Thank you for your kind compliment! Fiction writing is what I really enjoy. Haven't gotten to do much of it since I finished Fire Warms (a V1 AAR).
Renss
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Thank you for your kind compliment! Fiction writing is what I really enjoy. Haven't gotten to do much of it since I finished Fire Warms (a V1 AAR).
Renss
Excellent update as always!
And Fire Warms the Northern Lands is still one of my favorite AAR's of all time, i read it once a year or so.
And Fire Warms the Northern Lands is still one of my favorite AAR's of all time, i read it once a year or so.
You can't know how that warms my heart, Tallfellow!
I really appreciate it that you appreciate it so much.As you might have heard from my posts elsewhere, I'm still hoping to refine the writing, expand upon it, and eventually start a prequel for publication that could turn into a whole series of related stories. Every year I do a little work in that direction, the most recent just a week or two ago.
Thanks for saying hi!
Renss
The running battle in Western Australia – emphasis on “running” for the Australians – continued. By the 14th of March, 1943, the 1st Australian Armored Cavalry was trying to stand at Plumridge while the Australian 23rd Infantry attempted to escape to the north. It was figured that the tanks could move faster, and since the 23rd had been taking the brunt of the fighting while the 1st retreated, it was time to switch off.
But by that time, the Portuguese 18th Infantry and 3rd Cavalry had been joined, also, by the 1st Cavalry and the 26th Garrison Divison, which were each fresher than the 18th. The Aussie tanks were again beleaguered, and losing strength.
And yet, surely, it was difficult to marshal even the little fight left in them because of news from the east, where the Australian capital had just fallen, and Sydney and Brisbane seemed on the verge. The 1st Armored Cavalry decided on the 15th to fall back yet again – they couldn’t stand.
On the 17th, the 3rd and 14th Infantry were advancing against the city of Sydney, where the Australian government had fled by air. The 6th Infantry was closing in from the northwest.
With only a brigade of garrison troops to hold off the invaders, their game didn’t last long, and the Australians pulled up stakes and retreated toward Newcastle, along the coast. The Australian Prime Minister, his cabinet, as many MPs as could manage, and a rump of the Australian High Command attempted to sneak away by sea. They ended up on the nearby island of Guadalcanal.
But before the Australian troops could reach Newcastle, in their tired and not-very-mobile condition, the 6th Portuguese Infantry had arrived there before them, set up a cordon against the shore, and forced their surrender as soon as they arrived at the perimeter. The city of Sydney, designated capital for only a week, was soon in Portuguese hands.
About that same time, battle had been joined to the north, in Brisbane, which was already completely surrounded and cut off. The brigade which had been assigned to garrison there surrendered on the 23rd.
But the stubborn Australian government, by then setting up shop at Guadalcanal, refused to offer surrender terms. Yet, it was at this point that the 1st Armored Cavalry and 23rd Infantry, as well as the other Australian divisions in the west, were allowed to surrender and stop the bleeding.
Portugal soon took command of all of Australia, and the Australian soldiers were allowed to give their parole that they would fight no longer and would not take their military weapons with them.
Immediately, the main task on the minds of the Portuguese generals was to get their troops to the coastline as quickly as possible, so they could be transferred to ships and transported into other theatres. This, as always, had to be prosecuted with the utmost care, since snipers still roamed the hillsides – some of them completely oblivious as to the surrender – and the Australian cruisers still prowled the seas, though now without a home base at home.
The Portuguese General Staff was still undecided as to how these divisions would be redeployed and employed. If you had asked these generals, at Christmas, 1942, what they expected these divisions to be doing by April 1, they would have universally predicted a gradual closing in on the Australian east coast, with an expected conclusion of the campaign in mid-to-late summer. The rapidity with which the Australian campaign had concluded was unexpected – it had all happened so quickly. No one had had time to fully plan.
In Scotland, the slight infiltration which had briefly panicked the German generals had been fought back by the Pz IIIs which had recently landed, and a perimeter was now set up again. The pocket had yet, however, to reach critical mass so that they could launch a concerted attack out into the wider British Isles.
Reinforcements were coming, however, gradually (I’m curious how quickly the AI in v1.2 actually decided to send units overseas, and how coordinated they were in the process of putting those divisions aboard ships).
As you’ll recall, there had been an ongoing campaign by the Royal Canadian Army and Navy to defeat us at our outpost in the Bahamas. At times they had come very close to accomplishing their goal, but we had used small elements of our navy to batter their ships and cause them to withdraw before completing landings, and we had rotated our military units around from island to island to keep them from becoming too exhausted.
In late March, it looked like an invasion might actually succeed in dislodging us. Our larger naval units had been drawn off to Australia, and the destroyers which had successfully kept the Canadians away for so long were mostly sunk or too ragtag to make a difference – they had been sent home to repair. Fortunately, the 2nd Subron, having been launched in August, and having to remain near Lisbon for a while to prevent any recurrence of a British invasion, finally arrived on scene in the Bahamas. Quickly, they sank several Canadian troop transports, and the Canadians withdrew with significant damage and loss of life (the Empress Flotilla was lost, which hopefully cost them some troops).
The Bahamas were saved again. At the same time, action was re-opening in the South Pacific.
On 25 March, the Portuguese 1st Infantry launched an attack upon the lightly defended “provisional capital” of Australia’s government in exile. Guadalcanal was protected only by a headquarters detachment and a garrison brigade (one wonders if they learned the wisdom of using these brigades from watching Portugal’s early war).
Amphibious invasions against dug-in targets are never easy, but by 3 April it was clear that this invasion would succeed. Guadalcanal surrendered on 9 April.
It is here that the Battle of Savo Island occurred. Early in the engagement the NRP Vila Nova de Gaia was hit and one of her turrets disabled. But she fought on, and later her heavy guns crippled both HMAS Canberra and the light cruiser Perth. Matosinhos contributed materially to the battle, scoring hits on both Australian cruisers, and also sinking several destroyers. The Portuguese destroyers helped round up and sink a large number of transports that attempted to flee from the harbor at Guadalcanal. Vila Nova de Gaia took other hits during the battle, and had to be towed to port in order to prevent sinking.
Despite being badly damaged, the NRP Vila Nova de Gaia was still afloat, and the HMAS Canberra and HMAS Perth were not. Neither were several of the Aussie destroyers which had begun this action. This was a significant victory, mitigated only by the fact that, during the confusion of the naval battle, the Australian Prime Minister escaped by boat and was eventually transferred to British Columbia, Canada.
So… Now that the Australian Navy had been neutralized, and Portuguese divisions were being loaded aboard transports for their next assignment, where would they end up?
But by that time, the Portuguese 18th Infantry and 3rd Cavalry had been joined, also, by the 1st Cavalry and the 26th Garrison Divison, which were each fresher than the 18th. The Aussie tanks were again beleaguered, and losing strength.
And yet, surely, it was difficult to marshal even the little fight left in them because of news from the east, where the Australian capital had just fallen, and Sydney and Brisbane seemed on the verge. The 1st Armored Cavalry decided on the 15th to fall back yet again – they couldn’t stand.
On the 17th, the 3rd and 14th Infantry were advancing against the city of Sydney, where the Australian government had fled by air. The 6th Infantry was closing in from the northwest.
With only a brigade of garrison troops to hold off the invaders, their game didn’t last long, and the Australians pulled up stakes and retreated toward Newcastle, along the coast. The Australian Prime Minister, his cabinet, as many MPs as could manage, and a rump of the Australian High Command attempted to sneak away by sea. They ended up on the nearby island of Guadalcanal.
But before the Australian troops could reach Newcastle, in their tired and not-very-mobile condition, the 6th Portuguese Infantry had arrived there before them, set up a cordon against the shore, and forced their surrender as soon as they arrived at the perimeter. The city of Sydney, designated capital for only a week, was soon in Portuguese hands.
About that same time, battle had been joined to the north, in Brisbane, which was already completely surrounded and cut off. The brigade which had been assigned to garrison there surrendered on the 23rd.
But the stubborn Australian government, by then setting up shop at Guadalcanal, refused to offer surrender terms. Yet, it was at this point that the 1st Armored Cavalry and 23rd Infantry, as well as the other Australian divisions in the west, were allowed to surrender and stop the bleeding.
Portugal soon took command of all of Australia, and the Australian soldiers were allowed to give their parole that they would fight no longer and would not take their military weapons with them.
Immediately, the main task on the minds of the Portuguese generals was to get their troops to the coastline as quickly as possible, so they could be transferred to ships and transported into other theatres. This, as always, had to be prosecuted with the utmost care, since snipers still roamed the hillsides – some of them completely oblivious as to the surrender – and the Australian cruisers still prowled the seas, though now without a home base at home.
The Portuguese General Staff was still undecided as to how these divisions would be redeployed and employed. If you had asked these generals, at Christmas, 1942, what they expected these divisions to be doing by April 1, they would have universally predicted a gradual closing in on the Australian east coast, with an expected conclusion of the campaign in mid-to-late summer. The rapidity with which the Australian campaign had concluded was unexpected – it had all happened so quickly. No one had had time to fully plan.
In Scotland, the slight infiltration which had briefly panicked the German generals had been fought back by the Pz IIIs which had recently landed, and a perimeter was now set up again. The pocket had yet, however, to reach critical mass so that they could launch a concerted attack out into the wider British Isles.
Reinforcements were coming, however, gradually (I’m curious how quickly the AI in v1.2 actually decided to send units overseas, and how coordinated they were in the process of putting those divisions aboard ships).
As you’ll recall, there had been an ongoing campaign by the Royal Canadian Army and Navy to defeat us at our outpost in the Bahamas. At times they had come very close to accomplishing their goal, but we had used small elements of our navy to batter their ships and cause them to withdraw before completing landings, and we had rotated our military units around from island to island to keep them from becoming too exhausted.
In late March, it looked like an invasion might actually succeed in dislodging us. Our larger naval units had been drawn off to Australia, and the destroyers which had successfully kept the Canadians away for so long were mostly sunk or too ragtag to make a difference – they had been sent home to repair. Fortunately, the 2nd Subron, having been launched in August, and having to remain near Lisbon for a while to prevent any recurrence of a British invasion, finally arrived on scene in the Bahamas. Quickly, they sank several Canadian troop transports, and the Canadians withdrew with significant damage and loss of life (the Empress Flotilla was lost, which hopefully cost them some troops).
The Bahamas were saved again. At the same time, action was re-opening in the South Pacific.
On 25 March, the Portuguese 1st Infantry launched an attack upon the lightly defended “provisional capital” of Australia’s government in exile. Guadalcanal was protected only by a headquarters detachment and a garrison brigade (one wonders if they learned the wisdom of using these brigades from watching Portugal’s early war).
Amphibious invasions against dug-in targets are never easy, but by 3 April it was clear that this invasion would succeed. Guadalcanal surrendered on 9 April.
It is here that the Battle of Savo Island occurred. Early in the engagement the NRP Vila Nova de Gaia was hit and one of her turrets disabled. But she fought on, and later her heavy guns crippled both HMAS Canberra and the light cruiser Perth. Matosinhos contributed materially to the battle, scoring hits on both Australian cruisers, and also sinking several destroyers. The Portuguese destroyers helped round up and sink a large number of transports that attempted to flee from the harbor at Guadalcanal. Vila Nova de Gaia took other hits during the battle, and had to be towed to port in order to prevent sinking.
Despite being badly damaged, the NRP Vila Nova de Gaia was still afloat, and the HMAS Canberra and HMAS Perth were not. Neither were several of the Aussie destroyers which had begun this action. This was a significant victory, mitigated only by the fact that, during the confusion of the naval battle, the Australian Prime Minister escaped by boat and was eventually transferred to British Columbia, Canada.
So… Now that the Australian Navy had been neutralized, and Portuguese divisions were being loaded aboard transports for their next assignment, where would they end up?
