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

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - Production to Come

[Subotei]

Don't stop. Let's see how it ends for once.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Subotei

Don't stop. Let's see how it ends for once.

Agreed.

On Moscow being a supply source, here is RAW:

A secondary supply source for a unit is:
(...)
• the capital city of a major power, or a minor country, conquered
by the unit’s major power, or by a major power the unit cooperates
with.

Germany hasn't conquered the USSR. It is a long, long way to Novosibirsk and Tashkent...

Never surrender with the USSR. Never, ever. I've seen the USSR come back after it did lose even their last oil resource. It all depends on the Wallies. The US needs to put their priorities in the right order. Mussolini or Tojo first (Hitler comes later...)?

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - After one impulse each...

The Japanese hope to achieve something, before the US recovers from their debacle in the Solomon Sea.

Most of the Japanese Carriers sail again, escorting an invasion task force. Which will be the target of the US holdings in the sector?

But this is just one of the two operations the Japanese are trying to accomplish in this month.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - After one impulse each ...

The Japanese have prepared a smaller task force, with few escort carriers along, but in due cover of land based planes as well; just in case the US fleet from Pago Pago shows up.

Given the Japan possess already the most of the islands around, there are only two possible targets...

The island of Nauru ... or Australia? Hmm, what of the two it could ever be?

The CW has an amount of Australian units in Brisbane (Well 2 Australians and 1 US).

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - Ostfront, after one impulse each

Updated situation.

Only a GARR-Div and a MIL were destroyed by the advancing Germans, too slow to retreat properly or used as delaying factor.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - West Coast after one impulse each...

The W.Allies are making it a bit easier for Hitler, litterally spending one Naval impulse each to "telegraph" Hitler where their invasion is to come.
At least sea zone wise.

It is to be seen if they'll favor the plains of France, closer to Germany, and to German Panzers too ready to counterattack (if they don't get pinned); or the mountains of Spain, where they're further off from their main targets, but also the W.Allies would be harder to dislodge, and especially the Axis has no strong reaction force (or simply, entirely lacks it).

If I was the W.Allies, I'd favor the mountains to be honest, so I could ensure a beachead and start to bring in tanks too. Then I can invade + attack from the ground more coastal hexes to expand the foothold. It's slow, but better than to get into the plains of France and risk a panzer counterattack with an O-Chit and losing marines. That would mean the next landing would probably be in 1944.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - Last but not least, after one impulse each...

Il Duce, after his not too excellent repelling of the W.Allied landing in Portugal in the Autumn '42 - where the Italian tankettes achieved victory at the cost of themselves turning into a glorious flame (the Italians lost their Mech there!), feels the need to regain the favors of Hitler.

Thus, ontop of the promises of safekeeping Marocco and Gibraltar and Lisbon, the Italians embark in their next grand mission, fighting foes of ultimate worth - the Greek Partisans.

Il Duce tasked a grand armada (including a HQ) to land in Greece, start to relocate heavy bombers to the sector.
The grand plan envision the Italian Navy sail from Aden to get to provide shore bombing support against the southern partisan lot.
Then the Italian forces will turn their eyes north, where they expect air support instead.

(I am quite amused at the idea of the forces necessary to get safely rid of a few partisan units, truth be told; and the second attack would be a +16 only, against a 1 combat value partisan in mountains.)

Once the Italians secured Greece, their quality (for Italian standards) forces will be elsewhere located and eventually at some point some colonial unit will be brought into the Peloponese.

(I can merrily state my plans here as my opponent hardly can do anything to save the Greek partisans)

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - The Urals Campaign

Allied impulse #9 to be played, 4th Allied impulse, and 7th impulse of the turn.

The Soviet armoured forces slowly withdrew behind the Tobol river (First time I ever hear of that river!) maintaining their fighting power intact, and bringing along most of the planes.
Only a few motorized units remain trapped in the "sack" of the Urals.

Von Manstein and Von Rundstedt slowly worked their way around the Urals, until an armoured pointe punched Sverdovlsk from south, with infantries coming from the west. The City has fallen smoothly.

Perm instead, where Von Bock is leading the assault, ends in a bloodshed for the Germans. It's a +11 attack but a 4 is rolled - that 2 INF losses. But Germany can afford the losses, Soviets lose only a division.

Holding the north eastern mounts of the Urals east of Ufa, a Soviet corp is demolished defending the perimeter.

The Soviets, having more factories than resources, railed a factory into Ufa. Alas it seems their needed perimeter to keep that factory working is being shrunk prematurely for that factory see its function.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - West Front

The Western Allies landed!

Despite a degree of losses (1 INF, 1 MAR-Div and 1 ENG-Marine) and 1 PARA, the Allies managed to get a foodhold in France.

Before to perform such they unleased their bombing campaign, which though ended into whittling the Luftwaffe but not stopping the panzers (It would have been better though if these panzers got disrupted, with hindsight of future rolls).
Germany loses 2 fighters in the air, but the panzers remain ready to act! (And the air combat was +2 / -2 favoring Germans!)

The W.Allies have opted to land in Bayonne - against the Yugoslav HQ that is all lonely; in the forest hex just north (Empty) and to use paras to invade the forest south-east of Bordeaux.
Germany intercepts with 2 fighters the AirTPs, and UK sends in a pack of Fulmars and other not too good carrier planes.
This time the FW190s of the Luftwaffe mince through the carrier planes, but 1 AirTp sneaks through.

To little effect, the airborne units gets butchered on the spot as they glide down in the forest.
The beaches on the other hand are seized. All W.Allied units landed are disrupted, Clark and a 6-4 UK INF just south of Bayonne.

Hitler commands the panzer counterattack, as they did not got struck. But ULTRA, the new secret weapon of the Allies, developed a bit late here, surely intercepted the message.
Even the Yugoslav forces attack the UK Marine that survived, in Bayonne. It's 3 units, against one that is disrupted.

The W.Allies lack meaningful units to land with, without pumping the notional.
But the Luftwaffe exhausted the fighters and bombers that can reach the combat area. The W.Allied had not, and a helluva of bombers arrive from UK, mainly at extended range; that includes the strategic bombers.

The Yugoslav attack ends in a +3 only! (It was a +4 originally) And all the Yugoslavs are disrupted.
Germany had to rail quickly Guderian here, since he was not anymore needed at Leningrad. The fact the W.Allies demolished the Yugo-HQ left the zone out of supply.
The Royal Marines held their grounds, having a stalemate with the Yugoslavs (no losses per side, all attackers disrupted).
Funnily enough, IF there were not the bombers that 13 would have turned into a baleful 14!

The panzer attack ... that was a cherry on the cake. The roll is 2. And despite being with a +7 it costed Germany not 1 but 2 units (MECH an MECH-Div). Quite the defeat.

Meanwhile in the next impulse the W.Allies pour in fresh troops from the ships, the Germans too bring in reinforcements and spend Kesserling in reorganizing troops to place around the beachhead.

Italy and the Spain partisans.

Italy smoothly managed to deal with the partisans, albeit the second attack had only one Piaggio or the two expected for support. (You can easily guess where the other Piaggio was suddenly redirected).

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - Start of Impulse #9, W.Allies.

Here the destroyed pool of the turn.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - Burma & India

Japan is making slow progress there, trading a MIL for an Indian INF.

The sweet prey of Calcutta is still very far, and decently defended, with many rivers in the middle and swamps to go through.
Not an easy target, definitely not.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1943 - Invasion Australia

Last but not least both the Japanese invasions worked (plus a minor, not very relevant of portugal Timor).

Tarawa resisted the first impulse of good weather (Planes simply did not flipped the US defenders), but the second round, the next wave of carrier planes delivered, both the MAR and the GARR got disrupted. The Japanese did swift work of the defenders of Tarawa.

In Australia, the Commonwealth is well entrenched around Brisbane and apparently is not worried of the invasion - deeming Japan to lack reserves and troops to commit.
Though a resource in Australia has been severed off with this landing.

[AlbertN]

End of May / June 1943 - Destroyed Pool

Pratically the same as above, the Germans lost an ARM-Div; part of their scrambled defence forces, the W.Allies reorganized earlier with Alexsander and then attacked. Despite the rain the Germans suffered one loss, and that was the ARM Division.

[AlbertN]

Production Coming - after placement of Jul / Aug 1943:

[AlbertN]

Jul / Aug 1943 - Hitler's Counterattack

The W.Allies landed, reinforced their beachead and even tried to push in; at the cost of German panzertruppen for them to be halted.


The Fuhrer was thundering at his subordinates, about them being incompetent and whatnot. Meanwhile that happened the CW brought into Bay of Biscay quality fighters - which at the end of May / Jun turn returned to base into France, pooling a grandtotal of 4 FTRs and 1 LND there, ontop of 2* Stacks of 3 units each.

The last impulse of May / June was Axis, rainy, a Combined one for Germany which was used to bring forth more planes and secure the perimeter around the beachead.

When the turn ended (With an Italian 2-2 partisan appearing in Chile!) the W.Allies elected to leave in the sea only the Queens, under a measly carrier escort (With a FTR with 4 and another with 2 of Air to Air factor). In the 3 box. Then an amount of cruisers for added AA factor.

That revealed for the W.Allies to be a fatal mistake.

Initiative wise, the track was at +1 for the Axis, and as the Allied side started the previous turn, Axis wins also the ties.
Luckily for the Axis, they were able to go first in Jul / Aug. (They evened out 8, with Axis rolling 7 and Allies 8). (With that Initiative risk, and it being so important he should have either stocked up on Initiative bonus during the winter, or simply left more ships to supply the beachead, even at the cost of having less shipping later on in the turn).

The naval mistake of the Allies came now into play.

Il Duce elects Air impulse, and attempts to claim his moment of glory. 4 Italian NAVs + 1 German Condor (reacting) escorted by 2 fighters (at 7 and 6 of air factor) reach en mass the 2 box, and a Gabbiano is sent at the 4 box as sacrificial lamb to try to keep the combat up in case the main group does not find.
The W.Allies realize now that not a single land based fighter can get to the 3 box, which means their excellent Spitfires and Thunderbolts simply lack the range to get there. Only a P40 go into the 2 box. (2nd mistake here -

To much dismay the W.Allies find the Axis instead. That is where the first big mistake is done.

The W.Allies can find the Gabbiano (with 2 surprise points) or the main Axis air battlegroup with 4 Surprise points.
In my eyes the choice was extremely simple, in the given situation. There is only -1- unit of the W.Allies giving supply. Pick the option that gives you the 4 surprise points, and elect "Avoid Combat". Play safe.
Instead a 2nd mistake is done - the Gabbiano should die, my opponent tells me on skype. And his Fulmar, the P40 and the CVP with only 2 of Air Factor go attack the Gabbiano! Which is only aborted.

The W.Allied planes all return to their carriers safely, but that choice enabled another roll of search. Sure, it's a 30% risk to get found, a calculated one - but affordable?

Another hard choice - all the UK fighters in France could have flown in Bay of Biscay as reaction (It meant they'd go at the 1 box, but they'd be safe from overruns in case the shit hits the fan. On the other hand by doing so it means the ground units would be entirely exposed to Axis bombers). The choice was to keep them on the ground and ready to intercept bombers (A choice I agree here with though).

And then Il Duce's naval air storm finds the Brits. A nice roll of 1, harvesting a total of 4 surprise point in the end.
But the Fulmar can do little against the superior Italian Saggitario leading the assault, and is gunned down.
The US CVP promptly elects to abort (would be fighting at +6 / -6) and land on the US carrier, that is anyhow targettable!

The AA is weak, highest of 2 - lowered by surprise to 2 lowest of 5, a total of 3 is scored. The Italians have 5 planes for a total of 15 Naval Factors. The last surprise points are used to get back the column to where it is. It's 3X 1D and 2A!

The Queens are bombed and sink to the bottom of the seas. A not very relevant US cruiser follows suit. Then it's the time of the USN Ranger (with its embarked plane); another cruiser is damaged, and the W.Allies pack their things and go home - making the aborts not very relevant.

That left their beachead entirely vulnerable, and Out of Supply. Needless to say the Euro-Axis submerges the two hexes with bombers. Italy provides 2 Piaggios, 2 Sparviero and 1 Fighter that is loaded with bombs (Having a nice 3 factor).
Germany litterally does the same, using 3 of its air actions to bring forth their strategic bombers, and a FW190 F3 in bomber role.

The W.Allies stand little chances, of the ground units only an INF in the woods south of Bordeaux escapes its grim fate; their planes not relevant as they're OOS. Only the HQs could have mattered due to their ability to perform Emergency Supply, but they're both bombed.

From Spain, Guderian, the conqueror of Leningrad, leads his gebirgsjager in what shall be known as Alpenblitz style of warfare, a mixed used of panzers and alpine units; meanwhile the bulk of the Axis armoured forces struck south of Bordeaux. Guderian spends itself in HQ support, to be on the safe side, and some more bombers are sent - Bayonne is a +15 attack, and the forest hex a +12.5. (Due to OOS and Disrupted in box hexes the Allies have 10 combat factors only).

The W.Allies which could send bombers in, without escort though, seeing the wall of Luftwaffe fighters ready to intercept - an amount of them of 8 and 7 quality, politely decline the chance offered (To save their troops or to add planes to their graveyeard to come).

The Axis are victorious, with no losses. Hitler summons to his headquarter in Berlin the very subordinates he reprimanded two months ago, for promotions; and Il Duce invites his aerial commanders as well for celebrations over this astonishing, unexpected victory.

In the while the W.Allies commands mourn the losses and are in despair (Further talks of closing the match - where me and my friend alas have very opposing views; but we started in parallel another match where I am the Allies; playing it PBEM. Turns at the start are much quicker and less requiring in terms of reactions and such).

[AlbertN]

Jul / Aug 1943 - Other happenings in the 1st Impulse:

In the far and remote lands of the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese performs raids (sinking 2 CPs) and a port strike at Pago Pago, that lacks any air cover. The Wasp is damaged.

The destroyed pool:
Take note that -all- the planes below got destroyed with pilot included (The Fulmar shot down in the air too).
That is a massive loss (slightly over 50 BPs) for the W.Allies.

[AlbertN]

After this, starting the next session we litterally spent 1-2 hours talking of mistakes, tactics and whanot. It's time to wrap the game when you don't play anymore and simply chat.
So it's a game over - with an Axis Decisive Victory.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Thank you for this AAR, waiting for next one [&o]

[Courtenay]

I'm impressed that the Allied player played as long as he did. I would have resigned long ago.