Doppelgänger: the Untold Story of the Third Reich

Gen. Marshall said:

Pictures or it didn't happen

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It's true I tell you , it's true!! (Well, I always wanted a room with a table like that)

KLorberau said:

Very nice Uriah. Just keeps getting better and better. Just wondering. Do you use garrison or militia divisions on the west wall or regular infantry? I personally only use garrison or militia for port defense or partisan suppression.

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West wall divisions are 2x INF, 1 x Super Heavy Artillery (immobile) and 1 x AA. Have to be Strategically moved. Good staying power, but vulnerable when they crack.

guillec87 said:

Agreed, I wish I could have such a room for myself!! :laugh:

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I thought that too, and decided my narrator had the resources of the Third Reich at this disposal. Everyone has his/her dreams.

Caezaire said:

I'm glad the mod you're playing has managed to extend the Spanish Civil War this long. In most of my games it only lasts a few months.

Also, might your new hero need the help of a certain filing clerk to keep certain things away from Hitler's attention?

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I don't even want to talk about Spain. Watch this space.

And that filing clerk never suspected the truth!

Forster said:

After 4 1/2 years in Germany, 3 in Italy, over 3 years in Vietnam, with visits to other countries while at those assignments, I have to agree with the writer's sentiment. German coffee is, if not the best, at least one of the finest in the world.
Damn, Uriah, where do you pull this stuff from?

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As one whose taste buds were destroyed by smoking (though I gave up 20 year ago) I don't feel qualified to comment on taste of coffee (or anything edible). But I am confident that German coffee pre-war was good, if only because so many Germans complained when real coffee was unavailable.

Where do I get it from ? I read a lot of about the inter-war years - it is an intriguing period. The Berlin of Brecht and Weil, the Moscow show trials, the brief candle of Czechoslavak culture, the disorientation of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, the strange goings-on in North Africa, the "new Rome" etc. I could go on for ever.

It was a period of enormous change - radio, flight, cinema, the automobile all moved from cutting edge to commonplace.

I just look for one or two events or inventions that occurred at the right time and try to work them into my story.

Snow drifts slowly over Berlin, but not enough to hide the thousands of chimneys, each with its own trail of drifting smoke. There is no shortage of fuel coal for the population. There is also no lack of “Christmas cheer” as shown by the stacks of empty bottles at the back of many buildings. The economic throttle has been released a little to allow the German people to recover from the disruption caused by recent events.

Apparently even in the Reichskanzlei there has been some heavy celebration. A man stands at an open window, leaning out to breathe in the cold air. He shakes his head as if to clear cobwebs from his brain before going back to sit down at a table.


As I had planned, at the start of October 1938 tension was building in the Sudetenland. Heinlein’s provocateurs were very active, courtesy of unlimited funding from untraceable sources. A popular movement was now in existence and the Czech government was showing the strain. The Führer made a few remarks about “our oppressed brothers” which achieved exactly what was intended. Politicians in both France and England started to get concerned about war, and both showed they were prepared to sell the Czechs in exchange for peace. All that is needed is to get the German populace sufficiently calm to accept direct intervention. Once discontent is down to 1% the order will be given.


Other than the diplomatic tension, October was relatively quiet. Most of the time I was content to just relax and flip through reports from our research groups. Steel electro-welding, short barrel HE tank guns, new light bombs and artillery and all sorts of military theories. As I read them I became more sure that we would win this war by virtue of our advanced technology.

So it was with a shock I read in the morning newspaper the following paragraph:

"Man's very first synthetic fiber, stronger than steel, fine as a spider's web, more elastic than any of the common natural fibers, splendidly shiny and due to be marketed with the commercial name of nylon, was presented by Dr. Stine, a DuPont vice president, at the New York World Fair on 27 October 1938."

A fibre stronger than steel and a potential enemy power has the secret of its manufacture? The Reichskanzler’s office sent urgent telegrams to IG Farben and our other chemical manufacturers, but all they could say was that the USA was the leader in such research and we did not have the ability to compete in every area of expertise.

At least the Americans are not using the new invention for military purpose. Currently DuPont is using “nylon” to make bristles for toothbrushes, and our industrial spies tell us that women’s stockings are the next to be released for sale. Although that is good news, I don’t doubt that the research areas of the US Army are examining the product. There must be possibilities for such a breakthrough.


All this was forgotten when on 1st November 1938 we took control of the Sudetenland, with the blessing of England and France. I must say the Führer performed well at the Munich meeting that led to this diplomatic success. Bluster, high emotion and a complete absence of rational argument. He was at his peak and neither Chamberlain nor Daladier had a clue how to handle this apparently demented negotiator. Finally they agreed to force the Czechs to hand over a quarter of their country for a promise of peace. (The Czechs were not invited to the talk – they may have been an annoyance to all present).


The Heer gained a new unit: the Sudeten Volunteers, but nobody really wants them. But a couple of fascist militia brigades with an attached light flak regiment are always useful: they can be used a garrison at some point. Not that any garrison will be needed in the Sudetenland.


Even Himmler didn’t really want the Volunteers, probably as he was too taken with the latest addition to his SS Korps. The man is a fool: SS Totenkopf Standarte 4 is still just a militia unit, regardless of how Himmler promotes its abilities.

The regular army was more excited at the arrival of our first Fallschirmjägers: 7 Flieger Division. Only 3,000 men (two Sturm Regiments) it needs to be strengthened before being really tested. Providing more power but at a vast cost was 29.ID “Falken”, a new motorized division. An even more expensive panzer division equipped with medium tanks has been ordered.


All paled into insignificance with the reaction of the Kriegsmarine. The “Scharnhorst” and “Gneisenau” were commissioned within days of each other. Two massive battleships, ship for ship a match for nearly anything the Royal Navy possesses. (Nobody points out that it is unlikely the Royal Navy will be polite enough to match us ship for ship and that they outnumber us by at least a factor of five.)


Only days after the Sudetenland victory, Hitler and most of the Berlin administration celebrated the Xth Party Congress, Reichsparteitag
Großdeutschland. The name was to celebrate the Anschluss, but it was timely with the recent addition of the Sudetenland. Once again, costly in terms of manufactured goods, but overall worthwhile, with several provinces experiencing a growth in industrial capacity.

I should mention that I have completed part of my reorganization of the Wehrmacht. The Nordsee Armee is now ready to complete its task of protecting the coast (including the naval bases which will be vital to defeating the Royal Navy) and the border with Holland and Belgium. Feldmarschall von Bock will have three Armeekorps, two air fleets and, of course, the Nordseeflotte under Admiral Raeder. (The man seems to have the amazing ability to be in two places at once, sitting at Cabinet meetings while also commanding his fleet).

General von Arnim has XII Armeekorps, with 33, 34 and 36.ID, each with three infantry and an artillery regiment (about 27,000 men each). V.A-K (Reinhardt) also has three infantry divisions (5, 25 and 35) identical to those in XII.A-K. The largest Armeekorps, the Xth, is led by von Tiedemann and has 5 divisions. 20 and 30.ID are standard infantry and artillery. 73.ID has three infantry regiments and an antitank regiment armed with 5cm Pak38. 72.ID has two infantry regiments, the Wilhelmshaven Grenz artillery unit with its 60cm Karlsgerät guns, and a flak regiment. The final division is 22 Luftlande, three airlanding brigades.

The air units are purely defensive. Felmy’s “Luftflotte Reich” of four geschwader is based on the two units we obtained from the Austrians. These two geschwader are still equipped with the Fiat CR 32 “Freccia”. The other two geschwader have Messerschmitt Bf 109C interceptors. While these are all outdated models, the aircraft of Luftflotte VI are worse. Majorgeneral Coeler has two groups of Dornier 16j “Wal” flying boats. Suitable for reconnaissance and bombing submarines, but nobody in the Luftwaffe thinks the pilots would survive a clash with the enemy.


I had hoped that Hitler would be satisfied with the fun he had at Munich, but I had misjudged him. He now thinks he is a genius, and when it was reported that our industrial productivity was again increasing, he developed a concern that the Reich would run short of able bodied males. He was not the only one with this concern, but he came up with a typical hare-brained solution. A grateful country would give women who had lots of children a medal! The “Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter” would solve our manpower problems. Sometimes I doubt the man’s sanity, but he insisted that the awards be instituted. I thought of telling him the French had already tried this in 1920 with the “Medaille de Famille francaise” (and look how well that worked) but there was no point. I just made a mental note to ensure that the agricultural industry improvements research continued.


