1st January 1945
We return to Bratislava on New Year's Day where the Slovak cabinet is gathering to discuss their plans for the forthcoming year. Unless those plans include 'getting annexed' this is probably a waste of time, but that doesn't seem to be deterring them. General Kubela looked up in surprise as Tiso and Tuka entered the command shed.
"Vodca, I did not think you would be attending the Monday morning briefing." He said.
"We thought you'd be hungover after New Year's Eve drinking." Malar babbled.
Tiso pulled himself up and glared.
"I am not affected by such things." He announced.
"Supreme Vodca Tiso has been undisputed leader of Slovakia for over five years, this has given him plenty of reasons to practice drinking heavily." Tuka explained.
Tiso nodded, then gestured for the meeting to begin.
"The British have Szombathely." Kubela said dramatically.
"We don't care about their hygiene habits." Tuka snapped.
Malar and Kubela looked confused. Well more confused than usual.
"You told us the British had some baths lately. This news doesn't seem relevant to a military briefing." Tiso said.
"No they've captured the Hungarian city of Szombathely. That is less than 80miles from Bratislava." Kubela explained why this was actually news.
"Why are you quoting the distance in miles rather than kilometers." Tiso asked.
"Because they are the one true unit of measurement." Pruzinsky declared, mildly shocking the rest of the cabinet who thought he had disappeared.
"And kilometres were the same units the Czechs used." Tuka roared, prompting a round of disgusted spitting.
Tiso slowly counted to five before continuing.
"How is the General Staff reacting to this worrying news." He asked.
"Panicking." Malar confirmed his mastery of Slvoak literalness.
Tuka started cursing most of the military under his breath.
"No, I meant what are they doing about it?" Tiso persisted.
"We have manged to get the Italian Front renamed the Slovak Front!" Kubela proudly announced.
"The Fuhrer has kindly allowed this renaming of the Italian Front." Von Killinger confirmed. "He is sure the Slovaks will die for him far more efficiently than the Italians ever did."
The Slovak Front. The Axis defenders are a formidable bunch even if they are dressed as Hungarians, along side the Fallschirmjäger there are a pair of tough Panzergrenadier units (20th and 90th) and the terminally confused men of the 1st Paratroop Panzer Division 'Hermann Göring'.
"And this will help with the defence how?" Tuka asked.
"It would militarily help, but we think it will improve morale." Malar admitted.
"It will really wind up the Hungarians and that always cheers the men up." Kubela beamed.
Tiso decided he had heard enough about the Slovak Front.
"What news from the East?" He asked.
"That's the Eastern Front of this war." Tuka angrily jumped in to prempt any discussion of the War in Fiji.
"The 1st (Heroes of Arad) Division is moving to secure the Romania Border defence line in Oradea." Kubela said gravely.
"What happened to the Salonta defence line?" Tiso asked.
"Salonta was in Romania, so it was the wrong place to try and hold the border. General Turanec is now moving into Hungary so he can mount a proper defence of the Romanian border from the correct side." Kubela said.
The 1st Division is heroically redeploying to Oradea, jewel in the crown of Northern Transylvania. If the Slovak's continue to fight this hard the city might survive the forthcoming battle long enough to be looted by the Soviets.
Tiso decided not to ask too much about that, it wouldn't make him happy. Or make any difference.
"And the Western Front?"
"General Jurech reports he is no longer being bombed by two RAF groups under the command of a mad Australian."
The general staff cheered up, but Tiso remained impassive and waited.
"Because is being bombed by three RAF groups under the command of a worrying good British commander."
Air Marshall Bottomley, one of the original heavy bomber barons has decided to abandon being Deputy Chief of the Air Staff to lead some Tactical Bombers and Multi-Role fighters to bomb Romilly. This is not going well for the Axis forces.
"General, I've always wanted to know. How can our commanders tell who is commanding the bombers attacking them?"
Malar and Kubela exchange an awkward glance before shrugging.
Tiso reached for hipflask, resolving to start the year as it was inevitably going to go on.
--
Notes:
We're back! It's a new year for Slovakia and it has started in the traditional manner; badly.
I continue to find the concept of Parachute-Panzer divisions amusing, even though the reality is fairly dull. I may have been too kind on the 90th PanzerGrenadiers by calling them tough, they did get destroyed in late 1944, the survivors hiding for a few months before surrendering to the Brazilian Expeditionary Force. As you do.
Finally, General von Gross-Zauche Sctrachwitz continues to have an amazing name and one which gets even better after research. His first name was Hyacinth, as in the flower, because he was named after a Polish saint. This was some sort of tradition, because when he had a son he gave it same first name, resulting in ; Hyacinth Gross-Zauche Sctrachwitz Junior. Which is majestic in anyone's book.