Feedback time, before I settle down to the next play session.
That’s a nice overview of the world (and Iraq & Syria seems like a sore thumb there)
Thanks for the investigation about Sinkiang. I might have misremembered which provinces are the only high infra ones (i.e. Trans Siberian Railway) but can’t be too many provinces away from the border.
The lone Belgian motorized division near Kuala Lumpur seems to have ceased to exist.
I was thinking of making a landing to the next province (Zara) so that it doesn’t have the urban penalty in addition to naval landing penalty but it might be too far away from some of our aerial coverage? Can it be done by relocating some to Tirana? Or the non Blenheim TACs can reach there as well? The MR fighters already can.
Thanks. Re Sinkiang, I'll keep it in mind, but at the moment am simply trying to help the Soviets halt the Japanese advance. But it would do no harm (other than expending a diplomat) to see if they would grant us MA, for possible later use. I
think that Belgian division is in the group of units (under the HQs on the map) highlighted south of KL (with the Cav an Mot brigades), but I'd have to check again next time the game is loaded.
The Air Force Staff will have a look at Zara as an option later, though it is getting a little far away for effective air support given the likely air threat from mainland Italy. It's really fighter cover (of all types) that is crucial.
It would be better if we either knew far more about the composition of mainland italy's defences or had caused them to readjust their forces to protect the front. A bigger assualt on the balkan front seems to be in order in either case. If the landing in Italy or Sicily can be managed, the end of the war in europe will be in sight, if still a year or so away. Germany simply will not have the manpower to push everyone out of italy, contiue pushing hard against russia and keep us pinned in Romania. One will have to give and when it does, we can smash through. That still leaves Japan as a problem. I was hoenstly hoping the US and UK would pose more of an annoyance and distraction to them than this. Yes UK has done better than otl but that's disgustingly easy. The US on the other hand has been rubbish. Thery won't be influencing the pacific for the few few decades post-war, that's for sure.
I still believe that Sicdily is probably our best bet, not only for in-universe reasons (everyone in allied and comintern command will agree to it) but also because it would be useful in taking italy and france, meaning the germans have to protect even more stuff.
Re Italy, Adriatic, Sicily etc: more below in response to other comments, but all options remain open and much will depend on developing circumstances. Definitely agree we need to know more about the area, especially Italian air power (whether its the Adriatic coast, Italy proper or Sicily). Hence that naval recon patrol is a serious near-term possibility.
Japan will prove a tough nut to crack, especially if the US remains docile into the mid-term (we will check out their war-time production priorities at the end of the next monthly reports, as we did for the Soviets this time). And the extent of their advance in Siberia and central Asia means it will take a long time to roll them back, even after their advance is (hopefully) stopped.
This is quite concerning. It seems the Soviet AI is programmed to stpidly continue building infrastructure instead of new military units. I'll leave it for Lord El Pip to give the analysis of how this is all done to make the German player's task ahistorically easy.
I was a bit taken aback at how long it would take for new units to hit the deck - some standard inf divs would have been useful for stemming the blood loss in the east, for a start, let alone offensive units for the future. Still, a lot of the infrastructure related production should indeed be finished in coming months, so hopefully that (plus the boost of the new factories to industrial output) might lead them to construct more useful stuff. We'll check in again perhaps towards the end of the year to see what they're doing.
I believe you should be able to click on Split itself and see which sea zones it connects to in the province window. That can help confirm your intelligence.
Of course! Why didn't I think of that
<palms face> Thanks.
It's not just the Soviet AI... it's all of the AIs. They can't re-prioritize their building queue, which leads to... issues.
Also, something that I didn't learn until reading it in Robert Forczyk's books and was reminded by the jokes about boring tunnels: Churchill devoted serious resources to massive trench digging "tanks" that were glorified construction equipment... basically designed to rebuild the trench system of WWI...
Issues indeed!
Interesting little snippet there, too. Maybe that's behind Britain's dilatory efforts in this ATL.
I know the AI is unable to change the priority by reordering the queue or canceling unnecessary builds, but the AI scripting is _capable_ of telling the AI to change its priorities when it's at war (any major mod does this), which the Soviets have been for quite some time now. The fact that the Soviets are still prioritizing IC and infrastructure is entirely on Paradox and their misguided quest to make life easier for Hitler.
Very much agree. I was really quite taken aback by that production list after ov
er two years of full-on war with the Germans and Japanese!
I'm almost afraid to see what's on the US production queue at this point, after about 8-9 months of war for them.
The Southern offensive continues to go well, despite some pathetic spoiling attempts from Axis units.
Pentatropic organisational structures are 'unconventional', but they seem to be working just fine for Turkey...
STAVKA is still bringing it's units back to the fight. I really do hope this doesn't cost us too many of those cities. Loosing Leningrad in particular would be a large blow to morale, industry, and science.
Turkish intelligence is all over Italy, thanks to some help from a certain butterfly. Also, Luca Brasi really knows how to make an entrance...
I almost feel bad for Fredo, almost.
The situation in Malaysia is pretty dire, but I really don't care much about that... The Japanese almost reaching Afghanistan is more in my wheelhouse. I'm curious to see whether this Turkish-Soviet line is going to hold.
I have to say, I wasn't aware that we were building quite so much industry... (maybe this is meant to simulate the relocation of factories to Siberia and the correlated gap in military production? Then again, there's an event for that, isn't there?). At least, a lot of that stuff will be completed by september.
Split can be invaded from either the Southern Coast of Dalmatia, or the Northern Coast of Dalmatia. If you can pull off a landing there, and link up with the offensive, that would be a great way to get rid of a couple of Axis units, for good.
