? A German 'Market garden' ? "An oilfield too far" ?
Very sorry, couldn't resist. :blush:
Or,
"Letters from South Caucasus" - "The Guns of Baku" - "Sands of Baku"
It just gets worse from there....
? A German 'Market garden' ? "An oilfield too far" ?
Very sorry, couldn't resist. :blush:
I think such an airborne operation could be very successful as long as the Germans don't overreach, which was a bad problem in OTL but things are different here.Yes, something to ensure the already hard-pressed Soviet defenses unravel completely. The location and the exact timing are yet to be determined, however.
The comparison does highlight the difficulties inherent in such undertakings, which are worth keeping in mind.
Or,
"Letters from South Caucasus" - "The Guns of Baku" - "Sands of Baku"
It just gets worse from there....
I think such an airborne operation could be very successful as long as the Germans don't overreach, which was a bad problem in OTL but things are different here.
One of the key issues (see WW1) was the lack of rail / roads to run an effective offensive into Russia
Why am I reminded of Marching Through Georgia here with all these title puns?
Perhaps some of these will become TTL postwar movie titles.
I can see the comparison now that you mention it.
Agree. Paratroopers are a nice addition, and could have their use in some specific areas, but the USSR is not Western Europe, logistics is far more important."Back in the USSR?" While the Paratrooper idea is good, I would focus on logistics and logistics again. The best troops and equipment mean nothing without fuel, food and ammunition.
I read somewhere once ("Inside the Third Reich" maybe) that Albert Speer tried to put together such an organization at the start of the war but Hitler told him to stick to architecture, that the war would be over soon and he had more important things for him (Speer) to do.Did Germany have organizations/versions of anything like what the Seabee's were for the US in the Pacific?
I've often thought that was one of Germany's major flaws in Barbarossa. They knew how bad the transportation logistics were prior to the invasion. They should have had "divisions" of construction people following the advances creating logistics infrastructure.
I read somewhere once ("Inside the Third Reich" maybe) that Albert Speer tried to put together such an organization at the start of the war but Hitler told him to stick to architecture, that the war would be over soon and he had more important things for him (Speer) to do.
Another one of Hitler's brilliant decisions.
I agree but Speer isn't trying to take credit for someone else's accomplishment since no such organization was was put together but he could be taking advantage of hindsight here.I thought Speer was another of those people we overrate when they actually took credit for other people's accomplishments. Of course, Nazi Germany being what it was, no doubt they had a lot of those.
Well, so long as Wagner's regime remain recognizably Nazis, it might be considered bad taste to make puns about their triumph.
Oh, right, mustn't forget Springtime for Wagner, if that hasn't been done yet.
"Marching Through Caucasia" does have a nice ring to it, suitable as a chapter title.
"Back in the USSR?" While the Paratrooper idea is good, I would focus on logistics and logistics again. The best troops and equipment mean nothing without fuel, food and ammunition.
Agree. Paratroopers are a nice addition, and could have their use in some specific areas, but the USSR is not Western Europe, logistics is far more important.
Paratrooper missions could provide some valuable experience for postwar German doctrines, but they are unlikely to have a huge impact on Barbarossa.
Did Germany have organizations/versions of anything like what the Seabee's were for the US in the Pacific?
I've often thought that was one of Germany's major flaws in Barbarossa. They knew how bad the transportation logistics were prior to the invasion. They should have had "divisions" of construction people following the advances creating logistics infrastructure.
I read somewhere once ("Inside the Third Reich" maybe) that Albert Speer tried to put together such an organization at the start of the war but Hitler told him to stick to architecture, that the war would be over soon and he had more important things for him (Speer) to do.
Another one of Hitler's brilliant decisions.
I thought Speer was another of those people we overrate when they actually took credit for other people's accomplishments. Of course, Nazi Germany being what it was, no doubt they had a lot of those.
I agree but Speer isn't trying to take credit for someone else's accomplishment since no such organization was was put together but he could be taking advantage of hindsight here.
I suppose there might be some truth to his statement, he would've known what people to use since the Tod't Organization did this kind of work but IRRC only inside of Germany and he was an assistant to Todt.
My understanding is that they didn't place as much weight to such knowledge as the extent of Soviet reserves was underestimated significantly, and as a result, it was thought that the serious fighting was going to take place relatively close to the border, where the bulk of the Red Army would be destroyed, allowing for a relatively unopposed advance farther east.
How else would you imagine the operation going ahead as OTL?This seems incredibly short sighted, almost hard to believe. Knowing that they needed to travel some 700 miles from the front lines to Moscow you still have to run supplies behind your army. I find it hard to imagine an organization run as efficiently as the Wehrmacht would have a blind spot this large. Wow!
From what I understand, German logistics for Barbarossa were woefully inadequate and short sighted.This seems incredibly short sighted, almost hard to believe. Knowing that they needed to travel some 700 miles from the front lines to Moscow you still have to run supplies behind your army. I find it hard to imagine an organization run as efficiently as the Wehrmacht would have a blind spot this large. Wow!
The OTL Wehrmacht was not as efficient in some areas as it was in some others.