Alternative History: The Great War that didn't happen

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Actions:
CH Land
CW Naval
FR Land
US Combined
SU Land

Naval Moves:
US sends a CA fleet off of Brazil to assist the invasion force, also bringing two artillery divisions.

US also sends their CVs to the Bismarck Sea to see what the Japanese do.

CW sends a Blenheim out of Gibraltar into the West Med

CW sends their smaller CV fleet to South China Sea to disrupt Japanese shipping. Search fails.

CW sends their larger CV fleet to West Med. Germany sends out a NAV to assist the Italian NAV. Search fails.

CW sends Greek SCS to East Med. They find the Italian CONVs, killing 1 and aborting the rest.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Strat Bombing:
CW bombs Hamburg. No effect.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Ground Strikes:
Allies launch 6 ground strikes. 3 have air combat.

The 1st is on the strongest stack on German units in Belgium. One CW bomber and escorts vs Axis fighters. Even odds.

1st Round, Axis rolls a 10, clearing the CW bomber. CW rolls a 17, killing the lead German FTR. Air combat over.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Result is all misses.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Also in Belgium, CW ARTY strikes the next hex. Again, all misses.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Air to Air over Southern France, where the Allies are trying to disrupt another Italian corps. French FTR & TAC vs Italian FTR. Even odds.

1st Round, Axis rolls a 9, clearing the French TAC. Allies roll a 3, killing the Axis FTR. Air combat over

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Result is a miss. Allied bombers aren't doing what theyre supposed to, but Axis fighters aren't either, and Allies have killed two Axis air to boot so far.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Air to Air over Poland, where three Soviet strikes are all launched. Germany can only intercept one, a Russian long-range TAC trying to disrupt Germany's strongest armored stack. Axis has +2/-2 advantage.

1st round, Axis rolls a 8, aborting the Soviet TAC. Allies roll a 16, aborting the German FTR. Air combat over.

In three Air to Air, Axis roll 10, 9, and 8, crappy middle of the dice rolls. Allies roll 17, 3, and 16.

This war is pretty much a stand-up fight and it seems that in a stand up fight you are going to get even damage on both sides. Only problem is that the Axis margin of error is so small, that 'normal' losses are not sustainable. I'm really not sure how the Axis, who have to attack in this war, can ever win. The luck they have to have over a consistently long time is not reliable.

I may have to rethink this scenario. At least so far no units disrupted for the Axis, but we still have a couple of other strikes to show.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Another Soviet strike, this time on a stack of Swedish units. All misses. Each side has something to complain about so far this impulse.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Final strike against Von Bock HQ. Another miss and as if by magic, the one hit the Soviets get is probably the most important one, the HQ.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Rail Moves:
Soviets rail a factory to Archangel

Land Moves:
With Von Bock neutralized, Soviets pull a little back in the Ukraine. Its likely the Axis won't be able to mount a killer attack down here for the turn, which is just fine for the Soviets.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Land Moves (continued):
Around Zhukov, the Soviet rearrange the line and try to close up the gap in the south near Minsk, while also pulling back to the next river line to the north of the line. The Soviets were in danger of being bypassed to the south, and hopefully this will give them time.

Zhukov being disorganized is a major problem, and the USSR may have to use their offensive chit to reorganize him. We'll see.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Land Moves (continued):
In China, a Nat. Chinese CAV goes deep and puts the entire Japanese attack force OOS. They will have to pull back and kill this unit but that is exactly what China needs, time delaying Japan.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Land Moves (continued):
France starts forming a defense in the central mountain range. Marseilles is isolated and will hold out as long as possible, probably this turn easily since most of the Italian forces got disrupted last turn. Italy only has a few troops able to continue operations. France also moves the weak MIL from Bordeaux into Toulouse, which frees up a 5 strength INF to move up towards Vichy and the central defense line.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:

Land Moves (continued):
US has only 4 land moves, they landed an ENG DIV in British Guyana last turn and the DIV is now moving towards taking Dutch Guyana and the resource.

Also the Brazil invasion force continues moving south (its a long country)

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

1st Allied Impulse:
No attacks. Turn goes to the Axis.

2nd Axis Impulse:

Weather:

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Actions:
GE Land
IT Combined. Move fleet out and take Athens
JA Land. Kill the annoying Chinese CAV

Naval Moves:
JA moves a NAV out to S. China Sea. Hoping NOT to find the CW fleet.
IT moves its BB fleet to East Med, only to 2 box due to Greek warships. Will only be able to contribute at most 7 pts to Shore bombardment

The Italian fleet tries to find the Greek ships, both sides rolling a 2.

Greece loses a cruiser

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Naval Moves:
Italy has one CL damaged in the battle with the Greek fleet.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Naval Moves (continued):
CW searches for Japanese CONV in South China Sea. No success.

Ground Strikes:
Axis launches two strikes, one in Belgium, one in France.

In Belgium, Germany throws everything into a strike on two CW units in Belgium, with 2 escorts. CW flies intercept. Even odds 0/0.

1st Round, Allies roll a 12 (AC), CW chooses to let through the front Axis bomber. Axis rolls an 8, aborting the CW Hurricane. Air combat over.

3 bombers through to target.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Only 1 hit out of 2. Meh.