Chapter 2 - The Balkan War
8 Months After the end of the Spanish Civil War...
December 7, 1937. Wilhelmshafen
Attended the twin launchings of
Tirpitz and
Bismark. All the ranking members of the Nazi party attended. Hiltler’s hyperbole would have us as the equal of the Royal Navy. That goal is a long way off. Hitler can talk about owning the North Sea as much as he likes. Our new naval bases in Spain have given the Kriegsmarine a new role. If we can overpower the French navy, then our amphibious forces become a knife at the soft underbelly of France. Our Intelligence services report the French have six battleships. When the four
Grossdeutschland class super battleships are completed, we will be masters of the Mediterranean. Of course, it does little good to be masters of the Mediterranean if we have no link to the coast from Berlin…
Blohm and Voss have finished development of a new larger class of Submarine. These new Type 9s can operate in on extended patrols in the Atlantic. What’s more, if we can draw out anti-submarine patrols, it will allow the surface fleet to destroy the Royal Navy in detail. The Naval Program for 1938 will not include any new capital ships, but we have ordered that six drydocks be devoted to producing u-boats.
The
Weser is set to be commissioned on January 19th. She is currently undergoing sea trials, and the results are disappointing. She is only capable of 18kts, and so is unsuitable as an escort to the sleek
Bismarck and
Tirpitz. Instead, she will join the old battlecruiser squadron to act as a test bed for further carrier development.
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April 14th, 1938
Tensions along the Yugoslavian border have reached a peak. The Kriegsmarine has been ordered into the Adriatic. Supporting elements from the Portuguese and Spanish fleets will support us. War is expected at any moment.
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April 17th, 1938. Central Adriatic
The might of the Yugoslav Navy has been shattered! Rundstedt's troops captured Split harbour and forced the small fleet out to sea. They tried to flee south along the coast but were hammered by shells from the Tirpitz. The
Razaracka flotilla becomes the first naval victim of the Third Reich.
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April 19th, 1938. Central Adriatic
Turkey has declared war on the Axis. They are not a threat, but as the conflict escaltes it becomes more and more likely that Poland or one of the Allies will grow tired of our belligerance and declare war.
If the war spreads beyond the Balkans it will be a diaster. There are 14 divisions along the French border, but only 3 infantry and one armoured division along the polish border.
Fortunately Yugoslavia is on the verge of collapse. 12 Infantry divisions have been redeployed to eastern Germany.
I have high hopes that Bulgaria will capture Istanbul, which will let my warships into the Black Sea. Amphibious landings on the East Coast of Romania will quickly take them out of the War.
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April 21st 1938. Central Adriatic
The situation for Yugoslavia is hopeless. They have sued for peace but were turned down. Only unconditional surrender is acceptable. I have ordered the Kriegsmarine into the Aegean and Battlegroup Weser to the south coast of Turkey. There are still enemy ships in Dubrovnik (soon to be expelled) and Podgorica. The
Koln (visible off the coast of Rijeka) and the Portuguese Navy (4 destroyers) will rendezvous and blockade these ports. The Spanish Navy (2 light cruisers and destroyer escorts) is ready to rush the Bosphorus if Bulgaria takes Istanbul.
I have Ordered General von Rundstedt’s amphibous forces to reorganize, and prepare for an amphibious landing in Izmir, Turkey.
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April 28th, 1938. The Aegean
Bulgaria has taken Istanbul and the Bosphorus has been forced. Rear Admiral Marshall has moved into the Black Sea. The Romanian navy was caught offguard, and Battlegroup Weser intercepted a destroyer squadron trying to reach Constanta.
The escort carrier
Weser limits Marshall's speed to 18kts. The skirmish lasts only 1 hour before the Romanians get out of range and escape.
As soon as the Battleships have fnished supporting the landing on Izmit I will move them north to relieve Battlegroup Weser. The Battlecruisers are better suited to defending transports than chasing down destroyer flotillas.