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Been a while since I posted here...
Last Christmas I took a break from writing this AAR, and when it was over, I just couldn't get back to the game. I lost interest, as beating AI countries became too easy.
But I hate leaving things unfinished, even if I'm not very good at getting them completely done (a bad trait, I know). This AAR wouldn't leave me in peace, lying somewhere in my head and gnawing at the back of my mind. Since HoI4 is starting to loom over the horizon, I decided to get it finished properly.
================
Last time we left off with a beachhead secured in the UK. When more mobile forced were delivered, I was able to cut east England off from the rest of the country. The British put up fierce resistance around London, which lasted until the city was surrounded. Once the scene was cleaned, I pushed north. I did not encounter any more significant obstacles until Scapa Flow.
In the meantime, the US dropped a sizeable force in the far east. Unfortunately, the AI didn't register the only port there was level 1, so the units rapidly went OOS and were later pushed out to Sakhalin. An American fleet parked there prevented me from reaching them, though. This force stayed there until the end of the game, never posing a real threat again.
Once I took enough VPs from the UK, it surrendered, though only to the Japanese. Maybe it's an issue with war goals - earlier, I'd tag switched for a second and added demands for the Singapore area and British Indonesia colonies; Japan only occupied India, but not the territories in SE Asia and I was afraid these would remain British, which really wouldn't make any sense.
In preparation for the invasion of the US, and to get some more IC, which I felt I was lacking a bit, I decided to annex Spain. For this purpose, I placed my forces at the northern border and in Gibraltar.
Even so, the campaign was rather slow-paced due to the abundance of rough terrain.
A significant number of British units made it to Scapa flow, which also became UK's capital. Unable to starve them to death, I had to wait several months for my marine divisions to finish training. Five of them proved way too little to crack the British defence, so I resorted to the most powerful cheat in this game and fell back, allowing the Britons to take some ground on the main island. Most of their units then had their retreat cut off and were destroyed.
Unfortunately, taking Scapa wasn't enough to force the UK to surrender (they got their Indian possessions back after the peace deal with Japan), so I figured I'd have to take a trip to India, which required going through the Mediterranean. When I secured the Suez Canal though, I realised I don't really need the UK to surrender completely, I just need them to not get in the way, so I didn't go any further.
At this point I'd stopped playing. Later I moved to a new hard drive and lost some screenshots in the process, so sadly I can't show you the end of the UK campaign, Spain, the sweep of the Mediterranean, and preparations for the invasion of the US.
The landing is where we'll pick up next.
Last Christmas I took a break from writing this AAR, and when it was over, I just couldn't get back to the game. I lost interest, as beating AI countries became too easy.
But I hate leaving things unfinished, even if I'm not very good at getting them completely done (a bad trait, I know). This AAR wouldn't leave me in peace, lying somewhere in my head and gnawing at the back of my mind. Since HoI4 is starting to loom over the horizon, I decided to get it finished properly.
================
Chapter 3: The West
Part 4: Save loaded
Part 4: Save loaded
Last time we left off with a beachhead secured in the UK. When more mobile forced were delivered, I was able to cut east England off from the rest of the country. The British put up fierce resistance around London, which lasted until the city was surrounded. Once the scene was cleaned, I pushed north. I did not encounter any more significant obstacles until Scapa Flow.
In the meantime, the US dropped a sizeable force in the far east. Unfortunately, the AI didn't register the only port there was level 1, so the units rapidly went OOS and were later pushed out to Sakhalin. An American fleet parked there prevented me from reaching them, though. This force stayed there until the end of the game, never posing a real threat again.
Once I took enough VPs from the UK, it surrendered, though only to the Japanese. Maybe it's an issue with war goals - earlier, I'd tag switched for a second and added demands for the Singapore area and British Indonesia colonies; Japan only occupied India, but not the territories in SE Asia and I was afraid these would remain British, which really wouldn't make any sense.
In preparation for the invasion of the US, and to get some more IC, which I felt I was lacking a bit, I decided to annex Spain. For this purpose, I placed my forces at the northern border and in Gibraltar.
Even so, the campaign was rather slow-paced due to the abundance of rough terrain.
A significant number of British units made it to Scapa flow, which also became UK's capital. Unable to starve them to death, I had to wait several months for my marine divisions to finish training. Five of them proved way too little to crack the British defence, so I resorted to the most powerful cheat in this game and fell back, allowing the Britons to take some ground on the main island. Most of their units then had their retreat cut off and were destroyed.
