Will95

Turn 53 The Spring has arrived. Let the bloodbath commence. A barrage of artillery came first- 4 guns. Next, the upgraded recon bombers overhead. Finally, airships provided extra recon. Then came the infantry waves. 2 German corps went down with a third reduced to 20%. Crucially, we also cleared the Strasbourg defense, although regrettably exposing one of our own to certain death. We tried to clear and occupy the Saar mines but were only able to destroy the defenders. In Italy, our counter-attack continued. Artillery and armoured proved highly effective, reducing two Austrian corps to 10% and 20%, and a German corps to 30%. At the end of this turn Italian armour reached level 2, a huge help. In the Middle East, we sent away our third HQ. He is needed on the continent to fight the Germans. Meanwhile the reinforcements have now arrived in full- 3 deliciously fresh corps. We didn't attack for obvious reasons. Norway is tipping very heavily towards the Entente. Question: will they cease to trade with me if they join (like Holland)? Sweden are being stubborn and still side slightly with the Central Powers. The US, however, is starting to tip towards us at a rapid rate, and now sits at 70% mobilization. We may have boots on the ground by Christmas!

So glad you guys are enjoying it! CP have indeed put up a tremendous fight, and I suspect this game will go on well into 1919 before a clear victor emerges... As for SOE, I'm sure there's a good chance we will return, yes

kjhksfdsfds

Turn 52 It seems the winter did little to slow the Central Powers counter-attacks. The damn snow refused to fall and we took further (French!) losses. Fortunately, our own counter-attack was just as brutal. Artillery facilitated the destroying of 2 corps, and the serious mauling of 3 more (20%, 30% and 50% respectively). We also gained an opening to take some pot shots at the German artillery. Our next objective is the Saar mines. Luckily for us, the snow arrived at the end of our turn, making any German counter-attack seriously blunted. In Italy, the Austrian offensive reduced a corps to 10% strength and destroyed another. Fortunately, the Italians are made of stern stuff (in this version of history, anyway ) and they reacted savagely to recent losses. We damaged several corps to half strength, destroyed a full Austrian corps and hit Von Straussenburg's HQ for a whopping 50% damage. The Austrians will regret setting foot in Italy! In the Middle East, we lost another corps. Our lines are stretched to breaking point, and it's really down to the artillery to do the heavy lifting. Fortunately our first reinforcement corps arrived this turn, and next turn will be joined by 2 more, and 2 more after that will follow up in the next month or two. It is time to break the Ottomans, once and for all. Also worth a mention, our Royal Marines who severed the Ottoman rail lines remain mostly healthy despite an Austrian cavalry attack. They should hopefully hold out for a while yet. Our diplomatic efforts were rewarded at the end of this turn by increasing US war readiness by 9%. Hopefully this is the start of a trend!

I mean this quite genuinely when I say that I'm afraid of my own sense of patriotism from causing me more harm than good- like, when deciding which unit to send to the front line to almost certain death, I have to catch myself before I just send a French unit instead of the British, who really ought to, as you say, shoulder a bit more of the burden The drop really hurt badly this year with all the losses being taken and the fall of Russia. Really glad you're enjoying the AAR, I'm afraid I'm probably not as descriptive or well-formatted as Ash, who tends to put more effort into these things, but I hope that hasn't impacted too much on the enjoyment!

