1989 - Cold war ends
- China crushes political protests

1990 - Reunification of Germany
- Polish efforts to convert to a free economy result in only partial success
- Spring elections in Byelorussia, the Ukraine, and the RSFSSR. Reformist parties win power. Elections marked by simmering ethnic unrest in Azerbaijan and spreads to Taijikstan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan.
- Soviet troops begin to withdraw from Czechoslovakia
- Soviets begins to reorganise military on defensive lines

1991 - Ethnic and religious violence in the Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union escalates forcing increased withdrawal of troops to use inside it’s own borders

1992 - The Rhineland Compromise is signed resulting in decreased NATO forces in Germany
- Civil war in Albania
- Soviets suffer major setback in Central Asian republics after early successes
- John Tanner becomes US president with Deanna Pemberton as the first ever female vice president

1993 - President Tanner announces a cutback in Defence spending with the money going to a war on drugs. This barely impacts the flow of drugs into the country.
- Turkey withdraws from Cyprus
- Fighting continues in Central Asia with the Soviet Union slowly gaining the upper hand. Situation comes to resemble Afghanistan a decade before.
- Pro-democracy demonstrations erupt into violence in China forcing military intervention. Protestors in the northeast hold out for months before being crushed.
- Elsewhere in China military commanders begin taking matters into their own hands, seizing direct control of local government and imprisoning government officials.

1994 - The Chinese central government becomes more hard line and are supported by northern warlords. New demands are made for border adjustments against the Soviet Union with radical junior Chinese officers provoking increasingly violent border incidents.
- Germany quietly begins building it’s military forces by bringing 6 under-strength divisions to full strength and attaching a reserve brigade to each which is stationed in the east

1995 - Full scale war erupts between the Soviet Union and China with the Red Army enjoying rapid initial success advancing deep into the northern Chinese industrial heartland.
- China mobilises massive amounts of manpower and slows the Soviet advance with large groups of partisans operating in the Soviet rear.
- The Chinese counter attack, amazing most of the world’s military experts by encircling large pockets of Soviet troops. The Soviet superior firepower and mobility enables most of them to break out but the front is shattered with huge losses on both sides.
- Divisions are used up almost as soon as they arrive at the front. The war has become a meat grinder.
- The economic recovery of the last few years is destroyed as more and more production is shifted to supporting the war. Living conditions in the Soviet Union plummet.
- The Soviets solicit units from Warsaw Pact members for the eastern front but only Poland and Bulgaria respond – Poland with a motorised rifle division and Bulgaria with the promise of a brigade after refitting with modern Soviet supplied equipment.
- Germany increases it’s military in response to what it says is the increasing regional instability of the European situation.
- Poland protests and increases states of readiness in several Divisions in the west of the country.

1996 - The Soviets launch a spring offensive against the Chinese. The drive soon stalls despite the good initial gains with further horrendous casualties. During the winter China had received a flood of new modern equipment from the NATO nations particularly the USA. This forces new tactics but even more troops are required. Most Category B Divisions are mobilised with many of the Category C Divisions activated and upgraded to Cat B for the first time in 50 years. The units that had reorganised for defence earlier in the decade change back to their more offensive structure.
- Poland prepares to send an addition Division to the eastern front in response to their Warsaw Pact obligations but seven ethnic German soldiers in the division announce there intention to resist transfer out of the country. A wave of demonstrations in western Poland, by ethnic Germans supporting the soldiers is violently suppressed by riot police, resulting in several deaths and numerous injuries.
- Germany protests and moves several Divisions closer to the Polish border.
- Another round of demonstrations breaks out in western Poland with similar reaction by the Polish authorities. Small groups of protestors fight back using military weapons. Polish military moves in and soon the area resembles a civil war.
- Poland states that many of the rebels are of German nationality and have crossed the border with the collaboration of the German government. Germany denies any involvement but moves military units closer to the border to boost security.
- By mid July, several border incidents have occurred between units of the Polish and German armies and frequent artillery exchanges. On the 27th of July, elements of the German III Corps cross the frontier in retaliation to what they describe as “a full scale attack” by the Polish 4th Mechanised Division.
- Poland and Germany are officially at war by the 29th of July. Neither side is prepared as the Germans have just finished a period of rapid growth and rebuilding while the Poles and Soviets are at the end of very limited spending and are in a war that has already drawn most of their best equipment and units away.
- Czechoslovakia enters the European war on the side of Poland tipping the scales to the Warsaw Pact. By the end of November Germany is in serious trouble. With the Czech army closing on Berlin, Germany turns to its NATO partners for assistance. The US army crosses the frontier and enters battle while the political leadership debates.
- France, Belgium, Italy and Greece first demand that US troops return to their start positions and then withdraw from NATO in protest when the US refuses.
- British and Canadian forces cross the border. Danish and Dutch troops remain in place, still members of NATO but not party to war.
- Soviet troops assault into Norway, in an effort to secure a quick victory but most of the best artic units have already been sent to the eastern front. NATO lands paratroops and marines and the front moves east towards Soviet naval facilities on the Kola peninsular. The isolated Soviet paratroops and marines are destroyed.
- At sea a naval battle rages for three weeks as the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet attempts to break out into the Atlantic. At the end, 80% of the Soviet fleet is sunk but NATO suffers almost as badly.
- Romania and Hungary declare war after simmering ethnic unrest erupts between the two countries. Hungarian, Bulgarian and Soviet troops enter Romania. Romania declares war on the three countries and appeals to NATO for help. Yugoslavia is the first nation to respond sending three divisions and five brigades into Romania. Two days later they are at the front under Romanian command. NATO offers full membership to both countries and sends the 1st Turkish Army to help.

1997 - Turkish Cypriots demonstrate in favour of Turkey. The demonstrations soon turn to anti-Greek riots and the Cypriot army moves to restore order. In response, Turkey invades Cyprus. Greece first sends military units to resist the Turks then declares war on Turkey and attacks into Thrace.
- Italy and Greece sign a mutual defence agreement. Italy is not obligated to enter into the Greek-Turkish war and declares the war to be a regional conflict unrelated to the general war elsewhere. However, Italy promises to intervene on Greece’s side if NATO tries to tip the balance in Turkey’s favour. Within a week Greece declares a naval blockade against Turkey and warns that the Aegean is now considered a war zone.
- In an attempt to restore the situation in Germany, Soviet and Czech troops launch an offensive in southern Germany but do not have the strength to make any significant gains.
- NATO returns to the offensive in the spring and in April the first German troops cross the frontier into Poland. By 17th of June, Warsaw is surrounded and the siege of Warsaw begins.
- The NATO drive bogs down on the banks of the Litsa River. On the 7th of June, US and British units attempt a rapid flanking manoeuvre through northern Finland and the remnants of the NATO Atlantic Fleet advances on Murmansk and Severomorsk. Finland unexpectantly resists the advancing NATO forces, seriously delaying them. At sea, the Fleet suffers crippling losses from coastal missile boats, the remnants of the Soviet fleet and shore based aircraft. By mid June the last major naval fleet in the world in shattered.
- The front in Romania stabilises and enters a period of attritional warfare.
- Crack Soviet troops are send south to halt the Turkish drive. It soon becomes clear that without help, Turkey will be defeated by the twin wars.
- NATO sends a convoy of fast transports and cargo ships with a strong covering force on the 27th of June, in an attempt to supply Turkey with badly needed ammunition and equipment. Elements of the Greek navy intercept and inflict substantial losses. Two days later NATO retaliates with air strikes against Greek naval bases. On 1st July, Greece declares war on NATO with Italy following suit the next day in compliance with their treaty.
- In early July, Italian airmobile and alpine units cross into Tyrol. Scattered elements of the Austrian army resist briefly but are overwhelmed. By mid month, Italian troops are entering into southern Germany with advance elements in combat in the suburbs of Munich.
- Yugoslavia launches a costly offensive against north eastern Italy but is soon stalled. Italy responds with a major counteroffensive, which, while draining troops from the German front, shatters the Yugoslavians.
- Italy enjoys tremendous success primarily for logistical reasons. It is in the first month of combat and has all the reserves of peacetime while their opponents have already been at war for six months or more and have not yet geared up to wartime production.
- In Asia, pro Soviet India and Pro NATO Pakistan drift into war through an increase number of border incidents, mobilisation and major armed clashes. By spring, the Indian army is slowly advancing across the entire front despite fanatical resistance.
- In early July, NATO advance elements are closing up on the Polish-Soviet frontier in the central region while continuing the siege of Warsaw. In the Far East, Pact forces begin major withdrawals with Chinese force in pursuit.
- On the 9th of July advance elements of the 1st German Army are on Soviet soil.
- At this point the Soviets begin using Tactical Nuclear weapons. At first they are used sparingly in the west and only on troop concentrations within 50km of the Soviet border. In the Far East, however, they are used on a massive scale. Chinese mechanised columns are vaporised, caught out in the open on the roads in imagined pursuit.
- Strike aircraft deliver warheads on northern Chinese population and industrial centres. Chinese response is immediate but Soviet forward troops are dispersed and well prepared. Ballistic missile attacks on Soviet population centres are frustrated by an efficient anti missile system and Soviet Air Defence massacres the Chinese bombers attempting low-level penetration raids. Within a week the Chinese riposte is spent but Soviet attacks continue. Chinese communication and transport systems collapse. The roads are choked with fleeing Chinese refugees, all of them potential targets. China slides into anarchy.
- On the Western Front, the forward elements of both armies are hit hard by tactical strikes as NATO matches the Pact warhead for warhead. By late August, Troops from the Far East Front begin arriving and the lines begin moving west.
- On 15th of September the Siege of Warsaw is lifted and a week later Czech and Italian troops begin a renewed offensive in southern Germany. NATO practices a scorched earth policy as they increase their rate of withdrawal.
- Soviet and Bulgarian forces also begin a major offensive against the Turks. The one sided use of Tactical Nuclear Weapons breaks the stalemate and by months end, Bulgarian tank brigades are racing towards Istanbul. Simultaneously Greek and Albanian troops launch a drive into southern Yugoslavia, and the Yugoslavian army begins to break up. With the recall of the Yugoslavian forces from Romania and the use of Nuclear weapons, the Romanian front collapses. The remaining NATO forces retreat into the hills and begin Guerilla operations.
- In the west NATO begins deep nuclear strikes against communication hubs in Czechoslovakia and Byelorussia in an attempt to slow the Pact advance. The Pact forces respond with similar strikes against German industrial targets and major port cities. Throughout October the exchanges escalate but not ICBM’s are launched due to the fear of starting total global thermonuclear war.
- First military targets are hit, then industrial targets vital to the war (including the first strikes against continental USA.) Then economic and support facilities such as oil refineries. Then the facilities of neutral countries are targeted to deny their use by the other side. The civilian command structure is first decimated then destroyed until the exchanges finally peter out in late November.
- Facing defeat, Pakistan launches strikes against India but enough of India’s nuclear arsenal survives to launch a devastating retaliatory strike. Both countries are effectively destroyed.

1998 - The winter of 1997 – 1998 is particularly cold and harsh. Civilian casualties have reached 15% at this time but the worst is yet to come. Transport and communications have been almost totally destroyed making food distribution impossible and famine sweeps the world. Only the exceptionally cold weather delays simultaneous epidemics. In spring the unburied dead finally bring on the epidemics that had been dreaded by the few remaining medical professionals. Plague, Typhoid, Cholera, Typhus, and many other diseases sweep across the world. At the end of the summer, the casualty rate is 50%.
- Being the lightest hit, only France and Belgium keep any semblance of order. A flood of refugees forces them to close their borders and France advances to the Rhine to secure a geographical barrier. The refugees are turned back with gunfire as they pile up and begin to fight for the non-existent food in the area. The lawless zone soon becomes barren and empty.
- NATO divisions are now at around 8000 men with US Divisions at about half that.
- Warsaw Pact Divisions vary widely with between 500 and 10000 but most number between 2000-4000.
- Lack of food, fuel, ammunition and spare parts temporarily paralyse both sides. Peace might have come but no civilian governments remained to negotiate it.
- In North America, a flood of hungry refugees begins crossing the Rio Grande, and most of the remaining military forces of the US are deployed to stem the flow.
- After multiple armed clashes between Mexican refugees and US troops, the Mexican government protests. Within months the Mexican Army sends units across the Rio Grande to protect Mexican lives. Scattered fighting grows into open warfare and Mexican Armoured units drive into Arkansas and southern California. Elsewhere the sudden withdrawal of US units from domestic peace keeping roles results in widespread civil disorder and anarchy.
- In late June, the Warsaw Pact forces in southern Germany renew their offensive in an attempt to secure the shattered surviving industrial sites in central Germany. NATO forces made a maximum effort to reform a coherent front and the Pact offensive stalls along a line from Frankfurt to Fulda.
- In late August, NATO launches it’s own offensive from the area of Karl Marx Stadt, driving south to penetrate the Pact rear areas in Czechoslovakia. The Czech’s are overwhelmed and the Pact forces in Southern Germany begin withdrawing to Czechoslovakia, laying waste as they go.
- A simultaneous offensive by the reformed remnants of the Yugoslavian Army drives north in an attempt to link up with NATO but are halted near Lake Balaton and thrown back.
- As autumn begins, NATO and the Pact initiate a short and weak second nuclear exchange, directed primarily at surviving industrial centres in the United Kingdom and Italy.
- Fighting dies down as both sides prepare for winter.

1999 - After spring planting is completed, the US Congress reconvenes for the first time since the exchange of nuclear missiles. Senator John Broward, the House of Representatives elect the former Governor of Arkansas who appointed himself to fill one of the vacant senatorial seats President. General John Cummings, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refuses to recognise the constitutional validity of the election due to numerous doubts about the credentials of the attending congressmen and lack of a proper quorum.
- General Cummings declares a continuation of martial law until such time as a new census is practical (required for proper allocation of congressional seats and presidential electoral votes).
- President Broward responds with a demand for Cummings resignation, which Cummings declines to submit. Some military units side with the new civilian government but most remain loyal to the Joint Chiefs.
- Many regions choose to simply ignore both governments.
- In autumn, the flow of troops to Europe resumes but only as a trickle. A few warships are available as escorts with various old merchant ships pressed into service as transports. Initiated by the civilian government, both governments compete to outdo each other.
- In Europe the fronts remain static for most of the year. Low troop densities mean that infiltration raids become the most common form of warfare. The front ceases to be a line and becomes a deep occupied zone as troops settle into areas and begin farming and small scale manufacturing to supply there requirements.

2000 - By the spring of 2000, the armies of Europe have settled into their new “cantonment” system.
- Civil authority has virtually ceased to exist. Most military units are practising local recruitment in an attempt to keep up to strength, and stragglers are often incorporated into units regardless of nationality.
- Thus, US units contain a wide variety of former NATO and Warsaw Pact soldiers in addition to Americans. Nominal titles of units (brigades, divisions, etc.) have little bearing on the actual size of the unit.
- In early summer, the German 3rd Army spearheaded by the US 11th Corps, moves out of its cantonments on what is to become one of the last strategic offensives of the war.

The United States 5th Infantry Division (Mechanised) jumped off on its raid on June 19th from Chojnice and Czluchow in a converging drive on the Bydgoszcz and Torun area. Contact was made with partisans of the 2nd Polish Free Legion in Tuchola, and they reported the road ahead clear. Guides were provided and on the 21st advanced elements of the division had reached Torun, with follow-up forces closing up. Only scattered resistance from some local militia had been encountered. The division spent the week in the Torun area distilling fuel in anticipation of the second bound. On June 29th it moved out south on the road to Wloclawek, which the divisions recon battalion (4th squadron of the 12th Cavalry, mounted on horseback) had scouted as far south as Krosniewice. The division closed up on Wloclawek by the evening of June 30 and advanced elements were in the strategic road junction of Krosniewice by July 1.
The division again paused for maintenance and fuel distillation while the cavalry scouted south. On July 3rd the 4-12 Cavalry reported a strong blocking position in front of Lodz at the town of Zgierz. Interrogation of prisoners revealed the blocking force to be the Polish 6th Border Guard Brigade. The division commander ordered the divisions 256th Mechanised Brigade (Louisiana National Guard) to deploy against the blocking position while the 4-12 Cavalry made a wide turning movement through Kolo, Uniejow, Szadel and Lask to hit Lodz from the southwest. The divisions 1st Brigade consolidated the division base camp area at Krosniewice, while the divisions 2nd Brigade was pushed west toward Konin to guard against a possible counterattack by the 1st Polish Tank Army, known to be in the Poznan area.

