Drakken vs. Tamas - DC3: Barbarossa PBEM (Axis thread)

[Drakken]

On a cold early December day, my aide-de-camp Oberst Hintern von Affe arrives at a quick pace at my desk office, deep inside the bunker built for the Oberkommando das Heeres offices near Berlin. Hitting his heels together and saluting as he comes to my desk, he presents me in earnest two enveloppes, further stating these had just arrived from the Chancellery to be given to me in person.

First, a sealed enveloppe with the personal cipher of the Führer. Thus read the directive of the Gröfaz - The infamous Directive no. 21 :

The Führer and Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed Forces

OKW/WFSt./Abt.L(I) Nr. 33 408/40 gK Chefs.

SECRET

The Führer's Headquarters

18 December 40

To Generaloberst Drakken, Chief of the General Staff of the Army :

Directive Nr. 21
Case Barbarossa

The German Wehrmacht must be prepared to crush Soviet Russia in a quick campaign (Operation Barbarossa) even before the conclusion of the war against England.

For this purpose the Army will have to employ all available units, with the reservation that the occupied territories must be secured against surprises.

For the Air Force it will be a matter of releasing such strong forces for the eastern campaign in support of the Army that a quick completion of the ground operations can be counted on and that damage to eastern German territory by enemy air attacks will be as slight as possible. This concentration of the main effort in the East is limited by the requirement that the entire combat and armament area dominated by us must remain adequately protected against enemy air attacks and that the offensive operations against England, particularly against her supply lines, must not be permitted to break down.

The main effort of the Navy will remain unequivocally directed against England even during an eastern campaign.

I shall order the concentration against Soviet Russia possibly 8 weeks before the intended beginning of operations.

Preparations requiring more time to get under way are to be started now - if this has not yet been done - and are to be completed by 15 May 1941.

It is of decisive importance, however, that the intention to attack does not become discernible.

The preparations of the High Commands are to be made on the following basis:

I. General Purpose:

The mass of the Russian Army in western Russia is to be destroyed in daring operations, by driving forward deep armored wedges, and the retreat of units capable of combat into the vastness of Russian territory is to be prevented.

In quick pursuit a line is then to be reached from which the Russian Air Force will no longer be able to attack the territory of the German Reich. The ultimate objective of the operation is to establish a cover against Asiatic Russia from the general line Volga-Archangel. Then, in case of necessity, the last industrial area left to Russia in the Urals can be eliminated by the Luftwaffe.

In the course of these operations the Russian Baltic Sea Fleet will quickly lose its bases and thus will no longer be able to fight.

Effective intervention by the Russian Air Force is to be prevented by powerful blows at the very beginning of the operation.

II. Probable Allies and their Tasks:

1. On the wings of our operation the active participation of Romania and Finland in the war against Soviet Russia is to be expected.

The High Command will in due time arrange and determine in what form the armed forces of the two countries will be placed under German command at the time of their intervention.

2. It will be the task of Romania to support with selected forces the attack of the German southern wing, at least in its beginnings; to pin the enemy down where German forces are not committed; and otherwise to render auxiliary service in the rear area.

3. Finland will cover the concentration of the German North Group (parts of the XXI Group) withdrawn from Norway and will operate jointly with it. Besides, Finland will be assigned the task of eliminating Hanko.

4. It may be expected that Swedish railroads and highways will be available for the concentration of the German North Group, from the start of operations at the latest.

III. The Conduct of the Operations:

A.) Army (in approbation of the intentions submitted to me):

The area of operations is divided into southern and northern halves by the Pripet Marshes. The point of main effort will be made in the northern half. Here two army groups are to be committed.

The southern of these two army groups - in the center of the whole front - will have the task of breaking out the area around and to the north of Warsaw with exceptionally strong armor and motorized formations and of destroying the enemy forces in White Russia. This will create a situation which will enable strong formations of mobile troops to swing north; such formations will then cooperate with the northern army group - advancing from East Prussia in the general direction of Leningrad - in destroying the enemy forces in the area of the Baltic states. Only after the accomplishment of these offensive operations, which must be followed by the capture of Leningrad and Kronstadt, are further offensive operations to be initiates with the objective of occupying the important center of communications and of armament production, Moscow.

Only a surprisingly rapid collapse of the Russian ability to resist could justify an attempt to achieve both objectives simultaneously.

The primary task of Group XXI, even during the eastern operations, remains the protection of Norway. Forces available other than those needed for this task (Mountain Corps) will first of all be used to protect the Petsamo area and its mines together with the Arctic road, and will then advance, in conjunction with Finnish forces, against the Murmansk railway and will cut the Murmansk area's land supply routes.

Whether an operation of this nature can be carried out by stronger German forces (two to three Divisions) coming from the area of Rovaniemi and to the south is dependent on Sweden's willingness to make the Swedish railways available for such a move.

The mass of the Finnish army will have the task, in accordance with the advance made by the northern wing of the German armies, of tying up maximum Russian strength by attacking to the west, or on both sides, of Lake Ladoga. The Finns will also capture Hanko.

The army group south of the Pripet Marshes will make its point of main effort from the Lublin area in the general direction of Kiev, with the object of driving into the deep flank and rear of the Russian forces with strong armored formations and of then rolling up the enemy along the Dnieper. The German-Romanian group on the right flank will have the task of protecting Romanian territory and thus of covering the southern flank of the whole operation; in coordination with the attack by the northern of Army Group south of tying up the enemy forces on its sector of the front; then, as the situation develops, of launching a second thrust and thus, in conjunction with the air force, of preventing an orderly enemy withdrawal beyond the Dniester.

Once the battle south or north of the Pripet Marshes have been fought, the pursuit is to be undertaken with the following objectives:

In the south the rapid occupation of the economically important Donetz Basin, in the north the speedy capture of Moscow. This city is a political and economical center, and is a main railway junction point.

B.) Air Force:

It will be the task of the Air Force, so far as possible, to damage and destroy the effectiveness of the Russian air force, and to support the operations by the army at the points of main effort, that is to say in the sectors of the central army group and in the area where the southern army group will be making its main effort. The Russian railways will either be destroyed, or, in the case of more important objectives close to hand (river crossings!) will be captured by the bold use of parachute and airborne troops.

In order that maximum forces may be available for operations against the enemy air force and for direct support of the army, the munitions industry will not be attacked while the major operation is in progress. Only after the conclusion of the mobile operations will such attacks, and in particular attacks against the industrial area of the Urals, be considered.

C.) Navy:

During the war with Soviet Russia it will be the task of the Navy to protect the German coast line and to prevent any hostile naval force from breaking out of the Baltic. Since once Leningrad has been reached the Russian Baltic fleet will have lost its last base and will thus be in a hopeless position, major naval operations are to be previously avoided.

After the destruction of the Russian fleet it will be the responsibility of the Navy to make the Baltic fully available to carrying sea traffic, including supplies by sea to the northern wing of the Army (Minesweeping!)

IV. All orders to be issued by the Commanders in Chief on the basis of this directive must clearly indicate that they are precautionary measures for the possibility that Russia should change her present attitude toward us. The number of officers to be assigned to the preparatory work at an early date is to be kept as small as possible; additional personnel should be briefed as late as possible and only to the extent required for the activity of each individual. Otherwise, through the discovery of our preparations - the date of their execution has not even been fixed - there is danger that most serious political and military disadvantages may arise.

V. I anticipate further conferences with the Commanders-in-Chief concerning their intentions as based on this directive. Reports on the progress made in the proposed preparations by all services of the armed forces will be forwarded to me through the Armed Forces High Command.

[Signed] A. Hitler

[initialed by Jodl, Keitel, Warlimont and one illegible.]

The second document is a formal invitation, dictated through my boss, Feldmarshall von Brauchitsch, from the Gröfaz to attend the first operational conference due in three days time at the Wolfsschanze. It was made perfectly ostentatious to Oberst Affe von Hintern that neither absence or delegation to a representative will be abided; the presence the Chief of the General Staff of the Army is required. There we shall discuss the planning of the impeding war with the Soviet Union where I will make my recommandations - or rather, possibly, have the operational objectives of the Fuhrer imposed on me.

Reading this, I sigh; there's no way I can avoid this titanic struggle for the Vaterland forced on us by the Führer. This will be the final test of my abilities. Will I accept kowtowing to the Führer to implement his capricious whims and flaky 'political instincts' to save my hide, or will I take a stand for a decisive blow at the risk of alienating the Fuhrer and risk my career (or even my hide) when things don't go my way on the battlefield?

