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I'll second that. I am always amazed of the things Uriah pulls up to include in his AARs.
Updated to Black Ice and TFH .02 on 22 Nov 2012
As dusk falls, a passenger train moves almost silently along the electrified line that connects Oranienburg and Berlin. There is not a breath of wind, other than that following the passing train, whipping up a small dust cloud. A few farm workers look up and wipe their brows as the train sweep by, but otherwise it attracts no interest. Nor does a slight figure sitting by himself gazing out the window, his briefcase on his lap with a heavy book open.
The Type VII Unterseeboot is performing well at sea trials and Admiral Donitz has requested that we order more: a lot more. DeSchiMAG (Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG) have been given the contract, and their Bremen shipyard has been told to star making U-boats on a continuous basis. We will increase production expenditure, but the cost and time involved on each individual submarine will decrease. To keep the British under control we will need to curb their industrial power and occupy the Royal Navy: a large fleet of ocean-going U-boats will do both.
Design for the Type VII: at last we can start to build a decent U-boat fleet
Minister Bayerlein is pleased with the way our construction gangs are performing. More areas are benefitting from better roads and rail networks, Emden now has coastal defences and Karlsruhe has emplacements facing west to France. He was most persuasive in the budget discussions and left the table with everything he wanted. (As one might expect, Hitler is not keen on attending Budget discussions. “What do I care about how many Reichsmarks we spend on repairing a bridge in Tilsit?”)
As an added benefit of the massive construction projects across the country, unemployment has dropped below 1,000,000 for the first time since 1926. It has served to lift the spirits of the whole nation.
Perhaps I should re-issue this poster: it was most effective back in 1934 and would be even better now.
On the 5th May, horrible news from New Jersey. The “Hindenburg” had caught fire and has been destroyed with the loss of 36 lives. When I saw the film of the catastrophe, I was amazed anyone survived, but apparently most passengers and crew were able to escape as the airship slowly dropped to the ground, the flames above them. I knew it was not safe to use hydrogen! If only the Americans had allowed us to buy their helium. Whatever the cause, this catastrophe has ended the use of Zeppelins in the Reich. I was dismayed to see that self-centred beast Göring trying to benefit from the disaster by grabbing the airship budget for the Luftwaffe, but such behaviour is to be expected. He is an empire builder. As long as I keep an eye on him, he can be trusted to build our air-force, but anything else must be stopped or who knows where it will end. The effect on the population has been incredible: a 5% drop in productivity! Schacht has had to increase the production of "luxuries" like radios and schnapps in order to cheer up the workers, but it will take months to repair the damage to morale.
The last moments of the “Hindenburg”
The Heer is now seeing the benefits of last year’s expenditure. A new Panzerkorps has been formed: XII leichte Pz-K. At the moment it consists of just 5th lePzD and 13.ID (mot) but it will increase as more units are created. Three infantry divisions are being raised and equipped, as well as more U-boats and a light cruiser: the "Stuttgart".
Production at the end of June 1937
28th May was important for two events, one at home and one in the United Kingdom. In Germany, the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH was founded, to produce a “People’s car”. A catchy jingle "Fünf Mark die Woche musst du sparen, willst du im eigenen Wagen fahren" is being used to get people to put aside money for a car. Ugly though the early models are, they are certainly cheap and maybe they will improve in looks over time.
“Serviceable” is perhaps the kindest adjective to use
The other event was the resignation of Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of Great Britain. He has been replaced by Neville Chamberlain. From what von Neurath’s diplomats tell me, we can work on the new Prime Minister. He is a believer in conciliation and discussion. This could be useful in the future. On the other hand, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Chamberlain has increased expenditure on the armed forces, particularly the Royal Air Force. We will see how he turns out.
The RAF is improving but they still have faith in the bi-plane fighter. Several squadrons of Gloster Gladiators were formed earlier this year.
On the 29th May all the news from the USA was about the opening of Golden Gate Bridge. What an engineering feat! My respect for the engineering and manufacturing capacity of that nation is confirmed. We must make sure that we never take on the USA while we have any other significant foes.
Traffic crosses the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time
Spain. What is Franco doing? With all the help we have provided, not to mention thousands of Italians, he is losing ground. His attempt to surround Madrid failed badly. He claims the Republicans have been revitalised by the arrival of thousands of American, British, French and other (even German!) nationalities: the “International Brigades”. Not to mention shiploads of Russian equipment. (And a fair bit captured from the Italians). Mussolini has quietly assured us that the Regia Marina will deal with the Soviet cargo ships. I hope he is careful – I am not yet ready for a conflict, and definitely not over Spain. I wonder whether I need to send a few decent officers to run things for Franco?
Spain at the end of June 1937: Not only is Madrid still in Republican hands, but the government forces are pushing Franco's armies backwards.
As if that were not bad enough, we have also found out that the Generalissimo has been concealing bad news from us. We knew that the bulk of the navy had stayed with the Republicans, but Franco told us that he had enough warships to ensure that his auxiliary vessels could cross between Africa and Spain, and that his coastal areas were protected. All lies! Months ago three of his troopships were sunk by the "Espana" and "Jaime I", along with a submarine squadron (sunk by naval bombers) and two squadrons of torpedo boats. In exchange, the light cruiser "Almiral Cervera" and a few enemy torpedo boats were destroyed. Now we hear that more troopships have been hit, and that the cruiser "Baleares" has been reported lost with all hands after it was completely outgunned by the "Jaime I". Not one Republican vessel was claimed to have been sunk.
By the reckoning of the Regia Marina, Franco has just one light cruiser left (the "Libertad") and he is facing the two battleships that have done all the damage, plus a heavy cruiser ("Canarias") and three light cruisers ("Miguale de Cervanters", "Republica" and "Mendez Nunez"). Both sides have a few submarines, destroyers and torpedo boats, but Franco could find himself under blockade. With France decidedly unfriendly that could present problems in getting arms and supplies to his men.
China at least is stable. The battles continue along the Wei, but neither side is capable of a breakthrough. We hear that after each attempt to cross the river the citizens of Xi'An can watch the corpses floating through the city. When will the commanders realise how pointless such attempts are?
No change in China: just a waste of lives
Having looked at the scientific reports for the past few months, Chamberlain will need to re-examine his budget to keep up with us. It is not just numbers that are increasing in the Wehrmacht, but also skill. As well as tanks and infantry we completed more work on the carrier project, several of the last war studies, and most importantly, new discoveries in oil refining and steel production.
Technical research at the end of June 1937
Towards the end of the month, I needed a break. Endless meetings, files and other mundane jobs had worn me down. The laying of the keel of the "Stuttgart" gave me an opportunity. Hitler was packed off to Bremen to inspect the new ship while I strolled to the Stettiner Bahnhof on Invalidenstraße and bought a return ticket to Oranienburg. Herr Heinkel had opened a new aircraft factory there last month and conducted tours were still being held. It was such a relief to travel as a normal person, have a simple lunch (with meat!) and then wander around the impressive facilities before boarding the train back to Berlin. It is good to relax and be myself for a few hours, rather than playing a part.
Oranienburg Bahnhof: a postcard I bought as a souvenir. I am trying to maintain a life of my own.
The train pulls into the station on Invalidenstraße and the nondescript man mingles with the crowd surging for the exit. Nobody pays any attention as he strides off into the night, briefcase in hand. Why would they? They don’t realise that what he is planning will impact every one of them for the rest of their lives.
Doppelgänger: the Untold Story of the Third Reich
As dusk falls, a passenger train moves almost silently along the electrified line that connects Oranienburg and Berlin. There is not a breath of wind, other than that following the passing train, whipping up a small dust cloud. A few farm workers look up and wipe their brows as the train sweep by, but otherwise it attracts no interest. Nor does a slight figure sitting by himself gazing out the window, his briefcase on his lap with a heavy book open.
The Type VII Unterseeboot is performing well at sea trials and Admiral Donitz has requested that we order more: a lot more. DeSchiMAG (Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG) have been given the contract, and their Bremen shipyard has been told to star making U-boats on a continuous basis. We will increase production expenditure, but the cost and time involved on each individual submarine will decrease. To keep the British under control we will need to curb their industrial power and occupy the Royal Navy: a large fleet of ocean-going U-boats will do both.
Design for the Type VII: at last we can start to build a decent U-boat fleet
Minister Bayerlein is pleased with the way our construction gangs are performing. More areas are benefitting from better roads and rail networks, Emden now has coastal defences and Karlsruhe has emplacements facing west to France. He was most persuasive in the budget discussions and left the table with everything he wanted. (As one might expect, Hitler is not keen on attending Budget discussions. “What do I care about how many Reichsmarks we spend on repairing a bridge in Tilsit?”)
As an added benefit of the massive construction projects across the country, unemployment has dropped below 1,000,000 for the first time since 1926. It has served to lift the spirits of the whole nation.
Perhaps I should re-issue this poster: it was most effective back in 1934 and would be even better now.
On the 5th May, horrible news from New Jersey. The “Hindenburg” had caught fire and has been destroyed with the loss of 36 lives. When I saw the film of the catastrophe, I was amazed anyone survived, but apparently most passengers and crew were able to escape as the airship slowly dropped to the ground, the flames above them. I knew it was not safe to use hydrogen! If only the Americans had allowed us to buy their helium. Whatever the cause, this catastrophe has ended the use of Zeppelins in the Reich. I was dismayed to see that self-centred beast Göring trying to benefit from the disaster by grabbing the airship budget for the Luftwaffe, but such behaviour is to be expected. He is an empire builder. As long as I keep an eye on him, he can be trusted to build our air-force, but anything else must be stopped or who knows where it will end. The effect on the population has been incredible: a 5% drop in productivity! Schacht has had to increase the production of "luxuries" like radios and schnapps in order to cheer up the workers, but it will take months to repair the damage to morale.
