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.

AUSGAME 2024 NEW GAME Part 6

 AUSGAME2 2023 - Germany Fails to Achieve Paris in J/A as the Dice Gods remain unfriendly!

JUL/AUG 1940 (Cont)

Allied 4th Impulse, France takes a NC Land and forms a straight defense line. CW takes a Comb and strategic bombs Berlin but is only dropping propaganda leaflets. More success on the ground as the RAF manages to GS one of the point German Corps on the front line. Convs and escorts adjusted. Searches again for the Italian CA’s are fruitless in the Monsoonal Storm as both sides roll 7+. Russia takes a NCC – rails units to Rumania and advances a CAV to the Persian port of Bandar Shapur. Allied EOT roll was so close with a 3 rolled v 2 needed, a pass would have ended the turn, Germany breaths a sigh of relief.

Axis 5th Impulse. Weather roll is a 2. Germany with few upright land units takes a Comb. Both raiders in neutral ports sail against British Convs. The CX Kormoran which was anchored in Trondheim slipped past the CW pickets and attacks the Convs off the American East Coast. A huge 1-10 split sees the BS HMS Resolution torpedoed and sunk AKA HMAS Sydney and 3 convoys aborted for no loss. The CX Hansa anchored on the Southern tip of South America sails to the Gulf of Guinea and successfully finds unescorted Convs with a soft 2-5 split, 3 CONVs are damaged and 2 aborted. On land more success as a low odds +6.8 assault is launched on forest hex SW of the Maginot and a WOW roll of 19 sees a TOTT result which shocks the German player – highest roll in all the game. Mussolini quips that maybe Germany should defer blitzkrieg attacks and focus on assaults, aka WWI, no one takes Mussolini seriously.

Italy – desert trg and Famil complete she DOW Saudi Arabia, the Senate unhappy with this event gets another chit as a 2 is rolled (4 needed), that is 4 failed USE rolls by the Axis out of the last 4 – Christmas has come early for the US. The Saudi Royal Guard defend the Capital and await the Italians arrival, Italians advance along the Southern railway and cross the border in a slow advance to the Saudi capital as they leave the European map.

Japan takes a NC Land to conserve oil and starts to set up for the Campaign in the South as their 8 factor INF is railed South. Strategic bombing fails and units shuffle to the front – military term for moving slowly when you are tired. The EOT roll of 10 emphatically continues the turn.

Allied 5th Impulse, France with HQs inverted and no acft to fly takes a NC Land and re-organises the line, stepping back leaving low grade INF as a rear guard to cover their withdrawal. The CW takes a Naval and replaces some of the lost convoys including a convoy to the Persian Gulf to collect oil from the recently aligned Saudis – a portent of the future. Russia takes a NCC and rails a unit from Iran. Russia advances their 1.5 CAV into the port of Bandar Shapur and attempts to overrun the BS Karisma Japan holds its breath and Russia rolls a 6 and the BS CAPT seeing the advances Russian Cav, escapes the harbour and high tails it back to Japan – a close call it was.

The Allies dash the Germans hope of a Paris in J/A with 4 to roll EOT (4 needed). Partisan roll a 10 – again no partisans for the Chinese – we have NOT rolled a single Chinese partisan roll in this game. Elsewhere a potential uprising in Dakar is dealt with quickly by the local French Gendarmery. Rebasing and USE – The US Senate actions finally create some tension with it approving Lend Lease to China. Production and reinforcements placed.

SEP/OCT 1940 – A Surprisingly Good Turn for the Axis – Will it Last!

An important dice off for the initiative, the French 2 is easily beaten with a decisive 10 rolled by the German – is he on a roll, no. The Allies demand a reroll and rolls a 5 which the German fails to match – Allies go first – very sad face – part 1 (Germany winning the Initiative) of Paris falling in S/O is not achieved. More important the weather roll is 6, fine weather – JUST, as the impulse marker advances 2 which will drive a short turn – the Allies will be able to start rolling EOT on their 3rd impulse on a 1 - part 2 (a long turn of fine weather) of Paris falling in S/O is not achieved. Two out of four, now up to the German to roll successful GS (part 3) and roll high (part 4).

Allied 1st impulse. Russia demands Bessarabia, which is conceded by Rumania AKA Germany – Germany has little option as he has not taken Paris and cannot support the Rumanian if it goes to WAR, Russia occupies Bessarabia. Zhukov is railed from Iran to Ukraine. France takes a Land and reinforces the front line with its reinforcing ARM, ARTY, AA and ATG and steps back in a couple of places to straighten the line to reduce the Germans opportunity for flanking attacks, Ftrs are dispersed to cover the line. The CW in a surprise and at the risk of his Conv’s takes a Comb. He escorts in two sea zones and several GS targeting German stacks are repelled with a British 3 LND destroyed for a cost of a Ftr and the other LND aborted. In the land phase, the BEF steps back into France, vacating Belgium and securing the French Western Flank. China does little but prepares for the next Japanese assault.

