Under the Hood -- 1938
I know when I read these AAR's I like to see what the player is doing with the game mechanics. While playing I irregularly remembered to get a screen capture of the console showing my tech advances. Unfortunately, once you quit a game session, that information is not saved in the saved game, and I haven't figured out a way to retroactively figure out when certain technological advances were made after I forgot to get a capture of the screen before quiting.
As you can see, Italy was improving its land forces predominately. It looks like I didn't start construction of the Aqulia until January of 1938, regardless of what I wrote in the third chapter. Since Italy will be limited to single engine airplanes only, the multi-purpose fighters are going to find a home. Infantry and tank equipment improvements, of course.
OLO is necessary if you want to be an offensive player. Italy always needs to improve its industry. Also, being neutral provides a 5% penalty on all research time. So, Italy needed to invest a research slot just to counter that penalty. Of course, I'm a big believer in Special Forces to increase the organization of the Alpini, Assault Concentration to increase the organization of the artillery and anti-tank brigades, as well as the eventual self-propelled artillery brigades, but unfortunately not the tank destroyer brigades. Those necessary hard support units require the expensive blitzkrieg tech to increase organization. Italy cannot afford that research. So, those units are always going to be a weak link organization-wise.
More light tank improvements, and if you have an offensive army made up of mostly Alpini divisions and you are fighting in the Balkans, possibly defending in the Alps and thinking about other operations in other rough and mountainous areas, mountain equipment should come in very handy. Finally, Infantry warfare to increase the organization of our regular infantry which will eventually form the bulk of the army.
Unfortunately, I neglected to screen cap the techs researched in 1938 after September, but emphasis was alway in having cutting edge infantry equipment and artillery, and state of the art light tank equipment. The long range objective is to have great infantry supported by a few mobile corps. The mobile corps are now light tanks, motorized infantry and tank destroyers. However, since our light tanks will always be stuck with 30 org, we eventually hope to build mechanized infantry, self-propelled artillery and tank destroyers.
The construction during '38 was two aircraft carriers and 4 CAGs (still in construction) and lots of small maniple divisions made up of 1INF+1ART. These small units would serve as garrisons in the occupied territories to fight partisans and to free up the main strike force of experience combat corps to quick advance to the next operation. These maniples would eventually be joined to form front line troops. I am pretty sure I was also building industry as well. I was also building lots of marine brigades and for some mysterious reason I was researching the naval doctrine of Basing.
I'm almost finished writing up the next operation. Where will it be?