PacPac Background and History

 Background & History

Formed initially from the political unification of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in 2050 through the evolution of bilateral and regional defense cooperation agreements with many other smaller nations joining in the following five years. When the Nihon Empire invaded New Guinea in 2060, large quantities of equipment were donated by the North American Combine to supplement the outdated 20th Century equipment possessed by the PanPac Defense Forces (PDF). This was seen as an expedient method of gaining allies and ensuring that Nihon forces were tied up in SE Asia rather than attacking the Eastern Flank of Combine territory.

For the second time Australian troops battled the Japanese along the Owen Stanley Ranges in New Guinea. Due to the terrain, mostly infantry units were deployed; the mountain tracks impassable to all armour units and even OGREs. The result was a stalemate with horrendous casualties sustained by both sides over 18 months of bitter fighting. To the Northwest, PDF troops skirmished with the Nihon screening forces in Indonesia. PDF troops were well behaved towards the locals and were involved in many initiatives to reduce human suffering, repairing collateral damage and restoring local government. Consequently, the Indonesian Government was soon partitioning for membership in the Pan Pacific Alliance and was accepted. With the active support of locals, Nihon forces were pushed out of Java and Sumatra and back into Borneo and the Philippines.

The integration of British forces after the Paneuropean invasion of the UK brought yet another group of foreign troops into service with the PDF. Reorganisation in 2080 created the "PanPac Foreign Legion" for service on the SE Asian front, and consisted of previously Indonesian, British, New Guinean, Australian, New Zealand and Indian troops. Militia and Australian forces were left in Australia for local defense. At this time, a small Combine sponsored OGRE manufacturing plant was established at a secret location in the vicinity of Melbourne (producing local variants of Mks III and V). This was the first time that native PanPac OGREs had been produced- previously they had been purchased from the Combine under a special "client state" favoured trading status.

The onslaught of the 2081 Nihon Offensive forced the rapid withdrawal of PDF forces from Indonesia after several desperate withdrawals and rear guard actions. Ownership of New Guinea was never contested- instead the Nihon Armies invaded continental Australia, the first ever to do so. However, to the Nihon Empire their push to gain territory to the South was always a secondary objective compared to the subjugation of the Chinese. It was simply a ploy to gain new resources- particularly the iron ores and dwindling oil deposits of Australia.

The Nihon invasion was planned with two phases: an initial feint with light forces around the Darwin area followed by a large force deployed into the Perth region of Western Australia (WA). Unfortunately, faulty intelligence meant that while strategic surprise was complete, the PDF forces were not deployed as believed. Forces around Darwin were much weaker than expected and many additional forces had been moved to WA for re-equipment and exercises. These forces were therefore available to repulse the main Nihon assault, which subsequently faltered. The PDF situation around Darwin, however, was much more desperate. The Nihon deception forces were able to bypass the minimal resistance and drive a considerable distance inland. Given the overall strategic reasons for the Australian campaign, the Nihon Commander reinforced the Darwin area with his follow up forces- abandoning the primary invasion area.

Over a three-year period, the Nihon forces were subject to constant raids by PDF Special Forces and partisans as they slowly pushed through the arid regions of Northern and Central Australia in a desperate attempt to reach the major population centers on the SE Australian coast. Due to the strategic emphasis given to the Chinese Campaign, the Nihon Imperial forces in Australia were forced to make do with minimal support from the homeland. The Central Australian Battle Area was bitterly contested with PDF forces, usually in obsolete equipment, often launched innovate counterattacks to damage the enemy- but at a heavy cost. With untenable supply lines subject to lightning amphibious attacks by PDF GEVs, the Nihon forces’ logistical base and supply lines collapsed. The forward units disintegrated as they ran out of ammunition and reinforcements. Pushing the remnants from Alliance territory and back into the Philippines, the exhausted PDF forces were forced to halt while a crippled nation rebuilt its military strength and industrial base.

PanPac Timeline

2050 PanPacific Alliance formed by the unification of Australia, New Zealand and PNG.

2052 Fiji petitions to join PanPac and is accepted

2055 Tonga, Samoa and other Micronesian countries become member states

Nihon Empire invades Philippines and New Guinea and clash with PDF forces. Both sides fought to a standstill over 18 months

2062 Indonesia accepted into PanPac Alliance

2068 Nihon Empire consolidates formerly independent SE Asian territories outside PanPac alliance

World War Three erupts…

Chinese Invasion of Philippines

2080 PDF reorganisation and integration of loyalist UK forces fleeing from PanE occupied Britain

Nihon Empire recaptures Philippines from the Chinese.

2081 Nihon Offensive pushes PDF forces out of Indonesia and consolidates holdings

Nihon Forces invade Australia

Nihon Forces in Australia suffer total logistical collapse and are destroyed. PDF forces

augmented by remnants of the UK Army follow up into Indonesia

Nihon forces cleared from Indonesia, Borneo and New Guinea.

Manila Accords: First Armistice.