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I return..... to find that Jolly Carnage is done and you have started this. Looks like ill be reading this for the next hour!
I hope the Soviet player can hold out despite the seemingly hopeless situation. I'd really like to see the USA in play.
Really all Soviet player should do is to keep 1 div per province to deleay atack, but I guess in such a stress he might have done some misstakes.
Noticed this AAR just at the right time. Winning in the east while the west is invaded by the allies. Good luck!
Sudden Carnage
Chapter XXXVIII – D-Day part III
Countries played by humans: UK, Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, Japan and USA.
Recap: German is fighting a two front war, defeating Soviet in the East but losing to the Brits in the West. The outcome is uncertain. As United Kingdom rules the Med and have retreated from India, they seem to focus all their remaining power on Germany, while Japan steadily gains ground.
February 13th, 1941
The British forces have reached far into France and even crossed the Seine. Few German forces have yet arrived to man the defensive line. Luftwaffe is more flexible, though, giving RAF a head ache when the undefended tactical bombers were attacked. Soon, however, British Hurricanes arrived and the air-fights became deadly.
February 18th, 1941
United Kingdom had launched a quite powerful attack on Dieppe and the motorized infantry division defending it had come under hard pressure – being constantly bombed. Then, Luftwaffe showed up and secured the air-space. The 17th, a light panzer division which had been based in Netherlands reached Dieppe and moved in to support the hard pressed infantry. This quickly became too much for the Brits who pulled back the attack to preserve strength (the number of casualties is misleading as the German Motorized division had been badly bombed during the early stage in this battle and consequently lost a lot more).
This was the first victory in this new theatre. As Wehrmacht had close to no reserves here (the infantry behind Dieppe is badly battered and not operational), it was crucial to delay the Brits here.
February 18th, 1941 (just a few hours before the previous picture – hence the battle of Dieppe still on)
Orange Circle – The German Army Corps which have been stationed in northern Italy has reach the area but been stationed well behind the lines.
Pink Circle – Almost a full Army Corps of panzers from the East Front is unloading trains and waiting for yet another division, two provinces eastwards, to arrive. These are also stationed behind the lines.
Green Circle – More troops are being railed to the front. It will take some time before they will be operational.
United Kingdom has failed to reach any decisive victory in this part of France. An attack southwards towards Bordeaux has weakened their forces in the north. Now, Germany is preparing the counter-attack.
February 18th, 1941
The attack on the Third Reich by United Kingdom was ongoing – but so was the fall of Soviet Union. The only thing that bothered Germany and their fellow Axis was the prospect of USA joining the war. The Americans had obviously made a swap of ministers in order to make the populace more interested of the world war. Their spies on the home front were doing the same. Still, with Soviet Union being the aggressor (DoWing Germany as you remember) Germany still did not seem very threatening to the Janks. It would take some time before USA would join the war.
February 27th, 1941
In the northern part of France, United Kingdom had halted their offensive, probably due to the lack of troops. In southern France, however, an army of Brits relentlessly pushed defending Germans and a Japanese paratroop division back. For some time, the Brits had enjoyed air superiority and had used it to drop a fair amount of payloads on the defenders.
As Germany directed more and more of Luftwaffe from the east to the west, they could soon engage the Brits in the air. Both sides now used bombers on each other ground forces and at occasions fighters, also from both sides, got lucky and found them unescorted. But sometimes the fighter-pilots just found each other which turned out to fearsome dog-fights over the city of Bordeaux. The citizens got use to planes dropping out of the sky, with tails of flames, crashing down into the houses.
March 1st, 1941
The Brits are closing in on Bordeaux. It will soon be surrounded. So far, however, the Brits have just managed a rather weak attack across the river. Even if the attack itself is no very hurtful for the defenders, it still keeps then bogged down in the city and its surroundings. The 5th Infantry Division is well dug in while the Japanese paras and the 94th just recently retreated into the city. This is not a battle that will be over shortly and the German troops still nourish a hope that they will come out of this alive.
March 4th, 1941
The Brits have now managed to completely surround the German defenders. They have not, however, managed to initiate any strong and coordinated attack. Only their 2nd armor has reached the city but with a very low combat-effectiveness – and suffers consequently. The German soldiers have good positions in the houses, armed with powerful panzerfausts and light anti-tank guns. It is perfect defensive grounds versus the light British armors which struggle to cross the river at a few locations. The Englishmen must have a hellish time.
Still, Bordeaux is surrounded and the German defenders have prowling enemies in every direction. Soon enough, the Brits will have gotten their act together and then things will start to be really painful. Any forces strong enough to break though the British encirclement is far away in northern France. Death is lingering…
March 1st, 1941
After finishing off the Kirov pocket and Moscow, the German leadership directed troops to take Leningrad. Though they lacked knowledge about the defenses it was not believed the Red Army was very strong here.
March 4th, 1941
Around German-held Moscow, the struggle has died off completely. The Red Army has focused its forces further south. They do not have enough troops here to pose a real threat but will delay Wehrmacht’s marsh for Stalingrad (which will trigger Bitter Peace according to our House Rules).
Johann Keller and his 1st Heavy Mechanized Infantry had been regrouping in the city of Kharkov for a couple of days. They had defeated a Soviet garrison division without serious problems or very many losses. Still, this sector was not prioritized for the moment and the men got a chance to rest and prepare.
::As they came deeper and deeper into Russia, it was more problematic to organize the supplies. They had also blitzed away from their Army Corps HQ which gave Johann some additional headache as all kind of communication was slow and difficult. Still, life I Kharkov was not too bad. Johann and a few other officers shared a villa and they got hold of some nice luxurious local dishes to add to the flavor. The troops made a lot of foraging and even if the officers forbid them to do this, it was not very strictly enforced.::
::Johann finished his meal with a shot of fine vodka before he walked out on the street to his awaiting half track. He would go up to the divisional HQ and try to sort out a few issues related to fuel supply. He did not have the reserves he felt he needed and planned to make fuzz about it as he had heard rumors 2nd light panzer brigade had gotten more…::
March 4th, 1941
Soviet have been forced to give away much of its lands. United Kingdom is still lords of the Mediterranean Sea and has almost liberated half of occupied France. Could a resurrected France help the Brits to threat the German West?
