A musical global war AAR...

[Centuur]

But they press forward the attack:

[Centuur]

Both sides decide to stay in the sea area. Axis roll 10, Allies roll 2. The Allies again choose the sea box with the Axis NAV's. They use 4 surpsise points to increase the Allied air-to-air columns and 2 points to reduce the Axis air-to-air columns:

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Again, both side elect to stay. Axis roll 8, Allies roll 9, ending the combat. In the Bay of Biscay, the Italians decide not to search for the US fleet. A 6 point CVP is too much for the 4 piont FTR and the two NAV's in the sea area.

Listen to: Harry James & Helen Forrest - I've Heard That Song Before

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

American officers report that the Home Fleet has sailed out of Scapa Flow and that large numbers of invasion crafts and transports, together with Lord Gort and several elite units, have left for the North Sea. When asking what the British are up to, the answer given by the First Sea Lord is short: “since the Combined Chiefs of Staff believe this war to be lost, we;ve decided to prove otherwise”. Roosevelt, on hearing this, tries to call Churchill. However, since he is currently in conference with His Majesty, he can't be reached...

In the USSR, Vatutin and Timoshenko improve positions:

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Eisenhower reorganises an ARM and the Mustang in Morocco.
Here is the weather report for the next couple of impulses:

[Courtenay]

If I were playing the Allies, I would resign and start a new game.

[AlbertN]

In my own experiences - to resign is not that good. To do once or twice is fine but over time ... though to play against myself that's a different tale.
Given I fail at playing vs myself (just not enjoying it).
It would neither be amusing for the Allied player if the Axis at '43, in a somehow historical position would resign all the time.

[Centuur]

No, that isn't good indeed. However: this game will end in an Axis victory.

The Axis have a huge airforce, with superiority or equality in all area's of the map. The Allies only have a slight advantage in BP per turn, not enough to close the gap and finally: the USSR is down to 5 BP and 3 oil. The Germans only need to get the FTR's out of the Urals in place against Tashkent and it's game over for Beria...

[Courtenay]

Yes, if the Axis were to resign in a historical 1943, that would not be good. At that point, one does not know who will win the game, although one does know who will win the war.

In this game, though, there is no doubt about the outcome of the game.

[Centuur]

July/August 1943, Axis impulse number 3:

Abwehr reports to Admiral Canaris that there is large fleet of the CW, together with invasion forces in the North Sea. This message is top priority at the OKW. What to do, how to react, should the Fleet sail out of Kiel, or stay in port and wait to see what happens. Strangely enough, it is the Italian liaison at OKW, who points out that the Aeronautica Regina just stationed two long range FTR's on the Coast of Normandy. The Italians will be able to give the Kriegsmarine the necessary FTR cover the precious ships at sea.

Thus, the decision is made to go for a combined action with Germany, another air action with Italy and a land action with the Japanese.

Listen to: Ilse Werner " Wann wirst Du wieder bei mir sein?" – when will you be with me again?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeH5yyrYqxg

Italian and German planes enter the North Sea. The German Task Force based in Kiel sets sail into the North Sea. Germany initiates combat. Both Italy and Germany are flying more bombers into the 3 box. Fighter Command gets a message from the first Sea Lord: we need planes. However, the Spitfires can only get to the 1 box. Axis roll 1, Allies roll 7. Italian long range bombers have found the British fleet. Having only CV planes as FTR's, the admiral in charge suddenly understands the trouble he is in. A naval air combat is called for, which starts with an air-to-air battle:

[Centuur]

The Allied ships open fire, which results in 8 damage points on the German and Italian aircraft, aborting an Italian bomber. Germany uses 6 surprise points to increase damage. The AMPH which transports Gort is attacked first:

[Centuur]

Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser radio's to the First Sea Lord (to keep radio silence is stupid at this point, since long range German bombers are shadowing the fleet) and asks to return back to port, after reporting the staggering losses on the transport ships. However, Churchill is present in the command room with the First Sea Lord and forces Fraser to stay and fight. The British weather services predicts fog over the North Sea. And behold! A fog rises: Axis roll 8, Allies roll 5.

Listen to: Evelyn Künneke / Peter Igelhoff - Dieses Lied hat keinen Text

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riCvm9dDaPo

The Auronautica Regina wants to ground strike a US stack in Morocco. The US airforce reacts and again, an air-to-air combat commences:

[Centuur]

Bombs away:

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Germany rails an air unit into Gibraltar. Japan rails the Kwantung Army into Mandalay.

More German Swing: Franz Grothe - So schön wie heut´

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBvxZpzHaP0

German motorized columns move further towards Novosibirsk:

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Umezu moves his forces in attack position around Irkutsk. A Japanese planes provides ground support. The defenders call for the assault table:

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The valiant defence of the city means that the Japanese have a high casualty rate. However, the railroad to Novosibirsk is now open for capture:

[Centuur]

July/August 1943, Allied impulse number 4:

Roosevelt is very angry, when he finally gets hold of Churchill. Didn't he guarantee the remaining neutral countries of the world that the Allies wouldn't attack them? And what is the excuse of the British to attack Norway? The fact that there is coastal shipping of Swedish iron ore from Narvik? The President is furious. However, what's done can't be undone. Congress however, doesn't forgive the British at all. They demand that H.M. The King himself guarantees any remaining neutral nations that the British will never attack them, for as long as they are at war with the Axis. London however, keeps silent. In the House of Commons, Churchill speaks and gets interrupted quite a lot of times with “hear, hear”: “We lack the necessary units to land into Europe in force. However, we can and will try to make Germany lift the pressure on the comrads in arms in the USSR. The government of Norway was warned time and time again about stopping the passage of the ore shipments to Germany. It did refuse to do so. I regret to say that time has come for the Norwegians to understand what the support of the German war machine will cost them”.

It's a little difficult to get through the national anthems of Norway. That is, because the Norwegians don't have an official national anthem. There are two songs which are used by the Norwegians as national anthem during the war. The first is this one:

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

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It's the Kongesangen (Song of the King), which is played in honor of the Royal Family of Norway. The other one which was often used (by both the Quisling government and the resistnace during the war) is: Ja, vi elsker dette landet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq4hIOBANSk

The Norwegian army and navy gets mobilized and is setup as follows, after Germany aligns the Norwegians:

[Centuur]

All Allied powers take land actions.

Long range bombers appear above the city of Vienna. The Luftwaffe hasn't got FTR's in the area:

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The damage to the area around the Raffineriestrasse is very large. For weeks, the large oil tanks are burning...

Wellingtons and Lancasters ground strike the Norwegian army:

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The Soviet forces improves positions by shifting some units.

Listen to: In The Blue Of Evening - Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra, vocal)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgi3Tk2Gue0

The CW invades Narvik, Bergen and Stavanger, all automatic attacks.

[Centuur]

The US improves positions in Morocco: