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

There is a mistake in fleet arrangements, unless you fancy losing your carriers I suggest placing them in the middle of the formation.

It should always be in this formation:

Destroyers ring the outer line, (the first line of defense/ counters submarines)
These are then followed by the cruisers who provide close air combat, (counters aircraft with their decks of machine guns and anti aircraft guns.)
Battleships come next with their imposing guns and range (these guys will keep any enemy battleship from getting within range long enough to get their sights on a carrier.)
Finally you have the carriers, safe and hidden in the middle.

Propaganda, is for looking good.

Prime Minister, the Citizens of the Straits Settlements of Singapore, Penang, Labuan and Malacca have lodged an official complaint against the Ministry offices in London. As Governor-General, I have the responsibility of dealing with the social problems within the colony. Now the complaint reads:

Dear London, my family, friends and neighbours all gather around the only radio player in our Kampung Village to listen to the news regarding the war. The 50-something of us would sit in front of the tiny brown radio box, waiting for PM Kan to update the Village about recent British and world developments to the international scene. However, recently as we gather about and switch on the radio at 6, waiting for your voice to ring out, we here nothing but static and an infomercial about singing cats and Cleric's Battleship Toy Set for $5. We are loyal citizens of the British Empire and of the Great King George and to the PM, Kan. But we grow restless with the obscurity of the war front. We plead with London to resume the radio broadcast.

Signed - Henry Kuan Yew, Lee (Future dick..tator of Singapore)

Click to expand...

And there are more from where that came from!

As Minister of Intelligence I can inform the good citizens of Singapore that current action is limited to skirmishes in Norway and some bombing of German industry...

As far as I've been told anyway =P

I'll get some photos of the skirmishes to you soon, either in official government announcements or via propaga- inspirational photos.

aronnax said:

Prime Minister, the Citizens of the Straits Settlements of Singapore, Penang, Labuan and Malacca have lodged an official complaint against the Ministry offices in London. As Governor-General, I have the responsibility of dealing with the social problems within the colony. Now the complaint reads:


And there are more from where that came from!

Click to expand...

Apparently there was a problem with the transmissions. I have contacted the Royal Mail, and they are sending the updates you missed over this next week by secure post.

From the Prime Minister to the loyal people of Singapore and the Far East colonies, you have only my most sincere apologies.

16th - 23rd September 1940

The Peck-Nodikus Recruitment Act came to an end on the 21st September - eleven months after the Act was passed. Through their belief that the war would be a prolonged one and their subsequent urging of expanding the British ground forces, a total of 18 infantry divisions had been created. It had been nowhere near enough to take on the massive German forces, but the expansion was enough of a stop-gap to allow Britain to hold on.

The next expansion of standard infantry was to be postponed. The Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield were busy developing new weaponry, while generals who had already fought in France in Africa - Alan Brooke and Prince Scamp most predominantly - returned to Britain to provide insight into modern-age fighting and suggestions into new tactics and doctrines.


Royal Marines training in Scotland

For the immediate future, the British army was to be boosted with specialised divisions, the first being a pair of marine divisions. The Cabinet had urged their creation for some time now, seeing the advantages of having troops specially trained in amphibious operations while conducting a campaign in the Mediterranean and, potentially, the Far East. It was hoped that their successful use would prove Britain would not need a large army to overwhelm the massive German forces, instead they would rely on small, exceptionally well trained troops, to focus on the Axis most vulnerable defences.

The need for utilising a small army did not come about just through military advice, but industrial necessity. At the start of September Britain simply could not hope to produce the vast amount of equipment or supplies needed to maintain a large army. An unexpected announcement from the United States changed that.

When Kan’ Sharuminar received a phone-call from the President late on the 22nd, he had expected that Roosevelt had simply wanted to follow up on some of the conversations they had taken during his brief visit the previous month. He couldn’t have been more wrong, and spent most of the phone-call in total silence. On the other side of the Atlantic, Roosevelt was hurriedly informing the British Prime Minister that he was preparing to pass an act that would provide Britain and her allies the war-materials they required for the duration of the war.


Lend-Lease

At its most basic form, the lend-lease act was to provide the struggling allied nations with the equipment and supplies their armies needed, as well as the machinery to produce them. All materials could be returned after the war, or the United States would accept cash-compensation if the materials had been destroyed. Britain was by no means out-of-pocket, but the Act had the potential to bring its industrial strength to something nearing Germany’s own, but at the very least it would have needed British equipment being produced in American factories.

