White Sun: A Hearts of Iron Chinese AAR

[Thirdfain]

Losonti Tokash: Precisely! I think it may be possible in this game to avoid the German declaration of support for Japanese Manchukuo, and therefor keep Falkenhausen... Historically, he was a good friend of Chiang and left only on the threat of having his family declared traitors back in the Reich.

Adrian Laguna: It is for the AAR. However, I'd point out that I first began posting this on SDnet, not the Paradox forums. Not everyone here will understand the meanings of the counters, hence my decision.

Gandalf: A beige Asia? I think the color is more like a sort of pale yellow goldenrod

In any case, I will achieve the goal!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Kuomintang/Shanxi War
(Continued)
November, 1936

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:



The Chinese strength lies in it's people. More people, more strength. The logic is impeccable!

Nov. 12: At the front, the Center Front changes it's tactics. It is estimated that the Coastal Front forces will soon face a large force of Shanxi troops. At this time, it is deemed wasteful to march to Beiping. Rather, the Front will extend a column northwards to take Baoding and probe Beiping's defenses, forcing the Shanxi coastal force to worry about protecting it's rear. Then, the bulk of the Center Front will flank the Shanxi troops once they are engaged by the Coastal Front.



The offensive continues on-plan. As expected:



November 13: The enemy has concentrated it's force in Tianjin. This province is vital to the control of Beiping, and with it, the wealth of the Shanxi region. A strong offensive into Baoding breaks the Shanxi enemy quickly, but the Coastal Front is once more facing problems.



This is a serious issue.



Once again, superior numbers take their toll on the small Shanxi army. As the Center Front surges forwards, KMT forces pour into Tianjin from three directions.



Chiang loves those little messages. He intends on collecting many more.

Meanwhile, other units of the Central Front march into the rough terrain in which the capital of the Shanxi clique's holdings rest- the city of Tianyuan. Facing brief resistance from the dispirited warlord troops, the German von Falkenhausen begins the bloody march into that remote city.



November 18: It has only been fourteen days since the invasion of the Shanxi province. Already, victory seems near. There will be much celebration in Nanjing soon.

[Chris OFarrell]

Why do I get the feeling you're going to get the Northern flank secured JUST as the forces of Imperial Japan come crashing through the side?

[Thirdfain]

Chris OFarrell: Honestly, I think Shanxi will be long absorbed by the time Imperial Japan makes it's move.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Kuomintang/Shanxi War
(Continued Again, For Fuck's Sake.)
November-December 1936

November 20: Chiang wakes up not only to the tumultuous assault that is the morning breath of all forty of his concubines (being a generalissimo is hard,) but to very sad news from the front. Numerous peasants will likely be decapitated for this tragic turn of events:



This little fly in his ointment isn't doing much for his blood pressure, but the KMT's situation is not exactly tragic. The great generals of China are still kicking ass- they just so happen to be kicking less of it.



Elements of Von Falkenhausen's mountain group have fallen behind in the great German's quest for victory. His overzealous approach to asskickery seems to be the blame for the failure. A brief pause is called in the offensive as the rest of the Mountain Force arrives on-station for a renewed offensive.

November 28: The stragglers arrive to join Falkenhausen's main force. The cause for their tardiness seems to be clerical- it seems someone sold all their shoes and used the proceeds to buy another palace in Nanjing. Ah, the wonders of a Democratic Government!

Great violence is unleashed on the Shanxi armies in Taiyuan, with the Center Front joining in the party. Victory is assured!



Unsurprisingly, the enemy falls apart almost immediately. They move up reinforcements on the 30th, probably because the Shanxi government seems to be even more corrupt and incompotent than our own. The results are obvious:



Dec 2: The Center Front opens up a massive assault on the fortified city of Beiping. Numerical advantage lies heavily in the KMT's favor.



Dec 3: Remember the Interior Front? Over a dozen divisions have spent this entire time marching painstakingly over a mere two provinces, vast expanses of empty and worthless desert. The Ma troops feel right at home.

Their long march is nearing an end. The vital city of Jining comes under attack, and with most of the Shanxi army busy cowering in the coastal plain, the battle will be a short one.



Vastly superior numbers trump all other obstacles. The KMT and Ma forces stream into both targets after brief but vicious battles at both cities. Late on December 3:

[/b]

[Thirdfain]

The Fall of Shanxi
December 1936

December 12: Lead elements of Von Falkenhausen's mountain force arrive in Taiyuan. The capital of Shanxi...


OWNED!

The roads and maps around Taiyuan are a little sketchy (having been sketched by itinerant monks and bored eunuchs,) and the Von Falkenhausen's main force spends a day meandering along back roads. One general, however, gets lost and winds up stumbling into the city itself, well ahead of reinforcements:

Mj. General Wei Lihuan finds himself in command of three divisions, with nine or more Shanxi divisions right outside the city.



These forces counter-attack furiously, but are low on supplies and morale after previous defeats. The counter-attack is called off almost immediately, but more Shanxi troops are marching to reinforce the army at Datong. It will soon be large enough to overhwelm Wei completely...

December 13: ...Or not. The rest of Von Falkenhausen's army arrives that night.



Pussies.

The next few days consist entirely of waiting. Ma and KMT forces of the Interior Front spend the whole time marching doggedly across miles of horrible, waterless desert towards Jining. The rest of the KMT army basically watches the starving and demoralized Shanxi troops across the no-man's land, loudly eating and drinking the wealth of Shanxi Province while enjoying the (limited) charms of the few local peasant-girls who have not yet succumbed to beauty-destroying maladies like skin disease or pregnancy. Only Von Falkenhausen's forces have anything to worry about- what remains of the Shanxi army is being moved into position in Datong to retake the city of Taiyuan.

December 18: Cavalry forces surge ahead of the main Interior Force and ride through the streets of Jining in triumph.

Almost immediately, a broad counter-offensive is ordered. Shanxi troops storm into Taiyuan and Jining. The small contingent of cavalrymen pulls back almost immediately, but the back of the Shanxi army is broken in Taiyuan- after only a few charges into the machine-guns, the soldiers begin to mutiny and ignore the orders of their officers. The offensive breaks apart before most of the Shanxi units have even entered battle. The army is no longer willing to do the bidding of the Shanxi warlords.



That night, officers of the Shanxi military come forwards with terms and the heads of a few specified traitors to the Great Republic of China.

Before sunset,



The Delicious Spoils of War
"I knew there was a reason people did this!"
December, 1936

The Kuomintang-Shanxi War has brought a wide swath of territory back into the enlightened rule of the Great Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek. Additionally, it has brought a large number of peasants into the direct command of the KMT's army- and these peasants are largely pre-trained in the military arts!



24 new divisions, largely infantry armed with vintage weaponry, join the KMT army. Three of the divisions are cavalry- basically the same as tanks, as far as the Kuomintang is concerned. These divisions are all a little worse for wear, what with being all shot up by their new brothers-in-arms over the month and a half long conflict. However, it is sure that a little rice and water, and they'll be back in fighting trim.

The lands of the Shanxi Province are rich indeed- many miles of rice-paddies, howling plateaus, and arid deserts come under the Nanjing Government's direct control. There are even a couple provinces of actual worth:



With these lands back in Chiang's loving and tender care, the KMT now occupies most of China's most productive and useful territory. Only Yunnan to the southwest, the Communists in the center, and Japanese Manchuria to the north still ignore Chiang's requests for tax payments.



It ALL belongs to CHINA!

Goals
-Re-organize the Army into a more effective fighting force than it's current "Random Rabble" formation
-Upgrade land techs
-Lay the groundwork for the eventual construction of an air force
-Prepare for war with the Nipponese Menace!

[The Yosemite Bear]

where's that part about driving your enemies, taking their horses and land and boinking their daughters?

[fgalkin]

Well, you got Beijing in your hands now, which should make the Marco Polo Bridge Incident much more interesting

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[RIPP_n_WIPE]

This game looks awsome and I would love to play it. Do you know of any games similar to it that are free?

[2000AD]

Preperations schmeperations, look at that tiny band of orange, you can crush those commies easily, go on, you know you want to.

[wautd]

I didn't really like playing it, but I love reading about it

[PainRack]

As a mee-tooer, awesome AAR:D!!!!!

[darthbob88]

where's that part about driving your enemies, taking their horses and land and boinking their daughters?

That was the Great Khan. "The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters."

[Adrian Laguna]

This game looks awsome and I would love to play it. Do you know of any games similar to it that are free?

The only games similar to Paradox games are other Paradox games. If you have $20 to spare go buy Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday. It's the same as what Thirdfain is playing but with some extra stuff.

In terms of free grand strategy games I can recommend People's Tactics. I warn you it's nothing like HoI, but it's fun and completely free of charge. You can find a review over at The Wargamer, and can download the game from the official site.

[Imperial Overlord]

A question from frigid by way of me: Can you give allies some of your divisions and if so, how does that work?

[Ma Deuce]

A question from frigid by way of me: Can you give allies some of your divisions and if so, how does that work?

There are three ways to give control of some (or all) of your forces to another country (though bear in mind this is from HoI2: Doomsday, not the "vanilla" version):

The first is sending expeditionary forces: Using the diplomatic screen, when you have selected the country you want to loan your forces to, go the the "send expeditionary force" option, then select the desired units from the list. Once the units have been loaned to you ally, they will appears as that country's forces on the map, however you can still select them and give them orders (although the other player can override these orders and control them as their own units), and there is a new button available when the units are selected that allows you to recall the units any time (the player you loaned the units to can also return them to you in the same manner). When these units are loaned to an ally, any territory they conquer will be controlled by that ally, even if you were the one who ordered that conquest. (note: It's been a while since I've played HOI2 vanilla, so this may work a little differently in the original)

As of Doomsday, you can now also use the "open negotiations" option to outright give (or trade for) military units from an ally. Unlike the expeditionary force option, this option completely transfers control of these forces to the other player (as if they built them themselves) and there is no way to regain control of these forces again except by trading for them again the same way. Once the forces are transferred, they will not simply change allegiances on the map like expeditionary forces do; instead, they will go to that country's "force pool", and after a one-month waiting period the new owner can deploy these forces anywhere in their territory.

Another option is "assume military control" whereby one country can request one of their allies to give them complete control over their military forces (AIs almost never accept this request from you unless your country is considerably more powerful than theirs). Once one country has control over another's military, that control will be complete (the original owner cannot issue orders to the units like they can when they're loaned as expeditionary forces), and only the country to whom control is granted can relinquish it, however the original owner of these forces is still responsible for reinforcing them and building new units. AFAIK, this option works the same way in both Vanilla and Doomsday versions.

[Chris OFarrell]

*BUMP*

Damnit I want to see the damn dirty Commies knocked out already!!! I mean are you a tyrant general or aren't you??!!

[Thirdfain]

Everyone who's been following: I'm back! posts will resume immediately, I will put up 3, that's right, THREE posts today, to make up for the last lost month

Now, to respond to your comments:
The Yosemite Bear: That part comes later
fgalkin: Oh, you'll see just how interesting that gets!
RIPP_n_WIPE: Glad you like it! one of the reasons I am making this AAR is to sell more copies of Hearts of Iron sos that Paradox will make more games like it >:)
2000AD: I could crush the commies, but the fact is simple: Their army is great, and I need them as allies in the China/Japan war. I'll leave them be, and pray I don't regret my decision.
wautd: I will take that as a compliment
PainRack: Me-tooing is OK in these circumstances. Thank you!
Chris OFarrell: Just you watch. Allow me to assure you: Mao WILL get what is coming to him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Modernization of China
"The Boring Parts"
January-July, 1937

The Western New Year comes, but no-one cares outside of the international settlements in the coastal cities. China is too busy making itself badass to even notice.




January 10: It is the Time of Reckoning for the incompotent buffoons who stack the cabinet. We finally have alternatives, and with great verve and gusto, we take them!



Yan Xishan is deemed the lesser of the two evils- we keep the kleptocrat over the backstabber, seeing as we need lots of consumer goods to clean up the runaway dissent we have going on.

January 12: Dissent is starting to get pretty low and the factories in Shanxi are starting to produce their share, so we begin construction of some of our first new toys.



January 24: Franco finally finishes his great dream of a unified Spain.



Argh, what an unpleasant tan color. It reminds Chiang of Manchukuo, which immediately puts him in the foulest of moods. It is time, then, to re-organize the army and destroy half of that little problem.

Into April and May, further research is completed:

[Thirdfain]

The New Model Army
March-July 1937

The Kuomintang's least incompetent and best connected generals gather to re-organize the army into more modern lines than the current "howling rabble" system. To this end, the generals divide the Army into three forces- a regular army with the best experience and equipment, a reserve army consisting of those forces we can not at this time upgrade, and a "volunteer" army consisting of our very favorite peasant levies. The primary focus will be to stop our army from constantly over-running command limits.

The seven generals charged with the re-organization become known as the Seven Dragons- heroes to the chinese people. The Ministry of Propaganda has a field day with it, and soon cheap flyers are everywhere proclaiming the virtues of the great leaders organizing the KMT's defense against "Any potential future aggression, such as the kind Japan certainly won't be initiating any day now." It's bald, empty lies- most of the "Seven Dragons" are half-wits with limited experience, but at least it sounds good on the radio.

Each Army Group of the Regular Army consists of 5 corps of three divisions each, with three of the corps grouped together under the command of the AG general. One corps out of each AG has only 2 divisions, as it will be reinforced at a later date with a HQ division. Additionally, plans are underway to outfit one of the independent corps with additionaly brigades of artillery and AT guns, but such plans are relegated to the future as our current weapons technology, to use the common vernacular, "Sucks."



