Cohen vs Enrico - Yet another AAR

[AlbertN]

The longer term production coming.

Oddly enough you can see some Euro-Axis ships.
I realized - at least when the Euro-Axis can afford some leeway, that it is best to have some naval pressure on the CW least the focus entirely on Japan later on when USA itself can already be overwhelming.
Last Japan need is a dozen of US carriers and ontop of that like 8 CW carriers on them combining their might.

2-3 Axis carriers cannot really change much the impact but would force some CW carriers to be guardians of the Atlantic otherwise.

[AlbertN]

End of 1941

The Germans seize Grozny, more oil for them.

An assault on Sebastopol ends in bloodshed for both sides; the Germans were in haste to liberate forces (but it eventually syphon resources from elsewhere).
Germans lost the ENG and an INF; against a MOT-Div and the MIL of Sebastopol.

Aerial fights over the Caucasus saw the Luftwaffe prevailing over the twin-engine fighter of the Soviets.

[AlbertN]

End of 1941

In Iraq the Italian offensive continues despite the losses.
The Uk Royal Navy failed to exert sufficient interdiction in the Arabian Sea but performed a port strike in Aden via their carriers, damaging an Italian naval unit.

The Italian army storms the lonely Soviet HQ, that opted to not move to not get disrupted.
To no avail the Regia Aereonautica bombards it (with the allmighty Gabbiano, 10% chance, but worth a shot!)

Failed the bombing run, the Italians move in for the kill, but forget of the Soviet long range bomber in the Caucasus which promptly intervenes to bolsted the HQ.

The troops from Mosul moves out - to ZoC the retreat path of the HQ; which in turn elects for Assault combat.
A total of 15 is rolled - Italy loses a MOT and a MIL; 6 BPs vs 5 BPs in terms of losses; but the Soviets have 1 ARM, 2 MECH and 1 INF in Iraq which now face more serious problems of how to get home.

[AlbertN]

End of 1941

The Japanese, electing a land action, erase the small obstacle (a 3 strong CAV) that keeps them away from the last resource they got eyes on in the Soviet Far East.
A resource that anyhow is already cut off as the Japanese have seized Chita already

Other Japanese happenings:
Landings in Guam and Ellice islands expand the perimeter of Japan.
Yamamoto succesfully leads the assault on Canberra, Australia is fated to fall.
Chinese partisans raise in arms at the resource north-west of Lanchow - a 2 strong Partisan which can prove difficult to dislodge.

[AlbertN]

End of 1941 - Turn losses.

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

The Allies seize the initiative.

The Soviets replenish the garrison of Sebastopol - bringing forth again the MIL and a new Garr-Div.
The new garrison is stronger than the previous by 1 point! (And cheaper even).

Also the Soviets seem to have "forgotten" to cover a hex in the Caucasus.
But the only unit that could fit there is the Panzer-HQ. Is it a trap for panzers? It could be.
Will the Germans dare and move in; or will they stay put?

Since Allied played first, the weather of the next impulse is too a variable!

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

Stalin issued an Iraq Relief Force. (IRF)
[No I do not know of my opponent plans - without a HQ surely he cannot supply them far away from Baku. They could just be a measure to prevent Italians to sneak in and align Turkey!]

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

Pro-Fascist locals acting as spies report of arrival of US Marine Corps in the Canary Islands.
Marocco Garrison is set in status of red alert and reinforcements are promised to the local commander, currently having at avail the grand total of 3 infantry corps.

Though the Axis High Commands are minimalists. "If they cannot control the sea, they cannot proceed inland with a desert route as supply lane."

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

Contrary to my expectations, 2 of the precious shipping units produced by USA are assigned to the Pacific Sector; and mostly the FTR which could have been quite useful for air cover against the Euro-Axis.

Probably the US has some offensive plans already in the Pacific before the Essex class CVs arrive?

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

Historically, USA would have just got into the war.
Here they're in war since a year already!

The Pacific front though is not well manned; and Japan had multiple conquest with success - next in line is New Zealand.
The USA appears unable to provide any assistance at the present, even more so as the base of Pago Pago has been lost.

The big question is IF the USA will seek already a confrontation with the IJN now that they're in a condition of parity (or eventually inferiority); or will passive wait, encroached in Honolulu.

On a relevant note, the Japanese carriers found themselves cast into war before they could be properly equipped with modern CVPs, so they're not exactly up to date (but Japan has excellent CVPs in reserve. They just need to bring the carriers home or ship the CVPs upfront).

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

The Royal Navy, having received brand new and modern carriers, have equipped them with their best fighters at avail.
Probably that is the planned air cover for the shippings to fuel the advance in Marocco.

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

The Italian Navy sorties to intercept the pesky cruisers of the Netherland; after the dutch submarine sank the Axis shipping in the western med.
But the Italian Navy does not find anything, alas!

On the other hand the last operational submarine of the Regia Marina damages a british cruiser in the Central Atlantic.

With a worry, the Italians have only 1 reserve convoy in the Med and the Germans 1 or 2 (but Germans struggle to take a Naval or Combined action!)

As the weather improved, the Italian Navy finds itself prone to Allied retaliation in a not very pleasant spot!

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

2nd Allied impulse - and the weather improves.
Is it the end for Chile and Perù?

The US are poised and prepared to attack both of them, but for one they've to land with surprise closeby the capital and then march into it. So they'd need effectively 2 impulses for that. But this is already impulse #7 for the turn; once it will bounce back to them it will be impulse #11!

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

In the while, Japan has prepared the required assets to invade New Zealand.
Another of the Commonwealth nation is going to fall - unless the US takes the risk and commit their fleet to protect it. Something that the Imperial High Command is very sceptical about though.

The next thing to "study" is how to secure and protect the possibly overextended south-eastern flank of the Japanese perimeter; to have the USA off Pago Pago, Auckland and Brisbane can be very beneficial long term!

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

The Japanese Kwantung Army - freshly reformed once China fell - proceeds in advancing into Sovietland.
The last cities of the Soviets should be taken to prevent that in the future they can be used for offensive purposes or placing reinforcements to disrupt the Japanese activities.

One never knows which aces Stalin has in the sleeve, despite the Axis advancing from Europe!

[AlbertN]

1942 - Openings

If the first impulse cursed the Germans with blizzards and heavy snowfall; the more mild snowfalls of the coming weeks seems to give her a green light to push further on.

Certainly the Germans must have got very good winter gear to face their first winter in Sovietland here!

[AlbertN]

Production Models safe ulterior changes:

Relevant Note - if the Soviets get attacked anywhere they'll produce 0.25 more!

USA Gear Up is at September / October.

China is gone.
France is gone - oddly not even Free France exists and the resource and units in Dakar seems lost in a limbo from which they cannot be touched!

[brian brian]

So your opponent seems tenacious in his determination to again prove that the Western Allies building a ton of carriers, invading South America, and ignoring the plight of the other 3 Allies absolutely won't work to defeat the Axis.

[AlbertN]

My opponent indeed seems tenacious in that.
I've to admit - having never got to the endgame and counting VPs, the South America plan is not that bad as it ups bigtime the subsequent USA production (Done some math, the time he did not tried to get hands on these resources, he could not keep USA factories fully resourced, simply because the resources are peeled and at some point he started to have to use oil needed for production for oiling ships and planes and HQs and Shermans.)

Anyhow the few US units he could throw around by then would not be able to do much, meanwhile they can easily trample Argentina.
The VP tale is the different one though.
But in my experience I've discovered that the Axis - if going for a Gibraltar strategy - has an armada of NAVs which can cripple a poorly prepared invasion by sinking many W.Allied TRS and AMPHs. Given, in this game also USA has geared up exceptionally early, usually in '42 the W.Allies (playing with LOS at least, and without defensive shore bombing) cannot afford easily to have a landing in Europe with meaningful forces (as it should righteously be).

The carriers I told him.
In July / August he still placed accursedly 3 carriers with huge advance, that were for 21 BPs total which could have been precious units for other operations.
I agree by building all the 5 Essex in '41 as soon as they pop in the Force Pool - IF USA can afford them.
It's the building ahead that can cost a lot. But he is partly forced in the hand by the fact Japan builds ahead his own '42 carriers in '41, and as soon as '42 hits should build ahead the '43 one - if Japan economics allow.
IF Japan builds in advance some, US could want to build some of his own accord as well, but in '42 '43 the land based planes of USA are far far superior than the Japanese ones - and they can cover the carrier task forces as well with the invading troops.

The lack of Lend Lease to the Soviets is another factor in my eyes. 1 INF extra per turn can do marvels to the Soviets if the UK can spare some stuff.
But the Soviets got screwed for other reasons - besides the "2" rolled at Moscow, which accelerated their demise; the Iraqi expedition army was unnecessary. A screening force of weak units (4-3 INFs or so, not MILs which are sacrificial meat for the front where Germans advance unless they're MILs of cities you have lost) would have easily kept the Italians honest (besides their supply problems, of Italy, til Turkey is in).
The Caucasus defences are strong - but he litterally kept half of his army there meanwhile the remaining half fought on its own - so halving his counterattack projection force. (Sure if one rolls 2 on +14 critical attacks matters little but...). And the not using the O-Chit to reorganize Zhukov and Konev at Moscow was also a bad choice in my eyes.

I offered to switch sides before the production of Jul / Aug but by then we had no more save (before the 3 Essex of '43 were placed in the production spyral pratically), as we switched sides and started a new game that got stopped in Jul / Aug '40 when France was still quite fat (He opted to destroy the BEF with an OChit, and then struggled to break through a line of Frenchmen bolstered by UK resources. It's not nice when France produces 15 and Germany 17!).

[Centuur]

21 build points too many. I wonder, how many TRS/AMPH have the Wallies build? Because those are the ships which will win or lose the war for them.

The US should have build a lot of those, since moving units around to good defensive positions is more important when the war starts, than having all those shiny carriers on the production spiral. The units used in South America, could have been used to defend Pago Pago, Australia or New Zealand. Sure, a couple of resources extra looks nice, but the price paid is far, far to high IMHO.

You can't win the game, as the US, with only the fleet.

And the same is done on the side of the CW too. Fancy stuff is nice, but the cost is losing Australia to the Japanese. Boots on the floor are far more important than finishing any BB or CV, let alone starting those...