Years of Jolly Carnage – a multiplayer AAR
Part XXI - One offensive each for the Allies and the Axis
Authors note: Players are UK, CAN, SU, GER, ITA, JAP
FRA/IRL player acting USSR for a while as that player had difficulties to comply with our gaming dates
In the last chapter Spain fell to the Germans and so did Gibraltar. The Med also saw some naval combat again with new clashes between Regia Marina and Royal Navy. The battle now rages mostly in the air and at sea as Axis and Allies have very few front lines facing each other. The only real frontline is Burma where things have been fairly peaceful for a month or two, except some minor skirmishes.
September 5th, 1940
After the fall of Gibraltar, the world was taking a deep breath, and not much killing took place. In the face of the high losses of UK tonnage it came as a small victory that the British raiders patrolling the opening of the Baltic Sea finally started to sink German tonnage again. It could only mean that Germany had started up new trades. Did it also mean that they started to run short on something? Well, you could always hope. The convoy raids continued and continuously sank tonnage on the same route.
September 16th,
More than two weeks after the fall of Gibraltar came the next attack on the Empire. It was a God forsaken Island so far away that the British leadership had all forgotten about it. The loss was not that catastrophic. It only made a small article in the news.
The British leadership was at this point very suspicious about the silence from the Axis. What were they planning? What were they waiting for?
September 19th, 1940
At this point, the British leadership had gotten the fix idea that Germany planned an attack on the British Isles itself. The Royal Navy was now spread thinly over the world, and Axis knew this, and a decisive attack from Kriegsmarine could possibly open up for a landing.
The brand new heavy bomber squadron made an attack at Kiel and bombed away about half of the industries there. Also, they found no major troop concentrations or navy here. It did not mean much though. Germany could still prepare the invasion in a port out of the range of the heavy bombers.
September 21st-22nd, 1940
Italian bombers had conducted raids over Malta for a couple of days without Britain having the possibility to send aid. Finally, the 21st, Sholto-Douglas and three squadrons of Hurricanes intercepted the bombers and shot down plenty without particular losses (the losses seen are ‘old’ that haven’t been reinforced yet). The Italians reacted by sending fighters, and now things went worse for the Brits. After a few sessions of wild dog-fights, the Hurricanes had to leave and it did not take long before the bombers returned.
September 24th-25th, 1940
In Cardiff, on the British mainland, the situation was somewhat similar. German bombing runs had made a mess out of the local industry, now just smoldering remnants. Leigh-Mallory managed to intercept them and concentrated the attacks on Jagtgeschwader “Richthofen” with such force that the entire squadron was obliterated. That was a small comfort for the people in the burning city of Cardiff.
RAF was now strained to its limits, having to defend against numerously superior opponents.
September 28th, 1940
In Burma it had been peaceful for more than a month. The Brits was happy over that, badly needing the break. However, as they had the air superiority here, they made occasional bombing runs to harass the Japs. It was said, as the crews were debriefed, that the Japanese troops seemed to be in a lousy state, not even shooting back anymore. Following these news, Fitzpatrick was sent into Kyangin to test the defenses of the enemy.
The intel from the bomber crews were correct. The Japs badly lacked supply and made a poor defensive force. Needing some good news back home, the British leadership activated two tactical bomber groups and the heavy bombers to pound the invaders continuously while the ground forces started to move in positions for a broad offensive along the entire border of occupied Burma. The leadership sincerely hoped that the early summer bombing of roads and bridges in Rangoon had paid off.
September 30th, 1940
Not thinking much of the Regia Marina, the Brits patrolled the Med with a fairly weak task force. Still, as they sighted a less numerous Italian force, they immediately attacked, well in order and in good position. Still, the mighty Italian battle ships proved to make a distinct difference and the British Task force took hit after hit and started to pull back. Several ships from the Italian screen were hits as well, but as the Brits retreated, they were the only one that lost ships.
September 30th, 1940
Thinking they got away, they could not believe their eyes as Japanese naval planes flew out of the horizon, soon followed by a mighty fleet and attacked the already broken British Task Force. It was Yamamoto himself - the infamous Brit-Killer. The Brits scattered and tried to flee in the best possible way.
They were actually surprised afterwards, that only a light cruiser and a few destroyers were sunk. On the other hand, the remaining task force was in a desperately miserable state and would need a long haul at the dry docks of Alexandria before being operational again. This meant, which was extraordinary, that Britain no longer had any active Task Force in the Mediterranean. The few sub-hunter teams were instantly pulled back too. Axis now controlled the Med.
Cybwep July 14th, 1940: It is very much possible that the Axis powers want to create a link between themselves ranging from Spain to Japan. In such case they would be able to support each other to much greater extent than in a typical HOI3 game...
Authors Note: It seems you were absolutely right, Cybwep. Good call. Bad for me, though
October 2nd, 1940
The British offensive in Burma is rewarded with its first victory. The Japs lost Sandoway after short battle as their Guard division with light tanks moved to reinforce Kyangin were battle still raged.
October 3rd, 1940
Engaged at supporting the attack on Sandoway, Cunningham was attacked by yet another Japanese fleet. It turned out quite like so many other naval battles. A loss. Still, a Japanese heavy cruiser was sunk, but the amount of sunken British war ships started to raise alarms again. Churchill was still confident though, and relied on the sheer size of the royal navy while other men, lower in rank, started to doubt and mentioned more careful strategies.
Authors note: The last sentence describes my own ambivalence. I felt I just had to keep pushing the Japs in order to keep them off India and Sri Lanka. I felt I could take slightly higher losses and be ok… but it was just that the naval losses started to mount a little too high.
October 8th, 1940
With the Med more or less lost, the Allies could not do anything to stop an Italian landing near Tarabulus. The Fascists had reopened the battle of North Africa. The Spanish defenders, now fighting under Canadian flag, could not hold the city against the three Italian divisions. The British leadership could only sigh deeply. Another front. How much could a single country cope with against the might of the Axis?
October 10th, 1940
After two weeks of British offensives in Burma, the Japanese defense started to buckle slightly. They had a lack of supply and no air force. RAF could harass them continuously and the British Infantry had plenty of supplies and could press on relentlessly.
::Being based in Burma had good sides and bad sides, Joe Monaghan thought. The good side was that the Japanese air force was crap and the hurricanes could easily keep the sky clean. The bombing runs with their heavy bombers went without mishap. The bad side was that they were based in a small bloody air field in the middle of endless jungle. It was just nothing here that even was close to being civilized. It was just jungle, rain and thousands of various insects trying to suck you dry. Well, Joe decided, as long as I don’t get to see more fighters up close, I won’t complain… but a good looking woman with a broad smile and a promising glint in her eyes wouldn’t be bloody wrong.::
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UK is beeing under severe preassure in air, sea and on land. The naval losses are running away somewhat and with a Japanese fleet in the Med the balance there have tipped distinctively in Axis direction. The potential of the Burma offensive is like a ray of light in the darkness, though...
I still found it hard to predict Axis next move. It won't be no 1940 Barbarossa, obviously, so it will be more violence in the Med and with the Japanese navy in Europe and Kriegsmarine still virtually unhurt Axis had a great potential to go Seelöwe with Gibraltar open and all.