@LoneStar Prussian
I'd think the Syndies would have a MASSIVE propaganda coup from the New York raid, even from the non-red powers.
Firebombing the cities of an enemy (who most in your society see as subhuman anyway) is one thing, but your own people? That's a bit different, I'd think.
I would assume so too, same with the AUS. Both sides would be horrified and use the New York Raid to find more recruits and international support against the USA. And to the USA Military, the civilians of the Syndies are not Americans anymore, so they're fair game when it comes to Total War.
"Actually I think it's more immoral to use less force than necessary, than it is to use more. if you use less force, you kill off more of humanity in the long run, because you are merely protracting the struggle." -Curtis Lemay
Curtis Lemay becomes the Sherman of the Second American Civil War. No doubt, his name will be cursed by New Yorkers by generations to come. However, the syndicalists have indeed been hit hard and the war may end sooner. With three of their major cities captured or ruined, their potential is greatly reduced.
Washington D.C. turns into Leningrad besieged on all fronts. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh becomes Stalingrad complete with sewer fighting. I wonder if the deal with the devil might happen later or is Reed's position too weak for Long to accept?
The only CS Cities that aren't in ruins and viable industrial sites are Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. Chicago (Captured), New York (Firebombed), and Pittsburgh (Destroyed) will no longer be useful to Reed.
From a military perspective it would be more beneficial for the AUS and CSA to work together (CS Industry, or what remains of it, combined with Southern Doctrines) as they could perhaps go on a counter offensive in Alabama. However, AUS and CSA war crimes against each other and the visceral hate both Long and Reed personally have each other, a deal with the devil will not happen. Reed's position is weak but not weak enough to wear it gains from an alliance with Long. As you read onward, the CSA wins the Battle of Pittsburgh and like the Soviets are ready to counterattack.
The American troops on your side are doing an outstanding job fighting the enemy
Surprisingly so. In my test run for this AAR, I took me a lot longer to destroy the CSA and AUS.
Note: This is more of a filler update, just something I can get out now so I can focus on other things while not holding you all over. The next chapter will cover most of the war against the PSA and that is taking a long time to write. Also in this universe Hawaii never seceded because I personally thought that was dumb, so I just annexed them after they revolted in game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the RBC's Novus Ordo Seclorum, the Tale of America in the 20th Century. I am Cyril Grosscastle, narrator of this production. This program aims to tell the incredible story of the United States in the 20th Century, one filled with highs and lows, an electrifying climax, and characters whose choices impact us all even to this very day. We will cover America's rise from start to finish. We will see America at its finest, and at its lowest. From the second time brother fought brother, to when an entire planet was threatened by Totalist tyranny, and finally, when every man, woman, and child was at the mercy of the atom.
This is Novus Ordo Seclorum (New Order of the Ages) - The Tale of America in the 20th Century.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Episode 5: Four Americas and Their Jagged Claws
(1937/2007)
Narrated by Cyril Grosscastle
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the last episode of Novus Ordo Seclorum, the Second American Civil War started in earnest. US Forces clumsily fought there way through the American South and managed to capture Chicago, former capital of the Combined Syndicates of America. The US Army, battle-unborn, proved to be the most capable out of the four American armies, winning most major battles on its respective fronts. The CS Army, battered and poorly led, was barely clinging on to dear life. Ohio had nearly been taken by the American Union State and they'd been humiliated during the Battle of Chicago. Only a miracle could save the CSA. The AUS Army, the best led yet the worst equipped, embodied the spirit of a lion leading sheep and not the other way around. Long's Army was bolstered by Minuetmen divisions, militiamen who could take the fight to the Union State's enemies at a minute's notice. To make things even better, the AUS was the only faction in the civil war that by Summer 1937 could field tanks on the battlefield. That left the PS Army, a fair fighting force, however it was hampered by abysmal moral. To many in the PSA, there wasn't really a real reason to secede from the United States, much less fight it. Regardless, these four armies, baptized by fire, would fight on against each other, from one side of North America to the other.
Modern Day site of the Battle of Lexington, the only battle where US, AUS, and CSA forces participated in the same battle besides the Siege of Washington D.C.
Before continuing on with America's tale, the RBC decided it would be best to give you, the viewer, more of an insight on the going ons of this war. After all, this was the bloodiest conflict in American History, with more Americans dying in this war than any other. I thought the best way to do just that would be to visit the United States itself. I left the bustling streets of London to the American State of Kentucky. This seemingly quiet rural area of the American Mid-West was once the site of one of the most terrifying battles fought in the Second American Civil War. And as with most battles with a ferocity on this scale, it happened to be one of the most decisive. Here, a trilateral battle would take place between the United States, the American Union State, and the Combined Syndicates. This battle saw the largest bombing raid the United States Army Air Force would conduct in the whole war. The battle started when US Forces under the command of General Omar Bradley launched a gutsy and mettlesome attack on the CS and AUS Armies fighting for control of Kentucky. Swinging up from a seized Nashville, both the CS Commander Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and AUS General Audie Murphy were surprised at the suddenness of the attack. Fighting soon engulfed Lexington, and, as you can probably tell, the battle spread to this very forest. US Marines and Soldiers fought both sides indiscriminately. Do you see those small puddles? Well, they weren't always there. US Artillery barrages devastated this area a whole week before any ground troops entered the scene. With seemingly no cover, Southern and Syndicalist Troops were torn to shreds by Federalist Firepower. It didn't help the Federalists though that these craters would soon serve as cover for the defenders. Although, seven decades into the future, it really gives this place a sense of relief and history. One of these trees was said to have been struck directly by an artillery shell, yet somehow still stood. In the ensuing land battle, it also managed to not be destroyed by bullets and field artillery. I'd show you where it is but I can't seem to find it. It's mostly a local legend anyway.
Lasting for nearly three weeks, this battle would decide the fate of America and the wider world. Although, you must be wandering: How did the US win this battle, and with what? Well, to answer that question, I paid the US Army a visit at Fort Campbell. Here, the successors of the men who fought and died in this battle showed me everything on the Battle of Lexington. It was like opening a time capsule, a time capsule that encapsulated the exact history of this terrible war. First, I met with Sgt. Adam van Haumann, a wounded soldier back from Egypt. He'd been shot twice in the leg during a firefight between US and Royal Egyptian Soldiers in Alexandria. He's expected to make a full recovery, but until then, he was staying here. He agreed to show me around the base the best he could. When I questioned him about the Battle of Lexington, Sgt. van Haumann led me to the bases's local firing range. And that was when I got a good look at the firearms used by American Soldiers during the battle and the entire war.
"This is the American Machine Pistol, more commonly known as the AMP-37. US Weapon Manufacturers borrowed the design from the German Army's MP series, adding a distinctively American feel to the gun. It was a common weapon for more higher ranking soldiers in the field, such as officers or squad leaders. For a gun this old, its got a fair grip, a nice ammo capacity, and from what I've heard, it didn't even jam that much. It also fired pretty well. Here, let me fire off a few shots for you guys.
Woah, I can see why the AMP became such a favorite in the US Arsenal. Now over here we have probably the most recognizable weapon of the war: The M1 Garand Rifle. This beauty did most of the US Army's talking in both the Second American Civil War and Weltkrieg Two. It would only be until the 1950s that American Troops would be outfitted with something new and more modern. Make no mistake, the Greatest Generation didn't have it bad with this thing. The M1 Garand had an effective firing range of 500 yards (457 meters), a rate of fire of 40-50 bullets per minute, and a muzzle velocity of around 850 meters per second. This thing was f***ing awesome.
A Federalist Soldier test firing a M1 Garand, 1936.
Over here, we have the most common firearm used by both the AUS and CSA in the Second American Civil War: The Springfield M1903. Its one of those early bolt action rifles created at the turn of the 20th century. It was created because the United States Army needed a new rifle after the Spanish-American War. There was this battle, the name of it escapes me at the moment but basically what happened was; some 15,000 of our guys were slaughtered by just 750 Spanish Soldiers using a new but deadly rifle. When news of this reached the top commanders up at Washington, they just needed to have a rifle of that raw power for their own armies. Don't let its age fool you though, this weapon was made the primary choice of those two previously mentioned armies for a reason. This rifle was one of the most, if not the most durable weapons of the war. It could withstand snow, rain, drops, and other forms of physical damage. The US Marine Corps would use the gun in the next two wars the US would fight, and nowadays its still in use. Not for active combat, rather for drills and such.
You know, there was an old joke US Soldiers used to tell each other in and between battles. I went along like: So, a Syndie, a Dixie, and a Cali walk into a BAR. Don't get it? Of course you wouldn't. Anyway, this is the Browning M1918 Automatic Rifle, otherwise known as the B.A.R. This weapon was the standard machine gun for US Troops from its inception to the late 1950s. Now while this may have had only twenty rounds per cartridge, it made up for it in its range, fire rate, and overall better general use when compared to other machine guns. Most were shipped out with bipods and nearly all had an impressive range of 4,500 to 5,500 yards (4,100 to 4,600 meters). That's about it for the weapons used by the many sides. Other than a wide range of shotguns and sidearms, these were the main weapons the Four American Armies used in the Second American Civil War." (Sgt. van Haumann)
US Soldier smoking a cigarette next to his assigned M1918 BAR during the Battle of Honolulu, 1937.
Once Sgt. van Haumann finished his tour, I said my goodbyes to the wounded man and left Kentucky. This time, I was heading not to a remote battle sight, rather, to the famed city of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh was the location of the bloodiest battle on the continent of North America. Not only did the Battle of the Pit leave this ancient city destroyed, the scars of yesterday are still felt today in the 21st Century. Me and RBC decided to check out the National Pit Museum located on the east side of town. On our way, my crew and I spotted many monuments and memorials dedicated to the CS and AUS Soldiers who fought in the city. Once we reached the museum, we were greeted by local historian James Worcester, the main operator of the place. He showed us around the various epitaphs, texts, and archives dedicated to the battle. However, even he knew what we truly came for. Tanks.
In the most grand part of the museum, James showed us the only tanks used in the Second American Civil War. These tanks came from the Russian State before the United States's blockade of itself came to fruition. They were earlier models of what the Russians would later use against the Communal Armies in the Second Weltkrieg, and most were operated by a mix of Russian and American crewman. Russian advisers did their best to teach the soldiers of the American Union State to use these armored beasts effectively against their enemies, but often more times than not, AUS ignorance and arrogance would get in the way. These tanks were first used during Operation Blackbeard, the American Union State's ambitious plan to capture Ohio and take Pittsburgh, thus cutting the CSA in two and taking one of its most valuable cities. Before their debut, tanks at no point played a direct role in the war. Unlike the Trench Warfare of the First Weltkrieg, the Second American Civil War was relatively mobile. Tanks thus weren't even thought of for military use in the war, well, that was until the AUS demonstrated to the world that Tanks could be used in a radically different.
The brain child of Field Marshal Patton, he devised a strategy to use tanks against enemy armies that didn't involve them being used a mobile cover for infantry. Instead, he used the Russian Tanks's speed, mobility, and firepower to his advantage. This plan of his held merit, and was the reason the AUS broke through Syndicalist Lines during the battles in Ohio and the Battle of the Pit. However, even Patton couldn't use tanks effectively in an urban environment. Anti-Tank guns from Totalist Britain and France allowed the CSA to destroy multitudes of tanks inside Pittsburgh, causing Long to remove them from the battle and move them south to fight against the unsuspecting Federalist Troops. Once Atlanta fell to the United States later in 1937, the AUS's tank corps were destroyed and their tanks captured by the US.
Destroyed AUS Tanks in Pittsburgh, Battle of the Pit 1937.
Ground forces were of course not the only forms of combat available to the Four Americas however. Two whole other wars took place in the skies on the high seas. The United States Army Air Force in the war proved itself to be one of the most capable air forces of the world. While the USAAF is held in a negative and hostile light in some circles, no one can deny the sheer effective brutality of the organization. Federalist Air Forces devastated the opposing militaries, this fact cannot be stated enough. US Fighters and Interceptors (P-32 Peeshooters) practically saved Washington D.C. from Long and Reed. US Bombers (Martin-B Bombers/Boeing B-15 Flying Bunkers) destroyed much of the rebellious cities on the East Coast, New York's Firebombing being the deadliest a city would be struck.
During the Battle of Florida Coast, Federalist Aircraft tore the AUS Navy to shreds from the USS Ranger (CV). This battle spelled the end of Battleship production within the United States as it became more clear that the new Queens of the Ocean were the Aircraft Carriers and their planes. Later on during the war against the Pacific States of America, the US and PS Navies engaged in the third major naval battle of the Second American Civil War. Off the coast of Hawaii, Californian Troops aided by Japanese Volunteers stormed the Hawaiian Island Chain. The PS Navy took Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, and Lanal before finally being confronted by the United States's Pacific Fleet. There, the Battle of Hawaii was fought on land at Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, in the skies above the Pacific Ocean, and on the dangerous seas surrounding Hawaii. Both the USN and USAAF distinguished themselves during the battle, obliterating the PSS Jefferson (CV) by way of the USS Charles Curtis (CV) and much of the PS Air Force.
PSS Jefferson sinking due to a direct hit to its core via a US Bomber, Battle of Hawaii 1937.
My time in America taught me many things I previously was ignorant about. The United States may be the world's sole superpower today, but not so long ago was it clinging to dear life against internal enemies. The Four Americas employed the use of a wide variety of weapons, ranging from the reliable M1 Garand to the Aircraft Carrier, the devastating Tank to the Air Fighter. The modern denizens of the United States have the ability most nations do not when faced with conflicts from within, and that is the ability to face them head on, to remember them, and to rise above them. The war as we have told it is far from being over. When I arrive back in the United Kingdom, you can be sure to hear the rest of America's incredible tale.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the next episode of Novus Ordo Seclorum, tune in with us once more as we unravel the second phase of the Second American Civil War, the most bloody war a land like this ever faced. As I look all around me, I finally understand how important this war was. Had just one battle changed, we could be living in a very different world. I feel the ghosts of the countless amount of Americans who fought and died to keep their land free. In their eyes, not a single ounce of regret is to be seen. Now, it seems ghastly weather has a knack for following Englishmen wherever they go, and so, this is where we'll end our broadcast. I have been your host, Cyril Grosscastle, and on behalf of the Royal Broadcasting Corporation, we thank you for taking the time out of your day to see what we have in store. Winter is ending and I've been told that England and Wales should expect a large sum of storms, as always. The next episode of this series shall be dubbed Episode 6: Manifesting Destiny. Once more, we must leave you hoping you'll come again. Now, since Britain is a whole six-eight hours ahead of America, its strange for me to say goodnight, but...
Goodnight.