Rise from the ashes - an Italian AAR

[Lautipus]

Rise from the ashes - an Italian AAR

Started: 6th of February 2019
Version: Cornflakes 1.5.2
Vanilla version​

1. Chapter: The prologue
1.1. 1936 - 10.1.1936
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Early morning on January first 1936, il Duce wakes up from a dream, he just had. It was about a greater Italy, a nation that was proudly showing it´s Roman root by being the only big fish in the Mediterranean sea. He kept thinking about it, some thoughts occurred about the ongoing war in Abyssinia, immediately he found his secretary and demanded an appointment in 2 hours with Rodolfo Graziani, who is the commander of the Regio Esercito.

Il Regio Esercito - the Royal Army; in future as RE
- it was born in 1861 alongside the Italian kingdom
- it is the official army of the Italian kingdom
- it´s role is to protect the Italian people and their interests
- it´s under direct rule of Mussolini (and the King)

Army composition

It is divided into 5 Armies, together it accounts for around 240k units divided in:
- 24 Infantry divisions
- 5 Milita divisions
- 5 Alpini divisions (Italian elite troops)
- 2 Cavlary division
- 3 "Armored" (somehow) divisions


La Regia Aeronautica - the Royal Airforce; in future as RA
- it was established in 1911
- it is one of the most modern air forces for the time

RA insignia and current status

La Regia Marina - the Royal Navy; in future as RM
- it is an essential part of the Italian military might since the nation is surrounded with sea
- it is supposed to be the strongest fleet in the Mediterranean sea

RM insignia and all of it greatness

There are: 1 SS,2 DD,1 CL and 2 BB being produced.

Logistic screen

Production wise Italy is not that powerful, so achieving the Duce´s vision will be hard, but we shall see what he has in mind. He did improve a lot the Italian economy over the last decade.

Building of the hydro power plant in Bussolengo

On the morning of January 10th artillery opened fire and the Italian troops charged as their planes were flying over head to provide air support.

Italian troops on the attack

How long can they hold out against the combined RA and RE?​

 

[Surt]

While the other generals look nice in their uniforms, Rodolfo looks like he has just been dragged out of his bed and put in front of a firing squad.

 

[Captured Joe]

This looks interesting, will follow.

 

[Bullfilter]

Good luck with this my friend. Hope the exams went well.

 

[KaiserWilhelmI]

Viva Il Duce! I hope he finds his own path and pays no attention to that pathetic Austrian corporal up north.

I shall follow

 

[Lautipus]

While the other generals look nice in their uniforms, Rodolfo looks like he has just been dragged out of his bed and put in front of a firing squad.

Haha well where I live we have a saying that there must always be one exception to prove the general rule.

This looks interesting, will follow.

I hope that you will enjoy it!

Good luck with this my friend. Hope the exams went well.

Thank you, they did. We can hope that this AAR will also go as good.

Viva Il Duce! I hope he finds his own path and pays no attention to that pathetic Austrian corporal up north.

I shall follow

It is well known the the Germanic tribes are barbaric. We are men of Rome, we shall differ ourselves, never the less we are men of culture.... and pizza.... and pasta.... and fashion.
I hope that you will enjoy it!

 

[Lautipus]

2. Chapter: Triumph in Africa
11.1.1936 - 17.3.1936


Italian artillery getting ready

Il Regio Esercito is slowly but surly pushing into the Abyssinian lines.

Situation on 28th of January, Northern front

Estimated casualties on the 20th of February

1st of March 1936​

Rodolfo Graziani walks into the Duce´s office, deploys charts and front reports on the table awaiting Il Duce to come from the parliament. As Mussolini walks in Graziani starts the conversation.
"What are the ministers thinking about the war?"
"Well the democrats think that it was not legitimate, you know, they always have to say something about anything. Otherwise the most is more than happy with our conquests, since we are talking about it, how is it going?"
Graziani replied: "I just brought you the newest reports, it seems that the 1. Army is 3 day of march from Addis Ababa. Shall I issue the authorization for attacking?"
Mussolini enthusiastically: "Yes, yes. So the war will be over in 3 days?"
"Not exactly, I am pretty sure that they will put up a defense of the capital, but this should just prolong the inevitable. I would say that by the 8th it should be over."
"Very well, I will schedule the Regia Marina to take our victorious army home by the 10th, report this to the generals."
Graziani saluted il Duce and went out.
The Duce grabed the battle plans, his eyes were shining. He was thinking about restoring the Roman empire, but where to start. France and UK will shorly forbid such actions, also they control all of North Africa except for Lybia which we took from the Ottomans in 1911.​

5th of March: 1. Army is preparing for the final push

At 3 P.M. on the 6th Victory was announced in Italy, the whole nation was celebrating

11.3.1936

This news shocked il Duce. The lack of any military response by neither France or UK was a sign for him. He ordered for the Army high command to be summoned. The speech started like this:
"My dear generals and admirals, what Germany did yesterday is a sign, an opportunity for us, to take what belongs to us. To what was denied from France and UK after the 1. WW, for what thousand and thousand of brave Italian soldiers died. I am talking about Yugoslavia, I want you to prepare an invasion plan. Is it possible?" he looked at Graziani, who agreed with il Duce. The admiral of RM, Alberto Da Zara did not share optimism while the commander of the RA was indifferent. Mussolini asked for some technical stuff to enter the room, since he had to talk about the air situations in Ethiopia. He read all of the reports and came across the note that fighters could not provide air cover in the later stages. He asked how come was that possible?
The chief of RA reassured him that there was nothing to worry about, the only threat there were birds. But Mussolini continued and assumed what would happen if there were enemy fighters. He didn´t wait for the answer, perhaps it was a rhetorical question, he ordered the RA to design a new fighter with long range and powerful armament.


The CR.42 the current fighter of the Regia Aeronautica

As Mussolini was being present at the planing for taking over Yugoslavia by the Comando superiore (High command), the news from Spain came. The civil war started on 17th of March 1936....

Where will this lead the world?

 

[Lord-Cum-A-Lot]

Where will this lead the world?

Well, to be honest Nationalists or Falange gonna win the war with the help of Italian Volunteer Corps and German Legion Condor and KG 88. Franco gonna rule Spain till 1970... Spaniards gonna help Germans fight Soviets with Blue Division. After protests from Allies division gonna come back home.

Its good to be from the future you know things!

 

[stnylan]

Will follow with interest

 

[guillec87]

subbed!

btw, how do you assign armies to the army group? I thought that kind of chain of command was out of HoI4

 

[Captured Joe]

It's been in since the patch that came with the Waking the Tiger DLC...

 

[Lautipus]

3. Chapter: The Spanish civil war
18.3. - 17.9.1936

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Mussolini was carefully observing the development in Spain. He requested reports from spies, his diplomacy and any other sources that could be used. After determining that this was not just an usual uprising he ordered RE and RA to prepare for military action. After contacting Franco and proposing the idea of helping out with the Spanish brothers and sister with their struggle by use of volunteers, Franco was more than delighted of receiving some more help. So it was decided that 3 divisions of Alpini, alongside 140 planes (fighters, CAS and interwar bombers) are to be sent in Spain by April.​

Air wing composition before flying off to Zaragoza

The armed forces are led by Sebastiano Visconti

The situation in Spain on the 10th of April

Meanwhile at home the RA was not idle, specifications were determined for the new fighter. The research started in April, the plane is named IMAM Ro.57. If the plane proves successful it will get a bird name like the naval bomber SM.79 which is known as Sparviero.

On the 22nd of April Pietro Badoglio launched an attack on Bilbao. Until the end of April the Republican forces in the area were cut off from supply and destroyed if they did not surrender.

​

​

The chief of staff of the RM, Alberto Da Zara has an appointment with il Duce.
*knock, knock*
"Come in Alberto," Mussolini welcomed the admiral and continued: "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering why there are no navy volounters allowed to fight, to gain some experience?"
"It is one thing to send some men and planes and brush off our insignias, but to send a navy, this would be madness, England and France wouldn´t let us..."
"But you are preparing to wage war against them, aren´t you, Duce?" Alberto interrupted Mussolini, which smiled and replied:
"I see that you are clever as a fox, and you can see right through my planes. But to do such things it means that you were thinking the same, weren´t you, Da Zara?"
"I did and I am worried that our navy is just on pair with the French navy, maybe a little bit better, but we are not capable to fight the Royal Navy at the same time. We lack ships."
"Oh c´mon, you are getting 2 new Battleships for 1937, and don´t worry, the RA will provide air cover and will bomb enemy ships."
"But we are still missing powerful ships my Duce"
"But we are bound by the naval treaties, we can´t build bigger or more battleships."
"I was thinking about heavy cruisers, fast ships that can engage at their own conditions."
"I see and tell me, perhaps you ordered the engineers to design such a ship and you came to me, to give you the green light to proceed with it?"
"Well, you are not far from the truth, so can I get 6 of them?"
"4, I am afraid that our industry can´t support more"
"They will need some escort too."
"Don´t worry Alberto, I am working on the expansion of our dockards. You can go now...and send me the chosen design, when it is ready, ok?"
"I will."​

​

Back to Spain, on the 13th of May the Italian divisions redeployed and launched an attack aimed towards Barcelona.

By the 26th of May the Republicans reinforced the front around Barcelona, the assault was halted. A diversionary attack was launched towards the French border. It worked, so the Alpini pushed towards Barcelona.

As Mussolini just delivered a speech over radio where he justified an attack to retake back the land that belonged to Italy, some papers from the RN were awaiting him on his desk.

Once again the Republicans reinforced where the Italian divisions were pushing, so the attacks were called off. By the 25th of June new attacks commenced by the RA first bombing the enemy positions. In a couple of days new Republican reinforcement came, they were determined to hold Barcelona at all cost. So the efforts were to cut off the divisions on the French border.

By the end of August Barcelona was encircled from all directions beside the west. The brave Italian Alpini launched a new attack. The fighting was fierce. After more than a week of fighting the Republicans finally evacuated the city. Just a couple of days later the war came to an end. Peace was declared on the 17th of September.

​

Victorious Italian troops had a march through the city of Barcelona to celebrate their achievements in the war.

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La Regia Marina was awaiting our troops to pick them up and deliver them home.

​

 

[Lautipus]

subbed!

btw, how do you assign armies to the army group? I thought that kind of chain of command was out of HoI4

I hope that you will enjoy it + you got your answer from Captured Joe

It's been in since the patch that came with the Waking the Tiger DLC...

Thank you, sincerely I didn´t know when, because I started playing this just after that DLC.

But here in HoI4 it is much easier than what it was in HoI3 to manage the chain of command etc.

 

[Captured Joe]

Yes, the chain of command in HoI3 could be a massive mess for some countries.

The conclusion of the Spanish Civil War was remarkable fast! But you seem to have gotten some nice Air Force experience out of it at least...

 

[Lautipus]

Yes, the chain of command in HoI3 could be a massive mess for some countries.

The conclusion of the Spanish Civil War was remarkable fast! But you seem to have gotten some nice Air Force experience out of it at least...

I always created my own chain of command.

Indeed it was, brave Italian soldiers and pilots surely had an impact. That experience will be more than needed for the upcoming planes.

 

[guillec87]

I will look the Dev Diary and see how it is done then hehehe

btw, very quick Spanish Civil War, did the Alpini gain a lot of XP?

 

[Surt]

Short Spanish civil wars seems like the norm?

 

[stnylan]

I can't help but feel Mussolini as a leader is like trying to play tennis with a hand tied behind your back.

 

[Lautipus]

I will look the Dev Diary and see how it is done then hehehe

btw, very quick Spanish Civil War, did the Alpini gain a lot of XP?

They got some, but the war was quick.

Short Spanish civil wars seems like the norm?

Well yes and no, depends really.

I can't help but feel Mussolini as a leader is like trying to play tennis with a hand tied behind your back.

Well Da Zara was neither honest with him.

 

[Lautipus]

4. Chapter: Forgotten Promises
17.9. - 16.12.1936​

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After taking home the victorious troop from Spain, the RM had to prepare for the future war with Yugoslavia as Da Zara learnt from Mussolini from the last time. The opponent should have just some destroyers, submarines and an old light cruiser from world war 1. Since this could not compete with the Italian navy, Da Zara created 2 main fleets, one with the battleships with escorts and a quick one consisting of heavy cruisers and some escorts.​

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The RA was not idle either, the bomber crews were learning about their targets (bridges, hydro power plants etc.). Since it was quite obvious that Il Duce wants to wage war against UK and France, some additional naval bombers are being produced.

Also the new figther design was finalized and it was time for the prototype for it´s first flight test.

The RE will push from the west and from the south-Zara. Pietro Badoglio will command most of the troops (25 infantry divisions), while Rodolfo Graziani will attack with 3 "Tank divisions", 5 Alpini and 8 infantry.

Italy declared war on the 30th of October

Poor ship

​

The main push was to be lead by Graziani, although Badoglio ordered his units to push, no breakthroughs happened in the first couple of days in his sector. The Royal Yugoslavian army held fast. But after 10 days the situation didn´t look bright for them even if Czechoslovakia joined the war on their side. Zagreb fell on the 14th of November and by the next day the majority of the army was trapped in Slovenia.

Situation on the 12th of November

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The RA was focusing it´s effort to help the army and disrupt any enemy attempt at reorganizing and making a new defensive line. The Yugoslavian air force was not existing anymore after the 5th of November or at least they didn´t dare to fly.

Italian bombers flying over Yugoslavia

Situation on the 29th, the Yugoslavian Army fell back and tried to reorganize on the Austrian border

Meanwhile on the eastern front the 2a Armata already conquered Belgrade

Before and after the surrender of the trapped Yugoslav army

After sinking all of the ships, the RM was ordered to provide fire support for the ground troops

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Yugoslavia surrendered on the 15th of December so the war was over before Christmas. As they were mourning for their short lived country (17 years old), the Italian were celebrating the victory on the streets. Meanwhile the German diplomats, dared to interupt Mussolini and proposed him to join in the anti Comintern pact. Mussolini grabbed the paper, smiled and tore it apart and said:

"We shall fear no one!"​