======================================================================== Turn: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Axis POC: +5 +5 +6 +3 +3 +5 +5 Allied POC: -3 -3 -3 -6 -6 -3 -2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net POC: +2 +2 +3 -3 -3 +2 +3 Cumulative POC: +2 +4 +7 +4 +1 +3 +6 ========================================================================
Allies opt for standard Barents on 1:
Barents - 027/3, 447, 336x2, 117x8
N. Sea - 016/2x2, 444x5
N. Atlantic - 443x3
S. Atlantic - 124/1, 553x2, 443x2
Axis responds by sending entire fleet, including U-boats, to N. Atlantic, with one pocket battleship failing its speed roll. Axis LBA sinks Ark Royal in Barents; Allied LBA whiffs in Mediterranean. Allied ASW in N. Atlantic sinks one U-boat, and return fire hits Royal Oak for -2. Allied surface fire ineffective, with no hits and only 1 disabled 127 sent back to Germany. In return, Germans sink Royal Sovereign and Ramilles and disable previously damaged Royal Oak. Axis oils 357x2, 225, and 127, with Lutzow failing oiling roll and putting into Neutral Port for refueling. At end of Turn 1, Allies have Barents, N. Sea, and S. Atlantic, while Axis has N. Atlantic and Mediterranean. Axis is therefore up 2 POC.
Allies try to establish blockade and force loss of Lutzow (in Neutral Port with Allies controlling S. Atlantic) by placing all ships in Barents, N. Sea, and S. Atlantic.
Barents - 027/2, 447, 456x2, 336x2, 117x8 - all ships pass speed
roll
N. Sea - 016/2x2, 553x2, 444x3
S. Atlantic - 124/1, 444x2, 443x2, 421
Axis responds by taking what's given, placing 4 ships in Baltic and 4 in N. Atlantic. Both LBAs sink a 117 cruiser. Axis do not sail Lutzow from Neutral Port for -1 POC. Axis attempt to oil Gniesenau, Graf Spee, and Admiral Hipper, with former 2 succeeding while Hipper joins Lutzow in Neutral Port. Axis control N. Atlantic, Baltic and Mediterranean for +6 but drop to +5 with Lutzow not sailing. Allies control Barents, N. Sea, and S. Atlantic for +3. Axis are +2 for Turn 2 and +4 for the game.
Allies have a blockade, but 2 German ships are at sea having oiled
and 2 are in the Neutral Port, so they have some mobility. Allies try
to continue blockade with this deployment:
Baltic: 333
Barents: 027/2, 447, 456x3, 336x2, 117x4
North Sea: 016/2x2, 444x5, 443
N. Atlantic: 133, 027/2, 443, 117
S. Atlantic: 124/1, 553x2, 443, 117x2
All ships pass speed rolls.
Axis deploys as follows:
Baltic: 496x2, 357, 225, 127x2
Barents: LBA
S. Atlantic: 357, 225x2, 127, 117x3, 4 U-boats
Mediterranean & Italy divide Italian BBs.
All LBA bombs miss. Okt. Revolutia is sunk by the last of 20 bonus shots but takes Admiral Scheer with it. In the S. Atlantic, all ASW miss, but U-boat torpedoes miss as well. Allied airstrike misses, and 1st round shellfire sinks Gniesenau, Graf Spee, and Lutzow. Axis return fire is deadly accurate, with 9 hits/disables out of 11 shots sinking Rodney, Royal Oak, and Eagle and disabling Nelson with -3 damage. Allies have 2 CAs remaining, which flee, but Hipper and 3 Italian CAs pursue. Axis gets the best of it by sinking both cruisers without taking any hits in reply. Allies keep blockade with Barents and North Sea, plus N. Atlantic, while Axis controls Baltic, S. Atlantic, and Mediterranean to go up +3 for the turn, +7 for the game. Axis can base 4 ships in France to maintain a threat to the Atlantics on turn 4.
The remaining Soviet BB does not sail, and only 1 US BB, a 443,
reaches the N. Atlantic. Down 7 and without a complete blockade,
Allies are in a tough situation. They deploy as follows:
Barents: 133, 027/2, 447, 456x3, 336x2
North Sea: 016/2x2, 444x5, 456, 117
N. Atlantic: 133, 027/2, 443, 117x3
S. Atlantic: 443x3, 117
Axis response is:
Baltic: 128/1, 496x2, 357, 127x2
Barents: LBA
S. Atlantic: 127, 117x3, 6 U-boats
Italian BBs/BCs split up between Mediterranean and Italy.
Axis LBA misses convoy but sinks Victorious. Allied LBA sticks -2 damage on Italian BC. In the S. Atlantic, ASW disables 1 U-boat. U-boat response disables Nelson and hits Resolution for -2. First volley of remaining 3 Allied ships disables Hipper and Zara, while return fire sinks Resolution.
Axis withdraws but didn't lose a ship, so 4 are still in France or Neutral Port to maintain Axis mobility. Allies control Barents, North Sea, and N. Atlantic plus land convoy for +6; Axis have Baltic and Mediterranean for +3. Allied +3 margin for this turn lowers Axis lead to +4 after 4 turns.
Allies are facing ships shortage, having lost 3 carriers, 6
battleships, and 3 cruisers; Axis have lost 4 ships but no U-boats.
Availability rolls produce 2 American CAs but the Russian remains in
port. Allied deployment is:
Barents: 133, 027/2, 447, 456x3, 336x2
North Sea: 016/2x2, 444x5, 456, 117
N. Atlantic: 456, 443, 117x3
S. Atlantic: 027/2, 553, 443, 117x3
Axis sends 4 ships from France/Neutral Port to Mediterranean, all other Germans to the Baltic, and 7 U-boats to North Sea. Both LBAs miss completely. 13 Allied ASW in North Sea sinks one U-boat and disables 3. Remaining 3 U-boats break control but miss Allied carriers. Allies land convoy and control Barents and Atlantics for 6 POC, while Axis has Baltic and Mediterranean for 3 POC; no flag in North Sea. Allies gain back another 3 POC so overall margin is now +1 Axis. However, Axis still has 7 undamaged German ships, all U-boats, and complete mobility.
One more US BB sails but the Russian does not. Allies deploy as
follows:
Barents - 027/2, 456x3, 336, 117x3
North Sea - 016/2x2, 456x2, 444, 336 (speed roll), 117x2
N. Atlantic - 133, 027/2, 554, 447, 444, 443, 117x2
S. Atlantic - 553, 444x3, 443
Repulse fails speed roll.
Axis deployment is:
Barents - LBA
North Sea - 128/2, 496x2, 357, 127x2, 7 U-boats
Italy - 127 (repairing), 117
Mediterranean - All other Italians
Axis LBA sinks Illustrious and Devonshire in Barents. Luftwaffe has now sunk 3 CVs and 2 CAs in the Barents. Allied LBAs miss in Italy. British ASW in North Sea sinks 2 and disables 2 U-boats. 3 remaining U-boats keep North Sea open and sink the Malaya. Allied airstrikes disable Scharnhorst; Axis airstrikes miss. Allies are now down to 456x2 and 117x2 (plus 2 carriers), while Axis has 128, 496x2, 127x2.
Allies fire 10 volleys which disable Bismarck and score 4 sixes, all on Tirpitz, which goes down with an incredible 14 hits! Axis 11 shots in return cruiserize Anson with -5 damage and sink Howe, Kent, and Sussex. With only a crippled BB and the 2 carriers afloat, Allies flee in 2 groups, CV/BB in one and CV in the other. Axis sends Graf Zeppelin to chase lone CV (sinks it) and 127x2 to pursue other 2 Allied ships. Axis CAs sink both Anson and CV without taking a hit in return.
Turn 6 is therefore a slaughter for the Axis, sinking 3 carriers, 4 battleships, and 3 cruisers with only the loss of the Tirpitz in exchange. Axis controls North Sea and Mediterranean for +5; Allies have Barents and 2 Atlantics for +3. Axis is now firmly in control with +3 total POC, full mobility, and favorable ship attrition.
Third US cruiser arrives but not the Russian. Allies are way short
of ships (only 1 carrier afloat, for example) to protect against
still-potent Axis fleet. Their deployment is:
Barents - 133, 456x3, 336, 117
North Sea - 027/2, 447, 444x2, 336, 117
N. Atlantic - 554, 443x2, 117x3
S. Atlantic - 553 (damaged), 444x2, 443
Axis respond as follows:
Barents - LBA, 6 U-boats
S. Atlantic - 128x2, 496 (speed roll), 357, 127x3, 117x3
Mediterranean - All Italian BBs/BCs
Bismarck makes speed roll.
Allied slim chance depends on landing convoy plus winning S. Atlantic to trap entire remaining Axis fleet in the Neutral Port, but doesn't get it as Axis U-boats sink the Convoy and surface fleet wins S. Atlantic handily. Facing a 6-POC deficit with one turn remaining, one carrier afloat and no convoys, Allies concede in the face of mathematical impossibility and congratulate Axis on a well-played game.