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As the summer 44 begins, a nasty little Chinese cavalry has found its way through a small hole between the two Japanese army groups. It has recaptured Tchang, and is within range of other, undefended rear cities.

While the unit is not militarily dangerous, freing cities in the backyard is bad news for Japan ; while supply is now more difficult due to the actions of the allies in the China seas, this will make supply still more difficult, by cutting railway lines. In particular, the south army group depends on the Changsa railway node to be in supply : if it is cut, it can only be supplied through Canton, Pakhoi or Hanoi.

The allies managed to restle the initiative from the axis after a reroll.
This gives them a second impulse to exploit the weak spot before Germnay can shuffle its front line.

The result is surprising.

Attacks on the east front, while not too damaging for Russia, are all stopped, although Vienna is conquered. The Russian front is now mostly made of disorganized units... thanks to rolls not exceeding 11.

On the west front, the reverse happens. Aachen is conquered and Rommel pushed in an awkward position, while the British manage to capture Stuttgart while advancing after a combat in the Black Forest, and the US manage to get trhough both the Maas and Rhine in a succesfull tank attack. All the allied units are fresh and ready for a new offensive.

German units in the Netherlands will either risk being separated from Germany, or have to fully retreat from the country.

The attacks in Germany in May 44.

Meanwhile, the Chinese succeed in a masterful move ; elite nationalist reinforcements move into Wuhan while the cavalry threatens an undefended Changsa and cuts the supplies of the Yamamoto group.

Now is also a turning point for Japan.
We know that the allies are shortly coming with troops, not only ships.
At that time, if Japan itself is poorly defended, it could be easily defeated. Now, let us analyse this:
* either we let Japan be more or less easily conquered, by not repatriating troops from China: On conquest, Japan will choose a new home country (say Mandchuria or possibly Vietnam) ; this makes for a new primary source on the continent : suddenly, all troops on the continent will have an easier time, and the allies will have to defeat them piecemeal.
* Or we recover some troops from China to defend Japan. But experience shows that this is easily said, but more difficult to achieve ; it may also weaken the Japanese lines in China to the point of collapse.

A difficult choice...

A second US offfensive by Hodges won the city of Cologne, which I consider the best protected city in Germany (forests and rivers abound), while the armored corps run to the North Sea and pierce the German lines near Hanover. In the south, the British continue to put an extreme pressure on the Germnan troops, blowing up each defense layer one after the other. The German defenses west are shaky.

In the East, the Russians had to take an almost idle impulse in order to reorganize all their HQs to prepare the next offensive, which came on the third impulse. Better luck let them pass the Vistula north and South of Varshaw, risking an encirclement of the German army group defending the city. Meanwhile, in Brno, a Russia armored corps sits behind the German, unsupplied, but extremely annoying. Attacking it would be very chancy for the German and would likely result in too many disorganized units (at best it is a +8 attack). The German will have to consider a large retreat east : the defenses are just broken in Poland ; and now, only one river stands as protection : the Oder. But half of the units around Varshaw are disorganized: leaving them will result in their destruction at little cost for Russia...


May/June 44, end of impulse 5

In China, the little cavalry corps is running wild behind the Japanese troops which are hard pressed running behind it. It might well cut all railway lines to southern China, putting half of the Japanese army in an awkward position. Japan tries to launch a chase with whatever it can without jeopardizing the front lines, but has yet failed to stop it.


May/June 44, end of impulse 5

The Japanese manage to destroy one of the runaway Chinese unit. The second unit should be much easier. Even though weakened, the Japanese can still bite!

However, except for minimal patrols, the China seas are deserted yet from any convoy. Japan will wait one impulse more and hope the turn ends before trying and moving a convoy there...

The USA occasionaly do some some action in the Pacific. They would like to seize Rabaul, which gives a better access to the Japanese sea lanes. Using the fact that the infantry is disorganized and unsupplied, the marines attac with the support of the fleet but this results in a disaster.

The USA have moved their behemoth fleet in the Japanese coast. This threatens many Japanese units with a port attack, and the Japanese move their fleet away. They succeed in avoiding the combat, but don't go away because they want to be able to intercept port strikes.

The amount of destroyed German units is staggering.

The Japanese build:
- 1 infantry
- 1 artillery
- repair 1 battleship
- 2 convoys
- 1 pilot
- 1 Ftr2

The Chinese build:
- 1 infantry
- 1 pilot
- 1 antitank

The Commonwealth build:
- 2 subs (superstructures)
- 3 carrier planes
- 1 Lnd4
- 1 Ftr2
- 1 Ftr3
- 2 convoys
- repair 1 cruiser
- 2 offensives
- 1 inf div
- 1 garrison
- 1 anti-air

The USA build
- 2 subs (superstructures)
- repair one sub
- 2 marines
- 1 armor
- 3 pilots
- 4 carrier planes
- 1 Ftr3
- 1 Lnd4
- 3 offensives

Germany is not yet fallen ; a strong army remains yet, and it is establishing a defense line between the Elbe and the Oder.


July 44 impulse 1

China is still firmly held.
The little tour by the Chinese units was costly for little gain.

However, in Siberia, Russia put some of its new reinforcements, and all the planes it recieved : this smells of a oncoming declaration of war.


July 44 impulse 1

China is now cleared of roaming units.


July 44 impulse 1

On their impulse, the allies are not idle, and indeed the Japanese front seems to lighten up.

The first shot comes from Mao who was helped by a nationalist strike by a Boston, which disorganized a whole section of the front. Emboldenened, Mao launched an attack againss an armored corps and supporting artillery and infantry.

The result breaks the Japanese defense.


July 44 impulse 2

In Mandchuria, the Russian open the hostilities against weak Japanese forces. The Russian forces are not impressive, but helped by superior bombers, the Russian troops break the defense line. The Japanese risk being put out of supply.



July 44 impulse 2

Instructed by their failure on Rabaul, which was just reinforced, the US decide on bypassing all these islands ; after all, if the US naval forces can contrl the sea areas around Japan, advancing slowly might not be necessary.

A landing near Seoul is not what was expected by the imperial high command. Should the div be allowed to advance in Seoul, the whole Japanese continental army might be put out of supply.


July 44 impulse 2

Just to be sure, the US also land a marine div east of Port Arthur. that one is quite threatening: it can either go west and conquer Port Arthur, which might then be very fast turned into the major operational port for the US fleet, or it can walk north east and cut the railroad, hence all supplies to the imperial army. It could also walk north to Mukden and cut two working factories...

Overall, these actions combined together are exceedingly threatening, especially considering that the US fleet is again threatening a port attack on the Japanese fleet.


July 44 impulse 2

The Japanese manage to gather some defense in Korea and South Mandchuria.
But they front line will have to hold in face of Mao, as well as in face of the Russians...
Note that the US chose a blitz in the hope of retreating, which would keep them in the right place for the next turn.


July 44 impulse 3

The combat is unequal and the Japanese manage to dislodge the most dangerous of the US division.

Nevertheless, the situation is tense.


July 44 impulse 3

"The little tour by the Chinese units was costly for little gain."

I'm not so sure. They diverted a lot of units away from the front and then ...

"On their impulse, the allies are not idle, and indeed the Japanese front seems to lighten up.

The first shot comes from Mao who was helped by a nationalist strike by a Boston, which disorganized a whole section of the front. Emboldenened, Mao launched an attack againss an armored corps and supporting artillery and infantry.

The result breaks the Japanese defense."

Would that have been possible if those units had remained at the front instead of chasing the horses?