How the Axis could have won II. Allied AAR

[warspite1]

25th April 1940

United Kingdom and France

Decision Time
The British and French have been asked if they want to send a force to Narvik. Because of the bug in place at present I have said no. I will need to decide what to do with these units.

[warspite1]

25th April 1940

Italy join the Axis - although they have not as yet made their presence felt in either the Mediterranean or North Africa.

United Kingdom

Decision Time
Do the British want the Australian and New Zealand divisions rushed to Cairo or to wait until they are fully up to strength? Late 1941 is totally unrealistic as a time to wait and I have to say yes to bringing them to Egypt ASAP.

[warspite1]

25th April 1940

United Kingdom

I could do without using 60 MPP but I just don't want the hassle of having a problem in East Africa. The answer is yes.

[warspite1]

25th April 1940

United Kingdom and France

I will try and get these units employed usefully as soon as I can think of something - although frankly for all the good they will do I will probably be better off leaving where they are at present, and the MPP saved can be used to re-build.

[warspite1]

25th April 1940

Reinforcements

United Kingdom
IX Infantry Corps arrives in the UK

MPP Expenditure

UK - The British spend their MPP on strengthening units and upgrading their navy.
France - The French strengthen their air force, the Lille Garrison and the Belgian Army defending Brussels.
USA - The US research Infantry Warfare.
USSR - They do not spend their 51 MPP

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

25th April 1940

United Kingdom and France

I am not completely sure of the situation in Norway.

But it seems to me that the only realistic route, at the moment, from Finland back to UK and France would go through the Baltic sea. So should not the event read that the expedition corps was lost trying to return? At least a part of it.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

25th April 1940

United Kingdom and France

I am not completely sure of the situation in Norway.

But it seems to me that the only realistic route, at the moment, from Finland back to UK and France would go through the Baltic sea. So should not the event read that the expedition corps was lost trying to return? At least a part of it.

warspite1

Its a reasonable point to make Ormster - after all the Soviets took the only real port in the north.....

[warspite1]

25th April 1940

And so as we prepare for the dawning of a new day, this is the position in France.....


[French Soldier 1] "The German Army is coming!"
[French Soldier 2] "Relax, we'll be fine. We'd only have something to worry about if we were commanded by a doddery old fool who is situated a thousand miles behind the front, without access to a radio and who is 100% confident that the pace of modern armies hasn't increased since WW1"
[French Soldier 1] "Merde!!!!!!!!"

[warspite1]

10th May 1940

Belgium and France

I thought I was better prepared this game compared to the last, especially when it took two turns for the Germans to take out the Dutch. However looking at the German progress last time, they are only very slightly behind their previous schedule - and I just can't seem to do anything about Axis air power.

In Belgium the full strength 10-point army was whittled down to 2 points before the army even got started. Brussels was then quickly occupied and the 'fortress' of Eben Emael followed straight after.

The main thrust of the German attack appeared to be with Bock's Army Group in the north. 8th and 10th Army have appeared north of the Somme, flanking an attack by IV Corps which smashed into the junction between the BEF and the French 7th Army, badly mauling the BEF in the process.

But I see that German panzer formations have swung south, no doubt to exploit the open ground between the Meuse and the Marne following the destruction of the Sedan Garrison. XXVII Corps have occupied Verdun and there is every likelihood once more that the French forces in the Maginot Line will simply get by-passed and be of no use whatsoever in the battle for Paris.

I think I have little option but to start withdrawing these units already.


There may be trouble ahead...the pitiful plight of the refugees streaming away from the fighting does not make the Allied armies job any easier (top right). Meanwhile the German juggernaut steams on toward Paris (bottom right)
Note: This picture is taken after the reinforcement phase, thus the French tank unit has only just arrived and not available for use this turn.

[warspite1]

10th May 1940

France

In the south Axis air power has helped deplete the Algerian Corps in Nice and a breakthrough there seems likely. The French Navy is off Tunisia ready to pounce on any Italian reinforcement to North Africa - I am going to move them north - if only to give the Italian air force something else to shoot at.

[warspite1]

10th May 1940

A summary of the situation

In other news: the Germans have moved their iron ore convoy further south. I am going to bring the navy back and ensure they are all upgraded before sending them out again.

The U-Boats have attacked in the North Atlantic but I cannot see the little ? to say where.....

[warspite1]

10th May 1940

Yes ladies and gentlemen, Winston Spencer Churchill is back and he has a new record to mark the occasion. Buy the smash hit single 'Without Me' and celebrate Winston's homecoming. The single is now available from all good record stores price 3'6.

Guess who's back, back again
Winston’s back, tell a friend
Guess who's back,
guess who's back,
guess who's back,
guess who's back
guess who's back
Guess who's back...

