The Great European Civil War, Part 2

@SovietAmerika and Nikolai:

Yep technology has advanced very quickly in this game, I've been using 10 tech teams for the entire game. So effectively the tech year at least is a bit more like 1950 or so. Still, I do tend to have the more modern units as I have been devoting a good portion of my IC at this time in game to upgrading units and it will have some good effects. From what I have seen in various threads in the AoD forums that similar unit models will inflict similar casualties on each other if numbers are equal, but newer model units will seriously damage relatively 'obsolete' units very quickly. That and the potential to train 10 corps roughly each month for 3-4 months should nearly ensure victory once I manage my breakout into the USA.

Remember the Alamo

February 8, 1942
250 km SW of Corpus Christi, Texas along the Rio Grande

The last week had seen the German army move in force, nearly three-quarters of its total strength, to the Rio Grande and the border shared with Texas. The American army had also mobilized its strength and was also rapidly redeploying to protect the border.

Field Marshall Halder, ordered the army to halt and dig in to lure the overeager American forces into attacking an entrenched numerically superior enemy rather than spending his strength against the soon to be reinforced American defensive lines and suffer the same difficulties. The American attack was determined, but constant delaying tactics and overwhelming firepower from the dug in defenders repulsed the assault. The American commanders had on the other hand bought more time to bring more troops into Texas.

Instead of immediately counter attacking, the newly arrived forces previously responsible for the capture of the Panama canal were sent west along the Rio Grande with orders to flank the American forces across the river and if possible to encircle the concentration of American forces at the river crossing. 31 divisions were defending the flank of the line allowing their enemies to be pulled out of position, while more mobile units pushed forward to cut off the forward American forces.



Within days it was clear that it would be impossible for the mobile units to advance against this level of opposition and the attack was called off short of crossing the Rio Grande. The defenders of Reynosa pushed the attacking and ever more desperate Americans back across the river. With the flanking movement deemed impractical the troops stationed in Reynosa began a massive artillery bombardment and began to move troops as if they were to cross the river, in an utterly successful action to draw the defenders out of place before the primary assault. Having been bogged down for most of February, in the space of a week German forces had advanced to threaten both San Antonio and Corpus Christi. The American defenders now had the advantage. Oddly enough the dispersed nature of the American lines meant that a German assault on any one position was a signal for the remainder of the unengaged positions to attack the German lines severely crippling the attack. It was bogging down again, but this time the Americans didn’t have a significant reserve force ready to come in and save the day and German transports were already crossing the Atlantic Ocean to bring additional handful of reinforcements stripped from the other German fronts to the battlefield in America.

The Ides of March

March 1
Berlin

Beck looks… unhappy. “The front is bogging down. The Americans are heavily dug in northern and western Texas. Rommel’s communiqués indicate that American forces in that region are about as well equipped as our troops at the moment and as numerous as ours. We need to do something. Suggestions?”

“I know that Fritz was working on plans to supply weapons and equipment for another 30 divisions of troops each month at the expense of reequipping our currently deployed troops. I’m not yet convinced that at this time we require such an investment in new forces, but we do need to do something and more than just our regular rocket strikes. We need to destroy, temporarily at least the ability of the American people to wage war.” Carnaris begins.

The table grows silent. “What are you proposing Admiral?” Beck asks very seriously knowing the answer that must come.

“Atomic weapon strikes on their major industrial facilities and seat of government. Chicago and Washington DC must be eliminated. American forces are now too dispersed to destroy them with tactical atomic weapons so we now have to hit strategic targets.”

“What will the results of these strikes most likely be?” Beck asks.

“Immediately, a drastic reduction in their overall industrial capacity coupled with a serious decrease in supply throughput. Potentially, they might see rioting across their entire country. I think it is more likely though that they will just see massive dissent and their citizenry will do nothing but passively resist a government that cannot or will not defend them against such attacks. Short term, I see some recovery in their overall economy as they get their citizenry back under control, but supplies for their troops will be rather low. Long term, I suspect they will regain most of their industrial capacity given time… time that we will not give them. Still…”

“It sets a dangerous precedent doesn’t it?”

“For us and others, yes. That being said they are military targets, the factories that feed their war machine. In 1939 and 1940 did not the British target our factories?”

“They certainly attempted to do so.” Max Amman, the new industrial head, speaks up. “But those wonderful anti-air systems have protected those factories amazingly well to date. I do have some news on the potential industrial adjustments that we have been talking about. We can train 30 new divisions, about 20 with rocket artillery trucks and the rest with pioneer attachments, but we will need to shift supplies away from some of the European coastal defenses we are building. Fortunately, it would appear that coastal fortifications in places such as Amsterdam are no longer a great necessity and can be somewhat delayed in construction. Or as we are actually planning, put the dock workers back on normal shifts and use that retooled industry to make guns and not delay anything. Look, the naval campaign is done they cannot challenge us on the high seas and can only move about the Atlantic by sneaking about like a thief. It makes more sense to me to “delay” ships we will not immediately need and train more ground troops and possibly delay some of the coastal defenses we will likely not need. Still, there will be some delay before any new troops can be completely trained.”

Beck speaks, “I think we should strike Chicago and Washington, if we do not advance in the next two weeks. Then we will see what sort of peace terms they are willing to accept after the loss of their industry, if any. See to it that the usual pre-strike warnings are broadcast over the shortwave.”

“I will, please know that there may be some delay in mating the warheads with the rockets. We will begin work on that now and it will be ready within two weeks.”

“Very good.”

@SovietAmerika: Yep, Willike and Co had better hurry.

@Nikolai and Nimrod: Hitler was treated for his 'slight' insanity almost within hours of the opening of hostilities with Poland in '39. Yes, Beck has quite a bit more power than Hitler now, and you can be sure Carnaris has at least a part of the various intelligence organs within Germany watching Hitler de-stress from two bitter and closely run years of war (they were a much closer run thing in '39 than I may have let on in my writing) and be treated for various ailments by his doctors in Southern Bavaria or the Austrian mountains. If Hitler were to try to regain power I'm sure he'd find himself out skiing, trapped under a freak avalanche, and when dug out spontaneously suffer a brain hemorrhage from his 'rescuers'. Beck is much more stable than Hitler could ever dream of being in the same position. I've also been very clear to not say that he is the Kaiser or anything like that... I think the long term succession is very much up in the air, but not terribly important to the inner cabinent until the war is completely decided.

@ Everyone: Update tonight or this weekend.

Nuclear Giants

“Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner.”

-General Omar Bradley

May 14, 1942
Southern Texas, USA

The battle cry that rose among the defending American line was “Remember the Alamo”. It had fallen just scant days before. Still, the army had pulled back into strong, if hasty, defensive lines and let the blade of the Wehrmacht become dulled upon the fortress of bodies. It was like the First World War all over again. Blazing machine guns, heavy artillery, panzers, and airplanes all dueled for command of the field. The dead were the only victors for they would not have to fight another day. The American army had done what no other force to date could do, they had suffered massive casualties to do so, but the Wehrmacht had been stopped north of the Rio Grande.

As the German war machine ground to a halt and commanders prepared for another round of assaults on their entrenched opponents, orders were received from OKW telling the army to stand down from offensive operations for a period of no less than 72 hours to rest and refit. Only a few of the commanders in America knew of the atomic weapons Germany possessed. The victory the Americans had won, had already cost them dearly and would shortly now cost them more than anyone could imagine.

That same day…
Outside Dresden, Greater Germany

“It is ready?” Beck asks the scientists at the airfield.

“Ja. Do you know what I made Hitler promise when I designed the first of these weapons Field Marshall Beck?” Otto Hahn asks quietly.


“Yes,” Beck answers quietly and solemnly. “To end wars, not start them. Carnaris told me.

