The Darkest hour of the Russian Empire 2
Chapter Four: 1939-1941
Part XVII: The first shots
[video=youtube;y5V6sxZ8-eg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5V6sxZ8-eg&skipcontrinter=1[/video]
Some musical flavor for you
The guns of German war machine started doing the job - on 6 of March armored columns, supported by the huge amounts of infantry, artillery and aviation, started their invasion into France. French armed forces absolutely weren't ready for that attack - they believed that Hitler would attack Russia first because of Danzig and Koenigsberg. They were completely mistaken...
German tanks near the French border
The French had quite obsolete, but still useful Maginot fortification line. They were mistaken once again when they expected a German attack on their forts...
German map of Maginot line (blue) and offensive fronts (red)
But new world war (which had already become global, because Great Britain and all her dominions and colonies were involved into it) wasn't only in France. Four days after the German invasion passed when Italy finally occupied Albania. King Zog I had to flee, while Italian monarch Vittorio Emmanuel became a new Albanian ruler. Now Italy had a good Balkan base for further imperialist expansion...
"Italian Illiria"
Italian army in Albania
In Spain the stalemate of civil war was coming to the logical end - by 10 of March Republican army was controlling Oviedo.
The end of Francist army is near
Republican volunteers
On the same day, May 10, the Germans started their general offensive - a little bit improved Schlieffen plan (but now without the Eastern front), which included rapid annexation of Luxembourg, Belgium and Netherlands, then invasion in Northern France, securing the Atlantic beach line and going southwards to Marseilles and Toulouse. It was a simple, but (which is the most important) absolutely unexpected plan. French and British military theorists couldn't believe that the Germans would use the same strategy twice.
Vorwarts Panzer!
German soldiers near the Western border.
But the war wasn't going to become a funny easy trip - Germany didn't understand that little Belgian and Dutch armies would fight as brave as they could to save their freedom and independence. The Blitzkrieg stopped after a few weeks in Belgium - courageous Belgian army with French and British support managed to keep the front line (with terrifying casualties of course).
German army in Belgium. Marching, but without too much enthusiasm.
German light tanks weren't powerful enough to break the defense lines. PzI, PzII with Czech Pz38(t) badly needed some more powerful substitutions. German tank designers created PzIII just in right moment - during the battles in Belgium.
The offensive continued without, but without any positive results - by 10 of July (after two month of war) the Wehrmacht controlled Luxembourg and about 40% of Belgian territories. It wasn't a success for the brilliant war machine like the German army...
Blitzkrieg is not so
blitz...
Russian authorities were very optimistic with these results - Pepelyaev said to the Tsar:
- Your Imperial Majesty, this army can't beat Belgium and Netherlands, how can you worry about our borders?
- Only two months has passed, only two months... - answered Alexis.
Hitler was depressed by the news
But with any courage and bravery it was impossible to stop the Germans. Passive actions of French and British armies together with total Luftwaffe domination in the air made the Belgian defense impossible.
By 27 of July the Germans own Liege
One of Belgian towns under German attack
Two days later, the Germans entered Eindhoven, which broke the connection between Belgian and Dutch lines of defense. The aggressive offensive planned in May was back on track!
Successful operation in Holland
French tank soldiers captured by the German soldiers
But that successful operation didn't lead to a full-scale collapse of Belgium and Holland - they were still able to fight, and the Wehrmacht didn't do any progress until August.
The Germans are stuck in Lower countries, while Russia gets more tank brigades...
Such vehicles didn't have much work in August...
But on 17 of August the German commanders made a right step to crush the resistance of the Allied troops. Namur was captured, while the Belgian capitulation was very distant. German strategy didn't work properly...or it was just a trick to lower the Allied attention?
One more Belgian province in German hands
To be continued
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Next update: January, 20