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2018 Worldwide Game - Take 2

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Mark:
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.

Mark:
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.

Mark:
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. . .

Mark:
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.

Mark:
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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