[FRANCE]We won't surrender (my first AAR)

[Lys91]

[FRANCE]The road to WW3 (AAR started as "We won't surrender" )(my first AAR)

Original Post

I decided to turn my post for help about strategy into an AAR.

I will post some screen later today.

Context :
I started the game in 1936 and it's now June 1939. The war started some months earlier. I didn't control directly my army but use Army level AI.

Allied are composed of UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, South Africa, Canada and Poland

Netherlands is reduced to one or two provinces. Belgium can't stand the German invasion and will soon be defeated. Poland is completely invaded and Germany has no eastern front.

I have three front :
- Italian Front : where everything go fine, I was able to invade Torino and I'm actually trying to get into Genova. This army is mainly made of [Mountain Infantry] + some [Armored + Motorized]
- Northern Front : the German managed to attack France in Lille, the northern front is my weakest one. Mainly composed of [Infantry]
- Eastern Front : my strongest army composed of 50/50 [Armored + Motorized] and [Infantry + Artillery]. This army managed to march on Stuttgart, but is in a bad time with the new troupes that Germany take back from the eastern front.
- Maginot Line : primarily made to stand on the Maginot Line they follow the advance of my Eastern Front. This army is mainly made of [Infantry + Artillery] and some [Armored + Motorized].

I should have soon around 10 new [Armored + Motorized] and 6 [Infantry + Artillery].

How I analyze the situation :
My eastern front is retreating, the front is now way too large for my current forces.
Maginot Line is going back to its original standing point.
Northern front it will not stand when the German will beat the Belgium.
Italian front so far so good, I'm not thinking about changing something here, maybe they will need some reinforcement later but for now they can stand in the Alps.

I'm supposed to work but I can't stop thinking about this game. So great !

 

[Lordban]

Maginot Line is going back to its original standing point.

Whoa, we've invented Mobile Land Forts! We French rock!

I'll be following this, your situation is very interesting

 

[Lys91]

Whoa, we've invented Mobile Land Forts! We French rock!

I'll be following this, your situation is very interesting

That's my bad english . "Maginot Line" is my Army group composed of one army supposed to defend the Maginot Line.

 

[Myth]

How strong is the pressure on your Northern Front? Given that it's the weakest, it may be a good idea to move some mobile elements from the Italian Front northward--armored divisions won't do much good in the mountains anyway.

 

[Lys91]

It's now 7 july 1939

The French are not going so bad. It seems our forces are strong enough to face the German and the Italian.

Here the Italian Front. Our army is putting pressure on the Italian who are retreating. I hope to march on Genova before September.

In the Eastern front my forces match the German one. Our brave soldier managed to advance into German territory. The front is stabilizing, I lost Stuttgart some days ago but the French Army will stand.

The thing are not going so well in the north of France. My ally Netherland is fallen and Belgium will soon be defeated as well. I have not a lot of soldiers here. My reinforcement will come in the next 10 days. I will put most of my soldiers here.

Analyze of the situation : the Maginot Line and the Italian front are well organized and I should be able to advance a bit more there. But my Northern Front is totally weak and will not stand for so long. I need to reinforce it or Paris will fall in less than a month. I send my Armored Italian Division to the North. I made the big mistake to not protect Belgium, I will have to pay the price and go defensive.

 

[Zaku]

It seems like your northern flank is exposed. I think you REALLY have to retreat to the Maginot line from germany and send forces to defend belgium. But from this point of wiew, I'm not sure, I can't see the number of divisions in the provinces there

 

[Lordban]

Whoa, your situation sure doesn't look great.

Shame you have to zoom really close to show the stacks, really, they'd be great help to complete an assessment of the picture.

I'll concur with Zaku, especially if the Germans enjoy a numerical superiority in the Flanders: a quick fighting withdrawal to the Maginot would free up badly needed reserves.

 

[MastahCheef117]

Belgium is *&^%$# if you don't reinforce them. Straighten out the line and everything should be fine... for a while.

