Decline and Fall The Long Way Round

[AllenK]

The long engagement finally draws to a close when both sides fail to find each other. A somewhat reduced complement of shipping is left in the West Med for both sides, who retire to lick their wounds. With the Italian industry less able to repair the damage it, the RN are just about the victors but it was a close run thing.

In the Marianas, the Japanese decline combat and in the Marshalls both sides fail to locate each other.

[AllenK]

Reflecting on the naval phases, the Japanese think, in hindsight, rather than sending the two task forces to a low box in the Marshalls, they might have done better transporting a GARR unit from Tokyo to Eniwetok to provide more than a notional defence. Oh well that's what comes of not playing for a bit while catching up AARs and being too aggressive.

Meanwhile, the turn continues. All 3 Axis powers decide not to mount any strategic or carpet bombing attacks.

The Germans launch 3 ground strikes. The first two, on the Soviet stack NE of Rommel and the Soviet stack NE of Saratov, are defensive in nature, seeking to disorganise and prevent them from being able to attack this turn. The third one, on Ryazan will be the overture to an attack. The Italians send a strike against Franco in Saragossa. The Japanese need their air-moves for rebasing so decline.

The allies send the Spanish FTR to attempt to protect Franco, which the Italians match with one of theirs. The Soviets send a FTR to Ryazan and the Germans match this.

[AllenK]

The Soviet Yak-9's dive into the attacking German formations over Ryazan. The 109 F-2 escorts are alert to the Soviets and proceed to engage them before they can reach the Stukas. The fighters are a match for each other and fight each other into oblivion. With the dogfight whirling around them, the Stukas thread their way through to the target.

[AllenK]

Over Saragossa the Spanish fighters are hopelessly out-classed (3 pts to 5 pts). Ignoring the Italian escorts they relentlessly pursue the Italian P.108B's, shooting them out of the sky. The single-mindedness comes at a cost as they shot down by the escorts.

[AllenK]

Over Ryazan, the Stuka pilots, perhaps un-nerved by the air-combat around them, fail to show the same spirit as their now deceased escorts and miss both targets. With nothing to interrupt the other strikes, the German pilots take their time to line up their targets and 4 Soviet corps are left disorganised. Will it be enough to allow the Germans to block the railway for another turn?

[AllenK]

The Germans would like to get more units from Germany to the Russian front but there are too many unprotected ports along the Baltic just ripe to be invaded. Three INF are sent by rail to Gdynia, Memel and Liepaja. The Italians rail an INF back to Damascus from Saudi Arabia. The Japanese rail an INF to Ominato to provide defence for that major port.

In China, the Japanese use their movement allowance to bring their forces around Chengchow back in supply and bring 4th Mech out of the mountains in preparation for an attempt to recapture the city.

[AllenK]

In France, the Germans attend to garrisoning the ports along the coast. In Russia they move the units into position for the attack on Ryazan. They also move up to attack the closest Soviet INF army to Smolensk. They would like to bring Rommel back from his exposed position but there is nothing that can be moved in to replace him. They are going to need some good fortune here.

The Italians move into Madrid.

[AllenK]

The Germans declare two attacks, which will be supported by air.

[AllenK]

The Italians weigh up between attacking Bilbao or the Gd Inf in the hex SE. They opt for the latter, which too will be supported by air.

[AllenK]

In Russia, the Soviets send a Mig-1 up to provide CAP over Ryazan. This scuppers the German plan to provide ground support to the attack as they have nothing in range to provide escort. A 7-pt Stuka supports the attack near Smolensk.

The Germans fly in a 5pt Stuka to join an Italian 3-pt bomber in the attack near Bilbao and the Japanese use two Ka2's to add 3 points to the attack on Chengchow.

With a Fw-190 ready to pounce on any allied bombers trying to intervene against the Italians and only weaker carrier fighters available to escort, the allies decline Spanish requests for defensive ground support.

It's now up to the troops on the ground to deliver.

[AllenK]

First up, Chengchow.

The Chinese decide to make it a Blitzkrieg so that the Japanese will lose the MECH if they take losses.

The plan doesn't work as the Japanese sweep into the city destroying the defenders.

The watching Germans and Italians pray the good roll for the impulse hasn't just been used up.

[AllenK]

Next up, it's off to sunny Spain. The CW select Blitzkrieg for much the same reason as the Chinese.

The Spanish put up a spirited defence, perhaps inspired by their brethren in the air force, by destroying an Italian MOT and disorganising the rest. They perish in the attempt, however, and the way through the mountains is now open.

[AllenK]

The penultimate attack is the one near Smolensk. The Germans have the choice and go for the Blitzkrieg.

The defenders are shattered by the assault and not given any option to retreat.

[AllenK]

Final attack is the one on Ryazan.

The Soviets force a Blitzkrieg to inflict ARM/MECH losses. With the results having gone pretty well so far, the German's pause, take a deep breath and plunge in.

The plunge takes them to the heart of the Soviet defence, which crumbles under the onslaught, allowing the Germans to capture the city.

[AllenK]

Blast! Timed out and lost the post and that's already after inadvertently deleting the first attempt myself. [:@]

Third time lucky.

The Germans rebase a Fw-190 to support Rommel.

The Italians bring two air units back to Damascus from Arabia.

The Japanese redeploy two NAV's from the Solomon Islands to the Marshall Islands hoping to be able to bring them into action against the US fleet.

Guderian reorganises two Stukas to continue supporting the units blocking the railway and Von Beck reorganises the Stuka supporting him.

Cavallero reorganises the Italian fighter on the French/Spanish border.

Apart from the Italian naval losses, It's been a pretty good impulse for the Axis. The Italians are in Madrid and have broken through the Pyrenees. The German central front in Russia looks considerably better and they still block the railways from the southern oilfields. The question is how much longer can they hold an exposed position and when to fold? Can they hold until the end of the turn and cause another 13 point loss to the Soviet production?

[AllenK]

M/J 1944 Allied Impulse 3.

A roll of 5 brings fine weather across the globe apart from the Northern Monsoon region where it rains.

No DoW.

US Combined. Nationalist China Land. CW Land - needing to move a lot of Spanish units. USSR Land.

The CW sends a port-strike against Brest. The Germans send a Bf-109 F-4 to intercept and the Allies counter with a P51 and Seafire.

The Luftwaffe decide the national interest will be best served if they live to fight another day and after a brief waggle of their wings head back to base.

[AllenK]

The Allies decide to save their two surprise points for the attack, instead of reducing AA fire. Infuriated by the lack-lustre display from the Luftwaffe, the German navy gunners put up a ferocious barrage downing a Swordfish and reducing the remaining Albacore to 1 point (lowest 1 of 5 was a 7!).

The Allied pilots claim several hits and to have seriously damaged the Deutschland but subsequent reconnaissance shows they were mostly near misses and while not now immediately ready for sea, she remains battle worthy (damage roll of 8).

[AllenK]

No naval air is flown.

The US moves 2CV and the BB Iowa to join the task force in the Marshalls 4-box. 3 more CV move from San Francisco and join the task force in the Marshalls 2-box. The final US naval move relocates a TRANS from Spain to the US East Coast and picks up II Arm.

Two sea areas are available for the US to initiate combat. First up the Marianas where the US has two subs hoping to take out the CP and cut supply to Eniwetok. Neither side manages to find each other in the rain.

Second is the Marianas, which now contains the bulk of both the USN and IJN. The US weighs up the options.

Going for combat could put several TRANS and MAR/INF units in harms way. On the other hand, the US has the advantage of position, being in the higher sea-box and both numerical and qualitative superiority in CVP's. It seems too good an opportunity to deal the IJN a crushing blow. The USN CV's turn into wind and launch searches towards the last known positions of the Japanese Fleet.

It all turns out to be a bit of an anti-climax when neither fleet can find each other.

[AllenK]

On to Strategic Bombing.

The Germans decline to fly CAP. The US, with no regard to post-war entente cordial, sends 5 groups of B17/B24's to bomb the factories in Paris. Two further groups, escorted by a group of P51's and a group of P38's, are sent to bomb Kiel

The US find they have miscalculated the potential Luftwaffe strength available to oppose the Kiel raid when the Germans send up 3 of their best FW-190's. They out-match the US fighters, so the US adds another P38 Group to the mix. The raid on Paris will be unopposed.

The Germans send their best FW-190 into the first pass and they are met by the P51's. Both sides give as good as they receive and shoot each other out of the sky. The first US P38 Group then tangles with the FW-190's. Unable to keep up with the more agile single engine fighters, they are forced to break off the combat after shooting off their ammunition. Having dealt with the P38 Group, the German pilots press home an attack on the leading bomber formation. The bombers are turned back but, after all the combat, the second FW-190 is forced to return to base out of ammo. The remaining P38's try gallantly to engage the last of the FW-190's but are again forced to break off combat without being able to inflict serious losses to the Germans. Seeing the last of their escorts turning back for home, the second bomber formation decide not to put the belief "the bomber will always get through" to the test and head back to the dressing room for an early tea.

[AllenK]

Meanwhile, as the air battle rages over Kiel, the main US bomber fleet calmly approaches a Paris bathed in sunshine. With all the time in the world to line up their targets, the US bomb aimers demonstrate their claimed ability to put a bomb in a pickle barrel must have involved one the size of Texas. Barely one point of production is lost to the Germans as the bombs fall far and wide of the factories.

None of the allies fly and carpet bombing missions.

The Nationalists decide not to use their artillery to ground-strike as they want to redeploy. The Communists have a go at the Jap PARA unit. The Soviets fly the IL-2 to attack the units blocking the railway, which are still beyond fighter cover.

The Soviet strike is a partial success, disorganising IX SS MECH. The Communists miss the PARA's holed up in the mountains.