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JASGripen

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Jun 14, 2004
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Ok this AAR will be a bit sketchy but I just want to tell you how an idea I had did evolve.

I planned to do something different so I decided to get the maximum money from the start of the game in order to spread maximal diplomacy havoc.


Said and done, I started a 1936 Campaign and got a bit more market oriented with the sliders from start. Some ministers were kicked to max my diplomatic fury. Not much happened initially as I decided to play the greater guy and stay away from trouble that those mean dictators wanted to drag me into. I continued with my annual slider changes to get me more into Dove and market orientation. I traded a lot and have not produced any supply yet (up to 1941). I also had a healthy income of +40 gold doubloons rolling in.

So I started at once and began to ponder potential axis countries with my Market oriented dove gold. I spread my gold on influence rather freely. Hungary was the first one to go down, they went market liberal and apparently thought it was nice and dandy. Romania was the next one; they fell into the market liberal trap in 1937. None of the countries had any greater fancy to trade with me on good terms, their saviour as I was and all.

Well, well, more influence and I got Norway as an allied; that couldn’t hurt, could it. Yugoslavia went the same way, alliance. Now Churchill started to shout that he wanted into cabinet (*bloody fat warmonger*), shouting that his old and dirty Gallipoli idea could be applied at once. We, the peaceful Government paid no respect to these war ideas.

So in 1938 things were heading to decision time. I had The Fascist in Italy on the hook; they were at 18% (?) coup willing for some time. Should I go for it or not, if I did waste money on them then I felt that I needed a fast follow up with making them an ally too. Said and done, I coupe them on first try. Now I want them into my alliance, hrmm... No, the Market oriented Italy declares war on the totally peaceful Greece! I almost had Greece as well! #”%¤”¤”% Ok, though and Realpolitische decisions coming up. I greet the Greece with the words: “shit happens, ehh, here you have some 13 dots on a paper. Peace in next time and Goodbye” I just HAD do ditch them, Italy was couped and a much better ally than the democratic and sympathetic Greece. I let Italy attack Greece, but the war ended after a while as Italy just took a couple of Islands, bleed severely and sunk some puny fleet components.

Italy were actually rather willing to Join my alliance after they had let some steam on Greece (after 5 proposals). Allrighty Adolf Anschlüss this if you want to. Now you have Yugoslavia and Italy as allied with old UK and Hungary and Romania less keen on joining the axis.


Anschlüss came, of course and Hitler laughed in my general direction, attacked Yugoslavia and Hungary. I had almost all African troops on the Balkan as Italy was friendly. Shock and horror, some awe too. Hungary didn’t last very long. Why? Well the Market Liberal Romania joined the Axis! The Romanian hard coded hatred was prevailing over shallow ideology: they wanted fight so bad. Alexander and Cunningham took a stand in northern Yugoslavia and fought well, but Yugoslavia couldn’t fend in the East against Romania and Bulgaria. Yes, Bulgaria didn’t hesitate to join the Balkan Bar Room Brawl. Germany attacked Poland in this maelstrom of awful violence; it was indeed Bedlam in my Dove eyes. Yes Poland sunk like a rock.

Cunningham: Old Chap what about Split?

Alexander: No, please I do enjoy your company dear lad.

Cunningham: Ohh, I talked about the harbour town Split you see. Lovely place some miles to the rear with plenty of British Transports.

Alexander: Ahh, i get your drift, lovely idea. Lets go.

So Yugoslavia fell and defeat was felt. Romania did have a sudden change of Administration into a Regime – with modern language.

All for today I will continue to account for this crusade for peace and money.
 
JASGripen said:
...All for today I will continue to account for this crusade for peace and money.
very interesting! ! ! ! :)

i will be watching! ! ! :cool:
 
Thanks for the comments! I will put in some screenshots soon, but first I want to continue the narration.

Ahh In early 1939 Portugal was couped and soon joined our alliance, we are legion.


When we saw Alexander and Cunningham last they were camping in the mountains north of Tuzla, Yugoslavia. Now they are sitting in a bar in Alexandria:

Cunningham: Joyous ride wasn’t it.

Alexander: Indeed it was, and a good thing too.

Cunningham: Yes, those Pz-divisions were not that benevolent when they waved us goodbye in split.

Alexander: Not the least. Ahh good news; A Good thing that Italy messed our plans for Greece up, now we wont loose that allied, as it never became an ally in the first place.

Cunningham: Yes, good thinking, and a very good Ale too.


Actually I forgot to mention that UK got the province bordering to the small Island in the west by Greece as payment for the Italian war (they joined our alliance during the war). So UK got a foothold on the Balkan mainland, were we have built a tiny Radar and an airbase. Germany can’t reach it, as they can’t bypass neutral Greece.

So this was the major action in 1939. But the scales of fate were once again put on the table. Finland had fought the winter war for a while and they were +200 friendly towards UK. On top of that they really wanted to join my happy band of brothers. If I let them I would find myself in war with USSR, not a good thing. On the other hand as a market oriented open society Dove I have a hard time to attack even the meanest of countries. USSR is not peaceful, not as we the British are. So in my famous speech in the House of Commons I declare that Peace is War, at least sometimes. After that Finland is invited into our glorious alliance and do they accept. Said and done, I send some 3-5 divisions to Finland along with the Heavy BB home fleet, leaving the 3 CV home fleet guarding the home coasts.

Finland happened to fend for their own rather well, without our obsolete equipped chaps in kilts.

What does UK have in troops at the start of 1940? We got the start kit, except for some minor losses in the Balkans (mostly Milita sent there from the darkest of Africa). Hen we have a fairly modern RAF with 10 Tac and 10 Int. The doctrines are good, not excellent but they have been researched fairly active.

The Army: 3 Armoured div, type III and some 10 Inf div.
UK lags behind with brigade research and I don’t want to produce thins that already are obsolete. I plan to get AA-brigades and SPART up to international standard soon and get them going in serial production (the assembly techs are focused on too).

The RN is a 7 CV fleet with all the original extras. I have spread them out with a CV-fleet in Hong Kong, Alexandria and Orkney. The BB:s are in other fleets, Helsinki, Gibraltar and Singapore. I have produced some 4 CL IV:s as I am a bit afraid for Dorniers and other German Naval Bombers coming out of coast.

The English coast facing Europe are Radar equipped and the appropriate coast provinces got 10 AA, we are set for a Battle for Britain is Germany want to play that way.

At the start of 1940 I have 5 divisions in France facing Luxembourg, it will be interesting to see what Germany does in the spring. They don’t do much except declaring an early war on USSR! I blame my meddling on the Balkans for this. Ok let them bastards chew each other up. What should I do in the meantime? Perhaps attacking into Germany. I do an attack against a weak German province a couple of times and finally it breaks. I take Aachen and some provinces around that before my 0 org. units bump into solid Krupp stahl.

The French refuse to exploit my success and I find myself sitting in German territory while the enemy divisions hoard around me. This excursion wasn’t meant to be, the Germans push me back very hard, and by CAS I loose one HQ and one armoured division. I have no fighters to do much about the Luftwaffe air superiority. 2 of my inf. Divisions get caught around Aachen and are unable to retreat into France: they are obliterated.

Once again I succeed in provoking Germany into action against myself. They declare war on BeNeLux and the rest is history as it happened. Except that the BEF loaded on transports a bit south of Dunkirk this time. I was actually surprised in the power of the German divisions. The difference in doctrine really plays out here. It is good to know for me who have played Germany a lot before. Perhaps I have been to cautious as the Germans really rock compared with the allies in early 1940.

Germany really seems powerful; they continue the war in the West with taking Denmark. The British CV-fleet sinks some TP:s and a BC too. Horray, Norway is saved!

Not so Horray, the 30 strong British BB Home Fleet is caught in the Baltic with Germany denying passage past Denmark. Rats! The USSR doesn’t even try to attack me and Finland doesn’t fight much along the coast. My fleet Patrols a bit outside of Leningrad, burning Finnish oil for what it is worth.

Now it is summer 1940 and the only good things are that Italy still fends very well for them. They refuse to trade their sole blueprint against 5 blueprints, 5000 oil, energy and rare each. I just give them all my blue prints in order to have them along in the tech top.


The diplomatic action? Sweden was couped, finally after lots of 1000 spent. They will not enter the allied camp anyway. Nationalist Spain is hard to coup (0 chance) even as we got +200 relations. I guess I have to trade with them and perhaps waste some more influence on them sa well.

Upcoming: Dire straits for Finland, USA enter the war and the Dieppe Raid becomes Tour the France.

400606
4006240ez.png



statistik40060sb.png
 
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The image from 400606 in the post above shows how the British way of warfare evolved for a year or so. Two of these types of raids were done, one, which took most of the French Channel coast before the German forces became all too strong. The difference in doctrine isn’t nice and MP penalties because of the total dove strategy are to be counted on – even if they are not felt at once.

Anyway, The Italian Albanian front, The Main Albanian front and the French front are draining Germany’s Barbarossa severely. They don’t get much more than one province into USSR, and that is not a good thing for them. If things don’t improve for the Germans then UK must prepare to land grab on the continent in order to stop the Soviet onslaught. That seems as a horrible task as the British army still is to small, partly because of some losses during the two raids.

Japan are still staying put

July 3, 1940: USA joined our Military Alliance with Iraq, France, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands and Italy

This is really good news!!! As you can see the alliance is rather big and strong. With USA in the team I can at least hope for some air power coming helping me. They will not have much else to do as they don’t got any Japanese to care for

I have gone down in Consumer Goods production, as my dissent is nil. I don’t do much money then (well more than usual with 100% dove), perhaps I will change some ministers again just to get a legitimate reason to raise CG.
 
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lifeless said:
i wonder who else will join your alliance... :rolleyes:


Yeah I do wonder too! Baby I got the money if you got the time! :D

Sweden, Syria, Persia, Turkey and Spain are candidates (all +200 rel. Sweden couped) but they are really wiser than that it seems. I guess the upcoming soviet war scares them s**tless. I would have been fun to coup Japan, but I don't think I can get even one percent chance on that before I get in war with them.
 
An early D-day is called for

During the autumn 1940 the UK do another (the second) Thunder raid through Northern France and Belgium. They retreat over the channel after they have caught the attention of many German divisions, some Pz. Now the Atlantic coast is guarded by real divisions not many Gar. left. This is of course good for the overall strategical situation. But the operational level needs new ideas, as another raid in France is futile.

In the meantime Soviet pushes deep into Finland and there isn’t much to do than a fighting withdrawal. Petsamo in the North and Åland in the South are the last strongholds in Finland. In the Finnish newspapers we can read that the communist Otto Ville Kuusinen has became PM of the Stalinist Finland.

The worst thing is that the British 30 units strong Battleship Fleet in the Baltic is locked in the pound with no real base to anchor in and no supply getting into the area. Sweden is influenced a bit further with little or no effect, it would be good to have them in the camp now as they got about 20 divisions ready at their borders.

Anyway, the fleet gets into the tiny haven of Mariehamn in Åland, which still is guarded by two Garrison units, originally intended for the Coastguard of Calais and Cornwall.

The American air force has in late 1940 begun to show presence over Germany, that is good as the 10 UK Tac can’t cover all of the continent by itself. RAF for example still show presence in the Balkan with fairly modern level IV Tac:s. The Americans has also started to lend a lot of units to Norway. That country is becoming an allied powerhouse soon. I am a bit bothered what the Norwegian government will do with all these divisions. I do think that they would have been more aggressive and helpful under American command – we’ll see.


March/April 1941

Germany has not done well during the winter and it is clear that they will loose the war. The peaceful British people cannot stand watching the Soviet barbarians bringing their lousy cuisine to the rest of Europe – exporting bad food is England’s task goddammit.
Halifax decides to act on the intelligence reports from the ASW forces in Kattegat. The most northern province in Denmark is not covered by any German units and the UK got about 10 divisions, 3 of them armoured to land at that area at once.

The issue is also pressing as the British fleet in Åland can be in dire straits any minute if the Finnish communists decide to attack the archipelago. That decides it, free Denmark and the British fleet (with 8 DD:s there are 62 vessels in the fleet).

The attack is done quite well and Germany is caught of Guard. Britain pours an army corps into the German homeland north of Berlin too. This will make it harder for Germany to act on the invasion.

410406
4104060rw.png


Denmark is free! Let the bacon commerce begin!!!!
 
lifeless said:
lol you're just landing everywhere arent you? :p


Aha, you haven’t seen the wonderful Mammon as I have! I land wherever I see peaceful fishmongers longing for free trade and globalisation in the name of The Empire. :D

Nah, actually I tried landing in East Prussia first. It was a bad place, as I landed just behind the Eastern front and received a well earned whipping by the German Army Group North; all grisly veterans without afternoon tea habits.
 
JASGripen said:
...Denmark is free! Let the bacon commerce begin!!!!
yes! ! ! this is most excellent bacon! ! ! ;)

oh, yes, the updates are also most excellent! ! ! :cool:
 
Occupation and Liberation of Europe

To put it short, between April and September 1940, the German Reich went down in flames. The all to few and actually inferior led (doctrine wise) British troops did defeat the Germans in the West by criss-crossing the territory with armoured spearheads. The Germans couldn’t keep up and were annihilated in multiple pockets all over France, Belgium and Western parts of Germany. The Italians did a good job too, but they stop the Allied camp from creating a Germany in the West. We can create a Eastern Germany, but we doubt that the Government will be easily to deal with ;)

The National Redoubt is no myth!

