Thursday, April 5, 2007

part 7

February 3 Hitler reviews the plans for Operation 'Barbarossa', as German intelligence estimates that 155 Red Army divisions are deployed in western Russia against just 120 German and Axis divisions. The starting date is again confirmed as may 15 1941.

February 6 Hitler makes one last appeal to the Spanish leader, General Franco, to enter the war but , Franco refuse du the fact Germany cant assure that spanis morocco would not be invaded by the allies.

February 8 The first convoy of the newly formed Italy German Corps under the command of General Rommel arrives in Italy to be station in Naples. Force H from Tunis ( Malta is to heavily under attack therefore force H is based out of Tunis ) bombards Genoa, without hindrance from the Italian Navy or Air force.

February 9 In a radio broadcast, Churchill warns Bulgaria against joining the Tripartite pact

February 10 The RAF attacks the oil storage tanks at Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The raid sees the operational debut of the RAF's first heavy bomber the Stirling and the first deployment of the Dutch spitfire squadrons over occupied Dutch soil ( RAF believed that if Dutch people saw spitfires with Dutch markings the would not loose hope).

February 12 The British foreign Secretary leaves London for a tour of the Balkan capitals in order to try and establish an anti-axis pact. However, Yugoslavia refuses to see them and Turkey refuses their proposals. Only Greece shows any interest to becoming a member of the allies.

February 14 Hitler starts to apply pressure on Yugoslavia to join the Tripartite pact. February 15 Great Britain breaks off diplomatic relations with Romania as it is now clear that the Romanians are firmly allied to the Germans

February 18 Parts of the Australian 8th Division arrive in Singapore to become part of a new to be created defence line outside the city ( since 1940 Britain has begun to make a strong defence line guarding the city of Singapore ).

February 23 the Greek premier formally accepts Britain's offer of joining the BFD believing it will prevent a Italy from returning. Stuka's sink a British Destroyer and the Monitor Terror off the North African coast, near Tobruk but receive only light loses from RAF squadrons based there.

March 1 Bulgaria finally joins the Tripartite pact after the discovery of a planned pro-British coup.

March 2 The German Twelfth Army moves into Bulgaria. March 3 Great Britain and here allies break off diplomatic relations with Bulgaria.

March 4 Hitler increases the pressure on Yugoslavia to join the Tripartite pact by inviting Prince Paul, the regent, to Berchtesgaden. Hitler demands that he allows German troops to pass through Yugoslavia for an attack on Greece who now is in war with Germany after joining the allies. On the northern Norwegian coast, British and Norway commandos carry out a raid on Trondelheim destroying the port and damaging a small part of the new railroad the Germans now use to carry iron ore from Sweden ( the commando raid only hinders the German who now poet more troops to guard the imported port and rail line).

March 7 British and Commonwealth troops begin to arrive in Greece , RAF units based on Crete begin to move to new airfields in Greece. March 9 The Italians launch another offensive against the Greek 1st Army in Albania, but it makes very little progress ( even despite having more forces available then in otl as the have not to fight in Africa ).

March 25 Under heavy pressure Yugoslavia finally signs the Tripartite pact.

March 27 A coup in Yugoslavia by pro allied forces overthrow the pro-German government. King Peter takes control and a new cabinet is formed

March 28 Anti-Axis demonstrations in Yugoslavia.

March 29 Battle of Cape Matapan in the Mediterranean, British naval forces defeat those of Italy sinking five warships. The Battle first started March 27.

April 3 A Pro-Axis coup in Iraq begins, BFD forces in the area put on high alert .

April 6 German, Italian and axis forces begin the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece. The Luftwaffe carries out several devastating bombing raids against Belgrade and all but wipes out the Yugoslav air force on the ground.

April 12 in order the keep British RAF fighter squadrons in Africa du the German campaign in Yugoslavia the Luftwaffe begins a tree day massive bombing campaign against Malta and the free French city of Tunis. First US troops land in Greenland.

April 13 with the British RAF and free French air forces trying to battle the Luftwaffe over Tunisia and Malta, unrest in the city of Tunis du to the bombings forces the free French to station more garrison troops there to maintain order.

April 14 after tree days of fighting over control over the sky’s of Tunisia the Luftwaffe begins to drop leaflets urging the native people to rise up as it only is bombing the city to help them ( the Germans and Italian heard about the unrest and new that if the could stir up the unrest it would help a litter bit with forcing more British units to stay instead going to Greece ).

April 18 after 5 days of riots and a city laying in ruins a sort of calm returns towards the city of Tunis after more then 20.000 free French and British army troops and a strict curfew mad a sort of peace in the city ( more then 1300 people in the city have died of the 3 days of bombing and the 5 days of riots also forcing the RAF to halt the bombing campaign against Italy for a while du the war in Greece).

April 19 A Brigade from the British 10th Indian Division land at Basra in southern Iraq and another British Brigade moves from free French Syria into Iraq. april 23 King George II of Greece and his government are flown to Crete by the RAF

april 25 Hitler issues Directive No.28, ordering the preparation of plans to capture Crete. The basic plan is to involve 15,000 paratroops, 500 combat aircraft and is to be launched on the May 20 1941 ( in otl more the 23.000 paratroopers and 650 combat aircraft took place but with the battle of Netherlands in which a lot of Para where killed ore captured and with Luftwaffe units in Italy and being mad ready fore the invasion of the soviet union the numbers are lower).

April 28 A clampdown in German control Norway against degenerate literature is held olso the first Recruiting of Norwegians for the 'Nordland' Regiment of the 5th SS Motorised Division 'Wiking' is completed even if the norish government in narvik calls for Norway’s not to join the SS.

April 29 Another Brigade from the British 10th Indian Division lands at Basra, ignoring Iraqi's protests while the British brigade from Syria ocieps Mosul The Iraqi Army lays siege to The RAF base at Habbaniyh, although RAF planes fly numerous air strikes against them.

April 30 All of Greece is under German and Italian occupation. During the campaign, the Greeks lose 15,700 killed and 300,000 prisoners. The British lose 2,000 killed and 10,000 made prisoner, while the Germans only suffer about 2,000 killed and missing ( the battle happened like in otl )

May 2 The Iraqi's attack the British base at Habbaniya, but are repulsed , another British and free French brigade move from Syria towards Mosul.

May 5 General Montgomery is appointed by General Wavell to command approximately 80,000 British, New Zealand, Australian and Greek troops which are stationed on Crete ( unlike otl the force is better organize du no fighting is happening on Africa and therefore the can send more troops, tanks and have artillery to defend them self ).

May 6 The last Brigade of the British 10th Indian Division arrives British airplanes begin hitting pro axis Iraq troops ( why would Iraq rise up against the British is because the Germans had agents telling The Iraqi leader Rashid Ali tat this was the time for a uprising not knowing the Germans only just him to force the British to deploy forces away from Greece). May 9 A peace treaty is signed between free France and Thailand with all forces returning back to their borders and no large concentration of forces along the border ( free French ships Strasbourg and Provence arrive in French Indochina together with a convoy of 7000 free French forces putting more then 80.000 men in its colony).

May 10 Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy flying from Germany to Scotland to persuade anti-Churchill politicians that England should stop the war with Germany is shot down by RAF fighters he is killed in the crash ( in otl he mad it but because the British have not to worry about major battles against German planes the found a lone plane heading for Scotland strange and ordered it shot down).

May 11 German troops complete the occupation of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. May 12 The British capture Fallujah in Iraq after fierce fighting. The also bomb Baghdad airport ( du the fact Syria already is under the control of the free French the uprising is weaker and therefore more allied forces can move in).

May 14 Admiral Darlan reports back to Vichy after meeting Hitler and von Ribbentrop the Vichy Cabinet approves German offer to become a fullmember of the Tripartite pact. Large Royal Air Force reinforcements arrive in Singapore

May 15 Roosevelt tells Vichy France that the have begun to walk the wrong path ( al members of the allied nations condemn the decision of the Vichy to becoming a member of the Tripartite). The Luftwaffe begin preparatory attacks against Crete

May 16 Last British reinforcements arrive in Crete total of more then 85.000 troops are now on the island.

May 17 The German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen leave Gotenhafen in the Baltic to begin operations against British convoys in the Atlantic (Operation Rheinübung). The ship the Bismarck is latter sunk 10 days later.

May 19 the RAF deploys more squadrons towards Crete to srengting the air defence of the island ( mostly all RAF squadrons are from the Tunisia area with both shifting forces to Crete and therefore the Malta and Tunisia air space are calm )

May 20 Prime Minister Churchill says he is still not prepared to make a statement on the dead of Rudolf Hess nor why Hess tried to fly from Germany to Britain. After initial air attacks by dive-bombers of the VIII Flieger Korps, German paratroops of the 7th Flieger Division carried in 490 Ju-52 transports of XI Fliegerkorps, land at Maleme, Canea, Retimo and Heraklion airfields. They suffer very heavy losses as the British and Commonwealth troops put up fierce resistance and by nightfall have only secured Maleme airfield

May 21 with the German paratroops pin down on Maleme airfield and no reinforcements by sea are possible do to strong RAF and Royal navy it is only matter of time for the Germans to have to surrender. May 23 Further German attempts to land troops by sea on Crete are repulsed as heavy fighting continues around Canea

May 24 Heavy German bombing of Crete continues all day but the RAF is winning the battle forcing much needed supplies toward the German Para troops to never arrive.

May 25 Himmler establishes Norwegian SS on German Lines and begins sending to the german side of the Namsos line giving other German units the room to move some where else.

May 23 The revolt in Iraq collapses as the British near Baghdad the next day an armistice is signed and the Iraqi leader Rashid Ali flees in to Persia together with the German agents where is latter flow to Germany where he puts a government in exile.

May 27 British and commonwealth retake Canea Bay, This convinces General Montgomery, that the situation has shifted towards the allies side

May 28 the last German Para troops surrenders after the airfield of Maleme is overrun by British troops with a starting force of 15.000 of them 9.3400 are dead ore wounded Germany has lose the war over Crete and give the allies a much needed victory ( with this the German para forces are for a long time not able to mount any action even Hitler says after the battle of Holland and the battle of Crete he will never put the paras at the fore front of a campaign).

June 2 Hitler and Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass on the German-Italian border to discuss the progress of the war

June 5 Over 100 German divisions have now been deployed along Germanys frontier with the Soviet Union

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