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ORIGINAL: Orm

Maybe CW can send a HQ and a few units to Iraq and conquer it?

Yes, I think that's where the CW player will try to engage the axis. East Africa and the Middle East. Though, Transport priority is getting NAVs and fighters to Malta and Gibraltar. However, the Queens and the NEI transport are being used to ferry CW troops from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, India into the Middle East, and East Africa.

I do need to spare transport resources to get a HQ unit. Maybe the Queens can drop by England at the end of this turn and do that duty.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #1. Italian submarines. Cape St. Vincent.

One Italian sub unit is unable to reach Cape Verde Basin and must stop in the Cape St. Vincent. This unit decide NOT to try to initiate combat but will be used to try to disrupt (e.g., intercept, discourage) CW transports headed to Gibraltar or Malta.

Do not forget to place at least one unit on Singapore to guard against Japanese adventures.

ORIGINAL: Orm

Do not forget to place at least one unit on Singapore to guard against Japanese adventures.

I learned my lesson the hard way in a previous game when a Malysian partisan popped up to take an ungarrisoned Singapore on turn 2. Since that game I always place a CW unit at start there and make sure that it always stays garrisoned. In this game I started a CW gun division there, which is now in India. This unit was replaced a few turns back by a 6-2 white print Australian Mil to maintain the garrison against partisan but also to "guard against Japanese adventures," as you would say. [:)]

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #1. Italian RM. Eastern Med.

The Italians also used their naval to beef up their naval forces in the Eastern Med and to (again) get a CP there in order to get the RP on Cyprus back to an Italian factory.

Both the Italian RM and the British RN decide NOT to try to initiate combat. Both sides decided that now is not the right time to fight a naval battle there. But, both sides expect attempts for action later this turn.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #1. East Med. North Africa. Middle East.

While the Italians may not be able to match the RN in number of surface ships, they plan to compensate for that deficiency by controlling the air over the Eastern Med.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #1. German Mobilization for the Eastern Front.

Germany aligned Romania and the USA did NOT react.

Germany used their combine to bring more ground and air troops to the border with the Soviets.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #1. Japan. Strategic Bombing, Lanchow, China.

Japan takes a combine and uses one of their air missions for strategic bombing of Lanchow. The raid reduces Chinese production by 1 PP. This represents a 20% loss of production for the Chinese given that total production of 5 PPs last turn. This is not insignificant.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #1. Japan. Ground Strike. China.

Japan conducts two "low probability" ground strikes against China. Both strikes failed to disorganize any targets.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Allied #4. CW. Red Sea.

The CW takes a naval and uses that naval to transport from CW troops into East Africa. With Kuwait and Iraq in Italian hands, East Africa is the only place where the CW can move troops and put then in a position to fight Italian troops.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Allied #4. CW. Naval. Convoy Escorts.

The primary purpose of the CW naval was to beef up their convoy escorts in critical sea areas and that's exactly what the RN did.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Allied #4. CW. RN. Eastern Med.

The RN moved additional surface forces into the East Med. The storm raging there has prevented air from flying. However, that didn't stop the CW from moving in 2 additional aircraft carriers giving them three in the area.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Allied #4. CW. Malta. East Med.

Also, the CW used the 3 air missions of the naval to move to rebase via transport 2 fighters and 1 more nav air unit to Malta. This gives Malta 2 fighter and 2 nav air units. When the storm clears, an epic naval battle for the Eastern Med could ensue. Or, maybe no battle as either side may not find the other. Only time will tell.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #7. Weather.

Germany, Italy and Japan all take a land.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #7. German and Italian Naval Air. Eastern Med.

The Germans and Italians use three air missions to put naval air and fighter units into the Eastern Med.

The RN declines to initiate combat at this point.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #7. Italy. Iraq.

Italy has four corps on the move to enter Iraq, and thus, align Persia. Only one of the four corps made to Iraq this turn. All four are expected to make it their next impulse, assuming the Italians can take a land.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #7. Japan. Strategic Bombing Raid. Sian, China.

Japan continues their strategic bombing raids on Chinese production. This raid, which was against Sian, however, failed to damage any production.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #7. Japan. Ground Strike. Kweilin, China.

Once again Japanese bombers fail to disrupt any Chinese defenders.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #7. Japan. Land Combat. Kweilin, China.

However, the Japanese army has no problem destroying the defenders and capturing the city. No reaction from the USA.

This attack required an 8 or higher to succeed (i.e., destroy both Chinese units and capture the city). That put the odds of success at 79%, or about 4 out of 5. Good odds but far from a sure thing. There was a 2% chance that the Japanese would lose 3 units, 14% chance that they would lose 2 and a 23% chance that they would lose one. That's a 39% chance total that the Japanese would take some losses.

In summary, the attack which had risks was worth the risks. Fortunately for the IJA, they rolled well losing no units and having no units disorganized other than Umezu who provided HQ support to the attack.

Turn 9. Jan/Feb 1941. Axis #7. Japan. Southern China.

The IJN disembarked a 2-5 mech division to Canton.

Also, while looking over this theater I realized I had made a tactical error last axis impulse, when the Japanese took a combine. The error was that I failed to load the 2-2 MIL in Formosa onto a transport for disembarking into China this turn. This MIL, for example, could be used for garrison duty in Shanghai and free up the 8-3 infantry corps doing it now. What makes this error sting even more is that I only used 1 of 2 of Japan's naval moves of the combine last impulse.