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Oh, the irony of the question! Actually, the British (and Empire forces) secured all three of the first German military defeats of WWII on land, sea and air – El Alamein, The Battle of the Atlantic and The Battle of Britain. The planning, skill, technical know how, experience and courage to do this whilst fighting in all theatres of war, concurrently, in all corners of the globe and against better prepared forces of vastly superior numbers was an outstanding achievement.Germany’s war was regional by comparison. Japan’s war the same. Italy and Vichy France too. Taking on all the above nations and securing these wins for the democratic free was, by any standard, let alone because Britain was smaller than these pea-cocking belligerents, a feat of pure brilliance.As well as achieving the above three first victories against the ‘unstopable’ German military war machine, Britain achieved that which no other nation in the world could even possibly dream of accomplishing in the early 1940s – namely fighting, at any one time, a global war in the Middle East, the Far East, the Indian subcontinent, the Pacific, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the North Sea, the Barents and Arctic seas, the Mediterranean, the Adriatic and of course mainland Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia too.However, if being the only military power in human history to achieve the aforementioned is not a convincing enough case for broad British competence, there are six additional and more specific reasons why British military forces were deemed broadly capable in the early war years as follows:1. THE ROYAL AIR FORCEThe Battle of Britain was Germany’s first military defeat – it stopped the rot, it showed the world Britain was serious and showed the world that Britain had the capability to punch hard when nobody else seemingly had the capacity, preparedness or inclination to do so.Fighter Command – The RAF had Fighter Command, the world’s first and only integrated national air defence system using British invented Radio Detection And Ranging (RADAR) to identify approaching enemy planes at height hundreds of miles away with a centralised command centre to scramble and vector its fighters towards incoming enemy planes to intercept at height. Instead of attributing Air Chief Marshall Dowding as inventor, Britain simply told Hitler et al RAF pilots ate carrots to improve their vision.Supermarine Spitfire –Spitfire fighters gave Goering such a hard time during The Battle of Britain he famously fielded sardonic requests from his fighter Aces (specifically Galland) for a squadron of Spitfires for Luftwaffe use. German fighter pilots had never faced such capable defence and the Spitfire became WWII’s most successful fighter – able to receive weapon, power, armament and fuel capacity upgrades throughout the six year span of the war. The Japanese Zero on the other hand, once best in class, quickly became outmoded, the Messerschmitt 109 was too small for serious upgrades and adequate Soviet and US fighters only materialised late in the war. The US Mustang had a brief appearance by comparison and was so underpowered at altitude it needed the capable British and their Merlin engine to save it from the scrapheap.Avro Lancaster –Meanwhile British aerial bombing took the war to the German doorstep like not even the USAF could achieve. The Lancaster heavy bomber, as well as being an equal ‘area bomber’ to the US equivalent B17 Flying Fortress, was so much more superior and manoeuvrable that it could fly low level at night through hilly terrain and accurately drop specialised ordnance deep behind enemy lines. Lumbering but equally brave USAF B17 pilots could simply dream of accomplishing such operations.Specialised Ordnance – The British Barnes Wallis invented ‘Earthquake Bomb’ felled German bridges and viaducts like dominos. Operationally known as ‘Tall Boy’, it was almost as long as the Lancaster from which it was deployed, fell from great height (breaking the sound barrier), drove itself underground using its armoured nose and exploded deep below the surface creating tremors to collapse structures which had survived tens of conventional B-17 missions using many hundreds of bombs (eg. the Bielefeld viaduct). It could pass straight through the fortified hulls of Germany’s largest battleships with an explosion lifting them clear of the water (eg. Turpitz). Meanwhile the ‘Bouncing Bomb’ smashed strategic targets (Oder and Moner industrial dams) also impossible to destroy through conventional, and famously inaccurate, US aerial strategic bombing.De Havilland Mosquito – The fighter-bomber re-invented aerial bombing itself and was the fastest aeroplane in the world.Mosquito was the world's only fighter bomber capable of both day and night time precision bombing and equally capable at 30,000 feet as it was at tree top level and, being the fasted plane on the battlefield, needed no defensive machine guns or heavy armour protection. Loss ratio was 4% and the lowest of all allied aircraft types. The plucky little twin-engined ‘Wooden Wonder’ carried a 4,000 pound bomb load, (same as a four engined lumbering B17 Flying Fortress) yet its top speed was, due to its light-weight all wood construction, a whopping, record breaking, 400mph. It was the fastest, most sought after and most versatile fighter-bomber of WWII and the only aircraft where German pilots attributed themselves two kills when they downed one aircraft.The Germans wanted Mosquito so much they captured one, successfully copied it and, in an interesting twist of fate, failed to get the plane into production: British Mosquito’s ability to target single buildings with pin-point accuracy enabled it to be responsible for destroying the very glue factory used for joining together the wooden parts to the German copy (imaginatively called Moskito). Moskito was therefore rather aptly destroyed by its very namesake Mosquito.It could strike so accurately it was used in a mission to breach a single prison wall deep behind enemy lines, a thousand miles from Britain, enabling the break-out of 200 important POWs and resistance fighters to escape imminent execution. Called ‘Operation Jericho’, it was the world's first precision bombing operation taking the avoidance of collateral damage as core mission priority.Mosquito was even sent on a mission to bomb Herman Goering in a recording studio in Berlin during his scheduled live radio address to the German people. If one listens to the recording of the station on the day of the attack, an explosion can be heard in the background, then there is a commotion (where one imagines Goering being ushered out of the room) and, finally, the ‘live’ address switches to a Wagner pre-record. This is the sort of operation the USAF has only recently mastered using high tech drones, laser guided bombs and GPS guided missiles to assassinate high ranking Taliban and ISIS commanders. I apologise for digressing, I think I was supposed to be discussing British incompetence.Pilot Numbers – Furthermore, Britain, an established and outward-looking nation with global friends, could call upon a network of courageous pilots from around the world (Canadians, Americans, Barbadians, Irish, Australians, Jamaicans, Kiwis, South Africans and Rhodesians) to help fly its planes whereas Germany, a new up-start nation, had few friends. Astonishingly Hitler, Germany’s supposed head of state and international spokesperson, had never been abroad (apart from sitting in a muddy trench in the Somme) and was possibly one of the worlds most insular politicians. Not many crossed the globe to fight for the Luftwaffe.Pilot Assassins – Accordingly the RAF had Polish fighter crews — the war’s most tenacious and revengeful pilots. The result? 303 Squadron, WWII’s highest kill rate fighter unit. They did not fly Spitfire and their statistics are a real testament to the Hawker Hurricane which had a tighter turning circle to the Messersmitt 109 and, with an incredible eight Browning machine guns, had devastating firepower.Hawker Hurricane – Famed for its simple wood and canvas construction, the sturdy fighter could be patched up after battle and turned around in minutes and, contrary to popular belief, the fighter was responsible for downing the highest numbers of Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain.Hurricane was to become the war’s most versatile, rugged and enduring fighter. It was the world’s first monoplane fighter to launch from a ship (during The Battle if the Atlantic using rockets) and was capable of taking 8 machine guns, cannon, rockets, bombs and incredibly accurate and quick firing twin auto loading 40mm anti-tank guns under each wing – yes, on a fighter! Whilst B-17 carried 50 calibre machine guns [think bullets the size of a thumb] the plucky little British fighter carried shells as wide as a fist. In North Afrika the twin 40mm cannons wreaked havok against the Panzer IV and the Tiger alike at El Alemain.When an even bigger version of the same gun (the 6 Pounder anti–tank gun) was mounted on Mosquito it was called ‘Tsetse’, after the biting fly, and could fire 55 rounds per minute (America has only just mastered this technology with the cannon firing AC130 Gunship). Despite being intended for use against U-boats it was also deadly against tanks. In an attacking dive, firing a shot per second, pilots had time enough to accurately loose off up to seven armour piercing shells to open up thinner top-side tank armour like a Yanky can of Heinz. It took the US until the 1970’s to develop their equivelent A10 Thunderbolt tank-buster ‘Warthog’ and the 1990’s to develop the C130 Gunship.Aircraft Production – However, perhaps the coup de grace the British most capably served the Luftwaffe was deftly dealt from a desk in London by Lord Beaverbrook (British Minister of War Production). His efficient simplification of RAF aircraft production methods was arguably the single most important contributing factor to winning The Battle of Britain.Wooden Mosquitos and Hurricanes could be produced by plentiful furniture, cabinet and piano makers in dispersed and abundant rural artisan workshops and, as a result, were impossible for the Luftwaffe to locate and destroy. Meanwhile Canada produced hundreds of Mosquitos due to its plentiful timber and skilled woodworkers whilst Australia did the same. Germany on the other hand found themselves in the very war they had spent 10 years preparing for and had no friends to call upon for equivalent aid. Furthermore, the Germans used centralised city factories (to build overly complicated planes) which the RAF bombed mercilessly.Throughout the war, RAF fighter production increased capacity whilst Luftwaffe production numbers reached a plateau then descended in decreasing circles. Furthermore, a German slave labourer production force purposefully built in errors to their manufacturing and, as a result, Luftwaffe pilots often lacked confidence in their own aircraft.With early warning detection, vectored interception, strategic bombing, ship launched aircraft, decentralised (and international) aircraft production, the Merlin engine, uncomplicated aircrfaft, specialised ordnance and a wide pool of trained pilots there is no doubt the RAF was the most widely capable airforce of WWII.I’m sorry — we were supposed to be talking of British incompetance and I must have got sidetracked by those pesky British flyboys. Let’s dig the dirt on the Royal Navy instead, afterall surely their being the most powerful naval force on the globe was just bluster?2. THE ROYAL NAVYBritish naval forces were the world’s most potent and revered military sea force and the German Kriegsmarine, outnumbered 20 to 1, rarely left harbour as a result (unless doing so below the surface in U-Boats). The Italians of course did the same whilst Vichy France dithered and had her ships sunk.Those German ships which did leave harbour were deftly hunted down and sunk by the British. Every major battleship the Germans put to sea (Scharnhorst, Graf Spee, Tirpitz, Gneisenau and Bismark) was systematically located, chased and destroyed by the superior and more experienced Royal Navy which had smaller, more agile, more experienced and more capable ships as opposed to Hitler’s tactically useless vanity projects built for show.Italian ships rarely showed up to their own war until Hitler kicked up such a fuss the Italians were forced to leave harbour and put on a show – those that did were all sunk by the British at Taranto. The Royal Navy, the only navy in the world at the time which trained for night operations using radar, boarded one of the many Italian ships before it sank and found all hands drunk and incapacitated. Indeed Taranto was the massacre it was partly because the Italians, thinking the approaching Royal Navy ships on the horizon were friendly, signalled their fleet’s position with a location flare. It was not a day known for Italian ‘competence’.After 1942, using the world’s most advanced code-breaking, long range sea-planes, escort carriers, the world’s first air-to sea-radar (centimetric radar using the cavity magnetron), sonar, forward firing ‘hedgehog’ depth-charges and the world’s first sea launched monoplane fighter (all British inventions) the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force finished off those lurking underwater too. The Battle of the Atlantic destroyed German hopes of a blockade hereby completing Germany’s second defeat. The Battle of the Atlantic involved the methodical scanning of every square metre of the Atlantic Ocean and required patience, determination, planning, organisation, courage and the home invention of many new technologies.Don't forget that The Battle of Britain, as way of narrative for a halting of the invasion of mainland Britain, is a romantic fiction. It was the deterrent capability and size of the Royal Navy which ensured, even without air superiority, that Britain could fend off invasion (think Ruhr river barges against British naval destroyers — the bow wave alone would have swamped them). It is widely accepted that the Germans did not ever have the capability to invade Great Britain with or without air cover or air superiority.3. BRITISH LAND FORCES‘Tommy’ – first won admiration from the Germans during the defence of Crete. Such heavy death toll was inflicted upon German paratroopers that Hitler, to save repeated loss of face and to maintain troop moral, never again fielded his beloved and legendary Fallschirmjäger paras in their true role again. However, although the ‘Tommy’ also won gritty admiration from the German Africa Korps, he was not the fiercest fighter for three very good reasons –1). With a smaller army less risk can be taken – simple, logical and sound British thinking2). The British valued the lives of their soldiers thus leading to further caution. Only megalomaniacs like Stalin, Hitler and Tojo sacrificed their soldiers in the thousands for the sake of pride.3). Unlike Russia or Germany, British forces were not desperately defending their homeland and families from invading barbaric hordes. They were, in the main, capable civilians intervening and mediating in someone else’s fight – they were not interested in mainland Europe’s continual fetish for extreme and authoritarian politics (Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Franco...).4). Britain did not indoctrinate or politicise their youth with violent and hateful propaganda. This meant the Tommy was a soldier and the Wermacht were murderers. To compare the two is not to compare like for like.So, that is the reason why the British ‘Tommy’ is often known for his caution and now I will discuss its effect and why the world should breathe a sigh of relief for British caution in war.Thanks to stubborn resilience and refusal to ‘come to terms’ with Adolf, the British and Her Empire were the only ones fighting Germany for a whole year. After the fall of France, Hitler had expected an ‘understanding’ with Britain and, she being isolated, Hitler did not expect Britain to fight on. The British however, unlike many European nations, were CAUTIOUS to accept defeat and CAUTIOUS to chummy up with Germany and, with a moderately sized army, CAUTIOUSLY fought on against numerical superiority. So, those critical of Tommy ‘caution’ should be forever grateful for it – if it had not been for this British trait the British Expeditionary Force may have been squandered with gung–ho tactics — thankfully a CAUTIOUS tactical withdrawal enabled Britain to fight efficiently without the worry of underperforming allies to her flanks. Without this attribute there would have been no stepping stone to D-Day and no saving of modern democracy (‘Greater Europe’ would now either be communist or fascist – which way it would have gone would be a good discussion in this forum). Indeed gung-ho Americans wanted D-Day in 1943 and British CAUTION persuaded them this was pure folly and therefore saved D-Day from being history’s largest combined forces military disaster.Obsequiously caving under pressure from Stalin to start a second front, the Americans wanted D-Day in Calais in 1943. The British, thanks to their experience of the Dieppe Raid and the more sober strategic influence of their Field Marshall Alan Brooke, dug their heels in and told the Americans they were ill-equipped, ill-advised, untrained and very unready. The Allied D-Day armada, if launched in 1943 as per US wishes, would have been seriously challenged by U-boats, there would have been no Higgins landing craft, not enough landing troops, not enough tanks, not enough air cover and the Luftwaffe was not even yet defeated… I could go on – US strategic planners were naive at best. British planning, experience, patience and willingness to play the long game meant that both the eventual timing and planning for D-Day were impeccable. So, all those who enjoy their fascist free daily lives – let’s give a cheer for British CAUTION.However, all this having been said, the ‘Tommy’ had many guises. Many of them feared by their opponents for very good reason:Commandos – Hitler hated British Commandos. So much that a directive was issued for all Commando captives to be shot on site and even in surrender. No such unit had ever been seen in the world and the Commando was a new type of military thinking – soldiers chosen for their individuality. The Commando raid on St Nazaire, successfully eliminating Tirpitz and Bismark from the war in the Atlantic was so audacious it is referred to by historians as ‘The Greatest Raid of All’.Special Forces – the SAS, or Special Air Service (previously the Long Range Desert Group or LRDG), was a constant thorn in Rommel’s side. Sterling’s SAS achieved in a single night that which the RAF would achieve in a month (at Fuka they destroyed 18 fighters in a single raid and estimates for the total SAS tally for the North Afrika campaign are as high as 350). No such unit had ever been seen and the SAS were the most elite soldiers of WWII, as they remain so to this day.Paratroopers — British Paras fought like devils during Operation Torch and Operation Market Garden – battle hardened German SS Panzer Divisions admiringly nicknamed them ‘Rote Teufel’ (Red Devils) after their fighting spirit and distinctive red beret.Ghurkas — Feared most for his ‘Kukri’ knife, the Ghurkha was respected perhaps most of all for his hand-to-hand and close quarter combat. It is said that they are the most fearsome soldiers in the world, partly because of the kukri’s notoriety for severing human heads.Glider-borne Troops — Best in the world. The taking of Pegasus Bridge, a successful moonlit landing in a field smaller than football pitch on the dawn of D–Day, was the only Allied operation on a par with spectacular German glider-borne achievements at Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium 1939.Anzacs and Canadians — tenacious, reliable and brave. Possibly the Allies most revered infantry fighter. Without the hard earned lessons of Dieppe, D-Day might not have been a success.Artillery – the following objective views of German commanders, who faced both Russian and Allied artillery, leave no doubt that the British were the best in the world. In April 1944 the Red Army's spring offensive had been broken up by Germany’s powerful armoured reserve of SS Panzer Corps consisting of 9 Panzer Division And 10 SS Panzer Division. Fearing an English Channel invasion, the they were withdrawn and moved to Normandy – thereby exposing the German front line and leading to a Russian breakthrough. How did these elite German troops fare against the British who had now accumulated unprecedented experience gained over five years of fighting?“…the firing power of a British division can hardly ever be compared to that of a Soviet armoured division…” Walter Harzer Chief Staff Officer, 9 SS Panzer Division, “because the British support by aircraft and artillery was far superior to anything the Soviet could ever offer us…”Captured German tank crews believed the British gun crews were using a ‘Gattling’ field gun – not an unreasonable supposition because the British had developed the self-loading, fully automatic, 6 Pounder anti-tank gun with a furious rate of fire for both the Mosquito bomber and the Hurricane fighter.“…down came a barrier defensive fire such as we ‘East Fronters’ had never known; the Russians never had as many guns as this and they did not use them in this way; and then came a thick smoke screen. Our attack folded at the foot of a hill before we had even got onto the slopes.” Willi Fey, Tank Commander.In spite of three years on the Russian front, for Lieutenant H. Holler, “…because of the terrible bombardment” this “had been the worst day of the war.”The German armoured divisions were to experience the same fate at the hands of RAF Bomber Command during the Battle of the Bulge. Pictures of the biggest German tanks show them tossed around like toys.These assessments and experiences are the result of diligent British artillery training (British artillery regiments had the experience of WWI and countless other operational deployments) and years of design refinement – the 25 Pounder Field-gun was world renowned and the most accurate mobile artillery piece of WWII (the German 88mm was not artillery but an anti-tank gun). The Russians famously used the terrifying ‘Stalins Organ’ katuscha rocket launchers mounted on the backs of trucks. This makeshift solution was cheap to produce in numbers, highly manoeuvrable, terrifying to see and even worse to hear. However, a bit like an ISIS Toyota Hilux mounted gun-platform, it was an improvised and makeshift solution, incredibly inaccurate and the crews were without the Royal Artillery’s hundreds of hours of meticulous live-fire training on Salisbury Plain.4. BRITISH PLANNINGNobody planned combined armed military forces like the British. Dowding's revolutionary National Air Defence System is replicated today the world over largely unchanged (indeed the system is now used to defend the US and those who operate it have British ‘competence’ to thank for). All the while Monty's only equal for the planned set-piece battle was Zhukov and nobody matched Britain's global sea planning capability – the Graf Spee was sunk off Argentina, the Gneisenau bombed and left to rot in Kiel, the Turpitz sunk in Norway, the Scharnhorst in the arctic and the Bismark damaged and scuttled in the Bay of Biscay – no stone was left unturned and every threat systematically eliminated.These deftly sunk German battleships were larger, better armoured and more powerfully gunned than anything the British had but German sea planning and doctrine was inexperienced, incorrect and all for show. Hundreds of years of British naval fighting showed that smaller ships were more agile and, when well commanded, were more efficient in battle. Vanity doesn’t run deep in British naval doctrine and it was naive of an upstart new nation like Germany to dream of taking on a sea-dog nation like Great Britain. The Italian navy, even larger than the German Kriegsmarine, also rarely daring to leave harbour, seldom got a look in.The Battle of the Atlantic was won in much the same way as The Battle of Britain – through the highly organised mapping of every square mile of the Atlantic Ocean (using British invented Radar) and the subsequent meticulous deployment of search planes, systematically combing designated grids and by destroyers doing the same all in search of U-Boats. This took diligence, patience, planning and organisation at the highest level all the way down to the operational crews. It was perhaps, due to the size of the ocean and invisibility of U-Boats, an even greater organisational task than Dowding’s brainchild national air defence in The Battle of Britain. Fewer people know about it because depth-charges, aptly named ‘Hedgehogs’, are not as sexy as Spitfires.The Battle of Britain, El Alamein and The Battle of the Atlantic were British led military successes – on land, at sea and in the air, in close succession. They were also Germany’s first three notable defeats. D–Day came next and Operation Overlord (the sea-borne element of D-Day) was the biggest sea invasion in history. The task to plan and lead the operation was given to the Royal Navy – its formation date of 897 AD (by King Alfred the Great to beat the Vikings) on the application form was deemed just enough to pip the US naval application for the job to the post.5. BRITISH ESPIONAGESOE (Special Operations Executive) spying and Bletchley Park code-breaking were the best in the business and pretty much the only people in the business. When Hollywood release fictitious movies featuring US submarines capturing the German Enigma don’t you believe it – no such event occurred. It was the Royal Navy which achieved the coup. My grandmother worked at Bletchley Park and Hollywood’s lying fantasists owe her, her peers and the Royal Navy an apology, indeed some share of royalties would be appropriate – Britain made America the super power it is via Lend Lease but our charity can only go so far.Bletchley Park – British espionage capability at Bletchley Park shortened the war by a popularly accepted 4 years. Conversely the US information collecting machine, having failed to head their own direct warnings of imminent Japanese attack, does not see Pearl Harbour as its greatest moment.Germany’s 4th defeat – Bletchley also provided the Russians with the German battle plan for the attack on Moscow, helping Russia to win its very first battle. I think at the time the Russians were also using the 1,924 Hawker Hurricanes Britain sent them before the US had even started with their military aid. So it could be said that Britain indeed helped secure the first four German defeats.Germany’s 5th defeat – After this Russia was forewarned, through Bletchley Park again, of German troop build up at Kursk. A British spy, John Cairncross, leaked the information to Moscow and Russia subsequently achieved its first victory in battle on open ground through advanced warning, planning and preparation – a truly appropriate gift from the British. Shall we agree then that Britain had a hand in Germany’s first five defeats?SOE – Meanwhile SOE were more tactical than Bletchley – they ended Germany’s ambitions to create a nuclear device at Vemork, blew up power stations, once halted submarine production at Bordeaux for a month, helped persuade Hitler that the D–Day and Sicily landings were to happen hundreds of miles away (operations ‘Mince Meat’* and ‘Fortitude’) and stopped Panzers from reaching D–Day beaches without firing a shot (Das Reich SS Panzer Division began its advance through France towards the beaches and SOE agents siphoned off the axle oil from the division's rail transport cars replacing it with abrasive grease – all of the rail cars seized). On another occasion a German supply train, again loaded with tanks, was sent to the wrong destination using only a forged document. However, often shots were fired – SOE assassinated Heydrich, blew up the Gorgopotamos rail bridge (carrying vital supplies for Rommel's desert army) among many other bridges, railroads and docks. Three SOE agents even took 12,000 German POWs in Genoa. More generally, SOE so harassed Axis powers that thousands of troops were pulled from the front lines to guard railways, storage depots, and factories, while the British in contrast simply relied upon pensioners to protect such facilities.SOE agents were real James Bonds and, as such, even had a ‘Q Branch’ which supplied submersible kayaks, camel dung disguised road mines, the single shot cigarette pistol, radio sets disguised in logs, pieces of coal containing dynamite and they even invented ‘carborundum’ abrasive grease which, when smeared on locomotive axles, brought trains to a standstill. Indeed the agent behind Operation Mincemeat*, Ian Flemming, went on to write the James Bond saga*. So the fiction that is Jason Bourne doesn't even get close.Colossus – However, it was Bletchley, the British Colossus (world’s first computer) and teams of amateur chess players, crossword enthusiasts, linguists and eccentric individuals who broke the Enigma and Lorenz cyphers. “Ultra intelligence produced at Bletchley shortened the war by two to four years, and that without it the outcome of the war would have been uncertain” Hinsley, 1996.6. BRITISH POLITICAL CLOUTThankfully the British and Commonwealth fighter had Winston Churchill behind him. Churchill, unlike many of his foreign counter-parts, was a political heavy-weight – an intelligent, considered, educated, sophisticated, hard working, dedicated and humorous man who understood armed forces’ tactical and strategic requirements. No soldier wants a Hitler, a Stalin, a Mussolini or a Franco behind him (the only political megalomanic that has ever been good for a soldier was Napoleon – possibly the world’s greatest ever military leader and Britain saved Europe from him too). Dictators seldom make good military minds.Allowing Hitler, a bitter, ill-educated, un-travelled, simplistic, nihilistic, corrupted, ego-centric megalomanic to influence, define and control a nation’s military doctrine is a strange thing. This rather undistinguished Corporal, acting as Commander-in-Chief to an entire nation, was addicted to amphetamines, paranoid, socially droll and thought he could lead a nation from his telephone in a bunker. He also blindly thought that he was a good tactician. When he visited Paris in 1939 after the fall of France it was his first time abroad (apart from sitting in a trench in the Somme). Ouch – a nation’s international spokesperson who had never been abroad – that’s incompetence!Perhaps Hitler’s angst is explained by the disclosure of a document noting a conversation in the 1960s between German WWI doctor Johan Jambor and his priest. Although it was known Hitler suffered a groin injury in the Somme, evidence suggests that he was 'monorchic' - the medical word for the condition of only having one testicle. Blassius Hanczuch, a friend of Jambor, said the doctor blamed himself for saving Hitler's life. He said: “they fought in the Battle of the Somme. For several hours, Johan and his friends picked up injured soldiers. He remembers Hitler. They called him the ‘Screamer’. He was very noisy. His abdomen and legs were all in blood. Hitler was injured in the abdomen and lost one testicle”. Ouch – a nation’s war leader with misgivings about his manhood – that’s incompetence!Churchill on the other hand was a well connected, adept and worldly statesman who amused and charmed people, bringing nations together by diligently, patiently and relentlessly rallying them. He wrote numerous letters to Roosevelt every week keeping him informed of his European cousins’ fight to save freedom and democracy. During the war alone he visited leaders and troops in the US, Yalta, Moscow, France, Gibraltar and Casablanca. When the Luftwaffe bombed London Churchill stood on the rubble to publicly address his fellow Britons with stirring and motivating addresses, by contrast Hitler ranted from a bunker. Churchill did not release Diktats through intimidation down long telephone lines but instead met, cajoled and encouraged whole nations for support. And this he did capably because he was affable, educated and of officer class. The little corpral was, by comparison, very out of his depth.Whilst never inter-fearing in day to day tactics, Churchill never-the-less, and through the correct military hierarchical channels only, introduced the world to new military concepts. One being the tank. Another the Commando raider – a highly successful elite force tasked with ‘setting Europe ablaze’ — no other nation had an equivalent. Churchill was the architect of clandestine operations due to his experience as an adept army officer fighting against the Boers, original partisan and clandestine fighters of asymmetric warfare.Unlike Hitler, Churchill had balls and was prepared to use them (he even wanted to land in the first wave on D-Day and was scolded by King George V for it). He was able to make extremely brave and difficult decisions for strategic betterment — after the collapse of France, and fearing French battleships would fall into German hands, Churchill gave the lack-lustre French navy in North Africa an offer to sail to Britain to join the good fight. The French, being French, refused and so he gave them an ultimatum to join the allies, sail to a neutral harbour or to be sunk. The French famously chose the latter option and Churchill took the brave, necessary and militarily correct decision to follow through. Within days all Americans knew the British were serious in continuing the fight and Roosevelt felt he had the mandate of the people to enact Lend Lease. Thus the beginning of the end was put into motion.Churchill also single handedly kept Spain out of the Axis by threatening Franco and his then war-wrecked and fragile recovering economy with a Royal Navy blockade. Franco wisely took siesta for the next six years.Churchill is known by some to have been a war mongering bull-dog and, we're that the case, he was just the man for the moment. I would say however that his attributes were more subtle. Churchill’s portrayal of the ‘miracle’ of Dunkirk in such a positive light was not blind British bull-dog bravado but the nuanced and PR-adept positioning of Britain as a capable nation worthy of American financial investment so as to continue the fight. What a salesman he was.I might advise the writer of this question to read his history with specific regard to the competence of Germany’s military hierarchy. If he did so he would see that:—Whilst sober, patient, competent and forward thinking British men like Dowding were, for five pre-war years, carefully preparing their nation with untested and ground-breaking military doctrine, innovation and invention Germany devised an airforce centred round a one-trick-pony Blitzkrieg tactic only relevant to invasion and unable to defend its people.