Unser Vaterland. A German AAR with Vorwärts Panzer! mod

[redsun001]

December 31, 1935. Die Reichskanzlei. 11pm.

He was dreaming. Dreaming of vast green plains that lead to majestic snow-capped peaks. Of dark, brooding forests. And of cities. He saw the people, happy and content, going through the daily grind of their lives. But then the scenes changed. The people turned into ranks of men wearing olive green uniforms, marching in perfect step. Planes roared overhead in formation. They were, he realised, marching past him, looking at him. He could hear the monotonous thud of their boots, and the roaring of a crowd he could not hear. Suddenly he was among them, marching in their ranks. He looked to his left and tried to let out a scream. The soldier next to him was little more than a walking corpse, in fact all of them were. A veritable army of the dead. They marched through a ruined city, crunching bone and rubble under foot. Ahead lay a huge pit belching out flames. As the first ranks marched in the flames devoured them instantly. He tried to turn, to run, but he could not... he could only march forward ever steady into the gaping maw..

A hard knock at the door woke him from his troubled sleep. He woke and struggled to sit up, a world leader must look dignified at all times after all. A second knock.

"You may enter"
The door opened and a very tall, blonde man entered his room and stood to attention.

"Apologies, Mein Führer, but you asked me to wake you an hour before your meeting. Deputy Führer Hess requested that I tell you that Göbbels, Himmler, Carnaris and Raeder have already arrived."

"He nodded "Thank you Günsche, kindly inform Rudolph that I shall be there shortly"

"Ja Mein Führer...by the way, happy new year Mein Führer " Günsche closed the door.

Adolf Hitler allowed himself a small smile "Yes, happy new year indeed"

 

[redsun001]

2 Hours later. Die Reichskanzlei

The two black-clad SS guards snapped to attention as Der Führer strolled into the large conference hall, closely followed by his hulking bodyguard: Bruno Gesche. Seated around an enormous oak table were the most important men in Germany.Hess, Hitler's deputy.The heads of the armed forces and the Abwehr; Canaris, Beck, Von Fritsch, Raeder and Göring (late as ever). Himmler and Heydrich from the SS. Von Neurath from the foreign ministry, Dr. Goebbels from 'Propaganda and Enlightenment', and Dr. Schacht; In charge of corralling the various industries in an attempt to rearm the Reich. All of them hurriedly stood and yelled the obligatory "HEIL MEIN FÜHRER" to which Hitler responded with his usual-flop armed salute.

"Guten Abend, or rather Guten Morgen, Meine Herren. Please be seated."

All sat while the huge double doors were dragged shut and locked.Gesche stood with clasped hands directly behind Hitler and proceeded to stare at each man seated, in particular Himmler.

"First of all, I apologise for dragging you here in the middle of the night and from you wives, families or...otherwise (a lightning quick glance at Göring). However there are a number of pressing matters that must be attended to." Hitler looked around the table "We must begin to make arrangements for the reversal of all terms dictated to us in the Versailles treaty. Including the construction of modern air and sea forces, a large and well-trained army, the return of the territories lost to us, and the reunification of all German speaking peoples."

The room was silent. Everyone present sat in stunned amazement.This could not be possible! Attempting to blatantly break the treaty in full view of the western allies? They were all familiar with the party rhetoric of 'breaking the chains of Versailles', but to do so openly? Unthinkable! The closest they had gotten was increasing the size of the armed forces through the reintroduction of conscription. But the recruitment of men was a far cry from great factories belching out steel dealers of death.The silence continued for several minutes. Finally Beck spoke.

"Is...this the extent of your plans, Mein Führer?"

Hitler smiled "No, Herr General. it is not. First we must test the resolve of France and Great Britain, to see how far they will go to avoid war. To this end I have devised a small test."

"A test, Mein Führer?" asked Von Fritsch "What sort of test?"

"Simple, we shall march back into the Rhineland"

 

[Hughrocks123]

Interesting Storyline, keep it going!

 

[redsun001]

Thanks very much I plan on keeping this mainly a narrative with historical characters, but I maaaay throw in some game play

 

[redsun001]

4am. Die Reichskanlei.

