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

AUSGAME 2023

JAN/FEB 1945

GERMANY IN DIRE STRAITS BUT JAPAN SAVES THE DAY – OR THE USA COULDN’T FIND THE JAPANESE IN FIVE IMPULSES.

Drum roll as the Eastern Front combatants dice off for the initiative, the Allies win with a Russian 8 v a German 6 – no reroll for the Axis as the marker is in the +1 Allies zone. The Allies finally win an initiative – it has been a while. The joy is somewhat short lived as the enthusiastic Russian rolls 10 +1 for a modified 11 – Blizzard, Blizzard and Snow in the Med, but luckily still fine in the N Monsoon.

Allied 1st Impulse,always a long turn when the US takes a Super Combined – its fine in the N Monsoon and the US has Japanese Convs to find, or so he thought. The CW took a Naval/Land with Russia and China taking Land actions and France a Naval. The US Naval sees it sail fleets off Truk and Manila in anticipation of cutting Japanese supply and launching assaults against these Japanese held Islands. Again, the US fails to cut supply, rolling multiple 9’s and 10’s – this is becoming a major issue as the search rolls in the Marshall’s sea zone is a 6 or less to find with US long rng Nav in the 4 box – the dice gods have been helping the Japanese immensely in the last phase of this game. Some success as the US/CW subs do find in the Sea of Japan and with it being storm, there are no acft, so they sink the two Japanese convs. Ground strikes from CVs invert all of Truk. and one in Manila. The CW also successfully GS the defenders of Singapore rolling 1’s and 2’s as Australians land in Malaya. The Chinese Nationalists also continue to assist the Japanese war effort as their attack against two inverted and OOS Japanese units in Canton is ANOTHER abysmal roll of 3! … and another 2/1 loss to the attacker.

The CW land sees British MECH units in the central valley of Austria, even in the Blizzard advance North to be adjacent to Prague, denying the Germans the ability to rail into the City, and capturing the Austrian oil. CW and French attempts to GS the last Germans in Italy fail in the bad weather, so no attacks in Italy this impulse. The French Navy contents itself to shifting units in the Med. British Tpts deliver Acft and Arm to Europe. On the Eastern Front the Russians use overwhelming force to make three attacks, all successful for a change – Russians easily offset the minuses for weather when attacking from 5 hexes. Russians advance in the blizzard, edging ever closer to Berlin. The US rebase to the front line in the hope of better weather. EOT advances by 3.

Axis 1st Impulse, Germany takes a Land and Japan a Combined. Japan sends an Amph escorted by BS into the Sea of Japan and in a surprise to everyone get found with a 8/2 split – again with no air US and CW subs sink the Amph – bonus. Germany’s land is a desperate juggling far too few units to man the Eastern Front and defend the front, reserves are sent from Berlin and in the West Cologne and the Resource hex is vacated to straighten the line, and the withdrawal of units from Italy is complete. Aircraft are rebased to meet the threat if the weather clears. EOT advances by 3.

Allied 2ND Impulse, Weather Roll 5+2 (7) snow, snow, but blizzard in the Med – is that a thing, Blizzard in the Med? Russian Marshalls are delighted and there is a stoic silence from the German camp. The US and the Russian take Land/air actions as the US need to fly acft into Pacific sea zones to deter against potential Japanese naval and air intervention. Both Russia and the US will be able to launch massed GS against the German lines and the Pacific Islands. The CW, France and China all take Land actions. The US Land/Air sees again searches in four sea zones by US acft and AGIN 4 x fails again! Manila, Hong Kong and Truk remain in supply. Truk is again fully inverted but the US declines to attack as the low odds could be costly – time is running out. A 1000 bomber raid targets Berlin heavily escorted the Luftwaffe contest aborts 1 bomber, and with a handy 8 roll the US stops all three factories production. The US GS multiple hexes on the Western Front and launch an attack against a German stack, with a 20 they take the hex with one loss but expand their Southern breakout. Other units advance into the vacated hexes in both Holland and Germany taking Cologne and the German resource hex – Germany has now been reduced to only 5 resources, I oil and 2 oil factories – builds will be marginal from now on, especially with the complimentary strategic bombing. The CW launch an assault against Sofia finally taking the Bulgarian capitol and also assault Trieste taking the port city with ease, forcing the last remnants of the Italian fleet to relocate. France aids the Allied war effort by taking Turin and get the bonus red factory.

The Russian assault against Japanese units in Manchuria is called off as the Japanese Ftrs shoot down the Russian escorting Ftrs, and both bombers attempting a GS for no loss – with few winterised units in Manchuria, and previous losses the Russia declines to attack. Another great Allied impulse for the Japanese who is holding his own against the US, Russia, China and the CW. The only joy for the Allies is the Australians launch and assault against the Japanese defenders in Singapore and roll TOT taking back this valuable port. EOT advances by 3.

Axis 2nd Impulse, Next session - Snow was not the weather the Axis wanted, with the evaporation of the Eastern front defences, the last line before Berlin is now the Oder River another Blizzard turn would have been ideal. Germany will need to take a land and Japan will take a Combined to reinforce the Sea of Japan and sail out 2 x Convs both for supply and production. Both Axis countries will be hoping for the EOT roll of 4which will again save Manila, Hong Kong and Truk as supply will be maintained. The current victory point count is 14 Axis (5 x German and 9 Japan) and 56 Allied. IF the turn does not end, Russian units could be adjacent to Berlin!

· ACFT – Aircraft

· LOC – Line of Communications

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more