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The Italian breakout attack failed at 1500hr on 2 November and the last Italians in the pocket surrendered at 2000hr. A total of just over 19,000 Italian troops were killed or captured in that pocket.
Meanwhile, on the morning of the 6th it was clear that Polish units could start to be pulled back for redeployment. Five divisions were sent back to Algiers, to also let them escape the severe attrition they were suffering in the Algerian mountains.
President Mościcki, his Cabinet and High Command met to decide their course: the current KPA would be sent to the east to assist their Allies, while the bulk of the Army remained at home to ready themselves to defend the homeland.
Then on 19 December, another diplomatic surprise was sprung, with Bulgaria joining the Fascists of The Asian League! Once more, Yugoslavia would be at the forefront of combat in Europe.
When they arrived in Baluchistan early on 24 December, the next three were sent further east towards Bengal: the supply situation in western Sinkiang looked poor enough already, even before the five new Polish divisions reached it.
I suspect you may have difficulty finding anywhere in the Chinese theatre where supply isn't going to be a major issue. Grinding out a result here might prove painful.
The two-side Bulgarian Front seemed to be in stalemate after the first days of that new ‘side-war’. The Germans were providing considerable assistance to their Yugoslavian allies – a promising indicator should Poland ever be threatened by its far bigger eastern neighbour.
It doesn't look like the Bulgarians have enough divisions, whereas the Yugoslavs and the Germans appear to have the situation fairly well contained already - and that's before the Poles even turn up!
All: after a busy week at our veterans national cricket championships, I’ve come back with guess what … my first case of COVID-19 Have been feeling ill the last few days, though nothing serious yet. This is likely to delay my more active return to the boards further. Ah well. Not a good second half of the year.
All: after a busy week at our veterans national cricket championships, I’ve come back with guess what … my first case of COVID-19 Have been feeling ill the last few days, though nothing serious yet. This is likely to delay my more active return to the boards further. Ah well. Not a good second half of the year.
All: after a busy week at our veterans national cricket championships, I’ve come back with guess what … my first case of COVID-19 Have been feeling ill the last few days, though nothing serious yet. This is likely to delay my more active return to the boards further. Ah well. Not a good second half of the year.
In day three of COVID but not feeling too bad (perhaps that's the four vaccination shots I've had doing their trick), so I'm returning to the fray! Helps pass an otherwise boring isolation.
Well, at least Bulgaria declaring ends the final hole in a unifed European front against the Soviets (presuming Hungary was dealt with? I can't remember). Defeat them and the whole continent is on the same side.
Hungary remains neutral and non-aligned for now. There's a run through at the end of the next chapter of the political standing of Poland's non-factional near neighbours.
Italy down and out at least frees up a ton of French and British troops to go east, and the entire navy and airforce of the allies to ditch the west althother and converge on Japan.
To a certain extent, yes, but these little brush fires such as Bulgarian have a habit of breaking out. And if the USR enters against the Allies, then it will be more a huge forest fire!
Generally pretty good, mainly keeping pace with steady new unit raising (I usually have three divisions training at any one time) and battlefield replacements and upgrades. Artillery is the main shortage.
Well, they may have brought about their own downfall this time. Yugoslavia has become a bit of a power house in this ATL and had plenty of useful Allies to help them out. Not least Poland.
I suspect you may have difficulty finding anywhere in the Chinese theatre where supply isn't going to be a major issue. Grinding out a result here might prove painful.
It doesn't look like the Bulgarians have enough divisions, whereas the Yugoslavs and the Germans appear to have the situation fairly well contained already - and that's before the Poles even turn up!
Thanks all. Seems to be a bit better today but will wait to see if it stays that way. The next session has been played and the new chapter should be up soon.
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Chapter Nineteen – A Tale of Two Fronts (January - February 1942)
Chapter Nineteen – A Tale of Two Fronts (January - February 1942)
Polish troops head to the Bulgarian Front, January 1942.
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January 1942 – Europe
Estonia became the latest isolated European Fascist country to join the Asian League on 3 January 1942. They were lucky to have no hostile neighbours – yet.
The Battle of Moscow ended in strategic Soviet victory on 7 January. Joseph Stalin ordered a general offensive along the entire front, over his generals' recommendations that he concentrate his forces.
By 13 January the Polish expeditionary force to Bulgaria had arrived in Nis (after rail transport was restored) and had begun reorganising after their redeployment.
Less than a week later, the troops began moving into staging locations for a planned offensive to take the Bulgarian capital of Sofia.
On 21 January a new round of US lend lease support equipment began; it would last for a month. Additional offers were accepted five days later from the Netherlands and New Zealand.
The Polish participation in the Bulgarian Campaign began with two battles launched on the evening of 23 January, both reinforcing existing Yugoslav attacks and improving their odds significantly.
The attack on Vidin would take until the 27th to complete, but the battle to its south was won two days earlier.
The next phase of the offensive saw the drive on Sofia extended when the 49th ‘Heavy’ DP in Leskovac reinforced a Yugoslav attack to secure its southern approaches.
A new Polish national focus would see Galician industry modernised after segregated seating was abolished in educational settings, thus further boosting national stability.
In Bulgaria, the next phase of the advance on Sofia began the same day.
The victory was won north of Sofia by the morning of the 29th and a Bulgarian counter-attack repelled the following evening, allowing the Battle of Sofia to begin.
The fight would be won and Sofia occupied by the morning of 3 February, significantly denting Bulgarian morale.
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January 1942 – Asia
On 2 January Japanese forces entered Manila.
The campaign in Sinkiang also began in January as the Polish expeditionary force came to grips with its Fascist opponents. On 5 January, the Poles reinforced an existing Allied attack in Yarkand, greatly improving the odds and finally emerging victorious on 8 January after inflicting heavy casualties.
Japanese troops landed at Brunei Bay in British Borneo on 6 January.
By the morning of 7 January, the rest of the Polish forces in Sinkiang began to spread out along the front.
But as had been feared, the three Polish divisions sent to the border with China in north-east India were unable to find a way through the mountains and had to re-board the trains on 7 January to skirt around Tibet and join the rest of the Polish forces in Sinkiang.
The river bend in Yarkang was secured by 2 DP on 10 January and an enemy counter-attacked began, which would be bloodily repulsed by the 13th after the rest of the advancing Allied troops arrived to support 2 DP.
By 12 January, Nationalist China was still in trouble but holding steady (at 91% surrender progress).
The slow grind forward in Yarkand continued with another successful attack from 15-17 January.
A follow-up attack to the north was begun on 20 January, but would make little progress and be halted six days later.
Early on the 21st, the three new divisions would arrive from India and were sent to the front at Hotan. New advances were begun in the Taklamakan region, one into open territory and another an attack that had succeeded by the following day.
But the northern Taklamakan advance would encounter opposition on the morning of the 22nd. With little progress being made, the attack was abandoned four days later.
The New Guinea Campaign began with the start of the Battle of Rabaul on 23 January.
31 January saw the Malayan Campaign end in a Japanese victory.
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February 1942 – Europe
With Sofia taken, Polish and other Allied forces pushed forward steadily in February. A hard-fought victory to advance south-east from Sofia was won on 4 February (966 Polish, 1,090 Bulgarian casualties) then east of Sofia and the plains north of the important centre of Plovdiv on 6 February. The latter was occupied and then held against a Bulgarian counter-attack on the 9th.
This set the stage for a major attack on Plovdiv, fought against heavy resistance from 12-14 February, with heavy casualties on both sides.
The next centre taken was Pleven after a sharp fight on the 13th (442 Allied, 907 Bulgarian casualties) and held after a determined counter-attack on the 14th (111 Allied, 445 Bulgarian casualties), bringing Bulgarian capitulation progress to 74%. Their many smaller VP centres made it necessary to keep pushing east into the interior.
The next major Polish action came at Haskovo in support of a Yugoslav assault, a tough fight over four days won on the 19th.
But the Bulgarian War hit another crucial watershed point the next day, when reports came in that Dutch-led Allied landings had taken place on the Black Sea coast around Burgas. Bulgarian resistance had begun to collapse.
Though they were still putting up a fight in the central sector of Moesia, where an Allied attack had to be abandoned with heavy casualties on the 22nd.
Back home, more lend lease offers came in for artillery, as new Polish divisions were deployed and others began training. Domestic artillery production was also increased, but would take time to reach maximum efficiency.
Late on the 24th, Sliven was taken after a tough fight: this would prove enough to send the Bulgarians to the negotiating table.
On 24 February German Ambassador to Turkey Franz von Papen survived an assassination attempt in Ankara when a Macedonian student fired a gun that missed and then accidentally blew himself up with a bomb that exploded before he could throw it. Later it was determined that the Soviets had supported the attempt on von Papen's life.
Bulgaria’s folly was over by 25 February: their attack on Yugoslavia had seen the Fascist regime defeated and the whole country submitted to Yugoslav occupation.
The Polish EF was soon loading on the trains for the return trip to Warsaw, where a victory parade would no doubt be held.
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February 1942 – Asia and Summaries
Fighting in Sinkiang this month was far less intense than in January, as the Allies pushed up to the natural river lines that formed the best enemy defence of the approaches to the Fascist capital of Urumqi and had to cope with supply shortages.
The main Polish action was in the south, in the Taklamakan region. On 10 February, two attacks commenced. One, to the east, would succeed eight days later, while the other would take almost until the end of the month to win.
The Battle of Singapore ended in a decisive Japanese victory on 15 February. The Japanese occupation of Singapore began.
The eastern province in Taklamakan was held after an enemy counter-attack was defeated on the 27th, while the battle to its west was reaching its final stages.
By the end of the month, the river line south of Urumqi had largely been secured, as the Poles attempted to use their expeditionary force to knock Dictatorial Sinkiang out of the war and thus indirectly assist the beleaguered Chinese, who still held on.
In Indochina, the French were still gradually losing ground, but had eliminated the Japanese amphibious landing south of Saigon made in December 1941.
In the Balkans, the aggression of others had led to the creation of a ‘Greater Yugoslavia’, as the Polish EF made its way back to the homeland.
And given the periodic defection of central European countries to enemy factions, a survey was made of the five nearby ‘uncommitted’ countries on or near Poland’s borders. Lithuania was already a direct ally of Poland and a member of the Allied faction.
A mixture of democratic and non-aligned governments held sway in Latvia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Austria. However, some had significant Fascist party presence and might later pose a threat. Romania’s opinion of Poland remained high following recent diplomatic activity.
In summary, February 1942 ended with one of the new Polish expeditionary fronts already wound up and progress on the other. But the long grind to try to rescue China from Fascist and Communist conquest continued. As did both Trotsky’s waiting game and US isolationism.
A mixture of democratic and non-aligned governments held sway in Latvia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary Romania and Austria. However, some had significant Fascist party presence and might later pose a threat. Romania’s opinion of Poland remained high following recent diplomatic activity.
If you get enough intelligence on other countries, you can see which ideology branch they've gone down in the focus tree. I can't remember if Poland has done any research into espionage or decryption.
It might also be useful to see which focuses Trotsky has completed/is doing.
Bulgaria’s folly was over by 25 February: their attack on Yugoslavia had seen the Fascist regime defeated and the whole country submitted to Yugoslav occupation.
A mixture of democratic and non-aligned governments held sway in Latvia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary Romania and Austria. However, some had significant Fascist party presence and might later pose a threat. Romania’s opinion of Poland remained high following recent diplomatic activity.
Lithuania is already a direct ally of Poland and a member of the Allied faction. I've added an additional sentence to the chapter to make specific note of this.
But they would not be fighting alone. Poland’s reserve in Warsaw, consisting of one ‘heavy’ infantry division, five standard ones and a cavalry division were despatched by the roundabout route to rally near the Bulgarian border, near Nis.
