Hoi 4 Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Dec 1940:

President Dunaden receives the Baltic Ambassador in the Oval Office. The older man has been requested by his government to approach Dunaden with an offer. The UBC will join the Anglo Alliance. In return, Dunaden will swear to defend the Democratic government of the UBC. In the way the offer is put, he does not mean against foreign threats. The Communist party has gained a lot of influence in the Baltics, and the government needs a safeguard against any attempted coups or civil wars. This will not be any official guarantee, but the ambassador makes it obvious that his government will not join the alliance without a promise. Dunaden tells the man he will get his answer by the end of the year. The man leaves.

General William Manuel "Jabby" Jabson, in charge of the American Forces in Europe, writes up plans for Operation Rising Eagle. It is the plan to retake the lost Teutonic territory. The first phase begins on December 8th.

The first phase is a run up the west coast. After that, a pocket will be made using the border with Picardy to trap Covenant soldiers behind lines. Lastly, a spearhead will trap the rest of the enemy in the north eastern part of Iberia.

Casualties in this war are worse than anything before imagined. In 6 months, a million are dead. Britain has lost nearly a third of that as Lotharingia overran British Scandinavia. The Teutonic Order lost about a quarter of a million and the US 100 thousand. At this rate, the Anglo-Covenant War will be bloodier than even the Great War.

Rising Eagle does well in pushing up the coast. By Christmas, 1st Army can see the city of Bordeaux. Then, enemy reinforcements arrive on the line, and a counterattack in launched.

Then, the next part of Meenen's plan unfolds. On New Year's day, Lotharingia declares war on Picardy. He obviously plans on reaching the mainland parts of Britain through the unfortunate obstacle that is Picardy.

Dunaden agrees to their request, and the United Baltic Provinces joins the war with the Anglo Alliance.

The UBP brings with it a large army of 88 divisions, over 3000 planes, and 88 ships. Picardy brings 49 divisions, about 1000 planes, and 17 ships. But Picardy will not last long unless help can get to them. Bordeaux is finally taken a few days into 1941.

In world news, Turkestan invades Persia. It seems the Persian dream of an empire of old is doomed to die.

An unusually warm winter allows good progress to be made in Iberia, and soon the American lines are just miles from Picardy. The lines connect on the 17th of January. Picardy will not fall just yet.

Or so they thought. Mid February sees a renewed enemy offensive, and Picardy dissolves. Rising Eagle grinds to a stop as dozens of Covenant divisions arrive.

In South America, Venezuela is down to two provinces, completely surrounded by American and Haitian troops. American troops have also penetrated fairly far into Peru, but fierce mountain and jungle combat have made it slow and deadly work.

Suddenly, British and Picardian troops break through Covenant lines. Apparently, a small stretch of the front was left lightly guarded by Lotharingia, and Picardy and Britain took advantage. Now, Anglo troops flood into Germany, largely unopposed. They reach within miles of the capital of Luxembourg.

Venezuela falls in mid March as their capital is captured. 9 Peruvian divisions are trapped in the shattered remains of Venezuela, and the US troops close in.

Operation Rising Eagle continues, but the trapping pocket is slightly further north than before.

On March 23rd, Delhi invades the last of independent India: Carnatic.

The pocket is created in April, and over a hundred thousand Lotharingian troops are trapped. The Anglo troops close the ranks to capture the enemy.

It closes fairly quickly, until they are pushed against the sea, yet they fight on. Along the line, the enemy launches another counterattack, and then entire front is thrown into combat. By this time, Picardy and Britain have been expelled from Lotharingia's land and far from Luxembourg.

At long last, Japan is ousted from mainland Asia. It took many years, but Japan is now confined to its islands.

A year after the war began, the war in Europe has become static. Both sides throw attack after attack at their enemy, yet the progress remains null. In Peru, it is rough, dirty work. Many troops are sick with Dengue Fever and malaria in the jungles.

The death toll reaches 3 million, with about the same amount injured, not including civilian casualties. Several cities have been nearly completely destroyed. Lotharingian bombing and intense shelling and combat have rendered Bordeaux a pile of rubble. The majority of the population that survived has fled south. Paris, which changed hands several times since Picardy was invaded, is a shell of its former self. The last time the Picardian troops retook the city, they found that the esteemed Eiffel tower was nothing more than a heap of twisted metal.