Cohen vs Enrico - AAR nr.4 (Solitaire from 2# Impulse - Jul Aug 1943)

[AlbertN]

Openings of March / April 1942 - Operation Barbarossa starts in Caucasus!

Germany has 2 O-Chits, and has produced one in Jan/Feb 42.

It was decided after a birthgiving experience of thinking to use one in the Caucasus first hand, to seize Baku.

2 O-Chits could have been needed on the main front, for an amount of reasons, but ultimately with the insight of the previous game where Baku has remained firmly held by the Soviets for a big amount of time and kept fuelling their troops / factories I decided it was needed to seize it.

The list of "plus":

Axis gets 2 more oils (With current situation, a minor plus).
Soviets gets 2 less oils (Big plus!)
Easily defendable from Partisans (4 oils packed in 2 hexes).
I don't have a railroad "ZoC"ed from Baku defenders.

Why on the Surprise Impulse Turn?
Bombers double up. That is the only impulse both ground and air units double.
Also I cannot be intercepted - and in this specific game the Soviets had a total of 5 units, their TRS (Not too relevant) and their most modern fighters (A Mig with 5 Air Factor and 5 Range).
Accounting Germany did not had a fighter in the region (Yes... my bad. I had one in the previous game) and 4 bombers, that fighter could have been quite nasty in the next Turns (Not impulses as it was being bombed too - unless bad rolls).

Another harsh choice was if to use the HQ support (used the HQ that got the O-Chit) and forfeit the extra reorganization value. That could have been a bomber or other land troops (I had a 2nd attack there too against a MIL).
In the end I opted to use the HQ Support. Once Baku is taken, will be kept for a long time (I assume), so better not risk to just waste the O-Chit for nothing.

The attack on Baku in the end was a +13, so it had still a risk to fail, albeit low. (1 big unit survived the disrupting).

For Guderian a promotion waits in Berlin, to Feldmarshal.

Von Kleist (yes I got 2 HQ in this tiny sector) slugs north with the rest of the troops; the German vanguards attack the Astrakhan MIL unit in the mountains. A MIL per side is destroyed, but it seems Germany has secured their way to have Turkey siding with them.

I agree the Soviets not only were ill prepared but should have seized Persia long before and defend on the mountains in Persia.

[AlbertN]

Openings of March / April 1942 - Ostfront

The legend begins, a sung tale of blood, steel and conquest. Hitler's war, brooded since long, like a beloved egg.

It rains though, the original plans to attack cannot be adhered to. And the Germans have to invade the Baltic States too (to which a CAV division is dedicated).

Half of the intended forces attack Pskov and Vitbesk. With -heavy- Luftwaffe support despite the rainy grounds.
Italian Piaggio long range bombers fly over Pskov with success disrupting the defenders.

Alas the rainy weather prevented the Wermacth to advance properly, which translates too in less forward bases for the Luftwaffe.

Vitebesk falls, no problems.
Pskov, another take. No losses for Germany (but they had an INF-Div ready for that) but their attackers are disorganized (Rommel will be spent to reorganize them already).

Minsk is easily surrounded and conquered.

In the southern Poland sector the screen of the Soviets is easily dealt with (2 MILs just ZoC'ing around); with rain the idea to bombard them to overrun them on the go is forfeitted, and the Germans uses a few rebase to bring fighters ahead to provide air umbrella against the Soviets.

Antonescu quickly joins the fray, helping the smashing of one of the Soviet MILs.

On the of the reasons for which the Axis attacked this impulse, despite the rain, is that they have plenty of minors to Align - and to boost their production with.

The German grand plan is to get in position by the end of April, to open in May with an assault to the Dnepr and crush the Soviet resistance with their planes brought well upfront.

The Italians have not provided the same amount of tactical bombers, but have supplies two squadrons of Canguro, their air transports with a range dignified with its own name; for the 2 Fallschirmjager of the Luftwaffe, to assist with the breaching of the defence line at the Dnepr.

[Subotei]

Ooo, a cliffhanger.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Pacific, USA Major Operations

To be played, Impulse #4 of the Allies

The USA have already rebuilt their lost Marine Corp and they seem to want a go again to the Marshalls.

Which will be the target is yet to be known. Eniwetok would be an easy prey as it is out of supply.

Their fleet is sailing in force just outside the group of Islands and the Japanese garrison has been set in status of red alert already.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Japanese reaction.

To be played, Allied Impulse #4

The Japanese carrier fleet sailed out from Japan in order to intervene with planes in defence of some of the Marshals; and some of the very limited air assets of Japan has been rebased quickly to try thwart the attempt of an invasion of Kwalejin at least; the only island that is properly defended.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - The Australian Blue Highway

To be played Allied Impulse #4

As you can see both Japanese and USA are trying to raid the counterpart pipelines using either surface raiders or submarines; but the USA have as well another Marine Corp, which luckily got cut out of supply, for now.

