I'd say, liberate fully indepedent Georgia, give 'em all of Caucassia with cores and then bulid a free Ukraine with Byelorussia aquired.
What about Poland?
What about Poland?
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Great updates, good to see it back! I was afraid this great AAR had vanished. I can't believe the Germans got pushed back that easily, they were nearly in Moscow, and now the Soviets are nearly in Berlin.
A rather impressive Italy.
Hasn't Persia joined allies? Will there be a push into Persia and India? Perhaps a meeting with Japanese troops.
Why not a race towards Calcutta?
Hasn't Persia joined allies? Will there be a push into Persia and India? Perhaps a meeting with Japanese troops.
Why not a race towards Calcutta?
LordSlowpoke said:
Good point. But by that logic the Japanese will be in Washington.
Ummm... I am a shaman and i use black magic spell to resurrect this wonderfull italian aar. *cough* I hope that the spell works *cough*.
Delex, I officially declare that you cannot officially declare anything. Enough said.
Well we can predict what would have happend if the AI would take over instead of him lol.LordSlowpoke said:
Salut!
My friends, I have returned to this AAR. Suffice it to say, I did not retire this AAR, I just had many of life's difficulties to deal with. I do live in the USA and in case many are not aware, things are looking very bad for millions of us. I am one of those unfortunate. At least my online service has been restored for the sake of my sanity. Being without online access is like having a partial lobotomy!!
As for AAR updates, expect them soon. There was some updates I had prepared but recently did a full format and deleted much extra materials(pics for recent battles mostly). However, the AAR save games were considered vital I have a save that is right where I left off so, I just need to fight some battles over again.
With all of this said, I have a present for you people who would squash the dream of Il Duce!!
My friends, I have returned to this AAR. Suffice it to say, I did not retire this AAR, I just had many of life's difficulties to deal with. I do live in the USA and in case many are not aware, things are looking very bad for millions of us. I am one of those unfortunate. At least my online service has been restored for the sake of my sanity. Being without online access is like having a partial lobotomy!!
As for AAR updates, expect them soon. There was some updates I had prepared but recently did a full format and deleted much extra materials(pics for recent battles mostly). However, the AAR save games were considered vital
I have a save that is right where I left off so, I just need to fight some battles over again.With all of this said, I have a present for you people who would squash the dream of Il Duce!!
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M4 Emperior said:
This idea is not workable as the lands you discusss are mostly promised to my allies, my TRUE allies. That is, Austria and Hungary who have been quietly or not so quietly working behind the scenes.
As for the lands east of their promised areas, I shall consider but not promise to release a puppet or two. For the near future, the only puppets I intend to release would be Scandinavia and/or Siberia.
The Balbinater said:
You said it there! Even with my rescue of the Germans they are simply doing nothing. Admittedly, their armies were devastated but their AI has now gone into SoS mode. SoS = Stuck on stupid. I suppose this just help my future plans for their annexation so, not any real loss there.
arch3223 said:
Persia has indeed become a puppet of the UK by the event and in my update you shall see what has become of them
As for a race to Calcutta, I fear the Soviet empire must be tamed before I can strongly consider that Calcutta push. Mind you, I shall certainly chip away at India/UK but if I go too far too soon, I open myself to an attack by the UK or USA. Remember, the UK capitol is now in India because I own the British *ahem* Italian Isles(except for Ireland).
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Now for my update!
A quick foreword: I did find some of the pics from the battles for my previously prepared but unposted updates. For the sake of not having to re-fight almost 2 full years, I am using the save from roughly 6 months past my last update. A pretty reasonable time frame for an update even if it is a bit shy of a fully documented pictorial.
Situation room, 16 June 1944, Rome:
Il Duce calls his first full staff meeting following the winter campaigns of '43-'44 to review his strategic goals...
Il Duce: "Gentlemen, this winter has been a successful one on the battlefield for us. I do hope we can take advantage of the gains we have made and finally crush at least one opponent by the year's end. While we have certainly shown our might, there in nothing like the extermination of a powerful enemy to make the others fear you. We do not have the forces to summarily squash the entire Allied might so, fear must remain an integral part of our overall strategy. Foreign Minister, please report."
Ciano/FM: "Sir, we have little new occurrences in the Foreign Ministry but I shall assure you we are putting every lire into keeping the friendly nations friendly and constantly trading for new supplies. I don't predict any surprises in the near future as long as we maintain our current stance and efforts."
Il Duce: "Very well. Mr. Jung, I assume the armaments ministry has some good news for me."
Jung/AM: "Yes, Il Duce! The new rocket facilities have aided our efforts in research and we are now working feverishly to update the army from '41 arms to the new '43 arms. As has been the case in the past, the rate at which we can do this is limited by our factories producing new arms rather than upgrading the old. However Sir, Il Duce, Let me tell you that all of our airforces are updated to the most recent technologies and the troops are the only thing in need of recent technological upgrades. This is due to having only recently completed that technology. I swear we shall not allow our troops to suffer for long using older arms. With your factory build orders producing new facilities, our trading for new supplies, and the seizure of foreign assets, our industrial might is growing rapidly. Enclosed is a quick summary of our status."
Jung bows his head quietly hoping that Il Duce is pleased. Jung realizes his job has been very difficult to manage but Benito shall accept no failures.
Il Duce: "Thank you Mr. Jung. I fully expect you to have our troops refitted before this summer campaign is completed. The winters are harsh and we want all of our troops fighting at their best if we are to finish beating this Russian dog into submission! Mr. Albini, Security report please."
Albini/MoS: "Sir, we have yet to see a single uprising in any of our recently gained territories but, I implore you to mobilize some new garrisons before we do see any. At the moment, we have many disgruntled Turks and Russians with no garrison to quell them. Luckily, your media campaign has kept them from grabbing arms and retaking their cities and villages. We cannot let this situation remain so tenuous for much longer as I understand you shall have our main forces further and further north and east. This would leave us vulnerable to partisans."
Il Duce: "Minister Albini, I regret we cannot afford to mobilize any new garrison troops at present due to our overwhelmed Transport Capacity but, I shall ensure you see a few divisions sent to those trouble areas to quell any uprisings, should they occur. Intelligence report please."
Ame/HoI: "Sir, the Russians and Americans have been relentless in their attempts to infiltrate our countries network. We have now taken the tack of allowing them limited penetration and spoon feeding them only the intel we desire. This has proven most effective and limited further incursions. My one regret is the lack of any stolen technology in the last year. I promise this is not due to our lack of efforts but rather the enemies' dedication to prevention. Our efforts shall continue, as they cannot possibly withstand our devotion to this endeavor. The great news sir is that we have almost full penetration into most of our enemies intelligence networks. The ones we have not penetrated will yield soon with our repeated efforts."
Il Duce: "That is acceptable for now. Now, it is time we reviewed our winter and spring campaign results."
Grazioli/CoS: "Sir, our winter campaign to prevent the Soviet overrun of the German cores has been a resounding success! We managed to encircle and annihilate nearly 40,000 Russian troops and their supporting armor. While this did cost us some manpower, we managed to prevent them from eliminating the German command and forcing us into a more defensive position. Please look over these maps.."
"The Japanese have also begun to make some minor progress at their Soviet front. We can hope they will continue to push hard before the Americans decide to harass them."
"In the early spring the Soviets attempted a major offensive to the south. They made it as far as the Romanian border before we fully encircled and destroyed nearly 30,000 troops and several tank divisions."
"Further south, we managed to nearly eliminate the Persian army which is now fully controlled by the British. We expect to annex that country by summer's end."
"This picture shows the front with Russia as of one week ago, along with our best estimate of Germany's remaining industrial might. With their current troop levels, we predict they will remain mostly defensive as they have so few troops with us at the front. Also, we have mobilized the Bulgarian and Romanian troops into defensive screens behind our Soviet lines. I shall order some of those troops to move further south to appease the Security Minister's concerns."
