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After both bombers are cleared, the CW decides to abort, since they have a slight disadvantage.

Listen to the Royal Air Force March Past

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqpL6dEp5D8

German and Italian AA open fire:

Bombing... bombing... bombing...

Wavell and Montgomery start moving into Ethiopia:

And here is Birma:

The Tula factory is rail moved into Siberia. Some adjustments are made in the USSR. The situation there is very, very disturbing. Stavka really needs a spring full of bad weather... The turn doesn't end (40% chance, die roll 8).

Music out of occupied France: La grande Marie-José - Au jour le jour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ue69sF3Co

And here is the weather for the next couple of impulses. It's the worst you can get in this game:

January/february 1942, Axis impulse number 13:

Extreme weather. There isn't a lot the Japanese can do in this weather. They decide to take a naval action. Germany wants to start moving it's units on the Russian front. They decides to choose land action. Italy needs to rebase aircraft and wants to put the HQ's in Syria on the railroad. It chooses a Combined action.

The impulse starts with another attack on Pearl Harbor. The Nevada is still in port. It could not leave due to minor damage to the fuel tanks. The Allies roll a 10 and the Axis a 1 on surprise. Two points are used to reduce AA fire to nothing. 6 points are used to increase damage. The Nevada gets damaged:

A Japanese cruiser sails into the South China Sea. The French SUB decides to intercept, but fails. The cruiser continues into the Bey of Bengal. Convoy escorts are put in place and additional convoys send into the Sea of Japan and the South China Sea. A GAR is transported into the Bismarck Sea and the MAR out of Rabaul is picked up too. An INF is loaded in Japan and arrives in the South China Sea together with the Yamato, 2 CV's and a cruiser escort.

Japanese military music: 《軍歌》歩兵の本領（"Hohei no Honryō"- Specialty of Infantry）

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvDPYg7wxvc

Both sides decline to roll for combat. In the South China Sea the Axis have an overwhelming superiority (including air) and in the Bay of Bengal the CW doesn't want to risk the convoy point.

The Italian HQ's move on the railroad. The German army moves further into the USSR. One attack on an Soviet INF is announced. Using the MTN to lead the attack, this one becomes automatic on the Assault table:

Aircraft have been rebased. Here is the Belorussian Front:

The Ukrainian Front:

The Caucasian Front:

The turn doesn't end. Listen to: Oscar Carboni - Una chitarra nella notte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiUw59dCUHE

To a point, fortunate for the Axis to have the turn continue. It will help their positioning on the track for next turn as the Allies really can't do much either and probably will pass to end the turn.

Weather next turn isn't likely to be good either, but we shall see. The Russians appear to be in real trouble in central Russia with a real lack of units while the Axis armies are more or less intact.

The other issue for the Axis is the Euro-Axis are not at war with the US and that could be a huge issue for the Axis fleets in the European theaters. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor didn't achieve a whole lot except the sinking of 1 carrier and damaging the other. Given we are into 1942, the US is going to have a lot of carriers rolling off the line soon anyway.

Allies have some serious issues facing them and time is going to be a real factor in coming back. The Russians at some point have to consider a strategic with-drawl and some help from the Allies to rebuild their shattered forces to continue meaningful resistance to the Axis. The German/Italian economy is going to benefit from control of that oil.

I really look forward to checking the forums and see the progress on this one. Thanks for the hard work.

I'm thinking to DoW the US with Germany and Italy next turn. I believe that to be better than to invite the US to do a port attack on the Italian or German fleet in the surprise impulse. After all, chance of a succesfull DoW by the US on the Euroaxis is about 80% next turn...

Also, there is a +3 on the next weather roll. This makes the chance of good weather everwhere in the first impulse of next turn (if the turn ends) 40%...

January/february 1942, Alied impulse number 16:

Moscow calling the Allies: “The turn needs to end ASAP!" However, in London, they decide otherwise. The CW takes a land action, making the chance to end the turn 90%. All other major powers pass.

Listen and watch: Orchestra Wives - "I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDnKaHHe0Rw

The African Expeditionary Force, under the Command of Wavell, enters Djibouti:

The turn ends. Two more partisans arrive in the USSR:

January/february 1942, End of turn phase:

During US entry, 2 chits are drawn into the Ger/It pool and 4 are drawn into the Japanese entry pool.

In Washington, a bill is presented by Congress to the President stating: “In times of war, the Congress believes it is important to give the military as much room as possible to win the war. Therefore, we've decided that the President is allowed to declare war on any nation, which isn't in armed conflict already”.

Option 48 moves 2 chits from the Ge/It entry pool into the tension pool.

There are currently 30 chits in the Ge/It and 30 chits in the Japanese entry pools. In the tension pools (far more important), there are 9 chits in the Ge/It and 7 in the Japanese one.

A German military march: Panzerlied. With moving pictures in color out of WW II:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ4ldl12W0I

Abwehr estimats that the chance of a succesful DoW by the US on the Euroaxis is now 80%. Canaris sends the following message to Hitler: “I believe it is of utmost importance to declare war on the United States, before they do this upon us”...

During the stay at sea phase, the US decides to leave the carrier task force at sea in the Bay of Biscay. Even from the “1” box, 20 air to sea factors can give a tremendous punch in a port attack during the surprise impulse...
Italy decides to leave the cruiser task force in the Arabian Sea.

Eisenhower arrives in Spanish Morocco. Reinforcement for the CW get ashore in India and Birma.
The US decides to break down the 5-4 Marines.

Here is the destroyed pool:

The USSR decides to scrap two obsolete 3-3 INF. The CW scraps the Spitfire I (with an air to air factor of 5, but a range of only 3). There are far better ones in the force pool already. Of course, the Italian BB Guilio Cesare, the US carrier Lexington and the British cruisers Fiji and Hawking are scrapped too, since the house rule that ships sunk cannot be rebuild needs to be enforced.

Also, since it is the first turn of a new year (and the US just entered the war), a lot of obsolete units are scrapped.

Now, before production starts, the Axis conclude that they are short of about everything. They need more boots on the floor and planes in the sky. Especially FTR's are needed to oppose the US in the long run. Defenses need to be build and the situation in the USSR needs to be exploited. The oil fields in the Caucasus need to be taken at all costs. Oil consumation is high. Too high for the Euroaxis to be happy with...

Italy produces 15 build points. It saves 2 oil and uses 2 oil for reorganisation. 6 oil are still stockpiled.

Germany produces 40 build points. It saves 4 oil and uses 6 oil for reorganisation. 4 oil are still stockpiled. 3 factories are idle, due to lack of resources. Builds are: 3 forts, TERR, MTN, Kesselring, FTR2, FTR3, LND2, 2 pilots, MECH, SYNTH

Japan produces 25 build points. It saves 5 oil and uses 4 oil for reorganisation. 11 oil are still stockpiled. 2 factories are idle, due to lack of resources. Japan repairs the cruiser Asama and builds Hata, 2 CP, starts a CV, finishes the Zuiho, 2 pilots, FTR2, 2 CVP, GAR.

The allies conclude that they need more sea lift, convoys, boots on the floor (especially in Australia and New-Zealand) and aircraft, aircraft and more aircraft. Also, the US needs to build CV's. The repair pool is also quite full with ships which need to be repaired. The USSR needs FTR's and land units...

France produces nothing. It saves 1 oil and uses 1 oil for reorganisation. 5 oil are still stockpiled.

The USSR produces 25 build points. It saves 9 oil and uses 2 oil for reorganisation. 44 oil are still stockpiled. They build Vatutin, 2 FTR2, 2 pilots, 2 GAR, 2 MIL, 2 INF and a CAV2.

The CW produces 26 build points. It saves 10 oil and uses 5 oil for reorganisation. 55 oil are still stockpiled. 1 factory is idle (because of the broken convoy lines from India). They finish two TRS and build Mountbattan, INF, 2 CP, 2 pilots.

The US produces 40 build points. It saves no oil and uses 4 for reorganisation. 7 oil are still stockpiled. 1 factory is idle (because of the broken convoy lines from India). They repair the BB's Nevada, Mississippi and New Mexico. They also repair the CW cruisers Kent, Australia, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Gloucester, Curlew and Sydney. They finish a TRS and the CV's Essex, Yorktown II, Bunker Hill and rebuild the Saratoga. Builds are two pilots, four CVP1 and a GAR.

So: it's time for the US navy march:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQejNyyoreg

The Commonwealth liberates French Somaliland.

March/April 1942, Start of turn phases:

Here are the reinforcements for this turn:

And here are the trade agreements for this turn. Notice the CW returning quite some oil to the US...