We continue the epic play thru of Third Reich by Christopher over at BGG :
1942 Year Start Sequence
Things get a little complicated because GB is conquered, which affects the strategic warfare. GB built 4 anti-submarines and had 1 SAC leftover from 1941.
Germany had built 11 subs. Britain was conquered on Fall turn so its 4 ASW was reduced by ¼ to 3.
3 ASW kill 3 subs, leaving 11 remaining.
1 interceptor took out 1 British bomber, 4 remain. No German BRP losses this turn so the 5-4 returns to the German force pool.
There are 11 subs and 4 interceptors in the strategic warfare box right now.
Russia ended 1941 with 10 BRPs and so grows by 3. Russia has conquered: East Europe (25) + Norway (10) + Bulgaria (10) + Romania (15) + Yugoslavia (20) = 80.
Russia’s previous base was 121 + 3 (growth) + 80 (conquests) = 204. With a spending limit per turn of 102 and foreign aid limit per year of 20.
USA built 27 BRPs worth of strategic warfare.
USA’s BRPs: 243 with 121/turn spending limit and 27/year foreign aid limit.
Germany: 148 +19 (growth) = 167 (new base) +189 (conquests) = 356 – 34 (SW) = 322
161/turn spending limit
(Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Denmark, Hungary, UK, Finland, Bulgaria)
Italy: 75 + 1 (growth) = 76 (new base) +35 (conquests) = 111 (55/turn spending limit)
(Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon/Syria, Palestine)
Initial Thoughts
The decision for Germany is how to take advantage of the Russian empty void all the way to Moscow. There’s nothing between the German army and Moscow. What will Germany do?
Start
DoW: None
Option Selections: Germany: offensive in west and east, attrition in the med (30 BRPs). Germany down to 292 (something tells me Germany won’t be running out of BRPs ever again).
Italy: west and east pass and attrition in the med.
Voluntary destruction of units: none
Movement
Movement of fleets: Yes. Italian 9 fleet moves from Naples to Gibraltar. Vichy 1 fleet also joins it from Taranto.
Italian 4 fleet moves from Portsmouth to Kiel
Italian 9 fleet moves from Kiel to Bremen
German 9 fleet moves from Cherbourg to Bergen
Supply fleets: 4 fleet in Kiel designated for supply.
German airbase placed on Bergen.
Movement of air/ground units:
Two 5-4 German air wings move from Germany to Bergen in Norway.
German tanks move from Copenhagen and Berlin to Kiel in order to be transported to Bergen.
In Persia, the Italians maintain a line of infantry and sweep the 2-5 tank around to cut off one of the Russian infantry units from supply.
The Finnish troops move forward to the border of Leningrad and take a little ground near B46 and B47.
The Hungarians move their weak 1-3 infantry next to Belgrade.
Most of the German infantry move 3 hexes east and north towards Moscow.
Wait for it….the citizens of Moscow and Leningrad cheer as news reaches the Russian army that the German panzer divisions headed south towards Romania. The Germans have spared Moscow and Leningrad from an assault.
However, one German panzer headed SE into the heart of Russia and ended just west of Dnepropetrovsk.
Finally, some of the German air has moved into Hungary, while others moved south to Lvov, Brest-Litovsk, and yet others have moved to Finland.
Persia looks like this:
Poland/Russia looks like this:
Yugoslavia looks like this:
Norway looks like this:
The entire board looks like this after movement:
Missions
Finn 1-4 and Lent 1-4 (D41) GS at F40
2-4 German air at Bergen (C33) provides GS at C34
9 Fl (N19) to Kiel, joins with 9 Fl Kiel, embarks 4-6 x 2 and onto Bergen for disembark
Normal Combat
The attack in Norway: C34: 3-3, 4-6 (C33) and 2 pts GS vs 1-3. Odds 9-3 (3-1). Die Roll 1. EX remove 3-3. AAC 4-6 (breakthrough hex). 1 tank moves to the breakthrough hex.
The attack at Parnu: F40: 4-6 (E41), 3-3 x 2 (F41) and 2 pts GS vs 2-3. Odds 12 – 4 (3-1). Die roll 4. D Elim. AAC 3-3 x 2. Russian fleet displaced to Leningrad.
The attack in Romania: R35: 3-3 (Q35), 4-6, 2-3 (R34) vs 1-3. Odds 9-3 (3-1) Die Roll 3, 2 (CAEX). Axis remove 2-3. AAC 3-3 and 4-6 (breakthrough hex). 7 tanks move to the breakthrough hex.
The lone panzer near Dnepropetrovsk: 4-6 (Q40) attacks empty hex R40.
Exploitation
The first panzer takes S35, then T34.
The second panzer duplicates the first movement to T34 and then takes T33 and U32.
The third panzer duplicates the second movement to U32 and then takes U31 and V30 (ending next to Belgrade)
The fourth panzer duplicates the second movement to U32 and then takes V32 and W31.
The fifth panzer duplicates the first movement to T34, and then takes U33 and V33.
The sixth panzer moves to S35 and stops.
The seventh panzer duplicates the sixth movement to S35 and then takes T35 and T36.
Exploitation Missions
2-4 (P35) GS at R36
5-4, 3-4 (C33) GS at C35
Exploitation Battles
Norway: C35: 4-6 (C34) and 8 pts GS vs 2-3. Odds 12-4 (3-1). Die Roll 1 EX. remove 4 air factors. 4-6 AAC (Norway conquered). As you can see, I thought I would cost him at least two turns to take back Norway, but he took it back right away, which means I wasted some BRPs sending the Russian forces there in the first place.
Romania: R36: 4-6 (S35) and 2 pts GS vs 1-3. Odds 6-2 (3-1) Die Roll 3, 2 (CAEX) Remove 1-4. AAC 4-6. Germany has successfully occupied every East Europe city. If I (the Russians) do not retake at least one city then I will lose 25 BRPs at the end of my upcoming turn.
Attrition
Before I forget, the attrition in the med front was on the 41-50 column and Germany rolled a 1 (5 counters/4 hexes). The Russians lost the following infantry (hex location in parenthesis): 1-3 (S33), 2-3 (FF44), 2-3 (DD45), 2-3 (DD44), 1-3 (T32).
The axis selected hex EE44 for attrition combat. The Russian 3-3 retreats to DD44. 1-3 from hex FF43 AAC.
The whole map looks like this after battles:
Yugoslavia looks like this after combat:
Persia looks like this after combat:
Construction and SR
Italy built the 2-3 (paratrooper) at AA25 in Italy. Italy now has 105 BRPs remaining.
SR:
Germany:
1. 3-3 (L23) – F24 (S/E 9 Fl Portsmouth)
2. 3-3 (L21) – R17 (S/E 9 Fl Scapa Flow)
3. 3-3 (M38) – M23
4. 4-6 (E41) – E42
5. 5-4 (N36) – N21
6. AB (L24) – N21
7. RC (U19) – N21
8, RC (M31) – J25 (S/E 9 Fl Bremen)
9, 3-3 (M38) – I32
Italy
1. Reclaim 5-4 (N21)
2. Lend – 2-3 (AA25)
3. 1-3 (W24) – U26
4. RC (U21) – L24
5. RC (T22) – N20
Gemany loses 10 BRPs for not recapturing Bulgaria, putting Germany at 282 BRPs.
BRP comparison: 282 (Germany) + 105 (Italy) = 387 for the Axis
204 (Russia). However, it is about to be the second-half of the Spring 1942 turn and the USA is going to declare war on Germany and enter the battle. The USA has 243 BRPs now, but will have to spend 35 to declare war. That will give the USA 208. The BRP situation is close.
Russia will lose 10 for Norway if she does not recapture Oslo in the Spring turn. Russia will also lose 25 for East Europe if she does not recapture a city in East Europe in the Spring turn.
The whole map looks like this after SR:
Final Thoughts
The German panzer divisions have all turned south, which means Moscow and Leningrad are spared any attacks. Now that the Russians get their 1942 builds available, this is going to be a whole new ball game.