Home before the leaves fall - A Guns of August diary

[BYU 14]

Guns of August

After so long with no solid WW I games for the computer, Matrix has released a couple in the past year and a half. The newest, WWI La Grande Guerre is still not stable on my system after trying the latest demo, so I am going with the older Guns of August, released July of 2007. It is not as deep, but the AI is challenging and management of your war resources is critical, especially in relation to offensives, which can bog down and leave you vulnerable if not managed wisely. I will be playing the Entente and only making one historical change by having Romania favor the Central Powers as opposed to the Entente at the outbreak of war as they did historically.

The game is not heavy on Air or Sea combat, though both occur and do influence aspects of the war. An advantage in the air on a given front provides you better recognizance and artillery spotting. Meanwhile superiority in a sea zone helps shipping and troop movement. The main focus of course is the bloody trench war fare and advancing your technology to break the stalemates, which gives many options 1n altering history, but opens up potential exploits as well. Once the game starts, historical events will occur as they did, but you can sway some nations from their historical path through diplomacy and you have no restrictions on how you choose to fight the war, within the historical limitations that existed (I.E Serbia and Belgium have few resources and come under heavy pressure early)

A turn covers basically two or three months of the War and consists of the following.

1-Interphase: During this phase you make strategic choices, allocating industry, research, refits (reinforcements) declaring war or making diplomatic overtures. All Sea and Air combat in contested regions takes place after this phase.

2-Activation phase: Activate any HQ’s that have offensive point available (this allows you to attack and/or occupy enemy territory. Management of these is critical as once you run out you have no offensive capabilities for the armies in that HQ’s control radius. (You do not have to activate HQ units with points available of you do not want to launch an offensive)

3-Order phase: All Troop movement takes place during this phase including attacks, rail and amphibious movement. You also order Artillery barrages, Gas attacks and entrenchment during this phase.

4-Resolution phase: Movement is carried out simultaneously, Barrages are launched and battles are resolved in contested Hexes and finally any retreats are carried out if applicable.

(Phases 2 through 4 are the impulse phases and carried out to 2-4 times each turn)

That is it in a real simple nutshell, now off to war.

[BYU 14]

Franz Ferdinand has been assassinated and tensions between Serbia and Austria-Hungary have escalated to the point that Austrian troops are now poised to invade. Germany has begun to mass along the borders of Belgium and Luxemburg, spurring France to mobilize its troops while England threatens to intervene if Belgium is indeed invaded. To the East Russia has also begun to gather its forces after warning Austria that any aggression would be met with the same. The United States condemns the pending military action, but declares strict neutrality, while the Ottoman empire (Turkey) expresses it’s hope that bloodshed can be avoided, but also pledges to support the Central powers if push comes to shove……All hell is about to break loose!!

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – No industry points (War time economy has not kicked in)
Russia – No industry points
Britain – No industry points
Serbia - Has 1 industry point and elects to order munitions for Artillery.

Personnel/Machinery
France – With 19 Infantry and Cavalry units in training the French add 4 Artillery regiments to their training queue as Germany is has an advantage here according to intel.
Russia – Has no resources to recruit, but currently has over 50 regiments in training, they will be fine for a while.
Britain – With 20 ground units in training, Britain adds an Artillery brigade and an HQ to the queue.
Serbia - Not much at all to start with, if I keep them alive until 1915 it will eb an achievement.

Air Power
France – Allocates 2 squadrons to the Western front for observation purposes
Russia – Allocates 1 squadron to the Eastern front
Britain – Sends 2 squadrons to the Western front
Serbia – What Air Power

Reinforcements/Refits
France – N/A
Russia – N/A
Britain – N/A
Serbia – N/A

Naval Orders
France – Cognizant of the peril faced by Serbia, France sends 6 warships to both the Eastern and Western Mediterranean to clear a path for possible troop movements
Russia – With limited Naval resources Russia elects to patrol the Baltic seas with its entire Navy of 6 warships
Britain – With the most powerful Navy of the Entente, Britain establishes shipping and amphibious landing routes in the North Sea, under the protection of 4 Dreadnaughts and 3 destroyers. They also assign a patrol of 8 Warships to the treacherous North Atlantic
Serbia – See Air Power, no Navy to speak of.

Diplomacy
France – No Diplomacy points available
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – Has 1 point available and invests it into Artillery research
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

[BYU 14]

Military Phase
War in the Skies
Currently the Central Powers outnumber the Entente 4 Squadrons to 2 on the Western front and 2-1 on the Eastern front. No air armaments are in play and we have 1 recognizance point on the Eastern front.

War at Sea
A German U-boat damages 1 transport in the North Sea. In the Eastern Mediterranean The French (2 Dreadnaughts, 1 Battle Ship and 3 Destroyers tangle with the Austrians (2 Dreadnoughts, 1 Cruiser, 1 Destroyer) as the first shots of the war are exchanged in anger. All four Dreadnoughts involved take damage, but no ships are sunk as the pitched battle lasts over several days. Currently the Atlantic and Baltic are controlled by the Central Powers, while the Entente control the North sea and the Western Med. The Eastern Med is contested and there is no action in the Black sea.

Ground Fighting
Western Front
First Impulse – The Germans launch an offensive in the Belgian city of Liege and attempt to capture the city after an artillery barrage but are repelled by the Belgians, who suffer heavy losses. South of the city Germany routes the ill-prepared Belgian forces and moves into an advantageous position to cut Liege off. They also march unopposed into Luxemburg, which falls into German hands with nary a shot fired.

Second Impulse – Fighting heats up mid month as Germany shells the trenches along Verdun and France retaliates with even heavier barrages from Verdun extending to the German forces south of Liege. As the shelling ceases, the German divisions attempt to circle behind Liege, but are met with heavy resistance from three divisions under Lanrezac and thwarted. Lanrezac counters, an ill-advised move that leaves his armies battered and weary. In a bold move by the French, General Cary attacks German forces occupying Luxemburg and retakes the Country in bloody street to street fighting.

Third Impulse - Germany withdraws from Liege and then proceeds to unleash a barrage against it, inflicting heavy losses. France counters with another round of heavy shelling of German forces south of Liege. Luxemburg also comes under fire as Germany masses for a new offensive on their borders. A final series of German artillery attacks take place along the front around Verdun and the French respond in kind. Liege is contested as both the Entente and Central powers move to secure the city, with General Ruffey gaining the edge leading French and Belgian divisions. General Dubail attempts to break the German lines with an eye on driving to Stuttgart, but is rebuffed, suffering heavy losses in the process, while inflicting moderate casualties on the German defenders. When the smoke clears, Verdun lies in the hands of German forces.

Eastern Front
First Impulse – General Rennekampf leads 3 Russian infantry and 1 cavalry division into Germany along the Baltic Sea near the town of Konigsberg where they are stonewalled by German troops, with minimal losses to both sides. German troops then counter attack Rennekampf’s men and are routed in bloody fighting, that sees an entire German division nearly wiped out. Near the border of Austria and Romania General Brusilov leads 7 infantry divisions into the Austrian town of Czernowitz where they encounter resistance in the form of two Austrian divisions, who they destroy with only moderate losses themselves, capturing Czernowitz in the process.

Second Impulse – Shelling is light along the Eastern front, with the focus being on German troops entering Russia, who come under fire from Artillery under the command of General Samsonov, who then attacks the invaders and succeeds in halting their march towards Warsaw. Near Lublin three divisions under the command of General Plehve repel a singular Austrian division, with horrific consequences for the attackers, though they fail to drive the Austrians from the village, which remains occupied.

Third Impulse – Russia unleashes sporadic artillery barrages all along the Eastern front, as far south as Lublin, up through the Thorn salient and finally extending to the shores of the Baltic Sea around Konigsberg. Germany, with designs on Warsaw continues the offensive against Samsonov’s divisions in the Thorn salient, but suffer horrific losses in the process. The continuing battle of Konigsberg yields similar results as Rennenkampf’s can not be driven from German soil in fierce fighting. Fighting in Czernowitz also continues, with a combined force of Austrians and Germans taking a pounding from the human wave that is the Russian army.

Balkans Theater
Third Impulse - Belgrade comes under fire from Austria as multiple divisions prepare to assault the city. Serb forces do not wait for Austria to attack and launch an offensive against forces south of Belgrade, successfully driving them back, but losing the city from the North in the process.

[BYU 14]

August Summary
The leaves will be falling next month and it appears the only way anyone will be going home anytime soon is on a body bag. The losses for the first month of the war are staggering. As the month grinds to a halt, the Ottoman Empire declares war on France and England joining the Central Powers.
The Entente – 336,000 killed in action and missing
The Central Powers – 452,000 killed in action and missing

The Entente currently includes France, Russia, Britain, Belgium and Serbia. All nations are excellent with the exception of Serbia who is weak after only one month. The Central powers (Germany, Austria and the newly arrived Ottoman Empire) are all in excellent shape as well. Overall the month ends with the Entente holding a slight edge in the war (23 Victory Points)

August News Recap
Aug 1. Italy declines to join the war, because the war is an aggressive one
Aug 2. England assures France that British fleet will stop German fleet if latter attacks French shipping
US President Woodrow Wilson declares policy of US neutrality
Aug 8. Switzerland mobilises and proclaims state of siege
Aug 10. South Africa: Germans raid Cape Colony, but abandon Swakopmund and Luderitz Bay
Aug 13. East Africa: British naval forces bombard and raid Dar-es-Salaam
Aug 14. Russia: Proclamation promising reconstruction and autonomy of the "Kingdom of Poland"
Aug 15. Japan: Ultimatum to Germany demanding evacuation of Tsing-tau
Aug 20. East Africa: Taveta occupied by the Germans: Uganda Railway attacked
Aug 20. Rome: Death of Pope Pius X
Aug 21. South Africa invaded by German troops
Aug 23. Tsing-tau blockaded and bombarded by the Japanese
Aug 23. Japan declares war on Germany
Aug 25. Cameroons: Tepe occupied by the Allies
Aug 26. Togoland conquered by the Allies
Aug 29. Cameroons: British reverse at Garua
Aug 29. Samoa: German portion occupied by New Zealand troops
Aug 30. Cameroons: British occupy Nsanakong

[BYU 14]

The more condensed Western front will likely become a Meat grinder in short order, while the vastness of the Eastern front should mean more skirmish type fighting. As you can see in the Balkans (Lower center) Serbia is in a world of trouble. Britain meanwhile, stands poised to begin shipping troops to the front.

[BYU 14]

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – 8 industry points – I allot them to HQ (1), Arms Refit (1), Diplomacy (1), Artillery munitions (1), Research (1) and Trench Tech (1)
Russia – 2 industry points – I allot them to Artillery munitions and Trench Tech.
Britain – 7 industry points – I allocate them to Arms Refit (2), Diplomacy (2), Research (2) and Artillery munitions (1)
Belgium – 6 industry points, I assign 5 to Arms refit and 1 to Trench Tech.
Serbia - Has 1 industry point and I assign it to Trench Tech.

Personnel/Machinery
France – I commission 2 Artillery units and 2 Cavalry units for training.
Russia – I commission 2 regular and 2 siege Artillery units for training.
Britain – I commission 2 Artillery units for training.
Belgium – None available
Serbia – None available

Air Power
France – I allocate 2 more squadrons to the Western front
Russia – No reserve Squadrons available
Britain – No reserve Squadrons available
Belgium – No reserve Squadrons available
Serbia – Nothing resembling a Plane

Reinforcements/Refits
France – I refit Generals Dubail and Lanrezac with 1 offensive point each and call up 24,000 reinforcements to the Western front.
Russia – I refit General Rennekampf to hopefully get one more small push into Germany and send all 48,000 reinforcements in reserve to the front.
Britain – N/A
Belgium – N/A
Serbia – N/A

Naval Orders
France – I leave my patrols in the Eastern and Western Med Seas intact and assign 3 transports to shipping duties in the English protected North Sea.
Russia – Germany has an increased presence in the Baltic, so I send all 6 of Russia’s warships on patrol to look for them.
Britain – I assign 6 transport ships to the North Sea as I prepare to ship troops to Dunkirk.
Belgium – No Navy
Serbia – No Navy

Diplomacy
France – No Diplomacy points available
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Belgium – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – 1 point available and I invest it in Airplane research.
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Belgium – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

[BYU 14]

Military Phase
War in the Skies
Air Power is now even on the Western front with both the Entente and Central Powers at 4 Squadrons each. Germany still outnumbers Russia 2-1 on the Eastern front. I have 2 recognizance points on the Western front.

War at Sea
In the North Sea we trap a German Destroyer and send it to Davy Jones locker as the Dreadnoughts King George and Bellerophon deliver the fatal blows. 4 German and 3 Russian warships exchange fire in the Baltic, without consequence. In the Eastern Med French and Austrian warships go at it, with the French Dreadnought Courbet and the Austrian Battleship Habsburg both taking heavy damage in a lengthy battle that stretches well over a week. In the North Atlantic the German Cruiser Blucher sinks a British transport full of goods. The Brits also suffer a U-Boat attack in this region with a transport taking damage.

When all is said and done, the Entente now controls the North Sea and Western and Eastern Mediterranean Seas, with the Central Powers in control of the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Black Sea has yet to see any warships.

Ground Fighting
Western Front
First Impulse – The battle for Liege rages on as Germany rains shells down on the French in an attempt to soften them up. The French respond with a fury, blasting away at the German forces outside of the town, with both sides taking losses significant losses in the onslaught. German forces then storm the city again and again they wrest control away from the French, who suffer huge losses in the fighting. The Germans then turn their attention to Luxemburg, obviously not content to let the Entente wrest the tiny country away, they commence a concentrated Artillery barrage, followed by a ground offensive that drives the French back, again with heavy casualties. The French unleash more Artillery focusing on Verdun and points south, where it is clear an offensive is coming.

Second Impulse – After landing at Dunkirk, Haig and the British 1st and 2nd Infantry and 1st Cavalry move along the coast towards Antwerp, in an attempt to flank the German forces occupying Liege. This area around Liege continues to be the most hotly contested on the front as the Artillery barrages commence once again, with the Germans concentrating heavy fire on battered French forces. France responds around Liege and Verdun, but with nowhere near the ferocity of the Germans. As the shelling stops, France makes yet another push into German territory near Strasbourg with mixed results. Dubail’s troops make great strides against the outnumbered Germans close to the City, but suffer egregious losses trying to push back Germanys southern most flank on the front. Despite the heavy shelling, neither side initiates any ground attacks around Liege.

Third Impulse – The end of October brings heavy rain along the western front and only German Artillery is active, continuing to shell Liege and points south past Verdun. The French brace for an anticipated attack near Liege as the first British forces under the command of Haig finally arrive in Antwerp and establish a position near the northernmost point of the Germans. The only Entente ground operations take place MW of Strasbourg as Castelnau joins Dubail in the offensive to establish a foothold on German soil. The battle is grueling as the Germans falter, but it is clear that France can not push much further due to fatigue.

Eastern Front
First Impulse – Lublin continues to be contested, with an Artillery division under Plehve shelling the occupying forces from Austria relentlessly, while simultaneously unleashing similar barrages against Konigsberg and in the Thorn salient. German and Austrian guns in the east are surprisingly quiet throughout the shelling. As quiet falls upon the front once again, Rennenkampf makes another push towards Konigsberg and gains ground, rolling over the outnumbered Germans along the way. Even more alarming to the Central powers, is the push by Brusilov along Austria/Romania border as he has been ordered to try and reach Serbia to relieve pressure on the embattled troops. He pushes well into Austrian territory with minimal resistance.

Second Impulse – Shcherbatchev takes the lead on the offensive into Austria along the Romanian border in the March towards Serbia. This could stalemate the CP advance on the Balkan front or prove disastrous, exposing southern Russia to costly counter attacks, especially if Romania enters the war as part of the CP. Artillery fire erupts in the area of Konigsberg as Russia prepares for another push. Shcherbatchev’s forces encounter light resistance as they move into the Austria, but advances are not as great as originally hoped.

Third Impulse – Russia preps for another assault near Konigsberg with preemptive shelling and also bombards German forces massing for what appears to be another push at Warsaw. Austria tries to push Russia back from Lemberg, but is swatted away by the 9th Russian infantry under the command of Plehve, who then counter attack and rout the Germans. Meanwhile to the south, Shcherbatchev’s advancing armies are hit on their northern flank and casualties as Austria and Germany attempt to cut off their supply line and the advance into Austria.

Balkans Theater
First Impulse – All is quiet as the Serbs brace for the onslaught that is sure to come.

Second Impulse – Serb forces have Artillery in place and now open fire in an attempt to stem the Austrian advance, though its effects are negligible. The fire does not slow the Austrian advance as they push deeper into Serbia, with both sides paying a dear price.

Third Impulse – The push by Austria and Germany into Serbia continues amidst scattered shelling from the few Serb big guns deployed near Nish.

Middle Eastern Front
First Impulse – The Ottoman Empire begins to mobilize forces along the southern most tip of Russia near Batum.

Second Impulse – Artillery fire opens action on this front as the Turks bombard Russian forces outside Batum, then move unopposed into the city.

Third Impulse – Scattered fighting of no serious consequence continues around Batum as both the Turks and the Russians maneuver to gain a strategic advantage.

[BYU 14]

September - October Summary
It is now clear that any advances by either side will come at a high price and I now need to consider digging in, especially along the Western front, where every foot is now contested bitterly. In the East I the action is much more mobile and I want to push as far into CP territory as possible, taking advantage of Russia’s ability to bring in the most manpower at this point of the war. Luxemburg has surrendered to the Central Powers as we could not make a meaningful push to retake the country as October rains turned the Western front into a quagmire. The causalities meanwhile continue to climb.
The Entente – 618,000 killed in action and missing
The Central Powers – 652,000 killed in action and missing

The Entente currently includes France (excellent), Russia (excellent), Britain (excellent), Belgium (wavering) and Serbia (weak). The Central powers still consist of Germany, Austria and the Ottoman Empire, all in excellent shape. The fall of 1914 closes with the Entente still holding a slight (but shrinking) edge in the war (10 Victory Points)

September/October News Recap
Sept 1. Russia: St. Petersburg renamed "Petrograd"
Sept 2. Tsing-tau: Japanese troops landed for the attack on the fortress
Sept 3. Rome: election of Pope Benedict XV
Sept 5. East Africa: Germans attack Abercorn
Sept 6. Cameroons: British reverse near Nsanakong
Sept 7. East Africa: German reverse near Tsavo
Sept 10. East Africa: Germans occupy Kisi
Sept 11. Bismarck Archipelago: Australian expedition captures Herbertshohe
Sept 12. East Africa: Germans defeated near Kisi
Sept 13. Tsing-tau: Japanese capture the railway at Kiao-chau town
Sept 13. Solomon Islands: Australian troops capture Bougainville
Sept 14. South Africa: Union forces surprise and defeat Germans at Ramans Drift
Sept 17. South Africa: German raid near Nakob
Sept 18. South-west Africa: British occupy Luderitz Bay
Sept 24. (New Guinea): Australians occupy town of Friedrich Wilhelm
Sept 25. Tsing-tau: German outposts driven in
Sept 25. South Africa: British reverse at Sandfontein
Sept 28. Trial of Archdukes murderers at Sarajevo
Oct 2. East Africa: British victory at Gazi
Oct 5. Albania: Essad Pasha nominated head of a Provisional Government
Oct 7. Marshall Islands in Pacific Ocean occupied by Japanese
Oct 9. Italy: Cabinet crisis: resignation of General Grandi, Minister for War
Oct 10. Romania: Death of King Carel. Succeeded by his nephew Ferdinand
Oct 13. South Africa: Open rebellion of Lt.-Col. Maritz
Oct 15. South Africa: Rebels routed at Ratedraai
Oct 22. South Africa: Rebels routed at Keimoes
Oct 24. South Africa: Overt rebellion of Beyers and De Wet
Oct 25. South Africa: Rebels routed at Calvinia
Oct 26. South Africa: Maritz driven into German territory
Oct 26. Cameroons: Allies occupy Duala
Oct 27. South Africa: Beyers defeated by Botha at Commissie Drift, near Rustenburg
Oct 30. South Africa: Rebels routed at Schuit Drift

[BYU 14]

The Western front continues to work itself into a stalemate as both sides continue to mass forces and the arrival of British troops means Germany has to slow its efforts to take Belgium. Along the Eastern front fighting is focused in the north and south as Russia looks to take the key Baltic port city of Konigsberg and Austria and Germany now divert forces south to halt the Russian drive towards Serbia.

