Europe Aflame Solo Run

[Sarsfield]

It's not like they can write off the sinkings by the Fleet Air Arm as "air pirates".

They've been called worse I'm sure![8D]

[Sarsfield]

28 October: German build-up at Trondheim continues - a full scale assault on Narvik by Land, Sea & Air is planned - Operation Thor.

London & Paris agree to a joint meeting of the British and French Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Édouard Daladier in the French Capital on 4 November to discuss matters of strategic interest.


4 November : Churchill & Daladier meet in Paris with their respective military staffs and agree to issue an immediate and public Ultimatum to Germany that she must forthwith announce a ceasefire in Norway and an open commitment to begin the immediate withdrawal of German troops from Danish & Norwegian territory. The international status of Danzig must also be restored. Failing that War will be declared within seven days.

In Berlin the German Chancellor announces that the terms are unacceptable and declares Denmark a Reich Protectorate. In relation to the Norwegian problem he proposes a Peace Conference at the Hague to settle the issue. Danzig is to be incorporated back into the Reich.

11 November: German troops and fighting vehicles move north east along the coast road leading to Narvik as Engineering teams repair the blown bridges. Target date for Operation Thor to begin is set for 11 December.

11 November: Paris & London: Joint Declaration of War on Nazi Germany issued. Churchill goes on BBC Radio to announce:

I am speaking to you from the cabinet room at 10 Downing Street. This morning the British ambassador in Berlin handed the German government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Denmark & Norway, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.

That afternoon the French Premier Daladier tells the French People that they too are at War with Germany.

[secadegas]

ORIGINAL: golden delicious

I had the impression sea supply roads don't work in TOAW IV- was I mistaken?

Sea supply roads still work in TOAW IV as every other road.

The "question" is sea roads were abolished from EA for almost 10 years now - still in TOAW III with version Veers on 2012.

Meanwhile EA it was recently updated to TOAW IV - here

[Sarsfield]

You mean sea roads should be gone?

But I like sea roads - there should be more of them IMO!

[Sarsfield]

11 November cont...

RAF Bomber Command raids Bergen airfield;

Norwegian Resistance cuts Lillehammer - Bergen rail line;

French Maginot guns open up on the German Siegfried Line at Saarbrucken.

German guns return the compliment & open up on French positions defending the city of Strasbourg,

- some shells drop in urban areas causing panic - civilians start to flee...

The Allies start to impose a Naval blockade on Germany.

[Sarsfield]

18 November: Advance elements of the BEF reach Calais.

The French Army moves forward a number of infantry Divisions to prepare for an assault on Saarbrucken.

Poland breaks off Diplomatic relations with Germany & prepares for War!

Stalin orders the fortification of the Western Frontier from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

Germans eliminate Norwegian fighters who cut rail lines, any prisoners taken are hanged as Bandits.

Hitler appoints General Georg von Küchler to lead the 18th Army in the assault on Narvik.

Due to the rapid advance of German armoured forces towards Narvik the planned date for the attack is brought forward one week

- Operation Thor will commence on 4 November.

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: Sarsfield_slith

You mean sea roads should be gone?

But I like sea roads - there should be more of then IMO!

Sea supply roads serve a few purposes:
1) allowed a location to have a small level of supply well below normal force supply
2) allow multiple locations to be served by a single supply point when the maximum number of supply points has been met
3) allow enemy naval units to block supply by sitting directly on the road (naval units don't have ZOC so adjacent isn't good enough)
4) can include "underwater river" hexes which can be linked up with the use of a naval unit with ferry equipment (i.e. you have to risk some of your shipping to supply the port)

1 and 2 are no longer an issue since you can now have any number of variable supply points, and I don't think EA ever used 4 in the first place. This leaves 3, but I'm not sure how widely used this was in actual play. Certainly in the situation you've got in this game the German player could gain a lot by dropping a naval unit onto that sea supply road somewhere in range of his Sea Interdiction units

[Sarsfield]

25 November: ULTRA intercepts indicate German offensive on Narvik is now imminent,
possibly utilising Para drops to back up the land assault.

RAF raids German air bases in Norway to stymie air support for the expected
- naval landings expected possibly by 11 December?


BEF starts to arrive in France.
Royal Marine Brigade moved to Scapa Flow as back up for Norwegian operations.


French Atlantique Nord Fleets departs Brest to link up with the British Home Fleet operating in Norwegian waters. It is bombed by the Luftwaffe but avoids serious damage.

Fleet Air Arm aircraft from HMS Ark Royal are launched to seek out the German Aircraft carrier the Graf Spee and sink her.

Disaster ensues as all 48 Swordfish planes are shot down [12] or damaged [36].

The French Army launches serious attack on the German positions defending Saarbrucken.
Both sides suffer heavy casualties but stalemate ensues.


2 December: Naval aircraft from the Graf Spee search for the Ark Royal, backed by land based Stukas.
The attacks are beaten off but the Ark Royal is damaged.


Narvik airbase is bombed prior to the main assault but the Luftwaffe suffer heavy losses.

German arm. cars cross the last river obstacle before the Narvik and attack the weakened Norwegian regiment defending it who are pushed back into the city. The Germans reach the outskirts of Narvik.

German Brandenburg regiment and some glider troops are dropped NE of the port but the SS Paras are forced to turn back after being attacked by the RAF.

The city of Strasbourg is again heavily bombarded causing heavy structural damage to the historical city
- which is being rapidly emptied of it inhabitants.

New York Times calls it 'barbarism on a massive scale'.

[secadegas]

ORIGINAL: Sarsfield_slith

You mean sea roads should be gone?

But I like sea roads - there should be more of then IMO!

Sea roads were (most of them) replaced in newer versions by events and by below normal force supply points.

[Sarsfield]

BEF HQ is established at the city of Arras in northern France. More divisions start to arrive and take up positions to defend the city.

Churchill over the heads of the Chiefs of Staff orders the Royal Marine Brigade to Narvik to reinforce the garrison there.

The Home Fleet takes station off the port of Narvik to protect against naval attack.

French Army takes up Winter Positions, calls a halt to all further offensive activity until Springtime.

The Chiefs of Staff of the Polish Armed Forces inform the Government that a military offensive on Germany could not possibly take place until 1 May at the earliest.

[Sarsfield]

16 December: Diplomatic back channels at the Hague reach an understanding on the QT that there will be no more bombardments of either sides cities on the Western Front.

All quite on the Western Front as the French & German guns fall silent.

British send more divisions to France to defend the city of Arras.


Germans launch a series of attacks on the British positions before Narvik and finally push back the defenders with both sides taking heavy losses.
General Bernard Law Montgomery with his key Staff members is flown to Narvik to take command of the defenses - he is appointed head of the 8th Army.

RAF raid Bergen air base where the SS Paras are stationed but the attack is beaten off with heavy losses to the British aircraft.

Fallschirmjäger close in from the north east to block any retreat but do not attack.

SS Paras are again forced to turn back by the RAF before they can be dropped to support the offensive.

The Finns start to raise more troops - Soviet concern expressed.

[Sarsfield]

Real picture I wanted with previous post!

[Sarsfield]

16 December: Royal Navy and La Marine Nationale bombard the German lines before Narvik

Fleet Air Arm aircraft at Narvik are ordered to fly back to Scottish air bases.

23 December: Coldest Winter in years brings all land operations to a halt.


Both sides re-position their forces and build up their supplies and manpower levels.

Hitler orders more forces to the Polish Frontier.

24 February 1940 The Winter starts to lose its bite as Spring starts to arrive. Minor skirmishes occur between German and Polish border troops.

Strict orders are issued to the Wehrmacht not to provoke the French but to remain passive unless directly attacked.

Heavy fighting again takes place at Narvik but the port holds out under a series of attacks
- SS Paras finally make the drop on the eastern side of the objective.

General Montgomery concludes that the town cannot be held indefinitely & advises the Prime Minister that a phased withdrawal will be necessary.

In a dramatic move Winston Churchill flies to Narvik to see the situation on the ground for himself - he tells Montgomery that the eyes of the Empire are upon him and he must hold his positions at all costs & that more support is on it’s way.
He returns to London that evening confident that Narvik will be held until the reinforcements can arrive.




Churchill meets General Montgomery at Narvik February 1940.

[Sarsfield]

Try a better crop of this famous picture





WSC: General How do do you intend to stop the Bloody Germans then?

Monty:With this Bloody umbrella Prime Minister!

WSC: You shall have all the umbrellas there are in the Kingdom ol chap
- but your not getting my walking stick!

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: Sarsfield_slith

Try a better crop of this famous picture





WSC: General How do do you intend to stop the Bloody Germans then?

Monty:With this Bloody umbrella Prime Minister!

WSC: You shall have all the umbrellas there are in the Kingdom ol chap
- but your not getting my walking stick!

Montgomery must be freezing his balls off there if they're in Narvik in February.

[Sarsfield]

[:D]

[Sarsfield]

3 March 1940: Churchill reluctantly agrees to the commencement of the evacuation of Narvik. He orders General Montgomery to return by submarine to avoid capture & thus hand the Nazis a Propaganda Victory.

[Sarsfield]

Narvik capitulates as the remnants of the garrison are evacuated

The following day Sir Winston Churchill addresses the House of Commons in London amidst calls for his resignation.

He sets forth' his reason for ordering a BEF to the Norwegian port and how it was vital both morally and materially necessary to deny its use to the Nazis. He tells the House 'that the port will be out of use for many months to come..'

Backbenchers call out 'Gallipoli Gallipoli' to taunt him and as the day wore on his position as PM looks increasingly untenable.

Late that night he offers his resignation as Prime Minister to the King George V.

Lord Halifax takes over as acting PM.

[Sarsfield]

10 March Germany renews Iron Ore shipments from Narvik and builds fortifications along the Norwegian coastline.

Adolf Hitler gives the order for the Invasion of Poland to begin - Code Name Fall Weiss (Case White) - target date 17 March.

Last of the evacuees from Narvik reach Scapa Flow.

Soviet & Finnish delegations meet in Stockholm to begin preliminary negotiations on reaching a Peace Deal. Stalin demands that the Finns reduce their army to 10,000 men, dismantle all frontier fortifications, disband all attack aircraft and pay a huge War indemnity within 18 months.


17 March Dawn - Fall Weiss begins as German forces invade Poland!

The Polish port of Ocksywie is seized as German columns cross over to Danzig. A naval battle ensues off the port.


German forces encounter heavy resistance but push forwards regardless.

[Sarsfield]

20 March: Soviet & Finnish delegations meet in Stockholm to begin preliminary negotiations on reaching a Peace Deal. Stalin demands that the Finns reduce their army to 10,000 men, dismantle all frontier fortifications, disband all attack aircraft and pay a huge War indemnity within 18 months.


31 March: The Germans reach the gates of Warsaw and prepare to assault the City. Poznam, Torun, Lodz, Krakow have fallen as Polish resistance starts to collapse.