 

[Myth]

Have the Germans declared war on the Netherlands? If not, maybe you could try to get them into the Allies and open up another front for the Germans to deal with. It could remove some pressure from your northern flank.

 

[Lys91]

Zaku That was my intention but my army is small compared to German one
LordbanI retreated to the Maginot Line
MythNetherland was into the war they was defeated in something like 3 or 4 months

Now I face a situation which look like WWI, my front line move by one province up and down. Belgium is made of 4 or 0 province depending of the current front line but some of their soldiers still fight. I will made a report in 1 or 2 hours.

 

[Lys91]

Stand under the rain of steel

That's the diplomatic situation in the end of July 1939. Netherlands, Belgium and Poland are dead or near to be. There is no other fight in Europe. France will stand alone to protect the Democracy. I'm trying to influence Yougoslavia to join the ally but that will not happened before 1940.

As I introduce you the situation earlier, the thing are not so good due to my major fail in the North. My General are crying for new troupes and more materials. I take a look to my supply and fuel. There it's just enough to stand until the winter, I need to hold my position and reinforce.

I decided to left the Italian territory. No need to loose soldiers if I can't manage to breach the Enemy defense. So I hold in my mountain fort. The Italian hold their position and not dare to move. The situation didn't change for months. It's not glorious but at least I don't need to worry about it.

The German march through Belgium in less than a week and are now at my border. I've got some reinforcement by the time but they are not ready for the real fight. I decide to build Infantry and Armored to this front. I cut my upgrade expense and stop to produce supply, from now I will only focus in building new troupes.

The British manage to help me here. They regularly send bombers to slow the German and interceptor to ensure the Air superiority to the ally. My own air force is near to inexistent and I have not the resources to build more plane.

In the north I went back to my original border and decide to hold my position. There is no way the German can cross the Maginot Line. I dispatch Infantry+Antitank and Infantry + Artillery in most province. I have some mixed [Artillery+Motorized] unit to help when the German try to breach my line. As the south seems weaker I decided to not go back to my line. That was a mistake as it opened a weak point in my defense.

The German manage to go through the Maginot Line and take one of the two airport of this front (I build this one during the peace time between 1936-1939). My line is breached, my inferior Air Force have lost one airport and the German totally own the sky. That will be bloody.

In north Africa me and UK are attacking the Italian colony. I send all my African soldier to Libya and we manage in a month are so to conquer it. Ethiopia, an Italian puppet state, was annexed the next month by the Brits. They also manage to take the last Italian Colony and start to invade Sardaigne.

My technology are update to date in Infantry, Industry and Medium Armored Tank. My practical in the last two has gone through the roof and hallow me to research and build faster. My main concern for the moment is my air force which is clearly outdated and outnumbered.

But the world is going to change...

 

[Lordban]

Good on the Italian front, still holds on the Northern front, yikes! on the Maginot! I would say that having a secure entry point into France might make enough troops pour into it to make nice pockets, but that presupposes the existence of good reserves...

Allons enfants de la patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé!

(Better that than Vichy Regime )

 

[Myth]

Get those units out of Africa! Libya is so peripheral at the moment that whether it stands or falls as an Italian colony is completely irrelevant. Get those divisions to France, land them straight at the front and stabilize it.

 

[Lys91]

Europe under the red flag

End of august. Soviets declare war on Finland who join the ally a couple of hour later, but the Russian not seems decided to declare war on us and fight with the Fins. As I don't have enough troupes to protect my own border I don't dare to interfere on that matter. Mid-September a peace treaty is signed and USSR took some northern Finns province. The Russian only wanted to test their new technology and war doctrine before starting the serious things. Germany left its eastern front undefended and USSR can't resist too long.

September 28th 1939, as I was near to fall under the German, the most unexpected event happened. USSR declare war on Germany and the Axis. From there everything will go faster. USA join the ally in the following couple of days, giving France an unlimited amount of oil and energy giving France a new strength to stand while USSR was marching through Europe.

October 8 Poland is liberated as a communist puppet state. The German don't change their plan and continue to focus on France. It's very hard time for the French army, but we don't need to win, we just have to wait.

As the Germany territory is conquered, its soldiers fight with less and less conviction. The Maginot Line front is totally stabilized. I can concentrate on the North of my territory.

24/12/1939 the red army prepare for Christmas

In less than three month the Soviets have managed to march trough half of Europe and will be soon knocking at my door. When they started the War I was happy that a new front open in the east but I didn't imagine they will go so far and Germany will not react, even Berlin failed.

I have to go offensive from now. The German has no supply nor fuel. I must free Belgium and Netherlands before USSR can turn them into Communist state. I can already hear my own communist crying for a Revolution in France. And as a not the Belgium even conquered still fight by my side in the north Front, they were my closest ally and let Russia take them will not be a fare reward.

I also decide I have to go south to open a front in north of Italy. The politic in France is turning crazy, my left wings is crying for a people Revolution and my conservatives are crying about restoring our full glory. As I can't satisfy every one we will go for the glory ! We will take back the Italian territory which were ours during Napoleonic Era and with a proper propaganda I will have the public support to take some measure about those communist.

04/02/1940 French and Soviet Army met each other

5 months after the USSR declaration of war our two army met. Joy because Germany is now completely defeated but also fear as we will soon face a more terrible enemy.

06/02/194O two days later the north Italian Front is open

I manage to open the North Italian front before USSR cut my way. I have Armored division on their way from the Maginot Line. That will be a question of months before Italy fall as well.

Greece, not aligned yet, decide to declare war on Italy by themselves.

The USSR own most of Europe, the map is covered by a monstrous red blob. Every one is on this way to join the ally, but as before I will be the only real front. My army is totally disorganized as it try to conquer a maximum of land before the Soviets.

And most of Europe is under the red flag, the bloodied flag...

Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé !
L'étendard sanglant est levé !
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?

Against us, tyranny
Has raised its bloodied banner
Has raised its bloodied banner
Do you hear in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers?

The world is not the one we know. There will be no cold war, there will be a WW3 in a couple of year. I have to finish this one I soon as possible and prepare myself for the real fight.

 

[Lys91]

Lordban it wad very close that I lose Paris
Myth I know but I was so happy to see the english doing something that I can't resit to help them. They landed into Sardeigne and now everything is fallin around they will probably land into South Italy.

 

[Lordban]

Whoa, talk about Deux Ex Machina!

Not that it changes many things from your starting position. Instead of a crazy power-hungry dictator's hordes of bratwurst-eating soldiers sitting on the other side border, you now have a crazy power-hungry dictator's hordes of vodka-drinking soldiers sitting on the other side of the border. Shame it's still pretty close to your borders.

I wonder whether AI Stalin will go nuts and decide he might as well conquer the rest of Europe. If he doesn't, you MUST follow Napoleon's footsteps

 

[Myth]

That was quite nice of the Soviets! That said, you know what their price will be. The entirety of Europe that they've taken on their own and maybe a bit more...

 

[Lys91]

I edited all my post and rewrite it a better way. As it's my first AAR, I'm not a native English speaker it's clearly not well write. If some of you want to give me some feed back and give me advice to improve my future report, I will be glade to read them.

 

[Myth]

I think you're doing just fine. People find their own style of writing, all they need to do is write--you'll find what you're comfortable with in time. As for grammar and all that, practicing is the best way to learn. Don't worry about it, just have fun!

 

[Lordban]

I will second Myth on that one. Still, if you absolutely insist on making sure you're posting in better English, you can always try to find a beta-reader (someone who will proof-read your text before you add your posts to the AAR).

Also, you only turned this game into an AAR pretty late. Should you write another one, it will be a lot easier since you'll have known from the beginning that you wanted to write an AAR. You'll have chosen a style for it and taken screenshots/notes/material for it, and improvements will only be made easier