After Action Reporter

February opens with the civil war raging, but by mid-February we had taken the Nationalist capital (their new capital is La Coruna in the North West) and effectively divided the Nationalist forces in two, with hopefully the Eastern group – where the former capital is, cut off from all supply.

A Nationalist counter-attack is held off with superior air power.

In the North the Nationalists try a massive counter-attack in an effort to close the divide our rampaging divisions created. Fortunately, airpower is available to assist as I pulled the troops being attacked North West of Madrid back a province.

Nationalist counter-attack in the north.

March 1938

A bold plan to end the war is hatched – a helter-skelter dash for the Nationalist capital. Rather than a single pincer movement we’re going to use three. This way units will be close enough to support each other should the Nationalists counter-attack or try to cut off our troops. So far, it’s looking rather good.

Come mid-March, this is just what happens, fortunately, nearby troops are available to bracket the counter-move while the rest continue the race to the Nationalist capital!

Nationalist counter-attack blocked

A few days later word is passed that Germany has absorbed Austria. In good news, however, we’ve developed some basic understanding of electronics and have begun work on calculating machines!

By March 25 the rush has managed to trap a few units behind our lines and the pace of our advance has kept the Nationalist on the back foot. There has been one successful counter-attack to the South of our advance,which is being taken care of, but otherwise, everything is progressing according to plan!

On March 30, La Coruna is taken by the 1st Infantry Division! Well done boys! Sangria and whores await you after the war is finally won! But it looks like we’ll need to keep fighting, the Nationalists aren’t done yet.

April 1938

April brings good news, the 4th Infantry Division is complete and is placed Sth West of Madrid to block the path of a lone Nationalist division which has been messing around, capturing provinces. In the North, our divisions are working to crush the remaining Nationalist resistance – heavily supported by our tactical and strategic bombers. Progress is surprisingly quick.

May 1938

The front in May is messy. The North sees the Nationalists squeezed into an increasingly small slice of land. Meanwhile, the centre is lousy with stray Nationalist divisions which need to be mopped up. if I had been more careful about establishing a strategic reserve this job might have been easier, but the job is getting done anyway and should be done by the end of the month.

May 1938

The civil war is close to over now. Haven’t I been saying that for weeks? Anyway, I’m certain that this is true now. Only a few pockets of resistance remain in the North East, and what there is left of the Nationalists are disorganised and low on supplies. On May 12, some of the Nationalist troops defect to our side.

Then, on the 25th of May, 1938, we get the news we had all been waiting for.

It had been a long and difficult war, with many lives lost on both sides. But with war over we must look to the future! The People’s Republic of Spain is united under a single cause, freedom, liberty and global socialism!

Read on! HOI3 AAR: Viva el Socialismo! – #4