Battle of Fosen Pennisula (ALLIES)

[Empire of Ezria]

Battle of Fosen Pennisula

With the planet of Fundin'Gar slipping free from their grasp over the past four months, and the entry of both Eshara and the RWU into the war the Graal have begun withdrawing from many parts of the country along with their allies with the eventual hope of rescue from the Graal fleet. They have fallen back to the space port on the Fosen Peninsula, occupying the large city of Narvik and turning the city into a fortress. The Graal have turned to looting the surrounding area to make up for short falls in supplies, while the huge numbers of civilians means that orbital bombardment is not an option unless the fleets want to risk mass casualties. Spurning the offer of Dronavi surrender, the Graal seem content to do what they do best. Fight.



Forces:
Graal:
--1 Graal Infantry Army
--1 Planetary Conscript Army
--1 Dronavi Infantry Army


RWU:
- 4 Infantry Armies
- 3 People's Militia (Planetary Garrison)
- 3 Armored Divisions (1 at 90%)
- 2 Artillery Divisions

Dronav:
--2 Infantry Armies
--1 Planetary Conscript Army
--1 Armored Division


Posting Order:
--Dronav
--RWU
--Graal
--Modmark

[Dronav Holdworlds]

Major Varl of the FHA had ordered his men to surround the city and await further orders. The RWU forces had been greeted as friends of the reclamation. The plan proposed by the FHA suggested that the infantry would dig in around the city with armor acting as quick response forces, while the RWU's artillery pounded the graal forces into submission.

[Revolutionary Workers' Union]

General Andrasa Vilodor, a short Ayar in the drab green of the Revolutionary Workers' Army, looked over the virtual battlefield display with mixed feelings. The enemy was surrounded, outnumbered, and hopelessly outgunned. Her only concern was for the millions of civilians trapped in the city: While the obvious tactical imperative was to bombard the enemy mercilessly and indiscriminately, the moral imperative was less clear. On the one hand, heavy and wide bombardment would destroy innocent lives. On the other, passing up a quick victory promised the same.

The general sighed. "Comrade Radio Officer Wayad," she spoke to one of the numerous personnel around her, "Please inform our Dronavi comrade Major Varl that we regret that we cannot comply fully with his request. The following is our counter-proposal, designed to ensure quick victory with minimal loss of civilian life:

"The main RWU infantry and armor will join with the FHA to secure the suburbs and industrial outskirts of the city from the relatively light enemy presence therein, with the People's Militia acting as a reserve. Artillery support will target identified enemy positions if necessary. Then, a fortified perimeter will be formed at the edges of the city proper, closer to the Hegemony forces than in the current encirclement.

"If the enemy chooses to leave its main positions in the city to engage ours in the suburbs and outskirts, then all armor and the People's Milita will converge on the point of conflict while all artillery concentrates fire on identified enemy troops movements. If not, we will identify what enemy positions we can from the closer perimeter and demolish them with artillery fire, and the initiate a cautious advance of infantry and armor -supporting one another- towards the city center, with artillery as always ready to target any identified enemy positions as necessary."

_____

Rows of People's Militia in camouflage-colored kevlar jackets and helmets threw their arms forward and up, sending the RG-L15 rifles and three-foot sword bayonets into a collective upward slash. Well-behind the front lines along with the crews and vehicles of the RWA 1st-3rd Armored Divisions, the 3rd-5th People's Militia had been drilling for hours. The drills were especially necessary given that no-one in the People's Militia was familiar with the RWA's laser rifles.

The RG-L15 looked strangely akin to an antique bolt-action rifle, but with the bolt replaced with a large, cylindrical battery that ejected after every thirty shots, and heat-resistant polymer bodies as opposed to wood.

Meanwhile, the 3rd-6th Revolutionary Guards joined with the Dronavi Infantry of the Free Holdworld Army at their trenchworks, awaiting orders from General Vilodor.

[Empire of Ezria]

'' Wait. Wait pup. '' Krasha Hertgruz growled as the unruly wretched made to open fire. Only the Krasha's growl and softly spoken words stopped him and the rest of the seemingly raw recruits from opening up. His eyes flickered towards the streets, he could see the ugly fixtures of Dronavi and Ayar tanks making their way through the close confines of the hab blocks. They were like a flock of sheep, walking into the slaughter. The much more experienced Krasha was waiting for something. It came when he tapped the firing mechanism for the remote controlled mine, sending the Dronavi tank it was situated under rolling onto it's side in a hail of metal.

