Groundhog Day AAR

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

As for splitting up the AAR into a branch #2 game would have to begin at German set up to correct the border issue (one or two unit difference only on the western front), then keep everything the same after that including the crappy Danzig roll as well as the Polish navy getting away.

I know how to edit a game file and move units. So, if you're interested I could take a game file where you wanted to branch, edit it and moves the two units to where you wanted them moved. If interested, post the game with instructions on which units you'd liked moved and to were you would like to move them.

[Jagdtiger14]

Thank you Ronnie! I'll keep that in mind for the next time. I've already worked through it the hard way last night.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Thank you Ronnie! I'll keep that in mind for the next time. I've already worked through it the hard way last night.

Good deal! By the way, enjoying your AAR immensely. Can't wait to see where the branches "grow". [:)]

[Jagdtiger14]

Axis impulse 3 S/O'39

Fair weather everywhere.

Germany DOW's Denmark.
Italy DOW's CW and France.

Germany Land
Italy Naval
Japan Combined

No air missions prior to naval step.

Japan sends Yam and the 3ptARTY into Canton, CV Akagi and CA Tone move out to the 4 box of the South China Sea
Italy sails two subs (5-3 and 4-3, 2 and 1 box repectively) into Cape Verde, and the 4-2 sub into the 2 box of CSV.

[brian brian]

Well on a long drive today I was able to think about a current game of World in Flames - how delightful.

On the subject of learning an obscure rule the hard way, I know Jt14 will understand this angle to it - what would happen at WiFCon? I learned several rules the hard way at my first WiFCon.

Re: setting up in Danzig - I am now slightly unhappy with my Polish set-up. I could have done better, I think. It did achieve one basic goal, but I could have achieved others.

Pluses & Minuses - are my Commonwealth CVs about to go Blub, blub, blub? We'll find out tomorrow. Definitely a +/- decision I'll reflect on in a post-AAR maybe in the year 2017.

[Jagdtiger14]

Saving the best for last[:)]

First, 2 subs in Cape Verde vs 5 naked cp's: Italy rolls a 4 just missing. Hurricane season dust clouds off of Africa mask funnel smoke.

Second, 1 Italian sub and 1 Italian CA loaded with an INF div in CSV sailing together with a CW fleet sharing tea in time of peace suddenly find themselves at war over the radio. Both sides roll a 1 (5 surprise points for Italy). Italy decides to not take CW up on its offer to sail away peacefully (avoid combat) opens fire and a torpedo spread at close range getting a D,2A result on CW. CW returns fire getting a D,A result on Italy. Surprise points spent (decrease CW one level, increase Italians one level). Waiting for CW allocations.

CW fleet: BB Warspite, BB Royal S., CA Newcastle.

[Jagdtiger14]

Torpedo spread by sub hits nothing, but forces the Royal S. and Warspite to bug out while the Newcastle screens them from the Italians. Italian sub escapes the Newcastle, the Eugenio takes damage but continues the fight.

Royal S. Aborts
Warspite Aborts

Italian sub Aborts
Eugenio Damaged

Waiting to see if CW wants to continue the fight.

[Jagdtiger14]

As the Newcastle is pre-occupied with chasing down the Italian sub, the Eugenio speeds off to escape further damage losing sight of the Newcastle. Suddenly in the distance appears a long line of funnels and trailing smoke. What luck! This must be the convoy the Eugenio has been instructed to search for. There is also an escort ship much larger than a cruiser...the battleship Barham? It appears no one has spotted the Italian...

Rolls of 5 (Italy), 9 (CW)=13 surprise points.

4 spent to make Barham have NE, 8 to increase Eugenio effectiveness (X,3A).

Since its rear turret has been destroyed in previous combat, the Eugenio charges in on the opposite side of the big escort peppering off some quick shots at freighters as it turns away to avoid clashing with the big guy.

2cp's sink, 3 abort.

Some sink, more scatter, but some remain in formation.

Round 3: Then out of nowhere, the Newcastle appears at full speed, lays down smoke between the Italian and the remaining convoy. Eugenio turns to engage Newcastle, fires off several salvos, but can not keep up with Newcastle as the cruiser disappears into the distance leaving the scene.

Italy 7, CW 4 (8 Italian surprise points)...NE on Eugenio, Newcastle avoids damage and aborts.

Round 4: Italy 2, CW 1 (4 surprise points). Eugenio decides to charge through the smoke screen layed down by Newcastle and have another go at the remaining convoy. Barham is seen rounding the front of the convoy with no clear shot, while Eugenio is on the opposite side getting into position to fire on the convoy, or the Barham?...commander cant make up his mind. Italy spends 4 surprise points for an NE on the Barham.

Both sides NE.

[Jagdtiger14]

Round 5: Italy 1, CW 10. 14 surprise points. 4 surprise points on Barham for NE. 10 surprise points for max damage.

Eugenio finally decides in time before Barham can fire, to go for the remaining freighters in the convoy...firing at close range. The smoke from the burning fires gives Eugenio its own smoke screen, the Barham gives up and sails for England.

Final result: CSV cleared. Final tally: 4 destroyed cp's, 3 cp's aborted, CW fleet aborted (Barham, Royal S., Warspite, Newcastle). Italian sub aborted, Eugenio Damaged...

Could have been worse for CW, but Brian did an excellent job minimizing damage. However, besides 4 BP's worth of cp's destroyed, production looks like it might be effected this turn.

Still have Eastern and Western Med to go...

[brian brian]

It was a little frustrating. Not the sea battle ... trying to get my phone to keep up.

The rest of the impulse should be - smoother. I hope.

[Jagdtiger14]

Eastern Med, CA Abruzzi searching for anything CW finds nothing. Western Med the Italian fleet also finds nothing, but the CW fleet finds some Italian freighters, sinks them...senses danger heads home to Gibraltar.

Stuka group pounds the Georges hex in Germany nails the INF and AT gun, but misses their main target HQ-Georges. A small air battle between the French MS 406 and some Me 109's flying cover for the Stuka's came to nothing.

German army Poland still capable of maneuver heads south.

Germany army Denmark secures the country. Danes manage to scuttle the notorious Peter Scram, rest of fleet gets away.

Within Germany, some single hex moves other than a 7-5ARM moving south between the French encroaching army and Munich.

HQ-Bock plus ATR Ju 52 re-org Stuka, 9-4INF, 8-4MOT.

Japan HQ-Yam, ARTY move together one hex towards the enemy, HQ-Ter keeps moving south.

No attacks, back to Allies and the impending Serbian back-stab. All of the above German moves had already been planned on before the discovery of the Yugo cables.

[Jagdtiger14]

South China.

[Jagdtiger14]

Polish front.

[Jagdtiger14]

Danish front.

[Jagdtiger14]

Western front.

[Jagdtiger14]

More Western front.

[Jagdtiger14]

And one last Western front.

[Jagdtiger14]

Next up...photo of Yugo set up when revealed.

[brian brian]

After extensive Allied staff talks over the possible formation of a new High Command, the Quai d'Orsay in Paris calls a Press Conference to announce a new military Alliance with the Kingdom of the South Slavs. "Military operations to liberate the West Slav territory brutally occupied by German forces will commence immediately. Hitler's craven Fascist ally in Italy will not be allowed to interfere."

The USA's premiere foreign correspondent William Shirer, having traveled to the seeming center of gravity of the war in Paris, sits in the front row and sends extensive dispatches home, where the good news from the expanding Allies is widely published on newspaper front pages for a relieved American public.

Not to be out-done, in London Prime Minister Chamberlain meets with the British Press. Ignoring questions from the commercial press over numerous merchant ships increasingly over-due to arrive at the Liverpool docks, the PM makes this announcement: "The time for Germany to bully it's smaller neighbors is over. We shall give Mr. Hitler what he seems to want: A Four Front War."

[brian brian]

OK, a little game commentary rather than imaginary historical commentary.

The Royal Navy has been more lucky than not so far at sea. Attempting a Surprise Port Strike on the Italian TRS is sometimes considered almost a standard opening move in the game. But it comes with a risk as the CVs have to sit there for an impulse, allowing the Italians their own shot at the carriers instead. And the more you set-up for a maximum chance at the TRS, by starting in Gibraltar and sailing to the 4 box (unless a cagey Italian sets the TRS up in an Italian Coast port), the greater the chance the Allied search roll inadvertently exposes the CVs to an Italian surface fleet.

That was a mistake I made by keeping the CA in the 4 box of the Cape St Vincent. I could have set a few combat results on it but forgot that the usual 'picket' type force in the 4 box is useless on a surprise impulse, and this eventually cost me.

Even attempting the Port Strike is a risk, but it comes with up-sides I will discuss later; I don't consider it an automatic Allied decision. The CW could easily lose a CV in the process, which seems like a big deal to WiF players, but I would note that the Royal Navy won the historical naval war in the Med quite handily despite the loss of the HMS Courageous on what would be essentially the second impulse of the game.

The Allies went with a Land impulse for the French again, and a Combined for the Commonwealth. The raiding CA that hoped for a big surprise point split in the East Med was dispatched, leaving the Regia Marina down two Heavy Cruisers so far, at an Allied cost of several CW CP sunk and several more aborted and the main convoy line broken.

The Yugoslavians opted to cover a few bases and mount just a small incursion into German territory. I would note here that MWiF handicaps the Germans for 1939 operations in Central Europe somewhat as the City-Based Volunteer units aren't coded yet, and they would be due to receive an SS MIL in Vienna and another MIL in Bratislava as reinforcements in Nov/Dec 39. But then recruiting efforts in those two cities would have been rather disrupted in this particular game...