The only thing that should not be happening in HOI3 is Sweden and Switzerland mobilizing. Historically impossible and always very improbable. 
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Not that kind of PM, and not the French kind of PM (PM in French could mean Pistolet Mitrailleur: Sub machine gun, it could mean Prime Minister: Premier Ministre, as well). :rofl:
So the FARE is cleary proving to be a worthy opponent. I wonder how long it will take you to reach Gibraltar. I just hope that the British have no spare divisions to commit to help the Spaniards.
Definitely. Some kind of landing in La Coruna, perhaps ? Are there any decent ports on the north coast of Spain ? And/or an airborne assault ?
Those two border provinces seem like an awful bottleneck for supplies.
You should urgently task some of your transports to make some Air Supply drops on your frontline troops, based out of some well-supplied airfield.
Anyway, it's good to see another update, and I love the pics.
Cheers !
Yay, an update!
I've never campaigned in Spain so I dont know the territory well. How far back are their airfields? Capturing one would be oh so useful.
Some secretaries where I work were gossipping about one's brother who is in the U.S. Army, and I immediately thought of our clerk's vivacious (at least, so I picture her) girlfriend. Does that mean I've been spending too much time reading this AAR?
I've never campaigned in Spain so I dont know the territory well. How far back are their airfields? Capturing one would be oh so useful.
Some secretaries where I work were gossipping about one's brother who is in the U.S. Army, and I immediately thought of our clerk's vivacious (at least, so I picture her) girlfriend. Does that mean I've been spending too much time reading this AAR?
So what is your impression on Semper Fi so far? Is it better? Is worth buying? Is it faster?
Otherwise a solid update.
Otherwise a solid update.
at last an update! thankyou, the wolves around here where starting to growl at each other, with no combat to chew on. Slow going in the initial mt assault but i'm confidant that once you break through the border defenses and hit the central plateau, things will speed up. Perhaps once the Yugos have capitulated, the Mt troops can join where they are needed?
Hope you are healing well (running injury?) and hoping that means we (your readers) get a little more of your time.
Hope you are healing well (running injury?) and hoping that means we (your readers) get a little more of your time.
Nice update Uriah.
I assume after the Pyrenees are surmounted Spain will be dealt with rather quickly (Gibraltar might prove a little difficult again). However I have to wonder if the huge amount of land that you are "acquiring" will not force you to deploy too many troops to defend all those countries.
How does your defence strategy (especially in the west) looks like for the time when you will be dancing with the russian bear?
IIRC our beloved clerk was rather worried when the French attacked the Siegfried Line while your polish campaign. If a british expeditionary force lands in southern Spain while you fight for Kiev it might be too much for him.
I assume after the Pyrenees are surmounted Spain will be dealt with rather quickly (Gibraltar might prove a little difficult again). However I have to wonder if the huge amount of land that you are "acquiring" will not force you to deploy too many troops to defend all those countries.
How does your defence strategy (especially in the west) looks like for the time when you will be dancing with the russian bear?
IIRC our beloved clerk was rather worried when the French attacked the Siegfried Line while your polish campaign. If a british expeditionary force lands in southern Spain while you fight for Kiev it might be too much for him.
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The only thing that should not be happening in HOI3 is Sweden and Switzerland mobilizing. Historically impossible and always very improbable.
I thought they did mobilize at some point to show they were prepared to fight if needed?
The only thing that should not be happening in HOI3 is Sweden and Switzerland mobilizing. Historically impossible and always very improbable.
Not sure about Switzerland, but didn't Sweden have an agreement with Germany not to mobilise?
But perhpas it is all semantics: Switzerland was able to effectively mobilise in days, rather than the weeks required for a large country. And I seem to rememeber that Sweden has some system to get around a formal mobilisation proclamation.
In any event, Sweden did increase armaments spending drastically after 1939 (by about 10 times), started a "Home Guard" of some sort, and generlally did everything bar put a banner on the front page of the newspapers.
But I agree, Sweden would have done virtually anything to stay neutral, at least until it was clear that Germany was in no position to take any action against it.
And I think Switzerland was worth far more as a neutral than as a painfully acquired and expensive to garrison conquest.
It is more than a worthy opponent: it is damned annoying. I took 1,000 casualties from bombing in St Jean Pied de Port in just 3 days. As well as more than 50 aircraft and a lot of IC.
Not to mention my plan to airlift supplies to Bayonne has been put on hold until the Spanish I-15/I-16 swarm is dealth with.
Polynike and kigrwik: In a strategic sense I agree, and it was something I toyed with. Two issues, one big, one small.
The big issue is that I would need to get my transports to the right spot. They would have to be escorted so a large part of my expensive and difficult to replace Kriegsmarine would have to escort them (and provide Shore Bombardment). This fleet would either have to dash through the Channel or go around the UK.
My subs and aircraft tell me that the Channel and the Bay of Biscay are infested with Royal Navy (and now Spanish) warships. While these are apparently incapable of spotting subs, they have been effective at finding surface vessels.
I still remember how close the invasion of the Channel Islands came to disaster: one critical hit and I would have lost a transport and possibly a MAR division. The AI also seemed very keen to target transports rather than warships. Finally, I still don't have an ACC while the RN seems to have aleast 4 plus CVLs. My shore based fighters are having enough trouble handling the FARE.
Werighing up the risk/benefit, I don't think it is worth it. I could lose several irreplaceable ships, my transports and marines, and the gain is just to make my breakout a bit easier. (It's the accountant in me coming out).
The other reason, pretty minor, is that I have still not given up on hitting Norway. I am waiting for the weather to improve (anyone notice the thunderstorms in NE Spain?) and to make sure I don't need more men in Spain. If I do, I will need my marines and transports in the Baltic.
Airbases inSpain a re few and far between: La Coruna, Madrid and Tarragona are all a long way away. I had a base ready when for when France fell which I dropeed in Bayonee, and started expanding straight away, but it takes a fair while. I forgot to expand Bordeaux. (A mix up with the change over to 1.4).
I bleieve Gisela IS vivacious (the narrator has high standards). As for too much time reading: I bet it is a fraction of the time I spend writing it! What does that say about me?
Understandable, but every now and then it'll be good
You have lost me. What were we talking about?
I am the wrong person to ask. I buy every expansion, try every mod, every update. So I am not overly critical.
The best I can say is that I see SF as a big update rather than an expansion. I like a lot of the features, but none of them spell "new game" as, for instance, "Doomsday" did.
I think it is definitely better. It comprises a few things that look as though they were intended for the original game but were not ready. (A cynic would say held back for an expansion).
I am definitely not the person to ask about speed. For this AAR I play on the slowest speed with every message on "pause". Seems OK when I have "speed played" to see how it goes.
Sorry for the delay: sometimes I get on a writing roll, other times I lose a little interest. Just human I guess.
I have 4 Gebirgs divs in the Nordsee Army: just waiting to see about Norway. But there are only a few mountains before I am on the plains. That is why Rommel has tanks and motorised. I want to race to Gibraltar before the Brits can respond.
Thanks for the concern: having ficed my torn hamstring I have now sprained my ankle: let this be a warning to all! Stay at your computer and do not exercise!
Nice update Uriah.
I assume after the Pyrenees are surmounted Spain will be dealt with rather quickly (Gibraltar might prove a little difficult again). However I have to wonder if the huge amount of land that you are "acquiring" will not force you to deploy too many troops to defend all those countries.
How does your defence strategy (especially in the west) looks like for the time when you will be dancing with the russian bear?
IIRC our beloved clerk was rather worried when the French attacked the Siegfried Line while your polish campaign. If a british expeditionary force lands in southern Spain while you fight for Kiev it might be too much for him.
I should have some more garrisons ready soon, and some cavalry. I still have more than 1,000 MP so can afford a few divs for Spain. Coastal defence is more of a problem: I will have to base an army of at least 6 divs to defend the Atlantic coast. This assumes Portugal stays neutral and Italy can hodl the Med.
My worry about the French was that they had about 80 divs to attack me. The Brits have a fraction of that, and they will find supplying them difficult. I am sure I can contain if not eliminate an invasion after Spain falls. I just don't want too many Brits before then.
Poor, poor Spain!
I'l be subscribing to this.
Thanks for subscribing, but have you seen what the Spanish are doing to me? This was supposed to be a walkover!
See first reply: I thnk they did the mobilisation you have when you don't really mobilise. They still had conscription and other preparations.
The AAR in different point of views, such as a frontline soldier and the clerk.
ummh, I'm still not convinced of the overall wisdom of the Spanish adventure ... but I know I'll enjoy reading about it regardless of what happens.
Can I just do a very mini-hijack ... could people wander over to the aarland awards (links in my sig) and vote for HOI3 aars - there are very very few votes in for this category, which is a pity as its one of the more active (in terms of both writers and commentators) corners of aarland.
apols, hi-jack over ...
Can I just do a very mini-hijack ... could people wander over to the aarland awards (links in my sig) and vote for HOI3 aars - there are very very few votes in for this category, which is a pity as its one of the more active (in terms of both writers and commentators) corners of aarland.
apols, hi-jack over ...
Thank you!
I've been lurking and reading this AAR since day, and I have to say every update is like manna from heaven.
I have a few questions, please forgive me if you've answered them before.
1: What difficulty are you playing on?
2: At what HQ level do you use AI command?
3: Do you have any plans for Africa?
Please keep up the good work
I've been lurking and reading this AAR since day, and I have to say every update is like manna from heaven.
I have a few questions, please forgive me if you've answered them before.
1: What difficulty are you playing on?
2: At what HQ level do you use AI command?
3: Do you have any plans for Africa?
Please keep up the good work
Rank and File
A Clerk’s War
A Clerk’s War
Thursday 29th March to Saturday 31st March 1940
Supply is the big topic of conversation here in the Kanzlei, and I hate to think what it is like in the Armaments Ministry or, even worse, in the Air Ministry! You would not believe the number of people who claim to have been concerned all along about the road/rail links to the Spanish Front. We seem to have more logistics experts around here than clerks! When a research group completed design work for a new carriage and sights for our artillery, it was immediately put to work researching Supply Organisation: how to get more through-put using our existing infrastructure. Never mind that we have hundreds of thousands of labourers working on road works in more than twenty provinces, ignore the fact that we are world leaders in supply transport and that this research is two years ahead of anyone’s expectations! I hope it all pays off. Of course the unspoken question is: if we have such difficulties supplying one army with a few air units on the border with Spain, what will it be like with 3 or 4 Armeegruppes deep in the Soviet Union?
Little news from Spain overnight, and that little news was mainly bad. Our tactical bombers, based well back at Bordeaux, are able to maintain a steady bombing campaign, and the Stukas are doing their best. The FARE is still a threat, killing hundreds more men on the crowded roads and assembly areas of St Jean Pied de Port. Even more alarming, the Spanish strategic bombers are now targeting our roads and railways in Bayonne, increasing our supply problems.
Bayonne: Spanish “Whitley” strategic bombers are further restricting our supply network on the border by bombing roads, bridges and other communications links.
The cockpit of an I-16 forced to land in St Pierre Pied de Port. Our aviation experts are quite impressed, even though the aircraft is no match for our front line fighters. If the Soviets have these aircraft in such numbers they can afford to sell them to the Spanish, what more advanced models could they be working on now?
It did not take long for Christiansen to respond to this threat. Although out commanders under attack in St Jean Pied de Port were insisting that they needed fighter cover to stem the bloodshed caused by Spanish bombing, the bridges and railway yards of Bayonne are far more critical for our success. The “Whitleys” were no match for the Messerschmitts but the realisation that the FARE knew our weak point was a shock. My Minister, Fricke, who has responsibility for security outside the Reich, called for the number of agents and officers in south-west Frankreich to be doubled. No doubt French sympathisers are passing information over the border to the Spanish.
