Chapter IIb
The fight for the Benelux rages on. As the fatigued German war machine thirsty for oil sluggishly grinds the Allied resistance down in Luxemburg, von Rundstedt decides to attack once again, as the enemy armor has largely left Maastricht.
The American resistance in Luxemburg finally yields on Christmas 1944, marking Manfred von Manstein's 2nd triumphant breakthrough in the region 4 and a half years after the previous one. The battle was an absolute slaughter, as the last fully operational units of the Wehrmacht struck the unprepared Americans under the skillful leadership of OKW's best. Saarbrucken is immediately attacked by the Americans in return, who finally seem to have grasped the severity of the situation their forces in Belgium have found themselves in. With a little luck, the encirclers may become the encircled.
Perfidious Albion attempts to land more forces behind our lines, perhaps to try and assist their American allies, but to no avail. Karl Dönitz guards the Reich's beaches with his loyal submariners and inflicts severe damage on multiple carriers, as well as sinking numerous transport ships. Sadly, the ones carrying British divisions managed to evade his torpedoes.
Another triumph for the defenders of Dunkirk warrants a new batch of Iron Crosses to be ordered by Chancellor Hitler himself, to be distributed if any of them manage to survive this ordeal. Admittedly the expectation is for them to be awarded posthumously.
Paul Hausser immediately orders all available divisions to advance and exploit the disarray in the Allied lines. This is where the Allied might in France shall be broken! God willing, he will have proper news for the Führer the next time he joins the cabinet meeting.
The Americans attempt to halt the seemingly unstoppable Wehrmacht with some paratroopers lacking the heavy equipment to efficiently deal with Hausser's panzers. They will buy some time at best, and get massacred at worst (for them).
To follow the triumphs of the previous holiday, St. Stephen brings the news of the American resistance yielding in both Namur and Eindhoven. Hausser immediately resumes his march.
As another American paratrooper division gets evicted from Namur, the defenders of Dunkirk are to undergo yet another tribulation at the hands of their enemies.
The encircled division in La Rochelle seems to be attracting disproportionate attention from the Allied air command. They aren't suffering any losses due to the extensive fortifications in the city, but those bombs aren't falling on our vulnerable advancing units. For that, they have OKW's immense gratitude.
Spirits high from the news of impending victory and not wanting to miss out on the glory themselves, von Bock and Guderian launch attacks of their own on Strassburg and Metz respectively.
A lone partisan division, in its misguided anger, delays the Soviet advance into German-occupied Slovakia. The OKW toasts to the health of the rebel leadership and their strategic brilliancy.
Model's lone panzer division outpaces Demelhuber's infantry and gets immediately attacked upon arrival to Eindhoven. His defensive genius is permitted to shine again until he can be relieved.
When hearing of the news that the Americans decided on the futility of attacking the master of defensive warfare that is Walther Model in his element, von Ribbentrop reports on the British returning the Greek government-in-exile to power in their land. Let them rejoice while they can, for Wehrmacht may revisit them sooner than they think.
The Americans, now themselves under pressure in Metz and Strassburg, cease the attack on Saarbrucken. The units there are immediately instructed to counterattack. Despite the localized news of the American defeat in Metz, they are soon proven to be false, as they resume the struggle to defend the city.
Hausser's panzers are instructed to advance on the city of Brussels, to halt the Allied escape from the salient, as the fist around them clenches into an inescapable prison.
A French division halts the advance of Hanneken's motorized infantry in Longwy, despite somehow being less supplied than the average troopers of the Wehrmacht. The French army has seen better days.
In an attempt to release their divisions from being tied down guarding various encirclements, the Americans launch an attack on the well-fortified naval base of Lorient.
As soon as the coastal guard duty was established, before centralized command could even be established, the British attempted another amphibious assault in Amsterdam. Dönitz orders his subs to sally out from the Rotterdam port posthaste, as the Amsterdam garrison is utterly disorganized and will fall without his aid.
On the 27th of December, The encirclement of 25 American divisions in the Low Countries was completed. The Allies have not only gotten a bloodied nose, but a severe concussion as well. Even great names such as Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley are rumored to be caught in the encirclement. The divisions in Brussels don't even attempt to break out, barely managing to avoid turning the general retreat into a mass rout.
In Berlin, the news are immediately relayed to the highest circles of the government. In a cheerful atmosphere, Hitler raises his glass of champagne to Eva Braun and his cabinet of ministers, while somehow avoiding spilling anything despite his violently shaking hands.
"To Germany! To our glorious Wehrmacht! Despite the doubts that many of you were beset with, as I told you, gentlemen, it's even funnier the second time!"
