Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

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kaleun
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Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

DBall will take allies, I will take axis.
I shall try a different format for this AAR. Instead of a series of reports, I shall try to make a story out of it.
The main players:
Albert Speer, minister of Armaments and War Production.
OberstLeutnant Adolf Galland, General der Jagdflieger.
and Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda and Gauleiter of Berlin.

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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

Summer 1943

It’s been a warm day in Berlin. The decoration of the restaurant is opulent even though the food served, after four years of war, leaves something to be desired. At least for the diners that congregate in the front dining room.

Not so for the two men who sit behind closed doors in the rear dining room. Delectable viands brought from the last corners of the Reich’s empire and beyond, were served on the table before the two men. One of them wears the uniform of a Oberstleutnant and diamonds on his Knight’s cross with Oak leaves and Swords, the other wears a plain gray suit with a party pin on his lapel as its only decoration. They toy with the appetizers but seem to wait for someone.

A third man joins them, his suit is an elegant dark gray, but it appears wrinkled, his hair is neatly parted and combed back, but the shade of a beard mars his handsome face. A large swastika armband adorns his left arm.

“Ah, Speer,” says the man with the party lapel pin; he strokes his dark hair, combed back from his receding hairline, “nice of you to join us.”

Speer ignores the tinge of sarcasm, ”“Guten Abend, meine herren.”

He sits at the table and drinks deep from a glass of water.

“Sometimes I envy our enemy Stalin.”

“Why?” asks the man in uniform.

“He has but to order something and it gets done. I’ve just spent three days arguing with Badoglio, trying to streamline their aircraft production. I’ve only managed to get him to agree to switch the production of Alfa-Romeo engines at the Milan factory to Fiat,” he shakes his head, “not that it will matter much, the factory is half destroyed and Badoglio himself doesn’t know when production will resume.”

“Have you done anything else Reichminister?” The Luftwaffe officer asks.

“Ceased the production of the Morane Saulnier 406 at Delges, both the parts and the airframe factory will now make parts and assemble Uhus.”

The man in the suit seemed pleased,“Those Heinkels are very effective against the British Terrorflieger. We can’t have enough of them, can we Adolf?”

Oberstleutnant Galland nodded, “If they can find the basterds through that damned Window they keep throwing out.”
“What have you to report, General der Jagdflieger?”

“The allies know the location of my gruppen Goebbels, I am sure they will start to attack my airbases to try and take them out on the ground,”

“Like you did back in 1940,” Speer said.

“Just so,” Galland continued, “so I have begun to move them around; for instance, 11(Hohen)/JG2 is moving from Beaumont le Roger, that airfield was overloaded anyway, to Bretigny, and 10/JG2 to Roissy outside of Paris.”

“Anything else?” the Minister for Propaganda and Gauleiter of Berlin asked.

“The zerstorer of ZG/1 from Laurenc Poulic to a more centrally located Varades, and a group of Bf109G-6 from Schipol to Stenjiwik.”

“How about Italy?” Speer asked, “I am sure that the Americans will soon land at the tip of the boot; you can almost spit across the strait of Messina, and when they do, I am sure Italy will change sides.”

“The only time Italy finishes a war on the same side she started it is when she changes sides twice. Napoleon said that,” Goebbels always liked to show off his historical knowledge.

“I’ve ordered JG77 from Palizzi back to Potenza and IISch G.2’s FW190Fs to Foggia #4; I’ve ordered the F190s to use rockets too, they can’t tangle with fighters, might as well have them blow up bombers.”

“Then I’ll take the heavier AA guns from Palizzi, Katwijk and others out, no sense wasting them if there are no Gruppen there,” Goebbels said.

“We need the rail flak regiments from Wiener Nordstadt and Vienna, to go to the ball bearing factory south of Paris, and the Henschel Rumsfeld engine factory,” Speer said.

Goebbels shook his head, “That would not be good for morale, the citizens will not like to see the rail flak leave the cities unprotected.”

“Adolf?” Speer looked at the Luftwaffe officer.

“The allies won’t go that far,” Galland said, chewing on his lip, “not yet anyway.”

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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7th Somersets
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by 7th Somersets »

Great to see this AAR - looking forward to more.
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by mikkey »

+1, interesting looking AAR
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kaleun
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

Thanks guys. Waiting for the first turn to arrive.
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by nicwb »

Looking forward to this
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by Creeper »


Please continue the AAR [:)]

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kaleun
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

Still waiting for DBall to send the turn. I am sure he wants to win the war on the first day
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by Creeper »

Aah,that's so sad.
Hoping Dball could send you his turn soon.
Best regards,
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kaleun
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

August 18th, 1943.

It is way before sunrise and Albert Speer is already at his office at the ministry of armaments. His desk is cluttered with memos and letters, the accumulated result of his recent trip to Italy. Before he can begin to deal with the papers his phone rings.

“Speer,” he answers.

“It’s Galland,” the voice at the other end of the line sounds harassed.

“What is it?”

“They’ve hit airfields all over the west coast; I had moved some of the gruppen to other airfields, but most of them, Schipol, Deelen, Woendrecht, and others still had gruppen in them. All in all, we lost 46 fighters on the ground. In Italy they hit radar stations and airfields at the toe of the boot. I’ve moved out the German gruppen from there.”

“What are your plans Adolf?”

“I plan to fill the airfields and radar sites with light AA, turn them into flak traps. I cannot intercept their bombers so close to their bases, they’ve got too many fighters; we lost 21 FW190s yesterday. Can you give me the AA cannons Speer?”

“You have to ask Goebbels about that. He thinks flak batteries are good for morale in the cities, the Flakenhelpers make the people think that they are fighting back.”

“We got seven Lancasters yesterday, between Nachtjagd and flak.”

“Maybe he will let you have the light flak batteries, besides, I need the heavy flak for my factories too.”
The click at the other end of the line sounds ominous.

Adolf Galland draws orders; I.Jgr 26 Fw 190A-5 lost 8 aircraft, four of them on the ground, their pilots fought hard all day, to little avail. They need to recover. Eschnege, safely in the center of Germany should provide the rest they need.

Other groups move too: 12.Jgr 26, BF 109G-6 from Wewelghem to Melsbroek. A bunch of AA machine guns, 20mm, quads, 37mm, and three balloons move into the airfield. If the allies want to come and strafe there again, there will be a warm reception prepared for them.

Two groups from Schipol to Eindhoben and Soestenberg.

And then on to Italy, move groups back, leave light flak behind, until there is no more transport available. Even trucks and trains are rationed in the Third Reich.
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

August 19th 1943

“Sieg Heil!”

“Sieg Heil!”

“Sieg Heil!”


It is a small sports palace, in Oranienburg, north of Berlin. The local high school students, factory workers, and Hitler Jugend assembled for the occasion, right arms extended, stand and cheer the Gauleiter. He signals them to silence.

“Yesterday, the enemy has, once again, tested the defenses of the Reich. And once more, once more, he has found them impregnable.”

“Today,” he continued, “the carcasses of eighty of their machines litter the ground in France, Italy and Germany.”
He pauses for effect.

Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!

He has the crowd, he knows it.

“Our Luftwaffe only lost twenty five machines, and what’s more important, most of our brave pilots ejected from their fighters and are ready to man the newer, better planes that you, our great German workers are striving tirelessly to provide them.”

He places his right hand over his heart and bows his head.

Danke. Danke schonn.”
His speech is heard at thousands of homes in Germany, in France, in the occupied countries. So is the roar of the crowd.

Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!”

Goebbels smiles as he gets into his car for the drive back to the chancellery. His flak batteries claimed two Lancaster over Hanover last night and damaged 123 more. Galland’s Nachtjagd claimed two damaged and three destroyed by the 110G-4s as well as eight damaged and four destroyed by the FW190 Wilde Sau. All in all, twenty two aircraft destroyed by flak. Not bad at all.

Earlier that day, in France, Lt General Adolf Galland got off his car at Chateau Bougnon. The airfield appeared quiet, almost abandoned, the shops where ground crew maintained airplanes, empty. Only the twin engine BF 110G2/R3 Zerstorers of IIZG1 at dispersal belying the impression. The aircraft had just arrived from Varades, transferred to this new field in the base of the Brest peninsula. The General reviewed the pilots and the few ground crews that sneaked aboard the fighters for the trip; the ground echelons would arrive later in the evening by truck. He congratulated them and issued medals on the spot to those whose claims of fortresses destroyed had been validated. IIZG1’s BF110 and IIIJG2s FW190 A-5 had claimed more than 120 destroyed BF17s.

Despite these inflated claims, there was no question that many fortresses littered the tip of the Brest peninsula and just as many would not make it back across the English Channel. The raid on Brest harbor, following on the previous one that had destroyed the submarine pens, had not been escorted. The harbor flak as well as the guns from the submarine pens broke up the fortress formations. After they dropped their eggs, the FW190s and the 110 tore into them.

