John and I are having another go at it over the Holidays! We started a new 1939 game before Christmas and will be finishing it after New Years. We've played the first 10 turns and are ready for Spring 1942 when we get back together. John is the Axis and I am the Allies.
France hung on until Summer 1940 - which threw off some of John's plans... But, this was partly due to an early redeployment of German troops to the Mediterranean in the Winter of 1939. The British were not able to reinforce Egypt fast enough to prevent the Axis from taking Alexandria and Cairo by Autumn 1940 and triggering Vichy Syria and Iraq.
The German u-boat offensive did not get off to a strong start and the British were very successful in breaking the German naval codes (aka lucky dice) and eliminating much of the u-boat threat by the end of 1940.
Due to the late defeat of France and the heavy early commitment in the Med, the Germans did not launch Barbarossa until the Summer of 1941 (John likes to go in during the Spring turn to maximize damage before the first Russian Winter and their good leaders enter). The invasion of Russia, however, coincided with the fall of Greece - and with Egypt firmly in Axis hands, led to a Turkish declaration of war against the Allies (Yikes! Been a while since that happened last. . .). By the end of 1941, pressure from both the Germans as well as the Turks have pushed the Russians back deep to the gates of Leningrad, Moscow and Rostov - and fighting on the Southern Front against the Turks in the Caucasus. A successful Winter counter-offensive led by my Siberians just staved off Leningrad from being encircled by German panzer troops - but, my Russians are still in a very tight spot.
The Germans withdrew most of their air power from the Med in 1941 end sent it to Russia as well as nearly all of their reinforcements. The redeployment of the Axis forces enabled the British to launch a counteroffensive and drive the Germans out of the Middle-East and retake Cairo. Slim was able to defeat Rommel in Palestine, but the Germans have regrouped and entrenched at Alexandria.
So - this is where things stand at the end of 1941. . .the Soviets are on the ropes, but the British are counterattacking in the Middle-East and have managed the u-boat threat... AND the Americans are now in the war! We are hoping to finish next week!
Will take pics this time - but here are how things stand at the end of Winter 1941
