Operation Sea Lion on Rommel Difficulty

[braccada]

Let's start Operation Sea Lion on Rommel difficulty! I decided to do this kind of semi-blind, because as always I want to give insights and tips on how to beat the scenarion and how to really punish the AI. So I will take a look at each mission before I do the casting and share my lessons learned.

As always feedback and comments are welcome!

• Channel Island: Our first objective is to take the Channel Islands. Intel reports indicate only minor enemy forces, so we should meet only little resistance.
• Eagle Attack: This is an exceptionally well done map map. I like it. Pretty complex and a lot of ship and fighter action. So let's start the Battle of Britain!
• Gibraltar: Operation Felix has been cleared by high command and the Regina Marina is ready to support our landing operation at Gibraltar.
• Lyme Regis: The invasion of England is well under way and while German forces are moving towards London I am ordered to open another front near Lyme Regis to draw some of the defenders away from London. The sight of the Regina Marina sailing towards them will be a truly unpleasant suprise for the British!
• Minehead: The next step of the invasion includes two main objectives. First I have to cut off Cornwall and secondly I am ordered to secure as many unscathed ports as possible. As much as I want to move towards London, I realize that achieving those goals is imperative.
• Plymouth: The Italians are in a desperate situation at Plymouth and I have to come to their rescue. I decided to ignore orders from High Command to bypass the Italians in order to speed up the capture of Plymouth. I am convinced we can achieve both!
• Shepton Mallet: The British are assembling a task force to move for Shepton Mallet in order to reinforce their Avon Stop Line. We can't let that happen and I decided to try to beat them to Shepton Mallet and most importantly to secure the nearby airfield. We will crush right into their advancing tanks, but I am confident my troops can handle it.
• Bristol: My orders are to breach the Avon Stop Line and secure the Bristol area in order to free up units for the battle for London. My core forces combined with the surviving Italians should be enough to do it.
• London Siege: I have positioned my forces in the north of London in order to prevent any attempts to break the siege. The British so far have refused to surrender and are believed to try fleeing north.
• Oxford: The British have decided to defend the area around Oxford and high command believes that's because fuel depots spotted by scout planes in area. Those supplies would greatly help our own efforts, so we are orderd to find and secure the fuel depots for our side.
• Coventry: My orders are to take Coventry with a hand full of Vichy French Expeditionary forces within five days. I don't think there is any chance for success at all, so I wonder what those orders are all about. I fear this is simply a suicide mission and I don't like where this operation is about to go.
• Irish Sea: Another important and difficult task ahead. My orders are to take the important ports of Holyhead and Liverpool. Moreover we might be able to make a landfall in Northern Ireland already. The Regina Marina will help to ascertain control in the Irish Sea and secure our passage to Dublin.
• Hadrian's Wall: Another formidable fortification blocks our advance into Scotland. The Hadrian's Wall has been hastily constructed so I am sure my engineers can find a way to exploit the weaknesses. For now the plan is to drop special units behind the line and to disrupt the ammunition supply or destroy some key artillery positions.
• Antoine's Wall: The remnants of the Hadrian's Wall defenders are retreating faster than we can pursue. We hope droping units between the frontline and the Antonine Wall will sufficiently slow them down to allow us to catch up. High Command expects this final line of defense to consist mainly of infantry and to be rather easy to breach.
• Orkney Island: The Orkney Island must be invaded in order to secure Scapa Flow, the main base of the infamous Royal Navy. After several bombing raids failed to have the desired effect, I am ordered to bring in my veteran troops. With the support of Kriegsmarine have to the Islands and their ports one by one and eliminate the remains of the British fleet.
• Reykjavik: Iceland was invaded by the British back in May 1940 during Operation Weserübung. Now our Operation Ikarus will end Allied control. It will also render the lend-lease convoys to Murmansk all but impossible after we gain naval superiority in these waters and deprive the USSR of American tanks, ordonance and other badly needed supplies.

[braccada]

This is an exceptionally well done map map. I like it. Pretty complex and a lot of ship and fighter action. So let's start the Battle of Britain! The Luftwaffe will have to work miracles here, because our fleet, well is somewhat outclassed here...

