RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (Full Version)

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DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/19/2017 7:45:09 AM)

The turn ends incredibly quickly.
The Axis have only had two impulses. The losses were not screenshotted - I can't remember now, but its possible that there were none!
Below shows Global Control at the end of the Jan/Feb 1941 turn.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/0F9E69C3A03F4AC6A4EA9EC0105E2ABA.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/19/2017 7:46:48 AM)

Mar/Apr 1941
Reinforcements:

[image]local://upfiles/46315/B756177F552445DE9EFA9B8673D5A37D.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/19/2017 7:51:26 AM)

A little while ago someone asked what was happening in Manchuria.
With an agreed Neutrality Pact in place, both sides have taken the opportunity to move forces elsewhere to more urgently needed fronts. Thus the Soviet Far East and Japanese Manchuria is quiet as a tomb.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/38357B2145EF4224BB5E3943CDB37ECD.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 1:59:29 AM)

At the start of Mar/Apr 1941, the bad weather continued.
With nothing better to do, and storms raging in the Atlantic, it seemed like a good idea to send out the Kriegsmarine's powerful battle squadron.
The ships were split into two groups, those with a maximum speed of '5', and those with a maximum speed of '6'.
This made for three in each, the weaker group having two 'Hipper' class cruisers.
The stronger group, made of Tirpitz, Bismarck and the Graf Spee, were intercepted by the British waiting in the Bay of Biscay (the Allies had the initiative).
Rather than fight through, the Germans chose to remain. The second group were not intercepted, and went north to the Faeroes Gap.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/39B17AD824B94E1DA1E9DD25A5F614A4.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:02:12 AM)

The Scharnhorst group found that the Royal Navy had been somewhat neglectful in the Faeroes Gap, with only a handful of weak cruisers protecting a large number of convoys. There the squadron was joined by the newly repaired Panzerschiff 'Deutschland'. Apparently the Fuhrer had demanded that its name be changed, fearing bad luck if it were sunk, but whatever.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/144DA46BF70D4B74AA79888D3986A4BE.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:05:08 AM)

This time the Germans find the convoys, and the slaughter begins.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/861DD1D4AF384E2BB02ED4641B2DA864.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:07:58 AM)

Three CONV and the Norwegian Tordenskjold is sunk.
In return the Commonwealth vessels do absolutely nothing to the German ships.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/2076DB91B74347A3A9268056D139B0DF.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:10:44 AM)

In the second round the Germans find the convoys again.
The Allies curse their luck.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/11A63F245D544D5FACC9551ED3A1C22B.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:13:18 AM)

This time more convoys are destroyed, but Bomber Harris (the Allied player, for those that have forgotten), decides to lose CONV rather than abort or damage the Gloucester.
...not sure why he did that.
The British are left with just 10 CONV in the last crucial sea area to England.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/E4CF54FC543D407BA3556C6E7B462004.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:17:32 AM)

Sadly for the Germans, they do not find the convoys a third time.
Some supplies will get through.
In the Med, Axis aircraft swarm the Eastern Mediterranean sea area. But they do not find the British fleet.
In the second impulse, the British try to ground-strike the Italians in Egypt - but they fail.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/BAB6BA5130B2424CB7419690B8BB4279.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:19:49 AM)

In the Western Med, a force of British and Australian cruisers guards the convoy lines.
It is attacked by the Italian fleet, and the HMS Manchester is sunk. HMS Newcastle is also damaged.
But the remaining cruisers slip away.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/2E409DEF429446EC90E962374B059715.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:21:40 AM)

The British finally go on the offensive in the desert. Despite being unable to disorganize the out-of-supply Italians, they attack the 'Libia' mechanized corps. They destroy it, but the assault is a very costly one.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/F44B6C34489849469BD73137E118C207.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:23:12 AM)

After some consideration, Wavell decides not to advance, as his forces are now no stronger than his opponent.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/4664AF7C29804156AE7322A138906F04.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:25:46 AM)

In Northern China, the poor weather leaves the Japanese with little to do. Newly constructed tanks have been attached to a new unit, the 2nd Armoured corps. With these new weapons the Japanese hope to finally crack the Communist lines.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/6A7F7E4ABB69438485D1F548FCC1C2E6.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:30:05 AM)

In Southern China, the Japanese armies around Chungking are faced with a choice - advance and be disorganized, or hope that they get another impulse with better weather before the turn ends.
After a careful consideration of the odds (30% chance that the turn will end on the Allies next impulse), they decide to move.
Chengtu is quickly overrun, and the 5th Mechanized Corps heads back towards Chungking.
Other armies encircle the city.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/031938DD0BFA4C8DBB8CC6941209F280.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:31:42 AM)

With the weather slightly better, the Royal Navy sorties its carrier fleet into the Bay of Biscay.
Once again the search rolls favour the Axis.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/76ABAF0F31C545C18AC19125A5431CA0.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:34:12 AM)

And it is here that the German commander makes a terrible error.
With surprise points in the offing, he chooses the British carrier force, unprotected by battleships.
But the rolls will provide only three surprise points in the 4 box, instead of four if they had chosen the 3 box.
It is a disastrous mistake - it means that they will not be able to choose the type of combat at all...

[image]local://upfiles/46315/635AF24F29224E6795101D4C66C57064.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:36:14 AM)

Sure enough, the British have plenty of time to launch their Swordfish torpedo bombers.
They swoop down en-masse upon the German ships.
The Bismarck is sunk.
The Fuhrer rages, but he cannot sack the foolish Admiral Lutjens - he had the sense to go down with his ship.
The Tirpitz and Graf Spee return to Brest.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/1A0B21DE671E40B2A337D53D702B2AF3.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:37:59 AM)

The turn ends after the Allies' third impulse. Sure enough, the Japanese made the right call - if they'd waited, they wouldn't have been able to move.
The Allied losses shown do not include some seven CONV points.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/A1622BB6867E4A31A5FDD48B77C07FE7.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:43:43 AM)

Global control as at the start of the May/Jun 1941 turn:

[image]local://upfiles/46315/024DA480006645BA81DA0A90064F219D.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 2:45:01 AM)

Reinforcements for May/Jun 1941:

[image]local://upfiles/46315/A3373345F14748258A18A888292C6902.jpg[/image]



Grotius -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (2/22/2017 6:08:14 AM)

Exciting action at sea! Glad you're back at it. :)



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/1/2017 2:29:09 AM)

Thanks Grotius. Lots of excitement still to come!

Play resumed for the May/Jun 1941 turn yesterday, and although unfortunately that got cut short, we're now already two very action packed impulses (for each side) through the turn.
So lets begin.

The Axis got the iniative (which they badly wanted) for May/Jun 41 but were then struck down by the curse of the poor weather roll. Indeed, other than the un-seasonally long and balmy Nov/Dec 40 turn, our plans for vengeance have been very much curtailed by the poor weather.

So with little to do on the land, the Kriegsmarine sorties once again into the North Atlantic. In the Faeroes gap the battleship Tirpitz runs into an poorly protected convoy.
The Germans 'choose target' and destroy two more CONV points. One more CONV is aborted as are the two escorts. But the remaining convoys slip away in the storm, and the German ships find no more juicy targets.
In the North Atlantic sea area, the Scharnhorst and two cruisers also fail to find any convoys.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/DB7D071BB01C41F6BDA39A76132517EE.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/1/2017 2:33:00 AM)

In response, the British sortie large groups of ships into the Faeroes Gap and the North Atlantic sea areas.
A large battlegroup centred around seven battleships and three carriers, finds the German squadron in the North Atlantic.
They damage both the Prinz Eugen and the Admiral Hipper, but they all escape to fight another day.


[image]local://upfiles/46315/12FECC8EE2A142E0AAE1DFA17DDB0E94.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/1/2017 2:35:24 AM)

However, unluckily for the British, a salvo of 11-inch shells from Scharnhorst land on the cruiser HMS Kent.
The Southampton is also forced to abort after suffering light damage from the retreating Prinz Eugen.
The convoys in this area are safe again, however. But the Commonwealth is now down to just seven in the Faeroes Gap, half of what they need.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/01FB5683A48F43449BF8571E90C7DA65.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/1/2017 2:44:26 AM)

The Eastern Front.
May, 1941. All is calm.
Rumours have been reaching STAVKA, the office of the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Comrade Stalin, and the KGB, that an attack by Germany on the USSR is imminent.
The evidence seems strong. There has already been German troops spotted in Finland.
German marines arrived in Hanko recently, and many aircraft have been seen flying over the Soviet-German border in what used to be Poland.
The Germans have of course claimed that their troops are recovering in Poland for a holiday, after their strenuous campaign in France.

[image]local://upfiles/46315/4347A28F5E21415FBC8AA9FCDB43E3E3.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/1/2017 2:45:54 AM)

Lets take a closer look at the fronts.
The Finnish Front:

[image]local://upfiles/46315/388C722850C941229BE4B246975A7707.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/1/2017 2:47:06 AM)

The Northern Front:

[image]local://upfiles/46315/3BF4E3B10F3840CCA446BF5193332A24.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/1/2017 2:49:11 AM)

The Southern or Ukrainian Front:
(note that the Soviets have never tried to claim Bessarabia - which has impacted German plans somewhat - without that they can only align Romania if they are at war with the USSR).

[image]local://upfiles/46315/85C13A3D45014F50BBFDD1DD1125CAEC.jpg[/image]



DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/1/2017 2:54:02 AM)

At the start of the Axis' second impulse, nerves are shot. Anxious messages are being sent to weather-reporting units and hard questions are being asked of forecasters. But the results are not welcome news.
The rain continues across much of the USSR. The armies are, well, not as ready as we'd like. But they are in a far better condition than the enemy, who is unprepared and badly out of position. The time may never be better - but for the weather. The panzers will not make much progress in this mud.

The decision is made - we go now - before its too late!

[image]local://upfiles/46315/A7C49232FA0943788162C556A3687C82.jpg[/image]



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