Chapter I: Prelude to War
As you may know from my previous AAR, Belgelands is consisted of Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. Writing an event (I modified “The End of Tannu Tuva” event) is somewhat easier for me than having to mess around with province and OOB files, so that’s why I use Netherlands as a base country to “inherit” Belgium and Luxemburg.
I start to build up fortifications right away. I’m going to build up my army around INF/ART/AT divisions, as I won’t have enough manpower to lump in extra ART, let alone INF brigade.
This is the current political situation. I didn’t do anything else than to add Belgian and Luxembourgian ministers.
I’m obviously going for specialist training, as I’ll be limited severely by it.
Oddly enough, starting spies managed to do some good and stole blueprints for building CAS. But to even contest in the air war against the Germans, swarms of INT/MR planes take priority over CAS.
I’ve decided to finish both light cruisers I started out with in the production queue: HrMs De Ruyter and HrMs Tromp. This at least gives me more combat ships than transports.
In summer 1938, communist parties are banned!
*Belgiumruler unsubscribes, probably*
In June 1939, multi-role planes can be built!
This is the Belgelandian state of army on 2nd September, just a few hours after Poland was attacked. Command chain is set up, leaders assigned and upgrading begins. Even with leaders from four different countries (I included Indonesian leaders, but not ministers, because we are still filthy imperialists!), all I have left in the end is several 0 level old guard leaders.
Since winter is almost over and the Germans are closing in to the border, the mobilization begins on 19th February 1940.
Here is a somewhat unsightly picture of my troop placement. Heavy fortifications have grown behind various rivers, except for Luxemburg however, which is, of course, not behind any river!
Germany commences hostilities on 1st April 1940 at 1500 hours. I have to kill Norway manually, as Germans land in Trondheim yet again, so Norwegians surrender at midnight to make the game competetive!
