A musical global war AAR...

[Centuur]

They rail a MIL into Persia, another MIL to Vilna and an INF is railed into Manchuria. Units are moved to improve positions in Manchuria and at the Axis borders in the West.

So, it's time for a Russian Military March:
Марш "Парад"(С.А.Чернецкий) / March "Parade" (Semeon Tchernetsky)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY3fQzgaKjc

Two units rush accros Iraq to attack Baghdad, supported by the air force. Whatever the result, Baghdad will be emptied:

[Centuur]

In China, two attacks are made by the Chinese. Perhaps a miracle will occur. Banzai!... Euhh, well the Chinese equivalent for this...

At Hengyang, the Japanese choose the Assault table:

[Centuur]

But the other attack, the Japanese want to minimize losses. They can do so, by choosing the Blitzkrieg table.

[Centuur]

Finally, the CW rebases a FTR towards the London area. And here it is, the weather report:

[composer99]

Looks like the USSR got the job done in Iraq just in time.

[Centuur]

Yes, they did...

September/October 1940, Axis impulse number 3

Bad weather. That means all Axis powers take naval actions. This is first to protect Japanese convoy lines against the USSR submarines, and to start sea lifting units in the Med and to get the German Fleet to better positions...

The Italian TRS sail into the Med and load an Italian HQ and a German INF. The Japanese send Cvs to all sea area's where the USSR submarines can reach.

British Intelligence report that three German BB's (Wien, Scharnhorst and Bismarck) have left the port of Hamburg. German amphibious ships are sighted in Kiel, together with the two WW I vintage BB's. However, the troop transport ships fail to arrive at Kiel. Finnish ships left the port of Helsinki. French Resistance report that the port of Bordeaux is also empty...

All this means that it's time for a Kriegsmarine March: “Wir fahren gegen Engeland'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c77onNpJaU

Of course extensive patrols are done in the FarOes Gap and the Bay of Biscay, but the weather isn't that good and there isn't any sight of the German Fleet...

Lookouts on the BB Royal Sovereign, on convoy escort duty in the FarOes Gap spot three German Battleships approaching fast. And isn't that a periscope?:

[Centuur]

Admiral Lütjens, aboard the Bismarck, seizes the opportunity and the big guns open fire (4 surprise points used to ask for a surface combat, thus eliminating the use of the Swordfish on the British side). The last two surprise points are used to reduce the Axis losses in combat to one damaged...

[Centuur]

On the side of the CW, things are worse:

[Centuur]

Of course, after seeing the British vessels breaking off the action, Lütjens decide to stay in the sea area. However, due to the weather, the merchantmen aren't in sight anymore... On the side of the CW, the Admiralty also doesn't want to abort the sea area, since doing so, would mean that the CW convoy lines are completely broken. The decision proves correct, since both side fail to find each other for a next combat roll...

All other search rolls also don't find the enemy. After some air rebases, the impulse is completed

[Centuur]

September/October 1940, Allied impulse number 5:

The Admiralty in London is torn between doing nothing about the German fleet in the FarOes Gap (thus making sure that the convoys will stay alive) or to send the Home Fleet out to try to force the Germans into combat. Churchill, hearing of the debate, sends a political message: “we need a victory for the public soon!”...

So the CW and the US take combined impulses, the French pass (they've got nothing to do) and the Soviets and the Chinese (well, what's left of them) take land actions.

The US sails a couple of BB's to Pearl Harbor and a CV leaves Norfolk for the Pacific.

The Albacore is flown into the 1 box of the FarOes Gap. Next, the CW Home fleet leaves Liverpool and start cruising the sea area, hoping to find the German battleships. The two monitors also sail into the 0 box to strengthen the convoys escorts. People cheer and the band plays on the deck the Royal navy March: “Heart of Oak”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcSIgxGm1-I

But first, presence of German ships are reported in the Bay of Biscay too... The CW decides to see it those can be found. After all, there is a plane escorting the convoys, so why not:

[Centuur]

The light cruisers Königsberg and Bonaventura spot each other. A furious gun battle erupts. The Bonaventura is forced to abort the sea area.
The German captain, being fed up with the bad weather, decides it's time to sail for a nice sunny meditarrenean port, known as the Rock.... After all, there are only cruisers to be taken on here, because of the airforce which is protecting the allied convoys...

Next, the FarOes Gap, where the whole CW battle fleet is searching for the German ships. The German admiralty orders it submarines to act as additional escorts for those expensive vessels.
Now, imagine Lütjens sitting in his cabin on board of the Bismarck... His phone rings, while at the same time the sirens go off on all three battleships and the escorting submarines. Battle stations.

[Centuur]

No allied planes in sight (4 surprise points spent)! And there they are, the precious convoys, full of resources for the Allied side! And only two old monitors escorting the ships! The big guns open fire and the torpedoes are running through the water. Lütjens decide to spend two surprise points to increase the damage done to the enemy The “Wien” gets some hits (½ aborted). The Bismarck ignores the old monitors and opens fire on the merchanmen (3 surprise points spend):

[Centuur]

The two monitors are stopped, while the convoy races ahead, hoping to find cover in the rain. The admiralty won't give up the sea area. Lütjens is torn between staying or leaving. From Berlin he is warned about the CW Home Fleet having left the port of Liverpool... Luck is however, with him. Should I stay or should I go? One other such good search roll will mean the total destruction of the convoys. On the other hand, with all the planes and enemy ships in the sea area?

[Centuur]

Wasn't this whole thing intended to get the German fleet based in Atlantic and Mediterranean ports first and harrass British shipping if possible? That were Lütjens orders. So he aborts. The Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, a German TRS and the German cruisers arrive in Gibraltar, while admiral Lüjtjens together with the captains of the Bismarck and the Wien arrive in a Café on the Boulevard in Bordeaux. There, they receive a telegram from Grossadmiral Reader, who congratulates the captains on there succesfull voyage...

So it's time for “Der Flotten Marsch” (The fleet's March), played by the Blas-Orchester III. Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung, Swinemünde, Dirigent: Obermusikmeister Fritz Hubrig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUD2hSUq70M

In London, Churchill is furious after seeing so many damaged and destroyed ships entering the port of Liverpool...

Meanwhile, Bomber Command has decided to flatten the industrial facilities in Lille:

Whitleys, Wellingtons and Hampdens, escorted by British FTR's are sighted on the coast of Calais. The Luftwaffe reacts by intercepting and Fighter Command also sends it's FTR's towards the raging air battle:

[Centuur]

Hermann Görings is summoned to the Reichskanzlei to explain the large number of planes and pilots killed over the skies of Lille...
On the ground, the FLAK opens fire, aborting one of the remaining two Whitleys:

[Centuur]

Bombs away:

[Centuur]

The industrial area's of Lille are not destroyed, but disrupted. Some units are moved in Egypt.

Here's: “I'll be around”, from the Mills Brothers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz95kR6EiMw

The USSR moves a CAV towards Mosul, making sure that no Iraqi oil can be used by Italy for reorganisation this turn. In Manchuria, the USSR consolidates the frontlines. No reinforcements are send to Vladivostok.

Here is Manchuria:

[Centuur]

And finally: the weather report for the next couple of impulses:

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

Hermann Görings is summoned to the Reichskanzlei to explain the large number of planes and pilots killed over the skies of Lille...
On the ground, the FLAK opens fire, aborting one of the remaining two Whitleys:

warspite1

Hee hee [:D] That reminds me of an episode - I think from Albert Speers memoirs. Fatty Goering was told that an American fighter was shot down over Germany. His response was quite simple. No it wasn't... and that ended that [8|] He did not want to believe it so it didn't happen. What a schmuck....

[Centuur]

Yes. He was. I've once seen some pictures of how he decorated his castle (yes, he owned one, during the Nazi days) in Austria. I should say the man didn't have taste at all. He had all kind of art hanging around (stolen?) and it didn't match with each other at all... He was a real cultural barbarian, IMHO...