The Union Forever: A TL

[Mac Gregor]

The Southeast Asian Theater

August 8-November 4, 1976 ​

Southeast Asia at the start of the war​

Malaya

In the weeks following the start of hostilities, the 22nd Corp, soon to be renamed the 15th Army, with 198,000 soldiers under General Takuma Saito made painfully slow progress as it advanced south into British Malaya. The first obstacle was the extensive belts of barbed wire, anti-vehicle ditches, and minefields that had been quickly established by the Commonwealth to protect the Malayan Peninsula after Japan’s victory over Siam in 1972. Opposing the Japanese was a composite force of 145,000 British, Malayan, New Zealander, and Australian troops led by Lt. General Sir Garrett Travers. Commonwealth aircraft and anti-ship missiles usually stopped the Japanese from landing troops along the coast, reducing the battle to a deadly head-to-head confrontation. Commonwealth artillery, such as the Excalibur Mulitple Rocket Artillery System, proved especially effective inflicting serious casualties wherever Japanese forces consolidated. Despite the heavy losses however, Japan continued to pour reinforcements into the conflict forcing the Commonwealth to fall back further south. Special units of Malayan commandos were left behind in the central highlands to wreak havoc on Japanese supply lines. On November 4, the Japanese had forced their way as far south as the Pahang River in the east and to the outskirts of the important city of Kuala Lumpur in the west.

An Excalibur Multiple Rocket Artillery System in action in British Malaya
October, 1976

​

Burma

While not a priority for any of the belligerent nations, the Commonwealth of Burma was invaded nonetheless by Indian forces from the west and a combined Laotian-Vietnamese army in the east. The job of protecting the lightly defended dominion of 31 million fell to Burmese Major General Khin Hlaing. Wisely, Major General Khin Hlaing planned to husband his resources and wage a guerrilla war against the occupiers. Difficult terrain, partisan harassment, and the monsoons slowed the invading forces considerably. As such by November the capital city of Rangoon was still in Commonwealth hands despite most other major cities having fallen.

Bengal and Assam

Resistance in the recently annexed territories of Bengal and Assam increased after the outbreak of hostilities. The various bands of guerrillas and underground movements while not strong enough to challenge Indian forces in open battle did manage to tie down large numbers of URI troops. The Commonwealth could provide only limited material support to the partisan forces but continued to treat the exiled governments as the legitimate rulers. ​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Hey Everyone, here is a quick update on the world economic situation and the foreign policy of some select neutral nations. Cheers!​

The World Beyond the War

August-November, 1976



The London Stock Exchange
September 7, 1976

The Panic of 1976​

Although the world economy suffered a slight recession in 1972 due to the Laotian War, most of the 70s experienced steady economic growth with booms in industries such as electronics and air travel. The start of what was now often being called the Asia-Pacific War brought this growth to a sudden halt. Within days of the start of hostilities much of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans were cleared of commerce and insurance on even neutral flagged vessels skyrocketed. The sinking of a couple of British oil tankers out of the Union of Gulf Emirates in late August caused a spike in oil prices exacerbating the economic situation. On September 7, news of the fall of Vijayawada caused the London Stock Exchange to plummet by 6.8% before a hurried purchasing of government bonds stabilized the market. Over the next few days stock markets from New York to St. Petersburg would take a similar hit. Throughout the autumn of 1976 economies around the world continued to slide with a resulting rise in unemployment. Although these effects would vary from country to country by November it was apparent that this was the biggest economic crisis in decades.

The Neutrals​

Baluchistan

Wedged between Persia and the URI, the embattled Baloch government in Quetta had long felt itself teetering on the edge of collapse. Beset by Persian backed conservatives and pro-Indian corporatists, First Minister Ataullah Mengal attempted to navigate a neutral foreign policy. As relations between Persia and India continued to deteriorate this path was increasingly appearing impossible.

Technate of China

While relations between the Technate and Japan had relaxed somewhat in recent years, China remained deeply embittered by the Japanese conquest of Formosa and Hainan. Chinese leader Chief Executive Heng ordered the Directorate of Defense to quietly begin shifting forces south and towards the coast in case China entered the conflict. Bombing raids on Hong Kong and Macau caused several confrontations between Japanese and Technate aircraft, which were scrambled to ensure the Japanese did not cross too far into Chinese airspace. Many foreign policy experts believed that Heng was stalling in order to build up his forces. Others expected that Heng was waiting for the best possible offer by the Commonwealth in exchange for committing his nation to war.

French Republic and Republic of Italy

Having moved closer to Britain during the previous decades, France and Italy held a firmly pro-Commonwealth stance while at the same time declaring strict neutrality in the conflict. Besides a public statement deploring Japanese and Indian aggression, nether power has provided much in the way of loans or equipment for the Commonwealth.

German Empire

Unbound by any treaties with the belligerent powers, the German Empire and its allies in the Association of European States were determined to stay out of the Asia-Pacific conflict. Chancellor Engel Kistner, who had replaced Wolf von Frej as head of the coalition government, seemed to generally favor neither side and instead saw the conflict as an opportunity to shore up the crumbling situation in the Congo while the world’s attention was focused elsewhere.

Imperial Eurasian Federation

With a struggling economy and deep political tensions between conservatives and regionalist groups, Prime Minister Matveev wished to keep the IEF out of the troubles in Asia. As a precaution, the IEF reassigned several divisions to Manchuria in order to guard against a possible move by the Japanese. Many however saw this as a covert way to crack down on Manchurian separatists and liberals by the pro-conservative Imperial Army. Sadly, in October this led to several days of deadly rioting in Mukden and other cities.

Republic of Indonesia

Having won independence less than six years earlier President Slamet Wahyu was not eager to embroil his country in yet another war. Many in his ruling Indonesian Congress Party (ICP) however openly sympathized with the anti-colonial message of the Calcutta Compact. They saw the war as an excellent opportunity to try to acquire new territory like East Timor. As such, divisions in the ICP between the pro-Compact “Blues” and the pro-Commonwealth “Reds” increasingly threatened the government’s stability.

Empire of Persia

Persia was staunchly in the Commonwealth camp having singed a mutual defense treaty with Britain the previous year. When war erupted, Shah Hamid Hassan Qajar began redeploying his forces towards the Baluchistan border in preparation for an invasion. Prime Minister Shahin Attar however objected to immediately entering the war and labored hard for continued neutrality. As of November, tensions between the hawkish Shah and Persian military and the pro-neutrality civilian government had reached a fever pitch.

Kingdom of Siam

Still reeling from its defeat in 1972, the rump Kingdom of Siam was doing its best to rebuild its military capabilities. Naturally, King Rama X backed the Commonwealth in the current conflict but was virtually powerless to assist them. Nearly all in the Siamese government feared that if the Commonwealth were defeated it would only be a matter of months before the surrounding Calcutta Compact would finish Siam off once and for all.

United States of America

The United States found itself deeply divided over the Asia-Pacific War. A poll conducted by Harper’s Weekly in late August found that while 82% of Americans favored the British Commonwealth, 73% believed their country should not become involved. The U.S. government however was much less apt to sit on its hands. Long a rival of the Japanese in the Pacific, President Gavin was greatly concerned that a Compact victory would upset the world balance of power and be a devastating blow against democracy in general. As such, the U.S. military soon began to share vital satellite photography on Japanese fleet movements with British Intelligence. Gavin also managed to secure the Australian and New Zealand governments a generous loan from the Bank of the United States to help keep their war efforts afloat. The war and spreading economic crisis however greatly eroded public confidence in Gavin who was becoming increasingly concerned as the presidential election approached.

Republic of Venezuela

As the only corporatist nation in the Americas, it is unsurprising that Venezuela publicly sided with the Calcutta Compact. In September, Venezuelan dictator Vicente Saturnino declared that he would increase oil production and ship it to Japan and India at below market rates. In exchange, Saturnino was promised advanced jet and missile technology to upgrade his own nation’s forces. Naturally, the League of American Republics strongly condemned this move and warned that these actions threatened to “destabilize the hemisphere.”

 

[Mac Gregor]

The 1976 Presidential Election​

During the early months of 1976, it was widely assumed that Sterling Gavin would easily win reelection. Gavin could point to a healthy economy, peace abroad, and success in the space race as reasons for deserving another four years in the White House. It was these reasons that kept many prominent Democrats from seeking their party’s nomination as few wanted to fight what looked like a hopeless battle against Gavin. As such the Democratic primaries were filled with relative unknowns and fringe candidates. By June, one of these unlikely candidates had pulled in front of the pack, Governor of California Margaret L. Stewart.

Margaret L. Stewart

Stewart was born Margaret Liesler Ingoldesby on December 5, 1928 to an upper middle class family in San Francisco, California. Margaret studied business at Princeton University where she would graduate near the top of her class. After returning home, Margaret was soon forced to take charge of the family’s construction business when her father died suddenly in 1957. Over the next several years, Margaret’s brilliant management saw the Stewart Construction Company grow by leaps and bounds eventually becoming a multi-million dollar enterprise. In 1964, Margaret married Jerry Stewart the son of a prominent Californian family with a long history of political involvement. A year later, Margaret gave birth to twin boys. In 1968, Margaret made national headlines when she successfully ran for governor as a political outsider for the Democratic Party. During her two terms as governor, Stewart balanced the state’s budget, overhauled the education system, and began several important infrastructure projects including the Golden Coast Express a high-speed rail line from Sacramento to San Diego. By the time she announced her candidacy for president, Stewart ranked as the most popular governor in the country.

During the primaries, Stewart was able to outfox here two chief opponents, the strictly conservative Governor of South Carolina Leonard Tranter and the doddering septuagenarian Senator from Minnesota Lucas Judd. As a political moderate, Stewart was able to bridge many of the left-right divides that separated the party, building a coalition of social and fiscal conservatives, businessmen, infrastructure supporters, and non-isolationist Democrats. On July 17, Stewart made history when she became the first woman to be nominated for president by a major party at the Democratic National Convention in Portland, Oregon. For her running mate, Stewart was paired with veteran Congressman Hudson Accardo of Florida.

The Campaign

The outbreak of the Asia-Pacific War in August radically altered the campaign. At first, it was thought that the war would help Gavin as voters would want a tested president manning the helm. However, as the country plunged into recession Gavin looked increasingly vulnerable. Stewart accused Gavin of neglecting the economy and the dangers posed by the Corporatist powers. While both candidates supported the fight against illegal drugs, Stewart maintained that Gavin’s government centric approach was wasteful and ineffective. Despite these attacks, most experts thought that Gavin would still emerge victorious. The decisive moment came during the candidates’ first televised debate where Gavin made a fatal error. Wishing to capitalize off the country’s uncertainty of electing a woman president, Gavin made several ill-advised comments hinting at Stewart’s gender. After Gavin insinuated that due to Stewart’s two young children a mother could not handle the workload that being president entailed Stewart retorted with her now famous remake “Mr. President, leave my family out of this.” At the second debate a few weeks later, Gavin fared little better coming off as out of touch and condescending.

Results
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When the nation awoke the morning after Election Day, many were astonished to see that Stewart had won 50.4% of the popular vote and after Pennsylvania was finally called for the Democrats 317 electoral votes. Gavin was reported to be dumbfounded when the results were announced becoming the first sitting president to loose reelection since Vernon Kirkman in 1948. Margaret L. Stewart would soon become the 34th President of the United States. ​

Margaret L. Stewart
Democrat from California
34th President of the United States​

 

[rick007]

Here's a new state:

Name: State of Dakota
Governor: Wilma Sharpe Republican
Capital: Lincoln City (OTL Bismarck ND)
Largest city: Sioux Falls (OTL SD)
Admission to the Union: March 6th, 1885 (38th state)
Nickname(s): Peace Garden State, Sioux State, the Just State.
State Song: Give A Helping Hand, Neighbor.
State Bird: Western Meadowlark.
State Flower: Prairie Crocus.
State Tree: American Elm.

Professional Sports Teams
Baseball: Clarksburg (OTL Fargo ND) Flickertails
Football: Yankton (OTL SD) Rapids
Rugby: Perryville (OTL Wagner SD) Dragons
Handball: Sioux Falls Warriors
Lacrosse: Lincoln City Gryphons

Post Civil War History:
A much larger territory during the civil war it took it's present form when it became a state in 1885. Though one of the smallest state in terms of population Dakota makes up for it in terms of justice, being the most fair state in the union.

Notable Dakotans:
-Harrison White, (1901-1974) Democratic Senator 1933-1963.
-George McClellan Wilson (1887-1909) Pilot killed during the battle of Sundern.
-Amelia Summers (1910-1999) presidential historian.
-Harriet Memminger (1912-2002) Griffith award winning actress for her portrayal of Queen Charlotte of Austria-Hungary in the 1976 classic The Fall.

 

[Mac Gregor]

The South Pacific

October 15, 1976- February 1, 1977 ​

The Frontlines as of February 1, 1977​

Papua

Having conquered the Solomon Islands and the Bonaparte Archipelago during the preceding weeks, the Japanese began November with an offensive south from Wewak and Port Edward on the northern shore of Papua. In the central highlands, Commonwealth forces under Australian Lieutenant General Sir Peter Carter fought a series of desperate battles to hold the various mountain passes. In the thick triple canopy jungle, engagements consisted of close range automatic rifle and grenade fire. Reports of hand-to-hand combat were not uncommon. Overhead, helicopters provided air support and evacuated the wounded while bombers dropped napalm with horrific results. Both sides fed more and more troops into the battle until early January when the front began to stabilize. Frustrated with his lack of success Japanese commander General Hibiki Watanabe ordered an amphibious landing near Popondetta on Janauary 7, 1977. Watanabe hoped that this force of around 32,000 men would quickly march overland and capture the territorial capital of Fairburn. Due to poor intelligence and the lack of proper reconnaissance, Watanabe greatly underestimated the difficult terrain. The Japanese divisions soon became hopeless bogged down in the jungle with only a single tiny track through Kokoda allowing movement. Due to this failure, Tokyo ordered Watanabe recalled. Unable to bear the shame Watanabe committed seppuku in his headquarters on January 31. Although relieved that he was able to thwart the Japanese advances, Sir Peter Carter full realized that time was running against him. Japan continued to land more troops on Papua while his Australian and New Zealand reinforcements were running dangerously low. Without additional help, it was predicted that Papua would be completely overrun in three to five months. This would leave the Australian mainland wide open to invasion.

Fiji

As the Japanese continued their sweep through the South Pacific, most of the British held islands fell without serious resistance. By December, the territories of Vanuatu, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Wallis and Futuna, the Cook Islands, and the Tonga Islands had been captured. Fiji would prove to be the exception to this string of easy victories. While defended by only 13,500 Commonwealth troops and native volunteers, Japan suffered an appalling 19,000 killed and wounded before the main island of Vitu Levu was secured on January 11. Surface to sea missiles also managed to damage a number of Japanese vessels and sink three landing craft and a destroyer. In the House of Commons, Prime Minister Vaughan praised the island’s valiant defenders stating, “Fiji has shown the Japanese that the loyal subjects of the British Commonwealth will resist their nefarious designs at any place, at any time, no matter the odds.”