Three of the Seven Dragons command in the Regular Army.

The Green Banner

GBAG, the Green Banner Army Group, is deployed in Tianjin. This force of the Regular Army is under Pang Bingxun, a general of mediocre skill appointed because of his popularity in certain circles in Nanjing and due to his successes in the war with the Communists. It is named for the Green Banner Armies which served during the Qing Dynasty, groups of Han soldiers who fought with distinction in the service of the Manchus. As the current Kuomintang is largely ethnically Han Chinese, this name was chosen as a sign of honor. Plus, it sounds super cool. And maybe it's Chiang's favorite color.



The Center Front

CFAG, the Center Front Army Group, is deployed in Kalgan. CFAG is named for the victorious and strong Center Front which cut through the Shanxi province, and most of the divisions in CFAG were members of the original Center Front under Zhang Zhizhong. These experienced troops, the cream of the Kuomintang army, are lead personally by His Democraticness the Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek.



The Seven Dragons Army Group

The SDAG is lead by Chiang's close friend and favored subordinate, the German von Falkenhausen. Von Falkenhausen's career has been illustrious to say the least, and he is popular among the warlords because no one thinks that he has political ambition. His force is slightly larger than the other two Regular Army groups, as it is reinforced with the Kuomintang's only cavalry corps.



Chiang, Bingxun, and Von Falkenhausen are the first three of the Seven Dragons.

The Reserves

Resources are insufficient to equip every division up to the best modern standards. That being the case, thirty divisions are organized into the reserves. There are three Armies of the Reserves, each consisting of 2 3-division corps and 2 2-division corps. The Armies of the Reserves are deployed along the front, each one supporting one of the Regular Army groups.



These marvelous gentlemen are selected to lead this brave new force for freedom.



Serving as a sort of semi-independent auxiliary for the reserves is the army of the House of Ma.



Falkenhausen's old friend, General Fuzzyface, is in command of the Ma forces- but he is not considered one of the Seven Dragons.

Wan Fulin, Zhang Zhizhong, and Feng Yuxiang are the three Dragons in the Reserve Army. They are really pretty lame.

The Cannon Fodder

The Volunteers are "volunteered" en masse by crack KMT volunteering teams. They are masses of basically untrained peasants, armed with new farming implements and ancient rifles. They are not expected to be able to hold up to the rigors of combat very well, but the generals of the KMT recall the extreme difficulties involved in taking the Island of Hainan by sea. As such, the Volunteers are positioned to guard China's northern beaches. The Southern beaches go undefended- it's just too far for the enemy to go, you see!



Six divisions of Volunteers are ordered to the front- these penal divisions are assigned China's most inexperienced but promising Major Generals, in the hopes that the rigours of warfare will make them wiser, or at the very least kill them off before they become a problem for the establishment.



Three of these Special Divisions are charged with holding Beiping.

Lin Wei's Amphibious Force

Lin Wei- the beloved leader of China's infant marine corps. He is the least experienced and lowest ranked of the Seven Dragons, and is assigned to the province of Zhanjiang, where the KMT Navy is anchored, far to the south and hopefully out of the range of Japanese naval bombers.



This is it: 76 divisions of infantry, 3 divisions of cavalry, 19 divisions of militia, 1 garrison division, 13 divisions of the Ma family's best, and 7 Dragons of varying skill and efficacy, against the massed might of Imperial Japan!

[Raj Ahten]

Yay, new updates! I look forward to more, as this report is always a hoot.

[Thirdfain]

Raj Ahten: Your wish is my command!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Sino-Japanese War
World War 2 Begins in the East
July, 1937-?

July 2: WAR! Infuriated over some piddling bullshit issue about some drunken Nipponese getting lost on the wrong side of the Marco Polo Bridge, the Japanese government declares war. Chiang sees through their clever plan- it is clearly all just an attempt to gain a cassus belli for the complete conquest of China!

We are *not* amused.



The first waves strike the Japanese lines, and our generals are shocked at the unprepared nature of the Japanese border. Minimal forces are arrayed against us-


Except for that bastard Terauchi in the coastal town of Tangshan.

Despite massive numerical disdvantages, the Japanese hold in Tangshan. Pang Bingxun's Green Banner Army Group has not had it's headquarters delivered yet, so poor old Pang lacks the necessary typewriters, clerks, or bureaucrats to properly organize his force. Many of his divisions suffer from a lack of red tape and overarching totalitarian leadership- one of the first such lacks in Chinese history.