I read that as Vapid Estonia initially, which I believe is a freudian misread. I also thought Artur Sirk was looking a bit rough, but then I found out he died in 1937 from falling / being pushed out of a hotel window, the hotel being in Luxembourg because he was in exile there. Why you would chose to be in exile in Luxembourg, of all places, I dread to think. However on that basis he is looking pretty good for a long dead corpse.
There is absolutely no way this will go catastrophically wrong later.
Anyway all caught up. Excellent work in North Africa, though frustrating that Mussolini somehow escaped to become a ghost government. Very efficient from all involved in Bulgaria, the Dutch amphibious landing was probably the last thing Bulgaria was expecting . And finally a solid start to the hard grind in the Far East, hopefully the small force of human lead Poles can tip the balance there.
Good work with Italy, Bulgaria. Long-Term Greater Yugo is a ticking time bomb. It seems to be a wait for the hibernating bear and the nesting eagle to awaken before the real wars commence. For all that is precious and @El Pip, can someone rescue America from the evil that is WWilkie. Thank you for braving Mussolini and CoVid to entertain us.
Time for some comment feedback, as the next chapter will soon be put up - nothing much else to do. Just finished the short COVID iso, feeling much better, but have had to cancel two games of cricket this weekend 'out of an abundance of caution' (and because I'm not at all sure of my fitness levels yet, given it started on last Sunday).
If you get enough intelligence on other countries, you can see which ideology branch they've gone down in the focus tree. I can't remember if Poland has done any research into espionage or decryption.
I'm not sure how much intel is in this version of the game - the DLC I have so far doesn't have the new intel stuff that came in a while back. I'll probably update after I finish this game (my first serious one of HOI4). I didn't want to invest in the rest until I'd decided I wanted to persist with it - I'll probably wait till the next big sale after I wrap this game up to get the rest.
I read that as Vapid Estonia initially, which I believe is a freudian misread. I also thought Artur Sirk was looking a bit rough, but then I found out he died in 1937 from falling / being pushed out of a hotel window, the hotel being in Luxembourg because he was in exile there. Why you would chose to be in exile in Luxembourg, of all places, I dread to think. However on that basis he is looking pretty good for a long dead corpse.
I did exactly the same and came very close to using it in the update. But I'm trying to keep them mean and lean, so refrained - with regret. At least, for Paradox, for people that die after game start in 1936 I am willing to excuse such zombieness, as in an ATL they may have lived. In this case, avoiding defenestration in Luxembourg by being vapid in Estonia instead. Though how long he will be safe there remains an open question. He should perhaps avoid getting to close to upper storey windows!
Some of these stockpiles have very many different models. I wonder if the game logistically penalises armies actively fielding multiple equipment types. Probably not, and I wouldn't expect that much, to be fair.
Anyway all caught up. Excellent work in North Africa, though frustrating that Mussolini somehow escaped to become a ghost government. Very efficient from all involved in Bulgaria, the Dutch amphibious landing was probably the last thing Bulgaria was expecting . And finally a solid start to the hard grind in the Far East, hopefully the small force of human lead Poles can tip the balance there.
Good work with Italy, Bulgaria. Long-Term Greater Yugo is a ticking time bomb. It seems to be a wait for the hibernating bear and the nesting eagle to awaken before the real wars commence.
Agree. Until one or both of the two bid neutrals get involved, this will remain very far from being a world war. I'd expected a little more guts and glory that we've had so far, after the initial flurry. But we will roll with the punches and at least Poland has had an array of different campaigns to be a part of in quite varied locations, terrains and situations.
For all that is precious and @El Pip, can someone rescue America from the evil that is WWilkie. Thank you for braving Mussolini and CoVid to entertain us.
Chapter Twenty – Mountain Mist, Fog of War (March - May 1942)
Local Turkic Uyghur conscripts fighting for the Kuomintang in Sinkiang, 1942.
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The primary Polish focus would be on Asia in general and Sinkiang in particular over the three months from March to May 1942. The pace of fighting in this difficult and poorly supplied terrain was slower than it had been in Bulgaria. This ‘tunnel vision’, and poor Allied communications, would hide developments elsewhere until Warsaw discovered them ‘by accident’ as the period was drawing to a close. NB: this time we squeeze in three months of gameplay. Bargain!
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Asia-Pacific - March 1942
As March 1942 started, the last corps of four divisions transferred from North Africa approaching the western border of the Raj. They would be sent to join their 4th Army comrades in Sinkiang to form the Chińskie Siły Ekspedycyjne (CSE – China Expeditionary Force).
At this time, the Allies were fighting the Japanese Communists to hold onto their last toehold in Dutch-owned northern Sulawesi.
Allied backs were also to the wall in Indochina, as a Fascist Kwantung offensive pushed down the east bank of the Mekong, threatening Saigon and also the west bank defence north of Phnom Penh.
On 5 March Japanese forces entered Batavia, the capital of the Dutch East Indies. By 9 March The Dutch East Indies campaign had ended in a Japanese victory.
No serious fighting took place on the Sinkiang Front for the first nine days of March, as the CSE waited for their last colleagues redeploying from Africa to join them and (in vain) for resupply.
US General Douglas MacArthur arrived in Australia from the Philippines on 17 March and was appointed commander of the combined Allied forces in the southwest Pacific.
This malaise continued for most of the month as China still hung on, yielding marginal losses in the last four weeks (surrender progress up to 92% by 24 March).
This quiet was broken on the evening of 28 March, with two Allied attacks launched that evening. The Poles added 5 DP to the German bid to force a river crossing south of Urumqi.
By 0400hr on the 30th 5 DP had not yet reinforced the front line when the enemy defence folded, with 6 and 7 DP added to the advance into the now vacant bridgehead.
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Asia-Pacific - April 1942
The Sinkiang Fascists tried to plus the gap, with the three German and three Polish divisions encountering a disorganised 20 Xin’jiang Juntuán on the early afternoon of 1 April. They had been sent packing by 2200hr that night after a brief fire-fight.
But six days later the bridgehead had still not been secured as yet another – and this time better prepared – Sinkiang blocking force arrived and was engaged. To the east, the Chinese had managed to force back the enemy to occupy the bow in the river and were now trying to hold it against a counter-attack.
Overall poor supply, attrition and difficult terrain still hampered Allied operations all across the front line. Most Polish division had no supply, were heavily disorganised and had their strength being eaten away by attrition and combat losses.
The KBK cavalry division was the first of the new formations to arrive by train on the 8th in the province behind the front line. They would take another 11 days to move up to the river and there were high hoped these latest reinforcements could help break through, as the KBK still retained fair supply (59%) and organisation (46/57).
As it happened, the German-Polish breakthrough to the northern bank was finally secured on the morning of 10 April. They were counter-attacked soon after, beating that back with heavy casualties after two days of further fighting, but not before the exhausted 7 DP had broken and retreated back across the river.
The eyes were now on the prize of the Sinkiang capital of Urumqi, whose capture it was hoped might force the surrender of the Fascists and provide a measure of relief to the beleaguered Chinese, with Xibei San Ma the next target to its east. 5 DP, though in poor condition, made a dash north to see if it could secure the south-west approach to Urumqi while more troops were fed into the bridgehead.
By mid-month, the Allies were holding on in China and Indochina as the grinding advance in the high country of Sinkiang continued.
The Doolittle Raid was conducted by U.S. warplanes on the Japanese capital of Tokyo on 18 April. Although little damage was done it provided an important boost to American morale.
5 DP took its objective without a fight on the morning of the 20th and pressed on to the the-unoccupied Urumqi, despite their total lack of organisation, supply and having only half their establishment fit to fight … if only they could sneak in to seize the enemy capital. A large part of the rest of the CSE was being funnelled into the breakthrough, but it would take time to traverse the hard country.
Then as hope kindled, Allied morale soared with word of a falling out between their two bitter enemies, who in turn had no love for each other. Communist China declared war on the Fascists in Xibei San Ma on the morning of 21 April, pitting Mao’s Mutual Assistance Bloc against The Asian League, led by the Manchurian Fascists of Kwantung.
The joining of Japan into that conflict and reports of fighting by Communist China on three fronts warmed the hearts of the Allied command. A three-way war now raged in the heart of Asia. Though Sinkiang, Yunnan and Guangxi so far remained neutral in that conflict.
In Sinkiang, Allied hopes of a quick rush into Urumqi were thwarted when 5 DP came under a holding attack early on 22 April, delaying their thrust on the capital as they tried to hold off a far more organised and supplied enemy.
Another dampener came on the morning of the 23rd, when Japan hastily concluded a separate peace with Kwantung in the Treaty of Hsinking. Reports soon came of many ceasefires in the north and south of Communist China (where Japanese troops must have been doing the fighting), but battles continued against Xibei San Ma and in the south-west. What Mao made of this turn of events could only be guessed at!
The day became even more disappointing when 5 DP broke just before midnight, unable to sustain their defense despite holding the better ground. 6 DP had been sent north to support them so now raced the enemy to see who could secure the key position first.
But 6 DP and the German 36th Infanterie won the footrace, arriving to an encounter battle on the evening of the 28th which they won decisively two days later, forcing the enemy attackers back with heavy casualties, bringing a dramatic month in Asia to an end.
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Asia-Pacific - May 1942
The pace would slow again somewhat in May, though not from want of trying. 6 DP started a new dash to Urumqi, still undefended, early on 1 May. But on 3 May the enemy slipped in a weak but adequately supplied division; it was too much for 6 DP to overcome alone, so they broke their attack off after two days, before total exhaustion overcame them.
The Philippines Campaign ended in decisive Japanese victory on 8 May.
On 9 May, 6 DP was joined by 7 DP to attack north instead, trying to dislodge the enemy defending the western approaches to Urumqi and thus hoping to open up another direction for an attack on the capital. But the defenders were persistent, so on the 11th the (returned) 5 DP and recently arrived KBK were thrown into the attack as well.
But it was not enough, the attack finally abandoned on the night of the 16th.
On 22 May Mexico declared war on Germany, Italy and Japan.
Six days later, a fresh attempt was made to force the pace. Four (slightly) fresher, more recently arrived divisions launched a new attack on Urumqi, while the rest renewed the advance to the north, which the enemy had vacated.
But once again numbers were not enough. After five days of hard fighting, the Poles once more had to break off. The last hurdle in Sinkiang was proving very hard to clear.
More widely, it seemed that by 28 May Chinese Communist forces had been diverted to fights along the border with Mengukuo in the north and the Kwantung-held line in the south, north of the Guangxi border. This at least was good news for the Nationalist and their allies.
The three Polish divisions took the vacant province due west of Urumqi on the morning of 29 May, but the troops were in a dire state. But it seemed the Chinese were better provided for, managing to expand the bridgehead in the south on the evening of the 30th.
In the Pacific, the British reported on 30 May they were on the cusp of victory in their amphibious assault on Truk, held by Kwantung.
As the month ended Indochina held on.
As did the little Dutch enclave in northern Sulawesi, against the Japanese, who had made no further progress in three months.
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The Home Front – March-May 1942
Polish land doctrine advanced again in mid-March, benefitting from recent hard-earned battlefield experience.
Germany cancelled its lend-lease program on 27 March, but the Netherlands and New Zealand (25 and 24 support equipment since 26 January respectively) had made deliveries and continued their contributions. So too did Australia (69 x 25pdr artillery since 24 February). At that time, civil construction was again concentrating on improving the rail network in eastern Poland.
A new national focus was achieved on 7 April, boosting industry in Galicia. Central Poland would be improved next, then Upper Silesia with the aim of more investment in the east after that.
