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Thanks for the effort to get that far so far: it is so very much appreciated. There is some time to wait yet for Turkish arms to be tested (no spoilers re timing) but it does come in due course! And there are plenty of other shenanigans along the way
Haha I’m sure! I’m busting 2 chapters a day at the Mo and gradually gaining on you mate absolutely loving this AAR @Bullfilter and HOIIV is now on my wish list (so I’ll get it the next time it appears in a sale). I can then get stuck into that whilst retaining my CK2 interest for AAR purposes only. Excited!
Haha I’m sure! I’m busting 2 chapters a day at the Mo and gradually gaining on you mate absolutely loving this AAR @Bullfilter and HOIIV is now on my wish list (so I’ll get it the next time it appears in a sale). I can then get stuck into that whilst retaining my CK2 interest for AAR purposes only. Excited!
Caught up at last with this one. I was only away for a couple of weeks but I still don't really feel on an even keel, a few too many things I've not caught up on still. People like you doing several updates at an unseemly haste don't help!
I have nothing particularly erudite to add, others have covered the salient points. I'll just congratulate you on maintaining your high standards, express my standing hope that Perse gets her over-due comeuppance and wait to see how Sonny cocks everything up in Switzerland. Because he is going to cock everything up in Switzerland, he doesn't have the temperament for being a Mafia boss, let alone intelligence work.
Caught up at last with this one. I was only away for a couple of weeks but I still don't really feel on an even keel, a few too many things I've not caught up on still. People like you doing several updates at an unseemly haste don't help!
Well, the pace on this one has necessarily slowed a little with a combination of RL, work and rotating through updates of the other two stories. Have no fear though, the next instalment of this one is almost done. There will be momentous events and the hard slog of battle!
I have nothing particularly erudite to add, others have covered the salient points. I'll just congratulate you on maintaining your high standards, express my standing hope that Perse gets her over-due comeuppance and wait to see how Sonny cocks everything up in Switzerland. Because he is going to cock everything up in Switzerland, he doesn't have the temperament for being a Mafia boss, let alone intelligence work.
Thank you! You are likely to have a mixture of surprise and “I expected that might happen” with what the various characters get up to. Some plots take longer to ripen than others. Perse goes from strength to strength and remains a dedicated servant of her masters: she is nothing but loyal and constant, unlike the fickle BJ Guildenstern! Sonny? Ooh, that temper of his ...
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Chapter 99: A Dimming of the Light (1 to 15 November 1940)
Chapter 99: A Dimming of the Light (1 to 15 November 1940)
AuthAAR’s Note: Given there has been a bit of a break since the last update (due to the rotation policy with my other two AARs), I will start this chapter with a quick summary of the operational situation in the major conflict zones of the Second Great War. That means the chapter is somewhat long, but there is a bit of combat and some major events. And we need to find out what the volatile Sonny Ceylan gets up to as well … so here goes.
1. Recap
In France, Paris hangs on, under attack by a ring of German panzer divisions, with only a thin and precarious corridor through Etampes connecting it to the rest of France. In the centre, the Germans have advanced quickly, if not quite at will. A small pocket of the Maginot Line on the Swiss border has been cut off – and is surely doomed. The Eastern Front continues much as it has since the Great Liberation War began on 1 June 1940, with the northern part of the Turkish line coming under heavy Axis pressure on either side of the Romanian border.
Situation in Europe as at 4am, 1 November 1940.
In the Mediterranean, the Italians slowly approach Tunis, the British (ie Iraqis) have taken all of eastern Libya and the French landing on Sardinia holds in Cagliari. The Far East witnessed the encirclement and surrender of tens of thousands of Soviet troops in two pockets on the coast and half of Mongolia in Japanese (or their puppets’) hands.
Situation in the Far East as at 4am, 1 November 1940.
Turkey’s sector of the Eastern Front has two battles continuing. One in Senta, where a holding attack is being conducted by Gürler’s 6 Inf Div on the Axis forces which had recently occupied the province. It has little chance of success but may delay exploitation by the enemy into the as-yet undefended Kikinda, where a defence is being assembled but is still some way off. A new breakthrough attack has been launched by three fresh Hungarian divisions on Sânnicolau Mare, from where (due to its exposure with the loss of Senta and Arad), Turkish units had already begun thinning out, moving back to ensure the defence of the key (VP) Romanian city of Timisoara was secure.
Situation in Senta and Sânnicolau Mare, at 6am on 1 November 1940.
2. Yeniçeri Line – Northern Sector
1 Nov 40
The attack on Senta is called off in the early afternoon. Casualties were mounting and enough delay had been caused. 6 Inf Div must remain strong enough to defend Ada from any new enemy attack there.
By the evening, one spent infantry division is withdrawing to each of Ada and Kikinda, with HQ 3rd Corps also still making its way slowly to Kikinda from Timisoara to establish the emergency defence there.
In better news, at 8pm that night, the Romanians report they have again reoccupied Arad, to Timisoara’s north. But this temporary success is not enough to convince Inönü that holding Sânnicolau Mare is feasible in the mid to long-term.
2 Nov 40
It is early in the morning. President, Milli Şef and General Inönü sleeps lightly on a camp bed in HQ 1st Army at Kraljeva. He is gently shaken awake by his adjutant. “General, a message from the Chief of Staff in the Command Post. He asks that you attend for a briefing on a developing situation.”
“What is it, Captain Kaymak? Sânnicolau Mare?”
“He didn’t say, sir, but I believe he had just received an update from Commander 3rd Corps [and, double-hatted like many of them, the Chief of the Turkish Army in Cabinet]General Yamut. I think it must be.”
Donning a heavy field coat against the early morning cold, Inönü walks down the corridor of the requisitioned town hall to the CP. Sure enough, it is about Sânnicolau Mare, the province they had fought so hard to hold in recent weeks.
“General,” starts the Chief of Staff, “this is the situation. General Yamut endorses the views of the commanders on the ground: Sânnicolau Mare is rapidly becoming untenable. We risk taking needless casualties and wearing down the organisation of our troops if we hold out to the end. And with a strong Axis force now firmly lodged in Senta, the position is exposed, while Arad may well fall again, as it has in the past. Yamut requests permission to withdraw from Sânnicolau Mare.”
After a brief consideration, Inönü gives his decision. “Yes, authorise it. Notify the Romanians.” The Romanian 10th Inf Div is also defending in Timisoara. “They will provide the rear-guard. Get 1 and 8 Divisions out of there. They will begin recovering and digging in at Timisoara.”
Inönü heads off for a shave and an early breakfast: it will be a long day. A withdrawal in contact is the most difficult and riskiest military manouevre: bad planning or timing can easily lead to disaster and rout. The whole line could unravel, especially with Kikinda still exposed to the south-west. I’m getting too old for this, he thinks to himself, not for the first time in the last month. I wonder if Paris will still be free by tonight? That city continues to defy the odds and fights on.
A new garrison brigade is queued for production that afternoon, as the Mediterranean may become a more dangerous place if the French Fleet is lost to the Allies and with most of Turkey's regular units being sent to the front.
3 Nov 40
At 5am, MAJGEN Naci Tinaz reports the safe arrival of his 8th Inf Div (Light) in Timisoara. They have taken about 800 casualties (from a maximum strength of 8,000 men) in recent fighting and air raids and are at about 50% organisation. They begin digging in and reinforcing. Later that morning, the exhausted, unsupplied and disorganised 12 Inf Div (still with no permanent commander) arrives from Senta into Kikinda. They are in no fit state to defend it for long (having lost around 1,400 of their 8,000 troops) and HQ 3rd Corps is still some way off.
And at 1pm, 1 Inf Div, the pride of the Turkish Army, pulls into Timisoara, battered but still in functioning order. They have taken about 600 casualties from their full strength of 10,000 during recent fighting and their organisation is no more than around 25%. [Note: there is no casualty report from the battlefront, as the Romanians remained in Sânnicolau Mare when the two Turkish units withdrew earlier.] At the same time, 10th Inf Div arrive in Ada following their earlier retreat from Senta. They join the defenders already there, to recover and entrench.
That night, Gürler’s 6 Inf Div, in Ada recuperating from its earlier abandoned holding attack on Senta, is also ordered to Kikinda. It is clear that if 12 Inf Div are attacked in any strength, they will break quickly: Kikinda is now the critical point in the line. It must be secured.
4 Nov 40
With another improvement in cavalry weapons finished, an ambitious research project is commenced: TAC pilot training, still at Great War levels, will be increased. This is one for the future, when Turkey will aspire to a small, license-built TAC bomber force to supplement its current obsolete single wing of Bristol Blenheims. The impact of Axis air support on Turkish units has impressed all who have encountered it. Future circumstances may one day lead to the favour being returned!
The redoubtable Namut’s 5 Inf Div arrives in Ada at 3am from further south to reinforce the defence there or be available for redeployment as needed. Shortly afterwards, the Hungarian Air Force starts hitting Timisoara. But the attacks are not as strong as previously experienced: it is hoped that they too are suffering some attrition. In three raids between 4am and 4pm, 283 Comintern troops are killed. Does this presage a ground attack on the city?
Late that night, scouts report one Hungarian division moving south-east from Senta towards Kikinda: the feared attack is imminent. The newly arrived 5 Inf Div is told to forget about digging in at Ada: at 11pm they too are ordered to Kikinda, in case the Axis decides to reinforce this attack.
5 Nov 40
Sure enough, an hour later, first contact is made by the Hungarian 20th Division on the forward outposts of 12 Inf Div. The 12th has scarcely recovered and will not last long. However, the acting commander shows great foresight to employ delaying tactics: he will hold out as long as he can but then try to withdraw in good order, before being forced to rout.
Eight hours later, they are given to order to withdraw south to the mountains of Zrenjanin. They have done the best job that could have been expected. [Note: on these maps, I use white to signify a forced (random) rout, light grey showing an ordered withdrawal to a specified province.]
There are no further air raids on Timisoara that day: perhaps the enemy has decided not to attack after all? Or have lost organisation? In the West, Paris still fights on. And US President Franklin Roosevelt is re-elected, carrying 38 of the 48 states to usher in a new administration, with a mixture of old and new names.
6 Nov 40
The attack comes after all, just a bit later than expected: the ‘Great Nemesis’, General Busch and his 23rd Inf Div, attacks Timisoara at 10am! But this time, he is attacking alone, not fully recovered from the previous attack on Senta, with no air support and badly outnumbered against entrenched troops. Unless reinforced, this should be defeated easily: after only an hour, he is in trouble already.
7 Nov 40
Although it left later than HQ 3 Corps and 6 Inf Div, 5 Inf Div is the first to arrive in Kikinda. It does so at 8am and is engaged by the approaching Hungarians an hour later. But as soon as the enemy discovers the hills are being held by fresh troops, they break off the attack after only an hour. Good timing!
News Report: Tacoma, Washington State, US. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which we previously reported opened to traffic on July 1, 1940, dramatically collapses into Puget Sound. At the time of its construction (and its destruction), the bridge was the third-longest suspension bridge in the world in terms of main span length, behind the Golden Gate Bridge and the George Washington Bridge. From the time the deck was built, it began to move vertically in windy conditions, which led to construction workers giving the bridge the nickname Galloping Gertie. The motion was observed even when the bridge opened to the public. Several measures aimed at stopping the motion were ineffective, and the bridge's main span finally collapsed under 40-mile-per-hour (64 km/h) wind conditions on the morning of November 7, 1940.
(2:35min) Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse
8 Nov 40
After less than two days, Yamut reports that Busch’s attack on Timisoara has not been reinforced and is failing. Back home, a new garrison brigade is accepted and deployed in Athina, to defend it following the move of 15 Inf Div north to the Yeniçeri Line.
And by the late afternoon, Yamut reports victory in Timisoara. The dreaded Busch has been beaten back with comparatively heavy casualties. Huzzah!
HQ 3rd Corps finally arrives in Kikinda at 6pm, strengthening the defence further. By day’s end, Paris still stands free. Long Live de Gaulle! Long Live France!
9 Nov 40
6 Inf Div makes it to Kikinda by 7pm. The defence of the province is now manned by two front-line infantry divisions and a reinforced corps HQ, all at near full strength and organisation. They continue to entrench in the hills there: this should prove excellent defensive terrain. It looks like the temporary emergency is over – for now, anyway.
[In OTL, Neville Chamberlain died on this day. It the TT universe, he lives on to contest the forthcoming election on 14 November as sitting Prime Minister. Sigh.]
10 Nov 40
News Report: Vrancea, Romania. The Vrancea earthquake struck Romania, registering 7.7 on the Richter scale and killing 1,000 people.
11 Nov 40
After a few quieter days in the Turkish sector, Hungarian air raids recommence on Timisoara. In three raids that day, 322 Comintern troops are killed. The rest of the Turkish sector remains comparatively quiet. Paris fights on.
12 Nov 40
The worn-out 12 Inf Div arrives in Zrenjanin but, with Kikinda now well secured, is ordered on to Beograd for R&R: the harsh terrain of these mountains with winter approaching is no place to bring them back up to combat readiness.
15 Inf Div finally completes its strategic redeployment from Athina, their trains pulling into Beograd at 9am. For now, they will remain in reserve – especially as the line south-west to the Adriatic has been stripped of its reserves to stem the attacks further north. A single Hungarian afternoon air raid on Timisoara causes 43 casualties.
[In OTL, German–Soviet talks were held on this day. Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov met with Adolf Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin for a conference that would last through to November 14. The main topic of discussion was defining the world spheres of influence between Germany, Italy, Japan and the Soviet Union. None of that rubbish in this time line.]
13 Nov 40
After another comparatively quiet day on the Turkish sector, Inönü is having dinner and reading over a letter from his former ward, Cennet, who appears to have been having a hair-raising time in what should be peaceful Switzerland. He is interrupted by a messenger from the Command Post, with a sealed message. The man is expressionless as he hands it to the President. It contains only three words: as he reads them, he feels a chill even colder than the bleak weather outside. Paris Has Fallen!
The French have shifted their capital to Bordeaux, but the national will to fight on is approaching breaking point. Minutes later, the same messenger arrives with a diplomatic cable, from the Embassy in Washington DC. The US remains out of the war, but inches closer to involvement.
The Fall of Paris occurs on the very eve of the UK parliamentary elections, which go ahead despite the war. Surely this disaster will spell the end of the Chamberlain premiership!
Entertainment News, New York, US. On a more cheerful note, the Walt Disney animated film Fantasia has its world premiere at the Broadway Theatre in New York City.
In Turkey, a new garrison brigade is deployed, this time to Salonika, to safeguard another key port behind the front line.
The morning headlines in Istanbul tell the story of the previous evening’s events. Persephonee took great care to ensure the front page’s article about Britain and its perceived lack of support from France was not too extreme, despite the high feelings of many French sources interviewed. She suggested the focus of ire be put on Chamberlain personally rather than Britain as a whole. She was very determined in this and her influence was sufficient to moderate the article.
That night, results come through from the UK elections, held the day after the fall of Paris. Inönü reads the cable from the Ambassador in London, giving his assessment of the result, which is clear.
It seems the people of Britain like the fact that Britain is winning at sea, holding their own in the air and have preserved themselves from any serious land combat after over a year of the Second Great War!
Chamberlain's Conservatives are comfortably re-elected, with an increased majority, ostensibly for another five years! He increases his direction of the war by also taking on the Armaments portfolio. Anthony Eden replaces Ernest Bevin as the other major appointment change in his new Cabinet.
Turkey’s wooing of Winston Churchill may have been for naught. Perse in particular is visibly disappointed. Her eyes mist over as she looks at the signed and framed photo Churchill gave her during his visit to Turkey a few years before. The Turkish Cabinet largely shares her views.
12 Inf Div arrives in Beograd that evening, finally able to concentrate on returning itself to full capacity.
News Report: Berlin, Germany. The Nazis legalise the human consumption of dog meat within the German Reich, effective 1 January 1941. Rations must be getting tough already! 15 Nov 40
The day passes without any significant developments on the Turkish sector. That night, Inönü receives his mid-month operational reports, which he looks over with interest – particularly the detailed combat reports from French liaison. He absorbs these while processing the momentous events of the last two days, in Paris, Washington and London. What will it all mean for the Comintern forces fighting grimly in the East? No-one is sure.
3. France and the Mediterranean
First, he considers the overall situation in France, with movements since 1 November. Hitler makes a visit to the still-smouldering Paris two days after its fall.
The northen sector shows the garrison retreating through Versailles, with the Germans in occupation but some units still fleeing the hinterland of Paris.
In the centre, German units have advanced steadily and still attack in a couple of locations, while the French still try to counter-attack where they can. The line remains porous, but has not yet disintegrated.
In the south, the Italians have now regained the mountains of Aosta, long in French possession, and attack the thinned line at Briancon, as the Germans close in from the north.
The French have picked this time to advance from Cagliari in Sardinia! The Italians close in on Tunis, while the British (presumably still the Iraqis) now advance more slowly in Libya.
4. Eastern Front
On the Eastern Front, the usual exchange of pleasantries – and provinces – has occurred in the first half of November.
In the Turkish sector, noteworthy observations are the loss of Senta and Sânnicolau Mare to the Axis and the increasing presence of Soviet troops along the Yeniçeri Line.
5. Far East
Japan and its puppets have made some limited advances (beyond the dotted yellow line shown, which shows positions on 1 November) and have eliminated the last two pockets in the east. Most gains came in Mongolia.
Of minor note, the first Romanian units have begun to approach the front lines. About another corps is on its way, but this alone will not be enough to turn the tide! Though given recent Soviet losses in the Far East, some assistance with the defence there is needed.
6. Epilogue – Switzerland
Tom Heygan and ‘Sonny’ Ceylan have just left Ambassador ‘Vito’ Ceylan’s room at the Residence. He is resting and still not able to exercise his authority which, for S.I.T.H. business, is still vested in Sonny for day-to-day tactical operations.
“Whatsa matter, Tom?” asks Sonny, full of his usual optimistic bravado.
“We can't do business. The Swiss have tightened up on all our operations.”
“Well neither can they! Don't worry about it.”
“The Tattaglias don't have our over-heads or responsibilities!”
“Please, Tom, don't worry about it!”
“We can't afford a stalemate, Sonny!”
“Well, then, there ain't no more stalemate. I'm gonna end it by killin' that old bastard!” He is referring here to Philip Tattaglia – the father of the late and unlamented Bruno – and head of the Tattaglia crime family. “I'm gonna kill...”
“Yeah,” says Tom, interrupting “well you're getting a great reputation! I hope you're enjoying it...”
“Well you just do what I tell you to do! Goddamn it! If I had a wartime ‘consiglieri’ – an Anatolian - I wouldn't be in this shape!” Sonny has lost his temper and lashed out once again – of course. After a pause, he apologises. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean that.”
“It's alright...” Tom says sadly as he walks away.
---xxx---
A few days later, Sonny is sitting in his office, looking over S.I.T.H. agents’ reports from around Western Europe. The situation in France is getting particularly desperate. The phone rings.
A woman is crying inchoately on the other end of the phone.
“Cennet, is that you, whatsa matter? I can't hear you, what is it?” More sobbing over the phone. “Cennet ...”
"Cennet, is that you, whatsa matter?"
Cennet’s voice is barely audible. “Carlo Rizzi … he’s kidnapped me. He’s holding me near the German border in Seglingen, just over the Rhine. He wants to talk.” Cennet's voice lowers and she whispers quickly and far more calmly. “Sonny, don’t come, it’s a trap!”
“Listen! You wait there.”
There is the sound of a fist striking flesh, a female grunt of pain, and what sounds like a chair and a body hitting floorboards. The next voice is Carlo Rizzi’s. “Hey Sonny, I got ya little friend here. Mighty tasty-looking she is too. Get here now, to the Über den Rhein Gasthof, we’ll talk. Or I’ll start sending her back in pieces!” He hangs up without waiting for an answer.
Sonny hangs up the phone, in a rage. “Sonofabitch!”
He leaves the office, throwing a jacket on, his only concession to the early November chill.
“Sonofabitch!” he shouts again as he strides through the residence and towards the vehicle compound.
“Open the goddamn gate. Get off your ass!” he shouts at the guard, who complies.
Tom runs out of the house after Sonny with one of their men as Sonny turns his car around. “Sonny! Sonny, come on... what’s going on?”
Sonny is already driving towards the gate. “Get outta my way!” he snarls, and is off, heading north towards the German border.
Tom orders a couple of the men to grab another car. “Move out - go on! Follow him!”
---xxx---
Coming Up: How much longer will France last? And when can those panzer divisions, seasoned now by their continuous action on the Western Front, be expected to turn up in the East? Even before they arrive, is the Turkish sector now stabilised, or will the Axis be able to break the line again? And how will the Soviets fare once they are up against the cream of German panzer divisions?
It looks like the French will have held the Germans up enough so that the additional impetus of Hitler’s ‘Destiny Factor’ will have burnt out by the time their attacking forces can complete their Drang nach Osten, but it will still be a very formidable challenge. Will Perse’s distress at the continued Premiership of Chamberlain and the frustration of Churchill's ambitions continue? Why exactly was she so upset? And what will Sonny do – his temper again seems to be leading him to take rash action. What waits for him in Seglingen, at the Über den Rhein Gasthof?
Well, things are really heating up now... But the line is holding, and STAVKA is finally sending more units your way, that's great news, as I've been pushing for Soviet troops on the Yeniceri line for ages. Not a moment too soon.
News Report: Tacoma, Washington State, US. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which we previously reported opened to traffic on July 1, 1940, dramatically collapses into Puget Sound. At the time of its construction (and its destruction), the bridge was the third-longest suspension bridge in the world in terms of main span length, behind the Golden Gate Bridge and the George Washington Bridge. From the time the deck was built, it began to move vertically in windy conditions, which led to construction workers giving the bridge the nickname Galloping Gertie. The motion was observed even when the bridge opened to the public. Several measures aimed at stopping the motion were ineffective, and the bridge's main span finally collapsed under 40-mile-per-hour (64 km/h) wind conditions on the morning of November 7, 1940.