The last moments of the “Hindenburg”
The Heer is now seeing the benefits of last year’s expenditure. A new Panzerkorps has been formed: XII leichte Pz-K. At the moment it consists of just 5th lePzD and 13.ID (mot) but it will increase as more units are created. Three infantry divisions are being raised and equipped, as well as more U-boats and a light cruiser: the "Stuttgart".
Production at the end of June 1937
28th May was important for two events, one at home and one in the United Kingdom. In Germany, the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH was founded, to produce a “People’s car”. A catchy jingle "Fünf Mark die Woche musst du sparen, willst du im eigenen Wagen fahren" is being used to get people to put aside money for a car. Ugly though the early models are, they are certainly cheap and maybe they will improve in looks over time.
“Serviceable” is perhaps the kindest adjective to use
The other event was the resignation of Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of Great Britain. He has been replaced by Neville Chamberlain. From what von Neurath’s diplomats tell me, we can work on the new Prime Minister. He is a believer in conciliation and discussion. This could be useful in the future. On the other hand, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Chamberlain has increased expenditure on the armed forces, particularly the Royal Air Force. We will see how he turns out.
The RAF is improving but they still have faith in the bi-plane fighter. Several squadrons of Gloster Gladiators were formed earlier this year.
On the 29th May all the news from the USA was about the opening of Golden Gate Bridge. What an engineering feat! My respect for the engineering and manufacturing capacity of that nation is confirmed. We must make sure that we never take on the USA while we have any other significant foes.
Traffic crosses the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time
Spain. What is Franco doing? With all the help we have provided, not to mention thousands of Italians, he is losing ground. His attempt to surround Madrid failed badly. He claims the Republicans have been revitalised by the arrival of thousands of American, British, French and other (even German!) nationalities: the “International Brigades”. Not to mention shiploads of Russian equipment. (And a fair bit captured from the Italians). Mussolini has quietly assured us that the Regia Marina will deal with the Soviet cargo ships. I hope he is careful – I am not yet ready for a conflict, and definitely not over Spain. I wonder whether I need to send a few decent officers to run things for Franco?
Spain at the end of June 1937: Not only is Madrid still in Republican hands, but the government forces are pushing Franco's armies backwards.
As if that were not bad enough, we have also found out that the Generalissimo has been concealing bad news from us. We knew that the bulk of the navy had stayed with the Republicans, but Franco told us that he had enough warships to ensure that his auxiliary vessels could cross between Africa and Spain, and that his coastal areas were protected. All lies! Months ago three of his troopships were sunk by the "Espana" and "Jaime I", along with a submarine squadron (sunk by naval bombers) and two squadrons of torpedo boats. In exchange, the light cruiser "Almiral Cervera" and a few enemy torpedo boats were destroyed. Now we hear that more troopships have been hit, and that the cruiser "Baleares" has been reported lost with all hands after it was completely outgunned by the "Jaime I". Not one Republican vessel was claimed to have been sunk.
By the reckoning of the Regia Marina, Franco has just one light cruiser left (the "Libertad") and he is facing the two battleships that have done all the damage, plus a heavy cruiser ("Canarias") and three light cruisers ("Miguale de Cervanters", "Republica" and "Mendez Nunez"). Both sides have a few submarines, destroyers and torpedo boats, but Franco could find himself under blockade. With France decidedly unfriendly that could present problems in getting arms and supplies to his men.
China at least is stable. The battles continue along the Wei, but neither side is capable of a breakthrough. We hear that after each attempt to cross the river the citizens of Xi'An can watch the corpses floating through the city. When will the commanders realise how pointless such attempts are?
No change in China: just a waste of lives
Having looked at the scientific reports for the past few months, Chamberlain will need to re-examine his budget to keep up with us. It is not just numbers that are increasing in the Wehrmacht, but also skill. As well as tanks and infantry we completed more work on the carrier project, several of the last war studies, and most importantly, new discoveries in oil refining and steel production.
Technical research at the end of June 1937
Towards the end of the month, I needed a break. Endless meetings, files and other mundane jobs had worn me down. The laying of the keel of the "Stuttgart" gave me an opportunity. Hitler was packed off to Bremen to inspect the new ship while I strolled to the Stettiner Bahnhof on Invalidenstraße and bought a return ticket to Oranienburg. Herr Heinkel had opened a new aircraft factory there last month and conducted tours were still being held. It was such a relief to travel as a normal person, have a simple lunch (with meat!) and then wander around the impressive facilities before boarding the train back to Berlin. It is good to relax and be myself for a few hours, rather than playing a part.
Oranienburg Bahnhof: a postcard I bought as a souvenir. I am trying to maintain a life of my own.
The train pulls into the station on Invalidenstraße and the nondescript man mingles with the crowd surging for the exit. Nobody pays any attention as he strides off into the night, briefcase in hand. Why would they? They don’t realise that what he is planning will impact every one of them for the rest of their lives.
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I stuck with Windows XP for years because I couldn't stand Vista and Windows 7, but now XP is hardly supported. Many applications and games won't run on it. So I had to change.
And having decided to do that, I looked at the Black Ice TFH mod, which is a bit unstable on XP. Took some jiggling to get it right for Windows 8 (we think it is the .exe installation file wrestling with Windows 8) but all issues seem settled.
I have to admit a part of the delay was also me finishing a 3,000 word assignment on Ancient Epic poetry. I had had it since July, but I spent the last two days before the due date writing like a monk in a scriptorium.
In the Black Ice mod their are events and decisions to get various historical units, as well as the gradual ability to construct them. There are also decisions re foreign troops etc.
See post below re builds.
Thanks Jagdpnzr - for a while I wondered if I would ever get going again. My wife reminds me I have lost all her emails and addresses on a daily basis. To make it worse, my mobile phone packed up. Not a real problem you say - except it chose to commit suicide by starvation. It came up with an error while recharging. So now it is dead and so are all my contact phone numbers.
I do look around a lot. I try to imagine what would be on the front pages of the paper in Berlin at the time - what would be the discussion in the office that day? Searching in German helps, though my German is really rudimentary. (Nowhere near as fluent as the many European language posters on Paradox sites). But with a dictionary I get by. I warn you - do not rely on me as a source. One day I will make a disastrous or hilarious translation mistake.
Thanks theavenger. No problem about the queue. At the moment I am in a covering the transition phase between vanilla and Black Ice, so it may be an update or two as I connect the previous posts with the actual production. Black Ice has a lot more units and production times/costs are more realistic. No more 100 divisions by 1940. And definitely not 6 divs of Pz IVs for Poland.
But I give you my word as AAR writer that it will happen! No greater oath can a man provide!
That was quick! I barely finished my replies.
The poster was too good to leave out, though it was a bit early. Someone in the Party had a good eye for advertising material.
PS What is the time in Norway? 6.30 AM Monday morning here so I am guessing about midnight Sunday.
Nearly midnight, the moon is up and I'll be off shooting deer in a few hours.
BTW did the last picture get mixed up? The caption reads something about a postcard, but the picture is of Spain.
BTW did the last picture get mixed up? The caption reads something about a postcard, but the picture is of Spain.
My first read was "off shooting beer" which sounded interesting - sort of a poor man's shooting vodka. So one shoots deer in the early morning? I always went roo shooting at dusk. (Don't tell my daughters I shot Skippy).
Fixed the photo - I really should check my posts better.
It is winter and we have this white stuff covering the ground called snow. Add that it was a moonlit night the conditions were quite good for hunting. Sadly no luck. Usually people hunt at dusk or dawn.
I prefer to go in the mountains during the day. It is harder but a lot more exiting, proper stalking.
I prefer to go in the mountains during the day. It is harder but a lot more exiting, proper stalking.
Just on pg94 of your first aar and i must say you have an amazing wife. Allows you to have a gaming room and follows you around baseball parks watcjing games. You are a lucky man.
Not bad, not bad! You're getting me to where I want to start an AAR myself. But first I have to get TFH (not in the budget), Black ICE MK VII, adapt my personal modding to the expansion, try to mod the politics system to make it more changeable at least for unstable countries... yeah.
I'll just sit back and enjoy for now.
I'll just sit back and enjoy for now.
Updated on 23rd November to incorporate Black Ice mod and ver 4.02
The streets of Berlin are packed with people, nearly all waving flags, both Italian and German. A large open tourer is the centre of attention. In it are two men, one of solid build with has barrel chest covered with decorations, the other of slighter build with a solitary medal: the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse. Both are obviously enjoying the adulation of the crowds.
The buildings lining the route appear empty, every occupant having poured onto the streets to catch a glimpse of the two leaders. In fact, it seems only one person is ignoring the parade, a single writer alone in a vast office complex.
A few weeks ago when we were contacted by Tokyo with tentative suggestions of an alliance, I hinted to Hitler that it might be better to pretend that we had not been sophisticated enough to pick up the veiled invitation. In hindsight a very wise move.
The Japanese presence on the Asian mainland has exploded following some sort of incident on the Marco Polo Bridge. The truth is hard to distinguish, but our ambassador in Tokyo informs us that it was another case of both sides blundering around and gradually escalating the forces involved until a full scale battle was underway. It appears the Japanese were carrying out a night exercise near the bridge, an exercise the Chinese were not warned about. During the exercise, shots were fired and a Japanese soldier went missing. When contacted, the Chinese agreed to look for him but in the meantime a group of Japanese attempted to cross the bridge to search themselves.
The Marco Polo Bridge – scene of the first fighting
They were repulsed and called for aid. Urgent discussions managed to halt combat, but both sides moved up divisional strength reinforcements. Next thing the bridge area was shelled by the Japanese, the Chinese responded and, after heavy fighting which went back and forth, the Chinese withdrew, leaving the area to be occupied. (The missing soldier turned up, having got lost after a toilet break).
