Hello old friend,
I know you love the AARs, and this one is a doozy.
I think this might be the best game of GD in my ten years of playing. The tension is constant. Bad news comes quickly. Every strategic option seems open.
It is the strategy that makes this game so special. You really do feel the angst the participants felt. It took me a long time for me to realize that the Soviets really were my enemies. I kept thinking they were potential allies.
The early exit from isolationism of the United States in some ways counters the alliance of the Axis and Comintern. It brings a titanic struggle.
I am glad you are aboard for the AAR.
Chuck
The Great War, part 2. A GD AAR.
Moderator: Vic
-
lion_of_judah
- Posts: 2369
- Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:36 pm
- Location: somewhere over the rainbow
Re: The Great War, part 2. A GD AAR.
# AAR — June 24th, 1940
## Soviet High Command — Caucasus, Iraq, Persian & Turkish Fronts
**To: Stavka High Command**
**From: Soviet Front Command**
**Date: June 24th, 1940**
**Subject: The Battle for the Caucasus Approaches**
The situation on the southern front has taken a grave and increasingly desperate turn.
The events of the past several days have confirmed what Stavka feared: the British Army is determined to force its way through the Caucasus approaches at any cost. What began as a carefully planned Soviet counteroffensive has now developed into one of the most brutal defensive battles of the entire campaign.
### THE IRAQ FRONT — THE COUNTERATTACK FAILS
As reported in our previous dispatch, Soviet forces succeeded in isolating **three British divisions**, cutting them off from the main body of the British advance. Stavka believed that these isolated formations could be destroyed before the British command could organize a relief operation.
For a brief period, the plan appeared to be working.
The three British divisions were surrounded, battered and desperately short of supplies. Soviet commanders reported that their formations were suffering enormous losses and that the British position appeared close to collapse.
Then the British breakthrough began.
British forces launched a concentrated assault against the Soviet positions guarding the route to the isolated divisions. Wave after wave of British troops and supporting formations pushed forward, gradually forcing open a corridor.
Despite suffering appalling casualties, the British spearhead continued forward.
The situation became critical.
### STAVKA COMMITS THE AIR FORCE
With the British breakthrough threatening to completely reverse the situation, Stavka ordered **almost the entire Caucasus air force** into action.
This was not a normal air operation.
It was a desperate attempt to destroy the British spearhead before it could reach the three isolated divisions.
Soviet aircraft attacked British columns, concentrations and forward positions with everything available. Pilots were ordered to continue their missions despite increasingly dangerous conditions.
The skies over the battlefield became a maelstrom.
Soviet aircraft struck repeatedly at the advancing British formations, attempting to slow their momentum long enough for our ground forces to organize another counterattack.
The losses among our air units were severe.
But the British advance continued.
### THE SECOND SOVIET COUNTERATTACK
With the British spearhead finally exposed, Stavka committed major ground formations.
Elements of the **2nd Tank Army**, together with the **10th Army and 16th Army**, launched a massive counterattack.
The attack struck the British formations with devastating force.
Soviet armor and infantry crashed into the British positions while artillery poured fire into their defensive lines. The three isolated British divisions, already battered from days of fighting, were subjected to renewed attacks from every direction.
The battlefield became a slaughterhouse.
Reports from the front indicated that all three British divisions were **almost completely destroyed**.
Yet somehow, impossibly, they continued to hold.
British soldiers fought with extraordinary tenacity, refusing to abandon their positions even as their formations were reduced to fragments.
Our commanders had expected the British pocket to collapse.
It did not.
And this was ultimately the difference between victory and defeat.
The Soviet counterattack had inflicted enormous casualties, but it had failed to achieve its primary objective.
**The British spearhead had survived.**
### THE FIRST RIVER LINE ABANDONED
Stavka was now faced with an unavoidable decision.
The first river defense line could no longer be held.
The British breakthrough had made the position increasingly vulnerable, and continuing to defend it would risk the destruction of Soviet formations that were still capable of fighting.
Orders were therefore issued for a general withdrawal.
