Soviet disaster (Morgen die ganze Welt)

July,27 1943 Hamburg

Hamburg is hit by a terrible British bomber raid. The attack causes a firestorm in which 40,000 civilians die. Most are asphyxiated when the fire consumes all the oxygen. Some are picked up by the suction and die like moths in a flame. Phosgene war gas is dropped as retaliation for the gas attack in Russia. This is useless. Those civilians that escape the fire have gas masks.

July,28 1943 Berlin

Albert Speer warns that if the British continue their night raids on the scale that devastated Hamburg Germany will be knocked out of the war. Hitler decides to retaliate with nerve gas in an operation called "North Wind". It is known that the British used phosgene in the Hamburg raid, therefore they probably don't have nerve gas.

July,31 1943 German airfields in Germany

By scraping together aircraft about 400 bombers are ready to bomb London. The plan is to drop 1000 tons of tabun.

August,1 1943 London

London is hit by a nerve gas attack. Churchill receives reassuring news during the night. There are no reports of fires or bomb damage. Of the enemy bombers 50 have been shot down by night fighters. Strangely, there are no reports at all from London.

August,2 1943 London

Churchill and the high command are dumbstruck. London has been hard hit. It is feared that casualties are more then two million civilians. Already rumors have spread and people are leaving cities. Meanwhile Göbbels is crowing over the radio about a German super weapon. He warns that for every German city bombed an English city will be "Londeniert". He hints that this would be a good time for the English to think about continuing the war.

August,3 1943 London

The British immediately stop bombing German cities while considering their options. The US air force is asked to stand down temporarily. Stalin is informed about the new German superweapon which certainly is the cause of recent Russian misfortunes. Facts are: The matter is debated in parliament amid panic and confusion. The German envoy in Sweden is discreetly approached and asked what German peace terms would be in the unlikely event that Great Britain would opt out of the war.
 * Air Chief Narshall Portal warns that always some bombers will get through the night fighters and AA guns.
 * The type of poison gas used by the Germans cannot be countered by gas masks.
 * Industrial production has almost ceased as people have fled cities.
 * It is unknown how much stock of poison gas the Germans have.
 * A dozen more gas attacks will destroy Great Britain as a civilized nation.

August,4 1943 Stockholm

By a stroke of good fortune the German envoy to Sweden happens to carry German peace proposals with him which he gladly and unofficially hands over to the British envoy.

August,7 1943 Smolensk

The Soviets launch a massive attack in the Smolensk area using four armies. The general staff reasons that if troops are in close contact with the enemy it will be impossible for the Germans to use their new gas weapon.

August,8 1943 Stalingrad

The German army has reached Stalingrad again. This time it is an anticlimax. The defenders have left. This is a disappointment to Hitler who had hoped to massacre defenders and inhabitants alike with nerve gas. At any rate, the Soviet Union is now cut off from most of its sources of oil. The next target must be the Caucasus oil fields. Shortage of oil is a big headache for the OKH. Another headache is that there are still large Russian armies in the field. They must be brought to battle so they can be exterminated with nerve gas.

August,10 1943 London

German peace proposals are discussed in parliament. The terms are surprisingly generous. Great Britain can keep colonies conquered from the Italians. All fighting must cease immediately. American military units must leave Great Britain. Great Britain must renounce all treaties aimed against Germany, particularly the Anglo-Russian treaty. An offer of German assistance in keeping the peace in colonies is renewed.

August,11 1943 Smolensk

The Smolensk battle stalls with the Soviets making some minor gains with heavy losses.

August,13 1943 Berlin

The new type 21 submarine is approved for production. The submarine has much greater underwater speed, range and depth than older types. In fact, it is faster than escorting corvettes or destroyers deploying sonar.

August,17 1943 Sicily

The Allies win the battle of Sicily but it is a qualified success. The Germans intended to delay the Allies and this they have done. Germans troops have escaped to Italy. German reinforcements are sent to Italy.

August,18 1943 London

Churchill is removed from office. Lord Halifax takes over. His first order of business is to negotiate an armistice with Hitler.

August,20 1943 Genève 

A British and German delegation meet in Genève to discuss peace terms. Hostilities will cease during the negotiations.

August,23 1943 Stalingrad

The Soviet stavka starts a general offensive on a 1000 km front from Orel to Stalingrad. The Smolensk offensive was partially successful which gives the stavka confidence that the Germans can be beaten by overwhelming forces in close combat. The Soviets use poison gas to no great effect. All soldiers carry gas masks and the obsolete type of poison gas they use hinders the attackers more than the defenders.

August,27 1943 Genève

The peace agreement between Germany and Great Britain is signed in Genève. Embassies will be opened in London and Berlin. Hitler offers the British food supplies in exchange for weapons of war but the offer is declined. Hitler immediately orders 20 divisions from France and Norway to the Russian front and 10 divisions to Italy.