Subtleknifewielder Posted June 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) "Thank you," he said with a small smile, shutting the door. When it was closed, however, that expression vanished, to be replaced with a completely nuetral mien. He also wore, not bedclothes, but a bulky jacket and pair of leather pants. The jacket was deliberately bulky--no one would be able to tell with any degree of certainty if he had anything concealed under it. He made one last check...yes, everything was in place. The bed was mussed as if he'd tossed and turned before deciding to get up (just in case), and the certain...items he'd managed to purchase were in place under the jacket. With a single nod, he strode over to the door and peaked out to make sure Alexandra was out of sight. Not seeing her, he carefully stepped out and closed the door, silently, walking down the stairs. However, he wouldn't be going out the front entrance. He'd had a chance to explore the grounds a bit during his stay, and he'd found the grounds had a rear entrance as well, which was where he was headed. It wasn't guarded as heavily as the main entrance, which was the point. Only two guards there that he could tell, though he couldn't be certain there weren't more concealed. In any case, he walked toward and past where the guards were stationed, explaining that he had some nervous energy he needed to walk off, that he wasn't going far, and he would be back in a few minutes. True to his word, half an hour later, they saw Anthony coming back, and let him in. The man, instead of going back upstairs, chose to go to the library... ------------------- Around the city, depending on the locations they landed and the situations they found themselves in, the troops took one of several options. If their areas were currently undefended by the Hanseatics, they would slowly, carefully send scouts ahead toward their targets. The scouts were careful, moving in quick sprints to move from one place of cover to another--cars, light poles...even a fire hydrant would do in a pinch. In the case of opposition, if they had landed in a park that was fenced in, they used the fences to their advantage. Yes, it would be difficult to leave these, but they were handy places to defend from--and parks had all sorts of opportunities for cover. At the fences, they would kneel down and peer through any tiny crack to get a visual on just exactly where their opponents were, though since that didn;t offer a very wide field of vision, they also used tiny fiber-optic cables to get an exact fix. The moniters in charge of this would communicate to their fellows through a series of clicks over their headphones exactly how many 'enemies' they had spotted, and their approximate locations, then all at once, the tropers would stand, release a volley of fire at their chose targets, and pop back down, counting on surprise to minimize casualties. It was determined to be most likely their opponents would be caught off-guard by their accuracy, which had a good chance to create the eerie impression they could see through walls, despite the laws of physics. That was the idea, actually. They workd especially hard on trying to clear opposition near the main entrances, as if they planned on making a rush through there with their opponents thinned. If they landed in a park with no fences, they simply used the plentiful cover that was available to stand off the Hanseatic Marines and Lillian Guards. There wasn't much they could do, though opponents would have a merry old time trying to oust them out of these places. In areas with homes, they showed little respect for property boundaries. After all, these were wargames. In an actual war, invading forces probably wouldn't respect these boundaries either. They stopped short of actualy invading the houses themselves, but backyards provided handy routes to their objectives with minimal risk. The rooftop landers took a distinctly different approach. In each case, they spread out to find all methods of coming up from below, and made sure to booby trap them before setting themselves up as snipers at the edges. One was always left to watch the entrances in case the marines or Lillians decided to try and storm the buildings. They used every advantage they could get from their height, picking off as many enemies as they could before they would have to retreat down and give up this advantage. All in all, they lost maybe half a dozen in the intial landings, and another full dozen to well-placed shots that came from enemies under cover. ------------------- Near the shore, once the defenses were deemed to have been softened, the first wave of about 12000 troops were sent forward in the amphibious craft. In all cases, they hunkered down to provide as small targets as possible to the 'enemy.' As they came ever closer, their pulses rose with the excitement and adrenaline... ------------------- Over near the manor, the team began setting up their preparations. They cut the phone lines, and set up jammers in discrete locations in an attempt to block any other method of communication out of the manor. Once they were satisfied they had done everything possible, they reviewed their plans for invading the place. They, like Anthony, suspected that there was a rear entrance, and though they did not know it, they found it barely a minute after the man had come back. Quietly, carefully, four of them crept as close to the guards as possible without being spotted. Then another one, dressed the part of a random pedestrian, staggered as if drunk toward them. "hey, thish the plaish that's offerin' feree drinks?" he called out. The idea was to lure the guards into walking out and completely exposing themselves, where they could be neutralized quickly and quietly... OOC EDIT: somehow all the paragraphs got blended... Edited June 4, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 The beach head positions open fired with an intense ferocity. For one, this was where the Hanseatic main force had been positioned, here and on the opposite side of Brisbane. Here 12,000 Promised Landers would meet a force of about 13,000 Hanseatic infantry, having lost a good portion of their first line of guards from the bombing runs. Using New Cymru shore batteries and shore defenses, which had been there since before the creation of the Second Hanseatic Republic, the invaders would have a hell of a time trying to push their way up the sandy coast. Mind you these were not cliffs, but perhaps it would have been better if it was. At least with cliffs, if the defenders were too high they couldn't get a clear shot from the flanks. No, the beaches were laid out and for the Promised Land troops they would enter a literal no-mans land where a storm of Hanseatic bullets would make them pay for every centimeter of ground they moved up upon the soil. The batteries had been arranged in such a way that where one machine gunner ran out of range another one began and this was the case up and down the beach head. With yells of "Not one step back!" The Hanseatics were quite confident on their ability to hold back the invaders. --- The battle in Brisbane proper had turned into a stalemate and a brutal one at that. For ever area that the Marines and Lillians would grab, the Promised Landers would gain it back, and vice-versa. However, the Promised Lander's surprise volleys did inflict heavy causalities, the Hanseatics were not stupid. Most of the initial causalities had came from trying to get into position from the surprise attack. However after they had made it into their objective locations, they had a perfect sight on where the Promised Landers would need to escape from the parks. It was eerily quiet now and the hope was that with the ceasing of movement, the enemy would believe Hanseatic strength to be wiped out. Either way, they could afford to play defense and would wait quietly for Promised Land movement. Open parks were a pain, but the same strategy was used. The Hansa would play defense here, after all, Promised Land had to capture the Diet, there was no need for quick elimination. When they came out, the Marines and Lillians would be waiting behind their own quickly constructed defenses. Sharpshooters fired from these defenses into the foliage. Accuracy wasn't an issue, just as long as the could damage them every once in awhile. In real war they would have done the same thing, only instead, burnt the gardens to the ground. But here it wasn't necessary. As to the buildings that Promised Land had been able to take control of, only the ones with strategic importance were stormed, if this operation showed success a literal defensive wall was placed in between the parks and the Diet. Nothing would move without Hanseatic intelligence knowing of it. Perhaps they might not be able to flush them out, but they could prevent them from victory. Which in the Hanseatic commanders' eyes was almost as good as victory. Reinforcements would arrive eventually, the special ops could be taken care of then. --- The guards eyed the 'drunks' coming in with some dismay. Brisbane was a city of Finns and New Cymreag and this was definitely not either of those accents. In addition to that, due to the war games, all establishments had been closed. These were definitely foreigners and while Lady Tintagyl may have had a soft spot for those outside of the country, her military and especially her house-guards did not. "Rolf." Said the captain looking out from the guard house. "Go out there and get them to buzz off. They don't realize where they're at. This is private state property." "Of course Captain." Rolf said has he shouldered his rifle and walked out to the men. "You four had better get on your way. This is Lady Tintagyl's personal residence. No one's allowed in here without permission. Plus you're out during a war game, we have mind to arrest you already. Now get moving!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 The men coming toward the beach and just beginning to land knew their job was the hardest of all, and would result in the biggest group of casualties--establishing a beachhead in an amphibious landing was not an easy thing in any situation, even with numerical odds in their favor. that they were outnumbered...it made it that much more diofficult, and that much more crucial, that they act quickly and intelligently. The first man out of each landing boat carried a metal shield, obtained from the landing ships themselves; the portion that would normaly fall away in the bow of the boat to let them out was detachable for this very reason. They led the charges, with the others in each of the landing craft following closely behind to minimize the targets presented. Despite this modern version of the old Roman tactic known as the shield wall, the defenders inflicted a respectable number of casualties, approximately three thousand, before the attackers could dig into the sand properly (despite sand's reluctance to pile, you coulds still make a decent foxhole or small trench with it), and set up their portable 'heavy weapons,' two-man machine guns. These weapons stood on tripods, and were equipped with light shielding in a sixty-degree arc to protect the gunners from all but lucky or carefully-aimed shots, and once set up, they began enthusiastically giving back some of the fire that had been targetting the landing troops--at the very least, the Hanseatics might duck under their own cover for a time, allowing the attack to advance just a couple more feet. Out of six hundred of these weapons, approximately 20 were deemed lost by the time they dug in. The second wave was prepared, but they waited for the signal. It came a moment later, in the form of another surprise for the Hanseatics, two full squadrons (a dozen per squadron) of heavy attack helicopters lifting off the deck of the aircraft carrier. Equipped with both mini-missiles and machine guns, they were capable of combatting armor (whether mobile or static defenses) and infantry alike. The flew in as low to the ground as they dared, making it more difficult for what little anti-air defenses remained to lock on. They would strafe the enemy ground troops as they passed over, but they were there mainly to deal with the entrenched defenses that made it more difficult for their own infantry, and pave the way for the second wave to make it to shore relatively intact. Out to sea, that wave, (this one some 15000 troops strong) started forward, hunkering down like the first though they were less likely to be targetted while the defenders were occupied with the helicopters and first wave. General Davies was somewhere near the rear of this wave, his troops insisting that he needed to remain 'alive' to lead the assault. ------ The invaders sustained another dozen casualties at least, most in aborted tests of the Hanseatic defense around the fenced-in areas. Here, most of them grouped near the entrances, keeping a wary eye out. A few got the dubious idea of finding some place along the fence that was unguarded, and digging their way under the fence. They weren't sure if that was something allowed, but there was no rule specifically against it, so the commander of each team sent one of his men searching for any unguarded areas of the perimeters, while the rest of the team members would keep the Hanseatics occupied at the gates to avoid arousing suspicion. Three of the casualties came from lucky hits in the unfenced parks. The Hanseatics had the right idea, there, and so the commandos adapted themselves, breaking off small pieces of foliage that the plants wouldn't miss and setting them up as additional cover. They took their shots carefully, like the Hanseatic sharpshooters, firing whenever their opponents exposed themselves to shoot. The crack troops knew that holding the high ground as long as possible was essential. The snipers, from their vantage points, saw the attempts to storm each building as it came, and they were as prepared for that as they could be under the circumstances. Half were diverted from sniper detail to defend routes to the roof, often by the simple expedient of physically sitting in front of the doors, or in the case of vents or shafts, dropping the occasional paint grenade down on the Marines and Lillians. ------ Charlie sqaud, composed of eleven men (they had been twelve, but had lost one to an encounter with a patrolling Hanseatic squad before managing to get rid of their puruers) had been had actually managed to come within seeing distance of their target, a power station. They had checked the area, and guards appeared to be minimal. It was a minor power station, as things went, but it was enough for their purposes. Remaining out of sight of any defenders, they observed for a full minute before attempting anything. Turning aside, four of them entered a nearby building that was unoccupied, at least by any opposing forces, and went up four floors. There, they set themselves into sniper positions that not only looked over their target, but any routes possible enemy reinforcements would be using. Then the ones on the ground began their assualt on the building, crawling low to use what cover was available, getting right up next to the wall, then rushing through the front door and spraying the area inside with fire...it would be the lucky defender who was not hit. ------ "Whut, no drinksh?" the 'drunk' said, disappointedly. This man was a big, bulky character, and as he turned, he stumbled, 'accidentally' falling toward Rolf and grabbing the guard's shoulder's for balance. It would look like an accident, but it was anything but. Hopefully, he would collapse on top of Rolf, pinning him and forcing the guard to call for help.The others stared dully with their hands in their pockets, in an apparent stupor. To make the act smell authentic as well, they had each dumped a small portion of alcohol on their shirts. In this rain, the liquid would not really be noticed, and most anyone would automatically assume they were drunk just from the smell alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Now the strategy was crucial, with Brisbane under direct attack from commandos and the beaches outside of the capital being swarmed, it was time to begin to play logistical games with the Promised Landers. The Hanseatic Australian army, which really wasn't an army, more like a division plus a few brigades, was the only think that would be able to repel the Promised Land invasion. However, defense was a gift, which they planned to use to the fullest. Orders were immediately relayed to the General of the western division to begin pulling back from the western front which was receiving no action to the beach head to reinforce the defenders. In addition to that, under direct orders of Lady Tintagyl the western division was to sweep through Brisbane and eliminate all commando forces. The capital under attack was demoralizing to morale and with the momentum already established by Marines and Lillians, it would be presumably a quick sweep. --- When this order was relayed the Lillians and Marines were elated knowing that all that was required was to standstill and defend. The Commandos were pretty well bottled up in the fenced in parks and for the poor souls that had crawled under the fence, besides receiving a municipal tax after the war games were over for destroying city property, for those that crawled out near the Hanseatic defense line they were immediately met with heavy fire. They could advance, but it was unlikely that they would make it very far. However if they dug out the opposite end away from the defense line, they would have no trouble at all. The buildings were a quagmire, but with every success, the Hanseatics were closer to constructing their defense line and that's all that was important. The Promised Landers could have the high ground on the other side of the city way from the Diet. The regular army could take care of that. But the Lillians and Marines had been ordered to set up the defense line no matter what the casualties were or could become. This was their dedication. The Lady Protector and the Hansa first. 'Death' was second. Sure they would be injured and the losses would be high, but there was only a small amount of Promised Landers in the buildings they needed and if for every building taken they lost five more than Promised Land, or even ten more. It was worth it. They had their line. --- The helicopters came at a bit of a surprise to the Hanseatics, but nothing too horrifying. As soon as the helicopters came into sight, the Hanseatic air force in Australia, numbering about five squadrons was immediately notified and fighter planes would be able to make quick work of the Promised Land helicopters, especially the F-15 fighter jets given to the Hansa from Atlantis, the Valkyrie Squadron. In addition the air force could be used to attack the troops of the first wave and then soften up the second wave before they came in. The helicopter attack would make it much more difficult, but where the trenched in infantry would need to cover. But the shore batteries, which were fortified would be just fine. The enemy would be able to advance and set up a beachhead, but that would be about it, any farther would get them into trouble with Hanseatics taking the risk to blow cover for a moment and fire a volley into the advancing Promised Land soldiers. A no-mans land was fine for now. They could repel them later. --- "Get off of me you filthy swine." Rolf screamed as he held the man up from the ground. "Guys get out here! I need some help." The other three guards and the captain moved out from the guard house towards the drunks to get them to move away quicker and if that didn't work. A rough night in the guard house would be enough. Brutality wasn't common, but for something like this. Eh, they could let it slide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 The logistics games were indeed on. Promised Land was making full use of its 'eye in the sky,' also known as a satellite that was in geosynchronous orbit above the Eastern portion of the continent. Thus when the movement of the western Hanseatic division began, and their Air Force was deployed, the information was swiftly communicated to the commanders of the relevant forces. The comandos were alerted trough a series of clicks in their own unique code. The airborne units had their sqyudraon commanders alerted, who in turn informed their squadron members. General Davies in the main invasion force received it over a headset, and the naval escorts were alerted as well. -------- On the western border, an armored column moved in from the Promised Land side. They knew that opposition was unlikely, as the Haseatic forces were apparently concentrated in Brisbane, and therefore they could race all-out with minimal risk, excepting what few traps might have been laid in the little time they had to prepare. However, the immediate response came from the air. One more wave of cargo planes (still under fighter/bomber escort), this time dropping their cargo just outside the city borders where the defenders had been. It was not commandos this time, but a small wave of about 200 IFV's, M2 Bradleys, of the M2A3 variant. Parachuting in like the commandos, nevertheless, their job was different--harrass the enemy from the rear, force them to slow and take each step carefully, until the armored column to the West could arrive. And they would make the Hanseatics take notice. In their own way, the Commandos were serving multiple functions. They knew it had been unlikely that a majority of them could acheive their targets. But the longer they could tie up the defending forces with eliminating them, the longer the Amphibious landing had to establish a firm beachead. Eliminating the known commando teams would cost the Hanseatics, in both men and time. And there was no guarantee they would get them all. The unopposed squads knew that their time was nearly up, so they adopted another tactic...they literally went to ground. No city this size could operate without things like sewer systems, and places for qualified technicians to enter these systems to moniter and repair them. (OOC: Sorry, couldn't resist that cliche--cliches are cliches because most often because they work... ) -------- The commandos crawling from under the fences knew that it would be suicide to try to come out anywhere near the Hanseatic defense lines, and took the path of least resistance for the time being. As quickly as possible, the parks were evacuated. they knew they had little time before the western defenders would sweep through. By that time, they intended to join their comrades--either underground or in the buildings. -------- The buildings being stormed would most likely eventually be taken, but not without high cost. That was the idea now--to force the enemy to come to them and pay dearly. Every enemy taken out of the fight now was that many less that could join the defenders on the shore. Half of them had by now been taken, but the remaining ones were stubbornly holding out. And even once taken, a building wouldn't be completely safe. Snipers still watched from the others. -------- The Air Force came as a bit of a surprise. They hadn't expected the Hanseatics to be able to respond so quickly. nevertheless, they were still prepared, though not as much as they might have liked. One squadron of fighters was launched from the Aircraft carrier, and two squadrons of fighters that had been escorting the cargo planes joined in the fight. The helicopters wouldn't be alone in their fight, and were capable of fighting back to a degree. Two more squadrons were dispatched from the nearest airbase, but it would take them a little time to get there. Two squadrons of the fighters were F-22's, with the remaining one being F-16's. The fighters dispatched from afar were one of each. -------- The landing troops took whatever ground they could without incurring overwhelming casualties, then dug in further for a time. The first elements of the second wave were by now reacing the shore, and rushing to cover, taking about a thousand casualties before managing to dig in. -------- Charlie squad had just secured the power plant when they got the signal that the western defenders would be sweeping through the area shortly. "OK, fellas, take it down. Not permanently, but make it flicker long enough to let the Hanseatics know that if this were a real war, they couldn't use this place again." One of the 'killed' defenders raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment. After all, he was supposed to be 'dead.' And it was done. Once their task was performed, they too went to ground like their fellows. As fate would have it, the station they had infiltrated was the one that supplied power to the area the Diet was in. So Sarah would know personally when it happened. -------- Once the other guards were out in the open, the man on top of Rolf covertly slipped his arm inside his pants pocket, pulling out a small bottle. The others, expecting this, withdrew their hands from their own pockets in a lightning fast maneuver, revealing loaded dart guns that were fired at the guards' necks before the sight of them would register in the guards' minds. The darts were tipped with a strong sedative that should last long enough for their mission to be coimpleted. With the same nearly blinding speed, the one Rolf carried withdrew a small pill from the bottle and shoved it down Rolf's throat. To be accurate, it was a sleeping pill, enough to knock him out for severl hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Annoyed wasn't the word she was looking for, furious perhaps, enraged. Yeah, enraged was good. When the lights flickered and Sarah was notified that her power plants around the capital were going off, she bent down, picked up her chair and threw it across the room. "I'm half minded to call in the entire army just so I can show Davies what I'm capable of. He thinks this is a damned walk in the park!" She walked over to the wall and punched at the plaster creating a nice hole underneath her map of Asia, pulling her hand out, the blood began to pour from her already scarred knuckles. She turned to Jess and her other commanders in the room. "You tell Kolm and De Montesquieu that if they lose this, they're going to have a serious reprimand. Serious reprimand." In all honesty she wanted to go out to the city and lead the troops herself, but she knew that wouldn't be correct. Though considering the situation and her building annoyance, it was kind of getting to that point. "Milady, Promised Land has 30,000 troops bearing just down on the Eastern front. The strength of the entire Australian divisions. Total. We can't win unless we bring in reinforcements from the other provinces, which for a game would be stupid and costly on the military budget." Sarah slumped down to the floor. "So why did I agree to this in the first place." She pounded her fist against the front of the desk. "Valuable training for the troops milady. Plus a closed war like this is automatically harder. We would do fine in a real war." Sarah growled. "I don't care about the real wars or the fake wars. I WANT TO WIN BECAUSE THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE A REAL WAR!! You tell Kolm to make them pay for every piece of land that they take!" --- The Hanseatics moved fast but they didn't move that fast that the Western Divisions wouldn't be able to see Promised Land forces moving behind them. The problem now was, was that the first orders would have to be belayed and the defensive positions were lost. However, where the Hanseatics did have the advantage, was that there were 250 tanks stationed with the Western divisions. After receiving orders and seeing that the Promised Landers were coming, the rear guard, which engaged the western army, with significant loses were at least able to begin turning the forces around. General De Montesquieu now had two options: With the rear guard engaged, he could take his 15,000 soldiers and charge forward and engage the Promised Landers head on. Or try to dig in again. Only the vanguard of the Promised Land army would have been able to reach Hanseatic defenses by now and naturally it wouldn't be strongly defended from the Hanseatic side. That would be the order. Full charge ahead as 10,000 Hanseatic soldiers and 250 tanks, Niflheim S-1 Tanks (T-72s) blazed over the Australian plains towards where the Promised Land army was being engaged. They needed momentum and the light forces of the Promised Land vanguard was just the kind of victory that they needed. "To Perth! To Perth!" Was shouted across the lines. As the tanks open fired on the vanguard and infantry charged ahead. It was a shaky move, especially that it would be conducted in echelon, as the military continued to make a massive U-Turn towards the Promised Land advance. The other 2,000 soldiers, about one regiment was still on its way towards Brisbane to engage the commandos in the city. If the strength of the commandos was right, then a huge force would not be needed, just enough to frighten them to retreat and kill if needed. In Brisbane itself, the Lillians and Marines, had established the line that they needed and while they had suffered heavy casualties, so look as the Commandos could not advance further into the city, all was well. With half of the buildings taken a new rush of energy filled the Brisbane defenders as they launched more attacks at the buildings that still were required to be taken. Losses didn't mean anything anymore. Now, it was only victory. There was no point to turn back, even in real war. More losses were expected, but if half of the commandos in the buildings had been eradicated, then with the same amount of pressure applied, it would only make sense for the others to be taken. For the commandos in the park, the absence of their fire, hadn't pressed the Hanseatics to advance whatsoever. Investigation could be carried out by the advancing regiments, not by them. They waited, unsure of what was going on, but very sure in their ability to hold their defenses. --- About fifteen minutes after take off the Hanseatic squadrons arrived over the shore where the Promised Landers were attempting to establish a beachhead. Naturally, because the order was given first the fighters arrived before the Promised Land jets and were able to begin inflicting damage against the helicopters and against the main divisions of infantry on the ground. Now, with the additional jets flying it, what was important to the Hanseatic strategy was just to keep the planes in the air and not from firing down at Hanseatic ground positions. Everything else could come later, but those planes had to stay focused on the planes. Plus, this combined with the AA positions would make the skies above the Pacific truly perilous. In addition, the other 250 tanks which were part of the Australian army were ordered to the front of the line to bolster Hanseatic positions. Their additional firepower would make any Promised Land advance considerably tougher and on top of that, they could blast holes through the sand defenses that were hastily made on the beach. Constant barrage was the best way to go about doing this. --- With the guards out and down for the count the way into the manor was easily opened for the group of operatives trying to infiltrate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 (edited) It seemed the IFV's were doing their job. Holding off an advance of thousands of troops with just a couple hundred vehicles was quite an accomplishment, but they knew it wasn't entirely them. The Hanseatics weren't stupid, as they'd already proven. They almost certainly would know this was simply an advance force. But already the dust clouds of the armored column were vaguely visible in the to the rear-most elements of the vanguard. But the Bradleys (the vanguard the Hanseatics would be referring to), on encountering the tanks, finally met their real opposition, despite having lost three or four to lucky hits from ground troops. They'd drawn out the Hanseatic's own armor and support. They lost 15 after the Hanseatic rear-guard had turned around to engage, but now, now they would refuse to remain engaged for long periods of time, using their superior mobility and speed to try and negate the advantage of armor the tanks had. They would hit and run, hit and run. Once the Hanseatics reached the former defenses, they would still continue to use these tactics in an attempt to draw more of the defenders out, appearing to flee once the charge took place, back toward the oncoming column. The Armored Column consisted of approximately 1000 tanks, 500 APC's of assorted varieties, and in the rear, 300 units of mobile artillery. They would STAY to the rear to continue long-range bomardment, not being meant for straight-up slugging matches. The column slowed and spread out in a line to engage the oncoming forces, taking care, if they could, to first concentrate on enemy armor. -------- The newly dispatched fighters from the west gave the column a little assistance on their way past, slowing just enough to strafe the charging Hanseatics, and continue on toward Brisabane at full speed. At the beach, the helicopters knew they could never match the fighters for speed, so they had to use maneuverability and cunning if they hoped to stay in the fight or inflict any casualties. Despite their biggest advantage of maneuverability, a full six were lost before their reinforcements arrived, as well as four of the fighters that had already been there. At least two of them was due to the surviving anti-air defenses that had been missed by the bombers. -------- Knowing they were now fighting on borrowed time, the commandos remaining on the buildings would fight that much harder, trying their best to make any victory the Hanseatics won a pyrrhic one. Fighting fiercely, they refused to give ground until everly last one was 'killed' or deemed incapacitiated by a 'wound.' Several more buildings fell, each one coming more quickly for the marines and Lillians. Any other commandos remaining in the city were, by now, underground, and would appear to have simply vanished into thin air. -------- The armor opposing the landing was another problem, and the solution they'd brought for that was the best compromise available; unfortunately most tanks were too heavy to be cost-effective in an amphibious assault, so about 300 Bradleys were assigned in a wave all their own. They were the original version, as any further upgrades in armor and weaponry were deemed to make them too heavy to float without too much of a cost. The troops already on the beach had duck, and pray, when the Hanseatic Air Force strafed them. Such attacks were unexpected, and mildly de-moralizing...until their own air cover showed up, and they felt a renewed vigor for the fight. The same cycle occured when the enemy armor moved forward, only to be opoposed by the IFV's. Some members of the infantry close enough also were willing to sacrifice themselves if they could get in a lucky shot with a grenade against the tanks. -------- Nodding to the others, the original 'drunk' waved to the hidden operatives, who would in turn communicate by hand with the remaining members of the team to let them know of the breach in the manor's defenses. Moving quickly and carefully, they bound and hid the unconscious bodies of the guards in the guardhouse, doing their best to ensure nothing sharp enough to cut the ropes remained in the room. From now on, they carried more lethal weapons. They would still use quiet methods if possible, but the time for stealth would be past the first moment an alarm was called. They advanced onto the grounds, being careful to stay out of sight of any windows whenever possible, and if they had to, only exposing themselves for a second at a time. Finally, they neared the manor, and no more cover was afforded them, so they sprinted the last few yards to the entrance... Edited June 7, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 Taking back the western defenses was a large enough issue for the Hanseastics that after reclaiming what they had lost with surprisingly enough only minimal casualties for the main force, that there was no real reason to play cat and mouse with a force that was superior to their own. The new main force of about 10,000 troops by this point buckled down in the trenches facing the advancing Promised Land army and readied their guns. If Promised Land wanted to fight here they would need to charge ahead, it was either that or continually fire lucky shells against Hanseatic positions and Hanseatic commanders doubted Promised Land would resort to such a tactic. Losses would be low and time would be wasted. --- The dispatched western regiment finally arrived in the outskirts of Brisbane. They had received losses from the attacks from fighter jets heading towards the capital, but they hoped that even with being bloodied up a bit that the garrison in Brisbane was already extremely weak and all they would have to do is a mop-up maneuver. Hearing the absence of gun shots in the city it seemed that way. Quickly they moved into the city center and discovered the Defense Line crafted by the Marine and Lillians of which the Colonel of the regiment beamed a smile and the sheer strategical prowess of the famed Guard. The 1600 left in the regiment were quickly dispatched to aid the Marines and Lillians in taking the rest of the buildings and with the new reinforcements and with only minimal resistance by this point, the buildings would be cleared. But hadn't there been more of them? --- As Kolm had expected there was now a fierce air battle being waged in the skies above the coast and while his air power was not going to be able to inflict any real damage against the invaders, he considered it to be a mutual thing. But now they were deadlocked again and the Hanseatics were out of cards to play. However, Promised Land was no encroaching on all sides and they did have reinforcements somewhere. Perhaps not yet, but it wouldn't be long until other landings were planned or the western divisions gave out or something else. All in all, Davies needed to be driven back to the sea. "Sound the charge." "Sir?" "You heard me, tell the armor divisions to give covering fire to our infantry. Tell them to concentrate on the heavy guns that Promised Land has and once our infantry is near the trenches tell them to drive forward and eliminate their armor." On cue, the Hanseatic armor division consisting of 250 tanks open fired on the Promised Land defenses in echelon, so that there would never be a point in the charge when a Hanseatic shell was not blasting towards the sandy defenses. They would concentrate on the heavy guns and armor while waves of five thousand troops jumped up from the trenches and charged forward into the Promised Land lines. Many would make it, many would not. But they charged with ferocity nonetheless. It was imperative to drive these troops into the sea. --- For as much freedom Sarah had when she was at home, Solidor Manor was extremely well protected and this included constant patrols of the manor during the night, but both Lillian guards and Marines. So as the intruders were scrambling across the lawn for their one mad dash towards the manor. Two Lillian guards heard the footsteps and the tension in the air. They paused and scanned the ground, gloved hands laying on their sword and another on their pistol. "I don't see anything." "Well I definitely heard something. But lets keep going, might be an animal that came through the bushes. Just say on your guard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) The western attack hadn't quite worked out according to plan, but after all, as the saying went, 'no battle plan truly survives the first encounter with the enemy.' It was time to improvise. They weren't going to charge headlong unless they had to; that would be stupid, as the defenders, in this case, outnumbered them. The mobile artillery in the rear began bombarding the center of the Hanseatic line exclusively, as if softening them up for a charge there. The real objective was to draw as many as they could away from the flanks of the line. Already a large dust cloud raised by the vast movement of the men and vehicles in the area was obscuring the battlefield, so it might be difficult for the defenders to observe the small splinter forces move back and to either side. Especially considering the distraction provided the by the main body of the attack force, which now joined in on the ruse by charging the center line, firing as they came. The Bradleys were part of this charge, as were all the tanks not participating in the flanking maneuver. The splinter forces moving in each direction toward the flanks were of equal strength, approximately 50 tanks in each, and the 500 APC's split evenly between them. Once they were in position, the commander was notified, and the APC's disgorged their passengers--more soldiers. With an average of eleven troops per APC, that made for almost three thousand troops per flank. Once he deemed the Hanseatics had had enough time to be sufficiently distracted, the commander ordered the charge. The main body continued to press their own charge, though now more cautiously than before. During this entire encounter, enemy armor was always given top priority if it were sighted, to eliminate the biggest threat to the armored division. -------- The remaining buildings fell, one by one, to the Marines, Lillians, and the Army regiment, the comandos there continuing to fight to the last man, without regard for their 'lives.' After another half hour of bloody fighting, the last building was taken. But now that the sweep had been performed, the underground commandos would make themselves known, if not entirely. Now, in small numbers, they ventured topside behind the Hanseatic lines and away from Hanseatic observers, and began setting all sorts of booby traps--trip-wires that set off paint grenades, ambush points, and even a few improvised paint land mines, though that took some doing, and they could only be hidden in the parks where there was enough to cvoer them (with things like dead leaves and broken twigs, this was actually feasable). When they deemed their preparations ready, half-a-dozen scouts moved forward, toward the Hanseatic lines. These scouts were actually there not only to observe, but a couple of them were to reveal themselves 'accidently' and lead forces toward their maze of traps. -------- In the air battle, no quarter was given or asked. With the bloody ant tighht entanglement of the massive dogfight above, the anti-aircraft defenses risked shooting their own whenever they fired. With the numbers of planes being equally matched, the helicopters were given a little breathing room to occasionally return to their original job--thin out the Hanseatic line. Mostly, they did not worry unduly about the infantry, only occasionally strafing them. Their main task had, and continued to be, eleminate enemy armor and armored instalations, especially tanks and anti-aircraft defenses. When the charge came, tanks became top priority. -------- The third wave of invasion troops were not going to be landing in Brisban Proper, but a little further south, away from the fighting, while the fourth would go north. The remaining 23 thousand men were split between them, and they were already moving out, halfway to their destinations, when the charge came. -------- In turn, the majority of the Bradleys concentrated their fire on enemy armor, and this combined with the barrages from the helicopters would make the Hanseatic armor a center of a maelstrom of firepower. However, about a score of Bradleys would begin firing on the charging troops, especially on the flanks, to prevent the landing force from being flanked itself. The charging troops, despite the cover fire, would now face what they had initially given the invaders--a storm of fire from both standard infantry weapons and the machine gun emplacements, and though the latter began dwindling from the constant barrage, there were still more than there had been in the first wave--the second wave had brought more than the first had, being a larger wave to begin with, and bringing more heavy weapons in proportion to their size, as well. These heavy weapons were never quite close enough together for more than one to be taken out by a tank shell, or if the shot was extremely well-placed, occasionally two might be incapacitated. All this, of course, though it would inflict heavy casualties, could not stop so many men charging at once. -------- The rear-most two operatives froze before beginning their mad dash toward the house. The others were already at the door, but the remaining two signalled them to get inside, indicating that they'd heard something, most likely another set of guards on patrol. They gave the sign meaning they were unsure how many there were (three quick circles drawn in the air with their middle and index fingers together), and that they were going to hide. One climbed a tree, and the other hid in the bushes... OOC: Please give me time to fix the paragrapsh before replying. OK, that's better Edited June 8, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 The bombardment was horrifying for the Hanseatic defenders and as it increased in ferocity, they knew that it was imperative to leave the center of the line. However by doing that, the Promised Landers would be able to cut them in half and cause extreme damages to the brigades that would be located north and south of the line. But before they could have sufficient time to react, the enemy charge was already bearing down on them. The middle was to hold and all cost whatever the casualties, of which there were many, while the flanks were to spread further away from the center in a forward motion. As the center line held as best as they could and as the Promised Land infantry threatened to break through the line, the Hanseastic flanks came down to pressure the forward infantry on both their right and left flank. They couldn't totally surround them, but if they could hurt them enough for them to retreat again, the would be a victory in Hanseatic eyes. In addition, as enemy armor focused on neutralizing Hanseatic tanks, Hanseatic armor and artillery concentrated solely on the enemy infantry. This was their main strength and this of all things hand to be destroyed. --- With all buildings secured, the Lillians, Marines, and the thousand men of the 21st Australian Regiment congratulated each other on the victory. But this was to be short lived, for as enemy scouts revealed themselves, they did lure the Hanseatics into their booby traps. Men and women that had survived these onslaughts reported to their commanders that Brisbane was now rigged for destruction and that they would have to be careful. However, no movement would be made after this, as the guards and the addition strength maintained the defense line until word from the front was received. --- It was a glorious charge down the beachhead towards the Promised Land line. The Hanseatics took amazing casualties, but the lines continued to move under cover from both the artilliery and the armor divisions that began to pour over the defenses towards the open beaches that would give them a direct line of fire against the enemy positions. It was now a no-mans land filled with craters and un-exploded shells. Suffering heavy loses, the Hanseatic army finally made it to the trench and climbing over the sandy barricade finally began to fight in hand-to-hand combat with the Promised Land infantry divisions. Plastic-bayonets were fixed and the trench became a blood bath of gore. --- "You see anything?" Said one of the Lillians looking into the darkened passageways near the gardens. "No. I must have been an animal like you said." "Yeah, I thought so." They turned to start walking to the guard house. "Well lets meet with the captain and tell him out shifts are over then we'll head to bed." "Sounds good." As the Lillians disappeared back into the dark. Though within a minute or two they would find the collapsed bodies of the guards and the alarms would sound all around Solidor Manor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 (edited) Again, it hadn't turned out precisely as the Colonel in charge had intended, but he took what openings were offered. The attack in the center took on a new energy, and the time for maneuvering was over as all points of the line were charged. The tanks re-doubled their efforts to locate and neutralize Hanseatic Armor before they could do too much damage to the infantry, and the infantry itself? A small number of them possessed anti-armor weaponry, and whenever an enemy tank revealed itself, they used it, even if they had to stop for a moment to sight on it. The Bradleys sought out any Hanseatic personel with anti-armor weaponry and attempted to eliminate them from the battlefield. Even the APC's, not normally meant to be used in direct combat, joined in the assault on the flanks now. Their machine guns would add just a little more pressure to the attack, and hopefully, proovide the straw that broke the camel's back of the Hanseatic defense. -------- They hadn't gotten many with their traps, but that was not the point. The Lillians, marines, and remaining Army personnel now had to know there qas still a threat to them in the city itself, and that the threat could pop up anywhere, at any time, and strike, only to disappear again. It was more a case of morale than casualties. -------- When the front Hanseatic lines were 50 yards away, the Promised Land front line fixed their bayonets (also plastic--despite the intensity, these were still wargames), while coveering fire was provided by the second line. When they were 25 yards away, the second line fixed theirs, while the first continued to fire at the charging enemy. When the Hanseatics finally poured over their defenses, they were all ready as they could possibly be, and the front defensive line became a confused melee of fighting, shouting troops that neither side dared risk firing into for fear of hitting their own. However, the Bradleys continued occupying the Hanseatic armor as much as possible, and the helicopters (still covered by the ongoing dogfights) were still above to harass both the infantry that had not yet entangled itself, and the Hanseatic tanks. And the further ranks, if ever a clear shot at an unengaged Hanseatic trooper presented itself with minimal friendly fire risk, it was taken. Even General Davies managed to get off two clear shots. Slowly, a chant began to be heard across the Promised Land lines, small but growing in volume. "Hold that line. Hold that line! Hold that line!" -------- The other, flanking waves to the north and south neared their destinations. If the first waves could occupy the main defenders long enough, their landing would be relatively unopposed, and flanking would be a viable strategy. As they grew ever closer, several of them peered through binoculars and spyglasses, attempting to spot whatever defenses they were, however thick or sparse. -------- The two operatives breathed a sigh of relief when the Lillian Guards decided it had been nothing. However, they realized now their problem. If there were regular patrols, sooner or later, the guards stashed away in the guardhouse would be found. They needed to remain here, in hiding, to buy their team members time when the alarm sounded. The other team members, once inside, began spreading out over the mansion in teams of two, in leapfrog menuevers--one member of each pair advancing while covered by his partner, then the other would advance in turn, covered by the first, and the cycle repeated. If they ran across anyone, they were to be taken down quietly, if at all possible, and they checked behind every door for possible inhabitants... Edited June 11, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 OOC: Bump...just in case, ya know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 It was a strong push, stronger than what the Hanseatic defense in the west was used to. But in defense for the Hanseatics, the enemy only seemed to be really targeting the armor divisions and while the Hanseatic tanks suffered high casualties, the infantry was able to push ahead against the Promised Land foot soldiers and hold the flanks. They didn't really know how long they could hold out, but they continued to push ahead against the enemy lines in the hopes of placing the Promised Land soldiers inside a pincer motion and surrounding them without armor support. --- The trenches became a 'blood bath' as infantry men from both sides were intertwined frothing back and forth against each other, each trying to gain the upper hand, but it seemed to no avail. A bloody stalemate, with no signs of improving for either side. But hearing the chants of the Promised Landers only built up Hanseatic drive and moral to break the line and push the enemy back into the sea. "To the sea men! To the sea! For the Lady Protector!" Seeing the infantry begin to push, the tanks releasing themselves from the cover of their own trenches began to push down the beach taking aim at the positions behind the trench and even with helicopter attacks, they would be able to get a few shoots. At the very least they would rattle the back lines. At the very best, they would blow a hole that would lead the infantry to the ocean. --- The Promised Land flanking divisions would only encounter sparse resistance from militia regiments that were scattered miles out from Brisbane. The massive amounts of enemy forces would not be able to be defeated, but they could perhaps be stalled. At least for a moment. --- "Oh Christ!" Said one of the Lillians running over to the downed guards. She tilted their heads up and found they were still breathing. "Okay, well they're still alive." She pounded on the alarm system, alerting the entire manor to the possibilities of intruders. Turning back to her comrades she glared. "Get moving, there's people in the Manor. Go find out where and tell the other guards." They were onto them now. They wouldn't have much time to act from this point on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 As stated before, however, only a small number of the infantry possessed such weaponry. The standard ground troops fought fiercely for every inch, only giving ground if they threatened to be overwhelmed by the superior numbers. The support provided by the APC's (who concentrated on infantry as they were useless against armor anyway) managed to keep that unfortunate occurance from happening, but it was a near thing on more than one occasion. The wings of the battle were currently a stalemate. In the center, the armored vehicles once again pressed hard in their attempt to pierce the lines, no longer worrying about enemy armor, which had to be almost nonexistent by now. If they could blow through, they could come around from the rear and trap the Hanseatics in a crosfire. -------- The rear lines hunkered down in their holes, but nevertheless, once in a while a tnak shot would take out a fewtroopers. Not a lot, but it was slightly damaging to morale not to be able to shoot back. The chant kept their spirits from sinking aseven they gaot caught in the heat of battle. When the tanks exposed themselves, the helicopter pilots took the opportunity to press their attacks. The front line showed no signe of wavering, as reinforcements from the second line began joining the melee. However, a curious thing was happening right about the time the tank advance came. The center of the front line began retreating toward the second line of defense, apparently having lost their will to fight, and providing an opening for the hanseatics to charge through... -------- As they landed, the flanking forces didn't face a storm of fire, though they did lose a small number to the militia units. This sporadic resistance forced them to advance cautiously, but advance they did. Slowly but surely, they advanced toward Brisbane. -------- With the alarms sounded, the intruders inside the mansion knew they were working on a limited time frame. However, they continued to methodically advance in the same manner as before. The first person they came across happened to be Ms. Alexandra De Lune. The team that had found her, covered by another team nearby, barged into her room, weapons aimed threateningly. "Take us to Mr. Harlem, now. We won't ask twice." Their fingers tightened on the triggers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted June 13, 2009 Report Share Posted June 13, 2009 The middle finally broke as Hanseatic soldiers inside the trench defenses retreated out to the plains beyond the trench. However, seeing the center of the line fall, this put extreme pressure on the flanks that were now separated. Having a great deal of strength left the flanks surged forward on both sides of the advancing army. They hit at the same time, creating to different fronts while still trying to hold off the men that were attacking them directly. It was their final push to hold the Western Army back from advancing to Brisbane and if this couldn't be done they at least wanted to damage the army enough to cause permanent damage on the rest of their advance. --- Inspired by one last great burst of enthusiasm the Hanseatics charged ahead, believing to have routed the first line of defenders. Battalions of soldiers poured over the trench, near the Promised Land held beachhead and they could smell the salt of the sea so close now. They were nearly there, just a bit further, just a bit more. "Onwards men! Onwards!" --- As had been anticipated, the militia was only able to delay the Promised Land advance, but hopes still existed that the other Hanseatic divisions would be able to eventually come down to reinforce their positions. --- Alexandra was just settling into bed when the intruders burst through the door. Her pistol was laying on the dresser next to her, but it was too far away. Though in her shorts she carried a small knife that she could use to at least eventually gain the upper hand against the intruders. She didn't say a word, only put her hands up over her head and nodded to them to follow her as she lead them down the hall towards Anthony's room. Waiting for the best time to attack them from behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2009 The portion that broke through, instead of immediately capitalizing on their opportunity, split into three sections. The smallest force, about a fifth of the force that had broken through, pursued the retreating troops of the center line--the best way to ensure they couldn't rejoin the battle was to eliminate them from it entirely in a mop-up operation. The other two forces, more equal in strength to each other, turned once they were completely through the lines. They would now attack the troops that had formed the flanks from the rear. The pressed attack began driving the infantry and their support back, forcing them to cede almost all of the ground they had gained. Losses started to climb... -------- The retreat halted at the third line, where the apparently fleeing troops dropped into the defensive positions, whirled, and opened fire on the once-again charging Hanseatic army. At the same time, machine guns previously useless for the melee opened fire on the now unmingled Hanseatic troops, indicating the full nature of the trap that had been planned in the event of just such a charge... -------- The militia were relatively easy to defeat, but as the Hanseatics had hoped, they did delay them. Whether they would be delayed long enough remained to be seen, as they grew ever closer. The northern force was still one and a half miles from the area of combat, and the southern force 2 miles, but already they could see the dogfights occuring between the opposing air forces. Technology may give one a good advantage in ground combat, but air combat depended much more on skill--that being said, the planes Promised Land had sent did have a slight technological edge. -------- They kept at least two guns trained on her at all times. She seemed too calm for the situation, and they considered the possiblity that she might be planning something. The pistol lying on the dresser in her room had suggested she might be more than she seemed. Even if these hadn't been a consideration, they would have still kept two team members behind her, with their weapons aimed and ready to fire, at all times. One didn't survive in this business by trusting everyone. -------- The figure lying under the covers of the bed in Anthony's room didn't react at first when the door opened, but when he felt a jab of something metal and round in the middle of his back, he sat bolt upright, eyes wide and unblinking, and turned slowly to face the man pointing a gun at him, a man whose face was masked now by dark paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 OOC: Not much further to go, I think...although we could all be surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 OOC: Well, there doesn't seem to be much else going on in these forums, right now, so I'm just making sure this doesn't fall out of sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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