I look forward to the next steps in the Turkish summer offensive, while I dread the German one,
SkitalecS3
We will crush the Axis hyenas in the south and not relent until we have them in a vice-like grip! The Soviet effort remains in the balance: the hope there is that the AI vs AI fight will help to balance things out. Fredo will I'm sure be perfectly safe fishing in the placid Swiss waters.
Typical 5-year plan inefficiency at work there in Soviet industrial production
I can say that ex-narrative without affecting in-game relations.
Let's hope there more guns and less butter after September! And I hope a landing on the Adriatic coast can be made to work at some point. If nothing else it will be useful practice for future operations. The marines would be withdrawn if/when any pocket was closed off and destroyed, then withdrawn for future operations. Rather like the American and British paratroops after D-Day in OTL.
I am in favor of the Split landing but it needs to be done quick. As things are going the main front will be pushing the Axis back into Split in about two weeks. At that point I don't see a lot to gain by using the amphibious capacity where it wouldn't open a sector behind the main lines. I would also be lookig to get my right anchored along the Sava River and press up as far as I can towards Trieste. I know reaching Trieste is unrealistic, but everything gained now while the line is broken is that much less we have to take later.
I have to admit I am not a fan of Sicily. I feel it tends to draw you into a long slog along the whole length of Italy. I much prefer either taking Saardinia and Corsica then going into Tuscany or in our case once we have the east coast of the Adriatic secured a landing near Ravenna.
Good point re timing for a Split landing. Too soon though and they risk being a bridge too far; too late and, as you say, the opportunity may slip away. Though another
could open later even if that one is missed.
Agree re driving as far as possible towards the Italian border. And it will be liberating the occupied land of the Glorious Union, too. As discussed previously, I'm interested in gaining a land approach to northern Italy. Which then leads to those other opportunities for a second (if the shorter term op comes off) amphibious land, perhaps on the Italian peninsula itself, as you suggest. I'd be dubious about Sardinia or Corsica as Turkey (small and antiquated fleet; limited air power and difficulty of sustaining and protecting supply lines all the way around there, compared to Britain), but somewhere on the Italian Adriatic coast, in reach of air cover (say from Split once it can be secured) is definitely a viable scenario. We'll see what develops. Thanks for these very useful comments - they've added a few mid-term options to my planning.
The building of infrastructure isn’t the worst problem (although for industry it’s a bit late to be paying for itself) but building it at places about to be overran by Germans is a problem.
Yes re industry, though you never know - if it takes a long time to tackle Japan after Germany and Italy are (hopefully) liberated by heroic Comintern forces then later comes to Operation Unthinkable vs the Allies (Britain, really) - then that new industry may have time to substantially pay itself off after all!
I've been advocating for an adriatic landing (but to the tip of the heel, otranto) in the past. It's a real short ferry from where we hold.
Any option in Italy will remain open until the decision is refined some time later this year or perhaps early next. There will be a balance between supporting other operations (eg perhaps northern Italy), remaining within air cover range and picking a 'safe' beachhead that can be secured and held against a worst-case strong counter-attack. As I've noted before many a time, we must remember the Glorious Union has nothing like the naval, air and ground forces at its disposal compared to the Allies in 1943 when they were making analogous calculations. And we are already fighting a large-scale war against the full might of the Axis in the Balkans, while the Soviets have yet to get their Steamroller out of reverse and into first gear! Inonu will, as always, be bold but not reckless.
This AAR is very efficient in turning readers into commentators. I dug to find my decade old account for this. It's captivating
Thank you, my friend. Most appreciated.
Kelebek paused in his interogation, took the fedora from the unfortunate's head, put it on, tipped it in the direction of Russia, put it back on the victim and then smashed it (and the head) with a cricket bat.
I and most others arguing for a naval landing seem to desire a few of them in quick succesion, perhaps one behind the main axis line in the balkans before a larger one somewherre in mainland italy. However, if we were to assualt Sicily, I would use it as a base point for attackinjg the south of france and Tuscany as well, rather than using it as the sprining board into southern italy. We can do that as well of course, dpedning on how the italians react. For now its more ensuring they will be reduced to defending their own territory and ever decreasing amounts in the balkans.
All grist for the planners' mill. But unless the Americans prove more active in supporting naval landing objectives than they have proven so far in the war, our plans will have to remain modest and in line with our capability and capacity.
It would be a great thing if we could do this and the sicily push at the same time, and see what happens. Best case is they react poorly and we take both, more probably they over compensate in one area too much so we can take the other, or worst case they smash both invasions with units that were in.going to balkans. So we win in most ccases I think.
Hmm, I'm not so sure. I'd rather do one properly than two at once and lose both. We just don't have the lift capacity and forces to do that much, I suspect, even with coming reinforcements. At least, not both at once. The advantage of Sicily is it can be sealed off and then held easily from Messina. It then provides that springboard to southern Italy or elsewhere (secure ports, air bases, etc).
If you look at my current orbat, the only reserve formations are the marines themselves (not quite a corps' strength, including the Americans and the building Turkish Marine Division). The other few spares were stripped out as an emergency garrison for Romania's eastern border, where the situation remains fragile. Follow-up forces to hold and exploit landings would need to come from those committed to the current Balkan Offensive. Can they be spared without compromising that? Might they be needed to help keep Romania afloat should things deteriorate in its east? All to be considered in the future - which keeps things fluid and interesting, I reckon. Real strategic choices to be made, as always in TTL!
