Sept/Oct 1939: The Germans start with an aggressive western orientation, only using half their army to attack Poland. The Poles respond vigorously, causing two German casualties in three attacks during the turn. The weather quickly soured to rain, which helped, but the Germans at turn’s end nonetheless had taken the resource points and Lodz before the turn ends. Italy quietly reinforces Libya. French and British strategic bombing hit home, taking 2 BPs from the Germans. Most of the CW forces seem to be headed to Africa.
  Japan heavily reinforces southern China especially as the weather turns muddy in the north. No attacks are made.
  The USSR controls E. Poland, irritating the American public, but the CW/FRA Dow on Germany does not cause consternation. Nonetheless, not much happens as the Axis only move one chit with the DOW on Poland, for a net change of zero in US Entry.

Nov/Dec 1939: The Axis win initiative and go first, but the weather does not clear. Rain and storm dominate Europe, although southern China clears. The Germans launch an assault on Warsaw in the pouring rain, but fail to take the city, flipping their entire Polish army on a (1/1) result despite assaulting at +11. Late in the turn the Germans DOW both Denmark and the Netherlands, causing US entry. Denmark gives up without a fight and a +17 assault on Amsterdam compels the Dutch to relocate their capital to London. The turn ends without a Polish capitulation, but losses have otherwise been light for them.
  Italy quietly reinforces Libya.
  Japan goes on the offensive in southern China, but the first attack is a stalemate (-/-). The Chinese use the flipped Japanese army as an excuse to attack, and on a +6 manage to kill one Japanese unit at the cost of flipping most of their southern army. The Japanese are not deterred, however, and launch a second attack on the forest res hex (which was then disorganized from their own attack), taking it on a +6 assault of their own (1/2S). The Chinese, who had such a nice line, are stunned by the reversal. Japanese units in the north try to outflank the Communist line, but the poor weather has slowed the HQs and they do not get far. With communist reinforcements on the spiral, it is unlikely the Japanese will have the time to execute the left hook before the Chinese can reinforce.
  The US occupies Greenland and Iceland and sends resources to China.

Jan/Feb 1940: The Axis again win initiative and go first. Having slowly reduced the Poles over two turns, the German assault the capital in the rain and take it on a +15 assault. The Poles surrender at the end of the turn. The turn is surprisingly long for a January turn (gonig 7 total impulses, 4 Axis). the Germans redeploy to the Belgian border.
  Italy quietly reinforces Libya. Most of the Italian corps are in Cyrennica now, including both HQs, aircraft, and so on.
  Japan continues its orgy of aggression, trying to clear mountain hexes aronud Chang-Sha. They manage to clear two hexes but with heavy casualties (2/2) and (1/2) on the +10 and +8 assaults respectively. China is losing ground in the south and the Japanes are concentrating around Chang-Sha.
  The CW bomb Germany again, taking 2 BPs in high-quality raids.
  The US, desperate to generate tension, decides to escort in the US East Coast and finally tension is generated. The American cares little about the peril that awaits them in Japan, but fears the belligerent Germans.

Mar/Apr 1940: The Axis win initiative a 4th consecutive time, although they had to demand a reroll to get it this time. They move first. The Germans starts by declaring war on Belgium. Stunningly, the Belgians did not see it coming. The weather is poor, however, and the German settle for taking Liege and advancing a row of hexes, leaving Brussels for later. The next impulse their patience is rewarded. The Belgians aligned with France and the French decide to honor their new ally and commit the entire French airforce to a defense of Brussels. In what will forever be known as the infamous “Brussels Turkey Shoot,” the Germans shoot down every French plane and the Belgian FTR with no losses. They then assault the city in the rain at +9 and roll an ’18’ to take the city without loss. Allied morale plummets.
  Italy quietly reinforces Libya, leaving only two corps on the Italian border with one reserve in Milan.
  The USSR demands Bessarabia and the Germans allow their esrtwhile ally the territory. Next impulse the Germans grant Hungarian and Bulgarian claims. Hungary is activated as a Germany ally. The subsequent impulse the Germans activate Bulgaria as well.
  The Japanese, having cleared the mountain hexes the previous turn, assault Chang-Sha and take the city on a +9 assault with no losses (on a natural ’20’ on the attack). Although there is widespread evidence of horrific Japanese atrocities, no western outlet chooses to cover the battle or the aftermath, so there is no US entry generated. Alf Highdon, elected in 1936 over FDR, complains bitterly about the Japanese in a national radio address, but to no avail.
  The CW manage to pick up another BP from the Germans in strategic bombing. The turn ends a bit early, preventing the Germans from taking additional attacks in Belgium.

May/Jun 1940: Summer arrives. The Axis again get initiative, but again it takes a reroll to secure it. Germany launches clearing attacks on the wings in Belgium, first clearing a hex south of Brussels (+10 Blitz, success) and in a later impulse taking another hex on a +5 Blitz (again, success). The Germans thin the French line and are about to punch into France proper when CW bombers appear and the weather turns sour. Rundstet is disorganized during some clear impulses and key units in the front line are flipped. The Germans reorganize, but then the weather comes in. Then the panzers are in the mud! The turn then advances quickly and ends on impulse 8 (4 impulses each).
  Italy quietly reinforces Libya as the British do Egypt. The concentration of troops is bordering on the absurd. But still no war as an uneasy detente exists on the Libyan-Egyptian border.
  Japan, undaunted by losses and bouyed by the conquest of Chang-sha, renews its attacks, this time in the north. But an assault on a mountain hex goes awry. The +11 assault fails (2/1), flipping the Japanese army. The Chinese use the opportunity to advance into Chengchow and threaten a counterattack in the north. Most Chinese reinforcements have been Communist in the north.
  The US embargoes Japan, but the Japanese laugh it off, confident in their current campaign.

July/August 1940: Finally the Allies win initiative as the Axis cannot ask for a reroll. The weather is clear but the rebuilt CW/French airforces still stink from lack of training and early combat losses. Five hexes are ground struck by the CW and France in Belgium, and precisely no units are flipped. But both CW and France lose aircraft in the battles. Fortunately, the French have built an army to rival the ages and have a super stack in the center of the line: 7-6 ARM, 6 factor INF and a 3-2 AT gun. 19 points defending against German panzers. Take that. And the Germans do on impulse 2, dropping a chit and blowing the super stack away without loss on what finished as a +13 blitz. Fortunatley, however, the forces only suffered a straight B, so will return in September. The Germans then proceed to munch a hex per impulse, for the next three impulses, succeeding on +5, +13, and +6 blitzes, each time taking the hex. Finally, the Germans take a +4 assault on Metz and fail an attack, losing 3 counters on a natural ‘2’ rolled. The French see an opportunity and counterattack to the west of Metz, taking a +6 assault on some flipped ARM. The attack is a disaster (2/-) but the French do keep the Germans out of Paris. Nonetheless, at the end of the turn, the Germans have a hex on Paris and have carved out a big wedge into France. The last attack cleared away a defending stack of CW units, which were bashed back to England.
  Italy quietly reinforces Libya. The Italians have double stacks on the entire Egyptian border going 2-3 hexes deep in places. The CW has less, but a significant concentration nonetheless defending the western edge of the Quattara Depression.
  Japan is unrelenting, attacking in China yet again. Trying to reduce the bulge in their line, they assault Chengchow. The attack is a partial success (-/1), but they do not take the city and disorganize the entire northern army. The Communists immediately take a risky counterattack, assaulting the mountain hex north of Sian and take it on a +7 assault (2/2, but get the hex). The Japanese line in the north now looks precariously thin. To add insult to injury, partisans strike in China for the first time, and appear behind the Japanese lines in the NW with Communist reinforcements about to appear.
  The US picks Edward R Murrow reports, hoping some day to generate tension. The turn is predictably long, 10 impulses.

 Sept/Oct 1940: The Allies win initiative and elect to go first to repair the ragged line in France. But then the weather roll – storms arrive in Europe! The French get some breathing space and try to form a better line defending Paris. The CW deploys the fleet aggressively in the Med – perhaps a surprise attack on Italy? It does not matter, the Italians declare war first on France and Great Britain. The next two impulses see the waters of the Eastern Med turn red with the blood of thousands of sailors. Over two impulses there are five rounds of naval combat there as each side tries to dominate the supply lines to Libya and Egypt.
  The CW and France take heavy losses. The CW lose a TRS loaded with a Mech (during the surprise impulse), 4 CNV and the Kent and Cornwall are damaged. The Italians lose the Fiume and E. d’Savoia sunk with the Abruzzi damaged. Next impulse, the French and CW reinforce the Eastern Med, but the Italians get just enough surprise each time to tempt them into staying. The French lose the Suffren, the Dupleix, the D. Trouin, Tourville, and the BB Dunkerque — all sunk by accurate Italian gunfire. The CW see the Liverpool, Sussex, and Canberra damaged while the Devonshire sinks. But the Italians take a pounding as well. They lose 2 CNV, the CA San Giorgio, Aosta, Trieste, Zara, and a sub. The Garibaldi, Bolzano, and Trento are damaged. In a shocking turn, the BB Littorio is aborted from the Eastern Med and tries to run a French picket fleet – but is caught and sunk while racing to port.
  The Germans meanwhile forge ahead in the bad weather, desparate to help their new allies by knocking France out of the war. They drop an offensive chit in stormy weather! The +10 assault is a complete success, clearing another hex on Paris. but the bad weather continues and the Germans are not able to mount an assault on Paris itself before the turn ends after 6 impulses.
  The Japanese find partisans are causing problems and the Communists take advantage, slipping into Peking behind the Japanese lines. The poor weather prevents much action, but the Japanese are bulding up in the south as they repair their lines in the north.
  The US, seeing the carnage in the Med, sells 50 old destroyers to Britain to help their war effort.

Nov/Dec 1940: The Allies win initiative and elect to go first. The weather starts bad and stays that way. The French slowly try to strengthen their line but a contemplated counterattack is called off at the last minute. The Germans attempt a risky blitz attack south of Lille to clear more hexes in France, but the attack fails (1/1) and the French hold the hex. The Wehrmacht is now increasingly worried about whether they can deliver the death blow to the French.
  The Japanese, however, have no such fears. They reclaim much of the northern territory lost to the Chinese and now surround Peking. A bold attack in southern China (where it is clear) comes off perfecty for them (+7 blitz on a forest hex succeeds without loss). The Japanese are poised to strike further inland with the Chinese line beaten in the south, but the turn fortuitiously ends for the Chinese, giving them a chance. The line in the south, however, looks precarious as the Japanese salivate at their opportunty.
  The US continues to try to generate tension, freezing Japanese assets and sending resources to Allies, but only one tension roll produces anything. The European tension pool looks full; the Japanese pool has a single chit.

Jan/Feb 1941: The Allies win initiative and the weather turns even worse (’12’ on the roll) – ideal for the French defending against the German onslaught. The Germans halt their attacks in France and turn to wreak havoc elsewhere, sailing the entire navy into the North Sea. There they catch the British fleet by surprise and sink the Queens, loaded with an INF corps. The CA Newcastle is also sunk. The Germans only lose the CA Blucher. The Italians and British continue their stalemate standoff line on the Libyan/Egyptian border.
  The Japanese continue to push aggressively against the Chinese, but find their opponents made of stern stuff. A big +9 assault against the mountain hex in southern China (to complete the rail line to a rss point) fails (2/1).
  The turns ends after 4 impulses – typical for a poor weather turn. The US passes a lend-lease bill to China and tension is finally as a result. Are the Americans finally becoming aware of the menace that is Japan?

Mar/Apr 1941: The Allies desparately want intiative, but the Axis win it after demanding a reroll. And naturally, after such a poor winter, the weather clears in March, although it starts muddy. The Germans rearrange their line and push reinforcements forward, but a low odds blitz fails to clear a hex south of Lille (1/1). The French airforce continues its streak, doing nothing and getting shot down. The next impulse, however, sees the weather clear completely. The Germans are ready and attack north and south of Paris. Both attacks are complete successes, giving the Germans leverage and 3 hexes on the 3rd hex adjacent to Paris. The following impulse is also clear, and the Germans attack the hex adjacent to Paris and the rss hex next to Metz. Again both attacks succeed, giving the Germans 3 hexes on Paris. In the final impulse the weather again turns muddy, and the Germans take a +5 assault on Metz that sadly also succeeds, granting the Germans the rss and the red factory.
  Wishing to imitate the success of their neighbors, the Italians seek to establish reliable supply to Libya. In an early battle in the Eastern Med, however, they fail, as the CW shoots down the NAV protecting the sea lanes. The Brits then ground strike a center hex in the line and proceed to destroy the Italian MECH and INF defenders. The Italians recover, however, and manage to save the line. A +14 British bliz only gives an R result and then the turn ends.
  The Italians are not as lucky against the French, who boldly make a +2 assault against the crack Italian MTN. The result is (2/1) but the French take the hex (with a rss in it!) and push into Italy proper. Oddly the Italians basically ignore the push, counting on the Germans to end French resistance.
  The Japanese are still up to their old tricks, namely repeated frontal assaults. An early +6 assault against the same mountain hex in southern China goes awry (1/-), but a subsequent +10 assault on Peking removes the pocket of Communists from behind the lines (but without US entry). The Japanese are taking casualties, but the line looks better than it has in some months.
  The Americans, however, are tired of the relentless carnage created by the Japanese and finally Congress is persuaded to start preparing for the inevitable future conflict. The US gears up! The Germans do lose 2 BP from strat bombing (Dortmund) as the British are slowly building a bomber force. The turn goes long (7 impulses) and sees the Germans with 3 hexes on Paris and dominating northern France.

May/June 1941: The Axis win initiative despite a reroll attempt by the Allies. The weather starts clear and the German begin by dropping a O-chit with Rundstedt – Paris is under attack! Everything goes perfectly for the Germans (groundstrikes, shooting down French planes, etc.) until the actual attack, when the vaunted Wehrmacht experiences severe coordination problems and fails to take the city (2/2 on a +12 assault). The Japanese kill a PART is northern China and shuffle yet more troops to the south.
  On the Allied impulse, the French reinforce Paris and make another bold strike into Italy, taking a +4 assault and killing a 4-1 GAR to the loss of two inconsequential corps. The Soviets are clearly anticipating German malfeseance, building a line from Odessa to Riga. The Germans lose 1 BP from strat bombing.
  On Impulse 3, the Axis strike. The Germans regroup and assault Paris again, stunningly taking the city on a +6 assault (1/2S). The children of the world weep for the loss of Paree. The Italians decide to make a bold move and sortie their fleet into the Italian coast to challenge the British there. The resulting battle is bloody. The Italians lose the BB Guilio Cesare while the Pola and Glorizia are damaged. The Brits lose a sub and the York damaged. The Japanese attack that mountain hex in the south again, and again the Chinese are simply too much for them (attacks fails 2/1). Several big stacks of German units with plenty of armor pile up in Hungary on the Yugoslavian border.
  The Allies quickly seek to take advantage. A +6 counterattack north of Paris fials miserably (rolled ‘4’ so only French losses). France seems doomed even early in the turn. British attempts to attack the Italians and cut supply fail. The CW kill a pesky partisan in Palestine but otherwise the turn is quiet with the grisly failure of the French to drive to Paris.
  In impulse 5 the weather stays clear world-round but the world does not! Japan declares war on the NEI and CW! What!?! 2 oil fields on Borneo are taken but Palembang stays firm. The Japanese do savage the unprotected convoy lines. I think I can safely say that no Allied player saw this coming. In Europe the Germans reposition troops towards the USSR and Yugoslavia. Italy struggles to keep supply in the Med. Germany sends the navy out and savages British convoys in the central Atlantic. At the end of the turn, the Brits are down to 60% of normal builds.
  The Allies retaliate by taking it out on the Italians. British ships find and eliminate the Italian NAV keeping supply in the E. Med. Over the next few impulses British ships sink several Italian CONV and sink the Andrea Doria while damaging the Bolzano. The Brits take two +7 blitzes in Libya. One is a success (killing two corps) and the other weakens the Italian line (1/1 result). The Italians fall back in disarray towards Benghazi. The CW secure Tobruk and press westward.
  The turns goes long (11 total impulses) but the drama subsides for the remainder of the turn. The Germans resist another French counterattack and take no losses. The British relocate two units to Bordeaux, leaving only the SAfr TER to hold Calais. The Japanese reposition troops and take Hong Kong, killing the TER there. The turn ends with the US relocating the fleet to Pearl on the strength of 4 added chits over the turn.
  The Germans install a Vichy government as expected and the collaboration begins. Only Syria and the Pacific Map possessions go free, however, much to the consternation of the Allies. The French government in exile takes up residence in Damascus.

July/August 1941: The Axis win initiative despite a demand from the Allies for a reroll. The Germans start by eliminating the SAfr TER in Calais and rebase aircraft to the Yugoslavian border. Japan occupies Indo-China (infuriating the American public, which is now keenly attuned to Japanese malfeasance). On impulse 3 the Germans attack Yugoslavia, eliminating screening units around both Zagreb and Belgrade. The Japanese shift units around, but it is not clear the direction in which they are headed.
  The CW run an Indian INF into Singapore and the lonely TRS left at sea somehow survives 3 separate search rolls and evade the Japanese who are hunting them. Meanwhile, back in Europe, the British find both Italian TRS (one in battle, one after one was forced to rebase) and sink them. The British also clear Sardinia, making it a large airport. An additional attack north of Benghazi kills another Italian corps, but the Italians are holding on in a delaying action.
  The Germans assault Zagreb (+11, complete success), activate Rumania (Vichy has been installed) and are repositioning to assault Belgrade when the turn unexpectedly ends on the first opportunity (Germans rolled a ‘1’). The Axis are disappointed, but much of the German army is on the Soviet border and in Yugoslavia. Where will the Germans go next?
  The US has had enough, and passes war appropriations – war is nearning.

 Sept/Oct 1941: The Allies win initiative and elect to move first. The CW moves straightaway to clear Libya, killing two Italian corps in Libya on a +18 blitz. One BP is taken in a raid on Berlin as well. On impulse 2 the Germans take Belgrade on a +16 assault and continue the process of garrisoing France while moving most of the army to the Eastern Front. The Japanese, however, spread out across the Pacific, including posting major fleets off the coast of the Philippines and the Hawaiian islands. The Allies next impulse sees the CW clearing eastern Libya, eliminating two more Italian corps in Benghazi (1/B surrounded).
  The Chinese front has been quiet, with the Chinese just building up and making the Japanese line look thinner turn by turn. But there have been no attacks or other changes to the front line for turns.
  And then Axis impulse 4 arrives. The Japanese declare war on the Americans! Oh the perfidy! The Japanese port strike Pearl, sinking the Lexington and the Enterprise while damaging the CA Northhampton. Japanese troops also storm ashore in several hexes in the Philippines and they seize Rabaul as well.
  The next impulse the US tries to declare war on Germany and Italy, but the 80% shot fails. The Germans and Italians count their blessings, as a US navy was poised to ambush the German navy in the Atlantic. To avoid possible disaster, the Germans and Italians declare war on the US the next impulse.
  In impulse 7 the weather turns sour and not much happens. The US sends a big fleet out to attack some Japanese cruisers, but only manage to damage the Ashigara. Other attempted naval combats fails to produce conflict. The turn is relatively long (9 impulses) and ends with a whimper.

Nov/Dec 1941: The Axis win initiative but the weather is bad and the turn is short. The Germans hurriedly send troops to the Soviet front — war is obviously coming. The Japanese build up forces in the Philippines and take Guam. The British complete their conquest of Libya, taking Tripoli on a +11 assault (1/2S result). Near the end of the turn the US launch a quick invasion of Kwajalein, which was undefended. A Dutch ship manages to damage a Japanese CA (the Myoko) but misses all the convoys. A PART appears in Palestine (again!) much to the consternation of the British. The turn ends with only 4 impulses.

Jan/Feb 1942: The Axis again win initiative but the weather stays abysmal. The Germans seek to hit some convoys, but nothing comes of the raids. The Japanese assault Manila after sucessfully grounstriking MacArthur, but the attack goes awry (2/1). The Japanese navy opts to head back to Japan to refit with newer and stronger planes, so there is no action in the Pacific. The US simple reinforces a few islands and rebases some FTRs forward. The turn ends with 5 impulses, but the Germans now have a sizable force on the Soviet border. They have, however, left a CW beachhead unmolested in and around Bordeaux, France. American forces are now starting to appear there.

Mar/April 1942: The Allies win initiative and go first. The weather clears and the CW take the opportunity to invade Sicily — Syracuse is captured first impulse. The US takes a naval and continues to ferry troops and planes to Europe and the Pacific, but their forces are still fairly weak.
  In impulse 2 the world is surprised as the Germans declare war on the USSR! They just beat the garrison requirement but they lurch eastward. It is still muddy in the north (arctic) but clear in the temperate zone. They ground strike several hexes (and flip Zhukov) and eliminate the defenders in Kaunas without loss. Otherwise they just lurch slowly forward.
  In a critical move, the US notes that Truk is undefended! Two MAR and a small task force invade the island and they succeed. The move saves the fleet as part of the Japanese navy is forced to rebase and then the turn ends. The US now has a forward base. Rabual is still heavily defended as the US was fortunate to catch the Japanese moving units between bases.

May/June 1942: Allies win initiative and move first. The weather starts clear. The US and CW take navals and ferry troops and defend convoys. Reinforcements for the CW stream into Sicily and the Med, along with additional aircraft. The Russians shift forces within their lines, but are cautious. The Communists attack Taiyuan with a -/1 result, but flip much of their army. The CW do take 1 BP from strategic bombing on Paris.
  The Germans in impulse 2 go on the offensive, killing a PART in Metz in the west and then make 3 attacks in the east. An attack on Vilnius and a +16 assault on Lvov are successes, taking both hexes without loss. A +8 attack on Chisinau goes awry with a 2/1 result. The Japanese counterattack in China, but things go awry and the +9 assault results in a 2/1 — more Japanese casualties.
  Impulse 3 sees the weather go sour (‘2’ rolled).  Not much action occurs as a result. The Germans push up in impulse 4 slightly in the east and the Japanese establish supply to their Pacific bases.
  Impulse 5 has clear weather and the fireworks start. A joint US/CW force paradrops on Brest after groundstriking the unit there. The operation is a complete success and the German subs based there are scattered back to Kiel. Meanwhile, the British invade a clear spot 2 hexes north of Taranto and succeed, gaining a beachhead on the Italian mainland (+13 invasion after some furious air combat).
  Next impulse the Germans react to the invasion but don’t have the forces to mount an attack on Brest, largely due to supply issues and holding the Allied line by Bordeaux. So they take our their frustrations on the Russians. Three attacks are made (+14, +12, +10) and are all successes without loss, taking a hex near Riga, clearing Minsk, and clearing Cernauti. The Japanese reinforce northern China and playing a waiting game with the US Navy. The Germans bomb Zaporozhe and take 1 Russian BP.
  In Impulse 7 the Allies land an extra corps in northern France (all they have) and push out a hex. The weather turned rainy again, which slowed both the Allies and the German response in France.The Germans grind forward in Russia, killing a lingering Russian corps on a +19 attack in their own impulse. Italy has surrounded the CW beachhead north of Taranto and some additional German units have raild to the area as well. Japan elects to press west and lands in Malaya and advances towards Singapore and the Palembang oil fields.
  The weather clears again for impulse 9 but the Allies have not much to do. Additional strategic bombing fails to hit any targets in Germany and the US forces are too weak to push against the now strengthened Axis line in France. On the next impulse (10) the Germans conquer Latvia, take Riga on a +9 assault, and fail on a +5 blitz attack trying to cross the river north of Minsk (1/0). The turns went fairly long considering the poor weather.

 July/August 1942: The Allies win initiative and move first, seeking to gain advantage against the Axis in the west. After two impulses with the help of the CW MAR, the sneaky Brits push up the toe of the Italian boot and cross over to the heel next to Taranto. They then land additional forces and assault Taranto, taking it on a +11 attack (1/2S result). With Tripoli down and a factory held, the Allies need only get a garrison advantage to remove Italy from the war.
  The CW push north from Taranto, taking a key mountain hex on a +10 assault (1/2S). The move links the forces in Taranto with the units moving north from the toe. The Italians and their German allies scramble to form a line while also leaving Italians in the rear for the garrison. The Italians decide to take matters into their own hands and sail the fleet out to clear the Italian coast and help them right things, but the naval battle favors the CW. The CW over 2 rounds lose the CA Glasgow and has the CA Berwick damaged, but the Italians lose the Garibaldi and the Pola while the Roma and Trento are damaged. Eventually the Italian fleet is weakened sufficiently that they flee against overwhelming odds. At the end of the turn, it is not enough, and massive air and land reinforcements into Italy are too much – the garrison during conquest phase is 18 to 16 and Italy sues for peace.
  In France the American-led beachhead starting at Brest expands. A risky +7 assault on Nantes succeeds (-/1S) and breaks open the German line near the end fo the turn. US air superiority is becoming significant. The US trade one AC for several German FTRs and another PARA attack on the coast kills another German FTR that was face-down in the hex. CW bombers take their own toll, destroying a FACT in Dortmund and taking 4 BP and 1 Res from the Germans over the turn.
  In the USSR, it is mostly the German armor show. A +12 assault against Parnu clears a strong set of defenders (1/2S) and then a +11 blitz clears the way to Vitebsk (1/B*). Later another daring attack near Minsk fails, and the German PARA is lost (1/1) in a hard fought action. The Soviets push back, killing a stack of Hungarians west of Kiev without loss (and get their first Guards unit). The Germans get the last word, taking a +7 blitz in the north and succeeding without loss.
  Japan reinforces Malaya and moves MARs across to Sumatra to build up around the Palembang oil fields. Poor weather, however, hampers their efforts in the north monsoon. But the Japanese decide on another course to help their allies. They declare war on the USSR! Moving most of the navy off the coast of Vladivostock, they assault and clear the city without loss (+15 attack). The world is stunned. The Americans vow to help, and launch a surprise invasino of Nemuro in northern Japan. The attack succeeds but the MARs take a loss. The turn then ends, however, so the US beachhead remains.

Sept/Oct 1942: Despite demanding a reroll, the Allies lose initiative. The weather starts rainy, but the Germans are nonetheless able to retreat in France and avoid a potential pocket there, much to the consternation the Americans. In the retreat over the 3 impulses (for each) the Germans lose 3 MIL and build a strong defensive line along the Seine, replete with ARM and an additional HQ. Despite several attempts, US groundstrikes fail to flip the HQs and they escape east of the Seine line.
  The CW leapfrog up the Italian coast to reinforce northern Italy before the Germans can occupy it. They succeed in beating the Germans to the passes on the Austrian border, but a line sets up there to the Yugoslavian border. CW planes do rebase to the north. 4 isolated German corps in southern Italy languish.
  The Soviets try to cross the Dneister and press the Axis on the Rumanian front, but the attack fails (+11 blitz, result 1/1). The Germans renew their own push in northern Russia. A +8 blitz takes a hex (-/R) but a second attack fails (2/1 on a +6 blitz). Two additional blitzes clear two additional hexes, but the casualties are light (none to Germany, one corps lost for the USSR).
  Japan sees a break in the weather and assaults Singapore, taking the city and killing the Indian defender, but at a high cost (3/1!). This pyrrhic victory slows down the push to Palembang, and although the defenders are weak, the oil fields remain in Allied hands for the turn.
  The US slowly pushes reinforcements into northern Japan, especially long range FTRs. The Japanese try to cut off the supply, but no combat results as no one can seem to find anyone in the north Pacfic. The US navy is slowing getting bigger as new CVs appear in Truk.
  The turn ends relatively early.

Nov/Dec 1942:  The Axis win initiative and the weather for impulse 1 is shockingly clear! The Germans finish preparing their Seine line in the west and go on the offensive in Russia. A +13 blitz succeeds without loss and a +8 blitz takes a hex (1/R). The northern line in Russia is looking weak, but the southern front appears strong for the Soviets. The Japanese push up north of Vladivostock and defend their convoy lines.
  The CW take advantage of the clear weather and start with an air. The skies darken over Germany, who loses 7 BPs (!) to strat bombing including one FACT destroyed (Prague). The US in their naval pick off the CA Atago and generally send reinforcements to Europe and defend their Pacific supply lines. Some land based FTRs try to sink a small Japanese TRS fleet off the coast of Russia, but fail to find anything. The Nationalists finally decide to act and take a +5 attack on the forest res hex in China – and succeed! The result is 1/1 but the Japanese line is thinned. The Japanese have strong units there, but not a great number.
  In impulse 3, the weather again remains clear world-round. The Japanese counterattack and take the resource hex in the northern forest in China, trading for the res lost earlier. The Japanese also take the Palembang oil fields on a +9 attack, but lose two corps in the process. But, they have secured the extra oil. The Germans assault Vitebsk on a risky +5 assault, but the Wehrmacht performs and the Soviets are annihilated (’18’ rolled on the +5…).
  In impulse 4 the US/CW alliance takes advantage of the weather, launching an invasion just north of Kiel and an airborne operation to blitz across the Seine north of Paris. Both are surprisingly successful. The invasions lands without loss (on a natural ’20’ roll on a +12 invasion!). The US also takes Marcus Island in the Pacific.
  The next exchange of impulses (5 and 6) see clear weather continue. The Germans skillfully reorganize their line in France, stopping a potential Allied breakout, rail units to contain the Kiel incursion, and press into the USSR. Another +5 blitz attack fails this time (-/-), forcing him to use Manstein to reorganize his units. The Soviets find their mettle, however, and counterattack. A +6 blitz succeeds in bashing Manstein and turning the southern flank of Army Group North, opening the path to Minsk for the Soviets. An American attack in France fails (1/1) result, which allows the Germans to recement their line in France. CW bombers, however, take a massive toll in the impulse, taking a total of 12 PPs (16 build points) from factories across Axis possessions.
  In impulse 10, the weather is nasty (’11’ on chart), but it is raining in the North Monsoon zone. The US and CW hatch a daring plan to raid the convoys in the South China Sea. The plan is blessed with good fortune. Over several rounds a massive naval battle erupts. The Allies lose several planes and one CW CA damaged, but the Japanese take significant losses, including CV Akagi, CLV Chitose, CA Takao, CA Myoko, 2 damaged CA and 11 CONVs. Both US heavy ships and carrier based airpower are invovled over 3 rounds of combat as the Japanese try to keep a link to the oil in the NEI. Eventually they keep that link, but the cost is high. The turn then ends.

Jan/Feb 1943: The new year dawns with initiative shifting to the Allies, both strategically and for the turn (despite an Axis demand for a reroll). The Allies reinforce the new beachhead in northern Germany (although German reinforcements now have it cordoned). The US invade additional islands in the Mariannas, seeking air bases. The US pushes one hex further up the French coast with a +12 blitz, killing a 4-1 GAR, but otherwise the turn is quiet. The CW bomb in the snow, but only take 4 PPs. The Soviets attack across the Dvina and meet with success, taking the hex on a +10 blitz in the snow. As the Germans retreat to prevent a pocket in the north of Russia, the Soviets trap and automatically kill a GER INF. Otherwise the Germans are contracing their line in the north and holding it in the south of Russia. The Allies are slowly pushing forward in France, although the Germans have a strong line and still hold Paris. The new front sees the Allies taking Kiel and reducing the German naval threat as a result (Denmark was also liberated, opening the Baltic), but heavy German reinforcements allowed the perky Germans to contain all the threats. The threats, however, are growing on many fronts. In the last impulse (#7) the Allies continue to push. The Soviets attack in northern USSR, successfully killing two MECH and bashing another, and push across the Dvina in Rumania (1/B result). The Chinese attack Hanoi on a +4 but fail (1/-). The Allies reinforce and move up, but make no progress in France or northern Germany.

Mar/Apr 1943: The turn is short. The Allies win initiative despite an Axis reroll. The Soviets take advantage, taking a +7 attack in northern USSR (-/1S) and a +18 blitz in the south that kills Antonescue. The Germans then retreat further west to maintain a coherent line. Three corps are railed to help hold Rumania, but the Soviet breakout there looks ominous.
  The western Allies start with a naval and then take lands to open new fronts. Bad weather, however, prevents strategic bombing, which means the German economy rebounds. The Americans invade the Philippines, taking Legaspi with heavy casualties on a poor performance (2/1), rolled ‘5.’ More troops get transported into France and northern Germany, but a strong line of German troops keeps the forces at bay and the front does not move in the bad weather.
  The turn ends early after only four total impulses.

May/June 1943: Soviets break through into Germany, but not before the Allies in the west break the Seine river line. The Germans fall back to the Rhine. The Allies assault and liberate Paris, liberating France in the process.
  The US reinvades Japan, scattering its main fleet. Reinforcements flood forward.

July/August 1943: US manage to take all of the mainland factory cities in Japan except Sapporo, which continues to hold out in the mountains. The Allies push through Holland into Germany. New invasions on the Baltic coast further threaten the Reich. The CW break through in the south and walk into Munich. The German retake it, but the CW is across the Austrian alps. The Soviets grind forward slowly and isolate both Bucharest and the Ploesti oil fields. The Germans start to feel serious oil shortages.

Sept/Oct 1943: With the US in firm control of the Japanese mainland, the Allies one hex outside of Berlin, and the fronts collapsing virtually everywhere else, the Axis sue for peace.