The Great War, part 2. A GD AAR.

[cpdeyoung]

This is a three player game of Global Domination 1938, a wonderful mod of ATG.

The Axis is played by a master, Python Magus, a very experienced and excellent stalwart.

The Soviets by a less experienced player who is eager to test his skills, Lion_of_Judah.

The Allies by cpdeyoung, who has loved and played this game for over a decade.

Let loose the dogs of war!

[ernieschwitz]

I love a good AAR, looking forward to it

[PythonMagus]

AAR: March 1938 - Shadows of the Rhineland

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Geman and French general share a drink in a future, peaceful Europe by David Bowman, on Flickr

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Location: Berlin / Kehl Border Outpost
Date: March 22, 1938

Oberleutnant Hans Richter stared at the intelligence summary spread across his field desk, the morning light catching the thick glass of his coffee mug. The official dispatches from Berlin echoed a harmonious refrain: Germany sought only friendship, economic cooperation, and a stable, peaceful Europe built on mutual industrial strength. Down at the border, brief moments of theatrical bonhomie between officers—toasts shared across tables with French counterparts—were eagerly captured by state photographers to prove that neighborly goodwill was entirely possible.

Yet, Hans felt the stark dichotomy of the spring air. Barely a mile away across the river, the landscape bristled. Heavy artillery emplacements and concrete pillboxes watched from the opposing heights, a stark reminder that guns remained steadfastly trained on the Reich. Newspapers in Paris and Moscow broadcast biting condemnations, painting German overtures as mere camouflage for aggressive expansion, even as Berlin decried foreign falsehoods.

Behind the grand political theater, Hans’s primary headache was structural. Managing the grand corps-sized formations favored by the High Command was an immense logistical undertaking. Rejecting finicky, decentralized micro-management, he preferred the broad-stroke economic rhythm of the Table of Organization and Equipment. Reinforcements flowed slowly down through the administrative pipeline from regional HQs, ensuring that replacements finally arrived at the front lines thoroughly drilled and equipped, but testing the patience of commanders waiting for manpower.

As Hans folded the reports, he knew that peace and preparation walked a razor-thin line. The heavy corps units were assembling, the supply webs were spinning, and whether the coming months brought open hand or clenched fist, the machinery of the state was ready to move.

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All around us, guns are pointed at the Fatherland by David Bowman, on Flickr
The French of Bolsheviks whisper lies about us behind our backs by David Bowman, on Flickr

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Gaming note

I like corps sized units by David Bowman, on Flickr

I like big units in this game as I find small units to finicky to manage and hard to keep replenished via the ToE. ToE suits my style, which is more economic rather than tactical, so the flow of forces through the HQs to the unit takes a few turns and means the reinforcements arrive with some training. Also note that when the game gets hot, these units are typically 50-70% strength

[PythonMagus]

AAR: March 1938 - The Pincer Closes in the East

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The East is Liberated for the Manchurian Emperor by David Bowman, on Flickr

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Location: Northern Jiangsu / Shandong Sector
Date: March 31, 1938

Major Kenji Sato wiped the dust from his field glasses as the roar of twin-engine Mitsubishi bombers faded toward the western horizon. Below him, the scene on the dirt highway surrealistically resembled a ghost town. Hours of relentless, punishing air raids by the Imperial Air Force had broken the enemy's will to resist; Chinese units had abandoned their trenches en masse, leaving behind abandoned artillery and supplies, with many formations dissolving entirely into the countryside or surrendering on immediate contact.

Chinese forces find they are surrounded by David Bowman, on Flickr

Across the plains, the grand tactical design was clicking into place. To the south, the 3rd and 7th Armies had maintained a relentless, sweeping push, while the 10th Army aggressively drove north from its bridgeheads. The coordination had been smooth, orchestrated through carefully managed logistical pipelines that kept the larger corps-sized formations supplied and steady.

Just past midday, at a dusty crossroads outside a smoldering village, the vanguard elements of the 10th Army crested a rise and met the leading columns of the 7th Army. Officers from both forces stepped out of their vehicles, exchanging formal salutes and handshakes as the eastern sector was officially declared cleared of organized Chinese defense.

Sato lowered his glasses. The operational maps back at headquarters would show a clean, sweeping red arrow uniting the forces, a testament to air superiority and crushing momentum. Yet, looking out over the silent, deserted fields, he wondered how long an empty landscape could stay conquered.

Chinese forces vanish by David Bowman, on Flickr

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[cpdeyoung]

France: April 1938

Strategic overview.
The French armed forces are significant, but the German and Italian borders are lined with too many Axis forces for a peacetime establishment, Axis diplomacy is very active, and successful. It is time to face facts and prepare to defend the nation.
The French are not rich in manpower or supplies, but the GQG is getting by. The powerful Japanese effort is evident, and Indochina is getting attention. France is fully supporting China as they are in effect our first line of defense.
The British have said they will join us if we, or Poland, are attacked. This works but a full alliance with military co-ordination would be superior. Our diplomats are seeking alliance and joint planning with Belgium and the Netherlands.
The navy is currently split between the Atlantic and Mediterranean.