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The Plan - Operation Fall Weiss

When Adolf Hitler ordered his generals in August of 1939 to put together a plan for Poland's destruction, the plans main goal would be to employ a doctrine of mass encirclement spearheaded with armoured units. The idea being that this would cause the destruction of enemy forces by cutting off their supply chains and therefore ensuring a quick victory for the Reich.

The plan was broken up into a series of phases that would need to be completed to ensure a quick tactical victory. If an Army was to be bogged down, it would affect the ability for another Army to achieve their goals.
Phase 1 - Army Group North
XIX Corps within 4th Army commanded by General Heinz Guderian would first make a breakthrough and push on to the river Vistula. It would rely on speed and surprise with it’s Panzer and Motorised units to achieve this feat and attempt to trap polish forces within the Danzig corridor.

Phase1-1.jpg

XIX Corps under Guderian would cut off the Danzig Corridor

4th Army commanded by General Gunther Von Kluge would then aid XIX Corps by attacking north of their position and keep polish forces occupied while Guderian’s divisions attempt to cross the river Vistula. Once this was achieved they would capture polish airfields and finally turn their attention on the port of Danzig.

Phase1-2.jpg

Encirclement of Polish forces would be achieved

In East Prussia, I Corps of 3rd Army commanded by General Friedrich Paulus would launch it’s Panzer Divisions and Infantry south, north of Roznan in an attempt to reach the river Narew north of Warsaw.

Phase1-3.jpg

I Corps would thrust to Warsaw

In support of I Corps would be the rest of 3rd Army commanded by General George Von Kuchler attacking polish forces of the west and east of Friedrich Paulus's thrust, the latter also coming in to support XIX Corps crossing of the Vistula River south of Danzig.

Phase1-4.jpg

I Corps flanks protected and aid to XIX Corps's river cross

This would conclude Phase 1 for Army Group North.

Phase 1 - Army Group South

The important element of Army Group South would be XVI Corps of 10th Army commanded by General Hermann Hoth. With all the armoured and motorised units of 10th Army, XVI Corps was to make a breakthrough over the Odra river and push across the polish peninsula south of Lodz and finally on to Radom. Alongside XVI Corps would be 8th Army commanded by General Johannes Blaskowitz who would push his forces towards the city of Lodz. This would hopefully then begin an encirclement of polish Forces within the Polish corridor in the west.
Phase1-5.jpg

The bulk of the Polish Army's encirclement would begin

Within 14th Army, VIII Corps commanded by General Ewald Von Kleist would attempt to make a breakthrough from Slovakia and head for Tarnow with all the armoured and motorised units of 14th Army. To the east and west would be the rest of the 14th Army commanded by General Wilhelm List with it’s elite mountain Divisions pushing on in support and setting a trap for Polish divisions located around Krakow.

Phase1-6.jpg

The suprise attack from Slovakia. Armoured units of VIII Corps in the centre

The rest of 10th Army commanded by General Gotthard Heinrici would push towards Krakow, and in turn aid 14th Army’s advance from Slovakia.
Phase1-7.jpg

10th Army tightens the screw on pinned Polish divisions

This would conclude phase 1 for Army Group South.

Phase 2 - Army Group North
Once Guderian’s XIX Corps crossed the Vistula river, phase 2 would begin. Now that the Danzig corridor was cut off, XIX Corps would then head south and attempt to meet up with 3rd Army north of Warsaw. It would be expected they would hit heavy resistance but attacks by 3rd Army would aid and catch Polish forces by surprise. It would be essential for Guderian’s forces to break through and meet Friedrich Paulus I Corps north of Warsaw as quickly as possible. The idea that both could converge at roughly the same time, although it was expected that I Corps would reach their positions first.

Phase2-1.jpg

XIX Corp's would arrive north of Warsaw and meet I Corp's before the next phase
In other areas, the rest of 4th and 3rd Army would continue to engage Polish forces on the battlefield.

This would conclude phase 2 for Army Group North.


Phase 2 - Army Group South
With Guderian’s XIX Corps and Paulus’s I Corps surrounding Warsaw, Hermann Hoth’s XVI Corps should also have reached it’s position south of the city. This would now setup phase 3 of the plan.

Phase2-2.jpg

The siege of Warsaw would be set
8th Army would continue to push on towards Lodz, 14th Army would continue to push on towards Krakow and Ewald Von Kleist’s VIII Corps should have reached its target of Tarnow and cut of polish forces being attacked by 10th and 14th Army in the west. As part of phase 2, VIII Corps would then push east in a massive drive towards Lwow.
Phase2-3.jpg

Kleist's drive for Lwow

This would conclude phase 2 for Army Group South.

Phase 3 - Army Group North
With all armoured divisions surrounding Warsaw, I Corps and XVI Corps would then push and attempt to take Warsaw. XIX Corps would cross the Vistula river (again) to complete the encirclement in the west. Once this was achieved Paulus’s forces (I Corps) would then drive east and take the city of Brześć Litewski. 3rd Army is expected to have pushed towards the Vistula river and 4th Army to now be making attempts to take the port of Danzig if not already.

Phase3-1.jpg

The final encirclement would be by XIX Corps and I Corps's would push to Brześć Litewski

This would conclude phase 3 for Army Group North.


Phase 3 - Army Group South
With Hoth’s XVI Corps now completing the pincer movement with Guderian’s and Paulus’s forces, all Polish forces in the west corridor would hopefully be encircled.

Kleist’s VIII Corps should have reached Lwow and be reducing resistance in the area, possibly even meeting up with Soviet forces.

In the meantime 8th Army would have taken Lodz and be mopping up the encircled Polish troops in the pocket.

10th Army would be at the gates of Krakow and 14th Army would have pushed towards the Vistula river
outside of Krakow in support.

This would conclude phase 3 for Army Group South.

Phase 4 - Army Group North & Army Group South
The final stage would be an operation of reducing resistance, ensuring all objectives have been completed.

This would conclude the battle and the German Reich would be victorious.

Next time we are going to look at the supporting Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine forces...
 
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Enjoy your holiday :)
 
Bro, I wanted to do something like this but I gave up because of how difficult I saw it as. Nice job! Are you also planning to do one for France and Battle of Berlin / Endsieg

Yes it is a lot of work but kind of what I expected. I have thought of doing more but will have to see because it does take a lot of time. I already have thought of ways that this can be improved to make it more exciting and unique along with being actually useful by teaching people about what actually happened by using HOI4 as a vehicle for that. With that said though the same excitement can be applied ahistorically where you can create your own stories as most AAR’s on here are like.

If I was to do another I would probably do D Day but I would need to control both sides and set up the divisions for the AI... need to finish this one first though.
 
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The Luftwaffe & Kriegsmarine
Army Group North and South would be supported by Fighters and Bombers from the Luftwaffe, totalling 1,400 aircraft. This number was considered enough for Poland's destruction as fuel usage should be kept at a minimum. The offensive from the sky would be conducted by the Luftwaffe's supreme commander, 46 Year Old Hermann Göring, A WW1 ace and the führer's successor.

In order for Case White to be a success, the Luftwaffe would need to gain air superiority over Poland. This would be achieved with the most modern plane of our time, the Messerschmitt Bf 109. They would be the first aircraft over Poland and provide air superiority for both Army Groups.
Messerschmitt-Me-109-on-grass-field-in1939.jpg

Messerschmitt Bf 109's preparing for the Invasion

The JU 87 (affectionately known as the Stuka dive bomber) would provide extensive close air support specifically for XIX Corps, I Corps, XVI Corps and VIII Corps. The JU87’s goal would be to assist the Panzer and Motorised divisions thrusts and achieve a breakthrough in the Polish defences.
Junkers-Ju-87-R2-Stuka-7-St-G2-T6-DR-Ukraine-1941-01.jpg

A JU87 (Stuka Bomber) undergoes a check after landing

The Heinkel He 111 would also be assigned to each army for close air support, although in smaller numbers. 300 - 400 Heinkels He 111’s would also be assigned to attack key strategic points behind the Polish lines. The main focal points would be Polish airfields and ground defences, the latter being a key component for phase 1.
heinkel-he-111-ii-kg26-arfield-gabbert-pommern-1939-big.jpg

A Heinkel He 111 with it's ground crew

The Kriegsmarine would offer Support with the old German battleships Schleswig-Holstein and Schlesian along with the 7th U-Boat Flotilla operating in the Lower Baltic Sea. Commanding the surface fleet would be 63 year old Admiral Erich Raider and 48 year old Admiral Karl Donitz would direct the 7th U-Boat Flotilla.

Bundesarchiv-DVM-10-Bild-23-63-47-Linienschiff-Schleswig-Holstein.jpg

Battlecruiser Schleswig-Holstein on a patrol

Next time we will be looking at the weeks leading up to the start of the invasion and allow me to start roleplaying the story...
 
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