A Third Reich Mod AAR

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I am just going to post this AAR here as for some reason I do not have access to the AAR forum. If a mod sees this and wants to move it to the AAR page, that would be great. Please just give my account access to the AAR forum so I can continue to update it. Thanks and apologies for any inconvenience.

 

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I.Introduction

This AARhas two goals:

- Toshowcase “Gringoesteban’s” marvelously designed Third Reich Mod (TRM), which offers a much morechallenging, historically plausible, 1936 Germany campaign (to summarize,Soviets much stronger, no victory in ’41, manpower shortages, no easy landingsin Britain, etc.) To my knowledge thereis currently no AAR for the TRM, which is very surprising….

- Toreceive input from the forum on improving my strategy—please note, however, ifyou haven’t played TRM, many things that work easily in vanilla AoD will notwork here. In other words, you shoulddefinitely try this great mod if you like playing as Germany!

Setup:

- TRM1.0 (released 22 March 2011)

- AOD1.07

- Normal/Normal(though Germany has some combat penalties on normal in this mod)

- Themod developer is making some changes in the next version, and I have includedthe below because they are easy to change and make sense…

o Naval stacking penalty lowered from -0.02 to -0.01. TheAI tends to use large fleets, so whenever a big AI fleet took on a smallerPlayer fleet, the AI suffered an unreasonable penalty.

o Trickleback factor (how many are just wounded)’ raisedfrom 0.30 to 0.34. The vanilla value is 0.45. Previous TRM versions used 0.30,but 0.34 seems more appropriate after doing some quick math: 0.45 vanilla value(x) 1.5 as much manpower in each TRM division relative to vanilla units (x) 1/2because TRM doubles unit defensiveness and toughness (=) 0.34

o Upgrade cost changed from 0.6 to 0.55 (vanilla AoD uses0.5, as did TRM prior to v1.0)

- No other changes

Gameplay:

- Historicalthrough 1939 (I think I have finally edited all events so the AI chooses thehistorical option), and historical plausibility throughout

- Nocheating except under two conditions:

o Ifthe Nationalists falter in the SCW, I will use fullcontrol to ensure theRepublicans are defeated (this is mostly for flavor anyway, as I will not allywith Franco unless I have captured London)

o Iwill use acceptall to bring Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria into the Axis ifthey are being uncooperative (Finland comes in via event)

- Iwill take military control of all Axis forces except Finland (more or lesshistorical)

o Bulgariandivisions cannot be used in frontline combat and only to garrison beaches inthe Balkans, which is more or less historical

- Techresearch never more than one year in advance of historical year, except in late1936 when there are no other 36-37 techs that Germany could possibly want

ModOptions:

- TheMod offers a choice to select an even more difficult Barbarossa campaign inwhich the USSR gets more “free” units. Iwill not be choosing the difficult option. The default TRM USSR is difficult enough to defeat—I actually cannotguarantee a victory at the outset as in AOD vanilla, though I have played it afew times and should be able to win. Maybe later I will do an AAR with the harder USSR—and lose!—but for nowI want to play through the full scenario

Updates:

- Myability to play the game and post updates is dependent upon my real lifeschedule, which is event driven, for better or worse: I will update asfrequently as possible

- Iwill create at least annual updates during peacetime and as appropriatebeginning in 1939

*Note: Ihave played HOI2-based games since 2007 and Paradox games since 2002 but thisis my first attempt at an AAR….

**Note:I find AARs more enjoyable when the author “role plays” various cabinetmeetings and so forth, and adding some humor that is hopefully not distasteful. This should go without saying, but absolutelynothing I write in this AAR is intended to convey any political or ideologicalsympathy with the historical Third Reich. Please do not read any comment outside the context of the game andplease do not take any of my comments as serious statements on history, etc.

 

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Preparing for War – Berlin 16January 1936

Hess: Given the presentcircumstances, I suggest that the Reich would be best served by the followingministers:

- HjalmarSchacht: Historically, Schacht had more authority over the German economy thanvon Blomberg did in 1936 and making this official will increase our industrialproduction. Schacht has already provenhis abilities at managing the German economy and using complex financialinstruments to raise money for the Reich. One wonders however whether his outlook might be too ‘American’ in thelonger term….

- RudolphDiels: Goering has spoken highly of Diels, whatever that’s worth, and hismethods are more appropriate for Germany in times of peace. The fearsome habits of other candidates willbe needed later….

Neurath: May I suggest that we beginreoccupation of the Rhineland on the historical date. The Allies are weak and will respond withlittle more than idle rhetoric….Aside from that, our diplomatic position withthe minor states of Europe is solid and will improve merely through commercial activity. I suspect Italy will warm towards us as theiradventures in Africa pit them against Britain….Everything should be set up toproceed as planned through 1939.

Canaris: Our intelligence is focusedprimarily on counter-espionage and some minor military intelligence against theUK, France, USSR, and USA. We have morepressing matters to attend to….

Schacht: We are in need of everyresource except energy. We ought totarget a trade surplus of approximately +20 metal and +15-20 rares perday. We have little money at present butdo not require much, and we can sell some of our coal. As for oil, we can import ~25 per day from Venezuelaat relatively low cost, metal from Sweden, and rares from the USSR. As our industry grows, we may need to pursueother trade partners.

Ourindustrial production is the strongest in Europe and, globally, behind only theUSSR, although the US is truly a sleeping giant in this scenario... We can support 7x2 new factories and someinfrastructure. I would prefer more, butevidently most people in this room prefer to spend resources on ourmilitary. Anyway, resource constraintswould probably limit our industrial growth. Researching improved industrial technologies must receive top priority.

Wemust also begin production of new synthetic oil and material production plants.

Beck: We need more infantry, moretanks, more artillery brigades. I knowsome prefer to wait until better technologies are researched, but in myexperience, we are better off if we begin building now….

Fritsch: Our army is relatively up todate at present and should have no obligations in the immediate future, but weneed more of everything…I have taken the liberty of organizing the Heer intothe most efficient formations for supply conservation in peacetime.

Raeder: Our navy is small, weak andinadequate. We can probably control theBaltic, but that’s about it. Thecruisers under construction will help, but it is still not enough. Building a surface fleet to challenge the UKwould be too costly at this point. However,I have been speaking with Doenitz who suggests dramatically expanding oursubmarine fleet. While this may be oflimited effectiveness in TRM given that the Allies can choose to receive convoysby event, nevertheless it will still cost them resources, manpower, and willprevent total control of the seas by the British at relatively low cost tous. I suggest 9x4 builds of our currentsub technology and another 9x4 once more advanced u-boats are researched….

Goering: Greetings. It is with great pleasure that I address youas Minister of the Hunt….

Hess: No, you were invited to thismeeting to discuss the airforce….

Goering: Well, I came prepared to discuss thehunt. You’ll excuse me but I have anabundance of responsibilities….

Schacht: Your figure is characterized by acertain “abundance,” yes….

Goering: Why, thank you. Now, as I was saying, we must act at once onmy proposed hunting measures….

Hess: No, please discuss the state ofthe airforce. Per your request, we havescheduled a separate meeting tomorrow to discuss hunting. I believe you specifically requested it be alunch meeting….

Goering: Yes, and it may run well intodinner….

Hess: The luftwaffe, please…

Goering: Right, well at the moment, it’shopelessly out of date and far too small. Its greatest strength is its leadership….

[concernedglances]

I’veordered our industry to research more advanced aircraft models. We will focus on tactical bombers and Stukasto support the army, along with new interceptor and fighter aircraft to gainair superiority.

Also,I have come up with a new 4-year plan. We must move to a centrally-planned economy if we are to prepare forwar.

Schacht: I disagree with that….

Goering: Go build some roads orsomething. I prefer to travel by carnowadays. They seem to be making theplanes smaller than I remember….

[awkwardsilence]

 

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Preparingfor War – Berlin 1 January 1937

Hess: 1936 passed quickly. What have we accomplished?

Neurath: First, Mussolini has annexedAbyssinia. My office received acommuniqué from the League of Nations-holidaymakers in Geneva stating that “theinternational community will not tolerate this.” Does anyone else enjoy the implicit politicalcommentary in these messages?

Second,the 1936 Olympics were a grand success and significantly improved Germany’srelations with every other nation of consequence. This will improve our trade terms.

Third,the UK seems to be emerging from a rather embarrassing abdication crisis. Edward was somewhat of a friend. He seems to think this American girl is theone, though…

On amore serious note, however, Franco is proving rather ineffective in Spain. If he has not made substantial progress bythe summer, a more ‘creative’ intervention may be necessary….