Contrary to popular belief the Germans prepared the dreaded National redoubts, not as Alpenfestungs, but as Pilsnerfestungs! They used a heavily wooded area and two very heavily fortified areas as their last stand. It is the western most parts of Czechoslovakia with their old fortifications that is turned into a fortress.

The British High Command sees no possibility to assault this area and at the same time fight the red hordes in the East. We have just met in some areas but the Red seems not willing to attack… yet. Perhaps when they have mopped up Poland of German troops, then we’ll see.

4109021fr.png






USA is still pumping Norway with troops, a custom that Lord Halifax has opposed openly in the press. Hammerfest is lost to the Stalinist Ugrians, but the strong armies under Norwegian command do nothing to counter this fact. If there will be a Japanese war, then USA will likely withdraw its troops from Norway and then the Norwegians will regret that they didn’t use the troops when they were at hand and command.


As intelligence reports the statistics for a upcoming war with the USSR are insanely against the odds! But what can we do? We can fight a withdrawal across Europe and end up on the Islands again. The USSR has no fleet to talk about so they can’t hurt us. But it would be very bad do abandon the Italians that as fought so well on the Allied side.

410902stat2vf.png


As you can see we lost a couple of armoured divisions in the fighting, but it was good losses as they cut the Reich into pieces in the process. We got a Marine Division ready just after all landing operations are over, typical. :)

We also got a SMART and some AA in London waiting for divisions, but it seems hard to motivate a R&R back to London now when we are to face a serious threat in the East.



Upcoming: some details about the British situation in September 1940. What can we do?
 
Here you got a thumbnail of the research in Sept. 1941, plus the industrial research done.

Notice the attempt to research Land doctrine two ways in order to get some edge against Soviet. We'll see how this war evolves, but the raid on Germany was perhaps all to effective. UK wasn't prepared in numbers to face the USSR in Autumn 1941.


techn415ba.png
 
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Nice game so far!

You should edit the save game file and swap the Italian-held provinces in southern Germany for your Austrian provinces. That way, you can set up the west German state and the Italians could set up an Austrian puppet state, and you'd have a lot more support against the godless bolshevists! The west germans, if liberated, will get all the historical provinces of west Germany, plus any other former German (pre-Hitler) province, right? So you'd really get a powerful puppet state, that could field a lot of divisions.
 
lifeless said:
wooo! all of europe will soon be in red! the good red! :p

I hope it is the British pink/red that you are cheering ;)


Snake IV said:
Japan has to bee couped.
Yes, but I doubt the success. I will try to trade with them and Influence them more, but I was a slow starter at getting them. I still got a big hoard of gold so I will spill some on them.

It would be nice if they got a Market Liberal Government. :D


Karl Martell said:
Nice game so far!

You should edit the save game file and swap the Italian-held provinces in southern Germany for your Austrian provinces. That way, you can set up the west German state and the Italians could set up an Austrian puppet state, and you'd have a lot more support against the godless bolshevists! The west germans, if liberated, will get all the historical provinces of west Germany, plus any other former German (pre-Hitler) province, right? So you'd really get a powerful puppet state, that could field a lot of divisions.

Thanks for the kind words. Yes I could edit the setting, or just “acceptall” it. I wonder how fast the soviet will push me back (I do not doubt that they will do it). That pace of theirs is important when I decide if I will create puppets or not.

EDIT: I can't of course trade with stuff that Italy and I don't own. Germany got at least 3 VP provinces in the Balkans that Italy or USSR needs to take before Germany surrenders.

Vichy is still outside of the war; I wonder if they and Spain will get away with it when/if Soviet gets that far… Hmmm grim thoughts.

Anyway, I feel for the Italians, perhaps I should send troops to them instead and give Soviet an easier fight in Germany. If it is hopeless anyway, then it could be better to help Italy.
 
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The RN finally gets some action in 1941

23 September the RN gets something to chew on. The unexpecting Soviet Baltic Fleet seems to be on a task to assist its land troops in Poland. Little did they know that one big Battleship fleet and one 4 CV Fleet, both of RN did Patrol the area. The Planes from the Carriers caught the October Revolution Flagship with its entourage off guard. They did apparently take some beating the Soviets, and fled north. The Battleship made a hot pursuit as well as they could these not so nimble fortresses. On their way North they saw an unannounced American CV Task force outside of the Estonian Coast. Of the Baltic Fleet there were no traces. Wait, the Königsberg Harbour has some enemy elements in it. The RN Carrier TF sets out for a Port bombardment and finds a sole DD group. They sink it resolutely and assume that it was the last splinters of the once so proud Soviet Baltic Navy.


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