Memoires of two Staff Officers (PBEM)

[Chocolino]

This AAR will contain alternate entries form both sides involved.

Players:
- Western Allies and Comintern: Chuck DeYoung
- Axis: Chocolino

House rules: none, everything goes.

Settings: all default

Conventions: player control of neutrals at 50% political control, no more than 10% PP transfer between countries per turn (ok, so we do have one house rule)

[Chocolino]

Axis, September 1st, 1939

How very unfortunate, the Western Allies declare war upon us just for some minor border infringements near Poland. Why can't they just understand that all we want is just a land connection to our Eastern Prussian territories. (well and get some Lebensraum in the East along with it, but we did not tell this to anybody). But do they realize how unprepared they are in the West? The French Glory is a mere memory from Napoleonic times and we have revenged ourselves sufficiently in 70/71 (and even the French realize that there was little Glory in the bloodletting of WWI).

As a result the German High Command has to quickly adjust deployments. We want to take advantage of this state of unpreparedness. Heavy German armor is transferred from its assembly positions near Poland to the Western border immediately. We will not allow the French a prepared defense or worse, wait until they are strong enough to actually attack themselves.

Poland will have to wait and we will just leave a strong screen of infantry behind supported by a very few mobile tank divisions.

Strange events reach us however from the East. Here the cruel Soviet regime preys on puny Persia.

[cpdeyoung]

War with the Germans - again.

We have wargamed this conflict extensively since the 1920's and feel we have the best solution. The French are going to abandon the armor-mechanized path, and even give up their air forces. With the troops and resources thus released we will build enough infantry corps to hold the Germans at bay. We expect Poland to delay the Germans until the onset of winter. We can expect Germans in the West in the Spring, but they will face a built up French force.

Great Britain will concentrate on the RAF to prevent the Germans from contemplating an invasion. The BEF will be sent to the continent to hold the left flank, never far from the sea. The RN and French Navy will sweep the seas, and take sea control, including the Mediteranean, where we are sure Italy will be tempted.

The Soviets are looking for a war where their troops can gain experience, and a Persian campaign has the advantage of some juicy PP sites.

Any war against Germany is a challenge, but they are picking this fight, and we must respond.

[Chocolino]

Axis, September 9th, 1939

We attack Holland with a skeleton OOB and deprive Poland of more of its strong units. They are transferred into the Ruhr area to back up the current forces engaged in the Low Countries.

The German commanders in Poland grumble about this development as they loose all units capable to undertake a rapid attack. As a result our positions in Poland have little changed since last turn.

[cpdeyoung]

September 9, 1930 : The attack on the Netherlands did not totally surprise us as we suspected something was responsible for the weaker attack upon Poland. Our dismantling of the motorised and air units has left us a pool of resources and we have had our attention drawn to the northwest by the violation of Dutch borders, but we still fill out the ranks of fortress troops in the Maginot. The upleveling of these troops to L2 means we do not have to worry aout the right flank in the upcoming struggle.

The Soviets finally cross the Persian border, worried now that rumors of German advisors have arrived in Persia. Allready the pace of movement here has slowed.

Poland holds well and she uses conventional strategic and operational concepts to hold the enemy off.

[Chocolino]

Axis, September 16th, 1939

We annex Luxemburg, make progress in the Netherlands and even Poland and start a new campaign in Denmark. The only drop of bitterness is reported from the Kriegsmarine. The almost 1200 sailors of the Graf Spee find an early grave at the bottom of the Atlantic.

[cpdeyoung]

September 16. 1939 : Already we are starting to have bad feelings about the rapid pace the Axis commander is setting.

[Chocolino]

Axis, September 24th, 1939

There is still no contact with the enemy in Persia. Do the Russians plan to conduct a phony war in Asia just for economic purposes? That would be fine with us as Persia can build up its war economy that is coming into gear with the passing weeks and month.

The Poland campaign proceeds a bit sluggishly against very well positioned defenders. But that was not unexpected and in exchange we are ready to strike at Belgium soon.

[cpdeyoung]

September 24, 1939 : The Soviets are pushing South as fast as possible, but that is none too fast.