Finally,we have not experienced any difficulty in our commercial trading thus far, andare doing fairly well on our energy sales. Per Raeder’s directions, we sold our two oldest destroyers and an oldsubmarine to Italy for a few rares and some money. The transaction improved the technologicallevel of both fleets….

Canaris: We have managed to infiltrateour most important rivals with about 4 spies each, allowing us a clear enoughglimpse into their technological research and military forces. So far nothing particularly interesting,however. Nevertheless, I should notethat in TRM, all the allies and the USSR receive significant extra IC. The impact of this has not been felt at thispoint, of course.

Schacht: Our first seven factories havebeen completed. This combined with afurther move toward centralization has brought our total usable IC up to206. Our resource stockpiles are growingsteadily. In a few more years, we shouldhave enough to be relatively self-sufficient for a time. Still, I wonder about my position in thisregime…

Beck: We have organized two newinfantry divisions and a new panzer division. There was one minor error, however, as we built our first panzer divisionbefore the assault gun tech was researched. We have had to restart the line now with the AG brigade. A costly error but not likely to be toocostly, I hope.

Fritsch: The troops are completing theirtraining exercises but are beginning to wonder about all of these USSR wargames….

Raeder: The Graf Spee and a fewdestroyers have been added to the Kriegsmarine. I have begun to organize the High Seas Fleet, consisting of our newestheavy cruisers. Let’s hope we have achance to use them someday. Everythingelse will be used to form the Baltic Fleet. Doenitz’s first submarines should be arriving soon.

Goering: I can confidently state thatthe 1936 fall hunt was a categorical success…

Hess: This really wasn’t that funnythe first time…

Goering: Fine. But this is boring otherwise….

Hess: Just tell us about theairforce….

Goering: Very well. We have researched the 1937 aircraft techsand are working on the ’38s. TheLuftwaffe is now upgraded to level ii aircraft, and I have ordered 17 newMesserschmitt Bf109e interceptor squadrons, split into two lines of production,which will give us 20 in total. I willorder 20 fighter aircraft as well as soon as they are ready. I have also ordered eight stuka squadrons andwill order eight He111 squadrons once they have finished testing the newbombers.

Schacht: That’s a surprisinglyproductive year.

Goering: New medical regimen I’mexperimenting with. Works wonders….

 

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Preparingfor War – Berlin 1 January 1938

Hess: Time flies. It’s 1938. Incidentally, Konstantin, this will be your last meeting. Your professional diplomatic manner hasserved us well enough, but the new Germany needs simpler, more direct men. Henceforward we will ask the internationalcommunity for forgiveness, not permission, if even that. Ribbentrop will be taking over the foreignoffice in February.

Neurath: Very well, and it was justgetting interesting. Franco has finallyconsolidated control over Iberia, thanks in large part to our clandestineintervention….The Hindenberg disaster did not help matters at home, but we aregetting over it….The anti-Comintern pact was signed with Italy and Japan,clearing the way for our designs on Austria. By the way, why does the Fuhrer never attend these meetings?

Hess: I suppose it is becausealthough neither I nor my eventual successor were particularly admirablecharacters, most people don’t feel especially comfortable writing in the voiceof Hitler. Also, he has a new advisor oflate who is making all the decisions. The Fuhrer spends most of his time at tea with the girls and catchingthe latest American feature with Goebbels. He’s also opening a new architecture exhibition in Munich. Attendance is mandatory…..

Goering: He’s also writing part three ofhis Mein Kampf series. This installmentis a rom-com slapstick about a brooding yet charismatic politician who refusesto get married in order to maintain his appeal with women voters, along withhis faithful sidekick, a morbidly obese, drug-addled Great War pilot. How does he come up with this stuff?

Canaris: Having to read another one ofhis books is enough to…anyway, we have accumulated a substantial amount ofmoney. Don’t you think it might be timeto undertake a few covert operations?

Hess: No, it has not beenordered. Just keep foreign agents out ofthe Fatherland.

Schacht: We now have almost 250 usableICs, yet the Russians have over 260. Notbad for a bunch of Communists. Americahas a base of well over 500, but they are too busy building dams to takeseriously right now. Sometimes I wonderwhat I could accomplish for them….if there’s one thing I know it’s how tomanipulate a currency and design complex financial products…..

Canaris: Also, on the Russian front,reports suggest that Stalin is preparing to purge his officer corps of generalswhose loyalties to the former seminarian-poet may be in question…

Beck: Let’s just be glad that couldnever happen here. Wait….Anyway, we haveadded about six new infantry divisions in 1937 and now have six panzers intotal. Manpower is still around 850, sothe focus remains on building new divisions. In addition, we have begun adding anti-aircraft defenses to ourpreviously undefended industrial provinces, and have plans for radarinstallations in Cologne and Wilhelmshaven. Our research teams have developed new light armor models, but we stillhave a long way to go. We also need tothink about improving our infantry soon….

Fritsch: I get the sense I may not bearound much longer. Nevertheless, I leavea legacy of effective supply management. I might also suggest developing new land warfare doctrines as soon aspossible.

Raeder: Gneisenau and Scharnhorst havebeen completed and the Baltic Fleet is ready for action. Also, the new U-boats are rolling off theassembly lines. We will need to lookinto new naval doctrines as well if we hope to accomplish anything on theseas….

Hess: Where is Goering?

Canaris: Didn’t see him leave...

Hess: Well, he shouldn’t be hard tospot, should he?

Canaris: Oh yes, now I remember, heneeded to get a new uniform tailored. All white. He says it brings outhis best features….

[awkwardsilence]

Schacht: my contacts inform me thatGerman industry has completed researching technologies for fighters, escortfighters, and tactical bombers. We arenow building 20 fighter squadrons, 8 stuka squadrons, and 8 squadrons ofHe111s. The first of our new interceptorshas just been completed….

 

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Preparingfor War – Berlin 1 January 1939

Hess: Well we are rapidly nearing theend of our important but not terribly exciting economic and militarybuild-up. For those of you who do notalready know, the Fuhrer is planning a major reshuffle in preparation for a newphase in the history of the Reich. Admiral Canaris, you have actually allowed our overseas spy network todwindle in the past year. We also havereason to suspect your loyalties. Youare dismissed at the end of the month. The allegiance of your replacement, Hans Oster, is also not beyondquestion. Nevertheless, his skills inindustrial espionage will be sorely needed….For Schacht is on the way out,too. An aggressive program of globalexpansion demands a certain fanatical enthusiasm from its executives….Inaddition, following von Blomberg’s departure in order to spend more time withhis family, von Fritsch has decided to rejoin his local regiment as an Oberst,I believe. We wish them both the best intheir future endeavors. Walther vonBrauchitsch will be taking over command of the army. Ludwig Beck is still here, ahistorically,but will soon be replaced by Alfred Jodl. This organization values team players whoshare a common vision….Finally, Raeder will be officially replaced byDoenitz. The submarine fleet is the coreof our navy. If Germany should be sofortunate as to require major surface fleet operations in the future, Raedermay be back…..What else?

Ribbentrop: I can objectively state that Ihave brought a renewed vigor to the foreign office. No sooner did I take my post when I madeAustria and offer they couldn’t refuse. In addition to Austria’s industries, we gained about 300 manpower,several infantry divisions, another HQ, one cavalry, two mountain divisions,and a half-completed panzer division (which I cannot recall anyone ever beforereceiving from the Anschluss) and an interceptor squadron. Six months later we demanded theSudetenland. That excitable chapChamberlain seemed most pleased about our little ‘compromise.’ Rather earnest fellow but more than a littlenaïve. A “peace in our time.” Ha. Sounds like the motto of a knocking shop in Marakesh.

Hess: Could not be more wrong. His morality is the sort of hypocriticalSunday-school cant one picks up at Peterborough, or Rugeley, or some suchgod-awful place.

Goering: Those are direct quotes fromHouse of Cards, a made-for-television masterpiece some fifty years in thefuture.

Hess: Well, I’m beginning to long forEngland….

Ribbentrop: Be that as it may, thatunreliable Neurath had previously neglected to mention an important developmentin world affairs: Japan declared war on Nationalist China in June 1937 and hasmade rapid progress, though their advance is currently halted at the Huang Hein the north and the Yu Jiang River in the south. Nevertheless, they have already organized thepuppet state of Manchuko, and we have recalled our advisor von Falkenhausen inorder to cultivate a stronger relationship with our prospective Japaneseallies. However, von Falkenhauseninforms us that in TRM, the battle for China almost always ends in stalemate,as history would suggest. In other news,Neurath was perhaps better at negotiating economic deals than I am, but we arestill managing to import our target resource amounts…..

Schacht: I have a feeling you will missme when I depart. Our usable ICcurrently stands at 300 off of a 200 base. Still, the Soviets manage to out-produce us with 328 ICs. With the exception of synthetic plants, allof our industry is now directed toward military developments. In my last official act, I have authorizedthe installation of anti-aircraft batteries in all previously undefendedprovinces. We will also have a few extraguns and radar should they be needed in territories which may eventually beannexed to the Reich….I have also begun planning for construction of a rockettest site. This is mostly a flavorfeature, but how can one build rocket technologies without a rocket testsite? Furthermore, manpower will soonenough become more dear than ICs. Still,we haven’t actually begun construction on this rather expensive toy just yet.

Beck: We are on schedule in both ourarmor and infantry production. Mysuccessor will provide a more complete update on the state of the Heer in a fewmonths’ time. Furthermore, with theaddition of other German-speaking lands into the Greater Reich, we now haveover 1,000 in manpower, a deceptively comforting number….

Brauchitsch: I have begun transitioning thearmy into combat formations of three division corps, and 2 arm + 1 mot panzercorps. We will soon have more difficultchallenges to face than supply conservation.

Raeder: The Baltic fleet has beencompleted for a year, and should be the dominant force along the littoral. Our sub production may be slightly behindschedule, but not significantly. Isuspect many of you will question the need for 72 u-boat rudels. I myself question it at times. But Doenitz has multiple uses planned forthem, and they can be one of the most cost-effective units in the game.

Goering: I’ll make this quick as I am inthe process of designing another custom set of china and silverware for thehunting lodge….Luftwaffe production is currently ahead of schedule. At present we have ten Me 109Es, two Me109Fs, two Ju87Bs, and eight He111s, with more being produced every day.

 

[bestmajor]

good luck,
but... you know theres a retooling factor in AoD?
btw at least in Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart you should build infra with highest speed.

 

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FallWeiss – Berlin 30 August 1939 0000

Hess: As anticipated, Poland hasrefused our demands for Danzig, and we have no choice but to declare war. We cannot yet be certain where it mightlead….

Ribbentrop: Just one week ago I negotiateda pact with my Soviet counterpart Molotov on the partitioning of Poland, so atthe moment we face no threats from them. However, Britain guaranteed the independence of Poland shortly after ourinstallation of Tiso in Czechoslovakia, so we are now at war with theallies. The minor states of Europe remainneutral, and as virtually all of our metal is imported from Sweden, and almostall of our rare materials from Holland and USSR, for the time being our economyis not threatened. We will have to breakoff our trade agreement for oil with Venezuela, however, as we have no abilityto protect our convoys. Nevertheless, Ihave begun applying my “charm” to the states of central Europe and Italy inhopes of creating a more formidable Axis.

Funk: German industrial capacitystands at 320/213. The Soviets are at328/209, UK 238/190, and USA 86/298. Ourresource stockpiles at present can be seen in the attached chart. They are adequate but we must continuetrading as long as possible and hope for swift conquests to capturestockpiles. Our rapid expansion is beginningto diminish our manpower pool, which is again below 850. I have been ordered to continue outfittingnew units as requisitioned by our chief of staff until our manpower drops to350. Our industrial technologies are toptier and we will soon focus our attention on assembly lines for all majorcategories of military production.

Oster: Our intelligence networkremains weak and underfunded. Most ofour efforts are devoted to smuggling items through the black market to supportour industry. Still, we have enoughoperatives to gain the essential information. We estimate that the UK has 116 infantry divisions, 1 armored, 10fighter aircraft, and 13 bombers; France – 76 infantry, 6 armored, 4 fighters,7 bombers; USSR – 291 infantry, 30 armored, 22 fighters, and 31 bombers.

Jodl: Our military as you will see inthe attached materials is based on quality, not quantity. At the moment we have a total of 100divisions. About 60-70% are slightlyoutmoded 1936 divisions, but we are continuing to upgrade them. Most of our frontline infantry is brigadedwith artillery and anti-tank weapons. Wewill eventually target about a 3:2 artillery to anti-tank mix. Our armor at present is obsolete, but we willbegin upgrading our panzers in earnest shortly. Our current models should be adequate for Poland and even France, ifnecessary. Our officer corps is easilythe finest in the world, and our doctrines give us a distinct edge at present. Our airforce is comprised of around 13 Me109Es and 7 109Fs, 4 stukas, and 8 He 111s. This will suffice for the moment and new planes are being produced veryefficiently. You will note that ourtransport capacity is relatively low. This is a result of our stockpiling of AA and radar equipment for use in France. Our research into better logistics managementwill alleviate this problem before we have to actually attack France. It should not rise above 10 beyond ourcapacity in Poland.

Brauchitsch: Our plan for Poland is quitesimple. We will encircle their frontdefenses with pincer movements originating from Oppeln, Stettin, andElbing. After the initial encirclement,we should be able to take Warsaw relatively unopposed. If not, we will have their capital surroundedand can easily finish off any last ditch defenders. Nine divisions will also attack Krakow fromthree directions out of Slovakia. Depending on how long the Soviets take to occupy the east, we should befinished in 10-15 days. I havepositioned 27 divisions to guard the West Wall, and a home guard of cavalry todefend the Baltic beaches, should the UK prove especially bold, which has beenknown to happen in AoD.

Doenitz: I have ordered the Baltic Fleetto cover Danzig and prevent any polish ships from escaping to the allies. Meanwhile, our 54 u-boat wolfpacks will guardthe entrance to the Baltic to further defend against allied intervention. I would remind you that this is historicallyplausible as one of the reasons the Royal Navy was not more aggressive inNorway was fear of German subs….

Goering: The focus of the Luftwaffe isto support the army. Our 2x4 tacticalbombers, based in Breslau and Berlin, will interdict Polish ground forces,while our stukas decimate any encircled divisions. Our six fighter aircraft, based in Breslauand Konigsberg, should be more than enough to neutralize any Polishaircraft. In the west, our 3x4interceptor squadrons should keep the allies at bay, and our dominance will becomplete with the addition of the fighters from Poland and ongoing production.
View attachment 35092

 

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FallWeiss – Army Group South Field Headquarters 10 September 1939 1000

Jodl: General Guderian reports thathis panzers have reached Warsaw, meeting the general staff’s optimistictimeline. With all mission objectivesachieved, we now wait only for a link-up with the Soviets.

 

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FallWeiss – Berlin 17 September 1939

Jodl: Following our decisive blitzattack, the Soviets occupied eastern Poland on September 12 with no effectiveresistance. Poland was formallypartitioned on September 13. However,let us further examine the results of this campaign.

Brauschitsch: Our field commanders executedour plan nearly to perfection. After theinitial breakthroughs, we fought one other decisive battle at Torun. The Polish forces left to defend Warsaw wereexhausted from previous fighting and heavy bombing and provided littleresistance. We had actually defeated allopposition by September 8, after barely a week of fighting. The most difficult battle was fought atKrakow. There, although attacking fromfour directions, we had only 12:7 superiority and faced more difficult terrain. In total, official reports indicate that wesuffered approximately 27,000 casualties while inflicting almost 360,000. If we can maintain this ratio, we will haveno problems at all. Unfortunately, wemust now face stronger opponents.

Therehas been no activity along the West Wall, though more than 20 French divisionsare now hiding behind the Maginot line. All our troops are currently redeploying to Cologne, so we have noreason to fear any attack from the West. I have assigned the Slovakians to defend our Baltic coast, and GeneralDietl’s mountain divisions are repairing to Rostock to prepare for potentialoperations in Scandinavia. New garrisondivisions are being trained to occupy the Polish industrial centers as we speak.

If Imay, gentlemen, I’d also like to highlight this surprisingly positive profile of yours truly in an Americanglossy called Time. Evidently I amthought of as the “Lord of Lightning” over there….They clearly do notunderstand what they are in for just yet.

Goering: The Luftwaffe is provingequally effective. Our fighters groundedthe Polish air forces on day one of the campaign while our bombers severelydisrupted the enemy’s organization and preyed upon retreating forces. In the west, our interceptors alone havedominated the skies. To date, not asingle German factory has been bombed. As our fighters rebase to western Germany, our situation will onlyimprove. We have shot down about 1400enemy planes at a cost of less than 300. Evidently, the allies must use large airplane crews as the differencebetween our total casualties inflicted and those suffered by Poland can only beaccounted for by the air war in the West.

Doenitz: Our admirals report no enemyactivity on German coasts. Nevertheless,we are planning for better ways to secure our northern flank. The Baltic Fleet encountered one Polishsubmarine and a destroyer, sinking both without difficulty.

Funk: Our industry must now supportthe added strain of reinforcements and higher supply requirements, but that wasof course expected. The only majortrading partner we have lost is Venezuela, which we canceled in order topreserve our merchant marine. Still, ouroil situation remains positive as long as our armored divisions arestationary. We captured over 50,000units of energy from Poland and minor stockpiles of other resources. Our manpower stands at 770, with the decreasein excess of casualties attributable to ongoing unit production. This lower manpower is also beginning todiminish our economy’s ability to generate cash.

 

[Gringoesteban]

btw at least in Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart you should build infra with highest speed.

I always build Hannover up to 200 infrastructure to maximize its rare material output, (and of course Berlin up to 200 as well). Other German national provinces with lots of IC or lots of rares I stop building at like 130 infra because by that time I start building military units.


Why highest speed? IIRC it is 4x the cost and 2x the speed, so this would essentially double the IC cost to build each infrastructure. Is the benefit of the extra infra so good that it offsets the extra cost?

edit - After I annex Poland, I also build up infra in Suwalki in eastern Poland (east of Konigsberg) to increase my ESE as I drive for Moscow.

 

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I always build Hannover up to 200 infrastructure to maximize its rare
material output, (and of course Berlin up to 200 as well). Other German
national provinces with lots of IC or lots of rares I stop building at like 130
infra because by that time I start building military units.

Yes, I usually just build IC rather than infra because in my experience the cost/benefit is about the same....however I had not considered the rares issue. That makes a lot of sense, and rares are definitely at a premium. It's a bit late, but I can probably start doing that.

After I annex Poland, I also build up infra in Suwalki in eastern Poland
(east of Konigsberg) to increase my ESE as I drive for
Moscow.

Does this make a noticeable difference? There are so many low infra provinces in between, especially with the map changes in this mod....

 

[Gringoesteban]

Does (building infra for Barbarossa) make a noticeable difference? There are so many low infra provinces in between, especially with the map changes in this mod....

Within Soviet territory, there is a line of 50 infrastructure provinces from Suwalki to Moscow, from Leningrad to Moscow, and from southern Poland through Kiev to Kharkov to Stalingrad. Those routes are essentially your supply lines as you invade Russia. I always build one infrastructure in each of those provinces after I capture them, raising the infra level from 50 to 60. I don't know how much of a difference it makes, but Panzergenerals suggested that I do that, and he is the expert on beating Bring Em On.

 

[panzergenerals]

Within Soviet territory, there is a line of 50 infrastructure provinces from Suwalki to Moscow, from Leningrad to Moscow, and from southern Poland through Kiev to Kharkov to Stalingrad. Those routes are essentially your supply lines as you invade Russia. I always build one infrastructure in each of those provinces after I capture them, raising the infra level from 50 to 60. I don't know how much of a difference it makes, but Panzergenerals suggested that I do that, and he is the expert on beating Bring Em On.

Its like railroad lines to your front lines. U can see that when u click on supply mapmode button. For example when u have infra from Berlin to Konigsberg in direct line then u can see the percentages (ESE) be higher then the the province next to the railroadprovinces. Hope i make it a clear. Because highrer ESE deep in Russia means that u can use those provines to get reorg a bit faster.

To OP. Nice to see an AAR. I was writing one myself but because less time i didnt get it done. Maybe i will try an AAR when the next trm (1.xx) is out (it sounds very promising with those amphibous landings) I will play on the bring them on option and i wont build more then 100% infra in provinces. Also i dont take AI axis control. And i do all historical (for example i let Schacht go)

 

[Endibear]

Does building Infra cost manpower ?

 

[Gringoesteban]

Its like railroad lines to your front lines. U can see that when u click on supply mapmode button....

Yes, those streaks blue (the higher infra provinces when using the supply map mode) are my lifeline. In my current game it is August 1943 and I have (finally) secured Archangelsk, Moscow, Stalingrad, and Baku. The Red Army only has about 90 divisions left, but my org regain is so slow that they are actually pushing me back a little.

....I will play on the bring them on option and i wont build more then 100% infra in provinces. Also i dont take AI axis control. And i do all historical (for example i let Schacht go)

It will be interesting to see if you can beat version 1.xx if you adhere to these constraints.


@ Endibear -- Infrastructure in TRM costs zero MP (whereas in vanilla it costs 1 MP).

 

[unmerged(227225)]

FallWeserubung – 3 May 1940

Jodl: This mod provides the option tobegin Weserubung early (soon after annexing Poland). Nevertheless, we chose to wait until thehistorical date in April. In any event,we achieved an unqualified success.

Brauschitsch: Denmark capitulated shortlyafter we began marching up Jutland. Concerning Norway, our planned called forvon Falkenhorst to land at Kristiansand and proceed to Oslo, while Deitl landedat Moi Rana and advanced on Narvik. Thelandings were accomplished without complication and the objectives were takenfollowing minor skirmishes with Norwegian forces. The campaign began around the 18thof April, and Norway has officially surrendered today.

Doenitz: The Baltic Fleet spotted theNorwegian fleet early in the campaign, and sunk nearly all of it, leaving onlya badly damaged destroyer which managed to escape to port. Perhaps a greater success, however, wasachieved when our subs intercepted an 18-ship British surface fleet. The British were punished for their boldnessas we sunk three light cruisers and a heavy cruiser without losing a single u-boat.

Goering: The Luftwaffe continues toenjoy success, shooting 4-5x as many planes as our losses. It appears the allies have almost given up,as they are sending sorties into Germany barely once a week.

Funk: As we slowly integrate ourconquests, our industrial capacity has risen to over 330. We captured more resources than expected inNorway, and a significant amount of money. Our greatest concern at the moment is, not surprisingly, our manpower,which now stands at around 550. Despiterelatively low casualties thus far, our constant military build-up is depletingour manpower reserves.

Ribbentrop: The Russians have recently madepeace with Finland, ending the Winter War. The Finns mounted a valiant defense and the Soviets settled for theiroriginal demands. In Asia, Japan hasmade relatively little progress since our last update, and may even have beenpushed back a bit in the North. However,they recently made landings around Nanjing and are very slowly making their wayinland from the east. Our relations withItaly, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Finland are all at or near 100 and weshould likely gain allies if we can make a breakthrough in the West…..
[sorry, Norway just isn't worth the time it takes to edit screenshots. There will be plenty going forward, though]

 

[unmerged(227225)]

I understand that building infra improves ESE. What I didn't understand is how a few infra in Suwaliki would have a noticeable impact by the time you reach Moscow? If you build all the way there, though, that would make sense, as long as you can finish building in time....

I did not realize that this mod removed the manpower cost to infra. That changes the calculation. On future games, I will definitely be building more infra and few or no industry.

I dismissed Schacht via the event in '39 but I put him in in '36. I think it is historical that he should be there in '36.

Finally, apologies for the spacing issues. Not surprisingly, pasting from Word is not the best. I guess I will have to convert to plain text going forward. Hopefully it is not too distracting.

 

[panzergenerals]

Yes, those streaks blue (the higher infra provinces when using the supply map mode) are my lifeline. In my current game it is August 1943 and I have (finally) secured Archangelsk, Moscow, Stalingrad, and Baku. The Red Army only has about 90 divisions left, but my org regain is so slow that they are actually pushing me back a little.



It will be interesting to see if you can beat version 1.xx if you adhere to these constraints.

For u northern front u can regain org quickly (in winter, in summer u must have full org) to pull some troops away each time from frontline and ship them in Leningrad and bring them to Konigsberg. Repeat this when all troops are having full org.

In south is different story but provinces like Odessa are good to reorg.

Yes i will when ive time enough to write AAR.

Thumps up for your great MOD.

 

[panzergenerals]

I understand that building infra improves ESE. What I didn't understand is how a few infra in Suwaliki would have a noticeable impact by the time you reach Moscow? If you build all the way there, though, that would make sense, as long as you can finish building in time....

I did not realize that this mod removed the manpower cost to infra. That changes the calculation. On future games, I will definitely be building more infra and few or no industry.

I dismissed Schacht via the event in '39 but I put him in in '36. I think it is historical that he should be there in '36.

Finally, apologies for the spacing issues. Not surprisingly, pasting from Word is not the best. I guess I will have to convert to plain text going forward. Hopefully it is not too distracting.

Maybe not when u fight with USSR but when u railroad is finish to Baku then its handy when u start fighting Persia/India/ Middle east.

I must say that because AI also dont build much extra infra i have made for myself the rule no more then 100% infra in provinces.

some tips. In winter with USSR dont have too many troops on the direct frontline. Because attrition! Also in south in wintertime pute most of u troops in provinces where is no ice/winter. Panzers should be at home in winter time or in ussr provinces without winter condition.

When u need upgrade troops u do that best in capital. Dont upgrade troops when they are in USSR. It is waste of ic and time.

Good luck with u AAR