Solitaire game starting late '42

[EUBanana]

On the Eastern Front the Russians have sawed at that point of open ground for ages. I think this is attempt #3. But after amassing absolutely all the ARMs they could get, they get a lucky roll, and they are through.

[EUBanana]

Easily the busiest turn for quite a while.

And I skipped a bunch out, as it was so amazingly busy, what with the air to air, carpet bombing, ground strikes, the works.

So, to take stock as the impulse ends. Jan/Feb 44 impulse 2 starts like this in NW France, where the Allies basically hurled themselves at the shore to try and scoop up every hex to squeeze troops on it that they could.

[EUBanana]

In Italy between carpet bombing and La Spezia falling the Allies open up a two hex wide hole.

Also the Yugoslav partisans have been getting really crazy lately. The mountain hexes never made it worth while rooting them out, and now things are getting kinda out of control.

[EUBanana]

This is where the breakthrough happened in the USSR, thanks to that tiny bit of land being consistently fine weather there was a fair bit of ARM vs ARM going on there... but eventually the Soviets managed to bring enough ARM for the blitzkrieg.

[EUBanana]

The most crazy thing was sending the US fleet to the 2 box right next to Truk.

I don;'t think it'll ever get better than this for Japan. So I think they'll use an O-chit to take a combined action and hit the US fleet with everything they got. ie, ALL the LBA.

[EUBanana]

I don't normally break it out on my lunch break but as the Marianas Decisive Battle is about to happen so I make an exception.

The IJN finds the USN scouts in the 4 box...

[EUBanana]

The Hudson and two cruisers go straight to Davy Jones' locker.

However on the next round the IJN fails to find the fleet. So I guess they served their purpose, the US can optionally abort now.

[EUBanana]

Couple of Japanese submarines off Hawaii decide to attack the escorts rather than the convoy point for some spur of the moment reason. To choke up the US repair pool with things they don't necessarily want to draw, I guess. The convoy would be super easily replaced anyway. So as often happens the damage is mutual.

[EUBanana]

Japanese fast BB raids sink a convoy, before the US fleet finds about their existence. As there is no reason at all to engage here for the Allies, they are just innocent troop transferrals not seeking combat, they get out of Dodge rather than risk poor rolls.

This was an error, the US had actiosn to debark last turn, but with everything going on, i forgot.

[EUBanana]

And thats it for naval combat.

There's a pretty big counterinvasion force ready to run the US out of Iwo Jima. But atm they are protected by the US battleships which I think will make even that lot inadequate to the task. Without some air softening or something.

[EUBanana]

The Japanese may as well use their o-chit in China too, with some heavier than usual bombing given they usually don't take air actions.

For once their dinky lil bombers do some real damage.

[EUBanana]

Japan follows up as they have a +11 roll. Chiang uses his bombers though and brings it down to about 5.

But then a good roll from Japan clears out the Chinese, which is a bit of a disaster, central China may well be threatened with Hata in the north.

That said... it's not worth that much. And China almostr want Chiang to be destroyed so he can redeploy somewhere more useful than being stuck in the middle.

[EUBanana]

The Germans are redeploying to France, and have pretty scary looking panzer troops and top notch aircraft in Occupied France. It does mean they are not in Italy or the Eastern Front though.

[EUBanana]

Italy's front is SUPER thin too, it's only the narrow width that stops them just being rolled over by the Commonwealth.

A decent FTR is spared but given the Black Widow in theatre, and a zillion bombers, its not really a lot.

[EUBanana]

Germany moves to check that blitzkrieg in the south, but after looking at the various odds, concludes it's just not possible to wipe it out. As there's a lot of Soviet ARMs there they can't get the blitz option, which they need to have the odds to win. Maybe next impulse, but for now at least it seems Germany is on the back foot somewhat.

Germany does have a LOT of ground reinforcements coming, so next turn may be very different in Italy/France especially.

[EUBanana]

Snow ends combat in France for an impulse most likely, which means both sides will have a chance to bring everything they want to the fray. Units won't be out of position.

Still good weather in the Marianas though, and Japan will seek engagement. I think the US want the fleet to remain there to support Iwo Jima so it can't be counterinvaded, but they don't want to be attacked, either, while in an inferior position.

Incidentally both sides rebased even more LBA to the various islands by the Marianas sea zone.

[EUBanana]

Well, the Allies rejiggle a few things in the snow. A lot of stuff debarks into France in particular.

On the Axis impulse #5 the Japanese seek battle in the Marianas again, and send the rest of their navy in to the Marianas, now pretty seriously outnumbering the Americans. And battle is joined, with 4 surprise points for Japan.

I think it'll be a while to grind through this one... but I think the US will suffer more overall, we'll see though.

[EUBanana]

Well, the air to air is brutal. American AA is light, Japanese AA is heavy and destroys an A-20 but that doesnt actually impact the shipping damage.

4 destroyed, 3 damaged, 3 aborted to the USN.
CV Wasp and Saratoga are sunk
BB California is sunk
CV Lexington is damaged
BB West Virginia is damaged

3 destroyed, 1 damaged, 1 aborted to the IJN
CV Zuikaku is sunk
CA Myoko is sunk
CA Takao is damaged
CV Hiryu is damaged

[EUBanana]

The US carriers retire to Pearl.

There's enough IJN left in the Marianas to bomb Iwo Jima.

[Courtenay]

Snow is Stalin weather. Remember that the Russians get +1 for every winterized unit they have (0.5 for divisions, halved by river), and their winterized units are all white print, MTN and ski units. They can often get a net plus from the weather.