Total
War in Europe Master Scenario List and Overview Part I:
It
seems that the scenario numbering convention for this series
goes like this:
1XX = TFB, 2XX = WSF, 3XX = Next title in series, etc...
-ST
The
First Blitzkrieg:
Getting
Started: Sparks Along the Polish Corridor:
Along
the Polish Border – 1st September 1939: The Polish
Corridor, a strip of German territory awarded to newly independent
Poland extending along the Vistula River to the Baltic Sea,
was to provide Poland with permanent access to the Baltic
Sea. However, the Corridor cut East Prussia off from the
rest of Germany and was one of many points of resentment
by the German people as a result of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.
Hitler demanded permission to build a road and rail connection
across the Corridor, and that Danzig would come under German
control once again. Poland staunchly refused, thus the Polish
Corridor would become the spark to ignite the Second World
War in Europe. "Sparks Along the Polish Corridor"
is the Getting Started scenario and it should be played
in conjunction with the Getting Started help file. The purpose
of the scenario is to get you acquainted with the mechanics
of game play.
100:
Invasion of Denmark (Hypothetical):
Denmark
- 9th April 1940: Coincident with an ambitious plan by the
Germans for the invasion of Norway, German troops also occupied
Denmark. There was very little opposition by the surprised
Danes as Copenhagen was captured within 12 hours with the
loss of a few soldiers and members of the King of Denmark's
Guards. This is a hypothetical situation using historical
forces on both sides and the actual "pre set"
German invasion plan. However, this scenario depicts what
"might" have occurred had the Danes had the will
to resist. *Designer Note: This is a beginner scenario created
to familiarize players with Sea Movement. The Player should
consider alternative approaches to the invasion as what
appears to be the direct approach may not be the best solution.
101:
The Fall of the Netherlands:
The
Netherlands – 10th May 1940: While much of the attention
of the German assault on the Western Front was focused on
the fighting in Belgium, including the first use of airborne
troops at the Forts of Eben Emael. However, little known,
but significant German airborne operations were mounted
to assault "Fortress Holland". This task fell
to the German 18th Army and the air forces of the Luftwaffe.
A large bomber force struck Rotterdam on the 14th of May,
after which, the Netherlands surrendered and the Dutch Royal
Family evacuated to England. Will this be a Dutch side show
or can the Dutch hold out long enough to affect the battles
raging in Belgium and win the Dutch a pyrrhic victory?
102:
The French Offensive in the Saare:
The Saare Gap
region on the French-German frontier – 6th September
1939: Only a week prior to the outbreak of war, the Commander
of the French Armed Forces, General Maurice Gamelin, told
his government that France could not hope to launch a major
offensive for at least two years. Yet two weeks later, more
as a matter of honor, a token advance in support of the
much beleaguered Polish Army was made in the Saare Gap region
directed at the industrial center of Saarbrücken. The
advance penetrated a bare six miles into Germany and no
sooner had it begun, it became apparent to those in the
West that the Polish situation was rapidly becoming hopeless
and came to an abrupt stop. The French had no intention
of forcing the Germans' hand in this early attack and, therefore,
no additional support was committed. Thus a golden opportunity
may have been lost as even some high ranking German officers
believed a determined offensive might have carried the French
through the West Wall before the Germans could have brought
back formations from Poland. This scenario covers the limited
focus Saare offensive by the French in 1939 with forces
available and forces that could have been committed had
the French had the will to do so.
103:
Gamelin’s Gamble (Sept '39 Hypothetical):
French-German
Frontier – 6TH September 1939: With five full Armies
deployed in the east, to conquer Poland, Hitler was taking
a calculated gamble that the French and British would be
paralyzed with indecision, and not take action in the west
before events in the east were concluded. While General
Maurice Gamelin, the Commander of the French Army, did launch
a limited, face-saving offensive in the Saare region, a
real opportunity may have been lost by the Allies. General
Franz Halder, the German army’s Chief of Staff, was
astonished by the weakness of the French attack. He wrote,
"If the French had used the opportunity presented by
the engagement of nearly all our forces in Poland, they
would have been able to cross the Rhine without our being
able to prevent it, threatening the Ruhr with decisiveness
for the German conduct of the War." *Designer Note:
Unlike the Saare Offense Scenario (#102), this Scenario
depicts a full scale attack by the French on Germany with
all forces mobilizing to aid the Poles. However, Belgium
neutrality is honored and this area on the map is marked
as impassible terrain.
