• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Enewald said:
A desperate situation for everyone in the west. :p

It seems to me that the Allies will keep coming until their is no one left too send over to Fortress Europa, and at the same time I don't have the numbers to defend all of France, Belgium and Holland from the Allies and then there's the Russians in Poland with some 500 divs to my 250, and its not a 2:1 ratio since most of their units are full strength and mine are still half-strengthed.
 
TheEnlighted1 said:
@Laurwin:Thanks, I'm happy to see the AI hasn't just done this too me. Well I haven't beaten back the Soviets at all I've been retreating to Central Poland where I'll hold the lines and build up during the winter and return to Russia in the Spring with the might of Germany, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. And any advice is welcome noting we're still in 1944.

i'd suggest building extra cas and bombing the snot out of those roaming small allied corps. then i'd send some submarines under dönitz to block, or maybe even start convoy raiding the area around these dutch harbours. Dönitz will keep em occupied, just put something like 30 subs under him there :D. The allies might even save their retreating units by transports so doing some TAC naval bombing might prove fruitful.

Like i said, strat deploying right into the enemy lines allows you to teleport those units immediately to BErlin after the said province is overrun, that would bring the reinforcements a bit sooner, should you need them from the eastern front. But its a bit gamey eh? The allies got a rather nasty surprise in my götterdämmerung game as they captured wilhelmshafen, 30 divisions of mine popped into berlin instantly :D

Its always a priority to push for their supply depots along the coastline, and encircle&destroy them inland, especially with this reckless invasion of the Netherlands! Show them the might of the axis war machine! ;)
 
A City Too Far

Plan of Action

dhm1196.jpg



The German Army advanced swiftly in the south under the new leadership of Field Marshal Paul Hausser commander of the Southern Front and from his Headquarters at Cologne he ordered his troops to hold the bridge at Dusseldorf, held by crack SS soldiers and the regular Heer moved to Aachen on the orders of Field Marshal Rommel. The German plan of action called for the movement of soldiers north to Aachen, while holding Dusseldorf and for Model's forces to sweep into Dortmund all in a matter of two days so that the three Allied divisions in Essen would be cut-off. Ofcourse making the offenisve work was going to be a problem. In Model's Army was only five divisions: four infantry and one badly dinged up Panzerdivision. To make matters worse they must also hold out against Patton's Army in Holland preparing to brake Wilhelmshaffen. In the south Hausser holds one SS-Panzerdivision at Dusseldorf and advancing to Aachen are three infantry divisions and a weak motorized division readying to attack the British XXXI Corps of three divisions. Holding out at Essen are two SS-divisions of the III-SS Panzercorps and the OKW Reserves which are utterly useless for any action. The Allies hold three divisions at Aachen, three at Essen, two in Dortmund and at least another ten in Belgium and Holland, either way Rommel orders the attack, the Reich must be saved even if it means the death of thousands of soldiers for only a few miles of land.

On the road to Aachen the British were caught completely offguard by the rapid German advance and they took heavy losses in the process. The British forces were forced to pull out. Nearby an old farmhouse several British soldiers enter into a world of hell with the Germans heading straight for them.

"There, look to your right."

"What?"

"Panzer! Get down!!"

A Tiger rips through a red German farmhouse and fires into the British lines, the infantry begins to scatter at the sight of German armoured units. The British move back into the central citadel and the Germans are reluctant to fire on such important German buildings, a German officer walks up to the British commander in the citadel and negotiated a surrender with. Aachen was back in German hands and the British XXXII Corps in Belgium was no longer moving south, they're on the move to the Rhine with the tanks and infantry. German soldiers finally have won a battle in this new front. One although small gives a major boost of morale and confidence.

~ Dortmund Germany, Model's Headquarters.

"Nein! Feldmarshcal Rommel, I want to speak to feldmarshcal Rommel."

A German officer walks in. "Patton has begun to cross into our lines at Wilhelmshafen, there's not much we can do is there? They're trying to brake the Essen Pocket."

"Nein. Patton is on a glory run, he's heading for Kiel and Hanover, if he reaches these cities then the no one can stop him from reaching Berlin. We must deploy to the north. Send the panzers north, let them deal with Patton's forces. Tell General Rendulic to hold until the last man."

"Ofcourse generalfeldmarshcal. Is there anything else?"

"Nein."

~Essen, Germany.

Colonel Schneider welcomes the arrival of General Heissmeyer. He gives an overview of the maps and current situation of the front at Essen. With the arrival of the III-SS Panzercorps the Essen Pocket will be destroyed as it is now only a matter of time. The Germans under Schneider broke into the city yesterday with the assault of two Tigers which were unstopable, now the situation in Amsterdam grows dim.

Montgomery gets the news of the current front and is unsure what to do, he with nearly all objectives taken, primarily the Essen Bridge, and the XXXII Corps ready to take Dusseldorf Bridge, the road into the Rhine is open. Now the only question is how long will the Essen Garrison hold? And how long will it take for the XXXII and the US Third Corps take too brake the encirclement and arrive at Essen and cross into the Rhine and win the war?
 
Laurwin said:
i'd suggest building extra cas and bombing the snot out of those roaming small allied corps. then i'd send some submarines under dönitz to block, or maybe even start convoy raiding the area around these dutch harbours. Dönitz will keep em occupied, just put something like 30 subs under him there :D. The allies might even save their retreating units by transports so doing some TAC naval bombing might prove fruitful.

Like i said, strat deploying right into the enemy lines allows you to teleport those units immediately to BErlin after the said province is overrun, that would bring the reinforcements a bit sooner, should you need them from the eastern front. But its a bit gamey eh? The allies got a rather nasty surprise in my götterdämmerung game as they captured wilhelmshafen, 30 divisions of mine popped into berlin instantly :D

Its always a priority to push for their supply depots along the coastline, and encircle&destroy them inland, especially with this reckless invasion of the Netherlands! Show them the might of the axis war machine! ;)

You surely know what to do, the problem is that my Submarine Fleet is dormant being bombed by the US and British Carriers. I'm not risking the Kreigsmarine in a major engagment with those bloody carriers. My plan is to strike them down in a frontal war in Germany and push with the II-SS Panzercorps from France all the way to Amsterdam.


I have no CAS units or TACs and NAVs under construction, land units is my priority at the time. I have a declining IC Base and most of my current TAC's and CAS units are understrengthed thanks too my efforts too keep those nasty bombers out of the skies.

I do have the French Subs raiding the Lowlands coast and hopefully they don't run into those CV's.
 
A City Too Far

The Essen Circle

stug-italy.jpg


German soldiers were moving swiftly across the Rhine River and entering Essen through all possible corners. The SS soldiers constructed a pontoon bridge and a small cheaply made metal bridge to accomidate the main bridge at Essen. The Germans began entering the city against the fierce Allied resistance. The Allies in and around Essen were in a desperate situation. The British had the 1st Airborne Division inside and all around Essen. The British 3rd Infantry were scattered along the river Rhine holding out against the 10th SS-Panzer division attempting to brake through and encircle the city itself. The 24th American Airborne Division was on moving to the city of Essen but encountered elements of the 10th SS-Panzer division already across the Rhine and halted the American advance. Now the battle plan for the Allies around Essen was to reach the river and seize the bridge and wait for the XXXII Corps to reach and releave them.

The sun was out high on this morning, September 2, 1944. Operation was officially under its fourth day of operation and by the seventh day it was supposed to end with the Allies holding the bridges across the Rhine. The British were now looking at their maps, the bridges were under their control, all except for the one at Dusseldorf which was now crucial for the XXXII Corps to reach Essen and releave the besieged divisions. In the city itself German soldiers walked through the streets with their panzers and armoured cars looking for anyone to eliminate. The main division of 1st Airborne was situated at the southern end of the city and the Germans held the center cutting off the division from the two battalions commanded by Major Harolds as their their colonel was stuck at the southern end with several other companies of the two battalions.

Walking down the street, British soldiers watched the Germans walk straight towards them.

"So do you think the English know what's about to hit them?" questioned one soldier to another.

"No, they have no idea that the the "Das Reich" division is about to slam into the city and force all troops to capitulate."

The soldiers walk pass a house where the British soldiers are in, they look cautiously out the window until the soldiers pass and then they move out into the streets and cross into the alleys. The people of Essen are deeply divided in who to support, the German Army and Hitler, or the Allies. Half of the people are loyal to the Reich while the others will take no side or support the Allies rather than the belligerent Hitler. The British soldiers cross into the alleys where a StuG. III appears in the roads with several soldiers atop of it, the Germans have taken control of city and the British can do nothing about it, only wait for either Patton or the XXXII Corps to releave them. The British soldiers look at the tank and look back at each other, "We're surrounded."

The German Colonel Scneider looks at the two panzers preparing to cross the bridge. He looks up at the panzer commanders and gives them the sign to move across the bridge. The panzers begin to advance across the bridge and the British paratroopers ready their weapons for the German assault, this time the panzers won't fail to cross the bridge.

