Blog: The grand Strategy Game.

[Narvik]

@Narvik

FRANCE - TURN 2 - WINTER 39/1940

Daladier, aka the “Bull”, is stood down after he failed to aid Poland and Finland. (In center of the image)
Reynauld is new french player (aka prime minister) (Far left in the image) His mistress, Helene de Portes, aka “the Parrot”, the most powerful woman in France, also very anti-british and pro-Axis, is now in play. She is the one sitting in a red chair in the image.

Daladier want to move the French Army into Holl/Belgium, since the muddy terrain there is easy to defend. Both Pierlot (Belg player far right) and queen Wilhelmina (Holl player) says no.

Hans Oster (Ge) warn colonel Sas (Holl/Belg) that the attack on Norway is imminent.
The Paris Group (french uranium scientists) now purchase all heavy water (200 liter) from Norway, just to prevent Adolf from getting it (in case he attack Norway)

Purchase:
Normandy 105: BB (Richely),
Fra: FTR, BMB, 3 Inf, Art, AA-gun
Romania: Inf (It’s still allied to France)

Non-comb move:

110: Tranny to 112, pick up cargo (heavy water), to 110, off load cargo into Normandy

S. Fra. Inf (Pol) to Normandy

Normandy 105: CV (Bearn) with gold as cargo, to 106 Can to purchase Cash & Carry aircraft

[Narvik]

@Narvik
ROUND 3 - MAR APR MAY
Germany Turn 3 Spring 1940

Adolf DOW Denmark, Norway and Holl/Belgium without prior warning.

Stauping surrender, and Denmark become a protectorat run by Germany. They must de-mobilize the Inf, but can keep the old gunboat.

Johan (Norway) is a viking and don’t take BS from anybody and will fight to the bitter end.

King Leopold III take responsibility and surrender before the politicians do something stupid that can ruin Holl/Belgium. A brave act indeed, but now his new names are “King Rat” and “The Traitor King”. He can live with that.

[Narvik]

@Narvik

ROUND 3 MAR-APR-MAY

Germany TURN 3 Spring 1940

Purchase: Sub, TAC, BMB, Tank, Art, 3 Inf, Mech, AA-gun

Combat move

INVASION OF DENMARK
W. Ge: Mech attack> Denmark Inf
Denmark loss: INf

BATTLE OF NARVIK:
W. Ge: 2 BMB, DD, Sub, Tranny with Mountain Inf attack> sz 126 Gunboat (NOR), DD (UK)
Loss: Gunboat (NOR) DD (UK)
Tranny off load the Mnt Inf in Narvik, wich is empty since the norwegian Inf is guarding the border to USSR up north. Norway should really be cut in 3 territories, but in this case I use the “Contestet Territory” rule from A&A 1914 and D-day
Also, this is the day war correspondent Giles Romilly, Churchills nephew, is arrested in Narvik when documenting the landing, and taken to Colditz Castle.

BATTLE OF SOUTH NORWAY
W. Ge: 2 CA, 3 DD, Tranny with Inf and AA-gun, Skytrain with airborne Inf attack> Norway: Coastal Fort
Ge loss: CA + Norway loss: Fort

Norway is still a contestet territory

Rotterdam Blitz:
W. Ge: 2 BMB, Tac SBR> Holl/Belgium (50% damage to the largest Port in Europe)
(Adolf promised he would not do it if they surrendered, but they did not surrender fast enough.

INVASION OF HOLL/BELG
W. Ge: 3 FTR, 3 Tanks, 4 Mech, 4 Art, 10 Inf attack> Holl/Belg 7 Inf, Fort, AA-gun
Holl/Belg loss: King Leo III surrender all units without rolling defending dice.
Adolf now give the famous “Stop Order” (In german “Der Halte Befehl” because Goring promise to take Dieppe by air only. In my Blog Dieppe is located in Normandy.)

Non-comb move

Operation Hartmut:
sz 112: 3 Subs to sz 111 to form a sub screen, protecting the invasion fleet. This is the famous torpedo failure incident.
124 BB to 112
W. Ge: AA-gun to Holl/Belg

Holocaust: Auschwitz opens in Poland

To sum the manpower up, at this point Germany should have 4 200 000 men in the Army, that equals to 42 land units in my Blog. (since most land units are 100 000 men) They are distributed like this:
Holl/Belg: 22 units
W. Ge 6 Blockhouse units but I think one of this units is 50 000 men, and the newly mobilized purchase of Tank, Art, 3 Inf and Mech, and also Tanks are just 50 000 men.
Norway: 2 full land units, the AA-gun is less than 20 000 men, and the Paratroops are 7 000 men only. Funny thing is the same Paratroop unit was used first in Denmark, then in Norway, and then i Holl/Belg, But since a Turn in my Blog is 3 months, a unit can only be used in one spot, so then it is used in Norway. The reason is that the take over of Norway could only happen with a paratroop unit, but Holl/Belg would have happened with or without any airborne units.

