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Very nice KURT SÜRÜSÜ progress, too bad that SS Division will probably slip away. The hole in the Hungarian front is just becoming wider, and the Turkish Army will surely do some more permanent damage soon.
I'm also glad to see the Red Army take initiative and press on towards Hungary through the gap.
For our front, I'd say that the losses in the north are manageable, and if we take into consideration the terrain it is likely that the Germans will only be able to advance relatively slowly though the forest, even if the Red line is really quite thin.
In the middle it doesn't really matter much as any German advance will soon be blunted by the marshes.
The Southern front is more important right now, and STAVKA seems to agree, deploying a lot of tanks to the area. Holding off German spearheads north of Romania is imperative to gain the biggest possible advantage from the opportunities presented by KURT SÜRÜSÜ. Land can be recovered, those destroyed Divisions, and potentially all of the Hungarian Army can't be so easily. Somehow, STAVKA is making sense... on a strategic level.
Considering British bombing efforts, and your troops being in the area anyway, I'd like to see Turkey take a shot at Rodi. But, it is possible that those British Bombing missions are port strikes, so the Garrison might still be pretty much intact, maybe some Aerial or naval scouting could ascertain whether the Garrison is actually weakened.
Mike is doing well in Monte Carlo. I rejoice at the idea of Kelebek playing baccarat, roulette or poker for a couple of weeks, forcefully winning every hand, but taking little enjoyment out of it, while he surveils the Casino and plots to oust Mo Greene...
Of course, gambling is forbidden in the Soviet Union, but if it helps the war effort we're willing to turn a blind eye to casino's owned by the Turkish State, outside of the Soviet Union that is...
OOC:
I'm also glad to see the Red Army take initiative and press on towards Hungary through the gap.
For our front, I'd say that the losses in the north are manageable, and if we take into consideration the terrain it is likely that the Germans will only be able to advance relatively slowly though the forest, even if the Red line is really quite thin.
In the middle it doesn't really matter much as any German advance will soon be blunted by the marshes.
The Southern front is more important right now, and STAVKA seems to agree, deploying a lot of tanks to the area. Holding off German spearheads north of Romania is imperative to gain the biggest possible advantage from the opportunities presented by KURT SÜRÜSÜ. Land can be recovered, those destroyed Divisions, and potentially all of the Hungarian Army can't be so easily. Somehow, STAVKA is making sense... on a strategic level.
Considering British bombing efforts, and your troops being in the area anyway, I'd like to see Turkey take a shot at Rodi. But, it is possible that those British Bombing missions are port strikes, so the Garrison might still be pretty much intact, maybe some Aerial or naval scouting could ascertain whether the Garrison is actually weakened.
Mike is doing well in Monte Carlo. I rejoice at the idea of Kelebek playing baccarat, roulette or poker for a couple of weeks, forcefully winning every hand, but taking little enjoyment out of it, while he surveils the Casino and plots to oust Mo Greene...
Of course, gambling is forbidden in the Soviet Union, but if it helps the war effort we're willing to turn a blind eye to casino's owned by the Turkish State, outside of the Soviet Union that is...
OOC:
Oh yes, the near unusable Paradox-supplied tables... You can only order any list by one criterion at a time, and even then strange things happen. (In my game, if I sort the sunk ships alphabetically, they're in order, except for the Japanese Cruiser Kuma which appears above all others. Maybe there is a space before the K, so it's counted differently? Strange...)
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Poker is the only one humans have a chance at, since the other two are (at least supposed to be) enterily luck based. There's a reason Film Bond gets switched to poker quick. K views speculation in general as something vaugely ridiculous but any human vice is an asset to S.I.T.H.
Wasnt aware anyone was interest in him aside from me and the author but can oblige as far as card games go. Getting into quite a few recently, although my left fingers are currently broken so I glance at them much more professionally than I play em.
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Er, that doesn't sound very nice.
Are you (well, in a manner of speaking) OK now? In the sense of out of any extreme pain and on the mend? - 1
Looks like the breakout is going very well. This looks like a turning point to me: one of those moments of decisiveness. Bravo Turkey.
Love the interplay between a Mike, Fredo and Mo at end. So nice to be reminded of just how good those Godfather films were. It’s making me want to watch them all again haha
Love the interplay between a Mike, Fredo and Mo at end. So nice to be reminded of just how good those Godfather films were. It’s making me want to watch them all again haha
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Well I have now read through Operations Hammer and Anvil and the Yugoslav war - up to and including Chapter 37. I do pity the propaganda department trying to come up with an original name, and the gag with Luca Brasi made me smile. I wonder if Luca Brasi will become an Honorary Captain in any more armies in the future? Well, I have (checks Threadmarks) 80-something chapters ahead of me so I suppose anything is possible.
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Heh! Oh, Luca has more adventures ahead, let me assure you! As do the propaganda department - it isn’t easy supporting an expansionary regional would-be hegemon! That’s book one very nearly done, anyway! A grand effort.
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Ah yes, that was when the AAR starts to get really good. Lots of high stake operations, side characters and plots. Its also when the comments section ran away with the universe a touch. Soviet agents, a crooked British peer, a crazy turkish colonel (and climbing enthusiast) and the lord of darkness apparently are all involved...somehow.
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Thanks TBC!
To All: with Rome and the Rurikids dealt with for now, it is time to resume combat in the Balkans. Will start the next play, screenshot and write cycle soon for TT.
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Arggh! Had almost finished the play session - and I had a rare game crash. Almost five game-days of frenetic action, 65 screenies, reorganisations ... all gone! Will have to play the lot again and hope it turns out reasonably similar. With more frequent saves. Curses.
PS: Better luck this time - must have just been a one-off glitch.
Will have to play the lot again and hope it turns out reasonably similar. With more frequent saves. Curses. PS: Better luck this time - must have just been a one-off glitch.
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Yes, I back up onto a second hard drive and a thumb drive and keep all the old ones, just in case I need to go back to a ‘last safe’ one. It would have to be something serious and deep-seated to fully knock this one out.
And I make a small votive offering to the gaming gods to prevent that comment making it happen! - 1
Chapter 120: In the Balance (1 to 4 April 1941)
Chapter 120: In the Balance (1 to 4 April 1941)
Prologue
While Op KURT SÜRÜSÜ PLUS continues in the Balkans and there is a great deal of action and manoeuvre, the reports will stick to shorter periods. In Ankara, preparations have been quietly progressing for a very important surprise visitor. You might say the Red Carpet will be rolled out! The Foreign Ministry has pulled out all the stops – our two intrepid officials have not been further harassed by Kaya’s secret police but are too busy for their customary coffee break. And Perse has been madly racing to get the special edition of the Istanbul Times completed, ensure thousands of new Glorious Union flags are produced and a new idea for propaganda efforts devised. She's thinking of a good old derivative stalwart: the War Bonds poster!
Mike Ceylan has returned to Zurich and to confer with Cennet, who has recovered from her recent ordeals and is ready for a new assignment. Meanwhile, Kelebek frequents some of the high – and low – spots of Monte Carlo. It is not difficult to find corrupt and venal souls there, which he finds helps both with business and pleasure (which are really one in the same for him/it).
But in the Balkans, there is a war to fight – and furiously at that.
1 Apr 41
As the day starts, Inönü has a map from late the night before in front of him as he flies into the military air strip at Kraljevo, fresh from a whirlwind trip back to Ankara for a very important meeting the evening before. He must be ready for another torrid day of fighting. The map shows the situation in the north of the Op KURT SÜRÜSÜ PLUS salient. While some Hungarian units are attempting to flee the 'Senta Pocket' via Kanjiza, the Hungarian 6th Div still attacks Ada to the south. The ends of the two Turkish mechanised pincers are paused in Subotica (1 Cav Div) and Sânnicolau Mare (1 Mot Div), forced to reorganise after their recent attacks to take those provinces. This means they are as yet unable to seal off the pocket, but the Turks hope to do so.
Word came through at midnight [well, I discovered it as I was going through the ORBAT looking for any generals I might divert to a new command I was setting up] that the Soviets had transferred another rifle division as an expeditionary force, again in Iran, where it was heading east. It was ordered to turn around and head to Istanbul instead!
With five divisions in the Balkan theatre without a designated corps commander, a new Corps HQ is set up and forces assigned from Army, Army Group and Supreme HQ command and put under Inönü’s 1st Army. It is hoped a suitable commander can be found for it without stripping one from a key frontline division – qualified commanders are scarce in the Glorious Union.
While 1 Cav Div reorganises, 5 and 12 Inf Divs are ordered to Subotica so the bridgehead can be held - and they might be able to either break into open country or assist with an attack on Kanjiza.
The President looks at the headlines from the morning paper as he has a quick breakfast: the visit by the leader of his main ally was a great acknowledgement of Turkey’s standing and continued the good will that has emanated from the successful (and virtually bloodless) Turkish-Soviet campaign to snatch Saudi Arabia from Axis clutches and the continuing Turkish offensive in the Balkans.
Stalin had promised to keep up the fight but could make no such guarantees about his forces in Romania being able to match the attacks of the Turks. He was concerned about the Romanian’s ability to hold the line and the threat of a German counter-attack. The Red Army has seen way too much of them further north: he would not say it, but Inönü thought his counterpart feared that reaction and remained of a defensive mindset. Stalin was also not sanguine about the situation in the Far East: the dreaded two-front war was clearly not an easy thing to fight. He had, however, agreed to offer a second rifle division for Turkish use as a gesture of good will. It had been diverted from reinforcing the Far East and would now be heading to Istanbul, either for use in the Balkans, or perhaps another joint naval landing operation.
Later than morning, Orbay’s 1 Inf Div arrived in Sânnicolau Mare, joining 1 Mot Div. Though it would take more than four days to reorganise after its attack. Not for the first time, Inönü cursed the backward Turkish doctrine that so delayed their ability to maintain attacking momentum, especially when he didn’t have sufficient forces to keep back-up units ‘rolling through’ after a successful attack.
The remainder of the day was spent either in manoeuvre or impatiently waiting for lead elements to reorganise and resume the attack.
2 Apr 41
To add to the delay and frustration, a division of German panzer-grenadiers, which must have been rushed form the north and put under Hungarian command to try to limit the breakthrough, arrived in Szeged and immediately started attacking 1 Cav Div in Subotica. Their clear aim was to try to push back, or at least delay, the Turkish western pincer. It was a substantive attack in open country. Two more Turkish divisions were already on their way from the south-east in Srboban but would take some time to arrive. Meanwhile, 1 Mot Div in Sânnicolau Mare had run out of fuel (even while it was still also reorganising)! The perils of the advance with old doctrine and creaking logistic support, the President thought to himself.
In response to this, 8 and 10 Inf Divs were ordered to attack Senta directly, in the hope that it might pin in place the units already on the move to leave.
A by-product of that assault was to force the almost spent Hungarian 6th Div to finally break off its long-running attack on Ada [they would have been suffering the 50% attack/defend penalty for a couple of hours]. They had suffered heavy casualties in the attempt, though Turkish casualties were also reasonably substantial.
And an hour after that, another contact report comes in, this time from 2 Inf Div, guarding the western flank of the offensive:
In response, 7 Inf Div, which had just arrived in Novi Sad, was ordered straight on to Kula in hopes of helping them to fight off this dangerous assault.
In Subotica, 1 Cav Div was coming under sustained pressure from MAJGEN Geib’s ground assault, while Italian tactical bombers had also made a reappearance. Wehib Pasha’s men were not fully dug in yet: this could be a difficult battle.
By 5pm that evening, the Soviet (EF) 156 SD had arrived in Ad Dammam. They would wait for 3 Cav Div to arrive and then be picked up for transport back to the Med. And there was some more promising news from Subotica: Axis air raids continued, as did the German attack, but the advantage of defence was starting to blunt the attack and 5 and 12 Inf Divs had just arrived. If they could reinforce the front line, it should turn the battle decisively. But it was all still delaying the Turkish advance. To the south, the battle in Kula raged on, slightly in the Hungarians’ favour, while to the east the Turkish attack on Senta had almost succeeded.
Three air raids by Italian and then Hungarian tactical bombers on Subotica that day killed 255 Turkish troops.
3 Apr 41
“Victory in Senta, Milli Şef!” exclaimed an excited orderly as he entered the President's office.
The news greeted him just as he was preparing to turn in after a very long day. This would at least allow him to sleep a little more comfortably.
“Four Hungarian divisions are in various stages of exiting from Senta to Kanjiza.”
Yes, thought Inönü, but the problem is we still haven’t been able to close off the gap, or even commence an attack on Kanjiza. Can we do it before they all escape? These were his last thoughts as he lapsed into an exhausted but fitful sleep, shortly after midnight.
As he woke, after about four hours of restless sleep, there were a couple of reports waiting for him. The first filled him with foreboding: A German light panzer division, under Hungarian command, had counter-attacked the Soviets in the 'Arad Gap', taking than province from them, in turn threatening Sânnicolau Mare and Timisoara. In addition, even though the Romanians had secured one province from Hungarian occupation, they had done so at the cost of Cluj! Dej was also about to fall and the next province to its north-east had already been taken. And there was a large block of Axis units south of Debrecen, moving west and south. So much for any ideas of a grand Soviet and Romanian breakthrough to complement the Turkish offensive. The opposite seemed to be occurring.
In Kula, the situation had improved a little, with 2 Inf Div resisting strongly. They should be able to hold well until reinforced by 7 Inf Div, though the fight remained evenly balanced. But at 4am, Hungarian air strikes started there, as well as the same rate of air attack being kept up in Subotica. The two recovering Turkish fighter wings were in no position to intercept these raids, given it must be assumed the Hungarian ‘super group’ of five interceptor wings was still operating in the vicinity.
Inönü considered the situation. The setbacks of their partners in Romania and the increasing pressure from Hungarian counter-attacks, backed by the first appearance of German panzer and panzer-grenadier divisions, meant the heady dream of seizing Budapest and knocking Hungary out of the war was just that: a dream. The Comintern would have to be happy with concluding this additional phase of the current offensive, hope to bag a few Hungarian divisions in Senta and inflict some more casualties on the Axis before hunkering down again. Disappointing perhaps, but the operation had already exceeded his expectations and had surely helped the overall war effort. The thought of what might have already happened in Romania if not for this intervention made the President uneasy.
“Tell all our forces to keep fighting to hold the flanks of the advance and try to get to Kanjiza before the fleeing Hungarians can: the more we get now, the fewer we have to fight later. Press on, my countrymen! The offensive continues!”
As if to confirm his inner thoughts and fears, the next contact reports came from 1 Mot and 1 Inf Divs in Sânnicolau Mare.
It seemed German doctrine for the attack was (not surprisingly) far more advanced than Turkey’s: just two hours later, another report was received from MAJGEN Kanatli’s 1 Mot Div:
Not only had they joined the attack quickly after reorganising in Arad, but they had immediately reinforced the front line on arrival. This turned a weak infantry attack on one axis into a more powerful combined arms assault from two directions. The Turks defending there may be hard pressed just to hang on, let alone attack Kanjiza when ready. The Hungarian 14th Div had already begun to extricate itself from Kanjiza and their comrades followed on from Senta.
On receipt of this news, the Turks became alert to the potential vulnerability of Timisoara should the Axis counter-attack get up a head of steam. 8 Inf Div was ordered to stop its follow-up into Senta and start digging in instead. 10 Inf Div would continue forward from Kikinda to Senta alone.
At 6pm, 7 Inf Div arrived to reinforce Kula – and just as well. Casualties had been roughly even to that point but the arrival of the Turkish reinforcements had caused the Hungarians to break off their attack. A small tactical victory, though better than none.
To the north, in Subotica, the day’s fighting had turned increasingly in Turkey’s favour. The German 4th Light Div was now becoming disorganised. But though the battle was turning, eyes were also on the Hungarian units madly trying to escape the trap they were in.
With Kula now secure, Gürler’s 6 Inf Div, still recovering organisation after its long and difficult defence of Ada, was ordered north to reinforce Timisoara. If its previous garrison of 1 Mot and 1 Inf Divs were forced to retreat, the relatively lightly armed 8 Inf Div may have a hard time holding that key defensive point of the Yeniçeri Line alone. It would take a while for Gürler to arrive there and then begin digging in, so they had better get moving now. Who knew what they would find in front of them by the time they arrived!
Another three Hungarian air raids in Subotica that day had caused 277 casualties, while three more in Kula has caused 272. Not catastrophic - but enervating nonetheless.
OTL Event: Berlin, Germany. Hitler issued Directive No. 26, “Co-operation with our Allies in the Balkans”.
4 Apr 41
The traditional midnight raid apprehended another Vichy French spy trying to make his way over the border from Syria. His interrogation revealed no new information about ‘The Thorn’: the Vichy regime would not be privy to British espionage operations in Turkey.
In Sânnicolau Mare, 2nd Pz Div had entered the battle reorganised from its previous attack, but clearly still not fully recovered from its fight for Ada. But Hungarian air raids, this time from a CAS wing, had begun and the attack showed no sign of slackening.
At this point, LTGEN Yamut moved his own HQ 3rd Corps towards Timisoara as well: the AT and AA brigades attached should provided some back-up should it come to a defence of the city.
12 Inf Div would stay to defend Subotica, while the other two divisions made an all-out push to try to seize Kanjiza before the rest of the Hungarians could escape. And perhaps also to rescue their comrades in Sânnicolau Mare. [NB: for some reason there was no report from this battle; I can only hope the enemy casualties were significant.]
Shortly after this report, enemy air efforts switched from Kula to support the attack in Sânnicolau Mare, while Subotica continued to be hit during the rest of the day.
Back in Ankara, the dashing exploits of the T-28 tank crews of 1 Cav Div have inspired some propaganda artwork from Perse’s team: prints would be given to everyone who bought war bonds for the next week.
By 10am, the battle for Kanjiza had started. A second Hungarian division had already made it into the province by then – only two were left ‘in the bag’. Because they were attacking over a river, the odds were actually not that good and the enemy’s 14th Div was still fresh – though not dug in.
Many thousands of kilometres away, 3 Cav Div had finally returned, victorious, to Ad Dammam: the fleet was summoned to pick up both divisions.
---xxx---
“A report from the STAVKA, Milli Şef,” offers GRU liaison Agent SkitalecS3. “Activity in the Northern Sector.”
“Good news?” asks Inönü, with a wry smile.
“Alas, no. The fascist scum press on. Other than in Romania, the rest of the Patriotic Front is holding up all right in the Centre and South. For now.” No doubt a wise qualification from the GRU man, thinks the President to himself.
In Kanjiza, the Hungarians decide to give up after a short battle: casualties are light on both sides. The Hungarians are clearly more intent on evacuating than standing and fighting. This at least will speed the Turkish advance.
Just an hour later, the battered 4th Div makes its way out of Senta, to briefly contest Kanjiza with the advancing Turkish spearhead. This leaves only the 6th Div still escaping from Senta.
The reports keep rolling in: an hour later, Yamut (as both Army Chief and Commander 3rd Corps) relays news from Sânnicolau Mare: it seems they may not need rescuing after all. They have defeated the Axis attack and seen off the German 2 Pz Div. Huzzah!
In the Arabian GNR, the 1st Fleet has loaded the 3 Cav Div and 156 SD. They are ordered to rebase to Antalya – within easy striking distance of Rhodes, if that battle plan is reinstated. But a closer look would be required first.
The daily report on enemy air raids (all conducted by Hungary) is collated and provided that night: three raids on Subotica had killed a further 251, while the three strikes on Sânnicolau Mare made another 254 martyrs. But both Axis attacks failed in the end. There were no more major battlefield developments that night.
OTL Event: North Africa. The Germans and Italians retook Bengasi. Will the Italians emulate that in this ATL? We will find out soon.
OTL Event: Berlin, Germany. Hitler issued Directive No. 27, “Plan of Attack on Greece”. He may have something similar in mind in this ATL but has plenty of fighting in front of him if he wants to get there!
Meanwhile, in Kraljevo, Inönü considers the reports summarising combat around the world over the last four days. Of course, his main focus is on the rest of the Patriotic Front – though he has already been given a heads-up on the worst of the recent developments. The Northern Sector and Romania are looking shaky. But the Central Sector – after days of reverses – has largely stabilised. The Southern Sector – once the biggest immediate worry, with the open plains of the Ukraine ripe for German panzer warfare – has been secure for the last four days.
All seems quiet in Libya – the Italians must be asleep at the wheel! Either that or the Royal Navy has strangled their supply lines and they can’t muster the supplies or force to take Bengasi.
The Far East has only changed a little, but what has is a worry: that Japanese advance in Mongolia brings them next to the last remaining Mongolian VP city: if it falls, they will surrender. Though it is hoped any units actually in the Soviet Union at that stage (and that is quite a few) would fight on in exile. But it would still be a disaster and a nasty distraction for the Soviets as summer approaches on the Patriotic Front.
Coming Up: As so often before, the war, while showing some promising signs, remains in the balance. Can the Turks trap at least one Hungarian division in Senta, or will the whole prize slipped through their fingers? Will our Mongolian partners remain in the fight, or will the Far East go from bad to worse? What will Inönü do when the second phase of OP KURT SÜRÜSÜ PLUS is resolved, one way or the other? Will he need to start dusting off those defence-in-depth plans after all, if Romania continues to slowly fail – as France did before it? And as spring progresses and moves inexorably towards summer, will the Soviets be able to hold the line, or will the two-front war be a bit too much for them to handle, even with Turkish support?
AuthAAR’s Note: I have another three days played and screen-shot, but there was too much for one episode, so that will come out in a little while.
Prologue
While Op KURT SÜRÜSÜ PLUS continues in the Balkans and there is a great deal of action and manoeuvre, the reports will stick to shorter periods. In Ankara, preparations have been quietly progressing for a very important surprise visitor. You might say the Red Carpet will be rolled out! The Foreign Ministry has pulled out all the stops – our two intrepid officials have not been further harassed by Kaya’s secret police but are too busy for their customary coffee break. And Perse has been madly racing to get the special edition of the Istanbul Times completed, ensure thousands of new Glorious Union flags are produced and a new idea for propaganda efforts devised. She's thinking of a good old derivative stalwart: the War Bonds poster!
Mike Ceylan has returned to Zurich and to confer with Cennet, who has recovered from her recent ordeals and is ready for a new assignment. Meanwhile, Kelebek frequents some of the high – and low – spots of Monte Carlo. It is not difficult to find corrupt and venal souls there, which he finds helps both with business and pleasure (which are really one in the same for him/it).
But in the Balkans, there is a war to fight – and furiously at that.
