There we go. Like I said, I've been terribly busy you guys so I apologze a ton. I'll be trying to get more updates out faster, but time is tight right now and there's just not a lot I can do. I had writer's block on top of it, which means all my spare time went into modding. The good news is I got a lot of modding work done and when the time comes, there should be impressive stuff to show off here and in my CK2 AAR. Better time spent productively than none at all!
Wait... Which day do you mean by "tomorrow"?
Much like one should not ask a lady's age, it is probably impolite to ask for the definition of 'tomorrow' in these circumstances.
Saithis, I hope the real life circumstances weren't negative ones and I look forward to seeing the next update. Since I like to pretend I'm a gentleman, I shan't press you for a timeframe.
Nothing too negative, just irritating. Also I meant tomorrow as in the UK's tomorrow, of course! Which was 30 minutes from the time of that post. We're on the Queen's time here!
Chapter 3.6 - Bingham-White's Offensive
Although the situation on the Home Country was bleak, there was better news from abroad. The Battle of Africa had nearly ended.
Just 5,400 men remained defending the Somalian capital of Mogadishu - Mussolini's African ambitions were at an end.
The Battle of East Africa had raged for many months since the war's outbreak, but at last a victor was clear. Free French and British forces had taken Ethiopia and parts of Somalia, as well as capturing, killing or dispersing nearly 100,000 Italian soldiers. There was only a single undermanned, unsupplied division left to defend the Somalian city of Mogadishu, Mussolini's last foothold in the African continent. The Italian dictator boldly demanded that his men stand their ground and fight to the last. Exhausted from the long war, the division lasted less than a day before abandoning the port and making their way further up the coast. The rate of desertion was enormous as most Italians attempted to disappear, other units surrendered in their hundreds as less than half of the unit remained ready to fight a guerilla war against the British Empire.
The Thais earned a victory against the Indian Army - albeit a minor one - just northwest of Bangkok.
Even as ANZAC placed increasing pressure on their opposing Thai and Indochinese rivals, the Indian Army suffered a serious defeat northwest of Bangkok. The Imperial Japanese Army had sent a full army division of over 23,000 men to support the Thais and march south until they encountered the Australians. Imperial Japan had thus far achieved decisive victory after decisive victory in every land battle, and owed her slow progress due to weakened supplies and Chinese partisan activity; it was believed by the Imperial Command that they could reach Phet Buri before Siam crumbled and drive the ANZAC expedition back onto the Kra Isthmus.
Even as the Japanese underestimated their enemy, the Germans were learning firsthand of the ferocity of Oceania's soldiers. Australian and New Zealand forces repeatedly pounded German infantry and drove them almost completely out of Yorkshire, forcing them to retreat to the city of Hull itself. Here, it was believed the final decisive blow of Field Marshal Sir Cyril Bingham-White's plan would land as Australia sought to encircle as many as 60,000 German troops. As bombers struck Hull's port facilities from the sky and harassed supply convoys, the situation for Hitler's men grew increasingly dire. Just three hours after the Reich's infantry retreated into the city itself, the city of Scunthorpe fell to Robertson's Motorized Cavalry.
Bingham-White's plan, dubbed Operation Minster, was coming into full-force and the Germans met heavy resistance across the line.
Although the Field Marshal's men were making good ground, the Germans were continuing to advance at a dizzying pace. Just 3 days into the offensive, as Australians and Kiwis attempted to take the key city of Lincoln, they came under heavy counterattack by the Wehrmacht. Guderian realized General Robertson's plan and ordered his men to attack decisively at Scunthorpe and Nottingham. Although the ANZAC defensive position was excellent, the attacks tied down Allied assets and bought time for German forces at Grimsby to escape the potential pocket while relieving the defenders at Lincoln. Bingham-White's plan was looking increasingly implausible, but the Field Marshal ordered progress to continue. Robertson's men were stretched to the breaking point as they would attempt to hold against Germany while advancing on Grimsby simultaneously.
The Allies had one blessing: Hitler's tanks were low on fuel, forcing Guderian to conserve his armoured units for the right moment.
It is widely acknowledged that Bingham-White's progress in this battle was only due to one, clear fact: the Wehrmacht did not seem to have enough fuel to supply their entire mechanized force on a sustained offensive. The motorized and armoured units were moving slowly and cautiously, conserving the precious resource as stockpiles were shipped in from abroad and salvaged from captured supply dumps. Much of the British oil and fuel supply had been evacuated, emptied or burnt in defiance of the German advance, denying them the precious resource they needed most of all. It would not stop the German advance, but it was buying them precious time. Still, the Panzers saw limited use across the nation and it was only a matter of time before their supplies were great enough to launch a full-on assault.
Meanwhile in Siam, the Thai Army could no longer resist the intense pressure of the combined ANZAC and Indian armies. The poorly equipped and trained irregulars defending Nakhon Pathom broke from their defensive positions and attempted to evacuate to the city of Bangkok, where they hoped to hold out until the Japanese could arrive. This was, perhaps, a foolish move - the New Zealand Cavalry were right on their heels.
Major General Inglis ordered an immediate offensive straight through the retreating Thai lines and into Bangkok, hoping to take the city before the locals or Japanese could secure it.
Inglis' intiative was rewarded as the Kiwi Cavalry reached the river on the 15th. Unburdened by the pains of fuel supplies yet sped by their horses, the ANZAC forces seized all major bridges across the city and sent advance units towards the Siamese capital itself. The Thai Army would arrive under sustained machine gun and mortar fire, unable to advance into their own capital city. As the Indian Army marched in from the west and further ANZAC forces were soon expected from the south, Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram himself ordered his men to lay down arms. As Head of the Royal Thai Army, he was virtually a military dictator and the man the Allies most wanted to take command of in the region. British Intelligence indicated that the surrender orders had been sent from Bangkok; with any luck, Inglis' men would find him before he could flee the city for good.
Pictured Above: First Sea Lord Dudley Pound and Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cork, both accused of conspiring to treason against the United Kingdom.
Although the war raged on, it was never too late for the Royal Navy to paint scapegoats. Admiral of the Home Fleet Lord Cork and the First Sea Lord Dudley Pound had been placed under military arrest not long after the disastrous German invasion of Dover. It was known that Dudley Pound gave the orders to send the bulk of the Home Fleet to Indonesia, where the Royal Navy struggled to contain the powerful IJN. Lord Cork was to be tried as an accomplice and in addition, 73 other officers in the fleet were also charged and court martialled. As the United Kingdom gave its dying breath, her vaunted Navy tore itself apart with blame and accusation - many high-ranking officials including Winston Churchill had seen the Kriegsmarine as no threat and were now suffering the consequences. Dudley Pound was found guilty, although his sentence was lessened to life imprisonment on account of his age and health issues. Lord Cork was considered by many equally guilty, but had the deep respect of a number of ranking officials and Churchill himself.
The Prime Minister made arrangements to pardon the aged Admiral on the condition that he resigned his commission immediately. Cork refused, declaring that he should be judged as guilty as any man of permitting the Home Fleet to leave England's shores even temporarily, and that the rest of the Royal Naval Command needed to take responsibility for this disaster as well. When the court found him guilty and assigned him too to life imprisonment, he spoke out yet again, disgusted that many of his subordinates might face the death penalty while he should be allowed to live. In spite of government attempts to silence Cork's passionate oratory, he soon became well known throughout Britain for his vehement honesty and his fair assessment of the situation. Saddled with blame for a mistake approved throughout the institution, the Trial of Cork and Pound did little to improve morale as hoped, but instead weakened British fighting resolve and government approval across the Isles.
Operation Minster continued with good progress - ANZAC troops finally forced the last Germans out of their defensive positions east of Doncaster and completely secured the city against any potential counterattack. These men would flee to Hull, where the hammerfall needed to land swiftly and decisively before the Wehrmacht could retake Scunthorpe and relieve their position.
Robertson's men cut off supply lines and seized the port at Grimsby without any serious fight. Nonetheless, over 15,000 Germans escaped Operation Minster's planned encirclement zone.
As Robertson's men drove into the outskirts of Grimsby, residents emerged to inform them the Germans had abandoned the town five hours before the British arrived. Numerous columns had passed through to the south and it seemed that Guderian had anticipated the attempt to pincer their troops. Robertson was frustrated and soon realized that Scunthorpe was virtually open to assault should the Germans realize the line. Bingham-White's plan called for his men to thrust north and escape via Hull, but they could not do so unless Grimsby itself was first secured. He was in perfect position to be encircled himself, and soon dispatched a request directly to Field Marshal Sir Bingham-White, requesting permission to retreat from the city and form a stable line at Scunthorpe before retreating into Doncaster. His request was refused and he was ordered to hold Grimsby at all costs.
5th Battalion patrols the streets of southern Grimsby on foot, searching for any sign of German traps or stragglers and establishing defensive strongpoints. Even Australian morale was drained by the news that there would be no retreat.
Robertson knew Grimsby Town could not be held more than a few days, assuming they got lucky. As the 1st Brigade held the west of the city and was stretched as far as Scunthore, the 2nd was expected to hold the city alone. The 3rd had to support the attack on Hull, which was making poor progress due to rapid German reinforcement. German troops to the direct south were believed to outnumber Australia by 2.5 to 1, with as many as 4 divisions expected to oppose the 1st Cavalry in the coming days. Australian morale was weakened by the refusal of Bingham-White to permit retreat, although in typical ANZAC fashion they attempted to make the best of it. Australian camps were filled with macabre black humour and Grimsby soon became painted as the city where good Australian men came to be buried.
Some of their pessimism seemed unnecessary. A huge victory was won at Hull for a second time as Australian forces began to advance into the city itself, capturing thousands of Germans and killing or wounding thousands more. It seemed like Bingham-White might be vindicated after all - at least, that is, if ANZAC could take the city before Germany broke through to it.
On the 18th of February, Major General Inglis was peacefully approached by Thai Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, who offered the surrender of the Royal Thai Army, Bangkok and Siam itself on the condition that he be treated well. Citing Japanese pressure and military occupation, he pleaded with the Allies for mercy and offered the full cooperation of the Thai in retaking their country. Inglis signed the instruments of surrender and the Field Marshal was taken under custody. His fate and the fate of Thailand would have to be judged at a later date as the New Zealand Cavalry dug in for an inevitable Japanese counterattack...
To the southwest, trapped Indochinese forces were dismayed at the news that the Thai had surrendered to the allies. Over 8,000 Indochinese soldiers surrendered, seeing no way out of this mess and fearing they would all die in the jungles of Southern Burma. ANZAC could now direct her full fighting force north to meet the advancing Japanese divisions. The Empire of the Rising Sun had fought well and decisively against Indians, Chinese and even the Russians. ANZAC had faced little real challenge from her puppets, and now it had an opportunity to cut her teeth against a real opponent. For the Japanese, this was the perfect opportunity to break the back of their rival Empire's "elite" colonial troops. For the Australians, this was a chance to halt the Japanese conquest of Asia and buy time for America to bring her full weight into the war. Both sides expected a decisive victory but the question still remained: who would come out on top?
As Thailand fell under Australian jurisdiction, a number of Japanese forces were cut off near the front lines, devoid of supply.
General Yamashita's demands for a shift of forces into Southeast Asia were suddenly heard loud and clear to Imperial Command. Where they once feared reassigning troops, many top brass now lauded the idea as their own and demanded Yamashita reassign troops to face the threat of the ANZAC Corps. The General's pride was wounded by this accusation, but over 100,000 Japanese and Korean soldiers began redeploying to Indochina. At long last, he would be able to execute his plan and, he hoped, turn the tide of this war in Japan's favour.
Germany won a bloody victory in defense of the city of Lincoln as Australia's offensive capacity was depleted.
In the face of heavy assault after heavy assault by ANZAC troops, Lincoln stood tall as a bastion of the Reich's defensive line through the Midlands. After nearly a week of combat in the area, Guderian at last managed to push the colonials back over the River Ancholme. Over 60,000 infantrymen and an estimated 400 panzers assaulted the city of Nottingham, delivering an overwhelmingly powerful hammerblow. Outer defensive lines were obliterated and the Australians were forced to pull back to Nottingham itself with heavy losses, attempting in vain to hold the city's flanks. To the east, Robertson came under pressure as well and demanded permission to retreat lest he lose his men. Bingham-White refused, insistent that he retreat only once Hull had been taken.
Robertson had enough; Bingham-White's plan had failed and the few victories and time bought meant little if the entire 1st Cavalry were lost.
Realizing that it was now or never and that German troops were beginning to descend on both Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe, there was little choice but to withdraw or lose the entire 1st Cavalry. The division was more than just men, she was the cream of the crop for Australian troops, assigned 62% of the Army's trucks as well as a priority on supply, munitions and armaments. Loss of the 1st Cavalry would mean not just the loss of 10,000 of Australia's best men, but also the loss of a huge quantity of material and prestige. It was unacceptable and Robertson ordered his troops to withdraw on the night of the 18th, making quick progress out of the city. By the time dawn broke on the 19th, the Cavalry had already made it out of the city and were on the edge of Scunthorpe. German troops, realizing that they had defenceless land in front of them, simply marched into Grimsby unopposed just as the Australians had before. Bingham-White was furious when he learned that Robertson had retreated without orders, but he was permitted - for the time being - to remain in command due to the intense demands of the front line.
Italian and German troops pushed the Yugoslavians back on every front now, and the Balkan Alliance was under heavy pressure to surrender.
Pleas to Great Britain or the Free French to support the Yugoslavian and Greek armies fell on deaf ears. Although the African theatre was essentially won, no spare troops or ships were deployed in positions that could meaningfully reinforce them against the Germans. The Balkan Alliance was on the verge of breaking as German panzers shattered the lines and Italian infantry poured through the gaps, overwhelming their opponent with sheer numbers. The Allies, it seemed, could chalk off the Balkans as a future ally - most experts gave it two weeks before Hitler's Fortress Europe was bunkering down in Southern Greece.
Across Yorkshire, the Australians were forced into multiple retreats. The attack on Hull had to be abandoned as German reinforcements arrived by sea in huge numbers.
The Royal Navy was once again proven useless on the North Sea. Under cover of Luftwaffe Naval Bombers, a light, fast-moving German fleet landed over 65,000 men at Hull, rescuing over 10,000 retreating Germans from inevitable capture at the hands of the Australian infantry. The attack on Hull was abandoned and Australian forces realized there were no more advances to make in England - Yorkshire was doomed to fall into German hands now.
Roberston's quick-moving Cavalry made it to Nottingham on the morning of the 20th, but found an awful sight ahead of them. ANZAC here was in complete disarray and troops were pulling back in a disorganized fashion, trying to keep ahead of the German units and laying ambushes, mines and traps in their path to try and slow the Wehrmacht's spearhead. Although the numbers were overwhelming, it was known that a slower division of infantry had been thrust out of Scunthorpe and was fleeing west to Nottingham itself. Robertson volunteered the 1st Cavalry to hold Nottingham against the spearhead while the others escaped, buying as much time as possible before retreating to safer ground. 30,000 Australian soldiers retreated northwest into Sheffield and the British lines collapsed across the entire front. Finally, the orders from Bingham-White came through: all Australian and New Zealand divisions should retreat to the Adrian Line while supporting the retreats of the remaining Royal Army formations and the surviving Polish and Danish freedom fighters. Guderian at long last had the Allies completely on the run - and he hoped to make sure that no single Allied soldier could escape.
February 11th-February 20th
Royal Australian Army:
4,907 Soldiers killed in action
2x Vickers MkV Light Tanks lost
Royal Australian Air Force:
3x Hawker Hurricane fighters lost
5x Short Sunderland patrol bombers lost
17x Fairey Battle dive bombers lost
German Wehrmacht:
4,219 Soldiers killed in action
8,858 Soldiers captured
12x Medium Tanks lost
15x Light Tanks lost
German Luftwaffe:
5x Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters lost
7x Junkers Ju88 medium bombers lost
German Kriegsmarine:
3 Merchant ships sunk
Royal Thai Army:
297 Soldiers killed in action
8,697 Soldiers captured
Indochinese Army:
976 Soldiers killed in action
8,021 Soldiers captured
