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December 1941: the widening of the war

In the face of the retreats in Klintsy and Finland the Wehrmacht was able to take consolation in repulsing Soviet attacks in Porkhov and Vitebsk as well as sinking parts of their submarine force.

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Meanwhile the situation between Japan and the USA had burst into war on 6th December 1941 with Hitler taking the decision to declare war on America a day later. This effect was felt a mere 9 hours later with American bombers being spotted over occupied Belgium. It became clear the next day the US had a significant air force based in Britain, sending fighters into the foray in large numbers. The Luftwaffe concluded the US must have sent these aircraft before war with Japan had broken out, clearly suggesting America intended to go to war regardless of Japan's actions. The attacks by the American airforce were relentless but resistible for the time being.

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During this extension of the war, Italian incompetence was again demonstrated with German forces having to retake Libya once again. With such defeats being inflicted by the UK alone there are growing questions over whether Italy can hold Libya with America now joining the war.

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Soviet winter attacks continued, with German units ahead of the Dnieper river either being forced or voluntarily abandoning their positions.

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Our first naval success against America took the form of convoy sinking in the mid-Atlantic. This was due to the Kreigsmarine ordering a concerted effort to target America's maritime trade and supply routes. However the US navy did make itself known to German U-boats. Near the end of December an epic battle emerged off the Canadian coast with all available U-boats being sent into the battle.

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On the Eastern front Red Army attacks in the north and south were again repulsed by German units. But the situation in Finland was continuing to deteriorate.

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Also a collosal battle over Smolensk emerged on 20th December, with Hitler ordering no total retreat from the city. It's defence involved over 20 divisions of the Heer and lasted over a week. Ultimately it cost around 25,000 casualties for both sides, with consternation within the German military as to the city's value.

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The situation in the Mediterranean was continually unsettling for the German leadership with the UK being able to repeatedly launch amphibious attacks not only all along the Libyan coast but also on Sardinia. Germany was also surprised by Italy's failure to take all of the UK's territory in the southern Middle East, especially with Yemen staying neutral in the war and the UK failing to supply its units there doubt is increasing on Italy's resolve.

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Germany was able to end 1941 on a particularly high note with the conclusion of the epic naval battle off the Canadian coast. Even with it ending in the retreat of all U-boats, it involved the sinking of 11 capital and 6 screens of the US navy. This included 3 battleships, a carrier and an escort carrier. All of this at the expense of 3 submarines! The Kreigsmarine took pride in this strategic victory as America has been shocked by such devastating losses so close to home. Even the loss of the Lutzow could not undermine the confidence of the German navy.

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With such a rapidly changing situation in the space of a month, Germany has showed it's resolve in fighting the war by adapting these changes with great success. However worry is growing over whether this war can be ultimately won with so many determined enemies facing Germany. The leadership hopes to overcome these worries with another grand offensive against the USSR in the spring of 1942 ultimately aiming to force Stalin into surrender, with the High Command still debating the best place to strike once the winter weather has gone.

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Looking good so far!

I just make again a plea for using the political map mode more often, if you could. More or less all of us know which terrain is the map, but seeing the front is so much easier when the provinces are in gray/red/etc. . Thanks! (also, using the weather map mode from time to time in USSR would be good to make us "appreciate" the lethal Russian Winter...)

Soviet winter attacks continued, with German units ahead of the Sosch (?) river either being forced or voluntarily abandoning their positions.
By the way, it's the Dnieper ;)
 
Looking good so far!
Thanks :D

I just make again a plea for using the political map mode more often, if you could. More or less all of us know which terrain is the map, but seeing the front is so much easier when the provinces are in gray/red/etc. . Thanks! (also, using the weather map mode from time to time in USSR would be good to make us "appreciate" the lethal Russian Winter...)
Yeah sure, would a political map of the Eastern front be good every 15 days even if it hasn't changed dramatically? If I remember correctly, all of European Russia was frozen apart from the Crimea and Melitopol in November 1941, I also remember taking a screenshot of the winter in the north, trying to find it now. I'll take a weather screenshot from where I am now as well (25th January 1942) soon.

EDIT: Here are three winter screenshots from November 1941:

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By the way, it's the Dnieper ;)
Ah ok thanks, any historical and geographical corrections are appreciated. :)
 
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awesome progress. with all the losses its not too shabby. interested in seeing ifyou get any amphibious invasions by the allies now that the brits have supply issues and their navy is weakened. What are you building, reinforcement and upgrading priorities? What are your spring plans? Leningrad, Moscow or the Caucasus?
 
Now I'm 100% convinced that large sub stacks are overpowered, lol.
Ha, fair enough. It could be the mod, the designer seems to have disappeared for the moment. The American navy is certainly more of a challenge then the Royal Navy, if only for the sheer size of it!
Anyway, your life is tough in Russia. Your MP looks bad, do you think you have enough for 1942?
It is becoming a real challenge, it's great fun (but also annoying at times, I guess that's me being a sore loser :p )! I'm trying to keep my MP above 150, I've disbanded most of my AC brigades but don't want to touch the AA brigades my HQ's and Atlantic Wall garrisons have due to the massive airforces the UK, USA and USSR have, the Red Air force is particularly devastating! Rare materials are also a worry as I'm loosing around 70 a day, by that rate I'll run out by 1944 so it's not too important so long as I beat the USSR by then! I could remove the armaments minister Speer to help alleviate this when my stockpile is below 20k, I'll see what happens when I get to that situation. I have plenty of rare and oil synthetic plants, just researching the 1942/43 techs for them now.

awesome progress. with all the losses its not too shabby. interested in seeing ifyou get any amphibious invasions by the allies now that the brits have supply issues and their navy is weakened.
Thanks, I nearly have two coastal forts on every Dutch, Belgian and French beach but will probably build more. Italy is certainly feeling the full force of the UK's amphibious ability as it keeps landing in Sardinia and Libya. Italy has it's core territory and the Balkans well protected though. I would say more but I'll reveal it in the updates to come. :)
What are you building, reinforcement and upgrading priorities? What are your spring plans? Leningrad, Moscow or the Caucasus?
I decided to build more mot inf divisions after my failed encirclement of the Dnieper, I hope to complete around 20 more by 1943. I also have an endless serial of interceptors, 3 endless parallels of submarines, 1 of light tanks, building one more battle cruiser and several more destroyers to replace the lost screens. I have reinforcements on full, but I'm only reinforcing land units that have returned to Lublin or Koenigsberg to save on MP, as well as all of my airforce and prioritising my subs for reinforcement and upgrades in the navy. Upgrades are around 10% (40/50IC) depending on the supplies, reinforcements and consumer goods needed. Most of my forces on the Eastern Front are up-to date, it's mainly my interceptor force that needs upgrading.
What are your spring plans? Leningrad, Moscow or the Caucasus?
I'll reveal that in my future updates ;) Perhaps it's because I'm not a very good player but I keep having to change my plans due to the actions of the USSR, I seem to have lost the initiative already!
 
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Ah ok thanks, any historical and geographical corrections are appreciated. :)
No problem - take a look here, also. I've made it especially for AAR purposes! ;) (I'm going to write one myself too, sooner or later).
 
Italy is certainly feeling the full force of the UK's amphibious ability as it keeps landing in Sardinia and Libya. Italy has it's core territory and the Balkans well protected though. !

Dont forget that Italy has a lot of divisions with engineer brigades. I make a stack of two, you can go three if you want, with one division having the engineers and place them under a Defensive general, Italy has a lot of those, especially old guard to guard your beaches. I also keep two cavalry in Italy itself as i've had the Brits try to invade Italy itself bypassing everything else in past games.
 
No problem - take a look here, also. I've made it especially for AAR purposes! ;) (I'm going to write one myself too, sooner or later).
Oh thankyou! Would I be able to install this onto the Third Reich Mod?
Dont forget that Italy has a lot of divisions with engineer brigades. I make a stack of two, you can go three if you want, with one division having the engineers and place them under a Defensive general, Italy has a lot of those, especially old guard to guard your beaches. I also keep two cavalry in Italy itself as i've had the Brits try to invade Italy itself bypassing everything else in past games.
Thanks for the advice but I haven't MCed Italy and will only do so if the situation in Africa becomes perilous. :)
 
I think that the war won't end in 1942, but in 1943 at at the earliest. When the Soviets survive 1941, their resistance stiffens every year, because they can turn their vast MP reserves into units.
 
Do you have a plan for beating SOV during 1942? What are the conditions for triggering BP in this mod?
I hope to beat them in 1942 or at least inflict significant losses. I think the BP conditions are the same as vanilla AoD.
I think that the war won't end in 1942, but in 1943 at at the earliest. When the Soviets survive 1941, their resistance stiffens every year, because they can turn their vast MP reserves into units.
Yeah probably, so long as I can force the Soviets into bitter peace then I'll be happy.
Is this AAR over?
No, sorry I've just been busy with other stuff, I'll make an update soon. :)
 
January 1942

After the strategic victory acheived by the Kreigsmarine over the American navy, it followed through with another success against the British and French navies. With 6 capital ships and 5 screens being sunk for no losses the Germany navy easily laid claim to both a tactical and strategic victory in the battle. The French navy in particular was hit hard with the loss of two of its rare and valuable carriers. Additionally, a propaganda victory over the British was attained with the sinking of the Prince of Wales which had taken Churchill to America to formulate the Atlantic Charter in August 1941.

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However events in Finland were only adding to the worries of a Finnish surrender with the it's army having a hard time keeping the Soviets at bay, with some of its units being encircled at Vaasa but managing to hold out. Half of its army fought with orders of no retreat in Kajaani due to Finland being unable to hold the north of its country, by this time Germany decided to send units to the region in order to prevent a complete collapse in the country. With this help, the encircled Finnish army in the north was able to retreat thanks to co-ordinated counter attacks and encirclements of invading Soviet forces.

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Elsewhere the Heer was able to repulse Soviet attacks all along Germany's eastern front, with Stalin seemingly determined to take Novorossisk. The battle over Melitopol was particularly costly with elements in the German leadership starting to fear it could not hold the Crimea for the remaining winter period.

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In the Atlantic, the German navy was able to inflict some more losses on the American navy.

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The situation on the eastern front has generally stabilised by late-January to the relief of the German High Command, with the winter also settling in.

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Soviet attacks on Novorossisk still persisted to the bemusement of the Wehrmacht, meanwhile German-Finnish counter attacks gradually starting to retake the northern part of Finland.

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February 1942

The situation in British Nigeria, French and Belgian Congo has remained relatively static since early-1941 when Italian forces reached those regions. The UK's invasion of Italian Libya was being repulsed by German divisions. A British armoured division was successfully encircled in Msus by a combined German-Italian offensive. But both Hitler and Mussolini were terrified at the sight of American forces landing in Cape Town unopposed. The German leadership believe this is the beginning of the end for Italy's empire in Africa as its army cannot even remove French and British troops in central Africa let alone cope with American forces pushing up from the south. However Mussolini has other ideas and believes he can hold all the Allied troops at bay to the bemusement of the German High Command.

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On the whole, the Finnish army has been saved by German forces sent to the region and the northern part is being retaken, but its army has still suffered some defeats at the hands of Soviet forces. A significant encirclement of 5 Red Army divisions was achieved in Vaasa. Once the north of Finland had been secured, German units started to advance on Murmansk and the remaining Soviet territory that borders Finland.

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In the Atlantic the French navy suffered another devastating loss with the sinking of its battleship Provence. Meanwhile, the entire German surface fleet are recalled to port due to the presence of American aircraft carriers all over the Atlantic. The battlecruisers Deutchsland and Admiral Sheer were badly damaged but were still able to proudly point out they sank the US heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa and one of its screens. Even German u-boats have been hit hard by the American navy.

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The manpower crisis has become readily apparent to the German leadership, with it forcing the High Command to disband all the armoured car brigades attached to many of its motorised divisions.

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The US Airforce has still been trying to support its bomber offensive with fighter cover with no success.

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On the eastern front Stalin still had his eye on the Crimea, with Novorossisk being the key that Red Army forces have continually attacked with repeated failures. Meanwhile the German High Command was startled to see the huge amount of effort the Soviets had dedicated to taking Smolensk and Vyshgorod, with over 40 Red Army divisions attacking both cities. The German leadership immediately ordered Smolensk must be held at all costs. Two catastrophic defeats were inflicted on the Heer in Luga and Vyshgorod with a scorched earth policy being adopted in the retreat.

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With the losses forever mounting, the pressure is increasing on the German High Command to prepare a plan for a spring/summer offensive for the months to come that will inflict such severe losses on the Soviet Union to either force it into surrender or prevent it going on any major offensives in the winter of late-1942/early-1943.

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