Bruce as soon as you get that p.m. sent I'll type the submit form up


MATT

Bruce are we also including the German attack on the Soviet union



MATT

hello Matt,
our cut off date is May1,1941.the invasion of the Soviet Union was in June22,1941.what i would like to see is the early equitment ie:Polish tankletts,Pz1-3,etc.if we open it up it will be the more modern stuff ie:Panthers, JS1-3,etc.lets not go overboard.it is going to be hard enough to control and judge this as it is.p.m. on the way.
cheers,
Bruce

hello Matt,
Jim (goldenpony) said he would help if we need it.he is running a campaign on model shipwrights,and would be a big help with a campaign ribbon and/or a banner.what do you think.his campaign is cold war destroyers give it a look.
Cheers,
Bruce

I'd consider it once the Revell Kit of the Bismarck is available!

hello Matt,
i just submitted acampaign on model shipwright for a pre-dreadnoughts.i am still very intrested in a blitzkrieg campaign.just letting you know.
cheers,
Bruce

Matt,
You should come over and play Navy with us over there. It doesn't start for a while so there is plenty of time to plan.

I have a couple of kits in my stash to build for the Blitz so am good here.

could you plz explian to me what you mean



MATT

hello Matt,
i think what Jim was saying is if you want to go to model shipwright and build a ship for one of the campaigns there.you also could look at how they set up the rules for the campaigns.did you get the p.m.'s i sent.if you need help writing up this campaign,i can help you.i know that during the week everone is busy with work,school,and familiy since i am retired i have a lot of time on my hands.just a suggestion,thats all.
cheers,
Bruce

Sure Jim I would love to maybe take part in a campaign on model shipwrights.




MATT

I have a Russian BT-7 waiting for either a vehicle from the Russian invasion of Poland or the Winter war with the Finland. So I would appreciate the May 1939 to May 1941 timeline very much.

Looking forward to see this one be approved

hello Jesper,
as far as i know,the outline for this campaign is Sept.1,1939-May1,1941.the russian invasion fo poland and the Finnish/Russian war is in the timeline and are o.k. for the campaign.
Cheers,
Bruce

Bruce do ou think we are ready to type out the submit form



MATT

hello Matt,
yes i do.why don"t you type it out and send it to me by p.m.or i could type it and send it to you by p.m. to see if there are any changs we might want to make.or in the early posts there is the list that we have agreed to.remember YOU are the campaign leader,you have to decide what is and is not right for this campaign.to me this acmpaign is the years Sept.1,1939-May1,1941,the invastion of poland to the fall of crete.any vehicle,troop or support units are allowed.if you want to do a aircraft dio it must have a vehicle with it.if you want to do a naval unit it must have ground troops with it,for example a royal navy destroyer taking troops off the beach of dunkirk.
how does this work for you.
cheers,
Bruce

I am in also.

It works great



MATT

hello Matt,
o.k. then lets get it wrote up.do you think you can get it done by this weekend?
this is to all the people who wants to do this campaign,We need you to sound off.
thanks,
Bruce

Cool, I am on for it. Now for some research on camouflage. The Soviets used some quite cool camouflage during the invasion of Poland.

Hope to see the campaign submitted soon.

If you're going to include Crete you're going to have to amend the dates. The invasion didn't start till 20th May 1941 and the surrender was on May 31st. My grandad was captured at Sfakia on Crete fighting the rearguard action. Crete doesn't really qualify as Blitzkrieg as there was no armour used. Plenty of Stukas and paratroops but no armour. It was an airborne assault. You're probably safer going up to the Fall Of France as the whole German concept of Blitzkrieg is fast armoured thrusts supported by aerial support and artillery. I like the idea for the campaign but its getting a dit diluted into any early war invasion campaign. Blitzkrieg was a specifically German tactic so really it should be German operations ie Poland and the Low Countries and France. I'd say 1939-1940. Just my thoughts

Hi Gents,

I agree with Karl generally, but in Germany we think "Blitzkrieg" was in "Operation Barbarossa" also, but only until autumn 1941.
And the word "Blitz" or "Blitzkrieg" is connected with the special tactics of german forces. Some symbols are General Guderian and the "Stuka".

Best Regards

Dirk B.

hello Karl and Dirk,
you are right that no german armor was used at Crete,but there was some british armor there.the info i have shows the german invastion was April20-30.the invastion of Greece was April 6,1941.this is the dates i have.remember this campaign is not only german armor,but any armor used during the timeline of Sept,1,1939-May1,1941.if you wanted to do a dio showing German paras fighting on Crete,all you will need is a vehicle,tank or guns in the dio with the German paras.this is going to be a open campaign,just about anything allowered as long as it was used during the timelineof Sept.1,1939-May1,1941.
cheers,
Bruce

Bruce it is definitely May 31st Crete fell to the Germans.

hello Karl,
mea culpa,both books i was using stated the invastion was April 20-30.they both were written in 1946,and the facts were aways right.it must have been a typo.sorry about that.the timeline still stands unless Matt decides to change it.so the invastion of Crete is out,but the Greek campaign is still in.
again,i am sorry,
Bruce

Bruce I think you missed my point. I don't wish to be pedantic but Blitzkrieg is three pronged and a German tactic. Armour (with infantry support), artillery and close air support. By that maxim Crete doesn't fit as it was purely an airborne op (we sank all their boats) nor does Finland in that there were no German troops there attacking anyone so therefore it does not qualify as Blitzkrieg proper. I would have thought that by the very definition of Blitzkrieg it would involve all three elements of the German tactic. To move away from that would be like having a "Commando" campaign and having Russian paratroops in it. Its a specific thing. Does the Italian Abysinnian campaign qualify? I would hope not. Same time period but not Blitzkrieg.
My point is if a campaign is going to be titled Blitzkrieg it should be just that. German operations in that form. I don't model Axis stuff as a rule as I prefer to do Commonwealth stuff so I'll be doing the Battle Of France or Norway from a British perspective.They were Blitzkrieg campaigns.
However, I digress. Its your campaign, I'm just pointing out a fundamental flaw. Historically you need tolook at what is a bona fide Blitzkrieg campaign otherwise it could be argued that the invasion of Normandy was an Allied Blitzkrieg. Massive aerial bombardment, armoured thrust etc etc. Do you see where I'm coming from? I'm not being critical just trying to be of help in narrowing it down to what is correct by definition.

All, time for a rethink and regroup......

The initial post:




We have over 70 posts to this and the time frame/theater is still being questioned. To my limited knowledge of this, and based on a point-of-view, "Blitzkrieg" evokes thoughts of the Germans swooping in and down upon Poland and France....kickin' butt and takin' names (certainly not eloquent, but the gist is there). Russian involvement? Couldn't tell ya. French and Polish? Yep. Crete...no idea.

Here's a couple of thoughts (strictly from Mike's point of view): Either define the campaign as one that "evokes" the word "Blitzkrieg;" tanks swarming, Stuka's dive-bombing, Artillery a-pounding, et al, or perhaps reconsider the naming of the campaign. Vehicles: wheeled and tracked and winged. I honestly believe that it would be very difficult to include ships...not impossible, and certainly impressive...but....

The idea is definitely sound; it just needs to be defined by the author.

Blitzkrieg: "An offensive, operational-level military doctrine which involves an initial bombardment followed by the employment of mobile forces attacking with speed and surprise to prevent an enemy from implementing a coherent defense." Snagged from Wikipedia (yeah, I know)

Mike