Soviet formations disengaged from the first river line and began moving toward the **final river defense line before the mountains**.
There will be no further withdrawal.
Stavka has made its position absolutely clear:
**This is the line that must hold.**
The order has gone out to every commander along the front:
> **Stand and fight. No retreat.**
The mountains lie behind us.
There is nowhere else to fall back to without opening the Caucasus itself to the enemy.
Every kilometer surrendered now brings the British closer to the heart of the Soviet southern defenses.
The coming battle will therefore not be a battle of maneuver.
It will be a battle of endurance.
### THE SACRIFICE OF THE AIR FORCE
Perhaps the most painful report received by Stavka concerns the fate of several Soviet air units stationed at a forward airbase.
These units had participated in the desperate attacks against the British advance.
Their commanders understood that the base could not be held.
The aircraft could not be evacuated in time.
Stavka therefore made an agonizing decision.
Once the air missions were completed, the airbase was ordered abandoned.
The remaining aircraft were **scuttled** rather than allowing them to fall intact into British hands.
For the pilots and ground crews who had fought from that base, there was no triumphant evacuation.
Their aircraft had fought until the very end.
Then they were destroyed by their own crews.
The loss of so many aircraft represents a devastating blow to Soviet air power in the Caucasus.
Stavka can ill afford such losses.
Yet allowing the British to capture the aircraft intact would have been even more dangerous.
The men of the Caucasus air force have paid a terrible price to slow the British advance.
Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.
### THE TURKISH FRONT
The Turkish front remained comparatively quiet during this period.
There were no major offensive operations and no significant changes to the front lines.
For Stavka, this relative calm is welcome.
Every available Soviet formation is being desperately needed elsewhere, and the continued stability of the Turkish front allows commanders to concentrate their attention on the rapidly deteriorating situation farther south.
The silence, however, provides little comfort.
Everyone understands that should the Caucasus front collapse, the Turkish frontier could rapidly become the next great battlefield.
### THE PERSIAN FRONT — OUR GREAT HOPE
Amid the disasters unfolding in Iraq, there was finally one piece of news capable of lifting the spirits of Stavka.
**The Persian offensive continues to succeed.**
Soviet armies once again broke through enemy defensive positions and pushed deeper into enemy territory.
The advance toward **Basra** continues.
This offensive has now become more than simply another operation on the southern front.
It has become essential to the survival of the entire Soviet position.
If Soviet forces can reach Basra and sever the British position in southern Iraq, the strategic situation could change dramatically.
British forces currently pressing northward would suddenly face the possibility of having their own supply routes threatened.
The enemy is attempting to break through toward the Caucasus.
We are attempting to break through toward Basra.
The race has become a contest of operational endurance.
**The Persian offensive must succeed.**
There is no alternative.
### THE 15th ARMY
The **15th Army remains en route to the Caucasus Front**.
Its arrival cannot come soon enough.
Stavka is painfully aware that the forces currently defending the final river line have already suffered heavily in the recent fighting.
The 15th Army will therefore be expected to reinforce the defensive line and provide badly needed strength before the British can launch their next major offensive.
Until it arrives, the existing formations must hold.
### THE AFGHAN FRONT
The Afghan front also experienced a minor breakthrough.
Enemy forces managed to penetrate portions of the line where **Afghan militia formations** are deployed.
The breakthrough initially threatened to expand, but Soviet and allied forces reacted quickly and succeeded in stabilizing the situation.
The front remains intact.
For now, the situation is under control.
### STAVKA'S ASSESSMENT
June 24th has been one of the darkest days of the southern campaign.
The attempt to destroy the three isolated British divisions failed.
The British succeeded in reaching their trapped formations.
Our counterattack inflicted devastating losses upon the enemy, nearly destroying all three British divisions, but could not finish the job.
The first river defense line has been abandoned.
The Caucasus air force has suffered a grievous loss.
And now Soviet armies are preparing to make their stand on the final river line before the mountains.
Yet the situation is not hopeless.
The British have paid an enormous price for every kilometer of their advance.
Their spearhead is battered.
Three of their divisions are barely recognizable as fighting formations.
Our armies remain in the field.
The 15th Army is coming.
And in Persia, Soviet forces continue to advance toward Basra.
The coming days may determine the fate of the entire southern theater.
Stavka has therefore issued its final order to the commanders of the Caucasus defense:
**There will be no further retreat.**
The river line must hold.
The mountains behind it must not be reached.
Every Soviet soldier must understand what is at stake.
**This is the last line.**
**The enemy will break against it, or we will die defending it.**
And while our armies prepare for the inevitable British assault, Stavka looks south toward Persia.
**Basra must fall.**
For if the Persian offensive succeeds, the entire British position in Iraq may yet be turned against itself.
For now, however, the order remains unchanged:
**Hold the river.**
**Hold the Caucasus.**
**Hold the Motherland.**
## Soviet High Command — Caucasus, Iraq, Persian & Turkish Fronts
**To: Stavka High Command**
**From: Soviet Front Command**
**Date: June 24th, 1940**
**Subject: The Battle for the Caucasus Approaches**
The situation on the southern front has taken a grave and increasingly desperate turn.
The events of the past several days have confirmed what Stavka feared: the British Army is determined to force its way through the Caucasus approaches at any cost. What began as a carefully planned Soviet counteroffensive has now developed into one of the most brutal defensive battles of the entire campaign.
### THE IRAQ FRONT — THE COUNTERATTACK FAILS
As reported in our previous dispatch, Soviet forces succeeded in isolating **three British divisions**, cutting them off from the main body of the British advance. Stavka believed that these isolated formations could be destroyed before the British command could organize a relief operation.
For a brief period, the plan appeared to be working.
The three British divisions were surrounded, battered and desperately short of supplies. Soviet commanders reported that their formations were suffering enormous losses and that the British position appeared close to collapse.
Then the British breakthrough began.
British forces launched a concentrated assault against the Soviet positions guarding the route to the isolated divisions. Wave after wave of British troops and supporting formations pushed forward, gradually forcing open a corridor.
Despite suffering appalling casualties, the British spearhead continued forward.
The situation became critical.
### STAVKA COMMITS THE AIR FORCE
With the British breakthrough threatening to completely reverse the situation, Stavka ordered **almost the entire Caucasus air force** into action.
This was not a normal air operation.
It was a desperate attempt to destroy the British spearhead before it could reach the three isolated divisions.
Soviet aircraft attacked British columns, concentrations and forward positions with everything available. Pilots were ordered to continue their missions despite increasingly dangerous conditions.
The skies over the battlefield became a maelstrom.
Soviet aircraft struck repeatedly at the advancing British formations, attempting to slow their momentum long enough for our ground forces to organize another counterattack.
The losses among our air units were severe.
But the British advance continued.
### THE SECOND SOVIET COUNTERATTACK
With the British spearhead finally exposed, Stavka committed major ground formations.
Elements of the **2nd Tank Army**, together with the **10th Army and 16th Army**, launched a massive counterattack.
The attack struck the British formations with devastating force.
Soviet armor and infantry crashed into the British positions while artillery poured fire into their defensive lines. The three isolated British divisions, already battered from days of fighting, were subjected to renewed attacks from every direction.
The battlefield became a slaughterhouse.
Reports from the front indicated that all three British divisions were **almost completely destroyed**.
Yet somehow, impossibly, they continued to hold.
British soldiers fought with extraordinary tenacity, refusing to abandon their positions even as their formations were reduced to fragments.
Our commanders had expected the British pocket to collapse.
It did not.
And this was ultimately the difference between victory and defeat.
The Soviet counterattack had inflicted enormous casualties, but it had failed to achieve its primary objective.
**The British spearhead had survived.**
### THE FIRST RIVER LINE ABANDONED
Stavka was now faced with an unavoidable decision.
The first river defense line could no longer be held.
The British breakthrough had made the position increasingly vulnerable, and continuing to defend it would risk the destruction of Soviet formations that were still capable of fighting.
Orders were therefore issued for a general withdrawal.
Soviet formations disengaged from the first river line and began moving toward the **final river defense line before the mountains**.
There will be no further withdrawal.
Stavka has made its position absolutely clear:
**This is the line that must hold.**
The order has gone out to every commander along the front:
> **Stand and fight. No retreat.**
The mountains lie behind us.
There is nowhere else to fall back to without opening the Caucasus itself to the enemy.
Every kilometer surrendered now brings the British closer to the heart of the Soviet southern defenses.
The coming battle will therefore not be a battle of maneuver.
It will be a battle of endurance.
### THE SACRIFICE OF THE AIR FORCE
Perhaps the most painful report received by Stavka concerns the fate of several Soviet air units stationed at a forward airbase.
These units had participated in the desperate attacks against the British advance.
Their commanders understood that the base could not be held.
The aircraft could not be evacuated in time.
Stavka therefore made an agonizing decision.
Once the air missions were completed, the airbase was ordered abandoned.
The remaining aircraft were **scuttled** rather than allowing them to fall intact into British hands.
For the pilots and ground crews who had fought from that base, there was no triumphant evacuation.
Their aircraft had fought until the very end.
Then they were destroyed by their own crews.
The loss of so many aircraft represents a devastating blow to Soviet air power in the Caucasus.
Stavka can ill afford such losses.
Yet allowing the British to capture the aircraft intact would have been even more dangerous.
The men of the Caucasus air force have paid a terrible price to slow the British advance.
Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.
### THE TURKISH FRONT
The Turkish front remained comparatively quiet during this period.
There were no major offensive operations and no significant changes to the front lines.
For Stavka, this relative calm is welcome.
Every available Soviet formation is being desperately needed elsewhere, and the continued stability of the Turkish front allows commanders to concentrate their attention on the rapidly deteriorating situation farther south.
The silence, however, provides little comfort.
Everyone understands that should the Caucasus front collapse, the Turkish frontier could rapidly become the next great battlefield.
### THE PERSIAN FRONT — OUR GREAT HOPE
Amid the disasters unfolding in Iraq, there was finally one piece of news capable of lifting the spirits of Stavka.
**The Persian offensive continues to succeed.**
Soviet armies once again broke through enemy defensive positions and pushed deeper into enemy territory.
The advance toward **Basra** continues.
This offensive has now become more than simply another operation on the southern front.
It has become essential to the survival of the entire Soviet position.
If Soviet forces can reach Basra and sever the British position in southern Iraq, the strategic situation could change dramatically.
British forces currently pressing northward would suddenly face the possibility of having their own supply routes threatened.
The enemy is attempting to break through toward the Caucasus.
We are attempting to break through toward Basra.
The race has become a contest of operational endurance.
**The Persian offensive must succeed.**
There is no alternative.
### THE 15th ARMY
The **15th Army remains en route to the Caucasus Front**.
Its arrival cannot come soon enough.
Stavka is painfully aware that the forces currently defending the final river line have already suffered heavily in the recent fighting.
The 15th Army will therefore be expected to reinforce the defensive line and provide badly needed strength before the British can launch their next major offensive.
Until it arrives, the existing formations must hold.
### THE AFGHAN FRONT
The Afghan front also experienced a minor breakthrough.
Enemy forces managed to penetrate portions of the line where **Afghan militia formations** are deployed.
The breakthrough initially threatened to expand, but Soviet and allied forces reacted quickly and succeeded in stabilizing the situation.
The front remains intact.
For now, the situation is under control.
### STAVKA'S ASSESSMENT
June 24th has been one of the darkest days of the southern campaign.
The attempt to destroy the three isolated British divisions failed.
The British succeeded in reaching their trapped formations.
Our counterattack inflicted devastating losses upon the enemy, nearly destroying all three British divisions, but could not finish the job.
The first river defense line has been abandoned.
The Caucasus air force has suffered a grievous loss.
And now Soviet armies are preparing to make their stand on the final river line before the mountains.
Yet the situation is not hopeless.
The British have paid an enormous price for every kilometer of their advance.
