The Germans are attacking the hex east of Lille, and are making two hex attacks from single hexes, one out of the salient they made last turn, and one, using doubled engineer support of two doubled units, over the Meuse south of the Ardennes. (The game can call it the Maas if it wants to; that is the Meuse.) The French try and blunt the attack out of the salient, committing their bomber. The Germans might let it through. The Germans intercept, and blow another French plane out of the sky, rolling another 17. Maybe the French strategy is to use up all the German seventeens on air-to-air combat rolls. Yes, that's it. If it works, it's a great strategy. [:)]
The first German attack was only a 46:13 6.13:1. The fractional odds roll was a zero. When I saw the zero, at first I thought it was a bug! The Germans roll an 8, which adjusts to an 18 -- no losses, the Germans are half disorganized, and the French retreat. Billotte winds up in Calais. The next attack is out of the salient, and results in a 22; one French division is killed, and a corps and a division go off the map. The final attack, though, is a disaster. The Germans roll a 3, losing the Enginner unit, killing a 3-3 French corps, and flipping the stack. The attack that was supposed to create the breakthrough failed. France just might live through the turn.
The French strategy of using up the seventeens worked perfectly. Now, if I could just figure out how to reliably use that strategy in the future in other games.
The Japanese view their attack with trepidation. To their astonishment, they roll a 14, getting a 2S result, killing the Chinese INF division and the best Nationalist Chinese corps, the 5-3 INF. After some thought, they kick Chiang off the map. They sense weakness here, and don't want a five point unit on the map, even if it is flipped. This success is not as advantageous as the same result last turn would have been, since the Chinese 4-3 INF to the south is no longer flipped.
In air rebase, the Italians fly a float plane into Egypt. It is not all the way at the front; it should have been. The significance of this unit is that it threatens the British supply lines through the Red Sea.
The Germans reorganize all their flipped ground units using Rundstedt. This left one reorganization point left over, so the Germans flipped von Bock to reorganize a six point and a five point Stuka. MWiF has added Guderian to the German force pool; I have not had him in a game before, and he is very useful.
Courtenay's solitaire AAR
Moderator: Shannon V. OKeets
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
What's that? The Meuse doesn't exits. That's a French abomination for the River Maas... [:-] Don't let the Flemish see this since you will be caught into the Belgian language battles which are still raging today through that country. [;)]
Oh, and I like your AAR...
Oh, and I like your AAR...
Peter
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
Thank you for the praise.
M/J 40, Allied #2:
CW Naval, Fr and Ch Land, US & USSR combined
The CW moves out to protect the convoys, with a totally inadequate defense of the Red Sea. Twocorps are moved from Aden to Suez.
First, France. Even with the failed German attack, the French position is a disaster. With Billotte shoved off to the side, the French are down three corps and two divisions, plus have to defend a longer front. The French entertain a fantasy about attacking the German armored unit in the salient to reestablish the front. However, it is a fantasy. The French abandon the southern hex of the Maginot, and pull back their units. They concede a couple of easy attacks to the Germans to conserve units. All they can do is pray for rain.
The Chinese consolidate the line in front of the Japanese advance, defending in front of Chihkiang. The Chunking warlord has made contact with the Japanese. The "line" in front of Chihkiang is all of two hexes wide.
M/J 40, Allied #2:
CW Naval, Fr and Ch Land, US & USSR combined
The CW moves out to protect the convoys, with a totally inadequate defense of the Red Sea. Twocorps are moved from Aden to Suez.
First, France. Even with the failed German attack, the French position is a disaster. With Billotte shoved off to the side, the French are down three corps and two divisions, plus have to defend a longer front. The French entertain a fantasy about attacking the German armored unit in the salient to reestablish the front. However, it is a fantasy. The French abandon the southern hex of the Maginot, and pull back their units. They concede a couple of easy attacks to the Germans to conserve units. All they can do is pray for rain.
The Chinese consolidate the line in front of the Japanese advance, defending in front of Chihkiang. The Chunking warlord has made contact with the Japanese. The "line" in front of Chihkiang is all of two hexes wide.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
M/J 40, Axis #3: Weather roll 1: Sn, St, R, St, St, St. +2 modifier, 2 advance.
The Germans don't believe it. Neither do the French. If the weather had to turn bad this turn, this is not the worst impulse for the Germans for it to have happened, as the Germans were only going to make overwhelming attacks this turn, anyway. The important thing about this, though, is that impulses 4 and 6 just vanished. The only thing that will save Paris from falling this turn is the turn ending too quickly, and the odds of that happening just increased dramatically.
Ge, Ja Land, Italy Combined.
I cheated. I tried a combined for Germany, and sent their fleet out, to see what would happen. What happened is that the Germans lost a cruiser, and, thanks to brilliant damage repair, the British suffered two cruisers damaged. Also the German fleet was left out exposed to attrition as the CW would send its whole uncommitted fleet after it. So I cancelled that move, and had the Germans take a land. The fleet will come out when it has a good port (Brest) to go to.
The Italians brought a unit over to Tunisia, and only during my land movement did they realize that they hadn't supplied an invasion of Tunisia.
The Japanese ooze forward on the China front. They can't advance on the Chinese left (north), because of the weather, but do move up on Changsha. The Japanese are hoping that the weather will clear in the Northern Monsoon, so as to make attacking Changsha easier.
The Germans attack two hexes the French conceded them. Incredibly, they kill neither French unit. Against the Lyons MIL, south of Marseilles, they get a +13 + 8, for a 21: *0B. The unit is chased off the map, but will return. Even worse, on the attack into the Ardennes, the Axis roll their second 2 of the game, for a 0R result. Four German units are disrupted. The Germans can stand this result, as none of them are on the new front line, and they have more units than they need, but still. The French corps being still on the map is much worse news for the Germans. It will take at least three, probably four Axis impulses to take Paris, and the Germans don't think they will get them. The French, of course, fear that they will.
The Italians rebase a NAV so that it is as close to the Red Sea as possible.
The Germans don't believe it. Neither do the French. If the weather had to turn bad this turn, this is not the worst impulse for the Germans for it to have happened, as the Germans were only going to make overwhelming attacks this turn, anyway. The important thing about this, though, is that impulses 4 and 6 just vanished. The only thing that will save Paris from falling this turn is the turn ending too quickly, and the odds of that happening just increased dramatically.
Ge, Ja Land, Italy Combined.
I cheated. I tried a combined for Germany, and sent their fleet out, to see what would happen. What happened is that the Germans lost a cruiser, and, thanks to brilliant damage repair, the British suffered two cruisers damaged. Also the German fleet was left out exposed to attrition as the CW would send its whole uncommitted fleet after it. So I cancelled that move, and had the Germans take a land. The fleet will come out when it has a good port (Brest) to go to.
The Italians brought a unit over to Tunisia, and only during my land movement did they realize that they hadn't supplied an invasion of Tunisia.
The Japanese ooze forward on the China front. They can't advance on the Chinese left (north), because of the weather, but do move up on Changsha. The Japanese are hoping that the weather will clear in the Northern Monsoon, so as to make attacking Changsha easier.
The Germans attack two hexes the French conceded them. Incredibly, they kill neither French unit. Against the Lyons MIL, south of Marseilles, they get a +13 + 8, for a 21: *0B. The unit is chased off the map, but will return. Even worse, on the attack into the Ardennes, the Axis roll their second 2 of the game, for a 0R result. Four German units are disrupted. The Germans can stand this result, as none of them are on the new front line, and they have more units than they need, but still. The French corps being still on the map is much worse news for the Germans. It will take at least three, probably four Axis impulses to take Paris, and the Germans don't think they will get them. The French, of course, fear that they will.
The Italians rebase a NAV so that it is as close to the Red Sea as possible.
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I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
M/J 40 Allied 5:
The French reshuffle units around. Another CW unit goes into the line in front of Alexandria.
All in all, not much happened.
M/J 40 Axis 7: Wr 7, adjusted to 9. Fine everwhere, impulses advance by 1.
Ge, Ja land; It Comb.
The Germans ground struck Paris and the hex to the west of Paris, with a 6 point and a 5 point Stuka. Both hexes had three units in them. The results were disastrous. The 6 point Stuka missed entirely. The 5 point Stuka flipped an AT gun, only.
The Japanese proceeded in their quest to get US entry as soon as possible, attacking Changsha. They took the city with a dice roll of 15, for no loss, killing a 4-2 INF and a 3-1 GAR. However, they failed in their quest for US entry, rolling a 9, so no US chit was moved. They also oozed around the flanks of the Chinese units (I can't call two hexes a "line") in front of Chihkiang.
The Germans snuck through the Maginot line to put an out of supply INF behind the French line. They then made two attacks, one west of Metz, one NW of Paris. The attack west of Metz rolled an 8, getting a 0R result. The two French defenders are forced to retreat to the east, into the Maginot line. The Maginot line now has five units it. The Maginot line will hold out a while, but those units are effectively lost to the French. For the second attack, the French committed Pretelat in HQ support. They figured he should have already been flipped, so use him now. It would possibly have been better to use him to reorganize units, but the French are happy to use him at all. The second attack was another German disaster. Die roll of four. No losses for either side, Germans all flip. This was the second failed German attack of the turn. No, I am not rolling the die by hand, and using only one die for the Germans on the 2d10 table; it just feels that way. This is the worst German attack on France that I have ever done.
The Germans expend both of their remaining HQs reorganizing units. If it were not for the addition of Guderian to the German force pool, the German turn would now basically be over. His influence is huge.
The French reshuffle units around. Another CW unit goes into the line in front of Alexandria.
All in all, not much happened.
M/J 40 Axis 7: Wr 7, adjusted to 9. Fine everwhere, impulses advance by 1.