Unfortunately, taking Scapa wasn't enough to force the UK to surrender (they got their Indian possessions back after the peace deal with Japan), so I figured I'd have to take a trip to India, which required going through the Mediterranean. When I secured the Suez Canal though, I realised I don't really need the UK to surrender completely, I just need them to not get in the way, so I didn't go any further.
At this point I'd stopped playing. Later I moved to a new hard drive and lost some screenshots in the process, so sadly I can't show you the end of the UK campaign, Spain, the sweep of the Mediterranean, and preparations for the invasion of the US.
The landing is where we'll pick up next.
Man, aren't you an impatient one, Ikar. 
Don't worry, I am getting it done this time...
================
I used Greenland to hop and take the British port of St. John's, which became my main naval base during the invasion. After a beachhead was secured, ground troops were shipped directly to the USA from Europe.
In this initial stage, the US Navy was an extremely tough opponent. My carrier fleets were getting de-orged even by SAGs, while my CAGs seemed unable to score a single hit. As a result, the Americans sunk one of my carriers and a number of smaller vessels. The AI being AI, though, it failed completely at preventing me from landing on American soil.
Once I reached New York, I decided to stop going further south, established a line from the coast to Lake Ontario and cleared my rear from any US troops. Sadly, most of those units were not destroyed, but escaped through the border to Canada.
I took some time to reposition my units, particularly my mountain corps - at long last they'd get the chance to do some actual fighting in terrain they specialised in.
As could be expected, the units on the plains moved swiftly, while battles in the mountains dragged on, which led to pockets forming in the Appalachians. My troops in the south moved quicker than those in the north, partly due to the US keeping a large stack right outside Washington, which made the rest of the flank weaker.
The taking of Norfolk resulted in a massive naval battle, although losses were surprisingly light on the US side.
As a matter of fact, the advance along the Appalachians was the end of organised US defence. It was actually meant to be a two-stage operation; first - reach the Norfolk-Great Lakes line, stabilise it, reorganise, and only then start moving again. But there was no point; somewhere around Washington the US Army ceased to exist, and the units returning from Canada were later eliminated as they were arriving.
Now that the US were occupied with me, the Japanese managed to make something of a comeback in the Pacific, even though their fleet had essentially been sunk a long time ago. Last time I checked, they were building five new battleships, though, so I guess there still (or again) is some Imperial Japanese Navy to speak of.
The US is a big place. Securing all that space personally would've been a chore, so to make things easier, I built myself fifty militia brigades and put them under AI control. Worked like a charm.
At this point, America was close to breaking. A few more amphibious landings, and with the taking of Dallas...
...it was over. All it took was 34 divisions.
I was going to end the AAR here, but the thought of loose ends was really getting under my skin, so there will still be one more update tomorrow.
Don't worry, I am getting it done this time...================
Chapter 3: The West
Part 5: Hot dogs vs kiełbasa
Part 5: Hot dogs vs kiełbasa
I used Greenland to hop and take the British port of St. John's, which became my main naval base during the invasion. After a beachhead was secured, ground troops were shipped directly to the USA from Europe.
In this initial stage, the US Navy was an extremely tough opponent. My carrier fleets were getting de-orged even by SAGs, while my CAGs seemed unable to score a single hit. As a result, the Americans sunk one of my carriers and a number of smaller vessels. The AI being AI, though, it failed completely at preventing me from landing on American soil.
Once I reached New York, I decided to stop going further south, established a line from the coast to Lake Ontario and cleared my rear from any US troops. Sadly, most of those units were not destroyed, but escaped through the border to Canada.
I took some time to reposition my units, particularly my mountain corps - at long last they'd get the chance to do some actual fighting in terrain they specialised in.
As could be expected, the units on the plains moved swiftly, while battles in the mountains dragged on, which led to pockets forming in the Appalachians. My troops in the south moved quicker than those in the north, partly due to the US keeping a large stack right outside Washington, which made the rest of the flank weaker.
The taking of Norfolk resulted in a massive naval battle, although losses were surprisingly light on the US side.
As a matter of fact, the advance along the Appalachians was the end of organised US defence. It was actually meant to be a two-stage operation; first - reach the Norfolk-Great Lakes line, stabilise it, reorganise, and only then start moving again. But there was no point; somewhere around Washington the US Army ceased to exist, and the units returning from Canada were later eliminated as they were arriving.
