IN-COW Leaked Report on WW II.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Axis #3 (con't).

France.

Note that the German 6-4 mtn corps and 2-6 PzJag div in Metz were reorganized and in position to push into the French rear lines if they don't seal the break.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Axis #3 (con't).

Italy. Operation Broken Spear.

Broken spear happens to be what happened to the Italians. They rolled the dreaded 14!

[Centuur]

The Italians have large problems, now.

You didn't take into account the basic rule of WiF. If you can't handle the worst result possible, don't attack...

[rkr1958]

May 31, 1940. Rome, Italy.

The French ambassador to Italy, Andre Francois-Poncent and the Italian Foreign Minister, Count Ciano are enjoying a pleasant lunch of pasta, bread and wine at a outside cafe table in Rome on a hill overlooking the ruins of the Roman Coliseum. The conversation between the two men is in contrast to the peaceful setting and atmosphere. The jest of it is is that ambassador Francois-Poncent keeps pressing Count Ciano on his assurance that Italy will remain neutral against France. While this neutrality with France has caused a bit of tension between Paris and London because of Italy's war in Egypt with Great Britain, ambassador Francois-Poncent for the moment is only concerned for his country's fight against the Bosh invaders now pushing into France from Belgium, the Netherlands and through the Maginot line.

While sipping their after lunch coffee Ambassador Francois-Poncent finally relaxes and he is finally convinced by Count Ciano's assurances that Italy will indeed remain neutral to France. Apparently Italy's desire, really Mussolini's desire, is for the resurrection of the Roman empire in Africa. Though Graziani's defeat by the British just outside of Alexandria will most likely put a stop to that fantasy, this is really no concern to the ambassador. Only Italy's neutrality is. The two men finish their coffee, exchange the customary pleasantries and depart the restaurant going their separate ways.

Later that evening at the French embassy in Rome, Ambassador Francios-Poncent includes a short memo in the next day's diplomatic pouch to be flown out first thing in the morning. The memo reads that the Ambassador is convinced by the assurances of Count Ciano that Italy will indeed remain neutral and that the ambassador sees no reason why troops stationed in the south of France opposite Italy, cannot be redeployed to fight the Germans.

Note to readers. I was at such a cafe in Rome in March of 1987 and did enjoy a lunch of pasta, bread and wine. I just thought I'd move this image back in time 47-years to 1940 to fit my fictional narrative.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Allied 4.

No DOW or special actions taken.

Nazi-Soviet Pact. Germany - no (62). USSR - no (8.5).

Actions.
1. USSR (neutral) - combine.
2. China - land.
3. CW - combine.
4. France - land.
5. USA (neutral) - combine.

Notes.
1. The CW would really like to take a naval but the situation in France dictates that Gort and the BEF need to move or risk encirclement. A full naval must wait.
2. The French would also like to take a naval or even a combine to move more transports from Africa to mainland France, however, this definitely needs to wait as France needs many more than 3 land moves.
3. All both one Luftwaffe fighter unit is disorganized. The RAF sees an opportunity for using ground strikes to strike and Germany and help France. Not the "total" effort that the French really wanted but the only effort that the British were willing to give.

Naval Moves.
1. RN. CVL Argus, BB Royal Sovereign, CA Terror and CA NiesJuel to 0-box of Cape Verde Basin which currently has two Italian sub units at sea (1 & 2 boxes), with 1 sub unit still organized.
2. RN. CVL Eagle, BB Royal Oak, CA Fiji, TRS w/Skua NAV, TRS w/FTR2 from England to 0-box of Cape St. Vincent which currently has two Italian sub units at sea (2 & 3 boxes), with 1 sub unit still organized.

Naval Combat (Phasing).
1. Cape Verde Basin - No attempt.
2. Cape St. Vincent - No attempt.
3. Italian Coast - No attempt.
4. East Med - Yes. Searches, RN 10, Italian RM 3, Italians only. While the Italians were tempted to isolated the 0-box, which has no escorts, engage in a surface battle and sink the CW CP's, this would still leave 2 (neutral) French CP's running supplies to Wavell and the British 8th army in Egypt. Discretion is often the best part of valor, which the Italian RM displays by using 4 of their 11 surprise points to avoid combat. No use risking supply to Graziani for the prize of sinking 3 CW CP's.

Naval Combat (Non-Phasing).
1. Cape Verde Basin - Yes. Searches, Italian RM 7, RN 1. Neither side finds! With rain in the sea area and only with ships in the 0-box and no longer range planes on the CVL, the RN is unable to make contact even with a search roll of 1.
2. Cape St. Vincent - No attempt. The Italians decide best to keep 1 of their 2 subs organized to "harass" any RN transports than may attempt to travel through this sea area unescorted.

Ground Strikes.
1. RAF vs Lille. LND3 (3 factors) versus 3 units. 30% chance per units, 65.7% of disorganizing at least 1 unit, Ex # units disorganized = 0.9. Actual # = 0. Lille ground strike was opposed by Luftwaffe fighter which was counter-intercepted by an RAF fighter.
2. RAF vs Belgium[52,31]. LND3 (3 factors) versus 3 units. 30% chance per unit, 65.7% of disorganizing at least 1 unit, Ex # units disorganized = 0.9. Actual # = 1.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Allied #4 (con't).