Ge, Ja land; It Comb.
The Germans ground struck Paris and the hex to the west of Paris, with a 6 point and a 5 point Stuka. Both hexes had three units in them. The results were disastrous. The 6 point Stuka missed entirely. The 5 point Stuka flipped an AT gun, only.
The Japanese proceeded in their quest to get US entry as soon as possible, attacking Changsha. They took the city with a dice roll of 15, for no loss, killing a 4-2 INF and a 3-1 GAR. However, they failed in their quest for US entry, rolling a 9, so no US chit was moved. They also oozed around the flanks of the Chinese units (I can't call two hexes a "line") in front of Chihkiang.
The Germans snuck through the Maginot line to put an out of supply INF behind the French line. They then made two attacks, one west of Metz, one NW of Paris. The attack west of Metz rolled an 8, getting a 0R result. The two French defenders are forced to retreat to the east, into the Maginot line. The Maginot line now has five units it. The Maginot line will hold out a while, but those units are effectively lost to the French. For the second attack, the French committed Pretelat in HQ support. They figured he should have already been flipped, so use him now. It would possibly have been better to use him to reorganize units, but the French are happy to use him at all. The second attack was another German disaster. Die roll of four. No losses for either side, Germans all flip. This was the second failed German attack of the turn. No, I am not rolling the die by hand, and using only one die for the Germans on the 2d10 table; it just feels that way. This is the worst German attack on France that I have ever done.
The Germans expend both of their remaining HQs reorganizing units. If it were not for the addition of Guderian to the German force pool, the German turn would now basically be over. His influence is huge.
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I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
M/J 40 Allied 8.
Ch land, CW, FR, US and USSR combined.
The French just don't have that many units they can move!
The British send out their subs against Italian convoy points. The Italians protect them with their fighter and the German NAV. No one finds anyone.
The French move their subs toward Equatorial Africa.
The British are not challenging the Italians in the western Med because the Italian fighter completely outclasses the things that the RAF calls "carrier planes", and the CW sees no point in moving them out. There are plans to fix this.
The British attempt a strat bombing of Berlin. They obliterated some German farmer's field, but did not noticeably affect the war effort.
The Chinese actually form a line running northwest of Chihkiang, as the Chunking warlord joins up.
The French take a risk, and move a unit out of Paris so that they can hold the line better. They
are reasonably sure that they will get a unit back into Paris before the Germans can attack it.
The British take Wavell out of the line in Egypt, replacing him with the Oz MIL unit. The British are very glad that the Italians can't ground strike; the CW supply situation in Egypt is hanging by a thread.
Turn end roll: 10
Ch land, CW, FR, US and USSR combined.
The French just don't have that many units they can move!
The British send out their subs against Italian convoy points. The Italians protect them with their fighter and the German NAV. No one finds anyone.
The French move their subs toward Equatorial Africa.
The British are not challenging the Italians in the western Med because the Italian fighter completely outclasses the things that the RAF calls "carrier planes", and the CW sees no point in moving them out. There are plans to fix this.
The British attempt a strat bombing of Berlin. They obliterated some German farmer's field, but did not noticeably affect the war effort.
The Chinese actually form a line running northwest of Chihkiang, as the Chunking warlord joins up.
The French take a risk, and move a unit out of Paris so that they can hold the line better. They
are reasonably sure that they will get a unit back into Paris before the Germans can attack it.
The British take Wavell out of the line in Egypt, replacing him with the Oz MIL unit. The British are very glad that the Italians can't ground strike; the CW supply situation in Egypt is hanging by a thread.
Turn end roll: 10
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
M/J 40 Axis 9: Weather 3, R, F, F, St, R, F; impulse advance 1, modifier 0.
Ge, Ja, It all land
The Allies would like to save that weather roll for when Russia is being invaded!
The Germans ground strike the French ARM corps with their last Stuka. Both it and the division stacked with it flip. Georges was already flipped.
The Germans move up to attack the French outpost at Reims, two hexes west of Paris, and plan to make the identical attack that failed last impulse against the ARM. The Italians start to move towards the Yugoslav border, while an infantry corps walks into an undefended Tunis. In China, the storm saves Hengyang from attack; the Japanese use oozing tactics against Chihkiang instead.
The Germans pick up the (non-physical) dice with reluctance. They attack Reims, and roll a 15. 2S, the 5-2 Paris MIL and a 5-3 INF are destroyed, no Germans disorganized. They attack northwest of Paris. Another 15, another 2S. The Germans pick shatter; they want the breakthrough. The French destroy a 1-4 MOT division, and faced with a choice between Georges and the ARM corps, save the ARM. It fights better. The Germans had forgotten that the dice went this high. The Germans now have not one, but two hexes on Paris, and the French defense is in ruins. German morale picks up, but they fret that this has taken far too long.
Ge, Ja, It all land
The Allies would like to save that weather roll for when Russia is being invaded!
The Germans ground strike the French ARM corps with their last Stuka. Both it and the division stacked with it flip. Georges was already flipped.
