-
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.
September 1939 - Poland
August 30, 1939 : The initial assault across the Polish frontier was massively successful. Battles were won within the first day at Czestochowa, Poznan, Bydgoszcz and Suwalki. The Polish navy attempted to stave off the landing in Danzig and quickly lost 5 destroyers when they came within range of the Bismarck's 15" guns. The Royal Navy showed no signs of life yet and no fighters rose to challenge the tactical bombers which raided across the whole of Poland.
September 1, 1939 : On land, we won the fight for Cracow. The panzers continue moving forward. The real news this day was at sea. The Royal Navy showed itself in force. But not before the Luftwaffe learned a valuable lesson. The Naval Bombers in Kiel were ordered to fly naval strike in the channel. They were jumped by the RAF and mauled badly. It would be a while before they were fit for renewed combat.
Before explaining the fights, here was Raeder and Doenitz' plan: The UK tends to keep their battlefleet in Scapa Flow, with few ASW resources. The smaller vessels tend to be kept in the Channel, with few big guns. The strategy used was to mis-match fleets. The KM sent its big guns to the Channel while the U-boats formed a massive wolf-pack in Pentland Firth to catch the home fleet in a torpedo kill zone. Hitler approved this bold strategy, noting the risk from land based air to the channel fleet, but feeling confident that 3 CVs and 8 CLs would be sufficient air cover and AA protection for the surface fleet.
There were two naval battles this day. The first was a small one in the Eastern English Channel which involved the Tirpitz and Grossdeutschland each sinking a destroyer flotilla. The Second was the U-boat trap. The Home fleet sailed from Scapa flow and a huge battle ensued that lasted well into the night. During the day, the casualties were light. During the night, the U-boats closed for the kill, and kill they did! The following ships went to the bottom: HMS Resolution(BB), HMS Royal Oak(BB), HMS Rodney(BB), HMS Renown(BC), HMS Repulse(BC), HMS Dunedin(CL), HMS Cairo(CL), HMS Galathea(CL), HMS Neptune(CL), HMS Orion(CL), 2nd Destroyer Flotilla(DD), 3rd Destroyer Flotilla(DD), 4th Destroyer Flotilla(DD), 1st Destroyer Flotilla(DD). That's right, 3 BB, 2 BC, 5 CL and 4 Destroyer Flotillas all sent to the bottom for the price of many damaged U-boats, but none sunk.
Upon hearing the news, Doenitz immediately contacted the Fuhrer and recommended the commander of the 2.Unterseebootsflotilla for the Iron Cross. This flotilla became the first U-boat ace of the war by sinking the Resolution, Cairo, Dunedin, Orion and two DD flotillas. Hitler approved the medal and personally radioed the commander to congratulate him on his grand success. Bands will be playing when he returns from patrol.
In a more technical conversation, Doenitz relayed to Hitler that the key to this fight appears to have been the inadequate escort. 75 U-boats, all modern Type IX, faced off against 5 CL and 25 DD, all of which(save the Orion) were obsolete designs. Once the screens had been blasted to bits, the juicy capital ships were easy pickings. Doenitz' one regret was that no CVs had been caught. That would have to wait, however, as many U-boat flotilla were severely mauled and in need of serious repairs. The wolfpack set course for Kiel.
September 2, 1939 : Stalin threw a tantrum over being excluded from the spoils in Poland. The Soviet Union broke the non-aggression pact they had with us. Hitler was confident this would not alter his plans. Ribbentrop is not so sure. News from the front today includes victories in Radom, Lodz, Torun, Kielce and Danzig. The Marine landed in Danzig with little trouble.
September 3, 1939 : Today the RAF began raids on our western armies. We have engaged hostile airplanes above Aachen. The results were mixed, as the raiding bombers far outnumbered our 200 defending 109s. The Polish Air Force also came out to play today. The 400 109s assigned to air superiority mauled the Polish air force over Warsaw.
September 5, 1939 : Just in time for the action, our CAGs were upgraded today to He.51b / Hs.123b. (Early CAG) We also won a battle against Poland in Grodno. The panzers continue their march.
September 7, 1939 : We won battles against Poland in Lublin and Warsaw. With the last major pocket of resistance defeated it is only a race to finish the conquest.
September 8, 1939 : The UK Channel Fleet finally decided to test the waters. They sent a small force of DD and CA into action. Our CVs were ineffective due to the weather, but KMS Grossdeutschland sank the 21st Destroyer Flotilla(DD), KMS Tirpitz sank HMS Sussex(CA), and KMS Deutschland sank HMS York(CA). The remaining vessels retreated back to port.
September 9, 1939 : This morning the weather of the Channel cleared. The Royal Navy sallied forth in numbers and a large battle ensued. The UK CV groups managed to damage two light cruisers and KMS Peter Strasser, but the combined force of 3 CAG vs 1 british CV was enough to carry the first round. The CAG from KMS Peter Strasser was credited with sinking HMS Barham(BB). The battle then closed to gunnery range. HMS Valiant(BB) lived up to her name while trying to protect HMS Glorious(CV). It was not enough against two modern BB. HMS Valiant finally sank after taking a salvo of torpedoes from KMS Nurnberg(CL). With Valiant out of the picture, Tirpitz quickly dispatched HMS Despatch(CL) and the old KMS Schlesien(BC) got the kill on HMS Glorious. It seems the Glorious was fated to be sunk by a battlecruiser, just as in real life. A number of KM vessels were seriously damaged in this engagement(including a DD flotilla brought to less than 10 strength) so Raeder ordered a return to port. As the Baltic Flotilla had completed their operation against Danzig, he ordered them to move to the North Sea to replace the KM. He also contacted Hitler with the good news. Two more BB and a CV taken down, but the KM will be out of action while making repairs. Other news on this day included a victory in Przemysl and the arrival of VI. Armygroup in Warsaw.
September 10, 1939 : We won battles against Poland in Lomza, Stryj and Zamosc. The Luftwaffe also returned their naval bombers to action today. They found a damaged HMS Queen Elizabeth(BB) making her way along the UK coast and sent her to the bottom. That makes 6 BB sunk.
September 12, 1939 : Our first Garrison Divisions have been upgraded to Garrison '39. We also defeated the defenders in Lvov, the last VP city in Poland.
September 13, 1939 : Due to continuing RAF raids aimed at Aachen, we improved the Anti-Air batteries in that area. Also, the III. Panzer Corps has arrived in Lvov, securing our last objective.
September 14, 1939 : Today Hitler addressed the World and officially annexed Poland! Privately, he commended Guderian on a job well done. Surely 14 days to conquer Poland would impress that oaf in Rome. He then ordered Guderian to move two Army groups to the Baltic states border and the rest to the Hungarian border. He asked Ribbentrop to prepare an assessment of the political fallout of operation against these two objectives, due by 1 Oct.
September 15, 1939 : Our first tactical bomber wing has been upgraded to Junkers Ju-88.
September 16, 1939 : Great news from the USA today! Congress debated whether to take measures to begin preparing to enter either the war in Europe or Asia. After much debate, they decided that these measures are not needed and as such they will not, yet, begin gearing up for war. Perhaps with Poland done, they think Hitler will now settle down. If so, they think wrong.
September 17, 1939 : The Baltic Fleet engaged the French today in the Westcentral North Sea. It was a quick engagement, with the Bismarck quickly sinking the Dusquesne(CA). Also, the KM ran into HMS Argus(CV) at night on its way back to Kiel. The Tirpitz made short work of her. Scratch a second Flattop!
September 19, 1939 : A major engagement against the French Fleet took place in Dogger Bank today. It began with the Lufwaffe spotting the fleet and engaging while the Baltic Fleet raced to contact. Before the BF got there, the Luftwaffe sank the Lorraine(BB) and damaged a few other ships. It was dark by the time the surface action took place. The Bismarck found and sank the Lamotte-Picquet(CL) while the Schleswig-Holstein sank the Primauguet(CL). After fleeing, the Luftwaffe attacked the straggling French ships and finished off the Colbert(CA). This action resulted in considerable damage to a number of BF ships, so the order was given to return to Kiel for repairs. This left only one remaining group operating in the North Sea, the short ranged submarines.(who had yet to see action)
September 27, 1939 : While patrolling off the Mouth of the Thames, the short range U-boats hit the jackpot. They caught HMS Ramillies(BB) and HMS Hood(BC) without escort trying to slip into port at night. U-boats are at their best at night, and both capital ships were sent to the bottom. 7 UK BB now sunk in the first month of the war thanks to aggressive hunting and taking advantage of mis-matched capabilities. Hitler begins to prepare plans for future amphibious operations in the North Sea.
September 30, 1939 : The RAF continues to pound our forces in the West. Our fighters did well, but have now been removed from the air superiority duty to replace losses. Reports from the front indicate the RAF bomber units have taken heavy losses from our flak batteries as well as the 109s. Hitler, after receiving his report from Ribbentrop, decides to forgo the invasion of the Baltic States. The Soviet Union would surely attack if we made such a move. For all his bluster, Hitler decides not to push the Bear too far, too fast. He orders positions taken for the invasion of Hungary instead. The Balkans, says Hitler, should be a good target for the winter months. We shall see how far we can get before General Winter sets in.
Screenshots attached.
-In the Hungary pic you see my forces arrayed for invasion. Note I am using Engineer Brigades to speed my advances.
-In the KMReich pic you see how damaged the Baltic Fleet is after its time at sea(this is also after sitting in port for a week getting repaired). You can also see the size of the Reich in full.
-Partisans gives you an idea how much unrest there is in Poland even after deploying 7 garrison divisions with MP brigades. You can also see how much I've improved my IC...Berlin has been upgrading non-stop from day 1.
-SovBorder shows why Hitler decided against further aggravation of the Bear. You can also see how much damage one of my Luftflotte had received during its non-stop ground attack runs in Poland.
I'm now caught up with my play, so It'll be a couple days before I'll have another major update. I'll remember to take battle screenies this time.
August 30, 1939 : The initial assault across the Polish frontier was massively successful. Battles were won within the first day at Czestochowa, Poznan, Bydgoszcz and Suwalki. The Polish navy attempted to stave off the landing in Danzig and quickly lost 5 destroyers when they came within range of the Bismarck's 15" guns. The Royal Navy showed no signs of life yet and no fighters rose to challenge the tactical bombers which raided across the whole of Poland.
September 1, 1939 : On land, we won the fight for Cracow. The panzers continue moving forward. The real news this day was at sea. The Royal Navy showed itself in force. But not before the Luftwaffe learned a valuable lesson. The Naval Bombers in Kiel were ordered to fly naval strike in the channel. They were jumped by the RAF and mauled badly. It would be a while before they were fit for renewed combat.
Before explaining the fights, here was Raeder and Doenitz' plan: The UK tends to keep their battlefleet in Scapa Flow, with few ASW resources. The smaller vessels tend to be kept in the Channel, with few big guns. The strategy used was to mis-match fleets. The KM sent its big guns to the Channel while the U-boats formed a massive wolf-pack in Pentland Firth to catch the home fleet in a torpedo kill zone. Hitler approved this bold strategy, noting the risk from land based air to the channel fleet, but feeling confident that 3 CVs and 8 CLs would be sufficient air cover and AA protection for the surface fleet.
There were two naval battles this day. The first was a small one in the Eastern English Channel which involved the Tirpitz and Grossdeutschland each sinking a destroyer flotilla. The Second was the U-boat trap. The Home fleet sailed from Scapa flow and a huge battle ensued that lasted well into the night. During the day, the casualties were light. During the night, the U-boats closed for the kill, and kill they did! The following ships went to the bottom: HMS Resolution(BB), HMS Royal Oak(BB), HMS Rodney(BB), HMS Renown(BC), HMS Repulse(BC), HMS Dunedin(CL), HMS Cairo(CL), HMS Galathea(CL), HMS Neptune(CL), HMS Orion(CL), 2nd Destroyer Flotilla(DD), 3rd Destroyer Flotilla(DD), 4th Destroyer Flotilla(DD), 1st Destroyer Flotilla(DD). That's right, 3 BB, 2 BC, 5 CL and 4 Destroyer Flotillas all sent to the bottom for the price of many damaged U-boats, but none sunk.
Upon hearing the news, Doenitz immediately contacted the Fuhrer and recommended the commander of the 2.Unterseebootsflotilla for the Iron Cross. This flotilla became the first U-boat ace of the war by sinking the Resolution, Cairo, Dunedin, Orion and two DD flotillas. Hitler approved the medal and personally radioed the commander to congratulate him on his grand success. Bands will be playing when he returns from patrol.
In a more technical conversation, Doenitz relayed to Hitler that the key to this fight appears to have been the inadequate escort. 75 U-boats, all modern Type IX, faced off against 5 CL and 25 DD, all of which(save the Orion) were obsolete designs. Once the screens had been blasted to bits, the juicy capital ships were easy pickings. Doenitz' one regret was that no CVs had been caught. That would have to wait, however, as many U-boat flotilla were severely mauled and in need of serious repairs. The wolfpack set course for Kiel.
September 2, 1939 : Stalin threw a tantrum over being excluded from the spoils in Poland. The Soviet Union broke the non-aggression pact they had with us. Hitler was confident this would not alter his plans. Ribbentrop is not so sure. News from the front today includes victories in Radom, Lodz, Torun, Kielce and Danzig. The Marine landed in Danzig with little trouble.
September 3, 1939 : Today the RAF began raids on our western armies. We have engaged hostile airplanes above Aachen. The results were mixed, as the raiding bombers far outnumbered our 200 defending 109s. The Polish Air Force also came out to play today. The 400 109s assigned to air superiority mauled the Polish air force over Warsaw.
September 5, 1939 : Just in time for the action, our CAGs were upgraded today to He.51b / Hs.123b. (Early CAG) We also won a battle against Poland in Grodno. The panzers continue their march.
September 7, 1939 : We won battles against Poland in Lublin and Warsaw. With the last major pocket of resistance defeated it is only a race to finish the conquest.
September 8, 1939 : The UK Channel Fleet finally decided to test the waters. They sent a small force of DD and CA into action. Our CVs were ineffective due to the weather, but KMS Grossdeutschland sank the 21st Destroyer Flotilla(DD), KMS Tirpitz sank HMS Sussex(CA), and KMS Deutschland sank HMS York(CA). The remaining vessels retreated back to port.
September 9, 1939 : This morning the weather of the Channel cleared. The Royal Navy sallied forth in numbers and a large battle ensued. The UK CV groups managed to damage two light cruisers and KMS Peter Strasser, but the combined force of 3 CAG vs 1 british CV was enough to carry the first round. The CAG from KMS Peter Strasser was credited with sinking HMS Barham(BB). The battle then closed to gunnery range. HMS Valiant(BB) lived up to her name while trying to protect HMS Glorious(CV). It was not enough against two modern BB. HMS Valiant finally sank after taking a salvo of torpedoes from KMS Nurnberg(CL). With Valiant out of the picture, Tirpitz quickly dispatched HMS Despatch(CL) and the old KMS Schlesien(BC) got the kill on HMS Glorious. It seems the Glorious was fated to be sunk by a battlecruiser, just as in real life. A number of KM vessels were seriously damaged in this engagement(including a DD flotilla brought to less than 10 strength) so Raeder ordered a return to port. As the Baltic Flotilla had completed their operation against Danzig, he ordered them to move to the North Sea to replace the KM. He also contacted Hitler with the good news. Two more BB and a CV taken down, but the KM will be out of action while making repairs. Other news on this day included a victory in Przemysl and the arrival of VI. Armygroup in Warsaw.
September 10, 1939 : We won battles against Poland in Lomza, Stryj and Zamosc. The Luftwaffe also returned their naval bombers to action today. They found a damaged HMS Queen Elizabeth(BB) making her way along the UK coast and sent her to the bottom. That makes 6 BB sunk.
September 12, 1939 : Our first Garrison Divisions have been upgraded to Garrison '39. We also defeated the defenders in Lvov, the last VP city in Poland.
September 13, 1939 : Due to continuing RAF raids aimed at Aachen, we improved the Anti-Air batteries in that area. Also, the III. Panzer Corps has arrived in Lvov, securing our last objective.
September 14, 1939 : Today Hitler addressed the World and officially annexed Poland! Privately, he commended Guderian on a job well done. Surely 14 days to conquer Poland would impress that oaf in Rome. He then ordered Guderian to move two Army groups to the Baltic states border and the rest to the Hungarian border. He asked Ribbentrop to prepare an assessment of the political fallout of operation against these two objectives, due by 1 Oct.
September 15, 1939 : Our first tactical bomber wing has been upgraded to Junkers Ju-88.
September 16, 1939 : Great news from the USA today! Congress debated whether to take measures to begin preparing to enter either the war in Europe or Asia. After much debate, they decided that these measures are not needed and as such they will not, yet, begin gearing up for war. Perhaps with Poland done, they think Hitler will now settle down. If so, they think wrong.
September 17, 1939 : The Baltic Fleet engaged the French today in the Westcentral North Sea. It was a quick engagement, with the Bismarck quickly sinking the Dusquesne(CA). Also, the KM ran into HMS Argus(CV) at night on its way back to Kiel. The Tirpitz made short work of her. Scratch a second Flattop!
September 19, 1939 : A major engagement against the French Fleet took place in Dogger Bank today. It began with the Lufwaffe spotting the fleet and engaging while the Baltic Fleet raced to contact. Before the BF got there, the Luftwaffe sank the Lorraine(BB) and damaged a few other ships. It was dark by the time the surface action took place. The Bismarck found and sank the Lamotte-Picquet(CL) while the Schleswig-Holstein sank the Primauguet(CL). After fleeing, the Luftwaffe attacked the straggling French ships and finished off the Colbert(CA). This action resulted in considerable damage to a number of BF ships, so the order was given to return to Kiel for repairs. This left only one remaining group operating in the North Sea, the short ranged submarines.(who had yet to see action)
September 27, 1939 : While patrolling off the Mouth of the Thames, the short range U-boats hit the jackpot. They caught HMS Ramillies(BB) and HMS Hood(BC) without escort trying to slip into port at night. U-boats are at their best at night, and both capital ships were sent to the bottom. 7 UK BB now sunk in the first month of the war thanks to aggressive hunting and taking advantage of mis-matched capabilities. Hitler begins to prepare plans for future amphibious operations in the North Sea.
September 30, 1939 : The RAF continues to pound our forces in the West. Our fighters did well, but have now been removed from the air superiority duty to replace losses. Reports from the front indicate the RAF bomber units have taken heavy losses from our flak batteries as well as the 109s. Hitler, after receiving his report from Ribbentrop, decides to forgo the invasion of the Baltic States. The Soviet Union would surely attack if we made such a move. For all his bluster, Hitler decides not to push the Bear too far, too fast. He orders positions taken for the invasion of Hungary instead. The Balkans, says Hitler, should be a good target for the winter months. We shall see how far we can get before General Winter sets in.
Screenshots attached.
-In the Hungary pic you see my forces arrayed for invasion. Note I am using Engineer Brigades to speed my advances.
-In the KMReich pic you see how damaged the Baltic Fleet is after its time at sea(this is also after sitting in port for a week getting repaired). You can also see the size of the Reich in full.
-Partisans gives you an idea how much unrest there is in Poland even after deploying 7 garrison divisions with MP brigades. You can also see how much I've improved my IC...Berlin has been upgrading non-stop from day 1.
-SovBorder shows why Hitler decided against further aggravation of the Bear. You can also see how much damage one of my Luftflotte had received during its non-stop ground attack runs in Poland.
I'm now caught up with my play, so It'll be a couple days before I'll have another major update. I'll remember to take battle screenies this time.
I do not want to overestimate the AI's capability, but isn't it a bit unwise to adopt such an unorthodox attitude towards your U-boats? Surely they can sink half the British fleet if so tightly concentrated, but meanwhile British merchant shipping is untouched. If you can't immediately exploit your gains and pull a Sea Lion out of your sleeve, the Brits should be able to rebuild their navy (btw, what is the current composition of the RN?).
