The Sound of Drums - A British Hearts of Iron II AAR

We are not at war with Italy, yet. We are at war with Germany, if Norway becomes part of the Allies then send the ANZACs there, until then, to the western front.

ComradeDavo said:

I feel we need to protect egypyt at all costs. I advise leaving the ANZAC forces there for the present. in regards to Norway, perhaps a couple of infrantry divisons can be spared from the mainland?

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Bear in mind that the force currently in Egypt has always been designed for an offensive war into Italian-held territory. As Nodikus and Ironman say, they are a weak enemy, and at present only a potential enemy.

Equuleus said:

Also, remember I called dibs on the BEF.

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Off to France you go, then!

*salutes*

From what Kan has described of our African forces they are more then sufficient to force a stalemate in Africa, or at least a costly, and slow Italian advance. It really comes down to two things. Who are we at war with at the moment, and what is more important. A few provinces in Africa, or all of France and Norway. Send the ANZAC to France and if we win in Europe against Germany, or a total catastrophe occurs and we are removed from Europe then send what we need to ensure a quick victory in Africa against the pathetic Italian army. Also keep in mind that we have an additional bonus over the Italians in training, not just troop quality.

Go Coventry, alright guv!

Seems sending the ANZAC to Britain wins narrowly, so that is what shall be done.

In addition, Subi asked for an update on the Asian front a while back. I haven't the time for a proper report, so here's a quick overview of the map there, as well as the Nationalist/Japanese land forces.



As you can see, the situation has changed little in nearly two years!

Crikey!!!!!!! this is so good I spilled my tea and dropped my crumpets!!!

Is there any place for a low life backbencher who is always smoking a cigar in your council?.... exept Churchill that is!

Another Canadian on the Council? Good heavens.

Welcome aboard. You're part of the Imperial Defence Council (standard advisers) until you decide you want something more specific.

Kan' Sharuminar said:

Another Canadian on the Council? Good heavens.

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I sense a conspiracy!

Kan' Sharuminar said:

Another Canadian on the Council? Good heavens.

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Good job, you may win the war now

ComradeDavo said:

I sense a conspiracy!

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Don't make us make you "disappear"

I wanna be the minister of fake landing operations and inflatable equipement.

The more Canadians the better. Helps balance out all those crazy war mongerers.

ComradeDavo said:

I sense a conspiracy!

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And I see they've gained Dominion-status in your AAR? This is worrying.

War's off chaps, we're gonna retake Canada instead...for the greater good.

Raisin Bran said:

I wanna be the minister of fake landing operations and inflatable equipement.

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Something similar to this organisation then, but with extra dinghies? Done.


Update should be tonight, but it's requiring a little more research than I normally do, so may be delayed until tomorrow. Cleric should be happy with it, though.

As long as I get to punch some holes in Jerry ships I'm happy.

The Sound of Drums - A British Hearts of Iron AAR
Part Twenty-One
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26th October 1939

The German naval build-up prior to the Great War had been successful enough for the Royal Navy to consider it a major threat to her control of the seas, so much so the bulk of their own ships were devoted to countering the German fleet. Neither side however, were quite willing to engage the other, fearing that the risk of failure far outweighed the possibility of victory.

At the end of that war, the British government had specifically demanded the scuttling of the German Navy, and for strict restrictions on any build-up of a German navy. The plan was that Germany would never again be able to build up a fleet capable of challenging Britain on a large-scale. That plan had worked.


Raeder, Donitz and Hitler

From 1935-1939, the Kriegsmarine remained the most poorly funded branch of the Wehrmacht, with Hitler demanding his land and airforce receive top priority. It was not helped by a definite split in Naval Command itself, with two different doctrine suggestions by two different Admirals. Admiral Dönitz was a strong proponent of utilising submarine warfare, and he wished to create a large enough U-Boat fleet that could move undetected by the Royal Navy, striking at the convoy fleets that was Britain’s ‘life line.’ Such a tactic would quickly starve Britain into submission, and would be far more effective than any large-scale battle, or even full-scale invasion.

He found a major opponent in Erich Raeder, who wanted all of Germany’s chief ships to be part of one grand fleet, unable to engage the enemy regularly, but capable of devastating blows when it did strike. Like an arrow from a bow, he argued, the German Armada would be able to be fired at any point in the world to devastating success. Such an arrow would need a head, and that head would be nothing less than the most powerful battleship on the planet.

Raeder’s thinking easily appealed to Hitler, who approved his promotion to Grand Admiral, as well as authorising the construction of a new 50’000 tonne battleship - the Bismarck. Not due to be completed until 1940, a remarkable feat of German engineering saw it finished a year early and ready to be the command vessel of Raeder’s ’super-fleet.’ And whether it was a touch of personal irony or genuine affection for the Admiral’s skills, Raeder appointed Dönitz as its commander.


Launch the Bismarck!

