We, the People -- A USA Interactive FTM AAR

We've got one honest-to-goodness bill -- the Freedom for Europe Act ((the format was excellent, Plutonium95)). Let's see if we get it some competition!

Only a few more hours to get Freedom for Europe a competitor; otherwise, it wins by default (and I'll play tonight).

Note: I've added a new feature to this update, including the country of origin for convoys we sink (and those that are lost). If people want more information on something, please let me know. (Except for land casualties. Unless there's a quick stats program, like comagoosie's old EU3 generator, I have neither the time or inclination to do that. )

Executive summary: American troops proceed up the Italian peninsula, within striking distance of Rome. First Army prepares to travel to Africa. Italian navy takes another beating. The Pacific Theater gets a much needed shot in the arm.

July 1, 1942: First Army ordered to Bergen via strategic redeployment. Installing democracy becomes our stated objective in Italy.



July 2, 1942: Britain returns Second Army HQ. ((I feel like a complete dunce here, no matter how many times Tom warned me, I still messed it up. )) A request is made for the return of 6th Army Corps as well, to be delivered by August 2. ((If not later; I don't remember if it was officially confirmed or not. I'm not used to messing with expeditionary forces.)) Attack begins on Barletta (9th Armored vs. 61st Italian garrison); specific victory date unrecorded. Here is our plan for attacking Italy:



July 3, 1942: Massive assault on Matera. ((The AI decided to use 13 divisions against one Italian division.))
July 5, 1942: Victory at Matera. 5th Armored engages 55th garrison division at Tricarico.



July 7-8, 1942: Estimated time of victory at Tricarico.
July 23, 1942: Victory at Monte Cassino. 24th Italian infantry attacks 8th Armored at Termoli. 9th Armored attacks Italian 135th Armored ((has armored icon; may actually be infantry)) at Frosinone. SAG 'Tennessee' finds two Italian submarine squadrons in Setubal Bay; sinks both.



July 24, 1942: American victory at Frosinone.



July 25, 1942: American victory at Termoli. 32nd Infantry attacks two Italian infantry divisions at Ortona.



July 26, 1942: SAG 'Tennessee' spots another Italian task force in the Gulf of Taranto. Italy loses Andrea Doria and Duca degli Abruzzi. A big round of applause for the crew of the Armored Cruiser New Orleans, who was credited with the battleship kill!



July 27, 1942: US defeat at Ortona.



July 31, 1942: Italian attack on Termoli with 24th Infantry vs. 32nd and 23rd Infantry. US victory. US attack on Ortona begins (32nd Infantry vs. 24th Italian Infantry and 9th Hungarian Infantry ((!!!)).) Hungarian attack on Isernia (9th Infantry vs. 23rd Infantry).



Map of Italy on August 1st, including victory points:



Italian surrender progress: 16 of 58 VPs (27.6%); 46 required (80.8% at present NU)


Technologies learned: Airborne Assault Tactics 3, Infantry Support Weapons 5, Large Fuel Tank 3, Mobile Warfare 3, Medium Tank Gun 4, Medium Tank Reliability 4, Twin Engine Airframe 3, Small Arms 5
Units built: 5 x tank destroyer brigade (deployed to Norfolk, VA), 2nd US Marine Corps [5 divisions of 3 MAR + 1 ENG] (deployed to Los Angeles, CA), Air base upgrades in Guam, Midway, Wake, and Sunset Beach.
Warships sunk: 2 x SS, 1 x BB (Andrea Doria) and 1 x CL (Duca degli Abruzzi) (Italian)
Convoys sunk (transports/escorts): 4/0 (Persian), 1/1 (German)
Convoys lost (transport/escorts): 4/1 (sunk by Italy), 0/2 (sunk by Japan)
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In case you're wondering, the Persian convoys are headed for Caribbean ports (like Havana and Tampico, Mexico.)

Tom, we may want to review Italian strategy; I don't think Rome will be enough. I cannot, however, recall if losing a capital also harms national unity; if it does, it might be.

BOB, you have your own Marine Corps now. I don't know if you want to act more aggressively now or not (you do have CTF 'Yorktown' courtesy of Tom), but you do have that option. You also have a bunch of carriers and transports in LA; I'm not sure what plans Saithis has for them, if any.

I'd like new plans, if any, on my desk by Thursday at 10 PM (-6 GMT). I know this isn't as much as time as I normally give, but I'd like to squeeze in one more update this week, if I can.

I look forward to receiving them, General.

Author's Note: There were a lot more titanic battles than usual in this update; therefore, some screenshot-worthy battles got left out. I used roughly 500 total casualties as the cutoff.

Overview: The American march up and down the Italian peninsula stalls at Rome.

August 1, 1942: American invasion of Genoa by the USMC.



August 2, 1942: The British send back the 6th Army Corps. ((Of course, just the HQ. I've figured out you can make multiple requests at one time, so hopefully it shouldn't happen again.))
August 3, 1942: 6th Armored Division attacks 81st and 1st Italian Infantry at Sulmona. American victory at Genoa.
August 4, 1942: American defeat at Ortona ((continued from last update)).



August 6, 1942: Americans defeat Italian counterattack at Genoa.
August 7, 1942: American victory at Sulmona. Italian counterattack at Sulmona easily deflected. Beginning of largest battle of the war for the US so far at Anagni: 9th and 7th Armored and 31st Infantry attacks 44th Italian Infantry and 4th Hungarian Infantry. Nearly 50,000 combined soldiers.



August 8, 1942: First Army lands in Genoa from Bergen, Norway. Battle plan is reformulated. Beginning of US breakout into Carrara (1st Rangers vs. 2nd Militia) and Bobbio (2nd Rangers vs. 53rd Garrison). Very quick victory at Bobbio.



August 9, 1942: Victory at Carrara (270 Italian casualties; less than 100 American casualties.) 6th Armored engages 24th Infantry at Pescara.
August 10, 1942: US victory at Ortona. 22nd and 23rd Infantry defeat 1st Infantry; less than 100 total casualties. US victory at Pescara. Just under 500 total casualties, roughly even distribution.
August 11, 1942: Italy attacks 1st Armored at La Spezia with 30th Infantry; quickly repulsed. 1st Armored counterattacks 30th Infantry at Pisa.
August 12, 1942: 66th Garrison division counterattacks to slow assault of Pisa; quickly overrun by 1st Armored and four infantry divisions. 17th Infantry counterattacks 66th Garrison at Pistoia. American victory at Anagni -- bloodiest battle of the war for US forces so far.



August 13, 1942: US victory at Pisa. USMC invades Palermo, Sicily. 4th Armored and 2nd Rangers attack 2nd Militia at Parma.



August 14, 1942: US victory at Parma; 247 Italian soldiers killed for 10 American lives. 23rd Infantry engages and defeats9th Hungarian and 1st Italian Infantry at Pescara. 7th Armored defeats 4th Hungarian Infantry at Tivoli. 31st Infantry attacks 81st Infantry at L'Aquila.
August 15, 1942: German radio reports victory over Soviet troops at Velikie Luki. USMC secures Palermo with no resistance.
August 16, 1942: German 8th Heavy Armored division attacks US 7th Armored at Tivoli. US victory at L'Aquila. 31st Infantry continues pursuit of 4th Hungarian infantry at L'Aquila.
August 17, 1942: US defeat at Tivoli.



August 18, 1942: US victory at L'Aquila. 22nd and 23rd Infantry engage 1st Infantry at Ascoli Piceno. Victory at Ascoli Piceno involves almost 400 casualties, 313 Italian.
August 19, 1942: 4th US Armored attacks 27th Infantry at Ferrara.
August 21, 1942: 71st Italian Garrison and 8th German Heavy Armor (transferred to Italian control) attack 21st and 39th Infantry at Аnzio. 31st Infantry and 44th Infantry clash at Foligno.
August 22, 1942: Skirmish between 38th Infantry and Italian 1st Infantry at Macerata. American victory. US victory at Anzio; defeat at Foligno. Italian attack on Bologna easily defeated. First US assault on Rome. 17th Infantry engages 30th Infantry at Firenze. US defeat at Ferrara.







August 23, 1942: 31st US Infantry attacks 1st Infantry at Foligno. 54th Italian Garrison Division attacks 2nd Armored at Padova. 1st Armored attacks Italian 135th Armored at Arezzo.
August 25, 1942: US victory at Foligno.



August 26, 1942: Huge American advances at Ferrara (20th Infantry vs. 27th Italian Infantry and 1st Romanian Infantry), Ravenna (1st Rangers vs. 197 Infantry) and Venezia (2nd Armored vs. 54th Italian Garrison, 1st Romanian Cavalry, and 48th Italian Infantry). US quickly defeated at Ferrara.
August 27, 1942: American assault of Italian 106th Infantry at Ancona is quickly repulsed.
August 28, 1942: US victory at Arezzo. 22nd US Infantry attacks 3 Italian divisions at Fabriano. Defeats at Venezia and First Battle of Rome.





August 29, 1942: 3rd Italian Infantry and 8th Heavy Armor attack 21st, 37th, and 39th US Infantry at Anzio. Romanian 1st Cavalry attacks 2nd Armored at Padova. American victory at Fabriano.
August 30, 1942: US defeated at Padova. 8th Armored and 32nd and 40th Infantry attack 8th Heavy Armor at Tivoli; win with minimal casualties. American victory at Anzio. Second Battle of Rome (39th Infantry vs. 71st and 76th Garrison and 3rd Infantry). US loses Second Battle of Rome a few hours later (91 American casualties for only five Italian.)



August 31, 1942: Third Battle of Rome (37th Infantry vs. 71st and 76th Garrison). US defeat at Ravenna.



Italy, September 1st, 1942:



China, September 1st, 1942:



New technologies: Anti-Tank Barrel and Sights 5, Armored Car Armor 3, Fighter Targeting Focus 5, Anti-Aircraft Carriage and Sights 5, Aero Engine 3
Convoys sunk (transports/escorts): 1/3 (by Japan)
Convoys lost (transports/escorts): 1/0 (Italian), 2/0 (Persian)
Units built: 2 x Interceptors (deployed to New York, New York)
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Secretary Hull informs me that, should Rome fall, Italy will most likely surrender.

General Bradley, as we did not receive your updated plans for Pacific Operations in time, we continued our current passive approach.

Now, a personal note: Devotees of my AARs know that I am leaving on a trip early Sunday, so this will be the last update for We, the People until the first week of July. Please feel free to discuss the war while I'm gone; I'll still monitor the thread, but I can't play HOI 3 on my netbook. If you want to propose any bills, this would be an excellent time to do so, since you'll have plenty of time to discuss them.

Sorry to see you go, Bob. Good luck!

Well, that means we need a new Pacific Theater Commander. I am hereby accepting nominations for the post.

Qualifications:
1. Must have FTM. I need you to be able to open the saves.
2. Must be willing to take a fairly active role in the AAR. That means having the capacity to meet deadlines and so forth.

Duties:
1. Planning all operations in the Pacific Theater.
2. Appointing sub-commanders, if so desired.
3. If desired, make changes to OOB to suit your operations.

To apply, just post in thread with your ideas for the Pacific Theater.

Welcome to the forums! I've added you to the roll.

I haven't gone one single nibble on the Pacific Command. You can nominate yourself, you know.