Another Solo Global AAR

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Axis 1st Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
For the ground battle, with 2 ground support points, 11.5 bombardment, and HQ attack support, the ratio is a risky +5.333 modifier. CW picks the assault table, and Japan does not get the fractional. Japan does get just what they needed to take the square though, with a 15 (20 overall), losing 1 unit with half disorganized, but Calcutta is taken! Note that for some reason the game is not counting all attacking units, a 2-3 INF DIV was ignored for some reason.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Axis 1st Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
The 3rd attack is on the Wavell HQ in Egypt. The modifier is 13.5, and CW chooses the Blitz table hoping to get a shattered. The Axis gets the fractional and rolls a 9, for 23 overall. Both CW units are destroyed.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Axis 1st Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
The 4th attack is the near-automatic battle for Riga. Germany gets overkill on their roll. The minor country capital is in Axis hands.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 2nd Impulse:

Weather:
1942 sucks for weather. The roll is a 1. SNOW in the Arctic, bad weather everywhere else.

This will again, slow things down in Russia for the Axis.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 2nd Impulse:

Actions:
USSR - Land
CW - Land
US - Land
France - Land

Strat Bombing:
CW attempts to strat bomb Milan. Rolls a 1. No effect.

Ground Strikes:
No axis fighters in the south, so USSR throws one ground strike on a dangerous stack of Axis units. With the snowy weather, the attack needs a 2 to disorganize the targets. It gets 1 of 3, an ARM corps.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 2nd Impulse:

Rail Moves:
USSR rails out its 5th factory to Siberia.

Land Moves:
USSR readjusts line in South, while reinforcing the line up North.

US/CW drops off two land units in Morocco, holds up on landing more, instead will use them for opening 2nd front in Europe.

Will show updated situation maps after Axis impulse.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Axis 2nd Impulse:

Actions:
Japan - Combined
Germany - Air. Way too many aircraft in Africa and not enough at the Russian front.
Italy - Air

Overall, the Axis is very depressed that a prime turn like May/Jun 1942 is being destroyed and wasted by this terrible weather.

Naval Moves:
Japan starts repositioning some of their TRS. Yamamoto and his army are pretty much stuck in SW China, and instead of going over the Burma road, they will make for the coast and be sent to India and Manchuria, probably next turn.

Germany sends one of its Condors to the Red Sea to help search for the small CW fleet there. Search finds nothing.

US attempts to find Japanese convoys in S. China Sea (the Storms take away the Japanese air power), but roll high and find nothing.

Land Moves:
Germany and Italy rail aircraft to Russia.

Japan lands another GARR in the Philippines and an INF in Korea.

Air Moves:
Japan moves a third FTR to Rabaul
Germany and Italy move their air around, sending more to the USSR.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Situation in Western Europe/Spain:
Before the 3rd Allied impulse. Next turn Allies will look to land somewhere in France/Spain/Portugal.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Situation in Russia:
Axis used their last impulse to move air to the front and wait out the bad weather.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Situation in Manchuria:
Japan would like to attack ASAP here if the weather permits (and it is improving as we show this)

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Weather:
The weather improves with a roll a 6 (modified to 8). Fine everywhere.

[micheljq]

Allies should invade in northern Spain or southern France instead of Morocco. From there they can threaten the german supplies and reinforcements passing through the french-spanish border.

It's too easy for Axis to pin them in Morocco. To easy to defend for Axis using the mountains, there is not much place for outflanking them since Gibraltar is Axis.

Michel.

[markb50k]

Yeah, the Allies didn't invade Morocco, they were just there when Gibraltar fell and didn't want to leave, so they reinforced their position.

Either way, the Allies will invade somewhere else next turn. We shall see how the Axis responds.

As an aside, it is difficult to do strategic level planning when you are playing solitaire, that's my only issue here. So I try not to get too cute with surprise and grand level trickery.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Actions:
USSR - Land
CW - Land
Fr - Land
US - Combined

Strat Bombing:
CW destroys 1 pp in Brussels

Ground Strike:
USSR launches 2 ground strikes on Rundstedt and Guderian.

On Rundstedt, a 5pt Axis fighter intercepts, while a 4pt longrange fighter escorts. Ratio is +1/-1 in favor of the Axis.

1st round, Axis rolls a 7, choosing to abort the Soviet bomber. Allies roll a 11, no effect. Allies abort.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Ground Strike (continued):
On Guderian, the Axis has no aircraft to intercept, but does have an AA unit. It fires and takes the lowest of 5 rolls, which is a 2, reducing the bombers TAC rating to 1. The bomber would have hit Guderian if not for the reduction, but it does disrupt an Axis bomber on the ground.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Rail Moves:
USSR rails another factory. At this point, the USSR is likely to only lose Red factories, if at all. Unless the Germans are doing extremely well and get to Siberia, that is.

CW evacs units out of Dacca and Chittagong to set up defense of the interior of India.

Land Combat:
CW continues moving forces to form a defense in India, while more troops land outside of Rabaul and Port Moresby.

The French do the only attack this impulse. They throw in French shore bombardment, but even so only have a +2.2 modifier. The Italians choose the Assault table, France does not get the fractional, but rolls a 15 for 17 overall. Its a loss on both sides which is about what the French were hoping, removing one of the Italian defenders. They will follow up with another attack next impulse if they can.

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

End of Turn roll:
Allies roll a 2, almost ending the turn. Honestly they don't really want the turn to end. Initiative is slowly shifting to the Allies.

Situation in India:

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Axis 3rd Impulse:

Actions:
Japan - Land
Germany - Land
Italy - Air

Naval Moves:
Italy moves another 2 NAVs to the Red Sea and for the third time, searches unsuccessful.

Strat Bombing:
Keeping with the ineffectiveness of Italian aircraft, a bombing run on Moscow misses, even with a 60% chance of success.

Ground Strike:
Germany looks for a weak point in the Soviet lines and finds a possibility. It puts a 6pt Stuka with ARTY support on a clear hex not protected by a river or fighter cover. Both units are disorganized..

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Axis 3rd Impulse:

Ground Strike (continued):
In southern Russia, Italy also attempts a strike on a hex with 2 disrupted units already, trying to hit the last unit. But misses...

[markb50k]

May/Jun 1942

Axis 3rd Impulse:

Land Combat:
Japan was very close to declaring a land combat outside of Vladivostok but declined for bad attack ratios. They also move units around in India to capture Dacca and reinforce the lone INF unit guarding the resource hex west of Calcutta.

However, in European Russia, Germany declared 3 attacks. Germany also captures Tallinn, capital of Estonia.

The 1st attack, on the far north end of the Soviet defense line, is in a forest hex NE of Pskov. A single Siberian 6-4 INF is defending. Germany was able to get three units attacking it, and threw in 16 pts of ground support (down to 8 because of the terrain). It left the modifier at a straight up +9. Germany rolled it on the Blitz table and rolled a 13, for 22 overall. The Germans advanced to the rear of Pskov and have wrapped around the North end of the line.