Decline and Fall The Long Way Round

[AllenK]

The rest of the impulse consists of a couple of air rebases and Von Leeb reorganises a Me-109 near Brest.

Next, the weather forecast. The Allies were hoping the poor weather might continue to thwart Axis attacks but the sun has got his hat on.

[AllenK]

M/J 1944 Allied 9

No DoW.

Choice of Actions:

US, China, USSR: Land. CW: Combined

Spotting a good opportunity to take out some Japanese TRANS, the US launches two Port Strikes in the Marshalls.

At Eniwetok, the Allies are clumsy. Radio indiscipline alerts the Japanese to the incoming attack. A smokescreen is deployed across the harbour and the bombers are unable to locate their targets (4 surprise points = combat avoided).

At this point, the program threw up what appears to be a bug as both the planes allocated to attack Eniwetok and those attacking Manjuro were required to return to base. See the post on Tech Support.

After reloading and allowing the Eniwetok strike to go ahead and then fudging the die rolls so that the AMPH remained undamaged, the attack on Majuro.

At Majuro, the US pilots claim several fatal hits on the TRANS, leaving it ablaze and sinking. Subsequent recon showed the TRANS still afloat, although looking somewhat battered, but no evidence of serious fire damage (2 surprise points reduced the damage from X,D to X. Damage roll of 6 turned the X to D).

No Naval Air is flown

[AllenK]

M/J 1944 Allied 9: Naval Moves

The CW moves 2 CP to the Baltic (1 spare in case of further loss) to keep the Finland forces in supply. The remaining naval move is used to transport an 8-5 Mech and 6-5 Mot to Bilbao. It was a bit of a toss between Spain and Finland but there was no port free in Finland and the Allies need to get units to Spain.

The CW has a choice of 4 sea areas to initiate naval combat.

[AllenK]

First up, the Western Med.

The Allies would like to sink the two Italian CP's in the 0-box. Air combat would be a bit of a risk as the Italians would be at +1 advantage initially. Good search rolls by the Allies, relative to the Italians would allow a sub combat. The main hope (and gamble) is that the Italians are not able to bring the 6-point FTR and NAV from the 1-box to the show. A second alternative would be the CL in the 2-box as a way of furthering the attrition campaign against the RM.

In the best tradition of the service the RN decides to attempt to lay alongside the enemy.

No additional naval air is flown in and the CW commits the two subs.

With a search roll of 8, the RN just about manages to lay alongside its own ships. Fortunately, the Italians aren't around to participate in the proceedings (roll of 4).

Second up, the Baltic.

The Allies want some pay-back for the recent humiliation. Possibly not the most logical and calculated of rationales but here goes ...

No naval air flown in for support.

While the Allies spend much time locating and chasing down each other (you've guessed it, another 8) the Germans sneak out of a fiord and make a hit and run raid on the newly arrived CP's and their 2 CL escort (search roll 4, select 0-box).

Catching the Allies by surprise, the 2 CP's are destroyed and the CL Delhi forced back to port before the CW can react (surprise points used to lower damage on Axis to 'no effect' and select CP's as first target).

[AllenK]

Now the Germans have a decision to make. The Allies can't afford to abort the Baltic and elect to fight. What about the Germans? Their luck has been amazing so far and sooner or later is sure to run out. They could retire to port, saving themselves for another day, but when might that come? The Germans mostly need land actions. In port they would be vulnerable to strikes and over-runs (the latter an unlikely prospect in the immediate future given the Allies TRANS woes). However there are 2 juicy CW TRANS in the 2-box. Could they take another one out? Given the escorts, this would certainly lead to loss/damage of the Kriegsmarine ships but causing the Allies further loss of their sea-lift capacity, what a temptation. Would they get another chance?

Hoping that fortune follows the brave and realistically evaluating they might not get another chance as good, the Germans elect to continue the fight.

[AllenK]

The Allies, keen to protect their TRANS, fly a Manchester to the 2-box. Forcing a naval air combat would make all the difference. The Axis don't have anything within range to get to that crucial box.

The Manchester flies a standard box-search pattern which the Germans are able to time and predict. The Allies fail to coordinate their naval positioning with the air cover. Seeing a gap, the Kriegsmarine makes an attack run and gets within gunnery range (search rolls; Allies another straight 8 - this is me rolling the dice, not the MWIF generated numbers - Axis 1. 4 surprise points to select surface combat).

The CL Karlsruhe takes the main concentration of Allied gunfire and is reduced to a blazing wreck. The BB Strasbourg and CA Blucher are forced to retire.

[AllenK]

With single minded determination, the Germans press home the attack to their desired target (3 surprise points used to select target).

Another CW TRANS is sent to the bottom of the Baltic.

[AllenK]

With only 1 CA left in the fight, the Kriegsmarine decide to close the innings. Including the voluntary aborts, the final score amounts to

Kriegsmarine

TRANS/AMPH - 2 Sunk, 1 damaged, 2 aborted
CP - 2 Sunk, 1 aborted
CL - 3 aborted

Allied Navies

CL - 3 sunk
BB - 2 aborted
CA - 2 aborted

Launched with such great expectations, the Allied incursion into the Baltic has been a disaster. Their already strained sea-lift capacity has been further eroded. Major invasions are out for quite some time. The best that can be achieved is to trickle some units into Finland or Spain but doing so keeps the bulk of the US Army in the USA. There are more TRANS/AMPH in the construction yards but they will take time to bring into service. The intriguing question is increasingly becoming not how long the Axis can survive into an extended game but can the Axis run down the extended clock and survive?

[AllenK]

M/J 1944 Allied 9 Strategic Bombing

The Allied air phases pass without incident as no missions are flown. The Chinese Nationalists use their 105mm to Ground-Strike the Japanese 4th Mech. They hope to be able to move to cut the supply. If it can be disorganised it would become an easy target.

Phase 1 is a success as the Mech is disorganised on a roll of 2.

Not much happens in the way of rail movement. The US realises it is going to need more INF class units if an invasion back into Europe is going to be mounted and transfers 2 MOT from the west coast.

In China, the 2nd Yoke infiltrates around Terauchi hoping to cut supply. It doesn't work as supply still comes in via Tsinan and Gen Hata.

[AllenK]

In Finland the CW units close on Helsinki, moving via Tampere. The Spanish 1 Arm is brought back to Madrid. The US moves the XXI Mot to protect the resource hex.

[composer99]

If it's not to late, the Spaniards should probably pull the motorized corps near Barcelona back into the city. I am relieved to see that the CW was able to reinforce Bilbao.

[AllenK]

In China, Mao, accompanied by the 8th Rte heads east to begin a move on the Japanese supply line.

The Soviets move a unit west from Penza into the woods NW of Tamboy to allow two reinforcements into the city.

The CW now has a slight problem. They would like to attack both Madrid and Helsinki but can only do one attack. Much to the annoyance of the Spanish ambassador (who is increasingly coming to the conclusion he should have aligned with the Chinese or, heaven forbid, the Russians) the CW elects to go for Helsinki. The odds are better and they want to salvage something from the Baltic disaster.

The Soviets attack the German III Arm.

The CW flies the Canadian Lanc Mk X to add 2 points of ground support.

The Germans fly a FW-190 F3 in support of III Arm and the 6-point Ju 87D to Helsinki.

The US sends the F4F-3 from the Bearn in the Baltic to intercept the Stuka.

The Russians send two 7-point FTR's to intercept the FW-190.

[AllenK]

ORIGINAL: composer99

If it's not to late, the Spaniards should probably pull the motorized corps near Barcelona back into the city. I am relieved to see that the CW was able to reinforce Bilbao.

Too late! That would have been a better move than moving the 1 Arm to Madrid given there could only be 1 land attack by the CW this impulse. Unfortunately, it was only when it came to Land Combat declaration I discovered I had forgotten the CW activity limits on a Combined impulse allow only 1 attack [&:].

The Allies are going to start praying for a good end of turn roll otherwise it looks like Barcelona will fall.

[AllenK]

Back to the action. First up, the air combat over Helsinki.

With no Axis fighters to intercept the Lanc clears through to target.

Having been conspicuous by their absence from the Baltic naval battles after their opening strike on Gneisenau, the USN partly redeems itself by chasing off the Stukas.

[AllenK]

Next, the battle over III Arm.

Weighed down by their bomb-loads, the FW-190's are at a handicap. Despite this, they fight their way through the first wave of Soviet interceptors, who return to base unsuccessful. The Soviet second wave proves too much. The FW-190's are blasted from the sky.

[AllenK]

M/J 1944 Allied 9: Land Combat.

The Soviets move on the III Arm.

The Germans conduct a fighting retreat, destroying the 3rd GD Mot before retiring across the river. They end up disorganised but, more importantly, the Soviet forces are also in disarray. A Ju87D is over-ran as the Soviets advance to take the hex.

[AllenK]

At Helsinki, the CW run of poor form continues. They take the capital but at the loss of Kutno Mech and 2nd Can Arm disorganised.

[AllenK]

The 2nd Can Arm advances into Helsinki, over-running the 2 Finn BB's and 3 CP who attempt to flee. The Allies fail to intercept and the ships rebase to Leningrad.

The CW rebases a Mosquito II to Helsinki to provide land-based fighter cover.

Wavell reorganises the Can Lanc.

On a roll of 9, the turn continues.

[AllenK]

M/J 1944 Axis 10.

No DoW.

Italy Combined, Germany and Japan Land.

No naval air.

Italy moves a TRANS to the Italian Coast 2-box and loads the Celere Mot. They decline combat in the West Med.

The Germans rail two units east to Voronezh and one to La Rochelle. The Japanese rail a Mot to Sapporo.

The Italians move Gen. Badoglio forward into the Pyrenees and the Alpini towards Madrid hoping to cut some supply lines.

In Russia the Germans position units to make a series of attacks. In Spain the XLVIII Arm gets through the mountains.

In China, the Japanese make moves to recapture cities lost to the Cav units.

[AllenK]

The odds for the attack on Barcelona aren't great but it's getting near the end of the turn.

The Italians take the city but lose 2 Inf doing so.