• Part 1: By "popular" request or let's call it order from Lt_Joker I am switching to a blind playthrough. I hope my commentary does not suffer too much. Let me know I always like to improve.
• Part 2: Our fleet and airforce are still slugging it out with the British. There seems to be a never ending number of them, but we are slowly pushing them back. Let's see if we are able to establish control over the designated zones.
• Part 3: A last wave of enemy aircraft, more french units and suddenly another battleships opens fire. Can the British still turn around the Battle of Britain?

[braccada]

Operation Felix has been cleared by high command and the Regina Marina is ready to support our landing operation at Gibraltar.

• Part 1: We are preparing for the landing operation almost without any intel.
• Part 2: While the Regina Marina valiantely fights the British capital ships our infantry slowly moves forward under artillery and fighter cover.
• Part 3: Our ships are slowly forcing their way into the harbour and meanwhile we are eliminating on strongpoint after the other. Hard work!

[braccada]

12 October 1940 (Watch Part 1)
The invasion of England is well under way and while German forces are moving towards London I am ordered to open another front near Lyme Regis to draw some of the defenders away from London. The sight of the Regina Marina sailing towards them will be a truly unpleasant suprise for the British!

13 October 1940
After heavy fighting my level bombers have sunk a British battle ship and several captial ships. The sky has been cleared of most of the Hurricanes and the Regina Marina moves in to finish up remaining vessels. We have accomplished this major victory with minimal losses and I am determinded to make his more than a mere distraction!

14 October 1940 (Watch Part 2)
The landing crafts have arrivied. Thanks to the Italians it should be a save ride towards the coast.

15 October 1940
The fuel on our fighters is running dangerously low. The two carriers are non-stop servicing and refueling, but it might simply not be enough. I have to send in the Fallschirmjäger to the airfild near Lyme Regis. That could be a suicide mission...

16 October 1940
I have ordered the landing despite heavy British resistance. Costal batteries and strongpoints are suppressed by constant naval and airial bombardment, still I expect considerable losses.

The Fallschirmjäger succeded at taking the airfield! They are in heavy fighting with a group of Mathilda tanks, so we have to box them out immideately!

17 October 1940
We have established bridgeheads around Lyme Regis and Bridport. Most of the airdefences have been knocked out and the resistance is sure to falter shortly under the constant bombardment of the Luftwaffe. Success can only be a few hours away!

The defenders at Lyme Regis have surrenderd and with our most important goal secured the Luftwaffe is free to attack targets further inland. Only some stray tanks and AT guns are in our way and we should reach Axminster tomorrow. (Watch Part 3)

18 October 1940
Counter attack near Bridport! Massive infantry assult supported by Mathilda tanks. I ordered a tactical retreat to solidify our front line.

19 October 1940
Heavy fighting for Raymond's Hill towards Axminster. The bocage and the British are giving us a hard time and there are Cruiser tanks in our back! They might be better prepared than I initially thought.
At least Bridport is under control and I think it is best to stop advancing and simply let them waste their ressources on our defensive positions.

20 October 1940
The counter attack has broken down and we have regained the initiative. The Luftwaffe saved the day once again!

23 October 1940
The 11th British Infantry Division defending Axminster has run out of supplies. The siege is over and our objectives are secured!

[braccada]

30 October 1940 (Watch Part 1)
The next step of the invasion includes two main objectives. First I have to cut off Cornwall and secondly I am ordered to secure as many unscathed ports as possible. As much as I want to move towards London I realize that achieving those goals is imperative.

My battle plan is to hopefully circumvent a lot of prepared English defenses by advancing between the rivers Otter and Yarly towards Taunton. This will create a pocket around Chard that we can collaps later. A second battle group led by the 71st SS Panzers will push along the costline and supported by the Andrea Doria and Fiume they should overwhelm any defences in the way.

30 October 1940 12:00
We had word about a crushing victory of the British over the Italians near Plymouth. Plenty of Italian equipment fell into British hands. The most mobile elements are beeing sent towards our position. I hope we can beat them towards Exeter.

31 October 1940
Our forces progress as planned. We managed to take the important bridges towards Exeter undamaged and in the north the first battle group met minimal resistance. We will circumvent the hilly area in the south of Taunton and attack the city from the east. That should hit them totally by surprise!

31 Oktober 1940 (Watch Part 2)
The threat of English submarines along the coast has been adequately dealt with. Now our transports are save. On ground there is quick progress towards Exeter and Taunton.

1 November 1940
Fierce fighting for the outskirts of Exeter in the air and on the ground. The British are getting massive reinforcements in the form of captured Italian units. We are in no position to move forward at the moment.

2 November 1940
The British are launching a counter attack at Exeter. Clearly the enemy commander has no idea what he is doing. I am happy to let him waste his ressources in this pointless folly. In the meanwhile I managed to cross the River Exe to the south of Exeter and surrounded Taunton.

3 November 1940 (Watch Part 3)
Bad weather is hampering our operations, but we still managed to secure the airfield north of Taunton. Meanwhile the English counter attack around Exter is collapsing and the 2nd SS Gebirgsjäger advances through the forest to take out the heavy artillery position in the back of Exeter. For once everything goes according to plans!

4 November 1940
Tauton is ours! That frees up the mobile elements of the 1st battle groups to push towards Minehead. A futile British diversion attack against Axminster is not going to stop or even distract us now.
Along the coast forward elements reaching Torquay meet little resistance, but despite heavy losses the defenders of Exter still hold on to the city.

5 November 1940
Level bombers are making short work of elements of the Royal Navy that surprisingly appeared along the northern coast of Cornwall. Now we can securely continue to advance towards Minehead.

6 November 1940
Defenses around Minehead are stronger than expected, so I decided to bombard them into submission. I see no point in rushing into this and risking the lives of my men.

7 November 1940 (Watch Part 4)
Finally the British resistance is collapsing! Exter and Torquay are taken and our forces are spreading out to capture surrounding villages and to deal with isolated groups that continue the fight despite their hopeless situation.

11 November 1940
Minehead is secured and Cornwall is cut off. Unfortunately the Italians are in a desperate situation at Plymouth and I have to come to their rescue.

[braccada]

16 November 1940 (Watch Part 1)
The Italians are in a desperate situation at Plymouth and I have to come to their rescue. I decided to ignore orders from High Command to bypass the Italians in order to speed up the capture of Plymouth. I am convinced we can achieve both!

My plan is to form two battle groups. The first will avoid the Dart River by going round it in the north. Hopefully they can approach Plymouth through the dense forest in the north of the city undetected. The second group will take the bridges across the Dart River in force and thereby encircle British forces fighting with the Italians.

17 November 1940
After heavy fighting the Dart bridges are secured! Firce resistance and constant attacks by the Royal Airforce did cost us quite a lot men and material. Progress is slow, but the Italians are fighting valiantly against superior forces and still hold the line.

18 November 1940 (Watch Part 2)
By morning we managed to reach the Italian positions and to break the encirclement. The Italians did hold their ground and with combined forces Plymouth should be ours within days. Despite our initial losses we are making good progress now. The Dart River is crossed and the British are starting to give up their defensive positions. Air patrols spotted several truck columns headed towards Plymouth on a small forest road. I will send Fallschirmjäger to cut them off!

19 November 1940
Across the Avon River in force with minimal losses! But there are three more rivers to cross to reach the city. However I am convinced we can push through. Our planes already control the sky above Plymouth and German forces are closing in from all sides. Once the Italian navy and our siege artillery are in place, the defenders will crumble!

20 November 1940 (Watch Part 3)
After taking bridges over the rivers Erme and Yealm intact our forces reached the outskirts of Plymouth by midday. Impressive speed and almost no losses! At the same time the Regina Marina led by the Andrea Doria opened fire on the harbour forts and sunk the remnants of the British channel fleet anchored in the Plymouth Sound.

21 November 1940
The defense of the city itself is well organized and features extensive fortifications and natural protection by the surrounding rivers. It will take massive bombardment to allow a breaktrough. We cannot afford a prolonged siege! But despite a heavy snowstorm the onset of winter worked in our favour. The rivers are frozen and now Plymouth is easy to access from all sides. (Watch Part 4)

23 November 1940
Plymouth and its vital port facilities are secured and Germany is in full control of the Channel.

[braccada]

15 December 1940
The British are assembling a task force to move for Shepton Mallet in order to reinforce their Avon Stop Line. We can't let that happen and I decided to try to beat them to Shepton Mallet and most importantly to secure the nearby airfield. We will crush right into their advancing tanks, but I am confident my troops can handle it.

(Watch Part 1) By Midday there happened first heavy skirmishes in the vicinity of Shepton Mallet. Our tanks and fighters destroyed dozens of their British counterparts and barely got scratched. Unfortunately our Fallschirmjäger failed to land close to the town and the 43rd battalion got wiped out.