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Has Australia now been annexed or is the Australian Prime Minister continuing his lone resistance? I take it that the garrison diviisions were all queued for mid year and won't free up the regulars until the autumn.
First real victory for the Portuguese navy. Another timely reinforcement to the caribbean.
New Zealand , next? Or finsh off the Dutch East Indies before the Germans annex the Netherlands.
I'm surprised the British haven't launched as assault on Alexandria.It's not like they haven't forces in the area.
First real victory for the Portuguese navy. Another timely reinforcement to the caribbean.
New Zealand , next? Or finsh off the Dutch East Indies before the Germans annex the Netherlands.
I'm surprised the British haven't launched as assault on Alexandria.It's not like they haven't forces in the area.
Thanks! Glad to see you back also!
Canada... Wow. Not where we wanted to go, but they HAVE been giving us a hell of a time in the Caribbean, so it'd serve our purposes to shut them up, eh?Australia isn't annexed -- it's a GIE, and the PM is wandering about somewhere not very sovereignly Australian
-- but we do hold all their territory.To be honest, I don't think we're at war with New Zealand. Maybe they never joined the Allies? I think that's the case.
I don't know how many forces the Brits have in the Alexandria area -- I don't think it's substantial, and what's there is tasked with defending Transjordan and Iraq.
Another gripping update coming! And another exhausting campaign. Look forward to it!
Rensslaer
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How could the Australians turn down a once in a lifetime opportunity to become Portuguese?
You can't leave New Zealand without offering them the chance to become Portuguese.
Those Brits in Transjhordan and Iraq aren't doing anything. I'm sure they'd be more than a match for a few strutting Italians in Alexandria. Has Portugal decided to follow the Australian PM to Canada?
You can't leave New Zealand without offering them the chance to become Portuguese.
Those Brits in Transjhordan and Iraq aren't doing anything. I'm sure they'd be more than a match for a few strutting Italians in Alexandria. Has Portugal decided to follow the Australian PM to Canada?
Zealand of course, can't trust them and btw, finally there seem to be as many updates in past month as it was in the last year ;D.
I'm little bit concerned about naval losses. You seem to have lost 2 CA's (?) if I am correct and CL, but I suppose that's what you get for being maritime empire. What about that battlecruiser of yours? Is it all stock or does it have something researched?
And ofc, you need to get your colonies in ex-South America back at some point. I doubt that remaining pacific Allied bases give you much in terms of IC and LS, but I guess every bit helps. What you seem to lack is IC, though I remember you building IC, because of manpower problems I guess.
Looking forward.
I'm little bit concerned about naval losses. You seem to have lost 2 CA's (?) if I am correct and CL, but I suppose that's what you get for being maritime empire. What about that battlecruiser of yours? Is it all stock or does it have something researched?
And ofc, you need to get your colonies in ex-South America back at some point. I doubt that remaining pacific Allied bases give you much in terms of IC and LS, but I guess every bit helps. What you seem to lack is IC, though I remember you building IC, because of manpower problems I guess.
Looking forward.
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Yeah, as you are in the general area, a small detour to Wellington would probably be the best course of action, even if because they can turn Allies at any moment and give you a hard time in Australia when you are focused elsewhere. And after that , India Half-kidding, OFC : I would first secure the Arabian area, even if to deny more resources to the already struggling UK ( it looks that giving transports to the Germans worked wonders ). You have also to do something about the canucks, but IMHO you are far from being able to sustain a full campaign in N.America with the US most likely in the verge of getting into the war....
Half-kidding, OFC : I would first secure the Arabian area, even if to deny more resources to the already struggling UK ( it looks that giving transports to the Germans worked wonders ). You have also to do something about the canucks, but IMHO you are far from being able to sustain a full campaign in N.America with the US most likely in the verge of getting into the war....
You'll be impressed with the decision I make!Indeed! I do seem to have picked up the pace a bit, eh? Actually I only lost 1 CA, and my other CA is very badly damaged, but still afloat. The CL is still in service and doing well. The battlecruiser won't be launched before November at the earliest -- probably 6 months away.
Thanks!
Yeah, as you are in the general area, a small detour to Wellington would probably be the best course of action, even if because they can turn Allies at any moment and give you a hard time in Australia when you are focused elsewhere. And after that , India
You know, I really hadn't thought to draw the poor, innocent New Zealanders into the war because my heart is not as dark and distrustful as yours are!
(just kidding!) No, I hadn't actually thought about declaring war on New Zealand just because I figured I already had enough enemies. If New Zealand joined, I didn't figure they were too much of a threat that I couldn't deal with them later.So far as I can tell, the USA isn't quite ready to join the war. Not sure what all's going on there. But I don't sense their imminent threat. Japan seems to be leaving them alone too.
Thanks for your comments, guys! I'll try to get another update up this week, but things get complicated from here on out so they might take longer.
Anyone else out there, while we're waiting?
Rensslaer
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- Delurking -
Just like to say great AAR! Also can you please show a picture of your conquests? I want to see the world painted green lol
- Back to lurking -
Just like to say great AAR! Also can you please show a picture of your conquests? I want to see the world painted green lol
- Back to lurking -
Oh, I never left
Great progress. And I do agree on the above post, a world map would be nice.
Welcome, Ee99! Honored to get your first post on the Forum! I'll post maps at the end of this feedback... Not QUITE all green, but getting there!
Thanks!Oh, I never left
Great progress. And I do agree on the above post, a world map would be nice.
Great to see you again, Hallongren! Thanks for saying hi! Map coming right up....
One post before, but Welcome back!
Thanks!Okay, so in response to requests for world maps after this very big transitional phase, here we go (maps taken immediately after the fall of Australia)...
Here's what the S. Pacific and East Indies looks like:
I neglected to show Hong Kong and Macao in there, but you know they're there! If you look really closely, you can detect a slightly different shade of green that shows the Australians still hold a couple islands of the Solomon Islands chain and/or New Britain. I'm also still in the midst of cleaning up the East Indies -- they are slowly turning green.
New Zealand is not an enemy.
Africa and the Middle East look like this:
I've circled the island chains I control (I didn't include Diego Garcia, which is off this map to the right), as well as outlined the borders between my own possessions in the Middle East and East Africa, compared to other greens, such as Italy or Saudi Arabia (except where it's obvious).
The Caribbean looks like this:
I still retain the Bahamas, Jamaica, Curacao, and formerly Dutch and British Guyanas. Most of the Antilles chain are mine, except for a couple of Vichy French islands. The British still hold Trinidad, and I think Bermuda. They also have Belize, which I haven't approached yet.
And, just to round out the map, here's Europe:
Ireland (Eire) is still Ireland. The Germans have broken out of their pocket and are pushing northwest in Scotland. We never did get Gibraltar. The Italians are happy, the Germans are happy.... The French are probably not, but they pretend to be.
The British are, surely, miserable and fearful that nothing can stop their enemies.More updates coming up! In a couple of days, anyway.
By the way, I started a new AAR! Serenity - A V2 v1.3 Isolationist Japan AAR. No, this shouldn't greatly impact the updating schedule for this or Sforza. Sforza has a LONG ways to go, whereas this one will wrap up in the not-too-distant future. Once Imperio Novo is finished, I plan to resume Kriegsgefahr, and perhaps Locarno.
Thanks for your readership, folks!
Rensslaer
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Great updates and great writing Rensslaer.
The NRP Vila Nova de Gaia has claimed quite a number of scalps.
The NRP Vila Nova de Gaia has claimed quite a number of scalps.
Who are you actually at war with?
Australians andthe wisdom of Solomon.
I'd like to see you clean up the east Indies and the west Indies and then start in on india, unless you're at with Brazil.. Cleaning up the rest of Africa would make the maps a lot neater
Australians andthe wisdom of Solomon.
I'd like to see you clean up the east Indies and the west Indies and then start in on india, unless you're at with Brazil.. Cleaning up the rest of Africa would make the maps a lot neater
In April, 1943, Portugal opened a new industrial complex in Aveiro, north of Lisbon. The factories there were specialized in the production of steel plating for use in armored cars and ships.
