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thatguy - If you want to do something about the second hand Australian forces go ahead :)

Nsf - Thank you and welcome to the forums, even if its for a fleeting moment :)

Reado - Yemen would be easy as they have nothing militarily to contribute :D

Sokraates - Even the AI can do its job sometimes it seems. A very good AAR by Klaipedietis which I have been following as well.

Deus, Murmurandus - :D

String Theory - A slow month at sea indeed. This just means I am killing them fast enough to stop them being all over the place. They will probably replace most of the losses before I can sink their main fleets though. I will include the strengths in the next monthly update. My Carriers will go into action once I have researched most of the Doctrines I expect. Right now they are at too much of a disadvantage.

Juan_de_Marco - Thank you and welcome aboard :)

Maj. von Mauser - Thank you.

Nathan Madien - Thanks. Type IV INTs, type II CAS, type III NAVs, type III, IV and V TACs.

safferli - Manchuria does look weak compared to what it might have to face yes. I have a lot to defend though and it is as strong as it can really be as a result. There will be a set of armour moved here as well though.

Phax - Thank you and welcome. Between American and British Strats, South African Ints and Canadian Navs I have my hands full certainly.

harezmi - I am moving as fast as I can without risking anything bad happening. The energy problem is going to be a major problem soon I think. Nothing major that I can annex for a large amount and not enough raw materials of my own to buy it. I might have to increase supply production a lot more than I would like but even open negotiation will only get me so much before those Countries also run out of reserves. Even I need a day off sometimes :)

Dasfubar - Thank you and welcome to both the forums and this little AAR :)

Update to follow ...
 
Operation Dilemma
21





0800 May 1st 1945.
North China Army Headquarters. Shan States, Burma.

In preperation for a possible assault on Rangoon the Japanese bombers had been targetting the defenders of the province.​

may1450800gr1.jpg

Four South African interceptors were scrambled by the defenders to halt the bombings. No major damage was incurred by the bombers as the two interceptor squadrons acompanying them provided some protection. Some squadrons would need to be grounded for a few days but so would the South African aircraft.​

may2451000gr1.jpg

Alanbrooke was not finished with trying to recapture Sittang and launched another attack at 1000 hours on May 2nd. The thunderstorms were still present but this time he would succeed in forcing Lt. General Hirota to withdraw towards Chiang Rai.​

may2451800gr2.jpg

Eight hours later Mj. General Hong Sa was landed in Sittang to try and hold the province. He was attacked immediately and would have to survive alone for several hours before Higashikuni would provide some assistance.​

may2451900gr1.jpg

At 1900 hours nineteen divisions, led by General Sakai, began an assault on Rangoon to prevent the loss of Sittang. Higashikuni would have preferred to wait for all of his forces to arrive before commencing this attack but his hand had been forced. Sakai's troops from Prome would suffer somewhat because of the lack of a headquarters close by but at least it was only raining in Rangoon without the thunderstorms plaguing Alanbrooke as he attacked Sittang.

BB Division 1 was providing some Naval Gunfire Support to assist with the major assault.​

may3451700gr1.jpg

By 1700 hours on May 3rd Alanbrooke had been forced to abandon his attack on Sittang, and with the odds looking unfavourable for Sakai, Higashikuni called off the attack on Rangoon.​

may4450300gr1.jpg

At 0300 hours on May 4th Hong Sa had to defend his position once again as two divisions tried to evict him. This time he would need no assistance as the armoured forces had little chance of winning when attacking across a river in a thunderstorm.

Higashikuni gave orders for another attack to try and weaken the British hold on the south of Burma. General Fujie received these orders in Bangkok and called his officers together to plan the attack.

"Gentlemen we have been given orders to assault the British positions across the river. This will not be any easy battle, although we will be receiving what air support is available to assist us." He glanced around the room at his officers and saw no fear amongst them. They knew that these battles had to be fought and were in command because they would carry out his orders regardless of the possible results.

"I will need one formation to lead the attack and it is customary to allow a volunteer for such a hazardous attack."

"I would like to volunteer my division General if you would allow us the honour." was the immediate reply from one young officer.

The General was not surprised and he was more than happy to oblige as marines would be better for attacking across the river. "As you wish Mj. General Banzai. The attack begins shortly." He said as he dismissed his officers.​

may4450300gr2.jpg

Whistles blew and troops began to assault the British defences of Thom Buri led by an ambitious Mj. General named Banzai. Eight divisions attacked in all supported by the only bomber group still in the area. The Japanese assault crumbled almost as soon as it had begun. The British defences were too strong and aided by thick jungle and a river. Fujie called off the attack after six futile hours with his own troops nearing exhaustion and little impact made upon the defenders.​

may4451000gr1.jpg

Higashikuni enlisted the aid of Kato and his Transport fleet to pick up three divisions, led by General Abe, from Alor Star. This would leave a hole in his southern defences but he was unconcerned. Even if the British did try to advance they would take weeks to move into the jungles of the province, giving him ample time to replace the troops he had ordered embarked. General Abe would be leading a very large attack in the very near future.​





0000 May 5th 1945.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Gulf of Martapan.

Yamamoto received more reports as his fleet provided assistance to the ground troops nearby. The latest reports from the Mariana Trench were initially pleasing but that changed.​

may5450000gr1.jpg

Air General Yamashita had encountered an American Strategic bomber group over the North Mariana Trench. The initial eight squadrons had been reinforced by another six which meant he led all fourteen interceptor squadrons in the Marianas against only four Strategic bomber squadrons. Most of his squadrons were low on organisation but he was confident of inflicting massive damage to the bombers.

His confidence evaporated an hour later.​
 
may5450100gr1.jpg

The four Strategic bomber squadrons had been joined by another twelve almost as soon as all of the Japanese interceptors had arrived. Yamashita was now outnumbered by a force of escorted bombers.

By 0800 hours the battle had been reduced to eight versus eight with the bombers winning overall. The damage was severe for the interceptors but at least one bomber squadron had been mauled during the encounter. None of the interceptors would be flying again for some time. In this instance it would be the bombers that could recover faster as all of the airbases being used by the Japanese were almost destroyed. Hopefully the bombers would be out of action for long enough to make some repairs to the airfields.​

may5450800gr2.jpg

In slightly better news Carrier Group C had found and sunk a french Submarine Flotilla in the Gulf of Mannar. Aircraft from IJN Hiyo would claim the kill.​





1400 May 5th 1945.
North China Army Headquarters. Toungoo, Burma.

News from north western China arrived for Higashikuni and it indicated the beginning of a possible Soviet build up on that border.​

may5451400gr2.jpg

Higashikuni had arrived in Toungoo on schedule as had the four divisions marching towards Sittang. Surprisingly no attack came against his tired headquarters.​

may5451400gr1.jpg

Rangoon was now completely surrounded on land and blockaded by sea. All that Higashikuni needed now was the Transport fleet to arrive before he would order the assault of the province.​

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Kato's fleet arrived at 2200 hours on May 5th and were given the orders to begin the amphibious assault on Rangoon as soon as they were able. All of the land forces would support this attack.​

may6450000gr2.jpg

The attack began at 0000 hours on May 6th with Higashikuni himself leading the twenty eight Japanese divisions. Alanbrooke was being assaulted from six different directions at once including from the sea. Barrages from BB Division 1 and some small assistance from aircraft would help with the attack.

By 1000 hours, what had looked like a fairly even battle, was turning very much Higashikuni's way as the defences began to crumble from the multiple attack directions and shear weight of numbers.​

may6451100gr2.jpg

At 1100 hours Alanbrooke surrendered his twelve divisions to Higashikuni and General Abe continued with his invasion without any further problems. He was due to arrive at 1600 hours on May 8th and would remove the last airbase the Allies had in the region.​

may6451900gr1.jpg

By 1900 hours the mass exodous of enemy aircraft was evident as squadron after squadron, of mostly American aircraft, took off and headed west towards India.​





0000 May 6th 1945.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Gulf of Martapan.

A large enemy Submarine fleet had been detected close to Japan by patrolling aircraft and Yamamoto gave orders to chase it.​

may6450000gr1.jpg

Admiral Godo ordered his repairing Carriers, now designated Carrier Group D, to sail and intercept the Submarines around Taiwan.​

may7450800gr1.jpg

At 0800 hours on May 7th they entered North Ryukyu off the island of Amami and encountered an American Light Cruiser. Godo had no idea what it was doing this far away from an Allied port but aircraft from IJN Zuikaku quickly put it out of action and sent it to the bottom of the sea.​
 
It seems that the AI had switched from a European WW2 Mode to a Pacific War Mode...
now it´s a matter of weeks until the massslaughter begins...

btw: congrats to the succesful attack on Rangoon! :)
Now Wilson will be the next one whose ass will kicked from asia! :D
 
I never liked Wilson, his picture in-game makes him look like an ass.

Glad that you took Rangoon though, Burma is almost liberated now.
 
Go Go Lt. Gen BANZAI!!!
 
at last Rangoon is in our hands :rofl:

what do you think about invading Australia or New Zealand sooner for their supply depots? when will their turn come? what is your schedule for them? u know Japan did have plans for them... or south africa? you are capable of that but i don`t know that you can hold.

so what is next? what is your secret plan? ooh, sorry, that`s secret... :p
 
This is hardly "the setting sun" as the title claims. Unless you're referring to a sunset in summer in the polar regions. You know, where the sun dips slightly then goes back up :rofl: .
 
And now to engage in a bit of storytelling of my own.

~~~
2300 May 1st, 1945.
Red Square, Moskva, Soviet Union

Comrade Stalin stood out on the wall of the Kremlin with his pipe between his lips, a thin haze of smoke trickling from the glowing embers within the chamber. His arms rested on the ancient battlement as he gazed out over this city, over his city. He liked to pretend that he was alone, his own council to his private thoughts, but of course the security apparatus of the State followed him everywhere. His personal guards kept a respectful distance, but they were deliberate in their implicit menace to anyone who might pass by. The more covert agents couldn't be seen, but Comrade Stalin knew they were close by, keeping watch.

Kremlin_russia.jpg


Normally such knowledge would have been of great comfort to him, but on this balmy night, the first night of May, he found their unseen gazes more irritating. The city slept, save for the churning smokestacks of heavy industry which ran at a continuous clip, had indeed been running for more than twenty years every day and night. Even when the Teutons from the West had been within sight of these very spires, the glorious Soviets had still bravely come to work for the betterment of themselves and one another.

Or so his propaganda ministry now said. Stalin's moustache twitched in a moment of private humour, an ironic smirk he shared with no one else. The embers in his pipe glowed red-hot, followed a moment later by a plume of smoke streaming from his nose. After all these years it still burned his nostrils, and he relished in the stinging pain, the tears trickling from the corners of his eyes. He felt alive then, with fire in his lungs. He burned with a passion to match his city, to match his people from Warsaw to Vladivostok.

His people who had so long yearned for peace. Four years prior, the Storm-Troopers had been within sight of this very wall upon which Stalin now stood. Four years prior, Stalin had fled from the city with his tail between his legs, lest he be killed or, worse, captured by the SS or paratroopers. No one dared to breath such a judgment upon his flight, at least within hearing of others; not even Stalin himself could be candid as to the terror he'd felt on his drive East.

What the Nazis had accomplished in six months it took the Soviets three years to do. Comrade Stalin knew that; he was perfectly aware of how his people had been bled--if not white, then at least very pale. Fresh memories of the previous year percolated in his mind; images of intense negotiations, Amaricans and Britons and Russians and the occasional Frenchman couching their threats in the most conciliatory of language. Diplomacy, the art of slapping one's fellow statesman across the face and having them ask for another.

Comrade Stalin's amusement soured quickly, as memories of the subject of many negotiations took hold in his mind. Even before the final collapse of the German Reich, the Western Allies had besseched--if not demanded--a joining of battle with Japan. At the time the proposal was utterly out of the question; more than four-fifths of the Red Army were West of the Urals. The Japanese forces in Manchuria alone would have taken over all of Kamchatka and much of Siberia before sufficient forces could be re-routed to turn them back, and so soon after the conquest of Eastern Europe such a depletion of forces could have led to a disastrous rebellion among the pro-Nazi criminals still infesting the soil.

The Allies had been quick to bring up their extensive accommodations to Stalin's own demands by opening up not one, but two fronts in Europe to distract the Germans and expedite the Soviet advance. When Stalin and his aides pointed out that their action had gained them rights over a large tract of Germany itself, he was reminded that his entry into the Pacific War would not be without its own benefits. While never outright admitted, it was hinted that at least half of Korea and the majority of China would be placed under Russian stewardship, just as many nations in Eastern Europe now answered to Moscow. Stalin and his delegation perservered then, and later when Roosevelt gave a more private entreaty. The secret meeting was one of Stalin's fondest memories of the post-war period, for it was conducted in English and without an interpreter, giving each man the measure of the other without that filter. Stalin won his time, against FDR and then later against Truman, whom Comrade Stalin found much less personable than his predecessor.

Time, though, had also conspired to work against a revival of the war. The Union was at peace now, for the first time in many years. The constituent nations were rebuilding their infrastructure, families were rebuilding their lives and communities, and everywhere prosperity seemed to be sprouting from the soil as free-range grass in spring. By now, a full year after Hitler's demise and the end of the Great Patriotic War, Comrade Stalin feared it was too late to resume the struggle against the sole surviving Axis power of any note. Over the intervening months he had been shocked at the stunning reversal of Japan's fortunes, with the collapse of the illegitimate Kuomintang forces followed by the fall of Chairman Mao. Initial fears of a rapid Japanese betrayal and a surge into Siberia proved unfounded, however; indeed, relations between Moskva and Tokyo were running higher than ever before.

Nevertheless, as Stalin was continually reminded by the Allies, the Japanes's newfound ferocity could not be underestimated. It seemed a near-certainty that they would sieze Burma within the month, and India soon after...what, then, would they focus their attentions on? Such refrains had encouraged Stalin to build-up his forces in Vladivostok as a forward-station to cut Korea off from Manchuria at the first sign of Japanese aggression, but then the Japanese took the unprecedented step of actually pulling back their forces from the Soviet frontier all along the border, save a strategic spot in far-western China. This move, coupled with increasing diplomatic overtures of trade and cultural exchanges, had led to an astounding amount of sympathy with Japan among the workers and the government of the Soviet Union. Comrade Stalin himself was not unsympathetic to their position, but an ever-growing chorus of shouts from Whitehall and Washington was becoming too great to ignore.

With a sigh, Comrade Stalin tipped his pipe over the wall, letting the ashes trickle out into the darkness below. His footsteps rapidly took him inside, up and down flights of stairs, to a large state-room where waited a British delegation with authorization to secure a promise of war.

"Welcome to Moskva," said Stalin in his much-improved English, though he refused to use the English term for his name. After the cursory introductions and banter ended, the Britons got down to business.

"Burma is a wash," said the diplomat. "June, mayby before, we'll be thrown out of Indochina altogether. From there we'll be thrown into a retreat in India unless a miracle occurs."

"I see," commented Stalin. "What is your proposal?"

"High Command has given us a timetable. If the situation isn't reversed by the middle of July, we're in serious danger of losing India entirely, as well as Iraq and Yemen. Australia could next, or they could negotiate a separate peace with Tokyo. Ditto for New Zealand." The diplomat's words came in such a rush that Stalin signalled an interpreter, who gave him the gist.

"So you wish our intervention by the middle of July?" He asked. The diplomat nodded.

"Before, if that's at all possible."

"Our forces are just now building up in Central Asia." Stalin knew that it wasn't an outright refusal. So did the Briton.

The diplomat nodded. "When can you be confident in your offensive capacity?"

"We can attack them," Stalin replied, "in August."
 
Tennōheika banzai!

The battle for Rangoon was one of the most exciting installments of this AAR yet. In the end it proved relatively short and easy but getting there and especially holding Sittang was a nail biting experience.

And I looooove your way characterization of Mj. General Banzai. Also instead of "an ambitious Mj. General named Banzai" I read "an amphibious Mj. General named Banzai". Well, he does lead Marines, doesn't he? ;)

@Riptide: Great piece of work. Till August, then. :D
 
Dasfubar said:
Long time listener, first time stander-uper, I'd like to say you're doing a fine job Mr. Remble.

Deus


Loved it!


You too!!. Remble your Cherry popping rate has gone through the roof!
 
And why don't you even allocate a small portion of your IC ( three or four ) to upgrades so taht at least some units get upgraded?
 
Hooray for Rangoon! The (promised) Armour divisions for Manchuria might be well needed...
 
Nit pick for the guest piece: Stalin stayed in Moscow, actually.
Otherwise, I like it.
 
I'd really hurry as much as possible; if you wait too long especially the Americans will reinforce India too much.
Is Persia still around or have the Brits/Soviet divided it? In that case you might as well race through to suez and the rest of the Middle-East to prevent a landconnection with the Allies.

And then there's the looming Bear...

Really exciting to see wether you're going to succeed in your race against the time.
 
What I think he meant was that, regardless if you prefer Moskva or Moscow, Stalin had remained in the city while the possibility of it falling to the Germans was very real. He never left it while the Germans were within sight of it.
 
Yeah, that's what I meant.