The Co-Prosperity Sphere
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Chapter 300: The Battle of Gondar and the loss of Italian/ Roman East Africa
Chapter 300: The Battle of Gondar and the loss of Italian/ Roman East Africa:
The Battle of Gondar or Capture of Gondar was the last stand of the Italian forces in Italian/ Roman East Africa during the Second Great War. The battle took place in November 1941, during the East African Campaign. Gondar was the main town of Amhara in the mountains north of Lake Tana in Ethiopia, at an elevation of 7,000 ft (2,100 m) and had an Italian garrison of 40,000 men, commanded by Generale Guglielmo Nasi.
After the defeat of the Italians at the Battle of Keren (1 April 1941), many of the remaining Italians withdrew to the strongholds of Amba Alagi, Jimma and Gondar. Amba Alagi fell in May and Jimma fell in July. Gondar is the capital of Amhara on the high ground north of Lake Tana . In 1941 it was a road junction but only the Amhara road had an all-weather surface. At Wolchefit, guarded by a garrison of Italian troops, 70 mi (110 km) towards Amhara, the road chicaned up a 4,000 ft (1,200 m) escarpment, some parts having been cut into a vertical cliff. From Wolchefit to Gondar the road traced the edge of the escarpment and at Dabat, 30 mi (48 km) short of Gondar and at Amba Giorgis were small garrisons. Only a minor road from Um Hagar to the north had a junction with the main road. West from the town, a fair-weather road in poor repair, led to Gallabat and had a garrison at Chilga. There were rough tracks to the west of Lake Tana which met at Gorgora and a better road ran east to Debra Tabor, also garrisoned and Dessie. At Kulkaber, 30 mi (48 km) from Gondar, the road passed between Lake Tana and the hills; from Debra Tabor to Dessie, it was a soil road and impassable in rain.
The possession of the Wolchefit and Kulkaber mountain passes was instrumental for attacking Gondar. Wolchefit was defended by a garrison of about 4,000 men under Colonel Mario Gonella. The stronghold had been besieged by irregular Ethiopian forces, led by British Major Ringrose, since May 1941; the besieging force was later augmented by the arrival of units from the British Indian Army and part of the 12th Afrian Division. Several attacks and counterattacks were launched between May and August 1941. On 28 September 1941, after losing in combat 950 men and running out of food, Gonella surrendered with 1,629 Italians and 1,450 colonial soldiers.
On 13 November, a mixed force from the British 12th African Division under Major-General Charles Fowkes, supported by Ethiopian irregular troops, attacked the key defensive position of Kulkaber and were repelled. Kulkalber was besieged since early September and had already been subjected to several attacks and bombardments. A second attack on 21 November from several directions was resisted until the afternoon, when Italian posts began to surrender. In the final attack there were 206 British and Ethiopian casualties and 2,423 Italian and Ethiopian prisoners taken (Italian sources list Italian casualties as 1,003 killed, 804 wounded and 1,900 prisoners).
By this point the Allies had total control of the skies: the Italians had one Fiat CR.42 left, piloted by Sergente Giuseppe Mottet. On 22 November, in the Regia Aeronautica's final sortie in East Africa, he made a strafing run on British artillery at Kulkaber that killed the Commander of the Royal Artilelry, Lieutenant-Colonel Ormsby. Afterwards, Mottet landed at Gondar, destroyed the plane and fought on with the army.
There were two mountain passes that overlooked the town which were controlled by the Italian troops. They were invested by the two brigades of the 12th (African) Division. The two Italian groups in the passes were cut off and were forced to surrender when their supplies ran out.
Once the Allied troops had taken the passes, they gained control of the heights overlooking Gondar and reached the town on 23 November. The garrison of Gondar was seriously depleted, since many Askari, having gone unpaid by the Italians, had deserted. The final assault on Gondar, where Nasi had his headquarters, started at 5:30 a.m. on 27 November. The Azozo airfieldwas the initial objective; it was captured by midday of 27 November and shortly afterwards, Commonwealth troops reached the Fasilides Castle. At 4:30 p.m., while the Kenya Armoured Car Regiment penetrated the outskirts of the town, Nasi sent his last message to Italy, explaining that the reserve brigade had been deployed on the southern front but had been unable to stop the attack, that enemy troops had passed the barbed wire and enemy armoured vehicles had entered the town. Nasi surrendered soon after. Some Italian outposts fought on until 30 November, marking the end of the battle. Some Italiens would manage to escape and fight a irregular war against the Allies in Somalia, Sudan or Kenia with the help of local tribes armed by them before that tried to gain their independence.
