Hi guys,
I'm stunned. I really did not see this coming. I thought the Soviet Union would at most gain one additional SC this year. Yet the USSR won 3 additional SCs and thereby reached the magic 18!
David, you've now attained the first ever solo in 1936's (brief) history. Very well done indeed. My money was on Italy winning. Little did I know... Although I trust you yourself will be surprised by this turn of events. From our conversations I take that you thought the Soviet Union's window of opportunity had closed. I commend you all the more for not letting yourself be discouraged by setbacks and difficulties.
Technically control only changes in winter, but I see little point in having you submit retreats/adjustments. Yet the official final SC count will correspond the pending shifts in control. Sean's Poland therefore clocks in at four SCs. Will Frank manage to beat that number? Looks like it right now. Mike cannot be certain of advancing, yet 15 SCs will be difficult to beat, I should say.
My thanks go to everyone who was involved in this game. Your high level of enthusiasm really showed, particularly in press volume. But also the public press brought plenty of flavour to the table. Further, my job as GM was also about as easy and pleasant as I could hope for. No question: I'd gladly see all of you play in any future games I run.
Now there remains the matter of our final End-of-Game Report. I've tentatively schedule the EOG deadline for 6 January and hope everyone will end the contest in style by submitting their take on the game. I also would be grateful if you were to answer a couple of questions I shall be sending you shortly.
I wish you all a great start into 2016! And three cheers for world revolution!
Charles
PLAYERS:
BRITAIN: Mark Utterback
FRANCE: George K. Atkins
GERMANY: Brian Diffell
ITALY & NAT. SPAIN: Mike Norton
POLAND: Sean O'Donnell
SOVIET UNION & REP. SPAIN: David Gould
TURKEY: Jerome Payne
ANONYMOUS PRESS:
As part of its Outreach program, the Soviet Government has released a collection of jokes designed to present its people and culture in a friendly fashion.
What did Russians use to light their houses with before the October Revolution?
Electricity.
Who won the Russian beauty contest of 1939?
I don't recall.
Lenin.
But Lenin died in 1924!
There was stiff competition.
Tell a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.
Really?
Tell a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.
Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs!
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs Who?
It doesn't matter. You're coming with us.
How does a Russian start a conversation?
By looking over his shoulder.
Privates Stierlitz and Ivanov are sleeping in the field after a hard day's march towards Gydnia. Ivanov wakes up Stierlitz around 3 AM and says to him "Stierlitz, look up and tell me what you see."
"Why, thousands of stars, Boris."
"And what do you make of that", Ivanov responds.
"Well, I assume because it is a clear night that we'll have good weather for the march tomorrow."
"Stierlitz, you idiot. It means somebody stole our tent!"
FRENCH PRESS:
The sound of newly manufactured Russian T-34s are being heard throughout Eastern Europe and parts of the Middle East, even while the Soviet Government espouses peaceful cooperation in the diplomatic hallways. It is clear that the situation is both dark and desperate. Polish armies are hard pressed and over-extended. The Italians and French have pledged to provide military support, even as their Diplomats wait by quiet telegraphs and radios. But it may be too late. All believe that, unless something unusual occurs, the Russians will achieve political and military dominance. Crap.
SOVIET PRESS:
From the desk of Stalin:
While the battle for Global Socialism is never over, it is time for peace in Europe. Too many of the People have died fighting the fascists and the capitalists in the last few years. We remember our brave comrades and know that they would not want this wanton death and destruction to continue. We are happy to hand the poisoned chalice of the Danes to the capitalists, in the knowledge that stegt flaesk will clog their arteries and have them dying of heart attacks in their thousands within the decade, cutting off the head of the snake and paving the way for Communist revolution.
We are also content for the Polish to remain as it is - provided that they do not forget themselves and overreach once more. They fought the good fight alongside us, and that is worth much. While they are capitalist imperialist running dogs, for a while they ran with us, and we are grateful.
The fascists, while of course perfidious and decaying and murderers on a scale that we cannot comprehend*, have accomodated our demands in the Middle East and in return we have done our best to rein in the natural hatred that the Turk and the Arab and the Persian and the Jew have for the Italian. Also, the shirt was a nice touch. Milanese linen, we note.
And speaking of the French, how the fallen have mighty ... If war does not end, something should be done about that.
Editor's note:
*By this, Stalin means he does not understand why they have murdered so few - that is truly incomprehensible to him.
GAME-END PROPOSALS:
REJECTED: A four-way draw involving France, Italy, Poland and the Soviet Union.