March 4th, 1941
Or maybe not. Since the start of the British campaign in France, about 1,5 month ago, Wehrmacht have reallocated some of its forces and two army corps are stealthily moving in position behind the lines. The British offensive against Bordeaux has drained their offensive powers, causing a complete stop in northern France. The initiative has passed over to the Germans…
March 4th, 1941
Japan has taken entire India and, meeting very little real resistance, they move further on claiming land in the Arab world. They are even as bold as taking in Iraq and thus challenging the Brits in parts of the world where they are strong. It is doubtful however, that the Brits can counter efficiently while fighting in France. Japan is getting to more and more of the precious oil which they have had a lack of for some time.
March 4th, 1941
Even though the Japanese onslaught in the Far East have lost a little of its speed, it has not in any way stopped. The heavy industrialized cities of Omsk and Novosibirsk have fallen into Japanese hands. The Bear is losing its footing. Wounded, it can only stare in panic as the hunters are circling it. The beast can only wait for that killing blow.
March 4th, 1941
USA is doing everything they can to be able to join the war. Their spies are portraiting Germany as the enemy of state and also trying to get their own population ready for war. In United Kingdom, they are putting a clear research effort on light tanks and doctrines for ground combat. The Allies are preparing, not for naval supremacy, but for land dominance.
........
Chapter XXXVIII – D-Day part III
Countries played by humans: UK, Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, Japan and USA.
Recap: German is fighting a two front war, defeating Soviet in the East but losing to the Brits in the West. The outcome is uncertain. As United Kingdom rules the Med and have retreated from India, they seem to focus all their remaining power on Germany, while Japan steadily gains ground.
February 13th, 1941
The British forces have reached far into France and even crossed the Seine. Few German forces have yet arrived to man the defensive line. Luftwaffe is more flexible, though, giving RAF a head ache when the undefended tactical bombers were attacked. Soon, however, British Hurricanes arrived and the air-fights became deadly.
February 18th, 1941
United Kingdom had launched a quite powerful attack on Dieppe and the motorized infantry division defending it had come under hard pressure – being constantly bombed. Then, Luftwaffe showed up and secured the air-space. The 17th, a light panzer division which had been based in Netherlands reached Dieppe and moved in to support the hard pressed infantry. This quickly became too much for the Brits who pulled back the attack to preserve strength (the number of casualties is misleading as the German Motorized division had been badly bombed during the early stage in this battle and consequently lost a lot more).
This was the first victory in this new theatre. As Wehrmacht had close to no reserves here (the infantry behind Dieppe is badly battered and not operational), it was crucial to delay the Brits here.
February 18th, 1941 (just a few hours before the previous picture – hence the battle of Dieppe still on)
Orange Circle – The German Army Corps which have been stationed in northern Italy has reach the area but been stationed well behind the lines.
Pink Circle – Almost a full Army Corps of panzers from the East Front is unloading trains and waiting for yet another division, two provinces eastwards, to arrive. These are also stationed behind the lines.
Green Circle – More troops are being railed to the front. It will take some time before they will be operational.
United Kingdom has failed to reach any decisive victory in this part of France. An attack southwards towards Bordeaux has weakened their forces in the north. Now, Germany is preparing the counter-attack.
February 18th, 1941
The attack on the Third Reich by United Kingdom was ongoing – but so was the fall of Soviet Union. The only thing that bothered Germany and their fellow Axis was the prospect of USA joining the war. The Americans had obviously made a swap of ministers in order to make the populace more interested of the world war. Their spies on the home front were doing the same. Still, with Soviet Union being the aggressor (DoWing Germany as you remember) Germany still did not seem very threatening to the Janks. It would take some time before USA would join the war.
February 27th, 1941
In the northern part of France, United Kingdom had halted their offensive, probably due to the lack of troops. In southern France, however, an army of Brits relentlessly pushed defending Germans and a Japanese paratroop division back. For some time, the Brits had enjoyed air superiority and had used it to drop a fair amount of payloads on the defenders.
As Germany directed more and more of Luftwaffe from the east to the west, they could soon engage the Brits in the air. Both sides now used bombers on each other ground forces and at occasions fighters, also from both sides, got lucky and found them unescorted. But sometimes the fighter-pilots just found each other which turned out to fearsome dog-fights over the city of Bordeaux. The citizens got use to planes dropping out of the sky, with tails of flames, crashing down into the houses.
March 1st, 1941
The Brits are closing in on Bordeaux. It will soon be surrounded. So far, however, the Brits have just managed a rather weak attack across the river. Even if the attack itself is no very hurtful for the defenders, it still keeps then bogged down in the city and its surroundings. The 5th Infantry Division is well dug in while the Japanese paras and the 94th just recently retreated into the city. This is not a battle that will be over shortly and the German troops still nourish a hope that they will come out of this alive.
March 4th, 1941
The Brits have now managed to completely surround the German defenders. They have not, however, managed to initiate any strong and coordinated attack. Only their 2nd armor has reached the city but with a very low combat-effectiveness – and suffers consequently. The German soldiers have good positions in the houses, armed with powerful panzerfausts and light anti-tank guns. It is perfect defensive grounds versus the light British armors which struggle to cross the river at a few locations. The Englishmen must have a hellish time.
Still, Bordeaux is surrounded and the German defenders have prowling enemies in every direction. Soon enough, the Brits will have gotten their act together and then things will start to be really painful. Any forces strong enough to break though the British encirclement is far away in northern France. Death is lingering…
March 1st, 1941
After finishing off the Kirov pocket and Moscow, the German leadership directed troops to take Leningrad. Though they lacked knowledge about the defenses it was not believed the Red Army was very strong here.
March 4th, 1941
Around German-held Moscow, the struggle has died off completely. The Red Army has focused its forces further south. They do not have enough troops here to pose a real threat but will delay Wehrmacht’s marsh for Stalingrad (which will trigger Bitter Peace according to our House Rules).
Johann Keller and his 1st Heavy Mechanized Infantry had been regrouping in the city of Kharkov for a couple of days. They had defeated a Soviet garrison division without serious problems or very many losses. Still, this sector was not prioritized for the moment and the men got a chance to rest and prepare.
::As they came deeper and deeper into Russia, it was more problematic to organize the supplies. They had also blitzed away from their Army Corps HQ which gave Johann some additional headache as all kind of communication was slow and difficult. Still, life I Kharkov was not too bad. Johann and a few other officers shared a villa and they got hold of some nice luxurious local dishes to add to the flavor. The troops made a lot of foraging and even if the officers forbid them to do this, it was not very strictly enforced.::
::Johann finished his meal with a shot of fine vodka before he walked out on the street to his awaiting half track. He would go up to the divisional HQ and try to sort out a few issues related to fuel supply. He did not have the reserves he felt he needed and planned to make fuzz about it as he had heard rumors 2nd light panzer brigade had gotten more…::
March 4th, 1941
Soviet have been forced to give away much of its lands. United Kingdom is still lords of the Mediterranean Sea and has almost liberated half of occupied France. Could a resurrected France help the Brits to threat the German West?
March 4th, 1941
Or maybe not. Since the start of the British campaign in France, about 1,5 month ago, Wehrmacht have reallocated some of its forces and two army corps are stealthily moving in position behind the lines. The British offensive against Bordeaux has drained their offensive powers, causing a complete stop in northern France. The initiative has passed over to the Germans…
March 4th, 1941
Japan has taken entire India and, meeting very little real resistance, they move further on claiming land in the Arab world. They are even as bold as taking in Iraq and thus challenging the Brits in parts of the world where they are strong. It is doubtful however, that the Brits can counter efficiently while fighting in France. Japan is getting to more and more of the precious oil which they have had a lack of for some time.
March 4th, 1941
Even though the Japanese onslaught in the Far East have lost a little of its speed, it has not in any way stopped. The heavy industrialized cities of Omsk and Novosibirsk have fallen into Japanese hands. The Bear is losing its footing. Wounded, it can only stare in panic as the hunters are circling it. The beast can only wait for that killing blow.
March 4th, 1941
USA is doing everything they can to be able to join the war. Their spies are portraiting Germany as the enemy of state and also trying to get their own population ready for war. In United Kingdom, they are putting a clear research effort on light tanks and doctrines for ground combat. The Allies are preparing, not for naval supremacy, but for land dominance.
........
Soon the Soviet Union will fall and the UK will not be able to resist the Axis onslaught. Cpt, I'm already waiting for another AAR from you! 
Is that a Soviet unit in France among the Brits?
When did Oman join the Axis? Did Japan 'liberate' it? With the closure of the Red Sea, the Brits need to have a look at the Suez or they may face the IJN knocking on the gates in force.
What is Japan doing currently? I imagine he is partially building infra in east asia and India, simply because there's not much else he can do. Anyway, comments from any other player would be great.
When did Oman join the Axis? Did Japan 'liberate' it? With the closure of the Red Sea, the Brits need to have a look at the Suez or they may face the IJN knocking on the gates in force.
What is Japan doing currently? I imagine he is partially building infra in east asia and India, simply because there's not much else he can do. Anyway, comments from any other player would be great.
I've been reading this AAR for the past few days now, it's been very enjoyable! Looking forward to seeing how this all plays out
Nice update but not much excitement. I would have expected another landing around calais closing in on Paris from north as well forcing cpt easy to abandon the frog eaters capital or be surrounded. As it stands now it seems the west front is over once easy's hidden armoured corps have 'hatched'.
Even an ill prepared USA would be able to beef up the staggering D-day with more cannon fodder at least but that prospect seems far of.
The historical invasion of France got slowed down by supply issues after progressing about us much as in this update IIRC. The same goes pretty much for the attack on SU where supply made a big difference during the winter. It would be interesting to hear from the players if they encountered any supply issues in the game on their fronts respectively?
Even an ill prepared USA would be able to beef up the staggering D-day with more cannon fodder at least but that prospect seems far of.
The historical invasion of France got slowed down by supply issues after progressing about us much as in this update IIRC. The same goes pretty much for the attack on SU where supply made a big difference during the winter. It would be interesting to hear from the players if they encountered any supply issues in the game on their fronts respectively?
could you maybe post a full world map at some point?
I'd like to see the whole Japanese Empire.
But it seems, in this game the soviet player miscalculated his actions a little bit.
The British player is doing an excellent job in Europe, but maybe should have defended India more. Does India have any criticall features or ressources?
The Japanese player is doing a great conquest in the meantime, perfectly abusing the regional weakness of Allied/Comintern powers.
And the german of course is doing a souvereign game, forcing both Britain and the Soviet Union to concentrate on Europe.
I'd like to see the whole Japanese Empire.
But it seems, in this game the soviet player miscalculated his actions a little bit.
The British player is doing an excellent job in Europe, but maybe should have defended India more. Does India have any criticall features or ressources?
The Japanese player is doing a great conquest in the meantime, perfectly abusing the regional weakness of Allied/Comintern powers.
And the german of course is doing a souvereign game, forcing both Britain and the Soviet Union to concentrate on Europe.
It's always better to have India than not to have India, but in HOI3, it is extremely hard to defend it against a determined Japanese player who do not have to fight with the USA. It comes from two facts - 1) it's very easy to conquer China as Japan in HOI3 for a human player 2) swallowing China has no political repercussions for Japan, i.e. the USA involvement will not become imminent and the Allies and the Soviets will not focus on the Far East anymore than they normally do.
Moreover, losing India or other colonies/dominions is not as destructive to the UK as one might think in HOI3. You can easily afford to lose India, Australia and even the Middle East (except the Suez Canal) if this allows you to bring enough troops to e.g. defend/recapture France and eventually kick Germany's butt. Naturally, this is nonsensical from historical standpoint, as such a disaster could have great political repercussions in the UK, i.e. it would not be "an Empire" anymore, England would be cut off from vital resources, morale would be extremely low and the people would probably want to end the war as soon as possible. In HOI3, however, this does not happen, so a min-maxing player may try to perform an early D-Day instead of defending the Empire if it suits him/her.
Moreover, losing India or other colonies/dominions is not as destructive to the UK as one might think in HOI3. You can easily afford to lose India, Australia and even the Middle East (except the Suez Canal) if this allows you to bring enough troops to e.g. defend/recapture France and eventually kick Germany's butt. Naturally, this is nonsensical from historical standpoint, as such a disaster could have great political repercussions in the UK, i.e. it would not be "an Empire" anymore, England would be cut off from vital resources, morale would be extremely low and the people would probably want to end the war as soon as possible. In HOI3, however, this does not happen, so a min-maxing player may try to perform an early D-Day instead of defending the Empire if it suits him/her.
It would be fair-play and more ballanced to correct the Rule of the House , not allowing jap's paras to be used in europe, if you think a bit historical, it would be impossible for japanies to transport an entire division into the middle of europe or even east europe, due to lack of air-bases. Also, due to the obvious superior Axis tehnology and doctrines, the use of paras to be limited. The soviet player had already a very hard time to limit the german offensive, but the paras movements ruined every soviet attemptive to re-mount the defensive, it realy looked like a "walk in the park " for germans. I think next time would be more challenge this way. Or agree to use them intensively on defence. One of the best AAR , and fewest of the MP AAR! Good luck into more and more future games guys. I, personaly , build an entire school-academy of MP AAR gaming NOt joking, this type of AAR is good stuff and fun to watch.
NOt joking, this type of AAR is good stuff and fun to watch.
Paras are quite balanced in Cpt's MP games, as he and his friends use a IC-based rule which restricts the number of paras that can be built. Crude, but efficient. At least para-spamming is prevented. Paras themselves SHOULD be useful. Otherwise, what's the point of the unit anyway?
I do see his point though, since relocating Paratroppers from Japan to Europe that easily would more or less be impossible. Would like it restricted to the range of the transporters, I.E there has to be an airbase within the transport planes range x2 (since the actual range is more or less the maximum it can go before needing to return to base, thus landing at another airfield would double it if its in a straight line so to speak).
Nice going on the eastern front btw.
Nice going on the eastern front btw.
Cybe - Heh, we'll see about that.
Baltasar - Yes it is. I was curious about that too. They should be out of supply shortly, right? Oman was "liberated" Japan is just steamroling forwards. Zid can perhaps answer in more detail.
Soundwave - Welcome onboard. Better late than never
Prefetkaninen - No, I agree. I was more afraid of a British blitz towards Berlin or someing like that. Losing parts of France was something I was quite happy to do as I at least knew where I had the Brits. I didn't get to much supply problems. I had some just before Operation Kirov in the center part of the front, which halted me somewhat, and in the south I got problems a little bit on and off, but mostly when front units got ahead of their HQ-range.
etypetete - The Japanese emipre don't really fit on the screen anymore. I think the pictures in last chapter covers their new land pretty good. Concerning India, they have some industry and resourses, but worst thing with losing it is giving Japan access to Africa, Arabia and Suez.
Juliuss/Hallongren - I agree. We have adjusted House Rules concerning use of paras in planes in various theatres (Jap may not use in GER/ITA theatre and the other way around) before next game. It is one of several steps we have taken to hamper Japans early and ahistorical offensive freedom.
New post coming shortly
Baltasar - Yes it is. I was curious about that too. They should be out of supply shortly, right? Oman was "liberated"
Japan is just steamroling forwards. Zid can perhaps answer in more detail.Soundwave - Welcome onboard. Better late than never
Prefetkaninen - No, I agree. I was more afraid of a British blitz towards Berlin or someing like that. Losing parts of France was something I was quite happy to do as I at least knew where I had the Brits. I didn't get to much supply problems. I had some just before Operation Kirov in the center part of the front, which halted me somewhat, and in the south I got problems a little bit on and off, but mostly when front units got ahead of their HQ-range.
etypetete - The Japanese emipre don't really fit on the screen anymore
. I think the pictures in last chapter covers their new land pretty good. Concerning India, they have some industry and resourses, but worst thing with losing it is giving Japan access to Africa, Arabia and Suez. Juliuss/Hallongren - I agree. We have adjusted House Rules concerning use of paras in planes in various theatres (Jap may not use in GER/ITA theatre and the other way around) before next game. It is one of several steps we have taken to hamper Japans early and ahistorical offensive freedom.
New post coming shortly
Sudden Carnage
Chapter XXXIX – The fall of Empires
Countries played by humans: UK, Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, Japan and USA.
Recap: German is fighting a two front war, defeating Soviet in the East but losing to the Brits in the West. The outcome is uncertain. However, German reinforcements from the East have reached the West and Wehrmacht prepare to launch a counter-offensive against invading Brits. United Kingdom rules the Med but has retreated from India. Consequently, Japan has launched operations into Oman, Iraq and other parts of the Arab world.
March 9, 1941
The British siege of Bordeaux is well into its second week and even though their 2nd Armoured Division has taken significant losses, more and more Brits are joining the fray. The German and Japanese troopers (paras) are surrounded and attacked from all directions. They can still match the enemy but while the Brits have reinforcements closing in, the Axis forces had none. They could just bite their jaws together and keep making as hard resistance as possible – hoping for miracles. Walther von Reichenau, born into a Preussen military family, was determined to fight to his death.
Being surrounded was not all. The Royal Navy have sailed a task force close to the shores of the province, shelling the closest German companies with their huge naval guns.
March 12th, 1941
When the German counter-strike came, the Brits simply fell apart. They had treaded a little too far into France with far too small reserves. They could not resist the powerful panzer-thrust that was thrown against them.
Still, the German troops in Bordeaux suffered…
Authors note: Do to intense situation, I forgot to take screendump during the initial part of the counter-attack.
March 13th, 1941
Several British veteran units were blitzed through and left behind with little chance of being saved. The famous leader, Bernard Law Montgomery, was one of them. With all the other British divisions fleeing for the harbors, the soldiers could only fight with the hope of creating a small chapter in the books of history.
March 16th, 1941
It is three weeks into the siege of Bordeaux. Being attacked from all sides, the Germans is failing to protect their army corps HQ and the brave von Reichenau is losing his staff personal fast as the Brits is infiltrating the lines and pick the poorly combat trained soldiers out. The 94th Infantry, who tiredly stumbled into Bordeaux after heavy fighting outside the city, are taking heavy casualties too. They are simply not in a state to keep the eagerly approaching Brits away. But the Brits are bleeding too. Even though supported with the naval guns, it is blood work pushing the Germans back. Especially the dug in 5th Infantry and the veteran Japanese paras are proving hard and costly to dislodge. It has become a bloody close combat in the ruins of Bordeaux.
16th March, 1941
As the battle of Bordeaux continued, the Wehrmacht swept through northern France like a scythe. Three British divisions, and one Russian, were caught and the rest fled to Cherbourg.
March 21st, 1941
Close to four weeks into the siege of Bordeaux and the spearhead of the German counter-attack have reached the British circle. Will it be in time? Will von Reichenau’s valiant defense pay off?
March 22nd, 1941
Von Reichenau and his staff fought bravely – but they were no front line troopers. The HQ chattered and with the loss of their leadership, the tired soldiers of the 94th soon gave up. The 5th infantry and the Japanese paras had dug in the north of the city and the British tide broke against their defenses. The Brits just could not flush them out of the districts the Axis brothers had claimed in the beginning of the battle. Many Brits fell to prove that point.
With German panzers reaching and engaging the British siege-force the pressure eased up on the warriors of Bordeaux.
March 23rd, 1941
French freedom-fighters, led by the famous Charles de Gaulle, have come ashore on French soil. Can they free their country?
March 26th, 1941
Charles de Gaulle was too late to make any difference in Bordeaux. With German reinforcements pouring down from northern France, the besiegers had to break up their month-long attack on the city. Counted in dead, the Brits stood for the most casualties by far. The wrecked city was full of bodies in varying state of decay. However, the Brits had captured some 5000 German soldiers, including von Reichenau himself, so they would not return to their island without a price.
Still, losing the battle of Bordeaux meant the British adventure in France was more or less over. It had succeeded in pulling German forces away from Italy and Soviet, but the Red Army was so badly crippled that the somewhat diminished German East Front would not have to halt their offensive – but perhaps slow down a little.
For the Jap paras and the Germans in the 5th Infantry, this was not about politics or long time strategies. They were just damn happy to be alive. Their supply situation had been good throughout the entire siege due to good stock and occasional air-supply drops. Still, this was the first time the tired and dirty soldiers could climb out of their ruin rat holes and enjoy the cold but fresh wind and the bleak sun in their faces while they had a meal in peace.
March 17th, 1941
While the battle still raged in Bordeaux, Wehrmacht had moved on Leningrad. Three Soviet divisions defended the big city and they were well dug in in the heavy fortified city. The Germans were prepared and came in huge numbers. Still, the Russian positions were difficult overwhelm and a battalion led by an eager officer ended up in a trap, losing many good men. Part of the city was also protected by the cold river, making it even more difficult for the attackers. On the other hand, the majority of the defenders were badly trained militias who had little of skill and gear compared to the veteran infantry of the Wehrmacht.
March 23rd-April 1st, 1941
Leningrad fell within a week and the defending militias did not manage do deal the veteran German regulars any substantial damage. Consequently, the Germans could continue the Leningrad operation without any delay and the Leningrad pocket was mopped up within another week. With this, the Red Army had lost the little bite they still had in the north.
Authors note: With Vladivostok, Moscow and Leningrad captured, the Germans only have to take Stalingrad and then the Soviet player must trigger bitter peace. Not surprisingly, it is in the south where the Red Army has massed its remaining forces.
March 27th, 1941
During the German attack on the Leningrad pocket, the Japanese forces captured Baghdad which resulted in the Iraqis losing all their will to fight. The Brits were still around, but not in any number to really threat the Japanese onslaught. The Japs could almost feel the smell of the Mediterranean Sea. The question was, however, how quick the Brits could re-deploy forces from the European theatre where their liberation operation obviously was over.
April 5th, 1941
With the Brits driven out of France, Charles de Gaulle and his free French Forces was the last obstacle in the German west. The battle of Brest was, in this sense, quite epic. The French, however, had no chance what so ever and died in heaps as German panzers tore them appart. With this – the second battle of France was over.
March 27th, 1941
As the battle of the Leningrad pocket draw to an end, German-Italian forces started a joint operation against the remaining part of the Red Army in the south of the eastern front – just north of the Azov Sea. Even though the eastern front had lost an army corps of Panzers to the West, the majority of the remaining panzers and mechanized forces were focused on the south-east front. The Red Army had huge difficulties in resisting them.
April 1st-5th, 1941
Just as before, the remaining Red Army could not resist a powerful panzer-blitz and another 10 division got caught in Luhansk. They stood pretty strong, with the river behind their back, but they had no hope of being rescued. The pace of the losses for the Red Army was devastating.
April 7th, 1941
With another 100 000 men captured in a pocket, the Soviet leadership wavered. Their population could take no more losses. Rumors that doom would come anyway spread like wildfire over the Russian steppes and several riots erupted. Stalin was badly wounded in an assassination attempt and internal struggles amongst the high ranking officers came out in the open – sometime leading to armed conflicts. The Red Army still held firm, but their whole structure were about to break. Some factions of officers started negotiations with the Fascists. Soviet, as previously known, would soon end.
April 15th-16th, 1941
Trying to put some extra pressure on the stubborn Brits, Kriegsmarine sailed out in force to once again challenge the British Task Force guarding the door to the Baltic Sea – the Norwegian Trench. The fleets spotted each other early morning during the 15th. A terrible battle started and went on during the day.
The British light cruiser Danae was sunk early on by a salvo from the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer. Then Scheer was targeted by several British ships and was hit. A couple of German screens hurried to aid the heavy cruiser who already had hero-status from previous battles. Consequently, several German first world war destroyers were sunk – being far to outdated to match the Brits. As a terrible storm hit during the next morning and the fleet lost sight and reconnected several times. The storm made it difficult for damaged ships to pull away and things became chaotic and random. The outcome was still unclear even if the balance tipped in the favor of the Kriegsmarine.
April 17th, 1941
During the morning the 17th of April, the epic battle of the Norwegian Trench was finally over. It was yet another victory for the Kriegsmarine and even if the Brits had not lost any capital ships this time, this guardian Task Force had lost a majority of its screen and had to limp back to the British Isles. Bismarck, who saw battle for the first time, had scored a major hit on the light cruiser HMS Emerald, sinking it, and could return to port with pride.
Though the Royal Navy had plenty of ships to fill up with, this was a serious blow to their pride and morale. As the Soviet Union had crumbled and surrendered the day before, the United Kingdom initiated peace talks with the Third Reich.
The Second World War was over and the Axis stood victorious.
The Bear is broken and United Kingdom is all alone with United States uninterested in the war and its agonies. UK is still strong in the Med, the Regia Marina crippled, but they have lost all their Asian holdings and now the Arabic puppets fall, one after the other – Oman, Iraq and Yemen. Africa and even the Suez are next. There is no rescue. USA will be too late.
Authors note: Allies and Commies have really tried to hold on to the game even though they have had a very slim hope for quite some time. Cred for that. The British attack on Greece was perhaps their last really big chance. Had the Greeks become puppets (with all their GEF in Italy) Italy would have been extremely hard pressed if UK (as I know they planned) followed up with a swift attack on southern Italy. As things turned out, the Brits had to attack Italy without the Greeks – even worse so – they got to fight the Greeks in the GEF who remained in Italy after Greece was lost. After this, the game was basically over – even though it’s never really over until the fat lady sings.
And how about the original plan as such – to not do the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact and take on them all…? Well, it’s mainly possible due to Japan’s unbalanced starting-position. If China was harder to beat (like in reality) or Japan due to diplomatic reason could not fall in Soviets back – then it had been close to impossible – which we will address in coming game with stricter House Rules for Japanese entry (Japan must break all trades with US when declaring war on a major – At the same time, Allies can put a player on the US – no Jap planes or paras in Europe, and the same the other way around).
Mistakes? Yes, we did some initially. I should have traded much more Rares before the war. I just forgot about it. It was really close (1 day) to give me a substancial decrease in factory output. Sloppy planning. Also, we didn’t know that an event made it possible for Allies to DoW Italy when Japan entered the war. Consequently, Italy’s troop was in disarray for a war against Allies. Also, with the Med closed, Italy’s trade routes were cancelled which led to quite rapid drain on resources. The last half year or so, Italy did not have full production capacity which of course would have been costly had the war been longer. After this, I feel Axis played a rather tight game without any great misshaps. Perhaps Italy played a little to reckless with his navy, losing perhaps 2/3 of it before the end of the war. But he didn’t lose it for nothing. He gave the Brits a lot to do for a while – but couldn’t threaten the Royal Navy during the British attack on Greece and Sicily.
Soviet then? Tricky to judge others but I think it was quite significant that more than half of their East Asian Army Group got trapped by the coast due to a Japanese landing. This meant the Japs had a fairly easy way into the Far East and I think that Daphne had to place new troops in the Far East which he otherwise could have deployed against Germany in the west. And then he built a lot of forts which he didn’t get to use. Forts are tricky things. Had things gone differently I might have praised him afterwards – but as the conqueror dictates history - I say it was a mistake Otherwise I think Daphne played a brilliant defensive war during Operation Storm. When Operation Barbarossa came – he was simply outgunned. Playing defensive war against a faster and more powerful enemy is damn difficult.
France built too many offensive units pre Hammer-Sickle. I know they thought the light armor divisions that the French built plenty of would be perfect for breaking the retreating Wehrmacht. But as it turned out, they were deployed during or after Hammer-Sickle and then used as defensive units. They gave my medium panzers hardly no resistance what so ever, I noticed. All that IC could have been used better, I think. Also, the French forces did not go north and support Belgium and consequently, I could more or less blitz through that deadly defensive terrain and then face the French on grounds less suitable for defense.
And how about Britain? I think Maxyboy played a tight and clever game with very few mistakes. Maybe it was just a little bit too tight. The IJN was hardly challenged at all and could sail unchecked on various missions (I know Zid was very sad about never getting to use his beautiful super heavy battleships in combat) and it was similar on land. This gave the Japs the possibility to capture huge areas quite fast. Still, the Brits pulled back some units he got to use on other theatres and the Royal Navy was strong all the way to the end. Also, the British attack on France was far too late to make a difference. It would have really bothered me if it just had been coming a few weeks earlier - before Operation Kirov – which I think was the final blow to the Bear. Before that, the Red Army was still a force to reckon with.
……
Well, boys and girls, thanks a lot for following this AAR. Hope you have enjoyed
Feel free to make some comments now the game is over. What was the main turning points? Capital mistakes? Suggestions?
Cheers - I'll go and get myself a drink now...
Chapter XXXIX – The fall of Empires
Countries played by humans: UK, Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, Japan and USA.
Recap: German is fighting a two front war, defeating Soviet in the East but losing to the Brits in the West. The outcome is uncertain. However, German reinforcements from the East have reached the West and Wehrmacht prepare to launch a counter-offensive against invading Brits. United Kingdom rules the Med but has retreated from India. Consequently, Japan has launched operations into Oman, Iraq and other parts of the Arab world.
March 9, 1941
The British siege of Bordeaux is well into its second week and even though their 2nd Armoured Division has taken significant losses, more and more Brits are joining the fray. The German and Japanese troopers (paras) are surrounded and attacked from all directions. They can still match the enemy but while the Brits have reinforcements closing in, the Axis forces had none. They could just bite their jaws together and keep making as hard resistance as possible – hoping for miracles. Walther von Reichenau, born into a Preussen military family, was determined to fight to his death.
Being surrounded was not all. The Royal Navy have sailed a task force close to the shores of the province, shelling the closest German companies with their huge naval guns.
March 12th, 1941
When the German counter-strike came, the Brits simply fell apart. They had treaded a little too far into France with far too small reserves. They could not resist the powerful panzer-thrust that was thrown against them.
Still, the German troops in Bordeaux suffered…
Authors note: Do to intense situation, I forgot to take screendump during the initial part of the counter-attack.
March 13th, 1941
Several British veteran units were blitzed through and left behind with little chance of being saved. The famous leader, Bernard Law Montgomery, was one of them. With all the other British divisions fleeing for the harbors, the soldiers could only fight with the hope of creating a small chapter in the books of history.
March 16th, 1941
It is three weeks into the siege of Bordeaux. Being attacked from all sides, the Germans is failing to protect their army corps HQ and the brave von Reichenau is losing his staff personal fast as the Brits is infiltrating the lines and pick the poorly combat trained soldiers out. The 94th Infantry, who tiredly stumbled into Bordeaux after heavy fighting outside the city, are taking heavy casualties too. They are simply not in a state to keep the eagerly approaching Brits away. But the Brits are bleeding too. Even though supported with the naval guns, it is blood work pushing the Germans back. Especially the dug in 5th Infantry and the veteran Japanese paras are proving hard and costly to dislodge. It has become a bloody close combat in the ruins of Bordeaux.
16th March, 1941
As the battle of Bordeaux continued, the Wehrmacht swept through northern France like a scythe. Three British divisions, and one Russian, were caught and the rest fled to Cherbourg.
March 21st, 1941
Close to four weeks into the siege of Bordeaux and the spearhead of the German counter-attack have reached the British circle. Will it be in time? Will von Reichenau’s valiant defense pay off?
March 22nd, 1941
Von Reichenau and his staff fought bravely – but they were no front line troopers. The HQ chattered and with the loss of their leadership, the tired soldiers of the 94th soon gave up. The 5th infantry and the Japanese paras had dug in the north of the city and the British tide broke against their defenses. The Brits just could not flush them out of the districts the Axis brothers had claimed in the beginning of the battle. Many Brits fell to prove that point.
With German panzers reaching and engaging the British siege-force the pressure eased up on the warriors of Bordeaux.
March 23rd, 1941
French freedom-fighters, led by the famous Charles de Gaulle, have come ashore on French soil. Can they free their country?
March 26th, 1941
Charles de Gaulle was too late to make any difference in Bordeaux. With German reinforcements pouring down from northern France, the besiegers had to break up their month-long attack on the city. Counted in dead, the Brits stood for the most casualties by far. The wrecked city was full of bodies in varying state of decay. However, the Brits had captured some 5000 German soldiers, including von Reichenau himself, so they would not return to their island without a price.
Still, losing the battle of Bordeaux meant the British adventure in France was more or less over. It had succeeded in pulling German forces away from Italy and Soviet, but the Red Army was so badly crippled that the somewhat diminished German East Front would not have to halt their offensive – but perhaps slow down a little.
For the Jap paras and the Germans in the 5th Infantry, this was not about politics or long time strategies. They were just damn happy to be alive. Their supply situation had been good throughout the entire siege due to good stock and occasional air-supply drops. Still, this was the first time the tired and dirty soldiers could climb out of their ruin rat holes and enjoy the cold but fresh wind and the bleak sun in their faces while they had a meal in peace.
March 17th, 1941
While the battle still raged in Bordeaux, Wehrmacht had moved on Leningrad. Three Soviet divisions defended the big city and they were well dug in in the heavy fortified city. The Germans were prepared and came in huge numbers. Still, the Russian positions were difficult overwhelm and a battalion led by an eager officer ended up in a trap, losing many good men. Part of the city was also protected by the cold river, making it even more difficult for the attackers. On the other hand, the majority of the defenders were badly trained militias who had little of skill and gear compared to the veteran infantry of the Wehrmacht.
March 23rd-April 1st, 1941
Leningrad fell within a week and the defending militias did not manage do deal the veteran German regulars any substantial damage. Consequently, the Germans could continue the Leningrad operation without any delay and the Leningrad pocket was mopped up within another week. With this, the Red Army had lost the little bite they still had in the north.
Authors note: With Vladivostok, Moscow and Leningrad captured, the Germans only have to take Stalingrad and then the Soviet player must trigger bitter peace. Not surprisingly, it is in the south where the Red Army has massed its remaining forces.
March 27th, 1941
During the German attack on the Leningrad pocket, the Japanese forces captured Baghdad which resulted in the Iraqis losing all their will to fight. The Brits were still around, but not in any number to really threat the Japanese onslaught. The Japs could almost feel the smell of the Mediterranean Sea. The question was, however, how quick the Brits could re-deploy forces from the European theatre where their liberation operation obviously was over.
April 5th, 1941
With the Brits driven out of France, Charles de Gaulle and his free French Forces was the last obstacle in the German west. The battle of Brest was, in this sense, quite epic. The French, however, had no chance what so ever and died in heaps as German panzers tore them appart. With this – the second battle of France was over.
March 27th, 1941
As the battle of the Leningrad pocket draw to an end, German-Italian forces started a joint operation against the remaining part of the Red Army in the south of the eastern front – just north of the Azov Sea. Even though the eastern front had lost an army corps of Panzers to the West, the majority of the remaining panzers and mechanized forces were focused on the south-east front. The Red Army had huge difficulties in resisting them.
April 1st-5th, 1941
Just as before, the remaining Red Army could not resist a powerful panzer-blitz and another 10 division got caught in Luhansk. They stood pretty strong, with the river behind their back, but they had no hope of being rescued. The pace of the losses for the Red Army was devastating.
April 7th, 1941
With another 100 000 men captured in a pocket, the Soviet leadership wavered. Their population could take no more losses. Rumors that doom would come anyway spread like wildfire over the Russian steppes and several riots erupted. Stalin was badly wounded in an assassination attempt and internal struggles amongst the high ranking officers came out in the open – sometime leading to armed conflicts. The Red Army still held firm, but their whole structure were about to break. Some factions of officers started negotiations with the Fascists. Soviet, as previously known, would soon end.
April 15th-16th, 1941
Trying to put some extra pressure on the stubborn Brits, Kriegsmarine sailed out in force to once again challenge the British Task Force guarding the door to the Baltic Sea – the Norwegian Trench. The fleets spotted each other early morning during the 15th. A terrible battle started and went on during the day.
The British light cruiser Danae was sunk early on by a salvo from the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer. Then Scheer was targeted by several British ships and was hit. A couple of German screens hurried to aid the heavy cruiser who already had hero-status from previous battles. Consequently, several German first world war destroyers were sunk – being far to outdated to match the Brits. As a terrible storm hit during the next morning and the fleet lost sight and reconnected several times. The storm made it difficult for damaged ships to pull away and things became chaotic and random. The outcome was still unclear even if the balance tipped in the favor of the Kriegsmarine.
April 17th, 1941
During the morning the 17th of April, the epic battle of the Norwegian Trench was finally over. It was yet another victory for the Kriegsmarine and even if the Brits had not lost any capital ships this time, this guardian Task Force had lost a majority of its screen and had to limp back to the British Isles. Bismarck, who saw battle for the first time, had scored a major hit on the light cruiser HMS Emerald, sinking it, and could return to port with pride.
Though the Royal Navy had plenty of ships to fill up with, this was a serious blow to their pride and morale. As the Soviet Union had crumbled and surrendered the day before, the United Kingdom initiated peace talks with the Third Reich.
The Second World War was over and the Axis stood victorious.
The Bear is broken and United Kingdom is all alone with United States uninterested in the war and its agonies. UK is still strong in the Med, the Regia Marina crippled, but they have lost all their Asian holdings and now the Arabic puppets fall, one after the other – Oman, Iraq and Yemen. Africa and even the Suez are next. There is no rescue. USA will be too late.
Authors note: Allies and Commies have really tried to hold on to the game even though they have had a very slim hope for quite some time. Cred for that. The British attack on Greece was perhaps their last really big chance. Had the Greeks become puppets (with all their GEF in Italy) Italy would have been extremely hard pressed if UK (as I know they planned) followed up with a swift attack on southern Italy. As things turned out, the Brits had to attack Italy without the Greeks – even worse so – they got to fight the Greeks in the GEF who remained in Italy after Greece was lost. After this, the game was basically over – even though it’s never really over until the fat lady sings.
And how about the original plan as such – to not do the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact and take on them all…? Well, it’s mainly possible due to Japan’s unbalanced starting-position. If China was harder to beat (like in reality) or Japan due to diplomatic reason could not fall in Soviets back – then it had been close to impossible – which we will address in coming game with stricter House Rules for Japanese entry (Japan must break all trades with US when declaring war on a major – At the same time, Allies can put a player on the US – no Jap planes or paras in Europe, and the same the other way around).
Mistakes? Yes, we did some initially. I should have traded much more Rares before the war. I just forgot about it. It was really close (1 day) to give me a substancial decrease in factory output. Sloppy planning. Also, we didn’t know that an event made it possible for Allies to DoW Italy when Japan entered the war. Consequently, Italy’s troop was in disarray for a war against Allies. Also, with the Med closed, Italy’s trade routes were cancelled which led to quite rapid drain on resources. The last half year or so, Italy did not have full production capacity which of course would have been costly had the war been longer. After this, I feel Axis played a rather tight game without any great misshaps. Perhaps Italy played a little to reckless with his navy, losing perhaps 2/3 of it before the end of the war. But he didn’t lose it for nothing. He gave the Brits a lot to do for a while – but couldn’t threaten the Royal Navy during the British attack on Greece and Sicily.
Soviet then? Tricky to judge others but I think it was quite significant that more than half of their East Asian Army Group got trapped by the coast due to a Japanese landing. This meant the Japs had a fairly easy way into the Far East and I think that Daphne had to place new troops in the Far East which he otherwise could have deployed against Germany in the west. And then he built a lot of forts which he didn’t get to use. Forts are tricky things. Had things gone differently I might have praised him afterwards – but as the conqueror dictates history - I say it was a mistake
Otherwise I think Daphne played a brilliant defensive war during Operation Storm. When Operation Barbarossa came – he was simply outgunned. Playing defensive war against a faster and more powerful enemy is damn difficult.France built too many offensive units pre Hammer-Sickle. I know they thought the light armor divisions that the French built plenty of would be perfect for breaking the retreating Wehrmacht. But as it turned out, they were deployed during or after Hammer-Sickle and then used as defensive units. They gave my medium panzers hardly no resistance what so ever, I noticed. All that IC could have been used better, I think. Also, the French forces did not go north and support Belgium and consequently, I could more or less blitz through that deadly defensive terrain and then face the French on grounds less suitable for defense.
And how about Britain? I think Maxyboy played a tight and clever game with very few mistakes. Maybe it was just a little bit too tight. The IJN was hardly challenged at all and could sail unchecked on various missions (I know Zid was very sad about never getting to use his beautiful super heavy battleships in combat) and it was similar on land. This gave the Japs the possibility to capture huge areas quite fast. Still, the Brits pulled back some units he got to use on other theatres and the Royal Navy was strong all the way to the end. Also, the British attack on France was far too late to make a difference. It would have really bothered me if it just had been coming a few weeks earlier - before Operation Kirov – which I think was the final blow to the Bear. Before that, the Red Army was still a force to reckon with.
……
Well, boys and girls, thanks a lot for following this AAR. Hope you have enjoyed
Feel free to make some comments now the game is over. What was the main turning points? Capital mistakes? Suggestions?
Cheers - I'll go and get myself a drink now...
excellent stuff again ... you really are the master of the HOI3 MP AAR ... great game play and really clear updates. To me it seems as if not taking the M-R pact and being able to escalate the advantages with the Japanese was probably the key element, but hats off to you all - not least for playing till there really was no remaining doubt as to the outcome --- enjoy your drink.
Wonderful AAR. As I have not played HOI, I have not been able to meaningfully comment but I have followed this carefully all the time.