Soviet forces have now secured the Baltic States and are probing into German lines at the border with East Prussia. To the South Soviet forces are pounding slowly, but steadily, west after the success of liberating Minsk. The Germans, after initially putting up a fanatic defense in this sector, are trading land for time here and the fighting has now become extremely fluid. Further to the south the lines have stabilized as both sides have fought each other to exhaustion and are taking an operational pause to rest and regroup. German forces in the Orel pocket have given up land and consolidated into stronger defensive positions as the Luftwaffe tries in vain to keep the pocket supplied.

The U.S. 5^th fleet clashes with Japanese naval and air forces south of Formosa in the Battle of the South China Sea. The battle is initiated when U.S. B-31 bombers operating out of the Philippines drop two atomic bombs on Formosa shortly after a massive series of conventional air strikes against targets all over the island. The atomic bombs take out the two largest Japanese air bases on Formosa. However, due to extreme luck on the part of the Japanese, a large strike force of fighters and bombers had finished taking off from the bases just several minutes before the simultaneous atomic strikes.

Douglas Skyraider

The Japanese strike force consists of nearly 200 land-based bombers and prop fighters as well as several dozen Shinden jet fighter escorts. These jet escorts clash with carrier jets from the U.S. aircraft carriers and thus the first jet-on-jet naval action in history occurs. This fighter engagement favors the U.S. although the Shinden and U.S. carrier jets are closely matched in terms of performance. Japan loses nearly 125 aircraft while the U.S. loses only about 65. Some of the Japanese bombers make it through and manage to moderately damage one U.S. Essex Class Carrier. Another carrier is attacked with chemical weapons but the chemicals are dispersed in the wind and prove not to be effective.

The second phase of the battle begins when the opposing fleets launch large strikes on each other�s carriers at nearly the same time. The Japanese have four carriers in the battle while the U.S. has six carriers and this numerical advantage will prove to be a decisive advantage for the U.S. fleet. The Japanese carrier-launched attack force has only limited fighter escort and mostly fails to get by the 5th fleet�s fighter protection. Another of the Essex Class carriers is moderately damaged when a torpedo bomber manages to score a hit on it but other than that the U.S. carriers come through largely untouched. The Japanese carriers would not be so lucky. U.S. torpedo and dive bombers sink three of the four Japanese carriers and damage the other one. In the span of eight hours Japanese air power on Formosa and the carrier aviation wing of the Japanese Navy have been virtually destroyed.

USS Bunker Hill hit by 2000lb bomb

   The Japanese lose nearly 300 aircraft in addition to the three carriers, while the U.S. loses  roughly 100 aircraft in all.

Britain sets July 28^th as the launch date of their offensive in Libya. The British have massed the largest army ever seen in Africa, with some 550,000 British, Canadian, Indian, and Australian soldiers and nearly 1000 tanks massed at the front. This has taken a considerable amount of time and effort and may be the last such big offensive that the British will be able to afford in the theatre for a long time. The pressure upon the British Army to break the Axis in North Africa has become intense with some in Britain saying the continuation of the War depends upon its success in Libya.

   Guderian has seen the build up proceeding and is preparing a strategy of his own. He is out-numbered but confident he can hold his positions. He has stiffened Italian infantry at the front of his lines with elite German infantry and anti-tank forces while carefully massing his all-German mechanized and armored divisions at key points behind the lines. Both sides will have plenty of artillery and air power in support.

   By coincidence, Rommel has also set July 28^th as the jump-off date for his westward offensive in Algeria.

Three divisions of U.S. marines come ashore on three different Formosa beaches on the western part of the island following massive air and off-shore bombardment. The marines manage to establish beach heads despite strong Japanese resistance and suicidal Japanese human-wave counter attacks. The U.S. commanders have elected not to use atomic bombs on the beach head although they have two available for use. Instead, they have decided to wait until after they are pushing inland before using the nuclear weapons. This change in atomic doctrine has come about as a result of the U.S. learning more about radiation contamination. It is not a good idea to contaminate your staging area.

Britain begins shipping early-model Meteor jet airframes to the Soviet Union after over a year of requests from the Soviets for them to do so. The U.S. will provide the jet engines themselves. The U.S. and Britain have decided to begin supplying the Soviets with these aircraft since they are now relatively obsolete and wouldn�t be a threat in any post-war situation.

   Further North the Japanese have managed to establish moderately strong defensive positions along the Yalu in northern Korea and along the Manchurian-Chinese border. However, these defensive forces arrayed against the Soviets lack any real strategic depth. The Chinese offensive in the north has turned out to be more of a nuisance than anything else, sucking away Japanese units that could otherwise be providing some depth for the forces facing the Soviets.