104:
Hitler's Directive #6: Case Yellow in '39 (Hypothetical):
French-German
Frontier - 26TH October 1939: Flush with success from the
Polish Campaign, Hitler was beginning to look westward.
Hitler intended to hold on to Germany’s eastern conquests,
either through intimidation of Britain and France, or by
conquering them too. He put out peace feelers in early October,
but was met with no response. On 9TH October, he issued
a long memorandum to the leaders of his Armed Forces, explaining
that Britain and France had kept Germany down throughout
history, and that now was the time to strike to establish
a united German Reich. On the same day, Hitler issued Directive
#6, giving provisional orders for an attack in the West
- Code-named: CASE YELLOW. Hitler stressed the importance
of attacking as soon as possible; using the same forces
that had been used in the Polish attack. However, the movement
of these forces to the German-French frontier would have
taken a super human effort, even for the well-oiled German
military machine and was ultimately delayed 27 times. The
CASE YELLOW Plan was modeled after the Von Schlieffen Plan
utilized in 1914. This scenario explores the possibility
that the Germans moved their forces, albeit somewhat weakened,
across from east to west, and attacked using the 1914 plan.
110:
The Invasion of Poland: Case White:
Along
the Polish Border – 1st September 1939: "A Gathering
Storm" had been building in Europe, and then lightning
struck in the form of the First Blitzkrieg. Hitler unleashed
five Armies in a lightning attack on Poland from the north,
west, and south. Air strikes crushed the weak Polish Army
Aviation on the ground, as nine Panzer Divisions led the
drive into Poland, quickly slicing through the Polish Army,
which was made up largely of infantry units, supported by
a few horse cavalry and light tank brigades. By 27th of
September it was over. Warsaw had fallen and the Polish
government had fled to Romania. Sir Winston Churchill called
this "a perfect specimen of the modern Blitzkrieg",
and the Poles were not to be the last to endure this ordeal!
Can the Polish troops delay the inevitable or will the Germans
surpass the historical precedent set in September of 1939?
111:
Poland Stands Ready (Hypothetical: stronger Poland):
Along
the Polish Border – 1ST September 1939: As the storm
gathered over Europe, the Allies began to mobilize their
armies, but not too quickly, lest their action repeat the
mistakes of 1914. The Poles were far too complacent about
the danger threatening them. Thus, when the Germans struck
with a surprise attack, the thirty divisions available to
the Polish Army represented only two-thirds of the troops
they could have called upon had they been more vigilant.
In fact, a large measure of the German plan had called for
overrunning Polish railheads near the frontier before additional
Polish Reserves could be called up. In this scenario, we
are depicting a historical German attack upon a reinforced
Polish defender, deployed, with reserves in depth to prevent
rapid penetration by the panzers. *Designer Note: The additional
18 Polish Reserve divisions represent the full mobilization
of the Polish Army prior to the German attack. There are
also a few more Level 1 Forts for the Poles and the scenario
lasts longer than the historical version.
112:
Poland Stands on the Vistula Line:
Along the Polish
border – 1st September 1939: As the German High Command
gauged the risk of launching their attack on Poland, their
biggest fear was that the Poles would be able to disengage
their Army and retreat intact toward the Vistula River line
to reorganize their defense. And, while the Poles may have
been criticized for their military incompetence, it is hard
to see what else they could have done, except stand and
die at the frontier as the Germans had planned. If not,
much of the industrial heartland of Poland would have been
abandoned, including the Silesian coal fields, not to mention
the population centers, where they had planned to mobilize
their reserves. *Designer Note: This scenario features historical
forces but with the Polish deployment slightly back from
the frontier and a defense in depth - would it have made
any difference?
120:
The Invasion of Norway:
Norway
– 9th April 1940: The confrontation between the Germans
and the Allies over Norway during the beginning rounds of
the Second World War in Europe is no surprise. Norway stood
on Germany’s northern flank and offered an opportunity
to secure supply lines from which Germany could import iron
ore from neutral Sweden. Therefore, the Germans launched
a bold naval invasion at six points along the Norwegian
coast with seaborne infantry. The landings were further
supported by paratroopers. Norwegian defenses were weak
and quickly overrun. Some Allied troops did attempt to intervene
and, in fact, the Allies did have some success in the north.
In the end, with the collapse of France, Allied troops were
withdrawn and Norway was to remain an occupied country for
the remainder of the war. The scenario depicts the historical
setup, German invasion and Allied intervention in Norway.
121:
The Invasion of Norway (Allies Free Hand):
Norway
– 9th April 1940: In a confrontation between the Germans
and the Allies over Scandinavia, the Allies sent British,
French, and even some Polish troops to Norway. In the historical
scenario #120, "Invasion of Norway", these Allied
reinforcements arrive by sea, but adjacent to the landing
points in Norway where they historically landed. In this
variation, Allied reinforcements arrive by sea one turn
earlier where the Allied player can move and land them in
Norway at places of his choosing.
130:
The Invasion of France and the Lower Countries:
France
- 10th May 1940: On this date, the German Army launched
a massive attack on France, Belgium, and Holland. The attack
was aided by massive aerial bombardments and supported by
small, but highly effective, paratrooper landings. The following
morning, the Allies began to execute their own pre-planned
war maneuvers. On the coast, the French 7th Army began a
dash toward Holland. On their right flank, the British Expeditionary
Force, along with the French 1st Army on its right, advanced
to the Dyle River in central Belgium. However, the German’
s move in central Belgium was only a feint. The bulk of
the German forces were coming through the Ardennes, where
they broke out over the Meuse River five days later. Thus,
pinning the mobile elements of the French Army and the BEF
to the coast and leaving the French with virtually no reserves
to stave off disaster. *Designer Note: If players wish for
historical results in Human vs. Human Play, then apply these
House Rules or conditions on the Allied play - All French
and British units that are not fixed, with the exceptions
of the French 18th, 22nd, and 1st Light Divisions, must
move into Belgium and continue moving east for three turns.
Also, any unit that enters Belgium must stay north of the
Meuse River.
131:
The Invasion of France & Belgium (Smaller Scale - Historical):
France
- 10th May 1940: According to Allied strategy, if and when
the German Army attacked in the west, it would occur mainly
on the plains of Belgium. As such, the Allies poured troops
and resources into Belgium from the outset of hostilities,
where the Allies planned to re-fight the First World War.
The Allies did not anticipate or plan for strong German
panzer forces to navigate the Ardennes Forest, a rough and
forested area covering Luxemburg and some of the French-Belgian
border. It was this area where the Germans, or more specifically,
General Manstein, planned his surprise attack to outflank
the Allied Armies pouring into Belgium, and pin them to
the sea. Within 5 days of entering the Ardennes, the German
Panzers broke out over the Meuse River and raced for the
coast, creating a large pocket of French, British, and Belgian
troops in what is arguably the swiftest, most decisive action
of the Second World War. *Designer Note: This is a smaller
and shorter version of Scenario #130. For Historical Allied
play - All French and British units that are not fixed,
with the exceptions of the French 18th, 22nd, and 1st Light
Divisions, must move into Belgium and continue moving east
for three turns. Also, any unit that enters Belgium must
stay north of the Meuse River.
132:
The Original German War Plan (Hypothetical):
France
- 10th May 1940: On the morning of 10th January 1940, two
Luftwaffe majors prepared to fly to Cologne, only eighty
miles distant from the little airfield at Munster, Westphalia.
One of the majors was a member of the planning staff for
General Student's newly formed 7th Air Division. He knew
it was expressly forbidden for members of the planning staff
to fly, but knowing the long waits on the trains at the
time, he had weighed up the risks and accepted the offer
of the flight. Initially it went well, in glorious sunshine,
and then murky tendrils of clouds started to engulf the
plane. The pilot continued on, seemingly unconcerned, but
when the clouds were too thick to see through, he changed
course several times. He was trying to find a gap in the
cloud cover to find the Rhine. Eventually he saw a winding
black trail of water under the white horizon, in his mind;
it had to be the Rhine. As he raised himself in the seat
to get a better look, disaster struck! His hand hit the
fuel cut-off switch and the engine sputtered, then died,
he was too low to do anything but try to safely land the
Me 108. This he did, but both men were badly shaken by the
crash. It was only after being found by an old farmer did
they realize the river was in fact the Meuse, and that they
were in Belgium. They hastily tried to burn the Top Secret
documents of Hitler's plan to invade Western Europe. Unfortunately,
border guards caught them and rescued the burning documents
from the fire. Belgian Intelligence soon translated the
documents and decided they were genuine. This was the course
of events that led the German High Command to adopt Manstein's
plan instead of the original CASE YELLOW. In this scenario,
the historical CASE YELLOW plan is used for the set up of
opposing forces at their approximate start positions.
133:
Belgium - On the Dyer Line (Hypothetical):
Belgium
– 10th May 1940: It is easy to see why from the German’s
Point-of-view, the best route into France lay through the
Belgian plain. It was the route the Germans used in World
War I with the Von Schlieffen Plan. After the First World
War, the Franco-Belgian Treaty of Alliance (1920) was signed
between the French and a pro-Allied King Albert of Belgium.
This treaty called for Allied troops to be invited into
Belgium before the start of hostilities. The reason for
the advance into Belgium was two fold: First, it was to
protect the industries of Northern France that were devastated
in the First World War. Secondly, it was the desire of the
British to remove the possibility of Germany using airfields
located in Belgium from which the Luftwaffe could mount
air attacks on Britain. But events were to conspire against
Allies. King Albert was killed in a climbing accident in
1934 and was succeeded by his son, Leopold, who abrogated
the Treaty to pursue a policy of neutrality. In January
of 1940, the German’s Plan for the attack through
Belgium was discovered by Belgian authorities (See the overview
for scenario #132) and for a period of several days the
barriers on the French border were removed but no official
invitation for Allied assistance came. This scenario depicts
the Allied Armies occupying their "Dyer Plan"
positions. The German setup is historical.
134:
The Breakout from the Ardennes - Panzer Country:
Northern
France – 16th May 1940: British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill was rudely awakened, in the early morning hours
of 15th of May, by a call from French Premier, Paul Reynaud.
Reynaud exclaimed, "We have been beaten, we have lost
the battle!" Churchill tried to calm him down, explaining
that it was only one penetration, and that they would have
to slow down in a few days, this would present an opportunity
to counter-attack. Reynaud responded that, "The front
is broken near Sedan! We are faced with a torrent of tanks."
As the 16th dawned, the extent of the disaster that had
befallen the French on the Meuse became clearer. The Germans
had smashed through the line and were now racing over the
northern plains of France unopposed. The French tried to
gather together units to counter-attack, but the French
armor forces had been split into penny packets and were
spread out all over the place. Desperately, the French began
to throw units in piecemeal to staunch the flow of German
units flooding in to the plains.
140:
Operation Sealion - The German Invasion of England:
The
English Channel – 24th September 1940: OPERATION SEALION
was the German plan to invade England in 1940. Earlier that
summer, the Germans had swept through Europe, crushing France
and the Low Countries and forcing the British Army to make
a chaotic escape from Dunkirk. These German forces stood
waiting on the Channel coast for the invasion order of England.
By mid-September, the plan was in motion. OPERATION EAGLE
was the Luftwaffe plan to systematically destroy RAF bases
and ground support and gain air superiority prior to the
invasion. The German High Command had also been busy refining
"Sealion". This was done with such precision and
thoroughness they were ready, after barely three months,
to invade. Due to the bravery of the RAF, OPERATION EAGLE
failed and OPERATION SEALION was never put the plan into
action. What if OPERATION EAGLE was successful and OPERATION
SEALION was launched in September of 1940?
141:
'Operation Sealion' (More Axis Challenge):
The
English Channel - 24th September 1940: OPERATION SEALION
was the German plan to invade England in 1940. This scenario
is the same setup for both sides but with a stronger Allied
Side and a faster release of FIXED units to respond to the
invasion so it can be played HTH, but may be best played
as Human Axis vs. the Allied AI opponent.