Battle of the Coral Sea

The Battle of the Coral Sea proved to be the first major naval battle of the war. With the Commonwealth’s attention concentrated on Papua and elsewhere, the Japanese hatched an audacious plan to seize the important island of New Caledonia. When New Caledonia was captured, Japan would be able to dramatically increase their bombing raids against Australia and New Zealand. Fortunately for the Commonwealth, President Gavin authorized U.S. naval intelligence to pass along an intercepted fragment of the Japanese plan. When satellite reconnaissance confirmed that a sizable Japanese taskforce was in route towards New Caledonia, the Royal Navy’s Far Eastern Fleet was scrambled to intercept it. While the Japanese had five aircraft carriers to the Royal Navy’s three, land based aircraft and missiles from New Caledonia helped offset the Commonwealth’s inferior numbers. For two days, the skies over the Coral Sea were crisscrossed with jet and missile vapor trails, and the battle’s fate swung back and forth. Ultimately, it was a lucky hit by a fighter from the HMAS Albury that sunk the Japanese Flagship Ikoma, forcing their withdrawal. When the smoke finally cleared on January 16, the Royal Navy had won a costly victory. Two aircraft carriers, the HMS Britannia and HMS Courageous, were lost and the HMAS Albury was nearly incapacitated. Japan lost one carrier and three others were badly damaged. Both fleets’ battleships proved to be nearly useless during the conflict and in the future would be relegated to supporting amphibious landings. The Royal Navy had also lost a disproportionate amount of their missile cruisers, support vessels, and aircraft. While the media in the Commonwealth nations hailed the battle as a tremendous victory, Vaughan’s War Cabinet new better. The Far Eastern Fleet was seriously damaged and would take months to repair. Japan now had seven to their four carriers in the Pacific and was far exceeding the Commonwealth in missile and jetfighter production. It was becoming increasingly obvious that when Japan had finished refitting their damaged carriers, the Royal Navy would be unable to stop them again.

The HMS Repulse moments before sinking
January 15, 1977​

 

[Mac Gregor]

India and Southeast Asia

November 4, 1976- February 1, 1977​

The Frontlines as of February 1, 1977​

The Indian Front

On November 7, the URI launched a massive multipronged offensive involving over 850,000 men in an attempt to capture the important cities of Mysore and Bangalore. Field Marshal MacDougal made the tough decision that the defense of Bangalore should take precedence over Mysore. For the next two months, Indian and Commonwealth forces would clash across the Deccan Plateau. On the outskirts of Channapatna, the largest cataphract battle yet took place. The confrontation witnessed the first recorded deployment of the URI Bagha “Tiger” cataphract sporting an impressive 110mm gun. Outnumbered the Commonwealth was forced to withdraw. Mysore was evacuated on December 2 after a brutal two-day battle. Despite losing his capital, the Maharajah of Mysore Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV pledged to continue the fight against Nanda's URI. Bangalore managed to hold on due to the spirited actions of its defenders and the curtain of fire dropped by Commonwealth bombers. On January 9, an force composed primarily of Irish, Canadian, and East African troops managed to stop a much larger force at Coimbatore brining the Indian offensive to a halt at last. Over the past two months, both sides suffered high casualties. Commonwealth troops were finding themselves desperately short of ammunition from the .303 for the infantry’s Batts-Enfield assault rifles to the 8-inch shells for the howitzers. The URI also experienced supply shortages including a severe lack of fuel due to the blockade.

A B61 Falcon bomber dropping its payload in defense of Bangalore
January 2, 1977​

Burma

With the Indians advancing from the west and the Laotians and Vietnamese from the east Major General Khin Hlaing knew it was only a matter of time before Burma fell. As such, Khin Hlaing did not mount a major defense of Rangoon but instead dispersed his troops into the mountains and jungles. While Compact forces congratulated themselves on finally establishing an overland route between their countries, guerrilla attacks made travel hazardous at best. Khin Hlaing’s forces proved crucial to calling in air strikes many of which were launched from the HMSAS Springbok or the Andaman Islands. To the delight of the Commonwealth, the corporatist powers were forced to keep nearly half a million soldiers and laborers in Burma to deal with the insurgency.

Malaya

On December 2, General Takuma Saito resumed his drive down the Malayan Peninsula. For a week, Siato’s forces tried to penetrate Commonwealth lines and capture Kuala Lumpur. On the eighth day, the Japanese broke through. Despite Commonwealth naval support, Lt. General Sir Garrett Travers realized he could not defend the city, leaving only a rear guard to delay the Japanese. In the ensuing battle, Kuala Lumpur was effectively destroyed with over 80% of the city being burnt to the ground. Elsewhere the news was just as bleak, and Commonwealth forces retreated in the face of superior numbers. By the end of January, the front line was only 80 miles north of Singapore. Travers fully realized that if forced to fall back again, Singapore would be within the range of Japanese artillery entailing the destruction of the city and its inhabitants.

 

[Mac Gregor]

The War Widens

February 1977 ​

Flag of the Republic of Venezuela​

Venezuela joins the War

In the first six months of fighting, the Calcutta Compact had undoubtedly made considerable gains in Asia and the Pacific. Believing that the British Commonwealth would soon be forced to sue for peace, Venezuelan dictator Vicente Saturnino decided that the time was right to join the other corporatist powers and settle the longstanding boundary dispute with neighboring British Guyana. On February 3, Venezuelan troops crossed their eastern frontier. Luckily for the Commonwealth, intelligence delivered by a mole in the Venezuelan Navy had alerted the British two days earlier. The Dominion’s government and small defense force managed to put up only token resistance before fleeing to Barbados on February 7. Following the quick conquest of British Guyana, Saturnino turned his attention to the nearby island of Trinidad. Located less than seven miles from the Venezuelan coast, it was imperative that the British colony of Trinidad was seized in order to stop Commonwealth aircraft from utilizing the island’s runways. On February 10, four regiments of Venezuelan paratroopers landed on the outskirts of the colonial capital of Port-of-Spain. For the first few hours, it looked as if the Commonwealth defenders aided by local volunteers might be able to hold the city. However, after Venezuelan reinforcements stormed ashore later that day Governor General Evander Shepard ordered the surrender to spare further bloodshed.

Operation Halberd

In mid-February, the Commonwealth War Council held a series of meetings in London to address the deteriorating military situation. With the war having spread to the Caribbean, and what appeared to be impending disaster in India, Malaya, and Papua it was clear to all that something dramatic would have to be done and soon. Commonwealth Chief of Staff Field Marshal Silas Michaelson presented Operation Halberd as a dramatic way to end the war in their favor. Halberd entailed using Britain’s nuclear arsenal, which had expanded exponentially since the start of the conflict. Over a 3 hour period between 80-95 nuclear weapons would be employed against the military and industrial centers of the Compact powers. It was hoped, that by using overwhelming force the corporatists would be unable to mount a coordinated response with their own chemical and biological weapons. Field Marshal Michelson estimated that military and civilian casualties would range anywhere from eight to twelve million. While some reluctantly favored the plan as the only sure way to win the war, the proposal was ultimately rejected. Besides the ethical and diplomatic issues raised, Michaelson could not guarantee that Japan and India would be unable to retaliate with biological weapons, a major concern in Madras, New Zealand, and Australia. With Operation Halberd ruled out, it was decided to pursue the only other option that might lead to victory, bringing China into the war.

Cape Town Conference

The Commonwealth had made repeated overtures to the Technate of China since the start of the conflict to no avail. By February of 1977 however the situation had become so dire that they were willing to give almost anything for China to join the fight. Meeting in a clandestine location in the South African city of Cape Town, representatives from the Technate, Portugal, and the British Commonwealth discussed terms that would bring China into the fray. After three days of tense negotiations, a deal was struck on February 21 with the following articles.

1)The Technate of China would declare war on Japan, India, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, and Venezuela no later than March 1, 1977.
2)Neither China, Portugal, nor any member of the Commonwealth would negotiate a separate peace.
3)Formosa and Hainan would be returned to China.
4)Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, and the Korean Peninsula would fall into China’s sphere of influence.
5)Within four years of the end of hostilities Hong Kong and Macau would be ceded to China for what the Technate deemed “a fair price.”

Although steep, the Commonwealth realized they had little choice but to accept. Upon hearing the offer, Chief Executive Heng is reported to have remarked, “What took them so long?” On February 28, China officially entered the war and a new and more deadly chapter in the conflict began.

The belligerents as of 1 March, 1977​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Hey everyone, I'm heading back to the great state of Georgia for a friend's wedding so no full update this weekend. Enjoy this small one. Cheers!


Battle of the South Pole

​

Prewar photograph of New Zealand's Antarctic Research Facility​

One of the more unusual events of the war took place in early April on the conflict's most remote front. After the division of the frozen continent with the 1973 Antarctic Treaty, several of the twelve signatory nations hurriedly established research outposts near the South Pole to cement their claims. Cut off from resupply, Japan’s Antarctic station was told to sit and wait hoping that the war would be over in six months. By March, the Japanese were running dangerously low on food and fuel. Armed with assault rifles and a few rocket-propelled grenades, ten Japanese personnel stormed the neighboring New Zealand compound killing one of the researchers. Two days later a move to capture the British and Australian facilities was beaten back by small arms fire. A 42-day standoff occurred until a small detachment of British Special Forces from the 5th Royal Commando Regiment arrived and freed the hostages in a daring raid in the freezing cold of the antarctic night. While militarily insignificant, news of the operation proved to be a major morale boost for the Commonwealth.

 

[Mac Gregor]

The Pacific and Southeast Asia

March-June, 1977​

Imperial Vietnamese troops in action against Technate forces north of Hanoi
March, 1977​

The Technate Advances

Within a week of joining the war against the Calcutta Compact, nearly 3,500,000 Technate troops advanced south into Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. In the face of such numbers, the corporatist powers had little choice but to wage a fighting retreat. The Imperial Vietnamese Army did attempt to make a stand at the important northern city of Hanoi. After four days of intense fighting the Chinese managed to capture the city center but suffered over 196,000 casualties in the process. The Technate fielded an impressive number of cataphracts, most of which were closely patterned off the Italian Leoni model, sporting a 105mm gun. During the battle for Hanoi these proved invaluable in clearing the narrow streets but often fell victim to Vietnamese recoilless rifles.

It was the fall of Hanoi that ended any indecision in the Japanese government on whether to commit large amounts of ground troops to Indochina. Prime Minister Hayashi began mobilizing the empire’s reserves and ordered a massive deployment of over 2,000,000 men to support the Vietnamese. By the end of June, the frontline had stabilized south of the Red River leaving the Chinese in control of the northern part of the country.

While the Empire of Vietnam was the Techante’s primary focus, Laos and occupied Burma were also invaded. In Laos, Technate forces faced little resistance in the sparsely populated north but were slowed by the rugged terrain. In Burma, the Chinese did their best to send troops overland from Yunnan-Fu but the single road made transportation difficult. Several divisions of airborne and airmobile soldiers fared better and were able to link up with elements of Burmese General Khin Hlaing’s guerrilla army. Ultimately, it was reinforcements from Kampuchea that stopped the Chinese, but not until the overland link from Laos to Burma had been severed.

Stalemate in Papua and Malaya

As Chinese forces poured into Burma and Indochina, the Japanese offensive in Papua was brought to a halt as troops and supplies were needed elsewhere. General Noboru Fujimoto, who had replaced General Watanabe on Papua, had his troops dig in after a March operation connected the northern and eastern beachheads. Sir Peter Carter, recently promoted to full general, used the spring and early summer to build up his forces hoping to start offensive actions in July.

In late March, the Japanese made an ill-advised and rushed attempt to capture Singapore. Without time to properly prepare for the operation, the Japanese threw themselves against the Commonwealth’s defensives 80 miles north of the city. Commonwealth forces fought tenaciously to hold the line at times even levelling their antiaircraft guns into the charging masses of Japanese infantry. While the army struggled to breakthrough, the Imperial Japanese Navy made their long awaited attack on the city. On April 9, a Japanese taskforce of four aircraft carriers (Honshu, Takasago Koku, Chosen, and Tokushima), three battleships, six cruisers, thirteen destroyers, eight submarines, and numerous troopships carrying around 65,000 men attempted to land on Jahor less than 20 miles northeast of the city. Japanese aircraft stationed in occupied Borneo provided support as well. Opposing them was the Commonwealth’s Southern Fleet steaming through the Strait of Malacca consisting of three carriers (HMSAS Springbok, HMS Ark Royal, and HMS Indomitable), two battleships, four cruisers, ten destroyers, and seven submarines. Aided by land based bombers and anti-ship missiles Admiral Sir Roderick Chatfield managed to turn the Battle of Jahor into the Commonwealth’s first clear cut victory of the war. Japanese losses included the Honshu, Chosen, and several troopships forcing them to withdraw. The Commonwealth lost the HMS Ark Royal, the battleship HMS Neptune, and a sizable number of aircraft. Upon hearing of the defeat, Prime Minister Hayashi was furious. Although he wished to continue the drive towards Singapore, Chinese advances into Indochina forced him to redirect his nation’s resources. By July, both sides on the Malayan Peninsula were content to settle down into static warfare, as developments elsewhere urgently required there attention.

Commonwealth Southern Fleet moving east through the Strait of Malacca
April, 1977​

 

[Mac Gregor]

India and the Americas

March – June 1977

T-58 "Welsh Dragon" gunship firing in defense of Bangalore
May, 1977​

The Bangalore Pocket

In early March, Indian leader Harshad Nanda was faced with a serious dilemma. He could attempt to finish off the Commonwealth forces in the south or redirect India’s attention to the east and push the Chinese out of Burma. Ultimately, Nanda decided to concentrate on the south and send a smaller force to delay the Chinese. During the previous winter, the URI had failed to capture the important city of Bangalore through head on assaults. On March 26, Nanda ordered 31 divisions to attempt a double envelopment of the city. In yet another brutal slogging match, the URI finally managed to cut off the city by the end of May. Bangalore however refused to surrender. Commanded by Madrasian General Somdev Anand the city’s defenses held out against amazing odds. Nanda was eventually forced to call off the attack due to exhaustion, lack of fuel, and the need to divert resources elsewhere. It now became a race against time as to whether the Commonwealth could relieve Bangalore before it succumbed to the URI’s siege.

Raid on Vancouver

On April 8, while the bulk of the Japanese fleet was preparing to move against Singapore, a second operation was launched on the far side of the Pacific. Designed to divert attention away from Malaya, the aircraft carriers Shikoku and the newly commissioned Aichi struck against Canada’s chief western port of Vancouver. While lasting less than two hours, the attack’s three waves caused considerable damage. Fourteen Commonwealth ships were sunk, including the cruisers HMS Optimist and HMCS Vesperia, and a dozen more were damaged. More crucially several dry docks were rendered inoperable, and a large oil storage facility on Vancouver Island was destroyed causing a massive fire. The Commonwealth lost 3,194 killed including 288 civilians. Of these, 47 were Americans working in various capacities at the busy port. The Japanese lost 49 of the 162 aircraft used in the attack. More surprising than Japan’s ability to covertly launch such an audacious operation was their ability to withdraw without any serious hindrance by Commonwealth forces.

The attack on Vancouver had major political consequence for Canada. Outrage that such an important city was so inadequately protected prompted a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Elsdon Leon and his Conservative government. In the horse trading that followed a new coalition government under Keegan Garfield of the Liberal Party and the separatist Parti Quebec Libre (PQL) was formed. Along with Ireland and New Zealand, this made Canada the third Commonwealth realm to change governments since the start of the war. Many feared that the new Liberal-PQL government would not prosecute the war with the same intensity as the Conservatives.

The Caribbean

Having captured British Guyana and Trinidad in February and the nearby island of Tobago on March 2, Venezuela began fortifying their gains against the inevitable counterattack. Dogfights between Venezuelan and Commonwealth fighters became a common sight over the blue waters of the Caribbean. The task of recovering the lost territories fell to Canadian Lieutenant General Brayden Huddleson who began assembling a polyglot force of Canadian, Irish, Nigerian, and Caribbean troops on Jamaica. With resources stretched thin on other fronts, Huddleson was forced to improvise often commandeering civilian vessels to serve as landing craft. By the end of June, Huddleson believed that he would soon be able to avenge the Commonwealth’s honor and retake Trinidad.