Does anyone else think that the utter defeat of the royal navy and the sinking of many capital ships without a single loss on the german side is a bit strange? Also the fact that Poland fell in only 14 days has me a bit worried.
Well, in real life, Germany DID NOT throw its entire U-boat fleet and surface navy against the RN. Clearly, there was an effect of surprise here. Besides, Germany is only two weeks into the war, and most of the KM is in drydock. That's almost as bad as all those ships being sunk, if repair times resemble those of history.
Also, all the U-boats that could be raiding the Atlantic sealanes are also either in port or patrolling North Sea.
On land, his forces in Poland are stretched thinly...if I were USSR, I'd attack right then and there.
Also, all the U-boats that could be raiding the Atlantic sealanes are also either in port or patrolling North Sea.
On land, his forces in Poland are stretched thinly...if I were USSR, I'd attack right then and there.
Last edited:
I don't think that difficulty matters in this case. Nothing particularly fantastical happened so far.
Fantastical --> Reich's laughable "Merchantmen-to-Carrier Conversion Kit" CV fleet routing a Royal Navy CV battlegroup. Did not happen.
Expected --> a crapload of outdated battleships going out at night into the North Sea with somewhat inadequate cover and encountering the MAJORITY of the German submarine fleet, resulting in many tons of scrap added to the undersea landscape. Did happen.
I do believe he is playing at default diff/aggro, though.
Fantastical --> Reich's laughable "Merchantmen-to-Carrier Conversion Kit" CV fleet routing a Royal Navy CV battlegroup. Did not happen.
Expected --> a crapload of outdated battleships going out at night into the North Sea with somewhat inadequate cover and encountering the MAJORITY of the German submarine fleet, resulting in many tons of scrap added to the undersea landscape. Did happen.
I do believe he is playing at default diff/aggro, though.
Crisisman said:Think of this a Mr. Burns conquers the world.
Smithers: "Well Mr. Burns, you've certainly made a lot of money in your lifetime."
Mr. Burns: "Yes, but I'd trade it all for a little more."
Alexander Seil said:
Excellent points. I don't know if I'll be able to exploit my success before they can recover. The current UK navy is roughly 4-5 CV, 5-6 BB, about 15 CA, about 30 CL, about 30 DD, about 10 SS and a number of transports. So, I have the upper hand, but clearly the show isn't over.
The fact that he built up a giant fleet without suffering any serious set backs in the military is realy bothering me.wolf52 said:
It seems they went with the old "well we cant simulate incompetence of the Allies so lets give Germany an uber advantage so its fun for a non-German human player"
Except of course it says that the Fleet was caught during the day.
Assuming its a BB fleet vs sub threat why wouldnt the BB just accelerate out of the battle, like they did in the real world.
further more, how are these subs able to score such continues hits ? A sub could get of one or to spreads and then had to dive because destroyers or land based planes would sink them.
Totally agreed here. This is a germany with little to nothing on the border, against a Soviet Union that had just been told it couldn't join the Polish gangbang. That would have Stalin seeing red(oh god, save us from the puns). An invasion now would ruin Crisisman's day pretty quickly.Alexander Seil said:
Interesting to see how this is all working out though. I think completely thrashing the Royal Navy might end up paying off more than merchant hunting, but we will see.
Ehh, AlexanderG, I'd have to disagree completely.
To start with, it was specifically said that the U-boats proved INEFFECTIVE during the day. If I understand it correctly, most of the hits were scored after nightfall. Almost the entire friggin' U-boat fleet was there to take part in the action - running out of torpedoes would not have been a problem.
Secondly, his "glorious" navy, other than, maybe, an extra one or two advanced BB, isn't all that uber. His "carriers" are Great War models - hence my comment about the conversion kit. Besides, we cannot yet judge the effect of his naval buildup on his aerial and land military capability.
To start with, it was specifically said that the U-boats proved INEFFECTIVE during the day. If I understand it correctly, most of the hits were scored after nightfall. Almost the entire friggin' U-boat fleet was there to take part in the action - running out of torpedoes would not have been a problem.
Secondly, his "glorious" navy, other than, maybe, an extra one or two advanced BB, isn't all that uber. His "carriers" are Great War models - hence my comment about the conversion kit. Besides, we cannot yet judge the effect of his naval buildup on his aerial and land military capability.
AlexanderG said:
"Giant fleet"? I didn't get the impression he'd built much beyond what Germany did historically, save for the outdated CVs. And as he pointed out, the RN is still a force to be reckoned with. Also, all his army has been tested against thusfar is Poland. We can hardly judge if he's made a crucial blunder until the USSR joins the party.
Also, it looks like he could cover the Soviet border adequately, it's just that all of his Eastern forces are getting ready to blitz Hungary. It looks as though the date the USSR chooses to declare war is going to be very important.
Honestly, though, if I had a dime for every time someone makes a "I am very worried about X and Y minor deviations from history without knowing the complete picture" post I'd...uh...be able to buy half a copy of the game or so.
The problem is how about if the player puts nothing at all in the border but put hordes of troops just behind it (one province away from the border). The AI declares war (seeing nothing in the border btu do not check the provinces behind it) and it will be pleasantly served by the troops hiding behind the border. Moreover, the player can put a lot of troops in strategic redeploment - ready to be deployed into frontline at any time.PriestOfDiscord said:
If the AI is allowed to see the provinces behind it, it is called cheating
.
Well if Germany is given an advantage so that human controlled allied players will have a harder time, then there should be two different ai files, one for when an ally is controlled by a human player, and one for when you are germany, taking away the extra advantages, if there are any.
Just wanted to let you all know, my U-boat happy time is running out, but so is the Royal Navy...will post details later. And, yes, in an MP game there is NO WAY I'd leave my Sov border that bare. As soon as the decision was made to abort the Baltic States invasion those two army groups redeployed to the Sov Border. It looks much better now.
Alexander Seil said:
Well I would even abstract the submarine vs BB battle more then you. in my eyes the battle includes the closing up of the submarines to the BBs until they attack at night, but I don't have the game yet, so I might be wrong with my impression. for me, its simply that (submarin-)attack is not attack (like of cruisers).
Oct-Nov 1939 - Hungary and Romania
October 1, 1939 : After taking a break from the action in Poland, Hitler got the Wehrmacht rolling again in October. Target: Hungary. After making his declaration of war, Hungary promptly contacted the Allies and entered a Military Alliance. The Hungarian forces were caught by complete surprise, having expected to join the German effort in the balkans rather than to be the first target of that effort. Battles were quickly won in Presov and Gyor.
October 2, 1939 : XXXI. Armeekorps has arrived in Bratislava without facing resistance. I. Panzer Army HQ has arrived in Kosice without facing resistance. I. Panzer Corps has arrived in Zilina without facing resistance.
October 3, 1939 : Resistence in Hungary begins to form, but not soon enough to stop a string of quick victories. We won battles in Debrecen, Banska Bystrica and Miskolc.
October 6, 1939 : We won a battle against Hungary in Pecs.
October 7, 1939 : We won a battle against Hungary in Szeged.
October 9, 1939 : We won a battle against Hungary in Budapest.
October 10, 1939 : I. Panzer Corps has arrived in Budapest. Hitler wastes no time and announces the annexation of Hungary that very day. He then orders Guderian to send the Panzers and Mountaineers to the border of Romania with all haste. Winter is fast approaching. He wants the panzers over the Carpathians before winter closes the passes.
October 15, 1939 : The Royal Navy is never one to be counted out. The 15th-18th of October will go down in KM history as the Battle of the Thames Estuary. It began on the 15th, when the short ranged wolfpack met a large UK force, composed mostly of DD and CL, with the Furious in support. The initial engagement resulted in the sinking of HMS Caledon(CL), 27th Destroyer Flotilla(DD), HMS Norfolk(CA). The cost, however, was terrible. 2 U-boat flotilla destroyed, and many more badly mauled.
Doenitz immediately ordered a recall of the survivors. The Royal Navy, however, was not done. Over the next 3 days a combined force of Royal Navy and French Navy forces hounded the slow U-boats without remorse. By the time the carnage was over, the following ships were added to the casualty list: HMS Nelson(BB), 9ème Flotille des Contre-Torpilleurs(DD), 6ème Flotille des Contre-Torpilleurs(DD), Duguay-Trouin(CL), Provence(BB), Pluton(CL), 5ème Flotille des Contre-Torpilleurs(DD), Emile Bertin(CL), HMS Royal Sovereign(BB), HMS Furious(CV). This made a total of 3 BB, 1 CV, 1 CA, 4 CL and 4 DD sqdn. The cost to the KM was 14 U-boat flotilla completely obliterated! The two survivors were so badly mauled that Doenitz ordered them to be scrapped when they finally returned to port on the 21st, making 16 U-boat flotilla lost. Doenitz force was cut in half in less than a week. Fortunately, the best U-boats were safely in port. From now on, only Type IX U-boats would engage in such high risk operations.
October 17, 1939 : A most disturbing incident took place today in Norway. The transport ship Altmark was making its way home with a load of POWs when the Royal Navy chased her into Norwegian waters and boarded her right under the nose of the watching Norwegians! Hitler is furious! He immediately ordered preparations for invading Norway.
October 20, 1939 : Germany declared war upon Romania, who immediately joined the Allies. Battles were quickly won in Satu Mare and Bacau.
October 21, 1939 : The first Jagdgeschwader have been upgraded to Messerschmitt Bf-109G Gustav. This is just in the nick of time as the RAF is deploying significant air assets to Romania, including several hundred Hurricane Mk.II interceptors. We won additional battles in Arad and Cluj-Napoca.
October 24, 1939 : The KM received good news today as the Air Groups on the light carriers have been upgraded to He.51 / Hs.123 / Fi.167. (Basic CAG) Raeder believes the addition of the torpedo bombers should give the KMs CVs enough capability to begin being used as primary ship hunters rather than only as scouts for the battleships. This should also put them on an even footing against the UKs CAGs. Raeder also reports that the KM has made repairs sufficient to be ready for operations again, although 100% strength will take additional time.
October 25, 1939 : The Romanians are not rolling over as quickly as we had hoped. A local counter attack succeeded in retaking Satu Mare.
