Storm over Europe 1939 - Will vs Ash - Axis

[Will95]

Greetings fellow SCers, and welcome back to another AAR. Ash and I just can't get enough of this game so we're going to jump right in to one of my favourite scenarios- Storm over Europe. We were going to switch sides on the WW1 game, but that was a particularly intense and gruelling match, so we're going to let WW1 have a short break.

Strategy and Plans

As always, one must try to develop a strong but adaptable plan for both the long and short term. The destruction of Poland comes first and should be done with the greatest care to avoid any lost Panzer steps or HQ experience. I will then move swiftly to the West and if possible, try and invade the Low Countries before 1940. A quick beating of France is imperative if I am to correct Hitler's mistake of launching Barbarossa late in June.

My approach will then be to focus on the MPPs that Russia holds; namely the oil in the Caucuses. This southern drive will use about 80% of my force, while another 20% seizes the easy land holdings near the border such as Riga, to get the Finnish on board and pressure Leningrad.

I'm not going to bother trying to fight over the Italian-African holdings; there is little benefit to be had in my opinion unless you can go on the offensive, which by extension requires you to take out Malta, which I don't plan to do.

With any luck, I'll have increased my MPP base to well above that of the Allies by the time the USA starts getting excitable allowing me to turn west and deal with any invasion.

As for submarine warfare, this will be a secondary priority until I've upgraded my subs a little. Hopefully I can start a proper chokehold of the UK by 1941. Italy will also focus on its navy, so they can spar properly with the RN.

Turn 1

We begin things with a very standard invasion of Poland. The HQ is gone, as are a couple of corps. I should be able to take Warsaw next turn without a problem.

I also plan to reject to share my gains with Stalin. He'll be pissed, but then again, it's a lot less territory to fight over too.

[Will95]

Turn 2

We complete our invasion of Poland by taking Warsaw. 4 total Panzer steps lost to force Poland's capitulation by turn 2; not terrible, but not great either. I violated the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and infuriated Stalin, apparently, who responded by increasing readiness to 42%.

I redeemed my chit in rocket technology to increase my MPP base, and purchase myself a brand new armoured division, set to arrive in March. I have decided that I will not try to force an invasion of the Low Countries before Christmas, but instead wait for my critical mass of units to arrive in 1940. All MPPs until the invasion begins will be used for unit production; I have no need for superior technology against the French. Once the French are teetering however, I will invest heavily in infantry, armoured and industrial technology.

Interestingly, it seems Ash is vacating his Mediterranean garrisons. Perhaps he wishes to bring Mussolini into the war early?

[Will95]

December 1939

The German army is growing. 2 new Panzers are due for March and April respectively, and the infantry force is amassing on the Belgian and Dutch borders. A tactical bomber and a paratrooper unit are preparing to seize Denmark and Norway. The Italians have invested in naval warfare and their fleet is bottled up in the Adriatic to protect from prying British eyes.

[Will95]

Turn 9

Haven't reported much since December as there hasn't been anything to report. However, finally, our sledgehammer was ready. Was I too cautious in waiting until all my troops were ready? Possibly. But there can be few downsides to attacking with such a frighteningly powerful force as the one the German army currently possesses.

Here is the moment before jump off:

Notice the 5 armoured columns.

And after the invasion was launched:

You will notice I left much of the Belgian and Netherlands' armies unmolested. Why? Simply put, it gives me greater MPPs when I plunder the country, and means there is no risk of losing MPPs to defensive action. As a result, I recieved over 300MPPs worth of plunder from the combined invasions, all for the loss of just 2 Panzer steps.

I also carried out an invasion of Denmark, and conquered the country with my paratroopers. Next on the hit list in Norway.

Now comes the interesting bit; how much British force has Ash committed to the defense of Paris? Experience tells me he will send a large force and he may even have tanks on the continent. As far as I am concerned, the more the merrier. With my additional forces grown over the winter and my large air force, any extra units he sends to defend the country will be destroyed.

Now, to find a weak spot.

[Strategiclayabout]

I'm still lurking around, nice to see both of you are playing mind games already .

Good luck to the Panzerwaffe in wiping out the decadent Allies ^^ !

[Will95]

Turn 10

The invasion of France is proceeding nicely, with solid land gains and minimal MPP loss (mainly from the Luftwaffe). I would prefer things to be going slightly faster than they are, but I'm currently content. I expect I'll have Paris by August.

With research maxed out and little point in investing in troops as we head into the height of summer, I decided to invest heavily into Spanish diplomacy. Franco just needs a little tip in my direction before he decides that a Facist alliance is very much in his interest...

A Spanish partner will be critical in allowing me to take Gibraltar, therefore making offensive actions by the US and British against Italy that much harder. Italy really is the sick man of Europe, and a rather aggressive Anglo-French navy is now approaching the Adriatic. I have withdrawn as far into the sea as possible and I'm moving the Italian air force and even the land based artillery into position to lend a helping hand. There is also the possibility of moving the Luftwaffe to Italy to support the Italians against the British....

[Will95]

Turn 11

We are taking the path of least resistance to Paris, and our Panzers are now in a good position to deal a devastating blow to the French army. We smashed through the defensive line at Reims, wiping out 2 armies. Our bombers continue to hit British carriers in the channel while the Luftwaffe spar with the RAF.

In the Adriatic, the first shots have been fired, but I fear the Italians may be sorely outgunned. We dealt good damage to a battleship and damaged a British submarine, but if the whole French fleet is here, the Italians may be in a for a shock.

[Will95]

Turn 12

Lost a Panzer this turn. This was definitely not anticipated, but unfortunately the armour's forward position combined with a lack of upgrades meant it faced death at the hands of dedicated anti-tank units. The German generals decided to seek brutal revenge. I could have probably surrounded Paris this turn- but why rush? The French are facing certain capitulation now that they have abandoned the Maginot line, and their troops are of no threat to me. The British, however, will remain a potent force throughout the game, and any damage done to them now will yield dividends in the future. The panzers were sent to seriously damage British main forces, with paratroopers moving to cut the rail lines. If Ash wishes to escape with his British force intact, he will be forced to spend MPPs operating his troops to port.

In Italy, we lost a battleship and a cruiser, but hit back; and sunk a British carrier. Carriers are expensive to build and very time consuming- a big win for the Italians, all things considered.

The French will fall on their own. It is time to make the British pay for their actions.

[VonLourens]

following again ... Did not expect another aar this soon!

[Will95]

Operation Barbarossa

Haven't updated for a while, so apologies.

We are now in May 1941. Time to invade the USSR.

I have opted for two-pronged attack. In the north, there is a small force which I gathered right up against the border, allowing Ash to see my armoured units, while I kept most of my units hidden in the south. Hopefully, this will have made him plan his defenses in anticipation of a mainly northern-orientated strike.

Pre-jump off (notice the Kriegsmarine ready to strike the Russian navy):

However, notice the huge force gathered in the south. We destroyed all deployed STAVKA units and captured the border cities. Odessa will be taken next turn. I recently recieved level 2 tanks and was torn between upgrading and waiting or attacking. I chose to attack, for the simple reason that time is money in this campaign, as far as the Axis is concerned, and right now, I do not need the sledgehammer that is level 2 tanks to crack the nut that is the Soviet industry in 1941.

Afterwards:

I lost a lot of experience and troops in France, far more than I had anticipated or planned for, which means many of my troops lack experience. For this reason I will be taking my invasion slowly and steadily, with my aim to take as few casualties as possible while building up my elite steps (very useful when the Soviet Winter event strikes).

[Will95]

August 1, 1941

We are now moving into the latter stages of 1941. Progress so far has been very promising with great gains in the south. 3 of the 4 mining complexes in this region have been captured and come Christmas, they should be pumping a good amount of resources into the German war machine.

Kiev fell relatively easily, and we now face Dnepetrovsk. We have smashed the fortifications protecting the city and destroyed an engineer unit. Armour now flanks from Poltava.

In the north, we have taken Riga and now stop to refit. A bomber notices a significant build up of Russian upgraded armour not too far away.

In leiu of providing a rapid play-by-play of the turns as they go (because they're coming pretty thick and fast), I'll outline my strategy heading forward.

My attack in the south has been highly successful. I now have the choice to split my advance, or continue pushing south. As the resources and oil fields all lie in the south, that is where the vast majority of my troops will go.

It looks like Ash may be gearing up for an armoured assualt in the north, and I'm not sure I'm quite ready for him there. To counter that, I'm going to move some of my Luftwaffe up there and another HQ.

The RAF has been causing me a real nuisance over in the west, where a lot of my mines have been reduced heavily. I am gearing up for a strike from both air and sea to tackle the navy which is giving them air cover from my fighters.

[Will95]

September 26, 1941

Barbarossa continues unabated. One of the oil fields is now in our possession, and German income is now over 600MPP's per turn, set to increase dramatically by 1942- Soviet MPP's languish around 400, and set to drop.

In the north, a large force has been operated up here in anticipation of a Russian attack.

The British made an interesting move this turn- they invaded Norway. 2 armies and a corps made landing near Oslo, where I only have a garrison. However it's a well entrenched garrison, and the enemy has zero supply. The Royal Navy has also come out to play in recent turns, and we had our first major skirmish. A fighter is in Denmark ready to provide support against the carriers.

The one annoyance is that technology is proceeding very slowly. I imagine Ash has plugged all his US chits into intelligence to try and slow my rate of teching.

[Will95]

November 21, 1941

A more detailed update to explain my plans moving forward.

Army Group North

AGN will push forward to bring Finland into the war. Once Finland have joined the Axis, I will let them occupy the Leningrad defenders, while AGN presses directly on Moscow.

Army Group South

AGS is currently quite spread out, but over the next few turns I will gather their forces together. This will be a slightly smaller army than AGN and will be tasked with sieging Moscow. I don't expect AGS to be able to take Moscow on their own, but hopefully they will provide cover to prevent AGN being flanked.

Army Group Caucasus

AGC will continue to make headway through the mountains with the aim of capturing all oil fields in the region. Hopefully this will be completed by the summer of 1942.

Operation Lightning Strike

OLS will primarily involve the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. Last turn the British captured the Norweigan capital Oslo (without the use of a HQ and in 0 supply, I might add). I counted 2 armies and 1 corps at level 1 infantry. Norway is not of much strategic importance (and I still control all the mines and ports), but I feel there is an opportunity to do some damage here. The first phase of OLS is to destroy or force a retreat of, the Royal Navy blockading the area. So far I've lost a battleship but I'm doing heavy damage to him with my tactical bombers and u-boats. I may not be able to destroy him but with my ports being much closer, I should be able to eventually force away the bulk of the navy. This will allow me to enact the land based invasion, consisting of 3 paratroopers (another is on the way due to arrive early 1942), a HQ and an army if I feel it is required. Together with the tac bomber, I should be able to retake Oslo and restore Norwegian trade.

Further plans

Russia is heavily neutered. Her income trundles along at around 400-450 while mine is shooting upwards past 600 per turn, even with the loss of Norway. By spring 1942, when my captured mines and oil fields have had time to restore to full working order, I should be in excess of 700 MPPs per turn. This will allow me to dedicate enough force to drive Russia out of the war (although a complete surrender will be near impossible) while still retaining a large army for other purposes. Therefore, for 1942 and beyond, I have the following objectives;

- Invade Yugoslavia. There are 3 cities including the capital as well as a mine; occupation of the country will net me an extra 30MPPs per turn. This will be easy.

- Possibly invade Greece. This will be trickier as the capital is harder to reach and the Royal Navy has complete control of the Mediterranean. I may be tempted to leave Greece as-is, simply because an invasion at this point will be an expensive and probably costly operation. I don't wish to open a 2nd major front against the British here.

- Bring Spain into the war, and take Gibraltar. Spain are trickling towards me slowly but surely. If they join the Axis before the US enter the war and throw their diplomacy chits against them, it will add a sizable force to the already large Axis army. They can then be used to defend Italy, or France, in case of an Allied invasion.

- Invade Britain. This is a more lofty, long term goal, but if pulled off successfully, will mean certain victory for the Axis. It will require the full force of the Luftwaffe however, and I expect them to be engaged with the Russians for the bulk of 1942. The invasion of Norway will provide a 'testing ground' for my invasion strategy, to be hopefully replicated here.

I believe Russia's fate has been sealed, massive successful winter counter-attacks notwithstanding. The fate of the Allies now rests on the USA. I have rather nasty memories of the US being able to assemble a frightening large army by 1943 and enact a D-Day a full year before the historical date from previous games, so I will have to be wary.

[Will95]

February, 1942

The USA has joined the war, and with their entrance, any chance of diplomatically assisting the Spanish into joining an Axis alliance are lost. The British recieved a massive bonus to morale- perhaps they now naively think that the Fuhrer can be defeated?

The Soviet Winter event struck late this year. However, it's effects are manageable. A few troops went from 11 to 10 strength and retained their experienced, with the only real damage being to my HQ's, who lost some experienced staff in the Russian snowstorms. However, I believe Ash has made a grave error in failing to attack me when he had the chance. Dealing with the Soviet Winter in the middle of an assault would have been very difficult to manage without conceding troops and/or territory. However, he has opted to continue to hold back on his advance, giving me extra time to dig in and repair any lost units. AGN holds firm as forward scouts reveal danger-close Russian armour.

AGS has found no signs of resistance in months now, and cautiously advances, capturing territory closer and closer to Moscow. Sevastopol also fell this turn, and the carrier resting in port there was destroyed. The HQ in charge of the Sevastopol operation will now take his 2 armoured units and in a combined German-Hungarian operation, will take Yugoslavia.

Operation Lightning Strike is proceeding. The Royal Navy, after taking a destroyer loss and severe damage to their battleships, has retreated out of the Skaggerak. A net of U-boats now guards against any naval incursion which might hamper Lightning Strike. Our paratroopers are now ready and will land on the Norweigan coast next turn, weather permitting, joined by an additional army and a HQ. A tactical bombers will join them to ensure complete destruction of the British forces here- 2 armies and 1 corps, not a bad catch.

My biggest concern remains the British bombing campaign against German industry and French cities. I have invested in AA technology but it is slow in forthcoming. In the meantime I must simply watch as my mines are reduced turn after turn. Hopefully once Case Blue has forced the Russians into effective submission, I can show the Britain the true power of the Luftwaffe.

[Cfant]

The British recieved a massive bonus to morale- perhaps they now naively think that the Fuhrer can be defeated?

Such fools, how can they believe, that profane industry may win against a historical mission?

May I ask, if any fighters are stationed in France to fight the British bombing campaign?

[Will95]

I did have fighers there throughout much of 1941 (not that they do anything- as long as there's an escort, bombers always get through unscathed) but that fighter wing is now in Denmark acting as cover against British carriers while I execute Lightning Strike.

Once I feel confident that they are no longer needed in Russia, and I can spare a HQ, I will send most of my fighers to Britain and start hitting his bombers directly.

[Will95]

March 1941

Operation Lightning Strike proceeds as planned. Paratroopers landed and damaged the most forward corps. A HQ and tactical bomber are in support, and will be joined next turn by an additional army. Hopefully I can put this exercize to bed relatively quickly, I'd like to use this HQ for other things than chasing the British around.

Army Group North sent out scouts which revealed the Soviet armour presence nearby. I was expecting if not during, then at least after the Soviet Winter event. But...nothing. Not a peep. This suits me just fine- I will simply wait for good weather, then pound the Soviets to dust.

Army Group South is just a few miles from Moscow and I have yet to see signs of a significant defense force. Is he luring me in? I cannot be sure. The Soviet army has grown considerably over the winter, and is now about 55 units strong. Mine is at 91, but I have significant garrisons throughout Russia and western Europe. That still leaves a very big Russian force unaccounted for, so I have to be wary here. AGS lacks proper air cover if attacked by an armoured force.

Army Group Caucasus pauses to reinforce elite steps, but the special forces advanced to scout out the mountains. Corps here are in very low supply and will be easy to destroy. I may take a tactical bomber down here shortly to speed up the process.

In other news, a HQ and an armoured unit was transported back to civilized country, in Hungary. Hungarian troops received fresh stocks of new German weapons and prepare to knock out Yugoslavia in a nice clean blow.

My Wehrmacht aircraft carrier also arrived this turn. Finally, the Brits might get a taste of their own medicine!

[Bill101]

I did have fighers there throughout much of 1941 (not that they do anything- as long as there's an escort, bombers always get through unscathed) but that fighter wing is now in Denmark acting as cover against British carriers while I execute Lightning Strike.

Once I feel confident that they are no longer needed in Russia, and I can spare a HQ, I will send most of my fighers to Britain and start hitting his bombers directly.

I'd stick a couple of AA units in the area as it will increase the RAF's costs of maintaining the bombing offensive.

[Will95]

I'd stick a couple of AA units in the area as it will increase the RAF's costs of maintaining the bombing offensive.

Yeah I've got some AA on the way, and AA tech is coming...slowly!

[Will95]

April 1942

Case Blue has begun.

Tactical bombers came in first- then the panzers, followed by infantry to mop up. It was far from a decisive battle, given the significant armoured reserves in the Soviet back lines. Total Soviet casualties stand at 2 armies, 1 tank unit and 50% of Zhukov's staff. My panzers didn't come out totally unscathed, but they're not in terrible nick either. I'm outnumbered in terms of sheer armour here- but my readiness is higher, my infantry better and I have tactical bombers on my side. Time will tell if this is enough. Reserve troops I was saving for such an event have been operated into my rearguard to replace my inevitable losses.

Army Group South paused and regrouped while we let supply catch up. I am very close to Moscow.

Army Group Caucasus destroyed 2 corps and captured another town. We are not too far away from the next oil field, and the city of Grozny. Some AT stands in the way, but I expect my panzer-grenadiers to make short work of it.

Lightning Strike is proceeding well. We destroyed the corps holding Porsgrunn, leaving just 2 isolated armies. A 3rd paratrooper will 'drop in' to help with the clean-up operation. Soon I will have a large airborne troop reserve spare....where to put them, eh?

I conquered Yugoslavia this turn. It was a simple operation with no real casualties (1 lost panzer step, annoying but **** happens). Another 30MPPs in the bank! As a result of my aggression, Greece has signed some form of alliance with the British. I may yet have to invade the country if I wish to retain the element of surprise- perhaps here will be a good target for my paratroopers?

With the conquer of Yugoslavia, combining over 100MPPs of plunder and the additional income from her mines and cities, I finished my turn netting a cool 850MPPs. Army Group North is certainly going to take heavy casualities over the next few turns, but at least I should have no problem replacing them!

[Will95]

May 1942

The skies cleared (mostly) and Case Blue was off to an explosive start. The Soviets counter-attacked as harshly as was expected, destroying 2 armour columns (1 out of supply...grr, don't know how I messed that up) and 2 armies. The German counter-attack saw us come out on top though, I think. We destroyed 2 armoured columns, an army and an AT unit. What's more, all my forces are in good spirits with high morale, readiness and good supply, while the Soviet armour falls flat on all 3 accounts. Ash still outnumbers me in sheer tank numbers, but I believe my air and infantry superiority will win out if he stays in the fight.

We also began our assault on Moscow itself. Capturing a nearby town to secure the flank, we are just a few miles from the city center. Infantry here is well dug in, but I have brought my favourite railgun to bear to start hammering fortifications. Together with my 3 tank units and my special forces, I should be able to roll over his defenses.

Army Group Caucasus secured another town on the road to Grozny, destroying 2 corps and badly damaging an AT unit on the way. Intelligence has also revealed some infantry presence to the north. I have to be wary of a flanking attack here, although I don't have an awful lot of reserves anymore to commit. I sent an army there plus some corps to guard my rear towns to prevent my troops being cut off in the mountains.

Lightning Strike saw further developments, with an attack on a British army unit holding a town close to the capital. Another para unit arrived this turn to speed things up.

I have also taken the opportunity while the Royal Navy blockade is lifted to send 4 U-boats into the North Sea to start hitting Soviet supply income from the British. They're currently netting about 50MPPs per turn from these convoys and I'd like to put a stop to that.

The Italians (finally) proved they were good for something- their intelligence revealed British transports right next to Athens. I had a submarine go for a further inspection, and found no less than 2 armoured units floating gently in the Mediterranean with apparently no naval support. I damaged the more experienced unit of the two, and sent a carrier to help out should the Royal Navy arrive.

The sighting of the transports is an important development. Clearly, Ash is planning to bring Greece to the Allied side. Since they slipped closer to joining the Allies when I conquered Yugoslavia, they just need a tickle to commit to the war. This looks like my hand will be forced- I will have to invade Greece, hopefully before they join the Allies diplomatically. I will use my Yugoslavian invasion force (2 Hungarian armies + 1 German panzer) as well as my 3 paratrooper units once they're done in Norway. I've also sent a little Italian detachment of an armour unit and a HQ, so Mussolini can feel like he's doing something. My memory is a little foggy, but as I recall the Greek army is not strong, but not entirely toothless either. Combine a small Greek force with at least 2 British tanks and possibly even Americans, and this could rapidly escalate.

We shall soon see what happens. One thing is clear though- I need a decisive victory against the Russians in 1942, if I am to adequately tackle the Western Allies invasion.

[Will95]

June 1942

This turn proved to be one of the bloodiest for both sides since the war began. The massive tank battles are now quietening down in the north of Russia- not due to a lack of fighting I might add, but simply that both sides are destroying each other's tanks at at alarming rate. I lost another panzer in this sector leaving me with just one (another operated in from Yugoslavia during my turn). However, my infantry is still superior. After taking heavy losses in my turn, I threw the kitchen sink at Ash- destroying 3 armies, 1 artillery piece and an armoured unit. I brought in my additional tactical bomber from Norway as support.

Things are looking more pleasantly one-sided in the battle for Moscow. An army and a corps went down, and two AT units were reduced to about 20% strength. Hopefully next turn I can take at least part of the capital.

Events were most positive in the south. Ash launched a kind of flanking attack on me, but failed to do more that scratch my panzer's paintwork. I destroyed an AT unit and two armies in low supply who attempted to cut off my forces.

Despite taking much heavier losses than I'd like in Army Group North, I think Ash will soon find himself too far stretched for his own good. It is very likely that I will sieze Moscow in the next couple of turns, which will leave his main battle group completely open to flanking attacks. My Caucasus campaign will also come to a close shortly, due to the lack of Soviet armour. As soon as I've freed up these troops, as long as I don't lose too much in the meantime, I should have won.

Of course, there is always the small matter of the Western Allies....

The transports I damaged vanished, and part of the Royal Navy limped towards my sub to try and give it a seeing-to. Things went quite the other way, and I escaped with both my cruiser and my sub, while destroying a battleship.

In other news, my paras in Norway are gradually wearing away the Brits. Once the first army has been destroyed, I might send 1 of the paras to the eastern front as support.

[Will95]

July 1942

Moscow has fallen- the Russian capital flies the glorious Iron Cross! Against all expectations, Army Group South stormed the capital this turn and captured it, destroying all Soviet forces within. Ash partially withrew his army and I sent some of my own troops to chase him down. Now for a moments rest, as this army group celebrates its victory and takes victory marches by the Kremlin.

AGN saw fierce fighting once again, with many tit-for-tat exchanges across the front, including the loss of another Soviet armour group. However, German forces scored a major kill; Zhukov's HQ was destroyed utterly. Without proper leadership and lacking the superiority of tanks, the Soviets in this sector must surely now be forced into a full scale retreat- but where to now that Moscow has fallen? I see only one way out of this for the Soviets- to retreat to Leningrad and try to buy time. However, if he does take this route, the Finnish will join forces shortly and the Russian army will only disintegrate quicker.

Lightning Strike suffered a blow this turn, as a large and battle-ready fleet entered the Skaggerak, sinking the Bismark. My naval forces are busy raiding Russian trade in the North Sea, so there isn't much for me to do here. Fortunately, with almost all Russian armour destroyed, I can probably afford to send 2 of my tactical bombers to Denmark as support.

Greece reached 95% mobilization due to diplomatic efforts on part of the British. It seems Ash really wants to open up a new front here. Rather than let him take the initiative, I decided to invade with what little force I do have at the border- right now, that's just a single Italian armour unit. I do however have Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian troops en route under the command of a German headquarters in support. I know Ash has a minimum of 2 British armour units he plans to deploy here so it's time to put the Russians to bed so I can focus my efforts entirely on the Western Allies.

To the uninitiated reader, it might appear as if the Russians will now surrender, now that Moscow has fallen. Sadly, this is not the case. One cannot conventionally 'defeat' the Russians- with Moscow captured, their capital simply switches to Stalingrad, and even if I now took that city, their capital would transfer again to an extremely remote city in the Urals which would be practically impossible to reach in any reasonable amount of time. What I can do, however, is disable the Russians to the extent that they no longer pose a threat. By capturing Moscow, the Caucasus oil field and Leningrad, the Soviet Union will lack both the resources and main supply centers to build up to any kind of proper attacking force. Given enough time, Ash could potentially raise another army, but he would be fighting an uphill battle from poor supply, as the area behind the Leningrad/Moscow/Stalingrad 'line' is basically miles and miles of open steppe, with just the occasional town.

With the British having swapped their diplomatic chits from Spain to Greece, there is yet a possibility that Spain could join me. Finland will almost certainly join me before 1942 is over too. If both those countries join the Axis, it will significantly grow both my income and army size. Once all the oil fields are captured (I still have 3 left to capture, plus 2 cities in the region, = 110MPP per turn) I will have such a large income it will likely dwarf both the British and Americans combined. With no more diplomatic penalties to take for invading neutrals (as the US is in the war), I can also turn my attention to enlarging my MPP base by 'mopping up'- Vichy France, Switzerland, Turkey...

[Will95]

August 1942

The German offensive earned a well deserved break, but now they're back into the thick of it. AGN will shortly take Smolensk, and bag 2 out of supply armies for their troubles. Forward recon reveal that the Russian force has moved back to the next town along to regroup. He will probably get a wave of reinforcements around September time, so I need to be wary of any armour build up. The Russians are a fickle lot, and don't go down easily.

The Moscow troops are pressing in simultaneously from the north, and we have begun upgrading our armour to level 3. In many ways the remaining Russian army is now trapped- they have no rail lines that lead into the mountains anymore, Leningrad is as far as they can go. And with the Finnish coming from the rear...

AGC stole another oil field, 2 out of the total 4 in the region, and removed the Grozny defenders. Defense of this area appears sparse at best, and I look forward to the income growth I will experience over the winter (currently at around 780MPP, set to increase to around 900MPP by 1943).

There was fighting in Greece which saw an American army take some losses. I have enough infantry in this area to effectively 'plug the gap', as it were. I was worried that the US might have arrived to the field carrying level 3 equipment, so the sighting of merely level 1 infantry is a huge relief. The American army is still in single figures, so it will be mainly the British I fight here. 2 fresh German armies have been operated to the region to show the Bulgarians how true soldiers fight.

Norway continues to get messy, with naval bombardments hitting my troops by the shore. The British are proving difficult to dislodge without air power, and the navy is causing me a pain. Therefore I saw it prudent to send a HQ along with 2 tactical bombers and one heavy bomber to Denmark to start hurting those carriers.

The Germans got a hit on industry this turn, which is always welcome. Next turn I'm going to pump my MPPs into tech once again.

I am also beginning the slow process of upgrading my mines in western Europe with some rudimentary AA defense.

[Will95]

Apologies for the lack of updates recently. The turns have been coming thick and fast, but overall the lines haven't really shifted into anything worth reporting.

April 1943

So, we're well into the war now. The situation is looking quite positive for the Axis, with the odd point of annoyance.

Army Group North is on full steam ahead towards Leningrad, cutting down any defenders in the way. We've managed to isolate quite a large amount of armies on our way, so Ash is going to really have to fork out if he wants to try and rebuild his Soviet armies. My forward scouts came within mere miles of the city this turn, which prompted the Finns to join.

The Moscow battle group was initially heading towards Leningrad too, aiming to cut the rail links behind the city and properly trap all the units left there. However, I thought better of it. Supply in the area behind the city is horrid and this battle group could be better used elsewhere. Where is that 'elsewhere'? Romania. Read on, I shall explain.

Army Group Caucasus had some unfortunate setbacks. An army sallies out from Stalingrad and cut the supply to my forward units, subsequently damaging my HQ. I also lost a panzer in the mountains out of supply. As a result, I have enacted a measured retreat from the Grozny oil fields, and sent considerable reinforcements to the area. I will now form two army groups out of these units; one will aim to retake the oil fields and continue pushing south, while another heads north towards Stalingrad to protect my flank on a more permanent basis.

The British and Americans are pushing out of Greece with some speed. We're taking gradual losses on this front, and they took Bulgaria (no real loss). They even managed to sneak a few nasty hits on my HQ, but I hit back against O'Connor.

Operation Lightning Strike has finally come to an end with the destruction of the last British units. This phase of my campaign definitely took a lot longer than I had originally planned, and it took a spare Panzer group to seal the deal. On the plus side, I now have a HQ, 3 paratroopers and a Panzer to use wherever I wish. On the one hand, I could use them in Hungary. On the other, I could try and blitz London...

Italy are proving to be the dead weight they usually are, but they did finally finish production of their aircraft carrier. Combined with their battleship that arrives this summer and the cruiser I still have left, it's not a totally toothless navy.

I have been doing some U-Boat warfare against the Brits and Russians. I'd like to start investing in sub tech but I feel like the opportunity may be slipping away slightly...