Massacre: A(nother) Romania AAR

[Rotten Venetic]

INTRO

This AAR, if it forsters enough interest to continue, will follow an alternate scenario whereby Romania held its own in WWI against the Central Powers and its economical losses were considerably lesser, while its military modernized. This story will not cover that part in any detail, but will deal thoroughly instead with Romania in World War II. It will be thoroughly ahistorical, and all of my writing effort will be for the war period, strictly.

In this scenario, Romania was much more trouble in WW1 and participated on Poland's side in their war with the Soviets, and emerges as a very strong nation, having successfully navigated the wall street crash.



Contents:
Part 1: Buildup to Massacre
a. The 1936 situation
b. The 1940 situation

Part 2: 1940 - the year with no gods
a. June and July - The killing begins
First installment
Second installment
b. August and September - The second giant awakened
First installment
Second installment
c. October - Operation Welcome
The operation
Aftermath to Op. Welcome
Air raid in Presov - moment supplied by Crush3r
d. November - The beginning of winter, and maybe of the end
First installment
Second installment
Romanian fighters intercept Soviet bombing raid over Iasi - moment supplied by Crush3r
e. December - Operation Dezechilibru (Imbalance)
First installment
Second installment

Part 3: 1941 - Back ye devils!
a. January - Weakness
First installment
Second installment
Romanian close air support intercepted by German fighters - moment supplied by Crush3r
b. February - For a fistful of acres
First installment
Second installment
c. March - The limit? or For a few acres more
First installment
Second Installment
d. April & May - Catching Breath
Only installment
e. Late May and June - Three Way
First installment
Second installment
f. July and August - Life be not proud
First installment
Second installment
g. September - Operation Rasarit (dawn)
First installment
Second installment
h. October, November, December - A new beginning!
First installment
Second installment

Part 4: 1942 - Things are startin' to come around
a. January - Our Separate Ways
First installment
Second installment
b. February - Room to Breathe
First installment
Second installment
c. March and April - Evaluation
First installment
Second installment
d. May - When Soviets attack
Only installment
e. June and July - Unstable Borders
First installment
Second installment
f. August and September - Not another one!
First installment
Second installment
g. October - Chaos
First installment
Second installment
h. November - New friends, new problems
First installment
Second installment
i. December - Down on one knee
First installment
Second installment

Part 5: 1943 - Wut will nicht sterben
a. January - Battered Remnants
First installment
Second installment
b. February - Two old friends
First installment
Second installment
c. March - A harvest of sorrow
First installment
Second installment

[Dysken]

Say no more

[Inner Circle]

santas troublemaker

[4th Dimension]

So? Romania takes on the world. No joining current alliances?

[Rotten Venetic]

I'm getting there, but thanks for the quick attention!

Objectives, Rules, other mentionables

1. Objectives
Please observe the map below for the dire situation in Europe '36. As you can see most countries are either Romania's targets or will likely be gobbled up by Romania's targets.
All the countries dubbed "Target" are designated for subduing, one way or another.
1. Germany will be destroyed, a democrat government (FDR) will be put in its place. Not as a puppet, mark you.
2. Soviet Union will be destroyed and partitioned.
3. Italy will be conquered, but their fate is still a mystery.
4. Bulgaria's fate is something I know and will reveal in time.
5. Hungary will be annexed and partitioned with one of my friends.
2.Game version
HOI2 Armageddon 1.1 installed over DD 1.3a
Mods:
a) Official: SKIF and GIP graphics packs and a mod which creates a host of urban provinces all with separate pics.
b) Mine: Well there's a lot to cover here, I've changed everything to an extent.

3.Romania's situation
In 1936, Romania starts with 45 IC base and 19 ground divisions, out of which:
2 are HQ
2 are Marine
2 are Armor
2 are Cavalry
1 is Motorized
3 are Mountaineer
7 are Infantry

We have, like almost all nations of the world, a rather healthy supply of manpower. Examples, including Romania's starting manpower, will be given at request. Resources are likely to be a problem especially Energy.

This is all the result of my modding. You will notice also that my tech teams are about on par with the Soviet Union's: They are quite better but a lot fewer.

The airforce and navy are negligible, the latter will be ignored.
4. House rules:
1. I will concentrate my buildup on a stronger industrial base (60 IC is the target up to the war) and a highly advanced land army, but I will use an airforce of cca. 12-20 air groups.
2. All my land divisions, to a one, will be brigaded, with exceptions allowed when brigade and division can't be built at the same time.
3. I will not have more than 50% Infantry during war, except if the enemy should predilectly destroy other divisions.
4. No strat. redeployment of units from the frontline during war. Exception: garrisons.
5. I will, or might, join the Allies to buy blueprints but not until I'm at war with Germany.
6. I will not enter war until the territorial claim events, or, failing that, when it's time to save Yugoslavia from the Axis onslaught. It would be too easy to start an early WWII after building a number of infantry and just run over whatever side isn't mine because they don't have armies. With the gamble, of course, that I will be on the Soviets' wrong side

5.AAR specs:
This AAR will cover Romania's wars, the buildup period of 1936-1940? will be covered only in the broadest, except for details supplied on demand.

[Miihkali]

nice map

[likk9922]

The map comments are supported by me.

The AAr is interesting, too. I'll be watching.

[Rotten Venetic]

I have asked of a moderator to repair the thread's name. Expect the first true update today or tomorrow, wherein I will go into more detail about what I've done to Romania, what my plans are and such. It may also contain the buildup to war, or some of it.

Thanks for your comments on the map, it was a spur of the moment thing

Edit: Thread name's fixed. Thanks Mettermrck!

[rcduggan]

good luck.

[Rotten Venetic]

Where it all begins

Allow me to introduce the situation in Romania in January '36. When the war starts, this will be held against what Romania has then.

As you already know, Romania has 45 IC and 19 divisions; this is a bit disproportionate but let's not forget we're talking about a democratic nation which's been at peace for more than 10 years. Maintaining a very large army would have been a waste of resources and popular support. Also take note that HUN and SOV, to give two eloquent examples, aren't in much of a different situation: 25 Ic and 10 divisions for HUN, 220 IC and cca. 136 divisions for SOV. And they're not democracies.

But now it's 1936 and Romanian political analysts are certain that the world is treading on the path to war - one, they say, that will be more terrible than the Great War, which cost all so much but taught them nothing. It's a good thing that Romania is united and led well.

What did you say? Romania led well?! By that idiot Carol II?

Well, yes and no. Led well, yes, but not Carol II; another king sits upon the throne of Gon... Romania. He is the otherwise nonexistent elder son of king Ferdinand the First, Ferdinand the Second (born 1887 - reigned 1927 - hopefully 1972):



As you can see, he is a grizzled, more bald than not well preserved middle aged man (49 at game's start) with a short beard, more of a goatee actually, and rather generous eyebrows. He is extremely well educated, having graduated the Military Academy top of his class and holding rightfully earned degrees in Economic Studies and Chemistry (his non-sport hobby of choice).

Although heir to the throne during the Great War and the Soviet-Polish-Romanian war of 1920-1924 he fought with a standard issue rifle along the common Romanian soldier, gaining vital experience in the grueling business of war (he has since risen to the rank of field marshal, effectively commanding the army along with Lt. gen Antonescu) and also an indomitable resolve to make Romania into a modern, highly cultural nation which takes shit from absolutely no one. He also embarked on a sort of crusade to civilize the world, to open his eyes; he did not suffer pigheadedness and incompetence, and had a hard time dealing with tradition. The "conservative" name of his government meant nothing, except of course the conservation and improvement of Romania's new found high position among the countries of the world. Under his ruthless guidance, Romania's brand of democracy was perfected and prepared to assail the unfounded, unlooked-for, incompetent and corrupt fascist and socialist doctrines that poisoned Europe more and more.

To this end he has struggled with the rather pig-headed and backwards peasant-dominated population of Romania for the duration of his reign, and his popularity fluctuates despite his heroic service to the nation during the wars.

With the worrying signs of Fascist aggression (Japan in Manchukuo, Hitler taking control of Germany and finally Italy invading Ethiopia) all around them and a large border with the Soviet Union, by 1936 the king had his way and a new program, a two year industrial buildup, was approved in Government, as well as a vast long-term increase of the Military.



As you can see I am building 15 IC in 6 runs and 35 Infantry. This is what your builds as a minor might also look like. I plan however to tech INF '41 before the wars start and upgrade them twice. If all 35 INF are built it would bring me to 42, but I imagine the last 3, or 6 or even 9 divisions will be cancelled. They will only get brigades when I start building those 1940 model SP-ART units. After the factories are done and some technologies have been researched, I will build the other kinds of divisions, air bases and what not. You will see the results in the next update.

Now 35 INF will cost me 490 Manpower (Don't argue!) without considering the SP-ART, which mean a further 140! Whence all that? Let's take a look at my starting resources.



Manpower started at 325 with a daily increase of .45 (will be up to .49 later on). I expect to run my wars with many divisions but very low manpower. I've given all the nations in the world, with very few exceptions, manpower, fr example Poland has 500. But all land divisions cost more of the stuff. Obviously, Romania doesn't have a thermonuclear arsenal yet, and it's unlikely that there will be one in the next ten years.

The king's development policies have not allowed for a lot of stockpiling and our resources are low. But with all that oil to sell, the situation is, at least until Germany goes to war with the Allies, which are my trading partners, rather easy to control.
However, due to his work, our domestic policies are very good next to all of our neighbors and most of the world; there is still room for improvement though.



With all that industrial expansion, Ferdinand II decided to open up more avenues for free trade, so that resources going around from and to all directions should be hindered by only a minimum of red tape. He could well afford to do this, because when he placed the order for the long-term production of war suppliess and equipment for infantry, companies flocked to the bid, taking even extremely low profits margins, knowing how good a customer the king was.

[4th Dimension]

That Ferdinand fellow shure looks like Lennin

[Crush3r]

Good luck! The first time I saw that picture I thought WTF is Marko Bela doing in this AAR, they sure look alike.

[likk9922]

Originally Posted by scandalized public howling in outrage

That is a great line.

The AAr's shaping up, too.

[Rotten Venetic]

LIKK: TY. The second update from now will contain the first bloodshed

Crush3r, 4. Dimension: Its just a coloured minister pic I found. The other one has almost no eyebrows, less beard, more hair, no greys and a black suit, and I dinna ken from what country he is.

Next update, when I get back to my computer and play the pre-war years.

Edit: 2000th post, I'm getting old!

[Dysken]

This looks better than it did at first glance (only a picture when I posted). Hope everything goes as planned.

[Earth's Savior]

You should conquer the USSR, make puppets, then conquer the world.

[Juste]

looking good..will follow this setup

[chefportnen]

Will follow this! Good luck!

[Rotten Venetic]

This AAR is not dead. I've had my internet cut off from under my feet for a couple of days and I didn't prepare an update, but the buildup period is finished, even if the buildup itself is not and the fun is poised to begin. Let's hope it will last longer than 2 months


Dysken: Well, the dratted finger twitch strikes again.

Juste, Chefportnen: You will have the opportunity to watch a noob (not newb) at work

Earth's Savior: I think Germany will fall before I even make a serious attempt at the soviets.

[rcduggan]

IC building up is always good