I Hitlers skygge. (Denmark in the Second World War)

[noobeless]

Chapter 26
Operation "Tag Bolden"​

The 1st of January 1943 Denmark plans to launch a risky Naval Invasion of Sicily, Starting from the Western part of the Island southwest of Palermo and will push all the way to the east, while Another Force will invade Messina. Taking Sicily will weaken the Italians and give a springboard to southern Italy, potentially opening a new front in Europe. But the Plan will take 3 weeks to plan and Denmark needs convoys too, they will request the British and Americans for convoys.

The Plan is to secure 2 ports and then start taking other ports, to cut the Italians from Sicily.
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The 2nd of January 1943 The Request for convoys have been declined by both the Brittish and Americans.

The 8th of January 1943 The Invasion of Messina have begun, 2 danish Divisions are expected to arrive in 4 days and 5 hours.

The 10th of January 1943 The Italians are defending Messina too well for the Danes to take the port, a order to Retreat have been given

Thankfully, no Danish soldiers died, as the attack was aborted before the Battle even begun
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The 14 of January 1943 The Danish invasion force, have safely arrived at Malta, preparations to invade Sicily from the west are now been executed, they are expected to arrive in 2 days and 20 hours (from 21:00)

The 17th of January 1943 Danish Forces have landed in Sicily, Inteligence suggest, that the Italians have left Western Sicily, for unknown reasons, the Danish Forces are immediately moving into Plaermo. More Danish Divisions are underway, but Denmark do not have enough manpower to make a costly offensive.

You can't say the Italians are bad at defending ports, if they don't guard them.
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The 18th of January 1943 Italian Cavalry tried to defend Palermo from advancing danish divisions, they where too disorganised to fight and took some casualties before retreating. They did not manage to even wound a danish Soldier.

Well the Danes are some of the soldiers fears the most, due to the stories from Norway and recently Ehtiopia, even though the Danish army can't reinforce its army.
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The 19th of January 1943 Danish forces have entered Palermo and is moving into the mountains, before the Italians can entrench themselves and also to secure a defensive position, in the mountains of Sicily. With Danish Control of Palermo Denmark now controls most industry in Sicily and the Danish army have ordered a gentle occupation, as the Danish army can't afford fighting partisans.

The Army is pushing and is reciving reinforcements, but it is likely a matter of time, before the Italians send their army, to oppose the Danish invasion.
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The 25 of January 1943 The Front in Sicily have now stagnated and both sides are now digging in and are planing offensives, Denmark lost a lot of men, But did take about half of Sicily, the Italians sadly controls the mountains, making any further advances difficult for the Allies.

Will this Naval invasion fail like all the others or will the Allies be able to hold out, against the might of the Italian army?
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The 30th of January 1943 American forces, managed to secure a port south of Messina, if the Italians lose Messina, Sicily will be secured for the Allies.

The Stakes in Sicily are getting really big. Both sides have commited reletively large forces to the Island.
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The 5th of February 1943 Danish forces launches an attack along the southern coast of Sicily, in order to Unite with the Americans in the East.

If the Danish attack is a success, all allied forces on the Island will be on a single front instead of 2.
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The 6th of February 1943 The offensive was a failure and Denmark lost a lot of men in the faiiled offensive.

The Allies have too many soldiers in Sicily, than they can effectively supply, hampering the danish assault.​

 

[noobeless]

Chapter 27
The ball have been lost​

The 20th of February 1943 Danish Forces managed to take the Italian Port of Messina, in easern Sicily, the INvading force is rushing to the southern port and reinforcements are on the way. If the Axis does not respond to this Bold Manoeuvre, all Axis forces on Sicily might be encircled.

Fortune Favour the bold, and bold are the 8.000 men of Livgarden, that have landed in Messina, if the Axis Responce, they will be overwhelmed.​

But the Axis Immedially counter attacts the Danish forces.

The 25th of February 1940. The bold Attack did not succeed, but the Axis did pull a significant amount of forces out of Sicily, but the Danish forces could not hold the City and they Evacuated, in order to not get overwhelmed. Denmark Tried and lost many men, from delaying offensives troughout Sicily.

A failure, but Such bold moves forces the Axis to thing out their Army, as the Allies can strike everywhere at any time.
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The 4th of March 1943 The Danish army Tries to Take the eastern ports of Sicily again, only time will say if they succeed. As they do not have the firepower to overwhelm any Defensive Posisition.

The Danish Are really aggressive, but the Forces are too small to defend, so why not try to attack?​

The 6th of March 1943 The Italians have learned from their past mistakes and the Ports are heavily guarded, the Attack have been aborted.

With Sicily So well guarded, this was the Last danish attempt to take the eastern ports of Sicily, at least for now.
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The 18th of March 1943 Facing overwhelming forces in Sicily, the Danish army evacuated, in order to live to fight another day. The Allies only controls the City of Palermo now.

Denmark will not be freed through Sicily. Prehaps there is another way.
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The 23 of March 1943 The last forces of the Allies have been drivien out of Sicily, now the Axis Only have a Soviet Front to worry about, for now.