[Narvik]

@Narvik

USSR Turn 3 Spring 1940

The Sovjet Politburo Meeting: Stalin, Molotov, Beria and Kalinin agree to kill as many poles as possible. Both Stalin and Beria had been choir boys at Gori Church School, and loved to sing and play the piano.

Purchase: TAC, Tank, 2 Inf, Mech

Non-comb move

Katyn Massacre: 25 000 poles killed (some sources say 40 000, the estimates differ)

[Narvik]

@Narvik

Japan T 3 Spring 1940

Tokyo Kid (Hirohito) now establish the Nanjing Government and collaborist Army (ROC) and collaborist navy (ROCN) to fight CCP (Red Army in China). Wang Jingwey is the leader (player). Both Wang, emperor Puyi and prince De is gathered in the Game Room to get some pep-talk.

Purchase:
Jap: Sub, BMB, Inf
Kiangsu: DD (ROCN) and 2 Inf (ROC)

As a matter of fact, this DD unit represent 2 light cruisers, Ning Hai and Ping Hai, 19 warships, 12 gunboats and 24 small gunboats.

Combat

Bomb campaign: Kingsu BMB SBR> Szchwan dam

Kiangsu: 2 Inf, Art, Tank, TAC attack> Kwangsi: 4 Inf
Jap Loss: Inf + KMT loss: 4 Inf

[Narvik]

@Narvik

USA Turn 3 Spring 1940

FDR’s Fireside Chat this time is: On National Defense. He moves his fleet to Pearl Harbour, just to deter Japan from doing something stupid.

FDR sign a Tonnage Agreement with Per Albin (SWE), and charter 900 000 tons of merchant shipping from Sweden. Adolf charter the other 900 000 tons just to make it balanced.

FDR also sign a Tech Agreement with Per Albin (SWE). USA now got a license to produce the famous 40 mm Bofors AA-gun.

As usual the America First commite are making a fuss, with Charles Lindberg insisting to keep USA neutral, and calling FDR a warmonger, dictator and demanding impeachment. Lindberg is left in the image. FDR sit with Missy LeHand, his personal secretary, and Fala, his scottish terrier. Per Albin is right in the image.

Purchase: Tranny, Tank
Cash & Carry: to UK: FTR, to France: CV-air

Non-comb move

Fleet to Pearl Harbour and the Fleet Problem XXI exercise:
San Diego sz 10: CV with 2 Air, 3 BB, 5 CA, 2 DD, 2 Sub, Tranny w Inf, FTR to sz 26 Hawaii

Finland sz 127 Tranny (US) pick up princess Martha of Norway and swedish Bofors gun with drawings, move to sz123, headed to USA.

[Narvik]

@Narvik

China T 3 spring 1940

Purchase:
KMT: 3 Inf
CCP: Inf

[Narvik]

@Narvik

UK Turn 3 Spring 1940

Norway Debate - the most decisive meeting of the war:
Chamberlain resign. Churchill is the new UK-player
His first order is to mobilize the Home Guard.

Queen Wilhelmina form Holland government in exile in London
Pierlot form Belgian government in exile in London

[Narvik]

@Narvik

UK Turn 3 Spring 1940

Purchase:
UK: CA, DD, FTR, BMB, Tank, Art, 5 Inf, AA-gun
Canada: Inf + L/L Mech to UK.
South Africa: Inf
Turkey: 2 Inf, Art, paid by UK

Combat:
UK: BMB SBR> W. Ge
UK loss: BMB

INVASION OF ICELAND
UK 119: BB, CA, DD, Tranny w Inf to sz 123, attack> Iceland (empty) place national token
UK 119: DD to sz 124, attack> Faroe Island (empty) place national token

Second battle of Narvik:
UK 119: BB, DD attack> sz 126 DD, Sub, Tranny Ge
Ge loss: all

Plan R4:
UK 119: CA, Tranny w Inf to sz 105, amphibious assault> Nor: Inf, Mnt Inf, Paratrooper (Ge)
UK loss: Inf

The Belgian Trap:
Norm: FTR, Tank, Art, 2 Inf attack> Holl/Belg: 3 Tank, 4 Mech, 4 Art, 10 Inf, AA-gun
UK loss: all

Non-comb move

BEF, UK: Tranny w 2 Inf to Normandy

Can 106 Tranny w Inf (Can) + Mech (L/L to UK) to 119 UK

S. Af: Tranny w Inf to Kenya

Gib sz 92: Tranny w Tank (Desert Rats) to 98 Egypt

Egypt: Tranny w Inf (Punjab) to Iraq
sz 77 Tranny w Inf (ANZAC) to Trans Jordan
sz 58: Tranny w Inf (ANZAC) to sz 76

US: FTR (cash & carry) to Canada

[Narvik]

@Narvik

Italy T 3 Spring 1940

Purchase:
It: BB (Roma)
Yugo: Inf
Hung: Inf
Greece: Inf

Non-comb move

It: Tranny w Tank, Inf to Libya
It: FTR to libya
It: Tranny w Inf to Ethiopia
It: TAC to Ethiopia

sz 91 DD (SWE) to sz 124 Faroe Isl.

No image

[Narvik]

@Narvik

ANZAC & UK Pac T 3 Spring 1940

Purchase:
India: 2 Inf (milits)
Aus: Inf

No image

[Narvik]

@Narvik

France Turn 3 Spring 1940

Purchase:
FRA: Tank, 3 Inf, Art
Romania: Inf

Comb

THE BELGIAN TRAP
Fra: 2 FTR, TAC, 3 Tank, 2 Mech, 2 Art, 4 Inf attack> Holl/Belg: 3 Tank, 4 Mech, 4 Art, 10 Inf, AA
FRA loss: all + Ge loss: Inf

Non-comb move

Norm 110: Tranny w heavy water to UK (deny Adolf making the bomb)
Op. Ariel: Norm 110: Tranny pick up Inf (FRA) + Inf (POL) to UK

Evacuation of the Fleet:
Norm 105: BB to sz 92 Algerie
Norm 105: BB, CA, DD, Sub to sz 87 Dakar
CA in sz 88 Fren. Guyana
S. FRA (Toulon) 93: BB, CA, 3 DD, Sub to sz 94 Tunisia

[Narvik]

@Narvik

ROUND 4 - june july august

GERMANY TURN 4 SUMMER 1940

The second Vienna Award:
Adolf tell king Carol II (Romania) to give Transsilvania to Hungary and Bessarabia to USSR.
Also he must give all the Ploesti oil to Germany.
Now Romania will get protection from Adolf.

Trade Agreement with Finland:
Germany get nickel from Finland.
Finland get protection.

Image left to right: king Carol II (Rom), Mannerheim (Fin), Adolf (Ge), Horthy (Hung)

[Narvik]

@Narvik

ROUND 4 - JUNE JULY AUGUST 1940

GERMANY TURN 4 SUMMER 1940

Purchase: BB (Bismarck + Prinz Eugen) Tank, Art, 3 Inf

combat move

OPERATION PAULA
W. Ge: 2 BMB SBR> Paris FTR
Fra loss: FTR + Dam

OPERATION JUNO
112 BB attack> 125 CA, Tranny (UK) + DD (NOR)
UK loss: CA
BB retreat to sz 112

KANALKAMPF
W. Ge: BMB, Sub attack> 109 conv (loss 4 conv. points)
W. Ge: BMB attack> 105 Lancastria sunk (loss 3 conv points)
W. Ge: FTR, TAC, Sub attack> 110 CA, 4 DD, Tranny, 2 FTR (scrambled) (UK) + DD, Tranny (FRA)
Ge loss: all + FRA loss DD + UK loss FTR
W. Ge: Sub attack> 119 conv (loss 3 conv points)
W. Ge: Sub attack> 111 conv (loss 2 conv points)

Convoy disruption 12 IPC total

FALL ROT, THE FINAL BATTLE OF FRANCE
Holl/Belg: 3 Tanks, 5 Mech, 2 Art + 2 TAC attack> FRA: 6 Inf, 3 Art, + 5 Forts (Maginot Line)
Ge loss: TAC, Tank, Mech + FRA loss: all

NON-COMB MOVE
W. GE: CA (Comet) to sz 127 in transit to Pacific
Afrika Korps: Ge: Tank to N. Italy

Bessarabia: Inf (Rom) to Romania

[Narvik]

@Narvik

USSR TURN 4 SUMMER 1940

Stalin give ultimatum to the Baltic States: Join USSR and become puppet regimes.
Konstantin Ulmani hesitate and go to GULAG. The other comply.
Stalin also want Bessarabia and king Carol II is ok with that
Also Trotsky is killed in Mexico

PURCHASE: FTR, Tank, 2 Inf Mech

non-comb move
Occupation of Baltic:
Belo: 2 Tanks, 4 Inf to Baltic States. Inf Baltic removed and 150 000 civilians deportet to GULAG

Occupation of Bessarabia:
W. Ukr: Tank, Art, 5 Inf to Bessarabia. 130 000 civilians deportet to GULAG

[Narvik]

@Narvik

JAPAN TURN 4 SUMMER 1940

11 british spyes are arrested in Tokyo, never to be seen again.

