1941:
January and February saw more sponsored allies activity in Germany. Czech Nationalists rising, armed with British weapons was put down in Bucovice. Poland aligned itself more toward the allies, and on the 10th of Febraury started to mobilize their reserves. Brazil, on the 20th, joined in the embargo against the Reich.
The embargo by the western sphere is starting to worry the minister of armament. Our Rare materials stockpile dropped from 35k to 27k in the first 3 months. The few countries that produce different rare materials were under heavy pressure from the west and trade deals couldn’t be achieved. It was expected that our stockpiles would only be enough to support our industry until May 42 at worse.
The shortage of rare materials didn’t stop our plans to strengthen the Wehrmacht. Two Battlecruisers soon to be commissioned.
Our new IX-class Battleships,
KMS Ludendorff, KMS Mainfranken, KMS Sudetenland, KMS Friedrich der Grosse, and
KMS Grossdeutschland, were commissioned in 7th of November ahead of schedule. The Kriegsmarine now became a true naval power that can challenge the status que.
The new IX-Class Battleship
November 1941, saw our diplomacy scoring a victory. On the 17th, foreign ministers of Bulgaria and the Reich signed a military alliance between the two nations. This move was important to neutralize Bulgaria in case of hostilities with the Soviet Union. Focus shifted toward Romania and Turkey.
Years effort finally succeed.
The 1st Heavy Tank Battalion, Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 103 was fully fitted in October and assigned to the OKW as a special mobile defense force, under the XI. Armeekorps, 87 Inf. Division. The Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 503 was also sent near the French border, part of the X. Armeekorps , 22. Inf. Divisions.
The OKH was assigned two more heavy battalions. The Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 501 and 502 became part of the 2. Inf. Div. (mot.), III. Panzerkorps and 13. Inf Div. (mot.), XXII. Panzerkorps respectively.
The units were a mix of Tiger I and Panzer III
End of 1941 stats:
January-August 1942: Build Up and Planning
Junkers Ju 87C variant to be used with our new aircraft carriers.
-In January, the first planes designed for our aircraft carriers were ready. Pilot training commenced in Kiel while waiting for the carrier to be ready.
-I.SS Panzerkorps formed as part of the 1. Panzerarmee. It included 1. SS-Pz.Gr. SS-LAH , 2. SS-P-Div. “Das Reich” and Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101.
-March saw Poland joining the embargo on the Reich.
-Our new research tech for refining raw materials was finished in April, giving a 7.5% increase in production. Stockpile stood at 10.5k and 7-8 months before running out. Our 3 Light Panzer divisions are upgraded with latest medium Panzer models.
Our hard pressed industry working at full capacity to meet the demands of the Wehrmacht.
May 25, 1942:
The Reich celebrated the commission of its four aircraft carriers,
KMS Graf Zeppelin, KMS Peter Strasser, KMS Europa, and
KMS Germania. It took almost 42 months to complete them. But the knowledge of building them gave the German engineers the know-how experience and two more were ordered, expected to finish in 28 months only.
Graf Zeppelin first sea trial was a success.
July 1942:
The western power frustration and jealousy of the new modern Kriegsmarine reached a boiling point with more countries refusing sign trade deals with the Reich. As of 2nd July 1942, the following countries placed an embargo on Germany: United Kingdom, French Republic, Poland, people’s Republic of China, Xing Yang, and Brazil.
All this didn’t matter to the Fuhrer anymore. The moment of action drawing near. At 15PM, 2nd of July, all reserve troops were recalled.
Recalling of troops will take time to bring our divisions to full strength.
Kriegsmarine OOB:
The Kriegsmarine was divided into 5 fleets with different tasks after the completion of the Z-Plan as follow:
1) Carrier Flotte (Base: Wilhelmshaven) under command of Admiral Raeder
Scharnhorst-Class BC KMS Moltke, part of the escort of the Carrier Flotte.
-4 Graf Zerpplin-class Fleet Carriers:
KMS Graf Zeppelin, KMS Peter Strasser, KMS Europa, and
KMS Germania
-3 Battlecruisers: 1 Scharnhorst-Class BC:
KMS Moltke and 2 KW-50 Class BC:
KMS Mecklenburg and
KMS Oberdonau
-2 Large-class Heavy Cruisers:
KMS Blucher and
KMS Lutzow
-5 Light Cruisers: 1 Leipzig-class:
KMS Leipzig, 1 Nurnberg-Class:
KMS Nurnberg, 3 IX-Class:
KMS Berslau, KMS Albatross, and
KMS Kolbers
-2 Destroyers groups Spahkrenzer-Class
2) Battleship Flotte (Base: Kiel) under command of Vice Admiral Saalwachter
Pride of the Fleet: KMS Bismark
-3 Bismarck-class Battleships:
KMS Bismarck, KMS Tripitz, and
KMS Hindenburg
-2 Deutschland-Class Heavy Cruisers:
KMS Deutschland, and
KMS Admiral Scheer
-3 Light Cruisers: 2 Late AA-Class:
KMS Dresden and
KMS Monchengladbach, 1 K-Class:
KMS Koln
- 3 Destroyers groups Mowe-Class
3) Baltische Flotte (Base: Kiel ) under command of Vice Admiral Bohm
Deutschland-Class Heavy Cruiser: Graf Spee
-4 IX-Class Battleships:
KMS Mainfranken, KMS Sudetenland, KMS Grossdeutschlandm and
KMS Friedrich der Grosse
-2 Heavy Cruisers: 1 large-Class:
KMS Seydlite, 1 Deutschland-Class:
KMS Graf Spee
-5 Light Cruisers: 2 IX-Class:
KMS Mainz and
KMS Augsburg, 3 Late AA-Class:
KMS Oberhausen, KMS Mannheim and
KMS Gelsenkirchen
-3 Destroyers groups 1936A (Mob)-Class
4) Reserve Flotte (Base: Kiel) under command of Rear Admiral Marschall
German Destroyer 1936A (mob)-Class.
-1 IX-Class Battleship:
KMS Ludendorff
-4 Light Cruisers: 3 Late AA-Class:
KMS Munster,
KMS Rostock, and
KMS Wiesbaden. 1 K-Class:
KMS Konigsberg
-5 Destroyers groups 1936A (Mob)-Class
5) Transport Flotte (Base: Kolberg) under command of Rear Admiral Carls
Pocket Battleship KMS Schlesien in the sea.
-2 Deutschland-Class Pocket Battleships:
KMS Schlesien and
KMS Schleswig-Holstein
-6 Transports groups
-2 Light Cruisers: 1 Enden-Class:
KMS Enden, 1 K-Class:
KMS Karlsruhe
-1 Destroyer group G 7-Class
August 1942: Boiling Point
Talks with Poland regarding the return of Danzig reached nowhere in the last years. Poland, with the backing of UK and France kept resisting solving the issue peacefully and even embargoed the Reich. This meant an aggressive approach was the only solution. The plans to invade Poland was to be carried out on 10th of August 1942.
On the 5th of August, orders were sent to the U-boat wolfpacks to their operation sectors in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The three main fleets of the Kriegsmarine were given their orders as well. The following map show the deployment of the Reich Navy:
Red areas are u-boats hunting ground, while Green Initial Patrol area for the fleets.
On the Front lines with Poland, the Heer was deployed in 2 Heeresgruppe as follows:
Stats as of August 5th:
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Few notes:
-I'm realized that I mixed up the SS heavy tank battalion with the normal ones, but I thought it was ok, it is an alternative history after all
-German ships, their classes, and all that is really confusing...I might have mixed something.
-Next update will be the planning and and start of the war
-Do you like that I mention the OOB of army in more/less details??