That's right, I remember reading about Skorzeny wanting to use an FA-223 but the machine in question had been damaged in an accident.
"Goring's Reich" An Alternate World War II
- Thread starter galveston bay
- Start date
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- Tags
- world war 2
preparing a post on what the Soviets are up to, so a refresher on where they were immediately after the Treaty of Riga
With America devoting most of its attention to the Pacific and the German economic buildup its seems that the European theater will be deadlocked for the time being. The Soviet Union is something of a wild card though and I'm very interested to see what it's been doing lately.
Preparing for the next Great Patriotic War
The Soviet Union 1941 – 1943
The Soviets under Krushchev recover far more quickly than the Germans or Japanese ever imagined, but spend vast effort to ensure that this is kept from their enemies. American aid does much to help with this recovery, as between American food assistance and a dramatic reduction in the size of the Red Army to 6 million men does wonders to free up manpower. Releasing 80% of the Gulag prisoners is a major help as well, although many of those remain closely monitored. The Germans and Japanese are severely restricted as to where they can go and who they can see, which is unchanged from before the war, so while they see conditions are improving in Moscow and Leningrad and Irkutsk (where the Embassies are located and the only locations of Consulates) they see little else. Axis travel across the Soviet Union by train is restricted to special cars and specific trains, and the Soviets take special care that these passengers see little as well. The only other threat is aerial reconnaissance, and in areas where the Germans and Japanese conduct that the Soviets limit major projects to the hours of night or during overcast skies, and sharpen the Soviet art of Maskirovka.
The biggest drain is the reparation requirement of 15,000 vehicles a year between late 1940 and late 1942, with parts for the same in 1943. However, by the summer of 1941, Soviet production has reached 22,000 vehicles a year, and by 1942 is running at 25,000 vehicles a year. Of this, 2,000 armored vehicles are year are sent to the Red Army, principally T34C and KV1 tanks, which are kept far in the interior along with the remaining armored and mechanized formations as well as all newly formed formations. The remainder are tractors, as the Soviets need to boost their agricultural production. The biggest drain of all of this are the tractor engines, which are needed for both armored vehicles and of course for tractors. Reducing the number of engines available is a major drag on the ability of the Soviets to build tanks and assault guns. Another major drain is the requirement to provide steel pipeline for the Germans to ship oil from the Caucasus region to the port of Novorossik as well as large amounts of oil production equipment to the Germans to restore production at Maikop. However by 1942 these requirements have been met, and that drain has ended.
What the Soviets are able to build freely are aircraft and artillery, and indeed the Soviets build vast numbers of aircraft, over 60,000 planes between 1941 and 1942, and more are on the way. They are able to completely rid themselves of obsolete and obsolescent models and replace them with fighters such as the Yak9 and La5 fighters, the IL4 and Yer2 medium bombers, the Yak7B fighter bomber, and the Pe2 and IL2 attack bombers. Sufficient artillery is built to completely replace all that has been lost, as well as sufficient numbers of guns to build 47 artillery divisions. The Soviets also acquire huge numbers (over 250,000 and more coming every day) of trucks from the Americans and some of those trucks are used for the Katyusha rocket artillery. A large number of light tanks that survived the war are also converted into artillery tractors.
For air defense, the Soviets reorganize the Air Defense branch into its own service (PVO) and deploy anti-aircraft armies to defend Moscow as well as several cities in the Urals and Kubyshev, which has been made into a secondary capital and where most of the administrative work for the Party and the Army is now concentrated.
The Soviets are also working on new armored vehicles, including several types of assault guns, and a new heavy tank, the IS1, which would be used in the heavy assault role and will have a 122 mm gun capable of defeating any tank in the world.
Meanwhile, the NKVD and GRU (Military intelligence) both have managed to infiltrate very effectively into the Reich and its client states, and in a major intelligence coup determine that the Poles are reading Soviet signals traffic and also manage to steal the plans for the Panzer V Panther tank and the German Jumo jet engine. The Soviets also have infiltrated the Allied nuclear program and British intelligence.
By the summer of 1942, food shortages are a thing of the past, and for the first time the Soviet workers are as well fed as the Soviet soldiers. This improves efficiency and more than makes up for the previous threat of a trip to the Gulag for slackers. The Soviets also used some of their gold reserves to purchase clothing and shoes from Latin American nations which still have factories producing such things, as well as acquiring huge numbers of uniforms from American manufacturers, meaning that the Soviet people are actually adequately clothed. Morale has improved as the entire Soviet people are constantly reminded that the hour of revenge will come, while the steady stream of deported Jews, Serbs and others from the Reich and its allies provides plenty of fodder for propaganda of the Fascist evil
Huge factory complexes are built in Soviet Central Asia, as well as western Siberia, and much of the industry that remains west of the Urals is moved as well, except for the factories building older model T34s and tractors. Those remain in place as part of the national Maskirovka.
The NVKD, GRU and the Army all work diligently to create a large network of agents, weapons caches and likely recruits for partisan war in Japanese and German Occupied Soviet territory. In the West, the Belorussians are deeply resentful of Polish annexation, while large numbers of ethnic Russians live in the Ukraine, Crimea, and northern Caucasus. These people are carefully screened and approached, as are Russians living in Japanese occupied Siberia, and preparations are made for a partisan uprising. The PO-2 biplane and larger transports flying at night are used to bring in personnel and equipment to aid in this task.
The Soviet Union 1941 – 1943
The Soviets under Krushchev recover far more quickly than the Germans or Japanese ever imagined, but spend vast effort to ensure that this is kept from their enemies. American aid does much to help with this recovery, as between American food assistance and a dramatic reduction in the size of the Red Army to 6 million men does wonders to free up manpower. Releasing 80% of the Gulag prisoners is a major help as well, although many of those remain closely monitored. The Germans and Japanese are severely restricted as to where they can go and who they can see, which is unchanged from before the war, so while they see conditions are improving in Moscow and Leningrad and Irkutsk (where the Embassies are located and the only locations of Consulates) they see little else. Axis travel across the Soviet Union by train is restricted to special cars and specific trains, and the Soviets take special care that these passengers see little as well. The only other threat is aerial reconnaissance, and in areas where the Germans and Japanese conduct that the Soviets limit major projects to the hours of night or during overcast skies, and sharpen the Soviet art of Maskirovka.
The biggest drain is the reparation requirement of 15,000 vehicles a year between late 1940 and late 1942, with parts for the same in 1943. However, by the summer of 1941, Soviet production has reached 22,000 vehicles a year, and by 1942 is running at 25,000 vehicles a year. Of this, 2,000 armored vehicles are year are sent to the Red Army, principally T34C and KV1 tanks, which are kept far in the interior along with the remaining armored and mechanized formations as well as all newly formed formations. The remainder are tractors, as the Soviets need to boost their agricultural production. The biggest drain of all of this are the tractor engines, which are needed for both armored vehicles and of course for tractors. Reducing the number of engines available is a major drag on the ability of the Soviets to build tanks and assault guns. Another major drain is the requirement to provide steel pipeline for the Germans to ship oil from the Caucasus region to the port of Novorossik as well as large amounts of oil production equipment to the Germans to restore production at Maikop. However by 1942 these requirements have been met, and that drain has ended.
What the Soviets are able to build freely are aircraft and artillery, and indeed the Soviets build vast numbers of aircraft, over 60,000 planes between 1941 and 1942, and more are on the way. They are able to completely rid themselves of obsolete and obsolescent models and replace them with fighters such as the Yak9 and La5 fighters, the IL4 and Yer2 medium bombers, the Yak7B fighter bomber, and the Pe2 and IL2 attack bombers. Sufficient artillery is built to completely replace all that has been lost, as well as sufficient numbers of guns to build 47 artillery divisions. The Soviets also acquire huge numbers (over 250,000 and more coming every day) of trucks from the Americans and some of those trucks are used for the Katyusha rocket artillery. A large number of light tanks that survived the war are also converted into artillery tractors.
For air defense, the Soviets reorganize the Air Defense branch into its own service (PVO) and deploy anti-aircraft armies to defend Moscow as well as several cities in the Urals and Kubyshev, which has been made into a secondary capital and where most of the administrative work for the Party and the Army is now concentrated.
The Soviets are also working on new armored vehicles, including several types of assault guns, and a new heavy tank, the IS1, which would be used in the heavy assault role and will have a 122 mm gun capable of defeating any tank in the world.
Meanwhile, the NKVD and GRU (Military intelligence) both have managed to infiltrate very effectively into the Reich and its client states, and in a major intelligence coup determine that the Poles are reading Soviet signals traffic and also manage to steal the plans for the Panzer V Panther tank and the German Jumo jet engine. The Soviets also have infiltrated the Allied nuclear program and British intelligence.
By the summer of 1942, food shortages are a thing of the past, and for the first time the Soviet workers are as well fed as the Soviet soldiers. This improves efficiency and more than makes up for the previous threat of a trip to the Gulag for slackers. The Soviets also used some of their gold reserves to purchase clothing and shoes from Latin American nations which still have factories producing such things, as well as acquiring huge numbers of uniforms from American manufacturers, meaning that the Soviet people are actually adequately clothed. Morale has improved as the entire Soviet people are constantly reminded that the hour of revenge will come, while the steady stream of deported Jews, Serbs and others from the Reich and its allies provides plenty of fodder for propaganda of the Fascist evil
Huge factory complexes are built in Soviet Central Asia, as well as western Siberia, and much of the industry that remains west of the Urals is moved as well, except for the factories building older model T34s and tractors. Those remain in place as part of the national Maskirovka.
The NVKD, GRU and the Army all work diligently to create a large network of agents, weapons caches and likely recruits for partisan war in Japanese and German Occupied Soviet territory. In the West, the Belorussians are deeply resentful of Polish annexation, while large numbers of ethnic Russians live in the Ukraine, Crimea, and northern Caucasus. These people are carefully screened and approached, as are Russians living in Japanese occupied Siberia, and preparations are made for a partisan uprising. The PO-2 biplane and larger transports flying at night are used to bring in personnel and equipment to aid in this task.
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Wow, very impressive recovery by the USSR there! If Goring can't end the war in the west before the war in the east is renewed, the odds against the Germans and their allies would seem to be long indeed. Sorry if it's been mentioned, but who's in charge of German intelligence? It seems inadequate, to say the least.
Abwehr is still Canaris, while the SD (Reich Security Office) under Schellenburg is running the political end
Gehlen is running Foreign Armies East, and he actually has a good handle on the Soviet OB, missing only the upgraded mech units and artillery divisions, all of which are well in the interior of Soviet territory
The Poles and Germans are still doing well in terms of code-breaking. One difference in this timeline as the Allies do not have Ultra. They do have Magic however and are reading a lot of Japanese codes.
as to the Soviets, they are still under OTL historical production figures, but are doing better than the Germans thought they could. Helps to have massive US assistance (those trucks, all that food, other items like aluminum and telephone wire and radios)
during the War and later in OTL, the Soviet authorities allowed farmers to have private plots. These private plots made up 3% of the land, but produced 25% of the food. The farmers were allowed to sell it. This was discussed as far back as Lenin. When the Germans ended collectivization in the Ukraine the Soviets had to match it. They did to an extent by allowing up to a quarter in some places of the land being held by private plots. Since Stalin is dead, it was easier to adjust the policy
and yes, a lot of American food aid
it lacked the means to do so and had other threats to worry about
the Wehrmacht was down to 50% strength or less in combat units, with the Panzers down to 25%. Both sides were pretty exhausted, so when Stalingrad fell and so did Stalin, the Soviets were willing to accept a peace treaty and the Germans were willing to take it
Goring planned to then deal with the West and then return to the Soviet Problem later
NoMommsen
Donor
Well, now the "flaws" of the treaty of Riga show off :
- As Göring being the boss and knowing how building up an air force under "complicated" circumstances I doubt he would have allowed the SU to build any plane at all.
- I also doubt, that he would have gone with a SU free to size its after their own wishes, some numbers would have been in the treaty
- I also doubt, that there wouldn't have been a thorough controlling for some time of the SU. In terms of their armament, as well as their productions.
For these controls their was the "blue print" of Versailles. And I doubt, that Göring would have forgotten them.
Also I think you are a bit too optimistic about the food relief as well as the speed of building such production capabilities. It takes some time to convert enough land to be comparable productive as the "black earth" regions they've lost.
But well, maybe if they have a lucky weather and very good harvest season 1941 and 1942 ...
However, nice to read, giving some ... inspirations.
- As Göring being the boss and knowing how building up an air force under "complicated" circumstances I doubt he would have allowed the SU to build any plane at all.
- I also doubt, that he would have gone with a SU free to size its after their own wishes, some numbers would have been in the treaty
- I also doubt, that there wouldn't have been a thorough controlling for some time of the SU. In terms of their armament, as well as their productions.
For these controls their was the "blue print" of Versailles. And I doubt, that Göring would have forgotten them.
Also I think you are a bit too optimistic about the food relief as well as the speed of building such production capabilities. It takes some time to convert enough land to be comparable productive as the "black earth" regions they've lost.
But well, maybe if they have a lucky weather and very good harvest season 1941 and 1942 ...
However, nice to read, giving some ... inspirations.
actually the Soviets did pretty well during the Great Patriotic War in preventing starvation and serious malnutrition everywhere except during the Siege of Leningrad according to this book
http://www.amazon.com/Taste-War-World-Battle-Food/dp/0143123017
(which is a highly good read as well, really covers the subject exhaustively). Also a good work for examining why the White farmers in the Kenyan highlands helped cause the Mau Mau rebellion post war, among other subjects such as the Bengal famine, the Japanese created famine in French Indochina and other aspects of World War II and food resources.
I see your point regarding the loss of the Ukraine and upper Caucasus (which is as much a breadbasket for the Soviets as the Ukraine was), but in OTL the Soviets lost them both as well, and managed to hang on. With the political need to open up some land for Soviet farmers (to offset the German competition created by ending collective farms in their territory), and an actual recognition as early as Lenin that small plots were tremendously effective for things like vegetables, eggs, chickens, pork etc, and also throwing in American food aid, the Soviets are doing better food wise in this timeline than in OTL.
As to creating a restriction on Soviet aircraft.... as far as the Luftwaffe determined in the fighting, the Red Air Force was not a serious threat. Taking that into consideration (10:1 kill ratios or more, as in OTL during the first couple of years of fighting), the generally smug sense of German superiority in regards to Soviet abilities, and the fact that trying to prevent aircraft production was unenforcible (considering the size of the remaining Soviet territory), and would likely have prevented the needed peace treaty from happening. Also consider in OTL and this one, the Germans did not comprehend until too late just how effective the Soviets were at mustering resources and translating those resources into the tools of war.
Really was a hell of an achievement by the Soviets.
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NoMommsen
Donor
Probably I am still to ... reasonable ... compared to Göring to feel satisfied with such a treaty .
And about the economics ... maybe on the brink of but - well - might still be in the range of possibility with the right decisions by the right people in the right time. That's what butterflies are for in an alternate history
As said : I like it
And about the economics ... maybe on the brink of but - well - might still be in the range of possibility with the right decisions by the right people in the right time. That's what butterflies are for in an alternate history
As said : I like it
With the improved Luftwaffe thanks to Goring this is a potentially very depressing development for the Russians, maybe the Western Allies too. I can see it making for some uncomfortable times for the Russians when they jump back into the war.
North Africa Campaign and the Struggle for the Mediterranean June 1942 – September 19
The Struggle for the Mediterranean
The fighting dies down after the fall of Algiers in May. Both sides limit themselves to probes as the Allies are reinforcing North Africa with troops from Britain as well as American divisions as they complete training and shipping becomes available. At sea, British submarines are inflicting serious losses on the Italian merchant marine while the RAF is constantly laying mines off the ports of Algiers, Tunis and Bizerte. Meanwhile the Regia Aeronautica and Luftwaffe continue nightly attacks on Malta. Several costly British convoy runs from Egypt manage to keep the island sufficiently in supply to hold out, but destroyers and fast transports begin evacuating women with small children and the disabled and elderly in June. Luckily there are no ships lost, but several are hit and several hundred civilians are killed in the evacuation.
Rommel and Alexander both launch probing attacks around Algiers in August, but aside from inflicting losses on each other, no significant results occur. However the US 1st Army commanded by General McNair is blooded, and the corps commanders Bradley and Clark perform well.
Complaints about the disadvantages that American and British tanks are facing are sent back to their respective governments, and indeed the M3 Lee tank (Grant in British service), as well as the A9 and A13 Cruiser tanks are markedly inferior to the Panzer IV. On the other hand, British and American artillery is far superior to anything the Germans have faced before and their Spanish allies and the Luftwaffe parachute divisions are at even a greater disadvantage as they lack the artillery to respond.
The Axis are also facing some supply problems as too many ships are being sunk carrying supplies, and only enough is getting through to maintain Army Group but not enough to build up the needed reserve for an offensive. The Allies have no such problem, as engineers have expanded the rail line from Casablanca to the Front into a double track rail road and built a paved four lane highway next to it. The troops under Wavell in Libya have more difficulties, but Tripoli has had its port facilities repaired and expanded, and a paved four lane road has been built there to the front as well.
In the air, the Allies are at a serious disadvantage against Spanish and German Fw190s, but in September the first American P47 squadrons arrive, as do British Spitfire IX, both of which are a match for the German fighter. At that point the Allies slowly begin to gain air superiority over North Africa as more American fighter, light bomber and medium bomber groups arrive. This allows the French Air Force to be pulled out of action for the first time so that it can be reequipped and retrained.
Defeat of the Regia Marina
Also in late September, Allied intelligence has determined that the Japanese carrier fleet is out of action due to aircraft and aircrew losses, which frees up Somerville and his 6th Fleet as well as Cunningham and his Eastern Fleet. Both are sent into the Mediterranean with 2 American, 4 British carriers, along with 10 British battleships, numerous cruisers and destroyers and all ships have been extensively modernized or are new to their navies. The Italian surface fleet is swept from the seas east of Malta, and indeed a powerful carrier raid on September 30 inflicts severe damage on the Italian fleet as it hides in Naples, knocking out all of its remaining battleships and cruisers, and sinking numerous destroyers and submarines. The Axis air attacks are beaten off with only minor losses (2 British destroyers and the cruiser Hermione sunk, plus minor damage to the Illustrious and Victorious) as American Wildcats and British Seafires maul the Axis bombers who all too frequently lack fighter escort.
The Free French celebrate
German talks with the Turkish government to enter to the war on the German side falter when news of the Raid on Naples reaches Ankara. In Casablanca, home to so many French Navy families, the celebrations in the streets last all night. News also reaches Casablanca (the new capital of Free France) of the safe arrival of De Gaulle and nearly 25,000 troops and civilians in Alma Ata (Soviet Central Asia) after an epic march and escape from China.
Axis Forces North Africa October 1, 1942
Army Group Afrika (Rommel)
Panzer Armee Afrika (Cruwell)
I Afrika Korps (15th Panzer Division, 29th Panzer Division)
II Afrika Korps (26th Panzer Division, 27th Panzer Division)
German LV Corps (121st Infantry Division, 148th Infantry Division, 176th Infantry Division)
reserve
90th Light (mechanized) Division
II Luftwaffe Flak Corps (6 motorized flak brigades)
9 engineer battalions
Spanish 5th Army
Spanish III Corps (3 infantry divisions)
Spanish VII Corps (3 infantry divisions)
IX Fleiger Korps (7th Fleiger Division, 2nd Parachute Division, 22nd Airlanding Division, 5th Mountain Division)
Italian Army Group Tunisia
5th Army
III Corps (3 infantry divisions)
XIII Corps (3 infantry divisions)
7th Army
XXII Corps (3 infantry divisions)
XI Corps (3 infantry divisions)
reserve
Celere Motorized Cavalry Corps (3 cavalry divisions)
II Armored Corps (2 armored divisions, 1 mechanized infantry divisions)
Folgore Parachute Division
Allied Forces
(special note: all British Corps have a tank brigade attached)
Middle East Command (Wavell)
8th Army (O'Connor)
XIII Corps (Horrocks) (6th, 43rd, 44th Infantry Divisions)
I Corps (Anderson) (46th, 48th, 49th Infantry Divisions)
V Corps (Montgomery) (53rd, 59th, 70th Infantry Divisions)
XXX Corps (Leese) (5th, 45th, 2nd South African Mechanized Infantry Divisions)
9th South African Armored Division
Long Range Desert Group
reserve: 10th Armored Division, 23rd Armored Brigade, 24th Armored Brigade
Libyan Occupation Force
4th, 6th, 12th Infantry Divisions
10th Army – Egypt (Cunningham)
X Corps (Peyton) (1st, 2nd Infantry Divisions, Jewish Brigade, Arab Legion, Greek Brigade)
Egyptian garrison
Cyprus garrison
Sudan garrison
Palestine garrison
en route
III Corps (Anderson) ( Dutch 1st Mechanized Division, British 78th Infantry Division, Belgian Brigade, Czech Brigade)
Allied Forces NW Africa (Alexander)
British 1st Army (Wilson)
VIII Corps (Gott) (3rd, 15th Infantry Divisions, Guards Brigade, 1st Portuguese Brigade)
VI Corps (Dempsey) (1st Armored Division, 2nd Armored Division, 50th Infantry Division, 51st Infantry Division, Guards Tank Brigade, French 1st DBLE)
US 1st Army (McNair)
(special note: All American Corps have 3 tank battalions, 3 tank destroyer battalions attached, all of which are assigned out to divisions plus a mechanized cavalry group for recon)
I Corps (Bradley) (1st, 29th, 34th Infantry Divisions)
IX Corps (Clark) (2nd, 3rd, 26th Infantry Divisions)
1st Armored Division
en route
II Corps (Patton) (4th, 9th, 45th Infantry Divisions)
3 artillery groups, 2 AAA groups, 3 engineer groups,
plus 4 engineer groups in theater
French Army is rebuilding and has no forces in the combat zone as of September 30 1942
The Struggle for the Mediterranean
The fighting dies down after the fall of Algiers in May. Both sides limit themselves to probes as the Allies are reinforcing North Africa with troops from Britain as well as American divisions as they complete training and shipping becomes available. At sea, British submarines are inflicting serious losses on the Italian merchant marine while the RAF is constantly laying mines off the ports of Algiers, Tunis and Bizerte. Meanwhile the Regia Aeronautica and Luftwaffe continue nightly attacks on Malta. Several costly British convoy runs from Egypt manage to keep the island sufficiently in supply to hold out, but destroyers and fast transports begin evacuating women with small children and the disabled and elderly in June. Luckily there are no ships lost, but several are hit and several hundred civilians are killed in the evacuation.
Rommel and Alexander both launch probing attacks around Algiers in August, but aside from inflicting losses on each other, no significant results occur. However the US 1st Army commanded by General McNair is blooded, and the corps commanders Bradley and Clark perform well.
Complaints about the disadvantages that American and British tanks are facing are sent back to their respective governments, and indeed the M3 Lee tank (Grant in British service), as well as the A9 and A13 Cruiser tanks are markedly inferior to the Panzer IV. On the other hand, British and American artillery is far superior to anything the Germans have faced before and their Spanish allies and the Luftwaffe parachute divisions are at even a greater disadvantage as they lack the artillery to respond.
The Axis are also facing some supply problems as too many ships are being sunk carrying supplies, and only enough is getting through to maintain Army Group but not enough to build up the needed reserve for an offensive. The Allies have no such problem, as engineers have expanded the rail line from Casablanca to the Front into a double track rail road and built a paved four lane highway next to it. The troops under Wavell in Libya have more difficulties, but Tripoli has had its port facilities repaired and expanded, and a paved four lane road has been built there to the front as well.
In the air, the Allies are at a serious disadvantage against Spanish and German Fw190s, but in September the first American P47 squadrons arrive, as do British Spitfire IX, both of which are a match for the German fighter. At that point the Allies slowly begin to gain air superiority over North Africa as more American fighter, light bomber and medium bomber groups arrive. This allows the French Air Force to be pulled out of action for the first time so that it can be reequipped and retrained.
Defeat of the Regia Marina
Also in late September, Allied intelligence has determined that the Japanese carrier fleet is out of action due to aircraft and aircrew losses, which frees up Somerville and his 6th Fleet as well as Cunningham and his Eastern Fleet. Both are sent into the Mediterranean with 2 American, 4 British carriers, along with 10 British battleships, numerous cruisers and destroyers and all ships have been extensively modernized or are new to their navies. The Italian surface fleet is swept from the seas east of Malta, and indeed a powerful carrier raid on September 30 inflicts severe damage on the Italian fleet as it hides in Naples, knocking out all of its remaining battleships and cruisers, and sinking numerous destroyers and submarines. The Axis air attacks are beaten off with only minor losses (2 British destroyers and the cruiser Hermione sunk, plus minor damage to the Illustrious and Victorious) as American Wildcats and British Seafires maul the Axis bombers who all too frequently lack fighter escort.
The Free French celebrate
German talks with the Turkish government to enter to the war on the German side falter when news of the Raid on Naples reaches Ankara. In Casablanca, home to so many French Navy families, the celebrations in the streets last all night. News also reaches Casablanca (the new capital of Free France) of the safe arrival of De Gaulle and nearly 25,000 troops and civilians in Alma Ata (Soviet Central Asia) after an epic march and escape from China.
Axis Forces North Africa October 1, 1942
Army Group Afrika (Rommel)
Panzer Armee Afrika (Cruwell)
I Afrika Korps (15th Panzer Division, 29th Panzer Division)
II Afrika Korps (26th Panzer Division, 27th Panzer Division)
German LV Corps (121st Infantry Division, 148th Infantry Division, 176th Infantry Division)
reserve
90th Light (mechanized) Division
II Luftwaffe Flak Corps (6 motorized flak brigades)
9 engineer battalions
Spanish 5th Army
Spanish III Corps (3 infantry divisions)
Spanish VII Corps (3 infantry divisions)
IX Fleiger Korps (7th Fleiger Division, 2nd Parachute Division, 22nd Airlanding Division, 5th Mountain Division)
Italian Army Group Tunisia
5th Army
III Corps (3 infantry divisions)
XIII Corps (3 infantry divisions)
7th Army
XXII Corps (3 infantry divisions)
XI Corps (3 infantry divisions)
reserve
Celere Motorized Cavalry Corps (3 cavalry divisions)
II Armored Corps (2 armored divisions, 1 mechanized infantry divisions)
Folgore Parachute Division
Allied Forces
(special note: all British Corps have a tank brigade attached)
Middle East Command (Wavell)
8th Army (O'Connor)
XIII Corps (Horrocks) (6th, 43rd, 44th Infantry Divisions)
I Corps (Anderson) (46th, 48th, 49th Infantry Divisions)
V Corps (Montgomery) (53rd, 59th, 70th Infantry Divisions)
XXX Corps (Leese) (5th, 45th, 2nd South African Mechanized Infantry Divisions)
9th South African Armored Division
Long Range Desert Group
reserve: 10th Armored Division, 23rd Armored Brigade, 24th Armored Brigade
Libyan Occupation Force
4th, 6th, 12th Infantry Divisions
10th Army – Egypt (Cunningham)
X Corps (Peyton) (1st, 2nd Infantry Divisions, Jewish Brigade, Arab Legion, Greek Brigade)
Egyptian garrison
Cyprus garrison
Sudan garrison
Palestine garrison
en route
III Corps (Anderson) ( Dutch 1st Mechanized Division, British 78th Infantry Division, Belgian Brigade, Czech Brigade)
Allied Forces NW Africa (Alexander)
British 1st Army (Wilson)
VIII Corps (Gott) (3rd, 15th Infantry Divisions, Guards Brigade, 1st Portuguese Brigade)
VI Corps (Dempsey) (1st Armored Division, 2nd Armored Division, 50th Infantry Division, 51st Infantry Division, Guards Tank Brigade, French 1st DBLE)
US 1st Army (McNair)
(special note: All American Corps have 3 tank battalions, 3 tank destroyer battalions attached, all of which are assigned out to divisions plus a mechanized cavalry group for recon)
I Corps (Bradley) (1st, 29th, 34th Infantry Divisions)
IX Corps (Clark) (2nd, 3rd, 26th Infantry Divisions)
1st Armored Division
en route
II Corps (Patton) (4th, 9th, 45th Infantry Divisions)
3 artillery groups, 2 AAA groups, 3 engineer groups,
plus 4 engineer groups in theater
French Army is rebuilding and has no forces in the combat zone as of September 30 1942
Things heat up. Although, I seriously doubt Soviet ability to garner support in Belarus and Ukraine, in preparation for the offensive. Eastern Ukraine was predominantly Ukrainian until the Holodomor. With German help, their Ukrainian puppet would be looking to reukrainize the land quickly. Belarusians were probably not happy with Stalin's USSR either.
Upgrades
Are the Soviets going to upgrade their infantry with assault rifles and anti-armor weapons like the Panzerfaust?
What is the situation now in Italy with the losses in the Mediterranean and North Africa?
Are the Soviets going to upgrade their infantry with assault rifles and anti-armor weapons like the Panzerfaust?
What is the situation now in Italy with the losses in the Mediterranean and North Africa?
Just abolishing collectives would make Ukrainians content enough with replacement of Soviet overlords with German ones. Add to that the fact that pragmatic Goering isn't trying to starve half Ukrainians just for the kicks.
Agreed, definitely curious about small arms, particularly the STG-44 and the MG-42. The STG 44 was very slow in coming due to Hitler's "I'm an infantry guy I know infantry weapons and this is a waste" attitude. Without that I think it could have come on-line late 43, early 44? Assuming the MG 42, which replaced the MG 36 is probably on line already as part of an effective industrial program.....much cheaper to produce as far as I understand.