D-Day Global Campaign

Flames of War Global Campaign

The dust has settled, the roar of the guns has died down, and both sides have fought to a standstill. Now, the Campaign has come to a close and the results speak for themselves. What a Campaign it’s been!

We’ll spend the next few days crunching numbers and checking over all the battle reports before the Grand Prize Draw next week. Every Battle Report entered during the course of the Campaign will be counted as an entry into our Grand Prize draw. If you registered as part of a Club or a Store, your Club or Store will go in to win our massive terrain prize, with one entry per Battle Report recorded by one of its members.

If you didn’t enter as part of a Club or Store and instead went stag, you’re going into the draw to win an Army Deal of your choice.

 

Until then, thank you one and all for serving in our grand D-Day: Campaign. The battles have been incredible, the reports detailed, and the outcomes surprising.

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Be Brave!
I know there is nothing more difficult, nothing that goes against everything we stand for more than retreat. This is not a retreat. We are not defeated. Although we must abandon our posts, leave fair Paris behind us, we must know this: we have fought tooth and nail, and we have given everything we had to give. There is no shame in recuperating, not defeat in strategic redeployment, no dishonour in facing down the enemy so completely and comprehensively at every turn.

Recall the defence of Cherbourg- the Allies had rolled the beaches and still they could not pass. Every man who laid down his life to defend Cherbourg would still be proud of us now. 

The battles of Hill 112 and Mt Pincon, two exceptional victories in the same week will be marvelled at for years to come, studied in the military colleges of the world, and those whom fate deemed worthy to take part in those climactic battles will be looked upon with envy for the rest of their lives by those who wish they could say “I was there. I pushed the Allies off Hill 112” or “I threw the British from Mt. Pincon”. The commanders in those battles- Oberst Nagten, Guderian 67, Gloow, krilli commanded their troops with mastery and determination, and are in no small part responsible for the victories.

Vire, Argentan, Falaise, Lorient- these are the names men will remember. These are the places the Allies thought they would knock us out and these are the places we faced them down and threw them back. Our panzer divisions clashed with Allied armour, and our Grenadiers on the ground dug in deep and would not budge.

The Fatherland Live On!
Although it is difficult to move back to new lines and leave behind a land that so many have sacrificed so much for, we must acknowledge and accept that at some junctures one must give up that which one holds dear in order to save everything. If we do not move back, establish new lines, the Fatherland itself will be at risk. We have blunted the Allied advance in France, worn them down as they fought for each inch of land, and now we will hold our positions where we stand and defend the Fatherland to the last!

Having fun in the defence of France.

We made a lot of new friends during our time in France!

No Time To Rest
Now that we find ourselves besieged we have no time to rest. Now we must dig deep. The Reds to our East come through the snow and ice to do battle, and the Western Allies will soon be on our doorstep. Take a moment and remember how you feel today. No German will feel this way again.

 

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PARIS OUTRAGED, PARIS SHATTERED, PARIS MARTYRED – BUT PARIS LIBERATED
Every day for 50 months, German soldiers in jack-boots and steel helmets marched down the Champs-Élysées. The red and black swastika flag flew over the Opera, the Majestic, Crillon, Meurice and Lutetia hotels.

The liberation of Paris was a breath-taking, heart-stopping race to save the capital from the devastation only recently suffered by Warsaw, where the Germans killed 166,000 Poles to punish them for rising against their occupiers. By August 22nd, when US Gen Dwight Eisenhower finally agreed to send the French 2nd Division and the US 4th Division into the capital. In the words of General De Gaulle “Paris ! Outraged Paris ! Broken Paris ! Martyred Paris, but liberated Paris ! Liberated by the people of Paris with help from the armies of France. This duty of war, all the men who are here and all those who hear us in France know that it demands national unity. We, who have lived the greatest hours of our History, we have nothing else to wish than to show ourselves, up to the end, worthy of France. Long live France!”

MARSEILLES FALLS AS AMERICAN FORCES RACE AHEAD 140 MILES NORTH FROM COAST
At the same time as the German lines have been broken in northern France a new invasion is met with feeble opposition. Operation Dragoon started on the 15 August and goes on to secure the vital ports of the French Mediterranean. Under the cover of Allied air superiority and large scale uprisings by the French Resistance the weak German forces were swiftly defeated.

U.S. soldiers of Pennsylvania’s 28th Infantry Division march along the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe in the background, on Aug. 29, 1944, four days after the liberation of Paris, France. World War II began in September 1939 with Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Poland. He launched the Holocaust and history’s most destructive war, leaving 17,000,000 soldiers and 60,000,000 civilians dead. Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945. (AP Photo/Peter J. Carroll)

 

GERMAN LEADERS CAPTURED
General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered with his garrison of 17,000 men. It has been heard that Hitler had ordered him to destroy the city but he would not, believing that such a destruction would have no military value and be a senseless crime against France and humanity. President of the municipal council Pierre Taittinger had met with Choltitz several times to facilitate the surrender and prevent unnecessary suffering. Now Taittinger can concentrate on making Champaign for the liberators! General der Bundeswher Oberst Nagten was found drunk in a Paris wine cellar wearing nothing but his belt and a hat that belonged to Napoleon. He appeared to have suffered a complete breakdown and is now under medical care but continues to make grandiose statements in his feeble disillusioned mental state. The German Generals Guderian67, Leifurs and Der Fuchs have fled with their forces and are now desperately trying to prevent the army from total breakdown.

ALLIED LEADERS PROMOTED
All American has been promoted to General of the Army and James Westerfield has been made General. Meanwhile the British commander Red Beaver has been promoted to Field Marshal and Stefán Johannsson has been promoted to Lieutenant General. Commander Ruchey of the Soviet expeditionary forces has been promoted to General Polkovnik, whatever that is.

THE GERMAN ARMY HAS LOST MUCH MATERIAL AND MEN
The German soldier is an enemy to be respected, but travelling across the French countryside there is abandoned and destroyed German equipment everywhere. Their lines are shattered and there is even speculation that the Germans will not be able to form new defensive lines again. Is the way open to Berlin? Not only is the German situation in France dire, but the forces of Uncle Joe are now across the Vistula and Romania and Finland have now just sued for peace. Surely the German Empire will fall before Christmas.

EUPHORIA AMONG THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES!
Crowds of French people cheer on the G.I.s and you can feel the immense joy and elation in the country. The G.I.s also feel a deep satisfaction knowing something tremendous has been accomplished. Nurse Dora Marquez was overjoyed, her tired face showed nothing but boundless joy. “We did it, we did it, we did it, Yay! Lo hicimos! We did it!”

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The Defence of Paris
The constant sound of the big guns can be heard from Paris itself. German forces, having forced the Allies to over-extend their lines through careful spoiling attacks followed by tactical redeployment further towards Paris. Now, the time has come to turn our watchful guard over Paris into the most impenetrable defence that city has ever seen. It has been 4 years since our initial triumph over our long-standing foes the French, and if I this editor may suggest something to you, brave warrior of the Reich, perhaps there should have been a German guard in Paris since 1871…

In any case, whether we have held Paris for 4 or 70 years, one drop of German blood is enough blood spent to say “We will not surrender this City”.

Paris Citadel
Captured issues of the American Army’s Stars & Stripes suggest a particular American pride in rations and fuel. Well, it would appear that the joke is on the American- our Panzer forces are assembled around Paris, closer to our own lines than the American tanks are to theirs- that’ll teach them to advance to recklessly! Furthermore, the flavours of American chocolate rations might offer some consolation to American grunt as he struggles towards Paris, but here on the streets the fragrances of decadent French cuisine fill the air and even the common German Soldat has a belly full of the finest French dishes. Think about that for a moment, Allies. Think about the Hotels Ritz or Majestic, full of well-rested German soldiers while you lie discomfort under the stars.

The End of Week IV
Week IV has been a resounding success. The Allies have gained little ground at great cost, and of course they have only gained that which we deigned to give them. Our losses have been minimal and our return to our own lines planned and orderly. Reports form the front, including this one by Guderian67 suggest the Allies are not having as pleasant a time of it as their publciation might want us to believe:

“Prisoners taken by the Windhunds at Coutances have reliably attributed the Windhund victory to ‘flammTigers’ invulnerable flame-equipped weapons. Of course no such weapon exists. Other prisoners have complained that every tank they encounter is a Tiger, an interesting development considering the 116th does not have any. Apparently a collective hysteria is developing as the Americans and British and Canadians struggle in the Bocage.”

Obviously last week’s Tank Identification Guide got the better of our Enemies, as they now find themselves unable to distinguish any of our armoured forces from one another!

While You’re Waiting 
We thought we’d offer a fun little quiz for you while you wait for the enemy to arrive, courtesy of Wehrmacht Quizmaster Guderian67

1: What nation was created on January 18, 1871?
2: Where was Adolf Hitler born (regardless of what foreign agitators say)?
3: What country was grossly and unfairly penalised by the Treaty of Versailles?
4: What nation produced the musical genius that is Wagner?
5: Which country will win this war?
6: Complete the title of this popular and catchy tune: _________ Uber Alles.
7: Where are there countless defenceless wives, mothers and children depending on you to protect them?
8: The home of superior automotive engineering.
9: First and only seat of a future world government.
10: What do these brilliant innovators all have in common: Wernher von Braun; Amadeus Mozart: Friedrich Schiller?
11: Where is Oktoberfest held?

 

Until next week- fight hard, and remember your country is counting on you!

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It is a typically warm and bright day here on the front lines. Around me I can smell the aromas of the flowers and the sounds of birds calling to their young fledglings as they bring them their food. All the sounds that fill the summer air. Then it strikes you, for five weeks there has been nothing but gunfire, explosions and the sound of wounded men. If I listen closely I can still hear the distant
thunder of artillery far away and around me here in Rambouillet I can see a few wounded men being dressed up with care by the ambulance drivers before the deuce and a half trucks drive them back to the beaches and safety. It is not for them that the bell tolls but it is their farewell to arms. It is strange to stand here in calm and serene country when the worlds greatest armies are still waiting to fight to the last, one for the cause of freedom and the other for tyranny. It humbles me to stand among our brave young men who are ready to give their all, their lives and future on foreign soil to bring an end to despotism. Their mothers and fathers should be rightly proud. The freedom loving people of France have inspired me and here in Rambouillet I have joined a proud band of partisans than have joined to do their part in the fighting. As a correspondent I should stay away, but here in this place everyone must do their bit. You can feel that the time of liberation is near. That this is merely the calm before the storm. The Germans have sowed the wind, now they shall reap the whirlwind. There is a build up of fresh divisions of fighting men, tanks and supplies building up and there is that raw power all around. I have a feeling that we will soon be in Paris and Paris will again claim its title of city of lights.

Ernest Hemingway writing to you in the company of 22 infantry division with the Ivy Division

Fresh troops bolster our lines
Patton is here and with him the Third Army ready to lead the breakthrough to Paris and beyond. With these new forces what can stop us from dashing across France and into Germany. Patton is one of our greatest soldiers and in his own words he summed up the situation: “Now there’s another thing I want you to remember. I don’t want to get any messages saying that “we are holding our position.” We’re not holding anything. Let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly and we’re not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy. We’re going to hold onto him by the nose and we’re going to kick him in the ass. We’re going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we’re going to go through him like crap through a goose!”

The Third Army moves up to the front lines.

Axis Propaganda
Oberst Haw-Haw Nagten has been making fun of the articles in Stars and Stripes and seems to find it amusing that we are concerned about our G.I.s and the quality of rations. He questions our priorities thinking that we should be focusing on oil. There he is only reflecting the realities of the grim fuel situation of the Axis, we have plenty of fuel and more time to spare for the comforts of our fighting men!

NEXT ISSUE- PARIS EDITION!

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For the Final Week of the Campaign sees one very important bonus: Each final Sector is worth two points at the end of the Campaign- enough to seal the win for either side.

Tanks Players will have the following bonus for battles in Week 6.

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The Turning Tide
As the Allies slog their way deeper and deeper into France, their will softens and their gains lessen in the face of our steely determination. Foolishly, Allied planners expected to be in Paris by now, and have not budgeted their resources for such a difficult campaign. This would explain their unwillingess to meet us at battle. It is now time for us to turn the tide and hunt the Allies down where their advance has stalled! There are not nearly enough battles being fought to ensure our victory, and the value of a spoiling attack against the sluggish Allies must be taken at every opportunity in the coming weeks.

We must challenge the enemy to battle at every turn!

Leading From the Front
The German forces on the Western Front are benefiting at this very moment from and exceptional general staff made up of Leifurs, Oberst Nagten, Kantoken, and Guderian 67, all of whom have set an exceptional example for the troops on the field.

Leifurs and Kantoken are to be commended for their valiant efforts in Caen, where they fought the Allies to a standstill over the ruins of the town, halting the advance dead in its tracks.

Kantoken does battle in Caen.

Liefurs’ Tigers duel with the enemy.

Oberst Nagten has again put his life on the line to do battle at every turn, including an exceptional win at Vire over a Sherman force fielded by the Americans! Plenty of wrecks left behind for them to pick over!

Nagten’s Panzers.

Finally, Guderian 67 has battled more ferociously when pretending to be the Allies as part of training exercises than the Allies themselves actually have, providing not only excellent training for the German forces, but also something of an instructional manual for the Allied forces themselves- take notes, fellas!

And on the Subject of Teaching the Allies…
Our military intelligence officers have put together this hand identification leaflet for Allied tankers, and it actually turns out they are absolutely right! It is a Tiger firing on them!

Until next time, men, fight with all that you have and do not give the Allied Invaders one more inch!

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At the start of the week the Germans launched a desperate Counter-attack against the US forces around Vire and Mortain. Thankfully this attack has now been contained with serious losses inflicted on the Germans. Stars and Stripes managed to get an interview with General James Westerfield:

“You could say that this attack has worked in our favor as Jerry lost a lot of tanks. These very same tanks would have been harder to root out had they been used in defense in this hellish bocage.”

When asked if he was aware of battle fatigue among our forces he said:

“Well the G.I.s have been fighting now continuously for four weeks and that is a lot for our doughboys. But they are well trained and supplied and possess a fighting spirit second to none. Remember the same is true for Jerry but he does not have the arsenal of liberty behind him. As we push on we have also been able to land fresh troops and soon they will be ready to launch a fresh breakthrough. I pity Jerry for what is about to happen.”

Hard Charger
First lieutenant Abe “Attack” has been noted as a hard charger. Leading his Shermans he is at the front of battle and pushing through the lines. With men like these we will be in Paris by August and Berlin by Christmas!

Caen, the Capital of Ruins
Our British and Canadian allies are fighting hard in Caen. This old French town now resembles ancient ruins or a scene from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Reports are still coming in of heavy fighting in the ruins. The British general Red Beaver has told us that the heavy Churchill tanks have proven very useful in and around Caen and Jerry has little to stop them.

“The Churchill has proven to be an excellent piece of kit, it’s thick hide has saved the lives of many an old boy. And if Jerry brings out his Tigers then you Yanks have supplied us with some useful M10s which we have fitted with our own 17 pdr anti-tank guns which make quick work of any cats Jerry brings along”.

General Red Beaver is confident that they will crack the German defense very soon. Caen and St. Lo are now both contenders for the “Capital of Ruins” and an example of the devastation caused by Hitler’s war of aggression.

Help From an Unexpected Quarter
Some of our troops have been surprised to see strange tanks in the bocage of Normandy. These sleek warhorses are no other than the warhorses of our Soviet allies. Podpolkovnik Ruchey comes
across as a striking example of a brave warrior! “We are fighting for the workers and peasants of France and saving them from the Fascist yoke of tyranny!” The soldiers of the Red Army have received a warm welcome by the Franco-Tieures et Partisans, while being met with a degree of reservation by other French forces.

U.S. Army Field Ration D – Now With Improved Taste
It should come as great news to our boys in the front lines that the old Field Ration D is coming out with a greatly improved taste. This famous chocolate bar: “To be eaten slowly in about half hour. Can be dissolved by crumbling into a cup of boiling water if desired as a beverage”. Speaking to pvt fc Stiltman: “It looks like chocolate but tastes like a shoe sole” remarked Stiltman, referring to the chocolate bar that should by specification should taste a little better than a boiled potato. “Yes, well they exceed expectations there, I’d take a boiled potato over the D ration chocolate bar any day, not to mention that I broke a tooth trying to chew it. In fact I was told the only reason we still have bayonets is to consume this brick of bad taste.” Here pvt fc Stiltman refers to the hard block being able to withstand 120°F so as to be carried on one’s person but don’t expect it to melt smoothly in your mouth. Thankfully the new formula tastes with a hint of chocolate and is called a K ration bar or Hershey’s Tropical Chocolate.

Next Stop Falaise, Argentan, and Lorient
As the German resistance weakens we must plan for our next step, a Breakthough from the Normandy front. Stay tuned for orders from high command. Through the mud and blood to the
green fields beyond!

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As Week Five of Combat rolls around, here are the bonuses each of this week’s Sectors offers to the victors.

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Ensnared in the Bocage
American Engineers who so prided themselves on their abilities to land boats on a beach have proven themselves ineffective at trimming hedges! Bocage fortifications and heavily dug in hedgerow defences have done more than blunt the Allied advance in two of our three strategic positions. With wall-to-wall Bocage, dense street-to-street engagements, and huge swathes of crop fields in the French countryside, combat has favoured maneuvering in and around cover and launching precision strikes with the Blitz and Shoot and Scoot abilities so well-mastered by our troops.

When a long line of sight does present itself, be sure to take advantage!

Success in Coutances!
Having achieved all strategic objectives in and around the area of Coutances, German forces have pulled back and left the ruins to the Allies. The intention having always been to soak as many resources into one small and insignificant zone and hold the Allied line in place, thereby leaving the rest of our forces free reign to strike against the enemy- and how exceptionally well this plan has worked! Allied forces have wasted much in their capture of Coutances, and have gained little more than craters a brick dust.

Defensive operations in Mt Pincon and at Hill 122 have seen the Allied war machine laid low, what was once a force formidable in name only is now no longer even that!

Exciting new kit for the discerning Soldat- Order yours now!

Hold The Line!
As this cataclysmic campaign to defend our hard-fought possessions trudges on, bear in mind that the enemy is not what they claim- How many more Allied troops really want to die on French soil? The German soldier has already claimed France for the Fatherland and will not let it go!

Be brave, fight on.

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United Nations forces today were stretched across an 70-mile front. Fighting has been heavy in the face of unexpectedly fierce German resistance. It even looked like the offensive was stalled as British forces faced hard fighting around Hill 112 and our doughboys before Mt. Pincon. It was the boys of VII Corps that saved the day around Coutances and turned the German lines opening up the lines and forcing the enemy to retreat. Ahead are Caen, Vire and Mortain!

Tank Commander Back in the Field
After sustaining serious head injuries, Master Sergeant Crosswiredmind in back commanding his tank. His story is an inspiration to us all showing us how with determination you can get back in the saddle. Good luck sergeant!

Mum’s the Word
London, July 4 – Ten thousand persons knew of the approximate date of the second front invasion for six months and many knew it for a year but German agents never ferreted out the secret, a dispatch from an advanced command post said today.

German Propaganda Lies
Our soldiers have captured a copy of Signal, the lying propaganda paper of the Germans. One tale it spun was that the Allied Armies were nothing but “Hot Air and Shiny Toys!”, well we will give them a taste of hot lead! General Eisenhower said it better: “Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.”

 

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As Week Four of Combat rolls around, here are the bonuses each of this week’s Sectors offers to the victors.

And for TANKS players:

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