Part 17: Turn 33, Turn 34
Turn 33: September 16th, 1915
New gas that is useless with our artillery on the wrong side of the Channel.
Production
We have repairs and refitting to do, but new cruisers are in the stars for us. We are going to build enough to supply this invasion. Winter interrupting this might be a real issue and depending how the next two months go we may have to wait until spring of 1916 to try again.
Research
Bombers soon and artillery counter fire. Amazing upgrades for breaking a trench stalemate, not for jumping the Channel.
Diplomacy
Management
Keeping an eye on the production output percentages.
Eastern Front
AGN reacts to the cavalry leaving Brest-Litovsk. The two northern armies repair and hold their position while we pull most of the forces back to take Vilna and get ready to capture the fortress.
Get used to these ugly looking tendrils. We are sprinting across the steppes at full speed. Russia would be smart to throw garrisons in the way and then line up on rivers but with what they have already lost they are in a really bad way.
AGS starts to maneuver to secure the rich cities in the south. They face a powerful army but still outnumber the Russians handily.
This swinging action will cut the Russians off from fully supply and make securing the south easier.
Italian Front
Our morale isn't looking good in the Alps but we refit and still hold heavily defensive positions in supply. Munich is entrenching further and further in case Italy really tries to drive deeply.
Austria sends an army to reoccupy Trieste and we start attacking the Italians from the air and move up our artillery. Next turn we will have enough shells to launch an attack and try to break a hole in their line.
Ottoman Front
Another city will be more production for us and less for Russia. Just fighting in the city is destroying factories and hurting their ability to make war. Really hoping they will drop out right when 1916 hits.
Strong forces across the wire but so far Sea Lion is commanding the bulk of British attention. If we artillery we could make this interesting.
Operation Sea Lion
This is the best I can think of with this decimated army. If it lands then the British will immediately kill it. If it moves anywhere the battleships will have it. This here will either give up Scapa Flow or it will occupy the battleship and give us more time to maneuver and operate further south.
We repair our capital ships and form the cruisers up tight. It would take everything to kill their battleships and it would leave our men without supplies. This salient can't last but it will command the attention of the bulk of Britain's forces as long as it stands.
The weakened force in Southampton couldn't withstand an assault so unless they shift in something stronger, this will be ours. We also launch a landing further west. If it looks like easy pickings, we can shift a cruiser group to supply them. The more we dick with Britain and extend them, they more they spend and weaker they get. This isn't going well but we can delay and fuck with them as much as possible before a spring attack is launched.
We also commission a new cruiser squadron to augment our supply forces.
Allied Response
RIP men, you were sacrificed for something that may still not work at all.
Britain denies us an easy landing at Southampton and just about kills off our invading Line Corps.
Italy is being rather aggressive and Trento is starting to weaken. Austria takes one attack but should still be able to break through.
Russia makes a decent play which will cut off this army and kill its movement for a turn.
The cavalry try to break out but won't be in luck.
The Russian army knows it is about to be cut off and flees. This isn't smart because they will now have to fight at zero supply instead of half.
Turn 34: September 30th, 1915
Eastern Front
One regiment down, nothing much here.
Still working on Brest-Litovsk. The cavalry is separated and the armored train is about done. I am so happy Russia got desperate and tried to free the cavalry unit out of a fort.
Gomel is cut off again and we start attacking Bryansk and Kursk. It seems rail travel has already put these garrisons at a disadvantage.
3 cities bagged and an army cut off. Russia is falling apart at the seams, especially here in the south. A victory by 1916 will help both Austria and Germany turn their fury towards the west.
Italian Front
We decimate a corps and keep on slogging forward while shifting and repairing the Trento line. We have a lot of units to kill but air and artillery superiority is nice.
Ottoman Front
Another Russian town will be ready in one turn. Egypt is still quiet.
Sea Lion
The submarines may be able to take shots or delay their battleships. It may even make them think we will strike north again.
We finish repairing our battleships and prepare for our Line Corps to be destroyed. We land and get supplied at Plymouth. Bordering a town may deny it the rail line so this may finally be our supply line.
The cavalry group is ready to strike another city or to support if needed. We also embark more men from Brest.
Allied Response
Shrinking beachhead but it is taxing the British to repel us. If we get some luck and winter comes at the right moment...
Britain pours everything into defending Plymouth. All of this railing back and forth is starting to kill the morale of the British. We can get favorable odds on Plymouth but without support that will turn against us eventually.
Italy continues launching a full attack on Trento but begins to retreat from the Austrians. They have many full armies opposing the Germans but hopefully their morale won't hold up once they start losing their own territory.
Just showing Russian desperation. They retreat on almost all fronts except for one.
With two artillery batteries they bombard us in the north but three corps across a river are really in no position to attack.
Other than that, things are quiet.
Next time, Russia continues to collapse in on itself, Italy continues to feel the brunt of industrialized war, and we either have our first real success of Sea Lion or have to face the possibility of calling it off and postponing.