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Operation August Storm
Operation August Storm
One of the many Soviet "Volunteers" for the Manchurian Empire being searched by a German "Advisor" to the NRA.
Pre-Operation moves
It is a testament to the Soviet Union's skill at "maskirovka" that August Storm was a complete surprise when it hit. This is attributable to the fact that in the July preceeding August Storm an increasing portion of "volunteer units" were making their way to Manchurian and fighting directly under the Manchurian Empire's flag. Initially, the Soviet Union went through the effort of looking for troops that 'looked Manchurian' but as NRA troops found themselves increasingly fighting fair-skinned and fair-haired 'Volunteers' it looked increasingly like the Soviet Union would be blatantly 'non-involved' but still transparently fighting to influence the outcome. These reports of 'volunteers' were also complemented by the reports of Premier (and foreign minister) Wang Jingwei who insisted that Stalin's first blow would strike in the West and that these 'volunteers' were just a way of trying to demarcate Soviet interest. The German, Polish, Hungarian and Romanian ambassadors in Nanking also confirmed large build-ups of troops near their borders. The Census Bureau's reports of increased flow of soviet logistics and troops concentration near the Manchurian border was explained away as 'volunteer' units about to join the Manchurian Empire. This massive intelligence error was, from a certain point of view actually true as the NRA would find itself fighting against a massively expanded "Manchurian Volunteer Army."
A Soviet map detailing the movements of the "Manchurian Volunteer Army."
The Storm Hits
Operation August Storm was launched in the dying days of August - August 30. The National Revoluntionary Army was exhausted, holding a broad front streching from the outskirts of Harbin to Shenyang. The Mongolian-Chinese border, where the largest offensives were made was only very thinly defended by reserve and depleted divisions that had been rotated out of the frontline. Even the 'front-line' troops that faced the 'actual' Manchurian-Japanese units were worn down. At the same time as the "Manchurian Volunteer Army" launched it's attack the Japanese and Manchurian troops began a broad offensive all along the line. The "Manchurian Volunteer Army" commanded by Marshall Zhukov was 2.5 million strong, mechanized and equipped with cutting edge Soviet technology - supported by 22,000 artillery pieces, 5,000 tanks and self-propelled guns and 6,000 aircraft. The "Northern Expedition Army" at this point had been reduced to an army of 7 million - supported by 30,000 artillery pieces, 6,000 tanks and self-propelled guns and 5,000 aircraft. The Manchurian-Japanese troops made up about 5 million troops with 20,000 artillery pices, 1,500 tanks and self-propelled guns and 3,000 aircraft. On paper there was a rough parity of forces but although Chinese troops were battle-heardened and fought fanatical last stands which managed to stave off enciriclement - they were an Interwar Army facing off against a modern one. The Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks with their thick, sloped armor badly outmatched the Tianjin type 40 tank. Even the more modern Tianjin Type 42 tank could barely make a dent. Nowhere would this be more illustrated than in the Battle of Beiping - the largest tank battle in history.
The Tianjin Type 42 Tank was based on the Carro-Armato P40. It was pretty innovative in 1940.
The Battle of Beiping: The largest tank battle in history
Although the front was collapsing all around the line, NRA troops were disciplined and were retreating in an orderly fashion. It was clear that they could not stabilize a defence line in Manchurian so Chiang ordered the troops to retreat and hold a line streching from Beiping to Tianjin. But the rapidly advancing 5th Tank Army was about to cut off and loop around Beiping and race towards the sea - this would cut off the line of retreat for the troops. Cobbling together a series of reserve tank divisions and units near Nanking - General Du Yumming was ordered by Chiang to 'blunt' the spearhead of the attack and make it possible to prepare a defence. Although General Du's armored forces outnumbered the Soviets by more than 4 to 1 (4,200 vs 980) he was barely able to 'blunt' the attack and took horrific losses in doing so. The Type 40 tank (which were modified Belgian T-13 tank destroyers) was badly outmached by the more modern T-34s and the Type 42 tank were barely any better. Neither tank could effectively frontally penetrate the KV-1 and KV-2 tanks. Although the 5th Tank army was stopped General Du's army would only have 600 operational tanks to match General Grigori Shtern after the battle.