9th July: The 4-12 Cavalry reported by radio that it had encountered Polish cavalry in superior strength at the town of Pabiance, a few kilometres south of Lodz, and that it was falling back to Lask. Later outposts of the 2nd Brigade guarding the road bridge across the Warta river at Konin successfully resisted an attack by mechanised troops identified as elements of the Polish 10th Tank Division. The Polish troops withdrew, but could be seen digging in several kilometres from the bridge.

10th July: The division commander ordered the 3-11 Infantry of the 1st Brigade, then in Kutno, to move out east toward Lowice to develop an attack from the northeast against Lodz. At the same time he ordered 256th brigade at Ozorkow to detach a battalion and move it south to Uniejow in preparation to support the 4-12 Cavalry. Almost immediately, the 3-11 Infantry from Kutno encountered advancing mounted troops in superior numbers and was forced back to Kutno under heavy pressure. By evening, 3-11 infantry had determined that it was facing advanced the advanced elements of the Soviet 89th Cavalry Division (formerly 89th Motorised Rifle Division), which had last been identified as being deep in Byelorussia. 4-12 Cavalry had identified its antagonist at the Polish 11th Border Guard Brigade, formerly at Lublin.

11th July: German Third Army reported by radio that it was under attack by strong cavalry and mechanised forces from the Pila area, and had identified elements of the 1st Polish Tank Army. It also reported the Torun area had been overrun by elements of the Soviet 22nd Cavalry Army from Byelorussia. The division commander held an afternoon conference with his brigade commanders and staff and decided that the division should attempt to break out through Lodz and then drive east through Piotrkow and Random to be positioned for a drive north. This would avoid the major enemy troop concentrations, cause maximum damage to the lines of communication of the newly committed 22nd Cavalry Army, and leave the door open for a possible link up with troops on the northern Baltic coast. Accordingly, 256th Brigade began shifting southwest toward Szadel while 1st Brigade took over the position at Ozorkow.

12th & 13th July: Little enemy resistance was encountered, and all units successfully completed their planned movements.

14th July: The 1st and 256th Brigades began their attacks on Lodz, and immediately encountered stronger resistance than had been anticipated. The right hand attack by 256th Brigade along the Lask-Pabiance road brushed aside outlying cavalry pickets, but then encountered entrenched and well-equipped infantry in front of Pabiance. After several of the brigade’s remaining tanks and infantry fighting vehicles had been knocked out, the brigade paused to regroup. Within an hour, however, the brigade was struck in the flank by tanks and armoured personnel carriers advancing from Piotrkow and was pushed back to Lask. 1st Brigade’s attack had encountered dug in tanks of the Soviet 20th Tank Division as soon as it crossed its start line and had made no progress all day. The 20th Tank Division had last been reported in the Ukraine as an element of the 4th Guards Tank Army. At midday, the 2nd Brigade’s 3/77 Armoured at Kolo was probed by Polish mechanised forces, and the division rearguard at Krosniewice came under attack by the Soviet 96th Cavalry Division.
By nightfall, it was apparent that there had either been a major intelligence failure or the Warsaw Pact had succeeded in moving up reserve formations with more speed than anyone had anticipated. It was also clear that, rather than making headway toward a breakout, the 5th Division was badly scattered and hard pressed on all fronts. The division commander decided that it was time to concentrate and attempt to get some room to manoeuvre. The division would move west toward Kalisz. 2nd Brigade would remain roughly in place, with 3-77 Armoured holding Kolo as a bridgehead across the Warta River. 1st Brigade and the division command would move overland to Uniejow. A battalion would hold the river crossing while the main body moved into reserve across the river. 256th Brigade was to fall back along the road to Sieradz and hold the Warta River crossing there.

15th July: In the morning, 1st brigade began its withdrawal but was hit by the Soviet 20th Tank Division while moving across open ground to Uniejow. By afternoon, over a dozen Soviet tanks were burning and the 20th Tank Division had been driven back badly mauled. 2-11 Infantry, however, had been overrun at Kutno. A badly depleted brigade limped in to Uniejow by nightfall, only to find the bridge across the Warta blown. The 7th Engineer Battalion began rebuilding the bridge by torchlight with what local materials it could find. 256th Brigade’s main body remained in Lask all day due to a lack of fuel, but 4-12 Cavalry moved back and secured Sieradz and the Warta river bridge there. 1st brigade with the 3/143 Infantry at Konin and the 3-77 Armoured at Kolo, sent its remaining battalion, 1-40 Armoured, south to Kalisz to secure the division rear area.

16th July: The division’s situation began deteriorating rapidly. 256th Brigade at Lask was hit hard from the east and northeast by strong mechanised forces and the brigade headquarters was overrun. Still short of fuel, most of the brigade’s tanks fought and died in place, and surviving personnel broke out on foot into the woods to the southwest. The attacking force was identified as the Soviet 124th Motorised Rifle Division, another component of the 4th Guards Tank Army. At the same time, that the 256th Brigade was being overrun, advanced elements of the Soviet 21st Motorised Rifle Division appeared behind 4-12 Cavalry’s positions at Sieradz, having approached on the road from Zloczew. This was yet another division of the 4th Guards Tank Army. 4-12 Cavalry, by now reduced to only about 200 troopers, withdrew up the road to Kalisz.
By late afternoon, the 1-40 Armoured of the 1st Brigade at Kalisz was pushing back infantry probes from the direction of Pleszew to the west and Ostrow to the southwest. The bridge at Uniejow was completed by late morning and 1st Brigade began bringing across its heavy equipment. Polish cavalry from the west was cautiously probing 1st Brigade’s positions at the crossing point.
That evening, the division commander ordered all elements of the division to blow the Warta River bridges and concentrate at Kalisz. While this was possible at Konin, Kolo and Uniejow, the bridge at Sieradz had already fallen and the 21st Motor Rifle Division had crossed further south at Wielun, in any event.

17th July: By daybreak, the pressure on 1-40 Armoured, by now joined by the remnants of 4-12 Cavalry, was mounting. Polish infantry from Pleszew was now being joined by light armoured vehicles believed to be from the 10th Polish Tank Division. The infantry at Ostrow had been identified as elements of the Soviet 12th Guards Tank Division, a weak formation which had been in reserve near Legnica. However, it was now being joined by mechanised vehicles believed to belong to 21st Motorised Rifle Division. At midday, advanced pickets of the 4-12 Cavalry reported a large mechanised column advancing up the road from Sieradz toward Kalisz. 1-40 Armoured was beginning to strain under the pressure from the west and southwest and couldn’t spare any troops for the new threat.
Advanced elements of the 1st Brigade were approaching from the north, however, and the remaining 10 M1A2s of 3-70 Armoured turned off the road between Kalisz and Turek and advanced overland to take the Soviet column in flank. 2-21 Field Artillery pulled its six howitzers of the road behind them and set up to deliver supporting fires. 3-10 Infantry, mostly in trucks, would follow up to support the tanks.
3-70 Armoured reached a position two kilometres north of the road at 1100 hours with nothing left in their tanks but fumes. Taking up defilade positions atop a low rise, the battalion commander saw the main body of the soviet 124th Motor Rifle Division stretched out on the road below him. At 1110 hours the battalion opened fire and immediately began registering hits along the length of the column. Soon the column was covered in dense black smoke from burning vehicles, through which the tankers could see numerous secondary explosions as ammunition vehicles went up.
By 1220 hours the Soviets were counterattacking, but several attempts to storm the position by tanks and armoured personnel carriers were broken up, and the 2000 metres of open ground between 3-70 Armoured’s position and the road became littered with the wrecks of most of the Soviet division’s remaining armour. A late afternoon attempt to outflank the position was thwarted by the arrival of 3-10 Infantry.
As night fell, the division commander took stock of the situation. 1st Brigade, with 3-70 Armoured and 3-10 Infantry, was on the left overlooking the Sieradz road. 4-12 Cavalry and 1-40 Armoured were holding Kalisz. 3-143 Infantry of 2nd Brigade was in the woods north of Kalisz on the road to Konin, guarding the division’s right, while 2nd Brigade’s 3-77 Armoured formed a small division reserve just behind Kalisz. 3-19 Field Artillery was deployed with 3-77 Armoured, while 2-21 Field Artillery was still several kilometres to the northeast, along with most of the division supply and maintenance echelon.
The Soviet 124th Motor Rifle Division had been shattered on the Sieradz road, but pressure was building from the Soviet 21st Motor rifle Division at Ostrow and the Polish 10th Tank Division at Pleszew. Rearguard parties were reporting increased activity along the Warta river line behind the division, and the remnants of the Soviet 20th Tank Division was still out there somewhere.
The division commander decided on a breakout to the south, exploiting the damage 1st brigade had handed to the 124th Motor Rifles the day before. The division’s emergency fuel reserve would be dispersed to the units, everyone would top off and carry as many rations and as much ammo as they could carry. Supply and maintenance parties would split up and attach themselves to the nearest combat units and follow them out.
2nd Brigade would spearhead with the 3-77 Armoured and 3-143 Infantry (moved down by night from the north), driving south from it’s blocking position. The division artillery would put every available round on Ostrow to break up any potential attack from the 21st Motor Rifles. 4-12 Cavalry would follow up the 2nd Brigade and work its way into the woods between Ostrow and Ostrzeszow to cover the right flank. 1-40 Armoured would hold Kalisz until the remaining elements of the division had moved south, then fight a delaying action against pursuit. Considering the odds, the chances of success were slim, but it was the only show in town.
As it happened, the 21st Motorised Rifle Division and Polish 10th Tank Division struck first. The attack came in hard three hours before dawn, using infrared lights. 1-61 Infantry had already pulled out of it’s blocking position north of Kalisz and was in road march passing through the crossroads when the first artillery rounds began falling on the town. 1-40 Armoured holding the perimeter had the advantage of being in place and it’s thermal sights were less affected by the smoke that soon covered everything than were the Soviet IR lights. But 10th Polish Tank Division’s attack hit empty positions, and within an hour they were behind Kalisz in the division rear. Shortly before dawn, Polish armoured vehicles entered the division headquarters area. The division commander radioed in the clear to all units with the sound of gunfire in the background, “Good luck. You’re on your own, now.”

The 3rd Army, consisting of the German III Corp (6th PGD, 21st PGD, 29th PD, Jutland (Danish) Mechanised Division) and XI US Corp (5th ID, 8th ID, 50th AD, 2nd MARDIV, 4th Canadian Mechanised Brigade and the 116th ACR) were to sweep the Baltic coastline clear of Pact forces. Numbering approximately 30,000 troops and over 185 tanks it was a force more than capable of achieving it's goals, especially when it is considered that no major operations had been conducted in about a year (time in which fuel, food and ammunition was being stockpiled).

At the commencement of the offensive, Pact forces in the area consisted of little more than the remnants of almost all Poland’s military forces (predominately cavalry with mostly 40+ year old tanks). Total Polish strength was barely 20,000 men and 28 tanks. Between them and Czechoslovakia was the might of the Soviet Army - virtually impregnable for the forces of NATO in 2000.

Holding the right flank of the starting position of the offensive was the British army (region of Berlin and Frankfurt). Facing them across well prepared positions was the northern end of the Soviet line. It would have been the British responsibility to hold these Soviet positions with those units already in contact while swinging their reserves up and around behind the 3rd Army to cover their rear. Due to the appearance of the Soviet 4th Guards Army approximately 700km to the east, these units never moved.

The plan was simple enough in concept and should have been almost simpler in execution. XI US Corp was to lead, perhaps due to the usual American desire to be predominant, maybe because they had been resting longer, or perhaps it was as simple as them being in the best position to begin with. For whatever reason, the US 5th ID found itself the spearhead, tasked with making the initial breakthrough and then bearing south in an attempt to outflank and cut supply lines to Soviet forces close to the German border (the same ones facing the British).

Meanwhile amphibious landings were to be made by the 2nd MARDIV across the river estuaries of northern Poland with the 8th ID heading further east to cut lines of any hope of reinforcement from Russia. The 50th Armoured Division was to fill the gap between the 5th and 8th while 116th ACR and Can 4th Mech Bde were held in reserve.

The remainder of the 3rd Army were tasked with filling the gap between the 5th ID and the British forces. They, like the British, had barely reached the start line recently vacated by the US units before the Soviet 4th Guards Army screwed everything up.

The Polish units directly in the path of the juggernaut US XI Corps, simply melted away in the face of far superior technical and numeric forces rather than submitting to the certainty of defeat and destruction. Heading north in good order they entered the area between Gdansk and Slupsk to begin harassing the northern flank of the offensive. Although cut of from the rest of the Pact forces, their supply needs were minimal due to low numbers and high reliance on horses. Food was also plentiful with rich fishing grounds to three sides. With the Polish withdrawal north, XI Corps were forced to commit the 50th AD to hold them in check until the Canadians and 116th ACR could be brought up to assist with eliminating them.

The Canadians and bulk of 116th ACR however had been called upon to assist the British to hold an increasingly restless Soviet Army. The Germans were due to relieve the Canadians and 116th in place within a week, freeing them to join the 50th AD, crush the under equipped Poles and catch up with the remainder of the XI Corp.

The US 2nd MARDIV commenced it’s move by sea to assault the area from the ruins of Gdansk to Elblag escorted by the only US Destroyer still afloat in within five thousand miles, the USS John Hancock. Although the move was successful, valuable equipment was lost when a supporting vessel struck a sea mine and sunk taking nearly 30% of the divisions stores with it. Fortunately almost all the divisions personnel and armour made it to shore, but within a week were running short on fuel. Ammunition expenditure had been minimal due to the absence of any enemy opposition beyond local militias, while food was plentiful in the mainly agricultural floodplains.

Faced with the growing fuel shortage and lack of significant enemy units within the area to raid for more, the divisional commander chose to move westward with the aim of linking up with the 50th AD and lending what support he could against the trapped Poles.

By the middle of July the situation had changed dramatically for the worse. The US 5th ID was about to face annihilation, the 8th had moved far beyond it’s originally intended area chasing fleeing rear area Pact units, the 50th was stalled, holding the Polish forces in place and waiting for the Canadians and 116th ACR to arrive, and the 2nd Marines were virtually immobile but slowly crawling westward. There was nobody who could rescue the beleaguered 5th ID and the last reported position of the 8th was, amazingly, somewhere in western Russia.

As the sudden appearance of the Soviet 4th Guards Army had stirred up the entire European front with pressure being brought to bear everywhere, the 3rd Army commander had no choice but to cut his losses and attempt to consolidate what few gains had been made. The German III Corp was given orders to move into positions supporting British and other German units, but before this order could be carried out, the remaining Polish units not trapped by the US 50th AD or in contact with the remnants of the US 5th ID, began exerting northward pressure around the eastern flank of the Canadians and 116th ACR. Soviet units held in reserve moved northward directly against the Canadians forcing them back towards the coast.

What had initially been conceived as a deep penetration into central Poland via the Baltic coast, followed by right swing to cut off Pact forces had suddenly turned into a gigantic trap for the Americans and Canadians as Pact divisions forced their way towards Szczecin. With the German units already on the road elsewhere the race was on between the Americans and Soviets – if the Soviets reached the coastline first, the entire XI Corps would be cut off.

The 2nd MARDIV made contact with the right (east) flank of the 50th AD just in time. Fuel reserves were transferred and suddenly the marines were mobile once more. The bulk of the 50th ADs fighting force was hurriedly redeployed southward to screen the 2nd Marines move from the much more dangerous Soviets (the marines taking over responsibility for holding the Poles back).

Meanwhile the Canadians and 116th ACR fell back under increasing pressure from combined Soviet and Polish forces, towards the Corp HQ at Karlino, unable to do more than slow the oncoming mass of troops and tanks.