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OK, I’m now returning to playing the next session of TT once more and will soon do comment feedback from the last chapter. But first, two things:
First, many thanks to all of you who helped vote TT as number one gameplay AAR for 2021 in the annual awards. It is truly appreciated.
Second, I note from a few recent likes on the first couple of episodes that @Jorath13 has started in on the AAR. If so, a very warm welcome to you - you are not the first to do so and are in good company. I assure you it soon warms up a bit as things get into gear - and as I got used to AAR writing, as back then this was my very first attempt. I make the same offer to you as to all who join the active readAARship: if you want to comment on any early episodes at any point, please feel free to do so and I’ll respond separately in spoiler-free feedback posts. But there’s of course no pressure or expectation to do so.
Thank you @Bullfilter for the warm welcome. Indeed, I've just started your AAR and your style is quite enjoyable! In fact it's spurring me to look at beginning my own Japanese AAR. I'm only just on the first page but I like what I'm seeing so far!
Thank you @Bullfilter for the warm welcome. Indeed, I've just started your AAR and your style is quite enjoyable! In fact it's spurring me to look at beginning my own Japanese AAR. I'm only just on the first page but I like what I'm seeing so far!
You’re welcome (literally) and thanks! Only 200 pages to go! They were my early days and I think it warms up as I got used to doing AARs. Hope you get to do that AAR: would it be in HOI3, or 4 do you think?
You’re welcome (literally) and thanks! Only 200 pages to go! They were my early days and I think it warms up as I got used to doing AARs. Hope you get to do that AAR: would it be in HOI3, or 4 do you think?
OK, the next chapter is ready to publish so here is the comment feedback from the last one, which saw the invasion of Spain finally kick off and the Shoot-out at the Victory Motel.
Looks like the Turkish Army easily rolled up the Eastern part of the front, with several of Franco's Divisions being overrun. Casualties on the Turkish side are lower than expected too. Spain is clearly doomed and outclassed, even before the SS gets involved. I guess that after fighting crack German and Italian formations for so long, the Turkish forces are just so much more experienced in the modern ways of war, not to mention the Turkish Airforce's ability to swat any Spanish bombing attempt out of the sky.
I think this is a fair assessment at the time made (knowing what happened during the rest of August and now having played September through as well). But they are trying to fight, even if ultimately doomed, by the looks of it.
Over in LA, the Victory Motel showdown is quite the dramatic end to the Saga, I was definitely on the edge of my seat. One does wonder what the consequences for Exley. Will he end up in jail, or a shallow grave for ending Smith's empire, will he be celebrated asa hero, or will he be quietly discharged from the police force to keep this whole affair quiet?
The next episode will start to explore the immediate aftermath and consequences, though I will be dragging it along a bit (it will be even less strictly correlated with the in-game timeline, as the actual story happens in just a few days).
I expect that once the battles move past the imposing Pyrenees (which really should be nearly impassable in-game, IMO) things will move more quickly, the Spanish forces are inexperienced and underpowered compared to the modern Turkish Army - and no doubt demoralized after seeing the rest of the world's fascists go down in flames! Once the initial battles are over it should be a matter of pressing the demoralized Spanish troops backwards until we secure enough key cities to force Franco to give up.
There should not be much need, we are not in a terrible rush here and the more of the army which remains somewhat intact the better to maintain order in our newest, hmm, allied state.
It's nice to see the Spanish aren't pushovers, although I agree with others that they'll be less impressive once you get out of the Pyrenees. It looks like the biggest problem could be the relatively large front line, but luckily Spain is fairly weak.
Thanks! (Though of course the credit must go to the original author and script writers). As for ed, well this won't be easy to talk his way out of, you'd think.
At the very least, we can comfort ourselves in knowing Turkey cannt afford or has the capability to be as overbearing to her puppet and 'allies' come the new era. Think of it more as a more intensely focused EU, for the benefit of all members...but mostly Turkey, at least for the rest of the 40s and 50s.
That being said, Turkey is still going to be a big player in Europe once their puppets and 'allies' eventually and inevitably get a bit freer. They'll have all of anatolia, Syria, the balkans, the med islands (hopefully we can snap the few remaining up from the british eventually) and even perhaps some more of the middle east.
Italy and Spain will be a pretty good places too. Personal union with Turkey, protection from stalin and the US, benefits of both since they're both trying to woo Turkey...better than OTL timeline at least.
The Spanish army does seem to be going in to this war at a high state of readiness – which is excellent news for the story, less so for Captain Metin Sadik.
They were at least alert and alarmed. It will depend to a certain extent if Metin finds himself in any larger battles. And can maintain some good luck.
All that patient build-up is finally paying off. For the first time, Turkey’s air force is going toe-to-toe with a major opponent and winning. Wherever Perse is hiding these days, I hope she can still manage to get hold of a copy of the Istanbul Times!
A fitting end, considering their past history. Despite Exley having convincing evidence of Dudley’s guilt, there’s no escaping the fact he’s just shot a man in the back. I don’t see this ending well for him.
Chapter 233: ¡No Pasarán! The Second Spanish Popular Front (18-31 August 1944)
Flashback: Africa - 16 Aug 44
Reversing the original thrust of the Spanish Civil War, the Turkish liberation of Spain from Falangist oppression was winding up the Nationalist occupation of Spanish Morocco. Comintern forces were advancing on the last two enemy controlled ports on the northern tip of Africa. 2 Mot Div occupied Tetuán at 4pm on 16 August, repelling a Spanish probe before launching straight into an attack on mountainous Ceuta, for what was initially a difficult attack with troops poorly suited to mountain warfare. [Note: There wasn’t room to fit this into the previous chapter, so it was held over to this one, to keep it together with other developments in Africa.]
Meanwhile, more Comintern forces advanced up the west coast towards Tanger, hoping to outflank and cut off the Spanish forces in Ceuta.
---xxx---
18-20 Aug 44
August the 18th began with a rebellion by Italian Fascists in Milan. Fortunately, a fast motorised formation still growing to full strength was ready and available in Turin to react and they were soon heading east to administer some revolutionary justice to the upstarts.
The manpower reserve stood at a healthy enough 40,000 with only 560 replacements currently being called for and 31,900 men being recruited monthly.
Back in Africa, 47 SD had pushed into Larache by 7am and kept heading to Tanger, with 1 Inf Div following. To their east, 4 Mot Div had reinforced the attack on Ceuta, where the odds remained fairly poor but the superior armour of the attackers was shielding them from heavier casualties.
A joint recon by Turkish subs and a US carrier task force revealed Spanish dispositions in the Balearic Islands later that morning. The islands were defended and offered no great prize [ie VPs], so would probably be bypassed by the Turkish amphibious planners.
OTL Event: France. The Allies closed the Falaise Gap, trapping German forces to the north and west.
OTL Event: Germany. Ernst Thälmann, 58, leader of the Communist Party of Germany was executed. [Comment: he probably survived the war and is doing well in the ATL.]
Up in Spain itself, the Turkish offensive was expanding out of Barcelona while the slower and tougher fighting in the Pyrenees ground forward as the Turks sought to develop an encirclement on a large part of the main Spanish Army north of Barcelona. An initial attack on Balaguer late on the 18th was slowed by the arrival of enemy reinforcements early the next morning.
Later on the 19th, Boltaña was taken after an earlier victory and good progress was made in an attack on Cambrils by 2 Inf Div after it secured Tarragona at 4pm. That attack would eventually succeed on the morning of 20 August. 1 BG rained bombs on the stubborn defenders of Balaguer to assist the attack.
To the east, fighting had broken out in the hills of Huesca at 10pm on the night of 19 August with a strong Comintern attack that made steady progress. Then on the morning of 20 August, the local offensive was broadened with a new assault on Ejea de los Caballeros, where 3 Inf Div (attacking alone) was making slower progress.
By that time, the attack on Balaguer had managed to dislodge one of the defending Spanish divisions, but resistance was still strong.
OTL Events: France and the Eastern Front. The Battle for Paris began. Resistance fighters in the capital became confident enough to begin making sniper attacks on nervous German troops. On the Eastern Front, Operation Bagration ended in a Soviet victory.
Suspected Spanish submarines sank a Turkish supply transport on the Genoa-Casablanca route off the Western Algerian Coast on the evening of 20 August. In response, the main Turkish naval group in Oran sortied to see if they could scare off the raiders, while dive bombers also based in Oran tried to strike them from the air.
No enemy subs were found, but instead the sortie flushed out the Spanish naval task force based in Cartagena, led by their flagship, the battleship ARE España! However, the Turkish sortie had been timed well, coinciding with the passage of a small US carrier task group, which joined in a general surface battle while the one CAG from the USS Cowpens joined with all available Turkish aircraft in a massed naval strike.
In an exciting action, the two respective flagships advanced on each other as big naval shells were exchanged as US and Turkish aircraft swarmed into the attack. Within an hour, several hits had been landed on the España in particular, which was not heavily damaged but was becoming badly disorganised; the mighty TCG Yavuz remained essentially undamaged.
Air Damage Report. Spanish air strikes on Balaguer starting early on 19 August killed 141 enemy troops and another 379 on the 20th. These strike would continue into 21 August, killing 235 more, for a total of 755 over the three days.
OTL Event: Vichy France. Philippe Pétain was arrested by the Germans and taken to Belfort because he refused to leave Vichy. [Comment: In the ATL he is also held under guard – by the DDR!]
---xxx---
21 Aug 44
The naval battle extended into the early morning of 21 August, with even more US ships joining in, including two more aircraft carriers. The Spanish destroyers bore the brunt of physical damage, while the organisation of the España and other ships was almost completely eroded. By 3am, the Spanish managed to retreat to the nearby port of Cartagena, lucky not to lose any ships.
In Milan, the rebels disbanded without a fight at 4am when the Turkish flying column from Turin challenged them.
The motley gathering of largely old or second-line Turkish aircraft based in Oran began striking the port of Cartagena at 6am and maintained the mission all day, depleting the base facilities and trying to sink some of the already damaged Spanish ships. But the lack of CAG or NAV wings restricted the damage that could be done.
In eastern Spain, the early afternoon of 21 August saw 2 Armd Div arrive in Tárrega and move quickly to reinforce the attack on Balaguer. In the central sector, victory was won in Huesca after a short fight a few hours later. This was quickly followed by an attack on Barbastro to deepen the northern salient, where a larger battle was won shortly before midnight, a small enemy formation suffering heavy casualties under the pressure of four full-strength Turkish divisions.
With Barcelona now fully secured and behind a buffer zone of liberated provinces, the old Popular Front of the Spanish Civil War was revived by Turkish authorities, led by the previously exiled General Secretary of the Spanish Communist Party, Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez. She has returned to Barcelona that night from her exile in the Soviet Union, under Turkish protection via a flight from Oran, to head a new rival provisional Spanish government under Turkish supervision, under the banner of the Second Popular Front: the Communists are in charge, but other parties will be able join the front – so long as Turkey approves them.
Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez b. 9 December 1895, known as la Pasionaria (English: "the Passionflower"), was a Spanish Republican politician of the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 and a communist known for her famous slogan ¡No Pasarán! ("They shall not pass!") issued during the Battle for Madrid in November 1936. She joined the Spanish Communist Party (Spanish: Partido Comunista Español) when it was founded in 1920.
In the 1930s she became a writer for the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) publication Mundo Obrero and in February 1936 was elected to the Cortes Generales as a PCE deputy for Asturias. Going into exile from Spain towards the end of the Civil War in 1939, she became General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Spain, a position she has held since March 1942.
La Pasionaria has returned under the ‘protection’ of Tyler Durden and his chaotic band of irregulars, who has promised to unleash ‘mayhem’ behind enemy lines.
As this was going on, in the western sector a new and difficult attack began on Sangüesa that evening, where MAJGEN Seven found himself ambushed by a wily opponent in the mountain passes. Tough fighting continued in Ejea de los Caballeros as well, where the Yak-4s of 1 BG (without the wing of Marauders, still being repaired) braved AA fire to press home a new air attack, having just switched over from Balaguer.
Air Damage Report. The single strike that night on Ejea de los Caballeros killed 93 Spanish soldiers. The raids there would continue through to early on 25 August.
OTL Event: Washington, D.C., US. The Dumbarton Oaks Conference began at the Dumbarton Oaks estate in Washington, D.C. The international conference was to be where the United Nations was to be formulated and negotiated among international leaders.
OTL Event: France. The Battle of the Falaise Pocket ended in an Allied victory.
---xxx---
22 Aug 44
Turkish manpower continued to build, despite battlefield losses (43,000 in reserve, 830 replacements needed, monthly recruiting up to 32,800). It was now being monitored less closely, while the loss ratios remained favourable.
In Morocco, victory came in the large battle for Ceuta early in the morning. But 47 SD was almost in Tanger as the Spanish tried to fall back there.
Three more port strikes hit Cartagena, slowly reducing the facilities to rubble and wearing down the ships sheltering there, even as the Spanish ability to repair the 10 ships/flotillas trapped there dwindled to almost nothing, though no ships were sunk.
The fight for Balaguer dragged on that afternoon, with both sides having units in reserve, including 2 Mtn Div which had just occupied Benabarre. 3 Mot Div also arrived in Tarrega late that night, but needed to resupply before it also joined in the attack.
The arrival of 47 SD in Tanger at 4pm forced the retreating Spaniards to ‘bounce back’ to Ceuta after a short encounter battle. They resisted briefly in Ceuta for just three more hours, before surrendering. Just over 10,000 prisoners were taken as all resistance in Spanish Morocco ended by 8pm that night.
Air Damage Report. The raids on Ejea de los Caballeros throughout the day killed another 230 Spanish soldiers.
---xxx---
23 Aug 44
Port strikes on Cartagena continued until 5pm that night, by which time the facilities had been demolished. More ships were damaged but none sunk, while damage to aircraft and organisation brought an end to the Turkish mission as the flyers rested and aircraft were repaired and replaced.
3 Mot Div finished resupplying at 6am an added their strength to the attack on Balaguer against the persistent Spanish defenders, with 3 Mtn Div adding their weight from Puebla de Segur that night. Even this would not prove enough to dislodge the enemy by the end of the day. 3 Cav Div won a quick encounter battle against a single Spanish armoured brigade (CV-33s!!) which attacked them in Cambrils shortly after they occupied it at midday.
Gürsel’s men, slowed by muddy conditions along the coastal plain, ignored this flea-bite and pushed north to Lérida as 2 Inf Div approached to fill in behind them. West of Balaguer, a new blitzing attack was launched by 5 Inf Div on Monzón at 10pm. They hoped to help cut off the enemy in Balaguer, but Namut’s blitzing attack, supported by heavy tanks, met strong initial opposition, led by the Spanish ‘Caudillo’ himself, believed to be in charge of the 1st Army HQ. Fighting continued in the west as well as the day ended.
Air Damage Report. More intense Turkish raids on Ejea de los Caballeros throughout the day killed another 360 Spanish soldiers.
OTL Event: Romania. King Michael I of Romania led a coup that overthrew the pro-Axis government of Ion Antonescu. Constantin Sănătescu became the new prime minister. Romania would switch sides and declare war on Germany two days later. [Comment: no need for that in this ATL.]
---xxx---
24 Aug 44
A Japanese spy was apprehended at midnight outside Milan, no doubt after having helped incite the recent rebellion there. Nothing is known of his fate … he never even made it to the train station for a trip on the Midnight Orient Express. If caught by the local left wing militia, his end would have been no less grim than if the Red Butterfly had caught him.
Another suspected sub sighting in the Western Algerian Sea saw the fleet sortie again at midnight and a naval strike attempted by the M/R fighters of 3 BG, but no contact was made.
On the main front, there was a string of battles finished during the day, though heavy fighting in Ejea de los Caballeros in the west and Monzón continued. The big news was victory in Balaguer at midnight in one of the larger battles of the campaign so far. An hour later, 1 Mot Div had occupied it, quickly brushing off an enemy probe and trapping the defenders of Seo de Urgel, which then came under a corps-strength attack.
Victory came in Sangüesa at midday and then at Seo de Urgel at 7pm, which would lead to around 17,500 prisoners from three divisions being taken. At Ejea de los Caballeros, the Comintern fed more troops into the furnace during the day to try to crack the stubborn defence, with 171 SD joining at 2pm and reinforcing by 1am the following morning.
Air Damage Report. Turkish raids on Ejea de los Caballeros killed another 327 Spanish soldiers. The raids would finished with one more early the next morning, with a total of 1,077 defenders killed there from 21-25 August.
OTL Event: Germany. Germany enacted full mobilisation. Theatres were closed, holidays were cancelled and military leave was halted.[Comment: Hmm, perhaps a little late!?]
---xxx---
25 Aug 44
Supply remained good right across the forward edge of the front at this time. At 4am, 1 BG switched from Ejea de los Caballeros, where the tide had now swung in favour of the Comintern attackers, to Monzón, Where a large Spanish column was putting up steady resistance. Victory would come at Ejea de los Caballeros at 4pm, but unfortunately there was no casualty report provided.
Air Damage Report. Three raids in Monzón caused relatively few casualties in the first day there, with 146 Spanish defenders killed.
OTL Event: France. The Battle for Paris ended at 2:30 p.m. when the German commander Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered the French capital. At 4 p.m. Charles de Gaulle arrived in the city and walked amid a cheering crowd to the Hôtel de Ville, where he made a rousing speech.
---xxx---
Los Angeles
Soon after his apprehension at the Victory Motel, a late night assembly had gathered at the L.A.P.D. HQ. The attention of the Police Chief, D.A. Loew and several high ranking brass is riveted as they look through one-way glass into an interrogation room.
In that room, a bloody and exhausted Exley sits across from two Internal Affairs detectives.
“You have a lot of explaining to do, Lieutenant.”
“Yes. I do.”
“You have a lot of explaining to do, Lieutenant.” “Yes. I do.”
Exley begins … time passes and he finishes his thorough if perhaps just a little selective recollection of the whole episode
The brass exchange concerned looks and raised eyebrows as they watch Exley through the glass, his voice heard via speakers in their observation room.
Exley stares across at the Internal Affairs Detectives. After some hours, Exley finishes.
“That's it. That's the whole story.” Exley looks pointedly to the grey-tinted wall mirror...
In the observation room, D.A. Loew leans over and whispers to the Chief. “The press would have a field day with this.”
After a brief pause for consideration, the Chief responds: “When in doubt, feed them a hero. In this case, we'll need more than one.”
---xxx---
26 Aug 44
In Barcelona, Tyler Durden had collected a file of information on high level Nationalist government members his team would like to ‘neutralise’ on behalf of S.I.T.H. and the revenge-hungry Popular Front activists.
Franco himself was frequently found fighting at the front, but perhaps some mayhem could be caused behind the lines … he was soon on his way south to Valencia, scouting out approaches to the key enemy city.
Air Damage Report. Four ground attacks in Monzón caused a far heavier 371 Spanish casualties as the fighting there went on all day.
---xxx---
27 Aug 44
The first half of the day contained saw the final elimination of the Seo de Urgel pocket when 1 Mtn Div marched in to round up the last Spanish stragglers at 5am. In the centre, while the fighting in Monzón went on unabated, a reckless assault was unleashed on Barbastro by four Turkish infantry divisions against a Spanish garrison division. The bold attack met with success, overwhelming the defenders by 1pm.
At the same time, 3 Mot Div occupied Lérida and 4 Mtn Div had reinforced the attack on Monzón, which was becoming increasingly exposed.
The largest and most modern ship built by Turkey since the acquisition of the old battlecruiser TCG Yavuz (formerly the SMS Goeben) from Germany in 1914 was completed and deployed to Palermo for work-up training. The TCG Residye [@diskoerekto should I amend the name to 'Reşadiye' for correct usage?]was a design based on the latest US Worcester light cruiser class.
That evening, the bulk of the Spanish Navy was still reported to be holed up in Cartagena, where the port facilities had been partially repaired.
A probe on the (non-VP) city of Zaragoza at 7am found only the HQ of the Spanish 1st Army Group, which offered no resistance as a division each of Soviet and Turkish infantry fanned out to secure the province.
Air Damage Report. The air assault on Monzón continued, inflicting 267 more Spanish casualties.
---xxx---
28 Aug 44
The fighting in the central sector reached a crescendo on the 28th, with the great battle for Monzón, which had involved more than 90,000 troops from both sides, won at 8am. The B-26s were ready to re-join 1 BG, which they did at 9am, reinforcing the continuing raids on Monzón.
By the evening, the Turks had taken Fraga and now raced in a pincer movements from the north and south to cut off the Spaniards trying to retreat from Barbastro and Monzón to Sariñena.
Air Damage Report. The mission for Monzón caused another 353 Spanish casualties. It would finish the next morning after one more raid (74 killed), bringing the total to 1,211 from 25-29 August.
---xxx---
29 Aug 44
The day began with 6 and 11 Inf Divs occupying Barbastro, which bounced back the Spanish 4/2a Division, which had been trying to retreat from Monzón, at 1am. That division was in turn attacked by the three Turkish divisions moving towards Monzón after the victory there the day before, starting off a new battle.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Spanish troops in Monzón were trying to squeeze through the narrow corridor that still existed via Sariñena, to where 1 BG switched its attentions at 5am. 6 and 11 Inf Divs only had a short post-attack reorganisation time before they would be ready for their next offensive combat.
To the south, the coastal advance continued, with 2 Inf Div now in Cambrils and moving slowly (1.29kph) through the muddy coastal plain towards Tortosa by 6am. But the Spanish 2nd Armd Bde beat them there, with 2 Inf Div (whose AT weapons were a match for the obsolete Spanish armour) launching a quick attack at 3pm.
That evening, the Spanish defence of Sariñena was defeated as was the Spanish rear-guard in Monzón an hour later. Franco himself was in charge of the large Spanish column now trying to flee to Sariñena before the noose could be tightened.
Air Damage Report. Two Turkish raids on Sariñena killed 335 Spanish soldiers before the victory was won.
---xxx---
30 Aug 44
The day’s action was kicked off with a lone Spanish TAC wing raiding 2 Inf Div as it attacked Tortosa from Cambrils, as 1 BG was striking Tortosa. Additional late-model Yak-7 fighters were sent from Toulouse to intercept the brave but unescorted and out-gunned Spanish bombers, with only light casualties sustained on the ground.
At 4am, the Monzón pocket was closed after 3 Cav Div arrived in Sariñena, though this left Fraga temporarily unguarded as more Turkish troops were on their way from the north (Huesca) and the west. 3 Cav Div soon repelled the lead Spanish elements retreating from Monzón, which triggered a new battle there at 5am.
Some of the trapped Spanish divisions were still in fairly good order, so at 10am 2 Armd Div was called up from Lérida to join the attack, rather than cutting over to Fraga. 1 BG was once again tasked with striking Monzón.
Air Damage Report. One strike on Tortosa killed 68 Spanish defenders, while two more on a return to Monzón caused another 416 casualties on their massed ranks.
---xxx---
31 Aug 44
As the first month of the Spanish campaign came to a close, three more victories were recorded by the advancing Comintern forces. The biggest was in Monzón, where the enemy once again took heavy casualties and retreated again, this time making for Fraga in a race against 3 Mot Div, which was still back in Tárrega but approaching Lérida, hampered by the terrain conditions and patchy supply. Of course, la Pasionara had just one thing to say about this latest Spanish break-out attempt: "¡No Pasarán!"
Air Damage Report. The final day of strikes on Monzón killed 139 troops, making for 555 total Spanish losses over the last two days..
---xxx---
Theatre Summaries
Estimated Spanish losses in the first month of the war were heavy, if prisoners taken were included. And over 55,000 troops were still encircled in Monzón, though with a chance of escaping. Spanish Morocco had been occupied and the Spanish fleet badly damaged and bottled up in Cartagena after the Battle of the Western Algerian Coast. The new Spanish Popular Front provisional government had established itself in Barcelona as the Turkish-led Comintern offensive consolidated and expanded its hold in north-eastern Spain.
The main front had now largely cleared the Pyrenees and its foothills and was expanding through the plains beyond towards Zaragoza in the centre and past Barcelona to Valencia along the coast.
Despite some losses to combat, unit builds/conversions and attrition, Turkish manpower had now strongly recovered and was no longer a cause for concern.
The Far East had seen some more modest gains for the Soviets as their reinforcements from the west flowed in, while partisan actions continued to distract the Japanese behind the lines.
Despite this influx of forces and some supply problems along the main route to Irkutsk, the Soviets were largely able to keep their frontline divisions supplied enough to continue the advance.
There had been little change once more in eastern India or South East Asia, with a small uprising in Vietnam and an apparent British operation that had retaken Hong Kong and the Japanese enclave surrounding it.
There had been no change to the lines in Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific. Midway Island remained in Japanese hands.
---xxx---
Coming Up: Will Ed manage to squeeze out of his predicament after all? Has Bud made it through or, like truth, will he be one of the first casualties of the internal police war? And what of Lynn Bracken, Perse, the Duke of Midnight and other shadowy players?
Spain’s chorizo seems well and truly munched by now as returning Leftists establish themselves after their expulsion at the end of the Civil War. Will their pocketed divisions in Monzón be able to escape? Is the time approaching for Turkey’s navy to risk a landing in southern Spain to speed up what could otherwise be a protracted campaign?
And with final victory in Europe in sight, Turkey and other leading Comintern powers have begun to formulate a proposal for a peace conference to settle the New Comintern World Order. What form might this take? How will Britain (for the Allies) and Japan (for the Axis) respond? Will the war continue in the east, or might a deal be struck with Japan to end the conflict early?
In Barcelona, Tyler Durden had collected a file of information on high level Nationalist government members his team would like to ‘neutralise’ on behalf of S.I.T.H. and the revenge-hungry Popular Front activists.
Hmm. Not content with taking over every secret intelligence service in continental Europe, the Comintern and the United Republics, SITH is now going after the Americans as well. I suspect we probably will not get very far there, because we've picked a very self-destructive bunch to be our 'in'.
That being said, we don't really need to subvert the American intelligence networks because the CIA (if they are anything like OTL) will be desperate to keep us onside, especially in Europe (as their 'in' on the Comintern) and very easily tricked if we ever do have to go around them sometimes.
And with final victory in Europe in sight, Turkey and other leading Comintern powers have begun to formulate a proposal for a peace conference to settle the New Comintern World Order. What form might this take? How will Britain (for the Allies) and Japan (for the Axis) respond? Will the war continue in the east, or might a deal be struck with Japan to end the conflict early?
Yes, a huge conference and Peace must be convened, specially for the UN to come into being too. And probably soon afterwards, when nukes become a thing and must be regulated. Permanent membership of Security council and nuclear power status is about the only further height Turkey can ascend to without outright annexing large swathes of Europe.
That was an interesting naval battle. Two older ships, both laid down in 1909, one with 8 12" barrels, the other with 10 11" barrels. Being a significantly heavier and larger ship, with a similar level of armour protection to Espana, as well as a heavier secondary armament, Yavuz probably has the upper hand in a 1 v. 1, but it's close enough that a slightly better crew or favourable circumstance can easily sway it the other way. Yavuz also has the upper hand in speed, meaning that it can more easily dictate the range at which the exchange takes place. Anyhow. With lots of US CAGs in the skies above, and modern USN 8" cruisers chipping in, it was never going to be a fair fight.
This did prove that Turkish Naval Aviation capabilities are severely lacking. For a union that wants to control the Mediterranean without a fleet of Battleships to rival the world's other major powers, that's quite worrying indeed. Having spent a lot of time bombing German tanks, you'd expect that Turkish dive bombers would at least be able to finish of one stationary damaged destroyer, but even that seems to be a tough call...
Possibly, but was it as creative and original? Was the torture and eventual gruelling death elevated to the level of high art, or did they use crude and unsophisticated methods? In this respect I would be quite surprised to see that those local left wing Militia turn out to be better artistes in the art of torture and death than the Dark Lord.
The ground war in Spain looks like a very efficient steamroller, and the Spanish can't even run away fast enough. It's not like the Spanish Army can afford to loose the better part of 100.000 men every month.
In the Far East, things have moved into a higher gear. Let's hope that this massive offensive can be properly supplied over the coming months.
Let's meet again in Madrid, in three months or so,
Sure the Yavuz has two extra barrels of their 11" guns, but as I recall, the arrangement included wing guns. So on either broadside, you really only have the eight. That said, given the extent of care taken to keep both of them afloat since they were commissioned, it's likely that it would have been a decidedly fair fight.
The concern with the submarines causing havoc against our supply lines means we need to procure more US destroyers for their ASW capability.
I enjoyed the naval battle, but I imagine Turkish doctrines are so bad they didn't do much damage. I assume the US CAGs did most of the damage, with Turkish port strikes at least keeping the Spanish in Cartagena a bit longer.
Nicely done encircling the Spanish in the north, that should really ease the advance south since I imagine they can't have too much in reserve.
The Far East had seen some more modest gains for the Soviets as their reinforcements from the west flowed in, while partisan actions continued to distract the Japanese behind the lines.
Spain’s chorizo seems well and truly munched by now as returning Leftists establish themselves after their expulsion at the end of the Civil War. Will their pocketed divisions in Monzón be able to escape? Is the time approaching for Turkey’s navy to risk a landing in southern Spain to speed up what could otherwise be a protracted campaign?
Let's see how our boys will manage the landing! About the navy, I think we'll need some CL and DDs and lay down a couple of WW1 era CV hulls with modern CAGs as I suggested before
And with final victory in Europe in sight, Turkey and other leading Comintern powers have begun to formulate a proposal for a peace conference to settle the New Comintern World Order. What form might this take? How will Britain (for the Allies) and Japan (for the Axis) respond? Will the war continue in the east, or might a deal be struck with Japan to end the conflict early?
I'm expecting some modding will be necessary when the time comes for the conference. In fact, once Axis is no more we can be the 3rd faction for the WW3
A joint recon by Turkish subs and a US carrier task force revealed Spanish dispositions in the Balearic Islands later that morning. The islands were defended and offered no great prize [ie VPs], so would probably be bypassed by the Turkish amphibious planners.
The only immediate value I can see is the air base in Mallorca, but the one in Barcelona is probably sufficient to extend our air coverage for the moment. Longer term though, the islands would certainly make for a useful base at the western end of the Anglo-Turkish Lake.
The naval battle extended into the early morning of 21 August, with even more US ships joining in, including two more aircraft carriers. The Spanish destroyers bore the brunt of physical damage, while the organisation of the España and other ships was almost completely eroded. By 3am, the Spanish managed to retreat to the nearby port of Cartagena, lucky not to lose any ships.
I did notice this was a night action and it was fought in bad weather, so I don’t think there’s any shame in not having managed to sink anything. The good news is the Spanish took a beating and the Turkish Navy emerged unscathed, and hopefully they will now be laid up in Cartagena for quite some time to come. However, without the Americans, this might have ended a differently...
With Barcelona now fully secured and behind a buffer zone of liberated provinces, the old Popular Front of the Spanish Civil War was revived by Turkish authorities, led by the previously exiled General Secretary of the Spanish Communist Party, Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez.
Port strikes on Cartagena continued until 5pm that night, by which time the facilities had been demolished. More ships were damaged but none sunk, while damage to aircraft and organisation brought an end to the Turkish mission as the flyers rested and aircraft were repaired and replaced.
The striking arm of the Turkish air force still needs some work, doesn’t it? Throwing everything we had at Cartagena didn’t really achieve all that much, sadly. Let’s at least try to keep the Spanish fleet from causing us problems for as long as possible!
Yes, I can see the temptation here to try to cover everything up. That being the case, they might find it expedient to protect Dudley’s reputation and claim he gave his life in the line of duty - and Ed could indeed find himself cast as the hero of the hour. However, this particular story might just be too big and too messy to keep under wraps. For one thing, will Ed play the game and keep his mouth shut? And could there be any of Dudley’s accomplices still at large who might be gunning for him?
The largest and most modern ship built by Turkey since the acquisition of the old battlecruiser TCG Yavuz (formerly the SMS Goeben) from Germany in 1914 was completed and deployed to Palermo for work-up training. The TCG Residye [@diskoerekto should I amend the name to 'Reşadiye' for correct usage?]was a design based on the latest US Worcester light cruiser class.
The day’s action was kicked off with a lone Spanish TAC wing raiding 2 Inf Div as it attacked Tortosa from Cambrils, as 1 BG was striking Tortosa. Additional late-model Yak-7 fighters were sent from Toulouse to intercept the brave but unescorted and out-gunned Spanish bombers, with only light casualties sustained on the ground.
Strangely, we haven’t seen very much of the Spanish air force in this update. Perhaps most of their aircraft are short-ranged fighters or CAS, based too far from the front? I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them.
As the first month of the Spanish campaign came to a close, three more victories were recorded by the advancing Comintern forces. The biggest was in Monzón, where the enemy once again took heavy casualties and retreated again, this time making for Fraga in a race against 3 Mot Div, which was still back in Tárrega but approaching Lérida, hampered by the terrain conditions and patchy supply. Of course, la Pasionara had just one thing to say about this latest Spanish break-out attempt: "¡No Pasarán!"
Including the units that surrendered at Seo de Urgel, this must amount to something like ten divisions of the Spanish army? If so, closing this pocket is going to be a devastating loss for the Spanish. Let’s hope Franco himself doesn’t escape the noose – this a golden opportunity to decapitate the enemy state.
The motley gathering of largely old or second-line Turkish aircraft based in Oran began striking the port of Cartagena at 6am and maintained the mission all day, depleting the base facilities and trying to sink some of the already damaged Spanish ships. But the lack of CAG or NAV wings restricted the damage that could be done.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't CAS have pretty good naval attack as well? Unless these are very old models with not a lot of upgrades they should be adequate for the job, just very short-ranged.
OTL Event: Germany. Germany enacted full mobilisation. Theatres were closed, holidays were cancelled and military leave was halted.[Comment: Hmm, perhaps a little late!?]
I suspect that this was "late" because up until this point of the war the Nazis could still maintain the facade that they were winning or at least not doing badly. Then you had the twin hammer blows of Overlord and Bagration in the month of June causing a general collapse of the German defensive fronts, at that point not only does it become harder to maintain the illusion but the relative importance of full mobilization start to outweigh the benefits of keeping the populace in the dark about how badly things are going.
In Barcelona, Tyler Durden had collected a file of information on high level Nationalist government members his team would like to ‘neutralise’ on behalf of S.I.T.H. and the revenge-hungry Popular Front activists.
The largest and most modern ship built by Turkey since the acquisition of the old battlecruiser TCG Yavuz (formerly the SMS Goeben) from Germany in 1914 was completed and deployed to Palermo for work-up training. The TCG Residye [@diskoerekto should I amend the name to 'Reşadiye' for correct usage?]was a design based on the latest US Worcester light cruiser class.
Coming Up: Will Ed manage to squeeze out of his predicament after all? Has Bud made it through or, like truth, will he be one of the first casualties of the internal police war? And what of Lynn Bracken, Perse, the Duke of Midnight and other shadowy players?
This is what I really want to know about. So far the connection to our "main side-plot" is quite little, basically this one Perse look-alike dame is all the connection we have up to now.
I'm expecting some modding will be necessary when the time comes for the conference. In fact, once Axis is no more we can be the 3rd faction for the WW3
No in-game claim is available to annex them in a peace settlement that leaves Spain as a puppet, so if desired that would need to be a narrative or modded aspect, but either way something Turkey can look to impose after victory - without having to actually occupy them first.
Hmm. Not content with taking over every secret intelligence service in continental Europe, the Comintern and the United Republics, SITH is now going after the Americans as well. I suspect we probably will not get very far there, because we've picked a very self-destructive bunch to be our 'in'.
That being said, we don't really need to subvert the American intelligence networks because the CIA (if they are anything like OTL) will be desperate to keep us onside, especially in Europe (as their 'in' on the Comintern) and very easily tricked if we ever do have to go around them sometimes.
Ah, but Durden is rather irregular. He seems to have been very evasive all along when 'official' US intel or field LOs have tried to contact or direct him in any way. Some might argue that he is a freelancer, willing to create Mayhem whenever and wherever the chance arises. S.I.T.H. in this case gives him as good an excuse as he's likely to get for a while ...
Yes, a huge conference and Peace must be convened, specially for the UN to come into being too. And probably soon afterwards, when nukes become a thing and must be regulated. Permanent membership of Security council and nuclear power status is about the only further height Turkey can ascend to without outright annexing large swathes of Europe.
There will be one - in universe. I plan to approach the Mods to go partly interactive for it, there will be roles as country reps for a host of commentAARs and a mechanism to guide and even 'score' the peace conference outcomes using a few different metrics. Think of a bit of a cross between Versailles and the OTL UNSC!
That was an interesting naval battle. Two older ships, both laid down in 1909, one with 8 12" barrels, the other with 10 11" barrels. Being a significantly heavier and larger ship, with a similar level of armour protection to Espana, as well as a heavier secondary armament, Yavuz probably has the upper hand in a 1 v. 1, but it's close enough that a slightly better crew or favourable circumstance can easily sway it the other way. Yavuz also has the upper hand in speed, meaning that it can more easily dictate the range at which the exchange takes place. Anyhow. With lots of US CAGs in the skies above, and modern USN 8" cruisers chipping in, it was never going to be a fair fight.
I thought so too. Haven't been many of them in this AAR where Turkey has been a key protagonist. One way back when saw the RN arriving to assist. This time, as hoped for when the Spanish campaign was begun, it was the USN. The Yavuz came out of it very well, anyway. Vur ha!
This did prove that Turkish Naval Aviation capabilities are severely lacking. For a union that wants to control the Mediterranean without a fleet of Battleships to rival the world's other major powers, that's quite worrying indeed. Having spent a lot of time bombing German tanks, you'd expect that Turkish dive bombers would at least be able to finish of one stationary damaged destroyer, but even that seems to be a tough call...
Indeed. Thus the recent moves to acquire jet-powered German NAV wings, but they won't be delivered in time for this campaign, one would think. There is a little more in the next chapter(s) on further efforts to develop rudimentary Turkish naval aviation capacity, even if is likely for post-war purposes.
Possibly, but was it as creative and original? Was the torture and eventual gruelling death elevated to the level of high art, or did they use crude and unsophisticated methods? In this respect I would be quite surprised to see that those local left wing Militia turn out to be better artistes in the art of torture and death than the Dark Lord.
How many Devils can you fit on the head of a pin? Science or art? Either way, I wouldn't want to have been the Japanese provocateur who found himself the subject of that little experiment.
The ground war in Spain looks like a very efficient steamroller, and the Spanish can't even run away fast enough. It's not like the Spanish Army can afford to loose the better part of 100.000 men every month.
In the Far East, things have moved into a higher gear. Let's hope that this massive offensive can be properly supplied over the coming months.
Let's meet again in Madrid, in three months or so,
It had really picked up some momentum. The Far East remains a grind, though. It could be years before the Japanese might be subdued, especially if the US remains so inactive in the Pacific.
Sure the Yavuz has two extra barrels of their 11" guns, but as I recall, the arrangement included wing guns. So on either broadside, you really only have the eight. That said, given the extent of care taken to keep both of them afloat since they were commissioned, it's likely that it would have been a decidedly fair fight.
The concern with the submarines causing havoc against our supply lines means we need to procure more US destroyers for their ASW capability.
The two capital ships were engaging in more of a personal duel of Jutland nature than modern naval warfare per 1944 standards - but the US (and some shore-based Turkish wings) managed to update that a bit! The best way (and quicker than building more new destroyers, though a number are currently in the production pipeline) will be to force Spain to capitulate - problem solved. Turkey doesn't even have the tech yet to build convoy escorts (not that I have any knowledge as to how effective those actually are).
I enjoyed the naval battle, but I imagine Turkish doctrines are so bad they didn't do much damage. I assume the US CAGs did most of the damage, with Turkish port strikes at least keeping the Spanish in Cartagena a bit longer.
That did go better than I'd expected - the opportunity presented itself, so the Turks, with their experienced and quick tanks, motorised and even mech units, had a mobility the Spanish could not cope with. Especially with those poor old AI generals directing their efforts.
Let's see how our boys will manage the landing! About the navy, I think we'll need some CL and DDs and lay down a couple of WW1 era CV hulls with modern CAGs as I suggested before
CLs and DDs are either already in the construction docks or on the drawing boards. As for rudimentary CV capacity ... watch this space, but first CAG tech needs to be developed, and Turkey doesn't even have that.
I'm expecting some modding will be necessary when the time comes for the conference. In fact, once Axis is no more we can be the 3rd faction for the WW3
Modding or narrative amendment, as I don't plan to take the game to the actual post-war period. But I have some ideas about that ... as for a third faction (perhaps more like the OTL Non-Aligned movement championed by India post WW2), that could be an interesting epilogue discussion, but I won't be modding any in-game variation.
The only immediate value I can see is the air base in Mallorca, but the one in Barcelona is probably sufficient to extend our air coverage for the moment. Longer term though, the islands would certainly make for a useful base at the western end of the Anglo-Turkish Lake.
I did notice this was a night action and it was fought in bad weather, so I don’t think there’s any shame in not having managed to sink anything. The good news is the Spanish took a beating and the Turkish Navy emerged unscathed, and hopefully they will now be laid up in Cartagena for quite some time to come. However, without the Americans, this might have ended a differently...
Good points. The main thing is a large part of the Spanish Navy has been badly damaged and bottled up. Though it's not all their navy ... interesting to speculate how it might have gone otherwise, but Turkey still had land-based air support (even if not super-efffective) so it would have been a good experiment.
I thought this might be something the Soviets would have insisted on - though the Turks want to ensure it remains substantially under their 'guidance'. Best way to do that is to take the initiative. Of course, God only knows how the mechanics might form a puppet Spanish government here. Probably something that still has Franco in charge!!
The striking arm of the Turkish air force still needs some work, doesn’t it? Throwing everything we had at Cartagena didn’t really achieve all that much, sadly. Let’s at least try to keep the Spanish fleet from causing us problems for as long as possible!
Yes, especially those older aircraft, which can't really be upgraded once delivered, except for the odd doctrine improvement. But the main thing is preserving a bit of discretion for some Turkish amphibious ops.
Yes, I can see the temptation here to try to cover everything up. That being the case, they might find it expedient to protect Dudley’s reputation and claim he gave his life in the line of duty - and Ed could indeed find himself cast as the hero of the hour. However, this particular story might just be too big and too messy to keep under wraps. For one thing, will Ed play the game and keep his mouth shut? And could there be any of Dudley’s accomplices still at large who might be gunning for him?
Astute observations, but I'll not speculate too much to avoid spoiling for those unfamiliar with the LA Confidential story arc. Which I may well continue to modify a little bit along the way.
Strangely, we haven’t seen very much of the Spanish air force in this update. Perhaps most of their aircraft are short-ranged fighters or CAS, based too far from the front? I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them.
A little, but not too much. But they will feature again. I think its mainly getting savaged by the more modern Turkish INT wings and the loss of forward air bases hampering their (as you say) shorter range aircraft. They have some TAC, but maybe not the escorts to allow longer range strikes, without unfortunate results.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't CAS have pretty good naval attack as well? Unless these are very old models with not a lot of upgrades they should be adequate for the job, just very short-ranged.
I believe they're meant to be, though these were old IL-2 models, and Turkish doctrines remain primitive, and maybe the air defences of the ships in port interfered a bit (they certainly took some damage during their raids).
I suspect that this was "late" because up until this point of the war the Nazis could still maintain the facade that they were winning or at least not doing badly. Then you had the twin hammer blows of Overlord and Bagration in the month of June causing a general collapse of the German defensive fronts, at that point not only does it become harder to maintain the illusion but the relative importance of full mobilization start to outweigh the benefits of keeping the populace in the dark about how badly things are going.
This is what I really want to know about. So far the connection to our "main side-plot" is quite little, basically this one Perse look-alike dame is all the connection we have up to now.
Chapter 234: La Pasionaria’s Revenge (1-15 September 1944)
Introduction
Franco’s Fascist chorizo-munchers appear to have been dealt a death blow in the hills of northern Spain, but can his troops cut off in Monzón force their way through the Fraga Gap? Or will it be a case of ¡No Pasarán!?
With Madrid now in their sights and a naval victory off Cartagena, the Turkish High Command hopes to wrap up the campaign quickly, after which peace should be brought to Europe. Thoughts turn to the timing, place and nature of any subsequent peace conference and what to do about Japan: would they contemplate talks or will it be a fight to the death between them, the Soviets and the British in Asia?
Tyler Durden hopes to create some mayhem in the Spanish rear, but what will his increasingly erratic exploits lead to? Meanwhile, the key Comintern intelligence players and Liaison Officers gathered in Oran are getting itchy feet: they are keen to conduct some ‘real’ amphibious operations on the Spanish coastline.
---xxx---
1 Sep 44
The latest battle of Monzón the afternoon before had seen around 57,000 Spanish troops dislodged after briefly halting when their line of retreat to the south-west had been cut off. At 4am on 1 September, 1 Mot Div was the first to reach the province, with 3 Mtn Div securing Balaguer at the same time. This meant the surrounded Fascists had no friendly territory left to retreat to: they made a desperate dash towards Fraga, as Spanish armoured forces raced to head them off.
This was the heartening news that greeted Milli Şef Inönü as he quietly celebrated the fifth anniversary of the start of Great War Two with a cup of strong black tea in an authentic Turkish tea glass, as he enjoyed a special kahvaltı with his senior staff at HQ 1st Army.
“Ah, the most important meal of the day!” he exclaimed in pleasure. Five years before, the world had seemed (to him, anyway) a far bleaker and more dangerous place.
There was a selection of black and green olives, cucumber, a variety of cured meats, dips and sauces, eggs, cheeses, tomato, fresh baked bread, preserves and jams, honey and pastries. Much of this was excellent fresh produce from southern France, some specially shipped over from the Motherland. With a bit of Extra Virgin Genco Olive Oil specially despatched from its new processing plant in Sicily.
A runner brought a report to the Chief of Operations as the officers enjoyed a longer than usual meal, swapping stories and reminiscences of the last many years of desperate war. He passed on the contents to the President and staff. It stated 9 Inf Div and 176 SD had attacked Zaragoza, to find only a single completely disorganised infantry division that did not even try to defend the city, but would flee by 11am without a fight.
This only improved the mood of the Turkish officers – but a little underlying tension remained over the large mass of Spanish troops seeking to escape to fight another day. The situation would remain unresolved by the end of that day and with no ground battles in progress, 1 BG took a little time to rest, repair and prepare.
Entertainment News: New York City, US. The Frank Capra-directed dark comedy film Arsenic and Old Lace starring Cary Grant premiered at the Strand Theatre in New York City. The actress Veronica Lake was spotted at the premier.
After the party, a waiter took away Miss Lake's gin and tonic glass – but instead of sending it for washing, it was carefully slipped into a brown paper evidence bag and spirited away.
---xxx---
2 Sep 44
Early that morning, 4 Cav Div secured Amposta and began a bold dash along the coastal plain towards Valencia, trusting that units following on would keep their supply lines open. But ground conditions seemed to be slowing their advance a little.
Later that morning, 19 Inf Div secured Marrakech and made for the Spanish West African port of Sidi Ifni in the ‘forgotten front’ of the war.
By 11am, reports came that all the units trapped in Monzón, except the HQ commanded by Franco himself, had surrendered – well over 50,000 POWs, surely signalling the death knell of any serious Spanish resistance.
La Pasionara cackled in delight when she heard the news in Barcelona, though her revenge would not be complete until Franco himself had been subjected to some revolutionary justice. Tyler Durden was seen lurking around the countryside of Monzón, hoping to nab the Caudillo himself. But the dictator would prove elusive.
At midday, the 2nd Armd Div had secured Fraga and Franco’s HQ had also surrendered – but the man himself seemed to have slipped away [as the game will do with the leaders of surrounded and surrendered units]. The Monzón pocket was formally liquidated.
The advance continued now on a broad front, with only thin opposition, especially in the south-east, as 2 Armd Div advanced rapidly towards Caspe over dry ground.
In New York, Veronica Lake’s glass had been carefully secured in a locked strongbox and was on its way to Washington DC in the hands of a clandestine – and well-armed – courier.
Just before midnight, 3 Inf Div commenced an attack on a Spanish infantry division defending the hills of Ejea de los Caballeros on the western end of the line. The initial odds proved difficult and this fight would prove to be far harder than many recent ones. Spain had not given up yet.
---xxx---
3 Sep 44
At midnight, 171 SD was ordered in to support the attack on Ejea de los Caballeros and later that morning 1 BG began a series of raids that would take some time to make any impact, especially in poor weather that morning. 171 SD would managed to reinforce by late that afternoon, but the fighting remained difficult for the attackers.
At 5am, the advancing 2 Inf Div encountered the still disorganised Spanish 2nd Armd Bde in Morella and Gürman put in a quick attack, aiming to guard the flank of 4 Cav Div as it advanced along the coast. The short battle would be won by 8am, but the coastal drive was being slowed by muddy conditions. 2 Armd Div had earlier secured Caste and was now diverted south to reinforce to advance on Valencia.
A weather report for northern Spain showed a wide band of autumn rain was contributing to the muddy conditions. This was especially bad in Ejea de los Caballeros, where the mud was hampering the continuing attack, though it was now making fair headway.
Air Damage Report. The first two Turkish raids on Ejea de los Caballeros killed 121 Spanish defenders.
OTL Event: Finland. Finland and the Soviet Union agreed on a ceasefire to take effect at 8am the next morning.
OTL Events: Western Front. The British Second Army captured Brussels while the US First Army took Tournai.
---xxx---
4 Sep 44
There was little new to report in Spain. In Morocco, high attrition [2.89%] in the mountains and poor infrastructure of Ceuta led the rest of the occupying divisions to head to Tanger, where it was at least better [1.19%].
In Washington DC, that afternoon Veronica Lake’s glass was delivered to No. 2525 Massachussetts Avenue.
No. 2525 Massachussetts Avenue, Washington DC – the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey and the UGNR.
Air Damage Report. The effectiveness of the Turkish raids on Ejea de los Caballeros improved, with 309 Spanish defenders killed in three raids.
---xxx---
Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Examiner’s morning edition carried a big banner headline:
R.I.P. DUDLEY SMITH
Fabled L.A. Cop Dies Defending City from Organized Crime!
At LAPD Headquarters, Ed Exley is in his formal blue dress uniform, his arm still in a sling. The Chief smiles at him and pins gold stars on his shoulders in front of a crowd of cops, city officials, supporters and press.
“Captain Edmund Exley. Chief of Detectives. Los Angeles Police Department,” announces the Chief.
There is applause. Flashbulbs. Lynn Bracken watches from the back as Exley runs a handshake gauntlet. Finally, he spots her. She looks better than ever. Exley steps over.
“I tried to throw it all away and they gave it back in spades,” he says to her, with an ironic smile.
“I tried to throw it all away and they gave it back in spades.”
Yes, the ‘fix’ was in. Dudley Smith died a hero, in the line of duty. And Ed Exley was his star successor.
---xxx---
5 Sep 44
14 Inf Div secured Sangüesa at 9am and soon opened up a new flank to reinforce the attack on Ejea de los Caballeros; they would reinforce the front line by 11pm that night, joining 3 Inf Div and 171 SD in the assault.
On the coast, conditions had improved a little and by the end of the day, 4 Cav Div was in Castellón de la Plana (two provinces north of Valencia) and moving at around 6kph (75% of their full speed). Reports came in from Tyler Durden’s group of irregulars: they were moving on the city, hoping to get their hands on some fascist dignitaries.
Air Damage Report. Four Turkish raids killed another 356 Spanish troops in Ejea de los Caballeros.
OTL Events: Europe. The Soviet Union declared war on Bulgaria, which never attacked the USSR but was aligned with the Axis. Štefan Tiso replaced Vojtech Tuka as Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic.
---xxx---
6 Sep 44
Another group of two latest-model Yak-7 interceptors was sent to Barcelona from Toulouse at 9am, to ensure there would be sufficient air cover for the Valencia offensive and to cover towards Zaragoza and Madrid in central Spain.
Two hours later, Zaragoza [a no VP city] was occupied, with 9 Inf Div and 176 SD both sent on different approaches to the mountains shielding Madrid. Later that night, a hard-fought victory was won against the stubborn defenders of Ejea de los Caballeros.
In Washington DC, the case with the 'Veronic Lake glass' was securely packed into a diplomatic bag and sent back to Ankara.
Air Damage Report. In addition to the casualties from ground fighting, the enemy lost another 323 men from raids that day, making a total of 1,109 killed in Ejea de los Caballeros from four days of air strikes.
---xxx---
7 Sep 44
After the battle for Ejea de los Caballeros ended, at 2am 1 BG began bombing Spanish forces in depth at Tudela in preparation for a possible future attack. Ejea was occupied an hour later, but 3 Inf Div had another 31 hours of post-attack reorganisation to complete before it could advance again.
After just the one raid on Tudela, 4 Cav Div arrived in Sagunto and encountered the forward positions of the Spanish 12a Division on the outskirts of Valencia. It was clear they would need assistance to take down the well-entrenched garrison, which was equipped with an AA battery.
1 BG was soon redirected to hit them after they finished their mission at Tudela. But it was intercepted by a group of three well-rested Spanish interceptor wings. The additional fighters recently rebased in Barcelona were soon in action to support their comrades. With the weather holding, the first raid did reasonable damage after the enemy interceptors left prematurely.
On the drive towards Madrid, the worn out 9/5a Division was encountered again in hasty defensive positions at Daroca that afternoon. A quick attack by MAJGEN Gürsel’s 3 Cav Div dislodged them after an eight hour firefight.
The next enemy attempt to stop the raids on Valencia was repelled that afternoon in poor weather. The dogfight resumed that night, with the enemy fighters taking more damage than the Turkish bombers. But the interference and poor weather had limited ground casualties from the next raids, the third not finishing until the next morning.
Back on the Madrid axis of advance, late that night 9 Inf Div branched north from Cariñena to try to dislodge a Spanish division digging in at Tarazona. They ran into determined opposition from an enemy ambush but maintained the attack. The main news was that General Franco was reported to be there directing the enemy effort – probably with the barely established HQ 1st Army. Where was Durden when you needed him?
Air Damage Report. One raid on Tudela killed 120 defenders, while the two strikes completed on Valencia on the 7th killed 175 of the Spanish garrison in Valencia.
OTL Events: Europe. Hungary declared war on Romania and crossed into southern Transylvania. Members of Vichy France's collaborationist government were relocated to Germany where an enclave was established for them in Sigmaringen Castle.
---xxx---
8 Sep 44
Daroca was occupied by 3 Cav Div late that night as the Turks tried to break out into open country on the approach to Madrid. The fighting in Valencia [40%] and Tarazona [43%] continued all day.
Air Damage Report. Three more raids killed 211 Spanish troops in Valencia.
OTL Events: Europe. Bulgaria accepted an armistice with the Soviet Union. The Belgian government in exile led by Hubert Pierlot returned to Brussels from London. The first V-2 to reach British soil landed in Chiswick, west London, demolishing eleven houses and killing three people immediately. The British government did not acknowledge the new German weapon until November.
---xxx---
Los Angeles
After Exley’s promotion ceremony, he walks Lynn out of the LAPD HQ building.
“Where will you go?” he asks her.
“Bisbee, Arizona. The air's good for pensioners and I know where everything is.”
“When?”
“Right now, before I back down.”
“Where is he?” asks Exley, a kind look on his face.
Lynn gestures ahead. They walk to her car.
“Where is he?”
She opens the back door. Bud White is in the back. Braces on his legs, head sutured. Jaw wired shut and tubes running in and out. But his hands still look strong.
Bud forces a smile through the wires and tries to say something, but can't.
“Thanks for the push,” says Ed as he takes Bud’s hand. Bud squeezes till both men wince.
“Thanks for the push.”
“You just did what you did. No rank, no glory,” says Exley, as he slips his Medal of Valor into Bud's hand. “From me to you. It'll mean something if it's yours.”
Bud takes it and turns away so Exley won't see the tears.
“We should go now,” says Lynn.
As Exley steps back, she closes the door. Party noises drift from upstairs in the HQ building.
Exley looks to Lynn.
“Do you think I ever could've been in the running?” Ed asks Lynn rather wistfully.
“Some men get the world,” she replies. “Others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona.”
“Some men get the world, others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona.”
Exley pauses a second. He wishes he'd gotten the trip to Arizona. Lynn kisses him on the cheek, gets in the car and starts it.
Exley looks back at Bud. Bud presses his hands to the glass. Exley touches his free hand to his side of the window, his palms seemingly half the size of Bud’s. Hand against hand.
The car moves, turns into traffic. There's a good-bye toot on the horn. Exley is left all alone as he watches them go...
---xxx---
9 Sep 44
2 Armd Div reached Morella at midnight and continued south towards Valencia, via Segorbe, but their rate of advance was slowed to just 2kph by the terrain and muddy roads. By 11pm that night, the fighting in Valencia [53%] and Tarazona [40%] still ground on.
A late night aerial recon of the small, mountainous port of Almería in southern Spain revealed it had no garrison. The landing force in Oran loaded up and was soon sailing for their first operation since the unopposed landing in French North Africa against the Vichy regime. The M/R fighters of 3 BG were ordered to patrol the waters of the Western Med.
