Rank and File: A clerk's war Germany 1936 (Semper Fi)

[Surt]

I've thought some about the AI and the Spanish campaign here and come to so ideas about how the AI works, these might be wrong mind you.

When you select the AI active HQ you can see where its fronts are, these depends on the controlled number of units and the enemy numbers, and stretch if threats from a flank is detected.
Now using line of advance looks like it centre the front on the arrow so that the front doesn't cover the flanks as the number of units are used against the opposing force before it covers the flank, here the north east.

So next time I go for Spain with AI on, I'll upgrade the French boarder provinces, and place an airport close to the boarder.
I'll start with a relatively small army attacking over the mountains, gradually increasing the numbers as I advance, always having at least 25% more troops than frontage, higher percent at start due to higher troop concentration from the Spanish.
A corridor of infra 7 over the mountains should be enough (7*7*4 supplies) unless the allies manage to bring an army group to the front.

 

[Surt]

I see you really wacked the British convoys again!!! in 4 days 15 sunk, and I guess they are not running 45 parallel runs of convoys so the Italians in north Africa might see less resistance soon.
Also in Spain it looks like you have finally overrun some Spanish units so resistance should lessen from now on.

 

[unmerged(34917)]

That lone division in La Coruna better hold out until relieved, otherwise it will be a stinging loss for the Reich. Perhaps some reinforcements via the seas by a dash thru the Channel is an option. But good to know the fighting spirit in the Wehrmacht is now maxed out. Total victory is demanded.
That picture of the Flak Turm, is that Dortmund or Berlin?

And I know I should follow your advice on the girlfriend thing...

 

[unmerged(140582)]

I'm really puzzled about why the AI chose to completely ignore its flanks. Such a mistake wouldn't happen to a completely AI-controlled country, so why does the AI army act that way?

Minor nitpick: It's "Bürger", not "burgher".
Except if you were to mean "Burgherr", which would be the lord of a castle.

 

[unmerged(56084)]

You are actually in a good position to unhinge and eliminate the northern flank of the Spa/UK line. Your 2 light Pz div's in the Toledo area could breakthrough the Spa inf div and then turn n/nw to meet the Med Pz div and the Mot div coming from the Coria area. You would eliminate the BEF and the N. Spa force, and then just roll south, pushing the rest of the Spanish army into a pocket along the Med coast. I know....the ai is in control...and I might decide to let my 8 yo drive my car.

 

[loki100]

I'm really puzzled about why the AI chose to completely ignore its flanks. Such a mistake wouldn't happen to a completely AI-controlled country, so why does the AI army act that way?

Fundamentally because the Theatre AI uses a very different set of rules to the lower levels. Some of those rules are quite useful (so yep the AI-AI is very careful about flanks), others are a pain. An early problem (pre SF, and still present to a lesser extent) was that even if you automated below theatre, the logic still came into play (which is why you used to get odd formations wandering off & why you were often advised to detach AI controlled formations from the theatre). The lower level AI is now much cleaner - ie it mostly does what you tell it. So if you tell it to ignore the Spanish retaking all the north, it will. Equally if it has complex orders, & a lack of forces, it'll come up with its own version of the correct solution.

 

[Uriah]

Rank and File
A Clerk’s War​

Saturday 21st to Wednesday 25th July 1940


Getting out of Berlin was definitely the right decision. A few days in the countryside can work wonders. Gisela and I had a wonderful weekend in the Spreewald, south east of Berlin. I must admit I abused my position twice over the weekend, the first time to obtain an official Ministry of the Interior vehicle (and essential petrol permits!). The second was a little more delicate, but despite the need to show official identity papers, Herr and Frau Müller were booked into the Pension “Am Mühlberg” in Lübbenau. The weather was glorious, and we strolled through the alder woods, drove through the countryside (over the dozens of little bridges crossing the “Fließes” used for irrigation) and had a picnic after a boating trip on the Spree. Not to forget the candle lit dinners: and of course, we had to try the famous Spreewald gherkins: Senzgurke, Gewürzgurke and Salzgurke. For two days we were simply holidaymakers, and the war was in another universe.

Peasants working in the fields in the Spreewald : there are more women now that so many men have been called up. It would appear, though, that there is plenty of opportunity for improvements in efficiency​

Every perfect weekend must end, and we were back to work on Monday, “Herr and Frau Müller” just a memory. Somehow the Filing Section survived without us, but there was a lot of work and catching up to be done.

I tried to persuade Gisela to try on the traditional Sorbian costume, but she dislikes being photographed.​

We had a few victories in Spain, only one of which was of real interest. Keppler gave Waber a hiding in Piedrabuen, with final casualties 60 to 633 in our favour, and Petersen’s 22.Infanterie (mot) continued its drive through southern Spain by disposing of 6th Army HQ for no loss (if you don’t count the 27 Spanish). There was one large battle on Saturday, when General Curtze attacked Alfa. The British General Dempsey had assembled more than 40,000 men, but with 6th Gebirgsjäger attacking from Talavera de la Reina and 20.Infanterie from Candelada, it was all over in a day. Our losses (119) were for once more than the enemy’s (109) but considering that Curtze had only 19,000 soldiers, it was quite an impressive result.

Battle of Alfa​

The only other activity on Saturday was Keitel’s “capture” of Guadiana, achieved at a loss of 4 men. The retreating cavalry and headquarters troops left 53 of their men behind as dead or prisoners. (I noticed that on Sunday Keitel had to admit that Guadiana was not secure, that his men were occupied in “clearance” operations against another Spanish unit).

First Battle of Guadiana

Second Battle of Guadiana​

Two documents summed up the problems in northern Spain. The first was a direction to Kampfgruppe Galicia: it was to ensure that the provinces of Foz and A Gudiña were secured. The second, only hours later, was a message to all units to advise that communications to A Gudiña had been lost: presumably as it had been occupied by the Spanish. There seems to be a lack of appreciation of the situation by OKH.

Kampfgruppe Galicia receives its orders

Loss of A Gudiña​

How our researchers and factories complete things on Sunday I don’t know, but they seem to do it a lot. The hardworking engineers at Bremen Germaniawerft have developed an improved hull for our next generation of submarines. With our current U-boats performing so well there is little enthusiasm for more research (we won’t be building more for the foreseeable future), so the research funds have been given to the WaffenAmt. With so many garrison units being created, there is a possibility that some may see combat, and their current support weapons are a disgrace: pre-1936 antiques rescued from the scrap yard.

Possibly some thought could be given to improving our cavalry, as another division has been sent to Poland to join Polen Sicherungskorp Keitel. (Why is this unit called 1st Kossaken-Kavellerie? These are good German riders, not horsemen from the steppes! Field units must be screaming for upgrades: no funding for new units was mentioned anywhere.

Rail transport is in short supply, but we do not make the cavalry ride to their destinations. These horses are on their way east to Polen.​

Monday saw another cavalry division set off to its first posting. 22nd SS-Kavellerie Divsiion “Maria Theresia” has been sent to Orléans, under the command of General von Wiktorin. This has led to an army restructure in Frankreich: General von Epp has been appointed to lead 2nd Frankreich Sicherungskorps. As a result, 23.Infanterie Division has been relieved of security duties and is transferring east, to Königsberg.

Also incorporated into the Wehmacht was our latest tactical bomber geschwader: KG 51 “Edelweisß”. Now part of 7th Kampffliegerkorps, it is on its way to Nantes to complete its fit-out.

Aircraft for “Edelweiß” under construction at the Junkers factory in Dessau​

Over the demands for more factories devoted to upgrades, Reichsmarschall Göring has insisted that Messerschmitt be contracted to supply another geschwader of Bf 109F interceptors. It is now being freely admitted by senior Luftwaffe officers that the decision to restrict Jagdfliegerkorps to just two geschwader was a mistake, and the long-term (ie next year) plan is to increase all existing interceptor units to three geschwader each.

The huge amount of paperwork that is generated by every research project, unit commissioning or transfer and equipment order kept me busy most of the morning, but there was one brief interruption when I heard that Model’s 5th Panzer had encountered some opposition in Truillo. It was all over quickly though, with Model reporting he had taken 30 prisoners (or deserters) from Harding’s 2nd Indian Division. The same informant also told me that we had lost control of Alcanices, but loss of province after province is getting tedious.

Battle of Truillo

Loss of Alcanices​

Two more battles in the afternoon (four if you count air battles). General Jodl is back in the front line, and has been given the job of taking the mountain province of Vicar. It wasn’t very difficult as it was held by 4 or 5 thousand clerks and non-combat troops. Another bloodless victory (for us: the Spanish lost 21 men). The tough assignment went to General Neuling and 71.Infanterie. They must cross the Guadiana River and take Ciudad Real from Eixea Vilar. Not an easy task, particularly with bad weather predicted.

Battle of Vicar

Battle of Ciudad Real​

The Luftwaffe’s battles were just as important, as JG 12 “Donner” fought No.211 RAF Fighter Squadron for control of Gaudiana and Klepke’s 1st Jagdfliegerkorps tangled with 12th Carrier Air Group. Sperrle’s escorts protected his bombers well, and all his missions were successfully completed, and “Freki” and “Geri” held their own over the Channel.

Air Battle of Guadiana: 10AM 23-7​

For some reason I was quite tired on Monday and did not feel like working late, so when news came in that 2 Brigada Blindada had entered La Robla, I took that as a sign that it was time to leave. I noticed Gisela yawning as I left: perhaps the summer heat is having an effect on everyone.

Loss of La Robla​

Feeling much better after a good night’s sleep, I was ready for a day of activity. Things started well, with 1st Panzer Division disregarding the torrential rain and lightning to keep up the pressure on the retreating Spanish. Miaja Menart is incapable of solidifying a defence with his soldiers reeling from one defeat after another: despite his two to one advantage our tanks and trucks are too fast to allow the time he so desperately needs.

Battle of Moral de Calatrava​

The other battle that started that day caused some raised eyebrows in the Heer waiting room. Cut off and reliant on stockpiled supplies in La Coruña, General von Boehm-Bezig has ordered 2.Infanterie to attack Cordón García in Lugo, south of the port. He is venturig some distance from his vbase, and there are many Spanish units in the area. An aggressive attitude is desirable in an officer of the Heer, but there is a fine line between being aggressive and being foolhardy. Von Boehm-Bezing may have crossed that line. Should the Spanish beat him in a race to the warehouses of La Coruña, it could be disastrous.

Wednesday saw von Kayser taking the fight to the Spanish. He now has a vastly greater force than that opposing him and is able to send troops wide on both flanks. General Böttcher has been told to slow Guarner Vivancos, who seems to be trying to get 8a División de Infanterie back to the coast. With his own 1st Marine-Sturm-Division and 21.Infanterie (mot), Böttcher trapped Vivancos in Cariñena, but the wily Spaniard was able to extricate his men, though at the cost of 191 dead. 8a División has been forced, however, to retreat east rather than south, and Jahn’s 2nd Marine-Sturm-Division is moving to ensure it will never make it back to Barcelona.

Battle of Cariñena​

General Curtze also had a quick win: the Spanish are crumbling as soon as we hit them. Our mobility is now paying dividends as the fleeing troops are being overrun before they can regain a semblance of organisation. In Logrosán, more than 15,000 Spanish collapsed when 20.Infanterie moved into contact. Curtze did lose 55 men (while inflicting 122) but I am sure he considers that a cheap price to pay to defeat such a large force in such a short time.

Battle of Logrosán​

I often see angry memos from field commanders complaining about lack of air cover, but sometimes they are unaware of the facts. For most of Wednesday, Generalleutnant Christiansen and his pilots were far out in the Bay of Biscay, making sure that carrier-based bombers that have been so effective recently cannot make the situation in the north any worse. We lost several aircraft, but in return our ground troops were for once safe from the attentions of Maltby’s bombers.

Air Battle of Southern Bay of Biscay​

There is now another threat from Galicia: Republican infantry have taken Fermoselle and are marching south. Could they be trying to link up with the main Spanish forces? It seems unlikely to happen: the Spanish in the south are retreating too fast.

Loss of Fermoselle: note 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division heading to the airbase at Bayonne​

The final news of the day showed that OKH is now very concerned about von Boehm-Bezing’s rash decision to move two provinces away from his base. There are no ground troops that can possibly make it time, and all our troopships are in German harbours, safe from air attack. There is only one solution, and 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division has been odered to march at full speed to the airbase at Bayonne. Already Generalleutnant Abernetty has received his instructions and 1st Truppentransporterluftflotte has left Nantes and is flying to Bayonne, ready to transport the 9,000 men to La Coruña. Let us hope they will be in time.

Bombing Summary

RAF/RN Fleet Air Arm

Daimiel: Baldwin with Middle East Group: 69, 22, 66, 116
Belvís de Jara: : Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups: 55, 109
Candelada: Harris with 11th and 13th CAG: 26
Jaraicejo: Gore-Sutherland-Mitchell with 16th and 17th CAG: 4
Cáceres: Baldwin with MEG: 93
Belvís de Jara: Gore-Sutherland-Mitchell with 16th and 17th CAG: 116
Cáceres: Harris with 11th and 13th CAG: 46
Belvís de Jara: : Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups, 16th and 17th CAG: 218
Cáceres: Harris with 11th and 13th CAG and MEG: 58
Daimiel: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical and Middle East Groups: 308, 283
La Solara: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical and Middle East Groups: 118, 45, 186
Daimiel: Ludlow-Hewitt with 4th CAG: 24, 22

Luftwaffe

Alfa: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 x Bf 109E, 2 x Ju 88): 259
Guadiana: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 x BF 109E, 2 x Ju 88): 112, 215
Ciudad Real: Hoffmann von Waldau with 4th Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 51
Ciudad Real: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 x BF 109E, 2 x Ju 88): 191, 239, 213
Moral de Calatrava: Kesselring with 1st Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 29
Moral de Calatrava: Hoffmann von Waldau with 4th Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 77, 36, 110, 9
Lugo: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 x BF 109E, 2 x Ju 88): 196, 282, 174


Unterseebottsflotte Activity Report

Cape St Vincent: 1 transport (UK): Portsmouth – Mauritius: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Iberian Plain: 1 transport (UK): Portsmouth – Mombasa: Aßmann with 1st U-flotte
Cape Oregal: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Barbados: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
Gibraltar Approaches: 1 transport (UK): Dover – Dubai: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Horseshoe Seamount: 1 transport (UK): Dover – Trincomalee: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Coast of Porto: 2 transports (UK): Plymouth – Falkland Islands: Aßmann with 1st U-flotte
Goban Spur: 1 transport (UK): Portsmouth – Seychelles: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
South East Azores: 1 transport (UK): Portsmouth – Dar es Salaam: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
South Azores Biscay Rise: 1 transport (UK): Dover – Diego Garcia: Aßmann with 1st U-flotte
Horseshoe Seamount: 1 transport (Greek): Athina – Halifax: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Cape Peñas: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Trinidad: Dönitz with 2nd U-flotte
Western Biscay Plain: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Fongafale: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
Western Biscay Plain: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Falkland Islands: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte

Axis Military Situation Maps

East Africa: If nothing else, Mussolini’s Ethiopian allies are tying up large Commonwealth forces

Greece: the Greek counter-attack is over and the Italians are remorselessly pushing towards Athina.

Italians attack with artillery support: the Greeks are fighting hard to protect their country, but they are outnumbered and alone.

Libia: nobody can understand what the Italians are doing. With plenty of troops and supplies, they took As Sultan from the British, but now we hear they are pulling back to Surt. Surely they could not have been defeated by the handful of British tanks backed up by Iraqi infantry? There are strong rumours that leadership is the problem.

China: Supply for the IJA is plentiful nearly everywhere, but the Kuomintang has deployed a large number of units to hold the southern bank of the Yellow River

IndoChina: the Guangxi have responded to the IJA reinforcements by sending more of their own troops. This “sideshow” is rapidly becoming a major theatre, with more than a dozen divisions on each side.


Unternehmen Stierkampf

 

[Uriah]

I've thought some about the AI and the Spanish campaign here and come to so ideas about how the AI works, these might be wrong mind you.

When you select the AI active HQ you can see where its fronts are, these depends on the controlled number of units and the enemy numbers, and stretch if threats from a flank is detected.
Now using line of advance looks like it centre the front on the arrow so that the front doesn't cover the flanks as the number of units are used against the opposing force before it covers the flank, here the north east.

So next time I go for Spain with AI on, I'll upgrade the French boarder provinces, and place an airport close to the boarder.
I'll start with a relatively small army attacking over the mountains, gradually increasing the numbers as I advance, always having at least 25% more troops than frontage, higher percent at start due to higher troop concentration from the Spanish.
A corridor of infra 7 over the mountains should be enough (7*7*4 supplies) unless the allies manage to bring an army group to the front.

I think you are right about the AI's approach: if you give it an Axis of advance it sees that as the priority, and if there are not enough troops the flanks suffer.

As for the infra etc improvments, I had an airbase ready as soon as Vichy was declared and put it in Bayonne. The day Vichy was declared I immediately started improving the infra of all the low French provinces and expanded the (new) Bayonne and Bordeaux airfileds. And, as you have seen, it was not enough.

Maybe if you hold off Spain until 1941 you will have time to build up infra enough, but you may other intersts by then.

Your other point is valid: I should have gradually built up my army in Spain. As it was I reduced it and then had to build up again. In hindsight, supply is real issue at the start, but give it time and all the provinces have a bit: enough to power an infantry div. Fuel for tanks, trucks and most importantly planes is more of an issue.

I see you really wacked the British convoys again!!! in 4 days 15 sunk, and I guess they are not running 45 parallel runs of convoys so the Italians in north Africa might see less resistance soon.
Also in Spain it looks like you have finally overrun some Spanish units so resistance should lessen from now on.

I am coming to the conclusion that while one Englishman has a pointed stick in Africa the Italians will have problems.

We are slaughtering the convoys, and I wonder what the Royal Navy is doing. They have plenty of ACC and DD, tech seems OK, but they haven't found a U-boat for 6 months.

As far as I can see, the UK is still getting supply to its troops, what is hurting the UK is the economic impact. They are way below maximum production, due to a lack of energy.

As for overrunning, you willsee the Spanish resistance is collapsing as my faster units catch them inthe open.

That lone division in La Coruna better hold out until relieved, otherwise it will be a stinging loss for the Reich. Perhaps some reinforcements via the seas by a dash thru the Channel is an option. But good to know the fighting spirit in the Wehrmacht is now maxed out. Total victory is demanded.
That picture of the Flak Turm, is that Dortmund or Berlin?

And I know I should follow your advice on the girlfriend thing...

See today's update: we will fly in reinforcements.

Actually Berlin (Tiergarten), but tell no-one . (I can't wait for the RAF to use my good photos.

I'm really puzzled about why the AI chose to completely ignore its flanks. Such a mistake wouldn't happen to a completely AI-controlled country, so why does the AI army act that way?

Minor nitpick: It's "Bürger", not "burgher".
Except if you were to mean "Burgherr", which would be the lord of a castle.

I think that it is because I am setting it objectives and not giving it enough troops to meet them all. An AI controlled country would only set objectives that it could cover. So my army concentrates on its axis of advance and ignores the flanks. (A good warning for Barbarssa).

I am all for nitpicking, having been a nitpicker for years. But this time I claim immunity. There is an English word "burgher" which just means "citizen". (A nitpicker could say that it generally refers to a foreign citizen). "Burgher" is not the normally used word: it has connotations of worthiness and solidity.

But thanks anyway, I am always looking to improve my German: I am coming from a very low base!

You are actually in a good position to unhinge and eliminate the northern flank of the Spa/UK line. Your 2 light Pz div's in the Toledo area could breakthrough the Spa inf div and then turn n/nw to meet the Med Pz div and the Mot div coming from the Coria area. You would eliminate the BEF and the N. Spa force, and then just roll south, pushing the rest of the Spanish army into a pocket along the Med coast. I know....the ai is in control...and I might decide to let my 8 yo drive my car.

Such subtlety is beneath our honest German AI! We will fix bayonets and charge straight at them!

Were I directing, I would be looking for opportunities like that, theough I might be attracted by reinforcing my left flank and racing straght for Gibraltar and Seville, cutting off the bulk of the Spanish and Britihs to the the north.

But don't worry - we will get there.

Fundamentally because the Theatre AI uses a very different set of rules to the lower levels. Some of those rules are quite useful (so yep the AI-AI is very careful about flanks), others are a pain. An early problem (pre SF, and still present to a lesser extent) was that even if you automated below theatre, the logic still came into play (which is why you used to get odd formations wandering off & why you were often advised to detach AI controlled formations from the theatre). The lower level AI is now much cleaner - ie it mostly does what you tell it. So if you tell it to ignore the Spanish retaking all the north, it will. Equally if it has complex orders, & a lack of forces, it'll come up with its own version of the correct solution.

See my earlier response: having read yours I think you are probably more on track. I hadn't taken inot account the fact that I am using Army Level and the AI uses Theatre Level.

 

[NERFGEN]

wee. i'm away for a weekend and I'm back to find 2 updates Just great!

I only wish I was in command in Lybia. I'd be in Delhi by now hehe

The way I see it the Spanish are screwed. I hope KG Galicia can distract the divisions there long enough for the rest of the country to be pacified so that they can be crushed without having to chase them all over the place later.

Those pesky British Carriers deserve a spanking.. I don't remember if they were mentioned before so i'll ask .. Do you have any NAVs? or are u planning any?

On a side note I foresee the loss of La Coruña ...

 

[unmerged(34917)]

An wise decision to send in the Paratroopers. That should keep it safe. It looks like Spain is finally gonna crack. It was a real tough fight but the Wehrmacht will come out of this more experienced and much wiser. The Russians will be in for a nasty suprise....

 

[Enewald]

The AI makes me sick.
The campaign should be over by now.

 

[Sarayakat]

I'm not usually one for giving advice, but here's some advice. If you let the AI continue the advance all the way to Gibraltar, you will most likely end up in a superstack stalemate vs the Brits. Your slow rate of advance, coupled with their increasing perception of their province as "endangered" are what concerns me. My answer for that was the following: 1 - bring up TACs and mountain/infantry w/engineers. 2- spend a couple of months destroying and keeping destroyed all port and supply infrastructure in the province. 3 - Attack from every angle (including paras) with about a corps worth of the aforementioned mtns/inf. The other workable tactic is to fallback from Gibraltar, allow the Brits to advance a bit, and then cut 'em off and round 'em up. A well managed coup de grace will still be necessary however. The reason I mention all this is that there is 0 chance of the AI managing any of it if the Brits manage to reinforce in a timely manner which they are more likely than not to do.

/end unsolicited advice

Still loving the AAR. Great use of pictures, humour, atmosphere...A genuinely fun read. Thanks for it.

 

[Uriah]

Rank and File
A Clerk’s War​

Thursday 26th to Tuesday 31st July 1940 (Part 1)

If the early reports from Spain are correct, General von Boehm-Bezing could be in trouble. A Spanish unit (identified by local agents as 15/8a División) has taken Melide and is marching north to La Coruña, which as been left unguarded. A cavalry regiment is following the Spanish infantry, and an armoured unit (probably 2 Brigada Blindada) is racing west along the coast of the Bay of Biscay. Meanwhile, 3.Infanterie is still in Villabilla, locked in battle with 2a Divisón. It will be days before 2nd Fallschirmjägers reach the waiting Arado Ar-232s at Bayonne airbase. Will the Spanish win the race and capture the port and the vital supplies?

Loss of Melide​

Within hours the news improved. 3.Infanterie won the Battle of Lugo, killing 280 of Cordón García’s men and losing 145 of its own. General von Boehm-Bezing has ordered his men to immediately abandon the conquered province and head north. Many armchair analysts in Berlin are saying that General García was part of trap set for von Boehm-Bezing, deliberately moving his weak division within striking range to lure 3.Infanterie away from La Coruña. If true, the stratagem may well work.

There was no doubt about the validity the Battle of Ciudad Real: Eixea Vilar’s defence was no ploy and General Neuling’s victory was hard-earned. 8/4a División held 71.Infanterie on the River Guadiana for just three days, but that allowed the British bombers 72 hours in which they could hit Neuling’s staging areas in Daimiel. 800 men were lost to bombing, and a further 100 in the river crossing. 71.Division has been reduced to just 8,500 men, with its artillery regiment particularly hard hit: less than half its men survived. Spanish losses are put at 617, but nobody is pleased with the result.

Wreckage after a British bombing raid: 71.Infanterie lost much of its horse-drawn artillery​

The Battle of Dom Benito that started the Wednesday was not likely to incur such losses, and in fact General Model was able to completely shatter General Walter’s 4/3a División Orgánica for the loss of four of his panzertruppen. Walter lost 92 men in an hour before fleeing to safety across the Guadiana River to Castuera.

Battle of Dom Benito​

General Keppler cannot seem to keep out of the limelight. The Conqueror of Madrid is able to extract maximum performance from 1st leichte Panzer Division, and he has them in action again, though this particular engagement will test them. They too must cross the Guadiana, and in the face of 10,000 Spanish led by Field Marshal Gómez Morato. Some of the troops in Almadén are Morato’s own Madrid Army headquarters, still smarting at the ignominy of losing their base to Keppler’s men, the rest are the redoubtable Belgians of 26ème Division d’Infanterie, veterans of a dozen battles across Europe. If the RAF bombers return to hit 1st leichte as it struggles to assemble its pontoon bridges, this could be an expensive operation. Rumours (later confirmed) had it that Baldwin’s Middle East Group was already over Piedrabuen, searching for troop concentrations near the river.

Battle of Almadén​

Many of us stayed overnight at the Reichskanzlei, as our calculations showed that Böhme’s fast marching Fallschirmjägers would reach Bayonne just after midnight. (They should be able to march fast – if they had to carry what we poor infantry used to carry … . But I should not go on: Gisela tells me it is a different world now and only the old grumble about the “good old days”.)

I managed to smuggle myself into a mixed group (Heer and Luftwaffe with a couple of Kriegsmarine officers) who were huddled around a radio that had a direct link to both Rommel’s headquarters and to the airbase at Bayonne. (I think it could only listen to conversations, so perhaps it was some way of eavesdropping that one of the electrical technicians had set up for the benefit of the Reichskanzlei staff: there are some very high ranking officers who are always near the Führer and the Cabinet).

Soon after 1AM came the first report from Generalleutnant Abernetty’s radio operator. The first regiment of 2nd Fallschirmsjäger had reached the airbase and was preparing to load onto the waiting aircraft. Within the hour we heard that the entire 9,000 strong division was aboard and the first planes were in the air. That must have been a triumph of organisation: as an administrative officer I can just imagine the difficulties in getting everything done so smoothly. If you have ever tried to load infantry onto trucks you will know what I mean: every dumb bastard wants to get on the first one, every idiot has lost his ammunition case or doesn’t know what platoon he is in or suddenly remembers his radio has a dead battery.

Loaded and ready to go: 1st Truppentransporterluftflotte has its orders

The backbone of the army: a Stabsunteroffizier of 2nd Fallschirmjäger checks off his men as they board an aircraft for La Coruña​

So then it was waiting. We sat drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, thinking of the dozens of men crammed into the fuselage of each of the aircraft, squashed in with all their equipment, while beneath in the pitch black night lay the dangerous waters of the Bay of Biscay. Every man on those planes no doubt wondering if somewhere nearby a Royal Navy aircraft carrier was even now getting ready to launch scores of fighters in response to coded messages from French sympathisers near Bayonne airbase. Too much engine noise to talk to each other, each man alone with his fears. Perhaps the fact that the unit had marched for two days straight and every soldier must be on the brink of exhaustion has a benefit: many of the paratroopers were no doubt fast asleep, regardless of the noise and possible danger.

Fully loaded, an Arado 232 “Tausendfüßler” lumbers down the runway at Bayonne airbase​

Then came alarming news: we had lost contact with the skeleton force left at La Coruña. The Kriegsmarine reported that a cargo ship bringing fule and ammunition from Lorient could not reach the port authorities to get clearance to enter the harbour. The airbase radio operator at Bayonne could not connect with his counterpart at La Coruña airfield.

At 5AM we sat shocked: had we heard the death notice for the 10,000 men of 3.Infanterie? Bayonne airbase had just called in to say that Generalleutnant Abernetty (who was of course in one of the lead planes – he would not sit out the most important mission of his life) had called in to say the landing at La Coruña had been aborted. Coming in low at about 5AM, our aircraft had come under small arms fire from the airbase and surrounding countryside, and several pilots had seen Spanish Army trucks near the control tower. The Spanish seemed to be loading up with supplies and fuel. The final words were to notify Berlin that 1st Truppenstransporterluftflotte was heading south, to Madrid. I could not help thinking that as the hundreds of aircraft flew south, they probably passed over the men of 3.Infanterie marching north. Did those men realise the significance of the aircraft? Did they realise that now they were cut off without supplies and without hope?

Disaster: with the enemy holding La Coruña airbase, Generalleutnant Abernetty had no choice but to abort the landing.​

The atmosphere in the Kanzlie was understandably quite sombre as the work day began. As each new arrival came through the door, there was a hushed explanation from his or her work colleagues then an almost comical change of expression as the news sunk in. Work had to be done however, as the rest of administration of the Third Reich would not stop because of 10,000 of its defenders were at risk of death or capture.

Abernetty’s aircraft, still loaded, use their last litres of fuel to reach Madrid​

Even as the fate of 3.Infanterie hung in the balance, another unit joined the Heer. 10.Infanterie (mot) will replace 7.Infanterie in 1st Motorkorps. 7.infanterie was only assigned to the motorised unit as a stopgap measure, and has now been attached to Kampfgruppe Galicia, giving General Hansen a total of 3 divisions with which to complete his mission. The new addition, however, is far to the south of where it is needed, and can Hansen get his two existing units battle-ready in time to rescue General Boehm-Bezing’s men?

There was virtually no discussion about new expenditure: the decision had already been made. The worth of the Gebirgsjäger divisions has been proved many times in Spain and Yugoslavia, and yet another will be formed, using the now standard format of 3 Gebirger brigades and a Pioniere regiment. It should be ready before Silvester.

While most of us were still absorbing the devastating news from Spain, urgent discussions had been taking place. General Böhme and Generalleutnant Abernetty in Madrid contacted both Ministers von Blomburg and Göring here in Berlin, and the two Ministers had taken the unheard of liberty of waking the Führer to obtain his permission for a daring rescue attempt. Böhme assured the Führer that his Fallschirmjägers, although they had not been properly rested for nearly three days and had never been in action before, were ready to attack La Coruña from the air. Abernetty guaranteed that his pilots were capable of another long flight, and that the ground crews and service mechanics at Madrid airfield were working to ensure that every aircraft was in good condition. Both stressed that speed was essential: we must attack before the Spanish could move large ground forces into the drop area. (Neither mentioned the thought that was in everyone’s minds: what if the FARE had already rebased a fighter group to the captured airbase? Even a hundred elderly I-15s would wreak havoc on the heavily laden transport planes.)

The Führer is always said to be cautious on military matters, but he can also seize an opportunity should it arise. This is the only realistic chance saving 3.Infanterie, and the Führer was an infantryman in the last war and has a soft spot for the footsloggers. It took only minutes (Gisela’s secretary friends are so helpful with inside information) for the order to be approved and by 7AM the Arados were already trundling down the runways. Secrecy was absolute: I can tell you that not a whisper of this reached the corridors of the Kanzlei, normally a hotbed of rumour.

Last equipment checks as the rescue attempt prepares to leave Madrid

Maintaining complete radio silence, hundreds of aircraft (and thousands of men) fly north for a the biggest test of their lives​

In a way I am glad that I remained ignorant of these events: I could not have concentrated on my work. My mind would have returned to those crowded aircraft, but this time I would have been wondering what thoughts would have been in the minds of those young men, younger than my brothers, who would in a few hours be dropping from the sky onto foreign held territory, knowing that failure was not an option.

The first intimation I had of anything unusual was cheering and whooping and rushing feet from outside my office. As I was still quite upset by the morning’s events I moved quickly to remonstrate what I assumed was some of the younger and more irresponsible clerical staff forgetting their place. On opening my door I was taken aback to see a man wearing a general’s collar tabs hugging Gisela and, unless I was seriously mistaken, about to kiss her. Before I could say or do anything that could have led to my doing something the general would make me regret (he looked the sort who would not take kindly to being manhandled by a civilian), Gisela laughed and asked if I had heard the news? Looking at my blank face, they both simultaneously explained that Böhme had recaptured La Coruña, losing one man in the process. The Spanish had been taken completely by surprise and fled.

Battle of La Coruña

Hunting Spanish soldiers in the streets of La Coruña​

During the day more information started to come in. 15/8a División had lost just seven men before they abandoned the city, but they had already achieved one thing. The great warehouses on the waterfront were nearly empty: the supplies already on their way to replenish the Spanish divisions of the northwest. It would take days for fresh supplies to reach the port, but a solution was already at hand. 1st Truppentransporterluftflotte had more to contribute. Unable to refuel (the Spanish had drained every drop of petrol in the city) the transport aircraft were just able to make it back to Bordeaux. Once there, they were loaded with food, fuel and ammunition and turned around. Normally it is the fighter pilots who get all the attention in the Luftwaffe: today the greatest compliments are reserved for the heroic pilots of our transport Kampfgruppe.

The high spirits survived the news of the loss of La Fuente de Esteban and Foz. What did a couple of provinces matter when the courage and daring of the Wehrmacht had pulled off a miraculous feat of skill?

Time to relax and relive the past 24 hours: tired but successful​

As hundreds of civilian and military left the Kanzlei, intent on raising several glasses to the pilots of 1st Truppentranporterluftflotte and the soldiers of 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division, a last report came in. De Angelis has, despite the rain turning the unpaved roads into mud, caught up with Batov in La Carolina. Batov’s 6/3a División Orgánica is now down to 5,666 men (according to a captured dawdler) and is desperately trying to escape further combat.

Battle of La Carolina​

Luckily the next day was Sunday and I could sleep in – I’m not as young as I used to be and can’t have an all-nighter (especially followed by a night of Schnapps and beer) without feeling it for days. I did think of going into work after lunch but closed my eyes for a few minutes instead. So Sunday was officially a day of rest.

End of Part 1

 

[Uriah]

Rank and File
A Clerk's Story​

Thursday 26th to Tuesday 31st July 1940 (Part II)



Monday I saw that there had been some action while I had slept. General Keppler easily crossed the Guadiana and broke through the Belgian defences. Morato was outclassed: he may be a Field Marshal but he has no idea how to handle an armoured assault. 1st leichte lost 7 men to the combined Spanish-Belgian death toll of 105.

General Bühle had just as easy a time against Vivancos in La Almonda, driving 8a División northwest into Barbastro. The Spanish lost only 19 men in La Almonda, but could soon lose far more, as 3rd Marine-Sturm-Division is heading into Barbastro as well.

Battle of La Almonda​

71.Infanterie has received a few dozen replacements, but is still short more than a thousand men. This has not slowed General Neuling. He is now in Puertollano, occupied by Arsenio Torrado and 2nd Corps headquarters. Even the benefit of the mountains could not save Torrado: Neuling has a lot of men to avenge. (I found out that Neuling claimed victory early Monday, having killed or captured 89 enemy without loss).

Battle of Puertollano​

Late in the day two enemy units were both caught on the rebound from defeat. As expected, General Alpers collided with 8a División in Barbastro. 3rd Marines are at full strength and keen to make their mark, while the Spanish are little more than a rabble. The shock of the discovery that they were in combat again has had a shattering effect on the ability of Vivancos’ men to defend themselves. The risk of another surge from Catalonia is now nil.

Battle of Barbastro​

The other unfortunate unit was General Hubert’s Belgians. They blundered into the path of 24.infanterie in Agudo and were soon routed, losing another 28 men. I must admit I felt something for those men, far from home, fighting because that was all that was left for them. But it was only brief: they stood between us and the RAF bases which had launched the bombers that had killed so many of our men. The faster we capture those, the sooner this conflict will be over.

Battle of Agudo​

Interestingly, there seems to have been an effort by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm to intercept our transport aircraft ferrying vital cargo to La Coruña. Klepke reported a clash over the Northern Bay of Biscay and Christiansen met the same aircraft over the Mouth of the Loire. There were no reported casualties on either side, but the Luftwaffe believes the carrier aircraft were looking for a gap in our air defence.

A Fairey Fulmar attacks: our fighters prevented the carrier aircraft from locating our transport planes​

Monday morning, 1a División continued its long march south, reaching Ciudad Rodrigo. It is now only a few hundred kilometres from the Spanish front lines. Does Rommel think it so insignificant that he will allow it to rejoin the main army?

Loss of Ciudad Rodrigo​

Far more interest was shown in news from La Coruña: 2nd Fallschirmjäger was under attack. Böhme was surprisingly cheerful in his report, or perhaps a man who is arguably the most popular in Germany is allowed to be cheerful. His men have spent the past few days digging in, Abernetty’s planes have brought in enough food and ammunition to last for some days and with fuel stockpiles growing we should soon be able to reuse the airbase. He has declared that Durranti Durange and 13/7a Divisón Orgánica have no hope of moving him.

Battle of La Coruña​

The rest of Monday was good news stories. 6th Jagdfliegerkorps has now been completely refitted and Waber has rebased his 200 brand-new Messerschmitt Bf 109F interceptors to Cherbourg, where they will be a welcome addition to the Luftwaffe’s Channel battles. My brother’s unit has also received the new aircraft, although they are still 28 planes short of full complement. An encounter with hundreds of carrier aircraft over the Eastern English Channel showed the new planes were as good as promised. (Yes, Ernst is back in the air and could not wait to let me know: he somehow managed to get a long distance telephone call to Berlin to tell me of his first mission since being shot down).

Air Battle of the Eastern English Channel: 11AM 30th July​

General Alpers can relax a little: he has his first victory. Barbastro was a good introduction to fighting for his marines, and though they lost 22 men to the enemy, they more than doubled that in casualties inflicted. I have seen some tentative plans for the invasion of Russia, and the Marine divisions figure prominently in the liberation of the Baltic States, so the more experience they get now, the better it will be for them.

2nd Marine-Sturm-Division is also getting blooded, as General Jahn takes on the defenders of Candasnos. I don’t think much reliance can be placed on their performance in this battle. General López has only 1,258 men to hold the entire province and those are clerks with rifles. Jahn has 9,000 heavily armed marines plus a Pioniere regiment, so it is hardly a fair fight.

Battle of Candasnos​

The RAF has reacted to the presence of out new aircraft as we might expect: by increasing activity all along the Channel. After Ernst’s telephone call I heard of a raid by Fisser on Plymouth airbase, and then an attack by Air Marshal Portal on our airfields around Lille, just after 4PM. Finally at 5PM, Steele hit Cherbourg again with three fighter groups and Felmy’s pilots were sent to defend it. Our new planes must have made a difference, as we destroyed more than twenty Hurricanes and Spitfires.

Air Battle of Cherbourg: 8PM 30th July​

Von Ribbentrop’s confidence in his diplomatic sources and skill has been proved justified. (Probably just as well – a Foreign Minister who doesn’t deliver is not very popular). The Bulgarian government has accepted our second offer of a place at the Axis table, and we have another ally. My friend at the Foreign Ministry tells me that it is not so much that we have another ally, but that we do not have a potential enemy. When our armies head east, nobody wanted to have to leave a dozen divisions on the Bulgarian border. On the other hand, nobody wanted to risk Stalin or Churchill persuading King Boris that, should he declare war and capture the Ploesti oilfields, that he could expect a rich dividend when it came time to settle territorial questions. Now we will have the 29 brigades of the Bulgarian Army marching with us, with no risk of any surprises. Of course, we could have simply crushed them, but Spain has cost far too many men and time is getting short. The Wehrmacht has a lot to do before taking on its greatest challenge, and OKH is reluctant to get distracted this close to the big day.

Our new allies: a Bulgarian unit on parade​

Perhaps with that in mind, OKH has issued a directive to General Rommel. He is to ignore all previous commands and concentrate on three objectives only: Seville (the new capital of Republican Spain), Malaga (the only other significant industrial area) and Gibraltar. The tone of the instruction is quite clear: ignore this at your peril. And someone thoughtfully arranged for the Führer to initial it and write “Agreed”. Even someone as headstrong as Rommel would think very seriously about his long (and maybe short) term prospects should he wish to adopt another course of action.

1a División has now reached Béjar, and at last Rommel (or someone at Sud-Frankreich headquarters) has paid some attention. 20.infanterie (mot) has slightly altered its angle of advance so that it will intersect the Spanish in Jaraicejo. The Spanish could get a shock as their uninterrupted march is suddenly halted.

Loss of Béjar​

One could read the surprise in de Angelis’s report from La Carolina. With the province firmly under his control, he was under attack! After the initial alarm, reconnaissance revealed that the attackers comprised 150 men of 4th Corps HQ, cut off and obviously with no idea what they were doing attacking a motorised division of just under 10,000 men. De Angelis advised Sud-Frankreich Army headquarters that he would require neither air support nor reinforcements. It is obvious he is not of Junker stock: they have no sense of humour where anything military is involved.

Battle of La Carolina​

Almost as confident was General Boehm-Bezing, who must count himself as being very fortunate. His reckless behaviour could have warranted a court martial, but he will probably get out of Spain with no more than a question mark on his record. He has been attacked in Villalba and said that he is content to let the Spanish break themselves on his defences. He has built a few strong points in the woods and with supply flowing down the road from La Coruña there is little he has to fear from the lightly armed Spanish.

Battle of Villabla​

In the air, we were hard pressed as the British put every aircraft they could to destroy our new fighters. They were partly successful as we lost many of the Bf 109Fs, but it was not all one-way. The RAF suffered particularly badly, and no.14 RAF Fighter Group was nearly wiped out.

Air Battle of Western English Channel​

We hardly noticed that it was the end of the month, there had been so much excitement in the past few days. It seems no-one else realised it either as we had no requests for extra information, which was a huge relief for the administrative staff. Tomorrow is August, and will mark the sixth month in which we have been fighting in Spain. Let us hope it is the last.


Bombing Summary

Luftwaffe

Ciudad Real: Hoffmann von Waldau with 4th Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 17, 80
Lugo: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 X Bf 109E, 2 x Ju 88): 126
Dom Benito: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 X Bf 109E, 2 x Ju 88): 233
Almadén: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 X Bf 109E, 2 x Ju 88): 127, 198, 260, 113
La Carolina: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 X Bf 109E, 2 x Ju 88): 95, 312, 236, 206, 128, 248
La Carolina: Hoffmann von Waldau with 4th Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B): 267
La Carolina: Sperrle with 1st Kampffliegerkorps (1 X Bf 109E, 2 x Ju 88) and 4th Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B):301

RAF/RN Fleet Air Arm

Alcázar de San Juan: Baldwin with Middle East Grou: 46, 111, 84
Daimiel: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups: 90, 251, 168
Truillo: Collishaw with 12th CAG: 140
Piedrabuen: Baldwing with MEG: 87
Piedrabuen: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups: 80
Piedrabuen: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical and Middle East Groups: 219, 188
Ciudad Real: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups: 229, 109, 230, 196
Ciudad Real: Bowhill with 9th CAG: 174
Guadiana: Baldwin with MEG: 121
Valdepeñas: Baldwin with MEG: 69, 115, 129

FARE

Valdepeñas: Camacho Benítez with 1er and 2o Grupo Táctico: 94, 151


Unterseebootesflotte Activity Report

East Biscay Plain: 2 transports (UK): Plymouth – Freetown: Dönitz and 2nd U-flotte
East Azores Fracture Zone: 1 transport (UK): Dover – Port Sudan: Aßmann with 1st U-flotte
Channel Approaches: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Falkland Islands: von Nordeck and II U-flotte
South East Azores Fracture Zone: 1 transport (Spanish): Cádiz – Boston: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Eastern Charcot Seamount: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Fongafele: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
South East Azores Fracture Zone: 1 transport (UK): Dover – Tel Aviv-Yafo: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
South East Porcupine Plain: 2 escorts (Irish): Dublin – Quebec: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
Eastern Charcot Seamount: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Belmopan: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
Horseshoe Seamount: 1 transport (Spanish): Cádiz – Canary Islands: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
East Azores Fracture Zone: 1 transport (UK): Dover – Tobruk: Aßmann with 1st U-flotte
Eastern Biscay Plain: 1 transport (UK): Dover – Rangoon: Dönitz with 2nd U-flotte
Horseshoe Seamount: 1 transport (Greek): Athina – Boston: Wolf with 3rd U-flotte
Western Charcot Seamount: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Banjul: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
Coast of Carvoeiro: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Mombasa: Aßmann with 1st U-flotte
Cape Oregal: 1 transport (UK): Dover – Madras: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
Eastern Biscay Plain: 1 transport (UK): Plymouth – Gibraltar: Dönitz with 2nd U-flotte

Axis Military Situation Maps at End of July 1940

Greece: the Greek Army is forming a new defence line along the Acheloos and Pineios Rivers

Libia: with 36 brigades available, General Carboni still seems unable to break through the British lines and make for Benghazi. Our advisers in Rome are just as confused as we are in Berlin.

China: the IJA has been rocked by Chinese counter-attacks that have pushed them back from the Yellow River. Tokyo assures us this is only temporary.

IndoChina: General Horii and Saigon Headquarters are taking the offensive, recapturing Cao Dôc and trapping a Guangxi division in Cân Tho


Unternehmen Stierkampf

 

[Uriah]

wee. i'm away for a weekend and I'm back to find 2 updates Just great!

I only wish I was in command in Lybia. I'd be in Delhi by now hehe

The way I see it the Spanish are screwed. I hope KG Galicia can distract the divisions there long enough for the rest of the country to be pacified so that they can be crushed without having to chase them all over the place later.

Those pesky British Carriers deserve a spanking.. I don't remember if they were mentioned before so i'll ask .. Do you have any NAVs? or are u planning any?

On a side note I foresee the loss of La Coruña ...

Well, two more updates today: too many images for one. I got a message that I had 35 images and only 32 allowed. So we have Part I and Part II.

I can't quite work out the Italians in Libia: I think it may be leadership: they seem very brittle.

The NAVs ( I have 4 geschwader) are recovering after getting mauled saving the fleet. I intend to send them to the Med soon - Bay of Biscay seems a little hot.

Spain is now just mopping up: and Gibraltar.

Thanks for the encouragement.

An wise decision to send in the Paratroopers. That should keep it safe. It looks like Spain is finally gonna crack. It was a real tough fight but the Wehrmacht will come out of this more experienced and much wiser. The Russians will be in for a nasty suprise....

See today's updates: in the words of Wellington "It was a close run thing!" (going from memory here so excuse if not word perfect).

The AI makes me sick.
The campaign should be over by now.

I really think that a lot of the blame is mine for not setting objectives correctly and not putting in the right troops. The main error occured becaue I wanted to keep it to just one army. This meant that at any time there was only one set of objectives. In hindsight I should have either had two (or three) armies or used AI at korps level. That would have given more flexibility and allowed overlapping objectives. OKH will be thinking deeply about the lessons learned in Spain.

I'm not usually one for giving advice, but here's some advice. If you let the AI continue the advance all the way to Gibraltar, you will most likely end up in a superstack stalemate vs the Brits. Your slow rate of advance, coupled with their increasing perception of their province as "endangered" are what concerns me. My answer for that was the following: 1 - bring up TACs and mountain/infantry w/engineers. 2- spend a couple of months destroying and keeping destroyed all port and supply infrastructure in the province. 3 - Attack from every angle (including paras) with about a corps worth of the aforementioned mtns/inf. The other workable tactic is to fallback from Gibraltar, allow the Brits to advance a bit, and then cut 'em off and round 'em up. A well managed coup de grace will still be necessary however. The reason I mention all this is that there is 0 chance of the AI managing any of it if the Brits manage to reinforce in a timely manner which they are more likely than not to do.

/end unsolicited advice

Still loving the AAR. Great use of pictures, humour, atmosphere...A genuinely fun read. Thanks for it.

Thanks for both the positive comments and the advice. I want to at least let the AI have a shot at it: I am still not sure what the strength in Gibraltar is. I will get as much air involved as I can, but the limit is the Spanish bases.

I am only about 5 days in advance so I honestly don't know how it will pan out: should know in a few days.

 

[Enewald]

Spain can be conquered, but Galicia and Catalonia shall not surrender!

 

[Forster]

How many airborne units do you have Uriah? I would have sent at least two, if I had that, to Coruna. Your updates are, as always, great reading.

 

[unmerged(34917)]

Ai, nice. Two updates!

Well, those Fallschirmjagers came just in time. A close run indeed. But they surely kick ass, the finest warriors in the entire Wehrmacht, thats for sure.

And those pesky Belgians, perhaps they can be pursuaded to join the Reich, like Waffen-SS Wallonien, Langemarck and Flandern. There were actually quite a few Belgians in the German Army and they were pretty good fighters.

And how did you see those early plans for Barbarossa?? That is TOP ULTRA SECRET. Not meant for clerk's eyes I think.

Anyway keep up the fine writing Uriah!

EDIT: I just took a look at the index of all chapters on page 1. So much has happened already in this AAR, I sometimes forget. And your pledge to follow historical lines didnt really come true. But a great, great story it is.

 

[unmerged(56084)]

For a brief moment, it looked like you were going to overrun the BEF.

 

[shepherd352]

That southern front is getting smaller every day!

I am a fan of using the AI at Army level but there are some forces I retain under higher (my) command. These forces are usually specialists such as paratroopers or marines (and sometimes SS). This helps counter limitations in the AI, as I have limited forces I can send to do missions that the AI struggles with. Sending an air mobile division to defend a key province is a good example but sometimes the AI doesn't do a good job of clean up operations behind the main line. In Russia, you might consider having a resrve corps under each Army Group HQ, which you control directly, to efficiently remove pockets.

As noted earlier, I am a fan of the AI but you can't ignore its worst faults and sometimes you need to clean up its mistakes. If these Spanish lessons occur in Russia, the Reich might not survive.

In my own mind, I justify this approach with the view that some forces are retained by higher HQ or are seen as strategic resources, not to be sqandered by allowing mere armies to control them.