The greater war (HoI II ''1914 mod'' MP AAR)

[Raptor1]

The Great(er) War Begins!

April 2nd, 1916

After the entirely boring winter of 1915-1916, Germany and Austria-Hungary decide it's time to start the big one. The war may have been stolen by the Ottomans, but that doesn't mean the French are going to get away with it.

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy declare war on France and Russia on April 2nd, 1916 (A day after April 1st, both to catch them by surprise and to make sure they don't take it as a joke). The Schlieffen Plan is implemented the following day, April 3rd, with the declaration of war on Belgium and Luxembourg and causes Britain to join the war on the Entente's side.



Specific details on the early fighting are missing because the head reporter on the Western Front has been killed by a shell near Antwerp. The one responsible for the Eastern Front has went missing in the vicinity of Lemberg and we have not heard from him since. So, instead, we'll give you the long overview.

Invasion of Belgium and Plan XVII - Battle of the Frontiers

German troops, a combination of fresh but well drilled troops and veterans from the Turkish campaign, march on Liège, Arlon and Luxembourg on April 6th. A French counterattack in Luxembourg drives the German advance guard out but retreats after the main force arrives. Cavalry sent to take the Northern coastline are cought by French and Belgian infantry divisions and forced to retreat. After several days, a front forms across the French-German and French-Belgian border with the northern part of Belgium remaining in the Entente's hands.

The German High Sea Fleet, taking agressive action in the English Channel, manages to halt reinforcements from Britain and sink several British ships.







The French open up their offensive against the weak left flank of the German army. Aiming to take Mülhausen, lost in the Franco-Prussian War, from the Germans. The 5 divisions under von Zwehl's XV. Armeekorps, though heavily entranched, are faced with 31 French divisions. After holding for several weeks, the Germans are forced to retreat and concede Mülhausen to the French. This creates a crisis with the German High Command, as the only reserves are far way and will not be able to block French advance for some time. A desperate counterattack fails to recapture the city, and a wide gap in the German front forms.





In the north. A breach in the line is spotted and quickly exploited in Brussles. 5 French and Belgian divisions are cought and besieged in the Antwerp and a series of battles ensues between German and French forces for control of Mons, Ghent and Dunkerque.





Offensives continue into late May, at which point German High Command calls a halt to most offensive action in order to reorganize. The Schlieffen Plan has failed, Paris has not fallen in 40 days and the Battle of the Frontiers has ended with Germany controlling most of Belgium, except Antwerp, which is still under siege, and parts of France. French forces hold Mülhausen and the Germans are desperately trying to block their advance.

To be continued, very soon

[Raptor1]

Battle of the Seine

May, 1916

With the halting of offensive action on other fronts, the German army concentrates on reaching the Seine river and Paris. After reorganizing from their offensive on Reims, the German army pushes into Compiègne. French forces in Compiègne are 4 badly mauled divisions who are overrun after several days. German armies reach the Seine river and the gates of Paris inside a massive salient.



Wary of attacking Paris, the Germans choose instead to flatten the front and drive the French completely behind the Seine. An attack on Amiens is launched, but fails as French reinforcements arrive in the last minute. An attack on Lille following a failed French attack on Mons succeeds but forces there immediately come under a French counterattack. The battle's course is reversed as Antwerp falls and reinforcements can be brought to the front.

Meanwhile, the French forces in the South continue to advance. Having reached as far as the Saar and Stuttgart. The German divisions frantically decide to close the gap as the French strech out their defensive lines.







The French are finally cut off in the south and a counterattack drives the French forces from Alsace. German and Austro-Hungarian continue to try to annihilate the encircled French army deep in German territory.

Another offensive is launched on Amiens, but it too fails to achieve it's objectives. An attack is launched across the Marne river into Troyes but it too grounds to a halt.

In the south, the counterattack continues into Belfort and eventually takes it.







July sees an end to the Second Battle of Amiens and the First Battle of Troyes as the French threaten to take Ghent, an attack which would ultimately fail with the coming of reinforcements.

The rampaging French army is finally cought and annihilated in Leipzig, allowing even more German divisions to be brought to the line.

Finally, the first Assault Trooper divisions make their appearance on the battlefield. Armed with flamethrowers and submachine guns, with proper doctrine advances, these troops might prove a decisive weapon.







Not giving the French troops any respite, the Germans launch another offensive. Another attack is launched on Amiens while forces in Lille advance to Calais in an effort to trap French troops in Dunkerque. In the south, a combined assault from Belfort and across the Marne again manages to rout the French.




The French are encircled in Dunkerque and soon surrender. With the French front in the north close to collapse, the Germans push forward. The Third Battle of Amiens is supported from the north and the French retreat by early September. French forces in Le Havre are attacked and forced to retreat behind the river, conceeding the right bank of the Seine to German forces.

In the south, German forces push forward into undefended Vichy and attack north into Auxerre, stopping within sight of the Eifel Tower.

The stage is set for the Battle of Paris.



Part 3 coming soon...

[Raptor1]

Battle of Paris

September, 1916

With Paris well within sight of German troops, the French government evacuates the city. Krupp and Škoda siege guns begin pummeling the city as martial law is declared. French troops and citizens frantically work, constructing entrenchments to withstand the expected German assault.

Desperately trying to drive the Germans out of Paris' vicinity. The French launch an assault against the German V. Armeekorps (Also including the Western Front's General HQ) in Auxerre.



The German XIII. Armeekorps under von Hügel makes best speed to Auxerre, certain that the French will break off the attack with the coming of reinforcements. But a mere 2 hours away, a French artillery shell hits the German General HQ and mortally wounds Kronprinz Rupprecht of Bavaria. The French break off the attack with the arrival of XIII. Armeekorps. The Kaiser promises that the Kronprinz will be given a state funeral, in Paris.



Remembering the lessons of 1871, the Germans decide to encircle Paris and then crush it instead of attacking head on. A first attempt to cross the Seine in the north of Paris into Caen is broken off and another attack on Argentan is prepared.



The German V. Armeekorps and XIII. Armeekorps in Auxerre launch an attack into Orléans. Assault Troopers overwhelm the French troops, still weakened from their own attack on Auxerre, and overrun them within a week.

Poorly defended Argentan falls next as German troops cross the Seine in the north, linking up with the XIII. Armeekorps in Orléans and completing the encirclement of Paris.





With Paris encircled, the Germans order the final offensive into the city to start. 11 beleaguered French divisions dug in around the city watch as 73 German divisions, over 700,000 men, attack the city from all direction on October 1st.



French Field Marshall Foch orders the troops defending the city to hold out at all costs. A delaying action begins as the French do everything they can to keep the Germans out.



Frustrated with the lack of progress, the German General HQ orders a massive assault on October 4th in order to defeat the defenders. Artillery rains on Paris as troops overwhelm the French trench line.



Facing overwhelming numbers and superior firepower, the French morale is broken. Despite orders to hold the city at all costs, Foch surrenders on the morning of October 4th in order to prevent the city from falling into ruin.

Gerrman troops march into the city. Celebrations break out from Berlin to Vienna as news of the fall of Paris reaches. The French government vows to retake the city, but trust in them and their conduct of the war falls rapidly.





With the fall of Paris and the coming of Winter, the German High Command orders a general advance in order to trap or destroy as much of the French army before the onset of winter. Despite continued resistance, however, France seems doomed to lose the war.

[Max2147]

Great stuff, looking forwards to the next installment!

Are you playing against other humans, or AI?

[Raptor1]

We're playing against the AI

[HunterICX]

The Eastern Front, and a small revolt.

December 1915 - February 1916

Austro-Hungarian troops marching to the Russian border

With the early succeses against the Ottoman Empire the spirit was high of the German Empire and its ally Austria-Hungary.

Germany's plan to declare war on France and as it would trigger the Russians to declare war on us so the task of the Austro-Hungarian army was mainly to go defensive in the east while Germany focuses on its campaign in the west.

During the winter of 1915-1916 Austria-Hungary re-deployed some extra troops to the Russian borders and reinforced the divisions with brigades of Artillery, heavy weaponry and Gas attachments.


For some time now there was some unrest in Belgrade, and in February 1916 Serbian partisans claimed the province..Unacceptable!

With only Austro-Hungarian Cavalry in the vicinity the High command quikly dispatched a reserve army from the Russian border to crush this revolt.
Also the High command asked Germany to use its bombers to rain death and destruction over the province.







The Serbian partisans where quikly crushed and the province returned to the Austro-Hungarian empire.

HunterICX

[HunterICX]

Italians, they are advancing in the wrong dirrection.

April 1916

In the Winter of 1915-1916 the German High command adviced Austria-Hungary to put some troops near the French Italian border, the Austro-Hungarian high command dispatched a army of 3 Mountain divisions to the border.

With the German invasion of Belgium and France in progess, the French armies attacked North Italy at Genoa. The Austro Hungarian military experts underestemated the strenght of the Italian defenses and saw it quikly going the wrong way. The Austro-Hungarian High command quikly dispatched some of its reserves from the Russian borders to aid the Italians to hold the French at bay.



The battle for Genoa was slowly turning into a defeat for the Italians, even with troops arrived from Austria-Hungary which where rushed into battle without the time to reorganize themselfs they couldn't hold the French out of Genoa.

Observing this, the Austro-Hungarian high command debated that they should strategicly retreat to Milan and La Spezia. And so it happend we retreated all the forces to those 2 provinces and managed to stop the French advance in its tracks.

The Russian Front.

Spring - Summer 1916

Because of the removal of the reserves at the Russian border to aid the Italians, the Austria Hungarian lines where somewhat disorganised and weakend at some points.
The Russian seemed to know that too and tried a breakthrought.
The series of attacks where frustrating for the High command but nonetheless after shuffling around with Divisions that brought the defensive lines back to strenght so the attacks could be broken off and the Russian kept out of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In the North, Germany however lost Königsberg to the Russians.



Movement in the West, but not really much movement in the East and thats how it stayed till the winter of 1916.

HunterICX

[HunterICX]

Dark Times for Austria-Hungary

18 November 1916

Austria-Hungary mourns the death of Emperor Franz Joseph, after his reign for 68 years.


He is succeeded by Karl Franz Joseph Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Marie von Habsburg-Lothringen.

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December 1916.


A Naval disaster occured, 13 Astria-Hungarian cruisers have been sunk by the British Main fleet with 30 capital ships in the Mediterranean Sea.

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The French last stand in south-east France.

February 1917

With the Germans in the West heading east mopping up the last French resistance it was time for the Italians to take back what they lost last year.

Supported by 5 Austro-Hungarian Divisions they attacked Genoa.


The German later on supported the attack on Genoa from Nice to make sure the supply depot is no more.

After weeks fighting Genoa was part of Italy again, and the attack on Turin started in March 1916 leaded by a Austro-Hungarian Lt.General Giesl von Gieslingen.



Counter-Attack in Russia

May 1917

After a attack made by the Russians in Stanisławów, it was time for the Austro-Hungarian Army to test the Russian defences by quikly counterattacking.
the Austro-Hungarian troops are going to march to Kiev and will attempt to crush the Russian division south of the line.
Plans of a German offensive against the Russians in the North have been made.

HunterICX

[Raptor1]

The Western Front

November 1st, 1916 - June 1st, 1917

With the fall of Paris, French lines rapidly begun to collapse. German cavalry marching into Cholet have cut off Brittany and several dozen divisions stationed there while the German advance continued, sometimes unopposed, into the south.

Soon, what was the Western Front degenerated into 3 separate sub-fronts. The main front against the French and Portuguese in the south, the Brittany pocket against the French and British in the northwest, and the Alpine front to the southeast.

The Southeastern Sector - Alpine Offensive

October, 1916 - March, 1916

The opening action of this offensive was an attack on Chalon-sur-Saône started at the end of October. Despite overwhelming numbers and firepower, the German attack was brought to a halt in mid-November due to the frozen terrain and strong river defences.

The Offensive continued again in early January. German infantry has reached the Mediterranean coast in Montpellier and Nîmes, cutting off the French troops in the Alps and the Italian front. Another attack on Chalon-sur-Saône, with an even larger numerical superiority, manages to drive the French out within a week.





Exploiting a gap in the French lines. German assault infantry crosses the river from Nîmes into Marseilles, Toulon and Nice. Surrounding the former Italian Front. A French attack to drive the Germans out of Nice fails and similarly a German counterattack on Grenoble fails to dislodge the French.





German assault infantry attacks Genoa, aiding the ongoing Austro-Italian offensive, Genoa falls and the German and Italian fronts meet on the evening of March 3rd.



German attacks from the north capture Lyon and Grenoble from the unsupplied defenders. The French make a last stand in Turin, but surrender by the end of March, bringing an end to the Alpine Offensive.