Solitaire game starting late '42

[EUBanana]

The air battle is bloody again, and the AA shoots down another Japanese CV bomber.

One American bomber gets through and damages the Zuikaku.

[EUBanana]

While the ship losses were even the air losses for Japan were pretty heavy, so now it's looking rather tilted against them. So they are happy ish to abort.

I guess the end result was basically indecisive, though Japan's ability to replenish its air forces is obviously less than the US's.

[EUBanana]

More bombing of the stronghold at Bryansk on the eastern front with the reorged Stukas...

[EUBanana]

... and the Soviet units trying to hold the open ground around Kursk.

[EUBanana]

A number of German attacks as they attempt to force up to the banks of the Dnieper... also one near Pskov as they have an attack there too.

[EUBanana]

That antitank gun is very well placed... it's why the Germans can't get through, it feels!

[EUBanana]

Pretty important roll in that the Germans roll very well at Bryansk though, so the 'fortress' falls quite quickly in the event.

It doesn't unhinge anything serious but it's a difficult hex to take, and they took it and can keep on rolling.

Used a lot of air support to reduce the city though.

[EUBanana]

Some heavy strategic bombing that was more effective than usual, nothing got shot down despite the Uhu and a CR42 defending.

3 oil points went up in smoke at Venice as well.

The Chinese tried to bomb Shanghai at night but the Nick saw them off, again.

[EUBanana]

So after all that bombing, the entire Allied strategic bomber force rebases to Italy more or less.

Gort and 2 units debark onto Italy as well, and the Allies pull Wavell out of the front as well, which can be secure without him.

[EUBanana]

Here's the Eastern Front after adjustment. The Russians pull back partially to the Dnieper where they can, and also simultaneously start trying to turn the very northern end of the front.

[wulfir]

ORIGINAL: EUBanana

While the ship losses were even the air losses for Japan were pretty heavy, so now it's looking rather tilted against them. So they are happy ish to abort.

I guess the end result was basically indecisive, though Japan's ability to replenish its air forces is obviously less than the US's.

Come on JAPAN! FIGHT! [:-] The spirit of Bushido and all that!

In my board game days CAs were not named, only CVs and BBs - and there were two names to every counter like Kaga-Akagi. IIRC the fastest most powerful Jap CV unit was the Shokaku-Zuikaku combination. Got a soft spot for the Japs, used to play them. Tora, Tora, Tora - Hirohito!

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: EUBanana

So after all that bombing, the entire Allied strategic bomber force rebases to Italy more or less.

Gort and 2 units debark onto Italy as well, and the Allies pull Wavell out of the front as well, which can be secure without him.

You've got an Anzio going on except in your game it's north and not south of Rome.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: wulfir
Come on JAPAN! FIGHT! [:-] The spirit of Bushido and all that!

In my board game days CAs were not named, only CVs and BBs - and there were two names to every counter like Kaga-Akagi. IIRC the fastest most powerful Jap CV unit was the Shokaku-Zuikaku combination. Got a soft spot for the Japs, used to play them. Tora, Tora, Tora - Hirohito!

[:D]

Japan is defintely the one I'm worst at, they havn't even taken the Philippines yet... and I did send Yamato on a raid while they were doing that! just not activated again yet.

And they got stripped of all air so they need to wait a bit now.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

You've got an Anzio going on except in your game it's north and not south of Rome.

Yeah... so near. Yet so far. They just can't get into Rome.

[EUBanana]

Impulse #5, land actions from everybody, including some very risky attacks.

Italy rejiggles its units around yet again, trying to swap the Germans int he south witgh Italians so the Germans can cover the Alps if need be.

Germany basically moves MNTs north, and rejiggles on the Eastern Front some. There are a bunch more attacks around Tula, though now the Luftwaffe is 100% used up and most of their HQs are too, but there's plenty of fight left in the Soviets.

[EUBanana]

There's two more German attacks around the Tula/Kursk/Voronezh triangle. They win, but get the 'half disorganised' results sot they are slowing down. Also casualties are fairly light and fairly even I think, aside from the Shattered results which take a lot of Soviets off the board - temporarily.

But as you can see the next river line is pretty much ready. Tula will have to be the next fortress-city though.

At least I know how to rail factories now...

[EUBanana]

There is also an attack at Sevastapol, which kills a 2-2 MIL in exchange for an INF and a Romanian INF, so not ideal.

And an attack on Wuhan which gets a Japanese MIL killed.

A GARR debarks onto Chichijima Retto, which with Iwo Jima is going to be the inner line of defence covering the Marianas. Truk gets a Reisen as a reinforcement, some carrier air gets adjusted so the Akagi is empty.

[EUBanana]

Allies have a quiet-ish impulse #6... CW does a combined and various little things, Lancasters move to Italy and bomb some German factories ineffectually on the way, some navy moves to India to pick up paras next turn, some transports load stuff up.

Russia finishes getting into what they hope is their new and final line.

The US does a land action due to the sheer number of things to debark.

2 INF at Western Med to Sardinia.
2 ARM at Cape St Vincent to Gibraltar
Eisenhower is at Cape St Vincent too but he'll have to 'return to base'.

And then the invasion... question is where to land. Could be near Kwajalein, or somewhere else. In the end Kavieng looks surprisingly attractive, so what the hell. The US marines go there. An improvement on Tarawa.






And a P38G and a Black Widow go to the heel of Italy from Gibraltar.

[EUBanana]

The Eastern Front after the USSR mostly moves behind the Dnieper...

[EUBanana]

Next turn Russia will be considerably strnoger, having got some good bombers coming - and they still have fighter parity I think.