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Chapter 33 - Churchill's Gambits
Chapter 33 - Churchill's Gambits

"And now go and set Europe ablaze."

- Winston Churchill, upon founding the Special Operations Executive (SOE)

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September 23rd, 1940: The Italians intercept a British transport fleet in the Atlantic Ocean, who had been tasked with bringing reinforcements to the British landing at Rabat, Morocco. A naval skirmish saw the British destroyer squadron destroyed, though the heroic Royal Navy sailors bought enough time for the troop ships to escape.

September 25th: With their side losing the war and support for negotiations with Germany growing, Churchill's government banned the political party 'British Union of Fascists' and interned its leadership, including Oswald Mosley and 740 others. Chiang Kai-shek privately welcomed this news -- the longer Britain stayed in war and weakened itself against German and Italian teeth, the better it would be for Asia.

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September 27th: A British counteroffensive in Egypt drives the Italians back again, overrunning an entire Italian division in the process. Meanwhile in the Atlantic Ocean, the Royal Navy takes revenge for their previous loss by destroying an Italian destroyer squadron off the coast of Portugal's islands. This was followed by a second Italian destroyer squadron sunk on September 29th.

October 1st: Despite the stalemate in Egypt, Duce Mussolini believes the Italian armed forces still had the spare resources to open a second front. Thus he declares war on Greece, seeking to forge an Italian Spazio Vitale by rebuilding the Greco-Roman Empire of old and absorbing their neighbors once more. However, even a rudimentary examination of Italian military preparations in Albania reveal that they are not ready for a second invasion.

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Churchill proved all too eager to seize this new ally. Against the objections of Field Marshal Archibald Wavell and his already overstretched Middle Eastern Command, Churchill ordered precious equipment and troops to be pulled from the front lines in Egypt and redirected to Greece. Wavell had no choice but to stop the counteroffensive in Sidi Baranni to relinquish sufficient forces for these political goals.

Meanwhile in Nanjing, Chiang Kai-shek --who had recently returned from India-- rubbed his temple as he read over this news. "Why are these people our allies?" He spoke of the Italians with disgruntlement. "Can't they at least summon the intelligence to seize Suez and cut British access to the Mediterranean before opening more fronts?"

"I do not believe Italy was the Führer's first choice either," Falkenhausen answered plainly.


October 2nd: Dai Li, leader of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (BIS/Juntong), reported that they have completed the purge of the Kung-Soong intelligence network in China (see the Chiang-Kung-Soong family split in chapter 23). The Chinese intelligence apparatus is now operating at peak efficiency, with a network boasting over 200,000 agents, saboteurs, and spies working across mainland Asia.

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Chiang Kai-shek orders them to further expand their operations. The Soviet Union will be a tough nut to crack, as Stalin's own counterintelligence apparatus --the Narodnyy Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del (NKVD)-- is formidable and ruthless. Meanwhile in Southeast Asia, the BIS is ordered to begin digging their nails into the rest of British Malaysia and the Dutch East Indies. China might not have the naval power to export the national revolution to these states yet, but that won't remain the case forever.

The Philippines were absent from the list. China did not wish to provoke the United States, and if President Roosevelt kept his word the Philippines should become independent within a few years anyway.


October 4th: The Führer and The Duce schedules an impromptu meeting at Brenner Pass, in the Alps between Austria and Italy. According to public announcements, the two parties discussed how to maintain peace in the future of Europe. In reality they probably discussed war aims, particularly for the ongoing conflict in Greece.

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On the same day in India, fresh religious violence breaks out in the province of Punjab. This time, Bose's limited security forces were not positioned to stop its escalation. By the time government enforcement reacted, thousands already lay dead on the streets as a result.
(This is the 2nd level of the ethnic-religious tension random event, inflicting a +5% dissent hit)

October 7th: After recovering from the shock of the British landing, Spanish forces in Morocco regrouped and counterattacked the British beachhead at Rabat. Combined with the Italian interception of the British 2nd wave transports, the result was a British division overrun before they can retreat back to their ships. In an international broadcast, General Franco, the Caudillo of Spain, mocked Churchill's decision to punish Spain for their alliance with the Axis by calling out: "Bring more men next time! Our brave troops could use more equipment!"

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October 9th: The Vichy France colonies of New Caledonia (south pacific) and the Antilles (Caribbeans) join the 'Free French Forces'. Chinese leaders expressed doubt that any actual locals took part in this decision.

Later that day, Ion Antonescu, Romania Prime Minister and Iron Guard Conducător, signs the Tripartite Pact and Anti-Comintern Pact, thereby signaling their nation's entry into the Axis Alliance.


October 10th: After a series of battles in southern Norway, the German invasion force --lead by Himmler's S.S. divisions Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Verfügungs, and Polizei-- overran the Norwegian/British defenses at Trondheim and Oslo. Two weeks of decisive action had all but shattered the Norwegian Army, their collapse coming so fast that over 250 RAF bombers and 600 fighters have been captured in local airfields before they could withdraw.

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October 13th: With Wavell's Egyptian front weakened by Churchill's orders, the Italians repel the British attack on Bir Fuad and push them back from Sidi Barrani once again. The tug-of-war continues.

October 14th: While China made an exception for the Philippines, Japan would not. Japanese agents began stirring up trouble on the island nation, fomenting independence in favor of a 'benevolent Japanese overlord'.

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October 15th: The Italians revealed just how unprepared they were for the invasion of Greece when their first major engagement turn into a disaster. The Battle of Ioannina-Korce saw the Greek army drive the Italians back into Albania while inflicting over 12,000 casualties at a 3:1 ratio.

On the same day, Italian ambitions to capture Cyprus failed when the division that landed days ago was counterattacked by British forces sent to retake the island. Over 7,000 Italian soldiers entered captivity.

October 16th: The United States pass the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, also known as the Burke-Wadsworth Act, requiring all men between the ages of 21 and 36 to register with local draft boards. It represented the first step towards the mass mobilization of this mighty nation.

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Meanwhile, Hitler orders the construction of anti-air defenses around the Romanian Ploeisti oil fields, the only source of crude oil in Europe. Due to the British blockade, Germany and its occupied territories already faced a severe oil shortage as all available petrol was prioritized for the German army. The threat of a lasting economic recession loomed over mainland Europe unless the Fuhrer could somehow secure more oil than Romanian/synthetic production plus what Stalin was willing to deliver.

October 19th: The British Royal Navy intercepted a large transport flotilla of Italian troops in the Atlantic, sinking 15 troop ships and drowning an entire division of men. The other Axis nations could only wonder what the Duce was even trying to do with transports this far out in the Atlantic?

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On that same day, German forces corner the bulk of the Norwegian Army west of Oslo, taking over 17,000 prisoners. 10,000 Norwegians had already crossed the Norway-Sweden border last week to be voluntarily interned by the neutral Swedish, while another 16,000 would be captured by Germany on the 20th. In just ten days after the Battle of Oslo, the Norwegian Army had effectively ceased to exist. Only one division remained to hold Narvik, but it would only be a matter of time before the Germans march up and seized the port.

October 20th: The US Congress passes the Two-Ocean Navy Act, also known as the Vinson-Walsh Act. This massive naval expansion program planned to increase the size of the United States Navy by 70%, adding 257 ships amounting to 1,325,000 tons. It's reasoning was to defend American interests from the Axis powers in both Europe and Asia, except the Chinese leadership found this deeply suspicious as the bulk of the Asiatic states barely have any navies worth mentioning.

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October 21st: After Wavell painstakingly pulled two divisions of troops from the front lines and sent them to support the Greeks, the Italian navy intercepted the transport fleet and sank one group with over 14,000 lives lost. The other transports were forced to turn back, and Churchill's "support Greece" plan was turning into just as much a disaster as his other schemes.



( Next Chapter - Honor of the Navy )



Notes:
1. The Brenner Pass Conference historically took place on March 18, 1940. One of the event mods clearly messed up the date.

2. German oil troubles began in late 1940. For more details, see this analysis video by TIK. This topic will play a major role as this AAR proceeds towards Operation Barbarossa. The image for Axis oil shortfall is from his video.

3. Historically, the United States granted Philippine independence as soon as cleanup of Japanese forces was over, on July 4, 1946. Contrast this with the other western powers...

4. No, I did not tweak the British AI to send troops to Greece. The sequence of events simply made sense to explain using a real WW2 narrative: when Churchill stripped Wavell of two essential divisions just as the Field Marshal was making his crucial push into Italian Libya. Then, when Wavell failed to drive the Italians out in time and was pushed back into Egypt by Rommel, Churchill blamed the Field Marshal and relieved him.
 
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Churchill and his adjutant's claimed that British aid, at the time, appeared to be imperative to halting the Italian advance into Macedonia... but is this really the case?

I'm charmed that one of my favorite authAARs' on the forum follows TIK/Battlestorm as well!

Hopefully the ROCAF is looking into some Naval bombers to counter... err.. "the future threat of British Imperialism"
 
Ah, Darkest Hour naval AI ୧( ಠ Д ಠ )୨
Seems italy is slowly grinding through the British defenses in egypt, but more likely then not they'll be stopped at El Alamein as in OTL.

On another note, how the heck do you manage to play this game with notifications about other country's land and naval engagements set to display as message boxes? If I had that active the notification spam would drive me mental!
 
The AI really sucks at transporting troops safely and doing non-piecemeal amphibious landings. Expect more such stupidity from all sides.
I figured as much, but it's always nicer to weave a narrative rather than break the 4th wall =P
Besides, I like Wavell (he's basically the IKE of Britain, a natural coalition builder with respect for other cultures), and what Churchill did to him was just unfair.


Churchill and his adjutant's claimed that British aid, at the time, appeared to be imperative to halting the Italian advance into Macedonia... but is this really the case?

I'm charmed that one of my favorite authAARs' on the forum follows TIK/Battlestorm as well!

Hopefully the ROCAF is looking into some Naval bombers to counter... err.. "the future threat of British Imperialism"
I love TIK, because he's one of the few history channels on Youtube that openly challenge conventional thinking to highlight the effect of falsified history and propaganda. That being said, his lack of "but is this really the case?" examinations in the Nazism is Socialism videos rather disappointed me.

The Greeks were kicking Italian butts at the time.

Sneak peak of next update:
sneak-preview.jpg


On another note, how the heck do you manage to play this game with notifications about other country's land and naval engagements set to display as message boxes? If I had that active the notification spam would drive me mental!
Very slowly.
I also find it very informative for detailing me the status of other fronts, and found it great for storytelling thanks as demonstrated in @Lucifer 's AARchtung Panzer!.
We'll see if it drives me nuts when Barbarossa hits the fan ;)
 
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Well it was only a matter of time before the Royal Navy made it to Singapore. Those are heavy cruisers and given China´s lack of.... everyting when it comes to naval matters I doubt they need anything more to oppose you on the seas.
 
Chapter 34 - Honor of the Navy
Chapter 34 - Honor of the Navy

"Swift as the wind, quiet as the forest, fierce as fire, steady as a mountain."

- Sun Tzu, the Art of War​

If there's one thing China has always excelled at since ancient times, it's systematic improvements and innovation in economies-of-scale. While the western mindset is prone to engaging an individual challenges as isolated issues, the Chinese approach is holistic, systematic, and always in massive scale. The reason behind this is that culture defines thinking -- China has been a large nation with an enormous population for thousands of years. Furthermore, it has an administrative/education system grounded in Confucianism, which defines human morality by five key relationships: ruler-to-subject, father-to-son, husband-to-wife, elder-to-young, and friend-to-friend. This forces Chinese mentality to focus on the interdependency of any ecosystem rather than independent thinking, and the result is a great appreciation to place infrastructure and logistics at the forefront of every industrial and military enterprise.

Thus, the one field where a resurgent China rushed ahead of Germany (and the rest of the Axis alliance) on, was in the field of mass production.

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Grateful for all the technology transfers the Germans have provided, Chinese engineers did not hesitate to share their new production methods with the rest of the Axis powers (even Italy). However, administrative technologies were different from scientific discoveries: it was one thing to understand the new methods, it was a whole different matter to adopt it. And Chinese engineers studying in Germany have never quite understood German work culture, which prefers decentralized, independent workshops not conducive to large-scale production.

Meanwhile in Southern China, the Yunnan Frontier Corps were tasked to begin a new major project. To solidify the alliance between China and the newly independent South Asia states and boost Pan-Asian cooperation, ROC Minister of Economics Weng Wenhao has proposed the Yunnan-Burma-India Friendship Road to link the transit systems of these three states together. The proposal was accepted by Chiang and passed by the ROC Legislative Yuan, as well as received the backing of both Bose's and Aung San's governments.

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The new roads seek to take advantage of existing infrastructure wherever possible. The Indians already have a road link between Calcutta and Imphal, while the Burmese have a less reliable road between Rangoon and Lashio. The Chinese infrastructure buildup since 1938 (see Chapter 16) has also completed a railroad from Kunming to Dali (before turning north towards Lhasa, Tibet), plus a road from Dali to Baoshan which served as the offensive launch point for the NRA 3rd Route Army. Thus, new construction will be focused on linking these three networks together with additional roads in Luxi and Putao, expanding the roads in Lashio, and improving the Burmese port facilities at Rangoon -- which will serve as the main base of Chinese naval forces in the Indian Ocean.

As the India and Burma were still focused on re-establishing their government, China will bear the brunt of costs involved in this undertaking.


...


October 30th, 1940: The Soviet Union sends an expedition to the Greeks, their historic allies since medieval times. The Russians have not forgotten that it was the Greeks who created the Cyrillic alphabet for them and introduced them to Eastern Orthodoxy. And just as they had stood by Greek resistance against Ottoman rule, Russian volunteers will now stand against Fascist aggression. Besides, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact said nothing about respecting Italian claims to hegemony.
(I actually can't find any information on the Soviet Greece expedition. Does anyone know any details?)

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November 1st: British submarines sink two Indian merchant ships carrying resources back from Ceylon. Vice Admiral Chen Ce's 1st Fleet was immediately ordered to leave the Colombo naval base and begin sweeping the area. It seems the Royal Navy hasn't given up on Asia yet.

