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unmerged(2463)

Sergeant
Mar 29, 2001
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STAYING NEUTRAL IS NO OPTION - a Swiss Mini-AAR

Settings: HOI 1.01, Hard/Normal, Fog of War = On, Swiss War Entry = 100 %


January 1, 1936

General Overview
The situation looks bad, really bad. Switzerland has some resources, but they are barely enough to keep the army supplied. Manpower is ok. Technology is ok. The Swiss army is equipped with light mortars and is specialized in mountain warfare. The knowledge of the 70mm field artillery is there but none were produced so far. The army consists of
6 infantry div
3 mountain div
1 tactical bomber squad

They are led by competent leaders, especially Field Marshall Guisan and General Wille (a genius in defensive operations, winter warfare, engineering and deceiveing the enemy!).

Surrounding Switzerland are France (allied with UK), Germany (axis), Italy (neutral) and Austria (neutral).
All of the first three nations are a constant threat to the existence of Switzerland! Having not enough resources to conscript more troops or to advance in technology, Switzerland can only wait and hope...
... or take it's only chance: by attacking Austria
After Austria there will be other targets, but let's take step by step :cool:

February 1, 1936

After debating on the described emergency situation, all political parties have agreed to declare war on Austria.
The following days see some fierce fighting around Bregenz, the Austrian forces rapidly reinforcing their single inf div garissoned there. The numbers are about equal on both sides, but heavy snowfalls hinder all offensive maneouvres. Only after the sun will shine again, the outcome will be visible. To make it short: They take a devastating defeat and are on the run!

March 16, 1936

Vienna is taken and whole Austria annexed.
After such an easy war, the generals are eager to push forward. Their next target: Hungary.
Meanwhile, the Swiss Army High Command orders to prepare 1 cav div and 2 mtn div, all with the brand new 70mm field artillery equipped.

April 4, 1936

Hungary is declared war on. At first there are only 6 inf div visible. After some days, the Hungarians throw all their forces to the frontline. They have now 9 div against our 9 div. Given these odds, our superior troops should be able to decide the battles for our good. But there is one problem: The Hungarian Air Fleet. Their planes are surprisingly strong and make our nice bombers useless.

May 9, 1936

But despite this advantage, the Swiss Army prevails. After heavy fighting (the Hungarian Infantry literally fought to their death :eek: ) we gain the upper hand and Hungary is annexed.

Switzerland is now larger, but not stronger. With the new resources coming from Austria and Hungary, some new technologies are researched (20mm anti-air), and the first armored vehicles and fighter airplanes ordered.

Summer and Autumn, 1936

Nothing special happens during this time. None of our big neighbours have taken aggressive steps against us.
Our new neighbours are Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. Romania and Yugoslavia have 10 to 20 inf div and a good air force. The Czech have lots of tanks and strong field fortifications but no air force is visible. It is clear that, whatever step is taken now, it won't be as easy as before...

December 7, 1936

The target was chosen: Czechoslovakia. The strategy goes as follows. The main attack will be launched at Bratislava and from there further to Slavkov, Praha and Plzen. The Czech forts in the hills of Neuhaus and Winterberg are to be avoided. A weak defensive line is established from Salzburg via Wien to Szombathely.

The war starts and the strategy proves to be good. The Czech army outnumbers the Swiss by about 2:1. But they make one error. Some of their forces are waiting in the forts and are not willing to attack the advancing Swiss Army in the open field. But this is not the only problem the Czech have: Having no air force, the only thing they can see in the skies are the Swiss bombers raining death on them (fortunatly for the Czech, the Swiss Air Force often can't find the target because of heavy snowfalls in the region *again* :( ).

