Cohen vs Enrico - AAR nr.4 (Solitaire from 2# Impulse - Jul Aug 1943)

[AlbertN]

Jan / Feb 1943 - West Front

The RAF sensibly reinforced their assets with newly produced Spitfires; and UK is starting to be converted into the most large Aircraft Carrier afloat!

The Germans got measly air reinforcements, a twin engine fighter and a FW190 (The 1941 one!) with 7 of air power, that got moved from Russia to a sector where it can be more useful. There are enough fighters in Russia (Actually, too many fighters) for the few Soviet planes present!

The W.Allies are massing more and more troops, ready to kick into action as soon as they get the command!

[AlbertN]

Jan / Feb 1942 - Cape St. Vincent Raid

The French sailed a small cruiser squadron to raid Cape St. Vincent, where the Axis has 1 convoy and small presence to keep the Canaries in supply and in general to hinder movement around Afrika for the UK forcing a slightly longer route.

That soon triggered the reaction of the Italian air assets in the zone, and in return the RAF planes based at Cisneceros - an old vestige of the Marocco campaign from where they remained, sitting idle til now.

The "clash" in the end was non existant, with the forces not meeting each other and simply roaming the area.

[AlbertN]

Jan / Feb 1943 - Coral Sea Battle

Yes, I know, you see the sea being empty. There is a reason for!

The pesky US brought to Brisbane in Australia an Amphibious unit, a Carrier (Their 5 moving carrier) and some Battleships (The 5 moving ones and 1 moving of 4); a new task force that planned some invasion.

Quite forgetful of things, meanwhile the US fired off a Supercombined, the UK did only a Naval - and my opponent loaded the best troops at avail (There was the CW 8-4 Australian MOT, an US INF 5-3, and the CW Australian garrison division).
So the US fleet with the Australian troops got stuck at sea, unable to perform invasion.

Pretty poorly for me, I forgot to keep a presence at sea. Bad. Very bad of me.

The US elected to not fight, to not give me opportunity to send in planes. But once it is the invasion times, my opponent is biting his hand for his mistake.

During the Axis impulse the Japanese send in just 2 planes - the two you see at sea. The Japanese finds the US, and the bomber damages the AMPH unit - sending it home to repair docks (and the 8-4 AUS Mot to come as reinforcement in the next turn).

Seen the demise of their main invasion unit, the US packs up and withdraw to Brisbane before the Japanese luck out again, and maybe this time is their carrier to get hit!

[AlbertN]

Jan / Feb 1943 - Solomons' Clash

If the European sector has been tranquil and quiet, in the Pacific much happened.

Though in the Solomon Sea the US seems to be in neat inferiority.

US received new carriers - 5 Essex, which are loaded both with 2 CVP each (4 and 1 "size") - but they went to the Marshall Sea to support the landing in Majuro (which was successful - and Japan lost a MIL unit there).

In the Solomons there were no findings of worth - or better the Japanese sent planes first in the US impulse, and the Zero in Truk was aborted (and reorganized at the end of the Axis impulse) - so forth a Lightning too was aborted. No losses there.

Then in the Japanese impulse - Naval - their Carrier fleet sailed out of Truk to get there.

The US opted to remain - especially as they've land units in Tarawa that rely on supply from there.

[AlbertN]

Jan / Feb 1943 - Battle For Marshals

The USA Pacific Command - led by McArthur in person - planned a new offensive to open the 1943 with!

An attack to the Marshalls, leaving open both doors to strike at Majuro or Eniwetok.

Eniwetok is heavily guarded, with Japan Imperial Guard (6-3 MAR), the 28th Army (4-1 GARR) and the Yoko SNLF Marine Division (2-3). Quite the garrison.
Compared to Majuro, only having a 5-2 MIL (White print still but starting OOS already as the US butchered the previous turn the CP of Japan in Solomons).

The US sent a Lightning from Kwajalein to the 4 box in the Marianas, and a squadron of 3 cruisers from Pearl Harbour to the sea.
The Japan had only a "recycled" Netherland cruiser and a CP in the 0 box originally.

The US plan is to cut the supply on Eniwetok, and attack it - or upon failure to achieve that strike the easier target of Majuro.

At the Naval Combat phase at Eniwetok and Ujalang there are based a Zero squadron and a naval bomber (the G3M2 you see) - which take off to protect the Marianas, both going in the 3 box.
Meanwhile they could help to defend the islands, with the new US planes coming from Carriers that is not something I want to undergo with only a Zero; and the bomber could get bombed down on the ground before to fly off. Therefore both are sent swiftly into the "safety" of the Sea no matter what happens. The fact they can protect the Convoy is all for the better.

Anyhow no side find each other - so Eniwetok is still in supply - and the US go to plan B and seize smoothly Majuro.

The Japanese retaliate quickly - making sail from Truk two rather slow carriers, and from Japan newly producted carriers still to be tested in battle. Their baptism of fire is excellent.

The US Lightning is shot down brutally and 2 out of 3 US heavy cruisers will never return to their bases.
The last of the cruisers limps away (aborted).

In the end of the day the US gained another base to threaten the Japanese shippings and to set their old BBs at to get in a decent box, but they've suffered more than the Japanese.

Other Pacific Ocean Happenings:

Small raider forces go to disrupt the pipeline with Australia, sinking 2 US CPs that are unescorted in sea zones south east of New Zealand.

[AlbertN]

Jan / Feb 1943 - Burma

The land operations are stalled for now, but the Royal Navy brings forth 3 Heavy Cruisers - craving to sink the Japan CP (which originally has only the airplane as presence and cover), and bringing forth an US division for opportunity landings (not sure where, I never got to discover it).

The Japanese accept the challenge and sail with their BB fleet from Singapore - the 6 old BBs that move only of 4, adding in a cruiser to the pack from Ceylon.
The UK cruisers are caught pants down somewhere meanwhile beeing around, and all three of them are sunk without losses from the Japanese side (only some aborts).

That US division will never see shores!
And with that the invasion forces of the W.Allied in the Indian Ocean went down to zero (The CW Marines are being shipped in Europe, and got to Britain already with the Return to Base phase of Nov / Dec '42).

That means that I can avoid to send a handful of Germans to man Iraq just in case, to protect the oil fields.

Other Japanese happenings in Indian Ocean:

A small squadron of Cruisers sailed from Ceylon to go raid the pipeline of convoys with Australia, but there the Japanese were not kissed by luck - losing a cruiser and get another damaged; for no losses on the UK (only their 4 box Cruiser being aborted).

[AlbertN]

Nov / Dec 1943 - Azanian Sea

The Commonwealth promptly exploited their initiative to bring large squadrons from Diego Suarez in the Arabian Sea, and Convoys to link up with India and extract their non used resources.

The Axis reacted though - the Japanese Reisen-Kai from Ceylon got to the 3 box, the Italian fleet as well aided by a Gabbiano and another Gabbiano at the 4 box.

And the Axis finds - the air battle is fierce, and the Reisen-Kai shot down the CVP of the Implacable. But the CVP before to go down blasts away one of the Gabbianos.
The last Gabbiano dive down through the AA wanting to inflict a hit of sort ... alas the hit fails and it aborts something. More CW units aborted. But the Implacable is without airplanes and in the 4 box - with only a few cruisers of escort.
In the 3 box there is the Indomitable, with 2 Swordfish (which though have 0 and 1 Air Factor) and more ships.

The CW opts to scoot bringing the carriers to safety - especially as the Axis fleet would find with 50% (The Gabbiano shot down was the one at the 4 box), and if they get to pick the UK units at the 4 box, without air cover of sort the Implacable can be potentially targetted by guns (Via surprise points).

Having lost both fighters in this and the previous turn, the CW is not anymore as dangerous in the Indian Ocean til their carriers replenish their hangars.

[AlbertN]

Jan / Feb 1943 - Destroyed Pool after 1 impulse per side.

Italy lost the Pilot with the Gabbiano.
USA lost also 2 CPs.

[AlbertN]

End of Jan / Feb 1943 - Burma

After the victory at sea against the British Cruisers, the remaining Japanese Battleships supported Yamashita's offensive through the jungle.

The CW reinforced the Garrison with another unit, but still they're quite weak there.
With shore bombing and support Yamashita's attack (along a 8-3 INF) gets to a +10.X that reveals completely successful.

The CW army of territorials and irregulars, backed up by not very strong Indian units start to retreat meanwhile from Bombay a corp (4-3 Indian INF) is railed to Calculla.

[AlbertN]

End of Jan / Feb 1943 - Cape St. Vincent Raid

Earnest victory of the Allies, they find - and sink - the convoy thereby present.

Though, they opt to remain, and to much of their dismay the Italian aerial fleet finds them.
The Lightning is shot down, and then the naval bombers dive down on the French Cruisers, sinking one.

The W.Allies promptly opt to retreat from the sea zone, having only 1 box to hit on - and that box is filled with Italian planes and 1 cruiser making presence.

[AlbertN]

End of Jan / Feb 1943 - Battle for the Solomons

The US mistake now unfolded its truth, their splitting of Carrier Task Force proved lethal (And the Axis rolled 2 and the US 9).

The US did not sought combat and avoided to send more units there, but the Japanese in their impulse flew the Zero reorganized in Truk and more planes in. That caught the "old" US Carriers there, severely outgunned in planes.

The air combat was +3 / -3, not a real match where again the Japanese are playing the game of the great hunt to the turkey. Some of their planes are aborted but they do not lose any - til the AA gets there. One naval plane is lost, a cheap one for 0 BPs, pilot's obviously gone.

But the Japanese nail 4 X and 1 D on the US fleet - able to pick a target. That means 3 Carriers are at risk of X. In the end the US loses 2 carriers and get another damaged. That is a massive hit for them, along with the loss of many CVPs (Which thought fought in the air til the better end. More chance to save a pilot that way, than to be mercilessly bombed on a carrier).

Japan tallied before the air combat 33 Air to Sea factors. That's -a lot- for what I've experienced until now.

The US obviously, without any remaining plane, opted to flee from the sea zone. That's where the old BBs, at the 3 box, could not flee properly and went to get parked into not very safe ports - such as Kwajalein and Majuro.

Needless to say, the next Japan impulse is Air. The 3 BBs in Kwajalein are targetted by all the Japanese CVPs (coming from 2 seas - Marianas too). The US forfeit to intercept, having only 2 fighters from the Essex Carriers able to properly fight in the skies against the domination of the Japanese. Japan scores as well enough surprise but the Battleships all pass the various saves (Against 4 X hits!), getting 2 of them damaged and one bottomed.

Other Pacific Happenings:

US restablishes the convoy pipeline with Australia - and to supply Fiji.

On a different note - the US placed this turn 11 carrier in production! The 9 new Essex and the 2 destroyed old carriers (remember we will play on at May / June '45). That was -all- their gearing limit for ships of the turn.

[AlbertN]

End of Jan / Feb 1943 - Destroyed Pool

[AlbertN]

Start of Mar / Apr 1943 - Production coming the next turns.

[Subotei]

Wow, the Japanese really came through that turn.

[AlbertN]

Yes, my opponent did the big - big mistake to split the carriers in order to rush and protect everything. He did not wanted to endanger the new carriers - which would have got to the 1 box of the Solomons - from USA.

He has another philosophy issue in my eyes. He favors the certainness of a good fighter costing 3, than the randomness of the fighters costing 2. This is why he has P38 Lightnings around, but you do not see other land based fighters in the Pacific. Which means in some Sez Zones he's terribly outgunned - and probably he has to be passive now for a long while (til Sept Oct 43 when 4 more Essex arrive and repairs some of the old carriers damaged).

Also he does not seem interested much in the CVL - given he got the Essex which carry already small planes - but the CVLs make for good support all around and provide the "sacrificial" small planes for the AA gunnery. (Mostly US escort carriers take 4+4 turns to be finished)

[Subotei]

That's how we (Britain) lost the American War of Independence.

In seekink to protekt everysink you protekt nussink.
/

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - Ostfront

March and April were swift, quite bloodless (very few units got eliminated) and saw the fall of Leningrad, the only attack in the Ostfront.

The single impulse of snow evolved into rain, and a whole group of Finns were devoured by the depths of Lake Ladoga (the Helsinki MIL).

That ups Soviet production some, from 11 to 14.

Me and my gaming pal gets in a sort of argument, as he got depressed and wants to restart. This would be our 4th restart once we get to 1943, and I firmly oppose to it. We played through March / April but it seems we are at a disagreement here. A game should be enjoyed - point is that I do not enjoy a restart right now and want to experience the W.Allied power of late war (Especially as he played and worked to get more factories and US resources for this purpose) whereas my friend feels frustrated and unable to achieve anything in any short term.

Anyhow - at least he listened to me about fighters and other advices (In fact he produced 13 fighters, 8 US and 5 UK, this turn. Actually he only produced fighters as air units.). I am still confident in the '46 or '47 he'll be in Berlin despite the current Axis situation.

Back to the Ostfront, the Germans exploited the snows to move through lakes to get north of Perm, but the coming of rain cut their supply short.
The Soviets, sensing trouble coming with the good weather ordered a mass withdrawal from that sector.

We had another long talk here - I suggested him to rail a factory into Ufa. He's more factories than resources so his production won't be impacted by the moving of few factories. And he needs to bunker in some fortified places with a City as supply point, where he can have resource and factory.

Main problem is that if the City falls, all the pocket falls. Magnitogork is the same, it has a resource and a factory has been railed in. But at least that can be a "fortress city" where both factory and resource are in the same hex. The same can be said for Perm, but that is a plain (albeit surrounded by rivers).

The first Soviet fighter also make his appearance, it's only a 5 air factor one; and 2 more will come the next turn. Not enough, but something to help hold the line somewhere.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - Leningrad fall

The Axis peeled just Leningrad before the turn went into the 3rd W.Allied impulse and then finished. (5 Impulses total).

Oddly enough, Moscow does not offer supply - it should be a secondary supply source being a conquered Capital. (I think)

And yes ... the weather you see is the one of May / June 1st Impulse (to be played, Allied)

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - The next home of Stalin

It's pretty clear where Stalin wants to go, once Siberia will be reached.

His loyalists are preparing the grounds already.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - France

Just a look of the situation.
Curiously enough because of a bug a US FTR3 remained in France, into a German hex with German troops into it. (There is a screenshot in the Tech Forums).

We spent most of what should have been gaming session debating, with me trying to get my fellow opponent out of his depressed status (I quite failed there).
I am sure the W.Allies will prevail because no matter of the production, their Force Pools are massive compared to Germany and Italy (Especially the Air Force Pools). It's an intrinsic limit the Axis has, and there is little to nothing they can do about it. The W.Allies will get air superiority simply because they've more Fighters they can produce.