So...in 2005 I was a member of the Jim Bowen's Disturbia Yahoo group and a avid fan of all-things WWWII. I loved their Götterdämmerung (and Götterrustung) setting so I decided to make my own timeline. I think I even got help from our own Agis when naming the options for the german mechs (PanzerKaempfer - or PzKf for short; bipedal weapons platform = Zweibeinige Waffenplattform; Panzerläufer -PzLf for short).
My main inspiration was this post on the group (sorry, i don't know the name of the original poster), that served as the background of the miniatures line:
"...In this version of WWII, the Germans develop the first nuke and detonate it in Russia - it is their only one, and it stops the Russians in their tracks, and makes the Allies very wary. The US still Nukes Japan to shorten the Pacific conflict (but dare not risk doing the same to Germany for fear of reprisal), and because it is facing civil unrest at home - many of the old 'Confederate' States have German sympathizers, and many Americans of German descent join the Germans - it will be common to see the old Confederate flag motif on German Helmets.
Imagine the Allies being stopped at the Ardennes - but not being pushed back in the West - and in the East, Germany extends up to the nuclear wastes of Stalingrad. Parkinson's disease has meant that Hitler is little more than a figurehead - the real power being wielded by Heydrich (who survived the assasination attempt). Hitler Youth programmes have completely indoctrinated a new generation -who make the originators of the Reich look tame in comparison"
Here's the timeline created by me (still a work in progress - since 16/06/05
- sorry for any mistakes both in English or German):
1944
March 1944 -Nazi scientists carry out tests of what would now be called a "dirty" nuclear device in the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen. Production of a real bomb is also underway
May 1944 - The Germans produce their first nuke. But the scientists warn Hitler that a second one can only be produced by late September. The Wehrmacht High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - OKW) doesn't know where to use the bomb - due to its weight, the bomb can't be dropped from a plane or used as a warhead in one of the planned V-Weapons.
June 6, 1944. - D-Day! Hitler forbiddens the use of the nuke against the Allies even after the Normandy Invasion. He stills thinks they will help him against the Communist threat.
12/13 June 1944 - Germany launches its first V-1 rocket attack on England.
22/06/1944 - Soviet forces launch Operation Bagration to clear the Nazis from Belarus and crush the German Army Group Centre. Hitler decides that the bomb shall be used to stop this offensive because of its symbolism - it was launched on the third anniversary of Hitler's invasion of Russia. The bomb shall be transported by truck and deployed.
24/06/1944 - The Russians report major advances against Army Group Centre. Hitler orders all but one of the five German divisions of the 53rd Korps that are encircled at Vitebsk to fight their way out. A convoy carrying the bomb breaks through the Soviet lines and reaches the fortified area of Vitebsk.
26/06/1944 - A group of SS volunteers detonate the nuke, taking with them what it's left of Vitebsk. The German lose almost 30,000 soldiers in the detonation but the losses in the 39th and 43rd Soviet Army's are staggering. Due to a miscalculation made by the German scientists, the bomb is more radioactive than expect and the nuclear fallout is as much as deadly as the bomb.
27/06/1944 - Stalin orders a full stop of all Soviet military operations in the Eastern front. A purge begins against all the Soviet scientists who said that a bomb like that could never be built in a short time - even after the reports of the test in island of Ruegen -and, at the same time, a research program is jump-started.
- Hitler announces to the world the "Dawn of the Nuclear Age" and assures that Germany has got more bombs and will use them -but not against the Allies! In fact, he offers a peace deal to them... Extra pressure is put into the team building the second atom bomb.
- The team leaded by Prof. Kurt Diebner, convinces the Fuhrer that the Luftwaffe can use radiological bombs (aka - dirty bombs) in the meanwhile. Plans to attach radioactive warheads to conventional bombs; V-1s and the planned V-2s, are made.
29/06/1944 - The Allies reject the peace offer and push on.
- The German Army Group Centre regroups and starts receiving reinforcements from the Fatherland.
- German forces start to evacuate from the Ukraine but prompt the Ukrainian Insurgent Army with weapons and other equipment.
- The Soviet High Command recommends to Stalin the restart of the campaign in Belarus. Another purge follows... Stalin believes in the existence of other bombs.
- The German propaganda machine starts spreading the word (through radio and pamphlets) of the radioactive effects of the bomb. The number of victims in the 39th and 43rd Soviet Army's keeps on growing. The field hospitals aren't equipped (and don't know how) to handle that kind of injuries.
- Field Marshal Rommel and Field Marshal von Rundstedt drive to the Berghof to convince Hitler that the new weapons should be used in the Western theatre of operations - Normandy. A row ensues between Hitler and Rommel. Hitler flies into a rage ranting and raving about the dangers of Communism and how the Allies will help him and then abruptly dismisses Rommel and von Rundstedt.
30/06/1944 - Hitler sacks von Rundstedt as Commander in Chief-West and appoints Field Marshal von Kluge to the post
3/07/1944 - The first V-1s equipped with radiological warheads are launched against the Soviet forces in Belarus from hastily constructed launch-ramps. Of a total of 20, only 14 reached their targets but cause lots of deaths due to radioactive fallout. Some equipment has to be left behind by the fleeing Soviet soldiers. Due to the success of this initiative, Hitler order the stop of all V-1 attacks at Britain and shifts all efforts to the Eastern front. By the end of the month, there are almost 200 attacks a day, with a mixture of conventionally armed V-1 and radiological ones. Some attacks with dirty bombs are also carried by the Luftwaffe, but only in places where the Soviets don't rule the skies.
11/07/1944 - Hitler orders all of the special weapons programs to be prioritized. All requests to use the new weapons to stop the Allies in the Western front are denied.
15/07/1944 - Reinhard Heydrich, the head of Reichssicherheitshauptamt (aka RSHA - Reich Main Security Office) asks for a secret audience with Hitler. Despite having fall from grace with the Fuhrer after surviving the assassination attempt in Prague (Hitler blamed the attack on Heydrich's arrogance and blasé attitude - driving in an open, unarmoured vehicle or walking about the streets unguarded), he is received by Hitler.
The meeting would shape the face of the new Germany… The RSHA has discovered a conspiracy to kill Hitler, involving more than 200 German army officers, intelligence officials, diplomats, civil servants, and politicians. A bombing against the Fuhrer would be the last chapter of a six-year conspiracy that was now being revealed. Enraged with the revelation, Hitler orders the killing of all the conspirators. A new "Night of the Long Knives" follows.
16/07/1944 - Field Marshal Rommel's car crashes, after a traffic accident in a French country road. Rommel is injured along with his driver and both are taken to a field hospital. Due to some head injuries, the doctors insist that the Filed Marshal will have to remain in observation. Rommel uses the time to rewrite a letter he was
planning to send to Hitler, asking for a withdrawal from France. News that the plot to kill Hitler has failed reach his ears…
22/07/1944 – Hitler addresses the nation, explaining what happened with the conspiracy and announcing that Heydrich is a hero of the Reich. As a reward, Hitler nominates him his Deputy (along with Martin Bormann ) and promotes him to Oberstgruppenfuehrer (General of the SS).
23/07/1933 – Rommel convinces Field Marshal von Kluge to support him and both men sign a letter asking for a "repositioning of the German forces in the Western front".
25/07/1944 – After receiving the letter, Hitler is enraged and wants both men shot for "defeatism". But Heydrich intervenes and supports their plan. He says the Reich "needs time to gather its strength again". Hitler finally concedes and a message is sent, ordering the retreat from France but following the ""scorched earth"" policy.
Despite being appalled by the idea, all German commanders in France start doing it, disengaging from combat with the Allied forces and destroying everything in their path as they retreat.
26/07/1944 – In an audience with Hitler, Heydrich and Himmler propose a daring plan – the support of Southern insurgents in the U.S. The now-Oberstgruppenfuehrer had spent almost 2 years planning and preparing before presenting his plan to Himmler. Department D (Espionage in the American sphere) from the Ausland-SD (the civilian foreign intelligence agency of the Third Reich) had already contacted many right-wing groups in the South of the U.S. and armed underground cells of the illegal "German-American Bund", "Christian Front" and other pro-Nazi organizations.