1 Apr 41
As the day starts, Inönü has a map from late the night before in front of him as he flies into the military air strip at Kraljevo, fresh from a whirlwind trip back to Ankara for a very important meeting the evening before. He must be ready for another torrid day of fighting. The map shows the situation in the north of the Op KURT SÜRÜSÜ PLUS salient. While some Hungarian units are attempting to flee the 'Senta Pocket' via Kanjiza, the Hungarian 6th Div still attacks Ada to the south. The ends of the two Turkish mechanised pincers are paused in Subotica (1 Cav Div) and Sânnicolau Mare (1 Mot Div), forced to reorganise after their recent attacks to take those provinces. This means they are as yet unable to seal off the pocket, but the Turks hope to do so.
The President looks at the headlines from the morning paper as he has a quick breakfast: the visit by the leader of his main ally was a great acknowledgement of Turkey’s standing and continued the good will that has emanated from the successful (and virtually bloodless) Turkish-Soviet campaign to snatch Saudi Arabia from Axis clutches and the continuing Turkish offensive in the Balkans.
---xxx---
Later than morning, Orbay’s 1 Inf Div arrived in Sânnicolau Mare, joining 1 Mot Div. Though it would take more than four days to reorganise after its attack. Not for the first time, Inönü cursed the backward Turkish doctrine that so delayed their ability to maintain attacking momentum, especially when he didn’t have sufficient forces to keep back-up units ‘rolling through’ after a successful attack.
2 Apr 41
“One this is One-One Charlie. Under heavy attack by German panzer-grenadiers who are attacking in divisional strength from the north-west. Request support. Out.”
To add to the delay and frustration, a division of German panzer-grenadiers, which must have been rushed form the north and put under Hungarian command to try to limit the breakthrough, arrived in Szeged and immediately started attacking 1 Cav Div in Subotica. Their clear aim was to try to push back, or at least delay, the Turkish western pincer. It was a substantive attack in open country. Two more Turkish divisions were already on their way from the south-east in Srboban but would take some time to arrive. Meanwhile, 1 Mot Div in Sânnicolau Mare had run out of fuel (even while it was still also reorganising)! The perils of the advance with old doctrine and creaking logistic support, the President thought to himself.
In response to this, 8 and 10 Inf Divs were ordered to attack Senta directly, in the hope that it might pin in place the units already on the move to leave.
A by-product of that assault was to force the almost spent Hungarian 6th Div to finally break off its long-running attack on Ada [they would have been suffering the 50% attack/defend penalty for a couple of hours]. They had suffered heavy casualties in the attempt, though Turkish casualties were also reasonably substantial.
“Hungarian infantry attacking from two directions. Under heavy pressure – some forward positions have fallen. Need reinforcement. Out.”
In response, 7 Inf Div, which had just arrived in Novi Sad, was ordered straight on to Kula in hopes of helping them to fight off this dangerous assault.
In Subotica, 1 Cav Div was coming under sustained pressure from MAJGEN Geib’s ground assault, while Italian tactical bombers had also made a reappearance. Wehib Pasha’s men were not fully dug in yet: this could be a difficult battle.
By 5pm that evening, the Soviet (EF) 156 SD had arrived in Ad Dammam. They would wait for 3 Cav Div to arrive and then be picked up for transport back to the Med. And there was some more promising news from Subotica: Axis air raids continued, as did the German attack, but the advantage of defence was starting to blunt the attack and 5 and 12 Inf Divs had just arrived. If they could reinforce the front line, it should turn the battle decisively. But it was all still delaying the Turkish advance. To the south, the battle in Kula raged on, slightly in the Hungarians’ favour, while to the east the Turkish attack on Senta had almost succeeded.
Three air raids by Italian and then Hungarian tactical bombers on Subotica that day killed 255 Turkish troops.
3 Apr 41
“Victory in Senta, Milli Şef!” exclaimed an excited orderly as he entered the President's office.
The news greeted him just as he was preparing to turn in after a very long day. This would at least allow him to sleep a little more comfortably.
“Four Hungarian divisions are in various stages of exiting from Senta to Kanjiza.”
Yes, thought Inönü, but the problem is we still haven’t been able to close off the gap, or even commence an attack on Kanjiza. Can we do it before they all escape? These were his last thoughts as he lapsed into an exhausted but fitful sleep, shortly after midnight.
As he woke, after about four hours of restless sleep, there were a couple of reports waiting for him. The first filled him with foreboding: A German light panzer division, under Hungarian command, had counter-attacked the Soviets in the 'Arad Gap', taking than province from them, in turn threatening Sânnicolau Mare and Timisoara. In addition, even though the Romanians had secured one province from Hungarian occupation, they had done so at the cost of Cluj! Dej was also about to fall and the next province to its north-east had already been taken. And there was a large block of Axis units south of Debrecen, moving west and south. So much for any ideas of a grand Soviet and Romanian breakthrough to complement the Turkish offensive. The opposite seemed to be occurring.
In Kula, the situation had improved a little, with 2 Inf Div resisting strongly. They should be able to hold well until reinforced by 7 Inf Div, though the fight remained evenly balanced. But at 4am, Hungarian air strikes started there, as well as the same rate of air attack being kept up in Subotica. The two recovering Turkish fighter wings were in no position to intercept these raids, given it must be assumed the Hungarian ‘super group’ of five interceptor wings was still operating in the vicinity.
Inönü considered the situation. The setbacks of their partners in Romania and the increasing pressure from Hungarian counter-attacks, backed by the first appearance of German panzer and panzer-grenadier divisions, meant the heady dream of seizing Budapest and knocking Hungary out of the war was just that: a dream. The Comintern would have to be happy with concluding this additional phase of the current offensive, hope to bag a few Hungarian divisions in Senta and inflict some more casualties on the Axis before hunkering down again. Disappointing perhaps, but the operation had already exceeded his expectations and had surely helped the overall war effort. The thought of what might have already happened in Romania if not for this intervention made the President uneasy.