The Battle of Gondar or Capture of Gondar was the last stand of the Italian forces in Italian/ Roman East Africa during the Second Great War. The battle took place in November 1941, during the East African Campaign. Gondar was the main town of Amhara in the mountains north of Lake Tana in Ethiopia, at an elevation of 7,000 ft (2,100 m) and had an Italian garrison of 40,000 men, commanded by Generale Guglielmo Nasi.
After the defeat of the Italians at the Battle of Keren (1 April 1941), many of the remaining Italians withdrew to the strongholds of Amba Alagi, Jimma and Gondar. Amba Alagi fell in May and Jimma fell in July. Gondar is the capital of Amhara on the high ground north of Lake Tana . In 1941 it was a road junction but only the Amhara road had an all-weather surface. At Wolchefit, guarded by a garrison of Italian troops, 70 mi (110 km) towards Amhara, the road chicaned up a 4,000 ft (1,200 m) escarpment, some parts having been cut into a vertical cliff. From Wolchefit to Gondar the road traced the edge of the escarpment and at Dabat, 30 mi (48 km) short of Gondar and at Amba Giorgis were small garrisons. Only a minor road from Um Hagar to the north had a junction with the main road. West from the town, a fair-weather road in poor repair, led to Gallabat and had a garrison at Chilga. There were rough tracks to the west of Lake Tana which met at Gorgora and a better road ran east to Debra Tabor, also garrisoned and Dessie. At Kulkaber, 30 mi (48 km) from Gondar, the road passed between Lake Tana and the hills; from Debra Tabor to Dessie, it was a soil road and impassable in rain.
The possession of the Wolchefit and Kulkaber mountain passes was instrumental for attacking Gondar. Wolchefit was defended by a garrison of about 4,000 men under Colonel Mario Gonella. The stronghold had been besieged by irregular Ethiopian forces, led by British Major Ringrose, since May 1941; the besieging force was later augmented by the arrival of units from the British Indian Army and part of the 12th Afrian Division. Several attacks and counterattacks were launched between May and August 1941. On 28 September 1941, after losing in combat 950 men and running out of food, Gonella surrendered with 1,629 Italians and 1,450 colonial soldiers.
On 13 November, a mixed force from the British 12th African Division under Major-General Charles Fowkes, supported by Ethiopian irregular troops, attacked the key defensive position of Kulkaber and were repelled. Kulkalber was besieged since early September and had already been subjected to several attacks and bombardments. A second attack on 21 November from several directions was resisted until the afternoon, when Italian posts began to surrender. In the final attack there were 206 British and Ethiopian casualties and 2,423 Italian and Ethiopian prisoners taken (Italian sources list Italian casualties as 1,003 killed, 804 wounded and 1,900 prisoners).
By this point the Allies had total control of the skies: the Italians had one Fiat CR.42 left, piloted by Sergente Giuseppe Mottet. On 22 November, in the Regia Aeronautica's final sortie in East Africa, he made a strafing run on British artillery at Kulkaber that killed the Commander of the Royal Artilelry, Lieutenant-Colonel Ormsby. Afterwards, Mottet landed at Gondar, destroyed the plane and fought on with the army.
There were two mountain passes that overlooked the town which were controlled by the Italian troops. They were invested by the two brigades of the 12th (African) Division. The two Italian groups in the passes were cut off and were forced to surrender when their supplies ran out.
Once the Allied troops had taken the passes, they gained control of the heights overlooking Gondar and reached the town on 23 November. The garrison of Gondar was seriously depleted, since many Askari, having gone unpaid by the Italians, had deserted. The final assault on Gondar, where Nasi had his headquarters, started at 5:30 a.m. on 27 November. The Azozo airfieldwas the initial objective; it was captured by midday of 27 November and shortly afterwards, Commonwealth troops reached the Fasilides Castle. At 4:30 p.m., while the Kenya Armoured Car Regiment penetrated the outskirts of the town, Nasi sent his last message to Italy, explaining that the reserve brigade had been deployed on the southern front but had been unable to stop the attack, that enemy troops had passed the barbed wire and enemy armoured vehicles had entered the town. Nasi surrendered soon after. Some Italian outposts fought on until 30 November, marking the end of the battle. Some Italiens would manage to escape and fight a irregular war against the Allies in Somalia, Sudan or Kenia with the help of local tribes armed by them before that tried to gain their independence.
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That's a good point. With Leningrad fallen, the Kreigsmarine can train their U-Boats out of range of Allied Bombers, which should allow for an earlier introduction of the Elektroboats and overall reduced losses before then. Finland can also transfer it's entire Navy from the Baltic to Norway to help Dönitz.
Chimera0205
Banned
Is there such a thing as a TL in witch italy isnt cpmpletely and utterly incompetant? Bright side is that ethopias free again. They are a monarchy so what do you guys think the odds of them joining the sphere are? It might be an effective way to prevent the allys from medddling in there affairs assuming of course that japan can actually send them adequate troops to defend them from allied forces already in the area.
Also did we actually just get 5 updates in a single day or am i just dreaming?
Also did we actually just get 5 updates in a single day or am i just dreaming?
Chapter 301: Allied Iceland
Chapter 301: Allied Iceland:
At the beginning of the Second Great War, Iceland was a sovereign kingdom in personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as head of state. Iceland officially remained neutral throughout Second Great War. However, the British invaded Iceland on 10 May 1940. On 7 July 1941, the defense of Iceland was transferred from Britain to the United States, which was still a neutral country until five months later.
German interest in Iceland in the 1930s grew from nothing at all to proportions found by the British government to be alarming. The German Empire's's overtures began with friendly competition between German and Icelandic football teams. When war began, Denmark and Iceland declared neutrality and limited visits to the island by military vessels and aircraft of the belligerents. During the German occupation of Denmark, contact between the countries was disrupted. Initially, the Kingdom of Iceland declared itself to be neutral, and limited visits of belligerent warships and imposed a ban on belligerent aircraft within Icelandic territory.
Following the invasion of Denmark on 9 April 1940 Iceland opened a legation in New York City. Iceland, however, unlike Norway, did not closely enforce limitations within its territorial waters and even slashed funding for the Icelandic Coast Guard. Many Axis Central Powers merchant vessels seeking shelter within the neutral waters around Iceland were sunk by Allied warships. The Chief of the Capital Police Forces, Agnar Kofoed-Hansen, started to train the National Defence forces in early 1940.
The British imposed strict export controls on Icelandic goods, preventing profitable shipments to Germany, as part of its naval blockade. London offered assistance to Iceland, seeking cooperation "as a belligerent and an ally", but Reykjavik declined and reaffirmed its neutrality. The German diplomatic presence in Iceland, along with the island's strategic importance, alarmed the British. After a few failed attempts at persuading the Icelandic government by diplomatic means to join the Allies and becoming a co-belligerent in the war against the Axis Central Powers forces, the British invaded Iceland on 10 May 1940. The initial force of 746 British Royal Marines commanded by Colonel Robert Sturges was replaced on 17 May by two regular army brigades. In June the first elements of "Z" Force arrived from Canada to relieve the British, who immediately returned to the defence of the UK. Three Canadian battalions , the Royal Regiment of Canada, the Cameron Highlanders and the Fusiliers Mont-Royal, garrisoned the island until drawn down for the defence of the UK in the spring of 1941, and replaced by British garrison forces.
On 7 July 1941, the defence of Iceland was transferred from Britain to the (still officially neutral) United States, by agreement with Iceland, and US Marines 1st Provisional Marine Brigade replaced the British. Iceland's strategic position along the North Atlantic sea-lanes, perfect for air and naval bases, could bring new importance to the island. The 1st Marine Brigade, consisting of approximately 4,100 troops, garrisoned Iceland until early 1942, when they were replaced by U.S. Army troops, so that they could join their fellow Marines fighting in the Pacific. Iceland cooperated with the British and then the Americans, but officially remained neutral throughout the war.
During the war, drifting mines became a serious problem for Icelanders, as well as the Allied forces. The first Icelandic Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel were trained in 1942 by the British Royal Navy to help deal with the problem. The British forces also supplied the Icelandic Coast Guard with weapons and ammunition, such as depth-charges against Axis Central Powers U-boats (submarines). During the war, drifting mines and German U-boats damaged and sank a number of Icelandic vessels. Iceland's reliance on the sea, to provide nourishment and for trade, resulted in significant loss of life.
