Matrix Games Forums

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 7

Meanwhile the dice throws remain stubbornly high in the Japanese Coast - still no combat!

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 7

Not sure why we are asked if we want to include the notional unit or not? Why wouldn't you?

Anyway, the Allies attempt to land in Tirana. The odds are 7:1 and HM battleships Warspite, Hood and Howe are ordered to bring their guns to bear in support of the landings. The Italians do not fly in defence. They are keeping their powder dry for a potential counter attack....

The landing is now automatic and the Allies liberate the Albanians from their Italian rulers

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 8

How do the Axis react to this? "Well, its time to get serious", says Benito.

Damn - I've put two of the Italian bombers in the wrong box?!?!?!? [&:]

The search roles are 5 and 7 so both unsuccessful. There will be no battle of the Italian coast this impulse.

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 8

With the Germans pretty much shot in the Soviet Union, the Japanese continue their offensive on the India/Burma border. The IJN battlefleet provide naval gunfire support and Akagi and Hiyo's aircraft fly off bombers to bolster the attack.

Mountbatten's HQ Support succeeds with a 2, bringing the odds back to 2:1 +1 on the Blitzkrieg table....

...10(11) The CW lose a unit and are shattered (no conversion). The Japanese have an open gateway into India!

Right, time for a break. Things for me to remember to do:

Get Ranger across to the Mediterranean so I can put a couple of CW carriers into the Indian Ocean.

For as long as the turn lasts keep re-basing Japanese carrier aircraft south so they can re-base onto the empty carriers.

Keep a track of CW/US and Japanese AMPH and TRS!!

Germany need to be careful of HQ and range in case weather turns bad.

If the CW do not bring about a battle in the Italian Coast then withdraw. There are some good naval aircraft (and long range fighters) coming next turn for the Italians and Germans. Damn should have checked that first...

Very entertaining AAR! I really enjoy coming here and reading up on the latest. [:)]

I don't know what to tell you about the Luftwaffe dice, except you obviously have a defective game or a virus that causes the Germans to have dice issues. This game, the Luftwaffe seem to be shafted. Last AAR, it was the Heer.

I remember playing as the Germans in one of the few "big" games we managed to set up. (Well, technically I was the Italians and Japanese, so change that to playing the Axis). The Germans were crushed because our luck was so terrible. We couldn't roll above about a 2 most of the game for almost any land combat. The sole exception was any attack involving Manstein. (This is old 4th edition I think). Those typically would roll 5 or 6 every time. We were late in conquering France as a result and it was pretty much Manstein clearing the way. We shuttled everything over for a Russia 41 and also put heavy pressure in Africa. The CW was off balance from the fall of France and we had a significant advantage in Africa, but once again 1's and 2's were the rule of the day even on really good attacks. Frustrated, we sent Manstein. Of course, we broke through to the Suez. The Axis conceded soon after with this moral victory, after having suffered way too many losses due to terrible dice.

It can be a shame to invest so much time into a game only to have it turn sour with such die rolls. While I don't expect to go on a "Vegas run" with dice to win a game, it is pretty disappointing to feel you did everything right from a strategy standpoint of view, generally out play the opposition, only to get smoked by dice. Beyond games like this, I hardly ever play with games that have dice as a result. Hehe.

Sorry to digress, but..

At any rate, keep it coming. The war is reaching an interesting turn.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 7

Not sure why we are asked if we want to include the notional unit or not? Why wouldn't you?

The reason a person might not want to include the notional is that the notional is automatically disorganized, so including it gives a +1 to the combat. This might make the attack better for the attacker than if the notional were not included, so the game gives the defender the option to not include it.

Since you are not using fractional odds it is is easy to come up with an example: attack strength of 18, defense strength of 5, notional strength of 1: with notional 3:1+1, without notional 3:1+0. Even using fractional odds, there are times when not including the notional will produce a better combat for the defender.

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 9

The Japanese Coast is a strange one! The dice throws are coming down - 4 and 6 now - but still not sufficiently to allow combat...

...which is not the case in the Italian Coast! Both searches are successful but its advantage to the Axis with a 1. Furthermore, I not only mucked up the Italian aircraft placement, but the CW too. As a result the RAF fighters will not be involved. What a balls up [8|].

The Axis have 3 surprise points and use these to increase their air to air combat value by 1.

The Germans have the better quality fighters 4.2:5.4 and eight bombers to two. This could be painful for the Allies....

Round 1

15 (AA) Germany decides to abort the FAA Albacore fighter
11 (DC) The Germans clear their Do217 through.

The FAA are at a huge disadvantage now but decide to give it one more round...

Round 2

11 (DC) The FAA Swordfish bomber is cleared through
16 (AA) The CW aborts the Axis Me-110 fighter.

The fighter quality is now almost equal, but still advantage Axis.

Round 3

14 (No Effect)
5 (DX) The Italians have no choice but to destroy their Z.501 as they only have one fighter left. I think the pilot survives (friendly sea area).

Round 4

13 (AC) The Allied Sunderland is cleared through
17 (DX PX) The Italians again have no choice but to destroy their SM.79... Wow! just Wow!

The fighter strength is still 3.9:4.0 in the German favour (although you wouldn't know it) and given they have 5 quality bombers left, they have no reason not to stick around...no reason other than the dice are being unkind.

Round 5

7 (DA) The FAA Gladiator fighter is aborted
11 (DC) The SM.84 is cleared through

The Germans get a break at last, but the FAA have to stick around and try and stop some of the enemy bombers. The fighter quality is now 3.6:4.0 to the Germans...

Round 6

11 (No Effect)
15 (AA) The Allies abort the last German Me-110 fighter

What now? The A2A fighter strength is 3.6:2.0 but there are still 4 quality German/Italian naval bombers... The Axis choose to stick it out.

Round 7

11 (No Effect)
17 (DX PX)...its just despair city at Supermarina HQ. Another SM.79 is destroyed along with the pilot. The Germans choose to stay in the fight again

Round 8

6 (AA) The FAA have to abort a Gladiator
17 (DX PX)..That is truly ridiculous. An Fw200 Condor is destroyed along with the pilot. The fighter difference is back to 3.3:2.0

Round 9

8 (DA) An Albacore fighter is aborted
15 (AA) The second FW200 Condor is aborted

The difference is back up to 2. The Italians stick around out of sheer bloody-mindedness.

Round 10

9 (AC)!! The Z506 is cleared through
2 (AX) Ah, what happens here? The bomber is destroyed (but was just cleared through). Pilot I believe survives.

What an incredible air battle. The CW totally mucked up their placement, were then surprised, the Axis then got the better of the opening round...and then it all went totally to cock... amazing!

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

ORIGINAL: warspite1

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 7

Not sure why we are asked if we want to include the notional unit or not? Why wouldn't you?

The reason a person might not want to include the notional is that the notional is automatically disorganized, so including it gives a +1 to the combat. This might make the attack better for the attacker than if the notional were not included, so the game gives the defender the option to not include it.

Since you are not using fractional odds it is is easy to come up with an example: attack strength of 18, defense strength of 5, notional strength of 1: with notional 3:1+1, without notional 3:1+0. Even using fractional odds, there are times when not including the notional will produce a better combat for the defender.

warspite1

Gotcha - thanks.

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 9

And so to the AA. The Italians throw: 6, 1, 5, 7 and 5

Damage points are 6

The CW abort the Sunderland and reduce the Swordfish bombs by 1

The CW throw a 5 and 5

Damage points are 5

The SM.84 is aborted leaving the Do217k with a full load to deliver

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 9

The ancient FAA Stringbags fly slowly toward the enemy fleet; Admiral Iachino's Flagship Littorio is the target, and is damaged by a well aimed torpedo.

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 9

At the same time the Dorniers of Fliegerkorps X are heading for the Royal Navy's ships. The carrier Implacable is singled out for treatment and receives a Fritz X guided bomb for her trouble, as does the light cruiser Galatea.

A second wave also target the struggling carrier, and further guided bombs spell her doom. The heavy cruiser York has to abort.

This is a decent result - the Axis can only rue what might have been if the air battle had gone more kindly...

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 9

When returning to the fleet, one Albacore unit has no carrier to land on and is destroyed - why can't they land on Sardinia or Malta??

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 9

With just one non-aborted aircraft, the Axis have no choice but to return to La Spezia.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

When returning to the fleet, one Albacore unit has no carrier to land on and is destroyed - why can't they land on Sardinia or Malta??

Per 14.4.1

Landing
When a carrier plane that flew from a CV returns to base, it must return to a CV it can fit on in the same sea box section it flew from. It can’t return to another major power’s CV. If there is no CV it can return to, it is destroyed (PiF option 28: any pilot is destroyed too).

A carrier plane that aborts from an air-to-air combat returns immediately to a CV.

All other carrier planes that flew from a CV must return to base after all results against naval units are implemented but before aborting naval units return to base (see 11.5.8).

The CVP must land on one of its CV's in the SAME sea box from which it flew otherwise destroyed. World in Flames does not allow for "emergency" landings.

-Rob

ORIGINAL: Cad908

ORIGINAL: warspite1

When returning to the fleet, one Albacore unit has no carrier to land on and is destroyed - why can't they land on Sardinia or Malta??

Per 14.4.1

Landing
When a carrier plane that flew from a CV returns to base, it must return to a CV it can fit on in the same sea box section it flew from. It can’t return to another major power’s CV. If there is no CV it can return to, it is destroyed (PiF option 28: any pilot is destroyed too).

A carrier plane that aborts from an air-to-air combat returns immediately to a CV.

All other carrier planes that flew from a CV must return to base after all results against naval units are implemented but before aborting naval units return to base (see 11.5.8).

The CVP must land on one of its CV's in the SAME sea box from which it flew otherwise destroyed. World in Flames does not allow for "emergency" landings.

-Rob

warspite1

Okay, thanks.

ORIGINAL: warspite1
May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 9

The Japanese Coast is a strange one! The dice throws are coming down - 4 and 6 now - but still not sufficiently to allow combat...

...which is not the case in the Italian Coast! Both searches are successful but its advantage to the Axis with a 1. Furthermore, I not only mucked up the Italian aircraft placement, but the CW too. As a result the RAF fighters will not be involved. What a balls up [8|].

What an incredible air battle. The CW totally mucked up their placement, were then surprised, the Axis then got the better of the opening round...and then it all went totally to cock... amazing!

Great example of an epic slug-fest in the air. Ebb and flow of advantage overcome by sheer luck. Gonna be hard for Italy to recover from those air loses.

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 10

So what now for the Axis? With Albania firmly under Allied control, they must seriously think about the security of Italy. This turn will be spent with that in mind, while doing what they can to prepare for the next turn in the Soviet Union. Japan will start to re-position in China - they can afford no more troops there. Lets see what trouble they can cause in India.

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 10

With all units in the north and centre effectively shot, the attention turns to the area around Kursk - which as we are heading toward July 1943 is somewhat appropriate.

The plan is also to tidy up the area south of Nikolayev, where a Soviet army has been camped out for too long...

The Soviets do not try and stop the attack - they have no fighters in the south, and save their fighter strength for the battle around Kursk itself.

May/Jun 1943
Impulse: 10

East of Kursk both Rokossovsky and the 3rd Mechanised Army are disorganised, but the Luftwaffe fail dismally in the south.