Into the Breach

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #5.

Japan. Strategic Bombing. China. Japanese bombers hit home in Sian and knocks out 1 PP.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #5.

Japan. China. Japanese military leaders debate long and hard about a potential attack on the Nationalist 2-stack in hex 0435 (I Cav on top). They could have gotten +9.5 A; however this would have "stripped" their forces arrayed against Mao and made Japan vulnerable to the communist in the north. Also, proponents of this attack (mainly junior officers) couldn't provide a satisfactory answer to what really would be gained from taking this hex 0435.

The potential to attack Mao and his forces holding Sian was also briefing entertained by Japanese high command; however the odds would have been +4.5 A, which gave only an 18% chance of victory and carried a 9% chance that Japan would lose 3 attacking units.

Both potential attacks to the dismay of Japanese junior officers, who feel that they should/need to be running the war, were rejected by the high command.

In the end, Japan decide to push forward in the North, gain what open hexes they can and position themselves assuming reinforcements for a future attack on Sian.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #5.

Japan. Southern China. Pacific ZOC's. This optional rule states that only stacks containing 2 (non-partisan) corps or an HQ exert a ZOC on the Pacific (and Asia) scale. The implication for the Japanese in southern China is that they don't have the necessary ZOC on both rail lines (NE yes, SE no) running form the resource SE of Kweiyang. And, Japan won't be able to get both lines covered by ZOC's this turn, which means that this resource will reach a Chinese factory (this turn).

Japan. Southern China. Supply. So the Japanese units sitting on the coast are in supply back to (city in) Japan from the CP chain running through the South China Sea and/or China Sea. The stack NW of Canton, who isn't sitting on the coast, has to trace back to a secondary supply source, which is Yamamoto in this case. It's 3-hexes if Yamamoto is to trace supply through Canton (i.e., 2 hexes to Canton + 1 hex from the port to a city in Japan). When Yamamoto can trace supply through Canton he serve as a secondary supply source for a unlimited number of units. However, in rain, supply can only be traced 2-hexes, which means Yamamoto can't use Canton during rain. In CE, if an HQ is tracing supply overseas but not through a port it can only serve as a secondary supply source for a number of units equal to its reorg value. Again, Yamamoto himself and all other Japanese units sitting on the coast track supply via the CP-China and don't count again the number of units that can be supplied through Yamamoto. Fortunately for the Japanese air and land armies in the South, Yamamoto reorg value is just big enough to keep the stack NE of himself, NW of Canton, in supply.

As it sits now, Yamamoto can only trace supply through Canton during fine and snow. Also, note that Canton no longer borders both the South China and China Seas. In CE in now sits exclusively on the South China Sea.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Allied #7.

Actions.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Allied #7.

USSR. Rail. Hmm ... over the course of this turn the Soviets have railed a Siberian corps and cavalry division (this turn's rail) from the Asian map to Murmansk on the East European map. Also, they've railed a Siberian corps from Vladivostok (Pacific map) to the Zhukov's railhead (Asian map).

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Allied #7.

China. In the North the communists are struggling with keeping the Japanese from flanking their defenses. (Remember, Pacific/Asian ZOC's requires a stack with two corps (non-partisan) or an HQ to exert an ZOC). Of specific concern is the Japanese 37 infantry division (hexe 0640), which given fine weather will be able to move unflipped to the hex adjacent to and threaten the Chinese resource in 0839.

HQ Reorg. Mao reorg's the Landchow Warlord.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #9.

Weather/Actions. Turn continues and weather turns brutal (roll of 10). Germany takes a combine in order to move a CP out into the Baltic to transport to factory their newly acquired (through trade) Norwegian resource, which gives them an additional oil save.

Japan takes a land to see what they can accomplish, which won't be much, on the Pacific/Asian map in storms.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #9.

