Reporting from the Front. A Narrative AAR.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #7. (continued)

[ax] Which sea boxes do you wish to include. Remember you get zero SP's.

[al] Help me calculate your spps please

[ax] If you choose the 2-box then the Italians get 2 + 3 = 5 SP's. If you choose the 3-box then 6 SP's.

[al] Hmm

[al] Choose the 3-box only

[ax] Do you wish to fight a naval air?

[al] yes.

[ax] No effect.

[ax] Italians stay. What about the RN?

[al] Abort all to Plymouth except mech and 7-5 mot with transports to Bristol and send Courageous to Gibraltar, which can't reach Plymouth.

[ax] copy that.

Cape St. Vincent. Naval Combat.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #7. (continued)

[ax] Next up, West Med.
(1) No air reactions possible.
(2) Search. Italian RM=7, RN CP=8, nobody finds.

[ax] By the way, the Italian NAV initiated the search.

West Med. Italian Coast.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #7. (continued)

[ax] Finally, the East Med.
(1) No air reactions.
(2) Search. Italian RM=7, RN CP=8, nobody finds.

[ax] If the Italians were playing poker they'd have trip-7's. However, for naval combat those three searches were a bust. El Duce must be so proud. [:)]

[ax] Surprise Ground Strike. Italy vs Wavell HQ-A.
SM.79 (3 TAC), D10=4, 3, Wavell is flipped.

East Med.

[AllenK]

It's 'no effect' before surprise points are spent.

If the Allies spent their surprise points increasing their naval combat, it's D, 3A.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #7. (continued)

[ax] Rail. Germany. none.

[ax] Rail. Japan. SNLF Mar. Pusan to Tsinan, China.

[ax] Wehrmacht mot div overruns the Danish fleet at Frederikshavn
(1) Den CP=5, escapes.
(2) CA Niels Juel=3, scuttled (i.e., destroyed)
(3) CA Peder Skram=5, escapes.

[al] Send it to Hull

[ax] together or individually? The KM will attempt intercept.

[al] individually

[ax] Danish CP fleeing through the North Sea.
(1) German attempts to intercept and commits her U-boat flotillas.
(2) German He 115C initiates.
(3) Intercept D10=5, missed (3 or less required).
(4) Fleeing CP continues on to the safety of Hull.

[ax] Danish CA Peder Skram.
(1) KM intercept, D10=1, successful.
(2) CA must fight through the 0-box.
(3) No German air reactions.
(4) RAF has 2 FTR2's (4 & 5 a2a) that can react to 0 or 1-box.
Instructions?

[al] No interceptions

[ax] copy that.

[ax] DEN search, D10=8.
KM elects to fight a surface action and gets 10 SP's.
2 SP's used to reduce KM risk from A to no effect.
Remaining 8 SP's used to increase Danish risk from X to 2X, which ensures that the CA Peder Skram is sunk.

[ax] The KM stays.
Does the RN with a Fairey LDN2 (1 a2s) in 2-box which to stay?

[al] Stay.

[ax] copy that.

[ax] North Sea. Round 2.
(1) No air reactions.
(2) KM do not commit their U-boat flotillas this time.
(3) Search. KM=1, RN=2, both find.
(4) It's a naval air battle, KM gets 2 SP's.
(5) Initial air-to-air ratings. KM +2, RN -2.
(6) KM use their 2 SP's to shift RN rating down to -3.

[ax] North Sea. Air-to-air.
(1) Axis, 2D10=11, which clears the Fairey through. [:@]
(2) Allied, 2D10=12, no axis bombers to clear as the German NAV was automatically cleared.

[ax] KM AA fire=8, 2, 10, 8, 10, 3.
Fiarey 1 bomb reduced to 0.

[ax] KM stays, what about the CW?

[al] Abort
land SE of London

[ax] copy that.

North Sea. Round 2.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #7. (continued)

[ax] Land Combat. Only 1. Wehrmacht vs Lodz at > +21. So result is automatic.

[ax] Final odds are +25.5 assault.

[ax] Air rebase. Bf 109 E-2. Bremen to Germany 49, 37.

Europe.

[rkr1958]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #7. (continued)

[ax] Air rebase. Japan.
(1) Ki-27 F/B. China 83, 143 to 84, 143.
(2) Ki-27 FTR2. Wuhan to China 83, 142.

[ax] That ends my impulse at the HQ reorg phase.

[ax] I'll let you have the honors to roll for end of turn (10% chance). [:)]

[al] All in all I am quite content but there are certainly scenarios where did goes badly

[ax] I was hoping to bag a transport w/cargo but missed. [:(]

[ax] game turn 01-SEP-OCT-1939-AX-07-eoi.zip sent.

China.

[AllenK]

I think you might have missed my post above. I don't see why the naval air combat in Cape St Vincent was 'no effect'. The Allies had 6 surprise points available to increase their naval combat table.