LAR Reaction

Venezuela’s entry into the war and the Vancouver raid brought the war to the Americas. The League of American Republics was deeply divided over what course of action to take. Some nations were eager to move against Venezuela like Colombia whose president had already deployed additional troops to guard the border. Others like Brazil wished to stay out of the war. In May, the LAR agreed on a new round of sanctions against Venezuela and declared that any further aggression would not be tolerated.

In the United States, the newly inaugurated President Stewart faced her first major test dealing the deaths of American civilians at Vancouver. In a televised address to the nation, Stewart condemned the attack and threatened to invoke the Monroe Doctrine if Japan continued its incursions into the Western Hemisphere. While genuinely wanting to keep the United States out of the war, Stewart understood that the corporatists were a serious threat. As such, Stewart convinced Congress to grant Canada another sizable loan and to sell them several naval vessels at bargain prices. Furthermore, Stewart began strengthening army and navy assets in America’s Micronesian and Polynesian territories, a move that greatly unnerved the Japanese.

Frontlines as of June 30, 1977​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Youch! The war deepens *waves Canadian flag in sympathy for ITTL!Vancouver*

"Today, we are all Canadians."

Don't get mad. Get even.

 

[Mac Gregor]

Hey everyone, thought I would take a quick break from the war and do a post about the state I'm currently residing in. Cheers!

Facts
Name: State of Arizona
Capital: Halleckville
Largest City: Halleckville
Admission to the Union: November 13, 1906 (49th)
Nickname(s): Grand Canyon State, Heart of the West, Apache State
State Song: “My Arizona” by Aaren Adams
State Bird: Road Runner
State Flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom
State Tree: Mesquite Tree

Professional sports teams
• Baseball: Arizona Javelinas
• Football : Halleckville Mirage
• Rugby: Halleckville Scorpions
• Handball : Tucson Outlaws (minor), Beale Boulders (minor)
• Lacrosse: Arizona Sidewinders (minor)

History 1860 - 1977:
Following the Civil War, settlers from both the North and South poured into the newly created Arizona Territory. Blessed with an abundance of copper and silver, mining towns such as San Pedro would become some of the rowdiest locations in the Wild West. With the advent of air conditioning Arizona, along with other states in the sun belt, saw an explosion of immigration during the Twentieth Century. Once small communities like Halleckvile, Tucson, and Beale would quickly grow into major cities. In the northwestern portion of the state, the United States would explode its first atomic bomb on April 7, 1971 at the Las Vegas Military Reservation.

Notable Arizonans:
• Geronimo (1829-1877): Chiricahua Apache leader, American folk hero.
• Milford T. Cannon (1867-1952): Supreme Court Justice
• Virgil M. Earp (1882-1963) Arizona Governor and Senator
• Gregorio Ojeda (1922): Labor rights activist
• Ben Patton (1945) : Astronaut, second American in space
• Clare H. Storm (1951): Journalist, author, political satirist

 

[Mac Gregor]

The Pacific and Southeast Asia

July – December 1977 ​

Commonwealth HT-68 Pegasus helicopters over Papua
October, 1977​

Papua and Malaya

In early July, the commander of Commonwealth forces on Papua, General Sir Peter Carter, had strengthened his forces enough to go on the offensive. On July 6, a brigade composed of Australian and New Zealand troops made a helicopter-borne landing behind Japanese lines west of the port of Alotau near the eastern most tip of the island. The operation proved to be a striking success with Alotau falling a few weeks later. Subsequent operations at Kokoda and Goroka proved much harder and the Japanese managed to hold their ground. By the end of the year, the Commonwealth had made only modest territorial gains but continued to grow in number of men and equipment. The Japanese under General Fujimoto however, were increasingly neglected by Tokyo and forced to make do with little in the way of reinforcements and supplies.

On the Malayan Peninsula, General Travers launched a limited offensive in September. After fierce fighting, Travers managed to push the Japanese back some 30 miles before losses forced him to halt the advance. This brought some much needed breathing room for the Singapore defenses. Travers hoped that with Japanese forces busy elsewhere, 1978 would provide the opportunity to finally drive the Japanese off the peninsula.

Indochina

In mid-August, the Technate of China suffered 112,000 casualties after a failed attempt to breach Compact lines south of the Red River. Not wishing to repeat such a costly failure, the leader of Technate forces in Indochina, General Sun Xuan, shifted his attention to the west. For nearly three months, Chinese troops surged south through Laos, while keeping pressure on the Compact’s main body near the Vietnamese cost. On November 26, Technate forces began their assault on the Laotian capital of Vientiane. The battle would last ten days and see most of the city destroyed. When the city’s commander finally surrendered, the Technate had captured over 95,000 Compact prisoners. The fall of Vientiane had a huge impact on the conflict. First, it effectively knocked the Kingdom of Laos out of the war. Second, with Laos out of the way, King Rama X decided the time was right to enter the conflict and reclaim lost territory. Siam would officially join the war against the Calcutta Compact on December 22. Third, with the loss of Laos, Compact forces in Vietnam would soon be forced to withdraw further south or be cut off. Finally, the triumph at Vientiane proved to be a major morale boost for the Chinese and their Commonwealth allies with British Prime Minister Vaughan declaring it “only the first of the enemy capitals that will fall.”

The Air War

The second half of 1977, would see a sizable increase in aerial attacks on the Chinese mainland and Japanese held islands. The Technate concentrated on attacking Japanese installations on Hainan, Formosa, and the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese focused their attention on Chinese cities aiming to demoralize the population and disrupt the Technate’s industrial centers. In a six month period the cities of Peking, Tianjin, Shanghai, Canton, and Nanking all suffered heavy damage with civilian casualties estimated at over 275,000. By December, Japanese bombing raids became less common as Chinese air defenses inflicted unsustainable losses on Japanese bombers. Scenes of devastated Chinese cities became a common sight on televisions around the world. The International Humanitarian Association along with a number of European and American governments pleaded in vain for a moratorium on the bombing of cities. ​

A suburb of Canton damaged by Japanese bombers
December, 1977​

 

[Mac Gregor]

India and the Americas

July – December 1977

URI troops outside of Bangalore
August, 1977​

The Relief of Bangalore

On July 18, Prime Minister Vaughan made the difficult decision to recall Field Marshal MacDougal to London to serve as deputy to Commonwealth Chief of Staff Silas Michaelson. While MacDougal had proved himself a master of organization and logistics, the failure to counterattack and break through to the besieged garrison at Bangalore ultimately cost him his job. He would be replaced by the aggressive commander of the British Second Army, Marion Fitzpatrick. On August 2, the Commonwealth began Operation Isolde to relieve the Bangalore pocket. At the vanguard of the attack was the new AV33 Marlborough cataphract which with a 4.5 inch gun could knock out the heaviest Indian armored vehicles. After 19 days of tenacious fighting, Commonwealth forces reestablished contact with Bangalore’s defenders under Madrasian General Somdev Anand. For the next four months, Field Marshal Fitzpatrick regained substantial ground from the overextended Indians, recapturing Mysore on December 6. By January, URI resistance stiffened enough to stop the advance.

Burma

During the last half of 1977, Technate troops and Burmese resistance forces under General Khin Hlaing made steady progress against their Compact adversaries. The 2nd and 4th Royal Commando Regiments supported by elements of the Southern Fleet stepped up their raids on the coast, stretching the already overtaxed enemy dangerously thin. Furthermore, guerrilla activity in occupied Bengal and Assam continued to tie down large numbers of URI troops that were desperately needed elsewhere. Commander of URI forces in the east General Saral Narang warned Indian Leader Harshad Nanda that if reinforcements and supplies were not sent soon Burma could not be held.

