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VERY GOOD!
a little suprised to see your attack into aden succeeding, guess those british wasnt paying too much attention huh?
a little suprised to see your attack into aden succeeding, guess those british wasnt paying too much attention huh?
Let us hope the Ottomans can keep this up, and Enver doesn't get tranferred to the Caucasus front 
Act II
~ Part II - The Best Laid Plans ~
~ Part II - The Best Laid Plans ~
Men, Men, Men and More Men, the Greatest Assest of any Nation, Yet the most Expendable, Manpower
The 2nd Major Council of War meet in the port of Sinope, as German and Turkish officers met, summoned from all corners of the conflict. Brainstorming began at once to solve the major issue of taking Kars. Liman von Sanders, frustrated by the failure of his Brummbar offensive, proposed an offensive via Trabzon, using the coast to aide in offshore bombardment and supply, and try and outflank Kars, by cutting off some of its railroads. However Kolmar von der Goltz pointed out simply more difficult terrain they'd be running into and sited the inability of the Ottoman navy to garuantee security against the Russian Black Sea fleet. Planning stalled for several days, till a political coup occured, Djavid Bey, diplomat working with many Persian nobles along the Ottoman border informed the Council that Prenk Pasha in the south and the Northern Persian nobles had agreed to allow Ottoman troops pass through there lands! This was recieved with jubilation, as it opened up an entire new frontline with Russia. Enver Pasha demanded immediately a mighty march to Baku through Persia, even reaching Afghanistan and rallying the nation to her side. Wilhelm von Knorr instead proposed a distraction offensive be launched into Baku, while a major effort be made at Kars, the best outcome being both the capture of Kars, Erevan and Baku, the worse capturing only Kars as Knorr reasoned. With strong Austrian offensives beginning, it was certain Russia would be unable to expend the required troops to sufficiently cover both Kars and Baku. Liman von Sanders and Djemal both agreed to this plan, and it was decided. Kolmar von der Goltz, with two armies in tow would lauch a distraction offensive towards Baku, while Enver Pasha and Liman von Sanders launched 4 Turkish Armies frontally. A small Ottoman Army with some militia support would cover Trabzon. The plan was set to begin in mid-May as the snows cleared.
The first reopening of offensives began in Oman, as Kemal pushed his four divisions from Aden into Oman, clashing with the remains of the british Light division, an Oman militia force and several battalion of British Regulars. Fighting was heavy in Oman, dragging on for two months, but the British steadily lost ground. Oman's militia force proving unrealiable, once again Kemal proved to be one of the most brilliant of the Ottoman commanders seen so far. Oman fell soon after Kemal's final offensives began, and he immediately moved onto Qatar-Bahrain and siezed it rapidly. Capturing over 20,000 British-Oman troops, and annexing Oman to Yemen, which then promptly formed an volunteer division for the Ottoman war effort. Kemal was met with praise across the Empire, and promoted to a full General by Enver Pasha. With the whole of the Arabian coast secure, the Arabian raiding nearly ceased, and greatly freed up many reserve formations to be sent to the Caucasus front. Kemal was made Commander-in-Chief Arabia and oversaw the administration of the new territories. But to the north, the Best Laid Plans were falling apart.
Wilhelm von Knorr's gambit, a wide-spread two pronged offensive to gain the majority of the Caucasus started off rough, as Von der Goltz's progress slowed due to rough terrain and poor maps through the northern regions of Persia. Russian forces remained completely unaware of Ottoman movements, at least until Von der Golt'z forward elements captured Baku. This sent a shock throughout the Russian High Command, as over 100,000 Ottomans began streaming through the mountains north like black ants. The Russians, responded, in their typical manner. As Von der Goltz's forces plodded north, they began meeting resistance, unbeknownst to Goltz, he was running right into over 10 Russian divisions with no more than 6 Ottoman formations. The offensive died about 50 miles north of Baku, as Russian forces began counter-attacking brutally. Von der Goltz made a skillfull fighting retreat, holding strategic mountain ridges bitterly for days and then dissapearing to the south, finally setting up a ring around Baku and the railroads south.
Things went bad to worse, as the offensive around Kars died, with over 10 Russian divisions hurling themselves at Mt. Ararat and Ottoman positions. A brutal mountain battle began, Ottoman troops suffering terrible artillery barrages. The dirt was turned red with blood, as Ottoman forces held their positions despite continous Russian assaults. Von der Goltz, came increasing under pressure in his semi-circle defense, as he began hemmed in slowly on all sides. A series of brutal mountain engagements broke out along the hills, particurily a ridgeline running along the railway. There, an Ottoman cavalry divsion, dismounted as infantry fought a bitter battle with 3 full Russian divisions. The initial Russian attacks overran the position, but the divisional commander, Hassan Pasha immediately counter-attacked and drove the Russians from the positions in hand to hand fighting. Kolmar von der Goltz funneled more men into the engagements over the railways, in the process nearly annhilating his two dismounted cavalry divisions, as they acted as firebrigades along the line. Finally after a month of bitter fighting, Von der Goltz retreated from his positions, leaving behind a 50 mile zone of churned mud and blood, and over 140,000 Russian dead, for no less than 60,000 Ottomans.
Ottoman Artillery outside Baku
The massacres around Baku paled in comparison to the bloodshed breaking out over Ardahan, as Enver Pasha attempted to relieve pressure off Von Sanders (holding Mount Ararat) and Von der Goltz. Enver, unlike his German comrades lacked operational skill, and consequently, funneled his two Armies into a massacre. Two major ridges run before Ardahan, shielding the city and its vital railways, and held by 5 Russian divisions. Attacking in echelon up the ridges, Ottoman troops at first gained many successes, sweeping over positions at the base of the ridges and gaining several critical strongpoints at the top of them. But Russian resistance stiffened and a Siberian division arrived from the Ukraine, the struggle was about to begin. Launching in a massive counter-attack spearheaded by the Siberians, Enver's troops were raked by artillery fire and then overran by hand to hand fighting. Enver sent up his reserve formations, and had his artillery fire nearly nearly all day and night, exhausting his ammunition rapidly. The weight of Ottoman arms forced the Russians back, gaining one of the ridges completely, but Enver Pasha rashly ordered his last reserves into the attack towards Ardahan. Enver blundered straight into Russian reserves, mauling his attacking divisions, the Russian counter-attacked up the ridge they had lost and retook most of it, the front stabilizing as both sides exhausted. Although Enver's artillery could harass the railways, the raillines were still open and Kars still held. Another 60,000 Ottomans were added to the coffins, and the losses for Knorr's Gambit rose to 200,000. The final bloody chapter in the struggle over the Caucasus came in Late August, when Russians, attempting to capitalize on their earlier successes attempted an offensive towards Trabzon, lasting only 4 days, the offensives died only 1,000 meters from where it started, losing 20,000 men in the process. Raked with artillery fire and attacking German engineered bunker buildings and machinegun strongpoints, the Russian wave charges fell as soon as they emerged. As summer passed to Fall, nothing had been gained despite nearly 220,000 Ottoman losses, and the exhausted formations clung to their positions against already replenished Russian divisions. All Offensive operations were called off, the 2nd Battle for Kars ended in the same fashion, in an orgy of flesh and slaughter unseen elsewhere in the war.
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Thanks for all your replies, I kinda speed typed the next update, so it might have some errors, if its unreadable, tell me and I'll edit it, sorry, but I've been short on time with school work the past few days.
Once again, thanks for the all the replies!
Once again, thanks for the all the replies!
Berlichingen said:Thanks for all your replies, I kinda speed typed the next update, so it might have some errors, if its unreadable, tell me and I'll edit it, sorry, but I've been short on time with school work the past few days.
Once again, thanks for the all the replies!
Very good update....
Makes me wish I had HOI so I could play the mod....
Sad to see so many Brave men die in the mountains...
The only funy bit was;
Berlichingen said:
but realy grate update anyway... KUTGW!!
Very nice update. You seem to have run into quit some hard resistance from the Russians there, it is sad to think of all them men died and nothing was gained from it. Still there is always next time?
Heh.. seems like Russians left Baku ungarrisoned, as always You could actually use Baku as a base for an encirclement of russian troops at Kars, and then for a major invasion of Russia. but that's way too ambitious
But on the other hand, you could leave very few divisions on Russian front, just enough to keep it from collapsing, and all the rest - send them for an amphibious invasion of Egypt! (Beware of Royal Navy, though)
Hmm, it appears the Caucasian front is no different from the European meat grinders. I hope it'll change soon!
Well, there is/was an event in TGW for Sweden to join the central powers...Vincent Julien said:
Four fronts? I count three- the main German/Austrian one, the Swedish one, and the Caucus. Are you counting the German/Austrian front as two seperate ones?
Just saw this and I'm quite impressed! Always good to have another AAR for company in the HOI1 forum. Good luck with the Ottomans, if there's any country that would be harder to play than Austria-Hungary it would be them.
Good luck with the Ottomans, if there's any country that would be harder to play than Austria-Hungary it would be them.
Tough times against Russia. An all out attack seems pointless so i would relieve the front and stage smaller operations elsewhere.
Egypt sounds nice....
Egypt sounds nice....