Their spearhead is battered.
Three of their divisions are barely recognizable as fighting formations.
Our armies remain in the field.
The 15th Army is coming.
And in Persia, Soviet forces continue to advance toward Basra.
The coming days may determine the fate of the entire southern theater.
Stavka has therefore issued its final order to the commanders of the Caucasus defense:
**There will be no further retreat.**
The river line must hold.
The mountains behind it must not be reached.
Every Soviet soldier must understand what is at stake.
**This is the last line.**
**The enemy will break against it, or we will die defending it.**
And while our armies prepare for the inevitable British assault, Stavka looks south toward Persia.
**Basra must fall.**
For if the Persian offensive succeeds, the entire British position in Iraq may yet be turned against itself.
For now, however, the order remains unchanged:
**Hold the river.**
**Hold the Caucasus.**
**Hold the Motherland.**
-
lion_of_judah
- Posts: 2369
- Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:36 pm
- Location: somewhere over the rainbow
Re: The Great War, part 2. A GD AAR.
# STAVKA COMMUNIQUÉ
### TOP SECRET — PERSIAN THEATER
**19 August 1940 — 0940 Hours**
**To: Soviet High Command**
**From: Stavka Operational Command**
## EMERGENCY SITUATION — PERSIAN THEATER
A **disaster has very nearly befallen the 13th Army.**
British forces appeared suddenly upon the exposed flank of the 13th Army and immediately began an attempt to encircle our formations. The situation deteriorated with alarming speed, and the possibility of the complete destruction of the 13th Army became a very real possibility.
Only the **quick thinking and decisive action of the commander of the Persian Theater** prevented total catastrophe. An order was issued for the immediate withdrawal of the 13th Army to newly established defensive positions.
Our brave soldiers have escaped the trap, but the consequences of this unexpected British maneuver are severe.
The dramatic change of events on the Persian Front has **caught Stavka completely off guard and thrown our plans for the theater into chaos.** All offensive operations have been suspended. The entire Persian Theater has now been placed on a **defensive footing**.
The **15th Army remains on its way** to reinforce the theater. Its arrival is now more important than ever.
## IRAQI FRONT
The Iraqi Front remains under pressure, but our forces are **holding the line for now**.
Stavka has ordered a withdrawal from the southern tip of the front to stronger defensive positions. The shortened line should allow our commanders to concentrate their forces and better withstand further British attacks.
There will be **no unnecessary sacrifice of Soviet formations** merely to hold exposed ground.
## TURKISH FRONT
The Turkish Front remains **quiet**.
No significant enemy activity has been reported. Stavka continues to watch the situation closely.
## AFGHAN THEATER
The Afghan Theater is in **complete and total collapse**.
The Soviet **20th Army has withdrawn to new defensive lines**, preserving its remaining strength in the face of overwhelming pressure.
The situation has been made possible, in part, by the extraordinary sacrifice of the **Afghan Army**.
The Afghan forces continue to throw themselves against the advancing enemy, buying precious time for Soviet formations to withdraw and reorganize.
Their sacrifice for the Motherland will **not be forgotten**.
## STAVKA ASSESSMENT
The southern front has entered a period of grave uncertainty.
The sudden British appearance on the flank of the 13th Army has demonstrated that the enemy possesses the ability to threaten our communications and rear areas with little warning.
**Stavka's immediate priority is now the preservation of our armies.**
Persia will be defended.
Iraq will be held.
Afghanistan will be stabilized where possible.
The 15th Army must reach the theater, our defensive lines must be consolidated, and our commanders must prepare for the next phase of the war.
The British may interpret our withdrawals as weakness.
**They should not.**
We have given ground because the alternative was the destruction of our armies.
The Red Army has survived worse situations.