The Balkan and Middle Eastern fronts are quiet by comparison as the Ottoman empire is being conservative and not will to commit too many troops to the Russian border for fear of the British launching an amphibious assault on Gallipoli. Serbia is still hanging on, but their national morale is low and half of the country lies in CP hands.

[BYU 14]

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – 9 industry points – I allot them to HQ (6), Arms Refit (1), Artillery munitions (1) and Trench Tech (1) (Each HQ movement point takes 3 industry points, so Offensives are costly, in more ways than one)
Russia – 2 industry points – I allot them to Artillery munitions and production of an Air Force Squadron.
Britain – 1 industry points (ouch) – I allocate it to diplomacy
Belgium – 3 industry points, I assign 2 to Arms refit and 1 to Trench Tech.
Serbia - Has 2 industry points and I assign them to Trench Tech and Arms refit.

Personnel/Machinery
France – I commission 1 Infantry unit and 1 Cavalry unit for training.
Russia – I commission 2 siege Artillery units and 2 Cavalry units for training.
Britain – I commission 2 Artillery units and 2 siege Artillery units for training.
Belgium – None available
Serbia – None available

Air Power
France – No reserve Squadrons available
Russia – No reserve Squadrons available
Britain – No reserve Squadrons available
Belgium – No reserve Squadrons available
Serbia – No Air Force

Reinforcements/Refits
France – I refit General Dubail with 1 offensive point each and call up 8,000 reinforcements to the Western front. All are sent to Dubail’s 1st Infantry.
Russia – I refit General Shcherbatchev distribute 22,000 reinforcements in reserve along the entire front, bringing all divisions up to full strength.
Britain – N/A
Belgium – N/A
Serbia – N/A

Naval Orders
France –I assign 3 transports to shipping duties in the English protected North Sea, send 3 Destroyers there on Anti-Sub duties and send 2 Dreadnoughts, a Cruiser and 3 Destroyers to patrol the Atlantic.
Russia – I keep all 6 of Russia’s warships on patrol in the Baltic.
Britain – I send 3 transports for repair after U-Boat attacks, then send 2 Battle Cruisers and 2 Destroyers to the Western Med on patrol. I then assign 7 transports each to amphibious operations and shipping in the North Sea and add another Battleship and a Destroyer to the 5 ships already there to protect them. Finally I send 6 Cruisers to the Western Mediterranean on Raider duties to attack CP shipping.
Belgium – No Navy
Serbia – No Navy

Diplomacy
France – 3 points available, I make overtures to America, Italy and Greece in an attempt to sway them into joining the Entente.
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Belgium – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – 1 point available and I invest it in Artillery research.
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Belgium – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

[BYU 14]

Military Phase
War in the Skies
Air power is even on the Western front still at 4 Squadrons each, none of which have armaments yet. I get 1 support point for recon on both the Eastern and the Western front. The Eastern front shows a Squadron edge of 2-1 for the Central Powers.

War at Sea
A Russian Cruiser and Destroyer tangle with the German Dreadnought Konig in the Baltic, with the Russians taking light damage. In the Eastern Mediterranean the French Dreadnought Jean Bart sinks an Austrian Destroyer. The North Atlantic sees posturing between 2 German and 3 British warships, with no meaningful shots fired. There is also a German U-Boat attack on British Shipping, but only 1 transport takes minor damage. At the conclusion of fighting the Entente controls all contested waters but the Baltic Sea. The Black Sea has still seen no conflict.

Ground Fighting
Western Front
First Impulse – The Germans continue to hammer the lines around Liege with Artillery fire with good effect and also unleash a torrent of shells on French troops advancing on Strasbourg. The Ententes only bombardment takes place directly on Liege in advance of a planned attack by Haig’s British divisions. The Germans attempt to cut through the French line southwest of Metz and succeed inflicting tremendous losses on Castelnau’s forces, while losing almost a quarter of their own men as well. Haig’s offensive on Liege is a catastrophic failure, to the tune of over 31,000 British dead as the Germans hold the city, despite losing 22,000 of men themselves. It is the single bloodiest engagement of the battle for Liege, which has been the costliest battle of the war to date. Further south Dubail is rebuffed by the Germans as he tries to advance closer to Strasbourg and Stuttgart and I will have to curtail this offensive and be happy with gains made to date as Dubail’s divisions are in tatters. Elsewhere along the front I give the orders to begin digging in for the long, hard winter ahead.

Second Impulse – The Germans continue to shell French forces on the outskirts of Liege, while both side exchange barrages around Metz and the Germans continue to hammer French forces on the outskirts of Strasbourg. Germany launches an attack from the north and drive Dubail’s troops back from Strasbourg as the shelling ceases. French losses number well over 20,000, while the Germans are barely scathed.

Eastern Front
First Impulse – Light shelling by the Russians on German forces outside of Czernowitz. Plehve’s forces move into the Austrian cities of Przemysl and Lemberg with surprisingly light casualties on either side. Shcherbatchev moves further into Austria to the south to little resistance, but with supply lines thin the offensive has bogged down and will not reach Serbia this year. I need to focus on opening supply lines here as soon as possible.

Second Impulse – Konigsberg has become an Artillery range as Germany and Russia lob shells into each others lines, but the infantry units hold their ground. They also exchange Artillery barrages in the Thorn salient. The Germans again try and move towards Warsaw and are repelled in sporadic fighting, while in the north an assault to drive back Russian armies outside of Konigsberg (Now under the command of General Litvinov) fails miserably as the Russians have been able to fortify their front line and inflict 23,000 casualties on the attackers, losing 10,000 of their own.

Balkans Theater
First Impulse – No action of any note as both sides now hunker down as the weather turns.
Second Impulse – The Armies have both dug in and neither side will brave the elements to attack.

Middle Eastern Front
First Impulse – The Ottoman Empire withdraws from Batum and attempts to isolate Russian forces.

Second Impulse – The Ottomans back off and Russia, awaiting reinforcements is content to stay holed up in the foothills.

[BYU 14]

November/December Summary
The fighting slows in December as harsh winter conditions, heavy losses, fatigued units and both sides beginning to develop more complex trench systems (particularly on the Western front) make offenses actions fruitless. In addition there is a big turnover in command on both sides as fresh minds are brought in and war weary units rotated out for needed rest. Despite the slowdown in action, losses for the first five months of fighting are mind boggling.
The Entente – 874,000 killed in action and missing
The Central Powers – 842,000 killed in action and missing

No changes in the status of countries as the Entente still consists of France (excellent), Russia (excellent), Britain (excellent), Belgium (wavering) and Serbia (weak). The Central powers still consist of Germany, Austria and the Ottoman Empire, all still in excellent shape except Austria, which has fallen to strong. 1914 comes to a bloody conclusion with the Central powers now holding a slight edge in the war. (21 Victory Points) On the diplomacy front Italy, the United States and Greece all appreciated overtures by France in the past two months, while Bulgaria and again Italy appreciates overtures from the Central Powers. It is apparent that Italy is very sketchy at this point in terms of where their allegiances will fall.

November/December News Recap
Nov 1. Tsing-tau: The "Bismarck" forts silenced
Nov 3. Bulgaria declares intention to remain neutral
Nov 4. East Africa: British reverse at Tanga
Nov 7. Capture of Tsing-tau: Japanese take 2,300 prisoners
Nov 7. South Africa: Union troops defeated by De Wet at Doornberg
Nov 8. South Africa: Rebels routed at Sandfontein
Nov 12. South Africa: De Wet defeated at Mushroom Valley
Nov 14. South Africa: Rebels routed at Bultfontein
Dec 1. South Africa: Surrender of De Wet
Dec 4. South Africa: Rebels heavily defeated near Reitz by Botha
Dec 5. South Africa: Rebels offer to negotiate; Botha demands unconditional surrender
Dec 7. South Africa: Rebel General Beyers defeated at Bothaville and drowned on his flight in the Vaal River
Dec 8. South Africa: Collapse of rebellion; 1,200 rebels surrender
Dec 24. Portguese Colony of Angola (south-west Africa) invaded by Germans
Dec 24. Great Britain recognises French Protectorate of Morocco
Dec 29. U.S.A.: Note presented to Great Britain concerning treatment of U.S. commerce

[JonInMiddleGA]

FWIW, I'm reading along and find it interesting.

I'm also thankful you found a coherent way to present the reports because I imagine this much data could get really confusing if not presented in an orderly fashion.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

FWIW, I'm reading along and find it interesting.

I'm also thankful you found a coherent way to present the reports because I imagine this much data could get really confusing if not presented in an orderly fashion.

Thanks Jon, glad to have you following. It is actually a surprisingly easy game to play, just tough to master and the way the turn system is set up makes it quite easy to structure. Hopefully it reamins so as more countries get involved in the coming year or two.

[BYU 14]

As you can see the Germans have punctured the French lines on the Western Front near Verdun and it puts Paris under a small degree of risk if I can not get resources in place to slow them down. This is the best chance of either side to end the War early as the rest of the Western front has begun to dig in, which will turn this into the Killing field it was historically. No major technologies have hit the war yet (Tanks, Gas or functioning Plane armaments) tough I would expect that to change by the time Summer arrives.

In East things have started to get a bit more condensed and there is actually some trench work being done by both sides there. I am thinking I need to give up on the notion of taking Konigsburg to the North and focus my offensive plans along the borders of Austria and Romania (The road to Serbia offensive) Things are bogged down there currently, but I think I can start to make progess again if I throw my newly trained troops in that direction.

[BYU 14]

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – 10 industry points – I allot them to HQ (6), Arms Refit (1), Artillery munitions (2) and Research (1). I also send food to England.
Russia – 4 industry points – I allot 3 to HQ and the other to Arms refit.
Britain – 0 industry points – The economy is down, with food shortages and industry at barely 50%, I need to open shipping lanes in the North Atlantic quickly.
Belgium – 2 industry points, assigned to Arms refit and Trench Tech.
Serbia – Is determined and has 3 industry points. I assign them to Trench Tech, Artillery munitions and Arms refit.

Personnel/Machinery
France – None available, the bloodbath on the Western front has cause some attrition.
Russia – I have armaments available, but elect to hold off.
Britain – None commissioned.
Belgium – I am able to raise enough able bodies to commission a Cavalry unit for training.
Serbia – None available

Air Power
France – No reserve Squadrons available
Russia – No reserve Squadrons available
Britain – No reserve Squadrons available
Belgium – No reserve Squadrons available
Serbia – No Air Force

Reinforcements/Refits
France – I refit General Roques, who has taken over for Dubail with 1 offensive point each and call up another 8,000 reinforcements to the 2nd Infantry outside of Strasbourg.
Russia – I send another 31,000 reinforcements to the entire front, again bringing all divisions up to full strength. My pool has now dwindled away to next to nothing and the advantages I enjoyed here will soon be gone.
Britain – I send 18,000 reinforcements to Rawlinson, now in charge of Haig’s forces in Antwerp.
Belgium – None
Serbia – None

Naval Orders
France –I repair two Dreadnoughts and send a Cruiser to the Eastern Med Sea to hunt CP shipping.
Russia – I repair 2 ships and elect to keep everyone in port with the Baltic Sea fairly stable now.
Britain – I send 3 transports to the North Atlantic on shipping missions and send 3 Dreadnoughts and 2 Destroyers to protect them. I also send another 1 Destroyer to the Atlantic to look specifically for enemy subs. Finally I send our only Sub to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea to harass CP shipping.
Belgium – No Navy
Serbia – No Navy

Diplomacy
France – 1 point available, I make another overture to America.
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Belgium – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – 3 points available, I invest in Artillery research, Aircraft and Trench tech.
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Belgium – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

[BYU 14]

Military Phase
War in the Skies
No change in the balance of Air power and I once again have 1 point for reconnaissance on both the Western and Eastern fronts.

War at Sea
The British Destroyer I assigned to look for U-Boats in the Atlantic is caught by the German Dreadnought Blucher and the Cruiser Graudenz and sunk. Another Destroyer in the North Atlantic is hit by a German Sub for slight damage. A German Sub in the North Sea is heavily damaged by 3 French Destroyers and barely escapes after they catch it harassing transports, one of which takes minimal damage.

The Baltic is back under the control of the Central powers, while the Entente control the Atlantic, North Sea and Western Mediterranean Sea. The Eastern Mediterranean is now contested.

Ground Fighting
Western Front
First Impulse – Shelling is the heaviest of the war to date, as forced with a stalemate in the unforgiving winter weather the Germans are content to pound Entente positions along the entire front, with the heaviest concentrations around Liege, the Ypres salient and Strasbourg. France and Britain counter with equal ferocity, especially around Liege, Metz, and the southernmost German flank south of Strasbourg/Stuttgart campaign. Losses are light as Troops on both sides are better protected, but the constant racket of Artillery is nerve racking.

The Germans widen the split in the French lines with a successful attack on the town of Nancy, inflicting greater than 50% casualties on French troops defending the area. The Strasbourg campaign also sees further losses as the Germans throw wave upon wave of troops at the French forces of Roques, trying to breach their southern flank, which manages to hold once again with limited losses.

Eastern Front
First Impulse – Heavy exchanges near Konigsberg as both side lay into each other from a distance, as the Russian winter is in full force and any ground movement is treacherous at best. Austria unleashes its heaviest shelling to date on Russian troops involved in the Road to Serbia offensive and it catches Russia unaware, resulting in moderate casualties. Austrian forces take advantage of tiring Russian troops to launch an attack in Kronstadt valley, which throws the armies of Shcherbatchev into minor chaos and brings the Road to Serbia offensive to standstill.

Balkans Theater
First Impulse – No action along this front as Austria and Germany look to turn it into a war of attrition and starve the Serbian armies out.

Middle Eastern Front
First Impulse – Ottoman forces, with increased resources begin to rain shells on Russian troops in Batum and the surrounding Foothills, as it seems they are setting up a new offensive for when the weather warms.

The harsh winter has really curtailed the fighting, which prompts optimism with some. Spring will tell the tale of how well founded that is....

[Swaggs]

This is interesting to me -- I'll be following along.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

This is interesting to me -- I'll be following along.

Glad to have you reading along Swaggs, things should really start to heat up once the land thaws. I think I am going to let the CP declare first in the spring in terms of offensive actions and then hopefully exploit any weaknesses from there, wish me luck.

[BYU 14]

January/February Summary
Most of the action comes in the form of Artillery exchanges, as both sides plot spring offensives, with the only real bitter ground fighting taking place along the southern reaches of the Western front, with the results being decidedly in favor of the Central powers. Weather on the Eastern front makes any type of ground fighting nearly impossible and the respite is still no consolation to the troops here, who must now battle an even tougher foe in the elements. Casualties on both sides are at their lowest point since fighting began, but it is clear that as spring approaches this war will surge past the 2 million mark in cumulative casualties in short order.
The Entente – 994,000 killed in action and missing
The Central Powers – 900,000 killed in action and missing

No new entries to the war, but the Entente seem to be suffering the effects the most. France (excellent) and Russia (excellent) remain resolute. Britain (strong) shows the first effects of its limited involvement, due to food shortages, while Belgium (wavering) and Serbia (weak) cling to hope. The Central powers of Germany (excellent), Austria (strong) and the Ottoman Empire (excellent) all enjoy a much stronger support of the war by their citizens. 1915 has started slowly, but the wings of death stand poised to spread and envelope Europe in a greater darkness than ever before. The tide has swung back to the Entente (5 Victory Points) though it is technically a complete stalemate at this point in time. Diplomacy again sees Italy appreciate overtures by Germany, while the US is again flattered by the French diplomats, working to swat their support to the Entente.

January/February News recap
Jan 5. Union forces occupy Schuit Drift on the Orange River
Jan 9. Capture of the last rebels in the Transvaal announced
Jan 12. Union forces occupy Ramans Drift (Orange River)
Jan 13. Germans attack Jasin (German East Africa)
Jan 14. Union forces occupy Swakopmund, German south-west Africa
Jan 19. Surrender of British force at Jasin
Jan 25. German Government issues decree seizing all stocks of grain and flour
Jan 29. French take Bertua (Cameroons)
Feb 3. Kemp and 500 rebels surrender at Upington
Feb 4. German attack on Kakamas (north-west Cape Colony) repulsed
Feb 22. Occupation of Garub (German south-west Africa) by Union forces
Feb 23. Occupation of Nonidas and Goanikas (German south-west Africa)

[BYU 14]

Along the Western Front the battle for Liege still rages, but south to Verdun both sides have begun to dig in and the region may soon be completely gridlocked if there are no sucessful pushes in the spring. Between Verdun and Nancy is a different story as Germany has breached the front line and now sits on the banks of the Marne river, poised to make a northwest swing towards Paris. I will be assigning new units entering the War to this region to prevent the German advance from penetrating any further, or better yet cut off their supply lines from the rear and choke them out. As this area will be a major focus of both sides I expect the battle of the Marne to surpass Liege in terms of bloodshed.

Along the Eastern front the battle of Konigsberg has become a stalement as both sides stand massed, but neither is willing to risk a major offensive as the loss of life would be catastrophic. In the middle of the front along the Thorn salient, fighting has been sporadic and not as intense as the northern and southern areas of the front, but the Central powers seem determined to reach Warsaw, so action here could escalate quickly. In the south the Road to Serbia campaign has now run into heavy Austrian resistance and if the British can complete a successful amphibious landing I will likely pull back in this area.

The Balkans theater has been quiet, but Serbia's armies are trapped and it is only a matter of time before German and Austrian forces assault the key port city of Scutari, which would effectively doom Serbia. Fighting has been light in the Middle East as the Ottoman empire continues to trade jabs with Russian troops between Batum and Tbilisi.

[BYU 14]

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – 9 industry points – Allotted to HQ (3), Arms Refit (2), Artillery munitions (2), Aircraft (1) and Trench Tech (1).
Russia – 4 industry points – I allot 3 to HQ and the other to Arms refit again.
Britain – 10 industry points – Bolstered by opening shipping lines to America and food from France the economy is at 61% and I assign points to HQ (3) Arms refit (2), Diplomacy (1), Naval assets (1), Artillery (1), Research (1) and Trench Tech (1).
Belgium – 3 industry points, I assign 2 to Arms refit and 1 to Artillery munitions.
Serbia – 2 industry points and I assign them both to Arms refit. I am really impressed with how well they are standing up in face of insurmountable odds.

Personnel/Machinery
France – I commission a Cavalry unit for training and recall General Petain’s HQ to the front.
Russia – None available
Britain – None commissioned, all my possibilities here are Naval and we are still strong there.
Belgium – None available.
Serbia – None available

Air Power
France – No reserve Squadrons available
Russia – I send 1 Squadron to the Eastern front.
Britain – No reserve Squadrons available
Belgium – No reserve Squadrons available
Serbia – No Air Force

Reinforcements/Refits
France – I call up “all” 2,000 reinforcements available and send them the slaughterhouse near Strasbourg under General Roques.
Russia – Only 4,000 reinforcements available and they are sent to Shcherbatchev in Austria.
Britain – None
Belgium – None
Serbia – None

Naval Orders
France – I send a Dreadnought, Battleship and a Destroyer to patrol the Baltic. I am now out of naval points and can’t really afford to allocate a lot of industry there in the future. Britain will have to assume the workload in the waters now.
Russia – I repair a Cruiser and send 2 Battleships to patrol the Baltic.
Britain – I dock 4 transports for repairs and send 3 Transports each to the Atlantic, West Med and East Med seas to open up amphibious landings in Serbia. I also assign patrols of 3 warships to each area to protect our transports. This is a gamble, but if I can break the siege in Serbia it will be well worth it.
Belgium – No Navy
Serbia – No Navy

Diplomacy
France – No Diplomacy points available.
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Belgium – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – No Research points available
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Belgium – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

[BYU 14]

Military Phase
War in the Skies
Squadrons are now all even at 4 each on the Western Front and 2 each on the Eastern. Clearing weather also opens up more points for reconnaissance (3 Western front/2 Eastern front) which will greatly aid spring offenses.

War at Sea
The British Dreadnought Iron Duke encounters the pesky German Battle Cruiser Blucher in the North Sea and drives it away after inflicting minor damage. German U-Boats also attack British shipping in the North and create havoc, but no miraculously no ships are lost in 4 separate attacks. Meanwhile in the Baltic, the Russian Battleship Petropavlovsk is attacked by 6 German warships, but the plucky Captain manages to hold the onslaught off and escape, despite taking 7 hits.

The North Sea and Black Sea are both up for grabs, with the Entente holding control of the Atlantic Ocean, and both the Western and Eastern Mediterranean Seas. Germany continues to reign in the Baltic.

Ground Fighting
Western Front
First Impulse – Heavy shelling by the Germans around Liege and along the Marne is met with no response from the French or British, who take cover and wait for Germany to tip her hand. It doesn’t take long as the Germans launch a massive offensive along the Marne that knocks French forces back on their heels southwest of Verdun and will take a total of nearly 95,000 lives on both sides over a 10 mile span. The saving grace for the Entente here is General Dubois, whose divisions manage to hold the line northwest of Verdun in savage close quarters fighting. Still the Germans gain territory and actually cross the Marne at its southernmost point.

Second Impulse – The Germans are short on munitions and must now wait and take a heavy dose of Entente shelling in Liege and along the Marne. Following the shelling Dubois launches a counter attack along the Marne, but fails to recapture any ground amid more heavy losses. (20, 000 French and 13,000 Germans) A new offensive on Liege does fails to take the city, but Germany loses 2,000 more troops in the pitched battles fought in and around the rubble. The final phase of the Entente counters focuses on liberating Luxemburg, but the scaled down defensive falls short, with moderate casualties for both sides. The April offensives are costly as 43,000 French and British troops and 36,000 German troops lose their lives or are missing in action. The Meat grinder is back in full production.

Eastern Front
First Impulse – Artillery barrages from the Central powers focus on Russian armies occupying Lemberg and Przemysl, as well as the usual heavy exchanges from both sides near Konigsberg, while Russia also unleashes Artillery in the Thorn salient that disrupt a German attack in the area that fails miserably to tune of an entire German division nearly wiped out. The Germans then follow shelling of Przemysl with an attack that manages to wrest control of the city back from the Russians.

Second Impulse – Russian big Guns continue to the Central powers around Konigsberg and in southeast Austria, with no reply from German or Austrian batteries. Yet another advance is attempted on Warsaw, but without Artillery support German troops are driven back by Russian forces, now under the command of Scheidemar. Austrian and German forces make a half hearted attempt to retake Lemberg, but withdraw before any serious fighting takes place. Austrian and German forces do manage a successful push near Dubno (south of Lublin) but in doing so come under the danger of being isolated by Russian troops withdrawing from Austria as the Road to Serbia offensive is called off.

Balkans Theater
First Impulse – Serbian Artillery opens up on advancing Austrian forces between Scutari and Nish but can not stop their march into Skopje, which falls under the control of the Central powers.

Second Impulse – Two divisions of British troops arrive in Scutari and are serenaded as heroes, though many more are needed to prolong Serbia’s participation in the war. Spurred by this news, well fortified Serbian forces in Nish repel Austrian Infantry and Cavalry attempting to take the city, as the attacking force loses outnumber the defenders 4-1.

Middle Eastern Front
First Impulse – Turkish forces bombard Russian troops in the valley south of Batum
Second Impulse – No action at all takes place here as both side await the arrival of more troops.

[BYU 14]

March /April Summary
As expected the warming weather brings in increase in action and resulting casualties push both sides well past 1 million killed or missing. Displeasure is arising on some home fronts, though it has not reached the point of causing civil unrest yet. As the early spring period comes to an end the Marne River runs red and the peaceful serenity that was once the Argonne Forest has been forever shattered by the constant earth shattering explosions of Artillery.
The Entente – 1,332,000 killed in action and missing
The Central Powers – 1,186,000 killed in action and missing

The sides remain the same and resolution on the parts of the commanders remains strong. Among the Entente forces, Russia (excellent) remains in the best shape, while France (strong) and Britain (strong) are still formidable. Belgium (wavering) and Serbia (weak) continue to hang on and Serbia will hopefully be bolstered by the arrival of British troops. The Central powers of Germany (excellent), Austria (strong) and the Ottoman Empire (excellent) remain unchanged, though the Ottomans have barely gotten their feet wet. 1915 promises to grow deadlier as the spring moves towards summer and it will be then that the true mettle of those involved is tested. The Entente, despite higher losses continues to cling to a slight edge in the war (23 victory points)

The Entente rallying cry of “Home before the Leaves fall” is now but a hollow echo as the War will certainly pass its one year anniversary later in the year. Diplomacy again sees the German busy and both Italy and Bulgaria appreciate the overtures. Italy could be of value to the Entente and I must begin to woo her more seriously.

March/April News recap
(Mar 4. Admiralty decides enemy submarine prisoners cannot be afforded "honourable treatment"
(Mar 20. German south-west Africa: General Botha defeats German force at Riet, on the Swakop
(Mar 24. Chile protests against violation of her territorial waters by the British at the battle of Juan Fernandez
(Apr 1. South African forces occupy Hasuur (German south-west Africa)
(Apr 3. South African forces occupy Warmbad (German south-west Africa)
(Apr 5. Union forces occupy Kalkfontein and Kamus (German south-west Africa)
(Apr 6. Germans defeated at Karunga (German East Africa)
(Apr 7. German Minority Socialists publish a manifesto against the war
(Apr 8. Attempted assassination of Hussein Kamel, Sultan of Egypt
(Apr 10. Pope Benedict XV orders prayers for peace
(Apr 18. Union forces occupy Seeheim (German south-west Africa)
(Apr 18. Frontier raid repulsed on the northern border of Peshawar valley
(Apr 19. Germans evacuate Keetmanshoop (German south-west Africa)
(Apr 20. Union forces defeat the Germans at Kebus (north of Keetmanshoop)
(Apr 20. Anglo-French troops take Mandera (Cameroons)
(Apr 24. Fighting round Kilimanjaro (German East Africa)
(Apr 26. Germans repulsed at Trekopjes, north-east of Swakopmund (German south-west Africa)
(Apr 28. Germans defeated at Gibeon (German south-west Africa)

[BYU 14]

The British War machine is finally going at full cry and it couldn't come soon enough as the French front line is on the verge of collapse along the Marne, with Germany applying intense pressure. Up north Liege continues to be a killing field, with both sides dug in and casulties high as wave after wave of assault has proven fruitless. I will be reverting to a more conservative style in this area, with the onus on holding the line. If the Germans continue to send their men into the shooting gallery so be it, we will be happy to cut them down. Along the Marne, I will focus on getting British troops to Dunkirk, then shipping them by rail to shore up this area.

Along the Eastern front I will mass to make one last push at Konigsberg along the Baltic. As the map indicates I have new divisions en route to this area along the coast and will look to mount a late summer offensive here. My current problem on this front is that my HQ points are non-existent and Russia's economy is not producing enough to replenish them rapidly, so I will just stand pat and focus on establishing a good defensive front in the meantime.

The Balkans and Middle east have been relatively quiet and I am interested to see how German and Austrian troops will respond to the arrival of British forces in Serbia, will they continue to play a waiting game surrounding our last two strongholds or rush an offensive, fearful that the arrival of British troops may increase?

[BYU 14]

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – 7 industry points – Allotted to HQ (3), Naval Assets (1), Artillery munitions (2), Research (1) and Trench Tech (1).
Russia – 5 industry points – I allot 3 to HQ, 1 to Artillery munitions and 1 to Trench Tech.
Britain – 9 industry points – The economy is now at 66% and I assign points to HQ (3) Arms refit (2), Diplomacy (1), Naval assets (1), Research (1) and Aircraft (1).
Belgium – 2 industry points, I assign 1 to Arms refit and 1 to Artillery munitions.
Serbia – 3 industry points. Morale is low but the Serbs stay plucky. I assign points to Arms refit, Artillery munitions and Trench Tech

Personnel/Machinery
France – I commission a Cavalry unit for training and appoint General Gouraud a command.
Russia – None available
Britain – None commissioned, still all Naval.
Belgium – None available.
Serbia – None available

Air Power
France – No reserve Squadrons available
Russia – No reserve Squadrons available
Britain – No reserve Squadrons available
Belgium – No reserve Squadrons available
Serbia – No Air Force

Reinforcements/Refits
France – I call 2,000 more reinforcements send them to General Roques for what will assuredly be a short life expectancy tour.
Russia – I refit Litvinov with 1 offensive point in preparation for the planned Konigsberg offensive and assign 7,000 reinforcements to Scheidemar’s 5th division.
Britain – None
Belgium – None
Serbia – 4,000 reinforcements are rallied and I send them to the 2 divisions defending Nish.

Naval Orders
France – I send a Dreadnought, Battleship and a Destroyer to patrol the North Atlantic. Russia – I assign a Battleship and a Cruiser to patrol the Baltic.
Britain – Busy on the Naval front, I dock 4 more transports for repairs and send 6 Transports to the North Sea amphibious landings at Dunkirk. I also assign patrols of 5 warships to the North Sea, send 2 more to the Eastern Med and assign a Raider patrol of 1 Dreadnought and 3 Cruisers to the Baltic.
Belgium – No Navy
Serbia – No Navy

Diplomacy
France – 1 Diplomacy point available, I make an overture to Italy
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Belgium – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – 1 Research point available and I allot it in Aircraft research.
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Belgium – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

[BYU 14]

Military Phase
War in the Skies
Squadrons remain even at 4 each on the Western Front and 2 each on the Eastern. Reconnaissance points are 1 each for the Western and Eastern fronts. Still no meaningful Air combat.

War at Sea
The Russian Cruiser Rurik is trapped by 8 German Warships (4 Dreadnoughts and 4 Cruisers) in the Baltic and quickly dispatched to Davy Jones Locker. The British Dreadnought Iron Duke and a Destroyer hold 2 Austrian Dreadnoughts and a Cruiser in the Eastern Med, with both sides taking light damage. The Battleship Formidable is runs into the same trio and takes heavy damage and will need to return to port for repairs. Keeping busy, these same three Austrian warships then encounter the British Cruiser Leviathan and inflict moderate damage to her. Not yet finished they corner the Cruiser Donegal and a Destroyer and send the Donegal to a watery grave. These three ships (Prinz Eugen, Tegetthoff and Maria Theresa) are quite the nuisance and I need to consolidate forces here to deal with them. Also in the Eastern Med, an Austrian Destroyer tangles with a British Sub, with both taking light damage.

In the North Atlantic a Hun U-Boats dog British shipping lanes, launching three separate attacks but manage to damage just one transport. The good news is, all our transport lanes remain open.

The Eastern Mediterranean is now contested, while the Entente controls the Atlantic, the North Sea and the Western Mediterranean Sea. Germany retains control of the Baltic and the Black Sea again sees no action.

Ground Fighting
Western Front
First Impulse – The Germans up the ante as they prepare a counter offensive from Strasbourg with heavy shelling along southernmost point of the front. The attack that follows, punches yet a temporary hole in the French lines as both sides pay dearly in intense fighting, which eventually sees the French regain and hold their original line. Both sides exchange heavy Artillery fire around Liege as looking to demoralize troops in the opposing trenches while the city itself lies near ruin. The Germans launch an attack southwest of the City that surprises the French and inflicts heavy casualties, driving the French back in panic. France also unleashes its big guns along the Marne, in an attempt to slow down the German push long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Fortunately Germany is in no shape to push further and there is a lull in fighting.

Second Impulse – Three British infantry divisions and three Artillery regiments arrive on the front SW of Liege to bolster French forces driven back in the last German offensive. Germany now answers French Artillery along the Marne with their own barrage that inflicts massive damage, and proceeds an offensive that has the French on their heels before British troops, on their way from Dunkirk can arrive. The British continue to rain shells down on Liege in preparation for a large scale offensive. A second German thrust along the Strasbourg line is repelled and this time the Germans pay dearly to the tune of 25,000 casualties.

Third Impulse – The British guns unleash one last fusillade against Liege as Rawlinson leads an assault on the battered city, which fails miserably, as the German resources were greatly underestimated. At the same time a German attack on Brussels drives the French back from seemingly well fortified defenses and comes with no preemptive Artillery strike. The French are unable to stem the German advance into Epernay, the final major city before Paris, as the outlook suddenly gets very grim for France!! Further down the front, more bad news as Roques loses 26,000 men in the Strasbourg hills and is cut off from the rest of the French line.

Eastern Front
First Impulse – Konigsberg is again the scene of massive shelling from both the Russians and Germans and it is clear to all that this area will be the scene of massive bloodshed before all is said and done. With the exception of light shelling by the Austrians on the now abandoned march to Serbia, no other fighting takes place.

Second Impulse – Shcherbatchev’s armies now begin to pull back from Austria as the “Road to Serbia” Offensive is officially recalled. Near Konigsberg, Russian guns lie silent, but German artillery continues to blaze, though there is no ground fighting again.

Third Impulse – Spurred on by their success in the west, Germany unleashes yet another attack along the Thorn salient and this time is successful in defeating parts of Scheidemar’s army, though both sides pay heavily losing a combined 35,000 men. An equally bloody offensive is launched on Litvinov outside of Konigsberg, but the Germans pay dearly losing 24,000 to Russia’s 13,000 in the crushing defeat.

Balkans Theater
First Impulse – The Serbian divisions on Nish repulse yet another attack by the Austrians, though they are slowly being worn down, isolated from the bulk of their countrymen.

Second Impulse – A second offensive on Nish at last succeeds, as batter Serbian troops, already lacking in materials, finally begin to lose their will as well as Nish falls.

Third Impulse – Scattered fighting outside of Nish continues as the Austrians track down and annihilate the remnants of the Serbian forces defending the city.

Middle Eastern Front
First Impulse – All is eerily quiet in this sector.
Second Impulse – All remains still.
Third Impulse – Still quiet.

[BYU 14]

May/June Summary
As Germanys late spring offensive ends they have taken Epernay, Brussels and Epinal, in a horrific month for the Entente. Paris is in legitimate danger of falling under attack and Belgium and Serbia could both be near their death knells.
The Entente – 1,718,000 killed in action and missing
The Central Powers – 1,502,000 killed in action and missing

Bulgaria has entered the war on the side of the Central powers, which while not a huge power, will still draw some resources away from places they are needed more. The Entente still continues to cling to a slight edge in the war (17 victory points) which is amazing, considering the danger Paris is in. The countries are in the following shape:
Entente:
Russia (Excellent), France (Strong), Britain (Strong), Belgium (Weak) and Serbia (Weak).
Central Powers:
Germany (Excellent), Ottoman Empire (Excellent), Bulgaria (Excellent) and Austria (Strong).

Italy is again wooed by Germany and appreciates the overtures, yet also welcomes the overtures from France. It is clear they will continue to sit on the fence, likely waiting to see who the likely victor will be.

May/June News recap

May 1. Union forces occupy Kubas (German south-west Africa)
May 2. Union forces occupy the Otjimingwe (German south-west Africa)
May 5. Union forces occupy Karibib (German south-west Africa)
May 11. French take Eseka (Cameroons)
May 12. Union forces occupy Windhoek (German south-west Africa)
May 15. Insurrection in Portugal
May 25. Treaty between China and Japan
May 29. Anglo-French take Njok (Cameroons)
May 30. British take Sphinxhaven (on Lake Nyassa, German East Africa)
May 31. Germans capitulate to Anglo-French at Monso (Cameroons)
Jun 10. Anglo-French take Garua (Cameroons) (Apr 18. Frontier raid repulsed on the northern border of Peshawar valley.

[BYU 14]

As we approach the one year anniversary of the start of the war, the western front is in peril. The Germans have broken the line along the Marne and to the south at the site of the battle of Strasbourg. This is wreaking havoc with morale and I have to hope British forces can get to the front in time to quell the advance, or Paris could be in jeopardy, which for all intents and purposes means the war will be over as they can then occupy the British landing points and throw a lot of firepower to the east. July is an extremely critical month for the Entente.

On the Eastern Front things have slown down siginificantly as neither side is willing to take the heavy casualties that come with a large scale offensive, so the Troop buildup continues, which will eventually culminate in one final push by Russia to take Konigsberg.

British troops in Serbia may prolong things in the Balkans, but unless we can reopen Sea lanes to land 3-4 more divisions the fall of the Serb is still inevitable. In the Middle East there has been little to nothing exchanged over the last two months as both Russia and the Turks seem content to protect their borders.

[BYU 14]

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – 7 industry points – Allotted to HQ (3), Artillery munitions (2), Research (1) and Aircraft (1).
Russia – 5 industry points – I allot 3 to Arms refit and 2 to Artillery munitions.
Britain – 1 industry points – Damn, the economy has taken another header, I assign it to Research.
Belgium – 4 industry points, I assign 2 to Arms refit, 1 to Artillery munitions and 1 to Trench Tech.
Serbia – 2 industry points. Both go to Arms refit.

Personnel/Machinery
France – I commission another Cavalry unit for training.
Russia – None available
Britain – None commissioned, I am waiting for the availability of Infantry.
Belgium – None available.
Serbia – None available

Air Power
France – 1 reserve Squadron is sent to the Western front.
Russia – No reserve Squadrons available
Britain – No reserve Squadrons available
Belgium – No reserve Squadrons available
Serbia – No Air Force

Reinforcements/Refits
France – I call 10,000 reinforcements up and send them to the 6th Infantry near Brussels. I also allot 1 offensive point to General Dubois near Paris.
Russia – I refit Litvinov with yet another offensive point. The Konigsberg offensive will be brutal, but we must prevail.
Britain – I assign 1 offensive point to General Smith-Dorr in Antwerp and also send 16,000 reinforcements to the 1st Infantry there. We will need to make another assault on Liege before the weather cools.
Belgium – I assign 1,000 reinforcements to the 1st Cavalry, our only real fighting force.
Serbia – All surviving units at full strength.

Naval Orders
France – None.
Russia – None.
Britain – I call 2 Warships and 6 Transports in for refit. Then assign 3 transports to the North Atlantic for shipping duty and 2 transports each to the North Sea, Atlantic and the Eastern and Western Mediterranean’s for Amphibious duty. Finally assign 2 Warships to patrol all regions but the North Sea, which gets only 1 and I also send a sub to the Baltic on anti-Shipping duty.
Belgium – No Navy
Serbia – No Navy

Diplomacy
France – 1 Diplomacy point available, I make another overture to Italy
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Belgium – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – 1 Research point available and I allot it in Aircraft research.
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Belgium – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

[BYU 14]

Military Phase
War in the Skies
I gain an advantage on the Western Front with 5 Squadrons in operation now and 2 more on the Eastern Front. The CP has 4 Western front Squadrons and 2 on the Eastern front. I get 1 recon point on the Eastern front and still no Ari combat.

