Their Finest Hour Diary: No Fortress Europe

After the crash wiped out my progress in 1940 and corrupted my latest autosave, I was forced to re-fight a significant portion of World War II, which provided me with a choice that posed both moral and practical problems.

On one hand, I could play again through the period with my previous gathered knowledge and avoid some mistakes, like my Polish assault, which would make my position better.

On the other, I would basically cheat in many ways, which seems somehow wrong given the trial and error nature of Hearts of Iron III.

I decided to make the same overall choices, like abandoning Africa and the Far East and focusing on the defense of France, and I also launched my Polish adventure at the same time, although I tried to experiment and invade the eastern enclave of Germany rather than defend.

I failed to bother the Germans much at that time, but avoided some loss of British life and I did somewhat better in the defense effort for France, even if the French once again managed to lose their grip on the Maginot Line even as I was defending their coast and center.

I have since played much more Their Finest Hour, but I can’t actually bring myself to finish this game.

The crash might have taken some of the wind out of my sails, but I also have a pretty good idea of where the game is going.

Germany will continue to try and take France as I bring more troops online and eventually create an unassailable defensive line.

I will then use my Marines, which are produced in serial units of five to create a new Army corps in less than six months, to invade at strategically chosen spots and try and take Berlin in order to deliver a quick knockout punch to the Nazis.

I will then spend some time mopping up the enemy resistance before either declaring World War II won or deciding that we might as well extend it by taking on the USSR in another war of freedom over oppression.