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

AUSGAME 2023

MAR/APR 1944

GAME REPORT – 3 WEEKS OFF – COVID19.

Axis 2nd Impulse – Weather roll is a 4, SNOW in the Arctic, with bad weather everywhere else, though fine in the N Monsoon, +3 to the EOT and +1 to the next weather roll. EOT advances by 3. Axis kick off this session as the Japanese player returns from his Pacific Cruise and an enforced 2 weeks of Covid 19 recovery – he was not well. Japan and Germany take land actions and Italy a no cost land to conserve oil. Japan spends 7 O-Points to reinvert the Umezu HQ in S China as he is alone on the front-line and the Japanese need to redress their front line. Canton can no longer be shipped resources by rail as the Nationalist interdict the hex – Japan down a Red factory and a resource – and so it begins. The 4.2 Partisan in Vietnam attacks an inverted Chinese Nationalist Gar unit in the mountains and rolls an impressive 17 destroying the 3.1 Gar for no loss and remaining upright. The Siamese unit in Burma was not so lucky, eliminating itself against the staunch defence offered by an Aust Div supported by shore bombardment. Japanese land units readjust their line in S China and rail further units to garrison the Russo-Sino border – it is touch and go if the Russian can break the pact in J/A turn as Japan is matching off against the Russians being railed East. Japan is however, running out of units – the Nationalist success in S China have reduced the number of land units in the South and with fine weather the Communists will become active. Germany concedes a hex of the Pripet Marshes and moves winterised units to the point hexes to prepare for Stalin’s next assault as the Arctic is in snow. German units and the odd Italian Unit is railed to mainland Italy.

Allied 2nd Impulse – With Snow in the Arctic, Russia declares a land action but kept its O-points rather than declare a land offensive. The Russian GS the German line and rolled well in the air battles and with GS, continuing the low rolls in the A2A combat several German acft were lost but the pilots were saved. The low rolls should have been a red flag (forgive the pun) of things to come as 3 attacks were declared. A 2-hex assault on Vilna at +8.6 saw a roll of 6 for the dreaded ~14, Russia loses 3 units for a Div loss to the German. A 2-hex assault in the Pripet marshes at +12, roll of 8 for a 20 - 1/2s against the sole defender. Finally, a 3 hex blitz SW of Kiev using Zhukov at +10.7, overall roll of 10 for 1(hard hex)/B as the stack is only bounced back to Berlin. Russia lost 5 units to Germany’s 2 – not a good winter offensive result.

In the Pacific the fine weather in N Monsoon allows the US to declare a combined, and sails a CA into the China Sea to find the Japanese CA in the top box and if they get a big split attack the Conv and its escorts in the zero box – the US rolls a 10, a definitive fail, the Japanese rolls a 9 so no find. The US reinforce the Philippines, Manila is now surrounded, attempted GS, needing 1’s fail so no attack as the Japanese dig in. The CW takes a Land action, as they slowly advance in Sicily despite the mud, units shuffle on the border of Bulgaria and in Greece and over in the Pacific British units retake Rangoon. Japanese land units still occupy the valuable Burma oil fields, but time is running out as they are now cut off from supply. US and CW Marines also invade the islands on the Dalmatian coast, preparing to create another front for the Axis to deal with. France takes another naval and ships units to France and Corsica. Allies fail to roll EOT on a 1, and the turn advances by 3, Axis can end the turn on a 4.

Axis 3rd Impulse – Weather roll is a 2, Blizzard in the Arctic bad weather everywhere else!, +3 to the EOT and +1 to the next weather roll. Germany takes a land action, Italy a no cost land and Japan a Comb. The German and Italian rail units to counter the Dalmatian coast incursion, The Russian front line is re-established, and Germany’s strategic Reserve of an 8-6 and 7-6 ARM are railed to Rumania and reinverted as the Russian front line in AGS has no depth. Ftrs are rebased to Russia knowing that reinforcing Ftrs will turn up in Germany next turn. Japan commits his Reserve fleet into the 1 Box in the China sea to hunt the US land-based air, in an attempt to attrition the US air advantage before the US Pacific fleet arrives – Japan rolls a find and surprises the USA as he rolls a 10! Handy 3 – 10 split and one round of air combat sees the PBY Cat is shot down and the CA Chester sunk, Second search and the US finds and elects to sink the Japanese CA Chikuma in the 4 box (failed both D’s), declining to engage the Japanese Conv in the 0 box and its CA escorts, 3rd round US rolls another 10 (a theme for the US) and the Japanese an 8 – no find. The Japanese has failed to clear the skies and nervously awaits the EOT roll as the US Pacific fleet ‘starts its motors’. Axis fail to roll EOT (4 needed).

Allied 3rd Impulse – A bonus impulse for the Allies, especially the US who is keen to attack the Japanese Imperial Navy which has now been fully committed to the 1 Box in the China Sea – any find by the US will be very expensive for the Japanese as the US air factors from both Land based and CV Acft is significantly in the US favour. But lady luck is on the Japanese side as they roll a 1 and the US rolls another 10, his 4th search tonight!!!! This gives the IJN a surface as he converts from air, and also chooses a target as the Yamato and Musashi and the rest of the IJN ambush the Pacific Fleet. Luck fails the US as he fails to save the X on the brand-new Lexington II and the Alabama – in contrast the Japanese saves both its sink and a damage rolling 10’s OH the fickle nature of the D10 – what should have been a US Naval victory has seen the IJN claiming a huge win sinking a Red CV and a fast BS for no loss. Both sides had a few Ds but they will both be repaired this turn. No second round as both fleets fail to find – the US quite rightly not very happy. The CW takes an Air and strat bombs Germany despite snow blanketing Europe, most with +1 as most of the German Ftrs are inverted. Rolling well the factories of Stuttgart, Essen and Brussels are shut down as is the W German Oil refinery and a bonus 10 rolled on Turin sees both the Italian factories affected, halving Italian production to 2BPs. A bonus for the Allies is that 2 more Axis Ftrs are also destroyed further adding to the Luftwaffe and Corpo Aereo Italiano losses. The Axis have lost 9 Ftrs this turn, including a 9 and 3 x 8’s as the air war swings in the favour of the Allies. Russia, with blizzard in the arctic took an opportunity west of Kiev with a 3 hex Blitz attack, Zhukov was reinverted to spearhead the attack spending 7 O-points, brining the odds to +15.1. A roll of 13 saw the first ToTT for several sessions sending Rommel to the spiral and 2 Axis units eliminated. On the Japanese front, 2 Mtn and a Mech were railed east in addition to units and planes built there. Allies fail to roll EOT – 7 needed, Axis gets another impulse.

Axis 4th Impulse – Weather roll is a 1, Blizzard in the Arctic bad weather everywhere else!, +3 to the EOT and +1 to the next weather roll. EOT roll is an 8. Axis quick conference, and Japan and Italy pass – Germany takes a combined to sail its U-Boat fleet (6 Subs) in an attempt to deal a blow to the CW Conv with the EOT roll being almost guaranteed on a 9 or less. Germany’s U Boats go hunting past the patrolling Sunderland which finds one as it transits the Faroes Gap, forcing it to stop. The Allies having apparently broken the German naval codes have great success at sea sinking two subs, damaging another and aborting one – The 2 x U-Boats in the Bay of Biscay fail to find or be found. No losses in the convoy lanes as the CW survive the last U-Boat assault for a while as land operations in M/J and JA will take priority. Axis roll an EOT, initiative marker moves to the 0 box, Allies will win ties. Partisan roll moderate 3 and 4 with only 2 Partisans turning up in China – only 1 left in the cup.

EOT - Production and reinforcements next week, as we enter the game critical fine weather of 1944. Italy is under threat as the Allies occupy Sicily, the Axis is stretched, and its air-force is taking unsustainable losses. The Strategic Air war is starting to bite and costing both Italy and Germany valuable BPs. Japan is withdrawing under pressure in China and the war between Japan and Russia may hinge on reinforcements as the Garrison Value is too close call. The US Pacific has been given its second bloody nose by the IJN – but luck can run out just as quickly as it can arrive and the US land-based air is arriving with every turn's reinforcements, it has the range to contest high boxes whereas the Japanese must content to fight from the 2 box to ensure it gets its reactive air. On the Russian front the Russian only has to roll a few high TOTT roles to break the German line and has the O-points to launch an offensive. The German line although strong, lacks depth and the eastern front Luftwaffe has been butchered during the winter – they are down to only two Ftrs supporting AGN and two for AGS, with a single 4 point Ftr defending the valuable Ploesti Oil fields. The saving grace for the German ATM is that the Russian is committed to breaking the pact with Japan and the bulk of its reinforcements have been heading East, including ARM/MECH and acft. Next week, whoever wins the initiative will need to roll again, but Allies have a marginal advantage as they win ties.

· ACFT – Aircraft

· LOC – Line of Communications

· NCC - No Cost Combined – no oil used

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

· AGN/AGS German Army Group North and South