World in Flames via FB - 15

The Axis fail to break the Soviet garrison level.  War comes to Manchuria.

AUSGAME2000 1941 March/April(CONT) – RUSSIA DECLARES WAR!

As predicted last week this week’s session kicked off with the promised DOW on Japan by Russia, Stalin’s roll was a 5 so he was not able to limit the chit loss, so the US lost 2 chits form the Jap Pool. The Russian Res units were placed, 2 x Mil on their designated cities and the other Res units were all placed on the Russian/GERM border cities, bumping up the GV by a healthy 4.5 points. Russia declared a Land and shipped Zhukov to the outskirts of Odessa and a 6.4 Inf from Leningrad railed to the E Poland – with a land rebase the EOT GV will now be increased by 8.5, reducing the risk of the GERM DOW next turn. Not surprisingly with the focus on the build-up on the Russian/GERM border the Russian did very little to the Japanese. However, Russia elected to spend 2 OPs and sail their lone sub to hunt for 5 Jap Conv and with a large split he found and sank the lot! The GERM was happy that the Russian spent OPs but the Jap was more than a little unlucky. The CW took a combined as they needed to withdraw the 7.6 Mech into the China had a big land move, moving the Communist forces into Sian taking control of this important city from the Nationalists. This move has allowed the Nationalist to double stack along their front line as their line was considerably stretched. The Russian ended the turn EOT roll needed was a 5 – a bonus for the Russian as it did not give the GERM an extra impulse to rail/move extra units to the border, the Italians wanted to sail a supply conv to the E Med so that they could return their vulnerable Tpt and the Japanese wanted to replace the 5 sunk Convs.

Partisan roll saw a 4 rolled with Partisans turning up in Pyongyang Korea and China, both occupying resources which saw the Japanese BP drop to 10. US Entry and finally the US Gear Up moving a chit to tension – many celebrations in Washington and London. Stalin sighs as he draws a 1 for the Russian Garrison chit draw – where are the 4’s and 5’s as he skulls another vodka. Builds, reinforcements and a roll for an important initiative. Russia places all its reinforcements in the border cities, leaving Murmansk and archangel empty – a high risk strategy, but as he has drawn a 1 value Garrison chit, he must maximise his border GV or risk a DOW by GERM, especially if they win the init which is probable as they have the +2.

1941 May/June

Russia rolls high - 10, GERM rolls low and bitterly complaining, demands a reroll – the init goes down to +1 Axis –Russia decisively beats the reroll again - 9, more GERM complaints as they have yet to win a 41 init dice roll, and they have been in the +2 and win ties – one of them should have been theirs. Weather is a 3 – Rain in the Arctic, Storm in the N Monsoon. Allies go first, Russia takes a land and sets up his front line, for possibly the last time, no movement on the Sino-Russian frontier as it is rain. CW takes a naval to hunt the last Italian Tpt which had to drop from the 2 box to the 1 box to keep the Axis Egyptian Exped force in supply, they reinforce the Suez, sailing the ‘Queens’ directly into the port and unloading an Aus 5 MIL. Now that Russia is an active ally, the CW sends Alexander HQ and a 7.3 INF into Murmansk to secure the port – just in case there is war with GERM. In the Med, the search for the Italian Tpt fails again, rolling a 7 as the Axis massed air react to cover it in the 1 box. Searches off the Italian Coast also fail to find the conv, another missed opportunity for the Royal Navy to sink the Italian Tpt. China fires its recently arrived Commie ART from Sian, but the fuses are faulty, and nothing is inverted, not what the Japanese wanted to see. The Nationalist take the opportunity to shuffle their line.

Axis first impulse – and the table holds its breath, NO DOW by GERM, the Russian player removes his hand from his heart and lets out an audible sigh – the juggling and Japanese DOW (lost US chits) has proved its worth – a close run thing, it twas. The Russian GV was 45 +19 for 64, the GERM needing 128 to break the pact – the GERM GV was 73 + 17 (?) chits at an average of 2, at 107 it would have been insufficient, but even at an average of 3 the GV, GERM would only be 124, still not enough to break the pact and DOW! The 41 Barbarossa plans are shelved and stamped in big red ink 1942. GERM takes a Land and ARM forces drive South to the Greek/Bulgarian border – a HQ and large INF is railed and the recently placed reinforcements head to France to guard the coast. Italy takes a land to support the combined attacks in Egypt – the axis attempts a GS of both Cairo and the Suez, the Suez bomber is intercepted by the Ark Royals acft gp operating in the Red Sea, and in the continuing bad luck ‘in the air’ for the CW her Gloster Gladiators are shot out of the sky by the unescorted Italian Bomber. The bomber is aborted, and the Cairo airfield is strafed with the British bombers inverted, but not the land units. The 4.3 Egyptian rear-guard is overwhelmed North of Cairo at +16 as the Axis victors advance another hex, and the net ominously tightens around the Egyptian capitol. Japan takes a Combined and sails its two fleets to the Sea of Japan and S China Seas the Carriers of ‘Strike’ launch GS against Vladivostok, but a surprise bounce roll allows the Russian Ibis ftr of the valiant defenders a ‘clear through’ and as luck would have it, a Jap CVP is shot down – first blood to the Russians! The Two Japanese ART fire on the Chinese Nationalists, but like the Chinese ART they fail to invert any defenders – the Japanese has had little luck in this game, and the impulses/turns seem to be getting worse and not better for them and America is coming! He has yet to garrison Truk or the Marshalls and without oil naval moves are doubly expensive. Allied intel reveals that he now has his Marines and his Divs on the S China coast so the threat to the NEI and its valuable oil fields has just become quite real.

Allied 2nd Impulse next session – weather roll is a 4 +1 – Fine everywhere, The CW will take a Naval so that it can reinvert the Queens sitting in the Suez and sail some BS into the high box of the Red Sea to provide additional Shore bombardment against the expected attack. It has been a heart stopping turn for the Allies unsure if Russia was going to be war with GERM, the long-awaited US Gear Up has been welcomed, and although Egypt is in Allied hands it is expected to fall against the relentless assaults of the Axis Exped armies. For the Axis, they have failed to win a 41 initiative despite being in the +2 box and winning ties, the GERM especially is frustrated as Herr Hitler has plans, the fall of Cairo and closing the back door to the Med is going according to plans. That will allow the Axis to reorientate and mass their NAVs and FTRs in the W Med to protect Italy and secure interference in Greece.

The Far East - ominous signs for the Japanese now that Germany has not DOW

Russian Pilots in Manchuria show off

The Russian start to reinforce Manchuria

Russian Troops arrive in Manchuria and take up defensive positions.

Chinese build up, gradual but with no losses since last year they are becoming more confident

All's Quiet on the Eastern Front

Greece - the next country on the Germans hit list

W Europe

W Med - still controlled by the British

Cairo - tenuous at best

RN Gloster Gladiators - beyond their use by date - getting shot down by Italian Bomber s- the shame, the shame.

Minor losses so far in M/J 41