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Greetings, dear Readers!

By now we've established our optionals and House Rules - given with the recent discovery of the Poland surprising Germany we could add something in that department.

But the House Rules are:

1- Minor Country forces must be setup in their homeland unless they're Territorials / Militias belonging to colonies. Ships can be deployed elsewhere (We had a debate about the sensible deployment of ships, like Denmark would not keep half of its merchant ships in Iceland...)

2- A Air-Naval combat can be called only IF the airplanes present have Air-To-Sea factor. (Which means by placing a Fighter with range 3 or so in the 0 Box provides air cover from naval bombers, but does not help against submarines. If you want the subs to have to spend 4 Surprise points an air unit with at least 1 of Air to Sea is needed).

3- Due to large map issues the Soviets cannot DoW Japan of their own initiative, as the map is quite large and the Soviets can mass a bunch of troops there and overrun the Japanese easily. Yes, there can be a Barbarossa '41 - but WW2 is about Axis dictating the strategy in the early years, not having the Allies pressing buttons to force the Axis do what they want. (I think this is reworkable whereas Soviets can DoW if China loses X factories or so).

4- For Strategic Bombing we've a form of "En Route interception" - simply because Factories are static and bombers would not just "Teleport" to the objective! Pratically the Bomber traces a path, and if a fighter can intercept on that path, the fighter owner chooses if to let the bomber pass or not. If the fighter intercepts, the bomber goes on a target in interception range of the fighter, and that fighter - must - intercept that bomber in the intercept phase (or at least one of the fighters in range).

Resume of September - October; Germany Standpoint
Screenshot of Start of Impulse #3 (2nd Allied Impulse) of Nov / Dec.

Axis spent a reroll to gain the initiative on Nov / Dec.

German Battle Plan:

Breakdown of a corp, to invade Denmark on need.
Sceptical of British investment in forces in Denmark.

Von Bock and minor forces on West border; with the AA to protect from bombing.

All the panzer and mobile forces, with healthy infantry and only Von Leeb as HQ to Poland.

Von Rundstedt is hidden in the woods south of Berlin, for I need him to reorganize the reserves.

The Luftwaffe fields 2 Stukas, 2 Tacs and 1 FTR on Poland side; 3 FTR and the FTR3 with 1 TAC on the Westfront. The NAV is in Kiel with the fleet, and an additional DIV that moves 4 (in reach of Copenhagen).

Impulse 1:

A most glorious start, the Luftwaffe bombs Poznan, Lodz and Warsaw forces. With grand success, 6 targets out of 7 hit. (The HQ was the one not hit!)

Poznan and Lodz are stormed by the German forces, seizing both objectives without losses.
The mobile forces of Germany with Garrisons and some infantries attacked Lodz - the Garrisons being close to Warsaw; and the mobile forces could easily redeploy toward the West from there.

Poles retaliate with Airforce (that is where we discovered the German FTR could not intercept!) but to no result.
The W.Allies also want to bomb German cities already ... but their crews dots of mooncraters the German farmlands and forests instead. (No Strategic Damage done).

Von Bock, in his HQ in the forest closeby the Ardenness draws a pleased sigh, convinced the W.Allied command has not spotted his forces.

Britain ships the BEF in Marocco.

Impulse 2:

In Poland the TAC kept in reserve strikes Warsaw, trying to ground strike the Polish HQ; but to no avail. (Earlier 3 were bombing runs and 1 a rebase for the FTR to keep under cover the panzers needed for France).

Warsaw is assaulted still, and conquered. A flawless Poland until now, and only 1 Cavalry remains. With a spent airplane. The other landed in Warsaw and was crushed. The rain in the east hindered the movement some but the Axis took the risk nonetheless, and won the Polish capital.

Denmark is invaded but most of the ships set sail safely to UK.

Von Rundstedt reorganizes reserves and the AirTp as well.

Panzers move from Poland toward the west.

France evacuate the fleet toward Dakar, and reinforce Algiers with troops from Syria. Leaving the Italian border unmanned.

Impulse 3:

It's Netherland time! Graced with good weather the Axis forces steamroll the Holland; the German NAV port strike the Dutch cruisers at the anchor in Rotterdam, bottoming one and damaging another; two are disrupted but they'll escape with the submarine once the Germans seize later the port.
The ground combat are supported by a Bf109 acting as bomber.

At once Von Bock commands the Sturmpionere troops to spearhead an attack against Metz, that was left lightly defended (a disrupted Garrison).
Von Bock, a 7 strong INF and the ENG unit attack the 4-1 Garrison.
The Luftwaffe is called forth, instead of keeping for Belgium, an obsolete Ju86, a Bf109 used as bomber and the Bf110 used as bomber, with a Bf109 as regular escort fly over to provide direct support. The French scramble their fighters to intercept and a vital air battle starts.

The Morane-Sauliers 406 fight bravely, but the Germans manage to bring safely on the objective first the Ju86 (I got 2 of them at the start! These are not planes, are flying tombs) and then the Bf109 as bomber.
But then the MS406 fights away the German escorts, leaving the Bf110 alone! It's decision time. The Luftwaffe takes the risk, and it pays off. The Bf110 manage to get to the objective, and the MS406 returns to Paris, having failed its interception mission. That added a 7 Combat Factor to the fight, almost a +4 itself!

Metz has not only the Garrison but is the base of a (spent) modern bomber squadron of the France, the Maginot Line could be an illusion, a legend and a tale, for the Germans manage to cross the fortifications and claim Metz. The INF and the ENG advance.

The French high command is quick to react though, they cast everything they've against the Germans in Metz, it's a +8 (Including HQ support)! And the Luftwaffe is exhausted and cannot help!
Preferring to not lose precious manpower, despite the lack of Motorized units, the Germans call for Blitz Combat (more like, Tactical Retreat), but the local, upfront French commander mess up somewhere. (Roll of 4, all Frenchmen go disrupted, for no losses to any side!).

The Germans in the while shipped troops from Poland to West Front.

Impulse 4:

The Germans keep shipping units from Poland and finish off the Poland resistance as the good weather return in the East Poland. That denies both pilots to UK!

With the Belgium border with Germany crowded of troops that were railed from Poland, the Wermatch stalls and forfeits the advance in Belgium. Minor maneuvers only, they cannot even reinforce Metz since Von Bock is the only unit that could move in, but it was spent for HQ support in the attack. A unit moves where Von Bock is: another impulse is needed or initiative if the turn ends.

Also the French have left - to attack Metz - the southern hex of the Maginot unmanned.

The turn ends.

Nov / Dec - Impulse 1 (Screenshot is after this)

The Germans get a garrison to move onward, in the non occupied Maginot hex, and reorganize it with the Ju52.

Belgium is attacked, and steamrolled. Newly produced He111 and the Bf110 bomb Bruxxelles which is subsequently assaulted and seized. Liegi, defended by a cavalry corp, falls quickly and smoothly.

Metz is reinforced, and with all the railed INFs operational, without British help, only General Winter can assist the French! (or so I think!)

Nov / Dec 1939 - France Resists!

France withdrew forces, with rain. And then the Good Weather arrived!

The Germans rejoiced but opted to maneuver in economy (not firing an O-Chit. Possible mistake).

Germans mass 2 Panzer and 2 Panzergrenadier corps with Von Bock to attack an Army Group of the French east of the Seine, before they can cross it.
Other forces assault Rouen and a last group goes to start deflate the sack of Strasbourg starting from the weaker spots.

If until now though the Germans have been blessed with luck the tides turned (Even on Japan, this impulse, the battle roll was awful!).

Rouen is seized, but the defender shattered (it choose Blitz combat) so no real gain here except the City itself.
The major Blitz combat was tragic, a victory here could have meant to cross the Seine (and probably I should have spent the O-Chit there, but I wanted to go in Economy...)
French HQ in Paris supports, and Von Bock supports too, it's a +10.5 Blitz. And I lose 1 unit (a MOT-Div) meanwhile the French retreats. Worst, all my panzers are disorganized (and I've to use Von Runstendt to reorganize 4 units...)

The Cavalry is hopeless and is overrun.

The French Garrisons in the Maginot attempt a sortie against Metz, defended by Berlin Militia. A Stuka is used to help the combat - a +0, suicidal attack for the French! They lose 1 Garrison, and get disorganized.

The next weather roll is not as good ... a 10 actually.
It snows all over the place. And it snows heavily! (Just snow weather wise!)

Ah, the UK managed to bomb properly German factories this time. The pain and the loss of production.

Nov / Dec 1939 - Start of Allied Impulse #10 - Crossing the Seine

Goering is pleased, his Luftwaffe can do else than bombard Strasbourg. The French attack has been repelled, with the aid of his Stukes; and now the troops of the enemy are in disarray.
Despite the snow, the Wermacht attacks, and claims once again for Germany the last big City lost at the treaty of Versaille, and gained in 1870 after the victory of Sedan.

Alsace-Lorraine can get back into the righteous hands of the German Reich.

