A musical global war AAR...

[Centuur]

Here is the initiative. Of course, the allies decide to move first:

[Centuur]

And here is the weather for the next couple of impulses. Music out of the occupied countries: Léo Marjane..."O mon prince charmant !"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAGPjrJiYwk

[Klydon]

I think some Euro-Axis fleets are about to find out the hard way that the US is in the war..

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

I think some Euro-Axis fleets are about to find out the hard way that the US is in the war..

Let's call it a small deviation before the US CV's sail towards the Indian Ocean and clear up the problems there...

[Centuur]

March/april 1942, Allied impulse number 1:

In Washington, the Chief of Staff suddenly realises that he hasn't got the legal requirements to declare war on the Euroaxis. Those countries are already in armed conflict but Congress didn't give the President the opportunity to declare war upon them. He wants the President to do so. He wants the President to send a bill to Congress. The President however, writes a couple of lines on a piece of paper and says: “Go to Congress yourself and ask for a decision immediately. They are currently in a meeting”.

Listen to: Amen - Woody Herman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99srNEZYDIs

After entering Congress, he asks if he can see the Chairman on a most important matter. The Chairman obliges, by adjourning the Congress meeting for acouple of minutes. General Marshall gives the Chairman the paper, which states:

“The President of the United States wants to support the highest general of the United States military forces. I request the United States Congress to do the same and agree on all matters that he wants Congress to do for him.”

The Chairman asks: “what do you want, general”. The answer: “Total war against all enemies of the United States and her allies”. The Chairman isn't a fool: “you want the United States to declare war on Germany and her allies?” The General: “Yes, Sir!” The Chairman: “Wait a moment”.

He goes back into the meeting and reopens with: “There is an important Bill to be passed. The Chief of Staff of the United States Military asks if Congress will allow the President to declare war to all enemies of those countries which are now in armed conflict with our allies but are not in armed conflict with the United States”. He immediately proceeds: “All in favour?”. The astounded members of Congress are flabbergasted. However, a senator shouts: “If that's what the soldiers need, they should get it”. Five minutes later, the bill is passed.

No more than an hour later, the ambassadors of Italy, Germany, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia receive their passports and the United States ambassadors in those countries hand over the declarations of war: “Since your country still supports the Empire of Japan, the United States now considers itself to be at war with your country”. Von Ribbentrop is shocked, especially when he notices an important message from Canaris which wasn't forwarded to his office a week ago...

[Centuur]

Now, on US entry. The four times that they tried to DoW the Axis before, the chances of a succesfull DoW were:

80 % (due to two “5” chits in the tension pool); 60% (after which both “5”'s were removed from the tension pool (and that was a shock to me). Both DoW's after this one had chance of 70% succeeding. And here are the US entry pools at the very end. Notice the absurd high entry levels, due to all the Axis DoW's on neutral minors without an army or resource:

[Centuur]

The Mexican government has been unhappy with the way the German foreign office has been acting on it's neighbours. It decides to follow the example of the United States and enters the war.

[Centuur]

isten to the Mexican national anthem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3m9oN1q3iY

The United States takes a combined action. The CW and France take naval and the USSR takes a land action.

Over the skies of the port of Lisbon, carrier planes are sighted. They attack the Italian Fleet. The Italians roll a “2” for surprise:

The anti air guns of the fleet open fire:

[Centuur]

The US uses 4 points to increase damage. The munition depots of the Conte du Cavour explodes:

[Centuur]

In Gibraltar the skies are full of US carrier planes. They attack the German Fleet. The Germans roll a “9” for surprise. But before the AA guns can open fire, the American bombs are already falling: (all but three surprise points are used to reduce the AA fire to nothing):

[Centuur]

The US uses 3 surprise points to make sure that they can two BB's to inflict damage on. Pilots return to the CV's with stories of burning German battleships. Half an hour later, admiral Lütjens, on board of the Bismarck, receives an urgent telegram: “US declared war on Germany. Beware of enemy activity. Canaris”....

[Centuur]

The CW and the French put the convoy escorts back into position. French and CW cruisers sail into the Arabian Sea and the CW chain to India is repaired. A TRS slips through the Italian cruisers there and moves, loaded with a MOT into the Red Sea.

A large CW fleet assembles in the Cape St. Vincent. Among those three CV's and a lot of BB's. A combined US/CW fleet sails into the Arabian Sea.

Listen to: Jimmy Dorsey - This Is Worth Fighting For (Bob Eberly, vocal)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WpChyE2-Kg

The Allies don't want to initiate combat in the Red Sea. But they do want to fight in the South China Sea, where 5 SUB's (three US, a French and a Dutch one) are concentrated. The Japanese however, have the Sea area covered by FTR's (0 box) and Naval planes (2 box). However, both sides fail to find each other (Axis 6, Allies 7).

In the Arabian Sea, the Allies decide to initiate combat to try to get rid of the Italian cruisers there. However, the Italian cruisers find the Merchantmen and decide to go for it. They use 2 points to make sure they don't get any hits and use the other 6 to increase the damage upon the convoys. However, the fierce resistance of the French cruiser made sure the majority of the merchantmen get away safe:

[Centuur]

The Italian Commander decides it is better to abort, since he is outnumbered:

[Centuur]

Bomber Command does it's bi-monthly run against Lille. Of course, the Axis intercept and Fighter Command reacts. Again, dogfights are seen above the skies of the city. After the Allied bombers are cleared through, the Axis decide to abort:

[Centuur]

The FLAK opens fire and one of the bombers is aborted (rolls: 7,9,5). Bombs away:

[Centuur]

TB-3's arrive around Tiflis to ground strike the Turkish army. There are no Axis FTR's on this part of the front:

[Centuur]

And the next one:

[Centuur]

Eisenhower start moving towards Morocco:

[Centuur]

The Kuybishev MIL is railed towards the front. A factory is railed out of Moscow into Siberia.

The Soviets try to make something of a frontline before Moscow and Stalino.

Listen to: Comrade:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyZbZB0QchY

Yeremenko thinks about attacking the MECH division, but after seeing that the Japanese can bring support planes in (making this attack a +10), he decides not to. He simply can't handle high losses at this moment:

[Centuur]

Here is the Karelian front: