A Time for Heroes

[TheRealKestrel]

Chapter 2
Unifying Central Europe

The dawn of 1938 sees Germany preparing to take her place in the sun. The government has the full support of her people, and continues to promote the need for a large, capable standing army.

Unsurprisingly, technological advancement continues apace. Further advances in the study of Advanced Construction Engineering, Basic Light Tanks, Basic Motorized Divisions, Improved Air Carriers, and Basic Fighters will be completed before the end of February 1938.

Though straining to fulfill all government contracts, industrialists nonetheless find the resources necessary to start several new armaments projects.

After 2 years of effort, the end results are not entirely satisfactory, but there have been a few significant additions to the Wehrmacht.

Not all of Germany's military leaders are pleased with the new direction the nation is taking. Some claim Germany's aspirations are radical or even foolish. The most vehemently outspoken are quietly ousted from office.

Following the disgrace of Werner von Fritsch, Germany felt confident enough in the loyalty of the military to orchestrate a major foreign acquisition. Propoganda proclaiming the god-diven right of all Teutons to unite under one standard streams from offices of Dr. Goebbels.

Dr. Joseph Goebbels speaking to a gathering of students, Jan 1938.

Under the guise of racial unity, Germany, with the help of the Fascist party in Vienna, orchestrates the political takeover of Austria.

Taking to heart the proverb that possession is nine tenths of the law, significant German forces flood over the Austrian border, occupying all major centers and preventing any type of organized resistance.

Armored vehicles of Mj. Gen. von Dutchie's 2nd SS Panzer Division 'Das Reich'
roll through Innsbruck before a crowd of civilians in the March 1938 Anschluss.

By the time the Uk and France even have time to lodge a complaint, they are presented with a fait accomplit. Alarm bells, however begin to sound in factories everywhere as allied production of war materiel ramps up.

[Karaiskandar]

Nice job so far, the Austrian army is surely going to be very useful.

[Lighthearter]

Thought I'd mention something about those SKIF icons - the naval ones. There are alternate ones without the swastika that you can find in the little "german_naval_legal_flag" folder that came with the SKIF download. Just a matter of copy/paste. That's what I do because I don't like the swastika period. I suggest doing that for this AAR just in case.

Oh, and what am I doing right now . . . leading training exercises in the Baltic?

- Lighthearter, AKA Rear Admiral Haulsee

[TheRealKestrel]

Oh, and what am I doing right now . . . leading training exercises in the Baltic?

- Lighthearter, AKA Rear Admiral Haulsee

Not too much opportunity for action by the Kriegsmarine. Pocket battleships and the Alps don't mix too well.

[Amoral]

I'm sure if you hunted around some crazy Nazi scientist had the idea of a Gerbirgerschlachttshiffe.

[Karaiskandar]

I'm sure if you hunted around some crazy Nazi scientist had the idea of a Gerbirgerschlachttshiffe.

Would had been very useful in case of retreat to the Alpine redoubt!

[Lighthearter]

I'm sure if you hunted around some crazy Nazi scientist had the idea of a Gerbirgerschlachttshiffe.

YES!!! I demand that command!

- Lighthearter

[gianlucad]

General Anders, Panzer leader, Field Marschal!

[TheRealKestrel]

Chapter 2
Unifying Central Europe (cont)

Hard on the heels of the union, or Anschluss with Austria, Germany fires her first shots in anger since the close of the Great War. The ethnic Germans of western Hungary will be reunited with the growing Fatherland! The remainder of the population will have the glorious opportunity to be Germanicized!

The invasion force consists of two large armies; 1. Armee operating from Vienna and 2. Armee based in the province of Graz. Order of Battle is as follows.

German Invasion Force - Field Marshal von Blomberg
1. Armee - General von Rundstedt

I. Armee Korps - Lt. Gen. von Grebe Jr
57. Infantry Division - Lt. Gen. von Grebe Jr
60. Infantry Division - Mj. Gen. Angry Gorilla
52. Infantry Division - Mj. Gen. Churchill J.

II. Armee Korps - Lt. Gen. von Smirnoff
46. Infantry Divison - Lt. Gen. von Smirnoff
35. Infantry Division - Mj. Gen. Schwarz A.
25. Infantry Division - Mj. Gen. von Muffin

X. Panzer Korps - Lt. Gen. von Kleist
1. Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. von Kleist
3. SS. Panzer Division 'Totenkopf' - Mj. Gen. Torres F.
2. Panzer Division - Mj. Gen. TheRealKestrel

XI. Panzer Korps - Lt. Gen. Hausser
8. Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Hausser
2. SS. Panzer Division 'Das Reich' - Mj. Gen. von Dutchie
7. Panzer Division - Mj. Gen. Kemper


2. Armee - Field Marshal von Blomberg

XXX Gebirgs Korps - Lt. Gen. von Kluge
6. Gebirgsjager Division - Lt. Gen. von Kluge
2. Gebirgsjager Division - Mj. Gen. Mico
4. Gebirgsjager Division - Mj. Gen. Sternreiter

XXXI. Gebirgs Korps - Lt. Gen. Schorner
1. Apenjager Division - Lt. Gen. Schorner
1. Gebirgsjager Division - Mj. Gen. Student
3. Gebirgsjager Division - Mj. Gen. Erb

XII. Panzer Korps - Lt. General Hoth
6. Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. Hoth
10. Panzer Division - Mj. Gen. Guderian
4. Panzer Division - Mj. General von Manstein

XIII. Panzer Korps - Lt. Gen. von Middelkerke E.
5. Panzer Division - Lt. Gen. von Middelkerke E.
3. Panzer Division - Mj. Gen. Geyr von Schweppenburg
1. Kavallerie Division - Mj. Gen. von Kortzfleisch

Also supporting the attack are 2 80 cm railway artillery pieces and their supporting infantry divisions.

The Luftwaffe allocates Mj. Gen. Oracle's Luftflotte I, Mj. Gen. Udet's Luftflotte IV, and Mj. Gen' Lohr's StG 2/51 to the operation.

1st Armee has orders to drive through Gyor and prepare for a direct assault on the capital city of Budapest.

2nd Armee will assist in the opening drive, then outflank the Hungarians with a strong thrust through the southern plains.

The 80cm guns each fire some 16 of their 7 ton projectiles, targeting fortifications, communications centers, and troop concentrations.

The actual attack now begins on April 11 with a crushing attack on Gyor by 2 large armies, including 4 Panzer Korps.

Due to miscommunication, poor logistics, and simple traffic jams, the sheer numbers of German troops is actually detrimental to the assault. Unfortunately for the Magyars, the end result is never in doubt, however.

Above Dresden, wandering Hungarian bombers learn the cost of penetrating German airspace when they are intercepted by Mj. Gen. von Greim's 109s.

Meanwhile, though slowed by Hungarian reinforcements, the battle for Gyor is drawing to a close.

2. Armee's armored elements make a rapid advance towards Pecs. Hungarian reserves, hustling to the frontier, run smack into Hoth's armor, which has advanced nearly 200 miles in 3 days.

XII. and XIII. Panzerkorps push more forces to the front in Pecs...

...and the battle swiftly ends in the German's favor.

Not everything goes according to plan. Lohr's Stuka formations press too far ahead of fighter cover, and are bounced by Hungarian interceptors.

Lt. Gen. Hoth's advance continues, as XII. and XIII. Panzerkorps drive the Hungarians out of the eastern hills.

Gen. von Rundstedt orchestrates an assault on the capital, with I and II Armee Korps attacking from the west, with the mobile X and XI Panzer Korps swinging around to drive into Budapest from the south.

Lt. Gen. Hoth, with his flank now securely anchored on the Romanian border, has no difficulty repulsing a counter attack.

The siege of Budapest and the counterattack on Debrecen both end April 21. At this point the conflict is essentially over already.

The final destruction of the Hungarian forces takes place at Miskolc.

Surrounded on all sides, and with no hope for foreign intervention, the defenders put up only light resistance.

With their capital city occupied and their armed forces utterly destroyed, Hungary capitulates and becomes part of Grossdeutschland.

Elements of Mj. Gen. Jack Churchill's 52. Infantry Division march victoriously through Budapest.

Victory is complete! That being said, too many young men from the Fatherland have joined the rolls of honor...

[Karaiskandar]

Congratulations for this brilliant victory!
8000 casulaties for the destruction of all the Hungarian army: excellent kill/losses ratio!

[Pwnzerfaust]

Haha, awesome, we're in a war already. General Kemper shall crush all. So say I.

[quaazi]

Blamo!

[Amoral]

At this point you should check your beligernce, and "the beligerence needed to declare war" (from the diplomacy tab) for France and the U.K.

The French will usually attack if you cross their threshold.

[soulking]

Go the 60th Division under Angry Gorilla!

[TheRealKestrel]

Chapter 2
Unifying Central Europe (cont)

Following the annexation of Hungary, there was a further period of consolidation and renewed growth. Politically, there was only one significant occurance, but it was one of immense benefit to Germany.

At the Munich conference, Germany reaffirmed her right to dominate central Europe, in particular those areas where numbers of ethnic Germans lived. Yet another of these regions, the Sudetenland, would join the glorious Third Reich.

Though the Allied governments seemed convinced by Hitler's promise that Germany would seek no more foreign annexations, they were not totally mollified, and secretly began mobilizing.

The 6 months between July 1, 1938 and January 1, 1939 saw some significant economic and industrial developments.

July 1938 vs Jan 1939



July 1938
Jan 1938




July 1938
Jan 1938

Though the Kriegsmarine has received no new warships since the launching of the KMS Graf Spee in early 1936, Hjalmar Schacht is pleased to report to the Admirals the laying down of 2 new capital ships, with plans to build up a fleet of light vessels. Completion of the fleet carrier is slated for late spring, the first battleship for early summer, 1940.

Meanwhile, in the Far East, the Japanese army is slowly slaughtering its way across China.

This war, though little publicized in the west, has already cost some two-thirds of a million casualties.

[soulking]

Now that you have Hungary, are you gonna follow it semi-historically or something completely different?

[Karaiskandar]

Oh Japan is doing less well than in most of my games. Usually China is toasted at the beginning of 1939.

[quaazi]

You gott a make some paras, for Sealion at least.

[FlyingDutchie]

Nice early conquest. Looks like Von Dutchie joined the SS and is commanding 'Das Reich'. A well, even the SS shall obey me .

[TheRealKestrel]

soulking: A period of peace to consolidate our gains is in order.

karaiskandar: Nationalist China is having a hard time dealing with Guangxi Clique too.

quaazi: Like I said, I'll be building some of just about everything. That includes paras.

FlyingDutchie: If you prefer not to lead SS men, I can arrange to transfer you to a command in the militia reserves.


We are fostering a cat and her litter of kittens, and they're in my computer room. So many little paws running over my keyboard means I haven't gotten around to updating. Soon, ...hopefully.