My Historical Global War AAR #3.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #2. USN East Coast Escorts

The CW is getting help from the USN to protect convoys on the USA East Coast. In fact, the only escorts there are USN.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #2. Eastern Med and Red Sea.

MI6 indicates that the Germans and Italians have become focused on mobilization in the East for possible war with the Soviets. The CW acting on this intelligence moves three loaded troop transports in the Eastern Med and one into the Red Sea intended to reinforce Egypt. The 3 transports in the East Med are accompanied by strong escorts.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #2. Western Med.

A fifth troop transport task force is put into the Western Med.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #2. Cape St. Vincent.

A six troop transport headed to the Med is forced by an Italian subs to stop in the Cape St. Vincent sea area.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #2. East Med. Naval Air Combat. Round 1.

The RN in the East Med decides to initiate combat with the Italian RM. Including the forces already both sides add all the additional air units that they can. While the RN and RAF has an overwhelming advantage over the axis in surface ships and aircraft. Though in the air this advantage is not as big. Though the decision to engage probably puts at least one of their loaded transports at significant risk, England has ruled the seas for 100's of years and the CW decide now is not the time to back down. So the fight is on and round 1 clearly goes to the RN. Axis air power is decimated without loss of any air units for the CW.

Needing to maintain supply for the land forces in Libya and Egypt, the Italians decided to stay. Not surprisingly, so does the CW.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #2. East Med. Naval Air Combat. Round 2.

Round 2 also goes to the RN and RAF. Though the Italians did manage to get their unescorted naval air unit through against a significant CW fighter screen. It's prime target was the Queens TRS unit and the 7-4 Canadian motorized corps that it carriers. Fortunately for the CW, the Italian naval unit bombs were reduced. Even so, the Queens TRS was 1/2 aborted and an escorting light cruiser was aborted. Though no CW transports were sunk, damaged or aborted this result does show how fortunate the CW was in round 1 that the surprise was with them and not the Italians and that no axis bombers got through.

On the Italian RM side, their two remaining SCS (2 BBs) were driven from the area, with one being damaged.

The Italians, who only had a single naval air unit left, decide they had had enough and withdrew from the East Med, giving full control of that area the CW. Italian ground troops in Egypt and Libya are indeed on their own.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #2. RAF Strategic Bombing.

With the Luftwaffe being redeployed to the East in order to help in trying to break the Nazi-Soviet pact, German industry is left unprotected. The RAF carries out strategic bombing raids against Essen and Dusseldorf and manages to reduce German production by 2 PP's. Though England is standing alone it certainly is carrying the fight to Germany and Italy.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #3 & Allied #4 Weather.

Fine weather across the world continues except for a band of rain on the equator, which unfortunately for the Japanese includes southern China.

Axis #3. Actions.

The Germans and Japanese take a land. The Italians take a naval with the focus being on getting and keeping 1 or more SCS in the Eastern Med in order to reestablish supply to their army in Libya and Egypt.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #3. Eastern Med.

The Italian RM sends what SCS they can spare to the East Med which constitutes a meager force of a BB, 2 CAs and 2 CPs. Of course the Italians decline to initiate combat in the hopes of avoiding it against the superior RN and RAF forces operating there. Unfortunately for the Italians, the CW, who initiates combat, not only finds the Italians but manages to surprise them too.

Eastern Med. Naval Air Combat. Round #1.

RN carrier based planes managed to damage the Italian battleship, sink a CP and force a heavy cruiser to abort. The RN accomplished this without any loss to their forces.

Needing to reestablish supply to their land forces in Egypt and Libya, the Italians choose to stay and hope for the best. Which is, to avoid combat which proceeds to a potential round 2.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #3. Eastern Med. Naval Air Battle. Round 2.

The again not only finds but manages to surprise the remaining Italian force in the East Med. RN carrier planes sink another heavy cruiser and CP but only manage to 1/2 abort the damaged Italian BB.

Not thinking clearly the Italians decide to stay for a third round with only a damaged and half aborted BB.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #3. Eastern Med. Naval Air Battle. Round 3.

For three rounds in a row, the RN finds and surprises the Italians. The damaged Italian battleship is finished off. Control of the East Med no firmly rests with the RN.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #3. Japanese Strategic Bombing. Chengtu, China.

Japan continues their strategic bombing of Chinese production. However, the raid against Chengtu was ineffective.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #3. Japanese Land Combat. China [77,137].

The IJN in Northern China manage to shatter a communist Chinese Militia Army defending in the mountains. The communist chose to fight the battle on the Blitz table in the hopes of saving the army. Turns out the communist made a good call as the Chinese army was shatter but would have been destroyed if the attack had been made on the assault table.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #4. Actions.

The CW and China take a land. Free France, USA and USSR all take a combined.

Reorg.

The only real action worth reporting from the allies this impulse was that Gort was used to reorganize an RAF strategic bomber which will be used next impulse to continue the RAF's strategic bombing campaign against German production.

[rkr1958]

Axis #5 and Allied #7. Weather.

Early summer storms blanket the planet with snow in the Arctic, rain in the Med and strong storms elsewhere.

Axis #5. Actions.

The Germans take a combine, the Italians a land and the Japanese a naval.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #5. North Atlantic.

The Germans decide to commit their u-boats in the North Atlantic and attempt to initiate combat. However, German u-boats fail to make contact with any CW convoys or warships.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Allied #7. Actions.

CW and China take a land. Free France, USA and USSR take a combined. The CW takes advantage of a small bad of fair weather in the deserts of Egypt and Libya.

Land Combat. Bardia, Libya.

The British 8th Army catch up to and inflict losses on fleeing and out of supply Italian army in North Africa.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #9 and Allied #10. Weather.

Wow, another weather roll of 1, but this roll was modified to a 3 which produce fine weather in the North Temperate and the Med.

Axis #9. Actions.

The Germans take a land and continue moving everything they can to the East including the Luftwaffe. Effectively the Germans are leaving the cities wide open to RAF strategic bombers. But, once the Germans can break the pact and go to war with the Soviets, they will move a number of fighters back to protect the cities. Just not now.

The Japanese and Italians also take a land. The Japanese use their action and the fine weather in northern China to continue their attacks on the communist Chinese.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #9. Land Combat. China[76, 138].

This land combat goes very well for the Japanese.

[rkr1958]

May/Jun 1941. Axis #9. Land Combat. China[76, 137].

The IJA takes a land combat to clear a Nationalist Chinese division. Though the Chinese division was destroyed, the Japanese lost a motorized division in the attack.