In defense of Freedom, a USA Kaiserreich AAR

Alright, looks like a very unanimous vote for the partition of Belorussia. It will be done.

@Leviathan07 & Meadow: Sigismund never went forward with his assassination attempt in the Minsk Opera House. White Ruthenia has for the entire game been led by some duke or prince named Vladimir. With a name like Vladimir, I don't even think he is German, so I cannot see Kaiser Wilhelm the 3rd really giving a shit. Tsar Dimitri Romanov might give him a nice job though within the new Russia, so I cannot see Vladimir having any complaints.

American infantry begin to clear out the Gilbert Islands chain of ANZAC presence. Fighting for every jungle filled island, the ANZACs resist stubbornly, but are soon overpowered by US numbers and naval superiority.


US infantry also begin landing operations on the island of Espirtu Santo, which is defended by a division of crack Manchu infantry led by someone who seems to be a Russian commander. Although the Americans have the advantage of numbers and heavy fire support from the US navy, the Manchurian in-depth defenses succeed in blunting the American assault, forcing US troops to withdraw from the island after they are unable to gain a solid foothold.


Meanwhile, thousands of US troops begin to redeploy from Europe back to the United States, where they will prepare for redeployment to the pacific theatre. However, most US forces in Europe, especially the army's elite armoured and mechanized formations, as well as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th armies, will remain on the continent, to deter any possible German aggression towards America's allies.


After almost a month in transport from Europe, 720,000 US infantry, including elite Marine and Mountaineer units, are ready for service in the pacific. These troops begin to board transport ships bound for Hawaii, in preparation for using them to begin new campaigns.


Meanwhile, at sea, American bombers intercept a small Japanese battleship squadron, headed by the battleship Nagato. Although not possessing any air cover, the American bombers find that they are unable to do any substantial damage due to Japanese evasive tactics, and the engagement is broken off when the American aircraft go to refuel.


Another small Japanese surface squadron is intercepted, this time, by the ships of the Canadian Royal Navy. Canadian carrier aircraft make short work of the enemy flagship, the Haruna, sinking the elderly battlecruiser and its escorting destroyers with bomb and torpedo attacks.




Meanwhile, the campaign in the Hebrides island chain has bogged down, with Japanese and ANZAC reinforcements halting any further American attacks.


Manchu aircraft in the area also begin to pose a problem, with their advanced ground attack bombers launching multiple raids from the airbases on Espirtu Santo against US troops in Noumea. The situation is reversed after USAAF jet fighters are called in, making short work of the Manchu bombers with no casualties of their own.

@yourworstnightm: Belarus did not go down the sigismund path. Instead, Vladimir took his seat at the Minsk Opera house and nothing happened.

Anyway, after reading in the KR wiki about both Sigismund and Vladimir, I have thought of a good story to result in a Belorussian partition.

Now, back to the war.

Newly arrived US forces in Hawaii are further redeployed to the island base on Wake Island. From there, they begin to depart as part of a massive offensive to sweep away Japanese control over the multiple island chains of the central Pacific.


The first engagement takes place on Marcus Island, located between Wake Island and Iwo Jima. The island, which is home to a large Japanese airbase, is defended by a lone garrison division of Japanese infantry. Although they fight ferociously, they are no match for 3 entire divisions of elite United States Marines. After 2 days, the island is secured.


A similar situation unfolds in Kwajalein, in the center of the marshall islands chain.


Next, the island of Truk falls to US forces.


The next island to fall to US forces is Guam, a territory with far more significance to the United States. Guam was seized by Japanese forces in 1937, when the United States descended into brutal civil war. After being out of reach for so many years, Guam is now finally reinstated as an overseas territory of the United States, the last pre civil war part of US territory to be reinstated.


Next, the United States marines and army, with the cover of Halsey's 3rd Carrier task force, storm the strategically important island of Iwo Jima, right at the edge of the central pacific frontline. The Japanese defenders, heavily dug into the volcanic island and utilizing caves to hide from American naval gunfire, are slowly cleared out of their positions, before the American flag is raised high on the top of Mount Suribayachi and the remains of the Japanese garrison surrender.



Saipan and Tinian, just north of Guam, are taken by US troops.


With US shipping moving all over the pacific, Japanese and Japanese allied submarine forces have begun to take a higher toll on American convoys. Here, 5 convoy ships are sunk while en-route to Truk by submarines from Transamur's navy.


As their island bases fall away all around them, the Japanese decide to launch a naval counterattack. Admiral Kaga, leading a massive task force with a whopping 9 carriers, ambushes the Canadian royal navy's carrier group located just east of Iwo Jima.


After several hours of pounding by advanced Japanese torpedo and dive bombers, the Canadian fleet retreats, but not before heavy damage is done. The Canadians lose 2 of their carriers, as well as the battlecruiser HMS Howe, for the loss of no Japanese ships.

@Earth's Savior: Nope, Jaime has not made any claim to the Bourbon throne.

@salidas16: The first ones will be ready by july 1946. After that, I will have some more by october.

@General War: I am honoured to be awarded the Weekly AAR showcase! Thank you, and everyone else, for all of your support! Looks like I have another award to add to my belt!

Well, time for another update.

After the failure of regular US infantry to take Espirtu Santo, reinforcements arrive in the area, in the form of 3 divisions of elite US marines. The Japanese have also brought reinforcements to hold the island, in the form of 2 divisions of elite and very well equipped ANZAC infantry divisions, who reinforcement the Manchu soldiers already on the island. With the support of heavy naval gunfire, US marines supported by infantry which attack from the south are able to finally overcome the enemy defenses. Espirtu Santo, as well as its important air and naval bases, finally falls to US troops.


Meanwhile, Canadian warships intercept a fleet of Transamur submarines that had been responsible to the loss of a large number of convoy vessels in the pacific. After suffering attacks from Canadian aircraft carrying depth charges, the heavily battered Transamur subs retreat.


The Canadian fleet is ordered to reconnoiter the seas around Japan itself. Here, the Canadian capital ships run into a small group of ANZAC destroyers accompanied by a pair of obsolescent Siamese light cruisers. The enemy vessels are all quickly sunk.


US naval forces now move on the Solomon islands, specifically, the island of Guadalcanal. As US forces begin landing operations, the escorting South Dakota class battleships are ambushed by a powerful Japanese carrier task force, consisting of 4 carriers and escorted by a number of other vessels. Luckily, the engagement takes place at night, hampering the ability of the Japanese to inflict any substantial damage on the American battleships. By the beginning of the morning, both sides disengage, with the only casualties being some damage to the American battleships.


With the Japanese fleet out of the way, US marines complete their landing operations, securing the entire undefended island of Guadalcanal, an important stepping stone to the Bismarck Archipelago and to New Guinea.


I bet you weren't expecting this! The strategically important island of Ulithi is taken from the Japanese, not by US forces, but by the Spanish army!


American infantry and marines, escorted by Halsey's carriers, invade Rabaul, in the Bismarck Archipelago chain of islands. Defended by only a single division of Japanese troops, Rabaul soon falls to US forces.


American reinforcements begin to move to the newly established bases on the island of Guadalcanal, in preparation for the expansion of the campaign in the south pacific, with the goal of landing on New Guinea.


Meanwhile, the Marshall Islands are cleared of most Japanese presence by American infantry.


As the war rages in the pacific, in Eastern Europe, a crisis develops unexpectedly. The King of White Ruthenia, Vladimir Hollenzollern, dies unexpectedly due to complications brought on from his haemophilia. Replacing Vladimir is Prince Sigismund, the leader of the hated National Security services, the White Ruthenian secret police. Riots break out all across the little kingdom, with the crisis reaching a boiling point when Prince Sigismund is assassinated by a Belorussian nationalist at his coronation ceremony in Minsk. The assassination rocks the German government and the Imperial family, as White Ruthenia descends into social anarchy. In response, the governments of Lithuania, Poland, and Russia offer to move troops into the country to restore order. The Kaiser accepts, even going so far as to allow the three states to carve up the little Belorussian kingdom among each other. The state of White Ruthenia quickly ceases to exist, as Russian, Polish, and Lithuanian soldiers and officials move into the country and carve the state up amongst themselves.