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

1941 A NEW YEAR

J/F 1941 (Cont … and yes more snow for the embattled German outside the gates of Paris).

The Axis 2nd Impulse. Germany takes a Land and GS Paris in the snow and flies 3 Bombers escorted by 2 Ftrs to GS the BEF guarding the cities L Flank. The Royal Airforce responds having already flown a Ftr on CAP another arrives to intercept the bombers – other Luftwaffe ME109s also react. The Germans have the advantage on +2/-2 but the RAF roll a 5 for an AA, aborting the German’s front 6 factor ftr rather than a bomber. The hope is that they can get lucky and strip away the Ftrs and then attack or bounce the bombers – but not today. The German also rolls an abort and the RAF interceptors go home for ‘jam and scones’ before they take any losses. The BEF AA is caught napping, rolling a 1 on 3 dice against the German bombers who invert one of the BEF Corps. The Germans attacks on a +6 Blitz and roll an average 11 (17) as the BEF concedes ground under pressure and are retreated over the Seine River. The German’s advance, they now have three hexes on Paris – its doom is sealed. The German also assaulted the surrounded city of Strasburg rolling 9 on a +11 (20) for a 1/2S taking the city for the loss of a 3.1 GAR. A MOT Corps is railed to Poland. Japan also takes a Land and assaults the Chinese 4.1 in the Mountains of S China, rolling average they get a handy 18 for a -/1 destroying the defending Corps for no loss, and take another Mountain hex. Things are picking up for the Axis – they just need some fine weather to take Paris and install Vichy. As for Italy, they sailed a sub on a training exercise. EOT advances by 3.

Allied 2nd Impulse – weather roll is another 6 +1 (7) MORE Snow in the Artic/Temp and rain in the Med and N Monsoon, the Axis are not impressed. The CW and France take a Combined. Alexander having arrived in Gibraltar is promptly sent back to Egypt now that the defence of France and Paris is untenable. Units in Egypt conduct famil exercise in the desert as another Indian Corps arrives. The Allies fail to roll EOT, advances by 3.

Axis 3rd Impulse – The German takes a Land, with snow and the prospect of attacking Paris starting at -7 Germany decides to wait for fine weather – it is coming. The European railway system works overtime as German ARM and MECH units are sent to Poland; two bomber head East as do the Paras aboard their Junkers Tpt. It would appear that with the Metz region of NE France cleared of French and Paris just waiting for the fine weather for it to be captured, the German Army is reorientating to their next objective – Russia. The 1941 Russian Campaign is ’on’ albeit probably delayed by a month or two as Rumania cannot be aligned until Vichy has been declared and that require Paris to be in Axis hands. Japan takes a no cost land and repositions both land and air units, no attacks as most of the easy targets have now been destroyed and the Japanese are now facing a double and triple stacked front line. Italy no DOW -Rain in the Med, they decline, and take a no cost combined, sailing another sub, the Italian roll EOT.

Partisan roll is a 10, np Partisans, sensibly they are staying ‘in doors’. The US Senate remains in winter hibernation – no actions taken. Rebase, production (Germany are denied another 3 resources from Sweden due to the snow) and M/J reinforcements.

M/A 1941

Allies win the initiative as France rolls a 7 which Germany’s 5 doesn’t beat, there is no reroll as it is not contested by the Axis/German as bad weather remains likely.

