What I imagine is that the protests started peaceful, but quickly escalated as the SS panicked and ordered crackdowns, only leading to large fears for reasons i’ll explain soon. But, i’ll admit, valid critique on the shore bombardment. I’ll most likely have an update on an after action report of Rotterdam, most likely after like two other posts. Rn I think I need to get out what’s happening on army group A before I talk anymore about the Netherlands.
Trapped Fox, a WW2 TL
- Thread starter CrimsonCosmonaut
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What I imagine is that the protests started peaceful, but quickly escalated as the SS panicked and ordered crackdowns, only leading to large fears for reasons i’ll explain soon. But, i’ll admit, valid critique on the shore bombardment. I’ll most likely have an update on an after action report of Rotterdam, most likely after like two other posts. Rn I think I need to get out what’s happening on army group A before I talk anymore about the Netherlands.
Losing Faith
Sorry for not updating in so long! I had been busy with school and dealing with writer’s block, i’ll try to not be as miserable with this update schedule next time!
June 2, 1940
Manstein looked wearily at his peers. Halder
and Rundstedt stood on the left and right sides of the table, respectively. Kesselring was on his side, his face a ghastly white. The room they were in wasn’t very big, not much more than a villa along the Moselle near the Luxembourgish border. The windows were closed, and the light from them magnified the stuffy summer air of the room. Looking outside the villa, SS guards stood outside watching, and some were near the doors. Manstein felt even more uncomfortable. Around Wehrmacht guards he’d feel safer, but the SS has every reason to hurt him. On the other side of the table, sat the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler. The entire building was silent, until Hitler growled “I asked you a question Halder, answer.” Halder cleared his throat, and leaned towards the map of the Benelux and Northern France. “Bock’s forces were defeated at Rotterdam on the 26th. Dutch resistance efforts forced Bock to relocate his headquarters to Eindhoven. British and Dutch forces have made a spearhead towards Amsterdam and operations have taken place against Holland. Paratrooper battalions were encircled in Zeeland, however our forces have gather to retake Rotterdam and reestablish friendly positions within the Netherlands. Further south, group B had to pull armor from Belgium to relieve the position in the Netherlands, this has allowed French and Belgian armies to take land up to the Meuse, recapturing Antwerp and Brussels.” Halder sighed. Rundstedt and Manstein stared at each other, both our faces pale and slicked with a glistening sweat. The true disaster was yet to be revealed to the Fuhrer. Halder inhaled “The entire XV corps has been encircled and annihilated, the corps consisting of the 5th and 7th Panzer divisions and the 62nd infantry. French armored offensives towards Sedan resulted in our defeats. The 2nd Panzer and the Großdeutcheland have been routed. The fall of Sedan has resulted in the collective pocketing of over half of the XIV corps and the destruction of the 3rd Infantry. the rest of our forces evacuated the Sickle, although the fourth army was forced to abandon 1/6 of heavy equipment to make it across the Meuse in time.” Hitler confusedly asked “Does Bock have an explanation for the resistance in the Netherlands?” Manstein sighed. At least he didn’t ask why he was still breathing, at least, not yet. Halder continued “In the eve of the Anglo-French counterassault, Wehrmacht forces...” Halder knew what would happen if he said it, but still carried on. “Lost faith in the war. Large scale mutinies and deserters, and soldiers looted the countryside. SS soldiers deployed to stop the savagery ended up escalating the conflict, and the civilians, caught in crossfire, began spreading rumors that our armies were going to massacre the cities and destroy the infrastructure.” Rundstedt sat down. All Hitler did was blankly state at the map. Hitler knew what this meant. This was our Marne, our Gettysburg. Hitler then spoke. “Alright then. Assume defensive positions along the Meuse, we will focus our efforts on holding Holland. Their air forces have surely been damaged, we will perform defensive operations and retaliatory attacks against the forces in Zeeland. And tell that good for nothing, oriental sack of bones named Kesselring to fix this goddamn mess.” Hitler dismissed them all, and Manstein left the villa into the crisp summer air. He could feel the ever slight tingle of the coming early autumn breeze, but paid no mind to it. As Rundstedt and Halder embarked on their motorcade, Manstein felt a chill down his spine. He knew Hitler’s patience with him was thinning, and understood the precarious position he was in. Manstein however, knew this. Regardless of the outcome of this war, he was going to make sure he made it out of this alive.
June 2, 1940
Manstein looked wearily at his peers. Halder
and Rundstedt stood on the left and right sides of the table, respectively. Kesselring was on his side, his face a ghastly white. The room they were in wasn’t very big, not much more than a villa along the Moselle near the Luxembourgish border. The windows were closed, and the light from them magnified the stuffy summer air of the room. Looking outside the villa, SS guards stood outside watching, and some were near the doors. Manstein felt even more uncomfortable. Around Wehrmacht guards he’d feel safer, but the SS has every reason to hurt him. On the other side of the table, sat the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler. The entire building was silent, until Hitler growled “I asked you a question Halder, answer.” Halder cleared his throat, and leaned towards the map of the Benelux and Northern France. “Bock’s forces were defeated at Rotterdam on the 26th. Dutch resistance efforts forced Bock to relocate his headquarters to Eindhoven. British and Dutch forces have made a spearhead towards Amsterdam and operations have taken place against Holland. Paratrooper battalions were encircled in Zeeland, however our forces have gather to retake Rotterdam and reestablish friendly positions within the Netherlands. Further south, group B had to pull armor from Belgium to relieve the position in the Netherlands, this has allowed French and Belgian armies to take land up to the Meuse, recapturing Antwerp and Brussels.” Halder sighed. Rundstedt and Manstein stared at each other, both our faces pale and slicked with a glistening sweat. The true disaster was yet to be revealed to the Fuhrer. Halder inhaled “The entire XV corps has been encircled and annihilated, the corps consisting of the 5th and 7th Panzer divisions and the 62nd infantry. French armored offensives towards Sedan resulted in our defeats. The 2nd Panzer and the Großdeutcheland have been routed. The fall of Sedan has resulted in the collective pocketing of over half of the XIV corps and the destruction of the 3rd Infantry. the rest of our forces evacuated the Sickle, although the fourth army was forced to abandon 1/6 of heavy equipment to make it across the Meuse in time.” Hitler confusedly asked “Does Bock have an explanation for the resistance in the Netherlands?” Manstein sighed. At least he didn’t ask why he was still breathing, at least, not yet. Halder continued “In the eve of the Anglo-French counterassault, Wehrmacht forces...” Halder knew what would happen if he said it, but still carried on. “Lost faith in the war. Large scale mutinies and deserters, and soldiers looted the countryside. SS soldiers deployed to stop the savagery ended up escalating the conflict, and the civilians, caught in crossfire, began spreading rumors that our armies were going to massacre the cities and destroy the infrastructure.” Rundstedt sat down. All Hitler did was blankly state at the map. Hitler knew what this meant. This was our Marne, our Gettysburg. Hitler then spoke. “Alright then. Assume defensive positions along the Meuse, we will focus our efforts on holding Holland. Their air forces have surely been damaged, we will perform defensive operations and retaliatory attacks against the forces in Zeeland. And tell that good for nothing, oriental sack of bones named Kesselring to fix this goddamn mess.” Hitler dismissed them all, and Manstein left the villa into the crisp summer air. He could feel the ever slight tingle of the coming early autumn breeze, but paid no mind to it. As Rundstedt and Halder embarked on their motorcade, Manstein felt a chill down his spine. He knew Hitler’s patience with him was thinning, and understood the precarious position he was in. Manstein however, knew this. Regardless of the outcome of this war, he was going to make sure he made it out of this alive.
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The reason Manstein is executed is because for Hitler, this is the most crushing defeat. Hitler’s hopes of giving the quick victory he promised the German people are dashed, and in a fit of rage, kills Manstein, who he blames for the failure. Hitler basically now believes he’s destined to be Kaiser Willhelm 2.0, and so begins to have a mental breakdown. Manstein just happens to be the convenient scapegoat for the failures and right next to him.
Ramontxo
Donor
Of course this is going the way to be a MONUMENTAL German wank. Avoiding the wholesome destruction and with the Nazis throughly disgraced, no one is going to understand why Hitler didn't stop after Munich, no holocaust of course but ITTL the night of broken glass and the racist laws etc.
I’m going to make the war more static like ww1, at least in the west. Germany is gonna survive until around 43-44
Ramontxo
Donor
Without taking France. With Musso most probably waiting out. Don't think the Nazis would be able to sustain themselves for three or four years.
I have a lot planned for Mussolini. Italy and Russia are going to be a bit more ambitious with West Europe at war.
Assuming that no invasion of the USSR happens and Stalin , normally very cautious , stays out then 43 is probably tops. Not only does Germany have a lot less resources but the Ruhr is in escorted fighter distance of the front.
You mean that Stalin liberated (takes the rest of Poland after the Germans are almost beat and have almost no troops left in Poland and installs a "friendly" goverment…..
Well, Russia is about to take Bessarabia soon, although Russian control of Romanian oil fields with little threat from a possible German attack is, enticing, to say the least...
Not like Hitler can truly say "No" to Stalin, when he desperately needs Soviet resources to hold the line. Soon, Stalin will be in position to ask for anything except Berlin...
Also, would Hitler order the death of generals over failure ? It sounds more like Stalin.
Also, Rotterdam is 25 km inland. Battleship guns could reach that far, barely, but the British would not risk a battleship that close to German airbases, and without very good spotting they would be firing blind into a friendly city.
I really do not see Germany holding out for that long.
Entante is currently rapidly rearming, France by itself produced more tanks then Germany in 1940 before it surrendered, and when you consider Britain and its dominions into that equation, it really starts looking bad. Germans may have the advantage in doctrine and tactics, but that advantage is going to melt rapidly under the crushing Anglo-French superiority in equipment and firepower. Entante is also going to learn a lot from the near disaster, and even at the very end of the battle French troops have started using mutually supportive Headgehog positions and had some limited success, and by the time they go on the offensive in Spring of 1941, Entante armies will be much different and dangerous opponents then in Spring of 1940.
Add to that the losses the Germans have taken amongst some of their most mobile and armoured formations, while the most of their army is still horsebound, against partially motorized French and completely motorized British/Commonwealth forces coming in. Without French resources and factories prospects are even grimmer, not to mention that Romanians are still supplying Oil to France, which means that Oil is out of German hands, or at least a large portion of it. Not to mention that they only have Czech and Polish lands to plunder for various materials, Sweden may not be so willing to sell to Germany, as there is a possibility that parts of Norway are held by Entante still. German economy is going to overheat by mid-42 at the latest I believe, not that there will be too much of an economy left, especially considering that Entante can send tactical bombers to Ruhr with ease, and Entante aerial strength is going to keep growing, and receiving better airframes too.
Med is a Entante lake, Mussolini is going to keep quiet and thank God that he did not jump in, and with U-Boats not able to use French ports, shipping losses will be minimal (at least compared to OTL), not to mention that Brits and French have quite a few new toys in development phase. Add to all this several dozen things I have forgotten, but I assure you, there is no way that Germany holds out until 1944 ITTL.
Take a look at @pdf27 excellent TL, The Blunted Sickle, and then you really see just how bad the situation the Germans find themselves, if France does not fall.
Actually, the Germans would only be able to hold on that long if Soviet Union sells resources at really low price, as well as start producing German-licensed gear and deliver it to Hitler.
I honestly don’t know. Manstein is probably the only general i’m going to have killed, and that’s because Hitler himself, being a ww1 vet, is traumatized by the similar position he finds himself in, and blames Manstein for destroying Germany’s hopes for a quick victory and to what he sees as a general failure on the soldier’s part.
You’re right. I’ll tweak it up, have the bombardment more focused from land artillery and planes.
At this point not over military failure not likely. In his last couple months in his bunker when he was a demented basket case you never know.
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