Dark Continent [AMW Only] [Archive] - Page 2

Spyr

06-06-2007, 05:26

Niger

The Nigerian troops who moved across the border into Niger likely held few illusions as to what lay ahead: there would be no fight for air superiority as Niger had no combat aircraft… no set piece battles as Niger had little heavy equipment… they would be aware that guerilla actions would be the likeliest source of danger, but even then the country held only a handful of population centers dotting empty expanses where even the nation’s own government (or the colonial administration before) had recognized the futility of attempting to assert control.

The last customs posts along the border were abandoned as soon as the dust plumes and reconnaissance aircraft announced an enemy advance, Nigerien forces having written off whole provinces as untenable. In fact, only the Tillaberi region was home to any sort of conventional defense, with the bulk of Niger’s soldiers arrayed in positions along the Niger and Dallol Bosso rivers. Even here, concentrations remained low to avoid destruction from the air. Bridges had been blown, while mines and improvised explosive devices had earlier been deployed along the salt plains to discourage the invaders from flanking efforts against the units guarding the easier crossing points.

Vehicles remained behind the river lines, concealed in buildings and beneath netting to avoid destruction from the air while waiting to launch a counter-assault against any Nigerian effort to make a crossing… if the invaders could be given a bloody nose before reaching the capital, they might be deterred from a further push, and at the very least it would buy time for Niger’s ECOWAS allies to send relief.

In Niamey, the airport had been emptied of everything save the President’s 737, which had been repainted with Red Crescent markings. Niger’s few other aircraft had been concealed in a similar fashion, near stretches of road which might be used as runways. All remained fueled and ready, to keep the government’s options open. If the Nigerians advanced too close, then officials could evacuate to the remainder of unoccupied ECOWAS. Negotiations were not, however, ruled out, and efforts were ongoing to obtain aid from London and Washington that might force Nigeria back behind the border.

With the military concentrated in the southwest, Niger’s northern regions underwent a rapid political shift… while a ceasefire had existed between the government and local Tuareg & Toubou peoples, absence of police and armed soldiers saw movements towards self-determination. A ‘Tuareg People’s Republic of Aïr’ is declared in Agadez, which launches itself onto the international stage by roundly condemning each regional actor in turn… the Holy League, for obvious reasons, is declared a gang of ‘imperialists and slavedrivers’, while ECOWAS is accused of collusion with the government of Niger to exploit and impoverish the Tuareg people. The Communist bloc recieves no less bitterness, a scathing condemnation delivered against Libya and the ‘Indian cabal which supports its imperial ventures’.

Mauritania

As Mauritanian forces fight a retreating battle against Moroccan mechanized columns, word of a shift form Versailles gives some hope that a reprieve might be imminent… but few Mauritanians wish to entrust their fate to the goodwill of outsiders. Conflict had only fanned the flames of nationalism which had been growing since before the ouster of former President Taya, and most of Mauritania’s fighters were driven on by that determination. Coupled with religious zeal, morale remained high despite losses in the field.

Nouadhibou remained a hard nut to crack, with heavy fighting along its northern outskirts as Moroccan vehicles met Mauritanian anti-tank weapons. Combat elsewhere was far less intense, the Mauritanians remaining fluid to avoid being overwhelmed. Tiris Zemmour had been written off entirely, the desert region left to the Saharawi who likely new it better than any Mauritanian… it could be reclaimed or resolved once more pressing matters were dealt with.

From airfields bolstered under the short-lived cooperation between Mauritania and Austria, occasional sorties sought to gather intelligence or strike Moroccan columns with salvaged bombs and rockets before retreating southward to safety. While air battles were not an option for the Mauritanians, knowledge of Moroccan air superiority in previous years had left them with a substantial stockpile of air defense weaponry, including numerous SA-9 and SA-7 systems. To Moroccan pilots used to dousing columns of nomads with napalm, such armaments would no doubt cause great discomfort.

In the south, bordering ECOWAS, spirits are not quite so high… the local people here were more closely tied to their neighbours than to their Maghreb rulers, and many wished to assist their ethnic brethren… a few commanders on the border seek unofficial contact with ECOWAS counterparts, offering limited assistance.

In Versailles and Madrid, meanwhile, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, ousted President of Mauritania, worries that a change in course by the League will lose him his only opportunity to regain power. He and his small government-in-exile redouble efforts to see the League take control of Mauritania and re-install them, the ‘legitimately-elected government’. If this is not done, they warn, Islamic fanaticism and communism will be left with a base from which to launch attacks against the light of ‘God-given freedom’.

Western Sahara

The forces of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic continue to resist the Spanish and Moroccan forces who have crossed the berm, through hit-and-run attacks against patrols and supply lines. Several settlements continue to provide hardpoints of resistance, but the majority of ‘civilians’ (a subjective term given the mass armament of the populace) and foreign aid workers have evacuated to Ain Ben Tili and Bir Moghrein. This is not the feat it might seem, given that thousands who might have slowed the effort were slaughtered by the Spanish in the massacre at Tifariti.

The units guilty of that action had not escaped unscathed, however… the bulk of Polisario’s mechanized forces having pressed north to hit them as they withdrew towards the berm and Samara. While Spanish battle tanks outclassed the ageing models fielded by the SADR, the Saharawi were determined to find vengeance, and held two things to give their enemies pause: Hindustani anti-tank guns and Combine-built helicopters out of hidden hangars near Bir Moghrein, either of which was more than able to deal with hostile armour.

Moroccan units advancing into Mauritania would likely be forced to reduce their front-line strength, as the land between berm and border remains a hornet’s nest of Saharawi raiders engaged in hit-and-run attacks… the presence of a substantial number of Lusakan troops giving additional punch to the guerilla effort.

The SADR’s contact with the outside world is intermittent at best, so reaction to shifting Anglo-French policies in Africa is slow to emerge. The Saharawi, however, are most vocal in continued demands for the independence of the Western Sahara, as well as continuing to voice the Lusakan line of pan-African solidarity, in partnership with their brothers in the Combine and Beth Gellert. The former continue to receive pressure from Polisario envoys, who recognize that military victory will likely require Combine air and ground forces to deploy in the Maghreb.

Spyr

The Strainist Party releases a statement which, in general terms, declares that Progressive forces in Africa operate in comradeship with the people of Africa, not separate from them, and the operations of the two thus cannot be separated. The French change-of-course is decried as a deception which will fail to trick a population who still holds fresh memories of League atrocities… given that ECOWAS governments still exist, albeit in retreat, the French suggestion that they must remain to keep order is a ludicrous one and assures that there will be no resolution.

Domestically in Lyong, however, some media sources are more positive in outlook, one even expressing hope that the French monarch has ‘transcended petty barbarism to recognize the duty of Humanity in uniting Heaven and Earth’. That the writer goes on to assert that Europe may be on the verge of emerging from barbarism to recognize the truth of the Celestial Bureaucracy will doubtless amuse the one or two foreigners who subscribe to Shrines & Spirits Weekly.

The Party reserves its harshest words for the British and their threat of renewed blockades around the Suez Canal, against Soviet shipping… such would be a violation of free passage through international waterways, no different from a tax upon the Malacca Strait, a declaration of war against all economies and all peoples of the world. If the Soviets today, who tomorrow?

The Suez issue has already been resolved, it is said, a rarity in these troubled times. To threaten such international agreements violates the principles of respect and trust between states, setting a precedent which will see all such agreements rendered worth less than the paper upon which they are written. Far from the goals of peace supposedly professed by London, their actions speak to the aim of ending the very possibility of co-existence.

An addendum from Jakarta, skipping the perhaps-obvious example of Malacca, notes the range of SRA rocket artillery and declares that Britain’s threat is no less heinous than, say, a threat from Sujava to flatten Darwin if it does not agree with the United Kingdom’s policies. The statement is left quite intentionally ambiguous as to whether such is merely an example or a threatened response.

In the privacy of various Party committees, however, many are pleased… some might even say gleeful. The war in Africa, costing the Party minimally, has produced benefits beyond the wildest dreams of many SRA officers and Party officials. The Holy League has demonstrated both its desire to enslave the weak and its own weakness when confronted. By standing by, the USQ and NATO have lost whatever influence they might have hoped to wield amongst the peoples of the world… poor saviours indeed who watch without action as children die and cities burn. And the British… while collusion with France would further bolster propaganda efforts, their threat against free passage through the Suez was a richer prize, doing what the Strainists had hoped to do since the signing of the Sino-Russian treaty… something that could be used to once more harden the heart of China against the enemies of Asia.

Beddgelert

06-06-2007, 06:55

If you wish to discern the mood of Geletian India, take some time to hear the bards.

Many are, it must be said, hopeless drunks. Filthy, infested wrecks repeating the same yarn, telling the same stall tale, using the same old stage tricks. Even these find an audience and are hailed as bastions of tradition.

But it is the youngsters and the really talented creatives that will tell you of modern India and its sentiments.

Some, born into the tradition but no longer fully satisfied by lyre and spoken-word, now give India traveling post-punk theatre. The big thing this season is a series of dance and movement productions that use ancient history to speak on modern topics.

Understand these and know the direction of the Soviets.

Now playing outside Madras: Vercingetorix, an epic account of how Classical civilisation won out in Europe and spread across the modern West with the first great age of western colonialism... France and Britain, Roycelandia and Quinntonia alike.

Opening in Patna: Alaric, an inspirational account of just how easily and rightly that Classicalism can be put in its humble place!

Meanwhile, a possible attempt to stay Britannia's hand.

One hundred and fifty Soviets representing over eighty-thousand workers have approached several major trades unions in the UK with offers of llimited technical exchange and future economic partnerships. Non-unionised businesses get no attention what so ever, of course. It may not delight the relatively centrist government, but the Soviets are attempting to reconnect with the British public through the still significant union movement. Soviet delegates are being dispatched in significant numbers, mostly to the north of England and to Wales and Scotland, Celts to Carmarthen and Muslims to Bradford (AKA Bradistan), all in an effort to rebuild international worker solidarity.

Next time there is a major strike, perhaps the Soviets will send funds to sustain it... the International reborn through Indian Commonwealth. It seems likely that strikes will come eventually, given how much Bull nationalised and how far the likes of Straitharn appear from his faith in industrial socialism.

The general idea: if the Whigs support French plans in Africa, the Soviets will help Social Labour to fight the next general election. Even the use of laws preventing foreign donations to a political party would come a cropper against Labour's union support were that support in turn to be propped-up by Soviet India.

"Party-oriented democracies. Perhaps we ought to be more supportive of them!"

While Sopworth jokes, Adiatorix wonders whether or not Britain even wants to remain connected in any way to Australia, given that a blockade of the Suez to Soviet forces will probably not be terrible conducive to Diego Garcia's continued flight of British colours, nor to Anglo-Australian transit of the Indian Ocean.

Gurguvungunit

07-06-2007, 02:44

OOC: You do realize, all of you, that the threat wasn't to close the Suez to all shipping, only Soviet military vessels. To wit, Strainists, civilians of all stripes, and pretty much everyone but the Soviet Navy/Naval Reserve are free to pass. I'm just making sure that what y'all posted was propaganda or intentional misreading of events, rather than an actual lack of clarity on my part.

Beddgelert

07-06-2007, 02:52

OOC: Were you around for the last Suez blockade? Quinntonia tried the same thing, and then a Soviet corvette tried to pass, so they had to either-

A: fire on it, starting a Soviet-NATO war that would lead to the immediate destruction of Roycelandian Goa and the pretty-sharp annexation of the British Indian Ocean Territory, plus the outright invasion of Egypt from two sides (with Soviet and allied troops being already in Libya and Eritrea) and the likely over-running of the Suez by hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops, not to mention the likely sinking of several ships involved in the blockade.

or B: physically block it. That's what they did, and to do so they had to physically block the canal. If they left a gap for everyone else to go through, the Soviet warships would go through. Either everyone can get through or nobody can, unless you're prepared to take the blame for starting the war with half a billion communists and anyone who decides to side with them.

Gurguvungunit

07-06-2007, 03:55

OOC: I'll do no such thing. Are you familiar with the terms close and distant blockade? The former, which Quinntonia tried, involves physically blocking a harbour, waterway or estuary. The second relies on large numbers and/or extensive communications and detection networks, and was practised by the Royal Navy against, well, the coast of France during Napoleon's wars.

Distant blockade doesn't aim to physically block traffic, rather it intends to intercept unfriendly warships/transports later on. That way, a fleet can remain near its home base with only scouting elements (air, naval or a mix of both) in the actual contested zone. Neutral or friendly ships pass unmolested, ships flying the flag of the belligerent (in this case, Soviet military) will be investigated by an appropriate ship/group thereof.

Beth Gellert

07-06-2007, 06:01

(OOC: So, then, it basically means engaging Soviet warships. I mean, a Soviet cruiser is not going to stop because a British frigate asks her to. If you aren't prepared to start a shooting war, you're still back to square one, which is probably what worries the rest of the world.)

Gurguvungunit

07-06-2007, 06:47

OOC: You got the Beth Gellert account back, I see. Well, in view of your previous statements via tg, we'll just have to see where this takes us.

The Crooked Beat

10-06-2007, 17:40

Conakry, Guinea

Guineans greet news of France's renouncement of colonial ambitions in Africa with jubilation at first, and throughout the capital celebrations break out as Africans proclaim their victory over the forces of western imperialism. Flags of the ECOWAS states and red flags are out in force as the city celebrates Guinea's preserved independence. A people over whose heads so recently hung the executioner's ax have been saved, the imperialist powers of Europe humbled, and the nation reborn. Nationalist and revolutionary sentiment, not felt since the early days of independence, or the victory over Portuguese troops in 1970, takes hold in Guinea, stirred-up by the sense of urgency brought on by the war with France and encouraged by Indian forces. Guineans are, for the most part, fed up with the situation, and will no longer suffer dictators and thieves in government just as they will not accept French colonial rule.

So it is that Lansana Conte, Guinea's authoritarian dictator and only the third head of state in the nation's forty-some year history, falls victim to the forces of organized labor, united with all manner of communists, African nationalists, and human rights activists, and all the while supported by the guns and rockets of Indian troops, and irregular forces armed to resist the French invasion. Of course, the Hindustanis at least were eager to avoid a fight over it, so Conte is headed to Quebec rather than to prison or in front of a firing squad. Lansana Kouyate, appointed Prime Minister by the labor unions, becomes head of state as well as head of government, and for the first time in a long time the executive branch in Guinea is firmly under popular control.

Doubtless, it won't be long before proper democracy and worker self-management are at least tried in Guinea, left as it is without French occupiers, without NATO observers, and without a head of state.

Of course, for Brigadier Subhash Agrawal, overall commander of the force of Hindustani marines, France's declaration is a very confusing thing. Certainly the consolidation of enemy forces is not the best thing from a military point of view, since 400,000 men can't exactly expect to hold very much of an area that is about the same size as Western Europe. Agrawal's own command would have, in all probability, been destroyed or at least heavily worn-down. But with the Frenchmen scattered all over the place and fighting tens of thousands of irregulars across West Africa, IV Corps, once landed, according to plan, on the coast somewhere between Cap Vert and the mouth of the Volta, could almost certainly have destroyed most if not all the French army in West Africa. That enemy force still exists and it exists now in greater concentration, and Indian strength in West Africa does not yet exceed ten thousand men.

Probably, thinks Agrawal, the French realized the rather silly nature of their original plan, trying to take such a large area with relatively few troops and a limited reserve of manpower back home. Not even the French could have expected that to succeed after they thought it over. Consolidating their forces, which are probably still woefully inadequate, would let them stand a better chance at exerting authority over the territory that they choose to keep. India still has enough soldiers to end those ambitions too, and good ones, as opposed to the French who must be pretty close to the end of the rope, as far as raising troops is concerned.

But then there is NATO, an entity that seems, as of late, far too friendly towards the Holy League. The venerable Brigadier does not want to imagine what the consequences would be if NATO were to weigh-in on the side of the Holy League. It would make Parliament's talk of a third world war seem rather premature, to say the least.

Western hypocrisy might make a weaker man than Agrawal vomit. Britain and NATO stood by and did all of nothing while Frenchmen were, in every sense of the term, pillaging much of West Africa. Accra was first firebombed and then leveled with thermobaric bombs by the French, an act that by itself must have cost near a hundred thousand lives. Villages were uprooted and marched away overnight by French soldiers, who meant to put their inhabitants to work as forced laborers rebuilding Porto-Novo and Cotonou, which were destroyed early on in the campaign. Malians, residents of Bamako, will attest to the terror inflicted on them by the French and their Algerian lackeys when the invading forces took the city, and in Burkina Faso there are a few men still at arms in the brush who survived a chlorine gas attack at Ouagadougou's international airport. Certainly it displeases the Brigadier that the West has seen fit not only to forgive France for hundreds of thousands of deaths and billions of dollars worth of damage, but to refer to India as the aggressor.

But the situation is what it is, and if Parliament failed to convince London of the righteousness of the Indian mission in the past few months it will not likely succeed in the weeks and months to come, especially not now that the French have adopted the trappings of civilization. And field commanders must make the best of it. Marines from the 56th Regiment work as feverishly as ever surveying the terrain, sabotaging roads, and preparing defenses along Guinea's borders. And in addition to the Guinean Army's five brigades, there are detachments present in the country from Mali and a smattering of Ivoirian troops. All those troops are held at a high level of readiness, and ordered to expect that Guinea will indeed be invaded. Irregular detachments, few of which were created under suspicious and distrusting President Conte, are expanded and placed under the auspices of Guinean labor unions and democratic organizations while legislation providing for a national militia is introduced in the provisional Parliamentary Assembly. It is no coincidence, then, that one of the first worker self-managed workshops in Guinea is one dedicated to the fabrication of small arms.

If anybody tries to send troops into Guinea without the express permission of the provisional Guinean government, dominated as it is by leftist and labor concerns, they can expect to face resistance both in the form of conventional and guerrilla troops, that much is made clear to the world.

Senegal

A similar set of conditions exists in Senegal, the other main ECOWAS nation not yet reached by either League occupiers or visited by NATO forces. There the Senegalese Army exists almost entirely intact, reinforced by much of the Malian Army and supported by a modest air and artillery corps. Perhaps it is not enough to stop a general French offensive, but, well-led, the Senegalese-Malian Corps might expect to inflict a number of setbacks on anyone who comes into the country uninvited. Brigades are deployed to protect important crossroads and high ground, and on the border with both Mali and Senegal bridges are either destroyed outright or rigged for demolition at a moment's notice. Frenchmen, furthermore, haven't entirely proven themselves masters of the terrain either, or of warfare in general, the botched attempt at flanking Kayes a prime example of that. Enemy armor, which was meant to interdict the Malian retreat into Senegal, apparently emerged from the Mauritanian desert on, quite conveniently, the wrong side of the town, allowing the bulk of Malian troops to escape with their arms and equipment.

And, of course, there is the superb Igovian detachment, by far the most mobile and best-equipped military unit in the country. Senegalese commanders very much hope that the Soviets will see fit to provide WIG-borne reinforcements sooner rather than later, they being very much impressed with the marines and confident in their martial abilities.

For president Abdoulaye Wade, headquartered in a Dakar bunker, the situation is quite a bit more complicated. Soviet troops going anywhere are bound to try and spread their system of government, and what this means for President Wade, well, nobody quite knows. He is not an unpopular man, having been reelected only just before the French attack on, among other things, a program of strengthening relations between the ECOWAS nations. And the war, which vindicated much of what he said, has only served to improve Wade's standing.

Senegal has, traditionally, looked to Europe for support, and, during the days of the Fifth Republic, even played host to French military assets. But Europe was not there for Senegal in its time of need. Though the Igovians might be rotten anarchists and barbarians, they, not the British or the Quinntonians, shot down French ballistic missiles over Dakar, and who sent troops halfway around the world to help keep the nation from the ravishing hands of the Frenchmen. Wade realizes that, Senegal being Senegal, he will have to choose between one of the power blocs sooner or later, and NATO does not look quite as attractive as it once did.

It is not long before Wade announces the nationalization of the Senegalese mining industry, a move, he figures, bound to improve his government's standing with the Soviets. Worker self-management is discussed seriously at the official level as a viable means of running the economy and of distributing the national wealth more widely and equitably. NATO, furthermore, is told that its security needs are taken care of, so a troop deployment is not necessary. Though hardly resolved to cast his lot with the Progressive Bloc proper, Wade does now start to lean that way, and Belgrade is told of Senegal's eagerness to join the non-aligned movement. That, of course, and a fairly large order for military hardware.

Senegalese can be thankful for their relative security and stability, and Wade is eager to exploit the situation for the best.

Ghana

For Ghanaians, France's sudden change of heart and withdrawal from their country is a bittersweet occasion, tempered by sadness and anger. Nobody quite knows just how many Ghanaians were killed in the war, but the number is without a doubt over a hundred and fifty thousand, with up to two million displaced. Once one of the more prosperous nations in West Africa, the leader of ECOWAS after Nigeria's departure from the organization, Ghana is in shambles, the bulk of its already limited infrastructure destroyed in the bombardment and the heavy fighting.

It is a bright, warm day in Accra, but the sun doesn't shine over anything particularly cheerful. Places where dreadlocks would once be surfing or world-renowned musicians playing are now craters and ruins, and the remains of bodies. At Kokota International Airport, held throughout the fighting by first a battalion, then a company, and ultimately a single platoon from the elite Ghana Regiment, the national flag flaps in the wind, defiant but tired, tattered, and worn-out. Grim-looking soldiers covered in blood and filth begin to walk about outside their defensive perimeter, content that the French have finally withdrawn. They survey the devastation caused by the Frenchmen and do their best to get rid of the hundreds of bodies surrounding their position.

Most of the Ghana Regiment's remaining battalions, placed to block the road exits out of Accra and to keep open an avenue of retreat for the capital's defenders, move back into the city. The soldiers, if anything, disappointed over not having a chance to exact vengeance for the murder of so many of their countrymen. But the Ghana Regiment has doubtless secured its place amongst the world's elite infantry units, holding out against vast enemy numbers and conducting itself with the utmost heroism and determination throughout the brief battle with the Frenchmen.

General Desmond Yeji has less to be happy about, though. Over the course of the war his corps, close to 30,000 men strong, was never actually committed to heavy fighting. Granted, it could only have effectively stood in defense, given the fact that the whole formation included barely ten tanks, but doubtless the six-some brigades could have been more effectively deployed. Likely the Volta bridgeheads could have been held, had the two brigades tasked with that been not two but six or seven. Frenchmen, as the Ghana Regiment found out, are not excellent soldiers, and their Algerian allies even less so. If the balance of numbers had not been so unfavorable, perhaps the disaster that was Accra could have been prevented. But there is more important work to be done besides asking what-if questions.

Two regular infantry brigades, the 24th and the 16th, are sent back to the Volta, with orders to reconstruct the defenses there. A battery of 105mm howitzers is sent to bolster their position, and commanders are very careful to prepare a defense in depth, which might also have worked to change the destroyed brigades' fate. A further two brigades, the 7th and the 10th, head towards the capital with orders to protect and care for the displaced citizens of Accra. The 11th Brigade is left in place by the Akosombo Dam at the southern end of Lake Volta, while the 5th, made up mostly of policemen and reservists, is held in reserve.

At Kumasi, a provisional government is formed under Vice President Mahama, understood to be filling the post of President only temporarily. John Kufuor himself, it is rumored, may have escaped the cruise missile that killed Yayi Boni of Benin, so Ghana's democratically-elected head of state may yet appear to reoccupy the post.

Ghana, as a nation, has difficult days ahead of it, that much is apparent to the assembled cabinet members and ministers of Parliament. Easily the most pressing problem is the number of internally displaced Ghanaians, whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed by French bombing or forced eviction. The two army brigades sent to the area will only be able to provide short-term relief, and the government's capacity to deal with this unprecedented problem is understandably quite limited. A call is put out to the world at large, asking for food aid, tents, and medical supplies, as well as health professionals to deal with the tens of thousands of wounded. A pair of engineer companies from the Ghanaian Army set to work repairing the capital's devastated port facilities, to the point where they might at least be able to accept a few supply-laden freighters, while, in the country around Accra, roads and airstrips are cleared of anti-invasion obstacles so that Ghanaian civilians might receive essential supplies more quickly.

At least the Akosombo Dam, Ghana's primary source of electricity, is still intact, though it came within hours of being dynamited in order to wipe-out the French crossings on the Volta.

Less pressing, but no less grave, is the international situation. France may have retracted its imperialist ambitions, and the Holy League may be out of Ghana, but it seems that the French war against West Africa was simply the opening campaign of the Third World War, rather than the major part of the war itself. The worst of the fighting, then, may be yet to come, now that NATO appears to have cast its lot with the Holy League. Ghana quickly releases a statement that it will host no foreign troops, except those operating in a humanitarian capacity, and no troops whatsoever from any Holy League nation or Morocco. Officially, the government in Kumasi declares its non-alignment, except with respect to the Holy League, with which Ghana will have nothing to do. Neither NATO nor the Soviet-aligned nations will be granted any kind of basing rights or military alliance until Ghana has considered the matter thoroughly. And, as one of the fortunate ECOWAS nations to emerge from the crisis with its elected government intact, it has the legitimacy needed to make such declarations.

That said, Ghanaians do favor, albeit slightly, the leftist bloc. Nobody in the country is about to run headlong for NATO, after those nations stood by and let the French bomb and gas Accra. If they want Ghana's favor, they ought to prove it, and how they would do that is by providing the military equipment needed to properly defend a country from a modern, western army. NATO isn't at war, after all, and Quinntonia at least has enough to spare some. Of course, in the long term, NATO is bound to demand less from Ghana politically, and West Africa is closer physically to Europe than it is to India.

The Soviets, on the other hand, have never associated with an enemy of Ghana. While NATO sat back and made peace, Indians rushed to action, intent on ending French crimes and returning to the states of West Africa their independence. Ghanaian citizens tend to look upon India in a far more favorable light, as a bastion of democracy and anti-colonialism, a place that has hardly done anything but help the people and the nations of Africa in their struggle for self-determination and political freedom. Of course, any association with the ISC in particular is bound to result in pressure towards the Soviet economic model, in addition to trouble with NATO and the west as a whole, deathly afraid as it is of all things Igovian.

Until the government decides which power bloc to get close to, Acting President Mahama resolves to look for diplomatic relationships outside the usual areas. Official communiques find their way to Brasilia and to Belgrade, as well as to Sithin, as Ghana looks for ways to distance itself from both NATO and the Soviets, while at the same time gaining powerful friends who might help protect the nation from France and the imperialists.

The Indian National Union

Christina Lloyd will find, upon her arrival at Parliament House, that Parliament's attention is rather occupied by other matters, namely the arrival in the INU of Chingiz Khagan, who promises to help Prime Minister Vaidya solve a few difficult problems closer to home. She is still received by a delegation of Parliamentarians, but not, as the situation may well demand, by the Prime Minister or any cabinet ministers.

After establishing themselves in one of the small side-rooms generally used for diplomatic meetings in the capital, the Parliamentarians get right down to business. They are quite irritated, and don't make much of an attempt to hide it. One of the younger Parliamentarians, a dockworker from Daman, is the first to speak.

"Now, Miss Lloyd, what might we do for you? I cannot help but assume that this matter you bring to our attention is the situation in Africa. This government, I must say, is extremely displeased. London, it would seem, has thrown its support behind the Holy League and France. This is, you see, difficult for me to understand. At least, difficult for me to understand if Britain still would like to consider itself upright, moral, and at all respectable, and if this is not the case please say so. You cannot deny the fact that France, over the course of its campaign, has killed hundreds of thousands of West Africans, through sheer brutality and disregard for human life. France murdered several thousand Britons as well, if I'm not mistaken, on Gibraltar. How can it be that you now support France?

"It is not strange that France now fashions itself the champion of Africa. Versailles did so while it made the wholesale slaughter of populations official policy. But it is odd that London now believes Versailles. France is, in most of Africa, perhaps the most hated country in the world. To follow Versailles there in its watered-down attempt to preserve influence over West Africa is to condemn Britain to the scorn and hatred of most Africans. London stood by while France committed its most horrible crimes, after all, and the simple cessation of such activities is not suitable compensation for those wronged. The Indian National Union will not abandon its campaign until full independence is restored to the nations of West Africa.

"And what is this talk of another blockade of the Suez Canal? Britain so obviously shields France from the consequences of its actions, and in so doing provokes the ire of the world community. Indian warships will continue to use the Canal, and if they are fired upon there will be a war. Suddenly Britain is the bringer of peace to Africa, when so recently Britain did not care that France was cutting a swath of death and destruction across the continent!"

Indeed, Parliament has lost much of its respect for Britain following its departure from the war. But that does not mean Unioners have any great desire to fight the British. The Holy League is hated almost universally, and Indians will fight tooth and nail to keep it from controlling living beings, at least those who didn't ask for it. The prospect of engaging in a war with a country that was quite recently considered one of the INU's major allies, almost on par with the ISC, is not an inviting one. Many Hindustanis take comfort in the fact that the UDF will likely have worn itself out battling the Leaguers before Britain enters the fray.

The Parliamentarians do not indicate any kind of willingness to negotiate just yet. They are of course confident that their position and that of the Soviets is right and just, and they await Christina Lloyd's reaction.

Elsewhere in the building, though, it is decided to pledge significant aid to Ghana and the ruined nations of ECOWAS. Two hospital ships, those recently sent to assist in the relief of Buenos Aires after the French attacked it, are ordered to make their way towards Accra, while five auxiliary freighters are loaded with relief supplies and assembled into an un-escorted convoy. Adorned with large red crescents, it is hoped that the vessels will be granted safe passage in spite of their origin, but France has been known to attack civilian shipping in peacetime. Nobody knows just what to expect, given the present circumstances, so Nigeria will be given a very wide berth.

Beddgelert

10-06-2007, 18:12

Soviet India's War Communism meant that the ISC alone was putting more productive energy into the war than Spain was creating in all of its enterprises combined.

Yes, the Soviet war machine is more valuable than Spain, in a measurable degree.

Senegal

The only Indian troops on land here so far are far beyond delighted by the French retreat. A major victory is touted in their propaganda. Not one Indian has been killed, and the monarchists are fleeing in abject terror!

2,000 Soviet troops here are keen as anything when it comes to the distribution of propaganda, and they hand out picture-heavy publications with smiles on their faces. The retreat of European forces is touted as a victory for... African socialism! of course!

So far as anyone here knows, socialism has driven-back imperialism, which is the same form as used by the capitalists.

Indian troops continue to pour into the theatre.

Gurguvungunit

11-06-2007, 06:25

London

Africa, true to Strathairn's word, will be given all that it needs.

Parliament, with much lobbying by the Prime Minister's office, was induced to pass an emergency aid budget which provided billions of pounds to the rebuilding of nations recently destroyed by war and tonnes of food, medical supplies and material. The HMS Largs Bay, recently returned from a shakedown cruise in the North Sea, was to be loaded with volunteer medics, doctors, architects and territorial army engineers. It formed the second wave of concrete aid destined for Africa, sent there both out of genuine concern for the lives of Africans and from a somewhat cynical desire to win public opinion.

Press releases by the government were quick to point out that British aid was already arriving to those that needed it, with distribution centres in Togo, Benin and parts of Mali. Although impossible to quantify, the effect of such massive aid could not help but have a powerful effect upon the quality of life in Africa. The aid, Chancellor Strathairn was quoted as saying, would continue until nations like Togo and Ghana were back on their feet, with vibrant democracies of whatever stripe was deemed best by their people, and ready to resume their place in the world.

In the meantime, various offices of the Foreign Ministry send out feelers to Conakry and Ghana. Senegal, with its essentially centrist, capitalist government, is availed of a full diplomatic mission and a promise of blank-cheque aid. Although Parliament was aware of the possibility in such situations for fraud, the opportunity to take the USQ's place as world benefactor was not lost upon them, and ever larger percentages of Britain's budget were earmarked for foreign aid.

Accra

The Ghana Regiment went about its work with customary zeal, directed in large part from a tent that stood on the ruins of Christianbourg Castle. The structure itself, having stood for hundreds of years, remained largely intact. Unfortunately the complex infrastructure that had formed Brigadier Morrell's command post had not survived weeks of bombardment so well. A thirty foot tall radio aerial lay bent and twisted across the road north of the castle, replaced by a sort of portable tripod affair connected to the tent's radio.

Into that radio, Colonel Khora dictated the General's orders from a notepad. His face was drawn from hours of thankless work at the radio, providing Brigadier Morrell with the assistance that a whole troop of aides-de-camp were expected to during a crisis such as this. Beside him, Captain Jane d'Alembord, late of the Free Colonial Army, went over damage reports, casualty assessments and equipment checks for the entire garrison of nearly three thousand troops. D'Alembord, one of the international observers sent to Ghana by the Free Colony, now found herself in an awkward position. She had been brevetted captain in the Ghanaian Army for the duration of the war, but remained a serving officer in the Free Colonial Army, an organization that no longer really existed. All FCA personnel had been folded into the British Army, but because of the nature of her assignment d'Alembord had not been present to be accounted for. Now, Ghana's acting government had ordered all foreign troops out of the nation. D'Alembord found herself suddenly a citizen of nowhere, wearing the uniform of a nation that didn't want her, in the most brutalized city on the planet. The situation made her head hurt, but she had a job to do.

Brigadier Morrell, the man who had commanded Accra during the siege, was in a stranger position still. Like d'Alembord, he was a member of a military that didn't exist anymore, but furthermore he was the hero of Accra. In a nation that had taken a suddenly nationalistic turn, the veteran commander and his sixty or so ex-FCA troops had nowhere to go and no way to get there. Most of them were with the Ghanaian Army, manning the Leopard I tanks donated to their cause by the Free Colony. If the Ghanaians didn't choose to acknowledge the logistical support made to them by Britain, they must at least take notice of the eighty or so state-of-the-art battle tanks that now formed the core of their armoured force.

British Chinooks, notified in-flight of the understandably tense feeling in Ghana, radioed a landing request to the Ghanaian government, informing them that they carried food aid, medical supplies and engineers to Accra for rebuilding efforts.

Mumbai

Christina, not particularly surprised with the tone of her welcome, fishes a cigarette from her purse and lights it.

"Do you mind?" The question is a nicety, the cigarette is already burning. She takes a deep drag, exhales, and sets it down on an ashtray. Nerves calmed, she takes a breath of clear air and begins.

"Believe it or not, I understand how you feel. Until not very long ago, I was the Foreign Secretary of the Free Colony, which I'm sure you know butts up uncomfortably close to Sujava and Indonesia. While in that post, I saw the Strainist governments of Spyr and Sujava-- aided, I might add, by your own navy-- assist in the subjugation of an entire nation. Now, I know that you're about to say that Mohammed Kalla was a nasty fellow, and he was. On the other hand, Strainists deployed thermobaric weapons over villages there, with no major opposition from your government. Calling us hypocrites is a bit... hypocritical, don't you think?" The words, delivered in a lazy Australian drawl, were spoken kindly. The sting was lessened still further by a brief, bright smile.

"You see, the sad fact is that we don't trust the Soviets a whole lot more than we trust the French. At least with the French, we know to expect the worst. With the Soviets, we'd like to believe that they really do have the best of the world at heart. Unfortunately, we've uncovered some indications-- not conclusive ones, I'll give you, but indications nonetheless-- that the Soviets are trying to systematically undermine our government and provoke anarchy. I'm not talking about the Neo-Anarchos kind of anarchy, incidentally. I'm talking about the Seattle WTO Riots kind of anarchy, with arson and tear gas and everything.

"Honestly, we're terrified of the Soviets. They don't make any bones of the fact that they support global revolution, and they seem to be actively abetting it in Britain. We're going to do what is necessary to stave that off, even if it means going to bed with the devil. That aside, though, we're making an honest effort to see democracy prevail in Africa. If you haven't noticed, there is a massive British troop deployment in Sierra Leone with extensive overland transport capabilities. It's made up of our best-- the Rifles, the Coldstream Guards, the Gurkhas--and it's ready to remove France from Africa the moment they try to take power again.

"France might not be serious about trying to foster democracy and free choice in Africa, but we are. I don't think that even the Indians have provided as much aid as Britain is, so if the people of Africa think anything, it's that the Union Flag represents food, medical care and temporary shelter for anyone who asks, regardless of age, gender, political leanings or economic status. We've already been burned once-- a suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of one of our camps-- but we're not going to change our policy. We'll help anyone. Now, unlike India, Britain isn't really set up to do this sort of thing. Mostly, the United States takes on these efforts. But we're stepping up to the wicket now, in a big way.

"You might not like our choice of friends, neither do I. But I'd examine your own rhetoric if I were you, and take a good, long look at which nation provides aid where it's needed, regardless of political or economic models. We might not have been the quickest to fight, I'll give you that." Christina's tone, so far jovial, darkened. "But it's a hell of a lot easier to stand up for truth, justice and light when you're on the other side of the planet from France. We had a bleeding A-bomb go off just off of Scapa Flow, we're still checking the area for radiation poisoning. You can sit here, in Mumbai, behind the Soviet ABM system, and make pretty speeches. But where I sit, in London, you can damn near look across the channel and see a missile silo. You can see one from Dover. I doubt you'd be so quick to stand up for what is essentially someone else's fight if you could see that every day."

Nova Gaul

13-06-2007, 20:14

Versailles

Alan Green, the Baron Thunder-von-Thenk, sat in the Oeil-de-Boeuf ante-chamber alongside dozens of other similarly attired ducs, comtes, noblesse en general, and a newly rich marquis here and there. Some were there on military matters (more precisely how the war affected their families), others to bid for royal contracts, some to petition the court, and others like the Baron himself there to see a senior ministerial figure. In Green’s case it would be the newly elected Prime Minister M. Nicholas Sarkozy, an Aprilist minister with portfolio who was set on bringing the war to a successful conclusion while maintaining the autocracy. Lest any of the gentlemen become annoyed, however, liveried servants passed around the hall circulating chilled champagne and delicate sweet or savory treats. The large windows were thrown open, admitting a fresh breeze from the gardens all abloom for early summer.

The massive grandfather clock struck high noon, and the gilded doors were thrown open by two ogre looking Switzers. Their silver shod mahogany rifles slammed to the floor as the sergeant-at-arms came forward and read from a scroll.

“Monsieur le Baron Thunder-von-Thenk, si vous plait,” said the sergeant in a heavy Germanic accent. A short bow to incline the Baron forwards and Alan Green soon heard the massive double doors shut behind him. The sergeant led him forward through a labyrinth of halls, at every turn a bust of some glorious Bourbon scion, in every hall elegant symbols of the fleur-de-lys. Polished marble floors contained the spectacle of valets wearing mop-brushes on their feet skating/polishing the floor, zipping by at great speed. At last they arrived near the naith of Versailles, the core, and just before the even more elegant doors to the actual royal apartments was a cavernous office, the doors open, a huge desk the size of a swimming pool, its veneer shining as much as the polished floors.

Nicholas Sarkozy was the perfect example of a bourgeois politician turned Bourbon-bureaucrat. In the recent April Reforms his became the most powerful non-royal in France, with an unprecedented mandate from the king to rule for the throne to preserve it amid turbulent times. He had worked miracles so far, stabilizing and securing the economy for further war while with the king making every effort possible to create a peace. He was young, compared especially to his Noblesse d’Epee predecessors, and ruggedly handsome. Although he wore a fine Italian suit he was not in formal Court attire, as he, very cannily, refused a title to preserve his ‘democratic’ pedigree. His shining teeth appeared as he rose and left his desk to embrace the Baron as he passed the office threshold.

After a warm welcome they both sat again and enjoyed the obligatory glass of champagne. The Prime Minister indulged too in a cigarette. They made small talk for a while, speaking of the weather and Green’s residence in England. Yorkshire, was it? But wasn’t it very cool there regularly? Oh, he enjoyed it, well the French too enjoyed temperate climes.

“Before we begin on business, Monsieur le Baron, why do we not take this conversation in the garden? It would be sin to waste such a glorious day!”

Taking a somewhat secret staircase down to the ground level they emerged into a geometrically precise and visually stunning hedge maze. Flowers burst into life all around them, and the mist from Versailles’ hundred fountains cooled the gaily attired aristocrats taking a fine promenade. After some time they were on the vaunted path to the Apollo Fountain, and from thence to the Petit Trianon.

“Monsieur, Versailles is all a-joy at your visit. I may begin by saying we here are completely amenable to both your Ministers’ and Sovereigns’ aims and desires for Africa, and to both our peoples’ desire for the amity and friendship our great and ancient lands have heretofore enjoyed.”

They passed by a set of German ambassadorial staff, freshly arrived from Berlin since the dialogue had begun in force with the two nations, trade had already resumed in full, after weeks of confusions and misinterpretations. To such a degree of force that NATO and the Holy League were simply awaiting the deployment of German peacekeepers to Portugal. A polite nod and they were passed.

“I have recently spoken with Monsieur le Merechal de la Tour du Pin, who commands His Most Christian Majesty’s African campaign. He is expecting the arrival of whatever staff NATO, specifically the United Kingdom and Australasia, sees fit to send. I may also endeavor to relay to you His Majesty’s most earnest desire to pursue France’s new agenda in Africa. Which is to say establishing those current nations’ occupied as Western-style democracies, with democratically elected governments, which will in time prove greater partners in liberty than they might have ever been in bondage. His Majesty also wishes to be present at the return of Gibraltar to King Godfrey, that we might begin making the amends that are needed for a more full and proper reconciliation between our great states.”

“We also stand ready and eager to hand over New Caledonia, all armaments and facilities totally in act, if for the minor provision that you could relocate the French men and material from there back to the mother county.”

“Alan, may I call you Alan? There is one thing that is troubling. In a word: communists. Will England, and Australasia, allowed the Communist Bloc to storm Africa, in toto? Look at their armament in Libya! How soon will they be able to seize Egypt itself, let alone West African nations recently enfeebled by the vigorous war? Sure, French forces will be able to keep order in Burkina Faso, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo-Benin for the foreseeable future, but what of the plethora of other West African states, some already occupied by Indian forces?”

“I am due to fly to Port Royal next week, to see if Roycelandia will be in a position to secure the sovereign and free Egyptian Government against what our intelligence forces believe to be an immanent coup in Cairo.”

They passed the massive and splendid Apollo Fountain, cooling in its mist as they passed on to the shadier lanes which led to the King’s pleasure house, the Petit Trianon.

“Yet above all that, it is our desire here in France that the deployment of Anglo peacekeepers and observers in force to French-occupied African states will be the road that leads to a strong future friendship. You can be the go between, the entity that allows for West African democracy, an Occident friendly West African democracy. Send in your forces as you like, Monsieur, they shall have free reign as far as Paris is concerned, with no hindrance from any task by us,” Sarkozy clasped Green’s arm. “From now on, Monsieur, France is fighting to save our Western community, and only waging belligerence in anticipation of a new and sublime peace. Ahh, here we are!”

Before them, under a pristine white half-tent on the epitome of a manicured lawn, was the French Royal Family. The Dauphin, only 4, played with his little brother, only 2, rolling around in the picturesque grass. The Royal Brothers played croquet, while the King served strawberries and milk to Her Serene Highness Queen Jillesepone, the Tsar’s daughter. Everyone was dressed in Court suits, but all the suits were white in reflection of the garden theme. The King removed his plumed tricorner hat with a grin, and waved the political duo forward.

When they were seated under the taut canopy King Louis-Auguste himself served the Baron a glass of wholesome and frothy fresh milk, and a bowl of impossibly ripe and succulent strawberries.

“Collations, Monsieur?”

Le Chateau de Versailles, in all is glory. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G93EhIGlVS0)

Fte. Ste. Jeanne d’Arc, Laghouat, Kingdom of Algeria

Far from lush and limpid Versailles, in the dry and dusty southernmost city in the Kingdom of Algeria (above Roycelandian Southern Algeria), the last remaining French super-fort, Ft. St. Martin soon to be turned over to the Australasians, Ste. Jeanne d’Arc, bustled with activity. Convoys of trucks passed though both north and south, and trains laden with supplies whistled and beeped. Mirage and Rafale jets zoomed low over, and Leclerc battle-tanks rolled into maintenance garages. Thousands of freshly conscripted Algerians ran in huge columns to fast paced drums and fifes, watched over by French training staff on assignment from the Royal Vanguard Legion. IX Corps, just off the boats from France and too freshly recruited, drilled in training fields modernly equipped to hone soldiers for combat. As dusk settled vast flood lights illuminated the sprawling concrete ramparts, and signal lights for incoming aircraft started transmitting their blinking code. The overall impression was of a military far from defeated.

In fact through the French Army and ODSE had expended considerable treasure into the African Campaign so far, with the exception of the craven and pestiferous nuclear assault on a bombing wing by terrorist Libyans funded by demonic Igovians and a pitched battle on the Volta against regular African forces, the Kingdom of France had not yet suffered a single major defeat. Less than a baker's dozen of aircraft and half again as many vehicles had been destroyed by the enemy, and though regrettable even in single digits only some four-thousand Franco-Algerian troops had been killed or, more likely, wounded. To be sure the economic strain was dangerous, in time it would be deadly, but for years at least, as things stood, with the cessation of Anglo-French hostilities, and with renewed trade occurring between NATO and the Holy League en masse (poignantly with Germany), France and Her Awesome Monarch could say truthfully ‘we have only begun to fight.’ And no longer would this be an unrealistic war on perpetual conquest, but a limited defensive war waged on lands currently secured and occupied, and lands awaiting immanent Allied peace-keeping deployment.

A Gazelle helicopter touched down under a setting sun half the size of the vast Algerian desert, completing a curve, gently on the vast tarmac. Its rotors slowly powered down as the passenger door opened and Le Merechal de la Tour du Pin, along with Les Merechals de Gras du Mont and de Saxe (who was also chief of the General Staff) the three keenest military minds in France, sprung lightly out to receive fresh communiqués. The British would be setting down any minute said one, they already were touching down said another. Thank God, the professional thought, he is a logical modern day goal we can achieve. He had never been a fan of the amorphous struggle to re-colonize Africa as the former Minister of War le Duc de Broglie believed. Now de Broglie had shot himself, in the very office he was walking to. And His Most Christian Majesty had set on, with his new, or rather, renewed Western and old Holy League Friends, a realistic goal of West African nation-building, with the end results gaining French and Occidental friendly states though benevolence and democracy instead of war and the authoritarian lash. Let the communists bandy about terms such as War Communism and insult what they could never hope to elevate to, a taste of red hot lead and the kiss of the bayonet would swiftly change their thoughts.

More importantly in the mind of Monsieur le Merechal however was the excellent news coming from the French forces in the field, redeploying to secured positions. A firm Holy League line of defense congealed.

Force’s A through D, the mechanized rapid strike groups previously tasked with storming Senegal were recalled to Fte. Ste. Jeanne, including some 400 Quinntonian made Abrams tanks, to rest in anticipation of further deployment, and prepare for a possible attack against Libyan incursions. Meanwhile the Algerian Expeditionary force along with its armored French support fell back to Mali, setting up their headquarters in previously occupied and secured Bamako. The Tulgarian Attack Force also set up in Mali, where their expertise would be used in mild operations against disparate rebels to secure Allied Lines.

Further French support divisions secured the gourd of the nation, guaranteeing with heavy air support a secure link to the Algerian super-fort and the nexus of the French position. The Royal Vanguard Legion and its support had pulled back to Lome and the secured lands of Togo and Benin, leaving scarred Eastern Ghana vacant amid the sad ruins, along with sizable numbers of their Algerian compatriots, and also sizeable contingents of Beninese and Togolese allied militias. The III Corps and the VI, having seen much combat already, retired with their Algerian auxiliary regiments to Burkina Faso, over two hundred thousand strong. Burkina Faso then formed the center of the French Western Front, and Nigerian secured Niger formed the Eastern lines of security. Ouagadougou was the strongest and largest city under French occupation, for all intents and purposes still in excellent shape as the struggle to take the city was mainly confined to the airport, which also had been seized. General de Beze, another military professional, commanded these forces under de la Tour du Pin. The III and VI Corps Gardes Francaises also maintained the link with IV Corps, under le Marquis d'Huerin, in Cote d’Ivoire. Cote d’Ivoire was the most tenuously controlled state among the French occupies, and so IV Corps was dependant on both their link to well secured Burkina Faso and to French ODSE air support. The combat zone, such as it was, was now firmly under French control, with factors again favoring the French, and allies, on ground of their choosing.

Yet for all heir security the French did not attack outside secured line. Versailles waited for peace to arrive vis-à-vis the NATO forces and hopefully reasonable Hindustanis who did not want to be portrayed as a vicious communist belligerent. British observers were present whenever French and Allied forces were forced by necessity to hit rebel African targets insisting on hitting French supply vehicles or troops, no more civilian recriminations of alleged massacres would be permitted. Also, Prince Leopold and Prince Emmanuel (Mobutu Sese-Seko), the French nominated heads of the provisional African governments, continued holding conferences with burgeoning African governments, the goal to establish popular elections and a popular government as soon as possible. With British and even Quinntonian monitors present too, helping to force legal governments and make a free and prosperous Wes Africa a reality, this was no farce.

((I know I missed responding to some people and particular posts: bear in mind I am just finally getting involved seriously again. More to come, and this week I will hopefully be able to make up some missed ground. Once again, good to be back.))

Beddgelert

14-06-2007, 09:28

India

"We're in it for the long-haul, now, comrades."

Never has the song resonated at quite such a troubling frequency. Comrades in India, training hard in the baking sun of the sub-continent in readiness for action in Africa, come to terms with the epic historical juncture to which they march.

'Tis the final conflict
Let each stand in his place
The Igovian Soviet
Shall be the human race!

This time it can't be interpreted as propagandic melodrama. It really is the big one, and it may be years before we see the other side.

Since the policy of War Communism was enacted just days before the first signs of a French withdrawal volunteers numbering thrice the total size of the British Army had enrolled every single day in the Commonwealth Guard. Most of them now were charging up and down in Karnataka and West Bengal, half preparing to fight in the deserts, half the jungles of both Africa and South East Asia (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=502950), to where scores of Marathon transport aircraft were preparing to carry multiple brigades.

Senegal

President Wade may not be accustomed to being called Comrade Wade but if he stops for a moment to consider the implication it may not be a bad thing. Even if he isn't getting his full customary respect and adulation, at least he is experiencing some acceptance from the officers in charge of the only Soviet forces between here and Libya.

Raipur accepts that it can't completely administer the revolutions of every nation that might be willing, and so in some cases will be glad to see independent progress, even if it doesn't go so far as would be ideal.

Like the Strainists, Igovians have a multi-tiered manner of looking at politico-economic advancement, and would rather see social-democracy than Feudalism, state-capitalism than multi-national corporatism, and so forth. Progress is better than stagnation, stagnation is better than regress.

India

These Supreme War Soviet has set its general plan into action. Two examples for the world.

In South East Asia the Khmer Rouge, backed by the Pathet Lao, Vietnamese People's Army, and Soviet India, is fighting to depose the conservative establishment and erect a Soviet-styled red state.

In Senegal, the Soviet Marines are supporting the national President's moves to introduce fundamental socialised doctrines into his nation's constitution.

The intended message is that progress can come about in two ways, but that it will come about. This is the People's Century.

You can do something yourself, or we will come and do this for you!

The hope is that many African states and peoples will act.

In the words of Graeme Igo, "Either governments will reform, or people will revolt! The centuries of theft and exploitation (in Africa) are tumbling in on themselves! Reform or Revolution, La Sociale!"

Gurguvungunit

17-06-2007, 07:03

Off Cyprus

"Two, this is leader. Do you copy?" Wing Commander Adams spared a glance at the Harrier GR.11 shadowing his own before returning to his instrument panel. It was a hazy day, unusual for the Eastern Mediterranean, but his radar showed a small group of suspected Geletian transports nearby. His mission was to perform a low altitude flyby, note any escorts, and inform the fleet.

"Leader, Two. Scopes show six unidentified vessels broadcasting ISC IFF codes three kilometres southeast." Adams glanced at his own radar readouts.

"Acknowledged," he replied. "Scopes confirm. Follow me in." He banked sharply, ignoring the crazed spin of the horizon in favour of the ocean's surface. Through the haze, six unconventional shapes began to emerge. "Convoy appears to be made up of Dwirgi class WIGs," he said. "Performing flyby. Two, on me." Suiting actions to words, Adams levelled his aircraft out a dozen metres above the deck and goosed his throttle. Still subsonic, but barely so, he guided his aircraft past the lead WIG's cockpit-bridge, closely followed by his wingman. Switching radio channels to broadband, Adams spoke.

"WIG crew, this is Blue Flight off of HMS Quenfis. Halt immediately and prepare to be inspected by incoming Royal Navy vessels. Blue Flight, out."

HMS Docker River, 12 km away

"... six Dwirgi class WIGs, no discernible escorts at this time. Blue Leader, out." Captain Morris, a sunburned young man with fair, shaggy hair and blue eyes who bore a striking resemblance to the late Steve Irwin, leaned over his helmsman's shoulder.

"Do you have a fix on their location?" His Australian drawl was pronounced, as befitted a recent 'immigrant' from the ex-FCN. The helmsman, a transfer officer from Dorset, checked his board before replying.

"Yes sir." Morris nodded as he straightened up and made his way to the captain's chair.

"Good, set a course." The captain sat down, searching out his exec with his eyes. "Sound General Quarters thorughout the ship. Inform the flag that we're intercepting a Soviet transport convoy."

Versailles

Alan Greene of the long-and-annoying title bowed deeply to the king of France before turning to his queen, Jillesepone. He knelt on one knee and kissed her hand and then rose on aching joints. Greene wasn't a young man anymore, but protocol must be observed.

"Enchante, madame." At the King's invitation, he took the glass of wine and the strawberries, sipping from the one and laying the other aside for the moment. "I pray that you are to be permitting me English speaking," he said in execrable French. "For as you are to seeing, French of mine is very bad." He smiled self-deprecatingly before lapsing into his mother tongue. "I really must complement you on this palace of yours, it is truly magnificent." He paused for a moment, mentally ordering his thoughts.

"I have, as you are no doubt aware, been in conversation with Minister Sarkozy, who has brought several points to my attention with regard to the co-operation between our two great nations." Greene inclined his head fractionally towards Sarkozy, indicating to whom he now spoke. "I can assure you, sir, that my nation shares your desire to end the strife between us, and that the Empire will take responsibility for all transport needs of the French soldiers quartered in New Caledonia and Gibraltar.

"Furthermore, with your government's blessing, I will instruct Lieutenant General Pearson to begin liasing with Marechal de la Tour du Pin, and I'll recommend that we begin joint interoperability operations in Africa. We've had our quarrels in the past, of course, but with a changed leadership in France," and here, Greene inclined his head to Louis-Auguste, "or rather, changed ministerial leadership, Your Majesty, and the federation of the British Commonwealth, we are suddenly two very different countries dealing with a new threat.

"I will not lie and say that I have no reservations about some of France's past actions, but I respect and understand your desire to put them behind you. We have all been driven to do terrible things, and I hope that by working together Britain and France may avoid more unnecessary bloodshed." Greene picked a strawberry from the bowl and bit into it.

"Sublime; was it grown nearby?"

Port Darwin

"I'm Katty Kay, and this is the BBC. In other news today, Royal Navy officials have just announced the launching of HMS Vindex, a new aircraft carrier built on the hull of a midsized cargo vessel. The Vindex is classified as an 'escort carrier' which operates only about a dozen aircraft, rather than the larger ships under construction in Buenos Aires and Portsmouth. When queried, naval officials classified the Vindex as a precautionary measure, citing growing concerns over Soviet aggression in East Asia. Reports say that construction of more converted escort carriers are underway, but so far we have been unable to determine when they are scheduled for completion.

"The Vindex will be joined by a pair of Collins class submarines being completed now, as well as two destroyers from the Australian Fleet for posting at Diego Garcia."

Beddgelert

17-06-2007, 10:26

Mediterranean Sea

Cruising at 385kph and barely more than three and a half metres from the water, the Dwrgis were carrying L'Angelot Maudit AMRAAMs for delivery to the Libyan military, which was delighted to be receiving a fire-and-forget beyond visual range ability.

At least, four of them were. One bore personnel, and the sixth was amongst the first production Dwrgi-D, a defence platform armed with twelve Loviatar-S vertical launch cells.

As the Harrier approached it was watched passively at first, and tracked by optical and infra-red systems directing 30mm cannon and Sumpit high-velocity missiles aboard the transport WIGs. After the ultimatum was delivered, however, and the Sovietists gave no direct response, DRAB-20 radar aboard the Dwrgi-D established a target lock, and the machines continued towards Libya, and would be past HMS Docker River in less than two minutes.

The WIGs did contact Soviet assets in Libya, of course, and the lately storied corvette El Aaiún shortly put out from Benghazi and laid an east-northeasterly course.

It probably won't happen until the WIGs are either fighting or safe in Libya, but Raipur will none the less dispatch a fairly stern warning to London over the issue, suggesting that if Cyprus and the British Indian Ocean Territory are going to present a threat to the war effort they may become themselves issues to be addressed by the Commonwealth Guard.

British intelligence is no doubt aware that Soviet India has recently launched her fourth missile cruiser, which is building off Madras while the third ship undergoes sea-trials, and that a fourth Hyena Class LPD and the first two Defiance Class fleet aircraft carriers are also afloat, either undergoing on-going building or engaged in seatrials themselves. With a new wave of WIG construction ordered by Sopworth Igo, Diego Garcia could soon be considered all but indefensible should Soviet attentions be turned that way.

Red Sea

The next south-north convoy would have a major military flavour as the first wave of new Soviet recruits made for Libya. Volunteers newly joining the Expert Corps after having previously taken advantage of available training schemes while serving as Auxiliary Corps members travel aboard military transports and state-owned cruise liners appropriated for military use. They are to receive 'refresher' training in Libya before being deployed to defend the country, freeing-up fifty-thousand Expert Corps forces already based in the country.

Observing the movements of forces in Libya it is hard to imagine the Soviets not invading Niger in coming weeks, while bases in Libya's east, facing Egypt, are only expanding despite the plan to move existing forces to the southwest.

In the Red Sea, stuffed troop-ships are escorted by corvettes and frigates, and both Ortiagon and Anunkai Class submarines can be seen amongst the unusually Indian-dominated convoy.

Edit: Ha! Must stop posting when I get back from the pub. West changed to east! Doh!

Gurguvungunit

18-06-2007, 04:28

OOC: Should we make a new thread to cover this war? This post does deviate somewhat from the African theatre, discussing British Indian Ocean Territories as well. I dunno, it's a thought.

Mediterranean

"Target lock! Two, break port!" Adams bit his lip before keying his radio over to broadband once again. "Soviet vessels, be advised that your ships are being targeted by Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Stand down immediately and break your target locks. Respond."

True to words, the Docker River's radar, working in conjunction with the targeting sets aboard the two Harriers, locked on to the WIGs' eminently visible radar signatures.

The Harriers, now skimming the surface beside the WIGs, kicked in their afterburners. The two smaller aircraft passed the lead WIGs and settled into the larger vessels' projected course, matching speed and slowly edging closer to the Soviet transport vessels. The Soviet pilots were faced with an awkward choice, either ram the Harriers, attempt to guide their larger and less maneuverable craft around the two fighters, or ram them. Armoured as they were, the WIGs might escape destruction, but they would certainly obliterate the fragile fighters. The unspoken question to the Soviets was, were they willing to provoke a war?

Diego Garcia

A pair of Hercules transports, currently on leave from aid duty to Africa, were instead put to use ferrying the second battalion, Prince of Wales Royal Regiment, to Diego Garcia. 2nd Battalion was a force of light infantry, quick to deploy but lacking in the heavy IFVs used by 1st Battalion of the same regiment. Trained for operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, they found themselves more or less at home on the tiny island in the Indian Ocean, which served as a forward naval base for the Royal Navy.

There they met two companies of Royal Marines, characteristic green berets and all, who greeted them with a spirited raspberry reserved by members of their service for all regular army troops. The base itself was an extensive affair mainly devoted to the maintenance of two Type 42 Destroyers as well as two fighter squadrons, one of Typhoons and the other of Tornado GR.4s. It covered the entire islet, leaving little space for jungle, beach or even housing. Indeed, operations were constantly underway to reclaim land from the ocean for the construction of new barracks. These efforts, stalled recently by other concerns, were redoubled to accommodate the infrastructure needed for the HMS Vindex and her task force, expected to arrive within weeks.

The tiny island was protected by several strongpoints, concrete bunkers somewhat reminiscent of the Atlantic Wall that dotted the narrow landmass. Each one, equipped with machine guns, mortars and medical supplies, was designed to last against a determined assault alone. Even so, they were connected by a slowly growing network of tunnels, reinforced concrete in construction, that provided free movement from the command post to each strongpoint. If the Soviet marines planned to take Diego Garcia, they would have to clear out the British room by room and tunnel by tunnel. With decades to prepare and Cold War paranoia to spur them on, Britain and the United States had turned the tiny atoll into a deathtrap for invaders.

Ascension Island

Less fortified than Diego Garcia, Ascension Island was home to an extensive airbase and a somewhat smaller British Army garrison. Quinntonian B-1 bombers sat beside British Tornado ADVs and GR.4s, second line aircraft of the RAF that had been pressed into service flying patrol duties as well as fulfilling an air superiority role met in more prestigious theatres by the BAE Typhoon.

Ascension Island, a join British and Quinntonian airbase, fell under the jurisdiction of the United States Marine Corps, whose buzz-cut troopers tended to cut a rather imposing figure over the frequently small, light pilots of the RAF. Even the token Royal Marine presence, in the form of an orphaned platoon of troopers appended to the RAF base there, seemed dwarfed by their bulky Quinntonian counterparts. Then again, the British tended to run smaller than their opposite numbers in the colonies, and they made up for their smaller stature by providing much of the party atmosphere on base. For marines, Quinntonians could be rather intense, joyless and disdainful of 'vice', leaving the RAF men and women to make full use of the base's extensive bar.

Beddgelert

18-06-2007, 05:14

OOC: I suppose that if it becomes war between us we'll have to start something new, aye.

Mediterranean

With little choice but to reply, the captain of the lead WIG is grudgingly forced to open communications with the British forces on hand. She warns that the convoy is flying over international waters approaching Libya on a mission of trade considered of value to the war effort. Raipur has recently declared war upon the Holy League and its affiliates, and interference with this mission is itself an act of war. If the Harriers go down, she indicates, it will be the second act of a war between Britain and India.

The machine then looses a burst of 30mm cannon fire from its two top-mounted guns, aiming high over the closest Harrier.

(OOC: Ach, have to go, landlord's coming and I'm not entiiiirely supposed to be living here)

Nova Gaul

18-06-2007, 05:40

Fte. Ste. Jeanne d’Arc, Lagghout*, Kingdom of Algeria

His Most Christian Majesty’s Prime Minister, M. Nicolas Sarkozy, the staunch monarchist yet still ‘enlightened’ Aprilist Minister ** who vowed to end the war successfully and usher in a new age of economic prosperity for the Kingdom of France—and by default the West in general, had personally flown to the French super-fort to meet with the British commander Lt. General Pearson.

He used the occasion to hold a joint news conference, in a cavernous military hanger that had, ironically enough, once housed several Francofied Lancaster-II Heavy Bombers. The bombers, of course, had been sent out to another tarmac, and now the hall was host to hundreds of reports and information service personnel from both NATO and Holy League countries. A sign of a seeming Anglo-French thawing the BBC was allowed unfettered access, the first time it had truly had such access since the Restoration itself began nigh on three scores years ago. The good minister was dressed in his trademark Italian style, flashing and dynamic. At his side was Le Merechal de la Tour du Pin, in a dashing aristocratic martial yet refined court suit, sword at his hip and suitably grand shimmering gold epaulets. He had a pointer in hand and stood by a large graphically enhanced map. After the Prime Minister spoke he would point out the strength of the French, now Allied positions, all spelling out doom for revolutionary and communist insurgency.

The heads of the states currently occupied provisional governments’, in the form of Princes Leopold and Emanuel, were also on hand. Proudly rattling off in their horrible French the rapidly approaching possibility of general elections, guaranteed by Quinntonian Election Staff, and democracy for Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and even Niger. The former weighed about 400 pounds and was built like a Sherman Tank and dressed in a quasi-native or pseudo-military tunic, the latter looked like an amiable ferret in a lion skin fez, or beret of some sort, and was dressed in a trendy if somewhat ill coordinated sports suit . Delegations from the occupied lands were on hand too, waving signs that read: Africa for God, Freedom and Africa: not revolutionaries and terrorists! End the war, Communist Invaders! Go home, Indians!

But it was M. Sarkozy that had the attention of the hour, and he rose to speak in fine form. His young, dare I say progressive/liberal appeal made him seem more like a counterpart to the debonair British officer, and less like his predecessor whose old age and weighty court dressed combined to immobilization. Waving down dozens of buzzing questions he nodded to the Lt. General and began.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. I will be brief. I have just authorized total access of all African states currently administered by His Most Christian Majesty’s authority to the United Kingdom, and to the Free Colony of Australasia. Furthermore, it is my hope that this deployment will allow for a more speedy creation of an Africa free, democratic, and allied to the western powers. A new model for African society that will allow these lucky countries to modernize and ally with the most economically successful countries in this whole wide world. ”

“As for the Kingdom of France’s part, and for my own opinion I may say this: the communists will not prevail, they will not seize Africa, and they shall be defeated. Niger will turn back Libya, the mighty army of the Kingdom of France will save liberated West Africa from tyrannical Bolsheviks intent upon a strange and perverted agenda. Moreover, Libya must quickly abandon its belligerence. I tell you, Graeme Igo, and more importantly I tell you the gangster of Libya” here he pointed directly at the camera “if Libyan forces invade Niger it will be an act of war, and France, together with her allies, will see a new government in Tripoli. Immediately, and no matter what the cost.”

“I would also like to invite our distinguished English general to speak, but before I do that I will say a few more words. I encourage Roycelandia and Quinntonia to deploy peace-keeping forces to Egypt, lest the Igovians initiate a revolution there as well. Considering the fragmented state of the former United Elias, a Marxist revolution in Egypt could create a catastrophe of hitherto unimagined dimensions. And I also wish to relay His Most Christian Majesty’s pride and esteem towards the British and Australasian forces in the Eastern Hemisphere, where the communist have begun a large scale attempt to subvert all the legitimate governments of South East Asia. Where Spyrian forces are poised not only to take part of Indonesia, but the whole archipelago. God speed to the sons of St. George, in this fight for survival they soon must undertake.”

“Yes, the Kingdoms of France and Spain were wrong to commence hostilities with the United Kingdom and Australasia. We cannot change that, however, we can only make amends today. And we shall. In forty-eight hours the Kingdom of Spain will turn over Gibraltar again to Great Walmington. In one week the Island of New Caledonia will be turned over to the Free Colony of Australasia. In two weeks, Portugal will be turned over to a provisional government supported by a combined Quinntonian-German peace-keeping force.”

“Yes, the Kingdom of France acted grievously in its initial campaign to liberate West Africa. We cannot change that, however, we can only make amends today. And we shall. No matter the cost, liberated West Africa will be preserved. I hear the crows cawing out of the sub-continent, to them I say France has deployed 400,000 soldiers for King and God in Africa. By the Grace of that selfsame God and His Holy Faith, we shall send another 400,000 to defend the right. From the depths of the ocean to the heights of the firmament we shall deny you passage, and create something greater in Africa than has yet been seen there. By the Grace of God, we may too defeat you. And well shall. Bring it on, you perverted revolutionary scum. If you refuse to even debate any notion of peace, then we shall teach you every lesson in war.”

“God continue to Defend the Right.”

((*May be spelled as Touggart, or other name. **, See "Resuming the Restoration" for further information.))

Beddgelert

18-06-2007, 11:00

(OOC: Right, landlord's gone, where was I?)

Libya

Field-Marshal Comrade-General Adiatorix of the Geletians, commander-in-chief of all Soviet forces deployed since the declaration of war against the Holy League and its affiliates; Lieutenant-General comrade Pirabaharan, commander of the Soviet mission to Libya; and Colonel Abu-Bakr Yunis Jaber, commander-in-chief of the Libyan military, appear possibly in Tripoli to address the world.

Over 170,000 Libyan and Indian troops are currently active in the nation with major Soviet reinforcements en route and still more promised.

Adiatorix reminds the vaguely-termed enemies that Raipur has already declared war on the Holy League, and that the Holy League has already attempted to carry-out genocide against Libya. French threats are completely pointless at this stage, and put one very much in mind of paper tigers.

Major Libyan forces are to be deployed in the defence of Ghadamis while 50,000 Soviet personnel are relocating to the Murzuq municipality. CS-400 Red Sky missile defences under Soviet control will protect Libya's major cities and military bases for the duration of the war, and Raipur has agreed to hand-over control of the systems and their (non-nuclear) munitions to Tripoli once victory is attained on the African continent.

The Soviet Field-Marshal, speaking with Pirabaharan and Abu-Bakr Yunis Jaber at his flanks, warns sternly against a foreign intervention in Egypt, saying that another attempt to upset the balance of power will result in an all-out two-pronged invasion by Soviet and allied forces, and that the canal will, following such an event, be closed to all offending parties in perpetuity. Cairo, Adiatorix claims to be certain, will not be concerned, rather confident that the world is not so stupid as to listen to the desperate appeals of a dead Frenchman and that Egypt is as such perfectly safe.

At Sea

Soviet WIGs do, in their own time, drop their active radar lock on the British planes, but passive tracking systems continue to operate, and 30mm cannon and Sumpit missiles can easily down a near-by Harrier. Equally, there is some uncertainty as to whether or not Harpoon missiles have any serious chance of hitting fast-moving WIGs, being as they are designed to attack surface targets moving perhaps ten times less quickly and in no more than two dimensions.

The WIGs by now within a few kilometres of the British warship may even bee too close for the missile to engage as intended and will soon be crossing the ship from one side to another. The seconds that have passed also enable the scrambling of Springer maritime strike aircraft from northeastern Libya, and a pair of the planes -joined by two Hobgoblin from CAP in the region- make towards the contested area as a Marathon tanker fuels-up and prepares to meet them on the way home. The Springers will make little attempt to hide (while the Hobgoblins may be harder to pin down), being armed with under-slung Vanguard AShMs and intended to indicate that an attack on the WIGs by Docker's River will be answered with a similar strike on the offender.

The pace at which the stand-off is proceeding leaves little time for diplomacy to intercede.

(OOC: To heck with it, I'll start a new thread anyway. This is more the Holy League's war-on-everything, another will be the Communists' war-on-everything =) I feel that I ought to let NG drive this thread, and just respond, for the most part. Maybe I'll just make the SE Asian one into a more general Soviet thread? Yeah, that might work. Look there for Soviet war news.)

Vecron

18-06-2007, 18:52

OOC—Sorry it’s taken so long for me to post back. Again, keep in mind that I don’t have extensive knowledge of sub-warfare, so bare with me.

IC—The three Sauros react almost immediately, each of them expecting to be fired on first. One of the captain’s had to have something messed in his head and, stealing a page out of Tom Clancy, turned his boat directly into the torpedo’s path and pushed his ship as hard as it could go. He hoped to save his decoys as this maneuver was going to create a fair bit of noise for those other two fish still looking for a target. The submarine charges forward, many of the crew members have their life flash before their eyes. It is all for not though, as the torpedo clangs against the hull, unable to arm itself fast enough.

The next Sauro, on the furthest end of the formation, is not as creative and releases all her ballast tanks in an emergency blow and releases her decoys. The decoys do their job, but just barely, as the torpedo detonates just off their stern. The sub buffets with the nearby explosion, and several of the internal pipes spring leaks and one of the engines takes moderate damage, but the sub is still operational and able to continue its journey to the surface.

The last Sauro decides that with its chances of survival are slim with two torpedoes on her, it might as well do everything it can to save the rest. It goes to full speed and takes a wide turn that will take it across the path of the two hunting torpedoes. One of the hunting fish takes the bait, and now three torpedoes were chasing one Sauro, not good odds indeed. The Captain continues his turn and dives down, releasing his countermeasures at what he thought would be just the right time. One of the torpedoes detonates a safe distance away, several seconds later the next two detonate a little too close to comfort. The Sauro begins to take on water and the crew works feverishly to close off the flooding sections. Several of the crewmen are trapped inside, and the engines take significant damage. The sub is forced to surface and limp home for repairs.

The second wandering torpedo certainly has enough noise to choose from and ends up picking the sub that had charged forward. Realizing the torpedo had locked onto them, the Captain orders a wide turn to starboard. Coincidentally (if I’ve visualized this right), the turn takes the Sauro straight the path of the Bihar, narrowly missing it. This was certainly not done on purpose, since the Bihar sub was lost in all the noise. The Sauro Captain also orders his decoys released just before the sub cuts across the Bihar’s path with the torpedo closing behind it very quickly.

With all the noise going on, the Scire preps all her torpedo tubes with DM2A4 torpedoes. The Captain of the Scire orders everything to go silent, the screws are stopped and the crew is ordered to get very quiet. The sub sits in the seawater, listening for what’s going to happen.

OOC—Will post more later on, most likely tomorrow. Hey BG, where's that other thread you talked about? I looked but couldn't find it.

Hail Caesar!

Nova Gaul

18-06-2007, 19:13

El Escorial, Kingdom of Spain

The Iberian Bourbons had been very quiet as of late, but no longer. They too were stepping into the light of the sun once again. Even now platforms and flagpoles were being erected in Gibraltar for the immanent return to the British. And though, officially, Portugal would not be handed over to Quinntonian and German peacekeepers for some weeks yet already the great majority of Spanish forces, quietly and covertly, had returned to Spain and awaited redeployment. Redeployed they would be.

In the splendid monastery/palace of El Escorial, where Philip II had held court, now witnessed the illustrious Philip V gathering the Courts of the Holy League about him, resplendent. His brother-in-law Louis-Auguste was present, as was Queen Jillesepone and most princes of the blood. In attendance also were dignitaries from all the courts of holy Europe, from the Russian Empire to the Grand Duchy of Tulgary and the Italian Empire.

Standing in front of his throne, next to his French-Bourbon wife Marie Antoinette, he received the homage of the Sultan of Morocco. First the Sultan kissed His Catholic Majesty Philip’s hands, then his shoulders, and the vassalage was sealed. Much speculation had culminated in the Sultanate of Morocco, mostly due to the power of a burgeoning military junta there who delighted in forcing the Sultan’s hand (or lips in this case), becoming a vassal state of the Kingdom of Spain. After initial ideas for a dual monarchy, it was eventually decided that a simple vassalage, which maintained the Sultanate’s power structure in Morocco while still placing it in the purview of Philip V, was the best solution. The arrangement then was very similar that of the Kingdom’s of Algeria in France: no one doubted that in time a strong Catholic-convert general would come to power, overthrow the Sultan, and establish a family with good, blue, Bourbon blood. In the mean time, however, things were most satisfactory indeed.

A most conspicuous figure amongst all assembled was one President Taya of Mauritania. Thrown out in a coup, he was more or less the legitimate head of the Mauritanain Government. Now that Morocco had been firmly been brought into the Holy League fold, President Taya was assured by the Bourbons and their allies Mauritania would soon be his again…although he may very well have to rule as a prince rather than a parliamentarian. Considering that position’s benefits, however, no one thought he would very much mind. President Taya was promised by the Most Christian King and Catholic King themselves he would be availed of some four divisions of regular Moroccan Infantry to this end, with air support being provided as needed by France and Spain specifically. He was given their blessing to restore his legitimate rule at once. In light of the Holy Leagues growing relationship with NATO, the Anglo powers were informed fully of this (except maybe for Taya’s goal of having a shiny crown upon his head), bearing in mind President Taya is the legitimately elected ruler of Mauritania before an illegal Coup d’Etat set the country awry. The Western Sahara, which unfortunately stood in the way, would be given a provisional government picked by Taya and approved by Bourbon agents. Yet it would include Saharawi rebel groups too, until such time as they could be arrested on proper charges. In the mean time, however, in light of NATO’s keen eyes, everything was to be kosher, or hilal as the case may be.

It was proclaimed by heralds shortly thereafter that the Kingdom of Spain was deploying two large expeditionary forces to secure the good of Africa. Some sixty-thousand troops were already being ferried across the Straits of Gibraltar to Cueta , and thence to redeploy generally in the Sultanate to assist the military junta in securing the new Moroccan state of affairs. Much more important, however, was the declaration that the Kingdom of Spain was deploying no less than one hundred and ninety thousand troops, in graduated stages of twelve thousand, to the Kingdom of Algeria. Already in Fte. Ste. Jeanne d’Arc Spanish transport planes were touching down, as in Algiers large Spanish military transport ships began to put into port.

Fte. Ste Jeanne d’Arc, Laghouat, Kingdom of Algeria

((Please keep in mind he following would not be known, at all, by those outside the following room. Thank you.))

In a very deep bunker beneath the superfort Le Merechal de la Tour du Pin, Supreme Commander of His Most Christian Majesty’s African War effort, addressed a dozen generals in different shapes and forms using a huge flat screen computer display, lit up with graphics, around a huge circular, very austere, conference table. Among the assembled brass were three generals each for France and Spain, two from the Kingdom of Algeria, and two from Tsarist Nigeria (one a Russian Boyar in point of fact). These were the members of the Allied military, which is to say Holy League forces. Several Italian senators and military attaches were present, but Caesar Romulus had yet to state if he was participating. If he did, his assets would be most welcome in the grand plan about to be described.

There were, however, two others. One was the Governor-General of Roycelandian Southern Algeria, and the other was Lt. General Pearson, the recently arrived British chief of operations in Africa. It was truly a sign of the Holy Leagues esteem, respect and trust that the two Anglo officials were on hand for such a critical and secret meeting.

Libya lit up, in a suitably bright red shade, dominating the display.

“Messieurs,” said le Merechal “Libya has proven to be firstly a nuclear threat, secondly a terrorist stronghold serving as a staging base for hard line communist forces, and thirdly a destabilizing factor affecting all of North Africa. The time has come to end this threat, and remove these problems from our itinerary.”

“I give you Plan Yellow, the long researched strategy of His Most Christian Majesty’s government to seize Libya and institute a Western style government there, or, if need be, a regime.”

“It is our belief that a crushing blow removing Libya from the war, combined with firm Allied control of the majority of West Africa, will force the socialists to accept terms for a peace. If that fails, it will remove one of their main staging bases in Africa itself, a regime of long concern to us, and force them, if they so choose to continue their ‘world revolution’ and awful belligerence, to fight on ground of our possession and choosing. Furthermore, Plan Yellow must be conducted before the Soviet presence in Libya grows any larger. In either case we must deal with this threat now, before the Marxists have an opportunity to invade and disturb yet another sector of Africa. And, gentlemen, let us always remember vulnerable Egypt.”

“We believe that now, or rather following the week or so it will take us to gather supplies for the initial effort, is the ideal time to break this viper’s neck. Remember Libya has a population of under ten million people, and the vast majority are centered in Tripoli. Therefore, gentlemen, it follows that once Tripoli is seized, Libya, for all intents and purposes, has been liberated.”

Huge glowing arrows, two to be precise, sprang up on the display from Tsarist occupied Niger. They were colored blue, the pigment assigned for Nigerian operations in this particular theatre. One swept up from Niger into Libya moving to Banghazi, the other swept in and made straight for Tripoli.

“The first stage in Plan Yellow calls for Nigerian incursion into Libya, with two large assaults against the capital and a key port across the Bay of Sidra. Generals’ Sergey Yomotumbaro and Ivan Alexandrovich have promised me no less than 300,000 soldiers for this effort, 200,000 against Tripoli and 100,000 against Banghazi. They will be supported by Tsarist Nigerian armor and air support, which we calculate in defensive posturing is more than a match for the Soviet forces there. Black Mamba Special Forces troops will also participate, and will further cause the Soviets to think the Niger front is the only obstacle. This thought is valid because, even as we speak, Soviet troop movements indicate they themselves are planning an invasion of Niger. Even if they do, Plan Yellow will not be adversely affected, the principle of us forcing a two front campaign on them is our fulcrum.”

“The reds may have elaborate weapons systems, but we will force them to assault us, and in such a situation their advantages are swiftly negated. This assault will bog down Soviet forces in confusion, forcing them to shift their troops south against such a large assault. This signals the second stage.”

Three arrows, one gold for France, one silver for Spain, and one bronze for native Algerian forces sweep out of the Kingdom of Algeria. The bronze arrow sweeps into Tunis and holds glowingly there, while the silver and gold arrows sweep south through Tunisia and launch side by side into Libya. Both arrows sweep toward Tripoli and land there, glowingly, but from then another bronze arrow peels off and zips across to Surt.
Libya’s color then changes from red to yellow.

“As you can see, messieurs, the second stage calls for an attack through Tunisia. This is lamentable, but critical: the soviets will expect an attack through Roycelandian Southern Algeria, and we will set up props and false staging bases there to heighten the illusion. They will not expect a lightning assault through Tunisia, where the government has secretly acquiesced to our plans. Algerian forces will secure Tunis against a possible Soviet flanking maneuver, but make no mistake gentlemen. As soon as Libya is secured, Tunisia will be freed without hesitation. Moreover, British peace-keepers on site after the Algerian forces secure the perimeter will ensure the continuation of its legally elected government. 150,000 Royal Algerian Army troopers, along with dozens of squadrons of Roik Huey helicopters and older Mirage models will participate in this movement.”

“Meanwhile the core of our assault will sweep in. French armored cavalry in the form of 400 Quinntonia made Abrams tanks and 60,000 Royal Dauphin Corps shock troops supported by 30,000 Gardes Francaises auxiliaries, and covered by one full wing of Zulu Heavy Assault helicopters, two wings of Mirage 2000’s and one wing of Dassault Rafales will crush south a cut straight to Tripoli, mowing down any obstacles in their path. Once again our group support will only defend our offensive, not strike against secured Libyan and Soviet targets. We will retain the advantage, and any offensive missilery they use against us will be comfortably repelled by own systems.” He did not mention the failed bombing strike on Tripoli, but the disaster was still fresh in his mind.

“The French forces however are only one half of the bull dozer. 100,000 Spanish soldiers, supported by a wide assortment of Iberian tanks and armored vehicles, will sweep along with the French forces in a parallel maneuver, allowing for a smooth flowing and unflankable advance. Two wings of Spanish Rafales will also be flying cover, aiding in the Allied advance. Once Tripoli is secured, Royal Algerian auxiliary elements in older model Leclercs and bought Roycelandian armored vehicles will cut off any possible retreat, and occupy Surt.”

The graphic map zoomed up and out to show the French Royal Navy 3rd fleet, with the flagship HMCMS Louis-Auguste in control, sailing well off the shore of Algeria near Tunisia. Throughout the campaign, it launched wave after wave of cruise missiles against targets in Tripoli, more to bog the Soviets down than to cause any real damage, and supported by a squadron of Spanish attack submarines which swept furtively about.

“The icing on our cake will be a graduated cruise missile campaign against Tripoli, which will cause Soviets to deploy much strength there they will desperately need in other places. It will be very expensive to deploy so many of the precious weapons, of course, but at this point we no longer have any alternatives. This war must be brought to a close, or the growing financial difficulty will be too great to bear. By paying a high price to end the war now we open the possibility for huge trade and monetary compensation in the near future. Plan Yellow: a three front offensive, all said and done to end the war now.”

“Gentlemen, we shall blitzkrieg the Soviets with well over half a million men, and thousands of support vehicles in all forms. At this point the campaign will begin even if the Soviets strike first. It is our hope, and the hope of both His Most Christian and Catholic Majesty’s, that with the fall of Libya so too the war will end.”

“In one hour, the first of our cruise missile strikes will sweep against Tripoli. In 6 days, the Nigerians commence their attack. In 8 days Allied forces will sweep through Tunisia. God willing, in 12 days Muamar and his Soviet stooges will be defeated utterly in Libya.”

Beddgelert

18-06-2007, 19:14

Here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=502950). It was just going to focus on civil war in post-Marimaian Cambodia, in which the Soviet-backed Khmer Rouge is emerging -not without help from Vietnam and the Pathet Lao- to challenge the formative republican government, but since India's war on the HL could be seen as partially distinct from the HL's war on Africa I thought that it could do more than that. Presently we're having a go at destroying the League's satellite network, which possibly will be seen as an opening act in a new phase of the conflict. Once that's done I just have to deal with the immense headache inherent in trying to bring our superior numbers to bear on a foreign and under-developed continent. Cambodia may have to become Hanoi's concern!

Nova Gaul

18-06-2007, 19:22

((BG, plase see that thread for OOC comments, thanks))

Beddgelert

18-06-2007, 19:28

(OOC: No, you see it! ;))

Gurguvungunit

18-06-2007, 23:43

Mediterranean

The tracer rounds, burning a brilliant orange in the Mediterranean dusk, elicited a conditioned response from Captain Adams. Ignoring the radio's squawking, he hauled back on the stick and flipped his Harrier end for end. The horizon spun crazily, sea replacing sky as the fighter swapped nose for tail and back for belly.

"Two, I'm taking fire. We are weapons free, repeat, weapons free!" Adams keyed up an ASRAAM missile, his best guess for the optimum anti-WIG weapon, hit the safety off and coaxed his Harrier into a hover while the reticule locked. It took only a few seconds for the entire operation to take place.

The Soviet WIGs would no-doubt have noticed that the two Harriers hadn't taken kindly to weapons fire. British investigators, examining wingtip camera footage from both aircraft as well as reports from the HMS Docker River's deck crew, later determined that the cannonfire had posed no threat to the aircraft. But in those few seconds, with tracer rounds filling his cockpit with red light, Adams had seen something entirely different.

Raised during the last decades of the Cold War, Adams remembered when 'Soviet' had equated most nearly with 'totalitarian regime intent upon the destruction of my way of life'. In many ways, he saw the Indian Soviets crawling down that same path as they annexed whole countries for the revolution. When the Soviet WIG fired on his aircraft, he imagined it to be the opening shot of a war to conquer Britain. In that instant, he made his decision. To hell with protocol, with diplomatic relations. The Soviets had fired upon his aircraft, and he would fire back.

As the reticule locked, Adams depressed the left button on his control stick. A single ASRAAM missile, the latest evolution of the AIM-9 Sidewinder design with updated control surfaces, guidance package and pursuit algorithms, lept from the tip of his starboard wing with a burst of fire. It rode that trail of fire to the lead WIG in only a fraction of a second, its travel time lessened by the WIG's diminishing forward speed. With no chance to bank, train its 30 mm cannon or otherwise evade, the WIG's fate was sealed.

"Sir, target locks. Recommend that we break contact and let the ship deal with 'em.." Two's voice, distorted by the radio, broke Adams' short reverie. He jammed the throttle forward and rolled his fighter, clawing for altitude as the Soviets regrouped.

HMS Docker River

Listening to the Harriers' chatter, Morris wasn't especially surprised by the turn of events. He watched as Adams fired his missile, and saw the two Harriers jet away on afterburners. Understanding their desire not to stick around, Morris gripped his chair arm to steady his nerves.

"Fire Aster missiles when ready," he said. The weapons officer sang back,

"Aye, aye, sir." Moments later, the VLS of the Docker River burst open in a geyser of flame, spouting a round dozen Aster-30 anti-aircraft/anti-missile missiles. Two per WIG guaranteed that, even considering their fairly extensive AA armament, at least a few missiles would get through.

Ft. Ste. Jeanne, Algeria

Lieutenant General Pearson, clad in the standard olive drabs of a British general officer, felt a bit eclipsed by Marechal de la Tour du Pin and his cohorts, but quickly forgot about it in favour of studying the plan laid out by the French officer.

There were a few conceivable holes, but nothing major stood out. Britain, of course, would take a backseat in any war effort, and Marechal de la Tour du Pin had been astute indeed in placing British peacekeepers in an observational role... His blackberry began to buzz steadily. He checked the screen, which informed him that he had an email. From Horse Guards.

"Excuse me, gentlemen." Pearson coaxed it open and read the brief.

Lt. Gen Pearson,

At 1900 hours today, GMT, Soviet transport aircraft exchanged cannonfire with two Harrier aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea. Current accounts suggest severe losses on the Soviet side, but confirmation will be forthcoming. As of this moment, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Empire is at war with the Indian Soviet Commonwealth, in response to their direct military attack upon British assets in the Mediterranean Sea. You are authorized to respond with military force to any and all deployments of Soviet troops in Africa. Formal declaration of war will be forthcoming, but the realities of combat in the modern world require that you be prepared to take offensive action before the government makes its final decision.

With respect,
General Herbert Walker, Horse Guards

"Gentlemen," Pearson said after a short pause. "British aircraft were attacked earlier today by the Soviets. The Empire is at war, and I can guarantee full support of my command to Plan Yellow. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things that I really must attend to. I will, I promise, be in touch."

Beddgelert

19-06-2007, 06:34

Indeed, the WIGs had not time to react directly to Adams' surprising lack of professionalism, and the lead machine took an ASRAAM to the starboard turboprop, knocking it out of operation. With alarms bleeping in the cockpit the machine was forced to set down on the surface, which happened with more than a few extra bumps sustained. The lift-giving forward turbofans were swamped and battered in an unusually rough touch-down, and the crew set to initial damage control.

Perhaps setting down caused the warship's air-search radar to lose its fix, perhaps the Asters simply failed to attack a surface target, it would be hard to discern, but the lead machine survived the initial engagement, bobbing almost helpless on the Mediterranean.

The Dwrgi-D contributed heavily. Loviatar is a shorter-range system than Aster's long-range component, but otherwise has either parity or marginal superiority in most respects, and the WIGs cells reacted instantly to the British attack. Unfortunately, with little time to recalibrate systems, the interceptors went two-to-one against each incoming missile, meaning that there would be too few defending missiles to take out all the attackers. The Dwrgi-D itself was saved, as was another WIG, but two of the six were struck twice, and a third received one hit to its upper superstructure.

The personnel-laden machine was damaged, and several occupants injured when the roof was perforated, but their machine struggled on along with the Dwrgi-D and one other transport, dispensing countermeasures as it went. Two machines were completely destroyed, hitting the waves at high speed, while the lead Dwrgi remained stranded on the surface. It was not silent, however, as a pair of Sumpit HVMs were loosed after the last Harrier, optically guided (thus immune to flares and chafe) and traveling at Mach 4, bearing four penetration-delay warheads between them.

Soviet India was yet to react, but would certainly be able to prove to the world that the WIGs, which recently passed through the Suez Canal, were not offensively armed machines such as would shortly be dispatched to the theatre with Vanguard and Charioteer AShMs and 305mm torpedoes. Machines designed to destroy Quinntonian carrier battle groups may yet be pitted against the little ships of the Royal Navy.

The Crooked Beat

19-06-2007, 17:01

Mumbai

The assembled Parliamentarians are quite displeased over Christina Lloyd's last comment. Surely she is aware that the Indian National Union fought for years against a nuclear-armed First Commonwealth, which was, obviously, located right across the border, and the threat of nuclear attack never deterred the INA or Parliament. Indeed, unlike the British armed forces, the INA actually suffered a nuclear attack on its soldiers, at the hands of the Federal Republic of Bonstock, and yet the Unioners still kept at it until they won. Granted, it was at the cost of close to half an infantry division, but for Lloyd to imply that the INU would not be acting similarly in the UK's position is simply untrue.

Of course, one of the Parliamentarians points out the fact that they too made slanderous remarks about the British, and that the Indian National Union is hardly a perfectly upstanding nation in and of itself. So with that unpleasant exchange out of the way, the Hindustanis get back to the business of proper diplomacy.

"You see, gentlemen," begins one Parliamentarian, himself hailing from Hyderabad, "going to war with France was a major error in judgment on our part. We should have let Britain fight France by itself, and not pledged our support for either Portugal or ECOWAS. Doubtless London and Versailles would still be at war, while, here in India, we could have simply waited until the western powers wore themselves out. The prospect of the Soviets becoming involved was apparently enough to drive NATO and the Holy League together, and had we remained neutral we would be in an infinitely better position right now. This is, oddly enough, for the most part our own fault. We should not, therefore, be so unpleasant towards Miss Lloyd here. Now, Miss Lloyd, what have you come here to say before us?"

The Mediterranean Sea

In a cruel twist of fate, Barmer (OCC: Bihar is the name of the class, Barmer the name of this particular submarine) is struck by her own torpedo, the crew's relative inexperience and the captain's lack of caution leading the boat to cross paths with the last Type 24. Caught in an extremely difficult situation, the Hindustanis aboard don't realize their predicament until it is far too late, and the Type 24 does everything that is expected of it. Ripping into the machine spaces, the warhead detonates, literally tearing-off the aft section of the submarine. For the men aboard, there is no chance. Those not killed by the force of the explosion quickly drown or are crushed as the Mediterranean surges in at them.

The Indian Navy's first submarine casualty since the 1980s is a terrible embarrassment, done as it is at the hands of Italians with even less experience than the Hindustani commander and with relatively old boats. Likewise the failure of the Type 24 to arm itself, even after traveling a significant distance, is another embarrassment that points to poor handling aboard the Barmer. The weapon that struck the Italian Sauro should have destroyed it, and its failure to do so can only be explained by poor crew discipline. Most embarrassing of all is that it was not even an enemy torpedo that put the Barmer under, not even a torpedo fired from its own side, but its own torpedo. Such an error was not even committed during the dark days of the 1980s, when Hindustanis still operated WWII-vintage boats and when submariners were as much threatened by their own boats as by the enemy's.

Fortunately, for Captain Ajanta, the details of the sinking will not be known for some time, and there are no Hindustani survivors to attest to this terrible error. In all fairness, he did almost sink one Sauro, and he damaged another, and a third should have been sunk. Barmer, despite its careless expenditure, did manage, in one fell swoop, to put a significant chunk of the Italian submarine fleet out of action. The two Sauros running on the surface are not long after spotted by Indian radar in Libya, and Jaguars from No.2 Squadron, an outfit with more hours of combat experience than probably most airforces, sortie out from Benghazi to attack them with Sea Eagle missiles, escorted by No.15 Squadron's F.4s.

Further to the north, Faisalabad, a submarine far more ably led, listens to the battle with its own large hydrophone array. Captain Arjun Ramsingh, the boat's commander, now knows of the Italian submarines being in the area, and he moves south, slowly and quietly, in order to cover the coast of Libya. Bihar, meanwhile, completes its transit of the Suez Canal in the nick of time, and dives just as the Soviet WIGs are attacked by Harriers. Bihar, captained by hero and submarine ace Islam Karim Khan, is a larger variant of the general Bihar design, and more lethal as well, fitted with six VLS cells for the Brahmos ASM or the Mangonel cruise missile, besides a highly effective six 533mm torpedo tubes. Entering the Mediterranean for the first time, Vice Admiral Khan has every intention of adding to his tally, be they Italian, French, Russian, Spanish, or British vessels. Certainly he will not lose his submarine to a terrible mistake like captain Ajanta.

The Suez Canal

It is not long after the Anglo-Soviet confrontation that INS Derawar arrives at Suez Town, at the southern end of the canal, at the head of the Hindustani 7th Fleet. Accompanying the brand-new cruiser is the frigate Sawaj, a smattering of corvettes, and a pair of the new submarine chasers, along with three Pondicherry-class minesweepers. The fleet's warships are not alone, however. They escort a group of five merchantmen, refitted as troopships and now being used to carry the 89th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, part of the 10th Division, and the first major INA regular force unit due to arrive in Libya.

Though passage fares have indeed been wired to Cairo, Vice Admiral Rajender Soni receives orders from Mumbai to stop, and to wait before proceeding into the Mediterranean until the state of affairs regarding the British is made more clear. Though the 7th Fleet is indeed meant to go into the Mediterranean and fight whatever enemies are there, in whatever numbers, the UDF does not want to send a troop convoy where there is a high probability of it being attacked by numerically superior enemy forces. Brigades such as the 89th do not grow on trees, and Hindustani commanders are not keen to see the 10th Division's strength heavily depleted before the formation is even in theater. If things really go south, the 89th brigade would stand a good chance of seizing Port Said, but the last thing most Parliamentarians want to do is further antagonize Egypt, and thus add another threat to Libya's borders.

Beddgelert

19-06-2007, 18:02

India

Here, on the fortress sub-continent, Soviet delegates are delivering information to their Union comrades. The British Empire, it is clearly stated, is, as a matter of fact, co-operating with the Holy League at a military level. Satellites used by the League to command and control military forces fighting ECOWAS and allied troops in West Africa are funded and supported by London. Britain, is in truth already at war with Soviet and Union India, all ECOWAS, Libya, and all other nations -from Namibia to Strathdonia- that have pledged to resist the Holy League. Can this be denied? Or is GSIC right in reporting that British pounds support French military satellites? Yes, GSIC is correct. NATO and the HL are allies. The war continues. Jai Hind!

On the training grounds were more young Indian men than people in the British city of Birmingham, that nation's second city, or any French city besides Paris (mother of revolt). India could, if she chose, build one battle tank for every second Spaniard. As this would lead to a serious lack of fuel and ammunition it wasn't being tried, but the principle -Europe has made a big mistake- remained the same. Soviet India's war economy dwarfed that of the entire Holy League, and Raipur had help from Mumbai to Windhoek, from Harare to Hanoi.

The War Soviets were considering Africa. Libya was their best foothold near the theatre of war. But it was close to Europe and under-manned. What if the League threw everything at it?

...Well, the League would exhaust itself before India has even drafted a conscription bill. Yes, Europe would lose before Asia even starts trying. If Libya is over-run, the HL will have stretched itself epically. India won't even have finished accepting volunteers. The counter-strike will be five or ten times larger than anything that the League can muster.

Libya

The Colonel's men, of all Africans, possibly have the most to lose. Who else in Africa sells oil above market price? Who else receives Soviet aid for no reason beyond support of their own nationalist ideals? Libya has it sweet.

Adiatorix is in Tripoli. He watches with satellite intelligence soon to be denied the League. Hundreds of thousands of French and Spanish troops preparing, eh? He watches.

On the Roycelandian-Algeria border... little activity. The Soviets have skirmished here and found nothing of interest. Royce may be a corpulent drunkard, but he isn't necessarily an idiot. He knows that joining the war on India would mean that in the first day he'd lose Goa and his entire Eastern Fleet. In the first week he'd lose Gabon as well. In the first month he'd lose Socotra, and Roycelandian East Africa would be attacked simultaneously from at least three sides, if not four.

Roycelandian Algeria is not regarded as a threat, and minimal forces are deployed opposite it.

Off Tripoli

"Affirmative, comrade, Holy League IFF codes identified." Crackling as Soviet, Libyan, and Hindustani forces heard the WIG's report. Franco-Spanish assets were approaching Libyan waters. No troop ships had been spotted by the PCC, so this was either an anti-shipping operation -unlikely, as few surface assets were on hand in Libya- or a coastal bombardment mission.

"Permission to enga... thank you, comrade! Blue Seven attacking now."

The mix of Soviet red and Libyan green caused locally-based Indian forces to designate themselves blues. The Dwrgi WIG had, reportedly, detected engine-sounds on previously-deployed sonar-buoys, suggesting Spanish submarines, and, with help from Marathon AEW, had located Holy League surface ships approaching Libya from the west.

The defenders were entirely prepared, and the planned cruise missile strike was going to run into some problems. 200km shy of the approaching League vessels the WIG Katrina loosed a pair of Mach 2.7 Charioteer anti-ship missiles before vanishing back into the clutter of the Libyan coast. As the enemy approached they would only face more and more hit-and-run WIG and FAC strikes, making a cruise-missile assault by such limited forces an entirely regrettable idea.

As League ships tried to get within range of Tripoli, more and more Soviet WIGs and Libyan FACs would launch missiles at them and peel off. Missiles two or three times faster than anything seen in the battle between Franco-British forces in the North Atlantic. Missiles that Phalanx and Goalkeeper simply could not stop.

In truth, the Europeans had an absolutely minuscule chance of getting out alive. Attack Libya by sea? You'd better be the entire US Navy, at least!

"This must be a diversionary attack" mused commanders ashore, "there's no way they can expect to hurt us in an unsupported amphibious assault!"

(OOC: Sorry, I'm not sure exactly which vessels carry cruise missiles for the HL, but I assume that most are French surface vessels?
Either way, the Gulf of Sirte is patrolled heavily by Soviet WIGs plus the small Libyan navy. We'll certainly see the fleet approaching, and it will be hit hard and many, many times before it gets the range of Tripoli. Unless I've missed something I doubt that the fleet can get within missile range before WIGs and other assets have ripped it to pieces with long-range, high-speed, low-signature anti-ship missiles launched from fast-moving WIGs. The WIGs are good for transport, amphibious assault, and sinking reckless surface fleets that try to go where the ground isn't prepared for them. Libya is a good example of such a place! If I've missed a reason why the French cruise-missile strike should succeed, I trust that someone will point it out shortly! At the moment it just looks like a blind bomber-run without any SEAD preparation.)

Nova Gaul

19-06-2007, 18:30

((Heh, BG, rubbing the WIGs in my face, eh? Anyway, this was not an attack designed to actually hit you. The fleet is staying at a far distance, which will allow you I am sure to wipe the cruise missiles, nautical ones, aside, but as I said the intention is to bog you down, not condct a close range and therefore victorious strike. You can launch missiles at them, in which case their will be an anti-missile response, about 800 km shy of you then, but they are not getting anywhere near as close as you first stated. This is the opening round, and as you can see below, the blows are just starting. Just a heads up. Just wanted to let you know that before I do a response to your strike, vive versa as well I suppose. I mean in all fairness you did respond before I even acted! Now that is pragmatism!))

Le Royaume d’Algerie, Plan Yellow, T-2 Minutes

Le Merechal de la Tour du Pin walked along a large and temporarily evacuated tarmac facing the super fort Ste. Jeanne d’Arc’s missile silos. Members of his command staff walked behind him, and alongside the Merechal was the British commander. Lt. General Pearson. It was the gray hour just before dawn as the loudspeakers began the countdown. The assemblage had to wait just a moment before reaching the viewing boxes, as a column of M-1 Abrams tanks rumbled proudly by on their way to maneuvers.

The super fort was far from silent indeed, as the massive influx of Holy League forces trained, equipped, marched or drove nearby. Platoons of troopers could be heard running to heavy chants, more than one shouting ‘Vive le Roi’. As light increased the massive floodlights all around the Forte began to wink out, and overshadowing everything was the ominous recitation of diminishing numerals.

Everyone was quiet, anticipating quite a spectacle. Le Merechal lit a cigarette as they assumed their positions. Like the gates of Hell the silo hatches slowly opened, perversely reaching towards the rising sun. De la Tour du Pin nodded to his compatriots, offering the British general one of his cigarettes, if he smoked. Some things, certainly, would be smoking very soon.

The loudspeakers boomed: “Cinq…quatre…trios…deux…un…”

Less than a second seemed to hang on eternity, and was replaced by a roaring which eclipsed everyone’s thoughts. One after another French Hades SRBM’s and Fury V’s LRBM’s sprang up from their silos, couched in roaring hydrogen and oxygen based flames. For a moment they seemed to hang low on the ground, and then heroically pulled up and launched away, zipping towards targets in Libya. The Fury V’s hurtled towards targets in Tripoli itself: the power stations, radio and satellite relays, airport and transit centers, water facilities, and government and military installations located within the terrorist overlords capital. The Hades missiles, with a shorter range, concentrated instead of smashing what military installations as resided in Zuwarah. From the super fort 15 Fury V’s screeched towards Tripoli, an equal number of Hades voyaged to Soviet targets in Zuwarah. An expensive launch, but everyone knows how important first impressions are. Eos, rosy-fingered dawn, had quite a wakening that morning.

In the desert strip of the Kingdom of Algeria, south of the super fort and the Atlas Mountains, dozens of antiquated Algeria SCUD Missile launchers rattled to their launch positions. With much less grace than the cutting edge weaponry emerging from Fte. Ste. Jeanne the awkward SCUDs were slowly hoisted by the hydraulic lifts. In sync with the Fury V’s and the Hades the SCUDs too hoisted up, and with a bit less vigor, if still an impressive spectacle with their chemical trails creating a marvelous pattern in the clear desert sky, zipped to hit military, supply, and infrastructure targets in Ghadamis. Nigerian SCUD units, based in Northern Niger and still working on coordinated time table, launched their units as well, theirs dashing towards Sabha. A total of 50 SCUDs in total were deployed, with 25 making for each target from the different fronts. In a way the Holy League powers were fortunate: the SCUDs were antiquated equipment, so it was in their best interest to use them all up while they were still good. The indefatigable launch units had no sooner sent out the first batch than the second rate engineers began to ready the second. A second motive for the use of SCUDs was the nearly irresistible targets they themselves made. It was, however, a trap. Ordu du Saint-Esprit, Tsarist Nigerian, and overall Allied air command had squadrons of all varieties of jets currently on patrol in friendly airspace, doing their best to remain inconspicuous. If the Soviets decided to sally forth and raid the SCUD units, the hunters would spring their trap. Hundreds of Rafales, Mirage’s, and other Allied craft simply waited for the foxes to emerge from their dens, and the chase would be afoot!

And out at sea, above the Kingdom of Algeria’s coast, the French Royal Navy’s 3rd Fleet heard alarms as the sun kissed the Mediterranean. From the Cherbourg Class Battleship HMCMS Louis-Auguste a round twenty Fury II cruise missiles sprang forth in fiery rapture to the sound of deep whooping nautical alarms. Half again as many rose from the several Marseilles Class Light Cruisers present in the fleet, making a total of thirty cruise missiles now ducking down just feet above the sea, spreading their temporary wings as they droned onwards. Ten droned to join the attack on Tripoli, ten made for Surt, and ten of the nearly undetectable cruise missiles made their target Benghazi. In all cases power installations were the primary target, naval facilities the secondary, and all military installations were considered the tertiary goal.

All this, of course, a testimony to professionalism of His Most Christian Majesty’s forces and the Holy League high command in general, happened in the blink of an eye. Plan Yellow was underway. About a dozen cruise missiles would launch from the 3rd Fleet every hour, it was doubtful that many would get through at such a long and predictable range: but that was not the objective. The objective was simply to cause the Soviets to deploy their defense systems, and tie them up while exhausting them when the real attack came. Indeed, given the degree of Soviet anti-missile technology, no one doubted much of anything would get through, but it certainly would blast and rattle the defenders. As well, these attacks would allow Holy League intelligence to more accurately surmise the state of Libya’s and their Soviet master’s capabilities better than any method yet employed by God’s Lieutenants.

In Northern Niger, hundreds of thousands of Tsarist Nigerian army personnel prepared for their invasion northwards. MIG jets zoomed overhead, flying alongside their allied Rafale’s and Mirage’s. Armor scuttled about, and anticipation ran high. In less than five days, the honor of Mubarrak and the Tsar would be displayed for the entire world to see. In a way Nigeria had the most virtuous role in Pal Yellow, one that would guarantee Holy League Nigeria a place in the sun.

In Djanet, Roycelandian Southern Algeria, French Engineers set up phony staging bases for an apparent invasion that would, circumstantially, happen alongside the Nigerian thrust northwards. The Kingdom of Algeria, with Bourbon support, also deployed large amounts of electronic warfare equipment, making it as difficult as possible for the reds to make any sense of what was going on in Algeria at the moment. The real staging base of course was, appropriately enough, in Constantine. Yet there French Intelligence hoped misleading signals beamed throughout Libya, and high amounts of electronic interference hampering observation, would lull the Soviets away from the truth as the lie was so much more convincing. They even allowed direct satellite and radio feeds to filter through Tripoli for a few minutes, clearly stating that the Holy League forces planned an attack through Djanet. What was known absolutely, of course, was the strike preparing in Niger…but if the Soviets turned all their attentions towards that, so much the better.

Gurguvungunit

19-06-2007, 22:22

OOC: I assume that this negotiation takes place before the Mediterranean incident.

Mumbai

Christina watched the exchange carefully. There was a reason that she liked dealing with the Hindustanis; she hated deceit and hidden agendas. It was a strange characteristic in a diplomat, but Christina much preferred the straight-talking Unioners to the suave French or the moralistic Quinntonians. She laughed darkly at the Hyderi representative's speech, but cut the nasty tone with a smile.

"I'm not sure whether to thank you or not, Parliamentarian. In any case, I've come to say that Britain has no quarrel with the Union. Really, we've been allies for decades. Perhaps our relationship has been strained recently, but I don't see the need to throw it away because of a momentary rivalry. I suppose that I'm saying, war with the Soviets seems simply inevitable at this point. Our attempts to reach some kind of mutually agreeable outcome with regards to Africa have failed time and again, and the Soviets don't seem to be willing to budge.

"I'm not here to talk about that, not specifically. I'm not going to ask the Union to fight the Soviets, or even oppose them. I understand, your two nations have a strong bond formed by mutually agreeable ideals. All I'm asking is that we keep this from becoming a repeat of the Great War, with its network of alliances dragging everyone and their dog to the battlefield. Cynical as it might sound, I want to keep this a war between NATO and the Soviets, not World War Three.

"Our elected officials have already ranted and raved about the dangers of war, I don't need to go into it. You're intelligent people, you don't need me to lecture you. I'm asking, in essence, that the INU take the position of armed neutrality. I welcome your aid in Africa, because I believe that the INU can do good there. I welcome the chance to rebuild our alliance, because I think that it's important for the future of our nations. Let's not throw that away because of a quarrel between allies."

Mediterranean, Off Cyprus

The Sumpit missiles, travelling at Mach 4 and fired from extreme close range for their type, impacted Two's Harrier before he had a chance to evade. Each delayed-penetration warhead ripped through the thin aluminum skin of the aeroplane and lodged in its vitals. One landed directly inside the jet-fuel tanks in the wing roots, tearing through avionics and electronics alike. The severed datalines sparked and fizzled, touching off the reserves of JP-5 that powered the Harrier. The JP-5, a cocktail of chemicals that combined to form a hyper-unstable mixture, exploded. Fire coursed along every available channel, filling the cockpit and jetting out the engine ports. Two was roasted alive before he could scream, but not before he felt the searing pain that comes from incineration. Missile loads exploded microseconds later, followed finally by the four warheads carried by the Sumpit missiles.

The response aboard the Docker River was instantaneous. While the first attack had been ambiguous-- had it been a warning shot?-- the destruction of Blue Two was not. Britain and the Indian Soviet Commonwealth were at war, their feud sealed by the death of a young British pilot.

"Weapons, we have them targetted?" The young man in charge of the destroyer's extensive missile loadout, a twenty year old Lieutenant, nodded.

"Aye, sir." Morris swallowed before speaking again.

"Destroy them all."

Docker River, a Type 3 Destroyer, colloquially known as the Hermiod class, was optimized for Air Defence and Missile Interdiction. She was a capable ship to ship combatant, but her extensive VLS tubes were loaded primarily with Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles and Aster-30 anti-missile missiles, the high-tech replacement for the Standard SM-2s and Sea Dart defensive missiles that had blunted Argentinian attacks during the Falklands War. The WIGs, for all their revolutionary design, were essentially large, low flying aircraft with onboard point-defence systems, and in that sense were the Docker River's ideal targets.

Missiles, Aster-15s optimized for close range combat, leapt from their launch tubes in batches of four. Though capable of launching simultaneously, the three remaining WIGs posed little immediate danger and their defensive firepower was, if anything, markedly less with the demise of their comrades.

The Dwirgi-D was the target of priority, its extensive missile loadout having been observed by the British weapons officer. Towards it cruised six Aster missiles, the first out of the tubes. The other two flew in a pair, trailing the active transport WIG with deadly accuracy.

The immobile WIG received a radio message from the destroyer, calling for its immediate surrender. To underscore the point, the ship's 155 mm cannon swiveled towards it, unmistakable in its threat.

Cyprus

Though much of the fleet's patrol strength, made up of aged Type 42Ms and Adelaide Class frigates were on patrol, the core of the Mediterranean Fleet (Division East)'s strength remained in port. HMS Quenfis, the third great battle carrier built by Australian shipwrights in Sydney, completed its loading of Harrier aircraft with impressive speed. AF/A-18 fighters joined the already extensive Cyprus air defence group, while new Harrier GR.11s replaced them as the Fleet Air Arm's main combat aircraft.

Optimized for air to air combat, the GR.11's airframe was made of radar absorbent materials and aluminum alike, making it almost as difficult to detect as the soon-to-be-introduced Quinntonian F/A-35 Joint Strike Fighter, with the added charm of a lower price tag and a quicker build time. It was nearly as maneuverable, although not quite on-par with the Soviet's extremely unstable Puffin. The tradeoff, like with most western fighters, was towards making them hard to detect and slightly wider-turning than their Soviet counterparts, a tradeoff generally accepted by the British pilots who had come to love their new aircraft.

Quenfis and her escort, three Type 42Ms, the AWIAC class frigate Arunta and two Collins-class SSKs, left port with little fanfare. Their objective was not particularly exciting. The Quenfis battlegroup's job was to provide air cover for the mouth of the Suez Canal, and to be prepared to engage in combat with Soviet vessels. Despite the general wording of the objective, tensions ran high. This was the ISC's navy, not the French. They could expect technical parity, good training and revolutionary zeal.

But then, the Quenfis battlegroup had its own advantages. Firstly, the battlegroup's central ship was a battle carrier, equal to the USS John F. Kennedy or the HMS Queen Elizabeth I, the largest conventionally powered aircraft carriers in the world. Her air arm numbered sixty, as large as any boasted by a nation, anywhere. But beyond the material, the battlegroup had another advantage. From the Quenfis' flagpole flew the White Ensign, the flag that flew above Trafalgar, the First of June and a host of other naval victories. They were heirs to the tradition that had started with Francis Drake and continued to this day, of the finest navy in the world. Brave words, for a small fleet which had only recently emerged from financially motivated obscurity. But the men and women of the Royal Navy were determined to prove them true.

Off Cyprus, elsewhere

The HMS Longbow's mission was a bit more prosaic still. Unescorted and unthreatened, the light carrier's course would take it to the small island of Malta, a Royal Navy base of old. There, she would put into port and offload a company of Royal Engineers and a cadre of naval officers tasked with reforming the old naval base that had served as a mid-sea anchor for Nelson's navy, for the fleet that had destroyed the Italians in the Second World War. The Royal Navy was getting back on its feet, and not past time.

OOC2: Woo, jingoism!

Beddgelert

20-06-2007, 11:01

Libya

Ballistic missile launches cause a rising of bile in the Soviets, who recently have given-up such strategic weapons. The cowards! A consensus assessment of the French.

Needless to say, the Soviets had observed League moves as they mustered hundreds of aircraft, hundreds of thousands of troops, a whole fleet, and scores of ballistic missiles, and, while they did that, India had answered with its own on-going deployments.

CS-400 Red Sky batteries lead the defence, punching the relatively close Fury and Hades missiles from the sky in large numbers, while Loviatar-L and Libyan SA-2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 systems, and even French-origin Crotale presented a formidable barrier to incoming cruise missiles.

Scuds had virtually no hope against CS-400, but it was well that the Christians had spread their strikes across so many cities. Concentrated against, say, Ghadamis, the Scuds and Hades or Fury missiles might have over-whelmed existing Soviet interceptors.

Still, a very few Scuds would land, those deemed to be little threat, and light damage was inflicted on Ghadamis and the Soviet staging area to the south.

From Ghadamis and opposite Niger a few of Libya's own Scud-B missiles would respond, targeting hostile force concentrations within two or three hundred kilometres of the borders.

The French might find some of their efforts hindered as the operation progressed. Indian anti-satellite missiles hurtling around the world would soon be striking targets in large numbers, hurting League intelligence and GPS guidance for some of their missiles.

In the air

Needless to say, Soviet and Libyan aircraft scrambled in large numbers even before the strikes, AEW radar informing defenders of the sortie in strength of enemy aircraft.

NT-1C Springers lead the charge, flying from Tripoli, Ghat, and southern Murzuq. Finding Scuds was usually difficult, but the enemy had brought them all out at once and was, evidently, keeping them in place to reload for a second try. Springers flew in low and fast, Parliament AGMs ready.

Over head NT4C Hobgoblin air superiority fighters began to muster, their numbers relatively small but their capabilities -now armed with Hindustani-built Meteor missiles- far in advance of anything in enemy hands. Libya's Golkonda fighters are less impressive, but still fast and nimble, and deadly at short to medium range... the Libyans would leave stand-off engagement to the Soviets before charging distracted hostiles using their second reheat function to come within a few dozen kilometres while the enemy tried to evade long-range Soviet missiles.

A large portion of Libya's 150 Golkondas -possibly a hundred aircraft- would be airborne during the course of the action, leaving just the four squadrons facing Egypt out of the action.

Unbeknownst to the enemy a number of Libya's jets were in fact crewed by experienced Yugoslavian, Drapoel, and Vietnamese pilots.

Ground war

The communists still gave Roycelandian Algeria a low priority, so many Roycelandian holdings standing to be easily annexed if Port Royal joins the war directly, and all though it isn't an ideal situation Adiatorix has to gamble, given the current numerical superiority of his rivals. That border is not undefended, but it sees relatively little force concentration.

To the south, facing Niger, Soviet forces lash out hard. A few Libyan Scuds are one thing, but Evolved Pinaka quite another. As soon as significant Nigerian forces are within 100km of the Libyan border they will be given cause to assume that God, or Allah, is greatly displeased as 214mm rockets descend at Mach 1.8 from twenty kilometres inside Libya, each one dispensing submunitions capable of destroying a 3.9 square kilometre area. The Soviet force here, probably heavily outnumbered, can pour hundreds of these rockets into the enemy if required, and protects them jealously with Loviatar SAMs.

India

Well, the war was on, but, as yet, the Soviets remained confident. GSIC convinced many that there really was nothing to worry about so long as the US remained uninvolved, and so investigating British hostility -and complicity with League operations and intelligence- was certainly a popular pursuit.

Even if Libya were to be over-run, most feel, it would cost the enemy more than it costs us. India has barely begun to mobilise for war, so the League simply can not destroy a significant part of the Commonwealth's war-fighting capability even with a total victory.

While the plan certainly is to hold Libya, a contingency plan for counter-invasion is already being drawn-up.

Either way, within weeks the League's forces will be badly outnumbered in North Africa. Planners do not envy the enemy's position, where even victory fails to significantly improve his lot.

(OOC: Gurg stuff later, sick of sitting here!)

Nova Gaul

20-06-2007, 20:35

((BG: I am going to be very careful responding here, as I don’t know if you’ve actually committed any definite offensive movements. I think this also, IC, has a lot to do with the fog of war. Which I think is good, as precise numbers may not be known until actual closing of forces, as I will try my hand at. Therefore I am assuming the Springers, not a clear number as I stated, are incoming to attack, and will respond to those. I am going to wait to actually respond to, but in minor fashion acknowledge, the Hobgoblins and Libyan jets, as I don’t know what their position is exactly. The missiles both against Niger and Algeria (?) can be responded to as well. I also am trying to use a bit more technical data, bare with me, as the war in Libya will have to be technical given the combatants. Also, I am sure you have said it in other places, but what is a Hobgoblin comparable to in real life in terms of frame, armament, and endurance? I can’t find anything on the Springer either. And what is the launch platform for the Pinaka missiles? ATTN: Spyr…there is some Taya stuff here for you, if you want it (otherwise I will stop with Mauritania) with a backdrop for it several posts ago I believe.))

Northern Niger

As Soviet missiles hurled towards Tsarist Nigerian positions in Niger’s northern extremities, French SAM systems sprang to life. For, among the advance Nigerian divisions who would lead the strike into Libya, less than five days hence, there was an Allied Anti-Aircraft/Missile Brigade, based around several companies of modified French AMX-30 units, all equipped with the very latest from the Royal Arsenal R&D section. Versailles knew that the Soviets utilized heavy rocket propelled weaponry in greatly extent than nearly any comparable regime, and so geared the elements of Plan Yellow to nullify that advantage. Some 34 modified AMX-30 AM vehicles boasted freshly constructed Roland VT1 deployment platforms, capable of launching six modified Roland VT1’s within seconds of each other. Spanish and Russian SAM systems are present, but without doubt the French unit is the most advanced on site.

The Roland was not, as the rest of the world was fond of mocking France for, a sub-standard weapon. It is, on the contrary, so advanced and effective, with a 95% success rate, that before the outbreak of hostilities in Europe the Kingdom of France regularly sold the munition to the United States of Quinntonia, one of the very few foreign SAM systems to be purchased for the US Army.

So as the truly dreadful Soviet Evolved Pinaka ‘death-rockets’ come howling in at Mach 2, like deamons come screaming from the very pit of hell, the French AMX-30’s lead the Holy League forces in delpoying a desperate missile shield. Hundreds of light and airy Roland VT1 Hypervelocity anti-missile missiles zip out of their tubes like angry fairies, zooming away into the firmament in the blink of an all across North Niger, all along Allied lines. Zip, zip, zip, higher the racing little rockets fly, zoom with flashing chemical trails, and the final crash and explosion when the two nearly invisible Soviet and French missiles collide. All over the vast lines Nigerian and their European attaches howled with victory as Soviet missiles roared angily above for a second or two, then died away into smoke.

Two, however, made it through. The first exploded with an angry thunk just kilometers from a heavy column of Tsarist Nigerian supply trucks, sending everyone for miles around ducking for cover and giving rise to the realization this war would be far more difficult indeed than had been the campaign to render ECOWAS. Unfortunately, the second missile made contact.

A Nigerian ‘engineering team’, far above the main Tsarist Nigerian lines, was responsible for clearing a road for the immanent offensive, and had been spending the last few days dynamiting clusters of obfuscating rock and dirt. Their task was nearly complete, they had but to dig several trench works and they would head in their derelict trucks back towards General Yomotumbaro’s headquarters and the main Allied staging base. The company included 63 members of the Nigerian Military Engineers, and roughly twice the number of civilians conscripted to assist in the ‘Great War for African Liberation.’ No sooner had they witnessed the French missiles dashing the communist rockets in the sky, they were in the very act of celebrating by firing their AK-47’s madly into the air, yelling ‘lalalalalalalala’, when a Soviet Pinaka ‘death-rocket’ , having gotten through God’s Lieutenant’s defenses, landed smack dab in the center of their formation. One derelict truck survived the roaring boom, and the six or so survivors took off south in it to tell of dastardly Soviet deeds. Black Africans, killed by Soviet aggression…the opportunity was too good to pass up. They were given an interview that evening on RNN, top notch propaganda, because it was mostly true.

But Plan Yellow went on, SCUD missiles launching a second time, this against any possible Soviet targets just immediately north of Niger’s border.

Southern Libya, ‘Neutral’ Airspace

The Soviet’s NT-1C Springers indeed swooped down low like vultures and cut across the desert floor. With a vulture’s hunger their formation made it’s way to the quite vulnerable (Star War’s Emperor’s Voice) SCUD units lying like fat beetles, quite alone, all over visibility superb North Niger, centered in Madama. Their vulturic formation would continue to thunder south…no SAM missile units locked on, nor even attempted to target the Springers. Undoubtedly, the Soviets would credit their own ability at military maneuver. Ahh, in just a few minutes, they must have thought, the Soviets will cause the corrupt and degenerate Holy League their first major disaster in the war. La Sociale!

Hopefully it would be just after the completion of that thought that the commissars back in Tripoli, or wherever thereabouts the Soviets had established their ungodly relay stations, sent the warning: sixty, maybe seventy Dassault-Rafales, French codes, closing fast. Closing fast indeed!

For the Dassault-Rafales, an entire wing, The Silver Spurs, one of the best units in the ODSE, kept their formation too. They howled in to meet the Springers, 72 craft strong, divided by squadrons in diamond formation. In they came, pulling up from their low drive across the desert. At Mach speeds alarms rang in the disparate cockpits, blinking lights reflecting in the cold back visors of some of the best of Kingdom of France’s noblesse-pilots, 37 kilometers. Range had been achieved. The trap was sprung, outside of each others ground to air defenses, only their skill would serve them now. Coldly, savoring that they were the first knights to strike a blow against the communist chimera, they awaited the command from le Marquis d’Arras, wing-leader.

As the buzzing confirmed locks lighting up among His Most Christian Majesty’s Rafales, d’Arras calmly spoke: “All craft, Fox 2.”

From the Dassault Rafales a flaring missile dropped down under each wing, sending the Super 530 AAMs, 72 in all, careening along at Mach 5 at a distance of now less than 30 kilometers and closing towards the communist Springers. With acute precision the tight French Dassault formation broke apart like shattered glass, each squadron in arrow formation slamming on the turbo thrusters. Proceeding behind the wave of Super 530 AAMs, still at Mach speeds themselves, The Silver Spurs leveled their lances and gave the charge.

…Meanwhile: Incoming Hobgoblins would notice that a Spanish Dassault Rafale wing El Cid, and a wing of Royal Algerian Air Force Mirage 2000’s Desert Hope (who have garnered experience in the West African War), at either end of the combat zone, which is to say over Northern Niger and Eastern Algeria respectively, seem to shadow their moves and wait for them to come out of their missile cushion and ‘fight like men!’ As well the Libyan Golkondas were trailed by the Knights Errant, the 9th Wing of the ODSE in Mirage-2000’s. One of the last regular wings in France to use the Mirage-2000 model, their scheduled upgrade to the Dassault Rafale was necessarily postponed when war broke out. However, they had fought the Soviets in New Caledonia years ago, and with their numbers back to quota, were ready to again. They too stayed out of range, the name of the game here was to lure to Soviets out and then fight them, not waltz to their death in Muamar’s backyard.

Mauritania

As President Taya, the legally elected President of Mauritania, signs the final deals in El Escorial in the Kingdom of Spain which will seal his fealty to the Holy League, while this soon-to-be princeling prepares to return to his coup distraught country in glory, the Airforce of the Sultanate of Morocco, now a Spanish vassal, and Royal Algerian Air Force aircraft begin to conduct surgical strikes which will disable the rebel governments communication and supply abilities. Even before the first raids begin, the news begins to surface: the Rebel Coup is over, Legitimacy will return to put Mauritania on the free and democratic track once again.

It is certainly no where near as impressive the truly massive operations even now occurring in and around Libya, but the surgical strikes against rebel points of strength are epic in their own way, as all war is in one way or another. A wing of Moroccan Mirage III’s supported by five squadrons of Algerian Mirage-2000s, and even with a squad each of Royal Spanish and Royal French Rafales for air support should Rebel Mauritania have anything up its sleeve begins to strike simultaneously revolting targets throughout Mauritania, even hitting a few rebel bases in the Western Sahara.

Targets outside Nouakchott, the capital, targets like rebel troop barracks and communications centers are hit first. Forty Mirage IIIs and half again as many Mirage 2000s come in waves during the night, here and there LGBs and UGC light up the city parameters as another rebel site disappears. The howling of the jets too is extremely audible in the dark, followed by the thuds of landing bombs. No city infrastructure is damaged, however, this is only a strike against verified rebel targets. Following that, which was indeed the main strike, other surgical attacks are conducted with similar methods of operation. First in Nouadhibou, on Cabo Blanco, which is believe by Holy League intelligence to be a major rebel stronghold. Secondly strikes, with much heavier munitions and sometimes two UGC raids, consecutively, hit Semara in the northern Western Sahara. As the LGBs smash military targets and plumes of napalm rise into the night air about the dusty town, it will be clear the raids are designed to bring the Polisaro do the discussion table at once. With Morocco now a vassal of Spain, and with the Holy League wishing to see legitimate democratic government installed in Mauritania once again, there will be little room for Saharawi shenanigans. They are told in no uncertain terms to come to the bargaining table at once, and cease their support of and engagement in rebel activities.

President Taya, with several divisions of Moroccan Infantry to support him and a ‘a supportive attitude’ amongst his Mauritanian constituents, is told by his new Bourbon friends he may return home at his leisure to resume office.

Fte. Ste. Jeanne d’Arc, Laghouat, Kingdom of Algeria

The military model Airbus 380 touched down on the fortes main runway with a puff of smoke as it rear wheels hit the brakes. The elongated, originally civilian aircraft was colored all over in shades of light gray and brown bedded camouflage, but still proudly bearing three emblazoned and golden fleur-de-lys on its main hatch, towards the front of the fuselage. It had to be careful coming in, massive air battles, the largest in the war so war, apparently were underway, or by all appearances soon would be, in Southern Libya and Northern Niger. The craft landed on the second day of continuous missile strikes against Libya, in the first stages of Plan Yellow: 4 days before the Nigerian offensive began, seven before the main and uber-secret Allied thrust through Tunisia.

And from the craft, in the subdued field uniform of a Colonel of the Garde Suisse stepped His Royal Highness le Duc de Normandie, the man who would command the main Holy League thrust and, if God was willing, see the hard line communists removed from power in Libya.

He was the third youngest brother of King Louis-Auguste, and a verifiable war hero. He had fought on foot, his tank unluckily immobilized (what had been the chances, he wondered, five tanks immobilized out of hundreds, all his bodyguards…it must have been providence, he decided) at the Battle of the Volta River, by far the largest engagement thus far in the African War, and the largest battle independently won by France against a credible foe in hundreds of years. He was wounded, and walked with a slight limp where a mad Ghanaians blade had severed several ligaments. His eyes were sharp, though, his wits keen, his muscles taut, his blood true. He was France’s premier war hero, even more so for him being a royal, at least in the eyes of Versailles. He took only a small military rank, leading, as his renowned interviews stated, “with the men and not above them.” The troops subsequently loved him, and he would lead them in their greatest challenge yet, their greatest task ever.

For now his presence was not being announced, as the Soviets might be able to put another piece of Plan Yellow puzzle together. When he was announced, trumpeted as the grand onslaught directly against hell began, the Soviets would know it would be a signal of their doom.

Let the Soviets think what they will about Africa, and about the God-granted punishment of Libya. With Libya gone, even though God’s Lieutenants may have to pay a ghastly price, where will the Soviets deploy to? They certainly wont be able to go through the Suez, the way things are going. And they have a fleet already battling on Africa’s Western Coasts. Will they invade Ethiopia then, whose strong general could be propped up equally as strong by the new coordination of NATO and the Holy League? That still leaves them a number of countries they must conquer, and make no mistake they will have to subdue them just as illegally as they blame the French liberators did, before they reach West Africa. Will they move through Namibia, and then conquer northwards much as they shall be forced to do in Ethiopia, though they find a few native allies to help them? Or will they just finally give up their pretenses, and plunge all of Southern and Central Africa into bloody and totalitarian Marxism before ‘benevolently’ turning north to continue their charade of deus ex machina?

Much, indeed, remains to be seen.

Vecron

20-06-2007, 23:30

Mediterranean

Once it is figured out what actually happened to the enemy sub (I kept calling it Bihar because the sailors wouldn’t have known the name of the sub), morale among the Navy and the HL would skyrocket. God is clearly with them, protecting them from the certainly more up-to-date Indian sub with minimal loss of life and hardware.

One of the Sauros that had surfaced is able to dive down to a shallow depth, not wanting to test the limits of her damaged hull. The other Roman sub is not so fortunate and must remain above the surface. The Captain now has an interesting dilemma; he knows that the Soviets will want to come after him, even more so once they find out what happened to their submarine. But if he goes to full speed, his engines will emit noise like a classroom of adolescents with no teacher to control them for all to hear and bear down on him. He makes the safe choice and proceeds making as little engine noise as possible. Unfortunately that means traveling at a brutal 5 knots. This was not going to be easy. He sends out a coded distress call to the whole Holy League. Rome’s flagship, the Garibaldi, carrying a mix of Harriers and Agusta anti-submarine helicopters answers the subs call, traveling at 28 knots. Two other Maestrale frigates answer the distress call and speed to the sub pushing 33 knots. The Garibaldi is closer and will arrive first with the frigates only minutes behind.

The squadron of Jaguars does not go unnoticed, but with so much air traffic over Libya, their course is discovered later. Two TIE squadrons are scrambled to intercept the squadron, one from Malta the other from Sicily. If it has been timed right, the two should meet simultaneously with the Jaguars, just before they reach missile range. If not…the crew of the Sauro is prepared to die. Everyone prays that they are not too late.

Fte. Ste Jeanne d’Arc, Laghouat, Kingdom of Algeria

The Roman Senators are cleared by the Caesar to give Rome’s full support to Plan Yellow. Rome’s position in respect to Libya gives them a strategic advantage that cannot be ignored. Already one of the Regia Marina’s De la Penne destroyers, four Maestrale frigates and two Soldati class frigates are moving to support the fleet in the Mediterranean. The only thing left is how else the King wants them to support Plan Yellow.

The Senators then approach the British and ask how they might support them in the Mediterranean. Their two Navies were clearly working toward the same goal and they would have more success if they worked together.

Hail Caesar!

Spyr

21-06-2007, 19:26

Niger

While much of Niger might appear conquered on League maps, the reality on the ground is far less certain. Massive buildup of Nigerian and allied troops in the far north is an affront to the self-declared freedom of the Tuareg, and while they do not muster armies in the field, any League soldier who leaves the protection of his camp is likely not to return. As with nomadic peoples across the Sahara, the Tuareg and Toubou fade in and out of their desert realm at will, aided by the reality of Libya: while they might be vanquished using the League’s air superiority and mechanized numbers, diversion of assets to such a goal would leave them vulnerable to the looming Soviet forces to the north.

Supply lines from Nigeria are threatened not only by such irregulars, but by the Nigerien military itself. Holed up in Niamey with much of its mechanized strength intact, it poses an extreme threat to the Nigerian army in the north: there, even water must be trucked in, not to mention foodstuffs, fuel, ammunition, all in massive quantities. A few days without water and the force will be lost without shots being fired, and everyone… the Nigerians, ECOWAS, and the Libyans… are all aware of it. To secure the country against supply disruption, like suppression of the Tuareg, would require diversion of substantial forces away from the Libyan front to serve as convoy escorts and garrisons as well as in engineering roles on Niger’s already-unstable transport infrastructure… certain elimination of Niger as a conventional threat demanding even further diversion of manpower.

Whether such an elimination is necessary becomes difficult to predict, as the Nigerien government begins to collapse. The ruling National Movement for the Development of Society (Nassara), wary of Communist encroachment, had kept order with the assurance that NATO would pressure France into ceasefire and put peacekeepers on the ground in Niger, restoring pre-war boundaries and keeping out both Nigerian and Communist invaders. A ceasefire had come, peacekeeping had been announced, and the League had flooded Niger with more troops than ever before, while Britain stood alongside in apparent support… Nassara’s credibility in the National Assembly was gutted as a result, and it was forced to dissolve its cabinet. Further debate pushed forward Mahamadou Issoufou of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (Tarayya) as choice for the prime ministerial post. The generally leftist leader immediately declared the need for Hindustani and perhaps ‘other Indians’ to secure the independence of Niger, abandoned by the ‘uncaring powers of the West’.

While the Assembly seemed ready to back a new course under Issoufou, war broke out between Britain and the Soviet Commonwealth.

It is perhaps a testament to Nigerien democracy that it became paralyzed, that no strongman emerged to push through one side or the other… Nassara still held the Presidency, warning that involvement with the Progressive Bloc would suck the country into a much wider conflict, while Tarayya and its coalition in the Assembly declared that there was nowhere else to look for succour. It remained uncertain how the deadlock might be overcome.

Sahara Desert (Rocelandian Algeria, southern Libya, northern ECOWAS)
The camel trains of the Frente Polisario moved through the desert as they always did… while aircraft also brought relief supplies from the outside world, these caravans continued to operate in the barren deserts, with little regard for borders. In these times of war, when the skies were becoming more dangerous, these overland routes would be increasingly valuable in carting Combine weapons from Libyan ports to the battlefields of the Western Sahara. With so many forces… League, Libyans, ECOWAS, as well as the Roycelandian border patrols… now maneuvering nearby, skirmishes were more likely than ever, the rattle of automatic weapons joining the sounds of wind and sand. Where the Saharawi observed movements, they were reported to the Hindustanis and Combine advisors who accompany them, perhaps passed down the line to planners in Tripoli or Raipur.

Western Sahara

[OOC: While the civil populace of Semara might hold SADR loyalties, they are already under Moroccan occupation. I’m not sure as to an alternate target in the SADR-held north… the settlements have already been evacuated, and military forces are either in small bands or locked in melee with the Spanish].

If they have not been pushed to the bargaining table by decades of invasion and occupation by already-superior forces, the Saharawi are not about to bow before this renewed onslaught. Indeed, the policies ordered by the Spanish high command up until now present the only likely solution, if one that may be distasteful to the League’s new friends in NATO: as Spanish troops already did at Tifariti, the Saharawi would have to be massacred en-masse if there was to be peace in the Western Sahara.

League aircraft making sorties over SADR concentrations would find themselves targets of an odd assortment of anti-aircraft weapons… heavy machine guns would likely pose little threat to anything flying at altitude and airburst artillery are notoriously inaccurate, but experience with the dangers of enemy planes, gained over several years of Moroccan aircraft dropping napalm on refugee columns, has seen Polisario push hard to obtain modern man-portable air defense missiles of Combine and Hindustani manufacture, which stand ready to give any attackers pause.

Mauritania

If the Saharawi have tried to prepare defences against air attack, Mauritania has tried to prepare defences that will devastate any air force that assaults them. Faced for many years with the very real possibility of Moroccan invasion, and unable to raise a sufficient air force of its own, Mauritania had concentrated on acquisition of a large number of air defense missiles, in hope that Morocco could not have air superiority if it was left without planes. SA-7 and SA-9 missiles streak upwards towards enemy aircraft as they approach through the night sky, their approaches detected by Sinoese-built radar systems awaiting just such an incursion.

It is uncertain whether the fact is fortunate or unfortunate, but League strikes in Mauritania can be more certain of many military targets than in other theatres… it was France, after all, which BUILT many of the targets they now hit, particularly military communications, though barracks and facilities in Nouadhibou will be harder to verify (constructed as they were by Sinoese engineers during development of the city’s ‘Friendship Port’). President Taya is another source of intelligence, though he and his ‘ministers’ likely do more harm than good, speaking of ‘military barracks’ and ‘supply depots’ in the residences of political enemies and disloyal segments of the population.

Taya himself, eagerly signing on to League efforts, begins immediately to engage in meetings with European business executives, carving up the countries natural resources and markets with tax-exempt deals and monopolies… in exchange for a few under-the-table deposits into the Presidential bank account. He is also sure to grant much face time to the media, condemning the military government of Mauritania and touting both his democratic legitimacy and ‘widespread support amongst the people of Mauritania for both their democratic leader and their close European friends’.

The cynical might wonder if his press junket is not a veiled attempt to delay a return to the country before it is securely pacified.

Meanwhile, colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, of the country’s ruling junta, begins efforts to counter Taya’s assertions to legitimacy… the Military Council for Justice and Democracy was forced to stage a coup by the increasing corruption of Taya and his supporters, and pledged to relinquish power within two years, after holding a constitutional referendum. With over three quarters of the population having turned out to vote 96% approval for the new constitution, surely the current government has been shown to have legitimacy through popular support. Vall also states that municipal elections had just begun when conflict broke out, with the vote for President scheduled later in the year, and that the invasion has set back the cause of democracy in Mauritania.

While looking for political support from NATO to restrain the invaders, Vall also casts a wider net in his search for assistance. Mauritania is eager, it is said, to rejoin ECOWAS (provided there are guarantees that its neighbours will not provide aid to independence movements in Mauritania’s south). While today’s united China may not be the Sino which sought economic links with the country in earlier decades, surely Beijing still has an interest in the resources and economic opportunities of a neutral and independent Africa? To Chingiz Khagan Depkazi, a more personal plea… if he is truly Caliph, defender of the faithful, will he not act to aid Mauritania’s Muslims against Christian empires who seek to re-establish a regime which regularly arrested Islamic clerics?

Vall, though, is in a quandary… he needs help if he is to oust the invaders, but what help he can offer is limited by popular sentiments. Economic deals and alliances will not be accepted, but fair trade and friendly neutrality are hardly inspiration for others to spill their blood. And, while foreign weapons are valued, foreign boots on the ground will be limited by the fierce current of independence that still grips the country… a current which holds Vall back from calling for NATO peacekeepers, in fear that they would still be targeted as foreign interlopers. The Progressive Bloc, aiding the nearby Saharawi and seemingly the only force willing to stand firm against the League, could be no more than a friend of convenience, and even that makes many on the Military Council nervous… where Soviets and Strainists go, governments seem to shift, to conform to foreign principles, and few Mauritanians are ready to accept such supposedly benign influence. Perhaps the Yugoslavs, with their leftist leanings accompanied by a firm support on non-alignment, might still be an option.

Vall’s hope is that other states can be convinced to both ship him supplies for the ongoing war effort, and to apply pressure either politically or militarily (by opening up new fronts elsewhere), without demanding too many concessions in return.

Sithin

British acts of war against the Soviet Commonwealth are roundly condemned by the Strainist Party as ‘crimes against Peace under Heaven’. Warnings are issued that it is in the best interest of London and its Empire to halt its reactionary aggression and recognize the Holy League as the true enemy of the world’s peoples.

Nova Gaul

21-06-2007, 21:46

((Hey Spyr. Just a quick note, I RPed for much of the time with Niamey firmly occupied, vast linkups passed through it and such, and Armand had RPed Niger, poorest of the ECOWAS nations, was well occupied. I am sure Nigeran forces exist, just am unsure they are in as good as state as you make out. I will respond to the air strikes and such later, plase switch that target in Semara to whatever you will. Or I will not be exactly responding, rather our new Spain will! Hurray!))

Gurguvungunit

22-06-2007, 00:36

OOC: No time!
Mauritania

Colonel Vall will find himself contacted by British authorities, who have yet to take a firm stance with regards to the legitimacy--or lack thereof-- of Taya's government. He is informed that negotiations with the League (specifically, France and Spain) were underway to find a mutually agreeable solution regarding Mauritania's future. Would Colonel Vall and the Council for Justice and Democracy be amenable to peaceful negotiations, facilitated by the British, between Taya's elected government and a representative of their movement?

It is made clear, if obliquely, that British co-operation and support will be forthcoming only so long as the Council agrees to refuse Progressive Bloc aid for the duration of the conflict. Considering the recent nationalist turn of public opinion, this is not seen as a particularly harsh requirement by the British, who have so far been entirely willing to give aid to those who ask.

Niger

Nassara and Tarayya both are approached by a British delegation recently arrived in the country. With the rapid downspiral of geopolitical alliances that London is facing, it is perhaps understandable that the Empire has taken longer than first expected to respond to Nigerien calls for negotiation. Perhaps Nassara's officials see themselves as vindicated, then, when the British promise to put 'considerable pressure' on the French military leaders to stop the invasion of Niger.

In return, the British delegation asks, is it possible for the government of Niger to reduce some of the violence perpetrated by nomadic tribes in Niger's rural areas? After all, these attacks will only serve to inflame French opinion against the Nigerien government.

Ft. Ste. Jeanne

French authorities are approached by their British liaisons and asked to explain French presence in Niger. After all, hadn't Paris promised that French troops would retreat from all nations not entirely conquered, and eventually even from those? The French are reminded gently that, when fighting a war for public opinion, it is often better to retreat when unpopular than continue fighting when hated. Perhaps some feathers will be ruffled by the paternalistic attitude of the statement, but the French are reminded that Britain has had a 'long, often painful experience in these matters'.

London

Sithin is essentially ignored. A few quiet statements are made about 'the hypocrisy of promoting peace while invading Indonesia', and 'the bleats of a crypto-imperialist government', but nothing substantial is said.

Nova Gaul

22-06-2007, 01:37

((All the information regarding Niger can be found just a few pages back on this thread. At least, everything I know about and that I referenced below.))

Versailles

President Taya, on his media tour of Restoration Europe, was of course feted at Versailles. He was given a state dinner, which was also attended by the ambassadors of Quinntonia and Roycelandia. Over an excellent crème brulee President Taya was able to display his democratic nature to the Western Governments. Already, he was nearly canonized by the French Court, as the perfect example of why they had fought in Africa in the first place. Earlier that evening he had a personal meeting Britain’s envoy to Versailles, Sir Alan Green. In his smart Western suits and amenable features President Taya was help up by Versailles as a modern, progressive president thrown out of his government by a coup. He was even given a dual press conference with King Louis-Auguste, at which time the King stated that “this moderated man is the only hope for his country, a land currently were moderation is repaid with revolutionary fanaticism.” Indeed, how could NATO overlook the fact that a democratically elected leader who exiled via coup d’etat President Taya would give whatever eloquent address he chose.

From all reports, President Taya would soon be returning to Spain, to speak with Philip V, who had become, more or less, his official sponsor. Meanwhile le Comte de Vergennes, the French Minister of State, of the old noblesse d’Epee, recovered from the vapors, was able to assure the Baron Thunder-von-Thenk Niger had in fact been liberated nearly a year ago by Tsarist Nigeria, which, sharing Niger’s major ethnic group, had been able to relieve the distraught country. In near whispers he explained that of course, once Plan Yellow was concluded, democracy would dictate in Niger as in other West African states what the future state of affairs would be.

Spyr

22-06-2007, 04:48

[OOC: Having read through the thread (and several others, you bastards… these multi-thread efforts are hell on AMW’s self-appointed historian…), I must admit to having gotten matters in Nigeria rather badly, though in my defense there is quite a bit of confusion… through all the posts about conquest, the only actual post involving proper battle in Niger was by AC, and had a general die who Wingert later posted as current commander of Nigeria’s forces there. Also a bit muddled by three different deployments that the Nigerians are supposedly engaged in (though given they’re led by a zombie, they may be more capable than I give them credit for)… one posts states a general distribution, to garrison and attempt aid propaganda in hopes of winning over the population. One posts a withdrawal of French and all allies to ‘Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Benin, and Cote d’Ivoire’, which I had interpreted to include Nigerians in Niger, and the final has almost all of Nigeria’s forces in Niger clustering in the north of the country to face Libya.

In any event, perhaps take my initial post as having occurred when Nigeria invaded (around June 8th, about five weeks from the present day), with the government and military retreating further and dispersing as the Nigerians and then French moved deeper towards Niamey… current status is hard to know without knowing what exactly is happening on the ground, but I suspect that elements of the government and its air force may have retreated to Senegal as a government in exile if the Nigerians are dispersed rather than concentrated.

Nothing about the Tuareg would have changed… even Niger’s old government was viewed as a foreign occupier.]

Moorington

22-06-2007, 05:35

OOC: As every muscle in my arms scream at me for living, I give you my first post as the adorable, benevolent, mighty, and Catholic, Bourbon Monarchy.

Bear with me as I shift names around, I don't quite have enough time to look through everything and see where what battalion was stationed where, so until I say otherwise, the 4th Motorized Infantry Battalion “Cristo de Lepanto” (for example) could be parading through Moscow right now.

Finally, I researched (read: Wiki-ed) the SA-7 and -8, what I found was a Soviet version of the Stinger missle, basically. Hope it's what we're all talking about.

IC:

Western Sahara-

On the ground, the Spanish forces were bolstered by the aid of the 4th Motorized Infantry Battalion, the “Cristo de Lepanto”, on loan from the 2nd Tercio “Duque de Alba”. These troops, briefed on the new Spanish strategy, were undoubtedly concerned about what, as they saw, risks that were not needed for a successful campaign. That is, they were supposed to show every courtesy to the Saharwi as they fought them. Something fashioned after the 'Gentleman's War' fought in North Africa between the Axis and Allies; of course with great amounts of film footage for NATO, as well as for home.

If the Saharwi would fire from homes, the Spaniards would duck and run, until either A: that desperate little man ran out of ammunition or B: he could be flushed out with tear gas and the like. Undoubtedly, it would be endearing many hearts in London, Washington, and even India to see the Spaniards going above and beyond to not destroy, as one commentator put it, "someone's hopes and dreams, embodied' in their righteous attempt to bring peace to a obviously troubled area. As for the feelings the Saharwi insurgency inspired, especially after reels of film and boxes of photos showing the obvious, with their exclusive use of low-life tactics, it was hardly comparable.

While many hard liners still dismissed it; that is the best way to run a battle against a bigger foe, and the Spaniards should still be held accountable for their previous actions. The timid feelers from the Spanish embassy's on a recognition of the Western, Catholic, and morally superior fighters; more specifically their claim for 'Morocco's rightful territory,' hopefully found more then enough soil to take root.

Mauritania-

Trained to dodge and evade swarms of SAM missiles that the Ignovians would likely use, from locations hard to find and harder to destroy, this poverty-stricken African state and its rather elementary defense systems were not very difficult for the trained pilots to evade. Yet, there were several downed airplanes, a few loss pilots, but overall it was rather easy to just use the force of the air group to stun the defenders with their over whelming display of controlled devastation.

The first causality was a Moroccan Mirage III, obviously expecting less resistance that certain Moroccan squadron was caught rather off guard by any defense and lost essential time at the border in getting to their targets. Letting the whole country know of their presence. It was later followed by one more bail out, and another damaged; the surviving two pilots, the third was never seen again, would later be interrogated for as to why they were so utterly incompetent.

The third and fourth casualties were due to an unlucky hit, which sent one Algerian Mirage-2000 into another, causing quite a fireworks display. While this did provide some sort of satisfaction to the destroyers of God's Divine Wrath, it was rather short lived as the other three in the squadron systematically eliminated the little scurry holes and radar station by sheer skill and will power. Of course, in the process all three were damaged to one extent or another, of which one had to bale out a mile or so from the airport.

The Spanish and French flyers were not thinking of the defenses in the sense of difficulty, but in the embarrassment it would be to have such a petty force knock one of them out of the sky. So, using their trademark abilities of devastating force in quick strikes they managed to escape any major damage, except for one close hit that damaged one Spanish aircraft and another as the landing gears jammed with sand on the final few seconds.

The damage, of course, was great. Using information from the French contractors and from Taya, who did feel need to slip in one or two adversaries’ names, the targets were thought to be thoroughly destroyed. Taya, of course, was disappointed to learn that only one of several of his opponents was dead the next morning, he was visiting a munitions facility when God's hand came down on him. It seemed the contractors also remembered where the residential sections were, where the military facilities were, and why it seemed doubtful a smelly munitions facility would go up on a peaceful residential neighborhood.

*Falls Asleep*

OOC: Hopefully I didn’t step on any of your toes NG with the airplane stuff… Add as you will… Should do something with Taya and Phillip, tomorrow, maybe. Any comments or suggestions would be welcomed!

The Crooked Beat

22-06-2007, 07:19

Mumbai

"Diplomacy, Miss Lloyd, is one thing, and the mutual exchange of mutually unacceptable ultimatums quite another. NATO's interaction with the ISC seems to be almost entirely the latter and almost none of the former. And, though England may not see it, the ISC has acted with considerable restraint. In a time of war, the ISC dismantled its nuclear arsenal, a supreme act of good faith that has been roundly ignored and derided. The Soviets, here, are hardly the villains, and NATO hardly a shining beacon of moderation and the aggrieved party.

"This present war has already cost the Indian National Union, alone, over a thousand lives. The time for staying neutral has come and passed. War has been declared on the Holy League and that declaration will not be retracted until France and French allies have been forced out of ECOWAS. The West can't accuse India of being the aggressor here. India had next to nothing to do with ECOWAS before the French went and tried to take the whole thing for themselves. Resupplying and reinforcing formations already deployed to Africa is a military necessity, and, if Britain were interested in stabilizing the situation, it would at least see fit to allow Indian forces brought up to numerical parity with French ones. If India's presence there is illegitimate, France's presence is hardly less so. Whatever way you look at it, we cannot nullify our relationship with the Igovian Soviet Commonwealth because it suits NATO.

"It displeases us still that Britain chose membership in NATO. We would like to think that London still considers the Indian National Union an ally, and, just months ago, the bond between England and Hindustan seemed stronger than ever. Keep in mind it was not NATO who rushed to declare war on the Holy League upon the occasion of its attack against Portugal and Gibraltar. Under no circumstances will the INU fight Britain, make no mistake about that. And we will do everything in our power to try and exert a moderating influence on Raipur, provided you too advise Britain to act in good faith. But if Britain does something to provoke the Soviets, there isn't a thing we can or will do about it. If NATO wants a war, NATO will get more of a war than it could have imagined, that much is for certain. In such a war, the Indian National Union cannot have any part. Hindustan will fight the Holy League for as long as there are the resources to do so, but NATO is not our enemy. NATO and India should be united in destroying the Holy League, whose very nature seems to run contrary to the values of democracy and good government. It is a sad, unfortunate, evil thing, and the Holy League has, in every sense of the term, worked a miracle in turning its naked aggression and murder into a shining beacon of freedom and prosperity in Africa.

"Hmph. Well, there you have it. Hindustan will fight the League, but it will not fight NATO, so long as it does not make any sort of attempt on Indian home territory or undertake any operations in support of Roycelandian efforts to recover or expand colonial holdings. In order for Hindustan to justify its neutrality in the face of NATO the war between NATO and the Soviets must remain limited, and the former Lusakan republics especially must remain uninvolved."

Christina Lloyd might like talking to the Unioners, but the Hindustanis themselves are becoming increasingly annoyed over their treatment by Britain. London, some think, simply means to use the INU to mitigate the Soviets, and, so far, the British have given Hindustan all of nothing in return, or so the majority feeling goes. As many Hindustanis will point out, the declaration of war against the Holy League came immediately after their attack on Gibraltar, which was itself preceded by pledges to defend the United Kingdom in the event of foreign attack. India jumped headlong into this mess, many will say, because of Hindustan's loyalty to the British, and its reluctance to abandon friends, but it now seems that the British do not act similarly. Unioners will further point out that Mumbai volunteered to manufacture defense equipment for the UK domestically, at cost, and the proliferation of Union-produced Meteor missiles only really started after London pulled out of the war.

Of course, Union-style diplomacy is not really diplomacy at all. The expectation of mutual favors is a practice rooted, in truth, in tribalism and the very earliest vestiges of statehood, not in the modern world. Hindustanis have come to realize this far too late for it to be of any immediate use.

Parliamentarians are, of course, uneasy over their decision. News of a British attack against Soviet WIGs makes Hindustanis doubt the merit of their ruling even further, but, as has been said time and time again, Britain is not an enemy of the Indian National Union, and the INU will not fight Britain as long as London keeps NATO's strategic goals narrow and limited. Doubtless Igovians will be upset, and a great many Hindustanis are as well, but Parliament was put in a difficult spot and Parliament reacted in a characteristically strange and indecisive manner. Fossa rockets and INSAS rifles meant for the INA are, however, sent back across the border, as Parliament reasons that they'll be more needed in the ISC than in the not-fully-committed INU. Weapons production is thus subsidized, to a limited extent, and Parliament tries to make up for its serious backing-out by helping to relieve some of the pressure on the Soviet wartime economy.

Over the Mediterranean

(OCC: Just a note on terminology, the F.4 has also been referred to as F(J).4, but I decided to make the HAL designation sequence a bit more rational and cut out a few characters. The IAF's F.4 is not related in any way to the F-4 Phantom.)

A single damaged Italian submarine is not deemed an appropriate target to risk an entire squadron for, so thought is given, in Benghazi, to canceling the raid when it becomes apparent that two Italian formations have scrambled from their bases, probably meaning to intercept the Hindustanis. All consideration of calling the aircraft back is, however, abandoned once it becomes apparent that the surfaced Sauro is not on its own. Indeed, the IAF scrambles another of its units, No.1 Squadron, and its Brahmos-laden Tornadoes are airborne in a matter of minutes. Third time's the charm, think the pilots, as they embark on their first worthwhile sortie of the campaign and their third overall from Libyan airbases.

Further out, No.15 Squadron and No.2 Squadron continue on their way towards the Sauro, the Jaguars flying at low altitude while the F.4s, formidable combat aircraft resembling the Lavi or J-10, and fitted with a state-of-the-art active electronically-scanned array radar, fly at a much higher altitude. Most of the 15 F.4s fly with their radars switched off, relying instead on their RWRs to identify hostile aircraft in the vicinity, but two act as mini-AWACS, using their radars' long range and beam agility to spot targets a safe distance off while themselves minimizing the chances of being detected on account of their electromagnetic signature. Of course, they are not stealth aircraft, so any kind of air defense radar will probably have little trouble detecting the high-flying Hindustani fighters. GCI at Benghazi informs No.15 Squadron of the incoming enemy formations, and also suggests a course for interception. It is not long after that the Type 212 radars aboard the Hindustani fighters begin to pick up distant contacts. The 15 F.4s peel away from the Jaguars, and, loaded with domestically-built Meteors and DRAB ASRAAMs, head off to engage the enemy.

They keep to a high altitude for a good reason, though. Nobody is quite sure of it, but the Italians may indeed have Meteors of their own, and, if the two sides are going to be so evenly-matched in terms of missile armament, the Indians would at least like to have their Meteors diving rather than climbing to intercept. Then again, hopefully, the Italians might have never been involved with the Meteor, and if so their Aspides or MICAs make a poor match for the famously capable British-designed missile.

If things go as planned, the GCI-advised course should lead the F.4s to intercept the Italian squadrons from above and behind, but that is assuming the enemy does not re-direct its own aircraft to deal with No.15 Squadron. If that is the case, the Indians are still not terribly concerned, and are hardly apt to shy away from a fight.

Ideally, then, with the Italian fighters occupied with No.15 Squadron and their naval assets concerned more over the Jaguars of No.2 Squadron, going for their crippled submarine, No.1 Squadron's anti-shipping Tornadoes, ten aircraft loaded with two Brahmos missiles each plus a pair of DRAB ASRAAMs, will be able to attack more important targets. Flying also at low altitude, behind the Jaguars and the F.4s, the Tornadoes cut an imposing figure, their wings swept back and with ordnance hanging from the rotating pylons. If they too are faced with imminent interception, the pilots will doubtless jettison their heavy ordnance and speed away, but, with a stand-off range of 290 kilometers, their missiles won't have to be brought terribly close-in. With a bit of luck, the Tornadoes will be able to sink some Italian frigates, and, with some more luck, the Giuseppe Garibaldi itself. Certainly each one of the Indian ASMs has enough explosive power to rip a frigate apart, and, in all likelihood, the kinetic energy of a Brahmos impact would be enough to devastate or sink most modern surface combatants. Not even large carriers can absorb a hit from India's battleship-killing missile, the reason why the IN has been outpaced in terms of warship construction by the likes of France and Britain. Some missiles are fast, some are stealthy, but the Brahmos is both, and represents, quite likely, the world's most advanced ASM. Though lacking the range of Russian weapons such as the P-500 and P-700, it is equipped with a far more advanced and discriminating seeker, and can fly just as fast, if not faster, always above Mach 1 and approaching Mach 3 in its terminal stage. Aspides and Breda 40mm guns stand a chance of downing the Brahmos, but certainly not reliably, and, indeed, the only weapons that really provide credible defense against such weapons are VLS missiles like the Aster, and even then interception is difficult.

(OCC: Please excuse my typically long-winded description of the Brahmos missile, but I feel that it is necessary to emphasize this weapon's excellent capabilities, since the IN did forgo the construction of major warships for a long time in order to develop it, and it is specifically designed to defeat League battleships.)

But, then again, Indians can only put so much faith in technology, and it is no coincidence that No.1 Squadron was chosen to ship to Libya. It is one of very few units to have actually engaged battleships previously, in the form of Bonstockian Drakens, and several of the pilots have warship kills to their personal credit. In an airforce well-stocked with experienced pilots who have proven themselves in battle, the men of No.1 Squadron still stand apart. In supersonic Tornadoes, rather than their old Blackburn Buccaneers, the Hindustani pilots would seem to stand an even better chance of delivering positive results.

And so the IAF heads out to do its part in defense of Libya, and, hopefully, the squadrons will return at the end of the day more or less intact.

(OCC: I think the land campaign in Libya will be best handled by BG, so I'll turn over command of the small INA contingent in the country to the ISC, if that's alright. Since the core of so-called VI Corps has yet to pass the Suez Canal, Hindustani forces in Libya consist of two Parachute Brigades, the 233rd and the 159th, and two commando regiments.)

Zanzibar

Word of Parliament's "neutrality with regards to the issue of NATO-Soviet conflict" comes through to UDF forces sharing the Igovian base on Zanzibar at about the same time as news of an Anglo-Igovian clash off Libya arrives. It is, for Unioners, a confusing state of affairs, as they may conceivably face forces they can engage and forces they can't in the same campaign. The West can hardly be expected to design its policy around Parliament's awkwardness, after all. But preparations for war continue apace, and soldiers from IV Corps begin to arrive on the island in ever-increasing numbers. At Zanzibar too is the first batch of HAL-built Golkondas meant for the Libyan Air Force. 20 Golkonda FRS.1s, as they are known in IAF terminology, arrive at the island's airport to refuel and rest before their trek over the C.A.R. and Chad to Al Jawf. The Indian delivery pilots will also likely fly the aircraft in combat, until such time as the Libyan Air Force has enough trained personnel to take over the task itself. Another 45 Golkondas are due along the same route in the next few months, and by the year's end there ought to be 120 HAL-made Golkondas in Libya.

Beddgelert

22-06-2007, 11:14

(OOC: Yes, NG, it is difficult, hey? I've never really RP'd such large scale modern war as this. A lot of it is going to be best-guess work, and it's hard to avoid stepping on the other guy's toes!

Hobgoblin is one of the best fighters going. I'm inclined to say that, against F-22 Raptor it might expect a 9:10ish kills-losses ratio (in F-22s favour) under equal conditions, thus a slightly superior ratio against Eurofighter, and a several-to-one ratio against Flanker and Rafale et cetera. It is stealthier than almost anything except Raptor, Mach 2.4 speed, super-cruise capable, reasonably long-range, about the most agile large fighter going, and it is armed with Meteor, the best long-range missile in the world (since the British out-sourced production to Hindustan, and Hindustan gave it to the Soviets in a pretty major act of espionage =) ) and support from long-range Marathon and Morrigan AEW radar. The pilots are experienced fighting the Chinese over Nepal.

Springer is not stealthy at all, but it is one of the most heavily armoured and durable strike fighters around. It flies low and fast and shrugs-off most low-level fire, but relies on Hobgoblin et cetera to keep dedicated fighters off its back. It's our old warhorse, having been used in the wars against Hindustan in the past!

Pinaka is a truck-mounted system. It's our MLRS. Longer range and possibly even more deadly payload, but the Evolved system has some targeting glitches so the odd rocket here and there will probably go off course. It has been rushed into service where normally we'd have waited to fix the problems. Still, Pinaka rockets are extremely fast, relatively small compared with, say Scuds, and they deploy cluster-type munitions making them that much harder to intercept (long-range SAMs getting them on the way up might work, but they're even fasted going up, so it's not easy, and shorter-range missiles will really struggle once they're coming down in many pieces). Being an MLRS they come in great numbers, so stopping them isn't like stopping a Scud or FROG et cetera, and the barrage barely lets up once we get going. SAMs can't be put up in numbers enough to stop a determined assault, and you really have to get out of range or else manage to destroy the launchers, which are quite mobile and well protected.

I'm not 100% sure what strength of forces we have in Libya, now. I'm thinking that by the time this League offensive has been mustered we'll have gone a long way through our reinforcements as well, though. I expect that our squadrons in Yugoslavia will easily be back by the time this all gets going, too.

Oh, LLR, jolly good, I'll try to take charge of the ground forces in Libya, ah, but feel free to make use of a couple of squadrons of Soviet navalised Springer over the Med, and also perhaps a pair of Dwrgi-P WIGs on station optimised for anti-submarine warfare with 305mm torpedoes and sonar buoys. Four squadrons of Libyan Golkonda and Mirage 5 are in the northeastern half of Libya with nothing much to do right now, too. The Golkonda are starting to get L'Angelot Maudit missiles, but they're in short supply since Britain intercepted the last shipment.)

Mediterranean

"Shit, how many missiles does this thing have?"

Chafe scattering and sirens wailing the three remaining WIGs attempted to evade incoming missiles, but, at this range, really had little hope. Combat Dwrgis would never have let the enemy so close, had they known the British to be an enemy. It was the Roycelandian dreadnought at the Coral Sea all over again. Dastardly Anglophone cowards!

"We're not going to make it, comrades. If you're going to eject, do it now." The captain's intention was clear to his Indo-Geletian crew.

"Jai Hind!" One man cried out as his seat exploded through a shattered canopy. If they survive you, I'll take on with me when they fish me out. He thought.

The transport Dwrgi was rising, coming about as hard as possible, banking harder than anyone would normally have dared to attempt in such a machine. It was struck by an incoming missile, but, bigger than anything the system was really designed to destroy, it continued to turn, seriously damaged. A second missile seemed to a moment to be chasing countermeasures before reacquiring the WIG and giving chase.

The machine continued to rise, trailing smoke, reaching several hundred metres before, the second missile bearing down on them, the Captain dived towards Docker River at some 250 knots, twin 30mm cannon blazing token defiance while the crew burst into a stoic rendition of the Soviet Internationale.

In the water, the ejected navigator raised his left fist and cheered his comrades on to their fiery death. His teeth grit as the second transport WIG was hit and crashed into the waves in an attempt to evade a second strike.

The Dwrgi-D, meanwhile, downed most missiles bound for it, but was overwhelmed while attempting to reload its silos and badly damaged by a proximity detonation. It continued to struggle towards Libya, unable to render further assistance to its wards.

Aboard the floating WIG a vote was being held. "So, it's agreed. We scuttle her and take the launch towards Egypt?"

"Wait, Captain! The Aisa's trying to ram them!"

Everyone rushed forwards to the cockpit and began yelling unheard encouragement to their suicidal comrades.

Libya-Niger Frontier, Libyan-Algerian Frontier

Certainly the Springers themselves would not detect low-flying Rafale until late in the day, but the pilots were well aware of the mustering threat. In the time taken to assemble a large wing of fighters the capable look-down capacity of Morrigan and, more effectively, Marathon-carried Specter of Communism radar looked on from tens of kilometres inside Libya.

A squadron of Hobgoblin was vectored against the interceptors. Bearing no external payloads the NT4Cs were as clean as could be and presented a much smaller radar cross section than did the enemy. They were only 14 strong, harder to see, more quickly assembled, and more flexible. The Soviet fighters didn't even illuminate the French with their own radar, giving no warning that they were even looking at them. But they were, using up-links from their loitering AEW platforms.

The aircraft might suddenly become more visible when they opened their weapons bays and began dropping Meteor missiles at 90km distant from the Rafales. The same missiles that the British had used in the Atlantic to such terrible effect were now disgorged by Soviet enemies of France. The missiles themselves flew towards their targets without locking on, guided by Marathon and even from Tripoli via Morrigan drones. They would acquire active lock only in the last seconds of their super-agile Mach 4+ attack.

Unfortunately just 14 aircraft -having given-up external stores in order to be less detectable and longer-ranged- had only 56 Meteors between them, attacking 72 Rafales. The Soviets chose to consider this a target-rich environment, of course! In some respect the missiles -though more deadly than their French rivals- were meant to disrupt the Rafales' attack on the Springers as much as to actually defeat the entire wing. Hobgoblins engaged afterburners and flew headlong at the French charge after loosing their Meteors. Each of the 14 jets still had four small DRAB short-range missiles and a 30mm cannon, and would engage within 24km in a brutal knife-fight with a bare minimum of 16 Rafales (the number that would survive even if every single Meteor found its mark!).

It was not hard to imagine the French attack being disrupted: Super 530 is a semi-active missile (the cry Fox two seemed a little odd, given that, but then the French aren't in NATO so that may explain it), meaning that the Rafales have to keep a lock on their targets in order for the missiles to find their mark. Being forced to break-off to evade incoming Soviet missiles would mean their quarry escape. On the other hand, the low-detectability of the Soviet attack may mean that the French don't even see it coming... they'll consequently take a terrific pasting, but their missiles may in turn find the Springers.

A show-down between Libyan, Yugoslavian, Vietnamese, and Drapoel piloted Golkonda and French piloted Mirage 2000 promises to be just as interesting, and likely to be a relatively close-in affair, as both have limited long-range missile capacities and the Golkonda will engage second-reheat to close the gap as soon as they approach Super 530 range.

14 Hobgoblin back them in facing the Spanish, and 14 more in the north expecting to deal a heavy blow to the Algerian Mirage.

The Indians are extremely confident, as ever, but Libyan higher-ups are apt to worry, wishing that more Indians had arrived before the action started. The currently-arrayed Indo-Libyan forces can't afford much attrition before ground-forces start to look vulnerable.

Missile and anti-missile engagements on the ground continue, with light civilian and military casualties being suffered as one or two Scuds get through here and there, only to be answered by more Libyan Scuds and shorter-range but far more deadly Indian Pinaka.

Southern/Central Africa

Conquering north of Namibia is not something that interests Raipur. Soviet troops can hardly be counted in the African Commonwealth, and Indian ships grow in number daily at the ports of this makeshift ally.

Indians there are outnumbered by Namibian, Madagascan, Tanzanian, Zambian, and Zimbabwean troops, most equipped by the Soviets, many -such as the Lusakan majority- being also furnished with the Yugoslavian arms that Papa Africa had long imported as standard.

The socialists (some amongst the Africans were yet to call themselves, or to be worth of being called, communists) were gradually preparing for deployment to West Africa, waiting only for final allied victory at sea against the League's fleets.

India

Raipur unhappily accepts Mumbai's stance towards London, a narrow majority considering it the realistic outcome at this stage while a noisy minority cries shame and is out-voted probably only while Soviet capacities remain far from stretched in most regards. Of course if the USQ becomes involved all pretenses to respecting Mumbai's neutrality will probably go out the window to be replaced with vocal appeals, hefty bribes, and unmeant threats.

Sopworth Igo's office, counter-signed by the less-controversial Graeme, ask after the possibility of a Union expansion of shipping construction. Of merchant ships for ordinary commerce and of military-use transports (likely built to less-demanding civil standards, given the situation). Soviet yards are turning more and more to production of cruisers, carriers, submarines, frigates, and WIGs, but the need to lift hundreds of thousands of personnel and all their supplies from India -and indeed SE Asia- to Africa out-strips Soviet capacities. Celtic India has never been the world leader in shipbuilding, and only massive public works make even this level of building possible.

British and Quinntonian diplomats meanwhile are summoned to Portmeirion where half-furious consuls attempt some measure of damage control.

Soviet India, despite hostilities thus far, does not actually want to fight the British. Connections with the British working public are not weak, and though Soviet policy calls the Empire conservative, conservation of this sort is not in itself cause for war, unlike League reaction. If India and Britain go to war, it is stated, it will be because London gives Raipur no realistic choice, given the Commonwealth's non-negotiable war on the Holy League.

League satellites are being downed, military and civilian, because the war has come to this stage. British satellites, be they civil or military, are not targeted at this time. If the British make use of French satellites then they can expect these to be destroyed, but purely-British (or British and non-League joint) satellites will not be attacked unless the British choose to fight over shared League objects.

Raipur even suggests that Indian aid may (eventually, there is a war on) be given to replace lost British capacities brought about by the destruction of Holy League assets.

The Soviets say that, if they wanted war with NATO, given that shots have already been fired, their WIGs and submarines would by now have launched attacks on US assets in the Indian Ocean, being as an effective first-strike would be India's only reasonable chance of attaining victory. This has not been the case.

Nova Gaul

22-06-2007, 20:49

((Well said BG, and well done to boot. I admit I like to dichotomy we have going here: your ace is an incoming, but amorphously timed satellite assault, mine is an incoming but supra intelligence hidden ground assault on Libya. The result of these two aces lurking about, but with immanent deployment, creates quite a fine sense of tension. In that vein I will be responding here to the air battle alone, as right now I think ‘that is where we are at’, and must be concluded one way or another to satisfactorily proceed. I am going to give it a name, but if you don’t think the name is appropriate, well, the Soviets can come up with their own nomenclature! I hate to think of you going, we just managed to resuscitate AMW! And sorry about the hackneyed “Fox 2” remark, a sad attempt to add to realism.

A zombie general Spyr? I don’t suppose we can work with that, wouldn’t it be great anti-HL propaganda? I think right on as usual everywhere else. Pasa y paso, verdad? As a side note, I am going to give this battle a date, today’s date, in my own mind, which would place it one year after the Glorious First of June. I just cannot separate the time passed IRL, and all my changes in IC philosophy with differing story line, from actions IC. For example, in five weeks IC France has fought a massive naval war against the British, occupied several states in West Africa, created a new ministerial government, halted hostilities with the British, completely rearranged their goals and priorities for the West African venture, and is fighting a major naval war against the Soviets and preparing with HL support to invade Libya. Spyr has invaded Indonesia, and Austria has fought two wars and been invaded from several directions. I will not go on, but in my mind I cannot do anything else than believe the African War, the ‘war’ altogether, has lasted a year, 1/3 of my entire time in AMW. I call on Spyr to graft a grand, comprehensive, timeline and get us all up to date. If he doesn’t, he should loose his emeritus status! –Cough- Uh, yah, just wanted to put that on the table, thanks.

Moorington, I am leaving the Spanish wing El Cid to you, now that you haven taken the reigns of Spain. Ill put a notice about them at the end of the post.))

Battle of the African Skies

No sooner had the Silver Spurs leveled their lances and given charge at the Soviet Springers, galloping away behind their wave of 72 Super 530s, than they received frantic calls from headquarters, being fed information from the many disparate satellite feeds the French military operated: Meteors, 56, closing quick , check your six! Soviet Hobgoblins launched, at 43 mark 5!

Le Marquis d’Arras, the Silver Spurs’s wing commander, had only several split second to compute the data and formulate a response. It was not an easy fraction of a second, it took more courage than most anyone could realize. The Silver Spurs constituted the second (and in some cases first) sons of the preeminent nobility in the Kingdom of France. Only the Golden Spurs, which was staffed by many relations of the royal family itself, was considered more prestigious, but, based as it was at Versailles, had little opportunity for the noblesse to demonstrate their skills: not everyone in France was a second-nephew of le Comte d’Artois. The Silver Spurs, in a word then, were the best France had to offer, many having been drawn away from the nautical squadrons to staff this operation.. They had been training for this aero-chivalrous career for their entire lives, had trained with the same seventy or hundred men from boyhood to this moment. They knew each others moves blindfolded, and had a closer camaraderie than any other air force in the world. They could fly the Dassault Rafale in their sleep, and attack with it under any kind of pressure.

Their Rafale’s, additionally, had been fitted out an improved before the operation. In the main this consisted of the first fully functioning Thales SPECTRA (Système de Protection et d'Évitement des Conduites de Tir du Rafale, Self-Protection Equipment Countering Threats to Rafale Aircraft) system yet to be installed on any ODSE aircraft. The Ordu du Saint-Esprit clearly was behind the cutting edge Soviets and Quinntonians, to say nothing of the elite if dimunitive British RAF, and of course this was due to the necessities and realities of warfare. The Dassualt-Rafale was the very best the Kingdom of France fielded, the Kingdom having barely been able to switch ¾ of its service attack aircraft to the Rafale model from the Mirages, forced even to cease doing that, as well as adding to the Rafales originally more complictaed design, by wartime production needs. And despite the advantages of the Soviet ‘Green’ Hobgoblin, appropriatley named, the Rafale had the Thales SPECTRA as a counter. It had been an expensive, time consuming, and even questionable issue to install the devices, but after the ODSE had suffered so horribly from the British Meteros and aircraft, and since the French were well aware of what the Soviets possessed, the choice was made. These were, additionally, the prototypes, and so far more expensive than estimated regular production. But with the needs of time, and a hard campaign against the Reds, there were simply no other alternatives.

The Thales SPECTRA system worked by using what the scientists at the Academie Royale, the entity which had invented the technology, call ‘active cancellation’. Active cancellation in theory works by sampling and analysing incoming radar and feeding it back to the hostile emitter slightly out of phase thus cancelling out the returning radar echo.

Activating the SPECTRA system, which the Soviets would no doubt detect as an abnormality, was the first order of le Marquis d’Arras. Furiously the French combat camputers began searching out the incoming Meteors. When an uplink was establish, the SPECTRA system went to work, feeding the Soviet Meteors, now incoming at less than 40 kilometers, as much false information as possible and propounding them with fantastic coding.

Le Marquis gave the order as he led his personal squadron in a breakneck manuever, cutting about and thundering onwards to incoming Hobgolbins. The marquis led his wing in toto through the stunning series of flight patterns, coming about in the newly crafted manuever called a la Anglais. Called that because this manuever, which the Marquis hoped to save his squadron, was crafted in response to an attack upon a Rafale group by Meteor-wielding advanced fighters, such as the Typhoon. The Super 530s, on course for the Soviet Springers, 72 on track, were turned over to satellite targetting. Of course, damn the luck, satellite capability at that moment only could handle the signals of 47 acquired missiles’ targets. The other twenty-five Super 530s were lost in the rapid transition of unit-dependant to satleeite targetting and control. At least they would continue to career in the directions of the Soviet Springers, and so give them food for thought. .

“God be with us all, brothers,” le Marquis managed to say over a pounding heart so loud he thought it must be audible on the radio. Occurring then, over the sands of Southern Libya, was the largest aerial battle in the war so far, with the clash between the British and the Bourbons but a prelude.

The Silver Spurs now, with SPECTRA systems blazing, were turned directly into the incoming Meteor swarm. Ten kilometers now and closing deadly fast. Afterburners blazed as d’Arras counted the final seconds, and shouted into his in-mask radio: “All craft, launch MAGICs 3 and 7!”

The modified MAGIC missiles, set for anti-missile targets, zipped away from underwing and made for the Meteor missiles; and not a smooth underwing as the Hobgoblins had, but one laden with armament. What happened next occurred within the blink of an eye.

The Rafales, at maximum speed, encountered the enemy Meteor attack, with le Marquis inside his cockpit leading the charge. Time seemed to slow down as several things happened at once. Hundreds of MAGIC missiles had been loosed and many, judging by the explosions obscuring the sky, had hit the Meteor swarm. It was a maneuver that had, though remaining the type of maneuver that you only get one good shot at, for all intents and purposes saved the Silver Spurs, together with the SPECTRA system. However, Versailles would have to wait until after the battle to exactly judge the accuracy of newly employed SPECTRA. But the Meteors were a deathly weapon, and indeed if the British need any reason not to trust the Hindustanis they just need observe how the so called ‘Progressives’ dealt such dangerous arms to hard line communist militants. That was little consolation to d’Arras, his own craft having passed a Meteor missile in its ghastly last second targeting stage, stained with it’s foul communist smoke, when he heard the desperate radio calls come in from all around him even as looking ahead he saw another MAGIC impact with the Soviet long range air-to-air missile. Surreally units of chaff were floating down about him, looking almost beautiful, like a snow storm at high altitude.

“Silver nine, break hard. Break hard, Andre!” A Rafale exploded, blossoming in several stages into smaller fireballs.

“Jacques, deploy countermeasure, behind you!” Another Rafale disintegrated.

“Vive le Roi!” shouted Gascard de Polignac, a distant cousin of a family associated with Her Serene Highness Jillesepone, as he roasted alive in his cockpit, as the Rafale shot like a comet straight down to the desert floor.

In that blink of an eye seven Dassault Rafales, invaluable craft piloted by irreplaceable knights, ceased to emit a radar signal. Given the speed and strength of the Soviet strike, only two had been able to eject, where they would land, if they managed to land, would be anybodies guess. To people observing the chaos from down below, the explosions and noises from overhead would have been astounding. The Silver Spurs emerged from the strike scattered too, in various positions.

But le Marquis d’Arras, together with his squadron and those of le Comtes de Vandriel and d’Allembert, emerged from the chaos in perfect formation, still whipping at Mach speed across the desert sky, twenty-eight Rafales strong and thundering directly towards the Soviet Hobgoblins in patterns of militant diamonds. Even shining in the sun the black, dart shaped craft pounded down upon the communists who had cause such hurt to their brethren. Just closing in at 30 kilometers, having no illusions as to the effectiveness their mid-range weaponry would against such foes, they deployed their second Super 530 missiles in a second wave against the Hobgoblins. A total of twenty-eight missiles from as many jets. But that was too in part to tie them up. Unaware of what the Hobgoblins were actually armed with quantitatively and qualitively le Marquis was determined to get in close, and fight on terms more favorable to the French knights of the sky. Therefore they strained their jets to maximum, with another wave of sonic booms rumbling over the desert floor, coming in quick and turning their MAGIC systems ‘hot’. They still had countermeasures after the Meteor attack, and courage enough to finish the fight. The other remaining Silver Spurs were getting their bearings, but would be able to join d’Arras.

The fight was easy to transmute into propaganda for Versailles: Knights fighting to kill goblins. That was, for the Kingdom of France, quite an appropriate metaphor for Christendom’s conflict with the Igovians.

…Meanwhile. The Springers, who would most likely be able to deal with or avoid entirely the incoming Super 530’s launched by the distracted Dassault Rafales would have a surprise if they turned to join the attack against the Silver Spurs. Or even if they didn’t, for that matter, the surprise was coming for them. A wing of Spanish Rafales, seventy two strong, was now hurtling down on them from the south, forcing them to either turn aside or fight the El Cid wing of His Catholic Majesty’s Royal Air Force.

And the Libyan Golkondas, moving in to support the Hobgoblins, would find two forces from as many directions bearing down directly on them. Coming in over Niger was the Knights Errant wing of the ODSE, in seventy- two Mirage 2000s. They were matched with equal velocity by a wing of Algerian Royal Air Force Mirage 2000s, in the forms of the Desert Hope wing out of Fte. Ste. Jeanne. They closed quickly, one from the south and the other from the west, aiming to get in Super 530 range as soon as possible. In any case posing a deadly threat to the Golkondas if they chose to attempt and succor the Hobgoblins.

Versailles

His Most Christian Majesty’s Prime Minister, M. Sarkozy, is in the last stages of the negotiations with Baron Thunder-von-Thenk to hand over New Caledonia and Gibraltar back to the British, both slated to occur within hours after the ink is on the pages. The men have been getting long well, with France and the Empire thawing relations that were for years in deep freeze.

Before the paper is signed, however, even as the dignitaries are lining up at Ft. St. Martin and the Spanish crown prince prepares to hand the Keys of the Rock back to the emissaries of Prime Minister Mainwaring, the Prime Minister is forced to bring up Plan Yellow with his British college. Before getting on to the Libyan issue itself, though, Monsieur Sarkozy points out that Spanish and Moroccan efforts in the Western Sahara are not intended as any sort of prelude to occupation, exhibit Spain’s order to her own troops and Moroccan allies simply to disarm enemy units and gently bring order to the region. On camera, as it were. And Mauritania, well of course everyone favors negotiations, but let it not be forgotten that President Taya was legally elected before being thrown out in a coup. A military coup at that. In regards to Plan Yellow. It is pointed out that the largest offensive in the entire war is only a few days from launching, its goal to invade Libya and remove the terrorist government from power. Versailles must know of Britain’s acquiescence to this goal. After all, His Most Christian Majesty intends to follow up the liberation of various West African states with elections, and democracy, just as Louis-Auguste promised. However, before New Caledonia becomes Australasian and Gibraltar is given back to the British, Versailles must have the absolute assurance of the Imperial Government that its stance on seeing a new government in Libya will not waver.

As soon as Versailles gets that, the flags were to switch at Ft. St. Martin and The Rock.

Vecron

22-06-2007, 23:06

Mediterranean Skies

The TIE squadrons fly along their course at a high altitude, themselves not wanting to climb to engage their enemy. They are informed of the actions of the F.4s and other squadron is diverted to engage them while the other continues for their priority: the Jaguars. The Eurofighters and F-16s do not hold the Meteor under their wing, but they do hold the AMRAAM, taken from NATO at their inception into the HL (1997 or 98) and now domestically produced. It is hoped that the ten Eurofighters and two F-16s can hold off the enemy long enough the second to engage the Jaguars, and hopefully the Tornados.

Once the Tornados are detected the Garibaldi launches all ten of its Harriers, each of them loaded with the AMRAAM, and head for the Tornados. They are aware of the Harrier’s limitations in a dog fight and are warned to avoid directly confronting the Tornados at close range, but to try to pick them off from afar. It is just hoped that they have acted soon enough and the Tornados are engaged before they can release their payload. The Romans certainly know the value of the Tornado, using them to such effectiveness against Yugoslavia, and they don’t want to be on the receiving of that. Once the fleet reaches the wounded Sauro, the decision is made to evacuate the sub aside from a skeleton crew and place them on one of the frigates. Afterwards, the frigates and the Garibaldi will head back home at full speed while the Sauro will limp along, too small of a target for anyone to go out of their way for, hopefully.

Gurguvungunit

23-06-2007, 02:12

OOC: Still, Mumbai negotiations are a few days (at least) before Mediterranean actions.

Mumbai

Christina's carefully structured expression broke, suddenly, with a sad and genuine smile. She nodded, listening to the Parliamentarian's concerns, and weighed her options. Certainly, the Indians were right in saying that Mumbai had not been treated well by London, but in these chaotic times it was hard enough to deal with such staunch allies as Washington or Port Royal, and Mumbai's close association with Raipur left many in the Empire's upper echelon chary of close co-operation.

"Please, understand this. As far as Africa is concerned, the legitimacy of India's presence-- and France's presence-- is not really at issue. Neither is strictly 'legitimate', nor is the increasing British deployment there. In the end, though, legitimacy doesn't matter in anything but philosophical and moral terms. Whether France's presence is legitimate or not, they are supporting the rise of democratic governments in the western-- that is to say, republican-- model. In the end, that's all that really matters to my government, that Africa's governments move towards representative, mostly centrist systems. Whether they go socialist or capitalist isn't the major concern, but it certainly matters. From London, it looks like Indian troops are trying to take Africa and use it as a base to attack Europe. By your own admission, you've gone to war with the League. I understand that, and I truly thank you for your willingness to fight on behalf of my nation's people.

"The concern that we have, I suppose, is that Britain is by geographical necessity part of Europe, however much we dislike general European policy. Our history and our culture ties us to Europe, and Europe's geopolitical stability has grave impact upon our own national security. This is why we cannot have India conquer Europe, because while we hold faith that you in Parliament will honour your alliance with us, we have markedly less faith in the Soviets. Quite simply, their foreign policy is entirely too militant for our tastes, and entirely too extreme for us to be comfortable with a Soviet presence in Europe. This is why we resist-- very strongly-- the idea that India gain a foothold in Africa.

"You say that we haven't been good allies to you, and I concede that this is true. My government wants to work with you, really. Unfortunately, so long as Hindustani troops support Soviet goals in Africa, I'm afraid that we can't give you much of substance in that area. On the other hand, we'd be happy to increase trade with Hindustan at significantly reduced tariffs, and though that might seem a poor substitute to military aid against the League, it's the best that I can offer. Furthermore, we're considering the construction of a canal across the Kra isthmus to aid in shipping, and Hindustan's extensive construction capabilities would make you a welcome partner there. It's a discussion for another time, but I want to assure you that our regret for the treatment of your nation is genuine, and we're willing to work together in the future.

"We, after all, are the British. If any one nation can admit mistakes, it's us." Christina laughed darkly. "And you, the Hindustanis, are perhaps in the best position to appreciate that. Incidentally, please understand that the name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Empire is symbolic, not indicative of imperialist policies. United Kingdom of Great Britain, Newry, Wendselybury Island and Australasia, after all, is a dreadful mouthful.

"As for the current situation, please accept my guarantee that under no circumstances will the British Empire support attacks on the Indian subcontinent, nor do we harbour any ambitions towards the Lusakan Republics. Should the Roycelandians attempt such a thing, or the Quinntoninans likewise, Britain will immediately withdraw from NATO. Washington and Port Royal are fully aware of this. Our conflict with the Soviets is mainly over their massive troop deployment to Africa, and hopefully we can all begin a drawdown of forces in the area immediately. Certainly, we're trying to impress the idea on Versailles, but I can't promise anything yet."

Mediterranean

The Dwirgi transport WIG, intent upon ramming the Docker River, was attempting something hopelessly brave. Her trajectory, coming in from above and broadside with limited maneuverability due to damage, almost guaranteed an excellent target. The destroyer's standard 114 mm gun, trained on the WIG since it began its suicidal climb from within the group of transport skimmers, began spouting shells at its full rate of fire, 25 shells per minute. Each shell, high explosive packed rounds surrounded by a shrapnel casing, could singly down a WIG. If only one hit, the big aircraft would likely not cause the destroyer much damage.

Even so, and certainly to the detriment of the gun's accuracy, Captain Morris ordered full military thrust, sending the destroyer leaping forward in the ocean. Aster-15s continued to fire, now serving their main ship-defence role, and were joined by the much larger Harpoon AShMs designed to hit surface targets. Thus, the Docker River put up a veritable wall of explosives, guided and unguided, only one of which would be sufficient to destroy the incoming WIG.

Commander Adams' Harrier had not yet left the scene of battle, and as he saw the WIG begin its death-dive upon the destroyer he performed a flawless Immelmann loop, orienting him back towards the WIG group. Keying up another ASRAAM missile and receiving an almost instant target lock, he let fly.

"Fox Two!"

Raipur

The British diplomatic team is not entirely thrilled with Raipur's position, but is indeed glad that the Soviets asked them to the table. Mainwaring's government was not particularly thrilled with the idea of war with the Commonwealth either, but the British were entirely secure in the idea that their military units had been right in assuming hostile intent from the discharge of weapons. This is communicated to the Soviet delegation, along with assertions that video footage will show that the WIG unit fired bursts from its 30 mm cannon at a Harrier, without first giving verbal warning. Though this may not have been intended as an attack, it certainly could be interpreted as one and led to the 'regrettable incident' in the Mediterranean.

Concerns about Europe's stability, as outlined by Christina Lloyd to the Hindustanis, are communicated to the Soviets as well. Needless to say, no mention of the threats posed by Soviet presence are mentioned specifically, but it is made very clear that Britain sees a Soviet presence in Europe as unacceptable. Furthermore, the Soviets are assured that British peacekeepers endeavour to see France out of Africa as soon as humanly possible. Soviet observers are even invited to see that the actions in the ECOWAS are solely for the benefit of the African people and that no moves are being made (apart from the standard goodwill efforts by British troops to secure friendly relations with the common people) to influence their choices of governmental system, social or economic models. Examples such as Mauritania are held up, showing that Britain is even prepared to lend support to populist organizations such as the Council for Justice and Democracy, in direct contravention to the League's pro-Taya policy. In Niger, meetings with both pro-NATO Nassara and pro-Progressive Bloc Tarayya show that the British are concerned first with good governance and popular choice, and second with securing friendly governments in Africa.

In this sense, then, Soviet military incursion is simply not needed, and will only serve to destabilize the region. France, regrettably, has and will continue to fight the Soviets out of a 'reasonable fear based on Soviet policy' that the Indians mean to dismantle the French government. Further Soviet presence is simply not conducive to development in Africa, and while Britain will make no attempt to stop the Soviet's anti-League war effort, it will not tolerate the continued threat posed to the fledgling democracies of Africa.

The Crooked Beat

24-06-2007, 05:47

Over the Mediterranean

No.15 Squadron duly picks-up the enemy squadron dispatched to intercept them on radar. Though only the Squadron Leader and his wingman have their Type 212 sets switched on, datalinks allow every one of the 15 aircraft in the squadron to share that information, thus, hopefully, keeping the Italians in the dark as to the exact number of Indian aircraft until it comes time to launch their missiles.

It is an awkward formation, 15 fighters against the normal 16. The loss of an F.4 in a landing accident at Benghazi leaves one of the finger-fours a somewhat ineffective vic, but whether such formations are still relevant, or just a holdover from a time when air combat was conducted primarily with cannon and short-range missiles, has yet to be seen. Two flights of F.4s separate from the main formation, breaking off to the left and to the right respectively, so the Italians will have to contend with missiles coming at them from different angles, and with several groups of targets.

The Hindustanis and the Italians close at high speed, as is always the case in a head-on fight between supersonic jets, so neither side will have to wait very long before its missiles come within range of their targets. With the Meteor, No.15 Squadron has an advantage over the AMRAAM-equipped Italians, but using all the Meteor's range would likely allow the Italians to more effectively evade the missiles. Doctrine demands that, instead, the fighters close to within 90 kilometers of their targets, which should be at slightly lower altitude, before releasing missiles, unless the enemy does so first. Then again, the Hindustanis are more interested in disrupting that particular Italian squadron, and need to conclude the engagement as quickly as possible so the other Italian unit, headed to intercept No.2 Squadron's Jaguars, can be dealt with. In all likelihood the Italians will have to wait longer, though, for their AMRAAMs to stand a very good chance of hitting the Hindustanis.

Tension is high in Hindustani cockpits as the radar and RWR displays show enemy contacts getting closer and closer, and, though most of No.15 Squadron's pilots have combat experience, and a few even have kills against Bonstockian, Chinese, or even Bedgellen aircraft to their credit, playing chicken with another group of quite advanced enemy warplanes is never a comfortable or safe business. Fingers nervously flip open safety catches while every pilot waits for a locked-on tone or the order to fire, whichever comes first. Zipping along at supersonic speeds, the Italians and Hindustanis will be on top of one another in a matter of minutes, and Meteors begin to acquire target locks already.

All of a sudden, the radio comes alive with cries of "missiles away!" or "Jai Hind" or "Allahu Akbar." Four times supersonic Meteors leap from their launch rails, some 30 missiles in total, and speed for the Italian formation. As perhaps the most advanced AAMs in the world, the Meteors are quite difficult to jam or otherwise confuse, and, closing with their targets, will have plenty of energy and fuel left to make terminal-stage maneuvers. Still, fired from a long-ish 95 kilometers out, the Meteors may yet be evaded by the Italians, should they make a speedy departure and run out of the missiles' engagement range. If that is the case, there are still 28 further Meteors left to deal with them.

With weapons free, eight of the 15 aircraft peel off from the engagement with some 32 Meteors still between them. They head towards the second Italian fighter unit, bearing down on the Jaguars of No.2 Squadron, with a view to take them from above and behind. The remaining seven F.4s stay to occupy the first Italian squadron, and are mostly concerned with keeping it from joining in pursuit of IAF strike planes.

The Jaguars, meanwhile, are advised of the Italians heading to attack them from GCI in Benghazi. Their relatively small surface-search radars by now display several targets, among them the original Sauro, but also Italian frigates sent to assist the stricken submarine. Far more important targets, by far, are the frigates, and as the twelve Sea Eagles are released, their seekers concentrate on the far larger surface warships. Indian missiles are, though, fired at close to the limit of their range. Not wanting to encounter the Italian AF fighters, and aware of Harriers in the vicinity, No.2 Squadron gets the hell out of dodge, running at low level and at high speed back to Libya, wing-mounted DRAB ASRAAMs very much prepared to engage any hostile aircraft that get close enough. Unless No.15 Squadron completes its own interception, No.2 Squadron may be in for a very tough time.

Meanwhile, No.1 Squadron heads the other way at high speed. Aloft Harriers do not much worry the Tornado pilots, who can out-run the subsonic interceptors by a fair margin, and, by the time Italian AV-8s are in AMRAAM range, the Indian Brahmos missiles will be well within their own engagement envelope. Still, though, there is the risk of interception from the second enemy land-based unit, which would be right in considering the Tornadoes more appropriate targets, even if interception before Brahmos launch would still be unlikely. Tornadoes have 290 kilometers to play with, more than twice AMRAAM range, and 250 kilometers is considered a quite appropriate and safe firing distance.

(OCC: I don't think we ever quite established where all this was taking place. I'm assuming that it is roughly west-southwest of Crete, in which case fighters flying out of Benghazi would need no time at all to reach the target area. I'm also assuming that the Italian warships sent to help the Sauro are quite nearby, and thus easily reachable by IAF warplanes sent to attack the submarine. If this is not the case, from your point of view, please say so and we might work out a proper position for all this fighting.

Also, I'll be gone for the next week. I leave you this to mull over. It is already quite late and I must wake up early tomorrow.)

The Estenlands

29-06-2007, 03:17

<QUOTE>OOC-I had made a post about this once, but it got lost, I shall just outline what I am committing in this theatre, and you all can update me as to what would be reasonable to expect.

Regent Ghosni Mubarrak was quite happy with the direction his nation had taken in the years since they had voluntarily taken the Tsarist yoke. His industrial capacity was exploding, with the exploitation of his resources being helped by the massive capital and investment of the Tsarist and HL investors, as well as the ever present Quinntonian oil money and that, coupled with the fact that the Tsarists had so much Soviet era hardware to get rid of, meant that his military power had transformed in that time. He was reasonably certain that he was among the most powerful, if not the most powerful indigenous African military forces on the continent. And his target, in order to support the French offensives, was Niger. The vast nation to his north, bordering troublesome Libya. And for some time now, his armies had been subjugating its people with the full power and fury of the new Tsarist military machine that they possessed. They had not seen much in the way of resistance, but as they arrived in heavier and heavier strength along the border to Libya, that could change. But they had plans for that as well.

The Minister of Defence, a tactical genius named General Kuwabara, was in direct command of the offensive in Niger, which had the luxury of not labouring under the racial passions that the rest of the Royalist offensives did. These were black Africans invading black Africans after all. He commanded an impressive force that had been deployed, that was organised thus:

5 Divisions Heavy Mechanised, 50,000 troops, 1500-2000 pieces of armour
5 Divisions Light Mechanised, 50,000 troops, 1000-1500 pieces of armour
15 Divisions Heavy Infantry, 150,000 troops, 1500-3000 pieces of armour
10 Divisions Light Infantry, 100,000 troops, 0-1000 pieces of armour
Troop Total-350,000 troops, 4,000-7,500 pieces of armour

This was of course being supported by the Nigerian Air Force, who had a significant strength in helicopters, though their technology was almost laughable by some modern standards when it came to their fighter aircraft. Nevertheless, the General commanded an air support division equalling almost half the Nigerian force:

MiG-21 “Fishbed”-(150)
MiG-23M “Flogger” (50)
Mig-25 “Foxbat” (15)
Su-24 “Fencer” (10)
Su-25 “Frogfoot” (10)
Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunship- (150)

This massive invasion force was tearing through the heart of Africa with a bloody vengeance, and though the some 400,000 French troops were spread all over West Africa, these troops had but one are to tame, and they would do so. Those troops that were pouring into the border region between Libya and Niger were definitely enthusiastic, and started setting up patrols and defensive constructs along the huge border. Beyond light skirmishing, they had not seen much fighting, and what they had seen, they were able to smash into oblivion with their far superior numbers. They were very wary about Soviet aircraft coming into their combat zone, and though their combat helicopter force would be able to stack up against any in the world for firepower, technology and flight hours, the rest of their air force were not so confident. They stayed for the most part in the southern half of the nation, content to do ground strike sorties and build their pilots confidence. If they started to see significant resistance from the ground they were ordered to pull back and either move into the area in force by air, or barring that, allow the ground forces to take the area with their support. If their was resistance by air in anything approaching a fourth generation fighter, they were to bug out immediately for home, under cover of the AA and SAM banks in Nigeria, and call in help from the French, whose Rafale 2000s would be a generation 4.5 and more than capable of engaging anything that they came up against. Meanwhile, a request was sent to Tsarist High Command that was asking for anything from a MiG-27 and up. A formal request was made for sustained French air support in the northern parts of the nation.

Of course, the Regent had asked the Duma to accept the concept of going to a total war, which was accepted after some debate. All High School programs were cancelled and all reservists were ordered to report to their respective military bases. The students were now ordered into the work force to replace those men and women who were now joining the military. Rationing was ordered, but for the time being it was to be light, and would not take place for a couple of weeks, allowing people to stock up.

As for the Navy, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Sir Gta Adekeye was very busy these days, he had just ordered Rear Admiral Ba Raji to take the 2nd Tsarist Fleet into blue water and support the engagement of the HL powers with the allied Progressive Fleet. It promised to be the largest naval engagement in history, and the Nigerians were eager to prove that their pride, the Navy, was up to any challenge. The 1st Fleet was ordered to take on the reservists and make it their responsibility that the Coastal areas of Nigeria be free of hostiles at all costs. The 3rd Fleet was subsequently ordered to do broad patrols along the trade lines into the Atlantic, to protect civilian shipping in the region while attacking Progressive shipping of all types. They began immediately, sinking a pair of freighters that flew Soviet colours.

In all, Mubarak was quite happy with how things were going so far. He was far from happy with the state of his air force, but he had never planned on fighting a military as powerful and advanced as the Soviets. But just to be sure, he began to gather another wave of troops that could be moved into Niger should things become harder, and began to gather them on the northern Nigerian border. They were:

5 Divisions Light Mechanised, 50,000 troops, 1000-1500 pieces of armour
5 Divisions Heavy Infantry, 50,000 troops, 500-1,000 pieces of armour
10 Divisions Light Infantry, 100,000 troops, 0-1,000 pieces of armour
5 Divisions Elite Paratroopers, 50,000 troops, 0-1,000 pieces of armour
1 Division Elite Ball Python Troops, 10,000 troops, armour unknown
Total troops-260,000 troops, 1,500-4,500 pieces of armour

These troops were to be held right now as the invasion force did their thing and just brought in if the situation on the ground become untenable, or if there began to be resistance coming from Libya/the Soviets. They would make a single major drive for the Libyan border in that case and begin to make war from that position.

This, and the fact that Lord Kiba Morgan was now on the move into Niger for a reported “humbling of Libya” made the Nigerians very sure of themselves. Of course, they kept a close eye on developments in London while this was occurring. But for the time being, they were being moved, along with the Russian peacekeeping forces in the region to the south of Niger to set up a new camp. They had not started their movement yet, but they would represent a totally unknown factor in this conflict, no one here aside from the French had yet fought a Lavragerian warrior.

Nigerian Factbook: http://z9.invisionfree.com/NS_Modern...&#entry1372035
<QUOTE>
In Nigeria, wartime was a reality. The massive movements of troops into neighbouring Niger had not met with major resistance, and morale was high in the Tsarist African enclave. They were flush with what seemed like an easy victory, and there had not been any significant losses or hardships in the war thus far. Of course, the tactical genius known as General Kubawara that had been placed in charge of the Niger campaign was now faced with the grim reality that the war would really heat up now. But, he was determined to make sure that his HL allies did not see his native Nigeria as the weak link in the HL family. So, his plans and preparations for the invasion of Libya began to roll. They had been requested to supply 300,000 troops for a two pronged attack. However, his plan was to hit Libya with an even larger force, replete with a well supplied fighting force that was far more used to fighting in African conditions than the invading Europeans and Indians.

The troops at his disposal were being moved into two major groups. The supply lines and control of hated Niger were essential to the continued prosecution of the war. This had to be coupled with a major push into Libya, sweeping across the integrated border defences that were already landing fire on his forward most positions.

The Niger Occupation Force would be composed of:
20 Divisions of Light Infantry, 200,000 troops, 0-2000 pieces of armour, all light types
5 Divisions of Heavy Infantry, 50,000 troops, 500-1000 pieces of armour
Total Number of Troops-250,000 troops, 500-3000 pieces of armour

Then, a combination of things will occur for the invasion of Libya. First, Lord Kiba Morgan and his Lavrageria warriors will move cross the Niger frontier into Libya, this taking place almost immediately. They will be using everything from camels to horses, accustomed as they are to fighting technically superior armies. They will be moving a force in excess of 70,000 warriors into the Libyan province of Murzuq, focusing on the destruction of long-range AA and missile defence equipment. However, they are largely to just make that province as unhealthy a place to be as they can.

Right on their heals will be the invasion group from Nigeria. The French plan for two groups to break apart and drive forward will only be able to take place once this first province is under control, and so Tripoli and Bangazi will have to be more a long term plan than short term, there are just very large distances involved to move through properly supplied.

The invasion force following up on the Lavragerian Shock Troops will be:
5 Heavy Mechanised Divisions, 50,000 troops, 1500-2000 pieces of armour
10 Light Mechanised Divisions, 100,000 troops, 2000-3000 pieces of armour
15 Heavy Infantry Divisions, 150,000 troops, 1500-3000 pieces of armour
5 Elite Paratrooper Divisions, 50,000 troops, 0-500 pieces of armour all light and able to be airdropped
2 Elite Ball Python Division, 20,000 troops
Total Troops-370,000, 5000-8500 pieces of armour

The plan for invasion will be that the Ball Python Division will move across the border and try to seize control/destroy/sabotage communication infrastructure and oil industry components. This will be of course, secondary after attacking missile and AA sights that are still in operation. They will also be liaising with the Lavragerians and directing them in their efforts as officers.
Depending on their success/the resistance that they are encountering, the main force will attempt to wait until the Libyans/Soviets are fully engaged before moving forward with full air and armour into the province.
The first movement will be by masses of paratroopers, if possible, dropping into areas of major population centres and troop concentrations in order to bog down the movements of the defenders while the main body of the invasion drives into the fight with armour in the front. That will mean a huge thrust of 300,000 troops and at least 5000 pieces of armour which will be designed to crush any resistance and finally take control of the province. It is then that the gains will be consolidated and moves will be made towards the two objectives given them by the French.

Meanwhile, in the ocean of the coast of Nigeria, Progressive submarines are making a pre-emptive strike against the Nigerian 2nd Fleet.
As the 24 Soviet missiles tear into their position, the Grishas do open up with their AK-630’s, downing a few of the incoming right away, and successfully – most likely fuelled by desperation – to protect themselves almost totally. A couple of explosions hit close to the ships, but though there was some damage to smaller components, nothing major. The Krivaks at the last moment opened up with their SA-N-4 “Gecko” SAM system, and managed to take out several of the incoming missiles with well times explosions, as had been done with this SAM system in controlled tests, but three missiles came through, with two striking one Krivaks and one striking another. The first took one hit on its fore bow side, just above the waterline, and the second hitting amidships, setting a fire that soon gets out of control and starts a chain of explosions that see the ship explode in a fireball that carries flames several hundred meters into the air. The second ship takes a single hit in the stern, rendering the platform immobile, but the fire suppression systems, and some heroics by the Nigerian sailors, keep things under control as they prepare the so far undamaged ASW submarine for take-off, which happens shortly. On the undamaged ships, the ASW choppers are taking off and fanning out, gambling that another attack will be forthcoming and wanting to be in position to respond to that one. They all return fire into the area that the weapons came from, with RBU-6000 ASW rockets that should at the very least make that area an untenable firing position for now (not realising that the ships are already leaving the area), and then waiting for a suspected next attack that will not get away so easily now that the air was being filled with the fleet’s many ASW choppers in addition to the ones on the outside screen. The rest of the Fleet moved to manoeuvring speed, with the expectation that they must act as though they were in hostile waters, even this close to home.

In related Nigerian news, The 3rd Fleet under Vice-Admiral Go Adrissu is moved to full battle status and continues to protect their trade lines while making attacks of opportunity on Soviet freighters whenever they can. Also, the full amount of reserves has reported for duty and is standing at the ready in case further help should be needed.

As for the Main Naval Battle,
<QUOTE>
Tsar Wingert-
The Northern Fleet-
1 Kuznetsov Class Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (Aircraft Carrier)
-updated to launch MiG-29
1 Kiev Class Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (Aircraft Carrier)
1 Kirov Class Missile Battle
1 Slava Class Cruiser
5 Kashin Class Destroyers
1 Udaloy I Class Destroyer
10 Krivak Class Frigates
5 Grisha III Class Corvette
And:

Baltic Fleet-
1 Kraken Class Roycelandian Dreadnaught
1 Kuznetetsov Class Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (Aircraft Carrier)
-updated to launch MiG-29
1 Kirov Class Missile Battecruiser
3 Slava Class Cruisers
10 Kashin Class Destroyers
5 Kara Class Guided Missile Cruisers <Destroyer>
10 Sovremenny Class Destroyers
2 Udaloy I Class Destroyers
3 Udaloy II Class Destroyers
10 Krivak Class Frigates

French Fleet:
3 Cherbourg Battleships
11 Marseilles class cruisers
1 Charles de Gaulle
18 Brest class frigates.
Around twenty corvettes and support ships are in tow.
9 Nantes class subs in support.
2 Kraken Class Dreadnaughts (Battleships)
<QUOTE>

The Annunkais finally come into their optimum firing position, with firing solutions complete and they come to firing upon the combined Royalist Fleet. Their 16 Charioteers come streaking in at the massed fleet, but are quickly dealt with by the outside ASW screen, with only one direct hit, on a French Corvette in the bridge section, taking out the command crew completely but after some fire suppression on that ship, it was just rendered inoperable, but not sinking. Rescue operations launch into full swing soon after. But, long before that strike, ASW missiles and rockets start to come into that area as they try and make any sub action against the surface fleet very costly.
As for the incoming Puffins, they would cause major activity on the Charles de Gaulle, as they bring their Dassault Rafales into air to meet the advance Puffin wings. During this time, the Russian Kiev and Kuznetsov Class Carriers start to set out their ASW CAP that consists of a very intimidating 64 Ka-27s, the majority of which are outfitted for ASW operations. Sonar towing and sub hunter/killer operations begin in earnest with the fist attacks starting from enemy subs on the outside screen now.
So, it looks as though the next phase in the battle will be between the Rafales and Puffins as they jockey for air superiority and position.

Tsar Wingert the Great

Vecron

01-07-2007, 04:11

OOC—I had imagined this taking place more in the center of the Mediterranean between Italy and Libya, which would make it more of a race IMO. Putting it closer to Crete does make some sense, since that would be along the route Soviet ships would be taking. I had chosen Malta and Sicily with the first assumption in mind, but if we’re talking about Crete then they would probably have taken off from the base in Lecce, making them much closer, though still giving you the advantage. In terms of the warships, those started out closer to Italy, about 30-40 km off Italy’s boot with one at the heel and the other halfway to the toe. One frigate would be with the Sauro, picking up the crew with the other closer behind. The Garibaldi was closer to the Sauro at the heel of Italy with the other frigate, but is hanging back now with the bombers ripping in. Since they are coming from the North, the Harriers aren’t so much chasing as they are on an intercept course, but they are pretty damn slow. In this post though, I’ll use the Crete position.

IC—Ares 1 hummed at the two blips on his radar, “Hey 2, didn’t Command say that there were sixteen bogeys on an intercept?”

“You only picking two too, huh?”

“What do you make of it?”

“They’ve probably shut off their radar’s,” Ares 2 replied, “we’ll see them soon enough.”

Alarms blared in the cockpit, Ares 1 looked at his radar and saw over thirty missiles heading right for his squadron! It was definitely a full squadron coming at him! His mind worked faster than ever before as he worked out a strategy, “Second group: break down and left, First group: up and right!” Ares squadron broke apart into two flights of six, going into wide and fast turns to outrun the missiles. By the time the flights had come full circle, most of the missiles had whizzed by, a little too close for Ares 1. Yet the squadron does not come out unscathed, as each flight looses one unit each, a Eurofighter from the first group and an F-16 from the second. As the missiles flew past them, Ares 1 had his flight shut off their raiders except for him, hoping that with the Eurofighter’s semi-stealth capability that the enemy would mistake it as being the loss of five of his fighters. “I’ll lead you in, on my mark, engage your raiders, pick your targets and fire!”

“One of the contacts have broken off,” Ares 2 shouted over the radar, “I’m taking my group and going after them.”

“Acknowledged,” Ares 1 replied. The turn took his flight at a high altitude, above the enemy and bore down on them. He waited till he closed to around 65 km before screaming into his headset, “Now! Ares 1: Mars 4!” Each of the five fighters released four of their six AMRAAMs for a total of twenty missiles. At closer range than the IAF missiles, firing from above and moving head-to-head, the missiles have a high probability of killing the seven fighters.

The second flight was now chasing the enemy and needed to close the range significantly before they can fire with a good chance of killing them. (OOC—how fast is the…F.4 is it?)

The second TIE squadron, Mercury squadron, push their fighters for all their worth, with the Eurofighters somewhat leaving the F-16s behind to use them as reserve fighters. The squadron has a slight head start on the Tornadoes, but the faster bombers are going to make it very close. The Eurofighters of Mercury squadron close to 160 km when cries of “Mercury 1: Mars 4!” and “Mercury 3: Mars 4!” and “Mercury 5: Mars 4!” ring out over the radios, and twenty missiles head toward the Tornadoes. At this distance, the Tornadoes can evade them, but it may slow them down just enough to get a better lock on them before they can release their anti-ship missiles or allow the Harriers to make a move on them.

Once the frigates and the Garibaldi detect the incoming Sea King missiles, their missile defense system kicks in. The Garibaldi and the frigate with her charges to flank speed and turns away from the missiles’ paths while releasing chaff and flares and attempting to shoot down the missiles. Between the two ships, four of the eight incoming missiles are shot down with the rest either missing completely or being near misses and causing light, but insignificant damage. The frigate with the Sauro fires everything they can at the missiles and are able to take three of the four out a safe distance away then launches countermeasures and keeps firing to take the last out. The frigate knows it does not have much time left and hurriedly picks up the last of the rafts and motors away.

Hail Caesar!

Gurguvungunit

01-07-2007, 07:15

OOC: Your fighters took off from Malta? Since when has Malta been an Italian airbase? If anything, it's a British naval base/resupply port as per my earlier post, during which a CVL docked at Malta and began discharging diplomatic teams and engineers to turn Valetta back into a military harbour.

Beth Gellert

01-07-2007, 12:19

The Crooked Beat

01-07-2007, 18:43

(OCC: The HAL F.4 is capable of Mach 2.3 in clean configuration at high altitude, and can also cruise at supersonic speeds without the use of afterburner without significant external stores. It can climb at about the same rate as the Eurofighter, if not a little bit faster, and is considerably lighter. I don't know about ceiling, though. I picture this engagement taking place at about 50,000ft, which gives each side some space to play with, but then again, I don't really know. Hmph.

Also, last time I checked, the AMRAAM only had a range of just over 100km. That is the AIM-120C anyway, but I don't think the US has in RL exported the 180km-range D variant, and whether Italy would have got them from Quinntonia seems unlikely.)

Over the Mediterranean

No.15 Squadron does not wait around for the Italians to complete their maneuver and put themselves above the Hindustani fighters. After the first salvo of Meteors is away, the Squadron Leader's flight climbs with the Italians, aiming to nullify any altitude advantage that they might have hoped for. By the time the Italians are back in engagement range, the second flight of F.4s has put a fair amount of distance between itself and Ares squadron, and is more than happy to draw fighters away from the Squadron Leader's flight in a long-distance pursuit. Informed of the Italians' progress by GCI in Benghazi, No.15 Squadron's second flight of 8 fighters is still well-placed to turn in and engage them, should they get too close, and there are more than enough Meteors left to complete the task.

The Italians' tactic of shutting off some of their radars does not fool the F.4 pilots, who are entirely able to detect the enemy aircraft with their Type 212 AESA sets, most of which have, by now, been switched on. Still outnumbering the Italians by two aircraft, the first flight is ready to move the engagement to a closer range. Enemy contacts close rapidly, as is always the case with jet vs. jet combat, and before long missile warnings sound in Hindustani cockpits.

The Squadron Leader and his wingman fire all four of their remaining Meteors seconds after the Italians fire their own AMRAAMs, and simultaneously the order goes out to break formation and take evasive action. Ares Squadron certainly fired first, and well within the AMRAAM's engagement range, and losses are, for No.15 Squadron, inevitable. But the Squadron Leader knows that his flight has a good chance of minimizing its losses by forcing the Italians to break off themselves, and thus stop providing mid-course guidance updates to their missiles. The Meteor, with a more advanced seeker than the AMRAAM, stands a better chance of hitting its target when left to its own devices than does the AMRAAM, and the eight Meteors in the air still mean that some Italian fighters have more than one Indian rocket bearing down on them, though the second salvo is meant to be more a disruption than anything else.

IAF fighters break hard left and right, looking to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the enemy AMRAAMs, before snapping back on them. Outrunning a Mach 4 missile is a losing proposition, so the IAF pilots are trained to turn into them, and, at the last minute, roll away, hopefully causing the missile to detonate a safe distance away. Of course, there is a lot of luck involved, but there isn't much else a pilot can do against the latest advanced AAMs. Hindustani pilots switch on their towed decoys, which are supposed to simulate a target aircraft and lure pursuing AAMs away from the F.4 itself, while at the same time launching chaff like there's no tomorrow. Indeed, there will not be a tomorrow for several of the IAF fliers.

For most of the IAF planes, their evasive tactics work. Towed decoys are destroyed, preventing their further use, and F.4s are jostled, but five of the seven come out of it not much worse for wear. Their best self-defense systems are largely spent, though, and what's left to do is to move the engagement to closer range, in the process getting rid of the remaining Meteors at a far more advantageous distance.

The Squadron Leader is the first IAF casualty of the engagement. He does not break and evade, opting instead to stay and provide mid-course guidance updates for his missiles. As a result, a fair few AMRAAMs track his aircraft, flying, as it is, straight and level, and with its radar switched very much on, but likely the Meteors will have been able to get close enough to the Italians for their advanced seekers to do some real damage. A veteran of several wars and not one to be cut down running, the Squadron Leader explodes in an impressive fireball, and saves his formation from the attention of a fair few AMRAAMs. Another F.4 is hit as well, its pilot excessively slow in deploying countermeasures. The rocket buries itself into the F.4's jet engine, and the pilot has just enough time to eject before his aircraft is consumed completely by the explosion. He floats down towards an uncertain fate in the Mediterranean Sea, bleeding from several shrapnel wounds.

After the desperate fight against the Italian AMRAAMs, the IAF fighters regroup and get ahold of themselves with remarkable speed. They still have some 16 Meteors between them, enough to cause the Italians some serious trouble, and they close the distance between the two formations with every intention of destroying their opponent. At fifty kilometers they are ordered to release the remaining Meteors, at which distance the highly advanced AAMs, even if forced to climb or maneuver, still stand an excellent chance of downing every last one of the Italians. IAF fighters rocket towards the Italians from just beneath them, itchy trigger fingers hovering over the launch switches for their remaining Meteors.

Of course, if Ares Squadron's second flight breaks off from its pursuit of No.15 Squadron's second flight, in all likelihood No.15 Squadron's first flight will be destroyed.

The second group of F.4s makes for Mercury Squadron, traveling at close to Mach 2 and diving. Such important assets as the anti-shipping Tornadoes cannot be lost, and the IAF pilots are eager to make sure that such a thing does not happen. Coming from above and behind the enemy, the second flight holds the advantage until Ares Squadron's second flight catches up, and, at the very least, Mercury Squadron will be forced to break-off its pursuit in order to deal with such a dire threat.

IAF Tornadoes do take limited evasive action when Mercury Squadron fires upon them, but this simply consists of changing course, rather than undertaking any radical maneuvers, and no Brahmos missiles are jettisoned. Even though they are slowed by the bulky missiles, no AMRAAM, except the D variant, which only Quinntonia is thought to possess, can hit a deflection target at such a range.

Finally, the Italian warships are in missile range, though, with the Harriers inbound, the Tornadoes cannot get quite as close as they would prefer. At 270 kilometers, twenty Brahmos rockets are fired at the Garibaldi and her escorts. They climb to 12,000 meters after launch for the cruise phase, and, though they are capable of being intercepted, they are still traveling a good deal faster than the Italian Harriers and are quite stealthy, not yet employing their active radar seekers. 40 kilometers away from the Italians, the missiles will dive to sea-skimming altitude, slamming into their targets at 2.8 times the speed of sound, with 300kg of high explosive to compliment the massive damage wrought by impact with the target alone. CIWS are notoriously unable to effectively deal with such missiles, and SAMs like the Sea Sparrow or Aspide will be hard-pressed to provide a credible defense also.

With their missiles away, the ten Tornadoes turn towards Libya, climbing to a higher altitude so that, if challenged, they might use their speed advantage to get away from their pursuers.

No.2 Squadron, meanwhile, exits the battle area, headed back to Benghazi to be re-loaded with Sea Eagle missiles or whatever other ordnance, and sent back out to the Mediterranean to further attack enemy shipping.

Fleur de Liles

01-07-2007, 21:44

Trade between France and Germany
As the barriers to trade fell down between France and Germany money and goods of vast quantities began to once again flow freely between the two countries. French industries were by this time largely war oriented and the French consumers had a large need for consumer goods of all types and models. The powerful Germany economy began filling this need while allowing the French economy to be directed against the Soviets.

German investment was tentative at first and largely consisted of them taking back businesses that they ran before the draconian French trade regulations. German investors were still skeptical about investment into a country run by a dictator who was at times, seemingly insensitive to their needs. They were burnt once and did not want to be burnt a second time. But they were hopeful that the somewhat positive trading atmosphere would continue and perhaps even lead towards less government inference and regulation of the economy. The German government was proving business unfriendly and German investors were looking at other places to invest their Deutschmarks.

Although Germany was largely silent in this conflict their money supported France against the Soviet menace.

Germany aids Britain

The German government issued a press release that they would not become involved in this conflict against the Soviets while a single Holy League troop remained on African soil. They did not like to see their British ally have to face Soviet troops alone but Germany did not want to become a supporter of the Holy League's aggression and by necessity had to remain neutral. However German airspace around Cyprus was guarded with zeal and non NATO or Greek aircraft was advised to remain 15km from shore at all times. Penetration of German airspace would result in a hostile response from top of the line German fighters.

Germany would never supply the Holy League with military equipment or goods. But they would supply their allies at cost with as much ammunition as the German economy could provide. In order to better service the needs of Britain, Germany announced that it would rush build 200 A400M Airbuses. At the jointly shared Australasian and Germany base in Cyprus thousands of tons of ammunition began to build up for British use. Inquires were made at the appropriate British departments about how Germany could best service British needs. Little would be kept from Britain in its time of need.

Gurguvungunit

01-07-2007, 22:00

Cairo, Egypt

The Egyptian government, caught as it was between two hostile power blocs, was undoubtedly feeling the strain. The entire country was in a heightened state of alert after repeated Soviet threats to invade Egypt and take the canal, and the presence of a large British military base outside of Port Said was not, it must be said, as reassuring as Whitehall obviously intended.

Egypt's defence forces, formerly Federal Dictatorship troops afforded the best training possible by their superpower government, were indeed visible in Cairo and in every major city, performing patrols, watching roadways and borders for Soviet incursion. In the same way, a not-insignificant troop deployment monitored the British soldiers at Port Said. For government officials and civilians alike, the situation was tense.

When a British diplomatic team touched down in Cairo's international airport, then, they were met with cautious welcome and escorted to the capital building. Met by Egyptian officials, they outlined a series of trade deals, military interoperability exercises and general feel-good measures, obviously intended to foster positive relations with Egypt's government.

If it came down to a hearts-and-minds battle with the Soviets, this was one battle that the British were almost certain to win. In a nation with very high standards of living, low levels of government fraud and a highly educated populace, the Soviet message of 'overthrowing corrupt governments, redistributing wealth and waving red flags' was not likely to take hold. The British, with their existing connections with Egypt's elected government by way of the SCA, promise of military aid in the event of Soviet attack and long history with Egypt, were almost certainly the crowd favourite.

Central African Republic

François Bozizé was not exactly a model leader. Having taken power in 2003 via coup, General Bozizé was currently engaged in solidifying his hold on the government, patronizing his military backers and otherwise securing his own future. In the meantime, rebel groups in the north continued to plague the CAR's security, people left for neighbouring Chad by the thousands and violence spread slowly and unchecked.

Even so, Bozizé had taken 43% of the vote in a recent election, and seemed to have the people's support. Compared to Ange-Félix Patassé, president-in-exile of the CAR, he was positively loved. So it was that Britain made cautious overtures in his direction, suggesting that NATO would be available for peacekeeping operations should they be required 'for the good of the people of the CAR'. Once again, this was a not-so-subtle buddying up with local African governments considered to be legitimate. The CAR's position was fairly important, being both centrally located and defensibly mountainous. The CAR's relationship with Britain and the Soviets alike was not particularly extensive, and so making a positive first impression mattered very much indeed. To that end, A small number of British 'friendship squadrons'--lightly armed soldiers in Land Rovers-- could be seen wandering up and down the streets of the CAR's capital, distributing flyers, carrying groceries for elderly women, and posing for photographs when asked. They were viewed as a curiosity by the Africans, whose main experience with foreign troops had likely come at the receiving end of a bayonet, if at all.

Tunisia

The Tunisian government, appraised of portions of Plan Yellow that required their co-operation, was also met by a diplomatic team. These diplomats, however, came on the heels of a fairly major British deployment to the area. 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland deployed in full force to Tunisia, wearing the standard NATO dark blue helmets of peacekeeping forces, recognized the world over as responsible, capable troops. 3rd Battalion's colloquial name was the Black Watch, a light infantry battalion with a long and distinguished history. The Black Watch had fought in India, Flanders, Portugal, Spain and Belgium, in Germany and France and in North Africa as well. Their battle flag, retained ceremonially after the Black Watch was amalgamated into the Royal Scots, was heavy with ribbons, gilt lettering and patching that bespoke a long and checkered history.

Arriving in Tunisia, the Black Watch set up a network of border patrols, camps and supply depots, awaiting their French allies. Tensions in the camps would doubtless be high, until only a few weeks ago the Black Watch had fully expected to deploy to France itself, or perhaps to Gibraltar in the company of Royal Marines and the remnants of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. They had expected to fight the absurdly clad French troops on their own soil, rather than support them in an attack on Libya, of all places.

Following on the Black Watch by a few weeks would be the 19th Regiment Royal Artillery, a force of self-propelled armoured howitzers, and the 28th Engineer Regiment, field/amphibious sappers whose job it would be to accompany the French troops to the border, providing field engineer support to the massive columns of armour, infantry and artillery fielded by the Bourbon crown. Lastly, 2 Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles would join the deployed force. The Gurkhas were the best of the British Army, recruited from the mountains of Nepal. They were the consummate experts of light infantry combat, perhaps some of the best regular army troops in the world. Their purpose was to conduct 'interoperability operations' with the French army, to determine exactly how good the huge conscript force was, and to perhaps impart their extensive skillset to the French. It simply would not do, Horse Guards asserted privately, to have allies whose armies are ill trained, prone to atrocity and suffering from massive overextension of the armed forces. Accordingly, the Gurkhas' job was to train the French forces in Tunisia, analyse their level of preparedness, and possibly even impart some smackdowns in military simulations before the commencement of Plan Yellow.

The Estenlands

02-07-2007, 00:22

(OOC: Hey, part of Malta -Gozo- is actually occupied by the Al Khalis, ie. Syria, never mind any Europeans.

Anyhoo, I really do regret that I haven't time to keep up with this at the moment, and that it will likely be October before things change for the better. It'd cost me more than I'm earning to spend enough time here, and I'd end up terribly lonely, to boot!

I think you'll just have to settle other things while I'm gone. The idea of an offensive against Libya right now is impossible to work with, given that, looking at NG's timescale for his invasion, the attackers will be massively outnumbered and out-gunned by Soviet forces by the time it starts, so I really have to be here. We're even going to have to go back and RP most of the year leading up to this, in which Soviet forces will probably over-throw the governments of Chad and the CAR so as to help us in sustaining more forces in Libya than France is capable of raising in total.)

OOC-I think that timeline is hugely suspect. But we can hash that out later. Are we actually planning on stopping AMW until October? The reason I ask is that pretty much every thread going on right now has to do directly with the conflict that BG has going. If he leaves, we are all on hiatus. And since I just finally got PC access and am making my comeback, that is pretty frustrating. BG, I am not attacking, just asking what the plan is. I have some pretty radical suggestions as to what we should do about the problem, but I want to see what you all think.

Tsar Wingert the Great.

Spyr

02-07-2007, 05:30

[OOC: What we really need is a look at the transport capacities available to the involved powers...

For example, the Spanish contingent of Plan Yellow, assuming the whole naval transport capacity of RL Spain working 24-7 without stops and instantaneously teleporting their contents (which require no preliminary preparation) on-board at the start-point and and off-board at the end, would take about thirty days to move the listed troop numbers into place.

I think what is being suggested is that we resolve all the stuff that is currently ongoing... fleet battle off west Africa, air battle in the Med, pacification of ECOWAS holdings (though thats more long-term, I suppose), continuing arrival of Indians in Africa, diplomatic developments (as a former close ally of UE, would Tunis blab to Mesopotamia, for example?)... which takes place during the likely significant amount of time between the start of Yellow preparations and the point where the Plan can be implemented.

Hence the need for knowledge of transport capacities... that will produce answers to the questions of 'how long does it take to prep Plan Yellow?' How many Soviet troops arrive in Libya during that same time period? What events are occuring while the buildup is underway?]

Fleur de Liles

02-07-2007, 22:43

OOC: How are we going to measure transport capabilities? Its not the kind of information readily avialable on wikipedia. "Germany has 15,897 large transport ships able to carry 100 tons and 57,932 smaller barges able to carry 3 tons each." This is especially true since BG's capabilities do not match with RL. Like in some respects it does due to population but it does make it harder.

I guess we could start looking at WWI information. D Day involved a million men I believe and the US was on wartime footing and it took years of planning.

If the planning is going to take that long it would not be unreasonable to think that Italy could have a couple aircraft carriers and Germany (assuming it ever become involves) might have some long range bombers built for the fight.

EDIT: I forgot to add stuff about Portugal. What kind of government is in there now?

Spyr

05-07-2007, 03:13

[OOC: Best to discuss shipping and the like on the off-site timeline thread (http://z7.invisionfree.com/A_Modern_World/index.php?showtopic=25), I suppose].

Egypt
Strainists, too, walk the streets of Cairo, regarding British envoys with raised eyebrows. Britain, a friend of Egypt? The country that played at imperial overlord before the weight of popular rage saw them abandon the place to the Elians? Whose return along with the Roycelandians was to insert itself as middleman between Egypt and its Suez canal? With friends such as these, who needs enemies?

Besides, the British are hardly to be taken seriously with offers of protection and assistance… they, after all, are the ones at war with the Soviets, whose ships to Libya through the Canal account for a significant pool of revenue. Why would the Commonwealth go to war with Egypt, when Egypt’s neutrality is to its advantage? Indeed, the only advantage from a change in policy goes to the British, their own security bolstered by putting Egypt’s prosperity at risk. An offer of aid is hardly generous if you yourself are the cause of the problem, after all.

Far better to remain neutral, to enjoy the long-overdue joys of independence. Let Egyptian troops, not Europeans or Americans, secure the Canal, and if there is concern over the Soviet Commonwealth then seek out friends whose interest is the freedom of Egypt, not its enslavement to their own whims (and if there is any doubt as to British intentions, one need look only to their seizure of land around . Sujava, sitting along the Malacca Strait, has great interest in the continued neutrality of that and other shipping routes, and as a leading Progressive power the Strainist Party is ready to arrange agreements and guarantees as to Egypt’s security in that regard. And, if there is worry as to Spyran neutrality, why not look to China, equally interested in an open Suez but free of commitment to any of the world’s major associations. Strainist diplomats in Beijing are already attempting to arrange some sort of framework to produce a Sino-Egyptian agreement which could safeguard Cairo and its present (and prosperous) neutrality.

Of course, there is an acceptance amongst Strainists that Egypt’s government may require some grease in its wheels… how else to explain the decision by a well armed state whose people have longed for independence to accept foreign control of its canal? It is hoped that Lyongese funds set aside for this purpose will be bolstered by sums from China and the Combine, providing a pool of resources other interests will find hard to match should matters devolve into a bidding war.

Western Sahara

[OOC: To clarify the situation west of the berm at Smara, given the transition between players, at last reckoning the Saharawi had just hit SPADEC forces as they returned to the berm after the massacre at Tifariti… on Spain’s side that was two infantry regiments and an armoured brigade (plus the Mangustas out of Smara, where there were at least three, and about a hundred pieces of Spain’s artillery, though the shelling of the cities ate up so much ordnance I’d be surprised if they’ve any shells left outside the Iberian), while the Saharawi column consists of 2nd Region’s 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th battalions, 3rd Region’s 2nd Battalion, 6th Region’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th battalions, 7th Region’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th battalions and 1st & 2nd reserve battalions, and the 2nd Region’s squadron of Combine helicopters].

The mechanized column of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, or ‘Tifariti’ column as its soldiers had now dubbed it, was determined to exact vengeance on the soldiers of SPADEC before they could flee behind the barrier that was the berm… the Spanish might have triumphed over the women and children of the refugee camps, but the soldiers of the Frente Polisario were both battle-hardened and dedicated to their cause. The Spaniards had already killed many of their families… what did they have left to lose?
The Saharawi were not alone in their fight, however… the Soviets might sit in Libya speaking of international struggle, but here the reality of that struggle could be seen: here and there could be seen the republican uniform of an Algerian exile, less visible the presence of Mauritanian Berbers bound to Polisario by family ties. Behind anti-tank guns, Hindustani gunners took aim at Spanish Leopards and Strykers, while the whirring rotors of the SADR’s Louie helicopter squadron marked the presence of Armandian pilots, and at the rear Lyongese ‘barefoot’ doctors found themselves patching battlefield wounds rather than administering vaccines. On the left flank, observers could record what might have been if London and Versailles had not switched from hostility to embrace: there, Strathdonian-supplied Milan ATGMs and Javelin SAMs added an Anglo punch to the Asian equipment of these Maghreb fighters.

There would be air support for the Spanish, of that the Saharawi were certain, but let it come! The Mangusta’s flight ceiling was well within the range of their air defenses, while the Louies each bore a pair of AAMs along with their anti-tank missiles, the fire-and-forget weapons set to deter the approach of League fighter jets attempting to support SPADEC on the ground.

On the other side of the berm, protests continued to escalate in the cities of Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara. Moroccan and Spanish troops or vehicles, if they dared leave their bases, were pelted with rocks and saliva, a fate which also carried over to Moroccan-owned businesses. The Saharawi here had minimal access to weaponry, save the occasional pistol or rifle hidden under floorboards, but some did what they could with the resources available and began preparing petrol bombs in hopes of knocking out communications lines or roadways and thus slowing the Moroccan monarch’s war effort.

Mauritania

In the north of Mauritania, borders had ceased to exist in any objective sense. Mauritanians, Saharawi, and Lusakans, uniformed and irregular, exist scattered across the gorges and shifting dunes. These fighters, small groups of three or four borne on camels or technicals, continue to harry attacking forces and their supply lines. Civilians too move through the region, fleeing southward towards Nouakchott, though most already began that journey some days ago.

At Nouadhibou, the fighting continues to be fierce. The rail line which bears Mauritanian iron from the inland to the port here has been cratered several times… whether by the attackers at the start of the assault or the defenders as they fell back seems moot at this time. The last train, a line of cars nearly three kilometres in length, lies along the tracks which mark the city’s western flank, a makeshift tank trap to keep out enemy vehicles. Its engine, blown with dynamite, will have to be replaced by whoever emerges victorious, as the ore-laden rail cars are hardly likely to budge on their own.
The northern regions of the city may see heavy combat, but that approach too is fraught with risk. North of the Bouchon checkpoint, landmines are scattered randomly across the sands, lain by Mauritanians, Moroccans, and Saharawi at various times. Only the highway and rail lines can be guaranteed as secure, but these have been mined to slow the approach of invading troops. The obstacle will doubtless be overcome, but time is vital to the defenders, as hopefully it will bring succor from one source or another.
The Chinese nationals resident in the city are thought to be a potential source of aid in pressuring Morocco to withdraw, and are moved to the airport so they might await a break in the fighting and a withdrawal by air. British nationals receive the same treatment, at least until satellite telephones inform the commander that the British seem to have forgotten the country as they signed agreements with the French… following that, the Englishmen can expect the same treatment as French and Spanish nationals, confinement under guard in the city police headquarters. One can never be sure about former colonialists, it seems.
The regional hospital, in the city north, is emptied of staff and equipment as fighting approaches, the doctors moving south to set up in the city’s Catholic mission. There it is hoped that the wounded will be spared the danger of bombing, though aware of Franco-Spanish atrocities elsewhere many are uncertain if anywhere can be considered safe.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/5231/485270chinguettimosque0on4.jpg

If the invaders seek a set-piece battle with a surer chance of victory, the most likely place is Chinguetti, on the Adrar plateau. Considered one of Islam’s holy cities, its Great Friday Mosque stands as a national symbol of the country, and its libraries of ancient Islamic manuscripts are the finest in West Africa. The most treasured have already moved, seeking sanctuary in the capital, but there are too many to move and too few vehicles to do the job. Mauritania’s airborne company garrisons the city, along with local militia and a reconnaissance squadron… determined but few in number and light on heavy equipment.

In Nouakchott, the population has swelled, 150,000 people now residing in the sprawled-out city. Always used to fluctuations, the municipality is ready to take in the oft-nomadic newcomers, with space for tents and camps already available.
Communications are difficult, lines thoroughly severed by enemy bombardment, forcing reliance on satellite television and telephones to obtain information. The ruling junta is still unconcerned, however… there is nothing they could tell their fighters to do that is not already known.

Commanders in the city are forced to write off a number of checkpoints and bunkhouses on the outskirts of the city, but that was to be expected… knowing Taya to be scheming his way into the Bourbon bed, few commanders had left their troops asleep and vulnerable in the outer barracks. The airport is a greater loss, a crater in the runway and a Fokker Fellowship gutted by fire in its hangar, while the control tower and its radar system will be of little use until repairs can be attempted and spare parts shipped in.
Mauritania’s COIN aircraft hardly need the runway for takeoff, but most of its passenger craft are not so lucky… assistance will be difficult to get in, and evacuees even more so to get out should matters go sour.

Colonel Vall informs the British that negotiations will be impossible so long as the country is forced to continue the fight against the invaders, and that a withdrawal of Spanish-Moroccan forces from Mauritania is thus a vital precursor to any negotiations. The colonel is, however, willing to negotiate once such conditions are met, and it is suggested that the ban on Taya’s candidacy in the next election could be rescinded, provided he accepted the results of the post-coup constitutional referendum. Mauritania, it is also said, will not accept domination by the Soviets, but the country is being backed into a corner and will consider all options available to secure independence if optimal solutions cannot be found in time.

Canary Islands

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/4092/dustub4.jpg

Morocco had detonated a nuclear device over the sands of the Western Sahara… a warning to the Progressive world, certainly, but a warning with consequences. Deserts may be empty, but they are not static, and the winds over the Western Sahara sweep its sands along with them as they pass over the Canaries into the sea. The Spanish, it seems, will be the first to taste Morocco’s entry into the atomic age, a fitting irony since they likely bear much responsibility for it.

Gurguvungunit

05-07-2007, 08:19

London

With news that British civilians had been jailed reaching London's ears, the capital of Great Britain erupted into a veritable storm of condemnation. British civilians posed no threat to the government of Mauritania, London averred, and as such could not be jailed on the thin pretext of 'national security'. If they were not released immediately, Britain will see no reason to prevent increased French activity in that nation, and may even go so far as to support it. After all, it was the sole purpose of the British Armed Forces to guarantee the safety of their citizens, and when said citizens were illegally imprisoned, Britain was entirely within its rights to declare war, by any international standard.

However, British diplomats on the ground called to London for calm, and advised Colonel Vall of their interest in seeing a compromise reached. They promise that all efforts will be made to communicate this to the Bourbon kings, and suggest that Britain, for all of London's current alarm, would almost certainly not take military action against Mauritania. They do say, obliquely, that the release of British nationals would go far towards making this a certainty, but are careful to note that British co-operation is not contingent on this. The diplomats come away from their meeting with Vall that day already formulating their communique to Versailles and El Escorial, which will ask for patience as this matter is resolved. President Taya is called via satellite phone and told of Vall's offer, whereupon he is asked to impress the importance of this on his friends in court. The British take dinner at the embassy, inviting various Mauritanian government officials to dine with them. After the obligatory small-talk ('how is the family, sir? Oh, I have a daughter just that age myself! They can be quite a handful, no?), the diplomats and their Mauritanian opposite numbers finally get down to business. The British ask for opinions and advice in dealing with the situation, averring that they could really use what advice might be forthcoming, since the situation in Mauritania was so very complicated. After all, dealing with a representative democracy is so much harder indeed than dealing with a bunch of stuffy nobles or communist thugs, and it was a welcome challenge. They take the temperature of their guests, formulating responses accordingly.

Egypt

Whether Strainists aimed to spread their ideology to the people or the government, they would be met by British soldiers and foreign office officials doing much the same thing. Spyr and Sujava, longstanding puppets of Raipur's communist regime, were making a desperate appeal to the people of Egypt. Couching their words in international sentiment did not change the facts of the matter. The Soviets had promised to invade Egypt should their access to the canal be cut off by British blockade. The SCA, an independent agency, had made no moves to close the canal proper. Interdiction of Soviet vessels was taking place in the Mediterranean, in international waters. It was the Soviets threatening Egypt, not the British. The British would remain in their camp outside of Port Said however long the Soviets continued to threaten Egypt's independence.

The Soviets and their Strainist puppets had shown their hand. They didn't care about Egypt's independence, only about it's strategic access to the Suez Canal. If necessary, the Soviets would hardly shrink from invading Egypt, just as they had done in Namibia only months before. Who would the Egyptian people believe, the Soviets with their internationalist sentiments and crypto-imperialist policies, or the British, who had been friends of the Federal Dictatorship and then of Egypt's own government since the early seventies?

As for bidding wars, the United States, Germany, Britain and Roycelandia could easily top China's and the Combine's contributions. This inescapable fact was surely known to the Spyrans, who despite their unfortunate choice in friends were nobody's fools. What could possibly motivate them to seek a bidding war with NATO?

Portsmouth

One of the Royal Navy's great drydocks was home to a large, steel skeleton. Wearhouses nearby contained sheet upon sheet of steel plating, miles of girder, acres of grate and tonnes of bolts, screws, rivets, circuits boards and Naugahyde fabric. Hundreds of men and women came and went, wearing the white jumpsuits of BAE employees, the leather smocks and masks of welders, the greasy hands and checked shirts of machinists. In the drydock, massive cranes winched girders into place, where workers deployed their arc-welders with frightening efficiency. These, the union workers and the government employed shipwrights, might only months ago have been ideal targets for Soviet propaganda. Indeed, many of them were dedicated unionists, leaders and footsoldiers for the British Worker's movement. But they, by and large, were not particularly impressed with the Soviets of late. Rampant militarism, invasion of sovereign territory, veiled threats of war against the Royal Navy that many of them had built with their own hands, all of these added up to an opinion that was massively against the Soviets. Propaganda leaflets, distributed to the shipwrights of Portsmouth over the last few weeks, lined rubbish bins and, in the chill of an early fall, made excellent fire-starting material.

The object of their labours looked, for the moment, looked identical to the hull of HMS Courageous that many of these men and women had built two years ago. But the plans were different, the bow took an unusual shape for one of the Courageous class battleships. It was thinner, sharper. An attentive quartermaster would note the lack of cemented steel armour, of shells and of the great ship-killing guns that characterized the battleships of old. Instead, scores of Mk. 41 VLS units were being shipped in by the day, escorted by Raytheon technicians. Now and again, men in white coats would come and linger, taking measurements and noting things on notepads. Much shaking of the head would ensue, and comments like 'BrahMos' fuselage is just too bloody big' would be heard. These men would pause, pore over photographs of varying quality and resolution, and then leave in provided transport. Their cars would take them back to BAE's corporate headquarters, where they would inspect Tsarist missile designs at length, compare them to Harpoon, Storm Shadow and Tomahawk, and sketch tubular forms on graphing paper.

Back at Portsmouth, these strange comings and goings were mostly ignored. All effort was being directed towards the skeletal hull of Project Avalon. Informal patches began to appear, bearing the words 'Project Avalon' on the face and an image of the apocryphal King Arthur, bearing in his hand Excalibur. At his feet was an odd silhouette, apparently a battleship but lacking turrets or complicated superstructure. She was a low, dark shape on the gaudy patch, somewhat disquieting. People preferred to look at Arthur, with steely eyes and a grim smile. This was the Once and Future King of Britain. He would not let them lose the war that they could all see was coming. It made them feel better.

Foremen, keenly observing the project, clutched a booklet that was labeled 'Project Avalon' on the front. Inside was a schematic, depicting BBG-01, HMS Sovereign of the Seas. The foremen were pleased, and passed this pleasure on to the workers who they commended for their hard work and attention to detail. Project Avalon was on schedule, or even slightly ahead. Reports out of Newport News suggested that the Quinntonian's ship was not even a skeletal form in drydock yet, although sober analysts would point out that the British already had materials for the proposed battleship Relentless gathered when Avalon was initiated in 2006. Even so, many saw it as evidence that Britain could still outproduce Quinntonia on a one-for-one scale when it came to warships, and the tune 'Rule, Britannia' was not an uncommon sound, whistled in the slate-grey and misty Portsmouth harbour.

Depkazia

05-07-2007, 08:24

Samarkand

Half the world fighting in Africa and achieving nothing much at great cost? An interesting curiosity to a Khagan whose armies have marched from Dushanbe to Peshawar, Kabul, almost to Kandahar, and soon to the Vale of Kashmir and to Quetta without suffering a whiff of defeat!

But it is hard for Chingiz to remain neutral while calling himself the defender of Islam. Samarkand has today issued an important decree. Wanton destruction of Islam's holy sites in Africa, the persecution of believers, the imposition of a new Crusade or of anti-religiosity by any side will have consequences. Samarkand can and will turn off the gas to Europe by ceasing export to Kazakhstan and putting even greater pressures on already strained Russian and Kazakh reserves. Chingiz warns that he will not so badly need Russian canals once Balochistan accepts his offer of association (he is now quite open about this, emboldened by his talks in with Mumbai).

"Perhaps I would rather sell to China, anyway" he has said in Registan, "and secure transit fees for Armandian petroleum at the same time."

Meanwhile, in the battlefields of Afghanistan, Mujahideen may gain experience and training with which to fight in Africa. Whether Christians or Communists conquer West Africa, Muslims will be able to resist without Depkazia's direct intercession. That is the Caliph's hope, at least, for he can not declare war on one of the sides at all... fighting the Soviets would ruin everything in his vital relationship with Mumbai.

Not until he has ports operational and defensible, at least.

The Crooked Beat

08-07-2007, 08:55

Mumbai

News of Britain's attack on Soviet WIGs, or the Anglo-Soviet Confrontation as it is known less contentiously, makes Parliamentarians furious, especially after they had so recently, through Christina Lloyd, resolved to look very hard for a diplomatic solution to the issue. Western Diplomacy, shout Parliamentarians, is done at the point of a bayonet, and England's word is worth about as much as a 1920 Deutsch Mark.

Fortunately for her, Deputy Foreign Minister Lloyd is doubtless out of the country by the time of the clash, and is thus spared the indignation of being confronted by the very same Parliamentarians who only days ago promised not to back Hindustan's staunchest ally in a just war for England's sake, on the basis of England's promise to be civil about the issue. Of course, most Hindustanis by now realize that such people are as much weapons of war as are frigates and tanks, used to spread false impressions and sow confusion, and by no means given to offer a realistic picture of their government's intention. Putting Hindustan's faith in the west, it seems to many Parliamentarians, has been a terrible mistake.

There is still no change in Parliamentary policy regarding neutrality in any possible NATO-Soviet war, at least one that remains very limited and does not involve much more of Africa than Libya, but Mumbai does release a statement to the effect that it it expects NATO to reciprocate Hindustan's promise not to attack or to otherwise engage NATO forces. Certainly, it says, if INA paras in Libya, defending that state from the Holy League, were to suddenly find themselves under attack by Quinntonian or British forces as well, they would have no choice but to defend themselves, and such an event would have serious consequences indeed.

Western claims of the Soviets being in Africa with the purpose of building "a base from which to attack Europe" are dismissed as absurd, although most Parliamentarians are of the opinion that Europe is well overdue for a good attacking, and would hardly go out of their way to help that continent's imperialist or former imperialist powers. The Soviets, it is said time and time and time again, and even again after that, would not even be in Africa if the French had not gone and attacked it, and slaughtered who knows how many Africans with the express purpose of taking their land and natural resources. India, England is reminded again in diplomatic communiques, went to war not against England but in support of and in partnership with England, a partnership that Mumbai thought was formalized with Mainwaring's agreement to establish production facilities in Hindustan for British military equipment.

Without doubt, the Soviets do not try to impress their revolutionary ideals on those who are not receptive to them. This too the Unioners have tried repeatedly to impress on the western powers, still to no avail. Feudalism and Communism both may be spread violently, but with Soviet-style Communism, a state need not worry unless it turns against its people. Feudalism, by contrast, has, by the Holy League, always been imposed on the populace through incredible brutality and the deprivation of rights and privileges enjoyed by the people themselves. This, say Hindustanis, is a fact, something that cannot be denied with any credibility. There is no reason for such intense hostility, for NATO to stoop so low as to associate with such murderers and scoundrels as the Frogs, Spaniards, and Italians.

Some in Mumbai will readily argue that Hindustan is not supporting Soviet policy in Africa, but, rather, that the Soviets are supporting Hindustani policy. It was the INU who first decided to go to war there, while Raipur was, more wisely, willing to sit the conflict out and only become involved when both sides had worn themselves out. Granted, though, control of the Indian war effort sat firmly with Raipur from the moment that the ISC sent its navy around the Cape of Good Hope in the company of Ali Khan Marakkar's squadron, and few Unioners will deny this.

Equally without doubt, such words will fall on deaf ears as they have for the past decade, and the world situation will continue to deteriorate.

And, as always, Parliament is eager to keep very much informed as to the feelings of its regional allies and associates, and ambassadors in Sithin, Beijing, and Belgrade are as busy as ever. Yugoslavs, in particular, may be surprised by the renewal of Hindustani interest in the Non-Aligned Movement, while China is contacted about a possible three-way bid on control of the Suez Canal Authority, with a view to return it to Egyptian government control, as well as further collaboration regarding matters in Kashmir and India's northwestern corner.

Diu

Hindustan's shipyards are more busy than usual, and nowhere is that more evident than at the largest such facility, sprawled out across the western half of Diu Island. Once a colonial outpost of Portugal, and briefly of Roycelandia, the island's shipyard complex now produces warships that defend India from foreign oppressors and colonialists.

Trains crisscross the causeway connecting Diu with mainland Gujarat at all hours, laden with shipyard workers and raw materials for a complex that never sleeps. Indeed, four six-hour shifts run the yards almost non-stop, except for half days on weekends, and across southern Gujarat there are men and women sound asleep at noontime who are hard at work under the floodlights in the middle of the night. There are few projects underway that could not be deemed vital to the defense of India, and every effort is made to finish them as quickly and as well as possible. Workers dressed in UTS's characteristic blue overalls weld and rivet and lift the gigantic steel pieces of new ships into place on the slipways, always busy, and when one job is finished there is always another to be done. Inside covered building halls and in the open air the forms of hulls begin to take shape, from the basic, modest form of a coastal freighter to the sharp, deep, imposing shape of a frigate, with a large bulb hanging below the line of the keel for the bow sonar.

Despite its promise not to go to war with NATO, Hindustan is still eager to support its friend and ally the ISC. Most of the freighters under construction at Diu are to be sent east, ordered by the Soviet merchant marine and fitted with mounting pintles for short-range SAMs. Two Bodkin-class frigates under construction, meant initially for the Indian Navy, may also be transferred to the COG upon completion, should Raipur require it.

UTS at Diu is not solely charged with the physical construction of new ships. On the island's east end, housed in an expansive colonial-era compound, is Union Territorial Shipbuilding's design bureau, or, rather, one of three, the others being in Karachi and Mumbai. The Diu Bureau is, like the actual shipyard on the other end of the island, hard at work, as always, this time undertaking design work on the Indian Navy's new Paroe Class SSGNs. Though carrying the UTS reputation for quality very much intact, engineers have no small amount of difficulty in figuring out the specifics of the new boat, the likes of which has never been produced in Hindustan before. Meant to be the equal of anything existing in the West, such as the Virginia or Astute classes of submarine, the four planned Paroes are a considerable challenge for a design bureau that only recently commissioned its first successful submarine design, and never before built a nuclear-powered boat. Known by many in the IN as 'Cruiser Submarines,' the weapons loadout is to include every AShM in the Hindustani arsenal except for the Sea Skua, Type 24 and Type 4A torpedoes, and perhaps even a type of SAM as well, presently being jointly developed with VTI of Yugoslavia as a variant of the Komarac missile.

Designers scribble and erase on paper blueprints at their drawing desks, while others struggle with old computers and argue with the CAD/CAM technicians. Still others look up the telephone numbers for AshPo and Daihatzu.

Beddgelert

08-07-2007, 10:48

Obverving Hindustan's continued efforts to a measure of neutrality, and understanding them perhaps out of the Commonwealth's own fear of going to war with the United States (Sovietists widely believe, according to bizarre-elsewhere,-normal-here opinion polls, that they can take on the whole world at once, but not if either the US or China weigh in against them), Raipur is keen to take anything it can get from the Union in terms of war help. Having already asked for concentration on merchant shipping, the Soviets will likely be glad to acquire frigates as well.

International Brigades, containing Africans, Asians, Latin Americans, and even European ex-pats, are open to Hindustanis who want to fight with Geletian intensity without dragging their country directly any further into it.

Recent moves to commonality of armament, from the Bodkins to the 6.5x50mm cartridge, now appear especially well timed.

AMW China

08-07-2007, 12:57

Spyr
Beijing has expressed interest in a joint bid for the Suez Canal Authority - as a member of WEC, President Hu believes that a Chinese stake in the canal would be fully legal and be scrutinized much less than a bid from Spyr. However Beijing has conceded that purchasing a stake in the canal would probably not avert any damage to international shipping that would be caused by skirmishes between the Soviets and the British in the Mediterranean, and there would be better uses of valuable taxpayers money in the meantime. Furthermore, Beijing had been promised some form of compensation from the SCA's current shareholders for loss of income due to the last crisis - perhaps new shares could be issued as a suitable form of financial recompense? The issue would be bought up in further diplomacy with Quintonnia.

Singapore
On the issue of Singapore's continued buildup of arms, the ambassador to the British Commonwealth makes it clear that China regards the Malacca strait as an international body of water, and that a military buildup that endangers civilian traffic would not be taken kindly. The press release was held at the same time as the one for the Suez canal, making it clear that President Hu considers that improper management by Britain in the case of the Mediterranean shipping lanes would result in consequences for Singapore as well. President Hu is privately quite angry at Raleigh, with Australasia failing to "return the favor" China gave to her by allowing the buyout of Akabania Corp to go without a hitch.

Gurguvungunit

08-07-2007, 22:24

OOC: China/Britain diplomacy thread! (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=532355)

London

Mainwaring felt, at the moment, as though shooting himself in the head might be the quickest and easiest way to resolve his myriad problems. That thought was quickly banished, and replaced by general ill-feeling towards Mumbai, Raipur and Beijing.

How, he wondered, had Britain suddenly become as hated the world over as France? Surely, people could understand that Britain was running scared, hounded first by the entire European continent, threatened by nuclear weapons, and then turned upon, quite unexpectedly, by the Indians who claimed to support Britain in its conflict with the League. Britain had settled its conflict with the League, Gibraltar had been returned to them. Much bowing and scraping on the part of the League's kings and courtiers had convinced the average Briton of their abject apology, and billions of dollars in restitutions had seen a spate of construction in Gibraltar and Buenos Aires alike.

So why, in God's name, did the Indians continue to fight? If honouring an alliance with Britain was truly Hindustan's aim, why did Union troops continue to deploy, with Soviet troops as well, to Africa? If any fool bought for a minute the idea that Soviets were traveling thousands of miles, at fantastic expense, to free some Africans, then Mainwaring would eat his bowler. That Hindustan maintained that Britain, which had thus far ignored the massive buildup of forces in the Mediterranean and Africa, was suddenly the enemy for having fired back on a Soviet WIG that appeared to attack a British Harrier was frankly absurd.

If the Indians had gone to war to support Britain, well, Mainwaring would happily give them his sincere thanks and aid in transporting their soldiers home. If they instead came to set up a base in Africa and foil France's efforts to reform itself, well, they could expect to be opposed by Western democracies that hoped to see their mode of government spread to the European continent. By God, did the Indians seriously think that they had fooled anyone?

Mainwaring, incensed, typed this laundry list of complaints, not unlike the one he had received from Mumbai hours ago, and sent it thence with a digital seal of his office. A parliamentarian or six were in for a shock, having come to expect Britain's cool and reasoned responses to their diatribe. Well, if the Indians wanted straight talk, then they'd get it! Mainwaring took a gulp of scotch, straight from the bottle, and pondered his Ministerial track record.

He was a military man who had deposed John Bull after years of the latter's ineptitude had made Britain a vassal state of the East. He had instituted sweeping reforms, nationalized this and privatized that. He had opposed French, then Indo-Soviet attempts to see Britain marginalized in favour of their own deranged social models. He had fought for over a year to keep his nation strong. Amongst the first-ranked powers in the world.

And he had failed. He was hated at home for going to bed with the French Devil, hated abroad for compromising on issues that, perhaps, he should have remained strong on. His one great victory, the unification of the Commonwealth into the British Empire, had suddenly been overshadowed by the insane diplomatic dust-up over a Harrier pilot's actions of self defence.

Mainwaring was wearing his captain's uniform. It was tight on him, the medals hadn't been polished in a long time. He looked himself in the mirror that hung in his office, and saw a middle-aged man in a ridiculous getup, far past his prime. He saw himself for what he really was, a failure. George Mainwaring's right hand strayed to the holster at his hip and drew the service pistol that rested there. He looked at it for a moment. He'd shot Soviets with this pistol in Vietnam. Perhaps it was fitting, then, that this pistol would take his own life.

He raised the pistol and opened his mouth. Inserting the one into the other, Mainwaring took a deep breath. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He'd begun this whole absurd adventure with such high hopes. He had worked so hard. And he had failed.

There was a crack, heard down the hall. A secretary got up, puzzled. She had never heard a gunshot before, and assumed that Prime Minister Mainwaring had dropped something, or perhaps a car had backfired. She walked into the Prime Minister's office and screamed.

London, A Few Days Later

King Godfrey III stood framed in the window of Buckingham Palace, watching the rain dribble down the glass. It was getting on fall in London, and the weather was becoming appropriately cool and damp. Godfrey heard the door behind him open, heard the sound of dress shoes clicking on marble floor. He turned around to see Andrew Strathairn in an overcoat, his hair plastered to the top of his head and the collar of his suit damp.

"Ah, Mr. Strathairn," he said with a sigh. "Welcome to Buckingham Palace." Strathairn inclined his head. "Please, have a seat. Don't stand on account of etiquette, man, you look like a drowned rat." The Chancellor of the Exchequer took a seat, doffing his sodden overcoat in one movement and looking about for a place to put it. Godfrey smiled grimly. "Mr. Strathairn, my family is one of the richest in the world. Please, drape it over the chair and don't concern yourself about the state of the leather." He laughed once, perhaps a bit sharply.

"Your majesty," Strathairn said, his Australian twang jarring Godfrey a bit. "Might I inquire as to your health?" Godfrey waved the question a way with one, slightly fleshy hand.

"My God, Strathairn. I'm inviting you to form a government, not asking you around for tea. Small talk isn't necessary, and at the moment I've no stomach for it. George was my friend, and we're having enough trouble with how to spin his .... erm, suicide. But happily, that's all on you, now, so please. Go and make my country great again." Strathairn stood and bowed stiffly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He took his leave, shoes clacking on the marble floor.

Mumbai

Parliamentarians will no doubt have received the missive that passed for George Mainwaring's suicide note, and the news of his death would come soon after. The British government was making no real effort to hide the fact that he had taken his own life, if only because nobody could figure out exactly how one would spin that particular piece of news. A follow up letter, written by the Rt. Hon. Sir Andrew Strathairn, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, would no doubt be received and widely distributed only a short time after the news of a succession had arrived.

Dear Sirs and Madams,

As you are no doubt aware, the situation in Great Britain has changed dramatically in the last few days. While my name may not be new to you, my government is still being formed and I have yet to review some of the privileged information of which my predecessor made use. Please excuse my government while it tries to regain a sense of normalcy in the wake of George Mainwaring's untimely death.

I assure you, whatever you may now believe of the United Kingdom, that war is not our goal. The incident in the Mediterranean, still being investigated by my government (and, I am sure, by that of the Soviets) is as-yet unresolved and I beg your patience. While no findings are yet forthcoming, I assure you that meetings with the Soviets have produced a willingness to move forward productively.

Lastly, as to my government's association with the French, I have but this to say. The French government recently underwent something of an upheaval, which saw to the rise of a republican body led by Prime Minister N. Sarkozy. While this body does not have the sweeping powers of legislation granted to Parliament in the Indian National Union, nor to HM's government in Britain, I see it as a positive step taken by a backwards neighbour. Please understand, the people of Britain (and, in my case, of the former Australasia) do recognize your support during the League War and thank you for it. However, I believe that France may make positive steps towards democratic leadership if, and only if, it is allowed to do so without fear of invasion. We British view the French not as monsters, but as wayward brothers. In this way, we wish to see them redeemed rather than destroyed. For this reason, my government has opposed the deployment of troops to Africa.

I have spoken to Louis Auguste about this topic at length, and it is my belief that he is sincere in his desire to leave Africa, perhaps in much the same way that the Roycelandians were eager to leave Vietnam. HM. Louis Auguste knows that there is no future for French imperialism in Africa, and is working with my government and with local authorities to remove French presence there. Already, rebuilding operations in the most devastated sectors are underway, aided by British and French soldiers alike. I invite any Indian personnel to assist us in this endeavour.

Regards,
Sir A. Strathairn,
Prime Minister
The United Kingdom

Spyr

09-07-2007, 04:04

[OOC: Perhaps it points to his rather flustered state of mind, but I think Mainwaring is confusing his own past abit before he goes and blows his head off... didnt he, in fact, depose PM Chaffin's Conservatives rather than PM Bull and the BID which preceded them?]

The Crooked Beat

09-07-2007, 05:00

The Atlantic Ocean, off West Africa

The Marakkar is angry and dissatisfied, and that much is apparent to all the officers who are unfortunately obliged to speak to him often. He broods over the tactical plot, trying to imagine a better way to deal with long-range Russian ASMs than running straight into them and hoping for the best. Already more Indians have been lost than during any other sea battle in Indian history, and there is still a large chunk of the fighting to be done. Victory, the Marakkar muses, won't be worth celebrating. For the butcher's bill already written-up on the Indian side, India might as well have already lost. His shortcomings, his failure to anticipate the full extent of the Holy League's naval capabilities and his inability to formulate new tactics for dealing with them, have cost close to 2,500 Indians and will perhaps cost that number several times again, and no matter what happens the Marakkar's resignation will arrive at the Admiralty as soon as the battle is concluded.

Certainly the ASM barrage is not an unprecedented feat in the history of naval warfare, having cost Bonstock a fair few warships during the Malacca War, but never before was it conducted by submarines, or on such a massive scale. Some Hindustani captains puzzle over the Brahmos missile's high reputation, given that they'll still have to run the gauntlet of highly lethal enemy missiles before the Brahmos is even in range.

Nearing the Franco-Russian Fleet

The uncertainty and the shame felt by the Indian commander is entirely absent in the cockpits of 72 Puffin fighter-bombers, flown by Soviet naval aviators in their second major sortie of the engagement. Indeed, the Soviets are confident and entirely ready to meet whatever fate befalls them, so news of Rafales taking to the air generates considerable excitement.

Flying at lower altitude are the 36 Vanguard-laden Puffins, each one carrying two of the missiles. Though not as capable as the Charioteer, the Vanguard can still do a great deal of damage to even a large warship, and is something to be very much respected as a significant threat to an enemy battlegroup. Pilots will need to get within 120 kilometers of their targets before releasing the weapons, a distance that should be very doable if the escorting aircraft take care of business. Also 36 aircraft strong, the escort flies at a much higher altitude, each aircraft being fitted with six L'Angelot Maudit BVRAAMs and two DRAB ASRAAMs. Likely that flight alone outnumbers the compliment of Rafales aboard the De Gaulle, and likewise does not compare badly with that formation plus the Su-27s that might be aboard the Admiral Kuznetzov. (OCC: I'd imagine, though, that this ship has a new name in AMW, like the Charles De Gaulle, since Admiral Kuznetzov was a communist-era naval hero and Charles De Gaulle was a major figure in French republicanism.)

A few of the Puffins configured for the anti-shipping role also carry jamming pods, which are duly switched on when the flight gets within range of Russian S-300 SAMs. Though advanced missiles by any standard and some of the world's best, the jamming might still confuse Russian fire control radars, and perhaps prevent the most effective employment of that particularly fearsome weapons system.

The escorts prepare themselves for combat as Rafales approach their position, and pilots are quick to arm their long-range AAMs, which, while not quite as advanced as the BAe Meteor, are still more than a match for the French Mica, and which should allow Soviet pilots to engage their opponents from a safe distance.

Northern Group of Soviet Submarines

After letting their Charioteers go, the four Anunkais exit the area, the Russians now having a rough idea of their position, though it will take some time for helicopters to arrive on-scene and most A/S weaponry, RBU-6000 rockets especially, is very much out of range. The Anunkais run very quiet, having sacrificed much in the way of speed in order to become perhaps the world's quietest nuclear boats, so finding them, for the vessels that make-up the Russian fleet's A/S screen, will be no easy feat. Many probably could not do it, though Udaloy-class destroyers at least do constitute no small danger. 517mm torpedoes are loaded into the submarines' four medium tubes, in case a pursuer gets too close and they are forced to defend themselves. Despite the fact that none of them are in contact with one another or the fleet command, they are able to move with some measure of organization, heading, as per the Marakkar's earlier suggestion, west and then north, hopefully emerging behind the main body of the enemy fleet and in a position to interdict any reinforcements that might be en route.

(OCC: Revised losses, taking into account the likely more impressive effect of a massed missile barrage:

2,257 sailors

Ibrahim Haidari sunk, Ambajogai sunk, Balotra sunk, Moro sunk, Chagai sunk, Subroto sunk, Amravati sunk, Parbhani damaged, Zhob damaged, Vijay damaged, Ahmadpur East damaged, Greyhound sunk, Ratel damaged (withdrawn), Josip Broz sunk (foundered), Sadiqabad damaged, 12 Sea Harriers lost

Beddgelert

09-07-2007, 13:31

(OOC: Yeah, Bull replaced Thatcher's Tories and had two terms, Chaffin won it back for the Tories and held for one term, then Mainwaring's Whigs were cobbled together to beat them, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them fall apart conveniently for Gurg to set up a new imperialistic party, since British politics in AMW has had nearly twenty years of people setting up and ripping down new parties, jumping ship from one to another, and so on!)

Sovietists, oddly enough, seem almost happy to hear reports of serious losses in the Atlantic. It finally feels like a war, "By my various gods!" one cries, "we've finally got a real war, lads!"

With War Communism just around the corner, the Atlantic's turmoil seems as the surface of a great cauldron cooking up a gut-rot of willing red soldiery fit to spill on the decadent west.

(OOC: DAMN IT! Again! Two minutes to save everything and log-off before I'm cut off and lose it all!)

Gurguvungunit

09-07-2007, 23:41

OOC: The de Gaulle is renamed Indomitable, according to NG's invision factbook. I can't speak to the other one.

Nova Gaul

10-07-2007, 19:40

((N.B.- I imagine that some of the actions described below may well prove fertile ground for continuing the Spy RP. And LRR, Walid was for you.))

Rock the Vote: Africa!

Ouagadougou

Only two weeks after the Kingdom of France’s change in regional aims and subsequent consolidation of forces in already liberated African states there were celebrations in Ouagadougou. These celebrations, however, would not be of the kind to inspire the rabid Marxist insurgency currently wracking Africa. Quite to the contrary, the mass celebrations inaugurated the French political agenda to succor West Africa, now a globally recognized benign one, and hence the beginning of a massive election cycle.

During the interim between the offensives end and the initial round of elections His Most Christian Majesty’s liberation forces had transported literally tens of thousands of vocal supporters (i.e. enthusiastic collaborators) of the French occupation—some from rural Burkina Faso, many from Benin and Togo, fewer from Mali and Cote d’Ivoire, and most, discreetly, from Nigeria—to Ouagadougou, which kept now its natural name as opposed to a rashly suggested ‘Louisville’. Ouagadougou had been chosen for the conference because it was in fact minimally damaged during the liberation. Only the airport had suffered damage, and that was soon repaired by Royal Auxiliary engineers. Weeks of a French peace-keeping presence saw the city quite neatly organized, with power and water functioning at levels not seen in decades. By decree from Versailles itself, Ouagadougou was the ‘model city’ of liberated Africa. Likewise the natural flags of all liberated French states snapped in the sultry jungle winds. Every single member of the liberated states provisional governments’ was in attendance, this occasion being billed as the First Pan-African Liberty Alliance Conference.

Thousands of Africans roamed the streets. At streets corners everywhere stout women in bright native polychromatic garb sang ‘The Circle of Life’, holding massive banners aloft reading: “African salvation…only a week away!”, “Freedom and Prosperity for liberated Africa!”, “Damn the Communists, look to Europe for brotherhood!”, “Rebels stop hurting your African homeland and join her in peace!”, and ‘United Africa—stand for progress!”. The tens of thousands of vocal electors marched in columns down the pristine avenues, chanting and dancing, cheering the prominent erection of polling centers. ‘Coalition’ soldiers, native African troops in the service of the various provisional governments’ in addition to companies of French nationals, tromped away to the sound of brass bands down the avenues. Specially selected teams of Joy Technicians threw flowers down on the raucous celebration of freedom from second story apartment complexes. Children’s choirs in darling uniforms, composed by orphans and led by black African nuns, emitted sweet music at various points in the celebration. Everywhere crowds of hollering citizens were waving little flags of their various nations. Also noticeable among the happy throngs were French contractors, several thousand of which, the first non-military staff from the Kingdom to set foot in sub-Saharan Africa, busy at work bettering the city in any number of respects. At the Malabo Sports Complex outside the city proper, teams of Auxiliary engineers scurried about, rigging flood lights and additional seating for a huge rally, and it was expected that the stadium would be able to hold to proposed hundred-thousand person capacity.

Conspicuously in the best observational positions were British, Roycelandian and Quinntonian peacekeepers and observers, standing next to their French counterparts. Elections were to come and free Africa. Versailles would demonstrate that, despite a rough road, the liberated States of West Africa would soon enjoy a long period of ‘Happy Days’. Indeed, many banners said as much. Throughout the forthcoming election process in West Africa, British peace-keepers and Quinntonia and Roycelandian observers would be privy to the first free and independent elections in the West of Africa, well, ever. The guest of honor was the British peace keeping commander Lt. General Pearson, who had just been presented by a bouquet of flowers by a mixed delegation of aristocratic children from Gaul (also flown in for the occasion) and orphan children from Africa—arm in arm, it was a beautiful gesture.

Never mind that this spectacular event had cost King Louis-Auguste more than several military operations, Versailles had produced in Africa, where before it had been accused of wanton slaughter, an enthusiastic and pro-French liberty rally. The overall impression could not have been lost on the newly arrived Western observers: here were the real, law-abiding, freedom loving peoples of Africa. The rebels were a symbol of the recent past, when warlords had prevented these adorable citizens from experiencing their fare share of equality. Obviously, with the rebels still armed and in mountain hideaways, their opinions and actions were blatantly suspect, blatantly Igovian. It was, all said and done, a magnificent performance, all the greater for being more or less genuine.

At the heart of it all were the candidates being put forward by the provisional governments, and therefore their French allies and benefactors. Together they had formed one pan West African party that would run individually in different liberated states, but cohesively the party was known as the UMPA, or, without it catchy acronym status, Union for a Popular African Movement. It had a simple platform, with three planks. The first was constitutional monarchy to secure a lasting order (something West Africa had not experienced in centuries), supported by a bicameral legislature, all three entities to be elected in next weeks vote. The second was freedom of belief so long as the belief was not enforced by violence. And the third was a ‘Brotherhood Clause’ with the Kingdom of France. The impetus for such a clause was of course obvious: recognizing that liberated West Africa would fall into immediate economic chaos and eventual hard-line communism while acknowledging that a continued French presence would be the quickest way to improve the economy and state infrastructure, UMPA stood by the forces of law, order, and prosperity.

However, it was apparent as the current heads of the provisional governments’ and prospective candidates for liberated West Africa stood next to each other on the grand platform, raised in front of their C&C at the Mercure Silmande Hotel, as the myriad cameras flashed and news teams recorded, differences became apparent. All good, of course. Here was democracy in action, being broadcast live for all the world to see. The prospective candidates swayed in the proverbial good vibes, as the recently introduced Afro-Algerian pop star Mother Africa sang “Africa, O Africa, Happy Days are here…” on the loudspeakers.

The main man, the shrewdest, most popular, most devoutly Catholic, and the man with the greatest amount of personal appeal was the French born and Burkina Faso raised Joseph-Desire Mobutu, who for popular purposes had Africanized his name as Mobutu SeSe Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Benga, or “The all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, will go from conquest to conquest, leaving victory in his wake.” That was, however, a bit martial for a prospective constitutional monarch, so prefixed to that stunning string of names was simply the style Prince Emanuel. He stood in the center of five figures, resplendent in a business suit/tribal lord amalgamation, dominated by a snappy leopard skin fez hat. He was thin, and sinewy, but with Versailles’ image consultants and make up artists now looked like an affable father figure instead of a clever ferret. He had long been a popular Burkinabe opposition figure prior to the liberation, with massive sway among members of the Volta ethnic group, of which he was in fact a ‘chief’, the nations largest. His popularity came from what the people saw as his stance against a corrupt and failed plutocracy, a plutocracy he was unscathed by, having kept his accounts nicely stationed in sympathetic France. As soon as French tanks rolled into Ouagadougou Mobutu landed by helicopter. His provisional government, shock and awe, was actually popular! Due to his connections among the Volta tribe and influence in Burkina Faso, Prince Emanuel Joseph-Desire Mobutu SeSe Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Benga was favored to win easy election in a week, and also made covertly by Louis-Auguste Chairman of UMPA in general and host of the First Pan-African Liberty Alliance Conference, so making him Versailles’ man in sub-Saharan Africa. Versailles’ favorite was putting on the predicted largest election numerically, with actual Anglo advisors set up in certain stations to record the vote. Even now, as he chanted with the assemblage and shouted slogans to the camera, receiving cheers when he called out phrases like Free corn! and Fine housing!, he exuded charisma. Mobutu clapped along with the crowds as the rhythmic chanting subsumed that sunny afternoon.

A giant among the others was Prince Leopold, who before taking the provisional governments style was Colonel Lawrence Tomboke, previously a member of the Beninese General Staff. He was a steadfast follower of the Holy Church of Rome. Following the evacuation of the illegally corrupt previous government, Tomboke joined with the French, supported by a small but dedicated junta of junior officers formerly of Benin. They were the first organized provisional government, and administered the said government from Lome. Leopold Tomboke weighed about four hundred pounds, stood as high as an ‘elephant’s eye’, and was dressed in native garb, although on him it looked more like a tarp. His claps sounded like mortar shells. He wore a lion skin fez, although it was at least several sizes larger than Mobutu’s. In the only marked difference from the general UMPA platform Prince Leopold’s charge was both Benin and Togo, which under special ballet were up for election to join as one state, Cote d’Or. Prince Leopold mayhap faced the most challenging election, as some accused him of masterminding several violent relocation attempts (something Versailles was grateful to place on his shoulders rather than Louis-Auguste’s)…perhaps why over a million Nigerians had been quietly emigrating into provisional Cote d’Or and made rather indiscernibly citizens of both Togo and Benin. Settled in prime locations and similar absolutely to those lands inhabitants these émigrés would be the first to vote, and the most scrupulously observed by Western peace-keepers. Genuinely his popularity had been slowly rising, as he was actually paying for government works programs now, and relief and aid was managing to stabilize the formerly troubled lands. With the huge amount of aid supplied by the Red Cross and Anglos of course. But he gave a happy shout every now and then as pop star Mother Africa would lift her deep voice and rally the whole crowd to the rhythmic tune “Africa, O Africa, Happy Days are here…” To the delight of the audience, he even played a few notes on a steel drum.

An only Muslim was among the group, for a Muslim he was (although very nominally)…Sultan Walid, up for election as the constitutional monarch of Mali. He was, as was somewhat well known, formerly the ruler of Rajasthan. He was also dressed in a garments that belonged in 1001 Arabian Knights, complete with white turban, far too big, and flowing white robes, far too many. Following the brutal conquest of his homeland by hard-line communists from Hindustan the Sultan and his court were painstakingly evacuated from Rajasthan through Depkazia and thence to Russia, most of the route traveling by means of a dilapidated donkey caravan. Ignominious, to say the least, for a jazz loving Sultan who also loved the white powder long. Eventually Walid, an avid Francophile (which probably saved his life) along with his assortment of ministers and hangers on arrived in France, and received a hero’s welcome at Versailles. Such avid devotion from the Sultan to the Bourbon Monarchy sooner or later would bring rewards, and it did: Walid was given a chance to turn his defeat at the hands of the reds into a West African liberation movement. The arrival of a denotatively moderate Muslim into Mali, who wanted to help build a moderate and legally just constitutional monarchy, was the right action at the right time. In light of Franco-Algerian ‘excesses’ in the liberation of Mali Walid found himself a popular man. Exchanging the airy Palace of Winds in Jaipur for a warm if somewhat dusty compound in Timbuktu, the good Sultan had been a model provisional administrator in his two weeks tenure. His wife was Jasmine Anastasia al-Tabir de Bourbon, a Catholic beauty who was simultaneously a fourth cousin to His Most Christian Majesty and niece of King Louis I in Algeria; everyone know how the royal family trees are. A little know and indeed secret fact, he was also related by extended marriages to several prominent Malian politicians, some of whom remained in Timbuktu to form the provisional government. Therefore also he was not an unfamiliar figure in Mali, could even be considered by some to be courageous and maybe even a hero. With himself a moderate Muslim, who was already recognized as a conciliatory figure, his many connections among the Malian ruling families, and his wife a Christian, and with the Malian opposition arming to storm the polling stations no doubt, the election was in Mali too predicted to be Walid’s victory; as the Muslim and Christian voting blocks would be secured, along with a healthy group of collaborationist minded tribal patriarchs and land owners.

