1944 - The Beginning and The End

I have never played a game that lasted beyond 1943. Most games have ended in a decisive Axis victory as Russia has fallen. This time Russia held. I was very excited to begin what was essentially a new game.

The allied air campaign began. Escorts rolled and with only 11 dice hit 7 times!. It's a good thing those weren't Eastern Front rolls. The end result was a -1 to my WERPs but the near end of my fighters.

It was a good thing I had one last trick up my sleeve. My commitment to Africa was a big risk as I was relying on a land supply path that at best I figured would last until March/April of 1944. I had to move fast or retreat. Marshall must have figured the same thing so he reinforced, using SA's to get the blocks into Alexandria.

That is just what I wanted him to do.

Notice the two Italian units that for some odd reason never moved into Alexandria? One was the Italian Airborne which I promptly used to jump to El Alamein. Then using a combination of German strat moves and SA's, I moved German units out of Alexandria and into El Alamein to stop any efforts to re-open the supply line. Then I moved more Germans into Alexandria (that had been strat moved to Sinai) so that an American assault would fail as well.

The Allies responded by invading Upper Egypt which I had left open. Bonehead on my part but I had it covered because there were so many units in Alexandria they covered both spaces. I had no idea it was an invasion site. Doh!



In Russia, the Allies made a desperate attempt to cut my supply. I anticipated this a fortified both Don River and Stalingrad. When the attack came to Stalingrad I simply reinforced.



To begin March/April the Allies bombed again. This time the escorts hit 7 times with only 9 dice! Amazing rolls, just not at a critical time.

Before I could send the email with my purchases, the Allies conceeded the game granting an operational victory to the Axis.

The question is, should they have conceded? Looking at the photos, you tell us. We'd love to know if the game was a lost cause.

1943 Nov/Dec - Allied Moves

The Aliies did little aside from reinforce Alexandria even further and shuffle the elite Soviet units out of the constested Novgorod.

1943 Nov/Dec Axis Move

Mud

Not Much accept for my South by Southwest exit of Russia. I vactated territory I had no interest in defending and believed could easily be placed OOS once Russia received her 3rd SA.

I did move some German and Italian units into Africa to fend off the coming American armor. Now that the river and field fort were breached, my Italians needed the help if morale was to stay in tact.

1943 Sept/Oct - Allies on the Move?

Well, not really. They did attack though with the Russian elite infantry striking Novgorod. At the time I had 2 units there (correct me Marshall if I am remembering incorrectly) but chose to play a SA to reinforce. When it was all said and done, I had an armor unit that survived.

1943 Nov/Dec - Axis Move

Mud.

Not much for me to do except to continue my slow and steady retreat in Russia. I moved most blocks South and Southwest. I shifted out of areas that I either thought he wouldn't attack or that held no value to me anyway.

Yes it's nice to have all of that Russian production coming over to Germany but the reality is that it could be cut off sometime in 1944 so I better plan now because mud gets you nowhere fast and I have plans for my strat moves. :)

1943 Sept/Oct Operation Speed Bump

The Normandy invasion forced me to give up the dream of taking Russia in 1943, and use all of my operational moves to position myself for a bad weather turn in Russia. I placed speed bumps everywhere so that my supply lines could not be cut. With 2 SA's I find Russia to be much more dangerous.



I used all of my Strat moves to assemble a force in Paris. When it all said and done I hit Normandy with 15 blocks including 7 elite units. The assault cleared Normandy with one SA. Another was used for repositioning throughout Russia and the French coast.



I'd be curious to know what a more experienced player thinks but...

It would seem that while it bought him a turn for Russia's sake, the early Overlord is going to cost the Allied player in the long run. I am assuming the units lost will take too much money/time to build and then ship to Britain. I could be wrong but now HE is the one counting clear weather turns and I think he'll miss one because he won't be fully ready in 1944.

Thoughts?

1943 Jul/Aug Operation Overlord

A year early but a success none the less. The Allies invaded Normandy.



With all of my units in Russian, why not? This move meant that my last clear weather turn would be spent in France instead of Russia. I don't think he wanted to attack but he probably felt that he had no choice.

In Russia he used the 4 Elite infantry + 2gsu to attack Ladoga Swamp (10 pips of German infantry + 1 gsu) and made a suicide charge into Divina. This time the allies had the miracle rolls and Ladoga was cleared with only one SA!

1943 Jul/Aug ...Doh! - Axis Move

The PBEM Gods have spoken. It's amazing but true that one little oversight can cause a major headache and send the greatest of plans into the toilet. Can I get an amen?

The photo was taken while still plotting moves. I ended up using the Finish troops to completely cut off Moscow. Surely the game was over...



Until I am informed by Marshall that I am missing 4 Russian regulars in Divina. ...runs back to check old emails (lots of them) and sure enough, they're there. Ugh.

Had I known that, my positioning during the light mud turn would have been different. As it stood I had to waste an extra SA to get into position to take it out. I had to burn all 4 SA's.

What's worse is my blunder 'o the game...On my board I moved an armor into Vologda as part of an SA in Divia. I figured this was legal because the armor was in range 2 spaces and is allowed to stop one space short of the SA space. Long story short, I failed to email this move or even mention it on the phone so "it never happened." - My bad, live and learn.

1943 May-Jun

Jumping ahead because I am not sure how many are even reading this...

The Allies rushed American units into Africa so I fortified Alexandria and waited.



I used the turn to position myself for the clear weather. My hope was to somehow put Moscow out of supply and end the game. From this picture one would think I had a good shot at it.



The Russians sent the elite infantry into Divina swamp and cleared it. Otherwise it was a quiet turn. The Western front, though silient, was begining to look ominous. So I began to build the Atlantic wall. It helped that almost every German unit was on the board. I had some extra cash.

1943 Jan/Feb

Snow so not much happening...

The Allied replacements in Alexandria, coupled with the armor losses I took last turn meant if I didn’t reinforce the South, I’d likely lose my elite, 20 WERP, armor. With Russia buried in snow I did the following…


Opp moved the units from Sinai into Alexandria (normal combat)

Shuffled a lot of pieces around..

Continued the Bulgarian v Yugo Partisan war (normal)

Strat moved 7 more German units into Sinai. I planned to use two more SA's to finish the job.

The combat in Sinai was nothing short of a miracle of die rolls. Talk about getting it when you needed it. I hit 6/9 rolling for 5’s or better. Yikes. The Allied Alexandrian army was cleared in the initial combat phase saving the 2 SA’s I thought I would need to clear the space

I used one SA for a strat move allotment sending blocks back to Russia and dug in for the winter counter attack.

1943 Jan/Feb Snow

The units in Moscow, they move!

1942 Nov/Dec Axis Move - Allied Move

Mud

Axis Turn

I actually like Mud. It gives me a chance to relax and play defense. It stops what could be the beginning of the Russian counterattack. I figure unless I am pushing for a Major Victory, mud is my ally. That said, had snow hit, I may have tried to position myself for a knockout blow to Russia. But with mud, I elected to do one of my favorite things...

Set a defense and head to the southern zone.

We are playing with all of the 13.xx optionals so Africa is all clear weather. The order in which I did the following things is key. I don't think I would have figured this movement pattern out had I been been playing a face to face game. Given a day to think about it...

Key Opp Moves
I moved a unit from southern Russia into N. Iraq.

Left a rear-guard in Voronezh and fortified my southern weak points (never too early to plan a supply line defence).

Moved the entire Italian army in Africa into El Alamein - even though I knew he was up to something, I didn't think he saw my moves coming...

Moved 2 GSUs from Stalingrad to Persia

Key Strat Moves
Moved 7 German units, including 2 elite armor and a GSU, into N. Iraq.


SA #1
Breakthrough to Tran Jordan (3 German Armor and 1 GSU)

SA#2
Strat Move allotment - Everything else in Persia and N Iraq to Trans Jordan.

SA#3
Italian attack in Alexandria (normal) - I knew he had mostly armor.

SA#4
German attack into Trans Jordan - cleared the space but took 4 armor hits. He rolled 50% hits!!!

I know I'm taking the risk that I can get my armor in and out before the Russians start advancing. It's a calculated risk. Two good assaults next turn and I should be done...

Allied Reaction, er Turn

Russia immediately moved into the vacated Voronezh and crushed my rear-guard. Otherwise they were content to add some blocks to the weak points.

The Us and Britain used their SA to buy unlimited replacements in Africa (damn - not going easy :)). A fleet was moved into the Med so the they have a 1 fleet advantage. The US opp/strat moved 4 blocks across fron Sicily. I am guessing 3 infantry and one armor..

The Map at Turns End







Enough to make you dizzy..

1942 Sept/Oct Allies Move

Weather: Clear

In Russia the allies built a wall of blocks from Guryvev up to Moscow. Only 21 WERPs were available so I assume that all of the blocks were infantry.

A small counter-attack of 6 blocks was made into Voronezh. I reinforced from all surronding areas and made the count 6 Russian v 5 German. At the end of the combat the Russians used a SA to move the armor to Moscow



In the Med. The allies pulled out of El Alamein with 3 blocks moving behind Alexandria into Sinai. This move made me smell a trap as I am sure the WAllies wanted the Italians to push forward and lose there field fort. I knew from previous encounters that the US and Britian both had armor so leaving the field fort and following would present a great risk.



The rest of the board was quiet

Southern Russia at turns end


Britian - the face up blocks are new placements. I don't actually know what they are, I was just guessing based on WERP totals etc.

1942 Sept/Oct Axis Move

Prior to the turn the Allied player commented that the Germany army in the South was a good size but that I would have to choose between objectives in the South or North. I a greedy (can get me killed), here's what I did.

I chose to advance my units in Southern Russia as follows:

Operational:
From Kharkov I made a mass infantry push into Kursk and sent the armor with a few infantry into Don River (assault).

From Kransnodar the two blocks moved into South Steppes and Batumi.

There were several small moves that shuffled blocks forward to the front.

Strategic Moves:
Most were used to move several units, including a GSU into the South Steppes. However, the key move was an Italian strat move of an armor into South Steppes.

Initial Combat:
Don River cleared by the assault

Breakthrough Movements:
#1 Tula - Where you see the 6 block Russian Army and the field fortification.
Just about all of the German units from Kursk, and Luki moved in. A majority of the armor from Don River joined the fight.

The objectives were 3. First to put the Smolensk army OOS. Second, to take out the 2nd largest Russian army on the map and 3rd to get Russia to burn its SA.

I was guessing that the Russians might burn the SA to retreat, and was right. 2/3 objectives complete...

#2 My prime target - Southern Russia.
I played the SA in Grozny and moved every unit within reach including 2 GSU's (assault). An easy victory.

#3 My Best Move?
I used the Italian SA to move into the empty Baku!

#4 Stalingrad
All of the units that took Grozny, save 1 block, took Stalingrad in another easy assault.

When it was over the map looked like this:

Europe Engulfed - Play Along With Me - Session Report

Below are pictures from current play by email (PBEM) game. We started in 1939, and are currently in Sept/Oct of 1942. It is the Axis turn.

Feel free to post comments as to what you would do or would have done. I will post pictures only after I have moved so that my opponent will not say I was influenced.

Germany is in good shape for now. I think if the right weather comes, there's an outside chance Russia may fall...

What you cannot see:
U-boats = 58
ASW = 5
Allied Bombers = 1
Axis Bombers = 3
Allied Fiighters = 7
Axis Fighters = 5

1942 S/O
The WAllies chose to build in Alexandria and wait behind the river. We have been back and forth all game here.

In the Med.
Allied Fleets = 5 (2 lost to interdiction)
Axis Fleets = 5 (0 lost to interdiction)

Interdiction has found the Axis luckier than the Wallies.




Not pictured
3 Finish blocks in Onega Swamps
Baku is empty
1 Russian block in Grozny
2 Axis blocks in Trondhiem