The Germans move up to attack the French outpost at Reims, two hexes west of Paris, and plan to make the identical attack that failed last impulse against the ARM. The Italians start to move towards the Yugoslav border, while an infantry corps walks into an undefended Tunis. In China, the storm saves Hengyang from attack; the Japanese use oozing tactics against Chihkiang instead.
The Germans pick up the (non-physical) dice with reluctance. They attack Reims, and roll a 15. 2S, the 5-2 Paris MIL and a 5-3 INF are destroyed, no Germans disorganized. They attack northwest of Paris. Another 15, another 2S. The Germans pick shatter; they want the breakthrough. The French destroy a 1-4 MOT division, and faced with a choice between Georges and the ARM corps, save the ARM. It fights better. The Germans had forgotten that the dice went this high. The Germans now have not one, but two hexes on Paris, and the French defense is in ruins. German morale picks up, but they fret that this has taken far too long.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
M/J 40 Allied 10:
Fr combined; CW, Ch, US, USSR pass
The Allies pray for end of turn. The French get the 6-1 GAR back into Paris, and reorganiaze what few units they have left around Paris. They have substantial forces on the map, but most of them are in a pocket north of Paris or are stuck in the Maginot line; neither set of forces is doing the French any good.
Turn end roll: 5
The passing worked! Turn ends on an exact roll. The Germans had a very simple measure of victory in the French campaign: take Paris in M/J. As it is, Vichy will be delayed until the end of J/A, which is a vital turn the Germans wanted to use very badly.
Here are the positions at the end of the turn:
Fr combined; CW, Ch, US, USSR pass
The Allies pray for end of turn. The French get the 6-1 GAR back into Paris, and reorganiaze what few units they have left around Paris. They have substantial forces on the map, but most of them are in a pocket north of Paris or are stuck in the Maginot line; neither set of forces is doing the French any good.
Turn end roll: 5
The passing worked! Turn ends on an exact roll. The Germans had a very simple measure of victory in the French campaign: take Paris in M/J. As it is, Vichy will be delayed until the end of J/A, which is a vital turn the Germans wanted to use very badly.
Here are the positions at the end of the turn:
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I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
And here are the dead units for the turn.
(The Belgian cruiser was in the construction pool when Belgium fell.)
(The Belgian cruiser was in the construction pool when Belgium fell.)
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I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
France has done its work. Can they hold on a little longer???
“We never felt like we were losing until we were actually dead.”
Marcus Luttrell
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
Given the sequence of play, French units will hang around until the end of the turn. Organized French resistance has more or less ceased.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
M/J 40 End of turn:
I get the first partisan of the game. It shows up in ... the Netherlands East Indies !?!
The Axis player looks at the map, smiles evilly, and puts the partisan in Tarakan. If it went in Palambang, it would cost the Allies two oil for a short while. Putting the partisan in Tarakan takes away the oil more or less forever. At any rate, I can't figure out a quick way to get rid of it. The Allied transports have much better things to do than spend months getting one oil resource that will soon go away anyway. I am impressed that MWiF correctly figured out that killing the oil resource cost the CW an oil point, not the Japanese.
Germans and Russians added some neutrality markers.
The US added a one to the Japanese pool. To my surprise, this was not enough for gear up. The computer was right; I added wrong. An advantage that computers have over humans: computers can add. The US again picks no entry option. Next turn for sure! (Although I note that the US entry points for Vichification are added after US entry options are chosen, not before.)
The Germans leave one plane unflipped to save oil, the Japanese two transports. The Italians have many cruisers unable to refuel, due to lack of oil. More alarmingly, somehow Balbo got flipped, and the Italians don't have the oil to unflip him. I think he must have been hit by a supply bug, and I did not notice. I will not take advantage of this as the Allies.
The British again leave several one point cruisers and the two monitors unflipped, as are a fair number of French cruisers, who are out of supply in the Pacific.
The Italians abandon the western Med.
At some point during the turn, The British flew a range 9 NAV to the zero box of the Bay of BiscayIn the return to base step, the plane return to base in Gibraltar, which is not in range from England. The CW finally has land based air in the Med. The "go through a sea zone to extend range" ploy might be an abuse of the rules, but it is one I frequently employ. Unfortunately for the British, it takes a range nine plane to do this; their range eight fighters can't.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
M/J 40 Production:
Ge 16+0: O-chit, finish Sub; No BP saved;
It 4+1: NAV-3, Pi; No BP saved;
Ja 14+1: CAV, Start BB, start AMPH, ATR-4, Pi; Saved 1 BP (plus bug BP).
The German build shows my remarkable foresight. I have completely wrecked their gearing limits. However, they have a use in mind for that O-chit.
It builds a 3 point range 9 NAV.
Jap build H6K ATR, 4-3 AMPH, the 3-4 CAV, and start the Mushashi.
