Another Solo Global AAR

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

AXIS 1st Impulse:

Land Combat:
Only 1 attack this impulse. The Axis decides to make a risky attack while the Italians cannot contribute to the assault on the two HQs. They'd rather not give the Allies a change to put Alexander behind the hex for additional support. So they need to strike now. The Allies put up their last FTR as CAP over the battlefield and that scares away the Axis bombers. Allied bombers contribute 9 points to defense and Montgomery provides defensive HQ support. Von Bock contributes offensive support for a +6.476 modified. Axis get the fractional and rolls a 13, for an overall 20. Axis must kill a unit, which they choose the MECH DIV, and disorganize half, but the Allies lose 2 units + 1 shattered and lose Rabat. This also cuts off the Royal Marines to the North.

US loses the Clark HQ and their Engineer DIV, as well as a 5pt Wildcat FTR, overrun in the hex.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

AXIS 1st Impulse:

Air Rebase:
Japan reorganizes their CVPs, freeing up two fleet carriers to pick up new CVPs next turn.

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Weather:
New weather roll is 9. Blizzard in Arctic/North Temperate, Snow to the Mediterranean, Fine N Monsoon, Storm S Monsoon, Rain South Temperate

Good thing for the Allies is the Impulse advance of 3, which should shorten this turn quickly.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Actions:
USSR - Land
CW - Land
France - Land
US - Combined. They may want to land some troops in New Guinea.

Naval Moves:
US moves a 5-4 MAR unit to the Coral Sea, and the CV Wasp joins the CV Ranger in Polynesia. These two carriers will reinforce the already sizable force in the Coral Sea next turn.

Land Moves:
- CW moves one of their Indian units up the coast to interfere with Japanese invasions in the vicinity of Cocanada.
- CW moves Alexander to plug the hole in the Allied line, and lands a Canadian MIL there to reinforce.
- CW lands a 3-2 South African MIL in India on the West coast.
- In Egypt, Wavell moves off the coast towards Cairo. His place in the line is replaced by the newly arrived 5-3 INF from South Africa.

Situation in Morocco:
No matter how well the Axis may seem to be doing, unseen in this pic, off the coast of the US, at least 3 more corps and another tactical bomber will arrive during the End of the turn. It seems, as long as the Allies don't run out of room on the continent, there is little chance the Axis can completely stop this assault.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Situation in Egypt:
The CW has lost the ability to be offensive and is just doing what it can to hold the line. But, really, they are doing their job in the long run, keeping Germany distracted while the USSR increases in power. At some point, it seems inevitable that the Western Allies will be back in force even if they are completely pushed out of Egypt and Morocco.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Situation in East Africa:
Italy has produced enough Territorials to produce a stalemate here, at the moment. The CW doesn't have enough firepower nor the will to try taking the Italian possessions here. Notice, however, that three French territorials are slowly moving down the coast to cause trouble in Mogadishu.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Situation in Kenya:
I haven't shown this area before, so here is what's going on down the coast of Africa. The CW is plainly stretched thin to do the things it wants to do. So right now the CW is considering a low-odds attack to clear the Kenyan port. Overall, this is starting to look like a stalemate until regular army units are dedicated to this area of the continent.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Situation in Russia:
Like mentioned earlier in the AAR, the USSR will work to break the pact, and force Germany to DOW to prevent USSR from declaring war. I expect that perhaps next turn, March/April will see the beginning of hostilities.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Situation in Siberia:
It seems just a matter of time before Japan will attack these forces in Vladivostok. USSR is putting some forces here, but with war against Germany on the horizon, something valuable like a HQ or a heavy air contingent doesn't look likely.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Situation in India:
While the Japanese have done a Naval, nothing has changed here. Unfortunately, the CW doesn't want to move those two garrisons out of Dacca and the other port, or else it will expose those ports to invasion.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 2nd Impulse:

Situation in Rabaul:
Here we see the US landed a Marine unit outside of Rabaul. Another Marine unit was delayed by an intercepting SUB, and the weather is not cooperating. The Japanese are likely to reinforce Rabaul with another DIV next impulse.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

AXIS 2nd Impulse:

Actions:
Germany - Land
Italy - Land
Japan - Land

The turn ends on a 20% roll after this impulse, so the Axis feels this will most likely be the last move they get this turn. So there may be some risky attacks taken this turn, we shall see..

Ground Strikes:
Axis tries 1 mission with 3 bombers on Wavell in Egypt. All 3 miss.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

AXIS 2nd Impulse:

Land Combat:
The generally bad weather produces no easy kills for the Axis, so they only do one middle-risk attack in French Somaliland. The Ethiopian Territorial attacks the CW Territorial at 4 to 1 odds, resulting in a +8 modifier. The Axis needs a 10 or 13+ on their roll (40% of complete success). They roll a 15 and destroy the TERR. Unless the CW can get a defender in, Italy can capture Djibouti next impulse.

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

ALLIED 3rd Impulse:
Axis rolls a 6 for End of Turn, so it doesn't end yet. Allies turn now...

Weather:
A roll of 10 (12 with the modifier), results in terrible weather everywhere, including Blizzard in the Med.