The Axis immediately loses if any of the following happens to me: 

- The Soviets capture any German base across the border
- Any of the three Army Theatre HQ is destroyed
- Hitler fires my ass (yes, Hitler can sack the player if our relations get too sour)

What say you? Do I :

a) Support Hitler (Most PPs and good relations with Hitler, at the expense him deciding my objectives and constant interferences in waging the war)

b) Go Moscow or Bust (Moscow is the main objective. Hitler is unimpressed but he relents for now, giving both reasonable PPs and less inteferences. He will still attempt to divert my efforts from time to time, but when conferences are called it is possible - with the right allies among the staff - to convince him of the soundness of going straight for the Soviet capital)

c) Request Military Independence (I stand up to Hitler and I call the shots. I receive the bare minimum of PPs. No interference, but Hitler is so incensed that he refuses dealing with me personally; only von Brauchitsch stands vouching for me. If I screw up or my relations with him deteriorate further I risk being sacked anytime)

[Drakken]

Turn no.1 will be due tomorrow. In the meantime to put you guys on the marching mood :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wawpXI-9l3I



From now on, TAMAS KEEP OUT!!!!! 

[The Brain]

Please support Hitler.

[Razgovory]

Please support Hitler.

I didn't know that Sweden let German troops transit through its territory.  You guys really are slimy bastards.

[Habbaku]

First game?  Keep Hitler happy.  Hopefully the extra PP makes up for the meddling...

[Drakken]

Turn 1 - Situation at the start of Case Barbarossa on June 22, 1941.

The three German theaters north of the Carphatian Mountains, and the Axis allies with 11th Army in support in the south.



Already, I have two possible What-if scenarios made available for me by Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop.

The first one entails Romania fully entering the war from the start of the invasion in support of AGS, which might be of help if our main objective is punching through in the south.



The second one entails a full military alliance between Finland and Germany. If we accept these overtures either Luga or Narva need to be taken before the Finns would be able to cross toward Leningrad.



But first... I am expected to be in Berlin 1000, Monday morning, for the final determination of the Wehrmacht's objectives for Operation Barbarossa. Only if they correspond to either option might I consider them... at the cost of giving VPs to Tamas. As you may also see General Jodl's attitude towards me is Neutral, and he is known as a Nazi sympathizer and a lackey to Hitler.



More in a few minutes...

[11B4V]

Watching. Curious to see if Drak takes the Moscow option in his strategy after AG  Center clears the marshes. AG South should be lagging way behind by the time that happens, putting the historical dilemma in play.

[Drakken]

Turn 1 - Situation at the start of Case Barbarossa on June 22, 1941. (continued)

Arriving in Führer Chancellery in Berlin at 0915 Monday morning with my aide-de-camp Oberst von Affe, I meet von Rundstedt sitting and smoking a cigarette in the war conference's waiting hall with his aide. Upon seeing me enter, we both exchange smiles. He stands up to resolutely salute, before approaching me to shake my hand. Breaking protocole, I follow this by a hearthy path of the back by the old Feldmarshall. He hasn't forgotten how I stood for him when Keitel ordered the Panzers to slow down in the conquest of France, and I like the old man. He has always been a mentor for me.

We exchange a few jokes before entering the Führer's map room... where the air got suddenly frosty for the both of us. "Seems like we are already in Russia", whispers von Rundstedt through his teeth.

I salute my immediate boss, Feldmarchall von Brauchtisch, who returns an air of distance as he politely salutes back. Our relations got a bit sour after a dispute over the utility of invading Denmark. He agreed with the Führer that taking Denmark was necessary, while I advocated that Denmark was an hour-march waste of resources and that we should be going straight at Norway instead. From the looks of it, the Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht hasn't forgotten and is already prepared to a showdown.

More ominous is the icy-cold stare and blatant hostility behind the Reichführer-SS Heinrich Himmler's round spectacles, as he passes by me with barely a nod in salute.  He is the most dangerous man, outspokenly my bitter opponent; I got word that he suspects I was involved in an alleged plot to get rid of our Führer during the München conference in 1938. Obvious lies spread by my competitors, of course! However, such is the position of Himmler that I cannot ignore him. A political power of his own right with the ear of the Führer and a whole apparatus of state terror under him, who knows what lies he might spew if the war runs badly? I risk being shot or, worse, sent to the Fallbeil or hanged on a meat hook.



