A musical global war AAR...

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CW produces 36 build points and receives 5 from the US. It uses 4 oil for reorganisation. It starts 2 AMPH and 2 TRS. Builds are: 4 CP, 3 pilots, 2 CVP1, FTR2, HQ-I, PARA, MAR-arm, MAR-div.

France receives 3 build points from the US and uses no oil for reorganisation. It starts a TRS and saves a build point.

The US produces 66 build points and sends 9 in lend lease. It uses 7 oil for reorganisation. It fisnishes the CV's Bennington and Wasp II, the CVL Princeton, Rabaul and Cabot and a TRS. It repairs the CV Wasp. Builds are: 5 pilots, 2 CVP1, CVP2, FTR2, FTR3, 2 LND 4, HQ-I, MOT.

The USSR produces 13 build points and receives 1 from the US. It has no oil dependent units to reorganise. It builds pilot, FTR2, MTN, 2 INF.

Here's a Soviet Propaganda movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taA1cr85-L8

Here are the Allied oil reserves at the end of the turn:

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March/April 1943, Start of turn phases:

Here are the Axis reïnforcements:

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The Allied reïnforcements:

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The trade agreements:

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The Axis wins the initiative:

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And chooses to go first.

More propaganda. It's time for Looney Tunes, here are the Ducktators:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=522qtqjSagM

Here is the weather for the next couple of impulses:

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March/April 1943, Axis impulse number 1:

The OKH in Berlin isn't happy with the situation at the Ostfront at the moment. Abwehr reports that the number of Soviet units increased a lot during the winter. At the moment, they count 24 Soviet corps including HQ's in the Urals, while the Germans have 18 corps available. The counts on FTR's are about equal (6 German and 5 Soviet, not counting the two obsolete FTR3 the Luftwaffe still has in the region). On bombers, the Luftwaffe can pull a nice punch in the region. The quality of the land units is far better on the German side, but the lack of units to fill gaps when losses appear is troublesome.

The situation around Tashkent also doesn't look promising. The Soviets have 6 corps (incl. HQ) and the Axis have four corps there, which are also not good units (Italian troops...).

So reïnforcements need to be send to the frontlines in the East to make sure the Soviets can be dealt with.

Listen to: Das Grossstadt-Lied (Über die Dächer der grossen Stadt) - Adolf Steimel Tanzorchester

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SkI2C_Yu00

Germany takes a land action, Italy an air action and the Japanese take a naval action.

Germany flies two condors in the Cape St. Vincent, putting the US forces out of supply. Italy flies a Gabbiano into the Red Sea. Japan flies NAV into the China Sea and a FTR into the Sea of Japan. Alle planes go into the 4 box.

Japan puts convoy escorts in place. It keeps the main fleet in reserve, since it wants to react on the expected move by the US navy towards the convoy lines to Japan. Problem is, that the US fleet is fast, and can reach as far as the Sea of Japan to get a reasonable chance of getting a shot at the Japnaese convoys. There is no way the Imperial Fleet can defend all sea area's adequately by sending out the fleet. Sure, one can sail into the South China Sea to try to intercept the moving US fleet, but if that fails, the chance of a counterattack is gone. Japan lost the initiative.

Japanese cruisers sail into the Coral Sea. They search the sea area in storms for Allied merchant shipping. Axis roll 2, Allies roll 7. The merchantmen, while fighting the storms, are confronted by the torpedoes of the big Japanese cruisers. HMAS Sydney escorting the merchantmen is sunk:

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One of the cruisers is aborted:

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The CW aborts the sea area. Japanese submarines in the Tasman Sea search for merchantmen too. However, it's a big ocean (Axis 9, Allies 9).

With snow in the Arctic, the Luftwaffe decides not to waste bombs on the entrenched Soviet forces. Germany rails units out of the Leningrad Area towards Tahskent and the Ostfront. Italy rails a ATR to the Ostfront.

Turkish MTN enter the last remaining Soviet port along the Black Sea, where the Soviet Black Fleet is based, with empty bunkers:

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Only a light cruiser is captured. The other vessels are destroyed in port, since there is no other port available to them:

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Positions are improved, but no attacks are declared.

Italian music: Aldo Visconti - C'è una casetta alla periferia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCozuN0zME4

Here is the Ostfront:

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And the Tashkent area:

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March/April 1943, Allied impulse number 4:

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

The Allies strengthen convoy escorts and again move a lot of land units throughout the globe. They still haven't enough sea lift available to do all they want to. It's amazing how many TRS and AMPH are needed to make sure all units get to where they need to be.

Music: Apollo Jump - Lucky Millinder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsfKnkzX0jM

The US decides it's time to teach the Japanese a lesson. A powerfull small CV task force leaves Pearl Harbor for a “hit and run” mission into the China Sea. Japan sends additional FTR's and NAV into the Sea area. Allies roll 2, Axis roll 6. The US chooses the 0 box to get a shot at the merchantmen. They choose a naval air combat and spend 6 surprise points to reduce the air-to-air columns of the Japanese FTR's escorting the merchantmen. An air to air battle commences:

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The Japanese AA is ineffective. The AA guns of the US ships open fire:

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The American planes attack the merchantmen:

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While the Japanese bomber attacks a US CV:

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Both sides decide to stay for another round. Japan flies another FTR into the 0 box. Allies roll 6, Axis rolls 1. The Japanese use the surprise points to avoid combat.

French Swing: Aimé Barelli – souvenirs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f95buG6p1E0

The CW sails a fleet into the Red Sea. They search for the Italian cruiser in the Sea area. The Luftwaffe and the Italians reacts by sending in FTR's and NAV. Allies roll 10, Axis roll 4.

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The Italian planes use their long range to avoid combat.

US Submarines enter the Bismarck Sea and search for the Japanese cruiser, which maintains supply in the Sea area. The Japanese decide to fly a Zero into the Sea area. Allies roll 1, Axis roll 8. The Allies use all surprise points to increase damage. The Yubari sinks:

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The US Submarines stay unharmed. The naval combat ends, because the US decides not to include the SUB's in next round.

A US task force enters the Timor Sea and searches for the Japanese cruiser which provides supply for the last Japanese unit in Australia. The Tokyo Express is hard to find (Allies 9, Axis 2).

A second US carrier force enters the South China Sea in the four box. The Japanese again flies FTR's and NAV into the Sea area. The US searches for the Japanese merchantmen. Allies 10, Axis 3:

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Of course, the combat is avoided by the Japanese. The Allies don't want to fight in the Coral Sea, because they want to protect the loaded TRS there. With the Japanese in a high box, surprise points might be devastating. The Japanese on the other side, decide that with the weather in the Coral Sea, it is in there interest to engage the enemy: