Battlefield: Europe V1.9 - Operation Walhalla

[GeneralWerner]

Berlin – June 20 1941 – Hauptquartier der Deutschen Wehrmacht

Secret meeting between Generalfeldmarschall Ludwig Werner, his military advisors and the leaders of the German Heer, Marine and Luftwaffe to explain the new global Wehrmacht strategy.

Generalfeldmarschall Werner talking:

“Meine Herren,
we face a great historical challenge that will finally prove the outstanding military power of the German Wehrmacht.
Our secret service tells us that we will surprise the Red Army completely. Our troops in the east are ready and we will never get a better chance to attack the Soviets. If we would shrink back now from our attack I am quite sure, Stalin will soon attack us. So we have to attack in the east now. General von Manstein will lead the Ostfront and will show Genosse Stalin, wo Bartel den Most holt …”

Laughing in the audience.

“Your main target, General von Manstein, is to capture Moscow until end of this year. You better leave immediately, Herr General. Operation Barbarossa is starting tomorrow.”

“General Rommel will fight the British troops in North Africa. The Italian fleet will support the Afrika Korps. Main target is to capture Tobruk until end of the year. The Italian Airforce and the German Luftwaffe will attack the British ships in the Mediterranean Sea and support Rommel’s attack.”

“General Steiner, please stand up.”

A tall man with grey eyes and a grim face is standing up. A born soldier. He is wearing an Iron Cross.

“Meine Herren, General Steiner fully recovered from the injuries he got in operation Mercury. He will lead our top secret operation Walhalla in the west. General Steiner, you already got your orders. You will fly tomorrow to your command center in Bordeaux to make all preparations for Walhalla.

That’s all for today. You have your orders.

Auf guten Erfolg, meine Herren! Das Reich zählt auf Sie!”

[goose_2]

What!?!

Another awesome thread by the great GeneralWerner.

Christmas has come early this year...

[GeneralWerner]

Moscow – January 18 1942 – Kremlin, temporary headquarter of Operation Barbarossa

General Erich von Manstein is sitting at a desk and while German artillery fire from south east can be heard he is writing his report to the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) to summarize the actions of the last six month since the start of operation Barbarossa.

An das OKW:
Kremlin captured, Stalin escaped
2/3 of Moscow in German hand
Fierce Russian resistance at the whole Moscow front line
High confidence to capture whole Moscow city and Moscow airports in the next two weeks
Strong Russian forces still concentrated in the Kiev area are attacked by Heeresgruppe Süd
30% (!) casualties of the fighting troops due to extreme low temperatures of -30 degrees
General Erich von Manstein

Die Ostfront

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Tobruk – January 18 1942 – headquarter of the Afrika Korps

General Rommel is writing a letter to Generalfeldmarschall Werner.

“Dear Ludwig,
The Korps is doing well here in Tobruk but we are under heavy attack from superior British tank forces approaching from the east. As you already know, we captured Tobruk in November. The enforcements you have sent me from Crete, Greece and the Balkan were highly appreciated. In December British tanks approached from the east and forced us to retreat from Halfaya Pass. But with the help of the Italian ships and our strong artillery we can withstand the British tank counter attack. The 8,8 flak is awesome as tank killer but we do not have sufficient of them here. If you can send me two more 8,8 divisions and two tank divisions I am confident to break through to Egypt until mid of 1942.
The Korps will hold Tobruk and waits for new orders.
I hope that General Steiner is successful with operation Walhalla.
Erwin”

Heavy fighting at Tobruk. The strong Axis artillery and guns of the Italian battleships hold the British at bay. The German tank division is kept in reserve if the British would break through.

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[GeneralWerner]

Walhalla – January 28 1942 – a big tree

General Steiner is slowly opening his eyes. “I am getting to old for this” is his first thought after a short unconsciousness he suffered when he landed with his parachute in a big willow tree north of his planned landing area. But he can see many of his men on a larger field south of his position in the weak moon light. The landing was successful.

Some weeks ago in the last meeting with Werner in Berlin the Generalfeldmarschall was wondering why Steiner wanted to jump with his parachute divisions that were transferred from Crete to France in autumn 41. He recommended that the General and his staff should land at the coast with the Grenadier division but Steiner insisted to go together with his Fallschirmjäger divisions into the battle of Walhalla.

Steiner is looking to the city lights far in the south while his men start to climb up the willow tree to rescue their commander. Steiner knows that also the Brandenburgers successfully parachuted even nearer to the city and the commandos will already start to capture important strategic points like bridges or road crossings. And at the coast two well trained Grenadier divisions are currently disembarking.

Then a lightning and thunder can be seen far in the east and north east. The sea battle must have started. Steiner has repaired all German battleships in secret in the last months and they are all here to challenge the British Home Fleet. Even the brand new Tirpitz has circumnavigated the British island in the north and is running at full speed to reach the battle area as quickly as possible. Soon the British will realize that the German naval maneuvers were not intended to attack the British convoy routes but to cover the landing operation on British soil, operation Walhalla.

Walhalla is the mythic place where dead Viking fighters are celebrating with Odin and the other Nordic gods. And for sure many, many soldiers and sailors and pilots of German and British side will join them soon. If Churchill realizes what the Wehrmacht is trying to achieve he will send every ship and every bomber he owns to prevent this.

“Herr General. Geht es Ihnen gut? Ich schneide Sie nun los.” A young Fallschirmjäger has reached the General starting to cut off the ropes. Five minutes later General Steiner is finally touching British soil. Immediately he gets an update from his communication officer. With two Fallschirmjäger divisions, two Grenadier divisions and the Brandenburgers they have to fight four British infantry divisions and two big bunker complexes.

If this is successful it will be the main step for the final goal of operation Walhalla. The reunification of Ireland!

“Herr General, hier ist die Lagekarte.” An Oberst is showing Steiner a map, the order of battle.

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“General. We have landed here where you see the red circle. The Grenadiers landed at the coast near Belfast. Between us and the city four British divisions are stationed. Here at point A the battlegroup Admiral Scheer is already in heaviest fights against the British Fleet leaded by the HMS Cumberland. At point B the Gneisenau and our U-Boote have sunk the HMS Norfolk and try to reach the Scheer.”

The Oberst points to area C. “The battlegroup Scharnhorst and the core of our invasion fleet slowly move north through the British mine fields. And from north here at point D the battlegroup Tirpitz is approaching. They will arrive in approx. 20 hours.”

Steiner is looking at the map: “Very good Herr Oberst. How is the weather forecast?”

“Perfect. A low pressure area is approaching quickly from the Atlantic. There will be no British planes in the skies in the next days.”

Steiner is thinking: “Here are my orders, Herr Oberst. First, we and the Grenadiers attack the British infantry and defeat them. Second, we take the airport and after that the city and harbor of Belfast. Third, the Brandenburgers will destroy the radar in the west and start to fight the British bunkers. Fourth, our fleet in the south has to move here as quickly as possible. The tanks and the anti air we need here first. Fifth, the air fleet at Brest has to prepare to fly in here as early as the weather becomes better. Send a message to Berlin and tell that Walhalla has started. And now, meine Herren, let’s move to fight the British and capture Belfast.”

Five days later, Belfast is in German hand and nearly all battleships of the proud Deutsche Kriegsmarine lie on the ground of the North Sea.

Belfast - February 42. General Steiner commanding German troops to liberate the city from the British imperialists.

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[hurly]

a really nice read, I really appreciate your style a lot

but I yearn for a English translation of that phrase

wo Bartel den Most holt …”

I'm sure it will sound awesome in English

and I can imagine a really huge increase in google searches for Most and Bartel

would really like to know what the English speaking Audience thinks what it is the meaning of it

And will they also encounter the even catchier phrase "wo der Frosch die Locken hat !" in the future ?

[GeneralWerner]

Moscow - February 17 1942 – Kremlin

General Erich von Manstein is looking out of a window of one of the Kremlin towers to the snow covered Moscow. In the east a lot of black smoke can be seen over the city. The General is relieved that finally – six weeks later than planned – Moscow in in German hands. From day to day the Russian resistance became stronger and stronger and these T34 tanks are a serious problem for the Wehrmacht. But now Moscow is captured and this opens the way to the Volga River. Hoth will attack in the direction to Yaroslavl and Vologda. Guderian can start in spring 1942 to gather the troops he needs to capture Leningrad, the next important target of Barbarossa. And in the south Kesselring has the order to reach Rostov in summer 1942 opening the gate to the Caucasus. It looks like a glorious victory in Russia but General von Manstein knows very well that especially in war times things can always change surprisingly.

After hard fighting the Wehrmacht has won the battle of Moscow. Many German Landser think that the war can now be easily won until Christmas 1942.

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Belfast - April 1942 – a burning city

The empire strikes back.

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With better weather the British counter attacks started with overwhelming numbers of fighter planes, bombers and battleships. The FW190A-2 squadrons, the elite of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, have to defend Ireland’s airspace day and night bringing men and machines to its limits. The remaining damaged German battleships can only retreat south to avoid complete destruction by British guns. The British intense their carpet bombing and battleships barrage fire day by day. The Germans were able to disembark a light tank division and a flak division. But most of the invasion fleet has to hide in the southern Irish Sea to avoid being spotted by British planes.

General Steiner exhausted in the ruins of Belfast after weeks of heavy bombing and ship artillery bombardment by the British.

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[GeneralWerner]

Deadly hit Prinz Eugen sinking.

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But the German U-Boote hold the line and pay back. They do not allow the British Fleet to break through.

The U-Boote are the backbone of the German naval defense of Ireland

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After a short pause again the sirens warn of approaching British bomber fleets. While General Steiner is going back down in his commando bunker he is hearing the roaring engines of an Fw190A-2 alarm squadron climbing in the sky to challenge the British pilots. He is thinking about the joke Werner made last year in Berlin. Here in Ireland in this moment the British show the Germans, where “Bartel den Most holt”.

[GeneralWerner]

20 meters below the surface Steiner is listening to the bombs and shells that explode over his head. The Wehrmacht is paying a high death toll for the invasion of Ireland but Steiner knows, if they can withstand this counterattacks, if they can set up a stable bridgehead here in Ireland, this will change the war in the west immediately and bring the British main land to the edge of doom. In the flickering electric light Steiner is taking out again the masterplan “Operation Walhalla”, he got mid of last year from Generalfeldmarschall Werner in Berlin.

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The document has more than 200 pages to explain all details, variants and impacts of Walhalla. A map of the best military simulation, the OKW was able to prepare, shows the enormous strategic advantage of the Wehrmacht owning a harbor and an airfield at Belfast.

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The German U-Boote have a safe harbor for repairs and resupply and only a short way to reach and harass the Allied convoy routes. (blue)

German strategic bombers can easily attack British cities like Glasgow and Liverpool (yellow) and are a deadly weapon against all approaching British ships.

There are four possible landing areas for an invasion of the British mainland (red).

The sea area between England and Ireland is perfect for U-Boot war exhausting the British Fleet.

The strong German air defense and air presence on Ireland also will bleed out the RAF that for sure will try stop the German air presence in Ireland. Further weakening of the RAF is done by “Thor’s belt”, also a part of operation Walhalla but set up on the continent. This belt of 7 anti air flak batteries is following the coast line from Brest to Wilhelmshaven. And three more anti air batteries are stationed in Hannover, Berlin and Stavanger (Norway). So wherever the RAF will operate in the west or the east of England the British planes will come under fire from German fighters or anti air units.

If operation Walhalla is successful the OKW is confident that only a huge landing operation of Allied forces in Ireland could prevent England to be finally invaded. Thus more German troops, especially Panzer troops have to be transported to Ireland to repel a possible amphibious landing of the Allies. Due to the planned strong German U-Boot presence with 6 to 8 Flottillen and strong bomber presence (minimum 4 bomber fleets) any Allied approaching fleet would take heaviest damage before reaching the Irish coast.

Operation Walhalla is the keystone for the victory over England!

[JimmyC]

Its an interesting change to invade via Northern Ireland. Will the Allies really try and recapture it though? Or are you stationing troops there to free up transports and in preparation for an attack on the British mainland? Also, does holding Belfast stop the Allied bomber raids - if so, i could see it as a viable strategy...

By the way, were you able to close the Kiev pocket in addition to capturing Moscow?

And finally, what difficulty level are you playing on?

[GeneralWerner]

Hello JimmyC
I am playing on General level with chess mode.

I did not try to close the Kiev pocket but went for Moscow.

I do not know whether McGuba has foreseen a landing operation on Ireland. I see nearly no chances for the Allied to do so because I have approx. 10 divisions in Ireland, 7 bomber fleets and 3 fighter squadrons and around 8 U-Boot-Flotillen. So reaching the beach for the Allies would be very, very difficult. But you never know what surprise is hidden in this mod.

Yes it is finally the plan to invade a part of England latest winter 43/44 to avoid Overlord in June 44 (round 72). I plan to send more troops from Africa after the battle of Tunis is won (and it will be won, again I have sent my Tigers there) and then it should be possible to invade whole England before round 99.

In the moment I enjoy 200 prestige every round from my subs sitting on the convoy route. From time to time a single Allied destroyer is showing up but immediately goes to the bottom of the sea after one round.

Holding Belfast does not stop the Allied bomber raids but I destroy a lot of British planes that try to attack Ireland with my massive air defense and fighters presence. This will reduce the pressure of the RAF on the continent. But it is tough fighting because the mod is using multiple attacks. I have FW190-A 5 and a Würzburg radar but even now the British shot down my FW190A-5 to strength 1 (luckily not 0) by a triple attack.

[JimmyC]

I'm not sure if it is an optimal approach or not, but certainly kudos to you for taking a different approach to it. I suppose the idea is that the cost to capture Belfast will be paid back by the 200 prestige from u-boats in the shipping lanes, as well as reduced losses from the bombing campaign. I look forward to hear how your invasion of Britain proceeds in 43/44.

Mass attacks can indeed be difficult. It encourages a much more offensive approach with fighters.

[GeneralWerner]

Mersa Matruh – June 16 1942 – Rommel’s advanced command post

General Erwin Rommel receives an urgent order from Berlin:

Immediate order to General Rommel from OKW
General, our secret service reports a strong British tank army built up at the Suez area preparing to move west. In addition we get reports from Übersee about a possible landing operation of strong American troops near Casablanca accompanied by an American battlefleet.
In that case your position in Tobruk is completely undefendable with the risk of annihilation for the Afrika Korps.
General Rommel, you are immediately ordered to leave your position in Tobruk and move west to the area of Tunis to defend Tunisia against the Allies.
OKW and our Italian ally will send enforcements to Tunisia. The Italians will also make preparations to evacuate the Afrika Korps back to Sicily and Italy in the case you are in danger to be overwhelmed.

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Rommel’s answer: “Evacuation? Nuts! I will defend Afrika against any Allied invasion!”

The victorious Afrika Korps on the road to Tunisia

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[GeneralWerner]

Moscow - February 17 1943 – Kremlin

For General Erich von Manstein it became clearer and clearer in the last months that earlier or later the sequence of endless victories in the East has to end. And now it happened. The Russian bear shows his claws – first victory of the Red Army against the “undefeatable” Wehrmacht.

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Winter 42/43. The Germans have captured Vologda and the situation looks stable Also Rybinsk in the south should fall soon in German hands. But then a cavalry division is showing up on the airport of Volodga kicking out the Axis infantry from Vologda. General Hoth decided immediately to send his Panzer IIIL division to defeat the cavalry and capture the airport.

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The Red Army trap snapped. A T34 division was well hidden on the northern Dvina River shores and (not yet seen on the map) a powerful 76.2 mm anti tank division will attack the now encircled German Panzers, too.

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[GeneralWerner]

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The heavily damaged Panzer division tries to escape to the northwest hiding in the heavy snowfall. Will the Red Army find and destroy the fleeing division?

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The Panzer division escaped but the battlefield of Vologda is a disaster. The Nebelwerfer division destroyed, two infantry divisions defeated and two Panzer divisions isolated far behind the front line. For the first time the Germans lost a battle in the east. Erich von Manstein is sure, all Russian soldiers now feel new hope and confidence that this can be repeated.

[GeneralWerner]

Berlin - June 27 1943 – German Reichstag

Generalfeldmarschall Werner and the strategists from the OKW are studying the maps of the main battlefields of World War 2.

Operation Walhalla, Ireland and England

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Ireland is clearly in German hands. The harbor of Belfast supports the German U-Boote that rule the sea north of Ireland controlling the vital convoy routes of the British Isles.


Operation Odin’s belt, the defense of Norway

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The British have landed in northern Norway and attack south (red). The OKW has ordered General Kesselring from the Ostfront to Norway to defend the country. The General has set up his defense in the south of Norway and in the very north (blue). Main defense area is Oslo where 6 German divisions and a 88er division are concentrated. The strong German forts with their wide range artillery play an important role (yellow) in the fight against the British imperialists.


Operation Wüstensturm, the defense of Tunisia

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The defense in Tunisia is set up (blue). The Americans and British attack from two sides (red). Rommel has planned to send the Panther division south and to keep the Tiger division near Tunis. The American battlegroup (yellow) was surprisingly strong. The Italian ships (green) could not compete with the American battleships. Thus the Italians retreated to the sea north of Sicily while the Americans moved to Malta. Rommel will attack the American ships with bombers.

[GeneralWerner]

Operation Barbarossa, northern Russian frontline

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The Wehrmacht is defending in the area of Moscow against strong Russian counterattacks (blue). Leningrad was captured and Guderian is planning to strike east (red). The battlefield of Vologda is still the symbol for a German defeat (yellow) but now Hoth starts to recapture the lost area and move east.


Operation Barbarossa, southern Russian frontline

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The Wehrmacht is still defending against very strong Russian counterattacks in the whole frontline. Also here at the southern end of Barbarossa the Russians have defeated the Wehrmacht in the battle of Rostov and pressed the Germans back to the west (yellow).


Leaving the strategists of the OKW alone, the Generalfeldmarschall is driving to Tempelhof entering a plane to La Rochelle. Next early morning he is meeting General Steiner who was flying in from Belfast.

Generalfeldmarschall Werner is talking:

“Herr General, you made an excellent job in Ireland. You have destroyed immense numbers of British planes and battleships. And you successfully blocked the convoy routes for one year now. But it is still no enough. The British have a strong fleet near London, they attack us in Norway and even our anti air defense belt in France can’t prevent them to fly into the Reich and bomb our cities.

So your order is to invade England in next winter. The OKW has analyzed that your chances are best if you attack and capture Glasgow and Edinburgh first cutting off Scotland from the British main land.”

Werner is giving an envelope to Steiner, smiling.

“Ah, and not to forget, here you find your promotion.
Das Vaterland zählt auf Sie, Herr Feldmarschall.”

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[JimmyC]

Great AAR. It seems you have changing fortunes in the Med, but mostly success elsewhere. I think it is crucial to capture Malta before Torch in order to be successful. I worry that with Malta still in British hands, your defence of Sicily may be doomed.

[huckc]

Very nice, this makes me really want to play the mod now.

[GeneralWerner]

Tunis - September 10 1943 – Rommel’s command post

General Erwin Rommel is making some red marks on his map showing the order of battle in Tunisia. Then he is calling Oberst Franz Richter in the room.

“Franz, look at the map and tell me what you see.”

Oberst Richter is looking at the map scaring: “General, that we can’t stop!”

Rommel sounds resigned: “Yes Franz. Send an urgent message to Berlin:”

“Erich Rommel to OKW
Situation in Tunisia is hopeless.
Prepare defense of Sicily.
Afrika Korps will gain for you as much time as possible.
General Rommel, Ende”

Rommel’s map showing the attack of the Allies on Tunis

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Kiel - November 12 1943 – U96

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The commander of U96 known as “Der Alte” is getting the decoding result from the Enigma-machine with his newest orders
5454+7913.35535+5338695.569793,3372242386434+2250,42453.5056
-- - U96 - --
-- - 1. and 16. Flottille move with AK to Stavanger, merge with 6. Flottille - --
-- - U96 is leading Wolfsrudel - --
-- - Attack destroy British vessels Norwegian Sea - --
-- - Bypass Scapa Flow north, reach Irish Sea - --
-- - Support operation Walhalla - --
236.589717369357,3597112369,85412369545+42358589.63214578899

[GeneralWerner]

Berlin - February 22 1944, 04:00 am – Deutscher Reichstag

Generalfeldmarschall Ludwig Werner can’t sleep.

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Full of doubt he is looking at the maps of the main battlefields of World War 2.


Operation Wüstensturm, the defense of Tunisia … failed

Tomorrow Generalfeldmarschall Werner has to inform the German and the Italian public that the Afrika Korps is defeatet. 180.000 men infantry, four artillery divisions, three anti tank divisions, four flak divisions and three Panzer divisions including a Tiger and a Panther divisions are lost. From September 43 the Afrika Korps was fighting and retreating step by step to hold out as long as possible. But now it is over and it is clear that the Americans plan to land in Italy. General Rommel is already in Palermo organizing the defense of Sicily. The OKW quickly has gathered troops from Italy, the Balkan and the strategic reserves of the German Reich including also many flak divisions from Thor’s belt. But Werner wonders whether this will be sufficient to defend the southern flank of the Axis. And with the weakened air defense in France and Germany the gates for the Allied bombers to the Ruhrgebiet and Berlin are wide open now.

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The whole strategy for the south and the west is obsolete. It was planned that the Afrika Korps will defeat the Allies in Tunisia and then supports Feldmarschall Steiner in England from end of 1944 to defeat the British mainland. But now Africa is lost and Italy is in highest danger. Steiner has to fight alone.


Operation Walhalla, the invasion of England … splintered

Meteorological it was the shortest snowy winter since 50 years in Ireland. Strategical it prevented Feldmarschall Steiner to land his complete army in England covered by bad weather. Due to the surprisingly good weather English bomber forces showed up very early, followed by a new fleet of American and British destroyers and battleships. It would have been suicide to embark more troops in Belfast. Thus the whole anti air divisions and half of the infantry is still in Ireland while the tank core is already fighting in England.

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The Panzers have to be protected by German FW190-A 5 fighters but due to radar support in the first days of the invasion the British have already shot down 30%.

The Allied destroyers and bombers have expelled the German U-Boote from the convoy routes. New Flottilles are on the way but first it was necessary to clear the Norwegian Sea.

Hopefully Steiner gets some more days of bad weather to get his anti air units to the English coast. Hopefully he can capture and hold Scotland with the troops ha has already available in England.