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Despite odds of 5:1 the Germans roll poorly in attacking Billotte's position and suffer a lot of disorganised units. Fortunately, there are still two HQs in reserve and the gap in the French line is looking unpluggable. The French can only hope for a deterioration in the weather.

Mussolini's first offensive ends in a sharp rebuff as the stout-hearted Lyons militia hold the alpine frontier for now. Most alarming for the Italians is the impending cost of reorganisation. One of Mussolini's main objectives in aligning with the Germans is to secure a steady increase in resources from conquered lands that will enable Italian production to be optimised. He must be hoping fervently that even though he is arriving late to the table Hitler will still be amenable to this.

Sep / Oct 1940 grinds on with the Germans continuing to make slow progress as the autumn rain sets in and unit disruption affects both sides. The Wehrmacht's focus is on isolating the BEF in the Pas de Calais area and also encircling Paris. French forces in Alsace-Lorraine are virtually cut off from the rest of France.

The war at sea heats up as the Eastern Fleet sails from Aden to counter the Italian cruisers in the Eastern Med. Neither side locates the other but the Italian Navy decides to increase the stakes and, in the ensuing combat, the numerically inferior British fleet is routed. Two cruisers - HMS's Cornwall and Coventry - go down to the bottom of the briny and the rest of the fleet scuttles back to Suez. Churchill telegrams the Admiralty to get a grip.

However, the French respond first, sensing an historic opportunity to repay Il Duce for the earlier 'stab in the back'. The battle fleets line up in the Eastern Med... but fail to get to grips after the initial naval air combat is resolved and are left burning up an unconscionable amount of oil.

When Italian reinforcements show up next impulse , the French realise they are outgunned and turn tail for port.

As 1940 draws to a close, the realisation is growing that I've made a number of beginner's errors in the campaign so far. Although none of these seems irrepairable, the current campaign is likely to become more of a sandbox exercise for me going forward, and I may stop posting for the time being.

I think that I have learned a lot from diving in at the deep end but I would have been heavily punished by a skilled opponent who understands the game mechanics and strategic options better than I.

Key aspects for a newbie to focus on:

1. I think I have been too content to play the war 'as it happened' when, in fact, there is no need to be limited to what actually took place by a certain date in the war. So, its important to decide on YOUR game strategy at the outset and then ensure that your initial deployments and early builds support this fully. E.g. if you are a proponent of flat-tops, build enough carrier planes to go on your carriers (remembering that the models improve each year). Build enough amphs/trns/MARs if you want to pursue a seaborne strategy early on in the game (or keep your opponent on their toes as the invasion threat itself is often sufficient).

2. Prepare to devote a lot of time to optimising your production - and check regularly as events at sea for example can reroute your resource/supply lines without you realising. This includes deciding on who to trade with, where the resources are going to be produced, transported to, saved etc. This is an enjoyable facet of the game but incredibly finicky to get right until you know what you are doing.

3. Get used to the combat results and know when and when not to throw in extra support e.g. air/naval bombardment and HQ support. Remember that there is still a large element of luck in the die rolls after allowing for adjustments so don't take unacceptable risks! I lost two counterattacking BEF corps on a roll of 1 at 2:1 odds. This was a disaster and Gort was taken out next impulse so not even a Dunkirk opportunity for the 'little ships' [:(]

4. Keep good reserves - just as in real life they are there to exploit your breakthroughs and guard against those of your opponent.

5. Protect your shipping in exposed areas at all times. I left CW shipping at risk in the Eastern Med until after Italy had declared war.

6. Learn the special rules and many little nuances of the game. I couldn't figure out why the BEF would not land in France until I was informed about the commitment limit also applying to aircraft (and naval units for that matter).


I'd like to thank everyone who has read and contributed to this AAR to date - and rest assured, I'll still be around!