"...and she had a Heart of Iron"

[Kaiser Martens]

"Alright. We have lost contact with our last units. We think that 1000 have managed to reach the Slavorussians to regroup and fight on, while less than 250 still remain scattered in the city. The remainder will fight till death, as ordered to. To go to the South, things are mostly handled there. There's still ongoing Violence, but the Slavs have more than enough to trump it."

-"Very well. Nothing new in the western front."

"No. But the Armtha is going to arrive and the Finns too are in position. We're still trying to determine the position of Cochin in all this."

-"Alright. Even without 'em, we must go forth."

"Indeed. We are reorganizing and repairing our old divisions as well as the new ones. Though it will still take a few days until we can begin pushing the French back, our Allies can hold it till then. I mean, we COULD go now, but fighting halfheartedly with half troops and half organization is below our standards. Is it not?"

-"Agreed. Well. Keep up the good work. What about the Danes, any movement there?"

"No. It seems that our information was mistaken. But the minefields are there. We can't bother placing troops at their border anyway, it'd alarm 'em."

-"Then we just need to keep doing what we're doing until we're ready to strike. How is the propaganda going?"

"Very well. It will be able to be deployed in time. Shall we send the Rocket Forces and the Luftwaffe to assist Strassburg in the meantime?"

-"By all means. We can't leave our allies out in the cold alone."

---------------------

The German Army was on the move. New equipment was being sent to points Fehu until past Thurisaz in very large amounts. France would finally - eventually - come to face the true might of Germany. Their intelligence may or may not be able to pick up on some of the movements, and notice an insane amount of troops gradually being massed out of range of their weapons beyond Elsass-Lothringen, getting ready for a battle still days away. Over time, they'd see at least a million worth of troops organized around there...

The operational Sixty Squadrons of Fighters and Five Squadrons of Bombers were made to go to Strassburg, to gain air superiority on the skies above through the use of overwhelming numbers. They would hunt the fighters in the region, and when there were no fighters, even the German Fighters themselves would make little attacks on the ground forces. The Bombers were wholly dedicated to the subject and systematically tried to bombard wherever a large concentration of enemies was detected, or whenever the enemy seemed to be doing decently in the fight against the Slavorussians. But that was not all. The city - the places occupied by enemy forces - would be oversaturated with german Cruise Missiles, some of which were MOAB class. At least two hundred missiles would be within thirty minutes be delivered into Strassburg. Afterwards, it couldn't really be called a city anymore, but an array of ruins and dust. Special care was taken not to incurr in friendly fire.

Some of the propaganda was deployed across France through a large amount of different means.
The first propaganda showed a map of Elsass-Lothringen, in which a part of it was marked under French Flags and the rest under Germans. It said something like: "Why can't we live together and share the land?" and the answer was simple: Empress Zelle. Another piece of propaganda showed a Matrix-like tube being connected to the back of a zombie-like French soldier. It read: "Dying for a whim." And the tube was connected to a Crown.

That was just the first batch of propaganda. It soon became well known to the French citizen, or so Germany hoped, that in fact, Germany had been willing to ceede the Francophone part of the region (One third), to which the Empress declined. The propaganda tried to turn France against its ruler.

[Biohazard]

1st and 2nd Armies had both accomplished their objectives, with the cantons of Zurich, Zug, Schwyz, Uri, Glarus, Ticino, and Saint Gallen secured. Liberation had been fairly easy, although the former 'german' easten Swiss were not too happy about changing hands once more. Molotov cocktails had become few and far in between, as had open attacks by the citizens. What had replaced them though, was suicide bombers. In the course of two days, over 50 men had been killed, with 80 more wounded, due to suicide bombings.

3rd Army was to be dispersed among the cantons, as a reserve, while the larger 1st Army secured Graubunden. Parts of 2nd Army would head to the northern most point of the nation, and secure Thurgau. Once more, 3rd Army would be used to pacify the cantons, until full secure had been achieved.

[Biohazard]

EDIT: stupid wireless connection. pardon the double post.

Edited August 3, 2010 by Biohazard

[Malatose]

[b]Slovenia/Croatia:[/b]

Forces from the Slavic Federation had fully occupied both countries. Old remnants of the FUSR, such as flags and other propaganda material were removed and thrown away, while other soldiers resorted to burning them. However, despite all this, Slavic Forces still had to contend with protest and even hit-and-run attacks on their troop convoys. In order to curtail the violence, Slavic Forces, along with personnel from the Imperial Security Bureau, began to conduct strategic raids in areas where terrorist elements are believed to reside. In these raids, the main goal of the Slavic authorities are the capture of arms caches and enemy combatants. In addition, the the possession of arms by the civilian population would be banned, period. Those caught with weapons would be placed in a detention center and investigated for possible links to terrorist groups.

Simultaneously, Slavic authorities began to distribute food and medical aid throughout both republics. This was necessary until power could be resorted to areas sabatoged by guerillas. In addition, military engineers began to repair damaged hospitals, roads, bridges and other infrastructures needed for daily life in Slovenia and Croatia.

[b]Austria/anyother part of the former FUSR[/b]

Slavic Forces had surrounded the city of Vienna and were preparing for a three prong offensive into the city. Slavic Forces knew what awaited them, scores of rebels and some of the FUSR's most well trained troops. However, they were too close to end now to retreat, and the offensive began. The Slavic divisions were augmented to urban combat mode. They were mostly equipped with AT systems and portable mortars. Following them into the city were Infantry Fighting Vehicles, which would provide roaming cover for the ground infantry. Altogether, some one hundred Slavic tanks entered the city, they would most provide covering fire from a distance, using their heavy machine guns and 140mm ETC guns.

--

In other parts of the former FUSR under Slavic control, they initated the same occupational policies used in Slovenia and Croatia.

[Lynneth]

While Slavic forces would be able to seize some arms caches, most in the resistance knew that spreading their weaponry and not using anything centralised would make it much harder to operate against them.
And even then, IEDs could be built from things available in any household. These improvised explosive devices would sometimes be used to create traps for patrols coming through a particularly narrow street or just thrown from the 4th or 5th floor of some buildings. While the movement most certainly was organised in some way, they had done it in a way so that no single man or woman knew more than perhaps half a dozen to a dozen others with one 'leader', who usually was equipped with the means for suicide. Even then, these men were organised into groups with leaders, who then were organised further, to create a network of tens of thousands and more with layer upon layer upon layer.
The "Terrorists" were everywhere. Hiding in the cities, the mountains, on farms and in forests, whereever they could find a place to conduct their operations from.
This would be the case in all parts of the former FUSR/GDR, though some of the greatest resistance would be in the Slovenian and Croatian regions.

In Vienna, the Slavs didn't know the slighest bit of what awaited them. They'd never fought against the Amber - or Red - Guard, the very elite of what this nation had to offer.
Vienna was what amounted to a hive-city. High-rising buildings and skyscrapers were practically everywhere, and the average height of a building was 150 meters. Knowing the terrain exceptionally well, the guard could potentially strike at any patrol, devastate them and their armed support within less than 10 seconds and retreat not only out of the building but into an entirely different part of the city by using the many ways there were between buildings, from skyways over the sewers to Guard-friendly Ambulance vehicles.
There were "only" 20,000 of them in Vienna, the same amount as in Munich. And they had decided that taking this city would take more than a simple campaign of "We go in there and starve them out".
In fact, most of the remaining citizens had decided that making this occupation hell would be good, regardless of their current living conditions. Nationalism and loyality were powerful elements.

[king of cochin]

[u][b]Cochin Expeditionary Force Germany Head Quarters
Ferihegy Airport, Budapest[/b][/u]

The first combat units of the CEFG arrived at Budapest with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment arriving at Budapest. With the first unit having arrived the torrent of forces which form the CEFG would start to arrive at Budapest. The fields of Felsopakony is becoming a literal city of tents for the massive army that is on the move.

Meanwhile at CEFG HQ bunkers a special team of intelligence specialists are poring over the communications channels to study the pattern of attacks being faced by Slavic Federation and VDL in South Germany. This team composed of select officers from National Defense Corps, Royal Cochin Special Forces and National Intelligence Agency are monitoring and analyzing all aspects of the insurgency. This study has both a tactical and strategic necessity tactical because these insurgency tactics would most likely have to be countered by the CEFG when they roll towards Germany. The team is also monitoring feed from the Royal Cochin Air Force AWACS and ELINT aircrafts patrolling the battlespace.

[DeSchaine]

17th June, pre dawn through early afternoon.

In the early hours of the day, transports had begun to land and unload the vehicles and soldiers they carried. Among some of the first were the massive Raindrop artillery cannons. There were six of these per division and 3rds moved down with their accompanying anti air units to support the missions near Strasbourg. 

The first of 3rds four brigades had assembled and moved down to the rear of the French lines. Nearly ten thousand troops and their vehicles arrived outside the city and split into their regimental combat teams to prepare for action.

Two more brigades were forming up as the last was being unloaded. They would only be a few hours behind the first in reaching the rear of the French lines.  

Further north, the same thing was happening with 5th divisions units. Their Raindrops had moved out, also with their AA units and were being followed to the border with Belgium by two brigades, half of the divisions strength.

In the skies, the Germans would face a incredible obsticle from the Taeunas fighters, and no doubt the other allied planes as well. In no time a deadly ballet would ensue. Missile smoke trails and vapor trails crossed among the clouds as waves of long range fire and forget AA missiles streaked in on their targets. 

In Taeunas, technicians plotted the positions and routs being used by German army units from spy sat pictures. The coordinates of these masses were sent to the several squadrons of bombers. In each plane, the copilot would quickly load the target area to the missiles in their bays.

Once the targets were uploaded, they would wait for the squadron leaders order to fire, still well inside French airspace. With a full group, three squadrons, of bombers in the air that amounted to nearly six hundred cruise missiles screaming in. Once over the target, each would pop open, releasing several hundred bomblets to rain chaos and destruction on the Germans heads.

The Germans were bent on turning Strasbourg into hell on earth. Now the allies would be turn the tables and send them to the real thing. 

[king of cochin]

The Cochin Expeditionary Force Germany now has the first combat division assembled itself in Budapest. While the logistics trains are bringing the remaining units and further stores of ammunition and stores for an extended campaign the 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment (1ACR), the Cochin Horse, is ready to defend VDL. With the end of air combat threat from FUSR, the bomber squadrons are now based on the Air Combat Force Germany axis with spoke at Budapest. After taking time to acclimatize the men and equipment to the European theater, the following message was sent to the VDL.

[quote]"The Cochin Expeditionary Force Germany now has one Armored Cavalry Regiment ready to defend VDL. Please inform us where you need our forces."

Sd,

Lt. Gen. Laxman Sethi,
General Officer Commanding,
CEFG/2SAD[/quote]


EDIT: OOC: Retconned the entire force arriving and modified to just one regiment arriving.

Edited August 5, 2010 by king of cochin

[SpacingOutMan]

[hr]
[b]June 17th, 9AM[/b]

It had been three long days since the nation had been mobilized and, given queries from the French government on the front, the first dispatch of 40,000 troops via every transportation method possible headed north toward French waters to enter from western Europe. Escorted by a convoy of twenty-one highly capable and deadly warships, security was not even a second-thought for the Royal Mechodamian Fleet. Another 40,000 soldiers were ready for further deployment for the next wave of naval transport once the fleet had arrived from their several day voyage.

Five-thousand troops had, however, been transported via aircraft to western French airports whereupon entering the airspace made their intentions known as a French ally.

[Triyun]

Forces had been assembling in Bohemia, forward combat brigades would be brought towards the Austrian Border region as they were unloaded off of trains. At this point 60% of forces had reached their staging points for the operation. Combat operations were scheduled to begin shortly. As the USC and SF had joint interoperability, the units would be able to tap into the strategic reserves of the the Slavs, and would be shipping supplies to replenish those stockpiles from China.

[Kaiser Martens]

[i]To Cochin: (But can be seen by the French Front allies)[/i]

We would please like to have Ground Forces deployed at Freiburg, Baden-Baden, and between those two southern cities. We have currently Finnish units by Saarbrücken and the Armtha SS approaching Landau, while some Slavorussians are approaching to Karlsruhe and others already in combat in Strassburg.

Because the Russians are mostly fighting alone, we have sent our Air support to aid them. It would also be desireable for your Airforce to assist their Strassburg Army Group to make sure that casualties on their side are minimized and on the enemy side maximized.

We are still buying time for an upcoming offensive. For now, we need to keep the enemies at bay until ready to strike.

[i]Hail[/i]

OOC: Reference help, http://derweg.org/deutschland/gesamt/images/deutschlandkarte_big.png

Edited August 5, 2010 by Kaiser Martens

[Centurius]

June 16th
8:00 PM
Imperial War Cabinet

The request from the Sicilian League had been received and discussed, while the navy was preoccupied some ships could extend its patrols to cover Sicilian waters too as such a reply was formulated and transmitted over encrypted communication measures.

[quote]TO: Admiral Antonio Valdotta, Sicilian Navy
FROM: Imperial Command of the Athenian Federation

Your request has been received and preparations to assist in defense of Sicilian waters are being ordered as we speak. Requesting a Sicilian Envoy to head to Athens for transport to the secret location of the Imperial War Cabinet. Empress desires a more direct way of communication between the Sicilian League and the Athenian Federation[/quote]

With the transmission underway a public announcement was made informing parties of the intent to protect Sicilian waters.

[king of cochin]

[quote name='Kaiser Martens' timestamp='1280968238' post='2401155']
[i]To Cochin: (But can be seen by the French Front allies)[/i]

We would please like to have Ground Forces deployed at Freiburg, Baden-Baden, and between those two southern cities. We have currently Finnish units by Saarbrücken and the Armtha SS approaching Landau, while some Slavorussians are approaching to Karlsruhe and others already in combat in Strassburg.

Because the Russians are mostly fighting alone, we have sent our Air support to aid them. It would also be desireable for your Airforce to assist their Strassburg Army Group to make sure that casualties on their side are minimized and on the enemy side maximized.

We are still buying time for an upcoming offensive. For now, we need to keep the enemies at bay until ready to strike.

[i]Hail[/i]

OOC: Reference help, http://derweg.org/deutschland/gesamt/images/deutschlandkarte_big.png
[/quote]


With the instructions from VDL received, the 1ACR started its combat deployment to Freiburg. The force of 5500 soldiers and 350 T150 Main Battle Tanks would be deploying in combat order in leap frog fashion. The S-RECOs of the Regiment are providing scout duties as an ELINT Merat from RCAF is providing over cover. Meanwhile the RF03 regiment of Royal Cochin Air Force had deployed to Strasbourg to assist the Slavorussians in the defense. The RF03 is composed of 4 squadrons of JM2 MRCAs.

[The FSM]

Admiral Caldotta read the response from the Athenian Government, it was not exactly what he had intended but it was along the same lines. By coordinate on naval defense he had not meant asking for Athenian protection, but regardless he would settle the matter when he could discuss the situation face to face. Within a half hour he and a few aides left by helicopter from Naval Command Malta and were fast on their way to the Athenian Federation. He assumed that he would be ferried to another location once he arrived.

-------------
[b]June 17th, 2am
National Consultative Assembly Building, Syracuse, Sicilian League[/b]

It was late or rather, it was very early. Jean stood with his aides in the Primus' chambers, directly behind the rostrum in the Assembly Chamber. He hadnt slept since his 20 minute nap earlier in the day, and before that it had been more than a day. Sleep was calling, but his sense of duty stood firm, he had to do all he could to see the right thing was done. He knew he would need to muster all of his speaking ability to carry the day, and even then, he still may fail. But he had to try.

He heard the sound of the gavel calling the chamber to order, Henri Argille had informed him that the Senators were barely controllable and that tempers were about ready to explode.

"The Chamber will come to order.... *bang*bang*... I said the Chamber will come to order. All rise for the Steward of the League"

That last announcement brought the chamber to a stunned silence, it was rare for the Steward to speak to the Assembly. In fact, this would be the first time it had happened since the Crisis a year and a half ago. Jean scaled the steps that led from the Primus' chamber to the Primus' Dais in the Chamber. Taking the podium, he launched into his address.

"I understand that many of you are surprised to find me here today, I realize this is the time I have ever spoken before you, and I understand that these statements come unannounced. I take such unusual steps today because this League faces a choice that will have lasing consequences, not only for ourselves, but for all of Europe.

A few days ago, one of our closest allies launched a surprise invasion of the United German States. This attack was unannounced, I know that many of you also find this attack disturbing because the French launched it in direct violation of their alliance with the Germans.

I do not come before you today to argue that the Germans in some way deserved to be betrayed by their ally, the Germans have done little to merit such aggression through their own actions. However, it was the inaction on the part of their government that forced the hand of Empress Zelle and the people of France.

For the French this is not a war of choice, nor is it a war they sought to start. But when, in a cruel turn of history, your countrymen are separated by borders, families divided and friends separated, it would be travesty not to act, not to try and right this wrong. For the French, they are fighting this war to reunite the families of France, Alsace and Lorraine, kept apart for too long by the legacy of the Burgundian King.

Nor do the French fight today as a first resort. Numerous times their diplomats have journeyed to Berlin and Vienna, seeking to negotiate for the return of Alsace and Lorraine to their families and friends in the rest of France. Numerous times the French have attempted diplomacy, and numerous times their offers and entreaties for negotiation on the issue have been rebuffed.

I ask all of you here to think back to a time years ago, when the islands of the League stood out as a bastion of liberty and freedom against fascist oppression on the Italian Peninsula. Did we sit idly by then, and allow our friends and families on the peninsula to be crushed under the jackboots of Borghese's Blackshirts?

No we did not, we took action to right the cruel twist of history that saw the Islands free and the Peninsula smothered by fascism. If we would not stand to allow our bretheren to be cruelly separated and smothered under a fascist edifice, then how can we look poorly on the French for doing the same thing when their brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, friends and family are held away from them by a government that thrives on its German identity.

When the GDR came to us to negotiate for the return of the South Tyrolean population to the GDR, to right historical wrongs, did we rebuff their diplomats? No, we negotiated because it was the right thing to do for those families that were divided by the cruelty of history and borders. When the French went to the Germans to ask for the same thing did they do the right thing and negotiate? No, they did not, and by doing so they left the French with no other option but to start this war we see unfolding before us.

That is the decision you must make, does this League wish to see historical wrongs made right? Or do we wish to turn our back on our own history and, in doing so, become a pitiful nation in the process. Only you can make that decision, and I pray you do not play politics with it. Too much is at stake."

Jean turned and walked back down the steps to the Primus' chamber. No sooner had he walked up to his aides then he collapsed on the floor. He had poured everything he had left into that speech, and his exhaustion had caught up with him.

Back in the chamber Henri Argille sat and watched as many of the Senators rose from their chairs, their applause and cheers mixing with onlookers in the packed galleries. His gamble had worked.

Edited August 5, 2010 by The Flying Scotsman

[Malatose]

[b]COIN operations[/b]

Slavic Forces began to step up their counter-insurgency operations, after numerous soldiers were killed by rogue ambushes and roadside bombing attack. In the last ambush, five slavic soldiers were wounded. In retaliation, Slavic authorities initiated an 8pm curfew. After 8pm, citizens under the jurisdiction of the Slavic forces were to be indoors with their windows closed. Any citizen found wondering the streets after that specific time would be arrested and placed in a internment camp. In addition to these new rules, soldiers began to conduct coordinated Cordon and search, Cordon and Knock, and Cordon and Kick operations. In these large operations, entire blocks are blocked off and searched for weapons or insurgents. These operations were conducted by a combination of Slavic military forces and Imperial Security Bureau personnel.

In the skies, Unmanned aerial vehicles prowled the skies. They were the main asset in the new Slavic plan of attack. In this new plan of attack, Slavic forces would travel down areas, baiting the enemy to ambush them. After these ambushes, Unmanned aerial vehicles would follow the retreating terrorist, to their potential hideout or any other location. After trailing the suspects, the UAV would then unleash its deadly payload of two air to surface missiles. If there were more potential targets, the Slavic army would stage massive raids to capture all these individuals.

Aside from these operations, Slavic forces also resorted to dropping leaflets and using loudspeakers, and radio broadcasts to demoralize the enemy.

[b]Vienna[/b]

The Slavic Forces were totally suspecting the resistance put up by the communist. Soldiers took cover behind cars or their infantry vehicles, in an attempt to keep safe from the bullets raining from up above. It was quite obvious, the communist weren't going to give up the city without a fight. Therefore, the Slavic High Command felt it necessary for forces to use all their available power to take the city as quickly as possible. However their main concern were the civilians still located in the city. In order to solve that problem, Slavic forces hijacked various enemy communication systems, radio networks, and they even deployed loudspeakers to Vienna.

[i]Persons who stay in the city of Vienna will be considered terrorists and bandits and will be destroyed by artillery and aviation. There will be no further negotiations. Those who wish to evacuate the city have fourty eight hours to do so.[/i]

On the outskirts of the city, artillery pieces were prepared. At airbases, Slavic Lu-67s were prepared as well.

[Lynneth]

After the first few uses of UAVs -several of which were quite successful - the resistance began to change their tactics, beginning to scout patrol routes from camouflaged positions, preferrably from a tree or forest to cover their thermal signature.
Once they had a route with its usual complement, they would build a sort of 'automatic' ambush mechanism, which sometimes was simply a few makeshift catapults rigged to throw primed grenades or IEDs at a convoy, while others even had left-over AT weaponry in use.
These mechanisms could be his more efficiently and easily than a dozen insurgents and were easily built, requiring only one person - camouflaged as well as possible of course - to watch and pull the trigger. This minimised exposure of insurgents to the UAVs, and the use of dense forests or even cave-systems to hide from the eyes in the sky.
Mines also became more popular with the resistance, needing not even an observer along the patrol route.
The leaflets and other propaganda did little to sap morale.


Approximately 8.6 million people lived in Vienna at its height, not including people living in the metropolitan area, which would be many millions more.
Combined with the population density of the city, it meant that approximately one person lived on every 48 square meters. Roughly 21,000 people lived on every square kilometer. Though many had left, there still were more than 5.5 million people within the city for a density of approximately 13,500 people per square kilometer.
From a number of improvised radio stations, the people told the world just what impossible demand the Slavic Federation had made.
"They want us to leave the city within 48 hours. Everyone, all the millions living here in Vienna. People who don't want to move and support neither side. People who can't move due to their health. People who want to oppose, or even help the Slavs. The Federation wants all of them gone within two days, a completely impossible task.
If we're not gone, no matter why, they'll see us all as [i]terrorists and bandits[/i].
We ask the world to oppose these utterly impossible demands. They want to slaughter millions of civilians for no reason other than they can't - or don't want to - engage some thousand rebels hiding within the city.
Are the lives of millions of civilians that much less important than the soldiers the Slavic Federation would lose if they tried taking the city?
If they don't want to lose their precious men, they should just leave! The Slavs should leave us alone and let us be!"

Afterwards, the broadcast made by the Slavs was replayed.
"This was the original broadcast by the Federation!
We once again ask the world for aid against those who would murder millions!"

[Triyun]

The Chinese air raids on the enemy forces had been devastating. Anti-ship ballistic missiles effects were devastating on the fleeing rebel fleet, two aircraft carriers were destroyed, while a third was unable to launch aircraft and its radar was now knocked out. One battleship was destroyed, two more fared better than carriers, but were still heavily damaged with both ships of fire and one’s propulsion was disabled. Nine more support ships, six frigates, and three destroyers were sinking towards the bottom of the sea. Three more were in flames.

This would not be the end of their misfortune though, loaded up with internal anti ship sea skimming super sonic cruise missiles, and externally with anti-air missiles, three Tu-160S squadrons took off again. Hitting super cruise the 36 craft had their radar ready, ready to launch their own missiles to intercept enemy missiles, while using DRFM jamming, as well as the aircraft’s own reduced RCS design in order to disrupt the enemies detection of their location as they entered within 550 kilometers combat range, slowing out of super cruise and dropping below radar on their approach, they rapidly launched off their full complements of internal missiles. 432 Sea skimming missiles were launched moving to super sonic speed as they moved towards their targets, the Tu-160s would hit their after burners as they did a sharp turn out of the range of enemy missiles.

A second squadron of EF-50s from each of the Pacific Wolves would also be launched as the fires were returning to ships. These aircrafts would while the Tu-160s were launching missiles, would fire their own, using their electronic warfare suites at 400 kilometers range to bombard the enemy radar with false signals at all different ranges preventing an effective aerial defense against the Tu-160Ss attacks. These EF-50s would also have their air to air missiles ready, as the stealth craft would be ready to engage any anti-air missiles or aircraft (I believe there is still one carrier left that can launch planes) allowing them to quickly engage anything attempting to stop the missiles or the bombers.

A tertiary attack force would approach the enemy fleet flying from below. B-9s flying below the radar has flown down through Rebel Army territory, and were now in Sarnungian Territory under a covert agreement. The 8 Bombers would approach the enemy from the now would be completely unexpected direction. As most long range radar would focus on one area like a pencil, and there were much more detectable targets predictably coming from the Mediterranean sea, seeing the already hard to detect B-9 bombers, which were flying below most radar anyway, the enemy’s ability to be ready for the attack was next to nothing now, especially with their fleet on fire. The 8 stealth bombers opened their missile bays below radar unleashed 64 anti ship sea skimming stealth missiles, which were aimed at four enemy battleships, the four most reinforced ships in the fleet. 16 of exceedingly difficult to detect weapons would be moving towards these ships.

The B-9s would then move deep into the interior of Sarnungian Territory, to fly back through Rebel Army air space to their bases in the Slavic Federation.

In the air space over the former rebel held territory in the Southern VDL, enemy stealth bombers would find themselves scrambling to evade infrared anti air missiles. While some of these bombers would find themselves victim to the missiles, they were built to be stealth, and therefore the kill rate at beyond BVR would be less than one would normally suspect (around 30%). Therefore EF-50s would close in on the enemy using their super cruise, the planes would make use of their auto-cannons to take down the planes. The enemy’s bombers were many things; maneuverable was not one of them. Using infrared sensors, satellite blank spots, and jet trails, locating them would be doable, and when they were located flights of EF-50s would target their engines and take them down.

36 F-65s, 48 EF-50s, and 48 F/A-47s would move to support them moving at super cruise to close on the enemy bombers from their bases in the Slavic Federation. The units would use their infrared and optical sensors to fire off infrared missiles after the other EF-50s broke off to engage any surviving bombers and close in on them.


The Chinese Spokesman for the coalition would make a response to the ridiculous decree from the Rebels. “Lets speak about reality, and actual precedent, rather than what a group that appears to be run by a petulant teenager with no sense of history, or study about the historical laws of warfare. In warfare the one who uses civilians as shields is the one responsible for causing civilian casualties. War should be fought between two armies. What the rebels are seeking to do is purposefully endanger civilians by engaging in warfare within civilian areas, and then claiming it’s the other side’s fault. The Slavic Federation is the only responsible player in this conflict the rebellion is simply not. Their theory of warfare is to put the German people in danger and then blame the guy who shoots at them.

They are a disgrace and not run by serious people. They are run by people who do not think through the consequences of coercive force and then try to play victim when reality comes back to bite them. This is a disgrace to the legacy of strong German statesmen like Metternich and Bismarck, and much more in the tradition of political jokes like Hess. We pity those trapped in southern German cities still under the control of the rebels. We ask for the sake of all the German people, read some books on the rules of warfare and statecraft before you speak.”

[Sarah Tintagyl]

June 17th, 2071
10:30 AM
Strasbourg

"...no doubt...pull through...significant blood loss...she's tough..."

"...uhhhhh...."

"...return? Not that I...lost without her..."

"...uhhhhh..."

"...finiately not...Colonel van Donop...no shape...days or weeks...the front...or what's left of it..."

I kept hearing the voices, they were close, right above me in fact and I tried to moan to get their attention. But whoever they were, they were much more concerned about their conversation at hand than the woman suffering below them. I tried again. "Uhhhhhh..." Their voices stopped and I felt two pairs of hands grab each one of my arms and slowly I parted my eyes. On the left of me was a middle-aged doctor with a thick blonde mustache that drooped over his mouth, on the right was Jacques wearing a beaming smile on a tired face.

"Glad to know you're alive Khris." Jacques said. "We got you to the field hospital just in time and honestly if it weren't for those crazy Yorkist drivers, we probably wouldn't, I think those rumors about drivers in York City are true. They're all mad."

I chuckled, but even that hurt my chest and I grimaced in pain. "Am I going to be alright?"

"You'll pull through just fine Colonel van Donop, you have considerable strength for a woman your size and stature. Especially considering we received you with a punctured lung, a broken nose and multiple gashes on your body. However, after working on you for about three to four hours I can safely say that you are my best work of art." The doctor smiled. "So I would appreciate it if you tried not to throw my art away to those barbarians just yet."

"Which barbarians." Jacques smirked. "The Germans or our Generals?"

"Either or." Said the doctor, his voice emotionless.

"Well that's all fine and good Monsieur." I turned my head up at him. "But my regiment..."

"Your regiment should be happy that you're alive, don't go rushing off to war looking like a rag doll. I want you under proper medical care for at least another two weeks then depending on how you look and who you're feeling, I'll decided if you're fit for active duty again."

"Christ..." I closed my eyes and let my head fall back onto the pillow. Far in the distance I could still hear the explosions of guns, artillery, and missile attacks going off in the distance. It was light out now, which meant that the Battle had been going on all night and was still being fought in the early morning. I desperately wanted to go out there, because for as much as I deemed the entire campaign wrong, on both ends, my regiment was still out there, or what es left of it. They needed me. "...Jacques? Have you made any contact with Helene?"

"She took charge of the regiment as soon as I told her that you were wounded. They withdrew far back behind Eslau. As soon as the reserves and regular lines began to move in, we got to fall back, she said it was a blessing for a lot of the men."

"And the battle now?"

Jacques closed his eyes and frowned. "Well what's left of Strasbourg might still be fought over. I'm not quite sure."

"What's left?"

"Let me explain..."

...If the Germans were good at one thing it would be destruction. Now I don't mean the French Army's destruction, no, we made it hard on the Germans and their allies, we had no intention of being destroyed. However, Strasbourg, the city itself didn't fare too good, in fact, if there were buildings left standing after this battle was over it would be a miracle. The funny thing about it, no one was really that depressed that the city had been destroyed. It had been destroyed when we had first arrived and the senseless wide scale bombings of the Germans and their allies on our positions in the city didn't do much to save what was left of beautiful Strasbourg. Jacques said the blasts were magnificent from what he watched from the field hospital some distance from the city. The artillery duel between our guns as well as the Slavorussian, German, and Finnish artillery continued, though by the crack of dawn, the Finns had advanced north enough that their artillery was no longer in range of the city, or at least range were our guns and our troops had serious worry from them. The inferno didn't stop at just an artillery duel, no, that would have been too easy, that would have perhaps spared parts of the city.

As I remember, by the time that I was shuffled into the Yorkist APC and driven to the Field Hospital, the sky was still scattered with planes. Apparently in the few hours that had passed since then, the skies above Strasbourg had only gotten worse. Imagine if your can the utter chaos of some six nations' air forces in the air fighting all at once. French, Yorkist, Taeunasian, Finnish, Slavorussian, and German. Hundreds of planes entangled, crashing into each other, both sets of allies saying it would be impossible and saying that victory in the skies was assured, but that is propaganda, its never clean out of the eyes of the pilots. At the beginning of the sky war, the majority of the forces in the air were Yorkist, French Air was mainly on patrol around the borders of Alsace and Lorraine as well as conducting bombing runs along the Rhine and some few squadrons were freed up to control the skies above the battle. Enter Slavorussia. When the Russian air support entered into the battle, along with their covering fire from Anti-Air positioned as we believed both across the Rhine and at the Port Autonome, many of the Yorkists began to flee, which presented a problem. We couldn't let the Russians control the air and having our own Anti-Air decided to further press the attack, placing more of our thirty reserve squadrons into the air, of course, not all at once. Which would be pivotal later. Once the attack against the Slavorussians was well underway, the Finnish, cowards as they were, would attempt a more cat and mouse game from afar. the problem here being, give that our forces control three of the four sides of Strasbourg they would have to enter from one side of the city and leave from that same side. Needless to say, they still came under our guns and their cat and mouse tactics, while effective were still at the mercy of our Anti-Air. To make things more complicated, probably after about an hour or so of fighting between our fighters with Yorkist support against the Russians and Finns, the German Air Force finally decided to reveal themselves. Most of the tactics of the enemy seemed to revolve around pushing massive numbers into a small area and like Cannae it would be their undoing.

The Russians and Germans were seemingly placing all of their fighters into mad rushes against the few fighters that our air force had in the sky. Oh, I felt horrible for Nicolas, knowing that he was up there with the Rose Squadron and as Jacques told me of the air war, I prayed for his and Elisabeth's safety....

..."Commander we can't stay here! They're everywhere!" Christophe yelled frantically as two planes of the Rose Squadron burst into flames around them. "We have to withdraw!"

"Withdraw?" Nicolas chuckled and twisted his plane through the air before sending out a stream of missiles to two German planes who he had pulled behind in an excellent show of airmanship. "You have to be kidding me, we have what five squadrons in the air against their forty?"

"Probably more like fifty sir. So can we please get out of here!"

Nicolas smiled and clicked on his radio. "Elisabeth? How are you holding up?"

"How do you think you jack-$@!, I have three Krauts on my tail at once. We have to get out of here!"

"See. Even Elisabeth agrees sir."

"Perfect." Nicolas flicked another switch and smiled into the radio. "Commander Jollet, do you have us in your sights?"

"We do Nicolas, though it seems to me that this party was invitation only, there's enough Germans there that I figured that this was their party."

"Well that's my problem, none of them were on the invitation list, you mind playing bouncer for me?"

"My pleasure Monsieur."...Immediately the edges of the sky battle would begin to brighten with the flashes of missiles barreling into German and Russian positions, along if any Finnish coward wanted to attempt to break away from their hit-and-run tactics. The point of not bringing all of our planes in at once was simple, the sky was now filled in the center by an unfathomable amount of planes, most of which were enemy planes, which meant that our Anti-Air, our incoming planes and all allied planes could unload missiles at will. The Germans were surrounded and if they came too far from the city, they would be lost to our Anti-Air. In addition to those planes moving in, with the arrival of Taeunasian fighters it bolstered our numbers once again and the battle began to seem to change hands once again. However, just in case that the Germans would re-route more of their fighter squadrons. We only had thirty squadrons engaged, word was sent to reserve air bases for their squadrons to prepare to make for Strasbourg, if it came down to it, Imperial Command had every intention of winning the air battle, even if there was nothing left of the city to capture.

The final straw on the ground, from what Jacques explained, happened around four in the morning. As their air war happened overhead, our ground forces were still snaking through the city, knowing that every building and street needed to be overturned. They must have advanced a great deal past the Cathedral where I had been wounded by the Valkyrie, for the Germans had launched an attack that made our artillery barrage look like child's play. No one in the city had prepared themselves for something like a missile barrage of twenty to thirty missiles. Strasbourg lit up as soon as they struck and hearing that, I'm positive that hundreds of Frenchmen and women must have perished instantly, perhaps even nearing the thousands. But then again, I'm not a death estimator and I would shed the tears after I received the final report. However, such a missile attack had reduced the western side of Strasbourg to ash, if it had been anything special before, with the bones and blood scattered throughout the city. However such an attack had hit a very harsh cord on Imperial Command...

"...Some twenty or thirty missiles General, the city is decimated beyond repair, is there even anything left fighting for her? We were supposed to be liberators, but if they're destroying their own city..."

Tavernier, Commander of the First Army, looked out from his field command post with binoculars as the light from the missiles began to fade back into the redish darkness that held over the city before the launch. He sighed and crossed his old hands behind his back as he shook his head. "Guess they wanted to take the chance of us claiming any city from them, sounds like the Germans."

"Will we be fighting over dirt?"

"Dirt is the only thing left to fight over. But where the Germans wanted to create a Hell, we'll give them a Hell to live in for their last days on Earth. I want you to send a message back to the missile command centre back in Paris."

"Sir?"

"The Germans have depleted a great deal of their missile inventory, it would only be proper for us to do the same. Forty, launched at Eastern Strasbourg and Kehl, level them to the ground. I want to be able to see the Rhine clearly when the sun breaks over the eastern hills. All right?"

"Of course sir."

...The fire storm approached at unbelievable speeds and around four-thirty or five in the morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, the light of the missiles swallowed the fading night into its fiery mouth. If Western Strasbourg was leveled from fighting and German and their allies barrages, then Eastern Strasbourg would suffer a similar fate, as well as the enemy forces and their allies positioned across the Rhine would also be dealt a strong blow as Kehl would be blown to ruin as well. The Germans wanted Hell of fire and brimstone, but that wasn't Hell, Hell was a desolate wasteland where all that exists are ruin and the silent blow of the wind. And you are alone, always alone, forever alone. Not even their beloved gods could save them from this...

"...But we're advancing to the Rhine nevertheless." As Jacques finished the tale of what had happened I sat there in the hospital bed and wrung my hands nervously. Then I watched him reach into his pockets and take out two pieces of paper and hand them over to me.

"What's this?"

"German Propaganda, I figured you might want to take a look at them. Your mood always seemed to brighten Khris, when you got mad at things." I chuckled and opened the two pieces of paper, laying them on my lap. The first was a grotesque drawing of a zombified French soldier, maggots crawling from his face, bones showing from his ribs, rotting skin dripping from his arms. Connected to his back was a tube and connected to that tube was a crown, which I presumed was keeping the sorry soul alive. Written in large words across the top of the page was 'Dying for a whim'. I sighed and turned to the second piece of paper, which was the map that the Germans had been thumping since the war had began six days ago. The linguistic map of Alsace-Lorraine and the third of the region that would have belonged to the Empire. Written here were the words. 'Why can't we live together and share the land?', Empress Zelle was the reason. I shook my head and folded the papers back up and handed them back to Jacques. "Well what do you make of those?"

"Its funny, giving all the wheeling and dealing that those people do they can make it seem so simple of a solution. The Germans know full well that, simply 'sharing' the land isn't the case. If it was, they why wasn't the French land given back to us as soon as Hohenzollern stopped rearing his ugly head. They didn't want to give it back, no country does. Jacques, have you ever heard of something called, 'The Drive to the East'?"

"No I haven't, what is it?"

"Its a German philosophy that all territories ever once owned by the German Empire belong to Germany. Parts of Poland, Belarus, the Baltic States, the Netherlands, none of which are German, but natives are either forced to become German or kicked out of their native homelands. Is North Sweden German? Is Iceland German? Of course not, just a stupid excuse to take more land, their leaders are just as barbarous as ours and are not their soldiers dying on whims or have died on whims? And yet they have war memorials praising their deaths,deaths for Empire. They're all sick." I scowled and fell back on the pillow and closed my eyes.

"I'm guessing that Valkyrie wouldn't exactly agree with that statement though. German inferiority and all that. It must have been an incredible battle, she sure did give you a licking through."

"What?"

"That Valkyrie, your fight with her, it must have been a hell of a battle."

I sighed and turned my head, looking at the Valkyrie's sword laying beside my bed and reached over grabbing the hilt. "She was the best fighter I've ever seen, that's for damn sure."

As we talked, one of the nurses walked in and smiled bowing her head slightly. "I apologize for interrupting you Colonel van Donop, but there is a young lady of the Athenian Army that would like to see you, will you be seeing her?"

"Oh Renee? Of course, please send her in." The nuse bowed again and a few moments later Renee walked in and the first words out of her mouth were of my killing the Valkyrie with my bare hands. I laughed. "No, trust me, it wasn't like I turned into super woman while I was in there or anything, it was a lot of skill and a lot of luck."

"Oh hush Khris, you know what people are calling you?"

"Uh..."

"The Lioness of Lorraine, you killed one of the 'immortal' Valkyries and not like a lot of people who did it with guns or armor, no Khris, you go with a sword and slay the damn thing. Next thing people are going to be putting you in a suit of armor. But everyone knows you in the army, I'd wager even some of the allies as well.

