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WWII: Struggle for Europe____WWII: Struggle for Asia => After Action Reports / Playtesting => Topic started by: Mark on July 18, 2018, 02:22:13 AM
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John and I started a new WW game last weekend. We kept the Pacific theater as is - ready to start the Autumn 1941 turn as it was off to a good start and we did not want to replay the pre-war turns in that theater. So, for the first 8 turns, we were playing Europe only - and then will recombine it with where we left off in the Pacific on turn 9 - Autumn 1941.
The Germans were able to make short work of Poland again in the Autumn, though they did take some significant infantry losses in the campaign (something like 6-7 I believe). Again, the Germans got lucky in saving the pocket battleship unit from the South Atlantic and got it back to Hanover and under the cover of German airpower by the end of the turn. The French decided to fight. The Germans left the Saar relatively weak - with only a fortified corps backed up by an 88 unit. Uncharacteristically, Marshal Billotte decided to launch a surprise French offensive over the Rhine and managed to seize the territory. The German general staff berated itself for this oversight and loss of production. . . The BEF landed in France and a German u-boat group was sunk off the coast of Ireland.
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End Winter 1939
No Phoney War in this game. The Germans declared war on and invaded Holland and Belgium in the Winter and while again taking some significant infantry losses quickly overran both countries. The Allies tried to reinforce their Belgium allies which only aided the Germans in their blitzkrieg through the low countries and into Picardy. The turn ended with Bock and Guderian's Panzergruppe adjacent to Paris and with the French hurriedly trying to build their defenses to defend the capital and the open terrain south of Paris. The BEF is positioning itself to defend behind the Seine and Normandy.
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End Spring 1940
France Falls! The Germans did not waste any time in seizing the initiative and attacking directly into Paris in the hopes of finishing off the French with a Coup de Grace. While the French defended their capitol valiantly, they were no match for Guderian's panzers and the overwhelming air support. The BEF was able to make an orderly withdraw back to England from the channel ports in Normandy and Brittany, while the Luftwaffe massed along the Pas de Calais to bomb the British to their knees beginning in the Summer.
Meanwhile in the Mediterannean, the Italians declared war on Greece and sank much of their merchant fleet with their bombers and also cut Crete out of supply from the Greek mainland. Could they be planning an amphibious invasion of the island? Also, the (still neutral) Italians have been landing additional tank and men in their East Africa colony. This build up of forces has the British high command concerned and filing a complaint with the League of Nations. . .
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End Summer 1940
The Blitz is on - the Luftwaffe bombs England mercilessly over the Summer months and the reduced RAF is nearly powerless to stop them. On the brighter side, the Royal Navy has been very successful at hunting and sinking German U-Boats trying to interdict British supply convoys.
Eager to gain the spoils of war, Mussolini declares war on the allies, but the well prepared Italian invasion of Crete ends in failure, with two Italian corps being wiped out on the beaches by the tenacious Greek defenders. In another debacle, the Italian East Africa army launched an abortive attempt to take Kenya and Tanzania from the British only to be repulsed with the loss of all of their armor. Bewildered by the Italian incompetence, Hitler decides to come to his partner's aid at the end of the turn, sending Mussolini German airpower and paratroopers to North Africa and railing German army to Italy.
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End Autumn 1940
German aggression continues! In the fall, the Germans launch a combined naval and air invasion of Norway. In a desperate operation, the Royal Navy sailed out to engage the German invasion fleet and met them in action off the coast of Oslo. The British managed to sink the German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst as well as ambush and destroy much of the German escorting destroyers - turning back the invasion fleet. Nevertheless, the initial German invasion, supported by elite paratroopers from the 3rd Falschirmjager division managed to overwhelm the disorganized Norwegian defenders (who were no doubt compromised by pro-Quisling defectors in their ranks). Oslo fell and Norway sued for peace despite the heroic victory of the British Navy.
In the Med, the Italians manage to occupy Crete and in a dairing move, German paratroopers assault Cyprus and take the island! The combined victories convince the pro-Nazi Vichy governement of Syria to join the Axis as well as incite a rebellion against British rule in Iraq. The Middle East is in Flames! Moreover, the Luftwaffe, in conjunction with the Italian Navy catch the British Eastern Mediterranean Fleet in port at Alexandria. Despite the surprise, the intrepid Cunningham managed to drive off the disorganizeed air attacks, sortie, and sink the Italian battleship group Andria Doria before withdrawing to the Suez.
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End Winter 1940
The British government determines that reinforcing Norway is untenable and the Germans quickly move to occupy the rest of the country. The Germans attempt one last bombing campaign of London before withdrawing their air force to the east. German U-boat pens are built along the Atlantic coast of France.
In the Med, German airpower based on Rhodes and Cyprus drive the Royal Navy out of Alexandria and give the Italians dominance over the Eastern Mediterranean. General Rommel becomes famous by landing a German mechanized corps in Syria and driving the British Army out of Palestine.
Meanwhile, there is a significant German military build up in East Prussia and Romania. Despite efforts by the British government to warn the Soviets of this intelligence, Stalin, also ignoring his own intelligence network, refuses to believe it. Instead, he insists that it is 'Fake News' and that Hitler is his BFF and would never do anything to damage their 'super, biggly, beautiful, fantastic' relationship and shatter the neutrality pact. . .
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Spring 1941
The World held its Breath - John launches a Spring Barbarossa! All pics taken at the end of the turn after non-combat movement. The Germans went for an early Barbarossa with two large panzer armies based in East Prussia and Romania. Guderian blasted through the disorganized Russian defenses in Lithuania and seized Minsk before the Soviets could react. At the same time Hoepner drove his panzer group northward and took Kiev in a lightning strike. The giant pincer managed to pocket an entire Soviet Front around Bialystok and Brest-Litovsk.
Meanwhile, in the Med, Rommal landed a reinforced panzer corps in Syria and took Palestine and the Sinai. The move put the British in a desperate situation. Luckily, much needed airpower was already on its way from England to bolster the 8th Army in Egypt - and more reinforcement were on the way. Auchinlek was not taking any chances, however, and order the immediate building of fortification in and around Cairo.
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Summer 1941
The British did not waste anytime dealing with the Rommel threat in the Middle East. Quickly seizing the initiative, Auchinlek attacked over the Suez and using all of the mechanized forces and airpower at his disposal quickly blitzed through Palestine and on to Damascus. Rommel, with his panzer army shattered, retreated into the Syrian desert for a night rendezvous at a pre-arranged airstrip to be transported back to North Africa. . .
Slim was sent with a corps to Persia to deal with the Iraqi insurgents holding the oilfield around Kirkuk.
On the Eastern front, Soviet forces retreated in disarray not knowing where the next panzer fist would fall. Feinting as if they were headed East, Hoeppner turned his panzer group south and sliced through the soviet defenses in the Crimea and took Sevastopol by the end of August. Army Groups North and Center advanced on Leningrad and Moscow.
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Autumn 1941
With the threat in the Middle-East cleaned up and Allied airpower having superiority (at least temporarily) over the Eastern Med, the 8th army turns its attention to driving Rommel off the continent.
In the East, the Soviets defend the Dneiper, but are driven back by Army Group South, though they managed to inflict some casualties on the advancing Germans who are learning this campaign will be different than France. The Russians hold the Kerch straights and fall back over the Don at the end of Autumn. Army Group North manages to cut Leningrad's last remaining land-link to the rest of Russia by taking Novgorod while Army Group Center takes Rzhev and the Valdai Hills. Orel, Kursk and Yelets also fall to the Germans by late Autumn.
In the West, the British continue to take a toll on the German u-boat fleet which courageously continues to go out on patrol - but with fewer returning back to port. British investment in destroyers, long range fighters and bombers is taking a toll on the Kriegsmarine.
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Japanese Surprise Attack Turn - a turn that will live in Infamy!
Caught up to our Pacific game, the WW struggle continues! The Japanese dastardly attacked Pearl Harbor sinking one battleship group and putting another in the mud, while also destroying the transport naval unit. The Japanese also took Siam, Burma, Luzon in the Philippines, along with Guadalcanal, and Northern New Guinea. The end of the turn saw the US carriers repositioned to the South Pacific with U.S. and Australian infantry reinforcing several of the key islands there. The Japanese combined fleet concentrated in the Solomon Sea and another Japanese fleet redeployed to Rangoon to put pressure on India.
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Winter 1941 - Europe
In the Med, the 8th Army drives West and Rommel's Africa Corps falls back toward Benghazi. The battle for the Atlantic continues. In the East, the Russians liberate Rostov with their Winter counter-offensive and also take back Rzhev - but feel they do not have the forces to hold it and withdraw. The Germans dodge 20 points of Russian AA and manage to sink both river flotilla's keeping Leningrad in supply over Lake Ladoga. The Russians were smart enough to build another one, but check supply comes before place builds, so Leningrad will be out of supply in the Spring
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Winter 1941 - Pacific
The battle for New Caledonia ends in a U.S. Navy disaster. Wanting to avenge Pearl Harbor and prevent further Japanese incursions into the South Pacific, the Americans commit their fleet to an engagement off of New Caledonia. While the Allies are able to reinforce the island and prevent a Japanese landing, in the lopsided carrier action at sea, the American lose both carrier groups to Japanese dive-bombers and torpedo planes (Enterprise, Yorktown, Lexington, and Saratoga all sunk). The Allies also lost a cruiser group in the action before withdrawing. The disaster puts the Americans on the strategic defensive in the Pacific for the next several turns.
The Japanese seize Malaya, Sumatra and put a carrier group off of Wake to finish off the American battleship still in the mud at Pearl. Things look grim in the Pacific.
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End of Spring 1942 in Western Europe
US forces deploying to the Med and to Great Britain. Allied heavy bombers and destroyers knock Norway out of supply and disrupt axis iron ore shipments from Sweden. the German U-boat fleet rebuilds itself and stages in the Bay of Biscay. In the Western Desert, the 8th Army drives Rommel back to Benghazi and Cunningham's fleet knocks much of the Axis possessions in the Eastern Med out of supply.
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End Spring 1942 on the Russian Front
On the Eastern Front the Germans regroup and re-equip for the Spring 1942 offensive. Army Group South retakes Rostov and in the North, the Germans take Leningrad - a dark turn for the Soviets. . .
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End Spring 1942 in the Pacific
The speed of the Japanese advance in the Pacific is going unchecked as the Allies are still reeling from losing their 2 carrier groups. Japanese forces land in Southern India as well as Northern Australia
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End Summer 1942 in Western Europe
Took these pictures at the beginning of the Autumn turn - but it is the situation at the end of Summer 1942
In Britain, the Allies continue to sink German U-boats at an alarming rate and put Norway out of supply again. In the Med, Montgomery wins a decisive battle over Rommel and drives the Africa corps out of Benghazi and back toward Tripoli.
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End of Summer 1942 on the Russian Front.
With the loss of Leningrad, Soviet morale is low and the Germans continue to push the Soviets back. Army Group South has launched Case Blue and is advancing on Stalingrad. In the North, the German solidify their gains around Leningrad and prepare for a large push in the center toward Moscow.
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End Summer 1942 in the Pacific
Yamashita drives north toward Calcutta from the Japanese beachhead in Southern India. The Japanese take Port Moresby and Guadalcanal and land in several places along the coast of Australia.
Spruance is finally able to reassemble an Anglo-American fleet to try and stop the Japanese advance.
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End of Autumn 1942 - Western Europe
The Allies launch a Dieppe-like raid into Bordeaux and the Germans quickly assemble an army to expel them - but not before the sub pens have been destroyed. . .
In North Africa, Monty cautiously advances towards Tripoli while Rommel's Panzer Armee Afrika is heavily reinforced.
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End of Autumn 1942 on the Russian Front and in the Pacific
The Soviets manage to launch a counter-offensive and take Rostov back again the in the South (the 4th time Rostov has changed hands). In the North, the Soviet offensive fails and in a brilliant move, Manstein takes Moscow - driving the Soviets back in disarray!
In the Pacific, Yamashita takes Calcutta and drives the Indian-British army back toward Delhi. A roungh turn for the Allies. . .
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Winter 1942 in Europe
These pics were taken near the end of the turn - but before the non-combat movement phase.
The Germans wiped out the early Allied invasion of France - the Dieppe raid failed - but, the Allies learned important information regarding the Atlantic wall. . .
In the Med, the Allies launched a mini-Torch and landed in Morocco. A largely out of supply Rommel attacked Montgomery in order to prevent the 8th army from attacking him - and was repulsed with heavy casualties. On the Mech phase, the British drove remnants of Rommel's army back into Tunisia, but the Axis still hold Tripoli.
On the Russian front, Army Group South takes Stalingrad and drives over the Volga into the heart of Russia. The Soviet Caucuses front manages to cut the Crimea out of supply which is the only minor victory in Russia. The Germans now control Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad. The Allies are on the verge of collapse from a VP persepctive. . .
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Spring 1943 -
In North Africa the Allies advance across Algeria from their initial Torch landings in Morocco. Rommel tries again to launch a pre-emptive strike against Montgomery - which is repulsed with heavy casualties. This time, Monty follows it up with a mech attack around Tripoli which wipes out a large chunk of the Italian army and leaves Rommel out of supply.
In Northwest Europe, the Allies stage an invasion of Norway which is executed without a hitch.
On the Russian front, the Soviets surprise the Germans with an assault against Army Group South which leaves Kesselring and German army surrounded in Stalingrad - a rough turn for the Axis!
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Spring 43 - Pacific
The Japanese have taken about half of India and the Japanese fleet is keeping the Royal Navy out of the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, Macarthur took Port Moresby back from the Japanese.
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Summer 43 - Europe
Patton mech attacked through to Tunis an Montgomery mopped up the remnants of the Africa Corp in Tripoli. Cunningham has massed an Allied fleet in the Persian Gulf to counter the Japanese in the Indian Ocean and provide relief to Allied forces holding onto Bombay. The Axis have retreated back to Italy in disaray. In Northwestern Europe the Allies liberate Oslo - but the Germans are doggedly hanging on in Norway.
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Summer 43 - Russian Front
The Russians liberate Stalingrad in the South, but the Germans reinforce their defensive line along the Donets River.
In the North, disaster befalls the Germans as Manstein blitzed a German panzer army into Moscow only to be surrounded and wiped out. The Germans lose a tremendous amount of mechanized forces and artillery in the encirclement! Model scrapes together what is left of the German army and organizes a defense.
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Summer 43 - Pacific
The Japanese mass their navy in the Indian Ocean to attack the British navy massing in the Persian Gulf and leave the Americans largely unopposed. The U.S. navy takes advantage by knocking a bunch of Japanese garrisons out of supply and plan an Autumn 43 amphibious campaign.
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My hero!!!
Go get him John! ;)
Love the slipper my man.