NationStates Jolt Archive

While the war raged on the other side of the world, the Chinese navy's largest single deployment of over a hundred vessels ever continued it's journey through the Pacific, intent on snatching the last French expression of power from her.

With four light carriers, seven cruisers, nine destroyers, 15 littoral combat vessels and dozens of supply vessels and troop carriers carrying some 8,000 marines with armoured support, not to mention the submarines that were at the core of the Chinese attack, the French look set to fall at New Caledonia.

The Russian ports on the Pacific seaboard were very busy, as Chinese satellites would no doubt be able to tell them, and the Pacific Fleet was making its last preparations to be put to sea.

Tsar Wingert the Great.

At sea, off Brisbane, Australasia

The Home Fleet, smallest of the Three Great Fleets during this time of war, prepared to leave port. Its entire strength was not committed, standing naval doctrine required that a small fleet remain at all times to defend against attacks. But as it was, the nearest source of any such attacks was cut off and already set as a target of the Chinese.

New Caledonia was an island of middle size north east of Australia's coast. It had several small towns and a harbour capable of supplying warships. And it flew the Fleur-de-lis, the hated symbol of monarchist France. A target of opportunity for some time, the Lords Admiral had been pressured to find a victory that could be broadcast across Australasia. The people were growing uneasy at the ability of the French to reach out across the globe and hit them at home in the Americas. In the wake of anger came a nascent fear, one which the Parliament knew must not be allowed to grow unduly.

Obviously, the Chinese were in an excellent position to remove the threat forever and with little effort. But Strathairn wanted New Caledonia, as much as he wanted a victory to show in this young war that had so far been plagued with indecisive battles, heinous attacks and setbacks in Africa.

And so, Rear Admiral Alexander Alexander was given command of a task force, dubbed Seraphim for the avenging angels of Christian lore, and sent to take New Caledonia with all possible speed. His flagship was the Battleship Iron Duke, and the carrier was named Ark Royal. His fleet was a floating symbol of Walmingtonian Imperial might, adopted shamelessly by Australasia to recall a time when they had been an integral cog in a vast and powerful machine of power and glory.

As the fleet steamed north at the Ark Royal's full speed of 27 knots, Alexander planned his attack. He pored over maps and charts, studying likely beaches and important bomber targets. He drew wide lines with dry erase marker on an eraseable map, while Brigadier Harris of the Colonial Marines drew defenses. The two sparred back and forth, trying to determine the most efficient way to take the islands. And the fleet drew ever closer, ETA quickly surpassing the more distant Chinese.

Norfolk Island, Australasia

It was a miserable, grassy and windblown nowhere, much like the Walmingtonian Falklands. Except smaller, less developed and generally considered useless. Even so the brass, in Their Supreme Wisdom, decided to pave a good part of the island for the 6th Strategic Bomber wing. Said bomber wing spent most of their days playing cards, getting drunk and wishing that there were some civilian women around; those in the wing were off limits due to the Air Corps' frat regs. As it were, the randy young men of the 6th were out of luck, there was no civilian settlement on the island.

So when they were ordered to prepare for combat, there was much excitement. The planes, old Vulcan bombers, were oiled, fuelled and fixed up. The flaking paint was removed and replaced. The hydraulics, pneumatics and electrical systems were checked. The nuclear loadout was removed and replaced with Precision Direct Attack Munitions (PDAMs) in the 500 kilogram range. The pilots were directed to spend time training, for once, and the other crew members became more nervous as the days passed. What if something went wrong? What if the pilots, so long out of practise, forgot how to fly their planes?

But preparations went ahead unchanged, and the old Vulcan bombers and their crews gradually woke up to war.

Task Force Seraphim
1 BBN
1 CV
1 LHD
5 DDG
3 SSKN
2 SSGN
1 Fleet Oiler
1 Submarine Tender
1 Arsenal Ship

New Caledonia still bears many scars. It is also the name of a major drama-documentary film produced by Hyderabad's large studios.

Off the east coast lies the sunken wreck of the Roycelandian Dreadnought Elliot Carver, along side the much smaller hulk of the Commonwealth Ship Perepelkin, a frigate that died in the fighting between Soviet and Franco-Roycelandian forces.

The Chinese and Australasians will, presumably, find New Caledonia in a ridiculous state of militarisation, an epic loss-making exercise for the French imperial economy. 3,750 Soviet Marines found 20,568 French troops on the island, and lost 336 of their own in killing 1,600. The invasion was abandoned after the loss of seven Soviet strike fighters, which left the force without air-cover as Roycelandian aircraft dropped apparent chemical weapons on the beachhead, for this was an operation carried-out by a nation that had no fleet carriers. Those seven downed Puffin, however, were answered by the destruction of forty-seven Mirage-2000 and several Spitfire.

Still, the attackers will no doubt realise that, in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the killing of sixteen-hundred soldiers, destruction of fifty fighter aircraft, sinking of a battleship, and bombardment by gun-artillery, rocketry, air-to-ground bombs and missiles, and submarine-launched cruise-missiles, while a material victory for the Soviets, did not induce the fortifications of New Caledonia to surrender.

The Loyalty Islands may well still contain the signs of Soviet occupation, be they giant footprints, red flags, or more lasting graffiti in homage to the exile of the communards, for whom many of the involved Soviet warships were named.


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North Island, Wendsleybury

Vickers VC.10 tankers, Nimrod, Tornado IDS, and Harrier IV prepared for launch at a remote North Cape RAF station, not likely to take-off while the British fleet was still visible.

The possibility of joint operations with the Australasians had been considered for some time: French piracy was an immediate threat, and the prospect of a second Soviet assault giving the communists a base between Wendsleybury and Australia represented a long-term concern. The attack on Gibraltar had seen Wendsleybury's forces put on full alert.

The deployment of Chinese naval forces, once it became apparent that they were steaming south, indicated that the time for theorising was gone.

Wendsleybury Station contained significant naval forces, but it was clear that they couldn't fight a first-world power without local support. The Australasians were always assumed to be the likely source of such help.

Still, a capable fleet was under-way. The Albion Class LPD HMS Intrepid would take part in the first stage of an assault, followed by the Bay Class ALSL Hawkes Bay in the second wave.

Daring Class destroyer HMS David and the Type 23 frigate Sutherland provided escort, and it was hoped that with their five destroyers the Aussies would provide the better part of a new AWIAC force's defences. A Sandown Class minehunter was attached to the force, and over-flying aircraft would be evident once the fleet came within range of possible French attack planes.

In this operation, the Imperial detachment was deploying primarily to support rather than lead the Australasians.

British assault force troop strength
HMS Intrepid 650 troops, 4 LCU, 3 Merlin helicopters, 6 Challenger 2 MBTs
RFA Hawkes Bay 700 troops, 2 LCPV, 2 Mexeflotes, 2 Merlin helicopters, 150 light vehicles
HMS David 60 Royal Marines, 1 Merlin helicopter

Battleship Iron Duke, Taskforce Seraphim

The chief radioman of the Iron Duke was a small, portly fellow by the name of Warrant Officer David Auster. He had a voluminous moustache and little hair else, a rubicund face and a cheery smile. As it was, though, the popular man found himself bent over the ship's main communication station, broadcasting a message to the Chinese and another to the Walmingtonian ships on approach. His first message, priority to the Chinese Admiral, was on a small piece of thin paper before him, and he read it aloud into the microphone.

"Chinese forces, be advised. This is the Australasian Battleship Victory, flagship of the task force Seraphim. We have been tasked with the capture of New Caledonia, and would be pleased with your assistance. However, we would request that the islands be turned over to Australasia after the operation has been completed. If there are any concerns with this request, please forward them to Prime Minister Strathairn's office." He filed the slip of paper away. As he drew out the next slip of paper, containing a prewritten message to the Walmingtonians, he felt a hand fall on his shoulder.

Auster turned to look at the hand, starting slightly when he saw the four golden bands of a Rear Admiral on the attached cuff.

"Sir," he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Admiral Alexander waved him to ease with a smile.

"It's all right, Warrant Officer," he said amiably. "I'll transmit this one." Auster raised his eyebrows fractionally, but stepped aside. Alexander nodded his thanks before taking a seat and pulling the mic towards himself.

"This is Rear-Admiral Alexander Alexander," he said with a slight grin at his own name, "commander of Australasian forces in the area. We are grateful for your assistance in this operation." He was going off the script so far, reading dutifully off of Auster's pad sent to him from Raleigh.

"This operation will cement the bonds..." Alexander paused, reading a few sentances ahead. "Oh, this is rubbish. You'll have to excuse my nation's capitol for their attempts at writing. Essentially, we're glad that you've decided to come along. Let's show the French that you don't mess with Englishmen in any century. And get us an island while we're at it."

OOC: I vote we wait for NG to get back from here on out. We kinda need him.