After Action Reporter

Mopping up Portugal’s holdings is the name of the game now. By June 1943 we’re half way across Africa, we’ve discovered we can’t re-base to our friend’s ports (thus extending our range) and we’ve discovered that the Portuguese have recaptured the Azores somehow! Time to go take them back. Read more…

War! Huh! Wha is it good for?

Well, firstly, it’s great for CONQUERING PORTUGAL! Lets see if we can. Read more…

What will 1942 bring the Republic of Spain? Nothing good I am sure of it. In hindsight, thinking about 1941, it may have been a mistake to pursue medium armor tech. Light armor could do the job, and to take out heavier tanks, teching-up the anti-tank guns and ant-tank tanks would probably be a far cheaper way to go. As a small power it isn’t good for me to spread the tech research too thin, but what’s done is done, so let’s get on with it! Read more…

New Years celebrations in 1940  are muted. Fireworks, deemed entirely inappropriate, are replaced instead with the waving of small flags and the singing of patriotic songs expressing solidarity with the workers of the world. Read more…

It occurs to me that now would be a good time to contemplate the civil war campaign and to draw out some lessons learned. After much scratching of my chin I’ve come to the following conclusions:

• Making big stack divisions is great and all but one then lacks the flexibility of having small divisions (say, 2 brigades) mopping up enemy territory and closing pockets behind the main force. Small divisions would also be able to destroy trapped and out of supply units without taking away the combat strength from the front lines. When the army reorganizes some corps will be ‘light’ and ready to perform mopping-up duties.
• My troops aren’t terribly mobile. It’s time to get armored ad motorized units researched and built ASAP.
• Air power is extremely powerful. The tactical bombers could turn an even fight into an easy victory within a couple of days. We definitely need more of them too!

What do you think? Thoughts welcome! Meanwhile, on with the adventure.

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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.

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The start of the civil war sees the Nationalists control most of north Spain, but the Republicans control most of the fleet and all the units deployed to Madrid. The Canary Islands are largely ours, as are our small African holdings, but the Mallorca Island group has gone Nationalist.

We have a big job ahead of us. We must reorganize the military command structure, assign generals and devise a plan!

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Now that I’m 200 pages through various manuals, strategy guides, supplemental strategy guides, quick start guides and forum posts I’ve decided it’s time to write a Hearts of Iron 3 AAR. In this AAR I will be playing Spain from 1936 and taking them through the civil war and out the other side to join the glorious communist bloc! The Global Socialist Revolution has begun! Viva la Socialismo!

A Few Thoughts

I won’t be playing through this AAR with the aim of taking over the whole world – I find that sort of game story a bit tedious. Instead, I’ll be semi-roleplaying and trying to advance Spain, survive WW2 and join the Communist Bloc. That being said, I’m not going to be rushing into joining Comintern as soon as I’m able as that will result in a royal ass kicking from the Germans and Italians. Instead, I’ll play as opportunistically as possible. Read more…