Decline and Fall The Long Way Round

[AllenK]

Naval combat in the Bay of Biscay comes to an end as the Germans have nothing left to fight with.

The RAF bomb Dresden. It isn't particularly effective but does chip another BP off the Germans.

After land moves, the Japanese again find themselves largely OOS in China.

[AllenK]

At the Paradrop phase, the Italians decide to put some CAP over Madrid. With the end of the turn looming, the allies decide to risk it anyway and send in the US XVIII Para on the C-47's. They are escorted in to target by RN Seafires. The attack will be supported by US II Arm.

The presence of the Seafires disturbs the Italian G.50 sufficiently to allow the air-drop to go through (Axis 10 DC, Allies 9 NE). The Italians have no wish to push their luck and head back to base.

Note to self, must remember to allow for the effects of terrain when looking at combat odds. It goes in at +2, rather than the +5 anticipated. On a roll of 7, the paras are destroyed.

The US makes some minor air rebases in the USA and Nimitz reorganises Saratoga and a CP. Wavell reorganises a Spitfire I.

The turn continues on a 6.

[AllenK]

J/A 1944 Axis 12.

No DoW.

All three Axis powers opt for Combined as there are some minor tasks that can be accomplished.

The Japanese move 2 Trans from China to the Chine Sea and embark a couple of units from Japan. A sub is sent to the Tasman Sea.

The Germans attempt to fight the 2 ex-Finn BB's and 3 CP's back from Leningrad to Germany.

An Italian Trans sails to the East Med and embarks Gen Graziani from Syria.

Four naval combats are possible.

[AllenK]

The Italians would love to get their Navs into action in the West Med and initiate combat. The RN includes its subs to boost surface attack values. The RM surface task force finds the RN and elects to engage just the subs (Searches RM 4, RN 4). Honours are about even. The two RN subs are aborted, as is a RM CL. The Italians persevere and it pays off when their Navs finally locate the RN carrier task force (Searches RM 2, RN 6). The RN allocates most of its CVP's to fighter defence but, even so, could be in trouble.

[AllenK]

Ignoring the RN fighters, the Italians tear into the leading wave of Swordfish and shoot them down (CW 14 NE, Italy 6 DX). The RN fighters continue to have little impact on the Italians but the second wave of Swordfish clears through to target (CW 14 NE, Italy 10 DC). The Italians clear one of their Navs through (both rolled a 10). The Seafires penetrate through to the Navs and shoot down a Z.501 but are in turn shot down (CW 4 DX, Italy 6 DX). The odds move to +5:-5. The RN considers returning to CV's but the potential damage would probably see at least a couple going down with their ships. They stay and fight. Flushed with success, the Italian Dardo 1's are bounced by RN Gladiators and shot down. They take the Gladiators with them (CW 18 DX PX, Italy 20 AX PX). The odds for the RN improve to +2:-2. The next wave of Gladiators fight the Italian Re.2002 to mutual exhaustion and both return to base. The Italians have no fighter cover but the leading bomber is the match for the attacking Albacore (odds even). It proves more than a match as it shoots the Albacore down while clearing a bomber through (CW 10 DC, Italy 2 AX).

Four Italian Nav's and a solitary Swordfish begin their bombing runs. Both sets of AA fire reduce the attacks by 3 points. Spotting planes on her deck, the Italians concentrate on Victorious. She survives the initial X result but is taken out by a follow-up D. CA Frobisher also perishes. An Italian CA is aborted. With only 1 CVP left, the RN decide to abandon the fight.

The Japanese decline combat in the Marianas and Marshals but initiate in the Tasman Sea. Neither side can find each other.

The Allies go after the blockade runners in the Baltic. Spending the war in port is not the best training for combat and the ex-Finn ships are completely surprised (rolls of 1 vs 10). US F4F-3's swoop out of the sun sinking one BB and sending the other plus a CP back to port. They are quickly joined by the remaining CP as all scurry to Stettin.

No air missions. The Italians make a couple of minor land moves. The Germans have nothing to move. The Japanese move to attack the Nationalist 2nd Cav and attached 40mm AA.

[AllenK]

The Nationalist 40 mm AA, hastily pressed into service in an anti-tank role, denies the Japs a Blitzkrieg. It then proceeds to shred the attackers (die roll of 7). The Japs lose 1st Inf and 4th Mech. They would have preferred to lose 23rd Inf over the Mech but that would have meant leaving Tsinan unoccupied.

The Germans rebase a Stuka to Madrid and Von Leeb reorganises the Bf-109 at Brest.

The turn continues on a 10 and the Japs are glad they allocated the losses as they did. Tsinan would have been recaptured.

[AllenK]

J/A 1944 Allied 13.

The Storms in Nth Monsoon ease back to rain, elsewhere remains fine on a 4.

No DoW

With nobody except the Nationalists having much left to do, the rest of the Allies Pass, leaving the Nationlists to take a land, giving an 80% chance of the turn ending.

The Nationalists move to begin threatening Canton and Hangchow.

The turn ends on a 4.

It has been punishing for both sides but with the Axis coming out on top, although Japanese and Italian losses are harder to replace. Not shown are the CP losses to the CW and 3 destroyed German factories.

[AllenK]

Partisans appear in Finland, Spain and Yugoslavia. The Finn partisan destroys the RAF Hampden, which was disorganised and on its own.

Once production is over and done with, the CW down quite a bit on the previous turn, as were the Germans, Estonia is announced as conquered by the CW.

The Allies win the initiative (1 vs 4). The Germans would like a crack at relatively undefended convoys by going first, so elects to re-roll. The Axis wins this time (7:2) and goes first.

[AllenK]

S/O 1944 Axis 1

Arctic and Nth Monsoon, rain. Elsewhere fine on a 4.

Italy Naval, Germany Combined, Japan Land.

[AllenK]

S/O 1944 Axis 1: Port Attack CAP

The opening of land supply to Valencia last turn meant, at the 'return to base' phase, the Italians could fly two of their decent Navs to the city. This puts them nicely within strike distance of a Gibraltar devoid of any fighters in intercept range. Possibly the Allies could have anticipated this but, in reality, there wouldn't have been much they could do.

The only way to cover Gibraltar would be to use one of the two US fighters in Spain on CAP. Highly inefficient, as it takes out the Ftr (unless reorgainised) for the rest of the turn, which the US are none too chuffed about and the Italians can then decide not to fly. The RN point out to the USAAF, with so few Allied CV's left with functioning air-wings, they really can't afford to lose too many more to a 'with surprise' Italian strike at the moment. The CAP would buy time to get the ships to sea. The US P-47's are sent to mount patrol over the harbour.

Axis spies report the presence of the CAP. The Italians decide to keep their powder dry for later and decline to fly. Going in un-escorted would turn a minor tactical victory into almost certain defeat.

[AllenK]

No port attacks.

The Italians fly two Nav's to the West Med 3-box.

Three U-boats head into Biscay.

The Italians send 3 subs to Cape St Vincent (1 x 3-box, 2 x 2-box) and one to the Arabian Sea. The Marines and 1 Inf are loaded into a Trans and Inf in the West Med 3-box, looking for a possible invasion next impulse. The are joined by a BB and 3 CA. Two lots of 2 x CL are sent for convoy duty in Italian Coast and East Med.

Three areas are available for naval combat and all will be picked.

[AllenK]

S/O 1944 Axis 1: Naval Combat.

The Italian subs quickly locate the convoys, who are surprised by their appearance (searches RM 2, RN 6). Three CP's are destroyed and three aborted. The Italians lose 1 sub, with one more shaken but still in the fight (A result saved). The subs are forced deep to evade the escorts, which allows the remaining CP's to escape (2nd round searches unsuccessful).

In Biscay the U-boats sight smoke and head into attack (search roll 3). Needing to pursue on the surface, they are located by BB Repulse and 3 CL's (search roll 2). A spread of torpedoes is fired to put off the attackers. Most miss but CL Danae takes a hit and is sent home damaged (D & A results). Handling her like a destroyer, Repulse's captain keeps her in the fight (A result saved). Two U-boats are sent back to Brest. The remaining U-boat persists with its attack (search roll 1) but is found again by Repulse et al (search roll 2). The Repulse continues its nimbleness (A result saved) but CL Curacoe isn't so fortunate and is sent back to port. The U-boat is damaged in return. The Captain returns to periscope depth for a further attempt but the convoys are gone (both searches failed).

In the Arabian sea, the Italian sub Captain makes a text book attack, sinking the CP and escaping without damage (searches 2 vs 4 (5), surprise points used to negate axis and boost allied damage).

[AllenK]

S/O 1944 Axis 1: Strategic Bombing.

In Manchester, the din of air-raid sirens provokes curses at the inconvenience of another drill. Even the sound aero engines is treated with disinterest. It's long since the Luftwaffe were seen over the UK. The whistle and crump of exploding bombs shakes them out of their complacency. Fortunately for the CW the German bombing isn't quite accurate enough to hit the factories (9 factors, 7 rolled) but warehouses containing war-materials are hit (2 BP loss).

The Germans ground-strike Kiel with their 172.5 mm and Stg II artillery. The Japanese send their Ki-49 against Stilwell.

The strike at Kiel disorganises the I and II Inf but the Spit I escapes. The strike on Stilwell succeeds to Japanese relief. Perhaps it might clip the Nationalists' wings for a bit.

German Marines are railed to La Spezia. Magdeburg Militia move east from Parnu to seal up the CW bridgehead in Estonia. III SS Arm begin their move east from Germany. The Germans pull two Arm out of Rostov, into reserve and replace them with 2 Inf. The Inf are disorganised but the Soviets don't look strong enough to capitalise with out a risky attack.

[AllenK]

Situation in the Baltic.

[AllenK]

In Spain

[AllenK]

Northern China with the Japanese declared land combats shown.

[AllenK]

The Germans follow up their artillery bombardment with an assault on Kiel. Wavell adds defensive HQ support. No attacking HQ support (Germans or Japs). The Japanese commit one ground-support for three of their attacks. The CW commit a Lanc and Halifax in the defence of Kiel. The Germans realise, too late, they have been calculating their intercept ranges based on defending Hamburg, rather than attacking Kiel. None of their fighters are in range to intercept. Fortunately 88 mm AA at Bremen provides the prospect of some back-up. The AA reduces the effectiveness of the RAF by 3 points (on lowest 1 of 4). The RAF needed 4 points to shift the odds down, so will only reduce the chance of making the fractional roll.

With the air-support factored in, the odds come out as below. At Chengchow Gen Hata rashly charges forward having failed to first examine the battlefield. He finds himself having to attack across rivers. The odds are half of those anticipated.

[AllenK]

At Chengchow, the Chinese choose Blitzkrieg to force the first loss to be an Arm unit, i.e. the General. They are unlucky when the attack causes no losses to either side but leaves the attackers disorganised (8 on +4). One of these days I'm going to come a right cropper unless I remember to check the odds before committing to the attacks.

The German assault on Kiel doesn't start well (fractional not made) and results in the loss of CW II Inf for the German loss of XII SS Mot and XL Mech (9 at +6). They could have taken another Inf loss but doing so would leave a hex with only the 5-point, disorganised Art on it. If they tried, the CW could get a reasonable odds assault and widen the bridgehead. It would mean them also making a combined, rather than the preferred naval move but too good to miss and not worth the risk for the Germans.

The Japanese choose Blitzkrieg for the attack on Stilwell. The roll isn't good (9) but at +13 it's enough to carry the day. The resulting breakthrough puts the Nationalist 3rd Mech OOS.

The Japanese assault against the one AA gun goes horribly and it's only the good starting odds that keep losses down to 1 disorganised Militia (2 at +20).

Finally, the assault (chosen by China) on Tientsin. It starts well for the Japanese (fractional made). It then goes pear shaped. The Japanese destroy the defender but lose both attackers, including Yamamoto (9 at +7). Retrospectively looking at the odds, there was always too much chance of losing 2 units. I shouldn't have tried that.

Northern China post battles.

[AllenK]

The Germans rebase four Lnd to the east.

The Japanese use their C-47 to reorganise 16th Inf at Kaifeng. Von Leeb reorganises the two U-boats at Brest. Edit - FUBAR. He 1/2 organised each U-boat, resulting in none reorganised.

[AllenK]

S/O 1944 Allied 3

No DoW.

With 7 in the bank and more on the way, the US use an O-chit for a super-combined. Spotting a potential weak spot in the German line where they could blast a 2-hex gap, the Russians declare a land option and use their long hoarded O-chit on Gen Koniev. The Chinese also go land.

No port attacks.

The US fly a Nav to the Marshalls 4-box.

Apart from convoy escorts, the RN sails Force H (5 CV, 2 BB, 2 CA) into West Med and 2 subs to the Italian coast. The Marines are re-embarked onto a Trans in the Baltic, their place in Estonia taken by an Arm transported in. Two more loaded Amphs escorted by 2 BB are in the Baltic 2-box. 6 CA are in the 4-box. Reserve CP's are sent out, potentially restoring production to only 1 idle factory. 3 CA's go sub hunting in the Arabian Sea.

The US helps with escort and transports in the Baltic, begins the process of shipping more units to Spain with 5 loaded Trans in various parts of the Atlantic and sends 2 subs to the Solomons.

The movements result in 6 potential combat areas.