AshesFall

@Altaris; Thanks! Hoping for surrender soon then... Turn 49 – October 6th, 1917 Entente diplomatic efforts are starting to take a toll, as they have now swayed Sweden to stop important trade with us. That is ill news… The western Front Hindenburg continues to stabilize his lines as autumn draws towards winter. The British have advanced, but declined to attack. Their blow will fall soon. Reinforcements continue to arrive, and as production of ammunition temporarily outstrips demand, random shelling onto the British is ordered to decent effect. Austria Not a single Romanian unit remains, all of Romania is occupied save the capital, which is surrounded by our forces. Surely they must sue for peace? Italy Italians learn that the Germans are not to be trifled with. One forward corps near Salzburg is destroyed under shelling, and a second advancing onto Munich is hit for grievous losses. As the Galician army swells on the Italian eastern border, the first arrivals coordinate an attack on forward Italians, and break them. Von Krobatin himself has now arrived, shortly to be followed by Straussenburg. The central powers welcome Italy to the real war. Near East As random shelling strikes an already weakened British corps to unexpected effect, the bombardment is ordered contoninous. Emptying much of the local stores, the british are brought from 80% strength to 40%, and then destroyed by A coordinated ottoman and Austrian assault. Von Der Marwitz, a disciple of Hindenburgs school of Maneuver warfare, continues to shift flanks and harass the British. Larwence of Arabia, wanted in all of the near east on crimes of insurgency, is caught in the foothills and captured as his command disintegrates. The attack carries onto the British command proper, and disrupts it severely. It is clear that the imperialists are outmatched… General Staff The loss of Swedish trade strikes morale, and strikes in Rurh complicates the situation further. The central powers withdraw most of the pressure from the Dutch. As October nears the 20th, there is still no sign of Romanian surrender... The emperor, trying to be magnanimous, has had enough. Unless the Romanians surrender before the new year, the country will be occupied, its inhabitants slaughtered, its fields burned and salted. Let them be a lesson…

Turn 49 – September 15, 1917 The western Front The Entente seems to be preparing for another assault here, the lines are thick with Frenchmen opposite Saarbruch. Attacks fell near the Belgian border as well, routing one of our corps off the line. Counter attacks failed to destroy the French advance, merely succeeding in driving it back. Austria Romania continues to provide rousing newspaper headlines, and the Austrians begin the transfer of their army. Italy The Italians got frisky in the autumn weather, advancing on both an eastern and southern axis. Dankl had to move his headquarters to Graz temporarily, as the Austrian Galician army begins to arrive by train… Near East Fighting continues even under a heavy sandstorm. The Brits give no pause on the peninsula, and is given none near Amman. Insurgents are destroyed as the Germans keep moving in the British, aiming to encircle and destroy them utterly. General Staff Holland took a major leap to our favor once more, (29%). The situation here is now critical, and we must decide whether to entertain the idea of letting them join us, or to keep them neutral.

@Steel32 Thank you very much! Both Will and I appreciate the praise. Thank you for following the AAR! I've included an italian screenshot in this update just for you! Turn 47 – September 1, 1917 The western Front The entirety of the army assaulting the French line near Strasbourg is routed from the field, three corps entered in the tally of the lost. The German answer is timid, a single French cavalry squadron on the line is bombarded and smashed. Hindenburg receives plenty of replacements and two new corps, and prepares for another entente onslaught. Austria The butchery of Romania continues, making newspaper and propaganda material. Von Krobatin continues to strengthen his returning army, making it fit for transport. Von Bohm-Ermolli receives a different task… Italy The Italians turned from Innsbruck as the Germans arrived, and Mackensen now prepares his forces while receiving artillery. As soon as Romania falls, a great many Austrians will arrive. Then we will see if the Italians can handle a war where the enemy actually tries to hit them back… Near East The fighting is bitter along the Peninsula line, and Sanders struggle to hold. The task is made bearable by news of German successes near Maan, another British corps is beaten and the British headquarters in the area mauled. Another relief is the arrival of Von Bohm-Ermolli with a small army of Austrians, ready to form a second line of defense. No news from Mesopotamia, no doubt the desert pasha declines to send any to cover his atrocious failures… General Staff Holland continues to swing towards the central powers.

Thanks to the both of you, some followup; @strategiclayabout You're right about the steps lost of course, I notice now I forgot to tie up the reasoning . I'm thinking that the losses have been roughly equal in the west, and given that, the extra drain on Germany and the presence of the Brits lead to the fact that I cant make an all out assault just yet, the disparity would mean that I would lose. I need to get other sources of NM first, or meanwhile. DE 629 - Germany: Sign the Treaty of Bucharest? - Event fires: When Austria-Hungary is in the war, Russia has withdrawn from the war, and Romania is in the war on the Entente side. - Cost of accepting: Nothing. - Yes: Romania will leave the war. Germany will receive 20 MPPs and 50 National Morale points per turn, providing Romania remains neutral and Austria-Hungary is still in the war. Bulgaria will receive some Romanian territory. - No: Romania will remain in the war and will need to be conquered. As far as I can see, all of the conditions are fulfilled. If I have to conquer the capital it's a de facto conquest... but you think there might be a random chance per turn or something? Ouch, the fact that the bleed hits double makes it even worse, that's a disparity of around 300nm per turn, and if unit losses arent grossly in my faovur... @Bill101 Anyway, a thought that occurs to me is; Would the loss of Dutch grain really be that bad for germany once the Ukraine grain starts coming in (historically, as a basis for the event I mean)? Perhaps this event should be significantly weaker in impact, or removed altogether once that happens. Good information in any case, I can expect to lose 50nm per hit abouts if I diplo them to join, and they have around four corps and an arty unit. The arty makes it tempting, we'll have to see! Edit; I went into the editor and pulled the treaty of Bucharest event to see what was up with it; #NAME= Germany: Sign the Treaty of Bucharest? (DE - 629) #POPUP= %N%N%N%N%NChief of the General Staff %N%NNow that the war with Russia is over, we have an opportunity to make a favorable peace with Romania. %N%NWe could offer Romania terms whereby they retain their independence, but in return they cede some territory to Bulgaria, and provide us with some income from their oil wells. %N%NSigning this treaty will provide us with 20 MPPs and 50 National Morale points per turn, for as long as Romania remains neutral and our ally, Austria-Hungary, is in the war. %N%NWould you like to end the war with Romania and sign the Treaty of Bucharest? #IMAGE= #SOUND= #FLAG= 1 #TYPE= 1 #AI= 0 #LEVEL= 0 ;Set global variable condition to always trigger (dummy value) #GV= 1[1,100] ;Set link value to always trigger (dummy value) #LINK= 0[0] #COUNTRY_ID= 6 #TRIGGER= 100 - As far as I understand, this means that it will always trigger #DISPLAY_ORDER= 1 ;Set decision value (first internally stored decision) #DECISION= 629 ;Set how many MPPs should be collected over X turns if player selects 'yes' (dummy values) #MPP_UPDOWN= 0 #MPP_TURNS= 0 #MPP_TEXT= None ;Set AI acceptance % (AI will accept 100% of the time) #AI_RESPONSE= 100 #AI_RESPONSE_POPUP= #DATE= 1917/10/10 - Does this mean that the event cannot occur before 10th october 1917, regardless of the surrender date of russia? That would be... odd #TEXT_RGB= 0,0,0 #SHADOW_RGB= 194,186,186 ; Dummy alignment position #ALIGNMENT_POSITION= 258,49 [1] ;Set National Morale Trigger (dummy value) #NATIONAL_MORALE_TRIGGER= 0 [0] ;Set variable conditions: ; 1st Line - Romania politically aligned with the Entente and not surrendered #VARIABLE_CONDITION= 50 [2] [100] [0] ; 2nd Line - Austria-Hungary politically aligned with the Central Powers and not surrendered #VARIABLE_CONDITION= 7 [1] [100] [0] ; Dummy condition position (always satisfied) #CONDITION_POSITION= 0,0 [0,0] [0,0] [0] [0]