Germany. Naval. The KM moves 3 CP's, which in CE count as 1 ship and 1 unit for oil if kept together, to the Baltic. This allows transport of the Norwegian resource to a Germany factory and gives Germany a surplus of 2 CP's in the Baltic (i.e., 4 of 6 needed for 3 Swedish and 1 Norwegian RP). With the acquisition of 2 additional resources in Poland, Germany will be able to save all 6 oil points. Germany consumed 2.1 oil this turn.

Germany. Rail. Germany uses her 1 rail move of a combine to move von Bock from Poland to the West, which gives Germany 1 HQ there to push forward next turn if the weather clears (i.e., fine, snow and possibly rain).

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Actions/Weather Summary. Turn comes to an end at the conclusion of the axis #9 impulse.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Partisans. No partisans. Only chance was in India.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Nazi-Soviet Pact. In CE there's no optional rule for (easier) breaking of the Nazi-Soviet pact. In CE, neutrally pacts can't be (attempted to be) broken for 3 FULL turns after the turn they were signed. The Nazi-Soviet pact is considered signed on the Jul/Aug 1939 turn, which means it's unbreakable until Mar/Apr 1940. For turns 4 - 9 after signing (Mar/Apr 1940 - Jan/Feb 1941) defensive garrison values are doubled, turns 10 - 15 (Mar/Apr 1941 - Jan/Feb 1942) defensive garrison values are unmodified and then halved for turns 16 - 21 (Mar/Apr 1942 - Jan/Feb 1943). Modifiers are not rounded, still need a 2:1 offensive:defensive pact ratio to break a pact, face down markers up to the offensive garrison value add to the offensive total and face up markers up to the modified defensive garrison value add to the defensive total.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

US Entry Pool. The US adds their chit to the Germany/Italy entry pool, which was empty. In continuation of the troubles the allies are having with US entry chits, the US draws a 1.

[composer99]

Not that it particularly matters, but aren't those chits in what is labeled as the tension pool?

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: composer99

Not that it particularly matters, but aren't those chits in what is labeled as the tension pool?

Yes, I've put them in the wrong pool. Thanks for noticing.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Land, Air, Naval Raw Combat Logs.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Production. Germany.

Saved Oil. 5 additional, 8 total.

16 BP's generated. In CE, Germany's production multiplier is 0.75 versus 0.5 in FE. This makes a big different for 1939 production. In trade Germany gets 5 standard resources from the USSR, 3 standard resources from Sweden and 1 standard resource from Norway. Also, they captured 2 the Polish (standard) resources which gives them a total of 23 standard resources for their factories. In oil, Germany gets 2 from the USSR, 2 from Romanian and they have 2 for a total of six. So at this point then only need to send 1 oil, in additional to the 23 standard resources they have, to their factories to get full production (i.e., 16 BP(max)). This means that Germany can save 5 of their 6 oil income, which gives them a total of 8 oil points saved.

Builds. HQ-A(8), Par Div(3), Inf Div(2), PIL(2), Sub fd(1)

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Production. Italy.

Saved Oil. 0 additional, 3 total.

5 BP's generated. Italy and US start with a trade agreement which remains in effect as long as Italy is neutral. This agreement has the US sending 2 standard resources and 1 oil to Italy in return for 1 BP. The US has to provide the CP chain to a sea area adjacent to the West Med (i.e., from the US East Coast to Cape St. Vincent). Italy must provide the "chain" from there on to Italy (i.e., 4 CP's in the West Med). Like Germany, Italy starts with a production multiplier of 0.75.

Builds. NAV(3), PIL(2)

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Production. Japan.

Saved Oil. 2 additional, 8 total.

Builds. CV Shokaku fu[2], PIL(2), CVP(1), MIL(2)x2, CP(1)

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Production Spiral. Axis.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. End of Turn.

Production. USA.

Saved Oil. 1 additional, 7 total.

BP's Generated. 11

Builds. CV fd(2), BB fd(2), BB fu(2), CP(1)x4, CVP(1)