With the city of Shanghai firmly under Russian control, its time now to move on the British-held city of Hong Kong, the jewel of the British Empire in China. Despite agreeing with everyone's assessments posted earlier as to what direction I should take, I feel that Russian pride demands that Hong Kong must fall to the Tsar's armies before peace breaks out. If and when I capture Hong Kong, I will try to get a peace treaty with England and then turn my attention to preparing for an invasion of the Japanese islands.
In all, fully two Russian armies has been organized for the operation, one to attempt a seaborne landing from Seoul, while the Russian 1st Army, stationed at Shanghai, will march on Hong Kong overland. In fact, the seaborne troops have already departed from Seoul last week to traverse the three-week passage to Hong Kong via steam transport.
The Russian 2nd Army, meanwhile, will remain behind at Shanghai to guard the newly captured city from any attempt by the Brits to re-take it. The Russian military build-up does not end there, however, a fourth army is presently being gathered at Seoul to use as reinforcements or a future invasion force, should the situation demand it. My biggest problem is the lack of enough steam transports and ships to protect them.
Week 25, 1901
The Russian Black Sea fleet, comprised of two battleships, 2 cruisers, 3 destroyers and 4 coastal gun boats, departs from Odessa bound for the Mediterranean Sea to raid British shipping. Hopefully, this will divert resources from the Far East, as the Suez Canal is the vital route from Britain to the Asiatic colonies. I might even be able to draw off some British capital ships if my luck hold out
The invasion force laden aboard seven steam transports is met by the Russian East Asiatic Fleet near Shanghai, which now takes up the role of escorting the vulnerable transports to their objective at Hong Kong.
Activity in the Bering Sea has grown quite over the past week - all my ships in the region have been forced to put into port for repairs though, thankfully, I spot no enemy ships approaching my shores while I remain effectively defenseless during this time. I am commissioning new ships every week to the number of raiders I already have, but it takes time
Week 29, 1901
As my vast invasion fleet approaches the Chinese city of Fuchou just north of Hong Kong, a smaller British cruiser squadron is spotted:
10.24 AM - British fleet spotted to the south, transports skirt the shallow coastal waters while the main fleet steams south to engage enemy
10.57 AM - the CA Gerzog leads the attack by engaging the HMS Calliope at long range, after a furious gun battle, the Calliope turns over on its port side and sinks within a minute after being hit no less than three times, the Gerzog suffers 2 direct hits (3/5 hp) and falls out of the battle line
11.04 AM - the Russian fleet passes behind the enemy fleet and turns north along a parallel course
11.32 AM - the Rurik CA catches the HMS Blanche off her starboard side and behind, three successful hits on her quickly sinks the Blanche
11.47 AM - the DD Manchuria disobeys orders not to engage the heavier enemy cruisers and engages the heavier HMS Chester at close range, though she suffers a trio of direct hits, the Manchuria manages to sink the HMS Chester before falling out of the battle line (I accidentally moved the DD to attack, but meant to select a CA!)
12.11 AM - the gun boat Gangut engages the now defenseless steam transport, Pelican, two swift rounds send the transport to the bottom
Unfortunately, the decision to pursue the British squadron prevents the fleet to continue towards Hong Kong this week.
Meanwhile, to the north, the Russian 1st Army begins the march overland towards Hong Kong in conjunction with the naval operations. The 2nd Siberian Cossack Division, ordered out in front of the army as it advances to act as a screen and advance scout, spots a large British force to the west. A quick reconnaissance of the enemy force reveals it to be the British 2nd Indian Army, numbering fully seventeen cavalry division strong:
Worried that, to continue the advance towards Hong Kong would leave the road to Shanghai open for attack, General Aleksey Kuropatkin opts to halt the advance. Instead, the 2nd Siberian Cossacks are ordered to shadow the enemy, while the Russian 2nd Army marches north to block the path to Shanghai. He quickly positions his army atop a line of hills to the southwest of the city and awaits the enemy attack that he foresees soon coming.
To the north, in the Bering Sea, the newly commissioned cruiser Zhemchug had departed from Vladivostok and sent east to raid British shipping:
7.19 PM - just as she approached the Kuril Islands, the Zhemchug spots the British cruiser, Falmouth
7.21 PM - the HMS Falmouth turns north to attempt to outrun the heavier Russian cruiser
7.33 PM - turning to port to give chase, the Zhenchug is helpless as she is raked by murderous fire, taking two direct hits from the HMS Falmouth
7.57 PM - though damaged the Zhemchug steams along a parallel course with the HMS Falmouth. After suffering another direct hit (now 2/5 hp), she manages to sink the Falmouth with three hits
Now heavily damaged following her her maiden voyage, the Zhemchug turns and heads into the Kuril Islands for repairs. My raiders in the Bering Sea are doing so good - I have not lost any ships, but they seem to be getting damages far too often. I might have to include some destroyers to protect the cruisers and battleship raiders from ow on.
The British response that I have feared and waited for now occurs. Two British battleships, the HMS Revenge and Agincourt, are spotted off the coast of the city of Romanov-on-Murman. Both ships steam directly for the city and begin shelling the defenseless inhabitants. After only a few minutes of bombardments, the citys weak coastal fortresses are destroyed. I fear that this is the just the first of British ships that will be steaming for my northern artic coast. I have no naval vessels to prevent this, but hope that I can repulse any attempts at seaborne landings. I am rushing artillery to the city to bolster whatever defenses against naval attacks. I fear it would be pointless to engage the British ships, as I have no northern fleet at all, and have no plans for building one.
Week 33, 1901
For three weeks, the newly commissioned CA Tunguz and DD Blestyahchi have been steaming from Vladivostok bound for the Canadian western coast to raid British shipping. Half way between the Kuril Islands and Seattle, the pair of Russian ships encounter a lone British cruiser in the open ocean:
9.57 AM - HMS Cordelia spotted
10.10 AM - giving chase, the Tunguz CA turns to starboard and crosses in front of the approaching HMS Cordelia, suffering 2 direct hits to the aft hull
10.23 AM - HMS Cordelia turns south to try to outrun the damaged Tunguz, firing as she turns to port, the tunguz takes another hit (now 3/5 hp)
10.35 AM - the Blestyahchi DD moves up to engage at long range, scoring a direct hit, followed by two more from the damaged Zunguz, the Cordelia breaks in two and sinks almost immediately
Unfortunately, the pair of ships are forced to turn back and return to port for repairs. They begin steaming westwards for the Kuril Islands.
Far to the north and west, the Baltic Sea Fleet steams past Constantinople only to find the passage into the Mediterranean blocked by a Balkan coastal gun boat. Not wishing to expand the current conflict beyond that of the British, the fleet is forced to turn back and return to Odessa:
That ends any plans I had for rading British shipping in the Mediterranean! Funny though, its supposed to be the Ottomans that bottle up the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, not the the Balkans!
Even further north, the British battleships, Revenge and Agincourt, continue to shell the city of Romanov-on-Murman with impunity. The Naval Academy is targeted and soon reduced to rubble. I have sent three artillery batteries to the city, but they just arrived, with another four headed there. I spot no more British ships at the moment, so hopefully this is only a minor attack and not the preliminary moves for a seaborne invasion of Russian soil in the far north
Meanwhile, in the Far East, the invasion force, escorted by the East Asiatic Fleet, arrives at Hong Kong. The Russian 3rd Army makes an unopposed landing just east of the city, while the fleet begins to shell the city itself. The CA Gerzog destroys the citys coastal defenses while the CA Rurik sinks a steam transport bottled up in the harbour.
The British 2nd Indian Army turns south from its march towards Shanghai and begins marching for Hong Kong; however, I am unable to pursue it when another army, the Indian 3rd Army, comprised of roughly twelve infantry divisions, also appears from the southwest, and makes moves to march north towards Shanghai. I am forced to keep the Russian 1st Army back to guard the approach to Shanghai and thus the Russian 3rd Army will have to attempt to capture Hong Kong alone. However, the 2nd Indian Army also turns south and begins marching towards the beleaguered city of Hong Kong. That really is frustrating - I held the Russian 1st Army back thinking the British forces would advance on Shanghai. Now, to reach Hong Kong, I would be forced to fight my way through both enemy armies, which are now closer to the city than my army
the Russian 3rd Army, it seems, is now all alone at Hong Kong
Week 37, 1901
It is now a race for control of Hong Kong; by my estimate, I must capture the city with the Russian 3rd Army this week before the Indian 1st and (possibly) 2nd Armies reach the city. They seem to be within a weeks march of the city and could attack at the end of the turn. Thus, I have once chance and one chance only to take Hong Kong.
The attack upon the city opens first with an artillery bombardment from the 3rd Armys eight horse artillery batteries, followed by a massive naval bombardment from the East Asiatic Fleet positioned just off the coast; all four defending British units suffer heavy losses in the bombardment (all are red-lined). The order to attack is swiftly given. Unfortunately, the 3rd Armys choice of its site to land is not chosen very well. Once ashore, General Aleksey Kuropatkin discovers the eastern approach to the city is across a sea canal of sorts:
The 12th Siberian Cossacks, 1st Guard Cavalry, 4th Siberian Cossacks, and 18th Infantry divisions attack across the canal on the north flank. The three cavalry divisions charge valiantly across the canal in three separate charges, only to be met by a withering hail of fire from the defending and dismounted 1st Peshawar Colonial Cavalry Division. Though having suffered heavy losses from the opening bombardment (is now red-lined), the Indian cavalry easily holds its position and all three attacking Russian cavalry divisions are wiped out within minutes. The 18th Infantry charges across the canal next, and is able to reach the other side. Despite too having suffering heavy losses in its initial attack (2/4 hp), the 18th Infantry overruns the Indian cavalry and captures its positions across the canal.
In the Russian center, the 12th Cavalry Division advances across the canal, coming under murderous fire from the nearly depleted (now red-lined) Indian 10th Infantry Division. The Russian cavalry wavers several time, suffering nearly 20% losses (1/5 hp) but overruns the enemy positions in one final brave charge.
The Russian 25th Infantry Division also manages to successfully cross the canal, but in force, and a single charge overruns the weakened (red-lined) 3rd Lahore Indian Division without major losses.
With victory so close, a final assault is swiftly ordered by the 8th East Siberian Rifle and 11th Infantry Divisions against the depleted (red-lined) 14th Indian Infantry Division. The 8th Siberian Rifles try to cross the canal, but the murderous defensive fire throws the division back in riot (it is red-lined). The 11th Infantry pushes across the canal in force and assaults the enemy positions. The 14th Indian Division is quickly overrun and with no defenders left, the city is swiftly captured.
Along with the capture of the city, I also get another Phony Wonder:
Well, that should be it for conquests against the Brits for now. Hopefully I can get a peace treaty with decent terms. The capture of Hong Kong and Shanghai, along with the number of ships that I sank, is probably only a drop in the British bucket, so to speak, but does swell Russian pride for the defeat fifty years ago during the Crimean War...
And as a suggestion make sure you send some picket ships out to give your main fleet plenty of warning of any British naval forces heading your way. And also I wanted to say I am glad you are not going to give in to any more demands from these other nations, who are demanding gold and resources from you...here here!
But if you wish to get 100%... well, go for it, Comrade Brucha! 
