Artitsa
02-10-2004, 19:16
The Beginning
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The Nation of Artitsa was first colonized in 1828. A british ship stumbled across the uncharted isle, above Ireland. The find was reported back to the King, who immediatly began colonization. The island was a temperate island, rich in vegitation and food. Snow Capped mountains lined the northern Approaches to the island, where a new breed of Polar Bears were found. Brit's colonized the south-west are of the Island and spread north easterly. But there were another group present. A Slavic race had lived on the Island for centuries, living in the North Eastern Mountains. The little area had recently joined Imperial Russia, trading animal furs and coal from the mountains. In return they recieved weapons and luxury items. The lower southern plains did not have much to offer in the way of Resources. From first sight of the Russians rich area, the British wanted it. As this all was developing, 4 ships from Ireland had traveled to the new land. A small colony was set up in the South East region the Isle of Scoct was colonized first, followed by a small area on the mainland. The Town of Artislow was founded, and became a bussling hub of activity. Fish were caught in the Bay of Arklow, and sold on the market and to Britain and Russia. The Irish loved this new land. It seemed the four leaf clover flourshed on this Island.
The First War of the Clover
Hostilities grew between British colonists and the Russians. There were land disputes, as the british continually encroched upon the Russian land. By 1890 the British had established the town of Vampton, inside Russian land. In response, the Russians raided the town, setting the Protestant church ablaze. Outraged, the British demanded weapons from their government but were denied. Along came 1899, and Russia began its brief war with Japan. Britain now sent Lee-Enfield rifles to Their section of the Island, now called Nordland. A force of 8,000 men sacked the town of Saratov, killing hundreds of Russian civillians. The Russians raised their own force of 12,000 men, many with just farming weapons, but at least half had Mosin Nagant Rifles. The British saw their chance to gain more land from the Russians and attacked Blanistov, but the Russians had been waiting. The British entered the city, to find thousands of Rifles firing from windows and doorways. The British force broke and ran, only to find 2,000 Militia blocking their path. The British were massacered. Having heard news, the British Parliment sent 10,000 Professional soldiers to Nordland, training 20,000 Colonists from Gibanshire. Marshall John Practen had accompanied the soldiers, and sent 6,000 Soldiers back to Vampton, and 4,000 to Halington. There they built fortifications, expecting a Russian attack against those settlments. Practen, would make his own strike elsewhere.. At Kamskgrad. But, The Russians saw this coming. They knew the British would be turned away from Saratov. They had fortified Kamskgrad for an entire year. 20,000 British Militia marched from Shiston towards Kamskgrad. However, mistaking the Irish town of Galway for Kamskgrad, they opened Artillery fire. Massive shells rained down upon the unsuspecting town, with 18,500 inhabitants. The slaughter was extraordinary. Hundreds were killed, and word was sent to Artislow.
A single Irishmen, Brian O'Connel rose up from the faceless crowd. He called for a Irish Militia to be formed to protect against these two barbaric races. He was paticularily disgusted with the British. He gathered a militia himself, numbering close to 8,000 strong. They traveled to Galway, two month journey. By the time they arrived, the battle for Kamskgrad was underway. The British Artillery had stayed back, while the Militia assaulted the town themselves. The Russians were outnumbered, but put up a stiff resistance. O'Connel lead a force of 500 behind the British Artillery and struck. Many of the Irishmen merely had Hunting Rifles, many with hand weapons. And yet they still killed off the artillery crews. This had gained them enough Lee-Enfields to fully equipt the unarmed men in that group of 500. O'Connel ordered the Artillery to be faced towards Kamskgrad proper. A mighty volley was fired into the British and Russian forces, fighting in open field. The shrapnel showered over the fighting forces, killing hundreds. The Irish charged down from the hill upon which the Artillery was positioned, into the rear of the British lines. The Russians rejoiced, only to find 7,500 Irish men striking their flank. The surviving 5,000 or so Brits, fled back to Ash-Pierre, while the Russians abandoned Kamskgrad. The Irish consolidated their position, recently stumbling across 15,000 Lee-Enfield rifles and 8,000 Mosin Nagants.
The Irish militia struck next at Shiston, suffering only 200 casualties. The Irish Militia Forces (IMF) now moved to cut off Overshire from the rest of Nordland. The British moved as quickly as possible, transfered 6,000 Milita to the small town. A siege was laid, but the Irish had the Artillery. Although ammunition was hard to come by, Artislow was slowly becoming industrialized. Soon they would be producing rifles and Artillery of their own. On September 19th 1905, the British Militia surrendered Overshire to the IMF. The Irish were now secure in their safety and consolidated their position. A shaky truce was extended between British Colonists and Russians (Who had withdrawn to their own land in 1901 to lick their wounds). By late 1906 a truce was struck between all three nationalities and new boundries lay. But the wounds were still open and raw.
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NEXT: 2nd War of the Clover
In 1922, Nordland once again prepared to attack the Russians, who now named their province Kantrogov. For the past 20 years, the Nordish had been recieving weapons from the British government. 4 Mark IV tanks were in service with them, loads of artillery, and Lee-Enfield Rifles. The Norish had a professional army of their own. Like South Africa, Canada, and Australia they were considered Independant, but their charter of rights still remained British and they could not perform Politics without permission from England. They did have permission from England to unite the entire Island. During the 20 Years, the captured Russian and British towns flourished into Cities along with Artislow. The majority were now Irish, and the rest mixes of Irish, Russian, and British. Deciding that those Labels were not effective and generated tears in the Social Groups, there became a common name - Artitsans. Industry had sprang to life, and Artitsa herself began creating its own weapons. An Semi-Automatic rifle was created on the Basis of the Russian Semi-Auto rifle in WW1. In Kantrogov, their army had been falling usunder, in a state of disrepair. They did not care for war, and were unprepared for the events of April 1922.
A force of 45,000 British marched across the Tuval River, and laid siege to Tuva. The Russians responded immediatly, sending only 20,000 soldiers to hold the City. As the British sat two kilometers from the outskirts of the city, the Russians dug their trenches. A stalemate insued. The british dare not venture their Artillery, unless they were to become mired in thick spring mud. Marshall John Practen (Now 66) knew that they would just have to wait until the mud cleared. But with that, the Russians could move more men and their own Artillery to Tula. Each day at least 100 soldiers from each side would be killed or wounded in charges or random attacks. Practen made his move and sent 30,000 British Soldiers back to Vampton. There they waited, while the 60,000 strong reserve army came up to the South West. On May 28th Practen struck, his forces, this time accompanied by 1,300 Artillery pieces, and the 4 Mark IV tanks, struck at Saratov. With only 8,000 defenders, the City was quickly surrounded, but 5,000 of the Russians managed to retreat back to Blanistov. The other 3,000 were presumed kill or Captured. The British now consolidated their new City, rather then chase down the Russians. Now, They marched 25,000 British soldiers North to Tuva, no river to slow down their transport. They artillery and tanks came with them, and would play a key part in the fight. The Artillery opened up, shattering buildings and homes within Tuva, hundreds died. The Soldiers moved supported by the tanks and rolled up the Russians flanks. They promptly broke, and fled to the Mountains outside of Fanskgrad. only 9,200 Soldiers had made it back from Tula, out of 20,000. Now they were joined by the Milita from Fanskgrad, and numbered 65,000 strong.
In the mountains they set up their sandbag bunkers, supported by thick tree logs. All the Russian artillery (only 800 units in total) had been set up to the rear in a concealed position, while makeshift trenches were dug into the soil of the mountain. Now they had the Maxim MG's and could stand a chance. But the next blow did not land at Fanskgrad, instead the 35,000 British traveled southeast towards A'nsk. From Banislov the attack was launched, north of A'nsk. The area was quickly and easily captured, and now A'nsk was quickly surrounded with no support.
A petition from the People of Kamskgrad asked the Parliment of Artitsa to aide the beleagured Russians. Only 6,000 Militia men defended A'nsk, and their people were starving to death. Constant artillery barrage shattered homes and lives alike. Parliment held a referendum, and in a majority vote of 43 to 2 (2 being British) Artitsa would assist Kantrogov. A force was assembled, once more under Brian O'Connel. The national army was mobilized, 65,000 trained soldiers in all. An influx of 40,000 ablebodied men streamed into Recruitment centers. They would be sent for training and arming.
The 40,000 Artitsan's supported by 2,300 Artillery Pieces, and 400 of their Armoured Trucks moved west from Galway, passing the Nordland boundries. Small border clashes ensued, with 200 deaths on the Artitsan side, and 1,800 on the Nordish. They continued west, and stopped. They moved north 35km, and built a large fort with materials they had brought in 5 ton trucks. Concrete walls with Machine gun emplacements and Artillery battlements would be constructed. 5,000 Engineers would be left behind to finish the project, but there was no time to spare. The Artitsans launched their attack on the Nordish lines south of A'nsk. The artillery bombardment lasted 4 hours, then followed by a mass infantry charge. They were cut down, 2,000 dead in an hour. The order to fall back was given, and trenches were dug. Maxim's were set up, and once again a stalemate occured. The 400 Armoured trucks were sent to dislodge the Southern Encampment of Nord's. They traveled the 2km no mans land, under a massive bombardment of Nordish lines, which stopped just as the trucks approached the lines. MG's were fired at the trucks, but pitterpatted off the armour, one driver was killed but managed to keep the truck undercontrol and to a stop. All trucks mounted an armoured copula in the Passanger seat and a small hand cranked turret with two Machine guns. A fuislade of fire poured down on the trenches. The trucks then drove over the trenches, revealing their 4 MG's on each side, pouring fire down the trenches. It was a horrendous massacre. The trucks pulled up on the closer side to A'nsk, and the 8 gunners and 4 reloaders of the MG's in each truck came piling out the back, with rifles. They quickly siezed the trenches, and the 30,000 Regular Infantry moved up to further secure the trenches. Large mortars were brought up, and bombardment began on the British lines. But by this time, the British had already launched their final attack on A'nsk, entering the city. Once again the Armoured Trucks were moved out to assist the defenders, while 20,000 Artitsan soldiers marched towards the city by foot. An artillery barrage laid waste to the Nordish lines. Shrapnel littered trenches with bodies until they were void of life. The Armoured trucks arrived in the city, and beformed excellently. The Machine Guns tore through the aggressing Nord's. Their many MG's allowing for engagement on a 360* field. The Nordish soldiers, 20,000 in total, broke and fled back west, only to find 20,000 Artitsan's now manning their trenches. They were cut down, and only 4,890 managed to surrender. The people of A'nsk rejoiced. They appealed to Brian O'Connel to become part of Artitsa having been abandoned by Kantrogov.
Marshall Practen launched his 40,000 strong attack on the mountains of Fanskgrad only to have his army utterly devistated by the fortresses. Having lost all 4 tanks, and 1,000 of his artillery pieces in the fighting for A'nsk, he withdrew the 25,000 surviving soldiers to Tuva. His forces were becoming stretched thin, with only 10,000 at Saratov, 30,000 at Vampton, 35,000 at Halingshire, and 25,000 at Tula. He also had 21,000 at Ash-Pierre. The Artitsan's moved quickly once more, attacking Saratov only a month after the battle for A'nsk. The fortress at Kent, only two miles from the Village of Kent had been completed. It prevented an attack on Artitsan soil, expected once the battle for Saratov began. With the Blunder at A'nsk, Blanistov was left virtually undefended. 80% of the 2,000 Nordish soldiers surrendered at Blanistov, the other 20% died. Only 300 Artitsans were killed in the fighting. The Town allowed a place for the Artitsan soldiers, now 45,000 strong having recieved reinforcements from Galway and Artislow, resupplied. A Second force of 24,000 Marched Kent, comprised of miltia's from A'nsk, Kamskgrad, and Kent proper. They now moved against Ash-Pierre but stopped short of the City, and dug their trenches. The armies were to evenly matched to warrent an engagement, and the Artitsan's would await reinforcements.
The fight for Saratov was brief, but bloodier than Blanistov. 3,000 Artitsan's died, while 7,000 Nord's were killed or captured, the other 3,000 broke and ran. The 42,000 Artitsan's consildated Saratov. With 30,000 sitting across from them, They dare not strike. They could not move north to Tula, for fear of the Nord's striking at Saratov. 10,000 freshly trained troops were sent to the encampment outside of Ash-Pierre, along with thousands of Artillery pieces and the Armoured Trucks. This would be the last battle of the War. Once again, the Trucks led the way, only to get mired in thick mud. Their MG's were still able to douse the enemy lines, while Artillery hammered into the City of Ash-Pierre. With casualties mounting, the Nord's began to pull back, only to be cut down as they left their trenches. Artitsan's from Kamskgrad and A'nsk, hungry for revenge charged into the enemies trenches, acting as storm troopers. They captured the lines with bayonets and rifle butts. With 12,000 Soldiers left, the Nord's fortified the city, but to little effect. The constant artillery made life hard, and with 28,000 soldiers waiting just outside the city (3,000 Artitsan's were killed, 2,000 wounded) they were of low moral. The Artitsan's moved into the city under a massive barrage, and with only 20 armoured trucks. The city was captured in under two weeks, but with massive casualties for both sides. 8,000 Artitsan's died, and 7,200 Nord's were killed. 3,000 were captured, and 1,800 fled to Arklow. 1925, With only 20,000 soldiers left at Ash-Pierre, and fairly exhausted, Artitsa offered Nordland a peacetreaty. The Nord's promptly signed it, figuring the Artitsan's to have massive amounts of soldiers left. Both sides returned home to lick their wounds. Artitsa constructed three new forts on the Border, named only G1, G2, and G3.
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The Third and Final War of the Clover (The War of the Black Clover)
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The AtAVz IV Shamrock Tank
1942. World War 2 was in full swing. Artitsa's army now stood at 215,000 Men, and 350,000 Logistics. Artitsa had its own tank, the AtAVz IV Shamrock. 220 of these Tanks were in service at the outbreak of war. Artitsa had a relatively small airforce of interceptors. The French airforce never really respected the D.520 design, but Artitsan generals did. Artitsa had produced 280 D.520 fighters, and 120 D.520G's; a modified design for ground attack. Nordland had also been building up since 1925. They now had Lancaster bombers, Spitfire fighters, in the hundreds, and over 400 Churchhill Cruiser tanks. Their infantry stood at 420,000 Soldiers, and half a million in logistics. Kantrogov could sense the war brewing, and sent 150,000 Soldiers to Artitsa. Designs to the Mosin Nagant, and PPsH were given, and entered production immediatly. Kantrogov worked for months to get the T-34 design from Russia, but it seemed it would take years of negotiations. Navies now came into play. Artitsa had built 3 Battleships, over 45,000 tons displacement. They fielded 12 Cruisers in 3 squadrons, and over a hundred destroyers. Submarines also appeared in large numbers at the Artitsan harbours. Nordland had a relatively small navy having concentrated on Ground and Airforces. They had 1 Battleship and 6 Cruisers, and around 40 Destroyers. Kantrogov had 8 Cruisers to which they moved to the North to protect against Nordish incurrsions. The first strike came from Vampton. The Nord's moved across the border with 200 Churchill Cruiser tanks, and struck at G1. The Fortress was battered, but the many 57.9mm anti-tank guns bristling the walls scored dozens of kills. But it was still no match. The 4pdr guns brought down the walls. 57 Nordish tanks were destroyed in the 7 hour battle, but the fort began to fall. But it served its purpose. A plea was sent to G2 and Ash-Pierre where 100 Shamrock tanks were mobilized, while 20 D.520G's took off from Bol'n. The tank engagement was astounding, the heavier 82mm guns of the Shamrocks shattered the churchill's, while 250lb bombs dropped from the sky as D.520G's made their passes, unloading with their 20mm PAK guns as well. 18 Shamrocks were lost, but another 60 Churchills were knocked out. The 83 remaining tanks returned to Banton for repairs. But as this occured, A massive force of 120,000 Nord's supported by 200 Chuchhills, and Artillery struck at Saratov. With only 80,000 defenders, the battle was hard fought. Several times the Artitsan's lost possetion of the city, but gained it back by a vicious charge. Artitsan artillery was brought up, and leveled the playing field. The Nord's sent Lancasters and Spitfires to deal with the Artillery, only to meet the Superior D.520. The D.520's could get within the Spitfires turning radius, resulting in a massacre of Spitfires, with only the loss of 12 D.520's. The Nordish airforce pulled back, but both ground forces continued to slog it out. Heavy casualties insued on both sides. D.520G's tried to make attack runs on artillery but were driven off by heavy AA fire.
The Artitsan Navy set sail for Arklow, where the Nordish navy was based. They caught the enemy in their Port unprepared for an attack. The result was devestating with 95% of the Nordish navy sunk. The sea's now belonged to the Artitsan's in a swift move. They proceeded to Bombard Arklow. Siezing the opertunity, a Force of 120,000 Artitsan's was moved to G3, and combined with 80 Shamrock's moved South, smashing into Nordish lines. 12,000 casualties were sustained by Artitsa, but the Nord's fell back to Arklow, where the 108,000 Artitsan's laid siege. Exploiting the gap Created, 80,000 more Artitsan's poured through, only to meet the Nordish reserve army stopping progress westward. After three months of bitter fighting the City fell, and Artitsa took 14,000 POW's. That siege may have been won, but the fight for Saratov raged on.
8 Months had passed in the war, 42,000 dead for the Artitsan's, 75,000 for the Nord's. Kantrogov was almost ready to get the designs to the T-34 after intense bartering.
All 220 Shamrocks were transfered to Arklow, but 5 were being produced daily in Kamskgrad, Artislow and Galway. Already 600 had been sent to Kent for crews to be trained. 2 months Later Kantrogov got the designs for the T-34-85 and immediatly sent them to Artitsa. Production switched over to the T-34, almost immediatly, 2 a day rolling out of the factories. Nordland had been stockpiling its own Churchill, reaching 1200. 4 months bitter fighting in the south yielded 100km's gained to the west, and now the Artitsan's were a mere 50km's from the Nordish Capital, Gilbanshire. Gavinhood to the north was close to falling to the Artitsan tank assault, while the Nordish government moved to Halington, proclaiming it to be the new Capital. After capturing Gavinhood, after a months of hard fighting, Artitsa prepared to finally take Gilbanshire. 400 T-34's had been produced, and were sent to Blanistov along with the 600 Shamrock tanks. 85 T-34's were sent south for the capture of Gilbanshire. 90,000 troops were involved in the attack, along with over 200 tanks and aircraft. Nordland continuely attempted raids on Artislow, Galway, and Kamskgrad via Lancaster, only to find D.520's in their paths. The 103rd Royal Infantry Division, was the first division to hit the Parliment buildings in Gilbanshire. A massive Artitsan flag was hoisted, as the 8 other divisions moved through the city crushing defenders using tanks for support. The Artitsan Army now stood at 480,000 Combat personnel.
The Artitsan Generals figured Nordland would push for a peacetreaty once again... but it never game. Instead 1200 Churchill tanks and 320,000 Soldiers came. They moved down from the North, right past Saratov, and struck Blanistov. The 600 Artitsan tanks had not arrived yet, and with only 65,000 defenders its fate looked the same as Saratov, which had just fallen. The 24,000 surviving Artitsan soldiers fled to Blanistov, only to find their path shut off to them by the Nordish army. They were promptly surrounded and destroyed, only 200 or so survivors. The capture of Saratova allowed for 110,000 Nordish soldiers to be freed up and join the fight for Blanistov. Almost half a million soldiers now assaulted the city, with the river to its back all looked lost.
Artitsan high command brought up 200,000 Soldiers from the South, but they were exhausted. As the battle for Blanistov raged on, the Artitsans continued to move north, stopping at Kent for rest. 50,000 Soldiers from Galway were sent to help the effort, replacing the mounting casualties sustained by Artitsa. 23,000 Soldiers had been killed already, 37,000 on the Nordish side. Their tanks played havoc amongst the Artitsan's, who lacked any real anti-tank equipment in the area. D.520G's were ineffective due to the tight coverage by Spitfires. Regular D.520's were unavailable, as they were attempting to hold off the Lancasters and Spitfires aggressing the other parts of Artitsa. Even when the 200,000 Soldiers and 600 tanks arrived (With a further 120 T-34's joining their ranks at Kent) the battle looked dim. Almost 3/4's of the Shamrocks were lost within the first 2 months of fighting with the upgraded Churchills. But the Churchills were still no match for the T-34's. Casualties mounted on both sides, with only 220 T-34's left, and 120,000 Artitsan Soldiers still alive the city would fall. Nordland still had 280,000 soldiers and 750 Churchill tanks. On the eighth month, a mircle occured. Kantrogov had answered the call, and now 380,000 well trained Soviet soldiers poured down the mountains supported by 600 T-34's and IL-2 fighters. The Nord's were caught from the side with their pants down, and attempted to wheel around to face the new threat. Artitsan soldiers now mounted their own assault. Captured Lancasters struck at Airbases, escorted by D.520's. IL-2's and D.520G's danced through the air delivering their payloads onto the Nord's below, reaping havoc. The Nordish army broke before the kessel was formed, and 175,000 Soldiers with 320 Churchill tanks retreated to Saratov. The people of Saratov chose this time to revolt. Having found the Nordish stockpiles of weapons, they rushed the sentries killing them in a dangerous mob. Thousands of lee-Enfields were taken along with Bren and Sten guns. When the Nordish returned to Saratov, they found the entire populous armed. They laid down their weapons and surrendered. Both sides were once more battered and bruised. A Ceasefire was signed. A ceasefire that would stay in effect for another 15 years.
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The Nation of Artitsa was first colonized in 1828. A british ship stumbled across the uncharted isle, above Ireland. The find was reported back to the King, who immediatly began colonization. The island was a temperate island, rich in vegitation and food. Snow Capped mountains lined the northern Approaches to the island, where a new breed of Polar Bears were found. Brit's colonized the south-west are of the Island and spread north easterly. But there were another group present. A Slavic race had lived on the Island for centuries, living in the North Eastern Mountains. The little area had recently joined Imperial Russia, trading animal furs and coal from the mountains. In return they recieved weapons and luxury items. The lower southern plains did not have much to offer in the way of Resources. From first sight of the Russians rich area, the British wanted it. As this all was developing, 4 ships from Ireland had traveled to the new land. A small colony was set up in the South East region the Isle of Scoct was colonized first, followed by a small area on the mainland. The Town of Artislow was founded, and became a bussling hub of activity. Fish were caught in the Bay of Arklow, and sold on the market and to Britain and Russia. The Irish loved this new land. It seemed the four leaf clover flourshed on this Island.
The First War of the Clover
Hostilities grew between British colonists and the Russians. There were land disputes, as the british continually encroched upon the Russian land. By 1890 the British had established the town of Vampton, inside Russian land. In response, the Russians raided the town, setting the Protestant church ablaze. Outraged, the British demanded weapons from their government but were denied. Along came 1899, and Russia began its brief war with Japan. Britain now sent Lee-Enfield rifles to Their section of the Island, now called Nordland. A force of 8,000 men sacked the town of Saratov, killing hundreds of Russian civillians. The Russians raised their own force of 12,000 men, many with just farming weapons, but at least half had Mosin Nagant Rifles. The British saw their chance to gain more land from the Russians and attacked Blanistov, but the Russians had been waiting. The British entered the city, to find thousands of Rifles firing from windows and doorways. The British force broke and ran, only to find 2,000 Militia blocking their path. The British were massacered. Having heard news, the British Parliment sent 10,000 Professional soldiers to Nordland, training 20,000 Colonists from Gibanshire. Marshall John Practen had accompanied the soldiers, and sent 6,000 Soldiers back to Vampton, and 4,000 to Halington. There they built fortifications, expecting a Russian attack against those settlments. Practen, would make his own strike elsewhere.. At Kamskgrad. But, The Russians saw this coming. They knew the British would be turned away from Saratov. They had fortified Kamskgrad for an entire year. 20,000 British Militia marched from Shiston towards Kamskgrad. However, mistaking the Irish town of Galway for Kamskgrad, they opened Artillery fire. Massive shells rained down upon the unsuspecting town, with 18,500 inhabitants. The slaughter was extraordinary. Hundreds were killed, and word was sent to Artislow.
A single Irishmen, Brian O'Connel rose up from the faceless crowd. He called for a Irish Militia to be formed to protect against these two barbaric races. He was paticularily disgusted with the British. He gathered a militia himself, numbering close to 8,000 strong. They traveled to Galway, two month journey. By the time they arrived, the battle for Kamskgrad was underway. The British Artillery had stayed back, while the Militia assaulted the town themselves. The Russians were outnumbered, but put up a stiff resistance. O'Connel lead a force of 500 behind the British Artillery and struck. Many of the Irishmen merely had Hunting Rifles, many with hand weapons. And yet they still killed off the artillery crews. This had gained them enough Lee-Enfields to fully equipt the unarmed men in that group of 500. O'Connel ordered the Artillery to be faced towards Kamskgrad proper. A mighty volley was fired into the British and Russian forces, fighting in open field. The shrapnel showered over the fighting forces, killing hundreds. The Irish charged down from the hill upon which the Artillery was positioned, into the rear of the British lines. The Russians rejoiced, only to find 7,500 Irish men striking their flank. The surviving 5,000 or so Brits, fled back to Ash-Pierre, while the Russians abandoned Kamskgrad. The Irish consolidated their position, recently stumbling across 15,000 Lee-Enfield rifles and 8,000 Mosin Nagants.
The Irish militia struck next at Shiston, suffering only 200 casualties. The Irish Militia Forces (IMF) now moved to cut off Overshire from the rest of Nordland. The British moved as quickly as possible, transfered 6,000 Milita to the small town. A siege was laid, but the Irish had the Artillery. Although ammunition was hard to come by, Artislow was slowly becoming industrialized. Soon they would be producing rifles and Artillery of their own. On September 19th 1905, the British Militia surrendered Overshire to the IMF. The Irish were now secure in their safety and consolidated their position. A shaky truce was extended between British Colonists and Russians (Who had withdrawn to their own land in 1901 to lick their wounds). By late 1906 a truce was struck between all three nationalities and new boundries lay. But the wounds were still open and raw.
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NEXT: 2nd War of the Clover
In 1922, Nordland once again prepared to attack the Russians, who now named their province Kantrogov. For the past 20 years, the Nordish had been recieving weapons from the British government. 4 Mark IV tanks were in service with them, loads of artillery, and Lee-Enfield Rifles. The Norish had a professional army of their own. Like South Africa, Canada, and Australia they were considered Independant, but their charter of rights still remained British and they could not perform Politics without permission from England. They did have permission from England to unite the entire Island. During the 20 Years, the captured Russian and British towns flourished into Cities along with Artislow. The majority were now Irish, and the rest mixes of Irish, Russian, and British. Deciding that those Labels were not effective and generated tears in the Social Groups, there became a common name - Artitsans. Industry had sprang to life, and Artitsa herself began creating its own weapons. An Semi-Automatic rifle was created on the Basis of the Russian Semi-Auto rifle in WW1. In Kantrogov, their army had been falling usunder, in a state of disrepair. They did not care for war, and were unprepared for the events of April 1922.
A force of 45,000 British marched across the Tuval River, and laid siege to Tuva. The Russians responded immediatly, sending only 20,000 soldiers to hold the City. As the British sat two kilometers from the outskirts of the city, the Russians dug their trenches. A stalemate insued. The british dare not venture their Artillery, unless they were to become mired in thick spring mud. Marshall John Practen (Now 66) knew that they would just have to wait until the mud cleared. But with that, the Russians could move more men and their own Artillery to Tula. Each day at least 100 soldiers from each side would be killed or wounded in charges or random attacks. Practen made his move and sent 30,000 British Soldiers back to Vampton. There they waited, while the 60,000 strong reserve army came up to the South West. On May 28th Practen struck, his forces, this time accompanied by 1,300 Artillery pieces, and the 4 Mark IV tanks, struck at Saratov. With only 8,000 defenders, the City was quickly surrounded, but 5,000 of the Russians managed to retreat back to Blanistov. The other 3,000 were presumed kill or Captured. The British now consolidated their new City, rather then chase down the Russians. Now, They marched 25,000 British soldiers North to Tuva, no river to slow down their transport. They artillery and tanks came with them, and would play a key part in the fight. The Artillery opened up, shattering buildings and homes within Tuva, hundreds died. The Soldiers moved supported by the tanks and rolled up the Russians flanks. They promptly broke, and fled to the Mountains outside of Fanskgrad. only 9,200 Soldiers had made it back from Tula, out of 20,000. Now they were joined by the Milita from Fanskgrad, and numbered 65,000 strong.
In the mountains they set up their sandbag bunkers, supported by thick tree logs. All the Russian artillery (only 800 units in total) had been set up to the rear in a concealed position, while makeshift trenches were dug into the soil of the mountain. Now they had the Maxim MG's and could stand a chance. But the next blow did not land at Fanskgrad, instead the 35,000 British traveled southeast towards A'nsk. From Banislov the attack was launched, north of A'nsk. The area was quickly and easily captured, and now A'nsk was quickly surrounded with no support.
A petition from the People of Kamskgrad asked the Parliment of Artitsa to aide the beleagured Russians. Only 6,000 Militia men defended A'nsk, and their people were starving to death. Constant artillery barrage shattered homes and lives alike. Parliment held a referendum, and in a majority vote of 43 to 2 (2 being British) Artitsa would assist Kantrogov. A force was assembled, once more under Brian O'Connel. The national army was mobilized, 65,000 trained soldiers in all. An influx of 40,000 ablebodied men streamed into Recruitment centers. They would be sent for training and arming.
The 40,000 Artitsan's supported by 2,300 Artillery Pieces, and 400 of their Armoured Trucks moved west from Galway, passing the Nordland boundries. Small border clashes ensued, with 200 deaths on the Artitsan side, and 1,800 on the Nordish. They continued west, and stopped. They moved north 35km, and built a large fort with materials they had brought in 5 ton trucks. Concrete walls with Machine gun emplacements and Artillery battlements would be constructed. 5,000 Engineers would be left behind to finish the project, but there was no time to spare. The Artitsans launched their attack on the Nordish lines south of A'nsk. The artillery bombardment lasted 4 hours, then followed by a mass infantry charge. They were cut down, 2,000 dead in an hour. The order to fall back was given, and trenches were dug. Maxim's were set up, and once again a stalemate occured. The 400 Armoured trucks were sent to dislodge the Southern Encampment of Nord's. They traveled the 2km no mans land, under a massive bombardment of Nordish lines, which stopped just as the trucks approached the lines. MG's were fired at the trucks, but pitterpatted off the armour, one driver was killed but managed to keep the truck undercontrol and to a stop. All trucks mounted an armoured copula in the Passanger seat and a small hand cranked turret with two Machine guns. A fuislade of fire poured down on the trenches. The trucks then drove over the trenches, revealing their 4 MG's on each side, pouring fire down the trenches. It was a horrendous massacre. The trucks pulled up on the closer side to A'nsk, and the 8 gunners and 4 reloaders of the MG's in each truck came piling out the back, with rifles. They quickly siezed the trenches, and the 30,000 Regular Infantry moved up to further secure the trenches. Large mortars were brought up, and bombardment began on the British lines. But by this time, the British had already launched their final attack on A'nsk, entering the city. Once again the Armoured Trucks were moved out to assist the defenders, while 20,000 Artitsan soldiers marched towards the city by foot. An artillery barrage laid waste to the Nordish lines. Shrapnel littered trenches with bodies until they were void of life. The Armoured trucks arrived in the city, and beformed excellently. The Machine Guns tore through the aggressing Nord's. Their many MG's allowing for engagement on a 360* field. The Nordish soldiers, 20,000 in total, broke and fled back west, only to find 20,000 Artitsan's now manning their trenches. They were cut down, and only 4,890 managed to surrender. The people of A'nsk rejoiced. They appealed to Brian O'Connel to become part of Artitsa having been abandoned by Kantrogov.
Marshall Practen launched his 40,000 strong attack on the mountains of Fanskgrad only to have his army utterly devistated by the fortresses. Having lost all 4 tanks, and 1,000 of his artillery pieces in the fighting for A'nsk, he withdrew the 25,000 surviving soldiers to Tuva. His forces were becoming stretched thin, with only 10,000 at Saratov, 30,000 at Vampton, 35,000 at Halingshire, and 25,000 at Tula. He also had 21,000 at Ash-Pierre. The Artitsan's moved quickly once more, attacking Saratov only a month after the battle for A'nsk. The fortress at Kent, only two miles from the Village of Kent had been completed. It prevented an attack on Artitsan soil, expected once the battle for Saratov began. With the Blunder at A'nsk, Blanistov was left virtually undefended. 80% of the 2,000 Nordish soldiers surrendered at Blanistov, the other 20% died. Only 300 Artitsans were killed in the fighting. The Town allowed a place for the Artitsan soldiers, now 45,000 strong having recieved reinforcements from Galway and Artislow, resupplied. A Second force of 24,000 Marched Kent, comprised of miltia's from A'nsk, Kamskgrad, and Kent proper. They now moved against Ash-Pierre but stopped short of the City, and dug their trenches. The armies were to evenly matched to warrent an engagement, and the Artitsan's would await reinforcements.
The fight for Saratov was brief, but bloodier than Blanistov. 3,000 Artitsan's died, while 7,000 Nord's were killed or captured, the other 3,000 broke and ran. The 42,000 Artitsan's consildated Saratov. With 30,000 sitting across from them, They dare not strike. They could not move north to Tula, for fear of the Nord's striking at Saratov. 10,000 freshly trained troops were sent to the encampment outside of Ash-Pierre, along with thousands of Artillery pieces and the Armoured Trucks. This would be the last battle of the War. Once again, the Trucks led the way, only to get mired in thick mud. Their MG's were still able to douse the enemy lines, while Artillery hammered into the City of Ash-Pierre. With casualties mounting, the Nord's began to pull back, only to be cut down as they left their trenches. Artitsan's from Kamskgrad and A'nsk, hungry for revenge charged into the enemies trenches, acting as storm troopers. They captured the lines with bayonets and rifle butts. With 12,000 Soldiers left, the Nord's fortified the city, but to little effect. The constant artillery made life hard, and with 28,000 soldiers waiting just outside the city (3,000 Artitsan's were killed, 2,000 wounded) they were of low moral. The Artitsan's moved into the city under a massive barrage, and with only 20 armoured trucks. The city was captured in under two weeks, but with massive casualties for both sides. 8,000 Artitsan's died, and 7,200 Nord's were killed. 3,000 were captured, and 1,800 fled to Arklow. 1925, With only 20,000 soldiers left at Ash-Pierre, and fairly exhausted, Artitsa offered Nordland a peacetreaty. The Nord's promptly signed it, figuring the Artitsan's to have massive amounts of soldiers left. Both sides returned home to lick their wounds. Artitsa constructed three new forts on the Border, named only G1, G2, and G3.
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The Third and Final War of the Clover (The War of the Black Clover)
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The AtAVz IV Shamrock Tank
1942. World War 2 was in full swing. Artitsa's army now stood at 215,000 Men, and 350,000 Logistics. Artitsa had its own tank, the AtAVz IV Shamrock. 220 of these Tanks were in service at the outbreak of war. Artitsa had a relatively small airforce of interceptors. The French airforce never really respected the D.520 design, but Artitsan generals did. Artitsa had produced 280 D.520 fighters, and 120 D.520G's; a modified design for ground attack. Nordland had also been building up since 1925. They now had Lancaster bombers, Spitfire fighters, in the hundreds, and over 400 Churchhill Cruiser tanks. Their infantry stood at 420,000 Soldiers, and half a million in logistics. Kantrogov could sense the war brewing, and sent 150,000 Soldiers to Artitsa. Designs to the Mosin Nagant, and PPsH were given, and entered production immediatly. Kantrogov worked for months to get the T-34 design from Russia, but it seemed it would take years of negotiations. Navies now came into play. Artitsa had built 3 Battleships, over 45,000 tons displacement. They fielded 12 Cruisers in 3 squadrons, and over a hundred destroyers. Submarines also appeared in large numbers at the Artitsan harbours. Nordland had a relatively small navy having concentrated on Ground and Airforces. They had 1 Battleship and 6 Cruisers, and around 40 Destroyers. Kantrogov had 8 Cruisers to which they moved to the North to protect against Nordish incurrsions. The first strike came from Vampton. The Nord's moved across the border with 200 Churchill Cruiser tanks, and struck at G1. The Fortress was battered, but the many 57.9mm anti-tank guns bristling the walls scored dozens of kills. But it was still no match. The 4pdr guns brought down the walls. 57 Nordish tanks were destroyed in the 7 hour battle, but the fort began to fall. But it served its purpose. A plea was sent to G2 and Ash-Pierre where 100 Shamrock tanks were mobilized, while 20 D.520G's took off from Bol'n. The tank engagement was astounding, the heavier 82mm guns of the Shamrocks shattered the churchill's, while 250lb bombs dropped from the sky as D.520G's made their passes, unloading with their 20mm PAK guns as well. 18 Shamrocks were lost, but another 60 Churchills were knocked out. The 83 remaining tanks returned to Banton for repairs. But as this occured, A massive force of 120,000 Nord's supported by 200 Chuchhills, and Artillery struck at Saratov. With only 80,000 defenders, the battle was hard fought. Several times the Artitsan's lost possetion of the city, but gained it back by a vicious charge. Artitsan artillery was brought up, and leveled the playing field. The Nord's sent Lancasters and Spitfires to deal with the Artillery, only to meet the Superior D.520. The D.520's could get within the Spitfires turning radius, resulting in a massacre of Spitfires, with only the loss of 12 D.520's. The Nordish airforce pulled back, but both ground forces continued to slog it out. Heavy casualties insued on both sides. D.520G's tried to make attack runs on artillery but were driven off by heavy AA fire.
The Artitsan Navy set sail for Arklow, where the Nordish navy was based. They caught the enemy in their Port unprepared for an attack. The result was devestating with 95% of the Nordish navy sunk. The sea's now belonged to the Artitsan's in a swift move. They proceeded to Bombard Arklow. Siezing the opertunity, a Force of 120,000 Artitsan's was moved to G3, and combined with 80 Shamrock's moved South, smashing into Nordish lines. 12,000 casualties were sustained by Artitsa, but the Nord's fell back to Arklow, where the 108,000 Artitsan's laid siege. Exploiting the gap Created, 80,000 more Artitsan's poured through, only to meet the Nordish reserve army stopping progress westward. After three months of bitter fighting the City fell, and Artitsa took 14,000 POW's. That siege may have been won, but the fight for Saratov raged on.
8 Months had passed in the war, 42,000 dead for the Artitsan's, 75,000 for the Nord's. Kantrogov was almost ready to get the designs to the T-34 after intense bartering.
All 220 Shamrocks were transfered to Arklow, but 5 were being produced daily in Kamskgrad, Artislow and Galway. Already 600 had been sent to Kent for crews to be trained. 2 months Later Kantrogov got the designs for the T-34-85 and immediatly sent them to Artitsa. Production switched over to the T-34, almost immediatly, 2 a day rolling out of the factories. Nordland had been stockpiling its own Churchill, reaching 1200. 4 months bitter fighting in the south yielded 100km's gained to the west, and now the Artitsan's were a mere 50km's from the Nordish Capital, Gilbanshire. Gavinhood to the north was close to falling to the Artitsan tank assault, while the Nordish government moved to Halington, proclaiming it to be the new Capital. After capturing Gavinhood, after a months of hard fighting, Artitsa prepared to finally take Gilbanshire. 400 T-34's had been produced, and were sent to Blanistov along with the 600 Shamrock tanks. 85 T-34's were sent south for the capture of Gilbanshire. 90,000 troops were involved in the attack, along with over 200 tanks and aircraft. Nordland continuely attempted raids on Artislow, Galway, and Kamskgrad via Lancaster, only to find D.520's in their paths. The 103rd Royal Infantry Division, was the first division to hit the Parliment buildings in Gilbanshire. A massive Artitsan flag was hoisted, as the 8 other divisions moved through the city crushing defenders using tanks for support. The Artitsan Army now stood at 480,000 Combat personnel.
The Artitsan Generals figured Nordland would push for a peacetreaty once again... but it never game. Instead 1200 Churchill tanks and 320,000 Soldiers came. They moved down from the North, right past Saratov, and struck Blanistov. The 600 Artitsan tanks had not arrived yet, and with only 65,000 defenders its fate looked the same as Saratov, which had just fallen. The 24,000 surviving Artitsan soldiers fled to Blanistov, only to find their path shut off to them by the Nordish army. They were promptly surrounded and destroyed, only 200 or so survivors. The capture of Saratova allowed for 110,000 Nordish soldiers to be freed up and join the fight for Blanistov. Almost half a million soldiers now assaulted the city, with the river to its back all looked lost.
Artitsan high command brought up 200,000 Soldiers from the South, but they were exhausted. As the battle for Blanistov raged on, the Artitsans continued to move north, stopping at Kent for rest. 50,000 Soldiers from Galway were sent to help the effort, replacing the mounting casualties sustained by Artitsa. 23,000 Soldiers had been killed already, 37,000 on the Nordish side. Their tanks played havoc amongst the Artitsan's, who lacked any real anti-tank equipment in the area. D.520G's were ineffective due to the tight coverage by Spitfires. Regular D.520's were unavailable, as they were attempting to hold off the Lancasters and Spitfires aggressing the other parts of Artitsa. Even when the 200,000 Soldiers and 600 tanks arrived (With a further 120 T-34's joining their ranks at Kent) the battle looked dim. Almost 3/4's of the Shamrocks were lost within the first 2 months of fighting with the upgraded Churchills. But the Churchills were still no match for the T-34's. Casualties mounted on both sides, with only 220 T-34's left, and 120,000 Artitsan Soldiers still alive the city would fall. Nordland still had 280,000 soldiers and 750 Churchill tanks. On the eighth month, a mircle occured. Kantrogov had answered the call, and now 380,000 well trained Soviet soldiers poured down the mountains supported by 600 T-34's and IL-2 fighters. The Nord's were caught from the side with their pants down, and attempted to wheel around to face the new threat. Artitsan soldiers now mounted their own assault. Captured Lancasters struck at Airbases, escorted by D.520's. IL-2's and D.520G's danced through the air delivering their payloads onto the Nord's below, reaping havoc. The Nordish army broke before the kessel was formed, and 175,000 Soldiers with 320 Churchill tanks retreated to Saratov. The people of Saratov chose this time to revolt. Having found the Nordish stockpiles of weapons, they rushed the sentries killing them in a dangerous mob. Thousands of lee-Enfields were taken along with Bren and Sten guns. When the Nordish returned to Saratov, they found the entire populous armed. They laid down their weapons and surrendered. Both sides were once more battered and bruised. A Ceasefire was signed. A ceasefire that would stay in effect for another 15 years.
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