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Jan/Feb 1940
Impulse: Conquest

The Netherlands is conquered. The UK becomes the Home Country.

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: Reinforcement

Germany:
2 x INF
Para

Italy:
Vittorio Veneto
Andrea Doria

Japan:
Hiei
Katori
INF






The pride of the Regia Marina, the Vittorio Veneto, joins the 1st Naval Squadron. Commanded by Giuseppe Sparzani, she will form part of the 9th Division, protected by the 14th and 15th Destroyer Flotilla's, once the Littorio is ready.

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: Reinforcement

China:
INF
INF DIV (Communist)

Commonwealth:
HMS Howe has been placed in the Construction Pool
HM Cruisers Trinidad and Cleopatra have been placed in the Construction Pool
HMS Indomitable has been placed in the Construction Pool
MIL (Batavia)
FTR
HMS Suffolk
CONV

France:
Jean Bart II has been placed in the Construction Pool
MIL
CONV
MTN DIV
ARM

USA:
TRS has been placed in the Construction Pool
NAV
USS Wasp
USS Maryland
USS Colorado

USSR:
2 x INF
INF DIV



How the Jean Bart will look - if the French are allowed to complete her before being taken out of the war by the Germans....

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: Initiative and Weather

The Allies win 10:7. The Germans go for a re-roll as they do not want the BEF getting naval gunfire support in Holland.

The re-roll is won comfortably by the Axis 10:2.

The weather is a 2 - Grim..... Storm in the North Temperate.

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 1

The Germans have a real problem here. The presence of the river, the weather and the fact they can only attack from two hexes means an attack on the CW in Rotterdam this impulse is a no-no. Adolf paces up and down in the Reich Chancellery in a foul mood...

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 4

With the Japanese similarly stalled, the impulse ends and moves on to the Allies. The CW get the Royal Navy to sea in the North Sea for added protection of the troops in Rotterdam. The French continue to fine tune their start line positions, bolstered by the arrival of the Chevalier Armoured Corps.

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

The weather god finally smiles on the Germans. It's a 10 and its fine everywhere! Sadly for Adolf, the Royal Navy is now at sea in strength in the North Sea and feeling in a slightly belligerent mood....

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

....but not as belligerent as Adolf, who addresses his general staff:

"Right, I haf decided its no more mr nice guy. Today ve attack Belgium!"

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

Meanwhile in Downing Street, Neville Chamberlain and the cabinet are discussing their next moves, when suddenly a telegram arrives asking:



"Not bloody likely" exclaims Chamberlain. "Ask me another!"

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7





"Ahh, that's more like it - yes please" retorts the Prime Minister.

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

It's all happening this turn! Japan aligns Siam. Meanwhile the Belgians set-up for the German onslaught. No idea if this is a good idea or what but let's see what happens...

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

Ground Strike time! The Luftwaffe decide that Rotterdam and Brussels are to be the main targets. The Germans have 4 attacks. They concentrate two on Rotterdam and two on the Belgian capital.

No fighters are sent in as all are in range of Rotterdam if required. The RAF decide not to fly. The thinking is that they will be massively outnumbered. Instead, they can hope to be missed - and be available later, but even if not, then it will take a major effort to dislodge the British Army from the Dutch port this turn . Putting two fighter counters in Rotterdam was perhaps "punchy" at best [:D].....

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

Okay - here goes:

Great shooting from the Luftwaffe - it's 4/5!

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

Wow! the Dornier Do-17's are the new Stukas!!

The Brussels attack is highly accurate - the HS123 was not even required...

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

Meanwhile in China, the Japanese just cannot get decent odds. They have two possible attacks but both are 2:1 and will be on the Assault table. They choose to give these a miss....

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

There will be two attacks in Belgium - north east of Brussels and Liege. The odds look bad for the Belgians....

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 7

Wow - I almost mucked that up [8|] I forgot to check if I had any armour or mechanised units in the attack. I didn't so it was an Assault...

...even though a four was thrown, this was enough to destroy the 2nd Belgian Infantry Corps without loss... "phew" says von Bock "the throw saved me from a court martial!".

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 8

STOP PRESS++++++++++++++STOP PRESS+++++++++++++++++STOP PRESS++++++++++++++++++++

It appears that General Maurice Gamelin has been kidnapped and replaced with a look-a-like. Except the look-a-like actually has some Napoleonic martial spirit about him!

The French and the British decide to go on the offensive. What was a landing in Rotterdam to hold up the Germans, has become the basis for a new Allied strategy. Let's hope it works!

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 8

The Royal Navy send battleships and a couple of cruisers from Force H, based in Plymouth, into the North Sea along with TRS carrying the remaining British Army assets in the UK (with the exception of the Manchester Militia - which is being railed to London) [X(].

There are no ground strikes possible by either the RAF or the armee de l'air as the German fighter arm is just too strong.

The British have just three land moves; they move the 4th Motorised into Brussels and the 8th Mechanised - both of these are from the BEF previously in Calais. Gort stays in France. The London Milita lands in Antwerp.

The French move into southern Belgium in force - if they can pinch out the exposed 12th Infantry Corps then the Allies can form a solid line Antwerp-Metz.

Mar/Apr 1940
Impulse: 8

The French can get 5:1 odds against the 12th Infantry Corps, but this is reduced considerably by their bomber force.

This is a key hex and so the French declare the attack. They decline to use Georges' HQ Support. Given the importance of the hex though, they do order every available aircraft in the air. Sadly, this amounts to one bomber and a fighter (the second fighter is held in reserve to react to what the Germans do).

The Germans respond with two bombers and two fighters - all that they have in range.

The French bring in their MS406 fighter.

THIS IS BIG!