Europa Games and Military History

Author: chef (Page 1 of 27)

The Official Italian History of the Second World War

The History Office of the General Staff of the Italian Army (Stato Maggiore dell’esercito – Ufficio Storico) is responsible for official military history, and thus has published a series of monographs, illustrating various aspects of military history from Italy’s unification to the present. Of course the Second World War makes up a significant part of the available volumes. No official, complete italian history of the Second World War was ever written, but it is well possible to piece together a nearly complete picture from the monographies at hand.

In the Nineties,  fifty years after the war, a series of volumes reflected on the North African campaign, and these four books are probably as close to an official history as we will ever get. The author, Mario Montanari, is a respected historian better known for his mor general work on the Italian “Risorgimento”, the national unification moevement that resulted in the foundation of an Italian nation state in 1849 from various independent fiefdoms that had endured since the collapse of the western Roman Empire.

Translations of large parts of the Italian official histories have been uploaded to archive.org and will be linked here. This is even more laudable as the original works do not seem to be available in digital form. The quality of the translation is questionable in parts, which adds another reason to take the contents of the books with a grain of salt (the other one, of course, being that its an official history). Then again, undertaking the translation of what to the rest of the world must be an obscure topic indeed is imminently a work of love, and we are deeply grateful to Robert Denny II.
Thanks to Jim Broshot for finding and sharing those links with us.

L’Esercito Italiano Nella Campagna die Greca

Mario Montanari, Rome 1999.
Translation by Robert Denny II: Italian Army Official History The Greek Campaign

Le Operazioni Della Unita Italiane Al Fronte Russo (1941-1943)

Rome 1977
Translation by Robert Denny II: Italian Army Offical History Operations On The Russian Front

Le Operazioni in Africa Settentrionale

Volume I: Sidi Barani – November 1940 – März 1941; by Mario Montanari, edited by Edizione Ufficio Storico SME, 1989; 720 pages, 29 maps.
Translation by Robert Denny II.

Volume II: Tobruk  – March 1941 – May 1942; by Mario Montanari, edited by Edizione Ufficio Storico SME, 1990;709 pages, 88 maps.
Translation by Rober Denny II

Volume III:  El Alamein – May – November 1942; by Mario Montanari, edited by Edizione Ufficio Storico SME, 1992; 1036 pages.
Translation by Rober Denny II.

Volume IV: Enfiddaville- November 1942 – March 1943. by Mario Montanari, edited by Edizione Ufficio Storico SME, 1993; 820 pages, 90 maps.
Translation by Robert Denny II

Le Operazioni in Siculia e in Calabria, Luglio – Settembre 1943

written by Alberto Santoni, published by Stato Maggiore Dell’Esercito – Ufficio Storico, Roma 1989.
Translation by Robert Denny II: Italian Army Offical History Operations In Sciliy & Cambera, 2017

La Marina Italiana Nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale

The contribution of the Italian navy has often been belittled, ignored or played down. One of the worlds strongest Navy, the Marina Militare suffered from similar problems as the Army and Air force, namely the call to fullfil ambitions which were way beyond the the industrial and technical capabilities of italy’s industry, and therefor its quipment and weaponry. The Navy did its best with the ressources available, but modernization was slow. Italy could not react to the revolutionary impact of the airplane, which was theorized early on and clearly recognized by its brightest thinkers, to their deep and lasting frustration.

Thanks to the work of Robert Denny II a complete translation of the official work is available on archive org. Errors in the numbering of the volumes have not been corrected yet.

La Regia Aeronautica 1939-1945

Written by Nino Arena, published by Stato Maggiore Aeronautica

Volume 1: 1939-1940: Dalle Non Belligeranza All’Intervento. Roma 1981

Translated by Robert Denny II as: The Royal Air Force. Volume 1: From Non Belligerence to Participation, 2021

Exactation

Hello everyone,

thank you for your continued interest in my little project, even if I haven’t updated in a while. The Pandemic, while so far having spared family and friends, keeps my busy with school closings and home office, cooking and organizing. So although Ken has faithfully plodded on with his monumental “Scorched Earth” report, I haven’t managed to put any of his postings online yet. All the more new reading to be expected after the summer break!

I already called the anniversary last December, but found the time to go through my old stuff recently. It seems that this domain went online on July 15th, 2000, which means the Generalstab today officially celebrates its 20th birthday! Yay to the Europa-Community, and thank you all again for your continued interest, support, articles, comments and game reports. I cannot possibly name everyone that made this site possible – as I said often enough YOU wrote all those pages, I merely collected them and make them look pretty. So three cheers for Europa, and now back to the dugout, waiting for “Total War”.

P.S: I Hope it is in everyones interest that I won’t illustrate this post with any German soldiers celebrating.

Christmas in Velikiye Luki

After the conclusion of this years staff rides to the battlefields of Bennigton, Fort Henry and Prospect Park, we now return to our regular schedule with news from Ken Newalls Scorched Earth game. Three turn reports in a row means we’re approaching the end of 1942, and the chickens have finally come home to roost for the Axis, with the 11th Army being in grave danger of being encircled around Velikiye Luki by a resurgent Red Army.

After this, we will take a break to recuperate from our excursions and march off some of the excess baggage we collected as a result of the excellent food found in New England.

Bleak Years

After two years and uncountable losses and destruction, neither side can claim victory in the East.

The Axis still flies the swastika from the towers of the Kremlin, and their spearheads repeatedly cut the last rail line to Leningrad in summer.  In the South, the Germans repeated last years successes on a smaller scale, repeatedly encircling and crushing large Soviet Armies. 6th Army finally captured Rostov, the gate to the Caucaus, after a swirling, gruesome campaign across the vast plains between Dnjepr and Don that lasted the better part of the year.

However, the Axis failed to reach its declared campaign goal of cutting of Leningrad, Russias second largest city, starving it to death and thus securing its Finish ally. In frozen Karelia, the Finns are fighting a desperate rearguard action, their divisions reduced to regiments, regiments to bataillions, the army ruined along with the burning wrecks of 19th Panzer XX sent to stop the Soviets. During Autumn, the Soviets pried the Panzers from the last open rail line before the German infantry could close up, reestablished supply and secured the continued flow of reinforcements to the cradle of the revolution. Now, its winter, and the Soviets grow stronger: The new tank corps armed with the T-34  rolling of the assembly lines in the Urals that now are back into production managed for the first time to take on a German Panzerkorps head on and force a retreat. The Germans frantically equip their famed Panzer divisions with newer and better tanks, but there are never enough of them around.

The parade to commemorate the October Revolution is a grim specacle this year. In Kubychev, a small crowd is commanded to watch the parade, its listless cheers saluting regiments that will be committed to battle barely two days later.  However, the German soldiers guarding Moscow’s Red Sqare can already hear the rumble of tanks and artillery as  the First Guards Tank Army advances through the  eastern and northern suburbs, poised on liberating the capital.

Despite the exhaustion, neither side seems yet approaching collapse.

Ken Newall takes a look at his truly epic Scorced Earth report after two years of campaining: 1942 Game Commentary

 

In Memoriam Panzerkeil

Jason Long is a household name to many Europa players. Jason did a lot of historical research centered on the war in the East and the Balkans and published numerous articles in TEM and various Newsletters. He also created several Europa scenarios (“Clash of Titans”) and designed the unpublished Peace in Our Time game on the invasion that almost occurred, the planned German assault on Czechoslovakia in 1938.

For a long time, Jason ran two websites dedicated to the Axis air forces (Sturmvogel) and Axis armies (Panzerkeil). Both are offline or archived now, but Jason kindly gave permission to us to re-publish some of his materials. Since “Total War” will most likely never see the light of day, we’ve decided to include some of Jasons research on the Hungarian Army during Barbarossa, which you can now read in the Academy. In the comming weeks, we’ll add some more material.

Three Turns in May (On Christmas Day)

Our first “Fall of France” game report has arrived, belatedly in two ways, first because the game is now quite old, and second because the game was played in 2012. However, we think it will make for a nice addition to the War Archive, and its author, Mike Willner, has allowed us to publish it here. Mike is from the “Metropolitan Wargamers” from Park Slope. I could share some fond memories of my visits to Park Slope and Brooklyn in summer, but I will offer something much more interesting instead and encourage you to have a look at their website & associated Yahoo Group: www.nycwargames.com.

Oh, and the game report? Here you go: Fall of France – Game Report No 1.

 

 

After Barbarossa – The status of Ken Newalls Scorched Earth game

Those of you following us on Twitter or are members of the Yahoo Europa Group will have recieved the biweekly updates to Ken Newalls ongoing game of Scorched Earth. All others hopefully will have taken a look at the expanding game report in the Archive now and then. For those who missed it, here’s a short summary: The game has reached May 1942, with the Axis having occupied Murmansk, the Baltics, and successfully conquered most of Moscow. The Soviets still hold out in the ruins of the eastern part of the city, and have successfully pushed from Leningrad to Narva and into the gap between lake peipus and the Valdai hills.

Now both sides evaluating their strategies for the upcoming summer, and since so many games of FiTE have ended at this point, Kens writings on the matter make for a facinating read we can only recommend. You can read the Soviet side here, and the Axis deliberations are part of the May I turn report.

Valencia, dear Valencia mine

Dan Waldstein graciously shared his report of a full game of FWtBT using a variable beginning of the revolution. The biggest upset during the start of the game was that Valencia also declared for the insurgency, and the Spanish Republic never recovered from that. In September 1937, all was over. How it happened, you can read here. We say thank you, and hope you’ll enjoy the read!

 

 

1942 APR I Axis Turn

Snow melts bringing relief to the Axis forces

Prokhor looks out from the crow’s nest on the destroyer moored up in Murmansk harbour. The weather has been warming and there was a definite feeling that the icy snows of winter were receding. He recently heard that they were to prepare to make steam post haste and obtain much needed supplies from Archangelsk, formerly icebound to the east. He had observed the narrow channel to the harbour had widened considerably over the last few days and only small chunks of ice remained littering the calm waters of the channel. Within a day they would no longer pose any threat and they could sail.

Enemy activity had been constant and currently their guns were trained to the city outskirts anticipating an enemy attack. Their large guns would help to break up any assault and cause losses to the enemy but he also knew that hunger and lack of munitions was degrading the defenders morale and ability to resist the invaders and feared an assault may cause the city to fall; all the more important that they set sail soon. He heard a drone in the distance from the west and swung round to take a closer look. Air raids were rare and he feared this presaged the much anticipated assault on the city. 

But the enemy aircraft were already over the front lines and he heard no explosions? Too late he realised the enemy airmen’s intent. His arm reached for the siren and he tuned the handle furiously with all his might. As the wail rose up from the siren the first bombs were falling. A near miss showered him with still icy cold water, the second landing in front of his position blew the forward gun turret in to the air and an explosion ripped through the ship as the ammunition exploded. Prokhor was hurled into the air and down into the icy depths, the momentum of his fall propelling him deep below the harbour surface. He rose a few seconds later already shivering from the icy slivers of cold water piercing his core. He trod water for a couple more minutes not noticing the chaos all around or the vast wall of steel turning toward him. He slipped below the water as the blackness enveloped him dulling his senses as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Above him the bombs fell silent as the vast steel hulk of the once proud ship settled onto the harbour floor.

Weather: Warm winds melt the ice in A, B and C. turning the ground to Mud. Clear elsewhere.

Army Norway and Finland: Henkel’s out of Norway bases sink the destroyer support at Murmansk and ground troops follow up with a desperate low odds assault. The attack is a success and a HX eliminates the defenders and grants the Germans access to the city.

Apr I 42 Turn: The Axis take Murmansk

Apr I 42 Turn: The Axis take Murmansk

The Fins eliminate a Soviet stack but suffer a divisional to cadre loss in the exchange of fire.

AGN: An attempt to nip off the Soviet advanced guard fails (NE) so armour redeploys to a defensive posture along this sector.
The success at Kalinin continues to widen the breach as four more out of supply stacks of Soviet troops are eliminated.
Panzers on the right flank fearful of the Soviet build up NE of Moscow pull back and consolidate.

Apr I 42 Axis Turn: The Kalinin Breach widens

Apr I 42 Axis Turn: The Kalinin Breach widens

AGC: The isolated Soviets outside Moscow West are eliminated.

AGS; The front is defensive except at Kursk where two exposed Soviet stacks are eliminated.

11th Army & the Crimea; The Rumanians finally stage an assault on Odessa but are repulsed and retreat leaving a small rear-guard.

Air War. The Luftwaffe mainly occupies itself with rail bombing and DAS but the usual harassment raids around Kalinin stifle Soviet reaction to the widening hole in their front lines.
In the south large raids are mounted against bases that reconnaissance has determined host the transport fleet but with little success.
As reported above the Soviet destroyer squadron at Murmansk is eliminated in an air raid.

Battle Report:
Attacks: Auto = 4, Diced = 9
Losses: Soviet Isolated = 7. Un-isolated = 67
German = 9    Fins = 3

« Older posts