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AXIS#1 NOV/DEC 42

Axis win initiative. Germany & Italy land, Japan combined.

Japanese bombers hit the oos Kuomintang pocket in S China west of Keilin.

A German infantry division occupies Baku while two corps endure forced marches to the Turkish border. Rommel is wary of the Red Army Corps in Astrakhan.

Japan uses her combined move to reinforce Burma with Hata's HQ and Yamashita in India with a Motorised Corps.

Some Japanese land units remain at sea with a large fleet. The RN Indian Ocean fleet is in Bombay.

Kesselring orders an attack along the coast in W France. In the snow both sides preserve their air units but the results are dramatic.

The Yankee Infantry are sent back home but the German front on the coast in W France remains vulnerable with the advancing garrisons disorganised.

Umezu is less successful west of Kweilin, and may have invited a Chinese riposte in the dry season.

I have to say, that I don't understand why the Soviets didn't put a unit or two in Baku. It can only be attacked from one hex and is therefore a very good defensive position. And two oil are worth defending. Also, holding Baku will make the transportation of the oil and the resource at Tiflis more difficult too, since the rail line is blocked for those...

The USSR has given the Axis 4 resources for free now...

Nothing much happens until AXIS #13 NOV/DEC 42

Japan naval, Germany land, Italy combined.

Aggressive search by Italian subs 2&3 in Biscay leads to combat.

Bloody air to air combat ensues.

Both Italian subs are damaged and aborted.

Italian sea planes find in the W Med, targetting US cruisers carrying troops in the 1 box.

Round 1 could be worse for the USA as Indianapolis makes her roll. Allies stay.

But the Italian bombers find again and sink the US cruiser and an Inf Div. The large RN fleet in 2 box aborts to Gib.

In W France the Allies have pulled back. Victory is declared in the Battle for La Rochelle.

C Russia following Axis land moves & air rebases.

Kavkaz.

Turn ends on a 4. Destroyed Nov/Dec 42.

Reinforcements for Jan/Feb 43.

AXIS PRODUCTION NOV/DEC 42

Germany 41; 4 pilots, FTR2, FTR3, LND3, NAV3, sub (2nd), BB Gneisenau (2nd), ARM, MOT, MAR, TERR
Italy 13; ENG DIV, MIL, TERR, pilot, sub repair, NAV3
Japan 20?; cp, 3 pilots, CVA1, NAV4, MIL, INF, MOT DIV
Vichy; TERR

AXIS #1 JAN/FEB 43

Weather is grim. Italy naval, Japan and Germany land.

Italian searches in Red Sea and Biscay (subs in storms) failed.

Japanese air missions failed: a strategic raid on Calcutta and the usual ground strike on the Kuomintang pocket west of Kweilin missed.

No attacks, but two manouvers of potential interest. Manstein's forces break the Soviet line and put Zhukov out of supply by applying pressure to the Ryazan-Penza railway.

Germany's strongest armies are in this sector and they have been reinforced through the winter by rail.