But as it goes, USA just need to bring in a Convoy unit to restore supply and move out of the Fiji ships which are suddenly supplied.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Madagascar Invasion

The W.Allies are investing many resources in the Indian Ocean.

The Royal Navy sent many naval assets and there are even the Royal Marine Corp (ontop of the Queen liner unit - which makes it a super combination for ... landings anywhere ... )

The Japanese quite boldly sent out their elite cruisers, but they're just in the face of the UK carriers; it's a very risky move, but the goal is to try to intercept the Allied forces if coming out in smaller groups.
The Japanese just invaded Madagascar, exploiting the bad positioning of the French Territorial that failed the rush for Diego Suarez.

Technically the Japanese are well overextended there, but currently the Axis in Europe has saved their Supply Units by having a working pipeline from the Med to the Persian Gulf. Once Turkey will be in this sector will turn less crucial, for how though the Commonwealth could make a good use of the resources sitting in India.

On a lesser note the old cruiser Adelaide, and Hurricanes from India are challenging the waves in the Arabian Sea - but the Axis has a squadron of 3 planes in the 3 Box which could hopefully mince the cruiser or the Hurricane if found (Curiously enough, 1 German Condor, 1 Italian Gabbiano and the Japanese Zero Reisen-Kai).

Italian (not very good) troops take over the garrisoning of Aden.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Argentina Redoubt

Not much happening there, the forces of Argentina are trying to take a defensive position to last as long as they can.

Churchill provides air support for the time being.

Up north in Brazil 2 more US corps land, ready to be railed into action.

Note the absence of the Argentine Fleet - it sailed out in Jan / Feb and reached Europe (Where I screwed up and got an Argentine convoy in Gibraltar, which means I cannot set Italians in there for now ... a big fuck up since I am clueless when I can afford a combined or so for the Germans.)

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Landing in France?

Despite their marines being elsewhere, the W.Allies looks quite ready to do something.
Bay of Biscay is crowded with their ships and the Axis efforts to intercept them or disrupt their preparations are entirely in vain.

The Axis situation in Europe there is quite grim as they lack reserves worth their name; Mussolini dispatched some minor aerial assets in the area (What he can actually spare, 1 FTR and 1 Bomber - probably no match for the carrier air of the Allies).

Also the RAF bomb Lille with success, after fending off the interceptors (I am quite glad to see that bad strategic bombers will be "nerfed" in RAW8. That pesky single engine plane is being a nuisance).

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Ostfront, North

It's good weather, the German high command rejoices but not much can be exploited.

Pskov finally falls; and with the sudden entering the war of Finland Murmansk is assaulted.
Despite the loss of a quality finnish sky division, the garrisons (a regular one and a division) are destroyed. (They were both reserves and thus disrupted too).

Otherwise the Germans close in the distance to the Beresina with a bulk of forces and gain the much needed airbases zones for the impulses to come.

[AlbertN]

March / April 2 - Ostfront - South

With the good weather the Germans project their power ahead, seizing Kiev with grand forces overwhelming the few defenders (The Soviets opted to withdraw everything except the Kiev MIL that was disrupted due to being a reserve).

So much were the odds, that for how the VVS could have operated indisturbed, they forfeitted to intervene (It was a +32); on the other hand the VVS only operation is to set ready for action a quality 7-4 Infantry Corp with a long range bomber that substituted bombs with ammos and supplies.

For now the Russians seem to have intention to remain behind the Dnepr, which is sort of making the Axis game. Axis plan is - expecting more bad weather - to move in their Stukas and heavier air support to be ready for May to unleash hell on the Soviet defense lines with full support from the Italian planes present; fire an O-Chit and hole somewhere with lots of Soviets disrupted. To avoid that, the Soviets should probably spend their own O-Chit though.

[AlbertN]

March / April - Ostfront - Caucasus

Very little happens there, the Soviets are slowly pulling back with the last unit around Baku and are sending in troops from Tblis and Astrakhan.

Germany ensures they can align Turkey at any given time now; and move the Iraqi MIL unit to fend off partisans on the oil rigs.

On the eastern Persian border, the cavalry corp watches from the safety of the mountains the Soviet units deployed there. If the Soviets had any intent to march into Persia to get to Teheran, it was an illusion.
Teheran can be easily reinforced by rail once Turkey is aligned, and for the time being the Persian MIL unit remains there as static defence - though if the threat of an invasion from the Soviets will fade, it will probably be moved at Bandar Shapur as coastal defence and anti partisan unit.


____

If Axis gets 3 more impulses, they can align the whole set of minors - Hungary, Yugoslavia and Turkey.
For now the weather has been decent enough and there were no impulse jumps, let's hope!

