This game waasn't supposed to be an AAR, but in the end I thought it would have been a great one, it's the best Hearts of Iron game I ever played until now.
I started the Japanese campaign in HoI Darkest Hour (I have to say that the AI of DH expansion is extraorinary), the first time when I actually played Japan, with more dedication. The Japanese Campaign is the hardest, in DH, the Pacific is full of isles, more than in any HoI version.
So I started on normal dificulty and aggressive AI, full IC and tech team takeover.
Everything begun in 1933, Japan controled Manchuria as a puppet state, a small territory between Manchuria and China, that was under japanese military occupation and Port Arthur (Dalian). Beside this, Japanese had several islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The Japanese navy was one of the strongest in the world, competing with USA and UK. The Navy will be the weapon that will bring numerous and glorious victories to the Empire.
I started a massive infantry production program and enlargement of ports and air bases in the Pacific. As for research, 3 of the slots were dedicated to the navy. I wanted to research the most advanced naval tech before I start my naval buildup (I never research tech that is beyond it's tech year, only if is one year before).
Japan wanted one thing, a total conquest of China, so that is what was preparing for. The Manchurian Army was assimilated into the Japanese Army Command in Asia, they were to be used as cannon fodder against the enemy strong holds.
Not much happen from 1933 until 1937, those were 4 years of massive military build-up and planning for a swift invasion of China. The plan was to launch a massive invasion from the north with 2 army groups and 2 independent armies, a total of 127 infantry, mountain and manchurian militia divisions. A secondary offensive was to be a massive amphibious landing with 30 infantry divisions and marines in Fuzhou from Formosa.
The invasion begun in july 1937 when one and a half million men stormed over the border clashing with one million chinese in a massive battle. At first, the chinese forces held pretty well, and I almost wanted to cancel the attack when the japanese troops started to make some progress over the poorly trained chinese infantry and militia. The battles of the border were won by Japan after 2 weeks of bloody battles, the number of casualties was pretty high on the japanese side, but the chinese forces suffered even more as tactical bombers continuously harrsaed them. The next objective was to take Beijing, a large city in northern China. The bulk of chinese forces retreated there, 58 enemy divisions were guarding the city when the japanese Army launced an massive offensive with over 80 divisions from 2 directions. The battle was of a ferocity that no other japanese commander experienced before, the casualties were mounting fast, 3 manchurian militia divisions vanished in a mass charge executed on heavily fortified chinese positions. The japanese forces were able to capture the city after more than two months of battle. The Chinese army was routed, the remaining forces were so depleted im manpower that some of them were vanishing because of attrition effects :happy:. From now on I thought it would be just a walk in the park, but it wasn't. After the victory in Beijing, japanese marines and infantry land in Fuzhou and a bech head expansion operation is launched, offensives are launched in every direction, with the main offensive going north towards Shangai and to close a trap that the Japanese military thinkers prepared for the japanese, a massive encirclement made by the junction of northern armies and the armies that are marching north from Fuzhou and Shangai. The entire chinese people unite against japan, every faction sends it's armies to engage the japanese, even the communists.
The Battle of Shangai was short becasue the chinese forces were completely caught by surprise by the ambhibious invasion, the costal area was lightly defended, so they had to draw troops from north, thus opening a window of opportunity for another massive offensive going west and south.
The chinese weren't giving land that easily, they fought until their units were almost totally depleted of manpower, fought to the last man.
In May 1938, the envelopment operation was succesfull, trapping 25 enemy divisions in Yantai - Qingdao area, out of supply and short on man power, the enveloped enemy forces died quickly when 7 japanese infantry corps launced a pocket destruction operation.
Alsi in the south, japanese forces captured Xiamen, Shantou and Guangshou, now they were heading towards the Hainan isle to completely cut China from the sea.
After I took control of the costal area, I attacked every province from every direction all over again, the chinese were fighting and retreating. By July 1938, Communist China fell under the japanese invasion force that was driving farher and farther, converging on Chengdu, the last Chinese stronghold.
In September, the Battle of Chengdu takes place, the chinese had enogh time to re-deploy forces in defence of the city, so at the begining of the battle more than 20 chinese divisions were in the city while 16 japanese infantry and mountain divisions were assaulting them. The attack was soon cancelled due to the japanese forces not being able to gain victory.
