World at War

[Hickory]

Taking their long time cue the Royal Air Force immediately launches a wave of fighter bombers. The hybrid craft avoid the majority of the Luftwaffe patrols and, with a few Messershmidts on their back, race towards the German line to stop or slow them from outflanking the French.

Meanwhile in the ground General Lord Gort, commanding the BEF, moves his infantry closer into the Ardennes to repel a possible German troop advance. The main armor divisions join the Line and the remaining tanks are sent to the left flank.

In the sea British merchant shipping losses are rapidly climbing. Fearing a repeat of the Lusitania from WWI the Admiralty orders for the production of more destroyers to patrol the seas. Minister Sagetip fears for the worst, however, and pleads to the U.S. to join the war, even referencing their losses in WWII.

[LT Sandpaw]

Explosive rounds from the light British bombers causes heavy casualties as the ground forces scramble to respond to this new threat. Flak and anti-air weaponry is brought forward only to find the bombers had vanished. Commanders give the order to send decoy convoys forward first using captured enemy vehicles while the true German line uses less known routs, and thick vegetation to cover their movements. The Panzer Squads utilize camouflage to protect from further air strikes. Overhead Messerschmitt 109s patrol regularly swarming any enemy bomber they find.

Meanwhile Medium bombers begin hitting prime targets, such as supply trucks and command posts. Guided by the air scouts a Panzer Regiment spearheading a Mechanized Rifle Regiment opens up the first engagement with the Expeditionary Forces in Southern Belgium. The Panzers attempt to shatter the British line allowing lorries full of German riflemen to slip past the defensive positions and take out softly protected, but vitally important targets, while less elite Romanian and Italian infantry cleaned up the remaining BEF and French soldiers that were left behind. Should they be needed the victorious German Riflemen would then turn around and hit the defensive positions again, this time from behind. The Germans and their allies are highly confident, and after the decisive and easy victories against the Polish, they press forward guns blazing.

[Hickory]

Immediately realized the danger of losing their main army force the British quickly withdraw BEF armor and infantry closer to the French positions. Setting up defenses they mine the surrounding fields against tanks and disappear into the surrounding woodlands and towns to wait for the German advance.

The French on the Maginot Line watch the German tank divisions roll past out of their artillery range. In the Alps the small French army group repels a larger Italian invasion with ease. The BEF moves two tank divisions along the "extended" Maginot Line (really just if it had been extended towards the Channel) and tail the Germans before reporting to Lord Gort and the French commanders.

[LT Sandpaw]

Believing themselves to be winning decisively the Panzer regiments roll forward straight into the British mines. While the mines do little damage to the Panzer VI and Panthers, the crews are often seriously wounded by the blasts. Panzer IIIs suffer even more seriously, as damaged tracks, and undersides threaten to slow the German advance. Gunther orders the German tank divisions to hold fast while anti mine teams cover the fields. Instead of rushing forward with their tanks the German forces use heavy artillery to bombard the towns and defenses. Meanwhile, covered by artillery fire German sub machinegun and rifle units press forward on foot clearing the fields of mines for the Panzers who roll up behind them.

In Southern France the Germans continue to advance though plagued by heavy French defenses. Their Italian allies begin to prove themselves as more trouble then they were worth, often leaving the heavier fighting to the Germans. This becomes widely apparent when an entire Italian line broke, forcing the Germans to retreat slightly, before they could push on and defeat the French soldiers. Discord begins to reign amongst the two nations commanders and German distrust of the lesser Mediterranean's begins to show on the battle field.

Still the Germans continue their advance, determined to break the resolve of the hated French.

[Hickory]

Sustaining many casualties from artillery bombardment and sudden machine-gun fire, the British and French troops retreat even further. They decide to make a stand at a round of hills that afford a good vantage point. The commander of the depleted army group sets up his two remaining artillery pieces in the dip between the center hill and the two hills to the left and right. One tank division is dispersed into the surrounding to potentially ambush incoming Germans, and a second is sent directly forward with two squads of soldiers to delay the German advance.

Meanwhile in Britain Minister Sagetip hold a conference with the Admiralty and his top Army generals. The campaign in France is already posing a major threat to the majority of the British armed forces. In the Channel and surrounding waters warships fight a losing battle against U-Boats, which can attack and sink away far to quick to bring even the smallest guns to bear. Great Britain continues to plead for the U.S. to join the war, knowing that without the military strength of America the Allies are guaranteed to lose the war.

[LT Sandpaw]

A patrol made up of Italians intended to trip any traps the BEF or French armies might lay is hit by the tank division and is almost completely destroyed. The survivors roll dejectedly back behind German lines while the German Commanders devise a plan to take the entrenched hills.

Not wanting to sacrifice more tanks a Unit of Elite German Paratroopers outfitted with high explosives, search dogs, camo, and anti-tank weaponry advance carefully through the forest searching for any waiting enemy. To cover their advance Romanian infantry opens a light skirmish on the hills outskirts. The Germans are unaware of the few remaining French artillery pieces and believe they captured all of them.

Meanwhile the Panzers and Mechanized Infantry take the longer rout around the hills intent on pushing the Allies back to the English channel.

[Hickory]

Sighting on the German Paratroopers, the French commander orders for the majority of his infantry to wipe out the advancing Germans, while the rest defend against the Romanians. He decides not to use his remaining batteries for fear of giving away their position entirely.

[LT Sandpaw]

Bullets spray through the sparse tree cover causing several German Paratroopers to crumple. The unit goes to earth returning fire and crawling forward. Not wanting a long engagement the Units commander orders a flanking maneuver to surround the fragile French line.

A Platoon surges forward making good use of smoke grenades to charge across open ground. Taking up a good spotting position on a small rise they dig in ready to defend against a counter attack. Once prepared they radio back to the Paratrooper Units' light mortar team who begin to barrage the enemy firing line using the information provided by the Scout Platoon.

Meanwhile the Romanian front linemen scramble about shooting at the French and acting confused as they had been ordered to do. Just behind their line a more organized Romanian attack force is being assembled to charge the French defenses.

[Hickory]

Disoriented by the sudden actions of the Germans the French infantry believe they have won the skirmish, tricked by the sudden disappearance of the Germans. Advancing to view their victory and kill anyone not dead, they find the area full of a few dead bodies and nothing else. The Germans had successfully flanked them.

On the Romanian line the British decide to push forward slightly. Under cover of marksmen atop the hills they settle in and continue the fight against the seeming disarrayed Romanian troops.

[LT Sandpaw]

Capturing any French soldier that surrenders the Paratroopers regroup for a second assault. Eating a well deserved meal in a small Belgian town. They'd be back on the march the next day, hopefully to further the inevitable German victory.

At the Romanian line the seemingly panicked troops break into a run, crossing a field only to dive into hastily fortified trenches. Heavy machine guns open up on the British troops while the Romanians form a firing line, releasing a barrage of concentrated fire. This provided the perfect distraction for a company of mobile German infantry to blaze past the enemy line and deploy their riflemen. They swarmed over the previously held defensive hills, trying to secure them and the artillery before the British realize what was happening.

Meanwhile the Axis forces press onward. Nearly two hundred miles of untaken territory separates the Germans from the coastline and Paris. Determined to end the war in less then a month they redouble their attacks, trying their best to never leave the Allies a moment to regroup or rest.

[Hickory]

British forces valiantly attempt to drive back the German company while holding against the Romanians. The artillery pieces managed to wipe out some of the company before being captured and the British survivors best a hasty retreat.

General Lord Gort pulls back outlying British forces to reinforce the Maginot Line, leaving dispersed mechanized divisions as a rearguard to slow German advances. Artlllery pieces are kept ready to bombard German tanks, and the British ready for another assault.

[LT Sandpaw]

 The Romanians give chase, charging headlong after the retreating British soldiers, determined to finish them off. Meanwhile Italian engineers utilize the captured enemy artillery to blast the enemy lines in hopes of creating gaps in the defensive positions. However the artillery shells soon run out, and the engineers are forced to wait for more armaments.

Field Marshal Gunther, knew that attacking Maginot line would be more trouble then it was worth. He also knew better then to launch an all out assault on the bunkers and mine laden fields. Instead he orders a few battalions to construct defensive trenches, hoping to trap the enemy in a encirclement with a skeleton crew while the 1st German army pressed on to Paris.

On the borders of Western Germany an artillery division, along with a defensive force of armored vehicles rains down continuous fire on the entrenched lines. They couldn't hope to do much damage, however they intend on keeping the enemy pinned down until France falls.

[Hickory]

RAF sorties bombard German positions constantly, forcing the shelling to halt. A British infantry offensive spearheaded by a mechanized division make for the artillery positions, determined to eliminate the threat and make up for the defeat suffered earlier.

The rumble of tanks engines fills the roads as the advance begins.

[LT Sandpaw]

The light armored vehicles valiantly hold the line while trucks evacuate the infantry and artillery pieces to a safer location. West Germany is well fortified and the troops dig in, unwilling to retreat farther then two miles away. In the skies the 109s battle the enemy bombers with a ferocity known only by the Luftwaffe, and countless lightly armored British planes fell from the air in flames.

On the ground a unit of anti tank infantry sets up a ambush for the tanks, which grow closer by the second.

[Hickory]

The forward scouts for the push stumble upon the ambushers, and a firefight breaks out while the tanks lag behind. German forces seem to have the upper hand until the tanks crash down upon their position, scattering the enemy infantry.

French artillery manages to reach the battlezone, routing the German defense for now. The division pushes onward.