Home Trending Latest threads New posts Developer diaries

The new Alexander

Jump to latest Follow Reply
  • We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Acropolis, Athens, october 1942

The morale of the greek people was low. Bad news were coming from all over the Mediterannée and the world, from Axis held North Africa to bombed Moscow suburbs. from fallen Lebanon to captured pacific islands. Actions had to be taken. So was the thinking of Arystos Pamphilos, real master of Greece.

He had tough a long time before finding an answer, but it had been worth it. Today he would adress the mass of the citizens for the first time in his life. He would come out of the shadows to bring light in the hearts of the greeks and, over it, to all the peoples fighting the Axis. For, if not formally member of any alliance, the greeks were not fighting alone and his speech would be reported in the whole free world, from Washington to Bombay, from London to Moscow, from Durban to Oslo, from Sidney to Kinshasa. Everywhere, he would be heard.

Like the british prime minister Churchill, he had gone deep in the european culture to get the best piece of writting he could. And he had found Herodote and Thucydide, the greek historians of the war against the Persians and the Spartiates, the narrators of the fights against the evil stranger and the immoral totalitarian regime from the lower Peloponese.

And so Pamphilios text was largely inspired by the "Funerary Oraison of the dead of the first year of the peloponesian war", Thucydide translation of the words of the greatest athenian ever, Pericles himself.

His voice vibrant with emotion, his tone carrying the full might of his conviction, his whole body tense and conscious of the importance of his acts, Pamphilos declared the primauty of freedom and of democracy over everything else. He set abraze the patriotism of those who tought they didn't like their country, he woke up the flammes of courages of the most desesperate men, ... He gave them HEARTS OF IRON ! His speech was mostly for the Greeks, so he spoke of the situation of his country, which could now produce no less than 88 IC, thanks to the massive industrialisation effort the country had gone through. He spoke of the new divisions who were appearing upon the fronts, of some of the newest technological breakthrought, evoking the new machineguns being studied, the research made to learn how to build transport ships so has to go on crusade free the holy lands from the italians, ...

During one full hour, all peoples in Greece kept silent, listening to this new men who promised pain, blood, and ultimate victory. All over the world, the reaction was the same : everybody rose from his seat and roared "FREEDOM !"

Pamphilos gamble had been won : confiance had been restaured !


- :D my disorder level came back to 0 ! :D -
 
Well, it's half past three in the morning here so I say good reading everybody, come back in twelve hour for they may be more of it then !
 
Well, the URSS is not in a very good shape right now. From what I can see, Moscow is close to falling into german hands and Leningrad's not far behing. Yet the campaign in the south, near the romanian border, has been quite difficult for them.

Now, I'll play a little hour before going to bed after a most tiring day. Sorry about that. You'll have to be happy with only one or two updates... Yet I'll try to make them worth the reading :p
 
November 1942

It was a tired Arystos Pamphilos who ordered his aide Nikolaos Aristides to make a summary of the world's situation at the begining of this new month, begining with the greek situation.

- Sir, I'm pleased to tell you the program you lauched to build 5 mountain division is going well, two of the being already completed. The airforce program of five basic medium ranged fighters is also underway yet may prove unable to reppel the Germans assaults... For we think theirs planes are much more advanced, at least from a whole level...
- I know it, but we need to react. Germans are not alone and theirs allies may not be well equiped with latest equipments...
- Yes Sir. Yet the germans are the only one bombing us right now...
- Carry on, Nikolaos...
- Well, the front is still stable and we have two fully ready mountain divisions to help in attacked sectors.
- Hell no ! I have another use for them ! They cost too much to be used as meat for bombers ! Tell me of the Russians.
- As you whish, Sir. The russian beat into a long retreat toward the Dniepr, which was crossed by the Germans in the north. They still old on the from the crimea peninsula to the middle of the front. Moscow and Leningrad are under artillery barages from neighboring provinces. In Finland the russians are progressing slowly, their objective being the anihilation of the Finns. In the far east, they get an hell of a beating under the combined mandchourian and japanese forces. Mongolia has already fallen like the two Chinas before. The Japanese are also marching into Burma where the British try to resist and prevent the fall of India. The Pacific Island are also the theater of lots of fighting, a third of the dutch east indies possessions being in the hands of the japs.
- I see... Tell me about Africa and the middle east...
- Italian. And Vichist. Iraq, Saoudia and Turquey are the new borders of the Duce new roman Empire. But they are lightly guarded if what our navy tells us is true.
- Now that is good news ! Let me tell you a secret Nikolaos. We are going on the offensive. The target is Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. The first trust will comme from our two new divisions, tasked with the capture of the Sinai. Once El-Arish fall, we will have a pocket, sealed from the sea by our two elderly dreadnough and, hopefully, the british fleets present in Cyprus. coming out of Nicosia.
- A most ambitious plan Sir...
- Only dign of Alexander's country Nikolaos, only dign of Alexander's country...
 
