USUK AT WAR The United States and the United Kingdom at War AAR United States Objectives: Lower Neutrality Increase IC Remove Archaic Technology and Weapons Build a Modern Fleet Build a Modern, Mobile Army Defeat the Axis Defeat the USSR United Kingdom Objectives: Coming Soon Custom Game Start: United States: Removed Mid-West/Central Airfields Increase Airfields on West Coast Improve Airfields and Coastal Defense and Ports on Guam, Midway Remove starting OOB, replace with Improved Technology Units ​Increase starting IC to ~200 IC
The Game so Far: I am playing as the USA, Joe is playing as the UK. He also improved his starting situation to have a stronger Navy and forces in India. However, whenever we play as the Axis, Japan steamrolls China, but when we play as the Allies the reverse is true. The Japanese defeated Shanxi easily, but have since lost territory to Nationalist China. We believe this to be a case of the AI not launching a Coastal Invasion of China, which seems to be the only way to defeat the Chinese (the Japanese are fighting on a very narrow front). Our present year is 1938 and all the events in Europe have fired as planned. The Anschluss of Austria, the Reoccupation of the Rhineland (though we did not see an even message for this - we do believe it occurred). By lowering my Neutrality from the start of the game, I should be able to join the Allies much faster, along with operating my economy on better settings. In a Normal game, I would spend all of my production on building IC for the first year or two, giving me close to 200 IC. This time, I was able to set up additional IC in the start game (my OOB for land forces only has 150,000 US Troops right now). Presently, with some of those Economic Law Changes, I am spending around 240IC on Production in-game right now, building some modern Naval Units and my first batch of Tanks. I am also using the new Intelligence Features to steal Techs from the Axis and the French. Chance of success is not high, but I have stolen 3 or 4 technologies so far.
We've started WW2 in 1938. I've managed to triple my Army in 1938 (more Infantry, but also Tanks, and my Airforce is fast approaching 65+. My Navy is still small...4 Aircraft Carriers, 1 Light Escort Carrier, 2 BBs, and a host of Destroyers and LC. 4 more advanced Carriers on their way. I also have 3 Marine Divisions. So, since I was able to lower my neutrality in the Custom Game Start, I was able to Guruantee the Independence of Poland, right around the time of the Molotov/Ribbentrop Pack (all events prior to this went as historically planned). Japan is still at a stalemate in China. At any rate, when Germany DOW'd Poland, that meant that I became at War with Germany. And Germany at war with the Allies. I joined the allies, Japan declared Limited War on me, and soon the Italians decided to join in on the fun. This has give me just under 600 IC, of which about 180 IC is being sent as Lend-Lead to the UK (with smaller portions to France and Australia). First time seeing Lend-Lease in Action, so will so how this effects the Allies. We've also decided to let France fall. My army is not ready for sustained fighting in Europe, and we'd rather wait for Germany to start fighting the Russians in '41/'42. I'd also like to attack (historically) Italy first and move up that way, as Joe (UK) is destroying them in Africa right now. I've also started my campaign against the hapless Japs. I've moved my fleets to Guam, along with a Tactical Bomber Wing and Naval Bomber Wing. The Tactical (2 Tacs, 2 Interceptors) are currently bombing the AA Installations of Saipan (Interceptors destroying the lone Jap Fighter there) while my BB Fleet and Marines are moving to the nearest Jap Islands to start their conquest there. The goal here is to hopefully knock Japan out of the war before invading Europe.
Sounds like a good plan. Just make sure that the Japanese don't get too far into Burma. Have they taken China over yet? Puppetized it? And I second the notion of defeating the Italians first in Europe. Have the Soviets declared war on anyone yet?
Soviets are still neutral. We could bring Finland into the Allies (though I doubt they would accept) but that would bring war vs Russia when the Winter War Triggers. Japan annexed Shanxi and released Menghuko but has since lost all of what used to be Southern Shanxi. They've been in that position for a while, so Nat. China will be victorious. Unless something happens that triggers Comm. China and Yuangxi entering the war, which could allow the Japanese to move around the 'road block' they currently are facing. If not, a war of attrition is in Chinese favor as Japan will run out of Man Power first. Especially now that I will be taking its Islands and invading Japan. I don't see Japan surviving the end of 1939 (its September '38 right now). EDIT: Just loaded up as Japan, and I can see why. They are out of money. They lack Manpower for the Chinese Theatre (icon tells me as much). Chinese stacks are about twice as big as Japanese stacks along the border. So yes, Japan is pretty much finished.
Wow. And with an invasion from the East of US Marines, Japan's not looking in a good situation. In almost every single game I play of HoI2 they end up annexing or puppetizing Nationalist China. Communist China always survives though.
Exactly. For whatever reason, when we play as the Allies, Japan always fails big time. Their navy is still dangerous to mine, but I am not worried at all about dealing with them in a timely fashion. They do have a ton of Garrisons, but the southern island in Japan (the one historically that the US was going to invade first) is empty, so I may well attack there first. We did start an Axis game - me as Germany, Joe as Japan - which went a-historical quite fast, but Joe took out Natl. China but did not DOW the Communists. Comm. China then joined the Commintern before he could DOW them which put an end to that plan quickly.
Major progress today. France struggled for survival but eventually collapsed when Belgium got steam rolled. I could have sent my half-built army there, but it probably would have struggled against the Germans/Italians/Hungarians/Slovakians Combined Forces. Instead, I focused on the Pacific and Island hopped with Marines. My 4-Carrier Fleet really ran into few problems with the Japanese fleet, which was spread out. One by one, their Islands fell. Land Based Naval Bombers sunk many Japanese Ships in Port, while combined UK/US Carrier Fleets caught the damaged ships out in the open. Eventually, we invaded Taiwan. 3 Marine Divisions were supported by a UK Gurkha Paradrop on the Island, reinforced by 3 US Mtn Divisions. The Island soon fell and Nagasaki on the Main Islands was picked next. It soon fell, and I reinforced with 4 Infantry Divisions. These forces were enough to march up to Tokyo (the Marines skipping ahead by landing in ports) and soon Japan surrendered and became a Puppet of the USA. This caused Mengucko to be 'Conquered' by the US (all the Japanese forces took it over) and turned them into a government in Exile (part of the Axis). Manchuria was then at war with the Allies as the now Allied-Japanese forces controlled large portions. A US Rangers Paradrop on a key province in Manchuria saw the only blood-less War and saw them become a Puppet of the United States. In the meantime, Yunnan joined the Axis but due to lack of infrastructure hasn't really done anything in regards to attacking. Fortress Europe saw Yugoslavia fold followed by Greece - who still holds out on Crete. It is approaching Late 1940 right now and we are now recovering Manpower, I am moving all of my forces from the Pacific to the Atlantic and East Coast, while deploying L.Arm, M.Arm, H.Arm, Motorized Units, and building up a Multi-role fighter force to combat Air Superiority. I am also sending almost 200 IC to the UK, Canada, Australia (and now Japan) in Lend-Lease Aid.
Keep up the good work! I'd like to know if Germany ends up launching Barbarrossa or not. Also, what about Italy? The situation in North Africa?
Joe mopped up the Italians in Africa quite easily. Barbarossa has been launched. More updates to come later. Some rather interesting developments.
Ok. WW2 is over. WW3 is being prepared. The Germans almost reached Moscow. I used North Africa as a launching pad for an invasion of Italy, taking all the little Islands first (Sardininia, Sicily, Rhodes, etc). I walked over the Straights of Messina and landed Marines in Taranto. Once those forces linked up, I began heading north, and landed my Marines (who would land against virtually every Axis Country that had a Coast Line) just North of Rome, and also some more on the East coast, using a reserve-Infantry Division to plug in the holes. So, between my line in Taranto and my line in Rome, I cut off somewhere in the 200K-300K range of troops, mostly Hungarian and Bulgarian and some Italian. Once they were wiped out, I move further north and ran into Supply issues as German troops arrived. The Germans were unable to push the advantage they had over me as the UK (backed my American Tanks) landed in Normandy and started marching around. I soon made Italy a Puppet and reorganized on the fly, becoming the first Allied Force to enter into Germany over the Austrian Alps (which slowed down my progress) while sending my Motorized and Armored forces into Occupied Yugoslavia. I also landed Marines in Greece and Bulgaria - liberating the former and puppeting the latter. I also liberated Yugoslavia. Romania then entered the war, only to see Germany defeated as UK forces marched into Berlin. Meanwhile, since Germany had annexed Norway back in the day, and since South America had been brought into the Alliance, and Brazil had a large army, so Brazil landed in Norway and had begun operations there. With Germany knocked out of the Axis, a miniature Poland has reformed along with Norway remaining as part of Germany. I've also managed to make a puppet of Hungary, so the Axis right now (mid 1942) consists of Finland, Slovakia, Yunnan, and Romania. Slovakia will soon become a puppet, followed by Romania (odds are against them). So - its been quite an interesting game so far! We're preparing to fight the Russians, so will now be mopping up the European Axis powers before getting ready for what should be an epic battle against Russia. I will probably have to install forces in Manchuria or at least defend my Japanese Puppet Territories once that happens.
