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WW1 Revisited – An Ash & Will AAR – Central Powers


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- Very interesting breakthrough at Vilna ! That gives you several strategic options and I'm curious to see which one you'll chose :) .

- The loss of Lemberg is bad but not that bad given Prussians progression in the north. Seems you'll finish Serbia just in time to face Italians.

- What I find alarming is CP NM already 10 points below UK-France for Prussia-Austria. The lack of french NM locations is hurting there.

- With minors locations not giving morale per turn it makes Serbia and Belgium NM "wastelands" but you'll get more russian points veeeery soon :D .

- Sad to see poor von Sanders already cancelling operations but maybe it's for the better to leave Brits bleed in the sand while attacking instead !

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- Very interesting breakthrough at Vilna ! That gives you several strategic options and I'm curious to see which one you'll chose :) .

- The loss of Lemberg is bad but not that bad given Prussians progression in the north. Seems you'll finish Serbia just in time to face Italians.

- What I find alarming is CP NM already 10 points below UK-France for Prussia-Austria. The lack of french NM locations is hurting there.

- With minors locations not giving morale per turn it makes Serbia and Belgium NM "wastelands" but you'll get more russian points veeeery soon :D .

- Sad to see poor von Sanders already cancelling operations but maybe it's for the better to leave Brits bleed in the sand while attacking instead !

Yeah, there are definetly a lot of options, unfortunately I just dont have the troops to take them! More corps are needed urgently. The NM is a huge concern, and one reason why the mistakes made so far hurts so abominably much ;).

Regarding Von Sanders, I was really hoping to be able to go on the offensive here. However, British corps at 6/5 upgraded to my 4/4 upgraded makes this extremely difficult, requiring (in my mind) at least a 3v1 numerical advantage corps to corps to attack. If the British hadnt scored that infantry weaponry it would have been a different story... oh well, no use crying over spilt milk :)

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Turn 14 – July 10th, 1915

The western Front

14WestFront.png

The western front continues to be quiet, likely the French are forced into inaction while their artillery slowly accumulates munitions. This is nevertheless a blessing, as reinforcements continue to swell the ranks of German forces and the trenches are dug deeper.

The German Eastern Front

14GermanEastFront.png

The Rus has sent two squadrons of cavalry for the Silesian mines and the empty area west of Radom, no doubt hoping to find exploitable holes in German defenses. Von Mackensen is quick to react, sending two corps to destroy one squadron and bringing in assistance from the Austrians to finish the few survivors. The path to the Silesian mines is now blocked. Meanwhile, Von Hutier oversees the initial stages of the assault on the Russian Fortress, savaging the demounted cavalry squadron inside and starting to dismantle their fortifications.

Careful redeployments by Hindenburg and the returning scouting cavalry reveals a significant amount of Russians building up in the area. OKH hopes that the bad terrain will prevent a direct assault on Hindenburgs headquarters, and that reinforcements will be raised from home in time.

Austria

14Austria.png

Russian attacks in strength around Lemberg bring an advancing Austrian corps to 40% strength and another to 70%. Both are pulled back and replaced by fresh corps that immediately start digging in. Von Straussenberg hopes that these fortifications will allow him to maintain a position of pressure against the fortress.

Meanwhile, answering emergency summons, Dankl boards a train for Italy, joined by two understrength corps and a detachment from Serbia. A german flugergruppe takes over the relatively light patrol duties in Belgrade.

Von Bohm-Ermolli is truly the man of the hour. Among all Austrian fronts, the Serbian front is the sole example of continual successes to lift the heart of the people. Another Serb detachment is destroyed in the advance, and the entrenchments of the second shelled as attacks from two corps bring it to 50% strength. The Bulgarians have some difficulty maneuvering through the mountains, but will lend their aid as soon as possible.

Italy

14Italy.png

Italian forces have gathered with worrying speed and are initiating a strong attack on Gorz. The Corps from Serbia debark trains around Klagenfurt, trusting the terrain to give them shelter until they can be brought to full strength. Dankl, evidently a man for smaller scale mobile warfare rather than the vast and impenetrable fronts of the east, orders the newly formed cavalry out of Bruneck replaced by the arriving detachment, and acting upon intelligence from forward scouts among the cavalry sends them to seize the railway junctions in the empty Padua. It is of yet unknown what effect, if any, this will have on the Italian army supply. Hopefully, it will serve as a distraction to allow Dankl to stabilize the situation around Gorz.

In the Adriatic the unmitigated destruction of the Austrian navy continues. An arriving german submarine along with its Austrian counterpart harries one French battleship, even as an Italian battleship sinks the Austrian “Budapest” at port.

Near East

14NearEast.png

Von Sanders continue to set his defenses, a move which has proved wise indeed as strikes from two withdrawing British corps bring two Ottoman to 40% with little losses on their part. An added worry is the advance of British forces from Basra in unknown strength.

General Staff

Ottomans invest another chit in trench warfare for 3 total, and Germany has finally managed start the reconstruction of all of the corps lost so far.

With all fronts being stretched to the breaking point, OKH has put a new directive into effect. Unless severe losses are suffered or extraordinary circumstances occur, one new corps must be created every two weeks at the least.

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Turn 5 – July 24th, 1915

The Kaiser is worried. Despite our diplomats working tirelessly in both Norway and Holland, the entente sees success in the diplomatic arena in Holland, and Portugal to boot.

The western Front

15WestFront.png

Continued silence on the Western front is proving a blessing indeed, freeing up production for use elsewhere. Shells from British and French ships off the coast shakes the walls of Von Klucks manor headquarters, and prompts a shift in locale that temporarily disrupts command.

Airship harassment of French mines prove ineffective.

The German Eastern Front

15EastFront.png

An entire army of Russians advance from Grodno, hunting our returning cavalry squadron but failing to destroy it. Reinforcements are still weeks away, and Hindenburg quickly redeploys his forces to face the advance. A detachment is brought from Bulgaria to garrison Tilsit, and German marines in memel receive more manpower.

Von Mackensen coordinates a large scale assault on the Russian fortress blocking the way to Warsaw, and the fortress is reduced to rubble under furious bombardments and fighting. One Russian corps is broken, and the scattered survivors swept out of the ruins.

In the Baltic, the Russian navy has once again deployed ships. Scouting Russian ports reveal nothing until a patrolling destroyer group finds a Rus submarine in the Nothern Baltic. Visible on the report is the kriegsmarine organizing a response.

Austria

15Austria.png

The Galician front is hell on earth. Massed Rus infantry waves destroy one of the advancing Austrian corps, and Austrian counter attacks destroy one corps and bring another to 30%. The carnage shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

The Serbs continue to slowly buckle. Coordinated attacks wipe out another detachment near Uskub, and the Bulgarians keep advancing into position. An Austrian corps take empety Pec on the western flank of the advance.

Italy

15Italy.png

In Italy, our heroic cavalry corps is annihilated as the entire Italian army turns back. While this loss is regrettable, it may buy the beleaguered Austrians vital time to set up defenses.

In the Adriatic, the Austrian navy sallies forth in a doomed hail mary, seeing the chance to sink a listing French battleship. Something to show the papers back home while omitting the tragic loss of Austrias naval might.

Near East

15NearEast.png

Von Sanders Remains passive, content with distributing more German weapons to the troops.

General Staff

Germany reinforces its’ diplomatic endeavors on both Holland and Norway. We cannot allow the entente to sway the Netherlands. OKH builds a corps apace, and continues to research modern industry.

AoK is, as has been the case all of the war, swamped with trying to cope with enormous losses, while the ottomans raise small detachments to garrison their vast lands.

German intelligence notes advances in encryprion routines... (int 1 teched)

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Turn 16 – August 7th, 1915

I recently wrote this to Will in a skype chat; It is always darkest before dawn.

What I didn’t write was, unless it isn’t. Someone does loose a war after all. But, defeatists will be shot, this glorious war will be ours!

The western Front

16WestFront.png

Western front continues to be inactive. Kluck rebuilds his command structure, and British naval attacks prove ineffective against our entrenched troops.

The German Eastern Front

16EastFront.png

In the East, Mackensen directs the reinforcement of his forces to near full strength. A scouting Russian cavalry squadron is destroyed, and Hindenburg deploy two recreated corps near Gumbinen as he shifts around, trying to find some way past the river and defenses at Kovno.

Unexpectedly, the Rus decided to send an entire army to hit our corps at Vilna instead of advancing on the thin lines near the Mansurian Lakes. Unfortunately, the opportunity created by this bold thrust has been wasted due to poor general planning on part of the OKH (I forgot which turns were the “slow” ones, and expected reinforcements to arrive from the pool two turns ago). The lives of these brave men are forfeit, and Germany mourns their passing.

Austria

16Austria.png

The situation in Austria grows ever more desperate. Von Straussenbergs zest has proven a grave mistake, as the Rus is endless as the grass fields. The swarthy barbarians spend lives with reckless abandon, and despite all losses continue to advance as our brave men are ground down. Forced to abandon any hope of a counter offensive, Straussenberg now hides like a coward in the mountain. We pray to god that Premyzl will hold.

Driven by the desperate tone of the AOK, Von Bohm pushes his advance recklessly. A corps is now exposed in among three Serbian ones, but is at least covered by artillery. A swathe of attacks by our advancing forces does little.

Italy

Not much to report here, we have taken up defensive positions and the Italians do not push their offensive, for now.

Near East

16NearEast.png

Ottoman high military council is stunned as the British land in Sedd al bahr mere hours before the defensive detachment slated to garrison it arrived. A mad scramble to stop the transport of the troops into certain enemy captivity results in them stranded in Adrianople. No troops can be spared to deal with this at present, unless other plans are shelved. We will see how this develops.

(A detachment that has made a long journey was slated to replace the Gallipoli detachment, as that one advanced down to defend Sedd al Bahr this turn. Rotten luck, but hat off to Will)

General Staff

OKH builds another corps, as does the Austrians who still cannot keep pace with their losses. The ottomans add their silver tongues to diplomatic efforts in Holland and Norway.

Perhaps there is some sliver of light at the horizon, as Germany reaches tactical insights through the study of the successful British this spring. Not only has some equipment been updated, the men sent to the front now receive additional training. With luck, this may yer pay dividends in the east, unless the Rus reach similar insights in time. (Infantry weapons 1, production technology 1)

Austrian Industry, taxed to the limit, is forced to rise to the occasion and becomes more effective than ever. (Industry tech 1)

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Turn 17 – August 21, 1915

Despite our best efforts, the Netherlands continue to swing towards the entente. As of yet, the grain trade has not ceased, but if relations deteriorate even further it surely will.

The western Front

17WestFront.png

Spotting some movement behind the lines Von Kluck grows apprehensive. The expected offensive against Belgium has not yet become a reality, what is the entente up to? As Kluck worries, Rupperecht has a rare insight. People who use those new fangled contraptions, flying machines, can actually see things you know, on the ground? Encouraged by this fact, aerial scouts are sent into France, with worrying results. Far from troop concentrations near well defended Belgium, a great concentration of troops and artillery has massed near Metz. Some measure of panic breaks out among the staff of OKH, and troops are hastily redeployed and priority for new training and equipment reassigned. We can only hope it will be enough.

The German Eastern Front

17EastFront.png

A Rus corps employed the low cunning and sneakiness of his race to snag undefended Krakow in a highly inopportune moment (this was a major facedesk moment to be sure, when I moved the detachment I did so without really thinking, and I immediately knew it was a mistake. I simply crossed my fingers and hoped will wouldn’t notice… alas, if wishes could build brides *grin*). Mackensen is livid, and Hutier tries to put the best face on the situation claiming that it could at least be a chance to destroy a Russian corps utterly.

Elsewhere along the lines new equipment and training is made available to every unit possible. The defense of Warsaw is looking decidedly thin… Hindenburg has found a weak spot in the Russian lines, a cavalry squadron exposed on the wrong side of the river. Hammering it into destruction will also expose the city itself.

In the Baltic, the previously spotted submarine turns out to also be a battleship, and both are sunk.

Austria

17Austria.png

In times of deep crisis, some men break, while other bend and rise to the occasion. Fortunately, it seems that Von Straussenburg might be of the latter persuasion, withstanding enormous pressure from the Emperor to immediately go on the offensive and turning it into a cautious attack. Another Russian corps is destroyed.

The Serbian front sees progress, with massed attacks supported by artillery destroys one of the few remaining Serbian corps and opens the road to and behind Uskub. The Bulgarians have finally maneuvered in behind their lines, hopefully ensuring the destruction of these duke murdering bastards.

Italy

17Italy.png

The Italians have a surprisingly big army, and all of it is bringing weight to bear on the Austrian posititions. There is little to be done here, as there are simply no troops to be spared. Some maneuvering tries to assure a continued defense, but it might not last. Troops are brought from Germany to hold Laibach, a desperate move.

Near East

17NearEast.png

With the British landed near Gallipoli, the British lines are looking thinner. Perhaps it is possible to go on the offensive here after all, once the men have gathered strength?

General Staff

The rapid modernization and strengthening of the German army in august of 1915 would later be called “a miracle of bureaucracy”, in truth, every shred of industrial effort available has been bent towards this task. No corps is created. However, when faced with superior enemy numbers and a thin defensive line men are motivated to think of ever bigger shovels! These are now the deep subconcious envy of all of Europe. (trench warfare lvl 3 for the germans).

Austria rebuilds another corps and bends more effort to diplomacy, as do the ottomans as they build another detachment.

Norway has finally begun to see the imperialists for that they are, and they lend their ears to our diplomats. (Norway 8% towards central powers).

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Very interesting turn of events with inf tech 1 for Germans ^^ .

- It will undoubtely buy you time in the West. It's always a hard decision when you have units engaged to stop and upgrade or keep the pressure with higher losses (don't forget Bulgarians need Reichmarks to buy new weapons and not austrian Krones :P ).

- Krakow: of course it was a brilliant maneuver to bait a russian corps into a death trap ! Who's saying it wasn't ? Ah... "men" from the rear yeah riiiight !

- Gallipoli: bad luck but at least you know where that marine unit is and the amphib operation cost some good MPPs to Brits. If they push further there you can railroad reinforcements quickly to that new trap in the making...

- Talking about traps, that UK HQ and artillery without protection near Suez seems fishy. A try to lure von Sanders forward maybe ? By the way what is going on in the Caucasus ?

- Absolutely heartbreaking butchery in Galicia. Austrians look ready to crumble not in the trenches but in the rear with a lack of everything safe foes to continue war...

Go Kaiser go !

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Turn 18 – August 1, 1915

Greece has joined forces with the Entente. More and more of the world turns against us, persuaded by imperialist gold and sweet lies…

The western Front

18WestFront.png

Additional air reconnaissance reveals the extent of the entente buildup. It is frightening. Two corps originally slated for the eastern front are rerouted hastily to deploy behind Metz, and distribution of arms continues.

The German Eastern Front

18EastFront.png

In the East, advancing Russians discover the efficacy of our new weapons as the vanguard is brought to destruction with few losses for the Germans. Knowing the extent of the Russian forces in the area, Hindenburg braces for impact rather than rushing ahead. Weapons continue to stockpile as Mackensen readies for a serious offensive against Warzaw. The corps in Krakow is further encircled.

Austria

18Austria.png

Among the AOK grey faced men ask themselves again and again if this night will ever end. A hard fought victory in Serbia is overshadowed by the cloud of gloom that hangs upon Galicia. Staggering losses on both the Italian and Galician fronts reach high command, and we can do nothing but scramble to defensing positions and pray for our lives. Meagre reinforcements trickle in, far from enough.

With Greece entering the war AOK considers the consequences of removing Vom Bohm-Ermolli from the area, as the Bulgarians pause to wait for reinforcements and German cast-off arms. Though one corps and a detachment is destroyed in the fall of the Serbs, a Serbian corps and two HQ escape into Albania in the nick of time.

Cetinje comes under attack as Austrian forces move west, the enemy must be completely annihilated here so that our attention can turn fully to other matters.

A small grace is the war indemnities and recompense taken from the Serbs, this might allow the Austrians to invest in desperately needed troops and advancements.

Italy

18italy.png

The weight of six Italian corps prove too much for the Austrians defending Gorz, as they are utterly broken and taken into Italian captivity. Dankl can do nothing but watch the carnage from afar and try to hold on.

Near East

18NearEast.png

Von Sanders proved hesitant to strike, sensing a British trap and assessing the impossible terrain near El Kossaima. Only a single corps could reach the artillery in either case. This proved wise as no less than four British corps attacked the ottoman Vanguard under the weight of a terrible artillery bombardment. The defenders were reduced to 40%, and quickly switched out for fresher defenders.

General Staff

OKH continues building corps and reorganizing its forces. The Austrians do the same, and ottomans sponsor rebellion and develop deeper trenches in the face of those horrid artillery bombardments (trench warfare 2).

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Very interesting turn of events with inf tech 1 for Germans ^^ .

- It will undoubtely buy you time in the West. It's always a hard decision when you have units engaged to stop and upgrade or keep the pressure with higher losses (don't forget Bulgarians need Reichmarks to buy new weapons and not austrian Krones :P ).

- Krakow: of course it was a brilliant maneuver to bait a russian corps into a death trap ! Who's saying it wasn't ? Ah... "men" from the rear yeah riiiight !

- Gallipoli: bad luck but at least you know where that marine unit is and the amphib operation cost some good MPPs to Brits. If they push further there you can railroad reinforcements quickly to that new trap in the making...

- Talking about traps, that UK HQ and artillery without protection near Suez seems fishy. A try to lure von Sanders forward maybe ? By the way what is going on in the Caucasus ?

- Absolutely heartbreaking butchery in Galicia. Austrians look ready to crumble not in the trenches but in the rear with a lack of everything safe foes to continue war...

Go Kaiser go !

Thank you for the encouragement! I've made a lot of silly blunders this game, and I'm paying for them! Will is doing well punishing me, though he might have been a bit overcautious in the west, which is my slim ray of hope. ;)

Much depends on the eastern front. I really need some successes here. At least Serbia is now down, though it looks like the balkan campaign is far from over.

Some more thoughts: I tend to judge situations and developments pessimistically and try to react to realities in the game as they come up. I also try to narrate the events from the perspective of the participants, which by now must be fairly dark :P. Things may not be all that bleak, as this particular strategy is a "long game" with a big payoff possible in 1916/17. For now though, a lot is just hanging on by the fingernails until I can get that critical edge. :)

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Turn 19 – September 18, 1915

All the world save Von Mackensen seem to take a deep breath, and hold it.

The western Front

19Westfront.png

OKH is paranoid (they would say “concerned” themselves) about another Western Entente feint and now fly continuous scouting missions. Enemy forces have not moved, but at least we now know why they have been waiting. News of improved French weapons spread worry like plague among the German lines.

The German Eastern Front

19EastFront.png

Mackensen sounds the horn of war. The two armies of the mid-eastern front coordinate a grand assault to the beating of the guns of September. Resistance within the city is crushed, and the momentum of the assault is such that even the Russian commander of the front, Evert, is engulfed in the fighting.

The Russians that have now been dubbed the “prisoners of Krakow” in German newspapers slowly transition from a publicity to fact.

Intricate maneuvering allows the entirety of Hindenburgs forces to receive the latest armaments.

Austria

19Austria.png

Men move by train from Serbia to the beleaguered Galician front, and reinforcements grace Bohm-Ermollis’ exhausted forces. Austrians dig in around the mountains, the final line before the heartland of the ancient Habsburg empire.

German command assesses the situation on the other front for redeployment of the artillery here. It will be either the west under Von Kluck to answer the Western Ententes guns, or in the east under Hindenburg to affect breakthrough.

Italy and the Near East

Nothing of note on these fronts.

General Staff

AOK is nearly caught up with its enormous losses, and invest in diplomacy towards the Netherlands. Germany creates more corps of its own, and continue to modernize, as the ottomans raises another detachment.

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Turn 20 – October, 1915

Sorry guys, this was a really intense turn and I completely forgot to take pictures! You’ll have to be content with a brief narration, lots of important things happened.

The western Front

This was still quiet, recon flights reveal enemy forces spreading out across the lines, Luxemburg might now be the target. We must marshal defenses here. Events on the east front made placement of the German artillery in the west the better option for now.

The German Eastern Front

The Rus breaks and runs from Warsaw, and sensing a rare opportunity Mackensen commits to an all out offensive to chase them down! One Russian corps is destroyed, one brought to 10%, and Evert harried down to 30% strength. The Russian line is in disarray, and it will be interesting to see what measures they take. Russian forces around Radom and Ivanogorod are in danger of being encircled. Forces are redeployed from Hindenburgs command to sustain this offensive if possible, leaving his position thin and a purely defensive one for now. Dark news is that the Rus is now using looted German weapons (blergh, that window was small, a really unlucky turn of events considering that I invested in inf research in august 1914 and the rus still hadn’t by January 1915.).

Austria

The Russians try to hammer the newly arrived corps behind premyzl, but though this is brought to 40% strength, it is swapped and re-strengthened, and new fortifications dug. The line seems to be holding for now. In Serbia the Bulgarians re-equip, and Austrian corps advance on and surround Citinje.

Italy

Italians continue to attack the exposed corps dug in on the mountainside, and this is relieved by a detachment. Newly rebuilt forces are deployed here to secure the line further.

Near East

The English are full of greedy cunning and low backstabbery. They landed a detachment in Tripoli, and it now seems we must garrison every nook and cranny of our empire. Significant efforts were required to protect the surroundings and begin pressuring that detachment.

General Staff

Detachments were the word of the day, as both Germany and Austria built them. Significant advances were made, Industry and shell production for the germans and more trenches for the Austrians.

The Norweigans have started to trade with us again! Huzzah! They were persuaded to honor our trade agreements! With this Germany now collects some 600mpp per turn.

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Turn 21 – November 6th, 1915

Though the Sinussi rebellion is successful, no funds can be spared to aid them. Norway finally finds voice to weakly complain about entente raids on her merchantmen and Joe hill is executed in America. Socialists gather in unlikely places, a plague upon the world!

The western Front

21WestFront.png

Still nothing. The western Entente sits pretty, why? Their buildup seems complete and their forces ready. Perhaps they have decided not to attack after all, or wait for bad weather to cover their advance?

Eastern Front

21EasternFront.png

This was the scene of unprecedented slaughter in the chill damp of November. As the Russians try to find their footing in an ungraceful backwards stumble, Mackensen “Der Wolf” as he is now called, pursues with relentless fury. As Austrian recon flights reveal Radom empty and easily occupied, the defenders of Ivanogorod are simply bypassed. Two full corps are crushed near Brest-Litovsk, Evertsen hunted down, and the ragged survivors of previous clashed brought low by raiding Austrian cavalry (the 10% corps was discovered in Lublin). More troops are brought by train to sustain pressure and secure the new front lines.

Von Straussenburg, coordinating with the German offensive by telegraph, launches a grand attack of his own. Two weak and under-equipped Russian corps are wiped out on the front. For the first time since the start of this war the Russian lines are looking thin.

Balkans

21Balkans.png

AOK successes on the Galician front are a lonely beacon. Ill news come from Bohm-Ermolli, Well equipped Belgians have arrived on the shores of Albania. Pressure is continual on Citinje, and AoK now contemplates future strategy here.

Italy

21Italy.png

From bad to worse, the Italian army seems an unlikely juggernaut. No less than eight corps, two full armies, swarm into the mountains. And worst of all… they are far better equipped than their Austrian counterparts. Dankl tries desperately to form coherent lines and dig defenses.

Near East

21NearEast.png

The ottomans continue to be plagued by British in Tripoli that are proving hard to root out. To make matters worse Von Sanders report the wholesale loss of a corps on the peninsula line.

A long planned and prepared operation is launched in the Caucasus, as a full army swarms towards Kars. The Russian defenders are well entrenched, but the siege is now in effect. This should help spread the Rus ever thinner…

General Staff

Austrians catch up with losses at last and continues to build detachments. OKH declines the creation of another corps in favor of significant investments in research, and the ottomans create more garrisons as well.

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- Black day for the russian army, what a massacre... Maybe giving some ground to buy time and upgrade would have been better with winter coming but you can celebrate :) .

- Pressure in Italy is dangerous but still manageable as long as it's quiet in the West. Austria can hope to gain back NM locations in the East soon to stop the bleeding.

- Looks very tempting to finish Russia quickly with that push in the Caucasus and their NM already nearing 50 but it's still menacing in the West (and in the Med with all those british raiding parties).

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Turn 22 – December 4th, 1915

@Strategiclayabout: That may very well have been the break I was looking for! Running all out is rarely a good idea in the WW1 scenario I have found, unless there is a dug in line to fall back to. The west does look like a nightmare about to happen, the reinforcements coming soon must be deployed there. ^^

The US object at the imperialist chokehold on our trade. Perhaps the British will listen?

The western Front

22WestFront.png

And, nothing. OKH is confused but grateful, as this allows more troops to be moved to the East Front. The west is slated for significant reinforcement in spring as the corps so painfully recruited during 1915 arrive.

Eastern Front

22EastFront.png

“Der Wolf” does not rest. No doubt the Rus thought himself secure within the sturdy walls of their fortress, Liege should have taught them otherwise. As the walls crumble and the defenders are crushed, another corps busy digging in look up out of their foxholes and realize that they are now trapped behind German lines. Von Mackensen Realizes that he must now rest, and that the Rus is likely better prepared ahead. Further offensives are called off until further notice, allowing the troops rest and opportunity to take care of the corps remaining behind our lines.

Von Straussenburg rejoices, the Rus has broken the siege of premyzl, and is falling Back across the front. Much needed rest is had and the first Christmas since 1913 is celebrated by many on this front. Reinforcements arrive to bring the defenders to full strength.

Balkans

22Balkans.png

The newly arrived Belgians immediately destroy one Austrian corps, a rude shock in combat capability. The Bulgarians advance hard on Tirana as the previously seen Serbian Corps was seen near Scutari, and with any luck it will now be cut off in low supply.

Italy

22Italy.png

Never a silver lining without a black cloud, the Italians break another Austrian corps. AoK redeploys significant reinforcements to the theatre, hoping that bad weather and defensible terrain will allow the defenders to dig in.

Near East

22NearEast.png

The Rus breaks and runs in the face of ottoman numbers, nothing else is expected of their cowardly race. Ít did them little good, as they now face the unenviable decision of digging in, receive reinforcements, or keep running.

General Staff

Germany keeps building detachment and corps, the Austrians again work towards replacing losses, and the ottomans create more garrisons.

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Turn 23 – January 1st, 1916

An uprising is taking place in the Ottoman empire. No doubt this is the machinations of the vile British, as our loyal subjects would otherwise be perfectly content. Promising several factions the same land definitely will not have consequences in the future…

The Romanians are debating entering the War, we hope that this is not the case, as another front could very well break out already overstretched lines.

Finally, panic spreads among the high and mighty of the German empire. The Entente still manages to persuade our Dutch colleagues to take their side against us. Fortunately, they seem to be precisely on the fence.

The western Front

23WesternFront.png

The long awaited move from the western entente finally took place. The French took the van, and the brunt of the initial counter attack. Due to the awful December weather the damage was limited. One corps destroyed and another brought to half strength. No doubt the enemy will now replace these losses and dig in along the front. Reinforcements are necessary.

Distributing arms along a thin front line is akin to a jigsaw puzzle, it has to be done in stages, and it’s a bit of a struggle to shuffle the pieces around. Fortunately, this shuffling is slightly safer in the awful weather. Nonetheless, all corps but one along the front is now equipped with the new weapons.

Eastern Front

23EastFront.png

Von Mackensens headquarters came under attack from desperate and starving Russians trying to make their way to the supply depots. Unfortunately, they barely reached the outer pickets before the German army fell upon them, and they have now been severely reduced in strength. It is likely that they will succumb in the coming month. The raiding cavalry has made its’ way deep into German territory, but completely lacks supplies and has lost 80% of its’ men due to harrying attacks from one corps and two detachments. The Austrians in Galicia continue to gather strength.

Balkans

23Balkans.png

Bulgarians Assault Tirana, causing 30% losses on the Belgian corps stationed there. Meanwhile, the remains of the Serb army escaped into scutari, and the defenders of Cetinje is brought ever closer to destruction.

Italy

23Italy.png

As the Italians continue to attack an Austrian corps is driven from the line in the mountains. This cowardly retreat has denied us the option of digging in here. Still, the line is slowly stabilizing.

Near East

23NearEast.png

The British in Tripoli have finally been destroyed. These poor men were left there to die by their cruel overlords. Forces are redeployed, and the many garrisons created by the ottomans put to use in securing vital cities along the lifeline of the region, the railroad. Bulgarians have arrived to garrison Jerusalem.

In the Caucaus the Russians are now completely surrounded. Although attacks caused little damage, they are cut off and demoralized. It is likely that they will be destroyed soon. Unfortunately, the Russian winter hits our forces hard, and will require some measures.

General Staff

Every scrap of diplomatic strength went into persuading the dutch to maintain their ties with us. Even though this was a costly endeavor for all of the Central Powers, we expect that the investment will repay itself over the course of a few months. It is also vital that the grain trade does not falter, as this would likely be a mortal blow to German morale in the long run. (Every single diplomatic chit from all countries now invested in Holland, at a cost of some 250mpp this turn).

Germany invests in development of production methods (one chit) and especially in that of Gas and shells for artillery (one chit). Austria reconstitutes a corps, as does the ottomans.

We are fortunate, the Dutch listen to reason and do turn our way once more (10% towards central powers). However, production materiel has yet to begin flowing across the border again.

(Some enlightenment here. Holland went to exactly 0% this turn. I didn’t see a message for morale loss due to lost grain trade, nor did I receive the 65mpp after the diplomatic hit at the end of this turn, moving them back to 10% CP, how is this calculated?)

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(Some enlightenment here. Holland went to exactly 0% this turn. I didn’t see a message for morale loss due to lost grain trade, nor did I receive the 65mpp after the diplomatic hit at the end of this turn, moving them back to 10% CP, how is this calculated?)

Hi

The morale loss will only kick in if the Dutch swing to 1% or more in favour of the Entente, whereas 0% is exactly neutral.

The calculations for the MPPs are worked out before the diplomatic hits, so the result of the diplomacy will take effect next turn.

PS Keep up the great AAR! :)

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End of the year 1915 Summary

Once again that time of the year comes around. Before New Years the movers of the war among the Central Powers gather. As Gallipoli is fallen, the gathering takes place in Belgrade among the finest of the restored Mansions. Notably absent is the festive mood and back slapping of yesteryear, the purely socialite class does not grace these halls, only functionaries, diplomats and serious minded military men.

Some things have gone to plan, others certainly have not. We now realize the Hubris of trying to “break the back of the Rus” in 1915, this war will not be over in years yet. However, the breakthrough at Warsaw was a direct result of our focus on the Eastern theatre. It seems that the tactic of stretching the Rus as thin as possible might be working.

The Russian navy is proving impossible to destroy at port. All of the ships cordoned off inside these have withstood countless attacks with few losses. A very notable difference to the ease with which the Entente sank the Austrian navy under the same circumstances. We might well simply keep it penned in, and destroy the ships with ground forces as we reach their ports by land.

Though Bulgaria did join us, and Serbia surrendered, the Serbs fight on supported by an unlikely appearance of Belgians. We will probably not be able to disentangle ourselves from this front in some time.

With hindsight, I doubt my decision to refuse Italy those cities. In my memory, and knowledge of the war, the Italians were hopelessly inept and without the numbers to do serious damage. Instead, these Italians sport two full armies (8 corps) attacking with better stats than the Austrians. What a headache…

The ottoman front sees issues as well, as the British continue to nip at our weak points. I remember the last game where I could comfortably push the Brit off the peninsula and then not worry too much, obviously Will has learned a thing or two!

I am immensely relieved that the West has been so quiet, unfortunately this is probably over now and 1916 will be much, much worse. On the flip side, the fact that the Western Entente has been left entirely to their own devices is probably the reason why they have been able to get up to so much mischief around the Mediterranean.

The war of Economics

Collected income / Spent on units / Lost in units / spent on research / Spent on diplomacy

Germany: 9824 / 5244 / 10937 / 1675 / 500

Austria: 4415 / 3482 / 9784 / 325 / 300

Ottomans: 2505 / 873 / 1306 / 325 / 200

Russia: 6913 / 4280 / 17031 / 675 / 150

France: 6220 / 2263 / 4072 / 1550 / 500

Britain: 4929 / 1339 / 2307 / 875 / 100

Italy: 1592 / 493 / 1507 / 450 / 100

Central Powers total: 16744 / 9599 / 22027 / 2325 / 1000

Entente Total: 19654 / 8375 / 24917 / 3550 / 850

So, what about these numbers?

The Economic gap, first, was 1000mpp after 8 turns of income. Now, after 15 more turns, the gap has grown to 3000. This means that despite our best effort, the difference in income has remained more or less constant. The CP have spent more on units combined than the entente, something that might translate into an advantage on the ground down the line. The entente have also lost more units, despite the wholesale sinking of the Austrian fleet. Unfortunately, our ambition to remain ahead in the technology race has been put somewhat to shame as the entente significantly outstrips our investments, the sole grace being that Germany is still ever so slightly ahead of the French. And yes, I might have gone a bit overboard with the diplomacy.

The war of men

1915EndYear-Units.png

27 German units, fewer than at the end of 1914, on the western front face at least 34 French and ten or so British. Outnumbered nearly by 30% or so, we must hold regardless. With no technological advantage to speak of, only our deep trenches might save us. It must be enough. There are four more corps in the production Que, these will likely need to be deployed here.

Fairly encouraging is the fact that the German army as a whole has grown considerably, by 15 land units no less.

1915EndYear-Losses.png

The Austrians have suffered horrendous losses. Nearly as many as the Germans, and with a sliver of their production capacity. Despite this, the Russians have lost 50% more pure ground units than the two combined. This translates into 37 CP ground units on the eastern front alone, facing a total of 37 Russian ground units, with only 34 of them actually in Russia. A significant numerical disadvantage in 1914 has been turned into a numerical advantage, and a great opportunity for 1916 if we can keep all the units active here and not be forced to redeploy them to the western front. Even if the Rus builds a lot of units during the winter our advantage will remain, as the ottoman army in the Caucasus has not been counted into this advantage. The Italians are numerous and strong, facing a bare bone army of Austrians and the Balkans are as yet uncertain.

War Plans

The west front must remain a passive theatre for now. Any way we can discourage attacks here is welcome, though I fear the Western Entente will not relent. If possible, I will try to deploy more artillery here to aid in the defense, and hold… hold as long as the men can bear it.

The same is true of the Italian front, there can be no offensive here as long as the Rus remain in the east. We will dig deep, and try to hold the line. With any luck, the Austrians will actually manage to develop their tactics and weapons sometime next year, despite having been at it since early this year.

The Balkans. What a quagmire. Two Belgian corps and one Serbian corps remain to oppose the Central powers, and an unknown number of Greeks. We outnumber them 2 to 1, and only artillery is really missing to end the fighting here. None can be spared…

In the Near East, the ottoman position is extremely precarious. Four upgraded British corps and artillery stand against four ottoman corps on the peninsula. It is inevitable that they will be pushed back, but I will make it as slow as I know how. Meanwhile a multi national corps of volunteers has been recruited and split into four detachments, promised leisure and amazing vistas in coastal Palestine. Two german detachments and one Austrian will soon be sent after their Bulgarian brethren to garrison the important cities along the coast. We must put a stop to the British raids, and soon. As we work to stall the Brit, two corps will move and attempt to deal with the Rebellion. It is a daunting task. The Caucasus strike army will keep pushing as much as possible, stretching the Russians thin and nibbling at their resources and national morale.

