Feb 3rd Hartford Game (w/Pics)

[Mark]

Another shot of the Med. . .and on the Russian front, the Soviets retake Moscow and the German forces are beginning to look a little thin. .

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[John D.]

I can't believe the Graziani line fell!

[Mark]

Spring 1944:  The Japanese prepare the defenses of the home islands, China and the Philippines

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[Mark]

Spring 1944:  The Germans launch a ferocious counterattack and drive the Allied landings back into the sea!  The Germans follow-up their success by redeploying their heavy armor formations and other reserves to France to prevent any follow up invasions. . .

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[Mark]

Spring 1944 - building up defenses in the "soft underbelly" 

Meanwhile, on the Russian front. . . The Germans decide to go for broke and throw everything they have at Moscow in an effort to secure the 3 VPs and try and win the game.  It is a Battle of the Bulge like offensive in which we scrape the bottom of the barrel to throw everything we have in one big gamble. . . and fail. . .The remnants of Panzer Armee Ost withdraws and things look grim on the Eastern Front. . .

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[Mark]

Allied turn - In the Pacific, the Allies tighten the ring around Japan - but without additional reinforcements, they do not secure any additonal victory points.

In Europe, in a brilliant move, the old "bait and switch". . .Having drawn the German reserves off into France, the Allies launch the "real" invasion onto the beaches of Holland!  The Germans may not have enough forces in the ruhr to launch a successful counterattack. . .

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[Mark]

at the same time: The Italians surrender; the Americans land in Northern Italy; and the Russian's blast away what is left of Armee Group Center facing Moscow. . . Spring 1944 may be decisive in Europe. . .maybe the Germans should not have gambled on the last ditch offensive on Moscow?

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[Yoper]

It looks like from the pics and play-by-play that if you were using the modified Italian collapse rules the Italians would only be in the -3 to -5 range and would still be on the board.

And you would still have the next step to go through before actually losing the Italians.

Craig

[Mark]

We did not play with the Italian optional rule - I think it needs a bit more work.   Frankly, I was very happy the Italians lasted into 1944!

[Mark]

Summer, 1944. . .Japanese Kamikazes manage t sink one of the US carrier groups and a Japanese surface force manages to chase the Allied fleet away from the Philippines. 

I forgot to mention that the Japanese launched the Yamato a couple turns ago - but the moment it left port, a swarm of American torpedo planes blew it out of the water - so it was a bit of a non-event for us Japanese and was hushed up in the papers. . .

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[Mark]

Summer 1944 - The Germans concentrate all available forces in Belgium and the Rhur to deal with the Allied invasion of Holland.  The Germans also pull out of Southern Italy to deal with the American landings in Northern Italy.

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[Mark]

On the Eastern Front, the German's reinforce Army Group Center with whatever we can get our hands on and Army Group North digs in around Leningrad for the reverse siege. . .

In the Pacific, the Allied Naval air forces bomb the Japanese fleet and shoot down what planes we had left.

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[Mark]

On the Russian front, the Soviet's paradrop over the Dnepr and rush forward the only mechanized units they have - Katyusha rockets - and manage to put what is left of Army Group South out of supply.

In the Med, the Allies follow up their invasion of Northern Italy by landing more tanks than the Germans can count

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[Mark]

Summer 1944:  The Allies reinforce their Dutch beachhead (note the blow-up box at the top of the map. . .)

Autumn 1944 - the Germans are really forced to counterattack or the situation is just going to get worse.  But are forced to retreat back to the Ruhr after only one round - luck was not on their side. . .But now they have their new wonder weapons - Me262s - maybe they will turn the tide? 

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[Mark]

Autumn 1944 - The Germans manage to counterattack and fall back on the Russian front.  In the Pacific the Japanese face increasing pressure in China - and it is the last sortie of the IJN - in a desperate attempt to keep the Americans away from Japan.

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