—Whilst skilled, revengeful and unforgiving RAF pilots from 303 Squadron such as Sgt Josef František were busy confirming 17 kills (in The Battle of Britain alone) many of his counterpart Luftwaffe pilots were busy getting blitzed on crystal meth.—Whilst capable and measured British men like Lord Beaverbrook carefully, diligently and painstakingly ensured their nation had enough planes to survive impending doom Germany’s Luftwaffe big man Hermann Goering was busy injecting himself with morphine from his gold syringe.—Whilst defiant Winston Churchill skilfully cajoled the free world in unity little man Adolph was taking amphetamines to get out of bed in the morning and dopamines to get back in at night – famously the man was so high on Eukodal (an opiate with a bigger kick than heroin) on D–Day that he could not be roused until midday.—By 1945 the Temmler factory, which produced Pervitin (official metamphetmine for the German people), had manufactured a staggering 35 million pills. Germany was ill and ‘competence’ is not an attribute often given to addicts.So, when a Yank tells me ‘Uncle Sam taught Britain to fight’, I have to politely laugh and, with sardonic good humour, pretend I think he is joking – knowing that being a Yank, he doesn’t understand the irony of his own premise. After all, it was ‘incompetence’ and naive isolationism that made the US ill prepared for war – the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour had been forewarned but US military hierarchy did not listen. Subsequently ‘green’ US forces entered into WWII in North Africa with some of the war’s most ignominious defeats and required the experienced British to share their hard earned war-fighting knowledge with them. This the British were of course happy to do – however, clearly a provision should have been made that, in return, future generation Yank be taught his wonderfully short history a little better.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––* Operation Mincemeat (later made into a film ‘The Man that Never Was’) was conceived by Commander Ian Flemming, a Royal Naval Officer tasked with dreaming up clandestine operations against Germany.A tramp’s body (Glyndwr Michael, who had committed suicide in Kings Cross, London) was disguised as Captain (Acting Major) William Martin, a British Officer, and ejected from a Royal Navy submarine close to the Spanish shore and not far from Gibraltar knowing Spanish fishermen would hand the ‘soldier’ to Spanish authorities who in turn would hand the body to German agents.German agents conducted a post mortem in Madrid and concluded he was a British officer drowned after a plane crash as sea. The ‘British Officer’s’ brief case chained to his wrist was filled with Allied ‘secrets’. The body was given countless props so as to make the story believable – letters and photos from a fictitious English girlfriend, English train tickets, a London laundry ticket, an English postcard, a British made wallet etc.These ‘secrets’ led the Germans to believe that the imminent Allied landings at Sicily were to happen hundreds of miles elsewhere on the Greek mainland. Hitler, as a result, moved much needed troops, tanks and fighters away from Sicily where the landings were need to take place. Hitler moved 10,000 soldiers to Sardinia alone and to mainland Greece many more.Michael Howard, described Operation Mincemeat as “perhaps the most successful single deception operation of the entire war”. The British had expected 10,000 killed or wounded in the first week of fighting in Sicily — only a seventh of that number were injured; the navy expected 300 ships sunk in the action but they lost 12. The predicted 90 day campaign was over in 38 days.The man who dreamt up the operation was Commander Ian Fleming who went on to write a book. The main character was a suave British spy called Commander James Bond and much of the detail was based upon Flemming’s own operational spying experience. So, in summary and by way of a message to all you Yanks: James Bond is real – Jason Bourne just a wonderful schoolboy fantasy want for a history the nation is without but wished it had.

Miracles do happen, but they require 99% perseverance and 1% divine intervention!Likewise mental preparation is 99% and physical preparation just 1% … Like they say in the Army, it’s all in the mind!Firstly be sure about your motives for joining the defence services of India. I underline India because we are a cut above and apart from the rest. No disrespect intended or implied to the defence personnel of other countries – just ask members of those units across the World which have preserved in their regimental history a record of the time they had to face the cold steel in the hands of an Indian soldier!So I was saying, first jot down the reasons why you want to make a career in the defence services. Once you have that done, closely check if you have anywhere mentioned that you want to join the defence services because you want to serve the nation and even lay down your life for it, if need be.Should you find this reason anywhere, even at the bottom of your list, forget about ever succeeding in donning the proud uniform of an Indian Army / Navy / Air Force Officer. The selectors at SSB are extremely allergic to people afflicted by the martyrs syndrome. We don’t want people with suicidal tendencies to jeopardize the mission or put lives of their team members at risk.The physical part you must do on an athletic track. Forget the indoor gym. Soldiers care two hoots for six pack abs types. We don’t want them – too narcissist to be of any use to the team.Let’s now take on the part about mental preparation.COMMON MYTHS(Just ignore these. However even the opposite may not be true. Use your brains!)SSB are looking for exceptional / super human beings.Academic brilliance will guarantee success.Good English is a passport to success in SSB.Physical endurance and stamina has to be exceptional.Formal SSB training is a must.All responses should convey positive outcome.In psychological testing all stories should end in honour / award for the hero.In GTO testing one must outsmart other members of the group.In the interview one should impress the Interviewing Officer at any cost.SSB involves proving yourself to be better than others in all tests.If you fail once you cannot make it again.IMPORTANT : Gain control over Non-verbal LanguageThe GaitThe HandshakeSitting PostureGestures / Erratic body movementBody PostureFacial ExpressionsEye Contact and not starringHead NodsModulation of SpeechUse of SmileDryness of the mouthLEADERSHIP TRAITS : Following Officer-like-Qualities need to be developed :-Bearing and Turn OutAlertnessDecisivenessCourageEnduranceHumanenessSense of HumorInitiativeIntegrityIntelligenceLoyaltySympathyUnselfishnessTrainabilityBALANCED PERSONALITY : The aspects are divisible into four factors as listed below:Factor –IPlanning and Organizing AbilityEffective IntelligenceReasoning AbilityOrganizing AbilityPower of ExpressionFactor-IISocial AdjustmentSocial AdaptabilityCooperationSense of ResponsibilityFactor-IIISocial EffectivenessInitiativeSelf ConfidenceSpeed of Decision MakingAbility to Influence the GroupLivelinessFactor-IVDynamicDeterminationCourageStaminaPERSONAL INTERVIEWThis technique is based on the theory of free association. The Interviewing Officer assesses the eligibility of the candidate to become an average officer.Recommended TechniqueKeep abreast of all that is happening around you. When you discuss any topic or express your views, you should have logical reasoning toSupport your views.Be clear, original & fluent in expression.Be properly dressed.Do not be gloomy and be cheerful.Listen to the questions carefully and do not answer in a hurry. If you have not followed a question, ask for the clarification politely.Do not bluff.Do not upset or lose your temper but be courageous.Never show rigidity of views but be candid.Do not blame government / organization / institution or a teacher for your shortcomings. Accept them gracefully.GROUND TESTINGBased on a principle called “Gestalt Principle”. Ground Testing Officer assesses the complete group as a form and he assesses the level of each individual in the group through a battery of tests. Some tasks are group tasks and others are individual. There are a total of nine such tasks.GROUP DISCUSSIONFirstly the GTO gives two subjects to the group and the group is asked to discuss one subject. In second phase the GTO gives them one subject from his side. The subject is also discussed for about 15-20 minutes. In group discussion, the GTO assessesThe candidate’s power of expression (not necessarily English)His manner of speechHis awareness of topicHis ability to put across reasons in support of his views.His ability in grasping details, facts and figures.Is he respective to other’s views in regard to his views?Whether a candidate gives up or succumbs under opposition to others when he knows he is right?Whether he encourages others, specially weaker candidates to speak.GROUP PLANNING EXERCISETo find out candidates’ ability to solve day-to-day problems in which certain amount of risk is also involved and also to assess his general awareness;To gauge if candidate is able to understand and muster available and imaginary resources, which are practical;To assess if candidate is able to function effectively in a group.INDIVIDUAL OBSTACLEDo not try to do it serially.Plan your course in such a manner that you do all the ten obstacles moving from easy to difficult.Show urgency and a sense of purpose in your effort.Do not hesitate on heights or pits.GROUP TASKS – Progressive Group Task; Group Obstacle Race : The rationaleIs the candidate able to function in the group as an effective member?Is he endowed with enough intelligence and practical imagination to be an effective member of the group?Is he receptive to others ideas and also able to give his own ideas?Is he reluctant to soil his hands?Is he a hardworking individual?Is he an arm chair planner? Or both a good planner and a person, who can implement his ideas?Is he in the area of activity or away from it?Is he rigidly obstinate or flexible and amenable and receptive person, so that there is progress in the efforts of the group?Is he aware of the rules? Does he realize when he breaks rules and does he rectify the mistakes?Does he restrain his cool and composure even under stress/pressure?Is he scared to take risks? But on the other hand is he foolhardy ?Is he physically tough?Is his work based on practical imagination?COMMAND TASKUnderstand the task thoroughly, when the GTO explains it. Ask for clarification, if some features are not clear, but do not request repetition of rules, which he would have explained earlier. This will only reveal the fact that you are incapable of remembering simple instructions/comprehension.Before you begin the task, explain the task and rules to your subordinates briefly. After the task, when they are to go, thank them.The helping material should be related to the structures and must be utilized for the same.Choose your subordinate not because you travel together or he is your country cousin but be discriminate. Further, you may like to have a suitably hard working fellow. But avoid the rigid die-hard persons, who may question you.Be conscious and do not allow anyone to break the rules.A good commander is one, who will work along with his subordinates if required.Treat your subordinates with politeness and if somebody has done a good job encourage him.If you get stuck due to some reasons, do not ask suggestions from your subordinates and work out the solutions