16 December 1940
Shepton Mallet and the airfield are secured. Our positions are well prepared the British Matildas are kept in check by our Ju 88A squadrons. Once the British attack is broken we will move towards Midsommer Norton to solidify our lines for the impending winter.

(Watch Part 2) Suprisingly heavy attack on our right flank and enemy in our back! Seems I have underestimated the British General. We have lost a lot of tanks today and the infantry has a hard time holding by clinging to small forests. I ordered a full stop, we desperately have to stabilize our front line.

17 December 1940
With bombers and heavy artillery fire we managed to stop them. I hope this was the last wave, otherwise either the winter or the British will prevent us from reaching Midsommer Norton this year.

18 December 1940
The British seem to have exhausted their forces. I could take Wells, Stoke St. Michael and Whatley with little trouble and we are moving into position to surround the last enemy positions around Midsommer Norton.

19 December 1940 (Watch Part 3)
Ran in another tank line before Midsommer Norton. With artillery and fighters to support our panzers made short work of them.

24 December 1940
Right by Christmas Eve Midsommer Norton is secure and I can report the complete destruction of British forces in the area. The man have deserved the break!

[braccada]

10 February 1941 (Watch Part 1)
My orders are to breach the Avon Stop Line and secure the Bristol area in order to free up units for the battle for London. My core forces combined with the surviving Italians should be enough to do it.

11 February 1941
Ran into some forward elements on our dash to the Stop Line. Mainly outdated tanks and some Portees. My Panzers quickly destroyed them, but we took more losses than expected. However so far there is no sign of the Royal Airforce, so either the English are weaker than high command thinks or they are holding back until we reach the Avon River.

12 February 1941
Got a first glimps of the defenses at Bradford-on-Avon and I am not impressed. Our main problem are mines and cowardly placed traps! Moreover we will have to repair bridges blown up by the English in advance. They must be really desperate if they resort to such methods.

13 February 1941 (Watch Part 2)
We are carefully approaching the River Avon on a broad front and since the morning my officers are working on positioning the artillery. Tomorrow we'll go across while pinning the Brits down on the other side.

14 February 1941
Suprise attack by the Royal Airforce! Despite my Jagdflieger were on alert they managed to knock out several artillery batteries. Getting over the river won't be possible today either. The enemy is well dug in and it will take some time to dislodge them.

15 February 1941
During the night the Pioneers erected a bailey bridge near Bath and now my Panzers are going over surrounding the city. At the same time Bradford-on-Avon was taken with the bridge intact and Melksham is about to fall. The Avon Stop Line can't stop German Panzers!

16 February 1941 (Watch Part 3)
At Bath we have reached a stalemate. We are holding the southern part of the city and the Britsh a firmly entrenched in the north. The Panzers I sent to outflank and encircle got pinned down by heavy artillery and take heavy losses. Since there is not much progress at the other bridges, we have to keep up the artillery barrage to wear them down eventually.

17 February 1941
Breakthrough! Melksham is taken with the bridge intact and during the night we managed to cross the Avon north of Bristol. Panzers are rushing ahead now. I hope that has been the deciding blow!

18 February 1941
The British had considerable reserves waiting in the back. Some of my spearheading Panzers groups are in a desperate situation. It is now or never. I ordered an all out attack to close the gap and to bring forward our own artillery.

Success! By now I should not be surprised about the valor of the Italians. The 108th Bergsalieri storming Bath and overwhelming entrenched heavy infantry and fierce fighting around Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham by armored Italian elements were quite impressing.

19 February 1941
A Snowstorm is hindering our advance and saved British Matilda from certain destruction by my Stukas, but they won't be able to repulse us anymore. It is just a matter of time before Bristol is going to fall.

21 February 1941 (Watch Part 4)
Finally resistance at the Avon Stop Line is collapsing and my troops are aiming to secure forward airfields for the Luftwaffe. The British still have a lot of fortifications scattered in the area, but the can only delay our inexorable attack on Bristol and Chippenham.

25 February 1941
Bristol is surrounded, but very well defended. It will take some days to bring up enough artillery to force them to surrender.

27 February 1941
I am sending the 2nd battlegroup from Bath to support the attack on Bristol. They clashed with another British reserve force, but should be able to reach the city by morning.

3 March 1941
By dusk the defenders at Chippenham were destroyed and in the evening Bristol surrenderd. Now the way to London is free!

[braccada]

1 April 1941 (Watch Part 1)
I have positioned my forces in the north of London in order to prevent any attempts to break the siege. The British so far have refused to surrender and are believed to try fleeing north.

We reached out positions just in time to meet the British attack. This seems to be an all out attack supported by the remains of the Royal Airforce.

2 April 1941
While we are still dealing with the brunt of the British attack in the north I am ordering troops in the east and the west of London forward to test the remaining defenses.

2 April 1941 (Watch Part 2)
My orders are to breach the Avon Stop Line and secure the Bristol area in order to free up units for the battle for London. My core forces combined with the surviving Italians should be enough to do it.

2 April 1941
Constant British attacks in the area of St. Albans. Their Matildas almost overwhelmed us, but we are able to keep them in check for now. At Sawbridgeworth on the other hand the situation is quickly turning for the worse. Fast armored units have broken through our lines and I have a hard time containing them.

3 April 1941
The morning sees fierce fighting in the western outskirts with heavy German losses and a slow stabilization in the north. On the positive side we managed to cross the Thames in the east in with the British resistance locked up in fights on other front sections we are pushing into the city in their back. Romford, Belvedere and Waltham Abbey are secured and it seems to be possible to exploit the this opportunity further.

Around midday another huge attack force appeared headed for St. Albans. That seems to be an all out attack and I am not sure we have the forces in place to hold. The place is swarmed by British units...

4 April 1941 (Watch Part 3)
By evening most of the British forces trying to break out were either destroyed or surrendered. Wth the pocket stabilized, we can start thinking about collapsing it. Especially since their eastern flank offers little resistance and Bockhurst Hill, Gants Hill and Ponders End already got taken by our infantry.

6 April 1941 (Watch Part 4)
Finally the northern Battlegroup joined the attack on London itself. The defenders are extremly dug in and supported by strongpoints and they even stationed a new kind of tank in the city center. Those Churchill tanks are extremly well armored and we have to send in infantry to blow them up from close range.

Anyways I am starting to get more and more respect for the British will to fight. At this point it is clear that their situation is hopeless and still they keep not only resisting but also there are relentless counter attacks all over the front line.

7 April 1941
Progress still is slow and we are paying for every meter we take. However Borehamwood, Barnet, Harringay, Brent Cross, Dagenham and Seven Kings are secure now and next stop will be Westminster and the Inner City!

8 April 1941 (Watch Part 5)
The British front is starting to collape in the west and we could capture vital airfields in the southeast. They are more or less confined to the inner city now and after the destruction of their Churchill tanks we only have to deal with infantry. We can suppress them and slowly push them back.

13 April 1941
It took five more days of heavy artillery bombardment to force a surrender on the last defenders in the city center. London is ours now and I wonder how long they can keep on fighting now!

[braccada]

28 April 1941 (Watch Part 1)
The British have decided to defend the area around Oxford and high command believes that's because fuel depots spotted by scout planes in area. Those supplies would greatly help our own efforts, so we are orderd to find and secure the fuel depots for our side. I have set up three battle groups targeting Gloucester, Oxford and Northampton. Our initial advance was met by fierce British resistance and I am taking more losses than I would have liked.

29 April 1941
Our capture of Oxford was answered by an armored counter attack to our flank, but thanks to our Stukas we got away pretty lightly. On the other fronts Gloucester is under heavy attack and should fall later tomorrow. Towards Northampton we took out a massive fortress and are now preparing to cross the River Nene in order to get into the city.

30 April 1941 (Watch Part 2)
Gloucester has fallen and the British forces in our back near Oxford are dealt with. So I am regrouping the battle groups near Ettington for the final push towards Worcester. Maybe I will even divert some of the forces for attacking Northampton from behind. That city is very well defended and the river proves to be a mayor obstacle.

3 May1941
We got to Worcester without too much trouble or resistance in the way. The city is already surrounded and we should be able to seize and decisive it with a quick strike. Northampton on the other hand is still holding out and I will have to send fallschirmjäger to overwhelm them. Moreover we found more fuel depots to north guarded by strong reserves. Their counter attack got us by surprise and caused unnecessary losses. We must not get overconfident!

4 May 1941 (Watch Part 3)
The British resistance is breaking down quickly now. Worcester is secured and our scouts found the last fuel depots guarded by a French outpost. We should be able to overrun their position within the day and finish the conquest of Northampton.

[braccada]

16 May 1941 (Watch Part 1)
My orders are to take Coventry with a hand full of Vichy French Expeditionary forces within five days. I don't think there is any chance for success at all, so I wonder what those orders are all about. I fear this is simply a suicide mission and I don't like where this operation is about to go. Especially with SE units as "spectators"...

18 May 1941
The French are taking insane losses and of course they are aware of the nature of those orders. I do not know what High Command was expecting, but his morning all Vichy forces defected to the British side and add to the defenses Coventry now. My orders are changed and I am to take Birmingham and Coventry with my regular forces. I still have no idea what that was all about!

22 May 1941 (Watch Part 2)
I have a rather small battle group attacking Coventry. They are without artillery and air support and it might take some time, but ultimately it should be easy to take the city. The rest of my units is on the way to Birmingham and as usual the British interpretation of defense is a really aggressive one. Constant air strikes and quick armored pushes are taking a high toll.

26 May 1941 (Watch Part 3)
After heavy fighting Coventry has fallen in our hands on the morning of the 26th and the defence of Birmingham is a lost cause. I am not sure anymore if this is a success though. I do not see how the British could possibly win, but still they keep resisting. They slow us down, suprise attack and we constantly lose more men and equipment than we can afford to. We have to take their industrial heartland soon. Otherwise this will never end...

[verstaubtgesicht]

Braccada, where are though?

[braccada]

A little locked down by a massive renovation project and in the office the forum does not work. I am getting logged out after each click. So the YouTube channel is further ahead and I try to keep up produktion and updating here, but at the moment I am more concerned with keeping construction dust away from my pc

[braccada]

30 May 1941 (Watch Part 1)
Another important and difficult task ahead. My orders are to take the important ports of Holyhead and Liverpool. Moreover we might be able to make a landfall in Northern Ireland already. The Regina Marina will help to ascertain control in the Irish Sea and secure our passage to Dublin.

In the morning of May the 30th the battle started rather abruptly when the fog began to lift. Our tank lines actually had already penetrated each other, but German training prevailed. My men reacted quicker and completely wiped out the British line in mere minutes. I do not know if the British commander panicked or if that was planned all along, but they blew up the dikes of the river Mersey and now ahead lays a huge swamp.

31 May 1941
The swamp proves to be a formidable obstacle guarded by Liverpool and Manchester on the flanks. And those cities are heavily defended. Artillery, a coastal fort, AA guns, heavy British ships and the terrain effectively block my advance at the moment. On the positive side a small kampfgruppe makes good progress toward Holyhead and the Isle of Man is secured.

1 June 1941 (Watch Part 2)
Liverpool, Manchester and Holyhead have fallen and with the main British line of defense breached, progress should be a lot easier from now on. There is still a massive naval battle going on near Holyhead and the Regina Marina is taking losses with a light cruiser sunk and the destroyer screen massively damaged.

2 June 1941 (Watch Part 3)
Finally the British navy presence in the Irish Sea has been destroyed and with the main ports gone, it is save to start shipping a kampfgruppe to Northern Ireland. With air support from the Isle of Man it should be possible to quickly take Dublin and concentrate on the ongoing push northward. I however expect to meet little resistance until we reach the "Hadrian's Wall".

[braccada]

8 June 1941 (Watch Part 1)
Another formidable fortification blocks our advance into Scotland. The Hadrian's Wall has been hastily constructed so I am sure my engineers can find a way to exploit the weaknesses. For now the plan is to drop special units behind the line and to disrupt the ammunition supply or destroy some key artillery positions. More opportunities might arise along the coast lines, exploiting a swampy area in the west or a breakthrough in the west supported by ship artillery.

9 June 1941 (Watch Part 2)
It has been a hard day of fighting but just as planned the Hadrian's Wall is starting the crumble on its ends. A first bridge has been established in the west over the River Eden and another on the eastern end over the River Tyne. The commando units arriving from the back are going to help by blowing up remaining fortifications and artillery positions. So despite there seems only little progress I am certain, that once the British fall, they will fall quickly!

11 June 1941 (Watch Part 3)
The British commander ordered a full out attack. Giving up his entrenched positions does not seem smart, so I guess this is an act of foolish bravery or simple desperation.

12 June 1941
It took another day to fight of the British and round up the last defenders, but the way is clear and the Hadrian's Wall, despite being a formidable obstacle, is no more. The British on the other hand are in complete disarray and fleeing towards their final line of defence, the Antonine Wall - or whatever is left of it.

[braccada]

17 June 1941 (Watch Part 1)
The remnants of the Hadrian's Wall defenders are retreating faster than we can pursue. We hope droping units between the frontline and the Antonine Wall will sufficiently slow them down to allow us to catch up. High Command expects this final line of defense to consist mainly of infantry and to be rather easy to breach. However I am sure the British will not surrender easily and taking Glasgow and Edinburgh will we challenging. So my plan is to land some of my elite units behind the British lines by naval tranports.

19 June 1941 (Watch Part 2)
High Command clearly underestimated the British strength and we still do not understand how they still manage to field that many heavy armoured units. Even latest models of the Churchill tank are present in abundance and put our forces in a severe disadvantage. The can only dealt with massive support by the Luftwaffe. Despite the problems my troops are making good progress. Fallschirmjäger destroyed the harbour fortress at Glasgow, leaving the city unproteced and easy to take.

20 June 1941
Operation Barbarossa has begun. I have to apprehend our Russian liaison officer at once, but unfortunately, his plane took off before we could confiscate it. At least his tank could be destroyed in the hills around Glasgow. On the eastern side of the wall Matilda tanks landed behind the front line overwhelmed the harbour fortress of Edinburgh and in the following hours German troops captured the city.

22 June 1941 (Watch Part 3)
The Russian plane got cought by our fighters and was shot down. So no secret information will make it to the Russians. Only hours later the British units at the wall surrendered. With plenty German units in their back already they did not have much choice. The remains of the British army are vacating the island and are heading to Iceland or Canada. The final thorn in our side are the Orkney Islands.

[braccada]

1 July 1941 (Watch Part 1)
The Orkney Island must be invaded in order to secure Scapa Flow, the main base of the infamous Royal Navy. After several bombing raids failed to have the desired effect, I am ordered to bring in my veteran troops. With the support of Kriegsmarine have to the Islands and their ports one by one and eliminate the remains of the British fleet.

7 July 1941 (Watch Part 2)
With the main bulk of the British fleet still docked at Scapa Flow we plan a coordinated attack. The capital ships will suppress all AA guns in the area and should allow the strategic bombers free rain over the bay. After several hours of fighting two battle ships and several capital ships are sunk and the Kriegsmarine is in firm control of the bay. Ground troops begin to land and attack key infrastructure on the islands. We will continue our efforts to take the even further remote islands and hunt down Brtish ships still roaming in the area. I believe this still are substantial forces, but with the main body of our ships still undamaged and only the Gneisenau severely damaged, we should be quite capable to remove the British threat.

12 July 1941 (Watch Part 3)
The British still hold on to some of the Orkney Islands and rainy weather protects the remaining capital ships from our bombers. It is a brutal fight for each island, each port and each airfield.

23 July 1941 (Watch Part 4)
The conquest of the Orkney Islands officially concludes Operation Sea Lion. The British Isles are under our firm control, and any worries about our western flank are invalidated. My men are granted a period of downtime, while High Command decides to rotate my army back to Germany or if another assignment will be issued to us.

[braccada]

8 May 1942 (Watch Part 1)
Iceland was invaded by the British back in May 1940 during Operation Weserübung. Now our Operation Ikarus will end Allied control. It will also render the lend-lease convoys to Murmansk all but impossible after we gain naval superiority in these waters and deprive the USSR of American tanks, ordonance and other badly needed supplies. A small Russian naval convoy has been sighted dead ahead of our invasion force and our best guess is that they are due to make lanfall near Stokksyri. With the support of the Kriegsmarine we should be able to sink it and drive the allies from the island.

11 May 1942 (Watch Part 2)
The landing operation is under way and after some initial losses against the costal fortifications the allied forces in the landing zones got destroyed. Superior numbers and the coordinated effort with massive support by the Kriegsmarine tipped the balance and after several hours of fighting my Panzergroups are quickly moving inland. I am exoecting more enemy forces around Reykjavik and the US Navy will have a strong presence in the area as well.

27 May 1942 (Watch Part 3)
Operation Ikarus has been a complete success. The operation was a fine example of the co-operation between the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine. This resulted in the severing of the vital trade route between the US and Murmansk.