Kantai Kessen
(Decisive Battle)
(Decisive Battle)
Warning: this is a picture-intensive AAR!
Most of the pictures are click-able, so if you can't read the text then click on the picture to see a larger version.
Nation: Empire of Japan
Difficulty: Normal
Game Version: FtM 3.06b2
Mod: HPP 2.6.71a
Style: History Book
House Rules:
1) Manually control navy and special forces. Invasions will be handled manually until the entire command structure has been landed. Everything else will be under AI control at the army group level.
2) Any ships that are built must use components that match the historical models. Japanese ships were fast, powerful, but lacked armor. I'll replicate this for RP purposes unless the components are a little "off" in terms of year required to research them.
3) Don't escalate the Battles of Khalkhin Gol and instead leave it as a border skirmish if I win. If I lose them I'm at the mercy of the Soviet AI.
The outcome of the voting thread means my next AAR will be as Japan. Japan is a challenging nation to play, as it has to deal with sustaining large-scale overseas engagements and has to maintain naval superiority against the world's largest and 2nd largest navies. Since the AAR will be presented in the history book style, I'll first briefly go over the background material to set things up then dive into the game itself. Since the HPP mod includes events to model the inter-faction rivalry between the IJA and IJN, I'll be forced to roleplay a bit. As I did for my PRC AAR, I will link to online articles when discussing certain people, places, vehicles, or events for further reading if the reader is interested in learning more than what I present in this AAR.
NOTE!!! This AAR has moved to a new location. For chapters past #19 please go here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?p=12220400#post12220400
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction to Japanese History - 1894 to 1905
Chapter 2: Introduction to Japanese History - 1905 to 1936
Chapter 3: The State of the Empire of Japan - January 1, 1936
Prelude to War
Chapter 4: The 2-2-6 Incident - January 2, 1936 to June 7, 1936
Chapter 5: Preparing for War - June 8, 1936 to June 2, 1937
Chapter 6: Status Summary - July 2, 1937
The 2nd Sino-Japanese War Part 1
Chapter 7: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident - July 2, 1937 to August 2, 1937
Chapter 8: The Capture of Nanjing - August 3, 1937 to September 2, 1937
Chapter 9: The Fall of Shanxi - September 3, 1937 to November 2, 1937
Chapter 10: The 1937 Winter Offensive - November 3, 1937 to March 2, 1938
Chapter 11: The Invasion of Hainan - March 3, 1938 to April 2, 1938
Chapter 12: The Capture of Guangzhou - April 3, 1938 to May 2, 1938
Chapter 13: The Battles of Xi'an and Changsha - May 3, 1938 to July 8, 1938
Chapter 14: The Battle of Changde - July 9 to August 17, 1938
Chapter 15: Analysis of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War from July 2, 1937 to August 17, 1938
The 2nd Sino-Japanese War Part 2
Chapter 16: The Changkufeng Lake Incident / The War Escalates - August 27 to December 2, 1938
Chapter 17: The Battles of Yan'an - December 3, 1938 to June 2, 1939
Chapter 18: The Xinjiang Campaign - June 3, 1939 to August 1, 1939
Chapter 19: The Battles of Khalkhin Gol - August 2 to September 15, 1939
Chapter 20: Fighting on The Roof of the World
Chapter 21: Analysis of the Wars in China and the Soviet Far East
Interbellum
Chapter 22: Interbellum
Chapter 23: Overview of the Empire of Japan
Chapter 24: The Co-Prosperity Sphere
The Phoney War
Chapter 25: Tensions in Europe
World War 2 - East Indies Campaign
Last edited: