Hearts of Iron 3: Their Finest Hour

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I toyed around for a bit longer just to see what it would take to bring the war to Japan.  I sent two fleets comprising 1 carrier, 4 battleships, and 17 light and heavy cruisers, destroyer squadrons, and some landing craft to see if I could retake Saigon.  I lost 70% of the ships to a small Japanese battlegroup of two battleships and 10 cruisers and destroyers.  I landed in Vietnam but the chronic lack of supplies meant I couldn't do much at all.  The Brits did manage to gain a foothold in Kyushu and southern Honshu  but it looked like it'd be a stalemate.  I contented myself with a victory in Europe.

[Yskonyn]

Great AAR, SDR.
If you feel like writing up another one for your next game I am sure to be reading along again.
You played well and learned a lot. Good job!

[Grim.Reaper]

^I have not heard anything about a Cold War game. Any links?

Also, has anyone taken a minor nation such as Brazil or South Africa and turned it into a nuclear state with long-range bombers or short range ballistic missiles?

East vs west

http://www.paradoxplaza.com/games/east-vs-west

[Staggerwing]

Thanks!

[mikeck]

I toyed around for a bit longer just to see what it would take to bring the war to Japan.  I sent two fleets comprising 1 carrier, 4 battleships, and 17 light and heavy cruisers, destroyer squadrons, and some landing craft to see if I could retake Saigon.  I lost 70% of the ships to a small Japanese battlegroup of two battleships and 10 cruisers and destroyers.  I landed in Vietnam but the chronic lack of supplies meant I couldn't do much at all.  The Brits did manage to gain a foothold in Kyushu and southern Honshu  but it looked like it'd be a stalemate.  I contented myself with a victory in Europe.

Wow...your British allies who fought along side you on the continent need your help in the pacific! Can't quit now!

[Tuna]

You've got the ground technologies researched!.... Invade Russia, you can get to Asia through there!

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

LOL!  Alright you buggers.  Your guilt trip worked.  Although war weary and wholly unequipped for an offensive war halfway around he world, France never could say no to Mr. Churchill.  Especially when he made those sad puppy dog eyes.  (Of course, that could just be from the gin.)

After the fall of Italy, France's armies returned home expecting demobilization. When orders came for infantry to be ready to depart of SE Asia, the tankers breathed a secret sigh of relief and wished their comrades bonne chance.  The marines just offered a Gallic shrug, picked up their rucksacks and started marching for the port in Toulon.

The Japanese had taken much of Indochina during the war but Hanoi was still nominally French.  We had an operational harbour in Haiphong but simply getting there looked like a suicide run.  The Japanese had taken Singapore and Malaya from the Brits and all of the Dutch East Indies.  Getting through the Straits of Malacca looked like certain death.  Nevertheless, the French navy set out from Toulon in November, 1944 with 6 divisions of marines,2 of infantry, and 3 of medium tanks.   In addition, 3 wings of tactical bombers and 6 of fighter-bombers flew out from Lebannon and made a grueling series of flights to their new bases in Hanoi.

The fleet berthed at the French possession of Pondicherry, India in order to re-supply.  The admiral contacted the British and asked for aid in running the gauntlet.  The Brits, apparently questioning the sanity of such a move complied and dutifully sent some aging cruisers into the Strait.  The French navy attempted to rush through during the dead of night on December 2nd but were spotted at dawn on the 3rd.  An hour later, the first ships were lost to Japanese torpedo bombers off the coast of Rupat island.  Dive bombers struck at noon as the fleet rounded the corner and passed by Singapore.  Another 7 ships were lost before night fell. 

The Japanese navy intercepted our flotilla somewhere between the Spratley Islands and Nha Trang.  Six transport ships were lost, taking with them all 6 marine divisions.  The remaining few shps docked in Haiphong a day later, disembarking the only two divisions to have survived the journey.  The commander of the Saigon HQ's war thus far had consisted of three weeks of retreating from Saigon to Hanoi and then several years of sitting back and eating pho.   Not exactly the most inspiring commander to lead the troops. 

The Japanese hadn't placed too much priority on taking or holding Indochina.  They had a half dozen or so light infantry divisions in the southern half of the country and they were mostly tied up with hunting down Vietnamese partisans. 

The next few months turned into a war of manouvre as French and Japanese forces marched and counter-marched through the jungles attempting to cut one another's supply before striking.  The jungle turned out to be more of an enemy than the Japanese.  Luckily, one of the divisions to have survived the trip from France was an armoured one and the Japanese had nothing that could stop our tanks.  We slowly but surely managed to cut each division off from supply, starve it, and then kill it.  By June of, 1945 most of the colony was back under French control.  We even managed to send a second fleet from France and land 6 more divisions on the island of Sumatra, taking control of naval bases at Medan and Padang.



This effort really was a tiny little sideshow though as the Brits had managed to take Saipan, then Okinawa, and finally invade the Japanese home islands in 1945.  The Japanese infantry were completely out-classed and the Brits just rolled them up.  Osaka fell on June 1st.  Tokyo fell on the 18th but the IJA refused to surrender.  The Brits were forced to chase them all the way to the northernmost tip of Hokkaido before they finally capitulated and the war ended.

[jomni]

A happy ending. Now I'm satisfied. :)

[Martok]

Thanks SDR!  Let it never be said you don't go the extra mile for us.  ;) 

[MetalDog]

Outstanding, SDR!  Love the outcome.  It's one of the things about Paradox games I like.  They make for good story telling if you are so inclined.  And you, sir, are so inclined ;)