Cohen vs Enrico - AAR nr. 2

[AlbertN]

Start of March / April 1941.

The USA are getting more and more weary of the war ongoing, and they start to crave for its end.
Obviously reached via their direct intervention.

For now they played their Oil Embargo card, in the hope to force the Japan to back down...
But for the Japanese government this is only the signal that the USA consider the Japan a secondary power, and that the Emperor should abide to the beck and call of the US President.

Something has to be done! Something drastic. (Yes, we all know the game is scripted that way!)

[AlbertN]

Start of March April 1941: The Middle East

The French Foreign Legion made the Germans pay dearly to seize Beirut and 3 Oil Points.
With a +15 attack the Germans rolled a 4 ... and lost 2 units. They claimed Beirut but that was ... costy. Much more costier than planned.

With the lead of Guderian now the Germans are heading toward the Kuwait, and the Persia swiftly sided with the Axis.

The Commonwealth has reinforced Kuwait City with another corp, a good 7-4 MOT corp even! (Though then the corp got broken down in 2 divisions)

Italian submarines operating from Suez first and then the A.O.I. sank 4 CPs in the region in the effort to strain the British Navy and production.

Notice, even the pearl of the Kriegsmarine (Bismark!) got at Suez (along with the German TPS and AMPH).

It looks like the Axis is determined to operate in the area in the 1941.
It is expected the Royal Navy will shift assets in the region.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1941: Africa Orientale Italiana

The Horn of Afrika, now in supply, has suddenly saw the arrival of land based long range bomber squadrons of the Axis.

With only a carrier with an old Gladiator squadron aboard, the Royal Navy appears to lack proper means to counter the bomber peril; at least for now.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1941: Greece

Matching the historical timeline, the Greek nation has surrendered to the Axis powers in the 1941.

But with no imminent Barbarossa ahead, there are no logistic issues here ... oh wait, no there are worse, since all the troops sent to Greece and to Middle East will need to be shipped back.

Actually the logistic effort of the Axis here looks much heavier than whatever it was historically!

Without outside help or support, Greece fell easily and without losses for the Axis.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1941: Spain & Morocco

In the very start of 1941 a part the Hunter-Seeker Naval Team of the Axis finally found its target.

The single convoy point bringing supplies to Gibraltar was sitting there, all alone. The Brits bravely sent in their air cover as reaction. The allmighty Chirri, and two surely more dangerous 5 Air Factor FTR2. But they were sitting in the 0 box.
The Axis found them with much surprise and their quality He-100 fighter; with absolutely no fear of anti-air or failing damage on the TPS (1 bomber cleared would have been enough to abort it!)

It went smoothly, one of the UK fighters was gunned down, pilot included; another aborted and once it was the turn of the Chirri to be dealt with, the Spanish pilots simply fled.

Removed the supply from Gibraltar, the rest is pratically history, with no air cover to protect the Rock the British got bombed to oblivion by Luftwaffe and field artillery; and then Gibraltar was assaulted with the help of the Regia Marina. (The attack tallied a +20! Funnily enough that happened in the same Impulse of Beirut attack, and a 5 was rolled for Gibraltar, and 4 for Beirut).

Admittedly - as this happened in Impulse #1 of Jan / Feb 1941, along with the Declaration of War to Greece; there was quite the risk that if Gibraltar was not falling, the Greek CPs could have fled out of the Mediterranean.
But I felt I am still on a timetable in general, especially when it comes to have to ship units around oversea with very limited ability to do so.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1941: Siberia / Manchuria Front.

Soviets and Japanese seem to have established in new lines, and watch each other at distance.
For now at least.

The Soviets though could have offensive intentions, they dispatched in the sector an ARM unit which enables Blitz Combat (Despite the Japanese having a MECH unit in the plains).

But for now the Soviets seem content to have got hands on their resource, and to keep it firmly. After all - any further advance will require more units, for quite a distance without a true strategical goal besides hammering the Japanese.

The Japanese have little to gain and much to lose at the present, and they need to wait for their European allies to soften up the Soviets.

[AlbertN]

March / April 1941: Communist Chinese Front

For now all is quiet there, but the Japanese pulled back to protect Sian and its resource on better positions (They think at least!) because, to put it simple, the Marine units which were acting as infantry there are required elsewhere.

Mao instead is building its forces and with all the probabilities will unleash an offensive when the times shall be ripe!

[AlbertN]

March / April 1940: China Front

The tides have turned to favor the Japanese here instead.

With a chain of successful offensives the Chinese seems to have been repelled deeper inland; unable to counter the Japanese punches from the southern area, pushing them further north toward Chunking.

The Chinese though opt to send cavalry to infiltrate the Japanese conquered territories, surely a messanger of hope for the "oppressed" Chinese people (And in most case a big annoyance for the Japanese. I curse the supermassive map that implies one cannot "block" the front properly but has always gaps to be exploited).

[AlbertN]

Germany, Oily Dreams

At the present the Euro-Axis seem quite settled with Oil. Germany alone has ample stocks and they're destined to augment due to the Persian input (As they cannot extract the 2 there, they'll just use them each turn).

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - The Fall of Aden.

The Axis forces during March / April declared war to Yemen.
The USA seemed terribly outraged at such declaration of war. Clearly, to align Persia was nothing, to invade Greece non relevant; but to declare war to this lost rock in the desert was meaningful to them.

Initially the Axis grand plan envisioned a direct landing in Aden. Alas after some math it was revealed that even with just the Notional and the Aden-Territorial the place was way too strong. (The combat was like a +3 / +4).

Thus invaded Yemen, the Germans shipped in with their Amphibious unit the elite infantry (9-4), and in May / June shipped in Von Bock just to the side of Aden (Winning the initiative helped).

In the while the Commonwealth issued reinforces, and an Indian INF corp arrived to bolster the defence. And a Spitfire squadron.

In March / April the naval raids were rather unsuccessful - and that very same Spitfire (That landed in Aden afterward) defended the convoy routes from the Condors and Gabbiano. But the Axis naval bombers cleared the "1" box of the Arabian Sea, so that at the start of May / June there were only convoys.

These convoys were sunk in May / April (or aborted, 2 sunk and rest aborted). Which left Aden out of supply. The German bombers disrupted both defenders, and then once the land assault took place it was a +21 (with Regia Marina performing shore bombardment).

The Situation at the Horn of Africa - after Impulse #1 of May / June 1941:

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - Kuwait:

A brave German TP that shipped in Iraq the Italian supply unit is only "escorted" by a submarine - and probably will see very bad times soon enough once the Royal Navy reacts - but for now has brought in some supplies (for the impulse) to Guderian.

The Brits have the Queens ready with two 5-3 INFs there, but where they'll go is quite unknown! Especially as Kuwait City is corked right now and they can only move in the hex behind it.

The Commonwealth has an amount of assets coming, the Ark Royal and another carrier; more convoy points, Alexander HQ, etcetera.
It seems they're looking for a fight there!

But with Aden in Axis hands the Italian fleet can operate from there, and under relative air cover - ontop of whatever the Japanese can soon throw in the fray.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - China

Last but not least the Japanese offensive against the Chinese in the south does not appear to have lost its stem.

With an unusual success both Chiang and Stillwell got bombed - and Stillwell, dug in mountains with a cavalry corp, was embraced into the deadly hug of Japanese forces.
Their HQ was spent in support, but was worth the effort, as both the Cavalry and Stillwell perished. No losses from Japanese side. The air battles were unfruitful for any side.

And ontop of that Chiang is disrupted as well, and unable to maneuver!

The Chinese probably will run to protect Chunking imminently. (Or so I expect).

The Situation in China, after Axis Impulse #1 of May / June 1941:

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - Start of Impulse #8 (Allied)

The Japanese maneuvered with decision and iron fist in southern China, managing to surround Chiang and make it capitulate along an amount of forces through the course of a few weeks.

With both HQs destroyed and an amount of units lost in battles - at the cost of only 1 Japanese MIL unit, the Japanese got a local victory of neat relevance.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - Start of Impulse #8 (Allied)

Mao has grown bold, accused of being inactive meanwhile other Chinese people were fighting for their freedom; due to the necessity of propaganda and political factors thus Mao commanded his forces to advance and assault the mountains south of Sian, in order to have more access to the City proper later.

The assault though resulted in a stalemate where the Chinese exhausted themselves (and lost a GARR-Div unit); Yamamoto, that was almost to be relocated for other operations suddenly got different orders. To launch a counterattack.

Alas the Japanese forces were not as successful as hoped (1 Communist Shattered, and 1 Destroyed).

The Communists in the mountains though are both disrupted, and albeit very strong in their position an attack there could be maybe launched as well - as Japan has an amount of sacrificable troops (MILs and TERRs). Future evaluations.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - Impulse #8 (Allied)

The Manchurian front instead saw the Soviets advancing grandly!

After the preliminary aerial battle where the Japanese fighters failed to repel the heavy bombers of the VVS, and traded losses (1 FTR2 for Japan, and 1 FTR2 + Pilot for Soviets), the center of the Japanese front was in disarray.

The Soviets advanced with their tanks, meeting in the field the mechanized Japanese corp. With the force of the bombers applied beforehand and sheer weight of infantry mass the Japanese got repelled (From the plain hex between the mountains).

The Soviet command opted to not have the tank advance alone of 2 hexes (and thus interposing itself between the Japanese HQ and the southern units). Which got then the Japanese retreat some, reinforce the HQ with Manchurian auxiliaries and try to hold the line.

The Soviets did not lost time, and pushed onward attacking the HQ with their armour and other support to call the Blitz table. There was the surviving Japanese fighter there, grounded already and unable to flee. Thanksfully the Soviets fail this attack, losing their MOT division and having the Japanese lose their Manchurian TERR. But the HQ holds the grounds and saves the airplane meanwhile the Soviets are disrupted.

The Japanese Imperial Command has an armoured corp of their own to ship in the sector via rail if one more impulse is given ... but ... there is this big BUT; to place HQ and ARM together means risk of costy losses which Japan cannot afford to replace.

[AlbertN]

Informative Screen:

To the following losses, it needs to be added:
6 CW CPs.
1 ITA CP.
1 ITA Submarine (Damaged)
1 CW Ark Royal (Damaged)

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - Impulse #10

The Soviets kept their pressure up, attacking the Tokyo Militia.

The Japanese lost the unit, and the territory; meanwhile the Soviets bled for a MIL as well, and a CAV-Div; with more of their forces remaining disorganized.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - Impulse #10

The Japanese attacked Mao - meanwhile the Communist forces withdrew some.

The attack did not provided the results hoped for, and the Japanese lost a MIL for a Com-China INF.
Not entirely able to complain but the booty possibility was rich there!

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - Kuwait Situation

The Axis is building up their assault force to storm Kuwait City, which got reinforced by more Commonwealth troops.

The Fuhrer seems very decided to ensure that his new oil rigs are well protected and secured from the a later pointe of the Western Allies

The only "technical" issue is that the whole operation revolves on the use of the Italian Supply Unit, which means it's a one shot, one marvel go for one turn! If due to a bad roll the attack is to fail and the German army ends up disrupted, to open again the supply via sea can prove itself painful and costy.

[AlbertN]

May / June 1941 - Arabian Sea operations

The battle for the control of the Arabian Sea continues.

The Brits previous managed to force back to base a Condor squadron - the Axis though (or better Germany) took one Air Impulse to spend Von Bock (In Aden) to reorganize it, and launch it again into the sea.

As fighting continues, the CVL Eagle gets damaged. The powerful Spitfires of the RAF (sitting in the 1 box) fail to find anything all the time meanwhile the Axis NAVs scour the sea with no issues except the barrage of the anti-air.

Last but not least, after a long, long journey from Marocco, the Italian "Re2000 Falco I" squadron arrives at Aden and joins the fray (Placing itself in the 2 Box). Luck wanted that both sides rolled 1 on the Search - which excluded the Spitfires due to the bad weather, but not the Falco.

The Brits had a Sunderland seeking for the submarines in case they were to get committed, which got jumped on by the Falco! Meanwhile all the Axis NAVs were automatically cleared, the Sunderland repelled the Falco firsthand - rolling an Abort.
But then the Axis time to roll came and the Falco shot down the Sunderland - the Royal Navy surely has collected the pilots of the many gargantuan flyboats. (But that's a 4 BP loss for the Brits!).

For now the balance of the battle for the Arabian Sea has seen the Axis lose only an Italian submarine (Damaged) meanwhile the UK lost 1 Sunderland, 1 Carrier Plane, 2 Cruisers over 2 turns, 2 Carriers damaged (The Eagle I suspect will never depart from the repair pool though!), and an amount of convoys.
And in the while the Axis seized Aden, from which the Italian Regia Marina will be able to operate in force in the Arabian Sea as well.

With the shadow of the Imperial Red Sun coming from the east, a looming danger, the British perspectives aren't too bright in the immediate when the USA is not able to provide immediate assitance.

The UK also did the very bold move to ship the Spitfires in the Seychelles, where there are 2 TPS parked (and now also a Hurricane that got aborted in the naval combats). There was a one impulse window of time where the Japanese could have declared war and invaded freely the Seychelles, jumping on the airplane squadron and the two TPS disrupted. But in my evaluations I favored to wait more time as Japan this turn has brought units in position to be picked up and invade - and a lot of them are disrupted due to moving from OOS status to reach the coast and ports.