Chapter 9: Someone Order Some Pizza?
October 15th - 18th
I think I took too many screenshots of Grand Battle Plan and not enough of the other doctrines. I'll have to remedy that! In any event, we're plugging along here so my Army should be getting better and better. Chief reason I like to focus in this doctrine at the start is several projects can lower the attack delay, which honestly at a base of 48+ hours delay for most of my troops, this is needed.
I teased this last chapter but here is the initial landing zones for about 2/3 of my SNLF forces. We're moving in to this peninsula and hope to attract quite a bit of RoC notice (and troops).
At the other end of the front, we finally defeat the RoC forces at Zhangye and should be moving in soon enough.
We're definitely moving more in to Nat China's territory with this victory at Laiyuan. Minor losses for Japan while China lost nearly 10% of their men.
The next day on the 16th we start a push south in Shanxi territory in the Shilou province. This will help to begin isolation of the Communist Chinese capitol as well as push enemy forces further south.
Having just moved in to Laiyuan, we're pounced upon by a couple of Militia units that may have been headed there anyway for the defense.
On the 17th, looking to the far west we are pushing as much as we can, this time in to Xining province of Xibei San Ma. Pretty soon we'll be unable to move any further and will need to await reinforcements from the east. Looking eastward,
Japanese forces elect to attack at Yangyuan instead of surrounding it and destroying them that way. Ah well, we're doing a good enough job killing enemy troops as it is.
With a couple landings completed already, an SNLF unit with their HQ begin the assault on Weihai. You'll notice I have Marines starting to set up in Yantai so we should completely eliminate this garrison. You'll also notice we were attacking at Qingdao.
Three SNLF units and the other HQ is entering this city and doing pretty well at it too.
Throughout the latter half of October, six more Chinese convoys were eliminated. I'll have to go back and comb thru these reports to provide a total accounting of the war, but this seems to be the busiest my subs have been in a while.
On land, the war is heating up as we launch further assaults on Henshui and Guangrao while winning the battle of Weihai quite handily. In fact, considering I didn't lose a single Marine at Weihai, this was a splendid battle.
Hengshui as well is a push over, with little to no losses on either side as the Chinese are simply wanting to vacate territory to set up their defenses in a better position.
The 18th of September sees similar circumstances greet the Japanese at Laiyuan as we lose only three dozen troops to nearly 1500 Chinese.
Apparently a lone militia unit was making it's way to Hengshui for the original defense but only made it on time for their own funeral.
Viewing the SNLF operations in the northeastern peninsula, we're definitely making life difficult for the RoC. With the successful landing to cut off the Weihai garrison retreat, they're now forced to stand and fight me, which we're happy to do!
October 19th - 22nd
On the 19th, we see victory (again) at Hengshui with next to no losses on the Japanese side and over 800 dead on the Chinese.
Our Air doctrine is slowly growing as seen here, with a dozen projects needing to still be researched. Our light armor is gaining morale too, with the inclusion of cast armour construction improvements. I would be feeling better too, if I were stuck in one of those Japanese tanks with improved armor! Note as well that our bombers got intercepted by a lone Chinese Interceptor wing at Nantong. We're able to push past but my bombers are getting chewed up a bit - when I'm able, an Interceptor wing will relocate to one of the peninsular airports to provide better support.
The SNLF are proving themselves quite fearsome in battle as this time my Hero Unit begins to land at Qingdao. The Chinese garrison here flees with almost 500 dead. Granted, Marines from the left and right were attacking them for a bit prior, but I'm sure the direct invasion from sea helped escalate this flight.
Another Chinese assault on Laiyuan will no doubt weaken before too long as I greatly outnumber the enemy.
Far to the west, with moderate losses on both sides, we take the province of Xining from Xibei San Ma which will herald the end of our western expansion at this time.
On the 20th, our troops emerge victorious in the battle for Yangyuan which is no surprise as we could have surrounded this northern RoC province. In this screen shot we can see how the right half of the front is doing - the Marines will be taking the peninsula very soon whilst our push southward from Beiping is going well enough.
The one Chinese fighter wing gets attacked by my Interceptor group and escapes very worse for wear.
Continuing our move southward from Beiping, we head in to Shimen...and run in to a German trained light armor unit. AAARRRGHHH!
A Shanxi Partisan sneaks in to Baotou on the 21st and promptly thrashes the nearby Japanese Cavalry unit.
I'm not sure how 100 men can hold off over 12000 as this isn't Sparta...In any event, just south of there we win at Shilou.
Moderate losses on both sides but worth it as this allows my troops to keep pushing southward in an attempt to cut Shanxi off from Communist China support.
Merely 4 days since the attack at Weihai and forcing the garrison there to initially cut and run, we finally pin them down and eliminate the entire 8500 man division. With the capture of both ports and airports in this area here, we'll be improving logistics in this region greatly.
The next day of the 22nd we have yet another victory at Hengshui.
Minor losses for Japan to an overwhelming amount suffered by the Chinese. Next door (nearly) our earlier bombing efforts apparently didn't do much as we seem to be attacking fresh troops at Nangong.
Considering we have twice the number of brigades, this may yet be a fierce battle.
The Iron division (10th Div) attacks the 3rd RoC Army HQ at Wu'an who sustains nearly 50% casualties before fleeing.
We lose none!
October 23rd - 26th
The 23rd sees yet another Chinese attack on Laiyuan fade to nothing with many losses on their side.
Minister Koshiro informs me that Chinese bombers have bombed us in Sasebo, obliterating our Metal mines in the province. Something will need to be done about this! *
Over on the Chinese peninsula our Marines are doing well with a victory at Longkou. Light losses on both sides and even though the enemy had a 2:1 superiority in manpower, we were able to push them out.
As the calendar changes to the 24th, we gain our Specialist Training back for all the branches, improving Unity, Supply Consumption, and Reinforcements. That +10% for the Army will be greatly needed! Again, this screenshot reminds me I need to take a longer peek at each section for you guys.
Not everything here has some research going on - I try to not choose too many projects in order to stay close to the amount of RPs I can provide. For example, here you see I have 45 projects going and I'm supplying that amount of points.
Again, the Chinese attack me at Hengshui - I do promise that not all attacks are recorded here, as the AI will continually attack a province with several in a day even. This is just here to demonstrate how determined the Chinese seem to be in retaking their territory.
As we've won at Laiyuan yesterday, it's time to push in to Shanyincheng next door in order to remove an adjacent province that can be attacked from. Four divisions and two strong HQs push against what is later determined to be an exhausted Chinese defense.
The attack on Hengshui amounts to nothing more than further losses on the Chinese side. There are a couple more spoiling attacks by the Chinese I didn't record but all ended with no losses for the Japanese and merely a dozen or more Chinese.
This event on the 25th is the result of controlling enough provinces surrounding the Gulf of Chihli, providing Japan with extra efficiency in Research and greater Supply Throughput. I suppose it's due to all the ports in the area being controlled by Japan? There's a similar Taiwainese Strait event that we'll see next year.
It looks like another one of those damnable German-trained units made it in to Wu'an before the 10th Infantry Division could, so we'll attack them. And crush them! (hopefully)
The next morning on the 26th we finally gain victory at Nangong and like I said before, it was a fierce battle. With 10% casualties on the Chinese side, my forces did well with only losing under 1300 men even considering some of my force attacked across the river there.
We also do well in Shanyincheng province, the northernmost held territory of Shanxi. However, we don't get to control the area just yet as a Cavalry unit jumps in just in time.
Not much has changed in Spain with the Civil War still ongoing but that's more due to the early snow in the mountains impeding combat operations.
Taking a similar bird's eye look over China, we can see how stretched out Japan is from west to east. The SNLF landings in the far east will eventually link up with the main battle lines and from there we'll push southward along that N-S river toward Shanghai. Shanxi and Communist China in the middle are hopefully going to be conquered soon with Xibei San Ma to the west following up early next year (Spring possibly). I like to hit the West-East river that's not far south of my lines and utilize that as a defensive border in the Winter but with my late start to the conflict this time, it will be difficult to reach there in the next month.
On the evening of the 26th we succeed in our attack on Wu'an with light losses on both sides, driving this chapter to a close. I'll have the final days of October in the next chapter coming soon!
