Dreadful War Part 2
The war became a hellscape in the “British Columbian” front. What broke the monotonous trench warfare where thousands of lives were lost along the BC-US border was the usage of airplanes by the United States of America. Due to “British Columbia’s” lack of high-tech industries at the time, they and their British overlords had difficulty using this new technology. Bombing runs by the US helped clear trenches in a more effective way than most land assaults. The Wright Company, named after the original inventors of the airplane, was noted for building larger aircraft capable of bombing runs. Other types of aircraft included reconnaissance aircraft, which were smaller and faster for seeing where the enemy was. The British and “British Columbians” attempted to build their own planes to fight the US aircraft, but those attempts were less successful due to the planes in Britain needing to be shipped near the front (the “Dreadful War” airplanes had a limited range; they could not cross the Atlantic Ocean unassisted), and “British Columbia” had few factories capable of making aircraft. Air aces like the “Red Chief” became famous for using fighter aircraft to take down enemy planes. The “Red Chief” was a famous American aviator known for the destruction of many British and “British Columbian” aircraft. This person was the most well-known fighter ace of the “British Columbian” front of the “Dreadful War”.
That was not to say that the British and “British Columbians” were not capable of innovation. They built some of the first tanks and poison gases. The first tanks were used by the British in helping the French destroy the Germans in the Verdun offensives, and other examples were used in the “British Columbian” front in attempts to push into US soil. Poison gas caused a big scare in the US, especially at the Battle of Nashville, where poison gas ended up causing horrific devastation on the US trenches. This development of poison gas led to the development of gas masks and their widespread use among the soldiers, which made poison gas far less effective after the Battle of Nashville. Poison gas and other chemical weapons were the first “weapons of mass destruction.” Despite all these advanced weapons, the most important weapon of the “Dreadful War” was the shovel due to the need to construct trenches.
Most of the battles were inconclusive, but in March 1914, the USA finally broke through the “British Columbian” border in the Tennessee campaign. This was made possible by the usage of airplanes, but also by a tactical blunder by the British high command. Some of the Royal Navy had to be diverted all the way to India due to Japanese raids on British colonies. Losing India and the other Asian holdings would be a tremendous blow to the Empire. This ended up allowing the US Navy to coastal raid North Carolina. Some land forces rushed to defend the coast, leaving a weak spot in Tennessee, which the Americans exploited. It didn’t help that reinforcements from Britain were not arriving in the numbers they used to because the rapid failing of the Russians caused the French government to request more British expeditionary forces to help with their advance on Germany, or at least to prevent German armies from advancing into France.
There was also fighting in Alaska and the Yukon, where Russian forces in Russian-controlled Alaska attempted to form a second front on the North American continent to help their British allies. US forces garrisoned in the northwest fought back. This field of conflict had little effective fighting, but it meant that by the time Russia had to sue for peace, it had to cede Alaska.
That was not to say that the British and “British Columbians” were not capable of innovation. They built some of the first tanks and poison gases. The first tanks were used by the British in helping the French destroy the Germans in the Verdun offensives, and other examples were used in the “British Columbian” front in attempts to push into US soil. Poison gas caused a big scare in the US, especially at the Battle of Nashville, where poison gas ended up causing horrific devastation on the US trenches. This development of poison gas led to the development of gas masks and their widespread use among the soldiers, which made poison gas far less effective after the Battle of Nashville. Poison gas and other chemical weapons were the first “weapons of mass destruction.” Despite all these advanced weapons, the most important weapon of the “Dreadful War” was the shovel due to the need to construct trenches.
Most of the battles were inconclusive, but in March 1914, the USA finally broke through the “British Columbian” border in the Tennessee campaign. This was made possible by the usage of airplanes, but also by a tactical blunder by the British high command. Some of the Royal Navy had to be diverted all the way to India due to Japanese raids on British colonies. Losing India and the other Asian holdings would be a tremendous blow to the Empire. This ended up allowing the US Navy to coastal raid North Carolina. Some land forces rushed to defend the coast, leaving a weak spot in Tennessee, which the Americans exploited. It didn’t help that reinforcements from Britain were not arriving in the numbers they used to because the rapid failing of the Russians caused the French government to request more British expeditionary forces to help with their advance on Germany, or at least to prevent German armies from advancing into France.
There was also fighting in Alaska and the Yukon, where Russian forces in Russian-controlled Alaska attempted to form a second front on the North American continent to help their British allies. US forces garrisoned in the northwest fought back. This field of conflict had little effective fighting, but it meant that by the time Russia had to sue for peace, it had to cede Alaska.
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