4 Player AAR with new PBEM - Game 3

[rjh1971]

Winter 41 Japan

Quick turn for Japan, only remarkable event is that a Heavy Bomber levered a resource center in Kunming, while another had to withdraw from Sinkiang without dropping its load of bombs on the target as the chance of being hit by flak was greater than that of hitting the target.

[kondor]

SU awaits the onslaught. It seems that Tim has similar issues as I had in the last game - Axis minors refuse to join.
Pushing out recruits, and upgrading outdated weapons continues.

[tcart]

Germany Spring 41

Once again I forgot to screenshot my maps. Argh.

Germany attacks on both fronts. In the West, the uboats rule the Atlantic, at least for the short term. Africa and the UK are cut off, which I assume will hurt the Allied production eventually. My subs hit quite a few escorts when the WA came after them, but proved pretty useless at attacking warships on my turn. I'll have to look up the rules there.

All in all, it should keep the WA busy and, most important of all, unable to help the Russians.

In the East, Barbarossa. It's not an ideal first turn due to Rumania staying neutral. She did declare war this turn, but it really limited my options. I felt I had to send the panzers into Kiev rather than Belorussia to keep the Russians from launching a suicide attack on my new allies.

I remains to be seen how this will affect the war long term. I may have to go south just because that's where my units are.

I made a big mistake by throwing all of my INF into the initial attack. I didn't need them, and I could have rushed 5 or so to Kiev for next turn. The Germans are a little rusty!

[rjh1971]

Japan Sp41

With the new sights of our heavy bombers (Upgraded to level 4 ground attack), the Chungking factory is blown to smithereens.

Nothing much to report, preparations for the inevitable war against the US continue.

[kondor]

SU Sp '41.

I've started with damage control. The first order of business was lifting the spirit of my troops with a win, I desperately need one. And I find a small one with my HB. Enemy fleet in N. Sea does not have an FT-cover (hint to my ally) [;)]).

[kondor]

As you can see, I have no troops to seize the Rumania, and I've ordered a full retreat to key strategic areas. Like Kharkov.
I did spend one of my INF units on the suicide attack on empty E. Prussia, just to destroy the railroad there.

[kondor]

Germany's research data was stolen, and it seems Tim is continuing to upgrade the submarines (they are 3:3 now, but he wants that 4:4).
FT-s will not have 2 range yet, but it's under research, together with attack+1 & def+1 as well.

[kondor]

Militia units have risen against the oppressor. And you can see a defensive army forming in Kharkov and panzer heavy units of the Wehrmacht.

[kondor]

My defense will be based on the one thing where the SU is equal (or better) than Germany at this time, and that is artillery. I'm pushing them out in great quantities. Submarines are a problem for the WA atm, so I can't rely on land-lease.
I'll have to build some supplies in the fall to get ready for the winter counter offensive (if Tim presents me the opportunity to hit somewhere).

[tcart]

Germany Summer 41

The somewhat hampered spring offensive costs us in the summer. Germany moves up to Kiev and bombs factories, but I can't do much until a big force closes with a major Russian army. Let's see how the first year plays out. I know where I'd like to end up, LOL.

Maybe the Russians will stand and fight (??)

[tcart]

The Uboat campaign is doing better. The entire South Atlantic is cleared and no lend lease is going on. That's about the best we can hope for. I see allied ASW went up. On the other hand, it'll cost him in supplies to chase down my subs, and the Luftwaffe has re-entered the fray in France.

[kondor]

@Tim the image is very blurry (I can't make out the size of GE forces in SU ), try to post smaller (pixel) size images.
This 200kb rule is both ridiculous and annoying, with today's infrastructure.

[kondor]

SU Summer turn '41
I've taught about retreating from Kharkov, but then decided against it.
Reinforced it instead. I need it as a staging ground for the winter counteroffensive. And I'm not willing to lose more factories, Stalin issues no retreat order.

From Leningrad, I've retaken the area close to the sea (can't remember the name, is it Baltic states?), so that the German player has to use a few precious units in defense there, or use even more valuable panzer units to destroy my units.

Moscow area has all available units digging trenches.

GE has a high number of panzer units (14-15), submarines (9), and a fair number of FT-s and HB-s (5). Tactical bombers are a bit scarce with only 5 atm.
All of the panzer units, supported with artillery, Luftwaffe, and infantry could hit Kharkov next turn. But as I have a lot of artillery there (with 8 attack), that could prove costly for OKW.

[kondor]

Here are the opposing armies. Let the carnage begins!
Notice the rebuilt factory. Germans are here to stay.
There are 4 more panzer units in the area, and they could reach Kharkov as well.

[rjh1971]

Belated Su 41 Japan

This should have been posted prior to Kondor's report.

Nothing much happened with Japan, a Heavy bomber was damaged while attempting to raid the factory at Kunming again after it was fully repaired.

[rjh1971]

ORIGINAL: kondor

Why did you leave 17 supplies? if you lose the area they'll vaporize...

[kondor]

It's a gamble, but I need those supplies with my troops. For future operations.[:D]

[tcart]

Germany Fall 41

The domino effect of Rumania not joining haunts the German offensive. We simply can't get the odds we need in Kiev, and a huge attrition battle doesn't suit us at all. Ugh.

Mind you, I was also unlucky/greedy re knocking out that Russian TAC air in Kiev. Good move by the Russians to put it there to force german attacks into AA fire. If I'd thrown everyone in at once I'd have hit it, and the combined arms bonus might have made an attack worthwhile.

Ironically, the war in the west is going well, from my point of view anyway. I have to assume the lack of resources is hurting him, especially as the US economy ramps up. If Germany and Japan can cripple his transport fleet over the next 3-4 turns it may remain a 1.5 front war.

[rjh1971]

Fa41 Japan

The bombing raids continue, this time it was Changsa factory that got hit. I have to stop the Chinese from getting more supplies from the WA or they'll keep repairing their factories.
Japan's patience is wearing thin...

[kondor]

Fa41 SU
The next turn is winter, and nobody loves Santa more than me. He will be bearing gifts to me, and Axis troops will get frostbites.
That means that I have to get into a position to use that one turn, the best I can.

So, I've ordered attacks on multiple fronts.

From Leningrad, my valiant troops recaptured Baltic states. From Kharkov and Moscow, a group of tanks, supported by a few militia units liberated Belorussia. They will not pump out war materials for Germans - in the close future anyway.

HB unit find the target in Rumania, were 1 factory was damaged.