Global War: Japanese Aggression

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

If I were the Allies, I would not open a second front at all in France at this time. The USSR has got a lot of room it can retreat into and it has a pretty strong army.

Japan first. A second invasion around Sapporo/Sendai would be the end of the Japanese. You need an army up north...

Great advice which results in major shakeups at White Hall and the Pentagon. These shakeups also cause a (re)focusing of allied near-term objectives, which are: (1) defeat of Japan, (2) naval supremacy in the Med (or the destruction of Italian and Germany air and naval power in the Med) and (3) securing allied convoy lines. Near time objectives (2) and (3) are deemed to be necessary before any more allied amphibious operations aimed at securing landings in Europe are attempted.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Japan.

FROM: Admiral Centuur
Japan first. A second invasion around Sapporo/Sendai would be the end of the Japanese. You need an army up north...

Aye, Aye ... Flanking invasions to the north and exploitation from the beachheads successful. General Clark in command of this new combined army.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Land Combat. Flanking Amphibious Invasions.

It paid to roll well, especially on the second invasion. Staying organized allowed quick expansion from both invasion sites.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Land Combat. Canton, China. Central Japan.

The Nationalist Chinese once again try to liberate Canton, China and miss it by 1!

MacArthur with a o-chit used to continue the push up through central Japan. Kyoto falls this time to the Americans. A follow-up land combat on the next turn and not shown allows the allies to advance one more hex through the mountains and closer to Tokyo.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Canton, China.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Western Med. Corsica. Italian Coast.

Now turning to near-term objective (2), which is the destruction of axis air and naval power in the Med, fierce naval battles occurred both in the Western Med and in the Italian Coast. Both battles were costly to the Western Allies.

Three USN fleet carriers were redeployed from the Pacific to the Med this turn.

(Not Shown) They moved from the Manila to the East Med to deal with an Italian surface raider, the heavy cruiser Bolzano that rained havoc on allied convoys there, sinking three CPs and forcing a fourth to abort. Amazing this lone Italian cruiser managed to survive but was damaged.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. CP Losses.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Weather. Actions.

Now turning to Germany's near term objectives. (1) Throw the allies in France back into the sea, (2) continue their push against the Soviets and weather permits and (3) get their large u-boat fleet (11 units total) into action against and sinking allied convoys.

Fine weather in the east for impulse pairs 2 & 3 and a short turn prevented execution of objective 3, that is, moving the 11 German u-boats out to sea.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Land Combat. France.

Almost. The allies are barely holding onto to France. For the near-term, no additional landings are expected. However, reinforce of Bordeaux is promised.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Western Front.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. The Eastern Front.

Turning to the Eastern Front, the Germans do make some gains and inflict some losses on the Soviets.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Land Combat. Eastern Front.

The Germans continue to roll well went it counts.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Land Combat. Eastern Front (con't).

More good rolls.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Land Combat. Helsinki, Finland.

However, the Soviets do have their moments and one is the conquest of Finland.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Finland.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Destroyed. Repair Pools.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Geo-Political Maps.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Victory Totals.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Trade.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Sep/Oct 1943. Economic Reports.