Ragnarök - (Back to) 4 Player Global War

[paulderynck]

The attack results:

[paulderynck]

Impulse 11 did not begin well for Italy. She attempted to run a supply convoy through to her beleaguered formations in Algeria. Escorted by three heavy cruisers a single convoy point sailed to the zero box of the Western Med and stopped, hoping the Anglo-French fleet would be unable to find them - but find them they did!

Here is the search screen after the CW spent 4 of her 11 Surprise Points to choose a surface combat.

[paulderynck]

The end result of that fiasco was a convoy point and the CA Gorzia resting in Davey Jones Locker. The CA Trento fled home along with the badly damaged CA Trieste. The Allies had a damaged French CL and an aborted CW CL.

The Italians only had a 4-factor fighter left but decided to stick around in the hopes of an air-to-air combat against only CW CVPs and miraculously got their wish with second search rolls of '1' for Italy and the '9' for the CW. But despite a +2/-3 (after applying surprise points) air-to-air combat, the results were desultory with the Itlian Fighter aborting back to its land base and the CW Gladiators aborting back to their CV.

Meanwhile, the last vestiges of French resistance were ready to be pocketed.

[paulderynck]

The attacks went well, although Fat Hermann's personal bodyguard unit had to be sacrificed...

[paulderynck]

The breakthrough over the Seine and encirclement of the last French defenders is depicted below.

[paulderynck]

Meanwhile in China the glorious Japanese 12th Army (the black print 5-4) advanced westward through the mountains of central China, after being reorganized at the end of Impulse 5. It left Terauchi's supply range in Impulse 9 but, gambling that the turn would end, its commander ordered a further advance, almost to the "green fields beyond".

The turn then conveniently ended, meaning that if the Axis can manage a double move with good weather, the Japanese could be in Chungking by the end of September, 1940.

In the south, the Japanese walked unopposed into Kunming and captured not only its factory but also the oil lent to the Chinese by the CW prior to the closing of the Burma Road. Unfortunately the Japanese got a little carried away in their victory celebrations and outraged the American public. (Rolled a 3 for the US chit and the formula with the extra Chinese cities option is 2 plus the number of factory stacks in the city.)

This caused the one downside of the turn as the US chose Gear-up for their only Entry Option. Tokyo was not amused.

[paulderynck]

Situation in Greece at end of JA40. (For France - see above post #145.)

[paulderynck]

The deceased of JA40.

Note the Kunming warlord wore Chinese colors when destroyed several turns ago. It is shown now in Japanese colors because it was transferred to the Japanese force pool upon the occupation of its home city. It was not destroyed this turn.

[Centuur]

Turn ending means that France isn't conquered this turn. Any French reïnforcements have to be put into Toulouse, the last French fortress...

[composer99]

Well, Germany can't install Vichy. So the magic question is, did/does France surrender?

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: composer99

Well, Germany can't install Vichy. So the magic question is, did/does France surrender?

If I were France, I wouldn't. Next turn is Sep/Oct. With bad enough weather France might hold out into 1941. Why give the Axis a free pass - possibly into Spain - and a 9 for US entry (halved when surrendering) plus if Axis wants to go for Spain it will cost them time and possibly 36 for US entry (Vichyfication plus collapse)?

[paulderynck]

SO42 started poorly for the Axis. Allies won the initiative face-off cleanly and then rolled a 7 for weather. Bad weather everywhere it could matter except in the Med and the track advances two per impulse.

[paulderynck]

The CW moved south from Tunisia and aided by the landing of Alexander to give some punch to their attack, they rolled through the Italian minefields and strongpoints on the western outskirts of Tripoli and overcame the Italian garrison, losing the 6-4 Infantry for their trouble. Before and after pictures shown below.

Rubbing salt into the Italian wounds, their disorganized TRS was destroyed in the harbor of Tripoli by the victorious CW troops.

[paulderynck]

The Axis took revenge on the Wallies in Impulse 3, attacking pockets of French resistance despite heavy rainfall.

[paulderynck]

In the Far East, Japan took a Combined action, since the downpour prevented the continuation of the ground offensives. The impulse track advanced to number 5 as the Allies rolled good weather.

Aggressive CW aircraft managed to ground strike Rundstedt due to a a rare breakdown in Wehrmacht-Luftwaffe cooperation which saw no fighter cover available. In one last great rush of elan, the remaining French forces counter-attacked!

[paulderynck]

Fair weather. Sep/Oct '40. Impulse 6. Axis up. Despite some setbacks, the German army is entering Paris.

[paulderynck]

Action heats up in Greece as well as German and Italian units attack Athens.

[Extraneous]

Ragnarök "the Twilight of the Gods".


(A) Why did the Nationalist Chinese attempt to try to defend the entirety of China?

(1) They should concentrate on:
North China (Chengchow, Yellow (Hwangho) river and the mountain hex directly south of Chengchow) and
South China (Changsha and Yangtze river area).

(2) Central China has no accessible rail lines but there is a road to Ichang. Then you have to supply through mountains.
Japan has a limited number of HQ. This makes supplying an offensive difficult for the Japanese in Central China.

Take a lesson from Russia vs. Napoleon and give ground and save your Nationalist Chinese units.



(B) The USSR - Persian Border. What was the plan with this setup?
(1) The Zhukov HQ is not needed to conquer Persia if you stay near the Caspian Sea.
(2) You put a CP in the Caspian Sea. It will supply USSR units on their march to Teheran (capital of Persia) as long as you stay near the coast.
(3) Consider setting up in USSR units in the swamp hex directly north of Bandar Shah if the USSR plans to invade Persia.