Cennet was parachuted behind the lines to scout the positions and make contact with pro-Popular Front partisans on the ground. Agent SkitalecS3 remained in Oran and composed a report back to Moscow. Professor Nukeluru Slorepee, there to consult on amphibious planning, bade farewell to LTGEN Cakmak who sailed out in command with HQ 1st Corps, in charge of four Soviet EF infantry divisions.
But MAJ Kenny ‘Wraith’ Loggins did not sail with the fleet: due to an oversight of Soviet Five Year Plan proportions, the Turkish-American Marine Corps had been left back in Beirut all this time, never having been ferried over after the successful invasion of Lebanon. They had been having a great time over there, far away from any fighting. The landings at Almería would need to be completed before the fleet made the transit trip back east to pick them up and return them to the Western Med.
Air Damage Report. Three more raids killed 383 Spanish troops in Valencia.
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10 Sep 44
At 8am, the invasion fleet was anchored off Almería and the troops began landing, with no opposition as yet by land, sea or air. The main Spanish fleet was still bottled up in Cartagena, monitored by the ‘Mk1 Eyeball’ Sub Flotilla – and a passing US carrier task force.
In the north, Calatyud fell to 3 Mot Div at 3pm and they raced on towards Madrid with no apparent opposition in front of them.
Then great news was received from Valencia that night: 4 Cav Div had eventually prevailed on their own, with the strong air support of 1 BG over four days of heavy fighting. They entered the city two hours later, dealing another blow Spain’s national morale. The battle for Tarazon continued unabated [42%].
Air Damage Report. The last three raids on Valencia killed 436 Spanish troop, making a total of 1,205 over four days of bombing. And far heavier than the Spanish ground casualties.
OTL Events: Europe.Luxembourg was liberated. RAF Bomber Command began Operation Paravane, another attack on the German battleshipTirpitzanchored in northern Norway. The U.S. 3rd Armored Division occupied St. Vith and reached the German border.
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11 Sep 44
A battle for Almazán was fought from the early morning until mid-afternoon. It would feature a Spanish bombing raid by two CAS wings on Calatyud, while 1 BG switched its efforts to support the attack on Tudela, which still dragged on.
Additional Turkish fighters were scrambled form Valencia that evening as the CAP of older fighters from 1 AG in Toulouse found its hands full trying to stop the raids, which actually did little damage on the ground.
In Almería, all the Soviet infantry of the invasion force was ashore without incident by 8am and they started spreading out to expand the beachhead as rapidly at the soldiers could march in the rugged terrain and poor weather (which wasn’t fast at all: around 0.71 kph). HQ 1st Corps (which was combat capable) would secure the port.
The Bombardment of Almería was a naval action which took place on 31 May 1937, during the Spanish Civil War.
In April 1937, the Non-intervention Committee established naval patrols in order to patrol the Spanish coasts and harbours. The naval patrols were furnished by Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
On 24 May 1937 two Republican bombers piloted by Russian pilots attacked the German pocket battleship Deutschland at Ibiza, killing 20-23 German sailors and wounding 73. Hitler wanted to declare war on the Republic, but instead ordered the Republican city of Almería to be shelled.
At dawn on 31 May 1937, the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer and four German destroyers attacked the city of Almería. The German ships fired 200 shells at the town, killing 19-20 civilians, wounding 50 and destroying 35 buildings. Indalecio Prieto, the Republican Minister of Defence wanted to attack the German fleet, but the President Manuel Azaña and the Prime Minister Juan Negrin were opposed to Prieto's plan because an open war against Germany might have brought the annihilation of the Republic. Negrin and Azaña sent protest notes to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations and to the French and the British governments. However, the British and the French governments said that the German attack had been justified.
Now, more than seven years later, with the Germans Comintern members as the DDR, Turkish-led Soviet troops have liberated Almería without needing to fire a shot.
The Turkish invasion fleet then set sail for Beirut, to pick up the very well rested and refreshed 1st Marine Corps.
That night, with the delivery of many new transport freighters, all Turkish convoy management was reopened under autonomous control of the War Ministry – just in time to support the naval landings in Spain, which would include a supply run for Almería. After all resource and supply requirements were met, there were still another 30 transports spare.
Air Damage Report. Three raids on Tarazona killed 375 Spanish defenders, as the ground battle for it raged on.
OTL Events: Europe. The reordering of Eastern Europe by the Soviets continued, with Communist leader Bolesław Bierut assuming the presidency of a new provisional government of Poland.
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12 Sep 44
Turkish leadership and research capacity received a boost, with education practices improving. Effort was directed into a bold (for Turkey) new area of research: carrier aircraft development, which could lead eventually to an indigenous carrier design, as they could not be purchased on license.
Air Damage Report. Another three raids killed a huge (for the Turkish TAC arm in this ATL, anyway) 478 Spanish defenders in Tarazona that day.
OTL Events: Europe. Romania signed an armistice with the Allies in Moscow. Romania agreed to provide twelve divisions to fight Germany, provide goods and raw materials to the USSR, ban all fascist organizations and revert to their 1940 borders. The Soviet Union took control of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. About 12,000 German troops surrendered as the First Canadian Army captured Le Havre.
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13 Sep 44
Almazán was taken early in the morning as the interrupted advance on Madrid by 1 Mot Div would be delayed another day as they reorganised. The fighting in Tarazona went on, as the odds gradually shifted in Turkey’s favour.
The two F4F INT wings of 3 AG were ‘reserve hopped’ forward from Barcelona to Valencia at 4am as the air base there became operational again, to provide forward air support for the advancing troops.
3 Cav Div was in Molina de Aragón by 11am as it widened the push for Madrid, but was now making slower time in the mountainous terrain.
Late that night, fighter support in the south was switched from Oran to Casablanca: this would provide cover over a larger area of southern Spain – including the larger Spanish port of Cadiz and the Spanish air base at Seville.
Air Damage Report. Three raids that day killed 240 more Spanish soldiers in Tarazona.
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14 Sep 44
The battle for Tarazona – one of the toughest for Turkey so far in the campaign – was finally won by 9 Inf Div that morning. It was occupied by 10am but, given no time to rest, MAJGEN Özdülek’s men were soon attacking the next objective in Ágreda – yet another tough fight.
Three hours later, a probe by 3 Inf Div on Tudela found only exhausted Spanish troops unable to offer any resistance. 3 Cav Div continued to advance towards Madrid parallel to 1 Mot Div, which was also on the move again.
Air Damage Report. The last raid on Tarazona that morning killed 140 defenders, bringing the total to 1,233 since the mission began on 11 September. 1 BG rested and repaired for the rest of the day.
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15 Sep 44
A useful doctrinal advance was made by the Turkish Army to give a boost to the effectiveness of their armoured forces. Complementary research (aided by DDR advisers) began on blitzkrieg tactics.
At 3am, the 1st Marine Corps was picked up in Beirut and began their voyage to be rebased in Tánger, where MAJ Loggins and Professor Slorepee had now relocated. Whether the next amphibious objective would be Cadiz, Malaga or some other destination was yet to be determined. Cennet was soon on the move west, to help scout landing site options.
The diplomatic case containing the Veronica Lake glass arrived back at the Foreign Ministry in Ankara that afternoon and was sent off to the grim S.I.T.H. building. Cennet had earlier mentioned a theory she had and now Ögel’s technicians would conduct an expert forensic analysis of the glass.
Air Damage Report. Raids began that night on Spanish defensive positions in Ágreda, where fighting continued throughout the day. The initial raid killed 157 enemy soldiers.
OTL Events: Finland. The Lapland War began between Germany and Finland.The Germans carried out Operation Tanne Ost to capture the Finnish island of Suursaari before it could fall into Soviet hands. The operation was a complete failure for the Germans with the Finns taking 1,231 prisoners.
OTL Event: France. The French provisional government in Paris said it would try Vichy war criminals and issued warrants for the arrests of Philippe Pétain and his cabinet.
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Coming Up: The recent dramatic events in Los Angeles seem to have concluded – or have they? What is going on about that glass that Veronica Lake had been holding and what is Cennet’s theory? Will Durden have any luck hunting down Fascist lackeys in Spain? And will La Pasionara have her final revenge and how long might that take?
Rumours buzz about the possible next amphibious target in Spain as the Turks try to wrap up the campaign as quickly as possible. They want to celebrate Victory in Europe Day, while the Soviets and Allies still struggle on against the Japanese in Asia. Can a peace conference be convened while that part of the anti-Fascist War still rages on?
