22nd November
Operations against Portugese assets begin. The South China Army Group gathers in Guangzhou, opposite Hong Kong - to prepare for the capture of East Timor. The main battlefleet sets sail for the port to rendevous with our forces.
26th November
A GI division completes training. Deployed to the home islands.
5th December
Our convoy came under attack near Goa, alerting us to a Portugese fleet in the region.
6th December
A corps of cavalry is ordered, at a cost of 42 ICs.
10th December
We noticed how close the nationalists are getting to the allies. This makes us uneasy as we can't declare war whilst they have a truce with us.
We decided to pursue war by other means.
Including distrupting enemy production. Note the estimated size of China's economy, we were only able to overtake that when we annexed Guanxi. For the last two years, China has been between 40% and after our annexation of Shanxi, 20% ahead of us.
14th December
1 factory was added to the production queue to improve our practicals ahead of a possible factory wave next year, ancipicating a victory in China.
17th December
Mechanised offensive was queued to the research agenda. +10 organisation to mot, mec and cav.
Christmas
We set sail for East Timor with 30,000 men.
29th December
Assault into East Timor begins.
30th December
Both ports at Vila Taverio and Dili fall, undefended.
1st January 1939
France has begun mobilising her forces. Japan is considered the highest threat to France. The allies continue to court Sinkiang, Yunan and Nationalist China leading to fears about an attempt to contain Japan by the allies.
5th January
Two marine divisons complete training. We decided to order the two CAGs needed by our carrier under development. We weren't able to order these previously due to budget constraints. The carrier is due to finish in late March, but the CAGs wont be ready till December 1940.
There is a rebellion in Siam, at Chon Buri next to Bangkok. Fortunately this occured next to the only infantry division we had present in the colony and we immediately attacked the rebel militia division.
6th January
After East Timor, our fleet returns to Siam to be joined by two carrier fleets. These three fleets will be used to attack Goa, if it's within the 3,000 range restriction.
10th January
The three fleets set sail for Goa. The combined fleet consists of 48 ships. With four carriers, it will be a message to be burned into the racial memory of Europeans.
18th January
We are victorious in the battle of Chon Buri, the rebellion is destroyed.
20th January
The JJ Corps III begins the assault into Goa's beaches. There is no resistance and Goa is captured within hours. The bigger of the carrier fleets, with 2 ships - is sent home. We're aware of a Portugese fleet 3 naval provinces out so the remaining carrier group is set out to patrol and hopefully intercept it.
One infantry division is left to guard Goa as the remaining two set sail for Tanganjika, which we can just make at the very maximum of our naval range of 3,000 km. Because of lack of fuel, it is moving forward at 2km/hour. Problem appears to be a damaged level 1 port at Goa.
8th Feburary
After landing at Porto Ameilia unopposed, our forces get to work on invading the hinterlands of Tanganyika. Portugal is often mocked at the Ghost Empire in Portugal, playing on both the complexion and epheremal presence of its garrisons.
12th Feburary
Our current colonial gains represents the limits for the three divisions of the JJ Corps III to police and defend so new divisions are to be gathered from the home islands.
11th March
The Marine Corps is formed in the Home Islands. It will be led by two marine divisions, supported by three general infantry divisions.
It is loaded onto the transport fleet along with the 1st corps (3 panzer divisions, 2 GI units). They set sail for the southern Japanese pacific islands. Research of 1940 infantry tactics completes, IC funding immediately made available for upgrades, at 82 ICs.
16th March
The rebased transport fleet sets sail south at a lazy pace with two corps aboard.
27th March
Germany annexes the Czech republic and Slovakia joins the allies.
The IJN Amagi is launched into the Bay of Tokyo admid much fanfare and foreign fear of what another carrier in Japan's navy means for regional security.
28th March
Italy annexed Albania
Japan declares war on New Zealand.
Our invasion starts on a bum note as we are informed the marines require fuel to attack because of their engineer brigade. The marines are left on the ships as the three supporting infantry divisions of the Marine Corps launches the attack without them, at the port of Auckland in the north of the north island.
31st March
South Africa joins the allies.
1st April
The battle of Auckland drops to 1% towards victory.
The Netherlands is mobilising.
Admiralty was questioned on the supply situation at Auckland and it was admitted they were based to the wrong port. They should of based to Truk with its level 10 port but in arrogance overlooked such petty precautions given the enemy was New Zealand.
3rd April
We abandoned the battle of Auckland with 1,181 out of 50,000 troops dead having killed 178 of New Zealands 24,851 soldiers and gave the admiralty the strict order to rebase to Truk.
Vice admiral Nagano was invited to committ Seppuku.
5th April
First supply ships arrive at the fleet from Truk. The invasion recommences this time with two divisions of infantry committed to attacking Helensville to support Auckland. We will lose these divisions if the attack fails.
The second battle of Auckland opens at 34% towards victory.
6th April
The Helensville divisions land and join the combat, raising progress to 50% and also irreverisbly committing us to continuing this assault, least we lose two divisions.
We had disheartening intelligence on the sheer scale of the nationalist army as border guards reported in enemy strengths. 3 divisions per border province in the south, in every single southern border province. In the north they had four per province, with large stacks of 6-7 divisions on the Xiebi frontier. We are barely able to place 1-2 divisions per province.
9th April
The carrier group we sent to support the invasion sheds its destroyer escort and moves closer to the north island that its planes can begin to provide ground attack assistance. 3 CAGs are part of this carrier fleet of 6 light cruisers, a carrier and an escort carrier.
11th April
A failing infantry division was pulled from the Auckland combat whilst the two panzer divisions attacking still had 50% organisation. Then we can reinforce a fresh division to rotate out the panzers.
14th April
Australia was accepted into the allies.
16th April
Status of the second battle of Auckland
20th April
New Zealand was accepted into the allies
22nd April
Developments in the battle of Auckland. At 60%, the allies haven't joined the war against me yet but I do feel like we're playing Russian Roulette in failing to make peace with New Zealand.
25th April
We are victorious in the battle of Auckland!
Seven divisions enter Auckland ready to move out and are given orders to capture the rest of the North Island.
26th April
The New Zealanders attempt to block us at Paeroa, however the effort is futile as their forces were spent from the battle of Auckland.
Within 10 hours we are victorious.
Luxembourg is mobilising.
The carriers sailed back to Truk for repairs on the CAGs. We don't feel it is acceptable to have a spent carrier group near allied Australia given the political risks we are taking on New Zealands membership of the allies.
30th April
Troubling news from Canada.
Humhuang's port level increased, another improvement is queued. This will be the port serving troops in Manchuria if war with the soviets breaks out so it is necessary for the long term as well as the Chinese wars.
1st May
The first of our new cavalry brigades finishes training.
7th May
Transport fleet arrives back at the home islands and collects 4 new divisions for the New Zealand campaign. All the new divisions are GI forces. The Marines are sent back to Auckland port to rendevous with this force in a week's time.
9th May
Two enemy divisions are slaughtered at Pauani, a pocket east of Auckland.
14th May
Due to the strength of the forces we are fighting in our advance down the North Island, we suspect Wellington to be poorly defended. The transport fleet has returned with four fresh divisions and is joined by a marine division at Auckland. It sets sail for Wellington.
16th May
Battle of Wellington.
It appears our hunch was correct.
17th May
We capture the port of Gisbourne in the east and the GI division marches back west to rejoin the combat preventing our advance south.
18th May
We are victorious at the battle of Wellington!
Fleet ordered to move into the harbour. One division is left behind to defend Wellington as the other four divisions set sail for Christchurch. One division is prudent at Wellington because we have just routed the defenders and the rest of New Zealands forces are in retreat halfway up the north island.
20th May
Five ships of the NZ navy set sail to engage us. 28-5 is the balance of power, however we only have 8 fighting ships in that fleet. One of which is a battleship, it may prove too hard for the enemy destroyer squadrons. One salvo from the BB IJN Kongo sets the enemy fleeing. The landings at Christchurch are 25% towards victory with four divisions vs one. The battles across the North island are stopped as our forces choose to hold their current positions rather then exhaust themselves advancing. Victory is assured if the South Island is captured, so the risk of defeat by exhausting our northern troops was not judged to be acceptable.
22nd May
No movements at Christchurch, the carrier fleet was dispatched from the repair docks at Truk to Wellington to provide backup if the Battle lasts more then a week, although progress has now climbed to 33%.
26th May
The Portugese attack our holdings in Tanganyika. We haven't captured the whole of the colony due to supplies running dry halfway across. Unfortunately for the Portugese, they are arrayed against the Great Qingdao division, responsible for destroying 12 enemy militia brigades in the Japanese-Chinese wars.
28th May
We are victorious in the battle for Christchurch, 95% towards total victory. Our forces prepare to land at Dunedin, which we cannot reach overland because of too low infanstructure. The carrier group begins ground attacks into the province to ensure that the last great battle for New Zealand is naught but a formality.
Our truce with nationalist China has expired. They are maximally aligned to the allies providing us with a great condundrum of who to attack and what are the chances of them joining forces.
Battle of Dunedin opens at 53%
3rd June
We are victorious in the battle of Dundein!
4th June
We are victorious in the war against New Zealand.
We rout the enemy attack at Villa Perry in Tanganyika.
5th June
The enemy government is hiding at Samoa. We set sail immediately with carriers and marines to ensure they are wiped off the surface of this world.
10th June
Assaulted and captured Samoa in the same day, NZ is now a government in exile deeply fustrating our plans to capture the full power of NZ industry. We settle for full occupation laws and leave five GI divisions behind, one for each port.
18th June
After two victorious battles, we are routed at Vila Pery due to lack of supplies. The fleet is enroute with a marine and GI division to capture the southern Tanganyikan port and end the campaign Portugal is waging.
After a survey of the extent, or rather lack of, NZ industry it was settled that a collaboration government would be more optimal.
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The capture of New Zealand and the imminent conclusion of the Tanganyikan war when our fleet arrives represents the end of the opportunitist period in our expansion. We were able to take a potential allied nation out of the great game before they even start warring us. It will serve as an integral base for the invasion of Australia which will be my #1 priority if war with the allies starts. The jungles of Indonesia are a target, but capturing them will not reduce the scale of the forces arrayed against me. However Australia is a power that I intend to see eliminated fast should war with the allies break out. Fortress new zealand in practice requires two corps whereas we've only allocated one. If war with the allies breaks out we will have to quickly reinforce the region.
We now stand with a global empire, from Africa to Australia, southern Asia to northern Asia. Yet we are still unable to defeat the multitude of Chinese legions that stand vigiliant against us on the border. Perhaps a whole year of army production will be required to develop the sheer numbers necessary. Foreign adventures will have to be limited purely because we cannot keep diverting troops from China to minor conquests.
The question of allied ascendency for the nationalists is deeply troubling, but I feel it is beyond our hands and we will have to play wherever the dice fall.