The Second American Civil War

In interesting blog based opinionofact discussion about which States would fare better in a renewed US Civil conflict.

http://www.wearethemighty.com/second-civil-war-2015-07

http://www.quora.com/If-every-state-of-the-USA-declared-war-against-each-other-which-would-win

OP SEALION Revisited

This is a neat article, which has a summary of an exercise held at the Staff College, Sandhurst in 1974 with several members of the original cast participating!  I recall reading the full book years ago and enjoying it quite a bit.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/featured-article/operation-sealion-summary-of-an-exercise-held-at-the-staff-college-sandhurst.html

Book Review: Fox at the Front

This book follows on from its predecessor Fox on the Rhine (see here) so closely that I consider it Part 2 of the story as opposed to a sequel.  In fact the opening sequences are a retelling of the last section of the first book but from a different character's perspective and the narrative flows smoothly on from there.

Warning: Spoilers ahead...

Rommel's command of the Bulge Offensive in Dec 44 saw it drive far deeper than was historically the case, but ultimately its failed its objectives and significant forces were cut off and captured.  Rommel's recognises that this truly was the last roll of the dice for Germany and therefore surrenders his entire Army Group to the Allies rather than see his country ground to dust.  This does not sit well with some of the SS units under his Command...

In consultation with Patton and Eisenhower, Patton opens a corridor to assist the Allies race to the Rhine in the hope that they can get to Berlin before the Russians resume hostilities.  Again, some elements of his former command and other parts of the Wehrmacht aren't keen on that plan.  With US assistance, a German Republic in exile is established with Rommel as its military head and defend it from forces loyal to the Third Reich (though loyalty is not always voluntary due to the increased security measures Fuhrer Himmler introduces)

With the Rhine breached, Patton drives quickly on Berlin, as the Russians smash through the German defensive line in the East.  Facing only town resistance from fanatics, Patton marginally beats the Russians there there, is reinforced by the 1st Airborne Army (with the cancellation of OP Market Garden this had remained intact) and the Third Reich falls.  Stalin is not amused, however, and his forces isolate Berlin and keep pushing on into Germany, swallowing as much as they can.  A Cold War esque standoff develops and to support Patton's isolated forces and their Republic of Germany friends, the Western Allies commence the Berlin airlift operation.

Months drag on and Stalin starts to loose patience while the Allies scramble frantically to complete the Manhattan Project.  As the Russians begin an offensive to crush the Berlin, the desperate Allies deploy the untested Trinity device...

An interesting book which I enjoyed but which retains its deeply US centric perspective.  It includes all sorts of side stories about Himmler, discovering the Nazi concentration camps, and the grunt's eye view from the trenches using the characters of the fictional US 19th Armoured Division which were central to the first book.  Overall, an enjoyable read but not quite a good as its predecessor.  I give it 3 and a half stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1092943.Fox_At_The_Front

Book Review: Fox on the Rhine

Another OOP volume I managed to snag recently for the princely sum of 1 cent (plus 3.98 for postage!), this is a WW2 alternate history novel.  Well written by two wargamers, they have a style similar to other late 1990s military style novels by Larry Bond, Harold Coyle and Tom Clancy.  Warning; unlike most of my book reviews, this one has spoilers...

The book's point of departure is the famous July 1944 bomb plot - in this case von Stauffenberg's bomb is successful in killing Hitler, though the subsequent military coup is not successful in seizing control of Germany.  Instead, a counter coup executed by Himmler sees him installed as the new Fuhrer to control Germany and the SS, with a power sharing arrangement with the Wehrmacht who retain control of the military.  The immediate outcomes of this are the revocation of the wasteful 'stand and die' directives, and more effective allocation of resources to weapon systems development (such as the ME262).  Meanwhile, Rommel survives the much more lenient post assassination crackdowns and Commands all forces in the West after he recovers from injuries sustained in an allied strafing attack in July 44 (a real incident).

While there are many side stores and characters, the major plot line becomes Rommels' decision points in the aftermath of Normandy, which sees Southern France and the Falaise pocket evacuated and strong German defences established at the West Wall.  The key protagonists and the officer and men of the (fictional) US 19th Armoured Division which lead Patton's spearhead and are in the thick of the action throughout.  As this all happens, Himmler craftily establishes a truce with Stalin at the cost of providing V1 technology and ceeding Norway and Greece.  Everyone knows this is just temporary, but it gives the Third Reich the breathing space and additional manpower to face off the Western Allies at the Battle of the Bulge.

Overall, I found this a really engaging book with plausible consequences of a relatively minor point of departure.  Its weaknesses are a very US centric perspective - Monty gets a very minor look in, but its all Patton, Ike, Bradley and the boys of the 19th Armoured - and a lack of imaginative alternative German actions or operations.  The Pacific is mentioned but only in passing (the Philippines operation is cancelled to divert more assets to Europe after the Rusky ceasefire, MacArthur has a tantrum and gets fired, plus the Entrprise Carrier Group is diverted from the Pacific to Europe, gets jumped by a wolfpack and is sunk, killing Admiral Halsey) so it seems a real afterthought rather than an integrated  part of the changed political environment.  Nevertheless, I rate this book a solid 4 stars.

Stay tuned for my review of the sequel, Fox at the Front.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1092945.Fox_on_the_Rhine

Operation FELIX

The codename for the planned operation to capture Gibraltar to deny the naval facilities to the Royal Navy and close the straits checkpoint into the Mediterranean.  This would then have isolated the British bases in Malta and Egypt and set the conditions for success in North Africa. The reluctance of General Franco of Spain to enter the war precluded its execution and it remained a general staff study only.

"The plan called for two German army corps to enter Spain across the Pyrenees.  One corps was to cross Spain and assault Gibraltar, while the other was to secure its flanks.  Air support would need one fighter and two dive-bomber wings...The Plan also made provisions for occupying Spanish possessions in North Africa and the Canary Islands, who's reports could then be used for German U-Boats." 

The German staff estimates of casualties were also very high due to the defensive nature of the British positions at "The Rock"

Gibraltar during a night air raid

Expected German OOB

Expeditionary Corps (forming the covering force); General Rudolf Schmidt

• 16th Motorized Infantry Division (to concentrate at Valladolid)
• 16th Panzer Division (Cáceres)
• SS Division Totenkopf SS Division Totenkopf]] (Seville)

49 Gebirgsarmeekorps or Army Mountain Corps (forming the assault force); General Ludwig Kübler

• Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment
• 98th Regiment of the 1st Mountain Division
• 26 medium and heavy artillery battalions
• 3 observation battalions
• 3 engineer battalions, which would use up to 150 "Goliath" remotely controlled mine clearing vehicles
• 2 Nebelwerfer battalions
• Brandenburg Regiment detachment of 150 men

Another source gives a slightly different projected strength for the Sturmdivision:

Stab/1. Gebirgsdivision: Lanz Hubert, Gen. Maj. (RDA: 01.11.1940) 
Ia: Degen Hans, Obstlt. i. G. 
x Gebirgsjägerregiment 98: Picker Egbert, Obst. 
x (vst.) Infanterieregiment (mot.) "Großdeutschland": Stockhausen v Wilhelm, Obst. 
x Kdr. d. Pion. XVIII. (Geb.) Armeekorps: Geiger Franz, Obst. 
xx 3 Pionierbataillone 
x Gebirgsartillerieregiment 79: Winkler Max, Obst. 
xx 4 Abteilungen 
x 1-2 Nebelwerferabteilungen 

Strength: 460 Offiziere, 16.000 Mann. The troops were prepared near Besancon and Le Valdahon. Kaltenegger gives the following attack date: 10.01.1941, as well as a detailed plan for the operations. Air support should have come from Richthofen. 

Source: Kaltenegger, Roland (1998): Die deutsche Gebirgstruppe 1935-1945, p. 179 ff. 

Italian chart of Gibraltar Bay and harbour

British Defences, 1941

• 2nd Battalion, The King's Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
• 4th Battalion, The Black Watch (from July 1940)
• 4th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (from July 1940)
• 3rd Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery, with 8 x 9.2 inch, 7 x 6 inch and 6 x twin 6 pounder coast artillery guns
• 10th Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, with 4 x 3 inch, 4 x 3.7 inch, and 2 x 2 pounder anti-aircraft guns
• 82nd Heavy AA Regiment, Royal Artillery, (from July 1940), with 16 x 3.7 inch guns, 8 x 40mm 40mm Bofors AA guns and radar
• 3rd Searchlight Battery, Royal Artillery.^[10]
• "Special Detachment" of No. 1 Tunnelling Company, Royal Canadian Engineers (from November 1940)
• No. 2 Tunnelling Company, Royal Canadian Engineers (from March 1941)^[11]
• Royal Engineers, Royal Signals and supporting arms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Felix
http://www.alternatewars.com/WW2/WW2_Documents/Fuhrer_Directives/FD_18.htm
http://stonebooks.com/history/felix.shtml

What If?

What If?, edited by Robert Cowley

 

Another collection of alternate 'What if' scenarios (or as the dustcover says "a collection of counterfactual essays") this time across a range of timelines - from Antiquity to the Cold War.

I must admit that about half of them did not interest me too much, but some of those that did:

- The Persians win the naval battle of Salamis, 480BC

- The Romans win the battle of Teutoburg Forest, 9AD

- The Spanish Armada triumphs, 1588

- Napoleon wins at Waterloo, 1815

- Alternate American Civil War endings

- The Japanese trap the US Pacific Fleet at Midway, 1942

Overall, this book is similar in style to "If the Allies had fallen" in that it is broad but shallow coverage for each alternative and what could come afterwards, but I quite enjoyed those sections of interest to me.

See it at Amazon here

Operation Herkules

Operation Herkules was the German plan to invade and occupy the fortress island of Malta.  Originally planned for 1942, the operation was cancelled due to the competing requirements for resources in Russia and North Africa. But if it had been executed in September '41, prior to the British force build up in late '42, the situation could have been very different…

Source: Hitler: The Victory that Nearly Was, Bruce Quarrie, Chapter 1.

Scenario: The German campaign in the Balkans in support of the Italians has delayed the execution of Op Barbarossa sufficiently that Hitler has postponed that operation until Spring 1942. In the interim, the gains made in securing Crete and Greece will be followed up by seizing Malta. This would secure the Eastern Mediterranean, bolster the faltering supply lines to the Afrika Korps and keep the British off balance in that theatre. Having learned some lessons from Op Mercury (the invasion of Crete), the Axis plan is a more robust combined arms operation.

Axis Forces

Naval Forces

Vichy French Battlegroup: Battleship Richelieu (skeleton crew) and 9 Destroyers – diversionary role from Toulon

Italian Task Group: Light Cruisers Luigi Cadorna and Giuseppe Garibaldi, and 8 Destroyers

Italian Troop Transports (converted Liners) – Marco Polo, Victoria, Esperia

Assorted flotilla of landing barges and MFPs etc - recycled from Operation Sealion

Ground Forces (assembly area in Sicily)

Commander, General Kurt Student
First Wave: 7th Flieger Division, Generalmajor Richard Heidrich: Airborne insertion from Palermo

Fallschirmjager Regiment 1(FJR 1), Oberst Bruno Bruer

1/FJR 1, Major Erich Walther

2/FJR 1, Major Harry Hermann

3/FJR 1, Major Karl Shulz

Fallschirmjager Regiment 2(FJR 2), Oberst Alfred Sturm

1/FJR 2, Major Hans Kroh

2/FJR 2, Major Erich Pietzonka

3/FJR 2, Major Josef Barmetler

Fallschirmjager Regiment 3(FJR 3), Oberst Ludwig Heilmann

1/FJR 3, Major Freiherr von der Heydte

2/FJR 3, Major Karl Becker

3/FJR 3, Major Hans Lehmann

Second Wave: 5th Gebirgsjager Division, General Julius ‘Papa’ Ringel

85th Infantry Regiment – to be airlanded by Ju 52s at Ta’Qali

100th Infantry regiment– to be airlanded by Ju 52s at Luqa

95th Artillery Regiment – seaborne insertion

Motorcyle Battalion – seaborne insertion

Pioneer Battalion – seaborne insertion

Anti tank Battalion – seaborne insertion

Reconnaissance Battalion – seaborne insertion

Third Wave: Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment, Generalmajor Eugen Meindl: glider insertion from Calabria

1st Battalion, Major Walter Koch

2nd Battalion, Major Edgar Stentzler

3rd Battalion, Major Horst Trebes

4th Battalion, Major Walter Gericke

Total Ground Force; approx 20,000

In Reserve: Italian 2nd Folgore Division (Approx 7,500 men)

Air Forces:

Fleigerkorps X and elements of Fleigerkorps II, including:

At Calabria:

KG 606: JU88s

KG 806: JU88s

I/NJG 2

Regia Aeronautica 37^o Stormo: Breda 20s

At Comiso/Cassibile/Gela/Biscari

I/St.G 3 (Ju 87)

II/St.G 3 (Ju 87)

III/St.G 3 (Ju 87)

2/JG3 (Bf 109)

I/JG 53 (Bf 109)

II/JG 53 (Bf 109)

III/JG 53 (Bf 109)

II/ZG26 (Bf 110)

At Gerbini/Comiso:

I/KG54: JU 88s

II/KG77: JU 88s

III/KG77: JU 88s

Allied Forces

Naval Forces:

Force ‘H’, Admiral Sir James Somerville: Gibraltar

HMS Nelson

HMS Rodney

HMS Prince of Wales

HMS Ark Royal

Force ‘X’, Rear Admiral Harold Burroughs: Gibraltar

5 Cruisers

9 Destroyers

In Grand Harbour, Malta:

HMS Aurora, Capt W.G. Agnew, RN (Light Cruiser)

HMS Penelope, Capt A.D. Nichol (Light Cruiser)

HMS Lance, Lt Cmdr R.W.F. Northcott (Destroyer)

HMS Lively, Lt Cmdr W.F.E. Hussey (Destroyer)

Ground Forces

1st Malta Brigade, Colonel Ivan de le Bere

1st Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, Lt Col H.C. Westmoreland: based in Gudja to defend Luqa

1st Bn Cheshire Regt (MG), Lt Col Edward J Newall: in Vittorosia, defending Grand Harbour, (detachments at Luqa)

1st Dorset Regt, Lt ColA.T. Grimley: Zabbar

2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regt, Quormi (central Malta)

2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, Lt Col A.W. Valentine: Zetjun (adj to Marsaxlokk Bay)

Royal Artillery

Royal Engineer

Royal Signals troops

King’s Own Malta Regt

Roya Malta Artillery

Malta Volunteer Defence Force (Home Guard)

4 Heavy AA Regts (2 British, 2 Maltese): 6 troops, each of 4 guns

4 Light AA Regts (3 British, 1 Maltese): 9 troops, each of 4 guns

Total Ground Force; approx 11,000 (about half being trained, regular forces)

Air Forces:

Ta’Qali Airfield – 126 Sqn (Hurricanes), 249 Sqn (Hurricanes)

Luqa Airfield – 105 Sqn (understrength)(Blenheim bombers), 107 Sqn (understrength)(Wellington bombers)

Hal Far Airfield – 185 Sqn (Hurricanes), 830 Sqn Fleet Air Arm (Swordfish, Marylands)

Radar network providing effective coverage to the Sicilian coast

Total: 69 Hurricanes, 18 Blenheims, 17 Wellingtons, 12 Swordfish, 17 Marylands (123 aircraft)

Hitler, the Victory That Nearly Was

Another alternate history book (vice weird WW2) based on a delay of Barabrossa until 1942, and in turn Hitler was able to convince his Japanese allies to delay their Perl Harbour attack also for a coordinated effect.  As a consequence, the Germans refocus their 1941 strategy on consolidating their holdings in the Eastern Mediterranean after the Greece and Crete campaigns, and supporting the Afrika Korps.  All else follows from those key decisions.

What makes this book really enjoyable is that the author is a wargamer, and gamed the scenarios he postulates to ensure they were realistic.  What that means is that scenarios literally fall out of this book, including orders of battle.  I'm only on the third chapter so far, but loving it.  The diversions from historical timeline are clearly delineated, and the compounding effects are easy to follow.

Recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Hitler-Victory-That-Nearly-Was/dp/0715392158

If the Allies had fallen : sixty alternate scenarios of World War II

I've just finished reading this really interesting book, which is a commentary on a wide range of potential scenarios as opposed to a deep analysis of a few possibilities.  Both approaches are useful to me personally, but it seems that many other books in this genre focus on the latter approach (like the alternate Battle of the Bulge discussions.......).  In this work Dennis Showalter has grouped a range of contributions from different authors, from the Battle of Britain/Op Sealion, to the Allies not pursuing a Mediterranean Strategy, the execution of D-Day in mid 1943, the war starting a year earlier, the assassination of Hitler, Brits/US racing Russia to Berlin,  the Alliance fracturing etc.  The broad  discussion of each of these makes this book easy to read and absorb, but can leave the passionate reader wanting more in some scenarios.

As always its important to understand that these style of books are analysis with deep hindsight and out of the original context.  Decision makers of the time had incomplete pictures (of both sides usually) and a range of political and social pressures which can be lost in translation.  Nevertheless, I found this an interesting and easy read that got my juices flowing for more.  Recommended.

You can read another review of the book here:

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=12338

Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's Alternate Scenarios

I've been reading this book, by Peter Tsouras, this week. 10 incidents are seperately described, modified and lead to a different outcome of this famous battle.  It describes real actions and characters (on both sides), and shows how different choices or minor incidents could have led to entirely new chains of events. 

• What if the Germans successfully prevented Patton from relieving the seige of Bastogne? 
• Or if the Allies had suffered a major setback in the Ardennes, allowing the Red Army to overrun Berlin and drive on to the Rhine? 
• What if Hitler had not launched the battle, and retained the forces to defend Reich territory instead?

I'm thoroughly enjoying it!

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Bulge-Hitlers-Alternate-Scenarios/dp/1853676071

WW2 Alien Invasion

Very well done alternate WW2 video series by OzBeastRabban, based loosely on Turtledove WW2 "In the Balance" series:

Alternate History Books and Novels

These aren't all WW2 of course, lots of timelines (US Civil War is naturally very popular with American authors) and Points of Departure from actual History:
http://www.alternatehistorybooks.com/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:World_War_II_alternate_histories

and to get you into the mood there are some online essays and ideas here:
http://www.alternatehistory.com/ahdirectory.html#WW2
http://www.changingthetimes.net/samples.htm#World%20War%20Two

Axis of Time Trilogy

I just finished reading this series of alternative WW2 history books and really enjoyed them.  Actually I bought these a few years back and had them packed in a box and forgot all about them, so it was like extra Chrostmas presents!

Essentially, this is an alternate WW2 history with WWW2 leanings from a tech and wunderweapon perspective (such as a Waffen SS Air Assault Division equipped with NVGs, kevlar body armour, assault rifles and grenade launchers, in late 1942).  And a great ride it is too!

Essentially (witholding the spoilers) a Multinational Naval Task Force in 2021is preparing for an operation in SE Asia when it gets sucked through a wormhole generated by an experimental research vessel.  The task group reappears in the middle of a US Battlegroup immediately prior to the 1942 Battle for Midway and predictably, all does not go well.  And once that is all sported out, it gets really interesting:

- The appearance of new technology radically shifts the balance of power, but once fired, the munitions are gone and the tech base cant make new ones.

- The cultural issues surrounding a Japanese ship in the task group, and the exchange personnel from Germany, Italy and Russia who face a bit of a dilemma.  Plus 1940s Australia, America and UK just arent ready to accept females and ethnic personnel in postions of authority - especially when some of them are Commanding Officers...

- Probably most interestingly is what happens when all the countries get access to the historical database and find out what happened previously: what gambles didnt pay-off, who the traitors were, and the impact of accelerated technological research.



The series is comprised of "Weapons of Choice: WW2.1", "Designated targets: WW2.2" and "Final Impact WW2.3".  Overall I found it to be an intriging series which was carried through pretty well.  Some of the character development could be better but the overall premise and story arcs are excellent.  Recommended!


More here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapons_of_Choice