Sept/Oct 1939: The conflagration begins. The Poles defend by stopping the lead elements of the Wehrmacht, and the strategy is partially successful. Warsaw falls but the Germans cannot reach Lodz. The Italians peacefully reinforce their border with France. Japan attacks in northern China, successfully taking the city of Chengchow, but a few ne’er-do-wells run amok, causing outrage in the American press.
  Impulse #2: France and the CW declare war on Germany. The CW take a naval and set up with the BEF ready to land on the continent. The French take daring action, sending their SUBs into the Baltic to raid the German convoy lines there. They successfully abort 3 of the 4 CONV there, but sink none (and suffer no losses). The Soviets build up on the border of Iran, but at the cost of leaving Siberia under-defended. China snakes a DIV forward to seize Hangchow but otherwise holds the line.
  Impulse #3: The Germans declare war on Denmark for pro-Allied sentiment. Surprisingly, a CA with a DIV sneaks out and seizes Iceland. The main part of Denmark is overrun. Lodz is assaulted and taken without loss. Troops start to head west. Italy deposits corps in Libya. Japan tries to avert the obvious plan by the Soviets to invade Iran and declares war on the USSR. MARs off the coast invade Vladivostock, taking the city with loss. Japanese elements in the north take two RES and cut off a Siberian INF corps.  Japan kills the DIV in Hangchow, but again the American press is outraged about the battle. 
  Impulse #4: The Soviets oddly declare war on the Netherlands, but it appears this is a part of the nefarious Molotov-Ribbentrop II pact with Germany. Has Europe been sold out?! The French bring the Moroccan corps to southern France and the CW land Gort and a MECH in northern France. The Soviets do indeed also declare war on Iran and push to assault Tehran. The Japanese warned them that the divine wind was against them, and so it was. The +6 assault is a bloody affair, with the Soviets losing 3 units, although the defenders do all die. One lone CAV remains to take the capital before the end of the turn. Strangely, US entry is quite advanced in the Japanese pool, but Soviet aggression has pushed the European pool back to nothing. 
  Impulse #5:  The weather remains decent, but the Germans… take a naval?! They do. A raiding party slips past the pickets in the North Sea and raids the North Atlantic convoys, taking 4 CONV. A SUB also raids but finds no targets. The Baltic convoys are re-established for the Germans. The French subs there try but fail to inflict more damage. Italy quietly bides its time. Japan shifts forces in Siberia, but not a lot happens.
  Impulse #6: The Soviets shockingly invoke a part of M_R II Pact and declare war on Belgium, which causes the Belgians to align with Germany. Granthill and DeHarris are outraged. France re-arranges its line while the CW shifts to defend its convoy lines, but no naval combat actually occurs. China holds the line.
  Impulse #7: The weather turns nasty (worst possible roll) and the Germans curse their weather luck, poised at the precipice of a breakthrough… which now grinds to a halt, allowing the French to adapt to the new situation. The Germans make no attacks, just shift forces from Poland towards France. Italy loves peace. Japan also has a quiet turn.
  Impulse #8: In the bad weather, mostly nothing happens. The Soviets commit hard to the war with Japan, sending both of their HQs east along with a fair bit of their other land forces. The CW continues to work on its naval arrangements and France finalizes its front with Germany.
  Impulse #9: The turn does not end, but the weather gets worse (’12’ on the modified roll). The Germans stare glumly at the sky and their bogged down panzers. No attacks occurs, the Wehrmacht limps its forces slightly closer to the French front. Italy enjoys peace and harmony. Japan makes minor shifts. The turn then ends.
  The Axis are a bit unfortunate, with 2 PARTs appearing in China in inconvenient places.  With the war with Russia, Japanese land units are at a premium. Iran is conquered by the Soviets, Poland and Denmark are conquered by Germany.

Nov/Dec 1939: The Axis win initiative and the weather… continues to be abysmal. Nonetheless, the Italians decide that they have had enough of British posturing and aggression, and declare war on the UK (only). A bold DIV invades the undefended Port Said, scattering the British fleet there. The surprise invasion was unlucky (only the Warspite was sunk in the surprise, statistically way less than should have been lost given the 8 ships there), but the fleet had to run out of port… into the waiting Italian NAV, which proceeded to wreak havoc. In the escape, the CW lost the CV Glorious, BB Malaya, and the CA Shropshire sunk. In raiding elsewhere, the Italians took 2 CONV. The Germans decide they cannot wait, and despite the snow, attack the French line in the center. The French airforce does its job, clearing defending TAC, so the resulting attack is +4. The Germans perform well, considering (1/R) losing a valuable ARM DIV but take the hex. The Japan regroup and kill both of the PART in China and slowly look to move troops northward into Manchuria and Siberia.
  Impulse #2: The Soviets declare war on Norway, again invoking this mysterious pact. Norway gleefully joins the Axis and pledges to annex Scotland. The Soviets push their growing Siberian army towards the Manchurian border. The Chinese launch a daring +4 assault, which succeeds in the taking the hex at some cost (2/1). The CW eliminate the Italian DIV in Port Said, but the Suez Canal damage remains. The French contemplate a counter-attack, but the poor weather dissuades them of the move. Strategic bombing takes 1 BP from Nuremberg.
  Impulse #3: The weather stays poor, confounding Axis efforts. The Germans again basically launch everything they have and only manage a +6 blitz, but it is more successful, taking the Ardennes forest hex (-/B). The Italians push from Libya into Egypt. The Japanese slowly maneuver in Siberia.
  Impulse #4: The Soviets attack and kill the Japanese CAV near Chita, clearing the way to northern Manchuria along that rail line. The other line flips forwards further east. The Chinese hold the line. The CW takes a combined action and shifts a few CONV and improves convoy defense. The French adjust to cover the gap made by the German attack and they retain a solid line.
  Impulse #5: The Germans again take a naval! Again the SUBs are unsuccessful, but a raiding fleet–bolstered by some Dutch and Belgian forces, hit the Bay of Biscay. The Axis surprise the CW, sinking the Argus with all hands and taking 2 CONV. The Belgian cruiser is damaged before the Axis fleets aborts home, happy with the small win. The Italians shift forces by sealift to Libya and Egypt. The Japanese continue to do small movements to form a line in Manchuria.
  Impulse #6: The Soviets try to raid with their one remaining SUB in the Pacific before the admiral is reminded that the port is ice-in in the bad weather. So the Soviets grind forward into Manchuria instead. The CW abandon the French, completing movement of the BEF to Bayonne–far behind the lines. The French decide to fight on. The turn then ends.
  Once again, the Japanese are unfortunate, taking 2 more PARTs in China. Partisans seize Shang-hai and Hainan. Italy conquers British Somilialand. 

J/F 1940: The Axis win initiative and go first. The Germans attack in France despite yet more bad weather, taking a hex with a loss (1/B). The Wehrmacht is advancing, but the French are exacting a toll. The Italians have a brilliant opportunity in Egypt, but the +10 blitz in the desert is poorly executed and they only retreat the Brits into Alexandria. The Japanese invade and retake Hainan from the Chinese PART there.
  Impulse #2: The CW pull the BEF out of Bayonne and spread to defend their convoy line, which is now partially repaired. The French decide to pull back from the front line and do the ‘Paris huddle,’ hoping the poor weather will continue to hamper the Germans. The Soviets lurch forward another hex or two in Siberia.

…turn in progress