October 26, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Sibiu.
November 2, 1939 : We won battles against Romania in Braila and Brasov.
November 3, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Timisoara.
November 6, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Pitesti.
November 7, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Craiova.
November 9, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Ploesti.
November 11, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Bucharest.
November 12, 1939 : II. Panzer Corps has arrived in Bucharest. Hitler immediately annouces the annexation of Romania. With winter hitting the balkans in force just behind the panzers.
November 15, 1939 : Hitler assembles his staff and discusses the results of actions in Romania. Guderian reports that his forces advanced more slowly than hoped, but they were still able to achieve their objectives. Goering reports that the Luftwaffe is badly depleted. The air battles with the RAF over Romania claimed many aircraft. The older 109F models were barely adequate against the Hurricanes. If further balkan operations are to be carried out, the 109F units need to be withdrawn from the line and upgraded with the new 109G model. Also, the Ju-52 bombers are no longer sufficient for front line service. He recommends they also be prioritized for replacement with newer models. Ribbentrop then explains that Yugoslavia has gurantees of independence by Greece and Turkey. While none of the smaller powers intervened on Romania's behalf, Yugoslavia may be a taller order and could spread to a balkan wide campaign. Another concern is that opening up a coastline to the Mediteranean may result in the UK landing forces on our flanks. Having listened to the reports, Adolph turned to his staff and declared, "The operation against Yugoslavia is a go. You shall have until the 1st of December to prepare your forces and upgrade the Luftwaffe as much as you can." He then orders Guderian to select winter specialists to command his assault forces, as the inland areas will surely be frozen by then. The staff conclude with a vigorous "Sieg Heil!" and depart for their assignments.
November 18, 1939 : The phone rings in Hitler's bunker, waking him from a deep sleep in the arms of his lover, Eva Braun. On the other end of the line is Ribbentrop. "My Fuhrer," he says, "Stalin is not sitting idle after all. Two hours ago the Soviet Union pressed its claims in Finland. The Finns flatly refused to cede any territory and Stalin has declared war! Their lackeys in Mongolia and Tannu Tuva followed suit. What shall we do?" Hitler sat up and gave the situation some thought. "I have always liked the Finns" he said, "but we are not in position to open a front against the Bolsheviks. We will send what aid we can, but they will have to hold out on their own until we have finished in the West." "Yes sir" replied Ribbentrop. Hitler hung up the phone and returned to his slumber. He slept deeper that night, knowing that at least for a while his eastern border would be safe. He dreamt that night of Bolsheviks dying in the snow.
November 19, 1939 : Sweden sent volunteers and materiel to aid Finland in The Finnish Winter War. Adolph is pleased that someone is making a difference.
Screenshots:
-Budapest shows the final drive to finish off Hungary.
-SSvCV shows the early stages of the battle of the Thames Estuary.
-Winter39 shows the advance of the snow as the panzers revv their engines.
-Bucharest shows the final drive to finish off Romania just ahead of the snow.
-Thanksgiving39 shows a general disposition of forces prior to the start of Yugoslav operations.
October 1, 1939 : After taking a break from the action in Poland, Hitler got the Wehrmacht rolling again in October. Target: Hungary. After making his declaration of war, Hungary promptly contacted the Allies and entered a Military Alliance. The Hungarian forces were caught by complete surprise, having expected to join the German effort in the balkans rather than to be the first target of that effort. Battles were quickly won in Presov and Gyor.
October 2, 1939 : XXXI. Armeekorps has arrived in Bratislava without facing resistance. I. Panzer Army HQ has arrived in Kosice without facing resistance. I. Panzer Corps has arrived in Zilina without facing resistance.
October 3, 1939 : Resistence in Hungary begins to form, but not soon enough to stop a string of quick victories. We won battles in Debrecen, Banska Bystrica and Miskolc.
October 6, 1939 : We won a battle against Hungary in Pecs.
October 7, 1939 : We won a battle against Hungary in Szeged.
October 9, 1939 : We won a battle against Hungary in Budapest.
October 10, 1939 : I. Panzer Corps has arrived in Budapest. Hitler wastes no time and announces the annexation of Hungary that very day. He then orders Guderian to send the Panzers and Mountaineers to the border of Romania with all haste. Winter is fast approaching. He wants the panzers over the Carpathians before winter closes the passes.
October 15, 1939 : The Royal Navy is never one to be counted out. The 15th-18th of October will go down in KM history as the Battle of the Thames Estuary. It began on the 15th, when the short ranged wolfpack met a large UK force, composed mostly of DD and CL, with the Furious in support. The initial engagement resulted in the sinking of HMS Caledon(CL), 27th Destroyer Flotilla(DD), HMS Norfolk(CA). The cost, however, was terrible. 2 U-boat flotilla destroyed, and many more badly mauled.