Together with the capture of all the IC in Australia, this brings Portugal’s IC total up to 42, with modifiers bringing it to an effective IC of 70. That may still seem like a small total for players who are accustomed to working with major powers, but that’s 3 times what Portugal started with in 1936!
After Australia, priorities shifted somewhat. We still needed armored cars and cavalry for our mobile units. But with recent losses, naval warships were another priority that would have to compete.
There was still no way that Portugal’s Manpower and strategic ability could translate into a set-piece army, playing with the big dogs on their own terms. Portugal would still be forced to find and seize targets of opportunity, managing to achieve regional or local superiority. So there was still no thought of trying to produce medium armor units or even large numbers of infantry divisions. But her role was still shifting, slowly.
Germany was still providing the heavy lifting power in this war, and likely always would.
The German perimeter had finally expanded outward, led by one division of Panzer IVs each to the northwest and southwest.
This was a great sign. There was worry that the Germans wouldn’t be able to push out of the pocket, either because of resistance from the outside, or lack of additional pressure from reinforcements on the inside. I’m encouraged to see that there are now 3 medium armor divisions in Scotland, whereas there was only one at the beginning of April.
Now, in May – perhaps 2 months after most of our troops have seen combat – it’s time to get back into the game. Time to make our next move. We load onto our transports in Lisbon Harbor…
We set sail for our target…
On the 7th, as we approach the western coast of Eire, we are nearly intercepted! Any British Royal Navy force here, in practically home waters, is sure to be strong, which means they could destroy us, utterly. One of the most dangerous parts of this whole operation is that NRP Vila Nova de Gaia has not taken time to appreciably repair her battle damage from Australia. She is not in danger of sinking, but structurally and operationally she is barely serviceable, and she would not do well in combat if it came upon her.
Fortunately, the British pass by, unawares. British naval air reconnaissance is apparently lacking, too, as we are not discovered. They are probably more than a little occupied by the invasion of the Germans in Scotland.
The 22nd Division lands at Larne, on the northeastern corner of Northern Ireland. From Belfast, the 4th Royal Infantry immediately reacts to this incursion, and the light 22nd is automatically at a disadvantage.
We also mount an invasion of western Scotland, in an attempt to help the Germans cut off any British units in the north, and to generally add to the heft of the Axis invasion there. We land at Glasgow, and some of the surrounding territory. A secondary target, here, was the metal and rare materials mines near Glasgow.
The problem, which causes some urgency, is that Glasgow has no port, and so we must be quick to either capture a port to the south, or link up with the Germans, and/or capture the port at Rosyth on the North Sea coast before the Germans do.
The Germans, thankfully for our needs, aren’t moving very quickly toward Rosyth (that port looks to me like it’s at Rosyth, not Edinburgh, though it’s hard to tell). However, they have mounted a reasonably serious northern drive, catching a British division up against the Atlantic Coast.
We are cheered to note that the Germans now have at least 4 Panzer IV divisions (medium tanks) in Scotland. If they can keep them supplied with fuel – with our help, through trades – they can muscle the Scots and British out of the north!
The 1st Corps, which is stretched across the North Channel, is managing the movement inland. The 2nd Cavalry leads the way in the north, from Dunbar, while the 29th stretches its legs toward Edinburgh.
On the 8th alarms sounded aboard the fleet as a British ships was sighted nearing them, but it was quickly determined to be a fleeing British merchantman. Our forces were busy, and did not pay a whole lot of attention to catching up with him.
After all of this, on the 9th of May, our transport fleet leaves the dangerous waters of the Irish Channel and heads for home, where we will pick up more reinforcements for the war in the British Isles.
Together with the capture of all the IC in Australia, this brings Portugal’s IC total up to 42, with modifiers bringing it to an effective IC of 70. That may still seem like a small total for players who are accustomed to working with major powers, but that’s 3 times what Portugal started with in 1936!
