Europe Aflame Solo Run

[Sarsfield]

BETTER LUCK THIS TIME I HOPE!

[Sarsfield]

1 MAY 1944 - ITALY & THE BALKANS

TITO'S PARTISANS NOW CONTROL LARGE SWATHES OF YUGOSLAVIA BUT CANNOT LAND KILLER BLOWS TO DRIVE THE FASCISTS OUT OF THE MOTHERLAND WITHOUT MORE ALLIED HELP

IN ITALY THE ALLIED ARMIES ARE ADVANCING NORTH TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE GERMANS AND RENEW THEIR ASSAULTS.

FURTHER NORTH THEY HAVE STOPPED THE ALLIED BREAKTROUGH TO THE ADRIATIC BUT THE WHOLE SITUATION HANGS BY A THREAD AS THE CANDIAN ARMY HAS BEEN DEPLOYED WITH ORDERS TO STRIKE SOUTH ALONG THE WESTERN COAST AND LINK UP WITH THE US ARMY IF IT CAN.

[Sarsfield]

1 MAY 1944 ARMY GROUP NORTH & CENTRE

THE GERMANS HAVE NOW MANAGED TO STABILISE THEIR FRONTS WITH PANZER FORMATIONS ARRIVING BACK IN EUROPE AFTER THE LONG TREK ACROSS TURKEY AND THROUGH THE BALKANS - NO R&R TO BE HAD THOUGH AS THEY ARE SENT TO THE EASTERN FRONT STRAIGHT AWAY!

HOWEVER THE SOVIETS ARE MASSING AT THE GATES OF MINSK SO THINGS COULD RAPIDLY....

[Sarsfield]

1 MAY 1944 - ARMY GROUP CENTER & ARMY GROUP SOUTH



THE CRIMEA HAS NOW BEEN FULLY LIBERATED!

SOVIET RE INFORCEMENTS ARE NOW DETRAINING AT KHERSON TO LAUNCH ALL OUT ATTACKS TO THE NORTH OF ODESSA AND ACROSS THE DNENSTIR RIVER...

SOUTH OF ROSTOV STALIN HAS HUGE RESERVES WAITING TO BE COMMITTED - BUT WHERE?

[Sarsfield]

1 MAY 1944 - BALKAN FRONT

MONTY'S MUCH TRUMPETED BALKAN OFFENSIVE GRINDS TO A HALT AS THE GERMANS ARE DETERMINED NOT TO ALLOW THE RAIL LINK TO ISTAMBOUL TO BE CUT

STRONG INFANTRY FORMATIONS HAVE BEEN LEFT TO GUARD THE STRAITS OF THE BOSPHORUS AND AVOID THE RUSSIANS AND THE ALLIES FROM JOINING FORCES

MONTY REQUESTS MORE REINFORCEMENTS!

[Sarsfield]

NORTH ITALY 1 MAY 1944

THE ALLIES ACHIEVE A DECISIVE BREAKTHROUGH AND CUT OFF ALL GERMAN FORCES TO THE SOUTH OF THE PO RIVER!

ARMY GROUP ITALY HAS TWO CHOICES

- STAND AND FIGHT AND HOPE FOR RELIEF

- OR CUT AND RUN AND HOPE TO ESTABLISH A LINE OF RESISTANCE ON THE PO THAT CAN STEM THE ALLIES.

EITHER WAY THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS ARE SLIM INDEED.

[Sarsfield]

15 MAY 1944 NORTH ITALY

THE FRENCH ARMY OF ITALY ACHIEVES A BREAKTHROUGH BUT IS THEN CUT OFF AND ISOLATED

FURTHER SOUTH THE GERMANS HOLD THEIR POSITIONS BUT ARE RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT OF SUPPLIES.

ITS THOUCH AND GO WHETHER THE WEHRMACHT WILL PULL OFF A BRILLIANT VICTORY OR INSTEAD WILL SEE A CATASTROPHIC COLLAPSE OF ARMY GROUP ITALY & ITS MEMBERS INTO THE ALLIED POW CAGES!

TO THE EAST MINSK HAS FALLEN TO THE SOVIETS.

[Sarsfield]

OK TIME FOR AN UPDATE - ITS NOW 5 JUNE 1944 AND THE ALLIES ARE PRESSING HARD ON THE THIRD REICH BUT HITLER STILL HAS A FEW CARDS UP HIS SLEEVE!



THE FRANCO - AMERICAN ARMIES PUSH SLOWLY INTO THE REICH AND HAVE REACHED THE RHINE.

MAIN OBJECTIVE IS MAINZ BUT THE WEHRMACHT IS PUTTING UP A TOUGH FIGHT SO THIS LOOKS LIKE A SLUGFEST FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE....

[Sarsfield]

SOUTHERN FRONT ITALY 5 JUNE 1944



BRILLIANT STAFF WORK BY OKH AND SOME HARD FIGHTING HAVE ALLOWED THE GERMAN FORCES TO WITHDRAW IN REASONABLY GOOD ORDER.

THE PLAN NOW IS TO STABILISE A NEW LINE ON THE TRENTO - VENEZIA AXIS AND HOLD THE ALLIES THERE.

YUGO PARTISANS ARE A NUISANCE BUT NOT A THREAT.

[Sarsfield]

BALKAN FRONT

STRONG AND POWERFUL AXIS FORCES GUARD THE 'BACK DOOR' INTO SOUTHERN EUROPE AND KEEP TURKEY, RUMANIA AND BULGARIA IN THE FIGHT.

BOTH SIDES ARE EVENLY MATCHED BUT WHILE THE GERMANS ARE SATISFIED IF NOT ENTIRELY RELAXED ABOUT THE STATE OF PLAY GENERAL MONTGOMERY IS TOTALLY FRUSTRATED AS HIS PART IN THE WAR IS REDUCED TO THE STATUS OF A SIDESHOW....

[Sarsfield]

5 JUNE 1944 - SOUTH BALKAN FRONT

THIS MAP SHOWS THE SITUATION SOMEWHAT BETTER!

THE GERMAN FORCES IN TURKEY ARE NOW DIGGING TRENCHES ON THE ASIATIC SIDE OF THE BOSPHORUS TO BLOCK THE INEVITABLE SOVIET ADVANCE THAT IS COMING....

[Sarsfield]

5 JUNE 1944 - ARMY GROUP CENTRAL

[Sarsfield]

BETTER MAP!



THE RUSSIANS HAVE ATTEMPTED A BREAKTHROUGH ALONG THE VILNA - KOVNO AXIS BUT THEY ARE NOW CUT OFF.

THE ASIS ARE THOUGH NOW VERY STRECHED HERE AND IT IS REALLY TOUCH AND GO IF THEY CAN HOLD THE LINE AT ALL.

THEY HAVE SRONG FORCES FURTHER SOUTH IN FRONT OF BREST LITOVSK THAT SHOULD STOP ANY SOVIET ATTACKS IN THAT DIRECTION.

[Sarsfield]

5 JUNE 1944 - ARMY GROUP NORTH

THINGS HOLDING UP RELATIVELY WELL FOR THE AXIS HERE BUT SOME WORRY THAT THE NORTHERN PART OF THE FRONT COULD EVENTUALLY BE CUT OFF.

[Sarsfield]

5 JUNE 1944 - ARMY GROUP SOUTH/UKRAINE

[Sarsfield]

TRY AGAIN!

DANGER DANGER DANGER!!!

SOVIETS ARE GATHERING HUGE FORCES FOR AN ATTEMPED BREAKTROUGH INTO RUMANIA AND SEIZING THOSE VITAL OIL FIELDS....

[StuccoFresco]

Were the French able to save their encircled units in Veneto?

[Sarsfield]

YES I BELIEVE SO

[Sarsfield]

And that's it Folks!

I can't why recall why I did not post anymore on this but I think I should conclude with some kind of plausible explanation as to what might happened.

12 April 1944

Franklin D Roosevelt dies and HS Truman takes over. He is very concerned about a Soviet invasion of Central Europe and is open to a peace deal if the Nazi Regime is removed from Power before the situation worsens further.

Munich 6 June 1944

Hitler returns to the seat of his 1st bid for Power to hold a Rally & tell his loyal followers that Victory is assured in the long rung with the new Wonder weapons being developed.

A young Bavarian girl Sophie Scholl hands him a bouquet of flowers that is primed with a small explosive that detonates killing her and severely wounding the Chancellor.

Berlin 20 July 1944

Despite the best efforts of his medical team and after a long struggle Hitler succumbs to his injuries.
Herman Goring takes over and declares 10 days of National Mourning.

He then uses diplomatic back channels in Zurich and Geneva to offer an end to the war based on honourable terms and guarantees of National integrity.

All sides are exhausted and the Allies have to consider the War against Japan is still unresolved.
Stalin wants Manchuria and knows that is not viable as long as the war in Europe continues.

A shaky ceasefire comes into operation that brings offensive operations to a halt.

It is agreed that representatives of the active Combatant Powers will meet in Geneva on 1st September 1944 to open negotiations to bring hostilities to a close.

And the rest is History...