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T69 - December 44
Didn’t lose many units that I didn’t expect to lose. The entire Gallipoli mission has been a failure, and all units have been destroyed in a repeat of history. Besides that, I only lost 1 marine unit in Japan. Annoying, but not the worst. I move my strat bombers in range of Tokyo. One of the artillery for Tokyo turns out to be a anti-tank unit… so great lol. It’s in the wrong theatre. The Shinano spawns without upgrades and is promptly disposed of.
More frustratingly, Taifun caught on to my plan for the Baltics, and he placed his remnants of the Kriegsmarine in strategic spots, and my maritimes are useless to do anything about it. Because of the bane of my exsistance... bad weather.
It seems like I must abort the plan.

He brings more reinforcements into Spain. I must assume defensive positions there now, otherwise I stand no chance. I'm kinda baffled that I do not have Spain yet, and now it's looking like I'm never going to get it. Taifun had promised me that I was going to have a good time in Spain, it seems like he lied.
A counter offensive starts to put pressure on Persia
UK must make bombers, and USA also. Even the maritimes, which can be used as cheap blockers of interceptions. I must start lvl 3 ground bombers as well.

Summary 1944
The zenyth of Axis power is behind us. Italy is dust, and Japan about to keel over. Only Germany remains, but their power is titanic. And perhaps they are not alone after all. Can the allies beat the race against time as well as the Germans?

Events:
In Russia, the German high command abandoned their dreams of capturing the Urals, and with it, vital Soviet industry. Instead, their might is thrown at the Caucasus in a multipronged campaign involving a demonstration of their air power, amphibious assaults, and the invasion of Turkey in order to outflank, along with the frontal brute forcing through the Caucasus mountains with artillery, armies and heavy tanks. Baku fell in autum 44, and Teheran followed soon after. Elsewhere in Russia, the fight went back and forth, with brutal attacks and counter attacks around Leningrad, between Moscow and Voronezh, and around Kuybyshev.

Both Denmark and Portugal were pre-emptively invaded by Germany in an attempt to establish a more effective frontline. However, the German advance fell short of Kopenhagen and it was promptly occupied by a British force originally intended for Oslo. Oslo did fall not much later, though the rest of Norway remains occupied. Portugal and Spain were invaded in the summer, and while the campaign looked promising at first, the Germans put up way more of a fight than anticipated, and soon the combined American and UK expeditionary force was on the back foot, clinging to the mountains.

The invasion of Turkey opened another front in the Middle East, as the Allies respond with their own invasion of Syria. In an attempt to cut off the retreat and flow of supplies into Anatolia, the British lead another ill-conceived mission into the Dardanelles. Though they thrust further in land than 3 decades ago, they were also dispatched much quicker, as several corps are taken captive.
In the East, Japan's orderly retreat slowly turns into a full rout and then a meatgrinder. The allies chip away at their dominions and armed forces alike, as one place is liberated after another. They manage to get boots on the ground in the southern part of the Island, and after liberating Korea and the Chinese coast, necessary to supply the massive bomber fleets that will raze Japan to the ground, a dedicated task force of marines lands around Tokyo to finish the job. Japan will surrender once the snow of winter melts.




Allied War Aims for 1944
- the US will create another invasion force to liberate Spain in a swift operation and establis ha base for a drive into France. > inconclusive, but looking like failure
- The UK will do the same for Norway and later, Denmark, in order to hopefully pull away forces from Spain. > successful
- Liberate China and establish a base from which Japan can be bombed and conquered. > very successful
- Russia will reform their armored force once more and keep harassing the German flanks while clinging to the mountains of the Urals and Caucasus for protection. > partially successful, despite losing the Caucasus and Persia
- Cut off the Constantinople Corridor. It won’t really trap his army, as the Caucasus rail is open for him. > disastrous
- Go on the offensive in Russia. > postponed
- Diplomatically convince Sweden to stop supplying Germany. > inconclusive
- Land SF in the Baltics and start forcing Germany to defend. > aborted
- Seize Bordeaux to establish a major supply for the advance on Berlin. > aborted


Allied War Aims for 1945
- Japan will be forced to surrender
- Go on the offensive in Russia.
- Create a diversion in Spain and the Middle East, in order to drain units and resources and turn the Nazi gaze away from the main target
- Prepare for an invasion of Northern Germany by seizing or destroying ports and key transport hubs around Berlin. The attack will be preceded by Strategic Bombing, slowing down the reinforcements that can reach Berlin. Paratroopers will seize key locations further in land, while amphibious landings dispatch of defenses around Hamburg, Bremen and parts of Denmark.



Intelligence report on Incomes:
File missing.

Intelligence report on Axis Armed Forces
File missing.

Allied research breakthroughs 39-40|41|42|43|44
File missing.

