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Espionage versus the Japanese has been dire, with not a single effort succeeding. Stealing blueprints, funding partisans, everything's failed. Don't know what my agents are doing wrong. Possibly going round in stripey jumpers and black berets, waving baguettes?

 

Sub warfare has been good though. Pairs seem to be working best this game, with trios getting found too often, and lone wolves constantly finding convoys too heavily protected to tackle alone. It's required a lot more micromanagement than I expected, and while none have my subs has done an Emden, they bring down ships regularly. It's a bit of a juggling act, trying to create a perimeter that cuts Japan off from China (and/or vice versa), because while initially simple, as soon as a sub gets a kill, you have to move them, or face some ASW-flavoured wrath. So maintaining a perimeter often falls to bits when several subs get kills in a short space of time. By comparison, doing this against the UK as Germany is easy, you have the whole Atlantic to play in, with very few islands. Here, it's a tad crowded.

 

Another juggling act is my IC.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2icdemands.jpg

The upgrades have just piled up while I've been on a war footing, producing units as fast as possible. It's going to take years to produce all those upgrades, as I can only devote a small amountof IC to them.

 

The Soviets are pushing south, into Manchuko.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2sugoessouth.jpg

I can only assume a lot of NatChin infantry are holding them up. The Allied forces are mainly facing Japanese divisions, which is a shame, as they'll have a higher chance of being veterans, as opposed to one of the many churned out by NatChina since it became a Japanese puppet.

 

My men aren't marines, but they'll assault an amphibian, alright, if only for its legs.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2japsstopped.jpg

One of the good things about this is that, when you counter-attack an enemy on an island, they usually have nowhere to go, and are destroyed. I may only be wiping out handfuls as I retake the islands, but it's better than letting them escape and come back later at full strength.

 

It's surprising how well the Japanese are doing. There's no sign of collapse. Their navy and army are commonplace, and not shy. With NatChina as their puppet, they must be fairly well off, I suppose, sat on loads of manpower. In another year, I'll have a fleet capable of taking on the Japanese, but until then, it's going to be mostly hiding.

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I've been meaning to ask, where is everyone (You particularly) tech-level wise? Wooden toothpicks in the air still, or something more sturdy? Do you still have cars with guns, or do proper tanks? :cool: etc etc etc, I'm curious.
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My tanks are post-WWII designs. My tank hunters, armoured cars, anti-tank guns and heavy tanks are late WWII designs. Armour is my one real edge, where I'm 1-2 steps ahead of everyone, but as no-one else is fielding tank armies, it's academic. My infantry is okay, 1943 model, but my artillery and AA guns are mid-30s.

 

My interceptors and tactical bombers are good, mid-WWII designs, but CAS, fighters, strategic and naval bombers are all interwar designs.

 

My navy is an odd mix, obsolescent battleships, heavy cruisers, and battlecruisers, mixed with 1950s carrier, destroyer and light cruiser designs, and mid-WWII sub and light carrier designs.

 

I have a real edge with my tanks, and with some of my ship designs. However, I've only got one ship each of the newest designs, so it's not really much of an advantage, in practical terms. The US, UK, and Japan have many more ships than I do, and they're not far behind in design. Japan has a lead in a few naval areas, and at least local numerical superiority.

 

That monster fleet turns up again, engaging one of my small ASW patrols and sinking one of my light cruisers. Time to hit back.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2tacnavs.jpg

Not ideal, but my tacs can carry out naval strikes. They're not very good at them, but it's the only stopgap measure I can take until some navs are produced. Although they don't sink any ships, they damage about half the fleet through repeated attacks, and the fleet moves off.

 

The Japs promptly return.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2japsreturn.jpg

What amazes me is how they manage this. The ocean is a web of Allied movement, a flow of British, American, Canadian, Norwegian, Danish, South African, and Dutch vessels, and the Japanese just slip through and drop troops off and slip away. Infuriating.

 

One thing I forgot to mention, there was another parliamentary scandal a wee while ago. I forgot to mention it because it made me so angry I ragequit the game and sulked until I forgot about it. This whacked me with 5% dissent (the scandal, not the ragequitting), which might not seem so bad until you realise it knocks about 20 IC off. When I've spent months fine-tuning my economy, balancing and rebalancing, trimming back to the very minimum to make room for war production, trying desperately to free up fractions of IC for upgrades...to be promptly sunk by a bunch of idiots makes me want to just chuck my toys out of the pram and turn France into a dictatorship.

 

My sub campaign results so far (war kicked off in February, my subs got to Asia in late Feb, so no results)

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/graph.png

Although my subs have reduced in number over time, the replacements have been newer, more advanced models. Added to my experience of the theatre, and improvements in commanders (I had a trawl through my navy, and put all those with the Sea Wolf skill in charge of subs), this probably accounts for the increase in the last two months. Sadly, I didn't keep track of sub numbers and losses, although I do know I started off with 38 and now have 23.

 

Speaking of subs, my last remaining LaGrange class (1918 vintage) had a narrow squeak.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2oldsubescape.jpg

Nearly destroyed, the sub limped to Saigon. I think I'll deploy it somewhere a little less busy next time, the waters around the Philippines are a tad crowded at the moment.

 

Still no joy with Japan, but NatChina is another story.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2bpstolen.jpg

This gives me access to a lot of Japan's blueprints by default as NatChina is a puppet of Japan's.

 

My ASW efforts seem to be mostly a waste of time, as there doesn't seem to be a lot of Jap subs about.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2aswwin.jpg

Now and again, I catch some though.

 

Glad to see I'm not the only one raiding off the coast of Japan.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2susubs.jpg

Rich pickings to be had!

 

The enemy of my enemy is a bastard.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2suvsme.jpg

An incompetent bastard in this case.

 

Things are a stalemate in Indochina, I can't push past the Japs, they can't push past me. So:

 

OPERATION MAIL ORDER BRIDES

 

I'm going to retake the Philippines. Well, some of it.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2omob1.jpg

To do this, I'm going to use two 18-strong fleets, and a 9-strong fleet of transports. It should hopefully only take 9 divisions to retake and hold the main island. After that, I'm going to consolidate and defend. I'm not going to waste time taking all the smaller islands, because they have no ports or airbases. From there, it's a nice jumping off point to, say, Taiwan. Then perhaps Japan.

 

The transports, escorted by my strongest fleet, head for the northern end of the Phils.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2philinvasiolndelay.jpg

And turn around! Full speed ahead for the southern end...

 

With two fleets on standby, de Lattre's Hairy Chested Braves wade through the surf and into the Japanese.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/omob3amphibassault.jpg

I note something disturbing as they boys enjoy their P-Day.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2monsterfleet2.jpg

Some of my subs notice a rather large Jap fleet. Is it the monster? Yes. No, wait. It's a different one. Oh dear. There are two of those things. Only the UK and US have forces composed comparably. And their fleets are not in Asia.

 

The assault went swimmingly, and with surprisingly few casualties, de Lattre left 3 divs guarding his back and pushed on with 6 to Manila. Another 9 divs were shipped out from Indochina, and another 5 from Oosthaven in the Dutch East Indies, leaving a few behid to ensure the Japs didn't invade for the third time.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2manila.jpg

An ignorant Japanese patrol appeared, and was a little startled to find two fleets, some subs, and some transports waiting.

 

Never one to lag behind, the Brits promptly take Okinawa.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2britokinawa.jpg

...Am I just not allowed to take independent action, here, or what? Must I be shown up at every turning point?

 

"I'm going to pick a sensible spot to defend in India." - "We're off to slaughter the Japanese hordes."

 

"I'm not even going to try to defend Indochina." - "We're off to defend Indochina."

 

"I'm going to liberate a country the Japanese conquered!" - "We're off to conquer Japan."

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I'd better help the Brits hold Okinawa, I suppose. :cool:

 

Although they've immediately packed it full of planes, there's only one infantry division holding the island, which comes under attack.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2okirelief.jpg

I make use of the closest stuff I have (not too far off as they're currently helping with the Phils), and my two main fleets and a 9-div army are on the way.

 

My carriers, the Super Smooth Fleet, lead the way, and run into a formidable Jap opponent.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/okibattle1.jpg

Although 4 of the Jap's 27 ships are transports, the rest are armed, and on average, one level up from mine. But after five hours of manoeuvre and some shooting, very little damage is done, and the Japs break off just before my battleship fleet, Massive Amount of Seamen, arrives.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/okib2.jpg

With two fleets overlooking the surrounding waters, the transports steam in and the Huntzinger's Invincibles splash ashore, frolicking in the waves like children, with no cares except shooting the next Jap they see.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/okib3.jpg

On the way back to port, the SSF bumps into some Jap transports, headed for the only unconquered province on the main Phil island, probably to drop troops off.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/okib4.jpg

One is sunk, one is sent away crying like a little girl with a skinned knee.

