Hell it was! The entire campaign was brilliant... and after some short break I am willing to do another one, if you are willing as well
Here is the shortcut for those who did not follow.
I started playing with Ts4EVER in September 2014. It all started with typical French 1940 Infantry battalion recreated from actual TOE. It consisted of:
HQ + security and observing elements
3x Infantry Companies, each with 4 platoons and 60mm mortars
1x Weapons Company with 6x MG, 4 mortar tubes, 2 AT guns, battalion sniper and organic transport for heavy weapons
The warpath of my unit was full of blood, sweat and tears.
It all started back in May 1940 when French forces collapsed rapidly under German operational plans. My battalion was in Belgium back then and with heavy losses I was forced to fight my way through the Dunkirk area and conduct evacuation.
I was with General de Gaulle's Free French from the very beggining. My troops fought against French Vichy traitors in equatorial French Africa and later in Syria; I bashed my way through last line of Italian defences at Mount Keren in occupied Ethiopia.
That was during my time my original battalion started to resemble more of a independent task force element. Additional AT weapons were assigned for desert warfare and recon half-company with some fast moving vehicles gave me additional eyes.
Then, as a part of French Demi-Brigade, it was my battalion's task to hold the strategic fort of Bir Hakeim. It was 1942 and the Axis advance in Africa was in full swing. It was also that time I totally switched to British equipment, abandoning my old French rifles.
Bir Hakeim was held for several days, after my lines diminished during numerous day and night assault of fierce Italian combat engineers - Gustadori - and then elite mechanized formations of Rommel's Panzerarmee Afrika. Only after Allied retreat in Gazala gorge was completed we attepmted successfully, but with massive losses, to break out of encirclement. Our new tank company, that became integral part of our force, also helped with that - but the fuel was so low!
It was the darkest hour for the Free French was effort. Yet, after crushing the Vichy in Syria, we were back just for El Alamein battle we helped to forge by our delaying action at Bir Hakeim.
With the heavy tanks we descended upon the brave Italian Folgore - the elite parachute unit - and made sure that their bravery was not enough. That way we also helped to turn the tide in Africa.
Shortly later we participated in the battle of Mareth Line that separated British 8th Army from the Americans in Algeria and Tunisia. It is there where my task force suffered the only defeat. German paratroopers held fast on those mountains and many good men died trying to get those. We were finally pulled out of the front line for some rest and refitt...
It was that time when American aid arrived for now massively growing French army, since Vichy was no more. The British Enfield rifes were exchanged for American Springfield from their surplus. Old Crusaders became Shermans and American motor pool supplied us enough to motorized my entire force. Also ,before that happened, the security platoon was retrained first as motorcycle fast reaction unit and then made footmobile as heavy commando element for special purposes.
We joined the First Free French Division in Sicily, 1943. Then we fought in southern Italy, marking way for the huge Cassino battle as well as a number of other engagements in which we battered Italians and Germans heavily. We did not yield even once, knowing that advantage is now on our side. Still, a number of good men died in countless ambushes and Shermans lighted in sparkes as they were hit by concealed PaK fire.
After the Italian campaign my core force became effectively mechanized infantry, but in light variation - I still held those 4 platoons per company, but did not dispose heavy support platoons like typical US Armoured Infantry.
We landed in the southern France during Operation Dragoon in July 1944. This operation allowed to engage additional forces in France - our homeland - and deeply outflank the Germans suffering losses in bloody battle of Normandy and northern France. While our allies quickly went to Marsilie and Nice to besiege and capture them we continued to chase the retreating Germans throughout the France and Vosges mountains in southern Lorraine. It is also where the winter and last German counteroffensive caught us. But my men - now heavily experienced (with few units being under 90 exp and morale) - pushed the Germans back again and again.
From liberators, we were then conquerors. We moved to Germany during late January-early February 1945 and faced mighty Nashorns and Jagtigers, as well as old men and teenagers from Volksgrenadiere formations - they wee now defenders of the Reich, with their older brothers and sons rotting somewhere in Vosges, Bir Hakeim and Italian hillocks...
Good men died from ambushes and heavy AT fire covering every open approach from one village to the other. When we reached those villages, there was nothing left of them - our 105 and 155mm guns pounded them mercilessly, turning once proud German houses into piles of rubble.
When our Allies took over, we were sent to complete our last, final task. The Authion massif was to be taken if Allies hoped to end the war quickly. If broken, our forces could more through that area and outflank entire Axis defences in northern Italy and Austria.
And, in the April of 1945, we did so. Lieutnant's Du Pontet men hoisted the flag over burning Italian fort once built to shelter them against us. It clearly did not work.
The sun was rising over the Alps. Lieutnant-Colonel Mollines, a commander of the battlegroup - or me, to exact - jumped into Bren Carrier we held regardless of American equipment. Corporal Beroyer was my driver for the war entire. We approached as close to the glacier as we could and made some room for stretcher bearers. The men recognized me - I was with them for 5 long years. They were tired and their eyes were wild. But there was still fire. Fire that told them to break to Dunkirk, to shoot fellow French in Brazzaville, to march in cold, desert nights of Libya and hold even when dark-feathered Bersagieri threw grenades at them.
The France was ours again. The war will soon end with Allies choking the German aggressor. The spring was in full bloom, mountain flowers popped out from the alpine snow. But the snow was in the Alps... since always. It would not vanish as would not our enemies. Beaten to the knees, they will stand. Or the new ones will come.
Some things do not change.
Lieutnant Durand looked at me with a question written on his face. This man did not pull the trigger. He was my radioman for the last 5 years. We shared all the rooms and all the tents. And he aws the artillery observer. Every kill scored by our mortars and heavier batteries were his job. Yet, he did not have to pull the trigger. He just needed to watch.
"What now?", his face was clearly asking.
I shuddered.
"We will save as many wounded as we can. And then... we will disperse them home. Or at least those who are willing. The enemy never sleeps. There may be a job to do. But my men, they did an awful overtime, didn't they?"
Durand nodded his head.
"Who is the enemy now?"
The question of the future made me wonder. I lighted a ciggarette.
"I heard there was an incident in the east. Our guys were buthered by the Japanese. But Japanese are retreating now. The Bits converge on Rangoon. In the empty of the occupant, the communist proclaim their administration."
Durand was silent for a while.
"Sir. Will this war end all wars? Or it is enough we have been, so to speak, anally violated by this proverb back in 1918?"
I smilled ironically. Durand was bloody open as ussual.
"Well. You may be right. I wonder who would follow me to Vietnam. I really wonder..."
The snow of the Alps was right as ussual. This war saved us for today, but It would not save us for tomorrow.