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ORIGINAL: cpdeyoung


(James, I know, it is already feeling uncomfortable, but Russia is big, deep and big.  The previous games have seen the Soviets switching to the offensive in mid-war, and this will not happen in this game, but they may hold out.)

It will be interesting to see how the additional points help each side. One thing I don't like is that the advantage is a percentage. I wish it were a slider to set a fixed number of additional, or reduced, PP per turn. Germany and the UK will be at 300% of base by 1944!

Just guesstimating from the screenshots, with the exception of armor, it sure seems like the Germans have amassed a much more powerful army than is typical. That long line of infantry corps bodes ill for the USSR. Oh! But I forgot, Germany has a non-aggression pact with the USSR.

19400524 : The French staff advises a major adjustment.

19400601 : France devastated, can Paris hold out?

19400609 : Paris evacuated.

19400616 : France struggles on.

19400624 : Standing against all comers.

19400701 : The British prepare to defend Marseilles. We give the Italians a lesson in why not to use Air Armies for recon.

19400709 : The Italians were very upset about the loss of their air unit. They learned about the possibility of getting air into a spot where it cannot rebase.

19400716 : Marseilles stands unattacked, as the Spanish enter, and we suspect the Germans will be heading there. We add three units to the defense of Gibraltar.

In North Africa the four Italian units are engaged in near Tobruk. We also push down the coast nearly to Sirt with LRDG troops. It looks like the Italians are not too concerned with North Africa. We are faced with choices about our naval strategy as the Spanish situation develops. We must not let the Royal Navy get trapped in the Med.

19400724 : We expand out of Gibaltar a bit, but bring no new troops in.

19400801 : The British abandon, evacuate, Marseilles, and when the Axis moves in next turn it will mark the end of the Third Republic. The Italians have left Tobruk, and the LRDG troops are nearly to Tripoli, which should mean the Axis will have to use Tunis to re-enter the continent. Malta is well garrisoned as is Gibraltar, but Germans have already been sighted near the "Rock" and we are sure that Franco and his Feldgrau friends will give Gibraltar much attention. The French Fleet will disappear next turn, and the Royal navy will have to be on guard.

Where will Axis attention turn next? The Soviets show no sign of any activity, and their garrisons near the border appear in normal state. They have a non aggression pact with Germany, and appear to be depending on it. All eyes are on the German leadership to guage their next move. Is Great Britain ready for an invasion?

19400816 : The Germans declared war on the Yugoslavs, and served them breakfast in bed! We see many Germans before Gibraltar, but so far only infantry. No Spanish to be seen which makes Portugal nervous.

This may be yet another reason in favor of gaining the "traditional" Axis minors: You can attack Belgrade from the back (i.e. north east) via Hungary in turn one of the campaign and don't have to fight your way south through Yugoslavia. (I assume that is what happened here). Split remains however as a VP.

Thank heavens for Split or I would have "F1"ed in to find Yugoslavia already defeated. JJ is pushing ahead here and in Spain at the same time. I have five strong British infantry corps in, and before Gibraltar and he may need panzers there before any Greek or Turkish adventures.

I sortied the Yugoslav fleet, and hope to slow this jugernaut a bit. Next turn the French Navy will no longer exist, and I am interested if JJ will do anything naval.

19400901 : The British rush in to fill the vacuum after the Fall of France, and the Germans advance on Split and Gibraltar.

19400916 : In Yugoslavia we are nearly wiped out. The Yugoslavs have moved PP by convoy to Greece, another neutral. By house rule they could not ship to beligerent Great Britain.

19401001 : Yugoslavia falls.

19401016 : This is a quiet turn as we wait to see what direction the Axis will go. Will they attack neutral Portugal? What of Greece?

19401101 : The Axis, primarily Spanish troops we believe, have invaded Portugal. Lisbon fell before we could react which implies that German help must have been used too. We expected this move, as a neutral Portugal on the flank of Axis Spain invites the Allies. However we had not exerted any diplomatic pressure on Portugal and this would have allowed the Axis a brief period before they had to invade. This may imply a desire on the German part to be done with the Iberian peninsula. They may have other fish to fry. There is no sign of any German activity on the Soviet border and all looks quiet on both sides. We hope England and Scotland are well enough defended that the Germans look elsewhere, and perhaps they are looking East. Conventional wisdom holds that the Germans have a hard row to hoe in Russia, but these Germans have an abundance of PP each turn, and they may be thinking of trying the Red Army. 1941 is coming fast and this will be a big decision for the German Staff.