France Late 1940

November

Five factories are switched from airplane production to rifles as there is a critical shortage of small arms which is limiting our ability to provide reinforcements to our division which seem to be under constant attack on every front.

5/11/40 The Germans recapture Innsbruck.

Germany is also now attacking Luxembourg after they have recaptured Koln.

More factories are switched to the production of rifles (away from tanks this time).

All armoured and motorised formations have been pulled out of the front lines and deployed along the Belgium frontier just in case and also to provide a reserve and more importantly get them out of the fighting as their equipment cannot be replaced with current factory allocations.

There still seems to be a bug that stops units retreating to be able to regain their organisation.  This leads to a collection of exhausted units on the frontline and the sudden collapse when the last unit is exhausted.  This has to be watched closely and an effort made to rotate units back and forth.

We find that in order to get Lend Lease from the US we need to get them to improve their opinion of us.  A diplomatic effort is initiated, spearheaded by cheese, wine and can can dancers.

The British Raj offers us some lend lease support equipment.  Yeah!

22/11/40 the situation in the Alps is deteriorating.  How the Germans are able to maintain their offensive in the winter is beyond me (and the capabilities of my armies it seems).

But suddenly the way is open to recapture Koln.  Are the Germans finally exhausted?  Is their collapse imminent?

December

A fresh appeal to our allies is made for the lend lease of rifles and artillery.

Research is completed on new small arms for the army and the MAS-38 is now available.  Rather foolishly we switch production to this new weapon which means our overall production volumes decrease.  Whoops.  (With time they will pick up, but we lost about 50% of our output.)

4/12/40 The US cancels the Lend Lease agreement.

We ask again and they agree, only to cancel the next day WTF???

The AI keeps sending British troops into the eastern North Sea where they are continuously sunk.

We try to recruit a small division for garrison purposes,but it won't proceed without rifles.

The Germans launch a counterattack to retake Koln.  So much for thoughts of their collapse.

The German attacks continue against Koln and now Bitburg is under attack as well.  Both are taken by the Germans in mid December.

Back to the Lend Lease saga.  We try the US for support equipment.  They agree.  Luxembourg and Norway agree to send us rifles.

Lend Lease is cancelled again (all except from the British Raj).  I do some research and it is revealed as a delightful game bug.  There is a proposed work around, but it doesn't work for me.  "Why are we fighting?" comes to mind or rather why am I continuing to play.

We are short 15,180 rifles by 17/12/40.

At this stage I  start pulling back French troops to let the Belgians take over the fighting (as it is on their turf).  This might also give my troops time to be reinforced (if the continual losses can be reduced).

Lend Lease takes a month to arrive, and we do actually get some supplies from the Britsh Raj.  Now we'll give those Germans curry!

24/12/40 Luxembourg is under attack.