Poles Apart – an HOI4 Ahistory

[Bullfilter]

Just for the hell of it, I’ll probably give extended range and reliability (if I can afford it) to the new 1944 fighter model when its research is complete, as it’s the end of the line.

 

[Bullfilter]

So, re the comments not specifically related to aircraft variants etc:

Canada and Mexico are not planning to invade US, they are only going to discourage draft-dodgers, if the Americans decide to help in China. Thank you

Let's hope that's all it is! At this rate , they're likely to miss the war completely. Same with the Soviets.

Didn't know this off the top of my head, so looked it up on the wiki. It just says it gives a bonus within the region (doesn't specify if the planes have to be based there or not).

Guess you'll just have to wing it!

I've guessed it must mean the target province (assuming there'd be not much point to have extra air crew assigned in a non-occupied province anyway) and have played with it in the next session, just completed. Still not absolutely sure it's doing anything (haven't found the right tip to mouse over to confirm it).

Glad to have helped!

A very ambitious play by the AI. But maybe all of Japan's units are stuck in China/Sulawesi so the Allies can land unopposed.

Well, if it's anything like HOI3 that will be the case!

I think it has something to do with Taiwan. Maybe Japan/China will have a falling out.

Right. Though its Kwantung rather than Japan occupying it at the moment.

If this plan works, China could be invaded on the coast with Japan out of the way. Right now it seems like the Allies will win this eventually. But how long that will take is the question.

That would be useful! So far the China-Japan communist pact has been doing pretty well. But we shall see the return of a good bit of HOI4 madness in the next episode, so that may change everything!

 

[El Pip]

I am still chuckling at the idea of 30s Poland, of all places, trying to attract Foreign Manufacturers into the country. "No we won't steal your designs and not pay any licence fee. Yes I know we said that the previous dozen times and then stole your designs and didn't pay any licence fees, but we mean it this time."

with a strong amphibious attack having been launched against Iwo Jima.

I look forward to the iconic photo of a couple of Royal Marines having a brew next to a Union Jack flag.

 

[Bullfilter]

I am still chuckling at the idea of 30s Poland, of all places, trying to attract Foreign Manufacturers into the country. "No we won't steal your designs and not pay any licence fee. Yes I know we said that the previous dozen times and then stole your designs and didn't pay any licence fees, but we mean it this time."

I suppose the alt-Poland of the 1940s, loyal Allied supporter etc, must be playing a little bit more by the rules. And in this universe, who would dare risk offending Churchill?

I look forward to the iconic photo of a couple of Royal Marines having a brew next to a Union Jack flag.

If it didn't mean cheesy photo-shopping of that famous Mt Suribachi photo, it would be on the cards! Also, we will soon find out who is actually doing most of the hard fighting on Iwo Jima ...

 

[Bullfilter]

Chapter Thirty-Four: Chaos
(December 1943)

The Endla Theatre in Pärnu, the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located 128 kilometres (80 mi) south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Its significance will be become clear later.

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1-16 December 1943: To Mount Suribachi

The British had begun an amphibious assault on Kwantung-defended Iwo Jima at the end of November.

British landing on Iwo Jima, 30 November 1943.​

As December began and the harsh winter in western China closed in, the entire 4th Polish Expeditionary Army had withdrawn to winter quarters. Mainly to rest and regather strength behind the lines, with three divisions left forward to guard the almost completed supply hub in southern Kunlun Shan.

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With the fighters in Urumqi basically useless and just drawing fuel and taking up tarmac space, they were withdrawn back to Poland on 1 December. They would be replaced by a third TAC wing. Extra ground crew support was withdrawn from the Central Asia sector and added to Western China and Qinghai to support the ground attack missions there.

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The Polish War Ministry also finally got around to inviting a foreign motor company to assist with the mechanisation of the Polish army. With the US unwilling to permit Ford to assist, The British Vauxhall company was given the nod, the Poles choosing the increase in mobility over the armour benefits the French SOMUA would have brought.

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By 8 December, the Allies were still holding a line north of Saigon and at this point were attempting (unsuccessfully, it seemed) to push the Communist MAB forces back north again.

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On Iwo Jima, the fighting still raged. It was revealed that two Chinese divisions fighting under British command were leading the assault, with three British divisions in support still trying to get ashore. The two defending Kwantung divisions had the tactical advantage of defending a naval landing and entrenchment but were poorly supplied and under heavy naval bombardment. The Allies were slowly gaining ground.

Chinese troops attempting to push inland from the landing beach at Iwo Jima, December 1943. Mount Suribachi can be seen in the distance.​

Back in western China, the latest TAC wing had finally arrived from Poland. 2 DB was tasked to support Allied ground operations in the Western China sector, where the fighting seemed to be heavier and mission efficiency remained low. This would also allow support of two battles simultaneously.

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By 11 December, the Polish formations sent back to rebuild in the north had reached their winter base and were recovering rapidly, with good supply. Many of those in the south were still on the move and supply was far patchier.

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On 16 December, the two wings operation in Western China we ‘evened up’ (52 aircraft each). With the current mission efficiency (28.3%) around 10-13 aircraft were supporting each Allied battle. Mission efficiency in Qinghai was up to almost 96%.

