A Thousand Year Reich - 1936 Germany

Interlude - The Plot Thickens

May 9, 1940
Somewhere in the West Germany


Von Brauchitsch: “Ach mein Gott Oberfeldwebel! I tought you was never coming! What do
you have in your mind? You are 10 minutes late, you know what that means?”

Hermann: “Sorry Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch. The SS security detachment at the
gates took time inspecting the radio equipment.”

Von Brauchitsch: “Right, right. At ease. I don’t have time for excuses now. Setup the
equipment right here, quickly”.

Hermann: “Yes sir… here in the kitchen?”

Von Brauchitsch: “Sure in the kitchen! Look around you. Where are we? In a kitchen! Now
do it Oberfeldwebel, I don’t have time to waste!”

Von Brauchitsch swipes off his forehead with a handkerchief. He knows every minute he
spent outside the command room in a so critical momment increased the possibility of
suspiciousness about his behavior.

Hermann: ”Its ready, sir. Which frequency should I tune in?”

Von Brauchitsch: “How am I supposed to know? I assume your Leutnant gave you the
frequency?”

Hermann: ”Oh , yes, sorry sir, I forgot. Right sir, here it is.”

Von Brauchitsch: “All right, Oberfeldwebel. Now go outside, shut the door and guard it. If
anyone comes tell that I’m dinning and don’t want to be disturbed.”

Hermann obeys his order, while Brauchitsch picks up the earpiece.

Von Brauchitsch: “Eagle to White Bear, please acknowledge. Eagle to White Bear, are you
there? Eagle to White Bear…”

Von Fritsch: “Yes Eagle, White Bear can hear you loud and clear.”

Von Brauchitsch: “White Bear, Eagle is on the run. Are the skies clear on this season?”

Von Fritsch: ”You can rest assured, von Brauchitsch, we are safe in this frequency.”

Von Brauchitsch: ”I really hope you are right. Go ahead, I don’t have much time. How is the
movement, everything on stand-by?”

Von Fritsch: ”Yes, everything is ready. Just waiting for your signal. But I have to tell you,
Generalfeldmarschall, security has been tightened up greatly from the last year. The SS are
increasingly suspicious of even our own soldiers. I don’t know, but maybe this can be our
last chance of doing it.”

Von Brauchitsch: ”I know, I know. Himmler is making things difficult for me. He wants a
completely independent SS from the Wehrmacht, and he is succeeding in doing it. Every
day I have less and less knowledge of their deployments in Deutschland. How’s the wound
in the leg?”

Von Fritsch: ”Thanks for asking, sir. Almost completely healed. I suppose everyone still
believe I’m dead, right?”

Von Brauchitsch: ”Yes Generaloberst. Now I have to go, but before, let me recap: you will
only act upon my orders, right? It would be suicidal for us to take action while we are
winning. We must wait until the French or British steps inside our territory. At that point
we’ll have a justification for doing it. Yes, I want to bring Hitler down, but I don’t want to be
considered a traitor. Is that clear?”

Von Fritsch: ”Sure, Generalfeldmarschall. But, what if we win against the French?”

Von Brauchitsch: ”Then, Generaloberst, the only thing we can await for… is a miracle from
the heavens.”

Battle of France, pt 1

May 10 - May 29, 1940

At 01:00 AM came the order from the Wehrmacht headquarters. The order then
quickly spread downward the ranks, and as early as 04:00 AM, all panzers,
trucks and horses were on the move. The time has came for Hitler to face, in
the field, the Army which, everyone thought, was the mightiest Army in Europe.

But before that would happen, minor "obstacles" on the way would have to be
dealt with, namely the Benelux nations - Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The Dutch army was caught unaware when elements of von Küchler's 3. Armee
and von Reichenau's 4. Armee crossed into the border. All military formations
under their command had precise and strict orders of maneuver inside Dutch
territory.



In the South, however, began sour for Walther Model's 4. Armee. The Belgians
adopted a strong border defence, which halted Model advance for several days
more than predicted. However, behind this first defensive line there seems to be
an absence of reserves, as the parachutists of Kurt Student I. Fallschirmkorps
found no resistance on their drops behind enemy lines. They were able to secure
several Belgian forts and escape routs, trapping 6 Belgian divisions against the
border.



Meanwhile, Göring's Luftwaffe pounded relentlessly Belgium strongholds, and
paved the way through the Ardennes for the powerful train of tanks, soldiers and
trucks that would cross into France. Luxembourg was dominated in a few hours,
and in a matter days, over 300.000 troops crossed the woods.




A group of German tanks drive towards the Ardennes

The first contacts with French troops were made on May 12, and on 14 the first
crossings were done by elements of the motorized divisions. Following closely
behind, were the tanks from the twelve Panzer Divisions assigned to von Kleist
and von Manstein commands.

The province of Longuyon had a significant tactical value. Its road network
provides access to Metz to the east, to Verdun and Montmedy to the west, and
to St. Milhiel and Fresnes to the south. The French failed to defend it properly,
and the sole division guarding it was quickly ordered to retreat on May 14, given
the enormous wave of German soldiers coming over it. The German spearhead
then split into two directions, according to the operational plan: von Manstein
Group plus two infantry armies would proceed south, while von Kleist Group would
rally west behind French lines, towards Paris.



But soon came the French counterattacks towards von Mainstein's spearhead.
After several days of passiveness, and recognizing the German intentions, in May
17 Gamelin assembled a force determined to stop the German advance cold, while
a large number of divisions stationed at the Maginot Line would be redeployed west
to contain the intrusion. However it slowed down the German advance only for a
couple of hours. As the Panzer Divisions arrived, the attack became unsustainable
and the French divisions pulled back.

On May 18, German forces reached the outskirts of Amsterdamn, while the last
Belgium line of defence of 40.000 soldiers surrendered at Eupen, leaving the path
for Generaloberst Walther Model free to the Channel.





The spearhead slows down

On May 20, von Manstein began to contemplate the impossibility to contain the
bulk of the French Army east of Paris. Even though the tip of the spearhead now
was outside the woods, in the plains of French countryside where its speed would
be exploited to the maximum extent, the mass of soldiers and vehicles fleeing from
the Maginot Line to the west began to threaten his goal of reaching Switzerland in
one month.



The German forces began to deviate slightly from their originally intended axis of
advance, in order to delay the French advance and allow von Kleist Army, which
was at that time close to Paris and had already secured bridgeheads south of the
Marne, to proceed uninterrupted.



Soon large engagements began to erupt across the frontline. One of the largest
battles occurred in and around the village of Mirecourt, where 60.000 German
soldiers were pitted against 110.000 French and British troops. Only on May 29 the
Germans came out victorious, albeit at a large cost.


The village of Mirecourt, before the war


Anti-tank team ambushes French tanks of General de Gaulle


Tanks from the 7th Panzer Division maneuver in the open

Not yet, they French will give me a little more trouble than RL.

Got the timeline for the last update wrong. It should be "May 10 - May 29", not May 10 - June 22" as before.

Battle of France, pt 2

May 29 - June 22


Situation of western front on June 29

Von Kleist's progress has been extraordinarily good. With small, diversionary
attacks in the north, and with von Manstein tying the bulk of the French
army in the east, the west side of the country was virtually devoid of troops.
With the siege of Paris, a milestone in the invasion of France has achieved.

US joins the war

However, as a product of the British and French pressure, and the accidental
sinking of North-American ships by German submarines, a fateful announcement
by the President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt commited the USA
to the war:



The news has been received largely with indifference in the field of battle,
although the higher rankings of the Wehrmacht became concerned about how
decisively would the US commit themselves to help France.

On May 29, both Amsterdam and Bruxelles fell, signaling the end of the stronger
resistance on both countries. This also freed von Reichenau's 4. Armee to
now maneuver south through the coast.





On June 5, the first large scale surrendering of French soldiers occurred in
Cambrai, where 28 thousand of men were taken as prisoners by the Wehrmacht.



Meanwhile, in the southeast, another large engagement occurred in the vincinity
of Xertigny, with the victory coming to the German side after eight days of a
bloody battle.



Then, just at the same day Paris fell, on June 11, the gap in the southeast
closed as Rommel made contact with the Swiss border. Just one day late,
von Manstein succeeded in trapping 37 French and British divisions, including
General Gamelin.



However the non-stop bombings and the increasing presence of the RAF over
the skies of western France had battered the Luftwaffe strength, and the
fierce fights on both German Panzergruppes had taken its toll, with German
high-ranking officials, including von Rundstedt, pleading to Hitler a pause for
reorganization and refit. Hitler reluctantly agreed, on the basis that with Paris
taken and a large part of its forces trapped, Gamelin may very well surrender
without further combat.

