Hearts of Iron 3 (Their Finest Hour AAR): ‘The March of the Machines’
Chapter Fifty-Eight : January to March, 1945
Taking Paris!
This was a busy three months and I was forced to take twenty-four pages of notes due to the amount of battles and events. Why? Read on my fellow-gamers, read on, and discover the wonder that is Hearts of Iron 3: Their Finest Hour!
First off, I noticed on the 14th of January the Americans had started uprisings in France and I realized that it was the perfect moment to join them with as many of my own Resistance Cells as possible. So on the 15th of January (after taking the screenshot) I pushed the Organized Revolt button. 51 of our 78 underground cells rose up in the First of Six waves that would be triggered during the three month period. I did my best to form some of the Partisan Brigades into Divisions and the African HQ also tried to form a chain-of-command but as you can guess we lost more battles than won (see French Revolt).
As the French Revolt slowly was crushed I was forced to disband many of the HQ units. We really needed that as at one point our Manpower got as low as Eight.
On the 19th of January we received a new Infantry Division which was placed in Abidjan and assigned to the Ivory Coast Front.
Our Navy did some stupid things and some smart (see Navy/Sub Warfare) and our Air Force was somewhat active (see Air War and Ivory Coast Front).
On the 30th of January the 12th French Partisans Division captured Paris and we were able to hold on to it till the 24th of February when the Germans took it back (which also gave the Axis that Victory Condition back).
During that time Paris became the new Capital. Which of course meant our conveys were now using French ports and getting hit by Axis submarines and surface raiders - ouch!
We DID tag Paris as Allied Objectives, after taking it, for both the USA and the UK, but neither of them showed up. Even though at the time we tagged it (7th of February) four French ports were available and there was nothing to keep them from just landing troops and marching right into Paris.
Of course when Paris fell we moved the Capital to Bordeaux. And when Bordeaux was captured it went to Lille. And when Lille was captured the Capital went to Rouen. Where it was till the end of March.
Around March the game snapped and started showing me this:
Or maybe it just likes to twist the knife? The Soviet Union moving its industry was interesting and happened in our real Time Line, of course, but the rest of the announcements were very, very late. Yes, yes, we all know Sydney was taken. Stop trying to make Bullfilter cry! Bad game!
In the area of Technology we made three improvements. Civil Nuclear Research (3), Nuclear (2), and First Aid (4). We also purchased the right to produce a Mechanized unit from the Americans. We had the money. I assume it will be made on the date of never.
We had eight new cells formed but one was located and destroyed during the French Revolt. Only one cell would, in fact, survive till the end of March.
Revolts
Let us deal with the Non-French Revolts, most of which were nothing but flashes in the pan.
On the 3rd of January a Greek Revolt pops up in Ioannina and by the 13th of January it was dead. On the 3rd of January a Soviet Revolt also formed in Iwje, deep in German occupied territory. But it died a swift death also.
On the 13th of March a Revolt appeared in Valdepenas, Spain, but by the 16th of March had disappeared.
The Major Revolt in this section is the American-backed one in Norway that still survives. In fact the Americans landed troops in the ports and landed aircraft into the air bases, really helping out the rebellion. Many a American Grand Fleet of transports, carriers and warships sailed right past France to dump their cargo and soldiers into Kristiansand and Oslo.
The Norwegian-back Norway Revolt seems to be doing pretty well also. At least it still exists.
The French Revolt
So big it needs its own section! The French, as you can see, from the screenshots, did a pretty good job of making a mess of things. But there were some results. We got more resources, we gained another few months before defeat, but also allowed the Axis Navy a change to hit our conveys and warships (see Navy/Sub Warfare). It REALLY messed up my Production as at times I was RED in almost everything. I now had a massive Army with horribly long supply lines and no Manpower.
The French people would be fighting Divisions from Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Romania. One hundred and forty-eight battles would be fought in France during this time period. The French people, made up of farmers, businessmen, and engineers, would gain only seventeen Victories. And would lose 9,086 lives while killing only 1,323 Axis soldiers.
Navy/Sub Warfare
Well, things could be worse. First off, in the Pacific, our ships were using Masoko as a base. But by the 13th of February the Navy decided to move the 8th, 10th, and 5th Navy, to Tahiti. A French Island farther to the east. I am not sure if this was a supply issue or if they were just moving to get away from the Japanese Naval Strikes.
With our African HQ now in charge of the fighting in France it decided to ship some HQ units from Iraq, around Africa, to France. Problem is by the time the 3rd Navy was halfway there the two HQ units it was carrying were no longer needed. The 2nd Corps and the 4th Corps Headquarters were disbanded and, I can only assume, jumped ship. But the 3rd Navy refused to turn back and continued on course to La Rochelle. Which was taken by Axis forces. So the 3rd Navy directed itself to Le Havre. On the way the German Naval Bombers welcomed the French ships. And when they got to Le Havre the Italians joined in. By the time the French ships left, heading back to Africa, they were damaged and split into three smaller Navies.
Our Raiders and submarines, on the other hand, did pretty well, sinking twenty-six enemy cargo ships and ten escorts. While the French Navy only lost fourteen cargo ships and no escorts.
Air War
The Air War in Europe was All Axis, All the Time. The Germans launched one hundred and two Ground Attacks, two Port Strikes, and one Naval Strike. They killed over 19,914 French civilians. The Italians launched fourteen Ground Attacks and three Naval Strikes. They killed over 2,302 French civilians.
The Japanese launched four Naval Strikes in the Pacific Theatre (see Navy/Sub Warfare).
In Africa the French Air Force launched seven Ground Attacks and killed 250 Italian soldiers.
The French Air Force was rebased in France after the French Revolt started, stationed in Lille. But it failed to carry out any operations in France. It did get involved in four Air Clashes, so I assume it TRIED to launch Ground Attacks, and was defeat every time. By the middle of February it was around 47% and refusing to leave the airbase.
Ground War
The total for the this time period was somewhat hard to count as many Battles just cancelled out when the enemy air forces wiped out all the French units. And some Battles generated no reports at all. For the Time Period we lost a total, adding the Ground loses in France and Africa (which had one Battle), plus those killed by enemy aircraft, 31,446 people Killed In Action.
The Axis lost a combined total of 1,767 soldiers in combat.
That means the Totals For The Whole War (Up TO Now) Are -
French/Allies Killed In Action: 290,044
Axis Killed In Action: 105,794
We added a dent to the Axis War Machine. While losing so many brave people.
Ivory Coast Front
Our one Non-Revolt Victory was in Africa where our Infantry, led by the very experienced Major General Koeltz, and the Air Force, led by Lt. General Pinsard, won the Battle for San Pedro. We lost 144 soldiers while the Italians lost 194 soldiers. Plus another 250 Italians were killed by the French Air Force. Outside of that we are trapped between the Italian Army and the Deep Blue Sea.
Soviet Front
Stalingrad switched owners AGAIN during this early part of this time period. But in the end the Germans advanced across the entire Front, taking the city, and I fear that the Russians may not be able to keep them out of Moscow. If Moscow is captured this game and this war ends.
Soviet Far East/Communist China Front
The Japanese continue to absorb Soviet provinces in the Far East while they were pushed back by the Chinese.
Pacific Theatre
Outside of some attacks on my Navy there was little happening here. The Japanese have already taken what they wanted and the Allies can't do much to change that.
Australian Front
Nothing. I can't even see any Japanese troops due to the Fog of War. It is as if they don't even want to get Darwin. It is likely troops got pulled out for other Fronts (see New Zealand Front) or that the Japanese just don't have the troops available at the moment. Or maybe they will just hit it from the ocean which WOULD be easier and make more sense.
New Zealand Front
I noticed that the Japanese re-took Auckland in March which alarmed me somewhat. It means they have a renewed interest in the Islands and New Zealand may yet be totally conquered by them after all.
The Japanese were also launching aerial attacks on Indian provinces but I decided that, until they invade India itself, that does not count as a new Front. So that Front was removed.
In the end hope is with the Russians. Yes, the Russians. And while that hope seems small, it is there. The Americans have hit the soft underbelly of...uh...the soft skullcap of Europe by invading Norway and threatening the Axis from the rear...uh...left flank? Anyway, add the Revolts, and I hope that it may enough to slow down the German advance in the Eastern Front, allowing my fellow Allies time to DO SOMETHING!
If Moscow falls so does the world!
FUN TIME!
Not Yet Available In The USA
Last time we chatted about the Japanese plans for the invasion of Australia. But what were the plans the Aussies had to fight them? I don't know but I found a book that has not been published yet that I may be ordering when it is available. Do any of the folks in the Land-Down-Under know of any plans the government had in case of invasion? Scorched Earth sounds a little extreme to me.
Anyway, folks, thanks for reading! Hope to see you in the next Chapter! Will Moscow hold out? Will the American-Norway Revolt help drain Axis troops and resources from the Soviet Front? Will the Japanese invade India, finish taking New Zealand, and crush the Chinese? I don't know, I don't start playing the next three-month period till I finish the chapter to this three-month period.