The Triumph(?) of the Boers: Yet another AoI Story.

[IronMan2055]

Well he is right, I mean take that cavalry nearly twice the shields but only a 20% higher attack.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 12: Operation Run, Tommy, Run!
Part III: The Meatgrinder​

It is the third week of May, 1907, and the Boer Federal Navy catches the Royal Navy with their pants down off the Horn of Africa. The FRS Shaka Zulu changes its course slightly and sinks one of the unguarded British transports before continuing on its way to the Maldives. The FRS Hikaro Takayama, FRS Livingstone, FRS Windhoek, FRS Pretoria, and FRS Maarepore each sink a transport ship before continuing on into the Gulf of Aden with the rest of the battle group.

Intel reports this month indicate that Djibouti has received heavy reinforcements, mostly Colonial Cavalry, via naval transport, our destruction of 6 other Steam Transports by the Pretoria Battle Group. The GOOD news is that, thanks to their renewed war with France, Britain has virtually stripped its garrison in Yaounde... They now only have four companies of Colonial Infantry and one company of Colonial Sentries guarding the city. Our artillery blasts a Colonial Cavalry company outside Yaounde, but we wait for reinforcements to arrive in Douala next month before moving into position to attack Yaounde.

Down in Madagascar, the last of the obsolete artillery pieces are loaded onto a Steam Transport in Diego Saures, which sails to Kilwa, where the artillery are unloaded and shipped by rail to Mombasa for upgrade. Now all the Artillery in our army are up to date.

The 7.5cm GebK Mountain Guns that were unloaded last month have been moved into position and blast the two remaining Brazilian Rifle companies on Madagascar, shredding them badly with HE rounds. During the ensuing battle, we lose a regular Commando and a regular Light Cavalry Company, but a veteran Commando company and another regular Commando company succeed in wiping the Brazilians out, and the regular Commandos are granted Veteran status for their valor in combat.

Mombasa launches the Protected Cruiser, FRS Nairobi, which is sent to help the Pretoria Battle Group raise hell in the Red Sea. Not far away, our Civil Engineers have finished building the Railroad line through the pass to Tanga, and they have started extending it to Mombasa.... Soon we'll have a rail link all the way from Cape Town to Khartoum!

In the Northern areas of the ongoing conflict, our artillery blasts the living snot out of two companies of British Cololian Cavalry attacking Fashoda, and a company of regular Boer Light Cavalry finishes one off, but the other is too far away to safely pursue, so we let them get away. Commandos capture a ton of Raw Materials outside Stanleyville and a company of Riflemen capture three tons of Raw Materials abandoned in the hills outside Bangui.

During the last week of May, 1907, Foreign Minister Slegmond informs President Kruger that Hispanola had just formed an alliance against us with the Ottoman Empire, and we were now at war with the Ottomans!

President Kruger calls and emergency meeting with Defense Minister Voorhees and Chief of Staff Takayama. During the meeting Defense Minister Voorhees and Chief of Staff Takayama decided to scrap the plans for capturing Aden... While we could definitely TAKE Aden, HOLDING it against the combined British and Ottoman forces would be an entirely different proposition, not to mention that our invasion force would likely come under immediate attack by Arab Raiders (Ottoman colonial cavalry types) as soon as they hit the beach.

The plans for "Operation Run, Tommy, Run!" were, however, modified to sweep through British-occupied Djibouti and then take Ottoman-occupied Hurdiyo, which would leave only the Persian-occupied Mogadishu under foreign control.

Furthermore, Chief of Staff Takayama proposed a new campaign, which would start concurrently with "Operation Thermopylae": Upon the completion of "Operation Run, Tommy, Run," the new plan to invade Turkey, code-named "Operation Manzikert" would commence... After driving the British out of North Africa and taking Benghazi, liberating Libya from Ottoman control, we would invade the Ottoman Empire, taking their core cities in Turkey first, followed by their colonial possessions in Arabia. Not only would wiping TWO European nations off the map (including one of the colonial powers!) be a HUGE feather in our caps, but control of Constantinople (not Istanbul) would give us another export market for all our Raw Materials as well as another Industrial center where we could build our Renault Armored Cars!

A few hours later, Foreign Minister Slegmond bursts into the President's office and announces that the Balkans have signed Central America into a military alliance against us. President Kruger points out that Central America is currently getting whomped by the US and La Plata, so they likely will be eliminated before we can even get the Jason Voorhees Task Force across the Atlantic to bombard them back into the Stone Age.

He also informs the President that China has convinced PORTUGAL to go to war with us... The president pulls the old plans for invading Lisbon out and dusts them off.....

On an extremely GOOD note, the Foreign Minister informs the President that the US has convinced Britain to go to war with the Ottomans! Now we can let Ottomans in Hurdiyo and the British in Djibouti wear each other down before we swoop in and scoop them both up! In the bigger scheme of things, this means that there is now a FOUR-way war in Africa: Britain vs France, The Boer Federal Republic and the Ottomans, the Boer Federal Republic vs the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire, the French vs the British, and the Ottoman Empire vs Britain and the Boer Federal Republic!

In military action, the company of Boer Riflemen that captured the British Raw Materials outside Bangui is attacked by two companies of veteran Colonial Cavaly. They gun down one of attacking Colonial Cavalry companies, but are taken out after inflicting heavy casualties on the second one, and the British move more troops into the hills outside Fashoda.

The Dutch manage to re-take Banda Aceh, kicking Britain off Sumatra. La Plata takes Panama City, further weakening Central America... Central America now only consists of Honduras and Nicaragua.

During the second week of June, 1907, Loerenzo Maarkes riots, due to our renewed war with Portugal. Chief of Staff Takayama hires some entertainers to keep the ingrates happy.

Chief of Staff Takayama also makes good use of his spy network this month: He successfully plants a spy, code-named "Raiden", in Constantinople, and carries out investigations of several targets of interest: Aswan only has one company of Colonial Cavalry and three companies of Colonial Infantry in its garrison, and Djibouti is defended by four companies of Colonial Infantry and a single company of Colonial Cavalry. The Ottoman city of Hurdiyo is defended by five companies of Ottoman Infantry (7,7,2 units.. weak compared to the British Colonial Infantry we've been pwning up to now) and one company of Arab Raiders (8,6,3 colonial cavalry type unit available to the Ottomans... again, far weaker than the 12,6,3 British Colonial Cavalry we've been dealing with) defending it.

Chief of Staff Takayama and President Kruger both agree that we should hit Hurdiyo and Djibouti right away, eliminating potential attacks on our flank, before taking Aswan. Before doing that, however, we bombard all British Colonial Cavalry in the hills outside Fashoda and Khartoum with our Field Guns, reducing them all to a small fraction of their former numbers, after which a company of Riflemen and two companies of Commandos wipe them out. This clears the railroad line from Fashoda to Djibouti, allowing us to move all our 7.5cm GebK Mountain Gun batteries along with the 1^st Light Horse and several companies of elite Commandos into position to attack Djibouti.

After mercilessly pounding Djibouti with our artillery, reducing all the defending Colonial Infantry to 1/4th strength and the Colonial Cavalry to 2/3 strength, the 1^st Light Horse leads the attack, and General Sephiroth's unit runs down and slaughters the Colonial Cavalry company to the man before heading back towards the city. Three companies of elite Commandos massacre three Colonial Infantry companies without taking a single casualty! The 1^st Light Horse had, by that time, returned from stomping the Colonial Cavalry into the ground and leads the final assault, overrunning the last, badly mauled company of Colonial Infantry and taking control of the city!

Four tons of Raw Materials are seized and a veteran Commando company liberates a forced labor gang outside the city.

In naval action this month, the FRS Hikaro Takayama and FRS Maarepore sink two more British Steam Transports off the Arabian Peninsula, and the Maarepore is promoted to elite status. The rest of the Pretoria Battle Group bombards Hurdiyo, but doesn't hit diddly squat!

The Jason Voorhees Task Force has arrived in Brazil's coastal waters outside Rio de Janeiro, and start blasting the surrounding terrain with 5" shells... 100 miles of railroad is destroyed, along with Brazil's only Coal Mines. Despite this impressive display of raw naval power, Brazil still refuses to talk.

In the Western theater of operations, Field Gun batteries from Stanleyville blast the living crap out of a British Colonial Cavalry company outside Port Franqui, and one of our elite Commando companies in the area finish them off without taking a single casualty.

In late June, Austria comes asking for an alliance against Japan and a Right of Passage agreement. We agree to the Right of Passage, but decline the military alliance. The Balkans then declare war on Germany and Argentina… I just hope I can end my war with Britain while there's still something of the Balkans left to conquer!

In military action for late June, an elite Commando company outside Yaounde is ambushed by two British Colonial Cavalry companies... The Commandos wipe out the first wave of attackers before succumbing to the second, and three more companies of Colonial Cavalry move into the jungle South of Yaounde.

In the Eastern theater, the British decide to throw the kitchen sink at us, moving seven companies of Colonial Cavalry into the area between Fashoda and Khartoum!

Elsewhere, Russia re-takes Odessa from Germany, while the Japanese take Mukden from Russia for the umpteenth time.

The first week of July, 1907 sees the Jason Voorhees Task Force threatened by a Brazilian Armored Cruiser, but the task group is able to successfully bombard the cruiser at range, and the FRS Maarten Tromp delivers the final round that punches through the Brazilian ship's keel, sinking it. (Artillery and Naval units in this scenario all have lethal sea bombardment) The FRS Sephiroth van Niebelheim then lobs a volley of 5" shells into some farmland outside Rio, cratering the road and destroying all the crops in the fields.

This little action finally convinces the Brazilians to talk, and we secure a peace treaty with them for 50 gilders.

The Pretoria Battle Group continues to kick Royal Navy ass off the coast of Aden: The FRS Maarepore sinks a veteran Steam Transport, but the transport's gunners get some extremely lucky shots in, and teh Maarepore makes for Djibouti to get repaired. The Livingstone and Lusaka sink two more transports off the coast of Aden, but the Lusaka takes some light damage and also puts into Djibouti for repairs. The FRS Windhoek, FRS Nairobi, and FRS Hikaro Takayama all sink British Transports further up the Arabian peninsula. The Hikaro Takayama takes some minor damage from the transport's gunners, and takes another hit en route to Djibouti when it accidentally comes within range of Aden's Coastal Fortress.

In what will be the final major battle in the Western theater of operations, our artillery in the mountains outside Yaounde blast the city, hitting all units garrisoned in the city. A regular Commando company leading the assault loses half its men, but completely obliterates a company of Colonial Infantry. A second company of regular Commandos wipe out a company of Colonial Infantry, only sustaining minor casualties in the process. A third company of Regular Commandos destroys a company of Colonial Infantry without a single loss. Two other regular Commando companies aren't so lucky and are gunned down by one of the last surviving companies of Colonial Infantry before a veteran Commando Company flanks the offending Colonial Infantry and slaughters them. As a result of that action, the veteran Commandos are promoted to elite status. The elite Guard Cavalry wipes the last company of Colonial Infantry defending Yaounde off the map, leaving only a single company of Colonial Cavalry and two companies of Colonial Sentries defending the city. Two elite companies of Light Cavalry attack the Colonial Cavalry company, which wipes out the first company of Light Cavalry before the second one takes them out, along with a company of Colonial Sentries. The regular Commandos that wiped out the third Colonial Infantry company overruns the last company of Colonial Sentries and capture the city!

The Commandos seize 4 tons of Raw Materials and are promoted to veteran status for their valor in combat.

The remaining troops attack the four companies of Colonial Cavalry to the South of Yaounde. We lose an elite Commando company, but the elite Guard Cavalry, a regular Commando company and two more elite Commando companies finish the Colonial Cavalry off without any further losses.

Loerenzo Maarkes launches an Early DD, the FRS El Justo, which is sent to join the Pretoria Battle Group outside Hurdiyo

At Hurdiyo, the Pretoria Battle Group bombards the city and fails to hit the broad side of a barn. The land-based artillery proves to be much more competent, destroying the City Defenses (walls) and reducing all the defending units to half strength or less. A regular Commando company leading the assault is wiped out by a band of Arab Raiders, and another regular Commando company gets gunned down by a company of Ottoman Infantry! Thankfully, the momentum of the battle shifts in our favor, and a third regular Commando company finally removes the offending Ottoman Infantry from existence! The regular Commandos are promoted to veteran for showing some competence on the battlefield. A veteran Commando company wipes out a regular Ottoman Infantry company and is promoted to elite status. An elite Commando company sustains moderate casualties wiping out a third Ottoman Infantry company. Another company of elite Commandos finishes off a fourth company of Ottoman Infantry, sustaining minor casualties in the process. A veteran Commando company takes out the last Ottoman Infantrymen without a single loss, while the Elite Commando company with light casualties pushes on and finishes off the Arab Raiders, taking control of the city!

1 ton of Raw Materials is seized and sent to Khartoum for storage.

In the final military action this week, artillery in Khartoum and Fashoda blast the seven companies of Colonial Cavalry between the two cities, wounding all but one of them. Light Cavalry and Commandos wipe out all the Colonial Cavalry that are deep in our territory without taking any heavy losses. The remaining ones are far enough away that they can be safely ignored, for now.

During the second week of July, Persia comes asking for an alliance against Austria and a Right of Passage agreement. We decline the alliance, but agree to the Right of Passage so we can use the roads around Mogadishu to move troops between Hurdiyo and Khartoum.

Foreign Minister Slegmond informs the President, Chief of Staff Takayama and Defense Minister Voorhees that Britain and Russia have signed a peace treaty… We gotta take Aswan, Cairo and Alexandria, STAT!

A few days later, Brazil reminds us to move the Jason Voorhees Task Force into international waters.

In military action, a company of Colonial Cavalry attack a company of Boer Riflemen outside Yaounde and get slaughtered. The Riflemen are promoted to veteran status for their valor in covering the elite Guard Cavalry's retreat back to Yaounde.

Elsewhere, Russia takes Mukden back from Japan... Astute bookies in the Boer Republics start taking bets on how may times that city will change hands this year.... Germany also takes Odessa from Russia, once again. The bookies add that city to the betting pool as well.

In Central America, the US captures Tegucigalpa, gaining control of Honduras... Hopefully Central America will be wiped out soon.

So it is with the Western theater's goals attained that this phase of "Operation Run, Tommy, Run!" comes to a close.

 

[Tani Coyote]

I'm glad SOMEBODY got the reference.

I got the reference too! Just didn't comment on it...

BTW, Tanicius Fox, about your comment on the British units "point for point" being weaker than mine, I'd like to point out the following:

Btitish Colonial Cavalry: 12,6,3, 380 shields

Boer Light Cavalry (the best Cav unit I can build): 10,6,3, 200 shields

British Colonial Infantry: 8,8,2, 285 shields

Boer Rifleman: 7,9,2, 200 shields

As you can see, that's pretty evenly matched... The only places where, in Africa, at least, that I've got BETTER units than them are

Boer Commando: 9,7,3, +1HP, 300 shields

Maxim MG Battalion, Export: 4(10),14,1, 600 Shields....

If it weren't for my massive doomsday artillery barrages, I'd be getting PWNED!

Hmm, indeed! But of course, the Boers aren't even mentioned in the guide! I'm sure they're talking about the other major powers. I can see this as being true, especially navally. Later on, Germany's ships become killing machines vs. British ones; they're greatly weakened by how they can't produce as many due to limited ports, however.

 

[Tani Coyote]

Now that I've read both updates...

May I ask for a world map? It seems quite a bit of action's going on, Africa and elsewhere! I'm sure a lot of colors are shifting...

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Now that I've read both updates...

May I ask for a world map? It seems quite a bit of action's going on, Africa and elsewhere! I'm sure a lot of colors are shifting...

I'll be posting one after the final part of the Campaign (which will be the next update), and you're right about things shifting a good bit... I'm even going to post a map of Africa right before the British declared war on me (which, BTW was the British "High Water Mark" in Africa), and after the peace treaty was signed...

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 12: Operation Run, Tommy, Run!
Part IV: This War's a Real RIOT!!"​

During the third week of July, 1907, Dr. Frankenstein waltzes into the President's office, interrupting a war planning meeting with Veld Marschall Takayama and Defense Minister Voorhees, to announce that research into "Armored Cars I" is complete, and once we get a source of Oil, Iron and a good Industrial base (such as in, say, ATHENS), we can start building Renault Armored Cars (10,8,3 wheeled unit). Hikaro remarks that this announcement is a nice late birthday present. The President thanks Dr. Frankenstein and tells him to start research into "Dreadnoughts I" which will allow us to then research "Armored Cruisers III" which will allow us to upgrade all of our Protected Cruisers into Armored Cruisers.

The very next day, garrison commanders across the Republic radio into the capitol that citizens have started rioting in the streets in many cities. Most of the cities, namely Khartoum, Cape Town, Port Nolloth, Mwanza, Mombasa, Fashoda, Nairobi, Douala, Djibouti and Livingstone, are either former British colonies or ones that Britain had taken from other nations a long time ago. Two of the rioting cities, Moezambiek and Loerenzo Maarkes, are former Portuguese colonies who are upset about our (involuntarily) renewed hostilities with Portugal. Chief of Staff Takayama hires extra entertainers and hopes that the people calm down for a bit.

The President and Domestic Minister Veldhuiser both agree that this war must be brought to a successful close by the end of August at the absolute latest! The president's popularity polls have been steadily dropping due to citizens growing tired of the endless war with Britain, and 1908 just happens to be an election year....

Chief of Staff Takayama's spy reports for the middle of July reveal only three companies of Colonial Infantry and one company of Colonial Cavalry defending Aswan. Cairo has five companies of Colonial Infantry garrisoned in the city along with two Companies of Colonial Cavalry, although one of the Cavalry companies is only at 1/4 strength.

The President, Chief of Staff Takayama, and Defense Minister Voorhees draw up plans for an immediate attack on Aswan, and they radio up General Sephiroth with orders to move out at once.

General Sephiroth leads his long siege train to the outskirts of Aswan and reduces the defending companies to one platoon each under a withering artillery barrage. He then leads the 1^st Light Horse on a charge against the town's defenders. The 1^st Light Horse takes a hit from a British 13 Pounder battery, but keeps charging on and slaughters two companies of Colonial Infantry. A veteran Commando company takes out the last Colonial Infantry company while the 1^st Light Horse wipes the Colonial Cavalry off the map and captures Aswan, along with a ton of Raw Materials.

As the Pretoria Battle Group passes Aden, the FRS Pretoria lobs a few 5" shells into the coastal fortress, reducing it to rubble.

Bangwela launches another Early DD, the FRS Tanicius Fox, which is sent to patrol the West Coast.

General Veers then sends all the artillery not used in the siege of Aswan to blast the living hell out of all the British Colonial Cavalry in our territory and three Companies of British Colonial Cavalry trying to attack Bangui (gotta help our allies out), two of which are finished off by companies of Boer Riflemen, while the two companies of Colonial Cavalry attacking Douala are finished off by the elite Guard Cavalry and a regular Rifle company, which is promoted to veteran status for their valor.

The last week of July sees La Plata dragging the US into war with China... Maybe the Chinese will finally be willing to talk... Sure enough, the Chinese Ambassador comes begging for peace, which we are only too glad to accept (WW was KILLING me). The US drags Spain into its war with Portugal... Looks like Portugal will be wiped out soon!

The British try to capture one of our Field Gun Batteries outside Nairobi, but the gunners successfully spike the guns before the Tommies can take them. A Colonial Cavalry company attacking Aswan is mercilessly mowed down by our Maxim MG Battalion. Four more companies of Colonial Cavalry and a Colonial Infantry company move into our territory.

In international military news, Britain once again captures Banda Aceh on Sumatra....

During the second week of August, 1907, Domestic Minister Veldhuiser reports that the citizens of Aswan are dying of disease, most likely caused by the dank flood plains outside the city... Chief of Staff Takayama suggests either introducing Mosquito Fish from North America or Guppies from South America into the fetid swamps to keep the mosquitoes under control.

Chief of Staff also manages to plant a spy, code-named "Vulcan Raven" into Athens, and his report on the Balkan military reveals how pathetic they really are:

They only have five Export model Maxim MG Batallions, one company of City Guards (powerful, pre-placed, immobile unit that's pre-placed in most civ's home cities), three companies of Serbian Infantry (8,2,2, +1 HP unit that requires Industrialization, and therefore can only be built in Europe or other Industrialized area), 2 companies of Home Guards (pathetic drafted units much like the Colonial Sentries), twelve companies of Rummanian Infantry (6,8,2 +1 HP unit that requires Industrialization), nine companies of Greek Infantry (7,7,2 +1 HP unit that also requires Industrialization), 3 Mountain Gun batteries (generic crappy artillery that ALL minor factions as well as Russia, Italy and Japan can build) and 1 Horse Artillery battery (obsolete artillery unit that everyone except Britain, France, Germany, US and Austria can build... It upgrades into Field Gun Batteries for all the civs that can build it, which should give an indication of how backwards the Balkans are!). Defense Minister Voorhees wonders how the hell they managed to last THIS long!

Chief of Staff Takayama also gets a spy report from special agent "Raiden" in Alexandria that reveals that the city only has four companies of Colonial Infantry and a Colonial Cavalry company guarding it... We'll take that city next turn, but in the meantime.....

General Veers moves his army to the outskirts of Cairo, bombarding the city with just about every single 7.5cm GebK Mountain Gun in the Republic's arsenal. Once the crescendo of explosions subsides, leaving heaps of rubble and mangled bodies of soldiers littering their encampment, an elite Commando company leads the attack. The British bring their single 13 Pounder battery into action, but fail to hit the rapidly moving Commandos. The Commandos overrun a badly mauled Colonial Infantry company, taking only minor casualties. A regular Commando company surprises a badly shell-shocked Colonial Infantry company and wipes them off the map without suffering a single loss! They are promoted to veteran status along with another company of regular Commandos who duplicate their feat. A veteran Commando company takes out the second-to-last Colonial Infantry company, also without sustaining any casualties. An elite Commando company loses an entire platoon while defeating the last company of Colonial Infantry in a pitched battle inside the city. The recently promoted veteran Commando Company, after a short rest, falls on the veteran Colonial Cavalry company, wiping them out with little trouble.

Cairo is captured, along with the Great Pyramids and three tons of Raw materials. Cecil Rhodes' dream of a Cape to Cairo empire had been fulfilled, but under decidedly different management!

Elsewhere in the Republic, Dar Es Salaam launches a Coastal Gunboat, the FRS Dar Es Salaam, which gets underway to patrol the coastal waters off the Horn of Africa.

Once again, our artillery and mobile forces wipe out all the invading British Colonial forces, with only the loss of a single regular Commando company on our side.

The last week of August sees Spain dragging the Balkans into war with La Plata, and Italy signs Brazil on for its war with Britain... Hopefully Britain will finally get kicked out of South America!

Emperor Meiji calls us up to tell us to remove our ships from its territorial waters near Eritrea. Foreign Minister Slegmond offers a Right of Passage agreement, and Meiji agrees! The US pulls Austria into its war with Italy! Maybe Austria will lose Trieste!

The Germans want us to join their alliance against New Granada as well as sign a Right of Passage agreement with them. Even though the idea of unifying Madagascar is appealing, President Kruger declines the alliance, but agrees to the Right of Passage. France also signs a peace treaty with the US, hopefully allowing them to concentrate on stomping the British in Africa.

Military action at the end of August sees a British Colonial Cavalry company get mowed down by one of our Maxim MG Battalions guarding Cairo. The BEF also sends five more Companies of Colonial Cavalry into the hills outside Nairobi.

President Kruger, Defense Minister Voorhees and Chief of Staff Takayama all agree that we need to capture Alexandria and El Obeid by the first week of September so we can end this miserable war!

Elsewhere, Britain manages to capture Baghdad, Damascus and Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire! Chief of Staff Takayama proposes that a new campaign to liberate the Arabian Peninsula from British Control should be launched once Operation Thermopylae and Operation Manzikert are successfully concluded... The code name he suggests for this plan is "Operation Desert Storm."

The President agree to the plan and the name, however the Defense Minister is rather suspicious since, unlike all the other plans to date, this one is neither some kind of twisted historical reference or a deliberate taunt to the enemy. When he asks what the significance of "Desert Storm" is, the Chief of Staff smiles and says that he wouldn't get it....

And so it is, with Operation Run, Tommy, Run! almost complete and the stability of the Republic in jeopardy that this installment of the story comes to a close.

 

[Tani Coyote]

A pity you aren't pushing for Alexandria to complete Britain's eviction from Egypt, but I understand perfectly if War Weariness has become hell for you!

Though from what it sounds, despite War Weariness, you're planning to extend the Boer Empire to Mesopotamia... good luck! Let's hope your war machine doesn't choose to fall apart while trying to take on three powers at once!

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 12: Operation Run, Tommy, Run!
Part V: From Cape Town to Alexandria​

It is the first week of September, 1907 and Operation Run, Tommy, Run! is nearing completion. This war, which was started by the British over the actions of a bumbling Boer agent in London, has proven to be the most costly war in the British Empires History, even worse than the Americans driving them out of Canada and Jamaica. So far, thanks to Operation Zanzibar and Operation Run, Tommy, Run, the British have lost EIGHTEEN cities in Africa, and if the Boer Department of Defense has anything to say about it, they'll lose at least two more by the end of the week.

The Citizens of Cairo start rioting in the streets, so Domestic Minister Veldhuiser hires some entertainers to keep the surly brutes happy.

Outside Alexandria, General Veers has moved his troops and artillery into position and begins bombarding the city. Most of the shells find their marks, and all the defending units are reduced to platoon strength. Three companies of veteran Commandos and a regular Commando company overrun the badly-mauled defenders with relatively minor casualties, and capture the city.

Three tons of Raw Materials are seized at the docks and added to our stockpile... Once Operation Thermopylae goes down, we'll finally have an export market for all this crap!

Outside Nairobi, Field Gun batteries bombard the British Expeditionary forces in the area, and a two veteran Commando companies along with a regular Boer Rifle company wipe out the Colonial Cavalry and Colonial Sentry companies blocking the rail line from Nairobi to the hills between Bangui and El Obeid.

Once the route is cleared, the 1^st Light Horse and all remaining artillery are moved into the hills between Bangui and El Obeid. After a short bombardment that only hits two of the defending Colonial Infantry units, General Sephiroth leads the 1^st Light Horse in a charge that crushes three companies of Colonial Infantry, while the 1^st] Light Horse only sustains 30% casualties.

A veteran Commando company is lost to a company of Colonial Infantry, but another veteran Commando company fighting alongside them finishes the veteran Colonial Infantry off, despite suffering heavy casualties. Two companies of elite Colonial Infantry ensconced in a series of barricaded buildings downtown manage to gun down three companies of regular Commandos and an elite Commando company before another elite Commando company and a veteran Commando unit flank them, slaughtering them to the man and avenging their fallen comrades. The veteran Commandos are promoted to elite status.

Three more companies of elite Commandos wipe out two companies of Colonial Sentries, a company of Colonial Cavalry and the last Colonial Infantry company, taking minor casualties in the process. A veteran Boer Light Cavalry company wipes out the last Colonial Sentry company and captures El Obeid along with nine tons of Raw Materials!

Foreign Minister Slegmond immediately gets Queen Victoria on the phone and not only is Britain willing to talk, but they actually were willing to sign a Peace Treaty WITHOUT US PAYING THEM A SINGLE CENT!!!!!!!!!

Operation Run, Tommy, Run! has been a rip-roaring success, and Britain has been stripped of almost two-thirds of its African possessions. President Paul Kruger travels to the new areas, making pronouncements on how the newly "liberated" territories would be administered.

Kenya was granted status as a Sovereign Republic, as was Egypt. Ethiopia and Sudan were organized ad the Sovereign Republic of Nubia. Djibouti and Hurdiyo were combined into the Somalia Provisional State (to be granted full-state status once their infrastructure was fully developed), and Rivier Munie, Douala and Yaounde were combined into the Kameroon Provisional state.

Furthermore, since the war with the British Empire was over, the economy was to be immediately demobilized, and all newly acquired territories would, once again, focus on building up their infrastructure.

At the end of the week, Mombasa and Loerenzo Maarkes both lauch Paul Kruger Class Early DD's: The FRS Seven Ronin and the [/i]FRS Adler XVII[/i], respectively.

In the middle of September, Hispanola comes asking for a peace treaty, which we are only too happy to sign... We need to focus all our efforts on wiping the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire off the map! Queen Victoria comes demanding that we remove our ships from their territorial waters. We assure them that we're in the process of doing that right now, but one of the vessels had an engineering casualty that prevented them from getting clear of British waters when the peace treaty was signed.

Brazil pulls Argentina into its war with Britain... Hopefully this means that Britian will get kicked out of the Falklands.

Portugal comes asking for a peace treaty, which we sign... Now the only nations we are at war with are the Balkans, the Ottoman Empire and Central America...

...Only we receive word that the US has captured Managua, permanently eliminating Central America from the equation! So far, only two nations have been completely conquered, and the Americans are the ones that pulled that feat off both times!

Czar Nicolas of Russia comes, demanding 100 gilder, which we fork over. Foreign Minister Slegmond says that the Russian military is about the same size as ours... Chief of Staff Takayama begins drafting up plans for a short war with Russia, once we take out the Balkans, the Ottomans and kick Britain out of Africa and Arabia. The cryptic codename he chose for this particular plan was "Operation Barbarossa"....

In military action, the BEF takes Benghazi from the Ottomans, which pisses Defense Minister Voorhees off to no end: WE were the ones who were supposed to take that city, dammit! The Ottomans join the long list of Colonial powers who've been driven out of Africa. Britain also takes Medina in Arabia from the Ottomans, and Puerta Princessa in the Phillipines from Spain... Just ONCE I'd like to see their rate of conquest actually get slowed down after we hand them an ass-whupping!

Germany also takes Kiev in the Ukraine from Russia... Soon Germany will have its Russian possessions connected to Germany proper!

During the last week of September, 1907, troops begin boarding transports at Cairo in preparation for Operation Thermopylae.

Elsewhere in the Republic, Civil Engineers have finally completed rail links to Maarepore and Kwango... Hopefully we'll soon have a complete rail link to all of our Western territories.

At the end of September, China gets pulled into France's war with Britain... Most Military analysts predict that China will soon be absorbed into Britain's bloated Asian colonies.

In Military action, the Ottomans have somehow managed to build an Advanced Airship! Their zeppelin TRIES to bomb our ships in the Suez Canal, but manages to completely miss!

In some GOOD news on the international front, FRANCE actually manages to take Benghazi from Britain... Looks like the stomping we gave Britain actually DID slow down their military machine a bit.

Britain, predictably, takes Mecca, completing their conquest of the Arabian Peninsula.
In another "Quid pro quo" exchange, Russia Re-takes Kiev from Germany, but lose the former Austrian city of Lemberg to the Germans, which gives Germany a solid connection to most of its Russian territories.

Thus the month of September, 1907, Operation Run, Tommy, Run! and this chapter come to a close.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

As promised here are the world Maps.

This is a map of Africa and the World in June, 1906, right before Britain declared war on us... This was the High Water Mark of Britain's colonial ambitions in Africa:

As you can see, they have control of almost 2/3 of the entire continent!

Here's the world map at the end of September, 1907, after the end of the third war between the Boer Federal Republic and the British Empire:

As you can see, they lost over HALF of their territory in Africa, including several of their ORIGINAL colonies (Zanzibar, Kenya, Sudan & Egypt).

The Boer Republics current demographics are as follows:

We're #3 in population and #4 in Land Area. We're also #3 in Production, Manufactured Goods, and GNP. We are, however, NUMBER 1 in Annual Income!! (Of course, when you're taking in about 5,000 gold per turn, that shouldn't be too surprising

 

[Tani Coyote]

Let's cheer the recreation of the Byzantine Empire with the fall of the Balkans/Turkey!

The Russo-German War certainly is a neat one... question is, what's worse: A greater Germany, or a Greater Russia? Greater Germany I'd say in terms of quality, greater Russia in terms of quantity. A real pity you can't really play them off eachother...

When you go about your invasion of South Asia... good luck holding back the British hordes! (Likely to be reinforced by occupied China's, as you mentioned). Perhaps taking Persia as a preventive measure would be wise in the later span of things?

Edit: And yes, I know how frustrating it is that Britain ALWAYS rebuilds itself despite crippling defeats. They're just UNSTOPPABLE. El Justo should tone down the strength of their units just a tad in the next AoI I feel...

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Let's cheer the recreation of the Byzantine Empire with the fall of the Balkans/Turkey!

Well, condidering that once I capture greece/Macedonia, Albania/Kosovo and the Ottoman's European holdings (Russia has already conquered Romania and Spain has taken Serbia), they will be organized into the "Commonwealth of Byzantium" with either Athens or Constantinople as the State Capitol... Turkey proper will be henceforth known as the State of Anatolia.

The Russo-German War certainly is a neat one... question is, what's worse: A greater Germany, or a Greater Russia? Greater Germany I'd say in terms of quality, greater Russia in terms of quantity. A real pity you can't really play them off eachother...

Well, since, IIRC, they're both at war with Britain, I'd say a Greater Germany is a GOOD thing... If Germany ISN'T at War with Britain, I'm going to bribe them into an alliance next time I DO go to war with Britan... I'll also see about dragging in half of the rest of Europe and the United States, too!

When you go about your invasion of South Asia... good luck holding back the British hordes! (Likely to be reinforced by occupied China's, as you mentioned). Perhaps taking Persia as a preventive measure would be wise in the later span of things?

Actually, according to my spy reports, just about EVERYWHERE in their colonial holdings, Britain is stretched fairly thin.. I mean they actually had COLONIAL CAVALRY as the best unit defending SARDINIA ....And you forget that once I capture Greece and Turkey, I'll be able to start pumping out ARMORED CARS!!!!

The scary thing about how powerful my economy is in this game is the fact that I could PAY to rush 1 Renault Armored Car (600 shield unit) PER TURN at a cost of 2800 Gold AND STILL BE MAKING MONEY! I'm pulling in almost 5000 gold per turn, and that's with half my territory not being completely developed (i.e. no Financial Institutions)!

Britain may have the upper hand in raw, military power but I have the upper hand where it counts: my economy... As a matter of fact, thanks to judicious use of Constables, I have only 1 or two small cities that have ANY shields being wasted.

Edit: And yes, I know how frustrating it is that Britain ALWAYS rebuilds itself despite crippling defeats. They're just UNSTOPPABLE. El Justo should tone down the strength of their units just a tad in the next AoI I feel...

I agree with you, but El Justo made it quite clear that he won't entertain such notions... Still, once I take over the Balkans and Turkey, and have each city alternate builds between Renault Armored cars and economic improvements, I think Britain will find itself run out of Africa and the Middle East in short Order. Once "Operation Desert Storm" and "Operation Desert Fox" are complete, and I've gone to war with Russia to liberate the territories they took from Austria and the Balkans (Operation Barbossa), I'm going after British S. Asia or Austrialia.... Part of my plan for Desert Fox and Desert Storm is to eliminate the British presence from the Mediterranean (including

Spoiler :

British-held Lisbon

), which will greatly weaken Britain's overall position, since I'll now have almost complete control over access to the Mediterranean and Black Sea as well as the Red Sea.

Then, like I said, after adding the former Austrian and Balkan cities held by Russia to my industrial base, I'm going to use my RoP with Pesia to send about 20 Armored Cars to attack Afghanistan and India.

Edit: the Power Graph for Britain has either been declining or leveled out, whereas MY power graph has been increasing almost exponentially! We have actually PASSED Russia, France, Spain, and Germany, and have pulled even with the US in terms of overall power!

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 13: Out of Africa​

It is now the second week of October, 1907 and preparations are underway for "Operation Thermopylae" The Pretoria Battle Group moves up the Egyptian coast, out of range of the Ottoman Airships but still within range to land troops outside Kerkyra within a weeks time... Athens is closer, but current intel on Athens reveals that it's currently too heavily defended to attack with our current invasion force, and it would be MUCH better to take Kerkyra, Pristina and Thessalonika, which would give us time to build up our forces as well as cutting Athens off from any reinforcements.

Luanda, capitol of the Sovereign Bantu Republic of Ndongo launches a new Protected Cruiser, the FRS Khartoum, which gets underway to patrol the waters around St. Helena Island (hence why on the latest map I have given St. Helena Is. to the Boer Republics... I'm the only one maintaining any kind of military presence around the Island) Meanwhile, the FRS Shaka Zulu arrives at the Maldives and begins patrolling the spying on British shipping in the area.

Domestic Minister Vedhuiser convinces Exchequer of the Treasury, Mr Goudboer, to shell out several thousand Gilder in order to hurry construction projects around the Republic... Soon our provisional states will be developed enough to admit as full states.

During the last week of October, Britain joins a Military alliance with Chile against Portugal... Looks like Lisbon will soon be history! (Portugal will most likely NEVER be eliminated, due to the fact that that stack of Brazilian Riflemen who were blocking the only tile you could land troops on are most likely still there. ) Britain also signs peace treaties with Austria and Germany... DAMN! I was hoping the German city of Tsingtao would help halt the British advance in China! Britain also drags Chile into its war with Brazil.

In military action, an Ottoman Early DD attacks the FRS Hikaro Takayama off the coast of Alexandria. The FRS Hikaro Takayama sinks the offending vessel, but takes several hard hits from the Ottoman ship.

Elsewhere, Germany takes Kiev from Russia, for the second or third time, and Britain takes Benghazi back from France.

The first week of November, 1907, Dr. Frankenstein announces that our research in to "Dreadnoughts I" is complete and his science team is now starting research into "Armored Cruisers III."

The FRS Hikaro Takayama puts into Alexandria for repairs, while Kilwa launches the Coastal Defense Gunboat, FRS Alexandria, which gets sets course for the Red Sea... The ship's orders are to take up station in the Mediterranean.

Cape Town commissions an Early DD, the FRS Klyden, which also sets course for the Mediterranean.

The Spanish ambassador sends us a rude message informing the President that the Jason Voorhees Task Force had blundered into Spanish waters when they had to quickly change course to avoid collision with a Spanish Battleship.

Argentina also comes calling, but because they want an alliance against Persia and a Right of Passage agreement. We agree to the Right of Passage. Meanwhile, Britain and Holland finally end their long, drug-out war with each other.

Battles during the Middle of October see the Japanese taking Mukden from Russia from the zillionth time, and Britain taking Lisbon from Portugal! The Portuguese Government flees to East Timor, the last remaining territory under Portuguese control.

In a battle that reveals how badly the BEF in Africa was shredded by the Boer Federal Republic during the third British-Boer war, the FRENCH take Ghardaia and the rest of Algeria back from Britain after almost ten years of British occupation! President Kruger sends his congratulations to President Felix Faure.

The last week of November, 1907 sees the completion of the last stretch of railroad between Tanga and Mombasa... The Cape to Cairo Railway is now complete! Cecil Rhodes would have been proud.

At the end of the week, the Pretoria Battle Group escorts 9 steam transports to the bay outside Kerkyra, landing an entire DIVISION of 7.5cm Gebk Mountain guns as well as the 1^st Light Horse, two battalions (6 companies) of Boer Commandos, a battalion (3 companies) of Boer Light Cavalry, a Maxim MG Battalion and two companies of Boer Riflemen in the hills outside Kerkyra, making this the largest Amphibious assault the world has ever seen. Soon an African nation will raise its flag over European soil!

The first week of December sees the Balkans dragged into war with Austria by Hispanola... Looks like our next target for "Operation Thermopylae" after Kerkyra will be Pristina, since we can't let it fall into Austrian hands!

Uruguay wants us to join an alliance against Hispanola, but we decline and grant a RoP agreement instead.

The US and Ottoman Empire sign a peace treaty, but in a stroke of GOOD news, the Balkans go to war with the Ottomans! This will play nicely into our hands!

Germany and Austria also finally end their war with Russia. Looks like we'll have enough time to liberate Russia's central European holdings, after all!

In military news, an Ottoman Early DD sinks a British Transport off the Greek Coast! President Kruger would have congratulated them IF we weren't currently at war.

In even more good news, BRAZIL takes Cayenne in the former French Guiana from Britain! May the British Empire continue to crumble!

And so, on the eve of Operation Thermopylae, this chapter comes to a close.

 

[tubaman]

Just hope that in this Thermopylae, a small band of Greeks doesn't massacre your invasion party.

 

[Agent 89]

Great story so far Have fun invading the Balkans

 

[The Loser]

Just hope that in this Thermopylae, a small band of Greeks doesn't massacre your invasion party.

Funny

Great story!!!
Hope the European campaign goes well.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Just hope that in this Thermopylae, a small band of Greeks doesn't massacre your invasion party.

Won't happen, although some of those Greek Infantry units do prove to be tougher than their raw stats would lead one to believe....

 

[tubaman]

Xerxes didn't think it would happen either. Just saying.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 14: Operation Thermopylae
Part I: This... Is... SPARTAAAAA!"​

On December 15, 1907, Operation Thermopylae commences with the Pretoria Battle Group and two divisions of 7.5cm GebK Mountain Guns hammering Kerkyra. The naval bombardment destroys the Greek Naval Academy (Naval Academy is a SW that requires Industrialization resource and produces Naval Infantry, a.k.a. Marines, every 20 turns.), and the 7.5cm GebK's reduce all the defending units to half strength or less.

General Sephiroth leads the attack with the 1^st Light Horse, which takes a hit from a Mountain Gun Battery and loses an additional 100 men silencing the Maxim MG Battalion (Export) defending the city, but they charge on, wiping out two companies of Greek Infantry without taking any further losses. A regular Commando company takes out a company of Serbian Infantry, but suffers heavy losses in the process. A second regular Commando company defeats the last Serbian Infantry company defending the city without a single loss and captures the city!

We gain control of the Mountain Gun battery as well as the Garden of Achilleion (Wonder that makes 1 person happy and helps prevent the AI from razing the city).

For the first time in history, the flag of an African nation has been raised over European soil. The implications of this battle send shockwaves around the world... The major powers are finally forced to admit that the Boer Republics have become a force to be reckoned with! Even though the British manage to maintain their stiff upper lip upon reading the headlines in the London Times and Daily Telegraph, many of them seem to have developed an eye twitch.

We continue to ship reinforcements and Raw Materials to our new Greek territory.

Elsewhere in the European theater, two Commando companies demolish two Ottoman Infantry companies in the hills outside Thessalonica. All fresh, uninjured units, along with all artillery, including the recently captured Mountain Guns, move into the hills outside Pristina to attack the city at the beginning of next year.

Port Elizabeth launches the Early DD, FRS Theryman and Port Nolloth launches an Early DD, the FRS Civ Khan. In the meantime, the Jason Voorhees Task Force enters the Mediterranean.... Soon we'll bring them to bear on the Balkans and Ottomans.

During the last week of 1907, word arrives that New Granada has pulled the Ottomans into an alliance against Germay! We're going to have to take Thessalonica quickly, before the Germans add it to their burgeoning central European empire.

The US comes asking for an alliance against the Dutch and a RoP agreement. Instead, we give them 300 Gold for the RoP without the alliance.

In military action at the end of the year, the Ottoman's Advanced Airship bombs Kerkyra, killing several hundred civilians. President Kruger vows that the Ottomans will pay for this atrocity!

Elsewhere, Britain takes Nancheng (Nanchang) in China, linking their holdings in SE Asia and Hong Kong with their "Sphere of Influence" in Shanghai.

During the first week of January, 1908, Chief of Staff Takayama's spies report that Thessalonika is defended by four Ottoman Maxim MG battalions and 9 Ottoman Infantry. Antayla, which is our likely launch point for "Operation Manzikert" is defended by three Ottoman Maxim MG battalions, five Ottoman Infantry companies, one company of Turkish Cavalry and that damned Advanced Airship!

Special agent "Vulcan Raven's" report on the defenses of Pristina has the president, Chief of Staff Takayama and Defense Minister Voorhees rolling on the floor laughing: The city is guarded by two export model Maxim MG Batallions, 1 company of Rumanian Infantry and a company of conscripted Home Guards... Sorry guys, but you’re done for!

Furthermore, his report states that the entire Balkan army consists of only 26 companies… We have more COMMANDO companies than that, and and additional 10 companies of Light Cavalry on top of that! The downside, of course, is the fact that almost three-fourths of those 26 companies are holed up in Athens! We're going to need some SERIOUS firepower to take that city down!

General Veers orders his artillery to begin shelling the city. The gunners, pumped up by our history-making conquest at the end of last year, reduce the Maxim MG Battalions to 1/4 strength and the Rumanian Infantry company to 1/2 strength. The regular Commando company that leads the assault gets hit bad by the Horse Artillery battery in the city and is mowed down by the Rumanian Infantry, which also manages to wipe out a veteran Light Cavalry company and another company of regular Commandos. A veteran Commando company FINALLY finishes the stubborn Rumanian Infantrymen off. Elsewhere in the city, an elite Commando company is chewed up by one of the Maxim MG battalions, but they buy enough time for a second elite Commando company to get close enough to lob grenades into the MG emplacement. Another elite Commando company wipes out the other Maxim MG battalion, but suffers heavy casualties for their accomplishment. The elite Commando that finished off the first Maxim MG battalion also takes out the Home Guard company and captures the city!

We seize the Horse Artillery Battery as well as control of the League of Prizren (another 1 happiness wonder) and another Mountain Gun battery.

The Pretoria Battle Group bombards Athens and the FRS Hikaro Takayama destroys the city's Coastal Fortress.

Transports from Alexandria unload reinforcements for the impending assault on Thessalonica as well as a newly trained Civil Engineer team. Elsewhere, Loerenzo Maarkes launches an Early DD, the FRS Tubaman and Bangwela launches another Early DD, the FRS Redman.

An entrepreneur, Theo Overseer decides to celebrate the Boer Federal Republic's recent victories as well as the fact that the Sassafras trees that Chief of Staff Takayama had introduced from the US have reached a size for sustainable root harvesting by starting the Grootboer Root Beer & Sarsaparilla company in Pietersburg. The GrootBoer Root Beer is an overnight success across the Republic.

During the middle of January, Chile comes asking for an alliance against the Dutch and a Right of Passage agreement. We agree to the Right of Passage, but we have no interest in a war with the Netherlands, for now... Brazil wants an alliance against Russia and a Right of Passage agreement. Even though Russia is on our (s)hit list, we decline the alliance but agree to the RoP.

Foreign Adviser Slegmond announces that the Balkans have signed a peace treaty with Russia, for all the good it will do them!

Military action sees Britain continuing to kick China's ass with the conquest of Zhengzhou, and they also manage to take Ghardaia from France once again. Russia, once again, re-takes Mukden from Japan, but loses Port Arthur to the Japanese in the process.

Preparations for the assault on Thessalonika are completed during the last week of January, 1908, and General Veer's artillery has an exceptionally good day, scoring solid hits with 23 of their salvos (we actually have some 30 batteries of artillery in play), destroying the City Defenses (walls) and inflicting heavy casualties on ALL the defending units. We lose two companies of Commandos and a company of Light Cavalry during the assault, but the Ottomans lose 6 Maxim MG Battalions, 6 companies of Ottoman Infantry, their never to be sufficiently damned Advanced Airship and control of the city!

We not only take control of the White Tower of Thessaloniki, but now finally have an export market for all of our Raw Materials!!!!!111shiftone (Our VP score this turn goes from zero to 46 ) We cash in 23 tons, and have more coming up from Alexandria.

General Sephiroth and the 1^st Light Horse as well as several other companies of troops take out two companies of Greek Infantry and a company of Serbian Infantry camped out in the hills outside Thessalonica, but we lose a veteran and a regular Commando company in the process.

The FRS Maarten Tromp takes some hits from the Coastal Fortress in Irakleion, before turning its 5" guns on the fortress and blasting it into rubble.

During the first week of February, Queen Victoria comes asking for an alliance versus Scandinavia and a Right of Passage agreement. President Kruger tells her to bugger off! Foreign minister Slegmond later reports that Britain and Brazil have signed a peace treaty.. Oh well, we were hoping that Brazil could completely kick Britain out of South America, but I guess they did well enough by taking "French" Guiana.

The Ottomans want to talk, but we send their diplomats packing... They called down the thunder, and by jingo, they WILL reap the whirlwind! We also receive word that Japan has declared war on Britain! Hopefully this will help put a damper on British territorial ambitions in Asia.....

In military action during the first week of February, an Ottoman Early DD sinks the FRS Jason Voorhees in the first ever naval defeat for the Boer Federal Republic. President Kruger vows to avenge the loss.

Meanwhile, a company of Balkan cavalry gets slaughtered by a regular Boer Rifleman company outside of Thessalonica and the Riflemen get promoted to veteran status.

Elsewhere, Britain takes Luoyang in China! The Japanese, continuing the game of "hot potato" with Mukden, take the city from Russia once again.

Thus it is with the first stages of "Operation Thermopylae" a complete success that this part of the story comes to an end.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Chapter 14: Operation Thermopylae
Part II: The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny (redux)​

This is the Ultimate Showdown
Of Ultimate Destiny
Good guys, bad guys, and explosions
As far as the eye can see
And only one will survive,
I wonder who it will be
This is the Ultimate Showdown
Of Ultimate Destiny! -Lemon Demon (although I must say I don't care for the band's name )

Note: I accidentally deleted my play log for the next three turns, so I'm going to kind of play it by memory the best I can....

During the third week of February, 1908, the siege of Athens begins. After shelling the city with 32 batteries of artillery shelling the city. Several Commando companies lead an assault and manage to take out both Maxim MG battalions defending the city, but only after suffering heavy losses. The rest of the army digs in and waits for General Sephiroth's 1^st Light Horse to be fully rested and re-armed and reinforcements to arrive before continuing the assault.

Meanwhile, the FRS Maarten Tromp sinks the Ottoman Early DD that sank the Jason Voorhees before continuing on with the FRS Friedrick Veers to blockade the Bosporus. While more Raw Materials are unloaded at Kerkyra and brought to Thessalonica.

Dr. Frankenstein informs the President that he's completed his research into "Armored Cruisers III," and President Kruger tells him to start researching "Colonial Admin V."

Admiral Tromp orders all Protected cruisers to sail to the nearest port with a Coaling Station or Naval base for upgrade to Armored Cruisers.

During the first week of March, a Balkan Mountain Gun battery in Athens bombards our troops, killing a few of the Maxim Machinegunners fortified in the hills outside Athens.

Elsewhere, the PERSIANS take Ashgabat from Russia, virtually eliminating Russian control of the Caspian sea (they only port Russia has left is Baku)

The second week of March sees the siege of Athens continuing with another massive Artillery barrage, but General Veers decides to wait while almost a division of Reinforcements, including the 1^st Light Horse move into position.

Meanwhile, more Raw Materials arrive at Kerkyra and are shipped overland to Thessalonica, while the upgrades for our Protected Cruisers continues.

The third week of March sees our army outside Athens getting shelled again... Somehow the pathetic Mountain Gun battery manages to hit the 1^st Light Horse (they've been having WAY better luck with those PoS guns that I ever did!), but only inflicts minor casualties on General Sephiroth's unit.

Elsewhere, the Russians take Mukden back from Japan.

The last week of March arrives, and the longest siege in the history of the Boer Federal Republic continues with another massive artillery barrage. As soon as the guns stop pounding the city, the 1^st Light Horse leads the attack, wiping out the company of elite City Guards defending the city along with two companies of Rumanian Infantry, but the 1^st Light Horse suffers over 50% casualties in the process. During the rest of the battle, heavy casualties are inflicted on both sides, but the worst for us is when two seemingly invincible companies of Rumanian Infantry took out a combined 5 Commando companies and a company of Light Cavalry. The battle continued to rage for two days, but in the end, we were victorious!

We captured Athens, along with an Industrial center (industrialization resource), another export market (Victory Point) and the Acropolis (Wonder that boosts science and makes 1 person happy) and another Mountain Gun battery.

The cost of this victory, however, was insanely high on both sides: We lost 10 full companies of Boer Commandos as well as a company of Boer Light Cavalry, and the Balkans fared even worse: They lost some fifteen infantry companies and their capitol... So this is why very few capitol cities have ever been taken.

Unfortunately, the Balkan government was able to flee to Crete, and thanks to two meddling Itallian Infantry companies, our only potential beach head has been blocked, meaning that there is no way for us to take their last city (at least until we get the Naval Academy at Kerkyra re-built and get some Naval Infantry), so President Kruger has Foreign Minister Slegmond call up the Balkans' Ambassador and negotiate a peace treaty.

The President then travels to Athens, proclaiming the recently conquered Balkan territories to be part of a new "Provisional State of Byzantium" until economic development is completed, at which point it will become a full state. Chief of Staff Takayama has all the new Byzantine cities, except Kerkyra, begin building Armored Cars... The new weapons will hopefully prove their worth in Operation Manzikert.

The Pretoria Battle Group docks at the Naval Station in Athens and are upgraded to Armored Cruisers, meaning that our navy, such as it is, is now fully modernized. All the artillery from the siege of Athens, along with three Maxim MG battalions and a company of Boer Riflemen is loaded onto transports and dropped off in the hills outside Antayla in preparation of Operation Manzikert.

The first week of April sees Britain taking Erenhot and Ulan-Bataar in Chinese Mongolia from China! On the plus side, FRANCE kicks Britain out of Sardinia, giving them a clear path to ship reinforcements from Marseilles to Africa!

So it is that this chapter and Operation Thermopylae comes to an end.

Oh, and here's an updated World Map:

 

[Tani Coyote]

Haahaa, "hot potato" with Mukden... let's hope the Japanese can actually carve Russia up a tad, hmm?

Excellent progress! Once Greece falls, I'd hate to be the other powers you'll be picking off. Will you be considering short hostilities against Spain once the Ottomans are gone for the sake of Belgrade? Great Yugoslavia and all that.

Poor Britannia... slowly being eclipsed in world affairs by the upstart Boers... Well, at least their African Empire will be replaced by their Asian Empire... except, oh wait... they don't have any secure shipping lanes, West or East, from Asia! The British will lose lots of money in any war with you from now on! Heck, at the rate things are going, the British might as well dissolve their empire and form a Commonwealth/Confederation composed of Asian-Australian states!

And another thing, on the "first African nation to take European soil" thing; I hate to be a jackass about this, but technically wouldn't the Carthaginians(though as descendents of Phoenicia, they could've been Asian more than African...) have been the first? Unless you mean in the modern age of course! In which case, the Scramble for Europe, is about to begin!

I'll be watching your progress eagerly, Führer Takayama!

Edit: Well dang, you updated again already! I'll comment on that after I'm done reading.