For new readers:
- Norway still stands
- France still stands
- Soviet union is at war with the Allies
- Italy has surrendered
28 August - 4 September '40 - The evacuation of Pola fails
"This story is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war..."
- Erich Maria Remarque, 1928 -
(London)
Can you believe it? Another bloody cock up! The French will have our asses over this one. What a bloody disgrace. All the newspapers we be filled with news about the disaster at Pola. Churchill will have to pull off some rather clever trickery to keep the morale up back home. The spirit on the battlefield though is still fairly good. Not a surprise with the success of operation Quantum -which ended a few days ago. But I'm getting ahead of myself as I so often do. Let's begin at the start of the week.
THE FIRST BATTLE OF VENICE GULF:
With operation Brother in full effect, the French navy attempted to head straight for the beaches of Pola, There the pinched French division was headed with the German army close on their tails. The Axis navy, however had other plans and sailed out to met the incoming French fleet.
The first battle of Venice Gulf was a tactical French victory. The light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni, alongside 12 destroyers-3 French- were sunk in the battle, however the Axis fleet prioritised attacking and damaging the French transport ships. Destroying any evacuation capabilities they had.
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE ROYAL AUXILIARY FLEET III:
With the French transport ships out of commission, and our transport-ships on route for Italy. It would take us simply too long to divert that force to Pola, not to mention it was carrying the Australian forces. We had however a third choice: The new admiral of Auxiliary fleet III, admiral Leatham, was to oversee the repair, and then the dismantling of the fleet. He was instead given a new order: "Send what still operational ships we have in that battered fleet to Pola, ASAP". 3rd of September was the fastest it could get there, that was days before any other transport ship could.
USA GEARS UP IN RESPONS TO JAPANESE EXPANSION:
A few days ago the US congress passed a bill to allow the military build up in their country to continue. The United States still pride themselves as isolationists and neutral to the current war. But they can't turn a blind eye to Japan, now can they? The Japanese aggressive expansion in Asia has gradually, but surely run amok, and their new Pacific fleet is of great concern to the US navy. This is good news for us, we need the US involved in what is transpiring, but Japan is currently a separate faction outside of the European war.
We know the Empire of Japan to be a German and Axis friendly nation. But with Italy out of the picture they might stay out of the whole affair, and be content with an aggressive relationship that might escalate into an isolated war with the US. Not only would that be detrimental to the Allied cause, but it would be great news for Stalin as it would take the pressure off East-Asia. All those troops he has guarding Japan could pour down into Turkey, or India.
THE WESTERN FRONT:
Allies wounded/captured/killed: 28 000
Axis wounded/captured/killed: 31 000
As I mentioned, with
operation Quantum ending a few days ago the morale of our soldiers have been fairly decent. All of our wounded have received treatment, all our men on the front-line have received hot food, and our trucks and tanks have more than enough gasoline to last the next few months. The front saw the usual fighting: Bruges, and Sedan again. But the German forces aren't reacting well to our supply operation, and they are tired. This means that August could be called a success. However, September is where our mettle will be tested. If we make it to October the war against the Germans could have been won.
2 AUSTRALIAN DIVISIONS ARRIVE IN ITALY:
Admiral Boyd and Australian General Morshead's quick execution meant our 2 much needed Australian divisions could land in Italy a few days ago. They were then quickly sent by train, destination Brescia, where they will arrive the... Let me find the date, ah yes. The 12th of September. I guess there won't be a court martial after all, chap. These lads might receive a medal instead. We need all the help we can get on the Italian front.
THE SECOND BATTLE OF VENICE GULF:
Ah, here's where the plot thickens, old chap. Admiral Boyle, with Admiral Cunningham, engaged a smaller Axis fleet off the shore of Pola. The superior numbers of the Grand Mediterranean fleet meant the battle would eventually go our way. But it also meant the Royal Navy Auxiliary fleet III would have to cross the battle to get to the Pola shoreline in time. The French soldiers were at this point reaching the beaches in the thousands.
The Auxiliary fleet III entered the battle at 3 am. Admiral Leatham managed to evade most of heavy fire, but was delayed as the enemy fleet received reinforcements. At the end, admiral Boyle and admiral Cunningham could claim a tactical win as they sunk the battleship
Conte Di Cavour, a single submarine, and send the Axis fleet back to port. But the fact is that the Kriegsmarine has accomplished what they set out to do; delay the evacuation of Pola.
OPERATION BROTHER FAILS:
Bowhill's bombers on their way back from the naval battle is then ambushed by heavy Luftwaffe forces, and we are reminded yet again who owns the air.
The Royal Navy Auxiliary Fleet III landed on the beaches of Pola at 8 am this morning only to be met by little more than the helmets and equipment left behind. And the fact is clear: We are hours too late.
French wounded/captured/killed: 12 000
3000 of the 21e corps d'armée were killed in a series of retreats and battles before they reached Pola. The rest were either wounded or captured on the beaches there. The disaster is a fact; Operation Brother is a failure. The French newspaper broke the story first, and of course the public demands an explanation. Back home it's brewing up to a storm. How could the Royal Navy fail?
THE BATTLES OF BERGAMO:
And if those news weren't dire enough. This week did not bode well for the Allied forces in Bergamo, as yet again the city is about to change hands. After fierce fighting all week long the Germans were finally able to get the upper hand and are now in process of pushing the Allies out. This time Jerry's putting in a proper punch. The Luftwaffe bombers gave our boys one hell of a beating. Seems that our anti-aircraft guns don't work with Indian equipment... And the enemy has been reinforced. We've received reports that we're looking at 9 well equipped German divisions fighting their way into Bergamo. The French are exhausted, and so are we.
Let's have a look at the whole Italian line as of now. Bergamo is about to be overtaken. Venice is under attack from two angles. The ports of Pola are about to be secured by Jerry. That puts them up to 3 major dock areas in the Mediterranean sea, all secured within 2 bloody weeks! The only area we are confident in is Trento: There we have a strong gathering of forces, supported by 3 anti-aircraft brigades. But we are in danger of being encircled. The whole Italian front is a mess, chap!
OPERATION ASCENSION:
- British, New Zealand, Australian, and Indian forces are to fall back to Milan, Parma, and Bologna. 15 divisions.
- 9 French forces will follow, and fall back to the same provinces.
- 24 divisions of the Allied army, supported by the Royal navy, and the Allied Air Force, are to create a perimeter stretching from Milan, to Bologna, defending both the Italian Kingdom, as well as the entrance to France.
I give you operation Ascension. The call hasn't been made yet, but I fear we are only a few days away from a general retreat on the Italian front. The plan is to fall behind the Po, and Adda rivers, and regroup before the enemy has time to catch up to us. The problem with this plan is that it will only work if time is on our side. If General Ironside give the orders right now our forces could have a week of regrouping before Jerry reaches the rivers. But the further we hold on to Trento, and Venice, the more time is running out on a successful retreat..
THE RED WOLVES ARE EVERYWHERE:
The Red Wolves are as mad and unpredictable as always. This time they attacked a strong French military fleet in the...Red Sea, named fittingly. That's thousands of miles from the last place they struck. Which was a lone British merchant ship in British waters a week prior. This mad attack sunk 4 destroyers in the middle of the night, and before the French even knew what was happening the wolves split off into the night.
REBUILDING THE ROYAL NAVY SUBMARINE FLEET:
After the miserable job the Royal Navy has done in the Mediterranean, culminating in the failed evacuation of Pola, it was time for admiral Noble to step down. The Royal Navy Submarine fleet has not been the resounding success we were hoping for. The Red Wolves ravish our waters, and we have done little to mirror their level of skill and results. With
Operation Brother terminated, the fleet has now been stationed at Taranto, and is undergoing repair work. We believe the fleet should be back, ready for operations within 2 months. The new admiral overseeing the repair, and whom we have given the responsibility of the fleet to is admiral Syfret. Between you and me, Noble was a pretty decent man. But he was dealt some rubbish cards, and now he will have to find a different outfit to climb back up into grace with. But the war will be long, and the opportunities will be many for these men to rise to the occasion.
CANADIAN MOTORISED INFANTRY IN HALIFAX:
And as always we end on a lighter note. Earlier this week Canada requested the Royal Auxiliary fleet I set sail for Halifax in order to pick up a motorised division there. This is splendid news! The Canadians have been steadily churning out high quality army divisions. They are the primary reason Bruges still stands. And a new motorised division will do wonders for our boys in Sedan. This might be the nail in the coffin for the German spring offensive. Or, we might send it to the Italian front instead, depending on how well we do in Sedan next week. But Churchill, Gort, and Ironside will have all the time in the world to bicker over where to best use this addition to the Commonwealth army. It won't arrive in France until 25th at the earliest. We also have to be careful as the Red Wolves have been rather active in the Atlantic the last month. So support fleets will follow the auxiliary fleet from Spain to France.
And that's all I have for you this week, old boy. Next week we'll look at the Italian retreat, the Soviet-Baltic conflict, more operation briefings, and of course the western front.
Tell the missus we'll all have to meet up for a nice cup of tea and biscuits in the park, before the cold sets in.
Oh, and remember, chap.
England expects.