Hi Players,

Thanks to everyone for helping me out by getting in your orders a day early.  Much appreciated!

Our lead story this year has to be the decline of the once mighty English Empire.  They're not giving up, by any means, but are still suffering the ill effects of that unfortunate NMR in 1905.  Nevertheless, as bad as things are right now for the Brits, they can be grateful that things aren't even worse, thanks to a truly embarrassing blunder by their German arch-enemies.  What do you think the Kaiser will do when he learns that while his army was waiting on the Belgian beach, his North Sea fleet was looking for them in Yorkshire?  Yes, THAT Yorkshire!  I'd say there is a German admiral about to be marooned behind a desk forever (if he's
lucky).

In other highlights:

.  You may have heard that rubber comes from South America.  Not so, Sunshine!  It's a Russian commodity now.  Just check out the action in Sevastopol and Warsaw, where a total of 5 armies from 4 nations played bounce-back.  You won't hear the Tsar complaining, though, not with his country on the ... wait for it... rebound.  Put the Cossacks down for a build AND, amazingly, a open SC in which to put it.

. Offense fills the seats, but defense wins championships!  If that's true, I think I'm going to put 5 bucks on the stubborn Turks.  Another year with too many enemies and too few friends, but the Sultan still manages to hold on to what he has.

. Could Turkey's modest success this year be the result of his finding a way to jam the psychic connection between A and I?  I don't know, but our Red-Green team definitely misfired this time.  It's ONE if by
land, TWO if by sea, guys....  Regardless, A-I seem determined to stretch their partnership from sea (Black) to shining sea (Atlantic).  If only that pesky German would stop trying to get into Tyrolia.

. Meanwhile, in France, nothing much happens, really.  MAO gets knocked back, but will England be able to follow up on that positional advantage, given he's going to lose two units?  Relations with his other neighbors are similarly inconclusive.  Italy doesn't attack -- but he doesn't go away, either.  And Germany tries to help out -- but can't get out of his own way.  Ah, well.  Hemlines in Paris are heading up over the ankle and it was a perfect year for the Beaujolais.  C'est bon, n'est pas?

RETREATS:  One.  French fleet MAO needs to find a new place to be.  Options include Gascony, Portugal, and the bottom of the ocean.  Please let me know your decision as soon as possible,
Mr. Le President, or your fleet will automatically be disbanded.

ADJUSTMENTS

Austria:   Supp  7 Unit  7 Build  0
England:   Supp  3 Unit  5 Remove 2
France:    Supp  5 Unit  5 Build  0 ... or build 1 if F MAO is retreated OTB by either design or negligence.
Germany:   Supp  8 Unit  7 Build  1
Italy:     Supp  5 Unit  5 Build  0
Russia:    Supp  2 Unit  3 Build  1
Turkey:    Supp  3 Unit  3 Build  0

WINTER orders will be due by 12 noon Eastern US time (1600 GMT) on Thursday, July 30.  If you wish, you may make your adjustments conditional upon the location of the French retreat.

Cheers,
Chris


Orders as received and resolved.  Do check for errors and do let me know ASAP if you spot
anything.
====================================================
Austria:
A Bulgaria Supports A Greece - Constantinople (*Void*)
A Galicia - Warsaw (*Bounce*)
A Rumania - Sevastopol (*Bounce*)
A Trieste - Tyrolia (*Bounce*)
A Tyrolia - Piedmont
F Venice - Trieste (*Fails*)
A Vienna Supports A Trieste - Tyrolia

England:
F English Channel - Brest (*Fails*)
F Irish Sea - Mid-Atlantic Ocean
F North Atlantic Ocean Supports F Irish Sea - Mid-Atlantic Ocean
F Norwegian Sea Supports A St Petersburg - Norway (*Void*)
F Wales - London

France:
F Brest - English Channel (*Fails*)
A Marseilles Supports A Spain
F Mid-Atlantic Ocean Supports F Brest - English Channel (*Dislodged*)
A Picardy - Belgium (*Fails*)
A Spain Supports A Marseilles

Germany:
A Belgium - Edinburgh (*Fails*)
A Bohemia - Tyrolia (*Bounce*)
A Denmark - Sweden
F Holland Supports A Picardy - Belgium
(*Fails*)
A Munich Supports A Bohemia - Tyrolia
F North Sea Convoys A Yorkshire - Edinburgh (*Invalid*)
A Silesia - Warsaw (*Bounce*)

Italy:
F Aegean Sea Supports F Smyrna - Constantinople
A Greece, no move received
F Gulf of Lyon - Western Mediterranean
F Smyrna - Constantinople (*Fails*)
F Western Mediterranean - North Africa

Russia:
A Moscow - Sevastopol (*Bounce*)
A St Petersburg Hold

Turkey:
A Ankara Supports A Constantinople
F Black Sea - Sevastopol (*Bounce*)
A Constantinople Supports A Ankara (*Cut*)