AHC: Ceasefire after DDay

The challenge here is to make DDay (or the subsequent days after) such a disaster that the the Allies attempt to offer a ceasefire to the Germans within a least a month after the failed operation.
 
Several months prior to the operation, a Gestapo interrogation manages to break a spy into compromising certain other spies that the Germans trusted. If they are found to be double agents, then the Allied deception operations may fail, thus pointing the Germans to Normandy as the invasion site. Aerial recon with Me 262 planes confirms preparations underway at English ports. The invasion force itself is cratered with V-weapons directed at supply depots hey establish in Normandy, and perhaps even use of nerve gas is approved, since gas masks cannot protect soldiers from it. Catastrophic casualties and a host of Allied general POW-s cause a political upheaval in the UK, as blamefests start, following Goebbels' bombastic propaganda and boasts of victory.
 
The challenge here is to make DDay (or the subsequent days after) such a disaster that the the Allies attempt to offer a ceasefire to the Germans within a least a month after the failed operation.
You're going to need to explain how D-Day became such a disaster.
 

Japhy

Banned
I disagree with others that there's no way for the invasion to fail. There are a few points where things can go terribly wrong, especially if one is willing to play with the weather.

That said there's no circumstance where such a failure leads to that rapid a collapse of political will. Churchill would fall but as Eisenhower said this was 1944 not 1940! Eden and Atlee would step up, and Britain wouldn't toss in. FDR on the other hand has a bit more time but it's not impractical to suggest that he might be doomed in the November election. That said no one, not Tom Dewey, not Bob Taft, not Harry Truman or even that revolting work of a man who was Henry Wallace was going to throw in the towel.

The Western Allies still have their air forces, they still have the Italian Front, they still have Commandos and Rangers. The war would continue on until that project in New Mexico payed off and Dresden will have a terrible day in the Fall of 1945 as a result.

Now obviously there is an elephant in the room, and depending on who you read there's always the possibility the other big allied leader may or may not take this failure as a chance to open talks. But that depends on your opinion of Stalin and if you think he'd be content with taking over all of Eastern Europe by negotiations. Odds are Hitler won't make that deal though, but talks could happen. Maybe.
 
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How about Eisenhower goes ahead, then the weather really gets bad. My uncle was there with his tank, and from his accounts if the weather had gotten much worse they would have started swamping.

Losses in the Channel are disastrous, then go with the fact that somehow the Germans get wind that Normandy is the site and the invasion force is on its way. Hitler orders everything to Normandy while the bad weather prevents the Allies from putting any aircraft over Europe. Most of the bridges are gone so this will delay reinforcement but some will still get through. The defenders are ready and as fewer troops get ashore (and are seasick to boot) losses are heavy and no real foothold is gained.

Does this work for anyone?
 

Japhy

Banned
How about Eisenhower goes ahead, then the weather really gets bad. My uncle was there with his tank, and from his accounts if the weather had gotten much worse they would have started swamping.

Losses in the Channel are disastrous, then go with the fact that somehow the Germans get wind that Normandy is the site and the invasion force is on its way. Hitler orders everything to Normandy while the bad weather prevents the Allies from putting any aircraft over Europe. Most of the bridges are gone so this will delay reinforcement but some will still get through. The defenders are ready and as fewer troops get ashore (and are seasick to boot) losses are heavy and no real foothold is gained.

Does this work for anyone?
Honestly there's no real case for the whole idea that the Germany recognize its in Normandy, its also unnecessary.

You're right about the weather, a bad prediction can lead to disaster. But it doesn't even have to be universal in its impact. Worse weather means worse air drops, worse weather means that Point Du Hoc might become impossible to take, it means that Omaha which was a close run thing for most of the day might get to a point where Ike or Bradley or Monty is forced to make the call and order an evacuation of the beach. Right there you've failed to ensure any degree of connection and you have two separate pockets of Allied forces that are just too far apart.

Add to that the fact that its very easy to have Hans von Luck not be in bed with a mistress or prostitute and suddenly the one armored force in a position to have actually done anything has the right man at the right moment in the critical hour. So long Major Howard at Pegasus Bridge, so long the entire Eastern flank of the Invasion area.
 
Bringing up Tsouras' Disaster at D-Day again.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01G51Q0PQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
https://books.google.sh/books?id=Mt...cover&source=gbs_vpt_read#v=onepage&q&f=false

Now I'm not a fan of Peter Tsouras later works but this one isn't too bad.

It works heavily on the "one man" principle, or in this case "woman" since Frau Rommel has a cold and as a result the Field Marshal delays his travel plans and is present at General Marcks HQ in St. Lo on the night of 5/6 June. Having arranged for the 12 SS Panzer to move up for "Temporary" training exercise that very evening.
 
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