Storm Clouds Gathering (4-player game)

[Orm]

The BB continues to the West Med. Intercept?

No picture can be made just now.

[NatRapsEno]

No intercept

I won't consider an intercept except for transports or carriers.

[Orm]

Jul/Aug '41
Impulse #1 (Allied)

Naval movement continued:

CW:
TRS + MIL Australia -> SE Ind O
TRS + INF Calcutta -> Red Sea
TRS + GARR Liverpool -> CSV
Liner Suez -> Cape Basin
2 BB + 4 CA + CL -> West Med 3-box
Most remaining ships leave ports on escort duty.
CP Arabian Sea -> Aden
CP Persian Gulf -> Bombay
No other CP is moved
(BBs from Port Said sailed out into the Atlantic)

USA:
Escorts to the East Coast

CW begin searching in the Italian Coast. No air added (one NAV2 on Malta available).

Axis has plenty of air to use here. Will any fly?

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[NatRapsEno]

Sparviero from Palermo to the 2 box. That's it

[Orm]

Jul/Aug '41
Impulse #1 (Allied)

CW find in the Italian Coast (2-7), and sink the CP. Then the SUBs stay out of further combat.

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[Orm]

Jul/Aug '41
Impulse #1 (Allied)

CW search in the East Med next. One NAV2, from Malta, is added to the 1-box.

Plenty of Axis air available. Will any fly?

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[Orm]

I will take a break now. Not sure how long but I expect it to be at least two hours.

[NatRapsEno]

BF 109 from Athens to the 0 box, that's it.

[Orm]

Jul/Aug '41
Impulse #1 (Allied)

Axis finds in the East Med (5-2). Avoid combat?

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[Orm]

Meanwhile, in the Western Mediterranean the Royal Navy hunt for Italian shipping. RAF aid the search with one FTR2 to the 0-box.

Any Axis air added?

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[NatRapsEno]

Avoid in East Med. No support in West Med

[Orm]

Jul/Aug '41
Impulse #1 (Allied)

CW find, and include both boxes (1-10).

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[Orm]

How should the results on the Italian ships be allocated?

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[NatRapsEno]

X on CP and Fiume. Abort zone to La Spezia

[Orm]

One damaged cruiser each, along with the sunk Italian CP.

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[NatRapsEno]

I need to be away for a couple hours, do you need me for anything else this impulse?

[Orm]

No, thank you. I do not expect any more input needs.

I will retire for the night now. Expect to continue tomorrow.

[Orm]

Jul/Aug '41
Impulse #1 (Allied)

No strategic bombing. No ground strikes.

Rail movement:
USSR:
4-3 INF Kiev -> Vilna

Land Movement:

USSR:
5-4 INF Persia -> 2 hexes west

CH Com
MIL 4-2 -> SE
INF 4-3 -> W of Yenan
INF 6-3 -> NE
INF DIV 1-4 E of Tianshui

CH Nat
CAV 2-4 -> W
CAV 3-4 -> SE,SE,SE


Air Rebase:

USSR:
3 LND4 along western USSR -> towards Persia

CH
FTR2 I-16->Kweilin

CW:
FTR2 Port Sudan -> Southern Egypt
FTR2 Bayonne -> Port Sudan

No reorganization.

Save sent.

[Orm]

CW surprisingly cut the supply for the Axis forces in Egypt. This made CW consider ground striking Axis units there. This, in turn, made me consider whether it is possible to activate a supply unit during the opponents impulse, or not. The rule states that it can be done at any time, but I suspect that is not implemented.

Any thoughts on how to handle activation of supply units?

[Orm]

Axis strategy has revealed itself! Due to the stout resistance offered by the French and English forces in France, the Axis high command did not believe it was possible to mount a successful attack on the Soviet Union in 1941. The Axis did not want the Soviets to know this until the May/June turn came and went. An elaborate ruse by Japan to make it appear the Japanese were going to attack in May/June, most likely in combination with the Germans, hopefully helped deceive the Soviets. These Swedes are very savvy so I doubt they fell for it, but that was the Axis deception strategy.

We suspected that Axis would not attack USSR this summer, but we concluded that it was better to act as if Axis would attack. It could cost if one were wrong and Germany attacked when USSR was not prepared.

This affected both USSR, and CW. So the deception surely had an impact on the game.