By the Numbers: Another Solo Global War AAR

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. Weather & Actions Summary.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. Events Summary Log.

Resource Lending: I set a maximum of lent (i.e., given) resources from the CW to France at 1 oil & 5 non-oil RPs. Once lent (i.e., given) an RP won't be "un-lent" until it's apparent that Paris will fall. I rolled a D10 to determine how much this turn that the CW will give to France. The distribution was:

0= 1-oil.
1= 1-oil + 1 non-oil.
2= 1-oil + 2 non-oil.
3= 1-oil + 3 non-oil.
4= 1-oil + 4 non-oil.
5= 1-oil + 5 non-oil.
6= 1-oil.
7= 1-oil.
8-9= nothing.

The Brits rolled 7, which meant they lent 1 oil to France. Beginning of turn 3 I will use the following distribution to determine what, if any, the CW adds to their gift to France.

0= adds nothing.
1= + 1 non-oil.
2= + 2 non-oil.
3= + 3 non-oil.
4= + 4 non-oil.
5= + 5 non-oil.
6-9= adds nothing.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. The Western Front.

Allied #1.
1. Fine weather of most of Europe.
2. The British embarked a "2nd" BEF into the North Sea to guarantee the neutrality of the low countries and Denmark.
3. Luftwaffe deployments last month covering Germany's oil facilities even give "Bomber" Harris pause about sending unescorted RAF bombers to strike such sites. RAF strategic bombers are order to standdown until better opportunities arrive for bombing the Reich.

Axis #2.
1. Is there no end to German aggression? The Nazi's invade and conquer a neutral Denmark before the allies knew what happened.

Competitive: The fine weather in the north temperate allowed me, as the Germans, to use 3 divisions (5,4 & 3 movers) to flip control of all Danish ports and coastal hexes bordering the North Sea on the surprise (i.e., invasion) impulse. This move locks out any threat of the allies being able to move (i.e., disembark) land units into Denmark, such as the 2nd BEF was positioned to do in my game. For me, being able to flip control of all port and coastal hexes bordering the North Sea on the surprise impulse is an absolute must for invading Denmark unless I can ensure with 100% certainty that the allies are in no position to make it there.

Allied #3 - 11. Axis #4 - 9. Though mobilizations and movement behind both lines continue, a Sitzkrieg settles in between Germany and the Western Allies. PM Chamberlain's hope is that this is end of Nazi aggression and peace will return to Europe.

Competitive: Note that I left the SS infantry corps in Poland for garrison duty. I try to make use of SS infantry corps when I can for garrison because they count as 2 versus 1 for Wehrmacht infantry corps.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. End of Turn. China.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. Combat Logs & Commentary. Asia.

Axis #2.
1. IJA captures Chengchow in a decisive land combat. No official reaction by the US.
2. Two Japanese Army Groups take shape in China. One in the north and the second in central/southern China.
3. Umezu's IJA Army Group in the north is given responsibility for northern and north-central China. Umezu's primary charge is to ensure that captured Chinese resources under his protection make it to Japanese factories.
4. Yamamoto's IJN Army Group in the center/south is given responsibility for southern and south-central China. Again, Yamamoto primary charge is to ensure that Chinese resources under his protection make it to Japanese factories.
5. Invariably, rivalries and friction developed between the two different service army groups not only in China but primarily in Tokyo.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. India.

Allied #1.
1. The British transport a Commonwealth AUS MIL corps from Australia to the Bay of Bengal.

Allied #3.
1. The AUS MIL corps in the Bay of Bengal disembarked into Calcutta, which flipped him because of the weather. However, this freed up the 13th India infantry corps guarding Calcutta to help deal with the separatist that seized the manganese mine last turn.
2. In addition to the 13th corps, the Indian Delhi MIL corps begins their trek to liberate the manganese mine.

