Watch for those Panzers in Caen, they look like they're trying to swing around and take Paris unopposed. Assuming they win that battle, of course.
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Its looking fairly grim, Pru - but Im sure you can pull it off. And even if you cant, it'll be one of the most exquisitely well-written defeats thus far - but let us not dwell on things that simply arent going to happen.
Loved the speech of Laval's. Very Churchill-ian.
Loved the speech of Laval's. Very Churchill-ian.
Very nice speech...
Hope france wins that large battle , your troop numbers look mighty thin...desperate times indeed...
Hope france wins that large battle , your troop numbers look mighty thin...desperate times indeed...
Germans march from Rouen
Paris will fall to Rommel.
Will Amiens hold?
Didn't you fortify amiens?
Paris will fall to Rommel.
Will Amiens hold?
Didn't you fortify amiens?
Thanks for the compliments, all.
Balk- All or nothing. I lose this battle and it's good night.
Benson- never thought I'd hear reminiscences about Eindhoven!
Faeelin- Amiens is completely unfortified. The Germans slammed through Maginot Nord with ridiculous ease. Hopefully the rivers will provide some help.
The tension mounts!
Balk- All or nothing. I lose this battle and it's good night.
Benson- never thought I'd hear reminiscences about Eindhoven!
Faeelin- Amiens is completely unfortified. The Germans slammed through Maginot Nord with ridiculous ease. Hopefully the rivers will provide some help.
The tension mounts!
loved the speexh and seeing German troops on French soil makes me sad. c'mon push them back!!!
1st question, did u foritfy your border wiht Spain as a last hold out, i did that and by the time the germans broke the linei had lvl 6 forts,
and my 2nd question, is that all the army you have left?
also great speach, it made me want to fight the nazi horde, but then i realized im only 18 and i live in the suburbs of Seattle
and my 2nd question, is that all the army you have left?
also great speach, it made me want to fight the nazi horde, but then i realized im only 18 and i live in the suburbs of Seattle
Faeelin- Perhaps I am!
Seidita- Perhaps I will!
M1178- No, I didn't. Couping Franco was the end of my forethought in Spain. And yes, that is all the army I have left, with the exception of 100,000 men in the Italian Alps.
Seidita- Perhaps I will!
M1178- No, I didn't. Couping Franco was the end of my forethought in Spain. And yes, that is all the army I have left, with the exception of 100,000 men in the Italian Alps.
December 1, 1942
The Battle of Amiens, pt. 1
At the beginning of the Battle of Amiens, 260,000 French soldiers were in the city, barely entrenched and unready for a major offensive. Rommel's original plan called for the encirclement of Amiens, which would have allowed the Wehrmacht to maraud at will through northern France. Hitler personally overrode this, calling for the complete annihilation of the French Army. While Rommel had an incredible opportunity to accomplish this very thing, his forces were spread along a front 200 kilometers wide. His main force under Keitel was sent to attack the French and pin them down.
Field Marshal Juin had overall command, with his 120,000 men along the left and center. Field Marshal Gamelin had 90,000 men on the right, and Field Marshal de Gaulle, recalled to Paris to defend his conduct of the Italian campaign, was relegated to commanding the 50,000 men of the reserve, raw recruits from the Maginot fortifications.
On December 1, Keitel struck the French lines with 210,000 men, including 200 Panzer IIIs. This armored spearhead broke through the French center, inflicting heavy casualties. Keitel immediately moved to follow this up, attempting to separate Gamelin's command and destroy the French in detail. However, the weather slowed his advance and the Panzers were entangled in the northern suburbs of Amiens. Just as quickly as he had seemed to grasp victory, Keitel was now reeling in defeat, as his best forces in the spearhead were isolated from his main army. French saboteurs infiltrated the German lines posing as refugees, cutting lines of communication and attacking depots and field hospitals in the German rear. On December 5, Keitel launched a major thrust against the French center, trying to reestablish contact with his armor forces. The attack was repulsed with heavy losses, and Keitel retreated. The frozen ground prevented Keitel from entrenching, and his forces took further punishment from French artillery.