Now that the US were occupied with me, the Japanese managed to make something of a comeback in the Pacific, even though their fleet had essentially been sunk a long time ago. Last time I checked, they were building five new battleships, though, so I guess there still (or again) is some Imperial Japanese Navy to speak of.
The US is a big place. Securing all that space personally would've been a chore, so to make things easier, I built myself fifty militia brigades and put them under AI control. Worked like a charm.
At this point, America was close to breaking. A few more amphibious landings, and with the taking of Dallas...
...it was over. All it took was 34 divisions.
I was going to end the AAR here, but the thought of loose ends was really getting under my skin, so there will still be one more update tomorrow.
Thanks, guys.
===============
After I pulled my forces out from the USA, I cleared out the Caribbean islands that remained in Allied hands, for the sake of thoroughness. The Netherlands have a surprisingly large navy for such a small country…
Like I mentioned last time, I was going to end the AAR after defeating the USA. But then, there were the British. Thinking they had escaped me. Thinking themselves safe in their faraway colony. Swimming in the riches of their empire's crown jewel, bathing in the sun, munching on dates. Oh no, your Royal Highness. I have not forgotten about you…
Due to the significant distance, I had to hop from one port to another before my transports were finally in range of Indian ports. I was going to use the island of Socotra as my staging point, but it turned out it only had a level 1 port. Here, the ready-made harbours I originally made for the invasion of the US came in handy. I popped them on the coasts of Yemen and British Somaliland, and within a few days I had enough supply transfer capacity to support two transport fleets and two corps of infantry.
Although it made little sense now (there'd been much bigger operations that deserved it more), I couldn't resist making that little ordre de bataille. If just felt so professional, like on Discovery Channel or something...
Karachi was the only Indian port within my range, so I had to start there. But it wasn't a bad thing, as it'd make a good base of operations thanks to its relatively large harbour.
With Karachi taken, I could now reach other coastal cities in India, most of which also happen to be VPs. On their way to Mumbai, the 5th Fleet encountered... a German U-boat.
It has been seven years. GERMANY WAS DEFEATED SEVEN YEARS AGO. These guys are the naval equivalent of that Japanese soldier who only surrendered in the 70s...
Either way, Mumbai was taken without a fuss; I can't even remember if it was defended at all.
The next objective wa... uh. What? Already? Oh, come on! I was just getting ready to prep my paratrooper corps for a drop on an inland VP, and you're surrendering on me? This is my last game of HoI3, I never got to use paratroopers before and I'm never getting a chance again! (before HoI4, at least)
Turns out Rangoon is defended by the People's Liberation Army. That's something new...
Back in the USA, I was quietly hoping that the Japanese would land on west coast while I was fighting in the east. That didn't happen, but now another opportunity for cooperation presented itself. As a matter of fact, I was content to just watch Japan take all of Australia by itself, but the samurai apparently got bogged down at some point, so I had to intervene.
Using Ceylon as a springboard, I delivered a small force to the one Australian port I could reach, the name of which eludes me, I'm afraid, and worked my way south from there. Also north, as I took Darwin. Probably spurred by the spirit of competition, the Japanese got a move on again and took the last Australian capital.
The Allies STILL refused to fully surrender. There still was one country holding out, even if by a thread.
Belgium, and its possessions in Congo.
The forces I could deploy were extremely limited due to the size of ports I had available. Only one level 1 and one level 2 harbour were close enough, in a small colony I inherited after the annexation of Spain. To make matters worse, the Belgians had a fleet stationed in their province, so I couldn't just send undefended transports in.
Maybe I didn't need my entire 4th Fleet there, maybe I should've just attached one or two cruisers to the transports. I don't know. But back then, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry, so I rebased a cruiser fleet and 4 transports carrying one marine division to Africa. I thought it'd be enough to beat a single, outdated Belgian garrison, especially with the cruisers' supporting fire. I certainly didn't expect two divisions, which may very well have been regular infantry.
Belgians were the nation that fought the hardest and the most tenaciously among the Allies. If, at long last, Poland had to lose a battle, it is most fitting that she lost to them.
So this is it, time's out. Earth did not become Polandball, but that wasn't the goal. All major powers are on their knees. The Nerd Rage is spent, and Poland will now return home, safe in the knowledge that all bullies will think very carefully before picking on the eyeglasses kid again...
Well, all major powers except Japan. But Poland has no beef with the Land of Blooming Cherry. Japan remained neutral, or even helpful at times, like this guy who always stays out of everything and doesn't cause you trouble (probably another nerd), so it gets to keep its empire. Nothing like fighting a common enemy...
