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Naval Report 21th of April 1941

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Because the war started sooner than we thought it would, plans for the expansion of our navy were far from being finished. However, the Kriegsmarine still have plenty of capital ships which frighten our British and French enemies. 4 Battlecruisers, 2 (old) Battleships, 2 Carriers and one Escort Carrier. It should be noted that in HPP Heavy Cruisers function as screening ships - therefore, we mostly use them as a way to give our CTFs more punch and increase their survivability.

Submarines remain an important part of our navy. Some of them are old, but still the British have problems with finding them in the waters of vast Atlantic Ocean.


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Battle of the Atlantic rages on. Vital spots near Portugese and Spanish coasts are crucial for our submariners, as most of their prey come from that region. Subs operate in medium-sized groups (3xSUB in one) and so far this tactics has proven to be effective. We will see whether future technical developments will force change of tactics.


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As you can see, we have an edge in terms of sunk tonnage. However, the Royal Navy vastly outnumbers ours, so they can afford greater losses. In the long term the only possible way of increasing the potency of our navy is its radical expansion. Some parts of the plan are being realised as we speak.


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We are modernising our old destroyers and submarines. [It should be noted that I have increased the costs of unit upgrades in defines.lua, because the AI does not use that feature.] Moreover, in about two months another carrier - KMS Seydlitz - will be finished. It will be a great addition to our navy.


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Some subs and heavy cruiser KMS Admiral Hipper are nearing completion, too. It is also a question of months before the construction of light carrier KMS Elbe is finished. However, some delays in CAG production are expected, so we will not be able to get all our carriers fully operational for some time.


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Lastly, new destroyers and light cruisers are being constructed. We will need more screening ships in the future if we want to increase the number of SAGs and CTFs that can operate at the same time. It is expected that our naval losses will increase in the near future, so we must be ready for that. We will also continue to utilise aircraft as naval support, as this tactics has been found effective. Air-naval cooperation will be of utmost importance for both the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe.


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NEXT STOP - JUTLAND PENINSULA!
 
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Oh and yeah, I forgot about the hotfix until the war started. It's my first HOI3 game after some time. I will install it later. I don't know whether it is possible to update the game without corrupting the save file. Is it?

Probably not. IIRC, the only major thing the patch fixed was the counter problem, so I wouldn't risk your save getting corrupted by installing it.

BTW, progress is looking good. You're expanding the navy much quicker than I normally do. Has that affected your airforce or army in any noticeable way?
 
Look at the post #18 in this thread for a picture of army statistics. As far as the airforce goes, there is a screenshot from September 1940 in one of the previous updates. I will probably post another, more recent one in the next update.

Naturally, you cannot expand everything at equal pace, so some things are gonna fall behind. However, we will see how it will affect effectiveness of the whole military.
 
Nice work so far dealing with the Czechs and the Royal Navy!

Did you get to annex western Czechoslovakia or did their government flee to London?

I see you've made a big investment in ships, but your army and airforce figures also look good and there is a healthy manpower reserve. :) It will be interesting to see whether the extra two years of peace has favoured you or the Allies.
 
Czech government surrendered to the Reich and didn't form GOI - I've annexed most of Czechoslovakia's territory. Slovakia gained "independence", while Hungary got Ruthenia.

And yes, MP situation looks good so far. However, it is expected that the Allies will be prepared, too. I most certainly cannot count on surprise factor.
 
Thats a huge navy,i do hope u have prepared for the reds on land.
Because without the Mr pact they just might attack u if u attack poland.
I would say attack west first then take poland when ur prepared ,say mid 1940.
 
From earliar screen shots I saw that you are using A LOT of leadership on influensing a lot of fairly crappy countries. Don't U think Persia and Saudi Arabia will be eaten up by UK if U win them over to ure cause? Then all DI will be wasted and UK will get even more oil. Or whats ure plan there? Only having roughly 20 research projects with Germany seems a little slim... Wouldnt it be better du influence countries with a little more muscles?
 
From earliar screen shots I saw that you are using A LOT of leadership on influensing a lot of fairly crappy countries. Don't U think Persia and Saudi Arabia will be eaten up by UK if U win them over to ure cause? Then all DI will be wasted and UK will get even more oil. Or whats ure plan there? Only having roughly 20 research projects with Germany seems a little slim... Wouldnt it be better du influence countries with a little more muscles?

Don't forget the "Limited War" feature! Being in the Axis doesn't necessarely mean they will be involved in a war Germany fights. Unless of course the Allies started the war. But if I remember correctly, if the Czechs make their stand, the war is still started by Germany.
 
Don't forget the "Limited War" feature! Being in the Axis doesn't necessarely mean they will be involved in a war Germany fights. Unless of course the Allies started the war. But if I remember correctly, if the Czechs make their stand, the war is still started by Germany.

Ok. Point taken, Slan. Still, using all that DI for a "milk cow" (oil cow) that still need convoys which the Royal Navy can sink is a risky and potential expensive strategy. But then again - I always go for brute force :rolleyes:
 
Ok. Point taken, Slan. Still, using all that DI for a "milk cow" (oil cow) that still need convoys which the Royal Navy can sink is a risky and potential expensive strategy. But then again - I always go for brute force :rolleyes:

The risk of convoys being sunk is a serious one, but it can be eliminated by linking up via a land route. Through the Balkans or the Soviet Union, for example :D
 
@CptEasy - I'm not influencing all those countries constantly. I shift when I see that they are firmly in Axis sphere of influence. Remember that my prewar plans were prepared with late-war in mind - it actually started sooner than I wanted. Also, other Axis countries can trade with Persia and I can trade with them :). Moreover, if things go badly, I will simply declare war on Saudi Arabia and Persia when (or "if") Italy is close to their borders.

Also, keep in mind that many countries in the world are rather friendly to the Axis, i.e. they are so far from the Allies that there is little chance of joining them. As an interesting example I can point at Japan and ROC - both those countries are at war with each other and both are firmly in Axis sphere of influence, while neither of them is in the Axis itself.

Thats a huge navy,i do hope u have prepared for the reds on land.
Because without the Mr pact they just might attack u if u attack poland.
I would say attack west first then take poland when ur prepared ,say mid 1940.

If you look at the dates in the screenshots, you will be able to see that the war started in 1941 :). I agree that I must deal with Allies first while keeping Poland neutral. I'm considering various options ATM. I don't really have many transports (although I'm building some) for Sealion, so if the Brits sink them, I will have to delay the operation or do sth else. However, who said that I have to take the Brits out in 1941? Actually I'm thinking about creating a western sphere of Axis influence.

The plan would look as follows: invade Netherlands, then Belgium, then France (I would go for all of it), get Franco into the Axis or invade Spain if he refuses to join, take Gibraltar and Suez, gain direct access to the Med and achieve naval supremacy there, which would mean that I can trade freely with nations like Saudi Arabia and Persia. The British would also need more and more convoys, while I would continue with my submarine campaigns. Then I could take Norway and things would be open for me in Scandinavia - I could create a potential new front there with the Soviets. There is also the question of Turkey...

Of course, it's just a general idea, but I think that as long as I can keep the USA out of war it's entirely possible. I haven't really decided yet what path to follow, although I think that dealing with the western countries first is rational, because the East is quiet so far.
 
From earliar screen shots I saw that you are using A LOT of leadership on influensing a lot of fairly crappy countries. Don't U think Persia and Saudi Arabia will be eaten up by UK if U win them over to ure cause? Then all DI will be wasted and UK will get even more oil. Or whats ure plan there? Only having roughly 20 research projects with Germany seems a little slim... Wouldnt it be better du influence countries with a little more muscles?

actually Persia in the axis can be quite a neat stunt - they'll probably get destroyed, but could well force the UK to divert troops from the Middle East &/or the Soviets to send stuff down from the Caucasus, well timed its the sort of gambit that could open up a lot of possibilities

interesting to see how you're developing this ... probably my ignorance around what HPP offers but I can't really see what the mod allows/constrains that vanilla doesn't - or is it more just about cleaning up the wierder corners of the basic game?
 
interesting to see how you're developing this ... probably my ignorance around what HPP offers but I can't really see what the mod allows/constrains that vanilla doesn't - or is it more just about cleaning up the wierder corners of the basic game?
It is a refined, more plausible and balanced Vanilla. While it's not CORE, it's not a collection of minor fixes, either. I treat the mod as an alternative to ICE mod. Compared with ICE mod HPP is more "open", less rigid and has less nation-specific stuff and more "sandbox" feeling, although it's nothing when compared with wacky Vanilla diplomacy.
 
Invasion of Denmark

French Intervention


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Before the invasion began the French got bold and made some moves in order to keep our military busy. One of those actions was the intervention of their navy near Jutland. Once again our seamen proved their worth and repelled the French invaders. If the Royal Navy cannot stop us, then surely as hell we will not succumb to the La Royale!


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The French had also made first attacks on the Siegfried Line near Saarlouis and Pirmasens. We were outnumbered in both cases, but reinforcements were coming!


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Here our heavy defensive divisions could shine. A combined force of infantry and heavy tanks is not to be messed with. Such divisions are perfect for reactive defense on the Siegfried line. They can fend off waves of attackers and hold their ground for a long time, which means that any threat of a French breakthrough is reduced to the minimum.


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And so, despite being outnumbered at first, we were able to bring enough reinforcements to repel the French attack on Saarlouis. This was the first major Heer's engagement with the French army and the fact that we were victorious was a great boost to German morale.

Ride to the North

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Preparations for the invasion of Jutland were being finished on the first week of May. We intend to use our infantry as a hammer and our mobile force as anvil for quick action against the Danish army and a ride to northern tip of Jutland peninsula. Garrison forces will be redeployed to guard Danish cities and ports as soon as those regions are conquered in order to free as many (and as soon) of our regular soldiers from garrison duties as possible. Heavy resistance is not expected.


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One infantry division will attack Copenhagen directly. We hope to capture the city even before our main army defeats the Danish forces. This should force the Danish government to surrender to the might of German Reich rather quickly.


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And it began! Our infantry engaged the enemy immediately while the mobile component of our army was ordered to perform an encirclement of the main part of the Danish army and capture first of Danish ports.


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The Luftwaffe started the bombardments of enemy forces in Copenhagen in order to soften them before our infantry began the siege of the city. The defenders of Danish capitals consisted of local garrison forces and army headquarters. They should be no match for powerful German infantry force.


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Battle of Copenhagen started on 12th of May 1941. While the odds were clearly in our favour, we needed to capture the city quickly before the attacking division would run out of supplies. Time was an essence here.


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The bulk of the Danish army was essentially stuck near the borders. Our light bombers bombed the crap out of them while Heer's motorised divisions were closing the encirclement. The enemy stood no chance. German army will triumph once again.


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Unfortunately, not everything went smoothly. Despite initial success, our infantry division attacking Copenhagen ran out of supplies before the city was taken and their advance was virtually halted. We will make sure to perform a thorough analysis of the battle and army's supply situation after the invasion is finished.


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About 24 thousand of enemy soldiers surrendered near Sonderborg while our mobile divisions were nearing port in Friedrikshavn. This phase of invasion was perfectly executed.


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Enemy ships in Friedrikshavn were bombed just before the city was taken. The two Danish heavy cruisers stationed there were effectively put out of action and did not take part in the defence of their country.


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When Copenhagen was finally taken in 20th of May 1941, the Danish government refused to surrender and fled to London. This petty incident changed nothing, as that day all German people rejoiced in the wonderful taste of victory. Our sailors were especially happy, as for them the capture of Jutland meant that the stench of Hochseeflotte's humiliation was finally fading away. Nobody could properly describe the eagerness that German seamen expressed on the prospect of finally challenging the Royal Navy on the waters of the North Sea.

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On the other side of Europe the Axis alliance was also making visible progress. Annexation of Albania was another little step on the road to Axis domination of Europe...
 
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The US reaction to Fall of Denmark


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While USA keeps its neutral stance, the US government decided to take military control over Greenland and Iceland. Here in Germany it has been interpreted as a warning. We will be wary of any potential US threat to German position in Europe and we will carefully watch their actions. German diplomats will continue to cool things down in Washington DC for as long as feasible. It should be noted that the German Reich has no intention of starting war with United States of America. Europe is our priority*.

*At least for now.

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General Report Summer 1941

TOP SECRET - FOR AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY

The following report concerns the state of the German military (Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine) and contains analyses and plans for future German expansion. It is expected that the ongoing war will be brought to the new, higher level in July 1941 and the German Reich must be prepared for it.

It should be noted that military actions in 1941 will (most likely) be confined to Western Europe. While recent developments in the Eastern Europe are worrying (Communist expansion), the plans concerning Poland and neighbouring territory were postponed because of the beginning of war in the West. Any hostile military action in the East would be dangerous to the interests of the German Reich, so operation with codename Fall Weiss will not be realised in the near future. However, about ~400 soldiers* will continue to be garrisoned in the East and serve as emergency force. It is expected that such force would be able to at least defend eastern German borders against potential Polish or Soviet attack until reinforcements could be redeployed from the West. It should be noted that in such eventuality the assistance of Hungarian forces would be of utmost important. Therefore, it is advised to reject any potential propositions regarding military assistance in the Western Theatre made by Hungarian leadership. The Hungarian military will serve as Green Emergency Force.

* No armoured or motorised divisions will be stationed in the East until western German border is secured, unless the Country is subject to Polish or Soviet attack.


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As of 29th June of 1941, the Heer is considered to be in a state which allows it to compete with countries of the West. While total size of French and British forces is not known, it is expected that combined force of German and Italian armies is sufficient for operational purposes in 1941. However, the current force would not be sufficient for long war of attrition. Should major military operations continue through 1942 and 1943, mobilisation of new reserves would be the recommended course of action.

While German land forces are still an infantry-based army, it is expected that armoured and motorised divisions will be pivotal to achieving satisfactory results. It should be noted that various classes of tanks have different combat roles. The heaviest tanks are to be used as heavy defensive units (mostly on the Siegfried line), as they are not suited for prolonged offensive action. Medium tanks are to be used as "icebreakers" - they will achieve a breakthrough which will allow other units to exploit it. Additionally, medium tanks will be used in encirclement attempts along with motorised divisions. Light tanks will be used in support and exploitation roles.

Various support units will be utilised in the near future. Artillery is the most commonly used support brigade and it is expected that more and more of its rocket variants will be produced. AT brigades will be used in concentrated effort against enemy armoured divisions. If it is proves to be infeasible, then they will serve as general infantry support. AA brigades will protect our infantry from enemy bombings. It is expected that more AA brigades will be produced in the future, because of their low cost and high bombing threat in the West.

There are too few garrison and police units that can serve as occupation units. The occupied areas will be very large and training new men fitted for such duties will be an important task.


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The Luftwaffe is strong, with various types of fighters and bombers that will support our land and naval forces. It is expected that heavy fighting for air supremacy will be done in the West. Unfortunately, total size and strength of enemy airforce is not known, but it should be noted that the Luftwaffe will have to face not only air wings from France and Britain, but also from other Commonwealth and Benelux countries.

Should the fighting continue through 1942 and 1943, new fighters will be desperately needed, as the force at hand will not be able to match the combined power of our enemies' industries mobilised for war purposes.

As recent actions near Jutland Peninsula show, naval-air cooperation will be of utmost importance in the ongoing war. Therefore, fighting for air supremacy will not be restricted to land, but will also encompass coastal sea zones.


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The Kriegsmarine has been greatly expanded during the pre-war years and more ships will be produced in the near future. Combat efficiency of our navy has been described as very high, although we must be prepared for greater losses if we intend to achieve naval supremacy. It is a known fact that the combined power of the Royal Navy and the La Royale is greater than ours, but while the navies of our enemies will also have to fight in the Mediterranean Sea, the Kriegsmarine will be able to make a concentrated effort in the North Sea region.

While our capital ships are potent enough and produced at an acceptable rate, production of screening ships must increased in the near future if we want to keep our navy operational at high efficiency. It should be noted that our naval losses will (most likely) affect screening ships the most, so increasing the pace of their production is heavily recommended.

Submarines have been found to be extremely effective so far. Our enemies have problems with submarine detection and their merchant fleets suffer great losses as a result. Therefore, the current force is considered to be sufficient for the task at hand and submarines will not be produced at a great pace in the near future.

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Axis Sphere of Influence

Our strategic plan is to create Axis Sphere of Influence in Western Europe before expanding to the East. The first and most important goal is to conquer the Benelux countries and France. It is expected that the Netherlands will surrender quickly, as they will not be able to receive help of allied countries in time. After conquest of Netherlands is complete, we will attack Belgium and France. Heavy fighting is expected near Brussels and the Ardenness. The advance through the northern, coastal regions must be quick if we want to reach Paris quickly. The capital must be surrounded before the French army will be able to properly defend it. It is not expected that any French garrison present in Paris will surrender quickly. Our country is not fully prepared for a prolonged, intensive attrition warfare, so preferably most of metropolitan France should be conquered and secured before 1942.

After conquest of Benelux countries and France many possibilities will be opened to the German Reich. It should be explicitly stated that conquest of Great Britain is not seriously considered in the near future. We do not posses enough forces to complete such task. Therefore, our intention is to strangle UK as much possible by naval and air campaigns. We must gain naval and air supremacy in Western Europe and reduce the threat that the Royal Navy possess. After conquest of France we intend to create a naval blockade in order to cut the flow of resources and supplies to and from British colonies and other Commonwealth countries.

In the long term questions concerning the future of Scandinavia and Iberian peninsula will have to be answered. While regimes in Iberia are rather friendly to us, it is uncertain whether Spain and Portugal will join the Axis willingly. Our intention is to reach Gibraltar and gain free and unrestricted access to the Mediterranean Sea. Should diplomacy fail, direct military action will have to be considered. Regarding Scandinavia, invasion of Norway and (possibly) Sweden and Finland is being considered. Our goal would be to create another theatre (should the need arise) during future conquests of the East.

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Sneak Peak


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War will soon start for real...
 
good set of plans ... is it wise to scale back on subs though ... I know the AI is a bit hit and miss in its asw efforts but if it gets its radar sorted you could start to take losses, if you've then slipped in terms of practical you may find it quite a delay before you can rebuild your subs
 
The Crazy 1941

Invasion of Netherlands


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Bombing of Amsterdam started from the first days of Dutch campaign. The intention is to soften any possible resistance in the capital before the cavalry arrives.


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Ships in Den Haag were bombed, too. We want to deliver as much losses as possible and prevent Allied rescue of Netherlands. Currently Germany is not at war with Belgium, so the Dutch are isolated. Belgium is close to the Allied side in the diplomatic triangle, so German diplomats will counter-influence it as long as possible.


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The campaign is progressing well and the bulk of Dutch army is quickly encircled. Our panzers will push to the sea while infantry cleans the pocket. Not much opposition remains, with Amsterdam and Den Haag being the only strong-points.


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The Luftwaffe continues to bomb Amsterdam. It is clear that the Dutch were poorly prepared for war. Their army was weak and it did not mobilise in time. Their surrender was only a question of time.


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Therefore, the Dutch are soon reduced to two small pockets in Amsterdam and Eibergen. They stood no chance. At that point the German leadership was already preparing for an attack on Belgium.


