Mare Nostrum! Panzer Army Africa in the Middle East (Manstein in Africa Part III)

Welcome to book 3 of my series "Manstein in Africa" If you are new to the work I highly suggest reading books 1 and 2 in order to familiarize yourself with the story arc.

Book 1 - Manstein in Africa the Genius of the Desert
Book 2 - Rommel's Barbarossa 1942/The Brinkmann meatgrinder

This installment will follow the Panzer Army Africa following its successful crossing of the Suez Canal. It will also explore wider developments in the middle east with parallels from book 2. Elements of the overall axis war effort will continue to be portrayed along with the stories of several linchpin and minor characters. As always your feedback is not only taken to heart but often becomes a critical portion of the story. Enjoy!-BW749

(Chapter 1) Other Vantages
Hitler's Military HQ September 1941

Generalfieldmarschal Erich Von Manstein had been through a whirlwind of activity. Just a week ago he had waded up to his boots in the Suez having achieved his first campaign objective. Following his outstanding victory he had been whisked away to Florence where he was granted the title of honorary field marshal of the Italian army in front of a crowd of over 150,000 citizens who had come out to show their respect for the man who had brought so much glory to their army

Following his short leave in Florence, Hitler invited Manstein to Berlin where he solicited his advice regarding several upcomming operations. Manstein bore the idea of conducting special operation in the United States even though privately he railed against the idea of bringing America and her untold industrial resources into the war. He had traveled to the United States as a member of Ernst Udet's commision in the early 1930's and had been truly impressed by the utter power of their industry.

In the end he put his faith in the General Staff, that they would inflict enough damage on the American juggernaught to keep them from continuing to succor the British.

Later on he would regret keeping his thoughts private. Manstein at this moment was at the pinnacle of his career, vindicated by military success and he had been the major dissenting voice in the disasterous Full Moon Malta operation. Following the 7th fleiger division and 7th panzer division's extremely rough handeling on Malta, Hitler had paid an intense amount of defference to the stiff Prussian. His thoughts for operation Hummel and Half Moon where approved with little interferance especially as Hitler began to focus his efforts on dramatically increasing the integration of the axis forces and the upcomming invasion of Russia.


The Panzer Army Africa on the march. Following Manstein's considerable successes Hitler allowed the army a large degree of latitude which contributed to their numerous victories

In fact following Full Moon, Hitler started soliciting Manstein's advice on a wide range of issues. He wasn't enamoured with Manstein's manorisms instead preferring the brazen and rough approach that marked his Wunderkind Erwin Rommel, but Hitler knew hot dice when he had them and since May 1940 Manstein had been turning up 7's. With that in mind following the lay out for operation Tiger, he kept the Genius of the desert on hand for an additional couple of days so that the axis middle east strategy could fully take shape.

Despite his staff perahps being undersized for their many responsibilities (the German component of the Panzer Army Africa only had 23 staff officers in its HQ) they had undertaken a serious study of how to continue their campaign now that they where loose on the Asian side of the canal and enjoyed considerable land air and sea superiority.

His briefcase stuffed with options, Manstein presented his preferred course of action to his fuhrer...

to be continued...

your thoughts as always are welcomed

-BW749

Manstein on the loose in the Middle East? Nice.

The appearence of a German Panzerarmee have just increased chances of Iraq under an ultranationalist Rashid Ali joining the Axis. Turkey may be a bit of a problem though. If the Germans show themselves to be more aggressive than the Soviets, things might get hairy for Manstein.

Anyway, I'll be following this one closely.

Great TL

I am new to this board and Manstein in Africa is the first TL that has really intrigued me; please keep up the great work. Thank you.

We want an update!!!

I can't remember if I (or anybody else) asked this in the past, but will the Italians make any attempt at going after their East African colonies?

You've set up Manstein as a figure who gets what he wants, and he clearly wouldn't want this, but I would think there might be some pressure from at least the other Fascists, if not Mussolini himself, to regain the territory.

Maybe as another purely Blackshirt operation as a way to prove to the Germans that Italians are capable of operating without their leadership.

No idea what the Brits have left in the area though...would the Italians go for this? Even if it's a bad idea, destined to fail, I think they might.

Needless to say that in view of the Nazi's views the Jewish population of Palestine would be dedicated supporters of the British and quite capable of conductimg operations behind German lines and quite successfully.