Those groups are prepared to open a third front in the Continental U.S. but only on the condition that the German Reich drops its support of Japan (who they see – besides the Communists - has the true enemy of the U.S.). Hitler ponders the situation for some time and finally agrees with the plan. But there will be a diplomatic contact explaining the situation to the Japanese. Even if the Axis is "officially" over, transfers of technical and scientific material between the 2 countries must continue.
28/07/1944 – Hitler announces to the world that "the Axis is no more". "The German Reich will fight alone from now on, knowing that the Aryan Race will prevail against all odds". At the same time, the Fuhrer announces the creation of the Volksturm – all Germans (males and females) from 16 to 60 years of age are now recruited. The ones between 16 to 25 will the integrated in the new fighting units of the HitlerJugend (must of them are already members of the HJ) and the remaining ones will be organized in the Volksturm Battalions. The only way to "escape" from this conscription is to have some job vital to the Reich or be an invalid. Veterans of WW1 and the ones who were sent home due to injuries during the period of 1939-1944 are now responsible for training and commanding these new forces. The Volksturm/HitlerJugend is placed under the ultimate command of the Home Army which will be commanded by Heinrich Himmler.
29/07/1944 – The speech from Germany is the signal to start Operation Schlangegrube (Snake Pit) in the USA. Almost 10.000 of the so-called Storm Troopers from the "German-American Bund"; 4.000 members of the
Silver Shirt Legion and roughly 100.000 members of the Christian Front start to assassinate prominent Americans of Jewish extraction, to seize Post Offices and armouries throughout the Southern States of the USA. These attacks take the Government by surprise…the Army National Guard is sent to control the situation.
1/08/1944 – The situation in the USA is now totally out of control, with fighting and sabotage spreading to the Northern States. In the South, race riots erupt everywhere and thousand of Southern independence supporters take the opportunity to show that the Confederation didn't die with the end of the Civil War – old hates die hard.
- Father Charles Coughlin (founder of the Christian Front) makes an appearance in Richmond, Virginia declaring the foundation of the "New Confederate States of America". He defends the idea that the "old USA" are fighting the wrong enemies. They should be fighting the Communists and the Japanese, not the Germans. He remembers that it was the Japanese who started the war with the USA by attacking Pearl Harbour, not the Germans. The Reich only declared war on the US because of the Axis commitment – and that pact doesn't even exist anymore. The "old USA" are spending huge amounts of money, materials and men in the European theatre when they should be doing it in the Pacific Theatre, to make the Japanese pay.
- The State of California, where everyone lives afraid of Japanese attacks, joins the NCSA.
- The NCSA consist of: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee and California. But the only state where the insurgents are in total control is Virginia.
4/08/1944 – Enraged by the news of mass detentions and executions of Communists in the NCSA, Staline orders the activation of all underground cells of Communist sympathisers so can they can fight against what he calls "the new Fascists foes". His generals are tottaly against that idea, but can't stop him. They insist in
restarting their campaing against the Germans – the have huge amounts of soldiers and material just sitting in their positions, being "punished" daily by radiological attacks from the V1 and bombs dropped from the planes. Morale is starting to get low and the NKVD troops are shooting more and more deserters. Their appeals are dismissed. The offensive will only restart when Staline wishes so.
11/08/1944 - A agreement is concluded with an UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) representative, in the Turka sector. Soviet-made weapons held by the Germans are officially transferred to the UPA and the last Germans soldiers leave the Ukraine.
This was all I wrote at the time. With all this interest in the Dust Warfare/Tactics games, I'm thinking about using and expanding the timeline for my own games. I'll try to insert some aliens/mechs/weird science in there. As for miniatures...I'm open to suggestions (as long as they are in 28mm). I'm thinking about using some AT-43 figures and mechs plus Dust stuff.
08 March 2010, 10:44:52 AM