Some disagreement with the Commander Grand Strategy

[zechi]

There is another thing that should be considered concerning Turkey. Actually Turkey did not stay neutral during the whole war. Turkey declared war on Germany and Japan on February 23, 1945. Of course this DOW was more or less a symbolic gesture, because Germany was nearly defeated at this point and the Turkish Army did not fight against the Wehrmacht. Nevertheless, the state of war against Germany allowed Turkey to act against German residents and assets in Turkey.

However, I fear it would be difficult to simulate such a "symbolic" DOW in GS. Perhaps the Allies should get a PP income from Turkey. Many games will already be decided in February/March 1945, but a game which is still on a brink could be affected by this.

Furthermore, it would be interesting how Turkey managed the passing of war ships in the Bosporus straight during the war (before and after the DOW). I'm not sure, but I do think that as a neutral state Turkey could have allowed (or was even obliged?) to let war ships pass the Bosporus straight. If this is true, then it should be possible for either Axis or Allied naval units to enter and leave the Black Sea.

After the DOW on Germany I assume that at least the Allied navies would have been allowed to pass the straight.

[StevenCarleton]

Manstein in his memoirs refers to Italian PT boats supporting his operations in the Crimea, but it isn't clear if these cruised through the straights or were transported overland. I wonder if subs crossed the straights submerged?

[zechi]

According to Wikipedia the Bosporus Strait was closed for both belligerents and the German/Italian war ships and subs were transported through the landway. Nevertheless, I'm quite sure that after the DOW on Germany, Turkey would have been obliged to let the allied war ships through the strait.

[joerock22]

There is another thing that should be considered concerning Turkey. Actually Turkey did not stay neutral during the whole war. Turkey declared war on Germany and Japan on February 23, 1945. Of course this DOW was more or less a symbolic gesture, because Germany was nearly defeated at this point and the Turkish Army did not fight against the Wehrmacht. Nevertheless, the state of war against Germany allowed Turkey to act against German residents and assets in Turkey.

Are you suggesting that Turkey automatically declare war on Germany in 1945? What about the games where the Germans are not about to be defeated in 1945, but are actually doing quite well? I think it's better to let countries who only "symbolically" declared war, and took no actual part in the fighting, to remain neutral.

[zechi]

There is another thing that should be considered concerning Turkey. Actually Turkey did not stay neutral during the whole war. Turkey declared war on Germany and Japan on February 23, 1945. Of course this DOW was more or less a symbolic gesture, because Germany was nearly defeated at this point and the Turkish Army did not fight against the Wehrmacht. Nevertheless, the state of war against Germany allowed Turkey to act against German residents and assets in Turkey.

Are you suggesting that Turkey automatically declare war on Germany in 1945? What about the games where the Germans are not about to be defeated in 1945, but are actually doing quite well? I think it's better to let countries who only "symbolically" declared war, and took no actual part in the fighting, to remain neutral.

No, my suggestion would be, that Turkey would DOW Germany in 1945 if the Allies are winning (not according to the GS Win/Loss conditions, but according to the real frontlines). The threshold for Turkey joining the Allies could be the capitals the Allies/Axis control. If in 1945 Germany only controls Berlin and or Hamburg, Turkey joins the Allies during January-March 1945. Should the Axis still control other capitals, for example Rome and Paris, then Turkey will not join the Allied side, but stay neutral. However, I don't know if this can be done technically. Furthermore, I don't know if it will have any interesting effect on the game, if a country joins this late in the war.

Last but not least it would be unhistorical if the Allied player would gain control of the Turkish Army and use it offensively. However, it would be perhaps OK if the Allied Player would get a PP boost.

Perhaps this could be even done in a more abstract way, to simulate the many countries which joined the Allied side late in the war, but are not on the map. For example if Rome falls in 1943 as it did historically, the Allies gain some PP as a bonus at the beginning of 1944, which symbolizes the growing support for the Allied side from 1943. Especially many south american countries declared war on the Axis (Brazil even send an Expeditionary Force).