December 1942, shore near Haifa

The greek fleet was on high alert. The two war ships and the two transport groups were disbarquing the two mountain division in the empty province of Jerusalem in order to seal the Phenician Pocket. Yet the threat of an attack by the italian fleet could'nt be neglected and the vigies were keeping theirs sharp eyes open... Then a first shell fell in the water, coming from nowhere... Using radar guidance, the 7 italian cruisers began to fire volley after volley of high explosive shells... The captains of the two dreadnough did'nt have have to do anything : in less thant 30 seconds their ships were crippled and had to be abandoned... The transports were hit hard too and had to retreat before the landing could take place... Only one transport squadron would be able to escape the italian trap, carrying the two divisions home safely...

On another coast, in another country, an other amphibious assault took place. It was the british answer to Pamphilos' speech. The brits were able to land and capture some ground near Cherbourg. But the germans panzer were not far and quickly dispatched the incoming forces who were thrown back into the sea. In Russia, the central front collapsed and a new defensive line was build uppon the Don river... But Moscow and Leningrad continued to hold the germans hordes back... during all this, the japanese continued to gain new territories on all fronts, yet slower than before...
 
Tirana, headquarter of Field Marshall Papagos, January 44

A day without any bombings. A week without bombings. His man had forgotten what it was like. And now here it was, with the constant patrols of the 5 multirole fighters of the RGAF, the Royal Greek Air Force. Something quite incredible ! And the others news too... What a rich year 43 had been with the failed assault of april, a small scale replay of the failed december 42 one. And the two italians assault on Tirana, where his twelve demoralised divisions fought against 13 crack italian divisions... The June land offensive in Alleppo too, and the wonderful string of great victories achieved by the 5 mountain infantry divisions helped by the RGAF fighters... The complete loss of the 4th montain division being the only setback of a briliant campaign giving all of Syria, Lebanon and Israel to the Greeks... THe only stain on the greeks 44 war account was the loss of Chalkis to the romanians...

44 had also been the year of the second great economical rececion with economy going down to 44 IC...

On other fronts, 44 had been the year of germany's greatest victories in Russia : fall of Moscow, capture of all the southern lands as far as Baku, ... But now everything was going to change for Germany now that her japanese allies had declared war on the USA... It was rumored that a most powerfull bomb had leveled the whole city of Saarbruken... Difficult to believe, but if so what a power ! And in Africa, Egypt was back in English hands, the soldiers of the Empire having fought all the way from south Africa to the Mediterranean Sea, pulling the italians in front of them....

For sure world's victory was close at hands...

Papagos returned to his maps and began to look for an opportunity to gain some terrain... With the 2 new armies recently build, they could plan some real offensive
 
Tirana, june 45

Field Marshall Papagos was very nervous. Today, he must receive Arystos Pamphilos. And with the germans having resumed theirs bombings, it wasn't a very pleasant thought... Yet he had good news for his de facto commander in chief. For the past 6 month had seen more land grabing than all the 5 firsts month of the war. Those montain infantery divisions were proving themselves unvaluable. The listing of their actions was incredible. After the conquest of the Holy Lands, they had tried to take Rhodos, succesless. Then they had taken Chalkis back from 7 romanians divisions, with the help of 2 standart armies. After that, it had been the 11 divisions attack upon Plovdiv which they had sparheaded, first action of the fresh division build to remplace the one lost in the sands of Syria. Seing an opportunity, they had taken nearby Ruse in the same movement and repulsed two light counter attacks. Then, in february, when the front was secured, they had taken Dobrich before destroying the 9 romanian divisions trapped in Varna in April. They had then relocated to a lauch position for a massive assault on Skopje where 13 divisions waited for the elite forces and the 2 conventional armies thrown in the conquest. By early June, they had taken Pristina too, shortening the lines and relieving some of the pressure on Tirana. That was the good news he had for Pamphilos. On the other hand, blood had been shed on both sides, and they were no new recrues to fill the voids... The economy, crying for raw materials, had fallen back to 22 IC... It wasn't enough to suupply the army, and they were no stockpiles... A solution had to be found... and he had none !
 