Expat said:

I can't remember if I (or anybody else) asked this in the past, but will the Italians make any attempt at going after their East African colonies?

You've set up Manstein as a figure who gets what he wants, and he clearly wouldn't want this, but I would think there might be some pressure from at least the other Fascists, if not Mussolini himself, to regain the territory.

Maybe as another purely Blackshirt operation as a way to prove to the Germans that Italians are capable of operating without their leadership.

No idea what the Brits have left in the area though...would the Italians go for this? Even if it's a bad idea, destined to fail, I think they might.

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Dovetails with my thoughts and will be discussed in the next update

I don't think that Britain shall be able to keep a substantial amount of forces in East Africa after losing Egypt. With a much sturdier Italian Army, an offensive to recapture East Africa may easily be successful. This benefits the Axis since they gain unquestioned control of the Red Sea this way.

Oh and this isn't that important but I guess Spanish Guinea has been overrun by the Free French?

Expat said:

I can't remember if I (or anybody else) asked this in the past, but will the Italians make any attempt at going after their East African colonies?

You've set up Manstein as a figure who gets what he wants, and he clearly wouldn't want this, but I would think there might be some pressure from at least the other Fascists, if not Mussolini himself, to regain the territory.

Maybe as another purely Blackshirt operation as a way to prove to the Germans that Italians are capable of operating without their leadership.

No idea what the Brits have left in the area though...would the Italians go for this? Even if it's a bad idea, destined to fail, I think they might.

Click to expand...

Well, let's also remember that the Italian army still has all the troops it lost in Compass IOTL, and the Barbarossa buildup is still kinda far away. So I don't think Italy shall have problems to support the Germans in the Middle East offensive AND the reconquest of East Africa.

Expat said:

Oh and this isn't that important but I guess Spanish Guinea has been overrun by the Free French?

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Dunno but ITTL, with the British taking bloody nose after bloody nose, the appeal and prestige of the Free French is going to be abysmally low among the French public and military, in the mainland as well as the colonies.

I would be really surprised if they manage to grow any significantly more than their initial 7,000 men amount, and if they are able to seize control of any French or Axis colony without the British conquering it for them.

Eurofed said:

Dunno but ITTL, with the British taking bloody nose after bloody nose, the appeal and prestige of the Free French is going to be abysmally low among the French public and military, in the mainland as well as the colonies.

I would be really surprised if they manage to grow any significantly more than their initial 7,000 men amount, and if they are able to seize control of any French or Axis colony without the British conquering it for them.

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I thought the Free French had already taken all of the central African colonies before the POD. Chad to Gabon, I think. Is this not correct?

Expat said:

I thought the Free French had already taken all of the central African colonies before the POD. Chad to Gabon, I think. Is this not correct?

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On second thoughts and a check, you are right. French Equatorial Africa swung to the Free French in Summer 1940 (Gabon in November), so the PoD is not going to affect it (even if the FF are very unlikely to get any other significant piece of the French colonial empire). As I said, however, the Free French forces are going to be quite scarce ITTL, so probably the Allies are only going to seize Spanish Equatorial Guinea if the British care to spare the forces and invade it. Honestly, I dunno if the Allies are going to care. SEG was not that important strategically for either side in comparison to say French West Africa or East Africa.

OTOH, with the Axis firmly in control of FWA, Libya, Egypt, and the imminent Axis conquest of Sudan and East Africa, the Allies could well take a defensive stance in FEA.

We want an update!

Blairwitch where are you? Lost in the woods?

MUC said:

We want an update!

Blairwitch where are you? Lost in the woods?

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Stalking teenagers in front of their grainy video cameras...making sure the non virgins don't survive

Too big for one army (Chapter 2)
Hitler's military HQ September 1941

Manstein being in town was not just pomp and circumstance. A major planning session was required now that his troops had reached the Suez Canal. New objectives needed to laid out and a new plan of attack had to be approved.

Hitler: Now Feldmarschal I am aware of your views regarding the importance of our drive into the middle east and the goal of securing the oil fields. I do agree with this being important to our united goals but there are other things must be accomplished

Bastico (in town for the conference): The duce wishes to have forces drive south from our Alexandria positions and capture Cairo and get forces in place into our East African empire

Manstein: I understand the Duce's desires, he made them clear to me. Our resources ground forces are too small to project an offensive in both directions. I have only 3 Germans divisions (2 recovering on Malta) and 8 Italian divisions. 3 have crossed the canal, 3 are guarding the approaches to Alexandria from the south and 5 are strung out along our supply lines between Alexandria and Port Said. Even if an attack to the south is the only spearpoint our forces are too small and we have too much ground to cover

Hitler: Could you project your forces into the middle east successfully with just the divisions at hand?

Manstein: No. I have to guard against attacks to the south and the British can reinforce through Basra and go after my flanks... the Panzer Army Africa is too small as presently constituted for further projection at this point.

Bastico: We can't really pursue a one directional attack like that anyway Herr Feldmarschal. In order to bring Ruyjo into the Atlantic we will need to drive south on both sides of the canal and capture Suez and project airforces into the red sea to guard her approach

Manstein: I also want to launch waves of raids on Haifa and eliminate the remnents of the British Mediterranian fleet

Hitler: Well we have the Alexandria port complex in our control now. We will just need to reinforce your positions in Egypt to support a two pronged offensive. I hate to split our combat power but such is the geography of our objectives

Manstein: My fuhrer, the roads in this area can't truly handle a larger force than is allready in place.

Hitler: What are you suggesting Feldmarschal

Manstein: Pressure in the middle east also needs to be exerted in the North. I am sure our victories have captured the attention of the Turks. If we can gain an alliance with them or at least have them allow forces to transit their territory to threaten the British it would make my objectives drastically easier to achieve. And with them in our camp we would have a large army to add to our pool against the Russians.

Hitler: I like this idea... we will need to bring in Von Papen and start a major diplomatic offensive there. What forces would you desire to come into Northern Iraq and Syria?

Manstein: My staff has done an in depth study on the whole region. They suggest that two mobile corps plus an infantry army would be best. Perhaps 12 or 14 divisions total. The mobile corps can chop up British formations and quickly secure vital areas (especially the oilfields at Mosul) and the infantry army will follow behind, securing territory and mopping up bypassed pockets of division
Hitler: Excellent, the 6th Army under Feldmarschal Von Reichenau and the First Panzer Army under Generaloberst Von Kleist would be in the best position to be transferred to the theater once we work something out with the turks. You can work with both officers?

Manstein: I served with both generals in Poland and France, even if the fuhrer didn't offer them I would have made the request.
Hitler: Good, so they will command the northern thrust... what of the south?

Manstein: 15th and 21st Panzer, Ariette, Trieste, Brescia and Pavia would strike from the south. First into Palestine hugging the coast since there are very few roads in the area the Regia Marina will provide coastal traffic to expedite our advance. Then we will fan out into Iraq and Syria linking up with the 1st Panzer Army. Simultaneously 90th light and the rest of the Italian divisions would drive down the canal on both sides, capture Suez and Cairo.

Hitler: Can your headquarters control all of these actions effeciently?

Manstein: No my fuhrer... we don't have the necessary numbers to project command cohearance from three directions using 25 divisions.

Hitler: I understand Manstein... plus a commander needs to be on the spot to make quick decisions. Well how about this then... Reichenau will command the northern thrust as Army Group Middle Ost... you will command the southern thrust, and our dear Marshal Bastico will command the Suez operation.

Manstein: This would be an excellent arrangement

Bastico: I am sure the Duce will be agreeable to this.

Hitler: Marschal, are your 4 divisions plus 90th light enough for the task?

Bastico: There is too much ground to cover even if British resistance has been cracked. The Duce has suggested transferring three divisions which have been training with Generalderpanzertruppen Rommel since July to the theater with the understanding that once Cairo falls that they be returned to participate in Barbarossa. These would be Napoli, Livorno, and Aosta which have gotten the most training and have a high compliment of first class equipment

Hitler: Jodl, bring me Rommel's most recent assessment of those formations (Jodl sent a staff officer who quickly fetched them)
...hmm well Rommel says they are first class and ready for action... good, they will give a good fight to the British and Senor Mussolini has the correct attitude about only using them temporarily. (Hitler rubbed his mustache in though) Excellent, I approve of our operational objectives. Manstein I want a formal operational plan on my desk in 72 hours then I want you back in Egypt to get the men ready. Jodl, call on ambassador Von Papan and have him brough home to see me immediately whilst Manstein is still here... I want us all to have a clear understanding of what is going to happen, also bring me a copy of my letter to President Inoue, I want to expand on it. I christen these operations Neptun(Neptune),Pluto,and Jupiter (Bastico's thrust, Reichenau's thrust, and Manstein's offensive respectively)

to be continued...

your thoughts


Italian infantry from Livorno has trained extensively in harsh terrain under Kleist's guidence with Rommel as their opponent and would be transferred to Africa to capture Cairo

Experienced Italian armor in the 132nd division Ariete would accompany Manstein in his southern drive.