It was at this juncture that Field Marshal Von Beck arrived from Rouen. Rommel had directed Von Beck to attack the French rear, but Keitel was steadily giving ground, and Von Beck was given new orders to shore up the German right. Von Beck plowed into Juin's left flank, overrunning an entire division. The French pulled back to the outskirts of Amiens, but the Germans were unable to exploit this gain effectively.
On December 13, as the weather grew steadily worse and the opposing forces had gained a small respite, Rommel himself arrived with Armeegruppe B, 140,000 men and a fresh 300 Panzer III tanks. With this overwhelming force, he moved east of the city, hoping to drive a wedge between Gamelin and De Gaulle, and then to isolate Amiens from the rest of France. Rommel succeeded brilliantly, sectioning Gamelin's men into two pockets and driving nearly to the heart of Amiens. The Germans, now outnumbering the French two to one, began the steady process of extending their salients into a fence of steel.
-from A History of the Second World War, by Prof. Henry Kissinger
The Battle of Amiens, pt. 1
At the beginning of the Battle of Amiens, 260,000 French soldiers were in the city, barely entrenched and unready for a major offensive. Rommel's original plan called for the encirclement of Amiens, which would have allowed the Wehrmacht to maraud at will through northern France. Hitler personally overrode this, calling for the complete annihilation of the French Army. While Rommel had an incredible opportunity to accomplish this very thing, his forces were spread along a front 200 kilometers wide. His main force under Keitel was sent to attack the French and pin them down.
Field Marshal Juin had overall command, with his 120,000 men along the left and center. Field Marshal Gamelin had 90,000 men on the right, and Field Marshal de Gaulle, recalled to Paris to defend his conduct of the Italian campaign, was relegated to commanding the 50,000 men of the reserve, raw recruits from the Maginot fortifications.
On December 1, Keitel struck the French lines with 210,000 men, including 200 Panzer IIIs. This armored spearhead broke through the French center, inflicting heavy casualties. Keitel immediately moved to follow this up, attempting to separate Gamelin's command and destroy the French in detail. However, the weather slowed his advance and the Panzers were entangled in the northern suburbs of Amiens. Just as quickly as he had seemed to grasp victory, Keitel was now reeling in defeat, as his best forces in the spearhead were isolated from his main army. French saboteurs infiltrated the German lines posing as refugees, cutting lines of communication and attacking depots and field hospitals in the German rear. On December 5, Keitel launched a major thrust against the French center, trying to reestablish contact with his armor forces. The attack was repulsed with heavy losses, and Keitel retreated. The frozen ground prevented Keitel from entrenching, and his forces took further punishment from French artillery.
It was at this juncture that Field Marshal Von Beck arrived from Rouen. Rommel had directed Von Beck to attack the French rear, but Keitel was steadily giving ground, and Von Beck was given new orders to shore up the German right. Von Beck plowed into Juin's left flank, overrunning an entire division. The French pulled back to the outskirts of Amiens, but the Germans were unable to exploit this gain effectively.
On December 13, as the weather grew steadily worse and the opposing forces had gained a small respite, Rommel himself arrived with Armeegruppe B, 140,000 men and a fresh 300 Panzer III tanks. With this overwhelming force, he moved east of the city, hoping to drive a wedge between Gamelin and De Gaulle, and then to isolate Amiens from the rest of France. Rommel succeeded brilliantly, sectioning Gamelin's men into two pockets and driving nearly to the heart of Amiens. The Germans, now outnumbering the French two to one, began the steady process of extending their salients into a fence of steel.
-from A History of the Second World War, by Prof. Henry Kissinger
December 14, 1942
The Battle of Amiens, pt. 2
With Gamelin effectively out of combat, De Gaulle appeared at Juin's headquarters and proceeded to publicly berate the Field Marshal. After a vicious argument, De Gaulle returned to his headquarters and announced that he was abandoning Amiens. His 40,000 remaining men moved south, as Rommel continued to infiltrate the city.
The French situation was now critical. As the German crescent now began extending along the French left flank, Juin called for a fighting retreat. Block by block, he began pulling towards the southwest edge of the city, fighting ferociously. The Germans concentrated forces heavily in the center of Amiens, attempting to push simultaneously against Juin's forces and Gamelin's pockets in the eastern city.
On Christmas Day, the French position was dangerously close to collapse. While Gamelin's forces had fought ferociously, only 27,000 of the original 90,000 men were left, and even this depleted force was running low on supplies. De Gaulle was hors de combat, and Juin was steadily pulling out of the city. The Germans had lost 100,000 men, but they still had 300,000 in and around Amiens. Rommel sent messengers under flags of truce to Juin and Gamelin, both of whom refused to surrender.
That evening, the tide turned. De Gaulle returned, striking hard from the east and backed by another 60,000 fresh men from the Reims garrison. Rommel's forces, surrounding Gamelin, were now attacked savagely from the rear. While Rommel blunted this attack, his supply lines were disrupted. While he was replete with ammunition and fuel, Rommel was critically low on food. De Gaulle pressed his advantage unmercifully, and by New Year's Day he had linked up with Juin. The Germans now held Amiens as a poorly supplied salient. As Rommel shuffled his forces to the east, Gamelin led a breakout of his men, managing despite heavy losses to escape from the city. Rommel now had little choice, and radioed Berlin for permission to withdraw.
This permission was personally denied by Hitler. The only direction Rommel was allowed to go was forward.
However, Rommel's men were now on quarter rations. None of them had the energy to think of renewing the assault. This demoralization was completed when Juin managed to repel a fresh attack from Keitel, and completed the encirclement of Amiens. A month before, the Germans had held a two-to-one advantage. That advantage was now completely lost.
On January 10th, 1943, as the last of the German food supplies ran out, news came that the Soviets had broken the defensive lines in the east and poured into East Prussia. For the first time in the war, German soil was under attack. This proved too much for Rommel. At 8 pm, he gave his fateful Order No. 115, sounding the retreat. The Germans moved north, but the men no longer had the energy to fight. For every man who escaped, one was captured and one killed. Juin followed up the victory by recapturing Lille from the Slovak conscript garrison and surrounding three divisions of German motorized infantry in Caen, who rapidly surrendered.
The Battle of Amiens was over. While 177,000 French soldiers were killed, the Germans lost 410,000 men, and all possibility of an assault in the West was lost. The German panic spread through the thinned garrison ranks, and Juin was able to re-establish defensive lines in the Maginot du Nord. Rommel, summoned to Berlin for court-martial, committed suicide. The Germans had left French soil for good, and the war moved now into its final phase.
-from A History of the Second World War, by Prof. Henry Kissinger
The Battle of Amiens, pt. 2
With Gamelin effectively out of combat, De Gaulle appeared at Juin's headquarters and proceeded to publicly berate the Field Marshal. After a vicious argument, De Gaulle returned to his headquarters and announced that he was abandoning Amiens. His 40,000 remaining men moved south, as Rommel continued to infiltrate the city.
The French situation was now critical. As the German crescent now began extending along the French left flank, Juin called for a fighting retreat. Block by block, he began pulling towards the southwest edge of the city, fighting ferociously. The Germans concentrated forces heavily in the center of Amiens, attempting to push simultaneously against Juin's forces and Gamelin's pockets in the eastern city.
On Christmas Day, the French position was dangerously close to collapse. While Gamelin's forces had fought ferociously, only 27,000 of the original 90,000 men were left, and even this depleted force was running low on supplies. De Gaulle was hors de combat, and Juin was steadily pulling out of the city. The Germans had lost 100,000 men, but they still had 300,000 in and around Amiens. Rommel sent messengers under flags of truce to Juin and Gamelin, both of whom refused to surrender.
That evening, the tide turned. De Gaulle returned, striking hard from the east and backed by another 60,000 fresh men from the Reims garrison. Rommel's forces, surrounding Gamelin, were now attacked savagely from the rear. While Rommel blunted this attack, his supply lines were disrupted. While he was replete with ammunition and fuel, Rommel was critically low on food. De Gaulle pressed his advantage unmercifully, and by New Year's Day he had linked up with Juin. The Germans now held Amiens as a poorly supplied salient. As Rommel shuffled his forces to the east, Gamelin led a breakout of his men, managing despite heavy losses to escape from the city. Rommel now had little choice, and radioed Berlin for permission to withdraw.
This permission was personally denied by Hitler. The only direction Rommel was allowed to go was forward.
However, Rommel's men were now on quarter rations. None of them had the energy to think of renewing the assault. This demoralization was completed when Juin managed to repel a fresh attack from Keitel, and completed the encirclement of Amiens. A month before, the Germans had held a two-to-one advantage. That advantage was now completely lost.
On January 10th, 1943, as the last of the German food supplies ran out, news came that the Soviets had broken the defensive lines in the east and poured into East Prussia. For the first time in the war, German soil was under attack. This proved too much for Rommel. At 8 pm, he gave his fateful Order No. 115, sounding the retreat. The Germans moved north, but the men no longer had the energy to fight. For every man who escaped, one was captured and one killed. Juin followed up the victory by recapturing Lille from the Slovak conscript garrison and surrounding three divisions of German motorized infantry in Caen, who rapidly surrendered.
The Battle of Amiens was over. While 177,000 French soldiers were killed, the Germans lost 410,000 men, and all possibility of an assault in the West was lost. The German panic spread through the thinned garrison ranks, and Juin was able to re-establish defensive lines in the Maginot du Nord. Rommel, summoned to Berlin for court-martial, committed suicide. The Germans had left French soil for good, and the war moved now into its final phase.
-from A History of the Second World War, by Prof. Henry Kissinger
Heh!
Thank God the AI decided it needed to attack my boys in Amiens instead of encircling. That's all I have to say.
Thank God the AI decided it needed to attack my boys in Amiens instead of encircling. That's all I have to say.
What the Devil? Who is this renegade? This relcalcitrant evildoer who er... does evil? This imposter, and how dare he sully my family name!
Thats it! Ive had enough! Im mad as hell, and Im not going to take it anymore!
*knocks on door* A short, ugly man with a bad haircut and what appears to be dead-slug on his upper-lip responds.
"Yah?"
"Mr Hitler, I need to have a word with you!"
"Vat? Vast ist dis?"
"Yes indeedy, me old muckeroo - its time you and Mr. Knuckle Sandwich got acquainted! Take this!"
*biff* *whammo*
"Actung! Not ze face! Not ze face!"
"Oh, want some more 'ey? How about some of Master Elbow, of Young Booty. Yes, Young Booty wants a bit of play, too!"
*pow* *zuff*
"Gott in Himmel! Nein... unh."
"Right, well thats you sorted, you horrible little git. Nobody messes with my family, y'hear? Jumped up little Austrian pratt!"
*kick*
"einen whimper*
Right, Im back. And I can safely assure you that the Albert Hall now contains a complete set of Hitlers testicles.
---
By all of which I mean to say, I think I may love you, Prufrock. In a strictly platonic way, of course. *embarassed man sounds*
Take that, you dirty Germans! Dont ever mess with a Frenchman!
Right now back to business.
"Oy, Goering! Get your fat, freaky ass in here!"
"Yawohl, Mein Fuhre- Vat? Du ist not einen Fuhrer! Ah! Mein Gott! Meinen face! Meinen beautiful face!"
*sound of a severe thrashing fade in the distance*
Oh no I was waiting for your humilating defeat
And profesor Kissinger blame Hitler for every German mistake. This theory is to simply for me
I was waiting for your humilating defeat And profesor Kissinger blame Hitler for every German mistake. This theory is to simply for me
Mmmm... Ludendorff offensive parallels.
This is absolutely amazing. Although it should be renamed 'How Edith Piaf saved France'
This is absolutely amazing. Although it should be renamed 'How Edith Piaf saved France'