Poles Apart – an HOI4 Ahistory

[Midnite Duke]

Sulawesi has been a long running yo-yo: one foot forward, one foot backwards. Thanks

 

[HistoryDude]

Subscribing to this AAR now - I'll read through the many updates soon enough.

 

[Bullfilter]

Well, the amercians have split Canada in two and taken most of the rail and industrial pop centres. That being said, they are now literally fighting and walking in increasingly empty wildernesses, whilst having to watch their increasingly long coastlines and having to garrison a ton of islands.

Seems the US dominates when they're just fighting one front. Two on the other hand is too much.

The US, without the two-front war (though they must still station a large defensive force on that long and potentially hostile southern border, at least) does indeed seem to be able to prevail in the north, even with the influx of European Allies divisions. We shall soon see how things go there in the next update.

An amazing turn of events in Indochina! Now PRC will have to pull divisions off western China to stem the flow. Perfect opportunity to retake lost gains there.

Though so far, the MAB seems to be able to maintain their force levels in Western China: maybe the extra forces to stabilise Indochina are being drawn from that empty southern Manchurian enclave or the border with Manchuria proper? They certainly seems to have many human waves to keep throwing at the Allies!

Have you thought about sending a tank to help? West China's probably too mountainous, but Indochina might be good.

My preference has been to retain the armoured formations exclusively for use in Europe, out of concern for a possible Soviet late-game attack (after all the US has just done it). The other Allies have employed a bit of armour in Indochina, so for now I think I'll leave it at that. Good thought though and it may come to it later.

Sulawesi has been a long running yo-yo: one foot forward, one foot backwards. Thanks

Yes, another of those ebb and flow campaigns, of which we've had a few. And I rather like them, as it indicates a broad balance of forces over time without the WW1-style stalemate. I think much of it must be supply-related, like North Africa in OTL WW2.

 

[Bullfilter]

Subscribing to this AAR now - I'll read through the many updates soon enough.

A warm welcome to you - thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to make any comments or ask any questions along the way, if you wish. I'll answer any separately (like this one), to avoid spoiling.

 

[Bullfilter]

Chapter Forty-Three: A World in the Balance
(September 1944)​

Polish troops about to return to the front after recuperating behind the lines in Western China during another month of hard fighting.

=======​

1-11 September: Oh, Canada!

We start the month’s reporting in China, where poor supply has been making recovery difficult for front line units. In Gannan (southern sector of the Western China front) one Polish division each is left to assist with the defence of the centre and north-east, while the other four are sent back to recuperate where good supply is available.

​

In Indochina the Poles were the first into the Tonkin Coast on the morning of 2 September after a large and hard-fought victory there the day before. They came under immediate counter-attack and were in trouble initially until more Polish and French units joined the battle, bringing victory on the 3rd.

​

At sea, as the battle on the coast was ending a pack of 14 Japanese subs had struck an Allied convoy well escorted by a Royal Navy destroyer flotilla led by a light cruiser.

​

But it turned out the subs had acted as scouts for a massive carrier task group that struck the convoy later that day. By the evening of the 5th, ten of the British destroyers had joined 3 transports at the bottom of the ocean.

And while that battle was beginning, a Japanese division had managed to get ashore in northern Malaya, but not in the port of Kota Bahru, which had held and been reinforced by German motorised infantry, who were now attacking the precarious beachhead.

​

On 4 September, the Poles sent 1 and 16 DPs to join an Allied attack on two Japanese divisions in south-east Laos, which succeeded by the morning of the 5th.

​

The province was occupied by 7 September after another attack was required on the 6th. Tonkin was again successfully defended against a concerted counter-attack as the French went about securing the latest gain in south-east Laos.

​

Things were deteriorating slowly but steadily in Canada, as the American’s managed to divide it in two by reaching Hudson Bay on the coast of Northern Ontario at midday on the 7th.

​

Of some interest, it was noted at this time that the Canadian government, like that of France, had turned to Communism! Even as the country inched towards capitulation.

​

In South America, US forces (three of which had clearly been sent over from the Pacific Theatre) were attempting an amphibious assault on Cayenne. They were being vigorously resisted by a French and a Chinese division serving under British command.

​

Around this time, it was also noticed that the quite large number of Mexican expeditionary troops that were serving in Indochina were disengaging from the front line and heading to the ports in the south. This was beginning to thin the Allied lines and impair their momentum, just as the Chinese and Japanese Communists were reinforcing their line at the narrowest neck of Indochina.

The next day, 8 September, more Allied units were pushing on the Japanese beachhead in Malaya. And on the afternoon of the 9th, there were ten Mexican divisions in southern Indochina, along with another five Allied formations. The Communists had built up their own line and were now attacking, as Allied momentum ground to a halt.

​

All through this period, there was also heavy pressure being put on the Allies trying to hold the line in Western China, where recent Allied gains had been lost in August as the MAB attempted to claw back more with a welter of costly human wave attacks.

Then black news arrived on the night of 11 September, when it was confirmed that the Canadian capital of Ottawa, on the front line on the ‘wrong side’ of the main Allied river defensive line in the North-West Sector, had fallen.

=======​

12-30 September: Mexican Stand-off

Though both the recently taken Indochinese provinces had been secured by 12 September, the MAB forces opposing them were well dug in, on a short front and now with plenty of reinforcements. From this point it would be the Communists doing the attacking there for the rest of the month, as the last Mexican units headed south from the front, leaving the remaining Allis outnumbered.

​

At this point, with Mexico still not in the war, Poland decided to call them into the war as Canada faced dire peril. But a check with the Mexicans [a brief tag over to see what was going on there] it seemed the other Allies had already done this previously: and Mexico seemed unwilling to commit.

​

In order to try to once more rejuvenate the hard-press Allied cause in Western China, a new supply hub for the southern sector in Ganzi was added to the Polish production queue. It would be very expensive but might prove the difference given how far the previous advances had taken them from the nearest one.

​

For now, the MAB were attacking along much of the front in Western China, except for the north where the Allies were pushing back. At least all battles there were currently in the Allies’ favour. Indochina was quiet for now and would remain so for another five days.

​

In Malaya, the Japanese landing south of Kota Bahru had been destroyed some time before the night of 12 September. And in Western China, many probes and more substantive attacks were made by the MAB, but most ended in expensive failure.

This changed on 17 September, with an expensive Communist success, which had also forced back 32 DP from north-east Golog. But the British had managed to slip in another division to begin a hasty defence before the province could be retaken by the enemy. They still resisted, with difficulty, by the following evening.

​

At this time, the four Polish divisions previously sent to a better supplied province in the rear to recuperate were recovered enough to be sent back into the hard-pressed line. They were soon fanning out to shore up the defence from south-east Golog down to central Gannan.

​

The British still persisted with their monthly call to Manchuria for another border clash, which lasted from 19 to 21 September, with the usual non-result.

​

In north-east Golog, the 53rd (Welsh) Division hung on grimly and increasingly strongly against a tiring PRC attack into the early morning of 22 September as the previous defenders still retreated west.

​

In Canada, there was a lull in the fighting by the 23rd other than for a lone Allied attack in the north-west sector. The Americans had further extended their creeping occupation of the Canadian Plains in recent days.

​

In South America, Suriname had been released but the Allies had beaten off the attempted US naval landings and put more reinforcements into Cayenne. British Guyana had been occupied by the US.

​

But a new surprise had been sprung by the Japanese in Malaya with another amphibious invasion, this time on Singapore, where the local garrison was holding out for now.

​

In better news, the Allies had reinforced Sulawesi and were again advancing against the Japanese on the northern archipelago.

Two days later, the repeated MAB attacks in Indochina were taking their toll, with south-east Laos under heavy assault by 10 divisions and starting to crack. In desperation, the three unsupplied and rather disorganised Polish divisions on the Tonkin coast launched a spoiling attack to the north with naval gunnery support to try to save their comrades.

​

By midday on the 27th, this seemed to be working as the odds in south-east Laos turned in the Allies’ favour. The spoiling attack, was halted.

​

However, the first defence of south-east Laos failed on the 29th, despite inflicting very heavy casualties on the MAB attackers, as Tonkin Coast also came under enemy attack. Once more, a French division managed to slip in to continue the defence of south-east Laos later that evening and the attack on the Tonkin coast was heavily repulsed. By the midnight on the 30th, south-east Laos still held on, with the battle evenly balanced.

=======​

Summaries: Asian Theatre

By the end of September, the Western China and Malayan fronts were seeing the busiest action. The fighting had been generally harder in Indochina for the Allies, with the MAB taking disproportionately high casualties for all their frenzied attacks in Western China.

​

The Polish share of casualties among those suffered by the Allies in battles the Poles were involved in were less than half (an estimated 2,290/6,121 for the month).

The Poles had only been involved in one brief defensive battle in the northern sector of Western China during September, right at the start of the month. The Allies had born the brunt here and had recently managed to push a salient forward to take south-east Jiuquan. One Polish division had stayed forward in south Jiuquan while the other two were withdrawn to better supplied territory to recover, which was almost complete.

​

In the south-central sector, Gansu had been reoccupied by the MAB before Lanzhou was subjected to a series of decreasingly powerful attacks from 11-30 September, where heavy Communist casualties were sustained. As mentioned previously, north-east Golog had almost been lost after a large battle ended in Allied defeat on 17 September, but the line still held as the month ended after fresh defenders (none of them Polish at this stage) were sent in.

​

North-east Gannan had been subject to repeated assaults, sometimes two or three attacks in a single day, all month, with another currently in progress. Four of these had been more sustained battles, but all had been won by the Allies, inflicting almost 20-1 casualties on the MAB human waves being thrown against them. Central Gannan had also been repeatedly attacked from 13-30 September, with one serious battle ending on 24 September amid four smaller probes. The ratio of MAB casualties on this front (in battles the Poles had featured in, all defences) had been particularly high as they struggled to keep up their offensive momentum from August.

As we have seen, the fighting was somewhat closer in Indochina, with most Allied casualties suffered in the first few days of the month as they attacked and then secured the Tonkin Coast and south-east Laos in the first week of September. The bloodiest battle of the month had been the recent Allied defeat in south-east Laos, though the province was still just holding on by the end of September with fresh Allied defenders.

​

Good ground had been made in Sulawesi as the ebb and flow of battle there again switched in favour of the Allies, who had been reinforced significantly. But supply remained a problem for both sides.

​

The Japanese had managed to get two divisions ashore in southern Malaya, but the British defences of Singapore and the southern approaches to Kuala Lumpur held firm. Having failed to capture a port yet, the Japanese beachhead appeared to be suffering from poor supply.

=======​

Summaries: The Americas and Other Matters

The situation in Canada remained grim, while Mexico continued to refuse repeated Allied requests (apparently renewed on a monthly basis) to join the war as Canada was slowly strangled by the US, despite a continuing supply of European Allied divisions to the North-West Sector.

​

Ottawa remained in enemy hands, but the rest of the line in the North-West Sector continued to hold a narrow grip on the St Lawrence Waterway.

​

The situation on the ground in South America was unchanged.

No new research breakthroughs were made in September, with an upgrade for field hospitals due in October. The major goal of introducing logistic companies into standard division establishments was still almost three months away.

​

On the political front, the influence campaign in Germany continued to bear fruit, with a gradual rise in the fortunes of the DNVP at the expense of the two largest parties (the KPD and Chancellor Adenauer’s Zentrum).

​

The long-standing campaign in Belarus had seen the pro-Polish BSA narrowly overtake the Communists as the most popular party. And Belarus remained a Soviet puppet state. But some in the Foreign Ministry wondered if a coup might be possible and, if it was successful, whether this would serve to prise Belarus out of the Soviet grip, or their puppet status and membership of the 4th International would remain unchanged. [I have no real experience or knowledge of the coup mechanic in HOI4].

 

[Midnite Duke]

How many causalities are the communists willing to take in the East? Thanks

 

[Bullfilter]

How many causalities are the communists willing to take in the East? Thanks

A lot, I suspect - they don't have much choice either, I reckon, as it is what they consider their homeland under attack from Western Imperialists!

 

[jak7139]

Of some interest, it was noted at this time that the Canadian government, like that of France, had turned to Communism! Even as the country inched towards capitulation.

Perhaps this explains the US' sudden intervention more, from an in-universe perspective anyway.

Around this time, it was also noticed that the quite large number of Mexican expeditionary troops that were serving in Indochina were disengaging from the front line and heading to the ports in the south. This was beginning to thin the Allied lines and impair their momentum, just as the Chinese and Japanese Communists were reinforcing their line at the narrowest neck of Indochina.

Unfortunate that more progress wasn't made in Indochina before the slowdown. Although some enemy divisions look greyed out instead of red. Does that mean they are neutral to Poland?

Maybe Mexico is sending its units back home so it can join against the US?

In South America, Suriname had been released

Are they in the war or still neutral?

The long-standing campaign in Belarus had seen the pro-Polish BSA narrowly overtake the Communists as the most popular party. And Belarus remained a Soviet puppet state. But some in the Foreign Ministry wondered if a coup might be possible and, if it was successful, whether this would serve to prise Belarus out of the Soviet grip, or their puppet status and membership of the 4th International would remain unchanged. [I have no real experience or knowledge of the coup mechanic in HOI4].

Since you don't have the DLC for spies, I'm guessing that it will use the old coup system. Basically, you click that button, wait roughly 100 days for the coup to fire, and it starts a civil war in the target country. Is probably really risky because Trotsky will help their puppet directly, and because that coup-nation could join a faction (the Allies) and escalate the war in a matter of days.

Doing it against Germany would have the same domino effect, except that, since the main Germany is already in the Allies, the coup-nation will join something else.

I think doing it against China or Japan could be really effective though, because it will distract them and steal some of their divisions for the coup.

 

[Bullfilter]

Perhaps this explains the US' sudden intervention more, from an in-universe perspective anyway.

Yes, I think the latter. Willkie v Communism rings true in this ATL.

Unfortunate that more progress wasn't made in Indochina before the slowdown. Although some enemy divisions look greyed out instead of red. Does that mean they are neutral to Poland?

Maybe Mexico is sending its units back home so it can join against the US?

I think that's just the national colours, which I have turned on: the lighter ones are Japanese, the darker maroon ones are PRC. No neutrals in Indochina. The Thais are still neutral to the west.

Re Mexico: not sure there's much science in the AI tasking there

Are they in the war or still neutral?

Suriname were in the war, then conquered by the US, then ... not too sure, but there's more info in the forthcoming chapter, so I won't spoil that.

Since you don't have the DLC for spies, I'm guessing that it will use the old coup system. Basically, you click that button, wait roughly 100 days for the coup to fire, and it starts a civil war in the target country. Is probably really risky because Trotsky will help their puppet directly, and because that coup-nation could join a faction (the Allies) and escalate the war in a matter of days.

OK, I may not try that until/unless we don't care about or want to provoke a Soviet reaction, or want to cause a distraction for them that Poland might take advantage of ... there is a possible cunning plan in the offing.

Doing it against Germany would have the same domino effect, except that, since the main Germany is already in the Allies, the coup-nation will join something else.

Right. It is very nice having Germany in the Allies, playing as Poland. Hope that doesn't change!

I think doing it against China or Japan could be really effective though, because it will distract them and steal some of their divisions for the coup.

OK, may try that further down the track if the current stalemate persists.

 

[Bullfilter]

Chapter Forty-Four: No Easy Way Out
(October 1944)

Canadian Army troops on the mortar line in the vicinity of Montréal, North-East Front, October 1944.​

AuthAAR’s Note: the war in Asia is really turning into a re-run of WW1 at the moment, though with quite high op tempo. Rather than toting up every battle and giving that in the summaries I’m going to pan back slightly and only mention larger battle results or key outcomes in the fighting as we go.

=======​

1-10 October: Trapped in a Deadly Embrace

The MAB pressure in Western China remained non-stop through the month in the centre and south. Many smaller probes and attacks would be interspersed with bigger and/or more decisive battles, where the previous pressure built up to either a major Allied defensive win or a hard-fought and costly MAB victory. Some ground would change hands during the month, but not a lot. The same applied, on a far narrower front, in Indochina.

The first larger battle of the month came with an Allied defensive victory in north-east Gannan early on 2 October (Allies 278, MAB 3,910 killed). But the Communists would keep plugging away there and to the south.

Poland, having achieved most of the thematic focus tasks available, decided on 4 October to concentrate on speeding up army training. This would, in due course, put pressure on production capacity to keep pace, but it was felt that was a good problem to have - to a certain extent, anyway.

​

The same morning, the pressure on the Allies holding south-east Laos finally overcame the defence there. The Poles had previously been driven out and there were no robustly organised Polish troops available for any counter-attack.

​

In central Gannan, another large MAB attack was repelled at the same time (Allies 485, MAB 3,110 killed), as the latest enemy attack on north-east Gannan continued.

The French were not yet ready to surrender south-east Laos, which was counter-attacked as soon as the MAB occupied it on the 5th.

​

In Western China, Poland returned to the rail-building business in Golog, trying to increase the capacity of the basic (level 1) branch line leading into north-east Golog in the hope of improving the difficult supply situation there that hampered the defence. The next day, a new heavy infantry division (ie equipped with heavy tanks) was deployed to the reserve 5th Army in Brześć Litweski (its 5th division).

The latest big and very determined attack on north-east Gannan was repelled early on 7 October (Allies 591, MAB 5,050 killed) with huge Communist losses, but their human wave attacks were taking a toll on the resilience of the defending Allies troops, including two Polish infantry divisions. In the north, General Źeligowski sent the now recovered 2 and 10 DPs back up to central Jiuquan to prepare for an attack on the enemy salient that had pushed into it some weeks before.

By 1500hr on 8 October, north-east Gannan held out against a new MAB attack [65% green] but both 34 DP had been forced to flee from their trenches, though 17 DP stood strong for now with their Allied colleagues. At the southern end of the front, on 9 October the Allies were close to losing their positions with only a single Liberian division remaining to resist an attack by 7 PRC counterparts.

​

At the same time, the KBK (cavalry) division was voluntarily withdrawn from central Gannan to recover and resupply during a brief lull in the fighting there. The pressure continues in the central sector, with the largest attack of the month so far beaten back in Lanzhou late on the night of 10 October (Allies 99, MAB 2,780 killed). The enemy would keep pressing, despite these expensive defeats.

By midnight on the 10th, the large mass of Allied troops in western and central Canada was in danger of being split into two large pockets by the latest American advance. The danger of later mass surrenders was sending chills down the spines of the Allied Supreme Command.

​

In the north-east, the new capital of Montréal remained on the front line but unbowed. However, the danger of an American outflanking run to the north from their breakthrough around Hudson Bay was also sobering, even as the Allies continued to keep the St. Lawrence Waterway open.

​

Supply was something of a problem for the Allies in central and western Canada but had not yet run out. The situation was of course better in the east.

​

At sea, it was US submarines that were hunting the approaches to Newfoundland for Allied troop convoys. They had found one, but the Royal Navy destroyer escorts had managed to sink one of the US boats.

​

In southern Malaya, the Japanese landing had been contained and almost destroyed: it would not last beyond the following day.

​

In summary, the first ten days of October 1944 had seen all three warring factions locked in a deadly embrace, from Canada to Western China and South-East Asia.

=======​

11-21 October: Hard Gains and Painful Retreats

With Polish forces now badly disorganised in Indochina, three were pulled two provinces back along the coast to find better supply and rest, as the French counter-attack on south-east Laos made some slow progress.

In Western China, the Polish attack on central Jiuquan was ready by the morning of 12 October. A sharp artillery barrage marked its opening as two well-supplied Polish infantry divisions attacked two Japanese infantry and one PRC armoured division. It would be a tough fight, but over four days later the Poles would triumph for a rare Allied offensive victory on this front in recent weeks.

​

In north-east Gannan, 17 DP was the strongest Allied formation left in the line after the latest large MAB attack was defeated on the evening of 13 October – but their respite would be painfully brief.

​

In south-east Laos, the French counter attack had succeeded and the province reoccupied by 0600hr on 14 October. However, the MAB was soon attacking again and the two weakened French infantry divisions were soon in trouble. They would be defeated in turn and the province retaken by Japanese troops two days later.

2 and 10 DPs had secured central Jiuquan by midday on 18 October and rolled straight onto a quick attack on the sole Japanese division then defending north Jiuquan, hoping for some subsequent Allied support to take and then hold it. They would win the skirmish in less than a day.

​

With another new military factory completed on 18 October and set to artillery production, Polish construction turned its sights even more fully on a return to the problematic Western China supply lines, hoping to support the recent advances in Jiuquan.

​

Meanwhile, in north-east Gannan the constant enemy pressure had finally told: 17 DP was the last to break on the morning of 20 October. At midnight, the two now partly rested Polish divisions in depth were ordered in to see if they could secure the province before the MAB could dig in there.

​

The PRC lead elements took Gannan at 1900hr on the 22nd, so the Polish advance now became an attack, aided by some Nationalist troops acting under British orders. It would take over five days of gritty fighting, but the counter-attack prevailed early on the 28th.

A second attack was needed on north Jiuquan as two Chinese divisions arrived at midnight on the 20th, delaying the Polish occupation.

Over in Canada the threatened American hook in the north pushed through on the afternoon of 21 October. But the 10th Canadian District Militia Division managed to slip into the next US objective at on the morning of the 24th and beat off the American probe after a seven-hour battle. The immediate risk of their comrades to the west being pocketed remained, but the situation had been temporarily saved.

=======​

22-31 October: No End in Sight

Level II field hospitals were researched on 22 October, with a recent national focus benefit being used to speed up the development of synthetic rubber processing.

In north Jiuquan, the second attack on the province was won early on 23 January (Poland 79, MAB 1,060 killed) and then a quick enemy counter-attacked fended off seven hours later: North Jiuquan had been secured. Further south in north-east Gannan, the 23rd saw the Allied counter-attack, the Poles now joined by one Nationalist and one South African division, getting the upper hand [80%, green].

Then from the early morning of 25 October, there were a few more days of border clashed between the Allies in Manchuria and the MAB, before these petered out as they usually did. During the same period, weeks of pressure on north-east Golog resulted in its defence failing, albeit after the Communists had suffered massive casualties.

​

Another big attack on Lanzhou, where three Polish divisions were part of the defence, would continue for another two days but it resulted in a bloody loss for the attacking PRC troops. South-east Golog was also kept distracted. One Polish division, withdrawn earlier to recuperate, was refreshed and sitting back in reserve as grim reports came in from their colleagues at the front.

Having seemingly given up for now on attacking Malaya, the Japanese launched another surprise amphibious attack. They must have landed a few days before, but on 26 October Allied reports confirmed that four divisions had come ashore in southern Vietnam, west of Saigon. But the Japanese had been unable to secure either of the nearby ports, which were still heavily garrisoned by a mix of Allied troops, including 8 Mexican divisions to the west. The process of compressing and destroying the enemy beachhead was now under way.

​

Of some concern, a large pack of US subs had been discovered operating in the Straits of Malacca, where they had been engaged by a substantial escorting Dutch destroyer force escorting a convoy.

To the north, the three Polish divisions withdrawn to resupply earlier in the month were again ready for operations and began moving back to the front, where supply still remained patchy though the front had quieted down a little.

​

The attack on north-east Gannan still dragged on by 0900hr on 27 October, where the PRC had rotated another division in to prolong the defence. At this time, the Polish Air Force tactical bomber wings had worked their close air support missions up to a decent efficiency in both Qinghai and Western China (Nationalist bombers were also operating out of the forward air base).

​

The three replenished Polish divisions in Indochina were at the front by the morning of 29 October, and just in time too as fighting had broken out again across the front. Two fanned out to aid the defence while the third remained as the ready reserve.

​

A day later, one of the heaviest attacks of the month in Indochina was defeated by the Allies on the coast of Tonkin.

Behind the front in China, Polish logisticians decided that a linking rail line from Jiuquan all the way south-east to northern Golog may assist with the movement of men and supplies between the two sectors. Major works were queued to construct it and the supply hub in Ganzi was slowly built.

​

Frustrated with Mexico’s unwillingness to join the war against America while Canada slowly succumbed, the Polish Foreign Ministry investigated further. The Mexicans had a pretty reasonably concern about the great danger posed by their northern neighbour, despite the many thousands of Allied troops that had arrived to reinforce their border. Poland, possibly like many other Allies who had been trying, was falling just short of being able to persuade them. Foreign Minister Beck asked his diplomats to go on a ‘charm offensive’ to see if the dial could be moved in favour of them joining before it was too late.

​

In Indochina, the exhausted 15 WD and 26 DP were withdrawn from the Tonkin coast, relieved by 1 DP and with 29 DP ordered up from reserve to add their weight as the two tired divisions went back to resupply and reinforce.

=======​

Asian Theatre Summaries

Only minor changes in front lines had occurred during October on the two main fronts as fighting eased a little at the end of the month. Neither side seemed able to extract itself from the brutal trench warfare in the deserts and mountains of Western China or the jungles and hills of central Indochina. The months of expensive human wave attacks did see the MAB casualty rate beginning to catch up with that of the Allies, inflated by their early losses when China first fell.

​

In the northern sector of China, the recent Polish offensive had tightened up the line along the Mongolian border.

​

Against the odds, the reinforcing South African division had managed to hold out in north-east Golog until the end of the month. One rested Polish division was on its way back to the front there as another had almost finished its withdrawal. Lanzhou had held of a series of large attacks and smaller probes during October.

​

In the south, the Allies had conceded some ground as expected and remained under attack, but no further withdrawals seemed imminent.

​

The stalemate in Indochina continued, with south-east Laos currently in MAB hands after switching to and fro during October.

​

In Sulawesi, the promise of September had faded, with all the ground gained the month before lost again.

​

And a new Japanese threat had emerged, this time a large attempted landing in the Bismarck Islands, north-west of Rabaul. Quite why the Japanese were bothering with this was unclear to the Allied command. As was the positioning of any supporting fleet, if present (and it may not be, as there were no reports of naval gunfire support for the landings). This cried out for an Allied naval intervention to crush the enemy while they were still trying to get ashore.

=======​

The Americas - Theatre Summaries

Canada was slowly being strangled in the north, while the Allies were holding on and even striking back a little on the small South American front.

​

In the North-East, the St Lawrence sector held on, as did Montréal. The Allied forces in danger of being cut off north-west of Ottawa seemed to have widely decided to consolidate their lines by pulling back. But the wide gaps to the north were still a worry.

​

Some Polish advisers were starting to wonder whether sending over a largely mechanised expeditionary force may be of benefit, though the risks to the troops there and of depleting the defence against a possible Soviet attack also had to be considered.

The Allies held on in Western Canada, but the situation was fraught with dangers of mass pocketings and surrenders. At least the Allies seemed to be reinforcing the vital west coast territory they still held.

​

The Allied build-up along the Mexican border remained heavy but the Republic still showed no signs of entering the war. The Communist government in Canada kept calling out desperately for a two-front war against the American aggressors as their hopes of survival began to fade.

​

Suriname was (back??) under US occupation, but the Allies had heaving reinforced Cayenne, not only defeated the earlier US naval assault there but reclaiming ground previously lost to its south. Perhaps a new offensive to strike back may materialise in November.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Winter is coming to the Canadian north. What is the HoI end date? Thanks

 

[jak7139]

In Western China, the Polish attack on central Jiuquan was ready by the morning of 12 October. A sharp artillery barrage marked its opening as two well-supplied Polish infantry divisions attacked two Japanese infantry and one PRC armoured division. It would be a tough fight, but over four days later the Poles would triumph for a rare Allied offensive victory on this front in recent weeks.

I think it would've been better here to attack the province to the east so some of the enemy gets encircled and destroyed.

Some Polish advisers were starting to wonder whether sending over a largely mechanised expeditionary force may be of benefit, though the risks to the troops there and of depleting the defence against a possible Soviet attack also had to be considered.

Sending forces to Canada seems extremely risky with how close the US is to Montreal. If Mexico does join, that seems like a safer front. There's also the option of trying to finish the war in Asia first by sending more troops over, before focusing on the US.

The Allied build-up along the Mexican border remained heavy but the Republic still showed no signs of entering the war. The Communist government in Canada kept calling out desperately for a two-front war against the American aggressors as their hopes of survival began to fade.

The amount of American troops on the Mexican border is extremely thin when compared to Allied forces. A breakthrough seems likely if Mexico does join. Hopefully, your diplomatic campaign can help Mexico reconsider.

 

[SSmith]

Caught up to the momentous event of June '44!

The Communists were sustaining horrendous casualties in their human wave attacks, with many smaller battles in Western China and fewer but larger and longer attacks in Indochina, where the Poles were fighting in Tonkin.

Those Communist casualty numbers really are horrendous! I have to ask if the same is happening in reverse in some of the Allied attacks?

On 6 June, the Polish wings in China rebased themselves, with out-ranged INT and CAS shuffled back to Urumqi while more TAC wings went forward to Qinghai to extend their close support range. Two wings would focus on the southern sector (Qinghai air zone) and one on the north (Western China air zone).

Is there any chance of capturing any more forward air bases? Probably not, since there's not a lot of movement on those fronts. If not, is it possible to for Poland to build air bases on allied territory, like you're doing with railroads?

With things slowly developing in the Allies' favour in Asia, none were prepared for the bolt from the blue that struck on the afternoon of 11 June 1944. The US had finally entered the war. Against the Communists. But not the MAB: for reasons that mystified all observers, the perhaps unhinged US President Wendell Willkie declared war on the French Commune!

In a stroke, I think Willkie has just stolen the prize for craziness from Churchill.

Then again, if seeking to overthrow the French Communists is a simply a pretext for regime change in Britain, maybe he's on to something.

Sure enough, France’s call came to President Mościcki on the evening of 12 June. Poland, ever the dutiful Ally, answered the call to a war that had since expanded further, including to Germany and Italy.

Only the Soviets now stood apart of all the major powers.

Trotsky as the sole voice of reason... who would have thought it?

In France, Allied troop convoys were started to stream across the Atlantic, while 49 German and 41 Yugoslavian divisions (among others) were queuing up in north-west French ports for the crossing by the end of 20 June.

As I recall, the screenshots show the Allies having something like a thousand combat divisions? So, it certainly looks possible at this point for the Allies to defeat the US if all those reinforcements stream across the Atlantic.

Finally, the gradual influence campaign on German politics seemed to be bearing some fruit, with more progress by the DNVP at the expense of the Communists and Social Democrats.

Interesting (and encouraging). Would it be worth trying this in France as well?

 

[Bullfilter]

Winter is coming to the Canadian north. What is the HoI end date? Thanks

Not sure what the end date is - for HOI3 its 1 Jan 48, but it gives you the option to play on if you want. I'd guess it may be something similar here - anyone else know?

I think it would've been better here to attack the province to the east so some of the enemy gets encircled and destroyed.

Given the forces and position yes, but when attacked there was only the one Chinese division in the target province and I only had the two tiring Polish divisions (the Allies weren't helping). So attacking to the east, which had three MAB divs and would have taken a detour into even less well supplied territory, I recall at the time I didn't seriously consider it. This was more of a quick opportunistic attack to exploit temporary enemy weakness. Perhaps if I'd had more and better supplied troops handy ... pockets are always nice!

Sending forces to Canada seems extremely risky with how close the US is to Montreal. If Mexico does join, that seems like a safer front. There's also the option of trying to finish the war in Asia first by sending more troops over, before focusing on the US.

Yes, for then it was deemed so. We shall see what emerges down the track. At this time, I'd played to the end of November, and had made the same assessment - for starters, anyway.

The amount of American troops on the Mexican border is extremely thin when compared to Allied forces. A breakthrough seems likely if Mexico does join. Hopefully, your diplomatic campaign can help Mexico reconsider.

It does look like it, though we can't see what else they have in depth. But I imagine the rest of their army is heavily committed in the north against the Allies in Canada. If only we could persuade the Mexicans to join in, it would make a very interesting Two Front War!

 

[Bullfilter]

Replying separately to avoid spoilers (don't read above).

Caught up to the momentous event of June '44!

Excellent - another fork in the crazily zig-zagging road.

Those Communist casualty numbers really are horrendous! I have to ask if the same is happening in reverse in some of the Allied attacks?

From the attacks Poland has participated, I don't think so but can't be sure (and am not sure how to easily check, without tagging etc, which I guess I could do but usually try to avoid), though of course the casualty ratio is at least somewhat higher when attacking.

Is there any chance of capturing any more forward air bases? Probably not, since there's not a lot of movement on those fronts. If not, is it possible to for Poland to build air bases on allied territory, like you're doing with railroads?

Both the air bases we currently use were built and/or expanded by Poland, so yes its an option: we might do some more if the situation evolves, though our TAC bombers still have the range to reach the front lines in Western China (which have stopped moving forward much in the last few months) and we're not getting hit yet by enemy fighters, who also seem to be out of range.

In a stroke, I think Willkie has just stolen the prize for craziness from Churchill.

Then again, if seeking to overthrow the French Communists is a simply a pretext for regime change in Britain, maybe he's on to something.

Fair call! The Great Democracies seem to be the main aggressors in this AltWW2!

Trotsky as the sole voice of reason... who would have thought it?

The eyebrow raiding continues!

As I recall, the screenshots show the Allies having something like a thousand combat divisions? So, it certainly looks possible at this point for the Allies to defeat the US if all those reinforcements stream across the Atlantic.

I guess that could be the case if they were all combined ... but of course most never get to the fighting fronts and I'm not sure they could be supplied if they did. And I've been a bit surprised how the US has continued to steadily advance in Canada despite the trans-Atlantic convoys streams.

Interesting (and encouraging). Would it be worth trying this in France as well?

Maybe, though I'm not sure it's going to matter as much during this war, with both firmly committed to the Allied faction. With Germany, it's partly role play, part experiment and because they are directly on our border.

 

[Bullfilter]

Chapter Forty-Five: The War Widens
(November 1944)

Troops of the Mexican Republican Army guarding the tense border with the US, November 1944. They have continued to resist the blandishments of the leading Allied powers, including Poland, to join the war on the Allied side.

=======​

1-16 November: “Mexico Fiddles While Canada Burns”

Cartoons and other goading had begun to appear in the increasingly desperate Canadian Communist newspapers in November 1944. One cartoon, depicting Mexican President Miguel Cervantes as Nero playing the fiddle as American troops set the torch to Canada, gained great circulation. But it seemed nothing the Allies could do would induce Mexico to join the war: and if Polish of other Allied diplomatic efforts did eventually prevail, it may well be too late.

Meanwhile, the war raged on in the Americas and Asia, with little respite (again, only the outcomes of major or significant battles involving Polish troops will generally be reported here). By the evening of 1 November 1944, the last Japanese Peoples’ Republic troops who had landed in southern Indochina had surrendered.