1918 War Plan/1917 Summary Phew. We've made it to 1918. I honestly didn't think the game would go this far, but Russia's capitulation and some tactical missteps mean that Ash is still very much in this. French morale is now almost on a par with the Central Powers, the British have taken a pounding in the Middle East and the Italian reign of terror appears to be coming to an end. The War So Far Western Front Activity: 9/10 Tactical Success: 5/10 Strategic Success: 6/10 The Western front was a total bloodbath, no doubt about it. Casualties taken versus those inflicted are roughly equal, although perhaps marginally in our favour. And, if you compare front lines from December 1916 to now, you'll see that all we have to write home about is the taking of a Belgian town and the city of Luxembourg. Hardly a patriot-rousing headline. Italian Front Activity: 4/10 Tactical Success: 3/10 Strategic Success: 5/10 Very little was gained in this theatre this year, and we now face a defensive war. We lost 2 corps and have nothing to show for it, unfortunately. Eastern Front Activity: 7/10 Tactical Success: 1/10 Strategic Success: 0/10 Naturally there isn't much to say of this theater anymore. Russia and Romania are now both out of the war, although at least we inflicted a bit of damage before going down. Middle East Activity: 8/10 Tactical Success: 6/10 Strategic Success: 6/10 This theater was pretty hot in 1917, as we took Maan and Gaza, but not without paying for it pretty heavily. We lost some 3 corps here, but did a lot of damage to the Ottomans and some to the Germans. The Ottomans are also bleeding themselves dry in Basra in a fruitless attempt to dislodge the British. 1918 War Plan Western Front 1918 will probably play host to an un-glamarous slaughter in Germany/France. The French industry is big enough now to support even the most brutal loss of life without much of an issue. The British industry isn't quite as powerful, but still big enough to cope with serious losses. They also maintain a fairly high national morale. I'm investing in USA diplomacy to usher them into the war as quickly as possible so that they can be used either in the west, or, if they aren't going to achieve much there, I'll send them to the Middle East. I am also going to continue working on Swedish diplomacy with a view to getting them on the Entente side. This will provide me with a string of naval bases from which I will aggressively pursue the Prussian fleet. I have no reason to suggest that this fleet isn't still as bruised and damaged as it was after destroying the Russians, while the British fleet is healthy and strong (and our subs are all at 13 strength!). If I am feeling particularly audacious, I may also use Sweden as a launch pad for amphibious raids on coastal targets such as Koningsberg. Italian Front The long-awaited defensive war has finally arrived. It looks like the whole Austrian army, barring a couple of units in the ME, are being used to drive the Italians back. They have a surprisingly robust economy however, and well equipped troops, so I believe they can put up a pretty stiff resistance. Middle East Reinforcements in the form of 3 corps are currently en route to bolster our presence here. We will continue to push as normal, while also defending against the German threat to our flank. If Ash does decide to push up through the desert, he's going to find his supply dead in the water. Aquaba will probably be lost- nothing we can do about that. This might also be the theater where most US force gets sent. I don't think having extra troops in the West at this point would accomplish as much as forcing the Ottomans to back out of the war. I've mentioned the USA alot because, simply, I need them to join the war sooner rather than later. The German economy is strong and growing, and I'm no doubt going to be facing a large army that is almost entirely dedicated to the Western front come spring 1918. However, one needs to bear in mind that they will be building their army from scratch, while also simultaneously needing to research necessary tech. If memory serves, corps take 5 months to be build, and HQ's 3. So, let's say a minimum of 6 months is necessary to raise any kind of a task force worth sending, plus another month in transit while they get transported to the front line. Add in the fact that the US actually need to enter the war before army production can begin in earnest, and it is unlikely that the Americans will grace us with their presence until somewhere around Oct/Nov, meaning their effective military timetable will only really begin in 1919....Phew. A quick win is off the table then, eh

Turn 51 Winter is coming. Actually, it's here. And it's cold! Fortunately, it also blunts any and all offensive action, meaning that while we took no losses this turn, we were also unable to inflict any. Instead, we advanced where we could, dug in everywhere else, and upgraded our artillery. In Italy, little action. The only real action occured in the Middle East- our British HQ was chased all the way to Aquaba, and just escaped with his life. He was able to take a naval transport to safety, but the eastern flank of our troops remain exposed. However, a withdrawal from the line by Austrian troops mean we now occupy Gaza. A solid supply base is welcome in the desert. 1918 war plan inc!

Turn 50 The Western front is a complete bloodbath. Reminds me of the 1915 battles around Lemberg with the Russians and Austrians. Our advance was predictably blown apart, with 4 French corps going down, causing morale to sink to 50%. Fortunately, we have significant reserves who now fill the gaps. Our own counter-attack was good, but not quite as effective. We destroyed a corps, mauled a detachment to 20% and took down a corps to 60%. A new artillery piece has arrived to start working on the Strasbourg defensive line. There is a situation developing in Italy. This image is quite alarming: We have lost Maan in the Middle East, a serious blow. This was made slightly less painful however, by our attack on the Ottoman front line. It was surprisingly effective, moreso than the battle statistics suggested, and we destroyed 2 full corps. Austrians will now have to fill in the line, no doubt. More British troops are en route, consisting of 3 healthy corps, but it will be some time before they arrive, and Germans are now threatening my ME position. A little project I've been cooking to a while came to fruition last turn, although I forgot to take a picture. The rail line between Constantinople and Damascus/Jerusalem has been cut. It probably won't last long, but it will prevent Ash operating troops in or out. Sweden continues to slide our way, and the Brits get their first hit on advanced subs. I am currently the proud owner of no less than three 13 strength submarines- with sub tech, they could be quite fearsome, no? (I am genuinely interested, I know elite steps on infantry tend to function a bit wierdly in WW1, how does it work with naval combat?)

Turn 49 On the Western front we advanced across the entire line. We are braced for severe losses. One enemy corps was destroyed in the advance and another badly wounded. I have a lot of backup troops though, so the real question will be- how equipped are the Germans to launch a full scale counter-offensive? In the Middle East, our HQ is hit again, more xp lost, and the Brits are under intense pressure. Partisans are proving next to worthless in open combat. Also worth mentioning is that Ottoman troops have been sieging Basra for some time, but still have yet to do a lick of damage to our troops inside. On the contrary, they're bleeding themselves dry. In Italy, the Germans are beginning to advance and we lost a corps. Another corps is destined to go down fighting, trapped by action points in the mountains. A corps also went down against the Austrians. Time to prepare the defensive war! The Swedes have ceased to trade with the Prussians- huzzah! Now we turn our diplomatic attentions to the Swedes and Americans, whose entrance into the war should secure a victory. Another French tank has been ordered, and the British have begun producing their own armour, although not as technologically advanced- yet.

Turn 48 The Western front was remarkably quiet this turn, although we still destroyed one German corps. We also advanced the British around Luxembourg, as the Germans here don't seem strong enough to mount an effective counter attack. Next turn I hope to clear Luxembourg of German presence. We fired a few artillery shells into the Ottoman trenches but the effect was minimal, and we decided to reinforce rather than attack. Slow progress here is pretty frustrating, and clearly the situation calls for a lot more infantry than I currently have. Luckily, in about 5 turns time I should have another 3 corps here. I'm playing heavily at the diplomacy game, trying to strangle the German economy. Our diplomats are now working around the clock to get the Swedish on side. This is part of a more audacious plan- if I can bring the Swedes fully around and become part of the Entente, I will send a large and now very experienced submarine army to the Baltic with the aim of sinking the Prussian fleet, using Swedish naval bases to reinforce. But that could take a while...

Turn 46 The Germans clutch on to a sliver of Belgium as we destroy a single exposed corps and take another town. Elsewhere down the line we reinforced our damaged units, dug in, and hope to told the line (although notice how Luxembourg is in range of 3 (!!!) German artillery pieces). I'm awaiting the big reinforcement wave to arrive for the French, then we can push hard again. In Italy there is a significant German build-up out of Innsbruck. With too many mountains to fight over, we push towards the Austrians and hurt a HQ and an Austrian corps. In the Middle East the German push destroyed one of our most experienced British corps and damaged our most experienced HQ. Very annoying. Partisans are being armed and used in a front line capacity. Facing the Ottoman line is easier going, and we mauled two front line corps, but failed to destroy either. Norway is now trading with the British to the tune of 20 MPPs per turn. Hurray! The US preparedness movement is also beginning to make traction, and hopefully we can have American boots on the ground by May 1918.

Indeed. Much will depend on; - How quickly the Ottoman Empire falls (now that arty is in place and I have enough infantry to push) - How successful the Italians are in getting out of the Alps (horrible fighting territory, most of my troops are in low supply) and preventing the Austrians moving west - How my autumn offensive goes. I've got about 10 new French corps arriving throughout September and October so I'm expecting some pretty hot fighting around there.

Turn 45 Russia....is no more. On August 11, 1917, the country surrendered and divided into its many nation states. That's not to say it didn't give a kick and a scream before going down however- we even managed to destroy a German corps, and severely wound several Austrian corps. In the west, we once again smashed through the lines and pushed until we hit enemy artillery. Once again the German guns took a pounding from our infantry. Our numbers are wearing thin, but the line is slowly advancing, 3 more corps down. In the Middle East some attempts were made to counter-attack and they almost destroyed a British corps. Fortunately, they were unsuccessful- just. We counterattacked in turn backed by a force of artillery and destroyed an Ottoman corps. Another was brought lower still in strength by French naval forces. Hopefully next turn we can take Gaza. In Italy we surround Innsbruck. Norway slides further towards the Entente, soon they will be a valuable trading partner!

Turn 44 The Russians...have almost no fight left. After 3 hard years of fighting, their desire to continue fighting is very nearly spent. However, this didn't prevent them from exploiting an opening in the German attacking line, and surged forward , pushing back the enemy corps. Romania disintegrates. In Germany we destroyed 2 corps and opened another set of holes in the line through which we struck the enemy artillery. The tit-for-tat nature is taking its tole on French NM. In the Middle East, brutal attacks across the front. We destroyed the corps at Gaza but are unable to occupy for the time being. The corps adjacent to it also took serious damage. The German army we spied last turn moved forward in force and destroyed our advance corps, but took heavy damage doing it, allowing us to move up and destroy one of theirs in turn. We have also been waging a diplomatic war of late, focusing our efforts on Norway. This turn we even removed our raiders! They rewarded us by preparing to open a trade route to the UK. I decided a little while ago that continuing to fight over the Netherlands wasn't worth it with the Russians soon leaving the war, and I don't believe that Germany has the disposable income to switch diplo targets.

Turn 43 The slaughter on the western front actually stopped for a moment. The German guns no doubt needed a chance to reinforce after the battering they've taken, and the Entente advance was halted to allow reinforcements to close up the gaps. It wasn't totally silent though- we reduced a corps to 10% strength and retreated a cavalry unit outside Strasbourg. In Romania, troops surround Bucharest, but they are low on supply and we were able to counter-attack to good effect. Still, I'm just waiting for the anvil to fall. Interesting developments in the Middle East. The Germans guarding Jersualem were relieved, and Ottomans took their place. Unupgraded, de-entrenched Ottomans... The opportunity was too good to pass up. We advanced to find low strength units and attacked them for good damage. Artillery brings up the rear and reinforcements from Gallipoli are now arriving. Our advance out of Maan continues and found a significant German force waiting for them. Ottoman troops are also closing on Basra once again. However, I'm not too worried. Unless artillery is present (and without a good rail link, that's unlikely) he won't be able to shift me without taking massive losses. I've been quiet about the Italians for a while, but rest assured- this is just the calm before the storm. Next turn I will unleash half a dozen corps, two of which are elite, and an upgraded armour unit, all above 90% readiness and fully upgraded on Innsbruck. The Central Powers will begin to wonder where it all went wrong...

Turn 42 The western front is a battlefield unlike no other; 3 French corps go down defending their country (by invading someone else's). The British presence on the continent is now quite significant though, so any gaps can readily be filled, especially as the line shortens around key objectives. In a slightly hair-brained move Metz is handed over to French control to allow the British to move forward and deal good damage to enemy artillery. We also succeed in destroying 3 forward corps. Romania is the other major battleground, with Bulgarians and Austrians coming in from all sides. The Romanians are standing well, having yet to lose a full corps, but are taking significant losses, and morale is low as they hear news of Russia's soon-to-be capitulation. The Russians are just about hanging on for dear life at the Riga line, and the German advance has now arrived to meet them. Our attempt at a harrasment attack on exposed artillery was pathetically weak and succeeded only in removing our troops from their cosy trenches. The Italians reached infantry level 2 this turn, and so will take another turn to refit and re-arm before attacking Innsbruck. As they will be attacking without artillery, it is necessary that they have the best equipment possible. In the Middle East, as mentioned, the British are taking a pause. The Mesopotamian artillery has now arrived bringing us to a total of two batteries in this sector, coupled with a signficiant and experienced infantry army and several HQs. It'll take a few turns to get everything in position but we will soon be advancing on Jerusalem. The French increased their mobilization this turn, a tech I've been nursing for a while, and which will be of immense help to our somewhat sluggish tractor-tanks to boost their mobility. I'm not exactly hoping for blitzkrieg tactics but 4 AP instead of 3 ought to be a nice boost The race is now on to do as much damage as possible before Russia is wiped out. It's NM is collapsing fast and will probably be out of the war by October. The Central Powers are probably going to go down fighting, but they still have a large army, and I'm a tad worried that the Austrians and Ottomans have gone through 1917 without many losses to speak of. Let us see what happens as we reach the tail end of summer, more brutality is in store for both sides no doubt!

Turn 41 Death and destruction continue on the Western front. Two more German corps crumble under the Entente advance, once again spearheaded by infantry and backed by waves of artillery fire. And indeed, once again we break through to strike the German artillery in the rear. We have almost driven the Germans out of Belgium... The Russians sit in their trenches, shaken, frightened, but firm- for now. Here is a image of the Gallipoli invaders as they disembarked. The campaign has come to an end. What did it achieve? Well, the most significant impact was introducing Romania into the war. Even if they prove to be nothing more than a stumbling block, it's just another delay to the sending of Central Powers troops from the east to the west. Crucially, it also caused Ottoman morale to come crashing down. What did it cost us? Relatively little. The Belgians are now out of the war entirely but this was to be expected, and frankly, they lasted a lot longer than I could ever have hoped. However, after several years of fighting along the peninsula, our soldiers are waving goodbye to the distant sights of Constantinople, and heading for Port Said.... Finally, we have taken the town of Maan. We will take a brief pause to rest (poor supply has damaged readiness) and gain valuable elite reinforcements before pressing on northwards. The Gallipoli troops will join the main front line and push from the south. The Germans will become trapped, and we will celebrate Christmas in Jerusalem. In Romania, the fighting has a note of lethargy about it- both sides are weak, low on morale and few in number. Romania will fall- there's no doubt about that- but it will hopefully take some time and a lot of Austrians to bring it about. The French, having now enlarged their army significantly and purchased some armour, are turning towards the skies for further breakthroughs. Both airships and ground attack aircraft gained a tech level this turn. Powerful airships will allow us to hit the German where it hurts- in the wallet.

More people voted Rome 2 as the best turn based strategy game over SC...I demand an inquisition?! Rome 2 isn't even a real TBS...

Turn 40 The Western front once again heated up with a three pronged attack. Starting in the north, we destroy a corps in low supply to gain a little morale bonus and open a gap towards the enemy artillery, which charging cavalry were able to exploit to devastating effect. Further attacks from the south through Luxembourg opened the hole wider and landed even more hits on the arty. Finally we attacked in the south, blowing away an enemy corps and advancing alongside Belfort. The German forces in Russia are nowhere to be seen right now, which gives us a little time to prepare a defense. It's a pretty pathetic defense but a defense nonetheless, and the Riga river will hopefully give us some much needed cover. Troops from the Caucus have been operated in to bolster the presence. The Italians (the only nation whose national morale is actually _increasing_) seized another town. The road to Innsbruck is open, and armour has arrived to help out! The Germans are somewhat well equipped to deal with armour, but the Austrians aren't going to know what hit 'em... Just to rub salt in the wound, the French reached a new level in shell production. With 3 artillery pieces on the western front, that's a lot of shelling...

Turn 39 I expected a backlash to my advance into Germany, but nonetheless the counterattack was stinging. 3 corps were lost, including the troops guarding the mines. Fortunately, the Germans made no advance of ground. So, in the spirit of the new war plan, I decided to make lemonade from my metaphorical lemons and push the offensive in the new spring weather. And by golly, did we push. The troops guarding Luxembourg were destroyed utterly by the French armour in their first action in months, once again proving themselves highly resilient. We occupied the city and struck the artillery guarding it. Just northwards in Belgium, we broke a gap in the enemy line and snuck forward to strike the HQ for 40% damage. It has also been decided that the troops in the south along the Belfort front have been sitting idle long enough. New artillery and armour divisions were moved here, and Strasbourg is the target. Can the Central Powers hope to stop a three pronged attack along this front?? In Gallipoli though, things are not quite so good. We have pulled back from the town and British high command now considers whether to make a full scale withdrawal. One the one hand, this would free up British troops for a proper attack on Jerusalem. On the other, it would also free up a lot of Ottoman troops to defend it. However, I'm feeling increasingly claustrophobic on this peninsula and I think I may have done all the damage I can do. My thinking originally is that I'd open up a sizeable gap to allow troops to flood through, but I underestimated the Ottomans army size. Right now it's too easy for Ash to keep me bottled up when I could be making good ground elsewhere. Elsewhere was business as usual, so no screenshots.

