Solitaire game starting late '42

[EUBanana]

There's another round of combat where they find each other and the Hudson holds them off with no damage to either side, and then the combat ends.

In a classic of the unpredictability of naval combat, the real intended action in the Solomons doesn't happen as both sides roll badly despite the air cover.

There's some light bombing of the southern part of the Eastern Front, 3 ground strikes. The Soviets contest two of them with a single fighter of their own - in both cases matched by a German fighter - and both air combats result in the bomber being aborted and the fighters then giving up. so they fend off two attacks.

The third isn't challenged, which is simply because there are no fighters left, gets through and inflicts some disruption, maybe it'll be relevant later in the turn. So Germany hopes.

[EUBanana]

The Italians pretty thoroughly contain the invasion, though Rome is disrupted and vulnerable and the Italian lines are not that thick...

[EUBanana]

A few potential opportunities for the Germans here... a weak MIL in the north is getting blitzed by Guderian himself. Meanwhile two elite mountain divisions cross the Alps into Italy, the Allies better hope they don't get dug in because they will be impossible to dislodge...

In the south, with that disruption as a result of the bomber and massing tanks, the Germans can get a 9 odds on blitz with a MECH div to soak up loss, so that seems like good going.

Antipartisan activities in Norway and by the Dniester.

[EUBanana]

The Russians try some defensive air support on this one, but an FW190 succeeds in aborting the defenders, so the attack goes through - and so does Guderian, through the front line...

[EUBanana]

A hole is temporarily knocked through the weakened southern front line, but the Germans are definitely delayed by the defenders... who will be back soon.

[EUBanana]

Two small holes in the front after those attacks, the north seems a bit more serious to me as there are so few defending units, plus the Germans are still all go there.

The Soviet airforce is pretty much tapped out already. They have a lot of HQs though, more than the Germans - maybe if they can get a spare air action in early it might be worth trying to reorg it all? I suspect they'll have to be taking lands to plug the holes though.

[cfinch]

fall back to kursk? use the extra units from straightening the lines for moscow area?
once the germans march up, fall back to the don and preserve units?

not sure myself just thoughts

as for my prior statement on vp, since you aren't really considering game vp (and i wasn't solely basing my strategy on it either) the thought is to keep the perimeter from collapsing too fast so you can keep the oil supplies and home factories safe. once US can put air over your convoy lines your fleet will need to make major decisions on sorties due to oil use (as you found in one instance i believe already!)

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: cfinch

fall back to kursk? use the extra units from straightening the lines for moscow area?
once the germans march up, fall back to the don and preserve units?

not sure myself just thoughts

as for my prior statement on vp, since you aren't really considering game vp (and i wasn't solely basing my strategy on it either) the thought is to keep the perimeter from collapsing too fast so you can keep the oil supplies and home factories safe. once US can put air over your convoy lines your fleet will need to make major decisions on sorties due to oil use (as you found in one instance i believe already!)

I'm thinking the same thing, those units by the Dnieper/Gomel might get cut off if the Germans power through with their O-chit.

They fired off a lot arty to try and blunt this turns push but it didn't work out so that means that arty might be left behind... its mostly on the north side not the bit around Kursk though so it might be OK.

The German ARM has been used up a bit since 1942, it used to be an all-ARM army almost on the southern side in 1941, but as the frontline extended and demanded more units urgently to meet the line, and as casualties happened, there's a lot more INF now. So pulling back onto the flat isn't so bad. The Russians stayed on that river for so long because they'd just get annihilated in that tank country around Kursk otherwise but it looks like right now, with more Russian armour and less German armour, thats not quite such a worry any more.

[EUBanana]

Well, this changes things a bit.

Not going to be much attacking, not going to be much moving either.

[EUBanana]

Well, it's still Fine where the US has interests, in Libya (at least on some hexes) and in the Marshalls. So they take a land.

So does China/USSR of course.

CW... well, they can't really do anything in this weather, so I guess they'll take a land and try and do some minor stuff, rebase aircraft, sneak Wavell a hex closer to Naples, maybe consider an attack on Rome despite the rain. Definitely won't want to start naval fights with the Sparvieros unnecessarily.

China begins things by trying to fighter/bomber some Japanese, pretty slim odds but you never know. A Zero from Canton tries to stop it but achieves nothing, but then neither do the bombs.