Given this icy air of hostility, this sword of Damocles hanging over me from both my immediate boss and the head of both SS and Gestapo, I decide it is best not to make too many waves. If I stand up to Hitler right now in front of Himmler I might be arrested at once. Thus, when He presents the objectives of the imminent invasion of Russia I decide to hearthily voice my support for the plan.

He immediately smiles and answers, "Of course, Generaloberst Drakken, you lone among those buffoons know this war will be won by taking down symbols. By burning the city bearing the name of Lenin and razing it to the ground the Bolshevist regime will fall like a house of cards!" I gain Good relations with Hitler. As long as I keep him happy, my ass is protected. Such are the daggers of Nazi high politics.



The plan calls for priority given in the North (Leningrad). The destruction of Russian forces and killing as many Russian soldiers as possible as fall back objective. The South and especially Moscow are given a big fuck-you, sadly for my friend von Rundstedt. 

Now that I know the Führer wants the impetus to go North toward Leningrad, I take the time to read a letter written by General Gercke, the Wehrmacht's Chief of Transportation and supply (who takes care of railways, NOT trucks, go figure). He asks my input to decide which railway line we should give priority for converting railroad gages from Russian to German ones. He asks for my advice both for the North and the Center.



I don't give a rat's ass about Moscow as of now, and neither does Hitler, so I decide to do nothing. Gen. Gercke is understandably pissed.

In the North however it is of paramount importance. I have the choice of ordering the Railway Construction bataillons to work in priority either on the line toward Luga or Narva from Kaunas. As the North is Hitler's top priority either either choices cost -2 PP to decide (I have currently 80 PPs, so no shortage). As my strategy implicates to punch through Kaunas and sweep northward toward the South of Leningrad, with the Finnish troops closing the trap I take the second option.

I also decide to accept the recommandation of von Ribbentrop for alliance with the Finns. I have the option of either go for a full Military Alliance with the Finns (100% chance of Finland crossing the border if I take Luga or Narva, at the cost of giving 10VP to Tamas) or mere mutual assistance (chances are merely doubled, for 5VP to Tamas).



The Finns are necessary in my plan. Taking Leningrad is our primary objective. My wager is that concentrating on the North will reap much more VPs to myself than Tamas. Also, what's fun with What-if Decisions is that while Tamas will know I have taken one, he won't know which.

The immediate plan for AGN decides itself - A thrust toward Kaunas to grab its railway node with a breakthrough northwestward to surround the Soviet 8th Army and reach the rails behind Tamas's lines.




Summary

- Gen.Obst Drakken supports Hitler's plan
- Leningrad first... for now.
- I am disliked by von Brauchitsch, and especially by Himmler, who are both biased against me. The exact opposite with von Rundstedt.
- Germany signs a full alliance with Finland, effective when either Luga or Narva falls.
- Construction bataillons to work in the North on the Kaunas-Dunaburg-Luga line.

[The Brain]

[sbr]

Good luck!

[Drakken]

T2 - June 22th, 1941 (Part 1)

D-Day has come.

D, as in "Dortmund", the codeword for the launch of Operation Barbarossa.

D, as in death and destruction unloaded on Tamas from the ground and above, on the largest landed border of the world, in the largest conflict of the world has ever seen so far.

Meteo reports show fine weather, at worst only light drizzle at the border. Dry weather is predicted for the next four days.



Plenty of Decisions are waiting on my desk, needing my attention on the logistics side of the invasion. Any of these might be critical for the success of the initial assault. But first, I receive a receive a private letter from SS-Reichsführer Himmler, who never misses an occasion to put me under hot pressure. After investigating my personal file it seems the certificate of my taking the personal oath to the Führer has been "lost" in the archives, and couldn't be found. He sent me a copy to be signed ASAP, but means an opportunity to publicly join the NSDAP.



Keitel is unpredictably eager to have me join the Nazi party, and Goebbels promises me Party resources and assistance should I sign the papers and becoming a Nazi. However, let's say my boss is not amused at all at the rumors.



My relations so far :



Despite the possibility of joining being tempting, I don't wish to alienate my subordinates by giving them the perception I am becoming a Nazi stooge, or my immediate superior for that matter. As both Junkers we have at heart to protect the independence of the German Armed Forces. So I merely register my Oath to pay lip service to the Party, and prove my loyalty by winning the war instead. This allows me to improve my relations with von Brauchtisch to Neutral, but sets my own bias as "Against" those with the Nazi trait. Goebbels remains Neutral, so the losses are minimal.

[Drakken]

T2 - June 22th, 1941 (Part 2)

Before attending to the remaining decisions I decide to play my different cards to spend as many PPs on Operational cards and spending the rest on Decisions.

Oberst von Affe bugs me with the fact that for each theater I must set Command Focus to one Army HQ or PanzerGruppe (the latter only if Neutral or Positive relations with the Theater Commander), set the Theater Artillery to Direct fire on one Army HQ or Division. No need for to use Cards for defensive Artillery Counter-batteries as of now, we don't expect any counterattack. We use artillery for the offensive.

AGN : Command Focus on 4th PzG and Direct Fire Art on 18th Army
AGC : Both Command Focus and Direct Fire Art on 4th Army
AGS : Command Focus on 1st PzG and Direct Fire Art on 17th Army

It will take a full turn (4 days) for these to become effective.

I also assign my Rail Siege Artillery nearby Brest-Litovsk. It is estimated it will arrive in 4 days time from Warsaw, so next turn if all goes well. In the meantime I will attack to attempt to isolate the Fortress with Infantry elements of the 4th PnG attacking the flanks around Brest-Litosvsk. Let's say this keyhole won't be lasting long.

Thus my cards set I return to the remaining Decisions. I decide to increase the allocation of fuel to be given in priority to AGN, compared to Center and South. I push also, unsuccessfully it seems, for the accelaration of the timeline for building a new IG Farben plant complex that would increase Synthetic Oil production by 20%. Finally, I advocate the reduction of Civilian Oil allocation by a quarter in the next fourty days, which both hurt my relations with the Fuhrer and Goebbels.



Touching the Air Force, Reichsmarshall Göring advocates that we maintain the Luftwaffe's Air Offensive against both Soviet infrastructure and land-force command and control. While they do that air forces cannot be assigned to TAC functions. However, I agree with him. The Luftwaffe harassing Tamas's communication and infrastructure heavily hamper his ability to activate his Armies. I thus vote to maintain it to the maximum of twelfe days proposed by Göring, to inflict maximum damage to Tamas.



This brings my relations with my boss to Poor back again. The fool.

Finally, Security Divisions on all theaters are assigned to mopping up operations for another fornight, to eliminate future Soviet divisions remaining behind while we advance to the satisfaction of all my theater commanders.

Now that the nitty-gritty of being a bureaucrat is done... along we go for the actual fight. 

[Drakken]

T2 - June 22th, 1941 (Part 3)

AGN



4th PzG pushes north in the plains due northeast of Kaunas, aiming for the railroads linking Kaunas to Riga and ram the flank of the 11th Army defending the city. 16th Army is pushing back the Russkies toward the Niemen River, but the 23rd and 56th Rifle Corp plus a Mech Corps makes for a good defence, stopping me from grabbing the rails and the bridge and snap the Russian forces in two.



AGC



Seized Bialystok, but not enough to close the encirclement. However if all goes bad for Tamas' activation next turn all those troops are threatened to be surrounded and destroyed. Attacks were made by 2nd PanzerGruppe around Brest-Litovsk to bare its flank until our Siege Artillery arrives (hopefully next turn). Might not even become necessary if I encircle the city and make them starve to death.


AGS



17th and 6th Army frontally keep the Russians contained, as 1st PanzerGruppe swerves around Tamas' right flank, isolating two Rifle Divisions from the Soviet 5th Army while threatening to rolle down to close Lvov behind Tamas' back.

[Drakken]

I forgot to move the Hungarian troops and 11th Army in Bessarabia. Oops. I thought they were inactive.

[grumbler]

I forgot to move the Hungarian troops and 11th Army in Bessarabia. Oops. I thought they were inactive.

  They were inactive.  You just said so.