The Axis, try to move Bulgaria to the Diplomatic fold and fail to do so, they do build 3 Corps.
The Allies follow up with the Diplomatic mission being a huge success in Yugoslavia and their army enters the war. More Italian, French, British and Soviets forces are created.
No tech spending.
Attacks are costly but effective and the Armour from the UK conducts follow ups attacks.
Hungary collapses.
The low lands losses are heavy for both sides with the Germans taking a whipping on armour points leading attacks in the last clear weather turns.
Belgium grimly still stands. Heavy Attacks thru Belgium and along the Meuse mean that both sides take losses.
A few lucky rolls save the Allied line from crumbling.
Follow on attacks inflict more losses but do not break thru.
Sept-Oct Turn 11 Mud @ start Positions:
Madly the Belgians hang on with timely reinforcement from Britain and France while the Italians reinforce the Maginot line and Meuse area……History makes strange bed fellows.
In the East the Soviets continue to build Armour units and await the big 100 MSP bump to allow them some more flexibility with technology or production in January.
Germany elects not to attack in poor weather and reinforces Vienna.
November December 1941 Turn 12 Winter Weather @ Start positions:
Little occurs during the winter turns. On Turn 13 the Soviets declare war on Germany.
The Germans brace for the onslaught. Soviets Land in rear of Romanians and make 3 attacks on the German line. Yugoslav forces pass thru the mountains and cut supply for the Germans in Carpathian mountains.
The attacks attempting to swamp the Germans near Vienna are largely successful but at a high price.
The Allies take their follow on attacks and seek to liberate Belgium. While the
Russians pressure the Polish front.
At then end of March April 1941 the Germans concede with several Corps surrounded or OOS and the Netherlands about to be liberated the war is effectively over. With some gamey luck the Churchillian Southern Strategy proves successful beyond all Allied leaders wildest dreams.
In this alternate universe, the US does not enter the War, Churchill establishes a new world order dominated by British/Italian League and they prepare to fight the Red Menace. WWII is over just a few months before WWIII begins and Stalin is declared a War Criminal, Soviet Russia is invaded on humanitarian grounds. With the German war machine largely intact, Churchill orders the Wehrmacht to don “Allied Uniforms” and their economy is placed back on a war footing to take WWIII into Russia. A surprise invasion from the Turkish/Syrian border shocks the Soviets. The rest, well the rest would be unreasonable to assume…right? 😉
END NOTE
How did we arrive here? Simply, the Italian collapse rules have 2 sections to them. One requires Rome to be taken, the other does not. It is perhaps attempting to model the weakness of the Fascist Regime in Italy in ’39, 40?
A swift and may I say daring raid on the undefended Italian Coast fulfilled the criteria for collapse. This fundamentally changes the Diplomatic and economic dynamics. When this occurred I offered to redo or ignore the turn, instituting a more robust requirement for Italian collapse. Out of curiousity I think both Steve and I were inclined to play it out, despite the seemingly rules error advantage I had taken. I am glad we did. It demonstrated the game can go off the WWII track with out ‘breaking’. I’d imagine however that some might like to make Rome a requirement regardless of time period for Italy’s collapse, I’d be ok with that. Some other tweak are likely required to allow certain aspects of history to evolve – Fall Gelb, Barbarossa etal. these are non issues for me but might stand in the way of the purist.
I enjoyed the game and once the rules are digested turns crack along at a nice pace.
Fun stuff.
Thanks for the AAR. It was fascinating to see how the game plays out when things go off the rails.
I was surprised, however, to see how long France and the Low Countries lasted, even in the absence of Italy. Did the players feel it reflected a weakness in the game? (Very few grand strategic games came mirror the France ’40 campaign, but most make the bulldozing of France almost inevitable over time.)
First off, I think that the Axis, took a turn or two longer to take Poland if I recall.
Then they waited for clear weather and larger armies before invading. This allowed the intervention by British and additional forces of Italy (now allied to Commonwealth) to be added to the mix and bolster the forces. They almost had Belgium, but a few BAD die rolls went their way. In the end each hex had 6 odd factors + air support and a second HQ was available as well. This and some step losses on the Germans broke down effectiveness. So by the time the next mud season rolled around, the Allies could refit, and actually begin a strong push from Yugoslavia. A True soft underbelly Churchill strategy! 😉