Tue, 5 Feb 2002 
From: "James Connor"
Subject: GR- Bludgeon the Brits 22

 
Welcome to the twenty second report of a Friday night WiF game being played in Ray Sonsie's garage, the protagonists are:
 
Players Options History Re-cap M/ A 1947 M / J 1947 Wash-up Re-cap 
J / A 1947 Wash-up Re-cap N / D 1947 J / F 1948 Wash-up M / A 1948 M / J 1948 
J / A 1948 Wash-up S / O 1948 N / D 1948 J / F 1949 Wash-up M / A 1949
S / O 1949
 
 
Players
Germany: Moi
Japan: Robin Walters
Italy: Aaron Green
CW: Nick Prosser
Russia/France: Ray Sonsie
USA/China: Chris Williams
 
An apology up front for the Euro bias that will inevitably creep in as I am the Grey peoples. 
 
Options
We are playing full blown WiF with:
2d10 tables (halved blitz/snow over rivers, -1 per stack)
Limited ZOCs
WiFCon Oil
Night strategic only
Annual Vichy
Chinese Warlords and Friction, no half attack
Defensive Shore bombardment to half the value of the units, then moved to 0 box
 
And, we have now added the Patton and America in Flames units to the pools and extended the game finish date to 1950. US Production is limited to a PM of 2 
and USSR production does not gain the .25 city bonuses, unless Germany is in their home nation, as it makes the Russians very powerful.
 
The History (this is background, skip if you re-call what is going on)
We are in early 1947. The Axis are doing well, after-all they do control much of the world. The Game began as usual, Germany smashed Poland and France gaining
 a huge number of Vichy chits. Spain, then Gibraltar were little challenge. Italy secured the Middle East. Russia, deciding to play it alone, cut several non-aggression
 deals with Germany, culminating in war not being able to be declared until 1944. This allowed German to invade England and continue the Naval war against the 
CW. Germany still controls part of England south of Sheffield and the CW navy is not much too speak of. Russia took advantage of this peace to take out Rumania, 
Persia, Iraq, Syria and parts of Manchuria, they even briefly cut the Suez canal! Germany went to war in 1944 and made good initial headway - even taking 
Smithville briefly and evicting the Russians from the Balkans where they had been fighting a vicious war with Italy in Greece. The line then stabilised with German 
troops pulling out of Russia and fighting a border defence, until the summer of 1946 which saw the Germans pushing hard into Russia, and still doing so. Japan had 
some initial disasters, making no headway against China then having to deal with a Russian build up in Siberia. China is now being bludgeoned into submission with 
O-chits. Japan does own the Pacific, from Midway to Australia and India is also Japanese occupied. Japan has lost few naval forces to speak off, thus the IJN is 
huge. America joined the war and committed heavily to try and save England, which they did and are now evicting the Germans. Now the US fleet is huge in the 
Pacific, ready for some monumental battles with the equally huge IJN!
 
The re-cap
We are in March 1947. Germany continues to push in to Russia, Up to Leningrad and Smolensk in the North and to Kiev and the 3 resources in the South. England 
is being slowly liberated by US/CW forces. In the Pacific, China is in dire straits with only a few cities left before conquest. The US fleet is ready to go though with 
the Japanese fleet sailing in the Marianas sea area a huge Naval battle could be in the offing. It would be nice for the US to get some revenge after the very bloody 
and costly failed invasions they tried on Midway and in the Marshalls.
 
 Haut de Page
 

March/ April 1947
 
Russian forces continue the exercise of gap filling.... Truman finally orders the US fleet into action - fed up with the pussy footing around that has been going on. A 
very large conglomeration of IJN and USN units with land based air circle around the Marianas sea area. US forces gain the jump on the Japanese with a lucky 
search pattern. A massive air battle ensues with the US far superior in fighters and bombers (never worse than +4!). Brilliant Japanese flying coupled with atrocious 
US airman ship sees only a few bombers finding targets on both sides, despite the large number that began the conflict. Japan, desperate to inflict serious casualties 
inspires its pilots to become the divine wind. They do and fly straight through an amazing amount of flak and smash into the Leyte Gulf and the Lexington, inflicting 
heavy loss of life and destroying air frames as both CVs had their air component on the decks at the time, a cruiser was also lost. US forces managed to sink the 
Akagi and a cruiser in return. Japanese naval commanders seriously contemplated fleeing at this point but partly from strong advice from the German and Italian 
exchange naval officers decide to stay. The following day US forces again got the jump on the Japanese, but due to the heavy losses already sustained could only 
start the air battle at a marginal advantage of +2. This time though the US pilots did much better (the inferior pilots must have already been dead in the previous 
battle), preventing any suicidal Japanese and managing to Shepard their bombers over the targets. The CVs Meiji and Zuikaku were sunk along with a cruiser, a 
telling blow on the IJN. Both sides continued the engagement but neither could gain enough of an edge to get any bombers through to the target. While many of the 
smaller ships in each fleet were tasked with fetching the 100s of pilots from the water, the rapidly diminishing air components engaged again. US bombers again 
slipping through and sinking the Soryu. Japan was still not deterred, another fight erupted with the last few planes being on each side being shot down with no ship 
damage. Finally, devoid of air cover the US fleet withdraws... Wow what a huge battle, it took 4 of us over an hour of real time to fight it out! The US lost 17 
aircraft and Japan 16, with 2 US and 4 Japanese CVs sunk. Thus it was a tactical Japanese victory but a Strategic US victory as they can replace losses so quickly. 
It should have been much worse for the Japanese but their dice came to the rescue!
 
