the two countries...

[Klydon]

Chinese, especially the Chi-Coms, are in some serious trouble. Should the weather be good and the Axis pull the double move, the Chi-Coms are going to be potentially wiped out over the next several impulses. If the Chi-Com cav division survives, it may wish to head south and flip Chengtu over to a Communist city so at least the Chi-Coms can continue to get units on the board.

With the Axis not looking to attack Russia anytime soon, I wonder if this is one of those rare cases where the Chinese may consider surrender to the Japanese. Either way, the Russians probably need to start working on beefing up the Far East as quickly as possible just to get some pressure on the Japanese to slow them down.

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It was a 10% chance for the turn to end. In Germany, the generals aren't happy at all, since this turn ending gives the CW the opportunity to enter Morocco in force if the Germans collapse Vichy in the first movement phase of next turn. That's not nice at all, since this means a delay on the DoW on Spain...

The Japanese general staff is partying now, since Sian is open for capture if they move first and than the Chicomm main army is dead, since they are all out of supply. I'm even thinking of asking for a reroll with the Axis if they don't win the initiative next turn. The opportunity to kill the Chicomm main army is to great to pass on, I believe...