It was an exceptionally bold move by Roosevelt, who clearly felt that the upcoming election was already won. Even Chancellor Yuri was impressed with the sudden American support of the Allied side, commenting that the Prime Minister must have made a good impression on Roosevelt in so short a visit. Or as he put it, “I didn’t think you were with him that long…”

Yes, now the American taxpayer is paying for my planes! Best day ever!

Whups, almost forgot:
Game Effects: We are no longer producing standard infantry. Two marine divisions have begun production, ETA February 1941. The United States pass the Lend-Lease Act and Britain receives its first shipment.

Nice to know that thier paying attention over there.
What form does the aid take exactly? Supplies and resources or providing boosts to unit production?

IIRC it's supplies, resources, and additional IC.

Oil, metal, supplies and IC, aye.

In less than two weeks as Germany I've conquored all of Euorpe, half of Africa, Japan has most of Asia and I have nukes. It's 1947. Kan I'm getting impatient!

Good update though

This is a positive sign. It seems Roosevelt is waking up the American people to our plight. Hopefully we can expect full military aid in the future from them.

So the Yanks finally realise that Germany is bad crap. While we good ole Brits are happy for the help, its still not enough if we need to turn the tide!

What we need is something BIG to swing the Yanks on our side. Something like...like... if something destroyed the American Ideal of immunity... Like if the Axis bombed New York or invaded Florida... But I doubt any of the Axis Powers are THAT daft to attack America...

What can we do now?

Despite us handling this war pretty darned well on our own I cannot help but be pleased by this direction in US foreign policy.

Huzzah for Roosevelt and the Congress! With American industrial might backing up our tactical & strategic skill I feel that the future has just gotten brighter for the Empire.

23rd September - 4th October 1940


The Lend Lease Act is signed.

The announcement of the Lend Lease Act created a predictable international response. While Allied countries welcomed the program most Axis nations, as well as Japan, condemned the United States government and questioned their commitment to neutrality and isolation. Of all the major powers, only the Soviet Union remained silent on its opinions involving the Act.

The first American shipment of industrial machinery and equipment provided a significant boost to the shipyard industries of Britain. Moreso than any air or land division, the Fourth Armada was considered the highest priority for British production at this time. Though the motivation for creating a new fleet for the Far East had existed for an entire year now, all that existed of the Fourth Armada was four destroyer flotillas and several half-complete carriers and battleships.

With the supplies provided by the Americans, the shipyards in northern England and in Ireland began expanding their sites. Doing so allowed four York-class heavy cruisers to begin construction early, with an expected completion time in late 1941 just after the carriers were fully commissioned. It was a quiet victory for British industries as they quietly pushed their equipment to their maximum capabilities.


Walker Naval Yards, where the Illustrious carriers are under construction

In the Mediterranean the existing British fleet one again took to the waves to launch a fresh campaign against Italian shipping. With their recent defeat in North Africa it had been assumed that the Italians would simply retreat back to their homeland and avoid any direct confrontation with the British, particularly with the news that the Grand Armada had been deployed in the region. Instead, they began striking at what they perceived was a vulnerable British army as it reorganised itself in Libya.

Naturally, this proved to be a poor move on the part of Italy. Their aircraft were intercepted over Sicily, their ships attacked at sea. On the 3rd October the 1st Squadra da Marina was intercepted by the Grand Armada in the Gulf of Gabes, its commander - Admiral Brivonesi - withdrawing back to Sicily before Admiral Kozmos could even get his planes in the air. Five days into the new British campaign in the Mediterranean and it seemed Italy had once again returned to the tried-and-tested doctrine of hiding in their bases.


The Italian cruiser Zara is damaged

The Italian fleet was not pursued to its home base however, owing in part to the strict instructions of the Admiralty to engage the Italians at sea. Submarines continued to patrol the supply routes linking Britain to North Africa, and there was the worry that Italy would purposely draw Kozmos into a blockade such as the one he had created at Rotterdam. With one Armada kept occupied, the submarines would simply have to avoid Germanicus’ own ships and prey on the unsuspecting transport craft.

It was a policy created on patience rather than through any real fear of the underwater menace. The Cabinet’s attention was shifted away from Italy for now, and the Royal Navy could take their time fighting their opposition. The real battle for now was in Norway…

*puffs on pipe*

Bloody good show gents! I haven't seen such well done blockading since the battle of Chesterfieldshire!

excellent news on the Far East Fleet construction, he thanks of the General Staff to the United States Government. One again it seem Britannia will well and truly rule the waves across the globe!

Excellent news from the Yanks! This will aid us greatly.

As one backbencher, whose name I forget, was telling me earlier, you can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, but only after they have exhausted all the alternatives.

A small skirmish between German and British forces in Norway