Pristina, Keitel's command post

Feld Marshall Keitel could'nt understand what his aid told him. His 17 armored, mechanised and infantery divisions pulversised ? Destroyed to the last man? By 11 greek infantery divisions ? Oh yes, their was 1 artillery brigade attached to them but... it was certainly not enough to cause such damages ! And they had lost not a single unit ? What happened in this Skopje province ? All had so well begun, with the retaking of Nis and Pristina, in october... And the heavy bombing should have killed most of them before the fight, should'nt it ? And what of those reports about 16 years old greek soldiers... A mobilisation of the youth ? They could'nt give such a fight, could they ? Reports spoke of even more troops training in Athens, 10 another mountain divisions... Industry send back on tracks at about 40, 50 IC with fluctuation... Logistical and doctrinal breaktrough... This Greek men, Pamphilos, was a real genius ! How could he resist to the panzer where the Russian had not been able to ? How could he win fightings without a single anti-tank brigade ? How could he win without motorized, mechanized or armored division ? And his planes... They were at the levels of the begining of the war. And yet they shoot von Richtoven planes down ! Won in 5 to one fights against the most moderns bombers ! Unbelievable !
 
Well, I'm lucky because the Turks don't get involved in the war. So my flank is VERY exposed. Same is true for my coasts because the AI don't think amphibious assault... But I must confess that these last few month ( july 46-january 47 ) are very, very hard to play. I had to give up Pristina and Nis because of the bitter peace event which has given Germany the possibility to send all of its forces against me. My joker is an ace, a pilot ace : a level 2 air general who rose to level 4 air marshall commands my ten fighters units. Since I can't build forces due to lack of manpower, research got lots of my IC, my troops are not completly fed and clothed. Trade helps too, giving me enough ressources to stay round a minimum of 50 IC ( fluctuating to as far as 120 IC : bulgary was always buildind industries in its provinces and I follow the same policy except on borders ). By researching ONLY infantry and land doctrines ( and basic artillery ), I got quite hight in the tech tree in 42. Since 42, I also research some fighters techs and am now to improved medium range fighters, with 5 produced and the five old basic medium range fighters going to be updated soon.

Now I'll try to take Rhode with my 15 mountain divisions then Bucarest and Ploiesti so as to annex romania, which will remove lots of troops ( mostly milice, but it's always that less... ). My only hope now is to hold on till end game, my fighters inflicting the highest casualities to theirs bombers ( AI loves to produce and repair them ), an efficiant and low manpower cost method to kill all their manpower. Since they launch from time to time an assault upon my fortified lines, they accelerate the processus which will ( hopefully ) bring them down...
 
All was going bad in this month of january 1948. The greek forces had been severly beaten in their attempt to take Bucarest. Of the 12 divisions assigned to the attack, 1 had been lost and loss in the others were of about 90%. The air force, which has recently grown with the addition of 10 basic bombers divisions had suffered 53% casualities. In the same time, forces guarding Dobrich had lost the artillery reinforced division of their army group and a mountain division in Sofia had been anihilated by german bombers using the opportunity left by the operations against Bucarest.

What a bad decision that the one of this attack ! Trying to use the opportunity left by the destructions of the germans armies ( some 300 germans, italians and hungarian land divisions, of which some 50 armored ones ) of Pristina and Podgoritza by the american nuclear bombs, the athenian high command had desequilibred the whole defensive front from Nis ( taken back in december ) to Dobrich, leading to those high losses. The problem was that they were none left to fill the depleted ranks... The air force could be quickly repaired, but the 3 destroyed divisions were irremediably lost... The commander defending Dobrich, general Pantazopoulos, had been charged of high treason and executed for his support to the attack plan, but other, higher, heads were getting closer the the basket...
 
Well. I'm now in late 48, december to be precise. And there is no changes since the begining of the year. I can't attack anywhere since my northern border is massively threathned by the Axis and I've got no navy or naval tech. The Allies don't seems to move except for losing ground in Asia. So I'll terminate this game ( and thus the AAR ) right now. Sorry for all of you who thought I could rebuild the alexandrian empire. I Tried, but they were better than I was. I thanks you for the reading and announce a new AAR, "the hidden son of the knight king" in which I'll try to efficiently defend Belgium. The hidden son of the knight king
 
Oh, you know, Greece is easy to conquer : you just need the capital and Crete. Maybe Thessaloniki too, but I'm not sure. Since Thessaloniki is in plain, she's a much softer nut to crack than the other northern province. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back