Chapter 5 - From New York to DC
June 25, 1943
Sorry for the long delay, once again, but the advance has been reduced to a slog once more. I was right in one prediction, though. The road to Philadelphia was indeed open following the fall of New York City. We were able to exploit the gap, and the road further to the American capital was undefended, but pursuing it too hard would have led no doubt to our own forces being trapped as we did to them before. Resistance is stiffening as we enter the de jure American lands of Pennsylvania. Perhaps our forces just need a small rest, as they've been going breakneck for quite some time now. I don't blame them, or their leaders, at least. They can't possibly know, but I'm sure the highest generals are aware that come this time next year, our forces must be prepared to return to Europe, for Dawn will have broken. We could always build our reserves, I suppose, but it is far from ideal.
In other news, American forces continue to concentrate for a push to Toronto, but a heavy blockaid on our part has so far been successful, at least on the Canadian side of the border. The Mexican front is in a similar state. At sea, though the Americans managed a small victory. A sub sneak attack has destroyed one of our destroyer formations, our first naval loss in quite some time, not counting ships that were forced to put in for repairs. I do not know how much longer until notable progress is made, but feel the need to update you at least once a month.
July 20, 1943
The war still goes slow. We're into central Pennsylvania now, and have managed another encirclement, twice as large as the one in Rhode Island. That's progress, I'd say, even if going is still slow. They've been hitting us hard along the Delaware River, to the point that I'm fairly certain, through the usual network of gossip, that our Generals are going to refocus on a drive across the former CSA heartland rather than plow to Washington. Indeed, Barry says a friend of his (somehow) wrote to him that he's set to be on the Ohio border before long. Operational security is certainly lax, and I hope word of what we are doing here is not so casually leaked. I suppose I am a hypocrite for complaining, though, considering this journal's purpose. With how prideful in each individual state Americans are, I suppose it's not too hard to keep careful note of exactly which province the infantry are in.
As for my own assessment, my wager would be on an attempt to threaten Detroit from the South, to ease a crossing from Canada. I wish that campaign luck, as the mixed results towards Washington have me very very concerned. A saving grace is that the Americans have halted their attempt to retake Philadelphia, but I still hear it was a meat grinder of the highest order. Our troops at the Southern end of the encirclement, though, were forced back. Thankfully, this occurred only AFTER we had secured the surrender of the 35,000 remaining Americans inside.
July 30, 1943
Well, here is an interruption out of the ordinary. I was mad, quite mad, but the anger has simmered now since I heard the news earlier in the day. Partisans have risen up in Montreal. Apparently their objective was to sabotage our fighter wings there, which they did with breathtaking success. Finding our security forces dramatically overwhelmed, they then went on to take over the city, in the name of "Free Quebec". We will have a force back from the front to deal with this within the week, but it still makes me very angry. Our air power has been on the defensive since the Fall of France, and those fighters, while in America for the time being, were going to be a VITAL piece of the plan for clearing the sky when we deliver the project's devices. It won't be fatal to the plan, but we want it as easy as possible, of course. We will manage, I suppose. I do hear the General Secretary was also furious, and immediately ordered double shifts and the aeronautic factories to get another 400 planned planes in the air by the Dawn.
August 19, 1943
We have done it yet again! The Washington advance was on again early this month. I did not report on it sooner because, I am sorry to say, I had dismissed the chatter in the canteen as too hopeful. The news is reporting we have taken the American Capital, though, and there is celebration in the streets, even here! The MPs were careful to keep revelers from being too loose in town, but did not overly dampen spirits. No one got out of control, anyway, as The US was only a reason addition to our list of many enemies. This is nothing compared to if we were marching through Berlin.
I apologize if this summary is a bit disorganized, but I had to get the full story out of Barry, who was rather drunk, and corroborated it with others of similar mental faculties. The advance apparently began on the 4th. Southern and central Pennsylvania is an absolute mess after months of fighting, but we had finally gotten soldiers, however tired and disorganized, into flanking position, and launched a three pronged assault on Baltimore. We had superior position, and numbers, though the Americans were dug in behind impressive trench lines and river-fronted fortifications. It would have been a near thing, could have gone either way, but then something curious happened. The Americans started to withdraw of their own accord, piecemeal, division by division.
After four days of fighting we broke the remaining defenders resolve. Word from captured PoWs is, though this part may very well be purely fabricated, that General MacArthur started pulling troops out of his own accord, either to bolster the Ohio front (which is indeed stiffening to the point where I have reversed my prediction for the area), or because of some sort of major civilian-military disagreement. Perhaps the army does not believe it should defend Washington for strategic reasons, while President Knox insists it be held? Either way, American morale is flagging, hard.
Our troops stormed through Baltimore and kept going, encountering only token resistance that made a final stand at the city limits. Once again, we were able to observe American troops pulling out to the South. The Potomac will make a good defensive line for them, especially after our sprint, but the loss of their capital is a big blow without a doubt! Sadly little military or civilian leadership was left in the city. I am concerned, for they suddenly seemed to almost give it freely, perhaps this is a dire feint and a massive counter-attack is almost upon us, but despite my cautious nature I am optimistic.
We can of course intercept American transmissions, and in the day or so that followed, we've heard many conflicting signals, but all point to chaos within the American ranks. First were broadcasts that proclaimed the government had relocated to Chicago, for safety purposes. That was followed closely, however, by a broad declaration of war powers, and the moving of their capital to Denver "indefinitely". The first announcement was by the military, and only a few hours later did a speech by President Knox. Our people are still free enough that the general public knows propaganda when they hear it, and the government would not crack down on people for talking about foreign efforts at deception, so the rumor mill definitely has it that the speech was the most trumped up piece of garbage they had ever heard.
This has many implications, but I am up late, and a tad tipsy. It might be best to see what happens next, as well, so for now, it is here I leave you, no doubt to return soon.