T70 - Early January 45
Great start to the new year... Taifun takes Canberra which was left undefended, with SNLF that escaped from the Solomons or another pitiful island… It turns out to have been Kukum, which I promptly occupy in return, but it’s so annoying. I'll have to deal with it at some point, because Canberra is part of the Victory Conditions. Somehow his Japanese bombers are also still operational, they keep escaping my fighters, while raining death from above on my troops and navy. But my troops are closing in, and there's nowhere left for him to run.

I lose two anti tanks around Madrid… but I manage to strike back a bit elsewhere in Spain, killing 1 army and 1 corps, and surrounding another. His counter push will be brutal, though. Hopefully there will be snow… but who am I kidding. Despite killing 3 units, Germany is at 143. His numbers are growing, while during this same period UK has lost 4 netto, and US 7 netto. Many of them precious tanks, some out of supply. The noise of the ticking clock becomes unbearable.

In Anatolia, I finally take Adana, but the price is high and again, tanks on the prowl. I might lose it to the counter attack.

Russia makes 2 strat bombers, not sure if that's the correct use of my resources, since they have no upgrades, but I feel like I need them. Perhaps next turn, I will try to start heavy bomber research. 2 chits.

My Persian push is shut down by reinforcements, and I retreat. Round 2 in Kandagach looks like I might finally manage to take out the German corps next turn.

His air force drives me out of the Baltic sea as well. I must bring my carrier force back to Europe soon. Japan should surrender in about 4 months. Tokyo will fall in 2 turns, hopefully 2 turns later, Osaka.

I'm beginning to gather troops for my amphibious invasion fleet so I can knock down the gates of hell, which happen to be in Northern Germany.

T71 - Late January 45
I lose an AA and mech unit in Spain, as expected. 2 tanks are wounded but not lost. All in all, not the worst outcome.
I retaliate by taking out one of his tanks, and decimate a corps.
In Anatolia, I push past Adana and threaten to cut the country in two.
Elsewhere, his counter attacks were light due to winter, and I take little action.

Pressure on Tokyo is ramped up. Kandagach is retaken.

He seems to have disbanded his Japanese airforce to prevent me from killing them.

T72 - February 45
The situation in Anatolia is becoming dire again all of a sudden. An Indian corps is destroyed, and Taifun's tanks advance, cutting off an army. And the recon unit is cut off too. I counterattack with all my might, and manage to restore communications with both units, though I have to give up valuable ground to do so.
Elsewhere, very little action.

I retake Chongking and also Vladivostok.

I manage to destroy 2 German corps in Spain, but the cost is quite high. I can barely do damage even with heavy tanks.

The Allies are adding 19 planes in total to their fleet, 10 by the USA alone. I need air superiority to have any chance at all. They need to hunt down the HQs.  
T73 - March 45
Most of South America has joined me now. The war now truly spans all continents. Taifun destroys 2 tanks and an army in Spain. Heavy blows… Replacements are taking long to arrive, too long. I'm not sure how much longer I can trade blows. Taifun outpunches me and he reinforces faster.

The situation in Anatolia seems stabilized.

I've changed my mind. I should take Osaka before Tokyo. Otherwise Osaka becomes a capital and I can’t siege it's supply down to 0, it'll keep going back to at least 1.

Another Red offensive starts in Leningrad, by order of Stalin. This time with more artillery support, and Narva is blasted to smithereens and occupied. I've lost count of how many times we have gone back and forth there.

A recon mission in preparation of the Berlin Heist discovers that the area around Berlin is almost entirely empty… Maybe I can just blitz it now with 10 amphibs, and force him to abandon positions elsewhere. Maybe with enough strat bombers, I can even prevent him from railing in troops. It will take me 3-4 turns of prep though… Not sure if he will catch on in time. He has been very good at sniffing out my plans.
If I hit the 5 cities in Red, it’ll be hard for him to reinforce Berlin in time. The orange cities need to be hit in the second wave. I have 5 strat bombers. It should be possible. I don’t need them for Japan much longer. The question is just, can I pull enough units? Most US reinforcements aren’t due to arrive until May, and they still need to be upgraded.

I'm not sure what to do. On the one hand, time is running out, and I feel like it's better to go sooner rather than later. But on the other hand, if I pull the trigger too soon, it'll blow up in my face.

I need to bring in the paratroopers for sure. And start a summer offensive with Russia to distract him from seeing the danger looming over Berlin.

T74 - April 45
Ugh, with lvl 4 against 5, my US air is taking a beating vs the Luftwaffe… and this makes my position in Spain untenable. 2 have been tanks destroyed by Taifun, and an army. I need to send all the AA to Spain for support, the air planes don't cut it.

Pressure is coming from Persia, Taifun still remains on the offensive to a fault. It’s brave, but not sure if it is the right move. If he turtles up here, there's no way I break him in time, and it would render my Berlin Heist plan unworkable. He might not know about my plan, but surely he must see that defending is his only option?


Japan should be finished probably next turn.

The Russians begin their offensive, finally! It's merely a diversion and resource drain in order for the Berlin Heist to succeed, but it feels good nonetheless. Stalin is pumping his fists. I think next turn I’ll stop UK supplies to USSR. I need the UK to step up with more units. USSR is nearing max capacity and can only recruit more armies.
 

T75 - May 45
Terrible turn. My lines in Spain are broken and an HQ is lost, as well as 2 artillery. Taifun is targeting the ports to prevent me from leaving or bringing in more units. In Russia too, my offensive meets stiff resistance of tanks all around, and I lose several units to counter attacks. It seems like Spain is dead in the water. I don’t have the air superiority. And it takes too long to bring reinforcements. I’m just gonna fight to the death there, but I don’t want to lose my airforce, they're the only ones allowed to leave.

However, this is the turn in which Japan is finally defeated. Tokyo and Osaka are taken in the same turn after supply has been demolished. I messed up though and didn’t take it with the UK, they need the mpps more than the USA. The great migration of units begins. Even the Chinese shall be ferried to Europe.

Germany has reached lvl 5 tanks finally. Russia and UK are at around 50% to lvl 5. US will finish lvl 4 this turn and start lvl 5 next turn. Not sure if their lvl 5 will finish before the war ends. I should’ve started it a bit earlier. The lvl 5 German tanks will shut down any land ambitions anywhere though… lvl 4 is already slaughtering me.


I continue to apply pressure from Leningrad, even though I don’t trade well. It’s just to keep him occupied and distracted though.
Heavy blows are traded in central Russia. Zhukov leads an armored charge down the center in an attempt to split the German army in half.
A counter attack is led in Persia, putting pressure on Teheran and forcing Taifun to retreat from Iraq.
Preparations for the Berlin Heist are in full swing. I must repair the British tac bombers next turn, and upgrade the USA ones. Then place all of them in range of Bremen and Hamburg, or even more in land targets. Must bring all fighters and maritimes as well. Then I must bring British tanks in range, so they can be dropped in Denmark ahead of time, to lead the charge. The mission must start in August or September, and Berlin must be seized just before Winter, so I don’t suffer the winter penalty while taking it, but Taifun does when he tries to counter attack.



Ooh sweet, US plunders 2k from Japan! Just in time to fuel my final push. And it’ll swing Allied morale upwards a bit, though I don’t think significantly enough to put them above any thresholds. Still, Germany tanks a bit, pushing them below 110. Sweden also finally get’s swayed by diplomacy, so the convoy stops.

MPP
USA = 900
UK = 900
USSR = 650
IND = 300
CHI = 200
Total = 2950

GER = 1200

Difference = 1750

A fantastic AAR Umeu!
This was without a doubt the longest game I have ever played. Umeu is a fabulous opponent and has shown to deploy very successful strategies throughout the conflict. By May 1945 I considered my game over.
Compared to the events that happened in the last century during the real war, Japan had fallen a few months earlier, not in September 1945 but in the spring, but Germany was still a formidable war machine. With more than 140 ground units, I could not buy new ones since every German and allied ground unit had been recruited. At this point, I began to buy fighters with which to defend the German Reich. Numerous reinforcement units were to arrive during May/June and July/August to reinforce all fronts, now under great pressure from the Allied advance.
In Spain the victory was resounding. With a minimum of troops, never more than two panzerkorps, almost all the American tanks had been destroyed, as well as countless units of paratroopers, infantry, artillery etc. with only moderate casualties on our part. The Allied aviation had also suffered…

In Russia, the summer of 1945 was going to be hard, but as we will see, in 3 months all the Russian tanks would be eliminated with small advances all along the front. Although we would indeed have to begin a retreat, this would be gradual and the Russians would never set foot on German soil since the distance was hundreds of kilometers to our borders.
The safest option at this point would be to regroup the main armored units near Berlin and Paris. With more than 140 units it would be very difficult for the Allies to conquer Berlin. As we all know, just because Moscow fell in 1941 or 42 was not going to mean that Russia would surrender: I thought the same thing, just because Berlin fell was not going to mean that Germany would surrender…

I would have liked to have more time to play this game. However external factors prevented me from concentrating enough. A close relative fell ill and was hospitalized. Because I played turns too fast, I started making mistakes I had never made before, for example, with the partisans, in diplomacy or moving the naval units. Unfortunately, this person got worse and I lost motivation in the game. I knew that the end of the game would be heart-stopping, because I just had to hold out for two more summers…

May 1945. Red Army troops launch a general offensive on all fronts. Countless Russian units advance towards the city of Kuybyshev, which is practically surrounded, while powerful armoured units advance directly south from Penza, threatening the strategic city of Saratov. Other Soviet units advance from the east towards Uralsk… The situation is serious. Our tanks are ready to be upgraded to level 5. Kuybyshev and Uralsk are abandoned. From Saratov, General von Manstein launches a powerful counterattack that destroys numerous armoured units, dealing a heavy blow to the Soviets. Heavy fighting also takes place in the area of ​​Lake Ladoga, where Soviet units try to force and capture the city of Pskov. In Spain, the situation has improved greatly, as the Allies are in retreat after losing most of their tanks. However, American marines land on the southern coast of Spain near Gibraltar: they will soon be eliminated. Allied planes have disappeared from Spanish skies.

Welcome back @Taifun, and thank you for sharing your thoughts and generous compliments. I hope the person you refer to in your post has since improved in health. I will share my own thoughts on the game at the end, which as we all know, cannot be very far away anymore. At most, two summers!

T76 - June 45

Spain, more drama, the holiday takes a turn for the worse, it's officially a nightmare. Taifun has cut off my marines… His tanks even at 0 supply 3-0 a unit. I have no choice but to retreat into Portugal and let the marines fend for themselves. I will never get to Madrid, let alone Barcelona, where as we all know, the real fun begins... sad times.

In Russia, his tanks are even more lethal , at same tech levels, he just blasts through my heavy tanks. In the replay I am seeing 5-0, 6-1 shots, I want to uninstall the game! Germany might be a cornered beast, but has never been more dangerous, and level 5 tanks will soon come in… I lost 2 heavy tanks, 2 normal tanks, 2 corps and 1 shock army. But the German army is giving up positions to avoid being overrun. I have the quantity, he has the quality. Still, I'm far away from Berlin, the road will be long, muddy, and bloody.

I decide to waste no time, and continue my offensive. Heavy fighting in Central Russia. I destroyed 1 anti-tank, 2 of his tanks, and damaged another, as well as an HQ and a rocket battery. I’ll get seriously beat up next turn though, by the lvl 5 tanks which are waiting for me. It will probably be the end of the central push.

I’m on the run in Spain though… Gibraltar is abandoned. I’m with my back against the sea.

There is also desperate fighting going on in the Elburz mountains of Persia, a region once the dominion of the order of Hashshashiyin. Damavand stands tall, a tribute to the old man of the mountain. It's only fitting then, that Indian Paratroopers have been sent there on a suicide mission, their goal is to cut off the retreat from Tehran. They will fight until death, no quarter, no surrender.


I am not sure if I will be ready in time to hit Berlin, Bremen & Hamburg in August. It looks like maybe September or October at the earliest… The British will be ready but the Americans are not. And I need their marines… but I’ve lost all of them XD I can muster 1 unit from the North of Spain, which will most likely get hit by bombers while embarking. I do it anyway, I am desperate.


I blow through my 3k stash after Japan's surrender faster than expected. Mostly upgrades, didn’t even build many new units lol, just replacing what I lost previously. I’m debating whether I need to build some new fighters… maybe 1 to be sure? Probably not, should just repair the carrier fleet and bring them.

Germany lost 2400 MPP this turn and 800 last turn, their morale is down to 97% and 140 land units.
Russia lost 2k last turn, and 1k this turn. Morale at 84% and 82 land units.

MPP
USA = 1025
UK = 850
USSR = 750
IND = 250
CHI = 225
Total = 3100

GER = 1200

Difference = 1900


T77 - July 45

Taifun's Germans are performing a splendid fighting retreat. They dish out damage everywhere, and then fall back. I suffer terrible losses, though not as many units destroyed as in last turn. The Russians bear the brunt of it, but the marines also take heavy losses in Spain. The amphibious transport in Northern Spain got bombed as expected, but somehow survives at 1 strength. They get the hell out of dodge.

Taifun seems to be content not to give chase in Spain, which I kinda expected. I have no power left there anymore.

The Indian paratroopers in Persia knew they were meeting death, but they fought valiantly and cut supply off from the German forces.


The US armed forces expand massively this turn. I don’t even have enough transport or port slots… US will reach lvl 5 fighters just in time for the Berlin Heist. Most pieces seem in place. I think September will be D-Day.
Taifun seems to expect me to come through France, and he doesn’t protect the backdoor into Germany very well.

Armies and tanks in France, vs Garrisons in Northern Germany. Let’s hope he doesn’t catch on.

June 29th. Heavy tank fighting north of the area between the cities of Voronezh and Saratov. In a gigantic tank battle, all the attacking armored Soviet units were destroyed except for one tank unit. The losses on both sides have been significant, but the front remains firm.
Near Lake Ladoga the fighting continued but our forces managed to hold off the Soviet advance. East of Smolensk, numerous Soviet units were detected moving east and I had to send some reinforcements to control this important strategic area. The Soviet offensive also continued in Persia where elite Soviet troops assaulted Tehran. Indian paratroopers cut the connection between Tehran and the rest of the continent. In Turkey, the fighting was centered around Adana, where the Allies were trying to cut Turkey in two. Allied naval units are detected on the French coast near Brest. Our defenses continue to be reinforced by numerous units. Three panzercorps protect the west coast of the continent and soon new units will arrive from Spain, including two tactical bombers, a panzerkorps and a supplementary fighter unit. We know that the Allies will land shortly, their bombers after finishing off Japan, are back in England.