[jesperpehrson]

ORIGINAL: AllenK

It's 'no effect' before surprise points are spent.

If the Allies spent their surprise points increasing their naval combat, it's D, 3A.

But it was a surpriseround so no allied surprisepoints.

[AllenK]

ORIGINAL: jesperpehrson

ORIGINAL: AllenK

It's 'no effect' before surprise points are spent.

If the Allies spent their surprise points increasing their naval combat, it's D, 3A.

But it was a surpriseround so no allied surprisepoints.

Sorry misread who had the points. However, with 6 surprise points, the Italians could have spent 4 to choose combat. I presume they must have declined this.

[jesperpehrson]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Allied #9, part 1

[al] End of turn roll is a...
[al] 9

[al] Bessarabia is claimed. Allow it?
[al] No DOW btw

Definitely, I allow the claim!
[al] The decision is maybe not clear cut, with rain in the arctic and the german army ready to move, but the risk probably too high of losing most of your oil
Yes. But I just don't want to get into that fight.

[al] USSR goes for a combined, China land, France land, CW naval and US combined

[al] No naval air

[al] The fleet from Gibraltar moves out into the Western Med
[al] do you want to intercept?
[ax] Yes please.
[ax] Pick the weakest CA to initiate.
[al] a 6 is rolled, no intercept
[al] The fleet stays in Western Med
[ax] Well, at least it wasn't another 7.
[ax] Tricky hobbit!

[al] CW sails another sub into the Italian Coast, 3 box

[al] 8 CAs from Aden sails into the Eastern Med. Do you wish to intercept?
[ax] Intercept please
[al] an 8 rolled, no intercept
[al] They stop in the East Med

[al] The Danish convoys in Iceland are sent to the Faroes Gap

[al] Ok time for Naval Combat
[al] First up is the Italian Coast
[al] You have a FTR that can react. Do you wish to? It can reach the 0-box.
[ax] Yes please.
[al] CW commits their subs
[al] 8 and 10 are rolled, no combat

[al] Next up is the Western Med
[al] 9 and 8 are rolled, no combat

[al] and finally the Eastern Med
[ax] React ftr2 to 0 box please.
[al] 5 and 8 are rolled, no combat
[al] How very anticlimactic
[ax] Yes. I feel your pain. 😉

[jesperpehrson]

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Allied #9, part 2

[al] No groundstrikes


[al] Timoshenko is railed to Leningrad
[ax] Interesting. Borderlands?
[al] Yes, at least keeping the option open
[al] A mech is sent north from Bessarabia

[al] The commies take resource in the north and moves the southern part of the communist line forward


[al] The 2 cavalry in the eastern part of central China releases their trap and put all of the Japanese out of supply
[ax] Interesting.
[al] Suddenly Chinese attack weakness feels bad!


[al] France move in to attack on the Maginot Line

[al] 2 attacks. One in China against a flipped and OOS INF +10. One against the southmost part of the Maginot line +6.
[al] No flying possible on either side.

[al] China up first. Assault or blitz? There is possibility to retreat.
[ax] Assault please
[al] 18 is rolled
[al] No advance after combat


[al] In Germany +6, also with possibility to retreat. Assault or blitz?
[ax] Assault please.
[al] 17 rolled
[al] Two units enter Germany


[al] A french FTR is rushed to the frontlines
[al] The USSR airforce is rushed towards Finland

[al] Georges reorganizes 3 frontline troops

[al] I will let you roll for end of turn.

[brian brian]

Oooooooohhh, my favorite French play. Normally, this works much better on the French surprise impulse. But when you roll well, everything works.

[jesperpehrson]

ORIGINAL: brian brian

Oooooooohhh, my favorite French play. Normally, this works much better on the French surprise impulse. But when you roll well, everything works.

Yeah, good rolls straightens out most dysfunctional strategies.
The bump in German production is massive though. The turn ended immediatly so I will most likely not be able to benifit from the move, but we will see.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: AllenK

It's 'no effect' before surprise points are spent.

If the Allies spent their surprise points increasing their naval combat, it's D, 3A.

It was the axis (i.e., Italians) that had the 6 SP's. They also declined to use 4 SP's to force a surface.

[jesperpehrson]

End of turn, turn 1, Sep/Oct 1939, part 1

[ax] I'm going to go ahead and do the end of turn roll.
[ax] D10=3, (<4 required). Turn ends.
[al] That was amazing for China and less so for France

[ax] Partisans.
(1) Kor=10, Gar=1, pick=1, 5
(2) China=49
(3) Malaya=79
(4) Burma=15
(5) Manchuria=97
(6) India=69
(7) FIC=74


[ax] Where?
[al] Mountain NE of resource

[ax] Might be easier if you recreate the end of turn and partisan rolls with your copy and proceed from there. Found it's easier for the allied player if they process the end of turn. If you agree?
[al] I agree, i started writing but it was too much

[al] Neutrality chits. 2 offensive for Germany and 1 defensive for USSR.
[al] US-entry, chit against Japan
[al] No US-entry options taken

[jesperpehrson]

End of turn, turn 1, Sep/Oct 1939, part 2

Preliminary production:
[ax] Germany. save 4 oil to Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Prague. 22 of 24 producing x 1.25 = 28 BP's. -2 Trade. 26 BP's for production.
[ax] Italy. Save 1 oil to Rome. 4 of 11 factories producing x 0.5 = 2 BP's.
[ax] Japan. 1 oil saved to Tokyo. 14 of 19 factories producing x 0.75 = 11 BP's. -1 Trade, 10 BP's for production.

[al] China. 7 out of 8 factories produce x 0,75 = 5 BPs. 0 Oil saved.
[al] CW. 16 out of 22 factories are producing + 2food in flames x 0,5 = 9BPs and 5 oil saved.
[al] France 8 out of 14 factories x 0,5 = 5 BPs and 1 oil saved.
[al] US. 40 out of 40 factories x 0,25 = 10 BPs + 1 trade = 11BPs and 1 oil saved.
[al] USSR. 24 out 29 factories x 0,25 = 6 BPs + 2 trade = 8 BPs and 1 oil saved.

Stay at sea and return to base:
[ax] All German ships in the Baltic stay and move down 1 box accordingly.
[ax] 2 BB's & 2 CA's in North sea stay and move down 1 box.
[ax] 2 U-boats return to Keil.
[ax] Nav2 returns to 47, 35 (west of Keil)
[ax] FTR2 returns to 48,35 (Wilhelmshaven)

[ax] Italian subs in CSV return to La Spezia.
[ax] All ships in all sea areas that can remain at sea and move down 1-box.
[ax] NAV2 in West Med also stays and moves down 1-box.
[ax] FTR2 in East Med (0-box) returns to Bardia, Libya.
[ax] FTR2 and 4 CA's in Italian Coast (0-box) returns to La Spezia.
[ax] All axis CP's remain at sea where they are.

[al] CW stays in Bay of Biscay, North Atlantic and the Western Med.
[al] French Submarine in the Baltic was destroyed
[al] France stays at sea in the western Med and Italian Coast
[al] The CA Fleet in the Eastern Med returns to Port Said
[al] all other ships are returned to SW England, more or less

Use Oil:
[ax] Germany. 2.65 needed, don't reorg 2 CP's & Hs 123 Land bomber. Reorg all the rest, 2.45 for 2 oil. Use saved oil in Prague and Berlin.
[ax] Italy 2 oil needed. Reorg oil. Click use oil from cooperating major powers. Use 0.6 oil in Cologne, 1 oil in Rome, 0.4 anywhere else.
[ax] Japan. Use 1 saved oil in Tokyo to reorg 0.7 that can be reorg. [:(]
[ax] Dang Chinese cavalry! [:@]


[al] CW used 5 oil, France 1 oil and the others none.

[jesperpehrson]

End of turn, turn 1, Sep/Oct 1939, part 3

[al] Prod Final (bps/saved oil in total)
[al] Germany 26/5
[al] Italy 2/1
[al] Japan 10/4

[al] China 5/1
[al] CW 9/4
[al] France 4/1
[al] US 11/4
[al] USSR 8/4

[ax] Germany. 26 BP's. HQ-A(8), PIL(2), LND(2), Para Div(3), Sub 2nd(1), Sub 1st(1), Mech(5), MIL(2)x2.
[ax] Italy. 2 BP's. Sub 2nd(1), BP Save (Rome).
[ax] Japan. 10 BP's. Terr(2), MIL(2)x2, PIL(2), CVP(0), CV Shokaku 2nd(2)

[al] China builds a MIL and an INF
[al] CW builds 3 CVP(0), 1 PIL, 2 convoys, 1 AMPH (1st) and 1 TERR
[al] France builds 2 MIL
[al] US builds a carrier, repairs another carrier, 2 CVP(0), 1 AMPH (1st) and an INF DIV
[al] USSR builds 2 INF and a GAR

[ax] Factory Destruction. Japan x 2.
[ax] (1) Blue factory - Canton.
[ax] (2) Blue factory - Shanghai.
[al] Factories in Canton and Shanghai destroyed


[ax] Germany.
[ax] (1) PIL to Bf 109 E1.
[ax] (2) MILs placed in home cities.
[ax] (3) 6-3 SS inf, PzJag A/T div, Bf 109 E1 in Stuggart.
[ax] (4) HG armor div in Munich.
[ax] (5) No planes removed.

[ax] Italy.
[ax] (1) PIL to CR.42 FTR2.
[ax] (2) Rom mot & FTR2 in Genoa.

[ax] Japan.
[ax] (1) MAN Terr in Tsitsihar.
[ax] (2) MILs in home cities.

[al] CW assigns PIL to two NAV
[al] Deploys the NAVs in Bristol, conv and BB in Plymoth and a TERR in NZ
[al] France places a MIL in Bordeaux and Marseilles
[al] US places a CA in San Diego

[al] Resourcelending?
[ax] Axis no changes.

[al] Initiative
[al] Axis rolls 4
[al] Allies roll 7
[al] Do you want to reroll, your total was 6
[ax] Yes please
[al] Axis roll 8
[al] Allies roll 9
[al] tie
[al] Allies wins ties for some reason I do not know
[ax] Axis had the last initative
[al] Ah
[al] Allies choses to move first

[al] Weatherroll is 9
[al] Terrible weather
[al] blizzard, snow, storm in europe

[jesperpehrson]

Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. Allied #1, part 1

[al] No DOW
[al] USSR combined, China land, CW naval, France land and US combined

[al] No port attacks

[al] CW sends an Albacore NAV to Bay of Biscay
[al] CW sends a Vildebeest to the Bay of Biscay

[al] A sub sails into the Italian Coast from Malta

[al] The 8 CA in Port Said moves out into the Eastern Med.
[al] Do you want to intercept?
[ax] Yes please.
[al] An 8 rolled
[al] The stack stays in the 4-box

[al] CW protects their convoys all over
[al] CW ships a MOT with the Queens around the Horn of Africa
[al] I did not think you could transport MOT with the Queens
[ax] Yes I knew. Advantage of learning rules of wif with mwif.
[al] Yeah, there are so many old rules that are just stuck in my head

[al] CW removes their convoy from the western Med
[al] CW is done with naval moves. Of note is that I have no sailed my merchantmen yet.

[al] Two US transports filled with FTR goes to the Hawaiian Islands

[al] CW wants to initiate in the Eastern Med
[al] Allies roll a 1
[al] Axis roll a 1
[al] 8 CA vs 2 CA
[al] No surprise it seems as it went straight to damage
[al] Italian risk is X 2A
[al] Your CAs are equally good
[al] I will go with D´Aosta as it does not really matter
[al] 3 rolled and the CA is destroyed
[al] abort on Garibaldi, 8 rolled, saved
[al] another 8 rolled on second abort
[al] Garibaldi is aborted
[al] 2 D on CW-ships
[al] Manchester and Birmingham will recieve D
[al] Birmingham 9 - aborted and Manchester 4 - damaged
[al] CW stays. Will Italy stay? It is just the convoys left
[ax] Yes please
[al] Allies roll 3
[al] Axis 9
[al] Convoy very dead


[al] CW initiates in the Italian Coast
[al] Allies roll a 9
[al] Axis rolls a 7

[al] CW initiates in the western Med
[al] Allies roll a 2
[al] Axis rolls a 10
[al] Surfacecombat because of storm
[al] Initial risk is:
[al] for Italy X D 3A
[al] for CW X D
[al] 8 surprisepoints
[al] I use all surprise to shift the Italian risk 4 times
[al] new risk 2X 2D A

[al] How do you wish to distribute your risk?
[ax] Put x on each CA, then D on each BB
[al] CA Zara roll is 10 - damaged, Ca Trento roll is 6 - destroyed
[al] BB Giulio Cesare roll is 4 - damaged and BB Conte di Cavour roll is 9 - aborted
[al] CA Effingham gets an X and Belfast gets the D
[al] CA Effingham roll is 3 - destroyed and CA Belfast roll is 3 - damaged
[al] CW stays. How about Italy?
[ax] Abort, la spezia please

[jesperpehrson]

Turn 2. Sep/Oct 1939. Allied #1, part 2.

[al] No strategic bombardment nor groundstrikes

[al] France rails the Marseilles MIL to the hex east of Reims
[al] and the Bordeaux MIL to Paris

[al] The communists move the Lanchow MIL towards the front
[al] USSR moves back from Bessarabia

[al] The Korean partisan conquers the resource next to Seoul
[al] China moves to a more secure position in the center but leaves their heroic cavalry in place to stop supply from coming through


[al] HQ Bilotte and his corps forces their way towards Munich whilst the border against Germany is strengthened
[al] The garrison against Italy is kept but they are ready to be moved. Is this the final push for Berlin? All french soldiers want to take part in this glorious crusade!


[al] No landcombat
[al] I had a +8,5 against the Garrison but boy your productionbonus was massive last impulse so I better not

[al] A Hampden LND is rebased from England to Malta
[al] Two US FTR are rebased to Pearl Harbour

[al] Impulse over
[al] I will send you the turn


----
Losses after the the first impulse of N/D 1939 (this will be a recurring thing from now on)