To be continued. . . .
I started the Japanese campaign in HoI Darkest Hour (I have to say that the AI of DH expansion is extraorinary), the first time when I actually played Japan, with more dedication. The Japanese Campaign is the hardest, in DH, the Pacific is full of isles, more than in any HoI version.
So I started on normal dificulty and aggressive AI, full IC and tech team takeover.
Everything begun in 1933, Japan controled Manchuria as a puppet state, a small territory between Manchuria and China, that was under japanese military occupation and Port Arthur (Dalian). Beside this, Japanese had several islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The Japanese navy was one of the strongest in the world, competing with USA and UK. The Navy will be the weapon that will bring numerous and glorious victories to the Empire.
I started a massive infantry production program and enlargement of ports and air bases in the Pacific. As for research, 3 of the slots were dedicated to the navy. I wanted to research the most advanced naval tech before I start my naval buildup (I never research tech that is beyond it's tech year, only if is one year before).
Japan wanted one thing, a total conquest of China, so that is what was preparing for. The Manchurian Army was assimilated into the Japanese Army Command in Asia, they were to be used as cannon fodder against the enemy strong holds.
Not much happen from 1933 until 1937, those were 4 years of massive military build-up and planning for a swift invasion of China. The plan was to launch a massive invasion from the north with 2 army groups and 2 independent armies, a total of 127 infantry, mountain and manchurian militia divisions. A secondary offensive was to be a massive amphibious landing with 30 infantry divisions and marines in Fuzhou from Formosa.
The invasion begun in july 1937 when one and a half million men stormed over the border clashing with one million chinese in a massive battle. At first, the chinese forces held pretty well, and I almost wanted to cancel the attack when the japanese troops started to make some progress over the poorly trained chinese infantry and militia. The battles of the border were won by Japan after 2 weeks of bloody battles, the number of casualties was pretty high on the japanese side, but the chinese forces suffered even more as tactical bombers continuously harrsaed them. The next objective was to take Beijing, a large city in northern China. The bulk of chinese forces retreated there, 58 enemy divisions were guarding the city when the japanese Army launced an massive offensive with over 80 divisions from 2 directions. The battle was of a ferocity that no other japanese commander experienced before, the casualties were mounting fast, 3 manchurian militia divisions vanished in a mass charge executed on heavily fortified chinese positions. The japanese forces were able to capture the city after more than two months of battle. The Chinese army was routed, the remaining forces were so depleted im manpower that some of them were vanishing because of attrition effects :happy:. From now on I thought it would be just a walk in the park, but it wasn't. After the victory in Beijing, japanese marines and infantry land in Fuzhou and a bech head expansion operation is launched, offensives are launched in every direction, with the main offensive going north towards Shangai and to close a trap that the Japanese military thinkers prepared for the japanese, a massive encirclement made by the junction of northern armies and the armies that are marching north from Fuzhou and Shangai. The entire chinese people unite against japan, every faction sends it's armies to engage the japanese, even the communists.
The Battle of Shangai was short becasue the chinese forces were completely caught by surprise by the ambhibious invasion, the costal area was lightly defended, so they had to draw troops from north, thus opening a window of opportunity for another massive offensive going west and south.
The chinese weren't giving land that easily, they fought until their units were almost totally depleted of manpower, fought to the last man.
In May 1938, the envelopment operation was succesfull, trapping 25 enemy divisions in Yantai - Qingdao area, out of supply and short on man power, the enveloped enemy forces died quickly when 7 japanese infantry corps launced a pocket destruction operation.
Alsi in the south, japanese forces captured Xiamen, Shantou and Guangshou, now they were heading towards the Hainan isle to completely cut China from the sea.
After I took control of the costal area, I attacked every province from every direction all over again, the chinese were fighting and retreating. By July 1938, Communist China fell under the japanese invasion force that was driving farher and farther, converging on Chengdu, the last Chinese stronghold.
In September, the Battle of Chengdu takes place, the chinese had enogh time to re-deploy forces in defence of the city, so at the begining of the battle more than 20 chinese divisions were in the city while 16 japanese infantry and mountain divisions were assaulting them. The attack was soon cancelled due to the japanese forces not being able to gain victory.
To be continued. . . .