I agree with Moses and Horton too.

If you ask the question, did Allied strategic bombing by itself bring Germany to its knees, then the answer is, no. But you’d be asking for too much.

In the '20s and 30s there were airpower advocates (like Billy Mitchell in the U.S.)who predicted that future wars would be won by bombers alone. These people were proved wrong in WWII, but this lack of total success should not cause one to go the opposite extreme and say the effort did no good.

Allied bombing was one of the major reasons for the defeat of Germany. Although it did not stop Axis production, it hindered it greatly, and as Moses points out so well it destroyed the Luftwaffe by drawing it out to fight against unfavorable odds. By June 6, 1944, the Luftwaffe just wasn’t around anymore in France. And that total control of the air is what enabled the Allies to take Normandy and then the rest of France.

Aren’t you leaving Karelia too lightly defended? Why not just picket Caucasus with one infantry and put everything else within range in Karelia? Let the Germans take Caucasus in turn 1. You can retake it and probably Ukraine in the next turn.

I like the stack of infantry in Yakut though.

Kesselring started off the war commanding Luftwaffe airfleets in Poland, then France, then against England. In March 1941, Hitler sent him to Rome to be the German co-commander of the Italian/German effort in Africa. Rommel reported to Kesselring. So Rommel was the field commander in Africa, but Kesselring directed the larger effort. He didn’t leave Italy until March 1945. That’s about all I know of Kesselring, and as far as I know he is the only WWII general to command both air and land armies.

Hess

Another Axis & Allies club where you can play by e-mail is International Axis and Allies Players Association at http://www.axisandallies.net. They also support CD Rom play and face to face board games.

Not allowing Russia to attack in its first turn is a recognized variation in the official rules which serves to even things up a bit for the Axis. You can play it either way.

Try having the Russians invade Manchuria or the British invade Kwantung in their respective first moves. These are risky strategies and often backfire, but it’s worth a try as an alternative. Placing an IC in India is generally a sound move, and, yes, eventually the Japs do tend to take it over and use it to their advantage, but it helps slow them down, which is what you want to do. The Japanese will usually end up pressing Moscow, but if you slow their advance down enough to allow the US & UK to come to Russia’s assistance in time, you can beat them back. Good luck.

Going eastward in the Pacific (to Hawaii, Alaska, or even Australia) has a sentimental appeal, because it is what the Japanese actually did, or tried. But it won’t win you the game. As the others mention, who like me have probably learned the hard way, you have to get on the Asian mainland in force, the sooner the better.

To Chombie: for AAP info, look at http://donsessays.freeservers.com.

Good to have you back! You have a great site.