yourself.Some times, the GTO may do away with some resources or helping material or certain structures. This is only to pressurize you. So do not get nervous and be cool and find a workable solution.Endeavor should be to complete the task. But do not worry, if you could not complete the task because it may also be due to the fact that the gto has put impediments in your way.So, when he asks later, explain clearly, as to what you had planned to do. Never blame your subordinates for your inability to complete the task.LECTURETTE : Element of EvaluationThe general knowledge / awareness of the candidate and the subject matter.The power of expression and delivery.Confidence of the candidate.Time plan.Never resort to mannerisms and notes.Never try to put on an artificial accent.Stand erect in a balanced manner. Even the way you stand and face the group suggests something of your personality and demeanor.Do not give wrong facts and figures.Do not overshoot the time given and do not give up before time.PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING TECHNIQUE : Read a GuideThematic Appreciation Test (TAT).Word Association Test (WAT).Situation reaction test (SRT).Self description (SD).PERSONAL INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE : Read a GuideMERITS / DEMERITS (COACHING ACADEMIES)MERITSFamiliarity with the systemKnowledge of sequencePractice in OIR testingFeel of group dynamicsBuilding of confidencePractice in group- discussionDEMERITSLoss of spontaneityLack of originalityPreconceived ideasDanger of over confidenceIncorrect/outdated inputs can be dangerousPost Script : I assume you have already cleared the UPSC written exam. If not that is your first hurdle. Get a lot of guide books and solve all the question papers till you get the required speed of answering in all the subjects.

January 1, 1943As the Führer & Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler, I’m informed that the Red Army has cleverly drawn the German 6th Army into the Soviet city of Stalingrad. A battleground that favors the Red Army with its mastery of close-quarter-combat. The Soviets have launched Operation Little Saturn encircling our forces, and our relief effort codenamed: Wintergewitter (Winter Storm), has proven ineffective.On February 2nd, Generalfeldmarschall Friedrich Paulus along with the German 6th Army and other Axis personnel, surrender to the Soviet Union. It is the German Reich’s first major setback of the Second World War. Coming to the conclusion that I have been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by Providence to save Germany and with it the whole of Europe, I’m determined to make this first setback the last. Following Reichsminister Dr. Joseph Goebbels’s Total War Speech in the Sportspalast on February 18th, I call for full mobilization of every able bodied man to the front, while women are also mobilized to work in factories and further strengthen the war effort as suggested by Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production Dr. Albert Speer.March 1943Though they had fought and survived the Battle of Stalingrad, their commanders can permit them no rest. From early February, Joseph Stalin orders new offensives all along the southern fronts. Instead they must struggle on through the late winter blizzards, instruments of their Supreme Commander’s lust for glory. The Red Army drives deep into German held territories, fighting exhaustion, cold, mud, inch by inch the infantry advances. Reclaiming lands devastated by our scotched earth policy.Outnumbered by over 7:1, the German forces led by Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein, fight a brilliant mobile retreat. But by the end of February, the Red Army has recaptured both Kursk and the nearby city of Kharkov. This Soviet winter offensive has struck a serious blow to German power. Over a matter of months, we have lost a million men, and vast numbers of tanks and guns. The Red Army still has enormous reserves of manpower, it is also benefiting from a huge increase in weapons production and aid from the United States and Great Britain.I am fully aware that if our stretched forces are to defeat the Red Army, we must attack quickly before it can recover from the losses of the winter. The strategy we will use is simple and optimistic, on the map, the city of Kursk seems the obvious place to start. Here the Soviet assault has pushed a bulge 160 miles long and 100 miles deep at the center of the Eastern Front as a result of German counterattacks after the Battle of Stalingrad. It is an obvious springboard for a new Soviet offensive and at the same time a target for the next German attack.Looking to use every advantage I can, I instruct the Wehrmacht to send out a plain-text radio message stating that we have no plans for future offensive operations in the Eastern Front for the next several months as we are instead preparing for a defensive war in the east in order to concentrate on the Western Allies. When in reality, Orders are given to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) to prepare plans for a summer offensive. Stating that the Kursk salient could be used as a springboard for future Soviet offensives at must be dealt with as soon as possible. Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein who has recently recaptured the strategically important cities of Kharkov and Belgorod in a counteroffensive, presents an alternative plan whereby the German forces would pinch off the Kursk salient with a rapid offensive codenamed: Zitadelle (Citadel), commencing as soon as the spring rasputitsa subsides. Army Group Centre led by Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge will engage from the north, while Army Group South led by von Manstein will attack from the south.The German offensive will be led by a new generation of German tanks, specially designed to combat the Soviet T-34. The new Panzerkampfwagen V “Panther” with a 75 mm gun, and the Panzerkampfwagen VI “Tiger I” with a 88 mm gun and their frontal armor, make them almost impervious to Soviet tank fire. Due to the complex design of these new tanks, the attack is delayed by a month while sufficient numbers are manufactured and delivered to the front. Meanwhile in North Africa, Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps are instructed to do whatever is necessary and prolong the conflict for as long as possible, while the Italian Regia Marina is tasked with evacuating them to Sicily. Meanwhile, knowing that our Far-Eastern ally also needs aid, I order the German government to make contact with the Japanese Empire. Informing them that we are planning to exchange vital information, plans, and equipment with them. New airplane blueprints, radar detectors and an enigma coding machine. The Japanese accept my proposal and schedule a rendezvous.On April 26th, Japanese I-52 submarine rendezvous with German U-530 U-boat, near the coast of East Africa. The Allies soon catch wind of our activities and dispatch ships to the area, resulting in a fierce sea battle. Despite everything, the rendezvous is a success, with blueprints and war materials being exchanged. Unbeknownst to everyone, I also provide a series of anonymous tips to the Imperial Japanese Military, informing them of allied naval codes, war tactics, and offensive plans. Also advising Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto to keep his distance from the front lines. Our advanced technologies and war advice will help the Japanese counter the industrial capacity and military strength of the United States.Soon after, we receive word that the Soviet High Command (STAVKA), believes our message and orders a massive military presence in the Kursk salient in preparation for an attack. But even as German forces begin to assemble, Deputy Supreme Commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov can only guess what is about to occur. His guess is confirmed due to reports provided by British Intelligence containing information that the Germans are indeed preparing for a summer offensive, but is unsure when or where we will attack. In response, Zhukov orders the construction of a series of defensive lines and massively builds up soviet forces in the Kursk salient, pulling in troops and tanks from less vulnerable parts of the front.The Soviets stockpile the area with all available troops, tanks, artillery and aircraft, in total ¼ of Soviet manpower, 1/3 of the Red Air Force and ½ of all armor. Other fronts have been dangerously depleted, but the efficient Soviet spy network “Rote Kapelle” confirms that the hated Germans are not going to attack anytime soon. STAVKA is preparing a massive offensive in which the German armies will be destroyed, then the Red Army will continue their unrelenting push westwards and Christmas will be celebrated in Berlin. Both sides are gambling here with fearsome stakes. But my 21st century knowledge of military history and war tactics, has loaded the dice.And so now, two gigantic armies are converging.June 1, 1943 - Operation CitadelAt 2:00 a.m. The church-like silence is rent to pieces. In pitch darkness, German trucks roar forward and unload engineers. They check for landmines and remove obstructions in eerie silence. When found, those infernal landmines are always treated with respect, with most being easily dispatched using remote controlled Goliath Light Charge Carriers. Soviet forward observers open fire on them, but are quickly dealt with by our snipers. By 4:00 a.m. Reconnaissance groups probe forward, securing observation posts unhindered while Junkers Ju-87 “Stuka” dive bombers fly overhead to bomb Soviet airfields, headquarters and communications. German communication vehicles relay the command “Panzer voran”. Thousands of engines start up over a 35 km front at Belgorod and a 30 km front at Orel. The atmosphere is buoyant, the soldiers’ morale is at its peak. Due to confusion and a lack of Soviet reaction, it is obvious that a heavy blow has been struck. German tanks eagerly move forward to their first targets: Savidovka and Butovo. There is moderate resistance, soon after, trenches are filled with dead soldiers, looking like discarded rag dolls. Incredible. Even battle-hardened SS veterans have to look away from the scene.Pokrovka ... Ivnya ... Oboyan ... the 4th Panzer Army continues north past well prepared defenses and elaborate layered defense works. The Red Army had turned the area surrounding Kursk into a series of three defensive lines of interconnected webs consisting of minefields, barbed-wire fences, anti-tank ditches, deep entrenchments for infantry, anti-tank obstacles, dug-in armored vehicles, and machine-gun bunkers. It is the largest defense network ever constructed, over 50 miles deep. Unsuspected by German planners. Quite useless now. Then further past acres of T-34 tanks with dead crew scattered around them, then rows of brand new trucks, and artillery pointing blindly at the sky. “Where does Stalin get all this stuff?” some soldiers wonder. By midday, Army Detachment Kempf reaches Korocha and forms a defensive line to shield the flank of the 4th Panzer Army. The German 9th Army is halfway to Kursk and three days ahead of the most optimistic schedule. Occasionally, an anti-tank mine blows the tracks off a tank. No big deal. The crew dismounts, waits next to the road for a recovery vehicle, smoking their cigarettes and tolerantly waving at their cat-calling comrades. The next tank then leads the advance. Everything runs as smoothly as a field exercise. Some Soviet reconnaissance aircraft are observed, the pilots are obviously bewildered, not knowing what to make of German armor movements