Allied #7 & 11.
1. The two Indian corps continue to close in from opposite directions on the separatist holding the manganese mine. However, they aren't still in position to attack because of the 1 defense factor afforded to the partisan because of the woods. Next turn though they will be.

End of Turn.
1. A second group of separatists form up and size a control of a second mine in India. An iron ore mine.
2. This second group is not only bolder but is strong than the first.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. End of Turn. Destroyed & Repair Pools.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. Oil, Production & Build Summaries.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. Production Spiral. Axis.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. Production Spiral. Allied.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. End of Turn. Victory Totals.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. End of Turn. Global Map. Control.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. End of Turn. Global Map. Units.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. End of Turn. Global Map. Active Axis.

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Turn 2. Nov/Dec 1939. End of Turn. Global Map. Active Allied.

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Turn 3. Jan/Feb 1940. Weather, Actions, Key Events.

Trade Agreements. CW to France. Currently 1 oil.

D10 distribution:
0= adds nothing.
1= + 1 non-oil.
2= + 2 non-oil.
3= + 3 non-oil.
4= + 4 non-oil.
5= + 5 non-oil.
6-9= adds nothing.

D10=9, no change.

[rkr1958]

Turn 3. Jan/Feb 1940. The Winter War.

The Script: The USSR will demand the Finnish borderlands and Finland (i.e., Germany) will deny the claim. No axis units will setup in or move into the borderlands. No Soviet units will move into Finland beyond the borderlands. Finland (i.e., Germany) will agree to peace during any peace step in which the Soviets controlled all the borderland hexes except for Hanko, directly west of Tallinn.

What this script does is to give the Soviets the Finnish borderlands at the cost of 1 to 2 US entry chits and it ties up land units and actions that otherwise the Soviets could use in Persia and the Middle East.

Commentary.

Allied #3.
1. The Soviets invade Finland over disputed borderlands.
2. The US is incensed and 2 of 3 chits in the German/Italian entry pool are removed (i.e., lost).
3. The Soviet 1st eng div out of Leningrad captures the Finnish port of Vipuri.
4. The Soviet 2nd cav corps, also out of Leningrad, captures the borderland territory north of Lake Lodga.
5. The Soviet 3nd inf div captures the borderland territory southwest of Lake Imandra.

Allied #9.
1. Soviet forces complete their conquest of the Finnish borderlands and secure all hexes except for Hanko.

End of Turn. Peace.
1. Finland and the Soviets agree to a ceasefire and all Finnish borderland hexes, including the port of Hanko, is ceded to the Soviets.

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Turn 3. Jan/Feb 1940. The Red Sea. Italian East Africa.

Axis #3.
1. A neutral Italy moves 200,000 tons of ships and supplies through the Suez Canal and into to the Red Sea to supply their forces in East Africa.

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Turn 3. Jan/Feb 1940. Battle of the Atlantic.

Axis #3.
1. The RN notches another victory in their belt in the Battle of the Atlantic and inflict heavy damage to a German u-boat flotilla on the prowl for allied convoys in the Faeores Gap.
2. Gross Admiral Doenitz is called to answer directly to the Fuhrer for the failure of his u-boats so far this war.

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Turn 3. Jan/Feb 1940. The Western Front.

Axis #7.
1. The sitzkrieg on the Western Front continues until Herman Goering takes matters into his own hands in the hopes of impressing the Fuhrer and currying favor with the party.
2. Goering orders two of the Luftwaffe air wings to bomb strategic targets in France. These wings are sent unescorted and to separate targets (Lyons & Vichy).
3. Sloppy work by Goering's staff estimates that no allied fighters are in position to intercept either raid. They're wrong.
4. The Vichy raid is intercepted by French fighters and many unprotected and vulnerable He 111H's are shot down.
5. The unmolested raid against Lyons missed badly.
6. The Fuhrer instead of being impressed is outraged and Goering is called to account for his failure. The blame is passed to a few senior staff members who are promptly demoted and sent away to some obscure posting.