[Chocolino]

Axis, October 1st, 1939

The war is just one month old and the German planners are quite concerned to face already two strong dug-in L2 Infantry corps stationed near the Ardennes across the border of Luxemburg, basically preventing a penetration here. Our early attack on the West was supposed to prevent exactly this. We don't know how the rest of the French line looks further north. Let's hope it is weaker.

[cpdeyoung]

October 1, 1940 : The powerful force rumbling down on France through Belgium has the staff most concerned. The French are digging in, and the British are coming up to make a second position. Things in Persia continue to frustrate the Red Army. As the problems in the West unfold there is talk of going to war with Germany, which seems very foolish at this time.

[Chocolino]

Axis, October 9th, 1939

How did the French come by the resources to build such a strong defense so early? It dawns on us that they must have scrapped all their understrength but expensive motorized and mechanized units and used the proceeds to fortify the regular infantry. If we had not attacked the West so early, we would have run into a wall of dug-in L2 Infantry without much hope of breaking through. Even now when there are some L1 Infantry corps in the line, this will not be easy. But all defenders are not visible yet. We hope there are no more surprises (where is the BEF for example?)

Many of our potential attackers are still heavily engaged in breaking up the strong Polish defenses around Warsaw and there is no immediate end in sight. If our attack on France gets stuck, our strategy has failed on all fronts and we can just go and tender our resignation.

[cpdeyoung]

October 9, 1939 : We are rushing to put up the strongest possible defense in France, and in Poland for that matter, but the West concerns us more. Frankly we accept that we cannot hold Poland, especially with no event raised units. In France we have a long front to hold and we do not have the PP to rebuild the losses to come. If only we had more time, but that is a luxury these germans will not grant us.

The Soviets are queasy over the horrible progress in Persia, and wish they had never tried this campaign.

[Chocolino]

Axis, October 16th, 1939

The attack on the French line has started but a verdict on its success is not possible yet. While we could damage a few defenders we have made virtually no progress (we converted 2 or 3 hexes). If the French can rotate in fresh defending infantry, progress will be painfully slow.

We also suffered a first loss in the air war with the UK where our interceptors could not deflect a British fighter.

[cpdeyoung]

October 16, 1939 : The lack of reserves, and of PP to build them is crippling. How we mourn the lost months these aggressive Germans have stolen from our defense. The Soviets continue to embarass themselves in Persia.

[Chocolino]

Axis, October 24th, 1939

We need to upgrade a L2 tank division to corps status and send it against the solid French defenses around Lille. We can again cause some damage but cannot make any real progress. Can the French hold us with their smart move to focus entirely on regular Infantry?

We are even outplayed by the Danish. The Copenhagen Garrison is able to sortie out of the city and cut off the supply of our advanced tank division while the city itself is occupied by a newly purchased unit. A move that we did not anticipate. Where will this lead to if Germany is in trouble already in 1939?

[cpdeyoung]

October 24, 1939 : German strength is evident everywhere. The Soviets are beginning to see how tough a task they have set themselves.

[Chocolino]

Axis, November 1st, 1939

It is with some relieve that we notice that our attack on France has gained a bit of momentum thanks to the German L2 tank corps. It would have been a very early and very ignominious defeat otherwise.

We will also try everything to salvage our tank corps that is cut off near Copenhagen. It has already withstood some attacks and a single retreat result would be fatal. The Danish will have at least one more try now.

[cpdeyoung]

November 1, 1939 : In the paragraph below we have a misspelling "crusing" for "crushing", but make no mistake the Germans are crushing us. The lack of reserves is critical. We have everything on the line, and losses will begin to make holes we just cannot fill. The emissaries to the Soviet Union are pleading that Stalin not count on any extra time to prepare for defense against the Axis. France and Great Britain found there was no time, and if they fall the USSR will be alone. The results of negotiations are unknown, as the Soviets are distracted by the quagmire in Persia. Poland resists, but the eyes of the world are elsewhere.

[Chocolino]

Axis, November 9th, 1939

It is probably less clear when looking only at the movement of the actual front line (which is admittedly small enough) but German commanders are increasingly positive about the individual battle results at the West Front. Unless the French have something up their sleeve it will take a serious British intervention to prevent German tanks from breaking through the first line defense within the next few weeks.

Persia sees a very mobile war of only a few units in rough terrain. What a change to the well developed lines in Europe.