I've created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to
see Neville no more they want Winston he's chopped liver
well if you want Winston, this is what I'll give ya
a lot of fine speeches mixed with some hard liquor
some whisky that'll jumpstart my heart quicker than a
shock when I get shocked at the hospital by the doctor when I'm not cooperating
when I'm rocking the table while he's operating (hey!)
you waited this long now stop debating 'cause I'm back,
I'm in the cabinet and war dictating
I had a prob with my job thanks to Gallipoli but thats in the past and not complicating
So His Maj the king will now let me be or let me be me so let me see
Haters tried to shut me down but Downing St it feels so empty without me
So come on Adolf, my bum on your lips **** that,
*** on your lips and some on your **** and get ready 'cause this ****’s about to get heavy
I just settled all my past issues
**** YOU ADOLF!

Any similarity with Eminem's Without Me is entirely coincidental

[warspite1]

17th May 1940

United Kingdom

Decision Time. I say yes given what I know about the strength of the Italian Navy.

[warspite1]

17th May 1940

United Kingdom

Decision Time II. WSC's first action is to order, at a nominal cost, the occupation of Iceland. Winston thinks it would be a good idea, for when our troops are over there, to teach them to play football. "It will be good for the islanders and no detriment to us, after all they will never be a threat to us in a major football tournament".......

[warspite1]

17th May 1940

Soviet Union

Decision Time for the Soviets too. Do they want to prepare the Red Army to fight more effectively in the snow? Well let me see....

- it took about 5 months to defeat the tiny Finnish Army
- the Red Army got its bottom well and truly kicked in the Karelian Isthmus
- the performance at Suomussalmi made the rest of the campaign look like a model of military efficiency

....er I think we should probably say yes.

[warspite1]

17th May 1940

Reinforcements

United Kingdom
The No.12 Fighter Group arrives near Oxford

France
The French tanks arrive.

MPP Expenditure

UK - The British reinforce the BEF, a couple of units in the desert and upgrade the new HQ. Its all very hand to mouth....
French - The French upgrade their fighters and strengthen a couple of corps and one army.
USA - The US invest in ASW
USSR - Nothing. Even with the MPP so far saved, they only just get into positive territory, so will not be buying anything.

[warspite1]

17th March 1940

Research

United Kingdom
The UK is almost at the max on its research (1,975 vs 2,000 allowed) and so cannot research anything new until something runs off. Advanced Tanks at 73% is the closest with Infantry Weapons at 64% next up.

France
The French are investing in nothing based on the fact that they would be unlikely to get anything before they are defeated.

USA
USA have plenty of slack - they are using 1,625 out of their 2,750 allowance. Only Naval Weaponry, at 62%, is anywhere close.

USSR
Only three items under research - advanced aircraft at 70% is the closest but Infantry Weapons is only at 29%.....

[warspite1]

17th May 1940

France
The French Navy, combined now into one fleet - Force du Raid, under Admiral Gensoul - decide that they would be better employed trying to get at the Italian air force rather than lying in wait for convoys that may never appear.

Unaware of where the bombers are based (I thought they were further south [8|]) Genoul sends his cruisers on a scouting mission along the Italian west coast. Having wasted precious fuel looking too far south, Gensoul's light cruisers eventually spot the airfield north of Florence. The battleships Provence, Lorraine, Dunkerque and Strasbourg pound the aircraft on the ground, inflicting some damage upon the Regia Aeronautica's bomber squadrons.

[warspite1]

17th May 1940

United Kingdom

[:@]

So the Royal Navy decides to send two old R-class to the French coast to bombard the German forces opposite the British sector. The XVIII Corps is occupying Calais - the perfect target. The combat indicator is 1:2. HM battleships Revenge and Royal Oak lay down a carpet of 15-inch shells...

...the result is 2:0. Seriously?

The French decide to hold onto the Maginot Line for one more turn and see what happens.....

[warspite1]

28th May 1940

France

As can be seen, whilst I don't think I am doing that much better than before, I do at least seem to be hurting the Germans. 9th Army has almost been wiped from the OOB, but in taking Rheims the German IV Corps has been hit hard. 21st Corps in Verdun and 3rd Army, opposite the British, have also taken some casualties.

The BEF still holds station on the west bank of the Somme, although the French 7th army looks very exposed on their right flank. Some big decisions for the French High Command now. Do they counter-attack or try and hold where they are?

On the flip side, the RAF once again just gets creamed - and the French fighters have been almost equally savaged. The Royal Navy too have been dealt a blow with the loss of HMS Revenge and HMS Royal Oak to a couple of German divisions.