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The Japanese must-haves are Truk, Rabaul, NEI, Philippines, and Malaya/Singapore.

Beyond that the Japanese can consider one (or more, if they're skilled and/or lucky) of the following:
- an attack on India
- an attack on Australia
- an attack on Pearl Harbour (i.e. invasion/conquest)
- a "sitzkrieg", in line with the Japanese historical strategy

(I should note that an invasion of Pearl Harbour is something the Japanese can consider during the surprise impulse; if they disorganise all the US units, they can get a half-decent attack going, even if they can't cut the US out of supply)

Once the Japanese are no longer on the strategic offensive, they should at least maintain a centrally-located counter-invasion force, which they can use to strike at any US landing, especially if the US forces became disorganised.

For their part, IMO, the US wants to drive along either (or both) of the central (i.e. Truk to Philippines) or southern (i.e. Rabaul to NEI) axes of advance towards the Japanese core; once US carrier fleets and land-based air are firmly established in the core, they can isolate and pick off objective hexes at their leisure. To accomplish this the US needs on the one hand to be able to concentrate force at decisive naval and island battlegrounds, and on the other stretch the Japanese so they can't.

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 4

The Allies spend their first impulse getting naval assets into position in the Mediterranean and Pacific.

The weather throw is a 6 = Snow and Rain abounds....

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 7

The Japanese attempt to land on Mindonoro, south of Manila.

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 7

The Japanese get the 2:1 odds up thanks to shore bombardment provided by battleships led by Kongo and from carrier and shore based aircraft. HQ Support actually worked for the Japanese for once too. The odds are thus 5:1 +1 on the Assault Table....

...its a 5(6) and the Notional unit is destroyed for no loss

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 9

The Germans lose a fighter at the end of the turn due to being overstacked. Gotta say that is really irritating as I thought there is a warning for overstacking [:@]

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 9

The turn continues with a weather roll of 2 - Fine everywhere except the Arctic and North Temperate (both Rain). Interesting.....

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

The Italians continue to play the waiting game in Italy. The CW has used its AMPH this turn so there will be no invasion - they keep their powder dry and ships and aircraft remain at base waiting for the CW to show their hand.

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

The Germans undertake four ground strikes, one aginst the Soviet units guarding the gateway to the Crimea, the other three in and around Smolensk.

The Soviets have no fighter to challenge the Luftwaffe but they have a AA unit in Smolensk itself and they use this to try and turn back the enemy aircraft.

The two key hexes for the Soviets are to the northwest of Smolensk (as this is the most likely hex to be targeted, and that to the southeast, where two tank armies are positioned. AA fire is therefore split equally between the two, while Smolensk itself is not defended.

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

The first set of throws are: 9,5,3,8,3,9. The lowest of the 6 = 3.
So 3 damage points are available to reduce the bomb load of the attacking Stuka.

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

The Soviets have hurt the Germans in the most important hex, not so in the southern hex, where shooting was abysmal (just one damage point available).

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

The AA has done its job superbly. Despite throwing a 2, the Stuka failed to ground strike the Soviet defenders north of Smolensk. So from reading the rules I think:

- The Stuka was reduced to a "4" by the AA
- The factors were halved in forest to 2
- In rain the tactical factors are halved again.

= the Stuka would have needed to throw a 1 to score a hit...

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

In the city itself, Stuka no.2 is equally as inaccurate....

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

Only in the final hex did the Luftwaffe score some hits - the Henschel HS129 Tank Buster making light work of the exposed Soviet armour.

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

Meanwhile in the Crimea, the third Stuka - newly arrived in theatre from Greece - shows his colleagues how its done. All three attack successfully disorganised the defenders.

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

The poor Japanese tactical factors is really rattling my nads [:D] The attack on Manila cannot happen this turn. Without a +1 there is just too much danger of a 1 being thrown.

So back to the Soviet Union and two attacks are announced:

- north of Smolensk and
- in the Crimea

These are both risky 2:1 attacks. The rain and forest combination in the north has really ucked things up for the Germans - not helped by the fact I have wasted four bombers as I miscalulated the factors required [8|] Good job its likely near the end of the turn or that would have been a total disaster...

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

The first attack in the north is 2:1 no modifiers on the Blitz table. Fractional odds have taken this to 3:1....

....ohhhhh its a 10! The Soviets lose the 16th Army and the Mountain Corps is Shattered (no conversion).

This is yet another example of how this wonderful game can have you running the whole gamut of emotions in just a single impulse;

- I did not see the Soviet AA - if I had I would not have wasted the air missions (particularly given the rain and forest)
- I then failed to ground strike the important (target) hex of the three I was attacking in the north.
- I compounded that sense of annoyance by wasting four precious bombers on ground support - as I brought in insufficient factors to alter the odds (thanks to my inability to count properly)
- But after all that - and going into a 2:1 attack with no modifiers I throw a 10!

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

The Soviets will be hoping for another impulse so they can bring up the 1st mechanised Army and the 4th Siberian Corps from Bryansk to the hex east of Smolensk, thus maintaining some sort of defense behind the Dneiper in the northern sector of the Smolensk front....

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

...and so to the Crimea. I confidently assumed I had choice of table as Rommel's Army Group is packed full of ARM and MECH. However, there is only one ARM and the Soviets have an AT unit so the choice is with the Soviets. They choose the Assault table. This too is a 2:1 but with +3 modifiers....

...its another 10. There is nothing the Soviets can do with luck like that; two attacks, both low odds, and two 10's thrown. As the attacker you dream of turns like that! For the defender - sitting quietly confident after the air phase - its like a kick in the pills....

I do not convert the Shattered result and watch with unconfined joy as the Soviet player destroys the two infantry armies...

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: 11

In slightly better news for the Allies the turn ends on a 4. There wasn't, quite frankly, too much left for them to do this turn, and given that the Germans around Smolensk, Rostov and in the Crimea are all organised, its probably better that the turn ends.....

Jan/Feb 1943
Impulse: Production

Germany:
2 x INF
INF HQ
2 x ARM
2 x NAV
2 x LND
FTR
3 x Pilot

Italy:
FTR
Pilot
INF
MECH

Japan:
Karyu (2nd Cycle)
INF
NAV
FTR
Pilot

Vichy France:
TERR