At the beginning of the Second Great War, Iceland was a sovereign kingdom in personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as head of state. Iceland officially remained neutral throughout Second Great War. However, the British invaded Iceland on 10 May 1940. On 7 July 1941, the defense of Iceland was transferred from Britain to the United States, which was still a neutral country until five months later.
German interest in Iceland in the 1930s grew from nothing at all to proportions found by the British government to be alarming. The German Empire's's overtures began with friendly competition between German and Icelandic football teams. When war began, Denmark and Iceland declared neutrality and limited visits to the island by military vessels and aircraft of the belligerents. During the German occupation of Denmark, contact between the countries was disrupted. Initially, the Kingdom of Iceland declared itself to be neutral, and limited visits of belligerent warships and imposed a ban on belligerent aircraft within Icelandic territory.
Following the invasion of Denmark on 9 April 1940 Iceland opened a legation in New York City. Iceland, however, unlike Norway, did not closely enforce limitations within its territorial waters and even slashed funding for the Icelandic Coast Guard. Many Axis Central Powers merchant vessels seeking shelter within the neutral waters around Iceland were sunk by Allied warships. The Chief of the Capital Police Forces, Agnar Kofoed-Hansen, started to train the National Defence forces in early 1940.
The British imposed strict export controls on Icelandic goods, preventing profitable shipments to Germany, as part of its naval blockade. London offered assistance to Iceland, seeking cooperation "as a belligerent and an ally", but Reykjavik declined and reaffirmed its neutrality. The German diplomatic presence in Iceland, along with the island's strategic importance, alarmed the British. After a few failed attempts at persuading the Icelandic government by diplomatic means to join the Allies and becoming a co-belligerent in the war against the Axis Central Powers forces, the British invaded Iceland on 10 May 1940. The initial force of 746 British Royal Marines commanded by Colonel Robert Sturges was replaced on 17 May by two regular army brigades. In June the first elements of "Z" Force arrived from Canada to relieve the British, who immediately returned to the defence of the UK. Three Canadian battalions , the Royal Regiment of Canada, the Cameron Highlanders and the Fusiliers Mont-Royal, garrisoned the island until drawn down for the defence of the UK in the spring of 1941, and replaced by British garrison forces.
On 7 July 1941, the defence of Iceland was transferred from Britain to the (still officially neutral) United States, by agreement with Iceland, and US Marines 1st Provisional Marine Brigade replaced the British. Iceland's strategic position along the North Atlantic sea-lanes, perfect for air and naval bases, could bring new importance to the island. The 1st Marine Brigade, consisting of approximately 4,100 troops, garrisoned Iceland until early 1942, when they were replaced by U.S. Army troops, so that they could join their fellow Marines fighting in the Pacific. Iceland cooperated with the British and then the Americans, but officially remained neutral throughout the war.
During the war, drifting mines became a serious problem for Icelanders, as well as the Allied forces. The first Icelandic Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel were trained in 1942 by the British Royal Navy to help deal with the problem. The British forces also supplied the Icelandic Coast Guard with weapons and ammunition, such as depth-charges against Axis Central Powers U-boats (submarines). During the war, drifting mines and German U-boats damaged and sank a number of Icelandic vessels. Iceland's reliance on the sea, to provide nourishment and for trade, resulted in significant loss of life.
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Indeed.
In their defence, they were cut off from any ACP supplies and reinforcements during their East African campaign. ;D
Maybe
Chimera0205
Banned
The update train aint got no brakes
Also Iceland joined the allies. The axis a REALLY screwed now. Might as well pack up and go home before the icelandic coast guard comes to slaughter the axis armys to the last man.
Also Iceland joined the allies. The axis a REALLY screwed now. Might as well pack up and go home before the icelandic coast guard comes to slaughter the axis armys to the last man.
Chapter 302: Brazil in Battle
Chapter 302: Brazil in Battle:
Initially, Brazil maintained a position of neutrality, trading with both the Allies and the Axis Central Powers, while Brazilian president Getulio Vargas's quasi-Fascist policies indicated a leaning toward the Axis powers. However, as the war progressed, trade with the Axis countries became almost impossible and the United States initiated forceful diplomatic and economic efforts to bring Brazil onto the Allied side.
At the beginning of 1942, Brazil permitted the United States to set up air bases on its territory, especially in Natal, strategically located at the easternmost corner of the South American continent, and on 28 January the country severed diplomatic relations with the Axis Central Powers. After that, 36 Brazilian merchant ships were sunk by the Axis Central Power navies, which led the Brazilian government to declare war against Germany and Italy on 22 August 1942.