Several truces and cease-fires have failed to stick, and now the two countries are effectively at war. We have boosted the size of our military legations in both Tokyo and Nanjing – we could learn a lot from this.
The Japanese went well from the start. Beijing fell swiftly, and the IJA were soon in the province of Baoding. The Chinese held on at the port city of Tianjin for more than a week, but when it fell the Kuomintang the Kuomintang not only had to withdraw, but they also had to react to a large invasion force that seized Qingdao. We have been able to place a military attaché with Kita-Shina Ichigun, General Tojo's headquarters, and he has reported that the Kuomintang are doing better than expected - they are withdrawing in good order, with no sudden collapse, despite the presence of a large Japanese force to their rear.
To show they mean to permanently change the situation on the mainland, Japan announced the creation of a new state: Mengukuo.
Situation in China at the end of July 1937
Overall, our experts on China tell us that the Japanese have nothing to fear militarily. Although details of the size of the Kuomintang Army are few and far between, we know that their general level of competence is low. Our information on the Imperial Japanese Army, however, is comprehensive. 59 regular infantry, 18 light infantry and 36 garrison brigades are the back bone of the land forces. 13 armoured car regiments, 18 regular cavalry and 16 reconnaissance cavalry provide speed, while 7 semi-motorised infantry brigades can manoeuvre even in the difficult terrain. Support is mainly in the form of anti-air regiments, 42 of which are available, but there is plenty of artillery and a couple of infantry tank units. The Navy has 16 elite marine brigades as well as 6 naval infantry brigades. 17 engineer regiments will be useful.
The air force is fairly rudimentary, with just 4 interceptor squadrons and 5 bombers squadrons, though there are also two long range strategic bomber groups.
It is the navy that is Japan's strength. 6 battleships, 4 battle cruisers, 17 cruisers, 17 light cruisers, 21 destroyer squadrons, scores of smaller vessels and 10 submarine flotilla. And then there are the aircraft carriers: 4 fleet carriers and 5 escort carriers with 13 carrier air groups. It is no wonder that within fays the Chinese lost two cruisers ("Hia Chen" and "Ting Chi"), two destroyer squadrons and many auxiliary vessels.
The cruiser “Hai Chen” heads out on its final voyage. Built in 1898 in Germany, it was sunk by the light cruiser “Oi” in the first days of the war.
In a way, this surprise was a blessing to me. Our agents have been working assiduously in Austria, and Minister Frick advised that the moment was right. Political unrest exploded across Austria, and the government was in crisis. At the critical point the Reichskanzlerei issued a series of ever-increasing demands. With the country (apparently) in near chaos, no-one could react when our troops marched in, "invited" by our own agents, now in positions of influence. What victory. A huge increase in our territory, our population, our manufacturing capacity. And then there were the troops who have been amalgamated into the Wehrmacht. 2 infantry divisions, 2 gebirgsjäger divisions, a leichte division and a dozen mixed brigades, plus two squadrons of fighters (admittedly equipped with the Fiat 32 "Frescia"). The downside (there is always a downside) is that a large percentage of the population is upset. Possibly not by the reunion, but the by dislocation and change it entails. Productivity fell a further 5%, and I have had to release more manufacturing capacity to non-essential items. Why do people want prams anyway? Can't they carry their offspring?
Not a hard campaign: the "invasion" of Austria
To keep both the Foreign Ministry and our military advisers on their toes, in Spain the Nationalist summer offensive took the Republicans by surprise. As well as recapturing many provinces, Madrid is again threatened. Could the Spanish bloodbath be coming to an end?
Spain at the end of September 1937
As if to remind the world that it was only capitalists who could construct technological marvels, in July Stalin triumphantly announced the opening of the Moskva Volga canal. 128 kilometres long, it is certainly impressive. Moskva is now connected to the White, Caspian, Black, Baltic Seas and the Sea of Azov.
Large vessels make their way through a lock system on the Moskva Volga canal: a Government cameraman makes sure that the moment is caught for posterity
On the mainland, as expected the Yellow River has been reached and crossed by Manchukuoan forces, though they have been forced to retreat. Tojo is planning a mass assault to overwhelm the Chinese defenders.
The invading force has secured Qingdao and has met little resistance as it moves towards the main Japanese thrust from the north.
There was no point in trying to interest Hitler in any of these events. He has been totally tied up with the IXth Party Congress. The Recihsparteitag der Arbeit was a resounding success. Though we lost a fair amount of production for a month or so, and 25,000 tonnes of military supplies were consumed, the Party has gained popularity and the cities of Bocholt, Lanndsberg and Neumünster have increased manufacturing capacity. Speer’s “Cathedral of Light” was, as always, wildly popular.
Always a crowd pleaser: a night rally in the “Cathedral of Light”
After the excitement of the Congress, Hitler has been pre-occupied with the design of a new stadium in Nürnberg: the “Deutsches Stadion” . While Bayerlein, Curtius and I are busy improving infrastructure across the Reich and building factories to power the economy of the Reich, Adolf has got Albert Speer to design a 400,000 seat stadium for Party rallies. There is no point in trying to talk him out of it: he is fixated on this huge Graeco-Roman structure being built so that his Pan-Germanic games will have a suitable home.
