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    The Storm Turns West: Blitzkrieg! 1940
    The Storm Turns West: Blitzkrieg! 1940
    The Storm Turns West: Blitzkrieg! 1940
    Ebook183 pages1 hour

    The Storm Turns West: Blitzkrieg! 1940

    By Manny Granillo

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    About this ebook

    The Minor Allied General's Handbook for the Blitzkrieg of 1940 for PANZER KORPS. Covers the nations of Luxembourg, Holland, Denmark, Norway and Belgium. Includes vehicles, artillery, small arms, and all aircraft used by the forces and how to use them with Panzer Korps.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLulu.com
    Release dateApr 11, 2011
    ISBN9781257541065
    The Storm Turns West: Blitzkrieg! 1940

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      The Storm Turns West - Manny Granillo

      Bibliography

      Introduction

      Although the Fall of France is usually the event from the Western Front of the Second World War that gains the most attention, it is often forgotten that all branches of the Wehrmacht were involved in the systematic invasion and occupation of no less than five other European countries – Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and the Netherlands – in the early months of 1940. Putting aside the detestable policies of the Nazi regime, this still stands as one of the most significant military achievements in modern history. The mileage conquered by Hitler’s Armies was attained in a shorter period of time, with fewer casualties, and with more rapidity than the Kaiser’s Armies had attained – even though the Kaiser’s forces had been better prepared, equipped, motivated, and on stronger moral ground.

      As with the invasion of Poland, the Nazis liked to portray these campaigns as nearly bloodless affairs that faced little resistance from countries diluted by foreign influence and defended by armies infected with cowardice. These portrayals were gross over-simplifications, yet it is a testament to the effectiveness of the German propaganda machine that their view is still widely accepted as the truth. This does a great disservice to the brave men and women who resisted the Wehrmacht and to the men who had to fight these campaigns on behalf of Berlin!

      With the sole exception of Austria, Germany never occupied a nation without resistance. Germans sustained high losses in some cases, including losses of critical equipment. The Danes alone destroyed at least twenty-two German armored vehicles, and the formal resistance in that country ceased in less than twenty-four hours! In Luxembourg, there was at least some sporadic resistance. It is unfortunate that so little has been done to cover the forces that opposed Hitler in those dark, early days, for the purposes of wargaming, let alone general history.

      The campaigns of the 1940 Blitzkrieg were ultimately German victories, but those victories were hardly inevitable. Better prepared, the Dutch might well have stopped the Germans. With more political will, the brave early sacrifices of the Danish Army might well have slowed the German advance into Scandinavia. With just a little more time and more of the promised support from their erstwhile Allies in France and Britain, the Belgians might well have repeated their successes of 1914-1915. And, finally, no one can deny that the Norwegian Army put up a much stronger fight than anyone expected. If the Allies had not suddenly withdrawn with the fall of France, the Norwegians may well have held the Nazis at bay, or even forced a surrender of those troops who had landed.

      Wargamers do not tend to focus on this period, perhaps due to a misconception that the German Military of the period is unbeatable, or perhaps because it is extremely difficult to find information regarding the Minor Allies prior to the formation of the Governments in Exile after the 1940 campaign. In some cases, campaign histories and orders of battle simply are not available in the English language. One literally has to comb every crumb from a wide variety of sources to find useful information. It is my hope that this supplement helps to fill in the gaps and inspire you to do your own research.

      While Hitler and Goebbels may have portrayed the campaigns of 1940 as sideshows, more pragmatic minds in OKW had learned their lesson when they underestimated Polish resistance (which resulted in a very bloody war), so they constantly worked to develop new tactics and strategies. No army was taken lightly – and even the advance into Luxembourg was well supported against such a comparatively tiny opponent. Meanwhile, Hitler’s potential enemies in Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and the Netherlands had a variety of attitudes toward the defense of their nations – ranging from resolute determination to stop the Heer in its tracks to trusting in the false hope that lack of provocation coupled with military demonstrations would compel Hitler to avoid the cost of an invasion of their nation.

      This is an extremely colorful period to wargame! Unusual weapons are plentiful, mixed with doctrines that range from highly advanced to downright archaic even by the standards of the First World War. Where else can you employ Model 1914 machine guns on one side, and German NbFz B landships on the other? And talk about heroic soldiers, lost causes, and long odds!

      Keep in mind that this is not intended to be an exhaustive history; rather, it is a general overview for the layperson. Individuals looking for highly detailed histories of the various campaigns described here would be served by seeking out additional materials, though this is certainly a good place to get started.

      e9781257541065_7.jpg

      Norwegian M14 Hotchckiss Machinegun

      Grey Wolves of the Ardennes: Belgian Forces, 1939-1940

      Belgium emerged from the First World War with an exceptional military and political reputation, but this reputation did not yield them a fair share of the winnings when it came to negotiating peace with the Central Powers. The bitterness this engendered greatly strained relations with the British and French in the ensuing decades, and ensured that the Belgians would pursue their own political path in the years leading up to the Second World War.

      Prior to 1936, Belgium was theoretically obliged by treaty to assist either the French or the Germans in the event that either country attacked the other. Relations with the French had improved very little since 1918, however, and relations with the Germans had gotten steadily worse since Hitler’s Chancellorship was established in 1933. The Belgians made overtures, particularly to the French, in an attempt to foster cooperation.. Belgium had, for example, been the only one of the original Entente powers to openly support military action after the German reoccupation of the Rhineland. But the French had backed down, and the British had refused to sanction a European war.

      As such, when

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