The last vestiges of Winter visit Europe, snow and sleet preventing any land action and forcing Germany to sortie its massive sub fleet, to little effect. In the Pacific 
the IJN, still shell shocked sends out more land air to cover the remains of the fleet.
 
Undeterred by the losses taken the US Pacific fleet command orders the Ships to ready themselves again and with the help of a naval OC and new arrivals from the 
US West coast a sizeable fleet is reformed in Pearl.
 
Winter continues to cling on, blizzards sweeping through Europe as a vicious cold snap takes hold. Again the German navy is ordered to sink convoys, again the 
weather prevents the subs and fleet units making contact.
 
The US, seeking to push its current Naval advantage orders all units to sea with land based support (using a super O-chit) the Second battle of the Marianas is a 
wash out, neither side making contact.
 
Spring gets hold of the snow an melts it away. Germany continues its naval attempts and in a daring raid sorties a carrier battle group from Lisbon to the US East 
coast, breaking the convoy line completely and damaging some old US battleships.
Turn over...
 
 

 
May/June 1947
 
Tojo, incensed at the heavy naval losses orders the Army to make up for it. In a massive attack supported with extra supplies and reserves (an OC) Chunk-King is 
taken. Reducing the Chinese to just 2 cities left before conquest.
The great offensive in the East rolls on, with heavy Italian air strikes helping the Germans to blitz the Russians back in the Ukraine north of the Coal mines. In the 
Northern theatre Germans smash through the Russians at +6 (rolled a17) south of Smolensk, surrounding the city on 5 sides! Panzers also force their way forward 
West of Kalinin, making Moscow just 300km away...
 
The Wallies prepare themselves, primarily in the Pacific. Russia plays another OC on its HQs so as to be able to re-organise enough of the shattered line and a 
couple of fighters for the defence.
 
Germany continues the grinding of Russia, two solid blitzes in the North sea SS Panzers break out north of Gomel and in the first time for ages there are no Russians 
blocking the break through. The SS troops race through the gap and occupy much free territory. North East of Smolesnk, the Panzers smash through again, putting
 even more pressure on Smolensk and its defenders now strung out in a line 300 kms long East of the city.
 
The Wash Up
Hooray, a massive naval battle, not a lot of ships sunk but plenty of air downed! Now the challenge is for the US to push its advantage home and either chase the 
IJN or invade islands. The US Pacific forces need to do some spectacular things before the imperial army is released from duties in a soon to be conquered China. 
Russia continues getting bludgeoned, again Axis air superiority was telling, despite the 7 fighters the Ruskies put down in May! The breakthrough just achieved will 
be containable... just, with a thin line and by stealing troops from the Ukraine front. But it is only early in the turn and Germany still has a solid reserve of men and 
material to throw at the Ruskies (another OC). It might be time for the Euro Wallies to put some pressure on Germany wither through strat bombing or invasion now
 that the liberation of England is nearly complete.

The Re-Cap

We are in May 1947, The Fascist pig dogs have smashed through Mother Russia's line, and for the first time ever have open horizon in front of the Panzers. Stalin

has ordered desperate measures to try and plug the holes, but every move of a Russian soldier is met with death from above - the Russian air force no match for the

combined might of Germany and Italy. Moscow is seriously threatened, Leningrad surrounded and the Ukraine being trampled. The situation in England is

considerably better, The Germans having giving up on the Island and deciding to only re-enforce victory - the Eastern Front. While London is still German it wont

last long, then the WAllies will need to create a massive D-Day, as 90% of the coastal hexes from Frederikshavn in Denmark to Mogador in Morocco have a unit

dug in. The Pacific war goes badly for the Allies, China is in desperate trouble, literally bludgeoned into submission with Japanese O-Chits, Chunk-King is occupied

and just two cities remain before the Chinese will to fight is conquered. In the Island war the US keeps bleeding their way onto islands, the casualties horrendous. At

least with the industrial power of the USA flowing into the front line the naval parity is rapidly becoming USN superiority.

Stalin orders his HQs into action again, authorising the last strategic reserves of fuel and ammunition into the fray (no more O-Chits left now!). Just enough extra

soldiers are found to plug the giant hole after the break out between Smolensk and Gomel. In a desperate measure a counter attack from the Forests north of Gomel

and Smolensk is ordered to cut through the German Breakthrough and sever supply to the advancing Panzers. Mass German air support destroys the lead tank

elements then the mobile German forces easily repel the Russian infantry, inflicting heavy losses (+3 blitz and the poor Ruskies rolled a '3', for a 2/- trade!).