Battle hardened troops from the 6th Army who had seen combat in Poland and France would drive out of Southeastern Turkey into Iraq in operation Pluto

Very interesting. I would expect the Turks to allow transit of Axis forces on their territory after they see the Axis at Suez, and to join the Axis once they see the British expelled from the Middle East.

An Axis strategic vice from Anatolia and Suez ? The noise you hear is the British Empire in the Middle East and East Africa collapsing. After this book is done, I mean to check the schedule of it all, specifically whether Tiger occurs before or after British collapse in the Middle East. Without American belligerance, the amount of bullshit that Attle would have to throw around to keep the country in the war after such a defeat would be amazing.

However, if Turkey is joining the Axis so quickly and openly, I am really perplexed as to how Stalin and the Stavka can afford to leave the Turkish-Iraqi-Persian theater alone in their offensive. With Axis forces in those countries, Baku is in dire peril of being leveled by bombing. ITTL precious little American oil is going to reach the Soviets, and although Russia had other oilfields beyond the Urals, losing Baku is going to be a big wrench in their war effort nonetheless.

More and more intriguing. Can't wait to read more.

Eurofed said:

However, if Turkey is joining the Axis so quickly and openly, I am really perplexed as to how Stalin and the Stavka can afford to leave the Turkish-Iraqi-Persian theater alone in their offensive. With Axis forces in those countries, Baku is in dire peril of being leveled by bombing. ITTL precious little American oil is going to reach the Soviets, and although Russia had other oilfields beyond the Urals, losing Baku is going to be a big wrench in their war effort nonetheless. .

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Noob opinon but:

Well the tl seems to be pointing towards a German victory so that may be the point , but for the sake of arguing for the underdog, the Sovs have had a lot of time to build up so they have more of everything and better than their rl equivalents probably, and they wont be caught in a sneak attack destorying their air fields so Baku would probably be an AA deathtrap with a soviet air army (what orginization did they use?) guarding it.

Good tl! I spent so much time reading the last one this week end, haha. Cant wait for update!

Komeyta said:

the Sovs have had a lot of time to build up so they have more of everything and better than their rl equivalents probably, and they wont be caught in a sneak attack destorying their air fields so Baku would probably be an AA deathtrap with a soviet air army (what orginization did they use?) guarding it.

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Could be, could be. I'm not enough of a military expert to make an informed opinion of the likely relative degree of success in an air battle between a 1942 Soviet AA build-up and a concentration of TTL-improved German-Italian bombers in nearby bases.

Great start, even if it is just a planning post. It definitely got me thinking...

So the planned Turkish front and the Egyptian front will be using Barbarossa troops, right? That's a pretty significant weakening.

It looks like IOTL that when the Germans provided air support to the Iraqis earlier in 1941, the British used this as an excuse to invade Syria. I'm assuming that went over as IOTL?

What is the attitude of the Sauds? Whose camp are they in? Could the Axis play Sauds off of Hashemites or vice-versa?

This last post takes place in Sept '41, which IOTL was when the British forces in the Middle East were mopping up their invasion of Persia. I'm guessing that whole invasion doesn't happen ITTL? Not with every man needed in Palestine and Jordan.

Also, Persia, if anything, must be even more eager to declare for the Axis ITTL. How do you think they'll be playing the situation?

Is there anything stopping the Russians from invading Persia preemptively, on their own? The Germans wouldn't want to tip their hand at this point by sparking further tensions with the Soviets, so they could hardly do more than condemn it from the pulpit. They've got no more leverage over Stalin without activating Barbarossa half-cocked. The Brits might be pissed, but at this point they might see it as a question of a pro-Axis Persia at their back, which they'll have to subdue, or a Soviet-occupied Persia that for the moment at least is respecting their oil rights and allowing transit. Molotov-Eden Pact, anyone?