4 Player AAR with new PBEM - Game 4

[rjh1971]

Here we go once more, this time I'm playing Germany, Tim will lead Japan, Goran Russia + China and Dalibor the WA.

First standard turn where everything went smoothly, Poland was taken and its resources, factory and rail repaired

Denmark was also invaded

[rjh1971]

Forgot to say Good Luck to all of you.

This game will be tougher, Goran and Dalibor are now expert players [&o][&o][&o]

[kondor]

Thank you Rafael for opening another game, and for your kind words. I think you've exaggerated a bit, I'm totally inexperienced with WA. Let's see how this one will pan out.
WA initial turn.
Nothing much, shuffling a bit troops here and there, Rafael moved an FT in Denmark preventing my CAG to do anything.
And as a sub is still in port, no hostilities this turn.

[rjh1971]

Fa39 Germany

The III Reich continues its expansion. Norway can prove an excellent base to hinder future convoys to Russia so it was taken with a combined attack carried out by the LW and the KM.
Scotland was left without flak so it was a great opportunity to hit its factory.
First U-boat sent to the Atlantic scored its first prey damaging a transport fleet off the Eastern Canadian coast.
Taking TLC this turn could have been possible but casualties would not have been acceptable so it was postponed to give time to the Wehrmacht to redeploy in the West.

[kondor]

FA '39 WA.
Flak moved to Scotland, factory repaired.
CAG missed GE HF in Danish straight, and DD-s failed to damage the experienced GE sub near Canada.

[rjh1971]

Wi39 Germany

German High Command is very pleased with the information gathered by the Abwehr, they could hardly believe Western France was only garrisoned with three militia and a fighter. The WA had placed the bulk of their army in the Maginot line. This led to the extension of operations in Winter and the acceleration of the plans foreseen.
TLC countries were invaded, casualties were higher than expected but bearable. All three armor based in W. German were given the order to attack W. France and succeeded, 2 WA artillery and one flak in E. France surrendered as they had no retreat path.
The light fleet from TLC was also duly taken care of...
France is conquered ahead of schedule.

[kondor]

And I've messed up that one already? [8|]
I was counting on the 3 population (militia units) to rise up in defense. But, I was wrong. again.
Sry to my ally.
I'll try to make it up somewhere else, I'm just pissed at myself.

[tcart]

Japan Winter 40
Sorry to be MIA. Work has been busy.
Also Japan at the start doesn't have much to say. I run up my experience bombing China and take a coastal province. But that's about all I do and I won't give away my long term plans here.

I will say that IMO Japan is all about planning ahead. Quite a bit ahead. You need to have a firm strategy and then prepare accordingly. That means building a ton of supply in advance and prepositioning ships for whatever direction you plan to strike. Last game Rafael took all of India. That looked pretty good to me. I know for sure the US will build fighters to protect his carriers.

Whatever I do, I will need to take some time next turn to map out exactly how many transports I need, where, and where to preposition supplies. If you try to do it turn by turn you inevitably end up short somewhere.

[kondor]

WA winter 40.
WA are ashamed of having to retreat from the growing menace in the continent.
Shuffling troops in the anticipation of the U-boats campaign.

[rjh1971]

Sp40 Germany

Shuffling troops around Europe. The Atlantic is full of destroyers but until they upgrade their ASW up to two I hope to get away. One TF was damaged and three heavy bombers temporaly put out of action a light fleet and a CAG.

[kondor]

WA turn, SP '40.
Subs and LF-s are still not upgraded atm, one GE sub received an elite status, and was left alone for this turn.
The other GE sub in N. Atlantic was damaged.

WA invested a bit in counterintelligence, and it seems like it's yielding fruit. It's still early to tell where will the Gerries go, but my gut is telling me that Rafael will try to pull off an early Barbarossa?

[rjh1971]

Su40 Germany

Nothing much to report. Allied transport fleet were set in convoy mode (two transports per area) and my elite sub was damaged in the attempt of attacking the transport fleet off the coast of Venezuela and French Guiana, though it resulted damaged the odds were favorable to the Allies.

Same story for the attack with my three heavy bombers in Scotland, one to one ratio is a bad exchange.

Yugoslavia remains neutral so no attack was possible.

[kondor]

SU40 WA.
Churchill is pleased with how the merchant navy performed the last turn. That elite sub was a terror of the seas.

Norway resource center was not protected from the air raid, and my HB-s damaged it.
Upgrading the troops, in this case -> FT-s to 6, and building of a war machine is in full steam.

GE is concentrating its panzers along the SU borders.

[rjh1971]

Fa40 Germany

The Yugoslavia coup still hasn't taken place (50% chance).
All air units available attack the WA fleet in the area next to Sardinia with very poor results, only on TF was sunk but it had 4 supplies in its hold.
A TF near Malta evaded a sub attack and was taken care of by the Italian Navy, which could not engage the RN due to a bomber in Malta that would cause operational fire.

More troops moved around occupied Europe...

[tcart]

Japan Fall 1940

Changsha falls to a large combined arms attack. The jump in US WR is worth it, as most of the Chinese army is crushed. China will no longer be a land threat (I hope).

This was a key first step to Japan's larger plans, as now she is free to redeploy forces.

[kondor]

WA Fall '40.
RN find out that Reggia Marina sailed to central Med, and launched a favorable attack.

[kondor]

Attack was conducted in two waves.
This first one went a little better for me.

[kondor]

The second one - not so great (despite the odds), but I can live with it.

[kondor]

After the waves settled, the Italian navy is down to 1 HF, 3 LF-s, and a fee transports.

The GE submarine in the Atlantic proved illusive.
Germany was bombed by the lone HF, no damage was done.
And the lone militia unit in the horn of the E. Africa was deleted.

All in all, I'm quite happy how this all played out this turn. Now I await the counterattack of the CAG in N. Africa + what will the remnants of the Reggia Marina do?

[kondor]

GE subs are still on 2/2, which leads me to believe that Rafael will push for Barbarossa.
But to be safe, my LF-s are upgraded to attack 2.

And my spies come back with the loot of their own. [:D]
What am I to do with submarine evasion?! Get me the Musashi data! [:D]