A most excellent update. Your narration and presentation of what are essentially gameplay details make for an agreable read 
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Well, the war does not current involve so many divisions, so the casualties cannot be also very high.
Although I too am surprise by the low casualties of HoI3.
But that comes from the unit width, most units in big battles never reach the frontline, and the actual 'battle' happens very swiftly, killing not many, but shattering the organisation and forcing the units to retreat.
Attrition tends to kill more than the enemy.
But now I really suggest creating a hell lot of new HQs which should then drive into all unprotected enemy territory.
Although they are rather hindered from launching an offensive, they can hold lines well.
Although I too am surprise by the low casualties of HoI3.
But that comes from the unit width, most units in big battles never reach the frontline, and the actual 'battle' happens very swiftly, killing not many, but shattering the organisation and forcing the units to retreat.
Attrition tends to kill more than the enemy.
But now I really suggest creating a hell lot of new HQs which should then drive into all unprotected enemy territory.
Although they are rather hindered from launching an offensive, they can hold lines well.
Please can I remind folks that discussion of forum rules, especially the rules specifically relating to HoI fora, is not allowed. If you have any queries, the proper course is to send a PM to a member of the moderator team. The offending posts have been deleted. I trust I will not see a recurrence.
Very cool so far and excellent strategies on your part! I find myself intrigued by the complexities of this game - coming from a HoI 1 veteran and never having played HoI 2. Any word on naval affairs incidentaly?
In one word: amazing. As usual. I'll be following this one closely too, Sai. You're such an excellent writer, you make me jealous
If anything this is making me check up on the real Spanish Civil War too. I'm usually good with 20th century history but I have a hole there.
in one word: Amazing. As usual. I'll be following this one closely too, sai. You're such an excellent writer, you make me jealous
qft! <3
Good job pushing for Valladolid. How does the game model foreign help? Do you keep receiving men and resources through the war or just one-off contributions?
Don't you mean "Nationalist forces"?
Again, don't you mean "Nationalists" rather than "Internationals?"
Or are you attacking yourself?
Yes, what's with the lack of a leader there? Don't tell me that there's a drastic cut-down of leaders in HoI3. Or is it more complicated to equip units with a new leader these days?
Good luck!
I really like the chaotic style of your updates. Rather than to simply list what forces you have, you allow us to gradually piece together the forces that you have and the ones that you're facing. Same with your foregoing of a shorter description of the strategic situation.
Are the Basques represented in any particular way? They were a pretty distinct part of the SCW.
Hey guys; I'm going to post an update for this later tonight. Apologies for the delay but I've been kept busy with other projects and real life. Hopefully you haven't all wandered off by now.
First, though, some comments:
Cardus: I tend to prefer it but sometimes with the vast scope of the game as it is, I may have to take easier routes for my head.
Lordban: Thank you, I try my best.
Mozla: The tides may beturning but they could turn back at any time...
Enewald: I won't go too deeply into this, but my whole point was that it only accounts for deaths, not injuries - injuries (which can have subsequent death) were the main portion of casualties in war and HOI3 ignores those completely. The death count isn't far off, really, when you consider that.
stnylan: Bold moves are always the best - one who does not try, does not get.
Myth: ...and sisters. </Python>
Jorath13: Naval affairs aren't too complex as it's almost completely one-sided; the only naval op of the war will be covered next update, though, and I'll try to detail the situation more when the time comes.
Ilyavania: Thank you for the compliments, I'm unworthy. <3
Artell: I had a bit of a hole here as well, I had to do a fair bit of research to catch up on some of the stuff.
KingAMD: See two comments above.
Aldriq: The game model, unfortunately, only covers one-off contributions. I got 3 divisions of 9 brigades, one each from the UK, USSR and France. Considering the Nationalists got perhaps twice that, I feel somewhat unlucky in this exchange.
forkboy: Well, so far my entire strategy has relied not on actual control of territory, just on control of key positions, i.e. Spain's industrial centres. This isn't a conventional war where I can just fight along a whole front; I don't have the manpower, the divisions or the supplies to wage that kind of war. I've had to pick and choose where I fight and where I retreat, cross my fingers and then hope to hell I can keep the major cities long enough to overwhelm them.
Eams: Yes, yes I did. This is a rare case of my lack of real proofreading coming out. I'm rather lazy that way. The lack of leader isn't anything to do with HOI3, that was just me forgetting to attach a leader to that divison before the battle started. This is my first HOI3 game and I've been rusty as a result.
The Basques are represented as you'll see next time - Bilbao and a small slice of Navarran land stayed loyal to me, and I gained control of all 4 mountain brigades in the Pyrenees, which I've decided to represent as loyalist Basque troops, despite most of Basque territory going to the Nationalists.
First, though, some comments:
Cardus: I tend to prefer it but sometimes with the vast scope of the game as it is, I may have to take easier routes for my head.
Lordban: Thank you, I try my best.
Mozla: The tides may beturning but they could turn back at any time...
Enewald: I won't go too deeply into this, but my whole point was that it only accounts for deaths, not injuries - injuries (which can have subsequent death) were the main portion of casualties in war and HOI3 ignores those completely. The death count isn't far off, really, when you consider that.
stnylan: Bold moves are always the best - one who does not try, does not get.
Myth: ...and sisters. </Python>
Jorath13: Naval affairs aren't too complex as it's almost completely one-sided; the only naval op of the war will be covered next update, though, and I'll try to detail the situation more when the time comes.
Ilyavania: Thank you for the compliments, I'm unworthy. <3
Artell: I had a bit of a hole here as well, I had to do a fair bit of research to catch up on some of the stuff.
KingAMD: See two comments above.
Aldriq: The game model, unfortunately, only covers one-off contributions. I got 3 divisions of 9 brigades, one each from the UK, USSR and France. Considering the Nationalists got perhaps twice that, I feel somewhat unlucky in this exchange.
forkboy: Well, so far my entire strategy has relied not on actual control of territory, just on control of key positions, i.e. Spain's industrial centres. This isn't a conventional war where I can just fight along a whole front; I don't have the manpower, the divisions or the supplies to wage that kind of war. I've had to pick and choose where I fight and where I retreat, cross my fingers and then hope to hell I can keep the major cities long enough to overwhelm them.
Eams: Yes, yes I did. This is a rare case of my lack of real proofreading coming out.
I'm rather lazy that way. The lack of leader isn't anything to do with HOI3, that was just me forgetting to attach a leader to that divison before the battle started. This is my first HOI3 game and I've been rusty as a result.The Basques are represented as you'll see next time - Bilbao and a small slice of Navarran land stayed loyal to me, and I gained control of all 4 mountain brigades in the Pyrenees, which I've decided to represent as loyalist Basque troops, despite most of Basque territory going to the Nationalists.
I'm sorry for being late it's only kind of my fault this time. D: T-T
----- -=-=- ----- -=-=- -----
Chapter 04 - The Republic Strikes Back
The Basque country of Navarra was one of the earliest regions to face conflict in the civil war. The highly conservative and religious folk of the countryside supported the Nationalists; by contrast the city of Bilbao remained loyal to the republic, as did four brigades of Basque Mountaineers stationed along the Pyrenées Mountains. Two were stationed along the French border and had traveled south to break the siege of Barcelona; the other two, however, were stationed as garrison for the City of Bilbao and thus had by far the harder task.
On April 21st, a full division of Nationalist infantry - some irregular, some army rebels - arrived on the outskirts of Bilbao. The brave Republican Mountaineers put up bitter resistance but were outnumbered 6-1. Seeing little hope in their position, the understrength formations began a slow but steady retreat towards the French border, where it was hoped the pro-Republican power would offer refuge and passage to the scattered and demoralized Basque freedom fighters (an ironic term to use, seeing as how both sides referred to themselves as such).
Within three weeks, despite their courage, the Republicans were being driven over the border into France...
On the Catalan front, things were looking better for the Republicans. The overwhelming success at Barcelona had led to the link-up of 8 brigades formed into 3 seperate divisions. The 1ª División de Montaña, elite Basque forces who had descended from the Pyrenées to assist in rescuing the city from the overwhelming forces of the Nationalists. The true saviours of the city, however, had been the 1ª División de Móviles as well as two brigades of supporting infantry, hastily composed from various loyalist units in Zaragoza, where they had retreated from.
The Nationalists advanced to the outskirts of Tarragona but suddenly faced bitter resistance from a far larger Republican force than was expected. They attempted to outflank their opponents but more forces were advancing from Barcelona and suddenly, the commander of the Zaragozan Nationalists felt that he may have bitten off more than he could chew. Reinvigorated and angry, the Republican divisions formed an indomitable wall, resulting in war across a front measuring some 100 kilometres. The Nationalists attempted a breakthrough at the City of Reus near Tarragona, and made good intial progress, securing the city from the Republicans, but by the 2nd of May, the city had, once again, fallen into loyalist hands following an encirclement of the Nationalist positions which forced a strategic withdrawal west to Baix Camp, where they made to hold their ground against a Republican counter-attack that never came.
Meanwhile, División de infantería 14o, having secured Valencia, began to push north, seeking to encircle the Nationalist forces and force them to fight on two fronts. News was that the Nationalists were seeking to consolidate most of their forces in the Catalan region in Lleida where they would push east to attempt to strike at Barcelona while it was underdefended by the Loyalists, who were focused in Tarragona. The idea was that with the fall of Bilbao, the troops in Basque territory could easily move south to support the attack and that by seizing Barcelona, they could split the Republicans in two and leave them isolated and without support.
Hearing that the Nationalists were attempting to outmaneouvre them by slipping north, the Republicans immediately began to advance west. The idea was to cut off their supply lines from Lleida using the cavalry and armoured divisions, then to surround Lleida and bring the full force of the Catalan army down on the Nationalist rebels. Six Nationalist brigades, mostly former army soldiers with a few German volunteer battalions, were in danger of being trapped before their plan could come to fruition, as the 1ª División de Montaña quickly moved to halt their advance east. For the Nationalist commanders, things in the east were looking grim and success was limited on all fronts - Spain's vital industrial centres were, for the most part, still under Republican control.
Tarragona's importance in the war thus far was mainly it's naval facilities - as a major port city, its capacity for holding ships and its defenses offered safe harbour for the limited Republican fleet. Most of the Admiralty collaborated with the Nationalists in the rebellion and in doing so took most of Spain's ships. A few however chose to stay loyal, and a fleet of ships - a rather unimpressive count in total - found berth in loyal Tarragona. There, two heavy cruisers, two flotillas of troop transports and a squadron of submarines.
Outnumbered and outgunned by the Nationalist Navy, the submarines attempted to pick off Nationalist supply convoys and keep tabs on the Nationalists, but it seemed that the Republican naval threat was extremely limited. That changed when a message reached the Catalan HQ in Barcelona - 5,000 men of the Morroco garrison had escaped superior Nationalist forces in the area and made it to Oran in Algiers. They were requesting rescue by the fleet and transport back to Iberian soil, and with so many valuable, experienced soldiers in need, the fleet could not refuse despite the risks.
Operación de Cataratas - Operation Waterfall. The first and only major Republican navy operation of the war, the plan was to slip past the Nationalist patrols to reach Oran, pick up the endangered soldiers, and return. Spanish general Centaño de la Paz was astonished to find the ships arrive in the harbour, and left with the blessings of the French government - their larders were restocked and a number of Cosmopolitaine dwelling in Algeria volunteered to reinforce the brigades before their departure, which had to come swiftly.
Time, however, was limited for de la Paz's men. News was that the Nationalist fleet was mobilizing and aware of the plan, and so within the day, the Republican fleet had loaded its cargo and departed Oran. The various submarines of the Republican taskforce spread out and continually monitered the region for signs of the Nationalists. With only two cruisers and a few converted merchantmen to escort the transports, the flotilla was a sitting duck. It wasn't until halfway across the Mediterranean, however, that first contact was made. C-2, a C class Holland F-105 submarine, spotted a sizeable Nationalist fleet en route.
Nearly the entire Spanish Armada had caught wind of this operation and was rapidly giving chase. The Nationalist ships were quicker, but they had to make up the distance fast. The chase continued all the way across the Mediterannean Sea but despite their best attempts, the Nationalists did not have enough time to close the gap. By the 14th of May, the Republican Navy was safely berthed in Tarragona and its harbour, and the heavy artillery and air power of the Republicans forced the Nationalists to leave the fleet in peace.
Within a day the newly arrived soldiers were re-armed, organized and sent to assist the encirclement of Lleida and with it most of the Catalan Nationalists left. The operation was a complete success and lauded by some as the key to Republican victory in Catalonia. The extra addition of troops enabled the loyalist forces to quickly and effectively respond to any threat presented to them.
Meanwhile, in the very heartland of Spain, the largest and greatest battle continued to wage. Over 30,000 men advanced north from Madrid, crushing the Nationalists who attempted to oppose them and breaking beyond Cuéllar and fighting on to the banks of the Arlanzon river, where the dug-in Nationalist positions were able to cope with any further advance. Although the Nationalists theoretically outnumbered the Republicans, their organization was worse and their rebellion was not going to plan. Valladolid was now firmly in Republican hands and counter-attacks by the Nationalists were proving ineffective.
The Nationalist Strategy was collapsing as they struggle to shift the loyalists from their positions in La Coruña and Oviedo, where the cities' valuable industry and the forces assigned there could be used to blunt the offensive from Madrid. Republican interceptors essentially ruled the skies over Madrid and the Nationalist aircraft based primarily out of Seville had little ability to impact the war outside of Andalusia. This would make all the world of difference in the success of the Loyalists, as their air forces freely struck at suspected Nationalist positions, supply depots and convoys.
The General's coup, it seemed, was not going according to plan...his headquarters in Burgos was jeopardized and it seemed likely that if the run of battle continued as it had, they would be unable to stay much longer. By Franco's order supplies would be evacuated from the city's numerous stores and Franco and his cabinet would investigate methods of evacuating the city.
Hoping to cause chaos, he meanwhile directed a counter-attack, to attempt to encircle the growing Republican Salient. Though they could not effectively fight the advancing Internationals head-on, they quickly moved to try and cut off the Republican supply lines, wrapping their inferior forces around them and threatening to squash the entire advance before it could get off the ground. However, despite their best attempts, the Republicans fought back heavily and soon blunted the encirclement before it could finish. It seemed that the Republican Salient intended to stay just that, and by March 26th, Franco officially evacuated Burgos and relocated his headquarters temporarily to Léon.
The international community was impressed with the success of the Republicans thus far against dangerous odds, but the uneasiness of the situation was clear. Acknowledging the danger of the situation for the Republicans, and the dangerous possibility of a Fascist state arising in Spain, the Soviet Union stood against the heavy German supply lines to offer its own aid to Spain. In addition to volunteers, weapons and supplies, they began to sell them vast quantities of coal to fuel the factories, albeit at a cost - the Soviets had promised, however, that any debts could be overlooked until after the war, and the Republicans were in no position to refuse as fuel stocks were rapidly running out with the factories working overtime to produce arms for the war.
When Oviedo and La Coruña inevitably fell to the superior Nationalist forces surrounding them, the significant forces in Galicia and Asturia would be able to turn south, and the Nationalist advance in the south of Spain had yet to be properly addressed. The Spanish Civil War was far from being settled, and neither Republican nor Nationalist seemed to have the advantage. Only time would tell who would win.
The Spanish State was deeply embroiled in war and there was no clear victor yet.
----- -=-=- ----- -=-=- -----
Chapter 04 - The Republic Strikes Back
The Basque country of Navarra was one of the earliest regions to face conflict in the civil war. The highly conservative and religious folk of the countryside supported the Nationalists; by contrast the city of Bilbao remained loyal to the republic, as did four brigades of Basque Mountaineers stationed along the Pyrenées Mountains. Two were stationed along the French border and had traveled south to break the siege of Barcelona; the other two, however, were stationed as garrison for the City of Bilbao and thus had by far the harder task.
On April 21st, a full division of Nationalist infantry - some irregular, some army rebels - arrived on the outskirts of Bilbao. The brave Republican Mountaineers put up bitter resistance but were outnumbered 6-1. Seeing little hope in their position, the understrength formations began a slow but steady retreat towards the French border, where it was hoped the pro-Republican power would offer refuge and passage to the scattered and demoralized Basque freedom fighters (an ironic term to use, seeing as how both sides referred to themselves as such).
Within three weeks, despite their courage, the Republicans were being driven over the border into France...
On the Catalan front, things were looking better for the Republicans. The overwhelming success at Barcelona had led to the link-up of 8 brigades formed into 3 seperate divisions. The 1ª División de Montaña, elite Basque forces who had descended from the Pyrenées to assist in rescuing the city from the overwhelming forces of the Nationalists. The true saviours of the city, however, had been the 1ª División de Móviles as well as two brigades of supporting infantry, hastily composed from various loyalist units in Zaragoza, where they had retreated from.
The Nationalists advanced to the outskirts of Tarragona but suddenly faced bitter resistance from a far larger Republican force than was expected. They attempted to outflank their opponents but more forces were advancing from Barcelona and suddenly, the commander of the Zaragozan Nationalists felt that he may have bitten off more than he could chew. Reinvigorated and angry, the Republican divisions formed an indomitable wall, resulting in war across a front measuring some 100 kilometres. The Nationalists attempted a breakthrough at the City of Reus near Tarragona, and made good intial progress, securing the city from the Republicans, but by the 2nd of May, the city had, once again, fallen into loyalist hands following an encirclement of the Nationalist positions which forced a strategic withdrawal west to Baix Camp, where they made to hold their ground against a Republican counter-attack that never came.
Meanwhile, División de infantería 14o, having secured Valencia, began to push north, seeking to encircle the Nationalist forces and force them to fight on two fronts. News was that the Nationalists were seeking to consolidate most of their forces in the Catalan region in Lleida where they would push east to attempt to strike at Barcelona while it was underdefended by the Loyalists, who were focused in Tarragona. The idea was that with the fall of Bilbao, the troops in Basque territory could easily move south to support the attack and that by seizing Barcelona, they could split the Republicans in two and leave them isolated and without support.
Hearing that the Nationalists were attempting to outmaneouvre them by slipping north, the Republicans immediately began to advance west. The idea was to cut off their supply lines from Lleida using the cavalry and armoured divisions, then to surround Lleida and bring the full force of the Catalan army down on the Nationalist rebels. Six Nationalist brigades, mostly former army soldiers with a few German volunteer battalions, were in danger of being trapped before their plan could come to fruition, as the 1ª División de Montaña quickly moved to halt their advance east. For the Nationalist commanders, things in the east were looking grim and success was limited on all fronts - Spain's vital industrial centres were, for the most part, still under Republican control.
Tarragona's importance in the war thus far was mainly it's naval facilities - as a major port city, its capacity for holding ships and its defenses offered safe harbour for the limited Republican fleet. Most of the Admiralty collaborated with the Nationalists in the rebellion and in doing so took most of Spain's ships. A few however chose to stay loyal, and a fleet of ships - a rather unimpressive count in total - found berth in loyal Tarragona. There, two heavy cruisers, two flotillas of troop transports and a squadron of submarines.
Outnumbered and outgunned by the Nationalist Navy, the submarines attempted to pick off Nationalist supply convoys and keep tabs on the Nationalists, but it seemed that the Republican naval threat was extremely limited. That changed when a message reached the Catalan HQ in Barcelona - 5,000 men of the Morroco garrison had escaped superior Nationalist forces in the area and made it to Oran in Algiers. They were requesting rescue by the fleet and transport back to Iberian soil, and with so many valuable, experienced soldiers in need, the fleet could not refuse despite the risks.
Operación de Cataratas - Operation Waterfall. The first and only major Republican navy operation of the war, the plan was to slip past the Nationalist patrols to reach Oran, pick up the endangered soldiers, and return. Spanish general Centaño de la Paz was astonished to find the ships arrive in the harbour, and left with the blessings of the French government - their larders were restocked and a number of Cosmopolitaine dwelling in Algeria volunteered to reinforce the brigades before their departure, which had to come swiftly.
Time, however, was limited for de la Paz's men. News was that the Nationalist fleet was mobilizing and aware of the plan, and so within the day, the Republican fleet had loaded its cargo and departed Oran. The various submarines of the Republican taskforce spread out and continually monitered the region for signs of the Nationalists. With only two cruisers and a few converted merchantmen to escort the transports, the flotilla was a sitting duck. It wasn't until halfway across the Mediterranean, however, that first contact was made. C-2, a C class Holland F-105 submarine, spotted a sizeable Nationalist fleet en route.
Nearly the entire Spanish Armada had caught wind of this operation and was rapidly giving chase. The Nationalist ships were quicker, but they had to make up the distance fast. The chase continued all the way across the Mediterannean Sea but despite their best attempts, the Nationalists did not have enough time to close the gap. By the 14th of May, the Republican Navy was safely berthed in Tarragona and its harbour, and the heavy artillery and air power of the Republicans forced the Nationalists to leave the fleet in peace.
Within a day the newly arrived soldiers were re-armed, organized and sent to assist the encirclement of Lleida and with it most of the Catalan Nationalists left. The operation was a complete success and lauded by some as the key to Republican victory in Catalonia. The extra addition of troops enabled the loyalist forces to quickly and effectively respond to any threat presented to them.
Meanwhile, in the very heartland of Spain, the largest and greatest battle continued to wage. Over 30,000 men advanced north from Madrid, crushing the Nationalists who attempted to oppose them and breaking beyond Cuéllar and fighting on to the banks of the Arlanzon river, where the dug-in Nationalist positions were able to cope with any further advance. Although the Nationalists theoretically outnumbered the Republicans, their organization was worse and their rebellion was not going to plan. Valladolid was now firmly in Republican hands and counter-attacks by the Nationalists were proving ineffective.
The Nationalist Strategy was collapsing as they struggle to shift the loyalists from their positions in La Coruña and Oviedo, where the cities' valuable industry and the forces assigned there could be used to blunt the offensive from Madrid. Republican interceptors essentially ruled the skies over Madrid and the Nationalist aircraft based primarily out of Seville had little ability to impact the war outside of Andalusia. This would make all the world of difference in the success of the Loyalists, as their air forces freely struck at suspected Nationalist positions, supply depots and convoys.
The General's coup, it seemed, was not going according to plan...his headquarters in Burgos was jeopardized and it seemed likely that if the run of battle continued as it had, they would be unable to stay much longer. By Franco's order supplies would be evacuated from the city's numerous stores and Franco and his cabinet would investigate methods of evacuating the city.
Hoping to cause chaos, he meanwhile directed a counter-attack, to attempt to encircle the growing Republican Salient. Though they could not effectively fight the advancing Internationals head-on, they quickly moved to try and cut off the Republican supply lines, wrapping their inferior forces around them and threatening to squash the entire advance before it could get off the ground. However, despite their best attempts, the Republicans fought back heavily and soon blunted the encirclement before it could finish. It seemed that the Republican Salient intended to stay just that, and by March 26th, Franco officially evacuated Burgos and relocated his headquarters temporarily to Léon.
The international community was impressed with the success of the Republicans thus far against dangerous odds, but the uneasiness of the situation was clear. Acknowledging the danger of the situation for the Republicans, and the dangerous possibility of a Fascist state arising in Spain, the Soviet Union stood against the heavy German supply lines to offer its own aid to Spain. In addition to volunteers, weapons and supplies, they began to sell them vast quantities of coal to fuel the factories, albeit at a cost - the Soviets had promised, however, that any debts could be overlooked until after the war, and the Republicans were in no position to refuse as fuel stocks were rapidly running out with the factories working overtime to produce arms for the war.
When Oviedo and La Coruña inevitably fell to the superior Nationalist forces surrounding them, the significant forces in Galicia and Asturia would be able to turn south, and the Nationalist advance in the south of Spain had yet to be properly addressed. The Spanish Civil War was far from being settled, and neither Republican nor Nationalist seemed to have the advantage. Only time would tell who would win.
The Spanish State was deeply embroiled in war and there was no clear victor yet.
Ah, I was wondering what had happened with this AAR! That was quite a lucky windfall, the soldiers in Oran. As for the general situation, it definitely looks more favorable to you than to the Nationalists, if nothing else then you've got interior lines of communication for the most part.
Going by control of landmass and population centers, things certainly look to be going your way. However, the general lack of divisions to cover all fronts might come back to haunt you.
It looks like the Nationalists' brigades in the south are going to be a major headache. They don't bring much combat power to the table, but they have an annoying tendency to traipse across the countryside at near-light speed.
One question: how did you get your troops from North Africa to Oran (and those mountain troops into southern France) - do you have an access treaty with France?
It looks like the Nationalists' brigades in the south are going to be a major headache. They don't bring much combat power to the table, but they have an annoying tendency to traipse across the countryside at near-light speed.
One question: how did you get your troops from North Africa to Oran (and those mountain troops into southern France) - do you have an access treaty with France?
Myth: Yeah, sorry, I got sidetracked by other things. Lack of consistency in my update schedule is my biggest flaw. The Oran move was lucky but seeing as how I had no real use for the navy anyway, I figured it was the best thing I could do to try and win the war. I think my situation is a little more favourable but mainly because I have two big clusters of troops that are looking strong, I've just pocketed a large number of brigades, and between Jaen and Madrid/Valencia, there's basically nothing of value for me to keep. I can surrender that whole vast plain and lose nothing.
Enewald: I figured out the ghost HQ thing pretty quickly but I refuse to cheat to win. Sorry.
KingAMD: Well, Demi-Mod. I'm just happy to have comments at all.
Stuyvesant: The population centres are definitely the more important of the two factors. My entire doctrine takes a very modern day approach, i.e. I've been fighting a brigade-based war (not a division-based one) aiming at seizing and maintining critical objectives, without front lines being as much of a concern. The major cities are the key to victory as with them comes both industry and manpower.
Lack of divisions to cover the southern front is frustrating, but my main interest is keeping hold of Madrid and Valencia, with Guadaljara being a secondary point of interest (it has a little IC). Holding those strong points and radiating influence and power out from them is my main objective in this war.
As for the troops to Oran, yes, I signed an access treaty with France. When it was clear that the Basque pocket was going to be lost and that my troops in Morocco were accomplishing nothing (it was a total stalemate, neither could attack the other as they outnumbered me and I was in mountains), I sent a few treaty requests until they finally took one.
Enewald: I figured out the ghost HQ thing pretty quickly but I refuse to cheat to win. Sorry.
KingAMD: Well, Demi-Mod.
I'm just happy to have comments at all. Stuyvesant: The population centres are definitely the more important of the two factors. My entire doctrine takes a very modern day approach, i.e. I've been fighting a brigade-based war (not a division-based one) aiming at seizing and maintining critical objectives, without front lines being as much of a concern. The major cities are the key to victory as with them comes both industry and manpower.
Lack of divisions to cover the southern front is frustrating, but my main interest is keeping hold of Madrid and Valencia, with Guadaljara being a secondary point of interest (it has a little IC). Holding those strong points and radiating influence and power out from them is my main objective in this war.
As for the troops to Oran, yes, I signed an access treaty with France. When it was clear that the Basque pocket was going to be lost and that my troops in Morocco were accomplishing nothing (it was a total stalemate, neither could attack the other as they outnumbered me and I was in mountains), I sent a few treaty requests until they finally took one.