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That isnt the Black Sea fleet. No countrys ships can pass through the strait Turkey controls unless they are allied with them. It is most likely a fleet rebasing from Vladivostik to Leningrad or Murmansk.
 
I know, that why I said Turkey will have to be DOWed.

WHo cares about the Pacific Fleet, it's only DD's and SS's. He could also rebase some ships in the Baltic, but then he wouldn't have any leftover for the Med.

Either way, the SU needs to be tought that Il Duce's word is law.
 
The war for the soviets will be over before you can say antidisestablishmentarianism, at least by the rate of advance at the momment ;)
 
Well as Suez and Gibraltar is in Axis hands the British should at least be unable to increase their forces rapidly which gives you valuable time to save the worthless African front if you want too. :p ;)
 
9.11. The ever-growing British blob

Africa Orientale Italiana.​

Italian troops begin unloading in Port Sudan. The main target of the operation is to break the encirclement on il Vallo d’Etiopia, and to ease the pressure on it.
Unfortunately the troops available aren’t that much, while the British are deploying to the area more and more troops. Italian recognition planes spotted over 40 divisions near Ethiopia (hence the title)

portsudan.png

A few days later, Italian leaders find a way to exploit British movement, taking an undefended Massaua. The counterattack of Allied forces is massive and the Italians are forced to retreat to Port Sudan even if Badoglio and Lt. Ambrosio promptly launched their flanking counter-counterattacks.

massaua.png

Badoglio is forced to abandon Adwa not much later. The situation looks grim for the Italians.

adwa6.png


The Italians, not willing to be encircled in Port Sudan, send Trezzani to Wadi Haifa and launch an attack on Massaua, to retake it.
While this attack is successful, Trezzani is routed by 2 better equipped British units moving down to the area.

wadi.png

A motorized division come to defend Massaua, managing only to become practice target for Mecozzi bombers, now back to full strength.

However, when Caracciolo di Feroleto reach Massaua, he is routed immediately, not even being able to destroy some fighters on ground (I really hoped to destroy those 12 squadrons the Allied deployed there)


massaua2.png


Middle East.​

Mj Mancinelli needs to leave Sanaa. Aden will be soon the only Italian province in Southern Arabia.

sanaa2.png


General Guzzoni, using redeployed troops, launches the final attack on Baghdad. After a whole day of fierce fight, the Italians manage to overrun Iraqi positions. The road for Baghdad is now clear.

iraq-1.png


On the following days, Iraqi diplomats refused twice the Italian puppeting proposal. It seems the Italians will need to take Basrah as well, probably going for total annexation first.


Russia​
With no chances of helping to form a pocket, the CSIR begins pushing towards Kiev.

The CSIR is the first to reach Cherkassy. General Soddu tries to hold it while waiting for the Terzo CSIR and German troops to reach the province, but the Soviet attack is too strong.

cherkassy2.png


Production, Trades and Research​

Back in Italy, production goes at full speed.
Italian shipyards produced two CL-FC, much needed to replace the badly damaged ones in the Primo Gruppo Navale.

A few more militia and garrison units are deployed to the mainland and in Athens, freeing Celere for mobile defense duty.

Macchi begins researching new Naval Bombers.

ricerca27.png

Italian diplomacy tries to make Macchi's life easier.

trade4.png
 
@Maj von Mauser: I cannot annex Turkey, as I read in the main forum that doing that spoils German Barbarossa. Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria would cancel all expeditionary forces and won't give them back.

I don't know if that happens only with occupation, though.

@Deus: That could mean Germany might have an easier life.

@Murmurandus: All of a sudden, Go Italy sounds much more better than Forza Italia (it reminds me of Berlusconi :mad: )

@robou: Let's hope so. At the moment Germany is making nice progress, but winter is close.

@General Jac: Worthless African front? Watch out, il Duce may make you Private Jac
 
good progress, with those troops from Iraq soon to be freed up, perhaps Africa will become a much easier target to handle
 
Hm, good going in Afrika, Im keeping my fingers crossed because those encircled forces could sure need some help. ;)
 
Barbarossa seems to lack momentum. No blitzkrieg here.
 
9.12. Mesopotamia is freed!

Africa Orientale Italiana​

Trezzani corp reaches Massaua, but British counterattacks are too strong and he must retreat. The struggle for the province continues, as it allows the Italian to damage heavily British divisions moving in and out, hurting British manpower.

However, as Axis planes spots more than 7 divisions called near to Port Sudan, Trasporto Truppe is ordered to ship the units from Port Sudan back to Aden, to avoid losing them in an encirclement.
Primo Gruppo Attacco Navale covers the operation, and it manages to sink some Allied minor flotillas. It is not given us to know if there was any division on those transport ships.

navaden.png

As soon as the first troops leave Port Sudan, the British try an attack to prevent the rest of the Italian units from escaping. Lt. Lisi manages to hold out enough to allow Falangola to unload troops on Sanaa, thanks to the help of Trezzani and of the night.

portsudan2.png


In early October, the first Allied unit arrives to Adwa. Badoglio manages to defeat it and occupy Adwa as well, but he's forced to retreat. Will Adwa fall soon?

adwa7.png

Middle East​

The Italians spots an hole in the Omani defenses. Trezzani unloads on Mascate, and General Vercellino leads the attack on the rest of the Allied units. The entire Omani army is wiped out, together with the 7th Indian Infantry division. No more Allied divisions are stationed on the Arabian Peninsula!

Mukalla3.png

In the meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Caruso had been ordered to Kuwait City. As soon as he secures it, an attack on Basrah is launched. The Iraqi defenders fights very bravely, but they are forced to surrender along with the 29th Canadian Infantry division. Iraq will be soon in Italian hands.

basrah.png

On 25th September 1941, Iraqi people can begin a new era of freedom.

iraq3.png

Unwilling to give up the Middle East for its strategic importance, new Allied units unload on Kuwait City, attacking the Free Iraqi state shortly after. Caruso is forced to withdraw, but Roatta reach Basrah in just 2 days, repelling the attack.

Two days later, the Italians troops led by Lt. Gen. Marras manage to defeat 7th and 16th Australian divisions.

Kuwait.png


Russia​

The CSIR is bolstered with new units. Some days later the Primo Motorizzato CSIR is updated to modern motorized unit standards.

csir2.png


In late September, the CSIR spots an hole in the Soviet defensive line. General Soddu hope is to see German and Romanian troops come to that province as well, to secure position and attack Kiev. Faced with increasing resistance and no cooperation from Axis forces, Soddu must withdraw.

War on this front is looking a bit too much like Sitzkrieg.

cherkassy3.png
 
10. From the Alps to the Indian Ocean

Mussolini had a look at the reports which were coming on his table that day.

The first was really bad. Adwa was almost lost for good, British troops also entered Debre Mark'os.
It looked like Africa Orientale Italiana was about to fall soon, unless some new action were taken.

The other reports were a bit better. Cavagnari finished working on improving our capital ships positioning and started to think about better ways to employ our CVLs.

ricerca28.png



Pariani also reported that Italian troops finally cleared the whole Arabian peninsula from Allied troops.
This was an excellent news. Not only holding the area would give Italy many tons of oil, but it would allow the Italian navy to strike Africa or the Indian Ocean as needed.

arab.png


A bit puzzled, Mussolini stood up and walked to his window, having a look on the beatiful autumn Rome. As the clouds covered the sun, he began to think to Italy's next move.

What was better to do?
I could see three options.

The first was to take all available troops to the AOI and try to break the encirclement there, hopefully destroying lots of Allied units.
If the operation had been successful, the Italians could have roamed all around Africa without much resistance.

However he could see Guido Jung opposition to the plan "Duce, why should we waste time conquering Africa? It's all useless land after all".

That lead to option number 2.
With about 20 divisions in the Arabian Peninsula, it was possible to attempt an assault on India.
India was surely providing the United Kingdom a lot of manpower and resources, and taking those out could surely help the Axis effort.
An indipendent India could also be a powerful ally for fights in Asia.

Option number 3 was a bit different.
As it was clear that the Wehrmacht was coming to an halt in Russia, the Italians needed to open a second front.
Iran could be a good candidate for that, as it is close both to the SU and India, allowing to strike both with ease.

However, attacking Iranians on their mountains with winter approaching wasn't an easy thing.

Mussolini took his phone and summoned Cavallero, Pariani, Giuseppe Valle and Domenico Cavagnari for the final meeting.

10.1. Operazione Corno
10.2. World in Flames.
 
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Withdraw your troops form Africa and go for Iran (or Persia as it was called in the 2nd World War)!!!
 
Midge said:
Withdraw your troops form Africa and go for Iran (or Persia as it was called in the 2nd World War)!!!


Was it? Persia changed name 1935 to Iran.
 
Davisx3m said:
Was it? Persia changed name 1935 to Iran.
No they didn't. I'd swear they were Persia until 1979.