Although the subject is not part of our military funded research, there has been much talk amongst our researchers about an article in “Naturwissenschaften” that seems incredible to me. The authors claim to have “split” an atom and turned mass into energy. Is this possible? I am reluctant to spend money and resources on what is still theoretical research, but it may be worth keeping an eye on it. Minister Goebbels has advised that a laboratory technician is on his payroll and has been told that he will lose more than his job if he fails to keep the authorities informed. All I have to do is watch Goebbels.


Watching Goebbels might be a job for the liaison officers in China. Their report for the last three month’s activity can be summarized in one word: nothing. The Japanese are moving troops around, but no attacks, no progress.

Spain is no better. In fact it is worse. The stranglehold on Barcelona has been loosened as the Republicans cleared Franco’s men from the fortified area of Ripoll (on the French border) and from Berga. In the south, the Socialist push to Madrid has been halted, but the Nationalists have made little headway in pushing them back to the coast. The only setback for the Republicans is a revolt in Alicante, but that will be only temporary. The Popular Front does not like its popularity to be questioned.


I find it too hard to think about Spain though. My plan called for Franco to win control of the entire county this year. When war breaks out he is to either storm Gibraltar himself or allow access to the Wehrmacht. This stalemate at Barcelona is putting my entire plan in jeopardy. The timetable is too tight to allow for a campaign in Spain, but the Mittelmeer must be closed to the Royal Navy to protect Italy. What to do? I can’t seem to think straight today.


I really should have stayed in my quarters last night, the last night of the year. With the Führer entertaining his closest friends, the chance to relax in a crowded beerhouse seemed too tempting, like a stolen holiday. Meeting a few soldiers on leave from the Westwall appeared a stroke of luck at first. A lot of laughs, a lot of drink. I have forgotten that the Kanzlerei is practically teetotal now, and I must have lost my tolerance for alcohol. Or the modern soldier has an amazing capacity for beer and spirits. Or maybe I am getting old. Whatever the reason, this morning I feel the effects. I think I may retire for some quiet contemplation of the benefits of abstinence.

Locking his book in a drawer, the man pushes his chair back. Rising too quickly, he turns pale. He recovers and stiffly moves towards the door, taking care to keep his head level.

Through the open window, the wind starts to deposit a light powder of snow on the carpet. Will one of the staff notice before the carpet is ruined? With 1939 threatening so much destruction, does it matter?

guillec87 said:

have you read the "Berlin Noir" series? they are 8 fantastic books about a german detective from the 30's to the 50's and at least 4 books (if my memory is good) are set in the Berlin of the late Wismar Republic and the years of nazi regime prior to the war

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No, haven't found seen them. I have read Rober Harris's "Fatherland" which I liked. My reading recently has been restricted to Greek/Roman history. I am catching up on the 50+ books in my "to read" pile.

Sarayakat said:

OMG, the doppelganger is Batman! Best crossover ever!

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He will not be wearing tights at any time, nor will he have a questionable relationship with a young orphan boy. I may let him have a cape.

misterbean said:

Ra's Al Ghul seems more likely, given his penchant for war and the complete absence of any mention of a butler.

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"Penchant": a wonderful word that is used too little today. I had to look up Ra's al Ghul as he was first published in 1971, after my comic reading days. I was always more a Superman type anyway. I am sure the Reichskanzlei had a butler.

Forster said:

Actually, I was referring to your story telling ability, not where you got you information.

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Ah! Well, while walking the dogs I wonder how on earth to tie in all the things I want to mention in an update. After cleaning up the third dog poo I generally get an idea. Nobody in my family has ever shown any tendency to write other than me, though I can remember writing multi-page books at eight. All, alas, have been lost. A catastrophe to rank with the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.

Doppelgänger: the Untold Story of the Third Reich​

Deep beneath the Reichskanzlei, a vast room is ablaze with light. A man leans over the central table that dominates the room. He is looking at a sheaf of telegraph forms and, as he reads each one, he smiles and moves a coloured flag on the sculptured surface of the table. When he has read the last telegram and moved the final flag, he turns and a floodlit map of the Iberian Pensinsula on the wall catches his eye. He scowls and moves towards the door where a writing table is set up.


As I review my notes for the past three months, I am struck by the lack of events in the first half of the period. Was this the lull before the storm?

I am not implying that the completion of fortifications in Saarlouis and Neumünster, roadworks throughout Moravia or the arrival of our first geschwader of multi-role fighters (assigned to Lörzer’s Luftflotte IV) were not important. Nor that I placed no significance on the 14 research projects finalised in that period. The invention of radar alone was worthy of celebration.


