Alternative History: The Great War that didn't happen

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Italy also strikes an OOS unit outside of Toulouse. A hit here will reduce defense value to 1. Nope.

[AxelNL]

The loss of two Axis fighters against only one disrupted Axis HQ in the strike phase. My first reaction is that the loss of the fighters is worse, but than again - that depends on what you can estabish with the units which could have been flipped in those attacks. Interesting AAR!

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Rail Moves:
IT rails a MIL to Southern France
GE rails Finnish HQ to East Prussia
JA rails HQ and MOT from Vladivostok to China, putting the attack force back into supply.

Land Combat:
Germany is planning on using an O-chit to reorganize all HQs next impulse, so in this impulse, they want to make attacks for all HQs if possible, and use up all the HQ support.

The Axis makes several attacks: Germany attacks the southernmost CW hex in Belgium, the hex adjacent to Zhukov, and the Bessarabian city of Chisinau, and the city of Suez. Japan attacks the Nat. Chinese CAV, while Italy attacks Athens.

Lots of attacks so lets get to them.

The first is the one in Belgium. Germany uses an Airborne attack with their PARA as well as HQ support. Gort throws in defensive HQ support as well as 4 points of air support. Ends up giving the Axis a risky +6.8 modifier.

CW picks the Blitz table, trying to conserve forces and it works. Germany gets the fractional and rolls a 14 for 21 overall. CW forces retreat, and give up one hex.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
The next attack is in Lithuania. Again Rundstedt uses HQ support, while the Soviets throw in 3 points in ground support. Ending up in a +7.4 modifier on the Blitz table.

Germany doesnt get the fractional, but rolls an 11, for 18 overall. Half the Axis forces are disorganized but the Soviets are shattered. Germany chooses to convert to a retreat.

The Soviet may be forced to use their o-chit to reorg Zhukov next impulse. Losing him this turn could be disastrous.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
Next we go to Athens where the Italians finally attack. 7 pts of shore bombardment and Balbo throwing in HQ Support give them a +8.929 ratio on the Assault table.

Italy once again rolls poorly, rolling an 8 for 17 overall. Italy loses a DIV, Greece loses a MIL, and everyone is disorganized. Grrr...

(the longer Greece holds out, the more time given to USSR and France before those forces move to their doorstep)

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
The attacks have higher modifiers as we go, and we go now to Suez, where the Turkish forces attack whatever the CW can put in front of them, namely an Egyptian TERR. Modifier sits at +11.

CW chooses the Blitz table, and the poor rolling by the Axis continues. The only thing saving the Axis's butts is the fact that they only attack when they have high ratios...

Turkey rolls a 9, for 20 overall. They convert the result to a retreat, but have to lose 1 (choose a DIV) and half disorganized. Nothing is ever easy it seems, even with a +11 modifier.

Turkey takes Suez and it seems nothing can stop them taking Cairo next impulse.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
In China, the CAV did its job, delaying Japan's advance. At a +16 modifier, its pretty much a done deal.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Axis Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
Last attack, in Bessarabia, Soviets leave a weak GARR unit in Chisinau, which is promptly destroyed with a +18 modifier. OF COURSE, now the Axis rolls a freaking 16! when they don't even need it. Sigh, its comedy.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Allied Impulse:

Actions:
CH Land
CW Land
FR Land
SU Land. They also use the O-chit to reorg Zhukov so he can pull back
US Combined. They have an opportunity to port attack Truk with half the Japanese fleet there

Port Attacks:
Since I started playing MWiF I haven't had many port attacks, now I have three all going at the same time.

CW port attacks Italian fleet in La Spezia (TRSs are there and are vital targets)
CW port attacks Japanese fleet in Canton
US port attacks Japanese fleet at Truk

The La Spezia attack has Italy rolling 3 for surprise, CW rolling 10. I didn't know what that meant but soon found out that higher is WORSE. Italy was able to avoid the attack.

