July/August 1944 (the last guaranteed good weather in Europe turn before the hard end of the game in March/April 1945) has the evil empires posed to seize the initiative in a back to back move before the Europeans can adjust their lines.
The initiative die roll was 3 to 7 in the invaders' favour. While there was some deliberation about it, the Europeans had no choice but to demand a reroll, even though this would give the invaders plus 1. This time the rolls were 6 to 5. The plus 1 made this a tie and, as the Europeans had the initiative in the previous turn, meant the initiative went to the bad guys.
Disaster!
The rest of the 40th session was spent on the Allied first impulse which saw devastating ground strikes and some follow up attacks.
AGN is largely inverted (as in can't move)
AGS has been largely destroyed.
Only the Rumanians can save the day!
Soft under belly.
And I would add a soft top belly as well.
That northern German plain looks very open.
In the west German reinforcements exist to plug the gap in the Low Countries.
In the north another invasion and or attack through Denmark is being threatened.
In the east AGN is pinned in place, but reinforcements are on their way. AGS has ceased to be. The fight will now shift to Poland where a new "miracle on the Vistula" will be attempted to stop the Soviet hordes. Rumania is looking problematic, however the Communists can't be everywhere... Or can they?
In the south Italy will definitely collapse this turn (the invaders took Tripoli, have captured a mainland factory at Taranto and can easily exceed the "garrison" requirements thanks to aircraft carrier Sicily). Yugoslavia is being over run - it is being defended by the Hungarians who are also needed east.
You could say trouble all round!
A difficult conversation is about to ensue
Germany surrounded!
Although this prewar propaganda image missed out the two biggest threats:
The USA and delusional Fascist Dictators
In the Far East Communists had a catastrophic fail in their first attack against the Japanese in Manchuria, but elsewhere in China the US are spreading like a cancer.
One suspects the Axis powers never recovered from th crap weather they had to endure during the early months and years of their campaign.
ReplyDeleteYes, bad weather also meant short turns so reduced opportunities to get the U-boats out and reduce UK production so the UK is also stronger as a result.
DeleteAlso, but unrelated to the weather, the US got the higher value chits which brought them into the war earlier but also meant the Germans failed to break the garrison limit with Russia (a challenge which had been compounded by the weather).
A 42 Barbarossa is not a good strategy in my opinion.
I like the poster. Even the Swiss are against them! Not sure if Denmark with its 3,000 infantry and 10 tanks is much of a threat 😁
ReplyDeleteGreat poster for inducing paranoia. And in less than 10 years the whole situation flipped (and then flipped again).
DeleteGreat Poster - where is it from?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/7jthlz/preww2_propaganda_shows_germany_in_white_with_the/
DeleteBut little additional information as to real source is provided which is a pity.