Matrix Games Forums

The Japanese escort their convoys and shift troops around. The Truk battlefleet remains in port.

Bay of Bengal. The 2nd fleet remains at sea.

Bomber gets through in ground strike on Wavell's HQ.

The Germans focus on reducing the surrounded Red Army pockets in Muscovy.

Ground strike on Yaroslavl ahead of Guderian's assault.

The storied Rudel is a little more effective with his late model Stukas.

German artillery near Vladimir is deadly following a great deal of target practice.

German heavy artillery hits its heavy American counterpart in Antwerp, and an airfield.

Wavell is lucky.

In the far interior mountains of China, Japanese artillery bombards the last Maoist city.

The Allied High Command decides to take stand and goes all in with the entire available assets of USAF and RAF against Kesselring's attack in France.

A long and hard fought aerial combat. Neither side was prepared to abort at any stage.

The German bombers get through but the Axis lose two fighters.

All but one Allied bomber cleared at the cost of one fighter destroyed, more Allied air to ground factors than could affect the combat.

The British tanks survive the major German attack with Wavell's HQ support and the total commitment of air forces.

Kesselring's Army is disorganised, but avoids losses.

Trapped Red Army forces are annihilated east of Moscow (no retreat hex was available.)

A Red Army Corps manages to flee Guderian's assault on Yaroslavl.

The last Soviet city in western Russia has fallen.

The Soviets take further losses near Vladimir.

Von Leeb counter-punches Red Army 2.0 on their right flank and forces a retreat despite a weak roll.

Inonu is ordered to launch an unlikely assault on Astrakhan, and is defeated.

Central Russia, end of Axis #1 May/Jun 44

The Allies have resigned, Axis wins the game.

Thanks to everybody for reading, comments are welcome.

There have been many mistakes but I think I've been more engaged in the fine detail of the game, particularly the economics. The Italians were able to make great gains in Africa and the Middle East. Crucially, the Germans conquered European Russia and by going heavy in the south, the Caucasian oilfields too. Germany's economy is strong enough to keep producing units for the meat grinder of the Western front to hold the Allies at bay. Japan is not at all under threat.

We're going to have a return match playing opposite sides and there'll be a new AAR. Perhaps I won't sustain quite the same level of detail.

Great game and detail was good.

Think you packed it in at the right time too.

Would be good to get your impressions of key turning points, mistakes or grand strategy that bore fruit for you both.

I'm impressed the Allies kept going as long as they did. I would have resigned several turns ago!