It was that the world at large seemed to be enjoying the end of what, if my plan holds true, will be the last period of peace for some time. Even the start of political action was slow: Musslolini’s announcement on 12th February that Libya was now to be the “Quarta Sponda” and part of Italy proper was rightly seen to be a propaganda stunt. It did generate a few volunteers for the Regio Esercito.


Encouraged (or perhaps annoyed) by the lack of response to his expansion of the New Roman Empire, Il Duce followed up with another land grab. On 18th February he took over Albania in an almost bloodless coup. King Zog realised the futility of resistance and his country was annexed outright by Italy.


Mussolini’s actions were again ignored, but this time because from the day before his Adriatic adventure the world had reason to focus on central Europe. Von Ribbentrop has been very busy, but also very discreet. So the sudden news that Czechoslovakia no longer existed was a shock to everyone outside those in the know. Hungarian units occupied Ruthenia, German troops the rest of the country. There was some thought given to allowing the survival of a Slovak state under Josef Tiso, but I had already told Hitler I understood his hesitance at taking complete control. As I expected, that was all it took for him to insist that he was able to take what he wished. My plan has no place for an independent Slovakia, and I need those provinces as a launching pad for a drive into southern Poland. Of course Tiso would have allowed access, but I want to improve the roads first and he would never permit German construction crews access.

The announcement of total annexation was not greeted with joy everywhere. This was not like the Sudetenland, the reunion of German speakers to the Reich. This was the conquest (if only by stealth) of an independent nation. Our population became more unhappy, and more production must be squandered on luxuries to make them forget why they are upset.

The Czechs and Slovaks were more open in their resistance. Armed bands sprang up in Varnsdorf, Hradec Králové and Ostrava. German units were some distance from the uprisings, but were not required. A large part of the Czech Army joined the Heer and its first task was to suppress the rebellion.


Nearly all the Czech High command elected to join us, but we had no use for so many headquarters so most were disbanded. Three full infantry divisions (2 infantry brigades, an artillery and an anti-tank regiment) and 2 smaller divisions (an infantry and an artillery regiment) were taken straight into the Wehrmacht. Two Panzer Divisions had to be rebuilt: the equipment was available but the men were not suitable. The Panzer 38(t) is a welcome addition to our armoured forces, as are the Desant infantry battalion and tank destroyers. Two mountain divisions are weak but claim to be battle ready. The Slovakian Division also claims to be ready for combat, though I have my doubts about the reliability of its Fascist militia.

With this influx of new troops, I was ready to move my relationship with the Wehemacht to another level. There is simply too much to do running the country to have to worry about every issuing orders for every unit. Now my selected officers are in control it is time for them to take over. Their first job is easy. Our divisions are scattered over the Reich in an arrangement that makes no military sense. I have instructed the army commanders what their priorities should be and have given them approval to issue movement orders as they please. We will see how they perform.


I expected a reaction from Britain, but it was not what I expected. Instead of summoning our ambassador for some stern words, Prime Minister Chamberlain announced that the United Kingdom would guarantee the independence of Poland, unconditionally. That will make matters difficult. I had thought to make Danzig another Sudetenland, and to slowly cripple Poland before forcing her government to commence hostilities. (Or at least leave some doubt as to the instigator). The Anglo-French treaties mean that should the United Kingdom declare war on the Reich, France will join in, no matter how reluctantly.

If that were not bad enough, we heard that both Poland and France had reacted to the news from Praha by mobilising their armies. The Heer added two new divisions to its overall strength but more is needed. Yet at the same time the new provinces in Silesia require extensive work. Will we ever have enough manufacturing capacity? And if we did, could we provide raw materials to them all?


Once again von Ribbentrop came to our assistance. It has been a priority for our diplomats to arrange business deals for hard to get materials such as cotton, tungsten, pharmaceuticals etc, as well as basic resources such as metal and crude oil. Now he has pulled off a masterstroke. The Romanian government has agreed to sign the “German-Romanian Treaty for the Development of Economic Relations between the Two Countries”. In exchange for 10,500,000 tonnes of supplies (and some cash), we will receive 30,000,000 tonnes of crude oil and 10,000,000 tonnes of fuel. Our reserves are now at a level that could keep the Wehrmacht going for years!

Our researchers also helped. Our 11th industry advance has pushed production a little higher, though more can be done.


The only black cloud on the horizon is again Spain. Even the Generalissimo has been forced to admit his men are in retreat. The siege of Barcelona is over and the Republicans there have not only linked up with their comrades in the south but are marching rapidly west. Government troops threaten both Madrid and Seville.


Hitler has been raging about this. He takes it as a personal insult that our Condor Legion could be tainted with defeat. He has become so obsessed that I have wondered about his mental stability. On the bright side, the threats and abuse did get some answers.

The critical factor is manpower. Franco has been spending the lives of his soldiers in an apparent attempt to overwhelm the Republicans. It did not work. Now his divisions are perilously low in strength and there are no recruits to replace the dead and wounded. According to our spies (Franco will not let our liaison officers away from his headquarters) some units are so weak they collapse within hours of an enemy attack. (We know the Republicans allow women to fight, but the Fascists will not permit women in the front line. Could this explain the manpower differential? Something to bear in mind.)

As if that were not bad enough, the Burgos government has run out of coal and oil and its Treasury is empty. Unless the Republicans are in equal trouble (which our intelligence tells us is not the case), Franco’s rebellion will be over soon.


There is a clear message here for us. It is not enough to gamble on victory with a strong army, even one markedly superior to the enemy. No matter how good your men and equipment, there will be heavy losses. There must be solid preparation. Stockpiles of all resources must be sufficient to last for years if necessary. There must be reserves of both men and officers, enough to replace the most horrendous casualties and still be able to expand the Wehrmacht.

I must ensure that every commanding officer understands that to waste lives, equipment or material is a criminal offense. We cannot afford to lose one man, vehicle or litre of fuel if it can be avoided.

At least the generals have passed the first test. The Wehrmacht has manoeuvred to cover all its borders and has started to build up for Fall Weiss. If all goes well, in six months the second test will begin.

Before then, however, I must make a decision. When war breaks out, there will be too much for me to do, even with the generals taking care of military operations. I will need some extra eyes to report for me. Someone I can trust to tell me the truth. The officer class is too careful protecting its own reputation, and most of the administration is working for Goebbels, Frick or one of the other party officials. This will require some thought, but a decision must be made well before September.



Leaning back in his chair, the man gazes at the ceiling, as if the answer to his question is to found there. If it is, it is well hidden, as he continues looking for some time.

KLorberau said:

Homemade Spanish commie tank? Looks like a a big silver wedge to me. All those smirks on their self righteous faces need to be slapped right off. Too bad the Generalissimo Franco boys can't seem to get their act together.

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Both sides made homemade armoured vehicles which seemed to do OK in the cities. This one looks a little to clean to have seen service. But I would imagine that if you were manning a roadblock that any sort of armoured vehicle would be enough to drive you off - neither side had much in the way of AT weapons.

I am not sure what this group are. the women are dressed in odd combat gear and suggest some sort of Flamenco Bn, and some of the men look too well fed to be survivors of a prolonged siege.

guillec87 said:

fine update, and a sign of warning for IG Farben!! they should have done more :laugh:

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Thanks - Black Ice gives you so much leadership you think you can research everything, but there is so much to do. And officers get killed a lot in BI.

Davout said:

Well done on another enthralling update, although I have serious doubts about the Axis AI's. First Japan pulls the plug on China and now Franco can't get the job done. I almost expect to see Kurt_Steiner pop up soon to laud the prowess of the small village of indomitable Catalonians (and their dogs).

You have got the pacing of your AAR going very nicely. A good mix of pictures, screencaps and text with meaty ideas to think about. The real test will come in 1939. Keep up up the good work.

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I have been thinking about Japan and think the problem may be that Japan can only access the Communists from 2-3 provinces. Nat China won't grant access so only way is through Mengkukuo. When I check supply is OK, but I wonder if when fighting starts the AI gets worried and breaks off too quickly. Infrastructure in that area is atrocious.

Thanks for the comments. I have been trying to mix up the prewar updates to keep people interested. I love the preparation, but I understand that many readers are bloodthirsty berserkers and want to get into the action.

narsus534 said:

I don't mean to sound stupid but how do you take screenshots without steam? The only way for me to use black ice is without steam and now I don't know how to take screenshots.any suggestions?

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I have always used F11 - was unaware that Steam was any different. I tend to only use Steam if unavoidable (Civ 5) - I hate the auto updates and files being hard to find.