Hello Gvidjon! In my humble opinion (and I am definetly not an elite player) elite steps arent that hard to manage if you do it right. If partisans are hitting your aircraft, you're clearly not supressing those partisans effectively enough. Remember to put garrison units around the place (use the p button to see the spots, you probably already know this) and they will supress any partisans in their or adjascent tiles. The elite steps themselves are all about choosing targets. Demoralize the enemy, and hit them to avoid losses on units you want to build elite steps with. That said, it is very difficult to build experience on naval units, if they dont start with steps. An 11 unit from start is pretty easy, choose targets, and rebuilt at once if you lose a step to 10. Losing the elite step doesnt cost you any experience after all! I also think that units gain experience from raiding, at least subs do, not sure about other ships. Farm experience for ships by raiding trade lines might be a viable option..

Interlude, strategy talk (I summarize all the questions at the very end) The dignitaries of the Central powers visit Moscow, where the new government has taken seat, to accept the formal surrender of Russia from prime minister Kerensky. While there, they also take the opportunity to plan for the future… Right. Russia is down, that took some doing. What to do next? The war comes down to a national morale tug-o-war between the French and the Germans. Currently, French national morale is around 16-17000, and German 20-21000. This means that, by the numbers, we’re actually 4000 points ahead. This would seem to urge a “throw all caution to the winds” all-out assault in the west with all assets, attempting to break the French will to fight. While this is certainly the end-goal, the all-out approach may not take all aspects of the overall situation in consideration. I’ll try to break it down, as much for my own thought process as for your enjoyment . As far as I understand, Germany does not gain any additional national morale from any of her conquests in Poland now that Russia has surrendered (can someone confirm this?). She has made no land gains anywhere else. Germany currently gains national morale from; Spending mpp to raise morale: +50 If applicable, Ukranian grain: +100 (Does anyone know if this is a one time bonus, or each turn?) Germany is currently losing national morale due to; Loss of metz: -30 Loss of Mulhausen: -12 British blockade: around -100 up to a maximum of -274 (-200 assumed). A small piece on the British blockade. After some hot-seat testing, it seems that each “spot” in the north sea hits for 18nm and each “spot” west of Britain hits for 10nm. There are thirteen -10 spots, and eight -18 spots. I’m not sure whether this is cumulative for all of them, or if the western zone and the north sea zone are mutually exclusive. Lets assume a pretty bad situation here, and stamp a -200nm per turn due to the blockade. Total nm shift per turn: -166nm or -266 if the Ukraine bonus is not per turn. Austria is in an equally bad position, having lost; Trieste: -25 Gorz: -12 Bruneck: -12 Trento: -12 Also, getting hit by Romanian hunger scripts, since the obstinate twerps wont surrender. No idea how much that is hurting me. But let’s say around… Total nm shift per turn: -125 (very rough estimate). Adding to the situation is that the Italians threaten the south of Germany directly, and the ottomans are in dire straits around the peninsula. It is my thinking that the loss of the ottomans would end the game at this point, as the nm loss on Austria is bound to be huge, and then that falls Germany will take a hit that I wont recover from. I also enjoy having a 1 chit advantage in total diplomacy. The sum of this seems to hint that I need to find other sources of national morale, while warding the ottomans and at the very least stopping the bleed on the Austrians. There are three places to do this, the western front with said frontal assault on the French, in Italy, or in the near east. My western line is looking pretty thin, and even if I deploy all the Germans from the other front there, I don’t think it will be thick enough to push through the French into any national morale objectives worth taking. The bleed from lost German holdings is also the minor part of German nm loss. On the flip side of that coin is the relatively minor commitments in Italy and the Near east. If I can give the Italians a well-deserved thrashing, or drive the Brits out of the peninsula, opportunities for Nm objectives present themselves. This serves the dual purpose of warding the other central major powers. German economy is very healthy, clocking about 670mpp per turn, and with production lvl 4 everything is 20% cheaper. I should be able to build a real army to push with come spring of 1918, and bleed the French on the defense as previously. I also need to decide whether to remove chits from Holland, as they might join us if progress continues. In hotseat testing, I’ve seen that the hunger from lacking their grain sets in even if they join the CP through diplomacy. I’ll gather up all my questions here at the end, as I need these answered before I can continue with my turn; 1. Is the nm loss from blockading the western “points” and the north sea “points” all cumulative? 2. Why wont Romania surrender with the treaty of Bucharest? Their 20mpps and 50nm per turn would go some ways. 3. Is the 100nm from the Ukrainian grain per turn, or a one time deal? 4. Is there any way to stop the grain nm loss from Holland if they join? With the grain coming in from the Ukraine, the loss of their trade shouldn’t be so bad one would think. 5. Does Germany or Austria now gain any nm per turn from their Russian conquests? 6. How does the per turn nm shift actually work, does it shift both at the end of my turn, and at the end of Wills? (essentially doubling all losses). Thanks for reading!

Turn 46 – August 18, 1917 Norweigan leaning towards the entente for fourth consecutive time starts their trade with the Entente. May it serve them well… The Central powers celebrate as Russia withdraws from the war. The new government forced a counter attack, and though one German corps fell, the army finally mutinied under pressure and the government collapsed. Victory on the eastern front means much to the beleaguered Germans, Austrians, and Ottomans. The western Front The charnel yard is well fed, as always. Three German corps crumble on the line, which is starting to look worryingly thin. Entente harassment of two of our artillery concentrations is continuous, causing disturbing losses and disrupting the effectiveness of our counter bombardments. Hindenburg sees an opportunity, and grasps it by the throat. The entente has left their line open near the French Strasbourg artillery emplacement with an unentrenched corps holding the other side. A coordinated assault breaks through and hits the emplacement from two directions, nearly destroying it. After deliberation, and a solemn departure ceremony for men sure not to return, the severely depleted airship wings enter French territory to finish the guns. One of those wings will not be returning, the other is successful. A select few return home as heroes. The Eastern Front This front will now be stricken from our reports. Victory, at long last, victory. Austria In Romania, Austrian and Bulgarian forces continue the cut through Ploesti and Bucharest. The Romanian HQ is found and destroyed, and most of the remaining forces cut off and weakened. The better part of the Austrian army under Krobatin, having returned from Kiev after meeting the new Ukrainian government for settlement of treaties and trade, organizes his army for transport and receives reinforcements. Von Straussenburg, likewise, anticipates the fall of Romania and reorganizes some of his army for movement by train. Italy The Italians have been advancing n Innsbruch, and they are both numerous and well equipped. So far, we cannot see any artillery among them, but even the Italians seem to have metal monsters. After brief deliberation in the OKH, it is decided that enough is enough. As Italian ambition now threaten the soft underbelly of Germany action must be taken. Mackensen travels to Munich with most of his army by train, ready to begin operations within the month. (I completely forgot the very damaged Austrian corps as I spent my mpps, and realized that they needed reinforcements after they were all gone. Had to shift things around…) Near East The British hammer von Sanders line, and one corps falls. He struggles to keep the line steady, digging in. The German forces under Von Der Marwitz shift to outflank the British, and receive Austrian artillery. In Mesopotamia, attacks have begun against the entrenched detachment covering the British headquarters. So far to little effect. General Staff To our surprise and consternation, Romania does not offer terms despite the fall of Russia… (Any insights on this?) A slight boon is that Germany reaches new heights in production efficiency (lvl 4) and that Holland takes a large leap towards our way of thinking (29%).

Turn 45 – August 4th, 1917 A third consecutive push on the Norwegians topple them from our favor. They now lean towards the entente, no doubt pathetically grateful for their table scraps. However, the Emperor has dismissed this as inconsequential, as our trade with them has not actually reached our shores in years and any dismay caused by its loss has long since lost its sting. Good riddance. The western Front Bitter fighting, day out and day in. Guns beat the ground without cease, any day might as well be one of thunderstorms. The Entente continues to push, often reaching the pickets of our guns through the lines as fighting decimates our forces. German counter pushes punish advances, retaking ground that has switched hands many times before. Death is the only constant. The Eastern Front Inconclusive skirmishing along the lines as the Russians leave their trenches. In truth, any offensive undertaken by the Rus is welcome, weakening their will to fight with every loss. Austria The better part of the fighting is still in the southeast. Krobatin mauls a forward corps, striving still to reach Kiev. Straussenburg swings around and flattens the adventurous Russian marines to the ground. Austrians and Bulgarians now break through to destroy retreating Romanians, and strike aircraft behind the lines. Italy A sizable and well equipped Italian force appears near the German trench line in north Italy. We can only hope that the defenders hold out until Russia falls. Near East While the west and east have been carnage as usual, the middle east has taken a turn for the worse. At the very moment the Germans left the lines, a British force a great deal larger and amply supported by artillery than anticipated appeared. Double misfortune, that one of Von Der Marwitz corps fall to the imperialist advance. Von Sanders orders an attack, hoping to weaken the British and buy time to stabilize. Unfortunately, despite all efforts, the British remain. Now we can only hope that their weakened line will not be able to break through immediately. Marwitz receives more forces, as the British presence along the spine is a priority before the threat to Jerusalem can be dealt with. The doctrine of “united we stand, or divided we fall” adopted during the summit in action. The line near Basra has been established, the fighting will soon begin. General Staff Austria develops gas/shell production lvl 2.

Turn 44 – July 21, 1917 The French continue to pressure the Norweigans, and while they yet remain annoyed with the western entente and leaning our way, they will not do so for long if this continues (now at 8 or so %) The western Front An unexpected and welcome pause in the Entente assault, their attacks only grievously decimate a corps and the forward cavalry squadron, gives the newly arrived chief of staff time to reorganize and recover. As rumors of “the old mans” personal presence on the front spreads, German spirit begins to rise. The guns thunder, and several assaults destroy forward enemy corps, opening holes in the lines once more. Hindenburgs eastern army arrives, taking up the lacking second line behind Strasbourg. The East Front Libau falls to attacking detachments, who begin the sinking of the Russian U-boats at port. Mackensen assaults Dvinsk, and crushes the Russian defenders. Austria Fighting flares hot as always around Austria, with Krobatin savaging and sending one severely decimated Russian corps reeling. Meanwhile, Straussenburg finally breaks the Romanian line, and the Bulgarians starve out the Romanian defenders of Priesti. Fierce attacks by Von Ermolli and the forward Bulgarians nearly win the oil fields of Ploesti, but the defenders tenaciously remain. Near East Von Der Marwitz trap springs as the British move upon Amman, and the forward British corps is routed, scattering beyond recovery. The British move hard upon the Gaza Bersheeba line, but the ottomans hold, if barely. Von Sanders and overstocked German artillery arrives to stiffen their resistance. The desert Pasha of Mesopotamia reaches Basra, settling in to start hammering the weak link in the British lines. General Staff The dutch, evidently seriously displeased with Entente diplomatic methods, again swings our way. This is very welcome, as the added income brings German war production back over 600. The Serba rise in rebellion, and partisans retake a city. (I entirely forgot about the partisan marker here in the heat of everything else, chucks)