That Japanese ATR is a remarkable unit. It is a range 19 plane with a 3 NAV factors and 2 strat factors. The only thing it can't do is paradrop. I had forgotten it existed, or the Japanese would have built it sooner.
CW 25+0: MOT, LND-4, FTR-3, CVP, 2xPi, SUP, Finish AMPH, Finish Duke of York; No BP saved.;
Fr 7: MIL, CP, ATR-4;
US 10+22: Finish Washington, North Carolina, Langley, start AMPH; 19 BP saved.
Ch 7+0: 2xINF; 1 BP saved;
SU 14+0: 2xINF, LND-4, 2xPi; No BP saved.
CW gets 8-4 Australian MOT, the Whirlwind (last FTR 3), a Halifax, and a 3-2 size 3 CVP.
French get Bordeaux MIL.
US gets last AMPH (4-2).
Chinese get to INF destroyed last turn 5-3, 4-2.
Soviets get a 6-4 and 5-3 INF, and a TB3.
The CW should have built that SUP a long time ago. It has been so long since I played WiF that I forgot.
I had to redo the whole production because the US saved build points really did go to zero. Also, the amount of trade from France to the CW varied randomly from 4 to 7. Never did get the asked for eight, but settled for seven.
The French build was based on "What is the most innocuous things I could think of to give Vichy?" I made a mistake on the previous turn's build, and should have built an infanty unit so I could build more militia this turn. Oh, well.
The extra Soviet pilot is for a FTR in the reserve pool; next turn will do the same.
The British will miss those French build points next turn.
In the conquest step, the Italian empire continues its expansion with the conquest of Tunisia.
Here are next turns reinforcements:
Ge 16+0: O-chit, finish Sub; No BP saved;
It 4+1: NAV-3, Pi; No BP saved;
Ja 14+1: CAV, Start BB, start AMPH, ATR-4, Pi; Saved 1 BP (plus bug BP).
The German build shows my remarkable foresight. I have completely wrecked their gearing limits. However, they have a use in mind for that O-chit.
It builds a 3 point range 9 NAV.
Jap build H6K ATR, 4-3 AMPH, the 3-4 CAV, and start the Mushashi.
That Japanese ATR is a remarkable unit. It is a range 19 plane with a 3 NAV factors and 2 strat factors. The only thing it can't do is paradrop. I had forgotten it existed, or the Japanese would have built it sooner.
CW 25+0: MOT, LND-4, FTR-3, CVP, 2xPi, SUP, Finish AMPH, Finish Duke of York; No BP saved.;
Fr 7: MIL, CP, ATR-4;
US 10+22: Finish Washington, North Carolina, Langley, start AMPH; 19 BP saved.
Ch 7+0: 2xINF; 1 BP saved;
SU 14+0: 2xINF, LND-4, 2xPi; No BP saved.
CW gets 8-4 Australian MOT, the Whirlwind (last FTR 3), a Halifax, and a 3-2 size 3 CVP.
French get Bordeaux MIL.
US gets last AMPH (4-2).
Chinese get to INF destroyed last turn 5-3, 4-2.
Soviets get a 6-4 and 5-3 INF, and a TB3.
The CW should have built that SUP a long time ago. It has been so long since I played WiF that I forgot.
I had to redo the whole production because the US saved build points really did go to zero. Also, the amount of trade from France to the CW varied randomly from 4 to 7. Never did get the asked for eight, but settled for seven.
The French build was based on "What is the most innocuous things I could think of to give Vichy?" I made a mistake on the previous turn's build, and should have built an infanty unit so I could build more militia this turn. Oh, well.
The extra Soviet pilot is for a FTR in the reserve pool; next turn will do the same.
The British will miss those French build points next turn.
In the conquest step, the Italian empire continues its expansion with the conquest of Tunisia.
Here are next turns reinforcements:
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I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
J/A 40:
The British pull the 2-3 CVP off the Ark Royal, while giving a pilot to a 3-1. For an impulse, the Ark Royal will not have a plane; the British think they need the "better" fighter.
J/A 40 Axis #1: Weather 6. F, F, F, St, F, F, imp adv 1, no mod
The weather this turn is pretty much guaranteed to be good, except in the North Monsoon, where it is pretty much guaranteed to be, um, not good.
Ge, Ja land, It combined
Italy starts out with a port strike at the Allied transports in Suez. But, you say, port strikes never work. Well, on this one, the Allies rolled a 10, and the Italians rolled a 1! 9 surprise points gave the Italians an X and 2 As. The Italians had visions of sinking a transport, but the Allies proceeded to make three successive damage rolls, turning the result into a D and two 1/2 As, sending a CW transport into the damaged pool. It will not stay there long. The British pass out commendations and medals to the damage control personnel. The base commander of Suez is sacked. All the Italians had been hoping to do was get some aborts on the transports; actually doing damage was an unexpected bonus.
The Germans move a NAV out to western Med., in an effort to stop TRS from moving through the Med.
Goerring declares that the BEF will never leave France. A Stuka and an Italain bomber attack the BEF, while other Stukas attack Paris and the hex west of Paris. Allied planes rise to intercept. Another French plane dies over Paris to a roll of 17. Three air combats, three seventeens. A quick calculation shows that the chance of getting the same result three times in a row on 2d10 is about .5%. Over the BEF, the Allies chase the Italian bomber away, but lose a Spitfire. The pilot survived. The bombing flipped Gort and the AT gun; the MECH is unflipped. The six point Stuka bombing Paris continues to demonstrate futility, hitting only the division in the hex. The stack next door also only had a division flipped.
The Germans move to kill the French around Paris. They have to guard the exit from Rouen with a 2-6 Arm XX alone in the hex. The Japanese continue to ooze around Chihkiang. The Italians try to take British Somaliland, but are bitten by a supply bug. The British will not interfere with this operation. If Ethiopian supply worked properly, it should have finished this impulse.
Both German attacks are successful, killing three French corps at no cost to the Germans. Paris is all alone now, with Germans occupying five hexes around it.
The British pull the 2-3 CVP off the Ark Royal, while giving a pilot to a 3-1. For an impulse, the Ark Royal will not have a plane; the British think they need the "better" fighter.
J/A 40 Axis #1: Weather 6. F, F, F, St, F, F, imp adv 1, no mod
The weather this turn is pretty much guaranteed to be good, except in the North Monsoon, where it is pretty much guaranteed to be, um, not good.
Ge, Ja land, It combined
Italy starts out with a port strike at the Allied transports in Suez. But, you say, port strikes never work. Well, on this one, the Allies rolled a 10, and the Italians rolled a 1! 9 surprise points gave the Italians an X and 2 As. The Italians had visions of sinking a transport, but the Allies proceeded to make three successive damage rolls, turning the result into a D and two 1/2 As, sending a CW transport into the damaged pool. It will not stay there long. The British pass out commendations and medals to the damage control personnel. The base commander of Suez is sacked. All the Italians had been hoping to do was get some aborts on the transports; actually doing damage was an unexpected bonus.
The Germans move a NAV out to western Med., in an effort to stop TRS from moving through the Med.
Goerring declares that the BEF will never leave France. A Stuka and an Italain bomber attack the BEF, while other Stukas attack Paris and the hex west of Paris. Allied planes rise to intercept. Another French plane dies over Paris to a roll of 17. Three air combats, three seventeens. A quick calculation shows that the chance of getting the same result three times in a row on 2d10 is about .5%. Over the BEF, the Allies chase the Italian bomber away, but lose a Spitfire. The pilot survived. The bombing flipped Gort and the AT gun; the MECH is unflipped. The six point Stuka bombing Paris continues to demonstrate futility, hitting only the division in the hex. The stack next door also only had a division flipped.
The Germans move to kill the French around Paris. They have to guard the exit from Rouen with a 2-6 Arm XX alone in the hex. The Japanese continue to ooze around Chihkiang. The Italians try to take British Somaliland, but are bitten by a supply bug. The British will not interfere with this operation. If Ethiopian supply worked properly, it should have finished this impulse.
Both German attacks are successful, killing three French corps at no cost to the Germans. Paris is all alone now, with Germans occupying five hexes around it.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
J/A 40 Allied #2:
I realize I missed something during the German turn: The BEF was out of supply, with two flipped units. I rationalize that they still had a pretty good defense, and the Germans would have had to use the assault table because of the AT gun, so the Germans weren't going to attack them anyway. However, I should have at least considered attacking them, and if I had, I very well might have. It won't be the last mistake I make in this game.
CW naval, Ch, Fr land, US, USSR combined
The British move to protect the convoy points. The Dutch transport sucks the MECH off the French coast. A CP moves to the North Sea. The British send the submarines to the Italian coast, a small task force goes after the convoy points in the Eastern Med, and the Illustrious challenges the German naval air in the western Med.
In the Eastern Med, nobody finds anybody. Off the Italian Coast, the submarines roll a 1, but the Italians roll a 2, so the Italians pick a naval air combat, and nothing happens. In the Western Med, the Germans roll a 1 and the CW a 4; with four surprise points, the Germans cancel the combat. not wanting to produce a pair of mutual aborts in air-to-air combat. Ah, the thrilling results of WiF naval battles! [:)]
In land, the French pull back to redoubts around Lille, Marseilles and Bayonne.
The Chinese bring the newly arrived HQs forward. The Communists send the newly arrived 1-5 CAV division north. It is threatening the desert mountain resource, and the Allies don't see what the Japanese can do about it, barring railing Terauchi out to defend it.
The Russians succumb to US entreaties, and start pulling forces away from Finland. They really thought they could take Finland down, but two US entry chits were too much.
In air rebase, the Ark Royal gets a CVP with a 3 point air-to-air rating.
I realize I missed something during the German turn: The BEF was out of supply, with two flipped units. I rationalize that they still had a pretty good defense, and the Germans would have had to use the assault table because of the AT gun, so the Germans weren't going to attack them anyway. However, I should have at least considered attacking them, and if I had, I very well might have. It won't be the last mistake I make in this game.
CW naval, Ch, Fr land, US, USSR combined
The British move to protect the convoy points. The Dutch transport sucks the MECH off the French coast. A CP moves to the North Sea. The British send the submarines to the Italian coast, a small task force goes after the convoy points in the Eastern Med, and the Illustrious challenges the German naval air in the western Med.
In the Eastern Med, nobody finds anybody. Off the Italian Coast, the submarines roll a 1, but the Italians roll a 2, so the Italians pick a naval air combat, and nothing happens. In the Western Med, the Germans roll a 1 and the CW a 4; with four surprise points, the Germans cancel the combat. not wanting to produce a pair of mutual aborts in air-to-air combat. Ah, the thrilling results of WiF naval battles! [:)]
In land, the French pull back to redoubts around Lille, Marseilles and Bayonne.
The Chinese bring the newly arrived HQs forward. The Communists send the newly arrived 1-5 CAV division north. It is threatening the desert mountain resource, and the Allies don't see what the Japanese can do about it, barring railing Terauchi out to defend it.
The Russians succumb to US entreaties, and start pulling forces away from Finland. They really thought they could take Finland down, but two US entry chits were too much.
In air rebase, the Ark Royal gets a CVP with a 3 point air-to-air rating.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
J/A 40 Axis #3: Weather roll 10: F, F, F, St, F, F, Imp adv: 1, Modifier +1.
There is a chance of bad weather next impulse.
The Germans send a Stuka to Paris, and the Japanese ground strike Chihkiang with two planes. All ground strikes were successful; the defenders of both Paris and Chihkiang are fully flipped.
The Germans move up for the final assault on Paris, attacking from six hexes. The ARM division takes Brest, forcing Jean Bart to rebase; it goes to Bayonne. Other units take Vichy and Lyons.
The French send in their last planes to the support of Paris. The Germans intercept, but roll badly, and the French fighter-bomber gets through to Paris. The German AA gun is _not_ in the attack, a decision that the Germans regret. The Germans use von Leeb in HQ support.
Both attacks are remarkably similar, +12 and +11, after making fractional odds; both result in 22s: Defender loses two units and shattered, attacker loses an extra unit and is half flipped.The Chinese lose two INF, the French an HQ, an INF and a division, the Japanese a cavalry division, and the Germans an infantry division. The Japanese roll an 8 for US entry, no effect.
The Germans flip Guderian to reorganize four of the units that flipped in the Paris attack.
There is a chance of bad weather next impulse.
The Germans send a Stuka to Paris, and the Japanese ground strike Chihkiang with two planes. All ground strikes were successful; the defenders of both Paris and Chihkiang are fully flipped.
The Germans move up for the final assault on Paris, attacking from six hexes. The ARM division takes Brest, forcing Jean Bart to rebase; it goes to Bayonne. Other units take Vichy and Lyons.
The French send in their last planes to the support of Paris. The Germans intercept, but roll badly, and the French fighter-bomber gets through to Paris. The German AA gun is _not_ in the attack, a decision that the Germans regret. The Germans use von Leeb in HQ support.
Both attacks are remarkably similar, +12 and +11, after making fractional odds; both result in 22s: Defender loses two units and shattered, attacker loses an extra unit and is half flipped.The Chinese lose two INF, the French an HQ, an INF and a division, the Japanese a cavalry division, and the Germans an infantry division. The Japanese roll an 8 for US entry, no effect.
The Germans flip Guderian to reorganize four of the units that flipped in the Paris attack.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
J/A Allied #4:
Fr, Ch, land; CW, US, SU, combined
The Dutch TRS takes the MECH to Gibraltar. I belatedly remember the new MOT in India, and send
a TRS to pick it up.
The CW tries to engage the NAV in the western Med, and fails.
The French form their final redoubt, the Chinese try to avoid being encircled, and the Alexander moves to Plymouth.
Here are the final French positions:
Fr, Ch, land; CW, US, SU, combined
The Dutch TRS takes the MECH to Gibraltar. I belatedly remember the new MOT in India, and send
a TRS to pick it up.
The CW tries to engage the NAV in the western Med, and fails.
The French form their final redoubt, the Chinese try to avoid being encircled, and the Alexander moves to Plymouth.
Here are the final French positions:
- Attachments
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- JA40A4Fr.jpg (501.2 KiB) Viewed 1060 times
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
J/A Axis #5: Weather 10+1 = 11: R, F, F, St, R, R; imp advance 2, modifier +2
The Axis doesn't believe it. To get anything but an impulse advance of one, you have to roll two 10s in succession. The Germans managed to pull it off.
Ge combined, Ja land, It naval
Suddenly, the Germans aren't sure they will get another impulse, so it is time to move the fleet out.
The CW attempts to intercept both in the North Sea and Faroes gap, and fails to do so in either place.
In the North Atlantic, every German speed six ship is in the three box. They attempt to engage the British, and, since there are more than 10 convoys in the area, do so when they roll a 5. The CW also rolls a 5, and so does not find them. The Germans note that if they include the zero box, the CW can call a naval air action, so the Germans pick the four cruisers in the 3 box. The Germans get X, D, A, vs an X. The result was that Nurnburg and HMS Manchester were sunk, and HMAS Perth and HMS Southampton aborted. The Germans press the attack, and nobody finds anyone. This was not a good trade for the Germans. They were hoping for a long fight, clearing the sea area. After all, the first battle took out over a quarter of the defenders.
In land movement, the Germans start moving south from Paris with what few units that can move.
The Japanese continue to ooze forward in China.
The Axis doesn't believe it. To get anything but an impulse advance of one, you have to roll two 10s in succession. The Germans managed to pull it off.
Ge combined, Ja land, It naval
Suddenly, the Germans aren't sure they will get another impulse, so it is time to move the fleet out.
The CW attempts to intercept both in the North Sea and Faroes gap, and fails to do so in either place.
In the North Atlantic, every German speed six ship is in the three box. They attempt to engage the British, and, since there are more than 10 convoys in the area, do so when they roll a 5. The CW also rolls a 5, and so does not find them. The Germans note that if they include the zero box, the CW can call a naval air action, so the Germans pick the four cruisers in the 3 box. The Germans get X, D, A, vs an X. The result was that Nurnburg and HMS Manchester were sunk, and HMAS Perth and HMS Southampton aborted. The Germans press the attack, and nobody finds anyone. This was not a good trade for the Germans. They were hoping for a long fight, clearing the sea area. After all, the first battle took out over a quarter of the defenders.
In land movement, the Germans start moving south from Paris with what few units that can move.
The Japanese continue to ooze forward in China.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
J/A Allied #7:
CW, Fr, naval; Ch land; US, SU, combined.
The French send their fleet out so that, except for the battleships, all of it will return to base in either Equatorial Africa, or the Pacific, about half in each place, so that it is likely that considerable forces go Free French. Note that this is not at all historical; while there were Free French ships, none of them were as large as a cruiser, until after the Torch invasion. (Not counting Courbet and Paris, which were never used as operational ships.)
The CW sends out a major force to challenge the Germans in the North Sea. The two search rolls added up to 17. Very anticlimactic. Even more anticlimactic, I plain forget to engage the German NAV over the Western Med.
The Chinese continue to backpedal. A couple of Communist corps move south, and threaten to take the city of Ankang from the Nationalists. The Communist division on the resource center eyes the warlord guarding the Peking area, and does not move.
Turn end roll 2. Turn continues, but it was close.
CW, Fr, naval; Ch land; US, SU, combined.
The French send their fleet out so that, except for the battleships, all of it will return to base in either Equatorial Africa, or the Pacific, about half in each place, so that it is likely that considerable forces go Free French. Note that this is not at all historical; while there were Free French ships, none of them were as large as a cruiser, until after the Torch invasion. (Not counting Courbet and Paris, which were never used as operational ships.)
The CW sends out a major force to challenge the Germans in the North Sea. The two search rolls added up to 17. Very anticlimactic. Even more anticlimactic, I plain forget to engage the German NAV over the Western Med.
The Chinese continue to backpedal. A couple of Communist corps move south, and threaten to take the city of Ankang from the Nationalists. The Communist division on the resource center eyes the warlord guarding the Peking area, and does not move.
Turn end roll 2. Turn continues, but it was close.
I thought I knew how to play this game....
RE: Courtenay's solitaire AAR
J/A Axis #9: Weather 8 + 2 = 10; F, F, F, St, F, F, Modifier +1, Imp. Adv. 1
Ge, Ja, It, Land.
At this point I realize that I made a major mistake with the Italians. They pulled their convoys back, intending to send them out again later in the turn. What I did not realize was that their reserve convoys were flipped; I am not sure why. The Italian navy is going to stay home, having no desire to fight French battleships.
The Japanese range 14 NAV tries to strat bomb Chengtu, and misses. (Chungking is in the range of the Chinese fighter.)
The Germans continue to move units south in France, and the Japanese keep oozing forwards.
I didn't record the turn turn end roll, but it was high. Turn continues.
Ge, Ja, It, Land.
At this point I realize that I made a major mistake with the Italians. They pulled their convoys back, intending to send them out again later in the turn. What I did not realize was that their reserve convoys were flipped; I am not sure why. The Italian navy is going to stay home, having no desire to fight French battleships.
The Japanese range 14 NAV tries to strat bomb Chengtu, and misses. (Chungking is in the range of the Chinese fighter.)
The Germans continue to move units south in France, and the Japanese keep oozing forwards.
I didn't record the turn turn end roll, but it was high. Turn continues.
I thought I knew how to play this game....