In Canton, the same as Japan rolls 4, CW rolls 10. Avoided. Strange, but luckily for Japan, they had enough surprise points, because the game skipped their ability to fire AA.

At Truk, both sides rolled 9. But there was no resolution, the US planes had to return to base.

Seems there is a bug with multiple port attacks going, the game progresses through the steps of the combat, not for each, but for all.

Will report the bug. To work around, since the CW CVPs were avoided, I will just not use them the rest of the turn, and also not use any more air actions this impulse, but resolve the US attack on Truk only.

With no surprise points the game goes right to AA fire, Japan rolling 1 and 9, taking highest = 9. US destroys one CVP and does 4 points reduction on the rest.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Allied Impulse:

Port Attacks (continued):
US completes the attack getting 1 X and 1 A. They get to choose the X and try to hit the Hiryu, but only damage it. Wow, lucky roll for the Japanese. Japan uses the Abort on the Hiryu as well.

Honestly the Japanese came out of that whole fiasco of allowing the Allies to hit their entire CV fleet in two different port attacks somewhat well, considering. 1 CV damaged.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Allied Impulse:

Naval Moves:
US moves a couple of TRSs off the coast of Guyana to pick up the MOT DIV and to reorg the ENG DIV after it takes Dutch Guyana. They also move 3 BBs off the coast of Brazil

In Naval Combat, the US tries to find the Japanese NAV in the Bismarck Sea, but rolls a 10 search. Japanese rolls a 3 and is able to avoid the combat.

Rail Moves:
USSR rails a factory to Archangel
CW rails the South African TERR to Cape Town for pick up later on. Two other TERRs are guarding the country.


Land Moves:
US moves into capital of Dutch Guyana

US also keeps moving down Brazilian coast

Belgian Congo TERR moves into the capital of Angola

CW will land two units into Bilbao and Bayonne

France and CW do little movement, minor adjustments to their defensive placement.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Allied Impulse:

Land Moves (continued):
Soviets pull back in the North, giving up Minsk, Eastern Poland, and Lithuania, forming up behind the Dvina river, saving most of their more valuable units as they retreat East

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Allied Impulse:

Land Moves (continued):
Not much movement in the South, where the Axis doesn't seem to have the ability to punch holes and no air cover.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

2nd Allied Impulse:

Land Combat:
Only one attack this impulse, a suicide attack by an Egyptian TERR on the Turkish invaders. It had a 10% of causing 1 unit lost on the Axis side. It didn't.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

3rd Axis Impulse:

Weather:
Roll of 4. Fine Everywhere, except N. Monsoon (Rain)

Actions:
GE Land. O-chit used to reorganize all HQs
IT Land
JA Land

Ground Strikes:
Japan does a futile attempt at disorganizing Mao. They don't have anything else to do with their fighters at this point.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

3rd Axis Impulse:

Rail Moves:
JA rails a GARR from Vladivostok to China
GE rails three Swedish units to Eastern Poland

Land Moves:
Two attacks get declared in Russia. Not much movement anywhere else.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

3rd Axis Impulse:

Land Moves (continued):
In Ukraine, Von Bock ALMOST declares an attack but prior performance in marginal attacks hasn't been good for the Axis, so he holds off.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

3rd Axis Impulse:

Land Combat:
The Axis attacks disrupted units left behind as speed bumps. The first is a stack of two DIVs, and INF and AT gun. The modifier is +14.8, and the Soviets choose the Blitz table.

Germany gets the fractional and rolls a 7, for 22 overall. Only 1 out of 2 of the defending units is killed, the other shattered. Germany converts this to a retreat.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

3rd Axis Impulse:

Land Combat:
The next attack is a near automatic, +20.5 on the Blitz table. Of course, Axis rolls a 19.

The Siberian 5-4 INF is destroyed.

[markb50k]

Jul/Aug 1940

3rd Axis Impulse:

Land Combat (continued):
Turkish forces keep up the carnage in Egypt. It's a +21 modifier.