Rewriting History on Black Friday

It was Black Friday for hordes of shoppers across the country, but for a small group of dedicated players it was the day for the annual Axis and Allies event where the fate of the world once again hung in the balance. 

Axis and Allies - The Game Begins
Somewhere in Odenton, MD
Black Friday
November 29, 2019

The five players were transported back in time to early 1942 where World War 2 began anew about 9:30 AM around the dining room table. War came quickly to Eastern Europe and in the Pacific with the Germans and Japanese being there aggressors. With the Italians controlling the Mediterranean and Northern Africa, the Axis began making substantial gains across Europe. The destruction of the U.S. Pacific Fleet gave Japan freedom of the seas, but that was only temporary until the U.S. could rebuild its fleet and begin to slowly strangle the Empire of the Rising Sun. In the west, however, the U.K. was neutralized and the Soviet Union was quickly forced from the game as the Axis powers solidified their gains. The continuing war in the Pacific meant that the U.S. was unable to mobilize forces against the Nazis who controlled all of Europe with the exception of the U.K. 

The game began to tip precipitously for the Axis as Japan continued to hang-on forcing the U.S. to divert naval forces to the Pacific. Italy and Germany consolidated gains across Europe and Asia and soon London was lost. Following the loss of London, a massive German naval assault was made upon Ottawa and then Washington. Both capitals were lost. In the Pacific Theater, one of the highlights of the game was a naval battle fought between U.S. and German aircraft carriers off the coast of China which saw the U.S Pacific Fleet head to the bottom of the South China Sea, freeing Japan from the naval blockade and stranglehold and cementing the domination of the world by the Axis.

Sadly for the free peoples of the world, after 12 hours of conflict, history was rewritten and the game ended with the Allies being defeated.  Germany, played by Jeremy, ended as the strongest power on the planet. Mike fought valiantly at the U.K. Only Australia and countries of Southern Africa and South America remained unscathed by the conflict. 

Congrats to my other fellow players, first time player Jax as the Soviet Union,  and second time player Ethan as the United States. We were all winners because we spent a great day together joking, talking and planning world domination. Oh yea, I played a less than effective Japan--just in case you cared.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD