5th December 1944
5th December 1944
Having taken the afternoon off to celebrate the Japanese annexation of Communist China (Slovakia was not overly blessed with reasons to celebrate anything, so the cabinet took any excuse it could) Tiso and Tuka had returned to the Cabinet Shack in order to complete the meeting.
"Any other international news?" Tiso started where they had left off.
"The Sofia Pocket has collapsed." General Kubela announced.
"I told you that those cheap trousers weren't worth it." Tiso replied.
"Not the clothing sort of pocket, the military one." General Malar gestured at the map.
Not shown the large number of German, Bulgarian and Hungarian divisions that were once in the pocket and are now being marched to Sibera. Though as they all enjoyed dressing up in each others uniforms I couldn't tell you how many of each were lost.
"Ahh that does make more sense." Tiso nodded.
"Though those cheap trousers are still a bad idea." Tuka added.
"I quite liked those trousers." Kubela sulked.
"There are much more serious consequences than just Kubela's terrible sartorial choices." Vice-Acting-Junior Foreign Minister Durcansky joined the conversation.
"Serious? There are terrible consequences!" Baron von Killinger exclaimed.
von Kllinger put on a hat, then looked solemn while slowly taking the hat off again.
"After the fall of Sofia there are now no more chances for brave Bulgarians to die a gloriously pointless death for the Fuhrer." He barely held back the tears while speaking.
Tiso translated from insane Nazi into basic Slovakian.
"So Bulgaria has surrendered?" Tiso asked.
The Bulgarians couldn't even be bothered to form a government in exile, very much the exact opposite of a Triumph of Will. But when the country is lead by a political party (Zveno) who's main aim is to get annexed by another country you shouldn't expect much.
"Basically, yes." Malar confirmed.
Meanwhile, in Paris, the Allied High Command are reviewing the progress of the war.
"The Soviet military attaché has confirmed that the First Allied Airborne Army has successfully defended Leningrad, the city is safe." Bradley reported.
"So Operational Boreal Allotment was a complete success." Montgomery beamed.
"Monty we know you didn't intend this, so you have no right to be smug." Eisenhower corrected the British general.
"He is unbearable when he's smug." Tedder confirmed.
"I'm not being smug." Monty defended himself. "After Operation Taverna Greenhouse succeeds, then I will be unbearably smug."
"There does appear to be a pattern to your operational code names." Alanbrooke observed.
"They are all random, must just be a coincidence." Monty shifted unconvincingly.
"Does this new operation of yours involve sending the Chindits to the Bahamas under the control of Fiji HQ?" Alanbrooke continued.
It's a good thing Britain has an excess of specialist mountain trained troops and isn't fighting in exceptionally challenging terrain like the Austrian Alps, because otherwise this would be a terrible idea. Oh. Oh dear.
"Ahh I see you've discovered deception plan A." Monty replied.
Eisenhower put his head in his hands and fought the urge to sob.
Meanwhile, back in Bratislava, Tiso was letting his subordinates argue about whether Kubela's poor trouser choice had caused the Bulgarians to surrender. His snoozing was interrupted and he suddenly looked to the West.
"Did you feel that?" He asked Tuka.
"Feel what?"
"A disturbance in the Force. A soul crying out for a hipflask but not having one to hand." Tiso explained. In a gesture of fellow feeling he raised his own hipfask in a toast.
---
Notes:
Another Axis Minor bites the dust as Bulgaria pays the price for Paradox not being bothered to put any effort into their country. The Zveno group/party were not running Bulgaria at the time (sort of, it's complicated) but Paradox thinks they were. Zveno were, amongst other things, Pan-Yugoslavians who though there should be a single massive Yugoslav state encompassing anyone vaguely Southern Slavic, the dream state would stretch from the Austrian Alps to Bulgaria's Black Sea coast down to most of North Greece.
For those who have forgotten the Chindits were jungle trained special forces that operated in Burma. They were actually assigned to the correct location and correct command in the scenario. Then the HOI3 AI happened.
General Gracey seems an excellent general as well, Field Marshall Slim rated him and that's good enough for me.
Having taken the afternoon off to celebrate the Japanese annexation of Communist China (Slovakia was not overly blessed with reasons to celebrate anything, so the cabinet took any excuse it could) Tiso and Tuka had returned to the Cabinet Shack in order to complete the meeting.
"Any other international news?" Tiso started where they had left off.
"The Sofia Pocket has collapsed." General Kubela announced.
"I told you that those cheap trousers weren't worth it." Tiso replied.
"Not the clothing sort of pocket, the military one." General Malar gestured at the map.
Not shown the large number of German, Bulgarian and Hungarian divisions that were once in the pocket and are now being marched to Sibera. Though as they all enjoyed dressing up in each others uniforms I couldn't tell you how many of each were lost.
"Ahh that does make more sense." Tiso nodded.
"Though those cheap trousers are still a bad idea." Tuka added.
"I quite liked those trousers." Kubela sulked.
"There are much more serious consequences than just Kubela's terrible sartorial choices." Vice-Acting-Junior Foreign Minister Durcansky joined the conversation.
"Serious? There are terrible consequences!" Baron von Killinger exclaimed.
von Kllinger put on a hat, then looked solemn while slowly taking the hat off again.
"After the fall of Sofia there are now no more chances for brave Bulgarians to die a gloriously pointless death for the Fuhrer." He barely held back the tears while speaking.
Tiso translated from insane Nazi into basic Slovakian.
"So Bulgaria has surrendered?" Tiso asked.
The Bulgarians couldn't even be bothered to form a government in exile, very much the exact opposite of a Triumph of Will. But when the country is lead by a political party (Zveno) who's main aim is to get annexed by another country you shouldn't expect much.
"Basically, yes." Malar confirmed.
Meanwhile, in Paris, the Allied High Command are reviewing the progress of the war.
"The Soviet military attaché has confirmed that the First Allied Airborne Army has successfully defended Leningrad, the city is safe." Bradley reported.
"So Operational Boreal Allotment was a complete success." Montgomery beamed.
"Monty we know you didn't intend this, so you have no right to be smug." Eisenhower corrected the British general.
"He is unbearable when he's smug." Tedder confirmed.
"I'm not being smug." Monty defended himself. "After Operation Taverna Greenhouse succeeds, then I will be unbearably smug."
"There does appear to be a pattern to your operational code names." Alanbrooke observed.
"They are all random, must just be a coincidence." Monty shifted unconvincingly.
"Does this new operation of yours involve sending the Chindits to the Bahamas under the control of Fiji HQ?" Alanbrooke continued.
It's a good thing Britain has an excess of specialist mountain trained troops and isn't fighting in exceptionally challenging terrain like the Austrian Alps, because otherwise this would be a terrible idea. Oh. Oh dear.
"Ahh I see you've discovered deception plan A." Monty replied.
Eisenhower put his head in his hands and fought the urge to sob.
Meanwhile, back in Bratislava, Tiso was letting his subordinates argue about whether Kubela's poor trouser choice had caused the Bulgarians to surrender. His snoozing was interrupted and he suddenly looked to the West.
"Did you feel that?" He asked Tuka.
"Feel what?"
"A disturbance in the Force. A soul crying out for a hipflask but not having one to hand." Tiso explained. In a gesture of fellow feeling he raised his own hipfask in a toast.
---
Notes:
Another Axis Minor bites the dust as Bulgaria pays the price for Paradox not being bothered to put any effort into their country. The Zveno group/party were not running Bulgaria at the time (sort of, it's complicated) but Paradox thinks they were. Zveno were, amongst other things, Pan-Yugoslavians who though there should be a single massive Yugoslav state encompassing anyone vaguely Southern Slavic, the dream state would stretch from the Austrian Alps to Bulgaria's Black Sea coast down to most of North Greece.
For those who have forgotten the Chindits were jungle trained special forces that operated in Burma. They were actually assigned to the correct location and correct command in the scenario. Then the HOI3 AI happened.
General Gracey seems an excellent general as well, Field Marshall Slim rated him and that's good enough for me.