Having landed in Aden in June, then crossing the Bab al-Mandab to Somaliland, then having secured our position there through July, our 22nd Infantry embarks again aboard a transport in August, intending to leapfrog along two coasts – the Horn of Africa and the coast of Aden.
Instead, HMS Barham and HMS Queen Elizabeth show up to spoil the plan! This time, the naval AI does not fail – the transport and our valuable infantry division are lost at sea. The plans against Somaliland and Aden foiled for the time being.
In mid-August, the British holding out in the mountains and jungles of western Jamaica surrendered, and all of Jamaica came under Portuguese control. Our strategy of tentative attacks to sap enemy strength, then waiting to reinforce, then going at them again, has worked.
In Borneo, the Battle of Sarikei finally becomes a victory, partially thanks to the employment of our Tactical Bombers rebased from Hong Kong. The two provinces that two British divisions had held since 1939 are now reduced to just one. Garrisons being slow as molasses in transport, it will be a while before this theatre is closed out, but its foreclosure is becoming more and more certain.
Throughout the sweltering tropical summer, three Portuguese divisions had been finding their way slowly across the waist of Africa, gobbling up Free French provinces in the African interior. In order to speed the advance, single brigades of our German-designed, license-built armored cars were detached from the divisions they were supporting in order to comprise a fast-advance force to scout ahead of the rest.
In late-August, this advance battalion of armored cars emerged from the African interior into British Sudan. This sweep had the potential to cut off British troops south of Khartoum from any hope of resupply – yet another encirclement move which came as quite a surprise to British divisions retreating north from Kenya. The image above shows the three Portuguese divisions, as well as highlighting in red along the far right edge our minor conquest in British Somaliland. Italy’s Ethiopian territory is the darker green nearby it.
Our Production Queue had settled down some, from earlier frantic builds. The fighters were deployed, and our first new Light Cruiser. Now our 45 IC devoted to production was concentrating on framing two Heavy Cruisers, due out after the first of the year, more Armored Cars (license built, again), and garrison and infantry divisions. The Convoy Transports in the Queue were a reminder of the constant drain on shipping a few isolated British and Free French cruisers were having during their marauding in the Indian Ocean.
The low numbers of Supplies and Fuel are, believe it or not, sufficient for the force Portugal has in the field. This will surprise those of you who strive to maintain 5-digit stockpiles of these commodities in expectation of potentially running out otherwise. Portugal is just a different animal than Germany or other major powers. So too, you may be surprised by our Manpower of 3. That’s really low, but not devastatingly low. Portugal is not experiencing casualties that would immediately drain that supply, and we use most of our existing Manpower for recruitment of new units. Also note that Portugal is abundantly supplied with stockpiles of every major Resource item (again, unlike our major ally, Germany, or probably our enemies!).
In early September, it’s time to switch out our division in Antigua. Thankfully, we now have a free and relatively refreshed unit in Jamaica, fresh from her conquest there. We will switch them out, and let these poor, beleaguered troops from Antigua rest in Jamaica while our buddies from Jamaica move in to keep the pressure on the British at Anguilla.
Now, this isn’t Kriegsgefahr (my experimental peaceful Germany AAR), and you don’t see a whole lot of Research achievements in Imperio Novo, do you? Well, here’s one (just one) – Coal to Oil Conversion. You may recall from my other AARs that I normally try to AVOID this tech, because for major powers it constitutes a drain on scarce Energy stockpiles which some heavily-engaged countries cannot afford. However, Portugal, by contrast, is flush with quantities of Energy, and could use some additional Oil and Fuel. This tech benefits us unlike almost anyone else.
Did you notice (above) our Manpower has climbed, in two weeks’ time, to 4?
Also notice the two transports sunk in a short period of time by Portugal’s FW-200 Condors (
Chita!), operating over the Red Sea, where British shipping was thick and had no room to maneuver or hide.
Khartoum, Sudan, finally falls on the 4th of September. There are apparently no British units nearby to contest this single-minded lateral advance across the continent! The defenders along the increasingly messy African front line are far to the south, and the defenders in Egypt are far to the north. Once the armored cars connect with Italian Somaliland, the British forces to the south will be unable to get supply.
Those forces, though, as it happens, may not last long enough to be strangled from their supply lines! One of the last remaining divisions has been cornered at Arusha, in central Kenya, and is on its very last legs.
Don’t miss that notice of another transport sinking, in the lower right corner. Every day or two, another British or Allied transport falls victim to our naval bombers!
Now that Australia has entered the war, the slow takeover of Dutch territory in the East Indies picks up urgency. Our single division that had been holding down the fort (literally – I built one in the late ‘30s) at our Naval Base in Dili had not ventured forth to get the rest of the island, fearful that someone would snatch up the port while they were away (ala Kingston, anyone?).
But now, we create a purpose-built headquarters/scouting battalion for the sole purpose of ranging west and taking the rest of the island. This is done in August, and by mid-September, its mission is accomplished and it moves to take up residence in the islands other port.
As
Chita and her brothers continue to sink countless Allied merchant ships in the Red Sea, on the 10th of September the 1st Armored Car Brigade reaches Italian territory, cutting off British supply to the south, and then angles north to reach the Red Sea proper.
Also on that date, the British division trapped at Arusha, Kenya surrenders. The advance from the south resumes.
In mid-September, the 26th and 27th Portuguese Garrison Battalions are placed in service at Lisbon. They are immediately loaded aboard transports for a journey overseas.
The obvious question is, “Where should they go?”
Considering Portugal’s manifold fronts, and varied opportunities, where do you think they should go?