DQ2004's AAR #2 - "Ouch. ...that hurt"

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Well, in response to the comments, what happened was that the USSR was preparing to seize Bessarabia, and the bulk of their land units were deployed there. Because US entry was so low, the Soviets kept their force in place for when the entry got higher ... they knew that the Germans would deny the claim entirely if there was no force there.
So they did not have time to move forces from Bessarabia to Poland to up the garrison value (bear in mind the Germans attacked in Mar/Apr 1940, only the fourth turn of the game, so there wasn't even time to assemble many new units.

Anyway, back to the war!
Here is global control at the start of Sep/Oct 1940:

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With Malta now in serious danger (with a para sitting on Sicily already) the British decide to continue to fight for the Eastern Med, and stay at sea. But with more Italian naval air now patrolling the area, it is no longer so safe...

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The Russians are trying hard to reinforce the Caucasus, but time is not on their side. More German forces are being railed to the area, and at this rate Turkey will be aligned soon.

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The weather closed in and not a great deal more happened in Sep/Oct 1940.
Here's the situation at the end of that turn. The Italians spent the time trying to reinforce Iraq so that they could align Persia.

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In November of 1940 the Soviet High Command began to receive disturbing reports from their man in Tokyo, Richard Sorge, of a suspicious buildup in Japanese controlled Manchuria.
There was nothing they could do about it...

[DQ2004]

At the end of 1940, things looked pretty rosy for the Axis powers. For the Allies, they could only hope that the US would be in the war by the end of the coming year..

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As the new year ticked over, the weather in the south cleared long enough for the advancing panzergroups of von Bock to seize Batum. The conditions laid down by Turkey for joining the Axis powers had been met. It meant doom for the Soviet armies in the Caucasus.

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In Southern China, the weakened Japanese lines suggested an opportunity for a counter-attack.
Some bade caution a wiser choice, but the frustration of Chinese generals was too much.
Regrettably, the assault was a disaster, with two corps annihilated.
The Japanese forces soon proved they weren't so weak as might be supposed, and began mopping up the survivors

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Emboldened by the German success, and with almost completely secure borders, Turkey tries to pick the winners...
...ya gotta love being able to use the Yavuz!

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Near Smolensk on the Russian front, the Germans have been trying to eliminate the pocket of four trapped Soviet corps for months. However those Stukas just aren't performing up to scratch. Finally one unit is disorganized, and then there were three...

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With Turkey's army right where it needs to be, the Germans continue the push into the centre of the Caucasus. It may be the middle of winter, but that doesn't seem to be much help to the poor Russians.

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During the turn, the Italians sunk the one remaining British convoy point in the Western Med. With Malta thus out of supply (I'm using limited overseas supply optional rule), they have a 10% chance of a ground strike with the only TAC capable unit nearby ... and they get it! Without wanting to wait the Germans drop their Para - it is destroyed along with the defender! Later two Italian divisions secure the now virtually defenseless island.
Here is global control at the start of Mar/Apr 1941:

[DQ2004]

Due to lousy weather, and some judicious Allied passing, the Mar/Apr 41 turn ends quickly, and very little happens.
However the Japanese buildup is now complete, and they only await the sunshine...

[DQ2004]

And here it comes...
May/June 1941. Ordinarily we should be in a very different place at this time of the war. And this will definitely be an 'Ouch' turn.
The first attack goes into Kuwait, where a handful of weak British corps (all that was available at the time) are hanging on...
The 4th Indian (motorized) corps is shattered

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In the Caucasus Rommel pushes forward towards Grozny

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And in the Ukraine Antonescu is busy mopping up all the pesky partisans that have appeared in the past couple of months.

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Tiflis, scene of one of the Axis' riskier attacks of the impulse, also fails to hold back the juggernaut

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Near Smolensk, another one of the surrounded Soviet corps collapses after a successful Stuka strike finally disorganizes it.

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There was also a partisan in Budapest (how dare they!), and near Kalinin the Soviets lose yet another corps

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Japan declares war on the USSR. Even though they're officially surprised, of course the reality is that they're not.
They appear not to have mentioned it to the troops, unfortunately, and the Japanese air strikes disorganize three Soviet corps...