Where the Iron Crosses Grow - German AAR

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Yog - what settings are you playing under anyway?

Metter - hmm, i see the sided are reversed from your old aar. now germany controls the world, while in your old game they never broke into france.

 

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it would be fun to see mettermeck and yogi go at it but this serves me just as well.

 

[Faeelin]

Originally posted by Mettermrck
Funny. I'm a better writer than I am a player. I'm just going to relax and try to make the AI look good.

You dont' have to be a good player to beat back Yogi (no offense). You need less than naval parity, fortifications in washington, and lots of airpower. Defeat the attacks piecemeal.

 

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Please let the U.S. win and liberate the world. This is too well written to end with evil conquering all.

 

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more.

 

[Baron Jukaga]

Originally posted by Delthalaz
Please let the U.S. win and liberate the world. This is too well written to end with evil conquering all.

Don't listen to sputtering fools like this! Crush the corrupt americans and their lackeys underneath the boot of national socialism!

 

[unmerged(11447)]

Originally posted by alexgem
Excuse me for the slight OT, but which was Operation Mars by the Soviets?
Thanks and sorry Yogi for the intrusion!

Operation Mars was the Soviet attack near Moscow, launched at the same time as Operation Uranus (Surrounding 6th Army at Stalingrad). More info at:

http://www.battlefield.ru/library/battles/battle12_04.html

http://rhino.shef.ac.uk:3001/mr-home/rzhev/rzhev3.html

 

[Amric]

Well the Soviets don't exist anymore. If Rommel wants to name Operation Mars, I say let him!

 

[unmerged(11447)]

True, but is Herr Erwin testing his luck? Is it bad luck to walk underneath a ladder? Is Erwin walking underneath a ladder? Is it bad luck to walk underneath a ladder if one is not aware that one is walking under a ladder?

We will just have to eagerly wait and see

Patiently waiting...

 

[Sharur]

Awesome! It's great to see Mettermrck back in action, and I love seeing both sides of the story like this

 

[cassa61]

sweeet

yes its me again that borken record that does nothing but heap praise. i am so glad everyone has agreed with me about the multi player aar and as such think you should both do it. we dont care about time between posts just as long as there are those posts!!
once again GO YOGI!!!


feeling like hes on a picnic
michael

 

[Mortu]

Yogi, Yogi, Yogurt

Dear Yogi,

Your AAR is most excellent. Indeed, its excelence is such that I went through the bother of registering on this forum, just to tell you how great a read it is ^_~

Hopefully we'll see much much more of your writing. I wonder what would a multiplayer AAR be like from your viewpoint? A prolonged multi-year war between two (or more) players with brains vs a walkover with AI. Anyway, much cudos (spelling?) to you for entertaining us all. Us, Alco HOIics Anonymous

~Mortu
PS: Sche ne vmerla Ukrayina! (The Ukraine is not yet dead)

 

[The Yogi]

Interlude III - Wilhelmshafen, May 29th 1943

Wilhelmshafen, 3. Panzerarmee HQ
Oberst Siegfried Westphal, aide to the CO of 3.Panzerarmee, threw open the door of the Generals office, completely ignoring normal military protocol. General der Panzertruppen Erwin Rommel sent him an inquisitive glance from behind his desk.
‘Herr General! The radio! Its war!’
Rommel jumped up from his seat and threw himself at the radio set standing on a sideboard, fidgeting for a few seconds until he found Radio Berlin, which was retransmitting an NBC broadcast. After a short buzz, the distorted, thin voice of President Roosevelt filled the room.

‘…the United States, chief executive officer, and commander-in-chief of its armed forces, I ask that this Congress declare that a state of war exists between the United States of America and the Greater German Reich, including all those nations which fight alongside it. The American people, in their righteous might, will win through to ultimate victory.’

‘Yes!’ Rommel roared. ‘They took it, bait, hook and sinker!’ Grinning like an idiot he wheeled towards Westphal, dragging his aide with him through the door. ‘Come on, man, we have much work to do! Were in for the second wave, we must prepare the men!’
‘But surely’, Westphal replied, ‘we must have plenty of time, while the first wave is loaded and…’
Rommel threw back his head and laughed. ‘The first wave should be half-way across the Atlantic by now! They left a week ago!’

 

[The Yogi]

Opening stages of the American Campaign, May 25th-June 15th 1943

The Axis preparations
The American campaign began properly on May 25th, 1943, when Spain declared war on Cuba. The other members of the Axis alliance followed suit within hours, while Spanish troops were still wading ashore. But today there can be no doubt that the Axis countries had begun actual operations well in advance. That the combined Franco-Spanish fleet that transported the Spanish Expeditionary Army to Cuba was already in place at the time of the declaration of war is not surprising, but apart from that, large parts of the Luftwaffe had already been ferried to Iceland and three fleets of the Kriegsmarine; the Hochseeflotte and the 2. and 3. Truppentransporterflotten, backed up by the Royal Navy Home Fleet and carrying the equivalent of two full German armies of von Bock’s Heersegruppe A had set sail around May 22nd. German u-boots were also deploying in unprecedented number off the US eastern coast. Many of them were of the new type IX long range subs.

The might of America
America was well prepared to meet the onslaught: the US Army and Marine Corps had grown quickly since the previous year and on May 25th, the Abwehr estimated its strength to 199 divisions, of which 129 were Infantry and National Guard, 15 Marine, 1 Cavalry, 8 Motorized, 34 Mechanized and 12 Armoured Divisions. Air power continued to be an American forte with 62 fighter- and fighter-bomber squadrons, 40 tactical bomber and dive bomber squadrons, 19 Strategic bomber squadrons and 24 naval- and torpedo bomber squadrons. The US Navy was also formidable with 23 carriers, 15 battleships, 36 cruisers, 84 destroyer squadrons, 22 submarine flotillas and 120 transport groups. All in all, the Americans now enjoyed a numerical advantage in every field except tanks, were the Wehrmacht still held an edge with its 21 Panzer divisions and submarines where the Kriegsmarine was their equal with 24 flottillas of U-boots.

The Caribbean in flames
General Queipo de Llano had five divisions when he landed on Cuba; the 1. and 2. Armoured Divisions the 8. Infantry division with its attached artillery brigade, the 9th Infantry division and the 2. Cavalry division – the cream of the Spanish armed forces. Against them the Cubans could muster 4 infantry and 1 cavalry division under the Command of General Cabrera. There was also a squadron of obsolete tactical bombers whose base was overrun by the Spaniards on the first day.

The Cuban forces were no match for the war-hardened and German-equipped Spanish troops, and realizing this, Cabrera opted to pull his men into a defensive ring around Havana. By June 7th, Queipo de Llano had occupied the eastern half of Cuba and launched his first assault on the capital. He received heavy fire support from Admirals Moreno and Darlan’s seven battleships and this severely disrupted the defenders. The Cubans fought bravely, but with little effect, and were gradually cleared out of building after building, their positions blasted by expertly directed naval gunfire and taken in fierce bayonet assaults. The fighting continued throughout the 8th, but at 18:00 hours of May 9th, Cabrera’s men could not go on any longer and the Cuban commander surrendered his troops to the Spaniards. Leaving his weakest two divisions as garrison, General Queipo de Llano ordered his remaining forces to re-embark. The ambitious and flamboyant General intended to make good in one blow all Spain’s losses in the Caribbean from the war of -98. Cuba was taken, now he had his sights set on Puerto Rico.

Assault on Newfoundland
While Spanish forces were still closing in on Havana on June 6th, the Anglo-German Fleets reached Newfoundland and started to disembark troops under cover of a naval artillery barrage that dwarfed the one at Cuba. Between the Home Fleet and the Kriegsmarine, there were no less than 14 battleships, 3 battle cruisers, 3 pocket battleships and 18 cruisers pounding the lone defending Canadian division. First ashore was the renowned Deutsche Marininfanteriekorps of Generalleutenant Auleb, soon to be followed by the Panzergrenadiers and cavalry of Falkenhorst’s XIII. and von Arnim’s XXVI. Armeekorps. These mobile forces fanned out on the flanks of the bridgehead and surrounded the Canadians, in spite of the heroic efforts of their Commander, General Stuart. By nightfall, the remnants of his forces surrendered to the invaders. Even before that, Luftwaffe aircraft began to land in swarms on the airfields of the island while ground crews, carried on the invasion fleet took charge of the installations. On June 7th, the 9 divisions of 1. Armee, together with the staff of Heeresgruppe A and its commander, Generalfeldmarschall von Bock were unloaded in St Johns Harbour. By the time the fleet set course for Germany, Bf-109Gs were already patrolling the skies above Newfoundland and its surrounding waters. A piece of North America was in now in German hands.

American Front, June 15th 1943

First American responses – the Battle of Turk Island passage
During the night between June 7th and 8th, US Army Air Corps heavy bombers had begun to pound the French and British Island possessions of the Lesser Antilles. For some time, this seemed to be the extent of the American response, but on June 12th, the task force of Vice Admiral Hewitt, consisting of 4 destroyer divisions, intercepted the Franco-Spanish fleet en route to Puerto Rico north of the coast of Jamaica. The ensuing battle was tremendously uneven. Under cover of darkness, the American destroyers tried with near suicidal bravery to close within torpedo range, being blasted to pieces at short range by the fire of the battleships secondary artillery and the cruisers. Why Hewitt would engage in such a hopeless action soon became apparent to Darlan and Moreno; another, much stronger American task forced threw itself into the fray after the first hour of battle. Vice-Admiral Hewit’s tiny force was only scouting ahead of Admiral Hart’s convoy of 6 cruisers, 11 divisions of destroyers and as many transport ship groups. Hart had sent the transports on their way and closed with the Franco-Spanish capital ships under cover of darkness. In the confused battle that followed all the Spanish and French capital ships suffered medium to heavy damage and many destroyers and transports were destroyed. Hart’s force was however completely wiped out. Darlan and Moreno followed up this victory by chasing after the US Navy transports and sinking them before they had a chance to escape. A few hours later, another US destroyer group under Admiral Spruance closed to attack the French and Spanish ships, and this time Darlan and Moreno decided to avoid battle. Taking advantage of poor wheater, the ships scattered in all directions, forcing Spruance to choose between pursuing or protecting his transports. He chose the latter, which brought a close to the battle.

The war in the Caribbean, May 25th - June 15th 1943

While the Battle of Turk Island Passage was undoubtedly a tactical Axis victory, the Spanish and French Atlantic fleets were crippled and were soon thereafter withdrawn from the Caribbean theatre. The US Navy, on the other hand, had enormous numbers of destroyers and transports, so only the loss of the cruisers ‘San Diego’, ‘Montpelier’, ‘Juneau’, ‘Tuscaloosa’, ‘Augusta’ and ‘Quincy’ were of any real consequence, from a strictly military point of view. Still, Turk Island Passage was the worst defeat in US naval history and the loss of life tremendous. Few Americans would have cheered it as a strategic success at the time.

 

[Faeelin]

Yikes. I'm surprised no one is going after the canal, though.

 

[The Yogi]

Re: Yogi, Yogi, Yogurt

Originally posted by Mortu
Dear Yogi,

Your AAR is most excellent. Indeed, its excelence is such that I went through the bother of registering on this forum, just to tell you how great a read it is ^_~

Wow, thank you! <bows so deeply his hair would be sweeping the floor - if he had any>

 

[The Yogi]

Originally posted by NL_Oxcart
True, but is Herr Erwin testing his luck? Is it bad luck to walk underneath a ladder? Is Erwin walking underneath a ladder? Is it bad luck to walk underneath a ladder if one is not aware that one is walking under a ladder?

We will just have to eagerly wait and see

Patiently waiting...

The real question in this case is:

Is it bad luck to walk under a ladder that might have been?

 

[Mettermrck]

[ATLANTA JOURNAL - June 19, 1943]

FERGUSON SENT TO ATLANTA FOR DETENTION

James Ferguson being escorted for detention - June 18, 1943

Suspected spy James Ferguson arrived in Atlanta yesterday after a twelve-hour train ride from Jacksonville. Ferguson will be held in the state prison for an undetermined time until the government determines his disposition.

Ferguson was arrested on June 17th after O.S.S. intelligence reported 'clear evidence' that Ferguson was in touch with Spanish and French agents, providing data on U.S. naval traffic in and out of Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville. The recent engagement in the Caribbean, what the Roosevelt administration has described as a 'minor setback', has been partly blamed on Mr. Ferguson for 'endangering the lives of American sailors and airmen'.

Details of the naval battle remain classified and government officials continue to maintain a sense of optimism, despite rumors of greater losses than have been officially reported. Ferguson's case is expected to be widely watched by the public as the first major case of espionage since the Cuban conflict began.

James Ferguson is sixty-two years old, a former dry grocer who reportedly made his living collecting shells on the beach and selling them in the local markets. City officials in Atlanta did not comment when asked how long his detention will last. No information on his trial have been provided.

WAR ROOM​

[June 20, 1943]​

President Roosevelt: "This does not boost my optimism, gentlemen, no matter what Admiral Spurance says."

Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Harold Stark: "I believe, sir, he's referring to our strategic flexibility. Despite our losses in the Caribbean, the French and Spanish are off-guard, and our supply route to the Guineas is unobstructed. We still contest the initiative."

Army Air Force Chief of Staff General Henry "Hap" Arnold: "That's only because we're up against second-stringers down there. Take this map here..."

Arnold: "We're struggling for French Guinea, is the impression I get from this map. I have my strategic bomber force strung out bombing Brazilian cities. I must insist, once again, that we keep our strategic assets closer to home. The enemy is massing in Cuba, not in the Guineas."

Stark: "It's important to keep Germany's partners off-guard. If we do not move into the Caribbean and contest the ground, we only make it matter of time before the landings in Mexico or Florida begin."

Arnold: "I just hope it salves your pride to get battered at Turku Strait only to win a glorious victory at Georgetown."

Roosevelt: "Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. This gets us nowhere. Now I happen to agree with Admiral Stark. We must fight the enemy where he is, and not wait until he comes to us. To do so only endangers this nation. Now, General Marshall, please explain to me again your concepts of 'strategic reserve'. I must confess a worry at having most of our army deployed away from the north and south."


Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall: "Sir, the French and Spanish are massing several corps in Cuba. From there they can move against Florida, New Orleans, and even Mexico. Our recent naval losses only make that possibility more likely. If we spread our forces out in any of those positions, we only open ourselves up to be outmaneuvered. The same applies to the north. In this case, we're dealing with Rommel."

Arnold: "The A-team, the first-stringers."

Marshall: "Hap, please. Again, Germany is putting together a massive strike force at Newfoundland. A flexible reserve is the best way to ensure that we can counterattack when the time comes."

Roosevelt: "But so many divisions?!? General, I can't leave the city without my motorcade encountering over forty separate checkpoints. Each army, corps, and division straddles every major road leading from the city."

Marshall: "Sir, we don't know from where the major blow will come. North or south, we're ready to fight back."

Roosevelt: "I cannot say I'm optimistic, though your strategy makes some sense and I'll trust in it. Now on to some better news. Tell me more about the Siamese in China..."

 

[cassa61]

hmmm

maybe a seaborne invasion of the east coast(?) to capture new york and so on.... that would really stuff up the yanks although going through canada and mexico has its advantages.... none that i can think of right now though

good to see roosevelts still more interested in asia than anywhere else

michael

 

[Duritz]

I had to pinch myself when I first saw Mettermrck on this thread. Jolly good show to Yogi and Met and look forward to great US spin on how they get plastered all over the place by the irresistable Yogi!

Duritz