Rail.
1. CW. 5-2 Montreal Mil to Halifax (headed/needed in Egypt!).
2. France. 4-2 MIL Marsallies to Rouen. This leaves Marsallies and the fleet there undefended based on the assurances of French Ambassador Francois-Poncent and Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano.
3. France. 4-1 garrison Lyons to Rouen. Again, railed away from Vichy based on the assurances of these two men.
4. USSR. 5-1 garrison Odessa to Kaunas, Lithuania and within the pact radius.

Notable Land Moves.
1. Chicomm, again, take all 5 Soviet/Chicomm land moves.
2. CW. The BEF take all 3 land moves.
3. France. Mountain corps moved from Vichy, away from defense against the Italians, north to face the Germans, again on the assurances of the French ambassador and the Italian foreign minister.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Allied #4 (con't).

Gibraltar. Air Rebase.
1. Skua.
2. Fighter.

Thus, meeting one of the turn's objectives for the CW. That is getting more fighter and nav units to the Med.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Allied #4 (con't).

North and Central China.

[rkr1958]

June 10, 1940. Rome, Italy.

Betrayal.

2:30 pm, local time. The French ambassador had been trying to reach Paris all day by phone but kept getting a French-speaking Italian operator who told him all phone lines in the area were down. When asked whether or not "this area" included more than just the French embassy the operator politely replied that the Ambassador should try again in an hour.

2:45 pm. Count Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister, arrives unexpectedly at the ambassador's residency inside the embassy. Ambassador Francors-Poncent greets the Count politely but curtly. The Count is brief. He hands the ambassador a copy of Italy's official declaration of war on France to be executed at 4:30 pm local time. That's in less than two hours. Bastard!

As a courtesy, the Count "unofficially" informs the French Ambassador that an entire Italian army of over 150,000 men under the command of General Balbo has already pushed over 20-miles into France without meeting any resistance. And that withing the week that the cities of Lyons and Nice will be in Italian hands. Again, Bastard!

The French Ambassador lets his temper flair and raises his voice at the Count telling him that he, the Count, has betrayed France. The Count, now in his capacity as the Italian foreign minister, remains calm and simply states that it's not him but he, Ambassador Francors-Poncent who's betrayed France. Not intentionally of course as was the case of the Count at their luncheon two weeks back. Surely the Ambassador recognizes that that luncheon was a meal shared between two friends and not between two representatives of their two respective countries. Oh well, all water under the bridge as the Count turned and left.

3:00 pm The French Ambassador orders his staff to collect and burn all sensitive documents. He tells his staff that we will stay until this done and confirmed. Then we'll gather all our diplomats and whatever civilians we can and make our way to Marseilles.

11:30 pm. The Ambassador is last to board the French cargo plane. A plane loaded with his senior staff and sitting beside three other French cargo planes loaded with other staff and all the French citizens he could gather up in the few short hours they've had since this madness began. As he starts to move up the stairs to the plane a car arrives with the Count. The Ambassador stops, turns around and coldly shakes the Count's hand as the Count exits his car. The Count reassures the Ambassador that the French government has been informed of the Ambassador's flight plan to Marseilles and as long as their planes remain on this plan all will be safe. The Ambassador stares hard and says that he hopes he how more than the Count's assurances on this as he knows all too well how worthless those assurances are. The Ambassador then turns and climbs up the stairs and just before he gets to the plane door, the Ambassador stops, turns back around and shouts, "Vive la France".

11:45 pm. The Count watches as three French cargo planes lift off from the airport in Rome and head northwest towards the city of Marseilles. A city that the Count is told will be Italian before the month of June is over.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. Axis #8.

Weather. Roll = 8 (none, 1).
1. Arctic - fine.
2. North temperate - fine.
3. Med - fine.
4. North monsoon - fine.
5. South monsoon - fine.
6. South temperate - fine.

DOW.
1. Italy DOW's France. +1 US entry pool. A poor chit (value 1) is drawn.
2. US Entry/tension Germany/Italy (5/2; 23/10).
3. US Entry/tension Japan (4/1; 17/9).

No Alignments (Hungary, Bulgaria, Siam).

Nazi-Soviet Pact. Germany - no (62). USSR - no (8.5).

Actions.
1. Japan - land.
2. Germany - land.
3. Italy - land.

Strategic Bombing.
1. Japan. Sian. Roll = 3 + 1 = 4. No effect.

Artillery Ground Strike.
1. Germany. France[53,29], 3 stack. 40% per unit chance of disorganizing. Expected modified = +2. 2 of 3 units (both corps) disorganized. Actual modified = +4.

Rail. None.

Notable Land Moves.
1. Italian mountain corps captures Lyons.
2. Italians capture Nice.
3. Frustratingly, the Germans are unable to overrun the lone and disorganized anti-tank division. The Germans just two have two armor units starting this impulse stacked together. The anti-tank division turns out to be a nice, but a bit expensive, road block.

Land Combat.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. (con't).

HQ Reorg.
1. von Bock - 7-2 MIL, 4-2 arty div, 2-5 mot div.

Air Rebase.
1. Germany. Condor form Keil to Syracuse in Sicily.
2. Germany. 2 Fighters from the interior of Germany to the Western Front. However, at least one if not both of these fighters should have been sent to Italy for operation in the Med or off the Italian Coast.

[rkr1958]

Turn 5. May/June 1940. (con't).

Yamamoto's and his elite Marines.
1. A mission of deterrence.
2. A mission of partisan prevention. Winning hearts and minds?

Partisan Numbers.