“Tell all our forces to keep fighting to hold the flanks of the advance and try to get to Kanjiza before the fleeing Hungarians can: the more we get now, the fewer we have to fight later. Press on, my countrymen! The offensive continues!”
As if to confirm his inner thoughts and fears, the next contact reports came from 1 Mot and 1 Inf Divs in Sânnicolau Mare.
From 1 Inf Div: “Elements of the Hungarian 13th Div commenced attacking from the north-west at 10am. To the east, their 14th Div has reached Kanjiza.”
From 1 Mot Div: “Recon confirms German armour massing to the north-east in Arad. They seem to be reorganising. Will report when more is apparent about their intentions.”
From 1 Mot Div: “Recon confirms German armour massing to the north-east in Arad. They seem to be reorganising. Will report when more is apparent about their intentions.”
It seemed German doctrine for the attack was (not surprisingly) far more advanced than Turkey’s: just two hours later, another report was received from MAJGEN Kanatli’s 1 Mot Div:
“Contact, German tanks – Panzer IIIs – and infantry assaulting from the north-east. We are coming under heavy pressure, out!”
Not only had they joined the attack quickly after reorganising in Arad, but they had immediately reinforced the front line on arrival. This turned a weak infantry attack on one axis into a more powerful combined arms assault from two directions. The Turks defending there may be hard pressed just to hang on, let alone attack Kanjiza when ready. The Hungarian 14th Div had already begun to extricate itself from Kanjiza and their comrades followed on from Senta.
At 6pm, 7 Inf Div arrived to reinforce Kula – and just as well. Casualties had been roughly even to that point but the arrival of the Turkish reinforcements had caused the Hungarians to break off their attack. A small tactical victory, though better than none.
To the north, in Subotica, the day’s fighting had turned increasingly in Turkey’s favour. The German 4th Light Div was now becoming disorganised. But though the battle was turning, eyes were also on the Hungarian units madly trying to escape the trap they were in.
With Kula now secure, Gürler’s 6 Inf Div, still recovering organisation after its long and difficult defence of Ada, was ordered north to reinforce Timisoara. If its previous garrison of 1 Mot and 1 Inf Divs were forced to retreat, the relatively lightly armed 8 Inf Div may have a hard time holding that key defensive point of the Yeniçeri Line alone. It would take a while for Gürler to arrive there and then begin digging in, so they had better get moving now. Who knew what they would find in front of them by the time they arrived!
Another three Hungarian air raids in Subotica that day had caused 277 casualties, while three more in Kula has caused 272. Not catastrophic - but enervating nonetheless.
OTL Event: Berlin, Germany. Hitler issued Directive No. 26, “Co-operation with our Allies in the Balkans”.
4 Apr 41
The traditional midnight raid apprehended another Vichy French spy trying to make his way over the border from Syria. His interrogation revealed no new information about ‘The Thorn’: the Vichy regime would not be privy to British espionage operations in Turkey.
In Sânnicolau Mare, 2nd Pz Div had entered the battle reorganised from its previous attack, but clearly still not fully recovered from its fight for Ada. But Hungarian air raids, this time from a CAS wing, had begun and the attack showed no sign of slackening.
At this point, LTGEN Yamut moved his own HQ 3rd Corps towards Timisoara as well: the AT and AA brigades attached should provided some back-up should it come to a defence of the city.
“One this is One-One Charlie: enemy attack defeated; they are withdrawing north-west! Post attack reorganisation complete. We are immediately going in to attack Kanjiza, along with call-sign One-Five. Saldır!”
12 Inf Div would stay to defend Subotica, while the other two divisions made an all-out push to try to seize Kanjiza before the rest of the Hungarians could escape. And perhaps also to rescue their comrades in Sânnicolau Mare. [NB: for some reason there was no report from this battle; I can only hope the enemy casualties were significant.]
Shortly after this report, enemy air efforts switched from Kula to support the attack in Sânnicolau Mare, while Subotica continued to be hit during the rest of the day.
Back in Ankara, the dashing exploits of the T-28 tank crews of 1 Cav Div have inspired some propaganda artwork from Perse’s team: prints would be given to everyone who bought war bonds for the next week.
By 10am, the battle for Kanjiza had started. A second Hungarian division had already made it into the province by then – only two were left ‘in the bag’. Because they were attacking over a river, the odds were actually not that good and the enemy’s 14th Div was still fresh – though not dug in.
Many thousands of kilometres away, 3 Cav Div had finally returned, victorious, to Ad Dammam: the fleet was summoned to pick up both divisions.
---xxx---
“Good news?” asks Inönü, with a wry smile.
“Alas, no. The fascist scum press on. Other than in Romania, the rest of the Patriotic Front is holding up all right in the Centre and South. For now.” No doubt a wise qualification from the GRU man, thinks the President to himself.
In Kanjiza, the Hungarians decide to give up after a short battle: casualties are light on both sides. The Hungarians are clearly more intent on evacuating than standing and fighting. This at least will speed the Turkish advance.
Just an hour later, the battered 4th Div makes its way out of Senta, to briefly contest Kanjiza with the advancing Turkish spearhead. This leaves only the 6th Div still escaping from Senta.
The reports keep rolling in: an hour later, Yamut (as both Army Chief and Commander 3rd Corps) relays news from Sânnicolau Mare: it seems they may not need rescuing after all. They have defeated the Axis attack and seen off the German 2 Pz Div. Huzzah!
In the Arabian GNR, the 1st Fleet has loaded the 3 Cav Div and 156 SD. They are ordered to rebase to Antalya – within easy striking distance of Rhodes, if that battle plan is reinstated. But a closer look would be required first.
The daily report on enemy air raids (all conducted by Hungary) is collated and provided that night: three raids on Subotica had killed a further 251, while the three strikes on Sânnicolau Mare made another 254 martyrs. But both Axis attacks failed in the end. There were no more major battlefield developments that night.
