GD1938 Game 14 AAR

[ironduke1955]

The Blitz of London continues, the Spitfire has started to appear in greater numbers.

The Royal Navy were caught we presume in transit from the Mediterranean to the UK some 30 destroyers were sank.

[cpdeyoung]

The British take control of the last French forces, forming a Free French HQ. Near Brest air and ground elements attack the Italians trying to push us off the continent.

The Royal Navy licks its wounds after the pounding given the destroyers.

Things are quiet for us in the Far East as the new Sino-Japanese war begins.

[Vic]

Newflash: Chinese armies capture Rangoon in the south and lose 100s of conscripts in human wave attacks in the north. USA keeps bombarding Chinese forces and seems to be siding with Japan.

[ironduke1955]

1st of May 1939 Germans

The Kriegsmarine launched a amphibious assault on Southampton taking the city with relatively few casualties, the city had been bombed by the Luftwaffe in the largest tactical air operation of the war so far. Mansteins 7th Army HQ was transported across the channel with most of the 7th Army plus elements of the 4th Army.

A air raid was launched against Plymouth the destroyers and transports were caught at the moorings considerable damage was done.

[cpdeyoung]

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden - demi-paradise -
This fortress built by nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house

"Richard II", Shakespeare

Alas, a moat can be breached.

We will strive to make the Hun most unwelcome.

[cpdeyoung]

While the Germans probably don't feel welcome they certainly remain lodged on English soil.

The German attack was well executed, and the target I presented was far too attractive. It does not pay to be
less than careful, especially against Tom Main. He not only gained a lodgment but he took my tactical air
force with Southampton. The Royal Navy did not close the channel and took losses about as great as it gave.

The Germans have put on quite a show against the French and British, who have also been under attack by the
Chinese and Japanese. Our empire is diminished, but things are quieter in the Far East, and other players, our
allies are in the wings.

[ironduke1955]

Germany May 29th 1939


The 7th army broke through the British infantry and Engineer units positioned on the downs, Taking Bristol and its aircraft factory then pushing north along the west coast as far as Liverpool.

The Rest of Manstein's 7TH army was transported across the Channel and joined by all of Rundstedt's 4th army. Elements of the 6th and 1st infantry army are already across the Channel.

The Kreigsmarine performed a minor miracle in holding the Channel for one complete month, against the mighty Royal Navy who forced into the narrow channel are suffering heavy casualties from Germany's now elite Torpedo Bombers.

Brest has become a allied prisoner of war camp with the Italians acting as Jailers.

A large tactical air raid was launched on London and the surrounding area the targets being the airfields of the RAF, casualties were even with some 41 spitfires destroyed and a almost equal number of German BF109e and Heinkel bombers being lost.

[Bombur]

Fearing the collapse of Great Britain, the Soviet Union started an offensive in Rumania. The pitiful results achieved in the first month made our allies wonder to what extent the Red Army was crippled by the purges. Despite massive air superiority and artillery bombardments, we were unable to take Chisinau, or even to inflict significant losses to the Rumanian Army. Stalin criticized strongly the way the offensive was prepared. There is rumors of some generals being freed from the labor fields, while other will take their places....

[cpdeyoung]

England suffers under the jackboot, but she is fighting back. The Germans have a massive force in Southern England
equivalent to two Panzer Armees, but we pushed them back a bit.

We are grateful to the Soviet Union for joining us, and wish them well. They will be a formidable force once they
have gained experience. The German troops in Great Britain cannot also be on the East Front so make hay while the
Sun shines.

We understand the United State of America is still unprepared and will welcome them when they are ready to join the
British and Soviet forces.

[Vic]

Newsflash: Chinese forces casualties mount up as their training and equipment is not adequate for assaulting highly experienced japanese troops. In the meantime the Japanese allies, the United States, keep pounding the Chinese coastal towns in to rubble.

[ironduke1955]

June 26th Axis

Brest was occupied after its evacuation.

The Brussels Commune was eventually persuaded to rejoin the rest of Western Europe, there was much rejoicing as you would expect.

the 4th and 7th panzer armies pushed north against the Aircraft factory located near Reading west of London. A subsequent push north towards Coventry was blocked by two squads of Cromwell II tanks, who despite being at zero readiness and zero everything else managed to block the panzers, they make the tanks tough in the UK.

Gunther Von Kluge has taken over Yugoslav Command and Von Kuchler has taken command of Rumanian Command. To stem the Red tide set in motion by the serial ripper up of treaties Stalin. I thought we had a agreement well more fool me.

The 1st Infantry army was shipped across the channel, which had been cleared by the Kriegs marine and the Luftwaffe.

[Bombur]

Kremlin 26-Jun-1938

Stalin: I´m starting to think your suggestion to declare war on Axis wasn´t a good idea...

Molotov: We had no choice, the British imperialists...eerrrr...our allies were about to collapse

Stalin: We aren´t helping too much....the Rumanian Army is holding Chinisau, and we attacked the city with two armoured divisions. There are reports of more than 100 tanks lost

Trotsky: Not counting the disabled ones

Stalin: What are you doing here?

Trotsky: This is alternate history, I´m still the defense people´s commissar

Stalin: Well, and what you suggest now?


Trotsky: We need better tanks, our BT-7´s are too fragile. We also need to improve training of our forces.

Kirov: And also new fighters, the BF-109´s will soon appear over Rumania

Stalin: You too????? What is happening?

Tukachevsky: He already explained you, this is alternate history

Stalin: So lets work, situation is too serious to start another purge....

[ernieschwitz]

LOL, thats great humor. (However I believe that the game is in 1939, unless the russians are working on a different calendar....)

[Twotribes]

My experience with the Soviets is they are too weak to fight until the get to 100 percent on combat value. No matter how much artillery or air power I had I could not win battles as the soviets I just lost lots of troops and vehicles.

[ernieschwitz]

When I launched my great assault on Germany, in that game where I almost won, the Soviets had about 90 quality. But it is something you have to work at very hard, to get up, since you only get 1% each turn. Still the t-34 and KV-1 are a formidable weapons, and soviet medium bombers are very good.

[ironduke1955]

Reich Chancellery 26th/June/1939

Hitler: We need to make a some kind of show of the success of the German Soviet pact.

Ahmann: A book perhaps my Fuhrer.

Hitler: No we need a bolder statement, beside Germans will only use it as a firelighter, I only wanted them to burn Churchill's memoires.

Alvensleben: A movie my Fuhrer

Hitler: Yes! Yes! that's more like it, me and Stalin being all chummy.

Ribbentrop enters the room.

Ribbentrop: My Fuhrer Stalin has invaded our ally Rumania and are assaulting the city of Chinisau.

Von Kluge: My Fuhrer how would you like to celebrate the German Soviet pact now.

Hitler: Hang a picture of Stalin in the toilet.

[Vic]

Newsflash: China is giving territory back to the British in India. USA is continuing to cooperate with the Japanese in attacking China.

[ironduke1955]

The 4th and 7th panzer armies broke through the British forces positioned in and around Coventry. Taking the Aircraft Factory and other facilities. The then swung west towards Manchester with such rapidity they caught the RAF still on the ground and unprepared, just having rebased from London, due to the Luftwaffe and their constant tactical attack on airbases in that area. Bristol was also captured by elements of the newly arrived 1st Infantry Army.

[ironduke1955]

The 4th Panzer also pushed north towards Newcastle capturing the UK coal fields. The Royal Navy were pursued and harassed by the Luftwaffe, now with no fear of the dreaded Spitfires. The first Churchill I tanks were a shock to the veteran German tank crews, the general consensus is that they may as well have been firing pickled herrings, as the AT guns on tanks and towed had about the same effect.

[cpdeyoung]

Alas, I worried about basing the aircraft in Manchester, but wanted to use them somewhere south of Scotland!

One can only hope the Red Army will be able to hurt the Germans because it will be awhile before we will!

The German panzers did have me very worried, and I certainly did think of pulling the aircraft back, but one has to make desperate decisions in a knife fight like this. I have played Sea Lion in solitaire games and the results were never good for the British. I have more respect for the AI now as it seems I can do little better. The British Empire wants to make it clear that Imperial troops will battle on no matter what occurs here.