In England German forces are again forced to eat emergency rations as supply lines are cut. US tank formations take advantage of this to take the hex east of

London, giving them three sides to attack the City.

Germany senses that just one more kick will bring the Rotten Russians to their knees. A mass offensive (O-Chit enhanced) is ordered and co-ordinated by Manstein

in the North. A weakened and all but surrounded Smolensk is taken. Panzers force the Russians back West of Kalinin, but in a dose of just how strong the Russians

are on defence fail to take Gomel (rolled a '4' on +13!). In the Ukraine, Kiev is advanced upon with the southern approaches to the City re-taken.

Russian commanders do there best to avoid Stalin.... In England, more US Shermans evict the Germans from farmland east of Bristol.

German forces step up the advance, Taking the Forests north of Gomel, Blitzing East to the North of Kalinin and in a cunning manoeuvre blitz there way past the

Russians south east of Kiev then over the river destroying support troops, including a large number of artillery pieces that are easily overrun. Japan continues its

destruction of China, using yet more strategic reserves to smash there way over the River west of Chunk-King.

USN and USAF planes successfully kill a Japanese Amphibious group in the Marshalls, continuing the targeted destruction of IJN sea lift capabilities. In England,

Portsmouth falls to a lucky US attack (rolled a '16') which destroys the German HQ providing supply in England. London is then assaulted but fortunately Kesselring

had accumulated a stash of supplies bolstering the defenders who repel the US army and inflict heavy loses, some 50% of the attacking units take casualties and

damage to equipment that takes them offline (rolled a '4' at +10 for 3/1!).

Rain sets in over much of Russia, Germany still pushes forward where supplies can be brought through the mud. A magnificent defence is fought by a lone AT Gun

East of Smolensk, despite overwhelming German attackers the gun fights a brilliant withdrawal, halting the offensive in the north (I rolled '2' on +18!!). The tank

elements guarding the Ukrainian coal fields are not so lucky and are destroyed.

US/CW forces maintain the blockade on England, and the Washington Post relegates news of the Russian's plight to the fifth page as the banner headline reads:

"London Liberated

- Germans thrown out of the City with heavy losses"

After four long years London is now free, after a prolonged assault and some vicious house to house fighting the British Capital has been wrested from the clutches

of the Germans. Much of the city lay in ruins and the civilian casualties have been horrendous, many caused through starvation. Churchill, in an address to the people

vowed revenge saying 'We will not rest until Berlin is flattened and the Reich is in ruins, we have a debt of revenge'.

London falls easily with the Germans out of ammunition and fuel, Rundstedt is also captured east of Portsmouth trying to find anything that would float over the

Channel.

July/August 1947

Russian forces buoyed by the good news in the West shore up their lines with an influx of new troops and equipment. Stalin boasts that he even has a brand new

fighter plane model with a 10 AtoA rating! The Germans respond by pointing at the Bat with its 13 AtoA.The moping up operation in England continues with

Kesselring captured south of England, much to the German high commands annoyance he does not take the honourable course despite being promoted to Field

Marshall.

Yet another Japanese mass offensive is launched (that must be 6 or 7 OC used to break them), Cheng-Tu falls, cutting all remaining Communists out of supply and

reducing the Chinese build to 0. Just Kunming lay between China and total ruin. German panzers break over the river north of the Crimean peninsula, gaining a

second foothold over the critical Kiev river line. The also force their way towards Moscow, taking more territory south of Kalinin and north of Bryansk.

CW and US troops continue the liberation, some surrounded German troops give up easily in central England and US forces easily take Southampton. Russia

whimpers.

Germany launches an attack on Kiev, nasty house to house fighting holds the Germans out of the city but not without Russian losses. In the North the Russians are

pushed back again along the road midway between Smolensk and Moscow.

Night over, Allies to continue next week...

The Wash Up

Well, nice to see the WAllies finally liberate London. The rest of England is a mere formality now. As to what they do next? I guess they will need to prepare a mass

D-Day, heaps of Amphs and Transports with OC support an mass air cover and try and get on the continent. It wont be easy. They will have to attempt it, as even

the Russians admitted that they will be thrown out of Europe soon if the WAllies cant force the Germans to slow the Attacks in Russia.

China is a goner, it is a bit of a shame that the US couldn't attack earlier to try and relieve the pressure, but it has cost the Japanese a lot of build points worth of

OC! As for the Pacific, time the US really attacked and didn't stop, if they can keep forcing the Japanese navy to fight they sooner they can win!

Later, James.