Turn 43 – July 7th, 1917 As summer breaks and warmth returns to Europe, the Germans suffer greatly. Norway has long protested the Ententes reckless raiding along her coasts, and it seems they are now directing successful diplomacy towards their government to assuage the situation. They have yet to stop trading with us, but we fear that is only a matter of time. The western Front Von Hutier finds himself in the unaccustomed and altogether unpleasant situation of being forced to solely defend. As the Entente makes another devastating push, German forces cannot strike back at any point. Desperate, Hutier telegraphs to Hindenburg, asking for aid and more men. The Eastern Front The ailing Russians now seem confused and leaderless. Individual corps act on their own initiative, one attempting a lone assault against our artillery, less than successful. Such gifts are welcome, as the destruction of the raiders bring welcome news home. Mackensen now remains active alone in the east, as Hindenburg moves his staff to train depots along with the remains of his army. The man himself immediately leaves for the western front by aircraft, to take command of the situation. Austria Von Krobatin achieves some success, holding against a coordinated Russian offensive and striking back to destroy one corps. Russian marines, running along deep into the hinterlands, find themselves without supplies or suitable targets of opportunity. As Von Straussenberg has failed to assault the Romanians once again, he awaits reinforcements and refitting before making one last attempt. On the other side of Bucharest, Austrians and Bulgarians settle in. Somehow the corps in Piesti is still in adequate supply. Hopefully that will now no longer be the case. Italy Quiet. Near East The Ottomans allow themselves one brief moment of celebration, the last of the British have been driven from the shores of the Peninsula. Raiding Romanian cavalry that dug in on the Adrianople railway has been destroyed, and much of von Sanders home defense army has now boarded trains for the middle east… German forces move towards Amman in response to British successes in the area. The imperialists must be driven from the spine, or the eastern central power will surely collapse. The former home defense army along with a local corps from Damascus, previously from the Caucasus, now takes up the line. The Germans keep out of sight, and unless the British are observant they may find a nasty surprise here. The Desert Pasha finally moves under cover of a sandstorm after months of refitting and resting. We shall now see whether the ottomans can harry the Brits from Basra and into the sea. General Staff Unexpected news as the Dutch swing our way once more… if the Russians can be persuaded to collapse soon, this may prove important.

Turn 42 – June 16, 1917 The western Front The slaughter continues unabated as spring slowly turns to summer. German guns glow hot, and shell stores are nearly completely empty. However, the French have been pushing hard and many of their corps are damaged near the line. As Hutier arrives and takes overall command from Von Kluck, he immediately coordinates a fierce offensive to bring no less than three French corps down. If the western entente thought they would have an easy stroll into Germany, they are sadly mistaken. Von Hutiers army takes up positions behind the lines, strengthening the weak points. The Eastern Front Mackensen meanwhile moves his army towards Dvinsk, artillery is brought up to break the flank and move onto riga from the side while Hindenburg attacks from the front. This last push will hopefully be enough to topple the Rus. Cavalry squadrons now exploit the open lands of Russia, operating on the principle that the area is too vast to be defended everywhere. Austria Von Krobatin likewise contributes to the push, bombadrding and destroying a forward Russian corps, unfortunately Straussenburg fails to assault the Romanians, and Von Ermollis cut into the centre also fails to bring the supply of the isolated corps low enough to ensure its total destruction. A new attempt is undertaken. Every effort to bleed the Russians and their allies is being made. Italy Quiet. Near East To Von Sanders slightly apprehensive surprise the British evacuate the peninsula, leaving a corps behind at Sedd El Bahr. Von Sanders Pursues, leaving the invader no Respite. The artillery and two other corps reposition to railway depots. Now we have to wonder where the imperialist dogs will turn up next… Amman finally fell to the British, and Medina is sure to follow shortly. Plans are in the works to stem this bleeding, we shall see what occurs. General Staff Germany attains peak efficiency in shell production (lvl 3), and Austria now attempts to find an answer to the Ententes metal fiends…

Turn 41 – May 19th, 1917 The western Front The west front. Every bit as bad as the East ever was. Simmer has gone to a boil. The Germans are reeling, Entente metal monsters crush any opposition, and Von Kluck scrambles to find hit footing and form a stable line. We have decisively failed to prevent the advance of the entente around Belgium and Luzemburg, but near Strasbourg Prince Rupperecht manages to strike back, giving the French grief and cause to strike another corps off their roster. The Eastern Front In the East, Hutier is organizing his army to move to the West, while Mackensen and Hindenburg himself reorganize and rest their own armies to keep pushing the Rus. Even though Russia is crumbling it isn’t doing so fas enough, and it needs a push or two to topple. Austria Action intensifies for the Austrians, as Straussenburg makes final preparations for a more determined push. The Rus is looking to get a little feisty in the east, so Von Korbatin (having quietly replaced his incompetent predecessor) readies forces to both defend and attack if necessary. A Bulgarian corps is caught by Von Ermollis cut into the centre of Romania, and surrounded by Bulgarians who declined to defeat them in favor of making sure they are completely wiped out. Any such victory must be prioritized to make news on the home front. Italy Italians quiet after taking the small city north of the Italian border. Near East German guns shell the British with surplus ammunition, and Von Sanders army refits and replenishes. The Belgians finally succumb. In the middle east the game of logistical musical chairs continue, and the British are finding it more difficult than they can believe to make gains. General Staff The Ottomans receive shipments of improved Austrian weapons, and can finally join the ranks of the decently equipped. New arms will be distributed.

Turn 40 – April 21, 1917 The only particularly interesting events occurred around Austria, and of course on the western front. The western Front The Western entente counterattack was suitably brutal. Destroying the defender of Namur, and surging into Von Klucks headquarters from which the man escaped with only half his staff. Many valuable plans and papers were lost, and we expect Kluck to be less effective for quite some time. As he escaped, a massive counter attack took the city back, but the trenches are filled with dirt and rubble, and not as deep as we would like. It is painfully evident that the exhausted Germans have trouble fighting the high spirit of the French. Luxemburg fell to the Brits, and one of the forward batteries badly mauled. Advanced entente metal barrels, called “tanks” sow fear and desperation among the men. How can these monstrosities be defeated? The Eastern Front Cleaning up and repositioning. Bringing forces back up to strength. Austria Von Straussenburg orders an all out assault on the Romanian border line, hoping to destroy a corps and force them to reman the line with corps from the back. Unfortunately, bad weather and incompetence foiled the plan. The Bulgarians move in on their end, mauling the corps occupying the border city severely. Italy Another city soon to fall at Italian hands, this time a german detachment will be their victim. Near East The British impolitely decline to be caught in a killing ground, ceding Gallipoli to the ottomans who move in to occupy. Artillery follows. Oddly enough, ottoman troop morale plunges immediately on retaking the city, perhaps due to realizing they are now faced with two hardened British corps (the Gallipoli under siege event hit immediately. Perhaps that ought to be disabled once the entente has taken it once). Elsewhere, we continue the logistic dance and resupply. General Staff Ottomans grow a fondness of deep holes (trenches lvl 4) and the Austrians at long last adapt their infantry tactics (at 100%... after an age. The ottoman isn’t far behind, and will hopefully develop soon).

Turn 39 – March 24th, 1917 If winter was quiet, spring most certainly is not. The western Front Barely have the soldiers in the trenches had time to breathe before the misery of wet and trenchfoot, and new slaughter sets in. The western Entente advance on a broad front, no doubt hoping to secure a line in the “dead mans land”. Furious shelling from numerous German guns and numerous attacks bring no less than three corps low along the front. More reinforcements arrive. The Eastern Front Here, a great tragedy in the disguise of great victory. Ruszki and Brusilov perish in the great slaughter of an entire Russian army. Events here, with men desperately crawling through mud filled beneath the shallow muck with corpses will be the scene of many dramas and debates in years to come. Was it right of Hutier to accept no surrender? To order exterminatus and shoot every wounded Russian calling for help? Was his actions understandable in the context of the terrible conditions of the Eastern Front? We shall never know. Austria Dreadful weather prevents successful attack, and Straussenburg settles in for now. Artillery arrive on the Kiev line, and the Romanians find themselves cut off deep in Bulgarian territory. Near East The ring around Gallipoli finally closes, and Sanders now prepares to assault the city. General Staff Germany reorganizes production for higher efficiency (lvl 3 production), and Austria has completed several modern industrial complexes (lvl 2 industry).

Turn 38 – January 27th, 1917 – And 1916 summary @vonlettovvorbeek; Nothing particularly exciting unfortunately. Scouting has not revealed brits in the Sound, I suspect that the protests are simply due to continued British raiding of the Norway convoy close to Denmark itself. No screenshots this turn, as nothing much really happened. For all intents and purposes, the war stood still. A corps was lost on the western front, in the east the ring closed around the trapped Russians. An Austrian corps was driven back near Kiev, and the desert Pasha was forced into shameful retreat to attempt a recovery of both manpower and morale. Business as usual, then. I’ll also forego the usual number crunching, not much new there either. The entente is ahead by a total of 6000 mpp’s, even Italy has a higher research spent than Austria, and the entente is ahead in that department by roughly 1000mpps. Looking at the diplomacy spent, it would surprise me very much if every entente chip was not invested, probably in the Netherlands. Another depressing fact is that the Germans have now lost nearly as much mpps worth in units as the Russians. As gray faced men with more white in both beard and hair than the year previous gather in Vienna, it is a truly somber affair. Many well-known faces are missing, both those robbed of life, and those retired into disgrace. The topic of the summit, then, is one of survival. It is clear that the war will be won or lost in Germany or, ideally, in France. Despite the absolute focus on Germany, each of the central major powers is integral to this end. The burning question is one of morale, both that of the people and of the army. To this end, there are several burning points that must be addressed. First and foremost, every effort to preserve German national morale must be made. This includes declining to send Lenin, as I simply cannot afford the extra morale loss incurred by his use. One of my long term plans may still be viable. Originally, I fought hard to keep Romania out of the war to declare war on it when Russia was on the cusp of collapsing, to then pressure it into peace and reap the NM benefits. This plan has partly been foiled, but not entirely. Looking at this as a disaster or an opportunity is a matter of perspective. If I can cut the Romanian supply between army and Capital, the slaughter of its units might provide Austria with valuable morale boosts and pressure Russias morale further. As this is a Russian minor, each loss will hurt them. If I destroy the army completely and then decline to conquer the capital, the plan might still work. There is unfortunately nothing I can do about the Netherlands, this is down entirely to luck. The entente seems to enjoy a three chit advantage total over the central powers, and as all of mine is already invested here, if theirs are, I can simply wait and hope for the best. With the fall of Russia, four of these chits will be lost. If the random number gods are with me, I might then have a chance of preventing the NM loss of the Netherlands ceasing grain supplies. This is also where the two tertiary major powers come into play. I’ve fought hard to preserve the Ottomans, and will continue to do so. I need their chits, and I must prevent the NM loss their fall would incur on Austria, whose fall in turn would spell the absolute end for Germany. There are many possibilities once Russia falls. One is of course the course espoused by some in this thread, an all-out head on attack on France. This is certainly in the cards, there are large forces in the east which will become available. However, there is an additional opportunity to gain NM for Germany in Italy. A small German force here supported by a large Austrian one might give me the opportunity to repeat the cavalry parade squadron shenanigans of the past. One plan that was in the script, but scrapped due to lacking resources and unexpectedly high losses in crushing the Russian fleet, was the building and outfitting of a large and highly upgraded U-boat fleet to unleash on the British. Should opportunity and funds arise (unlikely) this might still happen. Nothing can happen until Russia falls however, and this then must be our primary objective. Enter the endgame.

Turn 37 – December 16th, 1916 As Russia faces defeat after defeat, the base instincts of the Rus take over at the highest levels. Infighting and strife shake the rule of the Tzar, and he abdicates in favor of Karinzky. This has the altogether unwelcome effect of strengthening Russias will to fight, for a time… The Western Front On the western front, Von Kluck undertakes the complicated Jigsaw involved in Strengthening the front line and distributing the latest arms and training to the men. Kluck has one reason for celebration however, despite being entirely unable to drive the Entente from the line in front of Luxemburg. For the first time in years, the Central Powers match the Entente artillery in the west. Eastern Front In the East, The “Kaisers three musketeers” of as they are now called grimly fights a desperate battle against time, trying to topple the Russian house of cards. The three are forced to recklessness, sending their armies deep and unsupported by proper supply lines to cut any retreat the Rus may undertake from the Kovno-Vilna hexenkessel. German forces pierce the lines and hunt the Arch villain Brusilov on his flight towards Dvinsk. German forces here take care not to shatter the enemy too quickly, lest some of their number escape. News of complete victory over the armies here is needed to bolster morale. Von Straussenburg has put a plan before AoK. In all secrecy, an army has gathered around Kronstads, carefully kept out of sight of Romanian forces. Coordination by telegraph has Bohm-Ermolli marshalling forces to strike at Ploesti, and if possible cut the Romanian border army off from the capital. To maintain the illusion, Straussenburg himself digs in and makes a large show of settling his forces, and the Bulgarians pause and refit as well. The strike, when it comes, aims to fall from all directions and with devastating effect. Italy The Italians take Trento, and a German corps take up positions to defend the important city here while the remains of the Austrian detachment attempts to retreat to safety. Near East Von Sanders sends the most intact corps to close the ring around Gallipoli, directing artillery to follow and organizing vast stores of shells and surplus guns to the battery. The crafty commander knows his troops cannot hope to combat the British on equal terms, and will bring artillery to bear on the enemy at every opportunity. The German foray almost ends in disaster, as the British counter attack is devastating, and sends the small expedition army reeling. A retreat back to the line is called, and while this was not the success OKH hoped for, the British are still down a corps while the Germans remain. The British faces significantly more difficulties in bringing new troops. A complicated lattice of transportation and replacements shuttle up and down “the spine” ok the Dakkar, Amman, Maan axis. Every month that these cities are kept out of British hands buys time. The Desert Pasha continues advancing on Basra, but takes unexpectedly heavy losses in pursuing the fleeing British corps. We worry that our weakest link will shortly be lost to the strong and well equipped invader. General Staff Significant developments, as Germany reaches the peak of her industrial strength (lvl 4) and Austria finally adapts mobile chassi to the new, heavier guns (artillery lvl 2). There is still cause for concern, as more and more of our industrial capacity is diverted towards keeping morale stable. Lenin, a dangerous and subversive traitor with illusions of Grandeur has been apprehended in Germany. His ideas are too dangerous to entertain, and the man has been quietly executed out of the public eye. The beleaguered central powers also find new allies in the recently liberated Finland, as Von Der Goltz arrives from Germany to aid Mannerheim in crushing the Bolsheviks.

Turn 36 – November 18th, 1916 And we’re back! Fittingly, we go straight into mad mayhem. The western Front Von Kluck confers with Hindenburg over telegraph, and one fact is clear. The western entente must be prevented from establishing a firm line on what used to be the border of france and Germany, and is now simply a wasteland full with graves. True to form, the entente advance, likely encouraged by the appearance of German artillery in the near east. They are taught their folly the harsh way, as two of three advancing corps are destroyed or beaten back. Near Namur, another French corps is attacked and driven out of the line, exposing the artillery. Unfortunately, our advancing corps tasked to strike the weapons discover them strong and ready, and are brutally beaten back and exposed with minimal success in their mission. OKH notes, with some concern, that the allied armored barrels seem to be getting more advanced. Eastern Front Russian NM now at some 11,066 The skeleton force holding Minsk was ground to dust by furious artillery and German strength. Hutier surges on towards Vilna, and cavalry cuts behind the Russians in an attempt to cut the last rail connection into the emerging pocket. Unfortunately it is guarded, but not well… Hindenburg, living up to his legend of maneuver, continues to outflank Kovno, destroying the corps holding the picket to Russian artillery and headquarters, Ruszkis command post is struck in favor of the artillery in order to disrupt Russian lines of supply and communication. Despite our successes however, morale among the troops is dangerously low, and the Russians seem to be in good spirits. That is bound to change… Von Bohm is hastily brought by train from the Italian front to oversee redeployment of the German artillery near Minsk after Hutier in his haste neglected the supply lines and would have made quick deployment towards Vilna impossible (herp derp…) Von Straussenberg continues to gather his forces around the Romanian border, as Bulgarians mass near Craiova. Scouts report that the Romanians have artillery, to Austrian dismay. The line against Kiev is thin but holding as the Rus seems disinterested in attacking here, and a roving Russian detachment fences with a low strength Austrian corps on the open Russian countryside. Italy Sneaky Italian designs are revealed as a strong and well equipped army emerges near Tilsi. That city will fall, hopefully winter and resistance will allow freshly deployed German troops to form a Barrier at Innsbruck that the Italians will find hard to overcome. Near East In the Near East the fighting is the hottest. Von Sanders calm in the face of an entire corps on his doorstep proves justified, as the Belgians barely engage his outer pickets. A storm of artillery shells from the newly arrived German guns whittle down the British defenders, both in number and will. When the best part of the ottoman home defense army attack, they crumble and fall. Two British corps now remain at fighting strength around Gallipoli. German command near the Peninsula has kept a close eye on the British presence in the region. To best of OKH’s knowledge, the British field some five or six corps. When three of these, and sightings of a British headquarters far in the desert are confirmed near Maan, the German commander senses a rare opportunity to go on the offensive. What began as a “show of force” to perhaps scare the British into withdrawing, turns into an all out assault as it becomes clear that the British corps directly in front of artillery and command is not entrenched. The surprised Brits are beaten, with surprisingly few losses. It is evident that the Brits are not used to fighting real opposition, fat and lazy from swatting the hapless sick man in the east. With this development, the British may have to turn back to defend the peninsula, buying the Ottomans more time. As the Germans move, it becomes clear that ottoman production capacity cannot keep up with demand, and Maan is abandoned by the battered defenders, to be replaced with the previous Garrison of Amman. New garrisons are brought in by train throughout the region. The assault also begins on Quarna, and though losses on the British side are light, the defensive works around the city are all but gone. General Staff Nothing interesting, the Germans are nearly caught up with the losses of 1916.

Will has notified me that he will be out travelling until the 12th of January, so until then the AAR will have an intermission!

Yeah... I really wish I had known the effects of Gallipoli falling. Both ottoman and austrian infantry weapons have been in the works for a long time and are crawling up really, really slowly. Hoping for a breakthrough before it reaches 100%. The west has been nerve wracking for sure, but not as bad as it could have been. The game does sort of make French attacks mandatory. I´ll definitely not make the mistake to not attack at least a little again. I´ll do my absolute best to make the game interesting to the end, the bitter fight for russia is on. Thanks for following!

Turn 35 – October 21st, 1916 Thank you for the input Bill, much appreciated! That certainly makes things clearer in the decision making department. On an unrelated note it seems that photobucket is screaming about exeeded bandwidth, so until it resets the images from there will not be displayed. I've switched to Imageshack for a while to ease the burden on my photobucket account. On a very positive note, it means my pictures are getting shown a lot! yay! The western Front Quiet on the west front. A welcome respite. Von Kluck takes the opportunity to shift troops and refit, deploying new reinforcements. OKH deliberates an assault on Metz, but our ottoman allies are in dire straits, and need the support better… The German Eastern Front The scout cavalry shifts from Vilna over to the Minsk area, spotting a lone corps behind the city and that itself weakly garrisoned. Hutier pounces immediately, encircling the city and destroying the isolated corps. It will fall next turn. We will do our utmost to capture our goal of 1916 before years end, Minsk, Vilna, Kovno. Provided a successful assault by Hutier, Mackensen now moves his army towards vilna to ready an attack immediately. Hindenburg keeps moving, outflanking Kovno further and destroying Kornilovs command post. The man himself is believed escaped into the wilderness, where he might be lost to the world forever. There is a possibility for a complete encirclement of the forces present here, which would be a great boon. Austria and the Balkans Bulgarian forces continue to maneuver to fins weakness in the Romanian defenses. They find none… Romanians seem to be everywhere. The Austrians stabilize the lines, awaiting artillery. Action on the peninsula, the Belgians landed near Adrianople, striking at von sanders headquarters. The man remained with ice in his veins, ordering forces to attack a weakened Belgian corps in the “killing fields”. It is apparent that the Entente has underestimated the ottoman will to fight. It is our hope that the Belgians near Adrianople will lack all kinds of supply and thus be relatively harmless. German artillery arrives, as it has been noted that the ottomans only true fighting chance in open combat due to their technical retardation is with heavy artillery support. Near East In the heart of the near east an extremely difficult situation is developing. The british are slowly outflanking the german defensive line and moving towards the weak desert cities. This must be a later issue, and we can only watch as things progress. At the very least, german forces here has bought critical time for the ottomans to deal with other threats. The question is whether it will be enough time. In Mesopotamia the Army continues to move after beng marooned at Kut at amara during a vicious sand storm. They find less opposition than expected, the brits have probably dug in around Basra. We hope to destroy the artillery here at the very least and then turn west to deal with the British there. General Staff The only significant development is a breakthrough in trench warfare, which the Germans have now mastered to perfection (lvl 5).

Turn 34 – September 23rd, 1916 Well. Bad can always get worse. Aquabas fall was expected, but further Romanian reinforcements and above all successful entente diplomacy on Holland was not. With every single chit available to the Central Powers invested in that venture, this proves without a doubt that the loss of the Dutch grain supplies and starvation is inevitable. Russian forces have increased from 37 at turn 32 with two lost that turn. 44 at turn with one further loss and now at turn 33, 46 land units. Assuming that at least two of these newcomers are Russian corps, that would put the Romanians at ten land units or so. The western Front French pressure on Belgium prompted Hindenburg to withdra from the area entirely, out of range of French guns. This should allow us to redeploy our own artillery to protect a shorter line. A French corps slipping behind the lines near Brussels is destroyed as it savages the Belgian lines headquarters. Another corps falls near Metz. Our hope is that the French have been weakened enough to forestall any other larger push before winter. The German Eastern Front In the East, Hindenburg, Hutier and Mackensen emerge ahead in the maneuver warfare for now. By keeping a careful eye on the Russian withdrawal, Hutier sends a cavalry squadron to destroy a weak Russian corps, and the newly arrived Mackensen coordinates to destroy another forward corps. Hindenburg, seeking to explore the weak flank at Kovno, finds another corps and crushed it without losses. Near Baranovich, Hutier receives significant reinforcements for a push at Minsk. Austria Our window of opportunity comes to an end with the realization of Romanian strength. Troops redeploy southwards to attempt to deal with the issue, at the very least the Austrians enjoy artillery support which should help. Bulgarians withdraw from their positions in the Balkans to occupy key cities, while freeing up a corps to protect Bulgaria proper. Cavalry moves out of sight to keep an eye on the Romanian capital should they grow careless and leave it undefended as they push forward. Near East Von sanders fail to close the ring around the advancing Entente forces with one Corps pushed off. Another corps arrive by train, reinforcements are sent, and a paranoia leads to several coastal garrisons as an entente formation is spotted on landing craft at sea. General Staff Reinforcements, more reinforcements. More men to the grinder.

Been a bit absent due to holidays, and I must admit my will to fight took a serious blow with the unexpected and sudden entry of Romania. Still, lets do with it what we can. I see several ambiguous issues with the events as written out here. First, according to DE619-620, it seems that the choice is between a quicker end, but a loss in NM, and a longer fight, but an NM boost. "Germany gains russian poland" is only listed under "no", so should we assume that germany doesnt get any land at all if "yes"? De 620 doesnt really answer this question, as it only lists Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and the Ukraine. Nothing about german land gains, whether or not the treaty is signed (as you would have had to say "yes" to DE619). It is equally unclear what is meant by "russian revolution" in DE622, does this refer to having sent lenin and the coup being staged, or siply the "agitation" that will go on regardless? Finland is part of Russia, and DE 620 states that "Finland... // ... become independent neutral states". The requirement of the event that Finland be entente aligned seems odd... or does it go entente aligned with the total collapse of Russia when you dont sign the treaty? Sam thing with DE625, when is Ukraine central powers aligned after the collapse of Russia? No nm from Romania then... isnt it a bit odd that Romania is worth zero nm when conquered all out, but 50 if it surrenders the "easy" way?

Turn 33 – September 9th, 1916 A truly dark two weeks to stand out in a war that has been little but the same. Von Falkenhayn, facing allegations of incompetence and passivity due to the slow retreat and cautious approach on the western front retires into obscurity and is replaced by the ever popular Von Hindenburg. No less than five German corps, a strengthened army, is counted dead on the combined fronts. The worst tally of the war so far. To make matters far worse, the capture of Gallipoli has swayed the Romanians to enter the war, and has cost Austria valuable grain imports. This comes at an extremely inopportune moment. (Gah… neither strategy guide nor in-game strategy tip mentioned anything about Romania jumping 30-40% towards the entente when Gallipoli falls (they were at 63%), that information would have prompted a more serious garrison in the area. Romania joining is very, very bad and I took all the steps I could from the start of the game to prevent that from happening. Oh well. There goes my plan to get the more nm for germany after the fall of Russia...). The western Front In the west, the French “metal monster” arrives at the front, assisting several French formations in crushing the forward corps that earns its’ pre-mortem medals of valor. British Artillery is withdrawn, but French guns stay at the front to shell the second forward corps into destruction under more french assaults. More of the same is had near Brussels. Seeing the exploit of French breaches yield one more opportunity, Von Kluck strikes again through the lines to overrun and destroy the French artillery! Occupiers of Luxemburgs mines and French troops near Brussels feel our wrath. The first of several new artillery batteries arrive at the western front. The German Eastern Front Russian National Morale now 14,200, a decline of 1000 from last turn. Question is if the Romanian bonus NM have kicked in yet... The Russian counter attack was much fiercer than expected. Leaving a german corps exposed on the wrong side of the river and in poor supply was a mistake justly punished, and another corps fall on the line near Hindenburg. In return, German forces manage to destroy an advanced Russian corps near Minsk, and severely maul the rus line near Grodno. Von Mackensen arrives at the front by train. Austria Von Straussenberg continues the deep incursion into Ukraine with zest, and reacts to the Romanians entering the war by diverting an understrength army to maul a border corps and drive it out of Jassy. A deep Russian line occupies the approach to Kiev, and Piotrek now rests and awaits reinforcements and proper artillery placement. Italy Another few weeks. Another corps lost. Near East The Detachment garrisoning Galippoli could not hold under the weight of the entente assault, and abandoned the city. Von sanders court marshals the division commander and executes him on the spot, while moving arriving corps to surround the position on all sides. In the peninsula, the British now strike Aquaba directly. It yet holds, but not for long. General Staff OKH is stunned by massive losses, and attempts to catch up while re-arming and reinforcing formations in the field. Austrians rebuild the corps lost to the Italians, and ottmans also start rebuilding a corps. Advice Corner I'm in great need of some information just about now. The Romania situation is a terrible blow, giving the Russians 2500 morale and costing the austrians 50 per turn. Regarding Russia, a major decision is on the horizon. Sending Lenin will cause Russia to collapse earlier, but will also cost the CP valuable NM gains both in the interim and due to the effects of the event itself. What is really interesting is what the different kinds of peace will mean; 1) "Treaty of Brest Litovsk": What exactly happens here? Germany gains 300mpp (negligible). What will germany gain in the form of lands? The same as if Russia collapses without the revolution, or different? 2) Will I still be able to send Von Der goltz to finland if I do not send lenin to Russia? How many mpps is this per turn around and abouts? 3) Will grain supplies from Ukraine (event) be available both if I send lenin and enact the treaty of Brest Litovsk, and if I collapse Russia the "normal" way? 4) The treaty of Bucharest, is this event still available if I conquer Romania before the fall of Russia?

Turn 32 – August 26th, 1916 The western Front The entente broke through the perimeter at Luxemburg once again, striking at convoys of redeploying artillery. Many valuable pieces were destroyed. Von Kluck continues the all out offensive unabated through a complex series of attacks and redeployments, sending reinforcements to the very front as the attackers are whittled down. Two more entente corps are destroyed. Preliminary aerial recon by airship confirm something initial reports hinted at the past two weeks, the entente lines are looking unexpectedly threadbare. Armed with this knowledge, and realizing the gaps in enemy lines to be exploited, Prince Rupperecht coordinated an assault with Von Klucks army to hit the entente offensive at its heart, the artillery. While the two attacking corps have already received medals of valour in anticipation of their demise, this action might force the entente to withdraw the guns from the front line, allowing the beleaguered Germans valuable time to regroup and stabilize their position. Newly reconstituted corps arrive along the lines, shoring up weak points. The German Eastern Front The Rus took the bait. Hook, line and sinker. Their assault into Germans ensconced within woodlands caused serious damage to both IX corps and I Reserve Corps, but the Russians suffered equally. The German flanking strike, along with counter attacks by Hindenburg, destroyed two Russian corps in turn. Von Mackensens troops force marched to join Hutier, forming a valuable second line of attack should the Russians decide to try an attack on Baranovich from Minsk. The question now is, whose trap has sprung? Do the Russians have uncounted reinforcements hidden behind the lines? Austria The Austrians continue onwards into Russian lands left empty. At last, forward scouts report enemy lines near Kiev. This, then, is where the enemy has elected to make his stand. Lesser Russian towns along the way seem to have been left empty… Italy Nothing to report. The Italians shift around, no doubt preparing for another offensive. Near East The British Assault Gallipoli in strength, badly mauling the defending detachment. Von Sanders begin directing his arriving troops to encircle the town, aiming to create a bottleneck. The question is, will he manage to close the ring of iron around the city in time? General Staff OKH, inspired by reports of a French ironclad monstrosity, start investigating options of their own (1 chit in armor warfare). One destroyed corps begins reconstruction, and rearming and reinforcements along the line take the better part of our industrial output. Austria starts building an entire battalion of artillery, and start trying to modify their construction efforts to handle larger calibers of gun… (1 chit in heavy artillery). The ottmans once again spend most of their efforts moving troops to the line.

Turn 31 – August 12, 1916 The bulletins of the central powers speak of an ancient empire in deep distress. The hottest months of both warfare and weather are here. The western Front Entente forces destroy XXXVIII corps flanking Luxemburg and advance into the breach. Harrying attacks against artillery pickets disrupt firing capabilities as several pieces must be dismantled and moved out of reach. Our advanced guns must not fall into enemy hands. Von Kluck, ever the man of caution when needed, also knows when an all-out offensive is called for. Every single corps near Luxemburg participate in breaking the Brits in the salient, and the French occupying Luxemburg lands. For the first time in two months the artillery fires its stores down to the last shell. (In truth, I am really surprised at how resilient the Germans have been on this front despite a pretty massive disadvantage in both number of corps and arty, as well as infantry tech. It seems that careful positioning, exploitation of “killing grounds” and artillery ammunition conservation is key! Also, the lvl 2 arty on the elite piece has been a godsend, destroying enemy steps at every other shot, sometimes more! If things continue to form, next turn the entire line will break and disappear just because I said positive things here *grin*) Eastern Front Hindenburg and Hutier collaborates to play a dangerous game with the Rus. The massive army of Russians advanced on Hindenburgs line, and the latter abandoned the trenches and pulled back. According to our calculations, the enemy artillery should be fully stocked, and the trenches of little use in any case. Better that the Rus should have to attack on the move, and not be able to use the guns. This also serves another purpose, if we can pull the Russians further back they will be vulnerable to a counter attack by Hutier on the flank, with the new and improved weapons to boot. Will this move prove to be a dire mistake? The Austrians continue their surge into Russian lands while Mackensen pauses to refit and rest. Another fleeing Russian corps is caught and destroyed. Italy and the Balkans In Italy, Dankl is forced to yield ground as a defending detachment is lost. Near East The near east boils with activity. The British land in great force near Gallipoli, and the ottomans move to block the path. Von Sanders arrive in Adrianople by train to oversee the defenses. Entente naval forces blockade shipping in the Sea of Marmarica, and one Italian battleship is sunk. With operations in Caucasus a success, and further gains difficult, two understrength corps out of sight of the enemy is moved backwards, slated to lend aid wherever is most needed at the time of their arrival. It is important to maintain a show of strength here to keep Russian forces in place, and the two visible ottoman corps are reinforced. On the peninsula, the remaining two corps of the former army is withdrawn, having held long enough to allow the Germans to re-arm. These forces will likely be moved to Gallipoli by train. The British unload artillery in Mesopotamia… dire news. (it’s nice that they get free arty and hq’s by event, they really need more stuff after all *eyeroll*) General Staff Germany has spent all her effort rearming and scraping up reinforcements. But nevertheless develops both more efficient decoding of telegraph messages, and increased industrial output (lvl 2 int and lvl 3 industry, both having finally reached 100%). Austria stockpiles production to construct more artillery, and the ottomans stretch what little they have to transport troops.