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May / June 1940 - Axis Impulse #3

In the first impulse Japan did well, bombing the "Peking" Militia stack, and destroying the 2 units in the plains (4-3 INF and a 1-4 MOT).

But then the weather played against Japan, despite good attacks the poor weather hindered the Japanese; the Chinese called for Blitz attacks and their troops simply retreated meanwhile Japan lost a quality INF (6-3 elite).

The Chinese are quite lucky there, and Japan is failing to smash severely the Chinese army as they'd like.
Each Japanese loss needs to be rebuilt too (well as the Chinese) but this is the only China front; the Japanese have a much larger war to prepare for!

And this is how it looks after the attacks...

May / June 1940 - China slugfest.

Situation at the start of Impulse #8 of Allies.

The Japanese are growing desperate, and gambled with an amount of Chinese disrupted unit. There was a stack of 3 of them disrupted.
MIL, INF and MOT-Div, for a total of 7 (doubled to 14) combat factors.
The Japanese can attack with a total of 12 Combat Factors, with only 2 units.

This is the best Japanese possible attack (Choosing between a +6.7 in that stack, a +6.5 uppable to +8.5 spending Yamamoto against the still organized unit encircled; or a pure +6 against the encircled Warlord.)

Reasoning wise the 6.7 attack won't burn a HQ, and can possibly lead to the encirclement of the Warlord, that once wiped of its supply it is an easy prey.

For China is more important to save units though, than to be bled on the spot, and they opt to Blitz.
The roll is quite good, rounded up to a +7. No losses for Japan, 1 loss for China and a Shatter.
This time the Chinese is shattered, and they promptly destroy the Peking MIL (because to shatter it equals to never see it again, or at least not see it for years to come!). The INF and the MOT-Div will return in the scene the next turn!

I can only hope now for a long May / June to harvest some more disrupted Chinese units.

May / June 1940 - Spain aggressed!

The Surprise Impulse is rain in the north, Germany still opts to attack Bilbao at decent, but not astonishing odds, with the Sturmpioniere leading the assault and Von Rundstedt guiding in person the siege to the industrial capital of the Basque region.

The Spaniards sell their lives dearily (both the units are destroyed but the German ENG unit is destroyed too); but that is an obstacle gone.
The rain also prevented the Germans to advance nicely in the Pyrenees, only a 7-4 INF manages to do a step into the mountains, meanwhile on the Mediterranean coast the Germans advance in smoothly, seizing a non defended Barcelona. (To which a MIL is railed afterward, a 2-2 that is only good for Antipartisan Duty).

The southern branch of the Germans proceeds, seizing Valencia too meanwhile with the drying up of the soil and the shining of the sun the Wermacht crosses the Pyrenees en mass.

In the south of Spain, the Germans invaded various spots.
The British garrison of Gibraltar sallies forth and attacks the two German INF-Divs in Cadis, eliminating them with both shore bombing and aerial support.

The Canary Islands are taken too by Germans, with a GARR-Div.

Meanwhile a mountain division and a SS division land around Malaga and Almeria, taking these ports.

With hindsight, I am not sure I should have attacked with rain - but that impulse was already costing me double (As per the Impulse Track advances of 2) and I sort of want to get to Gibraltar as soon as possible.

The loss of the 2 Divisions with 2 Combat Value is quite pissing; I had plans for them - if the turn lasted long enough.
Since one of them could have merged with the MAR-Div to create out of the blue a full Marine Corp that could invade somewhere from an Italian TP.

May / June 1940 - Marocco and South Spain

Not much happening there, that has not been explained earlier.

The Regia Marina, in its shipping the German divisions for the invasions has met pesky French naval units; but the Regia Marina proved itself superior to the French.

With only some cruisers suffering minimal damage, requiring few weeks in the shipyards (Aborted results; the only time the French found the Italians both Damage results were "saved" the protection of the ship).
Instead the French lost 2 Cruisers (which were all alone in the 4 box, and were the selected prey of the Italians!).

Besides that the Italians simply advanced in Marocco slowly, following the only railroad that goes along the coast and then inland.

Here there is a problem because the Brits can deploy anywhere in Spanish Marocco without the Italians being able to say anything, but for now that does not seem to be in their intent. Actually the British deployment in Marocco is quite limited (They're reinforcing though Berbera and Aden, in the Somalia / Ethiopia zone).

Jul / Aug - Start of Impulse #7 (Allied)

Mussolini started the push in the full summer into the Marocco proper, having his soldiers fighting against the British forces.

Initial successes led to overconfidence though (A first attack - supported by Balbo - got a +7 against a Brit MECH, that got it destroyed).

Growing bold, and with good air support to which the Brits seem unable to retaliate (The Brits cannot intercept Italian bombers at all - even if they bomb just British units, on French soil).

Churchill remains passive against the Italians as they prepare and mount another attack against Gort headquarter; but the Italians only manage to make Gort and his entourage (an INF) to retreat at some losses (1 MOT-Div).

In the while Regia Marina keeps clashing with Marine Nationale, sending to the bottom of the seas the old cruiser Jeanne d'Arc.

JUl / Aug 1940 - Start of Impulse #7, Allied

Germany finalized the invasion of Spain, and are preparing to the subsequent operations:

Portugal Invasion.
For this, 6 units are required only and some air support. In 1940 Portugal has a weak unit.

Capture of Gibraltar.
This is the mainstay of the whole ordeal, and will require some units, including Para, and the non naval chunk of the Luftwaffe.

Shifting Sands (Bring forces in Afrika and for Greece)
With insight of things to come, and now with an excess of land forces in Spain for what is required, Germany needs to start relocate things around.
Italy has only limited shipping - 2 TRS per turn safe HQ usage (which was used earlier to get the Italians quicker in Marocco). so they should start to get units in Afrika and for Greece now. I am not sure what should be the next but Egypt seems prioritary in my eyes, but Greece is a necessity for the future alliance domino effect in the Balkans.

Cape St.Vincent Domination. (Ensuring air superiority in Cape St.Vincent basin)
The Luftwaffe is on its way to receive 2 Condors (both placed in production the 1st turn of 1940 so coming in November) and in September the Germans get their allotment of fighters, including the good one with 4 range.
Italy will provide naval assets and some aereonaval planes too - sooner or later Mussolini can declare war and the surprise effect can be juicy!

Jul / Aug 1940 - Start of Impulse #7, Allied

Stalin agreed, after a meeting with Mao in a secret location, so secret the Axis spies only got they had a secret meeting ... both the communists factions started a joined offensive against the Japanese (in truth to bring relief to the pressure Japan is applying to the Nationalists).

The Soviet forces use their cavalry as infiltrators, and Japan is caught with lowered panties, but at least not bent at ninety degrees (yet!).

Timoshenko commands the Soviet bombers to strike to the regular Japanese forces (which are OOS, differently from the Manchurian auxiliaries) in the swamps west of Tsitsihar; the Japanese scramble their fighters to intercept but their planes don't get there in time (Bomber is cleared as first result); and it's opted to rebase the fighter squadron further away from the front, in fear of a sudden collapse.
The Soviet bombers, despite the swampy grounds, deliver their cargo with success. The Japanese GARR suddenly is disrupted and drops to 1 combat value (2 in Swamps).

The Soviets attack across the river, and win the fight (losing though 1 INF and 1 CAV destroying the Japanese GARR).

The Japanese in the while tried to contain the raiding cavalries, but the Mongolians managed to fend off the attack and escaped into the mountains of Korea.
If all goes down to plan though fresh troops from Japan can land in Wonsan, Korea, and hammer from the south that Mongolian unit.

Then Japan can deal with the other Russian cavalry that is coming by in the north

Jul / Aug 1940 - Mao's Offensive

Mao led his own communists forces ahead and attacked Sian.
The Japanese were quite confident to manage to hold the City, having an INF and a MIL in there for a total of 9 combat value.

Yet Mao managed to crush the Japanese defenders, causing quite a situation that was not expected from the Japanese High Command, suddenly having two communists offensive at hand, and Mao one going well ahead.

Korean auxiliaries are dispatched in the zone, and the Mechanized corp, that was to be railed elsewhere, cannot be railed elsewhere anymore!

Short of planes and land units, Japan here can only play defensive and hope to seal the deal elsewhere quickly enough to shift troops in the sector.

BUG: Sian factory was never destroyed, it never gave the option to destroy it despite Japan sitting into the hex with 2 units for ages.

Jul / Aug 1940 - Chinese despair

The Japanese are operating with success instead against Nationalist China, having somehow decent bombing runs and successful attacks, earning slowly their way into the plains of Chunking.

But even here the Japanese are short of troops to push everywhere they'd like.

Umezu and Yamamoto both spent themselves in aiding the attacks, and destroying multiple Chinese units over the weeks and even shattering Chiang.

Another impulse can be ace for the Japanese since under the 2-4 CAV unit, there are 2 disrupted units.
And in the City in the "southern oasis" of plains, there is a disrupted too.

Across bombardments, retreats and so forth the Chinese have suffered greatly (Hence the Communists offensives).
Terauchi has performed a forced march over time to get to a railroad.

But the next impulse - if any - can be tricky for the Japan.
They need to ship units from Japan to Korea and Russia (Vladivostock); and at once to claim Chunking if the 2-4 CAV is moved there.

Coming Reinforcents and Destroyed Pool:

Also, on a relevant note, USA had their first gear up in May / June 1940, so they produce 20 already.
Which is worrying!

Jul / August - End of Turn

There were were raging blows in Cape St. Vincent, as predicted.

More ships damaged!

2 Italian Convoys lost too; and 6 CW Convoys too. (By hands respectively of French and German submarines)

Alas for Axis, Germany spent 2 HQs to reorganize planes, but the turn ended, I was hoping for more feasting in Cape St. Vincent.

End of Jul / Aug 1940 - USE

And meanwhile the rising star of the Axis seems ascending without a halt ... Roosevelt is brooding on arming up more and more in forecasting of USA commitment to war.

As you can see the US Entry Chits are not too pink, for the Axis, and probably USA will get the next gear up by early '41.

End of Jul / Aug 1940 - Gibraltar under siege

Situation at Gibraltar.

The Germans brought their Fallschirmjaeger (PARA) in Malaga, ready to airdrop on the Rock upon need, and massed their Luftwaffe.

The Conquest of Portugal was smooth, and their navy was caught in Lisbon, and destroyed by the advancing panzers.
The merchant ships of Portugal swiftly got added to the pipelines of the Commonwealth instead.

In Cape St. Vincent the Luftwaffe poured in planes - to aid the Regia Marina and Aeronautica, who were pounding the few French ships there.

The Commonwealth reacted by dispatching immense naval assets in the area and covering their convoys with fighters. Including the allmighty Spanish Chirri (That here is a bit of a legend for his air cover roles in the sector).

The Axis finds en mass the Brits at some point, and the Luftwaffe turns into laughing stock when the not exactly powerful carrier planes (2 and 0 of Air to Air factor) embarked repel two squadrons of Bf109 and manage to get through on the Italian Navy, damaging the best cruiser, Bolzano.
The Axis on the other hand reaches with many bombers the UK squadron, sending to the bottom of the seas the Ark Royal and a cruiser and a battleship (causing the loss of 1 plane too) and damaging the other carrier present in the sea box.
The UK though shot marvellously with their AA, tallying 13 damage (and a Gabbiano goes kaboom).

In the end of the fight, at the cost of 1 Gabbiano (and pilot) and Bolzano damaged, the Brits and French loses:

CV Ark Royal
BB Revenge
CA Shropshire

And have damaged:

CV Furious
BB Renown
BB Royal Oak
And 3 more Cruisers.

Italian Coast:
The French submarines raid successfully the Italian shipping there, and even sink the escorting cruiser San Giorgio at some point!
A French Submarine is damaged in the process though by other escorts.
The Italians send a replacement convoy, only to have it being sank as well.

North Atlantic:
German submarines repeatedly finds the UK shipping in the sector, sending to the bottom of the seas 6 CPs.

Faroes Gap:
Kriegsmarine sailed out from Kiel, reaching for Faroes' Gap; not managing to find the Brits (anyhow they're on a low box).
But they are needed at Cape St. Vincent now so it was a mandatory move.

End of Jul / Aug 1940 - Manchuria

Japan maneureved and brought in new troops, and eradicated the Mongolian CAV unit that was infiltrating.

Next is the turn of the Russian CAV more in the north. And the railroad for the Manchurian resources has been secured again.

Next turn initiative here can make some difference, in terms of distance to cover to get hands on that pesky CAV!

Mao's Offensive seems to have halted though, having Mao been spent for its HQ Support earlier.

Jul / Aug 1940 - End of Turn

Chunking falls. The Imperial Japanese Command spikes their sake with champagne, and they toast in cherishment for the grand victory.

Chengtu is also not too far, but I wonder, where Stillwell and Chiang will appear?
At the safety of Kumming, or at the exposure of Chengtu?

Hopefully the Chinese production should be crippled soon - and Sian still is bugged factory wise!

Sept / Oct 1940 - Bloody September

A truly bloody pair of months (not over yet but probably soon.
It's Impulse #13, and it's Allied time to do things!

Mussolini finally entered the war against the Commonwealth. A crave for glory, more lands, and so forth.

Italy opens with the bombing of 2 TRS in Casablanca, and a run on Gibraltar (the first by a Sparviero LND, and the latter by a Sparviero NAV).
Both were not as successful as hoped. Of the 2 TRS, one is damaged and the other disorganized.
In Gibraltar the Italians disorganize a carrier, and do some damage to cruisers. Nothing spectacular again.
"Il Duce" is disappointed, but he has other aces in the sleeve.

The Italian Regia Marina sails in grand force, from Cadiz sending ships all over the Atlantic for convoy raiding, and their main battle squadron - alongside the Kriegsmarine whole sailing from Lisbon, in Cape St. Vincent. All of them sitting on the 4 Box. Almost 30 naval units.
The Luftwaffe covers the 1 and 2 boxes, with 3 Bf109 and 1 HE115 at 1; and 1 Bf110 and 1 HE115 at the 2.

Amazingly enough the Italians find only in the mediterranean, and in all other seas (4 zones!) they do not find, despite having 50% chances to!
The Mediterranean is cleared by CW convoys (3 of them sank) and German Marines invade Cyprus.

The retaliation is swift, the Brits and the French bring in lots of ships in Cape St. Vincent (a total of 169 Sea to Sea factors scattered across the 0 to 3 Box! - Against the 97 of the Regia Marina and Kriegsmarine combined). Grand air cover arrives at the 0 by the RAF (3 UK fighters, and the Chirri!)

The UK finds with 1-3; the Axis with 1-5. The first round Allies roll 1 and Axis 9. All of the W.Allied ships find (because of a carrier plane with 4 movement at the 0 box), with tons of surprise, and the Axis navy is picked on and hammered severely.
The second round, as Axis stays, see the W.Allied find still (but with 2 and 3 box only) the Axis navy, and they keep hammering.
The third round the Axis finds, but peels it and the surprise is minimal. They attack the 0 box and their AA guns down the Chirri (and its pilot) and the rest of surprise points soak the damage ...

It goes on. On, and on, and on.

The Axis Navies turn into a shadow of themselves, where even big ships as the Bismark, Gneisenau and Conte di Cavour are sank, both Littorios damaged and the Scharnorst too. Dozens of cruisers sank.

The whole naval affair was dire.
British submarines raid the Italian coast.
British ships raid West Med, temporarily wiping supply to Italians in Marocco (and crushing 2 CPs of Italy).
German submarines join the Italian cruisers in Central and North Atlantic.
The Italian cruisers in Bay of Biscay are repelled with ease.
The Axis clears the whole of Central Atlantic of UK convoys except one; Uk depletes their reserve convoys to replace the losses.
Axis finds repeatedly then in North Atlantic, wiping the whole CW Convoys on the spot.

Then, at late october, Germans finished their preparations, in a window of good time Gibraltar is assaulted.
Fallschirjager lands in Gibraltar, Von Rundstedt leads the assault. And the Luftwaffe is levelling the Rock to a plain (or almost). Only the promised shore bombardment is never coming (By the time Gibraltar is assaulted, afloat in Cape St. Vincent there are only the 4 Italian BBs!).
It's a +10 attack. Germany suffers one loss (Berlin MIL) but the brits loses 2 units (INF and GARR) and their Arty is sent home!
The initially disrupted Carrier in Gibraltar is scuttled by the crew before the Axis can get hands on it.

At the sea the Luftwaffe gets more lucky and starts to grind away the RAF in Cape St. Vincent. (Luftwaffe loses 1 FTR2 with pilot, but shots down the Harrow, and 2 Spitfires), and then the wild bombing starts.

Last but not least, the Italians led by Balbo in Marocco proceeds with an assault, costing a MOT to the Brits, with no losses (but many disrupted) of the Italians!

The USA did not digested well the fall of Gibraltar though, and gained another chit.

Sept / Oct 1940 - Destroyed Pool at Impulse #13 start.

Convoys are not here. I know Italy lost 2.
I've not counted British Convoys losses. But their production dropped to 9 this turn!

Sept / Oct 1940 - Repair Pool

Bear in mind, some units are there since the start of the game; but you can see how many units got damaged into the fight of Cape St. Vincent - or other sea zones in this turn.

Sept / Oct 1940 - Marocco Situation

Italy is short of forces, that's all they can cast into the fray truth be told.

But the Commonwealth is not that nicely set either.

And mostly both sides supply lane is endangered as it goes oversea.

The Italians have the danger of the submarines based in Egypt and Syrya.
The Commonwealth has the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica going at their convoys!

The situation is a can of fuel for both, who will ignite first the spark?
Also though, the Axis has much more bombing capability to disrupt possibly out of supply units.