| Northern Vietnamese Offensive | |
|---|---|
| |
| Japanese soldiers. | |
Some attributes
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| First | Date: 11 July - 20 October 2105 |
| Second | Location: Northern Vietnam |
| Third | Result: Japanese tactical victory, Allied strategic victory |
Other attributes
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| Fourth | Belligerents: Japan - Allies |
| Fifth | Strength:
400,000 Japanese 100,000 Allies, 80,0000 Vietnamese |
| Sixth | Casualties and losses:
170,0000 Japanese 40,0000 Allies, 70,000 Vietnamese soldiers, 60,0000 Vietnamese civilians |
The Northern Vietnamese Offensive (11 July - 20 October 2105), also known as "Drive to Hanoi" and "Great Northern Offensive", was a Japanese offensive in Northern Vietnam with the goal of capturing Hanoi, capital of the Hanoi Council, a Council of Warlords. The Vietnamese Warlords teamed up with UN forces after the Japanese Ho Chi Minh Offensive. Although the Japanese employed a huge number of napalm bombs, they were repulsed and succeeded in taking over the region only in Autumn.
Background[]
apanese expansion into China in 2104 came under heavy scrutiny by the United Arab Republic, which contested Tokyo's claim that it was engaging in a peacekeeping mission and alleged Japan sought to seize territory for exploitative colonies. In response to an international appeal to end warlordism and mass murder in Vietnam, Japan announced it would begin a similar mission to the country. The action was initially supported by the Roman Empire and Texarkanan Mayorate, but Monaco denounced what it saw as overly aggressive behaviour by Japanese forces that included systematic and largely indiscriminate bombing of civil infrastructure.
In response, the UN established a peacekeeping mission to ensure further international intervention was conducted in accordance with humanitarian principles. While Japan did not vote against Resolution 4, it subsequently attempted to revoke it and refused to co-operate with the mission. Japan's international reputation rapidly deteriorated in the wake of the Rosemary incident that winter when Texark intelligence revealed the Imperial Japanese Navy was under standing orders to prevent UN ships from entering the Gulf of Tonkin. The Japanese government insisted it knew nothing of the incident and initially stated it would accept an international investigation into its activities in China and Vietnam, but it stalled implementation and withdrew from the General Assembly before an inspection team was organized.
In an attempt to deflect the charges of colonialism, Japan reconstituted its Vietnamese territories as the nominally independent Empire of Vietnam, although the government had virtually no real power and received no official recognition beyond Japan. Following the announcement that Japanese forces would not discriminate between UN forces and northern warlords, the United Arab Republic severed diplomatic relations with Tokyo over what it decried as deliberate belligerence intended to undermine peacekeeping efforts, shortly followed by New Rhodesia.
The Platonic Republic responded by adopting a militant hardline that led to its expulsion from UNVIFOR over concerns Greek brinkmanship was compromising the mission mandate. Athens dispatched a convoy to relieve the Hanoi Council that summer that was attacked and routed while passing through Japanese-controlled waters, resulting in heavy damage to the fleet and the capture of numerous Greek soldiers, leading to a hasty peace settlement in which Athens pledged to refrain from further activity in Vietnam.
In a separate incident, Japanese forces killed Irish aid workers operating in a UN-held border town in the Central Highlands Region. Although Tokyo issued an official apology and provided monetary compensation to the Irish government, the action was widely held as deliberate aggression, leading to official sanctions and spurring UNVIFOR sponsor states to increase their troop commitment.
Japanese Strategic Goals[]
The Warlords in Northern Vietnam, afraid of Japanese power, had organized the Hanoi Council, a fragile union. The Vietnamese had managed to gather an army of 80,000 troops. This was a serious threat to the Japanese forces in Vietnam, as the Japanese High Command was preparing an offensive in the South against the UN forces and if the Hanoi Council was not eliminated, Japanese forces in Vietnam would have to face a tow front war.
Also, the Japanese High Command has managed to discover the existence of pre-Cataclysm nuclear arsenals near Hanoi. With the nuclear warheads, Japan would dramatically increase it's chances of defeating the UN in an all out war. So, the takeover of Northern Vietnam was of vital importance for Japan.
Japanese Command[]
The Japanese Forces in Vietnam were under the command of General Takeshi Shiro, brother of Japanese Prime Minister Takeshi Ruchang. Shiro was an experienced General and had previously served under Marshall Toyotomi Hideyioshi during the Japanese invasion of China.
Takeshi Shiro believed that in order for Japan to conquer Vietnam, capturing Hanoi was vital, as it would provide the Japanese forces with an important communications and supplies center.
Takeshi Shiro had under his command 400,000 battle-hardened well trained troops equipped with the most modern weapons. Also, Shiro had under his command hundreds of bombers with which to bombard the enemy.
Japanese Offensive[]
Japanese Bombardment[]
The Japanese Air Force begun in July 11 2105 "Operation Storm I". Takeshi Shiro believed in the strategic bombing doctrine and so wanted to wipe out the enemy using the Air Force. Northern Vietnam was mercilessly bombarded for almost a whole month. The targets were all economic and military infrastructure, as well as all power, water and communication stations. A total 110,000 tons of bombs, mainly Napalms, were thrown by the end of the operation.
August Offensive[]
In August 9, 400,000 Japanese soldiers invaded the Northern Territories. The Vietnamese forces, because of the heavy bombardment, had been reduced to 60,000 and those immediately retreated in the face of Japanese overwhelming forces, as their morale had collapsed. The Japanese moved forward with lightening speed, countering only the most minimal resistance.
Allies land to Hanoi[]
At the same time, 100,000 Allied troops landed to Hanoi. Most of the troops were Arabs from the United Arab Republic, but there were also many Iranians and Irish soldiers. The Hanoi Council, facing the prospect of fighting against two highly modernized and very well trained armies, decided to join the UN and allow the Allies to take control of Hanoi.
Ahmad al-Karimi, Supreme United Nations Commander in Vietnam, met with the leadership of the Hanoi Council and welcomed them to the "struggle of free nations against Japanese imperialism".
Japanese Retreat[]
The Allies fortified along with the Vietnamese troops outside Hanoi and build large scale fortifications. The Japanese forces bombarded the area and attacked it for a whole month, but they were unable to force an Allied retreat.