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I don't think he has enough troops in eastern asia yet to do this. Plus, if he goes straight for the mainland, he runs the risk of getting cut off by Japanese Naval forces (as nearly happened in his recapture of Macau) If he can sieze the ports of the Japanese that are near his axis of supply running through the suez, and then indonesia he stands a better chance of getting troops and supplies into the theater without having to devote massive naval forces for escorting each group of transports.

Maybe your right, I have never played the game with such an extended supply route. Indochina looks ripe for the plucking, if he doesnt take this region this will always be at his back (plus Axis Siam).
 
Chapter Forty One: ‘Nam (9/19/43 - 1/1/44)

In September of 1943, the United Kingdom was moving east from Burma into Siam. The United States was moving north in the Japanese home islands. Mussolini, with the eye of a vulture, decided the Japanese were sufficiently weakened and decided to take a calculated risk and try his luck against the Japanese on the Asian mainland.

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On September 19, 1943, Admiral Quilicci and his landing fleet, escorted by Admiral da Zara’s carrier task force, threw the four marine divisions fresh from their cake walk liberation of Macau onto the beaches of Cam Ranh Bay and Nha Trang. The Japanese had neglected to garrison the port at Cam Ranh Bay.

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Gen. Ferrari Orsi after expanding the beachhead was to secure the supply route through Cam Ranh Bay while Gens. Zingales, Oxilia and Frattini advanced southwest towards Siagon.

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However, Japan’s over aggressive use of its garrisons continued. The Japanese generals, immediately upon hearing of the invasion, ordered the Saigon garrison to attack the beachhead and throw the invaders back into the sea. However, that entailed leaving Saigon undefended, and Italy had more marines. Three divisions under Gens. Battisti, Stripoli and Appiotti were landed to the Japanese rear in Phan Thiet and Saigon itself. The marines destroyed the garrison and started fanning out into the countryside.

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To the west, the British were coming. By October 4, 1943, they were making steady progress through Siam and were on the outskirts on Bangkok. Mussolini wanted the former French colony secured for the Empire before the British were on the scene.

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On October 4, 1943, the marine divisions held in Guangzhou were resupplied with the latest fashions in combat gear from Italy and were deemed fit for action.

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Four of the Guangzhou five were tasked with capturing the North Vietnamese city of Hanoi. The harbor of Haiphong was held by a garrison. Gens. La Ferla and Caracciolo di Feroleto were landed without resistance to the north of the harbor at Hong Gai, while Gens. Sala and Dalpino landed to the south in Nam Dinh.

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Their time in the Chinese containment camp did not seem to dull their combat prowess. The operation was masterful. Per usual, the Japanese garrisons overreacted to the news of an invasion, and a garrison division in Hanoi join the other garrison in Haiphong to assault the beachheads. Gens. Sala and Dalpino, supported by Caracciolo di Feroleto, attacked the Japanese divisions in Haiphong, freezing them, while Gen. La Ferla’s 1a Divisione “Giovanni d’Acquarola” (named after John the Peacemaker, Sainted Bishop of Naples) took Hanoi and then Hung Yen, completing the encirclement and destruction of the Japanese divisions. Peace was restored in North Vietnam in the name of a Saint from Naples.

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As the United Kingdom and its allies advanced east into Siam. Odd things started happening. An American mountain unit under a Gen. Williams, while acting in the role of a French expeditionary unit advanced into Siam territory in Nakhon Sawan, and the French authorities on the scene, though a member of the Allies were also an Italian puppet, and they conceded the newly acquired territory to the New Roman Empire. This complicated the British advance as they were prohibited, for political legalistic reasons, from advancing into Empire territory and were required to advance around this most remote province in the Empire. As a consequence of this episode, the Americans withdrew that division from their expeditionary force from France. However, the force advancing from the west was a very cosmopolitan force, with many nations from around the world represented. Intelligence reports even reported Soviet forces fighting the Japanese under the French flag in Siam.

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By October 11, 1943, the Empire had eleven marine division in Vietnam chasing the Japanese through the jungles, and heavy mechanized divisions fresh from Europe were soon to arrive.

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On October 28, 1943, after a tough fight against a Siamese infantry division over the river crossing in Muang Hinboun, Gen. Caracciolo di Feroleto’s 8a Divisione “Milmart” participated in a fascinating battle. His Italian marines, joined the 1st British Armoured Division and the American 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Division fighting under the French flag, attacked Gen Sakaguchi’s 1 “Tokyo” Hoheishidan in Phon Phisai fighting under the Siamese flag.

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On November 4, 1943, the Roman Legions were back.

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By the new year of 1944, the battle for Indochina was finally settled, and the Japanese were evicted by a cosmopolitan multinational force. Siam fell to the British, except those portions occupied by American troops acting under the French flag. Those portions were to belong to the Empire. The French recovered a land locked portion of their former colony that had never been annexed by the Japanese. The rest of Vietnam was territory occupied the Empire.

The new year also bought new assets for Mussolini in his war in Asia.


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Wow at all the multinationalness confusion. It amuses me.
 
It has just occurred to me that you never use paratroopers. Is this by choice?

I have to admit that I never got around to researching them in this game. My emphasis in this games has always been elsewhere. Since starting this game way back when, though, I have started using paratroopers regularly. They are particularly effective for an Axis Italy in attacking Gibraltar and Malta without control of the seas.
 
Chapter Forty Two: Italian Korea (1/4/44 - 4/16/44)


With the final conquest of Indochina settled, Mussolini examined the globe in his map room trying to figure out the next move for his legions. He did not yet have the sheer number of forces in theater necessary to get involved in a major land war in Asia. However, the Japanese occupied peninsula of Korea afforded a confined space with a manageable sized front supported by adequate sized ports.

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On January 4, 1944, two Italian fleets appeared off the Korean peninsula, one off the port of Suwan and Seoul and one off Pusan. Once again, the marines commenced their amphibious operations.

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To the south at the Pusan beachhead, Gen. Appiotti was landed at Chinju, while Gens. La Ferla, Caracciolo di Feroleto, and Zengales landed at Masan. The Japanese garrison in Pusan, per doctrine, immediately attacked the beachhead in spite of a difficult crossing at the Nakdong River.

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To the northwest, Gen. Ferrari Orsi was landed at Ch’ongyang, while Gens. Sala, Dalpino and Morigi were landed at Sosan. The Japanese port garrison in Suwon immediately launched an assault on Gen. Ferrari Orsi’s 15th Marine Division in Ch’ongyang. The attacks were beaten off and soon the marines were on the offensive.

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By January 10, 1944, the four marine divisions in the south had consolidated in Masan for an assault on Pusan. Gen. La Ferla, the sacker of Madrid and Berlin, exercised his urban assault experience by leading the attack on Pusan. To the northwest, the marines were expanding their beachhead. Gens. Zangales and Dalpino occupied Suwan and Gen. Sala advanced as far north as Songnam before Japanese reinforcements started appearing on the scene. Ferrari Orsi’s division advanced rapidly into Ch’onan and with momentum continued with a strong attack into Wonju. However, the marines soon found themselves greatly outnumbered and their advance was halted.

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By January 16, 1944, the Japanese had contained the Suwan beachhead and Ferrari Orsi’s marines were steadily losing the battle of Wonju. However, the marines in the south had overcome the Japanese garrison units and moved into the port of Pusan. As soon as the port was occupied, Italian transports landed four heavy mechanized divisions commanded by experience panzer generals, Gens. Calvi di Bergolo, Dall’Ora, de Stefanis and Bitossi. These divisions were landed with the idea that they could quickly exploit the lack of Japanese troops in southern Korea. Unfortunately and inexplicably, they were landed with empty fuel tanks and could not move until fuel was shipped in to supply these powerful divisions. In the meantime, the marines were ordered to hump it on foot and exploit the situation as best they could.

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By January 26, 1944, Gen. Ferrari Orsi’s marines had been thoroughly defeated and were forced to withdraw from battle. They were ordered to occupy the southernmost portion of the peninsula where resistance was expected to be minimal while they recovered from their combat damage. Meanwhile three more marine divisions under Gens. Oxilia, Frattini and Stripoli were transported into Suwan to stabilize that portion of the front.

To the south, the marines fanned out. Gen. Caracciolo di Feroleto advanced on the left flank advancing to Taejon joining with the Suwan beachhead and attacked Ch’ongju. Gen. La Ferla advanced in the center to Kumi and led the assault on the Japanese position in Ch’ongju. Zengales was on the right flank to Taegu and converging on Ch’ongju. Meanwhile, Gen. Appioti skirted the coastline on the far right in an effort to flank the Japanese positions. Finally, the heavy mechanized divisions were supplied with fuel and made a bee-line for the nearest enemy and cut through the Japanese infantry like crap through a goose.

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On January 26, 1944, the Japanese in Ch’ongju were defeated leaving 4,530 of their dead on the field of battle. They fed to Wonju, but the fast moving mechanized units were right on their tail and threatened to overwhelm Wonju before they to effectuate their escape.

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By February 7, 1944, the Italian forces in Korea consisted of 10 marine divisions and 4 mechanized divisions, as well as air support from the two carriers off the coast and land based aircraft flying from the airbase at Pusan. The Korean peninsula was evenly divided between north and south. The Japanese with their allies had formed a solid defensive line with a large concentration of troops in T’aebaeksanmaek. The front was frontally assaulted by the Italians at T’aebaeksanmaek from three directions and at Ch’unch’on from two.

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By February 11, 1944, the five Japanese divisions in T’aebaeksanmaek were thoroughly defeated. They attempted to retreat to Kosong, but they were too slow. The mechanized divisions plowed through and took Kosong before they could retreat and the five Japanese division ended up just greasing the treads of the Italian half-tracks.

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On February 12, 1944, the left flank of the Japanese line was ruptured. Three mechanized divisions -- the 103a Divisione ‘Piacenza’ under Gen. Dall’Ora, the 106a Divisione ‘Turin’ under de Stefanis, and the 108a Divisione ‘Solferino’ under Gen. Bitossi -- were ordered to exploit the opening in Kosong and moved with all speed into the Japanese rear. It looked as if this were the turning point of the Korean War.

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Then on February 16, 1944, the Americans had landed on the northern most portion of the Korean peninsula at Ch’olsan. It appeared as if the United States was trying to take advantage of the hard fighting by the Italians. That was Mussolini tactic, and he did not appreciate it when the roles were reversed.

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Fortunately, after a few days it appeared that the American beachhead was expanding to the north into Manchukuo instead of south into the areas targeted by the Italian advances. However, the Japanese were not quite finished yet. They launched a determined counter attack against the Italian vanguard at Wonsan. The single mechanized division was assaulted by a Japanese motorized and light armored division, plus a host of additional Japanese divisions were descending upon them from Hamhung.

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By February 26, 1944 more troops had arrived from Europe. Italy now had 11 marine divisions and 7 mechanized divisions. The Japanese forces were also increasing, including light armored units, but the Italians continued to drive north towards the last two Japanese ports on the peninsula, Hamhung and P’yongyang.

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On March 9, 1944, both ports fell and the Japanese found themselves caught between the hammer of the Italian mechanized divisions and the anvil of the Americans to the north.

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By March 23, 1944, the Italian and American fronts were joined and the only real suspense was whether the Italians or the Americans would capture the resources located in far north Korea at P’ungsan and Cg’ongjin.

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Initially it looked like the Americans had the upper hand as they were only two provinces away from P’ungsan, and five Japanese divisions barred the Italians direct route through Huichon. However, Gen. Dall’Ora led three mechanized divisions against the five Japanese divisions to hold them in place while Gen. Calvi di Bergolo led three divisions along the coast against a lone Japanese mobile infantry division in Hongwon in yet another end run attempt. Finally, fresh mechanized units were approaching from the South.

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By March 31, 1944, the three mechanized divisions continued to plow through the Japanese in Huichon, but had a long way to go to P’ungsan to beat the Americans. Gen. Calvi di Bergolo won his battle in Hongwon as well, opening up an advance along the coast, but his marine divisions had trouble keeping up with the swifter mechanized divisions.

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Mussolini really wanted to win this race to P’ungsan against the Americans. So, he ordered a marine landing in the shadow of the Russians in the far north at Cg’ongjin (which possessed some energy deposits), and they attacked south towards P’ungsan. The race seemed lost on April 4, 1944 when American forces occupied Nangnim, essentially cutting the Italians off.

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However, the mechanized units pressed on, and on April 6, 1944, two Italian mechanized units, fresh from Italy, under Gens de Simone and Barbieri were the first units to drive the Japanese from P’ungsan.

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By April 16, 1944, the last pockets of Japanese were wiped out by Italian-American cooperation, the Italians had all the resources in the peninsula secured, but the American had conquered vast portions of Manchukuo effectively cutting off any further Italian expansion north from the Korean peninsula.
 
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It is not Manchuria, it is Korean war. Now, I guess there is just China itself to win against. And after that, will Mussolini try for world domination, or will he be content enough?
 
Italian Korea is obviously the best Korea. The Americans need to know that, Mussolini.
 
I predict a proxy war here... :D
 
Chapter Forty Three: Operation Marco Polo And Peace In Our Time (4/21/44 - 12/14/44)

The Japanese homelands were all but completely occupied by the USMC. Korea was settled with most of the peninsula in Italian possession. The Americans were expanding rapidly through Manchukuo and the British captured Dalian/Port Arthur. The time seemed right to go directly after the Japanese in mainland China. However, a way to test the waters, so to speak, in mainland China, was an invasion of the Shandong peninsula. Like Korea, the Shandong peninsula would permit a narrow front and would not require a large number of units.

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By April 21, 1944, new ships and troops had arrived from Europe, and a huge armada of 5 separate carrier task forces (consisting 11 fleet carriers, 22 carrier air groups, 24 light cruisers, and numerous troop transports) descended on the south side of the Shandong peninsula off the coast of Quingdao. Four marine divisions were landed to the northeast of the port at Haiyang and four more were landed to the southwest of the port at Jiaonan.

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Shortly after the troops were put ashore, a Japanese fleet made a sortie against the Italian armada in Haizhou Wan. The Japanese fleet only consisted of a single carrier and four cruisers, and the sortie was broken off as soon as the Japanese realized how outgunned they were. They returned to port after taking some damage.

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However, the Japanese fleet could not remain in the harbor for long. While the marines in Jiaonan advanced to Zhaoyuan to cut-off any possible Japanese reinforcements reaching the peninsula, the marines in Haiyang attacked and overwhelmed the garrison in the port of Quingdao. Once the marines seized the port, the Japanese fleet was forced out to sea to meet the Italian fleet. The second battle of Haizhou Wan was a decisive affair. The Japanese fleet consisted of 10 capital ships including four carriers, and six heavy cruisers and five light cruisers.

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The battle was a great victory for Italian naval aviation. The carrier air groups sunk one carrier, three heavy cruisers, three light cruisers and a transport flotilla, and at the same time, managed to keep the Japanese ships and planes away from the Italian ships, as they suffered no losses. Meanwhile, the marines expanded their beachhead and secured the entire peninsula.

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After the loss of their island homeland, Korea, their fleet and the Shandong peninsula, the once might Japanese Empire collapsed. Its leaders, always proud, refused to surrender. The Emperor and his die-hard generals retreated to the Gobi desert near the Mongolian border and plotted their return to power. Mussolini refused to allow that to happen. He ordered his mechanized units to land in China and chase Hirohito and Tojo to the literal ends of the Earth.

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Finally, on June 17, 1944, the last remnants of the former ruling class of Japan were tracked down and destroyed. The former Japanese Empire was annexed to the New Roman One. Meanwhile, Manchukuo and Mengkukuo surrendered to the United States. Manchukuo was annexed, while Mengkukuo’s government was replaced by one more pliable to American influence.

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The New Roman Empire (in Asia) included all of mainland China, except British Hong Kong and that territory controlled by the Guangxi Clique. It also controlled Taiwan and most of both Korea and Vietnam. To the south it also control all of Java, most of Sumatra and Timor and some of Borneo and Sulawesi.

Combat operations across the globe finally came to an end. Peace was restored.

For six months, the New Roman Empire worked to consolidate its holdings in Europe, Africa and Asia. The Regio Esercito and the Regia Marina continued to expand its world wide defense network. Italian infantry spanned the globe to enforce the peace and provide security. Naval bases were expanded to enable the Italian carriers to project force across the globe, excluding only the Americas.

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On December 14, 1944, after months of intense negotiations, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill put aside their differences with Benito Mussolini and agreed to except the unmistakable facts on the ground. The New Roman Empire was well established, and if the Western Democracies hoped to contain the growing threat of the Soviet Union, the assistance of the Empire was necessary. Churchill and a sick and frail FDR both travelled to Rome and they personally made an appeal to Mussolini and asked him to join the allies.

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A tear came to Mussolini’s eye. He finally realized that this was what he and the Italian people had longed for all along. Acceptance. All the braggadocio, the rivalry, and the pitiful attempts to parrot the greatness of the British Empire in Libya, Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia were all just the most sincere form of flattery. What was Macau but a poor man’s Hong Kong? What was Oosthaven but a poor man’s Singapore? All his life he just wanted to be deemed a peer of the two men now asking him to be their partner. He threw his arms around a startled Churchill and shouted, “Certamente!”

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The combination of the holdings of the British, the Americans and the Italians gave their union the strategic influence necessary to settle the affairs anywhere in the world save those in territories dominated by the Evil Soviet Empire. However, the three great powers together would contain communism until it would collapse under its own weight. The world had grown weary of hot war. The cold war was just getting started....

But Mussolini had a perpetual smile on his face until he died a peaceful death in his bed at the age of 92.

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That was epic. I salute you, tommylotto!
 
An awesome AAR with a great ending. Im sad to not see the New Roman Empire expand into Siberia, but I think the epicness already seen in it should be enough :D Good job tommylotto!!