PURCHASE
Jap: Tranny, FTR
Kiangsu Art (jap) + 2 Inf (ROC)

combat

Kiangsu: BMB SBR> Szechwan = damage

non-comb move

Kiangsu: 2 Inf (ROC) to Anhwe
Anhwe: 2 Inf, Art (JA) to Kiangsi

[Narvik]

@Narvik

USA TURN 4 SUMMER 1940

Welles declaration: No recognition to USSR occupation of Baltic States

Havana declaration: Attack on one American state is attack on all.

FDR sign Naval Expansion Act: 2 Ocean Navy

Prcincess Martha of Norway move into the White House.
Einstein become US citizen.
Wendel Wilky run for president. (Alternate timeline: Would this have changed anything?)
Churchill and Reynauld ask FDR for aid.
General Pershing want aid to UK and France

America First: Lindbergh and Joseph Kennedy want USA to stay out of the war, because they belive Germany will win.

TECH :Make AA-guns based on swedish 40 mm bofors guns, best in the world
PURCHASE:
East coast: DD, FTR, Inf
West: Marines
Cash & Carry to UK: FTR, BMB

non-comb move
sz 123 Tranny with princess Martha and Bofors gun to sz 101 US

The Eagle Squadron is formed in USA. To UK next Turn

Left to right: Kennedy, Lindbergh, Fala, Missy LeHand, Wells, Martha, FDR, W.C, Reynald and Einstein

[Narvik]

@Narvik

CHINA TURN 4 SUMMER 1940

Chiang (KMT) and Mao (CCP) argue. Chiang thinks that Mao contribute too little to the war effort. Lets see if Mao will contribute more the next turns.

PURCHASE
KMT: 3 Inf
CCP: Inf

no image

[Narvik]

@Narvik

UK TURN 4 SUMMER 1940

THE SILENT ALLY :King Haakon VII of Norway and Johan (NOR) form government in exile in London. They control NORTRASHIP, worlds largest ship company, with 1000 merchant ships of 5.5 million tons. That is 7% of world tonnage.
UK charter 570 ships (3.3 mill ton)
USA charter 280 ships (2.2 mill ton)
Unfortunately Ge seize 200 ships that were in Norway during the invasion.
Also 30 ships is at swedish ports.

PSILANDER INCIDENT: Churchill use “Right of Angary” to seize the DD (SWE) in sz 124 Faroe Isl. Per Albin (SWE) don’t love this, but after some sweet talk, Churchill let the DD (SWE) sail home to Sweden, and the 30 norwegian merchant ships (Kvarstad) in swedish ports can now sail to UK.

ANGLO-PERSIAN OIL AGREEMENT: Churchill and Reza make a deal
ANGLO-THAI NON AGGRESSION AGREEMENT : Churchill and Phibun are now friends
Ed Benes form Czech government in exile in London, Mob one Inf (Czech)

MEETING AT TOURS: Churchill, Beaverbrook (Max Aitkens) and Halifax (Holy Fox) have a very decisive meeting with Reynauld and his mistress Helene de Portes. W.C. want France to keep on fighting, but Helene, who is very pro-Axis, want France to surrender. And then France surrendered.

[Narvik]

@Narvik

UK TURN 4 SUMMER 1940

TECH Cavity Magnetron is invented, make ASV Radar that give DD’s a great advantage over Subs
Purchase
UK: DD, Sub, FTR, BMB, Art, Inf, AA-gun + Inf (Czech)
Can: Inf (Can) + Mech (LL to UK)
Turkey: 2 Inf, Art paid by UK
S.A: Inf

COMBAT
UK: BMB SBR> N. Italy =fiasco 0 damage
(Haddock Force in S. Fra was denied to take off by Reynauld)

NON-COMB MOVES

DUNKIRK EVACUATION (OP DYNAMO)
sz 110: CA, 4 DD, Tranny bridge 2 Inf (UK) to UK

MALTA CONVOY
Alex 98: BB, CA, DD, Sub, Tranny w supply to sz 96 Malta

Egypt: FTR to Kenya
S.A: Tranny w Inf to Kenya
India: Tranny Inf to Iraq
US. Cash & Carry FTR to Canada

124 Faroe Isl: DD (SWE) to 113 Swe
Norway: Inf(North- NOR) demobilized (Nor. Army surrender)
125 DD (NOR) to 119 UK

no image