Chapter 27: Weeks 47 - 52 - The End of the Allied Powers
Due to China's rejection of both aid from the United States and the Soviet Union, in addition to years of military build up and preparations by the Reich's advisers, von Ribbentrop was told to notify Japanese ambassador Ōshima that the Reich was unable to recognize Manchukuo and would continue to support the Republic of China. Ōshima was greatly insulted, as for the previous 4 years von Ribbentrop had been pressing for Hitler to abandon his support for China. However, Hitler and the other cabinet members felt that while China would most likely be unable to attack Japan itself, China was more than capable of pushing Japan out of the Asian continent. Only time would tell if their predictions were accurate.
On the Scottish front, by April 27th, Armee 1 had made significant progress in its attack against Scapa Flow. By May 5th, the islands surrounding the harbor had been taken, prompting the surviving RN fleet to flee. However, Admiral Raeder's Flotte 1 was in position for such an attempt. On May 6th at 15:00, Flotte 1 engaged the RN fleet led by Admiral Cunningham, with II. Fliegerkorps providing air support. Six hours later, Cunningham had managed to break through the blockade and headed north toward Orkney Islands, but not without losing 10 destroyers and the HMS Revenge. Raeder immediately regrouped and pursued, despite the damage the KMS Köln received. Because most of his destroyers were crippled, he ordered the flotilla to return to Scapa Flow for repairs.
The Battle of Moray Firth
Eight hours later, in the early hours of May 7, Flotte 1 encountered the rear elements of Admiral Cunningham's fleet. The RN, tired, demoralized, and out of supplies, lost the battleship HMS Warspite and 10 more destroyers, before the fled into the protection of the harbor. This was to be the last major engagement between the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine.
The final engagement between the KM and RN fleets
On May 1, 1941, after paratroopers landed in Lyon, 9 French divisions were captured north of the city of Vichy, and Vichy itself falling into the Reich's control, France's government fled Europe to reorganize in Africa. However, not every member of the French government fled, and Philippe Pétain remained behind and formed a new government, one which sought peace with Germany. The Reich accepted Pétain's offer, and the French Republic ceased to exist, being replaced by the French State. Once the former cabinet members and military commanders arrived in French Equatorial Africa, they were arrested and executed as traitors.
The terms of the French Armistice were harsh, with Germany and Italy occupying territory outside of the so-called "French Zone" in the south until the war was concluded. After the UK was defeated, which all parties agreed would happen soon, Germany would annex completely Eastern and Northeastern France, as well as several naval bases along the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean, but would return the rest of France. Italy would be granted Corsica, Tunisia, and everything south and east of the river Rhone, while giving up its conquests in Algeria. Germany wished to inflict upon France the humiliation it had suffered under the Treaty of Versailles, and partition the nation is such a way as to ensure German and Italian domination of Europe. Unlike the United Kingdom, France would remain an independent sovereign nation if it accepted the terms of the armistice.
France sues for peace, settling for governing its colonies and the south until the war ended
On May 9, revolutionaries in Iraq deposed the UK-backed government. Seeking legitimacy and outside support, the new government, led by Rashid Aali al-Gaylani, asked for support from Germany and the Axis. The Reich and Italy, seeing the opportunity to create another front against the UK's colonial forces arrayed against Italy, accepted Iraq into the Axis powers. The remnants of the UK's government, feeling that the situation could be reversed by its colonial forces, declared war on Iraq.
Germany accepts Iraq into the Axis Powers
On May 24, 1940, the Reich began Unternehmen Felix: the invasion of Gibraltar. The four marine divisions of the Kriegsmarine had fully recovered from their battles in France, and with the support of Flotte 1, began the assault upon the mountain. The invasion lasted a mere two days, due to the defenders having run out of food and other supplies weeks earlier.
The Reich manages to capture the crucial city of Gibraltar in two days
Following the success of Unternehmen Felix, the Reich performed the airborne Unternehmen Herkules in Malta on May 29. The battle lasted two days, with the loss of 150 paratroopers. Again, the Maltan defenders were poorly fed and lacking good ammunition. With its homeland gone and the loss of two of its 4 major naval bases, it was only a matter of time until the UK surrendered.
Unternehmen Herkules is successful, with lower than expected casualties
The day after the Battle of Malta began, Italy declared war on Greece after months of negotiations. Italian fascist dictator Mussolini wanted to prove his worth to the alliance. However, rather than redouble efforts to regain areas of Libya, Mussolini declared war on Greece, despite having only a division of militia located in Albania. To the Reich, Italy's dictator was clearly either mad or worryingly incompetent. For its part, the UK felt that it could still help Greece, and brought Greece into the Allied Powers.
Italy attacks Greece after months of provocations. Unfortunately Italy didn't have any troops in place to begin the invasion
On June 2nd, both Jordan and Kuwait were occupied by Iraq, who was proving to be much more useful and ally than Italy. However, both nation's governments fled to Africa, in the hopes that the UK could aid them.
Jordan and Kuwait (not shown) are occupied by Iraq
On June 3, the remaining Luftwaffe paratroopers land and retake the Libyan port of Tobruk. While a minor accomplishment in itself, the repercussions of the operation would be felt 2 days later.
The Reich retakes the Libyan city of Tobruk
On June 5th, 1940, the United Kingdom surrendered to the German Reich. This day will be forever remembered as a day of ultimate triumph, and the end of the War in the West. Many people across the globe wept in joy, while many others wept in sorrow. All of the UK's semi-autonomous colonies were finally free from their colonial masters, and two new nations arose from the chaos: Cyprus and Jamaica. During the chaos caused by the sudden surrender, Canada quickly occupied all UK and Dutch land in the Americas, while Australia quickly took control of the naval bases in the Pacific and the city of Hong Kong. Malaya took over Singapore, Yemen reoccupied the southern portion of its own country as well as the island of Socotra, and Indonesia became an independent nation.
As per the terms of the UK surrender, the areas taken over by other nations would remain under their control for the immediate future, in order to allow nations not involved in the war to assert their own territorial claims at a later date. The UK's former colonies would cease any hostile acts, and the Commonwealth nations would withdraw and sign a peace treaty. South Africa's treaty stipulated that Germany would give it custodianship over Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, and Burundi.
The war was over, for the time being. The two major nations that caused Germany's defeat and subsequent humiliation had been utterly crushed and defeated. All that remained was the negotiations and transfer of the UK's and France's former territory. Italy, however, remained at war with Greece, and the conflict had yet to be resolved.
The United Kingdom surrenders, ending the war.