Animal Farm by George Orwell, the ICGS inspiration for the impending assaults codename
Interlude
Part I - Aftermath of the Second World War
Part II - The Plan
Order of Battle - March 1947
A HOI3 v1.4 British AAR
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Animal Farm by George Orwell, the ICGS inspiration for the impending assaults codename
Interlude
Part I - Aftermath of the Second World War
Part II - The Plan
Order of Battle - March 1947
A HOI3 v1.4 British AAR
Aftermath of the Second World War
Following the conclusion of the Second World War; In the Far East, where the final campaign had been fought on the Japanese home islands, the Guangxi clique politically outmanoeuvred the government and organised the occupation of the country. With no need for military forces to be based in Japan the task of shipping the components of British Far East Command home, began. However as the first troops departed the Chinese installed their own puppet government in Tokyo, Japan bring granted control over Korea and various other sections of northern China. The clique released their prisoners in the process forming the new Japanese Army while Japan was allowed to retain the carriers and other capital ships, not been sunk during the final battles, giving the new Imperial Japanese Navy a blue water fleet within days of their official surrender. While it was felt within the rank and file of the British military, not to mention at Whitehall, that the UK had fought in vain and been betrayed the empire had more pressing concerns and the Far East did not form part of them.
Pressure from the various independence movements within India and the Middle East had been growing during the decade; with the war now over, and the government wanting to avoid unnecessary losses, independence was granted to India (although partitioned into two states) while the Middle East was likewise split between several states. A 170,000 strong colonial infantry army was organised from the old 'Indian Army', now garrisoned the hot spots of the enlarged African empire and the Soviet-Burma frontier. Within Europe the millions of prisoners taken by the British Army were repatriated to their various countries and new governments set up in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. The garrisons based in Hungary and Italy were withdrawn and the British occupation zone in Portugal handed over to the French. More importantly the once grand alliance of European nations, joined as the war progressed by American nations and various British Dominions, fell apart with no common enemy.
Since the government of Stanley Baldwin, in the mid 1930s, British attention had been focused on the USSR; with fascism defeated across the world the eyes of the British policy makers once again gazed east to land of communism. The Secret Intelligence Service since the 30s, initially on orders from Baldwin, had worked to organise and support the various democratic movements within the Soviet Union; extremely positive progress had been made with an estimated 75% or more of the population supporting the movements for freedom. However Stalin and his minority Bolshevik government remained in power supported by the estimated 3-4 million strong Red Army. Clement Attlee, head of the British government and leader of the Labour Party, in early 1947 upon realisation that covert actions would not topple the Soviet regime ordered Field Marshal Brooke, the Imperial Chief of the General Staff and in command of General Headquarters (the main headquarters of British forces in Europe), to prepare to invade the Soviet Union no later than June 1947 using the full weight of the British armed forces. Preparation for this resolution had actually started under the Churchill administration, with the army gradually growing in size and by 1947 British manpower had been taxed to the limit with two million regulars based within Europe, organising and preparing.
Following the conclusion of the Second World War; In the Far East, where the final campaign had been fought on the Japanese home islands, the Guangxi clique politically outmanoeuvred the government and organised the occupation of the country. With no need for military forces to be based in Japan the task of shipping the components of British Far East Command home, began. However as the first troops departed the Chinese installed their own puppet government in Tokyo, Japan bring granted control over Korea and various other sections of northern China. The clique released their prisoners in the process forming the new Japanese Army while Japan was allowed to retain the carriers and other capital ships, not been sunk during the final battles, giving the new Imperial Japanese Navy a blue water fleet within days of their official surrender. While it was felt within the rank and file of the British military, not to mention at Whitehall, that the UK had fought in vain and been betrayed the empire had more pressing concerns and the Far East did not form part of them.
Pressure from the various independence movements within India and the Middle East had been growing during the decade; with the war now over, and the government wanting to avoid unnecessary losses, independence was granted to India (although partitioned into two states) while the Middle East was likewise split between several states. A 170,000 strong colonial infantry army was organised from the old 'Indian Army', now garrisoned the hot spots of the enlarged African empire and the Soviet-Burma frontier. Within Europe the millions of prisoners taken by the British Army were repatriated to their various countries and new governments set up in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. The garrisons based in Hungary and Italy were withdrawn and the British occupation zone in Portugal handed over to the French. More importantly the once grand alliance of European nations, joined as the war progressed by American nations and various British Dominions, fell apart with no common enemy.
Since the government of Stanley Baldwin, in the mid 1930s, British attention had been focused on the USSR; with fascism defeated across the world the eyes of the British policy makers once again gazed east to land of communism. The Secret Intelligence Service since the 30s, initially on orders from Baldwin, had worked to organise and support the various democratic movements within the Soviet Union; extremely positive progress had been made with an estimated 75% or more of the population supporting the movements for freedom. However Stalin and his minority Bolshevik government remained in power supported by the estimated 3-4 million strong Red Army. Clement Attlee, head of the British government and leader of the Labour Party, in early 1947 upon realisation that covert actions would not topple the Soviet regime ordered Field Marshal Brooke, the Imperial Chief of the General Staff and in command of General Headquarters (the main headquarters of British forces in Europe), to prepare to invade the Soviet Union no later than June 1947 using the full weight of the British armed forces. Preparation for this resolution had actually started under the Churchill administration, with the army gradually growing in size and by 1947 British manpower had been taxed to the limit with two million regulars based within Europe, organising and preparing.
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Cheers Brad! I havent had much time lately to play the game let alone write anything up but i have finished working on the next post just about so will upload in a little bit.
The Plan
For the assault to install democracy on the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom had amassed the equivalent of eleven armies, split between five army groups, within Europe all the under the direct command of Field Marshal Brook; the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. To protect the only remaining Far East Asian colony, Burma, the Fourteenth Army had been assembled out of the remains of what use to be the Indian Army.
Brooke’s plan relied heavily on intelligence from the Secret Intelligence Service coupled with the idea of a three pronged attack as enacted by the Germans. The SIS had informed the military that the Soviet Red Army contained around 3 million men with the vast majority deployed in the East; although it was believed the Red Army could be even larger in the region of 4 million, double our own force. On the “western front” 37 divisions had been identified within the former Baltic States, around 25 divisions in the centre and only roughly 20 divisions identified facing the line to be occupied by the British Fifth, Eighth and Ninth Armies.
This intelligence gave the impression that a quick strike, if it broke through the crust of the Soviet defences, would be able to advance almost unopposed into the interior of the USSR as reinforcements from the east would arrive too late to halt the advance. Each army group was assigned specific tasks to ensure the complete destruction of the Red Army but to gain the necessary jumping off points to achieve the overall objective of securing a 1,500 mile lone frontline stretching from the Arctic to the Caspian; in essence kicking communism out of Europe and beyond the Urals. On ‘D-Day’ 75% of British forces in Europe would cross along 500 miles of the Soviet border; 98 divisions with substantial artillery, aerial and armoured support would crush the Red Army.
21st Army Group (A), under the command of Field Marshal Montgomery, comprised the Sixth and Seventh Armies totalling 443,000 men and 3,200 tanks was given the objective of destroying the Soviet forces in the former Baltic States; to do so Sixth Army would spread out across the majority of the front and hold the line, Seventh Army would concentrate and unleash a colossal crack – punching through the frontline it would encircle the northern Soviet forces and open the gates to Leningrad.
11th Army Group (B) under the command of Field Marshal Alexander was assigned the Second, Third and Fifth Armies totalling 655,000 men and 4,800 tanks; Alexander’s goal was to encircle and destroy Soviet forces on the border and advance on a broad front into the Russian interior capturing Moscow.
15th Army Group (C), under Slim, also contained 443,000 men and 3,200 tanks. Given the apparent weakness of Soviet forces in the south much more ambitious goals were assigned to Slim. Eighth Army was given the task of providing flank protection to 11th Army Group while also ordered to move on Stalingrad. Ninth Army, would by itself, secure southern Ukraine encircling and destroying all opposition.
Held in reserve were the First and Fourth Armies of Messervy’s 18th Army Group and Mountbatten’s 200,000 strong Combined Operations Command aka the Airborne Army and the Royal Marines. 18th Army Group’s role was envisioned as slotting between Slim’s and Alexander’s forces when enough space opened up. The six marine divisions would be split between the north and the south aiding were needed and the airborne would be called upon if required although no task had yet been envisioned for them.
The 140,000 men of Burma Command were assigned a limited offensive role to shorten the frontline they would have to defend, other than that they had no role in Animal Farm.
The quality of the British divisions varies greatly, all are well trained however only a portion have seen combat; all Army Groups contain a mixture (bar First Army being most comprised of veteran units fresh from Japan and hence why they have been placed in reserve) however the best of the officer corps have been assigned to Alexander’s command. No other reserves were available nor were any forces assigned to protect the British Isles. Brooke’s plan was the all or nothing destruction of the Soviet Union.
For the assault to install democracy on the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom had amassed the equivalent of eleven armies, split between five army groups, within Europe all the under the direct command of Field Marshal Brook; the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. To protect the only remaining Far East Asian colony, Burma, the Fourteenth Army had been assembled out of the remains of what use to be the Indian Army.
Brooke’s plan relied heavily on intelligence from the Secret Intelligence Service coupled with the idea of a three pronged attack as enacted by the Germans. The SIS had informed the military that the Soviet Red Army contained around 3 million men with the vast majority deployed in the East; although it was believed the Red Army could be even larger in the region of 4 million, double our own force. On the “western front” 37 divisions had been identified within the former Baltic States, around 25 divisions in the centre and only roughly 20 divisions identified facing the line to be occupied by the British Fifth, Eighth and Ninth Armies.
This intelligence gave the impression that a quick strike, if it broke through the crust of the Soviet defences, would be able to advance almost unopposed into the interior of the USSR as reinforcements from the east would arrive too late to halt the advance. Each army group was assigned specific tasks to ensure the complete destruction of the Red Army but to gain the necessary jumping off points to achieve the overall objective of securing a 1,500 mile lone frontline stretching from the Arctic to the Caspian; in essence kicking communism out of Europe and beyond the Urals. On ‘D-Day’ 75% of British forces in Europe would cross along 500 miles of the Soviet border; 98 divisions with substantial artillery, aerial and armoured support would crush the Red Army.
21st Army Group (A), under the command of Field Marshal Montgomery, comprised the Sixth and Seventh Armies totalling 443,000 men and 3,200 tanks was given the objective of destroying the Soviet forces in the former Baltic States; to do so Sixth Army would spread out across the majority of the front and hold the line, Seventh Army would concentrate and unleash a colossal crack – punching through the frontline it would encircle the northern Soviet forces and open the gates to Leningrad.
11th Army Group (B) under the command of Field Marshal Alexander was assigned the Second, Third and Fifth Armies totalling 655,000 men and 4,800 tanks; Alexander’s goal was to encircle and destroy Soviet forces on the border and advance on a broad front into the Russian interior capturing Moscow.
15th Army Group (C), under Slim, also contained 443,000 men and 3,200 tanks. Given the apparent weakness of Soviet forces in the south much more ambitious goals were assigned to Slim. Eighth Army was given the task of providing flank protection to 11th Army Group while also ordered to move on Stalingrad. Ninth Army, would by itself, secure southern Ukraine encircling and destroying all opposition.
Held in reserve were the First and Fourth Armies of Messervy’s 18th Army Group and Mountbatten’s 200,000 strong Combined Operations Command aka the Airborne Army and the Royal Marines. 18th Army Group’s role was envisioned as slotting between Slim’s and Alexander’s forces when enough space opened up. The six marine divisions would be split between the north and the south aiding were needed and the airborne would be called upon if required although no task had yet been envisioned for them.
The 140,000 men of Burma Command were assigned a limited offensive role to shorten the frontline they would have to defend, other than that they had no role in Animal Farm.
The quality of the British divisions varies greatly, all are well trained however only a portion have seen combat; all Army Groups contain a mixture (bar First Army being most comprised of veteran units fresh from Japan and hence why they have been placed in reserve) however the best of the officer corps have been assigned to Alexander’s command. No other reserves were available nor were any forces assigned to protect the British Isles. Brooke’s plan was the all or nothing destruction of the Soviet Union.
Order of Battle - March 1947
General Headquarters (GHQ) – Field Marshal Brooke
11th Army Group – Field Marshal Alexander
15th Army Group – Field Marshal Slim
18th Army Group – Field Marshal Messervy
21st Army Group – Field Marshal Montgomery
Combined Operations Command – Field Marshal Mountbatten
*All Corps commanders hold the rank of Lieutenant-General
**All Cavalry Divisions are actually armoured formations
All infantry and marine divisions contain four brigades with additional self propelled artillery or self propelled anti tank guns. Armoured divisions contain two infantry and two armoured brigades with the aforementioned additional self propelled assets. Each Corps headquarters also controls additional self propelled arterially, self propelled rocket artillery, anti aircraft guns and an armoured car regiment. Airborne divisions contain four airborne brigades each and no additional support.
General Headquarters (GHQ) – Field Marshal Brooke
11th Army Group – Field Marshal Alexander
- 2nd Army – General O’Connor
[*]V Corps – Festing*
15th Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division, 10th (Irish) Infantry Division, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division
[*]VI Corps – Cunningham
31st Armoured Brigade, 8th Armoured Division, 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division, 17th (Northern) Infantry Division
[*]VII Corps – Gott
32nd Armoured Brigade, 9th Armoured Division, 16th (Irish) Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division
[*]VIII Corps – Dempsey
39th Armoured Brigade, 10th Armoured Division, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
[*]2nd Army Reserve
45th Infantry Division - 3rd Army – General Aukinleck
[*]IX Corps – Robertson of Oakridge
49th Armoured Brigade, 102nd Armoured Division, 41st Infantry Division, 44th (Home Countries) Infantry Division
[*]X Corps – Lindsell
55th Armoured Brigade, 79th Armoured Division, 78th Battleaxe Division, 80th Infantry Division
[*]XI Corps – Brocas-Burrow
52nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division**, 29th Infantry Division, 56th (London) Infantry Division
[*]XII Corps – Dill
51st Armoured Brigade, 100th Armoured Division, 30th Infantry Division, 33rd Infantry Division
[*]3rd Army Reserve
54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division - 5th Army – General Harding
[*]XIII Corps – Nicholson
56th Armoured Brigade, 111th Armoured Division, 36th Infantry Division, 46th Infantry Division
[*]XIV Corps – Scoones
59th Armoured Brigade, 108th Armoured Division, 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division, 51st (Highland) Infantry Division
[*]XV Corps - Hobbart
60th Armoured Brigade, 109th Armoured Division, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division
[*]XVI Corps – Platt
61st Armoured Brigade, 110th Armoured Division, 46th (North Midland) Infantry Division, 47th (London) Infantry Division
[*]5th Army Reserve
37th Infantry Division
15th Army Group – Field Marshal Slim
- 8th Army – General Mansergh
[*]XXV Corps – Morgan
62nd Armoured Brigade, 11th Armoured Division, 23rd (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division
[*]XXVI Corps – Templar
63rd Armoured Brigade, 103rd Armoured Division, 20th Infantry Division, 26th Infantry Division
[*]XXVII Corps – Gracey
64th Armoured Brigade, 105th Armoured Division, 18th Infantry Division, 61st Infantry Division
[*]XXX Corps – Soames
65th Armoured Brigade, 106th Armoured Division, 57th Infantry Division, 66th Infantry Division
[*]8th Army Reserve
39th Infantry Division - 9th Army – General Horrocks
[*]XXVIII Corps – Erskine
76th Armoured Brigade, 116th Armoured Division, 34th Infantry Division, 35th Infantry Division
[*]XXVIX Corps - Amyatt-Hull
79th Armoured Brigade, 119th Armoured Division, 21st Infantry Division, 24th Infantry Division
[*]XXXI Corps – Wilson
86th Armoured Brigade, 118th Armoured Division, 72nd Infantry Division, 73rd Infantry Division
[*]XXXII Corps – Keightley
83rd Armoured Brigade, 117th Armoured Division, 27th Infantry Division, 28th Infantry Division
[*]9th Army Reserve
74th Infantry Division
18th Army Group – Field Marshal Messervy
- 1st Army – General Gort
[*]I Corps – Lumsden
20th Armoured Brigade, Guards Armoured Division, Guards Infantry Division, 1st Infantry Division
[*]II Corps – Giffard
14th Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division, 2nd Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Division
[*]III Corps – Dorman-Smith
6th Armoured Brigade, 2nd Armoured Division, 4th Infantry Division, 5th Infantry Division
[*]IV Corps – Rennie
7th Armoured Brigade, 6th Armoured Division, 6th Infantry Division, 8th Infantry Division
[*]1st Army Reserve
31st Infantry Division - 4th Army – General Loyd
[*]XXVIII Corps – Frost
84th Armoured Brigade, 104th Armoured Division, 7th Infantry Division, 22nd Infantry Division
[*]XXVIX Corps – Anderson
97th Armoured Brigade, 11th (Northern) Infantry Division, 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division
[*]XXXII Corps – Rickerley
96th Armoured Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, 76th Infantry Division
[*]XXXX Corps – Ebbels
98th Armoured Brigade, 120th Armoured Division, 14th Infantry Division, 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division
[*]4th Army Reserve
9th (Highland) Infantry Division
21st Army Group – Field Marshal Montgomery
- 6th Army – General Anders
[*]XVII Corps – de la Poer Beresford-Peirse
73rd Armoured Brigade, 112th Armoured Division, 79th Infantry Division, 81st Infantry Division
[*]XVIII Corps – Duch
71st Armoured Brigade, 107th Armoured Division, 32nd Infantry Division, 82nd Infantry Division
[*]XIX Corps – Roberts
66th Armoured Brigade, 115th Armoured Division, 58th Infantry Division, 60th Infantry Division
[*]6th Army Reserve
49th (West Riding) Infantry Division - 7th Army – General Crocker
[*]XXI Corps – Paget
74 Armoured Brigade, 3rd Cavalry, 64th Infantry Division, 65th Infantry Division
[*]XXII Corps – Leese
75th Armoured Brigade, 2nd Cavalry, 19th Infantry Division, 63rd Infantry Division
[*]XXIII Corps – de Guingard
77th Armoured Brigade, 42nd Armoured Division, 67th Infantry Division, 68th Infantry Division
[*]XXIV Corps – Ritchie
78th Armoured Brigade, 114th Armoured Brigade, 70th Infantry Division, 71st Infantry Division
[*]7th Army Reserve
69th Infantry Division
Combined Operations Command – Field Marshal Mountbatten
- Airborne Army – General Laycock
[*]I Airborne Corps – Browning
1st Airborne, 6th Airborne, 7th Airborne, 8th Airborne
[*]II Airborne Corps – Gale
9th Airborne, 10th Airborne, 11th Airborne, 12th Airborne - I Royal Marine Corps – Sturges
19th Armoured Brigade, 1st Royal Marine Division, 2nd Royal Marine Division, 3rd Royal Marine Division - II Royal Marine Corps – Lovat
91st Armoured Brigade, 4th Royal Marine Division, 5th Royal Marine Division, 6th Royal Marine Division
*All Corps commanders hold the rank of Lieutenant-General
**All Cavalry Divisions are actually armoured formations
All infantry and marine divisions contain four brigades with additional self propelled artillery or self propelled anti tank guns. Armoured divisions contain two infantry and two armoured brigades with the aforementioned additional self propelled assets. Each Corps headquarters also controls additional self propelled arterially, self propelled rocket artillery, anti aircraft guns and an armoured car regiment. Airborne divisions contain four airborne brigades each and no additional support.