The following represents the events in my first attempt at running a campaign (and is reviewed with a view to Mark writing up the great Post June 6th campaign game which lasted 4 years and Shaun's ongoing Sicily campaign), it was conducted during my time at university in 1984 and involved about 10 players. It was hampered by the fact that no one at this time had any Polish forces, so we had to set it with after Poland had fallen. The gaming mechanisms were fairly complex and took about 2 years to complete, it was an ambitious plan with allowances to game all aspects of warfare. The aim was to transfer major battles from the map to the tabletop using 20mm figures and vehicles.

There were many problems, some of which I overcame and some which I fudged. I came up with a good set of rules to cover land, air and sea warfare. The main problems which I never fully resolved were 1) the historically correct forces available in 1939 - which I needed detail on - including names of capital ships etc., and 2) how to define historical areas of industry, mining, shipbuilding etc..

However, after about 6 months the game ground to a halt due to gamers other interests and those that still had time for gaming had discovered GDW's 'Third World War' series. The story of the epic fight between the Warsaw pact and Nato can be left for another time.

Other club members are saying that the MB games 'Axis and Allies' early war version could be used to play such a campaign--hopefully we'll hear more on that soon.

Start date 17th September 1939

Timeline

DIPLOMATIC EVENTS
18th Sept. ; the alliance between the USSR and the USA is finalised
21st Sept. ; the Japanese request the USA via the embassy in Tokyo to resume trade with her in oil.
22nd Sept. ; The alliance between the UK, USSR, France and the USSR is finalised. The USA refuses to resume trade with Japan in oil.
30th Sept. ; Japanese troops land in some numbers on South Sakhalin
31st Sept. ; Japanese forces ( army group A - 3 infantry divisions, 2 armoured regiments ) attack Soviet forces in North Sakhalin.
Oct. 8th ; Finland and Spain sign joint declaration denouncing Germany.
Oct. 10th ; Canada, Spain, Norway and Britain sign the Atlantic triangle alliance.

FAR EAST
Nov 1st ; Japanese forces in Sakhalin advance 15 miles
Nov 3rd ; Japanese forces had advanced another 30 miles. Japanese army group B ( 4 infantry divisions, 2 armoured regiments ) and army group C ( 4 infantry divisions and half an armoured regt ) lands on Sakhalin. Soviets lose one infantry division in combat with army group A, 60% dead and wounded, prisoners are shipped to Japan ( but never arrive - the wars first war crime ? ) - Japanese casualties 4%.

Nov 4th ; Russians land reinforcements on Sakhalin. Russian forces now total 2 infantry divisions, 1 armoured division, 1 cavalry division.

The battle now rages - Russian casualties by nightfall - cavalry division ; 60% dead, the remainder retreating, 33% of one infantry division dead and wounded. Armoured division ; 50% destroyed, 30% captured by the Japanese, 20% retreated.

Japanese casualties ; 1st armoured Regt ; 80% destroyed, 20% disabled but repairable. 2nd armoured Regt ; 30% destroyed. one infantry division 100% destroyed.

Russians begin a careful retreat, both sides begin to dig in as weather worsens.

DIPLOMATIC EVENTS
Nov 5th ; Large German convoy leaves Kiel.
Nov 6th ; Von Ribbentrop meets Franco in Madrid, to discuss use of Spanish Ports by German U boats.
Nov 7th ; Codreanu ( Romania ) meets Von Ribbentrop in Sofia and signs agreement to allow Germans use of her ports in return for Collective Security.
Nov 8th ; Von Ribbentrop meets the Yugoslav regent in Belgrade on the question of the rights of the German minority in Slovenia - Yugoslavs refuse Ribbentrop's demand for plebiscite.
Nov 11th ; Finland shows aggressive posture towards Norway. Norway seeks assurances from Germany.
Nov 12th : Germany demands that Norway allow her use of ports, iron ore, and that she denounces her allegiances to the allies in return for collective security - Norway agrees.
Nov 13th ; Finland's president renounces her non aggression pact with the USSR, also allows the German fleet to use her ports. Germans in return grant collective security agreement and send 2 motorised divisions and 100 aircraft to Finland to back up the Finns home defence forces.
Nov 14th ; German and Italians sign agreement concerning Italian ports and rights of German speaking peoples in Yugoslavia.

FAR EAST

Jan 9th 1940 ; Chinese attack on Taiwan launched - 35 divisions , supported by 150 fighters and 50 fighter bombers. The landings take 4 days. The Japanese garrison consists of 4 infantry divisions and 2 armoured regts.

Jan 10/11th ; battle rages on Taiwan. the Japanese lose 100%, 50%, 60% and 20% casualties from its 4 infantry divisions and 40% from one armoured Regt. The Japanese surrender on the morning of the 12th of Jan - The Chinese take 12,000 prisoners and capture 1 entire armoured Regt as well as 60% of another.

Jan 12th ; Japanese fleet intercepts Chinese convoy taking 10 infantry divisions to Taiwan. Convoy sunk!

Jan 14th 1940 ; Chinese launch massive attacks on Japanese positions in Eastern China around Swakow, Amoy and Foochow. Japanese lose one infantry division at Foochow - who were defending against 8 Chinese divisions.

Jan 15/16th ; Amoy, 1.5 Jap divisions defending against 9 Chinese divisions - Jap's lose 50% casualties and fall back to Foochow.

Jan 17th - 21st ; The Japanese dig in at Swatow, delaying the Chinese advance for 4 days. However they finally give in, surrendering on the 21st. The Japanese had now lost 2 ports, 1 airfield, and 2.5 infantry divisions.

Jan 22nd ; 5 Japanese army groups attack some 40 Chinese divisions in S. E China.

Jan 23rd ; Jap' 8th army clashes with Chinese 12th army. Half of Jap 7th army meets Chinese 13th army. Losses ; one Chinese division takes 50% dead and wounded, one Japanese division loses 5% dead and wounded, Japanese lose 4 aircraft, Chinese lose 10.

Jan 24th / 25th ; Chinese take heavy losses, three divisions are destroyed, 2 others take light casualties. Chinese lose 9 aircraft.

Jan 26th ; Chinese 15th army reinforces the 12th army. Chinese 7th army lands in China having returned from Taiwan.

Chinese 13th army loses 80% from one division, the Japanese 5th army meets the 14th Chinese army in Wenchow ; Chinese lose 15% from one infantry division and 10 aircraft. Japanese casualties are low.

Jan 27th ; Jap 9th army lands in Wenchow.

Jan 28th ; General Sato ( jap 3rd army ) commits hari kiri and is replaced by Gen Kimura .

EUROPE

Jan 8th ; German and allied forces ( 60 infantry divisions and 15 armoured ) attack Yugoslavia. The Yugoslavs lose 14 division - 100% casualties and the 13th and 24th divisions surrender also heavy aircraft losses on the ground and in the air.

Jan 9 ; Yugoslavs begin a withdrawl of all forces.

Jan 10 ; Italians launch amphibious invasion at Knin on the Yugoslav coast - ends in failure, and have to return to port.

Jan 10 ; Germans meet a Yugoslav ambush - each side loses 50% of an infantry division. Total air losses by this date are ; Yugoslavs 40 fighters, 20 fighter bombers, Germans zero.

Jan 12th ; Italians launch surprise invasion of Corsica ; French lose 2 infantry divisions and 20 aircraft.