"Major Harolds, they're coming again. Probably another infantry assault."

"Alright, sergeant. I'm coming up."

"Major Harolds, look across the bridge, it sounds like more trucks and halftracks."

"Captain, don't you think if it failed before, why would they attempt that kind of attack again, they don't have the manpower to continue such assaults...Take Cover!"

The two panzers aim their weapons and begin to pound the nearby buildings along the river. The British soldiers hide in their buildings.

"Aim at the hotel. Take out the second floor. Fire!" The Panzer knocks out the second floor of the hotel and the insides becomes open for the MG-42's and the soldiers inside rush for more cover as the two tanks begin to cross the final parts of the bridge.

"Bring up the PIAT, aim for the rear."

The shot nails the tank but does little. The Germans have encircle the 1st Airborne and the other two divisions will soon be encircled as well.

~Rommel's HQ.

"Herr, feldmarschal. News from Dortmund, Model has completed the encirclement of all Allied forces inside the Essen area, three divisions are now in the process of being destroyed."

"Herr General, get me my jacket, I'm going up to the front."
 
Last edited:
Intermission

Intermission: Looking Back on 1944.


1944 was a tumoltious year for the reich. In the east, after the defeat at Kursk in 1943, the glorious armies of the wehrmacht were steadily pushed back and in 1944 the Soviets launched Operation Bagration which totally kicked the German invaders out of the motherland and into Poland.

When the Allies landed in Normandy, France became a battlefield nightmare and no one got any rest on any side as war was fought every second, every minute and every hour until the Allies were finally thrown out of the area. Just as sudden the Allies launched Operation Dragoon in Southern France and today still hold onto some areas in France, cut-off though they are harmless and only a few divisions of the Heer sit keeping them in check.

The Allied Air campaign came too a rest in November of 1944, most of the Allied bombers were destroyed or disorganized and it called an end to the Allied Strategic bombing campaign, ofcourse the Luftwaffe payed dearly. Five Interceptor and Fighter divsions were totally lost and no Luftwaffe Air Squadron or division holds more than half of their original strength the Luftwaffe is all but reduced to smuldering heeps of burnt metal and the Industry is doing little to replace it still concerned about ground forces.

Operation Market Garden turned into Operation Wallenstein and the Allies nearly won the war and if it wasn't for the leadership of Erwin Rommel the Allies may have crossed into Berlin by Christmas bringing and end to the war, the end of the Allies in Western Europe will be completed in A CITY TOO FAR.

Now 1945 is upon the Reich, historically this year was the last of the "Thousand Year" Reich and the Heer turns their attention back to the east where Field Marshals: von Rundstedt, von Manstein, Rommel, List, Kesselring and the newly promoted field marshals Guderian and Geyr von Schweppenburg plan the invasion of Russia once again, this time the Germans will not fail like they did in 1941. Will the German Reich become the dominant power in Europe once again or will the Red Banner of Communism fly over Europe? 1945 will be the most crucial year of the war.

s1.jpg

The Eastern Front. March 27, 1945.
 
So, is the West under control?

Let's see what comes from the East...
 
Kurt_Steiner said:
So, is the West under control?

Let's see what comes from the East...

Yes the West is under control by the Wehrmacht. But hopefully they don't land again I still don't have many units in France, maybe 25? or 30? The rest are ready to strike down the Soviets.
 
Enewald said:
Uh, so a hard fight in France.

Now it is time to kick the soviets into siberia. Hopefully. :p

The Eastern Front has two options: Either we lose the war in this last major effort to gain victory from defeat or we win. Annexation of the Soviets will be the only option for victory. No Bitter Peace!
 
TheEnlighted1 said:
The Eastern Front has two options: Either we lose the war in this last major effort to gain victory from defeat or we win. Annexation of the Soviets will be the only option for victory. No Bitter Peace!


But BP would at least be semi-realistic.


Btw, have you ever read Fatherland by Robert Harris?
 
trekaddict said:
Btw, have you ever read Fatherland by Robert Harris?

I've never found his AH realistic. I simply don't think that Germany could occupy most of European Russia for 20 years.
 
@Trekaddict: BP would be more realistic ofcourse but the goals here are to bring Germany as the victors in WWII and bring about the Cold War, Allies vs. Axis. And about Fatherland by Harris. Not really a little bit but not much. Anyways I'm not sure if the Soviets would have bitter peace in 1945 after all the death and carnage that Germany had put upon USSR historically.

@Winner: I don't think I could occupy European Russia for 20 years either. But who ever said anthing about occupation. A National Socialist Russia could be a powerful German Ally for the Cold War wouldn't you think. Ofcourse with Hitler in charge a free Russia is also non-realistic, even with Vlassov leading it.
 
