Rooting up the Bourgeois states - Stalins 1941 offensive

I look up Dale Cozort's webpage regularly for new additions and to give my two cents - apparently I'm the only AH'r doing so.

Well its around here and the latest is in the link.

Well having written my comment I thought - now whats happening next with the Germans occupying Vichy in Metropolitan France and German and Italians moving in to disarm the French North African Armed forces which consisted of the reserves called up post defeat in Metrolpolitan France building new Divisions:

In French NA
19. Corps
6. Division Legere Cavalerie – 1 Bde.: 1 Coy H-35, 1 Coy H-39, 1 Mot.Inf.Reg., 1 Bde. Cav.
1., 2. Regiment Etrangere Cavalerie
Group Brigade Char 521 (2 Batt. Char D-1), GBC 522 (2 Batt. FT-17, 2 Coy R-35)
1 Batt. FT-17 (Algerie)
21. Battalion Infantrie Legere Autoporte

Mob. A div.
28., 84., 85., 86., 88. DIA (28. Mountain)

Mob. B static div.
180., 181., 182., 183. DIA
2., 3. Division Maroccaine

1., 4., 5. Brigade Cavalerie (cav)
3. Brigade Spahi (cav)

The Armee de l'Air modern aircraft that had been evacuated during the final days of the Battle for France

North Africa  
See also Aéronavale units in North Africa.
Fighter Squadrons
G.C. I/3
Oran-La Sénia (Algeria)
Dewoitine 520
G.C. II/3
Alger-Maison Blanche (Algeria)
Dewoitine 520
G.C. I/5
Rabat-Salé (Morocco)
Curtiss H-75
G.C. II/5
Casablanca (Morocco)
Curtiss H-75
G.C. III/6
Alger-Maison Blanche (Algeria)
Dewoitine 520
G.C. II/7
Sidi-Ahmed (Tunisia)
Dewoitine 520

Bomber Squadrons
G.B. I/11
  Oran-Saint-Denis-du-Sig (Algeria)
  Lioré et Olivier LéO 451
G.B. I/15
  Thélepte
  Farman F 222
G.B. I/19
  Sétif (Algeria)
  Douglas DB-7
G.B. I/23
  Meknès (Morocco)
  Lioré et Olivier LéO 451
G.B. II/23
  Meknès (Morocco)
  Lioré et Olivier LéO 451
G.B. I/25
  Tunis-El Aouina (Tunisia)
  Lioré et Olivier LéO 451
G.B. II/25
  Bougie (Algeria)
  Lioré et Olivier LéO H 257 bis (converting to Lioré et Olivier LéO 451)
G.B. I/32
  Camp Cazès (Morocco)
  Douglas DB-7
G.B. II/32
  Agadir (Morocco)
  Douglas DB-7
G.B. II/61
  Blida (Algeria)
  Douglas DB-7
G.B. II/63
  Marrakech (Morocco)
  Martin 167 F

Reconnaissance Squadrons
G.R. I/22
Rabat-Salé (Morocco)
Martin 167 F
G.R. I/36
Sétif (Algeria)
Potez 63.11 
G.R. I/52
Oran-La Sénia (Algeria)
Potez 63.11
G.R. II/52
Oran-La Sénia (Algeria)
Bloch 175
G.R. II/33
Tunis-El Aouina (Tunisia)
Bloch 175

Aeronavale North Africa:

North Africa  
Esc. 1AC Oran-La Sénia (Algeria) Dewoitine 520

Esc. 2AC Oran-La Sénia (Algeria) awaiting delivery of Dewoitine 520
Esc. 2AB Sidi-Ahmed (Tunisia) Martin 167 F
Esc. 4AB Sidi-Ahmed (Tunisia) Martin 167 F
Esc. 1B Oran-Perrégaux (Algeria) Martin 167 F
Esc. 2B Oran-Perrégaux (Algeria) Martin 167 F
Esc. 3B Oran-Perrégaux (Algeria) Martin 167 F
Esc. 4B Blida (Algeria)Martin 167 F
Esc. 1T Arzew (Algeria) Latécoère Laté 298
Esc. 2T Karouba (Tunisia) Latécoère Laté 298
Esc. 1E Karouba (Tunisia) Bréguet 521, Lioré et Olivier LéO H 257 bis
Esc. 10E Sidi-Ahmed (Tunisia) Martin 167 F

French Gold hoard Dakar 1941 – 200 t (ca. 48% of the French total)
Part shipped to Canada 11. - 17. december 1939 by BB Dunkerque and CL Gloire

Belgian Gold evacuation – 1940 – 1/3 remained in Belgium 190 t
1/3 sent to London 190 t
1/3 sent to France to be shipped to Dakar and returned to Belgium 189 t.

French Navy French North Africa:

BB
Jean-Bart Casablanca *
CL
Primauguet Gironde Estuary, later to Casablanca *
DD+
Milan Casablanca
DD
Fleuret At sea (Casablanca) Toulon 051141
Fougueux Casablanca
Frondeur Casablanca
Mameluk Casablanca Toulon 051141
La-Railleuse Destroyed in Casablanca
Lansquenet Pauillac (Casablanca, 27) Toulon 051141
Le-Hardi To Casablanca Toulon 051141
Epée To Casablanca Toulon 051141
SS
Béveziers Casablanca
Sidi-Ferruch Casablanca
Poncelet To Casablanca
Ajax To Casablanca
Persée To Casablanca
Sfax To Casablanca
Casabianca To Casablanca
Circé To Casablanca
Thétis To Casablanca
Calypso To Casablanca
Méduse To Casablanca
Amphitrite To Casablanca
Antiope To Casablanca
Orphée To Casablanca
Amazone To Casablanca
La-Sibylle To Casablanca
Sloop
D'Entrecasteaux Casablanca
D'Iberville On patrol off the Canaries
La-Gracieuse At sea, Gironde and later to Casablanca
Ailette Casablanca
La-Batailleuse Casablanca
La-Boudeuse Gironde to Casablanca
Dubourdieu On operations Gironde, later Casablanca
Somme To Casablanca
Gazelle To Casablanca
Commandant-Rivière To Casablanca
La-Surprise To Casablanca
Luronne Verdon, later to Casablanca
Others
Sentinelle Casablanca
Amiral-Mouchez Casablanca
Golo Rochefort, to Casablanca
Austral To Casablanca
Jules- Verne To Casablanca
Subchaser
Ch.2 Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Casablanca

BB
Provence Oran (MSK) * salvaged, repaired, departed 051141
Dunkerque Oran (MSK) * ready return to Toulon July 41
Strasbourg Oran (MSK) * Toulon
Bretagne Oran (MSK) eksplodet, sunk
CV
Commandant Teste From Toulon to Oran (MSK)
CL
Gloire Oran
Montcalm Oran, Dakar 200940
Georges-Leygues Oran
DD+
Kersaint To Oran (MSK)
DD
Tigre Oran (MSK) Toulon 030740
Lynx Oran (MSK) Toulon 030740
Le-Fantasque Oran
L'Audacieux Oran
Le-Malin Oran, Dakar 200940
Le-Terrible Oran (MSK) Toulon 030740
L'Indomptable Oran
Mogador Oran (MSK) *
Volta Oran (MSK) Toulon 030740
SS
Eurydice Oran
Ariane Oran
Danaé Oran
Diane Oran
La-Psyché Oran
Oréade Oran
Sloop
Rigault-de-Genouilly
La Ciotat, to Oran sunk
La-Grandière Port-de-Bouc, to Oran Toulon
Chamois Oran
Commandant-Bory Oran
La-Curieuse Oran
Commandant-Delage To Oran
Various
Forfait Oran

CL
La-Galissonnière Algiers
Jean-de-Vienne Algiers
Marseillaise Algiers
DD
Simoun Algiers
Casque Algiers
Sloop
Annamite To Algiers

DD
Trombe Bizerte
L'Alcyon Bizerte
Bordelais Bizerte
La-Pomone Bizerte
L'Iphigénie Bizerte
Bombarde Bizerte
SS
Requin Bizerte
Narval Bizerte
Souffleur Bizerte
Marsouin Bizerte
Caïman Bizerte
Redoutable Bizerte
Vengeur Bizerte
Pascal Bizerte
Henri-Poincaré Bizerte
Fresnel Bizerte
Monge Bizerte
Pégase Bizerte
Argo Bizerte
Le-Centaure Bizerte
Le-Tonnant Bizerte
La-Vestale Bizerte
La-Sultane Bizerte
SS-MineLayers
Saphir Bizerte
Turquoise Bizerte
Nautilus Bizerte
Sloop
Tapageuse Bizerte
Engageante Bizerte
Various
Ypres Bizerte
Estafette Bizerte
Castor Bizerte

No small force.

My first thought being - well Stalin have been watching the first act of the Bourgeois states annihilating one another - now they are at round two with a large part of the German Army and Luftwaffe in North Africa fighting the French and the Italians and Rommels Africa Corps fighting the British in the east of Libya.

The US had established an unloading and assembly site at Morocco during the Battle for France to ship crated aircraft to for assembly but also to ship the US Trucks bought by France in the US. With the Gold hoard in Dakar this can be resumed enabling the French to continue the fight but also to tie down German and Italian forces that would otherwise go to Libya and Egypt - Balkans and eventually Soviet Union.

Could the British and Vichy French manage to cooperate ITTL? They may realize they have to even if they spit at each other behind the others back!

The US will supply the hardware to Britain and France Vichy or whatever - those politics may get thrown into the air as De Gualle, Nogué, Bethouard and whatever other French General, Admiral, Minister may be present to take part in the internal French powerstruggle.

Of course the French may be badly pressed mainly on ammunition and fuel but the Germans and Italians will be on the end of a long chain of logistics - that will be threatened by the RN and RAF along the route - which is also needed to supply Rommel and the Italians in Libya if they aren't to be overrun by the British.

Depending on timing this could even be during the Italian invasion of Greece setting a long term for the Germans even thinking of Marita-Mercury.

Even in the aftermath of the pre-war purges Stalin may still see a golden moment - a Strategic Window of Opportunity - and decide to open the box/jar of Pandora!

If things are really f***** up already the Soviets may have a jolly time in Poland Romania though I guess Stalin would try wipe Germany off the board first thus Poland and on for Berlin which would see the Germans scramble back from Norway, Denmark, France, Netherlands but still leaving garrisons do deter the British - and they can't just pull each and everybody out of North Africa.