Decline & Fall AAR v2

[composer99]

JA44 Axis #2

Ground Strikes

Eastern Front

German and Bulgarian planes return to their airfields, spent of bombs and fuel.

(I forgot to mention previously, but the German fighters in Eastern Poland also flew to support the Stukas, deterring an interception effort by the USSR.)

[composer99]

JA44 Axis #2

Rail Movement

Denmark

Germany hastily redeploys militia formations to hold key sectors of Denmark against the possibility of an Allied landing there.

[composer99]

JA44 Axis #2

Land Movement

Italy

(There is one rail move shown on this map as well.)

The German army moves in an effort to stabilise the lines along the mountains. This effort is complicated by the Alps, as even the new SS alpine troops run into difficulties navigating the passes.

[composer99]

JA44 Axis #2

Land Movement

France

Taking advantage of the brief pause in Allied land operations, the Germans make good their retreat to the Seine river line.

[composer99]

JA44 Axis #2

Land Movement

Poland & Prussia

Save for blocking units in Riga and Kaunas, the Ostheer retires to the Neman river line. A hurried debate breaks out within OKW and OKH staffs as to whether to continue the withdrawal in this sector to the Vistula line, or hold at the Neman.

[composer99]

JA44 Axis #2

Land Movement

Poland & Rumania

In this sector, the Germans and their allies mostly stand fast, counting on the mountains and the disrupted Red Army forces to prevent much in the way of enemy action.

Unfortunately, the Red Army still has a gap they could potentially exploit into Transylvania.

Manstein and Model's HQs release reserves of supplies and manpower to reorganise the Luftwaffe and artillery forces that struck at the Red Army.

[composer99]

JA44 Axis #2

Naval Reorganisation

Manila

Japanese sealift flotillas resupply the merchant shipping in Manila (Japan uses its TRS and AMPH to reorganise the convoy points it rebased there this impulse).

[composer99]

Weather

The weather roll for the next two impulses means more of the same.

[composer99]

JA44

Allied Impulse #3

Actions

USA and Commonwealth both call air actions. USSR and China both call land actions. France calls a combined action.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Port Attack

Kiel

Gambling that German night fighters in scramble range won't deploy to protect the German fleet, given bomber streams en route to Germany (of which more later), carrier planes from the Indefatigable and Indomitable fly to Kiel, intending on bombing the Kriegsmarine.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Port Attack

Kiel

The German U-boats are protected by their submarine pens.

While German fighters didn't fly to defend the fleet, German intelligence picked up enough warning of the raid for the large fleet in harbour to be ready to rebuff the raiders.

Heavy German AA fire effectively destroys one of the carrier air groups. (The destroyed unit is not shown.)

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Port Attack

Kiel

Despite the losses, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm dealt sufficient damage to the Tirpitz to require a trip to drydock for repair (likely knocking it out of the war for the duration), and damaged the Admiral Hipper enough to force it to stay in port for the rest of August.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Naval Combat

South China Sea

Allied submarine squadrons in the stormy South China Sea continue the hunt for Japanese tankers and merchant shipping.

(As the CW and US are taking air impulses, the French activate for this combat. Suffice to say, the Allies commit their subs.)

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Naval Combat

South China Sea

Lacking the technological development the Allies have made in ASW, the Japanese convoy escorts are caught by surprise.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Naval Combat

South China Sea

Although surprised, the Japanese escorts are numerous enough to pose a risk to the attacking submarine squadrons, who have to act cannily to avoid taking heavy losses (Allies spend 4 surprise to reduce damage inflicted).

Nevertheless, the French and US squadrons that participated are both forced to return to base due to depth charge damage.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Naval Combat

South China Sea

Taking advantage of the poor weather, the Allied submarine squadrons prioritise degrading the IJN's capabilities, and the Fuso is hit by several torpedoes. (The Allies spend 3 surprise to pick a target, and 4 surprise to increase damage.)

While the damage wasn't severe enough to risk sinking, the Fuso is forced to limp back to Japan for repairs.

Even so, the submarines are able to sink tankers shipping oil to Japan.

With merchant shipping in the area eliminated for the time being, the Royal Navy submarine squadrons that remain in place dive and escape further notice, ending the combat.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Strategic Bombing

Air raid sirens ring out at Hamburg and Essen as Allied bombers arrive en masse.

An evacuation is called for at the synthetic oil plant in the woods southeast of Hamburg, as bombers turn up there, as well.

With the relative paucity of German fighter defences, the Allied raids are escorted and are daytime raids.

German night fighters scramble to defend the synthetic oil. Losing production is bad, but losing oil could be crippling.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Strategic Bombing

Synthetic Oil

The air battle is one of the few successes the Luftwaffe can boast of, as the night fighters manage to savage the RAF fighter squadrons. Unfortunately, they themselves are disrupted to the extent that they are unable to interfere with the bombing raid.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Strategic Bombing

Hamburg

Perhaps it's the Norden sights...

Flights of B-29 Superfortresses and Lancasters swarm over Hamburg, levelling its industrial core.

Vast swathes of the city are laid waste.

In the aftermath of the raid, the local Gau officials (regional Nazi administrators) report to Berlin that it will require months to restore Hamburg's industries such that they can again contribute to the war effort, as well as resources that the already stretched German war economy can ill afford to divert from more pressing priorities.

[composer99]

JA44 Allied #3

Strategic Bombing

USAAF B-29s from the 8th Air Force disable key elements of the synthetic oil plant, severely reducing its output of oil, although they are not able to destroy the plant completely.