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Turn 7. July/August 1940. The Med.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. CW. Near East.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. The Soviet Union.

Stalin's patience has been exhausted both with acquisition of the Baltic States and with "acquisition" of Persia. This turn both will become Soviet.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. China.

No land combat last turn, just maneuvering. In addition to not taking losses or using oil (for reorganization), another side effect of IJA using maneuver instead of land combat is that the Chinese production multiplier was 3/4 instead of 1.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. The Japanese-Soviet Neutrality Pact.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Allied #1.

Operation SPLICE.

Objectives:
(1) Immediately deploy a second BEF army, here-forth known as the 2nd BEF Army, under command of General Wavell to France.
(2) Maintain complete defense of Egypt and the Suez Canal.
(3) Maintain neutrality naval operations in the Med and Atlantic with respect to the non-belligerent, and neutral, Italy.

2nd BEF Army and Deployments.
(1) Forces consist of Wavell HQ-A, 6-5 XI Mot, 5-3 London Mil.
(2) General Wavell HQ-A (Egypt) to Malta (1st combine) and then to southern France (2nd combine). (2 TRS and escorts in Portsmouth assigned)
(3) 6-5 XI Mot (Portsmouth) to Northern France (1st combine, 1 TRS and escorts in Portsmouth assigned).
(4) 5-3 London MIL to Brest, through the Bay of Biscay (2nd combine). (1 NEI TRS in Halifax, originally assigned to transport 5-2 CAN MIL there, but (re)assigned to this mission).

British 8th Army, Egypt.
(1) LTG Quinan upon departure of General Wavell will (temporarily) assume command of all Commonwealth forces in Egypt, which are to be designated as the British 8th Army.
(2) Forces consist of 2 Egyptian territorials, CW 2rd Inf div (Malta), 2-4 6 pd A/T gun div (Portsmouth), 5-4 V Inf (Kuala Lumpur, Malaya).
(3) 2-4 6 pd A/T div (Portsmouth) & 3rd Inf Div (Malta) will load onto a TRS in Portsmouth (1st combine) and disembark to Egypt as soon as practical or required.
(4) 5-4 V Inf and Queens will move into East Med (2nd combine) and will disembark to Egypt as soon as practical or required.

Rome. Though Great Britain and, PM Churchill, expect and hope that Italy remains neutral, the reality is that Operation SPLICE, which will be spread at best over two combine impulses, and will initially strip British defenses in Egypt will be just be too much for Mussolini to ignore and not attempt to exploit. However, Operation Splice will be undertaken by the British under the assumption that Italy will remain neutral. Bad assumption ... yes but their assumption never the less.

Below. General Wavell on the right confers with LTG Quianan about upcoming operations and change of commands.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Allied #1.

Naval Air.

(1) RN NAV2 (Belfast) to 0-box Bay of Biscay directly joining RN BB and 2 CA in the 0-box left over on patrol from last turn.
(2) RN NAV2 (Belfast) to 0-box Faeores Gap indirectly joining the RN CA in 2-box left over on patrol from last turn.
(3) RAF Blenheim (Malta) to 0-box of East Med to provide air support to RN forces of Operation SPLICE.

Operation SPLICE. Phase I.

The actual execution of phase I of SPLICE had to deviate slightly from the plan as outline above due to the very simple but very important reason of needing to keep a transport (1 of 3) in Plymouth in port for Phase II. This transport will be needed to move Wavell and his HQ-A from Malta to Southern France next allied impulse. This deviation also meant that the 6 pd A/T gun division also had to be held in Plymouth and won't be available this turn to LTG Quinan and his 8th army building in Egypt.

This impulse combine gave Great Britain two naval moves. The first was used to put the 5-3 London MIL on transport, out to sea in the 3-box of the North Sea and escorted by the RN BB Royal Sovereign, CA Kent (already on patrol from last turn), CVL Eagle and 5 destroyers (i.e., total ASW of RN force there).

The second naval move was used to move the BB's Malya, Warspite, CA Cornall and (empty) transport to the 0-box of the West Med. The transport then loaded Wavell HQ-A from Alexandra and the CA Cornwall loaded the 3rd inf div from Malta. In addition to being deployed to Egypt, the 2rd inf div had to be loaded in order to make way for Wavell's HQ-A at Malta (i.e., three div there before the 2rd was loaded).

Great Britain also had three land moves, two of which were used to disembark Wavell's HQ-A to Malta and 3rd inf div to Alexandria.

Air Rebase.

(1) RAF Harrow ATR wing from Ajaccio, Corsica to Malta
(2) RAF Beau fighter (FTR3) wing from Great Britain to Ajaccio, Corsica.

Phase II (next impulse) will require the NEI TRS in Halifax, Nova Scotia to load the XI Mot in Plymouth (Bay of Biscay) and deploy them to Brest. The remaining transport in Plymouth, with escorts, will be moved from Plymouth to the East Med to load and then disembark Wavell and his HQ-A into Southern France.

The only sticking point is if Mussolini decides to get in the war and deploy subs to attempt to intercept the transport force from Plymouth heading to the East Med. But, PM Churchill has been assured that Italian ambassador to Great Britain that Italy has no desire for war with Great Britain. Of course the Italian ambassador is unaware of the on-going operation to get a the 2nd BEF army into France and also unaware of a secret meeting taking place right now in Rome.

Rome, Italy. Adolf Hitler has just finished a very secret and high level meeting with Mussolini. Except for a select few of his inner circle and a select few of Mussolini's inner circle, as far as the world knows, Hitler is at his mobile headquarters somewhere on the German-Belgian border. The result of this secret meeting is that Italy will declare war on Great Britain, but not France. In return, Hitler has promised Italy aid in resources, oil and whatever tribute he can grab from a weakening Great Britain in the Med, Egypt and elsewhere.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Allied #1. USSR. Persia.

The Soviet Union declares war on Persia. This results in the loss of a 2-value chit from the US Germany/Italy entry pool.

The Soviet mountain division in Baku was put to sea in the 4-box of the Caspian Sea. It will then invade, unopposed (due to the surprise impulse) into the mountain hex 2-hexes directly west of the Persian cavalry corps guarding the eastern mountain passes into Teheran. If the Persian cavalry corps can be disorganized then the mountain division will be able to march into Teheran next allied impulse and complete a "bloodless" conquest of Persia by the Soviets.

Three Soviet air armies (tactical factors 3, 3 and 2) are use for the ground strike against the Persian cavalry corps. Owing to the surprise impulse this gives 6 opportunities (i.e., rolls) for disorganizing the cavalry corps. The overall chance of success is 84.63%. The first air army to attack, Pe-8 TB-7, succeeds on their second roll.

The three air armies re-base from their strike as far west and back towards the German-Soviet pact border as possible. The fourth Soviet air army which didn't take part in the ground strike moves during air re-base as far back to the German-Soviet pact border as possible.

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Turn 6. May/June 1940. The Western Front.

Allied #8.

The French pull their two surviving armies out of Belgium and back into France. They also rearrange their defense line to give them full, or as full as they can get, defense in depth with armies of 2 corps, or 2 corps and a division, holding front line positions opposite the Germans.

Wouldn't you know it. The Germans didn't get another impulse with the turn ending during the allied impulse on a roll of 1 versus 20% chance of ending. And, to rub salt into their wound, the allies won the initiative for the next turn. Though, the axis could have requested a re-roll, they decided that it was in their best long-term interest not to and take the hit on the initiative bonus track, which they currently have a +1.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. The Western Front. Allied #1.

my question would be - what is in the hex with the French 6-4 INF?

I would rather comment after an impulse, for your future use, than before an impulse, for your immediate use. It's your game to play. I just wish I had the time to play as well. My "World in Flames" season of being indoors is here, but nothing much is working on that front, this year.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

I think it's difficult to replicate the muddled thinking by the cabinet in the early part of the war. I favour putting in a second BEF as this mirrors Churchill's thinking - i.e. do just about anything to keep the French in the fight.

I would use them to guard the Spanish border area and so free up French troops to take losses and not expose the CW to too much risk - at least initially.

There is probably less concern for the CW in MWIF than in real life about the threat of invasion - but that depends to an extent on German builds - and you don't want to be using the CW as cannon-fodder.

As for Egypt, I think the British did think it would be relatively easy to defeat the Italians and this was their goal - and is also where they squandered their biggest opportunity. Having crushed the Italians during Compass, they then switched focus to Greece (with consequences that we know) before trying to finish the job.

Of course it is not guaranteed that they would have taken Tripoli before German help arrived - but I think it likely. The knock-on effects of that decision for the army - and in particular the navy - would be long lasting and painful.

Regardless of what the British thought of Italian capability, the enemy still had a very large army in North Africa and Wavell was responsible for a huge area. No I don't think there would have been any weakening of the forces in Egypt (to aid France) as there really wasn't that much there to begin with.

There was also the CW offensive against Italian Africa, Ethiopia/Somalia. Is this in MWIF?

Churchill, ever the optimist, was very late in realizing that France was a lost cause.

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Turn 6. May/June 1940.

Question. How can the French and British put a major obstacle in the way of Germany's Blitzkrieg attack on France?

Answer: Roll a 1 for weather in May/June.

And that's exactly what happened.

To really foul things up, roll a one on the last weather roll of M/J, and then roll nothing but tens in J/A. I have never seen this happen, but I am sure that someone somewhere has done it. If it happened to me, I would throw the die across the room. If it happened with MWiF, I don't think I would throw the computer across the room, but I would be tempted. [:)]

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Axis #2. Start of Impulse France.

ORIGINAL: brian brian

my question would be - what is in the hex with the French 6-4 INF?

I would rather comment after an impulse, for your future use, than before an impulse, for your immediate use. It's your game to play. I just wish I had the time to play as well. My "World in Flames" season of being indoors is here, but nothing much is working on that front, this year.

