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

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AUSGAME2023

1943 N/D The Axis get a break – Initiative Win and Bad Weather

Almost aligning with ‘real life’ our first session back for 2023 is the 1943 N/D turn. Axis had won the initiative and elected to go first and rolled a perfect ‘10’ for bad weather, up by 3 and +2 on the dice. With Paris previously liberated by the US last turn, mainland France was liberated with the CW and US returning all hexes, only minor problem for the French is their 4-oil stored in their former homeland of French Guinea now needs to be shipped to mainland France.

Axis 1st Impulse, Germany and Italy both take Land actions and Japan a Naval. Axis land units in France reform a line on the Belgium/French border, hinged in the N East on Metz and the Swiss Alps – mostly double/triple stacked with reinforcements from Germany - their front line is now stabilised. In Southern France the single units, step back in a thin ‘gray/black/green’ line through the city of Lyon and head to the Italian Alps as they extricate themselves in the snow. In response to the Greeks arriving on the Bulgarian border, the Italians commence their withdrawal from Greece and Bulgarian units are recalled to defend their capital and the Axis backdoor that had been left ajar. In Russia, Germany made slight adjustments to the Eastern Front and rebased air to maximise their coverage of the front with the few fighters they have. Three units, including a MECH and ARM Corps are railed to E Poland as a strategic reserve.

Japan’s Naval sees its naval assets secure both the Sea of Japan and China Sea – their focus is to protect its 8 Convoys in the Sea of Japan and minimise losses. The Advance fleet commits to the 2 box of the China Sea so that its land-based air can react if the US Pacific Fleet ‘comes out to play’. Subs are sent out with intercept mission as the only search is by their raider, which finds and sinks a French conv cutting the Indian resource to the UK. Aircraft are rebased, including several CV planes. The Japanese fast CA Kido Butai Fleet (Mobile Force) is kept in reserve hoping for storm to sortie out and inflict damage on US shipping – a good plan.

Allied 1st Impulse,US takes a Naval/Land, spending 11 O-Points, CW takes a Comb and Russia takes an Air, China a Land and France, now an active player, a Naval. The US Naval sees the US reinforcing the Pacific with shipping and air, and their transports and Amphs supported by the bulk of the US Pacific Fleet enters the Bismark Sea and invade and land reinforcements in the Philippines – excellent work by the single Japanese sub interdicts multiple transports and Amphs messing the US invasion plans of Borneo and the Philippines. The Japanese is very relieved as its Naval units have a chance to recover from the battering it received last turn. The US delivers reinforcements to Europe and France, both acft and land units. US and French shipping enter the W Med with the CW providing air cover. The CW Med Fleet sails off the Coast of Italy announcing that the RN has arrived, and the Home Fleet occupies the E Med. The CW land Alexander HQ and Ind MECH land in N Greece. France’s Naval sees it deliver its 7.4 INF into Corsica to secure the port. The US advances all its land forces forward to the Belgium Border and await fine weather - the US and CW forces can do little in bad weather and must sit out the winter. With many Russian planes too far behind the lines and with blizzard covering most of the front it was decided to conduct an Air action. The Polesti oil was in Snow so 3 long range strategic bombers attacked escorted by 2 long range fighters. Concerned with his limited oil, Germany flew 2 fighters of his own led by an 8 factor. The air battle was a +2/-2 in favour of Germany however, the Luftwaffe generously cleared through all 3 bombers with no fighters lost. The roll of 6 on the 7-9 column halted only 1 oil production. The Russian rebased their entire airforce forward anticipating snow on the next impulse.

Axis 2nd Impulse, Weather roll a 5 +2 (7), Snow in the Artic AND Temp, fine in the N Monsoon. Not what the Axis wanted; snow is always bad news in the Artic. Germany and Japan take Land actions. Italy declares a Naval and sends the entire Regia Marina under the cover of Italian air in to the 2 box to challenge the British Med Fleet off the coast of Italy – we suspect their Chief of Navy was given an offer he could not refuse by Mussolini – both fleets fail to fine rolling 7s and 8s – anticlimax for the admirals. Interestingly the Italians have vacated Sicily as they simply do not have enough land units to defend mainland Italy from invasion – the clock is ticking for Mussolini’s regime. Germany’s land sees it again adjust its units on the Russian line and in the West. Attempts to GS Russian stacks using air and arty fail with no inversions – the Russians are free to assault their foes in the snow. Japan’s Land sees him reposition units in Manchuria ahead of the resumption of Sino/Russian hostilities. Three units on the Russian border are reinverted and both sides checked the garrison calculations but the best ratio of around 1.5 for the Russian means that Japan remains safe for now. Japanese marines in the Philippines head toward Manila as the threat of being isolated by US land units increases with the arrival of their Marines and DIVs.

