Fatherland - Deutschland über alles

[EvilSanta]

Oberkommando Der Luftwaffe reporting

Please dont correct my bad Deutch.


When it comes to deploying airforces,Id advice you to concentrate almost everything to Low countries.You can keep 2 interceptors in maginot line but I think they wont do much damage,to ic nor to men.Having some squadrons ready for bombers from UK is preferable.But I have noticed that usually during Fall Gelb,bombers come from France.When it comes to our own bombers,I want all capable squadrons to benelux area,where the battles are fought,making our advance a lot easier and less manpower costly.At the time we have broken through benelux,aerial support isnt so necessary anymore since enemy is low on org by that time.So spreading the bombers around France is preferable here,concentrating area around Paris more than rest of France.Squadrons that have taken bad casualties (strenght down 60-70) should be flown away from front for reinforcing.

 

[Prufrock451]

Herr K:

As to the deployment of air forces:

My intelligence shows that we can easily brush aside the Poles, and even the French, without any application of airpower. Considering our fuel situation, I say airpower should be applied sparingly. I would personally recommend focusing attacks on Allied fleets and convoys in the English Channel. Forcing the British to rebuild their merchant fleet would be worth as much as a dozen victories on the field.

 

[unmerged(51702)]

I disagree! As Inspektor-General der Panzertruppen I DEMAND that there will be no sparing in the airpower. Against such overhelming enemy Luftwaffe will be our guarantee of Victory.

 

[Kanitatlan]

Brasidas I didn't keep a not of air numbers in the test game but they were far from outrageous so I'm not too worried about it. I think air units counts could be quite reasonable for a Spring 39 start but we shall see.

Various Air power may not have a critical role in the early battles but it is a good place for winning experience and there will be a heavy commitment in all campaigns. Air defence will focus on attrition of bomber raids over germany proper whilst the main force concentrates on supporting the decisive campaigns. This means strong air intervention over Poland and then the Low Countries.

All I decided we had now had sufficient discussion and have started the game. I have played through the pre-war years. I saved the game on 1st April 1939 with the intention of not actually starting the war until the end of April. This would have given time for further strategic discussions with time for redeployment but the game has conspired against us. The initial play through was all in one session (putting the computer in standby between periods of play but not saving and reloading). This seems to have kept the AI calmed down but since reloading I have found that France DOWs me within a very few days of the reload. I have tried some earlier saves and the same thing happens. I am wondering if the AI has a force ratio based DOW that means that the difficulty settings are making the AI really over confident. Anyway, the result is that we will have to settle for a plan based on my 1st April 1939 deployment without the opportunity for significant changes.

Without further ado I guess it is time to start posting the actual AAR.

 

[Profane]

not that i think you need it but, GOOD LUCK !

cant wait to see the first screenies

 

[unmerged(51702)]

khm. please excuse me my finnish warcry.

PERKELE!

we are ready to fight now

 

[unmerged(51709)]

Bring it on

edit: oh btw, does that mean there's any chance you'll release a mod with your changes anytime soon?

 

[Prufrock451]

*adjusts monocle* I look forward to hearing how my department has served the German people!

 

[unmerged(55467)]

KEKEKE

Yippee!

 

[Gaute65]

Good luck.

 

[Brasidas]

Well, that certainly makes things interesting. Some good news on the strategic front is that this will keep belligerance lower than it might have been, and it should lower French combat efficiency.

I look forward to reports from the Polish campaign. Between its mis-timed start, the increased enemy war industry, and its unusual objectives (diminish enemy strength, then establish a defensive line for the next five months), it may be a longer, harder fight.

 

[Kanitatlan]

On the issue of releasing a mod, I will try to collate all the relevant files BUT after experimenting with a few earlier saved games the AI seems extremely unstable and likely to DOW early anyway. The French DOW shortly after reloading the game with all the interim saves available. This is definitely NOT due to belligerence (which is only 8) but may conceivably be due to annexing Luxembourg. If this isn't the cause then it is likely that the modified game cannot be played other than as a single session up to the point where you wish to go to war. Even this may have been luck on my part. I did consider going back and starting again as I prefer to play a game based upon a repeatable plan with reasonable certainty rather than the mad cap gamble this seems to be.

Going by other DD AARs (Resistance Might Be Futile: A 1938 Czechoslovakian Doomsday AAR for example) the AAR has become very DOW happy with dramatic widespread war likely to break out at the drop of a hat.

Anyway, I made to close to the desired date so that will have to do.

 

[unmerged(51709)]

Well, alright then it's not that important anyway as long as the action finally gets going. Just be careful, if the AI gets that trigger-happy what if the Soviets decide to attack you early?

 

[unmerged(41995)]

I think Prufrock has a point about the use of air assests on naval strike - but I bow to the master - the hounds of war are unleashed and I for one will be hanging on for the wild ride ahead!

 

[Brasidas]

Well, alright then it's not that important anyway as long as the action finally gets going. Just be careful, if the AI gets that trigger-happy what if the Soviets decide to attack you early?

Well, it can't make much headway if it attacks before Poland's done. And Poland won't be done until after France. There'll be a campaign to cripple it, but there will not be a long Russian-German border.

 

[unmerged(51709)]

Point taken, somehow I completely forgot about that *g*

 

[Corbett]

Yes, the same thing happened to me - on the first of January 1937, if I recall correctly, the French sought to avenge their friends in Luxembourg (which I had ordered a march straight into at midnight on the first of January - I declared war on them immediately and sent my troops through Cologne to them, killing two birds with one stone.)

Needless to say I thought this ridiculous and acceptall'd peace with the allies. They never used to do that in vanilla HoI2.

 

[unmerged(24320)]

Kanitatlan: ...Anyway, I made it close to the desired date so that will have to do.

splendid! ! the RIDE begins! !

 

[Kanitatlan]

Official Start​

Under the circumstances there seems to be nothing further to do but actually begin. The initial position is slightly different from normal with small stockpiles of all critical resources sufficient to allow some flexibility during the initial trading process whilst I get set up.

Resources at start

The initial actions are fairly simple. There is the tech set up…

Initial Tech

Some nice help from the experts from the forums. They seem to be rather good at this research lark. Initial tech policy is the usual industrial stuff with some work on new naval units. Unfortunately Aracnid Marine are not very good at designing carriers and I just know I will have to send them back to try again.

Industrial policy is set to minimum CG and full commitment to supplies. I am not starting the factory builds until the 10% peacetime adjustment has been eliminated by reoccupying the Rhineland. This is not an optimal strategy but the supply trading adjustments are much easier if there is a bit of a buffer in the supply stockpile and I don’t have to keep checking it. The optimal strategy would be to start what factories I can straight away and make a point of keeping a minimal supply stockpile until the Spanish Civil War intervention event.

On the intelligence front all investment is on counter-intelligence and sending spies to the USA.

 

[Kanitatlan]

Jan 1st 1936

Troops rush to reoccupy the Rhineland. This prevents Great War demonstrations, removes the 10% “peacetime” penalty and normally would give a useful hawk move. Immediately after reaching there I DOWed Luxembourg and annexed them 36 hours later after minimal resistance. This gives me a little belligerence but with an awful long time for it to decay.

Sadly this seems to be a big risk in DD as it apparently leads to French DOWs possibilities from relatively early on. Potentially the 2 slider moves I have given them are the secret. If you are worried about French strength or early war being imposed on you then I advise avoiding this. I suspect France may DOW as soon as it can and the slider adjustments from me invading a country with a guarantee makes it a lot closer.