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

AUSGAME 2023

SEP/OCT 1944 – EOT

… AND THEN THERE WERE TWO – ITALY SURRENDERS BUT GERMANY WINS THE INITIATIVE AND SAVES THE AXIS.

The S/O reinforcements were placed with Germany balancing between threats from the East and West. The important initiative – they all are at this stage – was lost by the Axis on the first roll, who then demanded a second roll, defiantly winning with a 10. Russia with a +1 now, failed to roll the 10 needed and a huge sigh of relief for Germany as the Axis went first. The important weather result was mixed with a 7 – rain everywhere. Mixed, as it reduces the allied GS effectiveness from the massed Allied air-forces but also halves Axis supply and movement, EOT advances by 2 which was important to the Axis.

Axis Impulses - three. Germany took all Land actions and Japan a Combines. Germany took land actions to constantly react to filling the holes that the Allies an both fronts, Eastern and Western created at every impulse. Strategic withdrawals a rear-guard actions – trading time for land was well played by the German who is attempting to minimise his losses. The German is now defending the Reich as a succession of minor allies’ collapse under the combined weight of Allied pressure. The two highlights for this turn was that the Luftwaffe finally evened up the score board with a 2:1 loss ratio in its favour, something we have not seen for a long time. Secondly, the Russian rolled the EOT on a 2 ending the turn early and not costing a shift in the all-important initiative marker.

Japan mainly focussed on maintaining its supply lines in the Sea of Japan to ensure that the Army in Manchuria remains in supply and what few resources that can get through to the Japanese homeland do so. The Japanese Army in China was significantly reduced this turn as it remained OOS despite attempts to sneak a supply convoy through each impulse. The Chinese launched multiple attacks, some at low odds and were very successful in destroying half of that trapped army with over 10 land units destroyed for little Chinese loss. The only saving grace for the Japanese is that it has not lost acft and remains very strong in the air as is able to contest a single sea zone with 30+ acft – who needs CVs!

Allied Impulses – three. With rain everywhere the US initially took an air to cover sea areas, GS and rebased in both the ETO and PTO. US operations were limited by weather and combat power, but there was some progress in the advance into Germany with US forces now adjacent to Munich. Amsterdam was captured which liberates another European country from the oppression of the German yoke. Several German factories were bombed by US and CW Strat bombers as well as 6 Italian BPs that had been stored in Italian factories. In the PTO the US focus was on inverting the defenders of Truk and Manila in preparation for invasions and assault in the coming fine weather of the N Monsoon. They were very successful with full inverts in Manila, but only 1 Div in Truk. Hong Kong and Canton will be also vulnerable to US inversions which will certainly help the Nationalists. Some success for the US/CW subs as 4 Japanese Convs were sunk.

The CW initially took a naval land, followed by land actions so that they could follow up on the surrender of the Italians and prosecute the Yugoslav and Balkan campaigns. In Italy CW forces advanced along the coast and on the third impulse assaulted the Northern Mountain range to break the German defensive line and advance to the Po River. In Yugoslavia, advance against the porous Axis line saw a gradual advance to the Hungarian border and Belgrade captured, which forced the surrender of Yugoslavia at the EOT. Disaster for the CW in the Balkans as a high odds attack against two OOS and inverted units adjacent to Sophia saw the CW roll a 3! Losing units and becoming fully inverted. Also, bad news for the CW was the huge loss of acft in air combat over Europe – it appears that the Aces from German Air training schools have been called up as the loss ratio of CW:German acft was 2:1.

France’s actions were mostly Naval and supporting the CW in the Med by transporting units into Italy and Yugoslavia. Their acft were active supporting US air ops on the Western Front.

Russia’s Land saw few GS from Air and Arty as again most were too far behind the lines to be effective or reach their targets. Russia was able to conquer Rumania securing Bucharest after the US successfully GS the Capitals defenders. Russia also captured the Ploesti oil fields intact which now denies the German 3 oil and will allow US Strat bombers in the Med to focus on the Austrian oil and German factories. Russia advanced into Poland and crossed the Hungarian and Prussian borders. With O-Points in reserve and winter coming Warsaw and Konigsberg are both likely to fall and if the turn goes long enough, Hungary could be conquered as well. In the Far East, Russian units have advanced on the Russo-Sino front, in part as the Japanese has had to withdraw as well as a number of exchanges that is bleeding the Japanese and Manchurian defenders. Russia elected not to use o-points and conserved them for next turn.

China, with much of the Japanese Army OOS and some inverted attacked units at every opportunity. They destroyed 11 land units which was half the Japanese Army in China. They even captured the old Capital of Peking and are now looking at reclaiming Shanghai, Canton and possibly Hong Kong.

EOT – Russia aided the Axis by again rolling a 2 at the first opportunity to end the turn. A partisan turned up in Norway and three more in China. Rebases, production – which Germany gets to spend 8 bonus Italian BPs. Japan spends it oil to keep its INF/FTR builds up as they are now only tracing two resources into Japan. Conquest phase – Yugoslavia is liberated by the CW, Netherlands is liberated by the US and returned to CW control and Rumania is conquered by the Russians. Reinforcements are placed with additional German acft sent to the Russian front as German Acft losses this turn have been moderate compared to previous turns.

NOV/DEC 1944 – last Turn of the War

…AND GERMANY WINS THE INITIATIVE AGAIN – but rolls Snow.

The important initiative which the Allies lose again, but demand a reroll, Axis gain a +1, Russia doesn’t need to roll as Germany rolled another 10! – that is twice in the two last turns of 44’ they have again avoided giving the Allies double impulse. However, Germany’s weather roll is a 7 Snow in both the Artic and Temp – Russia is delighted, not so much the other Allies.

Axis first impulse N/D 44 saw a massed withdrawal in the East to the defend the Vistula River and Warsaw, a withdrawal also to defend Hungary now that Rumania has fallen and, in the West, reinforcements are sent to block the US breakout in SW Germany and the Defence of Munich. The German cities of Saarbrucken and Aachen were vacated in order to straighten the German line. German Acft are rebased, with some additional acft rebased to the Eastern Front now that winter has arrived and the expected progress on the Western Front will be moderate.

Japan took a combined and slipped through a Conv into the China Sea. Undetected it secures the supply to the beleaguered garrison of Manila and the Chinese mainland. A fleet is sent into the Sea of Japan protecting a supply Tpt and multiple Acft react to the US sub search in that sea area – no finds. EOT advances by 2.

Next session Allied 1st Impulse in bad (Snow) weather– The Russian will attack in snow, may even use an O Chit, in snow there will be few opportunities for the Western Allies, as they will be hoping for a 1 or a 2 to be rolled for a Temperate clear impulse before 44’ closes, and the Axis a 9 or 10!

· ACFT – Aircraft

· LOC – Line of Communications

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

· AGN/AGS German Army Group North and South