The National Army's best troops, those who do not suffer from over-stacking and insufficient leadership, look something like this:



However, your average Japanese division under Terauchi looks like this:



Essentially, front-line Chinese divisions are quite battle-hardened and experienced, but their leadership is weak and they suffer somewhat due to China's currently muddled political situation.

In comparison, a Japanese division is pretty much green, but is far better led and does not suffer from complications at home. Moreover, many of the Japanese divisions are reinforced with brigades of extra troops and equipment- like this one, with it's attached anti-aircraft units.

Each Japanese division is worth 25% more than a front-line Chinese division, and it should be obvious that much of the Chinese army is *not* front line.

After less a day of fighting, von Falkenhausen's strong Seven Dragons Army Group, along with our Xibei San Ma allies, surge into the province of Erenhot.



Lt. General Yuyuoshi's command is mauled, and three Japanese garrison divisions surrender to advancing National Army forces. An unknown number of Japanese escape northeast, their flags in disarray. Falkenhausen will continue his march into the highlands of Manchuria. Half a million men begin occupying the abandoned Japanese positions in Erenhot.

July 3: After a day of fighting, Chiang's personal Center Front breaks the Japanese lines. Lt. General Obata flees in disgrace, leaving the garrisons he commanded to the oh-so-tender mercy of the Generalissimo of China.



However, along the coast, Pang Bingxun has run into trouble- it turns out that Terauchi's vastly better led force, which *has* recieved a headquarters, is better off than even hardened troops under a mediocre waste of a uniform.

By the end of the day, and after only 36 hours of fighting, the entire Green Banner Army Group disengages.



In the air over Qingdao, massed Japanese bomber formations begin to pound Volunteer Army positions. the brave Chinese Airforce takes to the sky, intent on smashing the Japanese menace! The enemy bombers are unescorted, and our interceptors will tear them from the sky! Victory is assured!



Balls.

July 4: Only a day after Pang Bingxun's failure at Tangshan, a peice of good news arrives-



At least they'll finally get off their slimy asses and help us out a little!

The Unified Front

July 10: Pang Bingxun's army is re-organizing after it's swift defeat. The huge formations being moved into place to the west and north take time to get in position, so even after a week, the first few provinces have not been taken yet by the Seven Dragons and Center Front army groups. We will need co-operation among the army groups to break Terauchi's hold on the coast.

Chiang finally convinces the assorted warlord and commie trash that it is time to fight the Japanese as one(ish) nation. A Unified Front is forged, as the Nationalist and Communist leaders bury the hatchet and join forces to crush the Japanese menace!



Chang wisely buries the hatchet in a shallow hole, very close at hand.

[Scottish Ninja]

Awesomely hilarious, but one thing I noticed: is it possible to rename military units? It looks like you have done that, but I have no idea how, and it irks me to see something like "1st Battlecruiser Division" when I'm playing.

[Ma Deuce]

Awesomely hilarious, but one thing I noticed: is it possible to rename military units? It looks like you have done that, but I have no idea how, and it irks me to see something like "1st Battlecruiser Division" when I'm playing.

Select the unit you wish to rename, click on it's name and type away.

And as for the AAR, I'm expecting the Japanese to deliver a sucker punch in the form of a massive amphib assault as soon as they can muster it, probably in an area where the defenders are least prepared to deal with them (the AI has a knack for doing that), although I doubt that'll be soon enough to avert the impending mauling of the Kwangtung Army, or save Japan's Manchurian stooges.

[LaserRifleofDoom]

I love AARs. If I had time (and wanted to look like a copier) I would do one. Not for this game though.

But this is very awesome.

[Gandalf]

Looking good, Thirdfain. It makes me want to do my own Soviet one, though I doubt people would like an AAR without pics.

Awesomely hilarious, but one thing I noticed: is it possible to rename military units? It looks like you have done that, but I have no idea how, and it irks me to see something like "1st Battlecruiser Division" when I'm playing.

Select the unit you wish to rename, click on it's name and type away.

I've been playing the game entirely too much for the last two years, and I didn't know that.

[Losonti Tokash]

RIPP_n_WIPE: Glad you like it! one of the reasons I am making this AAR is to sell more copies of Hearts of Iron sos that Paradox will make more games like it >:)

And I daresay you have succeeded in this. I had never heard of the game until I read this and bought it a couple days later.

I'm tempted to make a Mexico AAR just so everyone can share in the sheer absurdity of seeing Mexico dominating the western hemisphere.

[InnocentBystander]

You get a cookie if you can get mexico to 100IC without cheating