[IS AAR] To Face the Foe - Hail Britannia! (Completed)

[PallasArmata]

1740 - Fall of Hannover, Hannoverian War

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

General Whittingham pressed forward after his victory at the Elbe River. Approaching Hannover, he deployed his army on the ridge overlooking the town. The heavy Hannoverian cavalry charged up and down the line. There was no time to form square.

"Steady, boys! Pour it into them!" Ranked fire ripped into the approaching mass of horsemen.



The British dragoons counter-charged the Hannoverian cavalry to relieve the soldiers on the line. They weren't equipped to tangle with heavy cavalry, and were badly bloodied.



The Hannoverian infantry followed the cavalry and began exchanging fire with the British lines. Canister fire from the two artillery battalions tipped the scales in favor of the English.





Hannover was subdued. This territory would provide an important staging area for future attacks into Prussia and Poland, and the professional military tradition of the province would provide excellent recruits for the British army.

Prince George of Hannover seemed a promising fellow, and was invited to join the English Court.

[PallasArmata]

1741 - English Diplomacy

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In Venice, the Prussians were thrown out, and the Austrian Hapsburg dynasty reestablished. They were not eager to renew their alliance with Britain, however.



An expeditionary force from London under General Mainwaring occupied Morocco. The campaign was not without cost, as General Mainwaring was assassinated.



Spain showed a high interest in acquiring the territory via diplomatic means.

In Persia, General Carver exterminated the Persian army marauding in the east, removing the threat from that front. Baruchastan was then traded to the Marathas as the terms of a military alliance. This provide an outlet for expansion for the Marathas, northward to Afghanistan and then to Dagestan, while the English army could continue westward towards central Persia.



In Europe, the United Provinces were given control of Flanders, and, in return, agreed to become a protectorate of Great Britian. This would give them a front with France with which they could prosecute the war, and potential areas of expansion against Westphalia. With the capture of Copenhagen, England had adequate port access to the continent, so Flanders' strategic value had lessened. England hoped that the United Provinces would now participate in direct conflict with France and Spain, and help reduce their influence and prestige in the world.



Additional discussions centered around a trade of Finland to the Russians in return for a ceasefire, however, a delegation of Finns requested that they not be submitted to the rule of cruel Cossacks. Discrete diplomatic inquiries determined that Russia would not have accepted in any case.

[PallasArmata]

1742 - Fall of Wurttenburg

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The treaty with the Dutch freed the Brussels' garrison to join General Hugo Wetherell's force in Strasbourg for the assault on Wurttenburg.



He forced the crossing at the Rhine over two fords, with serious losses.



As he advanced further into the territory, he fought a defensive action at the bridge as a second Wurttenburg force attempted to push him back.



This second force was easily repelled, despite its size and it died on the bridges and fords.



This destroyed Wurttenburg's will to resist, and the province fell soon thereafter. General Wetherell was not sorry--he would no longer have to try to spell 'Wurttenburg'.

In the Americas, General Northcote learned the lesson of his earlier defeat and advanced on the Iroquois force cautiously.



This led to a victory, but his losses were heavy, and a counter-attack by another Iroquois army resulted in the fall of Niagara and the slaughter of all defenders, as well as the death of General Northcote.



A modest Russian force put Abo, Finland under seige. The defenders could only watch helplessly as the ship bearing reinforcments (grenadiers) was sunk before landing her troops.



This compelled the defenders to sally out.



The battle was fought among the outlying buildings of the town. The Russian grenadiers had hand mortars which caused shocking numbers of casualties. However, two British line regiments were able to trap the grenadiers in a narrow street, and they fell to bayonets as well as anyone, and Finland was safe for the moment.

In Persia, General Carver's forces were attacked by a large Persian force



He deployed his forces in a defensive ring, anchored by a small hillock in one corner.



The English stood strong and held with relatively light losses.

[PallasArmata]

1743 - Total War

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Queen Anne was livid. "Your plan, Mr Mayhew, was a disaster! The French have taken Brussels. How did this happen?"

"The Dutch had a full army stationed in Brussels. This should not have happened."

"We'll be forced to go to war with France...."

PM Mayhew did not desire war with France. That would also mean war with Spain, her ally. England had wars enough at the moment. He explained it.

The queen replied, "If we do not, then 'protectorate' has no meaning. Our prestige will suffer greatly."

The presence of Westphalian armies on campaign against France in northeast Flanders suggested an alliance of convenience. Westphalia was quite powerful, owning two wealthy provinces, and was protector of Austria.



The alliance was forged.



War was declared on France. She had a large navy deployed in the channel and along the coast of Europe, which would pose great problems for English shipping.



The situation in Morocco was untenable. Large Spanish forces were poised to strike from Gibraltar. Moreover, England could not afford an additional conflict in the New World. However, secret discussions with Spanish indicated that a deal could be struck.



The Spanish could be bribed into neutrality with Morocco, and in exchange gave up a small colony (New Mexico) in the Americas.



"You know what this means, Your Majesty? World War."

With the addition of Saxony into the fray, all of Europe was at war.

[PallasArmata]

1744 - Fall of Saxony and Brandenburg

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Westphalian forces wasted no time in taking advantage of the alliance, and conquered Brussels.



The French navy was numerous, controlling the shipping lanes up and down the coast of Europe.



They had established a blockade of the British Isles, preventing any trade from getting through.



The British army could not afford replenishments in all theaters.



Commodore Edwin Wayne began his return to England from station off Morocco. The French ships were numerous, but they had nothing larger than brigs. This meant they had a good raiding force, but were no match for a battle fleet.



Commodore Wayne worked his way up the coast, destroying and capturing numerous French vessels.

As terms of the treaty with Spain and the handover of Morocco, former General Mainwaring's forces were transported to England. Lt General Dale Jerrett took command. In a daring maneuver under the cover of darkness, English transports ran the blockade and landed this force in Denmark.



This freed General Whittingham to advance from Hannover into Saxony, where he defeated their border forces, and then went on to capture Strasbourg.



Jerrett's forces advanced to seige Brandenburg



The Prussians sallied, were defeated, and Berlin was taken.

[Harvey]

Nice series, I'd like to see how the story ends =)

[MilaneseDynasty]

Excellent series, I find your style light and very engaging, and you seem lucky in having had an extremely interesting campaign (complete with wars of succession). It's inspired me to bring the notes and screenies from my own IS campaign into an AAR.

Have some rep and consider this thread subscribed

[tuore]

Really nice AAR!

[PallasArmata]

Wow...every time I'm ready to abandon this, I get a batch of nice comments....

[PallasArmata]

1745 - 1748: Masters of the Seas

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Commodore Wayne made his patrol from Morocco to the Thames, sweeping the French navy from the seas. Although the French were numerous, they had no ships of the line, and could not stand up to his heavy guns for long.



In the Caribbean, Commodore Shayne, Admiral Leake's replacement, was similarly engaging the French at every opportunity. A battle off the Windward Islands opened the way for a small landing force of Colonial Militia to capture Martinique.



A similar campaign was planned for French Guyana and Dutch Guyana (under French control since the fall of Amsterdam). However, first scouting reports indicate large forces in the area.



In Persia, General Carver defeated two Persian armies to capture Estahan. He made preparations to split his forces for an attack on Afghanistan and Baghdad.



In the Americas, General Northcote, before his untimely demise, had recommended that a heavy cavalry force be assembled for use against the Iroquois. Against all odds, Horse Guards approved the proposal, and supplemented the new cavalry muster with claymore-wielding Highlanders. When these troops finally arrived from England, this strategy proved remarkable successful.



The Iroquois were finally defeated due to the effectiveness of this strategy.



With the elimination of the Iroquois and the state of war with France, the secret agreement with the 13 Colonies could be pursued (the colonies would join Great Britain if the Cherokee were destroyed and the French threat in Canada neutralized). War was declared against the Cherokee nations.



The victory against the indians also released the English line units for action against the French in Canada, and Montreal fell to the colonial regulars.



By the end of 1746, Commodore Wayne had succeeded in establish English naval supremacy in the Atlantic, and English trade was flowing freely once again.



General Whittingham's force captured Prague from the Prussians, with the help of a nearby Dutch army.



Silesia was taken soon thereafter, leaving Prussia with only Milan and Sardinia, and England forced them to accept a Peace Treaty with no conditions.



In Finland, a large Polish army was defeated, and a second siege of Abo was repelled, which would hopefully open the way for advances into the Russian mainland.



In Europe, Brussels changed hands again, falling to the French. Due to the successes against the Prussians, forces from the Wurttenburg garrison were free to begin a campaign against the French army in Flanders.



Prince George of Hannover, adopted as the new heir, took the title of Prince of Wales.

[hammy the hamster]

amazing work, please dont stop

[Morrpheous]

Fantastic AAR. You've got the mix of storytelling and pictures so that they compliment each other really well. I'm looking forward eagerly for more. + rep

[Musthavename]

This is very nice. Don't let this thing die!

[PallasArmata]

The campaign will continue once the patch comes out.

I owe props to a comedy AAR on here that used Highlanders against the indians. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, please PM me so I can add a reference/link.

[LoneGunman]

Enjoying the AAR thus far. It's a pity that the AI won't invade the British Isles via naval invasion though...

You're also a much better naval commander than I am! I never seem to be able to keep my ships cohesive and in good order for very long!

[PallasArmata]

1749 - 1750: War & Peace in Europe

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

General Wetherell's forces advanced against the battered French forces in Brussels, and the outnumbered French troops were swept from the battle, building by building.



The liberation of Flanders had an unexpected effect on the diplomatic balance in Western Europe. With Westphalian expansion now blocked to the south, the Germans turned their eyes to the United Provinces, and declared war.



Great Britian, of course, declared for her protectorate and joined the war on the side of the Dutch. This put the English positions in Strousburg and Wurttenburg at risk. Dragoons and the battered remnants of the conquering armies were the only garrison in these territories. Drastic action was required, so Flanders was once again ceded to the United Provinces (along with some military technology), thus freeing Wetherell's forces for action against the Westphalian frontier army, which threatened invasion into the former Wurttenburg provinces.



General Wetherell was able to defeat the Westphalian frontier force army, and in a welcome surprise, the Dutch armies moved against Cologne defeating the Westphalian army there and occupying the city.



This left only a Westphalian force in Bavaria to be dealt with. This force attacked the English as they were preparing to cross the river and were slaughtered in the fords.



In Eastern Europe, St. Petersburg fell to English forces freed for action after the second siege of Finland was repulsed.



This was enough to encourage the Russians to accept a peace treaty.



Gdansk fell to General Whittingham's forces, and Poland was now also willing to accept terms.



In the Americas, English Indian agents bribed the native guides to lead the French armies on a wild goose chase in a vain attempt to engage a phantom English army near New York, leaving Quebec undefended.



The French forces lost their way when the native guides abandoned them, and wandered aimlessly in the woods. Quebec fell easily.



With the fall of New France, English objectives against France had been achieved, so peace was offered and accepted.



With this development, the European powers were largely at peace.

[PallasArmata]

1751 - Conquest of Appalachia

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

General Vernon Shore was charged with eliminating the Cherokee threat. His army approached Tellico, but scouts reported 3 large armies in the vicinity, so he withdrew to wait for reinforcements.

The Cherokee force had swept across the region, extending their control from Florida to the Carolinas.



General Shore's Scottish brigade defeated the redskins at Tellico, and his reserves conquered Chicasa.



These forces were subjected to a fierce counter-attack by the last remaining significant native force, but were able to eke out a victory.



The consequences of the battle were disastrous for the Cherokee. The collapse of their military caused Florida to declare independence, and led to open rebellion in the Carolinas.



An English force was transported from New York by sea, and swept through the Carolinas and Georgia, eliminating the Cherokee threat forever. This lead to the reconcilation with the American colonists, who took their place as members of the British Empire, although without the right of suffrage.



With peace on the Continent, in the Americas, and in the Indian theater, a Golden Age began, which would last for another 50 years.




In time, however, the American colonists would come to regret their decision, when a later, less enlightened administration took control. But that story is best told by the participants.

[PallasArmata]

The End. Thanks for reading!

[B-rad]

This was a very good AAR. Congrats on making it all the way to the end of the campaign.

[Draknith]

This is what I'm talkin about. A good story without too much filler, but moves through the years in an action sequence. I enjoyed ever minute I spent reading this, and even better that it was done at work. I even began hoping that the 'turkey' 3rd would live up to the reputation of the rest of the army, and become a truly heroic battle regiment... and guess what, they did!

Thanks again for the read. I'm gonna have to do something like this myself.