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Start of Impulse #8, 3rd Allied Impulse

Goering pays a visit to the Hitler. "Mein Fuhrer, the Luftwaffe with the help of Regia Aeronautica prevented the USA landing in Western Europe." - Goering, as per his usual style, minimized the difficulties and crippling losses.
Hitler rejoiced. "Excellent. Even if they'd have landed, they'd have came in the den of the wolf. Well done, be ready to do it again." In his vision of imaginary forces, apparently there were plenty of panzer reserves in Western Europe, when the only truly mobile unit is a cavalry corp.

But what happened over the Bay of Biscay?
The opposing forces found each other, and started to grind and whittle away their counterpart.
The air battle saw actually the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica suffering severely (Losing 2 FTRs and 2 NAVs total including AA losses) despite the favorable odds - whereas the RAF lost only 1 FTR and 1 CVP and the USA 1 CVP.

Though the sacrifice of the Axis aerial forces was not invain, they managed to deliver enough bomber squadrons on the invasion fleet. The W.Allies unleashed hell from the ships, many many anti aircraft guns shrouding the sun with salvo of bullets.
That was not enough, a loaded AMPH unit was sunk - with its precious cargo (a MOT).

Only an UK Division remained, which tried to land nonetheless! A desperate attempt, the Axis could say, but if taking a port by luck would have put the Axis in the uncomfortable position to have to send a HQ there to attack the division - and HQ are needed in Sovietland right now (With the exclusion of the Turkish HQ as you can read below). But the UK Division was met by machine gun fire meanwhile trying to get ashore, and ... well probably that was the 1942 Candian Dieppe attempt!

That stopped the invasion, for now, as the W.Allies are out of AMPHs ... (But they'll get 3 new ones on map, 2 USA and 1 CW, the next turn).


___


In the while with the Turkey joinin the Axis, instead of investing them in Russia, their best forces (and HQ) were dispatched in Spain, to cover the sector west of Bilbao and from Porto to the north.

Reasoning: Turkish troops are not that good to attack - where you need pushing power. Germans are much better. Minors are far better off as beach garrison and anti partisan duty - which is what they'll do. Only their best troops will be used in offensive operations - eventually - or as gap fillers. Besides, in my long term plans the Caucasus should be mine and the nice Turkish MNT will do much better in Spain than there.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Start of Impulse #8, 3rd Allied Impulse

With the aligning of Turkey to the Axis, the strict requirement of a naval pipeline going to the Middle East came superfluous.

The Axis elected to search in the Arabian Sea, but the W.Allies found the Italian convoy. The old cruiser Adelaide made a swift job of the unescorted convoy.
W.Allied though for future operations opted to stay in the sea and maintaining the presence. The Axis found them.

The Reisen-Kai Zero made a swift work of the Indian Hurricane squadron, gunning it down at the first round of air combat.
Then a Condor and a Gabbiano dived down on the fleeing Adelaide. Miracle happened, the old ship (going to suffer through 2 Damage hits) arrives in Bombay with only minor damage. (It passed the first save, the damage went to Abort - and thus the 2nd Damage result was null.)

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Battle for Madagascar (Same impulse as above)

The Japanese performed their landing, and use small ships to get their invasion force into Madagascar proper.

In the while the W.Allies maneuver in the sea undisrupted; it seems the US are getting ready to invade somewhere ... but where? A joint attack with the French into Diego Suarez?

Landing into Seychelles? Soon the Axis will know!

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Nothing happens at Cape Town.

The Japanese raiders find no success there, for how the Royal Navy seems passive enough with their battle squadron. (The Combined Impulse they took for various things did not allowed them enough naval moves to chase properly the Japanese).

Anyhow as the Japanese failed to find anything - they're sitting there, scouring the sea.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - The Australian Highway (Same impulse as above)

The USA has been quite passive toward the raiders here; so the Japan reinforced with more cruisers - and found two USA cruisers off the Fiji, sinking one and shooing the other.
Half of the Japanese squadron was damaged minorly and was forced back into port.

Japan relocates aerial assets, having received reports of scouting planes launched from the cruisers of juicy preys docked in the Fiji, with absolute lack of air cover.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Second Battle for Kwajalein (Same impulse as above).

The US launched an air strike at Kwajalein, desiring to attempt a landing.
The Japanese were ready to react and a heathed air battle was unleashed again.

The Japanese had a phyrric victory - losing their best fighter (A 7 range Zero) for two US CVPs of old (Worth 2 "space" on a Carrier). But the bombing run was foiled and gave no result, so as the garrison of Kwajalein stood strong, the USA opted to not commit their marines.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Ostfront: Caucasus (Still the same Impulse #8 to be played, 3rd Allied Impulse)

Bad weather, the Axis advances. There is very little to say in the department!

[AlbertN]

March / April 1942 - Ostfront (Same impulse as above)

Blizzard arrived, it slowed movement. It limited supply.

But the Germans advanced nonetheless and swiftly claimed the railroads in the Pripets too.

In the Allied previous impulse (That was good weather) the VVS launched a bombing strike, and used heavy artilleries - to no avail. But a Luftwaffe Bf109 was shot down, alongside a LND3 of the Soviets.