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, but this is what the French line looks like after the first allied impulse and at the beginning of the axis impulse.

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Turn 6. May/June 1940.

Question. How can the French and British put a major obstacle in the way of Germany's Blitzkrieg attack on France?

Answer: Roll a 1 for weather in May/June.

And that's exactly what happened.

To really foul things up, roll a one on the last weather roll of M/J, and then roll nothing but tens in J/A. I have never seen this happen, but I am sure that someone somewhere has done it. If it happened to me, I would throw the die across the room. If it happened with MWiF, I don't think I would throw the computer across the room, but I would be tempted. [:)]

Most definitely. So from a roll of 1 in M/J you'd go from North Temperate=Storm,Med=Rain to a roll of 10+2=12 in J/A, which gives rain in both. Then if you continued to roll 10's, which would increase +2 to 12, you'd have continued rain in both areas. That would indeed bit big time for the Germans in 1940 and for the allies in 1943-1945.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Axis #2.

Italy declares war on Great Britain, but not France. Mussolini has his Ambassador to the US, Augusto Rosso, make the argument that this DOW is defensive and in response to Great Britain's aggressive naval moves in the Med. US Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, tells Ambassador Rosso that US reaction, which likely will be negative (70% 1-chit added), is independent of why Italy would declare war and also independent on whether or not Italy declares war on one or both Great Britain and France.

However, Ambassador Rosso's arguments of why Italy's DOW against Great Britain was justified must have made it's way to enough people in the US. US entry roll for the DOW is 10 and no chit is added (i.e., there is no US reaction).

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Axis #2. Germany. France.

While Italy attacks Great Britain convoys on the seas, use their submarines to block transport of Wavell and his HQ-A from Malta into France, Germany launches an all out attack against the entire French/British front from Lille to Metz. Germany plays and O-chit w/Guderian to double land combat factors and select three candidate land combat (CLC) hexes.

(1) A successful LC result to take Lille will force Great Britain to expend their 3-land moves of a combine to move Gort and his 1st BEF army back (to the west) 1-hex or risk getting the CW mot and mech division destroyed in a Blitz attack in the next axis impulse.

(2) A successful LC result against the French armor will break France's offensive counterattack power and threaten to split the French in half.

(3) A successful LC result to take Metz will put pressure on France's southern flak and get the Wehrmacht around the Maginot line.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Axis #2. Italian RM Naval Moves and Objectives.

Italy uses their naval to move ships and subs into five sea areas.

(1) Cape St. Vincent. 2 Italian sub groups to 2 & 3 boxes.

(2) Bay of Biscay. 2 Italian sub groups to 1 & 2 boxes.

(3) West Med. 3 RM BB's, 3 CA's and 12 destroyers to 4 box.

(1-3) Primary objective. Intercept CW transport from moving from Plymouth to the West Med and transporting Wavell from Malta and into Southern France. Secondary objective. Sink/abort as many CW CP's without interfering with primary objective.

(4) East Med. 5 RM CA's, 1 CA w/1st Inf Div and 12 destroyers to 4-box. Primary objective. Sink RN transport. Secondary objectives. Sink/abort as many CW CP's as possible. In a later impulse deliver 1st Inf Div to Balbo and the Italian 2nd army on the Libyan/Egyptian border.

(5) Italian Coast. RM BB, CA, 4 destroyers to 4-box and 2 CA's, destroyers to 0-box. Primary objective. Protect Italian CP and maintain flow of RP back to Italy and supply to Italian forces on Sicily and in Libya.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Axis #2. Italian RM. Cape St. Vincent. Surprise Impulse.

The two Italian sub groups in Cape St. Vincent fail to find any CW convoys.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Axis #2. Italian RM. Bay of Biscay. Surprise Impulse.

However, the two Italian sub groups in the Bay of Biscay are more successful. They find the CW convoys operating there and have enough surprise points to shift Italian risk down to no effect and ensure that they remain at sea to interdict the CW transport in Plymouth. In round 1, 2 CW CP's are sunk and another 3 are aborted.

In round two the Italian sub commanders again find the CW CP's but don't have the necessary surprise points to ensure their sub group in the higher box (2-box) remains at sea unless they use 4 SP's to avoid combat. However, in their euphoria at catching CW merchant ships by surprise again, the last thing the Italian sub commanders want to do is to break off combat. They press ahead and manage to sink another 2 CW CP's and aborted another 3. That's a total of 4 CW CP's sunk and 6 aborted, which means 10 of 14 CP's operating in the Bay of Biscay are gone. However, both Italian sub groups are forced to abort and leave the sea.

Though their primary objective not met, the Italian sub group crews return home as hero's.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Axis #2. Italian RM. West Med. Surprise Impulse.

5 more CW CP's are sunk by the Italians, the RM in this case. This bring the total so far this turn of 9 CW CP's sunk and 6 aborted.

Turn 7. July/August 1940. Axis #2. Italian RM. East Med. Surprise Impulse.

The RM in the East Med, unlike their brethren in the West Med, are unable to find RN CP's.