Axis 1st Impulse. Italy takes a Naval and sails the Italian Fleet out to the E Med, embarking 4 mixed Italian and German Divs the Graziani from Cyprus. The German Para is disembarked into Leros in the Dodecanese group to marry up with its ATP, in range of Athens – the Greece Govt is increasingly nervous and appeals to the CW for intervention if war is declared. Subs in the Faroes gap get a lucky find, with a good split which allows it to convert and sink 3 x Convs and abort 6 others almost cutting the convoy system, it is damaged in the combat and returns to Italy to complete repairs. Searches in the Arabian Sea and off Gibraltar are less successful – 1 out of 3, the Italian will take that. Germany flew the Nazgul the 19 Rng NAV into the Arabian Sea but fails to find the patrolling BS Barham or the Conv. Germany takes a Land and targets three French hexes for GS (part 3 of the mission to take Paris), two of the Bombers are aborted by French Ftrs and the last is reduced to a zero by French AA – not a single GS from three Bombers, worse one of the German Ftrs is shot down, for the loss of a French Ftr. Without inversions, the French point hex with its ARM+ATG and a MIL Corps is bypassed and the hex East of Paris which has just 2 x Colonial INF/MIL is blitzed at + 11.7 after spt from Guderian sees a roll of 15 with a TOTT result. The second attack in the SE is only defended by a 3 factor INF and is automatically blitzed. Two hexes of France are gained, and the French line has lost three Corps, a good start to the S/O turn.

Japan takes a Land, and successful GS sees two Chinese Corps in S China inverted and an attack at +12 led by Yamamoto, repays the debt of failure from last turn’s roll of 4 as the Japanese roll TOTT and take a second mountain hex adjacent to the Nationalist’s capital of Chunking. The Northern line has a single Corps inverted, so the Japanese set up for a second attack hoping that the fine weather will hold – it has 9 points of defenders, doubled to 18 in the mountains and will need a high roll to take it even with two inverts and HQ spt.

Allied 2ndimpulse. The important weather roll and its 1 – the Axis thank the French player, and a glimmer of hope flickers across the Germans face. The CW takes a Naval sends out its escorts and extra Convs to ship the valuable US oil to the UK. Going on the offensive Force Z, 1 x CVL 2 x BS’s and 2 x CA’s go hunting for the two Italian CA’s in the Arabian Sea, in a continuing trend this session of CW unluckiness (is that a word) fail to find but Italy rolls a 1, with a handy split sees that Italian sacrifice a CA Pola sunk (needed a 5 to save) in order to convert from air, select target and damaging the CVL HMS Eagle, giving the Axis air superiority and freedom of action in the region – a strategic win despite the loss of the CA. The CW recognizing the air threat aborts the Arabian sea and Force Z, less its CVL slinks back to Ceylon with its tail firmly wedged up its backside but celebrating some payback with the sinking of the Italian CA Pola by big British 15” guns – the only highlight for the RN this session. British and Dutch subs hunt for Italian Convs in the Med, The Dutch sub KXIV finds the Italian invasion fleet in the E Med but pops up on the surface and is sunk by massed shell fire, it damages the a CA in exchange, aborting a DIV. The Dutch Tpt sails out to the N Sea with the London MIL embarked for France, well escorted by air and a BS fleet in a higher box it may tempt the German Navy to sail but probably not, now it is fine weather – Paris is the mission. The CW Strat bombs Hanover with a full load, no interception, and a roll of 10 shuts down the city’s production.

France’s Land sees her withdrawing to surround Paris and leaving low-quality rear-guard units in the line to soak up another impulse. The French, starting to feel the loss of land units (10 Corps last turn and 3 in S/O) withdraws from the Italian border – tempting a French declaration. The French ARTY inverts a Corps in the German front line. France reinverts his AA and Arty, declines to reinvert a 2nd Ftr. Russia rebases acft West and starts to arrange his garrisons.