However, as the days passed, the French demonstrated no signs of surrendering.
Also, around June 16, reports of presence American soldiers near Caen alarmed
Hitler, which quickly learned from the German intelligence that an army-sized
US Expeditionary Force had been sent to France. Hitler was surprised by how
quickly the Americans had been deployed in Europe. On June 18, French divisions
began withdrawing from the Italian border, probably to redeploy against von
Manstein south flank. This act prompted the OKW to design a new plan to
deliver a crippling bow against the French.

The renewed offensive



The plan concentrated on two primary objectives:

- The capture of ports of Cherbourg in the north, and Marseilles in the south,
to prevent additional Allied landings;
- The weakening of the central front of the French Army by the encirclement
and destruction of the Seventh and Third armies.

Reluctantly, Hitler agreed to call Mussolini into the conflict, since it was the
only way to ensure a fast capture of Marseille. The ports of Brest and Bordeaux
would be targeted as soon as the first objectives would have been taken.

The date for the renewed offensive had been set for June 22. In the day before,
one of the largest aerial engagements to date occurred over Orléans, with 1400
planes fighting furiously.



Then, in the early hours of June 22, the offensive began.



Upon verifying that the French had withdrawn all their troops from the Alps,
Hitler called upon Mussolini to apply pressure from the south. This threw the
French troops in disarray, with senior officers undecidedness about which front
to reinforce proving to be fatal to their destiny.



Gamelin still had one card to play with. On June 29 an amphibious assault
was launched by a combined French-US force against the coastal city of Bergen,
in Norway. Had this assault been more protected, and made earlier in the war,
it may had succeeded, and this could force Hitler to displace troops to protect
his north flank.



But as daring as the assault was, it also was poorly planned. On the next day,
the Hindemburg and Ludendorff, two newest German battleships,
sailed from Wilhelmshaven to engage the French fleet, but with only a light cruiser
guarding the invasion, the engagement was completely lopsided.





10 days into the offensive, and the northern section of the French front was
crumbling. In the center, Model faced difficulties due to the numerous rivers
and channels, but by pinning down the French divisions, he allowed von
Manstein to proceed freely and begin the encirclement of those divisions.

Also portions of the Maginot line were taken by the Wehrmacht, due to the
poor supply situation of the troops entrapped in the huge pocket.



In the north, as 42,000 soldiers surrendered to the Germans, and as the 36th
Motorized Infantry Division threatened Caen and Cherbourg, the newly appointed
Head of State Marshall Pétain decided to save further blood shedding and
surrendered to Generalfeldmarschall von Rundstedt on July 6, 57 days after
the beginning of hostilities.






Hitler happiness upon receiving the news


The occupied France

Hitler's next move

July 14, 1940

With France conquered, Hitler and his staff set off to plan the next move.

Halder: "First of all, Großadmiral Raeder should explain to us the
Kriegsmarine situation."

Raeder: "Currently, we are relocating our U-boat fleet to the French
ports. We have 14 U-boat groups, and the next delivery is scheduled for
January of 41, when another 8 groups should be ready to deploy. We will
leave two groups of short-range submarines to patrol the waters around
Denmark."

"As for our surface fleets, I'm relieving myself of the command of the 1.
Flotte to Admiral Böhm. The 1. Flotte will also be transferred to France,
while the 2. Flotte will be relocated to Bergen. Our two Kustenflotten,
composed mainly of destroyers, will remain in Northern waters since we
suspect British submarines operating on it. Since Canada has taken
Greenland and Iceland, now our only convoy operates from Oslo, which is
easier to protect."

Halder: "What about the prospects of invading England by sea?"

Raeder: "Well, the Royal Navy still remains strong. As strong as we
are also, I cannot guarantee sea control of the Channel. Only with strong
support by the Luftwaffe we can expect a chance of landing in England
beaches."

Hitler: "Gentleman, we should now split our attention between two
opportunities: England or Soviet Union. I'm afraid we do not have the time
to attack both at the same time. I confess that was never my intention to
engage in a war with Great Britain; they forced me into. But my real desire
is to risk off the map our real enemies, that is the bolshevism! We must
strike deep into the heartland of the Soviet Union."

All the officers reaccommodated in their chairs, feeling a bit uneasy about
opposing the Soviet Union.

Brauchitsch: "Mein Führer, is not too early to think about the Soviet
Union?"

Hitler stood up and shout:

Hitler: "No! Its not too early, it is never too early. Do you realize that
every day that passes, that those pigs are growing in size and power? That
even though Stalin presents himself as lenient and peaceful towards us, he
is only awaiting the best moment to strike our backs? I will tell you what he
is waiting - he is waiting for us to become embroiled with our enemies of the
West, just to then drive into the Polish plains, into Bavaria and Prussia with
his million men army and proclaim himself the saviour of Europe! How can we
even think about letting him achieve this? We must strike, and we must
strike decisively, and you gentleman, are here to tell me what you need to
win, not to teach me how to run this Reich!"

One minute of silence passed. Nobody dared to break it.

Hitler: "I have made my decision. We will not invade England until the
bolshevik threat is done. We will continue to threathen their supply lines,
until they starve out and pledge our mercy. But otherwise all our military
mighty must be directed East. How is our current Army strength, Brauchitsch?"

Brauchitsch: "We have:

- One army in Norway and Denmark
- One army in Netherlands and Belgium
- One army protecting our borders with Yugoslavia
- One army protecting our borders with Soviet Union
- Two armies which were protecting the border with France. These two I
relocated to occupy France.

The remainder are still stationed in France, which comprises 4 infantry armies
and 2 Panzergruppes."

Hitler: "And what do we need to defeat the Soviet Union in the next
year?"

Brauchitsch: "At the bare minimum, the double of it."

Everyone leaned back in their chairs. They knew that, if Hitler agreed to
bolster the army, it would have to be at expense of other branches.

Hitler: "Rudolf Hess, relay these orders to Schacht - every priority
must be given to Von Brauchitsch requests. Cancel any non-important project
from Kriegsmarine or Luftwaffe for the time being. Meanwhile gentleman, we
should keep pressure into Great Britain from the air and sea. We'll finish them
later."

Then came to the room a messenger, which delivered a small letter to Foreign
Minister von Ribbentropp.

Hitler: "What happened, Ribbentropp?"

Ribbentropp: "Mein Führer, the Duce, without any forewarning, declared
war on Yugoslavia!"

stef737 said:

Question: on production of army divisions that you produce yourself what type of unit mixture do you prefer when you field them. i am trying to find out what other people do and prefer to use and compare it to what i am doing now.

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For France I have used:

- Infantry armies with 3xCorps, each Corps with 3xDivisions of 3xINF
- Motorized armies with 3xCorps, each Corps with:
----- 2xPanzer Divisions of 1xARM, 1xLARM and 1xMOT
----- 2xMotorized Divisions of 2xMOT, and either 1xTD for hard attack (and combined arms) or 1xAC for speed and soft attack.

For Soviet Union, I'm planning to:

- Augment the infantry corps to have 4 divisions, so to maximize frontage in one province and cover the large territory
- Add another TD or AC to the motorized divisions, so they will be 2xMOT+2xTD or 2xMOT+2xAC
- If I have spare IC / manpower (which I doubt), insert another brigade into Panzer Divisions (maybe SPART)

I'm not intending to maximize combinations, I just want to keep fairly close to reality.

Throki said:

Great AAR, subscribed. I like the way you managed to solve that "Japan Problem", guess i have to try doing the same in my next game - hat loosing them that fast. Oh and I absolutely love your maps.

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Thanks, and welcome!

Federkiel said:

Well done, despite the bad news of USA joining in. Is it known what happened to the USEF?

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It seems all the expeditionary forces, once a country surrender, are returned to the original owner. I swear I have seen this feature mentioned in one of the last patches, although I can't find now, but I loaded both as UK and USA, and all their divisions were now at their capitals, although with low strength/org.

I am astonished on your map 'the renewed offensive'. How did you create it?

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You mean the graphic part? Its done in CorelDraw, I happened to have worked with it before (and still do some freelance jobs ), so I like to play with it. I use one method to import the provinces as polys, then add the remainder text, arrows and effects. I must add that the armies positions are accurate to the ingame, but for the French I waited until the war was finished to load up as them and see how many divisions they did have.

Could you please give us a rough summary of the total in airforce and navy?

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Yes, I just received a Wehrmacht report, game time is Feb 1, 1941. After the next update (which will deal with some foreign wars and Battle of Britain), will come a thorough assessment of the entire Army in preparation for Barbarossa.

Friedrich2 said:

Great AAR! I like your map editing also. Wish I had Corel Draw now.

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Glad you liking it

Regarding the faction joining, if you use the AI Improvement mod as I'm using, there is an option called "custom triggers" which forces certain countries to not join factions until a historic date or event occurs, which I choose not to enable since I wanted a more free-flow game.