Freezing the balls off a brass monkey

[Zoot Zoot]

OOC
Pre-warning, this is a closed thread with a planned war between me and Californian. I wont be recognising anyone else interfering or getting involved in any way, shape or form, without getting a greenlight from both me [b]and[/b] Californian both.

IC

[i]Arctic Ocean, a few hundred miles off the Coast of the USRS[/i]

Preparations had been going underway for months now for the coming campaign. The four Independance Class assault carriers were holding seven Batallions from the First Shock Army. A further seven would join the taskforce once the other four assault ships arrived. Six Batallions would be kept in reserve back on the mainland. Further more, only one Batallion of SBS would join the 14,000 strong expeditionary force bringing its initial number to 15,000 men and assorted hardware. The other six SBS Batallions would wait alongside the reserve Shock Batallions.

The Fleet itself comprised of twenty seven surface vessels, soon to be thirty one, and thirteen submarines. The Siberia Class Carriers could each hold a compliment of one hundred and ten aircraft. Each Carrier would have thirty PAK-FA's, thirty MiG-55E's, twenty five MiG-54C's and twenty five MiG-53C's. Across the carriers, three hundred and thirty aircraft were assembled, with sixty extra PAK-FA's back on the mainland, aswell as the former aircraft such as SU-33, 34, 35 and MiG-56.

The submerged ring of defence came in the form of twelve Astute Class submarines which were spread out around the fleet beneath the ice in a ring of steel operating in silence, using only passive SONAR and travelling at a snails pace. However the main submarine, a new Typhoon Two SSBN. It was carrying twenty strategic nuclear warheads. Being quadtriple hulled had been constructed with full stealth in mind and had full sound proofing around the two water pressurised reactor compartments and all the water recyling systems, including the steam flows. It was possibly the largest, quietest and hardest to kill submarine in the world. Three Delta Class pressure hulls encased in a smaller pressure hull ensured it was well protected from any and all attacks. Its stealth was its great asset. A drive system consisting of long shafts cut through the hull with impellers inside them, called a tunnel drive which was magnetohydrodynamicly driven would drastically reduce accoustic pollution which could lead to the detection of the sub. Along with the additional defence and propulsion upgrades, the Typhoon II also came with the 2076 towed array fitted in a distinctive bulb built into the rudder housing as fitted on the Astute attack submarines. This leviathan of a submarine was already on station in the Arctic and was ordered to stay put. The Greenlanders had been known to use first strike nuclear weaponry so the sub simply an extra precaution. The other Typhoon II loitering in the North Atlantic was also placed on a higher alert than usual. Hopefully neither would be used.

The Four Bomber squadrons were made ready and armed with conventional bunker busting munitions. Two squadrons of Blackjacks would be armed with six BGM-111 Storm Shadow II's. BGM-111's are long range air launched cruise missiles with many stealthy characteristics to reduce their detection by enemy forces until it was too late. The B-2's would also be armed with anti radiation missiles to knock out the enemy RADAR network. Working in tandem with the MiG-55E's which would use their powerful ECM suites and HARM missiles to seek, jam and destroy enemy positions, the bombers would hopefully deal a great ammount of damage before returning to the mainland to refuel, re-arm and return to sorties.

The opening moves of the campaign would start with an attack by a aerial strikeforce made up of B-2's, PAK-FA's, 55e's and 54c's, a mix of air superiority, specialised multirole jets, electronic warfare and stealth bombers. This force would infiltrate enemy RADAR and air defences and conduct sustained bombing raids on airfields, RADAR positions and anti air positions on the eastern half of the Archipelago before returning to base to re-arm and refuel. The main objective however would be to disable or destroy the OTH RADAR station on Jackson Island. After the initial strike action, as the first strike force is returning, the TU-160's accompanied by 55e's, 54c's and 53c's to launch further attacks against fortified positions such as command and control centers and power outlets.

After the opening stages of the attack, the main fleet would then move into range to fire their Tomahawk Missiles at remaining structures of military significance and military formations. Several of the Astutes would scout ahead to sink any Greenlandic warships in the area.

All this of course was paper planning, but if it went the way it was planned, Republican Troops would be landing on the island the evening after the first attacks.

The fleet recieved its orders and it set sail for the assigned meeting point in the Arctic Circle.

[Californian]

While much of Greenland was relatively cold and isolated, Franz Josef Land had the distinction of being the most isolated and coldest land in the country. Administered as part of the Northern Frontier province, FJL had a total population of almost 11,000 inhabitants, of which more than half resided in the administrative capital of Justiniangrad. Justiniangrad had been recently constructed with the purchase of the FJL from England and much of the construction was a work in progress. However, the city and islands were administered by Governor-General Mikael Zootikins, appointee of the federal government, who was ensuring that the growth and settlement of Justiniangrad were progressing at a rapid pace. Zootikins was well respected by the local populace and while the FJL was not a hospitable environment by any means, a sense of community had already taken root.

In terms of military activity on the islands, there wasn't much. The Governor-General controlled a small arsenal of 200 troops in the city, with a 500-strong reserve. Men in the reserves were simply civilians who had guns in their homes and had agreed to help defend their homeland in the event of conflict, which seemed pretty remote as far as they were concerned. Two patrol craft from the the Greenland Coastal Defense department were currently stationed on the island.

[Zoot Zoot]

[b]Operation Cold Storm[/b]

[i]Just after Midnight[/i]

The strikeforce composed of twenty B-2's, thirty PAK-FA's, thirty MiG 55e's and thirty MiG 54c'S had been cruising for two hours since the smaller strike jets and fighters joined the bombers over the fleet. With the entire force being highly stealth orientated, they made their way silently to Franz Josef Land in a very wide formation as to not alert Greenlander RADAR operators. The B-2's were armed with anti radiation missiles which would accompany the 55e's in their attack on RADAR and anti air positions by using their powerful ECM suites and HARM missiles.

The B-2's closed into standoff range and launched their anti radiation missiles at the RADAR positions of the enemy network before turning in a wide arc and starting the return home, ten PAK FA's peeled off to escort them back to the fleet. The rest of the small airborn force sunk itself to below RADAR detection and and sped towards the islands.

Six E-2 Hawkeye 2000's flying in the Arctic Ocean used their sensors to map the battlefield and enemy forces in the area. Orders were rapidly dispatched to the Republican Air Force to begin an all out air assault against Franz Josef Land. The AWACs began jamming enemy communications and sensors as the first assault began.

Three Squadrons of 55e's, three squadrons of 55c's and two squadrons of PAK FA's moved across the eastern side of the Islands. 55e's would use their onboard jamming equipment supplemented by ECM pods to jam enemy radar and transmit false positions confusing enemy air defenses while transmitting false locations back. The 55e's would also pick up on enemy radar signals of the Greenlandian Air Defense network’s SAM launchers and ground based radar. A pair of HARMs were launched at each of these locations. Targeting information was also given to ship based based cruise missile launchers operating out at sea. BGM-109G cruise missiles were launched against these sites from the fleet destroyers as well while the 55e's were suppressing enemy missile defenses.

The 55c's would fire stand off air to ground munitions against enemy airfields seeking to crater the runways and fill the runways further hampering the ability to scramble air force units. 55E's and 55c's would then use their remaining weapons, air to air missiles to assist in air superiority for the duration of the assault.

Two squadrons of PAK FA's flew over the battlespace below radar. The stealth fighters would use their AESA to transmit signals of enemy aircraft and ground forces in the battle space. They would use their electro optical infrared sensors to attempt and find enemy stealth fighters. This would be supplemented by AWACs in the Arctic Ocean which were capable of finding the general location of stealth aircraft allowing the 55c's to make more precise search. These targets if found would be engaged by IR missiles, the electro optical IR sensors designed specifically to defeat IR countermeasures thus increasing the kill rate.

Whilst this attack was ongoing, the second wave of attacking aircraft had just formed up into its formation over the fleet and began its short journey to the Islands to continue the aerial assault. The fleet continued to move close to the islands to begin launching combat air patrols and preparing the taskforce for its landing.

[Zoot Zoot]

Under the steady barrage of missiles and guided munitions from the Airforce and the Navy, the Fleet sailed to the South of the Islands, Hooker Island being directly North at this point. The Commanders in charge of the Operation were going to end this Operation in one crippling blow to Justiniangrad. The fleet neared the coastline and the dim outline of Justiniangrad was visible as a dim outline of buildings clinging to the coast as the sun rose, bathing it in a frozen, yet beautiful dawn light.

The first Zubr Class Landing Hovercraft left the launch bays on the Amphibious Assault ships with elements of the First Shock Armies Infantry Legion, Assault Batallion not long after dawn, flights on Apache Gunships and Super Cobras flying low over the first Wave. Five of these monsterous hovercraft cruised towards the shore, each loaded with ten Warrior III Infantry Fighting Vehicles, a total of 140 soldiers per craft.

A further 300 soldiers would fly in and land in Century strength at three locations surrounding Justiniangrad via CH-53K helicopters, advanced transport helicopters with advanced stealth elements to reduce RADAR detection, but with the Islands RADAR network, for all intents and purposes, destroyed, it wouldnt really matter. With 50 troops per helo, two helicopters were dispatched to landing zones North, West and East of the town, further helicopters would be dispatched to the three zones, each with two Hector II Rapid Deployment Armoured Recon Vehicles and Saxon Mk2 Armoured Personel Carriers for added firepower.
The Saxons where heavily armoured with Chobham Mk2 Armour, and had the Remote Weapons System module, a rubber bullet machinegun used during rioting.

The gunships flew in orbits over Justiniangrad seeking out enemy forces, but none were found. Command had warned them of the ferocity that Greenlands soldiers fought with, it would come as no great surprise if the enemy waited until the Siberians were almost ontop of their positions and simply went in with the Bayonets.

It was at this point that the first Zubr's began hitting the landing zones on the coastline of Justiniangrad, 50 armoured vehicles swarming up the beaches and moving into the City, their troops disembarking and spreading out to sweep the streets. It was at this point that gunfire erupted from what seemed to be all directions on the landing soldiers. In a matter of moments, dozens were struck down and wounded whilst several were killed outright. After the initial shock of the ambush wore off, the Siberian soldiers began to retreat to a safer distance to regroup and prepare to go back in again. This time the Warriors went in first, using their thick armour to deflect incomcing enemy fire and responding in kind with its 30mm Rarden Cannon, its Iron Fist active defence systems working in overdrive to intercept and destroy incoming RPG's and anti tank munitions, though several did strike home and cause minor damage to the Warriors. Their AMAP, or Advanced Modular Armor Protection was lightweight but extremely tough due to its composition. The battle along the Justiniangrad waterfront area raged.

The three centuries on the edges of the town began to move into the town from the respective directions, sweeping the streets, warning those out in the streets back into their houses and arresting anyone found with a weapon. If they came under fire by the population, they had orders to use rubber bullets and teargas to subdue and arrest them. Civilian deaths were to be avoided at all costs as the town slowly became encircled.

[Zoot Zoot]

OOC
Once again I am posting a movement because you said you would reply last weekend, and you didnt, but between then and now, you have written several posts and even invaded Bear Island.

ICly

The forces moving into Justiniangrad from the landing zones steadily pushed back the regular troops of the Greenlandic garrison back into the Town Hall, the force of the massed armoured vehicles and their counter measures prooving too difficult to overcome. A beachhead was established by two Centuries back at the LZ and several more Zubr craft were returning from the fleet with more a small contingent of SBS and regular forces.

In the outskirts of the town, the three Centuries were conducting a fighting advance on the militia forces. Whilst several casualties and two deaths had been inflicted on the soldiers, the combined firepower of their non lethal weaponry and their armoured vehicles ensured that the militias were dispersed without killing any of them. Sections advanced through the streets coming under sporadic fire as they collected abandoned weapons from the militiamen.

Back at the townhall, the building was riddled with bulletholes and the figures of Greenlandic warriors inside the windows kept popping out and opening fire on the invading forces. The armour encircled the building and the soldiers used the big hulks of the Warrior III's to hide behind as they lay seige to the building.

The airspace above Franz Josef Land was filled with fighter jets locking it down and the airspace over Justiniangrad was filled with helicopter gunships. For all itents and purposes, the island was now property of the USRS.

The Commander on the ground ordered his men to stop shooting and he waited for the Greenlanders to also cease fire. When they did, he called up to them;
"I want to speak to your Commander"

[Californian]

Mikael and a small group of thirty men were huddled inside the town hall, taking refuge behind a hastily created barricade of tables and chairs. Bullet holes and smears of blood were everywhere and painted a stark contrast to the pristine condition of the town hall only hours ago. Of the men inside, only a dozen were members of the island's militia, and had the fortune of being the only ones with any sort of body armor. The others were a ragtag bunch of citizens who were hunters that had joined up with the group sometime during the firefight. Regardless of their training and equipment, each man was trying to balance their fear with the surge of adrenaline that raced through their bodies. As it become apparent a ceasefire had been called, everyone turned to look at the Governor-General, the managing bureaucrat of what had once been Greenland-controlled land. Mikael looked at the men, dirty and tired, desperate to save their homeland, and nodded at them quietly before standing up. He would walk outside to talk to the invaders, in the slightest hope that these men and the inhabitants of the city could be saved from a massacre.

Mikael stood up inside the makeshift bunker and slowly began to walk towards the door. With each step, he began to prepare himself mentally as he recalled the series of events that had taken course over the past day...

[i]Hours Ago[/i]

It was midnight when Zootikins and his wife jumped awake, startled from what sounded to be a distant explosion. Mikael scampered to put on some clothes, fearful that something had happened to one of the propane tanks on the outskirts of the city, one of many which were being being used to power the city's generators. [i]Just what he needed,[/i] he thought to himself as he finished buttoning his shirt. A bad storm had been passing through Justiniangrad and all communications had been cut off for the past few days, separating the isolated settlement from Greenland and the rest of the world. The radio tower had been fried and the radio operators were working day and night to repair it, but it would take at least a few more days before they could start communicating again. Regardless, Mikael comforted his wife before walking downstairs, preparing to head to the town hall and make sure everything was under control.

That's when it happened. Mikael was thrown into the embankment of snow next to his house as a relentless barrage of explosions seemed to be going off all around. The stormy night sky was brighter than day as the explosions rang out. Dazed with ears ringing, Mikael got up and stared into the sky. [i]What the hell..[/i]. he murmured as he saw the faint outline and noise of what appeared to be a fighter jet streaking across the night sky. As quickly as possible he got into his jeep and began to drive to the center of the city.

When he arrived, a huge crowd of citizens had already assembled at the town hall. There were at least a thousand people, many of them in their pajamas, all of whom had no idea what was going on. Rumors spread like wildfire, and hysteria began to spread. Mikael attempted calm them down as he stepped inside the building, where the town's leaders had already begun drawing up plans. The leader of the garrison of the local militia addressed the men present. "Gentlemen, I have no idea who, what, or why, but Justiniangrad is currently under attack from an enemy force. I've received confirmed reports of planes in the sky and we managed a call with the airport through our land line. The runway has been completely destroyed, making it inoperable."

"Who the hell would try to invade us?" Mikael shouted, trying to comprehend what the man had just said to him. "We're little more than an outpost at the farthest reaches of civilization." It was true, too. Besides some mining very little of interest went on in the city. There was no large military presence, only the small garrison of three hundred part-time soldiers, who were truthfully only formed for help during natural disasters. Beyond that, there were no SAM or missile sites, planes or tanks, or anything of the sort. With the town's only single runway airport destroyed beyond recognition and communications lost, the island inhabitants were practically trapped.

"No idea, sir. We've heard reports of unrest in Asia but beyond that, nothing. I have absolutely no idea why anyone is gunning for us." "Could it be pirates or something of the sort?" the police chief asked. "Based on their initial strike, that's highly unlikely. The precision and tactics would only come from the military of some country, fairly advanced I would say too."

Once again in reality, Mikael began to take charge. "Whoever the hell it is, we're not going down with a fight." He began to issue orders, directly the firemen to put out fires that were threatening the city, the police chief to have the police assemble the civilians for the defense of the city and direct the women and children to the air shelters, and the militia chief to assemble his men.

The plan was simple. If there was a ground invasion, the men would wait until the invaders walked into the city before ambushing them. With the help of surprise a quick and powerful strike would hopefully be enough to repel the enemy for the time being. With so many unknown variables, there was only so much of a plan that could be created. Mikael let the militia chief prepare for the defense of the city as Zootikins turned his attention of the head operator of the radio station. "What's our status on re-establishing communication with the mainland?" he asked. "Impossible with the radio tower in its current state, sir. We need more time to repair it and I wouldn't be surprised if we're being jammed based on what has happened," replied the man, "However, there is something else. I told you about the hand-operated radio we were trying to fix? We've bandaged it to a point where I think it would work again. The signal isn't as strong as the tower but it should hopefully be enough to tell someone of the situation we're in right now."

It was the first good news Mikael had heard all night. "Good work James. I want you to grab the radio set and make your way as far out of town as you can. You're going to have two guards with you, but your number one priority is making sure you travel undetected. There's a good possibility you're our only hope of getting help right now, and from the looks of the first strike we're going to need it." With a handshake and nod, James set off with his escort to the radio station.

[i]Hours later...[/i]

The defenders had been hopelessly overpowered. Their ambush had worked, however the invaders outmatched them in terms of firepower and armor. A few homemade molotov cocktails and grenades were used against the tanks, but for the most part the Greenlander's bullet ricocheted off with a depressing ping. Once an area had been overrun with enemy soldiers, the defenders would retreat and reposition themselves to attack again. This happened for hours as the number of Greenlanders capable of fighting dropped, from the combined use of live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas. The point of last retreat was the town hall, and Mikael was dismayed to see how few had made it. With the blatant disregard for life shown by the invaders, it was a very real possibility the men were going to be martyrs...


...Mikael dusted off the shoulders of his uniform, straightening his belt as he walked out of the door, ready to negotiate the fate of his city, his people.

Edited November 26, 2011 by Californian

[Zoot Zoot]

The Field Commander was Colonal Alexandrov, he was in full battle dress and presented himself smartly to Governer General Mikael.
"I am Colonal Alexandrov of the First Shock Army, Mechanised Infantry Legion, Assault Battalion. May I ask to whom I am speaking too?" he said in English, hoping the well known language would also be spoken by his advisary. After allowing the man a few seconds to identify himself, he spoke again.

"I do not wish to see such fine warriors as yours die at the hands of my men, you have fought like lions, just like we were told Greenlandic warriors fought like when I was a boy. You and your soldiers, and your militias have done great honour to Greenland and it would be a shame for them to fall here, in this godforsaken place. I present to you a choice. Surrender Franz Josef Land to my authority, and I will allow you and your forces free passage back home, after tending to your wounded and burying your dead, with full burial rites according to your beliefs. We have Chaplains of many faiths with the taskforce just off the coast. Failur to surrender, meaning the second option, would be for you to decline my offer, which in turn, would force me to forcefully make you and your men surrender, or kill you all. Something I do not wish to see as it would be a terrible waste of life. I beg you, do not make me bring down the town hall around you Sir."

Alexandrov stepped back respectfully and returned to his posture of attention.

"Sir, I will allow you to confer with your forces, and I request an answer to be sent to me at 17.00 hours at the latest. So that gives you..." he stopped whilst he checked his watch. "Three hours to make a decision."