July 1945
The heavy fighting north of the area between the cities of Voronezh and Saratov continued. German panzer units control the battlefield and destroyed the last Soviet armored unit. The Soviet offensive in this area is fading... Meanwhile, a horde of Soviet infantry units was approaching the city of Saratov, with the objective set on the city of Stalingrad.
The situation near Lake Ladoga has been restored. Near Smolensk the Soviet forces hesitate to advance without tanks... The Allies managed to divide Turkey in two, isolating Ankara from Erzurum. Intense fighting for control of Tehran. The Indian paratroopers were eliminated and communication with Tehran and the mainland was restored.

T78 - August 45
The fighting retreat halts. Taifun decides to hold these lines, at least during the winter. He strikes back but doesn’t push me. I think I will try to tie him down here one more turn and distract him, to keep him away from Berlin. I continue the pressure on his lines in Central Russia, his tanks are fierce, while mine are hunted down and destroyed, but he is being overrun. The DAK recon unit is destroyed, an HQ damaged, one army and one corps vanquished. But around Leningrad and Moscow I fail to achieve a break out. Mainly because my armored units are all in the center or lost. I'm relying on mechanized and shock troops as my main offensive units now, as well as the paper cannons, anti tank guns.
The Indian paras in Persia are destroyed, as well as the Marines in Southern Spain. Expected losses, painful nonetheless. Every unit counts, especially when lost out of supply. Because time is ticking. The assault of Tehran continues. The unit in the city survives at 1 strength… and I’m running out of steam somewhat. I only have 2 tank divisions left, out of 10 which I started my offensive with just a few months ago.

My Berlin Heist plan continues, next turn I must bring 2 HQs from Spain to UK to command the airforce. But I run into a major unanticipated problem!!! USA has hit her transport max capacity for normal transports… At least 1 unit must be landed this turn so I can bring the HQ next turn. But probably more than 1…

On the bright side, UK reaches lvl 5 amphibious, just in time for the Berlin Heist, because I double chitted it last turn I made it just in time. Money well spent!

The pressure in Turkey is enormous. With the arrival of numerous Allied troops from the Pacific, our units have many problems in maintaining the lines. No less than six armies and numerous infantry corps under the supervision of various allied HQs operate in Turkey. We began a small retreat towards Ankara. The loss of control of the Dardanelles must be delayed.
Tehran resists! The brave Romanian army that defended the capital was transferred to the Smolensk front and its place was taken by an Iranian corps. The conquest of the Iranian capital by the enemy is a matter of days. In the vicinity of Lake Ladoga the front remains calm, as well as in the Smolensk area, where the Soviets also seem to have desisted in their attacks.
After the latest achievements, Hitler ordered to continue with the counterattacks in the Voronezh area, against the opinion of his generals. There were very few good weather turns left (1 or 2 ) before the arrival of autumn with the rain and mud. The attacks with the armored units did not obtain good results. Although several Soviet units were destroyed or seriously damaged, two valuable panzerkops ended exposed at the front, in danger of being eliminated. It was certainly a futile attack that should have been canceled.
A veteran German Army remained entrenched defending the city of Saratov. They would be sacrificed to try to contain or at least delay the Soviet advance. An attempt was made to create a new German front behind the Volga, to defend the city of Stalingrad, although the Soviet hordes seemed unstoppable. In Spain Gibraltar was recovered. General Rommel was waiting for orders near Madrid, where a veteran panzer corps had just been retrofitted and upgraded.

On the Western Front, the Luftwaffe reinforced its fighter units. Some small panzer movements around Paris. A new anti-tank unit was deployed in Cologne. The Allies were kept suspiciously quiet. The calm before the storm??

T79 - September 45
Taifun hits me back hard in Central Russia, but I only lose 2 units. Elsewhere, nothing really happens. It's as if the world holds its breath, waiting for what's coming next. I continue to push him back further in the center, killing a tank and damaging another, and taking back a city. However, my cavalry and paras are forced back from their probing mission around lake Naroch where in ww1 a desperate counter offensive failed, it seems like history repeats itself. The paras are surrounded and will soon be lost, the cavalry escapes. I pause operations near Leningrad to replenish. Russian strat bombers arrive, but I am not sure where they should be most useful. Why did I make them again? He retreats in Persia, leaving only the Persian corps to defend their country. It’ll fall next turn.
Taifun is on the backfoot in Anatolia also. I still just really do not understand why he doesn’t defend from the center outward. Just to cover the ground that he can evacuate in a few turns would take me 6 months to seize and get proper supply, while at the same time it would make the Berlin Heist impossible, which is my only shot at victory. Then I would have about 6 months before winter arrives at the end of 46 to kill 100+ land units around Berlin. It would be nearly impossible.

In any case, he has been ordered to fight, and so my Berlin Heist begins.

The Maritime bombers lead the way, scouting. There is stiffer resistance there than I would have hoped.
One army and one corps. But I can seize key locations with paras basically unopposed. I hope to capture Bremen or Hamburg port above 5, so I can immediately bring in tanks. Because he has 1 lvl 5 tank division nearby, and they will bring down hell upon me. Also I need to bring in HQs.

The strat bombers go next, Danzig, Poznan, Stettin and Dresden are blanketed with bombs, as well as Berlin, cutting the city off from reinforcements from the east.

This is the signal for the amphibious fleet, who seize Hamburg and its two ports, one at 6 strength as the overwhelmed and completely surprised Germans are swept out of the city and into the sea. They have no time to destroy vital installations.

The landing forces swarm Bremen and force the garrison out of Hanover. Airborne units seize the town and also land unopposed in Potsdam and Leipzig. The paratroopers there advance to Dresden but are checked by a fighter squadron present there. They inflict heavy losses but can't take the town.

The tac bombers and medium bombers take to the sky, plastering the defenders in surrounded Bremen, decimating their numbers and plummeting their morale. The tanks sweep up the rest. The port is also taken at 5 strength. I decide to bring an AA unit to defend the vital ports. His strategic bombers have been sighted in Paris, so they are not in range for another turn, but still, I must be prepared. The landing forces set out to establish a defensive anti air perimeter immediately. I suddenly realize I can just destroy his strat bombers since I have air superiority and sufficient range, and they promptly fall.

I now have 44 air units vs 14. Though most of these are not yet grouped effectively, and except for my fighters and strat bombers, the tac and medium bombers don't yet have lvl 3 which the Germans do have.

The paratroopers from Potsdam are supported by tac bombers from Denmark and attempt an attack on the corps holding Berlin, but they are repulsed.
The Berlin Heist has been a stellar success so far, but now the most precarious part of the plan must still be executed. Berlin must be taken! If my calculations are correct, the corps will have 1 supply, the army should have 0. And I need to keep my flank stiff against counter attacks. Perhaps it was a mistake to leave Leipzig with my Airborne units.

Germany suffered 3.3k losses at the end of this turn. Russia 1000, USA 750, UK 1000. The bloodiest month of the war.

What an amazing turn! I have a lot of things on my mind.
The Soviets are learning to fight effectively for sure. They counterattacked again and inflicted heavy losses on our armored troops near Voronezh. After taking the city of Samara they continued their advance towards Stalingrad.

But the spotlight was on northern Germany, where the Allies had landed in force. The first wave included two British armored, four paratroopers, and four infantry units. The air fighting has been very intense over the north of the continent. Hitler finally realized that he had to change his strategy. To launch the allies back into the sea we are going to proceed to reorganize the different fronts.
Leaving a small rearguard in Madrid, Rommel will be transferred from Spain to Düsseldorf with his army (a panzerkorps, a panzergrenadier, 2 AAs, and veteran infantry corps). In Russia, we will also proceed to reorganize the front with the arrival of the autumn and the bad weather. General von Manstein will also be transferred from Voronezh to Germany with part of his army (2 panzerkorps, a panzergrenadier, and an antitank) while from Smolensk an additional panzerkorps and the armoured train will also be transferred to Germany. A panzergrenadier and veteran paratrooper will also be transferred from Turkey. From France, two panzerkorps and numerous armies will also be launched to attack the Allied bridgehead. We expect to count on attacking with about 20-30 units including 6-7 panzerkors, 3 panzergrenadiers plus reinforcements of several panzerkorps that are about to leave the factories. All Luftwaffe bombers will be equally recalled to Germany. What can go wrong?

But as Napoleon said, "La clé est l'état d'esprit." And my spirit is not in this game. My head has been with my family for several turns now. I don't really care if I win or lose this game. It has been a fantastic game full of setbacks and victories but it ends here.

It's been almost two months since the game ended. Tranquility has returned to my family after the mourning.
I honestly do not believe that the Allies would have been able to hold on to northern Germany if I had launched a powerful counterattack as planned with more than 40 units. With about 20 turns left and only one summer, they will have a hard time. My panzers would have crushed all the troops that the British and Americans could have thrown against Berlin, but we will never know. I don't regret anything, Umeu played fantastically and deserves the victory. Thank you!

Taifun, I'm sorry to hear about someone in your family passing. My belated condolences.

At the time when you resigned, I was very surprised. Though you mentioned you could not continue for personal reasons, and of course I understood. Even then, it did not feel as a victory, because I agree with your analysis that I would most likely have had a hard time holding on to Berlin if I even managed to take it, and this game, though still open to go either way, most likely would've ended in a 1947 tactical loss for me. This hasn't changed over time, and knowing now what you have shared, I would not like to claim it as a victory even more. Perhaps, in a way, the most beautiful outcome to this game is that we shall never know how it ends, and it'll remain forever in a brittle balance of our imagination.

I'll share the last few screenshots and write ups, as well as my thoughts on this game and the game in general. But here I would like to write that this game went beyond the expectations that I had of it going in, knowing I was fighting one of the best players in this game. Thanks once more!

