Not looting. Liberating. A small, but important, distinction.Well I guess the RN will be bringing some beer and rum ashore for the party and the Army will be looting what the Italians left in there cellars.
Not looting. Liberating. A small, but important, distinction.Well I guess the RN will be bringing some beer and rum ashore for the party and the Army will be looting what the Italians left in there cellars.
Yes, looting is what the enemy does. When your men do it, it's liberating enemy supplies. It's important to get the context of things right.Not looting. Liberating. A small, but important, distinction.
AKA, scrounging.Yes, looting is what the enemy does. When your men do it, it's liberating enemy supplies. It's important to get the context of things right.
That's when you liberate, sorry, requisition through non-official channels much needed supplies & equipment that the REMFs have decided are needed elsewhere, instead of the chronically under-supplied Commonwealth expeditionary force those supplies should have gone to. After all, there was a reason the rest of 8th Army and their American allies called 2nd NZ Division "Fryberg and his 40,000 Thieves".AKA, scrounging.
How long would it take to train such an Indian armoured brigade? The Japanese will attack before the convoy has left British waters. I suspect anything going spare will be sent East.As for the speculation that the new 8th armoured devision might be sent to the Far East, I for one seriously doubt that, as in nether Malaya, Singapore or the DEI, is the local infrastructure sufficient to support a heavy armoured force. Far better to strip the 7th armoured devision of all its obsolete equipment, and send that East, before sending the experienced troops home to be the base for two new armoured devisions. And use the obsolete by European standards equipment to form an Indian armoured brigade.
RR.
That would be the one that is already forming?How long would it take to train such an Indian armoured brigade? The Japanese will attack before the convoy has left British waters. I suspect anything going spare will be sent East.
I can’t seem to find the reference, so maybe this was just my memory playing tricks on me.IIRC Weygand is believed to have met a Free French representative IOTL. He later denied it but other evidence seemed to confirm that he had. I will try and track down details when I get a chance.
Wasn’t it Darlan that said this?When he met the American representative once he said something of the order of "land with 500k troops, 3500 planes and 2000 tanks and I'm in".
Both did, just with different, but still big numbers.I can’t seem to find the reference, so maybe this was just my memory playing tricks on me.
Wasn’t it Darlan that said this?
The question is whether Anton triggers a French move to the allies or the other way round. The Germans hold over France is the French POWs and the occupation of the whole of France. They know that Anton will trigger France joining the allies. IOTL the initial fighting of France against the allies, with a past background of previous hard fighting against them in Syria, west Africa and Madagascar, gave the Germans a brief hope of France joining them. But that quickly ended thus Anton was triggered. I do not see Anton being triggered except by the French not resisting the allies. Unilaterally electing Case Anton by the axis would be throwing away their only trump card over the French.Case Anton is going to happen one way of another.
Probably the other way around. The Nazis can make up any flimsy fabrication they like to justify going after France, including French colonies being attacked by the allies.The question is whether Anton triggers a French move to the allies or the other way round. The Germans hold over France is the French POWs and the occupation of the whole of France. They know that Anton will trigger France joining the allies. IOTL the initial fighting of France against the allies, with a past background of previous hard fighting against them in Syria, west Africa and Madagascar, gave the Germans a brief hope of France joining them. But that quickly ended thus Anton was triggered. I do not see Anton being triggered except by the French not resisting the allies. Unilaterally electing Case Anton by the axis would be throwing away their only trump card over the French.
IMO the big thing in the USA. Britain isn't enough of a threat on its own to justify betraying the rest of France for, but once the USA is in the picture, it quite clearly becomes a matter of time for anyone they consider an enemy, so it would be a very good idea not to be considered an enemy.Whether Anton goes a head will depend on if the Vichy continues to be neutral in favour of the Axis. If Weygand jumps ship and drags French North Africa with him then it moves up the time table considerably.
The problem is ITTL we really don't know what he is thinking right now and how the various factors will pressure the way he will jump. He also needs to consider which way the civil administration and his military command could jump as well.
I think though with what's left of the Africa Korps approaching the border will force his hand with whatever he does.
Good point but Britian does have formations closer to the border of French North Africa, battle tested formations that have more heavy equipment than he does with Naval support and air power and considering Japan hasn't hit Peral yet this will factor into their calculations as well as the fact that the Levant is cut off as well.IMO the big thing in the USA. Britain isn't enough of a threat on its own to justify betraying the rest of France for, but once the USA is in the picture, it quite clearly becomes a matter of time for anyone they consider an enemy, so it would be a very good idea not to be considered an enemy.
True. But there's also the point that the British still (at this point) view him as neutral, rather than an enemy. Further, the French have the Mareth Line. So the British aren't an immediate threat to his own position. Once the Americans come in, that changes.Good point but Britian does have formations closer to the border of French North Africa, battle tested formations that have more heavy equipment than he does with Naval support and air power and considering Japan hasn't hit Peral yet this will factor into their calculations as well as the fact that the Levant is cut off as well.
Which has been stripped of its weapons and abandoned since the Fall of France.Further, the French have the Mareth Line.
Wouldn't it have been built up at least a bit over the past year?Which has been stripped of its weapons and abandoned since the Fall of France.
I doubt it, the Armistice Commission observers in North Africa would have kept a close eye on it. Restoring the Mareth Line would be an indication that FNA is planning to join the Free French.Wouldn't it have been built up at least a bit over the past year?