Big congratulations on your encirclement and defence of the Atlantik Wall. May your success continue!
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Germany is doing shockingly well in the air.
Did Britain give their new Italian territories to the Kingdom of Italy, or are they just keeping the area?
Hungary's defection is bad news, but the line in the east appears to hold, which is good for you.
Did Britain give their new Italian territories to the Kingdom of Italy, or are they just keeping the area?
Hungary's defection is bad news, but the line in the east appears to hold, which is good for you.
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Thank you kindly! It shall, no stopping the Germans now.
Germany is choosing its air battles very carefully
Still, I'm not showing the bombing runs or minor fights, the Luftwaffe is still very much at a disadvantage numerically and technologically. Britain is keeping the Italian territories under occupation for now, and I hope I will be fast enough for them not to release them, as I have great plans for it. Hungary is expected to abandon me as soon as the Soviets come knocking, but admittedly this is one of the earliest dates on which I've seen them surrender. Hopefully it won't derail any plans irreparably
Do you?
Update coming
Chapter IIc
The Wehrmacht is again starting to look a little like the unstoppable force it once was. With the Allies in utter disarray, Hermann Göring decides to capitalize on their disorganization and send his Fallschirmjäger under Ferdinand Schörner to try and expedite the closing of an even larger encirclement. The men surely rejoice to be assigned to a mission with non-zero chances of success.
The Luftwaffe keeps mercilessly bombarding the encircled Americans in Eupen and Maastricht.
Schörner's paratrooper corps reaches its destination and immediately commences combat with the already hard-pressed American tank division.
Dönitz and his submariners are in time to prevent a British landing attempt in Amsterdam. Sadly, the ships escape unscathed, as their radar allowed them to retreat in time.
On a less positive note, Hitler's hometown falls to an advancing American division. The Führer sheds a single tear.
Lenski's quickly-advancing mechanized formation is counterattacked in Sedan, but he decides not to cease his march. Other divisions are scrambling to assist him, and he is determined to exploit the gap in the Allied lines as much as possible, caution be damned.
As such, he skillfully evades combat and finds refuge in the city of Reims.
After a lengthy slog, von Rundstedt finally manages to break the resolve of the Americans in Maastricht. The battle was a slaughter, with almost 4 times as many casualties on the Allied side, despite the unsupported German infantry being the aggressor.
Heinz Guderian arrives in time with his panzer division to prevent the encirclement of Lenski, who keeps advancing to Paris undeterred by the minutiae of Allied attacks.
The British, following the Douglas Haigh school of military thought, attempt the exact same maneuver exactly the same way.
This time, however, there will be no survivors to tell the tale.
Demelhuber's infantry wrestles control of the immensely important port city of Antwerp from the retreating Americans.
Chancellor Hitler almost regrets the decision to abandon Austria as the news reached him of the new oil wells being discovered in Hollabrunn.
The combined arms assault on Mons finally succeeds.
In an admirable display of audacity, Schörner orders his paratroopers to attack their American counterparts immediately despite their considerably greater numbers and technical equipment. The American retreat needs to be cut off!
The assault on Eupen, raging since the beginning of the offensive, finally concludes with a German victory. Only Liege remains as a sole point of American resistance behind the German lines.
At the end of the maneuver, Germany stands considerably better than it did before. In less than two weeks, the balance of power in France was completely and utterly reversed. The Americans are facing the danger of destruction of their entire army in France, while they weren't able to inflict any serious damage to the Wehrmacht thought to be already defeated. With great power comes great complacency, or so it would seem.
The Wehrmacht is again starting to look a little like the unstoppable force it once was. With the Allies in utter disarray, Hermann Göring decides to capitalize on their disorganization and send his Fallschirmjäger under Ferdinand Schörner to try and expedite the closing of an even larger encirclement. The men surely rejoice to be assigned to a mission with non-zero chances of success.
The Luftwaffe keeps mercilessly bombarding the encircled Americans in Eupen and Maastricht.
Schörner's paratrooper corps reaches its destination and immediately commences combat with the already hard-pressed American tank division.
Dönitz and his submariners are in time to prevent a British landing attempt in Amsterdam. Sadly, the ships escape unscathed, as their radar allowed them to retreat in time.
On a less positive note, Hitler's hometown falls to an advancing American division. The Führer sheds a single tear.
Lenski's quickly-advancing mechanized formation is counterattacked in Sedan, but he decides not to cease his march. Other divisions are scrambling to assist him, and he is determined to exploit the gap in the Allied lines as much as possible, caution be damned.
As such, he skillfully evades combat and finds refuge in the city of Reims.
After a lengthy slog, von Rundstedt finally manages to break the resolve of the Americans in Maastricht. The battle was a slaughter, with almost 4 times as many casualties on the Allied side, despite the unsupported German infantry being the aggressor.
Heinz Guderian arrives in time with his panzer division to prevent the encirclement of Lenski, who keeps advancing to Paris undeterred by the minutiae of Allied attacks.
The British, following the Douglas Haigh school of military thought, attempt the exact same maneuver exactly the same way.
This time, however, there will be no survivors to tell the tale.
Demelhuber's infantry wrestles control of the immensely important port city of Antwerp from the retreating Americans.
Chancellor Hitler almost regrets the decision to abandon Austria as the news reached him of the new oil wells being discovered in Hollabrunn.
The combined arms assault on Mons finally succeeds.
In an admirable display of audacity, Schörner orders his paratroopers to attack their American counterparts immediately despite their considerably greater numbers and technical equipment. The American retreat needs to be cut off!
The assault on Eupen, raging since the beginning of the offensive, finally concludes with a German victory. Only Liege remains as a sole point of American resistance behind the German lines.
At the end of the maneuver, Germany stands considerably better than it did before. In less than two weeks, the balance of power in France was completely and utterly reversed. The Americans are facing the danger of destruction of their entire army in France, while they weren't able to inflict any serious damage to the Wehrmacht thought to be already defeated. With great power comes great complacency, or so it would seem.
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Intermezzo
Here, I want to show off the situation Germany finds itself in at the onset of the new year. It has been a wild couple of weeks. Also pardon a double update of sorts, I felt like it doesn't warrant its own section and yet, I wanted to give an overview of sorts.