It all happened so sudden. Nobody expected it. What had seemed like a morning as all the others since the war had started, one in which more blood would be shed in a futile conflict started by a madman who had set the world ablaze, soon became a day which nobody would ever forget. The bells tolled. People whispered it at first, peace... Peace at last. Could it be true?

The Allied landing in Northern Germany, forever remembered by the common Joe as the Berlin Heist, set off a chain reaction within the Third Reich. Faced with an extremely complicated situation, one in which defeat was inevitable though it would be a slow and painful death which perhaps would last another 5 years, they decided to stage a coup to remove Hitler from power. They believed that their might on the battlefield meant the Allies could be persuaded to sit down at the negotiating table as long as Hitler was not the one they spoke to. And they were right, the German Armed Forces, despite being cornered and forced back on all fronts, was still the biggest and most experienced fighting force in the world. It took the combined might of 5 allied nations to eclipse them, and even then, the allies suffered far more serious losses wherever they fought. The German generals were well aware that the allied national will to continue the fight was stretching thin, and the immense casualties that the road to Berlin would entail, after the ones that they already suffered, would perhaps be enough to sue for a favorable peace. But for this, Hitler would have to be removed from power.

As the ides of October swept through the streets of Berlin, Hitler retreated into his bunker, and rather than being captured by turncloak generals, he shot himself. He would not be made an example of by the allied lawyers, who undoubtedly would blame the entire war and all its atrocities on him. Nobody followed him into his grave.

The next day, Admiral Donitz sued for peace, and a ceasefire was signed.


1945 Summary & Post Game Analysis
The war has ended, anticlimacticly perhaps, but it is all over. It's time to mend bones and hearts and walls and streets. It's time to return to our lovers, and hit the sheets. To sleep of course. It's been a long, long struggle.
Events:
While on their deathbed, the Japenese Empire lashes out one last time, conquering Canberra. It's a futile attempt, but annoying nonetheless. A few months later, the Imperial Ambitions of Japan are nothing but cinders and ashes over the smouldering ruins of occupied Tokyo.

The war shifts to the theatres of Europe and its edges, in Spain, Persia, the Middle East and the most titanic struggle of all, the plains of Central Russia. The allies secretly prepare for a dagger thrust straight to the heart of the Third Reich, hoping to capture Berlin and take Hitler prisoner, or at least kill him. Everything else is just a diversion. Yet the dire struggle of the soldiers fighting those battles is no less real.

In Spain, the allies go from almost reaching the Pyrennees to being with their backs against the wall, clinging only to the narrow stretches of the Portuguese coast.

In Persia, the lines flow back and forth, but in the end, in a concerted effort of Indian, British and Russian troops, Tehran is surrounded and about to fall.

The Russians bear the brunt of the fighting and the dying, as they have done throughout the entire war. The biggest battles in human history unfold on the steppe around Voronezh, as armoured behemoths tear at each other, crushing metal and flesh in the wake of their carnage. The German panzers come out on top as Zhukov's steel fist is stopped by German Plate, however, there's always the endless human hordes, the meat shield that protects the heart and organs of Mother Russia. And they are unstoppable. Slowly but surely, the Germans are pushed back.

In Europe, they have drawn up a line that puts the Maginot to shame. But still, they suffer the same fate. Immobile structures, no matter how impregnable, are obsolete in a war of movement, stealth and shadows. A war that is fought in the skies as much as on the seas as it is on the ground. Bypassed. Bygone. Bye-bye.

Men drop from the sky over Leipzig and Potzdam, men emerge from the waves in Hamburg and Bremen. And they are just the beginning. The question is only, where will it end... where would it have ended?

Allied War Aims for 1945
- Japan will be forced to surrender > successful
- Go on the offensive in Russia. > moderately successful
- Create a diversion in Spain and the Middle East, in order to drain units and resources and turn the Nazi gaze away from the main target > partial success, it worked in the Middle East but the allies got destroyed in Spain
- Prepare for an invasion of Northern Germany by seizing or destroying ports and key transport hubs around Berlin. The attack will be preceded by Strategic Bombing, slowing down the reinforcements that can reach Berlin. Paratroopers will seize key locations further in land, while amphibious landings dispatch of defenses around Hamburg, Bremen and parts of Denmark. > extremely successful



Intelligence report on Incomes:
MPP
USA = 1025
UK = 850
USSR = 750
IND = 250
CHI = 225
Total = 3100

GER = 1200

Difference = 1900


Intelligence report on Axis Armed Forces
The Germans were still a considerable fighting force, with 146 land units (of which around 100 of them were seasoned fighting units, 11 HQs, the rest were garrisons), and their tiger tanks were without peer on the field of battle.
Axis research breakthroughs 39-40|41|42|43|44
G> 12|6|5|4| = total
I> 3|1|5|-|- = total
J> 11|3|3|1| = total
Subtotal> 26|10|13|5|
Total Axis = 54