After his work was done, he climbed into his personal 109 and flew to Gael, where IIIJG2 had been moved to. The allies were quite likely to attack Vanes or Varades, probably with medium bombers. They would not find these fighters there. They would find reinforced light flak waiting for them.


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kaleun
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

Do you guys like this stile of AAR?
Should I continue it?
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by Orm »

Very fun to read this type of AAR. Thank you. [:)]
Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb -- they're often students, for heaven's sake. - Terry Pratchett
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by mikkey »

yes, I look forward to continue
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by 7th Somersets »

Great AAR Kaleun.

Every now and then a campaign summary and map would be great, but keep up the good work.
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by nicwb »

+1

I like the format but a couple of screenshots always adds colour !
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

August 20th. 1943.

Lt. General Galland steps out of the car into a light summer drizzle. The guards at the entrance of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium on Leipzingerstrasse give him the extended arm Nazi salute to which he responds with the fingers to the hat brim, military one.

He heads to the offices of Reichmarschall Hermann Goering. The Reichmarschall’s secretary stands at attention and clicks his heels saluting the Lt. General.

Herr Reichmarschall will see you immediately mein Generalleutnant.”

Galland passes through the open door into the dimly lit Reichmarschall’s inner sanctum.

Goering steps up from his desk, a sheaf of papers in his hand. Galland recognizes it; it is his report on yesterday’s air war. He knows what is coming and does not relish it; he doesn’t fear it either. He stood up to Goering during the Battle of Britain and even had the cheek to ask him for a squadron of Spitfires. He wouldn’t back off now.

“What is this Galland?” Goering asked, shaking the sheaf of papers in front of the Lt.General’s face.

Galland stands at attention mute.

“One raid! Only one?” The muscles at the side of his jaw twitching, he crumpled the report in his fist, spit flying out of his mouth.

Galland notices Goering’s blue eyes, and their pinpoint pupils despite the gloom in the room. Still he doesn’t answer.

“Do you have an explanation for this?”

“Sir, we did fly more raids in Italy, with some success; we destroyed eighteen enemy aircraft, at a cost of eighteen of our fighters.”

Scheisse! I don’t give a damn about Italy. I want to know why Luftflotte 3 flew only one mission yesterday; who was in command? I’ll have him sent to the Russian front.”

Herr Reichmarschall, it was me. I was in command. I gave the orders.”

Goering glares at the younger officer, tries to stare him down but knows that he cannot. Nor can he have him removed from his post; Galland is a national hero.

“Explain yourself.”

Herr Reichsmarschall, the enemy fighter force far outnumbers ours; they choose where to attack us and concentrate their force while ours is dispersed. I ordered II (Hohen) JG 26 to attack the enemy stragglers, after they had been broken up by the flak at Amsterdam. It would have been futile to attack their strong formations before.”

“Shall I go to the Fuehrer and tell him that it is futile to send our fighters against the enemy? Shall I?”

“Until they penetrate deeper into our defenses, beyond fighter range, we cannot waste our best pilots fighting against their numerical superiority. We did get forty seven of them, at a loss of only eighteen. You can tell him that.”

“Dismiss!”

Turning on his heels smartly, the ace leaves his superior. Back in the air defense offices he makes a phone call.

Oberst Hermann, bitte.”

“Hajo, I have a question for you. Why did the Wilde Sau have such bad results yesterday night over Munster?”

The decorated leader of the Wilde Sau does not get offended by the question as he would, had it been asked by Goering. He knows the general both personally and by reputation.

“There were very few AA batteries in Munster General; the FW190s do not have radar and we need the searchlights from the flak to illuminate the bombers; that was all, my pilots could not see them. We will do better tonight sir.”

“No rebuke intended my friend; I know your men did their best.”

Maybe it would be good if Goebbels got some of his heavy flak transported to his cities.



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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

August 21 1943.

Proposed article for the Voelkischer Beobachter.

Author, reporter from “Signals”.

Air Battles in Sunny Italy.

The sun rises on a mostly cloudy day over the skies of England, France and the Holland. On the airfields that dot the landscape, on both sides of the channel, pilots look at the sky and hope.

The first sign of action comes from Italy. The enemy radio activity begins to rise and at 0727 hits 390 transmissions. Pilots wait by their machines, some even climb into the cockpits, leaving the canopies open as the day is already warm and muggy, with 44% cloud cover. The only raids spotted up to now are recon flights that the high command ignores.

