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

AUSGAME 2023

JUL/AUG 1944 – Part 2

AXIS DISASTER ON THE EASTERN FRONT CONTINUES – THE RUSSIAN JUGGERNOUGHT.

This session started with the Axis 1st Impulse of the J/A 44 turn, all land actions. The German desperately tried to fill the holes that had been created on the Eastern Front by the Allies getting two impulses in a row with one at the end of M/J and start of J/A – double tap. Italy decided to attempt to ‘take out’ some Allied units before they were forced to surrender, assaulting three single hexes at 1:1 odds – they all failed much to the relief of the CW. Japanese land units in China stated to head North withdrawing from the Chinese front-line, and in a series of lucky rolls they sank, damaged or aborted the 5 subs in the Sea of Japan as the US/CW sub force searched and rolled several 9’s and a 10’s.

The next Allied impulse saw nearly all Major Nations take land actions as the Russians exploited their earlier success advancing in Rumanian, E Poland and even in the Baltic as the German struggled to impose delay. The casualty pile tells its own story and worse more German Acft were shot down for marginal effect. The US progress was slow as he was rolling sub 10’s, often 5’s and 6’s on the 2D10 except on the last impulse where he finally rolled TOTT and exploited to the Siegfried line. The CW busied itself with expanding into Yugoslavia, threatening Bulgaria and being awarded the 1st Allied Nation to enter Germany as they followed up on the Germans withdrawal to Kiel. The CW Marines have again landed in Denmark and are now threatening to enter other German homeland hexes from the sea – further stretching the German reserves. The CW Lancaster’s have again been successful destroying a Factory in Dortmund and shutting down 4 factories on the Ruhr. However this BP loss will be offset as the German will receive additional BPs as he retrains Pilots – he has 17 in reserve at the moment and he will also get the BPs from Italian Pilots, Cadre and builds.

In the Far East – despite the initial slow start rolling a 3 then a 5, the Russia-Sino front has turned around as two low odds attacks were successful and the exchange of units is in Russia’s benefit as they advance to Harbin. The US on the borders of Manchuria have consolidated their position of cutting off the Japanese Army in China, and with the Japanese Conv finally found and sunk in the China Sea the IJA in China is now OOS. The Communists have only launched 1 assault, successfully capturing Sian and with multiple IJA units inverted they will be easily destroyed by Nationalist and Communists if they remain OOS.

For the Axis part, it will be their impulse next session, but so far, they have reacted to the breakthroughs, contained them where they could with their meagre reserves. They have had little wins at sea and in the air, and an occasional low dice roll by the Allies – but their days are clearly numbered as the photos tell their story of the declining position of the Axis forces.

This is our last session for the month as ironically our Japanese player is visiting the USA on holiday – next session, the end game turns will commence first week of May 23.

· ACFT – Aircraft

· LOC – Line of Communications

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

· AGN/AGS German Army Group North and South

· OOS - Out of Supply

The Eastern Front - ominous

AGN - breakthroughs in the North with many German units inverted

- it will be a nightmare for the German if the turn does not end soon.

AGS - its remnants withdrawing to the Rumanian capital as the E Poland line is established again - last of the German Hvy Arm Reserves committed to stem the advance.