Author Topic: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26  (Read 34530 times)

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Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #15 on: July 09, 2015, 01:34:23 PM »
Hi George - yes, I think you are right.  We got through Summer 1941 on Tuesday (Day 1) and started at 9am on Day 2 with Autumn 1941.

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #16 on: July 09, 2015, 01:47:40 PM »
Spring 1942 Pacific

In China, the war of attrition continues.  Yamashita has taken Rangoon, but the British are reinforcing Mandalay to keep the Burma road open.  Singapore is still in Allied hands.

In the Pacific, The Japanese consolidate their gains in the Solomons and take Guadalcanal.  The Japanese navy is based out of Rabaul and Truk.

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #17 on: July 10, 2015, 02:45:48 AM »
Spring 1942

In North Africa, Rommel was victorious in the Battle of Sidi Barrani and drove the British back to Mersa Matruh.  Auchinlek was replaced with Montgomery to re-organize the 8th Army. German and Italian paratroopers continueto threaten the Eastern Med and Cyprus in particular.  Axis airpower has severed the supply lines to the island making it a tempting target for invasion. On top of that, the Italians have completed their first (ever I think) carrier group!  British intelligence is aware of the Italian fleet in the Aegean Sea along with a possible invasion fleet with landing craft at Athens. . .

In Western Europe, the U-boat menace continues to grow with now 10 flotillas at various ports and sub pens along the French Atlantic Coast (that is the equivalent to 300 active u-boats!). . . British shipping (production points) is in peril of collapse. . .


John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #18 on: July 10, 2015, 05:09:05 AM »
At this point all Greek production points were going to the Italians - they did take all the territories after all. Brits were putting up stiff resistance and mopping up remote Axis controlled areas like Iraq. The push into Russia was becoming very difficult. Between the numerous factories built and lend lease, they were producing very quickly and churning out good quality units. Struggle is living up to its name...

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #19 on: July 10, 2015, 05:27:00 AM »
Spring 1942

In Russia, The Soviet Winter counter-offensive managed to push the Germans back before Moscow and liberate Veliki Luki and (briefly) Smolensk.  The German Army Group Center ceases to exist - at least temporarily.

In the South the Germans are gathering their forces around Kursk and Kharkov to launch what appears to be a strike toward Stalingrad - or so Soviet intelligence believes. . .


Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #20 on: July 11, 2015, 01:38:33 AM »
Summer 1942 - Pacific

The US and Allied navy fought its first major engagement with the Japanese in the battle of the Solomon Sea.  No flat tops were sunk, but the Americans successfully stopped the Japanese surface fleet by sinking one of their battleship groups.  The victory enabled the Allies to knock the Japanese in Guadalcanal out of supply, but Japanese aircraft also threatened the supply lines to Port Moresby, keeping MacArthur's Australian & US army in dire straights as well.

In China/Burma, the Japanese continue to struggle to gain the upper hand against the Chinese.  Stillwell invaded Northern French Indo-China with an army of nationalists and the Japanese have withdrawn the bulk of their army from Rangoon, but have rushed reinforcements to Yamashita to launch an offensive in the Autumn.

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #21 on: July 13, 2015, 02:00:05 AM »
Summer 1942

In North Africa, Rommel drives the 8th Army out of Mersa Matruh and Montgomery withdraws to El Alamein.  The Allies gain air superiority in the Med as the British begin to build up for an offensive.

The Allies end the Summer 1942 turn with a significant fleet and invasion build-up at Gibraltar.  Perhaps the Americans will land in North Africa in the Autumn?

A still very large u-boat fleet continues to harass Allied shipping out of ports on the Bay of Biscay.

John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #22 on: July 13, 2015, 06:30:31 AM »
Looking forward to seeing what the Russian front evolved into- I remember it was very interesting but many details have faded...:)

georgemak1

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #23 on: July 13, 2015, 08:21:00 AM »
I remember the North Africa battles like it was today, Rommel was advancing but the Allies were getting stronger, and I think but this point they were starting to gain local air superiority, Cyprus was out of supply for a couple of turns, Allies had to reinforce it with a couple of commonwealth units, due to the Axis paratroopers lurking around, British naval forces were pinned down due to the Axis air presence in the East Med and strong Italian Navy. In the Atlantic at this point they were up to 12 subs stationed off the coast of France, strategically they were not doing too much of a damage (could have been a lot worst),  but the Allies were having a tough time sinking them.

John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #24 on: July 13, 2015, 10:06:01 AM »
Yeah - u boats kept getting distracted with hitting ports and stray capital ships... Axis missed some good opportunities- but hindsight is 20/20.

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #25 on: July 13, 2015, 10:17:45 AM »
It was due to British Intelligence cracking the Enigma code. . .Honestly, with 10-12 u-boats prowling the Atlantic, I am not sure how England stayed in the game. . .they dodged a lot of bullets. . .errr, torpedoes. . .

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #26 on: July 13, 2015, 10:30:47 AM »
Autumn 1942

I missed Summer pictures in Russia.   But, essentially, German intelligence had convinced the Soviets that they were going to do their big Summer 1942 offensive in the South and caught the Russians off guard.  When the reinforcements did come to the Eastern Front, they mainly got directed to Army Groups North and Center.

In the South, Hoth's panzer army seized the Donbas and Stalino, but was stopped by two Soviet fronts under Koniev and Rokossovsky.

The German hammer blows in the North caught Soviet Intelligence less prepared.  Army Group North, spearheaded by Paulus' 6th Army, took Novgorod and cut the last land supply route to Leningrad.  Meanwhile, Army Group Center, led by Manstein's 3rd Panzer Army and supported by armies under Weichs and Kleist advanced on Moscow.  By the end of Autumn, Weich's had flanked Moscow from the South, taken Tula and ripped a large hole in the Soviet defenses. . . the road through Vladimir to Gorkii was wide open.

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #27 on: July 14, 2015, 01:14:03 AM »
Winter 1942

In the Desert, the first Battle of El  Alemein was a British attack that was repulsed by the Afrika Korps in the Autumn of 1942.  Both sides suffered significant casualties.  However, the British reinforced themselves very quickly with troops that were in Gibraltar and that had finally put an end to the Iraqi insurgency.  This led to the Second battle of El Alemein, which saw Montgomery blast through what was left of the Axis defenses.  On the subsequent two mechanized movement phases, Monty's tanks overwhelmed the remnants of Panzer Armee Akrika and destroyed their artillery through over-runs.

In the Winter of 1942, the Allies also landed in Morocco.  A lack of transports and an active Italian airforce in Sardinia prevented the Allies from also attempting a landing in Algeria.  Even with a scaled back Morocco-only Operation Torch, the Allies had a tough time.  The Germans threw most of their U-boat fleet at the invasion force and attacked the shipping to Gibraltar to knock it out of supply.  The Germans sank one of the invasion transports, but also suffered severe u-boat casualties in the process. 

Nevertheless, Slim got ashore with a small expeditionary force.  Rommel sailed from Tobruk to Algiers with what was left of the Axis forces in Africa with orders to throw the Allied invasion back into the sea.  Vichy remained loyal to the Axis and continued to fight with Rommel in Algeria.

John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #28 on: July 14, 2015, 03:12:29 AM »
One thing I really enjoy is how mobility can trump larger, less mobile forces. Getting large army units repeatedly worn down through a series of continuous mechanized attacks can radically change the military landscape in one turn. The North African scenario above clearly illustrates this...

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2015 - June 20-26
« Reply #29 on: July 14, 2015, 05:53:53 AM »
Winter 1942 - Russian Front

In Russia, The Luftwaffe sank the flotillas that were keeping Leningrad in supply across Lake Ladoga.  Leningrad is now isolated and out of supply!  Rundstedt is massing artillery for what looks to be a possible Spring assault on the city.

In the center, German mechanized forces exploit the gap in the Soviet lines South of Moscow to breakthrough to Gorkii and Yaroslavl.  Manstein also appears to be preparing for a Spring assault on the capitol. Soviet administrators are busy burning papers and the factories are prepped to rail East to the Urals. . .

In the South, the Russians launched a series of counter-attacks against Army Group South.  While the Germans held their ground, they took heavy losses which prompted them to withdraw to Kharkov and behind the Dnepr.