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At the Tashkent area, Prince Paul suddenly sees that the Soviets have overstretched themselves. He orders tactical movement towards the city, forcing the Soviets into a retreat.

May/June 1943, Allied impulse number 2:

The USSR takes a land action. The Wallies all take naval actions.

The Wallies move a lot of units across the sea. A small invasion force leaves Brisbane for the Timor Sea, consisting of slow BB's, a CV, a MAR and an INF. Convoy escorts are put back in place. The, Allies don't sail into the South China Sea, because of the superiority in numbers of the Japanese navy. First, all CV's need to get filled with planes again.

Listen to: Don't Cry, Baby - Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLL-zLSzHcs

The Allies don't want to fight. However, since a CW TRS has picked up the Ethiopian HQ in the Red Sea, the Italians decide to fight, even against CW CV's. Axis roll 5, Allies roll 4. A naval air combat commences. It starts with Gladiators against the Gabbiano's:

The Italian fleet fires at the incoming bombers:

The battleship Torino gets hit, forcing it back to port:

Both sides decide to stay for another round. Axis roll 3 and the Allies 8. The transport ships, escorted by a lone cruiser are suddenly attacked by the big guns of the Italian BB's (4 surprise points used for a surface combat). 2 more points are used to increase damage:

The Italian fleet sails away unharmed and abort the sea area.

Air warning sirens in Berlin and Dresden. An old HE-112 is the only defense for the area. It flies to Dresden, to oppose the Allied bombers:

There is no defense at Berlin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq-zSb1 ... tml5=False

At Dresden, Bomber Command misses:

The USSR does a tactical withdrawal. Here's the Osfront:

And Tashkent:

Listen to: Don’t Get Around Much Anymore - Glen Gray (Kenny Sargent & group, vocal)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7j3kMHfqiU

Finally Rydz reorganises a FTR in the UK, with more German strategic bombers around, that seems a good thng to do:

And here's the weather for the next couple of impulses:

May/June 1943, Axis impulse number 3:

The beautiful spring weather continues. Japan chooses a land action. Italy takes an air action. The OKH sends trains with additional supplies and ammunition to von Rundstedt and chooses a land action (offensive chit spend).

Germany flies two condors into the Cape St Vincent. Italy flies NAV into the sea area too. They search the area for enemy shipping. FTR command flies two Beaufighters as escorts to the fleet. Axis roll 9, Allies 1. The Allies don't want to fight in this sea area since there are loaded TRS in the sea area with the fleet. The loss of such a TRS loaded with an MOT equals 10 build points. No thank you. The combat is avoided.

At the Ostfront, Germany grounds strikes the city of Magnitogorsk. The Soviets react by sending a FTR, after which the Luftwaffe send up a FTR of his own:

Music: Luftwaffenlied: “Stuka vor”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DZczBPCmY

Bombs away:

Germany rail moves units into Murmansk and towards the Osfront. Italy rails a FTR out of Iraq to Italy. Japan railmoves a MIL into Ulan Ude.

Listen to: Evelyn Künneke / Michael Jary - Es hat keinen Zweck mit der Liebe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fyKjkkY6l4

Japan improves positions. Umezu is still slowly moving westwards:

Germany moves more units towards Spain:

In the desert around Tashkent, the situation evolves back into a stalemate:

However, at the Ostfront, von Manstein orders his troops into attack position. Rommel moves eastwards slowly and von Rundstedt decides it's time to use the extra supplies at his disposal. Student's para's are dropped in the Ural Mountains, where the notional is included by the USSR.

Several attacks are declared, with 8 units getting extra supplies from von Rundstedt. Germany flies a FTR during ground support in the hex with the PARA, preventing the Soviet Bomber to give ground support in that particular hex. However, the bomber flies to Magnitogorsk (which is under attack), instead. The Luftwaffe reacts: