Long Live the Permament Revolution! - a Trotskyist Soviet AAR.

[ThaHoward]

Great post! The battle for India and the UK will surely be fun too.

Thanks! I dunno know when India will happen. I guess if Europe and North-Africa is secure then the Red Army can rest for a while before driving south toward Southern Africa (interesting stuff happening there btw. will get there later), east toward India or west toward the US. I can only imagine the horrors in the interior of Africa and India. Nature plus thousands of NATO troops.

Another strategy may be when the forces in Europe rest, the Far East build up and aid the PRC to take on Democratic China and Japan, and then the PRC might open up a front in eastern India. It will nevertheless include hundreds of thousands if not millions of men.

As a small spoiler the Pact nations have for the war focused on amassing along the Indian border, and so have India, UK and USA. A major clash will happen there.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Moreover the landings of Operation Nereid was in short a disaster. While invading the islands the 6th Naval Landing Regiment was thoroughly defeated as it faced huge numbers of American defenders resulting in the surviving members of the regiment surrendering. The other two regiments failed to establish beach-heads as they faced stiff opposition from ANZAC, Canadian and British troops. The Naval Landing Regiments lost thousands of men during these failed landings, however thousands more were to come. But this did not dissuade STAVKA.

I bet it didn't.

That would spell certain doom for the Soviet Union who despite making major gains abroad was quite fragile following their decision to go on an aggressive war and the nuclear bombing that followed.

Short of a massive far eastern and Indian invasion, this remains the most likely way you could lose the war. Even then, there is little chance Europe is being retaken by democratic conservatives after this...

 

[ThaHoward]

I bet it didn't.



Short of a massive far eastern and Indian invasion, this remains the most likely way you could lose the war. Even then, there is little chance Europe is being retaken by democratic conservatives after this...

The good guys always win in the end right? Or the idea of democracy and freedom triumph communism and all that.. at least that was what a guide at a museum one time said. But yes, as of now unless the US/AI manage to make a gigantic invasion across the Atlantic then the battleground need to be from the Far East if the democracies want to survive. However some interesting stuff will happen in a European country in the near future

 

[ThaHoward]

Chapter 50: The Ruby Island.

Spoiler: Music

NATO troops departing for Europe.

September of 1945. Britain was falling, the Middle East was falling and Greece was falling. The permament revolution could not be stopped it became clear this was a war of survival, only one world view would prevail or turn the world to ashes. Ireland and Gibraltar were the only NATO footholds in Europe still holding. As the campaign in Europe progressed Paris Pact intelligence services recieved reports that thousands of US and Canadian troops as well as the remnants of the huge British Empire was heading for the British Isles. The Red Army was in full swing of attacking the Liverpool-Hull line and sought to deprive NATO of fielding their incoming army in Northern England. However Ireland remained free, untouched of the horrors of war save for the occasional bomb run. STAVKA and the PACT as a whole feared that NATO would use Ireland as their stronghold to either liberate Great Britain or invade the French Commune and cut off the invasion force. Such an action could very well tip the war in favor of NATO. Ireland needed to fall.

With the Royal Navy beaten it is safe to cross the Irish Sea.

Operation Pluto was drawn up and it was decided the troops assigned to the invasion plan was to come to Wales and southern England to prepare for the invasion. The 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts who had just recovered after their capture of Fortress Copenhagen was elected to invade the Emerald Island. The plan was simple and Govorov and Vlasov promised STAVKA and Trotsky in person that they would embark upon a swift and aggressive campaign that would knock Ireland out of the war and bring an end to the looming threat of the New World coming to the aid of the Old. The landings would be around the city of Cork in the south and Belfast in Northern Ireland. From there they would squeeze in on the NATO troops stationed in Dublin and end the campaign. The time was ripe for an invasion the Royal Navy had just been resoundly routed in the English Channel and it was time to cross the Irish Sea before the Royal Navy could regroup, the US Navy would unleash its fury or the weather gods turned against the Soviets. After the VDV had seen extensive action they were once again called to the front. In several ambitious drops they were tasked with dropping far behind enemy lines, taking several airports, seaports and encircling the troops in Dublin. The plans was set in motion, however as the the Soviets prepared for their jump and naval landing reports came in that the first Canadian and British brigades were heading for Dublin. The Soviets planned on a swift and effective campaign. NATO wished to prove them otherwise.

Soviet paras again showed their brilliance.

NATO was taken under complete surprise. In the early morning of the 26th of September Soviet airborne troops was lifted toward Éire and in broad daylight made their landing with little resistance. The air assault came in the midst of a significant bombing campaign against Dublin diverting attention the Irish capital instead of the landing zones, furthermore incoming and evacuating NATO troops came under extreme harassment fire from air and sea. The landing zones in question was at first believed to be nothing but the usual commando raids. Not until the paratroopers had gained control over their respective ones did NATO and the Irish realize what was indeed brewing; invasion. The cities of Cork and Belfast was quickly secured with the Soviets landing in the outskirts, surrounding the cities and taking them with little opposition. In Belfast special agents, that is Irish communists trained and armed by the MGB, accompanied the paratroopers taking control over the media centers and broadcasting to all of Northern Ireland that Britain had secured a peace with the USSR and resistance was treason. As a consequence the airfields around Omagh surrendered and allowed the Soviet paratroopers to ake control over the airfield. Further south the paratroopers was stopped just north of Wexford and was unable to create a linkup with their comrades in arms in Cork, both due to the Irish troops in the vicinity and the natural barriers of the rivers, hills, mountains and orders. Orders to stay put until the main invasion force came about. Anway, what was clear was that a major NATO force was incoming for Dublin and thousands more had to be rerouted after the fall of Belfast. NATO forces in Dublin made a counterattack the following day during the late hours, however as the paratroopers had gotten a full day to dig down and prepare their defensives the NATO troops ran into significant trench systems, anti-tank fortificants and so on. A Soviet soldier remarked "we were all exhausted as we spent the entire day to dig, the entire night with only a few hours of sleep and the entire day again to dig and set up and coordinate firing zones. But as the capitalists ran straight into our defensives I praised our commanders for pushing us so hard as they did. Sweat truly do save blood".

Irish troops taking cover.

NATO realized they had but one option, expell the Soviets. Fate intervened for NATO as the invasion plans of Pluto had to drastically altered over events that were out of the hands of both sides. As the summer ended with the war the Irish Sea soured, high waves made it impossible for a naval invasion. In Northern Ireland this translated into unloading the 1st Baltic Front in Belfast, however in the south Soviet planners made a crucial mistake. It was believed Cork would have a port capable of taking in the 2nd Baltic Front and supply the northward assault. However there was no such port, and Irish forces made sure to sabotage everything that could been used to support an invasion. STAVKA went on a major blunder, the two airborne divisions in the south was on their own. However as it was expected NATO would launch a major counteroffensive while they had the chance, it never came. Only few skirmishes in the hedges and hills of Ireland raged on, but no major battle. It was later revealed that the local NATO forces did not think the Soviets could land a massive invasion force in Belfast in the unruly seas and they waited for General Patton and his armored forces to punch out of Dublin and crush the Soviets in Belfast. Still there were minor skirmishes and the Soviet paratroopers fanned out, managing to link up the invasion of the north and the siege of Dublin.*

Let the weight of the Red Army reign in one Ireland.

It took the paratroopers over three days to link up the Dublin front with the Belfast front. A division commander noted "what a fortune that NATO did not decide to smash into our lines, split us and take the airports. If they did so we would been doomed". However it took a further two days before the first Soviet troops arrived in Belfast. By this time it became clear that the landing in Cork had to be given up. Instead both of the Baltic Fronts would smash through toward Dublin and Cork. However as thousands of Soviet troops swarmed into Belfast, so did NATO troops in Dublin. Both of the sides was preparing for a major clash that would detirmine the future of not only Ireland, but Europe and even the world as a whole. This was the moment the British commanders had waited for so long, where they "would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old".

Hold out for a few days men.

However as the might of the Red Army landed in Belfast the Irish set out to make a quick and easy victory in Cork - a much needed one. General O'Higgins was hailed by the Soviets as "the only NATO officer in Ireland with some tactical sense" as he mustered the mobilized forces and set up effective blocking positions in the green hills north of Cork and reinforcing Waterford and Wexford to deny any Soviet relief force. Early in the morning of the 3rd of October O'Higgins ordered three of his brigades to launch a full scale attack on the Soviets. His attacks, however, were delayed by Soviet air supremacy and intelligence services that managed to dissect his every move. Despite this his forces had much better access to supplies and reinforcements. The two sides were soon engaged in vicious fighting that would result in the first major battle of Ireland, and the first battle where the Soviets were actually on the losing side. As the sun rose the Soviets were slowly pushed back. "They came from everywhere and their artillery broke us to pieces. We fell back to the next line and we were determined to turn the hills of Ireland red" a Soviet private wrote in his diary. A few hours later he was dead.

The battles of Ireland and especially Cork come to bitter conclusions.

Near Cork the paratroopers was losing battle after battle. The outskirts of the city was secured and the paratroopers was forced to take up positions within the city itself turning it into a fortress. An Irish platoon commander recollected his attacks on the Soviet paratroopers "we fell out from the treelines after harrassing them with howitzers and mortars. The poor souls had little to support them and without radio-comms they were unable to call in coordinated air support. They fired upon us with vicious machine gun fire, but we pressed on it was our homes we were liberating. There was a small village outside of Cork we needed to secure. We had to fire everything we had on the first barn where the commie bastards had taken up positions. We surpressed it and another platoon came from the other side and threw molotov cocktails on the barn, turning it to fire. That would teach those bastards a lesson! (...) We returned to the hill to relieve the 7th Company who were under contact as we pressed on to secure the hills around Cork. But the enemy was nowhere to be seen. It was then we saw some reflections in the corn field. A bayonet was all it took and we erased a whole platoon worth of Russians". The Soviet paratroopers in Cork was fighting a losing battle. Vlasov was tasked with surroundng Dublin and to plunge southward to relieve his comrades who was under extreme pressure. Just before midnight on the 7th he reached north of Waterford and Tipperary, but they were stopped by the well fortified Irish troops. The orders of O'Higgins paid off and it became appereant that neither side managed to cross the river. For the Irish this meant they could live to fight another day, for the Soviets it meant that two entire airborne divisions, filled with men hailed as heroes after their risky jumps into England, risked being annihilated. But the Battle of Ireland was not limited to just Cork. Far from it. As Vlasov was stopped just north of the surrounded airborne troops he launched his first attack into Dublin believing it would fall after a savage artillery barrage and air bombing. Instead the defenders, a mix between American, British, Canadian, Dutch and Irish troops held out and refused to let go even of a single inch. They clawed themself to Dublin. Instead the Soviets turned to the south-east to surround Dublin. It was believed that if Dublin fell the incoming NATO troops would go back to North America and the Irish would surrender in the process saving the surrounded paratroopers. However NATO fought back and the Soviet troops didn't even manage to break into sub-urbs. The Battle of Ireland had just become, little did neither side know of what kind of carnage it would become.

Soviet tanks rushing through Ireland.

Despite their setbacks the Soviets marched on. And the tanks rolled on. Heavy and medium tanks clashed outside of Dublin hoping to that the superior armor and firepower would bring down the NATO troops or simply send shock and awe into their hearts. But it was in the south in the deadlock around Waterford-Wexford the greatest tankclash of the campaign occured. Recon troops reported in that a British armored brigade moved toward Cork. Vlasov realizing that would spell certain doom for the paratroopers ordered the 7th Light-Tank Brigade, supported by outdated T-34s from the 18th Mechanized Corps, to flank the British armor. In a daring approach the tanks rolled straight past the Irish lines, only leaving two battalions worth of motorized infantry behind to hold open the narrow corridor for the retreat. The Soviet armor hit the British armor with such speed and ferocity that the British tankers believed the Soviets had broken through the lines and was coming down in full force. Within a few hours the British armored brigade was scattered, killed or had surrendered. The British lost their greatest assest in the region, armor, but the Soviets could not hold up the pace. Irish infantry closed in and the narrow corridor was barely holding up. After katyushas and Il-2s reigned hell upon the Irish counterattack the Soviets managed to slip out back to the reserve position they were supposed to be in. The commander of the 7th Light-Tank Brigade was soon given high decorations and acclaims for his dring and successful raid. The local NATO fist had been dealt with and the paratroopers had been given time.

Just a little longer now..

The following dayit did not look well for the trapped paratroopers. True they had been spared from the wrath of British armor, however the Irish infantry and militias proved to be more than a challenge for the paratroopers that was running out of supplies. It is said that airborne are meant to be surrounded, however they were in dire needs of relief. The 1st Baltic Front had not yet arrived in Belfast, due to the weather and the sheer logistical problems of shipping two entire Fronts to one port damaged from bombings, but they were given a new task. While the 2nd Baltic Front would mostly be occupied of the siege of Dublin, the 1st would strike in full force into Cork in order to liberate their surrounded comrades. Speaking of Dublin. After a three day assault battlig over the suburbs of Dublin it was decided that the NATO troops there was too well entrenched. Several divisions had to be pulled out in order to replenish their losses in material and manpower while the remaining divisions dug in to begin on a siege. It was frustrating for the Soviets as they knew if Dublin fell all of Ireland would fall and the major NATO troops would turn around. Several brigades held the lines and as the Soviets ceased their attacks several American infantry brigades decided to attack the Soviet paratroopers held up in Wicklow. Meanwhile an Irish brigade attacked from the south. Their hope was that if Wicklow fell then the frontline would suddenly broaden and the Irish forces wrestling for control over Cork would get the support and logistics of the main NATO force stationed in Dublin.

One down, one more to go..

Disaster for the Soviet Union, and hope for the Republic of Ireland. In the north near Dublin Soviet forces struggled to gain foothold in the Irish capital. In the center the Waterford-Wexford line held against all attempts of attacks. But in Cork the 9th Airborne Division surrendered, only the 3rd was left to defend the city. The 9th held the north-west of the line but after several attacks their lines was in the end broken through. The Irish infantry surrounded the 9th who refused to bend their knees to the Irish. After intense firefights that lasted the entire day the 9th was running out of ammunition. The men of the 9th told their commanders they were ready to fight to the death. Instead the staff of the 9th agreed to surrender, however they all committed suicide. Perhaps to spare themself of the humiliation of surrender or the wrath of the Kremlin. This sent shockwaves through the proud VDV. The 3rd Airborne Division was on their own now and it sent reccuring flashbacks of the failed, yet heroic, air assaults during the attack on Germany. Would the 3rd hold out until Gorbatov could relieve them?

A devastated Cork.

As the 9th fell the flank of the 3rd was insecure. Through the night the 3rd fell back from their newly reclaimed outer perimeters of Cork into the city itself. In an impressive show of force the paratroopers retreated back in utmost order. Through the entire night flares, bombs and artillery lit up the sky. The Soviet paratroopers took up positions in the city and repelled the Irish attackers, most of them locals eager to reclaim their lost land. However the Irish had one advantage over the paratroopers, they could get supplies and reinforcements from their local depots and natives alike. The Soviets were running out of ammunition. Moreover the Irish knew that attacks during the day equaled Soviet air superiority. Their goal was to penetrate into the city during nightfall in cover of the Red Air Force. The Soviets held out during the night, but as the morning sun rose, a red sun, the Irish simply retreated the brigades that had been attacked during night and replaced them with new ones for the morning. The Soviet paratroopers meanwhile ran out of ammunition and the battle soon turned into an old fashioned brawl, and in the end the Irish took greater casualties from friendly fire as the Soviets retreated back to smaller and smaller pockets. By the evening of the 13th the battle came to an end..

Even legends can be brought down.. Dublin hold out under Patton.

The 3rd Airborne Division surrendered after half of month of a dire supply situation and no relief in sight. The savage battle raging from house to house in Cork proved to be the final straw. This was not a decisive turning point, however it proved that the Soviet Army was not the invincible force some might have believed it to be. It gave NATO hope. As an Irish soldier put it "tears came to my eyes as I saw the communists come out with their arms raised up and looking weary and frightened. My home was liberated, it was now time to liberate all of Ireland". North of Cork Soviet forces surely but steadily pressed forward around Tripperary and managed to hold off Irish counterattacks along the Waterford-Wexford line. Still in Ireland the Soviets struggled to break through. Enter Patton. The legendary general was chosen to lead the forces stationed in Dublin. However his situation was difficult. Confined to a small pocket the NATO forces there were confined to a small area. Patton was said to curse his predecessor to not go on the offensive when they had the chance. Despite this the defenses of Dublin held and the Soviet onslaught got worn down.

After 10 days of the surrender of the paras, Cork is secure. NATO offer nothing but determined resistance.

It was the Irish defenses fell apart. On the 18th the lines west of Waterford was broken and by the 23rd Cork was again captured. Gorbatov would later remark that his greatest regret was that he failed the 3rd and 9th Airborne Divisions. By the 23rd the battle of Dublin still raged on with no end in sight for the Soviets, however they also raced toward the Waterford-Wexford, but as in Dublin the Soviets didn't mange to break through. Winter was approaching fast and what was supposed to be a swift blitz into Ireland had now lasted for over a month. The battles dragged on and wouldn't end until it came to a bittersweet conclusion.

After over 20 days of attack Soviet forces evacuate out of Dublin.

Then on the 30th of October STAVKA decided that enough was enough. STAVKA wasn't exactly known to devise plans and strategies to limit human losses, but even the high command whose main strategy was wars of attrition decided that the many bloody battles of Dublin became too much, too costly and pointless. Instead the two Baltic Fronts was ordered to stand down and begin on a siege to slowly wait the NATO troops out. By the 30th, however, the Soviets managed to break into Waterford and the defenses of Ireland was split into two pockets: the Wexford Pocket, consisting of Irish troops, and the Dublin Pocket consisting of NATO and Irish troops.

Commonwealth troops evacuate Dublin.

When STAVKA ordered a halt to the battles of Dublin, and only occasional incursions and probes, they had gambled that NATO would use the end of hostilities and the worsening siege to evacuate. It was a gamble as the Soviets risked a renewed and empowered NATO counterattack. But the gamble paid off. Realizing the futility of their situation brigade after brigade from all nations evacuated the war torn Dublin. Only the Irish remained, for natural reasons, ready to defend their nation and capital refusing to yield. It was believed the Soviet Air Force and Submarine Fleet would sink the evacuated forces. In fact several of the ships that were evacuated got sunk to the depths of the Irish Sea, still it was not enough. Poor weather was the ally of the evacuated forces. The Irish prime minister noted "and so our allies turn their backs on us. The old world is left at the mercy of the red peril. The Emerald Island have been forever stained by the blood of the communist menace".

The Wexford Pocket can't be broken it seems..

Another month passed by and the starved Irish troops in the Wexford Pocket came under a vicious artillery attack, followed by Soviet infantry attacks. By 20:00 on the first day of the attack the Soviet attack turned to a stalemate with the Soviets being forced to occupy former Irish trenches for their own use. On the 29th, at 22:15 the Irish beat back the Soviets who suffered under supply shortages. The Soviets cursed the weather for not bringig in enough supplies and the Irish defenders that didn't realize when to call quits. It was as if the attack got all bogged down again and the campaign wouldn't end before spring.

After weeks of vicious battle Wexford was "liberated".

However the Red Army mastered the art of attritional warfare. By the 30th of November the heavy tank brigade supported the Soviet infantrists entering from the west. They smashed their way ruthlessly through the lines and the Irish were shocked as they had mostly been engaged from the north and east. It proved to be a gamechanger and by midnight of the 4th of December as the first snow had covered the island the Wexford Pocket fell claiming tens of thousands of lives. Only Dublin remained.

After a prolonged siege Dublin is again under attack. But again the battle turn against the attackers.

The Soviets made sure to pass on the news of the fall of Wexford to the forces in Dublin. The mantra was "why fight when all of Ireland have fallen and your allies have abandoned you?" It was believed it would weaken the Irish resolve, but it didn't. Afterall they fought for their homes. The attack started with ruthless bombing from artillery batteries and airplanes. Entire neighbourhoods was leveled. The bombardment lasted for four hours. Then thousands of Soviet infantrists and hundreds of tanks rushed to the city. The Irish defenders who were low on munitions, fuel and medications fell to the Soviet onslaught. Mechanized troops took control over vital bridges in Dublin and started to occupy the city center. However as the attack faded out over the evening and the Soviets had issues with their supply and commando chain into the city center, the Irish managed to organize a resistance. Several of the gains the Soviets made were soon lost again. The Irish was in frenzy and the Soviets was in disbelief. It was as if nothing could break down the capital. It was said that several of the Soviet officers drank entire bottles of vodka trying to cope with the hopeless situation.

The battle turns for the better, Dublin is taken and with it Ireland falls.

But Vlasov was keen on victory and demanded "nothing but total victory" from his men. Before the night attack of the 9th Vlasov and Tukhachevsky personally inspected the troops and Trotsky announced that the first Soviet soldier to enter the Irish parliament was to be named a Hero of the Soviet Union. Before the night attack the Soviets had managed to take control over most of the city, it was only the core that was still in Irish hands. The Irish and remaining Canadians was beaten back under the sheer pressure of the Soviet Army. From 22:00-24:00 the Soviets pounded the city core with no considerations whatsoever. Prior to the attack they even pounded the city with water cannons, doing anything in their power to make life as miserable for the defenders as possible. Winter cold had come in and several Irish and Canadians got severe wounds and damages from the cold. On the 11th of December 1945 the last Irish and Canadian pockets finally surrendered. As in the Levant the Canadians got a reputation as fierce fighters, battling to the very end. After the fall of Ireland the country surrendered, however their government had evacuated to Canada along with the NATO evacuation. The victory in Ireland prevented the large NATO buildup and a potential invasion of France or Great Britain. However the victory was bittersweet. Two airborne divisions was lost, and in order to take down Dublin the Soviets were forced to let several British, exiled Dutch, Canadian and most importantly American brigades slip away. The Soviets suffered around 190.000 losses (the majority not permament) and it showcased several weaknesses in the Soviet war machine. Moreover the "distraction" of Ireland turned Soviet and Pact attention toward the British Isles, US and British troops took advantage and invaded Spain whose losses skyrocketed to over 300.000 men. The Battle of Ireland was expected to be a swift one, instead it lasted for over two months and the once green island was turned red as extraordinary brutal battles took place, claiming over 550.000 permament Irish military casualties. The Third World War had claimed over three million casualties in a little over three months. More was to come..

Fathers can proceed to bury their sons..

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*This was my own error.. I believed Cork had a port, and not until weeks afterwards I realized it had no port. By that time I had ordered the army to simply move to Cork for too long and was too busy fighting elsewhere to pick up my mistake. In the story it is both faulty intelligence (aka. my incompetence) and bad weather that prevented troops to enter Cork from sea.

 

[stnylan]

Is there anywhere left in Europe that has yet to experience the illumination of Comrade Trotsky?

 

[ThaHoward]

Is there anywhere left in Europe that has yet to experience the illumination of Comrade Trotsky?

Lichenstein?

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Ireland and Gibraltar were the only NATO footholds in Europe still holding.

That's smashing progress, even for a game universe.

As the campaign in Europe progressed Paris Pact intelligence services received reports that thousands of US and Canadian troops as well as the remnants of the huge British Empire was heading for the British Isles.

Amazing the Empire still stands, and boy, that's a lot of troops if they are holding nothing back. Good news for Indian fronts though.

The landings would be around the city of Corck in the south

Hmm...in English, it's the City of Cork. In Irish, it's Corcaigh (probably because it was on a marsh at some point). In some places the spelling is correct however so this might be random typos.

...

Spain has been invaded? That's not good. And its actually closer to the Americas than Ireland is so that Anglo-centrism might have actually bit you in the ass there. Still, it means no one is coming to save the British now.

 

[ThaHoward]

That's smashing progress, even for a game universe.



Amazing the Empire still stands, and boy, that's a lot of troops if they are holding nothing back. Good news for Indian fronts though.



Hmm...in English, it's the City of Cork. In Irish, it's Corcaigh (probably because it was on a marsh at some point). In some places the spelling is correct however so this might be random typos.

...

Spain has been invaded? That's not good. And its actually closer to the Americas than Ireland is so that Anglo-centrism might have actually bit you in the ass there. Still, it means no one is coming to save the British now.

I think I choose Corcaigh over Cork Yes, it was just lazy typos really. Or more accuracte I first wrote Cork, and then saw it was Cork so I corrected most of it, all of it is corrected now..

And yes the British held back troops in India, Africa etc. They sent them to Ireland, but they got sent back when I took the ports, and if GB falls it is not like they will have much of an industry to support their troops

And yes, I got so focused on taking out the superpower in Europe that I forgot all about Spain.. We'll see how it all evolve in a later update, interesting stuff is happening and as you can see Spain is getting some pretty heavy casualties. But when I think of it as Spain is the second nation in Europe that turned communist, and kept the communist regime until now, it would at least be ideologically impactful to lose Spain. Strategical it can only serve in the wider campaign in the Med. or worse off an invasion of France. That would hurt.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Considering Spain became a lot less important to the cause as soon as France became communist...this reversal boosts them up in priority again so close to the finish. Plus far better for Spain and Gibraltar to be the last fight in Europe before the allies are pushed out for good, than a second invasion launched from a restored Gb into Russia itself.

 

[ThaHoward]

Considering Spain became a lot less important to the cause as soon as France became communist...this reversal boosts them up in priority again so close to the finish. Plus far better for Spain and Gibraltar to be the last fight in Europe before the allies are pushed out for good, than a second invasion launched from a restored Gb into Russia itself.

Yes true, and winter is coming. I guess it is a lot better to fight a major battle in somehwat temperate locations than in Russia or Britain. We'll see what happen, I am just impressed that the AI managed to take advantage of the situation

 

[ThaHoward]

Chapter 51: God Save the King..

Spoiler: Music

Workers of Newscastle united.

British troops had just been pushed out of the Liverpool-Hull line and fel back to what was to become known as the Carlisle-Newcastle Line. This new line provided for a rugged terrain and a relatively narrow line that prevented Soviet manuever warfare. The position was easy to defend, especially against armored formations. South of Newcastle the British still held lands, however the Soviets managed to break through on the westernmost part of the area. While NATO troops managed to hold off the Soviet offensive they were in a predicament. True the British might hold off the Soviets in the south but as the western flank was compromised they risked being encircled. Their dilemma was to either hold the Soviets in the south or fall back to the Carlisle-Newcastle line. The Soviets on the other hand was aware of this aswell, and while the Front under Kuznetsov was ordered to take advantage of the exposed western flank the other Fronts was ordered to pin down the British defenders to prevent a fallback, despite monstrous losses. As the advance northward into Britain went along the fate of Ireland became a pressing issue. As of now Ireland provided a safehaven of some sorts for the British and NATO troops in Great Britain. Taking out Ireland was made a priority, in part to prevent NATO reinforcements and in part to prevent a NATO evacuation from Britain. And so on the 26th, the day prior to the fall of the line stretching from Liverpool to Hull, Ireland was invaded. The Soviets was preparing for the last push into northernmost England and into Scotland, they prepared to trap NATO in Europe and crush them once and for all. The Battle of Britain was entering its last phase.

Soviet officer instructs his soldiers on the Maxim.

All over the frontline the Soviets were on the attack. Pushing ahead relentlessly. The battle continued all night, but no gains were made. The forces under Kuznetsov was on the offensive. Having pushed a British infantry brigade out from the south-west of Carlisle they were prepared to enter the fray and the city. The path laid open. But an American armored brigade rushed to the defense and managed to strengthen their position. The Soviet infantrists was taken by surprise and low on supplies they couldn't rely on artillery support and were only supported by machine guns. Instead the Soviets focused on their flying artillery, namely the Il-2 Sturmoviks, pounding the American tanks from the air. But the British had one ace up in their sleeves; the Gloster Meteor.* The impact of the first jet fighter was later downplayed as Soviet aces said coldly "the first jet fighter I saw, I shot it down", but it had a major impact. The Soviet Air Force was starting to suffer in their many offensives over Britain. The Meteors was especially lethal to the Sturmoviks, many of whom had to be grounded during the operations. The last reserves of Meteors, along with other fighter reserves, was put into the battle to prevent a Soviet assault at all cost. The battle in the air turned costly for both sides, just as the battle on the ground. The Soviet infantrists had to retreat as they were stonewalled, in their stead two Mechanized Corps' went on the offensive, detirmined to root out their American armored counterparts and take Carlisle. Despite the Soviet tanks being vastly superior the Americans had better control of the terrain. The hilly terrain did not favor armored warfare and the Soviet armor was forced into bottlenecks where they were overwhelmed by American tanks or ambushed by tank destroyers. By daybreak Kuznetsov realized he could not advance further. The encirclement of Newcastle failed. Instead the focus shifted to the line south of Newcastle. However the British were well entrenched here aswell. Battle raged on the entire night well into the day of the 29th. Shrapnel filled the air, artillery rumbled, bombs lit up the horizon and screams echoed the night. But it was not enough to deter the British. They held their ground, despite being close to collapse the British was firm in their defense. Britain remained for another day.

Perhaps we can soon reach New York by air..

As mentioned earlier the British employed their radical Gloster Meteor on the final stages of the Battle of Britain. One unforseen consequence was that the downed jets opened up opportunities for the Soviet scientists. Having struggled to create a jet engine of their own the Soviets took advantage of the British jet engines to create one of their own. With the defeat of Germany the brilliant German scientists on board the jet engine program was sent to the USSR aswell to help develop the new type of engine for fighters and bombers. However with the defeat of Germany in '42 they never really got the chance to make their theoretical work bear any fruits. Still extensively studied by the victorious Pact forces and contributed to work on early Soviet jet fighters, especially on Arkhip Mikhailovich Lyul'ka who was responsible for the Soviet jet fighter programme. It was hoped that down the line these engines would foster fighter-jets that could outrun any other fighter and bomber, becoming exceptional both in the role as an air superiority fighter and interceptor of the dreaded US long raged (nuclear) bombers. Ever since the atomic bombings of the Ukraine and Crimea the Soviet Union had longed for finding a method to deliver their revenge upon the coasts of the United States of America. A whole project of its own amply named "the America Bomber Project" was created following the nuclear bombing, and as of now there had only been looked into long ranged aircraft propellers, however with the breakthrough in jet engines and rocket engineering it was believed a whole new generation of long range bombers could be developed... and used in vengeance.**

Trotsky personally inspects the troops.

On the ground no progress was made. So desperate was the situation that by October Trotsky himself was flown to the front. He would inspect the frontline troops to inspire and brace them for the coming battles. The greatest threat to the Soviet forces were the NATO close air support and fighter bombers. Along the front they moved in to harass Soviet armor and blow up bridges. From the clear blue sky NATO dive bombers attacked the Soviet forces without end. While Trotsky visited the troops the Soviet Air Force luanched a major offensive against the remnants of the Royal Airforce and the US Army Airforce. Following several attacks against the airfields deep into Scotland the remaining NATO airforce was dealt with, posing no real threat any more. After giving his troops an inspiring speech in his usual charismatic manner that had won him the Communist Party and the people Trotsky gave his troops one order: Take Liverpool.

As most of the Il-2s are already shot down, we might as well upgrade.

However the many battles all of the British Isles, the mediterranean and especially the last major air offensive in Britain had its high toll on the Soviet Airforce. This was especially true for the Sturmoviks. The IL-2s was anyway meant to be replaced by the IL-10s who were a general upgrade of the famous Sturmovik. However the IL-10 hadn't entered service yet, mostly due to the pilots meant to fly these planes were still in training and the IL-10 itself was under continuous upgrades and evaluation. By October of 1945 the Airforce held back the IL-10s for active service and were instead hoping to make them more subtainble against AA fire and give them larger payloads and engine.

The trenches around Newcastle.

The Battle of Britain went over to a phase of attritional warfare which reminded of the trenches from the Great War. The losses on both sides were enormous. The endurance of the Soviet Army was close to running out considering the huge supply demand and losses of lives that had taken place in Great Britain. Moreover a flow of fresh troops flowed to the Carlisle-Newcastle line from USA, the Empire and volunteers who had escaped communist controlled Europe. Artillery duels was commonplace and neither side managed to break out, however the Soviets now got the trumph card in their sleeves.. They had cracked the NATO radio codes and mustered huge artillery attacks against the gathering areas of the British Army south of Newcastle. This wrecked the British lines making it possible for a Soviet counterattack. "They pounded everything on us. Medium and heavy howtizers. The former fired with a much greater rate, the latter was sporadic but their bangs was devastating. Mortars were fired too and it was those we feared the most. When medium and heavy howitzers growled we had the chance to get to cover, the mortars on the other hand blew shrapnels above us and at such a rate that we just laid down in the mud and hoped for the best. An artillery round hit right in front of us at the ditch and rolled down into the trench. We were terrified, the propeller stopped whirring and we made peace. But it was a dud! It went on like this for hours without end and for several days, it made us crazy. Any attempt to retreat resulted in machine and tank gun fire from the Soviet side or getting caught up in the artillery attack. One boy just come in from recruit school panicked and run out of the shelter, he was impaled by the whirring shrapnel in the air. But the worst was to come, that was the damned Trotsky Orgels as the Jerries called them. My eardrums burst and all I could see was just all type of colors. When it was over, only God knows how long it lasted, the entire areas was just leveled.. limbs and body parts were everywhere and the suviving men screamed for the medic. But none came, only the Soviets".

Trotsky's into wonderweapons.

The Soviet rocket program bore fruits. By the third of October the V-1 replicate flying bombs was created, however they were out of reach from any of the NATO areas to make any difference only a few stroke in from Bessarabia into northern Greece. However they opened up the way for further advances into rocket artillery and the Soviets copied the theoretical Me-163 Komet. The new aircraft named the MiG-4 had impressive feats managing to reach 1.000 km/h (!) at top speed and most test pilots reported it could have an operational speed of 950km/h. However the rocket powered interceptor was very fragile and through the war the fatalities would come from accidents by test pilots and combat pilots rather than combat itself. Part of that reason was that the rocket interceptors was meant to cover the Soviet Motherland rather than be on offensive operations. Following the atomic scare each of the major Soviet airbases would house two squadrons of rocket interceptors. One to scramble during day, and one to scramble during night. Their fast speed was meant to intercept possible atomic bombers or just strategic bombers before they could reach their target, and harass them for long enough until higher armed, but slower fighters and heavy fighters arrived. Following the development of the flying bomb and MiG-4 Sergei Korolev requested further funds to continue into rocket engineering, claiming to be on the breakthrough of a ballistic missile. It was however instead decided that funds and resources should for now go to Arkhip Mikhailovich Lyul'ka and the jet engine project. However Korolev and his scientists was promised that they would soon get enough funds to develop further wonderweapons.***

Kuznetsov make a plan to end the siege.

It is the first morning hours after the dark autumn night of the 3rd. In the woods outside of Carlisle thousands of Soviet soldiers wait excited for the signal to attack. The tanks are ready, lines up side by side. Total silence is ordered. All you can hear is the bird chirps that give the illusion of peace and tranquility. Marshal Kuznetsov knows this is his last chance. Despite their major advances during the first weeks of the campaign, his Front have now faced harsh resistance from British, American and Commonwealth troops and even volunteers from all over Europe. The NATO troops had several anti-tank weapons for the ordinary infantry squads, proving to be highly effective in the hills around Carlisle and Newcastle. His plan is to focus the full force of his Front around Carlisle, knock into the area and spearhead his armored and mechanized forces straight into Edinburg emulating the success of the Southern Thrust. The infantry will follow up behind and prevent NATO counteroffensives. Newcastle is to be surrounded and England is to be cut off from Glasgow. Kuznetsov planned his attack down to the smallest detail. The artillery aim in to rectangles 100x30 meters, against such a grid up to 2000 shells per minute are fired. All life within such an area simply cease to exist. After that the fire is directed with diabolic efficiency on the next target, and then the next. The armor advance closely behind, and so do self-propelled artillery, assault guns and mobile katuysha batteries. The NATO troops, who are in rocky and hilly forested terrain, marked with big rocks, have no chance to escape. It turns into a horrible massacre. The Soviets could pinpoint the exact location of NATO troops due to cracking their signal codes, and after the merciless artillery attacks the Soviet armor and mechanized forces spearheaded towards Edinburgh ready to end the war..

Newcastle is surrounded and the walls of Hadrian breached.

Kuznetsov moved at an impressive speed making a lighting strike into Edinburgh cutting it off with the 1st KIVO Mechanized Corps. The will to resistance simply shattered among the NATO troops as the 1st Belorussian Front furiously thrusted into Scotland and the once steadfast British troops retreated in wild panick as the Soviets advanced. A Scottish farmer said "First the soldiers ran, then we ran, and then the Russians ran after them". An American soldier wote terrified "where do all these Russians come from? Where have they gathered their courage, their blind contempt for death?" The Red Army advanced in terrain which was in reality easy to defend. Lakes and hills forced the Soviet forces into small areas. Still they advanced in a formidable lightning strike. Nothing could stop them it seemed. But the British were fast to react. Having just lost Edinburgh Alan Brooke was resolute in his goal to retake Edinburgh. Three brigades was set in against the exhausted 1st KIVO before reinforcements arrived and the route between Edinburgh and Newcastle was forever lost. The British was outfitted with new American made anti-tank weapons making it possible for the ordinary soldiers to hit the T-44s, T-34s and APCs holed up in Edinburgh. However close in behind a Light-Tank and Heavy-Tank brigade was sent toward Edinburg from the Soviet side in full speed to prevent Edinburgh to fall.

Soviet troops prepare for a lengthy siege.

Meanwhile the thrust of the 1st Belorussian Front created a large hole in the Carlisle-Newcastle line. Newcastle was in effect surrounded and it was the last bastion in England. The remnants of the British government and high command evacuated in secrecy from Scotland and headed for the New World vowing to return in full force to liberate their homecountry. The 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts, under Rokossovsky and Gorbatov respectively, took in their positions all around the Newcastle pocket and bid their time to fully prepare their attack and starve their adversary. The attack on Newcastle would be spread out between two axis's. the 2nd Front would strike from Carlisle and along the southern part, into the British southern positions and then into Newcastle. The 3rd Front would be stationed from Carlisle too, but their frontline would stretch to the north of Newcastle falling upon the NATO troops from the south. An American commander noted "we're about to be turned into a burger". This huge pincer movement was planned by the Soviet High Command, in other words Trotsky himself. The Soviets now embarked upon one of the greatest bombardments in history. By the end of the siege the Soviets fired 1,8 millions grenades of all sorts who equaled some 36000 tons of steel over Newcastle. North of Newcastle a Soviet sergeant was positioned upon a heigh overlooking the ruined houses and rooftops of Newcastle unfolding all the way to west. He had waited for this moment and later described among his Russian comrades as "The feeling of joy and victory gripped us. This was the last enemy defensive line, the time of reckoning had come!"

The push into Scotland..

Meanwhile Kuznetsov was not prepared to savor his losses and dig in to hold the line. Instead the goal was to continue the offensive and roll straight into Glasgow. The reinforcements to the 1st KIVO was held back, instead the other armored forces was meant to plunge straight into Scotland to defeat the American and British troops there and cut off the troops attacking the 1st KIVO. The British knew what was on stake the very existance of their homeland and the military junta of Britain issued a message to their soldiers "those who do not follow their officers into death, can count on facing execution". The Battle of Britain entered into a newfound brutality.

A group of soldiers up for a rare pause.

The attack into Scotland started with lethal attacks from accurate fighter and dive bombers. These also struck the bridges and railroads behind the NATO troops depriving them of resources. The British and Americans quickly restored these brigdes, but new Sturmoviks apperead and knocked them out. This combined with new batches of AT weapons, tank destroyers and T-44-100s reinforced the Soviet battle morale and severly weakened the NATO morale. From their positions in Edinburg and to the south the Soviets had to advance through hilly terrain, forested areas and marshes who made it difficult to advance. Still the Soviet forces advanced forward pushing the NATO defenders back. The Soviet armor grinded down the NATO positions one after the other and thundered forward through the blood stenched fields. Some of the forward NATO positions suffered as high as 70% casualty rates. Some places the Soviet forces didn't even take prisoners, just passing by them or worse.

Newcastle resist, the Soviets persist.

Meanwhile along Newcastle the 2nd and 3rd Fronts resumed their offensives. However the NATO troops was well entrenched. Among them was the American 10th Armored Division reinforced by several infantry brigades and the 101st Airborne Division who was sent out as a "wave breaker" against the Soviets. The Americans got an ulimatum from the Soviets to surrender, but General McAuliffe simply replied "Nuts!" - it is reasons to believe that his oral words were even harsher. However the evening offensive soon turned into harsh combats along the rivers and outskirts of Newcastle, and by midnight the battle was turning to the favor of NATO. The Soviet forces spent some three days to just break into the British lines, but they still held the defensive lines south of Newcastle. Around 30.000 Soviet troops fell south of Newcastle, while the British lost 12.000. To the north the Soviet attack didn't do much better as despite the first armored columns raced into Newcastle they met fierce NATO resistance in the suburbs and outskirts of Newcastle. NATO mounted a desperate defense of Newcastle, and by the looks of it it would not be broken easily. Around 400 Soviet tanks were lost in the streets of Newcastle. To fight in cities was a nightmare scenario for the Soviet soldiers as the enemy could show up everywhere, also on places that was already conquered. The fights were not only conducted in the streets, but also underground and in the sewers. A Soviet comms soldier reminisced on how the NATO resistance stiffened in the suburbs of Newcastle: "When we breached the houses there was no soldiers there, men the grenades still flied into from the sides or back of the house. We didn't know with certainty who we battled - there was no women and soldiers in the house, no soldiers, men under the floor in the basement we found soldiers who hid in the cellar". The battle of Newcastle was so exhaustive that by the 8th the attack was called off and only sporadic fights remained between forward and recon elements. Still the bombing and barrages of Newcastle persisted.

British soldiers outside of Glasgow.

But in the north in Scotland the pipe played a different tune alltogether. As the 2nd and 3rd Fronts was under major pressure they implored Kuznetsov to expedite his offensive. Kuznetsov did not hesitate and the Red Army released its full fury against NATO in Scotland. In a few days the remnants of the NATO army collapsed completely and Soviet troops entered Glasgow. To make matters worse for the NATO troops the Soviets unleashed hundreds of troops dressed in American and British uniforms and gear behind enemy lines to disrupt communications, supply lines and take control over bridges. This led to widespread fear among the NATO troops who distrusted eachother and to fight an enemy by the fronts and behind them. They were met with initial fierce resistance, however as the American brigades there collapsed the British troops who had spent all their munitions surrendered. Glasgow fell, and with it all of Scotland. This was the major turning point..

British troops surrender to the Red Army.

On the 8th of October 1945 the representatives of the British government and armed forces in Great Britain surrendered. The remaining British high command was taken in Glasgow and they saw no need to continue the fight. The British commander issued the instructions to the diplomats who was to negotiate the surrender to the Soviets:

• 1. Do not hide the fact that we are in their [USSR's] power and is in a phase of full demobilization.
• 2. You will announce that the King, His Majesty's Government, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force have left the country and that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a state is and will remain in war against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Paris PACT, but that the British commander have official authorization to settle all that concerns the Russians transfer of actual power on the British Isles.

And with that the United Kingdom surrendered. It was a sense of disbelief among the British but also relief. After two months of bloody battle that wrecked not only the British Armed Forced, her status as a superpower but also her homeland. Britain was in ruins and it surrendered to the Red Army.

A few troops still hold out to the bitterest of ends.

The transfer of power was relatively peaceful and the noose around Newcastle tightened. The Americans who still occupied Newcastle suffered immense casualties, but they refused to give up the city. Ameican, Danish and Greek troops remained in the smoking ruins of Newcastle. The Soviets resumed their attack on Newcastle. However it again resulted in confused and crazed street battles. A Soviet guard witnessed such fights: "There is neither any clear frontline, or a rear area or detailed missions. You sit in teh third floor, and that is your frontline and beneath you is your reserve area. Five to ten minutes later the situation is very different: Beneath you are all out of sudden capitalists and out of the third floor great fires spits out of the windows. In accordance to the infantry field manual where is the front and the rear area?" The remaining NATO troops mounted a fanatic and desperate attack and after hours of bloody battle there was as if they wouldn't bend to the will of Trotsky. The defenders could, however, only pospone the inevitable becaus the larger Battle of Britain was already decided.

Only the Americans remain and they are losing ground.

After nine in the morning the Soviets started to conquer block after block deprived of mercy. The stiff NATO resistance continued, but they were running out of supplies - and a cause to fight for. The final killing blow came when the port of Newcastle was taken by Soviet mechanized forces and the NATO forces had no means for evacuation, reinforcements or supplies. Within an hour the last NATO troops surrendered at a great cost for both sides. The Battle of Britain was over. The Union Jack flew over Great Britain for the last time and it was an emotional moment for all who partook in the Battle of Britain and it shocked the world at large. The nation that once ruled the world and survived both the Kaiser and Hitler was now no more, crushed under the boots of the world revolution. However abroad the British Empire was still very much alive and the Royal Navy and Air Force still had a role to play and would fight on over the supremacy of the seas and skies. Meanwhile the Royal Army fought on in the mountains of Greece, the streets of Dublin and the deserts of Africa. More significant they held out against the PACT assault on Gibraltar and fought alongside their American ally in the invasion of Spain. Still the fall of Britain and the later fall of Ireland was a major turning point in not only the war, but world history as a whole. The Soviets paraded along the main street of London where the surrender was officially staged and Rokossovsky rode on a white stallion like Napoleon, as a conquering hero. Trotsky took up residence in Buckingham Palace and led the fight on NATO from there. Still the war was far from over.

Losses on the 6th.****

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*So in game they don't have jet-fighters. But thought it was good narrative wise and since they were introduced in 1944.

**I think it make sense why the various nations are so far behind in the development of jet engines. OTL the Germans heavily influenced both the USSR and USA in their development of jet fighters, this time around the Soviets have much better access to German engineering slowing down American progress, however the British still developed jet engines of their own and again OTL the British Nene engine was used in the Soviet MiG-15 that we all know. The war is slowly becoming modernized, perhaps even faster than OTL due to the circumstances. It would be awesome if MiGs, Sabres and Vampires were up in the skies against eachother.

***I needed rocket engines to get to jet engines. I took jet engines over rocket engines 2. But the next research will be improved rocket engines . Then we can get the ballistic missiles/V2s. After that we can take advanced rocket engines, giving us guided missiles 3 with a range of 11000 km! Those are bound for the USA

****I managed to lose some screenshots in the final battles of Britain, both the battle of Newcastle, the British surrender and the conquest of Scotland. However the British surrendered around the 8th when Glasgow fell, and Newcastle soon fell.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Ever since the atomic bombings of the Ukraine and Crimea the Soviet Union had longed for finding a method to deliver their revenge upon the coasts of the United States of America. A whole project of its own amply named "the America Bomber Project" was created following the nuclear bombing, and as of now there had only been looked into long ranged aircraft propellers, however with the breakthrough in jet engines and rocket engineering it was believed a whole new generation of long range bombers could be developed... and used in vengeance.**

This is going to mean rockets and jet fighters will advance quite quickly at some point as both sides race to develop intercontinental misses, with a much greater urgency than OTL because now the gap between the lines truly is vast, and the US are 'owed' payback in terms of atomic weapons by Russia. They know they won't get away with less than at least two or three bombings before an agreement might be reached over MAD (if it ever does, the world may be Red by then).

And with that the United Kingdom surrendered. It was a sense of disbelief among the British but also relief. After two months of bloody battle that wrecked not only the British Armed Forced, her status as a superpower but also her homeland. Britain was in ruins and it surrendered to the Red Army.

A real watershed moment. Not only did they just take down one of the most powerful states to ever exist right in their own heartlands whilst their Empire was still mostly intact but also marked the end of capitalism and democracy in Europe by decisively defeating the nation state that perhaps embodied it the most (and was one of the few that Marx thought might actually convert to Socialism peacefully too, ironically).

he Battle of Britain was over. The Union Jack flew over Great Britain for the last time and it was an emotional moment for all who partook in the Battle of Britain and it shocked the world at large. The nation that once ruled the world and survived both the Kaiser and Hitler was now no more, crushed under the boots of the world revolution.

However abroad the British Empire was still very much alive and the Royal Navy and Air Force still had a role to play and would fight on over the supremacy of the seas and skies. Meanwhile the Royal Army fought on in the mountains of Greece, the streets of Dublin and the deserts of Africa. More significant they held out against the PACT assault on Gibraltar and fought alongside their American ally in the invasion of Spain. Still the fall of Britain and the later fall of Ireland was a major turning point in not only the war, but world history as a whole.

I question their capabilities now the Home Islands are gone. What with independence already a roar before WWII, now its far greater than any force the British can muster to quell it. Especially in Asia, I can't see the colonies fighting with GB against an alliance including some very strong Asian countries all of which alleged to free the populace for imperial control. If nothing else, I think India would go independent at this point. Egypt...maybe not, unless they had US support (they'd basically be trading one master for another whatever they chose, they are right on the front line as it were).

Trotsky took up residence in Buckingham Palace

Seriously?

 

[ThaHoward]

This is going to mean rockets and jet fighters will advance quite quickly at some point as both sides race to develop intercontinental misses, with a much greater urgency than OTL because now the gap between the lines truly is vast, and the US are 'owed' payback in terms of atomic weapons by Russia. They know they won't get away with less than at least two or three bombings before an agreement might be reached over MAD (if it ever does, the world may be Red by then).

Yup my thoughts too. Knowing the AI I'm going to assisst at least US to get jet fighters. For nukes over America 3 strikes are warranted, or we will bomb them to submission

A real watershed moment. Not only did they just take down one of the most powerful states to ever exist right in their own heartlands whilst their Empire was still mostly intact but also marked the end of capitalism and democracy in Europe by decisively defeating the nation state that perhaps embodied it the most (and was one of the few that Marx thought might actually convert to Socialism peacefully too, ironically).

If the USSR wins official history will claim the people demanded it but the imperialists denied them their rights, so the Soviets liberated them.. And yup, democracy and capitalism have faced its end in Britain. A major watershed, symbolically and practical!

question their capabilities now the Home Islands are gone. What with independence already a roar before WWII, now its far greater than any force the British can muster to quell it. Especially in Asia, I can't see the colonies fighting with GB against an alliance including some very strong Asian countries all of which alleged to free the populace for imperial control. If nothing else, I think India would go independent at this point. Egypt...maybe not, unless they had US support (they'd basically be trading one master for another whatever they chose, they are right on the front line as it were).

From my understanding a contributing factor for India and the Dominions became independent states cause they didn't want to fight Britains wars (very simplified) now as London have fallen that sentiment must only be reinforced and the Brirish have no actual authority. However it's HoI4 there is not likely for colonial wars. I may simulate it, if it doesn't become too gamey. Egypt might become Freegypt, but considering the major presence of British and US troops there and that there is an ongoing battle I suppose the US wanna bet on the safest horse. But interesting stuff is happening in the Empire which I'll cover later on. Britain is not likely to substain their army for much longer due to the loss of their industry. However they might put up a fight with US lend lease.

Seriously?

Not that serious. More of a bad joke and very tempoairly during celebrations.

 

[Draguss]

Thanks for your update! It was a really fun read and very excited for the next.

 

[stnylan]

And that's it for Europe. Tine for more Trans-Atlantic endeavours

 

[ThaHoward]

Thanks for your update! It was a really fun read and very excited for the next.

Thanks, I'm really happy that I manage to stay relevant and entertaining! The next update will be about Spain, Egypt or something else entirley

And that's it for Europe. Tine for more Trans-Atlantic endeavours

Yes a transantlantic adventure.. or "this time for Africa!"

 

[ThaHoward]

Chapter 52: Island Hopping vol.2.

Spoiler: Music.

A scene from the battle of the med.

By mid September the Royal Navy met two crushing defeats in the English Channel and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea - just north of the Suez. It was a crippling blow difficult for the Royal Navy to recover from, still NATO had the Gibraltar Strait, the Suez Canal, Malta, Cyprus, Crete, Aegean and Dodecanese islands in their fold. This posed a threat to the overall Soviet war effort in the area. Air raids could be conducted from these islands, as well as disruption of Soviet supply lines and naval campaigns. The Royal Navy was beaten, but not broken and the US Navy was still in the game - despite clinging to protecting their homewaters and raid Soviet-Pacific sealanes. Whilst the Soviet focus was fixed on Britain, northern Europe and Greece, its gaze would soon turn to the Eastern Mediterranean..

Case Cyprus.

Perhaps the most obvious target in the Eastern Med. was the island of Cyprus. Placed strategically to control said area it held a major NATO garrison. Matter of factly over the coming weeks several of the NATO troops beaten in Turkey and the Levant would evacuate toward Cyprus. The armored forces of the 2nd Ukranian Front was tasked with dealing with the NATO invasion south of Trotskygrad ((see chapter 49)), however its Rifle and Cavalry divisions was tasked with bringing down Cyprus. Already on the 27th orders were given for seven Rifle Divisions and one Cavarly Division of the 2nd Ukr. Front to invade eastern Cyprus taking control of the capital and the vital ports in the area. Meanwhile nine Rifle Divisions was to land in western Cyprus. STAVKA and Trotsky feared a major NATO garrison stationed in Cyprus and was prepared to bring down a mighty hammer to crush it.

The Royal Navy raid Pact naval lanes.

It was not until after the first week of October that the Soviets managed to garner enough confidence to order a second invasion of the Aegean and Dodecanese isles and order an invasion of Cyprus. NATO intelligence services caught up with these reports and the British decided to responde with a daring raid with one battlecruiser and once aircraft carrier into the Soviet invasion forces. However the Black Sea Fleet anticipated as much and responded with sending out their battle squadrons. The fleet was led on by the modern and mighty Karl Marx battleship, while the raiders was led on by the modern Kornstadt battlecruiser. The fleet of the revolution was leading on to meet the British. It was not for long until Karl Marx and the battleships tied up the British squadron, while Kronstadt and the cruisers harassed the enemy. But it was a diversion. Soviet submarines moved in and managed to cripple two British destroyers, before the main batteries of the battleships turned in to destroy them. Over the next days the two forces would engage in a cat and mouse game where the British meant to evade the Soviet force, while the Soviets wanted to sink them to the depths of the sea. To the east the Italians managed to intercept British reinforcements.

One island down. Many to go..

The Soviet Naval Landing forces met significant resistance from NATO troops, however on October the 13th the 5th Regiment managed to conquer one of the islands. The island was bombarded until it was no life left on it. A naval infantrist said "there was no animals, no humans, not even grass". The Soviets eradicated the island under intense bombardments. The cost NATO defenses put on the lives of Soviet naval invasions made the Soviets turn to desperate measures.

Bye bye.

On the night of the 15th of October the Battle of Rhodes was over. The guns fell silent as the navies had skirmished for days over control of Rhodes. The remnants of the Royal Navy in the Med. believed it could score an easy victory, instead their once total naval dominance was being slowly turned to nothing and an entire nation was humiliated in the process. Just days before the forces in Britain itself had capitulated and their defeat was only solidified with the destruction of several more capital ships. The captain of Soviet Russia was said to cry over the radio "and so Soviet Russia prove that Britain is not invincible" as his battleship delivered the killing blow into.. you guessed it HMS Invincible. On land Greece was slowly falling as Soviet forces was moving toward Athens and had split the nation in half. The Royal Navy was the last hope for the Greeks. That the British would clear the seas for NATO reinforcements. Instead the Red Fleets would dominate the Mediterranean and Greece would fall. During the campaign for the Eastern Med. the two sides would only clash in one other naval battle where Soviet submarines ran into two heavy cruisers, three destroyers and one light cruiser on escort duty. Only one heavy and one light cruiser survived the clash. The British power in the Mediterranean was truly broken.

The fall of Cyprus.

Then on the 29th of October the long awaited invasion of Cyprus begun. The eastern forces only met scattered British resistance and the eastern half of the island was cleared during the evening that same day. The Rifle Divisions was ordered to hold the eastern half of the country while the cavalry was ordered to the west to bind up the garrisons there. Soon the full force of the western forces arrived and Cyprus was taken. As it turned out most of the NATO forces had been evacuated, with only already severly beaten NATO troops being left to occupy Cyprus. No doubt with the loss of the Levant and the Royal Navy the strategic importance of Cyprus was lost. However the NATO troops evacuated to Crete where one of the fiercest battles of the campaign was about to begin..

A German soldier in Crete.

Paralell with the Soviet attacks into the Eastern Med. the German and French armies launched several attacks into eastern Crete. There they were met with ferocious resistance and the NATO troops there, mostly American and British, noted on the needless sacrifice by PACT troops. On the beaches and the hills of Crete it was reported "it flows of communist blood". PACT troops met walls of bullets and shrapnel and was sacrificed in several human waves. Throughout all of October and November the French and Germans would send in several divisions worth of Chasseurs, Jägers and infantry into Crete and several of the landings was beaten back. The beaches of eastern Crete was turned red for months to come. This was a terrible omen for STAVKA. Crete was turned into a NATO fortress, one that would not be given up easily.

The Soviets move into Crete.

The battle of Crete ranged on iin eastern Crete as soldiers from the French Commune and the German Socialist Republic battled in one of the bloodiest fights of the war. The troops kept on rolling in and yet another German infantry division was ordered to Crete. However with recent events in Spain the fury of the Red Menace only increased and it became clear this was no longer a war between two opposing worldviews, but one of survival. Furious by "the crimes against humankind" the Soviets launched their invasion of Crete. The first wave was of the 2nd Ukr. Front (mostly the armored units in the defense of Trotskygrad, and a few infantry units who brought down Cyprus) under Popov was to attack into western Crete just short of Heraklion and the ports in the east that could supply a major invasion force. Meanwhile the naval landing infantrists would help the French and Germans in their naval assaults, with Paratroopers coming in from England to launch air assaults. In the west three Motorized Rifle Divisions and one Heavy-Tank Brigade hit the beaches around Chania* and met resistance. However the Soviet attack approach was ruthless.

The beaches of Chania.

The Soviets plotted their attack with bombardments from air and sea and even a few of their flying bombs. Their strategy was to carve up the landing zones into grids and bombard one grid until it was pounded to oblivion with rockets, bombs, grenades and napalm bombs from air and sea. As one grid was dealt with, then the next one was the target. As the Soviet troops got into position inland and came under heavy fire they kept up this bombardment, however they included self-propelled artillery and motorized katyusha rockets. They moved inland unleashed their demonic fury onto their designated gird before they moved forward and repeated this process. This was a huge drain on Soviet munitions, but it was also a huge drain on NATO manpower so to speak. Not until long Chania was secured.

One province down, three to go.

During the early morning of the 18th of November Chania was secured. The three Mot. Rifle Division and the 9th Havy-Tank Brigade was ordered to dig down and hold their position. To the far east of the island the French and Germans kept up their attack and perished as flies. In response two naval landing regiments was ordered to assist the west European invaders in bringing down Lassithi. Menwhile Soviet troops was making their landing to the east of their first landing, namely on the beaches of Rethymnon. As with Chania they met resistance, but the same tactics for bombardment was employed. The result was grueling for the defenders, and not until long Rethmynon fell aswell.

The marines should do the trick - but they don't.

While the forces from the 2nd Ukr. Front dug down and prepared for an attack into Heraklion the 1st and 2nd Naval Infantry Regiments landed around Timbaki in the province of Heraklion. Here they at first employed shock tactics breaking through the American lines in the south. The marines pushed further inland believing they had broken through the lines with the Americans on retreat toward Heraklion itself. But it only ended up with them overstretching their lines and the Americans cunningly ambushed the Soviet marines. It quickly became apparent that the Soviet marines could not take on Heraklion on their own. But that was never the purpose. The armored and motorized forces from the west was to be the fist that was to crush Heraklion. The naval infantrists was just to be a diversion, and at best take Timbaki while the armored forces moved into Heraklion.

NATO warplane strafing Soviet landingcrafts.

While the battle raged on in Crete it did so too elsewhere. In the Aegean and Dodecanese islands the battles turned fierce. Soviet paratroopers and marines worked together hopping from one island to the other as they met stiff Anglo-Indian, Greek, Canadian, British and American resistance. Several troops who had evacuated from the Levant, Cyprus, Greece and Egypt were holed up in these islands and were battered. The campaigns that took place were similar to the Pacific campaign the Americans and British had fought during WW2 and the Allies were now on the defensive with little means of supply. Their situation turned to the same as the Japanese, and as them they fought a desperate defense. The Soviet paras and marines suffered high casualties and several of the attacks was almost called off. However by the end of November all of the former Greeks islands (except for Crete) was under Soviet control. The USSR now had complete control over the Aegean Sea and the Straits around Trotskygrad.

The Battle of Heraklion begins.

Back to Crete. The 5th Mechanized Corps moved into the gap between Heraklion and Timbaki hoping to punch a hole in th NATO defenses, however they were met with fierce resistance. And much of the munitions for their artillery was spent during the landings on Crete. The American and British troops held their ground scoring several hits against the Soviet T-44s and APCs proving the Soviet armor was not invincible. Popov became increasingly frustrated as the hours passed by and the reinforcements became stuck in a traffic jam. All the while the two Naval Landing Regiments was pushed out off their landing zones being unable to bring in reinforcements. Much of their equipment and marines was left behind to the NATO troops. Would Popov's failure in the Far East be repeated in Crete?

A breakthrough!

Then the 22nd of November. The Muscovite Proletarian Mot. Rifle Division broke into Timbaki and moved further inland ready to encircle Heraklion while the 5th Mech. Corps took severe beating in the gap. At the same time the 185th Mot. Rifle Division engaged the garrison in Heraklion itself. Much of their success was due to munitions to the SP-artillery and mobile katyusha batteries again streaming in. However they had to be much more conservative in their approach than the days before. The enemy was not beaten however, and the mechanized formations of the Red Army still suffered huge casualties. However that was nothing compared to the naval landings on Lassithi where two naval landing regiments participated, but was bogged down with one being forced to call off their attacks already at their beach assault. The 4th however established a beachhead, but despite their significant air and naval support it was only a matter of time before they were pushed out.

The tide is turning against us..

Then during the early night of the 26th the NATO garrison got the upperhand again. With the Germans, French and Soviet marines beaten in the east they reinforced Heraklion and managed to push the Soviets back from their gains on the 22nd. The Soviets became frustrated at best, desperate at worst. Their supplies was running low an their improvised methods of bringing supplies to Crete could not substain a major force for long. The 2nd Ukr. Front risked losing their mechanized fist and two rifle divisions. Yet another humiliation for Popov (one he likely wouldn't survive) and a disaster for the Red Army and PACT war effort. Trotsky was furios and demanded answers.

Soviet paratroopers in Crete.

The Soviet answer was drastic. Three paratrooper armies was to land in Crete, with the remaining five being moved to bring in a second wave. Meanwhile the naval landing regiments was ordered to again move toward Crete and make a landing. The jump resulted in horrendous casualties for the Soviet paratroopers taking 80% casualties. The heroes of the VDV from England and Ireland was with the snap of a finger nearly wiped off. One of most grueling battles in the conflict thus was took place in Crete.

It's over.

But the gamble paid off. Despite extreme casualties and near destruction of several divisions worth of Soviet troops the island of Crete surrendered to the Soviet troops. Tens of thousands on both sides perished and many more were casualties. The island of Crete would be littered with craters and the beaches red of blood and the seas emptied for natural resources. The victory was bittersweet, but their goal was obtained to evict NATO from the Eastern Mediterranean. The 2nd Ukr. Front was then tasked with another objective. To make further naval landings from Crete and Cyprus into Egypt, west of the Suez Canal to break the stalemate there...

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*As a refference for the areas in Crete: http://www.explorecrete.com/crete-maps/images/crete-prefectures.gif

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

How depressing must it be for the Americans to continue a defence of Africa and the European seas when they know full well that everything outside of the Americas is almost certainly screwed now?

 

[stnylan]

Important though these gains are, one cannot help but feel they are a sideshow. And that Egypt might be a sideshow of a sideshow, as it were.

 

[ThaHoward]

How depressing must it be for the Americans to continue a defence of Africa and the European seas when they know full well that everything outside of the Americas is almost certainly screwed now?

Yes, almost like it's half hearted measures to give the show of resistance. That way it make sense that the US NAVY doesn't help out the sinking ship as they would rather defend their own coast.

Important though these gains are, one cannot help but feel they are a sideshow. And that Egypt might be a sideshow of a sideshow, as it were.

Look at it as small battles inbetween the major ones. The major show down in Europe was Britain. Now we'll see if Spain become one or it turn into another sideshow. But it will be a blast...