Paradox Interactive announces Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour, a third expansion for Hearts of Iron III, expected to come to their turn-based strategy sequel by the end of this year. Here are some screenshots, and here's word:

One of Paradox Interactive's and Paradox Development Studios' most expansive games will get even bigger this fall. Hearts of Iron III, the deepest and most expansive simulation of World War 2-era politics, science and warfare, will see a new expansion that offers players a greater connection to the period's history and new ways to jump straight into the action.

“Their Finest Hour” is the third expansion for Hearts of Iron III, and comes three years after the original game's release – further evidence of Paradox's commitment to building and growing their games well after the launch period, adding features and ideas requested by their active and involved international online community.

You can expect the expansion Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour to land with a bang later in 2012.

Announced features for Hearts of iron III: Their Finest Hour include:

• Expanded espionage system with new and reworked missions, including new covert operations that can be performed on the map.
• New 'battle plans' mode where you can load historical plans, or draw your own and share with your allies in real-time in multiplayer games.
• New unique elite units for each major nation's army - Gurkhas, Rangers, Imperial Guards etc.
• Deeper naval invasions system including the development of specialized landing and assault crafts to improve the effectiveness of your assault.
• More detailed control over strategic warfare and a generalized lend-lease system to support your distant allies with your industrial might.
• Leaders are now able to gain traits, and assigning them to duty is more important than ever with the new combat tactics system for battles.
• A new custom game mode for both single and multiplayer. You start with a clean slate and can instantly produce units, research technologies and affect political alignment before the game begins. This allows you to model interesting 'what-if' scenarios and speeds up the early years for those who would like to jump straight into the action with no slow build-up.
• Two new detailed battle scenarios, the Russo-Finnish Winter War and the Spanish Civil War