After Australia, priorities shifted somewhat. We still needed armored cars and cavalry for our mobile units. But with recent losses, naval warships were another priority that would have to compete.
There was still no way that Portugal’s Manpower and strategic ability could translate into a set-piece army, playing with the big dogs on their own terms. Portugal would still be forced to find and seize targets of opportunity, managing to achieve regional or local superiority. So there was still no thought of trying to produce medium armor units or even large numbers of infantry divisions. But her role was still shifting, slowly.
Germany was still providing the heavy lifting power in this war, and likely always would.
The German perimeter had finally expanded outward, led by one division of Panzer IVs each to the northwest and southwest.
This was a great sign. There was worry that the Germans wouldn’t be able to push out of the pocket, either because of resistance from the outside, or lack of additional pressure from reinforcements on the inside. I’m encouraged to see that there are now 3 medium armor divisions in Scotland, whereas there was only one at the beginning of April.
Now, in May – perhaps 2 months after most of our troops have seen combat – it’s time to get back into the game. Time to make our next move. We load onto our transports in Lisbon Harbor…
We set sail for our target…
On the 7th, as we approach the western coast of Eire, we are nearly intercepted! Any British Royal Navy force here, in practically home waters, is sure to be strong, which means they could destroy us, utterly. One of the most dangerous parts of this whole operation is that NRP Vila Nova de Gaia has not taken time to appreciably repair her battle damage from Australia. She is not in danger of sinking, but structurally and operationally she is barely serviceable, and she would not do well in combat if it came upon her.
Fortunately, the British pass by, unawares. British naval air reconnaissance is apparently lacking, too, as we are not discovered. They are probably more than a little occupied by the invasion of the Germans in Scotland.
The 22nd Division lands at Larne, on the northeastern corner of Northern Ireland. From Belfast, the 4th Royal Infantry immediately reacts to this incursion, and the light 22nd is automatically at a disadvantage.
We also mount an invasion of western Scotland, in an attempt to help the Germans cut off any British units in the north, and to generally add to the heft of the Axis invasion there. We land at Glasgow, and some of the surrounding territory. A secondary target, here, was the metal and rare materials mines near Glasgow.
The problem, which causes some urgency, is that Glasgow has no port, and so we must be quick to either capture a port to the south, or link up with the Germans, and/or capture the port at Rosyth on the North Sea coast before the Germans do.
The Germans, thankfully for our needs, aren’t moving very quickly toward Rosyth (that port looks to me like it’s at Rosyth, not Edinburgh, though it’s hard to tell). However, they have mounted a reasonably serious northern drive, catching a British division up against the Atlantic Coast.
We are cheered to note that the Germans now have at least 4 Panzer IV divisions (medium tanks) in Scotland. If they can keep them supplied with fuel – with our help, through trades – they can muscle the Scots and British out of the north!
The 1st Corps, which is stretched across the North Channel, is managing the movement inland. The 2nd Cavalry leads the way in the north, from Dunbar, while the 29th stretches its legs toward Edinburgh.
On the 8th alarms sounded aboard the fleet as a British ships was sighted nearing them, but it was quickly determined to be a fleeing British merchantman. Our forces were busy, and did not pay a whole lot of attention to catching up with him.
After all of this, on the 9th of May, our transport fleet leaves the dangerous waters of the Irish Channel and heads for home, where we will pick up more reinforcements for the war in the British Isles.
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de-lurking....
Been following for a long time, nice move - very opportunistic, but somewhat justifiable given that the Italians did the same to you at Alexandria. I would love to know how that went down with the Germans?
Been following for a long time, nice move - very opportunistic, but somewhat justifiable given that the Italians did the same to you at Alexandria. I would love to know how that went down with the Germans?
Welcome, Beakmiester! You're right... my invasion might be misconstrued as an attempt to grab all the marbles, and maybe they wouldn't feel so great about that. In reality, I doubted their ability to capture the British Isles on their own.... ...which maybe they might not feel so great about either.
But if they have hard feelings, it's tough -- they need to focus on getting their OWN tanks pointed in the right direction! Thanks for saying hi!
Rensslaer