World In Flames solo odyssey

 In the Production phase Germany has lost 3 resources from Sweden due to the mines blockading their route along the Norwegian coast. They also have to pay 3 build points to the minor Axis countries (on top of any build costs for their units) and 1 build points to convert rail lines and 1 build point for attrition on fighting such a big campaign (the Soviets will also get this cost). Italy is crying out for help after the Royal Navy shaved Mussolini's scalp by sailing up and down the Italian coast.  The Commonwealth after paying for units in production that need build points put a Lancaster, a Mosquito, Montgomery HQ (but taking 5 turns not 4), a pilot and the Long Range Desert Group (the forerunners of the SAS) amongst other units into production. The first anti sub warfare ship available has also been been begun to be built. Some excellent long range naval craft can wait till next Turn.  Germany decides to give Vichy oil and one extra oil to Italy and pressurises Vichy to giv

 The Allies won initiative for the first time and needed a reroll. I don't want Intelligence (espionage) to dominate the game so I don't roll for it often. This time the Soviets came out on top with enough points to get a dice reroll or get significant plus or minuses to a combat dice roll. Weather was bad but not snowing. The Free French and Commonwealth took naval impulses. The Free French light cruisers patrolled the West African coast and shared patrol duties in Central and South American with the Commonwealth. The Free French had an oil supply from Iran thanks to Commonwealth tankers allowing this. A powerful Royal Navy task force of three carriers and battleships and various cruisers in support sailed into Italian coastal waters threatening to attack the Regia Marina in port. Soviets moved forces around the Ukranian front hoping to slow down the German thrust from Rumania and their advance from Poland south of the Pripiat marshes. Another factory is rail moved to the nort

 The Axis won initiative for the 8th Turn running. Weather turned out to be mostly snow and rain. The Krtiegsmarine sailed out into the Faroes Gap but failed to find any convoys in the gloom. Axis aircraft and subs moved into the seas and failed to find convoys. The German auxililary cruiser aborted some convoys in Cape Verde Basin. Japan transported infantry to IndoChina.  The Royal Navy sent two aircraft carrier escorts for Transports running the Italian gauntlet in the Med which evaded interception and deposited the Alexander HQ and artillery division in Egypt. They sent strong forces to search for the Kriegsmarine in the Faroes Gap but failed to find them. In a major coup A night bombing raid got past German interceptors (not night fighters) but the resulting bombs did little).  The Gort HQ reorganised them. Wellington bombers disrupted the Italian supply unit in East Africa. This means that the sub unit there can not reorganise at the end of the Turn and the Italian ground forces

 Japan aligned IndoChina, raised friendly troops in Saigon and rail moved them to Hanoi. Militia from Japan were moved to Shanghai and the militia there were moved to Hanoi. This outflanked the the Chinese Nationalist line anchored by the newly built Stillwell Chinese American HQ in the SouthWest. Chinese woes were multiplied when a lone Chinese Nationalist army was attacked by strong Japanese forces in the rain. Japanese bombers flew in support and despite strong Chinese air defence got through the Chinese fighters. The Chinese were destroyed and the Japanese advanced. Japan aligning IndoChina caused a severe negative diplomatic reaction in the US but both entry markers drawn were only a 1. In the north a supply unit moved to join Japanese forces outflanking the Communist forces to the north. Italy used a naval impulse to move a convoy into the Eastern Med with surface ship escorts and a naval interceptor patrolling there. Subs in East Africa found some convoys but were scared off by

 In this end of Turn phase as Vichy hasn't been crreated yet there is only Entry chit to be drawn and one is chosen for Japan. No US Entry option is available to be chosen.  Vichy France was declared after Germany decided to seek a temporary peace in the West to deal with Soviet aggression.  The US took a dim view and two Entry chits were drawn. The important rolls to decide whether parts of the French Empire stayed loyal to Vichy France or defected to Free France were made. They went largely according to probability - North Africa and IndoChina for example stayed Vichy and French Equatorial Africa defected to De Gaulle. The two major surprises were Madagascar went Free France (causing Japanese curses as they can acquire this very handy Indian Ocean base from Vichy France) and the Pacific possessions went Vichy. Japan will likely acquire IndoChina from Vichy and outflank China from the South. The French Fleet of non capital ships and a Transport in Equatorial Africa and the naval u

 The Axis won initiative again and rolled for wather achieving fine weather except in the north monsoon zone which overs South China. The Italians chose a no cost combined impulse and moved an infantry division to Cyprus. The air transport rebased to Albania. The Germans moved units to the East but could not get good enough combat odds to launch an attack. In France they counterattacked the French armour and forced it to retreat and created a corridor for the stranded Western panzer force. In the East of France the Germans crushed two more infantry corps and came closer to Paris but knew that lots of hastily raised militia were advancing to the capital. They declined a low chance of success offesnsive with their only available armoured units. The Germans flew a Stuka to Italy and gave it to Italy - a welcome Lend Lease gift.  In China the Japanese moved troops around the north of the Chinese comnunist and outlfanked it. The French and Commonwealth both took a no-cost combined impulse a

 Second part of the mammoth May/ June 1940 Turn. The good weather continues. The Japanese shuffle units around in China building up for an attack on the Communist north of China. The Italians slowly advance in the desert but will soon outrun their supply lines. The Germans blitz weak points in the French line and send two pincers into the resultant gaps to threaten Paris and encirclement of the main French front. This also has a double threat in that the French will probably have to counter attack at poor odds and risk being disorganised by their own attacks and thus becoming easier to destroy in the next Axis impulse. Note that the UK mechanised unit should not be flipped - that was a mistake on my part. Now France had to attack - the armoured and mechanised corps with infantry joining in attacked the von Leeb HQ and 88AA protecting the western panzer thrust supply lines and drove back the HQ and destroyed the 88s with the French armoured / mechanised corps advancing to cut off the pa