"And in conclusion Herren,we can see how woefully under prepared our military is.We have only three Panzer divisions, mixed in with motorised infantry. Here,here and here." Von Fritsch indicated several places on the map using a long metal rod.

"Thank you,Herr General. Your grasp on our strategic goals is...astute,as ever."

Von Fritsch look pleased with himself as he returned to his seat, clearly believing he had turned Hitler away from his ambitions. He was mistaken, as Der Führer himself so often liked to say, will conquers fact. The Reich had barely 300,000 thousand men to fight for her, barely enough to properly man the border crossings and river ferries. Most of their arms dated from before The Great War. On top of them were a few outdated kites and rusted tugboats. The Reich had fallen far

*It may not be much, it we shall build from it a mighty force that will be feared the world over.And it's creation begins now*

"Admiral Canaris, proceed."

In due form, The head of the Abwehr, military intelligence, stood,spoke how spies should be relocated to one or two select nations,and promptly back down. Typical spy.

Hitler spoke "Well Herren, if that is all..."

Schacht interrupted "What about our economic situation Mein Führer?"

Hitler snorted "What situation? We are building a ship,I hardly think our economy is going to shatter under it's weight just yet.Besides, how could it when we have such an accomplished academic like yourself overseeing such things" Hitler smiled dangerously at Schacht,who quickly snapped his mouth shut.

"I thought so. This meeting is over,you may return to you home for the holidays.Generals Beck and Von Fritsch, I may require you to return again soon to discuss our up coming operation in the Rhineland."

"Of course,Mein Führer"
"As you wish, Mein Führer"

Hitler bade them good night, returned their salutes, and left.

One by one the ministers and officials filed out and headed for their staff cars. But two lagged behind.

"The fool! What madness has seized him?! He will plunge the Fatherland back into a war we cannot win!"

"Calm yourself, old friend, he is bluffing. He does not truely intend to risk war with France and England. It is all bluster"

"And if not?"

"Then the allies will remove him from power, and restore the true rulers of Germany back to their rightful place. I guarantee it."

 

[KLorberau]

Subscribed. Nice start...I see already there are Brutus' in the inner circle....I somehow feel that they will be discovered very quickly...

Will you be adding photos occasionally?

 

[redsun001]

Perhaps.But I need to run my shots past Photoshop to blot out some of the illegal symbols *ie swastika flag mod and SS division counters.

 

[redsun001]

Good news everyone! I have reverted to the original game flag, which means fewer things to cover up. As such, expect update and pictures very soon!

 

[redsun001]

February 2nd 1936. Berchtesgarten, Bavaria. 3pm.

Der Führer reclined in a deck chair on the large stone veranda of "The Brown House", his personal residence. He decided to soak in the magnificent view of the Bavarian Alps while reviewing the various departmental reports since the start of the year. His keen eyes scanned the vista before him, and he thought to himself *This, this is why the Reich must be preserved. No other land has our potential, even when the western allies attempted to cripple us with the so-called 'armistice'. Our destiny lies before us, ripe for the taking.* But duty called, as he turned his eyes down to the reports before him.

View attachment 61795

Due to his history as an ardent Infantriesoldat, it was no surprise that he has ordered newer small arms to be designed for the newly named Wehrmacht. He has also requested that Heer tacticians form special pioneer regiments that could assault enemy positions along side the regular troops.



He had also authorised further development into armoured fighting vehicles, having seen their effect on static lines in the last war.



He also encouraged his Generals to develop newer ways of using said armour to it's best effect.Secretly, Hitler feared another two front war that would slowly sap The Reich's manpower and strangle it's trade. He knew the only way victory could be achieved was through lightning quick, overwhelming force.

 

[redsun001]

*quick note, sorry for the long delay.computer issues and picture uploading is being a "slag"

 

[marwis]

more more more

 

[redsun001]

Der Führer smiled as he picked up the next report. Von Neurath had been a busy little bee.

When the Saarland had been returned to the Fatherland in '35 it had brought great prestige to the regime. But more important than that was the fact that it was home to the largest coalmines in Germany. Der Führer had ordered the foreign ministry to pursue possible trade agreements with their European neighbours, and it appeared to have paid off. German coal was being exchanged for hard foreign currency (inferior as it was to the glorious Reichmark) which would now be used to purchase the materials that the Reich could not produce at home; Magnesium, Chrome and most importantly: Oil.

One headache that had been persistent was Schacht. The head of the Reichsbank had been insistent that re-armament of the Wehrmacht had to be put on hold, to the point where he had demanded a meeting with Der Führer. When he got as much, he brought huge coloured charts depicting growth balance, income per month, technical specs and god knows what else. After about twenty minutes of tech-speak Hitler had loudly interrupted and asked if he could please get to the point? Rapidly turning a shade of beetroot, Schacht had laid out his case. Yes, The Reich could conduct rapid military expansion within one to two years. But any longer than that and the economy would most likely begin to spiral downward due to too little being invested in the civilian market. The current industrial system was simply too out-dated to handle the enormous orders required to fulfil military contracts.Germany could not afford to update,arm,and reorganize the Heer, Luftwaffe,Kriegsmarine (and some form of armed and trained party paramilitary if Himmler had his way).The large corporations acted too much like feudal barons, bickering over their fiefdoms rather than advancing the goals of the Reich. Matters were not helped by the fact that The Reich Economic Office had no real power to marshal the vast resources of Krupp and IG Farben. That and control of the office was constantly being vied for by the likes of Göring. Schacht then put forward his plan. The Reich Economic Office would be granted the power to control the production of the major manufacturing firms, who would be allowed to remain in private hands. In return they would be awarded contracts for expanding and improving their current facilities, as well as establishing new factories across the country. Additionally their R&D departments would be co-opted to government-funded teams in order to further the Reich's knowledge. This, Schacht stated, would allow for more effective use of Germany's immense industrial potential and make a sea blockade harder as less materials would need to be imported. More tanks, planes and guns would be produced, as the new factories would make use of the latest technology while making sure the civilian population did not suffer the privations of the last war. However, it would most likely require most of the coming year and huge resources to make it happen, putting the plans for expanding the Wehrmacht on hold. This last point deeply troubled Hitler, but he relented and granted Schacht's wish. The sixty-year-old Doktor strode out the door, prepared to drag the biggest egos in the country under one roof. His.

 

[redsun001]

Traditionally, German intelligence services were sub-par to that of the British. When Admiral Canaris was appointed head of the Abwehr, he immediately set about reorganizing the agency to be more effective. His first order was to recall all agents overseas for re-assignment. Most agents were to be kept in reserve, with active units slimmed down to prevent detection. The only active cell would be in Austria, where agents would be hard at work funding the NSDAP of Austria.There were also plans to activate cells in England and France to impede their advancement of technology, which would be activated when war became a possibility. Til then orders were to not provoke the west before the Reich was adequately prepared to move against them. The rest would be hard at work with the Gestapo catching foreign spies until they themselves deployed.Some of the more radical elements, particularly those with ties to the SS and Heydrich's Sicherheinstdienst supported actions in the USSR to make them seem a greater threat to world peace than they were. Though not entirely comfortable with pitting his men against the NKVD so soon, Admiral Canaris decided to take it under consideration.

 

[redsun001]

It was also decided that Wilhelm Frick was to be replaced as the interior minister, as he was considered too old to be effective. However there were many whispers that his fall had been engineered by the Reichsführer-SS, Heinrich Himmler. Himmler was obsessed with controlling the police forces of the Reich and had been for many years. He had merged the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) and the Geheimstaatpolizei (the dreaded Gestapo) into the SiPo (Sicherheitspolizei), the main internal security force of Germany. It was absorbed into the SS, its members being given SS ranks and formal uniforms, and placed under the command of the ice-cold Reinhard Heydrich. He would be responsible for state security within the Reich, responsible for hunting down spies and traitors. A task he took up with glee.



At about the same time the Reich Labour Service was put to work in building new military installations, mainly expanding the existing bases at Kiel and Wilhelmshaven. New bases for the Luftwaffe were also planned, closer to the French and Polish borders. Here the new generations of German warplanes would take off to darken the skies of the Fatherland's foes.

 

[redsun001]

February 5th. 1936. Berchtesgarten, Bavaria. 11am.

