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

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) (3/22/2017 7:29:31 AM)
With the turn ending after the Axis' impulse in Jul/Aug, the iniative marker was moved to the +1 box. Then I rolled abysmally. So I re-rolled, hoping to get more clear weather and two turns in a row. I rolled a 10. ...so did the Allies. [:@] And then the weather was also a 10! [&:] WTF [image]local://upfiles/46315/9777E1E2499D4DAEB972900B8EE0A05F.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 7:36:27 AM)
The Eastern Front after the Soviets had moved. Naturally they didn't launch any attacks in this lousy weather. The last blue factory in Moscow was railed out. Dowh. So close. [image]local://upfiles/46315/BCA2C513F76F469789271FDA853FC4CD.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 7:42:17 AM)
A closer view of the Moscow Front. There is one plane in Moscow as well as two INF units, one being the famed Moscow Militia. If the weather had been clear I could have surrounded the lot of them. But then my opponent might have done things differently too! [image]local://upfiles/46315/59F42B8D2BE444B3A9A9B38A93C1B36A.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 7:46:22 AM)
Surprisingly (to me), the bulk of the Soviet reinforcements for Sep/Oct 1941, such as they were, Bomber Harris placed in the south, at Stavropol and so on. From there they moved back across the Don River and set up a new defence line in front of the two Romanian corps. [image]local://upfiles/46315/30DED2D75D374D968896C4E133326739.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 7:49:42 AM)
My opponent appears to have virtually abandoned the Finnish front with more units moving through Leningrad to the south. [image]local://upfiles/46315/11FA715B4D784BDA96716AC2301C7166.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 7:56:53 AM)
Moving back to the Mediterranean theatre, Bomber Harris moved a new convoy into the Eastern Med, along with a large portion of the Royal Navy. They successfully found and destroyed the Italian CONV there, instantly putting the Axis' African armies out of supply. There was no further combat round in this impulse. (And yes, this did happen before the Russian moves). [image]local://upfiles/46315/2E336378FDE94C50BA3C8BF4A39F18AD.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:01:50 AM)
The transports that were at Malta also left, moving the Whirlwinds to Egypt, and leaving just a single Spitfire unit guarding the island from air attack. [image]local://upfiles/46315/4CD3F90ADA1740BE874780C024D4CDAA.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:14:07 AM)
With the weather absolutely lousy, the Germans elect to send out their ships. Strangely, the enemy has not bothered to send out many escorts. It is time to make him pay for this mistake. The Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and the Graf Spee head into the North Atlantic, completely unguarded. They find the convoys. The result is devastation. Three CONV are destroyed, and three more aborted. [image]local://upfiles/46315/D65C2EB288C5405DBC6856B3F6FEC64A.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:16:33 AM)
Then disaster is piled upon disaster for the British; the German squadron finds the remaining convoys for a second round. More merchant ships are sunk and aborted. Britain's lifeline has just taken a massive beating. Thankfully for the United Kingdom, the German squadron does not find the remaining five CONV. [image]local://upfiles/46315/B1832F806F24438B8DB877A591DA4DE0.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:17:47 AM)
The Axis aircraft line up against the Commonwealth's fleet in the Eastern Med. [image]local://upfiles/46315/0622C93B86F7470386633DC3B20E5939.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:19:43 AM)
The Axis planes find and sink the Dutch CONV in the Eastern Med in the first round (not shown). In the second round, the British find the Italians, and decide to shoot down some of these pesky aircraft. They abort the Erone Z.506B flying boats. [image]local://upfiles/46315/F80155A89F5D494A8FF025AECBF55F99.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:21:03 AM)
In the third round, the Italians find the British, and decide to try to use their surprise points to sink some of these pesky carriers -but it will be difficult, as there are plenty of Gladiator fighters on board the carriers. [image]local://upfiles/46315/9F3923DAF2DA40F98AD7BE63AE9DE394.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:23:54 AM)
The air battle does not go particularly well for the Axis, but it is a costly victory for the Royal Navy too. The Gabbianos are shot down as is one Gladiator, and the Condors are sent packing. In the fourth round, the British find the Italians again, but they have just one fighter left in the 2 box. The British decide to shoot that down too (not screenshotted), and successfully do so, but they also lose their remaining Gladiator. They have cleared the zone of Axis planes, but at a high cost - and the Axis can reorganise the aborted planes. [image]local://upfiles/46315/1E7522C013A94942BAF32358FDB384C0.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:25:27 AM)
In the Faeroes Gap the Germans also have a couple of warships hunting enemy merchant ships. The Gneisenau and the Mainz find their targets, but these are escorted by a few of the dregs of the RN. They shouldn't be too much trouble. [image]local://upfiles/46315/8EA652F9D4EA456B8818A6C31734EBF8.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:26:45 AM)
But it turns out that the Danish ships are much tougher than you'd expect. They take all the damage that the Gneisenau & Mainz can throw at them, and they buy their convoys enough time to escape (check out those damage rolls!). [image]local://upfiles/46315/4A332D5D0BD54DC1989BBA4D9061BFA1.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 8:57:51 AM)
The Romanians also sortied their small destroyer flotilla in the first Axis impulse. They successfully found the Soviet's convoys in the Black Sea, and sank them. Far too busy with the land war, the comparatively powerful Red Banner Fleet never received orders to set sail. In return however, the Russians bombed Bucharest the following turn, and caused heavy damage (1 production point). Not sure why they didn't bomb Ploesti. [image]local://upfiles/46315/A68062B5726B4495A6AFAC14DC3E1CFE.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 9:17:45 AM)
The weather improved somewhat for the Allies' second impulse, and the Russians moved their armies again. They had now had two turns in a row. Damnit. [image]local://upfiles/46315/44025E88D8DD48C7989B3D68C57FB5E6.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 9:20:17 AM)
Around Moscow they made a few more adjustments to their lines. The rain hindered these manoeuvres, of course. The Germans could only wait for their chance. [image]local://upfiles/46315/DB9B75CB6AFA440782400A9E037C1A14.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 9:54:44 AM)
With the weather clear in the south, Koniev decided it was time to counter-attack. The Romanians were out of supply and vulnerable. Bombers swooped down to disorganize them. But their strikes were a failure. Angry, Koniev rang Moscow and demanded to speak to Stalin, wanting heads to roll at the Red Air Force. But Stalin was having none of it. "We're just a little bit busy up here right now, what with pretty much the entire German army on our #$%ing doorstep!" he yelled at Koniev, "In fact, what the f#% are you doing attacking down there, when you could be up here saving Moscow?!?" Dismayed at this abrupt rebuttal, Koniev hung up the phone. The attack went in, and sure enough the Romanian 1st INF was destroyed. Koniev was wise enough not to try to push for a medal on this one. [image]local://upfiles/46315/BE6C54745CBE48F294B139D9FFEAEC6D.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:10:04 AM)
In the Axis' second impulse, (Italians took a Combined, Germans a Land impulse), a large force of Macchi Saettas and Bf-110s attacked Malta. For some reason my opponent chose not to send another convoy into the Med to try and get Malta back into supply. But then again the only available CONV was at Gibraltar, and it could have been intercepted by an Italian NAV placed precisely for that purpose in the Western Med. Nonetheless, with Malta OOS, the forces there were vulnerable. The enemy had flown another fighter in from Gibraltar (the Beaufighters), but with no supplies the aircraft were useless. The horde of Axis planes swooped down on the island. [image]local://upfiles/46315/9C30DEDB1DB74AAE80095705776DC5F7.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:13:45 AM)
There's no doubt I've had a lot of luck with ground strikes in this game. This one is certainly going to be one that goes down in history. Both the Macchis and the Messerschmitts played their part. Absolutely incredible. Well, you can see it. Operation Herkules is a GO [image]local://upfiles/46315/27351A98AA5D4E2D972E7C87CF922430.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:16:12 AM)
We shall continue the story of Malta when we get to the right moment. We'll go through things in order! On the Moscow Front, the rain held up proceedings for the German armies, moving for the first time this turn. The odds just weren't quite good enough for an assault on the Red Army lines, and they contented themselves with threatening to outflank the defenders (again). As you can see, newly arrived Manstein was quickly railed in to provide more supply to the units near Ryazan. [image]local://upfiles/46315/075825B36E81497FAC97F50C9A5BB7A2.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:18:40 AM)
On the Don front, Guderian was finally able to move forward, and some powerful new corps were railed to assist him. Other armies moved south from near Ryazan, and the Romanian motorized corps retreated to safety. Koniev's counterattack should prove to be a minor discrepancy. [image]local://upfiles/46315/6630720E96E44132B84BD708CA4A12D1.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:19:48 AM)
The overall view of the Eastern Theatre at the end of the Axis' second impulse. [image]local://upfiles/46315/F5B95B1E063D4C22AC36D06EB60139F4.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:23:28 AM)
Back to the Mediterranean! In their second impulse the Italian fleet sortied from La Spezia, going via Albania to pick up the 1st INF division, then headed south. Operazione C3 was on!! Meanwhile for the Germans part in the operation, dozens of Junkers Ju-52 planes took off from bases at Syracuse. Those Paras had been having a fantastic time in Sicily, but now they were going to have to earn their keep! The locals at Syracuse were pretty glad to see the back of them, we hear. [image]local://upfiles/46315/BA73E63CC5514B0192F8B8AA414219CD.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:24:59 AM)
[image]local://upfiles/46315/5BA435C51A004D89B58F72E57FCE7799.jpg[/image] (Disclaimer: This is a composite image - not real)

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:29:45 AM)
In Berlin and Rome, anticipation is high as the command staff await word of the action. Even though the odds are in their favour, nothing is ever certain in war, and nothing like this operation has been attempted before. Breathless, they await with trepidation. Could they have done more? This is after all their second attempt. The defenders have much greater numbers than last time. Mouths are dry at HQ. Sweat drips from anxious brows. [image]local://upfiles/46315/4D519544B0FA4A7AAE99B824C7E787E9.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/22/2017 10:34:54 AM)
The radio crackles into life - "KHHHK - we've taken the first airfield. Enemy fire is light. Our reinforcements landing now. Pushing forwardKHHK" And then from the Italians; "Beach-head secure. Casualties light. Moving inland. Our battleships are pounding the defences. Some enemy troops surrendering already!" A massive cheer goes up at OKW. In Rome it is the same. Within three days they are sure. The enemy resistance collapses. The Axis powers have won a fabulous victory. Malta has fallen. [image]local://upfiles/46315/E7212E38EC394EE89595DB0A0F4510D2.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/25/2017 9:40:48 PM)
With nothing else to do other than shift units around (painfully slowly), the Japanese finally deal with the troublemakers at Hanoi. [image]local://upfiles/46315/9802BADCF77C40178E6682FF73718144.jpg[/image]

DQ2004 -> RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3) (3/25/2017 9:45:49 PM)
The Allies got clear weather in the Arctic zone (and elsewhere) for their third impulse, and with the fear of a German impulse to follow (obviously also in clear weather), the Soviets decided to abandon Moscow. [image]local://upfiles/46315/3CF422F3035A4999A857A61F3BF508F2.jpg[/image]

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