1916 Summary/1917 War Plan This year has definitely had it's distinctive ups and downs, so let's break it down, shall we? The War Thus Far Western Front Activity: 7/10 Tactical Success: 6/10 Strategic Success: 7/10 The Western front definitely hotted up in comparison to 1915, but it wasn't all rosy. We took much of Belgium including the mines and the capital, which were our main objectives, but we were beaten back from Luxembourg by strong German resistance. We traded a lot of blows and looking back, I think the Entente still came out ahead, but it was a heavy price to pay for relatively little land gain. The shortened German line has proven to be pretty tough to crack too. Italian Front: Activity: 4/10 Tactical Success: 9/10 Strategic Success: 4/10 The Italians quietened down after the taking of Trieste, mainly due to their lack of artillery. Without the ability to break down the thick Austrian entrenchments there hasn't been much action to speak of in this sector. However, whenever action has occured, it has always been in favour of the spaghetti-eaters and they remain the only country in the war to have not lost a single land unit. Eastern Front: Activity: 9/10 Tactical Success: 3/10 Strategic Success: 1/10 Save for the one offensive in August which saw the beginning of the end for the Russian military, this sector was a disaster. A predictable one, but that doesn't make it sting any less. Any and all land gains we made, such as the Lemberg fortress, were lost, and most of the army has now been destroyed. The Austrians exacted a brutal revenge on our retreating troops in the south but appear to have stalled for now. The same cannot be said of the Germans, who rampage through Russia and have more or less single-handedly brought the country to its knees. Middle East: Activity: 8/10 Tactical Success: 6/10 Strategic Success: 7/10 There are three main theaters to the ME: Gallipoli, Egypt, and Basra. Each one fared roughly similarly; the Gallipoli salient has turned into something of a quagmire where Ottomans and British exchange troops. The introduction of German artillery to the mix has begun to tip things against us however. In Egypt we are slowly but systematically taking down Ottoman NM targets with few losses, and the defenders of Basra heroically protected the oil fields from Ottoman advances, but lost Baghdad before it could be reinforced. War Plan 1917 Western Front I believe the war will be won or lost here. Another French armored unit and a fresh artillery unit both arrive in March to supplement our large infantry forces here. It's going to be a real clash of the titans battle, but my objective for this year is to push forward, seize the German mining industry and retake Luxembourg. A brutal year awaits. Italian Front Italian armour is due to arrive later this year to support its experienced infantry army. I'm hoping to apply pressure to the south of Germany/Austria and push towards Innsbruck, meanwhile working on building up artillery so I can start pressuring the main Austrian line facing Trieste again. Eastern Front The Russians are done. It has taken a long time, and a lot of German blood, but the Russians are really on their last legs now. If they can just survive into the summer, I'll call that something of a victory. The longer I can keep German troops tied up here, the better. Middle East This is becoming an increasingly important theatre. I want to finally take Maan, so I can free up the three corps currently besieging it. Then, using the British artillery, I will push up towards Damascus against the German troops currently guarding it. Gallipolli will continue to be a battleground no doubt, and I am going to send the artillery currently at Basra there to help hold the line, as well as further infantry reinforcements. Ultimately however, all theaters will become something of a sideshow compared to the western front. As the French industrial behemoth continues to grow and the Germans begin redeploying their highly experienced units from the east to fight them, this is going to be the area to watch.

Turn 38 Not much activity to report this turn due to snowy conditions, but to give a brief sum up before I make my war plan; The western front saw a general advance across the front. The line is now shortening such that there isn't much distinction to be made anymore between the Belgian offensive and the Metz line. Significant French reinforcements have considerably thickened the line here, and more Brits arrive shortly as well. In Russia no change to the disintegrating line. In Gallipoli an interesting situation is that the Ottoman capital is now isolated- both rail links from the north and south have been cut. New Brit reinforcements and the ability to launch my 'jack in a box' Royal Marines have stabilized the position a bit. On to the war plan!

