German Player's Notes

German pre-war production

German set-up

War situation

General disclaimer: this scenario hasn't been played! So these notes are not so much advice as they are an elucidation of some of the decisions you'll have to make, and perhaps an implication or two that is not immediately evident regarding that decision.

1. The east. Well, this is the fun part. You have a highly mechanized army, and an air force vastly superior to the Soviets. You should make good ground quickly. But before you go, you'd better know your strategic objectives and have a concrete plan for attaining them. The defenses in the west are not designed to last forever.
   
   
2. The west. France has been deemed unworthy of serious consideration. You could have smashed them a year or two ago if you'd wanted to, but what was the point? Now you're doing the real offensive that will decide the fate of Europe, right? Well, the prospect of serious French and American strategic bombing hammering you from nearby bases should be alarming. Your die is cast for 1942 -- you have to smash the USSR and smash it hard. But what about 1943? Should you take it easy in the east and put together a western attack for 1943, hoping to Vichy France and secure your backside? If successful, you could return to the east with renewed vigor and the security of having linked overland to Spain.
   
   
3. Your allies. Lots of minors are willing to join up. Who joins when, and what sort of help do they provide, or need? The Rumanians, as usual, will be useful allies against the USSR. The Bulgarians are in an interesting situation viz a viz Turkey and the CW; aligning them has neutrality considerations with the CW (see below). Sweden is a nice addition to the Anti-Comintern Pact. They can immediately launch a drive towards Helsinki aiming at bringing the Finns back into the war on your side and putting pressure on Leningrad and Murmansk in the north. They could also spearhead a quick conquest of Norway! Spain is also a valuable ally. Their active presence in the war is sure to draw off French forces from the German border. Spain is not strong enough to stand up against the United States, however, and is likely going to be an early target of the Franco-American alliance. You will have to either find a way to bring in help around France navally to the north, or persuade the Italians to send support via the Mediterranean. If Spain can be kept as an active ally and be in supply back to Germany, it will be a great naval base for you to hinder American operations and will make the CW think twice about backstabbing you. The Spanish and Swedish economies are also big boons to your empire.
   
   
4. Iceland. So you've got Iceland, now what do you do with it? If the CW was an enemy, this would be a valuable base to help strangle her convoys. Certainly holding onto Iceland, in case the CW does become an enemy is a good idea, but in the meantime, do you try to have it as an active base? Retaining a convoy point supply line to it will be difficult in the face of the French navy. On the other hand, if you can do so (taking out Norway would help), it is your best base to go raiding trans-Atlantic convoys. Keeping your subs, or a few cruisers, here is sure to worry the French. If you really feel frisky and if the French don't defend it, you could try to take Greenland away from the French as well, which would only redouble the question here: is it worth defending or using?
   
   
5. The CW. They are blessedly neutral with you, something you both are probably happy about, and you even have a common foe in the Soviets. Likely American aggression against you, and the economic bargaining chips Uncle Sam will hold over Chamberlain's head may well force the CW to enter the war against you anyways. Should you prepare for it and try to precipitate it? Right now you don't have a common border, but all you have to do is activate Bulgaria or Spain to create one. Taking Istanbul away from the CW/Turkish alliance could potentially open up the Black Sea to the depredations of the Italians, assuming the Italians are interested in joining you in the anti-Bolshevik crusade of course Spain will also allow the CW to have a common border, but you can use this to your advantage, because it is only 1 British hex, but numerous Spanish ones. If you want to break the pact yourself, active Spain and stick most of her forces near Gibralter. Taking Gibralter would make your Italian friends very happy, and more importantly would split up the French empire into northern France and southern France. If you trap the French Navy in the Mediterranean, it will be almost useless against you. Alternately, if it is in the Atlantic and Gibralter taken, then perhaps the Italians can reverse policy and attack the French after all, with naval superiority assured without even a fight.
   
   
6. The USA and the Netherlands. Your Japanese allies have conquered the Netherlands East Indies, but the Netherlands is still untouched and has been aligned by the United States. This is a problem. You can't allow the USA to take up residence in the Netherlands, it will flank your nice, short defensive lines against the French. So, do you bite the proverbial bullet and declare war on the Netherlands in MJ '42? Do you have the extra 3 or 4 corps to do this? Do you wait until JA '42 and let some of your reserves do the job? What if the USA draws some lucky chits and attacks you in MJ '42? Or what if the USA just decides to stick in a few corps anyways, just in case? What is your threshold of patience here?
   
   
7. Your economy. When you align your minor allies, your economy is going to explode upwards. Your first turn production could be as high as 40 build points, though some of your oil will probably have to be saved strictly as fuel now. You are resource constrained, something Germans in WiFFE are not accustomed to. Another SYNTH is probably a good idea. Should you advance build Model? Buy another offensive chit? Expand your airforce tremendously? Don't forget to keep some ARM units in the pipeline, your tank attrition in the east is likely to be high this summer. Since France will be declaring war on you, you will have no gearing constraints, so make the most of it.