TAIFUN (Allies) vs DimitryN (Axis) Full game 1939

[Taifun]

Hi Marcinos, Very good analysis, as always!

I agree with you that attacking Italy was a mistake, I regretted the moment I pressed the “confirm declare war to Italy”. Japan is doing a great campaign and soon China will be gone. Japan will get over 1000 MPPs with the surrender, and that will cover all the motorization expenses plus extra cash! Then India will most probably be lost also in 1942.

Barbarossa was delayed until August 29: the USSR was given precious time and resources. Our current turn is November 1941, and I will soon load the Russian pics.
The sacrifice of the whole British Empire and the Greeks bought time, as you correctly noted: Not a bad trade, especially that you were able to setup a defense in Iraq. The fighting in Iraq is still going on and I don’t know if I will be able to hold…

Hi Elessar2!
It is going to be a very interesting War in Pacific: Japan has focused mainly on their huge Army. But the USA has been transferring many MPPs to England for a whole year and it will take many months before their presence is felt. I am afraid that India will not hold long enough...

[Taifun]

August 29 - September 12 1941
Barbarossa at last started. I will later cover this front as still too much information is confidential.

General von Rundstedt continued the offensive into Iraq! Crossing the Tigris, the panzers destroyed a Malayan Infantry corps and a Fighter wing based Mosul. But Monty counterattacked again: our remaining 10th Armoured Tank corps surprised and hit hard the German HQ, that was also bombed afterwards and left with only strength 2. The panzers should end the turn out of supply!

[Taifun]

September 26 - October 10 1941
Mediterranean Sea. In a series of naval engagements the last Regia Marina units were engaged by one of our CV Task Forces. Against the loss of the BB King George and BB Rodney we sunk BB Andrea Doria, CA Pola, CL Eugenio di Savoia and damaged the remaining units. The Italians are down to only 2 ships and a sub. Palermo was captured by the brave Polish infantry corps as a diversion.

In Iraq the out of supply panzerkorps didn't move and destroyed a tac bomber and the British reccon unit, but was finished by our Air Force. With no more panzers available, the German offensive should be in trouble. It is a great victory! The 3 panzerkorps of the DAK have been destroyed by our bombers alone. [:)]

[Taifun]

Well done Monty!

[Taifun]

October 24 1941 - November 7 1941
Against what our intelligence officers thought, the Axis continued their offensive! [X(] They captured Mosul and destroyed a Malayan Infantry corps. A new diplomatic hit: Turkey is now 72% pro-Axis.

November 21 - December 5 1941
Our celebrations were short lived indeed! General Monty was completely surprised by the furious attack of a new panzerkorps! The Indian Army defending Baghdad was obliterated. This panzerkorps is the best German unit, the 4th Pz. Tanks veterans of the Polish, French and tormentors of the Greeks!

The situation is critical, with no reinforcements available the decision was taken to leave the country. The remaining infantry troops were left behind as rearguards (all more or less volunteered) and the precious HQs moved towards the evacuation ports.

[DmitryN]

Taifun thank you for your great job!

Guess it is worth to give some clue about my strategy. Actually Taifuns declaration of war on Italy played a very bad joke with me. I overestimated it’s effect. I thought that after it, if I will be accurate with all the things which affect US and USSR mobilization, I will be able to hold it below 100% till early spring 1942 with USSR and till summer 1942 with US.
That’s why instead of normal case early Barbarosa I decided to keep US and USSR mobilization below 100% as long as it possible.

My plan was:

1. All in with Japan in China. Supposing that I will have time before I will need to attack US. It was the only part of my strategy, which mostly worked. Although I was forced to declare war on US February 1942, I had time to pay for amphibious transport and most of navy upgrades. When you have a lot of motorized Japanese infantry (not only best armies but also some SF and Corps) the intensiveness of your attack is significantly increased. Fast all units can fight each turn and China just cant afford such loses. Now it is hard to imagine that China could survive 1942.

2. All in on Middle East push. Supposing I have a lot of time before Barbarossa I sent on this theater vast part of Luftwaffe, 4 motorized tanks, 2 best infantry armies (also motorized) etc. The plan was to be able to attack Caucasus in the same time with Barbarossa. BUT Taifun also went all in with Middle East. He sent tons of troops there. Although Axis finally took Bagdad and killed a lot of British and Indian units my loses were also significant 3 tanks, 2 best infantries, many costly reinforcements of Fighters and HQ etc. troops were far away from Caucasus as Barbarossa started.

3. Full force research spendings by Germany to have tech advantage in decisive summer 1942.

4. Full force diplo on Turkey. Axis spent 700 MPP’s on it also declining MPP’s of trade with Turkey. Important thing was that Axis have more diplo force before US and USSR enter war, so Axis had good chance if it is postponed. This part of plan finally worked just by fortune. I had 5-6 turns of no shift of Turkey with 55% probability of shift. But the God of Game repaid it’s debt. On the turn when US entered the war turkey finally joined.


The worst performed part of the plan was Barbarossa. Making all these investments by Germany I had not enough troops on Russian theater, and planed very late attack. But on August 1941 the Russian mobilization was about 80%, it was clear that its impossible to hold it till the spring. Thus, I decided not to risk the probability of attack in bad weather and went Barbarrossa totally unprepared, with some troops even located west Germany as I hold them out of 10 hex zone from Warsaw.

Let us see the continue☺

[Taifun]

Thanks Dimitry for your analysis, it is always nice to see the other side of the wall. When you say:

I had 5-6 turns of no shift of Turkey with 55% probability of shift

it is nor correct as the Allied chits are subtracted from yours and I countered full, so with 9 invested chits your percentage was only 10% and the last 2 hits were of 21%!! Lucky you!

August 29 - September 12 1941
The Soviets are ready for the much delayed onslaught. They have reached AA level 2, Command and Control level 1, Infantry Warfare 1, but inexplicably we are a long way from reaching Infantry Weapons level 2. In fact we are way behind the US and the UK and they started earlier investing in this key area. Stalin have bought some units: an AA unit, a heavy tank and a HQ. Our best units are concentrated in the south, behind the Dnepr.
The Germans destroyed most of the auto-spawn Soviet units but made limited progress in the Baltic States without air support. North of Pripyat Marshes as spearhead operate 2 panzerkorps and the Ariete. Under General von Manstein 2 panzerkorps together with 8 Armies and 3 bombers with a para unit operate in the south.

[Taifun]

September 26 - October 10 1941
Rain in the Ukraine hampered Luftwaffe operations. The invaders reached Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk after taking Odessa. General Zhukov counterattacked with our heavy tanks near Dnepropetrovsk damaging a German Army but took heavy losses in exchange. In the Baltic States, Kaunas was abandoned and Wilno sieged. An enemy tac bomber arrived in the area to assist with their advance. They surely miss the 3 bomber units based in Iraq.

[Taifun]

October 24 1941 - November 7 1941
Rain in the Ukraine again hampered Luftwaffe operations. Kiev, Minsk, Wilno and Kaunas were captured. General Zhukov is directing operations in the Ukraine from Kharkov. Stalin is concentrating all the Soviet planes in this area. Our fighters are being upgraded to level 1.

[Taifun]

November 21 - December 5 1941
The town of Siaulai in the Baltic States was abandoned. Panzers approached the first Smolensk fortifications. A small strategic withdrawal from the fortified Dnepr River Line was ordered after losing Kiev. Our main Tank force is being regrouped around Kharkov.

[Taifun]

December 17 -January 2 1942
The crucial year of 1942 begins. The Soviets are still fighting with Infantry weapons level 1 and Armored weapons level 1!
The Germans have reached the Riga Defense Line. The evacuated town of Vitebsk was captured by a panzerkorps in the Smolensk area. Our troops in the Ukraine retreated from the upper Dnepr towards Kharkov trading terrain for time.
In Iraq, with the fall of Bagdad, the last survivors retreated towards the evacuation ports.

[Taifun]

January 16- January 30 1942
The Germans have crossed the Dnepr in force and approach Kharkov from the northwest. A panzerkorps is destroyed near Kharkov. Another small Soviet counterattack in the Smolensk area achieves nothing. The USA prepares for war. The Axis gets the JACKPOT: a diplomatic hit of 21% on Turkey! At the last possible moment, just before the USA entered the War. I am utterly frustrated… [:@] That will open wide a whole new front that Stalin must cover...

[Taifun]

February 13 - February 27 1942
Pearl Harbor attack. Oahu is devastated. The Dutch East Indies, New Guinea, Sarawak, and the Solomons surrendered (also Sudan in Africa). The only good news were that the USA fighters and General Wainwright escaped from the Philippines to continue the fight another day.

Japan declared war to the USSR and attacked Vladivostok with 3 veteran Armies. Stalin must cover the huge country with 50 units, an impossible task. From Mongolia to Vladivostok, Finland to the Black Sea, Iran and Turkey! To cover the Turkish border a couple of infantry corps were sent, all that could be spared.
In Iraq the veteran German panzerkorps captured Basra city. But from India a couple of infantry units disembarked at Kuwait and isolated the panzers out of supply. The Axis are entering Iran, menacing Tehran with their paras.

[Taifun]

The Riga Defense Line was abandoned as the troops were needed elsewhere. General von Manstein is attacking Kharkov with their best units supported by a powerful Luftwaffe. A series of tank battles took place. At last some good news: from the Smolensk Front we are told that partisans have entered Minsk, cutting the supply railroad behind the Germans.

[Taifun]

In the far north, near Kirkenes, our troops are sieging the town and port of Petsamo. The Germans have operated to the area the Oslo infantry corps. The supply convoys to Murmansk are not running as the Kriegsmarine is concentrated around Tronso backed by the 2 naval bombers and fighters. The USSR is alone.

[petedalby]

Another excellent AAR Taifun - thank you. It must take a huge amount of time & effort and it is greatly appreciated. Well done to DimityN for some great moves. Hard to call at this point. The USSR is looking strong with such a late Barbarossa but if you're down to 50 units already with no Murmansk income it could be tough - especially with the Turks on board. The Minsk partisans should make life difficult until they are eliminated. Nice counter stroke in Basra.

[redrum68]

Excellent AAR and very helpful for us less experienced players! Interested to see what the USA can do and where they focus. What does the current MPP income situation look like?

[Taifun]

Many thanks petedalby and redrum68! It does take time to prepare all the pics. But this game is great and I do it with great enthusiasm! New players can improve their strategic decisions observing other players mistakes. [;)]
I will talk about the MPP situation in the next post.

August 1941
We now will go back in time a few months to review the Chinese Front.
After taking the Capital Chungking the Japanese advanced in 2 axes towards Lanchow. They are supported by 2 tac bombers, 2 med bombers and 1 strategic bomber. We disbanded 1 HQ to recover some MPPs.

[Taifun]

October 1941
Lanchow is evacuated. The retreat towards Urumchi continues. AA level 2 at last is reached but we get only 60 MPPs per turn…

[Taifun]

November 1941
With the fall of Lanchow the survivors are rebuilt near the last Capital Urumchi. Nothing can stop their air force, praying for bad weather! Take a look at the morale of the belligerents.