In the while, by the Channel, the German forces break the French defences at the Seine. An INF-Div is lost, traded to a MOT of the French. (That totals 2 DIVs lost by the Germans until now, which is pratically 3 BP as they can come from a breakdown of an INF.)

To be just November / December, and to count losse, for the Germans the situation is much pinker than the previous game.

Mussolini's Courtyard - the Mediterranean.

Il Duce gave to the Italian people grand speeches of glory, echoing of reinstating the Old Roman Empiry glory.

But even a nation like China is outproducing Italy! Truth be told, Italy is the poor man of the Axis.

Their Navy not very ready for war, with two battleships being modernized (it will take years to modernize them, I can assure you. I personally don't think they should start in the Repair Pool but in the spiral already, just for balance purposes).
The Littorio's have not arrived yet.

The Army is in disarray, weak, poorly trained and equipped.

Only the Italian Airforce seems to be modern (I lucked 2 Sparvieros! One on map and one coming in NOV / DEC!), in clear inspiration to the German Luftwaffe.
One type of fighter (Macchi200, got both of them), one type of Bomber (Sparviero) and one type of Naval Plane! (Gabbiano), a very omogenous Regia Aeronautica.


The Italian doings - for small they're!

Mussolini observes the geopolitical map. Hitler is gaining many leaves of laurus from his nation, when he only added the rocks of Ethiopia and that small country, Albania, to his "Empire".
More must be added.

And the fool of the French president left the boundary pratically without armed forces! A single army (3-3 even) in Marseille.

The French shipped their quality corp (5-3 non elite) from Syria to Algeria, where Maroquine mountain forces wait in Algiers; and another French Army sits in Oran.

Mussolini wants his share of glory. And he declares war to France, but the French fleet is nowhere to be found for his intent to strike with surprise (Being relocated to Dakar - my pal clearly tells me he wants to surrender. I feel it's a bit gamey to move the germans to go around Factory Cities to prevent surrender but rules would allow it).

Italian Alpini division and a regular infantry division take land in Marocco, west of Oran, closeby the borderline of Algeria and Marocco.
That not only stops the rail to Algier, but stops the coming British units that were dispatched in Marocco - as Italy and Britain are not at war.

A naval squadron sailed out - the submarines fail to find the French shipping, but the surface fleet sinks the convoys in the Western Mediterranean, respecting the British neutrality obviously.
Then the same naval squadron approaches Marseille, trading heavy fire with the coastal batteries in order to support the land attack that was mounted up in early November.

The Regia Marina sees to have Graziani and mechanized units land in Algeria, whereas the Italian divisions expanded the bridgehead.

With the fall of Marseille, Nice and Toulon, the Italians are free to reach for Toulose too. German-Italian agreements see Lyon left in German hands where the Italian forces halt by there.

The Regia Aereonautica supported the attack of Marseille with both Sparvieros; and performed a strike to Algier port, damaging the lingering Naval TRS (1st impulse of Nov / Dec for both).

Balbo leads some troops in Tunisia, raising the Italian flag to Tunis; and then moves onward toward Algier.

In the AOI; the Italian Askari (How the navite troops were called) march into Djibuti.

The Duce is happy - for now. No losses for Italy.

The only retaliation the French did, was to dispatch submarines to sink Italian convoys to Afrika, but the French sailors did not managed to achieve anything, and oil shortage prevented them to perform further missions. (France prioritized the HQs, the FTR and the TRS to be reorganized).

Stalin's Idle

Stalin seems to have lost any imperialistic desire instead.

Not even half of Poland. Not the Baltic States. Nor Bessarabia nor the Finnish lands he would have otherwise craved.

Probably there is some secret deals, more secret than the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, that is unknown to the Germans (Yes, my pal wants USA kicking in asap with production and war.)

Since Japan declared war to the Soviet Union, Stalin has a very passive attitude, and swiftly brought Zhukov and Siberians to Europe, for future perspectives. Somehow a bird is telling Stalin that he cannot trust Hitler?

But with all the movement at avail - at some point Soviets could move suddenly a bunch of troops into the borderland and break the pact. Is Stalin that subtle?

For now anyhow they're providing a nice amount of oil and resources to Hitler.

Tojo's Imperialism

Screenshot is at the end of Nov / Dec 1940.

From the Japan perspective not much happened.

Declaration of war on Soviet Russia, which followed the bombing of their submarines kept in a port different than Vladivostock; and a combined invasion and land attack at Vladivostock itself, with heavy shore bombing of support.
The air support was not needed, so as the submarines survived the suprise attack (1 of them) the Japanese arranged a second go to finish (damage) the other remaining submarine.

The Soviet forces are camping south of Chita, protecting that resource. But Stalin removed Zhukov from there and the Siberians.
The Japanese (having the player realized the Soviets reinforce much quicker than the Japs) simply hold around the northern City in Manchuria, where their logistics are better. (A Manchurian unit is even shipped there from China, since they're always in supply around a City in Manchuria itself!).

In China, the start is slow.

Umezu is deployed in the north, to ensure Sian is seized without exposing the troops to Mao's retaliation (I cannot always hope a bad roll is done at their first attack), and then Umezu proceeds south.

Yamamoto in the while arrives in Canton and starts to operate in the south. But its attack is baleful for the Japanese forces (The only fight in China, Jap lost a MIL and an INF; China only a GARR.)

In the starting months of WW2 (surely not of the Sino-Japanese war) the Japanese bombers performed runs over the Chinese factories, being successful only half of the time (as per out of 2 turns, only once the Nell landed a hit!)

Japan needs more ground forces... but for now it is saving up on oil.

Start of March 1940 - France surrenders.

With the end of the Jan / Feb 1940 turn, the France armed forces in homeland are dug in around Paris, with no other City in their possess in France. They cannot even deploy their newly produced armoured corp.

Meanwhile in the Halls of Mirrors of Versaille, Marshal Petain signs the surrender of the French Army around Paris; De Gaulle, speaking to the world from the command bridge of the Dunquerque in Dakar thunders that France will never yield, nor surrender, and anticipates the final victory of France over the German invaders.

Mussolini quickly offers honourable surrenders to the French forces remaining in Algeria, but they answer "Merde". Same for the French forces in Syrya.

Hitler commands his forces to prepare to invade Spain, in case Franco would refuse free passage of German forces to lay siege to Gibraltar (and we all know, Franco will not allow that!).

For now the early war campaigns have been extremely smooth for Germany, with a total loss of 2 Divisions.
On the other hand, the real enemy - Britain itself - has not suffered any loss in absolute terms. Actually it expanded its navy with plenty of somehow inefficient cruisers, and lots of merchant ships.

Start of March 1940 - Italians prepare to seize Algiers

Left alone from their homeland, unsupported by their navy, and with no air squadrons of worth remaining, the Algiers garrison, composed of quality forces (the 5-4 MNT, and a non elite 5-3 INF) braces for impact as the Italians are closing in viciously, and with murderous intent.

The British are simply watching the Italians and what they're up to, manning the Marocco borderline.

Start of March 1940 - China

If for European Axis is going smoothly, the same cannot be said for the Japanese.

They've suffered losses for little gain in terms of grounds; they've lost a fighter and a pilot and an antitank for only the Chinese fighter and 3 Chinese land units (one of them admittedly Shattered, but that's Canton's MIL unit, meaning for a long while China won't see that unit!)

But the Japanese should widely outproduce the Chinese, that is their best bet!
To trade losses - at the best they can obviously - til the Chinese production collapses in a heap.

Are you coaching your friend a bit? It seems he makes exactly the same mistakes in all 4 of your games so far. With the forces you commit into Poland, France should always hold at least until M/J 40 at the earliest which precludes Axis forces from being in southern Spain by fall of 1940...

Excellent.. I kept looking at the last AAR from my favourites and was upset at the lack of progress.... but fortunately I found the new one to keep me happy [:)] Keep up the work fellas...it is appreciated!

Very enjoyable AAR so far! May I ask what optional rules you're using? It sounds like you're using Oil; what else?

To reply...

1) I am not coaching anyone. It is my opponent and friend deliberate choice to not send UK troops anymore in France. We've widely different opinions in the matter admittedly, but he feels to cover 1 hex on the coast with the BEF has little impact and his troops are much better used to keep a platform close to Gibraltar for later power projection of the W.Allies.

2) Thanks for the compliment Dogfax.