===============
Chapter 3: The West (East, South, Equator, and other places)
Part 6: Chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie. Say it!
Part 6: Chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie. Say it!
After I pulled my forces out from the USA, I cleared out the Caribbean islands that remained in Allied hands, for the sake of thoroughness. The Netherlands have a surprisingly large navy for such a small country…
Like I mentioned last time, I was going to end the AAR after defeating the USA. But then, there were the British. Thinking they had escaped me. Thinking themselves safe in their faraway colony. Swimming in the riches of their empire's crown jewel, bathing in the sun, munching on dates. Oh no, your Royal Highness. I have not forgotten about you…
Due to the significant distance, I had to hop from one port to another before my transports were finally in range of Indian ports. I was going to use the island of Socotra as my staging point, but it turned out it only had a level 1 port. Here, the ready-made harbours I originally made for the invasion of the US came in handy. I popped them on the coasts of Yemen and British Somaliland, and within a few days I had enough supply transfer capacity to support two transport fleets and two corps of infantry.
Although it made little sense now (there'd been much bigger operations that deserved it more), I couldn't resist making that little ordre de bataille. If just felt so professional, like on Discovery Channel or something...
Karachi was the only Indian port within my range, so I had to start there. But it wasn't a bad thing, as it'd make a good base of operations thanks to its relatively large harbour.
With Karachi taken, I could now reach other coastal cities in India, most of which also happen to be VPs. On their way to Mumbai, the 5th Fleet encountered... a German U-boat.
It has been seven years. GERMANY WAS DEFEATED SEVEN YEARS AGO. These guys are the naval equivalent of that Japanese soldier who only surrendered in the 70s...
Either way, Mumbai was taken without a fuss; I can't even remember if it was defended at all.
The next objective wa... uh. What? Already? Oh, come on! I was just getting ready to prep my paratrooper corps for a drop on an inland VP, and you're surrendering on me? This is my last game of HoI3, I never got to use paratroopers before and I'm never getting a chance again! (before HoI4, at least)
Turns out Rangoon is defended by the People's Liberation Army. That's something new...
Back in the USA, I was quietly hoping that the Japanese would land on west coast while I was fighting in the east. That didn't happen, but now another opportunity for cooperation presented itself. As a matter of fact, I was content to just watch Japan take all of Australia by itself, but the samurai apparently got bogged down at some point, so I had to intervene.
Using Ceylon as a springboard, I delivered a small force to the one Australian port I could reach, the name of which eludes me, I'm afraid, and worked my way south from there. Also north, as I took Darwin. Probably spurred by the spirit of competition, the Japanese got a move on again and took the last Australian capital.
The Allies STILL refused to fully surrender. There still was one country holding out, even if by a thread.
Belgium, and its possessions in Congo.
The forces I could deploy were extremely limited due to the size of ports I had available. Only one level 1 and one level 2 harbour were close enough, in a small colony I inherited after the annexation of Spain. To make matters worse, the Belgians had a fleet stationed in their province, so I couldn't just send undefended transports in.
Maybe I didn't need my entire 4th Fleet there, maybe I should've just attached one or two cruisers to the transports. I don't know. But back then, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry, so I rebased a cruiser fleet and 4 transports carrying one marine division to Africa. I thought it'd be enough to beat a single, outdated Belgian garrison, especially with the cruisers' supporting fire. I certainly didn't expect two divisions, which may very well have been regular infantry.
Belgians were the nation that fought the hardest and the most tenaciously among the Allies. If, at long last, Poland had to lose a battle, it is most fitting that she lost to them.
So this is it, time's out. Earth did not become Polandball, but that wasn't the goal. All major powers are on their knees. The Nerd Rage is spent, and Poland will now return home, safe in the knowledge that all bullies will think very carefully before picking on the eyeglasses kid again...
Well, all major powers except Japan. But Poland has no beef with the Land of Blooming Cherry. Japan remained neutral, or even helpful at times, like this guy who always stays out of everything and doesn't cause you trouble (probably another nerd), so it gets to keep its empire. Nothing like fighting a common enemy...
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It's... splendid! Beatiful! Great! Strong! Poland can into space! Gib all your clay to glorius Poland!
And so the winding paths of war converge to their end in a Belgian mudhole in the heart of darkness.
For lessons learned, thanks.
For lessons learned, thanks.