Nearby, in the Straits of Malacca, US subs remained active, with 15 of them striking a Dutch convoy of 2 transports escorted by 8 British destroyers a the same time.

In Poland, on 2 November a new fuel refinery was queued to built in Kielce after the latest rail upgrades were completed in Western China.

On 3 November, a very welcome communiqué was received from London: they had persuaded the Czechs to join the Allies! The consequences of this decision would unfold in coming hours and days, having more significance in the end than may have been realised at the time.

​

The first flow-on was a decision to redeploy the entire 3rd Army, which consisted mainly of second-line militia divisions designed to guard the Czech border, north to Grodno. There, they could form another reserve army that would be ready to either reinforce the Baltic States or strike into Belarus should the Soviets join the war.

​

The proposed oil refinery was quickly removed from the Polish construction queue before it had started, to be replaced by a massive upgrade of rail infrastructure to support the troop redeployment to north-east Poland and to also upgrade rail lines feeding the south-eastern frontier with the USR.

​

Given experience in China, the Poles were keen to have reasonable logistic support in place on their own patch – just in case.

Also early on 4 November, a bulletin was received of a new American naval landing in North America – this time a small and seemingly doomed attempt to invade Newfoundland, where the landing troops encountered 7 entrenched Allied divisions!

​

The Czech entry to the war later that day (against the US puppet of the Philippines, anyway) spurred Poland into another assessment of Mexican readiness to join in – but found the small recent improvement in Polish-Mexican relations had not shifted the dial in that regard.

​

As the fighting ground on in China and Indochina much as it had during recent months, the Japanese amphibious attack on in the remote Bismarck Islands in Australia-administered New Guinea, begun in late October, was in trouble by 6 November.

​

Another large defence of north-east Gannan ended on 7 November with the human waves again repelled (Allies 238, MAB 4,120 killed), with the Central Sector of the Western Chinese Front falling temporarily quiet for once. This would not last, however.

Norway joined the Allies and then the war on 9-10 November – but not the Mexicans.

​

The PZL.59 ‘Okoń’ (level III CAS) design was completed on 10 November: a proposal to upgrade the design with increased range and reliability was shelved as both too expensive (50 air points, 45 available) and premature, as development immediately began on the next level model (the PZL.63 ‘Dzik’).

By 11 November, the latest Communist attack on central Gannan was in danger of succeeding, so at midnight the rested 17 WP was ordered up to the front from its depth resupply position. Heavy fighting had been renewed in north-east Gannan and south-east Golog as part of a wider MAB offensive.

​

In Canada, the Allies in the North-East Front were falling back in the west by the morning of 14 November but had at least managed to avoid encirclement by the advancing Americans as they tried to establish a new defensive line north and west of Montréal – which still held out as the provisional capital.

​

In Jiuquan, the Poles were still trying to maintain some momentum by attacking further to the east on 16 November. Though as supplies and organisation decreased, still without Allied assistance and now the appearance of MAB bombers over the battlefield. Despite these obstacles this attack would still be won by the end of the following day.

=======​

17-30 November: “More War-War, Less Jaw-Jaw”

Churchill’s famous OTL attributed quote “To Jaw-Jaw is always better than to War-War” (1954) was actually used in that form by Harold Macmillan. It is reputedly derived from an earlier Churchill aphorism, “Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war”. In any case, this sentiment was turned on its head in this ATL, where the notoriously war-mongering British PM was determined to spread the Allied net as far as possible and take down any enemy he could get his hands on!

By 17 November he was getting his wish, with the fighting starting to intensify and spread around Asia and the Americas – though not in Europe itself. 17 WP and an Indian division had reached central Gannan that morning – as the last defenders in 8 DP were the only ones still clinging to their positions. This should turn the tide of the key battle – if they could reinforce in time.

​

On the coast of Tonkin in Indochina, another major attack by the MAB was bloodily repulsed on the morning of the 18th (Allies 109, MAB 6,260 killed), once again bringing temporary quiet to that front.

Back in central Gannan, both 17 WP and the 6th Indian Division were able to reinforce the battle at 0800hr on the 18th while 8 DP was still in the line: just as well, as the PLA had also sent in another division.

Later that evening, the latest new Polish infantry division – 100 DP – was deployed back home, becoming the reserve 5th Army’s seventh division. The decrease in training times meant some other lines of equipment such as infantry and support gear as well as artillery were starting to fall back into deficit: Poland hoped that some more lend-lease agreements (of which there was a constant trickle) would help to remedy these shortfalls.

Then, as a bolt from the blue, came the announcement late on 20 November 1944: the newly admitted Czech, of all people, had now induced Mexico to join the war on the side of the Allies!

​

The initial attacks were being made by the Americans straight after the declaration of war. But with the concentration of Allied troops along the border, the Second Front would surely see two-way traffic soon.

Over in Asia, fighting continued on both the main fronts, but the intensity had decreased a little. That would not last long, either.

​

By 23 November, the land fight in North America was all concentrated along the Mexican border – except for one new outbreak in the Caribbean.

​

There, Kingston was under attack by two American divisions: and the French and Chinese EF defenders looked to be in big trouble [those Nationalist EFs really have managed to spread around the world these days].

​

As that was happening, another big defensive victory was won in north-east Gannan, where 364 Allied defenders had died, while the MAB had lost 4,570 men in the failed assault. The next day, 2 and 10 DPs had occupied east Jiuquan at 0600hr on the 24th, only to be quickly attacked and defeated by the early afternoon, forced to flee south into the then-neutral Western Manchurian Enclave.

​

A few hours later, the rested 18 DP was ordered up from depth: if they could take east Jiuquan back – maybe with some Allied help – great. If not, they would help to hold the line while their comrades recovered.

Sulawesi had seen a recent breakout by the Allies along the peninsula, with three provinces occupied. But the Japanese had intervened to disrupt their supply lines by landing next to the Allied port servicing the front, where the German 71 Infanterie was now counter-attacking to dislodge them.

​

At this point, Churchill once more turned ‘jaw-jaw’ into ‘war-war’ in Manchuria … and all hell broke loose along both Chinese fronts on the afternoon of 28 November.

​

At home, the third level of modern oil processing was completed, with researchers turning to level three decryption through automated deduction.

After a day of fighting, the Western China front had become a little less frenetic, while in Manchuria proper the Allies had started to stabilise some of the battles with the attacking MAB.

​

After the traditional two-day period of official hostilities, some battles on Manchurian soil had yet to fully die down, but the front was returning to a semblance of normality.

​

Central Gannan had been secured for now, though a large battle for north-east Gannan had been lost by the Allied defenders at 1900hr on the 30th, with the KBK and a South African division having been forced to retreat.

​

But the province was quickly secured by a new force of 4 Allied divisions by midnight, the ensure the line would hold into December.

As November ended, some fighting still sputtered on in Manchuria, but elsewhere had returned to ‘normal’ levels.

=======​

Asian Theatre Summary

Hardly any ground had been exchanged in the two main Asian fronts during the month.

​

Supply in the centre and especially north of the Western China Front remained poor at the ‘sharp’ end but seemed to be improving further back and in the south.

​

No ground had changed hands as the stalemate continued in Indochina, where the three Polish divisions on the front lines had been degraded by poor supply and combat casualties, while two more divisions recuperated and resupplied behind the lines.

​

While in Sulawesi, the Germans had destroyed the Japanese beachhead and restored the supply lines for the troops still advancing in the west of the peninsula, where good ground had been gained during the month. The Japanese invasion of the Bismarck Island had been repelled as well.

=======​

The Americas

Canada was still in deep trouble, with Newfoundland still under naval assault and a new American beachhead opened up further to its west. Fighting in the south also continued, though at a slower pace than in the first few days.

​

The West Coast still held out, but it looked like Allies troops may be in imminent danger of being pocketed south of the Hudson Bay.

​

The Allied line north-west of Montréal was still holding, but as mentioned earlier a dangerous new American landing had caused consternation behind the Allied lines along the St. Lawrence.

​

Seven US Army divisions were ashore in two separate beachheads, where Allied counter-attacks north of Halifax were progressing poorly and the Americans seemed to have taken a port to the west of those landings. A best, this was a distraction – at worst, in could prove to be a disaster.

​

Meanwhile, the first few days of fighting had produced some modest Allied territorial gains along the Mexican border (the original line marked in green on the map below).

​

But would this be enough to save the beleaguered Canadians? Only time would tell. And the Polish High Command once more considered options for playing a role in this crucial theatre: potential risks and rewards were high.

Kingston had been lost to America, while French subs patrolled the Caribbean, finding a lightly guarded US convoy and sending at least one transport to the bottom.

​

In South America, the front had fallen into stalemate, with the Allies now holding the advantage in numbers on the ground, but both sides well dug in behind rivers and in favourable terrain.

​

In the overall current war to date, Polish battle casualties (presumably not including attrition) were assessed as around 31,000 men against the MAB (also excluding the earlier war against the now-defunct Fascist Asian League, which had included Polish involvement in Italy, Bulgaria and Sinkiang). Most had fallen fighting the PRC, less than 10% of casualties to the JPR.

​

Without access to reliable figures and not knowing what ships types were included in the totals and their sub-totals (whether transports were counted as single ships, for example), some estimates of naval losses caused by the various current combatants were also provided by the Foreign Ministry. The Japanese destruction of Allied shipping had been huge by comparison to all others, followed by the US in the five or so months they had been involved in the war.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Is HoI like a CK Holy War where the defender says go home for I am now your religion? I.e., can Canada say Yankee go home for I am now a good Wilkie (excellent example of an oxymoron) Republican and no longer a dirty stinky commie. I am amazed that Yugoslavia has increased in size instead of dissolving into ten states. Thanks for the update.

 

[Bullfilter]

Is HoI like a CK Holy War where the defender says go home for I am now your religion? I.e., can Canada say Yankee go home for I am now a good Wilkie (excellent example of an oxymoron) Republican and no longer a dirty stinky commie.

Not really, I believe. Once you're in a faction, you generally stay in it, no matter what your politics (so Canada and France stayed in the Allies even after going Communist). I think there are only limited circumstances you can bail (or be forced) out of a faction. Maybe if you're couped, but I'm no expert on that, in either HOI3 or 4.

I am amazed that Yugoslavia has increased in size instead of dissolving into ten states. Thanks for the update.

Yes, here they have done done very well, by luck and good AI management!

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

The consequences of this decision would unfold in coming hours and days, having more significance in the end than may have been realised at the time.

At the very least, several other allied countries can move their reserce armies to Russian front or the active war now.

Norway joined the Allies and then the war on 9-10 November – but not the Mexicans.

Another good addition.

Then, as a bolt from the blue, came the announcement late on 20 November 1944: the newly admitted Czech, of all people, had now induced Mexico to join the war on the side of the Allies!

Ah, a good ally indeed. Though might be too late, as war in Canada seems almost over. Had they started in from the begining, it might have made rhe difference.

Now, I suspect rhey will lose hard.

 

[El Pip]

Much to catch up on, all of it to the usual high standards, so I will only detain you with my personal highlights.

But not the MAB: for reasons that mystified all observers, the perhaps unhinged US President Wendell Willkie declared war on the French Commune!

I did warn everyone about him, so I do feel vindicated.

Clark vs de Gaulle has a very Alien vs Predator feeling, in that you want both of them to lose.

Good to see HOI4 did accurately model Ernest King as being inept at convoy protection and ASW.

the newly admitted Czech, of all people, had now induced Mexico to join the war on the side of the Allies!

I had my suspicions when you set it up, but it was still wonderful to see Mexico finally join the side of justice and truth in fighting against the unspeakable evil of WW's nightmarish regime.