Operation Cerberus

**Operation Cerberus** is a scenario in *Panzer Corps 2*.

## Briefings

General %playername%, it is most desireable (Sic) to have your assistance in this operation; thank you for coming to my aid.

To be honest, our airfleet has only seen limited action during the past few months. The terrible Russian winter has seen to that.

Is that you, Stefan? You have changed so much since our time in Spain. I see that you have been promoted to Oberst, congratulations.

*Wagner offers a quick salute in appreciation.*

Thanks, but it is not nearly as impressive as your success. Not only as General of Fighters, but also the youngest General in the service? Most impressive.

You of all people knows best that these promotions are mere dressings for the burdens and responsibilites (Sic) we now shoulder. They won't even let me back into the cockpit anymore!

A lucky break then, for the Allied fighters pilots who no longer need fear Dolfo gunning for them.

Indeed, but we had better return to the task at hand, I am very much in need of you and General %playername%'s assistance right now.

Our war against Britain still rages on, but their naval supremacy continues to put us on the back foot. After the loss of the Bismarck, High Command has made the decision withdraw our surface raiders from French ports. But instead of a long voyage through the North Sea, the decision was made to make a dash directly through the English Channel.

**Primary Objective: Escort Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen through the English Channel.**

**Bonus Objective: Sink the Royal Navy Home Fleet Squadron.**

**Bonus Objective: Sink 20 British Ships.**

I have promised Kriegsmarine Admiral Ciliax fighter coverage for his warships as they make the voyage, but truthfully, I am glad that your force will be taking over this operation.

You may not be aware of this, but Western Fighter Command has been devastated. Our best squadron commodores and leaders, who would have become our Group Commanders for years to come, all died during the Battle of Britain. These losses, plus the enourmous (Sic) demands of the Luftwaffe for the Eastern Front... as I said, thank you for coming.

According to the plan Admiral Ciliax and I agreed upon, our warships should currently be approaching Cherbourg.

You won't have direct communication with any of the ships though. It would be too much of a risk of such communications being intercepted by the enemy. This means that you will not be able to give them orders, and that you will need to track their progress through the Channel visually with your aircraft.

Mein General, at least a few extra recon aircraft would definitely help in that regard.

But be on your guard, the English Channel will potentially swarm with British ships and aircraft once they have figured out what we are up to.

Our warships will need a strong escort against enemy aircraft and ships through the entire journey. Especially when they pass through the narrowest point of the Channel just off the coast of Calais.

Before you go, I have gifts for you. A few detachments of mobile airfields are available to give you more freedom of aircraft positioning. We also have some prototypes of a brand new fighter, the Focke-Wulf 190, and I have transfered (Sic) a few of them to your equipment stocks for use in this battle.

I'm certain we'll be able to give them a fantastic combat trial, General Galland.

Thousands of German sailors are counting on us to protect them. Fight well, Herr General.

To victory, for Germany!

### Debriefing

Congratulations on a spectacular success, Herr General.

The successful passage of our fleet right through the English Channel is a victory in more than a few ways.

I have no doubt the British will be furious over not only the losses you have inflicted upon them, but also the loss of face over their inability to maintain control of the so-named 'English Channel'.

And those in German High Command who doubted our abilities have been proven wrong.

It is good to know I have an ally that I can reliably call upon. Perhaps we shall meet again. Until then, I bid you swift victories upon your return to the Eastern Front and...

*A messenger interrupts Adolf Galland and hands you a letter marked urgent.*

That doesn't look like a military communique...

*You look down at the letter and see it is from Ana Sofia Vega, but it is clearly addressed to you.*

Why would she write to you directly? Have you been having an affair with Miss Vega behind my back, mein General?

Vega? The Spanish operations officer? Stefan, you sly dog, so that is what you were always busy with while we were fighting the Communists in Spain.

If you have been going through my mail, I think it is only fair I get to read your mail in return!

*Oberst Wagner open the letter and begins to read. His smile quickly vanishes from his face. He quietly hands the letter back to you to read.*

*As you read the letter, you notice it appears to be stained with tears.*

General %playername%,

I write this letter to you not because I wish to, but because I fear that I have to. I know in my heart that you are not to blame for Stefan's death, but damn you, I have to blame someone. I know this is war, and I have seen enough death to....

I just was so certain Stefan would be safe behind the lines. How could I have been so wrong?

I will not thank you for your words of comfort, because I cannot forgive you for letting this happen to my Stefan, my friend

But if there was a sliver of truth in any of your condolences, then I need your help. As you know, Stefan and his family have been supporting me, but now that he is gone, I fear all that support will vanish. I do not know what that means for my daughter Johanna's future, and it terrifies me.

If there is anything at all you can arrange now that Stefan is gone, I would be eternally grateful.

-Ana Sofia Vega

I guess I just assumed she would have been told of my survival by now. I haven't exactly had an opportunity to write back myself...

*Oberst Wagner silently fidgets with his eyepatch as an uneasy silence falls over the room.*

*Suddenly, Adolf Galland grabs Wagner by the arm.*

Herr Oberst, come with me. I will fly you back to Germany myself this very minute. Please excuse us, Herr General. This is a matter that cannot wait.

**Historically, Operation Cerberus and Operation Thunderbolt was a combined victory. In Cerberus, the Kriegsmarine managed to recall their best remaining capital ships to Germany quickly and efficiently, with only minimal damage and casualties sustained.**

**In Thunderbolt, the Luftwaffe managed to repel British air attacks on the fleet; demonstrating their potency even after the losses suffered from the Battle of Britain.**

**While succesfully executed, the withdraw of Germany's surface raiders from French ports was a strategic defeat, as the Battle for the Atlantic would now be left entirely in the hands of Germany's U-Boats.**

**Adolf Galland would remark that this success, mere months after his promotion to General of Fighters, was a definite high point in his life.**

## Walkthrough

*This article is a stub. You can help Panzer Corps Wiki by expanding it.*

## Locations

* Calais

* Cherbourg

* Caen

* Le Havre

* Boulogne-sur-Mer

* Dunkirk

* Antwerp

* Rotterdam

* Southampton

* Portsmouth

* Bournemouth

* Brighton

* Dover

* London

* Ipswich

* Norwich

* Lille

* Dieppe

* The English Channel

* Calais

* Cherbourg

* Caen

* Le Havre

* Boulogne-sur-Mer

* Dunkirk

* Antwerp

* Rotterdam

* Southampton

* Portsmouth

* Bournemouth

* Brighton

* Dover

* London

* Ipswich

* Norwich

* Lille

* Dieppe

* The English Channel

## Messages

* Mein General, in addition to the new FW-190s granted to us from General Galland, we could requisition even more of them. Having a larger reserve will allow us to deploy a second squadron, and still have enough spares to keep them operating for at least a little while longer. A little leveraging of your authority should do the trick, and we can probably get some Bf109z prototypes as well for it.

You have %d Commendation Points.

Would you like to use 2 Commendation Points acquire additional FW190 and Bf109z aircraft?

* You choose to accept the offer. You now have %d Commendation Points.

* You choose to reject the offer. You still have %d Commendation Points

* ***General Galland:*** Herr General, I have some reports that KMS Scharnhorst has struck several mines, and is having trouble with their turbine engines.

* ***General Galland:*** I recommend giving them extra protection, as their mobility will be severely limited for a short time until they can restore power to their engines.

* Bonus Objective to Sink the Royal Navy Home Fleet Squadron completed.
Earned Commendation Points: 2.
Total Commendation Points: %d.

* Bonus Objective to Sink 20 British Ships completed.
Earned Commendation Points: 2.
Total Commendation Points: %d.

* Mein General, in addition to the new FW-190s granted to us from General Galland, we could requisition even more of them. Having a larger reserve will allow us to deploy a second squadron, and still have enough spares to keep them operating for at least a little while longer. A little leveraging of your authority should do the trick, and we can probably get some Bf109z prototypes as well for it.

You have %d Commendation Points.

Would you like to use 2 Commendation Points acquire additional FW190 and Bf109z aircraft?

* You choose to accept the offer. You now have %d Commendation Points.

* You choose to reject the offer. You still have %d Commendation Points

* ***General Galland:*** Herr General, I have some reports that KMS Scharnhorst has struck several mines, and is having trouble with their turbine engines.

* ***General Galland:*** I recommend giving them extra protection, as their mobility will be severely limited for a short time until they can restore power to their engines.

* Bonus Objective to Sink the Royal Navy Home Fleet Squadron completed.
Earned Commendation Points: 2.
Total Commendation Points: %d.

* Bonus Objective to Sink 20 British Ships completed.
Earned Commendation Points: 2.
Total Commendation Points: %d.

## Notes

* Players will receive 15 Strength points worth of Prototype Fw 190A Fighters at the start of the scenario.
* If players have at least 2 Commendation Points at the start of the scenario, they will be given the option of exchanging 2 Commendation Points for 15 Strength points worth of Prototype Fw 190A Fighters and 19 Strength points worth of Prototype Bf 109Z Tactical bombers.
* Sinking the HMS Duke of York, the HMS Malaya, and the HMS Royal Sovereign and sinking 20 enemy ships will each award 2 Commendation Points.
* Notable allied units:
	+ The KMS Gneisenau, a Level 2 BB Scharnhorst-class Capital ship with 65 Strength points.
	+ The KMS Prinz Eugen, a Level 3 CA Admiral Hipper-class Capital ship with 60 Strength points.
	+ The KMS Scharnhorst, a Level 2 BB Scharnhorst-class Capital ship with 70 Strength points.
* Notable enemy units:
	+ The HMS Duke of York, a Level 4 BB King George V-class Capital ship with 30 Strength points.
	+ The HMS Malaya, a Level 4 BB Admiral-class Capital ship with 20 Strength points.
	+ The HMS Royal Sovereign, a Level 4 Battleship with 20 Strength points.
* Enemy reinforcements will arrive to the southeast of London on turn 10, 15, and 20.