Summer 1942

[joegrundman]

Research Rolls

European axis tests

Nicht Landen 655=5
Los! 255=5
Rache 246=4
Moerz 244=4

Western Allies test

Mushy Peas 134=3
Anorak 124=2
Broon Dog 646=6
Mash 233=3

Weather

Monsoon in India, Burma, Thailand and French Indochina

Rule 34. WEATHER34.24 MONSOONS: Operations in areas affected by monsoons are subject to the following restrictions. These restrictions apply to all ground units, including Japanese ground units, partisans and the Chindit.
A. MOVEMENT: Swamp, jungle and jungle/mountain hexes affected by monsoons may not be entered by ground units during the movement phase, including by sea and air transport.
B. COMBAT: Ground units in swamp, jungle and jungle/mountain hexes affected by monsoons may not participate in offensive operations, including embarking for sea or air transport, seaborne invasions or airdrops; ground units in other hexes may not attack into or enter swamp, jungle and jungle/mountain hexes affected by monsoons during the combat phase. Attrition combat is permitted, although swamp, jungle and jungle/mountain hexes affected by monsoons may not be selected for attrition occupation or retreat.
C. UNIT CONSTRUCTION AND REDEPLOYMENTS PERMITTED: Unit construction in and redeployments to, from and through swamp, jungle and jungle/mountain hexes affected by monsoons are permitted.


Then we await the German diplomatic phase

1. Diplomatic Phase (simplified for PBEM)
---a. Moving player announces all diplomatic targets and reaction die rolls, including Russian demands on Finland and Rumania (Allied turn).
---b. Russia announces diplomatic target for subversion
---c. Player informed of opposing DPs in target and decides whether to play covert ops and counter-intel
---d. opposing player plays covert ops or counter intel
---e. GM makes diplomatic die rolls
---f. Placement of forces of newly activated minor allies and associated minor countries
---g. Minor allies surrender or switch sides
---h. USAT, USJT and RGT adjusted and mobilisations informed (Allied turn)

2. Oil and BRP adjustments
---a) place newly produced oil counters on oil centers
---b) move oil counters to oil reserves unless transports required
---c) use oil counters to offset air, naval and army oil effects and uninvert air and naval units
---d) add or subtract BRPs for transport levels, mobilisations, conquests, minor countries and restored key economic areas

3. Declarations of war
---a. declarations of war
---b. allied mining of norwegian waters (allied turn)
---c. placement of forces of newly attacked minor countries

Germany pays 10 brps to dow Persia.

Germany tests for Spain. There are 8 axis DPs and 6 allied DPs in Spain. The die roll is 2.

mods include +1 base, +1 control of suez, +1 axis control of spains hexes, +1 friendly units in Spain

total=8 Spain continues to give Germany control of its hexes, 20 brps, and 3 volunteers allowed to fight for the axis

[joegrundman]

5. Movement phase

a. place airbase counters
b. staging of air units
c. announce and resolve counterar missions
d. air attacks on patrolling submarines
e. annonuce naval base changes, patrols and movement of naval units to and from SW boxes
f. resolve patrols
g. harbor attacks
h. resolve base changes and movement of units to and from SW boxes

i. initials supply determination
.....i. sea supply, assign transports to carry oil, designate convoy routes
....ii. resolve air and naval interactions
...iii. augment oil reserves from transports
....iv. use oil counters to offset air, naval and army oil effects
.....v. air supply
....vi. determine supply status

j. air and sea transport
.....i. movement of ground units to ports or airports
....ii. air and sea transports announced
...iii. resoution of air and naval interactions

k. ground unit movement and overruns, including completing movement of units already using air or sea transport
.....i. defensive air support for units being overrun
....ii. interception of defensive air support
...iii. air combat resolves

we await axis movemen orders

Initial Supply

Kharkov is isolated

Supply Runs

There are supply runs to Midway, escorted by TF1 in the Pacific SW box
Supply to Darwin, supported by DD3
Supply to Lae and to the beachhead south of Rabaul, unsupported



There's also a supply run in Russia to the beachead on the Kerch peninsular

Naval rebasing

three BC3s, Kongo, Hiei and Kirishima deploy to the Indian Ocean SW box as Raiders via Singapore

Italian Raiding force of two BB4s and a BB3 exist Suez to raid the Indian Ocean

[joegrundman]

Battle of New Britain

Australian CA4 and DD2 successfully intercept the supply mission to New Britain (rolling 19 on 4 dice)

Japanese TF4 and submarine and 1 AAF counterintercept from Lae in the interception hex.

Submarine gets 1 die and rolls a 3! interception successful
TF4 get 3 dice and intercepts automatically

Combat Round 1.

Japan gets 2 dice, Australians get 0

Japan rolls a 2 and a 1

The first the Australians realise the trouble they are in is when land based torpedo bombers begin their attack run. The Aussie gunners race to battle stations and through courageous gunnery, prevent the torpedo bombers getting a clear opoprtunity. Almost all torpedoes miss

1 AAS faces air defense of 1, rolling an 8, 0/1 result

But no sonner than had the Aussies started celebrating with a cuppa, than the klaxon started ringing. Coming out of the sun, Japanese Naval Air Squadrons appeared on the radar screens startlingly close

2 NAS face the air defense. The air defense rolls a 10! 1 NAS shot down

the second NAS closes and attacks at -1, rolling a 3! mod 2 no hits!

The fleet closes

BC3 Haruna and CA8 face CA4 and DD2

All allied ships focus on the Haruna.

The HAruna fires on lights first at no mod, and rolls a 9! 2 hits! a cruiser is sunk

The Australians (4 factors now) fire on the Haruna rolling a 6! 1 hit! The shells explode harmlessly on the Battlecruisers belt armour

The Japanese cruisers fire rolling a 7, 2 hits! the other cruiser is sunk

The submarine fires at -1 and rolls a 5 mod 4. no hits

The Australian Destroyers exit the situation at flank speed

Counterair in Russia

The mod for Germany, Finnish and Swedish airforces=+2
For Rumanian, hungarian, Italian air forces=+1

5AAF (inc 1 swedish and 1 finnish) from Kalinin counterair 5AAF in Gorki, rolling 9 mod 11, a 3/5 result
Russians roll 4 mod 2, a 1/2 result
Second round: 4 AAF counterair 2 germany rolls a 12. a 3/4 result
Russia rolls 6 mod 4, a 1/0 result.

Losses, Russia 5, Germany 2

1AAF in Smolensk attacks 1 AAF in Moscow, rolls a 11, mod 13. a 1/3 result
Russians roll 7 mod 5, a 0/1 result

3 AAF from Denepropetrovsk counterair 3 AAF in Rostov

Germany rolls 7 mod 9, a 1/3 result
Russia rolls 5 mod 3, a 1/0 result

Second round. 2 AAF versus 2 Germany rolls 8 mod 10, a 1/3 result. Russia rolls 12 mod 10, a 1/3 result

Both sides lose 2 AAF

5AAF at S39 vs 5 AAF at S41

Germany rolls 7 mod 9, a 3/3 result. Russia rolls 7 mod 5, a 1/3 result
Second round 4 AAF vs 2
Germany rolls 3 mod 5 a 1/2 result
Russia rolls 9 mod 7, a 1/1 result
third round 3AAF vs 1
Germany rolls 8 mod 10, russian eliminated
Russia rolls 7 mod 5, a 0/1 result
Total 5 russian AAF for 2 German

4 German AAF vs 4 AAF at S40

Germany rolls 8 mod 10, a 2/4 result
Russia rolls 5 mod 3, a 1/1 result


The training difference has again had a big effect on the outcome of the air battles

Total losses: Russia 15 AAF, Germany 7 AAF

Ground movement

Ground forces move in Russia
Ground forces move towards India

GErman forces capture PErsian oil fields and armoured column heads for Teheran

[joegrundman]

6. Combat phase

a.attacker announces landbased air and naval missions
b. resolve magic interceptions
c. resolve counterair missions announced during the combat phase
d.resolve land based air attacks on naval units in port
e. defender announces air and naval interceptions, defensive air support and opposition to enemy bombing
f. attacker announces land based air interception of defensive air support
g. resolve air and naval interactions
h. attacker announces all carrier air missions and resolves carrier-based air attacks on enemy bases
i. resolve air combat between bombing and defending air units
j. resolve raiders and SW combat
k. announce and resolve airdrops
l. resolve ground combat, including seaborne invasions. for each attack
.....i. designate attacking and defending ground units
....ii. attacker announces tactical atomic attacks
...iii. defender announces tactical atomic attacks
....iv. combat die roll
.....v. remove ground combat losses
....vi. resolve any additional rounds of combat
...vii. advance units after combat
..viii. place bridgehead and breakthrough counters

m. all naval units at sea return to port
n. Exploitation
.....i. use oil counters to enable armor units to breakthrough
....ii. exploiting armor units placed on breakthrough hexes
...iii. exploitation movement and overruns
....iv. ground support, defensive air support and resolution of resulting air combat
.....v. air drops
....vi. resolve exploitation combat

o. Resolve attrition combat
.....i. announce front for which attrition combat is being resolved
....ii. make attrition die roll
...iii. defender removes attrition losses
....iv. attacker selects hexes for occupation
.....v. defender retreats from selected hexes
....vi. attrition advance

Raiders in the Indian Ocean

The Italians attempt to raid

Mods +1 for air range, +1 for 3 ship group,-3 base.

Italians roll a 5!=4.

Both CA2s find the Italians

11 italian heavy factors fire first at -1

BB4 Littorio, BB4 Veneto, BB3 Cesare

Italians roll an 8 mod 7. 3 hits! 1 CA2 is sunk, the other is damaged

The damaged CA2 does not fire back, but it trails the raiding force, enabling all transports to avoid it

The Japanese raiding force also raids, rolling a 5! No allied ships are available to intercept and the 9 Japanese factors target the transports at 0 mod, rolling a 6! 2 hits! 2 transport factors are sunk by the Japanese!

Submarines in the Indian Ocean

The allied ASW separate, 1 each to face the Japanese and German subs

The Japanese mods
nat diffrence=0
air range diff=0
torp vs asw=-1
Japan +1 Magic card
Total=0

Japan rolls 9
ASW rolls 2

a 0/1 result for Japan, and 1 submarine gets through at 0 mod sinking 1 more transport

Germany mods
nat diff=+1
air range =-1
torps vs ASW=+1 (Germany has another torps breakthrough, now +3)
ASW ULTRA card=-1
Total=0

Germany rolls 5, no effect
Britain rolls , no effect

1 U-boat gets through, and sinks 1 more trransport

Total Indian ocean losses= 4 sunk, 1 damaged, 1 transport remains in the Indian Ocean, CA2 sunk, CA2 damged

Battle of the Atlantic - German U-boats return with a vengeance!

Mods

nat diff=+1
torps vs ASW=+1
Air range=-1
6 CVEs=-1
ASW ULTRA=-1
U-Boat ULTRA=+1
US at war=+1
bases=+3

Total mod =+4

10 U-boats at +4 roll a 10! mod 14. a 2/8 result
10 ASW at -4 roll a 7 mod 3, a 1/5 result.

4 U-boats at +4 get through and sink an additional 8 transports!

Total losses in the Atlantic, 10 transports sunk, 8 damaged, for 1 U-boat, leaving just 8 transports in the Atlantic

[joegrundman]

More invasions in the Pacific

Colombo is attacked by a naval force and a marine. There are British naval assets in range to attempt interception



The British decline to intercept, so the invasion force comes in, a 1n2, a 1-2 and 12 fleet factors providing shore bombardment makes it a 3:1 attack. Japan rolls a 1. An Ex result. Japan takes the losses from the infantry and takes the second factor as damge to the BB3 Ise

Rabaul is subject to a marine landing with land and sea components at 3:1 with shore bombardment provided by some DDs

The defender on Rabaul has a strength of 1, but is defending against a beach (offset by marine), in a jungle +1 DM

total = 3

Attacker= 1n2 + 1-2 +1-2 +2-2=5 infantry, 2 AAF, 2 shore bombardment=9
3:1 and rolls a 2! Ex-1. Japan takes 2 factors loss (taken from infantry)

[joegrundman]

Operation Rot Sturm Phase 3

Attacks are made focussing on the southern part of the front:

T39 on the bottleneck for the Crimea, 3 factors - defense 6, is attacked by combined infantry and armor and air

4o6, two 3-3, 2-3= 12 makes it 2:1

Germany rolls a 6! no losses, and a breakthrough is placed on the hex

O42 in front of Kharkov is also attacked. Defense 6

The attacking ground force is 15 infantry, 1 AAF and a 2o6 armor= 18= 3:1

germany rolls a 4! no losses to germany. Supply is reestablished in Kharkov. A breakthrough is placed on the Hex



Non-armoured attack on L39, Bryansk

14 ground factors+ 3 AAF make 2:1 attack on 1 inf and 3o5 in Bryansk

Germany rolls a 4! an Ex-2 result: no losses to Germany

Exploitation

In the far south of Russia there are two overruns, (defending infatry get a -1 DM against exploiting armor) Germany rolls a 4 and a 2, so no elimination

2 4o6 Armour and 1 AAF assault the besieged defender of Sevastopol (def 3) at 3:1 and roll a 4. No losses, Sevastopol captured

3 4o6 +6 AAF attack the 3-3 and 3o5 in R41 at 2:1 and roll a 6! no losses

Exploiting 5o6 and 4o6 and an airdropped 1m3 and 3 AAF attack across the river from Kharkov at 3:1 (defense 4) and rolls a 6! no losses

two 4o6 and 4 AAF (12) attack a 3-3 in Pf3 (def 3) at 4:1 and rolls 4. No losses

After this exploitation the south of russia looks like this





Attrition

Japan versus communists, 0 mod, 3 factors, rolls a 2 no effect
Versus nationalists, +1 mod , 26 factors, 6. 4 C/ 2 h

[joegrundman]

Construction

Japan spends 10 brps (6 on infantry, 4 NAS)

builds a fortification in Midway (5 brps)

shipbuilding

Japan advances CV3 Taiho, lays keel to CVL2 Shoho, a CA2 and DD3 (18 brps)

total cost 33 brps

Italy

Italy launches BB4 Roma and BB4 Impero (6 brps)

Germany

8 AAF = 24 brps
1-3 and 6 replacements (7 brps)

2 U-boats (6brps)
BC3 Wallenstein and CA2 laid down (6)
2 beach defenses (5 brps)

total 48 brps

repairs completed on CA2, BB4 Bismarck, CVL2 Graf Zeppelin, PB2 Lutzow

[joegrundman]

Allies turn

1. Diplomatic Phase (simplified for PBEM)
---a. Moving player announces all diplomatic targets and reaction die rolls, including Russian demands on Finland and Rumania (Allied turn).
---b. Russia announces diplomatic target for subversion
---c. Player informed of opposing DPs in target and decides whether to play covert ops and counter-intel
---d. opposing player plays covert ops or counter intel
---e. GM makes diplomatic die rolls
---f. Placement of forces of newly activated minor allies and associated minor countries
---g. Minor allies surrender or switch sides
---h. USAT, USJT and RGT adjusted and mobilisations informed (Allied turn)

2. Oil and BRP adjustments
---a) place newly produced oil counters on oil centers
---b) move oil counters to oil reserves unless transports required
---c) use oil counters to offset air, naval and army oil effects and uninvert air and naval units
---d) add or subtract BRPs for transport levels, mobilisations, conquests, minor countries and restored key economic areas

3. Declarations of war
---a. declarations of war
---b. allied mining of norwegian waters (allied turn)
---c. placement of forces of newly attacked minor countries

Britain can get 3 oil across the Atlantic
Transportation short fall costs Britain 9 in the IO and 17 in the AO. Total 26 brps lost through transportation shortfall

First Declaration of War on a neutral by the Allies!

"You're either with us or against us", cried Roosevelt and Churchill!
"But we're neutral" answered Portugal
"That does not cut the mustard" say the allies

US pays 10 brps to dow Portugal. Portugal has no forces, but in an immediate diplomatic response, Spain associates with the axis, and deploys her forces

[joegrundman]

5. Movement phase

a. place airbase counters
b. staging of air units
c. announce and resolve counterar missions
d. air attacks on patrolling submarines
e. annonuce naval base changes, patrols and movement of naval units to and from SW boxes
f. resolve patrols
g. harbor attacks
h. resolve base changes and movement of units to and from SW boxes

i. initials supply determination
.....i. sea supply, assign transports to carry oil, designate convoy routes
....ii. resolve air and naval interactions
...iii. augment oil reserves from transports
....iv. use oil counters to offset air, naval and army oil effects
.....v. air supply
....vi. determine supply status

j. air and sea transport
.....i. movement of ground units to ports or airports
....ii. air and sea transports announced
...iii. resoution of air and naval interactions

k. ground unit movement and overruns, including completing movement of units already using air or sea transport
.....i. defensive air support for units being overrun
....ii. interception of defensive air support
...iii. air combat resolves

We'll do WA and USSR separately

Harbour Attack

British submarine uses specialist mini submarines to penetrate Lorient and plant limpet mines on German warships!

But German counter-intelligence received warning of an impending attack and put in place counter-measures!

Total mods: -1 for previous attack, -2 for counter intel result=-3

2 attacks made. 1st attack targets the BC3 Gneisenau, the second targets the CVL2 Graf Zeppelin

The first attack rolls a 7! mod 4. 1 hit
The second attack rolls a 7! mod 4. 1 hit

The Gneisenau escapes serious damage, but the Graf Zeppelin has a significant hole blown in her and she is damaged again - it will take another 6 months for her to be repaired

Counter intelligence again playing a serious role in limiting the effectiveness of the strike

[joegrundman]

Invasion of Portugal

The brave (some would say foolhardy) Admiral of the Spanish fleet intercepts the British TF off Portugal shouting "This is for the Armada!"

Battle of Pontevedra

The British TF consists of

two CVL2s, Furious and COurageous, and DD4 carrying the invasion force in the screened position
BB4 Rodney and Duke of York
BB3 Valiant, Ramiles

The nat mod of the British air is 2 (-1 for British NAS, +1 for CAP mission)
the nat mod for the British fleet is 2 (-1 for protecting an invasion force)

Engaging are 2 AAF and CA6

The nat mod of the Spanish air is 2, of the spanish fleet is 1

The interception at short range is automatic

combat round 1

Spanish get 2 dice (2 search AAS)
British get 1 die (1 group bigger than 10 factors)

Spanish roll 5,1, the British group is found
British roll a 1, the Spanish group is also found!

Spanish LBA strike at the British.

2 AAS face 2 NAS, 0 mod

Spain rolls 10 , a 1/3 result
Britain rolls 7 , a 1/1 result

1 AAS/NAS shot down on each side, the remaining Spanish AAS is aborted

The fleets close

The long guns of the British fleet fire on the Spanish light ships first (17 factors) at +1 and roll a 6, mod 7. 4 hits! two CA2s are sunk

The remaining CA2 fires on the BB4 Prince of Wales at -1 and rolls 5 mod 4 - no hits.

The surviving Spanish cruiser takes advantage of nightfall to high tail back to Vigo

Landings in POrtugal

a British 2o5 lands on the beach, creating a bridgehead and a breakthrough, A second 2o5 then moves onto the hex and exploits south to capture Lisbon

Portugal surrenders to the allies



Bombing of Cologne

Britain continues it's offensive by bombing Cologne

6 escort AAF + 1 interceptor +3 bombing AAF +2 bombers raid cologne.

They are opposed by 2 interceptors

air combat between 2 factors a side: Germany enjoys +1 nat mod

Germany rolls 6 mod 7, a 1/1 result
allies roll 4 mod 3, a 0/1 result/no losses to gemrnay

One allied escort AAF shot down, 1 escort AAF aborted,

3 bombing AAF and 2 SBs face the air defenses of Cologne

air defense level=
+2 city
+1 objective
+1 flak
+1 air defense research result
total+5

5 bombing factors roll a 10! -1 for air defense research=9, a 1/3 result=6 brps losses inflicted

Germany rolls an 8! a 2/1 result

1 AAF and 1 SB shot down, 1 AAF aborted

2 bombers get through the defenses to inflict a total of 6 brps additional losses

Total losses to Germany=12 brps and 4 from the UCL

Total losses to Britain, 2 AAF and 1 SB

American Submarines in the Pacific

1 Submarine factor faces 2 ASW to target 20 transports

compare air range=no mod (1 each)
compare torps vs asw=no mod
MAGIC=+1 for US

US rolls 6 mod 7= no result
Japan rolls 7 mod 6= o/1

no subs get through to the convoy
1 transport sunk for the +1 modifier

Attrition in Russia

76 factors at 0 mod rolls a 4, an 8C 4 H result

in the attrition, Russia isolates axis units in the northern marshes and separates the force around Kharkov from the main axis army

Attrition by communist chinese

6 factors at 0 mod rolls a 4, no result

nationalist chinese

22 factors at -1 roll a 3 mod 2, a 2c result

allies attrition the Japanese in Darwin

5 factors at -1 roll a 5 mod 4 - no losses

[joegrundman]

Allied construction

Great Britain

Britain launches the repaired BB4 King George V and BB4 Nelson
and commences repairs on BB3 Barham and CVL illustrious (2 sbp, 0 brp)

Britain constructs DD3 in glasgow (9 brps, 3 sbps)

Britain spends 5 brps to build 3-4 and two 1-3 in South Africa
3 brps to build 3 factors in India

Total infantry cost 8 brps
Total construction cost= 17 brps

Britain receives a 15 brp grant from the US using 3 of the remaining 5 transports

USA

ground/air=27 brps
shipbuilding=13 sbps atlantic, 10 sbps pacific, 1 australian and 1 canadian=75 brps
grants= 15 to Britain and 10 to Russia through the Alaska Highway and 5 to Australia (1 transports)

Shipbuilding includes 14 transports in addition to warship construction

total cost=137

USA also launches CVE3 (no cost)

USA spends 18 brps on accelerated shipbuilding

USSR

UCL=82 this turn

REDEPLOYMENTS

5AAF and a 5o6 deploy from the US to Lisbon by atlantic transport
3-4 and two 1-3 deploy to india from S.africa by IO transport