OTL Event: North Africa. The Germans and Italians retook Bengasi. Will the Italians emulate that in this ATL? We will find out soon.
OTL Event: Berlin, Germany. Hitler issued Directive No. 27, “Plan of Attack on Greece”. He may have something similar in mind in this ATL but has plenty of fighting in front of him if he wants to get there!
---xxx---
Meanwhile, in Kraljevo, Inönü considers the reports summarising combat around the world over the last four days. Of course, his main focus is on the rest of the Patriotic Front – though he has already been given a heads-up on the worst of the recent developments. The Northern Sector and Romania are looking shaky. But the Central Sector – after days of reverses – has largely stabilised. The Southern Sector – once the biggest immediate worry, with the open plains of the Ukraine ripe for German panzer warfare – has been secure for the last four days.
All seems quiet in Libya – the Italians must be asleep at the wheel! Either that or the Royal Navy has strangled their supply lines and they can’t muster the supplies or force to take Bengasi.
The Far East has only changed a little, but what has is a worry: that Japanese advance in Mongolia brings them next to the last remaining Mongolian VP city: if it falls, they will surrender. Though it is hoped any units actually in the Soviet Union at that stage (and that is quite a few) would fight on in exile. But it would still be a disaster and a nasty distraction for the Soviets as summer approaches on the Patriotic Front.
---xxx---
Coming Up: As so often before, the war, while showing some promising signs, remains in the balance. Can the Turks trap at least one Hungarian division in Senta, or will the whole prize slipped through their fingers? Will our Mongolian partners remain in the fight, or will the Far East go from bad to worse? What will Inönü do when the second phase of OP KURT SÜRÜSÜ PLUS is resolved, one way or the other? Will he need to start dusting off those defence-in-depth plans after all, if Romania continues to slowly fail – as France did before it? And as spring progresses and moves inexorably towards summer, will the Soviets be able to hold the line, or will the two-front war be a bit too much for them to handle, even with Turkish support?
AuthAAR’s Note: I have another three days played and screen-shot, but there was too much for one episode, so that will come out in a little while.
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another exciting episode! I really wonder how it will all turn out to be...
I would've loved to volunteer but I've still got some mtn commando divisions to train. VUR HA!
shit. this can't be good.
they're doing their all to save their backs, if we manage to pass through these they'll be lights out
yeah, seems like the best might be bag whatever we can and return the wolves to their dens do defend and to fight for another day
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Interesting developments... The Germans have had to divert powerful units to the south to counter the Turkish offensive, easing pressure on the Red Army, especially in the Southern sector of the Patriotic Front. So, yes, the fanciful offensive to knock out Hungary didn't materialise, but some breathing room was obtained for Romania and the Southern Soviet Front, while the Germans redeployed mechanised and Panzer Formations to deal with the terrifying Turks. Let's hope this can be wrapped up with a few more Hungarian prisoners. Unless one of the spearheads gets cut off now, I'd call KÜRT SÜRÜSÜ a resounding success. Italians were captured, Germans distracted, and Hungarians slaughtered... these are all great for the war effort, and KURT SÜRÜSÜ has been arguably better than just sitting and waiting for the Axis to pick a time to charge the Yeniçeri line.
It's great that another Rifle Division was put under Turkish command, I'm sure you can use the help. And Stalin's visit was a big propaganda coup underlining the importance and the impact of KURT SÜRÜSÜ for the war. That may well be the biggest success of the operation, increased Soviet confidence in the Turkish Junior Ally dedication to the war effort. It has brought the two larges Comintern members closer together.
The Northern sector is still shaky, but the Red Army still has some space to loose before they're really in trouble. Options include stabilising the line on the Daugava River, or even giving up the Baltic states and holding on the Narva. Both options provide a good chance of holding on, even with slightly inferior numbers. Though things may look bad there now, I'll only really start worrying if Germans cross the Daugava, or if they reach Minsk and open ground on the way to Moscow.
The triumphant conquerors of Saudi Arabia are returning, and who knows, maybe they will be able to add 'conquerors of Rodi' to their list of boasts pretty soon... but first, let's make sure the circumstances are favourable for the operation, a wise course of action.
The Far East becomes even more worrying with every Japanese advance threatening the very existence of Mongolia just a little bit more...
We will hold back the Fascist hordes, together.
SkitalecS3
It's great that another Rifle Division was put under Turkish command, I'm sure you can use the help. And Stalin's visit was a big propaganda coup underlining the importance and the impact of KURT SÜRÜSÜ for the war. That may well be the biggest success of the operation, increased Soviet confidence in the Turkish Junior Ally dedication to the war effort. It has brought the two larges Comintern members closer together.
The Northern sector is still shaky, but the Red Army still has some space to loose before they're really in trouble. Options include stabilising the line on the Daugava River, or even giving up the Baltic states and holding on the Narva. Both options provide a good chance of holding on, even with slightly inferior numbers. Though things may look bad there now, I'll only really start worrying if Germans cross the Daugava, or if they reach Minsk and open ground on the way to Moscow.
The triumphant conquerors of Saudi Arabia are returning, and who knows, maybe they will be able to add 'conquerors of Rodi' to their list of boasts pretty soon... but first, let's make sure the circumstances are favourable for the operation, a wise course of action.
The Far East becomes even more worrying with every Japanese advance threatening the very existence of Mongolia just a little bit more...
We will hold back the Fascist hordes, together.
SkitalecS3
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Santa?
Anyway, in honour of that commie party, here's what I call 'Turkey Shorts' following snippets of life and death following the return of K.
"So there's these two ebglishmen, a welshman, a scot, and irshman and an australian, and they all go into a bar-"
"Of course they do, heaven forbid men in your stories go sober for more than an hour."
