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Surely speak bombastically and carry a fasces of sticks?

Sounds more like it to me.:D

Nice flavour to this update. Stupid Hemingway, by the time he get's to Spain it will probably all be taken by the Nationalists and Italy.

Shurely two CV's couldn't cause that much of a Ruckus to France and Great Britian?:rolleyes: Looks like part of the Homefleets will have to visit the Med, to "Monitor" the situation.:D
 
Edzako: Always a good plan. :D

RogueStuka: That works too. ;)

theokrat: Possibly, possibly! We'll see what happens. ;)

VILenin: Nah, I never really took the naval treaties into account anyway. :D

RogueStuka: Carriers were still limited, just set as class apart from capital ships, right? IIRC it was a deal like that.

Jorath13: Err...this and that, y'know. ;)

li2co3: That sounds like a good name for an Italian AAR! :D

Stuyvesant: I know nothing of any anschluss happening yet. But then, I don't have any agents in Austria! My intelligence services are basically limited to Italy and Spain, with a smattering elsewhere. As for Mussolini's reactions to a potential anschluss, we'll just have to wait and see until something happens. ;)

DropBear: Thanks, and welcome! :D

Beakmiester: Especially when your gunboats are carriers! :D

Maj. von Mauser: Granted, both France's and Britain's fleets are still much larger than Italy's, both individually and together. However, France's fleet has historically been divided between Toulon in the Med and Brest on the Atlantic seaboard, and of these Toulon was always the weaker fleet. Britain's fleet is spread out even more, with stations on the Caribbean, West Africa, India, and China (Hong Kong). That's in addition to the Med Fleet and the Home Fleet. The Royal Navy has to think strategically: if they build up the Med Fleet to counter the Italians, they'll have to strip some other fleet or station to do so, which potentially dangerous consequences. Germany doesn't seem like a threat, it's done nothing truly untoward yet though it has intervened in Spain, but Japan is becoming a big threat to the world (it's got 26+ threat in-game) that has to be watched. Given that strategy, especially pre-war strategy, is all about contingency plans, Britain in particular has to plan for a wild variety of different situations, and Italy is upsetting their plans for nearly all of them! :p

Soulitaire: Awesome! :D

Right lads, I'm off to a wedding in California from Thursday through Monday, so no updates until Tuesday evening at earliest and probably Wednesday. That said, I'll try to get one more update in before I go, to start chapter 3!
 
have you got any news on changing that offensive style from blitzkrieg to normal offensive? did it lower (or rather; change to less tanks and bombers) the demand for troops?
 
Shurely two CV's couldn't cause that much of a Ruckus to France and Great Britian?:rolleyes: Looks like part of the Homefleets will have to visit the Med, to "Monitor" the situation.:D

Two Light CVs at that - Especially with that constant rain about ;)

I'm glad to see things are progressing well for the Italians!
 
Good summary of what has been a most excellent year for a resurgent Italia. Having laid the foundations, does Mussolini now have the will to take advantage of this historic opportunity to reclaim Mare Nostrum?

2 CVLs are nice, but you will need another way to negate the centuries of tradition and might that the RN represents :).

So onwards to Spain? When can we anticipate the first major combined/amphibious operations for the armed forces? How is the diplomatic and intelligence effort to lower your neutrality sufficiently coming along?
 
Juan_de_Marco: I'm pretty sure attack requires less in the way of resources and manpower, but not entirely. Grossi's offensive in Abyssinia was an attack rather than a blitzkrieg, as opposed to Grazioli's blitzkrieg, so take from that what you will. ;)

Exterous: In my (thus far limited) experience, the rain isn't actually too constant. A lot of the time it's just cloudy and overcast, but that's still okay weather for flying. And yeah, things are going well in and with Italy. Let's hope it continues! ;)

Palmyrene: Yeah, a nascent carrier force will definitely have to work hard to overcome two centuries of naval tradition. That said, the AI will probably make it a bit easier, we'll see. :D Also, all your questions will be answered in the next chapter. ;)

I'll try to have that update for tomorrow night, guys!
 
You, sir, enjoy the winking smilie way too much! :D
 
The Italians built beautiful cruisers, and beautiful battleships as I recall.... but I'm not sure what kind of carrier designs to expect... Interesting.

Italy has a good reach in the central Med, but those carriers sure give them some reach! Inside or outside of the Med, presuming they can be secured.

Great AAR, Myth! I also enjoy seeing the discussion of tactics from the masters -- several of whom I got to study as I was putting the guide together!

Rensslaer
 
The Italians built beautiful cruisers, and beautiful battleships as I recall.... but I'm not sure what kind of carrier designs to expect... Interesting.

Well, the pinnacle of Italian carrier design was the Aquila, which probably would have turned out to be a decent carrier. But, they also had other plans and designs.
 
Exterous: I enjoy all the smilies too much! :D

Rensslaer: Indeed, Italy's geostrategic position is fantastic but this Mussolini wants to reach further. We'll see how it goes. ;) As for the masters, I actually discussed Douhet without having read him! Though I've got his book and will be reading it for uni. I've also read Corbett (and come to think of it, Mussolini's maritime strategy seems Corbettian rather than Mahanian) and some time this year will be reading Mao as well! :D

Stuyvesant: I'll certainly try to produce the update, though I'm in a bit of pain right now from tearing up about twenty square feet of asphalt in about an hour and a half yesterday afternoon. I may be doing some more of that today, if it doesn't rain (which it looks like it might). But yeah, I'll try to find time and energy for an update! :p And thanks, I'm sure I will enjoy the wedding, it should be fun! ;D

Juan_de_Marco: Sorry I couldn't give you a more detailed answer. Maybe I'll be able to return to the question some time in the future. We'll see. :p

Maj. von Mauser: Huh, I didn't realize the Italians were also dabbling with carriers and similar ships between the interwar period! (Kind of like how I learned that Germany was building/converting a warship to an aircraft carrier by the end of the First World War but the war ended before it was finished). I'll have to take a look at that in more detail later. ;)

So, hopefully an update by tonight!
 
The Year of Preparation
Part I: Operation Gaius Laelius, January 1 – January 25, 1938

Mussolini was set on intervening in Spain by the beginning of 1938. Pintor’s 7th Army was readying itself for combat. Campioni’s fleet was readying itself as well. Mussolini had further decided against gambling with his first maritime operation and had all other fleets also preparing to move on a moment’s notice. Italy was tensing, coiling itself into a position from which it could spring. Italy was waiting for the moment when diplomacy would break, and its sword would be unsheathed.

It was the waiting that the Italian high command, and Mussolini in particular, found so nerve-wracking. Everyone was committed to the operation. Most realized that it could only improve their strategic position, as they had accepted that war with Britain was nearly inevitable. A foothold near Gibraltar would immeasurably increase Italy’s chances, as it would allow them the opportunity to attempt to capture that steadfast fortress, which has survived every siege since falling into British hands in 1704. Its strategic importance was undeniable: the First Sea Lord John “Jackie” Fisher had named it as one of the locks of the world. Italy needed it, and Mussolini spent every torturous January day waiting for news of the Spanish front, and of news from the foreign ministry. On the 23rd, they finally notified him: operations could start within days.

021-01-ClosetoDOW.jpg

The foreign ministry report on the 23rd, showing that Italy was tantalizingly close to being able to intervene.

The codeword went out immediately: “Margherita!” Immediately the naval side of the Operation, codenamed “Gaius Laelius,” was set into effect. Four fleets of warships sailed for the south Spanish coast. Campioni’s fleet sailed from Palermo. Ghé left Taranto with Italy’s big battleships and more obsolescent escort vessels. Iachino set out from Genoa with a fleet of light cruisers and destroyers. Brivonesi went forth from La Spezia with six heavy cruisers. Hours later, a long convoy of transports sailed out from Naples. This convoy consisted of four separate flotillas of transports: three of two transport squadrons each, and one of four. Aboard the first flotilla were two divisions under the commands of Scattini and Bitossi. The second flotilla transported Roatta’s headquarters as well as his other two divisions, commanded by Mancinelli and Giorgis. On board the third flotilla were both Pintor’s and Gambara’s headquarters as well as Frattini’s and Nicolosi’s divisions. Aboard the final, and largest, convoy were only Messe’s and Caracciolo di Feroletto’s divisions. They would, however, likely have a hot landing and thus received extra transports to serve as decoys from the real ones.

021-03-TransportConvoys.jpg

The convoy of troop transports, stretching from Naples to beyond Sardinia.

By the early morning of January 25th, all these ships were in position off the coast of Spain. Transports sat opposite Estepona, Marbella, Malaga as well as the entire Spanish coast between Granada and Cartagena. All fleets patrolled beyond the horizon away from Cartagena, ready to pounce upon any Republican ships that left the harbor, save Campioni’s which lay waiting further away. Its main strike force were its carrier air groups; the other vessels were there to protect the two light carriers. The intelligence they were receiving while off the coast was encouraging: though Granada would declare for the Nationalists the moment any soldier entered the city, the rest of the coast was up for grabs. The Nationalists had not succeeded in driving to the coast anywhere, though they were within range of a quick dash to Granada. The future of the operation was still in doubt.

021-04-OffSpanishCoast.jpg

Operation Gaius Laelius was a success, all ships had reached their assigned positions without a hitch.

Finally, at 0800 that same day came the big news. Italy was at war with the Republicans. The soldiers were bombarded by the news and sound of cheering crowds flooding into the streets to congratulate Il Duce and wish the brave soldiers of the Regio Esercito, not to mention the sailors of the Regia Marina, courage and luck. Soldiers and commanders alike made last minute checks to whatever was relevant: their equipment or their dispositions, respectively.

021-05-DOW.jpg

War, declared!

Mere moments after the declaration of war had been relayed to the fleets and the troops, the second codeword was transmitted. “Clara!” Operation Scipio had begun. Italian troops, under an Italian commander, were invading Spain again. Scipio had invaded Spain in 210 BC and in the next year, 209 BC, he had captured Carthago Novo. Over two millennia later, Pintor would invade Spain and his subordinates Messe and Caraciolo di Feroletto would the honor of attacking the same city Scipio had so brilliantly captured. These two generals would be attacking Cartagena once ashore.

021-06-Invasion.jpg

Invasion!

The war in Spain had taken a dramatic turn. Hitler was reported to have been stunned to the point of speechlessness by the news of Mussolini’s direct intervention. Stalin saw all his ambitions for Spain crumbling before his eyes. The British and the French saw danger, and instantly rated Italy as the most dangerous threat in and to Europe. So too did the Nationalist Spanish, who were certainly not eager to share the spoils with Italy. One simple declaration of war, and Italy had become the pariah of Europe, more terrible than the Soviet Union had even been in the 1920s.
 
Very impressive AAR, the last update particularly was very exciting. Leaving us with a cliff hanger i see, I cant wait to see how the operation goes.

In my current game the AI Italy intervened in a very similar way in the Spanish civil war, except they have managed to annex all of Spain after the nationalists lost to the republicans.

I think your plan is much better; to only take the shielded Mediterranean coast, with easy access to Gibraltar, rather than all of Spain and having to contend with Allied invasions from the Atlantic. I hope the threat you generate in this maneuver does not drive the Nationalists into the Allies. Having them as a neutral buffer, or as an ally, would be ideal.

Are any of the Spanish Islands in the Western Mediterranean still held by the republicans? They would make nice naval bases for Italy. Same question for the Spanish holdings in Africa, have you looked at what could be available to grab quickly and without too much force expenditure?
 
So it begins. How do you plan on holding your soon-to-be ill-gotten gains in southern Spain? Hope that the Nationalists annex the Republicans, or merely keep those provinces occupied indefinitely?

I wonder if the Brits will start to reinforce the Rock.