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May/June 1941, Allied impulse number 3:

The CW and the US take combined actions. The USSR takes a land action and France passes.

The Saratoga enters Pearl Harbor, loaded with planes. The Ranger (which currently doesn't have any planes) leaves Pearl Harbor.

Let's listen to: It All Comes Back To Me Now - Gene Krupa (Howard Du Lany, vocal)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg-TDagjjNY

The sky above Lille is filled with English bombers. Sirens hail. It appears the whole of Bomber Command, escorted by Hurricane fighters is above the city. The Luftwaffe scrambles Messerschmidts after which Spitfires at Dover and a long range Beaufighter react also. An air to air battle commences:

After the first round, the Luftwaffe, being seriously outgunned in the air, decides to abort. The Allied bombers aim for the industrial district of the city: The FLAK opens fire:

The crews of the Harrow abort the attack and the bombs of the Wellingtons misses the industrial area. The Whitley's however, can press on the attack:

Wavell arrives in Mombasa and Alexander in Bombay. Some minor moves are made by the USSR around the different area's. The USSR's army is now in a position from which they can tactivally retreat to avoid the Stuka's from the Luftwaffe during the surprise impulse. Question is: when will they withdraw...

Here is: Soldat de France, by Y Fossoul / H.Latragette

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkQGiJfzZ2A

While we take a look at the occupied countries in the West:

May/June 1941, Axis impulse number 4:

Germany choses a combined action. Italy and Japan land actions.

The German battle fleet leaves Malta and sails into the Cape Verde Bassin. The target: CW shipping. However, due to the weather, search rolls fail...

Here is: Erhard Bauschke / Schuricke-Terzett - Ganz leis erklingt Musik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUIuWBEFSu0

A Stuka ground strikes the CW INF at Beirut:

Von Bock is railed to the Bulgarian-Rumanian border. Graziani is railed into the woods in Brittany, providing supply in France. Yamamoto rails out of Manchuria towards Pusan.

The Japanese army around Vladivostok moves slowly towards the USSR CAV, which is on a resource. There won't be an attack this impulse, but the next one might see another Soviet resource in Japanese hands.

Also, in south China, Japanese units slowly move towards the border with Birma:

German units capture Jerusalem, Damascus and Amman. Italian units in Egypt moves to the east.

Some Italian music now: Trio Lescano e Aldo Masseglia - Villanella

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRz77z_ZavI

No attacks are made. And here is the weather for the next couple of impulses:

May/June 1941, Allied impulse number 5:

The US takes a combined, the CW and the USSR land and the French take a pass action. The CW and the US make minor movements to improve positions.

STAVKA decides that it is too dangerous to wait anymore. Weather might become rain again and if that happens, the slaughter among the front line troops at the start of the next turn will be horrendous. Orders are send out of the USSR's headquarters. Large troop movements are being reported by the German spies in Lithuania and Eastern Poland. It appears the whole of the Soviet army is marching east In Manchuria, following the withdrawal of Yamamoto, the Soviets decide to withdraw the Para from the frontlines. In the Middle East, Soviet units start moving towards the mountains at the Iraqi-Persian border to take up defensive positions there.

So: here is: Марш советских танкистов / Soviet tankmen march song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGGVe3xR2JM

Let's look at the positions of the Soviet armed forces:

First: there's the Manchurian Front:

Than: we go to the Iraqi-Persian Front:

Here is the Ukrainian Front:

Next is the Belorussian Front:

Finally the Karelian Front. In about a week time, it's June 22nd 1941...

Lets listen to: Vadim Kozin "Druzhba"/ Дружба

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wer6xJC56A

In Berlin, at the headquarters of Admiral Canaris's Abwehr, there is astonishment and surprise by this bold moves made by the Soviets. Canaris himself speeds to the general headquarters of OKH, who in it's turn study the reports and send it's assessment of the situation to the Führer...

"Mein Führer,


The Soviets withdrawal from the frontlines mean that the main defensive line of the Soviet army is now beyond the effective range of the Luftwaffe. This move, however, also gives us the possibility of entering Eastern Poland and the Baltic states without having to fight the Red Army from the start. What's your decision? Should we attack or not?

Von Brauchitsch"

So gentlemen: this is it. Attack or not attack, that's the question. Or wait until next turn, so Germany get's two oil out of the USSR for another turn? Let's take a vote, I'm not going to proceed until somewhere on Sunday.

You know: Christmas shopping...

--

Go. You have good weather, the Russians will only improve their position, it is relatively late in the turn, so any units of yours that flip will soon unflip; (the same applies to the Russians, of course, but if they are out of the range of the Luftwaffe, who cares?)

I see no reason to wait. Two oil for an impulse, possibly two, possibly more than that? If I were Russians, I would offer the Germans four oil to not attack, if it were legal. I would also turn that offer down as the Germans.

I agree with Courtenay. Go for it. The weather is good and the Russians could have this backfire on them in a big way if the Axis manage a double move against the Allies over the turn break.

Yes, they mostly avoid the blow of the surprise turn, but they also give up a fair amount of ground without delaying the Germans in the least. The Germans should be able to use most of their air actions to do transfers. What they don't transfer, they can use for ground support nearer the front line and then have it land closer to the front, ready to go for next turn if necessary. It also gets the Rumanians in and ready to go for a concerted threat later this turn or early next tern as it looks like you have German units posed to run into Rumania as soon as they go active.

Not that it matters one way or the other on going, but do the Germans have a offensive chit? If they do, I would save it for Jul/Aug and try to land a haymaker on one side of the swamp or the other.

After dealing with the Allies in Syria, I assume the goal is going to be to get Turkey into the war. At this point, it is going to be a case of the Axis trying to land the knockout shot on the Russians while trying to hold off the US/CW.

The two offensive chits were used in France and at Gibraltar. Germany couldn't build an offensive, because it needed units to get the garrison ratio. I think I'm going to build a SYNTH this turn with Germany, since the oil situation when war with Russia starts, isn't that good...

May/June 1941, Axis impulse number 6:

“Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg?” “Ja”... seems to be the answer...

In the early sunny morning in June, the Führer arrives at the Deutschlandsenderstudios. Just 15 minutes after his arrival, the Deutschlandfunk stops it usual programms and the voice of the Führer is heard instead. He announces that German, Italian and Rumanian troops have entered the USSR during the night to “end for all times the filth of communism and to get rid of the dictator in Moscow”. After his speech, the Deutschlandlied is played on the radio, followed with military marchmusik:

Listen to: Unter der Reichskriegsflagge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0KKKGtlGVk

In Rome: Mussolini simply orders to send the Italian War Declaration to Moscow:

In the US, this gives headlines in the newspapers and a debate in Congress. One entry chit gained.

The USSR immediately mobilizes and calls out the reserves. In Rumania, Antonescu follows with a DoW on the USSR too (Germany aligns Rumania). In the US, there is no reaction on this at all...

So here is the Rumanian national Anthem, as used in WW II: Imnul Regal:Trăiască Regele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT52HY2vSEA

All Axis major powers take land actions.

Stuka's ground strike Kaunas, Lods and Beirut. The first two are a succes. The last one, however...