A City Too Far

Closing In

germaninf4.jpg


Through the rubble of the carnage on the bridge at Essen a lone German officer walks forward waving a white flag towards the British holding the other side of the bridge. The British Captain Thomas watches from the top of the hotel and hollars down stairs for Major Harolds who is staying with some of the wounded soldiers not able to get to a field hospital. Inside a German doctor, Julius Raab talks with the colonel and tells him that he came from the 1st Airborne HQ clear on the otherside of town. He is sent back with the message of ammunition and reserves needed to hold the bridge. Major Harolds hears the call from Captain Thomas above and walks up to the top roof where the two officers stare down at the lone German officer.

"A very interesting development sir," says Cpt. Thomas to Maj. Harolds. The German officer continues forward. "That's far enough, we can hear you from there!"

"My general says there is no reason to continue this battle. He is willing to discuss a surrender."

The Captain looks at Major Harolds who simply puts it, "Tell him to go to hell!"

"We don't have the proper ammount of soldiers to take you all prisoner. Sorry!"

The German officer is stunned and his eyes grow wide and face in astounishment, "What!?"

"A battalion taking a whole panzercorps prisoner. We would never be able to watch all of you guys." The German officer is speechless. "Is there anything else?"

The German officer turns about and begins to walk back to the German side of the bridge. The British officers walk back done, Major Harolds looks at Captain Thomas, "Splendid," he says with a small grin on his face and heads back downs stairs.

The German officer walks over to General Heissmeyer's command car on the road below the bridge. The German Panzercorps is in full strength now. Soldiers and tanks are marching all around the bridge and the officer opens the door to the car, "Nein general. What now?"

General Heissmeyer looks bluntly over the river at the battered buildings under British control and calmly answers, "Flatten Essen."

"Our own city?"

"Flatten Essen..."

German panzers began to cross the bridge and pounded the buildings on the otherside. Soldier and grenadiers poured into every building and home looking for British soldiers. The British were putting up stiff resistance but in despite tow battalions against three full divisions of elite SS-Panzertroops was a fruitless attempt. The city was slowly falling back into German hands and the British were unable to do a thing to stop them.

In the HQ near Dusseldorf news about the carnage going on at Essen reaches the British Command and they begin to devise a plan to reach Essen. The British at Dusseldorf watch the river and bridge only feet infront of them and their infantry is miles back and don't dare to cross the bridge fearing the tanks becoming easy targets for the German soldiers.

~General Decker's HQ. Dusseldorf, Germany.

"Herr feldmarschall. The Allies seem to be preparing to cross the bridge and get to Essen and releave their encircled comrades there. It looks like they're going to cross the river with an amphibious assault."

Field Marshal Model responds, "It will fail."

"Ofcourse it will, but if it doesn't. I ask to blow the bridge."

"Out of the question."

"Then let me speak to Field Marshal Rommel."

"I just got done speaking with Rommel. You're under my direct control and I'm telling you not to blow the bridge, even if Rommel said yes you still couldn't blow the bridge. Hitler wants these bridges for our counterattack."

"Ofcourse herr feldmarschall." Decker looks out at the bridge and back at his officers, "Are the charges set?"

"Ja! Herr general. Oberst Ludwig waits for the orders."

"Good, when the first British tanks begin crossing the bridge, I'll blow it to the skies. They must not reach Essen or the war will be lost."
 
@HKslan: 3 of about 12-15 Allied divs in Holland, Germany and Belgium.

@ Enewald: Ofcourse, now some of the story is made in mind rather than in game but it's a simple front. I hold Aachen, Cologne (Dusseldorf) and Dortmund and have surrounded the Allies in Essen. Besides this, we have random divisions all over the place to make the story a bit more realistic.
 
A City Too Far

The Essen Serpent

panzer100.jpg


General Heissmeyer has ordered the long awaited and final push into the city of Essen itself. The entire III-SS Panzercorps presses into the city occupied by their defenders, in the rubble on the bridge the British soldiers have a nightmare on their hands, two panzerdivisions and one SS Panzergrenadier division are storming into the city at all points strangling the 1st Airborne Divison into little pieces. The most fierce battles within the city begin to take place along the Essen Bridge itself where the British soldiers led by Major Harolds orders all soldiers to fight 'till the death and take as many Germans with them.