War at Sea
The DN Iron Duke, in desperate need of repair scores 2 hits on an Austrian Destroyer in a scuffle on the Eastern Mediterranean. Also in this region the Battleship Goliath encounters the troublesome trio from Austria of the Prinz Eugen, Tegetthoff and the Maria Theresa and is sunk!! The Iron Duke then encounters the Prinz Eugene and the Tegetthoff and inflicts moderate damage on the latter, taking some hits of her own in the process.

In the North Atlantic a German U-Boat inflicts damage on one of the British shipping Transports and two more damage three of our Transports in the North Sea, one severely.

As we hit mid summer the Atlantic, the North Sea and the Western Mediterranean are controlled by the Entente, while the Baltic remains under Germany’s control. The Eastern Mediterranean continues to be contested.

Ground Fighting
Western Front
First Impulse – The Germans unleash heavy Artillery strikes along the outskirts of Strasbourg, sensing that the French line is on the verge of complete collapse here. The Entente meanwhile focuses on blasting German forces in Brussels, Liege and outside of Paris. The German Juggernaught continues to surge forward along the Marne pushing the line further and further into France. Fighting for Brussels continues, but the intensity has subsided as the Entente is basically stalemated along the northern reaches of the front. Losses are down in all action as commanders are hesitant to push battle weary troops too hard, though the Germans manage to take Lyon in the limited fighting.

Second Impulse – German and Belgium Artillery units exchange fire near Brussels as the Entente prepares for one final attempt to retake the city. The Germans continue to push forward along the Marne to little resistance from the French, who must now focus on protecting Paris. With is forces isolated along the southern tip of the front, General Roques is attacked from the front and his left flank and though the Germans lose 16,000 in the attack, Roques loses a staggering 25,000 men. The news is better in Belgium as Entente forces, led by General Smith-Dorr are at last able to gain ground and drive the Germans back from Brussels, retaking the city and losing only 6,000 men in the final push.

Third Impulse – The Germans have now moved Artillery close enough to hit Paris and the city gets its first up close taste of the War. There is no further fighting however as both sides are exhausted from the both the summer heat and heavy fighting through July.

Eastern Front
First Impulse – Heavy Artillery fire from the Germans on massing Russian forces near Konigsberg, as well as scattered barrages along the Thorn salient. The Austrians unload on Russian forces withdrawing along the Romanian border. Litvinov makes another thrust towards Konigsberg, but the Germans continue to hold on as both sides lose around 10,000 men in the latest assault.

Second Impulse – The Russian unleash a withering fusillade on German troops outside of Konigsberg as Litvinov readies his men for a second offensive. As the Artillery Barrage subsides, Litvinov send two divisions to circle around Konigsberg and the Russians are able to reach the Baltic, encountering little resistance. The main assault on the city is again rebuffed however, though the Germans are down to 10,000 troops in the city itself and now surrounded by Litvinov’s Army. An Austrian assault on Lemberg is disastrous as 16,000 of 23,000 men involved perish.

Third Impulse – The guns fall silent as Russia now digs in around Konigsberg and begins the siege if the city, with all German forces in Konigsberg now cutoff from the rest of the front.

Balkans Theater
First Impulse – No action as both sides dig in and wait, with the Central powers hoping attrition and dropping morale will sap the fighting spirit of British and Serbian forces in Scutari.
Second Impulse – The wait continues.

Third Impulse – Still no moves by either side.

Middle Eastern Front
First Impulse – The Russian retake Batum without firing a single shot.
Second Impulse – No action in this theater.
Third Impulse – Tranquility continues to reign.

[BYU 14]

July/August Summary
Despite heavy activity along the Western front and concentrated fighting for Konigsberg, casualties dip slightly this period. Though overall losses are still insidious, approaching Two million dead or missing on each side.
The Entente – 1,884,000 killed in action and missing
The Central Powers – 1,622,000 killed in action and missing

The Eastern front has tilted in the Ententes favor, but the situation in the west is critical and all available resources must now be thrown here to stop the German advance. Overall the War is now at a virtual stalemate, with the Entente holding the narrowest of edges (4 victory points) though Paris is now in line for a direct assault and must be held at all costs, or the Entente is doomed. The countries are in the following shape:
Entente:
Russia (Excellent), Italy (Excellent), Britain (Strong), France (Good), Belgium (Weak) and Serbia (Weak). France is the only change falling to good.
Central Powers:
Germany (Excellent), Ottoman Empire (Excellent), Bulgaria (Excellent) and Austria (Strong). No Changes here.

Italy appreciates overtures from the Entente and at last declares its loyalties, joining the war on our side!!! This welcome news now places fresh troops in position to relieve the pressure on Roques divisions as well as force Austria to stretch establish a front along it’s borders with Italy.

July/August News recap

Jul 1. Otavi (south-west Africa) occupied by General Botha
Jul 4. Cruiser Konigsberg partially destroyed by monitors in Rufiji river (East Africa)
Jul 5. British evacuate Lahej and retire to Bir Nasr, then to Aden, after attack by Turks
Jul 9. SW Africa conquered; German troops surrender unconditionally to General Botha
Jul 12. Engagements reported between British-Belgian force and Germans on north Rhodesian frontier
Jul 25. French occupy Lomie in Cameroons
Aug 17. 1,200 Bunerwal rebels attack camp at Rustam (Peshawar); one officer killed
Aug 26. Rustam (north-west India) column defeats Brunerwals at Surkhabi
Aug 28. Bunerwals again defeated, Malandri Pass (north-west India)
Aug 29. Swat natives repulsed at Sandaki (north-west India)
Aug 31. Rustam column again drives Bunerwals back

[BYU 14]

With the Eastern Front stable and fighting next to nothing in both the Baltic and Middle Eastern Theaters, the huge hole along the length of the Marne will be the main Entente focus. This gash must be repaired and continuity restored to save Paris. I will be asking the Italians to shoulder the bulk of the burden on the southern tip of the Western front as General Roques was killed in the last German offensive and his armies now lie trapped and without leadership.

[BYU 14]

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – 1 industry point – Ouch, the summer has taken a heavy toll on the French economy, I allot the point to Arms refit.
Russia – 5 industry points – I allot 3 to HQ, 1 to Arms refit and 1 to Artillery munitions.
Britain – 7 industry points – The British economy rebounds and I assign points to HQ (3), Arms refit (2), Diplomacy (1) and Naval Asset (1)
Italy – 4 industry points, I assign 1 to Arms refit, 1 to Artillery munitions and 1 to Trench Tech and 1 to Aircraft. Their economy is not robust, but every bit will help our effort.
Belgium – 3 industry points, I assign 1 to Arms refit, 1 to Artillery munitions and 1 to Trench Tech, which are the only three options available with the country so ravaged by war.
Serbia – 3 industry points. 2 go to Arms refit and the other to Trench Tech. The Serbs are some tough bastards.

Personnel/Machinery
France – None available, I have 4 Divisions currently being trained, we are dry after that.
Russia – None available. (6 Divisions in training)
Britain – None available, only 1 Division in training.
Italy – None available, though they have 5 infantry divisions training.
Belgium – None available. Bone dry in training resources
Serbia – Believe it or not I am able to commission an Artillery unit. This will help defend our final Serb outpost.

Air Power
France – No reserve Squadrons available
Russia – No reserve Squadrons available
Britain – 1 reserve Squadron is sent to the Western front.
Italy – No reserve Squadrons available
Belgium – No Air Force
Serbia – No Air Force

Reinforcements/Refits
France – No reinforcements available. Not a good time for the pool to be dry.
Russia – I refit Litvinov with still another offensive point. No reinforcements available.
Britain – I assign 1 offensive point to General Rawlinson in Antwerp and send 14,000 reinforcements to three divisions in this area. I will take another attempt at Liege in October.
Italy - None
Belgium – I assign another 1,000 reinforcements to the 1st Cavalry, still Belgium’s only active force. (Who are given a heroes welcome as they gallop into Brussels after last months successful attack by the Entente.)
Serbia – All surviving units at full strength.

Naval Orders
France – I assign 3 Battleships, 1 Cruiser and 4 Destroyers to break the stalemate in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Russia – None.
Britain – I call 7 Transports in for refit. Then assign 2 transports to the North Atlantic, Eastern and Western Mediterranean Seas for Amphibious duty. Finally, 2 more Warships to patrol the hotly contested Eastern Mediterranean. I now need to start rebuilding Naval action points as I have exhausted my supply for the British.
Italy – I send a Dreadnought, Battleship and a Cruiser to the Eastern Mediterranean. I need to break this deadlock as it is key to getting more Troops to Serbia.
Belgium – No Navy
Serbia – No Navy

Diplomacy
France – No Diplomacy points available
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Belgium – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – 2 Research points available and I allot 1 to Aircraft research and 1 to Poison Gas.
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Belgium – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

[BYU 14]

Military Phase
War in the Skies
Still no serious Air combat, but we hold an advantage over the Central Powers of roughly 200 planes on the Western front, while the Eastern Front is still even. We gain 3 reconnaissance points on the Western front and 1 on the Eastern, these will all come in handy as we have to be precise when planning any Offensive action this phase.

