-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
If the British screw this one up, it may be the iTALIN FLAG FLIES OVER THE sUEZ cANAL
- 1
Good to see updates from you, El Pip. I hope that this means your situation has improved. Be nice to clear the Italians from North Africa without worrying about Rommel coming to the rescue.
Vann
Vann
- 1
The naval battle was very well written. And nice to see a victory as welll. Hopefully, the same will be seen on land. And as for Churchill - they won't be able to get him from saying what he thinks anytime soon. Very few men (or women) could with him.
- 1
Really cool AAR so far!
Good to see a Winston lover. Im anxious to see if strong British response will cow Hitler any.
Good to see a Winston lover. Im anxious to see if strong British response will cow Hitler any.
- 1
well, looks like you'll have a hard time stopping them in the begginning but in a real war, Great Britian + The Empire vs. Italy is no contest. This is only a test for your army, right, soon, you'll be facing the big boys (USSR and Germany).
- 1
My situation is... precarious and unpredictable frankly. However updatery should happen again this weekend.
As for the speculation of direction of this tale I would invite you to consider the three great pillars of British Imperial policy, how the war started and the mood of public opinion. What would Churchill's war aims actually be, given both the domestic and the geo-political situation?
In short don't think what a HOI2 player would do, instead think what a Prime Minister, without perfect foreknowledge but with real voters back home would do.
As for the speculation of direction of this tale I would invite you to consider the three great pillars of British Imperial policy, how the war started and the mood of public opinion. What would Churchill's war aims actually be, given both the domestic and the geo-political situation?
In short don't think what a HOI2 player would do, instead think what a Prime Minister, without perfect foreknowledge but with real voters back home would do.
- 1
El Pip said:My situation is... precarious and unpredictable frankly. However updatery should happen again this weekend.
As for the speculation of direction of this tale I would invite you to consider the three great pillars of British Imperial policy, how the war started and the mood of public opinion. What would Churchill's war aims actually be, given both the domestic and the geo-political situation?
In short don't think what a HOI2 player would do, instead think what a Prime Minister, without perfect foreknowledge but with real voters back home would do.
Well......we are talking about Winston here. So all kinds of risky naval adventures are in.
The campaign in Abyssina should not be too much of an issue. Cut off from supplies and faced by British regulars from South and East Africa / India and the Abyssinians I'd expect the Italians to eventually hunker down and wait to surrender to the Brits (to avoid being captured by the Abyssinians). Of course Mussolini could choose to use poison gas.........he did against the Abyssinians IRL IRRC But that would invite all kinds of trouble (and lose the support of the rest of Europe - if he had any in anycase).
The Desert War in Libya and Egypt should go the way of the British eventually for the same reasons - no supplies. Unless the Italians in this time line are much more prepared than in 1940.
Expect Churchill to take Rhodes and Sardinia and possibly Sicily to bring Italy to the negotiating table sometime at the end of 1937. Germany won't intervene as its too weak at the moment. But might take advantage of the war to occupy Rhineland AND Austria (as Mussolini would be in no position to object). Expect Churchill to insist on British mandates for Rhodes, Libya and possibly Abyssinia (to protect it from further agression).
Interestingly this might mean that the Spanish Civil War gets fought out with no Italian aid (or German if they go into Austria). Which if the Sovs support the Republicans would mean a Republican victory
- 1
Certainly keeps it an interesting AAR, El Pip. I look forward to the next installment.
Vann
Vann
- 1
I can confirm that the Anschluss, Spanish Civil War and even the Rhineland events have all been astudiously poked out and will not happen historically. And of course as they change other things change, frankly even I've not finished mapping out all the ramifications. But I'm safe till 1940. Ish. If all goes as planned. Hopefully.
Anyway the making of this mod was somewhat of a revelation for me, my mental history hadn't give Italy a very big role in the mid to late 30s. However as I worked around such things as Il Duce's blocking of an early Anschluss to the intervention in the SCW (Over and above the obvious) I soon realised the knock on effects of any change to Italy would be huge and wideranging. Hence the AAR title.
Anyway the making of this mod was somewhat of a revelation for me, my mental history hadn't give Italy a very big role in the mid to late 30s. However as I worked around such things as Il Duce's blocking of an early Anschluss to the intervention in the SCW (Over and above the obvious) I soon realised the knock on effects of any change to Italy would be huge and wideranging. Hence the AAR title.
- 1
I can only hope that the AI plays Italy more efficiently than the usual in order for them to live up to their greater role.
Vann
Vann
- 1
Chapter XVI: Fortune Favours The Brave.
Chapter XVI: Fortune Favours The Brave.
In the main history has not been kind to the the Italian high command's actions during the Abyssinian War, the principal allegation almost always being that their operations were hastily planned and rushed into execution. While this is undoubtedly true such accusations are somewhat unfair as they fail to take into account the pressure's the Italian Army was under.
The Italian's problems stem from the sheer unexpectedness of the conflict and the priority that had been given to the East Africa theatre. The failure of the initial offensives against Abyssinia had enraged Il Duce and forced the Italian Army and Airforce to commit an overwhelming and disproportionate force in order to get a quick victory and redeem themselves. This had involved stripping troops from not only the mainland but also from North Africa, leaving the forces that remained considerably under strength. For the Italian commander on the ground, Italo Balbo, this put him in an impossible position, instead of the reinforcements Italian pre-war plans called for he had a weaker land force with most of the Regia Aeronautica either protecting the Italian mainland or in East Africa.
Air Marshall Italo Balbo. Governor of Italian Libya, pioneering aviator, fashion icon and supreme commander of all Italian forces in North Africa.
All of these problems were magnified by Italian naval weakness and the failure of the raid on Suez. While the Suez Canal remained in British hands it would be impossible to redeploy forces from the Abyssinian front to the North African theatre. Indeed it is doubtful any such troop convoy would survive the journey given the struggle the Regia Marina was having running supply convoys to the Tobruk and Tripoli.
At this point the success of the Royal Navy in controlling the Mediterranean has to be mentioned; the pattern of dominance was set from the beginning of the conflict and was in no serious danger of being threatened at any point during the war. In the early stages this enviable position was the work of two men, both called Cunningham. While the headline grabbing success of Admiral Alan Cunningham at the First Battle of Taranto has been covered, the less glamorous work of Admiral John Cunningham with Force H is equally worthy of mention.
While the labours of Force H would never attract the attention that a grand set piece battle commanded, its work would prove to be decisive in the land campaign. Operating off the coast of Tobruk the heavy cruisers of the force decimated many an Italian convoy with the flagship, HMS Devonshire, in particular making a name for herself and adding to the already formidable reputation of her Captain, Augustus Agar VC. The redoubtable Captain Agar had served all over the Empire with distinction, but it was for his heroics in the Baltic fighting the Bolsheviks that he was most well known. A favourite of the First Sea Lord he had been hand picked to command Devonshire and made sure she was the first into any conflict. The devastatingly accurate fire from her 8" guns destroyed transports and escorts with equal ease and earned Devonshire and her Captain the respect, and fear, of the Italian merchant marine.
Captain Augustus Agar VC, one of the Royal Navy's finest captains during the Abyssinian War.
Suitably informed it should now be obvious that the Italian high command had no choice but to go on an offensive as soon as they could. They did not have the luxury of time to plan and prepare, the longer they waited the lower their supply stocks became and the stronger the British forces became as reinforcements arrived.
The Italian plan, such as it was, directed three full Italian Army corps, the I, XI, and XIII as well as the Africa SETT garrison across the border. These forces advanced on a broad front that stretched from the coast to the edges of the great sand sea in the south and initially encountered very limited resistance. This news was greeted with great relief by Balbo and his staff, this seemed to reinforce their hope that it would take weeks, perhaps months for the British to ship reinforcements over from India. While such a belief was mistaken it should not be taken as a failing of the Italian command, but as an understandable assumption. His only term of reference, his naval advisers, had assured him it would take at least that long to conduct such an operation. Unfortunately for Balbo the Royal Navy was not the Regia Marina and had managed the feat in a fraction of that time. It would however fall to the men of the 18a 'Messina' and 31a 'Calabria' division to make that discovery for the Italian high command.
The situation in North Africa prior to the Battle of Sollum.
Up next: The Battle of Sollum.
Last edited:
- 2
- 1
"Unfortunately for Balbo the Royal Navy was not the Regia Marina..." A more true statement is hard to imagine.
Vann
Vann
- 1
Sollum is looking to be British victory is it not. Also, whats happening with the French, are they advancing to Genoa and Tripoli or are they losing to the Italians .
.- 1
GeneralHannible said:Sollum is looking to be British victory is it not. Also, whats happening with the French, are they advancing to Genoa and Tripoli or are they losing to the Italians
Neither!
I suppose a 'World reaction' type update should be next. I do honestly wonder why I put that "Up next: xxx" in any of my posts, very rarely is it actually accurate.
- 1
escellent! how many italian divs should we expect to starve in ethiopia?
- 1
Hmmm, looks like most of the Italian army and airforce might be destroyed in East Africa. Looks good.
- 1
