Solo AAR for Global War

[craigbear]

Jan/Feb 1941 Con't

Some of the situation in the West...

[craigbear]

A bit about the East...

[craigbear]

Jan/Feb 1941 con't

End of Turn Sequence

Production:

Germany - 2 INF, 1 MOT Div, 2 LND, 2 Pilot, 1 TRS (2nd), 1 HQ-ARM (27 BP)
Italy - 1 BB (2nd), 2 Pilots, 1 SUB (8 BP)
Japan - 3 TRS (2nd), 1 CVP, 1 Pilot, 1 TERR (16 BP)
China - 1 CAV div, 1 INF (4 BP)
CW - 1 BB, 1 CV (2nd), 1 AMPH, 4 CVP, 1 Pilot, 2 MIL, 1 ARM div, 1 cp (20 BP)
USA - 5 CV, 1 BB, 1 SUB, 1 HQ-INF, 1 HQ-ARM, 4 CVP (28 BP)
USSR - 3 INF, 1 INF HQ, 1 FTR, 1 Pilot (18 BP)

[craigbear]

Mar/Apr 1941

Intiative won by Allies... no reroll request by Axis.

Allied Impulse #1

Weather is Storm in Arctic/N Temperate, Rain in Med, Fine in N. Monsoon.

CW takes a combined. France takes a Naval. China takes a Land. USA/USSE take required combineds.

France moves to cover whatever convoy assets it can. CW moves a carrier force into the East Med 3-box joining the ships already there. A TRS moves from Bombay to Rangoon with a Indian INF joining Gort there.

CW activates in E. Med. An Italian FTR joins the sea area to accompany the 3-FTR the Germans have in the 1 Box. The CW finds with 3 surprise and chooses a naval air combat. 2 surprise are used to increase air-air effectiveness. In the air combat, the Italian FTR is aborted as is one of the CVPs of the CW. The German FTR aborts the air combat to live and continue to supply the N.African Axis forces. A German FTR in Athens enters the 1 box in the 2nd round of naval combat. CW again finds with surprise points (4) and again adds those to air-air attack value. The German FTR is destroyed with Pilot, but the German 3-FTR aborts to stay in the sea box. In the 3rd round, amazingly there is combat again. Allies have 1 surprise. After 1 round, the FTR-3 of Germany survives to abort the combat once more, while 1 CVP is aborted on the CW side. AND there is a 4th successful search by the CW with 6 surprise... all to go on air-air attack. Again, the FTR-3 survives and 1 CVP is aborted until the air-air is finished for the round. FINAllY, the 5th naval search is unsuccessful and the supply to North Africa is maintained by the Axis.

That was an extremely extended naval combat series... the CW suffered no losses while 1 FTR was lost by the Germans and 1 Italian FTR force to abort. Nevertheless, the Axis kept its forces in supply and will attempt to reinforce the supply line through the East Med in the ensuing impulse.

[craigbear]

Mar/Apr 1941 con't

Allied Impulse #1 con't

The USSR rails Zuhkov further West. China and USSR move units into hopefully stronger defensive positions.
In the combat phase, CW declares against the Partisan in Burma with a +20 chance. The Partisan is destroyed and the Burma Road is open for business.

Axis Impulse #3

Germany takes a Combined, Italy a Naval and Japan a Land.

During its Naval Air phase, Italy moves the 6 mp FTR to thee 2 box in East Med. Italy also moves naval forces to East and West Med and SUB to St. Vincent and Biscay while Germany moves subs in force into Biscay (Biscay is in STORM). Biscay search fails, both sides find with no surprise in St. Vincents.... 2 escorts in the 3 Box (CW) are aborted while the SUB is unharmed. There is no 2nd round. Mediterranian searches fail.

Japan STRAT bombing fails.

Otherwise, nothing much else happens.

Allied Impulse #5

Weather remains poor with Storm in Arctic/N. Temp and Rain in the Med while Fine is in the N. Monsoon.

France and CW take a Naval. China a land. USSR/USA combined.

France and CW work on convoys and the 5-3 INF in Burma takes the Queens to Egypt. A MIL from SA travels to the sea area adjacent to Bombay. Allied activations fail in Italian Coast and East Med. The Axis try to find in the Bay of Biscay but are surprised for 6 points and the CW avoids combat there. The Naval phase ends without any action.

China moves a bit and USSR adjusts.

Axis Impulse #7

Gemany Land, Japan Land, Italy Combined.

Italy tries to initiate Naval Combat in the Bay of Biscay but fails.

Axis moves many units accomplishing nothing but positioning for better weather.

Allied Impulse #9

Weather is excellent for the Axis, with only Arctic being rain and the rest Fine.

Everyone passes for the Allies for a 50% chance of ending the turn. A 6 is rolled so the turn continues.

Axis Impulse #11

The Axis powers are in a conundrum. They had not expected this good weather at this juncture... but it will allow them an extra turn of attacking even if the turn ends quickly. What to do is the question?

Pros: Turn ends 50% chance and decent chance of a double turn. Russia is as unprepared as the Axis. Some of the empty terrain will be gained before turn end and many air units will be forward with rebasing. Finland will enter the war this turn rather than next.

Cons: Axis is not as prepared as it could be. More units will be added next turn and more is better for the initial attacks. Weather is Rain in the Arctic so movement forward will be impeded meaning not many dead USSR units. USSR reserve units will arrive early and not be disorganised as the start of next turn. USSR will get an extra turn of higher production multiple. Japan may be hurt by American Entry effects as it is already high.

I am tempted to do the DoW...

[Courtenay]

I would not invade. If you get a double move, great. However, the odds are against getting a double move. First, the turn has a 50% chance of continuing. Second, the Allies could win the initiative. So the chance of getting a double turn is clearly less than 50%. And giving the Russians an impulse to respond would not be good. For one thing, the Russians could put up a defense of the Daugava River in the Baltics. If you wait for a clear impulse, that river will be a non-factor. The Russian reserves would get organized, and the Russians could build a lot of militia, which would appear a turn earlier than otherwise. These last two happen even if you do get a double move.

[craigbear]

Good points all... I am almost swayed. One point to make is that I think the initiative is even, so either side gets a reroll. Another point is that if both Italy and Japan pass, which they are in a position to do, then the EofT roll is 70%.

Nevertheless, I am more prone to go with your points and not DoW this turn after consideration.

[craigbear]

Mar/Apr 1941 con't

Axis Impulse #11

No DoW is done...

German Takes a Land. Italy takes a Land. Japan takes a Combined.

Japan loads an ART and GAR from Fukuoka, the GAR is on an AMPH.

Germany and Italy shuffle units around and try to get good odds on Wavell in Egypt. Japan land the GARR on AMPH next to the Machu Partisan sitting on the resource NE 2 hexes from Port Arthur. Japan declares an attack on that partisan (+12) while Italy/Germany declare against Wavell (+3.1). Wavell does defensive HQ support and an adjacent ART adds 3 ground support factors in defense. Graziani adds offensive HQ support. Italy/Germany choose a Blitz with final odds giving +2B... it is a disastrous roll of 4 modified to 6. Italy loses a MTN div and a MOT. The Japanese roll an 18 modified to 23 taking out the partisan.

A 9 is rolled for turn end, so the turn continues.

[craigbear]

Mar/Apr 1941 con't

Alled Impulse #13

Weather is terrible almost everywhere. SNOW in Arctic/N. Temperate. Rain in Med and North Monsoon. The rest do not matter yet.

China takes a land... everyone else passes.

China moves a unit out of Nanning to make room for a reinforcement at the beginning of next turn. This is risky, but only slightly given an 80% of turn end and rain effects on combat.

Turn ends on 4.

[craigbear]

Mar/Apr 1941 con't

End of Turn Sequence:

No Partisan. US plays its chit against Japan. USA selects Gift of Desroyers and Repair Western Allies ships... the latter shifts a chit to German tension pool.

Entry and destroyed...

[craigbear]

The State of the West:

[craigbear]

The State of the East:

[craigbear]

Mar/Apr 1941 con't

Production:

Germany - 1 INF, 2 MIL, 1 MECH, 1 FTR3, 1 FTR, 3 PILOT, 1 SUB, 1 ENG (27 BP)
Italy - 1 LND4, 1 Pilot (6 BP)
Japan - 1 INF-HQ, 1 MAR, 3 CV, 2 CVP, save 1 BP (16 BP)
Vichy - 1 TERR (2 BP)
China - 1 INFHQ (5 BP)
CW - 3 MIL, 5 CA, 1CV (2nd), 2 CVP, 1 FTR, 1 FTR3, 1 Pilot (20 BP)
France - Factory (8 BP)
USA - 2 BBs, 1 AMPH, 2 TRS, 2 CA, 2 SUB 2nd round, 1 Pilot, 5 CVP (20 BP)
USSR - 1 SKI Div, 2 INF, 1 MOT, 1 Pilot, 1 LND (16 BP)

[craigbear]

May/June 1941

Axis win initiative with no reroll from Allies.

Axis Impulse #1

Weather is fine everywhere.

Germany and Italy DoW USSR. The US public does not care. Germany then aligns Finland with further indifference from Americans.

Germany and Japan take a Land Action. Italy takes a Naval.

Italy makes various Naval moves. One is a NAV into the 2 box of the Red Sea... hoping to cut supply. A successful search proceeds to do so... destroying the lone CP providing supply. Unfortunately for the Axis, the search in the East Med fails. In the East Med, there is a surface combat with no surprise destroying 1 CL and aborting another for the CW and damaging an Italian BB and CA with a 1/2 abort on the former. A French NAV joins for the next round in the 2 box. Both sides succeed. Allies choose a Naval Air and have 2 surprise points. The Italian BB is sunk by a second damage result. The damaged CL is aborted. As a final humiliation, the Littorio is aborted on a roll of 2. Axis next attempt to activate in Bay of Biscay, to which the CW responds with one of its NAV air to the 0 box. Both sides' searches are not successful.
So all in all, despite various attempts to cut supply, the supply to Egypt is secure for the CW.

The attached file is the 2nd round of Naval Combat in the West Med...

[craigbear]

May/June 1941 Con't

Axis Impulse #1 Con't

Japanese try to Strat bomb Kunming but roll a 1 for abject failure.

Germany does 1 ART Ground Strike on Chisinau and an A/C on Cernauti. 1 of 2 units is disorganized in Cernauti and 2 of 3 in Chisinau.

Germany makes land moves to take the Rumanian cities and Riga in the North. Japan shuffles around the city of Nanning in Southern China to position for something.

Germany declares 3 attacks against the 2 Rumanian cities and Riga in the North. Japan declares none. Germany adds 3x2 support factors to the attack on Chisinau. All attacks are won convincingly.

[craigbear]

The situation after Axis Impulse #1...

[craigbear]

May/June 1941 Con't

Allied Impulse #2

CW and France take Naval. USSR and China take Land. USA takes Combined Action.

CW covers its convoys. France assists as it can. Ark Royal and a few cruisers move into the Red Sea to be in a position to maintain supply in future. USA moves a couple of CVs to Pearl and a cp to Mendicino. Only the Italians find in the Italian Coast and avoid the combat using 4 points of surprise. Nobody finds in the East Med. Axis searches the Bay of Biscay, but neither side is successful.

CW strat mission over Essen destroys 1 BP.

Russia rails the Odessa Factory to Archangel. Duing the Land move phase, both USSR and China reorganize their lines. Communist Chinese look at extending the front around the Japanese in Northern China.

USSR ATRs reorganize the Moscow MIL and a unit in Nikolayev.

Axis Impulse #3

Weather is Fine everywhere except N. Monsoon.

Germany and Italy DoW on Norway. Norway aligns to France.

Germany uses an O-chit and takes a Super-Combined. Italy takes a combined. Japan takes a land.

Germany moves a lot of ships with divisions of various types into the North Sea, others pass through on failed intercepts by the CW. 2 Divs are in the North Sea, 3 and 4 boxes. 2 are in the Norwegian Sea, 2 and 3 boxes, and 1 MAR Div is in the Arctic Ocean 2 box. The Axis activates no Naval Combats, while the CW attempt in the North Sea fails to find the invasion fleet.

During the Land sequence, several invasions are called as well as a paradrop. Most attacks are at +21 but a some have less than maximum odds. Two attacks in Norway have to be rolled... with less than stellar success. The hex SE of Oslo leads to the loss of 2 ski units (on later thinking, I should have lost the Militia instead of one of the skis). A division is lost in the attack on Trondheim. An attack in Estonia blasts through the road between swamps. An attack in Southern Russia a few hexes NW of Odessa goes well enough, losing a MOT div and 1/2 disorg result, but clearing the hex and making the river line there almost untenable. Egypt is a draw with the attempted blitz by combined Italian German forces disorganizing the attacker without losses.

Thereafter, Germany reorganizes Southern Russian forces to continue attacks there and there are many rebases of aircraft to take advantage of the super-combined.

[craigbear]

Attacks this impulse... keeping in mind that I forgot to record some as I was too involved and forgot. Also, no +21 attacks are shown, of which there were many.

[craigbear]

A look at Russia before the Allied Impulse.

[craigbear]

Considerations of my invasion of Norway:

- I should have put the Condor in the North Sea the previous impulse. This would have mitigated the penalty for presence of the enemy and decreased the notional strength vrs the invaders.
- rather than using the ski troops to invade via the Baltic, it would have been better to have placed 1 and a Norwegian CL in Northern Norway, adjacent to the Arctic Ocean, and conducted my invasion vrs Tromso from there.
- I actually did not need to do the risky invasion SE of Oslo. The odds were decent at +13, but it still was not necessary to do so.
- more 6 move CAs should have been built. I was forced to use a 5 mover as transport and this affected the sea box the Div invaded from. Along with the loss of a Movement Point from presence, this hurt the odds of 1 or 2 attacks.