Matrix Games Forums

Turn 7 June 18th

The news is very bad and somewhat good.

New York has fallen. Albany too. And Philadelphia.
Brazil has brought more forces against Panama.
The famed General Guderian is reported to have led the failed incursion at Wilmington.

That latter may sound like good news, but if it means that Guderian is going to take control of the southern front, it could be very bad news indeed given his successes in Europe.

Any good news? Mobilization is going gang-busters now. See the current and expected reinforcements for the next week:

With four fighter squadrons coming ready, the US should have air superiority within the month.

Turn 8, June 25th

The news continues to bring down morale, with Hawaii surrendering in just two weeks. Does this mean that Japan will be free to join the fight on the continent?

Panama City falls to the so-called BEF - Brazilian Expeditionary Force.

Texas Natl Guard is expecting a Mexican advance - at least there is ground to give.

In the north, the AXIS has pushed all the way across NY, but still has not pulled the trigger on Montreal. The Canadian 1st Hussars is coming East to add to the buildup in Quebec.

With NY and Philadelphia open to AXIS transports, the Maine Guard was ordered to withdraw from the Boston norther anchorages, and look to continue its harrassment of the AXIS force near Montreal.

500 square miles of Mexican desert is now in the hands of the Texas Guard.

July 9, turn 10

Two silver linings in the news: mobilization is nearing completion, the Soviets are inching towards involvement.

I'm reluctant to use the theater options to influence the Soviets for supply and pressure in Poland, hoping that full Soviet action would be better in the long run.

Japanese sightings. That does not bode well.

The US sent a bomber and a fighter squadron, and the Enterprise task force, to help out in Panama, to no avail.

[player's note: Cuban forces were mobilized and I thought about transporting them to Panama, but 1) it would have been too late probably, 2) the scenario rules imply that it's not allowed.]

In the southwest, mobilization was slower, as the Eastern forces had priority. It's now or never, however, as the Mexican army is approaching on two fronts.

Not to mention possible Japanese involvement.

The South.

It's likely that General Guderian has come ashore near Wilmington. The southern invasion force has been rather slow in advance, giving time for some substantial defensive forces to move in from the Midwest and Upper South.

Unless Jacksonville can be retaken, it will not be possible to hold on to Florida. Until a better estimate of what the enemy has available in the South, it doesn't make sense to attempt an offensive.

The North

Rommel has finally cleared the Boston to Philadelphia corridor, and is now poised to push through Baltimore. Intelligence indicates that transports continue to come into port in New York.

Still no attack at Montreal. Perhaps the cooperation level between the German and Romanian forces there has been lacking.

If that situation continues, the Canadians are considering using the newly arriving 1st Hussars to start some kind of limited counterattack going.

With the 63rd Inf completing its transport from the West, it would be possible for it to come down hard on the enemy flank from the Appalachian passes.

Can you post the thaw IV version you’re using in the scenario section - I would like to try it out.

Ok, just posted it.

Turn 11, July 16th

Although the UK is ostensibly self-governed, it remains under AXIS occupation. The Chamberlain government is secretly cooperating with US intelligence assets. They report that there is evidence that AXIS transport capacity has recently been reduced.

Does that mean that the current AXIS troop levels are pretty much at their highest level. Certainly with US partisan activity on the rise, the enemy is going to have to bring in high levels of supplies from Europe.

On all fronts, the US continues to establish periimeters, blocking forces. Only in the SW is there any kind of an offensive. The Mexican forces in contact at El Paso and San Antonio do not appear to be a match for what the US 4th Army can throw at them.

Of note: the 82nd Airborne is ready for action. For the time being it will be held in reserve.

Turn 12, July 23

The US has turns back to back for the first time. A permanent shift, or does it mean the AXIS will get two next?

In the news, the IJN is reported to have left Hawaii. Whether it packs an invasion force is not yet known.

Last week's attacks and probes against Mexican forces were a resounding success, and will continue this turn.

In Canada up to this week, after occupying Maine, the enemy remaind in place near Montreal. Is the force there awaiting an expected arrival of the Maine force, before going on the offensive again?

Turn 13, July 30

Some bold enemy attacks this week; starting in the southwest: after two weeks of battles pushing the Mexican Army south from San Antonio, the enemy has made a surprise flanking movement that is going to force the US front-line units to retreat.

Similarly in the North, Rommel sent a recon force through Appalachian backroads to flank the US blocking force. With nothing in reserve behind the mountains, other than some railroad repair battalions, again the US has had to pull frontline troops off the line near Buffalo to move south guarding the railroads.

Guderian is confirmed to be in command on the southern front, and just as with Rommel, he tends to lead from the front. A sustained offensive towards Atlanta has essentially just pushed the 1st Cav Division aside.

In Quebec the enemy has pushed back against the probe by the Maine Natl Guard, but has fallen back farther north. One thing of note, the Maine Guard's probe instigated a shakeup of the enemy positions next to Montreal, pulling units a bit south to guard their HQ. This could open an opportunity for the Montreal forces, 1st Can Mech and now 1st Hussars, to push back.

August 27, turn 17

The AXIS has continued to push forward its lodgement within the US, on all fronts except along the Texas border. Along the Rio Grande valley, the US forces appear to have an upper hand, although intelligence shows continued Mexican reinforcements arriving.

In the East, Virginia, western North Carolina, and DC and southern Maryland still hold out, but the AXIS pincer is tightening.

Good news is that next week, a large number of troops will come ready. That will allow the release of or addition to the nation's strategic reserve, which currently consists of the 82nd Airborne and the 28th Infantry Divisions.

[note: I don't know yet how the Mass. and Conn. Guard units will show up, as those states are firmly under enemy occupation.

The US is hastening to the aid of a new ally in the Yucatan region, where Zapatista rebels have arisen. They now control the Yucatan, and are edging south, hopefully to help halt the continued Brazilian advance, and to draw Mexican troops from the Texas border. It is however hard to predict what the full aims of the rebels are, and how far they are willing to go beyond their homeland.

Turn 21, Sept 24

It seems that the tide has turned, but intelligence has provided no answer about Japanese intentions, and whether the Germans and their allies are going to be able to reinforce their invasion force.

For the last month, the AXIS has not achieved much. The US continues to hold.