The Battle of Włocławek

Background The Russians continued their ground offensive across Central Europe. The situation in Poland was particularly dire, as victory here would grant the Russians access to the major NATO expeditionary countries of Europe. The Russian conquest of the Scandinavian Peninsula had given Russia and CSTO a new front from which to launch assaults on the European continent. While amphibious access to the Baltic Sea was blocked by NATO naval power in the North Sea, Russia had been able to establish safe air lanes to launch an airborne assault on the North of Poland. Russian Airborne forced linked back up with the main CSTO ground forces. Captured Polish naval vessels were sent to increase pressure on the NATO blockade. The next few weeks of battle in Poland were argued by many historians to be the most decisive of the war.



Warsaw had fallen, and Russia controled approximately half of the country. The NATO front line was continually pushed back, only holding out for any considerable amount of time in the main cities and towns. The main front line in Central Poland was focused on the cities of Włocławek and Łódź. Włocławek was home to FOB Gibraltar and referred to as the NATO Whiskey Lima garrison. Łódź was home to Camp Liberty, the largest base east of Poznań at the time. As of October 1st, Włocławek was in danger of being encircled, as Russian tanks had pushed the line north of Włocławek back, and Belarusian troops continued harassing assaults on the city from the East.



NATO forces recognized this situation and rushed to reinforce Włocławek via forces from Camp Liberty. A continuous stream of supply vehicles rolled toward Wloclawek, filled with troops, ammunition, petrol, rations, and medical supplies. Russia's final arm around Włocławek had to cross the supply lines in order to entrap Włocławek's defenders. NATO did their best to allocate reinforcements to hold the line, but the Russians continually pushed them back. The essential supplies for the Whiskey Lima garrison were almost within firing range of the Russian spearhead. The straggling defenders in the area had to hold the line as long as possible, as every bullet that made it to Włocławek could contribute to stalling the CSTO advance across Poland, and subsequently, across Europe.