@Cornelis-Post

Very cool!

Nice to see an Axis victory with some variety. Isn’t this the first successful Sea Lion on this thread? I can’t remember, there’s been so many game reports over the years here (over 675 posts!).

@SuperbattleshipYamato

Yes it’s the first successful sea lion attack.🙌🏻

@Cornelis-Post

Nice of the saudis to let the Allies park there planes in the desert :)

Did the Kriegsmarine convoy the Atlantic hard then ? Did they threaten USA zones ?

@barnee

In the previous round all u-boats retreated.
So when Germany takes London there would be more money 😎

Like 5-6 u boats did convoy raiding.
The last 4 rounds the UK lost every round at least 10 ipc
And Yes the German u-boats attacked US convoys butt only 1 time.

The English defeated the sub with a destroyer and a tactical bomber.

@Cornelis-Post

Devious!

Global 1940 House Rules Expansion Game Report

via TripleA

Axis: barnee
Allies: VictoryFirst

Link to our game thread: https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/41097/5-barnee-axis-vs-victoryfirst-allies-g40-house-rules-expansion-by-the-captain

Save file: exp-game-5b-victory-allies9.tsvg

Barnee and I just finished our 5th game. It was an awesome game so I will try to write an awesome game report about it 😀 The report will be broken up into three parts, each consisting of three rounds of play.

Early Game (Early 1940 - Early 1941)

Germany:
The Germans did a standard waffen-buy with an elite and 4 U-boats. They made standard attacks against France and attacked both Allied fleets in SZ 110 and SZ 111. All attacks went well except for the Paris one, where they lost a bunch of units due to bad rolls, and the SZ 111 one where the poor-performing Luftwaffe broke off the attack and let a damaged HMS Hood sail away.
They invaded Yugoslavia but retreated after round 1 so that it was an easy walk-over for Italy.

They continued to build up their Kriegsmarine with some U-boats but they also reinforced the Heer with Waffen units and Panzer-grenadiers.

Russia:
The Russians went mine-heavy this game. They purchased a shitload of mines along with two combat engineers so that they could move and dig them in more easily.

They set up a dynamic defense with units in the West and the East.

Japan:
Hirohito surprised everyone except himself by declaring war on the Allies on turn 2. Naval bases in Kwangtung and Malaya were captured still intact, however the Philippines attack was a disaster for them. Due to a communication breakdown, two infantry in Kwangsi didn’t take part in the attack, and together with some bad rolls, they did not manage to take it while suffering heavy casualties.
In Early 1941 they continued expanding by taking parts of the Dutch East Indies and advancing further into China.

United States:
After the defeat of France, Roosevelt didn’t like the look of Hitler and was therefore poised to go heavy on Germany the moment they were able to join the war. However, the early Japanese surprise attack forced a response and therefore threw a wrench into the American plans. They increased their Pacific naval production significantly and quickly formed a large fleet to counter Japanese aggression. A naval base in Wake Island was constructed to help with their logistics over the seas. Still, Germany was not forgotten and the Atlantic saw some large reinforcements too.

United Kingdom and China:
Admiral Dudley Pound was delighted to see the HMS Hood still being around and moved him to Iceland, only to see him become part of the bottom of the sea anyway by a German U-boat attack.

Attacks against Ethiopia and SZ 96 were made to slow down Italian expansionism. Nevertheless, the Italians quickly stood with a large army on the doorsteps of Cairo, with some help from the German Luftwaffe. A factory was built to stop their advance, however, with the railroad connection between South Africa and Cairo cut, preventing vital reinforcements from coming, it was uncertain if they could withstand the massive sudden pressure from the Axis forces. Therefore, the British built another factory in Persia in case Cairo wouldn’t hold.

An early Japanese attack allowed early British entrance into China. Yunnan saw some heavy reinforcements by Chinese and British forces, to ensure that the Burma Road stayed open.

Italy:
Italy did standard stuff, focusing on Paratroopers and LCVs. They made a sneaky declaration of war against the Russians in Early 1941, opening up ways of attack for the Germans.

The British had to scramble for troops to defend Cairo, but in the end, it proved to be just enough to hold out. The Italians then moved away from Cairo and turned their eyes to the Middle East.

ANZAC and France:
The Australians produced a mixture of land units, destroyers, and transports. They also upgraded their Sydney factory to heavy industry to maximize the number of units they could bring against Japan.

The French managed to kill an Italian sub in the Med, but their boats inevitably got destroyed by German Lufwaffe.

Click here to download a high-resolution PNG file of the map at the end of Early 1941: Early 1941.png

Here is a preview:

Mid-Game (Late 1941-Late 1942)

Battle of the Atlantic:
The Germans started gradually decreasing their investment in U-boat production as the war against the Soviets required the most attention. The U-boats did limited damage to the British shipping and were quickly swept away by Allied naval task forces, consisting of numerous destroyers, a US Heavy Battleship, and two carriers. By Early 1942, most of the U-boats were already destroyed, and by Late 1942 the Allied fleet was entering the Mediterranean.

Eastern Front:
Because the Russians had numerous units operating elsewhere, the Axis were able to make a strong push into Soviet territory. The Russians avoided large-scale conflict and mostly retreated, while digging in numerous mines on the frontline to slow down the advance. However in Late 1942, the Germans were able to move almost their entire army to Smolensk, putting a lot of pressure on Moscow.

Africa/Middle East:
After a short siege of Cairo, Italian troops started marching to the Middle East. They also scooped up a not-very well-defended Gibraltar in Late 1941, although it was recaptured by the Allies the next turn. At the end of round 4, they were at the peak of their power, collecting 37 IPCs.
The Persia and Cario factories were bombed by German Luftwaffe, as well as the naval base. The British moved the Persian factory underground to avoid further bombing. Their complexes were running at full speed to reinforce the area. In Early 1942, the Russians supported the British in the Middle East, and destroyed an Italian corps in Northwest Persia, and also captured Iraq with a paratrooper assault, giving them some extra income (also a +3 bonus because it is a pro-axis territory). After a subsequent British attack, all Axis troops in the Middle East were eliminated.
With the Allied fleets arriving, the Italians started preparing for a German Takeover and used the rest of their forces in Africa to make a suicide attack against Egypt.

Asia:
Things started to go wrong for Japan as the Soviet Union made an early declaration of war against them in Late 1941. A Soviet Army Corps entered China through the Sinkiang mountains and caught a Japanese contingent in Kansu off-guard with a surprise strike. They also invaded empty Korea, but the rest of their forces stayed put in Amur to preserve strength.
Yunnan turned into a defensive stronghold and the Japanese were unable to take it. This gave the Chinese much-needed resources for the war effort, and they were able to turn the whole front into a stalemate, with the Russians supporting in the north.

The Japanese factories in Shantung and Kiangsu were producing combat units at full speed, however they were simply getting outnumbered and to make matters worse, in Late 1942 the Americans were able to land in Shantung, destroying one of the complexes.

Pacific:
The swift victories in Early 1941 were quickly shoved away when the Americans captured the Caroline Islands with a sizeable fleet. The Japanese, running out of landing forces, weren’t able to take the well-defended islands of Sumatra and Java. They instead reinforced the IJN with two Yamatos and later with another carrier. Both fleets had a stand-off for a while, staring at each other from a distance of around 3000 km 😀. The Japanese faced a lack of screening ships, allowing the Allies to make amphibious landings with transports.
By Late 1942, all of the Dutch East Indies had been liberated.

