downfall 1940

[joegrundman]

Vichy France Established



Vichy government headed by Marshall Petain established in Souther France and with authority over the colonies.

Battle of Mers El Kebir

British ultimatum delivered to French Fleet as follows

It is impossible for us, your comrades up to now, to allow your fine ships to fall into the power of the German enemy. We are determined to fight on until the end, and if we win, as we think we shall, we shall never forget that France was our Ally, that our interests are the same as hers, and that our common enemy is Germany. Should we conquer we solemnly declare that we shall restore the greatness and territory of France. For this purpose we must make sure that the best ships of the French Navy are not used against us by the common foe. In these circumstances, His Majesty's Government have instructed me to demand that the French Fleet now at Mers el Kebir and Oran shall act in accordance with one of the following alternatives; (a) Sail with us and continue the fight until victory against the Germans. (b) Sail with reduced crews under our control to a British port. The reduced crews would be repatriated at the earliest moment. If either of these courses is adopted by you we will restore your ships to France at the conclusion of the war or pay full compensation if they are damaged meanwhile. (c) Alternatively if you feel bound to stipulate that your ships should not be used against the Germans unless they break the Armistice, then sail them with us with reduced crews to some French port in the West Indies; Martinique for instance; where they can be demilitarised to our satisfaction, or perhaps be entrusted to the United States and remain safe until the end of the war, the crews being repatriated. If you refuse these fair offers, I must with profound regret, require you to sink your ships within 6 hours. Finally, failing the above, I have the orders from His Majesty's Government to use whatever force may be necessary to prevent your ships from falling into German hands.

The French Admiral refused and much of the Fleet was destroyed in the following attack.

Other French Naval units in other ports agreed to disarm and surrender to the British

Some surviving French Naval forces join Vichy France

[joegrundman]

September 1940

Italy declares war on Britain



Inspired by Germany's success, Italy decides this is the opportunity to remove Britain from the Mare Nostrum

Italy declares war on Great Britain and the British Commonwealth

[joegrundman]

November 1940
Hungary and Romania join the Tripartite Pact


Hungary and Romania join the axis powers and declare war on Great Britain and the British Commonwealth.

Finland increases assistance to Germany, permitting access to resources and weather stations

[joegrundman]

Fall 1940

Battle Of Britain



Raging dogfights and counterair battles as the luftwaffe targets Royal Air Force radar stations, airfields and infrastructure in an attempt to devastate the RAF.

British sources reveal losses have been "terrible"

Britain loss 12 AAF, Germany loses 6 in massive counterair battles over Southern England

American analysts confirm that Germany has come off better, but point out that British production capability is impressive and many pilots, parachuting on home territory are quickly recycled to combat units

[joegrundman]

Siege of Malta



Italian bombers launch heavy raids on Malta from bases in Libya, severely damaging British airfields and many aircraft.

British Malta based airforces of 1 AAF and 1 NAS eliminated in attacks by 4 italian AAF

[joegrundman]

New U-boat Pens built in St Nazaire and other French Atlantic Ports



with the much shorter turn around time, the U-boat presence in the Atlantic has increased dramatically. Serious losses to allied convoys.

6 transports sunk, 2 damaged

[joegrundman]

Malta Force



British submarines based in Malta inflict heavy losses on Italian shipping escorting supply to Libya

Submarine gets 4 hits.

CA2 sunk, DD1 sunk, CA2 damaged

[joegrundman]

November 1940

Battle of Denmark Strait



British codebreaking revealed the German plan to send the two battlecruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau into the Atlantic to raid the convoys.

The Royal Navy intercepted the two ships with the newly commissioned carrier HMS Illustrious, the battlecruiser HMS Reknown and two light cruisers in the Denmark Strait, between Greenland and Iceland.

In the opening phase of the engagement, the Gneisenau took a torpedo from a Swordfish, so with the slight damage gneisenau took up position to fend off the cruiser while the scharnhorst and reknown exchanged shots



An early salvo from Gneisenau damaged a cruiser and forced the other to pull back, but the scharnhorst and Reknown both scored several hits on each other, each badly damaged.

The German raiders decided to head for home, but were intercepted by a second group of cruisers and the carrier Ark Royal.

All planes were ordered to target the Gneisenau. Gneisenau was hit by two torpedoes, and started to list

The waiting cruisers fired a volley of torpedoes at the damaged battleships, gnesenau and scharnhorst, which by now were heading as fast as possible into a squall. Gneisenau was hit again once, losing all power and started sinking.

Scharnhorst reached the squall and safety and after nightfall began a long voyage home.

Most of the sailors onboard Gnesenau had time to board lifeboats and were picked up by the British cruisers and taken to Britain

[joegrundman]

Fall 1940

Japan Mobilizes



Japanese government approves army request for another mobilization of ground and air forces, with an especial emphasis on army air units

[joegrundman]

fall 1940

Japanese troops enter port of Haiphong in northern Indochina



from there japan hopes to cut off supply to china and pressure china's southern front

[joegrundman]

fall 1940

German forces start shipping to North Africa



5 German Army Air Factors arrive in Bengazi, and two light and one heavy armored corps are shipped to Tripoli (4o6, 2x 2o6) and begin movement along the coast to the Egyptian border

[joegrundman]

Fall 1940

Stalin Orders Mobilization



As a response to Hungary and Rumania joining the Tripartite pact, Stalin orders mobilization of 20 brps of units, with a focus on early readiness of an additional four infantry divisions. Estimated to fully formed up in Spring 1941.

In addition, a new industrial center is established at Kuybyshev, on the east bank of the Volga.

[joegrundman]

Siege of Malta



with such heavy axis forces controlling the air and sea around Malta, Britain declines to risk a supply mission.

However, TaskForce 3 is redeployed to Alexandria after a long journey round South Africa.

[joegrundman]

Fall 1940

Keel of USS Montana laid, first in new class of heavy battleships



First in new class of battleships laid in US Pacific. In addition a second mobilization bill is passed in congress with a special emphasis on naval airsquadrons as a response to concerns with Japan's continuing military buildup

[joegrundman]

winter 1940
Battle of Britain continues



Huge luftwaffe formations continue to pound RAF bases and infrastructure

Analysts say RAF now completely pwned across Southern Britain

Britain loses all 7 AAF, Germany loses 3