ORDERS:
France:
A Austria Hold
A Brest - London
A Czechia Supports A Transylvania - Cracow
A Hamburg Supports F Baltic Sea - Denmark
F Liverpool Hold
A Marseille - Gascony
F Netherlands - Southern North Sea
A Picardy - Brest
A Switzerland Hold
F English Channel Convoys A Brest - London
Italy:
A Croatia - Serbia (*Fails*)
F Dodecanese - Levantine Sea
F Izmir Supports F Aegean Sea - Istanbul
F Palestine(nc) - Beirut (*Bounce*)
F Sardinia Hold
F Adriatic Sea - Venetia
F Aegean Sea - Istanbul (*Bounce*)
F Atlantic Ocean - Arabian Sea
F Ionian Sea - Greece
Poland:
A Cracow - Warsaw (*Fails*)
A Gdynia Supports A Cracow - Warsaw (*Dislodged*)
A Silesia - Lodz
A Slovakia Supports A Transylvania - Cracow (*Fails*)
F Sweden - Gulf of Danzig
A Transylvania - Cracow (*Fails*)
F Baltic Sea - Denmark
Soviet_Union:
A Alexandretta - Beirut (*Bounce*)
A Ankara - Istanbul (*Bounce*)
A Bulgaria - Serbia
A Denmark - Hamburg (*Disbanded*)
A Eastern Anatolia - Stalingrad
A East Prussia Supports F Gulf of Danzig - Gdynia
A Kurdistan Hold
F Leningrad(nc) - Finland(nc)
A Lithuania Supports A Volhynia - Warsaw
F Norway Supports F Skaggerak - Sweden (*Cut*)
A Rumania Supports A Bulgaria - Serbia
A Volhynia - Warsaw
A Western Ukraine Supports A Rumania
F Black Sea Supports A Ankara - Istanbul
F Gulf of Danzig - Gdynia
F Skaggerak - Sweden
Nationalist_Spain:
F Edinburgh - Norwegian Sea (*Fails*)
A Madrid - Catalonia (*Bounce*)
A Valencia - Catalonia (*Bounce*)
F Bay of Biscay - South-Western Approaches
F North-Western Approaches Supports F Edinburgh - Norwegian Sea (*Fails*)
F Norwegian Sea - Norway (*Fails*)
RETREATS:
Polish A Gdynia can retreat to Pomerania or Greater Poland.
ADJUSTMENTS:
France:
Build
Build
Build
Poland:
Remove
Remove
Remove (if A Gdynia does not disband)
Soviet_Union:
Build
Build
Build
SC OWNERSHIP (Winter 1941):
France (12): Austria, Belgium, Brest, Czechia, Liverpool, London, Marseille, Milan, Munich, Netherlands, Paris, Switzerland.
Italy (9): Algiers, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Izmir, Naples, Rome, Suez, Tripoli.
Poland (7): Berlin, Cracow, Gdynia, Hungary, Serbia, Sweden, Warsaw.
Soviet_Union (16): Ankara, Beirut, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Hamburg, Iran, Iraq, Istanbul, Latvia, Leningrad, Lithuania, Moscow, Norway, Rumania, Stalingrad.
Nationalist_Spain (6): Burgos, Edinburgh, Madrid, Morocco, Portugal, Valencia.
FINAL SC OWNERSHIP:
France: Austria, Belgium, Brest, Czechia, Hamburg, Liverpool, London, Marseille, Milan, Munich, Netherlands, Paris, Switzerland.
Italy: Algiers, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Izmir, Naples, Rome, Suez, Tripoli.
Poland: Berlin, Cracow, Denmark, Hungary.
Soviet_Union: Ankara, Beirut, Bulgaria, Finland, Gdynia, Iran, Iraq, Istanbul, Latvia, Leningrad, Lithuania, Moscow, Norway, Rumania, Serbia, Stalingrad, Sweden, Warsaw.
Nationalist_Spain: Burgos, Edinburgh, Madrid, Morocco, Portugal, Valencia.
Britain: Supp 0 Unit 0 Build 0
France: Supp 13 Unit 10 Build 3
Germany: Supp 0 Unit 0 Build 0
Italy: Supp 9 Unit 9 Build 0
Poland: Supp 4 Unit 7 Remove 3
Soviet_Union: Supp 18 Unit 15 Build 3
Turkey: Supp 0 Unit 0 Build 0
Nationalist_Spain: Supp 6 Unit 6 Build 0
SCHEDULE (3 PM GMT):
EOG Report Submission Deadline: 6 January |