Allied 2nd impulse The US, CW and France all go Comb, China a Land and Russia spends 11 O-Points to take an Air/Land. The CW ABDA Fleet joins the MED Fleet off the coast of Italy and the CW fly additional Ftrs into the sea area – the CW has now a substantial overmatch on the Italian fleet and its air cover. The search is again anticlimactical as both fleets fail to find despite having 14 acft and 24 ships in the sea area, I guess it is the rain. The US land units in Europe and MacArthur (HQ) is redeployed from France to the Med, France lands a 7.4 in Corsica, threatening Sardinia. A victory for the German over the Ploesti Oil fields as their 5 factor Ftr rolls snake eyes shooting down a B17. But success for the British Lancaster’s that get cleared through and bomb the two factories of Essen – no production from these this turn. In France some movement forward and another Greek Corps lands A on the border of Bulgaria as the Greek MTN units crosses the border capturing the Bulgarian resource. Horrible time in the air in Russia losing 4 Ftrs and 2 Bombers for the loss of a single Russian ftr. The balance in the air forces has significantly shifted on the Russian front as the Russian has 15 Ftrs v 3 Axis a 5:1 ratio that will be extremely dangerous if not addresses before the 44 summer. China in a surprise finally ventures and launches and assault against Hanoi – and rolls a 19 taking the city and claiming an historic victory – Nationalist 1 - Communists 0. Indo China will now become part of the greater Chinese co-prosperity sphere, although the US is looking at the opportunity for landings and airbases. Stalin ecstatically accepted Churchill's advice to conduct an Air/Land double action. Ground strikes were launched by 3 Art and 9 bombers, most of which got through to their targets. Poor rolling however limited the disruptions to single Corps and only 2 Divs/guns. The lack of disruptions limited the attacks to three. The southern point hex was attacked by 3 hexes to accumulate winterised bonuses. A hex in the Pripet marshes with a single German Inf was also targeted at high odds. In both these two attacks the German ground support was strong with many bombers but only a few escorting ftrs. Bounce results with +6 odds cleared through a bomber to each combat at the cost to the German ftrs. Final modifiers were +11.3 blitz in the South and +10.8 assault in the Pripet marshes against the single Inf. The first attack in the North for over a year was also declared near Minsk, a speculative +3.1 assault. The rolls were slightly above average with a */1B in the south, a TOTT (+GBA) in the Pripet and a 2/1 north of Minsk. The front line in the South has ruptured with two holes which the German will struggle to fill. Russia used 2 HQ's to re-invert planes in the South hoping for more snow and a bonus impulse. In Siberia, preparations continue with 2 more units railed, including a second HQ. Stalin failed to end the turn, but if he had AND had won the 1st impulse of J/F44 there was a huge opportunity to pocket AGS and seal off Kiev.

Axis 3rd Impulse,Weather roll was a 4+1 (5), the snow clears on the Russian Front (Stalin more than a little disappointed) much to the relief of the Germans, storm in the Artic and rain in the Temp – fine in the Med. Germany will need to take a land to fill the holes that the Russian winter attacks have created. Italy will almost certainly need to take a Naval action to extricate its Navy from the Italian Coast as any find now in fine weather will be costly against the two British fleets and its CVs that are dominating the Coast of Italy. End of a long session for the Axis as the Allies have now a lot of units to move, especially at sea, especially when they take multiple actions in the opening impulse of a new turn. Next week the Axis 3rd impulse, they can end the turn on a 5, that will be their hope as the pressure by the Allies is mounting as the balance of the game shifts in the Allies favour.

As a “how are we going” Victory Point City Count as at N/D 1943 - the Axis currently hold 23 v 30 historical (see below) so the Allies are well ahead in this the game - However, the Axis still hold a chance of a win if they can hold onto 9 VP Cities by the end of the game. Bad weather short turns and no snow - the race is on, as the Axis prepares to ‘repel all borders’ and the Allies seek to exploit the destruction of the Luftwaffe.

HISTORICAL CITY COUNT as at N/D 1943

Germany 17

Italy 3

Japan 10

Total 30

China 1

CW 19

France 1

USA 10

USSR 6

Total 37

· ACFT – Aircraft