Soviet disaster (Morgen die ganze Welt)
From Alternative History
Timeline: Morgen die ganze Welt
Monday, July 27 1943 Sicily
501 Tiger battalion and 35th Panzer division attack in the early morning after a short artillery bombardment. Tigers are used to spearpoint the attack followed by masses of T-34 tanks. US forces of the 7th Army watch horrified as anti-tank rounds bounce off the Tigers. A counterattack by Sherman tanks is brushed off easily. Meanwhile the Luftwaffe shows up in unexpected numbers and attacks Allied airfields. A wide gap is opened in the Allied line and amazingly fast T-34 tanks pour through. Even worse for the Allies, the T-34s show unexpected ability to cross terrain thought unsuitable for tanks. 7th Army is routed, pulling back to the south. 45th Rifle division is too slow and is surrounded.
Wednesday, July 29 1943 Sicily
General Patton counterattacks in co-ordination with British forces and a massive tank battle develops. Tiger tanks are still unreliable and most have broken down. Allied tanks are attacked by Stukas and Sturmoviks fresh from the Eastern front. Allies use Thunderbolt fighter-bombers against Axis armor. Fighters from both sides try to protect their tank destroyers. Soon dogfights start over the battlefield and they continue throughout the day with neither side gaining superiority. The remnants of the surrounded 45th Rifle Division surrender and join thousands of other prisoners of war. They will be paraded through Rome to support Mussolini. By the end of the day tank losses are heavy on both sides and the battle lines stabilize.
Saturday, July 31 1943 Berlin
Field marshal Paulus is brought before a military court in Berlin. He is accused of treason in that he co-operated with the enemy making propaganda broadcasts and he is accused of cowardice in the Stalingrad battle. The defense pleads insanity and mentions his record in battles before Stalingrad but to no avail. Paulus is condemned to death by firing squad. The prosecutor stamps his feet in righteous indignation and shouts that a traitor must be beheaded. He is placated with difficulty by the understanding judge who explains the difficult situation: There is no precedence for the execution of a German field marshal. Indeed a field marshall is immune from prosecution. However a loophole has been found by stripping Paulus of German nationality, retroactive to his surrender. Paulus is buried in an unmarked grave and an SS regiment marches over the spot in a symbolic expression of contempt. In Sicily the Allies have been pushed back to the beaches where Allied ships bombard the enemy and stop the Axis advance. Palermo is retaken by the 35th panzer division.
Sunday, August 1 1943 Rostov
Axis forces under the command of general Von Kleist unleash operation Edelweiss, an offensive aimed at capturing the oil-rich Caucasus. After a short and furious artillery and air attack the Axis 6th army breaks through the enemy lines. This army was wiped out in Stalingrad but has been resurrected and is now stronger than before. It has received the new Panther tanks, the best armor in the world although suffering from teething problems. Simultaneous offensives at Voronezh, Gorki and the North Front are designed to prevent the Soviets reinforcing the Caucasus. The Soviet South Armies have been weakened as many divisions have been transferred to the Gorki area. The fall of Moscow has made Soviet communication with the south front slow and difficult.
Tuesday, August 3 1943 Hamburg
The Allies conclude operation Gomorrah, an eight day air offensive against Hamburg. The city is devastated and 50,000 civilians have died, most during night attacks. Albert Speer reports that if the Allies can knock out 10 more cities the same way the war is lost. The weather is getting too bad for bombing though so this is unlikely. In response the 200 fighters of JG II fighter wing are withdrawn from the East Front where Soviet air activity is greatly reduced. They will be used for the defense of the Reich.
Wednesday, August 4 1943 Rostov
The 6th army recaptures Rostov in an irresistible drive. At the same time Axis forces break out of the Novorossisk bridgehead aiming for the oil city of Maikop.
Sunday, August 8 1943 Edelweiss
Maikop is recaptured by the Axis.
Tuesday, August 10 1943 Edelweiss
Axis armored pincer movements meet north of Maikop and a Soviet army is surrounded.