This is why you need communism and state control... at least our bridges don't collapse at the slightest breeze...
(please disregard all the accidents you never heard about because they never made the state run news...)
I'm ambivalent on the British elections, on the one hand, Britain under Churchill would be more active in the war, but on the other hand, a weak Britain gives us the opportunity to eventually seize most of Western Europe... once the Axis runs out of men to send to the slaughter, that is.
Glad to hear that your Bomber Pilots will soon get to train in the sky, as opposed to on the ground, which is where they seem to have been training until now...
Of minor note, the first Romanian units have begun to approach the front lines. About another corps is on its way, but this alone will not be enough to turn the tide! Though given recent Soviet losses in the Far East, some assistance with the defence there is needed.
Finally, those troops might be able to do something... what exactly they can do remains debatable. Let's just hope that STAVKA doesn't decide to send them back to Romania tomorrow...
At least the Japanese advance seems to be running out of steam... or supplies...
I feel that this whole affair in Switzerland/Germany might end very badly for Sonny... Somehow I do have some faith in Cennet, and believe she will find her way out of that particular predicament. Sonny's survival seems like a toss up, or worse. That's still my assessment, so maybe it'll be the other way around. At least Tom had the common sense to send a second car along. In any way I don't think I could get GRU operatives down there in time, even if I tried, so best of luck to both of them.
Chapter 75: Special War Cabinet Meeting (15 May 1940)
Ankara, 15 May 1940. Unknown to the general population, who are just getting used to a period of peace, great decisions are being taken behind closed doors.
15 May 40 - Ankara
The flags of Turkey and the Union of Glorious National Republics.
President Ismet Inönü calls the most crucial Cabinet meeting of his presidency so far to order. At stake is a decision about whether to take the war to the Axis early or to hold back, adhering to the course of action that has been Turkish policy for the last three years: to keep war away for as long as possible, let the West fend for itself, withstand an expected Axis onslaught behind carefully prepared defences, then after 2-3 years of grinding warfare alongside the Soviets, hope to take the offensive and defeat the Fascists.
But the securing of the Comintern alliance, some initial promising resistance from Belgium and France in the West and advice from the Foreign Ministry that the Comintern would support a Turkish declaration of war has got important people thinking. What a few weeks ago was just a marginal ‘what if’ is now being treated very seriously, given how thin the Axis eastern defences are now looking. It could be a once-in-a-generation opportunity - for glorious victory. Or hubris before a humiliating defeat.
Europe on 15 May 1940.
Inönü begins: “You all know why we are gathered today. And you have all read the briefing material for this meeting. We will quickly recap the key points, you may put your views and then, in what has become our traditional Cabinet process, myself and the Prime Minister will retire to discuss the decision, which I will make as President of Turkey and Milli Şef of the Union of Glorious National Republics. Let us begin with a short report from Foreign Minister Aras.”
Dr. Tewfik Rüştü Aras (b. 1883). Foreign Minister of Turkey since March 1937. Noted pro-Comintern diplomat, brought in deliberately to draw Turkey towards that bloc – mission accomplished!
Aras gets straight into his subject. “My staff have double checked the letter of the Nazi-Soviet agreements we are aware of and Intelligence Head Ögel’s analysts agree: if we declare war on the Germans, the rest of the Axis will almost certainly declare war on us. We are sure Germany will require its allies to retaliate against us. And we are sure they will answer that call, not from a feeling of mutual defensive obligation as the Allies would, but more out of a sense of bravado and misplaced feelings of destiny.”
Aras pauses for a sip of water, then continues. “Those declarations of war on us would call our own Comintern Pact into play, releasing the Soviets from any remaining non-aggression pact restrictions and giving them convenient casus belli against the Germans and the rest of the Axis. Ögel?”
Ögel takes his cue, as arranged. “Yes, our analysis is that this will occur. We believe Stalin will welcome the opportunity to take an early crack at the Germans while their back is so invitingly turned. They would never get a better chance. Hitler will have to at least transfer some considerable defensive strength to the east to deal with the new threat. So long as the French and their Allies are still in the fight and not on the brink of collapse, this splitting of forces by the Germans should either cripple their western campaign, or if they try to persist with it, they will risk losing significant territory to our Soviet allies – first occupied Poland, then even eastern Germany – perhaps Berlin itself – would be under threat.”
Şükrü Âli Ögel, (b. 1886). Head of Turkish Intelligence, the Milli EmniyetHizmeti (MAH) (National Security Service). Has a very high reputation in Cabinet due to his good work in the short ‘police action’ in Romania and seen as a ‘straight shooter’ (in all senses of the word). Has a (fictional ATL) dark, hidden past.
“Furthermore,” Ögel continues, “this would put us and the Soviets on a full war economy footing, which the Germans already enjoy. If we wait for a year or two and the Germans beat the French in the short term, they will not only greatly expand their IC and resources, but will not have to worry about a Western land front and can devote their entire economy for preparing to invade us and the Soviets. No matter what we and the Soviets can produce, the Axis is likely to produce more over the same period and then be able to throw almost all of it east.”
Inönü now focuses discussion further: “Gentlemen, these are powerful points. But before we move into the military pros and cons, please point out the risks of an early declaration of war on the Germans and their henchmen.”
“Certainly,” nods Aras. “As I mentioned at the start, a consequence of an active declaration of war by us is the likelihood of bringing the whole Axis into the war at once. The Japanese would attack our allies in the east. Not a fatal problem for them or us, perhaps, but a serious consideration nonetheless. This would also be a distraction for the Allies, but that may not be an entirely bad thing either. We don’t want them collapsing in the West, but then we don’t want them doing too well too quickly, either!"
"Also, it would bring Italy into the war immediately, though our intelligence indicates they would be likely to stab the French in the back soon in any case. As has been argued previously, a declaration now would divide the Italians' efforts three ways – France, the east and Africa (Libya and Ethiopia). This may actually be of net assistance to the French and their chances of survival. Of course, the Hungarian Axis stooges would also be brought into the conflict, but they represent both threat and opportunity. Our military advisers will talk more about that shortly.”
“Thank you, Aras,” says Inönü. “Örlungat, what do the Armed Forces advise?”
Ali Örlungat, (D.O.B. unknown). Chief of Staff and Chief of the Air Force. [Ed. the only picture and reference I can find of his existence, including trying on the Turkish 'Vikipedia', is in HoI! So this will have to do.]
CoS Örlungat replies very carefully. “There are of course pros and cons to an early war declaration. It is a bold course, carrying greater potential benefits than waiting, but also some significant risks. How severe the risks are will depend on some variables that we can monitor, but are basically out of our hands. Let us work through them now.”
“First, there is the variable of timing. If we strike too early, we run the risk of the Germans being able to withdraw relatively unscathed front-line units from the war in France and sending them east instead. It would take them some time, but with strategic movement and interior lines, they could make their presence felt before our Soviet allies have made significant inroads. Especially as we cannot direct them and must rely on their initiative to wage an aggressive war while time is on our side. If we wait too long, then France may be doomed and we risk being only a minor inconvenience to the Germans while they complete their conquest of France then face us with their main force.
Field Marshal Mehmet Nuri Yamut (b. 1890). Chief of the Turkish Army.
