A musical global war AAR...

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March-april 1940 changing in May-June 1940

The US draws a chit in the Japan entry pool (they expect a creation of Vichy, which would mean that chits will enter the Ge/It pool). They don't choose any options:

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And no, I won't tell you the entry level, since you decide when Japan will DoW the US...
There are now 3 chits in both the Ge/It and Japan entry pools and 1 chit in the Ge/It tension pool.

Germany breaks down an INF into a INF and a MOT division in La Spezia.

And here is the destroyed pool:

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Germany saves 4 oil, produces 20 build points of which 5 are send to Italy and 2 to the USSR for a total of 13 build points. Builds are a GAR, a MAR, a NAV3, a pilot and a SUB is finished.

Italy saves 1 oil, produces 4 and receives 5 build points from Germany for a total of 9 build points. Builds are a pilot, a PARA and a BB is repaired.

Japan saves 3 oil, produces 13 build points of which 1 is send to the US for a total of 12 build points. Builds are a SYNTH, a GAR and a pilot.

France saves 1 oil and produces 3 build points. Builds are an INF.

The US saves 1 oil, produces 10 and receive 1 build point from Japan for a total of 11 build points. Builds are a cruiser (from scratch), a HQ ARM and a GAR.

And now I interrupt for music... Here is: Glenn Miller, Pennies from Heaven:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmZH8rXLZUw

The USSR saves 1 oil, produces 13 and receive 2 build points from Germany for a total of 15 build points. Builds are 2 GAR, an INF, a MTN and a LND4.

China saves 1 oil and produces 8 build points. Builds are a GAR, a MIL, a CAV and a pilot.

The CW saves 6 oil and produces 19 build points. Builds are 2 CP, 2 Pilots, a CVP and a FTR3, 3 MIL and an INF.

Algeria is completely conquered by Germany. Nowadays, Algeria has got a national anthem, but unlike Tunesia, they didn't have one in 1939...

Meanwhile, Mussolini gets his way. Hitler isn't completely satisfied by the outcome of the peace talks with the French. However, he agrees with the conditions, if all French governed areas will acknowledge the new French State and don't declare themselves at war with Germany or Italy. The armistice is than signed in the forest of Compiègne.

The Etat Francais (French State) was created. It even has an official national anthem, so here it is:

“Maréchal, nous voilà!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmsdHnQ7RD8

The German general staff isn't happy at all, since they would like to have conquered France... Did Adolf made a critical mistake here? Only the future can tell...

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In the US, papers give headlines regarding the peace treaty. The Senate however, is devided during the debate about the international situation. One US entry chit gained (a 9 was rolled). There are now 4 in the Ge/It, 3 in the Japan entry and 1 chit in the Ge/It tension pool

Than, the dividing of the French colonies...

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Madagascar is the new home country of the Free French, after a coup. Will Hitler act on this act of defiance by a French overseas territory, or can Maréchal Pétain persuade him to reconsider? Who knows...

Apart from the Marseillaise, the Free French also used this song during the war:

Here is “Le Chant des Partisans”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRhg-Ioik8c

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The Germans withdraw:

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And the Italians:

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Due to the armistice, the Commonwealth forces have to leave Morocco. The Canadian GAR goes to Malta, the MOT to Gibraltar and Gort leaves for the UK.

The French convoys at sea have to return to base. Two are in New Caledonia, one in Morocco and one in Dakar.

The French government leaves Bordeaux, which is now in the occupied zone and establishes themselves in the town of Vichy.

Next, the Italians can put a pilot in one of the French aircraft in the reserve pool. They choose the CVP. An INF which was in production is put into Vichy France too.

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Now, the Italians select the units to go into the Free French force pool. Of course, they select rubbish...

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The territorials in French Indo China and Syria are moved into the force pools of Vichy France.

Next, half of the French Force pool is removed from the game.

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De Gaulle is added to the Free French force pool and this is it:

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With Vichy and Free France created, it's time to put next turns reinforcements in here:

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In Trade agreements, the French trade agreement with the CW is deleted. In it's place, the CW decides to trade one oil to the Free French for reorganisation purposes. They haven't got an army now, but for the future it is best they have an oil at their disposal.

And now, the initiative... The Japanese generals are very pleased...

And so, here is another Japanese military March:

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

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Of course, the Axis elect to go first with the situation in China...

And finally, the weather report:

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I'm currently beta testing (I expect today and tomorrow), so the AAR is on hold at the moment...

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May-June 1940, Axis impulse number 1

Yes, I'm back in business here... Since it's an Axis impulse, let's start with some German propaganda. Here's Charley and his Orchestra, with: Your driving me crazy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Th8nv90gU

Hitler meets Franco on the Spanish-French border for a meeting to try to convince the Spanish leader to join the war on the Axis side. The answer by Franco is clear: if Germany or Italy controls Gibraltar, than the Spanish will enter the war on the Axis side, not before. Hitler tries to convince Franco from doing otherwise, but he resists. On the way back to Berlin, he fumes about the traiters in Spain and of all the German effort wasted to put Franco in control of the country.
And there is the breach of the treaty between the French and the Germans. There is still opposition from the rule of Vichy in the French territories. Germany decides to use this, to totally occupy Vichy France. However, everything in due time, of course. There is no need to hurry, since the early collapse of France has left the German army in a terrible position on the map. Repositioning the army and airforce for the attack on Spain is needed. Also, the German navy needs to be repositioned to support the coming actions around Spain. Therefore, the Germans decide to take a combined action. The Japanese takes a combined action (land units need to be transported from Japan towards China) and Italy takes a land action.

The Japanese sail two TRS with the 4-4 Marine and a 5-1 GAR into the South China sea

In China, the Japanese decides to see if they can disorganise the communists. The airforce attacks Mao in force:

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It's a complete succes! Mao is in deep, deep trouble! Fortunately for him, the ground strike on the other communist stack fails, which means that Mao needs to be attacked this impulse, since it is the only impulse he will be out of supply...

Now, let's look at the Japanese music scene in the 1930's. Apart from military music, the cultural scene in Japan was booming. The music known as “Gagaku” was very popular among the Japanese in those days. A representative song of the time, I've decided to put in here. It's called “K'onju” which means: 'the barbarian drinks wine'... Well, I'm probably a barbarian because I've decided to stay away from this kind of Japanese music, after listening to it...

http://cast.nacs.uci.edu/rgarfias/mp3/j ... -konju.mp3

Japan rail moves the MECH division to Tungkwan. In land movement, the Communist forces are put out of supply, by putting a ZOC on Sian. An attack on Mao is made! The Chinese decide to choose the Blitzkrieg table. By doing so, they give Mao the highest chance to survive:

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Suddenly, what seems to be a reasonable position, becomes a Chicomm disaster... The Japanese general staff can't believe the luck they've gotten this impulse...

So here is the Great Japan March...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qO14AZiYhg

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The German fleet sails... Into the two sea box of the Faroes Gap! The CW, being outgunned, decides not to intercept...

The Germans however, decide to initiate combat. The CW reacts immediately by putting the Skua in the 0 box to give the convoys extra cover. So Germany needs at least 4 surprise points to have a surface battle, otherwise the convoys stay out of the battle... However, both sides fail to find the enemy. Germany continues with movement of units along the Vichy border towards Spain. An INF moves towards Morocco. Planes are rebased in the south of France too and the Italians made some move towards the Vichy borders...

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May-June 1940, Allied impulse number two.

China takes a land action, US and USSR take combined action, Free France passes and the CW takes a naval impulse. The reason for this is clear. The CW needs to starts redirecting the convoy routes and there are a lot of units in the wrong places on the map at the moment. Also, they believe the Germans are aiming for an attack on Spain, since there isn't any movement visible of units towards the Eastern Front...

But first: here is Roy Fox and his Band (playing at the Paris Café in London), with: “Little Man, you've had a busy day”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h16JzVV3wXQ

The US sails a GAR towards Dutch Harbor. It is a victory hex and it shouldn't be given up to the Japanese without a fight.

The CW flies a Swordfish into the Faroes Gap. It goes into the two box. The Belgian Congo TERR sails towards the Arabian Sea. The Queens sail into the Bay of Biscay and load an INF. Another INF is transported out of Plymouth and is now in the Cape St. Vincent. The Indian 5-1 GAR is transported into the Eastern Med. Some convoy points are returned to port, while maintaining the major transport routes for resources, so that production isn't hampered by this. Convoy escorts are being replaced.

Finally, elements of the Home Fleet leave Liverpool and sail into the Faroes Gap. They will try to initiate combat and see if they can wreck the German fleet. Other elements of the Home Fleet sail out of Plymouth into the Bay of Biscay to try to catch the German Fleet if it elects to abort after one round of combat towards Brest or Bordeaux. Finally, two fast CW CV's sail out of Gibraltar to reinforce the fleet in the Bay of Biscay.

The CW initiates combat and rolls a “1”... The Admirals cheer when it appears they have caught the Germans with their pants down... Than comes the German roll: it's a... “1” too: