With
the coronavirus upending just about every facet of everyday life as we know it,
I've been marooned home in Maryland with more time on my hands than I know what
to do with. So, I figured with all the extra time, I might as well work
on AARCentral. I've acquired a number of games over the past two years,
and I haven't really given much time to them in between college and working,
but I figured I'd give World In Flames: the Final Edition a go. It's been
about a month now, but I've managed to work my way through the rules, punch out
the counters, and set up a game. Due to space restrictions, I can only
set up two of the 4 major maps, so I settled on the Sep/Oct 1939 - 1945 Fascist
Tide scenario as my "trial by fire" game. Boy was I in for a
surprise because holy Moses, it takes a long time to get through each turn! But
I suppose this is the bed that I made for myself, so now I must sleep in it.
Now
for a few general notes. First, I am solo playing this a little every
night when I have the chance. I am slighting favoring the Axis, I think,
because I keep asking "what if they'd done this?" but I am simultaneously
trying to be unbiased and leave things to chance and the system. As such,
almost every chance I get, I leave things to chance and the die roll.
Does Germany move here or here?; die roll of 1-5 is option 1, 6-10 option
2. Will France build a naval, land, or air unit? Okay, it'll build
a naval unit. Will it repair a ship, build from the construction pool, or
lay down the hull for a new ship? Every decision I can make random, I
do. Such is how certain minor countries find themselves at war.
Second, I am VERY new to this game, so I make a bunch of mistakes, especially
in the first turn. None, I think, are game breaking, but where practical
I have tried to remedy those mistakes. Beyond that, I don't think there's
anything else too pressing to note. Now, on to the AAR!
Sep/Oct
1939
Axis
Impulse I
Germany launches an operation against Poland with a good
portion of its land forces. Progress is
hampered by rain across Europe. Air
units to the north soften up Polish ground units near Danzig which crumple to a
pincer movement by armor near the border and units from East Prussia. A central thrust also flings the Polish back,
and a major thrust out of Czechoslovakia smashes the units near Krakow. The only unit to offer resistance is the
Modlin Corps (Infantry), which destroys two German Corps: 40th
Mechanized and the 62nd Infantry.
Italy moves its naval
forces to interdict Allied trade in the Mediterranean. 1 BB, 5 CA/CLs, and 1 sub move to the Eastern
Mediterranean. The Second Fleet (1 BB
and 8 CAs) moves to patrol the Italian Coast.
Allied
Impulse I
Britain and France declare war on Germany, and start
dispersing their forces to make their stand in France. Only major realignment is that English
bombers arrive in France and the French begin moving their navy into the
Mediterranean.
Axis
Impulse II
The
Germans in Poland smash through the northern defenses, booting the HQ and
aircraft in Warsaw, occupying the capital.
To the south, the last of von Bock’s mixed force ousts the cavalry in
the south. The Modlin and Poznan Corps,
already out of supply, threaten to be surrounded.
A German naval bomber
moves to the North sea to dispose of Allied submarines, but an American-built
Buffalo intercepts the unsuspecting bomber and downs it.
The Germans move naval forces into the Baltic to begin
transporting Scandinavian resources, and AA guns are moved to protect the vital
port of Kiel.
Italy declares war on France and the UK. The Alpine Corps is relocated to the French
border, but no hostilities ensue. The
Italian regulars (10th Infantry) in Ethiopia make for the coast in
Eritrea.
Italian naval transports arrive in Tripoli to embark
Balbao’s HQ, and an AT division. The
Italian fleet off Egypt tries to engage the Allied subs in the E.
Mediterranean, but fails to locate them.
Allied
Impulse II
The UK moves two task forces into the Atlantic trickling
transports on the way to transfer Venezuela’s oil.
Air command launches a bombing run on Düsseldorf with 2
bombers escorted by FTR. The Germans
manage two fighters in response. In the
first round of combat, a German BF110 downs the Allied fighter, but is forced
to return to base. The HE-51, opposing
the two bombers, aborts the first, a Hampden, but is also forced to the
ground. The American-made A-22 clears
through. No damage.
The French move the bulk of their naval forces into the
Mediterranean in anticipation of transporting oil from Iraq. The Italians in the Western Med. Try to
intercept both French fleets (1 stacked for combat, the other protecting the
transports), but fail both times. To
their credit, the French try to initiate combat but fail too. For now, 22 French and Italian ships wander
aimlessly through the Mediterranean, looking for a fight.
The Soviets for once decide to act, and per their
agreement in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, invade East Poland. No Allied units were East of the partition
line, so none are interned (and later available to the Commonwealth).
Axis
Impulse III
German naval forces in the Baltic begin to relocate to
Kiel. The battleship Scharnhorst and 4
heavy cruisers dock in Kiel, held by an infantry corps and heavy AA. The dreadnought-era battleships relocate to
Danzig. One sub heads to the Baltic,
from its base in Kiel, and the other heads to the Atlantic. The latter sub initiates combat in the Bay of
Biscay were 10 unescorted CW CPs are sitting, but due to the consistent rain,
fails to locate the convoy.
In retaliation for the raid on Düsseldorf, the Germans
launch a strategic bombing raid on Metz.
1 Do17z and an escorting Messerschmitt fly to the target hex. They are intercepted by a French MS 406. In the first round of combat, the Dornier is
cleared through to the target and the MS 406 is aborted by the German FTR. The Dornier, with halved strategic factors
due to rain, still manages to score a hit on the factories in Metz, eliminating
1 production point for the turn.
The Italians move their Second Fleet from the Italian
coast to the Eastern Mediterranean. Upon
entering the sea area, the French Fleet (Deuxième) intercepts the
Italians. The Italians opt to fight it
out, and they are joined by the heavy cruiser Garibaldi.
1st Round
of Combat: lacking any aircraft,
the Italians are descended on by 1 French naval bomber and two CVP dive bombers
from the French CV Joffre. Targeting the
Garibaldi, the three bombers clear through the AA combat at the cost of 1
air-to-sea factor. In a single strike,
the Garibaldi suffers two successive hits and sinks to the bottom. No further contact is met, leading to the
first conclusive victory for the war at sea!
Cheers ring loudly from the Joffre.
Simultaneously, the Italian transports from Tripoli slip
past the French, debarking their cargo at Tobruk.
Over France, the Italians launch an air attack on Lyon
with a Sparviero Bomber. They are met by
American-built Hawks over the city. In
the ensuing combat, both the Italian bomber and the French FTR are sent to the
ground. This leaves southern France
without any interceptors, but at the cost of Italy’s only long-ranged bomber.
Overall a productive impulse for the Germans, but less
than satisfactory for the Italians.
Allied
Impulse III
The French and British reconsolidate their fleets in the
Mediterranean, but no combat ensues.
With the move of France’s troop transports and its last cruiser to
shuttle troops from North Africa, all of its capital ships are now deployed to
the Mediterranean.
The French relocate
their only bomber north, from the Italian border, near Paris, leaving south
France completely without air support.
Two British cruisers from the North Sea, the Devonshire
and Effingham, relocate to the Bay of Biscay to ward off the German sub
there. Not only do they find the German
sub, they surprise it entirely and secure two hits in the first round of naval
combat, sinking the unit outright!
Another early victory for the Allies at sea. In the Med., Malta’s port empties entirely,
and the three cruisers there link up with the British ships off Sardinia: the
BBs Hood and Warspite and the cruisers Ajax and Southampton.
To make up for the deficit in aircraft in France, the
British fly over 2 FTRs and 1 bomber.
Axis
Impulse IV/V/VI
The Italians, in a reversal of their previous impulses,
begin to move their naval forces out of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Second Fleet relocates back to the
Italian coast.
In the Val D’Aosta – in the north-west corner of Italy –
the Italians launch a well-coordinated strike on the 13th French
Infantry Corps. In the midst of heavy
rain, 1 Ba65 and 1 Saetta fighter bomber strike the French Corps, flipping
it.
Then, with the support of a division
of heavy artillery, the Celere Motorized Corps destroys the French unit where
it stands, opening the way north to Lyon and Vichy. The Libia Mechanized Corps is then
transported north by Rail to Turin to exploit the breakthrough.
In Libya, Italian
territorials move from Benghazi towards Tobruk, to link up with the units there
under Balbao.
Allied
Impulse IV/V/VI
In response to the disaster, the French converged on the
SE quadrant of the country. The 18th
Cavalry Corps from Marseilles moved north, a division of AA moved to garrison
the southern end of the border, deterring movement by the Alpine Corps,
Georges’s HQ moved SE from Paris, and the 24th Motorized Corps moved
close to Lyon.
After a further impulse, British aircraft close in on SE
France, and the above French units bridge the gap created by the loss of the
French 13th Infantry.
End of Turn
US gains 1 entry chit: +2
War in Italy: + 1/-5
Germany deploys war on Poland: +3
In the return to base segment, the Italian BB Giulio
Cesare, 5 cruisers, and 1 sub slip out of the Eastern Mediterranean and rebase
in Italy.
Build
Points and left over Resources
Germany: 20 BP (x.75)
USSR: 25 BP (x.25) REMAINING BUILD POINTS: 1.25
CW: 14 BP (x.5)
France: 7 BP (x.75) REMAINING BUILD POINTS: .25
US: 40 BP (x.25)
Italy: 9 BP (x.5) REMAINING BUILD POINTS: 1.5
Gearing
Limits
Germany: 2 Air, 4 Land, 1 Naval
USSR: 1 Land
CW: 1 Air, 1 Land, 3 Naval
France: 1 Land, 1 Naval
US: 1 Land
Italy: 1 Air, 2 Land, 1 Naval
Construction
Phase
The Germans begin production of more Ju-52 transport
planes, lay down the BB Frederick the Great – a formidable ship! – and begin
training of the 23rd (Motorized) and 47th (Armored)
Corps.
The Russians begin training the 3rd Mechanized
Army.
The Commonwealth lays down the hull of the BB Lion – also
a formidable ship! – and training of the 3rd Cavalry Division.
The Italians begin training the Cavalry Corps.
The French begin training the 2nd Motorized
Division and they lay down the hull of the age-old BB Paris.
The Americans begin training the 26th Corps
(Mechanized).
Diplomacy,
Peace, etc.
Poland is for the time conquered. The Polish destroyer flotilla is spiked and
scuttled to keep it from the Germans, and all of her remaining forces
surrender.
Nov/Dec
1939
Axis
Impulse I
The Swedish, now deployed and under German direction,
rebase the 6th Swedish Corps (Garrison) to Kiel, freeing up the 45th
Corps (Infantry) to move towards the border with the Netherlands.
With Rundstendt’s and von Bock’s forces freed up in
Poland, all German reserves begin moving to the Western border. Heavy Artillery from Nuremburg moves towards
the Maginot Line. The 11th
Corps (Motorized), at Katowice, moves by rail to Düsseldorf.
All available aircraft rebase west to protect the
Ruhr. This includes all German aircraft
in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and East Prussia. Transports from Czechoslovakia fly to the location
of the 2nd Corps (Mountain) in the Carpathian Mountains.
In the Adriatic Sea, the Italian midget subs docked at
Tirana sortie and strike the British fleet docked at Malta before they can raise
their anchors. In the attack, the subs
approach unnoticed and effect a heavy price.
The cruiser Ajax is heavily damaged, removed to the repair pool, and the
BB Warspite and the cruiser Southampton are rendered hors-de-combat for
the turn!
From the Val D’Aosta, the Libia Mechanized Corps advances
into France to block the advance of the French forces coming to bolster the
Franco-Italian border. The Roma
Motorized Corps moves north along the Tuscan coast, and Graziani’s HQ is
transported via railway to Turin to provide support for the slowly developing
offensive.
Allied
Impulse I
(Belgium and the Netherlands have their forces deployed,
but are neither at war yet nor aligned with any major power.)
The French relocate the 17th Corps (Infantry)
from Algiers to Marseilles.
In the French Alps, the Allies launch a combined air
strike on the Italian forces. 2 British bombers (1 Mk. I Blenheim and 1
Hampton) and 1 French fighter (MS 406) are engaged by a CR 42 Falco and a
Macchi C 200 Saetta. In the first round
of combat, the MS 406 clears through one of the bombers and sends the CR 42
down in flames (pilot surviving). Then
in the second round, the Saetta aborts the MS 406, but is itself forced to the
ground early, and the second bomber is cleared to the target hex. Despite inclement weather, the British
bombers strike the Italian Mechanized Corps Libia, and force it to flip!
An opportunistic land offensive follows, and with
success! The 18th (Cavalry)
and 24th (Motorized) Corps, supported by Georges’s HQ, launch an
attack which, despite the rain and terrain, forces the Libia Mechanized Corps
to retreat. Streaming SE into Turin, the
Corps continues east and halts to reorganize outside of Milan. The French suffer no permanent casualties,
and the 18th moves into the abandoned Italian positions, closing the
gap first opened by the Celere Motorized Corps.
Axis
Impulse II
With a rare moment of immaculately fine weather, the
Germans – and Swedish plus Italians – declare war on the Netherlands and launch
a prompt, but limited offensive.
Without
the need for fighter escort, 2 HS-123 Bombers accompanied by 1 Ju-87 pummel the
1st Dutch Corps and force it to flip.
The ground strike is followed by the rapid advance of 2 Infantry Corps (the 45th and 63rd) in the north and 2 Motorized Corps (the 11th and 38th) to the south. Von Leeb’s HQ moves to the border to lend logistical support.
In a blitzkrieg strike, the infantry and motorized forces
annihilate the Dutch and achieve a breakthrough without loss to their own
forces. The 38th and 45th
Corps occupy the ground held by the Dutch, and prepare to move on Amsterdam and
Rotterdam.
The Italian Second
Fleet in the Adriatic detaches its slowest cruiser, the San Giorgio, is joined
by two others on patrol, and enters the Eastern Mediterranean unnoticed by the
French fleet there. The two transports
from Tobruk, fully loaded with Italian regulars, slip past the French, link up
with the Second Fleet, and return to Italian waters, docking in Rome.
Allied
Impulse II
In the diplomacy phase, the Netherlands is taken over by
the Commonwealth player, and Russia decides to implement border rectification
measures as it advances into Poland.
Already claiming Poland east of Brest-Litovsk without the price of a
single battle, and having occupied the Baltic States (with aircraft stationed
in Lithuania), the Russians demand Bessarabia from the Rumanians. (The option was between Finland to the north,
thinly defended by garrison units, and Rumania to the south where major
formations were already in motion; the Russians bank on the latter). Yet in a sudden twist of defiance, the
Rumanians deny the claim, and deploy their forces for immediate combat.
With the support of the
Royal Navy, the government in Amsterdam and the Dutch Navy at Rotterdam, with the
Germans at their doorstep and the 1st Corps shattered and overrun,
are shuttled safely to the UK. In the
Mediterranean, the undamaged ships at Malta sortie into the East Mediterranean.
The Rumanians deploy well enough to discourage an immediate
Russian advance, but their air-forces are still surprised, and Russian bombers
(an IL-4 and an I-153) immobilize the 2nd Rumanian Corps (Infantry).
The Russians move their southern forces to the Rumanian
border: the 40th Army (Garrison) is joined by a division of light
guns, the 2nd Corps (Cavalry), and the 8th Army
(Infantry) detrains from Lvov. In
Odessa, thinly defended against Rumanian cavalry, the 3rd Infantry
Division is joined by a division of heavy guns to deter any assault.
Axis Impulse
III
A piss-poor week to conduct operations. After the brief hiatus from clouds and rain,
snow blankets all of Europe and the weather brings rain to the Mediterranean
and South Temperate region of the world.
Needless to say, fine weather for fighting in Romania …
With Rumania and Russia in the middle of a war, and
seemingly without any possibility of it ending soon as snow settles on the
ground, the Germans and Hungarians reach a diplomatic agreement, aligning the
latter to the former. Hungary is thus
the newest member to join the Axis powers, and its army deploys to its border.
With the Netherlands unoccupied, the German forces their
complete its capture, moving into Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the border with
Belgium. In Poland, German armor moves
to the border with Russia despite the heavy snow.
Allied
Impulse III
Little activity in the rest of Europe as the snow
prohibits most reasonable combat, but the Russians at least move to press the Rumanian
flank. The 8th and 40th
Armies, supported by medium guns and the 3rd Infantry division –
from Odessa – move to press the 1st Rumanian Corps. The 2nd Corps (Cavalry) holds its
position, protecting the Russian flank.
Axis
Impulse IV
The weather worsens, halting all possible operations in
Europe. A Blizzard grips the Artic
(including part of Rumania), Snow blankets the rest of Europe, including the
Mediterranean, and a mix of rain and storms hit south of the equator.
With a heavy blizzard north of the border with Russia,
the Rumanians launch a ground strike on the heavy guns at Odessa without fear
of interception. Two IAR-37 bombers
strike the heavy guns in the middle of a heavy snow, and despite the inclement
weather, manage to immobilize them for the turn.
The Germans continue moving their forces East, their
Western border being rather secure.
Allied
Impulse IV
The British and the French spend this impulse
transporting badly needed reserves to France.
The British ship over the 8th Corps (Mechanized) with a
division of heavy guns to Hauts-de-France, and the French transport the Morocco
Mountain Corps to Marseilles.
With the Russians hampered by a blizzard, the armies
opposing the Rumanians neglect to launch an attack, but the medium artillery
supporting the 40th Army (Garrison) launches a preliminary
bombardment to soften up the 1st Rumanian Corps and the Rumanian
Cavalry Corps.
To support the offensive in Rumania, Timoshenko’s HQ
transfers from the Brest-Litovsk region to the border between Rumania and
Russia.
Axis
Impulse V
The blizzard and snow in Europe continues for another
week, but the snow in the Mediterranean warms and intensifies, leading to
almost consistent storms.
The Germans, now in complete control of the Netherlands,
resume their limited war on the British and French in France. With fighter protection too far back, 2
German bombers (Do-17s and Ju-88s) strike the factory at Metz and inflict the
loss of 1 production point.
The Italians reshuffle some naval forces and the
Romanians pass, preferring to hold the line in the midst of heavy snow.
Allied
Impulse V
Rather uneventful.
The French pass and the British and the Russians reshuffle some of their
forces.
Axis
Impulse VI
The weather turns horrid.
Blizzards rage from the artic all through the Mediterranean.
Due to the weather, the
Germans refuse to launch any attacks, but continue moving major reinforcements east. This includes the Hungarians who join Rundstedt’s
Army Group South. (von Bock commands
Army Group North).
Allied
Impulse VI
With
British reinforcements in France, the British and the French, led by Billotte,
prepare a major offensive into south-west Germany.
With continually poor
weather, the Russians under Timoshenko are still prohibited from launching
their offensive.
End of the
Turn Segment
The Germans begin justifying war against the USSR despite
their neutrality pact.
US gains 1 entry chit: +1
US Entry Option 4: The French CV Béarn is interned by the
Americans, and is added to their construction pool: +1 to the US Tension Pool.s
USSR declares war on Rumania: -1
(IT WAS AT THIS POINT, that I realized no units could be
within 3 hexes of the Brest-Litovsk line, so I moved everyone back 3 spaces).
Build
Points and left over Resources
Germany: 19 BP
USSR: 9 BP REMAINING BUILD POINTS: 1
CW: 6 BP
France: 3.25 BP REMAINING BUILD POINTS: 1.25
US: 10 BP
Italy: 4 BP
Gearing
Limits (+1)
Germany: 3 Air, 7 Land, 3 Naval
USSR: 1 Air, 2 Land, 1 Naval
CW: 1 Air, 2 Land, 4 Naval
France: 2 Land, 1 Naval
US: 2 Land, 1 Naval
Italy: 1 Air, 3 Land, 2 Naval
Construction
Phase
The Germans begin producing more Do-17s, lay down the Prinz
Eugen, the cruiser Schlesien (a dreadnought-era design), and begin training a
division of Panzer-Jaeger Is, the Munich Corps (MIL), and the 48th
Corps (Armored).
The Russians begin producing 45mm AT guns, SB-2RK
bombers, and they lay down naval transport ships.
The British begin training the 7th Indian
Corps (Garrison) and they start to outfit the CV Formidable.
The French begin training the Metz Corps (MIL).
The US lays down a new unit of submarines and they start
training the 29th Corps (Mountain) and the 32nd Corps
(Motorized).
The Italians begin training the Napoli Corps (MIL) and
lay down naval transport ships.
Peace Phase
With the fighting stalled in Rumania, the Germans force a
truce between the Russians and the Rumanians.
In exchange for diplomatic leniency, the Rumanians relinquish control of
Bessarabia.
Peace is made! Rumania returns to a state of neutrality
at the cost of Bessarabia. Is this a
worthwhile cost for Stalin? Only time will tell …