Diplomatically, we're still swimming in the sea of red, both literally and figuratively.
The evacuation of the Courland pocket is underway. 21 divisions still remain trapped, and the Soviets still seem to be positioning for an attack. A good part of their force was redeployed away at some point before the taking of this screenshot, but I sadly didn't notice it. I am merely grateful for the fact they haven't decided to attack just yet.
Our crown jewel, France. We are well underway to return it under the graceful management of Berlin, this time permanently. I have talked long and detailed enough about our adventures in the region in the previous updates, so there's not much more to say there. Coming updates will continue to focus on this theater of operations as well.
Our divisions trapped in Lorient and La Rochelle are still where they were at the onset of the campaign, unsurprisingly. If this pace of advance continues, they may even be rescued. However, it is not critical for us to do that.
Our sole remaining ally, Croatia, is preparing the last stand in its capital. Their loyalty is admirable, but alas, we aren't able to assist them at the moment. They are on their own.
The master plan behind the abandoning of Austria seems to be working as intended. The American motorized is speeding through our undefended land and snaking towards Czechia. I will admit it, it does take some reloads for this to happen, which makes this run somewhat luck based. On lower AI aggressiveness (or more luck, depending if the setting does anything), it is possible to halt the Soviets with less ground given and with fewer units, but I've found that having to man a border longer than 6 provinces with them results in inconsistent results. Luckily, the American division seems to be cooperating for now. Remains to be seen where it goes after Plzen.
Norway is and will remain a completely stationary front. Maybe they can be liberated later down the line to obtain some research bonuses for our nuclear program, but it's quite far down my priority list at the moment. The sense behind the decision requiring the entirety of Norway and not just the province where Vemork heavy water plan is eluding me, but alas, it is what it is.
The losses taken by the belligerents since the beginning of this AAR. Americans maintain a convincing lead, with our similarly aligned colleagues in Japan following suit. Not much to say about it, the bigger the number, the worse it is for us. Thus far, the casualties have been sustainable and within reason.
Japan is still there and not looking much different from its starting situation. I have no further insight about them and don't particularly care as long as they don't capitulate, as I do think they take a fraction of the Allied attention away from me.
I will continue with the updates on a similar note soon. The critical part is still before me, and it remains to be seen whether I'm able to close the Western Front in a timely manner, as well as whether the Soviet steamroller stops before my prepared line. Thank you for the support so far and I hope I'm able to provide some more entertainment. Cheers!
Here, I want to show off the situation Germany finds itself in at the onset of the new year. It has been a wild couple of weeks. Also pardon a double update of sorts, I felt like it doesn't warrant its own section and yet, I wanted to give an overview of sorts.
Diplomatically, we're still swimming in the sea of red, both literally and figuratively.
The evacuation of the Courland pocket is underway. 21 divisions still remain trapped, and the Soviets still seem to be positioning for an attack. A good part of their force was redeployed away at some point before the taking of this screenshot, but I sadly didn't notice it. I am merely grateful for the fact they haven't decided to attack just yet.
Our crown jewel, France. We are well underway to return it under the graceful management of Berlin, this time permanently. I have talked long and detailed enough about our adventures in the region in the previous updates, so there's not much more to say there. Coming updates will continue to focus on this theater of operations as well.
Our divisions trapped in Lorient and La Rochelle are still where they were at the onset of the campaign, unsurprisingly. If this pace of advance continues, they may even be rescued. However, it is not critical for us to do that.
Our sole remaining ally, Croatia, is preparing the last stand in its capital. Their loyalty is admirable, but alas, we aren't able to assist them at the moment. They are on their own.
The master plan behind the abandoning of Austria seems to be working as intended. The American motorized is speeding through our undefended land and snaking towards Czechia. I will admit it, it does take some reloads for this to happen, which makes this run somewhat luck based. On lower AI aggressiveness (or more luck, depending if the setting does anything), it is possible to halt the Soviets with less ground given and with fewer units, but I've found that having to man a border longer than 6 provinces with them results in inconsistent results. Luckily, the American division seems to be cooperating for now. Remains to be seen where it goes after Plzen.
Norway is and will remain a completely stationary front. Maybe they can be liberated later down the line to obtain some research bonuses for our nuclear program, but it's quite far down my priority list at the moment. The sense behind the decision requiring the entirety of Norway and not just the province where Vemork heavy water plan is eluding me, but alas, it is what it is.
The losses taken by the belligerents since the beginning of this AAR. Americans maintain a convincing lead, with our similarly aligned colleagues in Japan following suit. Not much to say about it, the bigger the number, the worse it is for us. Thus far, the casualties have been sustainable and within reason.
Japan is still there and not looking much different from its starting situation. I have no further insight about them and don't particularly care as long as they don't capitulate, as I do think they take a fraction of the Allied attention away from me.
I will continue with the updates on a similar note soon. The critical part is still before me, and it remains to be seen whether I'm able to close the Western Front in a timely manner, as well as whether the Soviet steamroller stops before my prepared line. Thank you for the support so far and I hope I'm able to provide some more entertainment. Cheers!
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Nobody likes Germany (except maybe Japan). That's nothing new.
I'm vaguely surprised that the Chancellor agreed to abandon Austria - or that the party did. Wasn't Anschluss a huge deal before the war started?
I'm vaguely surprised that the Chancellor agreed to abandon Austria - or that the party did. Wasn't Anschluss a huge deal before the war started?
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We are merely misunderstood, and the rest of the world will learn to love us! The abandoning of Austria and Prussia can be explained with nothing but profound mental damage inflicted on the Führer by the stroke he happened to experience at the beginning of this AAR.
Update coming
Chapter IIIa - The Straw That Breaks The Camel's Back
The war continues to rage. Despite the recent successes, the situation Germany finds itself in is beyond dire nonetheless. The divisions that have been fighting ceaselessly in recent weeks are running low on both men and morale. That is shown the best by their inability to dislodge the Allied divisions from Longwy.
However, there's still some steam in the German war machine, and it won't be deterred b minor setbacks. Lenski stands his ground in Reims and is seemingly hell-bent on reaching Paris.
The first of the encircled Americans surrenders in Eupen. Many more remain defiant.
Someone in the economic ministry handed a memo to Speer regarding how he never *actually* said that the workers working overtime in the factories won't be paid due to the state of war, so he rectifies that immediately. Now everyone knows Germany is at war and the workers are no longer misguided about some nonexistent Christmas bonuses.
The greatest German victory since God knows when unfolds itself: 23 remaining American divisions under Eisenhower place their faith in the Geneva convention and decide to surrender.
(Sorry for the poor quality of the screenshot, couldn't embed it for some reason so I screencapped a screenshot. Buncha divs dead anyway.)
The victorious Germans enter Lille, finally linking up with the exhausted survivors in Dunkirk, destroying a number of Allied planes that haven't been evacuated in the confusion. Even more American divisions are encircled.
The Americans don't waste any time in attempting a counterattack, but it's a desperate effort doomed to fail.
While their brethren in France are bleeding, the lone American motorized division finally trucks its way into the city of Prague, where they will presumably deplete the city's beer reserves before continuing somewhere else.
The American resistance in Brussels and Sedan ceases, allowing for a renewed push towards Paris.
The defenders of Dunkirk finally get their ranks bolstered by fresh (in comparison) troops, giving them some well-deserved rest.
The American division from Prague has decided to advance further northwards, undoubtedly in an attempt to secure a beneficial position for the Allies in the postwar division of Europe. One unfortunate detail is that German doesn't intend to lose this war, and now is actually able not to due to their greed. This shortens the front with the Soviets to only four provinces.
General von dem Bach-Zelewski takes some time out of his day to attack Laon, greatly diminishing his ability to enjoy his hobby, namely retributions to civilians.
The other generals were laughing at Lenski when he said that he will take Paris despite being a mere divisional commander. None are laughing anymore.
Unfortunately, serious news arrives from the Eastern Front. The Soviets have finally gathered their strength and launched an attack on our encircled divisions in Courland. The evacuation is underway, but despite extensive fortifications in the city of Jelgava, the Soviets will undoubtedly triumph against the defenders if they persist in their attack. Admiral Marschall urges his men to start rowing faster, as the fuel is long gone.
Not to allow themselves to be outdone, American pilots inflict a costly defeat on our bombing wing.
However, unlike the situation in the skies, Germany is once again the dominant party on the ground.
A grounded wing of obsolete tech, so-called rocket interceptors under the command of Lörzer, flies once more to try and earn their keep.
The Americans manning Brussels surrender to the victorious German infantry under Demelhuber.
Göring spits out his morning morphine when Lörzer's messenger brings him the report of their latest interception. Perhaps the Reich's position on the rocket tech should be reconsidered?
The lone American motorized is apparently undeterred in its efforts to win us the war. They advance further to the north after taking a brief detour to Waldenburg. The potential frontline with the Soviet Union shortens to only 3 provinces, which is easily tenable by Wehrmacht even in its dilapidated state.
The only one laughing now is the hero of the day, General Lenski. He recaptures the City of Light, and the Yankees can counterattack as much as they like. They will have to turn Paris into Parwas before he is forced out.
With this, Germany solidifies its chances in the West and comes several steps closer to finally pushing the Allies back into the sea, almost a year overdue. Will the German morale falter before that happens, or will Festung Europa reclaim its ramparts in France?
The war continues to rage. Despite the recent successes, the situation Germany finds itself in is beyond dire nonetheless. The divisions that have been fighting ceaselessly in recent weeks are running low on both men and morale. That is shown the best by their inability to dislodge the Allied divisions from Longwy.
However, there's still some steam in the German war machine, and it won't be deterred b minor setbacks. Lenski stands his ground in Reims and is seemingly hell-bent on reaching Paris.
The first of the encircled Americans surrenders in Eupen. Many more remain defiant.
Someone in the economic ministry handed a memo to Speer regarding how he never *actually* said that the workers working overtime in the factories won't be paid due to the state of war, so he rectifies that immediately. Now everyone knows Germany is at war and the workers are no longer misguided about some nonexistent Christmas bonuses.
The greatest German victory since God knows when unfolds itself: 23 remaining American divisions under Eisenhower place their faith in the Geneva convention and decide to surrender.
(Sorry for the poor quality of the screenshot, couldn't embed it for some reason so I screencapped a screenshot. Buncha divs dead anyway.)
The victorious Germans enter Lille, finally linking up with the exhausted survivors in Dunkirk, destroying a number of Allied planes that haven't been evacuated in the confusion. Even more American divisions are encircled.
The Americans don't waste any time in attempting a counterattack, but it's a desperate effort doomed to fail.
While their brethren in France are bleeding, the lone American motorized division finally trucks its way into the city of Prague, where they will presumably deplete the city's beer reserves before continuing somewhere else.
The American resistance in Brussels and Sedan ceases, allowing for a renewed push towards Paris.
The defenders of Dunkirk finally get their ranks bolstered by fresh (in comparison) troops, giving them some well-deserved rest.
The American division from Prague has decided to advance further northwards, undoubtedly in an attempt to secure a beneficial position for the Allies in the postwar division of Europe. One unfortunate detail is that German doesn't intend to lose this war, and now is actually able not to due to their greed. This shortens the front with the Soviets to only four provinces.
General von dem Bach-Zelewski takes some time out of his day to attack Laon, greatly diminishing his ability to enjoy his hobby, namely retributions to civilians.
The other generals were laughing at Lenski when he said that he will take Paris despite being a mere divisional commander. None are laughing anymore.
Unfortunately, serious news arrives from the Eastern Front. The Soviets have finally gathered their strength and launched an attack on our encircled divisions in Courland. The evacuation is underway, but despite extensive fortifications in the city of Jelgava, the Soviets will undoubtedly triumph against the defenders if they persist in their attack. Admiral Marschall urges his men to start rowing faster, as the fuel is long gone.
Not to allow themselves to be outdone, American pilots inflict a costly defeat on our bombing wing.
However, unlike the situation in the skies, Germany is once again the dominant party on the ground.
A grounded wing of obsolete tech, so-called rocket interceptors under the command of Lörzer, flies once more to try and earn their keep.
The Americans manning Brussels surrender to the victorious German infantry under Demelhuber.
Göring spits out his morning morphine when Lörzer's messenger brings him the report of their latest interception. Perhaps the Reich's position on the rocket tech should be reconsidered?
The lone American motorized is apparently undeterred in its efforts to win us the war. They advance further to the north after taking a brief detour to Waldenburg. The potential frontline with the Soviet Union shortens to only 3 provinces, which is easily tenable by Wehrmacht even in its dilapidated state.
The only one laughing now is the hero of the day, General Lenski. He recaptures the City of Light, and the Yankees can counterattack as much as they like. They will have to turn Paris into Parwas before he is forced out.
With this, Germany solidifies its chances in the West and comes several steps closer to finally pushing the Allies back into the sea, almost a year overdue. Will the German morale falter before that happens, or will Festung Europa reclaim its ramparts in France?
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Hey, who wouldn't?While their brethren in France are bleeding, the lone American motorized division finally trucks its way into the city of Prague, where they will presumably deplete the city's beer reserves before continuing somewhere else.
That's actually a really good position to attempt another encirclement of American divisions, if you don't mind the risk of losing Paris again...
I knew of this strategy for the HoI4 Endsieg mod, but this is actually the first time I've seen it being done for Darkest Hour, gamey yes, but effective nonethelessThe lone American motorized is apparently undeterred in its efforts to win us the war. They advance further to the north after taking a brief detour to Waldenburg. The potential frontline with the Soviet Union shortens to only 3 provinces, which is easily tenable by Wehrmacht even in its dilapidated state.
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The Americans really want that land in the east. Oh, well. Their wishes won't be granted... unless Germany really doesn't want a border with the USSR...
Good job on advancing in France!
Good job on advancing in France!
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The only way those Allied soldiers are leaving France is in body bags
Regarding the strat, it is extremely gamey, but I don't think the Soviets stop at all on a full front with the furious ai. I have done it before without giving land up like this but it was on an older game version (I think 1.04) and normal ai. I do hope I'm forgiven for this little bit of cheese
Thanks for the kind words! The Americans will get to keep the strip of land for now, but they will experience all manner of inconvenience as a compensation
Update due
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Chapter IIIb
In Berlin, the Chancellor receives the news of the capture of Paris with joyous whimsy. The rate of champagne consumption has skyrocketed lately due to an unusual number of victorious news, so the ministers and the OKW are forced to diversify their toasts with domestic beer. However, if the pace of advance continues, the means of champagne production, as well as the French wine cellars will be back in German hands. Back to the front now!
The lone American motorized gets routed in Laon.
The Soviets, being the jokesters they are, send what could only be described as a prank attack to interfere with our rescue attempts in Courland. They are dealt with in a little more than two hours.
General Hausser is eager to test his mettle against the famous General Macarthur, in the hope of ending the latter's military career.
The situation is dire in Courland: due to the relentless Soviet attack, the evacuation needs to be performed on the retreat. There is no time even for the ships to dock!
Hoth and Guderian mobilize their armor once more for an attack on Verdun. In comparison with its Great War namesake, the Battle of Verdun will be quite underwhelming.
Manfred von Manstein, restless for more challenges, clashes with another great American military mind: Patton. This time, he has the upper hand.
Demelhuber, always in the periphery, does his job admirably despite being relegated to the rear lines.
The retreating Allies leave behind a quantity of oil unseen in the Reich for months. It will be used well.
The Soviets, lacking in the ability to inconvenience the Kriegsmarine itself further, strike the civilian shipping supplying the occupying forces in Norway.
With a heavy heart, Lenski leaves Paris and relegates its defense to Feldmarschall Busch. He has a much more important task at hand: to cut the Allies off once more. However, he is immediately attacked upon leaving the city. Yet, Lenski's mechanized infantry bravely soldiers onwards to Caen.
At the dawn of the 10th of January, 1945, the OKW is greeted with the news of the Soviet attack in Jelgava ceasing. The defenders of Lorient are also permitted a break after the Allied troops gave up on the slaughter.
Von Rundstedt goes forth towards Longwy, where lesser men had already failed.
Hausser adds another win against Macarthur to his portfolio. His experience grows with his ego, which is understandable, as he played a deciding role in the Reich's greatest victory to date!
The Soviets do not remain restless for long, as they renew their assault on Jelgava a mere day after having stopped, with fresh vigor.
The long battle for the city of Metz finally finishes, an what a victory it is! 4 Allied soldiers lie dead for every German casualty.
Regrettably, an attempt at overrunning the retreating divisions from Metz is foiled by the Americans who, unlike the glorious Wehrmacht, do not need to push their tanks and can afford to fuel them.
Busch arrives in Paris in time for Lenski to defeat his attackers. The vise around the Americans in Normandy, the site of their triumph half a year ago, is tightening.
The divisions in Nancy get routed, allowing for another possibility of an overrun.
A minor encirclement is formed in Calais, and Hausser is immediately instructed to dispatch the isolated divisions to the PoW camp.
Lenski arrives to Caen and cuts the Americans off. The German triumph is almost complete.
Schörner's Fallschirmjäger, despite being outnumbered and outgunned, attack the Americans in Dieppe to try and alleviate some pressure from the defenders of Paris, who are starting to give ground.
Air Marshal Göring authorizes another paradrop behind enemy lines in the hopes of encircling the southern echelon of the Allied expedition as well.
General Ringel doesn't shy away from the task and strikes the fatigued divisions in Belfort, giving them no time to rest and recuperate. The Luftwaffe also assists any way it can despite its severely damaged state.
Hausser, as he usually does, eliminates the defense of Calais, sending some more indentured labour to Speer's factories.
With the remains of the American forces in France either encircled or in the process of being encircled, the German victory looks ever so likely. However, the state of the German divisions is getting increasingly serious, exposed to the constant air raids and combat. Undermanned and starved for oil, they will need to keep the pace of advance to be able to return to the Eastern Front in time to face the Soviets. The battles won don't mean the war is won as well, but they are helping to move in the right direction.
In Berlin, the Chancellor receives the news of the capture of Paris with joyous whimsy. The rate of champagne consumption has skyrocketed lately due to an unusual number of victorious news, so the ministers and the OKW are forced to diversify their toasts with domestic beer. However, if the pace of advance continues, the means of champagne production, as well as the French wine cellars will be back in German hands. Back to the front now!
The lone American motorized gets routed in Laon.
The Soviets, being the jokesters they are, send what could only be described as a prank attack to interfere with our rescue attempts in Courland. They are dealt with in a little more than two hours.
General Hausser is eager to test his mettle against the famous General Macarthur, in the hope of ending the latter's military career.
The situation is dire in Courland: due to the relentless Soviet attack, the evacuation needs to be performed on the retreat. There is no time even for the ships to dock!
Hoth and Guderian mobilize their armor once more for an attack on Verdun. In comparison with its Great War namesake, the Battle of Verdun will be quite underwhelming.
Manfred von Manstein, restless for more challenges, clashes with another great American military mind: Patton. This time, he has the upper hand.
Demelhuber, always in the periphery, does his job admirably despite being relegated to the rear lines.
The retreating Allies leave behind a quantity of oil unseen in the Reich for months. It will be used well.
The Soviets, lacking in the ability to inconvenience the Kriegsmarine itself further, strike the civilian shipping supplying the occupying forces in Norway.
With a heavy heart, Lenski leaves Paris and relegates its defense to Feldmarschall Busch. He has a much more important task at hand: to cut the Allies off once more. However, he is immediately attacked upon leaving the city. Yet, Lenski's mechanized infantry bravely soldiers onwards to Caen.
At the dawn of the 10th of January, 1945, the OKW is greeted with the news of the Soviet attack in Jelgava ceasing. The defenders of Lorient are also permitted a break after the Allied troops gave up on the slaughter.
Von Rundstedt goes forth towards Longwy, where lesser men had already failed.
Hausser adds another win against Macarthur to his portfolio. His experience grows with his ego, which is understandable, as he played a deciding role in the Reich's greatest victory to date!
The Soviets do not remain restless for long, as they renew their assault on Jelgava a mere day after having stopped, with fresh vigor.
The long battle for the city of Metz finally finishes, an what a victory it is! 4 Allied soldiers lie dead for every German casualty.
Regrettably, an attempt at overrunning the retreating divisions from Metz is foiled by the Americans who, unlike the glorious Wehrmacht, do not need to push their tanks and can afford to fuel them.
Busch arrives in Paris in time for Lenski to defeat his attackers. The vise around the Americans in Normandy, the site of their triumph half a year ago, is tightening.
The divisions in Nancy get routed, allowing for another possibility of an overrun.
A minor encirclement is formed in Calais, and Hausser is immediately instructed to dispatch the isolated divisions to the PoW camp.
Lenski arrives to Caen and cuts the Americans off. The German triumph is almost complete.
Schörner's Fallschirmjäger, despite being outnumbered and outgunned, attack the Americans in Dieppe to try and alleviate some pressure from the defenders of Paris, who are starting to give ground.
Air Marshal Göring authorizes another paradrop behind enemy lines in the hopes of encircling the southern echelon of the Allied expedition as well.
General Ringel doesn't shy away from the task and strikes the fatigued divisions in Belfort, giving them no time to rest and recuperate. The Luftwaffe also assists any way it can despite its severely damaged state.
Hausser, as he usually does, eliminates the defense of Calais, sending some more indentured labour to Speer's factories.
With the remains of the American forces in France either encircled or in the process of being encircled, the German victory looks ever so likely. However, the state of the German divisions is getting increasingly serious, exposed to the constant air raids and combat. Undermanned and starved for oil, they will need to keep the pace of advance to be able to return to the Eastern Front in time to face the Soviets. The battles won don't mean the war is won as well, but they are helping to move in the right direction.
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Germany is winning many victories, but I sense a big problem. Is Germany suffering from monetary problems? If so, resolving those could be key - we wouldn't want the army turning on the government because they're not being paid, after all...
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Germany is a pauper, that is true, but the money has never hit the red. The troops are getting their wages, and considering there aren't many of them left, I dare say the wages are more than decent by now.
Update coming
Chapter IIIc
The German panzers, despite their frail state and lack of oil, remain the backbone of the Wehrmacht. As such, when Hasso von Manteuffel's Panzerarmee reached Nancy and immediately proceeded to charge the enemies in Belfort to assist Ringel's paratroopers, the day got that much gloomier for the defending Americans.
The dawn of the 16th of January greets us with the news of a double victory in Strasbourg and Bruges. The battle of Strasbourg, regardless of the huge manpower loss inflicted on the Allies, hurts Germany more due to the relatively much smaller remaining manpower pool. However, the front needs to keep moving and there's no point dwelling on what cannot be avoided. A new generation of kindergarteners are training to bolster the ranks of our divisions as this is happening.
Ringel finally evicts the defenders of Belfort and closes the encirclement of the southern American echelon in France. One would think that the Americans are the ones lacking oil, considering the degree to which they are being outmaneuvered. However, the Luftwaffe gets into a costly air battle as a consequence of their support.
Despite the Allies being mauled badly, they manage to destroy one fighter wing. It was a grave strategic error to even have them fly.
The Americans from Colmar attempt a breakout, but Ringel's paratroopers haven't flown all the way to Belfort just to leave.
Feldmarschall Busch successfully defends Paris once more, inflicting a costly defeat on the Allied infantry assault.
Lenski the Swift reaches the port town of Cherbourg with its immensely important airbase, where several fighter wings are destroyed as they failed to evacuate in time. The place where this whole travesty by the name of Operation Overlord started is back in our hands, almost. This time around, it will be the Americans associating this place with defeat.
To relieve Ringel, List and von Bock launch infantry assaults against the units attempting a breakout. It is almost merely a formality.
The first retreating militiamen from Nancy surrender to the Ringel's paratroopers.
The Soviet behemoth launches an all-out attack on our last-standing ally of Croatia. Godspeed, for they are on their own.
More soldiers from Nancy get shipped off to Speer's ammo factories.
One additional benefit of the capture of Cherbourg resulted in the Reich obtaining the amount of oil that made the Führer's mouth water. Now, our units have roughly two weeks' worth of maneuver warfare. The American stocks will be used well, this time against the soldiers they were intended for.
Lenski's confidence leads him into an encirclement. However, he is in no danger of envelopment, as help will arrive soon.
The arrival of Manteuffel's panzers signals the end of the battle for Belfort. The American troops encircled in Colmar are left to their fate as the remaining American forces desperately try to hold off the awakened Germany, which now enjoys a notable numerical superiority.
Manfred von Manstein cracks the defense of Chaumont, opening up a possibility of even more divisions being encircled in the near future.
Where lesser men fail, von Rudstedt triumphs. There is no stopping the Wehrmacht now.
Disorganized mechanized troopers clash with the lone headquarters division under general Macarthur. Truly a clash of the titans.
As the newfound oil is of little use unless it can be delivered to the frontline efficiently, Ringel's logistical expertise is once more required in the war ministry.
At the same time, to avoid overworking our diligent commander, Alfred Jodl will replace Ringel as a Chief of Staff, ensuring that the units will get regimental psychiatrists posthaste. Mental health is obviously the most important part of waging a total war. The speed of advance will suffer though, as the psychology majors are notoriously bad at cardio.
The slightly underwhelming battle of Verdun finishes with a German victory, marking another batch of American divisions for disarmament.
The German transport capacity nowadays is loaded more with prisoners than supplies.
The doomed corps in Colmar surrenders and lays their arms down, first among the many who are still retreating there.
Von Manstein captures Chaumont, notably overrunning some armored divisions as well. The German operation in the Southern sector ends in a complete victory.
General Demelhuber, however, encounters an insurmountable obstacle for now, as his troops are way too tired to wrestle control of the marshes of Middelburg from 11 relatively well-rested American divisions. This may prove a bit problematic, as all the troops ready to assist him are either under redeployment or farther away to the west.
The battle for Dieppe ends in a German victory.
As the German rescue navy reaches the shore of Courland for the final time, the German defenders are fighting almost at the beaches. Troops chaotically swim to the transport ships, as Grand Admiral Marschall orders artillery bombardment of the advancing Soviets. They don't inflict much damage, but it did serve as a salvo to honor Lt. General Reymann, who remains in the encirclement, holding the Soviet advance long enough for the remaining troops, or what's left of them, to be able to board the ships to safety.
The last men fighting, out of ammo and blood to give for the Fatherland, surrender to the Soviets, marking their total victory in the region. However, all but 3 of the German divisions were rescued and will live to fight another day, perhaps getting revenge for General Reymann and his men.
Ewald von Kleist is ordered to attack a lone British tank division with his armored horde.
After a brief respite, Demelhuber rallies his men once again to try and complete the German victory in the marshes of the Netherlands. This time around, he has the full support of the Luftwaffe to count on.
The American paratroopers inflict a defeat on their attackers. However, they are in immediate danger of being encircled.
Von Kleist routs the defenders of Auxerre as the Americans in Colmar keep surrendering to German infantry, the Queen of the Battlefield.
Another important port, Le Havre, is about to fall into German hands as well.
As Demelhuber's attack loses steam once again, an American armored corps fights its way back into Eindhoven. This may get worrisome, as the German industrial heartland is nearby, undefended.
Air General Lörzer mobilizes his wing of oil-guzzling rocket jets to impress a message on the British bombers once again: the German skies are not safe for you!
As the prophecies foretold, the place of greatest American triumph has turned into a place of their crushing defeat. The majority of the northern echelon of the Allied forces is staring defeat in the face, while the German forces are drunk on the fruits of victory once more.
With this, Germany pulls itself up from its grave. The Allies have only token forces left in France and are scrambling to send more. The defense in the east is prepared and stands ready to brave the Soviet attack on the Elbe, if it even comes. The Allied generals are sent back to the drafting tables, because they will need to devise a new invasion plan for after their men get sent packing back home, or worse, across the river Styx.
The German panzers, despite their frail state and lack of oil, remain the backbone of the Wehrmacht. As such, when Hasso von Manteuffel's Panzerarmee reached Nancy and immediately proceeded to charge the enemies in Belfort to assist Ringel's paratroopers, the day got that much gloomier for the defending Americans.
The dawn of the 16th of January greets us with the news of a double victory in Strasbourg and Bruges. The battle of Strasbourg, regardless of the huge manpower loss inflicted on the Allies, hurts Germany more due to the relatively much smaller remaining manpower pool. However, the front needs to keep moving and there's no point dwelling on what cannot be avoided. A new generation of kindergarteners are training to bolster the ranks of our divisions as this is happening.
Ringel finally evicts the defenders of Belfort and closes the encirclement of the southern American echelon in France. One would think that the Americans are the ones lacking oil, considering the degree to which they are being outmaneuvered. However, the Luftwaffe gets into a costly air battle as a consequence of their support.
Despite the Allies being mauled badly, they manage to destroy one fighter wing. It was a grave strategic error to even have them fly.
The Americans from Colmar attempt a breakout, but Ringel's paratroopers haven't flown all the way to Belfort just to leave.
Feldmarschall Busch successfully defends Paris once more, inflicting a costly defeat on the Allied infantry assault.
Lenski the Swift reaches the port town of Cherbourg with its immensely important airbase, where several fighter wings are destroyed as they failed to evacuate in time. The place where this whole travesty by the name of Operation Overlord started is back in our hands, almost. This time around, it will be the Americans associating this place with defeat.
To relieve Ringel, List and von Bock launch infantry assaults against the units attempting a breakout. It is almost merely a formality.
The first retreating militiamen from Nancy surrender to the Ringel's paratroopers.
The Soviet behemoth launches an all-out attack on our last-standing ally of Croatia. Godspeed, for they are on their own.
More soldiers from Nancy get shipped off to Speer's ammo factories.
One additional benefit of the capture of Cherbourg resulted in the Reich obtaining the amount of oil that made the Führer's mouth water. Now, our units have roughly two weeks' worth of maneuver warfare. The American stocks will be used well, this time against the soldiers they were intended for.
Lenski's confidence leads him into an encirclement. However, he is in no danger of envelopment, as help will arrive soon.
The arrival of Manteuffel's panzers signals the end of the battle for Belfort. The American troops encircled in Colmar are left to their fate as the remaining American forces desperately try to hold off the awakened Germany, which now enjoys a notable numerical superiority.
Manfred von Manstein cracks the defense of Chaumont, opening up a possibility of even more divisions being encircled in the near future.
Where lesser men fail, von Rudstedt triumphs. There is no stopping the Wehrmacht now.
Disorganized mechanized troopers clash with the lone headquarters division under general Macarthur. Truly a clash of the titans.
As the newfound oil is of little use unless it can be delivered to the frontline efficiently, Ringel's logistical expertise is once more required in the war ministry.
At the same time, to avoid overworking our diligent commander, Alfred Jodl will replace Ringel as a Chief of Staff, ensuring that the units will get regimental psychiatrists posthaste. Mental health is obviously the most important part of waging a total war. The speed of advance will suffer though, as the psychology majors are notoriously bad at cardio.
The slightly underwhelming battle of Verdun finishes with a German victory, marking another batch of American divisions for disarmament.
The German transport capacity nowadays is loaded more with prisoners than supplies.
The doomed corps in Colmar surrenders and lays their arms down, first among the many who are still retreating there.
Von Manstein captures Chaumont, notably overrunning some armored divisions as well. The German operation in the Southern sector ends in a complete victory.
General Demelhuber, however, encounters an insurmountable obstacle for now, as his troops are way too tired to wrestle control of the marshes of Middelburg from 11 relatively well-rested American divisions. This may prove a bit problematic, as all the troops ready to assist him are either under redeployment or farther away to the west.
The battle for Dieppe ends in a German victory.
As the German rescue navy reaches the shore of Courland for the final time, the German defenders are fighting almost at the beaches. Troops chaotically swim to the transport ships, as Grand Admiral Marschall orders artillery bombardment of the advancing Soviets. They don't inflict much damage, but it did serve as a salvo to honor Lt. General Reymann, who remains in the encirclement, holding the Soviet advance long enough for the remaining troops, or what's left of them, to be able to board the ships to safety.
The last men fighting, out of ammo and blood to give for the Fatherland, surrender to the Soviets, marking their total victory in the region. However, all but 3 of the German divisions were rescued and will live to fight another day, perhaps getting revenge for General Reymann and his men.
Ewald von Kleist is ordered to attack a lone British tank division with his armored horde.
After a brief respite, Demelhuber rallies his men once again to try and complete the German victory in the marshes of the Netherlands. This time around, he has the full support of the Luftwaffe to count on.
The American paratroopers inflict a defeat on their attackers. However, they are in immediate danger of being encircled.
Von Kleist routs the defenders of Auxerre as the Americans in Colmar keep surrendering to German infantry, the Queen of the Battlefield.
Another important port, Le Havre, is about to fall into German hands as well.
As Demelhuber's attack loses steam once again, an American armored corps fights its way back into Eindhoven. This may get worrisome, as the German industrial heartland is nearby, undefended.
Air General Lörzer mobilizes his wing of oil-guzzling rocket jets to impress a message on the British bombers once again: the German skies are not safe for you!
As the prophecies foretold, the place of greatest American triumph has turned into a place of their crushing defeat. The majority of the northern echelon of the Allied forces is staring defeat in the face, while the German forces are drunk on the fruits of victory once more.
With this, Germany pulls itself up from its grave. The Allies have only token forces left in France and are scrambling to send more. The defense in the east is prepared and stands ready to brave the Soviet attack on the Elbe, if it even comes. The Allied generals are sent back to the drafting tables, because they will need to devise a new invasion plan for after their men get sent packing back home, or worse, across the river Styx.
- 6
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Well, the western front is going well for the Germans, but they have suffered a few defeats against the Soviets...
- 1
The defeat in Courland is more of a victory, really, as those troops were doomed anyway. I've managed not to lose any before, but 3 is a completely respectable number over which I didn't want to savescum. Once we get some manpower trickling back, they will be refitted and exact their revenge on the Reds!
Chapter IIId
As Churchill ups his cigar consumption and Roosevelt spins in his grave (a remarkable feat considering he was quite literally immobile prior to his death), Germany continues on towards more victories. Le Creusot is the first to come, with Allies suffering almost 7 times the casualties in their chaotic retreat.
After a brief rest, Feldmarschall Busch is instructed to proceed with another assault on Evreux, to eliminate any chances of American breakthrough from the encirclement.
As the last survivors from the Curonian pocket disembark in Stralsund to join the defense of the Elbe line, Marschall's ships are directed towards Norway, to try and ferry some of the soldiers stranded there to Germany, as the Reich is wasting far too many men occupying Norway considering the dire situation on the battlefields closer to home.
A lone Finnish submarine arrives with a death wish, which the Kriegsmarine gracefully fulfills without issues.
Against all odds, our Croatian allies manage to repel the Soviet assault on their capital. While the situation isn't improved by them delaying the inevitable, they have our thoughts and prayers, as that's all we can send them for now.
The last divisions surrender in the Colmar pocket, allowing von Bock and List to move towards the Atlantic. The only good American is one doing unpaid labour for Speer.
Hausser's by now famous tanks advance onto Caen, to try and shrink the Allied pocket in Normandy. How the tables have turned! The irony in the situation doesn't elude the Allied leaders either, as they scramble frantically not to be pushed back into the sea.
Ewald von Kleist reaches the former seat of our French collaborators. Sadly, they cannot be put back on the map just yet.
A lone Egyptian fighter wing, forgotten in the chaos, gets immediately shipped to several museums, as the German leaders remain puzzled encountering what seems to be a remnant of a previous world war judging by the model.
The divisions in Vichy get so defeated that their movements can no longer be tracked on the map, as the fear of God and Wehrmacht apparently gave them wings on the retreat.
Göring authorizes another paradrop, this time in Eindhoven, to try and contain the increasingly worrisome situation in the Netherlands, where Demelhuber's infantry fights without a good night's sleep for several weeks now.
As the American divisions enter the prewar territory of the Reich for the first time, the plan is changed mid-flight for them to drop in Nijmegen instead, hoping to encircle the overextended Americans.
As Hitler does a rendition of the "Das war in Befehl!!!" monologue in his bunker, Keitel with his headquarters advances on the enemy. Not even overwhelming enemy superiority stops Lakeitel to try and crawl just a little bit further up his beloved Führer's behind.
The war ends for one division in Normandy. The will be spending the rest of it eating Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut in our glorious nation.
Demelhuber and his infantry are defeated once again, despite their best efforts. However, the newly arrived reinforcements have detached the two overextended divisions from the main force. Who reorganizes first will win this struggle. As a result, the majority of the Luftwaffe is instructed to assist and interrupt the American efforts.
A foolishly led American infantry division waltzes into an about-to-be-formed encirclement. One can only wonder as to what kind of tactical brilliance they were up to.
Model launches an attack on Bourges, aiming to finally relieve the lone motorized division in La Rochelle with his push.
Manstein meanwhile occupies Vichy and is greeted with an overly enthusiastic attack by a lone tank division.
In the Netherlands, a stinging defeat is suffered by an already paper-thin Luftwaffe. Alas, they cannot be allowed to rest while the fate of Germany is at stake!
The defenders of Caen finally yield to a combined multidirectional assault. Their fate is now sealed, for better or for worse.
With the troops in Middelburg regrettably managing to reopen a corridor towards their brethren in Cologne, Demelhuber's men go over the top of their trenches once more, in an unsupported infantry charge that wouldn't leave even Douglas Haig himself ashamed.
With that, the huge chapter in Germany's struggle to liberate France from the Allied invaders is finished. It will be months or even years before the Allies regain their strength to pose a threat once more. The forces can now slowly but surely be sent eastwards, for the Red Army is about to reach the defenders before Berlin in full force. There is no more ground to give, that's where either the Soviet steamroller stops, or Germany stops existing. The eyes of the whole world are on the battered divisions standing before the largest military formation assembled in the history of mankind. Remains to be seen whether Germany is about to turn that force into the largest prisoner column in the history of mankind to top their underdog victory in France.
As Churchill ups his cigar consumption and Roosevelt spins in his grave (a remarkable feat considering he was quite literally immobile prior to his death), Germany continues on towards more victories. Le Creusot is the first to come, with Allies suffering almost 7 times the casualties in their chaotic retreat.
After a brief rest, Feldmarschall Busch is instructed to proceed with another assault on Evreux, to eliminate any chances of American breakthrough from the encirclement.
As the last survivors from the Curonian pocket disembark in Stralsund to join the defense of the Elbe line, Marschall's ships are directed towards Norway, to try and ferry some of the soldiers stranded there to Germany, as the Reich is wasting far too many men occupying Norway considering the dire situation on the battlefields closer to home.
A lone Finnish submarine arrives with a death wish, which the Kriegsmarine gracefully fulfills without issues.
Against all odds, our Croatian allies manage to repel the Soviet assault on their capital. While the situation isn't improved by them delaying the inevitable, they have our thoughts and prayers, as that's all we can send them for now.
The last divisions surrender in the Colmar pocket, allowing von Bock and List to move towards the Atlantic. The only good American is one doing unpaid labour for Speer.
Hausser's by now famous tanks advance onto Caen, to try and shrink the Allied pocket in Normandy. How the tables have turned! The irony in the situation doesn't elude the Allied leaders either, as they scramble frantically not to be pushed back into the sea.
Ewald von Kleist reaches the former seat of our French collaborators. Sadly, they cannot be put back on the map just yet.
A lone Egyptian fighter wing, forgotten in the chaos, gets immediately shipped to several museums, as the German leaders remain puzzled encountering what seems to be a remnant of a previous world war judging by the model.
The divisions in Vichy get so defeated that their movements can no longer be tracked on the map, as the fear of God and Wehrmacht apparently gave them wings on the retreat.
Göring authorizes another paradrop, this time in Eindhoven, to try and contain the increasingly worrisome situation in the Netherlands, where Demelhuber's infantry fights without a good night's sleep for several weeks now.
As the American divisions enter the prewar territory of the Reich for the first time, the plan is changed mid-flight for them to drop in Nijmegen instead, hoping to encircle the overextended Americans.
As Hitler does a rendition of the "Das war in Befehl!!!" monologue in his bunker, Keitel with his headquarters advances on the enemy. Not even overwhelming enemy superiority stops Lakeitel to try and crawl just a little bit further up his beloved Führer's behind.
The war ends for one division in Normandy. The will be spending the rest of it eating Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut in our glorious nation.
Demelhuber and his infantry are defeated once again, despite their best efforts. However, the newly arrived reinforcements have detached the two overextended divisions from the main force. Who reorganizes first will win this struggle. As a result, the majority of the Luftwaffe is instructed to assist and interrupt the American efforts.
A foolishly led American infantry division waltzes into an about-to-be-formed encirclement. One can only wonder as to what kind of tactical brilliance they were up to.
Model launches an attack on Bourges, aiming to finally relieve the lone motorized division in La Rochelle with his push.
Manstein meanwhile occupies Vichy and is greeted with an overly enthusiastic attack by a lone tank division.
In the Netherlands, a stinging defeat is suffered by an already paper-thin Luftwaffe. Alas, they cannot be allowed to rest while the fate of Germany is at stake!
The defenders of Caen finally yield to a combined multidirectional assault. Their fate is now sealed, for better or for worse.
With the troops in Middelburg regrettably managing to reopen a corridor towards their brethren in Cologne, Demelhuber's men go over the top of their trenches once more, in an unsupported infantry charge that wouldn't leave even Douglas Haig himself ashamed.
With that, the huge chapter in Germany's struggle to liberate France from the Allied invaders is finished. It will be months or even years before the Allies regain their strength to pose a threat once more. The forces can now slowly but surely be sent eastwards, for the Red Army is about to reach the defenders before Berlin in full force. There is no more ground to give, that's where either the Soviet steamroller stops, or Germany stops existing. The eyes of the whole world are on the battered divisions standing before the largest military formation assembled in the history of mankind. Remains to be seen whether Germany is about to turn that force into the largest prisoner column in the history of mankind to top their underdog victory in France.
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France falls, but Germany isn't out of the woods yet...
Finland's at war with Germany? That's new.
Finland's at war with Germany? That's new.
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