The re-cap 
We are about to begin Nov/Dec 1947. Moscow is in sight, Leningrad besieged and Kiev occupied, German troops continue the push forward against the Russian 
(not quite so) horde. Stalin is heard shouting at an aid to find General Winter or else! On the Western front, German families continue to demand information about 
the 250 000 soldiers captured or missing in England.... Wallied forces are preparing to start the strategic bombing campaign as more 4 engined bombers arrive. As 
for an invasion, nothing even vaguely in the wind (or German spies are failing in their duties?!). In the Pacific, the USN is dominant, the IJN continues to hide and 
scurry about, refusing to engage and prevent the island hoping that is occurring. Truk is looking mighty vulnerable at the moment with all the Wallied marines very 
close....
 

 
November/December 1947
 
Good weather, despite the odd rain squall in the artic forces the USA to call a super. A massive fleet sails to the Marianas sea zone, while supporting elements 
picket the other sea zones surrounding Truk. All the US and CW marines, in a coordinated land sea air assault capture the vital port, with a +10 blitz using both 
amphibious tank divisions! Some confusion does occur during the landings and the WAllies take some losses (they rolled a '6' for a 1/R result). Unfortunately for the 
Japanese the Allies got initiative or a third unit could have been shipped in to bolster the defence (Hata, the HQA).
In Russia, the Ruskies plug the gaping hole that had formed between Kiev and Gomel, but give up the trapped troops there for dead.
Trusting the Italians to a third attack in Russia after their previous failures, a combined blitz takes the approaches to the south of Smithville (Dnepropetrovsk). 
Panzers also push east of Kiev with a strong armoured spearhead. Russian air support and fighter cover is again swept from the sky with ease by the superior Axis 
fighters.
 
The rain squalls migrate south, heralding the arrival of General Winter? Hundreds of innocent French civilians are murdered by US/CW aggression near Lille. 
Goebbels decries the inhumanity of indiscriminate bombing, particularly of one's supposed allies! The Russians continue the game of blocking the German advance 
and are forced to pull out of Bryansk as it was about to be cut off.
 
The Panzers continue, despite the rain and mud, and push east of Bryansk, harassing the fleeing troops from the city. Much of the isolated pocket between Gomel 
and Kiev is flipped and then marched off to worker camps in Poland....
 
Rain squalls heighten to storm and snow fronts as the weather deteriorates. The Wallies reinforce Truk and the near by islands heavily, especially with air units.
 
A German attack SSW of Kursk is rebuffed with little loss, it seems that the Germans don't like the poor weather. Nor do the sub fleets, which fail miserably across 
the Atlantic. Japan has spent most of the turn landing more troops in (not so) rear areas and withdrawing them from the depths of China.
 
Christmas messages flood the air waves, with Truman and Churchill, in a joint communiqué encouraging "the free democratic peoples of the world to stand firm 
against Fascism and oppression". While in Berlin, Europeans are reminded that on this celebratory day a great evil still lives to the East, ready to crush all that we 
stand for with their godless communism. In Moscow, more trenches are dug.
 

Jan/Feb 1948
 
Storms and snow are forecast for the new year, but in the tropics it is still sunny. The US/CW pacific command orders the attack on Guam and Yap, both taken 
easily from lightly supplied Japanese. Now only Saipan is left Japanese in the last island chain between Truk and the Bonins.
 
Curiously as we were waiting for players to catch up the East front had a fighter match up, some 45 Axis to 32 Soviet fighters are on the lines. Of course the 
numerical Axis superiority is beefed up by quality with about a 2 AtoA differential in the Axis favour. The Air component of this campaign is crazy, with almost every 
frontline hex and the two hexes behind it containing an Axis aeroplane!
 
After another purge of "non-performing" officers the German sub fleet sorties, only to fail, miserably, again. It seems to be one of those WiF Zen things, roll well on 
one front (Russia) roll bad on the other (the sub war).
 
The snows recede, just leaving storms. The US pushing its advantage calls another Super, invading the Philippines in the Mountains north of the port of Davao. They 
also heavily reinforce the sea zone and bring over more troops.
 
Germany, fearful of the Soviet defensive preparations around Moscow orders an attack into the forests west of the City, despite the Storms. A +7 blitz achieves 
nothing (-/-). Bizarrely this hex is harder to take in fine or snow!, hence the attack in storm to get around the winterised or defending tank bonus.

Wash up
Well, the Japanese are in a quandary - When do they commit their remaining fleet units to battle the USN? There was one point during the night that the US had a 
small fleet covering the amphibs invading the Philippines. The Japanese could have sortied and hit a third of the US fleet with their entire fleet but the Japs were 
concerned about the USN response. The Euro-Axis were loudly saying fight, while Japan decided on discretion. So the question remains, when and how do the 
Japanese engage the US fleet when the USN is stronger? Do they wait for Tokyo or do they fight with everything at the periphery and when lost it is all over? I for 
one am not sure, my gut feeling is fight at the periphery with everything as fighting over Tokyo is too late, but I'm probably wrong.As for Europe, Air power reigns 
supreme and the Soviets need some more. Unless the WAllies do something big the Russians will be pushed out of Europe... So the ball is in the WAllies court.

US/CW forces rapidly expand and consolidate their beachhead in the Southern Philippines, strong land based air arrives, giving the US the ability to project land

based into the Sea of Japan for the first time.

Mar/Apr 1948

In more high politics, as if there hasn't been enough already! The Russians demand build point support from the West, unfortunately Churchill's memory does extend

back to the dark days of 1943/44 when the West was screaming for Russian assistance to slow sea lion down. Russia then points out that without support they will

be thrown out of Europe....

Moderate weather returns to Europe, Germany pushes East, north of Smithville - but fail in probing attacks west of Moscow and north of Kursk. Japanese

submarines sortie across the Pacific and cause moderate damage to the US supply lines.

The US again sounds general quarters and orders everyone into action with a super combined, much moving and re-enforcing occurs but little of consequence.

In deteriorating weather the German subs sortie, again to little effect (that would be 95% of the entire GE sub pool not finding anything!).

WAllied strats finally cease field plowing and find Lille, the city and its factories are destroyed in an appalling display of indiscriminate bombing of civilians.

May / June 1948

Sunshine greets Manstein in the old government building in Gomel, he then orders the great offensive to begin.The panzers smash south west into the forest north of

Moscow, they also get over the river into clear terrain south of Moscow. South of Ryazan tanks punch through, same west of Kursk and north west of Kharkov

which breaks the line completely. Five very successful attacks, all at +9 blitz or better. The Luftwaffe ably supported by the Italians continued the air dominance with

a 11:4 trade over the impulse. Manstein smiles, then re-orgs some planes as no land units flipped.

The US ignores the plight of Russia and concentrates on Japan, an invasion fleet sorties, slaughters the CPs and light defenders in the Sea of Japan. The Marines

then land in Manchuria!, Port Arthur is taken at +20, it was hard going though with the US trying its hardest to lose with a roll of '5'.Russia whimpers and plugs the

holes, just - there are no reserves left now.

Germany continues the attack. Breaking through south of Smithville, south of Kursk, north of Kursk, west of Ryazan and over the river north of Moscow. The

Germans took easy advantage of already flipped Russians and the lack of much defensive air capability to just pick a weak hex and hit it.

The Japanese, after much soul searching sail. The Japanese get the jump on the US (4 surprise), a close air battle is fought near the fleets with brilliant Japanese

piloting (die rolling) being the difference again with an 8:4 trade in Japan's favour. Few US planes get through the fighter screen and none manage to get through the

flak. Japanese bombers do get through and many (4 cvps) smash into the USN. The Hornet and Ranger are sunk, along with 2 CVEs, the Essex is damaged as are

two more CVEs. Bravely the USN sticks around, but neither fleet re-engages. This is the third big punch up the fleets have had, lucky for Japan this wasn't the entire

USN!

The USSR, desperate to blunt the offensive call on Zhukov and the strategic reserve, two strong OC attacks are launched. South of Moscow the Germans are

thrown back across the river, just, with a '5' rolled at +16! The Breakthrough south of Smithville is also pushed back. Luckily for the Russians the Luftwaffe was

abysmal in its support of the land forces, while the Russian air force discovered the gun triggers.

The US orders the remainder of the fleet into the sea of Japan to maintain supply to the Marines in Port Arthur. Another big battle ensues, this time both sides

expected it. Great Japanese flying, despite very matched aircraft see a 5:1 trade in the air. Again only the Japanese get bombers in and this time they sink the Wasp

and a transport while damaging another CV and CVE. The US fleet, almost devoid of air turns and flees, the Marines are ordered to sit tight and promised that

ammo, fuel and food will arrive soon......

Japan, sensing that killing some marines will make life much easier in the Pacific, pulls out all stops and hits the landing hard. The marines are pounded from the air

and then thrown into the sea, the last radio message was picked up by a US submarine - 'no ammo...all wounded...cant hold....'

In Russia, the baton is passed to Rundstedt who fires the troops up with an OC. An attack north of Moscow is repulsed (damn '4' giving a -/-). But with Rundie

leading the way the line is again broken through north of Kursk and North of Smithville.

The Allies whimper....

Guderian takes up the mantle and burns another stash of supplies. The OC attacks make the blitz on the Russian HQ Chermyav (sp?) an auto kill near Voronezh

and a +19 on Koniev north of Stalino. The Germans finally push the Russians out of the forest west of Moscow, but not without loss.

Russia looks at its line and does what little can be done with so little left face up and non-engaged, they are even forced to pull out of Kursk to prevent Germans

running away behind the lines.

More sunshine..... will it end? will anyone roll out?

Germany takes horrendous toll on the disorganised scratch built Russian line... South of Ryazan, Yeremenko is captured which allows the SS to blitz through to wide

open terrain. Zhukov is captured east of Voronezh, again allowing the panzers to break through. Smithville is cut off with the blitzing of the Russians defenders

between there and Stalino. Kharkov falls to a concerted assault.

The WAllies pass, one of the few concessions they grant the Russians. Russia no longer has enough troops to hold the line.

Yet more activities from the Axis, Stalino holds on a +10 assault, the line is broken again south of Voronezh but the defenders south of Moscow dig in and hold the

river (+8B, rolled a '3'). Finally, the torment ends. The Russians lost 21 aircraft, 4 HQs and a hoard of tanks and troops. Some 190 build points worth of Russian

force was lost, not including their OC. But I guess that is what a long fine turn coupled with three German OCs and air superiority does.

July / August 1948

In a very bad turn of events the Axis win initiative despite the re-roll, giving them a precious double move.

Manstein calls another Conference and launches the panzers forward. The OC enhanced attacks smash through a lone defender north of Rostov, which combined

with running around from above cut off 6 corps, a HQ and 2 divs OOS. Two corps are then smashed OOS flipped. German troops finally get back over the river

south of Moscow. They also breakthrough SW of Yaraslaval. Another group of Russians between Ryazan and Voronezh are also in imminent danger of being cut

off.

Russia takes stock and abandons any pretence of a line defence and instead digs in around cities, the whole of the centre is wide open. Ryazan is given up to close

the line up. The WAllies re-enforce the Pacific yet more...

The Wash Up

OUCH, the Russians have been pummelled, and not from any defensive failure, on the contrary Ray's Russians have fought a dogged, hard and sterling defence.

Germany with IT air and three OC in a long fine turn is just too much. The big advantage the Germans have is that they are effectively fighting just one front with the

WAllies dropping the odd bomb here and there but not threatening a D-Day soon. Japan had some good fortune again, but then again they need to roll much better

or they will be swamped by the sheer weight of force the USN is applying. So, Is Russia dead? Can the Japanese hold out long enough, and will the WAllies come to the Russian's aid, stay tuned.James.

Axis forces continue the inexorable advance in Russia, the North West approaches to Moscow are taken, East of the city panzers break out behind and combined 
with an attack East of Ryazan another kessel of OOS Russians is formed, some 8 corps and a HQ trapped. Vatutin is captured south of Voronezh (flipped OOS) 
and Stalino falls to the rampaging Germans.
 
Russia can do little except whimper, they no longer have enough troops to contain the Germans, they do manage to just get the Kessel in supply, but it is tenuous.
 
Rundstedt fires up the troops and more attacks are made, Timoshenko is captured in the forests SE of Moscow, Gorki is pushed towards and the forest NW of 
Rostov is cleared. Smithville finally falls to a concerted assault. But in the big news....
MOSCOW CAPTURED
Contact as been lost with the last brave defenders of the Russian Capital. Neutral journalists report that the once mighty city is in ruins and that a huge flagpole has 
been erected on the site of the Kremlin with the Swastika flying proudly. German propaganda reports that the city has been captured and a National holiday will be 
observed, Goebbels claims that 'this is the end of the Evil Empire, once more the free peoples of the world can live without fear of Bolshevik murder and mayhem'
 
The WAllies ignore Europe and continue the preparations in the Pacific, the sheer logistics of fighting so far from North America is really telling on the WAllies. They 
spend much of their time and activities shuffling troops and equipment across the Pacific.
 
German soldiers are not accorded the National holiday. Rokossovsky is captured, as well as 100,000s of men in the Kessel East of Moscow. Yaraslaval is also falls 
to the advancing Germans. Russia has no HQ left on the entire front.
 
Turn over. Another 183 Build points worth of Russians were destroyed this turn, on top of the 190 destroyed the previous turn. And non of this was bad Russian 
play, on the contrary Ray did everything possible. It was just a case of too many Germans exploiting holes in the line combined with OCs and air mastery.
 
 

 
September / October 1948
 
Storms lash the Northern hemisphere. The Axis move first, again. The Russian front slows down, partly the weather and partly that so many units are strung out 
across the lines of advance that some consolidation is needed.
 
Russia shuffles around, dismally. The CW announces its intention of liberating Australia, Bunberry near Perth is invaded and Port Augusta near Adelaide is taken.
 
The weather improves enough for a super combined from Germany. Gorki is isolated and the last of the Moscow Kessel are captured. The corridor between 
Rostov and Voronezh is punched through in two places. Many, many aircraft re-base to the front lines, the front having moved over 1000kms in two turns.
 
The CW continues to free Australia, Newcastle is taken as well as Perth and Port Macquarie. Japan ignores the theatre, it is a long long way from Tokyo.
 
Fantastic Autumn weather spurs Manstein into action. Voronezh falls, as do the forests to the South. The very last unit in the centre of the Russian line is slaughtered, 
Gorki also falls.
 
Sydney is liberated, to wild scenes of jubilation in the streets.
 

November / December 1948
 
Unseasonaly sunny weather arrives. Axis forces love the lack of snow and push on another now isolated group of Russians between Stalingrad and Rostov, 8 corps 
are easily crushed OOS. Penza is advanced upon with the surrounding countryside taken.
 
Russia is reduced to a shadow of its former self, on the Europe map they hold Sevastapol, Rostov, Stalingrad and Saratov.....
 
Some rain showers arrive but nothing to serious. A now evacuated Penza is occupied and Panzers get over the river East of Rostov. Italian Air Cav jump across the 
Black Sea and take Krasnodar.
 
Russia evacuates its Marines from Sevastapol, giving up the city.
The US fires up the action and calls a Super, a massive US fleet arrives in the South China Sea and destroys the Japanese convoy line. CW Marines land just north 
of the Malay border in Siam, an attempt to re-take Canberra is rebuffed by the Japanese (+13, rolled a '5' for -/1). US Marines storm ashore in China, West of 
Canton.
 
The Snow finally arrives but it is not enough to save Saratov which falls to a concerted assault. Kuybyshev is occupied without a fight and many more Germans get 
onto the Asia map. The Japanese respond to the US incursion and sail the fleet. Superior US radar gives them a decisive surprise edge (7 points), the Japanese are 
also outclassed in the air with the combat starting at +6/-6. A plane each is traded before the Japs break off. The anti air merely annoys the US bombers who sink a 
transport and the famed Yamato. Japan then flees...
 
Russia counter-attacks!! Guderian as attacked next to Rostov by the City defenders in a brave hit and run at +4, they spoke Guderian so much he flees back to the 
production spiral (rolled a '17' for a *B result!!). The US push West along the Coast in China and across the strait to Hainan. CW Marines take serious losses 
capturing the Malay rubber plantations.
 
The Panzers continue to race East....
 
Chinese forces, emboldened by the arrival of US troops near buy take Hanoi back.
 
In continuing Snow Germany attacks Stalingrad, cusing casulties but failing to take the City. Ufa, deep in Asia is occupied by German mechanised forces, so far 
away from Russians or Germans that the local Communist Party official welcomes them with vodka, until he realises they are German and gets shot.
 

 
January / February 1949!!
 
The New year brings some joy to the WAllies as Canberra and Australia are liberated. Russia tries to form a new defensive line around Sverdlovsk.
 

The Wash Up
Japan is in trouble, it is finding it very hard to compete with the might of the USN and land based air. Which means the WAllies can land anywhere they want. It can
 ony be time before the great and fabled operation Olympic (?) begins.... the invasion of Japan proper. Russia is gone, it is now a question of if the Germans can 
conquer them before the game ends in 1950! The European West Front is a complete stalemate, it will be very difficult for the WAllies to ever get back onto the 
continent, particuarly now the Russians are broken and a hoard of aircraft and tanks can return.
 
The History (this is background, skip if you re-call what is going on)
We are in early 1949. The Axis are doing well, after-all they do control much of the world. The Game began as usual, Germany smashed Poland and France gaining 
a huge number of Vichy chits. Spain, then Gibraltar were little challenge. Italy secured the Middle East. Russia, deciding to play it alone, cut several non-aggression 
deals with Germany, culminating in war not being able to be declared until 1944. This allowed German to invade England and continue the Naval war against the 
CW and the Germans have only just been evicted from England. Russia took advantage of this peace to take out Rumania, Persia, Iraq, Syria and parts of 
Manchuria, they even briefly cut the Suez canal! Germany went to war in 1944 and made good initial headway -even taking Smithville briefly and evicting the 
Russians from the Balkans where they had been fighting a vicious war with Italy in Greece. The line then stabilised with German troops pulling out of Russia and 
fighting a border defence, until the summer of 1946 which saw the Germans pushing hard into Russia. The Russians are basically defunct as a fighting entity now, 
the 1948 summer saw horrendous casualties inflicted and in Europe all but Leningrad, Rostov, Tiflis, Stalingrad and Stavrapol are German controlled.
Japan had some initial disasters, making no headway against China then having to deal with a Russian build up in Siberia. China has since been bludgeoned into 
submission with O-chits, and only hold Kunming. Japan does own the Pacific, from Midway to Australia and India is also Japanese occupied. The US has finally, 
after much blood, taken all the Marshall islands and have a foothold in the Philippines. An expeditionary force has also landed in Southern China, threatening supply 
to the Japanese guarding Kunming - the last Chinese stronghold.
 
The Re-Cap (current tactical issues)
Russia is dead, they no longer have enough troops to form any line and are reduced to defending what few cities are left... The Western Front is utterly stagnant, the 
WAllies are unable to provide any threat. They have even given up the Strat bombing as fruitless with the Axis fighter cover across Germany. The Pacific is much 
more interesting, with a good Island hoping strategy the WAllies are really pushing the Japanese. Now that they are in China it won't be long till they liberate it as 
Japan does not have enough land forces.....
 
German meteorologists confirm to Manstein that the snow and ice will not melt around Leningrad. Manstein orders the attack to begin and with an OC, lots of 
ground strikes, Mtn units and Finns the Hero city falls after years of siege (+13 assault!). In Asia, Astrakhan is occupied by fast mechanised units.
 
The US call yet another super. The Fleet sorties to the South China Sea, swatting some cps. Manilla is assaulted, but true to form the US still cant find a general to 
win (+14, rolled a '4') and the Japanese hold the city.
 
Germans continue to drive east, with very few Russians in the way and a lot of open terrain. Japan prays for lucky dice and sortie the fleet after the USN. A 
massive battle ensues with both sides expecting it. US land based makes all the difference with the A2A starting at +6 in the US favour, Air trades are fair with 2 
US and 3 Japs downed before the Japanese give up on a lost cause and flee. The US bombers push home the attack, the large BBs the Suma and Karyu are sunk, 
along with the CVs Ryuho and Hiyo. The IJN runs for home after such a drubbing.
 
The forces of both sides wander around a bit....
 

March April 1949
 
Glorious sunshine greets the Allies, Russia curses General winter for abandoning them again.
 
Advance is the order of the week from the German OKW east of Moscow. 
Extra supplies and reinforcements are released and the Luftwaffe is ordered into action. Stalingrad is taken, Kazan falls and Perm is captured. German troops and air
 continue the mad dash east, after the few remaining cities...Japan licks its wounds and manages to ping the tenuous CP lines supplying the WAllies.
 
Some rain squalls in the north come through but near Tokyo the weather is fine. The US do another super and sail south of Tokyo, The BB Mushashi bravely tries to
 scare them off but is hammered into scrap by the US air. An invasion of Tokyo is launched! after some bitter fighting for air support the US manages to scrap up a 
+5 assault. This time McArthur fails, dead on the beaches along with 1000s of marines (rolled an 11), they killed one Japanese unit but failed to establish a solid 
beachhead. [this was a brave all or nothing kind of gambit, there are plenty of empty hexes that they could have invaded!]
 
Germany takes Stavrapol, leaving Tiflis and Rostov as the only Russian cities in Europe. Mopping up operations were also completed near Stalingrad with the 
rounding up of the last few soldiers in the region.
 
Russia counter attacks! North of Tiflis a German armoured column out ran its supply lines and is surrounded and destroyed by the few Russians left in Europe.
 
Germany calls another super. On the East front troops and air continue the long march East.... In the Atlantic a German division re-takes the Azores in the North 
Atlantic. Italian Marines storm ashore in Martinique, paying their respects to the graves of the Germans that died taking and defending This island 6 years earlier!
[As an aside, Russia is dead so the Axis have looked around for somethingelse to do. Given that the UK is full of troops yet the Americas are empty and the USN 
is on the other side of the World we decided to attack America! It is also the only thing we could come up with to try and relieve the pressure on the Japanese.]
The WAllies take little notice of the Axis antics, but do align Central America.
 
More troops arrive from cruisers and transports in the Azores and Martinique.
The CW continues the use of its 'Funnies' with the Air Cav flying into the forest north of Canton, which threatens supply to the Japanese southern front.
Italian forces liberate their Persian ally from the tyranny of communist control.
 
Turn over
 
The Wash up
It is just a matter of time for the complete conquest of Russia, but then the Euro Axis have the challenge of what and where next... Japan is holding, just, but they are
 taking a pounding from having the offensive might of the US and CW arrayed solely against them. They were lucky to hold Tokyo, it could have been devastating 
for them. 
 

 
Sep/ Oct 1949
 
From: The Swiss Observer 12 October 1949....
 
Armistace Day!
Peace at last
The War is over, secret negotiations between Churchill, Tojo, Hitler, Mussolini and Truman have reached agreement and the war is over. With the final collapse of the Russians, peace terms could be negotiated between the remaining powers. Germany and Italy have agreed to withdraw from the Americas in return for maintaing all other won territories. Japan has had the NEI and parts of China restored to its control.Churchill when asked if this meant that Europe had been finally surendered to the Hun commented that 'In reality the true enemy has always been communisim - now that scourge has dissapeared our differences are minor - reconciliation is the order of the day now'.
Unnamed, high sources have commented that this was really an Axis victory and the USA and the CW were in no position to fight the Axis when they control all the lands, people and resources from Tokyo to Gibralter. General Patton has been ordered by Allied high command not to make further comments or take any actions in front of the media. Patton is reported to have fired his trademark six shooter at the radio informing him of the armistace. Then he is rumoured to have said we will be stuck in a war of words and posturing until the shooting starts again - so we may as well just keep shooting.
Goebbels, in a rousing speech, called this victory for the 1000 year Reich, now the rot that communism was has been excised from the World.
 
Thanks to everyone who has been following these reports and for the many kind comments on this game, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed playing it. The good news is another game has already begun, stay tuned for a new game in the Bludgeon series...
 

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