The French campaign was a lightning success in fulfilling it's initial aims, within 9 days, Flanders-Wallonien was annexed by French Panzer Armies and a second thrust had penetrated as far as Freiburg in Bavaria whilst the anti-aircraft cannons along the fortified Franco-German border rattled shell after the shell into the skies. Both the CNT-FAI and the Union of Britain (referred to as the UoB to avoid confusion from hence) Joined the French in their campaign. Despite the French buildup over the last 4 years, most of the German army was deployed in the Far East, dealing with the invasion of Shangqing Tianguo, the war in Vietnam that was dragging on much to the Kaiser's irritation and the Pacific Campaign against the Japanese Imperial Co-Prosperity Sphere.
The Entente joined the war as the Canadian Government saw the opportunity to attack the UoB, whilst dramatic entreaties to the Union State were made on the behalf of King Edward by Winston Churchill. Long was adamant that the return of New England was required before the Union State would provide anything to the Entente other than reasonable trade deals. Churchill attempted to appeal to Long's anti-syndicate stance, with Patton supporting the Canadian diplomat but the Kingfish was adamant, that the Union State was not interested in being drawn into a war with no potential gain for it's people other than that fickle quantity known as goodwill.
Churchill was vexed, and returned to Canada to personally brief and consult with the King and the cabinet, before selling the New Englanders down the river. Rockefeller knew that the gig was up, and joined the Union State as District Governor New England. The day was a great celebration, though the price was heavy.
Union Corps XXIII under Ashcroft and Union Corps II under Collins geared up for war, running comprehensive wargames whilst the Union Expeditionary Corps under the command of Wallace began to train for Europe specifically. Under the guns of the Robert E. Lee and the Independence, the Union Navy (aside from a few regional commands) left Charleston Military Docks and proceeded to the New York Dockyards, in order to begin joint naval exercises with the Canadian navy. Time was of the essence, and by August 2nd, 1940 the Union Corps II and XXIII were ready to land in Europe.
The main issue was where to land however. The Canadians maintained that the best landing zone was Scotland, via Iceland whereas Union State Generals wanted to land in North Africa, before crossing to Spain with National French troops, avoiding the Northern passages and hopefully dodging the numerically even but technically superior UoB Navy. The French put the dampers on this however, with De Gaulle even refusing to entertain the idea of Union troops on National French soil without prior consultation at least a year in advance. The fact that the Union and Canada both desired to move before the German army could execute a turn around meant that Scotland was chosen as the landing zone.
Charles De Gaulle- President of National France
Canadian troops would also not be the first to land on their blessed Albion, through the terms agreed between Long and King Edward, Union Army divisions would provide the first wave since it was felt that Canadian troops would feel too much of an attachment to their homeland which could lead to reckless advances that would then undo the entire campaign as they overstretched their supply lines.
One of the main concerns for the Canadians was the potential devastation of Germany by the French army, as well as the fact that as the Commune pushed further and further east, any strike by the Union and Canada would increase the amount of land that they could 'liberate' from Syndicalist woe, no matter how temporary.
It was decided that the landing in Scotland would take place in on June 6th 1941. Operation Sword would begin with Union shipping (projected to be vastly expanded by 1941) as well as Canadian naval assets crossing the North Atlantic, before landing at the staging post in Iceland and then pushing south to land at and capture Glasgow.
The first thing done though was to rebase two fighter squadrons to National France to help the beleaguered De Gaulle defend his airspace from Spanish bombing raids. The war was not looking good for Germany either, by the 7th of July, the Commune had taken Kassel and by the 14th were threatening a crossing of the Elbe at Wittenberg, north of Leipzig.
Austria and the Ottoman empire intervened in favour of the Germans, desperate to preserve the status-quo in Europe at the minimum, and eradicate the Syndicalist at the best. Bulgaria was also approached but only sent aid, denying the Ottomans a quick land transit through their territories in fear that the Germans might reward the Turk with their lands.
July 23rd saw the first shots fired in the war between the Union as UoB naval elements attacked a lone submarine in the Strait of Florida, putting the Minutemen in the districts bordering the Gulf of Mexico onto high alert. Admiral McIntyre and the 2nd Union Fleet were scrambled from Charleston to search the Sargasso Sea in pursuit of the unknown UoB fleet.
