Ivanov

On 17th of September, the First Army continues to inflict heavy loses on the French and it looks like only the BEF is left on it's way to Paris! So far the British have been facing only numerically inferior and tired German units. But soon it may change and they may be left face to face with the full might of the German steamroller ( so called Deutsche Maschine )... Most important action of the day took place in Vitry Le Francois. The 6th Army has captured the town after a heavy artillery barrage which means that Gen Catelnau is in trouble one more time :eek: At the same time the 8th Army has been improving it's positions in Troyes and and assault has been ordered against Bar Sur Aube. In Alsace gen Dubai faces a real disaster losing another unit. His army is now down to two divsions and the French retreat rapidly turns into a real rout! It proved to be another bloody day for the French army and in total five enemy divisions have been destroyed. It looks like the sneaky BEF commander is trying to use the troops of his ally as a shield, which continuies to absorb the heavy punches dealt by our armies. The French prisoners interogated by us, also share this view and the behaviour of the British seems to cause an increasing indignation among the Polius... All in all, the attrition continues to take it's toll one the enemy. Unlike in August, the loses cannot be replaced in full, due to the fact that the French mobilization is already over. The number of French units operating in the filed has reached the all time low of 40 divisions, while the number of German units is stable and above 70. Such a result two weeks ago would mean a victory for the Kaiser. Sadly right now, it may be just too late...

The Entente counterattack against our spearhead in the area of Province, has provided our forces with some potential opportunities to exploit. Such is the nature of the maneuver warfare - for every move there is a possible counter move. Gen Hutier has sensed that an attack against Troyes could possibly postion his forces in the rear of the advancing BEF task force. He urgently requested a reconnaissance information, that would confirm the dispositions of enemy forces around the city. Few aeroplanes that are left from the Army Group observation squadron had been dispatched in order fly a dangerous mission: Our barve aviators managed to confirm, that only one French division was defending the town. On their own initiative, the pilots also threw the granades at the French and shot at them from their revolvers, what caused some confusion among the defenders! A powerful attack by the four divisions of the 8th Army had followed and Troyes was captured after a bloody, close quarter fighting: The capture of Troyes certainly cannot be ignored by the BEF commander and makes the Entente counterattack a little more problematic. At the same time, the 1st Army struck the French divisions which form the the NE apex of Allied counterattacking formation. As a result, those units have suffered heavy loses and are now out of supply. The Bavarian cavalry in Provins has been ordered to dig in and hold the position at all costs, even if that would mean a fight to the last bulet... At the same time, the 6th Army moved towards Vitry le Francois and in Alsace gen Dubain lost another division. THE GERMAN AEROPLANES BEFORE THE MISSION OVER TROYES:

The expected counterattack by the Foch new army and the BEF didn't materialize on 12th of September. Instead on 13th of September gen Von Hutier ordered a preemptive strike against the French divisions resting in the area of Bar Sur Aube. The HQ of gen. Foch located in the town has been also uder a direct attack. Our cavalry in Provins has spotted the movement of French and British divisions, so an enemy assault agains our vulnerable spearhead is now quite possible. For the moment further advance towards Paris has been postponed and more German divisions are expected to reinforce our position there: Near Belfort, the French gen Dubai seems to be very attached to his ex fortress, because he hasn't evecuated his HQ from the immediate vicinity of the town. Sadly his officers have paid for this dearly and there are many casualties among his staff, due to the small arms fire of our advancing divisions...

Mobile warfare continues on the 11th of September and the reconnaissance cavalry units of our 7th Army advance further West, capturing the medieval town of Provins. It is located just 90 kilometers from the taverns and cabarets of Paris! In the vicinity of St. Dizier the French expose themselves by counterattacking and the 1st Army of gen Von. Kluck inflicts enormous loses on the enemy. At the same time, the 6th Army successfully "rolls" the Southern flank of the French main defensive line at Meuse, which is no longer impregnable, when attacked from that direction. More than half of the 7th Army has taken up the defensive postions along the river Aube, because a strong enemy counterattack is expected from Troyes and Bar Sur Aube: Great news have reached the Von Moltke's HQ from Alsace, because the mighty fortress of Belfort has fallen in to the hands of our 8th Division, after a tremendous atrillery bombardment! Heavy artillery support is essential when a fortress is attacked and it is believed that special Austrian, siege mortars have been used in order to pulverize the forts of Belfort. All in all, it has been the bloodiest day so far for the French army and in total six enemy divisions have been destroyed. The mobile warfare proves time and again very costly for both sides, but there can be no doubt, that the naturally superior German soldiers and commandes will be the ones who will prevail at the end!

As we approach the deadline set up by His Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm, the events on the battlefield start to unfold with an ever increasing speed. Both sides certainly feel the preassure and a highly mobile warfare takes place on the central front. Gen Von Huter proves to one of the ablest German commanders and his 7th Army has advanced further West, capturing the town of Arcis Sur Aube, what means that the westernmost German units have advanced more than half way from the border to Paris. At the same time, two corps of the army have taken up the defensive positions at the river Aube. The new French army commanded by Foch and the elements of BEF are believed to be concentrating in the area of Troyes, so the protection of our flank is primordial there: At the same time the the 1st and 6th Armies exert pressure on the French positions located between the towns of Vitry le Francois and Bar de Duc. In Alsace the 2nd Army has finally become serious about the assault against Belfort. All the previous assaults had no chances of succeeding without the support of the heavy artillery and were only designed to bleed out the French. This time is different and a brigade of heavy siege mortars will be supporting the attack. The fighting there is expected to be exceptionally tough, but the German commander says to his French counterpart: "Adieu Belfort"! One more time, a strategic overwiev showing the current position of the Seventh Army: No doubt that the fighting on the central front has entered a highly maneuverable phase. The enemy has proven to be stubborn in the positional defence but how will he fare under those new circumstances, we are yet to see...

Oddly enough, some elements of the British Expeditionary Force have been spotted in the area of Chaumont and Bar Sur Aube. The only way they could get there is by the rail... Von Moltke has duly dispatched a telegram to Der Kaiser: "The presence of the British units in that area could mean that the enemy may be planning a counterattack in order to cut off our advancing 7th and 1st Armies. Caution is recommended. We may want to consider to pospone further offensive operations in order to consolidate our postions". To reply of Kaiser was clear and sharp: "You shouldn't be affraid of those colonial police units on your flank. I want to spent the Christmass in Paris. Press forward" According to the wishes of His Highness the offensive has been resumed and the town of St. Dizier has been captured with two French divisions destroyed in the process: It seems that some of the town citizens were pretty happy seeing the German troops marching down the main street: Are they simply members of the German minority or maybe average Frenchmen, who are tired of the corruption and moral decay, which are endemic in the Third Republic?

Just to clarify - I made a mistake on the strategic map - the German Army in Luxembourg is the 4th not the 7th.

As much as I remember it was around 83% for Germany and 74% for the France. Keep in mind that the French received a 5000 boost due to the British entry. All in all the NM will be irrelevant for the outcome of this match. In the best case scenario, I expect the French NM to drop to 50% by the end of the last turn. It would need to drop below 25%, so the German could achieve a minor victory.

Central Powers were the baddies, so it's a good news I think...

The recent comments made by the French HQ, suggesting that German army would be better off invading Belgium, are a clear proof of an aggressive mind set, that shapes the politics and strategy of the Third Republic! For our dear Kaiser, this is a preventive war, which is designed to weaken our enemies and allow our great nation to stay safe and prosperous in the future. Certainly invading the neutral countries goes against the honourable spirit represented of the Imperial Army and the gentle nature of the German people... The 1st and 7th Armies are continuing their push into the "void". Their mission is to outmanoeuvre the French and to prevent them from forming of a another solid, defensive line: A strategic overview, requested by Peter Palchinsky: As I have stated before, it is now impossible for the Germans to capture the victory objectives by the end of September, when this campaign ends. What I'm hoping for, is some decisive and bloody, Marne-like battle, that would allow us to end this great match with a big bang!

Whenever the French decide to leave their trenches in order to counter attack, they end up paying for it dearly. The audacious troops of De Castelnau have been beaten back and the charge of our cavalry has reached the HQ of the old general, which is located in the town of St. Dizier. Apparently the French commander was so shocked by the sudden appearance of our Hussars, that the members of his staff found him hidden under the straw in one of the local horse-barns: *** It's 3rd of September, so that means that Von Moltke has only less than a month left to win this campaign. He is a realist and knows that reaching the ambitious objectives set by the Kaiser most likely won't be possible within this time. But Moltke is a dutiful soldier who loves his fatherland, so he will try at least to beat the French and Brit armies in the field and improve the German position before the upcoming winter. Right now the German armies consist of 73 divisions, while the French of 53, plus there are 7 British divisions on the way. The slight German numerical superiority is probably offset by the higher readiness of the enemy units, who fight on a friendly terrain, while our troops are tired with the constant marches and manouvering.

I think that it's time for the Germans to rethink their strategy, because the current one may be no longer attainable. Of course we don't know exactly what's the current balance of power, but it seems that a continuation of the attacks against the British pocket becomes now counterproductive, especially when the Allies are on the offensive elsewhere. This situation reminds me a little the Battle of Pusan Perimeter during the Korean War, which eventually allowed the Americans to stall the North Korean advance and then to counterattack at Inchon. So maybe the Germans would be better off trying to consolidate their gains with an objective of exchausting the Entente in a defensive warfare, which the troops of Kaiser have mastered to a perfection

That's exactly what I thought when I saw this picture for the first time He looks stereotypically militaristic and arogant. Just the way the Allied propaganda was portraying the proverbial "Huns" during the WWI. This is a wonderfully balanced campaign and very acurate historically, what personally I love. It is simply a must for a multiplayer match!

The German intelligence is reporting on the 1st of September, that the British units have already landed on the coast of France. However it will most likely take them few days, before they will arrive combat ready to the battle zone. One can certainly sense tension in Von Moltke's HQ. According to the Kaiser's wishes, the German army in the Western Front, has only one more month left to capture Paris and to win the war. If that won't happen by the end of September, then the offensive will be called off and our brave troops will be ordered to start digging in, so they could survive the Winter on the occupied French territory. It will be a sad necessity, because the combined potential of France and Britain will continue to grow, while the Russian bear in the East is still very dangerous, despite our victory at Tannenberg. *** In the mean time, the battle is in a full swing and the elements of the 7th Army continue to push forwards, with the cavalry divisions condicting operational reconnaissance: Unlike the commanders of the 1st and 6th armies, gen Von Hutier hasn't forgotten, that the maneuver warfare has always favoured our armies ( due to the inherent superiority of the German soldier ) and conducting it, it the best way to avoid the next, Meuse like stalemate in the West.

It is clear on 30th of August, that the French defensive line of the Meuse has been decisively crossed by the 7th army ( supported also by some of the von Kluck's troops ). The German soldiers are already on the western bank of the river, everywhere south of Commercy. This may allow our advancing armies to unhinge the rest of the enemy positions, that are located between Verdun and Bar Le Duc : *** A news that Britain has declared war on Germany has just reached our Kaiser Wilhelm. It has been expected for some time, still it is hard for His Majesty to come to terms with it: -Zis is outrageous! We haven't provoked them, yet this treacherous nation of shoopkeepers dares to conspire agaisnt us?! Moltke - how big is their army? -We estimate that they may send to France around then divisions, not more your highness. -Zo funny! The French are losing so many troops in one week of fighting against us! What are those English thinking? They should be rather policing their colonies or chase the Pashtuns in the mountains of Afganistan - ja?! This is a moment of a special significance for Germany and our people. Is shall wear my favourite, flashy uniform for this occasion. You know, the bombastic one with an eagle. I will address our generals now.

It's 28th of August and so far there is no sign of a French general retreat. There has been some movement and regrouping in front ouf our 7th Army but it looks as merely necessary reorganization, in order to create some kind of continuous frontline, in the area of Neufchâteau Gap. So it seems that the first variant contemplated by Von Moltke is materializing. A screening force of cavalry and battered infantry units is taking up the defensive positions at Marne between St Dizier and Chaumont. In the meantime the 7th Army continues it's confident march westwards. At the same time the 1st and 7th Armies launch a series of devastating attacks along Meuse, because only a coordinated effort along the entire lenght of the front may finally overcome the enemy, who is evidently at at a breaking point. It's worth noting, that since the end of mobilization, the total number of French divisions has fallen from 68 at it's peak to 56 currently. The 7th Army of gen Von Hutier employs some pre-Blitzkrieg tactics in order to speed up it's advance:

Momentous events are taking place on 26th of August. It seems that the French flank at Neufchâteau may be disintegrating! It came as a shock to a German HQ that the enemy has given up the town without any resistance. At Meuse, the main body of the French army has been bleeding for over a week now, without any signs of yielding the ground, so the retreat further South is quite suprising indeed. For the moment a risky maneuver of marching the entire 7th army through the Vosges seems to be paying off. Von Moltke estimates that the hastily retreat has been caused by the fact that the forces of gen Joffre are overstretched and already lack the operational reserves in the battle zone. So it seems that the costly assault at Meuse was worth the the effort just as planned. There's a rumour that the eldery gen de Castelnau suffered a nervous breakdown and possibly even a heart attack! In any case it looks like he might have lost control over some of his units, that are believed to be retreating on their own initiative... The German HQ considers now the two potential courses of action. First - the French continue to hold their ground at Meuse while trying to seal off the 7th Army breakthrough by throwing all available tactical reserves into the Neufchâteau gap. Second - Joffre orders an operational retreat in order to shorthen his frontline and to reestablish operational reserve that could be even employed for some kind of counter attack. We certainly shall see... In Alsace a reneved attack at Belfort has taken place. While attempting to outflak the fortress from the South a battered enemy division has been dispersed. Yet another proof that some units of the French army are already exhausted and not fit for the combat.

While the French press has been praising gen de Castelnau, the units under his command have suffered heavy loses in the vicinity of Neufchâteau. The German Hussars chased and clashed with the retreating French cavalry division, which effectively ceased to exist. The higher command decided to reorganize our forces in this area and a new Seventh Army has been formed under one of our best generals, that is Oskar von Hutier. He replaced the rather mediocre Von Hausen and certainly will be more than a match for Castelnau. In reality gen. Oskar von Hutier is commonly associated with the later period of the World War One - mostly with the capture of Riga in 1917 and the Western Front in 1918. He is considered one of the ablest German commanders of that period. The relentless pressure continues at Meuse and the French continue to lose units there: It is pretty clear for Von Moltke, that if the Frenchies won't get outflanked at some stage, they will all perish where they currently stand.

On 22nd of August it still seems, that neither side shows any sign of yielding in the Battle of the Meuse and gen. Joffre continues to lose the units. According to our intelligence assessment, the French have already mobilized all the available divisions and from now on, they won't be able to replace their loses. The most mobile fighting takes place around Mirecourt an enemy cavalry division has been battered there and is currently cut off: In the mean time, the German replacements arrive continuously to Nancy which has become the main rail hub in the closest proximity to the battle zone. Here our troops in the city, having a luch break before departing to the front:

It's 20th of August now and the gigantic and bloody battle at the banks of river Meuse has been raging for four days now. It's purpose is clear - the attrition and annihilation of the defenders! The French are still holding their ground, but the rate of casualties they are taking in the process, is practically not sustainable in the long term. The German frontline units have spotted that the cavalry divisions are being recently used to fill the gaps and to replace the destroyed units... The French venture against our reconnaissance unit in Mirecourt has been punished severely and a strong counter attack has destroyed the leading French division. The fighting in this hilly terrain has been really ugly and none expected that the war and destruction could arrive one day to those quiet and picturesque towns and villages: In Alsace the cat and mouse game continues to take place and an enemy division has been destroyed South of Belfort: This may seem like a secondary front but it's political significance is enormous. The vast majority of the population here is German spaeking and the French claims to this teritorry are groundless. The Landwehr troops in Colmar assure the local population that they are here to stay:

The relentless German assault continues on the central front and the French clearly don't inted to yield even an inch of ground there. It seems that gen. Joffre, sees the defensive line on the river Mouse, as some kind of French Thermopylae. Is he really hoping that the hadful of British divisions will enentually save his beloved Third Republic? Two more French divisions have been destroyed on 18th of August, while the Greman casualties have been heavy aswell. The live images from the battlefield are too horrid, so this time we will show only an artistic vision depicting our heroes: The author of this work of art from the trenches remains anonymous. Some attribute it to a young Austrian volunteer from Vienna, who served as a dispatch runner in the Bavarian regiment and was killed by a French sniper near Commercy... In ther mean time, a single German cavalry division has reached the town of Mierecourt and effectively cut off the shortest way linking the fortress of Epinal with the main body of the French army. It is believed to be a raid in the search for an opportunity, on the quiet sector of the front: In Alsace the army of gen von Heeringen has been regroping. A superior enemy force is belived to be deploying near Belfort and the German Alsace may be finaly threatedned by the invasion of the warmongering French revanchists.

So here it is - the Mother of All Battles has commenced on the central front! There is no space left for maneuver and finesses. The 1st and 6th Armies field in total over thirty divisions for this attack! The German HQ hopes that this critical mass will be able to eventually overcome the enemy. If the French lose here, it could only mean their ultimate defeat: The intilal wave destroyed three French divisions but the German casualties have been high aswell. This is a contest between the two modern armies and it seems that so far, is has been bloodier than any of the previous wars! Some contemporary intellectuals claimed not so long ago, that the modern weapons have become so powerful, that this fact would deter the world powers from waging a war. Unfortunatelly their idealistic ideas turned out to be very wrong indeed... So far, von Moltke is rather happy from was has been achieved by his armies. He firmly belives that the French won't have the stomach for a prolonged campaign. On the downside, it looks that the enemy is mobilizing very efficiently and despite taking constant loses, the actual number of the French units in the field has increased recently. Our intelligence tells us, that during the last turn, at least 10 new divisions have been mobilized! But the German armies in the West are expecting to receive significant reinforcements aswell and not all of our units are involved in the combat. There are still many turns left until the October and the German HQ may decide to strike somewhere else. Could that be Verdun, Alsace or maybe even eventually Belgium? Der Kaiser is capricious and moody leader sometimes and he may even decide against the rational advice of his field commanders. Let's wait and see... Nightmare of the French. The Germans are coming:

To be honest I rarely advance forwards when I'm faced with a solid defensive line. Not so much due to the trenches, but because the enemy will always be able to attack during his turn, taking an advantage of the prepared attack bonus. It seems that Bill has managed to construct a pretty solid defensive line along the Meuse and it will be interesting to see, if I'll be able to overcome it. For now, it seems that that the war of manoeuvre is over. It's understandable in any case - I attacked on a relatively narrow front with many rivers, hills and towns and the French reserves have been pouring in quickly. Right now, my only hope is to overcome the French with a brute force taking an advantage of the numerical superiority, which will be diminishig with time...

While the main forces of the First and Sixth Armies have been massing in front of the river Meuse, the Fourth Army in Luxembourg has been active aswell. More units are arriving to that front and a French division in Etain was destroyed. This is certainly a good news because the town lays on a direct patch towards the fortress of Verdun! In Alsace, a newly arrived enemy unit has been severely beaten and forced to retreat. Those French should learn, that making fun of the German national cuisine may sometimes cost them dearly! *** Apparently after hearing the British advances, the Kaiser was furious: "This war is a matter of principles and will decide the fate and security of our nation for the generations to come! If the British want us to withdraw from France, they should abandon their colony of India!"

As expected, on 12th of Agust the fortress of Toul has been captured after a heavy artillery barrage and a mass assault by the entire 1st Army! In the mean time the, sensing an opportunity, the 6th Army attacked St. Mihiel and a French division there has been pounded into dust. Our enemies are certainly scared by this image. The awesome numerical superiority of the German army is quite apparent from it. It is true that the French are moblizing frantically. France is much more militarized society than the peaceful nation of Germany With the population of 40 milion vs 72 milion of the Second Reich, it can call upon 80 infantry divisions vs our 87. Still, due to the high casualty rates, the advancing armies of Kaiser enjoy a considerable superiority that hasn't changed since the first day of this war: If it comes to the diplomacy, UK is being mobilizing slowly and it's readiness is now at 66%. The German intelligence estimates that the British DOW will take place somewhere at the beginning of September. Belgium will stay neutral unless attacked by either side ( we still remeber the ranting of some British commanders that if Germany won't attack Belgium, the UK will ). Our intelligence also indicates that the French hasn't been investing in the diplomacy. Not suprisingly - an UK diplomatic chint costs 150 MPP while the entrie French production is worth around 180 MPP...