deep within Soviet territory. It is their last flight, as Stukas bomb their airfields later that same day.There is a short, sharp fight at the fortified city of Kursk. It ends abruptly when Luftwaffe bombers smash the defenses, meanwhile Panther and Tiger tanks break through with brute force. Soviet soldiers withdraw in panic or surrender. The Kursk offensive is successful beyond the wildest dreams of the OKH. By 4:00 in the afternoon, Generaloberst Hermann Hoth’s 4th Panzer Army moving south and Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model’s 9th Army moving north have secured Kursk and the first phase is completed, one week ahead of schedule. Solemn generals salute each other and shake hands while cameras are flashing. Twelve Soviet armies have been encircled and/or wiped out in one day including the 5th Guards Tank Army, the heroes of Stalingrad. It is the “Greatest Military Defeat in Human History” and the only battle that eclipses Hannibal’s victory against Rome at Cannae. The Soviets had failed to anticipate our activities on the Eastern Front and due to being taken by complete surprise, had not concentrated their forces accordingly. German tanks now turn west to mop up encircled Soviet armies.The extent of the Axis victory slowly becomes apparent. One million tons of supplies have been seized. This will give additional impetus to the offensive. The greatest advantage of our surprise attack now becomes evident: while all enemies are killed or captured, infrastructure is mostly undamaged. There are few delays to clear rubble or repair roads and bridges. Plans are discovered revealing that Soviet troops north of Kursk were poised for a surprise flank attack on Generalfeldmarschall Model’s 9th Army as soon as mid-July. Now the attack is cancelled and Soviet soldiers are diverted south to try and pinch off the German advance. Surviving Soviet defenders in the Kursk pocket are dazed and bewildered, some trembling with fear. They are mopped up and sent into captivity. 1.3 million Soviet soldiers are killed or captured, ¼ of Soviet manpower including many elite units. More than 3,000 highly regarded T-34 and KV-1 tanks are captured, doubling Axis armor. Thousands of captured American trucks are immediately put into Axis service. 20,000 artillery pieces - most in excellent shape, get a new owner.Now there is a critical shortage of tank crews. Soviet Tank schools are ordered to send their recruits to the front, even when not ready as long as they can vaguely recognize the shape of a tank. Truck drivers are bundled into T-34s and become tank drivers just like that. Soldiers who have an uncle driving a tractor become truck drivers. Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, arguably the best Soviet general, is summoned to Kuybyshev by Stalin to discuss the situation, while General Nikolai Vatutin takes command of the front.German forces are in excellent shape, ready to follow up on the success. Morale, that elusive element, is at an all-time high. Losses are moderate: some 20,000 German soldiers have been killed, wounded, or missing and are sent back to Germany for recovery. Several hundred soldiers are killed by landmines. It will take years to clear the millions of landmines in the Kursk area. Meanwhile, the losses of the Kursk salient are a severe blow for the Soviet Union. With the Kursk salient eliminated, I immediately order a concentration of forces around the area as the Axis Powers regain the initiative on the Eastern Front. With a victory at Kursk and the strategic initiative regained, my first approach is to achieve a diplomatic conclusion to hostilities in the east, at least for the time being. On June 20th, I send an emissary to Smolensk with an ultimatum: calling to end the war on the Eastern Front, in exchange for the liberation of the Baltic States and an independent Ukraine as a buffer state. This ultimatum is transferred to Moscow, later to the provisional capital of Kuybyshev, where it is presented to Stalin. After carefully reviewing it, although he contemplates signing a negotiated truce following their disaster at Kursk and will need time to recover, Stalin finds the terms somewhat unfavorable and sends a reply. Within four days, Stalin’s message reaches Berlin, in which he declines my peace offer and instead requests that our eastern frontiers be returned to their 1941 pre-Barbarossa borders, stating that if no agreement is reached, the war will continue. Seeing that no diplomatic solution can be reached otherwise, Germany has no choice but to continue its advance. Renowned Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein, prefers to strike east towards the river Don and attempt to cut Soviet Union in two once again, looking to maintain our momentum and keep the Soviets off balance, I grant him permission to begin preparations for an offensive.In Berlin, I turn my attention towards the western allies. With the withdrawal of the Afrika Korps from Tunisia, I’m well aware that the allies are preparing for an invasion on Sicily. With the situation in the Eastern Front secure, I order tank factories to begin mass production on the PzKpfw V “Panther” tank and for improvements to be made, while production for the PzKpfw VI “Tiger I”, is reduced. I also order the continuation of research on German jet and rocket technology. Focke-Wulf Fw 190’s, Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighters, Arado Ar-234 “Blitz” and E.560 tactical jet bombers, anti-tank and anti-ship guided missiles and guided bombs are all ordered for further development and production and order the acceleration of the Virus Haus program. Furthermore, I order for our “Flight until death” protocol to be abandoned, calling for any/all highly skilled pilots and fighter aces such as Generalleutnant Adolf Galland and Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel, to be put in charge of pilot schools immediately.June 6th, on the Eastern Front, the Soviets have lost thousands of their most experienced pilots to the Citadel offensive and these losses cannot be replaced quickly. Captured aircraft will be used by German allies, with most going to the Kingdom of Italy. During a conference with Axis leaders at the Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair) in East Prussia, Il Duce of Fascism Benito Mussolini, uses his influence to obtain the all-important Ilyushin IL-2 “Sturmovik” ground-attack aircraft, Petlyakov Pe-2 light bombers and Lavochkin La-5 fighter squadrons. Captured aviation fuel on airfields allows the Luftwaffe to operate at full efficiency for the next few months. Captured tanks are also put into service by the Wehrmacht/Waffen-ᛋᛋ creating 20 new armored divisions. There is a shortage of crew, but Soviet tanks are relatively easy to handle, the Wehrmacht is already familiar with the T-34 as a few hundred captured ones are already in use. 250 T-34s are immediately sent to Sicily to reinforce Panzerkorps XIV. The Korps has only 47 tanks left. 400 more are sent to Greece, where they will be under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel. Three infantry divisions from the reserve and some Luftwaffe squadrons are withdrawn from the Eastern Front and are sent to Italy, Greece and southern France. Italian pilots arrive to ferry captured aircraft to Italy.The most urgent need in Sicily is aircraft and aviation fuel. 40% of all Luftwaffe losses have occurred over Malta and Sicily. As a result, the aerial siege of Malta is lifted. Without reinforcements, the allies will achieve local air superiority. An Allied invasion is expected at any moment somewhere in southern Europe in an operation codenamed: Husky. The Allies have made many efforts to mislead the German Abwehr into expecting an invasion in Greece or Sardinia. The most devious ruse is the use of the dead body of a British soldier, apparently drowned and carrying fake invasion plans for Greece. Though some officers actually suspect this is a ruse, nevertheless, most reinforcements are ordered to be sent to Sicily.July 10, 1943 - Operation HuskyAn Allied invasion force amasses near the island of Sicily. Within moments, as many as 160,000 British and American soldiers land on the beaches of Sicily. It is hoped that this will draw German troops from the Eastern Front. The Allies know the Soviets are in trouble but they don’t know to what extent as Stalin is not keen on reporting failures. The OKH orders all available units in Italy and Greece to Sicily, but this will take time. Even with the help of the Afrika Korps, the forces present are not strong enough to repel the invasion as armor from the Eastern Front has not arrived yet. The U.S. 7th Army and British 8th Army make good progress in Sicily in spite of a vicious counterattack. Italian troops make little effort to resist, but German divisions resist fiercely. Within a week, General George S. Patton captures Palermo, the capital city of Sicily in a surprise attack. This is the first large Axis city to be captured by the Allies, the Italians are shocked. Axis forces make a fighting retreat to Messina, preparing to evacuate Sicily. But now, the first German reinforcements have arrived: 250 T-34s.By July 21st, Luftwaffe fighter squadrons and some 1,000 Italian Ilyushin IL-2 “Sturmovik” ground-attack planes, Douglas A-20 “Havoc” light bombers and Lavochkin La-5 fighters arrive in southern Italy from the Eastern Front. They will be used to challenge allied air supremacy. The best squadrons have been withdrawn from the Soviet Union where the Red Air Force has been weakened. Most importantly, large quantities of aviation fuel arrive, made possible by captured fuel from the east. Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring is given command of all Axis forces in Italy and Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel takes command in Sicily. When I ask what he needs to drive the allies out of Sicily, Rommel replies: “2,000 aircraft and 600 tanks.” With a nod, I reply: “You will get them.” The newly created 35th Panzer Division using T-34s and the veteran 501st Tiger Battalion are transported across the Strait of Messina in great secrecy. Total Axis armor is already 400 against 600 allied tanks, but Axis tanks are superior. Allied forces in Sicily advance on Messina intent on cutting off the Axis retreat. Meanwhile, more Axis reinforcements arrive in Messina daily. The Axis 35th Panzer Division is deployed, heavily camouflaged and will be the spearhead of a massive counterattack. Generalfeldmarschall Rommel is calmly waiting for the allies to commit themselves.In Rome, Il Duce Benito Mussolini is removed from power following a vote-of-no-confidence by the Grand Council of Fascism and is subsequently arrested. Marshal of Italy Pietro Badoglio, who is anti-Axis is appointed Prime Minister and is now in charge of the Kingdom of Italy. This shows how fragile a dictatorship really is, at least in Italy.On July 27th, the 501st Tiger Battalion and 35th Panzer Division attack in the early morning after a short artillery bombardment. Tiger I tanks are used to spearhead the attack followed by masses of T-34 tanks. Forward observers of the U.S. 7th Army watch horrified as anti-tank rounds bounce off the Tigers. Dug-in M4 “Sherman” tanks try to stop the advance but they’re outclassed. Here, the Shermans earn the nickname “cigarette lighter” as they almost instantly burst into flames when hit.As the German attack rolls up the allied front line, the first U.S. aircraft appear and strafe German tanks. The Luftwaffe also shows up in unexpected numbers and with new determination. Both sides tackle each other in vicious dogfights while bombers attack