Hitler’s will Hitler’s war!

kenmac

Banned
Hitler’s will Hitler’s war!

October 27th 1940

Aboard the train Amerika Southern Germany .

Ribbentrop: Mein Fuhrer word from our military attaché in Rome is that it is now practically certain that Mussolini will attack Greece early tomorrow morning.

An agitated Hitler turns to Ribentropp.

Hitler: The Italians will never get anywhere in the autumn rains and winter snows.
Besides consequences of war in the Balkans are quite unpredictable.

Ribbentrop: Mein Fuhrer you must do all you can to hold up this crazy scheme of the Duce’s.

Hitler: we shall head to Italy at once.

After this short meeting in which Hitler’s anger increased at the prospect of the Italian move and he criticised not only the plan of attack but the Italians and Mussolini himself the meeting was ended.
Ribbentrop immediately put his staff to work preparing a message for Rome that criticised the intended attack in strong language.
Within an hour the message was brought before the Fuhrer to sign.
The Fuhrer looked at the message before him in silence.
To Ribbentrop this pause seems like an age before the fuhrer placed his signature on the page.
Ribbentrop rushed to have the message sent to the Duce.

In Rome the message arrives on the desk of a grim faced Mussolini.

Ciano: Hitler does not wish us to attack Greece.
He has advised an immediate delay of the attack until he can meet with you personally tomorrow.

Mussolini: Send a message to the Commando Supremo to delay the attack.

Ciano: But Il Duce you said to me just the other day that Hitler always faces you with a fait accompli we he moves against another country and you were going to do the same to him this time.

Mussolini looks slightly surprised to hear Ciano quote his own words back to him.

Mussolini: We will delay the attack to hear what Hitler has to say.
Do not worry Ciano the equilibrium will soon be restored.

Hitler-train.jpg


Hitler heading towards Italy aboard the Amerika.
 
Well at least you had Ciano quote Benny's otl thoughts about why he didn't tell the Germans about his invasion plans in Greece.

In all likelyhood if Hitler finds out early enough before hand he can try and talk benny out of it...

several major potential butterflies

1. no operation mercury so the mystique of the german paratrooper remains perhaps to be used on Malta or somewhere in Russia

2. the british don't take troops away from operation compass which may lead to benny being ejected from africa before rommel and his boys get there to help

3. the axis doesn't get stuck with brutal partisan war in the balkans giving them more available field forces to employ against russia

Benny was pretty set on Greece though, Adolf will have to do a lot of threatening and or sweet talking to change his mind
 

kenmac

Banned
Hitler’s will Hitler’s war! The Fuhrer in Florence (Chapter 2)

The Fuhrer in Florence (Chapter 2)

The next morning at 10am as the Amerika pulls into Bologna the Fuhrer receives pleasing news.
A member of German liaison staff brings word that the Duce has delayed the invasion of Greece.

Hitler: Great news we can not let Italian duplicity stand in the way of the onward march of Germany.
I know why the Duce is attempting this it is revenge for Norway and France.
However he shall be brought back from such crazy ideas.

Hitler went on in an elated bout of excitement that -

Hitler: We must bare in mind that every Italian is a potential traitor or a spy.

His excitement calmed as he sat in his chair and began to consider things in a calmer manner.

Hitler: Maybe im being unfair to our Italian allies.
The Duce has mealy done this to counter our growing economic power in the Balkans.
Im greatly disturbed by this ridiculous Italian invasion idea it could if I allow the Italians to go ahead have grave consequences.
The British would welcome an opportunity to set up an airbase in the Balkans.

An hour later the Amerika pulled into Florence.
A stern faced Mussolini came to greet the Fuhrer.
Hitler smiled and thanked the Duce in a most happy manner for the urgent opportunity to see his great ally.
Mussolini was aloof and much less friendly than usual but smiled back.
However after an ecstatic greeting by the crowds outside the Palazzo Pitti where the talks would take place and requests by the crowd for the two leaders to appear and re-appear on the balcony Mussolini became his usual much more jovial self.

Soon the talks began.

Mussolini: Perhaps we should get down to the most important issue first before you tell me of your trip the issue of Greece.

Hitler: I understand Italian concerns with our recent moves into Romania Il Duce but I can assure you we have no claim in Italian Petroleum interests there but only warding off Soviet forces to the East who wish to seize such recourses.

Mussolini: We in Italy see the Balkans as very much our zone of influence.

Hitler: We too understand this and thus will see the Eastern end of the Balkans protected from any Soviet invasion.
But I must advise against an attack on Greece or Yugoslavia.
I also wished to discuss with you a new direction for our co-operation.

Mussolini: Ohh tell me more.

Hitler: I see the Island of Malta as a serious problem to us both in our future dealings with the English and that it rightly should be part of Italy.
Now I understand your forces are engaged in Libya and Egypt so we would be willing to offer a Panzer division and what ever air units you consider necessary in being needed to capture Malta.

Mussolini: If we choose to change our attack from Greece we could manage to take Malta alone.
In fact we could take both without cancelling the attack on Greece.

Hitler: Even if the might of Italy can manage such a feet I think is important we begin to work together on these issues.
After my recent trip to see Franco and Petain I was not assured we could gain allies of any note and thus we may have to ensure the Balkans brings forth some minor allies to our join banner.

Mussolini: Ahh as I said Petain and the French are not to be trusted and are no friends of the Axis.

Hitler pauses for a moment thinking over his disappointing talks with Petain and Lavel and the even more torturous one with Franco and his disappointment as not gaining new allies.
He now decides to offer Mussolini some thing more solid to bring him round to his way of thinking.
Hitler: You may be right my friend hence the reason ive rushed to see you today.
I wished to make you a secret guarantee today that on the end of fighting with the English, Italy shall gain possession of Nice, Savoy, Tunisia, Corsica and Djibouti.

It is now Mussolini who thinks hard.
He remembers his initial request for these areas in the summer from the armistice proposals that he so quickly withdrew through fear of being thought to be reaching for the scraps from Germanys table.
He thinks how he so wanted to send another request to get what wanted but feared looking the fool were he to ask for a second time.
Thus he had let them slip from his grasp but now the gods had presented him with another chance.
It was as if fate was on his side.
He began his response.

Mussolini: I now understand and appreciate your visit so much more, you have come to seek Italy’s co-operation in our future endeavours.
I will cancel our intended plans for Greece and any we may have had for Yugoslavia and consider your generous but militarily unneeded offer of troops.

Hitler: A most wise decision.
I can see within a year Italy shall have carved out a large Empire in North Africa and will have turned the Mediterranean into an Italian lake.

After much further talk on more minor issues and further details of Hitler’s talks with the Spanish and the French the meeting was closed.
Mussolini leaves in an elated mood proud in his mind of having gained a great diplomatic victory through the land he has gained without a shot being fired.
A military and strategic genius he thinks to himself.
Hitler leaves in a much more sombre mood knowing if loose Italian lips from Mussolini’s entourage like Ciano open their mouths on the deal to foreign ears his good relations with France and even the glimmer of an alliance with them would be over for good.
But at the back of his mind he knows he has averted any serious future problems in the Balkans.



Hitler+with+Mussolini+in+Florence,+Italy+on+October+28,+1940.+Photo+captioned+and+dated+November+10,+1940.+Location+is+the+Palzzzo+Pitti+after+a+concert.jpg


Hitler and Mussolini in Florence October 1940.
 
Oh, Hercules... always an interesting story... will be interested to hear it

it seems you have or are creating the Africa corps (perhaps a smaller one since you copied Hitler's original offer) 4 months earlier than OTL which can have dramatic effects on operation compass since Rommel or whomever you insert into the theater (likely von Funk with the early start date, maybe even Guderian) won't just run away at the sight of British tanks
 

kenmac

Banned
Calm before the storm (Chapter 3)

Early November in Rome

Mussolini arrived back in Rome in high spirits knowing he had just half built the New Italian Empire without a shot being fired.
As long as he now defeats the English of course.

He was made aware by the Germans that a large air group and a single Panzer division would be sent to assist in the attack on Malta.
What the Germans do not know is that Mussolini intends to use only Italian troops and equipment for the sea born part of the invasion.

He asks Marshal Badoglio to start drawing up plans for Malta.

Pbadoglio


Marshal Badoglio Commando Supremo.

His first orders were to have all the forces arrayed in Albania and Italy planned for use against Greece and Yugoslavia sent to the Libyan front or to be prepared for use against Malta.

On the Naval front the fleet at Taranto and a number of other vessels transferred to more southerly ports.
The Regia Marina moves it’s ships to Messina, Reggio Calabria, Augusta and Cagliari.

A lot of Italian airpower to also ordered to Sicily.

The Duce’s mood is lifted further on the 6th when he hears an English counter attack in Sudan has been repulsed by the Duke of Aosta’s forces with the loss of 6 RAF Gladiators.


Duke of Aosta in East Africa.

This spurs the Duce again to ask for General Graziani to begen the push to Alexandria.
But still the General refuses to do so.
Graziani is still demanding more tanks, transport and supplies.
Something Mussolini is now in a much better position to give him since the cancellation of an action in the Balkans.

rodolfo_graziani-tm.jpg

General Graziani Commander of the Italian Forces in Libya.

Aside from is growing impatience with Graziani, Mussolini now confidently awaits the plans for invasion of Malta.
 
