ThundAAR from Down UndAAR - Australia, Imperialism and War

Thanks for the opening comments everyone. Here's a new chapter for today.

El Pip - Australia invading the Balkans will indeed stretch the limits of feasability but the timing of it I think should allow me to come up with something.

squalleke123 - A guarentee on Greek independence would have been a smart thing to do from a story perspective but I didn't think of doing that. When I played this I didn't really plan to write an AAR.



Chapter II: Imperialism

By 1936 Joseph Lyons, Prime Minister of Australia, was seen as a flamboyant tough guy and it was then that he really took the nation by the scruff of its neck. The depression was easing but there were still many great problems in Australia. Joseph Lyons came up with a plan which he hoped would ensure the prosperity of Australia and protect the nation from any future economic downturns by moving away from the reliance on exports. This plan which he labelled the Progress Plan was to take the unemployment, which was still about 15%, and use them to start a new manufacturing industry as well as a new research and development industry which would focus on new agricultural technologies to both expand the continuing agriculture exports and provide a basis for population growth. Over the next three years 12 new factories were built in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Newcastle and great innovations were made into agricultural production thanks to the R+D departments of De Havilland and New South Wales State Railways. However that was not all Lyons had in mind. Although a pacifist through and through he was well aware of the building situation in both Europe and Asia and wanted to ensure that his nation would be prepared for any declarations of war that might occur. He wouldn’t go so far as militarisation or the construction of any new units but he did keep a heavy hand on the military doctrines that were being upheld by the defence forces. Not long after he began his Progress Plan, Lyons decided to scrap to the army’s Firepower focus and instead chose to follow the lead of Germany and the Mobility focus, a choice which would have great consequences in the future.


The cabinet of the Australian government in 1936.

The plan was widely received as a step in the right direction and the public supported his actions with renewed hope. The two Labor parties had no response and no grounds for criticism as the greatest benefactors of the plan would be their traditional voters, the blue collar workers. By 1937 as the first fruits of the plan were beginning to be reaped Joseph Lyons was regarded with an unprecedented level of popularity. He was loved by just about everybody: man or woman, blue collar or white collar, young or old. The following election in November 1937 was groundbreaking and laid the foundation for the Australian Imperialism movement which would dominate the next 20 years. Out of 74 seats, The United Australia/Country Party coalition won an astounding 58 seats (UAP 38, CP 20) with the Labor party picking up 11 and Lang Labor 4.

Coinciding with the election of 1937 was the end of the Governor General’s term. Sir Isaac Isaacs had been Governor General since 1931 and was the King of England’s representative in Australia. As is the custom in Australia, the winning party of the election nominates a new Governor General for the King to authorise. Joseph Lyons and his United Australia party chose Alexander Arkwright to take up the position and then it was just a mere formality for the King to accept the nomination. Alexander Arkwright was a man who suited United Australia’s stance; his stern imperialism threaded well with the existing notion of nationalism and his love for Australia meant that he instantly supported Lyons’ progressionism.

About one month later it was announced that the United Australia party and the Country Party would unite. They had long been aligned but since the introduction of the Progress Plan which focused heavily on the expansion of agriculture, traditionally the Country Party’s focus, the lines between their policies were blurred. However Jack Lang came forth and criticised the government for attempting to undermine the foundations of democracy by creating a mammoth majority so as to create a single party state. Jack Lang’s voice was greatly ignored in the Parliament and the merger went ahead. The United Australia Party now held 78% of the Parliament.

Australia then enjoyed a period of peaceful prosperity under the Progress Plan until the demise of the politics of Europe reached the nation. By February 1939 Germany had annexed Austria and it was clear they were preparing for an invasion of Czechoslovakia as well. Whilst Prime Minister Lyons was an avid believer in the League of Nations and a peace-lover, soon enough his western contemporaries and the Australian people began demanding some sort of action against the hostilities. Even so, he refrained from expanding the military budget and instead went for a bolder approach which he hoped would give him the power to keep Australia peaceful. On the 12th of February 1939, a day that would go down in Australian history, Lyons delivered a great speech to the Parliament.

He claimed that in light of the darkness surrounding the situation in Europe and in Asia, Australia had to act now to put itself in the right position for the future. Australia no longer could rely on the United Kingdom for its protection when push came to shove and that, if such a day did occur, it would be up to the Australian people to make that decisive action. He went on to explain how with the current political system, in which the Government had overwhelming majority, it still had to go through the lengthy democratic process before any action could be taken. These lengthy delays and red tape meant that by the time a decision is enacted it could be too late for Australia. He argued that the best for Australia would be to disband all the minor political parties, who would just be a nuisance to the political process, and instead turn this great Commonwealth into a great Empire. Under his plan, the King of England’s sovereignty would be severed and all sovereign power would be given to the Governor General, who would be renamed Emperor of Australia.

Naturally, the members of the United Australia Party and the Governor General, with whom Lyons had consulted with over the proposal, greatly supported the action and even the public, somewhat hypnotised by the likeable Lyons and his ongoing nationalism, applauded the move. However not everybody was pleased, the Labor party and Lang Labor party tried to fight for their existence but it was former Prime Minister Billy Hughes, the longest serving member of parliament, who was the surprise man to lead the opposition of the imperial plan. Billy Hughes was a United Australia minister but he crossed the floor with vigour and claimed that it was against the Constitution to disband political parties and dismiss the King’s power but the United Australia party quickly used its majority to make so many amendments to the Constitution that it barely could still be called the same document. There was nothing that could be done. The two Labor factions were too weak to mount a political argument as they were evicted from Parliament and went their separate ways. Billy Hughes tried to contact the British but they were rather preoccupied in Europe to care about the changes in Australia and besides, Lyons had always gotten along well with the British and it was never in his interest to sever ties with Britain, it was just full autonomy he wanted. The British accepted the new Empire with little more than a passing sigh. Relations and what would prove to be an important alliance with Britain were maintained. Hughes’ further pleas were ignored by the newly named Imperial Government and so the first Australian Empire was born.


The leaders of the new Australian Empire

The next two months were a transitory period. The Imperial Government had lots of paperwork to complete to make the change in political system absolute. However on the 7th of April the unthinkable happened. Joseph Lyons died suddenly in the night, the autopsy revealed the cause of death however there was always several conspiracies brought on the suddenness and timing of his death, he was 59. The nation went into mourning as he had undoubtedly been Australia’s most loved leader. The Emperor announced a national day of mourning in which Deputy Prime Minister Robert Menzies gave a eulogy and announced that he, with the support of the Imperial Government, would assume the role of Prime Minister. It was an obvious succession; he had long been seen as Lyons’ successor. Robert Menzies was a far more ruthless man than the lovable Lyons and a great politician; he turned the death into political spin and used the occasion to strengthen the position of the Empire. He blamed the death of Lyons on the pro-democratic resistance like Lang and Hughes. However it seemed far more probable that Menzies was in fact the man behind the mysterious death. The newly formed Empire gave him the chance to assume the autonomy he dreamed for. He had the motive, he had the support, he had the capacity and he had the callousness to kill Lyons for his own gain. Some say that it was even Menzies who suggested the idea of the empire to Lyons in the first place. The truth was never found out about who killed Joseph Lyons or if it was, it was never revealed.

With Robert Menzies as Prime Minister, Australia became a lot tougher, although it was a gradual process. Menzies still continued with the Progress Plan, which was if nothing else, a great public support winner. However it was in his foreign policy that Menzies became more vocal. He joined Britain and the other allies in condemnation of Germany and Japan and at the same time sent spies in to infiltrate their regimes. In May, one of those spies was discovered after delaying the R&D department of Nissan in Japan which was seen as Australia’s first sign of political aggression. The era of Australian pacifism was over.

Indeed it now was not long until global pacifism would end too, all too soon for Australia really. In August, Germany signed a pact with the Soviets and then launched an invasion of Poland. So on the 30th of August 1939 Australia joined England in her defence of Poland and the Second World War commenced. Australia’s time had come, ready or not.


The political situation in Australia under Menzies at the start of the war.

I've decided to use thumbnails for the pictures. The full size works fine in my screen but i realise not everybody has a big screen.


Part Two: The Western War

Chapter III: Deployment

In August 1939, Australia was recovering from what had been a strenuous if peaceful revolution and the death of a prime minister. So when Germany declared war on Poland, Australia was ill-prepared. Sure in recent years, the expansion of research and development spending meant that the Australian Defence Force was a modern unit but it was a small unit. According to the Progress Plan, all production had been used to create more factories, military spending was minimal. However, as soon as war was declared Emperor Arkwright urged the Prime Minister Robert Menzies for a change of tact to prepare the nation for the expected threat. Not that Menzies needed much pushing; he was a hard-nosed leader who would thrive through the war years. Nonetheless, the war machine was a slow process. Menzies decided that all factories currently in production would be completed before the budget was redistributed.


The Australian Defence Force at the start of the war

Menzies assessed his defence force. His army, which he had renamed the 2nd Australian Imperial Force (the 1st had been used in WW1), consisted of three state-of-the-art infantry divisions and two obsolete cavalry divisions. The relabelled Imperial Australian Navy featured two heavy cruisers and two light cruisers which could be little more than a cover for the transport fleet of 9 that was led by the Kanimbla. Australia also had its own Air Force, the Regional Australian Air Force which at the beginning of the war only had the capacity for 1 tactical bomber group. Menzies knew that he needed more of everything if he was going to make his own imprint on the war. As they factory construction concluded there was plenty of time to plan new units.

Menzies was in no hurry to deploy the active troops that he did have. His meagre force would be quite useless for the first few months. However the Air Force was brought into action. Almost immediately the tactical bomber group was sent over to France to join the war effort, Australia’s first contribution. Basing itself in Auxerre, the group began bombing Frankfurt and Stuttgart in December 1939. As the New Year approached preparations began for an expeditionary force to be sent over to the war. First, the divisions in Melbourne were shipped up to Sydney where the 2nd Military District was united. Then the District was shipped across to Alexandria via Perth in February 1940.

In Egypt was where the 2nd Military District would be stationed for the next few months. There they got to work with the British and Iraqi forces and undertook numerous training programs whilst the Allies decided their next course of action. The Germans had taken Poland but little else had yet eventuated. There was a massive build-up of forces along the Rhine border by both sides but the standoff endured as Germans were attempting to gain Air superiority by incurring severe bombing on key French targets. The Australian bombers were still fighting over the Rhine but were rather ineffective against the Germans who were well dug in and protected by their anti-air installations. At this stage, the British were being well reserved keeping their forces in England and Egypt using only their fleets to patrol the North Sea.


The Australian war machine finally at full power.

This situation was ideal for Australia whose war machine by March 1940 was fully up and running. Amongst the units under production was the HMAS Vengeance, a light carrier, two new heavy cruisers and a pair of Close Air Support groups which should support the tactical bombers. However in March the Germans had declared war on Denmark and Norway and whilst Denmark had succumbed easily the Australians hoped to slow down the invasion of Norway until the British could mount an expeditionary force to save it. The bombers were relocated to Trondheim in April and began bombing the invading German troops. Momentarily the plan was working as the German advance was halted at the mountains.


The R.A.A.F fighting over Norway


Western Front at the start of the blitzkrieg.


The A.I.F training in the Egyptian desert.

Although just one month later the war took a turn. Germany declared war on Belgium and the Netherlands on 2nd May 1940. The bombers continued in Norway for another week hopeful that the combined forces of France, Belgium and the Netherlands would be enough to hold the line. It wasn’t. Within in 10 days Luxembourg was annexed, the Netherlands capitulated just 5 days later and so the tactical bomber group was recalled to Auxerre. This left Norway unsupported and the Germans would be able to breach the mountains and annex the country by the 22nd of May. Meanwhile in France the fight wasn't much better. The German blitzkrieg was too much for Belgium and France who by the day were forced to retreat further and further. The Australian Air Force did all in its power to slow the retreat but with only one division there was little they could do. The bombers fought first over Rotterdam and Amsterdam but as the Germans advanced the bombing took place much closer to their base. By June 4 bombs were being dropped on the enemy at Reims, by the 11th they had reached Valenciennes. On the 14th Belgium capitulated, the defensive lines had been broken, France was doomed. Nonetheless the Australian Air Force fought on desperately until the 22nd, as the enemy were approaching their airbase, but that wasn’t the reason for the retreat. A new front was opening. The bombers retreated to Alexandria where they would soon be needed.

El Pip said:

Regional Australian Air Force is one hell of an odd name I must say, last three words are fine obviously but 'Regional'? Very odd.

Click to expand...

Yes...well...I couldn't exactly find a imperialist backronym for RAAF. And since each division has the prefix RAAF I couldn't really call it the Imperial Australian Air Force and didn't have the wits about me to change the savefile as i went to reflect the imperialist revolution. Same problem for 'HMAS'.

Any suggestions for what RAAF or HMAS could stand for in an imperial Australia?

Yes, I think HMAS will work. And for the air force i think i will call it the Australian Air Force and each squadron has the prefix RAAF which stands for Regiment of the Australian Air Force. That could work.

Oh and thanks for the interest everyone. Australia and the Balkans is a quirky idea but it's only the beginning really. It will be fun telling the story.

Aye. There's more coming, i've just been busy recently. Should have some time later today.

Well i've finished playing the game and as I said earlier, I didn't have the foresight to rename all the units. It won't really matter anyway, the only individual names I'll probably use will be the ships.




On 22nd June 1940, Italy pledged allegiance with Germany and declared war on the Allies. This brought the war to North Africa, right where the 2nd Military District was deployed. They had been out in the Western Desert performing manoeuvres when the news arrived. Within a day they had reached the Libyan border where General Langham-White assessed the situation. Langham-White was the commander-in-chief of the A.I.F., a well experienced soldier and the only 4 star general of the army. He quickly decided that the Australian forces would go on the offensive right away, launching an assault on Forte Maddalina before the Italians could mobilise. This operation would be known as Operation Indigo, Australia’s first face to face combat. If successful, the Australians planned to approach Tobruk from the South whilst the British fought forward from the East.

On June 24 Operation Indigo was launched and all Australian forces were utilized including 3 infantry divisions and the 2 cavalry divisions. The first puncture succeeded and the Italians were routed but the battle for Forte Maddalina was not over. Italians swarmed into the province from both North and South making the AIF assault a gradual process. It wasn’t until July 1 that the 3 Italian defences were defeated and the fort was captured.

Whilst the Operation Indigo had been successful the British had struggled along the coast. Sollum had fallen to the Italians and it was up the newly arrived Australian Air Force to bomb the enemy troops to ensure the Italians would proceed no further. Meanwhile the 1st Australian Corps had just landed in Alexandria with 3 more infantry divisions. They were ordered to Rabia to ensure the Italians would not split the front and separate the Australians and the British. The Italians did not; they just continued along the coast and by mid July had reached Sidi Barrani. It wasn’t going to plan, the Australians were doing their part but the British organisation was seemingly not evident. This was exemplified on July 18 when the British launched a counter-attack into Sidi Barrani. The 1st Australian Corps was sent to assist to assault from the south but the British were practically defeated by the time the Australians reached the battlefield. It was a shambles.

France’s demise continued throughout the summer of 1940 with total surrender being handed down on July 19. Before long Siam had broken away and allied with Japan adding to the threat towards Australia if hostility in the East came to fruition. This situation called for action in Africa and so General Langham-White decided that in spite of the British failure, he would go it alone in an attempt on Tobruk which acted as the important city in the region due to its airport, port and defences. In August Langham-White drew up Operation Furlong which would capture Forte Capuzzo from where the AIF could pressure Tobruk and hope to cut off the Italians further east.

Operation Furlong began on August 10 and was supported by the AAF’s single bomber squadron. Despite attacking from both two sides and the air, the Italians could not be broken. After two days the attack was called off but the Italians took advantage of the victory and followed up by attacking Forte Maddalina. Langham-White’s men were distraught and after only 2 hours the 2nd Military District retreated. Both parties were exhausted and neither was willing to fight on for the fort so Langham-White sent the other 1st Corps from Rabia to maintain the province and they successfully held off attacks on the 16th and 17th whilst the 2nd Miltary District recovered in Rabia.

A week later and the Aussies fancied themselves once more as the enemy had been unable to take Forte Maddalina from themselves despite several attempts. Figuring the Italians to be tired, an attack was launched southwards towards Al Jaghbub. This attack proved to be terribly rash. The 1st Corps was defeated and were forced to retreat back into Siwa. Meanwhile the British had finally awoken and put in end to the Italian advance along the coast. Sidi Barrani was retaken and as the AIF regrouped in Rabia the AAF launched a raid on the shaken enemy in Sollum. On the last day of August the British launched their attack on Sollum and were supported by the Australian army and air force to great success. It looked as though after 2 months the front had progressed nowhere, the border would return to the pre-war lines. However as September began two simultaneous battles threatened to change that. The Italians launched an attack against the 2nd Military District in Rabia from Forte Maddalena, in response the 1st Corps was told to counterattack into Forte Maddalena. Despite the AIF’s full strength of 8 divisions and the air force, the Italians were victorious in both battles. Langham-White was forced back to Nibeiwa as the Italians marched into Rabia.


The retreated position after the failed Operation Furlong

Over the next few months little would change in Africa. The Australians made successive attempts towards Forte Maddalena whilst the Italians headed along the coast towards Sidi Barrani. The front was effectively a stalemate. The Italians had arrived with their own bombers who were pounding the Allied troops but the AAF was expanding also with the introduction of a CAS squadron into the action in late September. Two more infantry divisions arrived at the front in October but were ineffective. It wasn’t until December 13th that Forte Capuzzo was captured and a few weeks later Sollum was retained and it looked like the Italians might be beginning to waver. Perhaps they may have overstretched themselves as they had invaded Greece as soon as they joined the war in October and were fighting fiercely in a front that would seen see a lot of action for the Australians. 1941 was here.

Introducing the ThundAAR from Down UndAAR Soundtrack. A collection of songs that add flavour to the AAR and act as listening material whilst you read. All these songs were either written in WW2 Australia or were popular during that time.

This first song is the song that Emperor Arkwright and Prime Minister Menzies and chose to replace God Save the King as the national anthem for Australia when the Empire was announced in the months preceeding the war in 1939. It was played patriotically throughout the war and was a great inspiration to all Australians.

Historically, in 1977, this song was one of the four put to the vote for the new national anthem. It came a distant forth behind Advance Australia Fair, Waltzing Matilda and God Save the Queen. I give you Song of Australia as sung by Australian baritone legend Peter Dawson...