'' NOW! '' The roar of Graal machine gun's and assault weapons became a frenzy as they swept the column. The ambush would last only minutes before the Ayar had brought up reinforcements. A high velocity shell punched into a nearby home, bringing it down and crushing the Graal squad inside to sickly pulp.

'' Start falling back to the next strong point. '' Hertgruz snarled at the young blood's under his command. After another ten minutes of furious combat, the street had fallen silent except for the moans of the wounded and dying.

[Empire of Ezria]

Moderation Mark

The crump of heavy artillery boomed through the close confines of the deserted streets and alleys, a heavy rain had begun to fall mixed with soot, debris, and ash as the RWU and Dronavi soldiers crept forward. Despite the efforts at reducing civilian casualties, such an order was impossible to carry out to due to the deliberate proximity of Dronavi civilian to Graal positions. They were quite literally becoming living shields for their Graal masters. The fighting was savage in the outskirts of the city, the Graal hunkering down in abandoned houses while RWU armor slowly toiled through the outer hab blocks. It was then that the Graal struck, pinning the RWU and FHA down in vicious well prepared crossfire that cut troops and tanks to ribbons before withdrawing. But both numerical and technical superiority we're overwhelming, it was only a matter of time before the Graal were pushed back to the city center, where the fighting would be even closer.

The left behind a trail of smoking ruins and corpses in their wake, using the urban environment to mask their regiment as well as the civilians whom we're also evidently being used as a food source in some pockets by the Graal as rations wore out. The city was completely surrounded after two weeks of bitter fighting, the Graal only having small artillery pieces to batter against the Ayar's siege guns which were used to devastating effect. It was clear that Narvik would be captured, the ultimate question would be at what cost in blood?

CASUATLES:

Graal:
1 Dronavi Collaborator Infantry Army (50%, low morale, beginning to desert and surrender)
1 Graal Infantry Army (85%)


RWU:
1 Armored Division (50%)
1 People's Militia (75%)

Dronav:
1 Infantry Army (80%)

[Dronav Holdworlds]

Major Varl watched the slow crawl of his troops on the holo map. He'd also heard the reports of cruelty perpetuated by the Graal. He was sending the RWU requests that the time table be pushed forward and that the Graal commander be taken alive if possible so he could face a war crimes tribunal.

[Revolutionary Workers' Union]

"Dronavi soldiers fighting for the Hegemony," announced RWU loudspeakers spread throughout the Allied perimeter. Except for the resounding voice of the Viipuruz'dur Dronavi on the intercom, there was no noise -even the artillery had fallen silent-.

"You have been pressed into the service of colonizers and barbarians. We know of the horrors taking place in the city. Do not stand for it! Fight the true enemy! If you cannot fight, flee!

"Rest assured that all Dronavi who approach our lines will be greeted as friends of the Liberation and the Revolution. Furthermore, for those who so prefer, citizenship in the Revolutionary Workers' Union and residence in the Revolutionary Hold of Viipuruz'dur is guaranteed.

"Repeat..."

_____

The roar of battle recommenced the next dawn. Precision Sledgehammer strikes sent pillars of red light incinerating through identified enemy perimeter defenses. Shortly thereafter, waves of Revolutionary Guards, followed by People's Militia, exited their trenches and advanced towards the city center.

Further behind, following at some distance, RWU tanks let loose showers of red from their main beam-cannons onto identified enemy buildings, atomizing smaller pockets of enemy activity with greater speed and efficiency than the distant artillery, which was reserved for the juicier targets of large troop movements, strategically-placed bunkers, and veritable redoubts.

[Empire of Ezria]

Moderation Mark

The Graal resisted stubbornly for the next two weeks. Fighting house to house and street to street was a battle of attrition, with the Graal not giving an inch. Many knew that they had no chance of mercy even if they surrendered. In the Graal psyche, they would rather die fighting for a purpose then die without one. Thus, they remained at their posts until they either ran out of ammunition or we're overrun. For their Dronavi allies however, there was still a chance for them. They defected in droves or even turned on their Graal masters for a chance at redemption. Near the end of the month long campaign, the city was in shambles and over a half million civilians had perished in the fighting. A garrison would need to remain in order to root out the occasional Graal pocket of resistance but for the first time in years the Dronavi could claim that the Dronavi Holdworld's were liberated.

OUTCOME:
Allied Victory
Liberation of Fundi'Garn.

Casualties:
Graal:
1 Graal Infantry Army (DESTROYED)
1 Dronavi Infantry Army (DESTROYED)
1 Conscript Army (DESTROYED)

RWU:
1 People's Militia (DESTROYED)

Dronav:
1 Infantry Army (50%)