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AlbertN -> RE: Cohen vs Enrico - AAR nr.4 (Alas Again Restarting!) (10/17/2015 2:10:15 AM)
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Jul / Aug 1942 - Timewarped Summer
Meanwhile Stalin's scientists reassured him of a new secret weapon being prepared; they managed to repair the Time Machine.
Which was promptly used again, right before the fall of Stalingrad and Saratov. Now Stalin knew his tank counterattack would deprive him of 3/4 of his armoured forces, leaving him stripped of mobile forces to defend the Urals; meanwhile the Germans would be losing only 1/4 of their armoured forces in Russia, and would remain widely superior in terms of infantries.
Yet, it seems statistics, calculations and battle odds cannot change -that- much. Actually, Stalin, probably somehow cranky because the W.Allies are not giving him a single penny (yeah, no lend lease at all) provided wrong information to his "allies".
The session was quite tragic for the Allies (and as Axis I claimed as minor compensation for the "time warping" to get rid of the 2 Spanish Partisans, one with a final roll of 18 as the attack is a +4 and the other smoothly, as the attack is a +10) ... and we started session at Allied Impulse 2 (Turn Impulse #3).
Their grand landing north of Lisbon worked, an INF, a GARR and an INF-Div. The Germans moved in to surround the hex - and the W.Allied the impulse after rammed eastward inland - 11 + Shore Bombing vs 6 Turkish combat factors (one of the flipped by the US bomber that you see destroyed). One loss each.
The Turks lose their division and keep their 5-3 INF. The W.Allies opt to destroy the US Garrison to make space for a HQ to land.
Yet in the Axis impulse before the HQ can land, the Italian Blitz happens. This time the Italians shipped first a MECH from Marocco and waited - once the W.Allied exhausted themselves against the Turks they added via a 2nd TRS (and another Combined Impulse) a 6-1 GARR in Lisbon. With the extra punch, a less Allied unit and all of the Allies flipped the Axis lost their MECH but sent into the sea the W.Allies.
Ontop of that the W.Allies tried a landing in Porto, left unmanned (but ZOC'ed). With their carrier planes exhausted already, the Axis slipped in a Condor undisturbed to pump to 3 the Notional. That sufficed ... the W.Allies roll, and roll a 19 (Total). They lose both units invading. Funnily enough 18 would have suited them much better.
To add to the salt in the W.Allied wounds in Europe, the RAF goes to bomb Lille and loses 2 FTRs escorting.
That tallies in Europe from US 1 INF, 1 GARR, 1 INF-Div, 1 MAR-Div, 1 LND3+Pilot; and 2 UK FTR2.
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In the Indian Ocean the Japs found the CL Adelaide (sunk) and a CW submarine (damaged) for no losses.
The CW still invades Mogadishu.
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The Soviets suffers heavily, though manage to escape with the core of their forces toward the Urals (and obtain also Sept / Oct initiative). Yet their losses are extreme, and the Germans managed to seize Astrakhan too in this occasion.
Which leaves a GARR and a MIL isolated in the swaps south-west of Astrakhan.
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In the Pacific the US disaster comes.
If you remember the US had velleitary wishes to land in Efate - and had a surface task force there.
The Japanese daringly change plans and send in 2 CVL with the CVPs (That you see both destroyed). The Japanese have 2 CVLs and the very long range (22 range) NAV. CVLs at 1, and the NAV at 4.
The Japs luck out a few searches, damaging the US TRS with the Marines, a cruiser and the BB New Jersey.
The US retaliate by bringing in their fleet carriers (The 5 ones moving 6) but the Japanese find only with their NAV and avoid combat.
Meanwhile the Japanese are bringing in some land based planes, the CVLs launch an attack to a port in the sea zone with the escort of Zeros coming from the Solomons sea zone against Nuku'Alofa (East of Fiji).
That's 1 bomber and 3 fighters. The US intercepts with 5 FTRs albeit of inferior quality. That is all to bomb a single cruiser!
The Japanese wins the surprise, 5 points. They alter the air to air difference. Planes:
5 5 6 -- 5 4 4 4 4 || Fighter line
3 || Bomber line
The Japanese start to whittle away the US fighters, but they lose their bomber so there is no port attack in the end.
Then in subsequent impulses, meanwhile the USA are out of new assets to bring, three land based Zeros join the fray (6, 5 and 5 air to air. Like the carrier ones, just these are the land based 13 range lot!). One goes on the 1 to cover the carriers, and the other two go with the NAV at 4. US task force is at 2.
The Japanese find, and find again and even better. The first find brings a carrier damaged - for the US. The second time it's a search roll of 1 for the Japs, and a 10 for the US.
Two Light Carriers fighting against the pride and might of the US! And the Japanese planes mince through the Wildcats and get to the target. A moment of luck shines on the US (their AA, lowest of 3, guns down the CVP - with the one lost in the port attack now the CVLs are empty.).
But the sheer amount of surprise points ... the Jap strike a X and a D. And a US carrier sink ... with planes that aborted from the combat too.
Now the US are out of planes, destroyed on a carrier, some damaged from a previous round of combat and unable to fly. They've litterally 4 carriers there being sitting ducks with some cruisers as escort. It's time to withdraw.
The US industrial power wanted though them to have already in Pearl Harbour 3-4 new Carrier Planes, piloted and ready to be embarked. Zero downtime.
September / October '42 to be replayed during the weekend. What will happen?
Time will tell.
[image]local://upfiles/36315/9152E29231BB4BBD8EC8EDDC419418AD.jpg[/image]
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