Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

[DQ2004]

The turn ends incredibly quickly.
The Axis have only had two impulses. The losses were not screenshotted - I can't remember now, but its possible that there were none!
Below shows Global Control at the end of the Jan/Feb 1941 turn.

[DQ2004]

Mar/Apr 1941
Reinforcements:

[DQ2004]

A little while ago someone asked what was happening in Manchuria.
With an agreed Neutrality Pact in place, both sides have taken the opportunity to move forces elsewhere to more urgently needed fronts. Thus the Soviet Far East and Japanese Manchuria is quiet as a tomb.

[DQ2004]

At the start of Mar/Apr 1941, the bad weather continued.
With nothing better to do, and storms raging in the Atlantic, it seemed like a good idea to send out the Kriegsmarine's powerful battle squadron.
The ships were split into two groups, those with a maximum speed of '5', and those with a maximum speed of '6'.
This made for three in each, the weaker group having two 'Hipper' class cruisers.
The stronger group, made of Tirpitz, Bismarck and the Graf Spee, were intercepted by the British waiting in the Bay of Biscay (the Allies had the initiative).
Rather than fight through, the Germans chose to remain. The second group were not intercepted, and went north to the Faeroes Gap.

[DQ2004]

The Scharnhorst group found that the Royal Navy had been somewhat neglectful in the Faeroes Gap, with only a handful of weak cruisers protecting a large number of convoys. There the squadron was joined by the newly repaired Panzerschiff 'Deutschland'. Apparently the Fuhrer had demanded that its name be changed, fearing bad luck if it were sunk, but whatever.

[DQ2004]

This time the Germans find the convoys, and the slaughter begins.

[DQ2004]

Three CONV and the Norwegian Tordenskjold is sunk.
In return the Commonwealth vessels do absolutely nothing to the German ships.

[DQ2004]

In the second round the Germans find the convoys again.
The Allies curse their luck.

[DQ2004]

This time more convoys are destroyed, but Bomber Harris (the Allied player, for those that have forgotten), decides to lose CONV rather than abort or damage the Gloucester.
...not sure why he did that.
The British are left with just 10 CONV in the last crucial sea area to England.

[DQ2004]

Sadly for the Germans, they do not find the convoys a third time.
Some supplies will get through.
In the Med, Axis aircraft swarm the Eastern Mediterranean sea area. But they do not find the British fleet.
In the second impulse, the British try to ground-strike the Italians in Egypt - but they fail.

[DQ2004]

In the Western Med, a force of British and Australian cruisers guards the convoy lines.
It is attacked by the Italian fleet, and the HMS Manchester is sunk. HMS Newcastle is also damaged.
But the remaining cruisers slip away.

[DQ2004]

The British finally go on the offensive in the desert. Despite being unable to disorganize the out-of-supply Italians, they attack the 'Libia' mechanized corps. They destroy it, but the assault is a very costly one.

[DQ2004]

After some consideration, Wavell decides not to advance, as his forces are now no stronger than his opponent.

[DQ2004]

In Northern China, the poor weather leaves the Japanese with little to do. Newly constructed tanks have been attached to a new unit, the 2nd Armoured corps. With these new weapons the Japanese hope to finally crack the Communist lines.

[DQ2004]

In Southern China, the Japanese armies around Chungking are faced with a choice - advance and be disorganized, or hope that they get another impulse with better weather before the turn ends.
After a careful consideration of the odds (30% chance that the turn will end on the Allies next impulse), they decide to move.
Chengtu is quickly overrun, and the 5th Mechanized Corps heads back towards Chungking.
Other armies encircle the city.

[DQ2004]

With the weather slightly better, the Royal Navy sorties its carrier fleet into the Bay of Biscay.
Once again the search rolls favour the Axis.

[DQ2004]

And it is here that the German commander makes a terrible error.
With surprise points in the offing, he chooses the British carrier force, unprotected by battleships.
But the rolls will provide only three surprise points in the 4 box, instead of four if they had chosen the 3 box.
It is a disastrous mistake - it means that they will not be able to choose the type of combat at all...

[DQ2004]

Sure enough, the British have plenty of time to launch their Swordfish torpedo bombers.
They swoop down en-masse upon the German ships.
The Bismarck is sunk.
The Fuhrer rages, but he cannot sack the foolish Admiral Lutjens - he had the sense to go down with his ship.
The Tirpitz and Graf Spee return to Brest.

[DQ2004]

The turn ends after the Allies' third impulse. Sure enough, the Japanese made the right call - if they'd waited, they wouldn't have been able to move.
The Allied losses shown do not include some seven CONV points.

[DQ2004]

Global control as at the start of the May/Jun 1941 turn: