MWiF Global War Hot-Seat (AAR)

[Red Prince]

Zhukov got his supplies to the defenders, so it's a 3:2 Assault . . .

The attacks:



And the results:

Attack on Persia [70, 74]: Assault, Roll = 7 = 1/1 (Italian INF destroyed, Soviet MTN Division destroyed, attackers disorganized)
Attack on Stavropol: Assault, Roll = 8+1 = 9 = */2S
Attack on Krasnodar: Assault, Fractional Odds .074 (Yes), Roll = 3 = -/2S (attackers disorganized)
Attack on USSR [43, 70]: Blitz, Fractional Odds .005 (Yes), Roll = 10+1 = 11 = */2B (Breakthrough)

Zhukov reduced the chances of losing a unit to 50% and of losing the hex to 20%, and it was just not enough. The hex was saved, but the MTN Division was lost. At least he took an enemy INF with him. At first I was going to let the CAV be destroyed, since both take the same amount of time to build and cost the same . . . but I finally decided that if the mountains are breached, the CAV has more factors in any other type of terrain, so it survives.

For the Italians, the deciding factor was that the Rome MIL is stronger and white print. It costs less and comes back faster, but the Axis needs the strongest units they can get on this line.
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Bad luck for the Germans at Krasnodar. They got a terrific Fractional Odds Roll that wasn't needed, and then rolled just short of staying organized. That's pretty good news for the Russians, since only a few of these units could be reorganized by German HQs.
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I figured after the last Fractional Odds Roll that I wasn't going to get the one up north, but .005 is the lowest one I've seen in any test run I've made in the last 10 months! 10 seconds later: I guess this attack was just meant to be . . . a 10 on the 3:1 Blitz CRT after that .005, with a +1 die roll modifier? Unheard of . . . and the only possible way the Germans could kill off both defenders. Taking full advantage of the Breakthrough does put one of the German MECH out of supply . . . until an HQ can catch up with it.

The Russians right now are praying desperately that the turn doesn't end yet . . .

[Red Prince]

I could re-run the attack sequence and let the Italians keep their INF if you think I should. If I were playing the Soviets in a real game (and I am, with lots of help and advice), this is what I would have done. The reason being that if the turn doesn't end now, it'll be a 70% chance to end it next impulse. In the 12 turns so far, I think the End of Turn Roll has only missed a 70% chance once. I'd have to look it up to be sure, though.
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Edit: At 2:1, the roll would have resulted in a -/1 instead of a 1/1

[Red Prince]

After rebasing some air units, I decided to go ahead and risk reorganizing 3 land units with Rundstedt. It "wastes" one of his reorganization points, but this turn can't possibly go on for more than 2 more Axis impulses, so he's about at the maximum of the range he'll need to get at the moment. I actually don't expect another Axis impulse, but it only cost a net 0.2 Oil to do this, and the Germans just captured the 3 Oil Points in Stalingrad . . .

[Red Prince]

While it hurts the Partisan number in China a little, I wanted to get these units into Burma, so I let them be disorganized from the weather . . . and HQ-I Umezu is in position to get them moving again if there should be another Axis impulse before the turn ends.

[Red Prince]

You're going to hate this . . . please don't throw anything . . . at least nothing with sharp edges . . .



That's it for J/A '41, folks. At least the Allies gain +1 on the Initiative track . . . not that the +2 helped them last time . . .
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End of Turn reports as soon as I can put them together. Before I do, I'll post the current situation for the Soviets.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

If the Axis moves twice in a row after both summer turns, there isn't much the USSR can do about that.

[Red Prince]

There's no possible way I can show you everything at once, so let's start with what's left of the Soviets in the Arctic weather zone:
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Note: In the following 4 images, any disorganized units will end up reorganized once the new turn begins, but the supply status of all units will depend on the weather for Impulse #1 of S/O '41.

[Red Prince]

Next up is the North Temperate zone down to just below Tiflis:

[Red Prince]

Next, we get the rest of the Soviets down on the Persian border:

[Red Prince]

And finally, Siberia:

[Red Prince]

I have several things I need to check and get through before I can post the End of Turn report, so it probably won't get posted until tomorrow morning. I can post a few of the things as usual, though.

The weather for J/A '41 (Turn #12):

[Red Prince]

The units Destroyed during the J/A '41 turn:
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Final Soviet losses this turn: 24 units worth 62 BP (including 2 dead Pilots)

[composer99]

1941 Barbs in this game are... well, let's just say they're a little lopsided.

[Red Prince]

This is all I'm getting for the USSR this turn, and here's where I'm thinking of placing them . . .

[Red Prince]

I'm going to sleep now, and I hope to see some recommendations for the Soviet reinforcements if I'm wrong with these (see above) when I wake up. Once they are placed, I'll post my End of Turn Report.
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This turn the Soviets had 10 BP to spend, plus the converted a Pilot, so the built:

USSR (10): 3 x INF, 1 x GARR, 1 x Retrain Pilot
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In the meantime, here's what the world looks at the start of the war's 3rd year, September 1941:

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

This is all I'm getting for the USSR this turn, and here's where I'm thinking of placing them . . .

Instead the 4-3 and 6-1 should both go into Tiflis. You have the other two where I would place them.

[Klydon]

That is just a ton of Allied losses at this point with very few losses for the Axis outside of the Japanese naval losses this turn. The losses the Japanese suffered to their fleet is a good start for the Allies as I don't know how much of a ship building program the Japanese went on, but anything they started sort of late is going to take some time to come into service. The other interesting thing will be to see how much pressure the Japanese army can put on India.

I think the Russians are in deep trouble in the Caucasus and a decision is going to have to be made about how many troops you commit there to defend the place. Yes, losing the oil is disasterous, but how much of the Russian army do you allow to be destroyed doing it? The bigger army they have intact where the Germans can't really reach them makes it much tougher on the Germans in the longer run. At this point, it is a good thing the game is going to 1948, because the Allies are going to need the extra couple of years in order to make a come back.

One other newb question as far as the Caucasus goes. It looks like one of the Italian aircraft has a naval air rating. Can they fly in the Caspean in order to disrupt the convoy pipeline there? I wonder if the Axis would benefit from trying to blow it up since the rail line has been cut and if the shipping gets blasted, then the oil should start accumulating down in the Caucasus and Russian production is screwed up even further.

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

One other newb question as far as the Caucasus goes. It looks like one of the Italian aircraft has a naval air rating. Can they fly in the Caspean in order to disrupt the convoy pipeline there? I wonder if the Axis would benefit from trying to blow it up since the rail line has been cut and if the shipping gets blasted, then the oil should start accumulating down in the Caucasus and Russian production is screwed up even further.

Sure they can. It's a sea zone like any other.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

This is all I'm getting for the USSR this turn, and here's where I'm thinking of placing them . . .

Instead the 4-3 and 6-1 should both go into Tiflis. You have the other two where I would place them.

I'll make the change to my plans. The reason I thought the INF should go into Baku is that the Soviet line lost a unit, and assuming the Allies get the 1st impulse, this unit would let them close ranks without risking a breakthrough on this line.

[Red Prince]

I'm going to put this up first, so that options can be considered (but I'm probably not going to wait 12 hours before starting the turn). My end of turn report will take some time to create, but not too much.

The Allies won the initiative, and they'll move first in S/O '41!