Allies: John Pack (Bid: 1.5 POC)
Axis: John Sharp
Report by John Pack
It was close to a picture perfect Med game. The German fleet took the free POC (Barents and Baltic) on Turn One while the Italians lost 4 ships to 2. The POC stayed at zero as the subs denied the North Atlantic for no losses. Turn Two was almost identical with the Italians losing 3 ships to 1. Turn Three saw the Italians once again lose the Med – but only lose 1 ship to 2 Allied. The U-Boats stayed safe, but that finally moved the POC to +1 Allied.
Turn Four saw the Italians finally win the Med and stave off surrender while trading one BB. The U-Boats break the attempt at a blockade and send Convoy 1A back to the USA with 2 damage. POC is unchanged.
Turn Five with two Americans and a Russian available, the Kriegsmarine and full U-Boat fleet heads to the North Atlantic where Convoy 2B has finally set sail while 1A repairs. Bad news starts early for the Axis – as Tirpitz and a 225 miss speed rolls. The other two 225s are in the Baltic where they easily sink Marat. The ASW is lame (sinking two U-Boats and disabling one). The U-Boats sink the convoy. Ark Royal disables Scharnhorst while Graf Zeppelin disables Rodney. In the first round of combat, Gneisenau and Graf Zeppelin (shooting) are sunk while a cruiser is disable. The Germans look to make a crushing response – but sink only Norfolk while crippling and disabling Revenge and disabling Nelson. That leaves a pretty even fight. But not for long as New York lands two lucky hits on Bismarck for 10 damage and Prinz Eugen is disabled. New York takes 1 damage. The remaining German cruiser withdraws without pursuit (as the Allies won’t risk Wichita’s ASW for next turn). When Littorio is sunk (to finish off all original Italian ships), the POC jumps to an Allied lead of 7.
On Turn Six, the Allies are back to the blockade in full strength. Convoy 3C sets sail. ASW in North Atlantic, Barents, and North Sea is 12, 15, and 20 respectively. The Axis elect to use the full wolfpack in the North Sea as the rest of the Americans have joined the war and they need to spread the Allies over all four Atlantic areas on Turn 7. The ASW, which has been abysmal for the whole game, now rolls two hits and seven disables. That draws an Axis surrender before Impero and the Luftwaffe went up against Howe and Royal Sovereign [-2].
John had both excellent (Pack) and tragic (Sharp) luck. I had amazing luck in almost every Med battle, in the key North Atlantic battle, and on the final ASW. John, not so much. Better luck in your next game, John!
FINAL GAME RESULT: Allied victory - end of Turn 6 (Allied lead of 8.5 POC after the bid)
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