On a corner street inside the city British soldiers stand beside a store shop firing at the advancing German grenadiers and the street begins to rumble and shake like an earthquake knocking some of the British Para's from their feet and a German Tiger Tank rips through the store and pauses directly infront of two British soldiers now beneath the massive German war machine, the tank fires into a nearby building obliterating it and the city of Essen is unrecognizable, ruins lay the every inch of the city and the British and Germans are now engaged in fierce life and death combat in the streets and houses of Essen, Germany.

"Sergeant, cover me I'm coming forward!" shouts Major Harolds. The Major rushes across the street with his right arm covering his head as he runs to the sergeant in the nearby subway station. When he reaches he's out of breathe and covered in ruins and debris, "What's the situation sergeant?"

"Doctor Raab wants to speak to you downstairs."

"Is that it?"

"Yes major."

Major Harolds walks downs the subway entry and looks inside for the doctor, inside the walls are stained with blood and floor covered by fallen soldiers both wounded and dead. The medics are overwhelmed and Dr. Raab in his white shirt worn beneathe his suit is drenched in red blood and his hands cluching a pair of medical scissors no longer a shiny silver but a pale red coloring with small drips falling from it, the doctor walks over to the major and begins to inform him on the situation.

"Major Harolds," sighs Dr. Raab, "you know why I called you down here. We don't have the room space or the supplies to care for all the wounded. In cramped area and spacing the soldiers don't stand a chance," he sighs again and swipes the blood and sweat from his forhead. "I ask that I may go to the Germans and talk to them, a captured soldier as you know stands much more of a chance to survive than the wounded do currently in these places."

The major looks at the soldiers, eyes covered and bandages turned red, heads cracked, legs torn open and the cries of many screaming out for aid and attention in the carnage of the battle. Doctor Raab looks at the major and asks calmly, "Do I have a yes?"

"You can try, I cannot gurantee anything from the Germans however."

"It's better than just sitting here sir."

"Sergeant Perry," yells the major, "go with Dr. Raab. Now!"

Sgt. Perry walks up and obliges and whispers in the Harolds ear, "Captain Thomas wants to talk to you sir. Overthere sir," he points in the direction of the injured captain.

"What is it Tommy?"

"Let me go back out to the fight sir, I must be beside my boys."

"Tommy," sighs Major Harolds, "Your entire company is gone Tommy, no one is left."

"My entire company?"

"Every single fourty-five of them Tommy."

The captain clings onto his bandage covering his eyes, his face mostly unrecognizable, his golden hair stained dark black and red. "Well at least they went down fighting. Major..."

"Please Tommy, call me Jim."

"Jim, I always wanted too say its been a pleasure serving with you and I am sad too know that I will not see England again with you."

The Major laughs, "What are you talking about Tommy? You know, you've been one of my few friends I always knew would be beside me through this war. It's been more of an honor to serve with you."

"Don't say that Jim, you've been the one everyone looked to, from Sicily to Normandy, from Normandy to Eindhoven, from Eindhoven to Essen."

"Tommy? Tommy? Tommy?"

The captain sluched over his side, not moving, not breathing. Major James "Jim" Harolds begins to cry and stands up and exits the subway medical station. Outside he looks at Corporal Smith standing in the hotel doorway. "Smitty! I'm coming back!" Jim runs across the pavement full of rabble and is knocked down by an eighty-eight across the streets. He screams in pains and is dragged off the street by his soldiers.

Around the bend A German Panzer and their grenadiers push towards a local bakery with grenades and explosives going off every second on the street. The British soldiers behind rubble stand up and charge the Germans in a last-ditch effort for victory. The rushing British soldiers cause the grenadiers to run back firing their weapons in retreat, the British have only stopped the inevitable from happening. The Germans cannot be stopped for much longer.

~ Colonel Schneider's Command Post. Essen, Germany.

"Please colonel, I beg you to take in our wounded."

"Doctor, please tell me how much they paid you to turn against your own people?"

"That's not the question, if you don't take in the wounded... they will all die."

"Doctor Raab, you do realize there is something of a war going on, and right now doctor. We are in the process of winning it."

"Please sir."

"Impossible."

"It would be very possible if you would just say yes."

"In war, only one side can win. Right now, we are winning this war."

"Winning or lossing is not our concern. Living or dying is. One hour? Then you can butcher us all you want after that."

Field Marshal Rommel walks into the room with General Heissmeyer. Dressed in his dark black jacket he calls over the colonel. Schneider and Rommel walk to the doctor. Schneider speaks again, "One hour," and walks out. Rommel walks to the doctor and shakes his hand.

"Talk too your commanders, tell them there is no reason to fight and die any longer, I don't want to slaughter all of these brave Englishmen..."
 
Last edited: