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Nov/Dec 1942

Axis 2nd Impulse:

Land Combat:
As mentioned before, one attack for Stalingrad. Mannstein uses up his HQ support, and the Soviets use every bomber possible that can reach to provide ground support, adding another 3 pts.

The modifier is +7.269, and USSR chooses the Assault table. Germany doesn't get the fractional and needs a good roll... and they get a 13, good enough.

Germany loses a 6-4 INF and half disorganized, but another factory city is theirs.

Nov/Dec 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Weather:
Oooh, a 1. FINE weather everywhere in Nov/Dec. What will this mean in Russia?

Actions:
USSR - Land
USA - Land
CW - Land
Fr - Land

Nov/Dec 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Ground Strikes:
CW attempts a ground strike on a lone 5-1 GARR closest to the Spanish beachheads, who can be put out of supply during land movement. A lucky hit here would make killing it a cakewalk.

The Italians are the only ones able to intercept and do so, and 2 American fighters join in as well. Allies have a +2/-1 odds.

1st round, Axis rolls a 10 clearing the Allied bomber. Allies roll a 12 for no effect. Allies abort rest of combat.

Nov/Dec 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
CW bomber misses on a 30% chance

Nov/Dec 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
US artillery also tries a shot at a defending German stack in France. Things are getting stagnant up there and US is trying to see if they can shake things up.

Misses again, no luck here.

Nov/Dec 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Rail Moves:
USSR rails a MIL down to the Persian Gulf, and another to the Caucasus before the rail line is cut between North and South.

Land Moves:
Looking at the map, I am getting scared that the USSR needs to pull back away from Moscow, but I just can't see them doing that with as much forces as they have here.

But it is obvious that an encirclement is starting to form here...

Nov/Dec 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Land Moves (continued):
The Allies decide to make something happen in Spain, so they combine forces to attack this 5-1 GARR. Other forces expand the beach head and Gort lands as well.

Nov/Dec 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

Land Combat:
The Axis could only send up one fighter for CAP over the battle, and it would have been at a -3 odds, so they chose not to. After Allied ground support added 10 more points, the modifier was at an adequate +7.4.

Germany chose the Assault table. Allied did not get the fractional and rolled a 11 (18 overall).

The German GARR is destroyed but all Allied units are disorganized.

Nov/Dec 1942

Allies 3rd Impulse:

End of Turn Roll:
The Allies roll a 1 and the TURN ENDS. The Axis was looking forward to a full FINE weather impulse, and didn't get it. But, the initiative bonus is now fully in the Axis favor as the Allies moved first and last this turn.

1942 ends.

As per norm, here are the losses for this turn.

Notice anything funny? At this point, it looks like Russia has gotten a bit of a reprieve this turn. And with the turn ending early, Germany was about to cut the rail lines to Moscow and prevent 4 build points from getting there, but couldn't.

Nov/Dec 1942

End of Turn Phase:

Situation in Manchuria:
Japan is trying to move most of its fast and mechanized forces up here to try and put pressure on Russia from the East. They'll have to get through these pockets of Soviet resistance to get there. Not sure if it will be worth it.

Nov/Dec 1942

End of Turn Phase:

Situation in India:
Japan is moving their Marine units and Yamamoto back to the coast. They are needed elsewhere, and Japan figures its forces here in India are enough to hold Calcutta.

Nov/Dec 1942

End of Turn Phase:

Situation in Syria:
Little bit of wasted time here for the Axis. Other than getting Iraq until they can secure the Persian Gulf waters OR align Turkey there nothing more they can do. In addition, with the rail lines about to be cut in Russia, all of these resources are useless to the Soviets.

The Axis will try to get these forces (most of them) out of Syria and back to Europe.

Nov/Dec 1942

End of Turn Phase:

Situation in Morocco:
Morocco has become the forgotten theater, as the action has moved north. Both the Allies and Axis are leaving token forces here to hold the other's attention.

I would suggest to withdraw with the USSR out of the Moscow area, except when you have a huge load of Soviet troups as reinforcements. Also, start moving the CAV into Iraq to recapture the oil fields there. That puny MIL can't hold you back and resources not available for the Axis are important.

Try not to withdraw anymore units out of Morocco. You should prevent any troops withdrawing from that front, since it is the second route towards Gibraltar. You need to stretch the Axis lines as long as possible, and this means that you need to get forces there capable of making at least one reasonable attack a turn. This to make things difficult for the Axis. They can't reinforce everywhere, so you're first aim is to inflict losses on the enemy. Normally, an exchange result on a land battle in this part of the game is a small victory for the Allied side, provided you don't lose important territory to the Axis if you get overconfident.

Nov/Dec 1942

End of Turn Phase:

Production:

Germany (48): INF, GARR, MTN DIV, 2 x AT DIV, 2 x MECH DIV, 4 x CVP1, 2 x PILOT, OFFENSIVE, save 6
Italy (14): INF, MTN DIV, FTR2, LND3, 2 x PILOT
Japan (29): MAR DIV, MECH DIV, AT DIV, FTR2, 2 x CVP1, 2 x PILOT, 2 x CVL (start), 2 x CONV, SYNTH OIL

CW (24): 2 x INF, MOT DIV, FTR2, FTR3, LND3, 3 x PILOT, CV (repair)
USA (64): MTN DIV, MOT DIV, 2 x FTR2, 2 x LND3, 2 x LND4, 7 x PILOT, 4 x CV (finish), OFFENSIVE
USSR (25): MIL, GARR, 2 x MTN, ARM, AT DIV, ARTY DIV

Conquest:
Portugal conquered by Commonwealth
Chad completely conquered by Italy
Mariana Islands completely conquered by USA
Iraq liberated by Italy

The game asked if USSR wanted to surrender to Germany: No of course!

Reinforcement Highlights:
Japan gets another fleet carrier Taiho
USSR gets much needed new units incl. 7-6 ARM
Italy gets a very nice long range bomber
CW gets a South African INF and Wavell HQ

Jan/Feb 1943

Beginning of Turn Phase:

Initiative:
Axis has a +2 initiative bonus. They roll a 4 (6 overall), Allies roll 6.

Axis sees that weather in Russia is likely bad, so lets Allies go first.

Weather:
Roll of 7. Snow in Arctic and North Temperate. Storm in Med, so Spain will be interesting.

Jan/Feb 1943

1st Allies Impulse:

Actions:
USSR - Land. Guard against encirclement, pull back.
CW - Naval
US - Naval
Fr - Naval

Naval Moves:
Allies establish a convoy route for 1 resource to Murmansk, where there is now a factory (cutoff from the rest of the USSR)

In the Pacific, the fleet launches again for possible invasion of Truk, while a 7-1 GARR is placed in Saipan to replace the Marines. Also, a 2-3 DIV may invade Kwajalein, and the BB New Jersey is sent to support.

In the Atlantic, at least 7 corps are loaded up in the UK and the US to be brought to France and Portugal.

All of the US carriers are now at sea together and can exchange CVPs now that their sizes have gone down with the beginning of the new year.

Naval Combat:
US elects to initiate combat in the Bismarck sea, where a lone Japanese NAV plane is aloft. It is way outnumbered and Japan hopes to have the combat avoided. It can't, as both sides roll a 4.

In air to air combat, the odds are silly at +11/-11.

1st round, Japan rolls a 15, good roll normally, here its a no effect. Allies, in a show of bravado, roll a TWENTY, vaporizing the Japanese fighter and pilot to boot.

Jan/Feb 1943

1st Allies Impulse:

Ground Strikes:
With the snowy weather in Europe, all ground strikes are at half effectiveness. The CW launches two strikes against the north and south edge of the German lines. Germany does not intercept, relying on the low chances of success.

Results of the northern strike, 1 hit out of 3. Not bad.

Jan/Feb 1943

1st Allies Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
Southern strike, only 2 units so even less chance of a lucky hit somewhere, and yeah, no effect.

Jan/Feb 1943

1st Allies Impulse:

Ground Strikes (continued):
In Russia, the Soviets are about to start pulling back if they can, so they really don't want to start using air missions since the planes are going to have to land, and as such, may end up being overrun.

They do decide to use a long range bomber to try and slow down Mannstein who only has open terrain in front of him. Additionally, its out of range of Axis air cover.

No effect.