Allied 1st Impulse – weather roll is a 3 +1 (4), yep there it is again, Snow in the Artic/Temp and rain in the Med and N Monsoon, the Axis are not pleased as this ‘white Christmas’ has gone on far to long! CW takes a Naval and sails its convoy escorts and the Home Fleet to the 4 box in the N Sea. A small escort fleet of a CV, two BS and two tpts pick up Wavell and a MOT Corps off the French Coast, as the well-executed evacuation of the BEF begins. A strategic bombing of Dortmund is successful, despite the winter snows – 9’s will do that. France takes a no cost Land and moves the 7 ARM out of Paris to be replaced with Infantry. The now vacated hex on the West Coast is occupied by French units who dig in on the Southern bank of the Seine River. Paris awaits the terror from above but takes comfort in the Snow and the -4 on any attack. Russia starts to reinforce the Polish/German border as the threat of invasion increases. Reinforcements in Minsk and Odessa move forward, and aircraft rebased. China moves several Divs to man the front line. EOT, advances by 3

Axis 1st Impulse. Germany takes a land and rails 3 units, including Guderian (the first HQ) to Poland. German units in France are reorganised as they prepare to assault Paris once the weather clears. Units in Poland move away from city staging areas closer to the Russian border. Italy no change, Japan with atrocious weather and no single units to attack declines any attack rebasing acft forward. Advances by 3.

Allied 2nd Impulse – weather roll is another 4 Snow in the Artic/Temp and rain in the Med and N Monsoon, the Axis are not impressed. EOT, advances by 3. The CW takes a combined aborting Wavell to Morocco and disembarking the corps still at sea. The two BEF MECH Corps sprint to Bordeaux leaving French units to cover their withdrawal. France takes a Naval to assist with convoy escort. Russia rails another unit to the Far East to deter Japanese intervention. EOT, advances by 3

Axis 2nd Impulse. Germany takes another land and rails 3 units, including Armour to Poland. Japan anther land, moving units North in anticipation of fine weather. Italy prepares for war moving NAV air to forward bases. Axis (Japan) roll EOT with a 1 - another 2 impulse, bad (snow) weather turn! Paris survives another turn, the Allies celebrate.

Partisan roll 2, agitation in French Dakar is dealt with by local security forces as a single Partisan turns up in China. USE – the US Senate finally arises from its winter recess and concedes that the war in China and Europe is a portent of things to come and signs multiple US arms contractors and Gears Up – four Essex Class CVs now have their keels laid as the CV Saratoga arrives on the West Coast port of San Francisco. The first US HQ GEN Clarke is activated. The USE has had some quite lucky picks with a number of 3’s and 4’s drawn with only a single 1. So despite not having many chits the US has had good quality chits drawn. Interestingly not a single loss - zip - in this turn, from either side.

Return to base, production which sees the entire Japanese CV air arm removed from their CVs for retraining and reallocation of their air groups. 12 CVPs are sent to the reserve as its 9 pilots go on an intensive retraining course as new acft arrive from the Japanese factories. Both Germany and Japan invest in oil facilities anticipating a long war. Reinforcements arrive with a 9.5 SS MECH, 8 INF and a handy 5.2 ARTY plus a Stuka arriving in Konigsberg as the build up for OP Barbarossa continues. The current German garrison (GV) is 51+ 20 chits being between 91 – 101 (with average of either 2 = 40, 2.5 50) against the current Russian GV of 52.5, so Germany needs 105 GV so Germany will be close to a DOW Russia BUT with Paris still in French hands, and no Vichy declared, Germany’s vital ally, Rumania can be aligned – frustrating Russian invasion plans. Looking like a J/A invasion, Russia may need to either heavily contest the GV or else fall back to more defensible rear areas.

M/J 1941 – FINALLY FINE IN ALL THEATRES

The Allies win the initiative’s first ‘dice of’ with the French roll of 8 winning over the German’s 4. The Axis wanting the extra impulse demands a reroll and promptly rolls a definitive 10! The Axis gains the important initiative as they win ties, then the oh so important weather roll is an 8 – FINE everywhere - much relief for the Axis as they can now consider their options for next week’s session – DOWs, alignments and does the German expend its last O-Points to take Paris! The Axis is probably two turns behind ‘other’ games previous Axis schedule but have clearly set up for Op Barbarossa. They will be hoping for a long turn in J/A, followed by a long and fine S/O – we will hold our breath and watch with interest.

· 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