[EUBanana]

The Soviets adjust under cover from General Spring Storm...

... not ideal but not bad, and they can adjust again.

Real question is should Vatutin and maybe Koniev up by the Katyusha disorganise themselves to save the fighters and ART... if further retreat in the north is required.

I guess probably 'yes' as they are in fairly defensible spots which can't likely be abandoned this turn, so they'll plonk their butts down in the right spot at least.

And the USSR has an o-chit to wake them up if absolutely necessary.

[EUBanana]

The Americans (and CW) move a bit around in the UK itself... not exactly rocket science as to whats running through Allied high command here. There's 3 AMPHs in the UK right now and they certainly got the sea power still.

But total sealift is fairly low (unless the Med is paused0 so any landing will likely end up like Italy - at best. Also the Allies lack a commander (Omar Bradley is on the east coast though) and armour. Ton of strategic bombers though.

[EUBanana]

Rome is so not happening. Odds of =1 only.

Got a couple of amphibious invasions but the apparent chance of success is near zero, in Libya and on Maduro.

But as before I got no real idea wtf is going on here. Maduro has Japanese supply, but Libya shouldn't have Italian supply?

But i figure... they spent the turn loading onto transports. If they arent used now they'll be out for a turn anyway, and next turn fresh guys will be there. So... rather than get itchy feet at odds I figure we'll try it out and see. The worst that can happen is they drop a turn, which is the same thing if they just go back to base.

So, two invasions, one on Maduro and one in Libya.

As suspected Maduro isn't going to work, but Libya... might?

[EUBanana]

Wahey...

[EUBanana]

Majuro goes as well as you'd expect. The bloody beaches of Majuro...

Think the error there was not removing Japanese supply, and a MAR corps would have made it a certainty. Oh well, it's a learning experience, need those MARs, can't do it on the cheap. I see a MAR division with a 2 factor from the 4 box is pretty good too. I guess unsurprisingly the Pacific theatre requires a lot of MARs... which the US hsa a few of so lessons learned.

Koniev reorgs the MIL, the Katyusha,and the Il-2, think thatsfairly safe.

[EUBanana]

Mar/April 43, Impulse #5, Axis turn.

Storms have come and given the Russians breathing room.

Italy goes for a combined, to bring their fleet into play.

Not ideal but Germany goes for a land, stuff to move even in the storm.

Japan goes for a land too. Malaya is actually fine weather, the US fleet is kinda done for the turn, at least the fleet that is deployed, and Nimitz is a moron ( oopsie ).

An Italian SUB goes to the western med, and the fleet in Italian Coast activates. CW sends a Mosquito to the 2 box to help so the CW fleet is pretty considerable. Doesn't matter, nobody finds anybody anyway.

[EUBanana]

The Japanese do a rather restrained bombing of Singapore. And get a lucky roll for once.

It's restrained as the Nell present might try and hurt the battleships in the Bay of Bengal, though I think they'll' just have to live with the defensive shore bombardment to be honest. Will have to consider the odds but I think Malaya will be costly to conquer entirely or not conquer it entirely at all.

Amazing how those two units the CW sent there (an elite Indian mech and some bog standard South Africans) held up the Japanese for like, six months. Though they did have plenty of other things on their plate.

[EUBanana]

14 factors of German MNT troops march past Venice,so I think even if Italy is taken off the board, the thre German MNTs and 1 INF present can probably scrape up a line in the Alps at least.

In the East the Germans struggle forward where they can. They manage to cross the abandoned Dnieper in some places. Supply is so bad, though, that they can't actually move that much with so many out supply. Some ARMs, where possible, got swapped for INFs around Rostov so they can be freed up for action around Kursk.

Main thing is Manstein moving up I suppose. Hoping on better weather next impulse.

[EUBanana]

Well, it took Japan a while but they got there. Slow and steady. Turns out the naval bombardment wasn't such an enormous deal, just changed the bonus from +12 to +10.

So they take Malaya, finally, but now the CW have a couple of CVs in the Bay of Bengal so I guess Burma is out of the question.

I think these marines need to go to the Philippines and bring that to a swift end, then, ponder the defence of the perimeter.

[EUBanana]

Here's the situation in the Philippines, if you're curious... another place where not a lot of land actions has meant progress is glacial. I suspect Japan can act a bit more this turn though, their fleet fun could use a break so they can get some oil back.