Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

[DQ2004]

The following impulse, the Italians seek to change the balance decisively in their favour. With a sole INF division guarding Malta, it is time to try to take the island before more reinforcements can arrive.
Even though the Allies have destroyed all of their transports [:@], the Italians can still assemble a couple of divisions.
Combined with battleships bombarding the defences, there is now a real chance that the Italians can seize this strategically vital base.

[DQ2004]

In Southern China, the Japanese have finished assembling a large force to take Chekiang.
The defenders wait nervously. They are outnumbered over four to one.
Dive bombers swoop down and pound the rudimentary fortifications.

[DQ2004]

Screaming the Emperor's name, the Japanese charge forward.
But they cannot break the defense. Some of the Chinese force is destroyed, but the Imperial Japanese Army will have to wait before they can try again.
The Fortress City of Chekiang has lived up to its potential.

[DQ2004]

And in the Mediterranean, on the key island of Malta, the Italian assault goes in.
Macchi fighter-bombers flying in support are unexpectedly intercepted by Nimrod carrier aircraft - and despite suffering devastating losses, the British Fleet Air Arm pilots achieve their mission; and the odds are improved just enough.
However the victory comes at a price for the British Empire.

[DQ2004]

The assault on Oslo is finally ready to go in.
The British have countered the invasion with a landing of their own at Bergen, and Whirlwind heavy fighters have chased away or shot down the Germans naval air forces.
And the assault fails.
Our vengeance is not proving to be easy. I guess worthwhile things never are.
But we must not give up!
...however, then the turn ends. So we have to wait.

[DQ2004]

In the Eastern Mediterranean, the Condors and Erone NAV aircraft took on the Royal Navy and won, sinking Furious, Revenge and Sussex. The Russians siezed Petsamo, losing an INF and a division.
Sep/Oct 40 has been a bit of a disaster for the Axis, tempered slightly by the victory over the British fleet.

[DQ2004]

The naval repair pool looks like this at the end of the Sep/Oct 1940 turn, with lots to do for both the Italians and the RN.

[DQ2004]

Axis controlled territory at the end of Sep/Oct 1940:

[DQ2004]

The colour version of global control at the end of Sep/Oct 1940:

[DQ2004]

Reinforcements for Nov/Dec 1940:

[DQ2004]

The Allies get the initiative for Nov/Dec 1940, and as usual sortie the RN into key sea zones.
A large fleet assembles in the Eastern Med to block any Italian reinforcements or supply attempts.
In response the Italians send everything they can. They have less than half the number of ships, but worryingly for the Allies, their carrier planes are just not as powerful as the land-based air that the Axis can bring to bear.
However, many of the Axis planes cannot fly too far, and so when the Italians get surprise, they take the risk of a surface combat, and then select 'choose target.
The weakest carrier is chosen, as it has the best FTR, in what has to be one of the best calls of the game so far..

[DQ2004]

The Allies put the other 'X' result on to an expendable cruiser, and HMS Fiji is also sent to the bottom by Italian 15" shells from the Littorio.

[DQ2004]

The Regia Marina also gets two 'X' results in the tight surface battle, only their cruisers are made of tougher stuff.
We can only conclude many British shells were duds. Trieste and Gorizia escape with damage.

[DQ2004]

In the next round of this massive naval engagement in the Eastern Med, both sides find each other. With everything.
And a huge air battle commences between the carrier planes of the Royal Navy and the Axis forces.
But despite seeming to be a crucial air battle, both sides roll abysmally badly, failing to even abort never mind shoot anything down in the first two rounds.
Finally the Messerschmidt Bf-109fs take out the Hampden bombers, after which we can only conclude they flew away somewhere useless, as the remaining Baffin squadrons make it through to their targets.

[DQ2004]

The Condors and Erones fly into a storm of flak coming from the British ships. The Gabbianos are forced to abort.

[DQ2004]

In contrast the Italian fleet is somewhat caught out by the appearance of British torpedo bombers, and the AA fire is pathetic, to say the least.

[DQ2004]

The Axis fail to sink another carrier, but Hermes is damaged and forced to abort. It carries with it the best FTR remaining to the RN fleet.

[DQ2004]

Unfortunately for the British they just don't have enough planes to do much damage to the Italian fleet. They successfully force the Littorio to abort, and the Trieste also escapes from suffering further damage, but the result has put Royal Navy control of the Med in serious doubt, and they are forced to withdraw.

[DQ2004]

With the weather just clear enough in Southern Norway, the Luftwaffe prepares to soften up Norwegian defences around Oslo.
The Stukas are finally on target.

[DQ2004]

In Northern China, reinforcements have arrived for both sides. The Mao HQ returns to the map.