kris said:
I HOI3 you will be able to continue fighting on after having been defeated by Germany if you joined the allies.
That would be interesting if HOI3 was a Real-time Tactical Game or FPS. Playing a minor role in a grand strategy game without any industrial base to rebuild from rarely is fun.
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With Konigsberg secured, it was time to achieve the next major victory in the north, and secure the necessary area for the eventual liberation of all the provinces to the east of the Vistula, which was now the most critical strategic objective to secure Poland's future, however that was only part of everything that had to be achieved.
There was way more done to increase the Polish chances than what General WhiskeyWolf has been doing. Few knew it, but a secondary expedition was sent in 1930 to meet with Adolf Hitler himself. They didn't kill him because then Soviet Union would invade Poland with no remorse of fear anyway, and send ridiculous twin-barreled tanks rushing and mind control devices, but that is something to be discussed another time, what matters is that they laced Hitler's beer in the Bierhaus Putsch with unfiltered Dumbfuckery and with the seeds of Retardoland.
The consequences of such action would soon become visible, from lone divisions being sent to secure the areas Poland had decided to not defend passively, lone divisions that were massacred by the achivement of numerical superiority at areas of the front. In fact, the invaders seemed to be led by someone else. A Cloaked Figure which microcephalic head popped out of an old Panzer as it looked around the mess it created.
Poland air force achieved air parity in the north, and thus, the Battle for Elbing had major support from the small force of tactical bombers they had. It lasted for many days, but the victors of such battle were very clear. Who was winning the war was yet unclear, as the front was totally unstable, but who was winning most battles was still clear. And it was once again proved how engineers are awesome.
The only battles Germany won were those the Polish High Command strategy wanted for them to win. Like in a game of checkers or chess, sometimes sacrificing pawns or ground could put the enemy at its throes. The only problem was that an enemy led by a dumbfuck had one advantage: it could not be predicted.
Not even the infamous panzers could hold Elbing. The Polish flag would soon raise over all East Prussia, and Germany had yet to be taught a lesson, but first it's important to get a hang of the fact that on a grand strategical level, Poland remains doomed, in the long term. Despite all the opposition, the war would remain offensive. Plans were being made for a "meat grinder line", not a line in the common sense of the word, but a defense built with intentional weak points to lure the enemy where their flanks would be most vulnerable, and where large parts of them could be forced to surrender through careful minor encirclements.
Even a single division can make a difference, by tying up a small amount of enemy forces, and winning a defensive battle, even outnumbered at 2:1, which may not be as epic as the Battle of Wizna, but winning the war comes first, epic battles come later.
The way the war was being managed at a strategic level drew a lot of tension. General WhiskeyWolf was clear on the orders: "Don't tie up our men defending a place as improper for launching a major offensive from as Warsaw. Let them race, let them come." It was then that he had a very heated discussion with the traditional Polish High Command, which thought that they could win the war by sitting on trenches. The shit hits the fan when the evacuation of Warsaw is ordered, as in the so called "Polish Corridor", German forces seem to not care to the fact they could be attacked from their flanks if they aren't careful.
: As you see, we will manage to encircle as many as seven divisions, panzergrenadiers and panzers included, if we proceed with this plan I have devised. It is a risk I know, but if we play safe and refuse to surprise the enemy, we will not win this war. We must form a mobile gauntlet from where we shall crush the advancing Jerries through their flanks, and allow us to amass better defensive lines. And we shall let them run the gauntlet until we destroy them, slowly, and surely.
Warning: Epic Fail ahead
Rydz-Śmigły was the first to disagree:
: You speak this as enemy divisions approach Warsaw without any retaliation. I demand that we hurry to defend our city and man our defensive lines. We don't have many men ready to be trained as soldiers, and we can't sustain an attrition war or offensives as you suggest. Our enemies are better organized in their tactical doctrines, and better able to regain their morale during offensives.
And then a Polish major general too obscure that history has forgotten about him and he didn't even deserve a photograph. Andhayroski was his last name, but nobody cared.
: Yes, the Germans are drinking beer and eating sausages assured they are about to become victors as you boast your "revolutionary strategy" which already led half of our industries to be conquered by the enemy. I am starting to doubt of your capabilities and of your word, WhiskeyWolf.
: Hitler is drinking menstrual blood and urine from his prepubescent nieces to celebrate the fall of Warsaw now. Look at what you did? You let our most important Industrial center fall to the enemy hands! We must act immediately or Poland will definitively be defeated. The damn commies are already mobilizing in the east to steamroll once they are sure the Germans will finish this.
: Let them drink piss and do whatever sordid pleasures these Nazi occultists have, because we have God and JarlFrank in our side, and they only have the devil, and as gentlemen, we should let their soldiers get used to the city where their prison will be built. While they gloat, while you discuss this I have already preemptively laid the next Operation.
: How will this operation be called? How will it be executed? What are the goals? You better explain now. I have been heard rumors that you may be a German spy pushing us to do stupid things.
: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID A TOTALLY DEFENSIVE WAR IN POLAND 1 AND 2
: I must direct our front line men and inspire them to fight with courage and be ready to take more German lives than the Germans take of their friends. I'll let Lieutenant General Geralt show you how you have been mistaken
: Look closer. This is the only armored division in Poland, led by Panzer General kingcomrade. Answer me: how could tanks that poorly designed and obsolete win the battle of Konigsberg and defend the city from a far greater number of attackers with nothing but cavalry divisions to support them?
: Get to the point, don't waste our time or we will immediately ask for Ignacy to demote WhiskeyWolf to petty sergeant in the 0th Toilet Cleaners brigade.
: Wait, haven't you seen the updates on the front?
: Congratulations! You have just ensured the Germans will cut off the majority of our army from the supplies our provisional command in Krakow, which is currently completely undefended, so sooner or later we will have to run away in our cars as we are chased by Panzers, regardless of whether we would be in a toilet once they arrive or not. My coffee assistant was killed by a tank shell that hit the lorry he used to escape, and now I have been without coffee and tea for two days!
: They took calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.
: You weren't supposed to be here. Anyway, that is the point, our risk was calculated, and even without supplies, there is a significant probability of 25% that our divisions in Torun will be able to stand against.
: And a 75% probability they won't.
INTERLUDE
And thus another of the most decisive battles for Poland started. Even without supplies, the zergs, Poland soldiers in far greater numerical superiority and with utmost courage stood, as another dramatic battle has begun. Without fuel, tanks were drawn by the best breeds of Polish horses as armored artillery units, and without enough bullets, soon something would have to be made.
Using tar, anything that could be found, entire areas of the battlefield were obscured by smoke, as the wary Werhmacht soldiers weren't aware of what awaited them. Swords and bayonets began to slit throats and decapitate heads from the cover of smoke, while German rifles and grenades were looted from their bodies, as a massive ambush began by soldiers who had no longer enough ammunition. Taking the ammunitions from Nazis they killed, the counter-offensive part of the many Polish divisions in Torun was ready to secure it and restablish a supply line to the majority of the Home Army.
The Battle of Torun was won, avoiding the total defeat of Poland. Other minor and disordered counter-attacks occurred, failing and failing multiple times as the northern part of the intended line was secure, other than for Elbing.
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OPERATION KAISERIN
: Now WhiskeyWolf will initiate Operation Kaiserin, to cut off that sort of double entendre salient from Warsaw to Przemysl permanently from the rest of the Werhmacht body. Once Operation Kaiserin is finished, we shall make dynamic changes in our plans according to how our unpredictable enemies react.
: You are reckless! You risked Poland with this gambit! Are you crazy? Do you want to be assraped by the SS? Is that what you want? Because I don't want to end like that, and I didn't end that way because of luck. You are a lucky bastard, or your failure would be forever engraved in Poland's history, if Poland somehow survives this war.
: I didn't order for men that will be unable to defend Elbing by themselves to come to the defense of Elbing, as with almost forty divisions ready to counter-attack it from Torun and Konigsberg, we could easily turn it into a Verdun for the Germans and inflict five more casualties in each battle. Why are you refusing to collaborate with our grand plan? Can't you see that if Poland remains defensive, we will all be defeated sooner or later?
: You cannot do this? Do you goons think Poland is a test lab for your, ahem, modern warfare strategies? It is not and Elbing shall never be defeated. Those men will secure it definitively, and that will be the first step. Then the central and southern lines will be secured as well, and I will not let your operation Kaiserin risk ourselves by giving a loophole for the Jerries to attack through the rear.
: Cutting off it is worth the risk of an attack by the rear, besides, you can't do much to stop an operation that is about to become successful. Our lone tank division will soon liberate Warsaw now, supported by our brave cavalry.
: The risks of this operation you call Kaiserin will be far greater to us than any hurt it could do to our enemies. We should focus on the defensive immediately.
: Are you sure it won't hurt them? Regardless, now all we have to do is to take their balls off in this conflict so they start running rather than advancing. Now it is our time to celebrate. I have a very nice deck of playing cards, lets have a game?
: Definitively. Wait? That is a painting of my wife naked!
And thus, September was about to end, as Operation Kaiserin was a success, with no negative aftereffects. Meanwhile, more than half of the German forces have foolishly concentrated nearly entirely on the north, which was exactly what WhiskeyWolf was hoping to happen. Now, would Elbing become the next Passchendaele for the Germans, or the place where the tide would definitively turn against Poland despite of what the Germans were cut off from?
PS: itt, only FAIL will have oversized eyes and nose-less avatars.