Allied research breakthroughs 39-40|41|42|43|44
UK> 11|6|2|12|7 = total
US> 14|14|7|7|6 = total
USSR> 9|8|3|6|3 = total
Subtotal> 34|28|12|25|16
Total Allied = 115

China> 1111|-|-|-|11
India> 1111|11|1|11|111
Total research investments:
USA: 8.5k +200 diplo
UK: 7.3k +300 diplo
USSR: 5.2k
CH: 2.4k + 100 diplo
IND: 2.4k
Total = 25.8k

GER: 4.1k +250 diplo
JAP: 2k
ITA: 800
Total = 6.9k

Not counting India and China, allies spent 21k on research, vs 7k of the Axis. That’s 3 to 1. But in breakthroughs, the ratio is more like 2.3 to 1, however, this is not counting the 45 year breakthroughs and maybe some in 46 as well. In 45 there about 15-20, so that makes it closer to 2.5 to 1. So all in all, it seems balanced in terms of MPP spent.

Allied MPP Lost
USA: 33k
UK: 33k
USSR: 41k
CH: 16.5k
IND: 6.5k
FR: 5k
PL: 1k
Total = 136k

Axis MPP Lost
GER: 51k
JAP: 36k
ITA: 6k
Total = 93k

Difference = 43k

Post Game Thoughts:

Taifun shared his analysis about how he thinks the game might have ended if it wasn't aborted prematurely. I'd like to add my own two cents.

There was an argument for waiting with the Berlin Heist, because he now has a full year to destroy my attack. And that might spell doom for me. However, I feared that he would defend the area better the longer the game went on, as when I scouted a few turns ago, there was only a garrison in Berlin, and nothing else, he already added 1 army and 1 corps and probably would add more as I pushed him back everywhere else.

However, even if he retakes Berlin, I am firmly embedded in Denmark, and the reaction he must give to retake Berlin will weaken his already overstretched lines everywhere else. It will speed up my progress hopefully in Russia who will come barreling down in 46. The strat bombers reign supreme as well, so these must be used expertly to destroy his supply and routes of reinforcement.

We both knew, and had known for a while, that there was no way for me to destroy 150 German units in the time that there was still left. Had Taifun perhaps not been distracted by what was going on in his personal life, and had been playing to win it with focus and determination he had shown throughout the game, then I might not even have been able to land in Germany as I did. But going from that point where I did land, I had embraced the idea of victory through conditions.



Berlin was not the only capital necessary or sufficient to decide the outcome of the game. Paris and Rome were relevant too, and I basically needed 2 out of 3 in various combinations. Based on the options in the manual, these were the ones I considered still possible and likely outcomes:
The Allies will win an Allied Decisive Victory if at any point they hold Berlin Rome Paris London Moscow Washington DC Tokyo Seoul Chungking and Delhi. > This was perhaps the least likely, because I don't think I could take all three Rome, Paris and Berlin in time and keep it.

An Allied Minor Victory will be won if Paris London Moscow Washington DC Chungking Delhi Manila and Canberra are all still in Allied hands. > I considered this to be rather feasible. The attack on Berlin hopefully meant the core of his strength would be occupied in taking it back, in the mean time, perhaps I could steal a march on Paris? Considering my air power, it was definitely possible. However, Taifun's strongest defenses were situated here, and I still had to land in France. If he was aware of this option, he would probably still be able to defend it.

If the above conditions are not met then an Axis Tactical Victory will be won if the Axis hold either Berlin Rome or Tokyo > In the event of me failing to get Paris, then this would have been the most likely outcome, and probably, this is how the game would have ended had we continued. I probably would have been able to take Berlin AND Rome, but the chances were slim that I would have kept Berlin while all the tigers in the world and Germany's best generals commanding them were charging in to take it back.

In the event that miraculously I would have been able to take Berlin AND Rome, but not Paris, then the game would have ended in a Stalemate. That too, perhaps could have been an outcome, more likely than decisive Allied victory, but less likely than a minor one, I think.


Thoughts on the game in general:
It's kinda strange that in this situation our game was in, taking Paris would be enough for me to get a minor victory, while failing to take Paris but conquering Rome and Berlin would only result in a stalemate.

Western allies don’t have enough ways to recover national morale. Russia can raise morale by suriving the first few years of the war, the axis by taking certain cities or taking countries, but USA & UK can only really recover morale by knocking out Japan, and it's not even that much.

Artillery is too OP (I'll elaborate on this further soon)

LRATS are broken, and the game would be more fun if they didn't exist, but it would require a lot of other balancing.

Russia has a lot of power and versatility as long as the army remains in tact. In an equal top level fight, I don't think that Russia should fall, but as Taifun has shown, this doesn't mean necessarily that the Axis lose. So all in all, I would say the game is fairly balanced.

To simply put it, the game end date determines the balance (45 Axis wins favored, 47 allies win/favored) so perhaps a 46 end date scenario would be most fair!