It's War!

 "This morning the British ambassador in Berlin handed the German government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany." Neville Chamberlain, 1939

China had already been fighting the Japanese since 1937 but most people focus on the German invasion of Poland as the starting point of the Second World War.

Germany declared war on Poland and its planes launched ground strikes flipping over the defenders in Lodz and Warsaw then its ground trooops shattered the defenders in Western Poland with no losses. The US Entry penalty for such actions turned out to be 3.  The Italians moved their sub into the Red Sea.

Japan moved the Tokyo militia and China from Japan and its Manchurian-based HQ towards N China. Japan launched a air and ground attack on the Chinese 3-4 Cavalry unit to the SE and destroyed it with no losses. Heres's a picture with the Chinese unit destroyed in the forest hex, the 4-3 moved into the vacant hex afterwards. Yamamoto reorganised the transport.

 

Now its the turn of the Allies. France and the UK declared war on Germany which caauses the loss of the US entry marker. The UK launched a surprise strategic bombing attack on the Ruhr causing some damage to build points and its fleets deployed into the North Sea and some into the Faroes Gap to search for the subs the Germans placed there in their impulse. France deployed its reserves as the BEF deployed to France. The Polish airforce moved to neutral Hungary and the pilots started making their way to the UK to join the RAF. The Soviet Union moved into E Poland and annexed it. The US moved a transport towards Phillipines to get MacArthur.

Germany deployed its reserves in response to the AngloFrench declaration of war - some of it near the Danish border whilst  their invasion forces took Lodz and closed on Warsaw. the transport moved a garrison corps to reinforce Hainan. The Japanese hammered some Chinese Nationalist divisions

The Commonwealth adopted Churchill's plan to mine the Norwegian coast to block Swedish resources reaching Germany in the winter. This bold move could have backfired with the Norwegians and the US but luckily Norway recognised the nature of Hitler and start sending their large merchant navy to join the UK. France readjusted its units towards the Belgian border and the BEF stuck to the coast so can run away if needed. The Soviets moved their cavalry mechanised group and an infantry army into the Baltic states to annexe them.

Just as the Germans stormed Warsaw heavy rains hit and the disorganised but valiant Poles destroyed an SS division and an infantry corps before being destroyed themselves. Units were railed towards the Frennch/ Belgian/ Netherlands borders whilst strong infantry corps marched ominously towards Danish border.The Japanese moved their two mrine corps using transports and lnding craft to Poochow on the Chinese coast to block a Chinese advance towards it. The Italians moved their SM79 bomber to Albania and railed their infantry division to Taranto. What are they up to? The Commonwealth warily move the African ships to  the Azanian sea whilst moving a small aircraft carrier plus escorts from Australia to the Indian Ocean. A transport sails to base in Nigeria where colonial troops wait to be picked up.

The Allies all Passed to increase the chance of ending the Turn and stopping Germany's preparations for their next offensive and succeeded in ending the Turn.

Most Allied navy units returned to base but some ships remained at sea in convoy zones that might be subject to Axis sub attack whilst the Italian sub moved to the Italian base in Eritrea to become a potential threat in the Indian Ocean. The Commonwealth move their naval assets to the East of Africa to base in Aden.

The Nazis draw 2 entry markers and put them as offensive whilst the Soviets draw their marker and place it as a defensive marker. The US ends up drawing only one entry marker against Germany/ Italy.

Another house rule I am using is that the CW can use oil from Venezuala (and Texas) as both for production and for fuelling activities. This better reflects the historical situation that the Allis had far more oil than the Axis who were always short.

The Commonwealth noted with concern that the Italians were building marines and amphibious landing ships and the Germans were also building amphibious landers - a warning that they intended to launch a seaborne invasion of the UK. The Commonwealth, US and Japan started building and repairing a lot of aircraft carriers, battleships and carrier planes. The French built a couple of militia units and the Soviets built a rubbish HQ unit (Timoshenko) and an armoured unit. Germany notably built Guderian armoured HQ and a panzer corps for him to direct. The Commonwealth started building Bomber Command early with the Stirling and a Sunderland long range naval plane.

So Germany managed to knock out Poland despite bad weather shortening the turn length but didn't confront the Royal Navy in the North Sea - as Hitler said: he's a coward at sea.