Doenitz immediately ordered a recall of the survivors. The Royal Navy, however, was not done. Over the next 3 days a combined force of Royal Navy and French Navy forces hounded the slow U-boats without remorse. By the time the carnage was over, the following ships were added to the casualty list: HMS Nelson(BB), 9ème Flotille des Contre-Torpilleurs(DD), 6ème Flotille des Contre-Torpilleurs(DD), Duguay-Trouin(CL), Provence(BB), Pluton(CL), 5ème Flotille des Contre-Torpilleurs(DD), Emile Bertin(CL), HMS Royal Sovereign(BB), HMS Furious(CV). This made a total of 3 BB, 1 CV, 1 CA, 4 CL and 4 DD sqdn. The cost to the KM was 14 U-boat flotilla completely obliterated! The two survivors were so badly mauled that Doenitz ordered them to be scrapped when they finally returned to port on the 21st, making 16 U-boat flotilla lost. Doenitz force was cut in half in less than a week. Fortunately, the best U-boats were safely in port. From now on, only Type IX U-boats would engage in such high risk operations.
October 17, 1939 : A most disturbing incident took place today in Norway. The transport ship Altmark was making its way home with a load of POWs when the Royal Navy chased her into Norwegian waters and boarded her right under the nose of the watching Norwegians! Hitler is furious! He immediately ordered preparations for invading Norway.
October 20, 1939 : Germany declared war upon Romania, who immediately joined the Allies. Battles were quickly won in Satu Mare and Bacau.
October 21, 1939 : The first Jagdgeschwader have been upgraded to Messerschmitt Bf-109G Gustav. This is just in the nick of time as the RAF is deploying significant air assets to Romania, including several hundred Hurricane Mk.II interceptors. We won additional battles in Arad and Cluj-Napoca.
October 24, 1939 : The KM received good news today as the Air Groups on the light carriers have been upgraded to He.51 / Hs.123 / Fi.167. (Basic CAG) Raeder believes the addition of the torpedo bombers should give the KMs CVs enough capability to begin being used as primary ship hunters rather than only as scouts for the battleships. This should also put them on an even footing against the UKs CAGs. Raeder also reports that the KM has made repairs sufficient to be ready for operations again, although 100% strength will take additional time.
October 25, 1939 : The Romanians are not rolling over as quickly as we had hoped. A local counter attack succeeded in retaking Satu Mare.
October 26, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Sibiu.
November 2, 1939 : We won battles against Romania in Braila and Brasov.
November 3, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Timisoara.
November 6, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Pitesti.
November 7, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Craiova.
November 9, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Ploesti.
November 11, 1939 : We won a battle against Romania in Bucharest.
November 12, 1939 : II. Panzer Corps has arrived in Bucharest. Hitler immediately annouces the annexation of Romania. With winter hitting the balkans in force just behind the panzers.
November 15, 1939 : Hitler assembles his staff and discusses the results of actions in Romania. Guderian reports that his forces advanced more slowly than hoped, but they were still able to achieve their objectives. Goering reports that the Luftwaffe is badly depleted. The air battles with the RAF over Romania claimed many aircraft. The older 109F models were barely adequate against the Hurricanes. If further balkan operations are to be carried out, the 109F units need to be withdrawn from the line and upgraded with the new 109G model. Also, the Ju-52 bombers are no longer sufficient for front line service. He recommends they also be prioritized for replacement with newer models. Ribbentrop then explains that Yugoslavia has gurantees of independence by Greece and Turkey. While none of the smaller powers intervened on Romania's behalf, Yugoslavia may be a taller order and could spread to a balkan wide campaign. Another concern is that opening up a coastline to the Mediteranean may result in the UK landing forces on our flanks. Having listened to the reports, Adolph turned to his staff and declared, "The operation against Yugoslavia is a go. You shall have until the 1st of December to prepare your forces and upgrade the Luftwaffe as much as you can." He then orders Guderian to select winter specialists to command his assault forces, as the inland areas will surely be frozen by then. The staff conclude with a vigorous "Sieg Heil!" and depart for their assignments.
November 18, 1939 : The phone rings in Hitler's bunker, waking him from a deep sleep in the arms of his lover, Eva Braun. On the other end of the line is Ribbentrop. "My Fuhrer," he says, "Stalin is not sitting idle after all. Two hours ago the Soviet Union pressed its claims in Finland. The Finns flatly refused to cede any territory and Stalin has declared war! Their lackeys in Mongolia and Tannu Tuva followed suit. What shall we do?" Hitler sat up and gave the situation some thought. "I have always liked the Finns" he said, "but we are not in position to open a front against the Bolsheviks. We will send what aid we can, but they will have to hold out on their own until we have finished in the West." "Yes sir" replied Ribbentrop. Hitler hung up the phone and returned to his slumber. He slept deeper that night, knowing that at least for a while his eastern border would be safe. He dreamt that night of Bolsheviks dying in the snow.
November 19, 1939 : Sweden sent volunteers and materiel to aid Finland in The Finnish Winter War. Adolph is pleased that someone is making a difference.
Screenshots:
-Budapest shows the final drive to finish off Hungary.
-SSvCV shows the early stages of the battle of the Thames Estuary.
-Winter39 shows the advance of the snow as the panzers revv their engines.
-Bucharest shows the final drive to finish off Romania just ahead of the snow.
-Thanksgiving39 shows a general disposition of forces prior to the start of Yugoslav operations.