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On 11th of August 1941 Amsterdam - the last bastion of Dutch defenders - finally fell. The campaign was swift and decisive, giving the enemy no chance of forming any coherent line of defence.

It was decided that invasion of Belgium would be started in September 1941. Our forces had to be properly positioned for a thrust in northern France.

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African theatre


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Things were far from being quiet in Africa. Italian leadership started their campaign in Mediterranean in late May 1941. It seems that the Fortune did not choose its champion, as both sides would end up battling themselves for a long, long time.


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In western Africa the initial moves were favourable to the Axis. The Italians started their push for Tunisia by routing some French divisions on the Italo-French border.


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In eastern Africa, however, things looked grimmer. The Egyptian forces (BTW the Middle East looks quite different in HPP) were gaining ground quickly. It was decided that the Lufwaffe would send some bombers to Sicily and bomb already poorly developed infrastructure in order to stall the enemy's advance.


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The Italian leadership listened to the advice of their German counterparts and invaded Corsica. It was an important move, as the control over the island is another step on the road to dominance in Mediterranean.


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Our Italian friends were clearly sensible, as they soon followed another advice of the German leadership and invaded Malta, another important military outpost. Unfortunately, the British were not asleep and they managed to perform a successful invasion of Misratah.


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The Luftwaffe was sent to help. Our bombers bombed the hell out of British ships stationed in the province and the local port was reduced to rubble. The British forces were soon outgunned and surrendered to the Italians.


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Things, however, were far from being bright. The French reinforced their holdings in Africa and started a strong push from the west. The British and Egyptian forces were advancing from the east. The Italian holdings in Africa were clearly in danger.


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However, another coordinated Italo-German plan proved to be miraculous. Italian forces invaded Egypt and took Suez. The annexation of the whole Egypt soon followed. The few defenders were encircled and destroyed, while the British could no longer use their supply route through Suez. It was a major victory for the Axis.


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Unfortunately, Libya was lost. The Italian defenders stationed there were broken and the advancing enemy forces fresh and sizeable. It seems that the western powers will not succumb to the Axis as easily as predicted. Fight for Africa will continue.


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Invasion of Belgium and France


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The plan was to advance as far as possible in the coastal regions and northern France while gaining ground everywhere else at the same time. The French did not garrison their northern holdings heavily and the terrain there was favourable for our armoured and motorised divisions. It was a weak spot in Allied defence line.


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Fighting for air supremacy followed. Unfortunately, the Allied airforce was much more sizeable than we thought and in the end the Allied side controlled the skies during much of the western campaign. A bitter lesson for the Luftwaffe, indeed.


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Thrust in the north was going well. Our panzers were gaining ground quickly and the French and Allied forces in Belgium risked encirclement. However, it was soon found out that they did not intend to give up easily.


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The province of Lille was a tough nut to crack. Our armoured and motorised divisions were forced to go around the heavily defended spot and push further to the west.


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While our forces were advancing quickly in the French coastal regions, fighting in Belgium was much more ferocious. The French and the British supported the Belgians with more and more divisions and heavily forested Ardennes clearly favoured the defenders.


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Our best attempt was to encircle enemy forces there and attack from many sides at once. The siege of Brussels has been started and it would last for a long time.


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However, German forces managed to cut the Allied units defending Brussels off from the rest of Allied army. It was a good sign, as Belgian capital itself was the toughest part of Allied defence line.

Our light panzers continued their advance in northern France. The French were clearly unprepared there and it was easy pickings for the Axis.


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Unfortunately, more and more of French forces were arriving in the north. Allied air supremacy did not help. The resistance stiffened with each conquered province and it was clear that the campaign would last longer than predicted.

The Axis must not allow another trench war to happen. We are not prepared for attrition warfare...
 
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OMG a tripple-post! :D

Anyway, I would like to point out that the French have a lot more National Unity than in vanilla, and they would lose it when you take Paris, but that won't happen after '40. But as you already said, you didn't want to take the Vichy Armistice anyway, so you will be forced to take all they've got.