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Damn those Canadians!
...
...
Wait, what?
 
Your comment about gambling is well taken! This whole AAR has been one long game of Texas Hold-'em to date. If the Allies were run by a human player none of this would have lasted but it clearly fails the Turing Test. KUTGW and remember the words of Ali: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!"
 
A lot of interesting developments here, I am really impressed by the large amount of territory you have been able to conquer with Portugal. It seems like Australia will soon follow and become part of your empire as well. It is kind of interesting that the AI isn’t able to send more naval forces around to stop you from sending your troops from one island and one country to the other, but for the sake of the story it is great. I wonder what people in Australia will think when they have to start speaking Portuguese!


Edit: My post number 5000, huzzah:D
 
:cool:Guess they really want a place in the sun! :cool:

Indeed! :) I've been to Canada, and it's beautiful, but can be quite bitter in winter, I'm sure.

Interesting developments. I'd still want an extra heavy cruiser for carib cover. Your condors are tied up in the south pacific. The Australians are sending all thier spare troops and fleet at you in Papua New Guinea. If they are to recover western australia and Perth - which I had assumed was relatively lacking in troops - troops will have to be drawn from other coastal cities allowing Portugal to ferry in troops as you did to take other coastal cities. I can certainly see why you went on to improve your refining capability.

The Italians are waiting for you to exhaust yourself against the defenders of Alexandria and then race you in.

Overall, you still have the initiative. Allied command of the seas has yet to result in a coherent strategy against Portugal.

Yes, as you'll see in the next update, probably, we have a couple of new heavy cruisers on the way. It'll be months before they're ready, though. Somehow I doubt the Australians have reduced their east-coast garrisons. There are one or two divisions against me at Port Moresby, but otherwise I see no huge influx of troops. I'll definitely be watching for an opportunity, but I'm not hopeful. It may be that Australia's AI does not have the confusion of multiple priorities to trick it into denuding its valuable target cities, like the UK and some others suffer from. On the subject of Italy.... :D

it certainly seems as if your steady gadfly/attrition model is really paying off ... & can recognies the problems of trying to remember what you were doing in-game a caleneder year back when trying to write up an AAR

The gadfly/attrition model! :) Not a bad description. Yes - your obsession with the USSR must keep you playing them all the time! And those aren't small battles, as I know from various playtesting. How can you stand it? ;)

Great strategy, a land attack on Perth can only come from Darwin in the north or Adelaide to the east and you have "canarys" on each route. The central deserts would be impassable. A seaborne landing is the only unknown and this wont happen while the Australian navy is active in New Guinea.

Thanks! I've been burned by sneaky enemies enough to have learned that this can help sometime (the "canaries"). I don't know that the central deserts are impassible, but they take longer, for sure. Honestly, I'm not sure how active the Australian Navy is in New Guinea anymore - I don't remember seeing them recently, except for their invasion, which I don't think is their whole force. I remain wary!

Damn those Canadians!
...
...
Wait, what?

:D Glad to have you on my side! ;)

Your comment about gambling is well taken! This whole AAR has been one long game of Texas Hold-'em to date. If the Allies were run by a human player none of this would have lasted but it clearly fails the Turing Test. KUTGW and remember the words of Ali: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!"

I didn't know you were Shi'a! :p Yeah, I've pretty much been gambling everything from the front. But that's what we aggressors do in war, yes? I agree -- a human player would have caught on. And the AI should be able to understand some of these principles, even if it doesn't "learn" from my exploits. Oh well.

Landing in Australia, making AI more insane?

Oh, I can just imagine. :)

A lot of interesting developments here, I am really impressed by the large amount of territory you have been able to conquer with Portugal. It seems like Australia will soon follow and become part of your empire as well. It is kind of interesting that the AI isn’t able to send more naval forces around to stop you from sending your troops from one island and one country to the other, but for the sake of the story it is great. I wonder what people in Australia will think when they have to start speaking Portuguese!


Edit: My post number 5000, huzzah:D

Yaay! :D What an honor, Lord E -- and congratulations to you. You added up quite a tally with your Norwegian AAR! And... now that I look at it, I was your last poster in Lillies of France, urging you to pick it up again, back in 2007 -- any hope of dusting off your magnificent writing credentials again? :)

Thanks again, everybody! I appreciate the time you've taken to read and comment.

I should have an update on this within the week. Locarno was just updated. Kriegsgefahr is up next (Friday? Saturday?). Onward!

Rensslaer
 
After you have taken out those couple of divisions, the Australians will have to take troops from somewhere. I rather doubt they can build troops faster than you can kill them.Eventually, they'll have to denude their garrisons to retake Port Moresby or take back an increasing amount of Australia that you're Perth forces are going to be taking.

2 heavy cruisers ought to make things hotter for the canadians. Why are you smiling about the Italians (It's no way to think about your allies!)?

What news on the Kuwait front?
 
Ha ! Those Aussies have no chance against you !

I hope you're right! I feel like it's S. Africa all over again, and even in retrospect, I can imagine all kinds of ways I could have lost everything there. :D

Wrong they have a chance it's just not very good. Great AAR by the way

Thanks, Thandros! And Welcome! I think you're right -- they can take me. On their own territory, at least. It's a big island to chew.

After you have taken out those couple of divisions, the Australians will have to take troops from somewhere. I rather doubt they can build troops faster than you can kill them.Eventually, they'll have to denude their garrisons to retake Port Moresby or take back an increasing amount of Australia that you're Perth forces are going to be taking.

2 heavy cruisers ought to make things hotter for the canadians. Why are you smiling about the Italians (It's no way to think about your allies!)?

What news on the Kuwait front?

Well, the heavy cruisers are a ways off yet. Somehow I think I might really, really need them by the time they're put into service! ;)

I'll probably cover Kuwait in the next update.

...which, by the way, is due this week! I'm super busy, but probably by Wednesday at the latest I'll have something to post.

Updated Kriegsgefahr last night...

Rensslaer
 
By the beginning of May, Portugal was two months away from launching her second Heavy Cruiser, NRP Figueira da Foz. Another subron was on the way also, and a third Heavy Cruiser which would be due for launching toward the end of 1942. Portugal was also struggling to try to create more Industry, making up for a tremendous deficit compared to her outward appearance of power. Less than 50 IC was available for production, and it was too little.

1May1942Production.jpg


Portugal was also still struggling to construct convoy freighters, enough to keep up with the continual sinkings along her far flung trade routes. Below is one of the most interesting screenshots I think I've ever taken, showing graphically the complicated net of trade routes which Portugal's empire now required. The apparent disorder is because the game engine shifts convoy routes to avoid areas where the enemy has been raiding shipping, and so each convoy ends up setting its own route in a way calculated to take it away from harm's way. Unfortunately, there is not much anyone can do at certain choke points, such as the Cape of Good Hope.

1May1942Trade.jpg


There was one other need which went unmet, besides cruisers and more small units to garrison the Empire. Portugal needed a division with mobility (like the Armored Cars which had proved so valuable), but which had the staying power to survive and surpass enemy units in open combat. Not having been able to develop her own, Portugal turned to Germany for her expertise in creating Motorized Infantry divisions.

1May1942Motorized.jpg


Any heavier units would take too long to build. Anything smaller would just duplicate capabilities Portugal already had. This would do fine.

By now, Portugal's cruiser was handling things in the Caribbean, which freed her fleet of FW-200 Condor long-range bombers for reconnaissance duty over the vast stretches of Australia. A series of overflights, from Port Moresby to Perth, showed that most Australian army units were still at the major cities and ports of the north and east, but a scattering of enemy units was making its way toward Perth to contain the Portuguese invasion.

6May1942ChitaRecon.jpg


Meanwhile, Portugal's army was completing a slow, comprehensive occupation of southwest Australia, making sure to secure each region before moving on, so they could present a solid front when those Australian divisions arrived.

Portuguese technology improved during this period. The naval design boards developed a Portuguese-native design for a Battlecruiser, which would be placed in production as soon as room was found in the yards. And Portuguese military units began to have a new, improved primary rifle introduced into service, and it was slowly distributed, as it became available. This would greatly improve our ability to inflict casualties upon the enemy.

24May1942WAustralia.jpg


Improvements in developing and recruiting manpower were made, too. Finding enough troops to fill the ranks, both for new units and replacements for casualties, was a constant struggle for Portugal.

Around the world, the big news was that the Italians and Greeks had turned the Turks back, over the spring months, and by the 1st of June, Istanbul threw in the towel.

1June1942Turkey.jpg


Turkey surrendered, and a new government was placed. New target cards were distributed to Portuguese aircraft so they would now no longer attack, but rather protect, Turkish shipping. This had the overall effect of redeeming Italian pride, as they could now claim (justly or not) to be on par with Portugal as a world power.

Canadian attempts to land in the Bahamas continued, just as Australian attempts to land near Port Moresby continued. It was interesting how the Dominions of the British Empire had overtaken their master country in relevance.

9June1942PtMoresby.jpg


The Portuguese defenders were holding their own, and no serious worry that Australia might succeed was yet entertained. Though, over time, this might change. Meanwhile, progress continued in taking the interior of New Guinea for Portugual, and isolating the Australian survivors more fully.

In Egypt, sniping along the perimeter of Alexandria continued, as, further south, the isolated British divisions were furthre corralled and starved.

27June1942Sinai.jpg


On July 1st, Figueira da Foz was launched. Many admirals argued that she should be sent to the Caribbean to settle things there. But another plan was foremost in the minds of the General Staff, which was (of course) dominated by Generals.

Another attempt was to be made to conquer Gibraltar. It was felt that if Hong Kong could be taken, so too could Gibraltar. The defenses were, theoretically, approximately equal.

7July1942Gibraltar.jpg


Two heavy cruisers (Vila Nova de Gaia having been brought in, suddenly, from the Caribbean) provided naval bombardment support. The Terrain modifiers, though, at "the Rock", were higher. And the likelihood of being chased away by British naval forces was infinitely greater.

Would this most recent invasion (the third) succeed?

Lastly, in case you've been wondering about the British Isles, so have I. There don't appear to be any major changes on that front.

22June1942England.jpg


The only exception, perhaps, is that the Royal Air Force seems to be very beleaguered, such that they almost don't matter any longer.
 
This installment shows Portugal as a little 'fish' swimming in very big waters. You deserve kudos for all of your hard work to date, but it does feel as if you are on the edge of a razor and about to experience its bad side.
 
Looking through my files, btw, it appears my first invasion of Gibraltar was Dec 1939, the second was Dec 1940 and it's been 1 1/2 years since then. So I guess I was overdue! :D

Rensslaer
 
you may still be a small fish ... but look how far your IC has come from the early days .. I mean 67 is pretty impressive

at least this time with Gib its unlikely the RN will intervene to upset your assault so you can always break off, regain org and start again later
 
Well things seem to be moving along nicely ^_^

Have you thought of invading the holy land? For a very catholic country like Portugal was at that time, it wouldn't be too unexpected :p
 
australia frowns upon a portugese invasion...
naa but seriously look up the australian states n such it will help your classification of occupied territorys. also it would help to look to the fact that the australian infantry are considered the best in the world (even by other armys) so saying that australia is a cake walk is not giving this story its true potential
 
Two heavy cruisers!? Simultaneous military actions against mainlaind Austrial and Gibraltar!? My, how Portugal has risen through the ranks! I'm impressed. Either I had missed your invasion of Australia, or I had forgotten about it (other things have occupied my time lately ;)), but it's a bold gamble. How many divisions did you land?

PS: As far as the battlecruiser development goes, wouldn't it make far more sense to license that design from the Germans as well? Or perhaps from the Italians? Theirs should be far more advanced than your first stab at it. <Pictures a Portuguese Invincible-style ship from WWI - and remembers how she fared during Jutland>
 
Interesting to see that you try to conquer Gibraltar again. It is a little strange that you have allowed for the enemy to keep hold of a strongpoint like that just next to your home land, but then again Gibraltar is a strong position so you really need a strong force to capture it. It seems like the fight will be very hard this time as well, and I am not sure that you will be able to win this battle, although you have stronger forces the British have a stronger position and that is very important as well…

Looking forward to see how this battle turns out :)