"Finally Sir, here is the current European map so we can begin planning our summer and upcoming winter offensives..."
"along with the Asian theatre map so we can keep an eye on our yellow friends to the East."
Il Duce allowed himself the rare smile in front of his staff. He knew that the war was faring well for the Italo/Aus/Hung triad. Yet, the tide could shift at any time with several well timed and placed counter-offensives. This weighed heavily on his mind because he knew his troops were stretched a bit thinly across broad swaths of the theatre. Still, with the influx of good news from all corners he could not deny himself or his staff this display of confidence.
Il Duce: "I am well pleased with the news you have given me gentlemen. In fact, nothing could please me more than to see the might of Italy spreading into areas the Romans themselves left untouched! But before we get too confident, let us hear the reports from the military ministers. Army Chief, report!"
The smile left his face as quickly as it appeared and he turned his gaze toward Pariani.
Pariani/CoA: "Sir, the Chief has reported to you all of the good news I could possibly muster. Now let me detail our current shortcomings with the army. I regret to inform you, due to our heavy winter offensive, almost the entire army at the front is under strength. In some cases it is as low as 50%! I regret to inform you, until these troops have been reinforced with new recruits, our offensive capability is limited. I recommend staying in a more defensive position and reorganizing before we consider any new offensives. I know this news is not what you wish to hear but, I worry that any more immediate offensives will weaken us to the point of breaking. That would be far more unacceptable than my request for some time to reinforce. Also, we are extremely low on extra supplies because of the constant offensive supply maneuvers our troops were given during those harsh winter months. In summary sir, the only front I can see making any real progress for the next month or two might be in Persia and lower Russia. Those troops remain at or near full strength."
Il Duce knew this meeting could not be as happy as he had hoped. However, a little time would fix their current woes and then the war could resume full tilt.
"Also sir, I wish to report regarding Africa. We have managed to keep the British and their allies in a stalemate with an occasional destruction of their troops due to our air bombardments. If things remain as they are now, we can hold almost indefinitely. Finally, regarding the Finns, they have been able to hold off any major Soviet advances so far but, their border now shifts back and forth with the Soviets taking and then losing frontal territories. I don't believe they could withstand any major Soviet push as their German reinforcements have been greatly lessened in number.
Please see my full charts showing our current army population."
Il Duce: " I admire your bravery for bringing me such news and your advice shall be followed. Consider all major offensives closed until August except for the Baltic regions and grabbing other positions which allow us better defense. Naval Chief, report!"
Ceresa/CoN: "Sir, I believe these charts will show our current naval strengths. Except for an occasional skirmish near Gibraltar with the Americans, there has been no serious naval activity to report. We continue to produce new carriers and escorts for our war with the Americans. We know they currently have two times our carrier strength but, according to intelligence reports, we are practically even them with regarding escorts and gunships. Also, naval tactics are still being researched and at greater speed thank to our friends the Japanese granting us blueprints."
Il Duce: "Thank you Ceresa. Air Force Chief, report."
Valle/CoAF: "Thank you sir. As mentioned earlier, our primary theatre for our air forces have been in support of the African defense. We have also been giving limited support to the Russian advance. In Africa we report no losses and only one squadron of interceptors have been lost in the Russian theatre. Most squadrons are currently at full strength and we stand ready for any new orders. Please see my status report below."
Il Duce: "Thank you Gentlemen. We shall review your reports fully in detail after the conclusion of today's meeting. Do your best to ensure the northern front in Russian is solidified and defended. Also, keep a sharp eye on our Indian front, as the British have been building a fair number of infantry there since their outster from their homelands.
I do hope these will settle the unrest currently being experienced by our Austrian and Hungarian leaders. They cannot possibly consider their independence at this critical juncture of the war.
Meeting concluded."
Il Duce remained in the room long after the staff members had departed. It has been a long time since his dream vision had returned to him and this worried him somewhat. An even greater concern was the great lack of armaments to support Italy's grand expansion. Perhaps the Chief of the Army's advice should be heeded even more strongly. Maybe it was time to consolidate the gains before any new attacks were mounted.
Everything was balanced on a knife's edge... A large sigh escaped his weary body and he departs the room in deep thought....
A quick foreword: I did find some of the pics from the battles for my previously prepared but unposted updates. For the sake of not having to re-fight almost 2 full years, I am using the save from roughly 6 months past my last update. A pretty reasonable time frame for an update even if it is a bit shy of a fully documented pictorial.
Situation room, 16 June 1944, Rome:
Il Duce calls his first full staff meeting following the winter campaigns of '43-'44 to review his strategic goals...
Il Duce: "Gentlemen, this winter has been a successful one on the battlefield for us. I do hope we can take advantage of the gains we have made and finally crush at least one opponent by the year's end. While we have certainly shown our might, there in nothing like the extermination of a powerful enemy to make the others fear you. We do not have the forces to summarily squash the entire Allied might so, fear must remain an integral part of our overall strategy. Foreign Minister, please report."
Ciano/FM: "Sir, we have little new occurrences in the Foreign Ministry but I shall assure you we are putting every lire into keeping the friendly nations friendly and constantly trading for new supplies. I don't predict any surprises in the near future as long as we maintain our current stance and efforts."
Il Duce: "Very well. Mr. Jung, I assume the armaments ministry has some good news for me."
Jung/AM: "Yes, Il Duce! The new rocket facilities have aided our efforts in research and we are now working feverishly to update the army from '41 arms to the new '43 arms. As has been the case in the past, the rate at which we can do this is limited by our factories producing new arms rather than upgrading the old. However Sir, Il Duce, Let me tell you that all of our airforces are updated to the most recent technologies and the troops are the only thing in need of recent technological upgrades. This is due to having only recently completed that technology. I swear we shall not allow our troops to suffer for long using older arms. With your factory build orders producing new facilities, our trading for new supplies, and the seizure of foreign assets, our industrial might is growing rapidly. Enclosed is a quick summary of our status."
Jung bows his head quietly hoping that Il Duce is pleased. Jung realizes his job has been very difficult to manage but Benito shall accept no failures.
Il Duce: "Thank you Mr. Jung. I fully expect you to have our troops refitted before this summer campaign is completed. The winters are harsh and we want all of our troops fighting at their best if we are to finish beating this Russian dog into submission! Mr. Albini, Security report please."
Albini/MoS: "Sir, we have yet to see a single uprising in any of our recently gained territories but, I implore you to mobilize some new garrisons before we do see any. At the moment, we have many disgruntled Turks and Russians with no garrison to quell them. Luckily, your media campaign has kept them from grabbing arms and retaking their cities and villages. We cannot let this situation remain so tenuous for much longer as I understand you shall have our main forces further and further north and east. This would leave us vulnerable to partisans."
Il Duce: "Minister Albini, I regret we cannot afford to mobilize any new garrison troops at present due to our overwhelmed Transport Capacity but, I shall ensure you see a few divisions sent to those trouble areas to quell any uprisings, should they occur. Intelligence report please."
Ame/HoI: "Sir, the Russians and Americans have been relentless in their attempts to infiltrate our countries network. We have now taken the tack of allowing them limited penetration and spoon feeding them only the intel we desire. This has proven most effective and limited further incursions. My one regret is the lack of any stolen technology in the last year. I promise this is not due to our lack of efforts but rather the enemies' dedication to prevention. Our efforts shall continue, as they cannot possibly withstand our devotion to this endeavor. The great news sir is that we have almost full penetration into most of our enemies intelligence networks. The ones we have not penetrated will yield soon with our repeated efforts."
Il Duce: "That is acceptable for now. Now, it is time we reviewed our winter and spring campaign results."
Grazioli/CoS: "Sir, our winter campaign to prevent the Soviet overrun of the German cores has been a resounding success! We managed to encircle and annihilate nearly 40,000 Russian troops and their supporting armor. While this did cost us some manpower, we managed to prevent them from eliminating the German command and forcing us into a more defensive position. Please look over these maps.."
"The Japanese have also begun to make some minor progress at their Soviet front. We can hope they will continue to push hard before the Americans decide to harass them."
"In the early spring the Soviets attempted a major offensive to the south. They made it as far as the Romanian border before we fully encircled and destroyed nearly 30,000 troops and several tank divisions."
"Further south, we managed to nearly eliminate the Persian army which is now fully controlled by the British. We expect to annex that country by summer's end."
"This picture shows the front with Russia as of one week ago, along with our best estimate of Germany's remaining industrial might. With their current troop levels, we predict they will remain mostly defensive as they have so few troops with us at the front. Also, we have mobilized the Bulgarian and Romanian troops into defensive screens behind our Soviet lines. I shall order some of those troops to move further south to appease the Security Minister's concerns."
"Finally Sir, here is the current European map so we can begin planning our summer and upcoming winter offensives..."
"along with the Asian theatre map so we can keep an eye on our yellow friends to the East."
Il Duce allowed himself the rare smile in front of his staff. He knew that the war was faring well for the Italo/Aus/Hung triad. Yet, the tide could shift at any time with several well timed and placed counter-offensives. This weighed heavily on his mind because he knew his troops were stretched a bit thinly across broad swaths of the theatre. Still, with the influx of good news from all corners he could not deny himself or his staff this display of confidence.
Il Duce: "I am well pleased with the news you have given me gentlemen. In fact, nothing could please me more than to see the might of Italy spreading into areas the Romans themselves left untouched! But before we get too confident, let us hear the reports from the military ministers. Army Chief, report!"
The smile left his face as quickly as it appeared and he turned his gaze toward Pariani.
Pariani/CoA: "Sir, the Chief has reported to you all of the good news I could possibly muster. Now let me detail our current shortcomings with the army. I regret to inform you, due to our heavy winter offensive, almost the entire army at the front is under strength. In some cases it is as low as 50%! I regret to inform you, until these troops have been reinforced with new recruits, our offensive capability is limited. I recommend staying in a more defensive position and reorganizing before we consider any new offensives. I know this news is not what you wish to hear but, I worry that any more immediate offensives will weaken us to the point of breaking. That would be far more unacceptable than my request for some time to reinforce. Also, we are extremely low on extra supplies because of the constant offensive supply maneuvers our troops were given during those harsh winter months. In summary sir, the only front I can see making any real progress for the next month or two might be in Persia and lower Russia. Those troops remain at or near full strength."
Il Duce knew this meeting could not be as happy as he had hoped. However, a little time would fix their current woes and then the war could resume full tilt.
"Also sir, I wish to report regarding Africa. We have managed to keep the British and their allies in a stalemate with an occasional destruction of their troops due to our air bombardments. If things remain as they are now, we can hold almost indefinitely. Finally, regarding the Finns, they have been able to hold off any major Soviet advances so far but, their border now shifts back and forth with the Soviets taking and then losing frontal territories. I don't believe they could withstand any major Soviet push as their German reinforcements have been greatly lessened in number.
Please see my full charts showing our current army population."
Il Duce: " I admire your bravery for bringing me such news and your advice shall be followed. Consider all major offensives closed until August except for the Baltic regions and grabbing other positions which allow us better defense. Naval Chief, report!"
Ceresa/CoN: "Sir, I believe these charts will show our current naval strengths. Except for an occasional skirmish near Gibraltar with the Americans, there has been no serious naval activity to report. We continue to produce new carriers and escorts for our war with the Americans. We know they currently have two times our carrier strength but, according to intelligence reports, we are practically even them with regarding escorts and gunships. Also, naval tactics are still being researched and at greater speed thank to our friends the Japanese granting us blueprints."
Il Duce: "Thank you Ceresa. Air Force Chief, report."
Valle/CoAF: "Thank you sir. As mentioned earlier, our primary theatre for our air forces have been in support of the African defense. We have also been giving limited support to the Russian advance. In Africa we report no losses and only one squadron of interceptors have been lost in the Russian theatre. Most squadrons are currently at full strength and we stand ready for any new orders. Please see my status report below."
Il Duce: "Thank you Gentlemen. We shall review your reports fully in detail after the conclusion of today's meeting. Do your best to ensure the northern front in Russian is solidified and defended. Also, keep a sharp eye on our Indian front, as the British have been building a fair number of infantry there since their outster from their homelands.
I do hope these will settle the unrest currently being experienced by our Austrian and Hungarian leaders. They cannot possibly consider their independence at this critical juncture of the war.
Meeting concluded."
Il Duce remained in the room long after the staff members had departed. It has been a long time since his dream vision had returned to him and this worried him somewhat. An even greater concern was the great lack of armaments to support Italy's grand expansion. Perhaps the Chief of the Army's advice should be heeded even more strongly. Maybe it was time to consolidate the gains before any new attacks were mounted.
Everything was balanced on a knife's edge... A large sigh escaped his weary body and he departs the room in deep thought....
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The last three screenies show the magnificent thing which looks like a symbol of luck for hindus.
I have no idea what kind of aar this was. Or why the soviets were so west at one point. But now it is yo again beating them?
I have no idea what kind of aar this was. Or why the soviets were so west at one point. But now it is yo again beating them?
LOL. Thanks for the tip. I shall edit those shots ASAP!
I am unsure of the question you just asked me regarding the Soviets... Are you asking how they got so far west and if I was now beating them back ?
I am unsure of the question you just asked me regarding the Soviets... Are you asking how they got so far west and if I was now beating them back ?
Time for an update and a quick retraction of a prior answer given to a question. I stated earlier that the only two puppets I was considering at present were Scandinavia and Siberia. I misspoke when I said that ... I meant to say Trans-Ural and Scandinavia. I would also like to add to this list the two small island nations of Cyprus and Malta. It will give a minute bit of relief to my convoys and they will supply their own island defenses, thereby freeing up my 2 garrisons+MilPol. As an additional boon, they should even give a very small number of defensive troops for the Med ( like for Mallorca). Mind you, I cannot possibly release any of these just yet because of the dissent hits I would take plus, Trans-Ural and Scanda are not even captured yet... YET
I also want to clarify something yall may have been wondering about. I have taken MilCon of both Bulgaria and Romania so that I can use their troops to garrison captured cities and airfields. Not to mention reinforcing my defensive lines when they are placed on defensive support. To be bluntly honest, my Russian lines have been held thanks to these defensive helpers Not entirely due to them but, they certainly have been a huge boon.
On with the update!
Benito's stateroom: As he reviewed the reports that flowed in, Benito realizes something must change for this dream to be realized. The Italian war machine was slowing down due to overloaded Transport Capacity and lack of soldiers to properly continue the march. As the few options given him were considered, the simple fact that more of the common people would have to be mobilized to support further military conquests. The professional soldiers were too limited, both in time spent training and equipment required for them to continue to be mass produced. A letter was sent to the Chief of Staff authorizing the training for militia on all fronts. An accompanying letter was sent to the Minister of Security to step up the propaganda campaign even more to draw forth as many volunteers as possible for these militia.
A large sigh escapes him as he continues reading...
The summer of '44 saw much action, with little change in the Italian fronts. In the Baltic regions, the former lands of Estonia were sealed off and many Russians lost their lives because they refused to surrender. This cost the Soviets 10 armored divisions and nearly 20,000 experienced soldiers. This loss, added to the major losses incurred by their attacks and consequent encirclement on the path to Berlin, certainly has to cause Stalin some worry. No longer are the Soviets confidant and pressing the attacks along all points of the front. Now they have been reduced to nothing more than harassing attacks mostly limited to the more eastern front.
A little further south, the tiny oil rich nation and puppet of the UK was finally annexed. This added annexation barely stretched the front while giving a more advantageous point of attack into India.
The best news to come from the front is regarding the state of the Russian government. They no longer felt safe in their fortified city of Moscow and have moved their capitol further east. Even with the move, Moscow remains unbroken, mostly due to the lack of military assets to capture this heavily guarded prize.
In the Far East, Japan continues to pressure the Soviets and makes slow but steady advances on their interior. The Bear may be somewhat tamed but, it still has teeth and claws to attack the unwary and foolish.
Winter has just about set in and so little has been gained. Orders are issued for troops to dig-in and reinforce as best as they can to ensure no border losses occur during the upcoming months. While manpower is adequate to continue building a limited number of new troops, too many border troop losses would stress the troop training programs heavily.
To the north, the Finns are finally showing signs of weakening with the great number of German troop losses and their inability to fully reinforce. The near static borders have changed and this time for the worse. Germany has pushed out of Leningrad but has little for reserves. No Italian troops can be spared for this minor offensive so it stalls just a few provinces later. As Germany pushes out, the Soviets push back a little further north. "How much longer can they possibly hold out?", Benito scratches his head in wonderment.
A detailed list of losses from the fronts indicates that most troops are currently at or near 100% strength but, a greatly experienced HQ unit along with 3 experienced divisions were crushed by Soviet planes. Also, 2 TAC bomber squadrons were shot down. Almost overlooked is a report from the Chief of the Navy. 3 modern CVs along with 4 CLs and several DD squadrons were sunk patrolling the seas near the Italian Isles. It seems the USN has devoted the bulk of its surface fleet to patrolling these waters. Constant patrolling of these sea zones with air support has yielded very little enemy sinkings. At last report, they suffered only one CV (UK) and multiple DD squadron losses.
The intel reports are somewhat grim to review but, at least they no longer show massive growth for the enemies of the Empire.
If these intel reports are 100% accurate, it shows the Allies plus Soviets still outnumber the combined Axies might but, not by much. The seas are still a very dangerous place to be yet, the Italian fleet has proven to be resilient. Many capital ships are being repaired and 3 more carriers and several screens should be completed early next year. In addition to that, 2 new armored divisions, 2 TAC, and several new NAVs have been produced. They still retain the advantage though because the Italian front is so vast. A concerted effort on one front could cause havoc!
A new plan must be devised to strike a decisive blow without greatly weakening the already stressed front. Perhaps Iraq's days are numbered along with the rest of the Arabian peninsula. While this would yield little in Industrial gains and stretch the front further, it would gain several new ports and airfields which to strike from. To consider Africa as a possibility was ludicrous yet, it was only a matter of time before Vichy was pressured to join the Allies or it became a target of the Allies.
There will be much to consider these next few months... Perhaps it was time to replace some of the cabinet so that new ideas could be formed and realized. Benito walks to his window and looks out. The city was even more beautiful with its almost completed Forum rebuilding efforts, the people seemed happy, even the poorest of them had access to hospitals and food, but a darkness was settling on the horizon. If only his vision would return to give him further guidance before things turned dark for his people. Something was needed but he lacked the vision to see clearly what it might be.
A quick peek at my cabinet, manpower status, and sliders
I also want to clarify something yall may have been wondering about. I have taken MilCon of both Bulgaria and Romania so that I can use their troops to garrison captured cities and airfields. Not to mention reinforcing my defensive lines when they are placed on defensive support. To be bluntly honest, my Russian lines have been held thanks to these defensive helpers
Not entirely due to them but, they certainly have been a huge boon.On with the update!
Benito's stateroom: As he reviewed the reports that flowed in, Benito realizes something must change for this dream to be realized. The Italian war machine was slowing down due to overloaded Transport Capacity and lack of soldiers to properly continue the march. As the few options given him were considered, the simple fact that more of the common people would have to be mobilized to support further military conquests. The professional soldiers were too limited, both in time spent training and equipment required for them to continue to be mass produced. A letter was sent to the Chief of Staff authorizing the training for militia on all fronts. An accompanying letter was sent to the Minister of Security to step up the propaganda campaign even more to draw forth as many volunteers as possible for these militia.
A large sigh escapes him as he continues reading...
The summer of '44 saw much action, with little change in the Italian fronts. In the Baltic regions, the former lands of Estonia were sealed off and many Russians lost their lives because they refused to surrender. This cost the Soviets 10 armored divisions and nearly 20,000 experienced soldiers. This loss, added to the major losses incurred by their attacks and consequent encirclement on the path to Berlin, certainly has to cause Stalin some worry. No longer are the Soviets confidant and pressing the attacks along all points of the front. Now they have been reduced to nothing more than harassing attacks mostly limited to the more eastern front.
A little further south, the tiny oil rich nation and puppet of the UK was finally annexed. This added annexation barely stretched the front while giving a more advantageous point of attack into India.
The best news to come from the front is regarding the state of the Russian government. They no longer felt safe in their fortified city of Moscow and have moved their capitol further east. Even with the move, Moscow remains unbroken, mostly due to the lack of military assets to capture this heavily guarded prize.
In the Far East, Japan continues to pressure the Soviets and makes slow but steady advances on their interior. The Bear may be somewhat tamed but, it still has teeth and claws to attack the unwary and foolish.
Winter has just about set in and so little has been gained. Orders are issued for troops to dig-in and reinforce as best as they can to ensure no border losses occur during the upcoming months. While manpower is adequate to continue building a limited number of new troops, too many border troop losses would stress the troop training programs heavily.
To the north, the Finns are finally showing signs of weakening with the great number of German troop losses and their inability to fully reinforce. The near static borders have changed and this time for the worse. Germany has pushed out of Leningrad but has little for reserves. No Italian troops can be spared for this minor offensive so it stalls just a few provinces later. As Germany pushes out, the Soviets push back a little further north. "How much longer can they possibly hold out?", Benito scratches his head in wonderment.
A detailed list of losses from the fronts indicates that most troops are currently at or near 100% strength but, a greatly experienced HQ unit along with 3 experienced divisions were crushed by Soviet planes. Also, 2 TAC bomber squadrons were shot down. Almost overlooked is a report from the Chief of the Navy. 3 modern CVs along with 4 CLs and several DD squadrons were sunk patrolling the seas near the Italian Isles. It seems the USN has devoted the bulk of its surface fleet to patrolling these waters. Constant patrolling of these sea zones with air support has yielded very little enemy sinkings. At last report, they suffered only one CV (UK) and multiple DD squadron losses.
The intel reports are somewhat grim to review but, at least they no longer show massive growth for the enemies of the Empire.
If these intel reports are 100% accurate, it shows the Allies plus Soviets still outnumber the combined Axies might but, not by much. The seas are still a very dangerous place to be yet, the Italian fleet has proven to be resilient. Many capital ships are being repaired and 3 more carriers and several screens should be completed early next year. In addition to that, 2 new armored divisions, 2 TAC, and several new NAVs have been produced. They still retain the advantage though because the Italian front is so vast. A concerted effort on one front could cause havoc!
A new plan must be devised to strike a decisive blow without greatly weakening the already stressed front. Perhaps Iraq's days are numbered along with the rest of the Arabian peninsula. While this would yield little in Industrial gains and stretch the front further, it would gain several new ports and airfields which to strike from. To consider Africa as a possibility was ludicrous yet, it was only a matter of time before Vichy was pressured to join the Allies or it became a target of the Allies.
There will be much to consider these next few months... Perhaps it was time to replace some of the cabinet so that new ideas could be formed and realized. Benito walks to his window and looks out. The city was even more beautiful with its almost completed Forum rebuilding efforts, the people seemed happy, even the poorest of them had access to hospitals and food, but a darkness was settling on the horizon. If only his vision would return to give him further guidance before things turned dark for his people. Something was needed but he lacked the vision to see clearly what it might be.
A quick peek at my cabinet, manpower status, and sliders
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Dam how can USSR be that weak to be beaten by Italy? Something is not right here but what the hack.
Delex said:
Simple answer: Human player vs. AI.
To add to that, the Soviet armored losses were considerable on that massive encirclement near Berlin plus my many small ones following that. Don't think I have won this yet with the Soviet's ability to crank out troops and winter now setting in...
P.S. I saw what you did there...
fixed!