Schneller, schneller!

[cpdeyoung]

OKH - Situation Report
1 Sep 1939

Today we initiate the attack against Poland. The West will react, and we are likely to have a broader conflict. Our goals are rather limited, but unless the political system can limit our exposure we may be at war with France and England while we are tied up in the East. Our answer will be to strike quickly. If we can take Poland quickly enough then perhaps negotiations can start.

(This AAR is based on the Third Reich mod Razz created.)

[cpdeyoung]

OKH - Situation Report
9 September 1939

Our troops are performing well. England has declared war on us. Did the national leadership expect this? In prewar conferences this contingency was allowed for, but, perhaps not expected. There has been no activity in the West and we have been able to campaign in the East in fine fashion. We have only taken 9,000 casualties, and we are pushing the Poles back on their capital.

We must assume that we are in a larger, and longer war. The USSR has been molified with the Ribbentrop treaty, and we will turn our eyes westward as soon as we can. The wear and tear we have experienced should be counteracted by experience. Our troops have seen the elephant now, and the Western forces seem reluctant to engage. We will not be reluctant.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
16 September 1939

We have unlocked reserves in the West, but have not attacked. This is near Saarbrucken, and French armor is attacking there. We are impressed with the individual French tanks, but not with their unit strength and doctrine. Our panzer units have an important doctrinal advantage which makes them significantly more powerful than the components would suggest. Our analysis seems to show that the French would not have anywhere near the success we have obtained in Poland, if they were in our place.

This does not mean we will match up against them as well as we do against the Polish Army, but it gives us hope. We are sharing the experience of combat among as many units as possible.

[gwgardner]

Good to see you doing an AAR again.

Re your plan to minimize losses during Case White:

Better watch out if you're thinking about attacking in the West immediately after taking Poland. There will be a major hit for wear and tear during the Poland campaign, causing you much greater losses.

By the way, why is that unit in Warsaw shaded light gray? Weird.

[cpdeyoung]

OKW Situation Report
24 September 1939

Our fast movers have reached the suburbs of Warsaw. Unless the Poles block us we will assault it next week.

We must now start planning for the fall of Poland. In the attached map our intentions will be clear. The 1. Panzer Division has moved near the Dutch border. We have discovered the planning sessions done by the Low Countries and the French and British. This compromise to their "neutrality" cannot be allowed to continue. We are ready to push on even if our troops are not perfectly ready. The Wermacht is the loyal tool of the state and must answer the call of events, ready or not.

(Good to be back, Gary.)

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
1 October 1939

We expect to complete the conquest of Poland next week. We feel driven to prepare for a long war. We now will turn to the West, prepared to campaign, unless peace comes. Europe could easily slide back to conflict rivaling the Great War, and we must win this time.

There are voices inside the Wermacht saying we should rest, and repair, but we are driven to strike while the momentum is ours. We feel the enemy is no more ready than we are, and our experience will be valuable.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
9 October 1939

A slashing attack, predicated on the reluctance of the Belgians to come to the aid of the Netherlands. We want to keep the enemy off balance. They know the value of surprise, but we do too. We want to be ahead of their decision cycle at every point.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
16 October 1939

We are perhaps 2/3 through with our campaign in the Netherlands. The French and British have not reacted significantly, and our losses are low.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Appendix
16 October 1939
Strategic overview map.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
24 October 1939

Despite our desire for speed it takes awhile to conquer a nation. The Luftwaffe has lost 51 aircraft thus far, the British and French losses are less, but they have not been supporting an actve ground campaign. The roads in Western Europe are all-weather and we intend to continue campaigning through the winter, not wanting to give the enemy respite.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
1 November 1939

The Dutch are finished.

We have been engaged with French forces, but not to any great degree. Our morale is high, and we have not seen anything that shows we can't do the tasks assigned. We wait on the National Command (political) for our next orders.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
9 November 1939

A pause is called for ... but we are tasked with a campaign in the West. We are to attack the Allies on 1 December 1939, three months after the attack on Poland. Our forces are not as strong as we might wish, but we know all generals have felt this way before battle.

[cpdeyoung]

OkH Situation Report
16 November 1939

We are upgrading some infantry to mechanized/motorised units. We have seen the value of speed.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
24 November 1939

Our assault is next week.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
1 December 1939

We attack.

The combat has not been intense yet, but we have made progress. We have hopes for some incurisions through the Maginot Line, but that will depend on the enemy reducing the garrisons.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
9 December 1940

The French, and Belgians, get their first taste of real war. We think the French will regret the three months of phony war. Troops do not want to sit unused. By taking the battle to the enemy our forces show their sense of superiority. If the French show a vigorous defense we will be well matched, but if they let us have the initiative we will run with it.

War goes through phases. In the 1914 war the defense had a big advantage, but we now feel that the offense has come back into its own, and we want to be on the attack.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
16 December 1939

We have lost three U-Boats, but we are not being aggressive at sea. We are not doing any special spending there.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
24 December 1939

We are progressing on schedule. We have greater losses than the French, but are pleased with the strategic gains.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
1 January 1940

The enemy cannot maintain a front against our drives. When the Belgians lay down their arms we will engage the French fully. Our forces are not overwhelmingly strong, but we can pick and choose our targets. the enemy must react to us.

[cpdeyoung]

OKH Situation Report
9 January 1940

Each loss for the enemy means one less unit that can meet us in the next line. The winter weather stops us from going ahead as quickly as we like, but penentrations will be limited in any case. The weather stops the enemy from crucial lateral moves that they must make to meet our shifting threat. We think the winter campaigning is better for us than them. In any case Spring is coming.