Der Führer had decided to take a break from the drudgery of paperwork, and had gone for a quiet stroll through the forests surrounding the Berghof. He was adamant that we be left alone during his romps through the wood; but his chief guard, Bruno Gesche had very different ideas. Though loyal to his charge until death, Gesche secretly harboured many fears. His friend was unpredictable when it came to his own safety, changing his mind at the last second over and over again. Once, when Gesche had said a much, Hitler had merely smiled and said "It has often been mere chance that has saved my life, more than guarss or bullet-proof glass". So he continued driving Gesche, and the men of the Begleitkommando mad with worry. But he was not bitter. He had been protected from the wrath of the Reichsführer-SS after he had criticized Himmler's security services. When Himmler demanded that Gesche be stripped of his position and drummed out of the SS, Hitler had personally intervened. Gesche owed his Füher everything.

On the upside, Der Führer's passion for nature offered an opportunity for his SS bodyguards to try out the new 'camouflaged' uniforms. Though he did not know it, Der Führer was constantly being shadowed by the men of the Begleitkommando.

 

[redsun001]

The same day. Reichswehrministerium, Berlin.



Generaloberst Von Fritsch, Commander-in-chief of the Heer sat uneasily. He was troubled, and not just with the stresses of being a man of high rank. Of late, he had taken an interest in politics. Like most of the officer corps he was steeped in the military traditions of the old Reich, the army having been a bedrock of conservatism. And like many officers, he deeply resented "that upstart corporal". He was convinced the Fatherland was going down a dark path from which it could never return, and Hitler was the one holding the blinders. He had voiced his concerns to the few officers he could trust, and they agreed with him.



His thoughts were broken when the door behind him opened and General Beck entered. Beck was the chief of staff for the Heer, and author of the famous Truppenführung. More importantly, he shared Von Fritsch’s views on “Der Führer”. Von Fritsch stood, and the two men traded salutes.

“Thank you for coming, Herr General”

Beck smiled thinly “Still so formal Werner, surely after these long years we can drop the titles and tradition?”

Von Fritsch sighed “If my fears prove correct Ludwig, our traditions will be the only thing that holds the Fatherland back from the Abyss.”

Beck’s smile vanished “Then let us talk, but somewhere private. The SS is being showered with favour from the top; there is no telling who could be on their payroll”

Both men stood and entered Von Fritsch’s private office. Beck sat on the opposite side of the huge oak desk while the office’s owner closed and locked the set of double doors. He then slowly walked by each window, making sure there were no trench coat clad Gestapo men lurking outside. After he was certain there were no listeners, He joined Beck at his desk.

“I fear for the safety of our nation Ludwig. I fear for the safety of Europe.”

“As do I, but there is nothing we can do. Not now. We have too few men to man the borders AND remove the Party. We need outside help.”

Von Fritsch snorted “Who? The Russians? The Western Allies? No one will help us. Not until they see him for the real threat he is. And by then it will be far too late.”

Both sat in silence for several minutes. Then Beck spoke up:

“Then what shall we do Werner?”

Von Fritsch stood and made his way towards a cabinet on the far wall. He returned with two glasses and a large bottle of Schnapps. He spoke as he poured.
“Now, we sit. We drink. And we wait.”

 

[robw963]

Interesting redsun001...we could use more story based AARs around here and I can see you have a real passion for writing. Whether or not you work out your image issues or not (i'm assuming there are still a few wrinkles to iron out there) is really kind of irrelevant since your strength seems to be in your writing. I also appreciate the relatively short entries in each post. For (a bit reading averse) it makes it much more manageable to read. I'll be following and reading along.

 

[redsun001]

Interesting redsun001...we could use more story based AARs around here and I can see you have a real passion for writing. Whether or not you work out your image issues or not (i'm assuming there are still a few wrinkles to iron out there) is really kind of irrelevant since your strength seems to be in your writing. I also appreciate the relatively short entries in each post. For (a bit reading averse) it makes it much more manageable to read. I'll be following and reading along.

Thank you very much . As to the image issues, I agree with you. I only use them to compliment the writing, not as the main attraction, so I plan on keeping them spaced out between posts. On the upside, if embedding them doesn't work (see Heydrich up til 5 minutes ago) then i can just put them back to url links, no worries.

As for the rest of ya, do feel free to comment on how I can improve the AAR. Tips, questions, requests, mildly offensive jokes. I am all ears.

 

[redsun001]

February 12th, 1936. Friedrich-Wilhelm Straße. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 5pm



Constantine Von Neurath waited for Der Führer to sit first, then followed suit. He was a distinguished looking man, with silver hair slicked back to reveal a regal looking set of features. He was descended from a long line of Swabian Freiherren, men who had served as the right hand of the Württemburg Kings for more than a century. He had been appointed Foreign minister in ’32 by Franz Von Papen, and held it through some turbulent days. Now he served the man seated opposite, and added a veneer of respectability to the thuggish Nazi regime. The same could not be said of the name next to him.



Joachim Von Ribbentrop. Born to a disgraced officer and peasant woman in the Rhineland. Supremely arrogant, he nevertheless possessed a dull stare as his default face. It was widely known that he disliked Von Neurath and craved his position. He even had the gall to set up his own foreign ministry, the Dienststelle Ribbentrop, which usually worked at cross purposes to the real diplomats. The sound of a throat being cleared dragged him back into reality.

“Your pardon, mein Führer, I was…distracted” he said while chocking down bile at the mere thought of sitting next to an oaf who could barely spell.

“You have it. Now, the reason I am here. Tonight I will be meeting with the General staff to discuss the actual workings of our…winter exercise. What I want from you is an idea of how the Allies will react to the move. Your thoughts, Herr Von Neurath?”

Neurath considered. “I believe, mein Führer, whatever reaction that have can be further blunted. Placing our troops into the Demilitarized zone is a bold move, one that will garner much support at home. However; we should wait and attempt to coax the west into an agreement before taking such action.”

At this, Von Ribbentrop exploded. “WHAT?! ARE YOU JOKING YOU OLD FOOL?! YOU WOULD SEE THE REICH’S RISE DELAYED TO APPEASE THOSE CRAVEN CAPATALIST WHORES?!”
The doors at the of the conference roof nearly burst off their hinges as the Begleitkommando stormed into the room, rifles at the ready. They would probably have shot both men, had Der Führer not raised his hand to halt them. Wordlessly they left, Gesche slightly glancing at Von Ribbentrop. It was enough to send chills down his spine.

“Herr Von Ribbentrop, I would advise you to keep your temper under control. My guards can be…overzealous at times.” Hitler continued to stare, until he heard a muffled “sorry”.
“Now then, what are your views ambassador?”

Von Ribbentrop immediately leaned forward and began speaking excitedly.

“Mein Führer, I think that if France were to declare war on us, then England will attack them in turn”.

Von Neurath slowly turned to stare at him. Was he serious? He was about to say as much when a glance from Hitler silenced him.

“I think I have heard enough, Danke for you time meine Herren. You may return to your regular duties.” They all stood and the two men saluted and said “Heil mein Führer”. Hitler and Ribbentrop left, Leaving Von Neurath alone with his thoughts.

 

[redsun001]

February 12th, 1936. Reichswehrministerium. 9pm



".. Thus is my intention Herr Generalfeldmarschall. Can it be done?"

Werner Von Blomberg leaned back into his chair and thought. Leaving the conversation to his peers.

"I believe so mein Führer. However there are many things to consider. We do not know how the Allies will react, and if they do decide to intervine we will not be able to stop them."

"And you, General Von Fritsch? How long would it take to prepare troops to move?"

"I am inclined to agree with General Beck mein Führer. At the most, it would take three days to move the battalions into position plus one more to move to the step off line. But mein Führer I must tell you, if this is seen as aggression by the west we will not be able to mobilize fast enough to react to an invasion."

"I understand your concerns, Herr General. You have my word that, should the French intervene, I will order the swiftest possible withdrawal of our forces. Does this ease your concerns?"

Von Fritsch nodded "Yes mein Führer it does, thank you."

"Excellent, Herr Generalfeldmarschall, I expect the operational plans on my desk within a week. Use a special Wehrmacht courier, eyes only. This must remain a secret until the last possible moment. I leave what units will take part to your discretion. Understood?"

"Yes mein Führer, of course" Blomberg quickly stood and saluted "Heil mein Führer!"

Beck and Von Fritsch traded covert glances, 'the rubber lion' hard at work. Then they both stood and saluted as Der Führer left.