Europe Aflame Solo Run

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MAP

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SEBASTOPOL 16 MARCH 1942 - THE PORT AND CITY HAVE FALLEN TO THE FASCISTS AND THE REMANENTS OF THE GARRISON HAVE CAPITULATED.

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WAR AND RUMOURS OF WAR..

THE SITUATION IN THE BALKANS CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE WITH THE BUILDUP OF OPPOSING FORCES IN THE REGION.

TIMELINE

In 1940 and early 1941, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria all agreed to adhere to the Tripartite Pact and thus join the Axis. Hitler then pressured Yugoslavia to join as well. The Regent, Prince Paul, yielded to this pressure, and declared Yugoslavia's accession to the Pact on 25 March 1941 This move was highly unpopular with the Serb-dominated officer corps of the military, a large part of the Serbian population, and liberals and Communists. Military officers (mainly Serbs) executed a coup d'état on 27 March 1941, forced the Regent to resign, and declared 17-year-old King Peter II to be of age.

Upon hearing news of the coup in Yugoslavia, Hitler called his military advisers to Berlin on 27 March. On the same day as the coup he issued Führer Directive 25, which called for Yugoslavia to be treated as a hostile state.

THROUGH INTERCEPTS & AGENTS THE ABHWER HAVE ESTABLISHED CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT BRITAIN,FRANCE AND THE UK INTEND TO DECLARE WAR ON ITALY ON 20 APRIL

HITLER ORDERS THAT YUGOSLAVIA IS TO BE INVADED AND DISMEMBERED INTO CLIENT STATES UNDER GERMAN HEGMONY - ALL GERMAN FORCES IN THE REGION ARE PLACED ON THE HIGHEST ALERT.

INVASION TO BEGIN NO LATER THAN 19 APRIL.

FORCES AVAILABLE

THE ITALIAN 2ND ARMY - OBJECTIVE LJUBLJANA

THE HUNGARIAN 3RD ARMY - OBJECTIVE ZAGREB

THE GERMAN 20TH MOUNTAIN ARMY - OBJECTIVE BELGRADE

PANZER GROUP ROMMEL + ATTACHED AIR CORPS - OBECTIVE SKOPJE

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INDIAN OCEAN - JAPANESE NAVAL TASK FORCE LANDS MARINES ON MADAGASKAR

PRESIDENT DE GAULLE CONDEMNS THE MOVE AS 'BLATANT AGGRESSION' AND VOWS SWIFT RETALIATION

- HE CALLS UPON THE ALLIES TO HELP REMOVE THE INVADERS FROM FRENCH TERRITORY.

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WAR NEWS

19 APRIL -AXIS ARMIES OF ITALY, HUNGARY AND GERMANY INVADE YUGOSLAVIA TO RESTORE ORDER AND DETER ALLIED AGGRESSION.


20 APRIL 1942 - BRITAIN; FRANCE, USA AND THE SOVIET UNION DECLARE WAR ON FASCIST ITALY

THE WAR OF THE 2ND COALITION HAS BEGUN....

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25 APRIL 1942 - RED COUP IN GREECE AS STALIN STEALS A MARCH ON HIS ALLIES AS GREEK COMMUNISTS SEIZE THE CAPITAL AND CALL UPON THE SOVIET ARMY TO DEFEND THE REVOLUTION.

GREEK ARMY STARTS TO DISINTEGRATE...

GREEK ROYAL ARMY HQ NOW AT VOLOS

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OPERTION MARITA - THE INVASION OF YUGOSLAVIA

AXIS FORCES MAKE GOOD PROGRESS - BELGRADE HAS YET TO FALL AS YUGOS GATHER FORCES TO RE- ENTER THE CITY BEFORE THE GERMANS CAN OCCUPY IT.

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24 MAY 1942 - BELGRADE FALLS TO THE WEHRMACHT AFTER A MONTH LONG BATTLE THAT SEES THE CITY VIRTUALLY DESTROYED.

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A FRACTURED COUNTRY - GREECE DIVIDED

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24 MAY 1942 SOVIET SPRING OFFENSIVE MAKES GAINS TOWARDS ROSTOV AND TAGRAGNOG BUT THE RUMANIANS STIFFENED WITH GERMAN FORCES MANAGE TO HANG ON.

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7 JUNE 1942 US 1ST CORPS, US 1ST ARMY AWAITS ENTRY INTO THE SARDINIAN CAPITAL CAGLIARI AS AXIS FORCES FLEE AND DECLARE IT AN OPEN CITY...

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14 JUNE 1942 THE GREAT OIL CITY OF BAKU FALLS TO THE GERMANS OF THREE PANZER ARMIES COMMITTED TO IT'S CAPTURE

LAST REMANENTS OF SOVIET FORCES IN THE CITY FLEE TOWARDS IRAN.

A MILITARY COUP IN TURKEY BRINGS A PRO AXIS JUNTA INTO POWER. HOWEVER THE COUNTRY IS IN CHAOS AND IT WILL TAKE WEEKS TO RE ESTABLISH ORDER.

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HITLER'S DILEMMA - TURN SOUTH OR TURN NORTH?

AFTER THE FALL OF BAKU SOME CHOICES ARE OPEN TO ADOLF HITLER

1. REST HIS EXHAUSTED PANZER ARMIES AT BAKU AND AWAIT EVENTS

2. STRIKE SOUTH AND INVADE THE MIDDLE EAST AND TAKE EGYPT THROUGH THE BACK DOOR

3. STRIKE NORTH ACROSS THE LOWER DON TO COUNTER THE RENEWED SOVIET OFFENSIVE ON THE ROSTOV REGION AND TAKE THESTRATEGIC CITY OF STALINGRAD ON THE VOLGA.

4TH PANZER ARMY [IN RESERVE AT MAIKOP] WILL LEAD THE INITIAL CROSSINGS, THE OTHER PANZER ARMIES WILL BE COMMITTED AS THE SITUATION REQUIRES AFTER THEY HAVE RECOUPED IN MEN, MATERIAL AND SUPPLIES..

POSSIBLY ONE ARMY WILL BE ASSEMBLED TO INVADE THE LEVANT WITH THE NEWLY REFORMED TURKISH ARMY IN SUPPORT - THAT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO ASSEMBLE.

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OPERATION TRIDENT - 26 JULY 1942

THE DRIVE ON STALINGRAD HAS BROUGHT 5 PANZER ARMY TO THE GATES OF THE CITY

14TH ARMY GUARDS THE BANKS OF THE LOWER DON FROM A SOVIET COUNTER ATTACK AND THREATENS THE SOVIET LEFT FLANK NORTH OF ROSTOV.

5TH ARMY WILL PIN THE WEAKENED SOVIET FORCES THERE FROM WITHDRAWING EASTWARDS TOWARDS THE VOLGA

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2 AUGUST 1942 - STALINGRAD FALLS TO 5TH PANZER ARMY AFTER AN ALL OUT ASSAULT. SOVIET FORCES RETREAT TO THE NORTH OF THE CITY AND ARE EXPECTED TO IMMEDIATEDLY COUNTER ATTACK ON DIRECT ORDERS FROM MOSCOW.

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9 AUGUST 1942 - TO THE GATES OF TRIPOLI - US 1ST ARMY & THE FRENCH Armée d’Afrique LAY SIEGE TO THE LIBYAN CAPITAL.

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THE LOWER DON FRONT 30 AUGUST 1942

THE NAZI WAR MACHINE HAS BEEN DRIVEN BACK FROM STALINGRAD AND SUFFERED HEAVY LOSSES.
OKW ADVISES A WITHDRAWAL TO TO MORE DEFENSIBLE LINES.
HITLER ISSUES A 'STAND FAST' ORDER AND SHIFTS UP PANZER DIVISIONS FROM ASTRAKHAN TO PROP UP THE DEFENSES SOUTH OF STALINGRAD.

FURTHER WEST A BREAKTRHOUGH HAS PUNCHED A HOLE IN THE SOVIET LINES AS 14TH ARMY CROSSES THE LOWER DON TO LINK UP WITH THEM.

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9 JUNE 1942 - TRIPOLI IS CAPTURED BY THE ALLIED ARMIES AFTER REPEATED ASSAULTS - ITALIAN MORALE STARTS TO WAVER.

STUKA UNITS + FIGHTERS DESPATCHED TO SICILY TO INTERCEPT AN INVASION FROM AFRICA

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4 OCTOBER 1942 - THE END IN NORTH AFRICA - LAST REMANENTS OF IL DUCE'S ARMY OF LIBYA ON THE VERGE OF CAPITULATION

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SOUTHERN FRONT 4 OCTOBER 1942 - BOTH SIDES TRADE BLOWS AS THE SOVIETS PUSH BACK THE NAZIS FROM STALINGRAD AS THE GERMANS REACH THE OUTSKIRTS OF KALACH

GERMAN LINES ARE STRUNG OUT ON A THIN LINE FROM ROSTOV TO KALACH AND ARE OPEN TO COUNTER ATTACK IF STALIN CAN MUSTER ENOUGH TANK FORMATIONS TO LAUNCH ONE AT A CRITICAL POINT.