Hoi 4 Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Oct 1944:

"My fellow Americans,

I stand before you, as the fate of the free world hangs in the balance once again. The villainous and tyrannical Russian Empire has invaded free Europe. If this force of evil is not stopped, the democratic and just on Earth will be obliterated under the heal of this new Fascism. Peace reigned but for a short time in the world before it is thrust once again into war. I call on all free nations now to stand side by side against the tyrants, against the enslavers, against the fascists who would have you on all fours at their will.

We must stop this evil, before it destroys our world."

The American people are not eager to go back to war, but there is no choice. If Europe is to fall to the Stali Pact, there would be no way for the US to stand a chance in the future. They must be stopped.

There is an immediate mobilization of the economy. It is startlingly quick, as though the US government was ready for such a move months before. The Navies are instantly put on attack mode, patrolling the Baltic Sea. The Air Corps stationed in the UBP are quick to gain air superiority.

Thus far, Russia's allies have not declared war, but the US troops in Europe are put on high alert. But then on the 11th of October, China joins the war. Now the two largest countries in the world are at war with the Anglo Alliance.

Hungary joins on the 12th, and the Americans see their first combat as the Hungarian port of Bone is taken in North Africa.

A few hours later the war in Europe really starts, as Prussia joins the war. Unlike the last war in Europe, the US is on the offensive right off the bat.

The first naval battle takes place on the 13th against Russia, and 8 Russian ships are sunk. On the sea, this war will likely be like the last.

The rest of the Stali pact, except Castille and Kenya, joins on the 15th. Castille appears to be unwilling to fight, given their proximity to the Teutons. Now the entire world is at war.

Combat ranges across the entirety of Europe, as navies collide on sea and air forces collide in the sky. After just a week of fighting, there have been 260 thousand casualties. It is the bloodiest week in human history. And the war will not get any better.

The former Covenant nations contribute a weak amount of men. Lotharingia, which was allowed to rebuild a small military, has 15 divisions, while the former Carinthian nations in the Alliance have a total of 8 divisions. The Teutonic Order and Picardy have not yet recovered from the Second Great War, and are thus short on divisions. Colombia and Peru both have about 20 divisions, but their distance from the fields of battle means they will not contribute much. Still, Prussia feels the full force of the Anglo Alliance, from the north through Lotharingia and from the south through former Carinthia.

The Prussian defenses are shattered in Carinthia, and the American troops cut deep into their territory. Several enemy divisions are overrun and captured.

Things do not go as well in the UBP. While the north holds strong against the Russians, the south is beginning to show wear, and several provinces are taken by the Stali Pact.

One of the greatest naval victory the world has ever seen takes place in the Baltic Sea. For a week straight, the battle raged over the entire sea, and dozens of Stali ships sank. In the end, the Stali Pact lost 60 military ships and over 70 convoys, while the US suffered only downed aircraft.

A hundred thousand Stali troops are encircled in Zurich, as the city is put under siege. It takes just days and 10 thousand lives for the city to fall, and all the surviving enemy troops surrender.

The Battle for the Mediterranean does not go as well as the Baltic Sea, and dozens of US ships are sunk against the Hungarian and Eretnid navies.

One month after the war began, there have been a million deaths and 1.5 million wounded. The war is unbelievably and horrifically bloody.

Both Prussia's and Poland's capitals are under siege come mid November, but each city promises a long battle for control. It will take another 2 weeks before the cities are taken. By the end, they are but husks of their former selves.

General BPM, who has been with the 3rd Army of tank divisions for years, is reassigned to the 12th Infantry Army. They are sent to the Teutonic port of Toscana to aid in the invasion of Hungarian Italy. By the time they arrive, Rome has been taken by the Teutonic Order.

As winter nears, the offensive through Prussia is given the most importance. Come winter, progress will halt. Prussia must fall by the end of November. Already the offensive is becoming sluggish.

The invasion of Sicily begins late November, and they meet no resistance.

Prussia capitulates on the 1st of December, as Munich falls. The government goes into hiding as their military forces disperse in all directions. A million Prussians died before their surrender.

December 8th comes cold and crisp on the line in Europe. In 2 months, 2.5 million soldiers have died. It is unheard of death and destruction. The Dover Times release a controversial article featuring a photograph taken by a journalist in Bohemia showing the aftermath of the largest battle in Europe, where each side lost more than 10 thousand.

While the Second Great War destroyed much of Western Europe, this World War is already during a fine job of obliterating all of Central and Eastern Europe.