I ran my hand down my face and sighed. "My goal wasn't to go out to become a heroine."

"Those things happen anyways. Though it wouldn't shock me if you're approached for pin-ups."

"Pin-ups?! Oh God?!"

"Well it’s not like you're not attractive."

"Jacques! Shut up!" I scowled and frowned. "I need to get back to the field."

"If there's a field left Khris and in two weeks I'm sure there will be a totally different field for us. Until then." He pushed my head back onto the pillow and laid the sword next to me. "You need your rest."

But all I wanted was to be back to where my men needed me. If I was the Lioness of Lorraine then I was needed out there. It was going to be a long two weeks.


OOC: Sorry if this doesn't hit every thing that I was supposed to respond too, but I think I did, if not PM me and let me know. By the way, the Spaghetti is sooooo epic.

[Subtleknifewielder]

[quote name='Lynneth' timestamp='1281027067' post='2401748']
Approximately 8.6 million people lived in Vienna at its height, not including people living in the metropolitan area, which would be many millions more.
Combined with the population density of the city, it meant that approximately one person lived on every 48 square meters. Roughly 21,000 people lived on every square kilometer. Though many had left, there still were more than 5.5 million people within the city for a density of approximately 13,500 people per square kilometer.
From a number of improvised radio stations, the people told the world just what impossible demand the Slavic Federation had made.
"They want us to leave the city within 48 hours. Everyone, all the millions living here in Vienna. People who don't want to move and support neither side. People who can't move due to their health. People who want to oppose, or even help the Slavs. The Federation wants all of them gone within two days, a completely impossible task.
If we're not gone, no matter why, they'll see us all as [i]terrorists and bandits[/i].
We ask the world to oppose these utterly impossible demands. They want to slaughter millions of civilians for no reason other than they can't - or don't want to - engage some thousand rebels hiding within the city.
Are the lives of millions of civilians that much less important than the soldiers the Slavic Federation would lose if they tried taking the city?
If they don't want to lose their precious men, they should just leave! The Slavs should leave us alone and let us be!"

Afterwards, the broadcast made by the Slavs was replayed.
"This was the original broadcast by the Federation!
We once again ask the world for aid against those who would murder millions!"
[/quote]
The propaganda hit home in the streets. The South Germans had long been considered, if not friends, on friendly terms with the Queendom. The news of the plight of Vienna added to the rioting that was just beginning to die down in the Eastern duchies...this time across the nation. A nation that prided itself on human liberty and decency could not stomach the thought of millions being wiped out.

[quote name='Triyun' timestamp='1281029643' post='2401790']
The Chinese Spokesman for the coalition would make a response to the ridiculous decree from the Rebels. "Lets speak about reality, and actual precedent, rather than what a group that appears to be run by a petulant teenager with no sense of history, or study about the historical laws of warfare. In warfare the one who uses civilians as shields is the one responsible for causing civilian casualties. War should be fought between two armies. What the rebels are seeking to do is purposefully endanger civilians by engaging in warfare within civilian areas, and then claiming it's the other side's fault. The Slavic Federation is the only responsible player in this conflict the rebellion is simply not. Their theory of warfare is to put the German people in danger and then blame the guy who shoots at them.

They are a disgrace and not run by serious people. They are run by people who do not think through the consequences of coercive force and then try to play victim when reality comes back to bite them. This is a disgrace to the legacy of strong German statesmen like Metternich and Bismarck, and much more in the tradition of political jokes like Hess. We pity those trapped in southern German cities still under the control of the rebels. We ask for the sake of all the German people, read some books on the rules of warfare and statecraft before you speak."
[/quote]
"Did they voluntarily go to this city, or did the coalition's attacks force them? No, the truth lies not completely with you, not completely with them, but undoubtedly somewhere in the middle. If they sought shelter there, it would not be because of the civilians necessarily...a city is a more defensible positon. And how, exactly, do you expect millions to evacuate in what is now less than 2 days? An impossible feat, even with assistance...even if there is only half of what the last census reports gave in the city, there are over 4 million people there--many who are undoubtedly [b]INCAPABLE[/b] of leaving."

Edited August 5, 2010 by Subtleknifewielder

[king of cochin]

[quote name='Malatose' timestamp='1280995724' post='2401539']
[b]Vienna[/b]


[i]Persons who stay in the city of Vienna will be considered terrorists and bandits and will be destroyed by artillery and aviation. There will be no further negotiations. Those who wish to evacuate the city have fourty eight hours to do so.[/i]

[/quote]


[quote name='Lynneth' timestamp='1281027067' post='2401748']
"They want us to leave the city within 48 hours. Everyone, all the millions living here in Vienna. People who don't want to move and support neither side. People who can't move due to their health. People who want to oppose, or even help the Slavs. The Federation wants all of them gone within two days, a completely impossible task.
If we're not gone, no matter why, they'll see us all as [i]terrorists and bandits[/i].
We ask the world to oppose these utterly impossible demands. They want to slaughter millions of civilians for no reason other than they can't - or don't want to - engage some thousand rebels hiding within the city.
Are the lives of millions of civilians that much less important than the soldiers the Slavic Federation would lose if they tried taking the city?
If they don't want to lose their precious men, they should just leave! The Slavs should leave us alone and let us be!"

Afterwards, the broadcast made by the Slavs was replayed.
"This was the original broadcast by the Federation!
We once again ask the world for aid against those who would murder millions!"
[/quote]

The Kingdom of Cochin urges Slavic Federation to show more tact and forbearance in this matter. A city of this large population cannot be made to be evacuated within a short time span of 2 days. We suggest a policy of encirclement and cautious engagement rather than any forceful combative measure. We realize the havoc posed by the rebels, who are using the civilians as shields, but we urge Slavic Federation to give the citizens more time to escape and give benign incentive to escape from the city.

Thus we request to rescind with immediate effect the policy top consider anyone staying beyond 2 days as terrorists and use lethal force against them. It is better to use a strong fist in a velvet gloves.

[Triyun]

@ Australia: "The rebel forces entered into the city of Vienna, the sovereign territory of the VDL which was established by mutual consent of the governments of both North and South Germany. These forces are military units, which have entire swaths of the country to fight their battles in. In fact it should be noted that the entire country of Austria is surrounded by alpine passes, and that Vienna is in a basin, a much less defendable area. The only reason to fight a battle here as opposed to mountains would be to introduce civilians into the battlefield. This can only be construed as a conscious effort to involve civilians by any general worth their salt. Either constitutes easily defendable terrain. To claim this was done out of military necessity was false, because there were equally defensible alternatives. The only reason for this to be done was to deliberately introduce civilians into the mix.

I know that the Australians like to make a business of being knee jerk contrarians in order to facilitate their own faux sense of moral superiority but the fact of the matter is, using human shields and urban warfare environments is a choice, especially if you have a country with as many mountain hold outs as the Bavarian-Austrian area of Germany. We would remind you that this was widely thought to be the best area for a insurgency by the Germans at the end of the Second World War. Your argument lacks an iota to stand on, unless you specifically approve of introducing civilians to harm in order to win a propaganda victory for the sake of a view elites political survival... which of course would not surprise us in the second given your horrid record which prioritizes the will of a few international elites to the will of the mass populace."

Edited August 5, 2010 by Triyun

[Subtleknifewielder]

[quote name='Triyun' timestamp='1281034522' post='2401888']
@ Australia: "The rebel forces entered into the city of Vienna, the sovereign territory of the VDL which was established by mutual consent of the governments of both North and South Germany. These forces are military units, which have entire swaths of the country to fight their battles in. In fact it should be noted that the entire country of Austria is surrounded by alpine passes, and that Vienna is in a basin, a much less defendable area. The only reason to fight a battle here as opposed to mountains would be to introduce civilians into the battlefield. This can only be construed as a conscious effort to involve civilians by any general worth their salt. Either constitutes easily defendable terrain. To claim this was done out of military necessity was false, because there were equally defensible alternatives. The only reason for this to be done was to deliberately introduce civilians into the mix.

I know that the Australians like to make a business of being knee jerk contrarians in order to facilitate their own faux sense of moral superiority but the fact of the matter is, using human shields and urban warfare environments is a choice, especially if you have a country with as many mountain hold outs as the Bavarian-Austrian area of Germany. We would remind you that this was widely thought to be the best area for a insurgency by the Germans at the end of the Second World War. Your argument lacks an iota to stand on, unless you specifically approve of introducing civilians to harm in order to win a propaganda victory for the sake of a view elites political survival... which of course would not surprise us in the second given your horrid record which prioritizes the will of a few international elites to the will of the mass populace."
[/quote]
"Yawn. Was there one word in there that did not simply mock us for being 'contrary?' Yes, perhaps the rebels could have picked better terrain, we acknowledge that point that it could easily have been a calculated decision on their part. But if anything, both sides are at fault in this case. In there, you failed to refute the fact that 48 hours is nowhere near enough time to evacuate millions of people. Let's see what your propaganda machine makes of indesputable fact."

[Lynneth]

[quote name='Triyun' timestamp='1281034522' post='2401888']
@ Australia: "The rebel forces entered into the city of Vienna, the sovereign territory of the VDL which was established by mutual consent of the governments of both North and South Germany. These forces are military units, which have entire swaths of the country to fight their battles in. In fact it should be noted that the entire country of Austria is surrounded by alpine passes, and that Vienna is in a basin, a much less defendable area. The only reason to fight a battle here as opposed to mountains would be to introduce civilians into the battlefield. This can only be construed as a conscious effort to involve civilians by any general worth their salt. Either constitutes easily defendable terrain. To claim this was done out of military necessity was false, because there were equally defensible alternatives. The only reason for this to be done was to deliberately introduce civilians into the mix.

I know that the Australians like to make a business of being knee jerk contrarians in order to facilitate their own faux sense of moral superiority but the fact of the matter is, using human shields and urban warfare environments is a choice, especially if you have a country with as many mountain hold outs as the Bavarian-Austrian area of Germany. We would remind you that this was widely thought to be the best area for a insurgency by the Germans at the end of the Second World War. Your argument lacks an iota to stand on, unless you specifically approve of introducing civilians to harm in order to win a propaganda victory for the sake of a view elites political survival... which of course would not surprise us in the second given your horrid record which prioritizes the will of a few international elites to the will of the mass populace."
[/quote]
"You claim Vienna is not a defensive position.
How? It's an area of 414 square kilometers, all covered in skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. It would be vastly easier to defend than any mountain range, partially because it's almost impossible for air-units to maneuver easily, partially because the urban terrain gives many more routes for attacks, ambushes and the like.
I dare claim that the 'Red guard' would've moved here regardless of civilian numbers."

Edited August 5, 2010 by Lynneth

[king of cochin]

*** Classified / Secret ***

[quote]From: CEFG
To: Slavic Federation High Command

We have been tasked to take positions at Freiburg and Baden and Baden. Our deployment route is like this.

Budapest - Gyor - Vienna - Linz - Nuremberg - Heidelberg - Strasbourg - Freiburg.

What is the status of deployment in these routes? As forward mobilized units we hope you can provide us status update on this route. The 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment is currently at Bruck an der Leitha.

Yours,
Maj. Gen. Brijesh Shukla,
GOC, 1ACR, CEFG[/quote]

[u][b]Bruck an der Leitha[/b][/u]

The regiment is now officially in enemy territory. The South German lands, controlled by the FUSR is now back under the sovereignty of VDL, however the news from Vienna and other parts of the nation is not comforting. 230 kilometers of combat drive from the CEFG assembly base in Felsopakony to the the German hamlet of Bruck an der Leitha had depleted the fuel tanks of the T150s and the APCs to some measure and it is only wise to refuel while they have the chance.

The Regiment's First Brigade is on point formation closely provided flank support by the the Second and Third Brigades. The operational rear is being provided by the Fourth Brigade which is also escorting the fast moving trucks that compose the logistical tail of this elite armored regiment. The Regiment is designed to be able to act independent of a massive logistics chain, a fast moving and hard hitting armored lance, it is designed to break through almost all defensive emplacements assisted by its batteries of Self Propelled Guns and MRLS. The newly inducted STHAL Artillery Interdiction Devices are all on standby as the vehicles are being refueled and stores replenished. The HQ Company of the Regiment is replacing the S-RECO cover, retrieving the S-RECOs currently on station through their in built parachutes and launching fresh S-RECOs using their rocket assisted booster trucks. While the Regiment's armored fists waited for the status reports from the Slavic Federation troops in Vienna, the HQ company is receiving streams of intelligence from the CEFG HQ in Budapest and the ELINT Merat and Merat AWACS flying near Vienna collecting intelligence regarding the rebel tactics.

The ACFG has now dedicated on full regiment of JM2s just to support 1ACR's drive to Freiburg. The aviation brigade of the 1ACR, the Piranha gunships are also tooling up for what would most likely be a very busy day for them.

Edited August 5, 2010 by king of cochin

[HHAYD]

[quote name='Lynneth' timestamp='1281035274' post='2401897']
"You claim Vienna is not a defensive position.
How? It's an area of 414 square kilometers, all covered in skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. It would be vastly easier to defend than any mountain range, partially because it's almost impossible for air-units to maneuver easily, partially because the urban terrain gives many more routes for attacks, ambushes and the like.
I dare claim that the 'Red guard' would've moved here regardless of civilian numbers."
[/quote]
But those buildings mean nothing against people who sit around, spam artillery and missiles, and then invade after reducing the entire city into Mt Rubble.