Messages

31

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: May 23, 2009, 03:00:07 AM »

John made a very perceptive comment when he said that the main reason for Allied failures is too many early failed inadequately-resources attacks, instead of later stronger attacks. I've taken that onboard, finally...

Will try to keep my hands off that nice shiny Fool's Gold ... mmm, shiny ...

32

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: May 21, 2009, 01:28:37 PM »

And here we have Autumn 41. Germans advance deeper into Russia, bypassing the tougher defences and occupying vast tracts of abandoned land. Elsewhere, Brit operations hit various horrible snags, as usual,

Cheers

Mike

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33

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: May 21, 2009, 12:07:47 PM »

Guys,

here's Spring and Summer 41, another bruising set of turns for the Allies, but at least Russia's in!

Cheers

Mike

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34

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: May 04, 2009, 01:05:10 PM »

All,

here's Winter 40-41. More retreats and naval disasters for the Allies. Cairo holds though and Auchinleck ("the Auk") is in charge. As the great man said in his order of the day:

"The enemy is stretching to his limit and thinks we are a broken army ... He hopes to take Egypt by bluff. Show him when he gets off."

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35

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 28, 2009, 11:31:30 AM »

Well thank-you Craig, in these dark times that is much appreciated. I have a feeling Graziani will dine in Alexandria before Mark Clark dines in Rome. But that's war.

Cheers

Mike

36

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 27, 2009, 10:08:07 AM »

Guys,  here is the Autumn 40 turn. Britain suffered her worst setbacks in this turn. A lightning thrust on Egypt has undone much of the good work since the war began. A couple of mistakes early on shattered me and led to a spiral of mistakes later on. As Ironside said of the French in 1940 ...

"they were defeated at the head without casualties."

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37

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 20, 2009, 08:01:05 AM »

And here's part two of the Summer 40 turn ...

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38

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 20, 2009, 07:59:17 AM »

All,

here is part one of the after-action on the Summer 40 turn.  Lots of images.

Cheers

Mike

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39

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 18, 2009, 09:49:04 AM »

John is trying to psych me out ... and it's working. 

I face imminent invasion of Britain due to a daring German non-combat move by Raeder into the Channel at the end of Spring 40 move (boy do I wish I had held France for another turn).  The Luftwaffe have complete air superiority. Britain is protected by Home Guard with pitchforks. These are scary times.

40

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 15, 2009, 11:02:21 AM »

Great quote on the loss of Norway:

“The gain to Germany was immense. In the course of a few weeks the entire Allied maritime situation in northern waters had been transformed. For Britain, instead of a friendly neutral across the North Sea limiting the area of naval patrol, there was now a hostile coastline dominated by the long-range bombers of the Luftwaffe; the tenuous patrol-line had been thrown back to the island chain = Orkneys, Shetlands, Faroes, Iceland – leading to the Denmark Strait and the icebound Greenland shore. At one stroke Germany had secured the vital iron ore route, had all but broken the stranglehold of naval blockade, and had gained for her armed forces what Hitler called ‘a wider start-line against Britain.’ Well might Raeder find satisfaction at the result of his nefarious plotting.”

From p. 41 of “Silent Victory” by Duncan Grinnell-Milne (this is a wonderful little 1958 paperback, which tells the story of Raeder’s doomed effort to come up with a way to invade Britain in the face of British sea power and with only grudging support from the Luftwaffe).

41

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 14, 2009, 12:34:39 PM »

Well spotted. I'm all British all the time. But loving being here in the USA.

OK, gotta go and do a review of the board for the next planning session. Summer 40 is coming.

Cheers

Mike

42

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 13, 2009, 10:24:41 AM »

And here is the uber-dramatic Winter 1939 and Spring 1940 turn report, played last night.

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43

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Spring 2009 game - John (Axis) versus Mike (Allied)

« on: April 13, 2009, 10:23:28 AM »

Colleagues,

John and I have been playing a game, start date Autumn 1939, for a few weeks now.  Here are some installments.

 - Autumn 1939 turn attached.

Cheers

Mike

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44

After Action Reports / Playtesting / Re: Tour of Duty March 2009 - A Presentation of the game

« on: April 06, 2009, 02:10:30 AM »

British_Mike here,

I'm glad you like the presentation. John and I have a new game going at present.  Just kicked off autumn 1939. Expect a full reckoning of the turns, written up in this format.

Cheers

Mike