Blueprint for Armageddon (WW2 Wargame, IC Thread)

[Finland SSR]

Merely two decades have passed since the Paris Peace Conference, whose decisions established the new world order after the catastrophic Great War, and yet the treaties it has produced have already been turned to scrap paper.

The schizophrenia of the Treaty of Versailles, both too harsh and too lenient, coupled with the instability of the Interwar period and the Great Depression, have pushed Germany to a revanchist, National Socialist dictatorship, which has joined Fascist-led Italy in becoming the axis around which the growing tension in Europe turns. With Austria, Czechoslovakia and Albania already fallen to the Western attempt to prevent conflict by appeasing the aggressors, the British Empire and France have drawn a red line in the form of Poland.

In the far east, the Second Sino-Japanese War counts its second year, the conflict hsving turned into one of attrition for both sides. Still, the this is far from enough for the resource-hungry Japanese nation, and with each passing day, the colonies of the Western powers in the southeast become more and more enciting...

And as this happens, the United States and Soviet Union await in the shadows, their innumerable power bound to shape the history of the planet just like that of the three aggresors...

Blueprint for Armageddon
A World War II Nation Wargame
OOC Thread | Starting Map

OP Board:
OP - Finland SSR
Co-OP team:
- Europe/Africa:
- Asia:
- Americas:

Turn 1 (July 1st, 1939 - January 1st, 1940)

Events from Jan-Jul 1939

Europe

- The Spanish Civil War comes to an end once the last of the Republican forces surrender on April 1st, and General Francisco Franco is now the supreme, undisputed ruler over a country which has seen upwards of half a million deaths since the beginning of the civil war in 1936. The German Condor Legion and Italian Corpo Truppe Voluntarie return home victorious.
- The state of Czechoslovakia is dismantled by German, Hungarian and Slovak interests and partitioned between the protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia, the German puppet state of Slovakia and the Hungarian-annexed territories of Southern Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine. Hungary leaves the League of Nations.
- With a verbal ultimatum on March 20th, Germany forces Lithuania to cede the port of Klaipėda (Memel).
- In response to both acts of illegal annexation, the government of the United Kingdom reaches out to Poland and offers a British guarantee of the Polish nation's independence. Similar guarantees are later offered to Romania and Greece.
- Italian forces invade the small Balkan kingdom of Albania without an official declaration of war, and its King Zog I flees the country. Albania is transformed into an Italian protectorate under a personal union with the Apenine kingdom.
- The Pact of Steel is signed between Germany and Italy on May 22nd, tying the two nations in a political and military alliance, with a 10 year official lifespan.

Asia

- The Battles of Khalkhin Gol, a series of border conflicts within the sparsely inhabited Inner Mongolian plain, break out between the Soviet Union and Japan, and their dominated puppet states Mongolia and Manchukuo respectively. As of July 1st, the conflict is in the midst of escalation, both sides rapidly increasing the amount of soldiers stationed in the area and the first airstrikes being conducted by the air force under the Kwantung Army.
- The Second Sino-Japanese War is still ongoing, with the Kwantung Army scoring several victories such as the Battle of Nanchang and the Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang, which have allowed Japan to consolidate their hold over Hubei and Jiangxi regions along the Yangtze River. Despite this, however, the war is no longer one of movement and rapid victories, and both sides have yet to recover from the Pyrrhic battle which was the Battle of Wuhan.
- After diplomatic negotiations, the Hatay dispute is resolved in Turkey's favor and the French-dependent Hatay State is annexed into Turkey.

This turn will last until Sunday, December 2nd. Warplans, tech submissions and espionage plans must be submitted beforehand.

[Puertollano]

Belgrade
12th January, 1939

A popular referendum by the people of Yugoslavia finished today. The question on hand, for the people of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to vote upon was to whether to abolish the Monarchy in its entirety and replace it with a Republican Government, similar in structure to the United States or France. The referendum was planned only a few months prior, as part of a sweeping gift of concessions to the Yugoslavian people after many tumultuous months of protest and civil disobedience. For the young King Peter the 2nd, it was a new, reformist attitude that he had represented to the Kingdom, in order to maintain his control over the nation and the armed forces and preventing complete revolution. The main agitators in these street battles was the Communist Party and their fellow socialist and anarchist affiliates. They saw it as a victory for their movement, and one strong step down the path to a socialist society, not one based off the U.S. or France, but that of the USSR. 12th of January the ballots were returned, and in a transparent matter, the vote was decided. A clear 73.7% of Yugoslavia voted in favour of abolishing the monarchy and working toward a representative democracy. However, there were a few stragglers who pushed against this reform. Belgrade remained the fortress of the monarchist loyalist vote, and the populace of Belgrade was vital in the victory of King Peter in his coup a few years ago. They did not appreciate the votes result, and many in the capital refused to acknowledge the outcome. Many took to the streets and pressured the King to ignore the referendum results. King Peter began talks with his closest advisors and monarchist loyalists.

14th January

There were two days of complete media black-out, with no formal response from the King or his government about the expected reformation and dissolution of the Royal Family. It was not until mid-day on the 14th when monarchist forces announced that they would continue the status quo, against the wishes of the overwhelming rural and working class voters. Monarchist loyalists in Belgrade marched in the streets in support of the King, but a stronger force was brewing. The King failed to sure up support within the military, and when the farmer class (organised by the communist and socialist parties) began marching towards the capital, the military put their support behind the force they knew would win. By 4pm on the 14th, several royalist and loyalist bastions in the military were shelled by the Communist Partisans, a group previously declared by the Kingdom as a terrorist organisation. In their hands, the Partisans had superior Soviet technology, compared to the under-equipped Royal Guard. While the loyalist protestors clashed in the streets with the amassed crowds of farmers from the country-side, the Communist Partisans and the newly converted military of Yugoslavia stormed the Palace. However, the King has already made his escape. On a plane en route to the United Kingdom, hoping to find political asylum there. The other organs of the government were seized by the revolutionaries and a new government was established. This was met with popular support from across Yugoslavia. The unpopularity of the King was enough to allow even anti-communists to be satisfied with the outcome. The leader of the Communist Partisans, Marshal Broz Tito stood in the main square of Belgrade and revealed his new plans for Yugoslavia. From that stage on, Yugoslavia would become the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the means of production would be seized and organised in workers co-operatives and state-run industries. Mass literacy and education programs were established, universal healthcare was granted to all citizens, the people were given more days off, the serf-peasant relationship was smashed and the secret police set its task to remove any nationalist, fascist and royalist elements seeking to topple the new government. Not nessecarily through friendly force.

[G-Tech Corporation]

July 8th, 1939

"These provocations are unacceptable." muttered Voroshilov, his voice cast almost to himself, but clearly loud enough for all of the Five Marshals to hear. Stalin merely sat still, saying nothing, as was his wont in the meetings; at least, when he hadn't had enough liquor to lose his customary cold predator's edge. There was no man more explosive or more stern-willed in all of the Soviet Union, and cold fear-sweat prickled at the back of the Minister's collar even as he gave voice to the words.

Yegorov would have known what to do, if he was here. But that was the poison and the necessary bloodletting of the last years. So much talent lost, consumed by the flames of suspicion and purge. Stalin sat straighter now though, more confident. Paranoid as they could come, of course, but there was redemption coming for his actions. The factionalism of the past, buried in a hail of bullets and "confessions".

"The Japanese know we find these provocations unacceptable. And yet they continue. Their Kwantung Army-" and here Timoshenko's nose wrinkled in distaste at the strange Eastern name "- operates without explicit approval of their state, and yet it spills the blood of our comrades and the workers of Mongolia."

Stalin steepled his fingers, and all other discussion in the room ended. "You have dispatched Zhukov and his corps to the region. That is enough. If he cannot possess order on that border with the material advantages he enjoys, and Commandarm Shtern does not live up to his record, we have enough space to trade that it matters little. Ensure Shtern's orders preclude advance beyond Nomonhan, save at the need of military manuever."

