A musical global war AAR...

[Centuur]

And the Allied reinforcements:

[Centuur]

Surprise: the Axis win the initiative (for the first time in a long, long time, as shown on the initiative track. It is very unusual to have the Axis in the +2 box end of 1942). Axis elects to move first (why not).

[Centuur]

German Swing: Michael Jary - Zwillinge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-dOclQPOc8

However, after seeing this weather roll, the Axis are thinking that they could have better choose to go second...

[Klydon]

Thanks for the follow up on the mountain unit.

While the Allies are outstripping the Axis currently, how much of that is fueled by the USSR eating into its fuel reserves? (IE, Russian production can't stay at the level it is currently at once fuel stocks are exhausted).

For the most part, the Axis are winning the battles of attrition currently. The weak link is going to be Japan most likely. The Euro Axis have strong forces available on their frontiers and do not have the regular commitment to Russia to a point.

Certainly the Japanese are not pleased to see 3 big carriers, 2 battleships and 3 amphib units come rolling off the line all in the same turn for the US.

The Axis may not be able to knock Russia totally out, but if they can get the resources they are currently close to (probably a tall task) along with knocking out Leningrad, it should pretty much end Russia as a threat to ever bounce back and be a threat to the Axis in the time frame of the game.

I guess one of the questions of the moment is what does Russia have left for steady resources as I assume they are ok on factories.

[Centuur]

Factories are not the problem:

[Centuur]

November/December 1942, Axis impulse number 1.

One hopes that one can do something usefull with a double move, but in this weather that's impossible. Germany and Japan take naval actions and Italy takes a land action.

Listen to: Willy Berking - Kauf Dir einen bunten Luftballon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy79R6B-gko

The Japanese transport units into Singapore, Rangoon and Rabaul. Carriers with planes which are obsolete in the new year sail for Japan. Convoy escorts are put in place. It is probably going to take the US another turn to get their new toys into striking distance of the precious Japanese convoys...

Germany sails into the Baltic Sea with a couple of former French BB's and some escorts. The convoy chain to Sweden is back in place. A Rumanian convoy sails out of Greece, to make sure the resource will arrive at a factory, if the Greek partisan cuts the rail line. The Turkish fleet sails for the Western Med. German SUB's leave Gibraltar for the Central Atlantic. The Skua reacts. Axis roll 1 and the Allies 9. The Germans choose a submarine combat (4 surprise points spend to avoid the Skua) and use 6 points to reduce the enemy fire:

[Centuur]

The Wolf Pack attacks:

[Centuur]

Both sides decide to stay and fight. Axis roll 3 and the Allies 10. Again 4 points are used to choose a submarine combat. 2 points are used to decrease damage. With hulls leaking water, the submariners press forward the attack (sorry, no picture of the damage taking of the SUB), using the last two points to increase damage:

[Centuur]

Both sides again decide to stay. However, contact with the merchantmen was lost (Axis 4, Allies 9).

A small German fleet squadron slips out of Gibraltar into the Cape St. Vincent to try to get rid of the US cruiser providing supply to Morocco. The Allies decide not to fly planes into the sea area. The weather prevents both side from finding eachother (Axis 4, Allies 3).

Italy captures the port of Krashnovodsk, providing supply for Balbo in southern USSR:

[Klydon]

So the edge in production for the Allies is 20 points from the last turn, but only because Russia burned around 7 points of stored oil.

The production gap is perhaps not quite as great as suggested in raw numbers from the standpoint that the Russians are doing something they can only do for approximately 2 more turns and in fact their production situation could worsen should the Axis manage to capture more resources from them.

The German subs tearing up the convoy lines isn't going to help the Allied cause either.

Figures the Axis finally get to go first only to have the weather bomb out on them. Heh. The Russians are celebrating for sure.

[Centuur]

First, a note on the national anthems of both Burma and Kuwait, which were conquered last turn. I forgot to mention that both countries didn't have a national anthem during the war.

November/December 1942, Allied impulse number 4:

The USSR takes a land action. France, the US and CW take naval actions.

Transports are picking up land and air units throughout the globe and sending them towards places like Australia, Morocco and Egypt. Convoy escorts are put in place and in the Central Atlantic, the Allies repair the convoy chain. At the Timor Sea, a US carrier force enters and searches for the Japanese supply cruiser. That ship is difficult to find (Allies roll 4 and Axis roll 6). Allied submarines again enter the South China Sea. Japanese air units react. Allies roll 10, Axis 1. The Japanese naval bombers catch the SUB's on the surface with open hatches (10 surprise points spend to increase damage):

[Centuur]

In the Central Atlantic, both sides decline to search for the enemy. The German Wolf Pack sees heavily escorted convoys with such firepower and planes over the merchantmen...

[Centuur]

In the Cape St. Vincent, the Allies don't want to risk the transported units. Germany doesn't want to initiate combat too, looking what they are up against:

[Centuur]

In the Red Sea, the Italians however decide to initiate combat. Perhaps the Spanish TRS can be found. The CW reacts by sending a FTR into the 0 box. The Italians don't send FTR's, because they can only reach the 1 box. The Red Sea proves to be a large one: Axis 9, Allies 9.

Italian military music: Inno della X^ Flottiglia M.A.S. - Canti del Ventennio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah9VB-Q6Zqk

The Soviets improve their positions:

[Centuur]

The Soviets are not happy at all to see this weather appearing:

[Centuur]

November/December 1942, Axis impulse number 7

Italy takes an air action. Japan and Germany take land actions. Trains with lots of supplies are running towards Kesselring at Leningrad (offensive chit used). The OKW orders are clear: take Leningrad!

Italian naval bombers enter the Red Sea in force, together with a FTR. Axis roll 1, Allies roll 2. The Illustrious scrambles her FTR's when she spots the Italian naval bombers and their escorts:

[Centuur]

The AA guns of the carrier and her escorts open fire:

[Centuur]

The Illustrious take a couple of near misses:

[Centuur]

Both sides decide to stay. Alllies roll 3, Axis roll 8. The Allies avoid combat.

German Swing: Michael Jary - Blaues Boot !

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

Von Bock in Morocco suddenly notices Brazilian and US troops out of supply in the mountains. He orders the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe to ground strike the hex. FTR's are send with the bombers as escorts. The US and Brazilian airforce reacts, after which the Luftwaffe scrambles additional FTR's:

[Centuur]

-4 is too much, so the Brazilians abort. The Stuka strikes: