Botha Posted February 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 [quote name='Emperor Mudd' timestamp='1298070561' post='2637805']"Ma'am, General van Haesten believes you are an important political asset and wishes to keep you safe. For the time being, he wishes to keep your presence unknown. It seems most have completely forgotten about you and if we hadn't rescued you Bouvet Island would be starving in a few weeks. We will be evacuating you to Windhoek, but before we leave, I need the locations of every nuclear installation in the entire country. So far we haven't found the warheads and the Raketkorp personnel don't seem to know where they are either.[/quote] [color="#000080"]Annetjie van Matteus seemed to be more at ease when she heard Van Haesten’s name mentioned. “Please inform the General that, under the current circumstances going on in Southern Africa, I am on side with him and his forces. I will do all within my means now to help assist him. The Arcticans have never liked or trusted me, and I’ve had some personal run-ins with their people over the years. Even if I had wanted to curry up favour with them, I highly doubt they would take me at face value.” “However, please also inform him that I will not make any public statements denouncing or overtly opposing Marthinus Hofmeyr. Unfortunately he is still the legal head of what remains of the Republican regime, so I cannot make any statements against him that may in turn be thrown back at me as being treasonous. I have faced those accusations once before – and barely escaped with my life. I will not take that risk a second time…” “As for the locations of nuclear installations, I am assuming you meant military installations – as Transvaal never did develop nuclear reactors for civilian use. Our weaponry was constructed at the Bouvet Island facilities (=IG MP wonder), airlifted off the island to one of the aircraft carriers, and then brought to Cape Town – specifically, the Simonstown naval base – for transit to be stored at Pretoria and Johannesburg Barracks. If you asked me, my guess judging from where you picked up these raketkorpsmen would be they got them from some in transit at Simonstown.”[/color] OOC: Mudd, you [i]do [/i]know where the three bombs are stored. The defecting RK men would have told you that they hid them in some caves and could give you the location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vedran Posted February 22, 2011 Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 [quote name='Emperor Mudd' timestamp='1298091543' post='2638050'] [b]Mafeteng[/b] The flat terrain surrounding Mafeteng gave the attacking Nationalist forces an advantage. At the least it certainly did not help the defenders who had not had time to prepare fixed defenses other than foxholes and firing positions. General O'Donovan, commander of Task Force South decided that the terrain gave his Tahoan soldiers enough of an advantage to focus his attack through Mafeteng. Taking this city allowed for an open road to Maseru and would allow units coming down from the highlands focusing their attack on Nyakosoba to recieve support. The 9th Brigade which had entered Lesotho at Mohale's Hoek advanced on Mafeteng from the south while the 21st Mechanized Infantry Brigade, supported by B Company, 38th Armored Battalion stopped their advance on Botshabelo midway and swung south through the Caledon Nature Reserve, hitting Mafeteng from the northwest. The armored brigade held their position in Botshabelo. 5,000 men, supported by 22 tanks and more than 60 other armored vehicles (mostly IFVs) began attacking Mafeteng. The 9th Brigade, moving up the A2 highway came under fierce fire from the Likhoele mountain, Lesotho's second highest. This plateau held a commanding vista over the Mofateng area. Although not heavily defended, the steep slopes made attacking Tahoan forces from the south extremely cautious and effectively halted the advance by the 9th. To the north though, the 21st was making good progress, the roughly two thousand men supported by armor had pushed the ATDF outer lines back. The 9th and 21st linked up to the southwest of the city. Casualties were light on both sides, primarily due to the lack of heavy artillery and the fact that both sides would maneuver out of heavy firefights. Bringing up his artillery, O'Donovan began a heavy bombardment of Likhoele, combined with a sortie by fighter-bombers. Under this covering fire, helicopters landed two companies of infantry on the top of the mountain, suppressing enemy fire. One helicopter was shot down by a MANPAD, destroying the aircraft and killing all its passengers. O'Donovan wished for heavy transport helicopters, with those he could move artillery to the plateau and shell the city into submission. Instead, he ordered a general advance. His forces outnumbered the ATDF, assaulting from three sides. Both sides used their tanks as infantry support, particularly the Tahoans who used them as mobile artillery to shell enemy strongpoints into submission. In central Lesotho, Nationalist troops had struggled through the mountainous t, facing only token resistance, mostly from local militias who fled or surrendered as soon as heavy fighting began. From the hills overlooking the city of Nyakosoba, the Tahoans looked down on the ATDF. The Tahoans made no moves to attack towards the city, while the Arcticans made no moves to try and attack the Tahoans who held the high ground. ------------------------------------------- Van Haesten looked at the map in front of him in frustration. His 12,000 men outnumbered the Arcticans 9,000, but assaulting a city with forces that equal was a risky proposition, particularly whenever it looked like one of his attacks would break through the Arcticans would counterattack. His only success of the day had been the first Arctican counterattack, when they had overextended their lines by pursuing his retreating forces. As soon as they had gotten out roughly 4 kilometers, Tahoan aircraft launched a bombing raid and his own retreating soldiers stood and held their ground as another planned attack was diverted to hit the ATDF from the flank. In the Tahoan counterattack, they had taken the strategic position of Odendaalsrus, only 10 kilometers north of Welkom. Arctican casualties were high, but they had clearly learned their lesson and subsequent attacks had no such luck in drawing out the defenders. Van Haesten was loathe to commit his troops to the meatgrinder, though thankfully the ATDF seemed to lack heavy artillery (unfortunately so did van Haesten, so they offset). As night fell, his soldiers held positions ranging from Odendaalsrus, 10km north of Welkom in a wide semi-circle arcing downward towards Virginia, which was still securely held by the ATDF. [/quote] The ATDF stayed put in the town of Nyakosoba, not engaging the Nationalists but remaining vigilant and watching for any attempts to surround them or to bypass the town and continue on towards Maseru. If that happened, they would be forced to engage. In Mafeteng, things were less peaceful and not going well for the small Arctican force in place there. The 150 or so infantrymen who had been placed on Likhoele to make the Nationalists wary about approaching fared badly. They took hits from the artillery and bombardment, and were rendered largely ineffective by the time Nationalist infantry landed on the mountain. A Stinger missile brought down one of the helicopters, and the few who were still fit to fight tried to use the woods to their advantage to inflict some casualties among the Nationalists. In the end, they realized they couldn't hold their position without being overwhelmed by infantry or artillery, and in the first real Arctican defeat in the conflict, the Captain in command surrendered his men to the Nationalists. By then, 23 had been killed, 60 wounded (mainly from the bombing), and the remaining 67 were mostly unharmed. To the north, Nationalist forces had overrun some of the less defended checkpoints, causing defenders to fall back, giving Nationalist troops time to overtake more of the city outskirts as defenders established a fallback position and reserves from the city center came to join them. This would be repeated as further checkpoints fell. Not wanting to be trapped inside the city, more of the reserves emerged from the city center to join the fight, and all tanks sitting in reserve were ordered to the heaviest of the fighting, aiming to destroy their counterparts in the Nationalist force, to allow infantry to more openly attack their Tahoan opposites without fear of being forced back to cover by the enemy's armored support. Whether this would work was yet to be seen. Anti-aircraft launchers in the city remained behind lines, with only a few token troops to defend them as they stayed on the lookout for enemy aircraft. ---- With more even numbers in Welkom, the ATDF did not need to commit itself so much to fighting, as none of its lines broke and they suffered only one defeat during the day, when their counterattack went too far out. Their main concern was to prevent themselves from being surrounded and the defense turning into a siege. With Odendaalsrus directly north of them taken by the enemy, their access to Johannesburg was under threat. The commander in the city requested assistance from Redeker, since he knew there were F-16's laying idle on the tarmac there. Redeker granted his request, and soon after nightfall, when the fighting had died down, two squadrons took off from Johannesburg International. One was outfitted with air-to-air missiles and would arrive ten minutes earlier than the second, attempting to draw out enemy fighters and occupy them while ten minutes later, the second squadron carrying an assortment of heat-guided and laser-guided missiles proceeded to attack exposed armor and buildings where large numbers of troops or hopefully commanding officers were thought to be housed. Using existing government records and purchased road maps, the pilots had been briefed on the locations of hospitals to prevent an accidental attack on these structures. --- Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, Redeker was on a line with higher-ups, complaining. From battle reports, he could tell that the Nationalists had air support, artillery, and greater numbers. The size of his force as well as the ATDF's tactics was not suitable. They needed more air power, especially close air support. They needed more soldiers and armor, and some artillery if they were going to get anything better than a stalemate or minor victory. At the end of his conversation, he felt a little better. He had been promised reinforcements at some point in the future, but that they would need time to mobilize. Johannesburg would receive an additional squadron of fighter-bombers as well as five squadrons of air support, consisting of attack helicopters. The air squadrons would arrive within the week. For now, he was told, he simply had to make do with his current resources and delay the Nationalists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 [b]Mafeteng[/b] General O'Donovan knew he had won the battle for Mafeteng as soon as his forces had captured the Likhoele. Unfortunately, no one told the Arcticans they could not win and so his men were forced to commit to a bloody assault on the city itself. Immediately after the Likhoele had been captured, O'Donovan split his 9th Brigade, sending one infantry battalion up the A2 highway while the other infantry battalion swung to the east and took up a position on the B26. Mechanized infantry with their armor, as well as the brigade's artillery, were evenly distributed. To the north, the heavy mechanized battalion with its numerous IVFs and tanks pushed down the A20 highway, catching the ATDF in a vice grip on three sides. Artillery, supplemented by cannon fire from the tanks and IFV autocannon, rained down on the defensive positions. Five strike aircraft launched a sortie against Arctican positions, targeting tanks and the A2 highway to try and cut off a route of escape (at least destroying the highway would make an escape slower). One of the aircraft was outfitted with anti-radiation missiles in a SEAD capability, launching at any Arctican radar in the area. Nevertheless, Arctican air defenses managed to heavily damage one of the Nationalist aircraft, forcing the pilot to bail out after struggling to return back to base outside of East London. Under the cover of the barrage, infantry supported by their armored vehicles launched a major attack on ATDF positions from three sides, forcing the ATDF reserves to the front. Nationalist tanks supported the advance but were deemed to valuable to attack the city itself, mostly shelling enemy positions and engaging ATDF tanks whenver they appeared to shoot at approaching IFVs and APCs, some of which were armed with anti-tank missiles. Once inside city limits, Nationalist soldiers followed standard urban warfare doctrine. Houses that offered resistance were shelled and destroyed before infantry moved in. Tanks moved in to support the infantry advance that pushed ATDF defenders towards the center of the city. As the Arctican lines contracted, O'Donovan attempted to move troops to completely cut off the Arctican escape route via the previously shelled and heavily cratered A2 highway. --------------------------------------------------------- [b]Welkom[/b] The initial Arctican air raid was spotted long before the strike aircraft arrived, giving ample opportunity for Tahoan SAMs to come online and track the sky for intruding aircraft. Tahoan fighters were scrambled to meet the attack formations, though due to the distance only four jets were in the immediate area when the Arctican aircraft attacked. The Arctican aircraft that arrived first were ill fitted to deal with the Nationalist mobile SAMs that had accompanied the ground forces. Smoke trails and tracers filled the sky as the Arctican fighter aircraft roared overhead to deal with the four Tahoan fighters flying the combat air patrol. Those four jets engaged in a fierce dog fight with the Arcticans, hoping to buy time for the remaining 20 or so aircraft to arrive on the scene. When the second wave of Arctican aircraft arrived, the number of SAMs fired was significantly less than when the first wave had appeared. Most crews were busy rearming their launchers. Unfortunately, that allowed the Arctican ground attack aircraft to hit ground targets, doing a great deal of damage as they destroyed much of Odendaalsrus, killing dozens of Nationalist soldiers and destroying more than a dozen armored vehicles. As they were finishing their attack runs, the remaining Tahoan aircraft arrived over Welkom, diving on the Arctican aircraft attacking ground targets but focusing on the Arctican aircraft dog fighting. When the skies cleared, the Nationalists reassessed their anti-aircraft doctrine. Rather than firing on the first aircraft that appeared, in the future SAMs would be focused on ground attack aircraft. Air raids as damaging as the recent Arctican one could not happen again. Van Haesten rushed reinforcements to Odensdaalsrus to prevent the city from being recaptured in the event of an Arctican counter attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 [b]Vryburg[/b] Colonel Viljoens had been recalled from Sa da Bandiera (Lubango) to Windhoek, meeting up with the remains of the Transvaler Krygsmagte there. Two thousand of the 4,000 men he had in southern Angola went with him. Although there were more senior officers in the Krygsmagte that had sworn loyalty to van Haesten, Viljoens was the only officer that van Haesten had known and worked with enough to trust with an independent command. That was how Colonel Viljoens found himself in Vryburg, commanding the 1,900* soldiers who had sworn loyalty to the National Front. Viljoens' orders were simple. Put pressure on Johannesburg, forcing the ATDF to relieve men from the defense of Welkom to come to the aid of Johannesburg. Their first target, the airfields launching the raids on the Nationalist forces attacking Welkom. Viljoens had split his men into six columns, each with around 350 soldiers. Although they did not possess any armor, van Haesten had equipped the Transvaler soldiers with the bulk of his Tahoan surplus, highly advanced, anti-tank missiles and MANPAD launchers. This strike force would be light and fast. Along with the Transvaal infantry were 50 Rangers, former Tahoan special forces who would specifically be the infiltration units against the Arctican airfields while the Transvaaler infantry attacked the city itself. After travelling separately under cover of darkness, the six columns gathered together in three locations: Fochville, Carletonville and Krugersdorp. The Tahoan special forces disappeared into the terrain surrounding the city to await the begin of the Transvaler attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botha Posted February 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 [color="#000080"]During a lull in the fighting, Colonel Redeker received word from Arctican intelligence operating in and around Johannesburg that he should meet with some of their agents at his convenience. They had found something on the outskirts of the Johannesburg Barracks complex that he should probably see with his own eyes. Redeker wasn’t fully aware what their exact purpose was, but he had heard rumours – and suspected them to be probably true based on observations of their activities– that the detachment of six agents had been entrusted by the Arctican government to search through the ruins and devastation for the remains of any prominent Transvaler government figures and personae that had not been accounted for – either confirmed alive or dead. At some point, when the radiation had fallen to more ‘safe’ levels for brief forays into the heart of the nuclear destruction in what was once the capital of Pretoria, they would attempt the difficult search to locate the whereabouts of the Staatspresident’s remains. Or at least ascertain his final minutes. But for the time being, they confined their activities to Johannesburg – which had avoided nuclear attack but had not been spared conventional air and missile strikes. However what the agents wanted to show Redeker was not the result of military combat or casualties. One of the agents explained to the colonel as they parked Redeker’s jeep and walked a hundred yards through some knee-length grass to a clump of flesh and cloth on the ground. “Some of the Transvaler defectors brought [i]this [/i]to the attention of the ATDF troops they surrendered to. Our men then brought this to the attention of their commanding officer, who then contacted Oceana, who contacted us to investigate.” Redeker could see clearly now, as he stood over the corpse, that it was wearing the uniform and insignia of a Transvaler field marshal. There were only two people to hold that rank – and Rederker knew the whereabouts of one of them. Before he was told, he already knew who the identity of the dead man was. “Petrus Malan” said the lead agent. As he spoke, he used his foot to casually prod the bullet-riddled corpse which was lying facedown contorted in the mud and flop it over. Flies began to hover around, now that their residence had been disturbed. “According to what the Transvalers had told us, some people from the Interior Ministry arrived at the base, where Malan had been held under arrest after their prime minister had both him and Van Matteus detained during the state of national emergency proclaimed prior to the rogue attacks, and they quickly bundled him away in a van. That was the last time anyone we’ve spoken to can claim to have seen him alive.” Colonel Redeker grabbed a nearby stick and used it to poke around and make a cursory inspection of the body as well as to move his head so the face could be seen better. From what he could recall from memory of news footage which he was seen over the years, it certainly looked like it was Malan. But he also thought, ditched out in the open for what looked like the better part of a week as well as covered in dried mud did make identification not that easy. But Redeker felt satisfied at this point that it was indeed Malan's remains now at his feet. Another agent then added, “Incidentally, sir… we have yet to determine the whereabouts or fate of the interior minister, Boersma, or Annetjie van Matteus for that matter. If Boermsa was in Pretoria at the time of the attacks, then most likely he perished. However, no one we’ve interviewed has the foggiest notion of seeing Van Matteus. All we know is she was arrested – or rather, placed under protective custody – on January 28. There have been no leads since then where she would have been taken to.”[/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vedran Posted February 26, 2011 Report Share Posted February 26, 2011 [quote name='Emperor Mudd' timestamp='1298442589' post='2642603'] [b]Mafeteng[/b] General O'Donovan knew he had won the battle for Mafeteng as soon as his forces had captured the Likhoele. Unfortunately, no one told the Arcticans they could not win and so his men were forced to commit to a bloody assault on the city itself. Immediately after the Likhoele had been captured, O'Donovan split his 9th Brigade, sending one infantry battalion up the A2 highway while the other infantry battalion swung to the east and took up a position on the B26. Mechanized infantry with their armor, as well as the brigade's artillery, were evenly distributed. To the north, the heavy mechanized battalion with its numerous IVFs and tanks pushed down the A20 highway, catching the ATDF in a vice grip on three sides. Artillery, supplemented by cannon fire from the tanks and IFV autocannon, rained down on the defensive positions. Five strike aircraft launched a sortie against Arctican positions, targeting tanks and the A2 highway to try and cut off a route of escape (at least destroying the highway would make an escape slower). One of the aircraft was outfitted with anti-radiation missiles in a SEAD capability, launching at any Arctican radar in the area. Nevertheless, Arctican air defenses managed to heavily damage one of the Nationalist aircraft, forcing the pilot to bail out after struggling to return back to base outside of East London. Under the cover of the barrage, infantry supported by their armored vehicles launched a major attack on ATDF positions from three sides, forcing the ATDF reserves to the front. Nationalist tanks supported the advance but were deemed to valuable to attack the city itself, mostly shelling enemy positions and engaging ATDF tanks whenver they appeared to shoot at approaching IFVs and APCs, some of which were armed with anti-tank missiles. Once inside city limits, Nationalist soldiers followed standard urban warfare doctrine. Houses that offered resistance were shelled and destroyed before infantry moved in. Tanks moved in to support the infantry advance that pushed ATDF defenders towards the center of the city. As the Arctican lines contracted, O'Donovan attempted to move troops to completely cut off the Arctican escape route via the previously shelled and heavily cratered A2 highway. --------------------------------------------------------- [b]Welkom[/b] The initial Arctican air raid was spotted long before the strike aircraft arrived, giving ample opportunity for Tahoan SAMs to come online and track the sky for intruding aircraft. Tahoan fighters were scrambled to meet the attack formations, though due to the distance only four jets were in the immediate area when the Arctican aircraft attacked. The Arctican aircraft that arrived first were ill fitted to deal with the Nationalist mobile SAMs that had accompanied the ground forces. Smoke trails and tracers filled the sky as the Arctican fighter aircraft roared overhead to deal with the four Tahoan fighters flying the combat air patrol. Those four jets engaged in a fierce dog fight with the Arcticans, hoping to buy time for the remaining 20 or so aircraft to arrive on the scene. When the second wave of Arctican aircraft arrived, the number of SAMs fired was significantly less than when the first wave had appeared. Most crews were busy rearming their launchers. Unfortunately, that allowed the Arctican ground attack aircraft to hit ground targets, doing a great deal of damage as they destroyed much of Odendaalsrus, killing dozens of Nationalist soldiers and destroying more than a dozen armored vehicles. As they were finishing their attack runs, the remaining Tahoan aircraft arrived over Welkom, diving on the Arctican aircraft attacking ground targets but focusing on the Arctican aircraft dog fighting. When the skies cleared, the Nationalists reassessed their anti-aircraft doctrine. Rather than firing on the first aircraft that appeared, in the future SAMs would be focused on ground attack aircraft. Air raids as damaging as the recent Arctican one could not happen again. Van Haesten rushed reinforcements to Odensdaalsrus to prevent the city from being recaptured in the event of an Arctican counter attack. [/quote] [b]Mafeteng[/b] The situation for the Arctican commander was getting worse every minute. He had no air support to combat that of the Nationalists, and his SAM sites were getting targeted, along with the only route of escape. As his staff was packing up their things and evacuating the city hall, Lt. Colonel Broussard stood outside with some other officers, near a waiting M2 Bradley, its ramp open. "Our armor is taking heavy hits from their artillery, and has been unsuccessful in neutralizing their armor. As a result, our infantry is continuing to be pushed back towards the city center and taking casualties with every city block. If we're going to get out of here, we have to leave, now." "They've cratered the A2, yes?" asked Broussard. Sounds of fighting could be heard in the distance, ever nearing. "That's what it looks like right now. We can rely on heavy cratering on the way directly out of the city." They all looked at a map that one of the officers was holding. "Hmm," Broussard traced a finger along the map. "What if we go north through the city, around the west side of the lake, and get on the A2 near Leloaleng?" "I'm afraid we have no way of knowing whether they've bombed that far north, sir." "Well, with them closing in on all sides it seems to be our best shot. But we have to go now." And so they did. The infantry company that had been kept back to guard the HQ was loaded on the remaining trucks, and messages were sent to the troops fighting Tahoans throughout the city to slowly fall back and sacrifice parts of the city to keep the northern escape route open. The hulks of 14 Arctican tanks lay on the roads of Mafeteng now, either gutted wrecks or superficially intact specimens with their charred crews lying about and hatches open, billowing black smoke. The remainder made an attempt to join up with Broussard's convoy making its way through hopefully unoccupied roads. 6 of these made it, with two of them at the head of the motorcade, pushing wreckage aside and shielding the Bradley from attack. A flatbed pulled alongside the tracked vehicle carrying the remaining Chapparal launcher, and a group of soldiers struggled to pass missiles to the small truck. At the rear of the convoy were another two tanks, turrets pointed back and taking shots at any Nationalists following them. The remaining three tanks were at the sides, keeping an eye out for Nationalists using intersecting streets to cut the convoy off. Infantry that could successfully disengage themselves from the street battles also tried to join the convoy, packing themselves onto humvees or jeeps like an overcrowded Indian train. Others simply freed themselves of heavy equipment and made a run for it. Some squads or platoons could not disengage and were surrounded by Nationalist troops, causing them to either surrender or fight to the end. ------ [b]Nyakosoba[/b] The smaller ATDF force in Nyakosoba which had not yet engaged the Nationalists heard of the defeat in Mafeteng and pulled out. The town was a small collection of huts and was not very defensible even if the Nationalists had not taken the high ground. So in the cover of night, they pulled out and headed back to Roma, a larger city closer to the size of Mafeteng. Learning from their mistakes in Mafeteng, the ATDF took half their tanks, their single Chapparal, and a hundred soldiers up a scenic road to the mountain southwest of the city, which made their way to the south part of the mountain, where the steep, wooded incline met a curve in the A5 road. 3/4 of the remaining force took positions in the small conurbation of Ha Mafefoane, south of Roma. The other quarter positioned themselves in the small town east of Ha Mafefoane, as well as the fields between it and the A5, and also the flat-topped mountain it hugged. This way, instead of establishing checkpoints and letting themselves be surrounded, the Arcticans instead had only one major road to defend, and could fire on attacking forces from three directions, two of these directions not easily accessible to attacking infantry unless they tried the same tactic as in Mafeteng. With tanks and a SAM launcher on the mountain now, it would be that more difficult. ------ [b]Odendaalsrus/Welkom[/b] Over the town of Odendaalsrus, a squadron of 12 F-16's of the Arctican Air Force engaged the Nationalist defenders, locking on as they met their opponents, dropping flares or chaff and firing the first of their missiles. By the time the second wave arrived, two fighters had been downed. One suffered a direct hit and exploded in midair; the other took a hit to the wing and entered an uncontrollable spin, falling rapidly towards the ground. As shrapnel ruptured the fuel tank and flames reached the bleeding fuselage, another explosion lit up the night sky and flaming wreckage spread outward before crashing onto the city streets. Ten minutes later, with the dogfight in full swing, the other squadron arrived to bomb the ground forces, whizzing past unsuspecting SAM sites preoccupied with the first wave to cause a great deal of damage. Smoke trails streaked down towards the ground, the space around the buildings flashed with explosions as the missiles reached their targets. Every plane had its assigned targets, and the attack proceeded quickly. Within a few minutes the ground attack squadron turned back with wings bare of armament, roaring over the streets and withdrawing while the first squadron covered their escape, themselves soon disengaging and diving low, making the Tahoan pilots risk hitting their own troops with every shot. In the withdrawal, another plane fell when it released its chaff too late, the indirect hit disabling its rudder, engines, and elevator control, effectively turning it into a glider with no pitch control. The F-16 had evened out by now and was at about ~1200 meters altitude, being left behind as the others hit their afterburners. The pilot didn't want to eject, making a futile effort to keep the plane level while he lowered the landing gear. The outskirts of town turned to fields and trees, and he hit the brakes to slow down before landing. A tree clipped the edge of his wing, causing the plane to turn slowly to the side, making for a rough landing which knocked the pilot unconscious. ------ [b]Johannesburg[/b] Standing in the field with the agents, Redeker stepped away from the body now and covered his nose with a handkerchief. "It appears that the rumors of Malan's death are true. We'll have to get the body on ice before it decomposes any further." He gestured to the agents, who reluctantly dragged the corpse by its feet back to the jeep, and laid it in the back, covering it with a tarp which did nothing to suppress the odor. They made it back to the barracks complex and the body was handed over to the morgue there. Redeker met with the agents in his office later to discuss Van Matteus and Boersma. Redeker wanted the agents to search any surviving government records for any hint as to where Van Matteus had been taken. He couldn't possibly know that she had been imprisoned on Bouvet Island; even though Arctica nominally held the island, no patrols had been sent there with attention focused on the growing conflict on the mainland. The fate of Interior Minister Boersma was equally frustrating. He told the agents the same thing; to search the records. Also, Boersma was thought of as sympathetic to Arctica. He would want to be found, and would have by now if he wasn't dead, imprisoned, or trapped in some backwater with no contact to the outside world. The AIC agents also mentioned to him that a team was being sent to search Boersma's other residence in Arctica for any clues, since the man had lived there from Malan's rule to a short time after the joint territory was created. An hour later, Redeker was told that a Nationalist force had bypassed Welkom and was preparing for an attack on the city. With his forces divided between Johannesburg and Gaborone, he only had around a thousand infantry spread throughout Johannesburg. The squadrons attacking Odendaalsrus had arrived only hours ago and were in no condition to go back out, leaving only the remaining squadron able to attack. Redeker rallied his soldiers for a defense of the city while the only ready squadron left the hangars and warmed up their engines on the tarmac of Johannesburg International. Redeker was in a bad position; the Transvalers from Zambia had only recently left Rhodesia and would be another day in arriving; his promised reinforcements, maybe longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 [font="Courier New"]SITUATION REPORT[/font] 9th Brigade and 21st Brigade have captured Mafeteng and have ATDF units based there surrounded or in retreat towards Maseru. 8 tanks and 15 other armored vehicles destroyed or disabled. 42 soldiers killed, 200+ injured. 5,000 men still in fighting condition. Will engage Maseru by end of the day. 2nd Brigade and 81st LIR in central highlands of Lesotho. Currently engaging ATDF defenders. 38 Armored Brigade in Botshabelo advancing south to Maseru. TASK FORCE NORTH engaged heavily in Welkom. Under continual air attack. Relocating air assets from Namibia and Cape to TFN command. Relocating two brigades to assist in assault on Johannesburg. [b]Mafeteng[/b] General O'Donovan wished he had more available airpower. One more airstrike would destroy the retreating Arctican convoy and allow for a clean sweep up towards Maseru. Unfortunately, he would have to make do with what he had. Roughly 800 men launched a charge down the B26 Highway, cutting towards the lake in a last ditch effort to cut off and surround the Arctican forces. The mostly infantry force came under heavy fire from the Arctican rearguard, stalling their advance and allowing time for more Arcticans to slip through. However, the overwhelming numbers of Tahoans in other parts of the city caused the ATDF lines to collapse as more ATDF units pulled off the line and attempted to escape up the A2 highway. Rubble and craters made it impossible for vehicles to escape the city center and vehicles trying to go around were caught in a vise grip as the Nationalists pushed from almost every direction. The ATDF commander did an admirable job in preventing the retreat from turning into a route, but overwhelming numbers collapsed pockets of resistance in the city, allowing Nationalist mechanized units that had been attacking from the north to switch direction and push to the east, towards the retreating column. [b]Roma[/b] The Nationalist Light Infantry brigade did not have the firepower to punch a hole in the ATDF line in Roma. The terrain made any frontal assault suicidal and the lack of major highways made going around impossible. General O'Donovan transfered his attack helicopters to Nyakosoba where they would engage ATDF armor and SAM launchers on the heights, allowing a helicopter assault on the hills overlooking Roma. The Chaparral launcher used by the ATDF were well known for their weakness against helicopters in hilly terrain, as their relatively long lock on times allowed helicopters to pop up and launch AGMs before ducking back behind hills. Even if the SAM had locked on, it would impact the hill after loosing its lock. With three attack helicopters and more than a dozen transport helicopters, the assault on Roma could begin. The attack helicopters hovered behind hills as forward observers called out targets and designated them with lasers. The helicopters launched their hellfire missiles from a range of around 3 miles, targeting the SAM primarily and tanks second. They turned to the east with the intent to strafe the ATDF positions from the north once the assault had begun. As infantry units made a difficult push up the mountains and engaged ATDF in the bottleneck of the A5 highway, helicopters ferried light infantry to the hills on either sides of the road. After dropping off their infantry, the helicopters used their mounted machine guns to assist in hitting targets. The attack helicopters returned after the fighting had begun in earnest, strafing and launching rockets at the ATDF positions in the town itself. [b]Welkom/Johannesburg[/b] Tired of launching his forces into a frontal attack against the Arctican defenders of Welkom, who had proven themselves able to defeat any attack no matter how close to victory the Nationalist forces looked, General van Haesten decided to bypass the city. Leaving around 8,000 soldiers to keep the pressure on the city up, van Haesten diverged the remaining 4,000 soldiers towards Johannesburg. His bloodied air units were forced to keep a combat air patrol over the column driving towards Johannesburg, where the sounds of fighting were audible in the distance. Outside the city, the Transvalers under the command of Colonel Viljoens kept to residential areas, moving between buildings to try and discourage ATDF air attacks. Scouting parties of 10-15 men were sent into the city from various locations trying to find defensive positions set up by the ATDF. [b]Walvis Bay[/b] The Norwegian ferries had met up with a Tahoan frigate roughly a thousand miles off the African Coast. The frigate escorted the troop transports into the harbor at Walvis Bay. The volunteers were met by Nationalist officers as they disembarked and escorted to a sprawling camp outside the town. They were issued uniforms and weapons and set up in camps according to unit, which were by language group and had been established on the voyage. Former military officers were given provisional appointments in the National Front Army. They were joined by Transvaler and Tahoan officers. The volunteer legion would wait in Walvis Bay for two days for briefings and weapons familiarization before joining the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 [b]Cape Town[/b] Dr. Jeremy Black hurried past a security checkpoint, into the laboratory at Cape Town University housing the three nuclear warheads. His team had been tasked with disabling the security mechanism and rendering the weapons usable again. After various unsuccessful attempts at disarming the weapons security systems, he had decided to completely bypass security and disassemble the entire weapon. Only hours ago, the first of the three warheads had been finished. Pausing at a window overlooking the laboratory floor, he watched as a technician polished the casing of the first warhead. The polished metal caught the sun, flashing with an intensity that made Dr. Black look away. The intense light was a good reminder of the potency of the weapon his team had just completed. Other scientists were putting the final touches on the second bomb, it would be done within hours, and the third bomb was giving technicians trouble as they tried to place the uranium core in the right place. The National Front of Transvaal was now nuclear capable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vedran Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 [b]Mafeteng[/b] The convoy moved quickly through and out of the city, only slowing to keep the infantry and the commander's Bradley inside the protective shell of tanks. As infantry emerged from the streets, the tanks sprayed them with their machine guns and fired their cannons into large concentrations of soldiers or any armor that was following. As more and more infantry fell back from the lines to join the convoy, those who remained took heavy casualties. The destroyed tanks blocking some of the streets made for an easier escape; Nationalist troops would need to go around or push the hulks out of the way, which bought precious time for the ATDF to retreat. The convoy became separated when mechanized units attacked from an intersecting street, destroying the small tracked vehicle carrying the Chapparal and leaving 100 infantry and the two rearguard tanks behind, who immediately attacked. The rest of the convoy didn't stop for them, the three tanks on the sides shifting to the back as they reached the A2 and proceeded towards Maseru. [b]Maseru[/b] The commander at Maseru received news of the retreat at Mafeteng and prepared to receive wounded soldiers. At the same time, reports arrived of a Nationalist force nearing the city. The 6,000 soldiers there were ordered to prepare defensive positions on the main road between Lesotho and South Africa., with tanks positioned on the road and on the riverbank nearby. When the force from Mafeteng arrived, they would be assigned to defend the southern part of the city. The commander at Maseru contacted Redeker to request bombing runs to soften up the enemy tanks before they arrived, but discovered that Johannesburg was under attack and they couldn't spare any planes. [b]Roma[/b] Between the two mountains, as Nationalist infantry approached, the ATDF infantry within range would begin to pick them off. If they climbed the western mountain at its southmost point, they could go north and attack the Arcticans on level ground, since much of the ATDF that was on the mountains was gathered at the point where the two mountains were closest to each other and could coordinate fire. If, instead, they chose to climb the mountains near these points, in addition to the high incline and wooded slopes they would have to deal with fire from the opposite mountain as well as on the one they climbed and the town itself. There was little the ATDF could do to defend against the attack helicopters, with the SAM's disadvantage and the tanks being out of range. A near miss from a missile flipped the small truck on its side, wounding the SAM operator and nearly crushing the launcher itself. Tanks hid behind the light forest cover and infantry spread out, waiting for the transport helicopters to arrive. When they did, the tanks would emerge, using their machine guns or cannons to try and bring down the helicopters as infantry did the same with Stinger missiles. Once the helicopters began to land, Stinger missiles would fly and fire would focus on the troops being deployed while they were still clustered together. In one case, a nearby tank charged the helicopter as it landed, firing its cannon at it and trying to crush the soldiers with its treads, strafing them with its machine gun and maintaining speed to prevent any from climbing on top. [b]Welkom[/b] The commander at Welkom did not counterattack after the bombing raid, instead remaining in place. However, once he received news of the attack on Johannesburg, he knew that he must break out and assist; the strongpoint here was established to protect Johannesburg and there would be no sense in staying. Gathering its full force of 9,000, largely undamaged from the successful defense, the ATDF in Welkom would withdraw from the city, maintaining an armor-heavy rearguard as it tried to use the R34 to go northeast towards Johannesburg and relieve Redeker's small force. [b]Johannesburg[/b] By now, the Transvalers pledging themselves to Arctica had arrived in Johannesburg, ~5800 strong. After a short meet-and-greet, hurried due to the impending attack, and along with Arctican soldiers, they were deployed to the city outskirts. 750 soldiers left Gaborone and proceeded toward Johannesburg cautiously, leaving 250 behind to guard the city. When the time came, they would aid soldiers in the city in a two-sided attack on Krugersdorp if necessary. The promised Arctican reinforcements arrived as well, having been shipped to Maputo days before. As promised, five squadrons of attack helicopters and an infantry division numbering 10,000. Before they even saw the outskirts of the city on the horizon, the reinforcements, coming just in time, were ordered to deploy around the city. Air squadrons, including helicopters to be used as close air support and F-16's to bomb enemy positions, were assigned to sections of the defense. After a brief televised ceremony, Redeker placed Cruywagen in charge of the approximately 16,000 Arcticans defending the city, as well as the 9,000 (minus light casualties) on their way from Welkom. If all went well, the Nationalists would be facing 25,000 soldiers in all, along with 71 tanks (from Welkom). There were several reasons behind Redeker's transfer of power. For one, the Arcticans had never defended such a large city while Cruywagen had fought here several times over the years, in Transvaal's wars, and would know the layout well, and also strategies previous attackers had used and how to counter them. Secondly, the Nationalists claimed to speak for the people; Transvalers in their ranks may be discouraged by having their own men commanded by their former commander in chief shooting at them as they invaded their own city. At the end of the ceremony, Redeker said to the cameras and reporters, as the event was being broadcast live on national television, "The shooting has begun in the outskirts of the city, the battle for Johannesburg, and for Transvaal's future, has started." He fixed the straps of his helmet under his chin, and the feed cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) General O'Donovan stood in the rubble of Mafeteng next to a burned out Arctican APC. Pillars of smoke spiraled into the sky, artillery and small arms fire still audible to the north where Tahoan artillery had begun shelling Maseru from long range. A group of wounded Arctican soldiers were carried in litters to a large triage center being set up in the center of town, where doctors worked hurriedly on the wounded of both sides. Along the A2 highway, the bulk of the Nationalist forces began engaging the retreating Arcticans, who had finally stood their ground and fought as they reached the outskirts of Maseru. The Tahoan forces pushed the Arcticans hard, not wanted to let the bloodied and battered former defenders of Mafeteng to have time to regroup. Unfortunately, the large Arctican garrison already in place engaged the attacking Tahoans, causing heavy casualties in the first wave. The arrival of the armored brigade from the north helped ease the pressure on the south, as the Tahoan armored units pushed the Arctican defenders into the city across the Caledon River. Brutal battles surrounded the bridges leading into the city, with the Arctican defenders repelling all attempts to take the bridges. Finally, the defenders managed to destroy the bridges, stranding the Tahoan tanks to the north of the city. Nationalist engineers began bridging the river to the north and south of downtown under fire, hoping to allow the tanks to cross the river and support the main attack from the south. To the south the Tahoan attackers attacked with a fury that hadn't been seen in the battle of Mafeteng. General O'Donovan was not going to allow the Battle of Maseru to turn into a siege. It would be a furious grapple of death. ------------------------------------------------- While the battle of Maseru was important, it was ultimately a side show to the monumental clash taking place around Johannesburg. The 8,000 men surrounding Welkom faced the full fury of the Arctican attack as they broke out towards Johannesburg, causing heavy casualties on both sides. The Nationalists, now on the defensive, fought the ATDF as it retreated towards the city. Van Haesten's full complement of roughly 12,000 men and material was bolstered by the 2,000 or so Transvalers under Colonel Viljoens. His outnumbered men were not going to be able to take the city by siege. Thus, van Haesten ordered a daring attack towards the city center from three directions, pushing south from Krugersdorp, east from Soweto and north from Alberton. Supported by artillery fire, the Nationalist attack was designed at capturing as much of the city as possible before the Arctican reinforcements arrived. Aiding the Nationalists were ADAM's, area denial artillery mines, essentially small, lightweight plastic mines deployed by artillery shell. Arctican forces coming to Johannesburg's aid would have to take the time to clear mines from the road, hopefully allowing for conventional artillery fire to target the slowed down convoys. Supporting the attack, the bulk of the Nationalist air assets launched a daring air raid on incoming Arctican reinforcements, targeting troop transports with cluster bombs trying to inflict massive casualties. Forgotten in the chaos of the battle, the 50 Tahoan Ranger special operatives launched a stealthy attack on Johannesburg Airport housing the Arctican aircraft. Chosen while they were on the ground rearming and refueling, snipers silently killed guards while other special forces groups infiltrated the base, silently planting charges and killing ground crews. An alarm was quickly raised and a full fledged firefight began as reinforcements showed up to try and drive back the Rangers. As the Rangers retreated into the suburbs surrounding the airport, a flight of four Tahoan fighter-bombers swept in low from the south at supersonic speeds. Roaring over the city at treetop height to avoid anti aircraft fire, they pulled up at the last minute, dropping the lethal LAAAS bomb of Tahoan design. The LAAAS was designed to destroy airfields. Its sub-munitions included normal fragmentation bomblets, designed to destroy aircraft, anti personnel mines that would impede repair work and cratering bombs, desinged to punch wholes in the runway. One aircraft, armed with a laser guided bomb, targeted the control tower, blowing it up in spectacular fashion. As it made a high-g turn, an Arctican anti aircraft system targeted the airplane, punching holes in one wing and causing the engine to catch on fire. The Tahoan pilot pulled up, ejecting over the city, as the aircraft burned in the night sky, before falling back to earth over the central business district of Johannesburg, crashing with a spectacular detonation. ------------------------------------------------ As the Tahoan soldiers landed in the hills surrounding Roma, they came under intense fire. Two helicopters were shot down and one more was damaged while on the ground. Tahoan soldiers found themselves in a life and death struggle to remain atop the hills as Arctican fire threatened to drive them off. Reinforcements struggled to push up the slope to help their comrades while artillery and helicopters provided suppressing fire. Seeing that the attack was unsuccessful, the Tahoan commander gave the order to retreat, and the Nationalist forces began fighting a slow withdraw down the steep slopes of the hills. More than 100 Tahoan soldiers were killed or captured. Edited March 6, 2011 by Emperor Mudd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 [b]Botswana[/b] The arrival of the volunteers from Sri Lanka two days ago allowed the less experienced Germanic Legion of volunteers further days of training. Although not hardened soldiers by any measurement, the Germanic Legion was deemed ready to go into combat. Volunteers with previous military experience were diluted among small units, a move that would hopefully allow the volunteers to impart their experience on the less experienced volunteers. The well trained and equipped volunteers from Sri Lanka, deemed the Asian Legion, would be responsible for striking Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The small Arctican garrison of 750 men in Gaborone would contend with the 1,800 men of the Asian Legion, which having already moved across the Kalahari desert was taking up positions to the north of the city. It began its attack at dawn, having divided into three columns attacked into the outlying suburbs of Mogoditshane in the north, Tlokweng in the south and down the A1 highway to the east. Specifically avoided was the towering Kgale Hill to the west, which commanded a view over the city. The Nationalist commander felt that if the city fell, any defenders on the hill could be starved out. Otherwise, the large size of the city and small numbers of defenders would hopefully allow attacking soldiers to drive defenders back, either crushing them when they offered resistance or outmaneuvering them. Three hundred soldiers from the Germanic Legion were sent to the central city of Maun and 500 sent to the Rhodesian border of Francistown. The remaining 200 remained in reserve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vedran Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 The Arcticans made an orderly retreat to Maseru, knowing full well they would be harassed, if not ferociously attacked, by Nationalist forces the whole way. The remaining tanks blasted any military vehicle following them not bearing their insignia. Infantry mounted on trucks shot at any helicopters that got too close. By the time they reached Maseru and had gotten some rudimentary defensive positions established, they had lost over 30% of their original strength; dead, wounded, missing, or isolated behind enemy lines. The remainder were tired, save for the reserves that had been called up in the last few hours before the retreat was called. They were now at the forefront, and would take the brunt of the attack from the south. Tanks guarding the north road positioned themselves into a bottleneck position, focusing heavy fire on any enemy units nearing it. Smaller clusters were placed at more minor bridges, and they bravely defended these positions, repelling attacks for a time until the Tahoan armored brigade came. When they arrived, the Arcticans did not have the strength to hold the bridges without compromising other positions. Under cover of smoke and heavy fire, demolition teams set up charges at the supports for each bridge, and officers from the riverside detonated them. However, when the smoke cleared, only a few of the bridges had been destroyed; the others rendered impassable for a short time, or in the case of the main bridge, its steel was twisted but it was still passable. The commander determined that due to their hurried supply from Johannesburg, the type of explosive on hand was not strong enough to destroy the larger bridges. Facing degeneration of the battle into a house-by-house bloodshed, the commander ordered for his armored units to destroy the bridge supports with their cannons, which succeeded in destroying the remaining bridges and forestalling an advance from the north. Individual tanks with protecting infantry squads spread out from the river defense to attack the engineers trying to create their own bridges, but those in the south were free to proceed with their construction work as the former Mafeteng defenders were preoccupied with defending their own positions. [b]Johannesburg/Gaborone[/b] The 250 men left behind in Gaborone almost as an afterthought were ill equipped to deal with nearly ten times as many Nationalists marching down the streets. The size of the city made such a small group unable to patrol the whole of it. They had been assigned to small patrols keeping order in the city, and were unprepared when the attack came. Some resisted; most simply surrendered when they saw the large numbers bearing down on them. Little did they know that they were shaming their country in the eyes of the foreign volunteers facing them; for these volunteers, this would be their first experience with the Arctican military: a small, overextended force guarding a city too big for them to defend. In Welkom, the Arctican force was much larger than it had been in Mafeteng, and succeeded in breaking out and resisting their attackers during the retreat/advance to Johannesburg. The 7,000 (mostly Transvaler, mostly black) soldiers in Johannesburg took positions among the buildings, with no armor support they seemed more like a guerilla force, using cover and maneuvering to maintain an advantage over their enemies rather than the static strongpoint defenses at Welkom or Mafeteng. More than a modern battle, their tactics were more similar to those of the old Boer Wars. Some of them had walked these very streets and alleys as boys, and now used them to surprise a column of Nationalists, working from officers down before falling back into a side street, with rearguards setting up secondary ambushes for any that followed. On the east road to town, the Arctican convoys encountered both mines below and bombs from above, losing several hundred dead and wounded in the first few minutes. They decided to counter this by packing additional personnel onto off-road vehicles, which spread out and entered the city through dirt paths or secondary roads, while the trucks and road-traveling vehicles did the same, but more slowly. This caused disorganization at first, but solid communications reunited units after little longer than thirty minutes. Columns of IFV's and infantry dismounted from trucks traveled down the avenues of Johannesburg to meet up with friendly forces, Apache helicopters arriving before them and rocketing advancing columns. Two companies of infantry plus three IFV's responded to the alarm at Johannesburg International... For the last hour, a battle had been raging at the airport. In addition to maintenance crews and pilots, 40 combat troops had been stationed to guard the planes and ensure the security of the airport in general. Those patrolling the perimeter were gunned down in the initial fire, and ground crews ran for cover as the bullets started flying. An LSO limped to a hangar and hit the alarm. Klaxons blared throughout the barracks, the wind carrying the sound onto the runways and to the ears of the approaching Rangers. Sharpshooters went prone on the tarmac and picked off Rangers at a distance. Assaulters switched their Maulers to semi-auto and formed into staggered lines, dropping to one knee and opening fire as soon as the Tahoans got within range, muzzle flashes lighting up the night, reminiscent of Panama City. Somebody noticed these were Tahoan Rangers, and judging by their numbers and reputation, the Arcticans figured they couldn't defeat them alone. A call for reinforcements was sent. By the time the fresh troops arrived, slightly less than half the Arcticans lay bleeding on the tarmac, an additional four not moving at all. With IFV's and greater numbers, the reinforcements stormed the airport. The Rangers withdrew, and soon after, the control tower erupted into flames, accompanied with the roar of an aircraft overhead and many more explosions on the runways themselves. A nearby SAM locked on, and they looked on as the plane suffered a hit to its wing. The 750 soldiers meant to launch a pincer attack on Krugersdorp received orders to head back to Gaborone and support the Arcticans there. They snuck into the city before dawn the next morning, and attempted to sweep through key areas and cause damage to occupying forces, using small-unit tactics. [b]Roma[/b] The ATDF had successfully repelled the Nationalist attack. As night fell, they emerged from their defensive positions in small groups and collected enemy wounded and dead for treatment and burial; those unwounded captured were held in several small houses in the outskirts near the defensive positions, and separated so they couldn't conspire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Peter van Haesten stood in the concrete basement of a large office building in Johannesburg, a number of wounded soldiers lined the floor and his staff were crowded around radios, maps and computer screens, directing the battle raging across South Africa. Although his men had captured Botswana without a fight and Task Force South had admirably preformed in distracting more than half the ATDF and was likely going to breakthrough and open the southern front completely, van Haesten had to contend with the facts on the ground in Johannesburg. His men possessed control of much of the city but Arctican air superiority and the arrival of ten thousand fresh troops put his men decidedly on the defense. Without reinforcements, the Nationalists would not be making any more advances anytime soon. Even though his men were inflicting heavy casualties on the Arcticans, his forces were taking unacceptable losses as well, and since he had fewer soldiers to start with, the Nationalists would have to take a defensive posture from now on. That is why he had decided to pursue a ceasefire. His men had been told to hold positions and a message was sent to local Arctican commanders as well as the Arctican Government. [font="Courier New"]I have issued ceasefire to National Front armed forces on all fronts. Request Arctican ceasefire to begin peace talks mediation. Will wait 24 hours for response. -Van Haesten[/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vedran Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) The Arcticans did not respond to the message immediately, but there were several indications that they had received it. The reinforcing division took the time to reorganize and strengthen existing defensive points within the city. Lines of supply were reestablished and a more detailed defense plan began to be created in the case that the ceasefire was a ruse and they would have to continue fighting. Helos and planes in the air held station above the city, reporting enemy positions to command. The 750 men between Krugersdorp and Gaborone stopped and took up positions beside the highway. Then, the order to hold positions and cease fire was given by Cruywagen. Land and air units did not attempt to outmaneuver the enemy, but Operation Anaconda continued. Fourteen hours after the message was sent, Van Haesten received a reply, not from Johannesburg but from Oceana. [quote]To Peter Van Haesten of the Transvaal Nationalist Front, Field Marshal Cruywagen has ordered a reciprocation of your ceasefire and hold position order. After so many needless deaths, we hope you have seen the error of your ways. We were willing to start talks from the beginning. You cannot take South Africa by force. We only seek a fair deal for the people of Transvaal. No demands of war reparations will be made upon your party nor upon the Union, and Arctica wants all wounded, captured, and dead Arctican soldiers returned home in exchange for the same for yours. Those will be the inviolable guidelines of the talks and our only demands. Everything else will be decided at the negotiating table. The site of the talks will be the Gauteng Provincial Legislature building Johannesburg. I will attend personally along with Colonel Redeker, Field Marshal Cruywagen, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramiaramanana. We will also invite representatives of the Kingdom of Cochin to be present in the territorial negotiations, given their interest in the island of St. Helena. If this is acceptable, come to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature building tomorrow with any staff or political figures you wish to accompany you, at your discretion. Sincerely, [i]Vedran I, Sovereign of Arctica, Supreme Commander of the Armed and Uniformed Services[/i][/quote] [b][u]Private to Cochin[/u][/b] The presence of a Cochin representative is requested tomorrow at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature building in Johannesburg, Transvaal. Peace talks between the Nationalist Front of Transvaal and the Union of Arctica will begin, and we want the Kingdom of Cochin to have a say in the allocation of the Republic's territory, given its interest in St. Helena. Edited March 10, 2011 by Vedran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) [font="Courier New"]These terms are acceptable. Myself and Colonel Viljoens will attend as chief negotiators along with our respective staffs. The presence of the Cochinese Government presents no problem for us insofar as their direct relation to territory, however, their role will be limited to as an interested party and not as an arbitrator. General Peter van Haesten Commander, National Front of Transvaal [/font] Along the front, Nationalist soldiers took the respite from the fighting to wolf down a meal, treat wounded comrades, rearm and prepare defensive positions. A message was sent to Cape Town, authorizing Annejtie van Matteus to assume command of the National Front should the talks be a ruse and van Haesten captured or killed. The nuclear warheads were relocated to Swakopmund Air Base where waiting aircraft stood by to arm them, if necessary. Edited March 10, 2011 by Emperor Mudd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botha Posted March 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 [color="#000080"]Annetjie van Matteus understood Van Haesten's concerns but then countered, "Why not both of us attend? As far as we know, the Arcticans and their Cruywagen allies have yet to realise that I have aligned with the Nationalists. If both of us show up, it would both strength appearances of our political strength as well as maybe create some useful uncertainty amongst the pro-Arctican Transvalers. Let's be realistic here... you seem intent on attending the ceaaefire talks and if something happens to you, the Nationalist movement would be practically dead without your leadership."[/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 "I am not prepared to risk the decapitation of the Nationalist movement should the Arcticans intend foul play. However, I am not willing to sacrifice thousands of lives attempting to conquer the rest of Transvaal by force, the Arctican advantage in air and sea power makes supporting any further offensives impossible. Without instituting conscription, they outnumber us as well. That is why we must end the war now. Your attendance at the peace talks will give great weight to the Nationalist cause and I have decided to call you to Johannesburg to join myself and Colonel Viljoens." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botha Posted March 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 [quote name='Emperor Mudd' timestamp='1299821237' post='2659615']That is why we must end the war now. Your attendance at the peace talks will give great weight to the Nationalist cause and I have decided to call you to Johannesburg to join myself and Colonel Viljoens." [/quote] [color="#000080"]"In terms of bargaining, should Southern Africa be carved up, then I suggest you regard the Cape Provinces and Namibia as being the absolute minimum that will be accepted by the Nationalists. While we may end up with the more liberal segment of Afrikanerdom under our nationalist rule, at least the blacks and coloureds that also fall under our rule would be a lot more compliant and subservient. I seriously doubt we could maintain hold over the rest of South Africa - the black population now unchecked will begin to increase in numbers and overtake the whites, and this will be nowhere greater than in the Transvaal and Vrystaat provinces. Arctica would win over the sympathies there on a scale we cannot match ideologically." [/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sithis Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 [i]Lord Sithis frowned at the morning's copy of the Cheydinhal Sentinel, where the major news stories were completely dominated by the events unfolding in the former Republic of Transvaal. Staatspresident Botha was a good friend of his, and his death caused great sadness among the people of Realm. Calling in his secretary, he stood up as he prepared his dictation. After rereading what she typed down, Sithis gave it his approval and the communique was sent over the wire.[/i] [font="Courier New"][b]Private Message to Vedran I[/b] Should you need assistance, old friend, I would personally be willing to attend any upcoming peace negotiations to help moderate. The Kingdom of Realm has a vested interest in the future of the Transvaalers, as they have always played an important role in Africa. Yours, Lord Sithis I [b]End Private Message[/b][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king of cochin Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 [quote name='Vedran' timestamp='1299796198' post='2659091'] [b][u]Private to Cochin[/u][/b] The presence of a Cochin representative is requested tomorrow at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature building in Johannesburg, Transvaal. Peace talks between the Nationalist Front of Transvaal and the Union of Arctica will begin, and we want the Kingdom of Cochin to have a say in the allocation of the Republic's territory, given its interest in St. Helena. [/quote] Varadarajan AG, long time Cochin Ambassador to Transvaal, who after the fall of Transvaal had returned to Kingdom would travel to Johannesburg to participate in the Peace Talks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 11, 2011 Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 [quote name='Botha' timestamp='1299830247' post='2659748'] [color="#000080"]"In terms of bargaining, should Southern Africa be carved up, then I suggest you regard the Cape Provinces and Namibia as being the absolute minimum that will be accepted by the Nationalists. While we may end up with the more liberal segment of Afrikanerdom under our nationalist rule, at least the blacks and coloureds that also fall under our rule would be a lot more compliant and subservient. I seriously doubt we could maintain hold over the rest of South Africa - the black population now unchecked will begin to increase in numbers and overtake the whites, and this will be nowhere greater than in the Transvaal and Vrystaat provinces. Arctica would win over the sympathies there on a scale we cannot match ideologically." [/color] [/quote] "It is my intent to negotiate for the entirety of the Republic of Transvaal as the legitimate successor government. Namibia and the Cape Provinces are of course the bases of our support, but I see no reason why we would surrender any territory currently controlled by the National Front: the Cape, Lesotho, the Free State, Namibia and Botswana. That said, I will be open to compromise, understanding the importance of territory. I will also propose population transfers, as I feel conservative Boer farmers in Transvaal may wish to return to the Cape in exchange for the black population." [img]http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/4562/r006zo7.jpg[/img] General van Haesten (standing in truck) takes a break from the roundabout drive to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. His small convoy passed through Arctican lines, meeting up with van Matteus, who had flown in from Namibia, and Colonel Viljoens, who had left the fortified positions in Krugersdorp for the peace talks. Entering the monolithic stone building where the talks were to be held, Viljoens and van Haesten saluted their Arctican counterparts and waited for talks to begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vedran Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 (edited) [quote name='Sithis' timestamp='1299832697' post='2659779'] [i]Lord Sithis frowned at the morning's copy of the Cheydinhal Sentinel, where the major news stories were completely dominated by the events unfolding in the former Republic of Transvaal. Staatspresident Botha was a good friend of his, and his death caused great sadness among the people of Realm. Calling in his secretary, he stood up as he prepared his dictation. After rereading what she typed down, Sithis gave it his approval and the communique was sent over the wire.[/i] [font="Courier New"][b]Private Message to Vedran I[/b] Should you need assistance, old friend, I would personally be willing to attend any upcoming peace negotiations to help moderate. The Kingdom of Realm has a vested interest in the future of the Transvaalers, as they have always played an important role in Africa. Yours, Lord Sithis I [b]End Private Message[/b][/font] [/quote] [b]Private to Lord Sithis[/b] I appreciate your offer, but the issue of Transvaal is a delicate one and the National Front is already accusing us of being a meddling foreign power; additional foreign influence would not help matters. At the moment, the best thing for anyone to do would be to build awareness for the monolitic scale of the damage done to Transvaal: the cities of Pretoria and Bloemfontein, and most of the people living and working there, have been wiped off the face of the planet, and other cities have been badly damaged in fighting brought on by both the previous war and the current conflict between Arctica and the National Front. The Arctican White Cross is doing what it can in terms of aid efforts, but it will not be enough to restore the condition of Transvaal. If these peace talks result in formal recognition for the country the National Front intends to carve out for itself, then all aid would need to go through them. At the moment, however, people must be made aware of the scale of the humanitarian crisis here. I am in the Hyatt Regency in Johannesburg as I write this, and as I look out the window, I see burned out or partially collapsed buildings, so the damage does not stop at those cities hit by nuclear bombs. The people of the world need to know this. [b]End Message[/b] [quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1299849566' post='2659883'] Varadarajan AG, long time Cochin Ambassador to Transvaal, who after the fall of Transvaal had returned to Kingdom would travel to Johannesburg to participate in the Peace Talks. [/quote] The Cochin representative would be redirected to a smaller airport as the runways at Johannesburg International had been heavily cratered in the fighting and only now had repair work begun. He would be housed in a suite at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Johannesburg, where most of the government officials were staying for the peace talks, and would be summoned to the legislature building once the talks reached a point where the future of outlying islands would be discussed. ====== On the morning of March 12, 2011 when the peace talks were set to begin, the Sovereign of Arctica was in his hotel room, along with a few assistants. He was in front of a wide, full-length mirror putting his uniform on. It was his 'official' uniform, which he had only worn occasionally, most notably for one of his official portraits. He had never worn it in public, as it was rather militaristic and even featured a saber. A saber! Vedran preferred to wear a suit and tie in public, most commonly a dark tweed suit and occasionally a fedora. This uniform was mainly a lapis lazuli color with gold trim, a gold-trimmed white sash featuring a black trident, and a pair of French-style epaulets. The pants were also lapis lazuli, with double black stripes running down the sides, tucked into a pair of polished black boots. The Sovereign sighed, and said to his Foreign Minister who was also in the room, "Can we just forego the saber? I don't want to appear too threatening to these people, they already think we're usurpers." Alain tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Van Haesten is a strength-oriented man from what my staff tells me. If he respects strength, wearing the saber represents confidence in your power, and will make him appreciate his position in terms of our political and military will." "Or, maybe you're thinking too deeply into this, Alain. I've never worn this uniform in public before, that alone will surprise the delegates he sends along, and the saber might be a bit too much." Ramiaramanana could only think to say, "It is your choice." Vedran sighed. "If I ask your advice, don't tell me it's my choice. But fine. I'm thinking lose the saber." An assistant who had been helping him get into the uniform removed the scabbard with the saber in it, and went to store it with the rest of the luggage, and Vedran turned from side to side, looking at the mirror. "Do not worry about it," said the Foreign Minister in his characteristic French/Malagasy accent. "You look fine." "If you say so, Alain. Let's get going, they're going to be here soon." ====== [IMG]http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6169/1002743e.jpg[/IMG] [i]The Gauteng Legislature building shortly before the war[/i] As Van Haesten's convoy went deeper into the city, the concentration of soldiers was progressively lighter; most of them were at the front lines, manning defensive positions and staring down the Nationalists. In a few places, left without supervision from high-ranking officers, some of the Transvaler troops started conversations with the enemy and bartered for things like cigarettes; to them, the war was practically over with the peace talks beginning. They didn't want to fight their countrymen anymore. They wanted to go back to their homes. The Arctican soldiers were more wary of the Nationalists, but respected their fighting spirit. Still, many were bitter, having lost a man in their unit or a friend in Mafeteng or Welkom to them, and despised them. When the convoy reached the Gauteng Legislature, there were a few of Redeker's troops as well as several dozen soldiers brought along by the delegation helping the metropolitan police keep order. There were hundreds of protestors lining the streets, some in favor of the Nationalists and some in favor of Arcticans, kept away from the delegates by the police. They were asked to surrender their weapons, but Van Haesten, Viljoens, and Van Matteus were allowed to keep their sidearms if they had them. In the anteroom of the building, a large number of Arctican, Transvaler, and some foreign press gathered, battering everyone with questions. Minister Ramiaramanana was answering some of the questions, but left his underling to handle the crowd while he joined Van Haesten's group and led them to the main chamber. The legislator's seats were empty; a few guards lined the aisles, armed with sidearms only, and saluted the Transvaler delegates as they passed. On the floor of the chamber was a large rectangular table, wooden and with a glass top covering the wood. On the opposite side were Sovereign Vedran, Marshal Cruywagen, and Colonel Redeker, Ramiaramanana joining them behind the table as they stood and returned their counterparts' salute, before inviting their guests to sit down at the table, and finally taking a seat themselves. A stenographer sat at a smaller, nearby table to transcribe the proceedings. Vedran was the first to speak. "Welcome, General Van Haesten, Colonel Viljoens, Colonel...Van Matteus." At this last name he hesitated momentarily, surprised by the presence of the woman. He quickly recovered, but was visibly taken off guard. Of course, Van Matteus had to have sided with them, but he had no idea that they had retrieved her from whatever place she was hiding at. "With me are Marshal Cruywagen, Colonel Redeker, and Foreign Minister Ramiaramanana. The Cochin delegate will be joining us later, when we discuss the relevant issues." He looked at Van Haesten, who was directly in front of him. Van Matteus was across from Cruywagen, the two Colonels faced each other, and the Minister was off to the side. "First, General, I would like to know your goals here, so they may be properly addressed." Edited March 12, 2011 by Vedran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 Van Matteus smiled at the Arcticans surprise over her presence, though Cruywagen's glare was unsettling. As the Nationalist delegation took its seat, General Van Haesten responded to Vedran's question. "Sovereign, Colonel. Field Marshal Cruywagen." Van Haesten nodded at the three as he spoke, "The first and foremost goal of the National Front of Transvaal is the complete restoration of the Republic of Transvaal to its sovereign state. Though the terrorist attacks on [b]our[/b] nation were horrific, we do not recognize the legitimacy of Prime Minister Hofmeyr's declaration announcing the end of Transvaal independence." "Thus, we seek recognition as the legitimate successor government to the previous government led by Staatspresident Botha." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vedran Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 (edited) "The problem with that is that Staatspresident Botha was the uniting force behind a collection of different ideologies that made up the various parties and organizations in the Republic, groups that are sometimes hostile to each other. For example, the far-right factions of Van Zyl and Du Toit openly pushed for a return to apartheid and other racialist policies; the National Party and the Communist Party were involved in a bloody conflict until Mzumu was elected governor of Transvaal-Arctica. Without the Staatspresident's guiding hand, there is no longer a strong force uniting these factions. While you represent the nationalist segments of the population with your support base in Namibia and the Cape, not all of the people of Transvaal wish to be a part of that. Namely, the citizens of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malaui, and Mozambique have supported Marthinus Hofmeyr's declaration and wish to be a part of the Union of Arctica. I cannot in good faith hand over the entirety of the Republic's lands without due consideration for the will of the people." Edited March 12, 2011 by Vedran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manetheren Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 "We can negotiate territory in a moment, but right now we must achieve recognition as the legitimate successor state to Transvaal. Without that then we have no legitimacy and no matter the result of the negotiations, we cannot hold ourselves to Transvaal's standards." "As for territory, I am willing to accept the idea that a majority of the population in Zambia, Rhodesia, Malawi and Mozambique do wish to remain under the protection of Arctica. However, I cannot see why their unilateral joining of the Union of Arctica should be allowed. Instead, I propose an expanded Transvaal-Arctica area of joint sovereignty over Zambia and Rhodesia with Malawi and Mozambique joining to Arctica as integral territory." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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