War at Sea
In the North Sea the German Battleship Blucher takes pot shots at 2 British Dreadnoughts, but wants no part of a real battle, while a German U Boat inflicts heavy damage on one of our Transports. The Austrian Ships Prinz Eugen and Tegetthoff continue to terrorize the Eastern Med, attacking the British Dreadnought Colossus and a Destroyer, the Italians join in the fun as their three newly dispatched ships catch up to the Austrians as well. The Prinz Eugene inflicts some extensive damage on the Italian Dreadnought Dante, though both Austrian ships now have moderate damage as well. The Colossus next encounters the Austrian Ships Habsburg and Maria Theresa and laces the Habsburg, inflicting massive damage. The French fleet of 8 ships is next caught by the dreaded Austrian duo, which now has the badly damaged Habsburg with the and despite the long odds; the French Destroyer Carnot is sent to a watery grave by the Prinz Eugen.

In the Baltic a Brit Submarine is caught by a German Destroyer, which is able to score a hit and send it scurrying back to port, while in the North Atlantic German U Boats continue to prey on British shipping, but are unable to sink any Transports.

The Austrians are proving worthy adversaries in the Eastern Med, but by sheer numbers we now force them to head to port for repairs. This leaves the Entente in control of all major bodies of water except the Baltic Sea, with the Black Sea still free of combat.

Ground Fighting
Western Front
First Impulse – The Germans let loose with Artillery on Brussels, but the city takes more damage than British and Belgian troops, while the British bang back at Liege. Down south the French now use Artillery as a defensive tactic to try and rattle German divisions surrounding their Armies in the Lyon/Strasbourg battlefields. The ground battles commence around Paris with the Germans successfully clashing with French troops looking to reach German Artillery outside the City.

Second Impulse – The Germans now prepare for the death blow against French forces on the Lyon/Strasbourg stretch, shelling French division held up in Belfort. Antwerp, Brussels and Paris also come under fire from the big guns, while the Entente continues its shelling of Liege. Major fighting breaks out in the Ypres salient and the losses are catastrophic for both sides with 22,000 German and 25,000 French and British casualties, as the Central powers gain more ground. Another assault on Liege at last results in success as we drive German troops from the city, losing 10,000 men in the process, while the Germans lose 14,000. The latest round of fighting in Belgium tallies over 71,000 more pickups for the grim reaper, a horrific figure. As the dust clears Brussels again lies in German hands.

Third Impulse – Germany continues to try and tighten the noose around Paris, shelling French troops defending the city. The last remnants of the French forces in Belfort are overrun, 13,000 killed and the rest captured. This now narrows the Western Front by over 100 kilometers for the Germans and is dire news for the Entente high command. The Germans also occupy Orleans.

Eastern Front
First Impulse – The Germans still covet Warsaw and begin an Artillery barrage on the Russian forces under General Scheidemar occupying the City. Heavy exchanges take place around Konigsberg as both sides throw everything at this important campaign. Elsewhere sporadic German fire rattles Russian troops along the front. Litvinov again led an assault on Konigsberg and was again rebuffed, but the German forces were pared down to 5,000 in the fighting. Three divisions of Litvinov’s Men also moved into to Danzig west of Konigsberg, taking the city without a fight.

Second Impulse – More Artillery is launched by both sides around Konigsberg, which is easily now the bloodiest area of the Russian front and rightfully so, being a major port city on the Baltic. Austria launches an offensive on General Shcherbatchev’s men near Vinnitsa and takes the Russian by surprise, pushing them back and killing 10,000.

Third Impulse – Austrian forces make a grab for Lemberg, but are repulsed in light fighting by Plehve’s Army.

The Italian Front
First Impulse – Italy wastes no time crossing into Austria along the Isonzo River and encountered only light casualties on the initial advance, capturing the Town of Trent in the process.

Second Impulse – Italian success during the initial fighting is short lived as Austrian and German troops staunch the attack, giving up the Isonzo, but no ground past it.

Third Impulse – Both sides now hunker down.

Balkans Theater
First Impulse – The waiting game continues with only light sniping as another British division arrives to bolster Scutari.

Second Impulse – No action on this front.

Third Impulse – Things remain static.

Middle Eastern Front
First Impulse – No action at all as Turkish and Russian troops stare each other down across no mans land.

Second Impulse – Britain makes the first move entering the Ottoman Empire east of Cairo with plans to capture Jerusalem as the Turks quickly mobilize to stop them.

Third Impulse – General Dobell advances to the doorstep of Jerusalem, with sill no resistance from the Ottomans and things heat up in the north as Ottoman forces assault Batum, but are driven back by Russian troops under General Sievers, losing 32,000 of 35,000 men involved in the attack. Total Russian losses number only 5,000.

[BYU 14]

September/October Summary
The losses in the west push Entente losses over 2 million and the Central powers are not far behind. The strain on nations is starting to show in both moral and quality of life.
The Entente – 2,062,000 killed in action and missing
The Central Powers – 1,812,000 killed in action and missing

The Eastern front continues to favor the Entente, while the west is clearly well in hand for the Central Powers. Overall the War is now a dead heat, with neither side holding a victory point advantage.
The countries are in the following shape:
Entente:
Russia (Excellent), Italy (Excellent), Britain (Strong), France (Good), Belgium (Weak) and Serbia (Weak). No changes on the Entente side.
Central Powers:
Germany (Excellent), Ottoman Empire (Excellent), Bulgaria (Excellent) and Austria (Good). Austria falls to good, everyone else is still as good as you can get, at least in a war.

Romania appreciates overtures from the Central powers, which does not concern me much as they do not have much of an army and we have a much bigger crisis on tap with France being swallowed by the Germans with each passing week. Greece also appreciates German overtures, but I believe they are still firmly pro Entente.

September/October News Recap

Sep 2. Final scattering of Bunerwals on N.W. Frontier (India)
Sep 3. British mounted infantry cause severe loss to enemy near Maktan (German East Africa)
Sep 5. Defeat of Mohmands on Indian frontier by General Campbell at Hafiz Khor (Gundao Valley)
Sep 6. Fighting on Rhodesian frontier near Saisa, between Germans and Belgians
Sep 9. German intrigue in Persia. Wounding and death of British Vice-Consul at Shiraz
Sep 11. Ispahan evacuated by European residents
Oct 9. British capture Wumbiagas (Cameroons)
Oct 15. Germans evacuate Kermanshah (Persia)
Oct 25. French success at Sende (Cameroons)
Oct 30. Nigerian and Gold Coast troops under Colonel Mayer successful in Cameroons
Oct 31. Japan warns China against monarchical movement

[BYU 14]

Serbia is clinging to life, thanks only to the British support, but somehow there are only British troops there now. I imagine the Serbs may have deserted over the course of the siege, but there was no warning or confirmation of this? The Eastern Front is still in great shape and the Russian lines are strong. Should only be a matter of time before Konigsberg falls. In the Middle East I will finally test the Ottoman Empire. I can't just let them sit there and gain strength, so the "probe" towards Jeruselam will give some idea of their strength in that area.

That leaves the Western front and it is in a shambles. Germany completely controls the entire southern sector and the Italians will not be much help as they are already bogged down barely 15 kilometers into Austria. Paris will become a fortress as we did in and I for ways to break up German supply lines, to make their siege of the city more taxing. If this can be done we may be able to break out and isolate some German divisions. Complicating this of course is the large German presence in France, which has sapped national morale and brought the economy to a grinding halt. It will be up to the British to turn the tide or Paris will eventually fall, which in effect would end the war with America nowhere close to joining the cause and ill-equipped to make a difference if they did at this juncture.

[RealDeal]

Cool dynasty. Hope you keep at it.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by RealDeal

Cool dynasty. Hope you keep at it.

Thanks, I definitely plan to. I usually do this one on weekends since it is a bit more time consuming.

With the way the Western Front is going though, it may not be a long war

[RealDeal]

Hope this one isn't dead.

[BYU 14]

Strategic Phase

Industry
France – 1 industry point – Still smarting as the year enters its final 2 months, I allot the point to Arms refit.
Russia – 6 industry points – A nice surge, I allot 2 to Arms Refit and 1 each to Naval, Artillery, Trench and Aircraft.
Britain – 1 industry point – The Brits are down again and I give their only industry point to arms refit.
Italy – 4 industry points, I assign 2 to Arms refit, 1 to Artillery munitions and 1 to Trench Tech. Italy is at least staying steady right now.
Belgium – 3 industry points and they all go to Arms Refit as they desperately try to hold on.
Serbia – 2 industry points. 1 each to Artillery Munitions and Arms Refit.

Personnel/Machinery
France – I am able to commission a HQ unit, which we need with the Germans closing in on Paris. (3 Infantry divisions in training)
Russia – I commission 2 Cavalry and 1 Artillery unit to join the 6 infantry Divisions in training
Britain – None available, only 1 Division in training still, we are hurting.
Italy – None available, they still have 5 infantry divisions training.
Belgium – At last I can commission an Artillery unit.
Serbia – No resources and nothing in the queue, the end could be near.

Air Power
France – One Squadron is sent to the Western Front.
Russia – No reserve Squadrons available
Britain – No reserve Squadrons available
Italy – No reserve Squadrons available
Belgium – No Air Force
Serbia – No Air Force

Reinforcements/Refits
France – No reinforcements available.
Russia – No reinforcements available.
Britain – No reinforcements available.
Italy - None
Belgium – No reinforcements available.
Serbia – No reinforcements available.
Winter is wreaking havoc on the entire Entente.

Naval Orders
France – I have a Dreadnought and 2 Destroyers in port, but no assets to send them anywhere.
Russia – No assets available.
Britain – I need to build up Naval assets as I am now out and the British advantage at Sea is no more.
Italy – I use the last of Italy’s resources to send a Cruiser and 2 Destroyers to the Eastern Mediterranean
Belgium – No Navy
Serbia – No Navy

Diplomacy
France – 1 Diplomacy point available, I make an overture to the US, which is now very much pro Entente.
Russia – No Diplomacy points available
Britain – No Diplomacy points available
Belgium – No Diplomacy points available
Serbia – No Diplomacy points available

Research and Development
France – 2 Research points available and I allot 1 to Aircraft research and 1 to Artillery.
Russia – No Research points available
Britain – No Research points available
Belgium – No Research points available
Serbia – No Research points available

The Winter now has her cold, withering grasp on all who fight on.