Army Chief Yamut takes up the discussion: “It would take our Army at least a couple of weeks to readjust to the proposed forward defensive line in former Yugoslavia. Before which we should avoid any declaration. Let’s say by the end of the month, we should be in position and able to assess how things are going in the West. If things start looking dangerous there, it could be a line ball decision as to whether there is still time to save the French, or we revert to our original defence in depth strategy and wait for the wolf to come to us. But we would hope to hit the Hungarians hard through our Romanian and Soviet allies - possibly even knocking them out of the war.”
Aras chimes in again at this point: “Remember, we are relying on the Soviets being ready to strike, and they still have considerable forces aligned against the Baltic States. We believe they will seek to pressure them into joining the Soviet Union under threat of conquest. If we declare war before they have completed that plan, all that territory and the forces deployed there will not be available for an attack on the Germans. And Stalin may not be pleased at this interference in his grander plans. We believe the Baltic annexation is imminent, but can’t be sure of when they will move, though we anticipate around mid-June.”
“Can’t we just ask them to do it now?” says Örlungat, with some exasperation.
“I’m afraid not,” replies Aras. “First we’re not meant to know they are planning this little exercise. And second, the iron laws of international diplomacy forbid it. We will just have to await events – and it could be a very suspenseful wait!” [Ed. In other words, there is no in-game mechanism for requesting an AI-run country to trigger such an event. And – tempting though it might be – my ‘no-tag’ pledge applies.]
The Baltic States: three loose ends in dire need of being tied off. Hurry up, Uncle Joe!
“Very well,” summarises Örlungat. “That is the broad equation. We don’t believe we should risk an early declaration before the following conditions are met: first, our forces have redeployed fully to the new ‘Yeniçeri Line’, so they are able to start digging in as soon as any declaration of war is made. Second, the Soviets have annexed the Baltics and most of their forces are available to join the fight, even if they are not all in the border area yet. They will get there quicker than the Germans can move troops back from France. At that point, the third condition applies: the French must still be credibly in the fight and we assess that an intervention in the east has a better than even chance of keeping them in the fight, thus fatally (we hope) splitting the German forces on two fronts. The rest – Hungary, Romania, possibly Finland; a Japanese attack in the Far East – they are all peripheral issues. Operational questions, not decisive strategic issues, as far as we are concerned in Turkey. We can plan and talk about those later.”
Inönü now speaks up in his capacity as Armament Minister (essentially Defence or War Minister and Economic/Finance Minister). “As has been alluded to, the great advantage to us in an early war is the increased manpower and production that will ensue. In part for Turkey, but more importantly for our Soviet allies, on whom we must rely for the great bulk of the heavy fighting against the Fascist juggernaut. Rather than waiting for a German hammer blow at the time and place of their choosing, there is the prospect of some early gains, a hampered German response, and more time for the great gears of Soviet industry and their vast population to be fully mobilised. And with the Glorious Union and Romania to assist them, they can fight over a relatively limited front with a preponderance of numbers that will only increase as time goes on. That may be the single greatest advantage of this course of action, or at least equal to the advantage of having our main enemy fight a serious two-front war.”
Prime Minister Bayar has observed carefully but said nothing yet. He now makes his first statement of the debate. “You all know I generally favour the forward-defence approach, preserving as much of our Balkan dominions as we can and taking the fight to the scourge of the world, the egregious and malign Herr Hitler. I am also willing to entertain an actual early intervention in the war if we can be sure our Soviet friends will come to the party. But I am not reckless in these views. We must fully consider the most dangerous risks. We have heard of some of them, and ways to prevent a rash decision by waiting until the decisive point and not finally committing until we and the Soviets are both ready and we are reasonably sure the French can still survive. But what else is there? What if we take the plunge but find we have underestimated the capacity of the Germans? What else could go wrong? Who will speak to these issues? Fear not, this table is one where all can speak honestly. The decision will rest with our President alone. He wants to hear all views.”
Şükrü Kaya, (b. 1883). Minister of the Interior (Security). He was born in the Dodecanese when they were still part of the Ottoman Empire. He no doubt hankers to see the islands returned to their rightful ownership. [Has a (real) dark past we won’t go into on this forum.]
“Very well,” replies Kaya. The Security (Interior) Minister is a natural pessimist and sceptic – ideally suited to the role of Devil’s Advocate. Indeed, many believe him to be the Devil himself, not his mere legal representative!
“We’ve talked about it before. Our army could become badly exposed if deployed forward. We have no credible air cover available, no forward air defences will be there, no fortifications. Sure, we can fall back to the two main defensive lines if necessary, but may be too weakened to hold them by then. We may need to surrender Greece without a real fight, sacrificing all our investment there and the opportunity to grind down the Axis against set defences, just to be able to defend the main Calistar Line. And we even risk undermining our defence there, on which the fate of the entire Motherland rests. If the Axis breaks through there, all is lost. You will want to be very sure about the calculation: you may end up destroying the nation for a mere mirage of glory.”
Admiral Mehmet Ali Üngen [Ülgen], (b. 1887). Chief of the Turkish Navy.
Navy Chief Mehmet Ali Üngen [real spelling Ülgen] also feels obliged to offer some cautionary advice. “Remember too, our Navy is small and primitive. The Italians have a powerful fleet and a few bases very near the Turkish coast, in the Dodecanese Islands and Rhodes (Rodi). We cannot fully rely on Allied naval superiority to protect our long maritime flank on the Mediterranean. If we push too far forward and are heavily engaged and then there is a major naval landing by the Italians in our rear, all could be lost, especially if most of the reserves earmarked for countering such assaults in Turkey itself have to be sent forward to maintain our forward defence.”
“Very well,” says Inönü, rising to his feet. All the others hastily stand. “Bayar and I have heard enough, I think. We have all spent much time considering these issues and I appreciate the frank views you have all expressed, and the useful contributions we have received from some of Turkey’s top strategic commentators. It is time for me and the Prime Minister to discuss this in private. I will inform you of my decision in later this evening.”
The meeting breaks up. The Cabinet members adjourn to a waiting room for coffee and baklava. Inönü and Bayar retire to the Presidential sitting room.
Ismet Inönü (b. 1884) and Mahmut Celâl Bayar (b. 1883). President and PrimeMinister of Turkey, respectively. Picture taken at the War Cabinet meeting on 15 May 1940. The portrait of the Father of the Nation, Mustapha Kemal Atatürk, looks down over them. His presence can still be felt, a year after his death.
As the door closes and the two men are alone, Inönü sits down, wincing very slightly from the shoulder wound he received last year during the assassination attempt at the Opera House in Sarajevo – which cost the life of his illegitimate nephew and newly adopted son, Volkan ‘Vinnie’ Inönü (formerly Mancini).
“So Bayar, I know we have not always seen eye to eye on many issues and I know we will never be close friends, but I respect your dedication to Glorious Turkey and appreciated your measured contribution to the Cabinet debate this afternoon. These decisions need to be taken in cold blood, with objectivity and considering as many of the facts as we have available. We have always been prepared to take risks when the reward seems worth it, but the risks must be educated. In this case, the fate of the nation literally rests on this decision. So tell me, what do you think?”
Bayar has clearly already thought his answer through well in advance. “Mr President, thank you for your words and your frankness. I too hope we can work together productively, professionally and in the interests of the Motherland and the Union we have built.” Bayar, as a ‘forward defender’, is a strong Unionist – more so than Inönü, who has a more isolationist bent and would gladly sacrifice the whole Union in order to preserve Turkey itself, if it came to such a stark choice.
“I would like to preserve as much of the Union as we can – for the resources, manpower and defensive buffer it provides Mother Turkey. Between them, Beograd, Sofiya and Athens provide much of what has made the new Greater Turkey great. Just as the Iranian oilfields provide us with an enormous resource and trading leverage. Without our new dominions, we would still be the third-rate minor power we were just four years ago. It is the visionary leadership of you and our great President Atatürk we have to thank for that. We should not give all that up without a fight – so long as we have a decent chance of winning it.”
“My view is we should make sure we do everything we can to have the option in place for an early intervention. I’m sure the Soviets will answer the call to arms – after which we would play second fiddle, albeit a strong one. I would definitely prefer it if the Soviets have at least executed their Baltic annexation, even if the forces there are still not yet forward deployed to the German border. At least we know they will be coming. My fear is if we wait too long, the moment will be past: France may have been irretrievably weakened by then and our opportunity lost. I’d even consider going before the Soviets take the Baltics, as a last resort, so much do I believe in this fleeting opportunity we may be presented with. Just think where we would be starting now compared to having the full Axis force, victorious in the West, poised along our border in a year or two, bolstered by occupied territories and a wartime economy, and able to determine the time and place of their attack.”
“To conclude,” says Bayar, “I believe we should order the General Staff to immediately draw up plans for the establishment of the Yeniçeri Line and start deploying the forces straight away. While we should retain some rear defences, to establish a fall-back defence and guard against surprise naval attacks, we must ensure the line can hold out against at least heavy probing attack by the Axis – which could be mainly Italian and Hungarian troops in our sector at first, with some Germans. If we take the plunge, then all speed along the Path to Glory - in the hope Romania and the Soviets can carry the main offensive in the east while we hold the line in Serbia and the Med. If the moment passes, we can always return to our rearward defence – though I’d still like the idea of defending forward to start with, if our planners think we can handle it by the time the Nazi hammer falls in a year or two.”
“Thank you, Bayar, that is wise counsel,” says Inönü thoughtfully. “I am perhaps a little more conservative than you when it comes to waiting for the Soviets to take the Baltics. We will see, but if the French are failing and the Baltics still not annexed, I’d be doubtful about the wisdom of pinning our hopes on a sinking Western star. The next few weeks will tell us much on that score."
“If we do commit to war early, I will be seeking a decent number of Soviet expeditionary forces to bolster our numbers in the Balkans, so we can perhaps swing over to the offensive earlier than we might otherwise, given we would be committing to offensive action 2-3 years before we had otherwise been planning to. We should be able to supply and support a reasonably large number of expeditionary units if they are offered."
“I will also ask the Staff to draw up plans for a surprise naval assault on the Dodecanese Islands and Rhodes, though we would not be able to sustain both at once. We may not play that card, but should be ready to do so if necessary. In the meantime, we’ll send the fleet on a patrol past both locations to see what the Italians have there. But I do agree: let’s at least do what we can to have the interventionist option on the table as soon as we can, see what happens in the Baltics and France, and then take it from there. Come, let us advise our colleagues of my decision.”
Inönü and Bayar do so. Turkey will prepare to intervene but no final decision will be taken until the forward defences are in place, and then the situations in the West and the Baltics will be monitored. If both are deemed propitious and the timing is right an intervention will be made. If not, then depending on Inönü’s personal assessment and decision, the two risks will be judged: the risk of intervening against that of waiting for Germany to come calling later.
The military planners are sent away to work out detailed dispositions for the occupation of the Yeniçeri Line, the preservation of the two established fortified lines in depth, necessary measures to guard against Italian naval landings in the rear and a surprise assault on those Italian bases insultingly close to the Turkish mainland (and which justly belong to Turkey in any case). Especially given one of them (Rhodes/Rodi) was used for the notorious “Foundation Day” float-plane attack on the Council of Premiers in January last year. That would be a sweet revenge, if it can be done. Luca Brasi would enjoy conducting a few ‘contact counselling’ sessions there. Ögel and Kaya are also given some contingency orders for the settling of some other scores, which still remain unsettled from the days of the Great Conspiracy and the undercover Mafia War of 1939.
Some morale-building Kemalist propaganda is reissued to help warm up the masses, depicting previous struggles and the idealist onwards march of the secular, modern Turkey promoted by Atatürk. If the people are going to be asked to willingly put their head in the Axis bear-trap, they will need some persuading!
Coming Up: Time for military planning and mass redeployments. Developments in the West (Belgium and France) and the Baltic States will be keenly followed. The stage will be set for a bold Turkish intervention in the Second Great War. But will Inönü pull the trigger, especially if the situation looks risky? Only time will tell.
Hmmmm...France can fall at any moment and the USA may not enter the war for another war or so. And while the Japanese seem to have slowed down it isn't due to the USSR fighting back. Is there any sign that the Soviets may be pulling troops out of the European Front to try to move them to the Far East?
[Ed. Here we go, another chapter played and written up post-travel, without even a day back home yet! Hope I didn't make any numpty errors in the process . Too late now - done is done!]
3 Jun 40
Cennet (Connie) returns to Ankara with Sabiha Gökçen on the special flight arranged by President Inönü. She reports directly to S.I.T.H. Headquarters, where she is given orders for her first mission as a fully operational agent. She boards a train for Istanbul that evening, with her NKVD recipe book in hand.
For the Motherland! Apart from whatever new laws the Soviet Union is able to now enact, it also gets an immediate boost to industry, leadership and army unit production through a call on patriotic citizens following the initiation of the Great Liberation War. Turkey is relying heavily on the “Russian Steamroller”, but it may take some while to get into gear!
Air bombardment on the Italian militia in the Dodecanese is causing attrition, but nothing too dramatic yet. Given there has been no air opposition so far, the fighters are switched to the ground attack mission as well, even if their contribution is likely to be minor. An estimated 142 Italian casualties are inflicted by air attack on 3 June.
At 7pm, the Turkish Fleet is ordered to set sail with 15 Inf Div on board to invade the Dodecanese. Given Turkey has no marines or landing craft and the landings are opposed, this will be slow and possibly expensive in casualties. But it will be tried, to see how things fare. Simultaneously, the single Turkish submarine flotilla is sent to the West Aegean Sea, to help screen the invasion fleet and give early warning of any Italian naval attack from that direction.
During the day, the former Yugoslavian provinces of Bovec, Ormoz and Kostel are occupied by Italy, while Hungary takes Beli Manastir. Further south, Turkey continues to improve its new defensive line.
4 Jun 40
Soviet lend lease begins to arrive – the 26 additional IC will be very handy indeed! They are used to begin training an entire full-strength infantry division.
Turkey is conducting a fully joint operation for the first time, with an amphibious landing supported by a ship bombardment and air-ground attacks. But given all these aspects are rudimentary in Turkey and the small scale of the support available for the attacking infantry, it remains to be seen how successful this will be.
By midday, LOs at the Romanian Supreme HQ report three contiguous Hungarian border provinces have been occupied, including the key VP city of Debrecen. There is a chance the Romanians may catch the Hungarian forces to the east in a pocket – though more aggressive action by the Soviets would help this considerably. Fighting continues on the Romanian left and rights flanks, while both sides appear to be advancing on Satu Mare.
That evening, the first more detailed reports are received from MAJGEN Gataly, commanding the naval landings by 15 Inf Div on the Dodecanese. It is taking them a long time to get ashore (only 25% so far), with the Turkish naval bombardment being more than offset by the large amphibious penalty and the entrenchment of the Italian militia. It is unclear whether the superior numbers and effectiveness of the Turkish infantry, plus their air support, will be enough to make any impression at all on the Italian defences.
Today saw Hungary claim the provinces of Virovitica, Valpovo and Subotica unopposed. The Turkish Air Force estimates only 73 Italian casualties in the Dodecanese today.
5 Jun 40
More excellent news from our Romanian allies: with Soviet support, they have won the battle of Rachov. No detailed casualty reports are available, but we can see the Hungarians are retreating.
A little more perplexing is this later report on Romanian movements behind the lines. Especially curious is the Romanian infantry division about to enter Odessa, while the mountain division beginning to head in the same direction would be much more useful further west!
Whisky Tango Foxtrot!?
The pace of Axis occupation in former Yugoslavia speeds up, with Italy taking Ribnica and Kranj, while Hungary takes Sisak, Krsko and the Croatian GNR capital of Zagreb. A big day today on the Dodecanese, with air raids causing 192 Italian casualties.
Hungarian troops enter Zagreb unopposed on the afternoon of 5 June 1940.
News Report: Ottawa, Canada. Wartime emergency legislation in Canada bans 16 Nazi, Communist and Fascist organisations.
6 Jun 40
The Romanians win the race to occupy Rachov by 1pm, claiming it (as a puppet government) for Turkey! But in former Yugoslavia, the Italians (Jesenice and Rijeka) and Hungarians (Nasice, Osijek, Slatina, Kanjiza and Bosanka Dubica) continue to occupy unguarded provinces – regrettable of course, but it means more time for Turkey’s defences to be improved further south. By contrast, the Germans have so far not occupied any Turkish provinces on the Balkan Front. They seem to be stuck in difficult terrain. And no extra German units have appeared. The Italians take another 130 casualties from air raids in the Dodecanese, bringing the total to 854 since the raids began on 1 June.
After the first six days of the expanded Second Great/Liberation War, the Turkish Cabinet receives operational updates from all the major fronts. The reports are a mixed bag and early, but so far there have been no apparent disasters and some successes, though the situation in the Far East looks difficult for our Comintern allies.
Not only have the Romanians won a major battle (Rachov) and taken four Hungarian provinces, including Debrecen, but it also looks like they may have won a couple more battles on their left flank, where the Hungarians appear to be retreating. Meanwhile, Hungary advances on a wide front in former Yugoslavia but has not yet closed on the Turkish defences – and these units move further away from the defence of its own threatened heartland with every day. Italy takes easy pickings in the north but advances nowhere near any contested territory. And the Germans seem to be engaged in ‘Sitskrieg’ operations in the north, in rugged terrain! Turkey continues to dig in on the Yeniçeri Line: having long relied on basic infantry gear from the Soviets, observant readers will note that frontline Turkish Army units are now equipped with standard Soviet pattern small arms, helmets and uniforms. This will ensure they are not mistaken for the enemy when they come to work together with their Soviet allies.
On the ‘Eastern Front’ (the German-Soviet border), the Germans have made some small gains, including some unopposed advances into Lithuania. However, they may not realise a large horde of Soviet reinforcements are heading their way! The Turkish High Command sincerely hope the Nazis get a rude awakening there. And already, the Soviets have made some headway, taking the (level 1 fortified) province of Gumbinnen. If any more German units rush north into the former Baltic States, there is a chance they could be cut off. Otherwise, the front line is fairly quiet, with neither side launching many attacks.
This map is of interest: it shows the large mass of Soviet troops, led by some quite powerful armoured units, redeploying to the northern sector of the front. It could get entertaining once they get into position!
Meanwhile, at the Finnish border, the Soviets seem confident enough to start moving many of the units massed there off to the German front. So long as they don’t strip too many units and provide the Finns (should they keep drifting towards the Axis and join it) with too tempting an opportunity for revenge after their Winter War defeat earlier in the year.
In northern France, the French Army seems to have held on reasonably well: since 2 June the Germans have taken Cambrai and Nancy. The latter could cause outflanking problems for the northern part of the Maginot Line if not remedied soon. However, further south the dangerous German panzer incursion into St. Die has been counter-attacked and the province retaken. And the Belgian province of Kortrijk has also been taken by France. Due to the ‘lay low’ orders given to the Turkish espionage network in France, no detailed unit dispositions are known. And it is not clear if the British have sent meaningful reinforcements to France yet. More detailed information may be available later in the month.
On the French-Italian border, there is more good news: the French
have taken the mountain province of Aosta from the Italians. Not
world-shaking perhaps, but better than losing provinces!
In North Africa, there has been no exchange of territory in on the Tunis (France) – western Libya (Italy) border. But the Italians have been busy further east, striking out from Bardia and Ridotta Capuzzo to take four British provinces in western Egypt. No doubt this will force Chamberlain to divert some forces to the Middle East to counter this threat to the Suez Canal. But it does mean Italian forces are split between three active fronts, plus the border with Tunis and Ethiopia also possible diversions of their ability to focus. A scan of the naval sinkings list reveals no major warships from either side were sunk during this time – and the small Turkish fleet investing the Dodecanese has not even sighted any Italian ships.
Speaking of which, attrition on the Italian 1a Divisione Eritrea (militia) is now over 10%, but the battle there moves slowly. Turkish chances are currently still rated as “0%”, but no appreciable casualties are being taken by 15 Inf Div. Both generals are trying imaginative tactics to gain the advantage. Very usefully, a Romanian submarine flotilla has taken up a screening position south of the Dodecanese – they really are proving to be excellent allies so far!
Liaison reports provided by our Soviet allies show them to be under heavy pressure in the Far East, especially on the border with Manchuria (Manchukuo) and around Vladivostok. Although Soviet armour is advancing south on the island of Sakhalin unopposed and should occupy it soon unless the Japanese reinforce it quickly. This would at least eliminate an outflanking threat for the Soviet rear to the north of the main front.
As anticipated, the outnumbered Soviet forces on the Vladivostok front are retreating under pressure – their situation looks difficult. Still, it is a long way off from the Soviet heartland. And if Germany can be defeated, the Japanese may end up regretting they honoured their Axis Pact obligations so promptly. We can but hope.
In Istanbul, a new assistant cook has been hired to work in the kitchen of Mafia mobster Virgil Sollozzo, who is feeling very uneasy now his diplomatic protection from the Italian mission in Turkey has disappeared, due to the declaration of war. She gives her name as Ayşe Kaymak and was hired in large part because of her excellent references as a preparer of homemade Italian-style pasta: apparently, her gnocchi in particular was described as “to die for”!
Virgil ‘The Turk’ Sollozzo – an increasingly worried man.
Coming Up: Will Sollozzo’s new cook be asked to prepare a tasty treat for him – perhaps some nice pasta, or maybe a cannoli? Will any definite trends emerge in the various European battle fronts, or will events start to mimic the First Great War, with entrenched lines and attrition becoming standard? Can the Romanian ‘pocket steamroller’ continue on its victorious way? And will the Soviets start to use their increasing weight of numbers more aggressively? Finally, can France maintain the relatively stable situation on the Western Front it did during the first six days of the expanded war?
Well, now there is a very raw nerve for the French - and indeed the Turks. The point gets sorer ... You will see how sore as you work through the coming chapters.
I am delighted that Britain continues to learn the lessons of the Great War and not bother saving France - It's very expensive and they are never grateful. And Turkey needs the exact opposite of saving, so I can completely understand why the British electorate voted for more of the same.
I had a good laugh at Sonny's line though, the idea of a proper wartime consiglieri being an Anatolian! If anything these interludes demonstrate the importance of not letting actual Turks near anything important - they keep being outwitted by the mob and relying on dark supernatural force bailing them out.
It seems the people of Britain like the fact that Britain is winning at sea, holding their own in the air and have preserved themselves from any serious land combat after over a year of the Second Great War!
Fancy that, they don't want to take part in an area of the war that they know they will not only lose but lose badly (defending France) but also reelection the government that has lead them swimmingly through the war so far, that has crushed the enemy at sea and fought them effectively in the air. To be honest, if the British just want to turtle up on their islands and fight through their empire, that's a very smart decision to make.
The French have picked this time to advance from Cagliari in Sardinia! The Italians close in on Tunis, while the British (presumably still the Iraqis) now advance more slowly in Libya.
Oh okay, I suppose even the British are dedicated to the allied master plan of making the Italians look like incompetent nincompoops in the eye of everyone, everywhere. France gaining ground anywhere in the same week as losing Paris is going to look silly, even on the other side's news. And the African front continues to be the farce in this reality, compared to the romance it was OTL.
I am delighted that Britain continues to learn the lessons of the Great War and not bother saving France - It's very expensive and they are never grateful. And Turkey needs the exact opposite of saving, so I can completely understand why the British electorate voted for more of the same.
I agree. Since they very clearly have someone with a time machine from the twenty first century leading or advising them, they know full well that fascism and communism lose and lose badly as economic systems let alone political ones. Why bother to fight in Europe when Europe lays sorts itself out after a while? India and Africa is where it's at!
Fancy that, they don't want to take part in an area of the war that they know they will not only lose but lose badly (defending France) but also reelection the government that has lead them swimmingly through the war so far, that has crushed the enemy at sea and fought them effectively in the air. To be honest, if the British just want to turtle up on their islands and fight through their empire, that's a very smart decision to make.
Oh okay, I suppose even the British are dedicated to the allied master plan of making the Italians look like incompetent nincompoops in the eye of everyone, everywhere. France gaining ground anywhere in the same week as losing Paris is going to look silly, even on the other side's news. And the African front continues to be the farce in this reality, compared to the romance it was OTL.
I agree. Since they very clearly have someone with a time machine from the twenty first century leading or advising them, they know full well that fascism and communism lose and lose badly as economic systems let alone political ones. Why bother to fight in Europe when Europe lays sorts itself out after a while? India and Africa is where it's at!
All fair comment, from you and El Pip, though please take into account the propaganda approach of the AAR written from the Turkish perspective . Having said that, in this case a decent BEF could have proven the difference between France holding and failing. Or it may have just delayed the inevitable for a bit longer.
From the selfish Turkish perspective, either of those would have been welcome. But though we would have preferred France to limp on, at least they look to have lasted out the bulk of the German ‘destiny’ event and bought six months of Soviet wartime production.
As to where it’s at and time machines, well this ATL has smashed those future historical verities. And the Comintern intervention has done the British a bigger favour than the French: their French meat shield has lasted longer than it would have done otherwise and Sealion is now never going to happen. Will be interested to see what they end up doing - giving the Japanese a harder than usual time and holding onto Malaya would be a good start!
All fair comment, from you and El Pip, though please take into account the propaganda approach of the AAR written from the Turkish perspective . Having said that, in this case a decent BEF could have proven the difference between France holding and failing. Or it may have just delayed the inevitable for a bit longer.
Well you have better foundation by which to attack the British AI than anyone else on the board, since your other game in HOI right now is going swimmingly precisely because the British decided to go all in (to an absurd degree) and stand by their French friends and family. Had that happened in this game, a powerful and loyal and unified Allied force meeting a very powerful and unified eastern bloc in Germany somewhere (with the Axis wedged uncomfortably in-between) would be extremely interesting to watch. As it stands, Britain has rearmed and stands poised to drop a heck of a lot of resources and forces pretty much anywhere it wants to on the planet, since it isn't committed anywhere right now. That's got to be frightening to both the Russians and the Germans. Maybe a front in northern Europe will open up again, or in Norway (if they make it to Jutland and Denmark, the Royal Navy could hold off reinforcements until the peninsula is retaken. At that point, northern Europe is completely secure and Sealion will never happen.). I can see either happening, or neither as the British instead decide to make the entire Middle East theirs, or take the fight to Japan and China by themselves, or use middlemen and meatshields in all these areas and just tank up in their safe island bases and then declare war on whomever the exhausted victor of this world war is.
So far, those calculating bastards haven't done too badly at all.
Well you have better foundation by which to attack the British AI than anyone else on the board, since your other game in HOI right now is going swimmingly precisely because the British decided to go all in (to an absurd degree) and stand by their French friends and family. Had that happened in this game, a powerful and loyal and unified Allied force meeting a very powerful and unified eastern bloc in Germany somewhere (with the Axis wedged uncomfortably in-between) would be extremely interesting to watch. As it stands, Britain has rearmed and stands poised to drop a heck of a lot of resources and forces pretty much anywhere it wants to on the planet, since it isn't committed anywhere right now. That's got to be frightening to both the Russians and the Germans. Maybe a front in northern Europe will open up again, or in Norway (if they make it to Jutland and Denmark, the Royal Navy could hold off reinforcements until the peninsula is retaken. At that point, northern Europe is completely secure and Sealion will never happen.). I can see either happening, or neither as the British instead decide to make the entire Middle East theirs, or take the fight to Japan and China by themselves, or use middlemen and meatshields in all these areas and just tank up in their safe island bases and then declare war on whomever the exhausted victor of this world war is.
So far, those calculating bastards haven't done too badly at all.
It is my hope they will do enough to be useful but not to threaten the glorious destiny of Comintern world dominance. Fortunately I don’t have to live in such a world!
What they have lost (thinking of this in the game construct of Allied factional rather than purely national interest) is the gold-plated opportunity presented by the Turkish-Soviet intervention to retain a powerful land base on the continent. And in HOI3, my usual experience is they can’t rely on substantive US support to re-establish it and the AI finds it difficult to stage decent amphibious invasions.
But you never know: anything could still happen. I’m assuming France is now for the guillotine but (as usual) I haven’t played through even an hour past the end of the last update, so it’s as much a mystery to me as the dear reader. Which is how I like it!
Yes, mtn is researched, there are two full 4 x MTN divs in the mountains on the south of the line near the Adriatic. If it comes time to retreat , they are earmarked to defend Canakkale on the Calistar Line.
Yes, mtn is researched, there are two full 4 x MTN divs in the mountains on the south of the line near the Adriatic. If it comes time to retreat , they are earmarked to defend Canakkale on the Calistar Line.
that is great! what is the division composition of them?
I have a soft spot for MTN divs, maybe if we have some spare IC one day we can build more to support the northern sector of the line at its hilly parts (and if the push comes to a shove near Beograd, on Zrenjanin and Resita)
that is great! what is the division composition of them?
I have a soft spot for MTN divs, maybe if we have some spare IC one day we can build more to support the northern sector of the line at its hilly parts (and if the push comes to a shove near Beograd, on Zrenjanin and Resita)
2 divs of 4 x MTN brigades. Would take a while to build a whole new div: I suspect if they’re breaking through that much I may be heading back to the rear defences!
To be sure, another one would be great, but conflicting priorities on a modest budget ...
