Let's Play Hearts of Iron 2 (Preparing for D-Day in Asia)

[spekkio]

Go Poland, go!
This is probably the most EPIC LP in CP (wink, wink)...

 

[Infantryman]

Fear not! If you make the amphibious assault by yourself, you will be responsible for supplying your troops in the continent, and Brits won't get even a square meter of land. The only time you will be supplied by the British is when you put your troops on their island. Therefore I vote for liberation of Europe.

However, as WhiskeyWolf mentioned, you should get rid of this alien filth sitting in Nicaragua first. You should also wait a few years with the invasion, liberating some pesky islands in the meantime. At the present, I am afraid supersonic bombers would utterly decimate invading force even before Tripods could join the fray.

As for HQs, it's not that simple. The HQ does not affect command max of particular corps, but the overall command max of the supreme commander of all the corps fighting in a battle (by default highest rank and skill). Because even if you have all your particular corps of size within command max of their individual commanders, you might suffer from insufficient command max of the 'supreme' commander, which by default is, if I recall well, the triple value of his individual command max (therefore in case of Field Marshal that would be 36 divisions). And that is the value you can enhance by using HQs. But they don't give ridiculously high bonuses, I suppose one HQ would increase 'supreme commander command max' by 12 or so divisions. Therefore it is not gamey, as building such an enormous amount of HQs and placing them there would just simulate a very carefully executed operation. Keep in mind, that for the HQ to be effective, you require a general or field marshal to command them. Also, as far is know, keeping more than 1 HQ in single corps won't have any effect, so you must spread them within your units one by one. Another fact worth noting is that defending side has considerably higher default 'supreme commander max', so they have huge advantage when facing enormous stacks of enemy divisions.

EDIT: As I checked on the screenshot, without a single HQ, effective command max of your Field Marshal Szylling commanding the battle of Nicaragua was 36, so I was right. 36 out of approximately 150 divisions. The penalty is -75% effectiveness for every single division over command max. Combine that with -40% mountain fighting penalty and you'll find that about 120 divisions were fighting at 1% combat effectiveness, which means that they do no nothing but take casualties. If you could use the potential of the remainder of you troops that took part of the battle, your would surely prevail. Good luck!

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

by the way...

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

You should also wait a few years with the invasion, liberating some pesky islands in the meantime. At the present, I am afraid supersonic bombers would utterly decimate invading force even before Tripods could join the fray.

Exactly, we need fucking air superiority... or at least something close enough to stand up to those space pests.

 

[Cassidy]

Click at your own risk

Operation Desu and Operation Additional Pylons

In preparation for the burden that the massive front in Europe will take, the construction of dozens of mobile command centers begin.

PZL P. 56 Kania (Speculative drawing)

Better interceptors are needed to stand a chance against the alien threat. Thus the PZL P. 63, despite never having experienced active combat duty, was to be eventually replaced by the PZL P. 56 Kania, while hope was strong over the results of the turbojet engine research. Possibly, it would be the last prop-driven fighter done by PZL.

The enemy is paying a high price for maintaining its forces in San Jose supplied. Sooner or later they'll have to divert resources that would otherwise be used to expand their legions to build more and more convoys.

Meanwhile, the momentum gained after the Liberation of Australia, that involved no fighting at all, couldn't be lost. There was one more place under control of the aliens that lack the massive numbers of alien forces in Eurasia and Africa. On the other hand, Hirohito would not be amused. After the formation of the UDMS-KKK, the Japanese have abandoned the Foedus of Man, considering the creation of such superpower, and its political goals, a threat to the interests of their Empire.

Without any naval research still developed in all fields but submarines, the UDMS-KKK Navy is made of surviving ships from the former United States of Amerikwa Navy and of a gigantic and growing number of transport ships.

Upon arriving in the Coast of Japan, two facts are realized. One, the Japanese could have easily driven out the aliens out of their homeland. And two: the aliens had an area left completely undefended, and for unknown reasons the Japs were afraid of occupying it. What sort of military leadership was this? French Wapanese generals?

And thus, without any wait, the Liberation of Tokyo will commence.

Operation DESU

Once all soldiers are onboard, the ships depart for Wake Island, which will be used as a base for the amphibious operations in Japan. Which will be far less anti-climatic than Operation Olympic, unless there is a tripod division there to make everything way more difficult. And if there was one, then it would explain the failure of the Japs to reclaim the east of Hokkaido. Then, while they were on their way for Wake Island...

The Battle of the Caribbean has begun, fortunately free from retarded Disney Pirates. As a means of survival, taking advantage of reverse-engineered communications technologies, three flotillas of six submarines each were merged into a single wolfpack to better stand a chance against enemy destroyers. Despite suffering damage through the multiple attacks, no submarines were lost.

It is still a long way to truly become able of developing any aircraft capable of at least maintaining parity with what the aliens fielded. The varied, and sometimes "crazy" concepts and blueprints bought from the Germans were already giving a basis for what would become the next generation of UDMS-KKK fighters, and the first generation of Kwanzanian turbojet fighters, while the tests with prototypes suggested that these new engines could reach impressively greater speeds than piston props, and perhaps even match speed with alien interceptors given enough years of development.

Harassment procceeded against the U-boats, but not permanent losses happened, although some subs had to return to dock for repairs. Meanwhile, the ships in Midway now proceeded to their final destination: Sendai.

And thus, for the first time since their long, dull journey through Australia, these men would meet real opposition: POPAMOLE.

55 divisions in a single province attacking simultaneously. Like... like zerg rush KEKEKE.

The Japanese only try to attack the enemy now. Maybe they have suffered a premature pussification in this timeline or something.

Final Victory is close. Hopefully to arrive first than the Japs.

Sheer numerical superiority overcomes the fact they wear power armorz. Now, the home of the Animu lies under control of the UDMS-KKK. Will there be any long-term consequences to this occupation? Strategically done because it would serve as a springboard for a potential liberation of Asia, now it paved the way further west. But there was more to do in Kawaii-land:

More irrational leaving of beachheads unguarded by the enemy, a weakness that couldn't be left unexploited. The alien scum would be purged completely from the Japanese home islands by the hands of the superior Western peoples

Except this time, the battle was considerably tougher due to the ice. The battle was brutal, and significant casualties happened despite the sheer numerical advantage of the UDMS-KKK forces.

But despite its cost, victory was a certainty. Transports prepared to arrive at the island, for the next operation in this Pacific momentum the UDMS-KKK gained.

Operation Additional Pylons

The Liberation of Korea.

Meanwhile, the hunters become the hunted, as destroyers flee from the wolfpack before they could be sunk. And at last, with the development of better escort fighters:

The first step is taken to revolutionize both civilian and military aviation.

Pyongyang, because it would otherwise become the capital of the Best Korea(Actually because it is close to three provinces that have a river as a natural defense line surrounding them), is chosen as the target of the amphibious landing.

Upon arrival, it becomes clear the task at hand will be much tougher and bloodier than first thought. They will have to break through. It will not be an unopposed landing, and they had only mountain and arctic warfare specialists, rather than (Space) Marines. But now it was time. A chance like this one couldn't be missed, and Korea seemed only lightly defended. Thus if they manage to break through, Korea will be liberated.

Not all the soldiers were sent at once because then they would serve as nothing but target practice for the aliens. Rather, waves of 3-12 divisions attempted to break through.

Yet the operation became a slaughter, as expected from an amphibious assault against defenders in power armor. Men died by the hundreds. They were forced to pull off and attempt landing in another, nearby shore with less unfriendly terrain: Dalian.

Only then, it would become obvious they were too eager, after turning the tide of the war in Amerikwa, to attempt this liberation. The entire operation was a disaster. The Liberation of Korea has failed, because:

At least they would return home... those who didn't die at those beaches. At the first, disastrous attempt to break through Fortress Eurasia from Korea. The enemy had enough divisions to guard every possible beachhead. The best bet would be to find one guarded by their less impressive divisions.

Meanwhile, from the mistakes the UDMS-KKK learns, and thus, Infiltration in Depth is concluded, and now there is little left to develop regarding land doctrines. Instead, the focus is immediately shifted to Aerial warfare doctrines, where they have a lot to catch up yet.

After the destroyers were shoved off, the convoy raidings proceed at a rapid pace. Almost every time a new enemy convoy arrives, damage is dealt against it.

The failure of Operation Additional Pylons marked the end of 1943, the year when Australia and parts of Japan under alien occupation were liberated by the UDMS-KKK, now operation under a 100% interventionist approach, that allowed for them to, if desiring, commit futile acts like declaring war against the Soviet Union to ensure it will never rise again.

Very little in Kwanzania was left to be liberated, but the thorn San Jose was would not be removed easily. On the other hand, the experiences in Korea were obvious in explaining the key to victory in San Jose:

YOU MUST CONSTRUCT ADDITIONAL PYL... HQS

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Raise hand those who didn't seen the failure coming... nobody? Thought so.

Well, at least we secured a base in Japan.

 

[Infantryman]

Comrade Cassidy! I have a cunning plan. It actually is as cunning as a fox which used to be professor of cunning at the Oxford University but has moved on and is now and is now working for the UN at the high commission of international cunning planning. I saw this thing done once in one of the HoI2 multiplayer AARs - the German player had formidable, nearly impenetrable shore defences of Atlantic Wall, but the American player bypassed them by dropping paratroopers at the coastal province which had no landing beaches, and therefore was left undefended. Once the paratroopers took the province, hundreds of divisions could simply land there despite the fact there were no beaches, because controller of the province does not require to have them to land his troops in the province. This could work very well in your game. I suggest sending as many paratrooper divisions as you can to an undefended coastal mountainous province, as they would have to hold their position for several hours until units from the transports arrive. This way you could successfully secure a foothold in the Fortress Eurasia.

 

[Cassidy]

they had only mountain and arctic warfare specialists, rather than (Space) Marines

Within the technological limitations of the time, the closest approach is:

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Coś czuję, że się na tym kurwa przejedziemy.

Tran: I have a bad feeling about this.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Nice update.

 

[Infantryman]

Coś czuję, że się na tym kurwa przejedziemy.

Tran: I have a fucking bad feeling about this.

fixed.

 

[Cassidy]

Just to get faster to page 12, I'll leave a teaser of what to expect... once this playthrough of vanilla HoI2 is over, of course, and I'll have to decide which faction to play yet, among Voodoo nihilists in New Orleans, Post-nuclear Mexico and Canada, Fundie Texas and old names like New California Republic, Vault City, the Brotherhood of Diversity and the Brotherhood of Steel:

But I'm really tempted to pick this one. Once the time comes

 

[Cassidy]

Now here comes the update.






First Major Air Battles, and I wish I had a nuke

In preparation for a future plan of liberation. Key technologies must researched upon which the UDMS-KKK still is seriously lagging behind.

And their medium tanks are quite outdated for 1944.

Do you notice anything different here? Both Land Doctrine and Air Doctrine tech teams are gone! Now, I'm be seriously tempted to give some Kwan tech teams through editing instead of having to prolong the inevitable and boring Sitzkrieg due to key research going on in an incredibly sluggish rate.

If flying bombs could kill enemy units and spamming them drained the strength of all enemies in a province... San Jose could be released. But Flying Bombs AFAIK are purely strategic and can't be used against armies. Because I never bothered wasting time with them in any HoI2 game I've played.

While the waiting for several HQs to be completed moves on, a new problem arises. The enemy sends several fighters to San Jose. It became clear that the enemy finally decided to priotize the UDMS-KKK as the greatest threat from what was left of humanity, although Britain was being bombed day and night. Luckily, the bombers manage to destroy the enemy air bases without being intercepted.

Meanwhile, another record in submarine operations, as convoys enlarge to supply the growing number of alien aircrafts arriving at San Jose. Pointless because so far the convoy raiding is leading nowhere. These aliens seem to have a near limitless reserve of supply convoys to be sunk, despite the fact that, by now, more than 800 of their ships have hit the bottom of the sea. Then, when it becomes clear constant runway craterings would be too risky, it was time. Despite the technological inferiority, significant upgrades happened already, and their interceptors were now the best piston prop engines could deliver.

According to the survivors of all air battles that happened so far, they were chased by strange lights during the battles, believed to be something like "targeting rockets" for the alien aircrafts to fire more accurately against them. To say it was a complicated fight would be an understatement, despite the sheer numerical superiority of the UDMS-KKK interceptors, despite the fact the alien pilots seemed to be poorly organized.

However, at least this time, humanity has won the battle, and inflicted twice greater losses against the enemy. It was not the end, though. In another attempt to maintain air supremacy over America, the four wings of bombers and their escort fighters take off for runway cratering again.

Immediately a small group of UFOs take off for intercepting the bombers. The PZL. 56 Kania interceptors, despite suffering severe losses in the previous engagement, are ordered to immediately take off from Panama and come for the aid of the beleaguered bomber and escort fighter wings. However, the enemy UFOs won't wait for the rescue.

Some of the UFOs were shot down, but the bombers and escort fighters were still taking heavy losses. This battle was not going well, maybe they would not hold out until the reinforcements arrival.

It takes at least four dedicated fighter wings to stand a chance against a single of their interceptors. Amazing odds, considering Intel claims these beings have more than a hundred of them.

But they paid the price, even if, on overall, it was a defeat rather than a victory due to the significant losses of bombers and fighters in directly engaging the enemy. The greatest air battle ever fought in America was over. It was clear that turbojets were the only hope.

A far more exotic, but impractical idea, was the use of rocket engines like the ones proposed for the flying bomb in aircrafts. However, it was known rocket engines were able to reach outer space, and thus they would become the key to the future.

Finally, the wait is over. After some preparations and positionings of HQs to best organize the massive forces awaiting in Panama and Nicaragua, the Second Battle of San Jose is about to begin.

Britain provides more valuable blueprints free of charge, in recognition of the UDMS-KKK lone efforts against the alien menace. It was the last event before it. The decisive battle. More than fifty ships began shelling San Jose, two millions of men prepared themselves for the greatest single battle ever fought in America.

Except for better starting odds, despite the fact that more than 100 divisions were sufficiently organized with the available HQs to not fuck everything up, the second battle of San Jose was already showing signs that it would end like the first.

When it became clear there were no chances of breaking the enemy lines, as thousands lie dead, the offensive is immediately cancelled before it could end as a disaster.

They've won again. Intel discovered the aliens are able of regenerating their own wounds, which explains why they are so difficult to take down combined with the fact they are either inside tripods or power armors.

An indirect consequence of the failed offensive, several enemy destroyers are intercepted leaving San Jose.

Unfortunately none of them were sunk.

Many questioned whether it was a good idea at all to continue futile attempts to liberate San Jose, considering that isolating the enemy from coastal access in Eurasia would blockade all supplies sent to San Jose, maybe concentrating on that, perhaps even tougher goal, could yet bring better results.


-----------------------

I have an idea to make 1944 a far less dull year in this LP. If you look at the OP you'll immediately know what is going to happen.

 

[Infantryman]

Cassidy, take a look at the screenshot from my game.



See? In the battle of Kiev, led by Field Marshall Rokossovsky, with two HQs, I have overall command max of 66. And in your battle of San Jose, you had overall command max of just 48 despite all those HQs. That means, you must have done something wrong. Remember to assign every single HQ to a different corps with a different commander, who must be a General or Field Marshal. In the last battle, you got a bonus from only 1 HQ, while you should have received it from all HQs. You cannot simply put all the HQs to one corps.

 

[exe]

Cassidy, take a look at the screenshot from my game.

See? In the battle of Kiev, led by Field Marshall Rokossovsky, with two HQs, I have overall command max of 66. And in your battle of San Jose, you had overall command max of just 48 despite all those HQs. That means, you must have done something wrong. Remember to assign every single HQ to a different corps with a different commander, who must be a General or Field Marshal. In the last battle, you got a bonus from only 1 HQ, while you should have received it from all HQs. You cannot simply put all the HQs to one corps.

It'S been a while since I played HoI2, but that's not how HQs work. A HQ doubles the command limit for the province it is in (and the adjacent ones, afaik), but that only works once. It doesn't matter if you have 10 HQs in one province, it only works once. You have 66 since you attack from 3 provinces (12*2 + 12*2 + 9*2 I guess). Cassidy can only attack from two provinces, so can never get more than 48 command limit (except with an extra amphib assault). One way would probably be to only attack with 48 divs, and then pull the exhausted out and keep throwing in fresh ones (attack, not support attack). Better yet would be to let your northern troops retreat and hope they follow you, so you can "lead" them to a plain province where you can attack from 4 sides. Even better if you can get most of them somewhere inland, and then cut them off from their supplies.

 

[Cassidy]

I knew that HQs can't go beyond doubling the Max Command Limit, but I never tried otherwise and now I know that is really the limit. Still, mountain divisions had 36% attack efficiency.

Even better if you can get most of them somewhere inland, and then cut them off from their supplies.

Risky undertaking, considering that they could leave the tripods with 300 org., 10% softness and 80 hard and soft attack behind to prevent it from happening, and that holding off such a force requires very large numbers, and the fact the fortifications built in Managua would work against the builders and make it literally impenetrable if even one Tripod division decides to stay there. My original plan was always to simply leave a minimum force of garrissons with AT/Artillery brigades under level 10 forts to hold the enemy there and call it a day.


The best solution would be to nuke it.

Because I disabled nukes, the only solutions are to either manage to break through Europe and shove the alien capital to somewhere inland that can be isolated, or to spend more 10 years of convoy raiding to cripple their logistics.

 

[Infantryman]

Thank you for your explanation, exe. I couldn't find anywhere reliable information on how does the command max bonuses work and, well, lived in a delusion that HQ bonuses are additive. Sorry for misleading you, Cassidy, I hope those HQs could be put to good use elsewhere sometime. It does seem you are right that there is no other way but to leave them alone.

 

[Cassidy]

Managua, the American Passchendaele(Part 1).

After the fiasco of the Second Battle of San Jose, orders arrive to reduce the number of forces in Nicaragua and Panama to only the minimum necessary to hold out the enemy. The only good news were the finaly development of a practical turbojet, and now, all that was left to do was to develop airframes specifically tailored for this kind of propulsion.

With the Germans, lacking the necessary infrastructure to be ahead of the UDMS-KKK in the field of new turbojet fighters and interceptors, all that was available were some old sketches of a Soviet project, back when the Soviet Union was anything of relevance. Considering their situation, History will have to take a seat, because the LIM-1 will be written as a Polish project mass produced for the UDMS-KKK, and besides, PZL(now a private company in the free market as decreed by the Objectivist economic policies) would have to nearly design it from scratch, for the Soviet papers were very, very sketchy. In the meantime, the other units that were to to waste time defending the two regions from the pinned down aliens at Costa Rica were soon to depart.

One thing about desiring the minimum necessary to guard a place is that sometimes, the calculation of how many such minimum should have goes wrong:

Another Hans Zimmer music for a battle in a movie

The Battle of Nicaragua

At 18:00 hours, the tripods began to break through the defensive perimeter, alarms were raising, and a few minutes later a rain of artillery shells hides the sun from the horizon. The attack is perverse, methodical and deadly: the combined arms of infantry in power armor with tripods. The calculations were wrong, they would never hold out for much time. Transport fleets began to move quickly to solve such situation.

While the battle of Managua seems close to an end, the ships blockading Costa Rica are harrassed by a lone carrier and its only escort.

The reinforcements arrived in time, but they were failing to turn the tide of this bloody battle. It was to no avail. Managua was lost, and if the enemy managed to rebuild its fortresses, it would be completely impenetrable. There was only one good new about it: the enemy was spread out between two regions now, instead of locked in a single region. There was still a spirt of stubborness wishing for an attempt of an almost immediate offensive against Nicaragua. Such spirit would give rise to another great battle, the Battle of Nicaragua.

Managua is lost. The entire plan of holding them off goes down through the drain.This could be the end, if the enemy spreads out widely enough. Thus, to buy time, there are orders to bomb every piece of infrastructure Costa Rica.

A spirit that has driven millions to launch an offensive deemed hopeless and futile. At the start, the attackers seemingly had the odds is their favor. But it was only an illusion. The large quantities of caranage, death and horror would frighten and demoralize any army going through such massive ordeal

After Sikorsky, another General has found death, as a tripod broke through the lines and assaulted his mobile HQ, killing him and more dozens of people. Tadeusz Kutrzeba has been one of the few to survive through the pointless last stand of the Polish Army during 1941, the darkest year of humanity.

Slowly, the situation deteriorates. Yet blood will be shed for days to come. Despite intense shelling and use of anti-tank guns, the tripods, supported by POPAMOLES, become relentless. Anti-tank gun crews begin to die, one by one, and it becomes clear only a miracle could change the outcome of this battle.

But no miracle happened, and the enemy launches an immediate counter-attack after the disastrous offensive, which at least has managed to kill large amounts of enemy forces in power armor. Anders and Maczek had a plan, however. A tactic of defense-in-depth with several funnels that would lure the enemies into deadly barrages of artillery and ambushes by hundreds of 14TPs. Many were dying and would die in the defense of Guatemala, and when it seemed victory was so distant, when the enemy pushed through deep in the lines, the final hope was given, the last attempt to halt their advance:

For a moment, massive clouds of blackness and smoke arose. Like with the hyperbolic claims of Xerxes army regarding their barrage of arrows blotting out the sun in the Battle of Thermopylae, during the most critical moment the Battle of Tegucigalpa, so many artillery shells were fired at once that for a few seconds, the sun vanished from sight, and once they fell, the smoke covered and obscured everything for a while like a thick fog. Many soldiers were worried, as their visibility was affected. Tense moments until the dust settled down.

Through sheer force overcoming technological superiority, the enemies suffered tremendous losses. And unlike humanity, they would never recoup their losses, at least not regarding their most advanced armies. However, despite their immense casualties, they still insisted in trying to break through Guatemala.

Then, during the late night of 17th of March, the enemy has decided to retreat, giving finally a breathing space for the soldiers who gave their blood and sweat in defense of humanity. It was a tough fight, but the enemy was seriously damaged by the ingenious combination of the two greatest minds of the Polish Confederation of America, and perhaps, of the UDMS-KKK as well. This battle was considered almost as important as the battle of Panama, and now, the enemy has been successfully halted. But they would rebuild the forts in Nicaragua on their own, unless there could be a chance of attacking them now that they suffered serious losses in their failed attack. These questions vanished from the thought of WhiskeyWolf when the worst that could happen happened to the south of this bloody battlefield.

Four supersonic UFOs began to simply wipe out the bombers that were conducting bombings against the logistics infrastructure of San Jose. Immediately, the interceptors were called, but it was know there was nothing to be done. Four interceptor wings barely managed to defeat one of those aircrafts, with one of them losing a quarter of their aircrafts during the battle. It was unwise to keep doing this, after its utility was over, but now there was no turning back to correct such mistake.

The escort fighters and tactical bombers were swatted from the skies, and to make things worse, the number of enemy aircrafts suddenly seemed to have doubled.

Three bomber wings totally lost, and the one who wasn't had only two bombers left after it was wrecked by those interceptors. One of the interceptor wings were also lost in this hopeless battle for air superiority. It was clearer than ever, that without the PZL. LIM-1 and potential improvements over it, the UDMS-KKK would never stand a chance in the air.

Specially because the enemy decided to keep near a hundred of wings in San Jose, according from the crude intelligence data gathered from the seas. A decision was also made. No pussying out, the chance was there. With horrible infrastructure, San Jose would be a severe drain of organization and make the enemy take ages to send reinforcements to Managua, thus, maybe the losses of all those aircrafts and pilots in the massacre of San Jose were not totally in vain. But to wait was a luxury. For every day, the forts were slowly expanded. If an attack was not launched as soon as the survivors reorganized and prepared themselves for the next assault, the enemy could end having a near impenetrable fortress in their hands. And thus they prepared themselves logistically and in morale for weeks, until the time was finally ripe for one more attempt, that hopefully would permanently make several enemy divisions even more understrength than they already ended after their failure in Guatemala.

But first, a completely diversionary attack was launched against Costa Rica to draw the enemies away from Nicaragua and towards the perceived threat.

While two ASW destroyers learn they are not supposed to dive. Most of the divisions that participated of the diversionary attack against San Jose were transported to Guatemala by sea to quickly join the coming real offensive.

Supported by heavy naval bombardment and hundreds of tanks, the assault on Nicaragua, featured by its tank-friendly topography(according to HoI2), begins.

After four days of battle, the offensive begins to lose momentum, as casualties accumulate, but the goal of weaking the enemy forces has been accomplished, somewhat. It is unlikely this is the end, however. More people will have to die if Amerikwa is to ever be fully free again.

Even the infamous Necrons have taken significant losses, proving that although demanding in immense sacrifices of human life and resembling the brutality of the Great War, this method of attrition warfare works.

And another bloody, almost one-week long offensive is thus halted. Some began to distrust and question these methods due to the heavy death tolls they were provoking, for the weapons the enemies had turned any type of assault into a particularly gruesome one. For now though, the men would have more two weeks of rest to prepare for the next nightmare.

These offensives have almost certained costed the lives of more than two hundred thousand soldiers. However, no matter the price, theirs was a sacrifice willingly paid. Soldiers of Amerikwa, Canada, Mexico, Central Amerikwa, Brazil, Argentina, the rest of South Amerikwa, Poles, Finns, Norwegians, Brits, Hungarians, Italians, Jews, Romas, Yugoslavs and Germans. They respected their cultures, but lived in separated communities and language-defined nations to avoid the taint of multikulturalism. It was perhaps an unique occasion despite the tragic circumstances and losses of life, to see so many different people, who in many cases fought against each other in the past, united for a greater common goal.

Meanwhile, more nuisance. But this nuisance carrier begins to become dangerous, sinking a transport and two heavy cruisers. Immediately, the Main Battlefleet is sent there to finish it off.

Weather forecast was cautiously observed during all the time. The difference between rain and clear skies was the difference between fifty less or more pages in the list of dead soldiers after an offensive. This now nearly a month long battle was truly reminding the brutal trench warfare of the Great War in scale and number of casualties.

It seems that this time, the new divisions shipped off from South America were tipping the balance in favor of humanity. Slowly, in a grueling advance, the attack succeeded, while the enemies were taking significant losses.

Until the reinforcements arrived. But still, several divisions of power armor were under the risk of being completely annihilated as their strength went below 25%. Such opportunity could not be lost.

But, like before, the offensive had to be halted before a greater disaster could occur, and thus, after three days of nonstop fighting, things once again went into the same ennui of a World War One trench. More waiting, more reorganizing, and WhiskeyWolf persisted that these attacks, even if failing, were seriously crippling the enemy, while soon the Battle of Nicaragua would now become 2 months old, with a fitting number of casualties.

And thus, once again they attacked, and once again, the focus was on the combination of armored advances and elastic defense with artillery saturation, and soldiers using RPGs to ambush enemy infantry in power armor. This time, the starting situation was far more favorable, maybe, maybe this would be the time things would turn and after so many deaths and months of fighting, a long dreamed V-A (Victory in Amerikwa) Day could finally happen.

Against all odds, the attackers managed to coordinate and synchronize their actions, and succeed at enough advances, to completely surround many of the enemies, while some of their divisions were even closer to extermination.

However, their technological supremacy made the encirclement quite short-lasted, unfortunately. Still, they seemed to be about to break down. Perhaps now victory would be assured, perhaps now was really the time.

So close from victory, yet so distant. The enemies were pushed into the far sotuh of Nicaragua until additional reinforcements arrived and gave them a little push northwards, forcing the attackers to do a tactical retreat and continue falling back and dealing as much damage as possible through artillery barrages and armored ambushes.

With another defeat, the pressures began to increase exponentially for a purely defensive approach with construction of fortifications at Guatemala while now, this battle alone was soon to provoke more casualties than those during the entire length German offensive against Poland. The French Esprit de Défaitisme was strong among some people.

This battle would have to end in a victorious outcome soon, or WhiskeyWolf reputation would be forever tarnished by the vain deaths of hundreds of thousands in Central America.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Fun LP

 

[Infantryman]

Excellent update, as always. Field Marshal Haig would have been so proud of you. But I think you should not send all of your divisions to the battle at once while your command max is only 24 divisions. I suggest to take exe's advice:

One way would probably be to only attack with 48 divs, and then pull the exhausted out and keep throwing in fresh ones (attack, not support attack)

This way, you would be just as effective, as in previous battles, but you could drag this on perpetually, giving aliens no time to regain organization or strength. That would be the ultimate battle of attrition.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Hmm, simple and efficient. I like it, let's go with that.

 

[Cassidy]

Excellent update, as always. Commissar Holt would have been so proud of you. But I think you should not send all of your divisions to the battle at once while your command max is only 24 divisions. I suggest to take exe's advice:

One way would probably be to only attack with 48 divs, and then pull the exhausted out and keep throwing in fresh ones (attack, not support attack)

Fixed. Also, this way, you would be just as effective, as in previous battles, but you could drag this on perpetually, giving aliens no time to regain organization or strength. That would be the ultimate battle of attrition.

Except that if I attacked with 24 divisions only each time, the battle will last so little the enemy will take no significant strength losses. 6 tripod divisions would drain them of all organization in 1 hour. Launching all of them together allow for them to maintain the offensive for longer than if 24 of them attacked each time until drained of org.

==================================

Managua, the American Passchendaele. (Part 2)

Music from Enemy at the Gates

After more than two months of battle, Nicaragua was truly becoming another Passchendaele. Another offensive is launched, this time, supported by a powerful group of Polish and Canadian stormtrooperss, and, at the first hour of combat, the results can be seen. The enemy forces have been thinned, and unlike the UDMS-KKK they did not have reserves. A victory was now closer than ever, although the price would be high.

In 14 hours, two entire enemy divisions made of the weaker living dead human corpses with just better assault rifles and late 20th century grade equipment have been wiped out. It was clear the enemy was collapsing under the weight of heavy casualties.

Seven alien divisions were completely exterminated. However, while the soldiers advanced deeper into Costa Rica, they would finally find out what happened. A group of survivors was found and recently slaughtered by the alien. It was a gruesome sight. There was the evidence, right among their eyes: woman, elderly and children, a total slaughter. It was totally unjustified. The civilians posed no threat to the aliens, yet they pulverized them. There was only one acceptable final solution to deal with these monsters and their threat, once humanity reach the stars. find the home of these creatures who nearly brought mankind to extinction, and bring the final solution to the alien question.

However, that was long away from happening while the battle of Nicaragua moved on. However, the goal of exterminating all aliens in America, no matter the cost, was a good start to ensure the future of humanity.

Tripods began to collapse in hundreds under heavy artillery fire. Finally, it became clear the deaths of hundreds of thousands in this battle would not be in vain. They were very close, after months of battle, they were now very close to the final victory in South America. More than ten enemy divisions have been exterminated, and many were very close to end in the same state. Soon they would be forced to retreat, soon the V-A day would come.

However, reinforcements would give again an edge to the enemy when it seemed they were on the verge of defeat. Now that the enemy was slowly collapsing, there would be no retreat. The attack must go on, no matter the cost.

During the year of ITZ, 1941, many French military commanders deemed the Tripods as undefeatable war machines at any odds, and for many years it was believed impossible to nigh difficult to directly defeat one instead of isolating and starving it without supplies. The brave soldiers and anti-tank crews in the battle of Nicaragua proved these beliefs were wrong, that although seemingly impossible, even several divisions of tripods could be defeated, but the price of victory was very high.

After days of battle, the enemy forces have been systematically annihilated. Victory seemed to be at hand now, and even if advancing through Nicaragua proved inviable due to more fresh forces from Costa Rica, this was still a great strategic victory. A dozen of the most dangerous, technologically advanced and powerful enemy divisions have been slaughtered, and despite great losses humanity was prevailing in a battle that included not one, but six necron tripod divisions, a feat deemed impossible years ago.

The enemy was desperate. the number of convoys that were sunk increased while the battle happened. Four more divisions arrived from Costa Rica. This offensive was becoming the bloodiest battle ever fought, and the end of this brutal conflict for America was coming closer.

More two enemy divisions are exterminated during the brutal battle, while reports of catching up in tank technology appear. Somewhat outdated or not, the 14TPs and the tank destroyer brigades attached to their divisions have been fundamental for the growing success in this battle. This time, it was the time to go to the end, to drive them out of Nicaragua, and out of America. Victory approaches.

Now nearly twenty alien divisions have been wiped out. The time was coming! To victory! Wait a moment...

Unfortunately, the number of losses and physical exhaustion of the survivors forced a retreat before half of the combatants completely lose their mind and do something stupid. Nevertheless, it was a completely pyrrhic victory for the enemy. So many of their divisions have been successfully slaughtered that WhiskeyWolf knew that the next offensive would almost certainly succeed. Otherwise his career would definitively be over. With about five hundred casualties, slaughtering all the enemy divisions would make it not so horrible in casualty ratios compared to the enemy. But what in relative terms was acceptable, in absolute terms became a more than two months old meatgrinder. Now, 11 of May of 1944, a battle that began in 3rd of March still was not resolved. Nicaragua became the longest and bloodiest battle ever fought in the War of the Worlds.

Some foreign divisions that refused to accept local reinforcements were nearly wiped out after all these offensives. And thus the survivors are relieve from duty, and will have the luck of never again involve themselves into a battle. But the scars left in their minds will never heal. Even while they are lauded as heroes, even if their home country is ever liberated, somehow, deep inside them, they will still see the men who stood at their side, dying, slaughtered, suffering, being literally devoured by the monsters they fought.

Heavy naval fire support was always used during these months of battle. However, the main battlefleet was busy hunting ASW destroyers and small harassment fleets.

The U-boats continued their mission, glad to know that soon everything would be over in America. The final battle approached. In 20th of May, at 00:00 hours, as the Battle of Nicaragua was only 13 days short of reaching 3 months of length, a new offensive, and hopefully the last, is launched.

The night-combat training of these massive armies helped them. Fighting against six tripods divisions, the despite severely outnumbering them, this would be anything but an easy battle. Fortunately, after eleven hours of battle, they have managed to pin down and surround the tripods, and with artillery barrages coming from all sides, although casualties were heavy amidst firing of laser beams, the enemy would not last long.

Eight hours later, they began to collapse and perish under the weight of millions of artillery shells. An offensive against tripods was working perfectly. The dreaded enemies were humbled, surrounded, exterminated. Victory was close, victory was coming.

Three tripod divisions were completely annihilated. The importance of this feat is incontestable. The aliens are unable to build more tripods from Earth. These are losses they will never replace. This victory was the most important victory of mankind since the Battle of Panama, and the greatest victory mankind ever had against the aliens. Hundreds of thousands of highly alien forces, that initially were outnumbered at only 10:1, something deemed insufficient to compensate for their sheer technological superiority, were finally defeated after 3 long months of battle. The enemy suffered massive losses, and losses they would never recover. Rather than immediately advanced, they waited as the enemy attempted to send more forces to Managua.

Soon would be the time to finish the battle of Managua for once and all, although victory already happened, it was time to make the last step before the final battle in America.

Meanwhile, the first steps were being made in preparation for the next stage of the war against the aliens, the dreamed D-Day: the liberation of Europe, Africa and Asia. The concept of the aliens dropped from orbit to bypass human defenses inspired the creation of elite airborne troops, the predecessors of the Space Marines.

Although celebrated a bit earlier, because technically any chances of the enemy turning the tide were ever when those three tripod divisions were destroyed, the Battle of Nicaragua ended in 24th of May of 1944, lasting almost three months, and being thus the longest battle ever fought in the history of 20th century Earth. More the five hundred thousand men died for this decisive victory to happen, while nearly three hundred thousand aliens were wiped out, and more a hundred and dozens of thousands would soon be finished off in San Jose, if the momentum could be kept.

The Spartans had two kings: one specialized in warfare, that led the military and went at the frontlines during wars and the other specialized in public administration, taking care of the city-state everyday economy and society. Like the Spartans, the UDMS-KKK had two government figures, the President, Kazimierz Sosnkowski, a veteran general in the frontlines against the alien, and the vice-president, who was the de facto decision-maker for all non-military matters. For unlike pussies who hid deep inside bunkers while ITZ happened, Sosnkowski was a real ubermensch.

Managua was safe. Now it was time to finish what has been started.

And sink as many convoys as possible in the meantime.

Participating only of the defense of Panama, of the two previous and failed offensives against San Jose and of a diversionary attack before, this time, the Finns would be among the many soldiers who would become involved in the final battle for America. With legends like Mannerheim, who managed to hold out the far north of Scandinavia against tripods with relativelyfew divisions, and Lieutenant Simo Hayha, claimed to have taken out five tripods and hundreds of aliens in power armor with a Mosin-Nagant by firing at their small weak spots, many were confident that V-A day was close.

Finally all troops landed in Managua, and the plan was set. 1st of June, 1944. The day America shall finally be set free from the alien scum. The greatest day in the history of Kwanzania.

The battle lasted for an entire day. The barrages of millions of artillery shell and Simo Hayha together gave no chance for the enemy. Finally, finally, a day so longed for was coming, now all it took was for an amphibious landing to secure San Jose for once and all.

5th of June, one day before the D-Day of another timeline, would be forever remembered as the V-A (Victory in America) day. Celebrations erupted through the entire continent. More than four hundred thousand aliens have been wiped out. Although the price in blood and more than five hundred thousand human lives has been high, a massive logistical and economical strain from the lack of a road connecting the south and northern parts of the continent were over, and the benefits would soon follow. People celebrated this victory like if the War of the Worlds itself was over, and for America and the UDMS-KKK, it was. The enemy had no capability of sending fighters to challenge the Air Superiority of America, and hundreds of their UFOs have been sabotaged and destroyed before they could take off from San Jose, further increasing the strategic importance of this victory.

The Battle of Nicaragua would be forever remember as the battle that ended the war in America and that destroyed the myth of the undefeatability of the tripods.

This day would never be forgotten.

But there was still a very long road ahead for Europe... and a growingly discontent Japan with the occupation of post-ITZ Tokio by the UDMS-KKK.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Well, Japan will have to suck it down. BTW Cassidy, you made your country proud.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

That was awesome. Can't wait to see the butthurt that invading Eurasia will cause.

 

[Cassidy]

A date which will live in infamy

With every alien occupation outside of Europe, Asia and Africa, the enemy convoys stopped, and it was decided to scrap the most obsolete submarines of the fleet. Many crews would have a long deserved relief from duty, and return home. The end of the war in America would still bring much rejoicing for the days to come.

Meanwhile, the Main Battlefleet hunted a few nuisances, knowing quite well they would be stationed elsewhere soon. The tensions were growing with Japan, and the UDMS-KKK decided to attempt the diplomatic way, while preparing itself in case things went wrong. However, the Japanese signaled interest in a negotiation, although they were unwilling to immediately DISCUSS!!! the question of Tokio.

The core of the UDMS-KKK Navy moved to Pearl Harbor to be able to deliver a quick response in case of war while the negotiations continued to slowly advance. However, every time the UDMS-KKK laid out their demands for releasing their holds in Japan: the establishment of a Democracy in Japan, things went down the drain, but this dance of bullshit proceeded for days and days, the diplomats trying to reach a consensus, and the UDMS-KKK, having the power to actually wage wars that are totally uneconomical and not beneficial for any power group like oil companies but would "promote liberty in the world", did not step back from their demands, going as far as to claim they were protecting the survivors of Tokio from its own government. Hirohito was not amused. There was no appeasement, besides the obvious refusal to send massive armies to Japan as a way of implying that the UDMS-KKK was not intending to attack Japan.

Britain provides some blueprints of Air Doctrines free of charge.

Then more harassment fleets come while the military forces of the UDMS-KKK were being reorganized to reduce the logistical burden.

With the Main Battlefleet heading for Pearl Harbor, they had to be stopped with what was currently available.

And they were. Meanwhile, Brazil suffered from air raids coming from Africa, too far away to have any air superiority fighters with them. The only flight group at the moment was relocated to Rio de Janeiro to stop them

The Army was finally well spread out. This would make the management of them less tiresome, and the logistics less complicated.

Despite all the problems, Japan continued to trade with the UDMS-KKK. The negotiations went to a halt, unfortunately, but they have shown interest to make a deal.

A new Chief of Staff is chosen as soon as he becomes available. Possessing of the same logistical expertise of Sikorski, he'll be far more useful than the previous stopgap one. Things were going more or less well. It was known that any attempt to mount an amphibious operation against Eurasia now would be suicidal. Certain technologies and concepts would have to be developed first, and that could take at least two years to happen. Weeks have passed, and for the survivors of the former Kwanzania, who still timidly celebrated the V-A day, soon another holiday was coming, a holiday that the manboons have always celebrated in the United States of Kwanzania: their Independence Day. But, something was going on.

And like every manboon, they don't even know what they don't know.

But the same applies to the Japs.

"July 4, 1944, a date which will live in Infamy. Japanese forces have launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, destroying three carriers, one battleship and several cruisers, killing more than thirty thousand Amerikwans. The taboo of no human conflict since the Treaty of Grodno has been broken, as the Japanese government, in its egotic dream, undermined the efforts in defense of the supremacy of the human race on Earth, and now have fully betrayed the Foedus of Man. On behalf of her people, of humanity and of democracy, The United States of KKK have declared war on the Empire of Japan."

The words echoed through the multinational Parliament as Poles, Kwanzanians, Centro-americans, Sudamericans, Brazilians, Quebecois and Scandinavians, representing all the nation-members of the UDMS-KKK, went in a very heated discussion about it. Two French Generals in Quebec argued that the UDMS-KKK should sue for peace immediately and cede all its territories in the Pacific to Japan, but gave up against the will of the Majority.

For the first time in four years, man will kill man again. Another great war would begin, and the peace between the V-A day and this date of infamy, this dreaded 4th of July, has been truly short. The Third World War has begun.