Summary

An interesting session with the CW naval luck running out and his empire under pressure from the aggressive Italian. Some joy for the German this session, both at sea and on the land, his push to Paris - well almost, he said with a wry smile. Germany needed and was due a long turn but again it was cut short with the Allies ending the turn on their 5th impulse with an EOT roll of 4 – good rolling for them. But J/A was the key turn for our game, and with the Allies winning the S/O initiative it allowed the French to reform their line with the mass of reinforcements that arrived that turn – MIL, Arty, AA, ATG and ARM as well as 3 x Ftrs! The fine weather roll of 6 was welcomed but tarnished as it also advanced the turn by 2, so the chance of an EOT roll is now even more likely. The USE chits are being generously given by the Axis (early Christmas for the US player) as the Axis continues to fail nearly all of the USE tests. The only joy for the Axis is that the US has struggled to roll tension, with only 4 chits in the tension pool. The grind will continue as we play through to the 1940 Christmas and see if little Hitler gets his Christmas wish granted – fingers crossed that he does. The next impulse should see Germany clear the blocking units but still not be adjacent to Paris with the allies starting the EOT rolls. Germany will need a lot of luck to have a chance to take Paris in 1940.

Next session Axis 2nd impulse, a likely DOW v Greece, conquest of Saudi Arabia and assault by the Japanese to take the last Mountain Hex guarding Chungking and hopefully breaking the back of the Chinese. For the Allies they will sweating on a bad weather roll and an early EOT roll on their next impulse – either guaranteeing Paris stays in Allied hands.

· Acft – Aircraft

· Conv – Convoy(s)

· EOT – End of Turn

· NCC – No Cost Combined action – no oil used

· OOS – Out of Supply

· Rng - Range

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

· USE – US entry rolls/chits

J/A Casualties - French 10 Corps and 3 Ftrs but all pilots survived, all get a brand new acft thanks to good planning by the French in his builds. German ARM/MECH losses are expensive - rolling 4's will do that. Same, Same for the Japanese 3/1 loss on a +10 with a 4 rolled - expensive impulse for the Axis.

France under pressure as the French lose more Corps - but time is on their side as the weather can turn on a dice in S/O. The BEF providing Flank security but for how long?

Italian invasion forces - all within striking distance of Athens

Italian advance towards Saudia Arabia

China under pressure as a TOTT roll makes up for last week's squiggly 14 - another Chinese mountain hex taken

S/O casualties - 3 more French Corps, two more this Axis impulse will be 5 this turn but at a cost 2 x German Ftrs - CW loses an expensive bomber

HMS Resolution surprised by the Raider Kormoran - got too close and was torpedoed and sunk.

Battleship Killer the Raider Kormoran - pride of the German Navy.

One less R Class BS to contend with as she slips beneath the waves - huge PR win for the Axis in a time of need.

USE - pleased that the US tension is small - it's now all about the numbers. US has struggled to gain tension. Yet to gear up which pleases the Japanese.

Despite escorts the CW Conv system is under pressure as recent losses reduce the CW Convs to 75. Barely enough to keep up the resources and oil to the UK.

AUSGAME 2024 NEW GAME Part 5

 AUSGAME2 2023

The End is Nigh – Germany Fails to Achieve Paris as the Dice Gods interfere yet again!

JUL/AUG 1940 (Cont)

Allied 1st impulse. Russia DOW Iran/Persia, which is aligned with Japan, Crossing the border Russia destroys the Iranian 2.4 Cav on the Russia/Persian border with a  roll and advances towards Terran. The US Senate is alarmed at these events and the US loses a chit – hopefully one of the big 4 pointers hehehehehe.

CW and France both take Land actions. GS on the Western Front sees one CW bomber aborted by AA and the other bombing run reduced to a NE. The French Arty fires and inverts a DIV as the French rearranges its line, reducing the garrison in Strasbourg to a 3 factor INF. Britain reinverts its inverted MECH and waits it out. China flips a DIV into the mountain point hex hoping to reduce the likelihood of the Japanese taking this important hex. It is important as it unlocks the Chinese mountain defensive line and puts a hex on the Nationalists capital Chungking.

Axis 2nd impulse. Weather roll is 7, N Temp is fine as it should be for the rest of the turn. Needing to make inroads, Germany declared a land offensive led by Guderian. Low odds ground strikes all miss. The only woods hex on the Belgium border is targeted and taking this hex opens up the clear terrain behind it. Three hexes are doubled, without blitz bonuses, a comfortable +13.3 blitz attack with a nice roll of 16 sees a welcome  result – Germany breathes a sigh of relief as any low roll in these early impulses would result in losses and inversions which the German can ill afford. A secondary attack was launched on the French 3 factor INF in Strasbourg across the Maginot and the Rhine River. A +8.4 assault with a handy roll of 14 (22) takes the hex with loss of a unit (1.1 GAR) and half inverted, good result as the Maginot line is now breached. Guderian, buoyed by his success, albeit at the expense of 13 OPs, re-inverts 8 units and the front line is ready to maintain the momentum of offensive action. However, and ominously for the German, all its HQs are now face down and will cost OP’s to reinvert.