Tuesday, August 17 1943 Schweinfurt
The ball bearing factories of Schweinfurt are hit by a heavy US bombing raid. This is part of the Allied Pointblank directive to cripple German aircraft production. There is heavy damage to the factories but most of the machines remain intact. The German reaction was vicious as Home Defense was reinforced with JG II fighters from the East Front. Of 376 B-17s taking part 80 are shot down and most are damaged.
Friday, August 20 1943 Edelweiss
Axis forces move through Elista on the way the the Caspian Sea. The have advanced 300 km in ten days. Soviet troops surrounded near Maikop are mopped up.
Monday, August 23 1943 Sicily
Axis reinforcements including the redoubtable 10th panzer division arrive in Sicily. The soldier's morale is high after the good news from the East Front and the successes in Sicily. Heavy artillery arrives to pound the Allies on the beaches. Allies lack good airfields in Sicily and have to support the battle from Tunesia.
Sunday, August 29 1943 Edelweiss
Grozny is captured by Axis forces. Oil refineries have been destroyed by retreating Soviets. Soldiers watch in amazement as the local population rounds up political commissars to lynch them. Hundreds of civilians volunteer for service with the Axis. Stalin is not very popular here.
Friday, September 10 1943 Volga
Soviets attack in the Gorki area using human wave tactics. They use poison gas for the first time but without success. Both sides have gas masks that protect against conventional war gas. The poison gas hinders the Soviet attackers more then the Axis defenders.
Thursday, September 16 1943 Volga
The costly Soviet offensive at Gorki peters out without result. The elite Brandenburg division was mentioned in dispatches. It managed to slip through Soviet lines. Soviets 334 division panicked and tried to retreat to the east but found the Brandenburg division in its path. The desperate Soviets tried to break through in waves but were mown down with all available weapons including panzerfausts. The Soviet division was annihilated in minutes.
Sunday, September 19 1943 Stalingrad
Soviets start a major offensive from Stalingrad to the south aiming to hit the flank of the German Caucasus offensive.
Wednesday, September 22 1943 Maikop
German engineers are sent to Maikop to restart the oil wells. Retreating Soviets have thoroughly destroyed the wells. This project is given the highest priority as the OKH realizes that oil is the key to the future of the war. Already Axis mobility is hindered by oil shortage.
Friday, September 24 1943 Stalingrad
The strength of the Soviet Stalingrad offensive is a surprise to the Axis. Masses of Soviet armor race to Kotelnikov, disrupting the Axis Caucasus offensive. The 6th army has to be used to stop the advance.
Friday, October 1 1943 Stalingrad
The Soviet Stalingrad offensive finally runs out of steam. The Soviet are short of resources: tanks, aircraft, supplies. They tried to compensate by sacrificing human lives but in vain. Axis 6th army counterattacks and the Soviet offensive falls apart.
Saturday, October 2 1943 Caspian Sea
An Axis patrol reaches the Caspian Sea and radios the historic "Thalassa, thalassa" message. The Caucasus is cut off from the rest of the Soviet Union except for the perilous Caspian Sea route.
Sunday, October 3 1943 Sicily
A short but heavy artillery bombardment precedes an all-out attack by Axis 10th panzer division in Sicily. Tigers bulldoze their way through Allied lines and reach the shore. After recent reinforcements both sides are equal in numbers but Axis tanks are superior to Allied armor. One of the most successful German Tigers is commanded by Major Wittman. During the attack he blows up a Sherman tank, his 100th victim. The radio operator promptly jumps out in the heat of battle and paints a new circle on the the still hot gun barrel to mark the kill.
Tuesday, October 5 1943 Sicily
Allies have evacuated Sicily, losing all heavy equipment. 50,000 Soldiers become prisoners of war. They will be paraded through Rome to support Mussolini. The dictator has been released from prison and his former prison guards are now in the cells. Such are the fortunes of war.
Saturday, October 9 1943 Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is attacked for the second time with 291 B-17s. This time the losses are even worse: 95 bombers are shot down. The raid is unsuccessful as Speer has already ordered factories to disperse. Daytime bombing of Germany is stopped until long range escort fighters are available. Only the British are now able to carry the fight to the Germans with night raids.
Wednesday, October 20 1943 Merseburg
The Ju-390 6-engined bomber/transporter makes its first flight piloted by Hans-Werner Lerche. The aircraft is comparable with the Boeing B-29 in size. It can carry a similar bomb load, 10,000 kg and has almost double the range at 9700 km. Its maximum speed is about 70 kph lower than the B-29 but its cruising speed slightly higher and the engines are more reliable. An preliminary order is placed for 260 aircraft.
Thursday, October 21 1943 Caucasus
Axis forces reach Astrakhan at the mouth of the Volga. The Caspian Sea supply line to the Caicasus is now broken. The Soviet Union's oil supply is completely disrupted. The 6th army follows up on its success with an advance on Stalingrad. Operations in the Caucasus mountains are slowed down by the approaching winter.
Monday, October 25 1943 Germany
In Germany the first He-219 squadron becomes operational. The He-219 is a fast night fighter equipped with radar and heavy cannon armament. During tests several Mosquitos have been shot down. Germans don't have short wave radar yet but the existing sets are adequate for intercepting bombers. A British Lancaster with a H2S radar set has been shot down and Siemens engineers are examining the strange device.
Sunday, October 31 1943 Stalingrad
Axis 6th army reaches Stalingrad, much weaker defended than a year before. The Soviet armies have been mauled in the failed Stalingrad offensive.
Thursday, November 11 1943 Caucasus
Axis forces take Batum on the Black Sea, advancing along the coast and bypassing the Caucasus mountains. There is little resistance.
Monday, November 15 1943 Malta
The pressure on Malta is mounting. With negligible losses in the East the Luftwaffe is making a determined effort in the west. Medium bombers raid at night and captured Sturmoviks escorted by FW-190s are sent in by daylight. Sturmoviks are a source of amazement to the British. Their Titanium armor makes them almost invulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and fighters.
Sunday, November 21 1943 Caucasus
Tblisi, the gate to the oil center of Baku, falls to the Axis. Pockets of resistance are left in the Caucasus mountains, to be mopped up later.
Monday, November 29 1943 Prague
Recent conquests in the Caucasus make more bauxite available increasing aluminium production. Captured factories in the Moscow area are already contributing aero engines and tanks to the war effort in a project headed by general Milch, who is perhaps the greatest organizer in the Reich. As a result the Ju-390 goes into full-scale production and an order is placed for 40 Me-264 "America bombers"
Tuesday, November 30 1943 Stalingrad
Axis 6th army has captured Stalingrad almost casually. The previous defeat has been turned around causing immense satisfaction in the OKH. Hitler in a radio speech proclaims that he always delivers on his promises. He hints that the warmongers in London and Washington are trembling in their hideouts.
Sunday, December 18 1943 Caucasus
German armor finally enters Baku. The miserable remnants of the Soviet Forces, about 500,000 out of ammunition and short of food, become prisoners of war. Some Soviet forces retreat to British-occupied Peria. The balance of forces in the Middle East has changed. The Axis has significant forces in the area that can be used to attack Persia. Turkey may join the Axis. Italy, Romania and Bulgaria are encouraged and send more troops to the East now that is safe to do so. As a bonus the dispirited Soviets have not completely demolished the oil fields of Baku.
Tuesday, December 20 1943 Russian front
Activity on the Russian fronts dies down. The Soviets build up new armies to replace the heavy losses and the Germans prepare for a spring offensive. The OKH estimates that 4 million Soviets have been killed or captured in 5 months, half their army. 8,000 Soviet tanks have been destroyed or captured and 6,000 aircraft. Surely Soviet manpower must be exhausted?
Saturday, January 1 1944 London
The year does not begin on a good note for the Allied combined Chiefs of Staff. The Africa campaign was a success but the Sicily invasion was a fiasco. The Soviet Union is in danger of collapse releasing 200 Axis division to the West. Germany seems to have developed a new type of poison gas. The claim of a death ray is not taken seriously. New German tanks have been encountered that are superior to the best Allied tanks. Fortunately the war in the Pacific is going well.