Small-scale production of the Jastrząb fighter was resumed a week later to replace accumulated losses in exercising (five more airframes were needed). And the development of new Polish medium tank models continued. The 10TP would not be produced commercially but was to be used as a test bed for the more advanced 14TP.
And with the latest round of railway upgrades almost complete, the two radar stations in eastern Poland would be the next construction project.
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Europe and the Rest of the World – March-May 1942
As the Polish expeditionary force passed in mid-March through northern Italy, back from Bulgaria to Warsaw via France and Germany, all seemed well.
But at some point probably between 22-26 April, Mussolini had his revenge, staging an uprising that seemed to effortlessly liberate all the French-occupied parts of the peninsula, Sardinia and Sicily!
When I got the cryptic note on 22 April about Free India having been invited by Italy in a ‘Chinese-Italian War’ I had a good look around India to see if I could find it, but saw no trace. I either didn’t look in Europe again or if I did, saw nothing amiss. Preoccupied with the Far East and Sinkiang in particular, I simply hadn’t noticed what must have been going on.
It actually wasn’t until the end of May that I did, to my consternation discovering the Italians risen from the grave and heavy fighting in northern Italy. The 1 April autosave had been lost by then, my last general one back on 15 March. I did have a 1 May save, so mined that to see what the situation was then, plus checking the war tension screen to discover those indicators that the two other exiled governments of Mexico and Greece had also joined in. And also that the French had led a naval invasion of Estonia! So what follows is a reconstruction from them.
At the same time, reports filtered in from Paris that they had led an amphibious invasion of Estonia the week before, seizing the port of Narva and fanning out inland. They had five divisions ashore, with one German division in support and by 1 May were rapidly closing in on Tallinn.
On 29 May, the UK announced Liberia had joined the Allies and two days later the war. Belgium also joined the Allies that day: they may prove handy in northern Italy.
Speaking of which, as the month ended the Allies had amassed sufficient troops to start clawing their way back in the north and launching an amphibious attack in the north of Sardinia.
Milan had been retaken, ten Italian divisions cut off along the border with Switzerland as a mainly Franco-German Allied army pressed the attack once more over familiar ground. The Yugoslavian Army was also cooperating in the Second Italian Campaign.
Poland would now need to decide whether the recently returned expeditionary force in Warsaw would be sent back south for this latest venture.
In Estonia resistance was wilting and it should not be long before the latest foolish Fascist regime was vanquished.
Good old Paradox, what they give with one hand, they snatch back with the other. So while the AI has finally got the hang of amphibious operations, the punishment is Magic Mussolini and his ability to reclaim an entire country for no reason at all.
Joint German-Polish operations still give me a surprise everytime, but they do appear to be doing the job. As does Slim, master of the jungle amphibious warfare. He is nothing if not flexible.
Another dampener came on the morning of the 23rd, when Japan hastily concluded a separate peace with Kwantung in the Treaty of Hsinking. Reports soon came of many ceasefires in the north and south of Communist China (where Japanese troops must have been doing the fighting), but battles continued against Xibei San Ma and in the south-west. What Mao made of this turn of events could only be guessed at!
Mao is far from the only one confused by this. Though I have to say a draw between the Communist Japanese and the Fascist Japanese seems the worst outcome, the best out come obviously being they both lose.
Overall poor supply, attrition and difficult terrain still hampered Allied operations all across the front line. Most Polish division had no supply, were heavily disorganised and had their strength being eaten away by attrition and combat losses.
5 DP took its objective with a fight on the morning of the 20th and pressed on to the the-unoccupied Urumqi, despite their total lack of organisation, supply and having only half their establishment fit to fight … if only they could sneak in to seize the enemy capital.
Communist China declared war on the Fascists in Xibei San Ma on the morning of 21 April, pitting Mao’s Mutual Assistance Bloc against The Asian League, led by the Manchurian Fascists of Kwantung.
On 9 May, 6 DP was joined by 7 DP to attack north instead, trying to dislodge the enemy defending the western approaches to Urumqi and thus hoping to open up another direction for an attack on the capital. But the defenders were persistent, so on the 11th the (returned) 5 DP and recently arrived KBK were thrown into the attack as well.
But it was not enough, the attack finally abandoned on the night of the 16th.
I can't help noticing that 5DP, 6DP and 7DP have now suffered huge losses of men and material. Can divisions be destroyed in this way in HOI4 if they lose all their strength?
Six days later, a fresh attempt was made to force the pace. Four (slightly) fresher, more recently arrived divisions launched a new attack on Urumqi, while the rest renewed the advance to the north, which the enemy had vacated.
But once again numbers were not enough. After five days of hard fighting, the Poles once more had to break off. The last hurdle in Sinkiang was proving very hard to clear.
But at some point probably between 22-26 April, Mussolini had his revenge, staging an uprising that seemed to effortlessly liberate all the French-occupied parts of the peninsula, Sardinia and Sicily!
At the same time, reports filtered in from Paris that they had led an amphibious invasion of Estonia the week before, seizing the port of Narva and fanning out inland. They had five divisions ashore, with one German division in support and by 1 May were rapidly closing in on Tallinn.
Milan had been retaken, ten Italian divisions cut off along the border with Switzerland as a mainly Franco-German Allied army pressed the attack once more over familiar ground. The Yugoslavian Army was also cooperating in the Second Italian Campaign.
The one thing I was counting on was that Mussolini didn't have an army, but no, it seems he has not only liberated Italy somewhat miraculously, but he has also deployed 20+ fresh divisions! Paradox!
Good old Paradox, what they give with one hand, they snatch back with the other. So while the AI has finally got the hang of amphibious operations, the punishment is Magic Mussolini and his ability to reclaim an entire country for no reason at all.
Mussolini this time (like an infestation of black mould you can never seem to completely eradicate from your drain), it’s happened before in Iran/Iraq too. I suppose that is common to HOI4.
Joint German-Polish operations still give me a surprise everytime, but they do appear to be doing the job. As does Slim, master of the jungle amphibious warfare. He is nothing if not flexible.
Germany are like the eager dachshund in this story: eagerly sending their troops off all around the world to snuffle out enemies and faithfully support their allies! Slim? A man a with a … complicated and debated … past. Which I will not partake of. But his wartime exploits are beyond such debate.
Mao is far from the only one confused by this. Though I have to say a draw between the Communist Japanese and the Fascist Japanese seems the worst outcome, the best out come obviously being they both lose.
Yes, we’d rather they went at each other, both on general principles and to better relieve the precarious China front, where millions of Allied troops have perished by now. With Poland now adding its little tributary to this river of blood.
Well, if it brought in the USR against the Fascists that would be good, I guess. However, if the complicated situation also triggered an Allied-Soviet war, well… at least it would liven up the story!
Broadly, yes, but it seems to be partly localised too, with only a selection of either faction fighting each other. I’m kind of reading it as one of those internal Chinese things where Mao wanted to start throwing his increased weight around to do more forcible unifying.
I can't help noticing that 5DP, 6DP and 7DP have now suffered huge losses of men and material. Can divisions be destroyed in this way in HOI4 if they lose all their strength?
Yes, I think most of the CSE now needs to be pulled back behind the lines for R&R, in a decently supplied area. Most of them are spent and of little use for now. The lure of Urumqi was tempting, but proved like an oasis just out of the reach of a man dying of thirst. I think we may have to trust the next phase of that fight largely to others for a while.
No peace, as seen later. Just some implausible game mechanics! I thought there should at least have been some chaotic fighting on the ground with the garrison (if there was, which I doubt, I missed it).
The one thing I was counting on was that Mussolini didn't have an army, but no, it seems he has not only liberated Italy somewhat miraculously, but he has also deployed 20+ fresh divisions! Paradox!
It is a bit perplexing and a little irritating. I’m all for the game making it hard for would be blobbers (even other AI ones), but how many times might this happen again?
