Hispaniola 1947 AAR

[ernieschwitz]

November 1st, 1947...

I load up the turn to discover that nothing really has changed. Except for alot of movement by the enemy haitians, there is not really much action to speak of. Sure he bombarded one of my Soviet Units with artillery, but nothing came out of it.

What I am considering at this moment, is whether i should be agressive and try and hit the hex where he has his flak located and a single unit of militia. Its a soft spot, but not terribly important. Another option which I am leaning towards is pulling my units back towards Santo Domingo a single hex. The enemy if he then occupies that hex, will be sitting on a plains hex with low entrenchment values and bad protection from artillery. I think that is what I will do. In the north, there is little i can do. I will send some reinforcements, in the form of Latin American Mercenaries... I have 5 PPs so i should get myself another 30 rifle.

Here is the situation as the turn began.

[ernieschwitz]

November 1st, 1947,

I have now set the trap, and moved my men into position to assault the hex from 3 directions, which i am hoping that the Haitians will try and take. Not sure if the AI knows how a trap like this works. It will be interesting to see if it falls for it.

Here is the situation at the end of the turn. The empty hex is very tempting, i hope

[ernieschwitz]

2nd November 1947,

It worked like a charm. The AI has put a unit composed of mainly rifle and militia into the "gap" i created. I just hope that shelling it will reduce it considerably, and that attacking it then from 3 sides will reduce it completely.

Also very tempting is it to assualt the AAA unit that the AI has left almost unguarded near Barahona. But i must remember that since I am down to 156 oil, using air power is not going to be something that i am going to do. In fact i may just disband them, to save the supplies. Or maybe set them to zero supplies... if i get the need for them.

Here is the map at the beginning of the turn.

[ernieschwitz]

November 2nd, 1947,

Well what can i say, the trap worked perfectly. I eliminated 11 rifle, 18 Militia for the cost of 1 Rifle IV, and 2 MG IVs. The loss of the MGs is not good. But its worth it. If i can keep inflicting these kinds of damage on the Haitians, I should be able to win this war of what has turned into attrition.

I also attacked the american AAA with some spare troops, and they lost a single AAA formation. It won´t count for much in the long run, but it was nice to see them flee anyway

Here is the situation in Neiba/Barahona in close-up.

[ernieschwitz]

November 3rd, 1947,

So this time the Haitians move a smaller unit into "the trap". I am going to bombard it and attack it anyway... and perhaps even advance this turn... It seems that the Haitians have left Neiba unguarded. If thats true, then i should move there and take the city.

Some shelling by the American artillery lost me another MG IV. I am going to get that artillery some day!

Here is the situation as the turn began.

[ernieschwitz]

3rd November 1947,

I smashed the small unit of 8 miltia easily, and Neiba was as my scouts told me, deserted. So i have now liberated my countrymen once again. There was also a mild skirmish near Barahona, where my troops beat back a haitian unit of a few militia.

In the north Between Santiago and La Vega, there was also a land battle. Here the defending infantry unit was attacked on 4 sides, with among others, support from my armored cars. These guzzled up the last of my oil in the attack! Very naughty of them...

So i decided to disband my airforces. The 5 planes gave me back a total of 33 RAW. Not bad. Too bad i don´t really know what to use it for. Though that is alot of mortars and machineguns, if i wanted to build those. I also set my armoured cars to 50% supplies. Since they aren´t going to be moving any time soon, it seemed logical..

Here is the situation as the turn ended.



Edit: I also disbanded my cargoship. And during the turn played another inspire the people card. I now set Santo Domingo to produce 1 PP and 28 oil a turn. I need the oil to move my artillery after all.

[ernieschwitz]

November 4th 1947,

It seems that retaking Neiba was going to be costly. The Haitians decided to let their americans try and take it, and they did. I lost 12 men, and they lost 9. Good thing it was "only" riflemen that got killed. Would have been worse had it been some of my soviet infantry.

I think i will go back to "my trap" setup again. If i can lure one of these American units into it, that would be fun.

Nothing happening elsewhere... Here is a look at the map as the turn started.

[ernieschwitz]

4th of November, 1947,

I move my soviet units back into "the trap" formation. I think this might work again...

Elsewhere, in the south, my riflemen are beating back militia, and slowly walking towards Port-Au-Prince. And in the north there was also a small skirmish. Last night when i fell asleep i thought this game might somehow have been lost already, now i see that it´s far from it...

This is going to be interesting. Here is how the situation looked after i moved.

[ernieschwitz]

5th November 1947,

You know, i compared my trap earlier, in my head to fishing. I was hoping to catch a fish that my wouldn´t break my fishing line. Well... this time, the fish may just be too big. A massive enemy unit has walked into the trap. 82 points, it shows on the strength marker.

It´s made up of alot of foot soldiers. Both Militia from Haiti and the Dominican Republic (those traitors!), and american forces. As far as i can see, only 1 of them is a MG IV. So thats the good news. I guess i am going to see what effect my artillery will have on it before attacking the "big fish" that i´ve netted.

Oh and while i remember it. The Haitians must still have some oil left. They conducted an air attack on my Artillery, to no effect (well i lost 4 rifles, but other than that). My Flak was within range, but i didn´t shoot anything down. Not sure why.

Anyway, here is how the turn looked when i began. Notice also that the american forces to the north of my artillery position are fighting my rifle formation there in the mountains.

[ernieschwitz]

5h November, 1947,

Well the fish was too big. It hurt my units more than i hurt it. I thought i had it when i reduced its strength marker down to 34, but that was not enough. Anyway, the Americans fled to Neiba, and are now showing only a strength of 4. I am keeping "the trap" open, hoping that once again he will march straight into it.

In the south, my units keep on fighting the fleeing americans and haitians, and gaining one hex at a time. And in the north i win a costly victory, getting yet another hex.

Here is how it looked at the end of my move.

[ernieschwitz]

November 6th, 1947,

It seems the americans have learned nothing. They charge into "the trap" once again. This time the unit is a bit weaker. "Only" 66 on the strength counter. I wonder if i can reduce this one to the point of collapse, like i did with the other one. I also note that once again Neiba is without defenders.

I think this tactic, of trapping the enemy units in gang-ups from multiple sides is working...

Once again the Haitian conduct an air operation against my artillery. Once again i lose a few rifle men and he loses nothing. However in the North, a group of 7 Militia (70 men i imagine) tried to storm Santiago, and ran right into my parked Armoured Cars. ... That unit of Militia was not heard from again!

Here is the situation as the turn began.

[ernieschwitz]

November 6th, 1947,

I spring the trap once again. Losses are massive on each side. But i feel that the Haitians are cracking, so i consider if i should try and advance. But instead, i decide that if he falls for the trap once again, my situation would be so much more improved, that i would never need worry about his troops again... (or maybe if i did it 2-3 times more... you never know).

In the south my trusty soldiers keep advancing along the coastline towards Port-Au-Prince. They meet only light resistance, which is fine. Seems everything is centering around Neiba.

In the north i move a few troops around, but do no attacking.

Here is how the situation looks around Barahona and Neiba.

[ernieschwitz]

November 7th, 1947...

Ok, this time the AI didn´t walk into the trap... good for him (it?). Instead his american unit decided to stay in Neiba and rest up. I hope he moves it into the trap next turn, cause i got a really good feeling about it if he does...

Again the Haitians attempt an airraid on my artillery, but this time, i had moved my AAA into the same hex as my artillery. Too bad for his fighters, he lost 2. which is half of their fighting strength. I lost one rifleman. As long as he (it?) keeps on using his fuel and planes like this i am going to win.

On my flank to the north of Neiba, i get hammered pretty hard. But i am not too worried about this.

Here is the situation.

[ernieschwitz]

November 7th, 1947

I engage the 3 rifle and 1 Halftrack that stand between me and the capitol, Port-Au-Prince. It´s an inconclusive battle however, and both sides withdraw without having done any real damage to each other. In the North i launch a small and very limited offensive towards Monte Cristi. Had i had more fuel, then i might have achieved a breakthrough, alas, fuel constrains my movements.

I then make an ill adviced attack on an unidentified haitian unit in the mountains in the center of the island, only to get beaten back, badly.

Here is the situation as the turn ended.

[ernieschwitz]

8th of November, 1947,

Again the americans refuse to fall for my trap. Instead they attack the brave infantry formation just south of Neiba. There in the low mountains they get pushed back, and have to retreat against overwhelming numbers. However, this has given me an idea. Neiba is now very poorly defended. If i take Neiba, then the americans will be surrounded, and cut off from supplies. That sounds like an idea to me...

So i decide to implement it.

Here is the way things looked as the turn began.

[ernieschwitz]

8th of November 1947,

As the world war rages onward, it seems the battle for Hispaniola may well soon be over. This turn the offensives that i had planned all worked out. To start out with, the forces south of the Capitol of Haiti, Port-Au-Prince, gained another hex, if they continue like this, they may actually conquer the city and end the war that way... In the north my armoured cars used up the last remaining fuel and drove straight on to Monte Cristi and liberated the city.

With such good things going on, i completely forgot to shell Neiba before attacking it with my soviet infantry. Luckily i only lost 1 man, and the city was taken without any trouble at all. So, with the artillery now free to do some bombardment, i shelled the americans that had now been cut off from the rest of the Haitian Army... Now this is cool

Here is how it looked.

[ernieschwitz]

November 9th 1947,

Heres whats happening in a nutshell. The American Artillery is beating up my small infantry units, that are closing in on it, and the American infantry to northeast of Neiba, on the central part of the island is beating up on my Latin American Mercenaries, while working their way towards my artillery.

The trapped Americans try to break out by moving towards an undefended part of the frontline, in the west. But they don´t get very far... soon they will be out of supplies anyway.

Here is a picture of whats happening.

[ernieschwitz]

1947, november 9th,

So my march towards the Haitian Capitol, Port-Au-Prince, continues. I start the turn off by moving my units into an ambush, in the hex between Port-Au-Prince and Jacmel. Luckily the unit that was doing the ambushing was not all that overwhelming, and no damage was taken, except to my pride. I quickly order the other infantry unit there to attack these 3 militia that where doing the ambushing, and i succeed in winning that combat. I now own the hex next to the capitol of my enemy.

Wanting to strengthen my position in the south I decide to take a unit out of the frontline to the north of Neiba, and shift it to the southern front instead. Now i have 3 rifle units down there to cause havoc. I wonder if i should go for broke and try and take Port-Au-Prince, or simply settle for a supply port first, Jacmel, and then have a go at taking Port-Au-Prince.

The small infantry unit left in the pocket south of Neiba i attacked with two of the Soviet infantry. They didn´t cause too much damage however, and the unit fled southwards. I decide to follow up with one of the Soviet units, and let the other soviet unit take over in Neiba. The 3rd Soviet unit i move to block the path of the fleeing americans, that are trying to get into contact with their lines again. I also move my artillery and bombard them again.

I then decide to have a go at an offensive up north. The Armoured cars are reduced to a crawl, because of low fuel, and only can get half way to Cap-Haïtien. The infantry follows up, and there is a small skirmish in the mountains as one of my infantry units is ambushed by a unit of 2 miltia, that apparantly get so scared they panic and try to flee...

The Haitian airforce, now reduced to a single plane, tries to strafe my units near Port-Au-Prince.

Heres a look at the map as the turn ended.

[ernieschwitz]

November 10th, 1947,

(Happy birthday to me hmm... pre birthday, as i am yet to be born)

Anyway, this is what´s going on. The Haitians use some valuable fuel strafing my armoured cars with their lone fighter. Good! As long as he uses them like this, it´s not a problem. My own fuel is low, reaching 0 each turn. I produce about 28 oil each turn... synthetically.

The American infantry, to the south, the one in the "pocket", is no longer moving. I am guessing it is out of supplies. Good! The American artillery is still hammering my units. I must get to it soon, but artillery defends itself pretty well, when it has a screen of infantry in front of it, which is the case here. (He has infantry and artillery in the same unit).

Just south of Port-Au-Prince i suffer a defeat. My unit of 7-8 rifle and a single MG is attacked on 4 sides by what amounts to about 60 infantry/staff. They are of course forced to retreat after giving the Haitians a good bloody nose. 4 militia/rifle are lost to the 2 i lose. The MG survives

Here is a look at the map.

[ernieschwitz]

10th of November, 1947

I begin by bombarding the helpless americans trapped in the pocket, without supplies. Now that they are without supplies, they are falling like flies to my artillery barrage. I follow up with an attack, first on the small Haitian unit of militia, which is killed off. And then i use the rest of the soviets to attack the americans, who simply melt away before my units. Wonderfull!

I then do some trickery. I know that i don´t have enough recon in the south to find out what units are where down there. So i make a suicide squad, whose only purpose it is to wander blindly into a hex to see if it has enemy units on it. Well, the first hex didn´t have any units in it... so i move my forces to that hex, since it´s right next to Port-Au-Prince. I then repeat the attempt, and try and wander into Port-Au-Prince. There i find that it´s only being defended by staff, 1 fighter III and 2 miltia. Too bad the rest of my units are unable to attack that hex. If I could it might have ended the war... for a while (who knows how america would react during a World War to Haiti being overrun by soviet allies).

In the north, there is still some fighting, but it is clear to me that it is merely a sideshow. I decide that some more militia are needed. I am producing too much supply anyway, and have a surplus of 500 units. So i order 3 cities to produce militia, and then move the militia i have in Santo Domingo towards the fighting in Neiba. I could use some canonfodder up there anyway.

Here is how the situation looked at the end of my turn.