Hitler and Speer inspect a test site constructed at Nürnberg to ensure lines of sight are uninterrupted
China at the end September
As predicted, in China the Yellow River has been crossed and the two Japanese forces are united. Jinan has fallen and the Kuomintang are struggling to hold a defensive line. We have heard that the capital has been shifted to Chungqing and that many factories are being disassembled and moved inland. Emergency legislation has been passed, granting Chiang Kai Shek dictatorial powers. It is hard to see, however, any of this saving the Chinese Army.
The Reich's production and research has of course continued despite all the excitement. The boost from the factories, universities and institutes of Austria will allow us to speed things up, though the state of the roads in some parts of our new province will be costly to upgrade. Himmler is pleased: another of his SS units has been formed: the theatrically named "Totenkopf" division. If Himmler was pleased with his SS, Raeder was ecstatic at the news that at last the Kriegsmarine is to have an aircraft carrier: the "Zeppelin". It will be some years, but work has already started.
Production at the end of September 1937
Research at the end of September 1937
At the end of September, finally Hitler was torn from Nürnburg. Something more attractive was happening in Berlin: a series of meetings (and photo opportunities) with Benito Mussolini who is here on a state visit. I had no concern with Adolf attending the meetings as nothing is really discussed between the leaders. Not for them the sorting out of the new reality brought about by Anschluss. The real work is done in the background, by men who remain nameless. By people like me.
In their element: Il Duce and Der Führer in Berlin
The ranks of immaculately turned out soldiers and marching bands are coming to an end, the cheers and roars of the crowd becoming faint as the entourage turns a distant corner. The clerks and officials drift back to their desks.
As approaching footsteps echo down the corridors, the solitary figure puts his journal away, ready to once again become an insignificant figure in the administrative function of the Reich.
Doppelgänger: the Untold Story of the Third Reich
The streets of Berlin are packed with people, nearly all waving flags, both Italian and German. A large open tourer is the centre of attention. In it are two men, one of solid build with has barrel chest covered with decorations, the other of slighter build with a solitary medal: the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse. Both are obviously enjoying the adulation of the crowds.
The buildings lining the route appear empty, every occupant having poured onto the streets to catch a glimpse of the two leaders. In fact, it seems only one person is ignoring the parade, a single writer alone in a vast office complex.
A few weeks ago when we were contacted by Tokyo with tentative suggestions of an alliance, I hinted to Hitler that it might be better to pretend that we had not been sophisticated enough to pick up the veiled invitation. In hindsight a very wise move.
The Japanese presence on the Asian mainland has exploded following some sort of incident on the Marco Polo Bridge. The truth is hard to distinguish, but our ambassador in Tokyo informs us that it was another case of both sides blundering around and gradually escalating the forces involved until a full scale battle was underway. It appears the Japanese were carrying out a night exercise near the bridge, an exercise the Chinese were not warned about. During the exercise, shots were fired and a Japanese soldier went missing. When contacted, the Chinese agreed to look for him but in the meantime a group of Japanese attempted to cross the bridge to search themselves.
The Marco Polo Bridge – scene of the first fighting
They were repulsed and called for aid. Urgent discussions managed to halt combat, but both sides moved up divisional strength reinforcements. Next thing the bridge area was shelled by the Japanese, the Chinese responded and, after heavy fighting which went back and forth, the Chinese withdrew, leaving the area to be occupied. (The missing soldier turned up, having got lost after a toilet break).
Several truces and cease-fires have failed to stick, and now the two countries are effectively at war. We have boosted the size of our military legations in both Tokyo and Nanjing – we could learn a lot from this.
The Japanese went well from the start. Beijing fell swiftly, and the IJA were soon in the province of Baoding. The Chinese held on at the port city of Tianjin for more than a week, but when it fell the Kuomintang the Kuomintang not only had to withdraw, but they also had to react to a large invasion force that seized Qingdao. We have been able to place a military attaché with Kita-Shina Ichigun, General Tojo's headquarters, and he has reported that the Kuomintang are doing better than expected - they are withdrawing in good order, with no sudden collapse, despite the presence of a large Japanese force to their rear.
To show they mean to permanently change the situation on the mainland, Japan announced the creation of a new state: Mengukuo.
Situation in China at the end of July 1937
Overall, our experts on China tell us that the Japanese have nothing to fear militarily. Although details of the size of the Kuomintang Army are few and far between, we know that their general level of competence is low. Our information on the Imperial Japanese Army, however, is comprehensive. 59 regular infantry, 18 light infantry and 36 garrison brigades are the back bone of the land forces. 13 armoured car regiments, 18 regular cavalry and 16 reconnaissance cavalry provide speed, while 7 semi-motorised infantry brigades can manoeuvre even in the difficult terrain. Support is mainly in the form of anti-air regiments, 42 of which are available, but there is plenty of artillery and a couple of infantry tank units. The Navy has 16 elite marine brigades as well as 6 naval infantry brigades. 17 engineer regiments will be useful.
