Part 122: Hearts of Iron II: Chapter 20 - Seelöwe: Jan - May 1941

January 1941 - May 1941: Seelöwe

Taking the advice of the Council, Waldemar ops to grant autonomy to France and Brittany, dredging up a harmless dullard from some forgotten branch of the French dynasty to put on its throne and giving the throne of Brittany to a former general with aristocratic blood who had been living in exile in Scandinavia since the communist revolution.



Wallonia and Southern Burgundy are annexed to Germany, creating a southern corridor into Occitania and giving Germany control of the entire defense line built by the communist regime. The French court and administration are relocated to Troyes, placing the French rump state in a hopeless strategic position against Germany.


The Iberians continue to launch assaults on Toulouse, but are beaten back by the dug-in defenders.


Trying a different tactic, the Iberians attack the German flanks and punch through in Dax and Montpellier, but are quickly repulsed by counter-attacks.


In Jadakal, the Jadakal Empire has come to an end as the last of its conquests is ceded to their former owners. Jadakal is once more merely the Sultanate of Asmunakal.


In America, Patton's disruptions behind enemy lines come to an end as he is finally run down, surrounded and captured in Lawton.


Combined Egyptian-Lombard forces launch a successful strike across Suez, taking back control of the channel and opening the Med to HRE ships once more.


The super heavy battleship Waldemar VII stands complete in February, joining the Atlantic fleet as the flagship of the Kriegsmarine


The Atlantic and Baltic fleets are immediately sent out to patrol the british coasts, while eight elite divisions of infantry shifted from the Iberian front are loaded into transport ships in Öresund.


Their destination is Britain. Aerial scouting of England has revealed that the British have moved everything they have to Iberia, save for a screen of coastal garrison divisions.


This, as it turns out, was something of a mistake.



As German divisions step onto British soil, the German surface navy scours the Channel, ruthlessly hunting down any League ships in sight and blocking any movement of troops from Iberia back to Britain.


The situation in America is now beyond hope, with only parts of New Britain still under American control. To avoid their capture or destruction, the German airforce is ordered to withdraw, the last Germans leaving American soil on a bright March morning. Seated on one of the German bombers is Hoover, who has opted not to go down with the sinking American ship by accepting asylum in Frankfurt.



Liverpool and Sunderland fall quickly, and three divisions are sent north to capture Glasgow, but are repulsed by its garrison.



With spring comes renewed fighting in the Balkans, and German troops advancing against the Union lines. The Union has been oddly passive about the whole Balkan front, presumably because they are concentrating their resources on the Caucasus and India.



In Britain, Germany troops reach the outskirts of London in mid-April, advancing divisions into Birmingham and Norwich.


The Glasgow garrison is finally defeated after bitter fighting a few days later.


The final attack on London is launched on April 17th. The garrison gives little account for itself, quickly breaking and running in face of the German advance.


By April 20th, London is German hands.


On April 21, less than two months into the invasion of its soil, Britain surrenders.


The victory is stunning - a powerful League member knocked out of the war so quickly that its allies had little time to react. The only downside to the victory is that the British army in Iberia, far from laying down its arms, have instead opted to fight on under Iberian flag.


As April ends, the strategic situation is mixed. The Iberian line in the Pyrenees is momentarily weakened, though it will be weeks at most before they link up with the newly Iberian-flagged british divisons.


The Union continues its defensive posture in the Balkans, content to try and hold on to what it has.


Conversely, the communists are on the offensive in the Caucasus, with some 40 Union divisions pitted against half that number in Lithuanian, German and Cossack defenders.


The Union is also attacking deep into India, and it seems like the Byzantines are in serious trouble.


The African front is a mess - as predicted, Friland is about to fall, and after that it will be a three-way free for all between the remaining HRE, Communist and League nations.


America is all but gone - Vinland still has most of their territory, but have no hope of defending it alone. It's only a matter of time before Mazula mops them up.


Voting

With Britain defeated, it is as usual up to the Advisory Council to decide on what should be done with our fallen foe.


Option A - Partition them


Option B - Make them into a client state


Option C - Rule them directly