News From the Front - 4 player game

[brian brian]

Bren Carriers I think

[Centuur]

The Bren carrier is the most produced military vehicle in history. The British used them everywhere, because it had very good driving abilities and could carry quite a good load for such a small vehicle. They also were known to be very reliable. I believe they stopped production somewhere in the late 1950's...

[peskpesk]

A faithful follower of the AAR might wonder why on earth China took a Combined impulse the last allied impulse. Well the reason is because of our House rule “Limited Chinese action choice”. Se below:

Limited Chinese action choice

Description:
Nationalist China can only choose take land impulse after Japan has done any one of below:
• Made a land attack on any Chinese (Both nationalist and communist) unit during the current turn or the previous turn.
• Has taken control of any Chinese (Both nationalist and communist) controlled hex during the previous impulse.

Reason:
The European scale map makes hard for Japanese. With the old map they could often manage by only doing 3 land moves; 1-2 on any front and 1-2 to block the Chinese with ZOC or presence. Now they have a hard time with many holes to plug so they can't attack or pursue the breakthrough units.
This option makes the historical stalemate in China more likely.

Historical Note:
The often poorly trained, under-equipped, under-supplied and somewhat disorganized state of the nationalist army made it hard to manoeuvre and attack with. Often -even with a pre build-up- Chinese offensive grounded to a halt, with the fighting became a stalemate with both sides suffering losses and making minimal changes in the front line.

I will try to keep count on how many times this happens during the game.

Statistics of Limited Chinese action choice
Year: Number of Occurrences
1939: 1

[TeaLeaf]

I like your houserule much more than the official "chinese attack weakness".
However, the two combined would be complete humbug (I hope you are not doing that [:'(]).

Historically, what the Chinese lacked was initiative, not manpower or the ability to hurt the Japanese.
So long story short, in MWiF, I'd argue for much more Chinese units on the map, in combination with your houserule (maybe even expanded a little).

That would be a much better simulation than this... "attack weakness" rule, wich IMHO is bull [;)].

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: peskpesk
Description:
Nationalist China can only choose take land impulse after Japan has done any one of below:
• Made a land attack on any Chinese (Both nationalist and communist) unit during the current turn or the previous turn.

You actually mean turn here or do you mean impulse?

[warspite1]

Sep/Oct 1939
Impulse: 7 (Axis)

Declarations of War and Alignments: None, although the Germans allow South Dobruja etc to do its thing.

Japan: Land
Germany: Land
Italy: Combined

Naval Air: None

Naval Movement: None

Rail Movement:
Germany

Aachen starts building up (2 x Infantry and an ART)

Land Movement:
Japan

Troops unload from the transports to Manchuria and China (North and Central) and units from Manchuria continue their trek south.

Germany

As many forces as possible up sticks and head west

Italy

There are some manoeuvrings on the French border

Air Rebase:
Germany

Four fighters continue their journey as far west as they can go (except the Bf-110 which takes up station to guard the oil fields).

Reorganisation: None

End of Turn: Turn ends on less than a 2 (a 5 is thrown)

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

ORIGINAL: peskpesk
Description:
Nationalist China can only choose take land impulse after Japan has done any one of below:
• Made a land attack on any Chinese (Both nationalist and communist) unit during the current turn or the previous turn.

You actually mean turn here or do you mean impulse?

Turn.

[Orm]

Sep/Oct 1939
Impulse: 9 (Allies)

No declarations of war.

Land:
Combined: USA, USSR, France, China, CW
Naval:

No port strikes. No naval air.

Naval Moves:

France:
CA (Brest) -> Baltic Sea (4-box)


The light cruiser Duguay-Trouin leave Brest on her mission to raid the German Baltic convoys.

[Orm]

Naval Movement Continued:

CW:
TRS (Southhampton) + HQI -> North Sea 3-box
Liner + CA (Porthsmouth) + MOT -> Bay of Biscay 0-box

USA:
BB (Norfolk) -> Mexican Coast
Cl (San Diego) -> Caribbean Sea
CA (San Dieago) -> Norfolk


France initiate combat in the Baltic Sea.


Picture from Sep/Oct '39 Impulse #9 (Allies) - Naval Combat

[Orm]

No action in the Baltic Sea. (Allies 7, Axis 3)

[Orm]

Sep/Oct 1939
Impulse: 9 (Allies)

No strategic bombing. No Ground Strikes.


Rail Movement:

France:
INF (Lyons) -> Lille

USSR:
CAV (Kazan) -> 32,56 (HQI)


Land Moves:

France:
CAV and MIL switch places in the French Alps.

China:
COMM:
MIL (73,138) -> 73,139
NAT:
HQI (Changsha) -> 84,143
MIL (82,143) -> 81,142

USSR:
CAV Div (42,67) -> Yaroslavl
INF (42,78) -> Kazan
ART (56,55) -> Chisnau
Eng Div (55,54) -> Chisnau

CW:
MECH (Southampton) -> Plymouth


Debark:
HQI (North Sea) -> Boulogne
MOT (Bay of Biscay) -> St-Nazaire


Air Rebase:

China:
FTR2 (86,142) -> 83,142

USSR
2 x LND3 (Odessa) -> Leningrad
FTR2 (Vitebsk) -> 38,51
FTR2 (48,52) -> 39,51


No reorganization.

[Orm]

Turn continues on a roll of 9 (3 or less to end).

[Orm]

Calm, fine, weather. Everywhere.

[Orm]

Picture from Sep/Oct '39 Impulse #11 (Axis) - DOW

[Orm]

Picture from Sep/Oct '39 Impulse #11 (Axis) - DOW

[Orm]

Picture from Sep/Oct '39 Impulse #11 (Axis) - DOW

[warspite1]

Sep/Oct 1939
Impulse: 11 (Axis)

Declarations of War and Alignments:
Germany

Germany declare war on Denmark and the US are not in the slightest bit interested (a 5 is thrown).

I assign to the CW. Where do the Danish forces go?

[Orm]

5 CPs to Iceland, and the remaining units to Frederikshavn. Fleeing ships head for Plymouth.

[warspite1]

Sep/Oct 1939
Impulse: 11 (Axis)

Port Attack: None
Naval Air: None

Naval Movement: None

Strategic Bombing:
Germany

A Dornier flies to Metz but fails to find the city let alone the factories (a 3 is thrown)

[warspite1]

Sep/Oct 1939
Impulse: 11 (Axis)

Ground Strike:
Japan

A Ki-30 makes an attack on Chengchow. A 3 and a 9 were thrown for no effect.