Westheim vs. 5 AI (random madness)

[Westheim]

February 1935

Great success!

Our agents in Germania managed to convince the German High Command that the filthy Chengdus were conducting experiments to poison all hop plants in Germania, thus leaving the country without its beloved beer! German High Command swiftly and thoroughly analysed the situation, then declared war in Imperial Chengdu! Between the four countries that bump together and Jingmen, Germania and the Eastern Empire now are the only ones not at war with another.

More great success!

The VII Corps, supported by the II, V, and VI Corps (it’s a bit of a mess down there…), made a concentrated attack across the river east of Jingmen, throwing the Caliphate units back and isolating some of them south of Jingmen. Preparations begin for another attack in the sector of I Corps and III Corps to commence shortly. All these attacks will mostly consist of massed infantry blindly launched at whatever defensive preparations there may be.

Wonderful success!

A small airfield was built at Torzhok and with the ground finally frozen solid, the planes trapped in Minsk at least managed to make the little jump down there! A great moment for the Empire! A great moment for humanity!

Workers throughout the country spontaneously decided to work for 42 hours straight in celebration!

[Westheim]

March 1935

The Caliphate is conceding defeat for the moment, and pulled back the western half of its remaining front along the river. Here is where it gets interesting, since Imperial Chengdu is also trying to pierce into the void generated by the partial withdrawal.

Note however, that there is absolutely nothing except of featureless, bleak desert in the territory that is now going to be contested between Chengdu and the Empire. No resources, no towns, no factories, not even a stinking hill. Nothing. A recon flight revealed that. So, instead of pushing due south, which gets us back to the bleak desert, the Empire strategists came up with the clever idea of dividing the front down there.

I, III, V Corps will be combined in the Eastern Front, while II, VI, VII Corps will combine into the Southern Front. That will leave Western Front for an eventual war with Germania. Also, since Chengdu controls territory to the west of the mountain mine just out of our territory, a VIII Corps composed of second-rate units (mercenaries) will be set up in the gap on our border between Jingmen and IV Corps in the northwest.

The Front HQs are going to be set up shortly at appropriate railheads.

This month was mostly all success and glory, with plenty of decorations handed out to battle-scarred workers.

The Empire actually wouldn’t mind Chengdu taking that mountain mine from Germania, which would open up a bid for possession for the Empire.

[Westheim]

April 1935

More success in the glorious face of global Eastern Empire-ism!

The Caliphate started a general retreat opposing the (future) Eastern Front, but despite lacking any meaningful mobilization, the three corps there managed to round up a significant number of artillery batteries on the rear end of the retreat.

In the west, VII Corps is advancing across the desert and about to turn west while deploying a few week screening units to protect its flank. The right flank of the (future) Southern Front has it a bit harder, facing resistance from Imperial Chengdu, although we decimated several of their poorly armed militia divisions.

A general lack of fuel prevents the Empire currently from reinforcing VII Corps (which is away from any rail connection) or from even moving most of the corps HQs, several of which are motorized and therefore stuck.

The military leadership has to admit, though, that they would absolutely LOVE to come across a spare oil field or two…

In a move showing good humor, Empire scientists have drawn up plans for light tanks, which I suppose are not going to drive by the power of potatos and onions. The supreme leadership scheduled some humorless executions...

[Westheim]

High command is having a collective depression.

[Westheim]

May 1935

The Caliphate has reformed their frontline opposite I Corps and conducted a local counterattack, but overall the entire front kept moving nicely, even if at different paces. VII Corps is becoming stretched, though.

We did spot some targets. VI Corps is coming up against the city of Mizhi, held by Imperial Chengdu, and a research lab on its left that is held by the Caliphate, which also has a gun factory and a mercenary base a bit south of VII Corps, and there is of course the lab and the mine in the path of the Eastern Front.

The Empire has now laregely stopped producing units altogether except those from establishments (gun factory, mercenary base), and a few engineers and mortars, since even when replacements are sent to the front, right now it is impossible to reinforce frontline units due the appalling absence of any drop of fuel.

The Front commands were established, however. Southern Front has its HQ in Jingmen, while Eastern Front has its HQ in Drognitz. The idea is for corps with trucks to move these to the Front HQ to mobilize them again, and then have them operate away from the railhead. Might be a bad idea, but at least us here at the supreme command won’t be stuck in frozen mud, starving, if something goes wrong. It’s actually quite cozy in the supreme HQ!

+++

June 1935

The month in which we found out that the Caliphate is still alive and kicking (primarily kicking VII Corps) and continued to counterattack in select spots, and that Imperial Chengdu has bombers and is not afraid to use them on unsuspecting artillery. We swiftly developed a countermeasure, mounting a machine gun on a stick in a 90 degree angle to create a wonderful anti aircraft weapon!

But here is the opening situation for June, and the south is a wicked tangle and mess. You can’t really tell who is cut off from their base and who isn’t for the Caliphate and Chengdu!

[Westheim]

June 1935

All six front corps were subordinated to the new Front HQs this month, and at least I, III, and V Corps managed to shed their trucks and start to move up. VI Corps HQ f.e. remains grounded, which is a problem, since VI Corps is in front of some very juicy targets, two cities (Mizhi, ethnically Chinese, and Tubingen, ethnically German), and a research lab.

As far as research labs go, the one that the Empire initially popped and then lost quickly to the Caliphate was reduced to ashes in severe fights. We emerged victorious, but without the desired prize.

The current artillery production has been changed to AA guns to meet the newest threat on the Chengdu front.

Notice all the stranded armored divisions…

The supreme command has also added the corps designations on the map below since we realize all this mess might be confusing.

[Westheim]

July 1935

The Caliphate again conducted some local counterattacks in the middle of the desert, ravaging some of the Eastern Empire’s divisions. The 67th InfDiv (VII) was badly mauled, and there was a small breakthrough in the line at the III and V Corps that was however quickly contained.

The biggest success for the Empire was the capture of the research lab in VI Corps’ sector. Germania is closing on Tubingen, while the Empire is closer to Mizhi, which right now is cut off from mainland Chengdu. Apart from that the frontlines have become quite a bit clearer in front of the Southern Front, with plenty of tiny pockets eliminated this month.

[Westheim]

August 1935

A rather dull month that was partly spent moving up stranded equipment and such. A new IX Corps was formed to be added to the Eastern Front to relief the pressure on the VII Corps in the deep south, but with the way our chronic shortages work, it was formed in Minsk again and will have to make its way south on foot. If things go well, we might be able to provide them enough horses to let go things a little bit quicker at least.

Heavy Artillery was researched, though.

+++

September 1935

This is only the start of the month with a complete overview of the map. The Caliphate is making another tactical retreat right now to realign its forces. I don’t know whether Imperial Chengdu is on the verge of collapse or not – hard to tell right now, but Germania is certainly making some progress in front of Tubingen.

VI Corps lost some more artillery due to airstrikes (the AA is not there yet), II Corps suffered some artillery damage, and I and III Corps were also hit by artillery.

(This is not the complete map of course, I culled the edges)

[Westheim]

September 1935

Just minor gains on all fronts. Also, an air bombardment on I Corps’ left flank went awry when the Caliphate actually sent in fighters to counter our pilots. Of eight planes of the 45th Air Wing, three were lost, while the bombardment had little to no effect. Since we’re not actually building planes (for reasons…) right now, this ain’t good at all.

[Westheim]

October 1935

Caliphate counterattacks have dealt considerable losses to VII Corps, which is in a sticky spot in the deep south, and also gets shelled by Chengdu artillery regularly. Not only is the Corps stretched out quite a bit, but it is also hard to supply and about impossible to reinforce.

Offensively, a first assault on Mizhi failed with quite spectacular losses for VI Corps. More peasants to be allocated to the next attempt next month.

+++

November 1935 (start)

Great calamity! As feared, VII Corps as well as V Corps were fiercely attacked by the Caliphate and the line has been breached in several locations, with Imperial Chengdu also getting stuck in against VII Corps, which is about to be completely overrun!

Several divisions were overrun and six artillery battieres were destroyed.

The Empire is scrambling to throw waves of peasants into the breach to stop the colossal flood of enemy units streaming towards Minsk. Blaming the intelligentsia for the recent failures, several librarians and accountants were executed in Minsk and Torzhok!

[Westheim]

November 1935

This month ended up a bit of good news / bad news. Good news: Mizhi fell to the Empire. Bad news, it’s mostly burning. Tubingen fell to Germania a while ago.

Also, good news: we spotted an oilfield in Imperial Chengdu hands in the sector of II Corps. Bad news: it’s well defended on the other side of some hills, and we can’t get supply there.

Good news: the damage to VII Corps wasn’t fatal. Bad news: it might still develop that way.

For now, VII Corps conducted a partial retreat to reorganize the line, while III and V Corps with a spirited assault destroyed a Caliphate armor division and cut off the leading attacking division of the pincer in their sector.

To lift everybody’s spirits (outside of using actual spirits to do that), supreme command signed off the concepts of some bigger tank concepts, called Medium Tank. We never built a light tank, we can’t keep our remaining armored cars fueled, but heck, why not build even bigger crap that won’t be of any use to the war effort?

The actual plan was to build another factory near Minsk, but … resource shortage … and a shortage of qualified engineers … and so on …

But the Empire will prevail, and so will global socialism! And spirits. *hcks!*

[Westheim]

December 1935

The southern sector keeps getting shoved, and the encirclement of the foremost Caliphate elements was easily broken by relief forces.

Much of the month was about consolidating lines and clearing the immediate vicinity of Mizhi.

As far as organization goes, some VI Corps units were split off to form X Corps to defend Mizhi and the surroundings, which includes an aircraft factory to which we can’t find the keys to the main door and which can’t produce anything. II Corps is beginning a shift eastwards to close the gap in the lines between itself and the beleaguered VII Corps.

The Empire also started to research AT Guns.

January 1936

Nothing more bureaucratic than to start a new year with a complete force overview. All unit types show the latest model and the percentage of troops with older and obsolete equipment.

INFANTRY
1,302 Rifle II (10%)
849 Mercenary II
183 Engineers
33 Cavalry
59 Mortar II (75%)
23 Machinegun II
363 Staff

ARMOR
16 Armored Cars

ARTILLERY & GUNS
44 Artillery
8 AT Guns
16 Flak

TRANSPORT
18 Trains
57 Trucks
323 Horses

AIRFORCE
7 Fighter
4 Divebomber

NAVY
3 Cruiser

Here is another graph not to the Supreme Command’s liking.

[Westheim]

January 1936

The current state of Imperial Chengdu led to a slight change in plans. II Corps had to grab that oilfield, and quick, before the Caliphate would get it.

The Caliphate was close to achieving a serious breakthrough against VII or V Corps. The amount of tanks they were now ferrying towards the front was staggering, and they had complete air superiority after wiping out most of our pathetic air force during our own bombing run on one of their tank columns. One destroyed tank was paid with the loss of half our airforce.

Because Supreme Command fears the worst, a rather cowardly order was issued to form an XI Corps, part of the Eastern Front to man the defensive works on the Jingmen River again, which our offensive to the south had started from about a year ago. In case of a dissolving event with our frontline corps, we want at least a prepared second line. Engineers will also prepare more defenses to the west, closer to Jingmen, for another Corps under the command of the Southern Front to occupy those. Both corps should have about four infantry divisions with artillery support and we better get some AT guns thrown in, too!

[Westheim]

February 1936

Oh bother – are things going pear-shaped!

VII Corps is melting away while it is impossible to reinforce it. At least IX Corps has spawned its divisions (after an almost year-long march to the front…) behind it and will be ready to catch the crumbling remains that get knocked off the battlefield.

II Corps lacks punch and VI Corps is far away when it comes to the desired oilfield, and neither can be adequately supplied.

Railroads are quite impossible to build due to insufficient raw materials.

And did I mention that the Germans are concentrating units in the north?

+++

March 1936

The Caliphate’s offense continues and while I Corps took some losses in the vicinity of the unreachable mountain mine, VII Corps was clobbered outright, and IX Corps, just spawned, was hit by devastating airstrikes.

The Caliphate is going mental and has declared war on the Bordeaux Commune, but I am not quite sure how that is supposed to save the Eastern Empire. Global socialism is in danger!!

[Westheim]

March 1936

In the midst of the catastrophical supply situation, the recently conquered aircraft factory near Mizhi was shut down after barely starting production. We don’t have raw, we don’t have oil – the Empire doesn’t even have enough shovels to dig a ditch behind the Jingmen River, for crying out loud!

VII Corps was badly beaten and most of its divisions have been reduced to rubble. The IX Corps arrived just barely in time to take over a big part of its frontline.

II Corps conquered a gun factory from Imperial Chengdu, but that won’t produce anything either for reasons already mentioned.

[Westheim]

April 1936

Multiple breakthroughs in the south threw the entire front into complete disarray and utter shambles. The Caliphate continues to roll over VII Corps, bursting through the thin line between II and VII Corps and severing the railroad leading southwest from Jingmen, cutting off the majority of II Corps and all of VI Corps from their Front HQ and supply.

Another breakthrough was achieved against the sorry III Corps, who had not received reinforcements in over six months and simply crumbled away. The Caliphate is massing a comically large amount of artillery and armor against the Eastern Front lines and a complete dissolution of the army is only a matter of time.

Global socialism will probably not be achieved!

II Corps secured the oil field in what must amount to a pyrrhic victory, while VI Corps is frantically trying to shovel units back to the northeast to somehow contain the breach in the lines, but they will not arrive in time.

+++

On a side note, why didn’t anybody tell me that you can upgrade resource sites?

[Westheim]

An army in shambles!

[Westheim]

Yeah, I looked at the map for a long while now and I can't pull this out anymore.

I literally forgot that you could upgrade your resource hexes, that's why I have nothing to produce with. Ten years later, still sucking at the game.

I will end this one here and concede defeat. Since I haven't heard from the shop (I assume they ran off with my pre-payment for the exotic power unit...), I will try to get another decent start with two of each resource and this time play less like a dumb noob. Sorry for being such a disappointment - still.

[8|]

[EwaldvonKleist]

From the point of view of somebody who does not own the game: It does not look that bad? Can you not just withdraw a bit to shorten the front with the green-units nation? INteresting AAR however.

[Westheim]

Nah... They have three times my power at the start of the year, and are adding like CRAZY, while the Empire can't produce anything because I borked my resources completely.