One Sided Miniature Wargaming Discourse: Don't Mention The War

AUSGAME2022

J/A 1941 – GERMANY FAILS ITS DOW

Return to base, J/A production, Vichy declaration and reinforcements. Vichy Territorial rolls nearly results in a complete collapse of the Free French empire with only the Pacific Islands and French Guiana survive – French Guiana becomes the new home country and Cayenne becomes the new capital. This is a huge benefit to the Axis, as nearly all the French fleet less the BS and CVs had relocated to French Equatorial Africa – CA’s Subs, transports and Convs – now all Vichy. The Vichy French army and air force in metropolitan Vichy France is enormous and very concerning to the British are the 4 Ftrs operating out of Marseille – this may well stop the CW declaring War against Vichy and its territories – another huge bonus for the Axis, especially the Italian. Britain and the CW now Stands alone against Germany and Italy. The US Senate is alarmed about the collapse of France as two chits head to the US German pool.

Drums roll – against the odds the Axis wins both rolls for the J/A initiative, Germany attempts to break the pact and after two recounts of the GV is unable to DOW against Russia as he is 1.5 points short – 117.5 v 119! The German was incredibly unlucky as his two chit draws for the previous M/A turn were two 1’s, if either had been a 2, Operation Barbarossa would have been launched, if the turn had not ended on a 1 in M/A he could have railed an additional 3 units and rebased more air (2 Stukas were on their way) - Operation Barbarossa would have been launched and if the German had built an extra INF or two rather than the oil facility in M/A - Operation Barbarossa would have been launched! Russia does not escape attention though as Japan, not constrained by GV and with guaranteed fine weather (2 Rolled) makes its DOW on Russia. Failing their USE roll, the US gets another chit in the Japanese pool.

Axis 1st Impulse - Italy takes a Naval, sends out its subs to hunt British convoys with a handy find double find in the Atlantic, damaging 6 Convs and aborting 3 – 1 sub damaged. Naval air fly into both the W and E Med letting the British know that they are going to challenge these two see areas, especially now that they can count on extra German aircraft to support them now that OP Barbarossa has been delayed until 42. Germany takes a Land, and aligns Hungary, no USE chit as German units enter Hungary along its border. Seeing the BEF still in France and wanting to dissuade it from remaining ‘on O’lliday’ the German forces drive towards their defensive line – en masse, supported by air and Arm/Mech. Japan takes a Land and assaults Vladivostok, with the help of surprise and IJN in direct support, the Russian city is taken on a +16 Assault with a TOTT roll. The two Russian subs are scuttled in the harbour- both roll 3’s – Japan celebrates her early victory. Japanese Divs operating from the Sakhalin islands cross the border capturing two Russian minor ports.

Allied 1st Impulse – The CW takes a Combined and sails the Home Fleet into the Bay of Biscay under the cover of Ftrs from the UK, embarking both the HQs, Wavell and Gort as the BEF runs away to Bordeaux. Force H sails into the E Med to hunt the two Italian Acft – 8 rolled, no find. British acft fly into the W Med hunting the Italian CA Fume and its covering acft. Both sides find, but mixed result as the British 7 Factor Spitfire is aborted back to Gibraltar and the CA Fume is damaged. Russia calls out its RES and reinforces the Far East and awaits the clash of empires as the 2ndSino-Soviet war begins. With Pearl Harbour now active, 3 US BS arrive as the lead elements of the Pacific Fleet – Japan is not happy with this recent development, but US is now being more attentive and interested in the war as the Hawks in its government start to agitate for my action from the US people and its Government. Churchill is given a direct land line to Roosevelt and the White House and hopes that the US will now start to support the Allies with Convs and some destroyers from their vast stocks.

Axis 2nd Impulse – Weather 6, fine with Rain in the N Monsoon. Germany aligns Rumania – alarmed the US Senate, it is, a chit enters the German pool. Germany and Japan take land actions, Italy takes a no cost Air to rebase all its aircraft, a ‘big’ Nav heads to the French Coast to ‘play’ with the British and 2 Mdm bombers fly to the Bordeaux AO to coax the BEF to leave – not that it needs anymore incentive. Italian and German Ftrs head to the Med. German Land sees the units in France advance to Bordeaux keeping the pressure on the BEF, units’ rail to Romania, including HQs and several mountain units head South to the Bulgarian border. Ftrs and bombers redeploy. Japan takes a Combined and disembarks the HQ Yamashita into Northern Russia to coord and lead the assault against the city of Khabarovsk, Japanese units advance and acft, both Ftrs and Land are rebased to support Land Ops against Russia.

Allied 2nd Impulse – CW takes a Naval and escorts its Convoys, the Med Fleet joins Force H in the E Med but fails to find the Axis Nav and Ftrs rolling another 8, the Axis finds on a 2 but declines combat as it awaits air reinforcements. Another two tpts sail into the Bay of Biscay and embark the two last MECH Corps from Bordeaux – the BEF has left the building, well almost only an 8 ARM XXX remains in Bayonne – but not for long. The British Conv system is also stripped back as the Bay of Biscay ‘pipeline’ is reduced from 9 Convs to only 3 as Axis Acft and Subs can now operate from the W Coast of France (Brest). Russia takes a land and rails units to the Far East, reinverting two, the Polish border garrison and defensive line is significantly changed as units redeploy, now that Rumania has aligned itself with Germany. Another two units are sent to the Far Eats as is the first long range bomber. Three more BS sail to Pearl – and then there were 6.

Axis 3rd Impulse – Weather is a 5, fine with Storm in the N Monsoon. Germany aligns Bulgaria – another chit enters the German pool, as the US Senate is further alarmed about the number of European countries drawn to the Axis camp. Germany and Japan take Land actions, Italy again another no cost combined. Japan takes a land and assaults the Russian 5.5 MOT outside Khabarovsk, and on a +10.5 Blitz attack. rolling average, it is Blitzed to the spiral as Japanese units advance towards their prize, the city of Khabarovsk. Germany rails the HQ Rundstedt into Bulgaria to lead operations against? Stukas and Mountain units also arrive this turn. German units in France liberate Bordeaux and advance toward the British 8 ARM XXX in Bayonne -time to wave good bye to France.

Allied 3rd Impulse – in two weeks as Germany and Japan take a holiday.

An anticlimactical night as most had expected that Germany was to succeed in its DOW v Russia – it should have. Certainly, Germany was unlucky in the EOT roll of 1 and the chit draw of two 1 chit for his garrison, but extra railed units earlier in the M/A turn and a focus on maxing out the build for this turn could have remediated the risk of a 1 ending the turn. It is what it is. Germany and the Axis will now focus on the war against the CW, capturing Greece, and aligning Yugoslavia and turning the tide in the Med against the British – Briton stands alone until the US enters, and the recent cascade of chits (5) into the US entry pools will have significantly helped. The Axis failed every USE chit bar one! One major advantage for the Axis is that Free France has ceased to exist, and the Vichy French army and air-force is large by normal game standards. This will deter the CW from any DOW against Vichy territories which will hamper operations in the Med and benefit Italy greatly.

· EOT – End of Turn

· BP - Build Point

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

· LOC – Line of Communications

· NCC - No Cost Combined – no oil used

· USE - US Entry