0742. Alarms ring at dispersal at the bases of Casaldeles, Paestum and Capodiccino as patrols are ordered to form up over Paestum radar at 15000 feet. The inexperienced 101 gruppo BaT scrambles 20 2001 Falco II, 10 gruppo CT contributes 22 Veltros, 101 gruppo assalto from Paestum puts up 14 Arietes and 369 squadron from Capodiccino scrambles 7 Veltros.

More raids appear on radar on the same bearing, this time at a much higher altitude. Four minutes later, three more groups scramble to patrol over Paestum: III JG-53 from Grazanisse with 22, II JG-53 from Cancello with 27 and IV JG-3 from Foggia #3 with 30, all of them BF106G-6.

The first group of patrols, ordered to intercept the incoming raids, follows them inland, jockeying for position but fail to hit the Apaches before they hit Paestum radar.

A second group of raiders appear heading for Grottaglie. The Saggitarios scramble to intercept.

Over Paestum the battle roars as 109s pounce onto B17Fs. Their guns and cannons blazing they rip through the formations damaging some bombers but they cannot prevent the heavies from tearing up Paestum airfield.
The 109s keep pounding into the heavies as the first patrol engages the Spitfires and Kittyhawks of the first raid. Planes fall from the sky black crosses, tricolor roundels and white stars on their flanks. The battle moves over the Adriatic as the fighters chase the retreating bombers.

Far to the south, the Saggitarios follow the raiders until they reach Grottaglie. After the first Baltimores begin to bomb the airfield, the airbattle is joined. Spifires strafe the airfield and destroy several RE 2005 on the ground, damaging others. They come under attack from the Italian fighters that take a toll on the Brits.

After all is said and done, the Allies lost 24 planes over the southern Italian skies while Germany and Italy lost 25, quite a few of them on the ground. Even results, except for the enemy pilots that are now heading for our Stalags while our heroes will fly again tomorrow.

Goebbels reads the article again, pleased. It blends enough truth into it that the lies, or omissions in this case, will be missed by the casual reader. Like why there were no aircraft attacking the southern raid until it got to Grottaglie. The answer is that the airfields at the tip of the Italian boot were abandoned, like Grottaglie will be, maybe. He scribbles his initials at the bottom. It will come out in the newspapers tomorrow and in the next edition of the Luftwaffe magazine Signals.

An orderly brings in a telegraph message from Galland:

Italy them 24 us 25, NW them 14 us 9, Night them 6 us 0. Total 42/34.

Not too bad, by the time he feeds this into this evening’s newscast, it will turn into a major Luftwaffe victory.

The flak guns move around during the night and early morning. Three Italian airfields at the tip of the boot lose all their guns above machine gun size. 12JG 26 moved from Melsbroek to Asch while thirty AA machine guns, 10 20mm and 5 37 mm batteries move in to welcome the enemy light bombers expected tomorrow. The FW190s at Nivelles do not move but the pilots and crews watch as thirty new AA guns arrive bringing the total to 38. 2 quad 20mms also take positions along possible routes of approach and join the 36 20mm, 11 37mm and 2 88s that ring the field.

Goebbels manages to move 7 105mms into Oberhausen.



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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by khalfani »

nice AAR. keep it up
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RE: Gotterdammerung. This is a DBall free thread!

Post by kaleun »

August 22nd 1943

From” Memories of the Reich, by Joseph Goebbels, Springer Verlag 1952.

Met with Oberst Hajo Hermann, of the Jagdgeschwader 300, the wild boars. Once again, mostly due to the dark night, the Nachtjagd was ineffective; not a single attack carried home. He was quite upset and blamed the results on the lack of searchlights at the target, Rheine. That the damage was not worse is just due to luck; so many of the enemy bombers hit open country outside the city. He will endorse my request for more transport to Speer; if I can ever pin him down. He bounces all over the Reich like a billiard ball. Galland was more optimistic about Italy. The enemy keeps hitting airfields and radar stations, but despite the degradation of our radar network, we destroyed 30 enemy aircraft at a loss of 24 over the South of the peninsula. The results in the northern front were not so good, 13 enemy machines against 24 of ours. I hope he figures out the way to fight them over Holland and Belgium or this might be a short war. Got a telegram from Speer. Our Industry damage index dropped from 5 to 4. I wonder what he means by that.


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