“Then you know my position in this. I know you have selected military-industrial targets, ones I cannot disagree with, not after they declared war on us in the fashion they did. Some part of me had hoped that I would not have to see my work used in my own lifetime. I truly do not know what we are unleashing upon the world this day.”

“Agreed, but without their use there will be no possibility of a lasting peace. It may be another 20 years before the next war, but it will be a false peace. Our brave men, and theirs as well, are dying in the blood drenched sands of Texas these weapons ultimately will save lives now and make the cost of waging war later simply too high to bear later.”

They walk back to the airfield bunkers.

“You have your targets. You may fire when ready.” Beck says quietly staring at the A-16 rockets sitting in their silos with their deadly cargos.

"Ballistic Missile Launch Detected."


March 15, 1942
North America

Washington DC stood as an almost deserted city, with the President and his cabinet retreating from the city citing the possibility of amphibious assaults by German forces they had moved well inland, as had the majority of the citizens. The city had been burned once before by the British in the War of 1812. That was nothing compared to the devastation that was about to be wrought upon the semi-deserted city once again. The weapon arrived three hours after sunset creating for a few short moments a second sun in the skies above DC utterly destroying buildings for kilometers around the site of the airburst. But that was not the end of it for Washington, with the city practically deserted already the fire brigade was woefully underequipped to deal with the fires of this magnitude and the city turned into a massive bonfire drawing in air from the surrounding region. Residents of the surrounding region could easily see the pyre that was the capitol.



Chicago was not spared this fate either. Once Mrs. O’Leary’s cow had been blamed for burning much of the city, this disaster was one that was made possible only by the use of human ingenuity. Again the weapon arrived after sunset and burst above the city.



Most damaging though to the American cause was not the loss of life, nor was the loss of industry though losses to neither were insignificant. No, the real damage to the American cause was the complete loss of faith in their government. Almost immediately the transport of supplies to military units had staggered to a halt, but less than a week later militias within every county in the continental United States had risen up with their arms against the federal government.



Despite the destruction of the capitol only a bare week before some of the armed militias in the Maryland area marched on the capital demanding the resignation of the cowardly President Willkie who had only just now flown back to re-establish control over the government. With angry, armed protesters in the streets Willkie ordered the Army to gain control of the situation, but they refused here in the capital. Everywhere else the Army was fighting well against these civilian militias defeating them handily. In the capital, they turned their guns away from the protesters and towards the hastily erected tents serving as temporary buildings for the government.



On March 23, 1942 Wendell Willkie was forced out of office to be replaced by the socialist Norman Thomas and the Wehrmacht resumed its attack northward.

@ SovietAmerika: Yeah, I guess I could have the old CSA (Confederate States of America) succeed with the current dissent... but federal troops are probably going to suppress the rebellion very quickly. Unsupported militia doesn't stand up well against anything except militia and partisans.

@Nimrod: I'm out of nukes... but after running some simulations OKW thought that it would be much more effective in the long run to hit strategic targets as opposed to the tactical ones with that stack o doom. Mainly because they have something like 57 divisions split between two provinces... and I'd have to use both of those bombs to hit those targets... and they would escape with no dissent/IC hits.

@nimrod: Yeah the massive rebellion has made their supply system implode, much less the effects of having DC nuked... which lowers the effective supply efficiency for all of their ground connected forces (I think that is the case anyway). Next nuke is only a couple of months out but even at this point the stacks are looking just a little small to be worth dropping a nuke on. That being said New York would likely be the target of the next nuke that I would use. Still I have 4-5 corps of air-cav sunning themselves in the middle of the Atlantic so they might just get a bit of a workout conducting an amphib operation similar to Sealion, but in the New England area.

@Nikolai: It was a socialist takeover, I'm thinking that the chances of the fascist revolution are well less than that of the socialist. Also it would appear that the socialist revolution reduces dissent more *shrug* . My guess is that if I were to push them to the peace table (via the events ingame) that I could effectively puppet them and turn their government fascist.... Still I do not like having such a large power block outside of my control. Japan and Brazil are one thing, the USA is another completely in my mind at least.

Update tonight or this weekend. Maybe even two of them

March 23, 1942
Washington DC

DC was in ruins, still life went on in the American capital. Save for the military and the politicians the city had been completely evacuated following the detonation of the German atomic weapon over the city. Despite the revolution replacing Willkie, most of his government’s cabinet remained in power.

“How bad is it?” President Thomas asks.

“Well, your predecessor was removed from office by armed civilians and disaffected military personnel. There are about 200 German divisions sitting in Texas. Oh and those armed civilians? They still have effective control over 90% of the country. We are having issues supplying our troops, much less reinforcing them or giving them modern weapons. Don’t forget that those civilians that put you in power, they could still take you out of power. Yesterday, the Germans sunk 2 Battleships and a carrier in New York harbor. We are suffering from..”

“Ok, ok I get the idea. Things are awful. Does anyone have any ideas?”

March 24
Texas

The German army was on the move through south-central Texas. For the most part on both sides casualties were rather light , with the exception of the armored units. The infantry was disorganized on both sides, but the American armored units had suffered 50% or greater casualties mostly from tanks running out of fuel on the retreat and being abandoned by their crews. The advance was slow, but constant.

March 27

The attack in San Antonio had neared its successful completion, while the defenders of Corpus Christi lead by General of the Army George Patton had successfully blunted the attack and turned the defense over to a subordinate. Stymied in the east, German troops began attacking west. They couldn’t possibly be strong everywhere could they?

April 1

In San Antonio the defenders were dug deeply in the houses and businesses of the city and their heavy vehicles were dug in deeply in their defensive revetments… and incredibly short on fuel. So short on fuel as to be turned into immobile bunkers. The fighting by this point had turned to house to house as the streets were simply too dangerous between the artillery fire of the advancing German troops and the machine gun and cannon of the defender’s vehicles, much less that of the defending infantry. It took more than 50,000 men to clear out the approximately 14,000 defenders drawn across North America, including units of the RCMP acting as scouts.

By the 4^th of April, San Antonio had been captured by German troops who immediately began supporting the attack on Corpus Christi rapidly overwhelming the defenders there.

Mexico City
North Africa was hot, but the heat and the humidity? This is hell. Thought Field Marshall Rommel, freshly arrived from Bermuda sans his corps of airmobile cavalry. He was sweating, but the men on the other side of the table were sweating much more heavily.

“I have been authorized to negotiate a cease-fire between our peoples. Please, tell me what are the terms you are willing to accede to.” The fall of Corpus Christi… and the atomic strikes have to be affecting these men. It was one of the few places they hung onto when we attacked.

The Brazilian ambassador spoke first. “Sir, we were dragged into this conflict through our treaty obligations with the Americans. In the time that we have been at war we have not fired one shot against German troops or ships. Yes, we took some territory, but from what I understand you are more interested in North America than south. We simply ask for a cease-fire that keeps the current borders between our two nations.”

“Done. You’ll have to talk to Berlin for any particular details they may want in the actual treaty. They haven’t told me anything.”

The Brazilian ambassador nods, signs the papers with Rommel and leaves the meeting.

The Mexican ambassador sighs in relief. “We are offering something similar in nature, a cease-fire with the borders more or less moving east to the Alamo south of the Rio Grande and from this point southwest to the Pacific Ocean. There is one exception though; we would like Mexico City back. We are not asking at this time for an actual link to our territory from our capital but the ability to access our territory that remains. We’ve already talked to your foreign minister about the territory we would like back and…”

“Yes I know. Isn’t peace just great?”



April 22
Satellite recon indicated an opportunity to OKW. New York City, undefended. 6 corps once destined for Texas were now landing in New York Harbor. Even so, there would be some sections of New York they would avoid until the rest of the city had been pacified.