Sept/Oct 1939: Germany takes out Poland and Denmark without loss, redeploys westward. Japan reinforces southern China, rebases divisions to It. Somalia at the end of the turn. Italy enters the war, sinks 2 Allied convoys in the Cape St. Vincent. Russia keeps a moderate force in Siberia, moves corps to the Persian border, and takes the Baltics and E. Poland. France pulls in corps from Syria to mainland. CW reinforces Egypt. France and CW both lose two subs in Baltic after freak break in weather allows the Germans to close the canal unexpectedly.

Nov/Dec 1939: Weather uncommonly pleasant, with 3 of 4 weather rolls fair in Europe. Despite incomplete deployment, Germans DOW Netherlands, who aligns with the Commonwealth. British troops flood into Amsterdam and Rotterdam before the Germans can arrive. One Ger FTR3 and one CW TAC3 destroyed in air combat. Japan DOWs Persia and takes two oil. Persia aligns with Commonwealth. After some rules confusion, ruled that the USSR cannot send peacekeepers into Persia until at war with a major power. Crucial attack in central China sends the Chinese packing, but Japanese also suffer two losses for the victory. China pulls back. Italy attempts to cut off French oil supply, succeeds. French manage to cut off Italian convoys as well, also damaging a TRS. Commonwealth diverts reinforcements for Egypt to Netherlands, allowing the Italians to march right up against Alexandria. Serious naval positioning war to cut supply to N. Africa, but attempt fails.

Jan/Feb 1940: Weather finally turns sour. Germans face off against reinforced British in Netherlands and finish brining up their air force and army, now fully deployed on the western front. German navy sorties into the North Sea, but fails to find CW transport fleet, which delivers two more corps, this time to France. The Royal Navy, formerly unable to do much of anything, hits its stride with a bit of luck, severely punishing the Italians in the Med. Four Italian CAs are damaged, one sunk, and one BB sunk in fierce fighting. Brits suffer three CAs damaged and lose a second CVP in combat, but manage to down an Italian NAV. A decent Commonwealth corps finally makes it to reinforce the WDF, along with a TAC and FTR2. Italian TERs take A-E Sudan from the CW. Japan postures in China without attacking, enjoying their additional ‘free’ Persian oil. Axis have triggered US entry on only one of seven rolls. CW sends 2 oil to France to help with the oil situation, aided by good fortune in getting nearly all of the available minor convoys from Denmark and Holland.

Mar/April 1940: The weather for the two months remains mediocre, neither clearing nor turning wintery. Despite the poor weather the turn is amazingly long, finally automatically ending when the Axis pass (!). The Germans complete the movement of their considerable land and air forces to the west front and maintain the bad weather ‘sitzkrieg.’ The navy sorties once into the North Sea, and a brief battle results, sinking a British battleship at the price of two damaged German cruisers. Italy and Britain continue a deadly game of ‘keep the Axis in supply in Africa,’ resulting in the another damaged British battleship, but the Italians suffer the loss of a sub and the CA Pola. The Japanese consolidate their holdings in southern Persia and reinforce with additional marine corps (danger – more perfidy coming). A massive strategic bombing campaign starts in China, resulting in a persistant loss of one production point per turn for the Chinese. Yet no attacks are made in China. Japanese forces begin to appear in Manchuria as the Soviets are clearly packing the border with lots of corps and aircraft. In the west, the Soviets demands Bessarabia and the Germans allow the claim. The Hungarian and Bulgarian claims are allowed as well. Bulgaria is pulled into the war as a German minor ally.

May/Jun 1940:  The weather clears for the Germans, who start the month of May with a DOW on Belgium (align with CW). The Brits, who still hold both Amsterdam and Rotterdam, slow the first impulse surge of the Germans, allowing French and Belgian forces to man the river line including the capital Brussels. The Germans take Liege and ground strike lots of Allied troops, with slightly below average luck (flipping on average only one unit per stack for four stacks). The Allies retaliate with a series of daring groundstrikes that stun the Germans with their success. The key lead elements of the German thrust into Belgium are completely disorganized, forcing the Germans to wait an impulse to reorganize. They do, and the Brit bombers return and flip two corps in the same stack yet again! So the Germans decide to oust the British from their line. First they assault and expel the British from Amsterdam (+6 attack succeeds with one German loss). Later in the turn the German unsuccessfully assault Rotterdam, but cause another CW casualty. The British lines are thinning with the stream of combat casualties. The turn ends before the Germans can muster a serious attack into the heart of Belgium, but the arrival of two new FTRs and another TAC gives the Germans a significant edge in the air. Germany activates Hungary as a German minor ally (US doesn’t care).
  In Africa, the Italians manage to re-establish supply and actually reinforce Balbo in the Egyptian desert. Fortunately, they launch a risky attack which fails. The Italian force is flipped and suffers two casualties for one CW loss. The rest of the long turn (11 impulses) sees the British trying impulse after impulse to put the Italians out of supply. After three failures, the British finally expel a lone remaining Italian TAC – but by AA fire (the CVPs could not do it despite good odds). The WDF then eliminates the flipped out of supply Italian units, including Balbo. The road is now clear to Tripoli! In the naval frays the Brits lost another BB (Royal Sovereign) and has a CA damaged. The French suffered massive convoy losses, cutting off all incoming oil and resources. The Italians had their last TRS damaged. British territorials take It. Somalialand.
  The Japanese continue their relentless campaign to piss off the entire world by DOWing Saudia Arabia and seizing the oil fields. Again, amazingly, the US does not care. The Soviets continue to pack the Manchurian border – could the Japanese be about to DOW the USSR as well? The strategic bombing campaign in China continues, causing another production point to be lost. US picked the resources to China option (Mar/April) and the British began sending oil to China this turn.

