Week 29,1898
I have alot of catching up to do to close the vp distance between Russia and the leaders, Britian and France. The words of the day are "raw materials" - and the only way to get these is by conquest for Russia.
Battle of Kuril Islands
The 3rd Army, now ready for the assault on the city of Kuril Islands, opens the attack with an artillery and naval bombardment - the bombardment wounds the Japanese 12th Infantry Division (2/5 hp) and 9th Cavalry Division (3/4 hp). The Russian 11th Cavalry Division leads the attack on the city, killing the Japanese 12th Infantry Division, but suffers3/4 hp.
The Russian 10th Infantry Division attacks the Japanese 9th Cavalry next - they are red-lined but destroy the enemy cavalry. The Russian 10th Cavalry charges up to kill the Japanese 13th Home Guard Division, suffering ¾ hp in the assault. Finally, the 2nd East Siberian Rifle Division attacks the last remaining defender, the Japanese 3rd Conscript Home Guard. The 3rd Conscript Home Guard is overwhelmed by the 2nd East Siberian (who suffers3/4 hp) and the city quickly falls into Russian hands.
Not to shabby! No losses but my units do take some damage in the attack. To be safe, I will leave the naval squadron at Kuril Islands in case the Japanese try to retake the city.
Battle of Yentai Hill
As the 1st Army pushes onto Hamhung, the 2nd Army begins to celar the trenchworks west and south of the city.
At the Battle of Yentai Hill, elements of the Russian 2nd Army assaults the enemy trenches after a short artillery bombardment that causes no damage to the defenders, the Japanese 11th Home Guard Division. Leading the attack is the Russian 8th Cavalry - though repulsed and the division wiped out, the Japanese suffer heavy losses in the attack(2/6 hp). The attack is pressed further by the Russian 7th Cavalry who manage to overrun the enemy positions and capture the trench works despite heavy losses (2/4 hp).
Battle of Hamhung
To the north, the Russian 1st Army opens its assault on the city of Hamhung with a massive artillery and naval bombardment. Four Japanese infantry divisions suffers losses in the shelling and the battleship, Admiral Ushakov boldly streams into the port to take out the citys coastal fortresses in a heavy naval bombardment.
The Russian 3rd Cavalry opens the attack on the city along the armys extreme left flank from the woods. Charging through a hail of rifle fire from the already weakened Japanese 19th Infantry, the 3rd Cavalry overruns the enemy but must withdraw soon afterwards, taking 2/4 hp.
On the opposite flank, meanwhile, the Russian 4th Cavalry advanced along the coastal lowlands to attack the Japanese 3rd Infantry Division. The 4th is completely wiped out in the foolhardy charge that managed only slight losses to the enemy (3/5 hp) who had suffered some casualties in the opening bombardment.
As the 4th Cavalry was being repulsed, the 2nd Siberian Cossack Division charged the celebrating troops of the Japanese 3rd Infantry Division. Though under strength, the Japanese put up a fiery defense and only after suffering 50% losses (2/4 hp) does the Russian cavalry manage to destroy the Japanese infantry and capture the trenches on the citys outskirts.
In support of the attack on the left flank, the 6th Cavalry charges straight into trenches near the enemy center, held by the Japanese 9th Infantry Division. With the dense woods as cover, the 6th Cavalry manages to get within pistol shot of the enemy trenches before being fired upon. Yet, even as the Russian cavalry penetrated the enemy line, the fighting became brutal and only after suffering nearly 3/4th losses (¼ hp) is the Russians able to capture the enemy trenches, wiping out all enemy resistance.
With the flanks of the enemy trenches secure, the commander of the 1st Army now directed a massive assault on the enemy center, throwing 4 divisions at the weakened Japanese 5th Infantry Division (3/7 hp elite). No less than 5 separate assaults are thrown at the enemy, only to have the Russian 5th Infantry, 2nd Cavalry, and 2nd Guard Cavalry all repulsed and wiped out in bloody counter-attacks. With the flanks of the city gone and in enemy hands, the Japanese commander ordered his men to die to the last to hold the line. It is only the final assault by the 1st Cavalry that is able to overrun the fanatic Japanese defenders and open the way into the city proper.
As the lead elements of the 1st Army occupied the outskirts of the city, the 3rd Infantry Division followed up the massive assault on the enemy center by pushing into the city. The beleaguered Japanese 5th Home Guard had been ordered to watch the port and was not present in the storming of the city defenses. Now, the 3rd Infantry poured into the streets and the Japanese home guard was quickly overran and the city fell within hours.
With the fall of Hamhung, I am blessed with the capture also of the Phony Wonder, the Port of Hamhung:
This Wonder does nothing more than adds Culture, but Phony Wonders DO prevent the AI from razing cities, so thats a good thing
Wow, that was fairly heavy losses I suffered in the attack - that is how brutal the combat is in this mod though.
Week 33, 1898
As the city of Hamhung is secured, the bulk of the 1st Army marches south towards where the smaller 2nd Army awaits, having secured the northern hills overlooking the city of Seoul. While waiting for the 1st Army to reach Seoul, elements of the 2nd Army attacks entrenched Japanese units to the north. After a short artillery bombardment, the Russian 9th Cavalry is surprised by the tenacious defense of the Japanese. Though reduced by more than 80% (1/6 hp), the attacking Russian cavalry suffers heavy losses 1/4 hp)before the enemy position is overrun and the enemy defeated.
So far my invasion is going quite well, and indeed faster than I anticipated. Losses are low and acceptable and no stalls in the advance yet. The matter of urggency is the high level of war weariness that Russia suffers. Of course, the newly conquered city of Kuril Islands riots in between turns and continues this week, despite that fact that re-mamanged all the Citizens to Entertainers...
I am also holding my massive East Asiatic Fleet in the Sea of Japan waiting for the arrival of the Japanese fleet. often in playtesting, the Japanese steam right up to Port Arthur and shells the city before coming after my massed naval forces. Yet, I have seen nothing of the Japanese fleet.
Week 37, 1898
I spoke too soon, as at the end of the turn, I spot the Japanese fleet streaming through the Korean Straights in two groups. A quick check shows me that it is only the Japanese Protected Cruisers and Armoured Gunboats - no sight of their battleships, good.
Battle of Matsu-sima
Seeing my opportunity to crush a significant portion of the enemy fleet, I quickly engage the Japanese off the eastern coast of Korea in the Sea of Japan.
2.25 pm: my gunboats shell the HJMS Akitsushima PC froma distance, damaging it severely (1/2 hp).
2.26 pm: seconds later, the Rurik CA engages and sinks the HJMS Naniwa, though the Rurik suffers some damage (4/5 hp).
2.47 pm: the Admiral Nakhimov CA attacks and sinks the HJMS Matsushima CA, though she herself takes several direct hits (3/5 hp).
2.51 pm: the Vladimir Monomakh CA attacks the HJMS Konga and in a fierce gun battle, the Konga is sunk after damaging her opponent once (3/5 hp).
3.02 pm: the Dimitri Donskoi CA engages the HJMS Itsukshima PC and quickly sinks the her without damage.
3.49 pm: the Gerzog Edinburgski CA engages the much weaker HJMS Fuso Gunboat and quickly sinks her.
4.00 pm: the Peresvet BB engages the HJMS Hei Yen Gunboat and she sinks within moments of the first shells landing around the striken Japanese vessel.
4.15 pm: the Alexander III BB gives chase to the damaged HJMS Akitsushima CA as she tried to flee north, her entire division destroyed. She is quickly sunk.
5.33 pm: the Sevastolpol BB gives chase to the HJMS Hiei CA - the Sevstolpol is hit once (3/4 hp) but sinks the Hiei.
5.57 pm: the General Admiral CA catches up with the last lone Japanese ship, the HJMS Fuso II Gunboat and quickly sinks her.
Very good - none of my fleet were lost and I managed to sink the bulk of the Japanese fleet in a single battle! However, there are still the enemy battleships out there, and they outgun my by a good amount. They are the ships that I have to watch out for.
Battle of Seoul
The Russian 1st and 2nd Armies have now occupied the hills overlooking the city of Seoul and are now in position to begin the attack. I now have a combined artillery force of 18 horse artillery batteries, so I open the battle by shelling the city. I manage to damage 4 Japanese infantry divisions in the bombardment.
The 4th Siberian Cossack Division opens the attack by attacking on the extreme right flank. Though understrength (3/5 hp), the Japanese 11th Infantry Division manages a stiff defense before being overwhelmed in a second charge, costing the 4th Siberian 2/4 hp.
Next comes a massive push on the enemy's center, by 4 divisions against the understrength Japanese 21st Infantry Division. Five seperate assaults on the enemy trenches is ordered - under the murderous enemy fire, all but the 5th Siberian Cossack Division simply melts away. Though suffering heavy losses in its first charge (2/4 hp), the Cossacks charge one last time, and overruns the weakened defenders.
The 1st and 3rd Infantry Divisions attack along the extreme left flank of the line, and easily overwhelm the Japanese defenders without loss.
The 7th and 9th Infantry Divisions press the attack now against the few remaining Japanese defenders, and wipe out the Japanese 1st Home Guard.
Finally, the 1st Naval Division moves up to attack, quickly overrunning the last Japanese defender, the 2nd Home Guard Division. With that the city quickly falls. The capture of the city brings me the control of another Phony Wonder:
That was bloody but expected...
2nd Battle of Matsu-sima
At the end of the turn, some of the missing Japanese battleships steam through the Korean Straights to engage my much larger East Asiatic Fleet. The HJMS Fuji BB and Yashima BB quickly engage the Admiral Ushakov and Persevet BB's. Though the Japanese battleships suffer heavy damage (Fuji 2/5 hp, the Yashima 1/5 hp), both my battlehips arre sunk, and the Japanese ships quickly escape the battle to take refuge in the harbor of Niigate.
That did not go well - but I anticipated it. My battleships are not on par with the Japanese ones, so the losses are not unexpected.
The newly conquered Korean cities are not doing well - to prevent them from rioting, I am forced to switch all of their citizens over to Entertainers, causing the obligatory starvation...
I also complete two new Wonders at the end of the turn:
I also recieve word that the Americans have also completely a civ-specific Wonder: