Part II 2 weeks
17th June
A welling of madness bubbled forth from Colonel Blackdown's subconcious as a new plan was hatched to cuckoo the enemy. For this, we will bring up our forces from the reserve armies (Mongol Army, SpecFor I Corps) presently located behind Beijing.
We began two minor offensives to support the planned movements of these corps and ground attack missions were changed to hit every province on their planned encirclement path. Every province has an air wing devoted to ground attacking, one of the nice benefits of our joint air-land approach to war in China.
The main flaw with the plan is that it is a plan that wont be finished for over a week, yet it is reliant on present enemy locations. However we view the stream of enemy reinforcements as gushing in new blood to the planned pocket and we expect this process to last substantially longer then a week.
Here is a map showing the path we plan to take.
The left wing has further to encircle, yet it should encounter weaker enemy forces. This has been given to the Mongol Army supported by 2-3 divisions of SpecFor II Corps. The Specfor I Corps will take the southern wing. It only traps four provinces, of which we expect many enemy divisions to evacuate, however an offensive action now will weaken the enemy forces enough to make further operations later substantially easier.
Battle of Cangzhou on the southern approach as a frontline division from our forces softens up the enemy in ancipication of the arrival of SpecFor I.
18th June
Enemy movements continue to flow into the path of the planned encirclement. We decided to go around rather then through them on the northern front as the planned path is adjusted slightly north. This also has the pleasant benefit of providing an easy encirclement for two enemy divisions north of Beijing if we can pull it off before they twig our plans.
At the battle of Changzhou a force intended to weaken the enemy has come near to routing the entire enemy garrison.
It's high time we left the Shandong. A transport fleet sets sail from Tokyo to collect our forces here as quartermasters got to work to ensure our equipment will be ready for rapid evacuation at the docks of Qingdao.
We are attacked at Xuanhua as part of the northern mini pocket. Decided to ignore this as we have two more divisions marching into the province, then we can launch a counteroffensive after the enemy have spent themselves.
19th June
At the battle of Yongqing, the defending mountain division is now -93% and nearly out of Org. The division was 2 hours from being reinforced when it is routed. This is ideal as it ensures the reinforcing division isn't routed as well.
20th June
Our pressure at Laiyuan will hopefully cause more enemy units to enter the pocket region as the intensity of warfare here is being kept at a steady boil.
21st June
The first province in the encirclement is captured by a supporting mountain division for the Mongol Army, which is then forced to defend.
Battle of Kalgan, if we are victorious here and can enter the province before the two enemy divisions north of Beijing can exit the rapidly closing pocket then we will be able to eliminate those brigades.
The communists rout a second Japanese division at Yongqing. Marines sent in to ensure the situation didn't spiral out of control.
The fleet is ordered into Qingdao to prepare for the embarking forces of the Shandong pocket. We should be finished here within 3 days.
Battle of Datong begins as the Mongolian Army charges through Tianzhen straight westwards at Datong.
24th June
Japanese forces have left the Shandong and are now sailing south to Shanghai.
25th June
The Mongol army has swept away enemy divisions ahead of its path.
Due to the slow progress of the north-beijing pocket a further opportunity has arisen for a doubling of enemy forces trapped in this region. One supporting division is withdrawn from the northern arm of the main pocket force and diverted northwest to help cut the enemy forces off. A close inspection of the battle of Kalgan revealed two enemy divisions close to routing, we immediately desist in the direct attack into this province to encourage the divisons to stay.
27th June
After arrival in Datong, the Mongol army is attacked and forced to defend again. If this continues then it will take us a long time to form the pocket at present rates.
The battle of Yongqing continues to rage in the background.
SpecFor I Corps arrives at its first objective.
Supply shortage modifiers are beginning to affect combats.
28th June
SpecFor I encounters similar problems to the Mongol Army, just as they are victorious in Datong.
We're able to close the North Beijing pocket, trapping five Shanxi divisions and sparking a big retaliation from the Chinese.
We are forced to retreat the HQ out of Tianzhen, a mountain division will soon arrive to hold the line and keep the pocket closed whilst we kill them with fire in between our lines.
29th June
State of play.