tanks. Ironically, the Italian Regia Aeronautica uses captured American Douglas A-20 Havocs in those attacks. Italian Lavochkin La-5 fighters prove tough opponents in low-level dogfights, fast and agile. For the first time, the Regia Aeronautica has a fighter equal to the Allies’ best. Allied pilots make contact with Sturmovik bombers for the first time. They are baffled by the toughness of the aircraft, armored like a flying tank. Although the Luftwaffe still prefers to use Stukas, Italian pilots have adopted the Sturmoviks eagerly. Now they use the aircraft’s 37mm guns to shoot up allied tanks with great success. Sicily and the Mediterranean have also been selected by me to test some new experimental weapons.The Allied front crumbles quickly as T-34 tanks pour through. Even worse for the Allies, the T-34s show unexpected ability to cross terrain thought unsuitable for tanks. The U.S. 7th Army is routed, pulling back to the south. The 45th Rifle Division is pinned down and surrounded. It’s like the Battle of Kasserine Pass all over again. On the 28th, General George S. Patton counterattacks in coordination with British forces and a massive tank battle develops. Tiger tanks are still unreliable and most have broken down. Allied tanks are attacked by Stukas and Sturmoviks fresh from the Eastern Front. The allies use Republic P-47 “Thunderbolt” fighter-bombers against Axis armor. Fighters from both sides try to protect their tank destroyers. Dogfights start all over the battlefield and they continue throughout the day with neither side gaining superiority. Allied fighter pilots are taken aback by the resurgence of the Luftwaffe.The remnants of the surrounded 45th Rifle Division surrender and join thousands of other prisoners of war. They will be paraded through Rome to support Benito Mussolini. By the end of the day, tank losses are heavy on both sides and the battle lines stabilize. The allied front line has been pushed back 50 km. German repair shops work day and night to get precious Tiger tanks running again. Damaged allied tanks have been abandoned behind the front lines. This is the advantage of the attacker.On the Eastern Front, German armor pours through the now undefended gap in the front. Soviet counterattacks are casually brushed aside. Livny is quickly captured, rumors of the German victory spreads across the Soviet Union, their morale is seriously damaged and the Red Army is forced to resort back to their tactics of early 1942; withdrawal into the vast depths of inland Russia. Meanwhile, the Germans gain masses of resources and experience a huge boost in morale. Using their victories as propaganda in an attempt to reach out to the Ukrainian population. Offering them autonomy in return for a huge boost in voluntary manpower to fight the Red Army. The OKH releases news of the Kursk battle but plays down the significance of the victory. Voronezh is the first major city recaptured by the Germans since the Kursk offensive. On desolate airfields more than 2,800 brand new aircraft are found intact, some with dead pilots in the cockpits. One of the deceased is Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub, the leading Soviet ace. He is buried with full military honors which has the side effect of providing great propaganda value. On August 1st, the OKH has decided to keep the Soviet Union off balance by starting a new offensive in the south. This will exploit the Axis capability of rapid concentration of forces. Meanwhile, the Kursk airfield is expanded. It will be used for a long-range bomber offensive against trans-Ural factories to be carried out by Italian Piaggio P.108 “Bombardiere” heavy bombers.German forces under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein unleash Operation Heide, an offensive aimed at capturing the oil-rich Caucasus region for the second time. After a furious artillery and air attack, the reborn German 6th Army breaks through enemy lines. This army was wiped out in Stalingrad, but is now stronger than ever before. It has received the new Panther tanks, the best armor in the world, although still suffering from teething problems. Simultaneous but limited offensives at Voronezh, Moscow and the Northern Front are designed to prevent the Soviets from reinforcing the Caucasus. The Soviet Southern Armies have been weakened as many divisions have been transferred to the Moscow area, this has made Soviet communication with the North and Southern Fronts slow and difficult.August 3, 1943The Allies conclude Operation Gomorrah, an eight day air offensive against Hamburg. The city is devastated and 50,000 civilians have died, most during night attacks. Dr. Albert Speer reports that if the Allies can knock out ten more cities the same way, the war is lost. The weather is getting too bad for bombing though, so this is unlikely. In a stop gap measure, 200 captured Soviet Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers are converted to night fighters. They’re excellent for the job, almost as fast as the English DH. 98 “Mosquito”. The night fighter force will be expanded and improved upon, but this will take time.The air war in the east will be waged with mostly recently graduated pilots and German allies. Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch, who is in control of aircraft manufacture implores Focke-Wulf factories to speed up the development of the Ta-154 “Moskito” night fighter which is his favorite aircraft. He is told prototypes have been built but they await the new 2,000 hp Jumo 213 engine developed by Junkers. Milch promptly turns his attention to the Junkers factories, threatening to send factory managers to the front. This causes an anonymous director to state that Allied bomber raids are preferable to Milch’s attacks. Nevertheless, it must be noted that wherever Milch directs his attention, things happen. By August 4th, the German 6th Army recaptures Rostov in an irresistible drive. At the same time as planned, Axis forces break out of the Novorossiysk bridgehead aiming for the oil city of Maikop.Operation Heide progresses well. By the 8th, Maikop is easily recaptured by the Germans. Enemy supply dumps are also captured, showing that the Soviets were preparing an offensive of their own. The capture of a supply dump is a significant event in an area where supply lines are more than 2,000 km long. Two days later, German armored pincer movements close north of Maikop and a Soviet army is surrounded. By the 20th, Axis forces move through Elista on the way the the Caspian Sea. They have advanced 300 km in ten days. Soviet troops surrounded near Maikop are mopped up, showing remarkably little fighting spirit.By August 23rd, Axis reinforcements including the redoubtable 10th Panzer Division arrive in Sicily. The soldier’s morale is high after the good news from the Eastern Front and the successes in Sicily. Crucially, heavy artillery arrives to pound the allies on the beaches. The allies lack good airfields in Sicily and have to support the battle from Tunisia and Malta. Italian Sturmoviks continuously attack the bridgehead causing little damage, but badly affecting allied morale.General Patton advises to get out “while the going is good.” A week later in the east, Grozny is captured by Axis forces. Anti-Soviet rebels join in the attack and help to capture the oil refineries intact. Soldiers watch in amazement as the local population rounds up political commissars to lynch them. Hundreds of civilians volunteer for service with the Axis. Chechnyan rebels ask permission to form their own ᛋᛋ division. Joseph Stalin is not very popular here, as many locals have been transported to other areas of the Soviet Union as hostages and slave labor.With the Second World War in Europe at a stalemate, I continue ordering German scientists to accelerate research and development on new technology and put new and efficient designs into production.On September 19th, the Soviets launch a major offensive from Stalingrad aiming south to hit the flank of the German Caucasus offensive. Somehow, they seem to come up with a surprise every time we think they’re finished. German engineers are already at work in Maikop to restart the oil wells as retreating Soviets have thoroughly destroyed the well heads. This project is given the highest priority as we realize that oil is the key to the future of the war. Already, Axis mobility is hindered by oil shortages. Under emergency war conditions, such a project will take weeks, where in peacetime it would take a year.The strength of the Soviet Stalingrad offensive is a surprise to the Axis. Masses of Soviet armor race towards Kotelnikov, threatening to disrupt the Axis Caucasus offensive. The 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien commanded by SS-Untersturmführer Léon Degrelle, digs-in and refuses to budge. Increasingly desperate Soviet attacks are beaten back in savage hand-to-hand fighting. The resolute defense gives the German 6th Army time to prepare a counterattack.October 1st, the Soviet Stalingrad offensive finally crumples under a massive counterattack after a week-long battle. The Soviets are short on resources: tanks, aircraft, and supplies. They try to compensate by sacrificing human lives, but in vain. The 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien composed of French-speaking Walloons, chase the Soviets back to Stalingrad. Generalfeldmarschall von Manstein mentions the heroic efforts of several international Waffen-ᛋᛋ Divisions in a dispatch to the OKH. Due to their great progress, I am delighted and send congratulatory messages to the divisions involved. The next day, an Axis patrol reaches the Caspian Sea and radios the historic “Thalassa, thalassa” message. It is a repeat of a previous exploit in 1942. They set up a blocking position across the Baku-Astrakhan railway line and sever communications between Astrakhan and the Baku oil fields. The Caucasus region is now cut-off from the rest of the Soviet Union except for the perilous Caspian Sea route.On October 3rd, a heavy artillery bombardment precedes an all-out attack by the German 10th Panzer Division in Sicily. Tiger I tanks force their way through allied lines and reach the shore, exchanging fire with allied cruisers. Focke-Wulf Fw 190s launch attacks on allied warships with guided Fritz X and Henschel Hs-293 anti-ship glide bombs, causing heavy damage and a hasty withdrawal.After recent reinforcements, both sides are equal in numbers but Axis tanks are superior to allied armor. One of the most successful German Tigers is commanded by “panzer ace” SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann. During the attack he brews up a Sherman tank, his 100th victim. The radio operator promptly jumps out in the heat of battle and paints a new circle on the still hot gun barrel to mark the kill. Two days later, the allies have evacuated Sicily, losing all their heavy equipment. The deciding factor was a guided bomb attack on warships, a new element in warfare that needs tactical rethinking. 50,000 allied soldiers become prisoners of war. They are paraded through Rome to support Benito Mussolini. The dictator is released from prison and his former prison guards are now in cells, while Prime Minister Pietro Badoglio is put under house arrest. Such are the fortunes of war. In Germany, the allies continue launching wave after wave of bombing raids against our cities, but with the combined efforts of our Fw 190’s, Pe-2’s, and Ta-154 Moskito night-fighters, damage to our cities and casualties have been greatly reduced while allied bomber losses have risen exponentially.By October 21st, German forces reach Astrakhan at the mouth of the river Volga. The Caspian Sea supply line to the Caucasus is now completely cut off. The Soviet Union’s oil supply is disrupted. Operations in the Caucasus Mountains are slowed down by the approaching winter and the desperate defense of passes by the Soviets. Armenian volunteers of the 812th Armenian Battalion, are dropped by parachute to disrupt Soviet reinforcement attempts. By October 31st, the German 6th Army reaches Stalingrad, much weaker defended than the year before. The Soviet armies have been mauled in the failed Stalingrad offensive. The Volga River is reached north and south of Stalingrad and 88 mm guns shoot up barges that try to supply the defenders. 11 days later, Axis forces take Batum on the Black Sea, advancing along the coast and bypassing the Caucasus Mountains. There is little resistance. Armenian volunteers of the 812th Armenian Battalion prove very useful, as they are familiar with the mountains.By November 15th, the pressure on the island of Malta is mounting. The air offensive is restarted after the allied retreat from Sicily. Total monthly Luftwaffe losses have been reduced by 50% after the Kursk offensive. The Luftwaffe is now making a determined effort in the west and against Malta. Medium bombers raid at night and captured Sturmoviks escorted by German Fw-190s and Italian La-5 fighters are sent in by day. The Sturmoviks are a source of amazement to the British, their armor makes them almost invulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and fighters.On November 21st, Tbilisi, the gate to the oil center of Baku, falls to the Axis. Pockets of resistance are left in the Caucasus Mountains, to be mopped up later. The German 6th Army is closing in on Stalingrad. The Soviets try to block the enemy at Mamayev Kurgan hill, the scene of many months of fierce fighting the year before. The hill is a serious obstacle, Soviets soldiers are dug-in and well protected against artillery fire. By the 29th in Prague, recent conquests in the Caucasus make more bauxite available, increasing aluminum production. Captured factories in the area are already contributing aero-engines and tanks to the war effort in a project energetically driven by Generalfeldmarschall Milch, who is perhaps the greatest organizer in the Reich. As a result, the Junkers Ju-390 goes into full-scale production and an order is placed for 40 Messerschmitt Me-264 “Amerika Bombers” as a reward to Professor Messerschmitt. Are the Yankees going to get a surprise!At the same time, an unprecedented order for 2,000 Junkers Ju-252 cargo aircraft is placed with the Junkers-controlled Amiot Company in France. The Ju-252 is five tons lighter than the allied Douglas DC-4, but it has similar speed and payload and is cheap to manufacture. It has the major novelty of a hydraulic ventral loading ramp which is destined to become standard for cargo planes. The next day, the German 6th Army captures the ruins of Stalingrad almost casually. The previous defeat has been turned around causing immense satisfaction in Germany, just as intended. In a radio speech to the German nation, I proclaim that I always deliver on my promises. Hinting that the warmongers in London and Washington are trembling in their hideouts. I’m not far wrong, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been secretly muttering to his staff:“We were wrong to get involved in this war by Mr. Churchill.”December 18th, German armor finally enters Baku. The miserable remnants of the Soviet Red Army, about 500,000 out of ammunition and short of food, become prisoners of war. Some Soviet forces retreat to British-occupied Persia and join up with British 9th Army. The balance of forces in the Middle East has changed, the Axis have significant forces in the area that can be used to attack Persia. Turkey may now join the Axis Powers. The Kingdoms of Italy, Romania and Bulgaria are encouraged to send more troops to the Eastern Front due to our recent victories. As a bonus, the dispirited Soviets haven’t completely demolished the oil refineries of Baku. By December 20th, activity on the Russian front dies down. The Soviets build up new armies to replace the heavy losses and the Germans prepare for a spring offensive. The OKH estimates that three million Soviets have been killed or captured in the last six months, almost ½ of their army. Mountains of equipment and supplies have been captured: 12,000 Soviet tanks have been destroyed or captured along with 6,000 aircraft. Surely Soviet manpower must be exhausted and by now the Soviet government should be more inclined to sue for peace?January 1, 1944 - LondonThe year does not begin on a good note for the allied combined Chiefs of Staff. The North African campaign was a success, but the invasion of Sicily was a fiasco. The Soviet Union is in danger of collapse, releasing 200 Axis divisions to the west. Germany seems to have developed new types of weapons, and new German tanks have been encountered that are superior to the best allied tanks. Unfortunately, the war in the Pacific is not going well either, somehow the Japanese seem to be one step ahead of the Americans and have inflicted heavy casualties on them. On that same day, squadrons of Arado Ar-234 Blitz and E.560 tactical jet bombers soar towards Great Britain escorted by new Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighters. British radar stations detect our fleet and inform the British Home Guard and American forces to man their planes and anti-aircraft guns, resulting in a Second Battle for Britain.January 15th, Germany wins the Second Battle of Britain, for the last two weeks the Luftwaffe has been dogfighting with the Royal Air Force over southern England. First our jet fighters and bombers take out the radar stations, airfields, and factories. Next they take on the fighters until there are no fighters left. After clearing the skies over Britain, I send peace proposals Great Britain and the United States calling to end the war and prevent further loss of life. Informing them that the Soviet Union is on the brink of collapse whether militarily or internally, warning them that any further incursions will be met with the full strength of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-ᛋᛋ. Despite recent setbacks and the renewed threat of German invasion, Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt reject my offers of peace, determined more than ever to do whatever it takes to destroy not only Germany but the whole notion of National Socialism.With no peace treaty likely to be reached in the foreseeable future and knowing that the United States is accelerating the Manhattan Engineering District, I know I must find a way to end the Second World War as quickly as possible, determined to beat the Allies to the punch. Knowing what is coming next, I order the construction of the Atlantik Wall be accelerated and allow Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel to act freely and acquire whatever he needs to ensure that the Atlantic Wall holds and successfully repels and allied incursion. For the next few months, preparations are made for an all-out defense of Europe, ordering all available units in the Western Front to remain on standby and continue fortifying all coastal areas.June 6, 1944 - Operation Overlord (D-Day)At 7:30 a.m. German planes spot the allied fleet approaching Normandy, the planes radio back to the Normandy HQ and notify Rommel that the allies are approaching with 4,000+ ships. Rommel knew that the allies would send in ships, but that was basically the entire American and British fleets. Multiple plane divisions are also spotted, and they are guessed as landing craft for troops behind the Atlantic Wall. Rommel orders all AA guns to be at the ready, and for the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica to begin takeoff, and for the Luftwaffe and Panzer Lehr troops to be at the ready for his command. The largest sea born invasion is about to begin.At 10:00 a.m. the allied fleet arrives with guns blazing and all targeted at the Atlantic Wall. Hundreds of Higgins boats with about 30 troops in each begin approaching the coast, and Rommel orders five Luftwaffe Lehr divisions to attack the Higgins boats, and the other five to attack Carrier ships. The allies are losing troops faster than they can send them out, and only about 1/10 of the Higgins boats have made it ashore, only for the troops to be destroyed by the MG42 nests while any allied armor that manages to land, are quickly dealt with by Ruhrstahl X-7 anti-tank guided missiles. Most of the troops by plane however, have made it behind the wall, and are now making their advance into French territory, but little do they know that over 20 divisions trained by the Panzer Lehr are waiting. Radio broadcasts start pouring in that the Germans were waiting with multiple Panzer divisions, and they are wiping out all units that were dropped behind the main German line. Meanwhile out to sea, the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica attack allied ships with improved guided Fritz X and Henschel Hs-293 anti-ship glide bombs causing mass chaos for the allies. Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces General Dwight D. Eisenhower is notified of the advanced German defenses and must now make a life changing decision, either sacrifice more troops and hope to break through or withdraw all units and save hundreds of thousands of lives.Eisenhower makes the decision to withdraw all troops and return to Britain. Soon after, I’m informed that the Allies are retreating and give the order to send out all of the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautca to destroy all the ships they can. The remaining five Luftwaffe divisions are sent out and harass the Allies until they begin to run out of fuel. They return to a hero’s welcome, the Axis Powers have successfully defended against the largest invasion in history, and we could not be any happier. Meanwhile, General Eisenhower pulls out a folded piece of paper from a pocket inside his jacket. It is a short speech he had prepared for such an occasion, with no other alternative, he delivers it in a radio message for the world to hear.“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air, and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.”The speech is broadcast on radios across the United States, Canada, Britain, and around the world. German radios intercept the speech and is used for propaganda purposes, resulting in a massive morale boost for all Axis forces in Europe, for we had just repelled the largest amphibious invasion in history. The allies had thrown almost everything they had into the invasion and have lost, the Atlantic Wall has served its purpose well, to defend against any allied incursion. News of the allied defeat reaches the Soviets who are shocked, Stalin in particular. He had high hopes of a successful allied landing, which would relieve some pressure in his forces. But now with the western allies defeated, he is sure that all available German forces will be redeployed to the east in preparation for a summer offensive. With the invasion a failure and the allied troops either dead, wounded, or captured, the Unites States and Great Britain are forced to sue for a peace treaty to end the war and prevent further loss of life. On the Eastern Front, with manpower and resources depleted, within weeks the Soviet Union begins to collapse and the remnants of the Soviet government surrender to the Axis Powers.July 1, 1944The Second World War in Europe comes to an official end, with the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland signing a peace treaty in Munich.