Kelebek was in the process of contacting a British agent. Unfortunately, Mr Fleming had deigned to appear dressed in a white blazer ensemble complete with rolex wristwatch and stiff upper lip. Frankly, he couldn't look more like a British cock on the pull if he tried, which was problematic considering his cover was supposed to be as an Italian plumber...
"There's nothijg wrong with a quick glass of vodka mix and a few cigars before going to seduce a target," 'Mario' said, swaying ever so slightly from side to side.
"Mm..." Kelebek liked smoking as a rule. It just so happened that Fleming really liked it. "Ah, the target is at the table. Since you've dressed for the occasion, might we go play a few games with him?"
"Sssure," his companion said, rising off his elbows. "One more for the road, eh? Barman, another martini. Shaken, not ssstirrred."
Kelebek growled softly at his desk. He'd had many doubts about the insertion into Hungary. Now it seemed that though the operation itself had been a success, it had changed very little but time. Hungary remained the hard nut that the Comintern kept insisting was the 'easy' target amongst the Axis. Even if it was true in comparison, in practice the German advance and the minor members' defence had proven superior at least for now.
The Inner Santum of SITH had by now all agreed that the Comintern would not be sufficent to defeat the Axis as a whole. Japan was running rampant and unapposed in the east. Germany was delayed but not discouraged from pushing eastwards. Hungary stoof firm and Italy was untouchable. Their conclusions were that either Germany made some catastrophic mistakes or the Allies would have to join the war in a big way again. Given the lacklustre attempts in Egypt, most didnt hold out much hope of the latter option.
Kelebek knew differently of course. He just also knew that there was always the chance the Allies didnt come through. That the americans wouldnt fight in europe. That Russia would collapse. He'd seen all that and worse many times before. The worst depravities of humankind across all possibilites had mostly been his fault. He had his mission of course and his penance to carry but still...in that darkened office, he thought for the first time in a long while, whether it was all worth it?
'Joe Bloggs' had not been a very good name to pick, looking back. Now Henri was upside down over a vat of god-knows-what with a hook embedded in his left leg. Staring into the empty cavity thst should have held the face of an interrigator. Unfortunately for him, his luck had not improved after being captured.
"Where are the plans you stole?"
His head felt as though the voice was being embeddded into it through tiny white hot needles.
"Don't...understand," he managed, through the pain. It didnt sound very convincing to his own ears. He couldn't even see his interrigator to gauge their reaction.
"You were found escaping from a Republic facility with weapon schematics missing. I would like to know where you put them."
No questions. Curiously enough, Henri got the feeling he wasnt the one being spoken to, not really. The voice was going through him. Perhaps to whatever place within his soul resided. The...monster in the room with him was cracking his mind open just to find out which rock-
"Thank you," the voice said softly. Henri only had a second to breath before he was thrown to the ground. "You have about five minites before that leg kills you. If you want to pray or anything," the voice tailed off and disappeared. Then the unmistakable sound of a metal door slamming shut was heard.
Henri was alone.
Kelebek considered the report just given. He didn't make a habit of visiting the president whilst on campaign so the summiy seemed a good time to go over developments in ghe past few weeks. He had also gotten sick of casinos after only three days on mission, and the vast amounts of foriegn agents ineptly trying to hide within them. Curiously enough none of them had murdered the mafia man and stolen his money yet. K supposed this was where all the absurdly loyal but moronic spies on national payrolls were sent. Turkey didnt bother with all that. They went on mission and if they didnt come back they had better be dead.
Anyway, the president was frowning at the news Kelebek gave him. Switzerland was quickly turning into a bust, progress in France was painfully slow and elsewhere the only sucesses most of Turkish intelligence could boast was catching terrible spies trying to pinch worthless knowledge. What with Russian failures out east and the garbage British defensive in Africa, the war didnt seem to be going well, even as the public were going mad over the successes in Hungary.
Such was modern war. Troops advancing didnt mean squat anymore.
Been waiting to hear that for months now. Pity the war didn't turn out like that.
"But sir, we can't see any further than what we've already seen! The men's eyestrain-"
"Eyestrain does not concern me Admiral. Tell them to go to Specsavers and then get them off to Rhodes to count the number of soldiers paddling on the beach!"
"Hitler's desires are at once achievable and bewildering," Lord Pip mused as he read the Times.
"You're telling me," Kelebel agreed. After a long week of watching the world spin ever so slightly closer to ruin, retreating to the Gordan Club, with a few other long suffering experts watching their countires screw themsevles, was a welcome diversion.
"Do you think the British will ever defend Egypt?" Rover asked. Kelebek remembered the day when the British had let a Russian communist into a London Club. As he recalled, it began snowing in his living room.
"Difficult to say," Lord Pip said, throwing down the paper and reclining in his wingback, "what with the football and all. Perhaps later."
"Ah yes but when, do you think?" Kelebek pressed.
"Well," Pip lit a cigar, " It's certainly our current intention, in the fullness of time, to come to the aid and defence of Egypt. Of course, the manpower issue-"
"You want men?" Rover said, "Well I supposeyou could use the Indian Army, or the Australian Army, or the South African Army...or the Middle Eastern army. Of course, you vould also send a Brotish army to-"
"A Britisher fighting in the war?" Lord Pip's monacle fell out. "Dont be absurd! Now go away. I'm reading up on Spanish orange production."
Kelebek and Rover sighed and got up.
"Incidentaly, when is Russia going to defend Mongolia?"
"...shut up comrade."
I guess they decided they may as well rest and leisurely walk there. Not like it's opposed or anything.
Okay, this is actually bad news. Japan really don't seem to be attacking the allies and probably will hold off until theyve got Russia beaten now. This isn't good at all. Maybe we can try to trick them or the americans into war. Otherwise...well...
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Regarding the new corps: Normally in an army the superiors would choose one of the best Major Generals to be promoted. Or one of the oldest. Or one of those with the best personal relationship to the Commander-in-Chief or the President.
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