My Historical Global War AAR #3.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Initiative.

First Roll. The axis roll and 8 + 2 = 10. The allies roll a 7, and don't have the option to re-roll. With bad weather in the forecast the axis decide to let the allies move first in order to maintain the +2 die roll modifier for the initiate roll.

Weather. (Allied #1 & Axis #4).

Late winter storms hit worldwide. Looks like the axis made the correct call.

Allied #1.

The CW takes a naval, China a land and Free France, USA and USSR a combined.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #1. CW Naval.

The CW uses its naval to perpetuate its convoy protection strategy, which is illustrated in the below screen cap. Specifically, in sea areas threaten by submarines the CW will have / move a number of cruisers in the 0 box equal to or greater to the number of axis subs that are in or could move that sea area. They also will move an equal number of cruisers minus one into the 1 box. And finally, they will have one cruiser in the 4 box. When the turn ends, the cruisers in the 1 box move down to the 0 box to ensure no interruption in convoy escorts. The cruiser in the 4 box moves to the 3 box. Then, on the next turn when the CW takes another naval that cruiser in the 3 box will be moved to the 0 box. Then, a number of cruisers equal to those in the 0 box minus one are moved to the 1 box and 1 cruiser to the 4 box.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #1. The Eastern Med.

In addition to perpetuation its convoy protection strategy the CW used this naval to move reinforcements into the Med, especially the Eastern Med, to counter the Italian threat there.

In the Eastern Med, the RN decides to initiate combat. With storms in the sea area grounding all aircraft, if there's to be a battle it will be an old fashion naval surface battle.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #1. The East Med. Naval Battle. Round #1.

The RN successfully finds and surprises the Italian RM in the Eastern Med (i.e., the RN search is successful and the Italians isn't). The RN gets 6 surprise points and uses all of them to increase their naval combat column. In effect, the RN wishes to inflict maximum loss on the Italians and is willing to accept some loss in exchange.

The result is that 2 Italian heavy cruisers and 1 light cruiser are sunk. A third heavy Italian cruiser is damaged and forced to abort. Two additional Italian heavy cruisers are also aborted. In exchange, the RN loses two light cruisers and sees a third light cruiser damaged and aborted. Though the RN took losses, they consider this round a victory.

Round #2.

Both sides decide to stay and the combat proceeds to a possible second round. However, both the RN and RM search rolls fails this time and the naval combat in the East Med ends for this impulse.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #1. RAF Strategic Bombing Raid on Berlin.

The RAF flies a Halifax bomber unit at extended rain to run a strategic bombing raid against Berlin. This target was chosen because of the lack of German AA or fighter coverage of that city. The raid is a complete success and destroys two German production points.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Axis #4. The East Med.

The Italians take a naval and made a bold (or maybe reckless) move to reinforce their forces in Egypt by moving Badoglio's HQ and the IV Inf corps from Taranto to sea box 0 in the East Med. The Italians in the hope of avoiding detection by the RN decline to initiate combat. However, the RN chooses to try initiate.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Axis #4. The Eastern Med. Naval Battle. Round #1.

Badoglio's HQ, his transports and meager escorts are found, surprised and isolated by the full force of the RN in the East Med. A naval surface battle follows which sees an Italian transport with the IV inf corps sunk, an RM battleship and heavy cruiser sunk and the transport carrying Badoglio's HQ forced to abort. In return, the RN sees two of their cruisers damaged and aborted.

Badoglio returns back to Italy. Looks like the axis are making a call that their campaign in Egypt is no longer viable. The only support the Italian troops in Egypt and Libya will be that the Italian RM will try to maintain supply to them. Other than that, including the possibility of reinforcements, they're on their own.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Axis #4. The Eastern Med. Naval Battle. Round #2.

Both sides choose to stay. The Italians this time surprise the RN and are able to isolate the lone CP in box 0. While the Italians were tempted to continue the combat and sink that CP point, they decide to use their surprise points to avoid combat and not risk further rounds and the loss of their remaining fleet in the East Med, which would result in no supply to their units in Egypt and Libya.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Axis #4. Chengtu, China. Japanese Strategic Bombing Raid.

The Japanese take a land. In southern China they successfully carry out a strategic bombing raid against the city of Chengtu that reduces Chinese production by 1 point.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Axis #4. Northern China. Land Combat.

In northern China, Terauchi fires up his army group and successfully destroys a Chinese army unit defending in the mountains.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Weather. Allied #7 & Axis #10.

Looks like the ground hog saw its shadow as the late winter storms continue into early spring.

Allied #7.

China takes a land and everyone else, including the CW, takes a combined.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #7. Eastern Med.

In the Eastern Med, the RN tries to keep their naval success going, but both sides fail their search rolls. No naval combat in the East Med this impulse.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #7. RAF Strategic Bombing. Berlin, Germany.

The RAF makes another go at strategic bombing of Berlin. This time, however, the bombers are ineffective.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #10. North Atlantic.

The Germans take a combined and move four u-boat flotillas out into the North Atlantic to hunt for allied convoys there. Their search is in vain as neither side finds the other.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Axis #10. China. Japanese Air Missions.

Japan takes another land and uses its two air missions against China. The first another successful strategic bombing raid, this time against the Chinese city of Kumming. Another Chinese production point is lost, which is a total of 2 points lost so far this turn. That's 40% of the Chinese production!

The second air mission is a ground strike against a nationalist unit in the south and was a failure. That is, the mission failed to disorganize its target.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Axis #10. Northern China. Land Combat. China[77,138]

The Japanese continue their land combat against the communist in the North. This time, however, the communist army is able to repel the Japanese attackers, which lose an infantry division and see all the remaining attackers disorganized.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Weather. (Allied #13 & Axis #16).

The turn continues and the weather lets up a bit. Enough that air can fly in the Med.

Allied #13.

China takes a land and everyone else, including the CW, take a combined. The chance of the turn ending after this impulse is 70%.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #13. Eastern Med.

The CW uses 3 of its 5 air missions in a combine to fly 2 RAF and 1 Belgium fighter unit out from Malta into the East Med. The CW decides to initiate combat against the remaining Italian and German forces in there. (Not Shown). The Germans add a naval air and the Italians a naval air and fighter to their forces before searches begin.

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. Allied #13. Eastern Med. Naval Air Battle. Round 1.

Both sides searches are successful and a naval air battle ensues. The axis have two naval air units but no fighters protecting them. The RAF forces the Italian naval air to abort, after which the German naval air chooses to abort on its own. This ended round 1.

Round 2.

Both sides searches were unsuccessful and the combat ended.

End of Turn Roll.

The end of turn roll was a 2 and this turn, with an 70% chance of ending, is in the books (i.e., over).

[rkr1958]

Mar/Apr 1941. France and the Western Front.

A French partisan unit forms and occupies La Roche.