A cutaway of the BF 109F variant which the FR VIa2 was based on. This plane would create many Chinese aces during the war - but particularly during the "Red Skies" period.
Red skies over North China
Even though the Chinese Armies were badly outmatched in the front, the same would not hold for the air-war. Even though Soviet/Japanese/Manchurian airforces outnumbered the National Revolutionary Air Force by nearly 2-1 there was mimial coordination between the two and in an ironic twist the "Manchurian Volunteer Air Force" often accidentally attacked Japanese and Manchurian Air forces and vice versa. Furthermore, the FR VIa2s (licensed and modified BF 109Fs) were more than a match for the LaGGs and Yaks that were being used by the Soviet Air Force. But fundamentally - unlike armored combat - skill counted for far more in the air where a stray bullet could end your plane. The result of this minimal coordination, badly-trained Soviet air force and a battle-hardered National Revolutionary Air Force that had been in constant combat for nearly 6 years was scores of Chinese aces and lots of Soviet dead. This period of time was called the "Red skies" period after the number of dead Soviet and Japanese aviators (the Red Air force used red and the Japanese Air and Navy Air forces all used a red roundel). The NRAF's valiant defence meant that in the Northern Front - China was able to maintain limited aerial superiority and hamper the Soviet/Manchurian/Japanese offensives.
Stabilization
Although August Storm was a strategic success - it was a limited one with the bulk of NRA forces being able to escape with 6 million still standing strong. By the end of October, Chinese forces had stabilized a defensive line running from Beiping to Tianjin and the "Manchurian Volunteer Army" was strangely reluctant to advance beyond this point. Chiang had accepted the transparent and obvious fiction of the "Manchurian Volunteer Army" largely to avoid conflict with the Soviet Union and avoid opening a number of fronts. However - a front would soon be opened by the Entente in the 'soft-underbelly' of China.
OOC: Thanks for all the comments and feedback everyone. I really appreciate it. Going to be an update soon over this weekend. I'm sorry to be going at such a fast pace - but I want to go over the material and keep a sense of momentum going.
One of the many Soviet "Volunteers" for the Manchurian Empire being searched by a German "Advisor" to the NRA.
Pre-Operation moves
It is a testament to the Soviet Union's skill at "maskirovka" that August Storm was a complete surprise when it hit. This is attributable to the fact that in the July preceeding August Storm an increasing portion of "volunteer units" were making their way to Manchurian and fighting directly under the Manchurian Empire's flag. Initially, the Soviet Union went through the effort of looking for troops that 'looked Manchurian' but as NRA troops found themselves increasingly fighting fair-skinned and fair-haired 'Volunteers' it looked increasingly like the Soviet Union would be blatantly 'non-involved' but still transparently fighting to influence the outcome. These reports of 'volunteers' were also complemented by the reports of Premier (and foreign minister) Wang Jingwei who insisted that Stalin's first blow would strike in the West and that these 'volunteers' were just a way of trying to demarcate Soviet interest. The German, Polish, Hungarian and Romanian ambassadors in Nanking also confirmed large build-ups of troops near their borders. The Census Bureau's reports of increased flow of soviet logistics and troops concentration near the Manchurian border was explained away as 'volunteer' units about to join the Manchurian Empire. This massive intelligence error was, from a certain point of view actually true as the NRA would find itself fighting against a massively expanded "Manchurian Volunteer Army."
A Soviet map detailing the movements of the "Manchurian Volunteer Army."
The Storm Hits
Operation August Storm was launched in the dying days of August - August 30. The National Revoluntionary Army was exhausted, holding a broad front streching from the outskirts of Harbin to Shenyang. The Mongolian-Chinese border, where the largest offensives were made was only very thinly defended by reserve and depleted divisions that had been rotated out of the frontline. Even the 'front-line' troops that faced the 'actual' Manchurian-Japanese units were worn down. At the same time as the "Manchurian Volunteer Army" launched it's attack the Japanese and Manchurian troops began a broad offensive all along the line. The "Manchurian Volunteer Army" commanded by Marshall Zhukov was 2.5 million strong, mechanized and equipped with cutting edge Soviet technology - supported by 22,000 artillery pieces, 5,000 tanks and self-propelled guns and 6,000 aircraft. The "Northern Expedition Army" at this point had been reduced to an army of 7 million - supported by 30,000 artillery pieces, 6,000 tanks and self-propelled guns and 5,000 aircraft. The Manchurian-Japanese troops made up about 5 million troops with 20,000 artillery pices, 1,500 tanks and self-propelled guns and 3,000 aircraft. On paper there was a rough parity of forces but although Chinese troops were battle-heardened and fought fanatical last stands which managed to stave off enciriclement - they were an Interwar Army facing off against a modern one. The Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks with their thick, sloped armor badly outmatched the Tianjin type 40 tank. Even the more modern Tianjin Type 42 tank could barely make a dent. Nowhere would this be more illustrated than in the Battle of Beiping - the largest tank battle in history.
The Tianjin Type 42 Tank was based on the Carro-Armato P40. It was pretty innovative in 1940.
The Battle of Beiping: The largest tank battle in history
Although the front was collapsing all around the line, NRA troops were disciplined and were retreating in an orderly fashion. It was clear that they could not stabilize a defence line in Manchurian so Chiang ordered the troops to retreat and hold a line streching from Beiping to Tianjin. But the rapidly advancing 5th Tank Army was about to cut off and loop around Beiping and race towards the sea - this would cut off the line of retreat for the troops. Cobbling together a series of reserve tank divisions and units near Nanking - General Du Yumming was ordered by Chiang to 'blunt' the spearhead of the attack and make it possible to prepare a defence. Although General Du's armored forces outnumbered the Soviets by more than 4 to 1 (4,200 vs 980) he was barely able to 'blunt' the attack and took horrific losses in doing so. The Type 40 tank (which were modified Belgian T-13 tank destroyers) was badly outmached by the more modern T-34s and the Type 42 tank were barely any better. Neither tank could effectively frontally penetrate the KV-1 and KV-2 tanks. Although the 5th Tank army was stopped General Du's army would only have 600 operational tanks to match General Grigori Shtern after the battle.
A cutaway of the BF 109F variant which the FR VIa2 was based on. This plane would create many Chinese aces during the war - but particularly during the "Red Skies" period.
Red skies over North China
Even though the Chinese Armies were badly outmatched in the front, the same would not hold for the air-war. Even though Soviet/Japanese/Manchurian airforces outnumbered the National Revolutionary Air Force by nearly 2-1 there was mimial coordination between the two and in an ironic twist the "Manchurian Volunteer Air Force" often accidentally attacked Japanese and Manchurian Air forces and vice versa. Furthermore, the FR VIa2s (licensed and modified BF 109Fs) were more than a match for the LaGGs and Yaks that were being used by the Soviet Air Force. But fundamentally - unlike armored combat - skill counted for far more in the air where a stray bullet could end your plane. The result of this minimal coordination, badly-trained Soviet air force and a battle-hardered National Revolutionary Air Force that had been in constant combat for nearly 6 years was scores of Chinese aces and lots of Soviet dead. This period of time was called the "Red skies" period after the number of dead Soviet and Japanese aviators (the Red Air force used red and the Japanese Air and Navy Air forces all used a red roundel). The NRAF's valiant defence meant that in the Northern Front - China was able to maintain limited aerial superiority and hamper the Soviet/Manchurian/Japanese offensives.
Stabilization
Although August Storm was a strategic success - it was a limited one with the bulk of NRA forces being able to escape with 6 million still standing strong. By the end of October, Chinese forces had stabilized a defensive line running from Beiping to Tianjin and the "Manchurian Volunteer Army" was strangely reluctant to advance beyond this point. Chiang had accepted the transparent and obvious fiction of the "Manchurian Volunteer Army" largely to avoid conflict with the Soviet Union and avoid opening a number of fronts. However - a front would soon be opened by the Entente in the 'soft-underbelly' of China.
OOC: Thanks for all the comments and feedback everyone. I really appreciate it. Going to be an update soon over this weekend. I'm sorry to be going at such a fast pace - but I want to go over the material and keep a sense of momentum going.
- CCA
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