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8-30-40

As France does not surrender Germany advances on the remaining French cities. Panzers race to the Atlantic coast and take St. Nazaire. France is apparently willing to sacrificing the safety of its civilians for a few extra weeks of fighting.

8-30-40

Meanwhile the Italians are marching through the Alps to slice off an Italian piece of the pie. Not sure how effective they will be - but they will draw at least a few French defenders.

France has put its crack HQ on alert to intercept the Italians. DeGaulle and his growing cadre will remember the Italian stab in the back, also.

9-13-40

The French still refuse to surrender. I am not sure DeGaulle is doing the French populace any favors here. (I believe the French surrender rule is broken in this version and the Axis is required to conquer all of France).

A French corps is bottled up in Cherburg and French naval personnel is holding Brest for the time being. German tanks approach the small town of Vichy without understanding which significance it acquired in a parallel universe.

Italian troops move up the Rhone valley but it is unclear if the Italian logistics arm can supply them there at the moment.

Soon rain will be upon us - a worse enemy than the French - and too much of the "Grande Nation" is still in the wrong hands.

Perhaps the revision has not changed French surrender rules, but there was a random chance that Vichy would not be offered. I don't know, Alvaro would have to weigh in on that.

Yes - that is a possible explanation.

9-27-40

German troops occupy undefended Brest. Vichy was taken as well but its conquest required a fierce fight. Two French corps are pocketed near Vichy as well.

Italians clear a weak defender in Nice and open the coastal road to Marseilles.

10-11-40

Toulouse is occupied without a fight.

10-25-40

Italian troops besiege Marseilles, German units reach the outskirts of Bordeaux and Lyon. Italian mountain troops will strengthen the battle for Lyon. It looks we are forced to complete a conquest of France.

10-25-40

The original Axis plan was to accept Vichy - but as this option is not forthcoming the Italians decided they may as well invade Tunisia.

11-8-40

Marseilles falls, Bordeaux is surrounded but Lyon holds against a determined German attack that in the end lead nowhere.

11-22-40

France will not surrender until its last (European) French Production City has been taken. And while Bordeaux (morale city) falls, Lyon is still holding out.

11-22-40

The Italians, meanwhile continue their march through French North Africa. The Italian Fleet tries to interdict supplies for the French HQ in Tunis. The RN has apparently more pressing matters to attend to than to oppose this move.

12-6-40

Lyon - the last French production city - falls and France surrenders. No Vichy France in this game.

12-6-40

Some portions of the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe have been transferred to the Yugoslavian border during the past few weeks and are now commencing an operation there. Ljubljana and Zagreb were overrun. As soon as Romania and Hungary join the Axis - which is expected very soon - we have additional avenues of approach.

12-20-40

In Yugoslavia, the Germans have to cover the distance to Belgrade next. There are no enemies in range. Hungary and Romania have joined the Axis and both countries can be used as staging ground for Axis armies.

12-20-40

In North Africa, the Italians continue with the occupation of the former French colonies. In particular Algiers is important as a VP hex. We also need to exchange the Artillery specialized corps - currently on garrison duty south of Tunis - with a generic one at the next opportunity.

1-3-41

Not a good start to the new year. The Allies have bombed our U-boat base in St. Nazaire and sunk U-8 after several attacks. Now we have to install AA even here.

1-3-41

There must have been some reprimand in the British parliament for previous inactivity that put the Brits in overdrive in the new year. British troops invade Casablanca in formerly French Morocco. How aggressive will they move east?

1-3-41

Back in Europe the Axis Balkan campaign is progressing slowly. Kind observers call it "methodical", not so kind ones use harsher words.

1-17-41

During rainy winter weather, the Axis troops slog through the Balkans and get ready to assault Belgrade.