November 3rd: After two offensives and over 20,000 casualties, the Italians finally push the British back from Matruh on the Egyptian coast, thus taking another step towards the hopeful capture of Suez.

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On the same day: the British launch Operation Menace, hoping to seize the strategic port of Dakar in Senegal on the West African coast for De Gaulle's "Free French" forces. However, Vichy France defenders prove themselves honorable to the treaties their government signed, and Admiral Pierre Boisson mobilized his task force --including the Battleship Richelieu-- to drive back the British attackers with heavy losses.

November 4th: ROC strategists are baffled by why Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem of Vietnam decided to build an air force before they even finished training a single land division. "Is he planning to use pilots to hold ground?" General Bai Chongxi jested sarcastically.

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November 6th: United States incumbent president Franklin D Roosevelt defeats Republican contender Wendell Willkie in the 1940 elections, with a decisive 54.7% vs 44.8% result. This left many Chinese leaders with mixed opinions. On one hand, they respected FDR for his anti-Imperialist policies and remembered his aid to China during the 1935 Sino-Japanese War. On the other hand, FDR was also more likely to involve the mighty United States in the current war -- which is precisely why British services intervened massively in the elections to support him.

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Later that day: Chinese forces left behind in Singapore reports that the British were attempting to land on the island-fortress with three divisions. NRA soldiers immediately turned the captured British coastal fortifications and guns against their makers. Chief of Operations General Bai Chongxi also sent word to reallocate two more divisions from southern China to the Malay Peninsula. He had stripped Southeastern Asia bare in the assumption that the British would be too busy elsewhere, and Director-General Chiang was now furious with him.

It didn't help matters when NRA logicians told Chiang that these reinforcements would take a month to arrive. In a furious response, Chiang returned to his old meddling ways and ordered Vice Admiral Chen Ce to lead the 1st fleet from Ceylon and head for the Strait of Malacca.

Bai Chongxi protested: "we have no knowledge of British naval strength in the area! And Chen Ce's few ships represent the bulk of our meager navy!"

However Chiang would not be persuaded: "you said yourself that the British should only have limited forces in the region, especially with Gibraltar cut and the bulk of their navy guarding their overstretched supply route in the Atlantic! If we cannot pull our courage together to challenge even a 'limited presence', then how many decades will it take before our navy dares to confront the Western powers!?"


...


November 7th, 1940: The Italian army suffer another defeat on the Albanian side of the borders, as their Invasion of Greece was turning into the 'Greek liberation of Albania' instead. Their navy salvages some pride by sinking a British vessel guarding supply ships off the Greek coast.

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November 8th: ROC strategists wasn't sure if they should be amazed or appalled. Somehow, the Italians managed to march 13 divisions across the Saharan Desert and launch an offensive into British colonial lands in Central Africa! Either they have a genius logistician who could supply such a massive army across the dune seas, or their men were dying of thirst and starvation due to inadequate supplies. Though with their victory against the British in Nayala in mind, it seemed the former was far more likely.

On that same day: disaster struck the German Kriegsmarine once again as their remaining battleships, the Scharnhorst and Schleswig-Holstein, were sunk by a Royal Navy Home Fleet task force while attempting to dash across the English Channel. Reichsmarshal Hermann Goring receives a furious tirade from the Führer as his Luftwaffe completely failed to provide air support -- a mistake that cost Germany its last major surface combatants.

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November 9th: General Franco jeers Churchill over international radio again as hardy Spanish soldiers repel another British landing attempt at Rabat, killing and capturing nearly 6,000 British soldiers this time.

November 10th: The 'Daqing Oil Battle' ends in a Chinese success as Li Siquang's oil field begins to produce its first barrels. Nevertheless, the Chinese petroleum industry was still in its infancy, and even with German assistance it would take time before Chinese petroleum output rise to any level worth mentioning.

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Meanwhile, Economic Minister Weng Wenhao's coal and steel industry expansion bears more fruits. Production (10 Industrial Capacity) allocated to resource expansion was then withdraw as the Chinese economy enters full war footing. China still has a severe shortage of energy resources, but with domestic coal mines already expanded to full capacity, China would have to look to other means to fulfill these resource needs -- one of those options was, of course, the Three Gorges Dam currently under construction in Sichuan.

November 11th: As Vice Admiral Chen Ce's 1st ROCN Fleet steams towards the British invasion force off Singapore, his ships ran straight into a British transport fleet heading west from the Strait of Malacca. The British heavy cruiser sighted the Chinese first and opened fire, sinking 2 empty troop ships. Chen then retaliated by sending his 3 destroyer squadrons (15 DDs) forward in a swarm of torpedo attacks, ending the battle in just three hours with the sinking of HMS Hawkins and three British transports.

The ROCN's first naval battle proved to be an unexpectedly easy victory.