Download a high-resolution PNG file of the map at the end of Late 1942 here: Early 1942.png

Here is a preview:

Late Game (Early 1943 - Early 1944)

Asia & Pacific:
The war has now seriously turned against Japan. They are being outnumbered on all fronts and are unable to hold on. They managed to recapture Shantung but were forced to abandon the Philippines. The superiority of Allied screening ships became prevalent as they were swarming the Pacific, blocking off the Japanese fleet in SZ 6.
After another Allied landing - this time in Kiangsu - the second Japanese industrial complex in Asia was destroyed. By Early 1944, they lost most of China as well as numerous Pacific islands. However, they eventually did manage to make some gains against the Russians in Siberia, but it was too late.

Europe:
With the poor show-off from Hirohito, Hitler knew he had to pull the trigger to have a chance of victory. Not the trigger of his Walther to shoot himself (😂), but the order to make a large push against the Russians. The Germans prepared for Operation Typhoon and made moves to encircle Moscow.
The Russians were significantly weaker because they sent large army formations to help in various areas of the board. 3rd Army Corps was still chilling in China, the Soviet infantry army in the Far East was having some clashes with the Japanese, while the Soviet Middle East army was making its way back home. Still, Stalin ordered his generals to avoid retreat and make large counter-attacks against the German spearheads. All attacks were successful, but in the heat of all action, he forgot one important thing, and that was the defense of Moscow.

Late 1943 was a good turn for Axis Germany. Italy was about to be taken over and the previous turn they made attacks with Paras and landing crafts against the Caucasus. After the Takeover, these units became German and were able to attack again, causing a disaster for the British in the Middle East. They were ill-prepared against this move and therefore hadn’t set up good defenses. Using SZ 128, the Germans were able to capture Persia and its factory, as well as Iraq.

The German generals grabbed their calculators and computed the odds of a German attack against Moscow, getting a result of 55-60%. Given the inevitable downfall of their Pacific ally Japan, they decided against it and mustered all of their units for a final push. The Soviets defenders were caught by surprise and missed a bunch of their rolls. After the dust had settled, the Germans were driving around the Kremlin with an intact panzer army, two waffen panzers and one German plane. A terrible defeat for Stalin, who blamed his generals for the disaster and executed them.

Still, the Russians had several units around Moscow and were able to recapture Moscow, although the loss of the capital was a big blow for them, together with the loss of the British factory in Persia, which deprived them of a direct supply line of Allied fighters. Fortunately, they managed to keep a path through Novosibirsk open so that British units from China could still rail to Moscow. The Germans were scrambling for troops to have a chance to deliver a crippling blow to them.

In Early 1944, the Germans weren’t able to muster enough troops for a second Moscow attack and were getting pushed out of the Middle East and the Caucasus by the British. Persia was liberated, although not before the Axis destroyed the underground factory there… (cheeky move 😀)

The Allies, after having built up their strength for several turns, now finally made a large-scale landing in Holland, with a US tank army and large amounts of fighters and bombers.

However, they didn’t get to fight any further because the Allied income at the end of Late 1944 reached a level of 194, thus ending the game.

Download a detailed PNG image of the final look of the map here: Early 1944.png

Here is a preview:

Post-game commentary:
Funny enough, this game showed a lot of resemblance with our 3rd game. In that game, the game also ended on turn 9 due to an Allied Economic victory, Japan got beaten back pretty badly, and Moscow got captured but it didn’t change the outcome of the game. All these things also happened in this game, even though for the most part we employed different strategies. As the US, I tried to go more or less 50/50 on Germany and Japan. I wanted to go after Germany at first but with the early Japanese DoW, I had to do some stuff against them as well. In many A&A games, this strategy usually doesn’t work, but in the Expansion, it worked out pretty well, which I really like!

Unfortunately, I made the same stupid donkey mistake of letting Moscow get captured. Now that it happened again, I will try to make sure the defense of Moscow is safe above all things. It can’t always go right!

I now think Turn 2 is too early for Japan to attack. At first, I thought it was the best turn but after this game and the game between me and Panzer, I’ve changed my mind. Early on their empire is kinda unstable so they are vulnerable to attacks. If the Allies put enough pressure against them from all sides, Japan could have some serious problems very quickly. Above everything, they should prevent the Allies from forming a stack in Yunnan which I think is the worst thing for Japan ever. If they attack Turn 3, Turn 4, or even not attack at all, they have more time to focus on China and prevent this.

From now on, barnee and I will play our games on the TripleA forum, however we will still write reports here in this thread.

@barnee Hehe already looking forward to the next one 😁 Feel free to share your thoughts on this game as well if you want!

@VictoryFirst

Heh heh well done Victory. You’ll have to PM me and show me how you got the entire map in one photo. :)

For those that dl it, you can magnify and cruise around anywhere you want, with the scroll bars or arrow keys.

Nothing to really add. I’ve always been a believer in trying to get as many “boots on the ground” as possible. However, the Naval support ships are quite impactful.

At any rate, I need to adjust some things. I believe this my 3rd defeat in a row and 4 out of 5 including Panzer :)

Oh yea, you qualify for the free Paratroopers, as this our 5th game :)

Edit
Yea, I was hoping to get the Islands early with J2 attack. It’s worked in practice games, but obviously, an opponent other than myself has something to say about it. :)

PHI was a massive failure, but Idk if even it worked it would’ve been successful.

@VictoryFirst

Sad that the Axis lost but glad that you, the less experienced player, won (I also kind of consider you a friend after what feels like 5 games with each other).

Classic scorched earth in the end at Persia, loved it. The game report managed to be informative and detailed without being goo long (though I’m certainly not one to judge the length of game reports).

Quite a long salient in the southern USSR over there. The Axis looked better in certain places (Europe) and worse in others (Pacific and Asia) compared to their position historically.

Global 1940 July 4th 2024 Game (start) report #3
(3rd day of play)

Global 1940 with Expansion Rules & the following optional rules:
Rockets
Heavy Bombers
Seafire fighter planes
Jet Fighters
Japanese Destroyers
King Tiger & SS Heavy Tanks

Agreed a win can happen through Economic Victory or Axis capturing victory cities per the original Global 1940 rules.

Germany - Josh S
Japan - Alex M
UK - Pat H
Russia - mkgionet
USA - Mike K
Report from Early 1945 (round 11) through Russian turn of Late 1947 (round 16)
Longest game I’ve ever played!

General observation that over the course of these turns the game went from Allies having an advantage to Axis having the Allies on the ropes. Throughout all of these turns no side has been anywhere close to an economic victory. It was a wild day of play!

Germany
As expected, multiple tank armies and a plethora of other troops descended upon Russia’s Army Group wiping it out, but losses Germany chose to take disbanded both tank armies. Focused on reclaiming/owning all territory west of the Russian front, expanding northward, and creating a steady supply of wolf packs. When the UK and US lost (or retreated to the Pacific) what little navy they had left wolf packs rule the sea and have been sitting off of the US coast for several turns depleting US income 15-20 IPC every turn. A very effective strategy. Have now stabilized all fronts with the expectation of a new surge into Russia.

UK
Took over the Finland factory that Germany built to boost the Allied presence in Europe. Paratroopers liberated Paris causing the creation of Vichy troops that walked into nearby territories that were left open by Germany, boosting the France economy to 22 IPC. Paris was quickly retaken however putting that income into the pockets of Germany. Tanks from the middle east and Africa travelled to the Allied front lines in China to help liberate it from the Japanese. India was a focal point of Japanese aggression so many resources were put into its defense, but it finally fell (without the possibility of immediately being reclaimed) in 1947. No D Day has yet taken place, and it doesn’t look like it will be happening anytime soon. Africa has been pretty much a non-factor for most of the game. Anzac has held its own.

Russia
Spent almost every turn creating armies to send to the front lines, as well as a sprinkling of rockets and other units. After their Army Group was soundly defeated another army quickly took over Poland. Germany would soundly defeat them the following turn but leave Romania or Hungry vulnerable for Russia to walk in with another army into one or both of those territories. Several turns saw these territories changing hands back and forth between Germany and Russia. A steady stream of tanks and other troops were sent into China, finally reaching the Pacific in 1947 (more on this later). With the help of the UK and USA the Japanese invasion into the Eastern Soviet Union was squashed. A new Army Group was recently formed and is sitting on the front lines prepared to defend or attack Germany depending on what they do next.
Fun fact - Original Russian sub still alive and has been sitting off the coast of Normandy disrupting convoy operations for several turns.

United States
Since the opportunity presented itself Rome was successfully invaded with minimal troops, and all surface German ships were destroyed. They were able to maintain this foothold for a couple of turns before Germany mounted enough troops to recapture it. Most of the US attention was on the Pacific, with only minimal forces on the east coast to try and keep the wolf pack population in check.

The US built a factory in Alaska to filter troops into Russia that could push back the Japanese, including the formation of a Tank Army. A large fleet was built up waiting to see the best opportunity for attack. Although the US controlled the seas of the north Pacific, it left Japan to run wild in the south Pacific, and left India to fend for itself.

Japan
Certainly the strongest country for most of the game. Took over and held Hawaii, kept pumping tanks into China, and focused on taking India. Wasn’t able to keep up with the three pronged attack from UK, US, and Russia in China and has been pushed back to the coast. The last turn+ was incredibly exciting. In early 1947 Japan took India with the Allies having no chance of reclaiming it. This got them to 6 victory cities. The Allies had to recapture 1 victory city or the game was over. Japan sent most of their fleet south or east around Midway, “only” leaving a couple of super-heavy battleships and transports around Tokyo.

The US had a massive fleet sitting off the coast of Alaska, with a sizeable number of troops. The allies could see that India was going to fall so it was clear that the fleet and troops in Alaska would attack and reclaim Hawaii since the US troops significantly outnumbered the Japanese forces. However, once the allies saw that Tokyo had such a small navy protecting it, and had less than 10 infantry (1 elite) & an AAA gun for ground troops, that was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up. The Alaska force was sent to Japan to flip the game so that the Axis would be in a desperate situation. Japan used all their kamikaze attacks but the US soundly won the naval battle. However, the Home Defense combined with great/poor rolling gave Japan the victory with only 2 infantry and an elite remaining. The allies took the bait, but it was a seriously risky move.

Even though the US clearly had the edge in Tokyo the allies had backup plans in place. The US also invaded Hawaii with a small amount of forces in the hopes it could weaken the Japanese there so that Anzac could win the day. That didn’t work out. The only hope left was Shanghai, where Japan had a sizeable force. The US attacked and weakened it, the UK attacked and weakened it some more, leaving it up to one last shot by Russia. Russia’s 4 tanks were easily able to overcome the remaining tank and elite infantry to (at least for the moment) save the day for the Allies.

Is the end still near for the Allies? We’ll see when we enter 1948 and beyond! (sorry for being longwinded)

@mkgionet

Wow Exciting is right ! Awesome report !

I can’t remember how VCs work. They don’t add up at end of france turn ? The way Economic does ? So, how did the SSR get to go again ?

Boy Wolfpacks off the east coast of America ? Brutal lol Raeder is definitely getting promoted to 2nd in Command lol

I think the yanks need to sink them at all costs :) unless the VCs force there play elsewhere. Upgrade the AB in DC and build one in Central and uppgrade with Total War Ftrs for both :) heh heh A DD in each SZ

Sink those nazi bastards lol

Can’t tell the score 148 Axis ? 181 Allies ?

Great report. When do you play next ?

@barnee Thanks Barnee! For VC’s the Axis have to hold 6 in the Pacific (or 8 in Europe) for a FULL turn. So since they achieved 6 on Japan’s turn it has to get all the way back to Japan’s next turn to be considered a victory. That’s why if Russia didn’t succeed in taking Shanghai it would’ve been game over.

Great idea about building an air base in Central, need to seriously consider that.

Score is currently: Axis 125 Allies 154

Scheduling is tough so we probably won’t play again until early November.

@mkgionet

ahh … thats’ right. I remember now :)

That’s cool, only a month maybe this time.

Keep us updated :)

Game #6 barnee vs Panzerstahl-Helm

Game: 1940

Axis: barnee
Allies: Panzer

Game Thread https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/41024/exp-barnee-vs-panzer-game-6?page=1

Triplea save exp-game-6-stahl-us-uk-anz17_econ._victory.tsvg

The Reich started with a Heavy U-boat buy. They sunk the UK Fleets in 110 and 111, as well as the Trprt and DD in 106.
The Wehermacht conquered all of France and attrited Yugoslovakia Infantry.

The SSR max produces Landmines along with two Engineers. They also commission a commisar and produce a Paratrooper.

They withdraw from the border Territories of Eastern Europe. The Red Army concentrates in lenningrad and the SFE Army in Amur.

Nippon starts their initial buy with 3 Transports and conduct standard opening attacks in china.

USA goes with an all Naval build, while china successfully counterattacks in Yunnan.

UK invests heavily in Infrastructure and moves the London Factory underground, as well as building a Minor in Egypt. An AB is constructed in Gibralter.

They sink a damaged Bismark in 111 and defeat the Italians off Malta and in Ethiopia.

Italia begins with a Sub and Paratrooper buy. They conduct combat against the French Fleet in 93 and defeat the remaining Yugoslav Infantry.
They also sink a Brit CA off Malta.

ANZAC does a Trprt Inf buy and takes control of some Dutch TTys.
The French follow the British around.

Late 1940
More U-boats are commissioned. The Luftwaffe produces 2 Air Transports.

An SBR in Egypt causes major damage to the newly built Fctry there and a DD blocker in 110 is sunk.

The Soviets have withdrawn from the frontier other than lenningrad where they have a sizable force.
The Wehrmacht has strong Forces from Romania to Poland but nothing too threatening.

They continue to max produce LMs and commission another commisar. Engnrs move LMs to W UKR and arm them.

JPN takes Yunnan again and builds a Fctry in Shantung. A NB is also built in Kwangsi.
They have shown no intention of attacking the Allies as of yet., but the Americans are still concerned and destroy the AB and NB in the Philippines.

The yanks continue to build their Navy and station the majority of it in the Pacific.

The Brits repair their Egypt fctry and move it underground. They have combats in Iraq, where they successfully attrit Iraqi Inf, which will lead to an easy Soviet takeover.

The Italian Inf in Kenya is easily cleaned up, while the rest of the Army moves back to Egypt. The Med Fleet off Cairo is reinforced with another CV.

U-boats are taking a heavy toll on the UK economy in the Atlantic.

Italia takes a lightly defended GIB and conquers Greece giving them an Objective.

ANZAC keeps taking Custodianship of Dutch TTys and the French keep following the British around.

Lunch break

Quartermaster got us fed but now I need a nap lol. Should be more efficient going forward :)

Well, made some coffee. I don’t drink it much anymore, so should get all jacked up lol

Early 1941
Germany continues to produce U-boats. The Luftwaffe pivots from the Egyptian Fctry and bombs the Naval Base, causing 3 damage.

The Kriegsmarine moves to 91 and along with the Luftwaffe, reinforce GIB.

The Wehrmacht is in Romainia in force, with two Waffen Armies staging in Hungary. 1st Panzer forms in Berlin.

SSR continues with max LM builds. 1st Corps forms in UKR. 2 Paratroopers to Caucasus.

Nippon builds another china Fctry. They conduct no combats.

USA continues building there Navy. They make a DOW on Germany and Italy at the end of there turn.
China liberates two TTys.

UK repairs the Egyptian NB and build a CV with 2 Seafires. They sink an Italian Trprt in 92.
U-boats continue to hurt the British economy.

Mussolini can not contain his excitement and declares war on russia. They take an undefended E POL and Rostov via Paratrooper attack.

ANZAC launches a Aircraft Carrier.
France hangs out with the British.

Late 1941
Germany invades Russia. The undefended Frontier TTys are taken. Army Group Center forms in E POL. U-boats move from S FRA to 97 to support the Italia Regia.

The Soviets max build LMs again. They conduct heavy counterattacks. They attack Iraq with Paratrooper help. Mines are armed in W UKR, Belarus and UKR.

JPN doesn’t want to be late to the party and declares war on the Western Allies. Major combat takes place in Singapore, the DEI’s and the Philippines.

America responds with some small naval attacks in the Pacific. The Atlantic Fleet fearing German U-boat attacks remains in SZ 101.

China continues their counterattacks. They are down to 4 TTys.

Britain continues to build their Navy with another CV and Seafire. They conduct a minor counterattack against Burma.

Italy destroys the facilities in GIB. They bomb the repaired NB in Egypt.

ANZAC commissions another CV.
France hangs out with their new best friends.

Hmm … says the picture is too big to post. Was able to do it before. Well, I’ll work on that. The rest of the report won’t be as detailed :)

Compressed it. Try again. Nope. Well w/e f it lol

Early 1942 to Late 1943 saw the reich and SSR trade TTys in attritional wafare all along the Eastern Front. Fallschirmjagers are able to take Caucasus for a brief time and will threaten the Soviet TTys across the Black Sea for the duration of the period.

AG Center moves into Novgorod in Force and threatens a breakout through Archangel.

The Med has seen large numbers of U-boats launched out of S FRA. In order to prevent the Anglo Fleets from potentially combining in SZ 92, the Kriegsmarine, with some minor Luftwaffe support, would launch an all out assault on the Royal Navy.

It would end in disaster. The Axis would never have a signifigant Naval Force in the Med for the rest of the war.

The Atlantic U-boats would be sunk and the Kriegsmarine will reach it’s lowest force compostion for the entire war. They begin to sow mines in SZ 112.

Air Trprts have established Rommel in Alexandria to support the Italians, but even though they tie down signifigant UK Forces in Egypt, they are never quite able to conquer it.

While there have been some successes and overall confidence remains high, Anglo Naval control of the Atlantic has facilitated W EUR landings and forced Norway to be constantly reinforced.

S Italy also requires precious reich resources due to the Large UK Fleet in the Med.

All of this is weakening the thrust against Russia and will eventually have enormous consequences.

The Soviets continue to mass produce LMs. Belarus and W UKR will end up heavily mined.
The forces in Iraq will move overland into Africa supported by Paratroopers.

However, they don’t account for 2 Waffen Paras in S Italy and a undefended Iraq falls.
The SFE Army remains in Amur, forcing JPN to keep critical INF in range for a potential counterattack.

Army Groups 1 and 2 have formed in Belarus and W UKR.

JPN rebuilds the NB in PHI and also launch the Yamato. They are able to take control of all the Dutch Islands, although this would be temporary.

A strong combined American/ANZAC Fleet will liberate Celebes. The Caroline Harbor will be destroyed and the Islands continously reinforced via Air Trprt.

China hangs on in the North until Late 1943. JPN has lost control of the DEI’s at this point.
They will trade Burma continously with the UK.

Uncle Sam continues to pour massive resources into the Pacific. In Early 1942 they will liberate GIB and begin striking at the U-boats in the Atlantic.

Air Trprts are produced on a large scale for the European Theatre. With the Kriegsmarine no longer a threat, The Atlantic Fleet moves to 110 and begins landings in Normandy.

UK will rebuild the Air and NB in GIB. They will also clean up the Italian Forces that landed in the Middle East.
A large Med Fleet is anchored in SZ 98.
Egypt will maintain strong land forces to counter the Afrika Corps in Alexandria.

They will trade Holland and Burma multiple times.

Italy will move into the ME with Air and Naval landings after the British Fleet moved to GIB, as well as sinking Naval Vessels of oppurtunity.

They will help the Wehrmacht with small counterattacks on the E Front.
Paratrooper Attacks across the Black Sea in Late 43 will take undefended soviet TTys.

ANZAC teams with the Americans to liberate Dutch Islands and will also have to liberate New Guinea from suicide JPN attacks.

France hangs out with their buddies.

End 1943

Beginning Late 44 things start to turn against the Axis. The Reich will build Type XXI U-boats and Tiger Tanks almost every turn going forward.

They will have some successes, especially with the XXIs but it won’t be enough to stop a supercharged Russian economy, even after taking control of Italy.

There will be some tense moments for uncle joe, but AG Center is forced to withdraw from Novgorod and eventual Russian attrition will wear it down.

Continous attacks to the West by USA and UK, eventually lead to a major foothold in Normandy. Norway is under constant attack and changes hands repeatedly.

The brief resurgence of the Kriegsmarine with the XXIs is short lived. While they will push the Anglo Fleet deep into the Atlantic where their Subpens can’t provide protection, Naval High Command overlooks the presence of a lone US DD in the Med with the Royal Navy.

If not for poor aim by the Allied Air Forces, all of the U-boats would have been sunk. Doubtful it would have changed the outcome of the war, as the Americans were flying in Large numbers of troops via Air Transport, but it could have gave Germany one last Hail Mary attack on the Eastern Front.

Nippon would have their battlefied victories as well, including winning an Enormous Naval Battle off Singapore, but eventually be ground down by Anglo Superiority.

Once again, another entertaining game and congratulations to @Panzerstahl-Helm on the Victory :)

Situation at the End of Early 1948 led to an Economic Victory.

oops Looks as if I need to add Subpens for the French. They can’t use them but are able to control them. And here i just did an update lol. It’s on the list now :)

@VictoryFirst

Game #1 Victory First vs Panzerstahl-Helm

Game: 1940

Axis: VictoryFirst
Allies: Panzer

Game Thread: https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/40900/1-victoryfirst-axis-vs-panzerstahl-helm-allies-g40-house-rules-expansion-by-the-captain/12

Final Save: g13-final_endsieg.tsvg

It’s been a while since the game, but I’d still like to give you the match report.
Disclaimer - the report was created by AI by giving the turn summary to the bot as fodder. I added a few comments of my own in italics, as well as the world map at the end of every 2 turns after the France turn.
I also created a report for each nation and faction.

Spoiler - Congratulations to VictoryFirst on his well-deserved victory and thanks for the great game! That was brilliantly executed master-plan!

Round 1: Initial German Offensive (Late 1940)
Germany launched a large-scale multi-front offensive, concentrating forces in Western Europe. Major territorial gains included the capture of France, Southern France, and Yugoslavia. German naval forces engaged British ships in the Atlantic, with mixed results, while land operations succeeded with the use of air and armored divisions. Casualties were moderate, but German positions were solidified across key European territories.

Round 2: Axis Expansion
German forces reinforced their positions in Europe and advanced through Bulgaria, continuing their dominance on land. U-boat wolf packs continued their operations in the Atlantic, while ground forces stabilized fronts in France and Yugoslavia. Japan secured significant victories in China and Southeast Asia, further extending Axis control in the Pacific. Italy made gains in North Africa, expanding their territorial holdings.

Round 3: Allied Resistance and Naval Skirmishes
The Axis powers strengthened their positions but faced growing resistance from the Allies. German naval forces clashed with British and American fleets, suffering losses, but maintaining control over strategic sea zones. On land, Germany prepared for future offensives by consolidating forces in Poland and Romania. Japan continued its unchecked expansion in the Pacific, while Italy’s control over North Africa tightened.

Round 4: Axis Fortifications
Germany reinforced its naval presence in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, deploying additional U-boats. On land, German forces built defensive fortifications across Southern Europe, focusing on maintaining their gains. Japan continued its push across Southeast Asia, while the Allies began mounting more effective counter-naval operations.

Round 5: Naval Engagements and Italian Advances
Naval engagements intensified as German U-boats continued to disrupt Allied shipping. Meanwhile, the Italian Army expanded its hold on North Africa, maintaining pressure on British forces. Japanese forces further strengthened their control over the Pacific, meeting limited resistance as Allied forces struggled to regroup.

Round 6: Allied Naval Counteroffensive
The Allies gained momentum at sea, neutralizing several German wolf packs. Despite this, Germany held firm on land, fortifying positions in Europe. Japan retained control over key Pacific territories, while ANZAC and American forces prepared for counteroffensives. Italian operations in North Africa continued, but Allied resistance stiffened.

Round 7: German Technological Expansion
Germany focused on advanced technological production, including mechanized and armored divisions, and maintained pressure in naval battles. U-boat forces disrupted Allied convoys, but the balance of naval power began to shift. Japan reinforced its Pacific territories, ensuring dominance in the region.

Round 8: Stalemates and Increased Resistance
Germany ramped up air and tank production while reinforcing Southern Europe. Naval operations continued with mixed success as the Allies gained ground. In the Pacific, ANZAC forces made incremental gains, weakening Japan’s grip on key islands. Italy’s defense in North Africa remained strong, but cracks started to appear.

Round 9: Axis Defensive Strain
Allied forces secured major naval victories, reducing the effectiveness of the German U-boat campaign. German forces, stretched thin, struggled to maintain control over strategic sea zones. In the Pacific, ANZAC forces liberated several islands, weakening Japanese dominance. Axis defenses remained strong, but signs of strain emerged.

Round 10: Axis Reinforcement and Italian Collapse
Germany took control of Italy and fortified Southern Europe. Italian forces began to collapse under Allied pressure, but German reinforcements bolstered the region. U-boat operations continued, though Allied naval forces improved their effectiveness. On the Eastern Front, the German was able to land a heavy effective hit against the Russian and the 2nd Panzer Army as well as the 3rd Corps and 4 fighter squadrons were crushed in Kazakhstan! After this loss and the conquest of extensive areas in the north and east of Moscow, the Russians were encircled by the Axis forces. In the Pacific, ANZAC continued its advance, further strengthening control over the region.

Round 11: Allied Naval Victories and Axis Resilience
The Allies continued to erode the Axis naval presence, successfully countering U-boat operations. German forces remained entrenched in Europe but faced growing Allied pressure. <FONT color=red>Nevertheless, the encirclement around Moscow was held and even strengthened. The onion domes on Red Square could already be seen with the naked eye by the German units. The storming of the Russian capital was only a matter of time! Japan struggled to maintain its hold on the Pacific as ANZAC and American forces gained ground. Italy’s military efforts weakened further under sustained Allied attacks.

Round 12: Allied Counteroffensives
Germany fortified its positions in Europe, deploying new U-boats and reinforcing Southern Italy, but faced increasing difficulty holding sea zones. Allied forces made progress in the Pacific, weakening Japanese defenses. Italy’s defensive capabilities continued to deteriorate, while ANZAC solidified control over critical territories.

Round 13: Axis Stretched Thin

All available German troops with a total strength of
1 ArmyGroupActive
1 German_Hvy_Bmbr
2 LuftwaffeAces
1 Panzer_General
1 Panzer_General3
3 Panzer_Grndrss
1 Weapons_Army
1 Weapon_Colonel
16 armour
3 artilleries
5 bombers
1 elite
8 fighters
13 infantry
1 mech_infantry
1 tactical_bomber
2 weapon_infantrys
and 2 waffen_panzers

faced an inferior Allied force of

1 FighterAceUSA
6 usa_fighters
Russians 1 ArmyGroupActive
1 FighterAce
1 FlakTower
1 Soviet_Commisar
1 Soviet_Commisar_2
1 Tank_General3
6 aaGunNOs
16 armour
1 elite
5 guard_infantrys
and 1 tactical_bomber

opposite. After a short but tough battle, the Russian lines were broken through and completely destroyed in a coup de main. The Russian Empire became history! Allied naval forces continued to gain dominance in both the Atlantic and Pacific. German U-boat fleets suffered heavy losses, weakening their ability to disrupt Allied shipping. Japanese forces, though still strong, began to lose critical islands to ANZAC and American advances. Italy remained under German control but was increasingly vulnerable to Allied offensives. *In a final joint attempt by the Anglo-American allies to bring the German Reich to its knees after all, the total loss of British landing troops at the gates of Berlin was a failure. *

Operational Report: Summary by Nation

Germany
Rounds 1-2: Germany initiated a swift and aggressive campaign across Western Europe, achieving remarkable victories by capturing France, Southern France, and Yugoslavia. The German military utilized their air superiority and naval forces effectively, establishing dominance in the Atlantic.
Rounds 3-4: Following their initial successes, German forces fortified their positions in occupied territories and increased U-boat production. Naval engagements with British forces yielded mixed results, but the ground campaign remained strong.
Rounds 5-6: Germany focused on technological advancements, enhancing their mechanized divisions and heavy tank production. Despite successful U-boat operations, the Allies began to improve their counter-naval tactics, leading to increased losses for German shipping.
Rounds 7-9: As the war progressed, the German military faced challenges, particularly with the strain of prolonged engagements. They prepared for a significant campaign against the Soviet Union, known as Operation Barbarossa, which would see them invade Russia in a bid to secure vast territories.
Rounds 10-14: Germany successfully executed Operation Barbarossa, rapidly advancing into Soviet territory and capturing significant areas, including major cities. The initial campaign met with success, but as winter set in and Soviet resistance intensified, supply lines became overstretched. Despite early victories, the harsh conditions began to impede their progress, ultimately leading to a protracted conflict on the Eastern Front.

Italy
Rounds 1-2: Italy supported Germany’s advances in North Africa, achieving early successes but struggled with logistics and troop morale, relying heavily on German military support.
Rounds 3-4: The Italian military faced increasing pressure from Allied forces, particularly in North Africa, leading to heavy casualties and revealing significant vulnerabilities.
Rounds 5-6: As the situation deteriorated, Italy’s reliance on German support grew. Continued Allied offensives resulted in significant losses, contributing to Italy’s political instability.
Rounds 7-9: Political turmoil led to Italy’s collapse, and Germany took full control, integrating Italian forces into their command structure and solidifying their position in Southern Europe.
Rounds 10-14: Under German control, the Italian military operated primarily in support of German objectives. Allied advances in North Africa and the Mediterranean continued to threaten their positions.

Japan
Rounds 1-2: Japan pursued aggressive territorial expansion across Southeast Asia, achieving significant gains with minimal resistance, and establishing dominance in the Pacific.
Rounds 3-4: Continued military operations allowed Japan to fortify captured territories, although growing Allied resistance began to challenge their military efforts.
Rounds 5-6: Japan maintained military strength but faced increasing pressure as Allied forces regrouped and launched counteroffensives, which began to erode their control.
Rounds 7-9: Japanese operations encountered setbacks due to coordinated Allied attacks, leading to losses in naval engagements and the threat of losing critical territories.
Rounds 10-14: As ANZAC and American forces gained momentum, Japan struggled to maintain control over its acquisitions. Significant losses in naval battles threatened their dominance in the Pacific.

Allied Nations (ANZAC, United Kingdom, United States)
Rounds 1-2: The Allies faced early setbacks due to Axis expansion but worked to regroup and prepare for counteractions against the advancing Axis forces.
Rounds 3-4: The Allies mounted effective naval operations against German U-boats while supporting ANZAC forces in the Pacific, leading to improved coordination and strengthened positions.
Rounds 5-6: The Allies successfully neutralized several German U-boats and made considerable gains in the Pacific, regaining control of strategic territories from Japan.
Rounds 7-9: With increasing cooperation, the U.S. ramped up military production, deploying more naval assets. ANZAC and American forces achieved critical victories, reversing the tide against Japanese expansion.
Rounds 10-14: As Germany captured significant territories in Russia, the Allies maintained pressure on Axis forces, effectively neutralizing U-boat threats and liberating territories in the Pacific. The Allies prepared for further offensives, exploiting Axis vulnerabilities and the overextended German supply lines in Eastern Europe.

Summary end of the game:

@Panzerstahl-Helm

Hehe that’s a good-looking report 😀 The AI is good at story-telling however I don’t think it is always telling the right stuff lol 😂 Here is a considerably condensed game report on my part to complement yours.

Early Game (Rounds 1-4)
The Germans went for a mixture between U-boats for the Atlantic and land units for the Eastern Front. Japan made a swift J2 attack, capturing several Allied naval bases still intact. Both Axis powers destroyed numerous Allied fleets in the early game, however at the expense of their own naval and air forces. Japan’s expansion was quickly forced to a halt when the American began to emerge in the South Pacific and the British in Burma. The Chinese still had formidable forces in the mountains and a large Soviet army was lurking behind the Manchurian border, ready to strike at the right moment.
However this made the Russians vulnerable to a powerful Barbarossa attack, which happened on G4…

Mid Game (Rounds 5-9)
Germany continued its push through the Soviet heartland, weakening a big Soviet army in Bryansk by attacking it for a couple of rounds and then withdrawing. The Italians joined it as well, harassing the Black Sea coast and threatening can-opener attacks everywhere. After the Russian conscriptions arrived, it became a war of atrittion, with the Axis forces trying to make small advances.

The Japanese forces were kept busy by constant attacks from Chinese and British forces, while being low on troops themselves. Luckily they managed to destroy the Allied fleet in a large naval battle in SZ 54 on J6. However this did not improve the cause as the Soviets declared war on them on turn 7 and invaded Manchuria and the Americans were quickly forming a new fleet. The Japanese Empire was reeling and had to fight hard to turn the situation back into their favor.

Round 9, the Axis forces started the process of encircling Moscow. They had made a successful push into the Caucasus mountains and also had a sizeable presence in Archangel. The Soviets desperately tried to keep the germans at bay for as long as possible.

The Japanese got finally grip again on the situation in Asia. The British were pushed back to Shan State, however here they are in a position to threaten FIC and Malaya. The Chinese were left with an infantry army in Tsinghai, and Japanese tanks starting zipping past them into Soviet Heartland. The Soviet forces in Manchuria also got destroyed and Japan began to march troops through Siberia.

The Americans started making serious threats in the Pacific. They captured the Carolines and had a larger fleet than the Japanese, forcing them back to SZ 6.

The Allied Commander made a clever move by letting the Italians walk into empty Middle East territories with only one infantry, and then recapturing them as the Americans so that they can build factories there! Very impressive!

Late Game (Rounds 10-14)
Russia starts feeling the pressure and to make matters worse, the Italian Takeover was made possible because an Italian transport used up all of its movement to sail to the North African coast, allowing the last Axis forces to load onto that transport, thus freeing Africa from Axis forces. This allowed the German player to make a surprise strike on the Russian army in Kazakhstan with the newly aquired Italian forces. Two Italian bombers were bought on the Italian turn for this exact reason. Even though the rolls didn’t go in their favor and the attack was more like a trade, they still managed to destroy almost a half of the entire Russian army with this attack. The Soviets now weren’t able anymore to stop the encirclement and were forced to the defense of Moscow.

Japanese expansion in Asia continued and they tried to keep the Allied advancement in South Asia and the Pacific to a minimum. They also massively reinforced their fleet to chase the Americans away who just recaptured the Philippines.

The Allies tried everything they could to turn the tide before Germany captured Moscow. Western Germany fell after a bloody battle but was subsequently recaptured, the Americans seized SZ 6 when the Japanese abandoned it but didn’t have enough transports to make any landings. The Americans also tried to make a push through the Caucasus mountains but it was a little too late. On Turn 13, the Germans acquired enough forces to make a devastating attack against the encircled Russians who were just left with Moscow at this point. The overwhelming odds did their work and Moscow fell with no chance of recapturing.

@VictoryFirst said in Global 1940 & 1943 Expansions Game Reports:

@Panzerstahl-Helm

Hehe that’s a good-looking report 😀 The AI is good at story-telling however I don’t think it is always telling the right stuff lol 😂 Here is a considerably condensed game report on my part to complement yours.

Hehe, I had the same feeling. The report is different than my memories of that game. I remebered the Allies fire-fighting throughout the entire game at every corner. The Axis were hard pushing everywhere.
Maybe the AI bot needs more examples, or perhaps I should feed it some real war diaries from veteranes.

@Panzerstahl-Helm

Yeah I think it tries to stay as closely as possible to what happened in the real war for some reason (i.e. the Allies winning). Still I am surprised the AI made such a good report. It was correct about the U-boats at least 😀

Anyways, great game, it was a pleasure to play with you and I am looking forward to our future games 😁

Also a noteworthy thing that happened in our game - one German U-boat managed to reach Sydney and started to harass the ANZAC shipping there 😀

@VictoryFirst said in Global 1940 & 1943 Expansions Game Reports:

Also a noteworthy thing that happened in our game - one German U-boat managed to reach Sydney and started to harass the ANZAC shipping there 😀

Indeed! This lonely wolf caused a lot of headacjes to the Australian high command and it took them several rounds to get rid of it.

Global 1940, Game Report:

Axis player: Mussolini Pizza Emperor
Allied player: Trout

A few notes before the Game Report:

1. We forgot to take pictures after Axis surrendered in Early 1946. Rookie mistake.
2. We did take pictures after end of Turn 7 for a visual on the progress.
   a. We use an amateurish system for HRE games which is the OOB board along with OOB units and using A&A1914, roundels and A&A Classic pieces for some of the special units.
   b. Mussolini Pizza Emperor is a teen-ager so for fun we use Lego figures as Panzer Generals and Commissars
   c. For a 14-year-old, MPE is a formidable opponent; although he did lose this one. My prediction is he may be able to take down The Captain a time or two in about two more years.
3. Future game reports will be less wordy. We had a little too much fun with this one.
   Early 1940
   The Fuehrer has given his orders. “We have achieved a great strategic victory in infiltrating Denmark houses to locate a top-secret pamphlet known as The Captain’s G40 HRE Strategy Guides. It appears to contain great military insight into how we can dominate the world with the assistance of our mighty Axis friends. I have decided that we will execute the top-secret strategies contained in them and share them with Pizza Emperor. Also, we need secret meetings with Japan to entice them to join our cause. Offer them a chance to join Axis and in return we will share these top-secret strategy guides written by somebody known only mysteriously as “The Captain” with them and agree to let them keep any territories they conquer in the Pacific and Asia so long as they attack the tea sippers and hamburger-eaters no later than the end of 1941!
   TWO WEEKS LATER …… GENERAL MANSTEIN: Great news my fuehrer! Japan has agreed to your masterful plan! They seem very excited in particular at the prospects of conquering China with the pamphlet’s recommendations. Lastly, the Pizza Emperor has sent a message that they are excited about your plan but can’t find a strategy guide for them.
   HITLER: Excellent! Launch the attacks on France, Yugoslavia, and the UK Navy by executing Captain’s Battle of Atlantic strategy. Also tell Pizza King to get over it and stop sucking his thumb! Everybody knows they are the weakest Axis country so they must wait for an Italy Strategy Guide to be discovered at a later time. Oh, and one change to the strategy guide. Deploy the Scharnhorst to ensure success in clearing SZ 109.
   STALIN: I am beginning to question whether Adolf will honor his peace commitments. Comrades have informed me that he is making jokes about German communists, not letting them eat any pizza, and transferring others to Polish zero-star hotels near Auschwitz. So maybe we should partially mobilize our army …. Just in case.
   JAPAN: Emperor tells Marshal Tojo to make total destruction of China his first priority and tells Admiral Yamamoto to support his decision and prepare the navy for a plan to surprise attack the US sometime in Late 1941. Yamamoto grumbles but agrees to do so if he is allowed to build two Super Heavy Battleships before that attack commences. Emperor agrees to the request.

CHURCHILL: We have cracked the code on some recent transmissions of those evil Nazis. It appears that they intend to attack France and our Navy very soon! But equally concerning it appears that there have been discussions between Germany and Japan to form an alliance known as the Axis. However, not to worry! We received a package containing top secret military pamphlets from Denmark called strategy guides from somebody named “The Captain” which I now provide to you.
ROOSEVELT: Sir, Admiral Halsey is not happy that you have approved investing all US money into the Atlantic for the first four turns except for Philippine fortifications. Well, tell him that I will let his navy anchor in Hawaii so that the sailors can enjoy Waikiki. I believe the location is known as Pearl Harbor.
TURN 1 (Early 1940) NOTES:
Germany captures all continental French territory and Yugoslavia while activating Bulgaria and Finland. The Armee de Terre is now thoroughly defeated. Sea Zones 110 & 111 are cleared although a Royal Air Force counterattack results in the Scharnhorst being sunk in 109.
Japan captures Yunnan and Hunan. US spends all IPCs in Atlantic except Philippine fortifications. China retakes Yunnan - Burma Road open. UK clears SZ 96, captures Ethiopia and occupies Celebes. Pizza Emperor moves into unoccupied Alexandria, captures Greece & Tunisia and kills La Royale in SZ 93. ANZAC occupies DNG and Java.
TURN 2 (Late 1940) NOTES: Germany builds paratroopers, Combat Engineers, U-Boats and launches Bismarck into SZ 93; also captures Gibraltar. Soviet Union builds three paratroopers and more infantry. Japan captures Yunnan and three additional Chinese provinces while launching Yamato to SZ 6. UK occupies Sumatra, activates Persia, and builds carrier with Seafires in SZ 121. British Army – Africa consolidated in AES. Pizza Emperor captures Egypt, Algeria, and Syria. ANZAC reinforces Java.
TURN 3 (Early 1941) NOTES: Germany captures Morocco and Holland/Belgium, builds major IC in Romania, Engineers to Paris, Paras to Romania, Luftwaffe to Egypt, four U-Boats convoy SZ 109, SU builds second Commissar, first Commissar to Volgograd, Tojo relentless in his quest to conquer China and Musashi is launched. Emperor’s promise to Yamamoto now complete. USA declares war, China makes final stand in western provinces, UK launches HMS Prince of Wales to SZ 106, reinforces India/ Sumatra/ South Africa, and captures Iraq. Pizza Emperor captures TransJordan and ANZAC builds first carrier.

HITLER: The time has come! We must have our Lebensraum and the Commies have nice farmland. Operation Barbarossa begins now!
JAPAN: Emperor tells Tojo to complete the conquest of China now and invade Philippines with full IJN support. Admiral Yamamoto publicly says Yes, your Divine Highness and privately says …. I am ashamed at how stupid my government is. How can Japan defeat the USA, UK, China, Australia, and New Zealand by themselves? I have been tasked to begin Operation Very Stupid. But since The Emperor granted his requested gift for his 57th birthday in April 1941, he agrees to not resign. However, Mrs. Yamamoto reminds her husband that this is not actually WW2 but is Axis and Allies Global 1940 HRE so the Rising Sun can indeed be victorious! After listening to the wisdom of his beloved Reiko, he calls the attacks Operation Brilliance. The IJA is elated at the change and dubs their attacks on French Indochina, Shan State, Philippines, and Kwangtung as Operation “We want More Rice” so that their little samurai warriors back home can be well fed.
STALIN: I knew it! My genius is confirmed and in celebration, let’s send the one hundred biggest grumblers about my leadership to the Urals. Have them build tanks and say five times every day “I love my job and Uncle Joseph is smarter than the Czar ever was” Lastly, mobilize the Guards!
ROOSEVELT: I am tired of seeing these black and red plastic pieces advance around the board and how dare they take our Philippines! I am also tired of Churchill’s phone calls every night asking when we will finally do something. He always calls me after midnight when he wakes up in London and he said he will promise to not do that anymore if we attack Gibraltar this turn so I agreed. Mobilize the National Guard, launch the USS Missouri in SZ 10, and attack Gibraltar & Morocco so that I can finally sleep again!
CHURCHILL: The phone calls worked! That and the stupidity of the Japanese attacking Philippines. I also understand that Adolf has attacked Soviet Union as well. We finally have some help!
MONTGOMERY: Hey WC, will they help more than our croissant-eating friends across the Channel? Also, the Japanese are taking Hong Kong with their hungry eyes on the DEI and Singapore as well!
CHURCHILL: Yes, they will. Soviets will burn their cities before surrendering and it gets a bit cold there sometimes. As for the USA, let’s send Frankie R an ample supply of our finest tea and promise to only call him between 9-5 if he will just destroy all three Axis powers. That’s not too much to ask right?
TURN 4 (Late 1941) NOTES
Full World War! Germany declares war on Soviet Union and captures Baltic States, Eastern Poland, Bessarabia, Karelia, and via one paratrooper the Caucasus. Soviets dig in their mines in Belarus/Western Ukraine and mobilize the Guards. Japan captures Philippines, Hong Kong, and French Indochina in addition to completing the conquest of China. One small problem is heavy losses encountered in the Battle of the Philippines so one infantry survived but the other IJA units died including a squadron of Zeros. USA invades Gibraltar and Morocco while launching the USS Missouri in SZ 10. UK moved its Canadian navy to SZ 91 and committed maybe the first big mistake in the game. They seemingly had a great victory by attacking and destroying Pizza Emperor’s entire National Republican Army in Africa along with both fighters of the Regia Aeronautica when capturing Egypt. However, unfortunately the entire Regia Marina supported amphibious assault via transports and landing craft in addition to attack from Transjordan to destroy the Africa UK assets via counterattack. Italy occupied Iraq and built airbase in Greece for use of the German paras stationed there. It got even worse on G5 so more to follow ……
Axis: 167 Allies: 204
TURN 5 (Early 1942) NOTES
Germany drops all paras on Egypt and Mediterranean Kriegsmarine sails through Suez Canal to attack SZ 81 where in combination with the Luftwaffe they strafe the Royal Navy there. The strafe nearly destroys all UK ships. Admiral Raeder retreats Bismarck to SZ 98 and not lose any Luftwaffe assets. On the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht advanced into Belarus, Novgorod, and Western Ukraine. Soviet Union moved bulk of Red Army to Belarus, while one Commissar and supporting infantry moved to Caucasus & NW Persia now that the paratroopers are no longer a threat in Greece. Stalin decides to conscript all teen-agers and grandpas due to the Fascist invasion. He calls it Red Army Conscription. Japan conquered Shan State, Burma, and Borneo. USA invaded Algeria, attacked an Italian destroyer blocking the Med in SZ 92 then moved its entire Atlantic Navy from SZ 91 to 95 during Non-Combat Movement. On UK’s turn, Canadian Navy amphibiously invaded Northern Italy from SZ 95 and British paratroopers captured Normandy and Holland/Belgium. Remains of the Royal Navy in SZ 81 retreat to SZ 72 and British Army reforms in Belgian Congo. Il Duce makes a bold move and sends Admiral Campioni to sail south and smash the remains of the Royal Navy in SZ 72 in addition to invading Madagascar. He also sends General Messe to invade unoccupied AES and Iran. Essentially Pizza Emperor chooses to conquer Africa instead of prepare for German Takeover. He calls this strategy, “Operation Il Duce Smoosh-ay “ He explains his decision as being partially based on the fact that keeping the navy in the Mediterranean would have resulted in its destruction at the hands of Popeye’s navy anchored in SZ 95.
Axis: 178 Allies: 200
TURN 6 (Late 1942) NOTES
Kriegsmarine goes on the offensive; Northern fleet to SZ 104 and Southern fleet to SZ 76. Luftwaffe flies to Romania. Paratroopers in Egypt, except for one staying there to collect Axis bonus, attack Kenya and move on the ground to AES. On the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht retreats Army Group North to Eastern Poland and conducts small successful attacks on Rostov and Ukraine. On the Western Front, Germans attack Northern Italy in force. Soviet Union liberates Novgorod and Rostov, captures Iraq, drops a paratrooper onto Slovakia and builds first TG in Moscow with the help of Soviet Mass Tank production commencing. Japan captures Java, Singapore, and Celebes. The Emperor is pleased at the progress and sends sushi to the families of Yamamoto and Tojo as presents to ring in the New Year. USA invades Southern Italy and is rewarded with 33 IPCs from Italy’s treasury! Mediterranean navy splits up with battleships remaining in SZ 95 for shore bombardment and carriers back to SZ 92. USA chose to only build two battleships, two transports, and their first fighter ace so after confiscating Italian banks, they end with 153 IPCs available for the next turn. Churchill meditates for several hours on how to conduct its defense of Africa under the extreme pressure of the Axis. His decision is to build a battleship and a carrier with Seafire air units in SZ 71 and retreat land units to Rhodesia. Canadian Navy sails to SZ 98 in order to hunt down and kill 3 U-boats there. Italy responds by attacking SZ 71 with its two cruisers in SZ 72 plus Strat Bomber located in Italian Somaliland. Cruisers and SB destroyed but they did damage the HMS Victorious and send the Seafire planes into the Indian Ocean. Churchill was heard saying that the HMS Victorious was victorious! Meanwhile Pizza Dude’s army attacked Southern Italy from Greece via landing craft and liberated the capitol. This attack was pre-coordinated with Adolf who said that he would reinforce Rome from Northern Italy and station majority of the Luftwaffe there as well to ensure the disgusting hamburger-eaters would not successfully counter-attack.
Axis: 177 Allies: 196
TURN 7 (Early 1943)
Kriegsmarine North retreats to SZ 110, Adolf fulfills his commitment to Italy …… this time by moving German land units to Rome plus stations majority of Luftwaffe there as well. Also clears Western Europe from British paratroopers who landed there in 1942. Bismark and one accompanying U-Boat that were in SZ 76 attacked the HMS King George V and damaged HMS Victorious in SZ 71. They were diced badly and sunk the two Royal Navy capital ships but at the cost of themselves sinking also. Soviet Union liberates TransJordan, Iran, and Syria which were all unoccupied in addition to liberating Karelia/Western Ukraine/Ukraine and dropping one paratrooper on Poland resulted in collecting 47 IPCs. Japan attacks and captures Sumatra – conquest of the DEI now complete. USA awash in money this turn builds two fully loaded carriers in each ocean among other things and sends transport to SZ 98 for amphibious invasion of Egypt held by one German paratrooper. All USA warships end turn in SZ’s 91/92 ready to potentially move north or west in Turn 8 for continental assault. UK conducts paratroop drops on Southern France/Normandy and Canadian Navy sails through Suez Canal to SZ 76. Italy captures West India and Rhodesia. UK backed up fully into South Africa now. Photos through end of Turn 7 follow:
Axis: 181 Allies: 193