Colin I

Scandanavia: US moves on from Norway to DOW Sweden. Axis helpless to intervene. Iberia: Devastating German counterattack. After a massive reingorcement of the Spanish with ground and air the Germans attack. US loses a Corps, and HQ and worse Lisbon. German air starts looking for other targets and takes out a US bomber in North Africa out of sheer boredom . US still holds Gibraltar and has a few land units but hard to see how they will hold. I think my opponent was too ambitious, splitting the US ground forces between Scandanavia and Iberia. The thing is, given his investment in bombers they can't be THAT tough and it clued me up that he was not likely to reinforce. North Africa: British complete the conquest. Russia: Partisan problem almost eliminated and Caucausus secured. I suspect I'm about to lose an armoured unit which ran into trouble. I should remember my opponent tends to play aggressively - he is already massing armour again in Russia. Italy: British raid eliminated but I think this was worth his effort.

Things are escalating. British continue towards Cascablanca. Americans invade Spain (though without capturing a city, though Gibraltar and Lisbon will fall next turn I think. The British raid on Italy will end next turn too, I think. Americans also take Norway. BUT, and its a big but, Russia is in quite big trouble. German armour is mopping up around Stalingrad and pushing deep into the Caucausus. The Russians are going to have significantly less MPP to rebuild for 1944. The Russian push towards Moscow is probably not too serious a threat through the Russian partisans are troublesome.

Russian offensive towards Gorky and more counters around Staligrad. But Russians are still within range of German air which descends on Stalingrad. :eek: Stalingrad falls as well as more armour destroyed. Russians must be close to breaking around there.

Allies take Sardinia and keep bombing the Med. Russians counterattack around Stalingrad/Rostov. But in Russia, German offensive gathers pace. Two Soviet tanks die from air raids. A combination of armour, infantry and paratroopers destro infantry and an HQ around Rostov. Soviets desperately need the W. Allies to put troops on the ground, its only June '43 and the Russians are already under pressure.

Allies continue to progress in North africa with their powerful bombing capability. In Russia, the Soviets in fortress Stalingrad get a hint of what they are up against as the Axis troops edge forwards and kill a tank unit from the air. I believe this is called Operation Can Opener

Hubert, Surely if SC2/WaW is a game of strategic options then "Germans prepare well for Russian Winter" is a valid possibility. Would suggest paying a bit more for a unit (as an upgrade) for reduction in a particular weather effect. Not just Russian winters. Think its better doing this way than as a technology - Germans could have prepared better with what they knew - they only need to have read about Napoleon's experiences.....

MJY: Not sure a large amount of near arctic terrain counts for much. It seems fair you need Sweden because they had more infrastructure. Its not an issue whether countires are connected but whether the connection allows mass movements of material. In WaW one imagines its easier to calculate - whether there is a rail connection seems a good criteria for economic benefit.

OK. Have a good holiday. More fights in Russia and US retreats from UK. UK advances towards Tunisia. 1943 will be bloody......

But in Russia Gorky falls too. UK is disputed between rather low tech American troops (guess they spent all their cash on Flying Fortresses) and German corps supported by minor allies. Germans very much hoping for a couple more clear turns to press their advantage It is end September 42).

Jesus moves to the attack. Tank action in Russia as Germans continue to push towards Stalingrad. Russians must be praying for Winter, though. Russians reveal bombers and they aren't the only ones. Massive US bomber action in North Africa sink much of the Axis fleet. In the UK the Axis contain the US assault and kill a US corps.

from their central location around Smolensk, Germans send battle groups North, East and South to strike at Russian cities and mop up lagging Soviet troops. Luftwaffe pilots continue to operate supported by Spanish, Italian and Balkan planes. Eire falls to Axis amphibious assault. UK rampage across North Africa is halted by the Italians. BUT the big question is what is the US up to?

More violence in Russia. Russians show L3 armour, L2 Infantry. Position hasn't changed for a few turns, Germans at the gates of Moscow. Russians kill a German Army each turn whilst Germans tend to nail 3 to 4 units a turn (albeit often corps). Weather hasn't been great, I expect more to happen when the mud clears. Axis move to counter Allied advance on Tripoli. Turkey drifts back to the Allies.

I had maximum German and Italian chits into Spain for some time. The boost Axis get for holding UK put Spain on 89% but this was after Barbarossa so in theory I think Allies could have blocked me. That would have been frustrating, I normally attack Spain but didn't have the troops in France. Maybe its good UK did't find those subs - as I mentioned German navy was lurking nearby. Mixed turn for Axis. The good is Gibralter was defended by only a UK air fleet and fell rapidly to sea bombardment and land assault. The bad is we hit October mud in Russia, limiting the advance. Additionally, Siberians have arrived and Soviets are showing good quality armour (but so are the Germans).

Germans pick up momentum in Russia with L2 tanks and heavy air. Russians fortify Leningrad but Finns attack the Russian navy from the rear. Meanwhile Spain veers to Axis and isn't diplomatically blocked by Russia/UK (a surprise), so declares for Germany. Bad news for the UK on the Rock. Germans set a naval trap to trigger if UK pursues their submarines which are retreating from the Canadian-Egypt convoy line. UK doesn't bite - probably the move was rumbled by the UK bomber at Gibralter.

Jusus - can you slow the very nice animation down slightly? The more you write the harder it is to read before it moves to the next frame - or can the viewer pause it?

Germans move into Russia taking Minsk. No good indicators how it will go yet. In the Middle East, Germans regroup around Tobruk and keep the gentle pressure up in Vichy Algeria. Other stuff more interesting. Germans subs attack Canadian convoys to further starve the UK of MPP. In recent turns invasion of UK and diplomacy has caused Spain and Turkey to drift towards the Axis cause.

Terif, How many MPP do you have in reserve as Axis or Allies? I assume from the speed you put big operations and strategic shifts into place you have a big reserve for massed operational moves or purchases. True?

Keep HQ slow. Effectively this means that units, eg motorized armour, conducting Blitzkrieg attacks outrun their supply and command control if they really push it. Thats fine and historical and means a breakthrough risks a counterattack if over extended and you underestimate enemies reserves. Besides, we now have roads for HQ. Really you are talking a command control or logistics doctrine (== technology), though not sure we really need it. I suppose it could allow shallower decline in supply with distance and number of units attached to HQ. My vote is antitank units (in WaW) reduce 2 strike attack of armour to 1 if attacked. They blunt the attack. Love the new intelligence random spotting coming - great feature.

Italian navy retreats. Axis presses in North Africa both towards Vichy Algeria and Tobruk (the latter sees a UK corps go down). But the British are very strongly dug into Tobruk and Egypt. USSR are about to enter the war but the USA is lagging by quite a way. Germans haven't attacked too many minors as part of their policy on keeping the UK government in exile without too much immediate support. Its mid 1941, technology advances not too large on either side.

Canadians sneak into Vichy Algeria in a nice move plus some UK attacks on Italian ships results in a very good turn for the British. Germans regroup. Barabarossa is imminent but the US is still a while to go. To some extent I think this is the right way round, my ability to pressure the British will decline a lot when the US swings in.

Axis press in North Africa - Italians attack but fail to take Vichy Algeria with air support - it will fall next turn as the defending corps was eliminated. Germans press towards Tobruk destroying a British Army en route with heavy support from the air. italian sub bumps into British battleship around Tobruk.

[i think the point is the UK are short of MPP and this limits their comeback and, I think, makes it harder for US to get into the game. But there is a definate cost.]

British destroy and Italian army but their advance is limited by German intervention. British fortify Egypt, Russians getting restless. [so, unlike last game Germans have chosen to counter UK in North Africa. I'm not sure its worth it - last game against K-man I had UK and let him take North Africa but took Spain and lots of minors. K-man used NA as a springboard to apply pressure on Spain. This time I'm contesting but Russians are getting restless.]

PBEM Vet. I'm in.

British take Tobruk and head towards Tripoli. Italian navy scouts Gibralter (allied UK fighters in place, but depleted). Axis invasion of Tunisia.