Spanish-Floridian War

[Greywall]

The sudden attack on an emissary was a disgusting and horrid act that would not go unpunished, within hours the Spanish Empire declared war on the South East Tribes of Florida. Most of its mighty fleet would cross the Atlantic, over 500,000 well trained and heavily armed Spanish troops were given orders to invade Florida. 

 

 

Official Declaration of War

 

From this day on, the Empire of Spain declares war on the savage unkept tribes of Florida. Our army shall break these renegades and reestablish order to the territory. Glory to our army, and glory to Emperor Mendoza. May God bring our empire victory.

 

-Chavez Gustava, head of propaganda and social affairs 

 

Invasion of Jacksonville

 

 

Squadrons of Spainish Buffalos would fly recon over the coast of Florida, as the Spanish fleet closed in long range guns on the El Cid Battleships began to open fire along Palm Valley and Jacksonville beach, their guns decimating anything not prepared for their hard hitting shells. Aircraft from carriers flew out constantly looking for enemy aircraft, if none were found they would strafe anything that moved on the ground near the city. Spanish transport ships carrying Spanish infantry in the first wave upwards to 15,000 troops were split into three strike teams. Strike team A would land at Usina Beach, their goal was to secure Araquey and make a landing for the tanks. strike team B would hit Atlantic beach, mission goals to engage any enemy resistance head on to draw away from the other strike teams. And Strike team C would land at Cedar Point, their goal was to secure the North flank and establish a forward landing base for the main invasion. 

 

All while the invasion took place heavy bombers being flown off carriers would bombard targets at the center of Jacksonville. 

 

 

Imperial Subs would be deployed to cut off any and all enemy ship activity along the coast threatening the Imperial fleet, and Spanish operatives began working double time in Cuba to establish it as a primary forward base, the war for Florida had begun.

 

 

 

Spanish El Cid class warship firing its long range guns on the beaches of Jacksonville.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Greywall

[supercheese]

Radars watching the oceans would alert the Native forces of the large approaching Spanish navy. Men on the ground would identify enemy carriers which would be the primary target for the nations artillery, who would bring their full barrage down on them. Smoke screens across Jacksonville would be ignited, covering the city in smoke. Large bombfires would also be created to give more coverage for the troops on the ground, the bombings only adding to the coverage. Sight in Jacksonville and surrounding cities would become incredibly difficult. Soldiers would be impossible to distinguish from citizens on the ground, as they were dressed fairly the same.

Unisa Beach

The Spanish forces would find relatively little resistance landing, but taking Araquey would be a different matter. All bridges crossing the Tolomato River would be struck by artillery or destroyed with bombs, making crossing impossible. Snipers would take up positions and target anyone that appeared to be a commander. Araquey would be locked down well as all other towns in the area. Roads would be blocked up with cars which were trapped with car bombs and mines, making traveling down roads very dangerous. To the north, nearly 50,000 soldiers would set up in the woodland near south Ponte Vedra beach and setup ambushes, since the only way to take their target now was to head north.

Atlantic Beach

Much like at Unisa Beach the landing Spanish forces would face little resistance, and like at Unisa beach all bridges crossing the river would be blown, forcing the Spanish forces south if they wished to advance. The only bridge left was route 210, which would bring both task force A and B together, and in range of the Native ambushes. All roads would be blocked up with cars that were strategically placed with car bombs and mines, and small teams of natives would set up ambushes on the way way to the last remaining bridge. The advancing Spanish forces would be under constant machine gun and sniper fire as they moved forward. A small force of 5000 soldiers would leave Mayport naval base, which was wrecked beyond use, into the nearby national park and wait there for now.

Cedar Park

Only a single road lead away from where the Spanish landed (Again unopposed) which would take them through a small National Park which held a force of about 10,000 natives waiting to ambush them.

In total the bombings by the Spanish would kill a total of 5,000 soldiers in the area, aswell as another 3,000 civilians. Several artillery pieces would also be destroyed, but thanks to the smoke cover much of the artillery force and civilian and troop would be spared from direct coordinated attacks. Word would spread across the Nation of the war, and the full force of the Native military was assembled and readied to fight against European oppression yet again. A public speach was being prepared.

Edited January 26, 2015 by supercheese

[Greywall]

As the bloody carnage hit full, the Spanish forces prepped the second wave, this time 45,000 troops hitting the beach backed with 200 panzer tanks.

 

Enemy artillary strikes tried to hit Imperial ships but came nowhere close to the carriers that laid out of range, they did however hit several transport boats killing 3,000 Spanish troops before they could hit the beach. The smokescreen was unexpected but the training and orders given were clear, a nation that kills emissaries doesn't get the comfort of mercy. Troops would fire on anything in front of them, soldier, citizen, woman or child. 

 

Unisa Beach

 

Becoming a bloodbath quickly, Spanish troops orders soon went to taking South Vedra. They were immediately ambushed by a much larger enemy force, Imperial troops became bogged down and casualties rose quickly. Radio operators in the brigades requested aerial support and even for a Destroyer to lay down fire in the woods, 20 BF-109s began peppering the large enemy force with diving strafes quickly piling up enemy kills. The Spanish Destroyer Atreyu came in range and began laying down fire putting Spanish troops in danger. 

Second wave landings arrived with 10,000 reinforcements and 50 tanks, Panzers made quick work pushing away the barricades but mines prevented them from moving quickly as three Panzer tanks were crippled. Not to anyone's surprise sniper nests attack engineers and went aggressively toward officers killing four Spanish captains. 

 

Atlantic Beach

 

With the bridges blown to all hell, the Atlantic beach group were given orders to secure Oak Harbor and Mayport in order to land heavy materials. They engaged a small force of 5000 and quickly laid siege to the area. Several BF-109's began dropping small ordnance bombs on Fort George Island to destroy any resistance that might come from the other shore as Spanish landing craft come up the St Johns River. As the fighting intensified, Reinforcements landed in Atlantic beach bringing a bulk force of 20,000 troops and 50 tanks. With Atlantic beach cleaned up, it became the forward landing base for the invasion. 

 

Cedar National Park

 

Spanish troops had landed in what would be thought the least defended area of the city. They were wrong. Mass ambushes crippled the advancement of troops and attempts to push forward ran them into heavier resistance. After hours of firefights in the forest, Spanish troops began burning the trees and going South toward Fort George Island. Second wave troops were ordered to land there making a direct assault backed the by first wave and aerial bombardments. As Cedar National Park burned to the ground native forces would either try and continue engagement, flee or die in the blaze. 25,000 more troops landed near Fort George backed with 100 Panzers. 

 

As the fighting dragged on the sun seemed blocked out by the smoke pluming from Jacksonville. As soon as the BF-109 fighters returned to their carriers they were ordered back out to bomb anything in the city. No reports of any aerial resistance meant unrestricted aerial control. Battleships continued firing as twilight darkened the sky setting more of Jacksonville on fire. 

 

 

Spanish losses: 12,000 in the first wave.

 

Radio communication would reach Madrid to an angry Mendoza, the losses were far higher than anticipated and changed to keep public opinion of the war high. 

 

 

Fighting in Park, Journal recovered from Private Richard Lopez

 

"Didn't know what to think at first, war? now? But what those savages did to our ambassador can't be forgiven. We're the mighty Empire of Spain and we don't let this shit happen easily. But after today? I have no idea how this war is going to end. Sure we got the technology, the ships and definitely an edge with the air but...they were just everywhere! One second we're landing no shots fired, nothing, the next all you hear are rifles going off and that bloody screaming...the screaming those barbarians make. We held ground advanced tree to tree, shit would see a corpse every time, at first just ours. The poor fools at the very front were slaughtered instantly, Our captains told us to prep our bayonets and we just went to work. 

I must have run out of ammo several times in my Kar98, but luck or what have you, the dead provided us enough ammo to stave off the constant ambushes in the park. Then they started firing flares into the treeline, though it was for aerial support. Nope, they set the forest on fire on bloody fire! We fell back to the landing zone and marched south for Fort George which the forest just up in flames. I thought I heard screaming but you can never know. Met up with the second wave and them bringing in those monsters, the Panzers...definitely feel better. But we lost alot of men, in just the first day." 

 

 

Spanish forces have secured the landing zones, but have not fulfilled their objectives. Engineers have dug in trenches around Atlantic Beach and Imperial forces have quickly overrun Fort George and surrounded Mayport.

 

 

Imperial troops near Vedra beach where the fighting is still ongoing.

[supercheese]

As the bombs fell on Jacksonville the fires began spilling out of control. By night fall, the entire city was ablaze. Under the cover of the smoke and with night falling, the Natives would take the chance to bring in reinforcements, which would be focused on the North as this was the only direction left for the Spanish to advance.

Unisa Beach

The battle was fought hard and long, and while the fight was lost, its objective had been accomplished. The advance of the Spanish was stopped to the East of the Tolomato River. The remaining natives retreated across the bridge before blowing it, effectively sealing the Spanish in their beach head.

Atlantic Beach/Mayport

As Mayport was overrun, a call went out to the artillery, and the already badly damaged base was hit hard by artillery fire. The artillery would continue to rain down on the base and surrounding for hours to come.

Cedar Park

After a skirmish with Spanish forces the Spanish turned instead to Fort George. The natives would abandon the woods and Spread out along the St. Johns River. They would mostly give coordinates for native artillery fire on ships attempting to come up the river, aswell as harass any forces that landed.

Fort George

Much like Mayport, Fort George quickly found itself overruned, and like Mayport would be struck hard with Artillery fire. It was likely the Fort would become the staging grounds for the next round of Spanish advances, so nearly 500,000 natives moved North of Fort George and would dig in, setting ambushed, mines, traps, barracading road ways with cars and car bombs and the like.

Tolomato River

The retreating Natives would regroup a short distance from the Tolomato River, and was met with another 100,000 soldiers, which would spread out along the river focusing on bridges should the enemy attempt to repair them. Snipers also spread out, mostly for surveillance work, though would jump at the chance to take down further officers. Anything that looked like a buildup of enemy forces would be relayed to the artillery and would be hit with hard. Anything the Spanish engineers tried to rebuild would suffer the same fate.

A total of 30,000 natives died in the initial fighting, a large number especially compared to the losses of the Spanish. But if there was one thing on the Natives side, it was numbers.

[Peter Ilyich]

To: The Men of Spain, Germany, and The South East Tribes (OOC: Without knowledge of the letter being sent to the others)
From: President Maurice J. Tobin of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has for a long time been a neutral nation, and as you look at the position in which our nation is in, it seems as if our decision-making has been rather worthwhile. Now, I may assure you that I am not Calvin Coolidge. I am Maurice J. Tobin, and I will make decisions differently in the Commonwealth than Coolidge has. This "quarrel" has now turned into a major military engagement that the Commonwealth refuses to stand for, and it is on this day that we shall finally speak our doctrine.

Currently, we have very intentions to join this conflict. We do not want to sound as if we hold your fate in our very palm, but I would like to ask why exactly we should not be shooting at you and your people, and instead choose a different enemy?

Because of our occupation and annexation of the Less Antilles, the war in the area is indeed threatening our feeling of National Security. Please, let us bring this to a quick end by explaining the above to us. Thank you.

[Greywall]

Private letter to Commonwealth of Massachusetts 

 

"The Empire is fighting this war against a nation that finds it acceptable to not only harm and kill an emissary, but scalp him on live television. Our nation was going to negotiate the release of several thousand oppressed Europeans living as second class citizens and bring them to a better life in our empire. Instead they butchered an unarmed man and will pay for it. If your commonwealth joins us, rest assured the Spanish army will not forget and we will safe guard your expansions into the Antilles."

 

 

Floridan war

 

With native forces fleeing across the river, artillery shells battered Imperial troops at Fort George. BF-109 fighters are sent to locate and destroy the enemy artillery flying low and fast. Imperial troops with no options bring in artificial bridges. The plan is regroup and begin an all out assault on the other side of the river. 200 Panzer tanks row up first shelling anything that moves across the river, infantry then move in a mass wave of 30,000 between 116 and 10's bridges. With firefights breaking out despite armored support, BF-109 fighters armed with in small bombs are brought in to pound the native forces. Targets such as a grocery store and school are picked believed to be forward command posts as 67 fighters run a 24 hour bombing spree coming in back and forth from the carriers. The bridges aren't repaired bt Spain's first assault to cross the river has begun.

 

A second invasion is being prepped, over 50,000 troops and 400 tankettes will land at Palm coast, their objective is to burn and pillage everything between them and St. Augustine. 

Edited January 29, 2015 by Greywall

[supercheese]

The letter from Massachusetts would be burned.

Tolomato River

The reinforcements had brought heavy arms with them, and the coastlines had been layered with mines. The night provided excellent cover for the troops along the coast, and come dawn a new layer of smokescreen covered the coast. Snipers who had been observing the coasts would note the enemy tanks building up on the coast, which would be hit hard by artillery, and once the tanks and troops began crossing, they would meet heavy resistance with machine gun nests littering the coast. Heavy antitank weaponry would strike the Spanish hard as they attempted to take the coast.

The still smoldering city aswell as smokescreen made pinpointing artillery positions difficult, however several positions were compromised and wiped out by Spanish forces.

Fort George

With radar showing much of the Spanish navy leaving, a strike would be made on Fort George. Nearly 250,000 soldiers descended on fort george, armed with anti-tank weaponry and artillery support to use against Spanish armor. The full force of the Naval artillery would be brought down on the remaining Spanish warships. The objective was to cover the Native attack on Fort George.

Palm Coast
Reinforcements traveling up the Coast would be alerted that Spanish forces were headed towards Palm coast. A 100,000 soldiers would break off to meet the Spanish attack. Rushing to the Palm Coast, the landing Spanish forces would quickly find themselves under a surprise and heavy attack by the Natives.

[Greywall]

Tolomato River 

 

All hell broke loose following the assault on the river, Spanish tanks were the only thing keeping the Imperials in the fight and antitank guns and artillery were killing Panzers fast. Not willing to sacrifice the Panzers, mass infantry waves engaged the natives using everything at their disposal. With heavy losses they managed to overwhelm the natives. Remaining Panzers demolished machine gun nests and slaughtered the natives trying to hold their ground, Spanish forces had finally accomplished the difficult task of crossing the river but it came at a terrible cost. 

 

50 Panzer tanks were destroyed and 24,000 troops were lying dead in the river. 

 

Fort George

 

Imperial forces got hit hard, Panzers were immediately wrecked and ordered to fall back as the massive assault laid siege to the Spanish. Infantry dug in getting behind cover and setting tanks apart to prevent heavy losses by antitank fire. Natives practically overwhelmed forward defenses with sheer numbers, as they approached the resort however several MG34's and mortar rounds began cutting down the advancement. After a bitter bloodbath the Spanish managed to hold their ground but lost valuable armor support and ground needed to counterattack. 

 

Palm Coast

 

As soon as the Landing force landed the natives began their attack, surprising Spanish troops with the sudden attack. Out in the open the body count rose quickly, Tankettes gave Imperial troops a huge advantage dropping natives quickly with MG32 mounts. However during the fighting Spanish forces failed to find proper cover and to fall back leaving the landing force out in the open. 

[Greywall]

Telegram from Atlantic beach, to Native Jacksonville

 

"Our commanders wish to convene a meeting. Due to the nature of this conflict it must be held on the Spanish side of the Tolomato river."

[supercheese]

"Very well."

A single war chieftain was sent across the river. He would refuse to give his name as he demanded to speak with the Spanish leaders.

Meanwhile, the full might of the Native army had mobilized, and nearly a million soldiers approached Jacksonville. A few hours behind them were another million and behind that, another million.

Edited February 5, 2015 by supercheese

[Greywall]

The chieftain would be taken almost a mile into a Spanish camp, there he would see Imperial tanks and troops rushing to the river Spanish resolve to fight was still very much alive. As he entered the tent a single man would be in it, dressed in a grey uniform. 

 

He pointed to a fold out chair by the table centered in the tent, "Please have seat, I have coffee, tea or water if you'd like. Despite our situation, my status as an officer in this grande army will not stained by refusing a guest minor comfort" 

[supercheese]

"Nothing For me, thank you." The Native sat down cautiously as he continued speaking. "What is it you wished to discuss?"

[Greywall]

The officer poured himself a cup of black coffee, "Right to the point, my name is Tyrell Montoya, I am major of this regiment and commander of over a thousand of his majesty Emperor Mendoza's forces. We have come to the conclusion that while the continued slaughter of our forces is perfectly acceptable as we are a people of war and pride, we must also take note of a very curious advantage we both find ourselves in." 

 

He took a sip of the coffee before proceeding, "Now let me be clear, what your people did, unforgivable if not most nations would not sit if you and even discuss such but that being said...the Contra party is full of...boastful fools. So we believe this war has gone on long enough at least between our two nations. We merely ask for peace and of course the ending of all hostilities, we leave Florida you can proclaim victory. It does not matter."

 

A moment of time would pass before Montoya would start again, "Then there's the proposal, straight from Madrid. You have neighbor to the North, one we would like to see burn and one that holds lands that rightfully belong to your people. If the tribes were willing to say, wage war on them then the Empire will supply your nation with weapons needed to meet them. I imagine a few Panzer tanks would make your warriors stronger. But that's if you're interested in such things, we feel even if you don't at some point the Communist will spread down here, their kind always do." 

[supercheese]

"We are willing to accept your offer of surrender and allow you to retreat. As for your offer, it is tenpting to fight to retake our land, however from what our intelligence as gathered you aren't exactly winning at the moment. We doubt your ability to be able to supply us with the materials we need to launch a successful invasion without your forces having control of the Seas."

Edited February 7, 2015 by supercheese