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17-27 December 1943: Fascist Death Throes

In Indochina, it was the MAB now once again on the offensive by 17 December, attacking heavily across the entire front. They had pushed a salient south towards Saigon.

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A third (British) division was ashore on Iwo Jima, one of the Kwantung divisions had surrendered and the attack was pressing home on the final stronghold of Mount Suribachi.

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The small-scale advance and retreat of the two armies facing off in Sulawesi continued in mid-December, neither side managing to retain the upper hand for long. For now, the Allies had once more managed to push forward a little.

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A temporary increase in train demand suddenly saw a deficit in Polish rolling stock. It must have been due to the completion of the new supply hub the day before [not sure whether we or the Brits are meant to provide the rail support for that]. Train production was restarted to deal with this.

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With the new supply hub in Kunlun Shan finished, a few days later on 20 December it was beginning to have a bit of an effect. Poland also issued orders for its motorisation level to be increased to the maximum as well.

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Not a great deal happened in Western China over the next week, though it may have been the capture of Iwo Jima on 27 December [I’m not absolutely sure it fell that day, but assume so] that triggered a major (and rather chaotic) event early on 28 December.

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28 December 1943: Madness in Pärnu

Early on 28 December, Poland was notified that the Fascists of the Asian League (which had included its European adherents as well) had surrendered, a peace Conference had been convened in Estonia and all the possible claims had been resolved before Poland was given any opportunity to claim anything at all. A very long list of settlements had appeared on the right, but all these negotiations had been resolved without any visibility by Poland’s representatives as it was happening.

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Not only that but the surrender had been made formally to France – which had turned Communist at some point recently (!) and now termed itself the French Commune, led by Maurice Thorez. But remained in the Allies.

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Presumably, the number of points the previous claimant powers were given – and thus the order in which they were able to make claims – had been determined by their proportional participation in the war, which at last count on 1 December 1943 had been as below. [In which case, I wonder if Poland has been dudded a bit here. Not knowing how these normally go, I have no real frame of reference. Also, I had no visibility of what points the Chinese and Japanese would have had and how these compared to or interacted with the Allied participants.]

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In any case, with no ability to affect the outcome, Poland was a mere observer and the conference , held at the Endla Theatre in Pärnu [an interesting city to choose!], was over almost as soon as it had begun. The UK, China, the Raj (essentially retaking land it had lost to the Free India revolt) and the PRC annexed states outright. The rest of the vanquished states were puppeted.

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For some reason, France had done rather poorly in Europe. To the relief of many, it was Germany instead that got to administer the newly freed Republican Italy as a supervised state. Germany was also granted Libya to administer. Estonia, which France had conquered itself, went to the UK as a puppet, as did Bulgaria (which Yugoslavia and Poland had conquered). Yugoslavia did get to keep most of Greece. All were now in the Allies.

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In the Middle East, a new state of Kurdistan was created and assigned to British control, while southern Iraq and Iran were also to be controlled from London. Again, all were now Allied powers.

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The settlement in Asia was the big surprise. Despite being at war with each other [er, nonsensically?] the Communist MAB and the Allies proceeded to divide the spoils between them. In a way that often disobeyed common sense and what Mao would have considered fair. Despite having conquered all of Kwantung except for a few Pacific islands, all areas except it seems those physically occupied by PRC troops were ceded to a new British-controlled Manchurian Federated Provinces! Yunnan became a ‘Soviet State’, but as a French Communist (and hence Allied) puppet. Most of the rest of the original Chinese states were annexed by the PRC, the rest going to Nationalist China or Manchuria. [This seems bizarre and illogical, especially the ceding of Chinese-controlled former Fascist land to hostile powers: there should be some exemption prohibiting that. China has been ripped off here, it seems.]

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Pakistan (East and West) was granted full independence but joined the Allies (fortunately for the British and the rest of the Allies in western China, keeping the land bridge to the Middle East open). Sinkiang became a British puppet state.

In the Horn of Africa, previous Italian controlled countries were released as puppets divided between the UK and Germany.

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While in the Western Pacific, two new small, independent and non-aligned state were created from the islands taken from Imperial Kwantung. Which may cause some problems for the Allied forces still based on some of those islands.

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A thoroughly baffled Polish Foreign Minister Beck contemplated all this and tried to begin making sense of it. In the meantime, all he could do was curse the laziness of his staffers who seemed to be once more providing generic portraits for some of the heads of state, and in one case no picture at all!

One map made the overall impact a little easier to read: it coloured the new boundaries by faction, which illustrated the great rear area security problem that had suddenly been created for Mao’s PRC. This was a windfall to the Allies, though whether it would prove decisive was another matter.

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28 December 1943: The Aftermath

A little later that day, Polish planners started to attempt to put the changed conditions in the Asian Theatre into context, before they started issuing any revised orders. For a start, there was now just one war to worry about. It was technically going somewhat in favour of the Allies, but they had taken far heavier casualties than the Communists of the MAB.

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With some additional land ceded to China in the west of the country (XSM land to the south of the previous main front), the Allied had ambitions to drive east to the coast, with a secondary thrust south to relieve Yunnan. A counter-offensive was still planned in Indochina with a ‘side run’ to Hainan …

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… while the sole remaining amphibious objective in the Western Pacific was now to assault Kanto, just west of Tokyo, from the recently seized Iwo Jima. But it looked like they may not be ready for around a month.

The general situation in Asia still saw the PRC as easily the largest Chinese power, but the strange peace settlement against the Asian League had carved out a number of Allied enclaves that may not be sustainable, but would take some time and effort for the Communists to secure again.

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In Western China, the Allies had unleased a new broad-front offensive that seemed to have got off to a promising start. Ironically, less than two weeks after the new supply hub had finally been completed, the hub and airfield at Golmud, ceded to China from Xibei San Ma at Pärnu, was available for Allied use. Though it would have to be secured from nearby MAB forces first.

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The good news was that much of the Polish 4th Army had now returned to near full strength with the rapid improvement in supply in recent days and were oriented with the majority of their divisions in the south. They would likely be called on soon to assist the Allied effort to secure Golmud.

As at 28 December, supply was better on the Allied front than it had been at any time since the campaign began. A combination of rail projects near the front and in depth to begin expanding the supply line from Delhi in the Raj should now proceed quite quickly.

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The Polish Air Force continued to provide the sole air support for the Allies in Western Chinese China and Qinghai, as mission efficiency in the former slowly increased. If the new air base in Golmud could be properly secured, the support could be enhanced by the reintroduction of fighters and even the deployment of shorter range CAS aircraft.

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In Indochina, it was hoped the peace settlement outcome might distract the MAB somewhat, as their latest offensive continued and they had just advanced a salient to the outskirts of Saigon itself. Once more, an large collection of Allied divisions faced the danger of being cut off to its east.

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In Sulawesi, Dutch troops still held their narrow salient on the west coast, but the front was static.

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The train requirement had fallen back below the stock holdings but the slow task of building more would continue, in case of further surges in demand (from either supply or troop movement needs). Truck production was kept ticking over at a minimum level, with a very large excess held in stockpile. The same was done with convoys.

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Just the one research project had been completed in December, with the replacement new mechanised troop carrier already well progressed by 28 December due to the assistance of foreign motor companies. And an updated TAC model would be available when the new year began.

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The Polish High Command now contemplated its next moves. Clearly, the campaign in Western China would continue to be a priority focus. But there was also discussion about a possible second expeditionary corps being sent to Indochina, to help stabilise the situation there. Maybe a single division could be shipped there as a test case, to see if any Japanese interdiction capability remained in that sector. If the proposed new force was staged behind in successive convoys, those following could be diverted to safety if the lead one was hit.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

The question of why the allies continue to bother with China remains at large, and increasingly pressing, since they've resolved all their actual problems in Europe and Africa (though the UK has landed head first into the balkans, and we all know what that means).

 

[Midnite Duke]

Churchill and Mao had good peace conference. France, France. What is goal now?

 

[jak7139]

[In which case, I wonder if Poland has been dudded a bit here. Not knowing how these normally go, I have no real frame of reference. Also, I had no visibility of what points the Chinese and Japanese would have had and how these compared to or interacted with the Allied participants.]

I feel like you should've been able to do something with your 9% participation. Not sure what happened to lock you out.

A thoroughly baffled Polish Foreign Minister Beck contemplated all this and tried to begin making sense of it. In the meantime, all he could do was curse the laziness of his staffers who seemed to be once more providing generic portraits for some of the heads of state, and in one case no picture at all!

Honestly, one of the least border-gory peace deals I've seen from the AI. All the defeated nations have been left mostly intact.

Ironically, less than two weeks after the new supply hub had finally been completed, the hub and airfield at Golmud, ceded to China from Xibei San Ma at Pärnu, was available for Allied use. Though it would have to be secured from nearby MAB forces first.

As at 28 December, supply was better on the Allied front than it had been at any time since the campaign began. A combination of rail projects near the front and in depth to begin expanding the supply line from Delhi in the Raj should now proceed quite quickly

Well, the Golmud hub should help in conjunction with the recently constructed hub. More supply is always better. Just remember to connect it to the rail network.

The Polish High Command now contemplated its next moves. Clearly, the campaign in Western China would continue to be a priority focus. But there was also discussion about a possible second expeditionary corps being sent to Indochina, to help stabilise the situation there. Maybe a single division could be shipped there as a test case, to see if any Japanese interdiction capability remained in that sector. If the proposed new force was staged behind in successive convoys, those following could be diverted to safety if the lead one was hit.

Sending some forces to Indochina would probably be fruitful (if the Allies can hold out before you arrive). Maybe if Sinkiang has an excess of troops, some of that force could be sent south.

 

[El Pip]

I do remember being told that some sort of peace conference mod was an absolute essential in HOI4, and this once again proves that point.

Then again given the war on China remains baffling pointless perhaps a baffling peace treaty would be the just result?

 

[Bullfilter]

Some initial comment (thanks for which ) feedback:

The question of why the allies continue to bother with China remains at large, and increasingly pressing, since they've resolved all their actual problems in Europe and Africa (though the UK has landed head first into the balkans, and we all know what that means).

Then again given the war on China remains baffling pointless perhaps a baffling peace treaty would be the just result?

Mainly, I guess it's China because it's the only game in town. I suppose the Red Menace must be defeated <shrugs>. And otherwise, I'd be left with little to comment on . Good to have some UK tripwires facing Trotsky (Estonia) and in the Balkans, from the purely selfish Polish perspective.

Churchill and Mao had good peace conference. France, France. What is goal now?

I think Germany did quite well too, really: part compensation for all those troops they lost in China! France, well ... <gives Gallic shrug>. Goal now is to defeat the Red Menace I suppose, currently in the East, maybe closer to home if Trotsky ever gets off his arse!

I feel like you should've been able to do something with your 9% participation. Not sure what happened to lock you out.

Honestly, one of the least border-gory peace deals I've seen from the AI. All the defeated nations have been left mostly intact.

I'd have thought I might have got a look at something, but it was all over by the time I got to see it (that window on the right of the Conference screen scrolled down a long way). And of course, Poland had 9% of the Allied contribution, but I'm thinking China and Japan would have also figured above us, but (irritatingly) it didn't seem to be possible to gauge their bargaining strength. If that's a not-so-gory result, then it must get pretty grisly!

Well, the Golmud hub should help in conjunction with the recently constructed hub. More supply is always better. Just remember to connect it to the rail network.

Yes, the Polish rail crews will be busy for a while yet, it seems. If we can get Golmud before the MAB does.

Sending some forces to Indochina would probably be fruitful (if the Allies can hold out before you arrive). Maybe if Sinkiang has an excess of troops, some of that force could be sent south.

Will toss it up. Given the steady growth in Polish army strength since we first sent the EF to China, I'll probably ship some more over by sea from the Motherland.

I do remember being told that some sort of peace conference mod was an absolute essential in HOI4, and this once again proves that point.

It certainly seems so. If nothing else, it would have been useful (for visibility and story telling purposes) to at least see each country's fulfilled demands step-by-step before it got to Poland's turn. It was like emerging from the anaesthetic half-way through an operation and before the surgical team had removed all the gore!

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

I do remember being told that some sort of peace conference mod was an absolute essential in HOI4, and this once again proves that point.

Then again given the war on China remains baffling pointless perhaps a baffling peace treaty would be the just result?

It's a very bloody affair in HOI4 and always seems to be. Only reason I went into Asia was because otherwise Churchill would conquer it.

In this timeline, it looks like the Soviets are watching and waiting while the rest of the world kills itself in the jungle for no reason. What even is the gameplan for what to do with China once the war is 'won'?

I love how we saw a bloodier world war 2, and then immediately afterwards an even bloodied world war 3 in China. Is there going to be anyone left alive by the end of this run?

 

[Bullfilter]

It's a very bloody affair in HOI4 and always seems to be. Only reason I went into Asia was because otherwise Churchill would conquer it.

In this timeline, it looks like the Soviets are watching and waiting while the rest of the world kills itself in the jungle for no reason. What even is the gameplan for what to do with China once the war is 'won'?

By the looks of it - apart from being the only war going, so Churchill etc want to be in it - it seems to give Nat China back some of its land and have the rest as Allied puppets! Sounds rather pre-20th century, doesn't it?

I love how we saw a bloodier world war 2, and then immediately afterwards an even bloodied world war 3 in China. Is there going to be anyone left alive by the end of this run?

Well, the European WW2.1 was very tame and the remaining Asian one against Fascists in China hot at first and then pretty side-show-ish. But yes, the big one is the other leg of the tripod, Allies v Communists in WW2.2. Getting quite entertaining again now that the zany peace treaty gave the Communists a few nasty cases of border gore by ridiculously giving territory they had conquered fair and square to their enemies, the Allies.

 

[Bullfilter]

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Rising Tide
(28 December 1943 – 31 January 1944)

A row of PZL.23 Karaś CAS in the foreground and old PZL.11 fighters in the background at Golmud airfield, January 1944.

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28-31 December 1943: Order from Chaos

With the Peace of Pärnu now digested, the Polish high command started to make its adjustments. First, a corps of five veteran infantry divisions (part of previous Italian and Bulgarian expeditionary campaigns) from the central reserve began boarding trains for Marseilles. The cavalry and armoured units were left behind in Warsaw.

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In Western China the largely rested Polish divisions in the south – the bulk of the 4th Army – set off to occupy the lands liberated to China at Pärnu, including the supply hub and airfield at Golmud. At the front, the Allies were already advancing on the MAB’s lines, with mixed success so far.

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The three northern divisions were also ordered back up to the front, ready for whatever opportunities might present themselves.

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Less than a day later, newly Allied Manchuria wisely concluded a truce with the MAB (as represented by the JPR). This evicted all PRC troops that had been garrisoned around the Soviet-Manchurian border and safeguarded the two undefended enclaves they controlled west of Shanxi and in the south.

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The Guangxi Independent Republic and (French-aligned) Soviet Yunnan were not so lucky and remained at war with the MAB.

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1-11 January 1944: Ups and Downs

The new PZL.49 Miś design was researched on 1 January and the production line was retooled (27% efficiency retained) to start producing the new aircraft. But it would take quite some while for it to become the new mainstay of the Polish tactical bomber arm.

By 3 January, Allied divisions – including three Polish formations – had pushed forward, but Golmud had not yet been secured.

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A day later, three more Polish divisions had arrived just behind the front and were sent south-east in a strong push to Golmud, with an estimated five day march ahead to secure it. On the 5th, the Poles in the south-west of Qinghai added their strength to an existing Allied attack, immediately boosting its progress and eventually bringing victory early on the 8th after a tough fight without air support.

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The beleaguered Guangxi capitulated at the start of 6 January, to no one’s surprise.

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That evening, British and Canadian forces secured Golmud, a few days ahead of the Poles following them. This had long been an operational objective of the war in Western China, now brought about by the collapse of Xibei San Ma on 28 December. With Allied troops now in place and more on the way, rail crews were told to include an initial rail link on their work plan. Supply in the area was still patchy beyond the new Kunlun Shan hub.

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In Indochina, the MAB seemed to have withdrawn enough forces to cope with their rear-area problems to cause weakness in the centre of the line. Which the reinforced Allies, taking advantage of shorter supply lines, were able to exploit. By the afternoon of 7 January they were storming ahead, having pocketed two PRC divisions in the centre and pressing to isolate more along the coasts German panzers broke through to their north.

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With Golmud now linked into the logistic network, supply in the southern sector of Qinghai had never been better, ensuring the Allied forces there could sustain their momentum. Supply remained patchier in the north.

Polish formations returned to front-line duty in the north on 9 January, where they reinforced an existing Allied attack in Jiuquan to ensure victory three days later. In this case, both sides had air support, with the Communist flyers causing more casualties than their Polish counterparts, but the ground casualties were heavily in favour of the Allied attackers.

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That night, one of the pocketed PRC divisions in central Vietnam had surrendered, while a large gap had been opened up in the MAB line between the coast and the Mekong river: only one Japanese division was contesting that entire flank north-west of the coastal salient.

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Yunnan remained defenceless by that time, with MAB forces on the outskirts north of its capital, Kunming.

Early on 11 January, 35 new CAS aircraft were deployed to Lwów, where they were merged into the existing 1 DB to form a 57-plane CAS wing to be transferred across to Golmud in Qinghai, where they should be close enough to the front line to be able to strike the enemy.

At the same time, a new wing of 90 surplus old PZL.11 fighters were brought out of stockpile to form a new wing directly in Golmud: they had a similar range to the Karaś CAS bombers and would provide interception cover, just in case. And plans were made for the recently completed branch rail line to Golmud to upgrade the line to level 2.

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12-21 January 1944: Diplomatic Moves

While the fighting went on in the Allies’ favour in Western China and Indochina, the short-lived experiment of Soviet Yunnan was snuffed out on 15 January. Those MAB forces would presumably become available again for other operations, though a good number of PRC and Japanese divisions still surrounded the neutral Manchurian enclave in the south.

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The big news in Indochina came on 16 January, when German panzers reached the coast and sought to defeat an MAB counter-attack. This trapped four MAB divisions in a new coastal pocket: another measure of revenge for what the Allies had suffered in the north just a few months before. Allied naval support was aiding three of the coastal battles.

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And up in neutral but Allied-aligned Manchuria, the first British division had landed and ten more Allied formations were approaching by sea: their ability to traverse this sea zone without any apparent enemy naval interference emboldened to Polish troop convoys that would soon be setting off for southern Indochina.

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On the morning of 18 January, all five Polish expeditionary divisions set off from Marseilles for the long voyage via the Suez Canal to Indochina. The situation there had rapidly improved in the last three weeks, but their additional presence could well come in handy as the Allies pushed north and Communist resistance inevitably increased.

At that point, the coastal pocket in Indochina had been split into two, allowing the trapped MAB divisions to be defeated in detail as the Allies pushed north against a solidifying Communist line stretching across the narrow waist of the French colony.

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With the Polish wings in Qinghai, including the recently arrived 1.DB, competing for space with around 150 Chinese bombers and fighters, Poland undertook to increase the size of the now over-crowded air base at Golmud.

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The CAS would soon be added into the mix in Qinghai and would have fighter escorts if needed, while the three TAC wings still operated out of Urumqi, due to their far greater range.

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And although both countries were already part of the Allied faction, the French Commune broached the idea of a closer and more strategic partnership with Poland on 20 January. Poland readily agreed to this rather ‘traditional’ diplomatic alignment.

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With a smattering of Allied divisions now in place, Britain decided to recall Manchuria to the war against the MAB. The Polish leadership doubted the wisdom of this: Manchuria itself was weakly defended and its two enclaves not at all. They were of more value at this point as a neutral diversion to the Communists than a soon-vanquished adversary.

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As fighting broke out along the Manchurian-PRC border, the Allied push in Western China continued to gain ground.

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By the evening of 21 January the MAB was already advancing into Manchuria and the Allied defenders had clearly been unprepared. By early the following morning, either the British or their Manchurian puppets must have realised their mistake: the truce was re-established. The latest fighting ended up being nothing more than short border clash.

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22-31 January 1944: The Flow after the Ebb

As 28 DP advanced in south-east Qinghai, they came under a sustained MAB counter-attack on the morning of the 22nd. Hard pressed at first, heavy air support and some later reinforcements ended up inflicting a devastating defeat on the attackers by early on the 25th.

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To the north, the Allies were running into heavier resistance, with air support once again figuring prominently in attack and defence, especially to the organisation of their opponents.

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By 24 January, the Manchurian border was quiet again as the Allies took advantage of the truce to bring in a trickle of reinforcements. Meanwhile, the MAB had stabilised their defensive front and were trying to counter-attack in central Vietnam.

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Since 17 January, the Allies had been conducting a steady advance through Jiuquan, with some Polish assistance, which by early on the 27th had split the northern and southern MAB lines in two against the neutral Manchurian enclave. Later that afternoon 2 DP added their weight to help press home the latest attack, which had succeeded by the following morning.

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As January ended, the Allies were once more on the rise following the disruption of the Peace of Pärnu. The briefly held puppet states of Guangxi and Yunnan had soon been over-run, but the Manchurian Federation had survived after striking two truces, the latest still holding.

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The Allied push in Western China had made good ground, taking up the territory ceded at Pärnu and then moving beyond it. The supply improvement in the south had allowed rapid exploitation and unit recovery plus new tactical air support flying from Golmud.

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The Allied build-up in Manchuria continued: the MAB had probably been unwise to accept the latest truce, but that was now history.

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The southern Manchurian enclave was still diverting many PRC and Japanese divisions: a great benefit for the Allied cause that Poland hoped would last for a while yet.

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Even with that, the MAB had apparently rushed sufficient reinforcements to Indochina to strengthen the front considerably across the defensible narrow neck of Laos and Vietnam: the position was once again in balance.

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Earlier Allied gains in Sulawesi had been rolled back onto the southern end of the narrow northern peninsula.

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The Western Pacific was still a welter of Allied divisions and ships in transit or on island bases. Reconnaissance of southern Japan had shown it was certainly not undefended. And another sizeable Allied troop convoy was on its way to Manchuria.

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Two new research projects had been completed during the month, including the new TAC design referred to earlier, while the industrial modernisation program continued. It had been replaced with the first iteration of a new Polish heavy fighter design (the PZL.38 Wilk), which would eventually be progressed to the point it could provide long range escort to the TAC bombers.

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The PAF looked forward to the imminent introduction of the ‘state of the art’ PZL.62 fighter, which they intended to modify with extended range and reliability options for operation in the long distances and harsh environment of the Chinese Front. And may also come in handy later against the Soviets, if they ever came to the aid of their eastern Communist colleagues.

The new expeditionary corps was at that time passing through the Suez Canal: it seemed they could come in handy in Vietnam after all. And training of a new armoured division was resumed, as the light tank production backlog began to be eroded.

In the sole remaining Allied-MAB war, the Allies were a little ahead on balance but the heavy losses in the earlier Chinese campaign and more recently in northern Indochina in late 1943 had seen the Allies take far heavier casualties. Poland’s sacrifice had been far smaller.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Soviets and Americans are playing a board game. Japan with 1M+ has bled heavily. Thank you

 

[jak7139]

By the afternoon of 7 January they were storming ahead, having pocketed two PRC divisions in the centre and pressing to isolate more along the coasts German panzers broke through to their north.

The big news in Indochina came on 16 January, when German panzers reached the coast and sought to defeat an MAB counter-attack. This trapped four MAB divisions in a new coastal pocket: another measure of revenge for what the Allies had suffered in the north just a few months before.

Some good news for the Allies.

This front is definitely looking more and more like the OTL Korean War. A lot of back and forth.

With a smattering of Allied divisions now in place, Britain decided to recall Manchuria to the war against the MAB. The Polish leadership doubted the wisdom of this: Manchuria itself was weakly defended and its two enclaves not at all. They were of more value at this point as a neutral diversion to the Communists than a soon-vanquished adversary.

By early the following morning, either the British or their Manchurian puppets must have realised their mistake: the truce was re-established. The latest fighting ended up being nothing more than short border clash.

A poor move by the British AI (and the Chinese for accepting the truce).

To the north, the Allies were running into heavier resistance, with air support once again figuring prominently in attack and defence, especially to the organisation of their opponents.

The air bases seem to be helping a lot on this front. How impacted is the supply situation with all the newly-based planes?

Since 17 January, the Allies had been conducting a steady advance through Jiuquan, with some Polish assistance, which by early on the 27th had split the northern and southern MAB lines in two against the neutral Manchurian enclave.

Now let's hope that enclave stays neutral.

the Manchurian Federation had survived after striking two truces, the latest still holding.

I feel like their should be some sort of penalty or restriction on truce-breaking. Weird that there isn't.

The Western Pacific was still a welter of Allied divisions and ships in transit or on island bases. Reconnaissance of southern Japan had shown it was certainly not undefended. And another sizeable Allied troop convoy was on its way to Manchuria.

Maybe once the PEF is done in Indochina, a trip to Taiwan to open up another front against China is in order. Or they could finish up Sulawesi.

 

[Bullfilter]

Soviets and Americans are playing a board game. Japan with 1M+ has bled heavily. Thank you

They are playing a bored game, too! Yes, Japan has suffered a lot in helping the Chinese, perhaps also intercepted troop convoys?

Some good news for the Allies.

This front is definitely looking more and more like the OTL Korean War. A lot of back and forth.

It definitely is. The ebbs and flows of diplomatic events and maybe supply as each side gets extended.

A poor move by the British AI (and the Chinese for accepting the truce).

Yes, thought this at the time, on both counts.

The air bases seem to be helping a lot on this front. How impacted is the supply situation with all the newly-based planes?

I think so, increasingly as we increase capacity, supply and aircraft numbers, while the mission efficiency builds as well.

Now let's hope that enclave stays neutral.

Yes, same hope there too.

I feel like their should be some sort of penalty or restriction on truce-breaking. Weird that there isn't.

I was wondering whether it was Manchuria, China, Japan or Britain at work, also there seems to be a thing where Japan tends to conclude truces with Manchuria (which ever faction they are in).

Maybe once the PEF is done in Indochina, a trip to Taiwan to open up another front against China is in order. Or they could finish up Sulawesi.

Taiwan is already with the Allies, as part of Manchuria. Sulawesi could be a chance: or even Japan itself if the Allies manage to land there eventually!

 

[Bullfilter]

Chapter Thirty-Six: Pushing Forward
(February 1944)

Polish troops en route to Indochina, passing through the Red Sea in early February 1944.

=======​

1-15 February: The Road to Chamdo

In early February 1944, Poland’s Allies had expansive plans for aggressive operations in the Asian Theatre. Those for the (neutral again) southern Manchurian enclave were particularly ambitious, given they had no troops garrisoned there or means of moving them in!

​

Another national Focus was completed at the start of the month, with the next modernisation focus shifted to the developing heavy fighter capability (none of which had yet been built by Poland).

​

There was also a shift in construction priorities, with the next round of projects after the current ones in China were completed focusing on building the Polish industrial base again. Other countries seemed to be moving ahead with theirs and Poland was concerned they may start falling behind other middle sized powers.

​

The first new Polish moves in February came on the 5th, with a spoiling attack ordered to assist a troubled defence in Jiuquan and reinforcement simultaneously ordered forward to bolster the defence. Little air support was available, but the spoiling attack turned the situation around, with both being won a day later.

​

In Indochina, the MAB had reinforced its line further and were now on the offensive again, though at this stage the Allies were holding fairly strongly and reinforcements appeared to have arrived in Saigon.

​

On the evening of the 6th, the next big Polish push in the south was ready: a three-division attack to retake the city of Chamdo, made famous in the doomed but valiant Battle of the Chamdo Pocket in 1943. By the 7th strong air support was assisting and a significant victory was won by the afternoon of the 8th, with few Polish casualties.

​

In the centre, another Polish offensive was unleashed on the morning of 8 February, with five divisions in two attacks. Three infantry divisions pushed north-east to Haixi, while the two mountain divisions assaulted Golog, with heavy air support. The northern attack met only light resistance and succeeded the next day, but the mountains of Golog were a more formidable obstacle. Specialist troops and good air support ensured victory early on the 12th.

​

Improved construction techniques had been introduced on 5 February with a new model of CAS aircraft being the next project for development. This was followed on 11 February with the completion of the top-of-the-line PZL.62 Pustułka fighter, after which earlier the earlier focus on armoured research would speed the development of the next generation of Polish medium tank.

​

Before the fighter production line was changed over, the range and reliability (to compensate for the range improvement) were improved in the Mk1 variant.

​

In the south, one of the Soviet EF divisions on loan to the PRC had been cut off in the south-west corner, while Mao’s men tried to break them out by attacking the South African division that had pocketed them. General de Wet received very heavy air support and would eventually win the defensive battle, as the Poles continued to move on Chamdo.

​

By the afternoon of 13 February, as South African division has crossed into the neutral Manchurian enclave now bordered by Allied Nationalist China on the western edge of Ningxia province. They kept moving east.

The Poles occupied Chamdo early on 14 February and were immediately counter-attacked from the south by a single PRC division. This proved a foolhardy ploy, as 1,100 attackers were killed for no Polish loss by midnight of the following day.

=======​

16-24 February: Manchurian Candidates?

With the two industrial construction projects begun, on 16 February the next slot was assigned for the building of another fuel depot in Kielce, as 100% storage capacity had been reached again some time earlier. If war ever came with the Soviets, large fuel reserves may be required.

The Allies had continued to send troops into Manchuria, but the MAB had reinforced the border even more heavily by the 16th.

​

By early on the 17th, the Allies continued to attack in the northern sector of the Western China front, while the isolated Soviet EF in the south was now being attacked as it ran low on supplies.

​

That attack was being carried out by a Lithuanian division whose general really seemed to be enjoying himself! Perhaps it as being able to land one on the Soviets, or the excellent effects of their substantial air support.

​

The MAB was still attacking in Indochina but was yet to make any significant gains, though they now had around twice the number of divisions in the line than the Allies did.

​

With Chamdo now secured, that night the Poles attempted to push further east and get over the river in two places before the MAB could get a new defence in position.

​

By the 18th, six Allied divisions had pushed into the Manchurian Ningxia enclave, though MAB forces surrounded it on all sides.

​

The increasing number of Allied troops and planes plus extending supply lines were straining logistic support again, but it had not yet halted Allied momentum.

​

Pushing across the river from Chamdo, 34 DP encountered a PRC division in Ganzi early on 21 February. Fortunately, the difficult river crossing operation was help enormously by strong air support, which caused about five times the enemy casualties that the ground combat did. The victory still took four days.

​

The series of Manchurian border clashes was extended over just over a day of formally declared war from late on 21 February to the morning of the 23rd. By the 22nd, the Allies had been under heavy MAB attack along the front.

​

At the same time, reports were received of an Australian landing on the island of Hainan. One division was ashore and another was assaulting Haikou from the sea, where a small Australian naval task force was supporting the landing. Immediately to the west, a large naval battle was taking place with the Japanese in the South China Sea. It must have made the Australians rather nervous.

​

It became clear that a large Japanese carrier task force, supported by capital ships , cruisers and a huge number of destroyers, had engaged and largely sunk a British destroyer squadron led by a light cruiser and supported by a German U-Boat flotilla.

​

Despite the latest truce, the border clashes in Manchuria continued for some time afterwards, until each petered out. Major fighting was still going on by the morning after the truce. It would not finally stop until the morning of the 26th.

=======​

25-28 February: The New Normal

In Indochina, the last few days had seen some major MAB gains on the western end of the line, with cumulative Communist progress since 6 February taking in four districts.

​

In Western China, remained involved in the fighting, mainly in the south. They managed to secure their bridgehead on the morning of 26 February, before coming under a heavy PRC counter-attack. Defensive air support had started to turn the tide of the battle by the evening of the 26th and again played a major role in the victory finally gained on the morning of the 28th.

​

Meanwhile, Lithuanian General Arturas ‘Happy’ Ivanauskas had pushed the Soviet 108ya SD to its last stand, with the difficulty of the river crossing being balanced by good air support and the exhaustion of the now badly under-strength Soviet EF.

​

By the end of the month, the PRC had lost the most ground in the west, where the previous deadlock had been well and truly broken – for now, anyway. The only active fighting at the time was in Indochina and Hainan.

​

In Western China, the northern sector was temporarily quiet, with the Ningxia enclave now well connected to Nationalist Chinese territory.

​

Most Allied formations were now concentrated in the centre and south of the line, including most of the Polish 4th Expeditionary Army. The battered remnants of the Soviet EF had since surrendered to the Lithuanians in the south-western corner.

​

The supply situation remained strained, though there was evidence that other Allies had done some construction of branch rail lines in the east to Jiuquan and in Kunlun Shan, while Poland turned its attention back to domestic industrial construction.

​

On a brighter note in Indochina, the last four days had seen much of the previously lost ground regained by Allied counter-attacks to the east of the Mekong River, with three districts reclaimed. The fighting remained close and contested across the front.

​

The lines had not shifted all month in Sulawesi, where both sides seemed to have lost interest.

​

The Australians had managed to secure the crucial port of Haikou and were currently trying to repel a cross-strait attack from the mainland as a Lithuanian division made its way to support them. Nothing more had been seen of the Republican Japanese Navy since the Battle of the South China Sea.

​

The new Polish expeditionary corps heading for Indochina was approaching the northern tip of Sumatra – one of many Allied convoys travelling the route.

​

In Europe, there was some Polish (and indeed British) concern over the infiltration of Communism into France (where it seemed the Communists had now outrageously suspended elections) and in Germany, where Konrad Adenaur’s democratic Zentrum party was now well behind in the polls to the KPD, though with elections not due until September 1946.

​

By contrast, neither democracy in the US nor Communism in the USR were under any threat, though neither country appeared any closer to entering the currently ‘Asian War’, though both had important interests there.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Communist democracy for the people by the people as determined by the supreme leader for only he knows what the people really want.

 

[El Pip]

General de Wet

I hope he is an amphibious warfare specialist. He is an entirely fictional general, if you are going to invent someone then at least lean into the joke.

It must have made the Australians rather nervous.

I can't see Bloody Vasey getting nervous. Swearing a great deal certainly, but not nervous.

The Donitz Yamanoto clash I never knew I wanted to see was somewhat disappointing. Karl should have brought some more U-boats, fingers crossed he does next time.

 

[jak7139]

There was also a shift in construction priorities, with the next round of projects after the current ones in China were completed focusing on building the Polish industrial base again. Other countries seemed to be moving ahead with theirs and Poland was concerned they may start falling behind other middle sized powers.

Are you not building anything in eastern Poland due to a potential Soviet attack?

In Europe, there was some Polish (and indeed British) concern over the infiltration of Communism into France (where it seemed the Communists had now outrageously suspended elections) and in Germany, where Konrad Adenaur’s democratic Zentrum party was now well behind in the polls to the KPD, though with elections not due until September 1946.

So I guess Trotsky is doing something. It's just more covert.

The good news is that France/Germany can't leave the Allied faction to join the USR as long as the war is ongoing.