**We will regroup. We will rebuild. And when the opportunity presents itself, we will strike back.**
**— STAVKA**
**19 August 1940 — 0940 Hours**
**TOP SECRET — FOR COMMAND EYES ONLY**
### TOP SECRET — PERSIAN THEATER
**19 August 1940 — 0940 Hours**
**To: Soviet High Command**
**From: Stavka Operational Command**
## EMERGENCY SITUATION — PERSIAN THEATER
A **disaster has very nearly befallen the 13th Army.**
British forces appeared suddenly upon the exposed flank of the 13th Army and immediately began an attempt to encircle our formations. The situation deteriorated with alarming speed, and the possibility of the complete destruction of the 13th Army became a very real possibility.
Only the **quick thinking and decisive action of the commander of the Persian Theater** prevented total catastrophe. An order was issued for the immediate withdrawal of the 13th Army to newly established defensive positions.
Our brave soldiers have escaped the trap, but the consequences of this unexpected British maneuver are severe.
The dramatic change of events on the Persian Front has **caught Stavka completely off guard and thrown our plans for the theater into chaos.** All offensive operations have been suspended. The entire Persian Theater has now been placed on a **defensive footing**.
The **15th Army remains on its way** to reinforce the theater. Its arrival is now more important than ever.
## IRAQI FRONT
The Iraqi Front remains under pressure, but our forces are **holding the line for now**.
Stavka has ordered a withdrawal from the southern tip of the front to stronger defensive positions. The shortened line should allow our commanders to concentrate their forces and better withstand further British attacks.
There will be **no unnecessary sacrifice of Soviet formations** merely to hold exposed ground.
## TURKISH FRONT
The Turkish Front remains **quiet**.
No significant enemy activity has been reported. Stavka continues to watch the situation closely.
## AFGHAN THEATER
The Afghan Theater is in **complete and total collapse**.
The Soviet **20th Army has withdrawn to new defensive lines**, preserving its remaining strength in the face of overwhelming pressure.
The situation has been made possible, in part, by the extraordinary sacrifice of the **Afghan Army**.
The Afghan forces continue to throw themselves against the advancing enemy, buying precious time for Soviet formations to withdraw and reorganize.
Their sacrifice for the Motherland will **not be forgotten**.
## STAVKA ASSESSMENT
The southern front has entered a period of grave uncertainty.
The sudden British appearance on the flank of the 13th Army has demonstrated that the enemy possesses the ability to threaten our communications and rear areas with little warning.
**Stavka's immediate priority is now the preservation of our armies.**
Persia will be defended.
Iraq will be held.
Afghanistan will be stabilized where possible.
The 15th Army must reach the theater, our defensive lines must be consolidated, and our commanders must prepare for the next phase of the war.
The British may interpret our withdrawals as weakness.
**They should not.**
We have given ground because the alternative was the destruction of our armies.
The Red Army has survived worse situations.
**We will regroup. We will rebuild. And when the opportunity presents itself, we will strike back.**
**— STAVKA**
**19 August 1940 — 0940 Hours**
**TOP SECRET — FOR COMMAND EYES ONLY**
Re: The Great War, part 2. A GD AAR.
O.N.I Strategic appreciation: USN D177632
August 19th, 1940
The United States is at war. It is appropriate to look at the situation around the world by nation.
Germany:
The Germans have had remarkable success. The alliance with the USSR plays a big part in this, but Germany has proved a very capable military force. It excels in artillery and close air support, but the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe takes heavy losses in combat with the RAF. All of Europe is under German or Italian control. From Poland to Portugal Germany has had an unbroken string of successes on land.
The Kriegsmarine has not shared in this success. The U-boats had some kills but were hunted from the seas by the British and French. The abundant new ports, including in the Mediterranean, open up new opportunities for the KM , and challenges for the RN and USN. Germany has the productive base to become a maritime and naval power, if it chooses that path. They could even launch aircraft carriers which theory has it are the new capital ships. It is not unthinkable that Germany could become an amphibious power.
Germany has begun to send forces across Soviet territory to join the USSR in combat.
Italy:
The Italians have a very impressive productive base. Italian arms have not yet been tested in this war, but that is now changing. The Regia Marina is a large, skilled, and brave force and Italian aircraft are excellent, with fine pilots. Italian armor seems unimpressive, but has not really been in combat. Italy has vastly increased her land area, but she is expected to yield much of this to Germany for the duration. Italy is expected to follow German strategic initiatives.
Japan:
The Japanese had wonderful success in China, which is only now slowing down. Japan can still cause heavy casualties in China, but progress has slowed. The Imperial Japanese Navy represents the nation well, but this is a nation which has committed to the Army’s goals and, perhaps, neglected the Navy.She pioneered in naval air and aircraft carrier concentration, but now the USN and RN may have gained on the IJN. Japan is at war with China, and one European nation: France. The United States has gradually hardened her position to regarding Japan, and now is considered a probable enemy. USN carrier task forces regularly run war games targeting the Kido Butai. The RN attack on Rome reveals that being in port does not provide safety as it once did.
The Soviet Union:
The Soviets are allied with Germany.
The attack by the Soviet Union on the Middle East came as a shock but currently the Red Army is being held in place or retreating. Stavka must be unhappy to see the meager returns on their massive investment. At this point we see little chance the Russo-German alliance will fall apart, but the Soviets must be disappointed. The USSR has the potential to be a major power, perhaps a “super” power, but currently she is improving but not mature. The combat experience is far from where the Red Army started, but perhaps behind where it needs to be.
France:
Metropolitan France has been taken by Germany, but France fights on. Her leaders work with her allies who provide munitions and supplies. The French navy is closely coupled with the Royal Navy.
Britain:
The British fight on every front. A strong economy bolsters the RAF which has begun a strategic bombing campaign. The efficacy of this attack is being evaluated but it does destroy real Axis resources. The RN is beginning to plan a Battle of the Atlantic campaign with the USN. The British Army has good equipment and many units have superior experience and morale. However the Germans probably have the advantage there. The army does seem to have some advantage over the Soviets. The RN has a large carrier force and her amphibious force has had successes. RAF fighters and bombers rule the skies.
United States:
The USA is currently at war with the European Axis. He have not yet seen combat. The Philippines have been built up to be a forward base in the Pacific.
China:
After taking beating after beating from the Japanese China now has very few conscripts to convert to riflemen. Her leaders are skilled. She is building a varied and strong armor force. She is very close to parity with Japan.
August 19th, 1940
The United States is at war. It is appropriate to look at the situation around the world by nation.
Germany:
The Germans have had remarkable success. The alliance with the USSR plays a big part in this, but Germany has proved a very capable military force. It excels in artillery and close air support, but the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe takes heavy losses in combat with the RAF. All of Europe is under German or Italian control. From Poland to Portugal Germany has had an unbroken string of successes on land.
The Kriegsmarine has not shared in this success. The U-boats had some kills but were hunted from the seas by the British and French. The abundant new ports, including in the Mediterranean, open up new opportunities for the KM , and challenges for the RN and USN. Germany has the productive base to become a maritime and naval power, if it chooses that path. They could even launch aircraft carriers which theory has it are the new capital ships. It is not unthinkable that Germany could become an amphibious power.
Germany has begun to send forces across Soviet territory to join the USSR in combat.
Italy:
The Italians have a very impressive productive base. Italian arms have not yet been tested in this war, but that is now changing. The Regia Marina is a large, skilled, and brave force and Italian aircraft are excellent, with fine pilots. Italian armor seems unimpressive, but has not really been in combat. Italy has vastly increased her land area, but she is expected to yield much of this to Germany for the duration. Italy is expected to follow German strategic initiatives.
Japan:
The Japanese had wonderful success in China, which is only now slowing down. Japan can still cause heavy casualties in China, but progress has slowed. The Imperial Japanese Navy represents the nation well, but this is a nation which has committed to the Army’s goals and, perhaps, neglected the Navy.She pioneered in naval air and aircraft carrier concentration, but now the USN and RN may have gained on the IJN. Japan is at war with China, and one European nation: France. The United States has gradually hardened her position to regarding Japan, and now is considered a probable enemy. USN carrier task forces regularly run war games targeting the Kido Butai. The RN attack on Rome reveals that being in port does not provide safety as it once did.
