it is quite a small naval way from Albania to Otranto and it was the historical beachhead of Mehmed II before he was assasinated. Can be a fun thing to try after Rodos is taken 
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I'm glad to see our propaganda art is spreading throughout the Comintern. I would have expected a caption "To Budapest", but you can always dream...
We don't talk about the Tsushima Strait... it's too painful...
This is quite alarming.
At least our commanders had the common sense to properly defend the neck of the pocket. Well let's hope it stays that way, open. And who knows how much the tables will turn once those Romanians arrive... (probably not much, but we can always hope...)
I have no idea if this is feasible, and where they would have to come from, but your best bet on shortening the fight on Rhodes is to use a division of Mountaineers. Once they're fully on land, they are entirely effective in mountainous terrain. I'd have to check but it might even be more effective to use a pure Mtn Division than using a pure Mar Division when landing into a Mountainous province.
As for the bombing, keep going for another week, or a month, to give your troops the highest possible chance of success. It all depends on you timetable, whether you need the allocated units elsewhere soon, how high your tolerance for casualties is, and how long your bombers can keep up their raids.
I'm saddened by the situation in Switzerland and sincerely hope that Vito Ceylan is still alive. Regardless of whether he is dead or not, I'm sure no one will be negotiating with the Tattaglia's, they must be delusional. Best of luck in your covert vendetta, I will try to get you some GRU assistance, but I can't promise anything. As you can guess we're quite busy with the Germans and the Japanese ourselves.
I'm not sure Turkey can afford to lose any kind of unit in such an operation, but, it's an interesting proposition nonetheless. As Bullfilter said, Italy is probably distracted enough already...
And later in the war, I wouldn’t mind having the capacity for a genuine naval landing ability for raiding around the Med - just a modest one. Which it would have to be.
This seems like a better long term plan. Maybe you could license some Naval Infantry from the Soviet Union, though I haven't checked if they are glorified militia or actual Marines. The biggest hurdle for amphibious capability is the research of landing craft, which is quite expensive and time-consuming, but also an absolute must for amphibious operations...
Best of luck on your front, and in your endeavours to avenge both Luca Brasi and the shooting of Vito Ceylan.
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That sounds like a good plan for the right time - the chiefs of staff now have that one tucked away in their contingency planning folderit is quite a small naval way from Albania to Otranto and it was the historical beachhead of Mehmed II before he was assasinated. Can be a fun thing to try after Rodos is taken
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I cannot wait to see how everything will unfold.
I believe in the far east the usual Russian generals October, November and December can be Japan's undoing.
I believe in the far east the usual Russian generals October, November and December can be Japan's undoing.
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I have to hope so. I’d be more worried if it was India that Japan was busting through instead- now that would be a very unwelcome back door caller!
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Funny you would say that; I just sent a special request to Tokyo HQ to make that happen.I have to hope so. I’d be more worried if it was India that Japan was busting through instead- now that would be a very unwelcome back door caller!
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Well given their previous influence campaign on Turkey, I wouldn’t put it past them to try to roll the Raj while involved in a massive ground war in the Far East, just to get at usFunny you would say that; I just sent a special request to Tokyo HQ to make that happen.
. If we’re not with ‘em, we’re agin ‘em! Where is Nationalist China when you need them!- 1
The war grinds on. In anything like OTL you would expect that the longer it grinds on the better the Allied / Soviet position gets, all the long term advantages sit with them. However this is a Paradox game, so probably not. As is my new role on this board, I note with concern the Slovak position, as the Comintern are getting their act together they will be the first to fall.
I'm looking forward to the Swiss picking up the Turks and Italians, declaring them all persona non grata and expelling them from the country. Diplomatic immunity is all well and good, but gang assassinations on the street will disturb the Gnomes. This sort of thing is almost excatly what expelling diplomats was invented for.
I'm looking forward to the Swiss picking up the Turks and Italians, declaring them all persona non grata and expelling them from the country. Diplomatic immunity is all well and good, but gang assassinations on the street will disturb the Gnomes. This sort of thing is almost excatly what expelling diplomats was invented for.
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Oh, Lord El Pip is indeed a most perspicacious observer: the next two weeks have just been played and the reports are being edited as we speak. And the filthy Axis swine are far from done with either us or the Allies!
Re Slovakia: I think Hungary are in a more threatened state - at least T&T should be comparatively safe back in Bratislava. Where there is no race on in this AAR There was Ambassador Vito Ceylan, just a diplomat, gunned down on the street by Mafia goons. It's those treacherous Italians who should be expelled! It also helps that Ceylan is on the board of International Immobiliare: the Gnomes wouldn't want to lose all that lucrative business, now would they? And then again, they may not want to antagonise Mussolini too much either ... it may just be that they will have to put up with a bit more violence on their streets for now. Just so long as no civilians are hurt! Or - even worse - banks robbed! Blood is an expense, and bad for business.
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I would point out that if it wasn't a paradox game, most of these wars wouldn't have worked anyway and Germany would have collapsed by now.
The Swiss have a surprisingly high tolerance for diplomatic shenanigans...when diplomats get expelled its usually to generate a press story to cover up a government embarisment. Which means it happens a lot more in England than in Switzerland.
Is turkey still on the gold standard? Is GB, now that I think about it? No Churchill so...
The Swiss have a surprisingly high tolerance for diplomatic shenanigans...when diplomats get expelled its usually to generate a press story to cover up a government embarisment. Which means it happens a lot more in England than in Switzerland.
Is turkey still on the gold standard? Is GB, now that I think about it? No Churchill so...
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Turkey left the Gold Standard during WW1 and never got back on. The Lira devalued massively in the 20s before Atatruk worked out that, whatever the benefits of a one off devaluation, doing it every few months was a bad thing. After that the government pegged the currency to a weird Sterling/Franc hybrid rate from early 1930s till post-WW2. The hybrid rate allowed a bit of fudging in the conversions so they could still very slowly devalue, and keep their exports competitive, without actually admitting they were devaluing.
The UK left gold in 1931, it's one of the reasons the Depression in the UK wasn't as bad as elsewhere, we got off gold early.
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Excellent side-bars! I wonder whether post-1936 events in this ATL would have changed any of that for Turkey? Not a game factor of course, but of passing interest to contemplate
.Re the Swiss Job: will mattresses be gone to? If so, where? Is Vito dead, or just tired after a long squawk (Monty Python reference there - check out the Dead Parrot sketch if you’ve never seen it
). To be revealed soon?- 1
I knew they went off it early, which was a somewhat courageous decision at the time but I also know they came back into it for a time latter on. Depending in who's in charge, this might not happen here (I believe though I'm not sure but I think it might have been Churchill's fault...not sure though).
And turkey was, even in OTl, screwing over France every way they could. This is amusing.
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Out by a decade. Britain went off gold in 1914, the Bank of England correctly believing Kitchener over the politicians and expecting a long and expensive war. The then Chancellor Churchill put the country back on gold in 1925 which, even by his own high standards of bad decision making, was a bloody stupid decision. The departure in 1931 fixed that and Britain never officially returned to the gold standard.
I suppose you could argue that Bretton Woods was a return to a gold standard of sorts, but that was all tied up with the IMF and floating currency bands and so on. In any even that was negotiated in 1944 for a post-WW2 start.
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Chapter 95: Testing Times (15 to 30 September 1940) - Part 1
Chapter 95: Testing Times (15 to 30 September 1940) – Part 1
AuthAARs Note: I’m conscious of not wanting the detail to overwhelm the passage of time and want to keep things moving along. Especially when strategically, certainly on the Eastern Front, we’re in something of an attritional stage at present. And waiting for that German ‘Destiny’ bonus to end. So this episode will embrace two full weeks, including the detailed monthly ‘Allied reporting’ perspectives and quite a bit of combat action in the last few days of the month. I will also try to keep future episodes moving along, but will still be highlighting important events as they occur.
This chapter is split up into two shorter parts for ease of handling (image numbers mainly), Part 1 primarily deals with events on the Eastern Front, the Turkish sector in particular, in battle diary format, with some other breaking news thrown in. Part 2 contains the regular detailed end of month global war round-up and will follow shortly.
Prologue – Istanbul, 15 Sep 40
Tom Rosencrantz has finally arrived. He meets his old friend Persephonee, who has travelled to Istanbul to meet him, and thanks her for the reference. While he isn’t entirely sure what to make of his new Turkish colleagues – they are not exactly the kind of Marxist purists he’s used to working with back home – he is determined to give this project a good try. And to make his contribution to the war effort while supporting the Soviet Union and the Comintern.
“So, Perse, I’ve looked through the brief ‘ere. I appreciate where our bosses were comin’ from, tryin’ ta make this a 'Turkish Pravda' ‘n all. But ‘The Turkish Truth’ sounds a little, well, you know, derivative-like. I fink we need somfin’ what keeps the inspiration but lets it stand alone as well. Any foughts?”
Tom Rosencrantz. Communist activist and newspaper man.
“Well Tom, I should rather think so. Let me get out my easel – I think better with pen in hand and butchers' paper in front of me, dear boy.” Perse gives him a happy wink, then gets to work.
“Hmm,” she is muttering to herself, but so that Tom can hear. “Not just ‘The Truth’ in Turkish. ‘The Kemalist Manifesto’? No, not for a tabloid. ‘Glory’? No, doesn’t work, nor doff its sycophantic cap enough at the Soviets – sorry Tom! Um, OK, let me see, how about this?”
15 Sep 40
Turkish air operations against Rhodes/Rodi continue (a consolidated report on operations there will be provided later). The Axis resumes heavy air raids on the Turkish and Romanian defenders in Sânnicolau Mare. By the time the raids cease on the morning of 18 September, they will have killed 1,051 Comintern troops.
16 Sep 40
Early morning news reports from the Soviet LO at Inönü’s 1st Army HQ in Kraljevo inform of some Soviet successes to the north. The Red Army has broken through in Krasnystaw: Lublin seems to lay open before them, part of a large gap in the German line!
The same report also says the key eastern Slovakian town of Humenne has again been captured by Soviet troops. Still, the powers of German counter-attacking have been underestimated before, especially when the Red Army is unable to back up its lead unit (in this case a single tank division) with early defensive reinforcements to hold their gains. So Inönü curbs his optimism for now.
Which is just as well, as the next Soviet report underneath it reveals the previous major Soviet breakthrough towards Konigsberg is being rolled back by a strong German counter-attack along a wide front, taking back many of the Soviet gains from the previous week.
Though one bright note, north of that, is the Soviet capture of Memel and the pocketing of one German division in the Reitavas salient. Let’s see if the Soviets can hold Memel this time, Inönü thinks to himself.
18 Sep 40
The French report they have lost the provinces of Xertigny (in the east, again) and the Channel port of Boulogne in the last day.
19 Sep 40
After a few more days of relatively little action on the Turkish sector of the Front, an important improvement in infantry equipment is announced. Industrial priority will swing straight into a major upgrade of equipment across all infantry brigades. As a long war of attrition seems to be in prospect, Turkish researchers put their efforts into improving Turkey’s outmoded first aid capabilities.
20 Sep 40
A new factory is opened in Ankara – this brings the cost of the two subsequent builds (already commenced but on hold) down from 4.96 to 4.62 IC each. Work on the next one may resume once the current infantry upgrade program allows.
News arrives that the Soviets have lost Humenne again – the Germans counter-attacking before the breakthrough could be reinforced. A familiar story.
Entertainment News. The Universal horror film The Mummy's Hand is released. [Just to show that the modern spate of such movies are in no way derivative! Ahem.]
(1:36)
They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. They use the same story, but with better effects and marginally more realistic acting!
21 Sep 40
A spy from Manchukuo is arrested – they must be emboldened by their successes as Japanese running-dogs in the east! This agent is sent off to our Soviet colleagues for interrogation. They will be no easier on them that we would!
22 Sep 40
Good news: The Soviets have closed off the Rietavas pocket – we believe capturing a German infantry division in the process – and have reinforced Memel with a medium tank division.
Bad news: the Soviets lurch from crisis to crisis in the Far East. There are now two threats to Soviet forces there: a nearer pocket is in danger of forming following the Japanese seizure of Solnechny. Soviet forces to the south are still a long way from escape and are being pursued hard by the Japanese.
23 Sep 40
Örlungat is not happy with the effects of the bombing campaign on Rhodes. He orders the INT wing, which has seen no aerial combat for weeks, to add its small capacity to the TAC in the ground attack role. If this doesn’t work, he will likely call the campaign off.
25 Sep 40
Örlungat has analysed the air campaign on Rhodes for the last few weeks. From 15-22 September, ground attack raids killed an estimated 548 Italian troops – or around 69 per day. On 23 September, raids were extended to night time as well and the INT wing added in. Another 262 (or 131 per day) were killed in on 23-24 September. Despite this improvement, the strength of the Italian garrison brigades went up from 97.7% on 23 September to 98.2% by the morning of 25 September, while the organisation of both our wings has begun to degrade (by about a third). So, the Italians seem to be reinforcing more quickly than we can degrade them. This is not a winning equation.
