At the request of Herr Oberst

[cpdeyoung]

December 1, 1939
As an supplement to the records of our unit, Herr Oberst has asked me to provide a weekly entry of the general progress of the war on a large scale.

The war is three months old now. Victory over Poland came rather quickly, but the very rapid attacks on the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium and France surprised the world. The fall of Paris vindicated our strategy, but France has not yet given up. The British are harrassing us by air, but we have not seen their land forces yet. Copenhagen has yet to fall, but forces are drawing in on the city.

Italy seems anxious to join the fray, but it seems the high command wants them to hold off because of concern the British will attack in North Africa.

I will do my best to complete this summary each week.

[cpdeyoung]

December 9, 1939 : The world is abuzz with rumor. Evidentally the Italians were ready to declare war on France and Britain, and the word is that Germany got wind of it, and very forcefully put a stop to it. The Italians are now very unhappy with us, and insulted. Herr Oberst says that he understands the motivation of the high command, but he wishes the diplomats could have been more clear to the Duce about our preferences. There are rumors that Germany would allow the Italians to seek territory in the Balkans This was a magnificent opportunity to gain an ally, and I am not sure we should have rejected their offer to join us.

Herr Oberst has asked me to comment on the spectacular advance into the USSR by the Finns on a broad front. The Soviets are putting very little effort into their campaign and the Finns are on the march.

[cpdeyoung]

December 16, 1939 : The world wonders at the Soviets declaring war on the Finns, and then not waging the war. The Finns are so far inside Soviet territory that they are very poorly supplied, but this could change if they capture a Soviet city. No one really believes this could happen, but it would be a huge shock to the Kremlin if it did. Our forces continue to fight the persistent French, and Danes, with air attacks by the British, including a bomber attack on Sarrbruken.

[cpdeyoung]

December 24, 1939 : Christmas finds us fighting, with no chance of a quick victory in the new year. I asked the Oberst why the French and Danes are fighting so much better now than they did in the Fall. We had little difficulty storming into Paris, but now they fight for every inch and their tactics are quick and mean. He says there is a new tactical doctrine (obscurely called "1.6AI") that seems to have been published. This manual has taught the French a lot, and they have shared it with the Danes, and surely the British. When I commented that at least the Soviets did not have it he said rumors have it Stalin reads it at table with every meal. If this keeps up it will be a very different war from now on, and the Italians are well out of it.

In Finland the Red Air Force bombed Vyborg, costing the Finns a PP, with no loss to the Aircraft. The Finns feel overextended, and while willing to attack any weakened prey, are not seeking a battle of attrition with the big neighbor.

[cpdeyoung]

January 1, 1940 : A new year, and something rotten in Denmark. Copenhagen is worth having but we are bloodied after six costly air strikes that did not win the city. The Oberst says we were terribly overconfident to attack there with only four infantry units. We now only have three left and a rushing a Panzer-Grenadier division to try and recover. I will not look upon the Soviet experience in the same way again after seeing our troops held back by the brave Danes. We have taken Caen, and are bringing more forces to bear on Nantes. We have pushed a unit to Marseilles, but do not have the strength to attack there.

Our U-Boats are taking heavy losses in the Atlantic, and we hear the KM is calling for more expensive production of these weapons.

[cpdeyoung]

January 9, 1940 : Copenhagen has fallen, an anti-climax after the battles which went before. We are making progress in France and unless the French have another unit we should be able to besiege Nantes soon.

The Finns are on the hunt for two Soviet Corps which are out in the snowy woods. The Soviets continue to bomb Vyborg, which somtimes results in losses for them. We are also taking losses as the British bomb French cities.

[cpdeyoung]

January 16, 1940 : The Oberst says that France cannot have much fight left in her. We have captured two important cities, Nantes and Le Havre and march on the rest. We had a long discussion last night about where to go next. We will be at war with Great Britain, but have very little frontage to strike her on. He says we should make peace with Britain now, but I think we must conquer her. I believe Churchill will hold out till we march into Ottawa. Should we attack Yugoslavia ourselves, despite whatever guarantees we gave the Itaians? There are rumors they plan a Spring campaign there. As for our landsers, they want time to recover from these non-stop campaigns.

[cpdeyoung]

January 16, 1940 : An extra post this week as the Oberst wants to keep an eye upon the situation in Finland, where the Soviets are having trouble bringing their power to bear. The world is cheering the Finns onward, but at some point the Soviets must surely bring crushing weight against them.

[cpdeyoung]

January 24, 1940 : France has accepted our offer of an armistice and formed a government in Vichy. The Oberst expects we will make peace with Great Britain, and much reduce the size of the army. I have heard of troops moving East, and must wonder what the Spring will bring.

U-Boat losses have been made up, and we continue a campaign.

I enclose some more news about Finland and the Reds.

[cpdeyoung]

February 1, 1940 : There are no signs of the army disbanding any units, and forces are being transfered to the border with Lithuania. This area has been a source of some dispute between Russia and Germany for a very long time but the Oberst says that it was probably covered in the pact with the Soviets. Still, I know three friends who are there now, and they say it is very cold, and terrible weather for campaigning.

More news from the Winter War.

[cpdeyoung]

February 9, 1940 : Troops continue to move East, especially to the Lithuanian border, but in the border marches near the Soviet Union too. The Oberst tells me he hears the possibility of an attack on the British Isles has been totally discounted.

In Italy there is still resentment over the reining in of their attempt to go to war, and we hear their relations with the South Slavs are terrible, notes flying. Spring will tell a ale here.

And from Finland -

[cpdeyoung]

February 16, 1940 : Much the same, battles in the Atlantic, troops moving East, some RAF - Luftwaffe skirmishes, and some battling in the Finnish- Soviet woods.

[cpdeyoung]

February 24, 1940 : We have quite a presence in the east now. The Oberst says this should mute any Soviet reaction if we do go into Lithuania. I am not so sure it will calm them. There has to be something that is diverting them from turning on Finland. Speaking of Finland the city of Murmansk is under seige.

The big news is that Italy has attacked Yugoslavia. The border has been breached near Triest and Tirana. With the calm in our war with Britain the world will watch the Italian adventure closely. They say the Royal Navy is shadowing the Italian fleet extensively, and Adm Cavagnari has said any accident caused by such harrasment wil be a cause for war, and that Italian ships will open fire on RN vessels which interfere with them. Whitehall is silent, but the Oberst says the diplomats cannot be too happy with the seamen as they have worked hard to keep Italy out of the war.

[cpdeyoung]

March 1, 1940 : First we look at the German disposition in the East. We are trying to secure the Baltic states, and want to be ready if there are unfortunate developments with the Soviet Union.

[cpdeyoung]

March 1, 1940 (Italy) : The Oberst says this will be a campaign worth watching as the Italians are up against some very rough terrain, and they do not have much superiority over the Yugoslavs in material. I was surprised the Yugoslavs did not use the "free" turn to place a garrison in Lubjljana.

The airdrop was interesting, but did not gain a great deal.

[cpdeyoung]

March 9, 1940 : Herr Oberst chided me last week for failing to mention the fall of Murmansk to seige. He points out that it is important to the Soviets, and defensible by the Finns. He thinks it will hold as long as Finland holds. The Finns destroyed another Soviet corps wandering in the snowy woods, but they continue to take losses themselves, in the center where the line of forts are so hard to defend because of supply.

We continue to deploy in the East, and repair battle damage from the French campaign.

Here are maps of the Italian progress.

[cpdeyoung]

March 16, 1940 : We continue to ready for a Spring campaign in the Lithuania. It is almost an open secret, and all are sure the Soviets have had time to accept it is coming. It is unknown if they will accept it without resistance.

The Finns are very quiet about their plans, but it is believed they are planning to probe the defenses of Kiem.

Here is an overview of the Italians in Yugoslavia.

[cpdeyoung]

March 24, 1940 : The Oberst has asked me to point out that rumor has the Finns reaady to assault, or more probably besiege Kiem, with three full corps. The activity in Finland will come at an excellent time to distract the Soviets from our move into Lithuania. The rumors are also flying that our panzers have not been inactive during this rest period, and the armored force is very different, and more powerful than at the end of the French Campaign. The failure of the diplomatic push to have Romania join the Axis is most unfortunate. It was our major diplomatic effort and came very close, but just not enough.

The British continue to bomb us, and we continue to sink their merchant ships.

The Oberst says the Italians have learned a lot from us when it comes to rapid warfare, and they are reaping the fruits of this knowledge in their swift campaign in Yugoslavia, as can be seen in this map.

[cpdeyoung]

April 1, 1940 : It is certainly not Spring in Lithuania, or perhaps it is, but the entire country seems a sea of mud. Our troops up and down the border with the Soviet Union report the same thing. The High Command has decided to wait till better campaigning weather, but the Oberst says they are sorry the troops have been waiting so long.

The Finns found a Soviet corps in Kiem, with a commander, so they brought up their best commanders too. How will the Soviets handle this seige, which is going to go into the Spring which is already showing up, even this far north.

Here is a map of the Yugoslav situation.

[cpdeyoung]

April 9, 1940 : The Oberst and I flew to the East Tuesday, and I can report firsthand that the conditions are horrible. Mud everwhere as far as the eye can see. Our aircraft flew under grey skies, and when we could see the ground we saw our own reflection in the vast pools of water everwhere. Hard to imagine living there without a U-Boat! The Met oficers say there is rain from west of Berlin to Odessa, and all points east with almost no exception. The troops say this results in a viscous mud that pervades their life.

The Italians have a better time of it in Yugoslavia.