3) Here the list of our optionals, pratically almost all that is coded except:
Defensive Shore Bombardment: That's plain silly by how the game works, a fleet at sea can pratically double any defending force way too easily, and would make the Commonwealth a "god" in any shore hex. That the fire of two battleships equals to the combat force of a whole Infantry Corp (or Army even) is paramount; even more as in defence you need X times the strength of the defender, as attacker, to gain pluses.
Food in Flames: W.Allies do not need free BPs. Really.
Construction Engineers: With the limited amount of ENG units in the game, how long they need to be rebuilt ... well they're Combat Engineers, not Civic Engineers to put it simple. Besides for the Axis, they'd need to rebuild the conquered factories, which is bad as a rule since Axis is the economically poor dog of the game already.
Unlimited Breakdown: We tried it in the first game, and realized that's just a game breaker. Exactly as the Pacific Map is studied and balanced for the -original- tabletop game size; here an unlimited amount of divisions would make too easy to soak the attack losses in general; and would make also shipping oversea much easier (since corps can be fragmented into INF-DIVs and shipped across long distances by a very fat amount of cruisers, and then they reform oversea where you need them). To us, it's a gamebreaker. We just added the Divisions from Khaki in Flames for the proper numbers, respectful of the tabletop game, but they're still limited in number.

March / April 1940 - Turn ongoing, USE situation:

As you can see, the USA are already quite in their way toward doing pesky things.
They're getting very close to Oil Embargo to Japan for example, that would be happening possibly a year whole before when it happened historically.

You can draw your conclusions!

March / April 1940 - The descent of the Landsknechts.

XVI Century. The Emperor of th Holy Roman Empire ordered to his Landsknechts to descend to Rome, and sack it.

XIX Century. The Fuhrer of the Third Reich orders to his Heers to descend to Madrid, and sack it.

March / April 1940 - Mussolini demands for a week or two more!

After the end of the Axis 2nd Impulse of the Turn, it's already Impulse #9, in Allied hands!
Sadly there was a pesky Impulse round of bad weather that pumped of 3+3 the Impulse number!

And the Italian bombers and fighters (used as bombers) managed to disrupt both the Algier defenders.
With one more impulse - this one of good weather, Italy would manage to hammer Algier badly - so it's vital the turn does not end now in Allied hands.

The Brits instead, clearly scared a single and weak division cuts them off in Marocco pull back to new positions.
The reluctance of Churcill to play warmonger to piss off Roosevelt for now is turning out quite positive for the Axis, and Mussolini is shifting pratically the whole of the Italian armed forces into Afrika. (Hitler can always help in the mainland if the Brits suddenly grow an itch to try to land somewhere. Not that they've the means for still, no AMPHs. They can land with Divisions and take a port though, that much yes.)

March / April - China Situation

Start of Allied 3rd Impulse, Impulse #9 of the turn.

Yamamoto just led an attack against mountain positions held by the Chinese.
No losses from any side, the Japanese partly exhausted their forces but conquered the mountain passes leading to plains and forests.

What the Chinese will do now is a different tale. Withdraw more?
But the Chinese are maintaining their core of forces intact, which is trouble for the Japanese.
The Japanese air superiority is extremely inefficient, due to their bombers not being anywhere decent. (This is why I never scrap either the 2-3 Artillery. It's another "bomber" pratically; and in these mountains the disruption combat bonus is what you want the most alongside the HQ support.)

March / April 1940 - End Turn

A last impulse was needed - alas it was the very last of the turn.

The Italians - with the best land attack of the Impulse, a +15 - manage to lose a TERR against Algiers.
The first loss for Italy. But at least from the next turn, an extra resource is bagged.

Considering the 80% combat units of the Duce have been involved, that is quite a meager success (If I count 3 planes + 1 Artybombing to disrupt, 18 ships shore bombing, and 10 non division land units attacking) and show of the Italian War Machine.

The Germans just massed on Spanish border, it does not really matter much to have a screenshot of them!

- On a different note, on the side the USE situation. A luck draw and Oil Embargo hits already ... time to cross fingers for a small shot from the USA!

March / April 1940 - End of Turn.

Japan on the other hand managed nicely now.

With three different attacks - all of them went somehow decent!

The partisan in the north was butchered in the open fields by the newly produced Japanese Mechanized Corp.

Chiang spent its leadership to reorganize a unit of these that withdrew in open plains; futile the efforts of Japanese bombers arrived from the Homeland, fresh and rested (and very untrained!) to help the ground attack. But the seasoned land forces made a swift job of them, now that the Chinese were not anymore in the mountains.

China loses an INF and a MIL. (Two 3 combat value ones).

The third attack is against an isolated Chinese 3-3 INF, but the unit is simply retreating (Shatter result, Japan opts to convert). Japan here spent a HQ, so that is fuel gone for nothing, accounting the Chinese are retreating already.

Nanning and Chihkiang fall to Japanese hands, USA does not bat an eyelid, but clearly they're preparing nasty surprises! Again, a lucky chit draw can lead the USA to Oil Embargo Japan.

On the other hand, next turn initiative on China front can mean a lot since the Chinese forces can be bombed and pinned on the spot. Time will tell!