Örlungat concludes the campaign has been largely ineffective and it is not worth the risk of sending in 15 Inf Div for naval landings on an objective that is desirable but not crucial. Elsewhere, reports are coming in of heavy Italian naval losses against the Allies and only one Italian sub flotilla in poor condition seems to now be based in Rhodes. There have been no further interdictions of Turkish commercial shipping for some weeks. The island will be left to stew in its own juices. 15 Inf Div will remain in Athina for now, until a new garrison unit is raised to replace it. Operation Rodos Devi is put on indefinite hold.
At 10pm that night, a report comes through of a surprise night attack by a single German division (46th Inf Div), on Sânnicolau Mare. While the odds of 1:3 seem ambitious, the Germans are commanded by a master of battle, MAJGEN Steiner, who attempts to use shock tactics to dislodge the Turkish-Romanian defenders. Worryingly, the Hungarians have driven the Romanians out of Arad to the immediate north-east, putting Timisoara under threat again, as well as threatening to envelope our defenders in Sânnicolau Mare.
26 Sep 40
The enemy’s infantry attack is beginning to run out of steam, but Axis air attacks resume on Sânnicolau Mare that morning. On the 26th alone they kill 434 Comintern troops. By 10pm, the German’s organisation is beginning to slip to about 50% but Steiner is not ready to give up: he now switches to breakthrough tactics to increase his damage [by 25%] and decrease ours [by15%]. Still, he is not making great inroads: the Axis needed to put more force behind this attack, even if the air support is again effective. Simultaneously, good news comes from our Romanian comrades: they are mounting a substantial counter-attack on Arad.
27 Sep 40
Early that morning, yet another Afghan spy is apprehended: sneaking (not very effectively, it would seem) around Ankara. Kaya reports he is aware there are more spies out there – but they are proving more elusive than these clumsy hacks we have been capturing again of late.
The early afternoon sees the German attack in Sânnicolau Mare almost over, without making too much impression. The air raids continue, but with less intensity than the day before.
At 6pm, the Germans have had enough. Again, their heavier casualties in the ground battle are more than balanced when our air raid casualties are added: in just two days of raids, Comintern losses from those added another 755 men to the casualty lists. Still, this is another major Turkish-led victory. Huzzah!
News Report: Washington DC, US. The results of a Gallup poll are published asking Americans, “Which of these two things do you think is the most important for the United States to try to do — to keep out of war ourselves or to help England win, even at the risk of getting into the war?” 52% said help England, 48% said keep out.
28 Sep 40
But early the next day, the Axis bombers are over Senta instead, putting in a couple of heavy air raids there. They are supporting a major Axis attack that started at 4am. This time it is more serious. There are four fresh Axis divisions, attacking from three different directions (though two of them over rivers) and led by the German MAJGEN Graf [SK2]. They are up against our two Turkish divisions, who are now (thankfully) both fully dug in: 9 and 12 Inf Divs, commanded by the still relatively inexperienced [SK1] MAJGEN Alankup. The Romanian 6th Cav Div was only retreating through Senta from an earlier defeat and will be of no assistance here. This time it will be Turkey alone that must hold the line.
News Report: London, UK. Radio Belgique, a broadcast transmitted from London to Nazi-occupied Belgium, is established.
That night, the Romanians advise they have retaken Arad, securing the flank of Sânnicolau Mare and Timisoara. The developing attack on Senta is powerful (air raids add to the woe, causing 388 casualties that day alone) and the defence is in some danger. With Arad secure, the corps reserve is released to reinforce Senta: 1 Cav Div is sent in on its first mission with the new TD bde (although it is not yet fully reinforced). It will take them another two and a half days to reach Senta: we only hope it can reach there in time!
29 Sep 40
After a day of heavy fighting, 9 Inf Div’s organisation is beginning to suffer. Graf turns to a reckless assault to try to break the defence before it can be reinforced. But the experience gained in just the last day has been enough to improve Alankup’s confidence and ability [to SK2].
Even heavier air raids this day kill another 561 Turkish defenders. 10 Inf Div is ordered to leave its trenches in Ada and head north to reinforce Senta. Even if the battle is decided (hopefully won) by then and 1 Cav are in place, 9 Inf Div will be either very low on organisation or may even have been forced to retreat (or could do with a rest away from the line). And the additional AA bde 10 Inf Div owns may do something to protect against those heavy air raids. Though it’s hard to tell what that may be.
30 Sep 40
Two full days of fighting have taken their toll on the two lead divisions on each side. But Alankup is putting his new-found expertise to good use, using some very smart delaying tactics to help blunt the enemy’s assault and buy time for Turkish reinforcements to arrive – due in the early afternoon.
The cavalry arrives at midday. And, for some unknown (but very convenient) reason, Germany’s Hungarian allies all pull out as soon as that happens! Graf will be livid – it is unknown whether it was supply problems that forced the Hungarians to withdraw (their organisation had been fine until then) or they just went to water at the mere sight and sound of Wehib Pasha’s famed 1 Cav Div! Despite this, the battle – and air raids, the Italians this time – continue.
By midnight, the German 44th Div and the Turkish 9 Inf Div hang on in Senta, both with now quite low organisation. 1 Cav Div remains in reserve [and its reinforcement chance is only 1.30%]. The air raids were lighter that day, with another 277 casualties incurred.
So, after a slow week and a half on the Turkish sector, things suddenly got very active in the last four or five days of the month. Despite this, there was no change of territory on the Turkish sector in the two-week period. We will next move on (in Part 2) to the more detailed monthly global round-up to Cabinet on events elsewhere, including the detailed monthly Allied report, where most eyes are focused on the Western Front.
Coming Up: (tomorrow my time) Chapter 95 - Part 2, the Strategic Summary for 15-30 September 1940.
AuthAARs Note: I’m conscious of not wanting the detail to overwhelm the passage of time and want to keep things moving along. Especially when strategically, certainly on the Eastern Front, we’re in something of an attritional stage at present. And waiting for that German ‘Destiny’ bonus to end. So this episode will embrace two full weeks, including the detailed monthly ‘Allied reporting’ perspectives and quite a bit of combat action in the last few days of the month. I will also try to keep future episodes moving along, but will still be highlighting important events as they occur.
This chapter is split up into two shorter parts for ease of handling (image numbers mainly), Part 1 primarily deals with events on the Eastern Front, the Turkish sector in particular, in battle diary format, with some other breaking news thrown in. Part 2 contains the regular detailed end of month global war round-up and will follow shortly.
---xxx---
Prologue – Istanbul, 15 Sep 40
Tom Rosencrantz has finally arrived. He meets his old friend Persephonee, who has travelled to Istanbul to meet him, and thanks her for the reference. While he isn’t entirely sure what to make of his new Turkish colleagues – they are not exactly the kind of Marxist purists he’s used to working with back home – he is determined to give this project a good try. And to make his contribution to the war effort while supporting the Soviet Union and the Comintern.
“So, Perse, I’ve looked through the brief ‘ere. I appreciate where our bosses were comin’ from, tryin’ ta make this a 'Turkish Pravda' ‘n all. But ‘The Turkish Truth’ sounds a little, well, you know, derivative-like. I fink we need somfin’ what keeps the inspiration but lets it stand alone as well. Any foughts?”
Tom Rosencrantz. Communist activist and newspaper man.
“Well Tom, I should rather think so. Let me get out my easel – I think better with pen in hand and butchers' paper in front of me, dear boy.” Perse gives him a happy wink, then gets to work.
“Hmm,” she is muttering to herself, but so that Tom can hear. “Not just ‘The Truth’ in Turkish. ‘The Kemalist Manifesto’? No, not for a tabloid. ‘Glory’? No, doesn’t work, nor doff its sycophantic cap enough at the Soviets – sorry Tom! Um, OK, let me see, how about this?”
Perse stands back from the easel.
“OK, let’s see what the bosses fink of it, Perse. What would it sound like in Turkish?”
“Ah, let me see,” Perse says as she leafs through her pocket English-Turkish dictionary. “There are a few possibilities … I think it translates as ‘Şanli Doğruluk’, but we’ll get the Department to check.”
“Yeah, only largely derivative. Just wot we need. Werf a go, let’s take it to ‘em!”
“OK, let’s see what the bosses fink of it, Perse. What would it sound like in Turkish?”
“Ah, let me see,” Perse says as she leafs through her pocket English-Turkish dictionary. “There are a few possibilities … I think it translates as ‘Şanli Doğruluk’, but we’ll get the Department to check.”
“Yeah, only largely derivative. Just wot we need. Werf a go, let’s take it to ‘em!”
---xxx---
15 Sep 40
Turkish air operations against Rhodes/Rodi continue (a consolidated report on operations there will be provided later). The Axis resumes heavy air raids on the Turkish and Romanian defenders in Sânnicolau Mare. By the time the raids cease on the morning of 18 September, they will have killed 1,051 Comintern troops.
16 Sep 40
Early morning news reports from the Soviet LO at Inönü’s 1st Army HQ in Kraljevo inform of some Soviet successes to the north. The Red Army has broken through in Krasnystaw: Lublin seems to lay open before them, part of a large gap in the German line!
The same report also says the key eastern Slovakian town of Humenne has again been captured by Soviet troops. Still, the powers of German counter-attacking have been underestimated before, especially when the Red Army is unable to back up its lead unit (in this case a single tank division) with early defensive reinforcements to hold their gains. So Inönü curbs his optimism for now.
Which is just as well, as the next Soviet report underneath it reveals the previous major Soviet breakthrough towards Konigsberg is being rolled back by a strong German counter-attack along a wide front, taking back many of the Soviet gains from the previous week.
Though one bright note, north of that, is the Soviet capture of Memel and the pocketing of one German division in the Reitavas salient. Let’s see if the Soviets can hold Memel this time, Inönü thinks to himself.
18 Sep 40
The French report they have lost the provinces of Xertigny (in the east, again) and the Channel port of Boulogne in the last day.
19 Sep 40
After a few more days of relatively little action on the Turkish sector of the Front, an important improvement in infantry equipment is announced. Industrial priority will swing straight into a major upgrade of equipment across all infantry brigades. As a long war of attrition seems to be in prospect, Turkish researchers put their efforts into improving Turkey’s outmoded first aid capabilities.
20 Sep 40
A new factory is opened in Ankara – this brings the cost of the two subsequent builds (already commenced but on hold) down from 4.96 to 4.62 IC each. Work on the next one may resume once the current infantry upgrade program allows.
News arrives that the Soviets have lost Humenne again – the Germans counter-attacking before the breakthrough could be reinforced. A familiar story.
Entertainment News. The Universal horror film The Mummy's Hand is released. [Just to show that the modern spate of such movies are in no way derivative! Ahem.]
They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. They use the same story, but with better effects and marginally more realistic acting!
21 Sep 40
A spy from Manchukuo is arrested – they must be emboldened by their successes as Japanese running-dogs in the east! This agent is sent off to our Soviet colleagues for interrogation. They will be no easier on them that we would!
22 Sep 40
Good news: The Soviets have closed off the Rietavas pocket – we believe capturing a German infantry division in the process – and have reinforced Memel with a medium tank division.
Bad news: the Soviets lurch from crisis to crisis in the Far East. There are now two threats to Soviet forces there: a nearer pocket is in danger of forming following the Japanese seizure of Solnechny. Soviet forces to the south are still a long way from escape and are being pursued hard by the Japanese.
23 Sep 40
Örlungat is not happy with the effects of the bombing campaign on Rhodes. He orders the INT wing, which has seen no aerial combat for weeks, to add its small capacity to the TAC in the ground attack role. If this doesn’t work, he will likely call the campaign off.
25 Sep 40
Örlungat has analysed the air campaign on Rhodes for the last few weeks. From 15-22 September, ground attack raids killed an estimated 548 Italian troops – or around 69 per day. On 23 September, raids were extended to night time as well and the INT wing added in. Another 262 (or 131 per day) were killed in on 23-24 September. Despite this improvement, the strength of the Italian garrison brigades went up from 97.7% on 23 September to 98.2% by the morning of 25 September, while the organisation of both our wings has begun to degrade (by about a third). So, the Italians seem to be reinforcing more quickly than we can degrade them. This is not a winning equation.
Örlungat concludes the campaign has been largely ineffective and it is not worth the risk of sending in 15 Inf Div for naval landings on an objective that is desirable but not crucial. Elsewhere, reports are coming in of heavy Italian naval losses against the Allies and only one Italian sub flotilla in poor condition seems to now be based in Rhodes. There have been no further interdictions of Turkish commercial shipping for some weeks. The island will be left to stew in its own juices. 15 Inf Div will remain in Athina for now, until a new garrison unit is raised to replace it. Operation Rodos Devi is put on indefinite hold.
At 10pm that night, a report comes through of a surprise night attack by a single German division (46th Inf Div), on Sânnicolau Mare. While the odds of 1:3 seem ambitious, the Germans are commanded by a master of battle, MAJGEN Steiner, who attempts to use shock tactics to dislodge the Turkish-Romanian defenders. Worryingly, the Hungarians have driven the Romanians out of Arad to the immediate north-east, putting Timisoara under threat again, as well as threatening to envelope our defenders in Sânnicolau Mare.
26 Sep 40
The enemy’s infantry attack is beginning to run out of steam, but Axis air attacks resume on Sânnicolau Mare that morning. On the 26th alone they kill 434 Comintern troops. By 10pm, the German’s organisation is beginning to slip to about 50% but Steiner is not ready to give up: he now switches to breakthrough tactics to increase his damage [by 25%] and decrease ours [by15%]. Still, he is not making great inroads: the Axis needed to put more force behind this attack, even if the air support is again effective. Simultaneously, good news comes from our Romanian comrades: they are mounting a substantial counter-attack on Arad.
27 Sep 40
Early that morning, yet another Afghan spy is apprehended: sneaking (not very effectively, it would seem) around Ankara. Kaya reports he is aware there are more spies out there – but they are proving more elusive than these clumsy hacks we have been capturing again of late.
The early afternoon sees the German attack in Sânnicolau Mare almost over, without making too much impression. The air raids continue, but with less intensity than the day before.
At 6pm, the Germans have had enough. Again, their heavier casualties in the ground battle are more than balanced when our air raid casualties are added: in just two days of raids, Comintern losses from those added another 755 men to the casualty lists. Still, this is another major Turkish-led victory. Huzzah!
News Report: Washington DC, US. The results of a Gallup poll are published asking Americans, “Which of these two things do you think is the most important for the United States to try to do — to keep out of war ourselves or to help England win, even at the risk of getting into the war?” 52% said help England, 48% said keep out.
28 Sep 40
But early the next day, the Axis bombers are over Senta instead, putting in a couple of heavy air raids there. They are supporting a major Axis attack that started at 4am. This time it is more serious. There are four fresh Axis divisions, attacking from three different directions (though two of them over rivers) and led by the German MAJGEN Graf [SK2]. They are up against our two Turkish divisions, who are now (thankfully) both fully dug in: 9 and 12 Inf Divs, commanded by the still relatively inexperienced [SK1] MAJGEN Alankup. The Romanian 6th Cav Div was only retreating through Senta from an earlier defeat and will be of no assistance here. This time it will be Turkey alone that must hold the line.
News Report: London, UK. Radio Belgique, a broadcast transmitted from London to Nazi-occupied Belgium, is established.
That night, the Romanians advise they have retaken Arad, securing the flank of Sânnicolau Mare and Timisoara. The developing attack on Senta is powerful (air raids add to the woe, causing 388 casualties that day alone) and the defence is in some danger. With Arad secure, the corps reserve is released to reinforce Senta: 1 Cav Div is sent in on its first mission with the new TD bde (although it is not yet fully reinforced). It will take them another two and a half days to reach Senta: we only hope it can reach there in time!
29 Sep 40
After a day of heavy fighting, 9 Inf Div’s organisation is beginning to suffer. Graf turns to a reckless assault to try to break the defence before it can be reinforced. But the experience gained in just the last day has been enough to improve Alankup’s confidence and ability [to SK2].
Even heavier air raids this day kill another 561 Turkish defenders. 10 Inf Div is ordered to leave its trenches in Ada and head north to reinforce Senta. Even if the battle is decided (hopefully won) by then and 1 Cav are in place, 9 Inf Div will be either very low on organisation or may even have been forced to retreat (or could do with a rest away from the line). And the additional AA bde 10 Inf Div owns may do something to protect against those heavy air raids. Though it’s hard to tell what that may be.
30 Sep 40
Two full days of fighting have taken their toll on the two lead divisions on each side. But Alankup is putting his new-found expertise to good use, using some very smart delaying tactics to help blunt the enemy’s assault and buy time for Turkish reinforcements to arrive – due in the early afternoon.
The cavalry arrives at midday. And, for some unknown (but very convenient) reason, Germany’s Hungarian allies all pull out as soon as that happens! Graf will be livid – it is unknown whether it was supply problems that forced the Hungarians to withdraw (their organisation had been fine until then) or they just went to water at the mere sight and sound of Wehib Pasha’s famed 1 Cav Div! Despite this, the battle – and air raids, the Italians this time – continue.
By midnight, the German 44th Div and the Turkish 9 Inf Div hang on in Senta, both with now quite low organisation. 1 Cav Div remains in reserve [and its reinforcement chance is only 1.30%]. The air raids were lighter that day, with another 277 casualties incurred.
---xxx---
So, after a slow week and a half on the Turkish sector, things suddenly got very active in the last four or five days of the month. Despite this, there was no change of territory on the Turkish sector in the two-week period. We will next move on (in Part 2) to the more detailed monthly global round-up to Cabinet on events elsewhere, including the detailed monthly Allied report, where most eyes are focused on the Western Front.
Coming Up: (tomorrow my time) Chapter 95 - Part 2, the Strategic Summary for 15-30 September 1940.
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I was remiss in not replying to this excellent advice earlier: if the Rhodes operation (or something similar) is warmed up again, I will certainly consider using a MTN div for it: they are currently holding the line in the mountains of Former Yugoslavia and I’m reluctant to withdraw them to replace them with a regular division yet.
And I will check out the marine license options with the Soviets (if there are any) in due course, but other priorities keep intervening for the limited Turkish industrial capacity.
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Seems like a reasonable course of action. Infantry updates are clearly more urgent right now.
If only the good news outweighed the bad news... Well, the Red Army in the Far East isn't lost, yet. The, sort-of, organised retreat of the Far Eastern Theatre forces is still going well, if you consider not having any units cut off as going well.
Keep doffing the sycophantic cap at the Soviet Union, it makes our leaders less suspicious of Turkey's intentions.
You've got to love those cowardly Hungarians... pulling out at the first sight of a license-built Soviet Tank Destroyer...
The danger is mostly gone in Senta, even if the Glorious Turkish Infantry breaks, which is unlikely now that only a single Division is facing them, the exhausted German Infantry will face another battle with Pasha's fresh Cavalry Division. Overall nothing to worry about.
Hurrah for the Belgians
Considering the amount of comments you've getting these last few updates, I can't blame you for not replying to all of them immediately, I know you read them. Always glad to help.
As for the use of the Mountaineers, of course you have to weigh the relative merits of various deployments for them, especially if you have only one Division of them. The Marines are clearly a long term objective, and thus current needs will be outweighing that for a while. It is of course always good to plan ahead... as you are doing.
Have a great 2018.
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The Turkish phrase for "The Glorious Truth" would be "Şanlı Gerçek" although it sounds more right wing than communist to my ears. By the way in the 30's there was a paternalistic/solidaristic socialist journal named "Ülkü" which means something like ideal or cause. I think there needs to be an emphasis to idealism or promise of a good future or solidarity between comrades or something.
I missed a good part of the AAR and skimmed those parts fastly. Why do we have so little airforce? Can we research or buy some licences for some fighters to contest the skies? It seems like they are bombing us as they seem fit.
I missed a good part of the AAR and skimmed those parts fastly. Why do we have so little airforce? Can we research or buy some licences for some fighters to contest the skies? It seems like they are bombing us as they seem fit.
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The Romanian part of the front doesn't look as good as it should. If only the soviets had left one of those sibirian-marching corps at home... I hope they will arrive in time to save the far east soviet troops.
Improving First Aid seems to be a very good idea.
Improving First Aid seems to be a very good idea.
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Şanlı Gerçek was one of the other options the dreaded Google translate offered up. I want the title to be fictitious and the government is still a strange mixture of paternalistic right wing autocracy and commitment to the Comintern without actually (in game) being Communist. No realistic logic to that, but it’s what the game mechanics puts up and the result of where I’ve pushed it. How about Şanlı Ülkü? I want to maintain the ‘glory’ motif in it.
OK, the Air Force for Turkey in-game starts at zero tech and doctrine levels and aircraft are very expensive to build as well. Navy too. A decision was taken to concentrate on the land forces tech, doctrine and production and then rely on licenses for any more air units. Had to get close enough to the Soviets to buy the licenses, wait for something that was worth buying then be able to afford it. There is one licensed Soviet fighter wing in production - it certainly would be nice to have more.
Also, until a few game months ago, we thought we’d be defending in depth on fortified lines (the Bosphorus and southern Greece) with fixed heavy AA, but took the risk to defend forward without that cover when the opportunity came to drag the Soviets in and see if France could be kept in the war. The cost is not being able to do much about Axis air superiority at the moment
.Thanks for the active involvement - greatly appreciated
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