Air Battle of Bayonne
Supply difficulties or not, the drive into Spain could not wait. General Ott could not delay any more for von Manstein to reorganise 3rd leichte Panzer. He ordered 3.Infanterie (mot) to leave Irún and head into San Sebastián, forcing battle with General Beldarrain Olalde and his two divisions. While Herzog and Bieß claw their way into the Pyrenees, Ott’s objective is the River Ebro, the first significant defensive bulwark on the right flank of our advance. He hopes to reach and cross it before the Spanish can fortify the far side.
Battle of San Sebastián: General Ott no doubt hopes that von Manstein’s tanks are following him
Perhaps the Pyrenees will not be the barrier we feared. It took General Herzog only three days to batter his way through the mountain passes, chasing the Spanish to the Ebro. “El Campesino” has taken his cavalry to the hills of Tafalla, hoping to hold the river crossings. It will be hard for him, however, as now the Sturmpanzer IIs of 1st SP Artillery Brigade will be able to use their firepower to clear the way forward for the motorised infantry. Having lost 299 men in Pamplona, “El Campesino” may lose many more when the 15cm guns bombard his hastily prepared defensive positions. 36.Infanterie (mot) is at nearly full strength, having lost only 81 men in the snow of the high mountain passes.
Finally free of the narrow mountain passes that reduced its effectiveness, a Sturmpanzer II is checked before moving to the Ebro
Having lost many of their horses in the mountains of the Pyrenees, “El Campesino”s men head into the hills of Tafalla to continue the fight.
Herzog beat General Bieß by only an hour. General Vivancos has pulled 8a Division de Infanterie out of Hecho back further into the Pyrenees. Probably he hopes that he will be able to rally his men in the mountains of Argelés Gazost. The Bitburgers of 10.Infanterie (mot) had a tougher fight than their comrades in Pamplona, losing 110 men while inflicting 224 casualties on the defenders. Now General Rommel must decide whether to pursue Vivancos into the mountains or ignore him (and another cavalry unit deployed in the equally mountainous neighbouring province of Jaca), and drive across the Ebro into Tafalla. While the Spanish cavalry is not a serious threat, it may be dangerous to leave such a mobile force on an undefended flank, particularly when supply is so critical.
The Luftwaffe’s worries continued on the 30th, as General Bock von Wülfingen contacting his immediate superior, General von Leeb, commander of V Armeekorps to complain that 45.infanterie was under attack from Yugoslav bombers. Von Leeb of course lost no time in passing on this message to General Guderian at Balkan Army headquarters. Guderian, no admirer of Minister Göring, sent a blast to Berlin. To be fair, Waber’s 6th Jagdfliegerkorps were already in the air, heading to Valpovo. It took only minutes for “Udet” and “Pik As” to force 26 Takticki Bombarde to flee, and it is unlikely that von Wülfingen will be bothered again. Obviously 45.Infanterie feels isolated, operating as the only German unit north of the Sava, and General von Wülfingen is sensitive to any unexpected attack. I think, however, that all our army commanders are getting in the habit of blaming the Luftwaffe for any attack, rather than accepting that total command of the air is difficult to maintain across the whole of Europe. More Messerschmitts are in production, but we will never be able to prevent every attack.
While on the subject of production, our logistical genius, Chief of Staff Bayerlein, has already sent his road and rail gangs into the recently conquered border areas of Spain. He has obtained approval (and funding!) to improve the infrastructure of Irún, Pamplona and Hecho, and the work parties are already in action. He must have had his men just behind the combat troops, just waiting for the all clear. He is taking no chances: if our troops get slowed down and supply is blamed, he can point out that he has done everything possible. One factor Bayerlein is relying on is that the expertise acquired finishing the massive infrastructure projects in Poland will help speed up progress here. Whatever the outcome, better roads over the border will always be useful to control occupied Spain.
As we feared, the British are assisting the Spanish, but luckily at the moment the help provided is minimal. Somewhere in the Bay of Biscay are several Royal Navy aircraft carriers, and small bombing raids have been made on Irún. There are more than 50,000 troops banked up in Irún and they (and the thousands of vehicles) make easy targets. To their credit, 4th Jagdfliegerkorps were quick to teach the British a lesson, and more than half the bombers never made it back to their ship. The British cannot be accused of cowardice, however, and despite the horrific casualties, the bombers returned on the 31st to try to disrupt our columns of tanks and other vehicles. Although the various aircraft used (Gloster Gladiators, Fairey Albacores and Swordfish) are not really designed for operations against land formations, the bombs they drop are just as effective as any others. Unfortunately for the pilots, the aircraft are out-dated and easy prey to our Messerschmitts. After hearing how easy it is to destroy the carrier planes I am reminded of a quote apparently made by a young British pilot, Roald Dahl (the son of Norwegian parents):
“Those old Gladiators aren't made of stressed steel like a Hurricane or a Spit. They have taut canvas wings, covered with magnificently inflammable dope, and underneath there are hundreds of small thin sticks, the kind you put under the logs for kindling, only these are drier and thinner. If a clever man said, 'I am going to build a big thing that will burn better and quicker than anything else in the world,' and if he applied himself diligently to his task, he would probably finish up by building something very like a Gladiator.”
Our pilots were not content to simply fight the carrier planes over the land, they chased them far into the Bay of Biscay until forced to return because of lack of fuel.
Having outrun our Messerschmitts, a Fairey Albacore returns to its aircraft carrier, cruising in the Bay of Biscay. The pilot is one of the lucky ones, with more than half the aircraft used in the raids on Irún being shot down.
Some of the carrier planes were unable to breakthrough our fighters and return to their ships, and made for England. (They can be just made out in St Malo, still being pursued by the fighters of 4th Jagdfliegerkorps. As we have now come to expect, the Royal Air Force was quick to respond to the presence of our aircraft, but Klepke was just as quick to get "Geri" and "Freki" into the air.
At least the concentration of men and materiel in Irún should start to decrease, as General Ott (backed up by General de Angelis and his 16.Infanterie (mot)) has led 3.Infanterie (mot) to victory over Beldarrain Oldade and his mixed cavalry/infantry force. Ott lost 70 men while the Spanish were badly mauled, losing 581 men. The mobility of the our troops, backed up by the Sdkfz 231(8 Rad)s of 2nd Armoured Car Regiment, proved to be deadly to the slow moving Spanish units. A steady stream of vehicles is now pushing south, the opportunity of an unopposed crossing of the Ebro not to be missed.
Sdkfz 231s wait in the queue to move south, with a “traffic controller” seemingly unconcerned that he is in a war zone.
Far off in Yugoslavia, General Ruoff’s 2.Infanterie (mot) “Vorwärts” is using its own armoured car brigade, the 1st, to keep up the unrelenting pressure on the defenders. On the plains of Brcko, there is little to stop the Sdkfz 231s roaming at will. In the event that the Yugoslavs can mount a coherent defence for more than a few hours, Ruoff has 3rd Gebirgsjäger Division marching behind him, keen to show that it can fight just as well on the flat as in the mountains. One possible complication is that the Yugoslav General Nedeljovic has a motorised division (3 Konjicka Divizija) under his command, and this may give him some flexibility that the defenders have lacked to date. To make things a little tougher, there are reports of a few armoured vehicles attached to 3 Konijicka.
Battle of Brcko
In a small village in Brcko, a couple of Sdkfz 231s have a short rest before rejoining the drive to Beograd.
The vehicles of the “Vorwärts” mororised division will for once have to be alert: the presence of these T-32 Skoda tankettes (S-1D) could be a danger. The 37mm main gun is easily capable of piercing the maximum 15mm (front) steel armour of the Sdkfz 231 of 1st Armoured Car Regiment, let alone the vulnerable trucks of the infantry.