Actions:
If they all pass its a 70% chance to end turn. Turns ending is LIFE for the Allies as every production phase the Allies get stronger, so they must take this chance. They all pass and it works, a 4 is rolled to end the turn.

Neutrality Chits:
Germany puts two chits into Defense, wanting to make sure USSR can't break the pact themselves. USSR put chits into Offense and switches over another.

Losses:

[markb50k]

Jan/Feb 1942

End of Turn Phase:

Production:
Germany (42): 2 x FTR2, 2 x LND2, 4 x PILOT, INF, HQ-INF, GARR, MTN, 2 x ARM
Italy (14): FTR2, LND3, 2 x PILOT, HQ-INF
Japan (26): 3 x CVP1, PILOT, CV (finish), 3 x CV (start), INF, GARR, HQ-ARM
CW (26): 2 x FTR2, FTR3, LND4, PILOT, TRS (finish), INF, TERR, HQ-INF
US (65): FTR2, FTR3, LND3, LND4, 4 x CVP1, 2 x PILOT, TRS (finish), 4 x CV (start), 3 x BB (start), AMPH (start), INF, GARR, HQ-INF, HQ-ARM, ARM
USSR (31): FTR2, FTR3, LND3, 3 x PILOT, HQ-INF, HQ-ARM, GARR, save 2

Conquest:
Morocco completely conquered by Germany. I guess I didn't realize this but any Allied fighter in a hex without land units was then forced to rebase. Ugh. Hopefully I can find a spot for them...

Luckily I was able to, although I need to look up the rules... Hexes in Allied ZOC should have stay Allied yes?

[markb50k]

Mar/Apr 1942

Beginning of Turn Phase:

Reinforcements:

[markb50k]

Mar/Apr 1942

AXIS 1st Impulse:

Initiative:
Axis has a +2 initiative modifier. They roll a 10, Allies roll a 1. Axis wants to have the capability of DOW'ing USSR this turn if the weather cooperates, so they elect to go first.

Weather:
Weather roll is a 8, with a +2 modifier from last turn, makes it 10. Beautiful weather! Fine everywhere!

Declarations:
Ok here is the picture of the Russian front. I think Germany needs to attack now, do you guys agree? In Morocco, the Allies just lost a bunch of their air power due to the overrun/rebases, so they are vulnerable. Does Germany just attack on all fronts? Maybe an Air impulse? Looking for guidance here. NOTE: Germany does not have an Offensive Chit to use. The weather is great, is it time to start taking some of those USSR factories with all those German troops not being used?

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: markb50k

Conquest:
Morocco completely conquered by Germany. I guess I didn't realize this but any Allied fighter in a hex without land units was then forced to rebase. Ugh. Hopefully I can find a spot for them...

Luckily I was able to, although I need to look up the rules... Hexes in Allied ZOC should have stay Allied yes?

Yes, this is a known bug.

[markb50k]

Ok, well in the immortal words of FDR... "get out the popcorn, it's On like Donkey Kong over there". Barbarossa has begun...

Mar/Apr 1942

AXIS 1st Impulse:

Declarations of War:
Germany breaks the Neutrality Pact and declares war on the USSR. The USSR was already at war with Italy and Japan, but more reserves are called out at this point. So many units....ugh.

Actions:
Germany - Land
Italy - Land
Japan - Naval

Overall strategy is for Japan to take Vladivostok then try to move West, and Germany try to align Turkey to get some additional factories. Production is their goal, and the only way the Axis can compete with the Allied superpowers.

Naval Combat:
The Japanese move a BB fleet to Bay of Bengal, and their fleet carriers to Coral Sea. Yes, this is a risky move, and the Americans have near parity here. But the Japanese are going to be swamped by US Carriers at some point in the future, and perhaps it makes sense to force some action early when their is some parity.

At the current moment, however, the US left three light cruisers in the sea area, figuring that even if the Japanese attacked, they could only get their CVs to the 2 box at best and would need a good roll to find the US ships.

Well, the Japanese rolled a 2 and the US rolled a 3. Allies declined sending any of their NAVs out to sea due to the heavy Japanese fighter presence, so the CLs were sitting ducks. Japan only got 2 surprise points but they hardly needed them, getting 4X, D, and an A.

The results were not pretty,

[markb50k]

Mar/Apr 1942

AXIS 1st Impulse:

Naval Combat (continued):
The CW has a SUB in the South China Sea and attempts to attack the Japanese convoys. The Japanese have 2 SCS escorts and a NAV in the 0 box, but fly out two more aircraft.

With an aircraft in the 0 box, only a large surprise number will allow the Allies to choose SUB combat and avoid the Japanese NAV bombing their SUB.

Well, they do, rolling a 2, while the Axis rolls a 8.

Allies use 4 surprise points to choose SUB combat.

Allies use the final 2 surprise points to lower the Japanese anti-sub results, but the Axis still is able to get a damage roll on the SUB, and are successful.

[markb50k]

Mar/Apr 1942

AXIS 1st Impulse:

Naval Combat (continued):
The Allies get some payback, getting a D result on the Axis, and destroy 1 Convoy. The Japanese had just sent additional convoys out there so overall no loss to production at this point.