It is April 1942, and I seem to have won the airwar:


Airwar won by David Bowman, on Flickr

My only air losess come from one of Chuck's amphibious invasions! I am about to get Finland in the war. (Once the diplomatic rating gets over 800, there is an increase chance every turn of the minor joining the alliance.)


Finnland is close by David Bowman, on Flickr

The East

In the North I am continuing to flank and am pushing towards Novgorod. The arrival of the Finns will give me the chance to finish this front quickly.


Closing on Novgorod by David Bowman, on Flickr

Not much is happening in the centre. I am doing just enough to keep the Soviets in place, but not attacking fortifications unless I have clear superiority; it is just not worth the manpower cost. Bltizkrieg is about around, not through.


Moving around Moscow by David Bowman, on Flickr

I managed to cross the river into Voronez and can soon disconnext the south of the Soviet Union from Moscow. This will hugely complicate the Soviet supply situation, and give me interior lines in attacks to the north, east and south. Notice my infantry was important in getting over. I also have engineers just behind the front for repairing bridges - vital for my own supply


Voronez falls by David Bowman, on Flickr

South of Voronez, I have reached Stalingrad. It is not a part of my war goals, so I am going to go around it. In the next image, you will see me near Astrakan, so I am very close to that goal.


Over to Voronez by David Bowman, on Flickr

To the south, the river continues to annoy me, but I have enough forces now to take Grozney. My forces from Sevastopol have appeared on the western flank so I should get over the river.


Grozney next turn by David Bowman, on Flickr

Turkey

I am in a position to take Instabul this turn, with my newly arrived Panzers. The defenders will not stop them.


On to Instabul by David Bowman, on Flickr

Notice that Sevastopol has fallen to the north. It is not a significant objective in this game, but keeps my supply simple, and lets me have a flanking attack on the oilfields.

France

Cherbourg did not fall last turn, but I expect it to be very close. I simulated (that is, played the attack now, rather than an original screen shot), or what a full blooded air strike on Cherbourg would look like. You can see it delivered massive damage, so perhaps I took it this turn. (I remember that by the end of the game, I had retaken it.)


Simulated air attack on Cherbourg by David Bowman, on Flickr

North Africa

The British have pulled back towards Alexandria to consolidate their lines. I am OK with that, but the Italians are not up to frontal assaults, so I will try to flank to the south.


North African advances by David Bowman, on Flickr

Spain

The Americans have arrived in force in Lisbon and Oporto. Chuck is the master of the amphibious invasion; whenever I try this in other games, all my marines die! I am dealing well with the British in Bilboa, so think I can close that down soon. I will need two new armies in Spain to deal with the new threat.


Americans liberate Lisbon by David Bowman, on Flickr

I have a ready reserve of forces in training. (They are all stationed in berlin now to reduce oil costs for moving them.) I will strategically deploy most of these forces into Spain to form a front, but still give them a couple of turns to complete their training before I counterattack. I expect to have air superiority, and submarines interdicting the Atlantic, so I am confident of throwing the Americans back.


Still training by David Bowman, on Flicker

Japan

At this point the Japanese player had resigned and I took it over. I was unable to retake the island; there was just not enough defenders or airpower present to move the Americans.


Japan almost gone by David Bowman, on Flickr