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In Poland, Zhukov tries to soften the attack point.

As do the Americans in Rome.
The fight is intense, but one Boston, just arrived from that city, gets through.

Despite the bad weather and anti air that negated the Tu2, the other squadron of IL-10 works wonders!

And in Rome, the Boston also gets good results!

In Poland, the Russian paradrop over the fortifications.
The Germans fail to intercept.

US paratroopers had been waiting long this moment.
They get through despite a heavy Italian fighter defense.

In Rome, the Italians fail to bring their bomber to help.

In Poland, the Germans renouce: under the rain and with no figyhter cover, that would be a waste.

In Metz, There does not seem to be a real point, under the rain: the ground support would be too diluted.

In Metz, the US offensive is severely repelled.

But in Poland, the offensive imagined by Zhukov succeeds well enough to break through the fortifications.
With one hole, these cannot now jold long: troops which would stay protected now risk being attacked from behind. It won't be immediate, but just like a dam, when a hole appears, things crumble soon after...

And the raging fighting around Rome ends up in favour of the Americans.
Recapture of the city, under the fire of the american fleet and the possible support of the superforteresses, is unlikely.
But if not done before the end of the turn, Italy is doomed!

Rome at the start of the second axis impulse in septmeber 44.

There is a very small chance of keeping Italy in the war.

It is to counterattack immediately, and hope the turn ends!

The success of the counterattack is extremely unlikely, and entails the support of the fleet, the use of the engineer unit. It uses the hope that the bombers sent to help keep the city will be held back by the lone remaining fighter squadron. And last of all, it requires a wildly successfull attack, followed by the end of the turn (at 20% chance...)

Japan has no qualms about passing: it has nothinf to do.
Germany grumbles, but it really has nothing really smart to do, although failure will likely cost it two artillery divisions facing the Zhukov spearhead.

Well, at this stage in the game, the choice for the axis is always between bad solutions, and relying on some luck!

Dreams come and go...
The counterattack failed.
The Americans did not even take the pain of flying bombers... (they might have been sorry if the fight had been an success!)

I gave some but not all offensive shore bombardment to the Italian fleet.
* some (which ?) units should not be there because they were damaged/destroyed in a naval combat (but their was a bug)
* a new naval combat should have occured, with the US fleet once again bombarding the Italian fleet using its heavy carrier force. This would make at least one or two battleship not in the combat.
* a second search would have failed

I rolled both hypothetical searches myself (I cannot even initiate naval combat...)

And the turn fails to end.

This seals the fate of Italy. And gives a double move for the allies on the other theaters (it doesn't matter much.)

The weather suddenly turns fine on the third allied impulse.

East front on the thrid allied impulse in September 44

In Japan, the US are still slowly reinforcing with whatever troops they find.
Their toe hold is not fragile, but its actually nearly useless... except for the fact that it is at least on Japan itself.

As the weather turns against well, the Commonwealth and USA each take a combined with an offensive chit.
The horde of British heavy bombers target 4 hexes for carpet bombing.
Two of these attacks will be repelled by the Luftwaffe, and one bomber squadron will be lost.
Two attacks succeed in bypassing the air defense.

Manstein doesn't love bombs.

He is disintegrated.

This leaves a fortified (well, it should be anyway) hex with one unit only.
A successful ground strike by a Mosquito will disorganize it. A pair of Tempest will render the II SS armor and the Gross Deutschland Panzer corps ; this will remove any potential threat of counterattck should the German have the will to try.

That hex is then assaulted, using a combined action with paratroopers. Attacks come from bothe sides.

Note: to simulate the presence of the fortress on one side, I attacked with limited forces (one stack less than possible), simulating the reduced odds that should have been.

The British take Bremen with the support of the fleet, which use will very soon be limited!

But they fail to pass from the North in Denmark.