Prince Charles Ascends or how a car accident saves Europe

[Johnrankins]

May 3, 1943
The Allies break the siege of St. Petersburg with heavy losses. The Allies take 35,000 casualties to the Russians 50,000 over the next week. Still the campaign is considered a major victory for the Allies as they are able to hold as major Russian city. The Soviet general Grigory Kulik is executed for treason 3 days later.
May 7,1943
The Rome Pact retake Dneproprovetik with heavy losses. They take 55,000 casualties to the Soviets 45,000. The Roman-Ukrainian 1st corps alone takes 15,000 of those casualties, the heaviest of he battle. The Second Roman-Ukrainian Infantry Corps is ready to be sent to the front lines and arrives in two days.
May 17, 1943
The Allies push the Russians back to Narva at the cost of 40,000 men to the Russians 50,000 . The Americans take the city of Nanju in Korea. With the Japanese Militarists having far less prestige than OTL (The Japanese have only taken Guam and FIC for a short time in TTL at the cost of most of China, the Solomons and the Marianas . Even with the best propaganda effort this can only be seen as a massive failure. ) riots start breaking out in Japan.
May 19,1943
With their grip on Japan much more shaky and the US not asking for unconditional surrender as it isn't fighting Germany and Japan looking more inept than a threat the Japanese Militarists try to end the war. They make the following proposal. 1) Japan will concede everything except the Home Islands, Manchukwo , Formosa, and Korea. They see this as a major concession . The US sees it as Japan giving up what it already has lost and islands that are cut off and have starving garrisons, which is correct.
2)Japan is willing to turn over its remaining tanks, artillery and trucks to the US. The Japanese see this as a major concession . The US isn't interested in things it considers worth little more than scrap metal that Japan can't fuel anyway.
3) Japan is willing to pay reparations of $3 billion over 10 years at 1% over US Treasuries.
4) Japan is willing to recognize Nationalist China outside Manchukwo .

May 20, 1943
The US rejects Japan's offer. A major counterattack by Russia pushes the Allies 10 miles south of St. Petersburg before it is stopped. The Russians lose 60,000 men in the next week while the Allies lose 50,000.

 

[Johnrankins]

What do you see as the US counteroffer to Japan?

 

[Atrophied]

Well manchuko probably has to go , they might keep formosa tough if they are lucky. No idea how they would feel about korea tough either way.

 

[Johnrankins]

Well manchuko probably has to go , they might keep formosa tough if they are lucky. No idea how they would feel about korea tough either way.

They are getting the Home Islands and that's it. The Americans will still want something tougher than them losing their entire empire outside the Home Islands. As is it is little more than a slap on the wrist.

 

[Johnrankins]

June 5, 1943
The Allies reach Kalinin at high cost. 50,000 Allied troops were lost along with 75,000 Russian. The Allies order a couple thousand Sherman tanks and 40,000 M2 half-tracks. The Shermans are similar to Easy Eights of OTL, just earlier. Over the next 2 months the US works on a better HE round for it. Eventually they replace half the propellant with high explosives. They also order 5,000 Mustangs and 3,000 B-17s.

After discussions in Washington the US makes the following offer.
1) Japan will concede everything except the Home Islands.
2)Japan is to turn over its remaining tanks, artillery and trucks along with its remaining planes and war ships to the US.
3) Japan is to pay reparations of $7 billion over 20 years at 1.5% over US Treasuries.
4) Japan is to recognize Nationalist China
5) The US will allow the emperor to remain on the throne but the Prime Minister Tojo plus the war time cabinet is to step down
6) A new constitutional provision in the Japanese constitution forbidding members of the military to be part of the government within 10 years after retirement from the military.
7) War criminals are to be turned over to the US
8) Trade between the US and Japan will be reopened immediately after the signing of the treaty.



June 8, 1943

The Allies reaches Stalino . The Allies takes 44,000 casualties to the Russians 60,000.
June 10, 1943

The Rome Pact reaches Odessa taking 75,000 casualties to the Russians 50,000. With its capture Soviet Ukraine collapses as the territory is divided at the moment between the Allies and Rome Pact.

June 15, 1943
The Fall of Manchukuo is considered to be around this date. The last remaining army of the IJA is broken up near Harbin. There are scattered remnants of the IJA in China left but they are mostly mopped up within a month or two. The Japanese lose a full half a million men during this time. Japan used the last month of its time to evacuate much of the army from China to Japan to hold off any potential invasion. The Chinese plan the invasion of Formosa.

June 20 , 1943
The US completes the conquest of Korea at this time at the cost of 30,000 American lives with many more Korean ones. The Japanese lose 100,000. The Republic of Korea is proclaimed. The US invades Guam.

 

[Johnrankins]

July 6, 1943
Ukraine declares independence of the USSR and forms the Syndicalist Republic of Ukraine. An enraged Stalin plans Operation Mercury to try and recapture it.
July 8,1943
The Allies reach the outskirts of Smolensk and finds it heavily fortified along with all paths to Moscow. The initial attack is repulsed and the Allies are pushed back 10 miles before they go forward again at the cost of 50,000 men as opposed to Russia's 70,000.

The Japanese fleet comes within range of Guam. It is known as the "Death Voyage of the IJN" and many suspect that members of the IJN sent the ships out to die rather than to live with the shame of having to surrender them to the Americans. In any case with no real air cover they were doomed. Over the next 3 days they lost the battleships Fuso, Yamashiro , Kongo, Yamato and Musashi along with the heavy cruisers Mogami,, Mikuma, Suzya, Muoko and Nachi and numerous lighter ships while the US lost Colorado, Florida, South Dakota, Alaska, Boston, and Quincy along with a half dozen Fletcher class destroyers , 50 Hellcats and 30 Avengers and 40 Hell-divers.

July 9, 1943
China invades Formosa. Lacking ships the Chinese army is transported by the US Navy who also provides the 3 days of shore bombardment before the troops land. The Chinese quickly move inland.

July 12, 1943

Japan surrenders to the Allies . Japan's economy recovers considerably quicker in TTL than OTL. Its cities have not been heavily bombed. However, its economic growth over time is less than OTL and is about as wealthy today as Poland of OTL.

July 15,1943
The Rome Pact besieges Khakrov. They lose 13,000 men to the Russians 20,000 over the next month. The Soviets are counter-attacked at Smolensk and take 20,000 casualties to the Allies 14,000 but the Soviets reinforced the line by the time the Allies get there.

 

[Johnrankins]

Deaths so far
Allies 846,000
Russians 903,000
Rome Pact 501,000
Germany 440,000
Japan 1.5 million note :Japanese fatalities include seppeku and banzai attacks. Without suicides and suicidal tactics Japanese deaths would be far lower.
China 1.5 million including malaria victims
US 125,000

 

[Johnrankins]

Aug 3, 1943
CKS briefly considers declaring war on the USSR for post-war benefits but decides that the Chinese economy must recover first. He demobilizes 250,000 of his least trusted troops and gives them jobs with state owned railroad companies.

Aug 12,1943

Khakrov falls to the Rome Pact. The cost of getting here and the battle itself forces the Rome Pact to halt major operations for two weeks. They have outrun their supply lines and have to wait for the logistics to catch up. The two Free Ukrainian Armies are renamed the Syndicalist Ukrainian Armies. The Rome Pact is pressured into turning their two Roman Ukrainian Corps over to the Ukrainians themselves as the Third Syndicalist Ukrainian Army. Mussolini doesn't like it but likes being cut off from US credit even less.

Aug 21,1943
Smolensk falls to the Allies costing the Allies 45,000 troops to the Soviets 78.000, Morale starts to become a major problem for the Russians as they have lost almost a million men so far and the Allies have taken Leningrad and are heading to Moscow. They have been steadily been pushed back, have taken more casualties than their opponents with smaller population and the Allies and even Rome Pact are not Nazis. They have no plans in exterminating the Russian People .

 

[Johnrankins]

Sept 4 , 1943
A large army is spotted by the RAF headed to St. Petersburg. The French First Army and the British 2nd Army are rerouted from Smolensk to St. Petersburg under General Montgomery. It is thought that Stalin wants to retake Lenin's City and then march north to Finland hoping to knock them out of the war or at least force them back on their heels.

Sept 10, 1943
The Rome Pact arrives at Stalingrad. Balbo decides to seal it off with part of his army while the rest of his army heads towards the oil. He is quoted as saying "Stalingrad itself is nothing. We need the oil." As such there is no great Battle of Stalingrad as we know it in TTL. There is some skirmishing around Stalingrad however that costs the Soviet 10,000 men and the Rome Pact 15,000.

Sept 15,1943
The Allies are caught flat-footed at the Second Battle of Smolensk as the army heading towards St. Petersburg was a diversion. It was a force of dummy tanks and old mostly empty trucks. A much larger group was headed to Smolensk with a lot of the trucks headed their mocked up to appear as T-34s from the sky. As a result far more infantry and quite a lot less tanks hit Smolensk at this date. The British were more prepared for a tank attack than an infantry attack and had a surplus of AT-guns and a shortage of machine guns. The result is a disaster for the Allies. The British lose an entire armored corps in the 2 weeks of fighting along with its other losses. This is the biggest setback for the Allies in months. They lose 65,000 to the Soviets 45,000 , one of the few times that Allies lose more troops than the Soviets. Questions are asked about it in the British Parliament. Stalin declares it "A great victory" and that it might be the "turning point in the war".

Sept 21, 1943
The Rome Pact takes Armovir which is a considerably bigger battle than TTL's Stalingrad. This costs the Rome Pact 25,000 men to the Soviets 30,000. Stalin sees he has to rush troops to the Caucuses. He knows himself he can't afford to lose the oil. He isn't getting Lend-lease in TTL and the loss of the oil would be a disaster. He sends two infantry armies and a tank army south. He is not at all sure it will arrive in time.

 

[Ataman]

Just found this TL and its really good! Don't see many TLs where Soviets are beaten by allies. Interesting to see what Russian leadership will be like after they are defeated. Will it be left or right wing, and will it be made up of exiled elements gone since the civil war? Will the Roman alliance have a say in this? I would think there would be a lot more defections this time than in Op. Barbarossa, as defeat isn't nearly as bad as it would have been with Nazis.

 

[Johnrankins]

Oct 5, 1943
China announces it will start building up its navy so it isn't caught flat-footed if Japan rises again. China buys the USS Wyoming, 3 Omaha Class light cruisers
and a dozen Wickes Class destroyers. Although old they are cheap and reliable. They also buy 200 Wildcats and 40 Avengers.

Oct 12,1943
The fall rains have caused mud thick enough that offenses are suspended pending until the ground freezes. Both sides dig in.

Oct 15, 1943
The US allows the Syndicalist Republic of Ukraine access to $3 billion US loans at half a percent above US treasuries. The Ukrainians buy 30,000 half tracks 2,000 Grants and a Grant Tank factory the US sets up for them, a Sherman Tank factory being considered too expensive for the government at the moment.

Oct 24, 1943
To help speed up the recovery Japan's Central Bank lowers interest rates 1 1/2 points and the Japanese government places a large order for government cars and trucks with Toyota Motor Company. Enough is purchased that the cost of production of cars falls and Toyota starts , very slowly, to eat into the US auto market in Japan.

 

[Johnrankins]

Nov 5, 1943
China starts designing a railroad engine based on the Mogul, reverse engineering from the ones they got from the US . The first prototype is built in a year. The first 6 are quite inferior, the first one as bad as the one the US built in 1860 but they improve quickly with time, the sixth being about as good as the US made in 1890. China undergoes a rail-driven steel boom comparable to the US in the 1880's-1890s.

Nov 10,1943
The 3rd Battle of Smolensk results in an Allied victory . It is a hard fought one that takes place over a 2 week period. It is a hard fought battle with over 80,000 Allied lives lost along with 1,500 tanks, 600 artillery pieces and 2,000 warplanes of all types. The Russians lose even more with 100,000 dead , 2500 tanks, 900 artillery pieces and 1,500 warplanes.

Nov 15, 1943
The Battle of Mozdok is fought in the south between the Russians and the Rome Pact. The Rome Pact eventually wins it in a pretty bloody battle . They lose 50,000 troops to the Soviets 60,000. The NKVD is slowly losing its grip on the Soviet Union, particularly non-Russian regions still under its nominal control. The losses have been too high, and both transportation and communication systems have been breaking down. Neither the Allies nor the Rome Pact are Nazis. They aren't killing people for killing sake. Although not as well behaved as Allied troops as a whole the Rome Pact troops still act better than Stalin's NKVD, which is a LOW bar.

 

[Johnrankins]

Dec 8, 1943
A brand new naval academy is being built in Taicang which is around 32 miles northwest of Shanghai. It will be one of the most modern buildings in Shanghai and the first buildings will be completed in a year. The government has hired newly retired USN officers to be instructors at the Academy. The ordered warships enter the same day. The destroyers in particular start cutting down on the piracy problem China is facing post-war.

One week later the Chinese start analyzing the ships. Within a month the first blueprints to make a version of the 3 inch dual purpose gun are drawn up. Somewhat inferior copies of them are made within a year, the first few fall far short of US standards. Their copy of the 21 inch torpedo struggled with much of the difficulties the USN had with them . However with the USN officers in the academy's help the problems are solved much quicker than they originally were for the USN. The torpedoes are still slow and undersized though . That is a problem training can't fix. The first keel of the 14 destroyers China builds based on the Wickes Class Destroyer is laid down within a year.

Dec 20, 1943

The Fourth Battle of Smolensk (Am I the only one feeling sorry for the poor people of Smolensk in TTL?) results in a Russian victory. Another 60,000 Allied lives are gone with another 90,000 Russian ones over the next 3 weeks. The wounded are pouring into field hospitals faster than they can handle them all. Triage is very brutal in this battle. Smolensk is mostly ruins by this point with few buildings left unshelled.

Dec 30, 1943

The Battle of Grozny is started between the Rome Pact and the Soviet Union. The battle is a loss for the Rome Pact who lose 80,000 men to the Soviets 70,000 over a two week period. Some of the oil wells are set on fire but some are captured intact. Stalin doesn't want the oil wells to fall into his enemies ' hands but he needs the oil himself and there is no one who will sell him oil. He orders that the oil wells should be set on fire at the last minute and with some of them there was no time as the fuses misfired.

 

[Johnrankins]

Jan 3,1944
General Omar Bradley is sent to the PI to train Filipino troops and officers before the islands are handed back over to the natives. Although the task seems less urgent than before the war he does a good, professional job of it. The army is in relatively good shape by 1946. Although the troops are better trained than those just prior to the invasion they are not quite as well equipped. A lot of the equipment was destroyed during the war but not replaced. The chances of war in the area before it is handed back is seen as very slim by Washington.

Jan 8,1944 The Russsians retake Narva at heavy cost over the next 3 weeks. They lose 90,000 men compared to the Allied 70,000. With deaths over a million the people were getting discouraged before winter, they are now reviving a bit with the winter offenses . Still Russia is becoming war weary. It is fighting a war against a coalition that has both more money and men than it has. Also life under the Allies seems better to an increasing number of Russians as compared to their own and that of the Rome Pact no worse. All that is keeping the war going forward is reserves of patriotism and the terror of the already weakening power of the NKVD.

Jan 15, 1944

The Rome Pact is pushed back to Mozdok and the Second Battle of Mozdok is also bloody, losing 55,000 men to the Rome Pact's 40,000 in a two week battle. The Italians were able to send back but little oil in the short time they had part of the fields. Still the Italian papers are able to sell it is a "victorious raid" as no voice but that of which Mussolini approves is heard. The other Rome Pact members are somewhat more worried . A Grant tank factory and a Kittyhawk factory is built in Rome while Stuart tank factories are built in Belgrade and Budapest. China also builds 2 Stuart tank factories in Beijing.

 

[Johnrankins]

Feb 5, 1944
The Russians besiege Riga, catching the Allies off guard who weren't expecting a march to Riga, at all.The surprise causes a rare instance where the Allies lose more men than the Russians. Before they are stopped on the outskirts the Russians lose 40,000 to the Allies 55,000. Latvians become very nervous as they worry that the city might fall and the Red Army will take its bloody revenge on the Latvian people for its revolt. Fortunately the Reds are stopped before that happens.

Feb 8, 1944
The Chinese start examining their light cruisers more. They figure it will take them longer to reverse engineer than the destroyers and they want to have practice building cheaper destroyers before moving on to the cruisers but they do manage to start reverse engineering the 6/53 caliber guns, not only are they planning to make them to replace any guns that are worn out and to build new cruisers when they get to them but they also plan to use them as coastal guns. A bit small but better than nothing.

That same day new naval recruits get to go on board on ROCS Tso Ying (Formerly the USS Wickes) for the first time. Most of the recruits are very young and never seen a warship in person and so are quite impressed. The relatively few who saw modern warships up close are far less impressed. Still they are the most modern warships China ever had. The new recruits aren't allowed to touch anything themselves yet.

Feb 15 , 1944

The Rome Pact is pushed back to Armovir at a loss of 45,000 troops to the Russian 30,000. This is the last successful Soviet offensive of the war. The Communist government is on its last legs as it is running out of money , men and legitimacy. Stalin's popularity has been plunging as the Allies prove to be far more humane rulers than Stalin could ever be. Even Mussolini is better than the highly murderous Stalin. Still British-French rule is seen to be quite superior to Italian rule by most Russians.

 

[Johnrankins]

March 7,1944
The spring thaw starts causing mud that causes both sides to mostly dig in for the next month or two. The Allies and Rome Pact use the period to bring up tens of thousands of AT guns and artillery pieces , the poorer USSR is bringing up rather less. The USSR has been losing weapons somewhat faster than they can replace them for a few months now and the net losses are accelerating .

March 10,1944

Riots start breaking out in the Soviet periphery. The breakdown in communications and supply make the control of the central authority weak in these areas. The NKVD simply doesn't have the manpower to effectively curb the resistance movements in these areas. A growing problem is that Red Army deserters are starting to join the mobs in some cases.

March 20,1944
China buys the USS Arkansas and 4 more Omaha class light cruisers. CKS figures the best way to make sure Japan doesn't come back and try again is to build up a navy and that is what he is doing. A pair of Wyoming Class Battleships , over a half a dozen light cruisers and a couple dozen destroyers seems a good start, particularly since Japan doesn't have a navy at the moment.

March 25,1944
Japan buys back 2 Myoko class cruisers : the IJN Haguro and Ashigara from the US, it points out that it needs a navy with the growing Chinese one and that it would still be smaller than China's. It also buys back 3 Nagara Class Light Cruisers :the Yura, the Kinu and the Abukuma. It also starts building 6 Shiratsuyu class destroyers

 

[Johnrankins]

Apr 15,1944
The Allies break the Siege of Riga losing 40,000 men to the Russians 65,000. The Allies notice that there are less TDs and more towed AT guns than previously as Russia starts running low on equipment and needs to make more simpler, quicker to make equipment to fill in the gaps . There are less SPAA and self propelled artillery and more of the towed variety as well. The Allies see this as a sign that things are really going in their favor.

Apr 20,1944
The Rome Pact breaks out of Armovir at a cost of 30,000 to the Russians 50,000. The army heads towards the oil again. The Rome Pact troops notice that the Russians are giving way more easily than before . They don't know what to make of it. It could either be a sign of declining morale or a trap. Although they hope that it is the former the Russian soldier is far too wily a foe to rule out the latter.

Apr 25,1944

The Chinese Navy takes out one of their destroyers for the first time. It is mostly new Chinese recruits and a handful of American instructors. They don't break the ship, which is something, but it is clear the new recruits need a lot of work. This was expected as most of the recruits are 18 and 19 years old and have never been on board a ship before. Over the next three months the best recruits are identified , they will be further trained on the light cruisers.

Apr 30, 1944
With the naval buildups the Philippines Territorial Government wants to buy destroyers themselves before independence. The US sells them a dozen Clemson Class Destroyers. Since its a US territory the US decides to send an admiral to help , Admiral Jack Fletcher. He is to train them until the Philippines are granted their independence and then return state-side. He does a very professional job getting the Filipino Navy off to a good start.

 

[Johnrankins]

May 10, 1944
The Allies take Smolensk for good (at least as far as the war is concerned) in the Fifth Battle of Smolensk (Poor Smolensk!!!!) with lighter casualties than last time. Only 40,000 lives are lost to the Russians 70,000 in the three week long battle. There is nothing left but ruins and it takes Smolensk years to rebuild entirely. The rubble alone takes over a year to clear, although considerably less in the more important places in the city.

May 15,1944
The Rome Pact retakes Grozny and turns towards Crimea. The Italians take the entire oil fields this time and at less cost. They lose only 30,000 men to the Russians 55,000. Many , but not all the oil wells are on fire. It takes them over a year to get all the fires under control. Italy annexes the area along with Albania and Mussolini declares that Roman Empire has been reborn in a new Fascist form. He renames Italy the Fascist Empire of Rome and declares himself emperor. This announcement is greeted with much enthusiasm by the Fascist Council.

May 20,1944
The Kingdom of Indochina worried about the various naval expansions in its area buys 8 Clemson Class Destroyers themselves. The government builds a naval academy in Saigan. The instructors are mainly newly retired USN captains and commanders. The buildings will be the most modern buildings in Saigan and the most expensive outside the various imperial palaces. It seems to the government naval matters will be of supreme importance over the next few years.

 

[Johnrankins]

As there is now a Far Eastern naval arms race here is where the navies stand.

1) China
2 Wyoming Class BBs 52,000 total tons
7 Omaha Class Cruisers 49,000 total tons
12 Wickes Class Destroyers 13,000 total tons
+14 more building for another 15,000 total tons
124,000 total tons +15,000 building

2) Japan
2 Myoko Class Cruisers 22,000 total tons
3 Nagara Class Light Cruisers 16,000 total tons
and building 6 Shiratsuyu Class Destroyers 10,000 total tons
48,000 total tons +10000 tons building. Japan knows that China can't man all those ships instantly and is in discussion of what to build next to counter its navy. It is important to note that Japan has the most modern of the navies and the only one trained at the moment.

3)
Philippine Islands
Under USN protection at the moment but has purchased 12 Clemson Class Destroyers 14,000 total tons

4) Kingdom of Indochina 8 Clemson Class Destroyers 10,000 total tons

 

[Johnrankins]

June 5th ,1944
The Allies besiege Moscow. Riots spread more widely across Russia. The NKVD can no longer handle the dissent. Desertion is becoming widespread and the feeling that it is only a matter of time before the fall of the Russia is becoming prevalent. Revolution is in the air and neither the CPSU or the NKVD can stop it.
Morale is becoming very high among the Allies as they see the end of the war in sight. The need for the draft eases as you have men volunteer to see its end and so they can claim to be veterans after the war and not "cowardly shirkers". Only 15,000 Allied lives opposed to only 20,000 Russian occur over the siege due to poor Russian morale and Allied supply problems.

June 10th, 1944
The Rome Pact arrives in Crimea at the cost f 20,000 Roman lives compared to 15,000 Russian ones to much fanfare in the Roman press. Emperor Benito I is declared to be the" best emperor since Julius Caesar " by the Roman Press. It goes on in sickening length of the the "virtues" of Mussolini. After its conquest Crimea is also annexed by the Fascist Roman Empire. That being its official name The Fascist Empire of Rome with the full title of Mussolini being the Fascist Emperor of Rome.

June 14, 1944
Japan lays down a Mogami class cruiser 4 Agano class light crusiers and 10 Asashio Class Destroyers. With that another 50,000 tons of warships are being built by Japan. China's navy will still be heavier but not nearly as modern and not as well trained.

Japan starts doing heavy R&D for its Type 96 25mm AA/AT Gun , particularly on its elevation and traverse speed. By the end of the year it does a 360 in a second and a half faster time than it did originally. They also manage to increase the magazine size to 18 rounds by some tinkering. Japan was going to invest more money on trying to better develop the 8CM Dual Purpose Gun which needed work as well.

June 22,1944

The Republican Chinese Navy has its first target practice on this date . One naval recruit loses his legs in an accident but the rest of the sailors are uninjured. The practice goes fairly well otherwise, all things considering. The new gunners are lousy shots at the moment but improve with time and their are no other major injuries. There quite a few scrapes and bruises , but that was to be expected with almost nothing but newly recruited teenagers with a handful of foreign senior naval officers.