Part II: 2042
Retribution
-8-
The Australian Situation
From Military History: Past to Present, by Vance Holbrook:
The Strategic Balance
This was the year of Chairman Hong’s greatest gamble. He yearned to return to three years ago when Greater China strode the globe as the world power without peer.
Since then, the German Dominion had dropped away. It had become the European Union, with close ties with the Russian-run Slavic Coalition. The South American Federation also defected. American resurgence combined with the nuclear strike unhinged SAF forces to an incredible degree, demoralizing all but the toughest Brazilian units. Effectively, by the end of the summer of ‘41, the SAF dropped out of the war except for supplying the PAA army with food and clothing. This represented a thirty-eight percent loss for aggressor forces.
The Chairman had several options regarding Mexico. He could abandon the country and admit defeat, concentrating on the Asian Pacific Basin, he could defend with the forces in place or he could reinforce Mexico and continue the war.
Believing his and China’s prestige hung on Mexico—if he lost the nation, he thought some PAA countries might defect—Hong chose the third option. He believed America was under tremendous strain, and that he could defeat them through attrition. The Chinese merchant marine shipped division after division into the country, along with new tanks, planes and artillery. Increased American submarine strength and activity took a growing toll of PAA shipping, further straining supply.
Incredibly, Hong not only repaired the staggering losses of last year—over two million casualties—but increased North American PAA forces. To achieve these numbers took harsher draft methods due to increasing reluctance among China’s youth to fight, and it took drastic reductions elsewhere. A simple look at A and B category units in PAA countries shows the difference.
Beginning in 2041:
Interior Reserves 600,000
Kazakhstan 300,000
Siberia 500,000
Korea 200,000
Japan 200,000
Philippines 100,000
Australia 300,000
Vietnam 100,000
Indonesia 200,000
New Zealand 25,000
Hawaii 50,000
Beginning in 2042:
Interior Reserves 100,000
Kazakhstan 200,000
Siberia 400,000
Korea 100,000
Japan 100,000
Philippines 50,000
Australia 150,000
Vietnam 50,000
Indonesia 100,000
New Zealand 15,000
Hawaii 30,000
By depleting these garrison troops, letting the interior reserves drop to almost nothing and by recruiting well over one million more men, China maximized its navy, brought the Invasion Army in Mexico back to full strength and increased the defending forces in Burma from one million soldiers to one and a half million.
China also added half a million PAA-allied forces to the army in Mexico. These drafts primarily came from Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
The gamble came in three areas. At this point, China could ill afford a war with the Indian League. Hong attempted to buy off the Indians with a similar deal as he’d made with Konev of Russia. The Indians showed interest, but played for time to see what the Americans could do.
The second gamble Hong believed his least worrisome. Hong trusted Konev because he understood the man’s authoritarian nature. The analysts assured the Chairman the Russians still smarted from the grim World Wars of the twentieth century. They would not willingly involve themselves in a bloodbath with China. With massive food shipments to Russia, Hong bought peace.
The Chairman had good reason to wish for tranquility with the Slavic Coalition. Counting Sino forces in Kazakhstan, Siberia and Interior China the differences went from 1,400,000 in 2041 to 700,000 in 2042. The rugged terrain combined with terrible winter weather and China’s vast resources behind the army in place convinced Hong the Russians would be mad to begin a land war in northeast Asia.
The Chinese food shipments meant even more belt tightening in selected PAA countries. Thus, Hong was ready to reinforce whatever nation became restless. He particularly kept his eye on Japan and the Philippines.
The last gamble was in North America. To invade anew and keep his army supplied over time, China would have to destroy the growing American submarine fleet. It was quickly becoming a priority issue.
As for the Indian League, the Red Dragon attack came as a frightening shock. Earlier, Hong and his High Command had discounted the Indian League military, believing their inferior antimissile abilities would give them pause. The Indian General Staff certainly recognized their deficiency. Instead of reacting as Hong wished, they prevailed upon the Prime Minister to seek Israeli help. For a stiff price, Israeli companies with accompanying advisors rushed the latest Iron Dome IIIs and other ballistic and cruise missile defenses to India in great number. The subcontinent was starving to death. They had to do something.
The Indian General Staff put three million soldiers near the Burmese border, and they anticipated an American Expeditionary Force. The Prime Minister put one proviso on the Americans—food. India needed massive amounts. Therefore, before the Indian League committed itself, it wanted to make sure America could live up to its commitments. That meant the Australian breadbasket. Much would hinge on the coming amphibious invasion.
Greater China with its Pan-Asian Alliance possessed the economic and military strength to face the combined Indian-American challenge. Given time to arm and train more of their people, the PAA would likely win an extended war of attrition.
The American Joint Chiefs and the Indians realized they needed to strike while the PAA forces remained in the wrong places—far away in Mexico. The time to act was now.
Around the Periphery of the Pan-Asian Alliance
Strategy and Buildup. Indian-American planning recognized the need for speed. Beginning in December of 2041, America gathered what remained of its merchant marine and Atlantic-based submarines. One of the riskiest ventures America had ever attempted was about to begin.
2042, January-February. Preparations for Operation “Outback.” The invasion was planned for seizing Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in southeastern Australia as bases for further operations in the liberation of the country. The bulk of China’s occupation force—a mere 150,000—resided in central and northern Australia, while the remnants of the Australian Army—83,000—held the southeast under the puppet regime.
This was the farthest amphibious operation in terms of port to beach ever planned. The Joint Forces Commander was Lieutenant General Daryl C. Forbes, formerly the commander of Ninth Army in Operation Reclamation. Admiral Spruce was the naval commander. This would be the first American operation of the war without any Militia units present.
The invasion fleet was divided into three main elements. From New York Harbor came Major General Frank Puffer’s Task Force A—45,000 men in 42 vessels, escorted by a submarine squadron under Rear Admiral Henry Knots. Its main target was the city of Brisbane. Major General Dwayne Rice—Task Force B, 39,000 men in 37 ships, from Miami—was escorted by a submarine squadron under Vice-Admiral Jeff Hodges. Its objective was Sydney. Task Force C sailed out of New Orleans. Major General Tony Trento, 41,000 men in 44 ships, would have the only surface vessels as escorts, three destroyers with accompanying submarines. Its objective was Melbourne.