War makes for Strange Bedfellows – A Second World War timeline

[Stark]

So a pro-British Finland in exchange for a pro-German Sweden... It seems Germany got the stronger ally.

 

[Lalli]

So a pro-British Finland in exchange for a pro-German Sweden... It seems Germany got the stronger ally.

Yes. This is going to be intresting. And Sweden is now basically in same position as Finland was in OTL during COntinuation War.

 

[BurkeanLibCon]

Chapter 14 – All Loud on the Western Front
Western Front (Part 2)
May 1940​

After the fall of Eben-Emael, all the Allies plans fell into total disarray. It’s fall allowed for the Germans to rapidly advance to the Albert Canal, establishing bridgeheads across before the British could reach it. With the questionable nature of the Dyle Plan thrown out of the window, you’d think the Allies would change their plans. But no, the French maintained their rigid commitment to their timetables, as if blind to the events on the battlefield. This was not helped at all by the poor communication among the French Army, with Gamelin leading the war effort from the Château de Vincennes in the French countryside [1]. It was as though the French High Command had never heard the phrase “no plan survives contact with the enemy [2]”.

But the worst was yet to come for the Allies. On the night of the 11 May, the British 3rd Infantry Division arrived at Leuven on the Dyle. However, the Belgian 10th Infantry Division already there open fired fire on the Brits, mistaking them for Germans. The friendly fire incident only ended after General Montgomery was shot in the chest and yelled out “Argh, shit!” Despite rushing him to a nearby medical unit and giving him urgent medical attention, Montgomery died early on the morning of the 12th from blood loss [3].

General Bernard Law Montgomery
(17 November 1887 - 12 May 1940, aged 52)

That same day, the French 1st Army arrived in the town of Gembloux. Their task was to cover a flat, unfortified position in the Belgian defences known as the “Gembloux gap.” The German plan was to seize the area around Gembloux to draw the main Allied armoured force away from the Ardennes, where the real action was going to happen [4]. The French sent two divisions, armed with SOMUA S35s, forward to engage the Germans in a delaying action to allow the rest of the French force to dig in. The Battle of Hannut was the largest tank battle of the Second World War up to that point [5].

SOMUA S35 tank, like the ones used by the French Army in Belgium 1940

Meanwhile, to the south, the Germans broke through the French defences at Sedan at the same time as the Dutch Army surrendered (except there forces in Zealand). The defeat at Sedan was truly disastrous, allowing for the Germans to begin their almost suicidal charge across Northern France. The Allies faced being cut off and begun a general retreat in Belgium whilst the Germans continued their advance.

The campaign in the west had impacts elsewhere. After the Germans had forced the Dutch to surrender by carpet-bombing the port city of Rotterdam on the 14th, RAF Bomber Command got permission to bomb German targets east of the Rhineland on the 15th. The first raid on the 15/16t, 96 bombers set off to bomb the Ruhr. 78 out of the 96 were charged with hitting oil-related targets. Only 24 hit their target [6]. On the 18th, British bombers took off from Sola Air Station in Norway to bomb the German port of Wilhelmshaven. The next night, the Germans retaliated by bombing airfields and industrial targets in Stavanger and Oslo. The German bombing brought about a Norwegian declaration of war on Germany and the Soviet Union. However, there was no combat between Swedish and Norwegian forces as both sides dug in at the border, continuing the Scandinavian “Sitzkrieg” as the western one ended.

Things continued to go from bad to worse for the Allies. On the 20th, Gamelin ordered Allied forces in Belgium and Northern France to fight south and join forces fighting up to the Somme. Despite Gort’s doubts about the French plan, he fortified Arras and on the 21st, counterattacked the Germans. During the battle, British and French forces advanced 10 miles. The British tanks performed very well, German shells bouncing off the armour of the Matlida IIs. Ultimately however, the Allies had to retreat as their force wasn’t strong enough to consolidate the gained ground. They came away with 400 German prisoners and a major hit scored against the German officer corps.
Whilst advancing on the right column, a group of around 4 Matildas encountered a lightly guarded German staff car. The Matildas proceeded to engage the Germans, causing the staff car to crash off the road, rolling a full revolution in the process. When the crash was examined, there was one sole survivor, but he was in very bad shape. He would die around 10 minutes after several British soldiers pulled him from the wreckage. His last words he dedicated to his wife Lucia and his son Manfred. He was later identified as General Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel, commander of the 7th Panzer Division.

General Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel
(15 November 1891 - 21 May 1940, aged 48)

By the 21st, the German advance had reached the English Channel, the best Allied armoured divisions were now trapped.

Situation in Europe as of 21 May 1940

Annoucement
I know this isn't my best update, but I figured I'd save you all a lot of time by cutting out OTL details as I've decided on following a mostly OTL route for the Western Front campaign in 1940. But the deaths of Montgomery and Rommel in early 1940 will have effects later on that I can't disclose now.
Also, is Montgomery's outburst ok? I don't the rules on swearing on the site.

Footnotes
- [1] Butterflies or no butterflies, Gamelin will still be Gamelin. It’s not personal.
- [2] OTL quote from Moltke the Elder.
- [3] This friendly fire incident happened in OTL as well, although Montgomery obviously didn’t get shot. North Africa will be interesting now.
- [4] The OTL German plan as well.
- [5] This was the case in OTL too.
- [6] This was the case too.

Comments?

 

[BurkeanLibCon]

Once again, apologies for the somewhat clumsy update. The next ones will be better.

 

[Sport25ing]

better than none

 

[Patukov]

Say what you want about Gamelin, but at least he isnt the one dying in combat

 

[PobreCesar]

Once again, apologies for the somewhat clumsy update

In all honesty, I'm not sure what you're apologizing for.

 

[RedSword12]

Also, is Montgomery's outburst ok? I don't the rules on swearing on the site.

The more moderate swears are permitted in general, I'm sure. In-setting, I believe I believe it is permitted for more extreme words to be used by a character in a TL if it's setting-appropriate (e.g., a Klansman saying the N-word), as long as you don't endorse it yourself. However, God help you if you use racial slurs yourself.

 

[BurkeanLibCon]

The more moderate swears are permitted in general, I'm sure. In-setting, I believe I believe it is permitted for more extreme words to be used by a character in a TL if it's setting-appropriate (e.g., a Klansman saying the N-word), as long as you don't endorse it yourself. However, God help you if you use racial slurs yourself.

Don’t worry, I don’t use racial slurs. Thanks for clarifying the swearing rules as well.

 

[BurkeanLibCon]

Just thinking to the future, would you be interested in this timeline extending into the post-war era (whenever that is)? I've been brainstorming and have had some ideas about what the post-war world could look like. Would this be something that interests any of you?

 

[Lalli]

Just thinking to the future, would you be interested in this timeline extending into the post-war era (whenever that is)? I've been brainstorming and have had some ideas about what the post-war world could look like. Would this be something that interests any of you?

It would be intresting to see post-war world but you decide what to do.

 

[Thomas_Wellesley]

Just thinking to the future, would you be interested in this timeline extending into the post-war era (whenever that is)? I've been brainstorming and have had some ideas about what the post-war world could look like. Would this be something that interests any of you?

That would certainly be something I would be interested in.

 

[lukedalton]

Honestly i must make a serious critic to this TL, the idea is good and there are really good parts buuuut there is a limit to what here is basically the same of OTL with this premise and remain credible.
The Winter War will be totally different from OTL and i have already said my piece before, IRC Adolf was heavily involved in the attack at the Belgium fortress and with him incapacitated or not fully recovered things will be probably different and frankly the attack towards France has always been Germany throwing all 20 and the Entente all 1's that every change can create very different outcome

 

[SirHalifax]

Sure!

 

[RedSword12]

frankly the attack towards France has always been Germany throwing all 20 and the Entente all 1's that every change can create very different outcome

Eh, I think the role of luck in the German victory in the Battle of France is vastly overstated in the backlash against wehrabooism. Fall Gelb was a very well-executed operation, aided by the incompetence of the Western Allies. While luck played a role, dice tend to fall pretty evenly; the main reason the dice look unbalanced is because the Germans exploited their lucky breaks far better than their opponents did.

 

[Stark]

Just thinking to the future, would you be interested in this timeline extending into the post-war era (whenever that is)? I've been brainstorming and have had some ideas about what the post-war world could look like. Would this be something that interests any of you?

I would. Great timeline BTW. Looking forward to seeing what will butterflys bring.

 

[lukedalton]

Eh, I think the role of luck in the German victory in the Battle of France is vastly overstated in the backlash against wehrabooism. Fall Gelb was a very well-executed operation, aided by the incompetence of the Western Allies. While luck played a role, dice tend to fall pretty evenly; the main reason the dice look unbalanced is because the Germans exploited their lucky breaks far better than their opponents did.

It was an extremely risky operation, typical of the 'high risk and high reward' mentality of Adolf, Germany basically throw everything and the kitchen sink towards the Entente and every change will have ramification that will make the entire campaign different from OTL even if the end result will be the same so things going down the same to the date of the battle of Arras is difficult. Even bomber command having the permission as OTL to bomb Germany is hard to believe, the presence of the URSS in the war on the side of Germany will have make everyone in London and Paris sweat profusely and the mindset will be like Operation PIke aka attack immediately as they don't have the luxury to give the enemy time to build their forces plus the campaign against the Soviets will have give the British somekind of hint regarding bombing operation

 

[BurkeanLibCon]

Hi everyone, I thought I'd leave you with this list of the German leadership whilst I write the next few chapters, I also wrote it because few people knew that Hitler died in Chapter 4. What do you guys think?

Leadership of the German Reich, 10 May 1940​

Reichspräsident: Hermann Göring
Chancellor: Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk [1]
Vice-Chancellor: Paul Körner [2]

Reichsminister of Foreign Affairs: Joachim von Ribbentrop
Reichsminister of the Interior: Wilhelm Frick
Reichsminister of Finance: Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk
Reichsminister of Justice: Franz Gürtner
Reichsminister of Economics and President of the Reichsbank: Walther Funk
Reichsminister of Food and Agriculture: Herbert Backe [3]
Reichsminister of Labour: Franz Seldte
Reich Postal Minister: Wilhelm Ohnesorge
Reichsminister of Transport: Julius Dorpmüller
Reichsminister of Public Enlightenment and Propoganda: Joseph Goebbels
Reichsminister of Aviation: Ernst Udet
Reichsminister of Science, Education and Culture: Bernhard Rust
Reichsminister of Church Affairs: Hermann Muhs [4]
Reichsminister for Armaments and Munitions: Fritz Todt [5]

Reichsministers without Portfolio
- Reinhard Heydrich (Reichsführer-SS) [6]
- Hans Frank (Governor-General of Occupied Poland)
- Konstantin von Neurath (Reich Protector of Bohemia-Moravia)
- Heinrich Müller (Director of the Gestapo)
- Hanns Kerrl (President of the Reichstag) [7]

Also attending cabinet
- Erich Raeder (Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine)
- Otto Meissner (Chief of the Presidential Chancellery)
- Wilhelm Keitel (Chief of the OKW)
- Walther von Brauchitsch (Commander-in-Chief of the Army)

Footnotes
- [1] A generally technocratic figure who tended shy away from public appearances, so I figured he'd be a good Chancellor candidate without posing a real threat.
- [2] Körner is a Göring crony as well as a long-time associate, so no real threat.
- [3] Backe replaced Darré as Agriculture Minister as he was seen as too close to the departed Himmler. Darré was reappointed to the SS Race and Settlement Office but generally sidelined. Backe is generally an ally of Heydrich.
- [4] Replacing Hans Kerrl, Muhs is also a Heydrich ally and a particularly zealous opponent of the churches.
- [5] Todt became armaments minister in March.
- [6] Inheriting the SS as his reward for helping bump off Himmler, Heydrich is at this time beginning to build himself a power base whilst not treading on too many toes yet.
- [7] Kerrl replaced Göring as Reichstag President after the latter assumed the Presidency.
- [8] Like OTL, Meissner sticks around. Somehow he kept his post from 1920 until the 1945 surrender, serving German heads of state Ebert, Hindenburg, Hitler and Dönitz.

 

[Ironshark]

is goring as much as a mirco manager as hitler? or does he let the OKW do its job?

 

[tallthinkev]

is goring as much as a mirco manager as hitler? or does he let the OKW do its job?

I would think he would look at the big picture, make suggestions, but by quite hands off. If anything goes wrong, he'd what to know why, and if there is any blame to be placed it will be. He was a commanding officer he knows no matter how hard someone tries it's sometime is just not their fault, or just down to bad luck.