HOI III (Their Finest Hour) AAR - Going it alone

[BanzaiCat]

Uh-huhuhuhuhuhuh. There's a province called "tata." Huh-uh-huhuhuhuhuhuh.

Err, I mean, excellent work 'geek. ;)

[Martok]

Nicely done as usual geek.  :) 


Something I keep forgetting to ask:  Does capturing a country's capital make the AI more likely to surrender (and/or otherwise provide a concrete benefit, gameplay-wise)?  I've noticed that's what you generally gun for, but I don't know if you're doing that more for the role-playing element, or if there's a tangible benefit to grabbing the capital ASAP. 

[undercovergeek]

Martok - Every nation has a set of victory point provinces that carry more points than the standard ones, Romania for instance was Cluj and Ploesti as well as the capital. When you declare war on the country it sets a 'surrender point' system in process. At the very onset of war a countrys surrender value is 0, you need to get this value beyond the nations unity level. Currently Italy itself has a unity value of 81%, and capturing each victory location establishes a percentage of that surrender value. So before i took Bucharest in Romania i took Cluj (33%) and Ploesti (33%) so at this time Romania had a surrender value of 66 but a unity value of 91 - capturing the capital for the other 34% pushed the surrender value over the unity figure and they folded.

Its the quickest way to victory and to be honest hasnt really needed doing quickly on any nation other than Greece - Greece were been courted by the Allies when i attacked them and if they hadnt folded quick enough they would likely have joined the Allies and even though it wouldnt have brought them into the war it would have meant more than likely that i would have taken Greece with a 'government in exile' - which means it doesnt properly convert to your nation and i think you have Industrial Capacity penalties in place.

Ill do a research update and other parafinalia next, as opposed to just war! Its almost time for the great and good of Italy to gather at the docks at La Spezia to see Cantari's finest floating work

[Martok]

Thanks for the explanation.  Looking forward to what you're cooking up next.  :D 

[JasonPratt]

Hungary: Now THAT'S Italian!

(Hungry Italians like to eat Ragû.)

[undercovergeek]

The most important event to occur during the first half of 1939 however, was the commission and launch of Italy's first true fleet carrier. The RM Aquila - she steamed from northern Italy down to Fleet HQ at Palermo. Everyone of any importance in Italy turned out to watch as the carrier came into Palermo. Mussolini, Campioni, and Pintor were all there, as were the chiefs of staff and all the other ministers. It was a sight indelibly printed upon their memories for ever afterward, the first true expression of Mussolini's maritime strategy given awe-inspiring physical form. Many secret doubters converted on the spot. It seemed, after all, that Italy might have the wherewithal to go through and achieve Mussolini's ambitions.

As soon as the Aquila arrived in Palermo, Mussolini contacted Cantieri and Macchi. He had more orders for these two firms. Firstly, he congratulated Cantieri for completed work on aircraft carrier hangars and anti-aircraft armament and ordered these contracts renewed. However, he also placed an order with Cantieri for three more fleet carriers. With the recent experience they had attained from the Aquila, and despite their recent improvements that required more industrial strength and finesse, each carrier only required two-thirds as much work to complete as the Aquila had required. Additionally, Mussolini ordered six groups of carrier aircraft from Macchi in a serial order.



The RM Aquila on its shakedown cruise from northern Italy to Palermo.

It was much more of a training exercise than those on board would know.......

The Celtiberians had been a savage people that lived on the Iberian peninsula when the Carthaginians introduced civilization to the area. The Romans eventually won the struggle with the Carthaginians, but the Celtiberians proved a persistent foe. It took Rome nearly two hundred years of bloody warfare to finally pacify the third great Mediterranean peninsula. The Celtiberians were eventually erased from the pages of history to be replaced for hundreds of years by a Roman Spain. However, this portion of the empire was eventually stolen by the Visigoths, then the Moors, then the modern Spanish. Mussolini resolved to return the peninsula to the empire, but, hopefully, it would not take as long to do sp this time.

In more recent history, Italy had plenty of reasons to be displeased with the current occupants of the peninsula. In July of 1936, Spain dissolved into a bitter civil war when General Francisco Franco, frustrated by land reforms and a radical agenda, launched a successful coup against the elected government of the Second Spanish Republic. By January 1937, after six months of bloody fighting that became a cause célèbre for western right wing intelligentsia, Franco had won the war and declared himself leader of the new Nationalist Spain. Italy even lent support to Franco, but that support seemed a costly mistake now - in victory Franco was in the process of creating a godless power. Even George Orwell, the committed English writer, who volunteered to fight on the Nationalist side, had become disillusioned with the violent excess, oppression, and intellectual dishonesty of the Spanish Nationalists.

Although the civil war had been over for two years, Mussolini used the conflict as a pretext for invasion. He claimed that the excesses of both sides was evidence that the Spanish were incapable of responsible self-rule. On June 17th 1939, two battleship squadrons and one transportation flotilla of the Regia Marina appeared off the Spanish coast outside the port of Barcelona. Italy's ambassador delivered an ultimatum to General Franco, join the New Roman Empire, or be destroyed.

[Staggerwing]

This aught to be interesting. Those Spanish troops may be a bit thin on the ground after that bloody civil war winnowed down their ranks but they are chock-full of experience.

Hopefully all those German 'Advisers' have already left. If not, and some of them get caught in the cross-fire, there could be lots of feldgrau in Nova Roma's near future...

[undercovergeek]

The reply was of course no, on June 18th Mussolini declared war on Spain.............



For the second time in two years Italian troops step onto Spanish soil

The inquest would be had later, possibly communications breakdown, possibly the presence of troops in the port itself, or maybe a Spanish navy hunting for the transports - whatever the reason, Balisti split the II Marine Corps and landed either side of Barcelona, and he himself went ashore at Mataro. Balisti's initial brief is to secure the port of Barcelona and then head west to the towns of Cambrils and Larida, securing them both with two marine divisions each and then to dig in and defend the river crossings in depth. The battleships guard the fragile bridgehead.



A week later the bridgehead is a little more secure with Spanish troops retreating in disarray

Within eight days the Marines had secured Barcelona and were heading toward their western targets. A full corps of mountaineer troops was unloaded in Barcelona next, their goal was to head northwest and secure the towns of Monzon and Benabarre, also digging in on arrival and defending their newly acquired ground from the strength of the river crossings. This should secure the landing area in depth and allow further troops to be shipped in. The main goal here was to attract the core of Spanish defenders, furious at the incursion, north to the invasion sites, and then to sail around behind them and land at a more southerly port and cut them off. All was going to plan........................



Spanish forces of unknown strength dare to threaten Italian land

Mussolini was furious, his 'elite' battleship flotillas were meant to be guarding the entrance to Italy - two heavy cruiser fleets were dispatched from La Spezia immediately. Mussolini advised his naval commanders there would be dire consequences if one foreigner stepped foot on Italian soil.



Three are sunk and one escapes, the 'invasion' is called off

The undefended transport flotilla is all but destroyed within sight of the coast of Sardinia. Further patrols are dispatched to the Straits of Gibraltar and the east coast of Spain - the submarine fleet is summoned

[Staggerwing]

What did France and England have to say so far? Any political push-back?

[JasonPratt]

The submarine fleet is summoned == Summon Bigger Fish.  :D

[Martok]

What did France and England have to say so far? Any political push-back?

I'm more concerned with what Herr Schicklgruber might have to say on the subject... 

[Staggerwing]

^Honestly, I think that bit of business can only be delayed a while, not avoided altogether. Das Borg must have taken notice by now. Canaris's Canaries are no doubt already infiltrating Nova Roma so they can soon sing their songs into his ear.

[undercovergeek]

Barcelona invasion site

Within another three weeks the entire Barcelona sector was secure. There were a few attempted counter attacks over the river but none that troubled Zingales - sector commander for the Catalan zone. But this was the start of a major logistical problem - Italy simply could not get enough supplies into the area quick enough - attacks ground to a standstill, movement orders were abandoned, and fully manned, fully operative divisions were defeated in combat by much lesser foes due to literally no supplies. General Calvi di Bergolo himself was almost captured heading to a rendevous with his four divisions, only for the four divisions not to show and he found himself at the spearhead of an attack with his command staff - severely wounded but still alive he was flown home as soon as enough supplies could be found to arrange the airlift.

Mussolini sent out agents to all ports on the west coast of Italy to commandeer any suitable craft capable of carrying supplies across the sea. In emergency talks with Messe and Pintor it was decided the opening plans of the operation should change - all ports on the Spanish coast should be taken immediately to facilitate the flow of supplies. Calls were made to Cantieri to stop all work on any naval project and construct 30 supply transport ships as soon as possible - Mussolini baulked at the one hundred days quoted but there was nothing he could do.

The first step was for the I Marine Corps to capture the Balearic Islands to provide a staging area for the port attacks and a close enough airbase to cover the transport fleets. RM Aquila was diverted, escorted by four cruisers and three destroyer flotillas she was sent west to Majorca to provide much needed air support from Spanish air attacks.



I Marine Corps - the big green one, storms the beaches of Menorca and Majorca and secures the port and airfield at Palma

As soon as the port and airfield were secure and the interceptors flown in, the Ist Marines boarded their transports again and under heavy naval escort and the air umbrella provided by Aquila set off for Malaga. Scouts showed the port undefended, and air recon showed Spanish forces screaming north to intercept the Italian invaders - strategically the plan was going to plan, operationally it was turning into a disaster in the north. If Malaga could not prove to be big enough a diversion then the Catalan zone would soon be overwhelmed by Spanish defenders.



General Arena and the big green one land at Malaga

Intelligence dispatches to France and the UK were returned unanswered. Mussolini feared the worse, caught on the anvil of Spanish steel he would be broken by the French and the British as they turned to attack the Italians. This would not be the case, surrounded by maps, reports, wall charts and supply figures, Mussolini was genuinely taken aback when Ciano for the first time during his career entered the room unbidden and without invitation - he laid a note on Mussolini's desk - the mad man in the North had attacked Poland, as her allies France and England had declared war on Germany - la merda aveva colpito il ventilatore

[Staggerwing]

Good thing Mussy didn't respond to Dolphie's friending request just yet.

[Martok]

^Honestly, I think that bit of business can only be delayed a while, not avoided altogether. Das Borg must have taken notice by now. Canaris's Canaries are no doubt already infiltrating Nova Roma so they can soon sing their songs into his ear.

Hence my concern.  ;) 

Good thing Mussy didn't respond to Dolphie's friending request just yet.

Indeed. 

As it is, I'm sure 'geek would say "the madman's" got good timing.  Just when he could really use something to distract the Brits & French, his neighbor steps in.  8)