Have been lurking around for a time, just decided to pop up to say you're doing an fantastic job.
Now back to lurking
Now back to lurking
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Thanks for lurking, and thanks for getting us on to a new page. That picture of Hitler on page 8 was kinda freaking me out.
Just read through this whole AAR. Very well written and well done. Looking forward to future updates with glee 
Just caught up with this AAR! I love it. I wished you were finished already so that I could keep on reading.
(First HoI3 AAR I read btw, usually only read HoI2 AAR's)
I hope the Roman Empire's future is as interesting as it's recent history was.
(First HoI3 AAR I read btw, usually only read HoI2 AAR's)
I hope the Roman Empire's future is as interesting as it's recent history was.
Out of lurk for a second to ask what are you doing with Zingales? He is one of my favourites in this game. I always give him my best corps/army.
Relurking now
Relurking now
Under The Hood -- 1940
After the fall of France, Germany battled the British in the skies over London and in and under the chilly waters of the north Atlantic. However, the British never submitted, and Hitler’s boasted invasion never took place. Apparently, the Royal Navy was able to safeguard the island kingdom from invasion.
As Hitler’s armies swept through northern Europe in 1939 and ‘40 much like Mussolini’s had in southern Europe in 1938 and ‘39, it became apparent that there was a difference. Mussolini, even if only in his own mind, was attempting to liberate the people from dysfunctional regimes and integrate them as citizens in what he believed would be a better form of government. He made war on petty Balkan dictators and Spanish anarchists and radicals. He did not wage war on populations, just governments. Without getting into details, Hitler’s armies did not demonstrate the same level of chivalry and goodwill. It was then that Mussolini realized that Hitler might be insane and that something truly dangerous and barbaric was taking place north of the Alps. Something would need to be done, for the sake of civilization itself.
However, what could be done? Germany’s army was far more mighty, and Italy was now practically alone on the continent of Europe with her violent neighbor. Mussolini did all he could. He exhorted his population to ever greater and more strenuous efforts to prepare for the Empire’s defense.
In the later half of 1940, Italian researchers had made a number of advancements in an effort to keep pace with the military juggernaut to the north.
An advancement in RADAR detection was made and Italy began construction of its first RADAR station in Trieste. It was hope that this modern marvel would one day give Mussolini an idea of what is going on over the Alps. RADAR was also added to Italian capital ships. Anti-tank ammunition, muzzle velocity, barrel and sights were improved from behind the times to state of the art. Computers were developed to aid researchers. And most significantly, on July 27, 1940, the General Staff developed an organizational technique called “superior firepower” which provided a reliable way to coordinate a complex division with five brigades, as opposed to four. This opened the door to the improvement of every division in the Regio Esercito.
Italy started adding anti-tank brigades to its infantry divisions.
Advancements were also made in small aircraft design, making them cutting edge, and improvements were made in fighter pilot and ground crew training doctrines. RADAR was added to Italian screen warships. Another major achievement was reached on September 18, 1940 when the Italian General Staff developed the equipment and doctrines for a powerful new brigade, mechanized infantry.
This brigade was important to Mussolini as it represented a powerful infantry based brigade that could be combined with the new and lethal Semovente 90/53.
A superior firepower combined arms division consisting of two mechanized brigades, two anti-tank Semovente brigades and one artillery Semovente brigade resulted in a powerful division capable of punching a hole in any enemy line.
Carboni’s Ariete corps was immediately upgraded to this new type of division and it compared favorably to Messe's legacy armor division.
The new Mechanized division had 110% of the soft attack firepower and 150% of the hard attack firepower of the older armor division. It was also twice as concentrated on the battlefield. It used more supplies and a great deal more fuel, but it was a significant advance.
Finally, Italian industry improved coal processing technologies. Italian Destroyers and escorts were fitted with anti-submarine warfare equipment, and the general staff improved operations level organization reducing the time between attacks for Italian divisions.
As of early 1941, the Empire had considerably expanded the Regio Esercito.
The Empire started expanding the Regia Aeronautica's interceptor squadrons.
The Regia Marina added a second carrier task force and expanded it's troop transport capability, enhancing Mussolini's ability to project force.
After the fall of France, Germany battled the British in the skies over London and in and under the chilly waters of the north Atlantic. However, the British never submitted, and Hitler’s boasted invasion never took place. Apparently, the Royal Navy was able to safeguard the island kingdom from invasion.
As Hitler’s armies swept through northern Europe in 1939 and ‘40 much like Mussolini’s had in southern Europe in 1938 and ‘39, it became apparent that there was a difference. Mussolini, even if only in his own mind, was attempting to liberate the people from dysfunctional regimes and integrate them as citizens in what he believed would be a better form of government. He made war on petty Balkan dictators and Spanish anarchists and radicals. He did not wage war on populations, just governments. Without getting into details, Hitler’s armies did not demonstrate the same level of chivalry and goodwill. It was then that Mussolini realized that Hitler might be insane and that something truly dangerous and barbaric was taking place north of the Alps. Something would need to be done, for the sake of civilization itself.
However, what could be done? Germany’s army was far more mighty, and Italy was now practically alone on the continent of Europe with her violent neighbor. Mussolini did all he could. He exhorted his population to ever greater and more strenuous efforts to prepare for the Empire’s defense.
In the later half of 1940, Italian researchers had made a number of advancements in an effort to keep pace with the military juggernaut to the north.
An advancement in RADAR detection was made and Italy began construction of its first RADAR station in Trieste. It was hope that this modern marvel would one day give Mussolini an idea of what is going on over the Alps. RADAR was also added to Italian capital ships. Anti-tank ammunition, muzzle velocity, barrel and sights were improved from behind the times to state of the art. Computers were developed to aid researchers. And most significantly, on July 27, 1940, the General Staff developed an organizational technique called “superior firepower” which provided a reliable way to coordinate a complex division with five brigades, as opposed to four. This opened the door to the improvement of every division in the Regio Esercito.
Italy started adding anti-tank brigades to its infantry divisions.
Advancements were also made in small aircraft design, making them cutting edge, and improvements were made in fighter pilot and ground crew training doctrines. RADAR was added to Italian screen warships. Another major achievement was reached on September 18, 1940 when the Italian General Staff developed the equipment and doctrines for a powerful new brigade, mechanized infantry.
This brigade was important to Mussolini as it represented a powerful infantry based brigade that could be combined with the new and lethal Semovente 90/53.
A superior firepower combined arms division consisting of two mechanized brigades, two anti-tank Semovente brigades and one artillery Semovente brigade resulted in a powerful division capable of punching a hole in any enemy line.
Carboni’s Ariete corps was immediately upgraded to this new type of division and it compared favorably to Messe's legacy armor division.
The new Mechanized division had 110% of the soft attack firepower and 150% of the hard attack firepower of the older armor division. It was also twice as concentrated on the battlefield. It used more supplies and a great deal more fuel, but it was a significant advance.
Finally, Italian industry improved coal processing technologies. Italian Destroyers and escorts were fitted with anti-submarine warfare equipment, and the general staff improved operations level organization reducing the time between attacks for Italian divisions.
As of early 1941, the Empire had considerably expanded the Regio Esercito.
The Empire started expanding the Regia Aeronautica's interceptor squadrons.
The Regia Marina added a second carrier task force and expanded it's troop transport capability, enhancing Mussolini's ability to project force.
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Thanks for lurking I promise to get back to the action as soon as RL allows.
Zingales has been leading one of Messe's armored divisions since day one. Another favorite is de Stefanis.
These new mechanized units will bring hell to the German frontline troops when the war finally breaks out
Don't overestimate the amount of armour you'll be facing though. While Germany does have a lot in relative terms you'll still be fighting 80%+ soft targets.
You seem to be hinting at an attach on Germany soon . You have an awful big frontline with them now although with your focus on Alpini you should be able to hold the Alps and Pyreneans quite easily. Let's hope your heavy divisions will be able to punch a hole in the plains of the north east and that they wont be too slow to take advantage of any .. well.. hole.
Good point, but if my ratio of ART to AT is any indication, 173 to 33, I'm still in the general ballpark. Still, I'm not sure of what to do with the AT when, and if, I go on the attack. They have pretty horrible attack modifiers. We do not want a repeat of the Athens fiasco, do we? I guess I could just drop the AT brigade and have the loose brigades follow the divisions, then added back if a panzer division appears, but there is no way to add the AT brigade to the division AFTER it has been assaulted by panzers. I guess the AT could be added to other divisions not already in combat then added to the fight, but I fear that would be a micromanager's nightmare. Or I could reorganize my divisions before I go on the attack to give each corps a dedicated AT division (inf + 4 AT), but then that one division would be rendered rather useless on attack. I fear my divisions were built to defend, not attack. This game is a constant learning process. There are so many things I would do differently if I started over.
Those TD's really slow down what otherwise would be very fast divisions, but the TD's are essential to get the softness down to get the CA bonus. Ideally, I would have researched spearhead doctrine and built nice narrow tank divisions, but then the Regia Aeronautica would still be flying bi-planes.
Dropping clues, it sounds like you are thinking about war with Germany.
Tommy, what do you mean by narrow tank divisions?
Armor brigades have 2 combat width without the spearhead doctrine. So, a tank division (say, 2LArm+2Mot) will have a 6 combat width, meaning it will only take 2 divisions to max out an attack across a given border. With spearhead researched, an armor brigade's width is reduced to 1 making it as narrow as infantry. Spearhead though is expensive in leadership to research. That is why I decided to build my CA divisions around TD's (with 0 width) even though they are slow as molasses.
*Clap Clap Clap*
Wonderful, Wonderful. Although I am confused as to how you inflicted so many casualties on fairly large powers such as Spain without losing too many?
The Greek in me demands a Greek Puppet state
Wonderful, Wonderful. Although I am confused as to how you inflicted so many casualties on fairly large powers such as Spain without losing too many?
The Greek in me demands a Greek Puppet state