Brazil then sent a 25,700 strong Expeditionary Force, the Brazilian Expeditionary Force or FEB (Portugese: Força Expedicionária Brasileira; FEB) consisted of about 25,700 men arranged by the army and air force to fight alongside the Allied forces in the Africa and the Middle East as well as India. This air–land force consisted of (replacements included): a complete Infantry Division, a Liason flight and a Fighter squadron The Brazilian Navy as well as the Air Force also acted in the Battle of the Atlantic from the middle of 1942 until the end of the war. During it's fights, the Brazilians would take 20,573 Axis Central Powers prisoners and 425 Co-Prosperity Sphere prisoners (most non-Japanese, since they killed themselves before getting captured). Brazil was the only independent South American country to send ground troops to fight overseas, losing 948 men killed in action across all three services during the Second Great War. Also, the Brazilian Navy and Air Force acted in the Atlantic Ocean from the middle of 1942 until the end of the war. Brazil was also the only South American country to send troops to fight in the European theatre in the Second World War.
The involvement in the Second Great War would later be devastating for Brazil, as many returning soldiers felt their comrades died for nothing. With America internal struggling with the Second Civil War after the Great War Depression at the end of the Second Great War, the Axis Central Powers used parts of the military and the population, to start a Royalist Monarchist Movement (Imperialista, supported by the Brazilian Integralists) uprising (the Brazilian Civil War).
It was led by Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza (Porugese: Pedro Henrique Afonso Felipe Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança; born 13 September 1909), who was declared Emperor of Brazil, Pedro III during the fighting when his forces captured Rio.
Initially, Brazil maintained a position of neutrality, trading with both the Allies and the Axis Central Powers, while Brazilian president Getulio Vargas's quasi-Fascist policies indicated a leaning toward the Axis powers. However, as the war progressed, trade with the Axis countries became almost impossible and the United States initiated forceful diplomatic and economic efforts to bring Brazil onto the Allied side.
At the beginning of 1942, Brazil permitted the United States to set up air bases on its territory, especially in Natal, strategically located at the easternmost corner of the South American continent, and on 28 January the country severed diplomatic relations with the Axis Central Powers. After that, 36 Brazilian merchant ships were sunk by the Axis Central Power navies, which led the Brazilian government to declare war against Germany and Italy on 22 August 1942.
Brazil then sent a 25,700 strong Expeditionary Force, the Brazilian Expeditionary Force or FEB (Portugese: Força Expedicionária Brasileira; FEB) consisted of about 25,700 men arranged by the army and air force to fight alongside the Allied forces in the Africa and the Middle East as well as India. This air–land force consisted of (replacements included): a complete Infantry Division, a Liason flight and a Fighter squadron The Brazilian Navy as well as the Air Force also acted in the Battle of the Atlantic from the middle of 1942 until the end of the war. During it's fights, the Brazilians would take 20,573 Axis Central Powers prisoners and 425 Co-Prosperity Sphere prisoners (most non-Japanese, since they killed themselves before getting captured). Brazil was the only independent South American country to send ground troops to fight overseas, losing 948 men killed in action across all three services during the Second Great War. Also, the Brazilian Navy and Air Force acted in the Atlantic Ocean from the middle of 1942 until the end of the war. Brazil was also the only South American country to send troops to fight in the European theatre in the Second World War.
The involvement in the Second Great War would later be devastating for Brazil, as many returning soldiers felt their comrades died for nothing. With America internal struggling with the Second Civil War after the Great War Depression at the end of the Second Great War, the Axis Central Powers used parts of the military and the population, to start a Royalist Monarchist Movement (Imperialista, supported by the Brazilian Integralists) uprising (the Brazilian Civil War).
It was led by Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza (Porugese: Pedro Henrique Afonso Felipe Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança; born 13 September 1909), who was declared Emperor of Brazil, Pedro III during the fighting when his forces captured Rio.
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a little foreshadowing there
Oh, that's some ominous foreshadowing. I am very intrigued...
A few ACP - US proxy wars in South America just like OTL Cold War ;D
Well, we only know it happens - not what the factions will be, or the circumstances
Chimera0205
Banned
Yeah but stillWell, we only know it happens - not what the factions will be, or the circumstances
I will write a detailed chapter later, but besides the name much stays the same regarding of language and religion. ^^