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Post by redrobin65 on Mar 4, 2019 9:07:26 GMT
Heavy fighting occurred in and around the city of Aachen on September 1st. German forces were ordered by Hitler to stand fast in the face of Allied attacks. “Every German soldier must know that his duty is to protect his Fatherland. As such, retreat must never occur. Retreat is a sign of cowardice, and cowardice is punishable by death.”
One may say that Hitler was becoming more and more detached from reality.
The German 58th Infantry Division was spread to a line covering the western and southwestern approaches to Aachen. Its troops nervously awaited the coming onslaught. Civilians were ordered to dig trenches and tank traps, while a battalion of militia with only days of training was conscripted from the local population.
Canadian troops from the 2nd and 4th Divisions were closing in on the city. The battle marked the first combat use of CF-5 Freedom Fighters in the war. Flying from bases in Belgium, they hit German positions over and over again. The 209th Infantry Regiment, in particular, was hit hard, losing all of its artillery and hundreds of men.
12CABG attacked the 15th Panzer Regiment. Panzer Is and IIs went up against LAV-IIIs, LAV-VIs, and TAPVs. Facing air attacks, the 15th Panzer ceased to exist, but not without taking a quartet of TAPVs and a LAV with it.
The 154th Infantry Regiment was hit hard by 10CMBG. Armour moved forward with charging infantry doing their best to keep up. The 154th was doomed. Interestingly, they were lavishly equipped with 37mm and 50mm anti-tank guns but had exactly five shells for them. Consequently, they were unable to stop the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards from rolling over their positions. The remaining German troops that did not flee in terror threw down their rifles and waved white undershirts. Their war was over.
The 220th Infantry Regiment found itself surrounded near the outskirts of Aachen by 11CABG. Assaulted from all sides, the 220th was completely destroyed, taking upwards of 1,400 casualties.
As the 2nd Mechanized Division entered the city, the Luftwaffe attempted to interfere. This attempt completely backfired, seeing more than eighty aircraft shot down and three airfields totally demolished in retaliatory strikes.
Canadian troops raced through the city, meeting scattered resistance. Most of the civilian conscripts threw down their weapons at the first sign of the enemy. By sundown, the Canadians had reached the town square, where they were met with the commander of the 209th Regiment, who was accompanied by numerous civilian leaders.
The city was in dire straits. Food shortages had plagued the population for a month, and most of the local industry had been evacuated long ago. Under the terms of the agreement, all German forces in Aachen would lay down their arms and wait for Canadian troops to arrive. 2,000 German soldiers, mostly logistics troops, surrendered.
Hitler was furious. On the radio, he denounced the 58th Division as traitors. The commander of LII Corps was fired, and the Fuhrer took even more control over the war effort.
Far to the south of Aachen, the 1st Mechanized Division advanced on a wide front, tearing through any and all opposition. A major tank battle occurred outside of Wershofen, which did nothing except make sure that the 5th Panzer Division was gutted.
In the Netherlands, Allied troops achieved a major breakthrough. British tanks and infantry belonging to their V Corps smashed through German lines and captured Nijmegen. The Germans were withdrawing to a line that began at Kampen and went through Zwolle, Apeldoorn, and Arnhem, ending at Kijwaard.
French troops had taken Trier (at an appalling cost) and were slowly moving towards the Rhine. German forces put up fierce resistance, but with a major lack of supplies and air support non-existent, they were being pushed back.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 4, 2019 9:10:56 GMT
Heavy fighting occurred in and around the city of Aachen on September 1st. German forces were ordered by Hitler to stand fast in the face of Allied attacks. “Every German soldier must know that his duty is to protect his Fatherland. As such, retreat must never occur. Retreat is a sign of cowardice, and cowardice is punishable by death.”
One may say that Hitler was becoming more and more detached from reality.
The German 58th Infantry Division was spread to a line covering the western and southwestern approaches to Aachen. Its troops nervously awaited the coming onslaught. Civilians were ordered to dig trenches and tank traps, while a battalion of militia with only days of training was conscripted from the local population.
Canadian troops from the 2nd and 4th Divisions were closing in on the city. The battle marked the first combat use of CF-5 Freedom Fighters in the war. Flying from bases in Belgium, they hit German positions over and over again. The 209th Infantry Regiment, in particular, was hit hard, losing all of its artillery and hundreds of men.
12CABG attacked the 15th Panzer Regiment. Panzer Is and IIs went up against LAV-IIIs, LAV-VIs, and TAPVs. Facing air attacks, the 15th Panzer ceased to exist, but not without taking a quartet of TAPVs and a LAV with it.
The 154th Infantry Regiment was hit hard by 10CMBG. Armour moved forward with charging infantry doing their best to keep up. The 154th was doomed. Interestingly, they were lavishly equipped with 37mm and 50mm anti-tank guns but had exactly five shells for them. Consequently, they were unable to stop the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards from rolling over their positions. The remaining German troops that did not flee in terror threw down their rifles and waved white undershirts. Their war was over.
The 220th Infantry Regiment found itself surrounded near the outskirts of Aachen by 11CABG. Assaulted from all sides, the 220th was completely destroyed, taking upwards of 1,400 casualties.
As the 2nd Mechanized Division entered the city, the Luftwaffe attempted to interfere. This attempt completely backfired, seeing more than eighty aircraft shot down and three airfields totally demolished in retaliatory strikes.
Canadian troops raced through the city, meeting scattered resistance. Most of the civilian conscripts threw down their weapons at the first sign of the enemy. By sundown, the Canadians had reached the town square, where they were met with the commander of the 209th Regiment, who was accompanied by numerous civilian leaders.
The city was in dire straits. Food shortages had plagued the population for a month, and most of the local industry had been evacuated long ago. Under the terms of the agreement, all German forces in Aachen would lay down their arms and wait for Canadian troops to arrive. 2,000 German soldiers, mostly logistics troops, surrendered.
Hitler was furious. On the radio, he denounced the 58th Division as traitors. The commander of LII Corps was fired, and the Fuhrer took even more control over the war effort.
Far to the south of Aachen, the 1st Mechanized Division advanced on a wide front, tearing through any and all opposition. A major tank battle occurred outside of Wershofen, which did nothing except make sure that the 5th Panzer Division was gutted.
In the Netherlands, Allied troops achieved a major breakthrough. British tanks and infantry belonging to their V Corps smashed through German lines and captured Nijmegen. The Germans were withdrawing to a line that began at Kampen and went through Zwolle, Apeldoorn, and Arnhem, ending at Kijwaard.
French troops had taken Trier (at an appalling cost) and were slowly moving towards the Rhine. German forces put up fierce resistance, but with a major lack of supplies and air support non-existent, they were being pushed back. Nice another update and if those German troops in Achen where SS i doubt they would have surrendered, but then again the SS was not the force it was in 1944 when the OTL Battle of Aachen happened. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Mar 4, 2019 15:44:45 GMT
redrobin65
Another good update and further progress for the good guys although it sounds as if the French especially are suffering. The terrain in the Netherlands could restrict progress if the Germans flood much of the region plus the fact its an occupied country means the allies will be somewhat more limited in terms of using firepower compared to Germany itself I suspect.
Best news of all " and the Fuhrer took even more control over the war effort." That's the best thing he could do to reduce allied losses and shorten the war. 
However unless and until morale really cracks there could be some heavy fighting ahead. Alternatively if there was a coup against Hitler, which might be more successful at this point rather than OTL 44 attempt as Hitler doesn't have his OTL military successes to back him up. Although how realistic such a successful military might be in its proposals to the western allies I don't know.
Also wonder what Stalin is thinking of events? He might need to decide soon what he does in terms of further economic political support for the Nazis, dumping them as lost or even a backstab. Suspect that Rome and possibly also Madrid will be feeling rather nervous.
Steve
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Post by redrobin65 on Mar 5, 2019 2:39:08 GMT
September 4th, 1940, OKW Headquarters, Zossen
The German high command was at their wits end in regards to the situation at the front.
The problem with defending the Rhineland was twofold. Geography was a major factor. There were no major defensive obstacles aside from the hilly southeastern part of the area. Small forests could be moved through or blown apart, and little streams could be crossed with ease.
There were eleven divisions fighting the Allies in the Rhineland. Seven were in the south fighting the French, and four were in the center and northern parts opposing British and Canadian forces moving eastwards. Reinforcements of German troops was extremely difficult; every single bridge over the Rhine had been blown to bits. Whenever a new bridge was hastily constructed, it would usually be gone in a day. Boats had suffered immensely as well; everything from little rowboats to big steamers and liners was sunk by Allied air attacks. As a result, the German Fifth Army had to be supplied by air, which was even more difficult. Transports were few and far in between, and they were easy targets for Allied fighters.
Despite all of this, the Fifth Army was giving everything it had in defending the Rhineland. While huge numbers of German troops had surrendered in France and Belgium, Germany itself was a different matter. For every soldier who threw down his rifle at the first sign of the enemy, there were five who gave no quarter and fought as hard as they could.
Still, the Fifth Army was being pushed back and took heavy casualties. The central and northern parts of the Rhineland were lost, even if the Allies did not know it. The Canadians, in particular, seemed to dominate the battlefield. Whenever German formations went up against their Canadian counterparts, they were always defeated. Canada had control of the air, and the jets could hit German positions with total impunity. Were the Canadians invincible? Of course not, they had taken hundreds of casualties. But they were still the most effective out of all the participants in the war.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom in Zossen, however. An Anglo-Belgian attack on the new German defenses in the Netherlands nicknamed the Lindemann Line (named after the commander of German forces in the Netherlands) had been repulsed with heavy losses.
September 7th, 1940, Erftstadt, Germany
The exhausted members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Montreal Regiment marched through the ruins of the small German town.
1RMR had begun the war on the Meuse, helping to stop the German advance. The battalion had participated in Operations SICKLE and PENTAGON. Now, they had captured Erftstadt, which was only 20 kilometers away from Cologne.
Many troops looked at the battered German prisoners waiting to be transported to the rear. They had seen thousands of them back in France and Belgium. The fighting in Germany was different. Prisoners were still being taken, but in smaller numbers than before. The Germans fought harder. Erftstadt had been defended by two companies of infantry supported by an anti-tank platoon. The battle had begun with LAVs approaching the town being shot at by its defenders. One had been destroyed and two others seriously damaged.
The infantry had assaulted and overwhelmed German defences on the outskirts of the town, but the denser urban area deeper inside Erftstadt took the entire day to clear. German troops had to be blasted out of their strongholds. Snipers and machine guns made tight alleyways deadly for Canadian troops. Overwhelming firepower had eventually cleared the town, but at the cost of 39 dead and 60 wounded. As expected, German casualties were much higher.
Ammunition always disappeared quickly in many combat situations. After days of high-intensity fighting, the battalion desperately needed resupply. No tanks had been encountered in a while, but TOW missiles were still useful for taking out fortified positions.
For now, the battalion would pause to bring up supplies, absorb replacements, and lick their wounds. After their rest, the advance to the Rhine would continue.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 5, 2019 9:31:08 GMT
September 4th, 1940, OKW Headquarters, Zossen
The German high command was at their wits end in regards to the situation at the front.
The problem with defending the Rhineland was twofold. Geography was a major factor. There were no major defensive obstacles aside from the hilly southeastern part of the area. Small forests could be moved through or blown apart, and little streams could be crossed with ease.
There were eleven divisions fighting the Allies in the Rhineland. Seven were in the south fighting the French, and four were in the center and northern parts opposing British and Canadian forces moving eastwards. Reinforcements of German troops was extremely difficult; every single bridge over the Rhine had been blown to bits. Whenever a new bridge was hastily constructed, it would usually be gone in a day. Boats had suffered immensely as well; everything from little rowboats to big steamers and liners was sunk by Allied air attacks. As a result, the German Fifth Army had to be supplied by air, which was even more difficult. Transports were few and far in between, and they were easy targets for Allied fighters.
Despite all of this, the Fifth Army was giving everything it had in defending the Rhineland. While huge numbers of German troops had surrendered in France and Belgium, Germany itself was a different matter. For every soldier who threw down his rifle at the first sign of the enemy, there were five who gave no quarter and fought as hard as they could.
Still, the Fifth Army was being pushed back and took heavy casualties. The central and northern parts of the Rhineland were lost, even if the Allies did not know it. The Canadians, in particular, seemed to dominate the battlefield. Whenever German formations went up against their Canadian counterparts, they were always defeated. Canada had control of the air, and the jets could hit German positions with total impunity. Were the Canadians invincible? Of course not, they had taken hundreds of casualties. But they were still the most effective out of all the participants in the war.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom in Zossen, however. An Anglo-Belgian attack on the new German defenses in the Netherlands nicknamed the Lindemann Line (named after the commander of German forces in the Netherlands) had been repulsed with heavy losses.
September 7th, 1940, Erftstadt, Germany
The exhausted members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Montreal Regiment marched through the ruins of the small German town.
1RMR had begun the war on the Meuse, helping to stop the German advance. The battalion had participated in Operations SICKLE and PENTAGON. Now, they had captured Erftstadt, which was only 20 kilometers away from Cologne.
Many troops looked at the battered German prisoners waiting to be transported to the rear. They had seen thousands of them back in France and Belgium. The fighting in Germany was different. Prisoners were still being taken, but in smaller numbers than before. The Germans fought harder. Erftstadt had been defended by two companies of infantry supported by an anti-tank platoon. The battle had begun with LAVs approaching the town being shot at by its defenders. One had been destroyed and two others seriously damaged.
The infantry had assaulted and overwhelmed German defences on the outskirts of the town, but the denser urban area deeper inside Erftstadt took the entire day to clear. German troops had to be blasted out of their strongholds. Snipers and machine guns made tight alleyways deadly for Canadian troops. Overwhelming firepower had eventually cleared the town, but at the cost of 39 dead and 60 wounded. As expected, German casualties were much higher.
Ammunition always disappeared quickly in many combat situations. After days of high-intensity fighting, the battalion desperately needed resupply. No tanks had been encountered in a while, but TOW missiles were still useful for taking out fortified positions.
For now, the battalion would pause to bring up supplies, absorb replacements, and lick their wounds. After their rest, the advance to the Rhine would continue. Another update ,nice. Now i am waiting until some German generals launch a coup, we see a mini German Civil War and then peace and in the future a German/Canadian/French/British team up in fighting the Soviets. |
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James G
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Post by James G on Mar 5, 2019 9:38:28 GMT
Casualty notices must be coming home to Canada and they'll be surely having a negative effect by now. A justified war against real evil sounds good until your son is dead.
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stevep
Fleet admiral
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Post by stevep on Mar 5, 2019 10:32:28 GMT
September 4th, 1940, OKW Headquarters, Zossen
The German high command was at their wits end in regards to the situation at the front.
The problem with defending the Rhineland was twofold. Geography was a major factor. There were no major defensive obstacles aside from the hilly southeastern part of the area. Small forests could be moved through or blown apart, and little streams could be crossed with ease.
There were eleven divisions fighting the Allies in the Rhineland. Seven were in the south fighting the French, and four were in the center and northern parts opposing British and Canadian forces moving eastwards. Reinforcements of German troops was extremely difficult; every single bridge over the Rhine had been blown to bits. Whenever a new bridge was hastily constructed, it would usually be gone in a day. Boats had suffered immensely as well; everything from little rowboats to big steamers and liners was sunk by Allied air attacks. As a result, the German Fifth Army had to be supplied by air, which was even more difficult. Transports were few and far in between, and they were easy targets for Allied fighters.
Despite all of this, the Fifth Army was giving everything it had in defending the Rhineland. While huge numbers of German troops had surrendered in France and Belgium, Germany itself was a different matter. For every soldier who threw down his rifle at the first sign of the enemy, there were five who gave no quarter and fought as hard as they could.
Still, the Fifth Army was being pushed back and took heavy casualties. The central and northern parts of the Rhineland were lost, even if the Allies did not know it. The Canadians, in particular, seemed to dominate the battlefield. Whenever German formations went up against their Canadian counterparts, they were always defeated. Canada had control of the air, and the jets could hit German positions with total impunity. Were the Canadians invincible? Of course not, they had taken hundreds of casualties. But they were still the most effective out of all the participants in the war.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom in Zossen, however. An Anglo-Belgian attack on the new German defenses in the Netherlands nicknamed the Lindemann Line (named after the commander of German forces in the Netherlands) had been repulsed with heavy losses.
September 7th, 1940, Erftstadt, Germany
The exhausted members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Montreal Regiment marched through the ruins of the small German town.
1RMR had begun the war on the Meuse, helping to stop the German advance. The battalion had participated in Operations SICKLE and PENTAGON. Now, they had captured Erftstadt, which was only 20 kilometers away from Cologne.
Many troops looked at the battered German prisoners waiting to be transported to the rear. They had seen thousands of them back in France and Belgium. The fighting in Germany was different. Prisoners were still being taken, but in smaller numbers than before. The Germans fought harder. Erftstadt had been defended by two companies of infantry supported by an anti-tank platoon. The battle had begun with LAVs approaching the town being shot at by its defenders. One had been destroyed and two others seriously damaged.
The infantry had assaulted and overwhelmed German defences on the outskirts of the town, but the denser urban area deeper inside Erftstadt took the entire day to clear. German troops had to be blasted out of their strongholds. Snipers and machine guns made tight alleyways deadly for Canadian troops. Overwhelming firepower had eventually cleared the town, but at the cost of 39 dead and 60 wounded. As expected, German casualties were much higher.
Ammunition always disappeared quickly in many combat situations. After days of high-intensity fighting, the battalion desperately needed resupply. No tanks had been encountered in a while, but TOW missiles were still useful for taking out fortified positions.
For now, the battalion would pause to bring up supplies, absorb replacements, and lick their wounds. After their rest, the advance to the Rhine would continue. Another update ,nice. Now i am waiting until some German generals launch a coup, we see a mini German Civil War and then peace and in the future a German/Canadian/French/British team up in fighting the Soviets.
Possibly but even if one was successful how close would be the views of the allies, especially with more knowledge of what Germany would have done OTL if given the opportunity, and the German military be?
Also would there be the appetite for another war against the Soviets, which would be a huge operation, even if the Germans were excluded and a properly organised hearts and minds campaign was conducted?
James raises a good point about the impact in Canada as casualties mount. Their still very low by WWII standards but the west in 2018 have a much lower tolerance. Not going to stop the war before Hitler and the Nazis are removed but I think makes further actions, unless the allies are attacked, rather unlikely.
It may not be possible in a fairly densely populated area like Germany but can the allies basically encircle and starve out concentrations of German forces? Although that could be what their trying to do already as Erftstadt probably isn't a massive population centre. Can, if the politicians agree, go for the slow grinding approach, using massive firepower to smash resistance and take only small steps at a time. However that will take a lot more time and be massively more costly for the Germans, especially their civilians.
Another option, although it would be difficult to organise and support is could they get into Poland? Probably lack the strength by air but possibly doing something with Romania? If the Soviets haven't taken Bessarabia and Hungary Transylvania then it has a border with the German occupied zone and Bucharest also has concerns about Stalin. Forces striking north from there, although it would be difficult to keep it secret while they moved into position could probably make a lot of progress, freeing a lot of Poles as well as forcing the Germans to deploy more units to the region and would also restrict supply lines from Russia, as well as Romania oil. Of course the danger here is it might make Stalin take action as he fears a threat to his own gains and its the sort of wild idea that could appeal to Churchill so its probably not too practical.
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Post by redrobin65 on Mar 6, 2019 2:06:39 GMT
I Canadian Corps had paused its advance on September 7th. They had taken a huge chunk of German territory in a relatively short period of time, and a break was needed.
Reinforcements from the rear had been brought up. The 3rd Mechanized Division arrived on the front, bringing with it more than 12,000 troops. Behind them were convoys loaded with ammunition, food, and other kinds of essential supplies.
Maintenance for vehicles was sought as well. The Canadian Army had lost 18 vehicles of different types in combat, and many had broken down. The hated TAPVs required a large amount of work to keep in operation. It was clear to many that while the TAPV was good for low-intensity brush wars, it was not well-suited to fast mechanized warfare. What was the point of issuing a very tall vehicle to armoured reconnaissance units? Their armament was inferior to the Coyotes they were intended to replace, and the exposed brake line was constantly being ripped out by rough terrain. Still, the Army would have to deal with the problems until they could be properly addressed.
Casualties were low compared to the other participants in the war (the French, British, Belgians and Dutch had taken hundreds of thousands; German casualties were quickly approaching a million), but they were much higher than the various police actions of the 1990s and early 2000s. Since May, 312 Canadian soldiers had died and 341 had been wounded. The Canadian populace hadn’t seen casualty numbers this high since the Korean War. Vigils were held in many cities and towns for the fallen. Bodies landed at CFB Trenton and were driven down Highway 401, watched by thousands of onlookers.
Despite the challenges, the Canadian Army had been very successful. They had smashed through several German formations and would continue the advance on September 12th.
On the 12th, the final drive towards the Rhine commenced. Canadian troops surged forward, enjoying lavish artillery and air support. The German formations in the area found themselves under severe pressure. The 93rd and 24th Infantry Divisions put up a determined yet futile defence. They were outnumbered and outgunned, and ultimately had no hope of significantly slowing down the Canadian advance.
The 3rd Mechanized Division surrounded the town of Bruhl on the morning of the 13th, trapping two of the 24th Division’s three regiments inside. An assault by the 7th and 9th Brigade-Groups overwhelmed the Germans, who surrendered.
The 4th Division cautiously probed the outskirts of Cologne. German soldiers in the city wished to make the Canadians bleed block by block, but they were too few-in-number to do so. Only Canadian caution was saving the remnants of the 93rd Division (mainly troops from the 271st Infantry Regiment and the 193rd Pioneer battalion) from total destruction.
32nd Grenadier Regiment was retreating towards Wesseling. If they could reach the town and dig in, then they could inflict heavy casualties on the Canadians. Unfortunately for the 32nd IR, this was not to be. A long column of men and horses is a tempting target for aircraft, and the 32nd Regiment drew the attention of the RCAF. CF-18s and CF-5s pounced on the formation, making multiple passes. Bombs and rockets rained down on the hapless column. When the air attack was over, the 32nd Regiment had mostly ceased to exist. About 50 men managed to reach Wesseling.
September 14th, 1940, Wesseling, Germany
The Fort Garry Horse was racing through the streets of Wesseling. The few German troops in the town had been quickly routed, and the way to the main Canadian objective was clear.
LAVs from B Squadron drove up to the small dock, doing their best to avoid the various craters caused by bombs. The squadron commander lifted his head through the hatch of his vehicle and peered at the other side of the river. The Rhine had been reached.
MFOH
The western part of Cologne would fall on the 15th to the Canadian Army. British troops secured parts of Dusseldorf and Duisburg on the 16th and 18th respectively.
The remnants of the German Fifth Army were still putting up a fight against the French First and Seventh Armies. That resistance was eventually put to an end on the 20th, when the Canadians tore through the poorly guarded flank of the Fifth Army. A brutal two-day battle followed, where multiple towns and villages were completely destroyed. Under pressure from the north, west, and south, the Fifth Army finally crumbled. Thousands of Germans were captured, but many fled across the Rhine. The commander of the Fifth Army was one of the men who had made it across, and he and many of his staff were given short trials where they were yelled at by a military tribunal. After that, they would be marched into courtyards or clearings, where they would be executed by a firing squad.
On the 23rd, the French 6th Armoured Brigade rolled into Germersheim. After months of fighting and hundreds of thousands of casualties, the Wehrmacht had been pushed all the way to the Rhine.
The frontline as of September 23rd, 1940.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 6, 2019 4:10:44 GMT
I Canadian Corps had paused its advance on September 7th. They had taken a huge chunk of German territory in a relatively short period of time, and a break was needed.
Reinforcements from the rear had been brought up. The 3rd Mechanized Division arrived on the front, bringing with it more than 12,000 troops. Behind them were convoys loaded with ammunition, food, and other kinds of essential supplies.
Maintenance for vehicles was sought as well. The Canadian Army had lost more than 60 vehicles of different types in combat, and many had broken down. The hated TAPVs required a large amount of work to keep in operation. It was clear to many that while the TAPV was good for low-intensity brush wars, it was not well-suited to fast mechanized warfare. What was the point of issuing a very tall vehicle to armoured reconnaissance units? Their armament was inferior to the Coyotes they were intended to replace, and the exposed brake line was constantly being ripped out by rough terrain. Still, the Army would have to deal with the problems until they could be properly addressed.
Casualties were low compared to the other participants in the war (the French, British, Belgians and Dutch had taken hundreds of thousands; German casualties were quickly approaching a million), but they were much higher than the various police actions of the 1990s and early 2000s. Since May, 312 Canadian soldiers had died and 341 had been wounded. The Canadian populace hadn’t seen casualty numbers this high since the Korean War. Vigils were held in many cities and towns for the fallen. Bodies landed at CFB Trenton and were driven down Highway 401, watched by thousands of onlookers.
Despite the challenges, the Canadian Army had been very successful. They had smashed through several German formations and would continue the advance on September 12th.
On the 12th, the final drive towards the Rhine commenced. Canadian troops surged forward, enjoying lavish artillery and air support. The German formations in the area found themselves under severe pressure. The 93rd and 24th Infantry Divisions put up a determined yet futile defence. They were outnumbered and outgunned, and ultimately had no hope of significantly slowing down the Canadian advance.
The 3rd Mechanized Division surrounded the town of Bruhl on the morning of the 13th, trapping two of the 24th Division’s three regiments inside. An assault by the 7th and 9th Brigade-Groups overwhelmed the Germans, who surrendered.
The 4th Division cautiously probed the outskirts of Cologne. German soldiers in the city wished to make the Canadians bleed block by block, but they were too few-in-number to do so. Only Canadian caution was saving the remnants of the 93rd Division (mainly troops from the 271st Infantry Regiment and the 193rd Pioneer battalion) from total destruction.
32nd Grenadier Regiment was retreating towards Wesseling. If they could reach the town and dig in, then they could inflict heavy casualties on the Canadians. Unfortunately for the 32nd IR, this was not to be. A long column of men and horses is a tempting target for aircraft, and the 32nd Regiment drew the attention of the RCAF. CF-18s and CF-5s pounced on the formation, making multiple passes. Bombs and rockets rained down on the hapless column. When the air attack was over, the 32nd Regiment had mostly ceased to exist. About 50 men managed to reach Wesseling.
September 14th, 1940, Wesseling, Germany
The Fort Garry Horse was racing through the streets of Wesseling. The few German troops in the town had been quickly routed, and the way to the main Canadian objective was clear.
LAVs from B Squadron drove up to the small dock, doing their best to avoid the various craters caused by bombs. The squadron commander lifted his head through the hatch of his vehicle and peered at the other side of the river. The Rhine had been reached.
MFOH
The western part of Cologne would fall on the 15th to the Canadian Army. British troops secured parts of Dusseldorf and Duisburg on the 16th and 18th respectively.
The remnants of the German Fifth Army were still putting up a fight against the French First and Seventh Armies. That resistance was eventually put to an end on the 20th, when the Canadians tore through the poorly guarded flank of the Fifth Army. A brutal two-day battle followed, where multiple towns and villages were completely destroyed. Under pressure from the north, west, and south, the Fifth Army finally crumbled. Thousands of Germans were captured, but many fled across the Rhine. The commander of the Fifth Army was one of the men who had made it across, and he and many of his staff were given short trials where they were yelled at by a military tribunal. After that, they would be marched into courtyards or clearings, where they would be executed by a firing squad.
On the 23rd, the French 6th Armoured Brigade rolled into Germersheim. After months of fighting and hundreds of thousands of casualties, the Wehrmacht had been pushed all the way to the Rhine.
View Attachment
The frontline as of September 23rd, 1940. Three updates in a short period and a map that sees the current frontline, nice redrobin65 |
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Post by redrobin65 on Mar 18, 2019 0:44:55 GMT
After the Allies had fully secured the Rhineland, pandemonium reigned in Berlin. Hitler’s fits of rage were interrupted by occasional sadness regarding the situation at the front as well as joy when news of fresh executions was relayed to him.
Germany’s position grew worse by the day. With the Luftwaffe unable to interfere, Allied aircraft wrought havoc on important targets. With the destruction of most aircraft and tank factories and the loss of important industry in the Rhineland, the Germans were forced to relocate several of these crucial industries to locations in Austria, East Prussia, Bohemia, and western Poland.
The Gestapo rounded up thousands of people suspected to be collaborating with the Allies or “impeding the war effort”. Student activists, prisoners, any “sub-humans” still in Germany, and disloyal elements of the armed forces. A sergeant from the 208th Infantry Division who got into an argument with an undercover Gestapo officer was arrested and executed the same day.
The German military had been mauled and humiliated during the summer and fall campaigns. Not only had they failed to occupy France and the Low Countries, but they had also been pushed back behind the Rhine! They had lost massive amounts of equipment and saw almost a million casualties.
Despite all of this, the Wehrmacht was still a dangerous foe. After the disastrous months of fighting, Germany still possessed 102 divisions of varying quality. Many were understrength or formed from either raw recruits with little-to-no training or from the survivors of units that had been shattered. The Germans were building large fortifications on their side of the Rhine. Artillery and machine-gun nests, tank traps, minefields, and barbed wire were being constructed as fast as Germany could put them together. Allied airpower interfered and delayed the process, but it wasn’t enough to completely stop it.
A Polish rebellion had been crushed in two months. The rebels had fought hard, but they were unable to defeat the eight Heer divisions stationed in occupied Poland. They had cut power lines, blew up trains, and attacked German formations, and had done significant damage. Unfortunately for Poland, this was not enough. The rebellion was slowly but surely put down (with plenty of atrocities of course). As a result, the German authorities decided that no further rebellions should be allowed to take place again.
German troops prepare to carry out reprisals in Warsaw.
German racial theories had classified Poles, Jews, Roma and others as Untermensch, subhumans. This proved disastrous for any of these groups who found themselves under German rule. When Hitler heard that the rebels had been defeated, he famously said: “It is clear that removing the Poles from rightful German land and transferring them to the General Government has not been sufficient. Poles and Jews must not be allowed to ruin the aspirations of the German people.”
For those living in Poland, this was not good news. Reprisals for the rebellion began in earnest, with 30,000 residents of Krakow (5,000 of them Jewish) being gunned down with their bodies left to rot in the Vistula River. Radom, Torun, Kutno, and Kielce were set on fire with most of their inhabitants still inside. Those who tried to flee ran into a ring of machine guns and artillery. Warsaw was shelled for no particular reason other than to terrify its population. Hundreds of thousands were shipped to “work camps” where most never left (probably because they were actually extermination camps). Many Poles found themselves working in German factories, with any errors punishable by death. Some even worked on German defences on the Rhine.
The Soviet Union continued to ship raw materials to Germany. Millions of tons of cotton, soybeans, wheat, oil, and other resources crossed the border. After the defeat of Fall Gelb, Germany was short on resources, with coal mines and synthetic oil production sites being heavily bombed. Thus, the Germans turned to Stalin for help.
The General Secretary was more than happy to have a weak Germany dependent on the USSR but was well aware that eventually, Allied troops would roll through Berlin. Stalin was not stupid. Though the NKVD had taken huge losses as agents were hunted down by CSIS and other Allied intelligence agencies, the Soviets had still managed to find out what happened to their country in the late 1980s. Armed with future knowledge, thousands of people were rounded up and executed. Notable victims of the latest purges included Nikita Khrushchev, Andrei Gromyko, Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nikolai Rhyzkov, and many others.
Interestingly, most of the purges did not extend to the Red Army. While plenty of officers were shot (again), many more were either dismissed or sent to remote locations with no chance of commanding anything larger than an office breakroom. Many younger officers and NCOs were promoted while T-34s and KV-1s were manufactured to replace the vast amounts of BT tanks in the service of the Red Army.
Despite all of this, Stalin was wary of invading German-occupied Poland. The Soviets benefitted from having Germany dependent on them for resources. They received samples of the latest German tanks and aircraft, locomotives, naval guns, heavy machinery, and many ships including a cruiser, multiple ocean liners, plans for a Bismarck class battleship, and the incomplete aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. The Baltic States had been occupied and annexed, but Romania remained untouched. Nonetheless, Soviet attention would be diverted to Asia once again, while the world witnessed the last major German offensive…
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 18, 2019 4:12:39 GMT
. The General Secretary was more than happy to have a weak Germany dependent on the USSR but was well aware that eventually, Allied troops would roll through Berlin. Stalin was not stupid. Though the NKVD had taken huge losses as agents were hunted down by CSIS and other Allied intelligence agencies, the Soviets had still managed to find out what happened to their country in the late 1980s. Armed with future knowledge, thousands of people were rounded up and executed. Notable victims of the latest purges included Nikita Khrushchev, Andrei Gromyko, Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nikolai Rhyzkov, and many others. Interestingly, most of the purges did not extend to the Red Army. While plenty of officers were shot (again), many more were either dismissed or sent to remote locations with no chance of commanding anything larger than an office breakroom. Many younger officers and NCOs were promoted while T-34s and KV-1s were manufactured to replace the vast amounts of BT tanks in the service of the Red Army. First nice to see a update redrobin65/ Seems to me we got another purge, maybe smaller than the one in 1937-1938 going on here. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Mar 18, 2019 9:35:11 GMT
After the Allies had fully secured the Rhineland, pandemonium reigned in Berlin. Hitler’s fits of rage were interrupted by occasional sadness regarding the situation at the front as well as joy when news of fresh executions was relayed to him.
Germany’s position grew worse by the day. With the Luftwaffe unable to interfere, Allied aircraft wrought havoc on important targets. With the destruction of most aircraft and tank factories and the loss of important industry in the Rhineland, the Germans were forced to relocate several of these crucial industries to locations in Austria, East Prussia, Bohemia, and western Poland.
The Gestapo rounded up thousands of people suspected to be collaborating with the Allies or “impeding the war effort”. Student activists, prisoners, any “sub-humans” still in Germany, and disloyal elements of the armed forces. A sergeant from the 208th Infantry Division who got into an argument with an undercover Gestapo officer was arrested and executed the same day.
The German military had been mauled and humiliated during the summer and fall campaigns. Not only had they failed to occupy France and the Low Countries, but they had also been pushed back behind the Rhine! They had lost massive amounts of equipment and saw almost a million casualties.
Despite all of this, the Wehrmacht was still a dangerous foe. After the disastrous months of fighting, Germany still possessed 102 divisions of varying quality. Many were understrength or formed from either raw recruits with little-to-no training or from the survivors of units that had been shattered. The Germans were building large fortifications on their side of the Rhine. Artillery and machine-gun nests, tank traps, minefields, and barbed wire were being constructed as fast as Germany could put them together. Allied airpower interfered and delayed the process, but it wasn’t enough to completely stop it.
A Polish rebellion had been crushed in two months. The rebels had fought hard, but they were unable to defeat the eight Heer divisions stationed in occupied Poland. They had cut power lines, blew up trains, and attacked German formations, and had done significant damage. Unfortunately for Poland, this was not enough. The rebellion was slowly but surely put down (with plenty of atrocities of course). As a result, the German authorities decided that no further rebellions should be allowed to take place again.
German troops prepare to carry out reprisals in Warsaw.
German racial theories had classified Poles, Jews, Roma and others as Untermensch, subhumans. This proved disastrous for any of these groups who found themselves under German rule. When Hitler heard that the rebels had been defeated, he famously said: “It is clear that removing the Poles from rightful German land and transferring them to the General Government has not been sufficient. Poles and Jews must not be allowed to ruin the aspirations of the German people.”
For those living in Poland, this was not good news. Reprisals for the rebellion began in earnest, with 30,000 residents of Krakow (5,000 of them Jewish) being gunned down with their bodies left to rot in the Vistula River. Radom, Torun, Kutno, and Kielce were set on fire with most of their inhabitants still inside. Those who tried to flee ran into a ring of machine guns and artillery. Warsaw was shelled for no particular reason other than to terrify its population. Hundreds of thousands were shipped to “work camps” where most never left (probably because they were actually extermination camps). Many Poles found themselves working in German factories, with any errors punishable by death. Some even worked on German defences on the Rhine.
The Soviet Union continued to ship raw materials to Germany. Millions of tons of cotton, soybeans, wheat, oil, and other resources crossed the border. After the defeat of Fall Gelb, Germany was short on resources, with coal mines and synthetic oil production sites being heavily bombed. Thus, the Germans turned to Stalin for help.
The General Secretary was more than happy to have a weak Germany dependent on the USSR but was well aware that eventually, Allied troops would roll through Berlin. Stalin was not stupid. Though the NKVD had taken huge losses as agents were hunted down by CSIS and other Allied intelligence agencies, the Soviets had still managed to find out what happened to their country in the late 1980s. Armed with future knowledge, thousands of people were rounded up and executed. Notable victims of the latest purges included Nikita Khrushchev, Andrei Gromyko, Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nikolai Rhyzkov, and many others.
Interestingly, most of the purges did not extend to the Red Army. While plenty of officers were shot (again), many more were either dismissed or sent to remote locations with no chance of commanding anything larger than an office breakroom. Many younger officers and NCOs were promoted while T-34s and KV-1s were manufactured to replace the vast amounts of BT tanks in the service of the Red Army.
Despite all of this, Stalin was wary of invading German-occupied Poland. The Soviets benefitted from having Germany dependent on them for resources. They received samples of the latest German tanks and aircraft, locomotives, naval guns, heavy machinery, and many ships including a cruiser, multiple ocean liners, plans for a Bismarck class battleship, and the incomplete aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. The Baltic States had been occupied and annexed, but Romania remained untouched. Nonetheless, Soviet attention would be diverted to Asia once again, while the world witnessed the last major German offensive…
Redrobin65
That sounds very bad in Poland, markedly worse than OTL which is saying something. Especially if the Germans have set up extermination camps so early.  Hopefully things will be over fairly quickly and the death tolls will not be as bad as their likely to be otherwise.
If the Germans are launching one last offensive in the west then hopefully that will be the breaking point for the German army and things will collapse shortly afterwards. Frantic defence building is probably a good thing as they don't have time [hopefully] to build much and hence its a waste of resources. Plus with both attack and defence the allied intel advantage is so overwhelming that the allies are almost certain to know details either way. Although possibly the Germans can try feeding false info to them if they realise how completely outclassed they are.
Not quite sure of the red army purges and Stalin's intent. Is he getting rid of generals who proved highly incompetent OTL or of those who might pose a threat to him? Suspect the former but with him never sure. Promoting so many younger officers and NCOs, especially if their survived the earlier purge may help in the longer term but will put in place a lot of people who have learnt to blindly obey orders and show no initiative. Even if he reversing his previous policy, removed the political commissars from the army and formally states initiative is welcome/expected/required I suspect a lot will be too terrified its some sort of trap to smoke them out.
By taking out future leaders he has made sure that whoever replaces him will be an unknown factor but also might have made other very scared of what he will do. Which will cower most but might prompt others to consider securing their position by removing the main threat to themselves, i.e. Stalin, although whether that would succeed I don't know. Also while the establishment will try and keep the 'future' as secret as possible there are going to be details, including the disastrous nature of Stalin's alliance with Hitler.
Anyway another good chapter, even if some very grim content.
Steve
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James G
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Post by James G on Mar 18, 2019 9:38:02 GMT
You are making me ALMOST feel sorry for the poor German war machine. Almost.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 18, 2019 14:41:13 GMT
You are making me ALMOST feel sorry for the poor German war machine. Almost. When the German War machine has been defeated, another one, namely the soviet War Machine which still occupies East Poland remains. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Mar 18, 2019 15:28:54 GMT
You are making me ALMOST feel sorry for the poor German war machine. Almost. When the German War machine has been defeated, another one, namely the soviet War Machine which still occupies East Poland remains.
I must admit I'm doubtful that would be a problem the allies are willing to face unless Stalin does something stupid. There does seem to be some war weariness in Canada already and the European allies are probably not too eager for a prolonged war deep into Soviet Russia, while their also aware they might have to face the Japanese yet. If Stalin refuses to withdraw from eastern Poland - possibly also the areas occupied if the winter war still occurred, can't remember if it did, they might be willing to go to war to drive him from that region but it wouldn't be easy and if he refuses to make peace are they going to be willing to march to Moscow or possibly further east? Its possible given the initial reaction to the German invasion OTL, that the Soviet empire might collapse with massive internal unrest but would the allies be willing to rely on that happening?
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Hopefully things will be over fairly quickly and the death tolls will not be as bad as their likely to be otherwise.