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November 13th: Vice Admiral Chen Ce's 1st Fleet arrive west of Singapore. After confirming with the Chinese garrison HQ that the British task force was situated east of the island-fortress, Chen Ce decided to split his small fleet in two to execute a classic bait-and-tackle maneuver. His slower ships, including 3 transport vessels plus the old light cruisers Pinghai and Ninghai, would sail in the open under the pretense of bringing reinforcements to the Singapore garrison, while his smaller but faster destroyers slipped into the Strait of Johor under the cover of the night.

Upon seeing the small Chinese task force at dawn, British Admiral Charles Forbes brought his escort fleet of 3 heavy cruisers and 5 destroyers (1 squadron) close to engage the Chinese vessels. He prioritized the troopships before they could disembark any NRA reinforcements for the island. But just as he did this, Chen Ce unrevealed his flanking force as 3 Chinese destroyer squadrons charged out of the Strait of Johor and closed in for torpedo attacks. The ensuing naval battle lasted 5 hours and saw the British heavy cruiser HMS Suffolk, 2 destroyers, and 5 transports sunk for the loss of only 3 empty Chinese troopships, 1 destroyer, and the crippled light cruiser Pinghai.

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For this exceptional victory against the odds, Director-General Chiang Kai-shek publicly declared by international radio that Vice Admiral Chen Ce would be given China's highest military award --the Order of National Glory-- for recovering the honor and pride that the Chinese Navy had lost since the 1st Opium War.

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( Next Chapter - The Singapore Question )
 
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ROC strategists are baffled by why Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem of Vietnam decided to build an air force before they even finished training a single land division.

It's not just the naval AI that's pants-on-head retarded, it's also the production AI! But that can be modded, I think - somewhere in the country files there is code telling each country what to build and what not to build (so Ireland won't build a massive navy, for example). If you can find it in the Vietnam file (and the Burma + India files), maybe change it to focus on army, not navy or air force?
 
Ooh thats right, Singapore is in friendly hands. Where are those British ships sailing from? East Africa? Thats one hell of a supply line around Africa.
Also Im quite surprised those Heavy cruisers didnt blast your little ships to pieces, although to be fair Pinghai is a floating scrapyard right now, thats gonna take a while to buff out.

Sad to see the Kreigsmarine not living up to its ancestors in the Kaiserliche Marine. Oh well, Chinese naval program when?
 
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How is the RN doing overall? I find that in most of my games the primary cause of Allied naval casualties is not any Axis navy, but rather Italian naval bombers. How many casualties have they taken so far?

Also, I agree that I am surprised you managed to beat those heavy cruisers.
 
Glad to see this active again, always an enjoyable read. I hope you'll eventually solve the contradiction of being allies with Germany whose colonial ambitions and dark means vastly eclipse those of old Albion.
 
So I had planned to reveal this later, but @GeneralUrist's question leaves this a good opportunity. To rebalance the absolute overpoweredness of naval bombers vs ships, I did the following. This might get tweaked more later, but my main intent is to make any fleet with air cover (carriers) have some defense vs naval bombers... and also to highlight the importance of radar (as the IJN suffered heavily due to their lack of it).

# Carrier Air Groups / Light CAG: +20% bonus to air defense, +20% bonus to air attack
# Escort Carrier: +20% bonus air attack (since they don't use CAG attachments)
# Naval Anti-Air attachment: -1 (bonus) extra air defense
# Naval Radar attachment: +50% sea/air detection (by 1941 they match floatplanes in sea/air detection, though still lacking in other fields)

It's not just the naval AI that's pants-on-head retarded, it's also the production AI! But that can be modded, I think - somewhere in the country files there is code telling each country what to build and what not to build (so Ireland won't build a massive navy, for example). If you can find it in the Vietnam file (and the Burma + India files), maybe change it to focus on army, not navy or air force?

I've done some savefile modding for my default-AI Asian allies. Most are set to focus on only 5 items: infantry, garrison, militia, plus interceptors & destroyers for India/Thailand countries. India is also set to build a bunch of IC (industrialization was big on Bose's agenda). But apparently not fast enough for Viet... they *started* their prod queue by building an interceptor, despite single-digit IC.


Ooh thats right, Singapore is in friendly hands. Where are those British ships sailing from? East Africa? Thats one hell of a supply line around Africa.
Also Im quite surprised thise Heavy cruisers didnt blast your little ships to pieces.

Sad to see the Kreigsmarine not living up to its ancestors in the Kaiserliche Marine. Oh well, Chinese naval program when?
Also, I agree that I am surprised you managed to beat those heavy cruisers.

North/East Africa as far as I can tell.

Capital ships use range to their advantage when engaging screens. However, Blockade Runner trait greatly reduces your ships' visibility, which means more likelihood of achieving surprise with small ships. When surprise is achieved battle starts at the attacker's preferred range -- which is why the engagement range in those battles is just 5km!
That being said... since surprise is by no means guaranteed, I did take a big gamble. I also assumed they'd be *less* ships.

Naval program hopefully late 1941. Need to catch up on Cruiser, Submarine, torpedo, and doctrine techs first.


How is the RN doing overall? I find that in most of my games the primary cause of Allied naval casualties is not any Axis navy, but rather Italian naval bombers. How many casualties have they taken so far?

See below, screenshot taken Jan 1, 1941 (after next update).

Royal Navy losses are still mostly aircraft. Their biggest losses to aircraft are HMS Ramilles (BB), HMS Resolution (BB), HMS Warspite (BB), and HMS Repulse (BC), this time sunk by Italian naval bombers instead of Japanese naval bombers. They also lost the HMS Royal Oak (BB) to the Scapa Flow attack event. Their biggest loss is the 2 CVs destroyed when Gibraltar fell (chapter 28).
Meanwhile Germany lost 5 BBs, 1 CV, and almost no light ships... ^^;

post-1-sunk-ships.jpg

post-2-air-attacks.jpg

all ships destroyed by aircraft​


Glad to see this active again, always an enjoyable read. I hope you'll eventually solve the contradiction of being allies with Germany whose colonial ambitions and dark means vastly eclipse those of old Albion.

Welcome back =)
Probably around the same time when the US and USSR resolved their contradiction in allies - once their mutual enemies are destroyed. It helps that Hitler has never shown interest in expanding German imperialism into Asia.
 
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# Naval Radar attachment: +50% sea/air detection (by 1941 they match floatplanes in sea/air detection, though still lacking in other fields)
(I'm still unclear on some Darkest Hour mechanics) Does detection play a significant role in sea vs air combat? I know it helps planes and ships find targets, but I'm not aware of it directly helping out in combat once it actually starts.

Aside from the BBs Germany's naval losses are small, but I imagine they don't have a huge navy in the first place!
 
@GeneralUrist

Detection reduce the chances of being surprised. Surprise gives the attacker various bonuses in the engagement, though I'm not sure what they are all exactly. I believe it gives a combat bonus for land/air and a positioning bonus for ships. For example the Battle of Singapore opened up with 82% ROCN vs 50% RN ship positioning, even though ROCN doctrine is nowhere as good as RN doctrine which means the British should have had better positioning.
 
Chapter 35 - The Singapore Question
Chapter 35 - The Singapore Question

"With few exceptions, Democracy has not brought good government to new developing countries... What Asians value may not necessarily be what Americans or Europeans value. Westerners value the freedoms and liberties of the individual. As an Asian of Chinese cultural background, my values are for a government which is honest, effective and efficient."

- Lee Kuan Yew, 1st Prime Minister and Founding Father of Singapore (in our world)​

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November 14th, 1940: Religious tensions erupt in the former Princely State of Jammu & Kashmir, where a Hindu elite has ruled over a predominant Muslim majority (77% of the population) for well over a century. Bose immediately dispatch two of his top commanders, Shah Nawaz Khan (muslim) and Lakshmi Sehgal (hindu) to take control of the issue and arrange humanitarian aid.

November 15th: The British Admiralty seem dissatisfied that they were bested by a fledgling Chinese navy. As soon as Admiral Chen Ce's ships headed back to Haikuo fleet base to make repairs, the British fleet turned back around and restarted their attack on Singapore. Chiang orders Chen Ce to detach his damaged ships, link up with the destroyer squadrons patrolling the Taiwan Strait, and return to Singapore to give the Royal Navy another beating as soon as possible.

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November 18th: Since Economic Minister Weng Wenhao proposed the Chinese infrastructure grid in 1938 (Chapter 16), the Republic has launched the second largest road and rail construction projects in the history of mankind (bested by only the US highway system which began construction in the 1930s). The project has since involved millions of workers and Frontier Corps settlers, and combined with Chinese industrialization program it has brought key insights to the advancement of construction engineering. Now China offers to share this knowledge with its allies; whether they can make use of this is up to them.

On that same day: BIS/Juntong leader Dai Li confirm that the Australian agents have managed to steal ROCN fleet operation plans. A few days later he also confirm that the British made off with blueprints of a research computing machine from China. The first did not surprise anyone as the Chinese victory in the 2nd Battle of Singapore must been a rude wake-up call for the British and their vassal colonies. The second, however, left Chiang Kai-shek baffled: "How on Earth could the British be behind us in that technology?"

4_Blueprints.jpg

Dai Li shrugged. "We did have German help on our computing and encryption equipment. Maybe that's what they're interested in."

"Should we assume a security breach then?" Chiang asked next.

"The army's ciphers are scheduled to be changed by the end of year and then again before the next operation, so no worries there." Dai Li then thought about it. "I'll fly someone from the Confidential Section to Singapore and bring new naval ciphers to the 1st Fleet. Jiang Yiying's group only trusts vocal communications."

Chiang raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Have you ever heard the Jiangshan dialect that her section uses?" Dai Li noted. "It's impenetrable. Good luck trying to imitate it if you're not a local."


...


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November 20th: US Secretary of War Henry Stimson reaffirms the Stimson Doctrine he established as Secretary of State in the 1930s, which categorically refused to acknowledge any and all states created through 'acts of aggression'. This had once benefited Sino-US relations, as it alienated the Japanese by refusing to acknowledge Manchukuo. But now it worked for British-American diplomacy, as the United States also denied the existence of the newly independent Asia states of India and Burma.

Later that day: Vice Admiral Chen Ce arrives at the Singapore Strait once more, this time with the light cruiser Ninghai and 25 ROCN destroyers (in 5 squadrons). British Admiral Forbes was prepared and withdrew after only a minor skirmish that sunk 2 ROCN destroyers. But Chen Ce, unsatisfied by the outcome, chased the British ships out into sea and forced an engagement with his faster ships. The 3rd Battle of Singapore would sink another 2 transport flotillas and the heavy cruiser HMS Berwick, at the cost of only 4 ROCN destroyers in total.

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Just six days later, the British ships rebound as Admiral Forbes launch the 4th Battle of Singapore. Chinese strategist aren't sure if the British Admiralty was just that muleheaded, severely offended, or if Churchill gave them a totally unreasonable order. The 4th Battle of Singapore saw the British lose their remnants of their Destroyer Division 29 and another 2 transport flotillas. A total of 24 transport ships have been sank in the past week, with over 12,000 British troops lost at sea (a few thousand captured by Chinese troops as they made their way ashore).

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December 1st: Since the beginning of WW2, Prime Minister Milan Stojadinović of Yugoslavia has tried to keep his nation out of the war by taking neutral status. But with the German victory on the continent this was no longer realistic. Recognizing that there was no other way to save his nation, Regent Paul Karađorđević aligns himself with the Axis powers and makes pro-German accommodations, including signing the Tripartite Pact. This would preserve Yugoslavian independence by taking advantage of the fact that Hitler had no interest in German involvement in the Balkans.

December 2nd: The British Admiralty just can't seem to accept the fact they've lost Singapore. Admiral Forbes returns again, and Chen Ce bloodies his nose again by sinking the remainder of 3 transport flotillas and another 12,000 troops they carried. With his forces decimated, Forbes at last leaves the area.

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The endless British attacks on the port-city only served to convince Chinese military leadership of just how crucial the fortress of Singapore was. Under the excuse of counterespionage, the NRA military administration of Singapore forcibly displaced all non-American westerners from the island itself. With the bulk of the Indians also returning to help with the reconstruction of India, the NRA garrison found themselves face-to-face with an unusual fact: despite being almost 2,000kms from the southern tip of China, Singapore felt... almost like home.

The reason for this? Singapore's local population was predominantly of Chinese diaspora, particularly Cantonese, Hakka, and Peranakan (Strait-born Chinese). At the turn of the century in 1901, a British census had discovered that the Chinese population in Singapore had already reached 70% and it has only grown since. Even the local education system was heavily influenced by Chinese traditions, and many of these Chinese spoke a mainland dialect as their first language and English second.

Seizing upon this unusual opportunity, the NRA leadership made a proposal to the Republic of China government: annex and integrate the port-city of Singapore as a part of China.

Chiang Kai-shek was furious when the plan arrived at his desk: "I will not have China become the next Imperial power in Asia! We began this war to take back our historic lands and liberate our brethren, not to establish oversea colonies of our own!"

"But just look at the demographics: Singapore might as well be Chinese already!" Vice President Li Zongren tried to persuade him.

"It is a matter of principle!" Chiang stubbornly countered. "I will not authorize this. I don't care what your excuse is!"

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...


December 2nd: After a brief battle in Bodo, German forces in Norway forced the surrender of retreating troops from Trondheim. The British had tried to withdraw the troops but it proved impossible: Admiral Donitz had the entire Norwegian coast blockaded with U-boats.

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December 3rd: Spurred by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), Yugoslavian Air Force officers launched a coup that overthrew the Regency led by Prince Paul and installed King Peter II. Now, with a hostile nation directly south of German lands, Hitler sees little choice but to order the Wehrmacht --which had been amassing on the German-Soviet borders-- for an Invasion of Yugoslavia.

"Yugoslavia is finished," Chiang Kai-shek could only comment as he heard the news. "Hitler will ignore his southern flank as long as it's pro-German, but no major power will tolerate a satellite state of their enemy on their border. Those selfish Anglo-Saxons have effectively signed the death warrant of another nation, just for a slight benefit for themselves."

December 6th: Field Marshal Wavell of the British Middle Eastern Command launched another counterattack in the North Africa front, pushing the Italians back from Matruh once more and even driving the Italians back in Bir Fuad. Meanwhile in Greece, the Italians halt the Greek Army's advance despite continued losses at a 2:1 ratio. The Greeks, as the defenders in this war, are understandably not prepared for an offensive.

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December 8th: British radio announces that the Royal Navy sinks a large Italian transport fleet laden with troops off the West African coast. Other Axis leaders found themselves baffled by why Mussolini sent them there in the first place.

December 10th: After a failed coup by the Romanian Iron Guard which had left Romania in chaos with their Bucharest pogrom, Prime Minister Antonescu forces his former followers out of the government and abolishes the 'National Legionary State'. A 'National and Socialist State' was established in its place, but with his political support at home undermined, Antonescu found himself effectively a puppet of the Nazi government.

December 12th: German and Soviet foreign ministries reaffirm the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, as well as the German-Soviet Commerce Agreement (1940) where Germany would trade machine tools and precision equipment in exchange for vital raw materials from the Soviet Union.

Meanwhile in China, the National Revolutionary Army --upon request by the German Wehrmacht-- was already moving its divisions into the Xinjiang and Manchurian frontier regions for "winter exercises".

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December 18th: Ethnic violence breaks out in the city of Jubbulpore (Jabalpur), Madhya Pradesh, India. Despite being a city famous for its historic, syncretic culture after centuries of intermittent Mughal and Maratha rule, the populace of Jubbulpore had been divided by the British canton system and now each demanded separate states cut along cultural lines. The riots escalated in defiance of government mandate, and Defense Minister Sardar Baldev Singh was forced to send in the Nehru Division to restore order. 10 days would pass before the rule of law was returned to the city, and over 1,473 rioters would be shot by the soldiers.
(This is the 3rd and worst outcome of the repeating ethnic-religious tensions events. In addition to an insurgency it adds another +5% dissent.)

December 20th: The British Admiralty seem intent on harassing the new Asian powers. The Chinese 25th division stationed at Colombo reports that is was under attack --a poorly led attack at that-- from British forces. Admiral Chen Ce was immediately dispatched to lead the 1st Fleet from Singapore to interdict.

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December 27th: Chen Ce arrives in just one week, and his rapid response took British completely off-guard. Without a single loss, he sank another British transport flotilla and the heavy cruiser HMS Shropshire. His radioed report also brought a grin to Chiang Kai-shek's countenance, as the defeated was none other than Admiral Mountbatten, the man responsible for the disastrous Partition of India in his other life.

December 30th: At the end of 1940, the reason for Italy's poor performance against Wavell's recent counterattack became clear. Over twenty Italian divisions had been pulled away from North Africa to launch an invasion of 'Free French' colonies in Equatorial Africa. However, as Wavell's southern front secure a victory at Faya, the entire invasion was now in danger of being cut off.

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( Next Chapter - The Rocket Genius and the Indonesian Revival )



Notes:
1. BIS/Juntong's Confidential Section (Jiyaoshi), is an elite encryption/decryption unit ran by Jiang Yiying, the highest-ranking female intelligence officer in the KMT. It speaks volumes about ROC attitudes towards women as Dai Li and BIS/Juntong were known as Ultraconservatives. The entire section was also known to communicate only in the extremely unusual (and rural) Jiangshan dialect. Basically, they're China's version of Navajo Code Talkers.

2. Lee Kuan Yew is a 4th-generation Chinese-Singaporean of Hakka descent. As the 1st Prime Minister of Singapore, he is renowned for transitioning Singapore from the third-world to first-world in a single generation. He is unlikely to take part in this AAR as he was just 17 years old in 1940, but I wanted an opening quote to pay him respect and highlight the cultural reality of Singapore.
 
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( Next Chapter - The Rocket Genius and the Indonesian Revival )
Call me Doorman and follow me, it seems to me the US won't tolerate this
 
Call me Doorman and follow me, it seems to me the US won't tolerate this
"Call me Doorman and follow me" -- I'm not familiar with this idiom(?)
No, the US wouldn't tolerate a Chinese invasion of Dutch East Indies, which is why there won't be one =P

Do you remember which treaty was it that the US guaranteed Dutch protection? I remember reading about it once but can't seem to find the details again...


Under which conditions can the negative "ethnic tension" event stop for India ?
When India finishes with their reformation period and reunites with Pakistan in three years.


Oh that stubborn naval AI. It's like a degenerate gambler, hoping the next toss of the dice will win big.
If first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try, try again...
...and maybe you'll eventually get it too, just like Hitler's Fifth Invasion of Norway.
 
I don't know if you've already considered this, but once Barbarossa happens and the Soviets start losing, Iran is (usually) forced into the Allies. Which will create a border between them and India. It's a narrow border and probably won't see much action, but who knows?