Turn 37 We round off 1916 on a broadly positive note. The Western front saw the destruction of a German corps in Alsace, but elsewhere we just reinforced or cautiously advanced in anticipation of snow. The Austrians appear to be gearing up for an assault on Romania, so in a feeble attempt to draw away some attention, the Russians attacked out of Kursk, forcing back a corps holding a nearby town. The main line is now disintegrating and Brusilov will soon go down fighting with his men. The one small consolation is that the Germans have paid dearly in their own blood to break our defenses here, and it will take both time and MPPs to refit, rearm and finally operate them to the western front. The Gallipoli front is unsteady, with very few troops to hold the line. However, we were able to severely damage one Ottoman corps to very little losses, and used the Belgians to cut the railway link to the capital. On the main middle eastern front, having beaten back the German advance, we are stabilizing once again. An Ottoman detachment was wiped out and we hope to take Maan shortly. Over the last few turns Ash has committed to an advance on Basra with Ottoman forces, and I now find myself quite literally with my back against the wall. However, I have artillery and he does not. As long as my detachment holds formation so as not to expose the HQ, I believe I can hold out here indefinitely. Artillery salvos and infantry based attacks have seriously weakened the enemy here. Soon we will be into 1917. I honestly didn't think the game would last this long, but Ash is putting up a tremendous fight and I think it would be naive to say that the outcome is sealed. Although NM for the western entente soars at 30-40% higher than the Germans or Austrians, the combat lines are roughly even. War plan incoming after next turn!

Turn 36 The Central Powers are showing remarkable resolve across all fronts, and not for the first time, the Entente is caught with a series of painful attacks. In Russia, the line is breaking, the Tsar has abdicated and the military is deserting. Artillery has been pulled away to the line to Riga, where we will try to form another defense. The Western front also saw action, with a French corps destroyed opposite Luxembourg and a British unit forced into retreat. However, a devastating artillery barrage followed by British counter-attacks brutalised the German front line, battering two units there into near submission. In Belgium we took Antwerp and destroyed a German corps. The Gallipoli campaign took a turn for the worst with the loss of a British corps here due to the presence of German artillery. As this area won't give me the benefit of snow to refit and re-arm, the situation could rapidly get ugly. British troops are en route to hold the line. In the Middle East Maan comes close to falling, but the main action came from a German advance out of Jerusalem. We lost an elite corps, but an artillery salvo followed by infantry and cavalry follow-ups lead to the destruction of a German corps and the severe wounding of two others. In Italy, we siezed Trento. The first Italian armoured units are also due to arrive shortly. The German morale finally dipped below 50% this turn, which will put a strain on resources as MPPs have to be diverted to keep fighting spirits up. I'll post a 1917 summary/war plan soon!

Turn 35 Back from my little excursion into Europe (in real life) and back into the brutal fighting of the western front! (not real life) In the west, new French corps bolstered high command into pushing for a renewed advance into the Ruhr. The French guns originally sent to Italy have been repositioned on this front, together with a strong armoured presence from the French. My aim is to hold onto the mining complex and the fortress at Metz until winter arrives, at which point I will have enough reinforcements to push back the German line. Further north we assaulted the Antwerp fortress, and will storm it with French troops next turn. In the east, the situation is grim. A front line HQ was lost and our three front line cities are now in a critical situation. New reinforcements were sent here but it may not be enough to hold the line. Minsk in particular is in a bad situation and will likely fall shortly, forcing a full scale retreat lest we be outflanked. In Italy we have begun to pressure the Austrians once again with a surprise attack on Trento, weakening the detatchment there significantly. The Gallipoli peninsula saw further action and the destruction of a Belgian corps. Soon, the Belgians will be truly out of the war- but fortunately the British are putting on a splendid display and struck an Ottoman corps, wounding it severely. In the Middle East we continue to advance on key NM objectives and assaulted the town of Maan. Before 1917 arrives I expect to have taken both Maan and Medina, and in doing so hopefully send Ottoman morale into free-fall. With the primary western powers now beginning to reach their peak of technology, industry is being diverted increasingly towards production. 1917 will be the year of the tank...