Italy and Japan took Land actions; Italy land DIVS and the HQ Graziani in Cyprus and assault the 2.4 DIV defending the port of Famagusta, automatic results in the loss of the Div, Cyprus is cleared of British units. The hapless CA HMS Newcastle flees the port, avoiding capture or destruction (it was inverted) but is found be the patrolling Italian fleet – with a moderate split it is sunk in the E Med. Italian Units advance and liberate Jordan advancing towards the border with Saudi Arabia.

Japan takes a combined and lands a Marine DIV in the Persian port of Bandar Shapur and embarks on the train to Terran to bolster the local MIL defenders resolve – hoping that the imminent Russian assault on the capital will be a low roll and Iran can be saved. A Strat bombing of Chungking sees Japan’s first Strat success as the city's factory is bombed. Japan GS the mountain hex and succeeds, the assault is launched and led by Umezu and with a  roll and the Mountain hex taken – with that result China is potentially in trouble now. Japanese arty units are reinverted and the Japanese start to see the light at the end of the tunnel in China.

Allied 2nd Impulse. CW takes a naval and sends out its escorts and extra Convs to ship the valuable US oil to the UK. Force Z, 2 x CV’s 3 x BS’s and a CA go hunting for the two Italian CAs in the Arabian Sea – both sides fail to find in the Storm. British and Dutch subs hunt for Italian Convs in the Med, but like German U-boats fail to find or be detected – both sides rolling lots of +7s on their searches , France a no cost land, maneuvers Mil into the front lines – expendable, and withdraws from Metz leaving a 3 MIL as a rear guard. A CW strategic bombing run deep into Germany’s heartland just misses the factory. Russia launches its predicted assault against Terran and rolls  destroying both the defending MIL and the Marine DIV.

Axis 3rd Impulse, weather roll is a 5. Needing to continue pushing, Rundstedt is re-inverted – 6 more German OP's. The hex SE of Lille is targeted, and 1 INF and ATG are inverted, Rundstedt is used in the attack to get a +12.9 blitz but a roll of 7 sees only B result for loss of a MECH DIV and another half invert - a poor result for the German. Metz is attacked from 4 hexes getting a +14.6 assault with a roll of 11 ending up with a  result. Rebases, now that Warsaw has fallen Germany rebases the 5 factor Stuka that has spent the entire year in support of LANDOPS in Poland. Japan takes a Land and successfully GS another Corps in the mountains N of Chungking and a DIV in S China – many options as it sweats on an Allied pass impulse and an EOT roll of 1 – it sets up for an attack next impulse.

Allied 3rdImpulse sees all countries pass except France who takes a no cost Comb to conserve oil and relocate a BS that had been visiting Morocco – oops. The Allied 10% roll of 1 that was hoped for fails, much to the relief and surprise of the German's.

Axis 4th Impulse, weather roll is a 7. Germany continues to push, desperate to make some inroads and well behind schedule, declared two attacks. He again reinverts Guderian for the cost of 6 OPs – this is getting expensive now as the German has now been reduced to 11 OPs and he isn’t even adjacent to Paris. The clear Hex 1232, a gateway hex to Paris, had a defense of 16 with a -1 for the AT gun. The last German Stuka (5 fact) that had been rebased from Poland targets this important hex and is escorted by 2 x German Ftrs but the single French Ftr on a -1 rolls a 3 to gain the important AX and the Stuka is shot down on its first sortie in France – no plusses from this important GS. The escorting Ftrs shoot down the French Ftr but this is little consolation. The German Stuka should have been cleared through on a -1 with two escorting Ftrs. Pushing on as the clock is ticking and the turn can end now with any dice roll. A respectable blitz is declared using every remaining ARM/MECH getting to +9.3 however a roll of 4! sees 2 losses and a full invert for Germany for the loss a single French unit. This roll of 4 will more than likely cost Germany the game. The hex West of Metz had been reduced to a single 3 factor MIL, a +21.8 assault takes it automatically, German units enter Metz and open the Eastern Flank – alas too little, too late.

Italy takes a Comb and searches again for the conv in the Arabian Sea, this time she finds and sinks 1 x Conv, a second search and again neither side find in the storm much to the relief of the Italian CA Capt’s. Italian units advance to the Saudi border for desert training. Japan’s land saw it reinvert HQ Yamamoto for 6 OP’s as the Southern Mountain hex has a Corps and DIV inverted and from 4 Hexes the Assault of +10 promises success. Alas, the dice gods intervene and a 4 is rolled, the dreaded squiggly 14, 3/1 and that is two 4’s for the Axis this impulse.

So Both Japan and Germany on two critical dice rolls for land attacks this impulse; Germany’s attack against the ATK Hex and Japan’s against a second Mtn hex, both of these having spent Ops to reinvert HQs at the cost of 6 OP’s each, BOTH roll 4’s!The Axis quite rightly are somewhat aggrieved as the dice Gods have deserted them in their hour of need. You get that on the big jobs. EOT was not rolled, sigh, 1 needed.

Summary

As predicted, this was the key turn for our game. It is very rare that in a game with thousands of dice rolls and the complexity that WIF is, that a single dice roll can determine a game – but Germany’s 4th Impulse +9 Blitz attack against the French was probably one of those. The roll of 4 (6%) cost Germany two units and more importantly a full inversion of all its ARM/MECH and frankly any chance of Germany advancing to the outskirts of Paris. If he had rolled higher and destroyed the two French units and more importantly remained upright and given one or two more impulses and Germany could have had one or two hexes adjacent to Paris and potentially, and I do say potentially an assault against Paris in SEP/OCT. That opportunity has now evaporated and our game, like the previous one, looks as though it will end again in 1940 with a forced restart – more than a little disappointing for all players.

There is a sliver of a chance that Germany may achieve Paris in S/O 1940 – probably about the same as his failed Blitz roll, about 6%. But he will need an extreme coincidence of events to go Germany’s way in S/O. Any failure in anyone of them will result in Paris remaining in Allied hands and the game concluding again in 1940 rather than played to a more satisfying conclusion. Germany will need to win the initiative in S/O twice – Allies can force the reroll, if the Allies go first in S/O the Germans will not be able to advance as they will be up against a mass of French reinforcements, including ARM, AA, ARTY and ATK resulting from poor attack rolls that saw 6 units moved to the spiral, and 3 x French Ftrs (all French pilots survived). Add to that, the likely interference from CW bombers attempting GS v key stacks of ARM/MECH and HQs soaking up German Ftrs. The second element is they need fine weather, even with the 60% chance of Fine in the temp this is problematic as any bad weather will stop the offensive and force lower attack rolls with no benefit of ARM/Mech bonuses and more important add (+)’s to the EOT roll and number of impulses in the S/O turn - the turn needs to be long(ish) and the German needs to roll low in its GS, which has been a rare event for the Luftwaffe in this game, and high in his combat rolls to avoid inversions. None of these essential conditions for the capture of Paris the German has control of and going on our previous experience with our German player he has only been able to achieve one of these elements, let alone all four and especially the weather!

Sadly, again this 2nd game is on the trajectory of another hung game, an allied victory by concession. The game will play out until the end of 1940 as is our custom, but one thing is certain, our current German player, who has played the last two games as Germany has declared that he is never going to play Germany again! This is particularly disappointing to the Italian/Japanese player whose progress has seen them capture Egypt, Cyprus, Palestine and Malta and about to invade both Saudi Arabia and Greece - all with little aid from Germany. Japan has had few losses, and despite the last impulse roll of 4 (same as the Germans) he has reduced the Chinese build to three factories (2 BPs) per turn which has allowed it to build up for the Air/Sea battle v the US. I. The Allies too will be disappointed, despite notching up victory as it is the playing of WIF which is why we turn up every Thursday night.

Fate or destiny awaits the German in S/O 1940. Hitler has asked Father Christmas for Paris for Christmas but cannot confirm or deny that he hasn’t been a very naughty boy.

· Acft – Aircraft

· Conv – Convoys

· EOT – End of Turn

· NCC – No Cost Combined action – no oil used

· OOS – Out of Supply

· Rng - Range

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

· USE – US entry rolls/chits

France - Germany needs a Miracle in S/O 1940

Russia border guards - Rumania getting nervous

The greater Italian Empire - and expanding

Italian CA's in the Arabian Sea are hunted by Force Z

China - slowly shrinking

Reprieve for the Chinese as a +10 from 4 hexes and a HQ shift is unkindly dealt with a roll of 4 for the dreaded squiggly 14 - 3/1 losses ouch!

Mounting casualties for the German and only slow progress in France and first losses for the Japanese 4's will do that!

HMS Newcastle - flees Cyprus only to be found by the Italian fleet and sunk.

USE - focus on Japan the US has.