Just as I was leaving, late on Saturday evening, word came in of another battle in Yugoslavia, in Mostar. Köstring’s 13.Infanterie (mot) is once more in the thick of the fighting, up against General Glokovac, who has been able to rally 13 Hercegovacka Pesadji and replace some of his casualties. Even so, Köstring expects to have broken through his lines by Monday. The confidence of our commanders in the Balkans is almost perceptible: they obviously believe that the Yugoslav armed forces have been crushed and cannot regain sufficient organisation and leadership to prevent our men marching to the Greek border. Let us hope that the government in Beograd faces the inevitable and sues for peace before too many more soldiers are killed, on both sides.
Battle of Mostor: a foregone conclusion according to General Köstring
As it is the end of the month, normally we would have a Cabinet meeting. However, with so much going on, not many of the Ministers are able to attend so it has been deferred. (Air Minister Göring will be relieved: it gives him another 4 weeks to repair the damage done to his reputation by the unexpectedly adventurous FARE). A short update on the world position had been prepared and this has been circulated.
In Libya, both the Italians and the British seem to have had enough of fighting. Both sides have withdrawn from contact and there is no sign of aggressive action on either side. There may be supply issue for both sides – there are rumours the naval activity in the Mediterranean has been intense.
In East Africa, General Bianchi’s 26a Division are the almost the last Italians in the area, holding onto the port of Moqdishu. There is British force heading towards them, and as Bianchi’s unit comprises just two garrison brigades and a police regiment, its prospects are not good. The Ethiopians maintain control of their own teritiry, and it appears as though General Marinetti is still operating in the north of the country. It is not clear whether he still has men of his own, or if he has only Ethiopian units under his command.
The situation in China is dire, though the Japanese have stopped sending more men to the Soviet border. The damage has been done, however, and vast numbers of Nationalist, Communist and Guangxi Clique soldiers are swarming on the northern border, threatening to erupt into Manchuria.
Indo-China is even worse, with Hanoi securely held by the Guangxi Clique, and the Siamese forces slowly withdrawng south, under continuous attack. Few Japanese remain, and unless substantial reinforcements are sent soon, the whole of the country could be lost.
General Guderian has the Balkans well in hand. Good progress is being made along the whole front, although the north is slowing a little. Sarajevo should within days. Resistance is intermittent and brief.
Unternehmen Stiefkampf is also progressing well, with the breakout from the border moving smoothly. Supply is still a problem, as is the FARE, but both issues are being addressed and General Rommel hopes the next few days will see our motorised troops across the Ebro and into the northern plains of the Iberian Peninsula.
Bombing Summary
Luftwaffe
Pamplona: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 x Bf 109E4, 2 x Ju 88): 131
Hecho: Dörstling with 6th Kamppffliegerkoprs (1 x Bf 109E4, 2 x Ju 88): 128, 255, 275
Pamplona: Löhr with 2nd Schlachtfliegerkorps and 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 x Bf 109E4, 2 x Ju 87B, 2 x Ju 88): 247, 288
Hecho: Kesselring with 1st Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 75, 144
San Sebastián: Dörstling with 6th Kampffliegerkorps (1 x Bf 109E4, 2 x Ju 88): 88
Pamplona: Löhr with 2nd Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 60
San Sebastián: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 x Bf 109E4, 2 x Ju 88): 249
Osijek: Schwartzkopff with 2nd and 4th Kampffliegerkorps (2 x Bf 109E4, 4 x Ju 88): 269, 164
San Sebastián: Dörstling with 1st and 6th Kampffliegerkorps (2 x Bf 109E4, 4 x Ju 88): 337, 107, 336, 163
San Sebastián: Löhr with 2nd Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 91
Osijek: Schwartzkopff with 2nd Kampffliegerkorps (1 x Bf 109E4, 2 x Ju 88): 227
San Sebastian: Kesselring with 1st Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 151
Brcko: Müller-Michiels with 5th Kampffliegerkorps (1 x Bf 109E4, 2 x Ju 88): 182
FARE
St Jean Pied de Port: Bayo Giraud with 4 x TAC: 109, 220, 109
RAF
Irún: Ludlow-Hewitt with 4th Carrier Air Group: 11
Irún: Cunningham with 6th CAG: 66
Although the carrier-based aircraft carry small bomb-loads, our troops are crowded onto the few roads and make easy targets.
U-boat activity report
Setubal Bay: 4 transports (UK): Bombay – Dover: Aßmann with 1st Unterseebootsflotte
South-East Porcupine Plain: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Accra: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
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Ah - now I understand. I like to mix things up a little, and writing from a different point of view makes it more intersting to write as well.
ummh, I'm still not convinced of the overall wisdom of the Spanish adventure ... but I know I'll enjoy reading about it regardless of what happens.
Can I just do a very mini-hijack ... could people wander over to the aarland awards (links in my sig) and vote for HOI3 aars - there are very very few votes in for this category, which is a pity as its one of the more active (in terms of both writers and commentators) corners of aarland.
apols, hi-jack over ...
You aren't the only one to question the wisdom of this adventure: what is the Fuhrer thinking of? As for the invasion of Norway: we are already overextended.
I have always wanted to try a Spanish campaign, and so I made it an objective in this game to take Gibraltar. I suspect I will also end up invading Norway, even though it makes little sense to do so. But I do want to use my Sturm-Marines, Gebirgsjagers and Fallschirmjagers, plus the Kriegsmarine. And Norway seems like a good spot to try them out. It will depend on whether I think I can finish it before March/April 1941. (Don't tell the Russians).
As I said at the very beginning of this AAR: don't come here for hints on really winning play! I do it for fun, not to win (as is probably obvious to any decent players).
And can I also encourage people to vote!!
Thank you!
I've been lurking and reading this AAR since day, and I have to say every update is like manna from heaven.
I have a few questions, please forgive me if you've answered them before.
1: What difficulty are you playing on?
2: At what HQ level do you use AI command?
3: Do you have any plans for Africa?
Please keep up the good work
"Manna from heaven" - you know how to keep me under pressure! You are probably not aware that my wife has some urgent weeding for me to do, and that as usual our winter is sunny with temperatures about 18C. This makes it hard for me to justify sitting inside writing AAR updates. But I'll try!
Difficulty is normal: I make it hard enough on myself by not making "perfect" divisions (not many have combined arms), leaving control to the AI (well, nearly all) etc.
AI is at Army level. I have tried it at Theatre and Army Group level (purely defensive) but it didn't seem to be all that effective. All land (bar MAR and PARA), air (bar TP and NAV). I have tried naval units: much better in SF but I still use manual.
Vague plans for Africa: I would like to take Suez. If the Italians can't do it I will. When and with what are more difficult questions.
Nearly forgot: thanks for the encouragement. And hope you enjoy the new update.
Good update, already a bit of a bridgehead into Spain.
Ok, nobody but Uriah read below this!
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They gone? Good. In the 1st armored car pic, thems be 6-rads.
Ok, nobody but Uriah read below this!
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They gone? Good. In the 1st armored car pic, thems be 6-rads.
Thanks alexon47: not one step backwards!
Good update, already a bit of a bridgehead into Spain.
Ok, nobody but Uriah read below this!
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They gone? Good. In the 1st armored car pic, thems be 6-rads.
AAARGGGHHH!!! This is what happens when you make last minute changes. I had a good photo and caption in there, then I saw that photo and really liked it. It has Sdkfw 231s, so just change photos and alter the caption a little. Unfortunately when I am in final edit mode I am sometimes in cruise control: select, enhance, crop, upload, format, check: next please.
In my defence, I had just spent 4 hours writing and preparing this.
Apologies to all: I have edited the above: not to hide my shame, but just in case anyone thinks they are 8 rads.
Thanks thebigj_a: I do like mistakes to be identified (and the earlier the better!)