The air force is fairly rudimentary, with just 4 interceptor squadrons and 5 bombers squadrons, though there are also two long range strategic bomber groups.
It is the navy that is Japan's strength. 6 battleships, 4 battle cruisers, 17 cruisers, 17 light cruisers, 21 destroyer squadrons, scores of smaller vessels and 10 submarine flotilla. And then there are the aircraft carriers: 4 fleet carriers and 5 escort carriers with 13 carrier air groups. It is no wonder that within fays the Chinese lost two cruisers ("Hia Chen" and "Ting Chi"), two destroyer squadrons and many auxiliary vessels.
The cruiser “Hai Chen” heads out on its final voyage. Built in 1898 in Germany, it was sunk by the light cruiser “Oi” in the first days of the war.
In a way, this surprise was a blessing to me. Our agents have been working assiduously in Austria, and Minister Frick advised that the moment was right. Political unrest exploded across Austria, and the government was in crisis. At the critical point the Reichskanzlerei issued a series of ever-increasing demands. With the country (apparently) in near chaos, no-one could react when our troops marched in, "invited" by our own agents, now in positions of influence. What victory. A huge increase in our territory, our population, our manufacturing capacity. And then there were the troops who have been amalgamated into the Wehrmacht. 2 infantry divisions, 2 gebirgsjäger divisions, a leichte division and a dozen mixed brigades, plus two squadrons of fighters (admittedly equipped with the Fiat 32 "Frescia"). The downside (there is always a downside) is that a large percentage of the population is upset. Possibly not by the reunion, but the by dislocation and change it entails. Productivity fell a further 5%, and I have had to release more manufacturing capacity to non-essential items. Why do people want prams anyway? Can't they carry their offspring?
Not a hard campaign: the "invasion" of Austria
To keep both the Foreign Ministry and our military advisers on their toes, in Spain the Nationalist summer offensive took the Republicans by surprise. As well as recapturing many provinces, Madrid is again threatened. Could the Spanish bloodbath be coming to an end?
Spain at the end of September 1937
As if to remind the world that it was only capitalists who could construct technological marvels, in July Stalin triumphantly announced the opening of the Moskva Volga canal. 128 kilometres long, it is certainly impressive. Moskva is now connected to the White, Caspian, Black, Baltic Seas and the Sea of Azov.
Large vessels make their way through a lock system on the Moskva Volga canal: a Government cameraman makes sure that the moment is caught for posterity
On the mainland, as expected the Yellow River has been reached and crossed by Manchukuoan forces, though they have been forced to retreat. Tojo is planning a mass assault to overwhelm the Chinese defenders.
The invading force has secured Qingdao and has met little resistance as it moves towards the main Japanese thrust from the north.
There was no point in trying to interest Hitler in any of these events. He has been totally tied up with the IXth Party Congress. The Recihsparteitag der Arbeit was a resounding success. Though we lost a fair amount of production for a month or so, and 25,000 tonnes of military supplies were consumed, the Party has gained popularity and the cities of Bocholt, Lanndsberg and Neumünster have increased manufacturing capacity. Speer’s “Cathedral of Light” was, as always, wildly popular.
Always a crowd pleaser: a night rally in the “Cathedral of Light”
After the excitement of the Congress, Hitler has been pre-occupied with the design of a new stadium in Nürnberg: the “Deutsches Stadion” . While Bayerlein, Curtius and I are busy improving infrastructure across the Reich and building factories to power the economy of the Reich, Adolf has got Albert Speer to design a 400,000 seat stadium for Party rallies. There is no point in trying to talk him out of it: he is fixated on this huge Graeco-Roman structure being built so that his Pan-Germanic games will have a suitable home.
Hitler and Speer inspect a test site constructed at Nürnberg to ensure lines of sight are uninterrupted
China at the end September
As predicted, in China the Yellow River has been crossed and the two Japanese forces are united. Jinan has fallen and the Kuomintang are struggling to hold a defensive line. We have heard that the capital has been shifted to Chungqing and that many factories are being disassembled and moved inland. Emergency legislation has been passed, granting Chiang Kai Shek dictatorial powers. It is hard to see, however, any of this saving the Chinese Army.
The Reich's production and research has of course continued despite all the excitement. The boost from the factories, universities and institutes of Austria will allow us to speed things up, though the state of the roads in some parts of our new province will be costly to upgrade. Himmler is pleased: another of his SS units has been formed: the theatrically named "Totenkopf" division. If Himmler was pleased with his SS, Raeder was ecstatic at the news that at last the Kriegsmarine is to have an aircraft carrier: the "Zeppelin". It will be some years, but work has already started.
Production at the end of September 1937
Research at the end of September 1937
At the end of September, finally Hitler was torn from Nürnburg. Something more attractive was happening in Berlin: a series of meetings (and photo opportunities) with Benito Mussolini who is here on a state visit. I had no concern with Adolf attending the meetings as nothing is really discussed between the leaders. Not for them the sorting out of the new reality brought about by Anschluss. The real work is done in the background, by men who remain nameless. By people like me.
In their element: Il Duce and Der Führer in Berlin
The ranks of immaculately turned out soldiers and marching bands are coming to an end, the cheers and roars of the crowd becoming faint as the entourage turns a distant corner. The clerks and officials drift back to their desks.
As approaching footsteps echo down the corridors, the solitary figure puts his journal away, ready to once again become an insignificant figure in the administrative function of the Reich.
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As far as I am aware it has never snowed here. I think it once got down to 0 Centigrade. And we have no mountains. Just 30 degree heat, sand beaches, and waves that start in South Africa.
The games room was, I believe, a way to get me out of the house. And the baseball trip was her way of convincing me to take a 3 month holiday to the USA and Canada. She knew I would have said no, I was too busy at work, but by suggesting that I could see 19 games in 15 different ball parks she got me to agree before I read the fine print. Which is why I spent a fair amount of time in the fashion district of New York. Though to be fair, she did watch all bar one game. I think, however, it was more the spectacle than a love of the game.
Ah, you feel the call of the AAR siren. I should warn you, it is far more work than I expected. But I do tend to go a bit overboard with detail and accuracy.
I intend to keep it up, but it is getting a little hard at the moment. I have a horrible feeling the new patch will not be save game compatible, though I'll try it. If it isn't, I need to see if I can tinker with the save games to do a transfer or, failing that, replay a fair bit. I had about 3 updates in the pipeline at various stages of completion (Yes, I am getting organised in my old age), so if I need to go back and alter them (I said I was pedantic about accuracy didn't I?) it will slow production.
Exams on Tuesday, Thursday and following Tuesday, but they shouldn't slow things.
Another problem is Photobucket. I got put on the Beta and now I can't start new albums, edit or delete. And it won't allow me to revert. Waiting for response from support. May have to change provider if no answer soon as I have run out of uploaded photos.
woow, excelent update... I can't wait to see the 2nd SS "Germanisches" Panzerkorps in the Caucasus!
Slight delay until next post - see comment from Panzeroo re Black Ice Patch.
"MkVII Patch#1 will be ready at the latest on the weekend"
But do not despair - even though I have a Linguistics exam on Tuesday I intend to replay up to 1938 in a frenzy of concentration. As you probably know, I keep notes so it is not too hard (prior to combat) to keep things pretty much the same..
"It has a huge amount of major changes in the Black ICE patch not just the compatiablity to 4.02. Land doctrines are completely redone as is the financial aspects to the mod. So it won't be save game compatiable, but i promise you will want to start a new game anyway to test out the new doctrines. Their will be some broad game balance issues as most of the new work is balanced AI vs AI games. So we will need to recalibrate for player vs AI games.
We will need to check with Had a dad for XP compatiablity timing."
Sounds really interesting.
"MkVII Patch#1 will be ready at the latest on the weekend"
But do not despair - even though I have a Linguistics exam on Tuesday I intend to replay up to 1938 in a frenzy of concentration. As you probably know, I keep notes so it is not too hard (prior to combat) to keep things pretty much the same..
"It has a huge amount of major changes in the Black ICE patch not just the compatiablity to 4.02. Land doctrines are completely redone as is the financial aspects to the mod. So it won't be save game compatiable, but i promise you will want to start a new game anyway to test out the new doctrines. Their will be some broad game balance issues as most of the new work is balanced AI vs AI games. So we will need to recalibrate for player vs AI games.
We will need to check with Had a dad for XP compatiablity timing."
Sounds really interesting.
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Great AAR, great story-telling Uriah, please update frequenty.
I liked your previous AAR, and this is as good as that, even better=)
I liked your previous AAR, and this is as good as that, even better=)
Are you secretly an author, or is it the influence of all those ancient epic stories you must be studying? Your writing, as well as you game play are really very, very good.
Hmm - I must warn you it could take me some time to get to the Caucasus. In my last AAR it took me three years (RL) to get to Moscow.
Thanks for the comments re my first AAR. I feel that I learnt a lot writing that first one and I am trying to incorporate it into this. Their may be a slight delay while I change over to the new Patch, but I will probably finish 1937 and do the change at the new year. It is an added complication that I have a few exams to sit at the same time, but that should be OK.
See the comment above re experience gained. But you are perceptive - I do think studying Homer and Vergil has given me some hints on how to keep a story line going while at the same time having a lot of action going on. Or, alternatively, using a story line to link a series of otherwise disjointed episodes.
Regardless of the truth, thank you for the kind comments.
PS Have sorted out problem with Photobucket. (Well,, actually they told me) Not Windows 8: Explorer 9 compatability issue. May get another update out in the next few days. The following one will depend a bit on time available as I will have to replay first two years while maintaining same story line (at least roughly). And then write so as to explain any changes. Don't suppose I can use another attempted coup!