The 9th of April 1943. The Danish Army have safely arrived in England, Weakened by the Sicilian Campaign, there are now considering their next step.

 

[noobeless]

Chapter 28
Denmark or nothing​

The war is getting Desperate, the Danish forces are depleted, the campaign for Sicily have failed. The Soviet Union are stressed thin by the German Army. What can the Danish army do?
The Germans have Millions of men, the Danish army is just 60.000, trying to take out the Axis fortress of Europe, only threatened by the Soviet Union to the East.

But the Danes have not given up, when something fails, you get up and try again. So long there is a danish army, There is a little hope that Denmark will be free once again.

The Danish army now have a bold plan, to take the fight home and give it all. To retake Denmark, recruit the danish men into the Army and hold the German Army at the Kiel canal. But if the plan fails, there will be no way to retreat, as no ports can support transport ships on the west coast of Denmark. But if they succed, they can start reqruiting a large quantaty of Danish men into the Army and maybe even expand the Army. But if they fail, the danish army will be gone and Denmark will be at its enemies and allies mercy.

This could be the last campaign that the Danish army will take a part of, but this could also free a large part of Denmark, at least for a while.​

 

[noobeless]

Chapter 29
Home for a while

The month of June 1943. The Danish army sends 5 divisions in an attempt to liberate Jylland. They don't have convoys enoguh to send all men, so only five divisions are sent. The United States and the United Kingdom refused to supply the Danish army with the needed convoys.

Denmarks ports are in the Eastern part of Denmark, if the Danish army are to supply themselves, they Need to take all of Denmark or expand the port of Esbjerg, in order to supply and reinforce from the Atlantic sea. If Denmark are to build anything, the Danish army need to take Aarhus, before the Germans can respond. Intel suggest a major precence of German troops in Denmark, so the chances of success are really slim. Even if they take any ports, the German can block all access, with their control of the Danish belt.

But no matter the odds, the Plan will commence, as the battle in getting more and more desparate for the alllies, bold action is needed to turn the tide.

The Danes risk everything to retake their land from the Nazis, but can the manage it?

There is many more German Divisions in Denmark, than the entire Army of Denmark combined, the intelligence from the danish resistance, does not deter the Danish forces, as they know the chances for victory are slim as they are. If they have to die, they might as well die at home.

The 2nd battle for Denmark have begun.

The 1st of June 1943. Danish forces are leaving the English port of Hull and is heading to the danish shore between Esbjerg and down to the Kiel Canal. They are expected to arrive in 4-5 days depending on the weather.

Bold manuveres defines the danish army in the Second world war, this could be the last bold move Denmark ever does.

The 6th of June 1943 03:00 Danish Forces have landed on the danish coast, already moving farther into Jylland and moving toward Odense, Aahus and the Kiel Canal. There is no going back now.

German resistance is expected, but the Danish army will fight in their homeland, a land they haven't been in since the 7th of February 1940, over tree years have passed and now a bit off Denmark will be free, at least for a while
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The 7th of June 1943 The first fighting have begun near Herning, a city east of Aarhus. Danes fighting fiercely in a desperate attempt to liberate their homeland and take the nearby airport.

The Germans Responded quickly, this bold plan chances of success are now really low.
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The 8th of June 1943 The German garrision of Aarhus have now faced the Danish Forces, Outnumbering the Danish attackers, they have shut down any danish hope of securing Aarhus, in Odense a German cavalry division have stopped further danish offensives in the Area. The Danish army is now trapped in it's own homeland, with no way to retreat.

But the Danish fortresses, that where build to stop the Germans, are still intact, the danish army is not Retreating to Sønderjylland, in Order to make a last stance against the Germans.

An expected outcome of such bold and folish moves, at least the Danes will be defeated fighting to liberate their country.
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The 16th of June 1943 By sheer will force and brute attack, Livgarden managed to take the City of Odense, but the German Imediatly Counter attacked, it's really unlikele the disorganized Division can repel the Germans, but if they do, they will have access to a small part of the Danish war industry. But this succes only lasted an hour.

Considering how outnumbered the Danes are, that they managed to Secure Odense, even for just a few hours, is a really impressive feet, for an army in such shape as the Danish.
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The 23rd of June 1943 Denmark are now landing 2 additional Divisions, south of the Keil Canal, in a desperate attempt to Save the Danish forces in Denmark and do some damage.

Never gonna give you up, newer gonna let you down
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The 24th of June 1943 Unfortunaly, the rescue force was repelled before they got a change to land on German shores.

The 30th of June 1943 The Danish Attempt to liberate Denmark Failed, but a lot of Germans where distracted, so the Soviet Union may have a bit more time to fight the Germans.

Denmark will suffer under German boots for a while longer, prehaps even for a thousand years.​

Denmark lost 30 thousand men In the campaign, but some danish soldiers managed to flee from battle and hide in with the Danish Civilians, armed. But the total amount of dead danes are unknown from this foolish campaign.