Russia then. The final frontier. This is where it must all happen, and the war won or lost. I am uncertain as to what happens with the different options regarding the fall of the Rus.

Activating Lenin and letting Russia fall to revolution. Does this change what sort of land gains Germany makes once it falls? What are the different outcomes? Can I still get the Ukranian grain in either case? If I wait until Russia is just about to fall, and then declare war on a possibly neutral Romania, will that result in the treaty event with them in any case?

Depending on what happens, I might try to either end Russia as quickly as possible (lenin and treaty of Brest litovsk) or destroy the army and kill it slowly to get the NM. Another question, do I still get NM every turn for cities in conquered Russia, or only while they are still in the war?

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Hi

The morale loss will only kick in if the Dutch swing to 1% or more in favour of the Entente, whereas 0% is exactly neutral.

The calculations for the MPPs are worked out before the diplomatic hits, so the result of the diplomacy will take effect next turn.

PS Keep up the great AAR! :)

Thank you for the information Bill! Lots of questions in this campaign.

Will do! No surrender! :D

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Russia:

- Unless it changed with the last patch, when you make "peace" with Russia you lose the benefit of all NM/MPPs locations you conquered. Since all those locations will either be on your territory or inside neutral borders.

- To make up for it you get reparations MPPs and the ukrainian grain event thing plus you can transfer most troops to the West. So it's truly a matter of NM managing vs troop boost.

- Not sure about Romania since I never met that situation.

*

- EN made a wise move keeping the Balkans active, not letting Austrians rest on any front. It managed to keep pounding CP one aside at a time and when Russia is exhausted, it's the West burning with the fall of Metz while the Turks lose Baghdad...

- Consecutive NM hits are a bad deal already with a more than 20 points difference (safe for Russia). I can already hear prussian generals screaming bloody murder about some kind of civilian backstabbing that lost the war in the rear :D .

- Diplomacy investments may save the Kaiser's skin if Holland and Norway keep trading with him. EN is a bit too close to mines in the West for my taste and losing them could cripple german war effort badly.

- Superhuman Italians got lucky with infantry tech 1 so quickly. One strategy against them is to mass troops at the border before their war entry and punish them before they can even try anything. Where to find those troops is the problem :P ...

*

- Now we can clearly see the effect from the lack of western mines and NM locations:

2 mines + Lille + Brussels = 24+24+8+8 = 64MPPs (plus 10 MPPs from Ypres as a capital).

France lose 30+10 = 40 MPPs (mine+city Lille) but gains two mines in the south (increased arms production) for 60 MPPs. So it's +20 against +74 quite a good deal for Germans.

NM side we have Lille + mine at 15+25 = 40 NM plus usually 3 towns (12 each), maybe more so at least 76 NM more per turn for the Reich AND 76 NM less per turn for France. It's worth 2 detachments destroyed in low supply each turn !

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Russia:

- Unless it changed with the last patch, when you make "peace" with Russia you lose the benefit of all NM/MPPs locations you conquered. Since all those locations will either be on your territory or inside neutral borders.

- To make up for it you get reparations MPPs and the ukrainian grain event thing plus you can transfer most troops to the West. So it's truly a matter of NM managing vs troop boost.

- Not sure about Romania since I never met that situation.

*

- EN made a wise move keeping the Balkans active, not letting Austrians rest on any front. It managed to keep pounding CP one aside at a time and when Russia is exhausted, it's the West burning with the fall of Metz while the Turks lose Baghdad...

- Consecutive NM hits are a bad deal already with a more than 20 points difference (safe for Russia). I can already hear prussian generals screaming bloody murder about some kind of civilian backstabbing that lost the war in the rear :D .

- Diplomacy investments may save the Kaiser's skin if Holland and Norway keep trading with him. EN is a bit too close to mines in the West for my taste and losing them could cripple german war effort badly.

- Superhuman Italians got lucky with infantry tech 1 so quickly. One strategy against them is to mass troops at the border before their war entry and punish them before they can even try anything. Where to find those troops is the problem :P ...

*

- Now we can clearly see the effect from the lack of western mines and NM locations:

2 mines + Lille + Brussels = 24+24+8+8 = 64MPPs (plus 10 MPPs from Ypres as a capital).

France lose 30+10 = 40 MPPs (mine+city Lille) but gains two mines in the south (increased arms production) for 60 MPPs. So it's +20 against +74 quite a good deal for Germans.

NM side we have Lille + mine at 15+25 = 40 NM plus usually 3 towns (12 each), maybe more so at least 76 NM more per turn for the Reich AND 76 NM less per turn for France. It's worth 2 detachments destroyed in low supply each turn !

Holy crap, I havent played that turn yet so now I know what will meant when he said I should take something calming and be sitting down before I watch it :P. Thanks for the input.

The situation may be grim, but it aint over til its over!

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Turn 24 – February 26th, 1916

24DireEvents.png

Wow. That was certainly quite awful! Will had said so, and strategiclayabout unwittingly spoiled the events somewhat, but it still didn’t quite prepare me for the shock of seeing it all at once. Three heavy blows. We’ll forego the normal format somewhat to get into some hard decision making this turn.

Now, before you take a really good look at this next picture, I urge you to put on this music (I was listening to it when I started the turn, to add a little flair to the proceedings).

Imagine this carnage. On all fronts, the Central powers Reeling. Artillery barrages that shake the earth like gods fist pounding the earth so hard that it turns to dust and create a thick fog of dirt for miles. Men screaming and dying, not even able to hear each other or the advancing enemy as their eardrums burst. A hundred thousand men dead. For a mile of land noone really cares about.

24Horrors.png

Newly arrived Austrians taking quarter in Trieste, hit by the fury of six Italian corps they’ve learned should be timid and useless. Newspapers lie.

In the vast Near Eastern deserts, men so crazed by boredom and heat after a year of sitting in Baghdad that they strike out for any enemy they can see, and find themselves cut off in the desert, starving and wandering.

It is certainly a grim moment for me in this game, but probably a deserved one. I should very much like to fire myself as supreme commander, but I doubt anyone would want to replace me in the midst of this mess. “Hello? Um, would you like to take command? Yeah, this.. giant hole I’ve dug and am standing in, naaah pay it no mind!”

I must have had a momentary brain bleed when I moved that corps out of Bahdad. I was sooo sure they had 0 supply and couldn’t move, but forgot all about the 1 measly supply they would get, and thereby action points.

The Austrians have officially been dubbed the most useless nation in Europe. Their bumbling and inept fumbling makes any gain impossible. They cant even destroy a single detachment in Cetinje for heavens sake! I am really disturbed by their appalling inability to research infantry weaponry.

Nevertheless, on to the more important question.

Where to go from here

24WestFront.png

Lets start in the west. Apparently, really bad weather and fortifications weren’t enough to stop a serious advance this turn. The western entente sport three (!!!) artillery pieces on the front, to our one. Lesson learned: Do not shift corps around on the entrenchments, bad weather or not. That was a really bad call. Nevertheless, significant reinforcements deployed from the pool this turn, and hopefully this should allow us to hold or at least only be forced back very slowly over the summer. I’ll keep building corps, and try to get another artillery piece in. Hopefully the entente doesn’t have more than Gas/shell production 1, or this will be… slaughter.

24BalkansandItaly.png

The Austrians being the incredibly useless bastards they are this front is conceded. We’ll pull the Austrians out completely, and try to garrison narrow passes with Bulgarians. In theory, the Entente should have just as hard a time pushing through the narrow corridors and rough terrain as I do. The Austrian forces will be divided between the Galician and Italian fronts. Von Bohm has already arrived, and more forces deployed. One more corps will follow to Italy, two and Piotrek go to Galicia.

This ties in with the Eastern Front, unfortunately no picture. We destroyed the two trapped Russian corps this turn, and kept rebuilding. German forces will focus mainly to the direct east, linking up with Hindenburg. If the Austrians ever manage to get their shovel-shafts out of their asses, a coordinated assault with four German corps and the Galician front could achieve something in the south. This means that we likely wont knock Russia out of the war in 1916, but hopefully we should still be able to make good gains.

24NearEast.png

Our sole piece of encouraging news comes from the Ottomans. Kars fell, and all important cities are garrisoned. Unfortunately, the loss of Baghdad and the entire area south of it is a serious blow. We are moving two detachments to race the cavalry and try to hold the oil fields and the critical supply depot in the north, and will be moving three corps and a HQ here to take back what we have lost. Unfortunately, the Near East is a front we cannot ignore. The Brits have shown that they can break the defensive line at will. If the ottomans fall, the Austrians will surely follow. And then it is over. To this end, three german corps will be moved to the Peninsula by train while an army (four corps) clean up the Baghdad/Basra mess. With that done, perhaps we will be able to turn them west to deal with the rebellion, and then on to the Brits themselves.

Now enough lollygagging, on, to glory and death!

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Turn 25 – April 8, 1916

The western Front

25WestFront.png

At the western front something really odd happened this turn. Apparently my armored train decided to… run over invading Frenchmen? (Can someone shed some light on this? What happened? I was doing a bombardment and holding down shift (that’s how you target the units and not the tiles right?) and suddenly it drove over the French corps)

Elsewhere, units are upgraded, entrenched and shifted.

Eastern Front

25EastFront.png

Units are moved to the Near East by train, others dug in or strengthened. The first of the Serbian corps arrive at the Galician front.

Italy and the Balkans

25ItalyandBalkans.png

In the Balkans our tactical retreat continues. Bulgarians take up positions in the passes, and Austrians make ready to move by train to Galicia.

Near East

25NearEast.png

Germans arrive at the front. A corps brought near destruction is moved far to the back. The units around Kars move into position to be reinforced, and one corps moves forward and strikes newly arrived Russians.

General Staff

Some interesting developments this turn. For once I seem to have gotten some hits off the 100% progression. Ottomans gain Trenches at 100%, Germans trenches lvl 4 in a breakthrough and Gas shell production 2 to boot! The germans start building another artillery piece.

(@ vonlettovvorbeek: Yeah, I’ve had chits in these for some time. I’m getting really, really unlucky with my research though. As far as I can see, the progression each turns seems to be consistently in the low end of the variable amount).

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Turn 26 – May 6th, 1916

The western Front

26WesternFront.png

The entente juggernaut continues undaunted. The pressure of artillery bombardments and seemingly endless reserves of men is immense and the Germans can do nothing but watch as the front crumbles step by step. OKH deliberates calling forces from the eastern front, but such a move would only ensure our eventual exhaustion and surrender. The west must hold. The tally of the dead include the wreckage of the foolhardy “lange max” armored train, and two corps. Another is badly mauled and forced to retreat off the coast of Belgium.

The German Eastern Front

26EasternFront.png

Hindenburg sends scouts ahead of the main offensive to locate any obstacles, and instead finds a tantalizing lack of enemies and an exposed HQ at Grodno. Coordinating with Von Hutier by telegraph, Hindenburg leaps into action and seizes this possible opportunity. This is no time for caution in the East, as the numberless Rus swells his ranks every week. Four armies now move towards Minsk, Vilna and Kovno. Bialystok is bypassed and surrounded and the staff of Yudenich is found at Grodno where an assault begins. Will “The butcher of Galicia” pay for his heinous deeds against the Austrians?

Austria, Italy and the Balkans

Nothing new under the sun. The Austrians sit still and attempt to find their gumption, the Italians destroy yet another corps on the front, and the retreat out of Albania and Montenegro continues.

Near East

26NearEast.png

As the British maneuver for an opening in the peninsula and the Germans there construct defensive works, the ottomans attempt to push their advantage against the Russians at Amamli. The Iraq army is gathered, and will soon begin the long march.

General Staff

Further investments in artillery by the germans (I’m now seriously overcommitted, but the darned thing refuses to proc) and reconstitution of two lost corps. The Austrians focus on Gas/shell production, and likewise rebuilds a corps. Ottomans do the very same.

A touch of good news, as Austrian military finally manages to grasp new tactics (at a hard fought 100%). Perhaps they will now manage to fight the enemy without jumping jacks in front of their firing lines…

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