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

AUSGAME 2022

S/O 1941 – GERMANY DOW V GREECE (Cont)

Allied 2nd impulse – with a fine weather roll of 3, the CW took a Naval and sailed 2 x Corps and a Div into Greece, one into Athens, and the other to secure the minor port of Kalamata. Two other INF Corps are ready to land on board a Tpt and Amph in the 2-box protected by the Med Fleet and multiple British Ftrs and 5 CVs. Russia takes a land and advances along the Siberian rail line recapturing rail and forcing the Japanese to go on the defensive, further units are railed into the front as well as several MIL to the German front – canon fodder for the 1942 invasion that will come. The US takes a combined – as he must – another CV and arrives in Pearl. China a no cost land adjusts it line awaiting inspiration or an inversion from Russian long-range bombers.

Axis 2nd impulse – the Axis massed German and Italian air attack the E Med with gusto. Stukas and Savoia-Marchetti-sm-79-sparviero bombers flood the 1 box as Axis Ftrs from Italy and Sicily scramble to support the NAVS, even a Stuka joins in. The Italians’ search and roll a 2 – the CW is very, very nervous, but the CW luck holds, and he rolls a 1! All the Allied acft are in, CVs and L/Based acft – the split gives the CW a shift and the biggest air combat so far in the game ensues. The CW having a +2 v -1 on the A2A table has the advantage against the Axis, but at those odds anything can happen. In multiple rolls, good rolling by the CW results in two Axis bombers destroyed, but importantly 3 x NAVS are aborted back to Sicily with several handy AAs – AX or DXs would have been better. The return fire by the front German Ftr results in the British NAV and a CVP together with their pilots being shot down on rolls of 17 – so not one way traffic by any means. However, only one Axis bomber was cleared through, but 2 x 5’s rolled on the lowest of two AA dice sees even that last bomber aborted back to the Axis coast. The CW sigh in relief as it could have been a naval disaster. However, disaster averted for the BEF in Greece as the Royal Navy celebrates a major win and secures the E Med. Japan takes a Land and uses 6 O-Points to reinvert the HQ Yamashita to lead the assault against Khabarovsk with orders that it must be taken this impulse – it is fine weather which may not last. Japan is desperate to take this last city in the Far East, one to stop the Russian easily reinforcing and in order to reorientate to prepare for the clash with the US. They launch a +7.1 attack and roll a marginal 11, for a perfect 18 -/1 – 1 loss only to the defender. Japan finally takes the city.

Allied 3rd impulse Weather roll is a 5 – rain in the Artic, fine elsewhere. The Greek Res MIL is deployed outside the city’s gates. The CW takes a land and disembarks the two CW INF and another Div, Greek and British units advance to meet the Italians and the Germans and guard the Thermopylae Pass – 2 Corps and 1 Div – none shall pass – they place a guard on the goat track (some will understand). In Libya Mech units advance along the coast and capture the port of Homs – a step closer to Tripoli. US take a NC Combined and sails another CV (Ranger) into Pearl, and then there were 4. Russia in rain does little and China even less.

Axis 3rd Impulse. The Axis recognises that with all its NAV air aborted in Sicily and the Italian coast their ability to contest the British in the E Med is not achievable and concede that Yugoslavia will be aligned next impulse as there is little they can do. To challenge the CW air force Italy takes an no cost Air and rebases its entire air force towards the E Med. Germany takes a Land and rails and move units to cover the Yugoslav borderlands, units arrive in Hungary and Australia - so there are no surprise breakouts by the Yugoslav Army. The Greek campaign is paused as reinforcements head to the Yugoslav border from the South. Japan takes a combined and sends shipping towards Truk and the Marshall Islands. No EOT roll.

Allied 4th Impulse – Weather is a 6, the UK aligns Yugoslavia – much to the dismay of the Yugoslavs, without Allied units the small Yugoslav Army has little chance against the Germans. The US Senate is a little dismayed by this turn of events and coughs up a chit out of the German pool. The majority of the Yugoslav Army sets up around its capital Belgrade, the 2.4 Cav trots to the iron mines of Pola, capturing the resource off the Italians. The Yugoslav Airforce flies off the Italian Coast, hunting an Italian Nav air but there are no finds by either side. The US takes a Combined Another 2 x US CV arrives in Pearl (Wasp and Yorktown) then there were 5 as well as a GAR Div in Pago Pago. Russia and China do little movement in the rain, France moves Conv.

Axis 4th impulse, Germany takes a Land and advance its Army into Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav HQ is inverted a lucky GS of 1, and is put OOS and eliminated, Zagreb is captured, and a Yugoslav guard Corps is eliminated on the approaches to Belgrade. The Greek campaign is still on ‘hold’ whilst the Yugoslavs are dealt with – this is not going according to the German plan – Hitler blames Mussolini. Japan takes a Comb and starts to redeploy shipping, lnd and air units for the next phase of the war – a war with the Allies.

Allied 5th Imp Weather roll is a 5, fine weather again, CW Takes a Combined and sails convoys out to the E and W Med to keep supply and maybe get a bonus resource out of the Med. Russia advances capturing its first Manchurian hex – flipping in the rain, another HQ rails to the Far east along the newly liberated Trans-Siberian rail line. US takes a NCC and sails another BS to Pearl, China stays put. EOT Roll 5 – turn ends, Initiative track +1 Axis as the Allies started and ended.

Partisans roll is a 4 as partisans turn up in Siberia and in China, occupying the resource in Southern China – another resource not available to Japan. The USE chit drawn goes into the Japanese pool and the Senate is now more active than it has been before as it opens the Burma Road allowing resources and BPs to be shipped to China. The Senate then declares their support to reinforce the Pacific putting the Japanese on notice. The US Senate then grants Churchills request for 50 aging destroyers, to assist with maritime security and then approves the shipment of resources to Russia – four actions in one turn, more than it has done in previous year’s – the Allies are excited. Rebase and production – the Japanese occupy the Marshalls and give the US another chit to the Japanese pool and even better, the CW claim that they have supported Greece (4 Corps) and again the US get another chit in the German pool – it’s a USE chit frenzy.

Summary

In brief, not a good ‘day in the office’ (2 Months) for the Axis, Japan is still at war with the Russians, and Russia has declared that it intends to punish Japan for its DOW and stay ‘at war’. Russia wants to keep its full land options open, its capacity to store oil and produce and keep on the board its MIL and Res units, not to mention the off chance of gaining the odd GBA against Japan. Importantly, Japan has captured the important city of Khabarovsk making any real Russian progress slow and Russia will be at war with Germany in the the next few turns so will be only on the offensive for possibly two turns as it needs to get its HQs, acft and better unit back to the West to face off against the German attack. Japan has occupied the Marshalls, Truk and has now reorientated to prepare for war against the Western Allies – who will blink first. IF the Allies go first the CW can dump 2 x Divs in Rabaul - does Japan DOW and invade or wait for the US DOW?

German is still in Yugoslavia, having yet to capture the capital as the turn ended and winter is coming (N/D and J/F) Greece has not progressed as Churchill’s plan to mess the German plan is working with the arrival of 4 x CW Corps guarding Thermopylae and the mountain approaches Athens, worse with Greece surviving its first turn of war it gets a handy 5 factor MTN unit. As long as the CW Corps’ remain in supply Greece could well survive – a job for the Italian and German air forces, but they are running out of time as the German Army and air force MUST get back to the Russian border soon to position for the 42 OP BARBAROSSA. How long the CW can remain in control of the E Med is marginal at best as more Axis reinforcing Ftrs and Navs are arriving every impulse to contest the British air force. Just need the good o’l USA to get in the war – cannot be soon enough for the British.

Next session in two weeks – thanks for reading, Mike AKA Churchill AKA the CW

· 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