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Murmurandus - I know you just love numbers :D

Thurak, Reado - Thank you. Just goes to show that you never know just how much the smaller Countries can build.

Porkman - Probably but the game says its the Axis so I will stick with that for now.

Trinitrotoluen - Thank you and welcome. I will have to upgrade them at some point and its likely to be during 1947 as the Soviets are also researching it. At least Manchukuo handed over the blueprints :)

robou - White Daimons little Naval loss program can be found http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7441923&postcount=1]here.[/URL] It has a few little glitches like not showing Yamashiro but its a lot easier than counting them up myself :D

cosminus, Sokraates - Thanks. Spring could get interesting with the Soviets.

gooy - I would like to be advancing before the year is out.

Nathan Madien - I like to keep you all informed about how things stand and the annual update is good for that :)

Maj. von Mauser - My lack of doctrines does make those Carriers the US has and is building a little troubling, but hopefully my airforce will be free before I need to chase them.

Inner Circle - I made something up for the enemy as a little interlude just for you :)

cosminus - Both accounts should have been fine but sometimes photobucket goes down which could have been the problem.

Zvetiki - Thanks. Manchukuo has 1945 Inf, Siam 1941 and Mengkokuo 1939.

genbrad, Argus Eritarami - It sure is a very large amount of ships. It does mean that the enemy losses will never be anywhere near as high again though.

Chipseal, alan_le_cowboy - Thank you. Thanks for providing the Wiki link alan_le_cowboy :) About the only question I didn't see answered in the Wiki was the one about FM and Generals having any effect on the range of the HQ. It makes no difference to the range you just need at least a General in command of the HQ.

Update is an interlude type of thing with a little humour thrown in ...
 
Interlude

Part I





180px-The_Kremlin.jpg





0000 January 1st 1947.
The Kremlin, Moscow.




sovdip.jpg




"Comrades you have had eight months to destroy the Japanese Army in China, I trust that is nearly complete?" Stalin asked.

"Not quite but we are making excellent progress." replied Chief of Staff Meretskov.

"What do you mean by 'excellent'?"

"We have captured twenty two provinces from them Comrade Secretary."

"That does not seem to be that many to me. Have we lost any territory?"

"Four provinces in Siberia of little consequence."

"I suggest you take them back immediately. How many of their divisions have we destroyed?"

"Let me check." came the reply as Meretskov looked through some papers. "None Comrade Secretary."

"NONE!" Stalin shouted in anger. "You are using the same army that routed the Germans I hope and not a bunch of children?"

"Yes Comrade Secretary. They are using the terrain to their advantage and our troops very rarely encountered mountains during our fight with the Wehrmacht. We are having a few teething problems."

"How many soldiers lives have these 'teething problems' cost us?" asked Stalin. "And don't refer to some paper to find the answer because you already know it." he added.

"The total is somewhere close to 1,000,000. Our Navy is doing very well though and we have suffered very few losses to the much larger Imperial Japanese Navy that has decimated the Americans."

"And where is our obsolete Navy operating?"

"Mostly around the Baltic Sea Comrade Secretary." replied Kuznetsov.

"How many enemy ships have been sighted in the Baltic Sea so far?" Stalin asked sarcastically. "Never mind, I know the answer to that question. I trust our Airforce has been performing a little better than our other Armed Forces?"

"Not exactly no, the enemy is using more modern aircraft and we are suffering losses because of it. We have also lost some squadrons when they invaded our airbases." Novikov replied.

"You have an Army of over 6 million men and you didn't defend any airbases?"

"A small oversight Comrade Secretary. We shall try not to let it happen again. The Spring should bring about many victories as we have had to redeploy most of our Army from the west to the east and the distances involved are vast. Most of our forces should be in position to crush the Japanese by then." Meretskov explained.

"It would appear that I might need to purge our Officers again if that doesn't happen and I will start from the top and work my way down." Stalin said ominously.

"I am sure that won't be necessary Comrade Secretary, we just need more time to overcome the weaker enemy forces." Meretskov replied confidently.

"I certanly hope that is going to be the case. Have you considered replacing the troops we have lost from our manpower reserves?""

"Our Army is four times larger than the enemy and I do not think we will need more troops to achieve victory. We are supposed to be distracting the Imperial Japanese Army so that the Allies can conquer the Pacific and land in mainland Japan to end this War."

"How our the Allies progressing with that Comrade Molotov?"

Molotov knew this question would be asked and he really did not want to provide the answer to this question or the ones that would inevitably follow. "They are having a few problems of their own." he replied as evasively as he could.

"Why don't I just ask more direct questions rather than give you a chance to be 'diplomatic'." Stalin replied. "Have the British captured India back yet?"

"No Comrade Secretary and it looks like the Japanese are looking to advance in to Persia."

"So the British Army is not doing very well then?"

"Oh they are suffering very few losses but the same cannot be said of their Commonwealth Allies and puppet States."

"I trust the ANZACs are at least giving the Japanese a very bloody nose?"

"I would have to say that that is not the case either. Both Australia and New Zealand have been annexed by Japan and are no longer involved in the War."

"One last question for you then. Tell me the Americans and their massive fleet are at least closing in on mainland Japan?"

"The American fleet is no longer massive and the Japanese are fairly close to Alaska, so I would say that here too the Allies are a little behind schedule."

"Why do I get a sense of deja vu here. What you are saying is that we are back in 1941 facing an adversary alone and expected to bleed so that the Allies can come along and mop up the easy gains once we do the hard work?"

"That sums it up rather well Comrade Secretary." Molotov replied.​
 
Interlude

Part II





whitehouse2.jpg





0000 January 1st 1947.
The White House, Washington.




usdip.jpg




"Alright Gentlemen lets have some reports on whats happening with this War we have going." Truman said. "I take it that what remains of our Pacific fleet is safe Charles?"

"Most of it Sir. Our main Carrier fleet is in San Francisco on shore leave. We do send a small fleet to sea occasionally to keep up the appearance that we are getting around to launching an offensive in the Pacific." replied Charles Edison.

"Excellent. George where are most of our troops concentrated right now?"

"We have a large number of garrison divisions and local militia forces pretending to guard our coastline while the bulk of the Army is resting in their barracks until we decide the time is right." replied George Marshall.

"What about the Airforce Charlie?"

"We might have a small problem here Sir. We have been using our Strategic force to carpet bomb northern India as it was fairly safe with the escorts being more than a match for the old Japanese Interceptors." Charles Lindbergh replied.

"You mentioned a problem?"

"Yes Sir. The Japanese have been updating their Interceptors it appears and they have been causing some fairly heavy losses to us over the last month."

"That is not so good. Can we not fly them harmlessly around the Pacific where it looks like they are active but out of range of Japanese Interceptors?"

"We are a little short on bases Sir. Attu Island is already home to a very large part of the United States Air Force and we have only just managed to scare off the Japanese Submarines watching the island. Our Strategic withdrawal from the Pacific has some consequences."

"I see. Overall our losses have dropped though yes?"

"We are suffering very few losses anywhere right now Sir." replied Douglas MacArthur.

"Well that part of the plan is working fairly well then. I take it no one has managed to catch on to our little game yet James?"

"It doesn't look like it Sir. The British continue to send their troops into the Middle East to be slaughtered and I have managed to convince them that our need is great right now and we can no longer send them troops to assist." James Byrnes answered.

"What of the Russians?"

"They are reacting as we knew they would once War broke out with Japan. They have sent almost their entire Army to the east to combat the Japanese forces and have left the west lightly guarded."

"Ah that is good news. I trust the Japanese and the Soviets are enjoying eachothers company?"

"From what we can gather the Japanese are having most of the fun. The Red Army is losing a lot of troops with the front lines barely moving. I would say that your decision to let the rest of the World fight Japan while we sit and wait for the perfect moment to rejoin the conflict was a master stroke."

"Well someone needed to deal with the Red Army and the Japanese seemed to me to be the logical choice to do it after the Germans failed. It is hard to believe that a much smaller Army is doing so well though against such odds."

"They are still totally outnumbered and I think it is just a matter of time. Their Industry can only survive for so long without raw materials and these are slowly being bled dry now that the Soviets no longer provide them with energy."

"This whole affair would be a little annoying if the Japanese were to defeat the Soviets you know. How are we supposed to rescue the World from a depleted and close to defeated Japan if they go and win in Asia? We have a reputation to keep after all."

"That really would not be a good scenario Sir." stated MacArthur. "If the Japanese do defeat the Soviets then we are likely to be their next target."

"We are taking steps to prevent that aren't we?"

"Yes Sir we are. As long as we keep up the pretence of fighting in the Pacific, without involving the majority of the Pacific fleet, then we should have a fleet so large and powerful that no one can reach us." replied Edison.

"How is the building program going by the way Henry?" asked Truman.

"Coming along nicely Sir. We are launching almost one new Carrier a month and should continue to do so for some time." replied Henry Morgenthau.

"I figure the Soviets and Japanese won't be done for at least two years at the earliest which means another 20-30 Carriers as well as additional supporting ships. The Imperial Japanese Navy has no chance of being that powerful or modern given the limitations it is facing with supply and a major land war with the Soviets." said MacArthur.

"Well let us just keep our fingers crossed and hope that the Soviets manage to win a very narrow victory in Asia, causing both sides massive losses, so that we can move along and clear up the mess thats left." Truman said.​
 
Nice work indeed, lets hope that 1947 brings the Soviets back to where they belong (somewhere in a dungeon in Moscow)!

Hope you have a nice surprise for us in the next update, in battle terms!

Tim
 
"...we are back in 1941 facing an adversary alone and expected to bleed so that the Allies can come along and mop up the easy gains once we do the hard work?"

I liked that. :)
 
That was a refreshing change of tone ... and a funny one as well. Thank you for those insights into Soviet and US politics. Though I can't help myself picturing Truman as sitting in the oval office, stroking a white Persian and giggling manically after the last sentence.
 
Well, at least they keep the spirits high...
 
Heads of State back in those days sure have a sense of humour. :p Well, those days according to Remble's alternate path anyway.

I admit Truman's plan is actually rather brilliant, were it not for the one big flaw called the Imperial Japanese Airforce...
 
Some small Soviet oversights indeed... :D
 
In this alternative world, humor is the biggest factor in choosing a head of state. :D
 
Kurt_Steiner said:
Well, at least they keep the spirits high...

You surely meant

"Well, at least the spirits keep them high..."
 
Yeah, I'm sure that's what he meant :p.
 
Sokraates said:
That was a refreshing change of tone ... and a funny one as well. Thank you for those insights into Soviet and US politics. Though I can't help myself picturing Truman as sitting in the oval office, stroking a white Persian and giggling manically after the last sentence.

I think I know what you are referring to. I can't imagine Truman decked out in an orange suit. :p