The better organized troops under Field Marshall Guisan are finally able to secure Bratislava, Slavkov, Praha and Plzen. But the Czech don't surrender!? :confused: Why not?
After careful examination of the situation, General Wille finds the reason: While the Swiss were attacking the capital of Czechoslovakia, a mixed army of infantry and armors conquered nearly all Hungarian provinces and the Czech are still thinking they could win the war.
Convincing them of the opposite, the best Swiss troops march in direction of Budapest and defeat the Czech army in the region. The weaker Swiss troops in the north are attacked several times by strong Czech forces, but the newly formed high-mobile Swiss cavalry unit rushes from hot spot to hot spot and turns the tide of the battles.

February 1, 1937

The Czech government resigns and the former Czech territories belong now to the grown Swiss Confederation! :D

May 23, 1937

The fall of Czechoslovakia strenghened Switzerland considerably. We have now all the resources we need to operate at full capacity (102 IC by now!), manpower is still at 250, research is making progress nicely (Inf Gun 30mm developed, early tank prototypes researching), and some new units have joined the ranks of the Swiss Army now listing:
6 inf div
3 mtn div
3 mtn div with artillery
1 cav div with artillery
1 arm div with artillery (+1 in production)
1 tactical bomber squad
1 fighter squad


What will come next? Only time will tell... :cool:


SCH_MAY_37.jpg

Switzerland in May 1937
 
Wasn't democracies supposed to have a hard time DoWing people? Or what political faction is Switzerland?

Else you seem on the roll, and I'd suggest taking out Italy before they have time to join the axis. Else march towards China :D
 
You need a war entry score of 100 % as a democracy, and you start as democratic. Maybe a coup succeeded? :confused:

And look at all that oil!! :eek:
 
Thanks for the comments!

about ORG levels
The Swiss Army has only moderate levels (35 for inf, 50 for mtn)

about Democracy, DOW and War Entry Level
Switzerland is a democracy with a centrist government. As a democracy you can only declare war on other countries when your war entry level rises to 100% (or -100%). To avoid a boring (historical, though) "hands-off" game, I changed the war entry level to 100%.

about territorial claims of Germany on Switzerland
SCH_DIPL_MAY37.jpg

As you can see in the screenshot, Germany still has claims on the Austrian provinces and the Sudetenland. Until now, Germany hasn't demanded these lands. Of course, the Swiss would never give up these lands without a good fight!

about joining axis or allies
I don't think entering either alliance is a wise step at this moment. The strategy is to stay neutral as long as possible and to prepare for the final showdown with the major powers later on.
BTW, Germany is allied with Nationalist Spain. The war entry levels of UK and France are between 56% and 68%.

about the next target
The big neighbours Italy, France and Germany all play in a very different kind of league. Waging war on them would be plain suicide. Did you see the 20 Italian divs on their northern border? :eek:
Poland is not that strong, but still very big and I don't underestimate them.
This leaves us with Yugoslavia and Romania. They appear to be tough nuts, though. Near the Swiss borders they have massed 16 divs (Yugosl.), resp. 22 divs (Romania), both including air fleets. The Swiss Army has only 14 divs by now.
It's a big risk to attack one of them now. Everything could be lost, but if the Swiss win, they will be stronger again than before...
Waiting would be an option. In the end of July the 2nd Panzer div joins active duty. The 2nd generation of tanks will be available not until 1939.
I'm favoring an attack on Yugoslavia in July 1937. They appear slightly weaker than Romania and I have no oil shortage at the moment (producing 22 oil each day). What bothers me are the already high war entry levels of the allied nations (up to 68%).
 
L'effaceur,

Switzerland conquering Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia in just over a year is either an example of HOI's humdrum AI (which I think, I think, has been mentioned before) on par with Romanian annexation of the Soviet Union or definitive proof that Charles of Burgundy has arisen to command the armies of the central powers. :D

Whatever the case may be, good show.

I'll be reading.
 
STAYING NEUTRAL IS NO OPTION - PART II: The Fall of Yugoslavia

Summer, 1937

The next target is identified as Yugoslavia. Yet, it is decided to postpone the attack, until the 2nd Panzer div is ready for action.
The Swiss industry is shifting it's spare resources into research. During this summer, the army is being equipped with 30mm anti-air guns and a new 20mm tank gun is developed.
Swiss scientists are beginning intensive studies on a mighty 90mm field artillery and a revolutionary motorized warfare doctrine. Progress is being made on the new basic tank models, too.

September 13, 1937

Finally, the panzers are ready and Yugoslavia is now in a state of war with Switzerland. The troops are in position for an attack. The setup on both sides of the border hasn't changed since May (see the screenshot from May '37).
The main force under Marshall Guisan is stationed in Szeged: 7 divisions, including both panzer divs, the cav div and 3 regular inf divs. General Wille is located in the hills of Klagenfurt, under his command are the 3 elite Mountain divs with artillery support and an additional 2 divs on his flanks to support an attack on Slovenia (forgot the correct province name), if an opportunity should arise. The rest of the army is in defensive positions between these two large forces.

The first move is made by the Yugos: About 4 divs are marching in direction of Pecs, where a single Swiss div is holding the line. Field Marshall Guisan orders a part of his army (2divs) to reinforce Pecs and to begin the planned attack on Novi Sad with the rest of his army.

September and October, 1937

The Swiss are able to defend Pecs and to conquer Novi Sad on September 15th. In the skies, Yugoslavian airplanes are hunting the feeble Swiss Air Force.
On the western front, General Wille is unwilling to commence the attack as long as the Yugoslavian defenders in Slovenia remain that strong (they are reinforded to 6 divs!).

The plague of the Yugoslavian Air Force is stopped only when Swiss troops march into Beograd and surprise the Yugo airplanes while they are refueling and rearming at the local airfield! :D After the victory at Beograd the only Swiss cavalry unit is dispatched to secure the eastern provinces.

SCH_YUGO2.jpg


Yugoslavia awaits the final blow in September 1937

Field Marshall Guisan now launches an assault on Osijek. Looking at the numbers, 6 Swiss divs + air support vs. 4 Yugo divs, the outcome was a clear victory for our cause.
During october, the Swiss Army isolates the eastern Yugo divs by marching via Sarajevo to Mostar, thus encircling the remaining defenders around Kraljevo.
With their capital and most of their territories in enemy hands, the Yugoslavian governement agrees to a full annexation by Switzerland on October the 18th, 1937.

After the fall of Yugoslavia, the rest of the balkans are widely open for any aggressor to conquer :). Albania, Greece and Bulgaria all don't seem to be a real challenge. Or is it now time to seize Romania's oil once and for all?

to be continued...
 
You should go after Romania's oil.

However Switzerland simply doesn't have the manpower to play with the big boys. German should crush you, with the AI though, you never know.
 
I noticed on your maps that between May and September of 1937 your manpower reserves went from 250 to 280. Isn't 30 points alot for a country as small as Switzerland in 5 months?
 
Take Bulgaria so as to hve more territory to attack Romania from. Then using the Bulgarian sea zone, Build a mighty Swiss navy (I spose you can use yugoslavia 4 that...). It also gives you more area to invade greece from, and you will need a navy to invade greece anyway. So, I suggest, bulgaria, and Albania just for fun, if they aren't in an alliance.
 
END OF THIS AAR

about manpower
The monthly increase was +9.4 at this time. So everything was fine.

about the following targets (already played)
Well, to make it short: I attacked and annexed Bulgaria, Turkey, Persia and Iraq until April 1939 without any problem. Romania fell during summer '39 but only after some bloody battles. It was the first time I lost a whole division...:eek: :D

about future steps
My strategy was to push research to maximum and join the Allies once strong enough. But as I've read today that HOI patch 1.02 is coming soon, I'm closing this AAR (BTW, my first) now. The new patch sounds really good, including some far-reaching improvements.
Perhaps I will redo a Swiss AAR v1.02 later.

I hope it will be very different! ;)


L'effaceur
 
Nice AAR ! Totally impossible ;)

By the way, after the Röstigraben, what will be the next cultural wall in Switzerland ? The Gulaschgraben ?!?!?!? :D