World in Flames via FB - 24

Partisans tie down Soviet forces that might be better off on, or rather near, the western border with the Axis powers who might be planning to declare war.

But wait, the US has just declared war on Germany and Italy.

AUSGAME 2020 1942 M/A - TOTAL WAR

Another abbreviated summary of last week’s session:

Notable events M/A 42:

• Axis had won the M/A initiative roll, with likely bad weather in the Artic they hand it to the Allies, securing the Axis +1 Axis initiative for M/J Op Barbarossa.

• Weather roll 1st impulse 2 (+ 2) 4 Weather mostly Snow, storm and rain – fine NM.

• US first impulse DOW roll last week v GERM was 9 – no war.

• Allied first impulse; CW and US Naval, Russia/China land.

• US sail subs and ca’s into the South China Sea and Sea of Japan.

• US CAs find and sink Jap 3 x conv in South China Sea – Japan now down to 9 Convs.

• US CA and Jap CA’s engage in gun duel in Sea of Japan – CA’s damaged on both sides.

• No land actions by China, Russia in Snow pulls back from the front line and resets.

• GERM comb finds and Xs 2 x CP off the Canadian Coast,

• GERM Nav air roll 3 in the N Sea, find and D the brand-new BS HMS Howe – saved an X almost a first for the Royal Navy, British acft abort due to failed morale roll.

• Italy Comb - lands GERM units in N Africa.

• Jap Comb – reinforces with air Hong Kong and fleets, CV’s max out air groups.

• Allied 2nd Impulse weather 9 - clear everywhere.

• US DOW Rolled 5, success USA at War with GERM and Italy - needed a 7.

• Mexico joins the fight - aligned by the US.

• US and CW Comb, Russia and China Land.

• US TF57 sail into the South China Sea, search roll a 10!

• US TF57 sprung by a lone Jap CA Myoko, with a 3 -10 split she torpedoes the CV Saratoga which fails it’s D result and returned to the US for repairs.

• JAP Nav air elects not to abort but is found on the 2nd round and shot down – pilot survives.

• US G/Strike Hong Kong acft and lose a CVP to a bounce result.

• US Divs with TF57 Invade Sawing Kla (Siam) overrunning a CA and Amph and Hainan.

• Overrun CA and Amph – escape as TF57 caught napping.

• Russia, after 6 months of preparation finally destroys the 2 factor (4 in the Mtn) Partisan in the oil city of Bandar Shahpur rolling a 19! The oil lines to Iran and Iraq are now free to ship oil to Russia.

• Chinese Nationalist and Communist launch a spring offensive destroying 2 Jap Corps and a valuable ART unit for single losses.

• Nationalist +4 attack, rolled 16 for a 2/1 – Japan not happy.

• Axis 2nd impulse – Jap Comb, Italian Naval, GERM land.

• Japan aligns Madagascar.

• Jap Strike and Advance TFs sail into the South China Sea - search for the US – neither find as both roll 10’s! Funny War at sea.

• Japan abandon Nanning in S China rather than be cut off by advancing Nationalists.

• EOT Rolled by the Axis – 2 impulses each.

• PART roll 10 – nil China again – fourth failed Chinese Partisans in a row – ‘hearts and minds’.

• Rebase, prod and reinforcement next session.

Summary.

A marginal session – none were happy except GERM. The Axis did not get the initiative shift as they had hoped for as Japan rolled EOT. GERM and Italy were somewhat pleased as the Russian units slated for redeployment from Iranian anti-Partisan duties and Manchuria did not move due to the EOT, this includes ALL the Soviet bombing fleet – 5 acft remain in the vicinity of Iran and two HQs (Konev and Vatutin) won’t be on the front line for the Barbarossa invasion, unable to reinvert 7 Res – this could be significant. GERM/ITAL losses for this turn were nil – despite attempts by the Allies to attrition SCS/acft in both the W Med and N Sea, the UBoats sank 2 Conv for no loss. Japan, however, has had her Convs cut again meaning her build will be reduced to only 6 x 1.25 for 8 BPs, luckily again no Chinese Parts saves several resources being occupied. She had some luck in the South China Sea when her CA Myoko had a 3 – 10 split against the US TF 57 and damaged the CV Saratoga at a critical time, her overrun CA and Amph in Siam escaped being found by TF 57 and one of Yorktown’s Air Group was shot down whilst on a GS mission – the US has lost 3 x CVP this turn and with only 4 CVs and 3 British CVs to the Japs 9, the US may well have to be more cautious for the next turn or two until the repaired Saratoga returns and the ‘Red’ Essex CVs start to arrive.

For the Allies the EOT was more than inconvenient for the Russian. He needed one more impulse to rail the two HQs to the Germ front – this might prove costly if it is a clear weather long turn. The 5 Land bombers less so, but these will take valuable air moves to rebase to the front – at least in Iran they cannot be ground struck on the surprise impulse. The CW missed out in replacing/reinforcing convs and will have to spend valuable UK stored oil to max production. The good news story for the Allies is that the USA’s third attempt to DOW v GERM was successful and so she can now aid in conv protection and offensive ops v GERM – not to mention total War and an increased production.

Next session GERM Operation 1942 Barbarossa will almost certainly be declared – the weather roll will be critical to both sides – GERM praying for a long clear weather turn and Russia a bad weather short turn – time and the dice Gods will reveal the fate of GERM and Russia in the next couple of sessions – an interesting game but a tough one for the Japanese.

NW Europe - Axis Nav Air dominate the N Sea

The Air battle for the W Med as the US joins the fray and the C/Wealth breaths a huge sigh of relief.

The Russian Front - positions set

Army Group South prepares to launch M/J 1942

The Russians celebrate the destruction of the Iranian Partisan with a roll of 19! Vodka all round

Army Group North prepares to launch M/J 1942

Manchuria

The Far East

Two lucky Chinese results and the Japanese line starts to stretch to breaking point

The Sea China Sea - contested by both Allies and Axis - first round goes to the Japanese.

The first clash of the two Pacific fleets both rolled a 10!

The USA Pacific lake

Total War as America steps up production and aligns Mexico

US at War with Germany - rolled 5 needed an 8 - 26 Tension 52 pool

Losses predominantly Japanese - no Italian or German losses though.

From Salerno to Rome - Part One

Seems like another week and Richard is able to provide another new innovative boardgame based on some 20th Century conflict.  This one really is new and is from an Italian company.  The map as you can see is a work of art.  Only ten turns (each being a month), but each consisting of variable number of impulses depending on how each side spends its activation points which are required to move and fight with formations (division, represented by brigades, regiments and/or battalions).  The artillery rules are very innovative and can either do bombardments or tactical support or interdiction.

End of the first impulse when we discovered you can't be on Reserve adjacent to an enemy unit.

End of the second impulse, west coast.

82nd Airborne has landed to help secure the breakout.

While on the east coast the British 1st Airborne had some real luck in seizing Foggia.

The Germans have decided to pull back 

now that their units that were guarding the tip of Italy have arrived.

The forth and additional impulses will really be dependent on remaining activity points.  Each side has a few left, but not enough to activate everything.  Decisions to be made!

Three 3D Models Completed

Painted up quickly.  Only challenge is finding the time.  More on the way.

Komintern Artillery Tractor

BT-7

Panzer 38(t)

Panzer 38(t) with flash

The Typisch Grenadier Battalion

As promised here is the second and final unit of Austrian grenadiers for my Napoleonic army.  

All lined up.

I still have my doubts about the accuracy of the uniform as depicted in these sculpts.

It looks more French grenadier to me.

But I am sure they will do the job.

All kited out.

World in Flames via FB - 23

Seems like everyone is trying to declare war.

AUSGAME 2020 1942 J/F EOT

Another abbreviated summary of last week’s session:

Notable events J/F 42:

• Weather remains bad - Blizzard and storms on most areas.

• Allied first impulse; CW Comb and US Naval and Russia/China land.

• CW search rolls fail in the W Med and N Sea but both GERM and Italy roll 1’s – 2 x CW CAs sunk as they fail save rolls – no loss to the Axis.

• CW land units advance East to secure the Moroccan mountains.

• US Marines land in Casablanca and Acft in the UK.

• US shipping arrive (Dynamic move) into the Philippines and NEIs minor ports.

• The Jap Fleet (Strike) w 2 x CVs find the lone CW CA in the Bay of Bengal and sink it.

• The US Task Force 57 sails against the ‘Strike’ in the Bay of Bengal but both fail to find – in what would have been the first US/Jap fleet action.

• US CA’s find the Jap Conv in the China sea and D x 3 as the escorting Jap CA saves both an X and a D, much to the chagrin of the CW.

• Allied 2nd Imp the GERM Raider Atlantis found and sunk by HMS repulse.

• EOT Roll by the Allies – turn ends 2 x impulses each.

• PART roll 8 – no China again, lucky for the Japanese as there was no garrison in Canton.

• GERM continue to build O Points in prep for the Russian offensive.

• Italy build Convs as they are critically low with only 4 left.

• Russian doubled their build – invested in 5 O-Points so Zhukov can be reinverted.

Notable events M/A 42:

• Axis win the 1942 M/A initiative roll but with the bad weather in the Arctic they gift it to the Allies, that way they guarantee their initiative of +1 Axis is retained for next turns Barbarossa. Allies start M/A.

• GERM can break the pact now as the GV is halved – estimated at GERM v Russia.

• Weather is 2 + 2 - poor weather – good decision by the Axis, to give it away.

• US DOW roll v GERM – 9! (an 8 last impulse) – No total war - chit lost from GERM/ITAL tension and pool.

Summary.

Another marginally positive session for the Axis, as the EOT roll by the Allies did not shift the initiative down as the Allies had hoped, no European war with the US. Two impulses each this turn, and poor weather meant little activity. The CW Navy continues to be plagued by multiple 1’s by Axis search rolls, that is certainly not to say they have not had their wins – the Italian subs will testify to that, but on the whole, these has been due to attrition rolls – similar search rolls from both sides. In contrast the Axis have rolled multiple 1’s and 2’s in splits against the Royal Navy, topped off by ‘fails to save’ which have increased SCS losses. By way of example, this impulse the Italian rolled a 1 in the W med and X a CA – it failed its save, the GERM rolled a 1 and X on a CA in the North Sea – it failed its save, and in the Bay of Bengal Japan rolled a 1 and x a CA - it again failed its save – 3 axis 1’s! In Contrast the Japanese CA which was found by US split saved both its X and subsequent D rolls – the Brit was spewing. The Conv war of attrition continued as both CW Conv and Axis Subs were lost or damaged – the loss of the Raider Atlantis was a huge relief for the CW.

In the Pacific war, Japan continues to be on the back foot as Rabaul, Batavia, Manila, Singapore and Kwajalein still remain in Allied hands. Worse the US fleet has now rebased into Batavia forcing the NEI MIL to disband itself as they do not cooperate with the US. The only good news for the Japs is Russia has ceased its land war as it rails units to the Russian front.

In Europe the build-up of Acft and land units in N Africa has begun. Two failed US DOW vs GERM with an 8 and 9 means lost chits in the tension and entry pools and a relieved GERM. Game wise it helps the Axis, although Japan is bearing the brunt of the US attention and activity as there are no demands for land actions in Europe. Russia’s main effort is to pull back from the GERM front line ‘en masse’ just leaving ‘road blocks’ to impose delay – the snow roll this turn will help it to reorganise its defensive line. With rain in the Med the destruction of the 2 factor (4 in the Mtn) Partisan in the oil city of Bandar Shahpur is put on hold – if it is not fine next impulse the attack will be aborted and the Russian units sent to the Russian front, in what has been an abortive campaign for the Russians.

Next session Allied first impulse, Russia and China land, CW and the US Naval – possibly the first big naval clash between Japan and the US in the South China Sea.

US shipping and ACFT arrive in the UK for training exercises and and an "Olliday"

Russian front - with snow the Russian is about to "run away" - Monty Python fans will understand the ref.

Western Med - the US have started landing land and acft units. Just waiting for congress to get into the war.

Central Med - Axis occupied Axis Controlled.

Waiting for fine weather for the Allies to act.

The Far East - Japan under a lot of pressure - reduced builds and a threatening US.

Russian units and acft withdrawn to the Russian front.

No Chinese Partisans - always a blessing for the Japanese

The US Fleet arrives in the Philippines and NEI

The Pacific - a US lake

An addition to my assortment of T26s

The 3D printed T26 from Battleground3D has painted up a treat.

The business end.

The rear end.

Comparison shot with Battlefront and Zvedza T26 offerings.

In keeping with my other posts on some of my Soviets, the 3D model weighs 11g, the Zvedza a tiny 4g and the Battlefront one a massive 30g.  The 3D model was six pounds plus p&p, the Zvedza model cost me seven or eight Australian dollars. the Battlefront model was part of my big purchase but looking at their online store it goes for USD 13.

Doh!  I now see I should have rusted up the exhaust. 

Not really 242g of Soviets

I say not really as the PSC ISUs have been filled with ballast.  Instead of weighing just 14g, they weigh 37g each.  The KV2s are a massive 84g each.  Using a heated blade I sliced open the tanks belly and a a number of sessions slowly filled it with PVA glue, railway ballast (thanks Richard!) and metal scrap.

I had considered putting on some decals, but nah.  Couldn't find a good reference and certainly didn't feel like the hassle.