1/5/41 Top Secret Staff Meeting. Unknown Location.
Raeder walked into the room. Unlike the typical cabinet meeting this one was purely military. Runstedt, Bloomberg, Manstein, Kleist Rommel, Model, Guderian, Student, Schorner were all here.
"Gentleman thank you for turning up on such short notice". Raeder began. In consultation with the Fuhrer we have agreed it is time to deal with the bolshevik menace once and for all".
The room was as quiet as death
Model cut the ice. "Shouldn't we be content with what we have Raeder. We have done will so far but the Soviets have a huge army"......
Cutting him off Raeder interrupted One that will only get bigger in time. Do you want them to come say hello in 42 or 43, perhaps in conjunction with the Americans if that fool Churchills incessant whining has any effect on them".
Model shut up. Raeder pulled out some maps. I have here the deployment of our forces. We are waiting for the weather to clear before proceeding.
"We have massed 200 divisions the immediate Soviet border. In addition a further 21 are deployed in Finland to aid our Finish Allies defend their territory and help capture Leningrad. Inn addition over 50 Hungarian and Bulgarian divisions stand ready to aid our efforts. The Finns have contributed 21 divisiosn on their front while the Italians continued to tie up Allied forces in Africa and the Middle East.Due to extensive effort and purchasing planes off our allies the Luftwaffe can contribute".
12 squadrons Close Air support
10 squadronsTactical Bombers
8 squadrons Naval Bombers (of limited use)
8 Squadrons of interceptors.
"The Kreigsmarine is standing by to aid efforts in the baltic.They have more than recovered from Sealion and a third SAG is almost ready along with numerous destroyers in smaller fleets or assigned as escorts to transports. Over 40 transport squadrons are ready as well".
Of the more or less 200 hundred divisions facing the immediate Soviet front they are as follows".
12 Marines with SPA
16 mountaineeers 15/16 with engineers
18 armored
8 motorized
"The rest is mostly modern (41) infantry with a smattering of militia. Most of out militia corps are used in defensive positions or are in Finland. A grand total of 15 divisions are left to defend Europe from Norway England through to Spain. They are supported by numerous garrision units and a handful of Hungarians in Spain. I will also redploy the Croation army to help cover the coast but the Allies have no bases anywhere close to us and they will have to get through the Kriegsmarine as well. I don't anticipate any trouble from the west and I doubt the USA will get involved yet".
The officers looked less than enthusiastic but what could you expect? "Gentlmen there may be some last minute slight adjustments to deployment but otherwise we wait on the weather. I expect a tentative date of May the 15th will be time for"......
Operation Barbarossa
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