 

A few days later, the Phils are under my control.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2philswon.jpg

Think I'll base all my subs here, and start making life really difficult for those convoys. With a base so close, the turnaround time will be days instead of weeks. Although Clark Field is only a level 1 port, Manila is a level 8, and after it's recovered from the disruption of war, it'll be a fine home.

 

Why, look who's commanding tanks in Indochina!

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2degaulle-1.jpg

Due to the tropical climate and lack of underwear use, the forces he commands have been nicknamed the 'Free' French.

 

The SU advance in Asia across a broad front.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2suadvslowly-1.jpg

Unlucky for the Japanese, the SU declaring war, but a perfect opportunity that the SU could not afford to miss. They're going to make the biggest gains overall, I think. There's a dense concentration of Jap troops in western Asia, and getting through them will take a lot of time. By the time we do, the SU will own most of China. I think better gains with less casualties can be made taking Taiwan, then on to Japan itself.

 

The US get busy island hopping.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2usislandhop.jpg

Although Guam (bottom left) is Yank, Saipan, Eniwetok and Kwajalein were Jap until recently. A counterattack a few days later recaptured Saipan, but the other two stayed in US hands. Making decent progress considering the size of their army.

 

Speaking of armies, here's the Allies compared.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2alliesarmycomparison.jpg

And the navies.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2anavycompare.jpg

And the air forces.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2aafcompare.jpg

 

This is occurring more often.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2convoysescorted.jpg

I imagine it's a combination of the reduced size of my sub forces, as they're split into more groups to cover more ocean and become harder to find, the number of transports sunk means there are more escorts per transport, and Japan is probably increasing the amount of escorts she's producing.

 

My tacs, out bombing convoys for the lack of better things to do, gets intercepted.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2tacsintrcptd.jpg

That's a bloody odd force to be intercepting with, two flights of ints and two of tacs. They must be short of aircraft. Gutted. My tacs get away with minor damage.

 

Although it takes 43 divisions, I finally regain Hanoi, and move to cut Siam off.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hoi2siamcutoff.jpg

Although Siam are technically at peace, the Japs are using their country as a transit route and safe haven. Got to put a stop to that.

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Another six months, another few thousand sailors drowned like kittens in the bucket of the Pacific.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/graph2.png

As you can see, there's an increase in November from October's 14, then a massive dip. January's is easily explained, as a lot of subs were rebasing to Manila, but what happened in December? Joyeux No

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As Italy doesn't seem to be about to start anything, I distribute my border guard infantry to do something useful, filling in the few gaps left by my garrisons, cracking right down on those partisans.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/maxic.jpg

That gets me about another 15 IC, and all the dissent has been bribed away now. Phew.

 

Ah, sweet cold tasty revenge.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/bpstolefromitaly.jpg

Do you know, I'm not even going to research that. I'm just going to frame the blueprint, hang it near my huge desk, and laugh a lot.

 

Here's an interesting development.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/japicloss.jpg

Note the IC. It used to be over 200. Japan hasn't lost that much territory, and certainly hasn't lost control of that much IC. So the only explanation I can think of, is my convoy raids have stopped the Japanese bringing in the resources to keep their war machine running at top speed. They have to import loads, and I've been sinking a lot of it. :cool:

 

A bit of bombing reveals Hainan is weakly defended, so an amphibious assault, supported by a shore bombardment, goes in.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/hainantaken.jpg

Another island for me!

 

After years of effort.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/japanspysuccess.jpg

Bravo, chaps, bravo. Utterly pointless, given the amount of resources it's taken, but never mind.

 

Darlan finally gains enough XP to get promoted, and hence control a 30-strong fleet.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/grandfleet.jpg

Although some of it is obsolescent, most of it is not, and some of it is cutting edge.

 

From Hainan, it's a simple matter to launch an assault, combined with an amphibious assault, and capture Zhangjiang, and remove another port from Japanese control.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/chinafoothold.jpg

Wonderful! A foothold on mainland China. Now what do we do?

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/chinaonmyown.jpg

As much as my elan, dash and enthusiasm urge me forward, taking on China with about 50 divisions does not attract. As my American allies say, little help? But it doesn't look like any is forthcoming. There are about 120 divisions in Burma, content to sit on the border and make sure the Japs don't invade. There are various smatterings of infantry all over the Pacific, holding islands and important provinces, but no major groups. China is going to be left to the SU, and that is a terrible idea. We're not just talking about a Communist China, we're talking about China that is a huge puppet to an even larger power, or the incorporation of the territory whole into the SU.

 

That is not something we want.

 

As I can't exactly start invading China, I'll have to hop along the coast. Hong Kong next!

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/intsgrdatk.jpg

I give de Monsabert's Swashbuckling Rogues (an inexperienced force) a chance, and even with only ints for air support, they crack the enemy and land, reverting the island to British territory.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/honkkong.jpg

Now, Taiwan next methinks.

 

The Americans spur me on with a landing in Asia.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/uslanding.jpg

A brave move considering their small strength, but the SU is only a province away, so any Jap troops will have been under pressure already. The US advances a province, is rebuffed, but holds onto the beachhead.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/usadv.jpg

Wonder what they hope to achieve there?

 

Time for Taiwan. Same again, air support and an amphibious assault. I let de Monsabert handle it, as the Brits have garrisoned Hong Kong.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/taiwan.jpg

Clean up the remaining enemy, which will be no problem, and secure the rest of the island.

 

My grand fleet, supporting the Taiwan op, bumps into a Jap fleet. The results are not pretty.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/sinkings.jpg

Technically a defeat, as I ran away, but I didn't lose a single ship (got three carriers badly damaged though). Not too shabby a performance.

 

I do something a little bit cheeky, and sell off two provinces, Kustrin goes to Poland, and Regensburg to Czechoslovakia.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/provincessold.jpg

They contained no resources, industry, manpower, or VPs, and so losing them only means I have two less provinces to police.

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"Hello, I am the youngest naval officer ever." says Rear Admiral Ortoli, wearing his father's cap. "Also I need a wee wee."

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/youngnavalofficer.jpg

I know I have actually run out of naval officers, thanks to my subs being broken up into smaller and smaller operating units, but somehow I feel using children as officers demeans me slightly.

 

Time to land in Korea, capture the whole peninsula, and possibly puppet it before the SU or US gets there and does it.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/korea1.jpg

Two armies in transports, grand fleet on overwatch. One army carries out the landings, aided by my recent research into marines, bats back resistance in a few hours, and secures Pyongyang for the follow-up army.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/korea2.jpg

Going to push east into Wonsan, cutting the peninsula in half, then push north, capturing as many provinces as I can before the SU gets there, before finally turning south and clearing the rest of the peninsula.

 

Bad news.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/suannexemanchuko.jpg

That's not so bad, Manchuko's a minor prize, but it looks like the SU has settled on total Asian domination. Currently, I think we'll pick up the Pacific, Japan, and various footholds along the coast of Asia, but I think China is going to fall to the SU. Whether annexed or puppeted, this is bad news for the Allies. It gives the SU an even bigger resource base, more manpower (the SU and China are probably the two top countries for manpower), more IC, and a lot more ports and airbases in the East.

 

I add a third army to the two already in Korea. Huntzinger's Invincibles and de Monsabert's Rogues, the more experienced, go north, and Koenig's Fierce Moustachioed Men head south.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/korea3.jpg

Whether I simply hold on to the territory, or puppet it, I'll have to keep some forces here to dissuade the SU.

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I just want it to go on record that I'm rooting for the SU :cool:

 

How's the border between Poland and the SU shaping up these days anyway? And what's your strategy once Japan falls, keep your forces in Asia, or reinforce Europe?

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I'm curious - how does Rusky tech compare to your own at present, FA?

 

I don't know. Now I'm worried. The only units of theirs I've seen are subs and destroyers. Both were crap, but quite frankly it's not their navy I'm worried about. :cool: Even if they lag behind, it won't matter if they outnumber me considerably, and they do.

 

Intelligence estimates they have 379 infantry divisions, and 26 armoured. So if they only fight with their tanks, I'm fine. :(

 

Although I can dominate the seas, it makes no difference, as they'll be able to get whatever they need from their own resources or trading overland with neighbours.

 

Their air force is laughably overpowering, with intelligence reckoning it up as 55 fighter quadrons (to my 20 or so), but only 4 bomber squadrons. Intel estimates are sometimes very wrong indeed, but I have the awful feeling these are mostly correct.

 

How's the border between Poland and the SU shaping up these days anyway? And what's your strategy once Japan falls, keep your forces in Asia, or reinforce Europe?

 

Poland still has its original border, Germany got nowhere and so never offered the SU the chance to move in.

 

Poland's quite strong, really, 100+ divisions. While no match for the SU, it's on a fairly narrow front, which with a bit of compression will only be 9-10 provinces wide. I've got about 70 divisions (half of which are armoured, motorised or mechanised) in Europe now, so combined with some other European armies, should be enough to hold the Soviets.

 

In Asia, I'm going to try and hold on, but if it starts to look pear-shaped I'm going to ship out and wave bye-bye. I'll have borders with the SU in Indochina and Korea, and while both will be fairly simple to defend, they're not worth that much, really. I've got 60+ divisions in Asia, nearly all infantry, and most will be going back to Europe when the Pan-Asian War is over. Hopefully, we can counterattack the SU, and make a quick peace look like a good option.

 

Still at it, brave boys.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/japsubs.jpg

Not that it will make any difference at all!

 

I send my battleship fleet off ASWing. And lo!

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/japsubscaught.jpg

Relocating to the other side of Brunei. As if I would fall for that old trick!

 

I am a God damn military genius.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/milgenius.jpg

Look at that. My border with the SU and US is on a river. Any attack coming across my border is going to be weaker than usual. Totally, utterly, 100% intended.

 

This isn't so good though.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/seouldissent.jpg

There's dissent springing up. I wasn't expecting this. I've checked my Liberate List, and Korea isn't appearing on it...oh wait, there it is, People's Republic of Korea.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/prk.jpg

And that's not too bad, drops my Belligerence by 11, costs me 0.50% dissent, I can live with that. The resource hit stings a tad, but never mind. Hello, little chap. Weclome to the Allies.

 

Another six months, another graph of tonnage and bubbly death. Bit more detail this time, including how many convoy transports and escorts sunk, instead of just a combined total.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/graph-1.png

The last six months have been horrific for the Japanese merchant navy. I've been using four groups of nav bombers, two flights per group, in combination with over 40 subs, and it's been a duck shoot. I've been micromanaging more intensively, swapping subs out not just after kills, but after a quiet week or two as well, making sure they run from combat immediately and generally keeping them in top shape. The bombers can switch to another area much faster, obviously, so they've been great for finding new convoy routes when the old ones, littered with wrecks and bodies, get abandoned. The fact that there's no more escorts sunk after July is because they're all dead. Overall, sinkings are tailing off because there's no way the Japs can keep up with the damage I'm inflicting. Even if they dedicated their (wildly fluctuating) entire IC to it, they couldn't keep up. The layer of subs between Japan and Asia has just got thicker and thicker, and the Japs have scratched it a few times, but it's just scabbed over.

 

I'm stopping sub production in the next few months, letting the lines finish their current boats and then cancelling them. Losses have stopped almost entirely, and I'm not convinced subs will have a big part to play in the next war. With a bit of natural wastage, I'll have a svelte sub force ready for deployment for the future.

 

Well, God loves a tryer.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/susmear.jpg

"They're giving whole countries freedom and self-determination! No-one wants that!"

 

Well, I was going to wait a week, make sure Korea was secure, then move on to Japan with a triple-pronged amphibious assault, but apparently it's time for an oil and supply shortage. So, my units are losing Org (some are so badly deprived they're losing Strength now), operating with impaired efficiency, the lot. Even with almost 500 convoy transports, I've got a shortage. It's fair enough, almost my entire navy is in Asia, half of my air force and nearly half of my army, and a lot of them are in low Infrastructure areas. But it's a pain, and there's no real remedy. Other than to make more transports, which I am doing, but that will take months to come into effect. I could send some forces home, and I may have to yet, but I don't really find the prospect of continuing with less support in any area attractive. The IJN is still fighting, my armies are massively outnumbered, and my air force is my one advantage (and not a big one, with every single airbase cramped with Allied aircraft).

 

While I'm still struggling against the IJN, the Brits have no less than three 24-strong fleets guarding the UK.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/britfleets.jpg

While they may be light on carriers (that fleet only has two, the others have four), it's still something of an oversight, as any one of these fleets is solid enough to take on the Japs. All three could control most of the area. Combined with my fleets, and the rapidly increasing US strength, we could dominate the seas. But no, that would be too easy.

 

And Mengkukuo joins the Red Club.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/menggone.jpg

Just NatChina and Japan to go.

 

Probably the worst choice of the entire game.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/worstchoiceever.jpg

Sinkiang taking on Tannu Tuva alone would be a good fight. But Tannu Tuva just happens to be a part of the Comintern. I can't wait to see IC 7 Sinkiang drop like a lead brick.

 

With nothing to do for a bit, I send my tacs to strike ports. A squadron wipes out a small group of subs, and another squadron hits this load.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/40-fleet.jpg

40-strong eh? Two fleets, I assume. My tacs get away with losing 10% strength and 50% Org, and inflict little in return. That's fine, it's just good to know where all those ships are. A lot of the Jap ships have attachments, which is quite elaborate. They've put a lot into their navy.

 

I have to mention my allies at this point. They've all helped me out soon after I've had any problems, giving me some great trades (the US and UK were giving me more oil and rares than I was getting from everywhere else combined) and the flow of blueprints has been constant. They've kept my resource stocks healthy, and smoothed the way for my tech teams, which I really appreciate. Even if they are as thick as mince.

 

Might as well clean up the rest of the Philis, a little force led by this chap.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/phillis.jpg

There's some nice little resource stockpiles on the islands, 150 metal here, 50 supplies there. Nothing major, just a nice little bonus. Wonder whether to puppet them? Ideally, I want to use them as my main base in Asia (not sharing a border with the SU and everything).

 

Citizens are horrified to see hostile planes over Tokyo.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/frenchovertokyo.jpg

The only group of strats I currently have chip away at their IC.

 

I hate Siam.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/peacetreatysiam.jpg

I'll settle with you later.

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OPERATION DOWNFALL (SORT OF)

 

Time to invade Japan. Yes, just like that. No exclamation mark or anything. That's what being French does for you.

 

It's going to be very simple. An amphib assault against the southernmost island, taking Fukuoka/Kagoshima. Then Shikoku. With the smaller islands taken, the main island will be hit at Osaka, cutting Hiroshima off. Then Nagoya-Niigata-Fukushima, chopping the island into separate enclaves. I'll then crush the remaining pockets.

 

I have four armies in Korea. Two should suffice, de Lattre's Braves (a veteran formation), and de Monsabert's Rogues (they've acquired a little experience lately, chiefly with amphibious operations). Guarded by my grand fleet, and supported by two squadrons of tacs, one of navs, and covered by two squadrons of ints, everything should be fine.

 

de Lattre shipped his army out, the grand fleet sailed with the transports, and of course a 22-strong Jap fleet turned up in hours. The bombers struck, and put a crimp on the Jap ships before the fleets even joined battle. After losing four ships, the Japs retreated, slipping into port at Fukuoka. I ordered my bombers to hit the port, and they sunk some more ships, and will continue to do so.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/opDF.jpg

The best bit is, when the Braves land, the Jap fleet will have to leave port, and will inevitably meet my grand fleet again, after being weakend by the first clash, and constant bombing.

 

It goes like clockwork, half of the enemy fleet become impromptu submarines, and I don't lose a single ship (although some of my carriers sustain damage that will take months to repair). The boys land, crush the single Jap div opposing them, and settle down into anti-partisan duties, just in case.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/lackofsupplies.jpg

A brief problem of a lack of transports to form a supply convoy is sorted out when de Gaulle and his tank army are sent home, freeing up ships.

 

Ah, excellent, excellent, everything is going to plan.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/greenland.jpg

...Wait. They're rebelling? Greenland? Greenland is rebelling? What? Since when do I own bloody Greenland? Oh for God's sake, this is hardly the time to throw off the (well-designed and actually quite fashionable) shackles of your oppressors, Greenlanders.

 

OPERATION SILLY BUGGERS

 

The operation to (groan) retake Greenland. Basically, I'm going to send one division, in a transport, across the Atlantic, to rebase in Newfoundland, and from there, risking the might of Greenland's navy and air force, carry out an amphibious assault. If this Swiss watch of a plan should go wrong, Plan B is to forget all about it and pretend it never happened.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/opsb.jpg

What a bloody waste of time.

 

Most pointless fight ever.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/aagreenland.jpg

There goes France's reputation as the Fascist-crushing hero nation. "Well, first they took on Germany, preventing what some say would have become a World War! Then, they fought Japan, thousands of miles from home, preserving life and liberty, thinking only of their allies, freeing countries from the grip of the oppressor! Then, they beat the shit out of Greenland, and killed some seals. What a bunch of bastards."

 

Oh, the shame.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/greenlwon.jpg

I'll never live this down. Let's never speak of this again.

 

Back on track, my tacs and navs, and occasionally my ints and strats, get into the business of wiping out the last of the IJN. Based in Busan and Fukuoka, they can cover all around Japan, and there's no escape for the Jap ships.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/fleetwipeout.jpg

Soon whittle them down to nothing. It would take a lot longer if they had any safe ports to go to.

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LOL! Too right. Thought I'd loaded the wrong game up.

 

Whether they're fleeing the Japs or the SU, I don't care.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/refugees.jpg

Manpower, can always use it.

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Captured Japan.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/japan.jpg

Well, their home islands, Japan still exists on the Asian mainland, and I hope to get rid of it soon. Although the US has got another toehold on the other side of the Yellow Sea, the SU still looks set to take China.

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Turned out to be quite easy, actually. The islands were lightly defended, half a dozen divisions scattered here and there. The last ships of the IJN were cleared up by bombing them in port and sinking their disorganised and weakened fleets at sea. The vast majority of their forces are on the mainland, resolutely failing to stop the Soviet advance.

 

So, I'm cleaning up a few Jap islands in the Pacific, which is stress-free, and gearing up to invade China, getting at least some of it before the Soviets. If those 100+ Allied divisions help out, we could do quite well. If they don't, we won't.

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That reminds me. Since yer not the leader of yer little alliance, is there a chance that you might find yourself ina smililar situation to what happened with Siam? Pushed back to pre-war borders or something like that? Or is it possible, but rather unlikely? (no clue how 'smart' the AI tends to be...)
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As I'm junior partner, if the Japs want peace, they'll make it with the leader of the alliance (US, at this stage, IIRC), and I'll have no say. Although with the beating Japan has taken, we'll have a very persuasive case for concessions in case of a peace (Japan loses all her territories except her home islands, for instance), anything we do get will go to the leader rather than an equal division amongst the Allies (or even an unequal division).

 

So, for instance, we get peace, the Japs agree to hand over the provinces they own on the Asian mainland, the US takes them over, the Japs get their home islands back, NatChina remains a Jap puppet, and is still gobbled up by the Soviets (and then probably Japan as well, as she would be much weakened by the war with us).

 

It's possible to make a separate peace with individual countries in an alliance (for instance, Japan could approach me and ask me to sit this one out, while she fights the rest of the Allies) but this tends to happen rarely.

 

de Lattre's Braves lead the effort to clean up the Indochinese back garden, namely Siam.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/clearupsiam.jpg

Thanks to a quirk of international relations, Siam is sitting this out, but has granted military access to Japan as par for the course, but then granted it to the Allies when they brokered the peace, enabling us to fight in Siam, but not conquer it. The Japanese force there is relatively small, only 25-30 divisions, but it could still be an effective anvil to the hammer of any forces coming out of China, catching my armies in Indochina between them.

 

The US gain more toeholds, this time in China.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/uschinalandings.jpg

I honestly couldn't see them doing much, but with a bit of Allied help:

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/uscutsaslice.jpg

I haven't kept up with their army development, and although they only have 60 infantry divs, they've got 19 armoured, 22 motorised and 10 mechanised, which is a good little complement, and they've used it well, driving steadily south-west, carving a slice off the rump of China in good time. The Jap forces are in no real state to fight back, disrupted by constant punishment from Allied air and Soviet armies.

 

This motivated me to put together a thrust of my own, as this has devolved into nothing more than a game of Land Grab.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/frenchadvance.jpg

Have to make do with just infantry, as shipping oil out to armoured/motorised/mech divs clogs my supply convoys (even though the Jap susb threat is gone, and naval operations have stopped entirely, and I've been building transports since the start of the war). I'm going to head north/north-west and cut the US off from more of China, and especially the last few remaining Jap provinces. If anyone else annexes Japan and gets the islands I conquered, I shall scream.

 

Decent start.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/frenchadvance.jpg

From Hainan, onto the mainland and almost straight north, cutting the US off from the rest of the Chinese and Japanese provinces. Of course, the US forces, as part of the Allies, will happily keep on fighting, advancing across my provinces, but as the stepping-off point into enemy territory will be my provinces, any land they conquer will go to me, rather than them.

 

Well, I gots me some provinces at least.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/usannexenatchin.jpg

The US did well there, one solid thrust, capturing the key provinces and getting a good chunk of NatChina. Although most of it is in Soviet hands, I think the US got about a quarter of the country, and it's a good quarter, with most of the ports, and a decent amount of VPs and IC. I got some leavings, but I'm not bothered, I just want Japandaland and i'll be a happy chappy.

 

And done. 50 points of Belligerence, mind, which is a pain.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/anjap.jpg

But the war is over, as of Feb 28th, 1945. Time to wind down production, and send the troops home. Some of them, anyway.

 

Because building great empires ain't easy. You need good po-lice.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/asiadissent.jpg

China may be under control, but the partisans in Japan are about to go crazy and show the occupying gaijin just what civil disobedience means.

 

The new borders aren't even cold when:

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/uswarsu.jpg

I need a vaycayshun.

 

So it's war again. The troop transports headed home do a swift 180 and steam back the way they came. I think the east will be where the SU's biggest forces will be, so I'd better do the same. Europe looks deceptively peaceful.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/westsu.jpg

I get my armoured/motorised/mechanised forces on the move for central Poland. Reorganise there and see what's what. One of my lesser fleets bops out into the Baltic and makes sure no Soviet ships go anywhere. Planes relocate to Poland, navs hitting ports, strats hitting their industry, and tacs hitting their advancing forces.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/sutech.jpg

First look at their ground forces. Their mech troops are on par, I'm just upgrading mine to the same level now, and thankfully my tanks are actually a level ahead.

 

And the fight in Europe starts.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/warineurope.jpg

Soviet tanks and motorised divs roll across the border, chewing away at the edges of Poland, and my forces start biffing them righteously in the face. 34 tank divs, 12 motorised, 8 mechanised, 15 infantry, and a HQ. Most of my forces are only 3 divs strong, as most of my generals are occupied commanding armies in Asia, so it's the lieutenant generals who will be commanding this end of the war.

 

In Asia, I'm going to be fairly defensive, until I see how the US is doing.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/asiastrategy.jpg

Forming a nice thick line in my provinces, not neglecting the right flank. The SU have made some gains, taking a few US provinces, and if they exploit it further I don't want to suddenly relaise my right flank's covered in Ivans.

 

One US pocket is quickly being squeezed out, up near Korea.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/uspocketsquashed.jpg

Most of their troops simply retreated into Korea, the rest shipped out before the final Soviet attack wiped them out. Korea is probably safe, I have 13 divs there, the Koreans have about 6 divs, and the US has some there too.

 

My ints are a level ahead.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/intsvsintssu.jpg

I dealt out light damage and took only an Org drop in return. Tragic.

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The US is being beaten back, understandably, as they're taking the brunt of the Soviet attack.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/counterattacksu.jpg

So I think I'll stick a knife in their ribs and hit the flank.

 

Ideally, I'll go about this far.

https://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/FullAuto_2006/HOI2/landgrabsuwest.jpg

And then stop, reorganise, consolidate, and perhaps hold there, behind rivers, using them to assist my defensive efforts. Three major captures, from north to south, will be Minsk, Kiev, and Sevastapol.

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Having just recently bought HoI 2, I've not had enough time to play around with it to know...

 

But how feasiable would some sort of sucidal para-drop on some terriotry behind enemy lines be? Something like dropping off a few divisons, capping a province, then sitting tight and forcing the foe to divert some forces maybe?

Or is that kinda stupid idea? >.>

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Will you be getting any Ruski oil along the way on your shopping spree incursions?

 

Not going deep enough for that, but there is some nice energy and metal-producing provinces to be picked up. They won't go to me, they'll go to Poland, but at least they're out of the SU's grasp.

 

But how feasiable would some sort of sucidal para-drop on some terriotry behind enemy lines be? Something like dropping off a few divisons, capping a province, then sitting tight and forcing the foe to divert some forces maybe?

Or is that kinda stupid idea? >.>

 

Nothing wrong with using paras like this. Drop them on an important objective, set up air supply to keep them alive (you need convincing air superiority to stop your transports getting shot up though), and then push through to them. You can even drop them in a row, creating a nice corridor for your troops to drive down.

 

Only problem is, I don't have any paras.

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