Grand Admiral Cleric was, to put it lightly, an aggressive chap. Throughout the entirety of the ‘inter-war years’ he had been a strong influence of how the Royal Navy should be. Strong on carriers, strong on offence, strong on Admirals who were willing to take the fight to the enemy. He was lucky his boss was Darth Pugwash, who agreed with him on all counts. It could be said that Germany was revolutionising the way war was fought on land and (possibly) in the air. Pugwash was determined that the war on sea was led by Britain, and that had meant a difficult choice - naval warfare through the classical method of “the biggest ship with the biggest guns” wins, or the new method of “the biggest ship that can carry the best planes” wins.

Carrier warfare was a relatively new concept, and both Pugwash and Cleric were lucky that the Royal Navy had been granted such a degree of independence while the land and air branches were given such attention. It allowed them the ability to plan how to deal with every potential enemy fleet without interference, it allowed them the chance to develop a new form of naval doctrine that incorporated both sea and air units in a way that was unheard of in this modern era.

It was time for British thinking and German strength to clash. On the 26th October, at the Heligoland Bight, both the Grand Armada and the First Flotte met.

The Battle of Heligoland Bight

If the German ships were intending on escaping discretely into the Atlantic, they never had a chance. Already ordered to patrol the North Sea, Admiral Cleric was extra-vigilant to watch the German coast for the enemy to strike, and it was his planes that struck first. At 1300 hours his planes on the Furious and Argus spotted the German fleet as it tried to escape to the Atlantic. The planes moved to attack, as Cleric demanded of them - and they caused some damage - but they never really posed much of an threat. The battle was to be won through ship-to-ship attacks.

Dönitz moved first. Wanting to protect the Bismarck, the cruisers moved to engage Cleric’s own ships. They were only meant as a forward shield, to protect their command ships while they moved into position, and as such they were not prepared for Cleric to fully engage them immediately. For the next two hours the British cruisers launched an attack on their German equivalents while the planes on the carriers refuelled for a final blow. For those two hours the battle was fought with just the cruisers, but only the Admiral Scheer and Galatea were willing to engage in close combat.

Cleric was in his element. He had signalled for reinforcements (as per Royal Navy doctrine) but the closest was the Support Fleet, which was currently tied up in action with German naval bombers near Aberdeen. He was on his own, and he was in total control. His cruisers were easily holding off the Germans, and with the news three hours into the battle that the Admiral Scheer was destroyed and that the rest of the enemy fleet were falling back, he was delighted to order a full offensive. His planes were nearly refuelled and ready for another attack, after all?

It was not to be. Rather than a controlled retreat the German fleet was collapsing and falling back to German ports in any way it could. For Britain, the HMS Galatea was out of action after its engagement, and likely out of the war for the next year, and the Admiralty was not willing to see it claimed by Raeder as a propaganda blow. For the two fleets to disengage amicably meant one thing - the Royal Navy had met the main German fleet, and it had won…

Dam dirty jerries! You sock it to em cleric!

If I didnt have this gammy knee I'ld be right with you old man...

Good show!
Pity they couldn't sink the Bismarck.

Well done, although now that the Bismarck has made its maiden voyage without being sunk it could possibly be remembered as a decent ship

I'd also like to switch posts, I'll apply for any Command position as I've been training while sitting around in the British embassy in Ottawa

rabidveggie said:

I have no idea on the number. I'm thinking 25 per cent but that could just be for Civ IV.
Whats with no offensives against the German swine? I could even go so far as to call this a phony war... I think Rhiem is the key to a northern attack. From their the Germans would flank the Maginot Line, effectively cut France in half with the amount of travel time it adds and would allow them to strike anywhere. However to deploy soldiers their would put them further from transports if a major German breakthrough were to take place.
I personally believe we should roll the dice and deploy at least 1/3 of our forces to Rhiems due to 3 attacking angles making it a key area for a german offensive. Another 1/3 to Valencia with two non river provinces on its border, 3/4 of our remaining force to Mons and 3-4 divisions in Dunkirk. Unless you only plan on sending only eight divisions to France in which case I've just wasted text.

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I say we dont let the germans know what will hit them.
Intelligence reports of German troop movements suggests a thrust through the Maginot line at its weakest point. DECEPTION I SAY, we can't trust the germans IN ANY WAY, so I think they will not honor belgium's neutrality and they will Thrust through Belgium. So I suggest we put a Fantom force of 1 inf division in each territory bordering Belgium and all our major force in dunkirk.

The germans will punch through the Belgium/france border only to be met full force by our backed-up troops that they will not know about. With this back-up we could even cut off any advancing units into France by retaking the border territories and the germans advance will be cut off friom the main offencive helping us to kill small pockets and DESTROYING the germans troops instead of only pushing them back.

plus make some fake attempts at the Sigfried line, that might even attrack a few germans divisions that tey will not be abvle to use against us in the north.


EDIT: Crossing a river/canal in HOI2 without a engineer brigade gives you a 50% loss in effectivness.