AUSGAME 2024 NEW GAME Part 7

AUSGAME2 - Catch up report for the end of AUSGAME2

SEP/OCT 1940 (Cont) – A Surprisingly Good Turn for the Axis – Will it Last! Alas NO as the Dice Gods (weather) determine another Game.

Axis 2nd Impulse. With S/O Fine weather the Axis DOW v Greece, rolling a 2 upsetting the US Senate again and gift another chit to the ever-increasing GE/IT pool. Greece aligns with the CW and sets up both units in Athens as the invasion and para units supported by Italian SB would have attacked a single unit. The Italian ‘surprise’ GS fails to disrupt any of the Greek defenders, so the Axis land on the 4 adjacent hexes securing the city’s outskirts. Germany’s Land sees continued failure with GS failing against both British units in Lille and the French line, so the Wehrmacht mop up the 2 rearguard units in France with a +20.5 assault and a +23.8 blitz. Italy’s Comb sees them sail a Conv to tpt the Greek resource and then land Graziani HQ in Syria as a ‘peacekeeper’ after a German MIL had advanced into the hex securing the port. A Corps from Egypt rails North into Jordon deferring the conquest of Saudi Arabia. The Japanese takes a NC Land and assault another Mtn Hex guarding Chungking and roll very well (19) on a +6.8 for a TotT result, taking the hex for no loss, no inversions and dislocating the Chinese front line. EOT advances by 1.

Allied 3rd Impulse. With another important weather roll, a 9 is rolled by the French and its bad weather – a common thematic (extremes of weather 1’s and 10’s) in this game, any hope of this game continuing evaporates as the glimmer of hope of a long fine weather turn in S/O and more importantly taking Paris is extinguished, +1 on the next weather and impulse up by 2. Saving oil, all four Allied nations take NCL or NCC actions and make minor changes. The Greek Flagship Giorgios Averof sails into the W Med challenging the entire Italian Fleet in the rain – but no one finds with the Italians obviously thinking it was an Italian SCS. EOT advances by 2.

Axis 3rd Impulse – might as well passed. The Italians, now with four Corps sized units adjacent to Iraq convinces the Iraq Government, with suitable bribes and promises to align with the greater Italian empire. The US Senate is incensed by this act of betrayal and gains another chit – that is six failed chit rolls in a row for the Axis, which is a delight to the US player who is constantly reviewing his USE now multiple options. The German with few opportunities, and a best attack of a +6 Assault in rain, and anything else being worse – takes a Comb. Hoping the war at sea may reap some rewards – not his night, as the CW player returns to his old form and again rolls extremely well. The Kormoran sails from Panama into the Caribbean looking for convoys in the Caribbean and U-Boats to the Bay of Biscay and Cape St Vincent. Kormoran needing 3’s v CW needing 1’s searches with confidence but is very surprised when the CW escorts roll the 1, damaging the raider. Banking on lightning not striking twice in the same place the damaged Kormoran stays and searches again and yep, the CW escorts roll another 1, and sink the raider. Germany is shattered. Clearly the CW naval luck had returned as he needed two 1’s to find twice and sink the German CX Kormoran AND the German to roll high enough to ensure its destruction twice!

The sub in Bay of Biscay is found by the escorts who decide to guarantee it aborts, rather than chance a damage. The sub in Cape St Vincent searches and activates the Italian sub in the 4 box to damage 3 convoys and aborting the remaining 2 CW convoys – the Italian takes the credit for the only success. On land, the upright triple stacks of French units in front of Paris are too intimidating in rain and no inversions, so no land attacks are launched. Japan takes a Comb and Strat Bombs Chunking and with a nice roll of 10+1 shuts down the cities production. Minor movements as acft are rebased.

The final insult in a night to be forgotten from the German perspective and celebrated by the Allies is highlighted when the German rolls the EOT with a 1 – two fine weather impulse in the S/O turn and he still hasn’t a single hex against Paris – it is looking grim.

Partisans roll a 4 – and finally a cheer from the Chinese as the first Chinese partisan for the game is rolled. Elsewhere the Axis curse continues as a 1 is rolled by the German in Holland, Part turns up in and another 1 is rolled by the Japanese for a Part in Korea - there seems to be something wrong with the Axis dice tonight. Rebasing and USE – The US Senate continue to create tension as it approves embargoes against Japan. Production and reinforcements for N/D 40 are placed.

Initiative rolls sees Germany rolling a 2 but France obliging with a 1. France demands a re-roll and Germany rolls a 5 but France rolls a 2, Axis gets the initiative. Drumroll …. the so, so important weather roll and there is again the dreaded 10 +1 (11) STORM on the first impulse of N/D. The slim hope of any fine weather in N/D disappear with that roll as well as the game, as it is more than likely to end after the next session with Germany unlikely to take Paris. End of session.

N/D 1940 – End of AUSGAME2

Axis 1st impulse, due to the atrocious weather, Germany takes a naval and sails everything it can. Searches in the North Sea, N Atlantic and Azanian Sea - no one finds. In the Bay of Biscay, the CW rolls a 1 and its escorts find and damage German Sub with a soft split. Italy took a Naval and the CW luck holds as the only find with a 1 rolled is also countered with another 1 rolled by the CW aborting the Italian Sub. In the W Med the brave Giorgios Averofis found by the Italian Navy, and is sunk by gunfire – the highlight of this round for the Axis. Japan takes a no cost combined to prepare for the next impulse hoping the weather will clear. EOT advances 3!

Allied 1st impulse. CW in a surprise takes a combined and sails the Royal Navy to search for the remnants of the once proud German Fleet in the North Sea – no finds. France takes a no cost land and steps back one hex SE of Paris leaving a 3.5 CAV to defend the hex. Russia builds up its border garrison forces and China patiently waits. EOT advances 3!

Axis 2nd impulse, Weather roll is a 3 (+2), modified to 5, rain in N Temp, fine in the Med and N Monsoon. Italy finally comes to the aid of the German and makes a DOW on France – surprisingly there is no interest from the US Senate – no chit. All Axis players take land actions. Germany flies three GS and fires Arty and again sees only a single CW Corps in Lille inverted – again no French units. With limited options and more than a hint of frustration, Lille is assaulted at a desperate +6 and with an attack roll of 3 (9) sees 2 German losses and a full invert. Germany needed some luck this round, but not on that roll. A 2 Hex Blitz attack SE of Paris is blitzed (+12.3) across the Seine with a roll of 10, modified to 22 to destroy the 3.5 CAV. A police action in the Netherlands eliminates a partisan unit (0) factor.

Italy’s Land with GS against Athens being unsuccessful, the focus is shifted to a combined Italian/German attack on Damascus with a TotT result, Damascus falls – Syria will be conquered, and the Iraq oil will start being railed to the Axis. Italian land units in E Africa assault French Somaliland capturing the port of Djibouti and the country but the French CA escapes the overrun and sails away. The intercepting searches in the Red and Arabian Seas both fail to find – it seems it is a charmed ship - as it flees to the port of Diego Suarez, Mauritius.

Japan GS both units in the Southern city of Kweiyang and an attack launched with an average roll costing them their ENG for the loss of both Chinese defenders Kweiyang is taken, again no interest from the US – no chit. It is looking extremely good for the Japanese at the moment as the Chinese line is stretched and the Japanese look down on Chungking from three mountain hexes, two of them with Arty – fine weather and Chungking will fall. EOT advances 2.

Allied 2nd impulse sees CW go Naval with the entire Home Fleet in the N Sea hunting the German Navy - a find by the German Navy with a soft split sees enough surprise to convert to an abort as the Kriegsmarine seeks sanctuary in Keil. France takes a no cost land and adjust its line as it defends the approaches of Paris, China moves a few units to back fill some holes – these units flip in the rain.

AND THERE IT IS – The French player rolls a 2 to end the N/D 40 turn on their first chance – END OF GAME. Germany’s morale already at a low ebb is broken as the German Government stages a Coup and replace Hitler with a moderate as they seek an armistice and an end to the misery of a second game of frankly, abysmal rolls, bad weather and again short turns.

Despite impressive gains by Italian and solid progress by the Japanese, German still does not have a single hex adjacent to Paris. The USE has 13 chits in its pool and 1 more to draw although it has yet to gear up. However, the US Navy is about to relocate to Pearl Harbour and with high value actions likely and even the possibility of US units arriving in France before it goes Vichy and after a very short consultation, the Axis concedes the game in favor of a new game which is hoped will be more balanced and reflective of previous games.

The Allies and Axis players shake hands and in a surprise decision the German Player elects to give it another go, in the belief that the weather rolls – and other rolls – cannot be any worse than what he has experienced. The US player having little action in the last two games with both games ending N/D 1940 due to Paris not having fallen, elects to play the CW. The Italian/Japan player will now be the US as they have had a lot of fun conquering Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, French Somaliland, aligning Iraq and about to Conquer Greece and expand into the Indian Ocean region with Subs, NAV air and SCS – oh happy days. The French/Russian player now becomes the Japanese/Italian as a reward for his stoic defence of Paris.

Our first game this year had only 21 Impulses an average of 2.6 impulses per turn, and only 8 fine weather impulses for the game. Our second game was marginally better with 23 impulses (2 more) for an average of 2.9 – almost 3. There was more fine weather impulse (12) but equally more Storms/Snow with 8 rolled. Players struggle to progress a game with these weather rolls – compounding the weather was a persistent failure by the German to be able to GS target hexes, as well as poor rolling both in the air and on the ground. Interestingly no French pilot was ever shot down, saving the French Airforce as France had only to replace their Ftrs which cycle through quickly and are competitive v the Luftwaffe. With large losses in both Acft and land units the German’s position was marginal as the opportunity to conduct a 1941 Barbarossa has again failed.

Weather and Impulse Tracker – AUSGAME2

F Fine, R Rain, St Storm, Sn Snow, IMP Impulses for the turn

1939

S/O – 3 IMP = 1st F, 2nd St, 3rd Sn, 1F

N/D – 2 IMP = 1stF, 2nd Sn, 1F

1940

J/F - 2 IMP = 1st St, 2nd St, NIL

M/A -2 IMP = 1st St, 2nd St, NIL

M/J - 4 IMP = 1st St, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, F, 3F

J/A - 5 IMP = 1st– 5th F, , 5F

S/O – 3 IMP = 1stF, 2nd F, 3rd St, 2F

N/D – 2 IMP = 1st St, 2nd R, Allies rolled EOT 2! (3 needed) NIL

Total Axis Impulses 23

FINE Weather Impulses – 12

BAD Weather Impulse - 11 – 10 being Storm or Snow – only 1 x Rain.

AUSGAME3 RESTARTED LAST WEEK AND GAME REPORT POSTED

France at the end of the game N/D 1940 - Germany has no hexes adjacent to Paris - 

France would survive till the clear weather of mid 1940 - possibly longer.

The Greater Roman Empire expanded East - India next!

Casualties bad weather and only a two-impulse turn

Sinking the Greek flagship - the highlight of the Axis N/D turn.

USE entry scary +1 chit to draw for EOT - assuming an average of 2 drawn Ger/It Pool 31 and Japan pool 33 Oil embargo or a 3 chit and it would have been CW reinforce the Pacific in J/F 1941 ! 

Tension is super low as the US failed most tension rolls.