Second Battle of Trinidad

Having assembled and trained his multinational force for some five months, Lieutenant General Brayden Huddleson believed the time was right to renew the fight against the Venezuelans. On September 10, simultaneous landings occurred on Tabago and Trinidad. The Tabago landing went well enough and the largely Jamaican and Canadian force gained control of the island’s tiny capital of Scarborough by the end of the day. Trinidad proved much harder to capture. The antiquated and improvised array of landing craft proved unwieldy, resulting in several collisions. Venezuelan aircraft inflicted terrible damage on the Commonwealth armada. Numerous vessels were lost or damaged and the HMIS Dublin was forced to beach herself to prevent from sinking. The Portuguese aircraft carrier NRP Vasco da Gama’s journey to join the Far Eastern Fleet was diverted to Trinidad in order to provide additional air support. An operation that was planned to take no longer than three days ended up lasting two weeks. Trinidad was finally deemed secure on September 24 after a battalion of Nigerian troops captured the last enemy stronghold at Point Fortin. Having suffered nearly 18,500 casualties, Huddleson realized that many changes would need to be made before a landing on the South American continent was attempted.

​

Venezuelan airstrikes on the Commonwealth beachhead
Trinidad
September, 1977​

 

[Mac Gregor]

The War at Home

August 1976 - December 1977​

Antiwar protest in London
May, 1977​

With the majority of the world’s population embroiled in the war, it is important to look beyond the battlefields and see how the conflict affected the domestic situations of the belligerent nations.

The British Commonwealth

Unsurprisingly the British Commonwealth with its multitude of different nations, dominions, and colonies coped with the first 17 months of the war in very different ways. While the Panic of 1976 continued to plague the economy, demand for soldiers and factory workers generally kept unemployment low throughout the Commonwealth. For some, the war proved to be the catalyst for greater autonomy at home. To help quell rumblings about the lack of representational government, Zambezia was granted dominion status on July 26, 1977. Henry Miyanda of the center-left African Dawn party was sworn in as Zambezia’s first prime minister in the capital city of Calx later that year. Led by the capable Prime Minister Thakur Diwan, Madras gained control over its foreign affairs and became a fully independent member of the Commonwealth on October 1, 1977. This measure drastically undercut URI efforts to paint the Madrasian government as a mere successor to the British Raj. Other areas became more restless such as Chad where a militant pro-independence movement was brewing.

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Vaughan’s war cabinet composed of Tories, Imperial Progressives, and pro-war Liberals kept control of the government during the 1977 general election. However, anti-war Liberals and the Socialist Workers Party under the firebrand Keith Reece did gain seats in the House of Commons. Reece and the SWP continued to organize large street protests that often turned violent quickly becoming the focal point for a growing anti-war movement. In Ireland, the centrist government of Meridith O’Nullain struggled to hold on as opposition parties on both the right and left threatened to drive Ireland out of the war.

​

Keith Reece
Leader of the Socialist Workers Party​

Kingdom of Portugal

With its Indian colonies overrun, Portugal threw itself into defending the rest of its empire from the corporatist powers. With 9.5 million inhabitants, Portugal sent several divisions to fight in India and maintained a sizable garrison on Timor to defend against the Japanese. Unfortunately, growing insurgencies in Portugal’s three African colonies of Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea sapped the army’s strength. At home, the people became increasingly disenchanted with the repressive government of Premier Miguel Luíz Fernandes . As such, radical groups such as the Front for Democracy and the Communist League swelled in number. Fernandes along with the ageing King Manuel III authorized a crackdown on all groups deemed “subversive” a move that did little to fix Portugal’s simmering problems. ​

Miguel Luíz Fernandes
Premier of the Kingdom of Portugal​

Empire of Japan

By the end of 1977, Japan was on a total war footing. The Imperial Japanese Army and Navy were at their largest size in history. Industry was booming as raw materials from Japan’s recent conquests fed the Emperor’s enormous war machine. While the mood at home remained largely quiet, the social fabric of the empire was beginning to fray at the edges as the war’s early victories gave way to mounting casualties. Discontent was growing visibly in Korea where, despite millions of Koreans serving in the armed forces in some capacity, sabotage and underground resistance organizations spread like wildfire. Prime Minister Hayashi ordered bloody reprisals to be carried out in retaliation for any act of disloyalty. On June 24, 1977 at a munitions factory in Pyongyang over 50 civilians were summarily executed after arson destroyed the plant. Public anger over this incident resulted in two days of rioting throughout the Korean Peninsula before Japanese forces restored order. Commonwealth radio messages and leaflets dropped by Chinese aircraft exploited the situation and urged the Koreans to rise up against their Japanese masters.

United Republic of India

Having suffered reversals in Burma and the south the URI had, by the beginning of 1978, clearly lost the strategic initiative. The Commonwealth blockade was having a serious impact on the URI’s war effort causing shortages of everything from food, raw materials, and fuel. Furthermore, the bitter guerrilla war in Bengal and Assam had increased as Technate forces advanced further into neighboring Burma. In Bengal, Harshad Nandad’s response to the uprisings was brutal with civilians often caught in the crossfire. The fact that Bengali Muslims were being slaughtered by the usually Hindu URI troops inflamed religious tensions across the subcontinent especially in the Punjab and Sindh. Fueled by the belief that Muslim troops were being assigned the most dangerous combat tasks, violent demonstrations erupted in Karachi, Lahore, and Multan. Resistance to Nanda and the REP however was not limited to Muslims. Democrats, mostly Hindus, began forming organizations known as swastika societies that wished to reestablish the pre-URI republic. To the surprise of no one, the URI’s feared secret police the Internal Security Commission Antarika Suraksa Ayoga (ASA) clamped down on troublemakers, but it was becoming clear that the United Republic of India was coming unglued.

Flag of the former Indian Republic
Used covertly by most swastika societies​

Technate of China

Although Technate forces were making admirable progress in Burma and Indochina, casualties had been high. Japanese bombers had inflicted significant damage on Chinese cities and the government struggled to handle the millions of displaced city dwellers. Nonetheless, the war provided ample employment for the Chinese masses. In addition, being part of a worldwide coalition against the Calcutta Compact gave the Technate some much-needed international legitimacy. While not everyone in China favored this third war against Japan in 80 years, the Technate’s Directorate of Information kept a close eye on any potential dissidents and crushed any meaningful opposition.

Republic of Venezuela

As the only corporatist power in the western hemisphere, Venezuela was used to feeling isolated. However, after losing control of Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuelans were becoming increasingly unhappy about their position. After years of dictatorship under Saturnino and his predecessor Jacobo Chavarria, many were eager reinstitute a democratic government and end Venezuela’s isolation. Unfortunately for them Saturino still possessed a sizable army and air force and was far from giving up the fight. Frequent clashes with Colombian troops on the border however threatened to disastrously widen the war, but for now Saturnino tried to keep the LAR out of the conflict.

 

[Mac Gregor]

While the war dominated much of 1977, there were of course other significant events. Here are some of the highlights. ​

1977

Domestic and Foreign Developments

Badlands National Park​

In the United States, President Stewart launched an ambitious new agenda known as Forward Together. With the economy mired in recession, Stewart’s plan called for a plethora of infrastructure projects to generate jobs. These included finishing the last links of the National Highway System, construction of a massive international airport in Lincoln, Guiana and the establishing of nine new national parks such as Badlands National Park in the states of Laramie and Pasapa. To help square the nation’s finances, Stewart proposed to dramatically simplify the nation’s tax code. While the corporate tax rate would be reduced, several costly tax loopholes and agricultural subsidies would be ended. While this angered many in her party, Stewart was able to work with Republican Senate Minority Leader Skyler Almassy to garner the necessary votes. By the end of the year, most economists started to see the American economy beginning to improve. Stewart also commissioned an extensive new study due next year on drug use in America, potential ways to mitigate its effects, and the effectiveness of current counternarcotic efforts.

On May 26, the joint Franco-Italian atomic bomb project Operation Nova successfully detonated its first nuclear device in the Libyan Desert. With the number of nuclear powers now reaching six, calls for an international treaty to regulate these weapons grew.

In the Imperial Eurasian Federation, the 1977 general election saw Soyuz radi Progressa (Alliance for Progress) keep control of the government but with a reduced majority. Lithuanian Liudvinkos Zelenko, who had succeeded Demyan Matveev, became the first non-ethnic Russian to become Prime Minister. As usual in the aftermath of an election, conservatives of the opposition Motherland Party staged several violent demonstrations prompting Empress Elizabeth II to remark, “Can we not hold a single election without rioting?”

In London, the computer network MEIS (Military Electronic Information System) came online on August 14. While originally devised by the Ministry of Defense to securely store and transfer information, it eventually branched out into other government areas. In years to come, many historians would cite MEIS as a forerunner to the globtrix computer network that is used throughout the world today.

The popular American grind band Barbed Wire concluded a world wind tour of Latin America and Europe in October. Years later, commentators would hail the extremely profitable trip as the “high-water mark of grind.”

After a series of setbacks in the eastern part of the Belgian Congo, the German Empire stepped up aid to its faltering ally. Led by Colonel-General Alfred von Lauenburg, the Germans began to deploy limited numbers of combat troops, mostly spezialkräfte (special forces), for the first time in August. The bombing campaign also intensified, despite loud protestations from some in the international community. On October 22, the German wing of the Better World Society held anti-bombing protests in Berlin, Munich, and Vienna involving over 400,000 people. Chancellor Julius Holzner increasingly worried that the war in the Congo was destabilizing his ungainly ruling coalition of Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, and Krulikists. ​

An office linked to MEIS
Ministry of Defense, London​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Rumble in the Jungle

Southeast Asia and the Pacific
January-June, 1978 ​

Technate antiaircraft gun in action outside of Hue
June, 1978​

Indochina

With the collapse of Laos and the entry of Siam into the conflict in December, the now outflanked Compact forces had little choice but to withdraw from their defensive line south of the Red River. Over the next two months the Allies, as the nations arrayed against the Calcutta Compact increasingly referred to themselves, conquered the entire northern half of Vietnam, and started the slow encirclement of the Vietnamese capital of Hue. On April 12, Allied forces captured the coastal city of Quy Non cutting off Hue from the rest of the country. Defended by nearly 1.2 million Japanese and Vietnamese troops, Hue however was not going to yield without a fight. Further south, Kampuchean troops made several drives into Siamese territory. Though successful at first, these incursions stalled after the arrival of Chinese reinforcements. By the beginning of August, Technate and Siamese forces had moved into Kampuchea itself but lengthening lines of supply and the demands of the ongoing Battle of Hue stifled the advance.

Operation Southern Cross

A L78 Beaver coming ashore in Malaya
February 26, 1978​

On February 26, Commonwealth troops initiated Operation Southern Cross, an amphibious landing on the Malayan Peninsula designed to block the Japanese from driving north into Siam. Equipped with the new Canadian designed L78 Amphibious Assault Lander, nicknamed “the Beaver,” the mostly Australian and East African troops reached shore in much better order than their comrades did during the Second Battle of Trinidad. Over 39,000 soldiers landed in the first several hours, taking the defenders by surprise. Simultaneously, General Travers and his army pushed north from Singapore forcing the Japanese in Malaya to fight on two fronts. For the next three months, the Commonwealth made significant gains against General Takuma Siato’s overtaxed 15th Army. This, combined with growing resistance from guerrillas in the interior, pushed the Japanese to the breaking point. Realizing the hopelessness on continuing to fight in Malaya, Saito requested that his soldiers be withdrawn. Prime Minister Hayashi reluctantly agreed and in mid-June started transferring the remaining troops to shore up the deteriorating situation in Vietnam.

Battle of the Bonaparte Archipelago

While successful on other fronts, the Allies suffered a serious setback in the ongoing campaign to drive the Japanese off Papua. In April, a renewed offensive by General Sir Peter Carter through Kokoda was to be accompanied by the Far Eastern Fleet attacking the island of New Britain in an attempt to overwhelm the enemy. The Japanese under Admiral Saburo Tsukino however were expecting such a move and intercepted the Allied fleet on April 19. Known as the Battle of the Bonaparte Archipelago, the bloody contest pitted four Japanese carriers against four of their Commonwealth counterparts. However a new antiaircraft missile, the TM8, gave the Imperial Japanese Navy the advantage. Tsukino was able to force the Far Eastern Fleet to retire after sinking the HMAS Albury, only recently returned to duty, and damaging the HMS Victorious and HMCS Maple Leaf. The Japanese lost no carriers but the Shikoku and the newly commissioned Aichi suffered a few direct hits. With the naval portion of the operation thwarted, General Carter called off his attack.

Japanese destroyer Minazuki during the
Battle of the Bonaparte Archipelago
April 19, 1978​

 

[Mac Gregor]

South Asia

January-June, 1978 ​

Liberation of Burma

In late January, the Technate of China resumed its advanced into occupied Burma. The Indian commander in the region, General Saral Narang, struggled to hold his ground but guerrilla activity in Assam and Bengal had critically sapped his supplies and reinforcements. While the Chinese pressed the Compact in the north, the Commonwealth’s Southern Fleet landed a small expeditionary force on the outskirts of Rangoon on March 4. Aided by Burmese irregulars under General Khin Hlaing the city fell after five days of hard fighting. With the loss of Rangoon and Mandalay a few days later, the Compact’s position in Burma began to unravel. Narang’s orderly withdraw soon turned into a rout with nearly a 100,000 troops either being killed, captured, or deserting. By mid-June, the Allies gained near complete control over Burma and were poised to move into Assam. In preparation for the impending attack, Indian Leader Nanda ordered the small states of Sikkim and Bhutan occupied, allegedly to “protect” them from a Chinese incursion. The tiny monarchies managed only token resistance before capitulating. In Allied and neutral nations, the occupation of Bhutan and Sikkim was perceived as yet another outrage perpetrated by Nanda and his regime. Unbeknownst to Nanda, this intransigence would have massive unintended consequences.

Fitzpatrick Advances

After nearly a month long hiatus, Field Marshal Fitzpatrick continued the drive north towards Hyderabad in early February. Advancing along a broad front, the next five months brought consistent progress as enemy forces were evicted from nearly all of Mysore and Madras. An exception being an overly ambitious attempt to retake Goa from the south that failed disastrously. Angered by the atrocities committed on their soil, Madrasian troops were often ruthless in dealing with URI soldiers that fell into their hands. As such, executed and mutilated Indian corpses along the roads became an all too common sight. It was also during this period that that the growing tensions between Muslim and Hindu troops in the URI army became readily apparent, as Muslim troops were three times more likely to surrender to the Allies than their Hindu counterparts.

Persia enters the War

Despite a 1975 mutual defense treaty and his own inclination, Persian ruler Shah Hamid Hassan Qajar had been unable to join the fight against the Calcutta Compact due to the objections of parliament. Having muddled through nearly two years of increasingly tempestuous relations with Prime Minister Shahin Attar, news of the invasion of Sikkim and Bhutan proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. The Shah used Sikkim and Bhutan’s downfall as a pretext for war, falsely claiming that an invasion of neighboring Baluchistan by the URI was imminent. Prime Minister Attar and several other dovish ministers were forcibly removed from office on grounds of “disloyalty.” They were quickly replaced by more malleable politicians who would back the Shah. On June 30, the Persian Empire officially declared war on the Calcutta Compact.

