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14 October 1940.
Bordeaux and Marseille resist Axis occupation on the Continent. Tunis is occupied by a FSJ para unit after heavy aerial assault. Hungary joints the Axis.

North Africa
A numerous Italian Army Group entered Egypt early July and captured Sidi Barrani without a fight, abandoned by our forces. The British main line of defence was established around Mersa Matruth where theW.D.F. Army entrenched itself firmly. During the following months both sides exchanged blows, the Italians taking always more casualties. During the September battles the Italian mechanised infantry was almost destroyed and retreated West (2 strength) being replaced by a third Italian Army. As more Allied troops are arriving each turn we will soon be able to launch a powerful counterattack towards the fortress city of Tobruk...

5 November 1940.
Bordeaux our new Capital is finally captured and the Government moves to Algiers.
Now that the curtain is closed in France and the limelight moves towards other theatres of war I would like to summarize the Western campaign.

- Crispy's decision to invade early in November was risky. As it did not capture the Netherlands nor Belgium in the first invasion turn it had to deal with this countries during the winter. Belgium provided very useful MPPs to France for many months. I personally always wait until May to attack the Low Countries in force and conquer both in 1 turn. I take advantage of the surprise effect and is easily done.

- Our strategy was to delay as much as possible the fall of France thus avoiding a possible Sea Lion. We wanted as well to inflict as many losses as possible to the invaders. Additionally to the B.E.F. we send as reinforcements to France 2 AA, 3 mechanised corps, 1 garrison and 1 Polish infantry corps. It has been a costly affair for the British economy and combat forces as we lost quite a few of those. As first I thought about sending a tank corps but then changed my mind and I build 2 mechanised corps instead. I do not know if this was a correct decision as a tank corps would have been more troublesome for them...

- We fought hard for air supremacy over the front lines and the coastal area around the Channel. With 4 carriers, 2 spitfire wings and 1 French fighter wing the Luftwaffe's 3 fighter wings were overwhelmed. They could not intercept and carry out escorts at the same time. They were constantly being reinforced as combat losses were quite high. Finally the bombers withdrew from the Channel area around Brussels and their role was not as important as it should have been. I personally always buy an extra unit of fighters as soon as possible as 4 Me-109s wings is the minimum the Germans need to achieve air superiority or at least fight in equal terms.

- Our decision to Honour the pact and get Portugal to our side has had deep repercussions. Germany has turned West instead of East and now is doing everything to get Spain on their side. They just send important military exports to Spain and Spain is now over 50 % Axis tilted. Eventually Franco will join the Axis for sure and their Army forces are not negligible. Portugal will not resist for long... Tunisia has been invaded, Vichy has not been created... this works well for Stalin for the time being. Germany is not going for an early Barbarossa. We will see how the British will manage to hold on their own as the French forces in North Africa are quite feeble...

- In North Africa near the Libyan border a big offensive just started but there are rumours that German units are on their way to help their allies under a bold General: Rommel!

Naval Battle of Sardinia
A Powerful British Naval Task Force enters the Mediterranean Sea under Admiral Cunningham. Four carriers escorted by four battleships (BB), 2 heavy cruisers (CA), one light cruiser (CL) and 2 destroyers (DD). The French Navy is also present with 2 BBs, 1 CA and 2 DDs. Only 1 BB has modern tech.

A. 27 November 1940. In a swift surprise air attack an Italian CA is sunk at Cagliari Port and a CL damaged at Toulon Port. German fighters intercepting from Tunis were deal with our Carrier Combat Air Patrol (CAP). 7 Carrier air points are lost in this daring raid: the enemy losses a CA, damage to a CL and an unknown number of defending Me-109s.

B. 8 December 1940. From Tunisia the Luftwaffe launches heavy air attacks against our fleet. The CV Ark Royal is sunk by air attack.

C. The damaged CL leaves Toulon and doing so is intercepted by a French DD. It is further damaged but manages to escape East...

D. A counterattacking Italian BB then enters our defensive screen of heavy units and hits hard a second CV.

E. The rest of attacking Italian Fleet is intercepted out of the Strait of Bonifacio before reaching the precious CVs (1 sub + 1 CA).

19 December 1940. In an unequal combat the damaged Italian BB, CA and sub are all sunk by our fleet that retires West and safe waters...

F. In a final act a French BB searching for the damaged Italian CL is sunk went it runs into an Italian BB at Genoa Port.

Naval Battle of Stavanger.
A. Early December a French sub interdicting the Norway convoy route is attacked by DDs but it manages to dive. 19 December 1940. By ULTRA secret information get to know that heavy units of the Kriegsmarine are attempting a sortie. Admiral Raeder knowing that a big part of the Royal Navy including 4 carriers are active in the Mediterranean Sea sends the fleet: it seems to be a good timing. Immediately BC Gneiseau is attacked and damaged by the French sub. Further North near Stavanger a U-boot and a lonely CA are detected and attacked.

B. The German CA is severely damaged (9 points of damage) then the Fleet retires West into the North Sea.

C. 30 December German turn. The whole Kriegsmarine attacks our fleet. We are lucky and the North Atlantic is very stormy. One of our destroyers (strg. 6) is destroyed West of Stavanger and a second Canadian destroyer is severely damaged (8 points of damage).

D. 20 January 1941. The stormy weather continues in the North Atlantic. From Scapa Flow a CV spots the U-Boot and a destroyer waiting for an ambush. Soon we get the whole German order of Battle and dispositions. Their units 4 CAs, 2 BCs, 1 BB and 2 DDs have the advantage of Naval tech 1. DD Saguenay is damaged as it tries to leave the area. The BB Bismarck is attacked by our 2 experienced subs and gets 2 points of damage.

E. BB Bismarck is further attacked by BB Nelson and gets another 2 points of damage for a total of 4.

F. As the Fleet retires towards safer waters closer to home ports they attack BC Gneiseau that is finally sunk by CL Southhampton.

The Battle ends 3 March 1940. In clear weather DD Saguenay is finally sunk by 3 German CAs near Stavanger. BC Scharnhorst is sunk by our CV and BB Nelson is damaged 2 points by a U-Boot.
We lost 2 DDs and severe damage to another DD (8 damage), moderate damage to BB Nelson (5 damage) and light damage to several ships. The Kriegsmarine lost 2 BCs and moderate damage to BB Bismark ( 4 damage) and light damage to several ships... We were lucky that the weather turned for the worst 30 December when the whole Kriegsmarine advanced.

4 April 1940
For the first time we detect the presence of German troops approaching the Egyptian border. Rommel HQ is entrenched at Tobruk. Our forces are on the defensive defending Mersa Matruth. In this theatre of war we have a complete mastery of the air and our TAC bombers are attacking very effectively all types of ground targets without any opposition.

For the first time in many months a U-boot attacks our convoy lanes. We started to send military exports to Turkey. German troops mass near the Soviet Border and USSR collects a very useful 194 MPPs.

26 April 1940
In West North Africa our French comrades are defending the approaches to Algiers. The Luftwaffe is very powerful in this sector with at least 2 TAC bombers and 1-2 medium bombers massing their assaults on the French Army defending the key city of Bougie. We have control of the sea in this area and heavy units of the Royal Navy bombard land targets every turn. There German troops moral is quite low after such a pounding...

In the political area Spain is still at 54% and Norway 61%. The Royal Navy actions near the Norwegian waters are really annoying the Norwegian Politicians and we fear that this beautiful country will join the Axis. Rumania, Hungary and Bulgaria have joined the Axis but Yugoslavia is still far away with 45%. USSR is 46 % and going up every turn. If Mr. Hitler attacks the USSR (as the NKVD thinks) he will commit a great mistake. The Werhmacht will attack with many of its air wings and troops still involved in North Africa.

7 May 1941
The German Reich launches Operation Barbarossa against the USSR. Stalin did not think that the Germans would be able to attack this early. Here Crispy did a good job repositioning units as we were surprised by the date (I was thinking of a late June attack...)
In the Central Front only the cities of Grodno and Brest-Litovsk were garrisoned. In the South Front only the cities of Przemysl and Stanislawow were garrisoned. Here in the South the German are using 3 cavalry divisions to advance fast...

18 May 1941
The North front is very well defended with Riga, Jelgava and Stauliai well garrisoned.
Many freshly deployed units survive the initial blow (1 infantry and 1 mechanised corps, 1 bomber and 1 fighter units...). No cities are lost this turn. The Germans use in this sector 3 mechanised divisions... not enough MPPs for full corps?

With the exception on the fortified city of Przemysl not other important city fell in the initial blow. 9 Red Army units were destroyed in the first turn: 1 HQ, 4 INF Corps, 2 Mechanised corps, 1 fighter and 1 medium bomber. It is clear now that the Germans were missing the Luftwaffe bombers stationed in the Mediterranean. The initial blow was not a very effective... Very few air units in the whole front...

Do they have enough units for such an early attack?

9 June 1941
The North Front holds very well. The Germans attacking frontally without any air units are only able to take the city of Stauliai on their push towards Riga.
In the Central Front the Germans attack again with no air support mainly with infantry corps and no cities are lost (except Bialystok). At least 3 Italian units are detected in this area...

9 June 1941
In the South Front Tarnopol and Rowno are captured without a fight. Kishinev is captured after heavy fighting.

Libya Front.
With the arrival of the Afrikakorps the Italians move forward towards Mersa Matruth. Our troops well entrenched are waiting. The Italians in a series of combats lose one Army and one infantry corps against no losses (9 June). By 1 July the DAK has moved forward counterattacking. We lose our anti-tank unit by the coast near Sidi Barrani (15 July). Our troops move back and establish defensive positions at Mersa Matruth. We have complete air superiority in the area...

1 July 1941
In the North Front the Germans make no progress towards Riga. Kaunas is captured after heavy fighting our men dying to the last. On the other hand the city of Wilno is surrounded. It is clear that the invaders lacking artillery and TAC bombers can not take this well defended city by frontal assault.
The fortified city of Brest-Litovsk is now well behind the front lines well defended by an entrenched infantry corps.

In the South Front Vinnitsa is surrounded, the Germans advancing fast towards the East. Will their supplies follow?... 706 MPPs are collected by the USSR this turn. No convoys from the UK.

15 July 1941
In the North Front the Germans make still no progress towards Riga. The surrounded city of Wilno is prepared for a direct assault by no less than 3 Armies and 2 infantry corps. The key city of Minsk in now within German reach. The fortified city of Brest-Litovsk is not attacked, invested by Italian troops.

In the South Front Vinnitsa is falls in German hands after savage street fighting. The city of Uman is surrounded. Armoured panzer troops approach the city of Nikolayev in the Black Sea after the fall of Odessa.

This has been a tough match, made tougher by some of my own poor game play. I will be haunted for the rest of the game by my decision not to accept Vichy France which has compounded into numerous problems for the Axis in almost every theater of war.

Taifun is a very crafty opponent!