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Welcome to my second A World Divided after action report. This time I'm playing the Allies and this time I'm using the 'Axis Blitz' scenario on challenging level ( 50 supply boost)

To try and keep a flow going with the report please use the campanion thread for question/comments.

Russia summer/fall 39

Russia, still recovering from Stalin's purge is less than prepared for any type of conflict with its military in disarray. Still 'frozen' until War readiness reaches 34 the Russians are given a one unit strategic move capacity. ( on interior territories only). This allows limited repositioning of our forces in an attempt to preserve our border integrity.

My main focus as Russia prior to any conflict will be to redeploy units in our western hodings with combined arms and ensure our scientists start gathering at least 1 point of research in infantry, armor, fighters and tac bomber evasion and attack and arty attack to ensure our spies efforts get rewarded if they are successful. ( research can only be stolen if you have at least one point in the catagory in question and you trail in that tech with the country the spies are trying to steal from.)

With only 13 production points (x1 factory production) until WR (war readiness) is 10, I 'll need to be frugal with unit creation and I will rely heavily on my spies to keep pace with our niegbours technology efforts. With the Wallies ability to offer lend lease removed until Russia is at war I can no longer ignore building supply and I'm going to attempt to remain numerically superior in spies to German security so I'll need to spend a little on supply aswell in the early game.

After production gets boosted to x2 I will be in a better position to increase our forces and my focus here will be tanks, followed closely by tac air. Infantry, arty and fighters will not be forgotten but I will rely on the spies to increase those units if I'm put into a resource spending choice and need to decide on one over the other.

Here is our starting forces and my first strat move. Also of note my spies steal one point of research from the germans in armor evasion and attack in the summer and two points in fighter evasion (one from germany one from japan) and infantry attack ( one from germany and one from the US) in the fall, but the germans capture one of my spies so I'll try and replace it and add a few more spies early in 40'.

China summer/fall 39

Whats to be done in China? with few options and even less production the Chinese are at the mercy of whatever the Japanese intend to do to us. We redeploy most of our inf to Changsha and dig holes to crawl into.

With production possible only once every third season we conserve supply and wait to see what Japan does. In the summer we pause one damaged inf and started building fighters in Sinkiang and our capital.

Wallies summer/fall 39

Peace in our time!?! maybe the Germans meant piece? piece of poland, piece of france, piece of ... [;)]

The Wallies start with only 30 supply and a US economy that sees all its resources getting consumed by civilians leaving nothing of there 18 points for military purposes. With France in jeapordy (again ! ) Britian sends all available units to its call for aid.

In the fall, we can afford to send a few more troops but with the German build up it looks like war is coming to france again. Starting with only 20 production we can only cue some essential units like another bomber and some inf in France to postpone the inevitable.

We start tech research in DD, CAG and heavy bombers sub attack. We finish off inf attack and evasion to 6/5 and arty to 9 attack and ready our navy for possible rumors that Italy will side with the Germans in the battle ahead. I gamble that moving a large fleet into the med will cover my decision to use production from the commonwealth on scientists instead of guns.

Russia winter 40

We continue to strat move units, this turn an AA unit into belorussia. We spend 6 supply on spies to increase our effort against Germany to 10.

Russian production screen, this leaves us with 5 points for tech and it went into starting fighter and tac air range and my armor is now at 4 points in evasion so i put a point into that in hopes that a steal will top it off and send evasion to 7 on our tanks. I also start AA air attack and spend the rest on inf and arty attack tech.

I get the tech steal as hoped !

China winter 40

China watches as Japanese troop numbers increase on the coast.

Wallies winter 40

Germany's move into the low countries last season causes us to move British units back to defend England as the Germans now have the capacity to land troops on its shores. It weakens the defense of France but it must be done.

Allied WR, Russia will double production output if Germany continues to attack next turn.

Here is my starting strategy in the med. With the US now on board and contributing 18 production points a turn I can resume unit builds with India and Australia now and I hope this blockade buys me enough time to deploy them to deal with the Italians in N. Africa should they join the wrong side.

The addition of US aid is much welcomed. The wallies can now spend on tech and still produce a supply surplus for next turn now while cueing up a few more units.

Russia spring 40

Russia watches as France falls and starts to wonder about its own saftey. We move a tac air into leningrad and will still need an armor unit there defend against combined arms attack. Also notice the ease of which Russia reveals the FOW with its high spy levels ( i increased my spies against Germany to 12 this turn.)

Russian spies doing their job nicely.

China spring 40

fighter units arrive to defend the interior territories.

Wallies spring 40

England and its commonwealth are now alone in the fight against Germany. DD screens are set up across the Atlantic and Italian E. Africa is attacked and captured easily.
A bomber unit is moved to gibralter to protect the opening to the med. And a little prayer is spoken for the fleet off Italy.

We are able to build a supply surplus and the US cues up 2 CV's for winter 42 arrival. Again PP's are put into ASW and fleet evasion.

Russia summer 40

Germany invades Yugoslavia and causes Romania and Bulgaria to join the Axis. With another border territory to worry about we move armor in to achieve combined arms defence in Kiev.

With germany moving most of its armor into poland I think the writing is on the wall, time to cue up some ground units and arty.

China summer 40

Japan continues to occupy the coast but makes no attacks other than to damage rail in Changsha.

Wallies summer 40

It looks like Hungary tries to hold on to its independance as Bulgaria and Romania join the Axis. With the next season seeing Germany take control of Romania and Bulgaria I think the AI may ignore the med and focus on Russia instead.

Italian ships remain in port and I breath a sigh of relief as the Germans decide to keep their bomber force in range of London and not my ships holding off Malta.