That was it, the final word. The Soviet Union had enough on its plate with the troubles in Europe, and her own internal affairs, but would bloody any man foolish enough to underestimate her resolve. Stalin had decreed it, and so it would be.

"The next item of business, then, is Koshkin screaming to the skies about deficiencies revealed at Khasan. His expense reports..."

Stalin waved one meaty hand, a chop ending conversation. "Koshkin shall have his budget. Czechslovakia taught us many lessons, and I will not fail to heed them."

And thus the meeting continued, long into the night. The news from Yugoslavia was good, another voice added to the paean of the workers, and that alone made the normally intractable Josef nearly smile. Nearly.

[Absolon-7]

July 15, Paris - France

---

President Albert François Lebrun sat in his office with a cigar in hand reviewing and re-reviewing newspapers from the day before and the day two sunsets after. The fall of Yugoslavia to the sickening grip of communism displeased him greatly. The rays of the outside sun were filtered by closed curtains providing a nice middleground of light in the office. Lebrun ran his fingers though what remained of his balding head as he considered his options. He genuinely feared what would come in these uncertain times as nation after nation had fallen to the whims of fascism and now it looked as if now too free nations would fall to communism. But for the moment the fascist nations of the world were a more pressing and aggressive concern. Alas he knew that Poland would be the straw the broke the world's back if Germany desired to reclaim lost land from the Great War. The Maginot Line still held strong as a hundred divisions held firm in its fortifications and intensive rearmament programs from three years back had finally begun to see fruit but perhaps it wasn't enough?

[Zelent]

July 16th, 1939
Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer

The time had come for the final rise of the Germanic peoples that would alter the future of the world for the next thousand years. In this decade, Germany had again found it's spirit, throwing off the shackles of the Judeo-Bolshevik conspiracy. Germany again had a strong army, Germany again had a unified people, Germany again had strong leaders. In that time, Germany asserted its national rights in the entirety of it's lands, and unified with Saarland, Austria, the Sudetenland, Memel. Its economy was reshaped, as industrial production grew and agricultural output rose, ensuring the economic prosperity of the Reich. Hitler, emboldened by Western failures to hold to pre-established "red lines" now set his sights on another minuscule territory of German extraction. The Free City of Danzig, with its Nazi government, it's German population, and it's shipyards and other industrial facilities was an appealing target of Hitlers expansionism. It's annexation would make the eventual conquest of Poland significantly easier, and hopefully force a political failure for Britain and France. The events in Yugoslavia meanwhile, while concerning, did not present an immediate threat for the Nazi government, it presented a unique opportunity to empower anti-communist sentiments in the Balkans and Europe as a whole. Instead of combating the rise of Communism in Yugoslavia directly, it would use it as a means to outflank Bolshevism in Europe, as so that it could focus its military elsewhere.


Free City of Danzig
Hitlers secretary, Martin Bormann had been sent to East Prussia to cross the border into Danzig and speak to the local Nazi Party leadership. His staff car was accompanied by a small convoy of armored cars flanked by armed members of the local SS Heimwehr Danzig, in a move meant to primarily challenge the political will of the Poles to exert their control in the city. A win win situation for the Germans, if the Polish responded too strongly, it would push the citizenry farther towards the Reich by making the Poles seem imperialistic oppressors, and no response would send a signal globally the Poland it's self was more or less ceding freedom of movement in Danzig to Germany. The Nazi envoy met with local officials, most notably the head of the Nazi party in Danzig, SS-Obergruppenfuhrer and President of the Free City of Danzig Senate, Arthur Greiser. Hours later, with the Nazi convoy leaving in the dead of night, the Danzig authorities announced the planning of a referendum on the subject of the Annexation of Danzig into the German Reich.

[Riysa]

Finland was in danger. Not from financial ruin, deadly diseases, or anything of that sort, but rather, from the big Soviet bear laying at its doorstep. It was sleeping, for now at least, but the Soviets never forgot and never forgave Finland's slip from their grasp during the Russian Civil War.

Regarding the Finnish Army

Someone had once said that you never went to war with the army you wanted, but you did with the army you had. Perhaps the best example of this was themselves, General Nenonen thought. As Inspector of Artillery, he had to deal with acquisition, readiness, and all other things related to the equipment of the Finnish Army, and what he saw was a far from ideal army. It was his job to try to balance what they had, and try to secure whatever he could.

Much like his friend Mannerheim, he had a lot of pent-up anger towards how the rearming of the Army had gone - that is, slowly. However, he accepted that Finland wouldn't be self-sufficient anytime soon, especially with the budget they had. Even though domestic production was almost always better than buying from outside, it was inevitable that they'd have to import a lot of their equipment, whether due to domestic shortfalls or just being unable to produce it themselves. So he grit his teeth and did what he could.

Anyways, when it came to the Army, definitely the most pressing thing was their artillery, in all its forms: mortars, field guns and howitzers, anti-air, and anti-tank weapons. As a career artilleryman, having served in the Civil War, he knew how crucial artillery was.

For mortars, the situation was excellent - Finland was self-sufficient in 81 mm mortars, and the development of 120 mm mortars was in progress. No need to intervene there.

For field artillery, new artillery of all types was needed - there just simply wasn't enough to go around. Finland had started licensing the Bofors 10.5 cm howitzer, but delays meant that none of the license-produced pieces had entered service yet. He had to get more, but from where? Sweden's own stockpile seemed to be a good start. Belgium and Germany also had artillery pieces of interest.

For AT guns, there was a success story in the Bofors 37 mm. It was among the Bofors licenses they had purchased last year and were now producing it for themselves, albeit at a low rate. Up till now 48 had been delivered, but they needed more, way more, to counter the Soviet armored threat. With the help of Colonel Grandell of War Economy, he secured orders for another 44 for the next year. But even so, that wasn't enough. He needed to look elsewhere for weapons - Sweden of course manufactured the 37 mm, so that was his first choice. Other than that, the 47 mm guns of both Belgium and Skoda had caught his eye - the 37 mm was sufficient for now, but the additional power of the 47 mm in both anti-tank and infantry support roles was helpful.

Well, time to get to work.

Dear esteemed team of Bofors,

We wish to sign a contract for delivery the following:

7.5 cm kanone m/40 (24)
37 PstK/36 (20)
7.5 cm 1934 (16)
10,5cm Haubits m/40 (12)

We will pay for these in Finnish marks, with the equipment to be delivered before January 1st, 1940. Please let me know if these terms are acceptable.

Signed,
General Nenonen

To whom it may concern,

We are ready to place an order for the following:

120 H/13 howitzer (12)
C.47 F.R.C. Mod.31 (8)

We will pay in British pounds,with the equipment to be delivered before January 1st, 1940. Please let me know if these terms are acceptable.

Regarding the Finnish Navy

The Navy was tiny, but so was the Baltic Sea. Finland had no need for the grand cruisers and battleships of the other nations, rather, all that it needed was a fleet that could stave off the Soviets and hurt their port of Leningrad. With such a small and shallow sea, small and light submarines were the ideal solution.

This was the argument Lt. Pekkanen of the Vesikko made to Colonel Grandell, with the intent of expanding the Navy's submarine force by completing another two submarines in the same style of the Vesikko. Encouraging them wasn't be too hard - Mannerheim loved domestic production, the Navy loved submarines, and Crighton-Vulcan had all the equipment in place. It was just a matter of scrounging up the money for the poorly funded Navy.

To the (happy) surprise of many, the construction of two more was approved. it seemed that the Soviet threat was starting to bear down on leadership, and some of the rising stars in the military seemed to take an interest in a submarine navy. Hopefully, this request wasn't too late.

[Finland SSR]

Dear esteemed team of Bofors,

We wish to sign a contract for delivery the following:

7.5 cm kanone m/40 (24)
37 PstK/36 (20)
7.5 cm 1934 (16)
10,5cm Haubits m/40 (12)

We will pay for these in Finnish marks, with the equipment to be delivered before January 1st, 1940. Please let me know if these terms are acceptable.

Signed,
General Nenonen

To whom it may concern,

We are ready to place an order for the following:

120 H/13 howitzer (12)
C.47 F.R.C. Mod.31 (8)

We will pay in British pounds,with the equipment to be delivered before January 1st, 1940. Please let me know if these terms are acceptable.

Dear General Vilho P. Nenonen,

This deal is acceptable. Bofors AG will prepare the materiel requested and send it to Helsinki later this year.

Signed,
Axel Wenner-Gren

Dear General Vilho P. Nenonen,

These terms are acceptable. The delivery will be sent to Helsinki later this year.

[Finland SSR]

Turn 1 (Jul 1939-Jan 1940)

Western Front
Weather Condition: 54/100

Something odd is taking place on the Western Front.

On September 1st, during cloudy and somewhat humid, though otherwise calm and tolerable weather, the soldiers of the Wehrmacht stationed on the French-German border suddenly reported an attack taking place on their positions at the Saarland and the western bank of the Rhine. Several divisions, supported by infantry tanks and artillery, crossed the border into the Saarland, taking the meager German forces by surprise and forcing them to retreat after several skirmishes and small engagements. After several days of miscommunication and uncertainty among both high commands, the capital of the Saar region, Saarbrücken, is reported to have fallen to the French advance - and parallel to this event, the Schengen bridge at the meeting point of the French, German and Luxembourgish borders is reported to have been demolished to prevent its usage by the German forces.

Further east, the French forces made several crossings across the Rhine River, only to be met with swift retaliation from the Germans manning the Westwall on the other side. The divisions stationed here, commanded by General Erwin von Witzleben, were quick to react to the surprising situation and inflicted severe casualties to the Frenchmen with entrenched artillery and machine gun fire, which they, lacking air support or sufficient weaponry to break through the fortified line, have been unable to respond to in kind.

An undeclared war is currently taking place in the Rhineland, and unless tensions are diffused immediately, it seems that a great war may once again grip Europe.

Turn 2 (January 1st, 1940 - June 31st, 1940)

[Puertollano]

January 1st, 1940

With the back-drop of a looming war in Western Europe, the Presidents of the Autuonomous Republics of Yugoslavia met with Marshall Josef Tito in the capital of Belgrade. In the meeting, the men smoothed out a development project for the Socialist Republic, similar to that of the Soviet Year Plans. The Yugoslavian 5 Year Plan was established, and the goals were for the mass industrialisation of the nation. Massive swathes of land were seized by the government for re-purposing, and were dedicated to the industrialisation of heavy industry and manufacturing. While part of the incentive to create this 5 Year Plan was to decrease the rates of poverty (by employing a great amount of workers), become self-sufficient in building materials and other purposes, but there was a greater factor. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia wanted to expand the resources and power of the armed forces. This new industrial base throughout Yugoslavia would prop up the mass production of weaponry, armoured vehicles and utilities. Even more so, Yugoslavia wanted to expand its’ current technology beyond that it already has. This includes developing weaponry of that to put up a fight with the aggressors in Europe. However, there has been little in the realm of information about what is really being made in these sprawling factories.

[Zelent]

Fall Rot

YOUR NATION: German Reich
ALLIES: N/A
DEPLOYED FORCES:
After the reinforcement of the Western Front, expected to take up to two weeks:
• 75 Infantry Divisions
• 2 Mountain Divisions
• 3 Motorized Divisions, 2 Independent Regiments
• 8 Panzer Divisions
• 2 SS Divisions, 1 Reinforced SS Regiment
• 2 Airlanding Divisions, 1 Heer, the other Luftwaffe

OPPOSING NATION(S): France
THEATRE(S): Western Front; Rhineland and Saarland, Alsace
MILITARY GOALS: Repelling the French assault into the Saarland, if possible capturing a number of French divisions, and pursuing a counterattack into France, hopefully creating a gap in the Maginot line.
DURATION: Mid Janurary - Turn end/Completion
STRATEGY: OKH forces at their core would be devised into two separate Army Groups and a special large scale Kampfgruppe. After the arrival of reinforcing divisions,

29 Infantry divisions would be assigned to Heersgruppe B, which would continue to hold the West Wall while maintaining a number of 9 divisions at key points along the Rhine farther north of the border, in the event Heersgruppe A absolutely failed, which was unlikely. These divisions would continue to repulse any further French attacks and be used in light defensive measures, conducting cross Rhine artillery bombardments, screening for any weak points in the Maginot line while mopping up all French presence East of the river. In this sector meanwhile, Luftwaffe support would be delivered in the form of Fliegerkorps IV consisting of Lehrgeschwader 2, made up of 93 Bf 109's and 31 Bf 110's (Four Gruppe), additionally heavy aerial support would be provided by Kampfgeschwader 76 and Kampfgeschwader 1 consisting of a total of 192 Heinkel He 111, 32 Dornier Do 17. KG 76 would coordinate heavily with Panzergruppe Kleist after the complete removal of French troops from German side of the Rhine.

In the Rhineland lies a total of 40 Infantry Divisions, 1 Mountain Division, Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland (Independent, motorized), and 2 Panzer Divisions. The capture of Saarbrucken in essence set the German army in this sector on a defensive stance, forming a line from South of Trier, at Konz to Sarlouis to Sankt Ingbert back down to the border to the Rhine. Hoping to put the German army on the offensive in this sector by making a swift move to try and cut off the main line of French supply to Saarbrucken. Three Infantry divisions and a Panzer division supported by Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland together with a attached SS Battalion launch a counter offensive from South of Volkingen aiming directly to advance upon the French border city of Forbach, aiming to find the earliest points of resistance in the Maginot line weak or under defended given French focus on their own offensive. In this sector, Luftwaffe support is delivered in the form of I. x. and III. Fliegerkorps with a combined total aircraft numeration of 138 Medium bombers, 127 Light Bombers, 96 Dive Bombers, 212 Fighters and 62 Heavy Fighters. These aircraft would aim to control the airspace over Saarland and support the counter offensive towards Forbach, while also providing a aerial reconnaissance of French positions and coordinating extensively with ground based Fliegerleittruppen, tactical air control troops.

Meanwhile, gathered North East of the border Wissembourg is positioned a large armored formation called Panzergruppe Kleist, made up of four Panzer Divisions, two Motorized divisions, and an SS Division, along with indirectly attached two Fallschirmjager divisions. Luftwaffe support is delivered in the form of V. II. and VII. Fliegerkorpen and Jagdfliegerfuhrer 3 providing an amassed total of 200 Ju 88, 170 Do 18, 90 He 111, 260 Ju 87, 70 Bf 110, 370 Bf 109, 30 Hs 123s, 120 Fieseler Fi 156 and 180 Ju 52, Aerial support would be heavily coordinated by ground based Luftwaffe radiomen assigned to Heer units, Fliegerleittruppen, while Fi 156's would provide practical screening of the French positions, spotting weak spots in French defenses for the Panzer units to exploit and identifying the accuracy of Luftwaffe bombing runs to help OKL and OKW determine the most effective bombing strategy to break the Maginot line. Beginning the operation, Bf 109's would establish air supremacy so that at the start of the counter offensive, the Ju 52 fleet would airdrop the Fallschirmjager divisions in two positions, one north west of Haguenau and the other south of Wissembourg, with troops landing behind the Maginot line, they would begin disrupting the French rear and create small pockets for the French to focus their armies against while the transport planes continue dropping resupplies, as they wait for a Panzer break through. Meanwhile, Panzergruppe Kleist would attempt to smash through at Wissembourg and funnel troops in, aiming to create a wide and deep breakthrough, before motorized troops continue pushing on to reach the encircled Fallschirmjager divisions and effectively threaten to encircle large numbers of French troops at the Rhine.