The Soviet Union:
The Soviets are allied with Germany.
The attack by the Soviet Union on the Middle East came as a shock but currently the Red Army is being held in place or retreating. Stavka must be unhappy to see the meager returns on their massive investment. At this point we see little chance the Russo-German alliance will fall apart, but the Soviets must be disappointed. The USSR has the potential to be a major power, perhaps a “super” power, but currently she is improving but not mature. The combat experience is far from where the Red Army started, but perhaps behind where it needs to be.
France:
Metropolitan France has been taken by Germany, but France fights on. Her leaders work with her allies who provide munitions and supplies. The French navy is closely coupled with the Royal Navy.
Britain:
The British fight on every front. A strong economy bolsters the RAF which has begun a strategic bombing campaign. The efficacy of this attack is being evaluated but it does destroy real Axis resources. The RN is beginning to plan a Battle of the Atlantic campaign with the USN. The British Army has good equipment and many units have superior experience and morale. However the Germans probably have the advantage there. The army does seem to have some advantage over the Soviets. The RN has a large carrier force and her amphibious force has had successes. RAF fighters and bombers rule the skies.
United States:
The USA is currently at war with the European Axis. He have not yet seen combat. The Philippines have been built up to be a forward base in the Pacific.
China:
After taking beating after beating from the Japanese China now has very few conscripts to convert to riflemen. Her leaders are skilled. She is building a varied and strong armor force. She is very close to parity with Japan.
- Attachments
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Re: The Great War, part 2. A GD AAR.
Our Soviet player is less experienced at GD than Python and I, so I want to address the performance of Stavka.
The Soviets have made this game what it is, best in class. The choice to ally with the Germansis unusual and has always been seen as a game breaker. Now it is revealed that it can make for a very exciting game. It is not for weak hearts!
Frank has had a positive, even excited, attitude throughout. Are the British giving the Red Army a hard time? Well I hope so, even with American entry they are the strongest Allied Power. The Reds are preventing untold mischief the British could be wreaking. Much of the tension in this game would be missing without Frank's bold play.
The Soviets have made this game what it is, best in class. The choice to ally with the Germansis unusual and has always been seen as a game breaker. Now it is revealed that it can make for a very exciting game. It is not for weak hearts!
Frank has had a positive, even excited, attitude throughout. Are the British giving the Red Army a hard time? Well I hope so, even with American entry they are the strongest Allied Power. The Reds are preventing untold mischief the British could be wreaking. Much of the tension in this game would be missing without Frank's bold play.
- USSR_Aug40.png (2.25 MiB) Viewed 78 times
Re: The Great War, part 2. A GD AAR.
A bad breakfast on Taihoku.
The USN asked the British to scout Taihoku harbor for the IJN carriers. They were there.
The decision had been made to attack Japan. War was declared and the Navy wasted no time.
Only three carriers were there with supporting ships. We will seek for others.
Japan chose the Army, and the Navy has suffered.
The USN asked the British to scout Taihoku harbor for the IJN carriers. They were there.
- KidoRecon.png (499.09 KiB) Viewed 26 times
- KidoGone.png (264.2 KiB) Viewed 26 times
Japan chose the Army, and the Navy has suffered.
Re: The Great War, part 2. A GD AAR.
屈辱の日として後世に残る日 (Kutsujoku no hi to shite kōsei ni nokoru hi)
Was this attack unfair. It surely was a shock, but in warfare one must not leave a potential enemy an opportunity,
The British assumed the Soviets would eventually be their ally and when the attack came with no warning on Iraq and Persia this also was a shock. The British have been struggling with the consequences ever since. Japan did not choose to go the naval path and now that path is less open to her.
War is Hell.
Was this attack unfair. It surely was a shock, but in warfare one must not leave a potential enemy an opportunity,
The British assumed the Soviets would eventually be their ally and when the attack came with no warning on Iraq and Persia this also was a shock. The British have been struggling with the consequences ever since. Japan did not choose to go the naval path and now that path is less open to her.
War is Hell.