Map of the frontlines as of June 30, 1978​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Southeast Asia and the Pacific

July-December, 1978

Allied airborne troops landing on Borneo
August, 1978 ​

The Invasion of Borneo

With the Chinese fully committed in Indochina, the British Commonwealth looked to open up another front against the Japanese in the Pacific. While contemplating a renewed attempt to retake northern Papua, the failure at the Battle of the Bonaparte Archipelago in April convinced the Commonwealth General Staff to search for other options. Ultimately, Borneo proved the chosen target. Having been under occupation for two years, the three territories of Sarawak, Brunei, and Northern Borneo had become a major source of petroleum and rubber for the Compact war effort despite lingering resistance from guerrilla groups. On August 24, a combined task force comprising the majority of the Southern and Far Eastern Fleets launched the first assault against Borneo. Within hours, helicopter and airborne troops had seized inland airfields, while soldiers from no less than nine Commonwealth nations stormed ashore. Limited numbers of Portuguese troops formerly defending the island of Timor participated as well.

Battle of the Spratly Islands

As expected, the Japanese did not allow such an important possession as Borneo to fall unmolested. On August 26, the bulk of the Imperial Fleet under Admiral Saburo Tsukino steamed south to contest the landings. Known as the Battle of the Spratly Islands, after the nearby archipelago where much of the fighting took place, the naval contest proved to be the biggest carrier engagement in history. The Takasago Koku, Tokushima, Kyushu, Hokkaido, and the Vietnamese carrier Hai Ba Trung (formerly the SMS Sudetenland) squared off against the HMS Indomitable, HMSAS Springbok, NRP Vasco da Gama, and the recently commissioned HMS Albion and HMAS Queensland. After 32 hours of desperate and often hectic fighting, the Compact armada finally withdrew after losing the Kyushu, Tokushima, and the Hai Ba Trung. The Allies however were far from unscathed themselves as the HMS Indomitable and the NRP Vasco da Gama were both sunk. Although today the battle is remembered primarily as a fight between aircraft carriers, submarines played an important role on both sides causing the majority of casualties. With the Japanese repulsed, the Allies managed to secure most of Borneo by the end of the year. On Christmas day Alastair Brooke, the “White Rajah” of Sarawak, triumphantly returned to his shattered palace after two years of jungle fighting. In a memorable television broadcast, Alastair announced to the world that “despite the hardships and privations of the last two years, be assured that the sun is beginning to set on the Japanese Empire.”

Fall of Hue

The Battle of Hue was undoubtedly the longest and bloodiest of the Indochina campaign. It took over six months for Technate and Siamese forces to finally capture the city on December 14. Total civilian and military causalities for the Compact and Allies have been estimated at anywhere from 1.6 to 1.9 million. The ancient Vietnamese capital was completely destroyed with most structures leveled to within a few feet of the ground. Emperor Lành Xuân Ngô managed to flee to Saigon, the last major Vietnamese urban center, before the city fell. Elsewhere in Indochina, the Allies made further gains in Kampuchea and by New Year’s Day laid siege to Phnom Penh.

Vietnamese civilians move about during a rare lull in the fighting
Hue, Empire of Vietnam
September, 1978 ​

 

[Mac Gregor]

South Asia and the Americas

July-December, 1978 ​

A Persian Cyrus cataphract in action
Baluchistan, 1978

​

Invasion of Baluchistan

On July 1, within hours of declaring war on the Calcutta Compact, Shah Hamid Hassan Qajar ordered his army to invade neighboring Baluchistan. Established as a buffer state between Persia and India in 1958, Baluchistan’s parliamentary government had long been paralyzed by infighting between various pro and anti-Persian factions. Under the erroneous justification that the URI was going to invade, the Shah declared that is was now necessary to “occupy Baluchistan for its own protection.” Woefully outnumbered and outmatched, most of the tiny Baluch army simply deserted or fled into neutral Afghanistan. 750,000 soldiers of the Imperial Persian Army advanced east in two great columns. The first hugged the coast and headed towards Karachi, while the second traveled north of the Central Makran Range. Both had to pass through inhospitable terrain in blistering heat. Supply lines were stretched thin and the availability of water often made the difference between life and death. The URI launched several air sorties against the advancing Persians and scrambled to establish a new defensive line running roughly from the Baluch capital of Quetta to the Arabian Sea. By mid-August, the Persians arrived in enough strength to attempt to crack what was becoming known as the Patil line, named after its able commander General Kshitij Patil. The first attempts were repulsed after vicious fighting, forcing the Persians to regroup. On October 3, the offensive was renewed and a breakthrough occurred south of Quetta. In the next three months, Quetta and Khuzdar would both fall and Persian troops would begin to push in the western edges of the Punjab. The defenses of Karachi however stood firm despite Allied naval superiority. General Patil released that if the Persians successfully reached the Indus River Valley the entire front could collapse. Furthermore, the Muslim citizens of the region were at best indifferent to the Indian government, and in many places open resistance was becoming common. Although General Patil pleaded for reinforcements, developments on other fronts sapped available manpower.

Assam and Bengal

Having taken several weeks to rest and refit, the Technate’s advance into eastern India resumed in early September. Aided by guerrilla forces already operating in the Indian’s rear, the Chinese made swift progress despite the poor road conditions and stiffening resistance. The battles of Dhaka and Bogra were especially brutal with causalities estimated to have exceeded 280,000, including numerous civilian deaths. By November, most of Assam and Bengal was liberated. The next step for the Technate before driving into India proper would be the capture of Calcutta. Heavily fortified and defended by no less than 300,000 soldiers, Harshad Nanda ordered the city to be held at all cost. As 1979 dawned, both sides awaited for what surely would be a decisive battle.

Hyderabad Campaign

In late July, Field Marshal Fitzpatrick switched from a broad front strategy and instead consolidated his forces for a push into Hyderabad. As the political fate of Hyderabad was the initial cause of the war, regaining the landlocked monarchy held special significance for the Allies. Despite worries that the Indians would attack his exposed flanks, Fitzpatrick continued to fight his way north for most of the summer and autumn. In the west, Goa was finally retaken on October 13 after an envelopment by Madrasian forces in the south and a Portuguese amphibious landing to the north. Hyderabad City was captured after a bloody street-to-street battle in early December. To mark the occasion, the Commonwealth Jack and the yellow banner of the Nazam of Hyderabad were triumphantly raised atop the battered ramparts of the royal palace. Field Marshal Fitzpatrick was recorded as saying that “it may have taken us over two years, but I wouldn’t have missed this moment for the world.”

The Venezuelan Front

For the first half of 1978, the Venezuelan front remained amazingly quiet. The only exceptions were a few naval and air raids that did little to liven the stalemate. This relative calm would come to sudden end on July 19, when Lieutenant General Brayden Huddleson landed some 68,000 men on the coast of occupied British Guyana. Although the colonial capital of Georgetown was seized, the Commonwealth troops quickly became bogged down. Over the next few months, only limited progress was made and the Venezuelans managed to keep the Allies pinned down in the Guyanese jungle. Despite success in the east, the ongoing situation with Colombia was deteriorating. What had started as infrequent border clashes was turning into a low-grade war as infantry patrols and jet fighters frequently fired on each other. Colombian President Duilio Crespo threatened that “war will become unavoidable if Venezuela doesn’t learn to respect Colombia’s rightful claims.”

Downing of Westeria Flight 131

Westeria Airlines Flight 131 from San Diego to Manilla was well within the demilitarized corridor that shepherded civilian traffic across the Pacific when it was shot down on October 21 by a Japanese ship to air missile. The Japanese claimed that they mistook the aircraft to be a British bomber that in recent months had terrorized Japanese shipping in the Pacific. Of the 254 fatalities, 188 were Americans. In the United States the incident sparked outrage, including a violent demonstration outside the Japanese embassy in Washington. U.S. Naval Intelligence informed President Stewart that they believed the attack was deliberate retribution for American financial assistance to the Allies. Regardless of whether the tragedy was an accident or not the incident did much to galvanize the American public who increasingly wished to see the Japanese Empire finished once and for all.
​

Anti-Japanese protestors struggle with police
Washington D.C.
October, 1978​