The next day the Canadian Caribbean Station made contact with a UoB fleet containing 15 capital ships and 6 smaller ones, Mcintyre redirected the 2nd Fleet Southward as fast as they could travel, hoping to interdict the UoB ships as the overwhelmed Admiral Sonderstrom retreated.
At 1100 Zulu time McIntyre made contact with the RNS Land and Labour, and launched planes from the AUS Saratoga. Spotter planes reported 6 battleships accompanying the Land and Labour, including the RNS Tolpuddle, the RNS Leveller, the RNS Naseby, the RNS Peterloo, the RNS Digger and the RNS People's Charter. The 1st fleet was recalled from Newfoundland – the AUS Robert E. Lee and AUS Independence having been on training exercises in the cold northern seas with the Canadians, both allies surprised by this bold incursion so close to America. Mcintyre fought to keep his inferior fleet out of the range of the UoB battleships whilst keeping them in the area of the Blake Plataeu, for despite their similar numbers, apart from the Saratoga, the largest displacements in his fleet were post-weltkrieg heavy cruisers such as the AUS Pensacola.
The UoB fleet pursued the Carribean Station out into the Atlantic and toward Bermuda, breaking off the engagement as McIntyre in turn followed them, whilst Pollard and the 1st Fleet made a grand sweeping plan to arrive from the North, East of the isle of Bermuda, and then hopefully loop around and into the Republican Navy catching them unawares. However the Canadians foxed the Republicans, and the Union Fleets subsequently lost track of the Republican Fleet. The 1st Fleet held in the New England Seamounts for 12 hours, when a fleet was sighted in the setting sun on the 28th of July. A quick radio query revealed that it was not the pursuing 2nd fleet. The Union had trapped the Republicans in the vice of their two fleets. Pollard attempted to press the advantage, but failed to make contact with the retreating UoB ships. He pursued them toward the Azores impetuously, hoping to make contact.
The pursuit continued until the 30th before the 1st Fleet returned to Newfoundland, whilst the 1st Tactical Army Air Bombardment Wing was sent to damage the port at Gran Canaria, from which the enemy had operated from and retreated to, confirming Scotland as the landing site for Operation Sword. On the 4th of August, the 1st Fleet encountered and sank the French submarine Requin, the kill being credited to the AUS El Paso.
The 28th of July also saw the launch of the AUS Yorktown, Unconquerable and Grass Fight, modern carriers all, who sailed to Newfoundland to meet with the 1st Fleet upon it's eventual return on the 10th of August.
Sadly the war at sea did not reflect the battlefield that Europe had become. French troops now occupied Berlin and Copenhagen, with the Kaiser having to flee to his East Prussia hunting estate south of Danzig which he established as his new centre of government.
The order to launch Operation Sword was given, despite the fact that the initial landing forces would be half the size planned, as the French ran rampant Europe, it was decided that Britain (code name Airstrip One) was to be liberated posthaste. August 20th saw the meetup of the Union 1st Fleet and the Union Transport Fleet, before heading off to Glasgow.
Meanwhile the research performed within the experimental facilities at Albuquerque-128 continued to proceed smoothly, developing a functioning Rocket Engine that could reach over 10km up, leading to the McDonnell men to begin work on their 'Operational Turbojet Engine Model' or OTEM, whilst Project 128 also began their work into the practical development of fission piles.
September saw the arrival at the Icelandic staging post and the final taking on of supplies for the troops. The segregation of Union divisions from the civilians of Iceland was harsh, as their government had permitted military access only on the strength of the 30 ship fleet the Canadians had had in Faxa Bay for 3 months prior to the arrival of the Transport Fleet. The 1st Mechanised Expeditionary Corps were billeted outside of Reykjavik, as the Transport Fleet returned to pick up the 2nd Mechanised Expeditionary Corps and the 1st Union Expeditionary Corps. The planners for Operation Sword had originally envisioned 18 transport ships to move the troops with, reducing the number of trips made, and the 6 missing ships were due on the 18th of November – meaning that the other two corps would cross in one trip whilst the 1st Mechanised (formerly II Union Corps) had to spend their autumn in Iceland, Sword being delayed as it was felt that the scheduling change would be worth the punch packed by the extra divisions.