Transferring more Italian divisions to Africa is a bad idea. The limited infrastructure in Libya could handle 8 Italian and 3 German divisions with only extreme difficulty (even without Malta... there are only so many roads that can be used there)

Better to bring the Panzer division to Libya to spearhead Graziani's attack and leave additional room in the order of battle for more German units to be committed
 
Interesting, just a couple of suggestions

He asks Marshal Badoglio to start drawing up plans for Malta.
Badoglio was incompetent (Ethiopia), despised by most soldiers (involved in Caporetto) and not trusted by Mussolini (and he was right: Badoglio will substitute Mussolini after his deposition in 1943 and will jail him).
I'd advice... anyone else

The Regia Marina moves it’s ships to Messina, Reggio Calabria, Augusta and Cagliari.
Taranto would be a far more sensible base of operations for the fleet
apart from that, it was the only port in the area capable of harbouring a decently-sized fleet
 
Interesting, just a couple of suggestions


Badoglio was incompetent (Ethiopia), despised by most soldiers (involved in Caporetto) and not trusted by Mussolini (and he was right: Badoglio will substitute Mussolini after his deposition in 1943 and will jail him).
I'd advice... anyone else


Taranto would be a far more sensible base of operations for the fleet
apart from that, it was the only port in the area capable of harbouring a decently-sized fleet

Ettore Bastico and Mario Rotta held competant commands in Spain... far better choices
 

kenmac

Banned
Transferring more Italian divisions to Africa is a bad idea. The limited infrastructure in Libya could handle 8 Italian and 3 German divisions with only extreme difficulty (even without Malta... there are only so many roads that can be used there)

Better to bring the Panzer division to Libya to spearhead Graziani's attack and leave additional room in the order of battle for more German units to be committed

Graziani is mainly asking for M11/39 tanks and trucks for transport.
As for Mussolini's choice of using only Italian forces for the Sea born invasion of Italy it will leave the German Panzer division sat idle in Southern Italy.
Which may be of use when the British move against Graziani.
 

kenmac

Banned
Badoglio was incompetent (Ethiopia), despised by most soldiers (involved in Caporetto) and not trusted by Mussolini (and he was right: Badoglio will substitute Mussolini after his deposition in 1943 and will jail him).
I'd advice... anyone else

Badoglio in this TL hasnt made his poor display in Greece so he is still top of the tree for now.

Taranto would be a far more sensible base of operations for the fleet
apart from that, it was the only port in the area capable of harbouring a decently-sized fleet

The other ports are closer to Malta To Mussolini the idea was to move everything South in time for Malta.
He wasnt a great strategic thinker.
 
Graziani is mainly asking for M11/39 tanks and trucks for transport.
As for Mussolini's choice of using only Italian forces for the Sea born invasion of Italy it will leave the German Panzer division sat idle in Southern Italy.
Which may be of use when the British move against Graziani.

Malta at this point wasn't particularly heavily defended so the Italians if they committ enough units will get it (although they will probably take heavy casualties in the process)

Leaving the panzer division supine before operation compass is also a bad idea. Operation sunflower (the initial transfer of Rommel and the 5th light division to Tripoli) went off without a hitch because the Germans committed a ton of aircraft to fly top cover and Malta wasn't serious threat at that point. It took Rommel 5 weeks to get the division fully formed and even then it took another 8 weeks of desert proofing before it was a functional unit (installing sand filters on tanks didn't come up as a smart idea before they left for some reason)
 
For an amphibious operation probably Borgese would be the best choice
Caviglia and De Bono are too old, Balbo is dead (I think).
Otherwise I'd advice Messe
 
Graziani has advanced to Sidi Barrani by the POD, and the Brits are already planning their offensive that turns into the Battle of the Camps. I don't see anything in the timeline that changes the pasting the Italians are about to get. Possibly the advent of a Panzer division a bit early will save something from the wreck of the 10th army.

You know operation Judgement is coming, and the Brits are watching the Italian fleet movements closely. This should be interesting
 
Graziani has advanced to Sidi Barrani by the POD, and the Brits are already planning their offensive that turns into the Battle of the Camps. I don't see anything in the timeline that changes the pasting the Italians are about to get. Possibly the advent of a Panzer division a bit early will save something from the wreck of the 10th army.

You know operation Judgement is coming, and the Brits are watching the Italian fleet movements closely. This should be interesting

More ships = more preys.
On the other hand, preparing to attack malta = much more air cover
 
operation judgement was a night attack, and the italians don't have any radar....

Taranto harbor is a pretty small area... in theory they could fight by wild sau (wild boar; light up the area with search lights so single engine fighters can see and attack the bombers... this was done somewhat successfully over Berlin in 1943 whilst the Lichenstein (emil-emil) radars where still in the teething stage)
 
But how do they know the brits are coming? Taranto was an absolute surprise, and no one but the brits thought a night attack with swordfish torp bombers in a shallow harbour was remotely possible. How do you prepare for some thing you consider impossible?

The two waves did go in an hour and a half apart, and the second wave was unopposed as well. Possibly a better reaction to the second wave puts something in the air, but that maybe only saves Caio Dulio as the first wave got Littorio and Conte de Cavour anyway.
 
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