Jul/Aug 1940: With clear weather the Germans attempt to push through Belgium. During the turn they make three separate assaults (at +11, +10, and +5) – all of which fail to take the city. The attacks do take their toll, however, as the French lose 5 units (four corps) in the three assaults. After the second attack, the French lost two TAC and two FTRs, leaving them with virtually no air force at all. Coupled with the loss of British TAC, the Germans have massive air superiority on the front. They have not, however, taken Belgium.
  The Italians lose their last CP in a port strike, but otherwise the Med is quiet. The British slowly push across Libya and reach Homs, still short of Tripoli. CW troops reinforce Kuwait. At the end of the turn, partisans rise up in Burma, blocking the oil to China. The CW does have some success, however, taking Eritrea from the Italians.
  The Soviets continue to build up on the Manchurian border, but despite the tension nothing comes of it. The Japanese are feverishly redeploying forces to the theatre to counter the threat. Meanwhile, the Japanese strategic bombing campaign continues with unnerving success, taking three to four (!) production points per turn. Worse yet, the Nipponese shoot down the lone Chinese FTR. Fortunately a replacement is on the spiral for next turn. The US freezes Japanese assets.

Sept/Oct 1940: The Germans suddenly decide that their army is powerful and take Brussels on a +5 assault in the rain, without loss. Brussels has been such a meat grinder for French units that the line behind is weak and the Germans advance steadily once through Brussels into France before the turn finally ends. Belgium is incompletely conquered. The unexpected turn end also catches the Allies by surprise. They were about to remove the Belgians from Belgium so they could keep fighting, but lost them all instead during the victory phase.
  The CW liberates Eithiopia, effectively removing the Axis threat from Africa for the time being. The turn ends suddenly (on an early roll of ‘1’ by the Axis), just in time to prevent the CW forces from attacking Tripoli, which had been struck and put out of supply. Troops are sent to Burma to remove the pesky partisan, but had to flip into position. They should remove the rebels next turn.
  China suffers another 3pp loss to Japanese strategic bombing. They lose, for the second straight turn, the lone FTR they have. Again, another FTR is on the spiral to come in next turn. More Manchurian posturing, but still no war. The US embargoes strategic materials.

Nov/Dec 1940: The Germans now clear Belgium except for one hex and push deeper into France, crushing corps wantonly with blitz attacks even in the rain and snow. The Wehrmacht is now two hexes from Paris and panic grips the capital city. The turn ends after only three impulses (the Allies only get one impulse!), most favorably for the Axis. The Allies in France were caught in disarray and the British managed only a naval before the turn ended. The anticipated attacks on the partisan in Burma and on the Italians in Tripoli were precluded by the second straight early end of a turn by the Axis.
  Naturally, the Chinese FTR was shot down (three in a row in three straight combats). Of course, another replacement FTR is on the spiral for next turn. Journalists are taking bets as to which Japanese plane will shoot this one down and how quickly. At least this last FTR managed to abort a bomber in a strat run before biting the dust. The pilots keep surviving, enabling the stream of new FTRs to continue. The short turn meant that China lost only 1pp this turn.

Jan/Feb 1941: The desperate situation in France improves slightly after the Allies finally (!) win initiative 10-9 on the rolls. The Allies go first and start the ‘Paris huddle,’ reorganizing the front to hold onto Paris. The turn goes on longer than predicted (6 total impulses, 3 each) and the Germans methodically eliminate French units, managing to get two hexes on Paris by the end of the turn. The Germans suffered their first strategic bombing losses of the war (one measly point in Aachen, but at least it is something). However, in trying to save the French, the CW lost a FTR and and TAC in bombing runs over German occupied France. German ground and air superiority continues to increase. Late in the turn the British decide to try and save the army, removing several corps from the continent in a Dunkirk-esque operation. After three turns ended early, the CW finally manages to isolate, assault, and take Tripoli, to much rejoicing across the globe. The lone pesky partisan in Burma is also eliminated, opening the oil to flow to China. Late in the turn the weather turns stormy and the Italian navy sorties, bloodying the British nose. For a loss of one cruiser sunk and one cruiser damaged, the Italians sank a battleship and damaged a battleship – not a good day for the Royal Navy.
  The Japanese continue to pound away at the Chinese with strategic bombing, taking 2 production points again this turn. Not much else happens in the Pacific. The US still has not geared up and does not look likely to do so in the near future. What are those isolationists thinking?

Mar/April 1941: The game name becomes increasingly apt as the Axis have an excellent turn overall with only minor reverses. The Axis win initiative despite a requested reroll by the Allies and then the weather miraculously clears (weather roll of ’10’). The Germans overrun a small corps (Bordeaux militia) near Paris and clear out more space around Paris, preparing to assault the beleaguered city. The weather turns muddy but near the end of the turn the Germans boldly drop an offensive chit and assault the French capital, taking it on a +16 assault without loss. At the end of the turn a Vichy government is installed, with only French Equatorial Africa and the Pacific territories remaining free. The new FF home country is Gabon.
  Meanwhile in Europe the battle in the Med continues to simmer. For the loss of a CW and French CA, the Italians lose the Andrea Doria (HS) and another cruiser of their own. The Allies start to dominate the Med. Britain invades Sardinia and clears the one Italian corps defending it. CW FTRs rebase into the theatre in the hopes of achieving air superiority off the Italian coast. Unfortunately, the Germans started building large numbers of cheap militia which now are railed all over Italy. The boot is grey with German corps and green with a swarm of Italian FTRs recently built and placed on the map. Taking Italy out of the war now looks surprisingly difficult despite the recent fall of Tripoli. The A-E Sudan is liberated, freeing all of Africa from the Axis scourge (except Vichy forces).
  In the Pacific, Soviet troops start leaving Manchuria, much to the surprise (relief?) of the Japanese. Tensions appear to be easing on that front. The Japanese strategic bombing campaign continues unabated, with 4 production points being taken this turn. Finally, however, the Japanese suffer a loss as a bomber is shot down over Chungking. The Japanese navy and air force looks enormous – might we see an early DOW on the US?

May/Jun 1941: The war stays surprisingly hot this turn, despite the majority of the turns being witness to a mass relocation of German forces from west to east. A small contingent of German armor head to Brest where the remnants of the BEF are stationed, while the rest of the Wehrmacht is split between Poland and the border of Yugoslavia. Early in the turn the British invade and seize Albania, prompting the Germans to pack the border in case of a pro-Allied coup. The British evacuate Brest before the massive German armor columns can mount an attack, leaving France entirely in the hands of the Axis. Trieste is bombed (-1 pp) and nuisance raids net nothing over Germany.
  In the Med the British mass a clearly superior air and naval force off of Italy and engage Italian FTRs and NAVs, hoping to shoot down some of the pesky planes. Despite 10 impulses and 6 separate combats (where the British never flew at less than +3 on the air combat tables and often much higher), the Italians suffer *no* losses, shooting down a CVP and eventually sinking the CV Glorious. The defeat is the worst in recent memory for the Commonwealth and Churchill vows revenge. New forces are dispatched to the Med front.
  The Chinese theatre also is hot. The Japanese predictable continue to strat bomb, inflincting another 3 production points of loss. Their air success also emboldens them to try an attack. They assault Chengchow at +8 and roll a ‘3’ for the worst failure of an attack this war (1/-). Despite the failed attack, the Japanese line is still strong. The constant strategic losses have kept Chinese builds low.
  In the Persian area, British reinforcements continue to slowly trickle into the area. CW troops now occupy portions of Persia, Kuwait, and Saudia Arabia as peacekeepers to moderate Japanese aggression in the Middle East.
  The US Congress finally starts to see the threat of Japanese aggression and agrees to gear up the economy to prepare for war. Sentiments have reversed sharply in the last six months, forcing some to ask whether the US might be in the war this calendar year. Could the arsenal of democracy tip the balance of the scales in this conflict that has driven the whole world into the depths of despair?
 

July/August 1941: A brilliant turn for the Allied cause, all things considered. The Allies win initiative (only the second time this game). The Germans start their turn by declaring war on the poor Yugoslavians, who decide to defend Zagreb and leave Belgrade to the Germans. Initially things go well for the Hun, as every groundstrike succeeds and four of the five Yugos are flipped. The next impulse the Germans mass for an assault, but pesky British TAC intervene and lower the odds slightly. The +10 assault fails (-/1) although the Germans take no losses. von Bock and Guderian reflip the army and the Huns attack a second time after the last face up Yugo corps slips into Zagreb. Once again the valiant British airforce rises to the occasion, aborting the German Stukas and clearing just enough to drop the odds again. The +6 assault fails again (2/1), this time with German blood left in the streets. Yugoslavia holds! The British send four corps into the south from Albania, but a German wall of corps marches south and the Brits retreat, despairing of helping their brave friends in Zagreb. The Americans are impressed, however, and get a chit for supporting a minor.
  Meanwhile, the CW strives to keep German forces away from the Soviet border by being a nuisance elsewhere. Two waves of strategic bombing finally hit home, causing the Germans to lose 5pp and the Italians 1pp. In mid-turn British forces storm ashore just south of Bordeaux and reinforcements secure the southern tip of occupied France. Germans rush to the area and establish a bridgehead across the river outside of Bordeaux, but the British force looks solid (even if it is unlikely it is going any where). The Germans do not look ready for an invasion of the USSR – where are they headed?
  In the Pacific, disaster strikes the Japanese. In impulse 3, the Communists make a daring attack on the occupied city of Wuhan. The +4 assault against the city succeeds with heavy casualties (2/1), flipping all of the attacking forces. Next impulse, the Japanese see a golden opportunity and attack a flipped Mao in Chengchow at +9! But the Imperial forces are surprised by the ferocity of the defenders, rolling the dreaded modified 14 (3/1!). American entry continues to climb.

Sept/Oct 1941: The success of the Allies earlier in the summer are short lived and we enter into another phase of despair. The Germans assault Zagreb a third time, this times rolling a modified 27 to take the city without loss. Yugoslavia is conquered at the end of the turn. CW forces are turned back and are forced to retreat back into Albania. Rumania is activated as an Axis minor ally; German troops start to pour into their new ally.
  In the west, the CW seek to widen the beachhead around Bordeaux, taking a daring attack (+7 blitz) north of Bordeaux, which is a minor success (-/R 1/2 flip). The hoped for breakthrough, however, fails and the Axis are able to form a solid defensive line hemming the British in around Bordeaux. A port strike damages the German amphib, but the Nazis repair the ship immediately.
  The Pacific is more of the same. The Chinese lose two more build points. The Imperial navy relocates to Truk, raising tensions with the US and the CW.

Nov/Dec 1941: More gloom. The Japanese start the turn by controlling Indo-China. They quickly manage to push north from Hanoi into China, unhinging the Chinese line. The Burma road is cut and Kunming falls to the Japanese. The Japanese could have pushed further inland, but they lost control of their troops, who engaged in a four day orgy of violence and terror against the citizens of the city (forever known as the ‘Rape of Kunming.’ In addition, Japanese bombers take two more production points. The US passes the War Appropriations Act in December 1941.
  Feeling the weight of the war on their shoulders, the CW seizes the initiative and invades Lorient (just south of Brest) in an attempt to expand the beachhead around Bordeaux. The Axis are caught by surprise, but manage to extricate themselves before the maneuver can cut five units out of supply. The Allies do take Brest, denying the Germans the sub-base. Reinforcements arrive and the beachhead expands in the north. British bombers pound Hamburg, taking 2 pps. A port strike fails. The turn again runs long (the winter turns have been good to the Axis). Germans redeploy into Poland and Rumania.

Jan/Feb 1942: The Americans now are plunged into the depths of despair. The Allies win initiative for the third time all game. The US attempts to DOW Japan, but roll a ’10’ as Republican isolationists honor their bribes from Axis fifth-column agents. Japan then declares war on the CW and the NEI and seizes Madagascar as well. The sneaky Japanese invade near the Suez canal, take Rabaul, and invade near Palembang. Buoyed by the entry chits the US attempts to declare war on Japan again (this time with a really high chance!) but incredibly roll a second ’10’ and fail. Churchill gives a speech openly attacking elements of the American Congress in a radio broadcast from Whitehall. Fearful that the Americans might actually find a spine, the Japanese then DOW the US and execute a port strike on Pearl Harbor. Two HSs and one LS are sunk, with a HS and LS damaged. Enraged by the perfidy of the Axis, the US in the next impulse tries to DOW Germany and Italy, but, as expected, fail the roll. The Soviets can wait no longer and DOW Germany and Italy, opening a massive front in the East. In the last impulse, however, the Germans and Italians finally oblige Congress and DOW the US, sinking an American cruiser in the surprise impulse.
  As per usual, the Chinese lose two production points to strategic bombing. The Germans lose 2 pps in Hamburg again. Another CW port strike fails in Kiel. We finally have total war, with all the belligerents in the conflict.

Mar/Apr 1942: The nasty weather keeps the turn surprisingly short. The Allies go first, allowing the Soviets to rationalize their line and make two important attacks. The first is in the Rumanian swamps as the Bear tries to seize the vital Ploesti oil fields. That attack ends 1/1 and essentially a failure as the Soviets are not able to advance. The attack in the north fares better, however, killing two German corps for no loss. The turn continues with the Germans and Soviets trading attacks in impulses 2 and 3. The Germans do well in the north, pushing the Soviets back a hex or two, but the Soviets continue a general, if slow, advance in the south, breaking a key hex into Rumania at the end of the turn.
  In the West, the Allies reinforce the beachhead in France. A high odds blitz succeeds, trapping two German corps and a division in a pocket in the Loire valley. The Germans, relatively corps poor, are forced to retreat one line of hexes to rationalize their line, but the end of the turn prevents much from being accomplished. Heavy air casualties on both sides keeps the Allied advance limited.
  The Japanese start the turn by sailing out most of their main battle fleet off the coast of Hawaii, threatening a massive port strike. The US Navy decides to give battle and the first major naval conflict of the Pacific war begins. Search rolls are even, and an air is declared. In the ensuing battle the Japanese lose three AC (including one of the precious 13 range Zeroes) and the Americans lose two, although the CV Shokaku is sunk as a result. The Japanese aborted after the costly first round. The Japanese get their revenge by sinking a British battleship off the coast of Africa. Japanese corps reinforce Palembang. Some nefarious plot was foiled when the turn ended early as the Nipponese had a ship with a division ready to invade (Mozambique?) off the southern coast of Africa. China, for the first time since this war reporter can recall, built at maximum.

May/June 1942: As short as the preceding turn was, June stretched long. The Axis win initiative and the weather is fine. The Nazi-Soviet dance continues, with the Germans repeatedly getting good attacks in the north, but the Soviets getting good attacks and advancing in the south. As the turn continues, the Soviets manage to get adjacent to Ploesti and even attacked the key hex, but the attack failed as the turn ended. Axis forces in Rumania are spread thin and it appears likely that the Soviets will remove the Rumanians from the war.
  In the Med, the Allies open a new front by invading La Spezia in northern Italy. The Italians saw the convoy coming, but the NAVs in the sea-zone failed to locate the incoming invasion fleet. The attack suffered one loss, but the Allies were able to reorganize and advance another hex into Italy. A quick Axis response ringed the beachhead and stopped its advance, but the joint CW-US force managed to partially cut the Italian peninsula in two.
  The Allies also continued the advance in France, eliminating the pocketed corps in the Loire and advancing two more hex rows after two additional attacks (one successful, the other partially successful). The Germans are preparing defenses along the Seine, but still defend the western bank of the river. At the end of the turn major German reinforcements appeared in western Germany. Allied reinforcements are light with the new front in Italy, but overall air superiority seems to be shifting towards the Allies in France. At the end of the turn the weather turned stormy and the Germans sank the vital British amphib, causing much consternation in London. The turn finally ended when the Axis passed.
  The Pacific was also eventful. The Japanese opened again by posting a serious fleet off the coast of Hawaii. The Japanese had managed to replace their air losses from the previous turn quickly, but the Americans had not, so ‘Ballsy Hallsey’ decided to take the US fleet and go convoy raiding off the coast of Japan. It turned out to be a serious error! The fleet located nothing and two impulses later a Japanese reaction fleet did find the Americans. In the ensuing air battle the crack Japanese pilots downed key US CV FTRs. Fortunately, AA fire reduced the incoming attack enough such that the fleet only suffered two abort rolls. Deprived of key carrier cover, the US fleet aborted home to Pearl. Knowing that the Japanese fleet was offshore ready to strike the helpless fleet, all of the face-up Pacific assets were aborted home to Pearl to provide AA fire to defend the carriers. Sure enough, the Japanese struck the fleet in Pearl, the rolls provided no surprise bonus (despite some rain). In one of the most shocking events of the war, the US anti-aircraft fire was so effective that *all three* incoming Japanese CV bombers were shot down – saving the fleet! (Worst 3 of 5, lowest rolls were 5, 6, 8!) The Japanese had replacement CVPs ready to go, but the result was incredible. The CW finally expelled the Japanese from Persia, retaking the vital oil fields of Bushere. The Japanese now only have Palembang and Tarakan, as American forces hold Balikpapan on Borneo.
  Not to be held back, the Japanese DOW’d Free France and invaded Gabon, the current home country for the French. One cheap US corps landed behind the Japanese, but could not stop the invasion or the fall of Gabon. The French home country moves to the Congo. The Japanese also crawl into the northern Philippines, setting up for an attack on Manila.

July/August 1942: The Germans pull back out of E. Prussia, tempting the Soviets to raise their gearing limit, but the Soviets resist the temptation. The Germans focus in the east on preserving their line, which is being seriously stretched by the advancing Soviets armies. In the south the Bear conquers Rumania and manages to sneak a CAV corps out to cut off the resources in Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Turkey, and the Iraqi oil. The slow Soviet forces are half-way through the Carpathians, but the Axis forces look thin between Yugoslavia and southern Poland. Reinforcements are coming!
  The Allied beachhead in northern Italy remains quiet after an improbable series of groundstrikes flip key Allied units in La Spezia. The Italians manage to maneuver to open up some factories, but the balance is precarious. Each side is waiting for the other to make an ill-fated attack to open the front.
  In France the front advances a measely two hexes when high-odds Allied attacks go awry. A beautiful chance to bust the German line and exploit across the Seine is lost on a +12 blitz attack and a rolled ‘5.’ The Germans manage to reinforce the line and dig in behind the Seine. The front stagnates.
  The Royal bomber command, however, has a brilliant turn, taking 5 German and 2 Italian production points for the turn. The Furhrer promises significant FTR reinforcements for the homeland. No oil is taken despite a few attempts, but the Germans are starting to feel the impact of the RAF.
  In the Pacific, the Japanese manage to establish a major beachhead on Luzon and start to threaten MacArthur and Manila. A slight break in the weather allows the US Marines to try a daring invasion of a defended Kwajalein. The attack succeeds and provides the Americans with forward bases (Eniwetok is also taken). During the turn four long-range FTRs are brought up to the front. Britain continues to build basically only Australians. At the end of the turn Indian infantry from Persia land on Java, preparing to threaten the vital oil center at Palembang. The Japanese rearrange their line in China, but nothing else of much consequence occurs, except Truk is reinforced.

Sept/Oct 1942: The Axis win initiative and elect to go first. The Japanese shuttle troops around and continue to pile into Luzon in preparation for the conquest of the Philippines. The British have relocated four CVs and a small surface fleet to the Indian Ocean. Despite trying to pick off several Japanese ships all attempts at locating them fail. Meanwhile, the British try to shuttle troops into the NEI, New Ireland, and the Philippines. An Aus corps and inf div land just west of Rabaul on the island and a joint force kills a partisan on Java (on the road to liberate Palembang from the Japanese), but an attempt to relocate troops to the Phillippines fails. A sneaky Japanese cruiser damages a TRS with an Indian HQ, sending him back to Calcutta.
  The Americans seek a major battle in the Caroline Islands, but fail over and over again to find the Japanese. US Marines do storm ashore Bonin Island, giving the US a small base on the Sea of Japan. Two new Essex-class carriers arrive in the Pacific and the balance of naval power is starting to shift.
  In Europe the Soviets slowly grind ahead, push the Germans out of Rumania. No gains are made in Poland. The Allies re-invade Italy, this time taking Taranto directly by amphibious assault. The invasion unhinges the Axis defenders and creates disorder in the Italian high command. The Italian navy sorties to try and clear the transports with waiting Allied reinforcements, but the Royal Navy is up to the task, scattering the Italians while suffering only a damaged cruiser in the process. In France several attacks are made to cross the Seine, but all of them fail; the German defenses continue to get stronger in the area. In one bright spot, British strategic bombers hit several factories, lowering German production.

Nov/Dec 1942: The Allies win the first initiative die roll, but the Axis demand a re-roll and (naturally) win the re-roll. Axis go first. The war in the Pacific heats us as the Japanese sortie right away and assault Manila. MacArthur does his best, but the Japanese banzai attack is too much for him and all the defenders are lost. MacArthur swears “I will be reconstituted as an effective military commander.” The US navy sorties in the Bismarck and Caroline Sea zones, but again fails to find any Japanese fleets. Despite numerous attempts in various sea zones, the US navy did not succeed in finding a Japanese fleet ever (when added to the zero percent score of search rolls in Sept/Oct 1942 it makes the US navy look rather pathetic). Nonetheless, the marine corps was busy. Saipan was taken and the Australians took Rabaul at the end of the turn. The Allies now a major port only two zones from Japan. Near of the end of the turn the Allies boldly aborted two corps into Legaspi to try and keep a foothold in the Philippines. A Japanese port strike on the TRS was narrowly avoided in the surprise rolls. The British reinforce their Asiatic fleet with a few more ships and another CV.
  Russia lumbers forward, clearing Bulgaria and pushing into Yugoslavia, ending the turn shy of Belgrade. A daring attack is made on Warsaw that succeeds brilliantly, liberating the strategic city from the Germans. Medals are handed out to several generals. Late in the turn the Soviets play an o-chit to take another key key beyond the river line. The attack succeeds and the Red Army presses forward another precious hex. A late attack in Yugoslavia, however, fails miserably, killing a white-print inf and a mech unit.
  The most shocking news is that Italy is conquered. A flood of Allied reinforcements into the boot of Italy overwhelms the sparse southern Axis defenders. When Naples is taken (defended by Balbo and a German MIL), all of the southern force is free of ZOCs and the garrison ratio is achieved. Italy abandons the Axis cause! Northern Italy still has several German corps scattered about. Will they retreat to the mountains or be picked off by the Americans in the Po valley?
  France continues to be a thorn in the side of the Allies, as another attack in France fails to gain any ground. Will the Allies ever advance in France again? Another round of strategic bombing does minor damage to the German war industry.

Jan/Feb 1943: The Allies win initiative and go first. The weather, however, is positively evil. With a +2 modifier, a 10 is rolled (modified 12 weather in J/F is the worst possible). The next impulse sees the same weather! With the new Asiatic Fleet in Singapore and the US Navy in Rabaul, a joint fleet sails into the South China Sea in an attempt cut off the Japanese from their oil. The Japanese respond to the challenge, moving most of their navy out into the sea zone. The initial battles go poorly with poor weather and good Japanese search rolls. The CVL Independence and two British cruisers are sunk, but four Japanese cruisers and some shipping join them at the bottom of the sea. An American task force off the coast of Japan tries all turn but fails to locate the convoys or fleet units there even once. For a second consecutive turn a Japanese cruiser finds Mountbatton on a TRS and damages the ship, sending the HQ back to the spiral.
  In Europe, the bad weather slows the Allies. The Soviets make two attacks but both fail. The Reds do manage to extend the line in the south, take Belgrade, and link up with the British in western Yugoslavia near the Italian border. The joint US-UK force in Italy starts the process of clearing the German corps trapped there. Germans reinforce the mountain passes, protecting the southern flank. No progress is made in France and the weather prevents strategic bombing. The turn ends early after only 3 impulses. Germany builds and builds well….

Mar/April 1943: The Axis win initiative and go first. The Japanese seek to defend their oil line and post the majority of their fleet in the South China Sea, including all of their carrier fleet. The joint Allied naval command makes a strategic decision – to engage! In the clear weather, the search rolls produce five consecutive rounds of combat and the carnage is significant. Both sides lose many carrier planes and a few land-based planes. After a rough first round where the Essex class CV Intrepid is sunk, subsequent rounds of combat favor the Allies. At the end of the long battle, CVs Zuikaku, Kaga, Hiryu, Zuiho, Ryuho, and Hosho are sunk. BBs Kirishima, Yamato, and Shinano are also sunk. Both sides suffer numerous damaged ships as well. The bloody series of naval engagement temporarily strips the Japanese of its carrier force, since the aborted ships went to Canton (they did not want to risk running a picket fleet off the coast of Japan).
  Aside from sea battle, American and Australian forces continue to carve out new bases in the Philippines, liberating some of the islands in the south. Four more corps are unloaded around Palembang as the Allies are obviously planning to assault the oil production center. Mountbatton finally manages to make it to the island to lead the attack. The Chinese launch two daring attacks. The Communists use their newly arrived Mech corps to attack, but fail a +3 blitz attack. The Nationalists, however, make their first attack in the game (also at +3) and ‘win’ by killing a 2-2 Mil in exchange for three of their own corps. They at least take a mountain hex in the south near Chang-Sha.
  Europe is equally active. The Soviets assault Lodz in Poland at +1 but roll a 19 and take the city! A second attack further south in the line (+4) fails on a ‘4,’ but the Soviets are starting to hit their stride. Given Allied bombing and pressure in the west, the Soviets are starting to near air parity on the Eastern front.
  The US-UK Italian clears several more hexes in Italy – only a Gar in Venice remains. After a heavy series of air strikes the Allies launch two blitz attacks north and south of Paris and both succeed. The northern attack establishes a bridgehead across the Seine. The Germans, fearing the potential liberation of Paris and France, collapse Vichy. The Germans pull back slightly and re-establish a line. Meanwhile, the weather clears near the end of the turn long enough for the British to launch an invasion into Holland. The attack succeeds, but the Germans are surprisingly able to mount a defense and stop the beachhead inside Holland, although the Allied forces (under Lord Gort) took four hexes.
  The British Strategic Bomber Command also returned to action with the clearing weather, bombing (but not destroying) two oil, and causing an economic loss of 6 production points. With the German build multiple at 1.75 (Soviets entered East Prussia) such production losses are vital to the Allied war effort. The German long-term economic plan is starting to pay dividends, however, as their synthetic oil plants are arriving. Three have been built and will all be on map by July 1943.
  By the end of the turn the Axis line in France in intact but looks, for the first time, vulnerable. The Germans were fortunate in May to receive massive land reinforcements, most of which went to the west to counter the rising threats in France and Holland.

May/June 1943: The Allies win initiative and the US immediately drops its first ‘super-combined’ chit. The navy sorties to try and dominate the China and South China Seas, and marines invade Formosa, seizing the island for more American airbases. Joint American and Commonwealth forces under the command of Mountbatten isolate Palembang and assault the oil center at +9 but fail, killing one defender for the loss of three corps. A second assault is made later in the turn at +7, but another horrible job of coordination sees no effect (-/-) in the assault. The Japanese strike back by re-invading and taking Saipan. Naval skirmishes result in some light Japanese naval losses.
  In Europe the German front suffers from over-extension in both the east and the west. In the East, the Soviets enter East Prussia and attack across the Oder river. The results of the attacks are mixed, but there are enough successes to force the Germans to pull back their line inside Germany proper in the north, and into northern Hungary in the south.
  In the west, a double-pincer move finally succeeds in isolating Paris. The French capital is liberated. Two small pockets of German forces remain in France, but otherwise the front pushes all the way through Belgium and eastern France right to the German frontier. The Germans are scrappy foes, however, and manage to build a respectable line with timely reinforcements from the south. The Allies manage to assault and take Cologne, however, seizing one of the vital synthetic oil plants. By the end of June, France is mostly clear of Germans (just two isolated hexes) and a ragtag Allied line stretches from Bremen to the Swiss border, with three hexes of German in the hands of the western allies. No progress is made along the southern border, but the Americans are winding their way to Zagreb and link up with the Soviets in force just north of the Yugoslavian city.
  Allied strategic bombing is successful, causing the destruction of a factory and the loss of 6 production points for the turn. Soviet attempts to stop the Swedish convoys fail repeatedly, but their effort is roundly applauded by the Commonwealth leadership. Overall, the turn sees the largest gain in territory for the Allies for the entire war.

July/August 1943: Short summer delays Allied cause! Despite a reroll with an advantage, the Axis win initiative and elect to move first. The Japanese sail their main fleet out into the China Sea under FTR cover and post a surface fleet in the S. China Sea to keep open the convoy lines to the NEI oil. The Americans respond to the implicit challenge by sailing out major forces into both sea zones. An early battle results off the coast of Japan and American brute strength breaks the quality Japanese forces. CVs Akagi, Soryu, and Junyo are sunk, along with the CA Atago and the BB Nagato. Later in the turn a joint Commonwealth and American force finds the Japanese near the NEI, sinking the Mutsu and damaging the BB Ise. The Allies suffer as well, losing five cruisers in the various battles – but no CVs or large capital ships.
  Taking advantage of the dominance of the sea zones, the US invades Port Arthur in Manchuria, successfully seizing the port city. Later in the turn a MIL is killed in Mukden, yielding the city to the Americans. An ENG unit makes it to Taihoku to repair the port facility. More US planes relocate to the area. An assault on Kunming (now isolated and both corps flipped) fails with no losses to the Japanese (+4 assault, 2/-).
  In Europe, the strat bombing fails miserably (only one pp taken and no oil taken). Worse yet, a large series of US/CW attacks mostly fail. The western allies roll the first ‘2’ on an attack roll (on a +13 blitz!). Only a few Germans are killed and only a few hexes are taken in the west. A strategic retreat in the south allows the Allies to push across the Alps to Munich, but otherwise progress is slow. The Allies do manage to link with the Soviets in the north, cutting off the Germans from their Swedish and Finnish resources.
  The Soviets fare somewhat better, taking Vienna in the south and execute a brilliant blitz attack in the north allowing them to blitz into an unoccupied Berlin! The line starts to stagnate after that, however, and limited gains are made in the east. Just as both sides were about to ramp up new attacks, the turn ends on a ‘1’ at the first opportunity! Before the turn ends, however, the Germans launch a surprise raid and invade Latvia with Finnish troops! The Soviets manage to rail some units into defensive positions, so the raid does not look to be going anywhere, but the nuisance value is worth it!

Sept/Oct 1943: Bad weather gets continually worse. The turn sees not even one marginally clear turn. It is storm in the temperate the *entire* turn. As a result, the Allies are again largely stymied. Several attacks are made, but at a high price. Frankfurt is assaulted at decent odds and falls, but with a (2/2) result – including two Allied MECH corps. A +4 assault on Munich does nothing except two more American units. Two Soviets attacks are made, one is a marginal success (2/1) and the other a blinding success (rolled the first ’20’ for an attack). The Soviets lurch forward two or three hexes, the other Allies only one or two. The storm prevents strat bombing and the Germans continue to hold onto three precious oil resources/synth plants. Denmark is conquered, opening the Baltic completely – but it doesn’t matter.
  In the Pacific, the Americans and British finally manage to get oil to the Chinese, who took the port of Hainan the previous turn. Picket fleets patrol virtually unopposed off the coast of Japan and the NEI. A Japanese AMPH and the CVL Taiyo are sunk trying to sneak back to Japan. Mountbatten tries for a third time to take Palembang – this time assaulting at an impressive +12. Unfortunately, Allied ineptitude continues and the attack fails with a rolled ‘6’. Ack. The US reinforces the invasion of Manchuria and repairs the port at Port Arthur. Again the turn ends fairly early.

Nov/Dec 1943: Allies win initiative and the weather first impulse is unseasonably good! The Allies take advantage…. The USSR starts by declaring war on a now reeling Japan, hoping for some easy swag. The US and Commonwealth both take super-combined actions. The US sorties the Pacific Fleet and dominates the sea zones all around Japan. Osaka is successfully invaded on a +10 assault. A simultaneous +15 attack on Fukuoku goes awry as the Allies roll another ‘2.’ The marines get ashore, but they are flipped. Another attack led by Mountbatten is launched against Palembang, and this time finally succeeds (+11 attack -/2S*). The Chinese, feeling the spirit, attacks Kunming at +5 and succeeds in killing thousands of unarmed Chinese soldiers in human wave attacks – but no Japanese (2/- result). Another attack on Shanghai by the communists is more successful, killing a Japanese corps with no losses (-/1). Later in the turn American CVs port strike Tokyo, sinking the CV Hiyo and scattering more of the fleet. The Japanese navy is a small shadow of its original might. Later in the turn more forces are funneled into Japan, and the small linked islands in the Japanese chain of islands are taken. The weather turned bad after the first impulse, so no further attacks were made in Japan.
  In Europe the super-combined allows the British strategic air arm to bomb away. Germany loses all of its oil (taken, not destroyed) and all of its production for the turn. Ground strikes disrupt most of the German front as the Western Allies are close enough to help their Soviet friends with ground strikes. Hannover is successfully assaulted (+8, no losses) and a blitz attack splits the German front in twain. Soviet attacks ground German hexes as well. By the end of the turn, the Germans hold only Munich and Leipzig as factory cities.
  The bad weather for the remainder of the turn hampers Allied efforts, but the end is in sight for Germany and CW and US forces are ashore in the Japanese homeland.

Jan/Feb 1944: Bad weather blues for the Allies. Axis win initiative. The Japanese sortie with the remainder of their navy in an attempt to link up with the one remaining oil hex they control in the NEI (Tarakan – they lost Palembang in Nov 1943). At first the sortie goes well, as the Japanese find and surprise the BB Idaho and a laden Amphib. The Idaho sinks and the Amph is damaged before escaping. The next impulse, however, the US has the good fortune. In fierce surface action, the CV Shinano, CVL Chiyoda, and CA Kinugasa are sunk. The BB Hizen is damaged. The remainder of the Japanese fleet flees for Tokyo harbor.
  The US plays a chit in the bad weather (storm!) to assault Kyoto. The +7 assault is another Allied land disaster as a ‘4’ is rolled (1/-). More corps land in Japan, however, and TAC and new US strategic bombers start to arrive in the newly repaired airbases in Japan proper.
  In Germany the Soviets take Leipzig but the CW fail in their attack on Munich. Germany will see another turn.

28 February 1944: Axis power seek terms for surrender! Game ends.