Then there was Prince Ferdinand, the provisional governor of Cote d’Ivoire. Before he took his provisional title to run for prospective office Prince Ferdinand was known as Teodoro Obiang Nguema. His pre-liberation claim to fame was being a Westernized oil tycoon, who also harbored a strong Francophilia. He was a hard but generally attractive man, and wore now African suit but some bland Quinntonian suit from Brooks Brothers. Indeed, he had many connections among Quinntonian business interests, and of the five figures on the platform was the only Protestant, having converted when he married Ellen Jefferson of Quinntonia. By birth he was Gabonese, yet in time he had immigrated to and naturalized in Cote d’Ivoire. Ties to his bloodthirsty Uncle, the murdered dictator of Equatorial Guinea Francisco Macias Nguema, and how he came about the progenitor of his oil investments had long since been well buried. After all, the Nguema clan was a recognized political force in West Africa, and like all forces had some good and some bad. Teodoro had a good name, even financed through his nephew TNO Records, a hip-hop label in Los Angeles California. Sinking millions into the Ivorian political system had won him a place at the periphery of the parliament, but his enemies in the form of tribal foes—he was a Fang, and thus a minority—and the largely pro-left regime disliked his right wing tendencies. When the French liberated the core of Cote d’Ivoire however, he was in the middle of the action, producing documents showing the previous presidential elections were rigged (most likely true) and he, who had been he clear favorite, was basically forced into exile by the Marxist government. Now he had returned home to be elected as the constitutional crown and shepherd. Cote d’Ivoire would without doubt be the most chaotic election, with 1/3 of the country still in the grip of a communist insurgency and the election only a week away. The UMPA party in Cote d’Ivoire sought most of its support among the tribal leaders almost singularly, as they could deliver the votes as needed to tip the majority into Obiang’s favor. Eager to regain their clannish prowess after being usurped by the republican government, a whole assortment of local potentates were seeking election to the legislature. Prince Ferdinand had the country’s handful of business tycoons with him as well, some underlings who seized the titles in their superiors’ absence. In any case, with the country still in the grips of insurgency, and with the only secured polling stations being built in French-secured areas, Union for a Popular African Movement officials were optimistic.

Those were the four men running for office in French liberated states, but there was another present among the free African leaders, a gentleman freshly returned to the African Continent. None other than the good President Taya of Mauritania. He had returned from a much celebrated press junket in Europe, which had taken him from the Kremlin to White Hall. Radical militarists had long usurped his valid seat in Nouakchott he decried in impassioned tones. He preached at each occasion about how his situation was endemic of the African situation overall. It followed therefore that the Holy League liberation provided the first true impetus for a democratic and liberty oriented African polity. Most recently he had been in El Escorial, in the Kingdom of Spain, where His Catholic Majesty Philip V had assured him of his support for a legally elected Mauritanian government. Overthrown by a vicious military coup without any pretense of legality, the legally elected ruler of Mauritania allied both with the UMPA party and gave an impassioned speech for the British, who had so far interested themselves in a democratic African system, to intercede in his homeland and secure a new vote whereupon he would run on a UMPA platform. Already certified electorally so to speak he gave a measure of gravity and authority to the Union for a Popular African Movement that could not have been bought at any price. Taya, an orator-savant, rallied the audience and harangued the Marxist rebels, in the end declaring the august day “the dawn of a bright, warm era for our home.”

Such a presentation coupled with such a positive mood led to more cheering and dancing, the choirs and bands blaring at full volume. Under the recording gaze of thousands of cameras the good people of Africa (at least those gathered for this remarkable occasion), chanting UMPA!, calling health and prosperity down on their progressive party, they literally danced their way into the voting booths. The freest and most joyous election in the history of Africa was underway. One great conga line after another passed into the polling centers, singing and loudly clapping their hands together as they went in to cast their vote. Metal drums combined with the punching of voting machines to produce a most heavenly sound.

That night at the Malabo Sports Complex, which was at full capacity, a massive concert was held. A collage of French performers, everything from dance troupes to light operettas to Rai bands, a large hit, propounded the audience with their music. They performed side by side with native Africans, with the evening’s culmination occurring when Mother Africa sang a duet with Yves Montand “C’est si bon”. Red, white, and blue fireworks zipped up and ignited over Ouagadougou, some sparkling for nearly a minute before the fairy dust drifted down. Vendors passed hot and fresh loaves of bread, fine sausage, renowned French cheese, seaming dishes of boiled cabbage soaked in butter, bowls of crisp apples and succulent peaches, zesty olives, and amphorae of wine to he ecstatic African audience; on this blessed day all gratis. Joy Technicians circulated throughout the crowd, handing out silver medals here and there with a profile of King Louis-Auguste on the one side and a collage of the UMPA congress on the other, the caption read “Te Deum Laudamus”. In the box of honor, which had the benefit of commanding a fine vista over both the performers on stage and fireworks overhead, sat the UMPA congress, all alongside each other. Prince Leopold smoked a cigar that looked as though it could fell a hippopotamus, Mobutu Prince Emanuel observing the festivities behind an impassive mask, all the events reflected in his still and measuring eyes. Sultan Walid was fairy bubbling over, but as he wiped some cocaine discreetly from his nostrils the reason was not hard to deduce. He called for some jazz to be performed, and broke into a crocodile’s grin. Prince Ferdinand was dancing with his Quinntonian wife, every now and again stopping to wave and blow kisses to he delirious audience. Taya was, of course, making his case as best he could, to as many people as he could, as he guzzled down canapés like a starving man. Even now he was waving a stalk of celery around for emphasis, when people began nodding to him he took a crisp bite.

Yet there too was the French Prime Minister M. Sarkozy, in a congratulatory mood, at the moment in deep conversation with Lt. General Pearson, envoy from the Court of St. James. Democracy, he said, in Africa, true democracy, was beginning right in front of their very eyes. Le Merechal de la Tour du Pin, supreme commander of French forces in Africa, was to be seen as well, soaking up adulation in his superb uniform. Even le Comte de Provence was on hand for the French Bourbons, sitting next to his cousin the Prince de Asturias of the Spanish Bourbons. Prince Louis-Arnaud, son of King Louis I of Algeria, sat next to the Bourbons, but also was very interested in what Sultan Walid had to say. Arriving late, but lending further legitimacy to the occasion, was President Mubarrak of Tsarist Nigeria. The mood was universally jubilant on that, the first day of the elections.

In but a week, at the close of the elections, this was a jubilance that would spread throughout West Africa.

((Sorry, I know there are a thousand other things I need to respond to, the latter half of my week shall include that task. Ciao!))

Vecron

11-07-2007, 22:14

OOC—I’m sorry for the mix up with the AMRAAMs, I misread your post and assumed that I had the D type. My bad.

IC—The Harriers of Saturn group close in on the Tornados and prepare to get a lock at close to 90 km away. The eight pilots flip open the trigger covers in preparation, Saturn 1 takes a breath, as he is about to proclaim his intentions to fire when twenty more contacts begin springing up on his radar, closing fast. “Oh shit,” Saturn 1 shouted as the realization sinks in that they had made the wrong choice! They could have fired on the edge of their range and still have the effectiveness of firing much closer, but wanted as much of a kill probability as possible so waited to fire until 90 km. Saturn 1 hoped that he didn’t rue that decision. The missiles began to climb, but they still had a chance! Saturn 1 switched his target, the group had been briefed that if the Enemy did get any missiles off they were to fire their entire payload in an attempt to intercept them. They were only going to get one shot at this and had to make every shot count. Any missile that made it past them was a chance that the Harriers wouldn’t have a place to land and be forced to ditch in the water. The eight Harriers launch all six of their AMRAAMs at the BrahMos missiles, a total of forty-eight homing in on their targets. The AMRAAMs and the BrahMos missiles meet with most of the AMRAAMs flying past their BrahMos targets and detonating too far away to make a difference. Only a quarter of the AMRAAMs hit their targets, but it’s enough to stop twelve of the missiles in their tracks and allow eight to continue on to the three Italian ships.

Of the eight BrahMos remaining, two continue to charge on the Guiseppe Garibaldi. She releases everything she can once they detect the incoming missiles, while her crew prays furiously. One of the incoming missiles is hit moments after it is detected; yet the second keeps coming despite the crew best efforts. The entire crew drew in their collective breath as the missile flew closer and closer. The crew watches on the deck, expecting to see the Indian missile slam into their ship as the Garibaldi was quickly coming to the last of her missiles when suddenly a large explosion went off just a few kilometres away. The crew cheers as their ship is clear of danger and pushes full steam ahead back to Italian waters. Meanwhile, the Captain ordered his crew to prepare for the arrival of the Harriers that were instrumental in saving the ship.

The Maestrale frigates escorting the Garibaldi have their hands full with three missiles closing in on each. The frigate closest to the Garibaldi works feverishly against the BrahMos missiles, and are able to down two of the missiles, but the third sneaks through, ripping a hole in the bow of the craft, killing twenty sailors. A fire burns across the bow and begins to take on water. The Captain knows that the damage is fatal to his boat and orders the surviving crew to abandon ship. The Garibaldi is immediately commanded not to stop and rescue the sailors, the Regia Marina did not want her to risk the possibility of another attack and wanted the flagship to get home as soon as they can. The ambassador to Greece approaches the Greek government and asks them for aid in picking up the hapless sailors.

The second frigate fairs better, as each BrahMos missile is shot down, though a little too close for comfort. The Regia Marina also orders the surviving frigate to motor back to Italy at full speed.

Back in Italy, seven squadrons of Starfighters (70) and two more TIE fighter squadrons (20 Eurofighters, 4 F-16s) are launched toward the two surviving Navy craft to set up a fighter screen around them and protect them. The fighter squadrons will patrol 180 km away from the ships at all times along the most likely paths of attacking aircraft from Libya. The Starfighters, equipped with the Aspide missile, may be at a disadvantage against more modern fighters, but it is hoped that their sheer numbers and the support of the two TIE squadrons will deter the Hindustanis from attempting any more attacks.

======

Seconds after he let loose his missiles, another warning blares in Ares 1’s cockpit, “I really am getting sick of this! Ares 1 group: jink hard! Now!”

Once again the fighters of Ares squadron are forced into evasive manoeuvres, banking and rolling to avoid the Meteors, but only just barely as the five fighters bare down once again on the F-4s. Ares 1 knew that they couldn’t keep doing this, his flight had escaped this time, with some bumps, but that was mostly due to luck more than anything else. He searched the skies and his cockpit for inspiration, “Oh Lord, I could really use your help right now. What do I do?” The enemy had a more advanced AAM, and still had enough to blow his flight out of the sky. He knew that if they got too close, they were dead, yet his training told him to close the distance and fire again. It was very likely that the enemy would fire first; forcing him to fire back when his training dictated was too early. There was always the option of running, but no self-respecting Roman would ever do that. He would lose whatever honour his family had and fall down the social ladder faster than a downed Eurofighter.

Fortunately, the Lord provided for the pilot. The second flight was coming back. With the BrahMos missiles already released, there nothing more Mercury squadron could do to help the Navy, so it turned its whole attention on No. 15 squadron’s second flight. Mercury squadron’s Eurofighters turned to face the second flight of F-4s head-on while the straggling F-16s would come at them more from the side. Mercury’s move meant that Ares squadron second flight had broken pursuit and were coming Ares 1’s aid. The F-4s were flanked. Ares 1 didn’t wait long, he knew the enemy could fire at any moment and he wanted to beat them to it. His flight closed to 55 km, with the second closing to seventy kilometres, before he gave the command to fire. Ares first flight launched two AMRAAMs each for 10 missiles while the second flight each release three AMRAAMs, a total of 25 missiles closing on the five remaining F-4s.

Meanwhile, Mercury squadron doesn’t wait long either, knowing that they may be fired upon soon. The pilots of Mercury squadron are no strangers to a good dogfight, having flown in the conflict against Yugoslavia and combating a very worthy opponent in the L-20 fighter. The Eurofighters act first, closing to about 90 km before firing two missiles each for twenty missiles closing on the eight fighters. While they’re busy with those, the F-16 rocket towards them, blazing through the sky at full throttle around Mach 2. They close to 80 km and release four of their AMRAAMs. Many Roman pilots smile beneath their air masks, it looks like they have a real dogfight on their hands.

Hail Caesar!

The Crooked Beat

12-07-2007, 04:58

(OCC: Hmph...I was under the impression that George Mainwaring fought in the Falklands, rather than in Vietnam, since, if I'm not mistaken, England was not actually in NATO back then, and might have had a fairly left-leaning government to boot. But I'm no expert.

Also, the frigates which I stated to be Bodkin Class vessels are actually Gauntlet fleet defense frigates. All the IN's seven Bodkins are already commissioned into service, and it is the nine Gauntlets ordered by the navy which have yet to be completed.

Another note, on supposed Sultan Walid al-Haji...there really isn't any reason for him to exist in Rajasthan. I didn't know too much about Indian history when that RP took place, but the more I read, the more I realize that there being a Muslim ruler in the home region of the Rajputs doesn't make any sense. But what's done is done.)

IC:

Over the Mediterranean

It angers Hindustani pilots greatly to see their Squadron Leader's sacrifice be in vain. Though he may have given his life in order to improve the unit's chances, things continue to go very much contrary to expectations. Clearly, the Meteor is not all that it's made out to be, since, if it was, the Italians would be dead already ten times over! The missiles should at least have been close enough to stand a decent chance of hitting on their own, by the time their mid-course updates stopped coming. Men who started their IAF careers flying Hawker Hunters, fitted with a simple ranging radar and infra-red AAMs, curse the new technology, curse Italy, and curse the Squadron Leader's useless sacrifice as they fire off their remaining 16 Meteors, by now very nearly absolutely certain to hit and down every one of the aircraft from Ares 1. Indeed, the Italians would be doomed if they were up against a gaggle of DC-3s armed with Meteors at that distance. Italian AMRAAMs fired from their first flight stand just as good a chance.

Hindustani aircraft try desperately to evade the AMRAAMs, but, traveling as they are at Mach 4 and fired from well within even their engagement envelope, it is a futile effort. Within moments, every last aircraft from the first flight is destroyed. Excellent, experienced pilots, irreplaceable and vital to the IAF, are killed, and of the five there are only two survivors, who parachute, like a third who was also able to escape his AMRAAM-stricken aircraft, into the Mediterranean Sea below, quite far from any coastline. They can, however, take comfort in the fact that they did manage to prevent the interception of two important strike squadrons, and thus neither a Tornado nor a Jaguar was lost on the sortie.

The second flight, though, is by now quite enraged, and equally quite heavily-armed. Italian F-16s attempting to hit the F.4s from the side,attempting a tactic likewise used by No.15 Squadron early in the engagement, but apparently to little effect, are met by a single F.4, which, not surprisingly, comes from above and behind them as they try to turn into the main body of the flight. Detached from its finger-four, the lone Hindustani fighter, closing from an advantageous position while Mercury Squadron tried to intercept the Tornadoes, releases all four of its Meteors at 60 kilometers' distance, and keeps going in behind them, now ready with four more DRAB ASRAAMs and two 30mm cannon to do battle at shorter range. Diving on their targets, and fired from well within their engagement envelope, the Meteors stand a very good chance of hitting the Italians, and, by the time the missiles actually get near their targets, the F.4 may well be upon the F-16s anyway.

Not far away, the main body of the second flight, seven aircraft arrayed in a finger-four and a vic, prepare to meet the bulk of Mercury Squadron, three airframes stronger but at a disadvantage in terms of position, having been so recently engaged in the business of chasing low-flying Tornadoes and Jaguars while their escort kept to high altitude. Italian missiles will have to climb to their targets and thus lose energy, or Italian aircraft will themselves have to climb and also lose energy, becoming easier targets for fast-moving, diving Meteors. Owing to this advantage, the flight opts for a staggered launch. The finger-four peels off to the north, maintaining altitude for the time being, while the vic holds a constant course. The new squadron leader, technically still a flight lieutenant, flies by himself, and is backed-up by three wingman-leader pairs, each of which should fire their eight AAMs at different times and from a different angle. Thus the Italians will be forced to deal with missiles flying at them on different vectors, making evasion all the more difficult and doubtless working to break-up the enemy formation.

Of course, with the bombers returned more or less safely to base, there isn't much point in No.15 Squadron, or what's left of it, sticking around. At least they'll have to account for the loss of seven airplanes and pilots, but, beyond that, it does not make much sense for further lives and expensive airframes to be wasted in such a manner. Italy clearly has superiority in numbers, which counts for very much in modern long-range aerial combat, something that the IAF still hasn't entirely gotten used to.

Tripoli

"Kind of a silly place to stage your invasion from, eh?"
"Indeed...they've got a good long route to travel from Algiers to Djanet. How long would it take to get a sizable force down there, you figure? Months, at least."
"A damn Frog probably read his map wrong. Probably forgot to look at the scale. They do tend to have problems with navigation."
"I think, gentlemen, that if the Frogs do decide to strike across the open desert from Djanet, we may consider ourselves extremely lucky. Therefore we must work on the assumption that such is not going to happen. What would be a more practical route, now? Well, through Tunisia, obviously. That is the most direct route. Why make supply lines longer? Why give up the prospect of naval support? By all means let them trudge through the desert for thousands of kilometers, but I doubt even the French would have such little regard for the necessities of logistics. Djanet, it appears, is either a colossal blunder on the enemy's part or a decoy, and we might, for now, anticipate the latter."

General Agosto Dos Santos, Diu-born commander of the newly-created VI Corps in Libya and only recently promoted from Brigadier, is not one to fall for the Djanet diversion. Indeed, unless Roycelandia undertook a massive expansion of the road and rail network in southern Algeria, moving any significant amount of troops from the port of Algiers to Djanet would be next to impossible, and a difficult and tedious process even if that kind of expansion did take place. More importantly, on the Libyan side, there is a relatively small area of solid, albeit undeveloped, land where any enemy invasion force would emerge, capped by sandy desert, the likes of which is generally not too friendly towards tanks or other vehicles.

Hindustani Paras, over the course of their stay in Libya, have occasionally manned border outposts on the Tunisian border, and spent much time assisting the construction of border defenses along that frontier. It is widely felt that Tunisia will play the Belgium, and diplomatic effort, albeit, apparently wasted, was made to try and impress this likelihood upon Tunis. Doubtless the Soviets have also recognized the logistical nightmare that would be any attack made from Djanet, and also dismissed the presence of an enemy camp there as an attempt to mislead Libyan and Indian forces.

In spite of its up-rating to Corps designation, General Dos Santos' command remains quite small, not actually numbering far in excess of a division's worth of men and equipment. Two Parachute Brigades form the bulk of his force so far, experienced troopers and well-trained, if still reliant on hardly the most modern gear. Their lightness made the Paras ideal to send out to Libya on short notice and without relying on the Suez Canal and its suspect operators, but that very same ease of deployment means that their utility in general combat is limited. Fortunately, however, most of the two brigades are at the very least motorized, with a great many Land Cruisers and Mahindra light trucks, some of them carrying missile systems aboard, and some of them towing howitzers, antitank guns, Rapier launchers, and light MRLs. Such a force still has the same water requirements as any brigade, but the 233rd and 159th Parachute Brigades are capable of moving, on sturdy ground, a great deal faster and more freely than a unit based around tanks.

The same cannot be said for Hindustani Commandos. Each of the two regiments has a company equipped with heavily-armed Land Cruisers for cross-desert raiding, but for the most part, save dispatch riders and several utility vehicle drivers, the Commandos depend on their own two feet for transportation. Trained for amphibious and parachute assault, they are not well-equipped for fighting in the desert.

No.44 Squadron's Marathons continue to fly the Tanzania-Libya route, bringing a steady trickle of Hindustani troops to Tripoli. Pieces of VI Corps' regular force component, which should boost the unit's numbers to something approaching 60,000 troops when they are all in place, start showing up in theater. A battery of 152mm self-propelled howitzers from the 10th Mechanized Infantry Division, for instance, is deposited in the Libyan capital, the first proper Hindustani artillery unit to reach the battle area. One of the 10th Division's transport companies is flown in, along with a squadron of Ferret scout cars. It hardly matches the Igovian contribution, and VI Corps will not approach the ISC in terms of troops in Libya even when all of it has arrived. But it is something at least, and UDF planners are happy to see elements of the regular army finally up and moving. Not since the Malacca War has the UDF sent major formations overseas, and even then it was to fairly nearby areas, or areas with heavy friendly infrastructure.

Off Al-Suways, Egypt

At the southern end of the Suez Canal, INS Derawar and her convoy are finally ordered to proceed through to the Mediterranean. With all duties payed well in advance to the Cairo government, it is hoped that the Hindustani warships will be able to transit the waterway without incident. Doubtless, however, the Holy League was notified well in advance of the 7th Fleet's arrival at the canal. A League agent could have sat out on a beach chair with a pair of binoculars and spotted the ships, after all, and it is incredibly easy for such a choke point to be monitored. Fortunately, despite its embarrassing loss, Barmer managed to put much of Italy's submarine fleet out of action. Italian Type 212s are still active, that much Indians can be fairly sure of. But by now they must be at least a little worried about their own shipping, with Libyan, Yugoslav, and perhaps even Saharawi submarines prowling the sea on top of the two advanced Hindustani boats.

As per its orders upon leaving port, Bihar hangs back, for the time being, to cover the canal's mouth. Faisalabad, off Crete to begin with, proceeds on patrol along the Greek coast towards Italy and the Balkans. By no means easily detectable, the Hindustani submarine tries to use shallower waters to further mask its already extremely small acoustic signature, undetectable to the point where the enemy would have to spend significant time and effort searching that particular area, and, unless it makes some kind of aggressive and overly noisy maneuver, the boat may still slip away. The likelihood of two extremely quiet submarines running into each other is very low. Indeed, the encounter between Barmer and the Italian submarine was nothing but the result of terrible carelessness on the Hindustani captain's part. Hopefully, attacks on League shipping close to home will be enough to cause the recall of enemy submarines, helping to clear, at least partly, the way, for 7th Fleet. For its part, 7th Fleet is exceedingly careful, with a mixture of Bengal Class corvettes, Lion Class submarine chasers, and, of course, helicopters, serving as the force's outer screen. Two further corvettes may join the formation, detached from the squadron supporting Hindustani monitors off Eritrea. The problem remains that the enemy operates a submarine type about as advanced as the Bihar Class, but the weight of experience rests with the Hindustanis, who are anyway proceeding with caution, well aware of the enemy's capabilities.

The first Hindustani warship in the canal is INS Damoh, a heavily armed Bengal-A class corvette. In terms of size the vessel is not far removed from some frigates, and has more firepower than most, in the form of four Brahmos missiles and a respectable 16 Akash-1 SAMs in VLS cells. A/S capability is also very good, but the ship's small size means that advanced towed arrays cannot be fitted, and a single Dhruv helicopter lashed to Damoh's rear deck is the cornerstone of its antisubmarine arsenal. Just behind Damoh, however, is Rajgarh, a Bengal-B corvette, designed specifically for antisubmarine warfare and fitted with an advanced variable-depth sonar, among other things. Indian corvettes have another advantage; namely, their diesel-electric/gas turbine powerplants, which allow for very quiet running at low speed, extremely useful for hunting or hiding from enemy submarines.

Ali Khan Marakkar's Fleet

Soviet, Hindustani, and Strathdonian sailors continue to press on towards the engagement in spite of the heavy losses. Frigates make a quick, but not overly exerting, 25 knots, leaving the fleet train, its missiles largely spent and its vessels too large to maneuver, behind and in the care of three detached Gauntlets.

Finally, after several tense minutes spent staring at the tactical plot, the Marakkar decides on a strategy with which to tackle this particular and highly perplexing engagement. Russian missiles, highly dangerous and capable indeed, are nonetheless not quite as advanced as Indian Charioteers and Brahmos, and are present in far fewer numbers. EW-fitted Sea Kings and Helices may well be able to decoy enemy rockets away from the main fleet, and already jamming begins, just as the force slips to within 750 kilometers of the Russian outer screen. Helicopters present enemy radars with a multitude of contacts, at least older Russian ones, anyway, while the real fleet maneuvers to the west under the jamming. Unless aided by French radars, which may well be more capable, the Russians may have some trouble picking the real Indian ships from the fictitious ones at such a range. And doubtless the enemy has its hands full with the Puffins coming at them, armed and dangerous and eager to do battle with the hated French and Russians. A curse on them, shouts the Marakkar, for they are the enemies of free men.

Ali Khan Marakkar, under normal circumstances, would prefer to break his fleet up into several groups, roughly reflective of destroyer squadrons from the age of torpedoes, in order to use his escort-dominated force to best effect in the anti-shipping role. Skirmishing enemy Sovremennys or Kashins, ships perhaps gainfully deployed in a similar role, would be at a severe disadvantage when faced with Charioteer and Brahmos-equipped Indians, and the "destroyer" engagement would probably cause enough Franco-Russian losses alone to make it a worthwhile battle for the Indians. Cruisers and carriers would perhaps not even need to be heavily engaged, instead busy jockeying for position against India's carriers and cruiser, and needed to defend those high-value ships from organized Indian vessels, busily and eagerly attacking the enemy fleet. As it were, though, the Indians have not trained together, and Hindustani doctrine is perhaps not familiar to Soviet sailors. Clearly, the Indian commander reflects, Mumbai and Raipur should not have rushed to send ships to West Africa, but, instead, waited to form a far larger and more coordinated fleet, one perhaps capable of delivering a grand smackdown to the League, rather than, as is likely, fighting it to a standstill. Splitting the fleet up into a series of independent and quick-moving attack squadrons, hitting the Russians from several sides at once and causing all sorts of problems, is simply not a possibility.

The outer A/S screen is reinforced heavily, to the point where most of the Indian escorts are screening the carriers, rather than providing close defense. Ood and the Soviet gunboat, plus surviving Indian Type 42s and a pair of Gauntlets, have that role. It is a good formation, with the escorts and pickets deployed more appropriately, and presenting the Russians with a group of targets that is by no means clumped-together, but rather spaced-out and dynamic, as much as can be allowed by the relatively limited degree of interoperability that exists between the three navies.

At the head of the formation, two IN frigates prepare to make their move against the enemy force. INS Ambajogai and INS Srivardhan, the best all-around Hindustani warships still afloat, split from the main force of warships. Under the heavy jamming, they move northeast at a full 30 knots, in a bid to come around the side of the Russians. In total the two warships carry twelve Brahmos missiles ready and another eight in storage. Lynx helicopters are frantically fitted by ground crews with jamming pods as massive screws churn the waters of the Atlantic. Painted in the IN's distinctive light gray, they cut a fine figure moving over the water at full speed as the sun rises, and, missiles at the ready, they prepare to do battle with the enemy. As some of the IN's finest warships, and the closest to the destroyers of times past, they are charged with creating a diversion and hopefully bringing some of the enemy's escorts to battle. They move within the range of Russian P-700 missiles, but just barely, planning only to move in further once more or less beside the enemy fleet.

Spyr

12-07-2007, 05:38

Niger

Nigerian efforts at ‘hearts-and-minds’ here are likely to be the most successful of any the League might attempt in occupied Africa. In an economy focused mainly on subsistence, there is much demand for the food aid being distributed, at least in the southern regions. The Hausa-Fulani are particularly prone to cooperation, if not eagerly, due to cultural links with Niger, and might be sufficiently integrated to ensure stability within a few short years. Other ethnic groups (save for the antagonistic nomads in the north) bear closer connections to ECOWAS allies than to the invaders, and will take somewhat longer for a ‘hearts and minds’ campaign to bring around.

The economy of the country is in shambles, though the war is only one factor amongst many. State debts amount to over two billion dollars, owed to Western sources such as Germany and the USQ, and the budget’s minimal expenditures still require a supplement of almost 50% from foreign donors. Coffers are unavailable, the purse strings still held by the government-in-exile now bickering in Senegal, while income is far distant: little tax revenue can be gathered from subsistence farmers at the best of times, and Niger’s primary source of wealth has suffered substantial setbacks.
Use of Nigerian currency spreads quickly, as the African franc of ECOWAS hardly retains much credence after the military defeat of that organization… this is a cause of much unrest, as those who managed to retain savings (and the more wealthy segments of the population) find themselves suddenly poorer.
Niger’s uranium industry has been brought to a halt. In the aftermath of Tuareg vandalism, the mines will require substantial replacement and repair of equipment, but more importantly they require cleanup: contaminated water has been spilled and demolition blasts have disturbed a great deal of dust as well as scattering decades of tailings around the sites. To deal with such difficulties properly is a project of several years, though the open pit mines could be worked sooner if one was willing to accept high mortality amongst the workers. Reactivation of the deeper mine, its 250-meter shaft unstable and collapsed in several places, is a longer-term project.

Niger’s loss is perhaps the gain of others… the country is the world’s third largest producer of uranium, after Canada and Australasia but ahead of Kazakhstan and Russia (though behind both combined, if one wishes to mash together the Tsar’s various domains), the bulk of its ore sold to European clients. The extended drop in supply was already causing prices to increase, and while Russia could call on its Soviet-era secondary sources and Kazakh mines to soften the blow against the League, Germany would have to secure alternate sources quickly… particularly as an ambitious carbon-emissions reduction program had been announced along with efforts towards building an atomic arsenal, likely increasing demand for both power generation and military uses.

Security in Niger has never been particularly substantial, and reality under occupation is hardly different. Guerilla activity, after a brief post-invasion peak, has settled to more ‘comfortable’ levels as the weeks wear on, the population adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude of sorts.
Resistance remains heaviest in the north, where the Tuareg prove resistant to the temptation of foodstuffs or luxuries, though increasing troop levels there result in a reduction of attacks as camps become more fortified. Further south, bandits are a threat to supply routes and convoys, opportunistic gangs employing all manner of lofty titles and claims but doing little more than enriching themselves and acting on long-festering feuds or grievances… these are as much a threat to other Nigeriens as they are to the occupation forces, but the longer they fester the worse things might become, demanding boots on the ground to establish the rule of law (sometimes in areas where even the previous government had not done so).

The conventional military of Niger remains a threat, if a small one… the ease with which the country was conquered was due in part to the retreat of the nation’s armed forces. They might have a good proportion of nationalist sentiment, but it had quickly become apparent that conventional resistance would be defeated by the superior numbers of the invaders no matter how hard the battle might be fought, and so the army, along with its equipment and supplies, had first fallen back to defend Niamey, and then (faced with Nigerian approach from the east and French success in the west) scattered as best it could. In the turmoil, already-porous borders had become even more uncertain, leaving Nigerien units spread loosely across western Niger, eastern Mali, and southern Algeria. A few deserters had trickled out towards centers of occupation, but by-and-large Nigerien regulars remained quiet and waited to see if opportunity would present itself. They could hold out on current supplies for perhaps a year, and farming or foraging might extend that a bit further, but if the tide had not turned by then many officers would be ready to consider adapting to the new status-quo. Until that time, forces would be a nuisance to League patrols and supply convoys, but likely not any more so than regular bandits: the advantage of superior equipment and training counterbalanced by a more cautious attitude in selecting targets for attack.

In matters of religion, there might be some conflict… for many years, backed by the Taliban in Afghanistan and Mohammed Kalla in Indonesia, extremist attitudes have spread amongst Niger’s rural mosques and madrassas. Invasion by what most view as ‘Christian’ powers does not realy push moderates towards violence, but it does cement the will to fight amongst those who might already be termed ‘fundamentalist’. In times past, Afghan camp trainees and Indonesian equipment might have flowed to West Africa along with foreign mujahideen, but both those powers now face immediate threats at home and have turned from their international contributions. It is uncertain whether this is good or bad… foreign fighters would be a greater military threat, while the Nigerien mujahideen forced home by outside developments are far harder to root out and stand a better chance of propagating their ideology. As of yet, Niger has not seen any suicide-bombing ‘martyrdoms’, though it is still early, and such developments can take years to materialize. Claimants to the Caliphate in Istanbul and Samarkand will likely find themselves pestered with requests (and sometimes demands) for guns and aid from various clerics and brotherhoods, though getting any such supplies into Niger will be a significant challenge.

The greatest threat to any government in Niger is not a military one at all. Since the early 1990s, Niger’s authorities have fought a losing battle with a vibrant free press, which is often vocal in its criticisms of state policies. In addition to local transmission of the BBC and French international programs, local radio stations are scattered across the country, along with numerous newspapers (particularly around Niamey, home to dozens of them). They would be hard to silence, but their voices might occasionally be welcome, as they were no more prone to show restraint speaking of ECOWAS or the Soviets than Nigeria and the League.

One tongue-in-cheek story, first picked up by Niamey’s Le Republicain, concerns claims to democratic legitimacy… some might argue as to the neutrality of ECOWAS observers, or even those of states currently neutral, but the international teams who had declared the 2004 elections in Niger and Ghana both free and fair had included British representatives... if, as had been sometimes argued by the League, invasion had been meant to establish democracy in West Africa, would punitive action be taken against those British observers who had, apparently, filed false reports on the political status of West African states?

Senegal

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/96/dscn0414yj4.jpg

War in Africa, be it between Britain and France or Europe and the free world, had in some ways been of benefit to the Strainist Party. Certainly the shift of attention, and of manpower, away from southeast Asia had given Sujavan planners a boost in their push for the removal of Mohammed Kalla.

For some Strainists, however, it had been hard indeed. Over a thousand of the Party’s ‘barefoot doctors’ served across ECOWAS before the French invasion, working in clinics and administering vaccination programs. They were medical workers, but though their pink and teal were hardly martial they were also uniformed members of the Revolutionary Army, and a technical state of war had existed between France and the Strainists since the Revolution in Tord. Given earlier French treatment of prisoners, few had relished the thought of capture by the invaders.

Just short of two hundred had fled northward into Libya, where they found themselves placed under Indian command as the Soviets built up forces there. An equal number were unaccounted for, still in areas now occupied by the Holy League… some working clinics as yet unvisited by invading troops, some having abandoned their uniforms to seek shelter amongst the rural populace or in Strainist embassies, and some certainly having fallen into the hands of the French as they attempted to evacuate. One hundred and forty seven, though safe from conflict in Namibia, were now like their comrades in Libya under Indian direction, though here away from the front lines many were resistant to a shift from civil aid to military goals.

The majority, however, had fled ahead of the enemy advance and now attempted to consolidate themselves in the relative safety of Senegal. There, the just under 700 SRA medical staff formed the Africanus Horton Emergency Medical Brigade.

Under normal circumstances, Strainist doctors on foreign aid deployment would work with the local government to provide services: the Party would pay salaries and costs of transportation to the country in question, while the host state would provide facilities and local transport, as well as cost-sharing of drugs and equipment (usually purchased from Lyong). The hosts got cheap medical experts, the Party got to tout its contribution to the world's peoples (and secure markets for its pharmaceuticals), win-win all around. Now, things were somewhat different, as flight had placed several times the normal number of doctors in the country, and war had likely sapped availability of resources, transport vehicles, and even a secure supply of medical supplies. If the British were serious in their assurances that aid was inbound, then perhaps the Senegalese could divert such supplies to the Brigade, but there was some doubt about whether aid would come, and whether Senegal would continue to play host if politics began to shift. Still, evacuation was impossible… Strainist ships and aircraft were unlikely to risk transit over hostile territory, and overland routes to ports in Libya were now blocked by French forces. The Brigade thus put itself at the disposal of ECOWAS (or at least what remains of it), in hope that some good might be done. Meanwhile, the military attaché from the local Party embassy is sent to see what might be done with the Brigade in case the war heats up once again.

To its fellow Progressive states, Sithin spoke of its ‘brigade quickly mobilized for the defense of democratic Africa’, and the ‘loyal comrades who have joined with the massing formations of Free India’. Medical professionals might be useful, but the words likely ring hollow to those in the know… few in Mumbai or Raipur will have confidence that their purported ally has any plans to deploy further forces into the African theatre. At least, not until victory or defeat appear on the horizon.

Gurguvungunit

13-07-2007, 08:48

Mediterranean Sea, HMS Deschaineaux

"We have a contact... sounds like someone running his snorkels. Sonar profile suggests Kilo class." Commander Prestwick exhaled with a small 'huff', and gave the cramped chart table a glance. His boat was hovering around 100 metres depth, making a gentle ten knots and trailing its towed hydrophone array, attempting to locate nearby submarines and catalogue their movements. This one was an Kilo class, which was a bit irritating since both the Tsar and the Libyan communists operated those boats, and there was no way to be sure.

On the other hand, both Deschaineaux and the Kilo were about twenty kilometres off of Libyan coastline, suggesting that the old diesel-electric flew Qaddafi's flag. Prestwick took a deep breath of canned air.

"Make a note in the log," he said stiffly. "Kilo class encountered--" he checked his watch "--at 1421 GMT, believed to be Libyan vessel. Kilo was observed running its diesels on the surface, extremely risky behaviour for a Tsarist submarine. Then note latitudinal and longitudinal co-ordinates, and then get me some coffee."

Valetta

"... so you see, Mr. Prime Minister, Britain can certainly make hosting our naval base worthwhile to you. After all, the British carrying trade is exploding in these parts now that we've re-opened trade with the League, and you could be both refuelling station, shoreside entertainment and plenty of other things. You'll have preferential treatment for trade with the Empire, and you'll have hundreds of sailors in port every day, frequenting your shoreside establishments.

Also, Mr. Prime Minister, I feel that I should-- as one gentleman to another, you understand-- tell you that Britain controls sea access to both ends of this sea, and so eventually doing business with us is going to be a necessity. Better to have it on friendly terms than not, eh?"

The first British sailors stepped ashore on leave two days later. They were two eighteen year old boys from the Hebrides, young men with indecipherable accents, sunburned faces and tenuous citizenships in the Empire. Even so, they had volunteered to serve, and in return for taking the King's Shilling they had been provided with a commodious bunk on HMS Longbow one of the oldest, most cramped and slowest ships in the fleet. On the other hand, it was a bunk rather than a hammock, and so they could at least boast something better than their forerunners at Trafalgar had.

The two young men spied a gaggle of women with fishnet stockings, bad makeup and corsets on. The women giggled, and the British sailors suddenly felt the urge to adjust their pants. Ah, yes. Shore-leave in the Mediterranean. God Save the King, for he was a benevolent and kind master indeed.

Now, where was that last quid?

The Crooked Beat

14-07-2007, 05:45

(OCC: Just a quick clarification...to my knowledge, AMW Libya does not operate any Kilo Class submarines, but, rather, four to six Igovian-made Hound Class D/E boats. In RL, Libya appears to have some on order, but yet to be delivered. An exiled Algerian boat, perhaps, but not, I think, a Libyan Kilo. Indeed, a Tsarist submarine would probably not last long if it were snorkeling in view of the Libyan coastline. But by all means they can try!

Well, that didn't do much to clarify. Consider this a placeholder for tomorrow's more expanded, more informative post.

Eh, moreover, I think we all have a tendency to underestimate the lethality of Diesel-Electric submarines. Pretty much any submarine is a major threat, and, while not as quiet as AIP boats, D/E boats are still usually quieter than nuclear subs and the Kilo Class is hardly an ancient or incapable opponent. I know I've done this.)

Gurguvungunit

15-07-2007, 00:37

OOC: The D/E boat is more lethal than a nuclear opponent in specific situations, but is not useful for extended combat far from friendly bases. The mediterranean is an excellent D/E boat area for both sides here, since both can fall back to friendly waters to snorkel/air out their diesels. On the other hand, the difference in noisiness between a D/E boat and a nuclear sub while both are dived (and the D/E is running electric) is not all that large. Sure, a nuclear sub is slightly more detectable, but it can stay submerged so long as its air reserves last out. Assuming more or less equal skill of crews, the nuke can simply wait out its D/E opponent.

Just pretend that I said 'Hound', and that the whole thing about it maybe being a Tsarist sub didn't happen. I'm teh lazy.

Nova Gaul

18-07-2007, 21:41

((Will be back soon, promise!))

Vecron

18-07-2007, 22:28

Over the Mediterranean

These Soviets are definitely persistent the Romans would give them that. Ares 1 knew that staying in the centre targeting sensors of the enemy aircraft would put his flight at great risk, but it was for just this moment that his flight had saved their countermeasures. The five planes follow more conventional means of attempting to evade the missiles, spreading out with wide turns and attempting to roll over or under the oncoming missiles and releasing chaff with their prayers. While their efforts certainly make for an amazing show, the risk taken by Ares 1 does not go unpunished. The five aircraft were ripped to shreds, with missiles slamming into their engines and wings, but their sacrifice is not in vain as the second flight of Ares squadron watches the remains of No. 15 squadron’s first flight fall to the sea. Ares 2, now in command of the squadron had his planes head back to base, as their planes have just enough fuel to reach home. Their work is done, and those who gave their lives will surely receive the highest medal that Rome can give as well as a nice severance package for their families.

The F-16s of Mercury Squadron are aware of the single F.4 coming up behind them. Mercury 2 is flying one of the F-16s and immediately banks hard away from his wing mate, Mercury 12. Separating himself from Mercury 12 will force the Hindustani pilot to pick a target and allow the second fighter to fall in behind him and launch three of his missiles behind the enemy. If the F.4 instead decides to run off instead of dancing with Mercury 2, he will give up the chase while keeping an eye on him until he is out of his engagement envelope. The manoeuvre would delay Mercury 2 firing on the main enemy group, but getting this F.4 off their tail would make things much easier. Meanwhile, unless the F.4 moved to engage Mercury 2, Mercury 12 would continue to move in and fire on the F.4s with all six of its missiles.

The Eurofighters of Mercury squadron know that they are not in the best position, but they are Roman and are prepared to do whatever necessary to come out victorious. The pilots see what’s coming as the F.4s change their formation and know that the next job will not be so easy. Mercury flies in two finger four formation with two Eurofighters flying together with Mercury 8 flying slightly behind and below Mercury 9. The two pilots pitch up their planes, pushing their throttle to full and lock onto the F.4s and fire all six missiles each at both enemy formations seconds after the F.4 fire their missiles. Both pilots know that it’s likely that they won’t be able to escape the missiles, but may lessen the chances of the enemy hitting the rest of their mates. Mercury squadron immediately goes into evasive manoeuvres, releasing chaff and desperately spinning and banking to avoid the missiles. Mercury 8 and 9 are gone while one more pilot from each finger four loses their lives to the missile attack. Mercury squadron reforms in two three flight elements to engage each enemy formation at a higher altitude to give them less of a disadvantageous position. The Mercuries empty their payload firing 18 missiles at each formation. From about a thousand feet below their targets AMRAAMs will still lose some energy, but will be in a better position to hit than before.

In the Mediterranean

The Scire, not hearing anymore sub action around her moves silently back to Roman waters with the one fully functional Sauro, her sonar operators listening intently for any more Indian subs. He heard them once he could do it again. The area around the Italian coastline is constantly patrolled by the Regia Marina’s corvettes, a collection of frigates and remaining subs with specific attention paid to the Adriatic with Yugoslavia less than 100 km away in some places. The return of the Garibaldi, the Maestrale and the two subs makes the job of watching over Roman shipping a little easier. The fighter escort over the two surface ships does not leave them until they are safely in Roman waters. The SIB squadrons land rather easily, but the Starfighters are easier to take off than to land. Five pilots are forced to eject, as their unstable fighters lose control and crash, not that they mind, in a month or two they’d get a brand new Eurofighter to fly. They don’t see it so much as a crash than an upgrade.

Meanwhile, a medical ship is enlisted to sail out and aid the sailors that were left in the Mediterranean. It is hoped that the ship will be relatively safe in the crowded waters of the Mediterranean while on a humanitarian mission.

Hail Caesar!

The Crooked Beat

19-07-2007, 01:42

Over the Mediterranean

The Hindustani pilot detached from his formation watches in disbelief as his four Meteors, launched from well within their engagement envelopes, diving, fitted with what is easily the world's most advanced missile seeker, and guided by one of the most advanced aircraft radars, fail to hit two Italian F-16As. He watches in disbelief for only a few seconds, before immediately peeling off and heading back to the south, responding to an order from Benghazi to break-off the engagement.

It is still, though, something that is extremely perplexing and equally odd. The Type 212 AESA radars installed on Hindustani F.4s are, despite their rather pedestrian antenna size, capable of tracking on the order of 20 air targets and engaging eight of them simultaneously, so two F-16s are unlikely to cause much consternation to a Hindustani pilot engaging them at any kind of range. The F-16A itself, though a respectable airplane, is nonetheless far and away less capable than either the F.4 or the Eurofighter, and not (to Hindustani knowledge) fitted with anything terribly impressive in the way of countermeasures or jamming systems. Two Meteors would, it seems, have been enough to destroy two enemy fighters under such circumstances, but four were fired to no effect. BAe's Meteor is, itself, quite likely the pinnacle of missile development in the world at large, a weapon possessing high speed, long range, and considerable maneuverability, all combined with a state-of-the-art seeker head to form a weapon that, even when fired from the limits of its range, stands a very good chance of hitting the target. Diving, at 60 kilometers' range, at F-16As, with two missiles aimed at each aircraft, guided not even by the Meteor's own supremely capable seeker but by the radar of the launching aircraft...two kills would seem almost assured! One, at the very, very least, ought to, under normal circumstances, be expected. It was a situation akin to a fighter pilot 40 years ago having drawn a bead on his target and fired his cannon, only to watch the shells whiz off at right angles moments before reaching the target's fuselage. Perhaps not so extreme and strange a disappointment, but a disappointment nonetheless.

As he makes for Benghazi, the Hindustani pilot puzzles over what could have caused the Meteor's dismal performance over the course of the engagement. Immediately suspicion falls upon the seeker head, which, the pilot imagines, may be faulty in some of the missiles brought to Libya. Perhaps they were mishandled in transport, or sabotaged by any number of malicious individuals from the factory to the Benghazi airfield. Clearly, no Hindustani flier should expect his Meteors to let him or her down so massively. But at the same time, all fighter pilots, the Hindustani muses, should not put too much faith in technology.

The seven aircraft that make up the remainder of No.15 Squadron also peel off, as per Benghazi's orders. It is better, after all, to quit while ahead than to press on and risk the eradication of the squadron for no good reason. Fired from 90 kilometers, their Meteors perform a good deal better than the others used in the battle with Italian fighters, though still well short of expectations and short of British experience with the weapons against perhaps more capable Spanish Rafales, albeit ones laden with surface attack ordnance.

Italian AMRAAMs don't pose too great a threat, being fired from long range and climbing, against retreating rather than closing targets, but countermeasures are still deployed, and for good reason, because the AMRAAM is still dangerous. Towed arrays and spines filled with ECM electronics are able to decoy most of the enemy AAMs away, but one unfortunate straggler is hit the fragments of a near-exploding Italian missile. Bits of AMRAAM rip into a wheel well, shredding a tire and guaranteeing a hairy landing for one of the Hindustani pilots.

Vecron

19-07-2007, 21:42

OOC: Umm...I had intended the actions of the F-16s to occur before the F.4 fired, and waited to see which plane your lone pilot would choose before calling any losse, depending on the actions of the F.4. Sorry this wasn't more clear.

The Crooked Beat

20-07-2007, 00:16

OCC: Eh, well, that's the point, really. With modern radars, the pilot doesn't have to chose a single target, since most have the ability to direct missiles at several enemy aircraft at once. The F-14, for instance, can engage six targets with its Phoenix missiles, and it is thirty years old. The Hindustani pilot was able, using his highly advanced radar (though this characteristic is hardly exclusive to AESA systems) to engage both targets at once, and, had there been another four to six Italians, he could have, with a full load of Meteors, sent one of those against each enemy aircraft. Likewise, an entire squadron's load of Meteors could be loosed and the missiles guided by a single aircraft against eight enemy targets.

Vecron

20-07-2007, 21:50

Sorry, didn't know that. The plane that stayed the course is definately shot down, the other manages to escape though has some damage to his fuel tank and will have to ditch about 30 km away from Italy.

Spyr

21-07-2007, 01:00

Ouagadougou

Anyone who spends time talking to Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya one-on-one cannot help but feel him to be just a little bit slimy, a little too agreeable, friendly but not quite sincere. Not the best traits for a man who seeks victory through democratic process, but Taya did not intend to put himself up for a vote he’d most likely lose… there were better ways to win elections than securing a majority, and of all the West African figures put forward by the French, he was likely the most experienced with such things.

NATO would likely be key, their approval vital, and so Taya continued his push amingst British and Quinntonian corporate figures, promising a stable environment for investment, tax exemptions, and minimal regulation by the government. Once investors were in place, they would support him in order to secure their own interests, and their money would help guide the domestic politics of NATO itself towards governments favorable to French-backed presence in West Africa, steamrolling over those few voices who would cry of corruption in the electoral processes of Mauritania and the former ECOWAS. The actual elections and the new regimes they produced seemed likely to receive only minimal scrutiny from NATO… the Bastille had been filled to the brim as France adopted republican trappings, with the British seeing it all as a hopeful sign. Taya had already prepared the heap of arrest warrants to go out after his own triumphant return.

Domestically in Mauritania, Taya hoped that the current war might quell the people’s will to resist, but he had doubts… if there was one thing he regretted, it was underestimating the nationalism which had been emerging in Mauritania. Ignoring it for foreign money had seen him ousted once already, and would always be a danger. But it might also be an asset. Taya would speak of foreign influence over his enemies… Islamists loyal to a central Asian caliph, military government a Marxist cabal wrapped in Indian chains. It was unlikely that anyone would turn to embrace Taya upon hearing such accusations… his association with France and Morocco was too evident to conceal… but it might transform a national resistance into a factional one, or one which in its pride would refuse outside support. Precisely what Taya, legions of Frenchmen and Moroccans already at his back, most wanted.

In moments alone with his clique of fellow exiles, Taya was free to drop his smile and adopt a scowl. He had some concerns with the scope and scale of French plans… titled European names and Voltas with Ngbandi styles aside, one would hardly move a million Nigerians into neighboring countries without it being observed, particularly after tales of forced marches and atrocities had given the scandal pages reason to search such stories out, while many of the locals had already tasted electoral politics before invasion, and would recognize the flaws in the coming process.

Worse, it all rested on the shoulders of ‘southerners’. Taya was of ‘white’ Moor stock, and put little stock in the abilities of non-Moors to manage their political affairs. Under his rule he had suppressed such populations in Mauritania, keeping them in traditional subservience and falling out with ECOWAS because of it. In his view, they’d need a guiding hand with a fist of steel to keep them out of chaos, and he was not certain France could be that hand with the British and Quinntonians on the ground watching.

Hopefully the Soviets would bubble out from Libya into Algeria or Niger… in an election under fire, who would notice a few ballots being burned?

Fleur de Liles

21-07-2007, 19:43

The World Economy

Over a year ago world war three began with the French invasion of Africa. Since then instability and chaos have overtaken the entire African continent. Trade was halted in the war zones but war had a large reaching affect far into the interior of Africa. Transportation routes were built by former colonizers and imperialistic powers and as a result were not intended for the good of the African but for the benefit of the foreign power. Roads, railway lines, etc were laid at the coast and built into the interior. If a few rail lines were bombed or blown up millions of people far into the interior of Africa could be isolated from the rest of the world. Consequently, commodity prices in raw materials, foodstuffs, and luxury goods have significantly increased. The price on everything from alfalfa to uranium had changed.

Industrialized countries found themselves competing for raw materials like never before as some of their factories slowed to a virtual standstill for lack of materials. Nevertheless, businesses recovered and quickly found new suppliers. Exploration in safe stable countries like Canada and South Africa increased beyond previous levels. The increase in world prices slowed as other suppliers increased their volume in response. The capitalistic machine was running smoothly as it always did and acted to maintain economic stability.

German Economy

As the war started Germany was affected like every country. Large numbers of workers were given more Sabbath time as factories slowed down. Millions of dollars were spent on increased commodity costs and on holiday time. However, the German economy proved its strength and flexibility as it quickly recovered. Soon factories were once again booming as activity ramped up to pre war levels. As France lowered more and more barriers on trade with Germany the economy really began heating up. Production of coal from Donar, Ruhr, Saar and Ibbenbüren coal mines increased and was sold largely to France and the UK to finance their war related industries and power needs. Due to high world prices, coal production, for the first time in German history exceeded domestic demand. There was strong domestic pressure against the use of coal for electricity so it was sent in bulk rather than being used for power and then sent. Coal, like petroleum and other hydrocarbon forms of energy was dirty. However, it was local and Germany so was tolerated for the time being.

As many economies prepared for war and began turning their factories towards wartime uses, demand for German exports grew as governments began shelling out millions more dollars to workers to keep them happy and working. The last thing that a government would want in a war was strikes. So they pumped billions of dollars into increased wages for workers. They did not have time to spend time and money on strikebreakers and it was far cheaper to simply increase the worker's wages. All this excess money in the hands of workers drove spending of German exports. They could not buy domestically so buy German they did. In large numbers German manufactured and luxury goods crossed borders and found themselves in increasingly numbers in places they had never been before. German made clothes in India, German cell phones in UK, German wind turbines in France. All over Germany the economy was heating up and the unemployment dropped first half a percentage point and then a whole percentage point, and then another percentage point, and another. The unemployment rate in Germany dropped to 4% as the factories swelled to full capacity and jobs were filled building even more factories.

The sharp increase in world energy prices was useful for Shultz's declared goal of making Germany free of non renewable forms of energy. Fueled by high prices the construction of wind parks accelerated to meet demand. The billions of excess dollars in German hand also feed the demand. Poor families who had never been able to afford to outfit their houses with solar power now suddenly had the money to do so. They wished to become better stewards of the environment and they bought expensive alternative forms of energy even when the cost was significantly that of conventional hydrocarbon forms of energy.

Confident of the loyal German markets large German companies began building new large scale offshore wind parks. They had much experience in front of the line wind power innovation and were ready to invest billions in large scale projects. Early wind turbines were only capable of generating of less than 0.05MW and now technology had expanded incredibly so that now 5MW wind turbines were being built. These A large wind park of 1000 turbines utilizing this new technology were already being constructed offshore. They were expected to become online by the end of the year. In this tumultuous new age they constructed with flexibility so that in time of danger they could be moved to shore.

Existing low efficiency turbines were being replaced quickly by the newer technologies in order to soften the rapidly increasing world petroleum prices. And new onshore projects already added 2,640 MW of new energy into the grid. Wind power in Germany was on rise and soon a person could not walk a mile without seeing one of the magnificent white rotating circles.

Wind power was not alone in growing and other alternative energies also began developing in new areas. Expensive solar power was made cheaper as hundreds of thousands of Germans built solar panels on their houses further reducing the dependence on foreign sources of energy and improving the price for customers all around the world. As billions of dollars are infused into the German economy billions are invested back in the economy and around the world, allowing new technologies to be developed. The five 30MW plants built by Volkswagen in Kramer Junction California and later two 80MW plants in Harper Lake are only the stepping stones to greater and greater energy efficiency. Solar power is constantly improving and is the energy of the future. For this purpose Volkswagen and other German companies have begun to build one of four 200MW plants in California. All the engineering work will be done in Germany along with most of the solar panels. However, Volkswagen is scouting locations within California to build suitable facilities to construct solar panels.

The series of power plants should help alleviate the effects of the increased oil prices and improve the local economy. It should also in a small way ease the painful integration of 108 million poor peasants into the Quinntopian economy. The power plants are only the first of billions of dollars that Germany will be investing into the fractured Quinntopian economy. Germany has a long debt to pay and under Christ all things can be accomplished.

Military Spending

It was budget day and the German government benefited from the hot economy with the addition of hundred of billions of new tax dollars, making it the largest surplus in German history. This new prosperity will be mostly directed towards other matters although military spending will increase to roughly one hundred billion dollars this year. The German air force will continuing its annual purchases of Eurofighters and this year will shell out 8.7 billion deutschmarks for 150 new Eurofighters. There was certainly money in the budget for more fighters but it was considered wise to gradually increase the airforce in order to train new fighter pilots. In order to stimulate the Quinntopian economy a purchase of 100 F-35s was also announced. Germany also entered into negotiations to begin purchasing a stealth airforce. Although the price tag was steeper than the superbly built Eurofighters, almost not by much, Germany was willing to forgo national pride and prestige and humbly help their fiscally struggling older brother. A modest purchase of twenty five B-52s was completed in order to begin training a German long range strategic bomber force.

Naval expenditures were limited to the new Arsenal ship that was being built for them.

The military base in Cyprus had come a long way in a year and was now being expanded to house 50,000 permanent personnel. Millions were spent building military airstrips, housing arrangements, and improving the naval docks. Negotiations were also started with the Ottomans, and other Mediterranean powers, excluding Italy of course, with the possibility of expanding German naval presence in the area.

Relations with Great Britain

The jointly shared Cyprus base was bustling with activity as British seamen and naval officers were either preparing for war or leaving for war, taking tons of German built ammunition with them. German air patrols were constantly flying with NATO planes above the Cyprus airspace ensuring that hostile craft and warring parties were kept far from important NATO strategic locations.

The German commander of Cyprus informed the British commander that Italian or Holy League vessels, planes, ships, etc. would not be smiled upon in Cyprus and would impair the German's ability to help Britain in this conflict. It is our intention, he explained, short of war to provide maximum German assistance in war against the intolerant secularists.

Other issues

The palms of the Egyptian government would not be greased by German money although Germany would be willing to partly finance the Suez Canal if their allies requested it.

German aid donors and missionaries were certainly active in Niger and other war stricken areas. German missionaries could be found in every country spreading the gospel and healing the wounds of the misfortunate. So many Germans went into the conflict that the German government announced that it was illegal for Germans to pay ransom money for the thousands of captive missionaries held captive by marauding gangs of thugs. Anyone found caught of transferring funds to free a friend or family member would be arrested and charged with money laundering. It did not sit well with the German government to be seen as supporting criminal activities by their inaction.

It was a terrible shame that the so called democratic Holy League countries, such as France, still refused to allow German and Quinntopian missionaries into their countries that they were "freeing" for the West. Nevertheless, German missionaries could be found in every Holy League country preaching the pure gospel of Christ. It was a constant source of tension for the German people watching from camera phones missionaries being taken by Holy League troops, beaten, killed, and worse. Soviets were just as bad and the sight of a Soviet cutting off the fingers of a grey haired missionary revolted the German people and caused throngs of Germans to enlist in the Armed forces, hoping to be able to do battle with the radical secularists.

Spyr

21-07-2007, 20:56

[OOC: Fleur, I think you ought be careful in writing such far-reaching posts. Uncertain temporal issues and economic assumptions aside, you're exceeding your own RP authority here and starting to post on behalf of other nations... in your posts, German missionaries can attempt to visit war-torn areas and League Europe, German factories can attempt to take advantage of wartime developments to expand their markets. But it is up to those who RP those target countries to decide wether they make it in and what people attempt to do to them once they're there.
Its essentially like declaring someone else's casualties along with announcement of your attacks, which is a form of godmod, if mild, and thus not good RP practice, even if sometimes it seems the result ought be obvious/realistic... poor LRR is plodding along quietly despite what seems to be a substantial underestimation of his ordnance, because in the end the principles of proper RP are more important than realism.

Not that each of us dont have a responsibility for realistic response, but we're hardly going to all agree on the exact details of what a 'realistic' response ought be... perhaps you could couch what you think ought happen in suggestive terms, to give the other player an idea of what you see as realistic. Phrases such as 'It seems likely that', '[country] officials predict', or 'if all goes as expected' can allow you to assert opinion and provide advice without overstepping your bounds].

Fleur de Liles

21-07-2007, 21:47

[Isn't there an OOC thread for this type of conversation?

As for missionaries entering other countries I find it difficult to believe that a few hundred missionaries could not enter a porous battlefield with a front a continent wide. As for the German economy I am explaining the situation in Germany based on events elsewhere. Don't tell me how the economy in Germany is doing man. And your the one who brought up rising oil prices and how Germany would have to do something about it. I just kept the ball rolling towards something that we could all agree on.

I made several assumptions but I think they are mostly accurate. If anyone disagrees I'll change it after we talk about it on the OOC thread. Go with the flow Sypr. I bet you would be irritated if I commented everytime I thought someone slightly overstepped their bounds. After all did German aid agencies really give money to the Niger government? Well I never stated they did or said anything about that situation. Yeah they probably would give money to help out the less fortunate and you were right in making that assumption even though you probably should not have done so. I hope the same goes for what I've said.

I'll try and be more attentive to politeness and decorum in the future but frankly most of the time I could care less about them. The flow and quality of the RP is far more important to me than tactful niceties. I will allow you to take the occassional liberty with German aid agencies if you allow me to courtesy to do the same.

Is there an OOC thread or should we create one?]

The Crooked Beat

23-07-2007, 05:07

Benghazi

No.15 Squadron, drained from a day of fighting, returns to base exhausted and displeased. Its fifteen F.4s did manage to account for some 11 Italian fighters, for eight losses, but it is still an extremely poor performance, in many ways embarrassing, in light of their supposedly far superior and extremely effective missile ordnance. Hindustani Jaguars and Tornadoes did conduct their sortie in complete safety and without taking losses, and in that the Hindustani pilots can take pride. But even then, the anti-shipping strike was far and away less effective than had been anticipated. The Brahmos missile, which had looked so promising, starts to appear, to some, like just one more giant white elephant, not by any standard worth the suspension of warship construction in order to pay for it. For twenty Brahmos only one struck, far short of the one in three odds predicted by trials and simulation, and that against more modern and better-defended targets.

At the Benghazi airfield, Hindustani ground crews are to be found in the ammunition bunkers, busily checking over the Meteors shipped to Libya for the IAF's squadrons there. Sure enough, many are found to be damaged, and a disturbing several with their seeker heads replaced by a concrete ballast. Brahmos missiles are also examined, and faults with those are found as well. Fuses are, in some cases, entirely missing from the weapons, and in other cases guidance computers are not present. It is lucky, one mechanic says, that none of the carrier aircraft blew up as a result of the faults in the missiles.

Sea Eagle missiles for the Jaguars are found to be fully functional, however, and Tornados can carry as many as four of those, so anti-shipping missions will hardly have to cease. And, fortunately, the Soviets too have started production of their own Meteors, so perhaps some of those might be seconded to the IAF. But until the proper repair parts arrive from Hindustan, the IAF will be deprived of its most potent surface attack weapon.

In the meantime, air-sea rescue launches depart from the city, headed out into the Mediterranean at a brisk 35 knots to look for the seven IAF fliers downed over the water. The ASR launches are indeed armed, the result of the Holy League's alarming tendency to attack noncombatant personnel and civilians, but at the same time they are under strict orders not to use that armament unless first attacked. The letters "ASR" are written large on the side of the vessel, and a red crescent is often flown as well. Italian hospital ships, for their part, are in no danger of being attacked, such conduct being abhorrent to most Hindustanis.

Mumbai

News of George Mainwaring's death comes as quite a shock to Hindustanis, who still, for the most part, is a popular figure in the INU. It is Andrew Strathairn who most Hindustanis hold in low regard, after all, he being the one blamed for delaying the invasion of the Philippines. Prakash Vaidya, the Hindustani Prime Minister, makes known his intention to attend Mainwaring's funeral, the business with Chingiz Khagan being, by now, concluded. Certainly few could have foreseen such a thing, given Mainwaring's unflappable character. But, then again, it was not so long ago that Mainwaring's England was perhaps closer to Hindustan than the Igovian Soviet Commonwealth.

There is not much change in Hindustan's relationship with Britain, and the flow of angry letters of protest decreases greatly in terms of volume in the wake of Mainwaring's suicide. Hindustan's ambassador is certainly not recalled and no travel restrictions are placed upon Britons in the Indian National Union. Like usual, it seems, the INU will sit tight and hope that nothing happens...besides, of course, the things that have already, and which may well lead to war in and of themselves.

Parliament tries its best to cover as much as possible with the blanket of neutrality, and Hindustan's non-involvement remains conditional on NATO, in any potential war, taking essentially no territory. The Holy League, after all, is still enemy number one, and it is important, says Parliament, that India's strength not be sapped by a "needless" war with England or NATO. Few Hindustanis are under the impression that England itself could actually stand a chance of winning a war with the ISC, but, if NATO gets involved, and that appears, to Hindustanis, extremely likely, the whole affair becomes that much more messy. Many curse NATO and recall the days of John Bull, when Britain charted its own course in world affairs and could even have been counted a friend of India, or Mainwaring's early Prime Ministership, when Britain made quite public its apathy towards the plight of Roycelandian Goa. Diplomatic efforts therefore continue, aimed at convincing Britain of the fact that it need not cast its lot with NATO, that NATO is hardly the only option, but Strathairn is probably the man most hostile to India since Chaffin. He did, after all, raise such a stink over preparations for war against the French in the Philippines that some went so far as to paint him as an agent of Versailles itself.

(OCC: Took out that third part because I didn't like it. Will be replaced sooner or later.)

Beddgelert

23-07-2007, 10:20

(OOC: Cheers, Spyr, for calling my attention to this. The Soviets mentioned as cutting-off somebody's fingers... who are they? Is that supposed to reference Africans supportive of Soviet revolution (in which case shouldn't the people caretaker RPing the African nations be responsible for such actions?) or Indian Sovietists (in which case, where are they? Do I have anyone there? Shouldn't I RP that, if it's going to happen?)?)

Gurguvungunit

25-07-2007, 00:40

London

Sir Andrew sighed and rubbed his eyes as the governmental communiques from India came in. He smiled thinly at the Hindustani prime minister's notice and typed out a halfhearted attempt at a letter to him, but deleted it before sending. He was getting far too little sleep.

George Mainwaring's body lay in state at Westminster Cathedral. It was visited by a thin but steady stream of well-wishers, most of them Royal Navy or government officials who had known him well. Although popular in India, Mainwaring's impact on public opinion in Britain had been negligible, and his popularity was not high. While the Hindustanis might view Strathairn and others as responsible for the turbulence that had gripped British politics of late, the people blamed Mainwaring as the head of government. Strathairn himself, though far from popular, made better television than his predecessor.

Analysts at the London Stock Exchange noted a bit of fluctuation following Mainwaring's death, but overall were pleasantly surprised to see little overall drop in prices. Since the initial drop following the de-federation of Australasia, the market continued to show signs of overall improvement as British businesses took advantage of a larger population base. The carrying trade too saw growth, as goods and products began to flow to and from the former Free Colony.

OOC: Too knackered to post any more, will later.

Quinntonian Dra-pol

28-07-2007, 23:55

To be perfectly honest, I need to back up Spyr here, 100%. In my case alone you posted things about my economy that I would contend with. Fractured? You also posted arms deals that I had not approved.

Though, to answer BG, you may want to include maybe re-education camps and just beatings of missionaries. Though there was a Quinntonian missionary once that had acid thrown in his face. But these would all be referencing things that BG said for himself.

Just remember that this is a cooperative creative enterprise, not a unilateral one.

WWJD
Amen.

[Isn't there an OOC thread for this type of conversation?

As for missionaries entering other countries I find it difficult to believe that a few hundred missionaries could not enter a porous battlefield with a front a continent wide. As for the German economy I am explaining the situation in Germany based on events elsewhere. Don't tell me how the economy in Germany is doing man. And your the one who brought up rising oil prices and how Germany would have to do something about it. I just kept the ball rolling towards something that we could all agree on.

I made several assumptions but I think they are mostly accurate. If anyone disagrees I'll change it after we talk about it on the OOC thread. Go with the flow Sypr. I bet you would be irritated if I commented everytime I thought someone slightly overstepped their bounds. After all did German aid agencies really give money to the Niger government? Well I never stated they did or said anything about that situation. Yeah they probably would give money to help out the less fortunate and you were right in making that assumption even though you probably should not have done so. I hope the same goes for what I've said.

I'll try and be more attentive to politeness and decorum in the future but frankly most of the time I could care less about them. The flow and quality of the RP is far more important to me than tactful niceties. I will allow you to take the occassional liberty with German aid agencies if you allow me to courtesy to do the same.

Is there an OOC thread or should we create one?]

Beddgelert

29-07-2007, 03:20

(OOC: For the seventy third time, he did not have acid thrown in his face. It was low-salt water, and it was hiiiilarious.)

The Crooked Beat

29-07-2007, 05:47

(OCC: Indeed, a bit of a misrepresentation there. Though a brutal and violent bunch nonetheless, the Bedgellens are not Frenchmen! ;)

Ouagadougou

It is true, of course, that the facts of the situation in West Africa are not exactly what the French paint them as. Though Frenchmen might want to think otherwise, the terribly recent memory of murder and destruction wrought against their nations on the part of the Holy League does not endear France to Africans. Blaise Compaore, in all fairness, could hardly have been called the most popular head of state in the world, but at least, say Burkinabe citizens, it was never his policy to murder or enslave them wholesale. It might not be Versailles' policy anymore, but one cannot simply shoot somebody else in the leg, say sorry, and expect everything to be alright afterwards. The vast majority of Burkinabe citizens want France out, and they want France out now. A government, many will point out, a native government, exists in exile, and could easily return to its old post. French excuses about maintaining law and order and that sort of thing are therefore dismissed outright and no sane western observer could hold them to be at all true. French money is one thing, and France owes Burkina Faso and the rest of ECOWAS for the destruction that it caused, but the French Army is another thing entirely, and French political influence quite unacceptable. Versailles' puppet, a man with no credibility and no following, probably somebody who a French general picked randomly off the street for all Burkinabe citizens know, would be lucky to get a hundred votes in any sort of election, much less become head of state.

Political parties from pre-invasion Burkina Faso hold their own rallies, which, if not as well funded as the French ones are far better attended. France has made itself immensely unpopular in places from Nouakchott to Lusaka City at least, if not in every corner of the African continent, and to save face it would probably do best to leave at once. At least that message is the one communicated to the French by the citizens of Ouagadougou who, for the moment, have not begun any kind of guerrilla campaign or movement such as exists, albeit at a low level, in the countryside. Politics may yet serve to convince the new French government in the error of its ways, and there is as of yet no real need to sacrifice further against the French forces, at least technically superior...at least not until they've been deployed away against Libya, anyway.

Dakar

Aboudelaye Wade continues as Senegalese head of state from the fortified capital, made into an island by the construction of a large canal from one side of the Dakar Peninsula to the other in an effort to make it more difficult for French soldiers to attack. His presidential bunker plays host to two others, though, namely Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso and Amadou Toumani Toure of Mali. All three are somewhat confused as to their predicament, none of them...well, Compaore at least, were particularly predisposed to dislike France or the Holy League, and all held positive relations with Republican France. They cannot quite comprehend why Versailles thought it such a good idea to destabilize the region and create such a global crisis when they could probably have obtained their raw material needs through diplomacy and proper trade relations.

Where Wade, his country home to at least 2,000 Soviet marines, hopefully with some more on the way, has turned to India as his sponsor, Toure and Compaore are still willing to negotiate, and they repeat over and over, to diplomats from one end of the world to the other, their desire to remain neutral and non-aligned and to trade with anyone on an equal footing. To representatives of England and Quinntonia they are careful to emphasize that they do not share in their host's affinity towards India, which, they add, is brought about not so much by choice as by necessity, since the west did not show much interest in stepping in to assist ECOWAS either diplomatically or militarily. Mali and Burkina Faso, they insist, would make fine and loyal friends of NATO, if only NATO would help to get the goddamn frogs the hell out of their countries. Public opinion is very much against France, and NATO diplomats will not need to take the presidents' word for it, so any intervention against France, diplomatic or military, would go down very well with the general populace.

President Wade, now just as often Comrade Wade, for his part, says that he still desires a friendly and affable relationship with NATO and the western capitalists, but, at the same time, it was the Soviets who shot down French ballistic missiles over his capital, and it is the Soviets who are most forthcoming with aid and assistance of all kinds.

Kumasi

It is with great pomp and fanfare that John Kufuor, Ghana's presumed-dead president, marks his return to government in the second city of Kumasi. Though sporting a broken arm and wheelchair-bound, Kufuor does not pass-up the opportunity to make a speech. Roundly condemning France and the Holy League as a pack of murdering dogs and scoundrels, he insists that Ghana must again take up the task of fostering African unity and independence from foreign interests, be they London's, Versailles', or Raipur's. Non-Alignment, he says, must be Ghana's new course, and ECOWAS as a whole must stick to it steadfastly.

But he is not about to dismiss the sacrifices made by Australasian volunteers in his country's military. Brigadier Morrell and every man in his force is honorarily inducted into the Ghana Regiment, and amongst the great many Ghanaian soldiers up for bravery awards there are a fair few Australasians. An alliance is, furthermore, proposed between the Ghana Regiment and the Royal Australian Regiment, and Morrell's force is made exempt from the restrictions imposed by the Ghanaian parliament on foreign militaries in Ghana.

Armed forces remain on a very high state of alert, however, with a French invasion expected to come from any direction and at any time. Most of the Ghana Regiment itself, by now a brigade in everything but name, is deployed along the Volta and opposite the Togolese border, and a significant force is also sent north to occupy defensive ground along the frontier with Burkina Faso. About a brigade covers the roads into Ghana from Cote D'Ivoire, but the French still have two relatively large military forces there that they haven't yet dealt with decisively.

The Estenlands

29-07-2007, 08:21

OOC-OK, I'll post probably tomorrow about the Nigerian situation on the ground, but I kind of want to know what has been decided in regards to the jiont invasion of Libya. I mean, my elements are in place, perhaps weeks before anyone else, but that has not been confirmed. If I know how much time has elapsed, I'll be able to decide whether I launch my attack prior to the French being finished, or jointly. I mean, do I have 70,000 Lavragerian warriors raising hell in Murzuq or what?

Royalist/Progressive Air Battle

<QUOTE>The uncertainty and the shame felt by the Indian commander is entirely absent in the cockpits of 72 Puffin fighter-bombers, flown by Soviet naval aviators in their second major sortie of the engagement. Indeed, the Soviets are confident and entirely ready to meet whatever fate befalls them, so news of Rafales taking to the air generates considerable excitement.

Flying at lower altitude are the 36 Vanguard-laden Puffins, each one carrying two of the missiles. Though not as capable as the Charioteer, the Vanguard can still do a great deal of damage to even a large warship, and is something to be very much respected as a significant threat to an enemy battlegroup. Pilots will need to get within 120 kilometres of their targets before releasing the weapons, a distance that should be very doable if the escorting aircraft take care of business. Also 36 aircraft strong, the escort flies at a much higher altitude, each aircraft being fitted with six L'Angelot Maudit BVRAAMs and two DRAB ASRAAMs. Likely that flight alone outnumbers the compliment of Rafales aboard the De Gaulle, and likewise does not compare badly with that formation plus the Su-27s that might be aboard the Admiral Kuznetzov. (OCC: I'd imagine, though, that this ship has a new name in AMW, like the Charles De Gaulle, since Admiral Kuznetzov was a communist-era naval hero and Charles De Gaulle was a major figure in French republicanism.)

A few of the Puffins configured for the anti-shipping role also carry jamming pods, which are duly switched on when the flight gets within range of Russian S-300 SAMs. Though advanced missiles by any standard and some of the world's best, the jamming might still confuse Russian fire control radars, and perhaps prevent the most effective employment of that particularly fearsome weapons system.

The escorts prepare themselves for combat as Rafales approach their position, and pilots are quick to arm their long-range AAMs, which, while not quite as advanced as the BAe Meteor, are still more than a match for the French Mica, and which should allow Soviet pilots to engage their opponents from a safe distance. The uncertainty and the shame felt by the Indian commander is entirely absent in the cockpits of 72 Puffin fighter-bombers, flown by Soviet naval aviators in their second major sortie of the engagement. Indeed, the Soviets are confident and entirely ready to meet whatever fate befalls them, so news of Rafales taking to the air generates considerable excitement.

Flying at lower altitude are the 36 Vanguard-laden Puffins, each one carrying two of the missiles. Though not as capable as the Charioteer, the Vanguard can still do a great deal of damage to even a large warship, and is something to be very much respected as a significant threat to an enemy battlegroup. Pilots will need to get within 120 kilometres of their targets before releasing the weapons, a distance that should be very doable if the escorting aircraft take care of business. Also 36 aircraft strong, the escort flies at a much higher altitude, each aircraft being fitted with six L'Angelot Maudit BVRAAMs and two DRAB ASRAAMs. Likely that flight alone outnumbers the compliment of Rafales aboard the De Gaulle, and likewise does not compare badly with that formation plus the Su-27s that might be aboard the Admiral Kuznetzov. (OCC: I'd imagine, though, that this ship has a new name in AMW, like the Charles De Gaulle, since Admiral Kuznetzov was a communist-era naval hero and Charles De Gaulle was a major figure in French republicanism.)

A few of the Puffins configured for the anti-shipping role also carry jamming pods, which are duly switched on when the flight gets within range of Russian S-300 SAMs. Though advanced missiles by any standard and some of the world's best, the jamming might still confuse Russian fire control radars, and perhaps prevent the most effective employment of that particularly fearsome weapons system.

The escorts prepare themselves for combat as Rafales approach their position, and pilots are quick to arm their long-range AAMs, which, while not quite as advanced as the BAe Meteor, are still more than a match for the French Mica, and which should allow Soviet pilots to engage their opponents from a safe distance.<QUOTE>

While the Ka-27s provide a formidable and intimidating ASW screen for the advancing and implacable Franco-Russian Fleet, the French carrier compliment flies towards the engagement. A single E-2 Hawkeye is overlooking the situation and soon reports back a very serious situation. The incoming 72 aircraft were, in fact, Soviet Puffins all. With that, the 30 Dassault Rafales, with their SPECTRA Combat Systems at full operationality were forwarded that information. These were some of the most experienced combat pilots in the world, since the King of France seemed to require them to fly into life and death situations every few months, and of noble blood all. These were the Knights of the Sky, and they flew knowing full well that the technological edge was with the enemy. When this battle was over, those who survived would be rewarded with further land and title, and these were no minor fops. These were battle-hardened veterans that knew their airframes like the knights of old knew their horses. And though the odds were against them, yes, they might not see the morning, they would fight like warrior poets. Their steeds were armed with 4 Meteors and 4 Sidewinders for up close. This group is backed by 4 similarly armed Super Etendards and sees its 5 Eurocopter compliment added to the ASW screen. The decision is made at CIC and transmitted to the Rafales that they will move to altitude and engage the escorts, ignoring the lower flying planes incoming towards the Fleet.

These lower planes will be the responsibility of the Russian aircraft. It was hoped that every plane would not have to be committed this early, but with the reports coming in of the numbers and types of incoming Progressive aircraft, soon the Tsarist carriers were disgorging their planes, 24 MiG-31s and 12 Su-33s. These were going to air and making straight for the second group of Puffins, though it was thought that they might not be able to make it prior to the Vanguards being loosed.
As soon as they were at extreme long range, a single Meteor would be loosed from each of the Rafales and Etendards, 34 in all, at the incoming 36 Puffins, hoping that the Mach 4 incredibly advanced missiles would be able to overcome the electronic elements that are part of the very good Puffin airframes. Hoping...indeed.

WWJD
Amen.

The Crooked Beat

29-07-2007, 18:17

(OCC: Eh, sorry about cluttering-up this thread with more OCC stuff, but did we ever decide whether France actually had the Meteor? I was under the impression that, like the Eurofighter, the Meteor was something designed indigenously by Britain and not a weapon they'd have gone spreading around the continent. France, it would seem, still has the Mica, which has an 80km range, and can travel at Mach 4 etc., but I dunno about the Meteor. Another thing is the French using the Sidewinder rather than their own R550 Magic. It seems a bit strange. But in the end I suppose, at least as far as that point is concerned, it is up to you, and the Sidewinder and Magic have pretty similar capabilities.

Another small point...the MiG-31 is a large interceptor and perhaps the exact opposite of a carrier-borne fighter. Maybe you mean the MiG-29K?)

Soviet Puffins

The French Hawkeye is of course considered by the Soviet pilots a priority target, but, as of yet, they are not close enough to stand much chance of hitting it with their L'Angelot Maudits. More important by far are the French Rafales and Russian Su-33s, which pose the most direct threat to the formation. Puffins and Rafales, in the stealth category, are probably rather evenly-matched, the Thales SPECTRA on the French side being countered by the Puffin's signature-reducing airframe design and advanced radar. On the Indian side, the only airborne AEW assets are Sea Kings and Ka-32s, not suited to follow a formation of supersonic combat aircraft on a sortie, so with regards to command and control, the French probably have a slight advantage. The Puffins, aware of this, make heavy use of jamming and fly in a widely-dispersed formation of some eight finger-fours, hoping thus to confuse enemy radar operators and, at least partly, negate the advantage offered by the E-2 by giving it a fair few targets to look at, many of them probably phantoms and decoys, spread across a relatively large area.

Low-level Puffins are, of course, hardly abandoned by their escorts, who are just as interested in the Russian Su-33s and MiG-29s as they are in French Rafales. The whole purpose of the escort in the first place is to protect the Vanguard-laden aircraft, and not to get drawn into some kind of silly dogfight which would doubtless delight the Frenchers, even if it would mean a massacre for them. Fuel is not especially abundant and the plan is to get in and get out, not to stick around and fight the enemy on his own terms. Vanguard missiles, though hardly the most advanced weapons system under the sun nowadays, can still do a number on anything they hit. If a single Exocet could sink a British destroyer without even exploding, a single Vanguard would seem likely to do the same kind of thing to a Russian warship, especially a relatively poorly laid-out vessel like a Kashin or a Slava, or any one of the many Russian warships that don't really have much in the way of modern radars and weaponry. Of course, the Soviets may not be able to get close enough to the main enemy formation, in which case the Vanguards will have to be used against screening League warships.

Beddgelert

30-07-2007, 10:33

(OOC: Indeed, at this time there are three nations with Meteor: Britain, Union India, and Soviet India.
I'd be surprised to see MiG-31 coming off a carrier, too! Especially a small Russian one.
Oh, hey, the Indians can expect some AEW help from Morrigan drones flying out of Tanzania and Namibia, likely controlled by crews in Galle or some such! Their capabilities of course don't match something like a full AWACS, being as they're notably smaller, but they can still be considered almost Embraer ERIEYE like in terms of their radar suite, if a little more vulnerable in some respects.
Sorry that I still don't have time for in depth IC. I'm about 1/3rd of my way through this absence, though!)

Gurguvungunit

30-07-2007, 21:16

Dakar

British diplomats, perhaps the most abundant group of westerners in the ECOWAS, (discounting of course the French army) are on hand to speak with the three leaders. They do more listening than talking, promising to give the matter of French occupation their 'full and undivided attention'. In the interim, they say, Britain will be willing to provide whatever aid material is most needed by the people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. While Comrade President Wade may have chosen to support the Soviets out of obvious necessity and gratitude for their efforts, Senegal will by no means be forgotten by Britain.

The diplomats privately tell each leader that the British government feels a deep sense of guilt over the treatment of ECOWAS nations by the French, and urges them to accept aid as a gesture of profound apology and regret from the western world. Alliance with France is a political necessity motivated by threat from Soviet India, and not an absolution for crimes committed in West Africa. Current diplomatic efforts to reach a mutually acceptable solution are ongoing, especially in the face of Soviet force landings.

Ghana

Brigadier Morrell was nearly as battered as President Kufuor, his right eyesocket covered with a beige patch. He walked with a pronounced limp and the aid of a cane, but he remained active and somewhat crass, in the tradition of Australasians everywhere. He felt somewhat odd in the Ghanaian Army's darker olive uniform and eccentric insignia, but it was always nice to be recognized. Beside him, the newly promoted Brigadier Kora smiled and waved at the crowd, and honourary Major Jane d'Alembord shifted from foot to foot awkwardly. Behind them, sixty or so men and women-- the remains of Morrell's Volunteer Foreign Legion-- stood at attention.

Morrell did not intend to return to Britain as yet. Accra was a city that he had come to love in many ways, and Ghana was a country that he had come to know. If the one was lost, the other was only shaken, and he intended to see that it remained unconquered and free from oppression. Soviet, French or Hindustani, none of them appeared welcome in the new Ghana, and if they tried to enter they would face not only the remainder of the Ghanaian military, but also Morrell and his sixty odd volunteers.

Quinntonian Dra-pol

01-08-2007, 00:03

OOC-Well, we had the conversation about the MiG-31 almost 2 and half years ago, and it was decided that I could do it, though assuming a navalaised undercarriage. But, c'est le vie, as they say. The sidewinder thing was my bad, I was thinking of something completely unrelated when I wrote it. I must insist on the Meteor, though, I see no good reason why they shouldn't have it, after all the conversations regarding other developments. Now, as for the RL complement, the Su-33s, they do manueveurs routinely in airshows that were only matched by the west by the F-22, so it is no major loss, as we talked about lat time. I mean, if we are going to get up in arms about this, I would be willing to concende the MiGs, but not the Meteors. But even with both of it, almost all of the advantages are with you. In the end, Ill stand by the opening missile salvo.

WWJD
Amen.

The Crooked Beat

01-08-2007, 01:02

(OCC: I don't know who said that. I hope it wasn't me! A navalized undercarriage...people can't just go and beef-up an airplane's landing gear and call it a carrier plane. You've got to worry about approach speeds and all that stuff, and the MiG-31, being a big, heavy, fast, and not stunningly maneuverable aircraft would seem singularly unsuitable for operation off aircraft carriers. Not to mention, they aren't even terribly useful in this type of engagement anyway. If they try to get close, they will be blown to pieces because just about anything will be able to turn tighter than a MiG-31, and their long-range missiles are best used against AWACS and bombers, being, like the aircraft themselves, big, fast, and relatively un-maneuverable.

What is this talk about Su-33s? Whoever said they were at all unacceptable? They're meant to operate off the Kuznetzov, after all.

The conversation regarding other developments, I must say, was wicked retarded. Things like MBDA and all that simply could not have existed in AMW. I suppose the final decision rests with G-man, but I'd sooner take India's Meteors away than give them to France, at least at this stage in the game. Maybe Versailles has got some now, but not, I would think, at the time of the battle, since not even the Soviets are flying with them here. Everybody and their brother flying the Eurofighter has everything to do with people insisting upon it and raising such a stink over it and nothing to do with it actually being viable in the AMW context.

If it is Meteors, those Puffins are going to be done up the behind, but I really don't think they are. Again, its up to G-man whether France would have them at that stage, but if I'm not mistaken the battle is taking place before France and Britain were anything besides enemies. It is unlikely that Britain would just pop its equipment off to France and the continent just because, and mind you India only got them because Hindustan was going to license-build them for the RAF to try and help Britain out. But we'll just have to wait and see what G-man says.

I'm sorry for another long OCC post, but these things really need to get worked out. I think we can strike the MiG-31 from the discussion because that simply is not realistic. The Kievs took some serious work to fit MiG-29s on them, and putting MiG-31s on them would simply be uneconomical. Surely even the Tsarists would recognize that slapping a gigantic hulking interceptor on the top of an aircraft carrier, a relatively small one at that, was not a good idea and would simply result in a lot of money going down the drain and a lot of aircraft lost in landing accidents.)

Beddgelert

01-08-2007, 06:19

(OOC: Aye, MiG-31 probably wouldn't be used here even if it were available, unless a couple were sent to hunt-out Soviet Morrigan AEW UAVs and down them from stand-off range. That may happen if we send the UAVs towards Nigeria, where shore-based MiG-31s may be stationed, I would expect.

But the Meteor... in AMW entirely a British creation, starting in the early 1990s with John Bull and coming into service if not under Bull then certainly under the early (as in pre-Gurg) Mainwaring administration. As of the start of the Holy League war, Britain was absolutely, matter of fact, the only nation on earth with Meteor, end of story.

When (pre-Gurg) Mainwaring chose to fight France et al, Britain's military-industrial complex was stretched past its limit and no match for what France had built-up since the Restoration, and so London gambled on out-sourcing Meteor production to Hindustan, knowing that it was one area in which Britain really had a clear edge over the menacing League, and could win them some key victories while they played catch-up at home. When Gurg took over Britain and London started to go soft on the League, Mumbai evidently felt little obligation to keep Meteor from the Soviets (and received significant incentive to share, at that), hence both Indias acquired the missile.

Now, as LRR says, in this Atlantic engagement the Soviet forces have no Meteors, as they're only just coming into service now at the most advanced part of our timeline, behind which the Atlantic battle lags.

I assume that nobody in this fight has them, since the Hindustani aircraft on hand probably aren't amongst those outfitted for them, right?

Anyway, the League doesn't have Meteor now, but if Gurg decides to give it to them, then they'll acquire it some time after the Soviets start using it.

Needless to say, from an IC standpoint, I really hope that London doesn't do anything that crazy!

I'll also add that, at the moment, I only plan to have the Soviets outfit NT4C Hobgoblin for Meteor, and leave L'Angelot Maudit as the more common BVRAAM. Possibly Kan-gel (our MiG-31 equivalent) may get it, but that's uncertain. We'll only outfit Puffin and other aircraft with it if the League gets hold of Meteor technology. Just too much effort to replace all L'Angelot Maudit production and support facilities while trying to out-produce half of Europe in everything else as well.)

Gurguvungunit

01-08-2007, 23:11

OOC: Indeed, sorry Wingertonia, but the Meteor was developed in-house by the British and outsourced to India to meet production costs and generally help out the INU. And despite the fact that we're now butting heads, I have to say that I probably would have done so anyway... of only because I have a soft spot for LRR from way back when. Anyway, back to the point.

What is all this stuff about people claiming Britain's developments? I mean, Eurofighter is fine, although I honestly don't see the point when several equivalent aircraft exist. It's fair to say that we let Germany in on a slice of the pie, but Spain and Italy? What? Maybe they bought some knockoff design from Austria or something. Anyway, Veckie said that he'd look into Su-33s and MiGs, so whatevs. [/valley girl]

Um, but y'all can't have the Meteor, and I'm sure that even Mainwaring (not to mention Strathairn) was pretty ticked that the INU went and handed it off to the ISC. Admittedly if I were to take over Britain today, knowing what I know and with my experience so far, I might not have gone for so much of a pro-League swing... but NG did offer me essentially everything Britain could want in return for not killing him. So... yeah.

Um, I'm hopelessly off topic here. But the gist is this: Meteor mine. Mine!

Fleur de Liles

02-08-2007, 02:14

OOC:

the long awaited.......
Dark Continent OOC Thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=12928990#post12928990)

for all our important debates and so on.

Gurguvungunit

09-08-2007, 19:36

*demands that things start happening here again*

Quinntonian Dra-pol

10-08-2007, 04:00

I'm just waiting.

WWJD
Amen.

Fleur de Liles

10-08-2007, 19:28

I'll post about Germany and Portugal soon. I will get to it soon although I would prefer if Moorington posted a withdrawal of the troops first. Although I do not know maybe he did it already.

The Crooked Beat

11-08-2007, 01:36

Over the Atlantic

It comes as no surprise to the Soviet pilots that the Russians have launched their R-77 missiles, by all accounts a capable weapon and one to be respected, if not exactly prone to hit their targets at long range. Missile warning alarms sound in Soviet cockpits as calls go out from squadron leaders to break hard. Fortunately, the Russian decision to deploy their missiles at the edge of their ranges will likely allow the bulk of the Indian flight to escape not much worse for wear, and, indeed, the heavy jamming must make things again more difficult for the Russians and Frenchmen.

Low-level Puffins are of course lucky that the Russians opted to attack them from closer to their own height, since it is never fun to try and escape diving AAMs. They, like their high-altitude escorts, break and try to increase the distance between themselves and the enemy R-77s. When the missiles finally do get close, and get close they do, since a Mach 1.8 fighter is not going to outrun a Mach 4 missile from what was initially a closing position, the Puffins break and evade wildly, launching chaff and flares in an effort to confuse the R-77s' seekers. There is much perspiration in Soviet cockpits, but this is to be expected of any man or woman fighting for their life and only a mistake away from being blown to pieces by a four times supersonic javelin. Standard practice holds that, when fighting a missile in the vein of the R-77, it is best to snap-roll out of the way at the last minute, if countermeasures haven't already misguided the pursuing weapon. This maneuver requires, of course, a great deal of timing and superb judgment, and screwing it up is a very real possibility.

But, thanks to their prodigious experience, superb training, and the long-range enemy missile launch, losses in the escorting Puffin wing are manageable. Four aircraft are destroyed outright while another two are riddled with missile fragments and advised to make their way back to the carriers. Casualties amongst the Vanguard-carrying Puffins are heavier, they being laden with two ASMs which, if not the most cumbersome things around, certainly make it more difficult to pull tight turns and other evasive maneuvers. Six missile-carrying Puffins bite the dust, and another is damaged, but the pilot refuses to break-off the attack, as ought to be expected of a Soviet naval aviator.

Of course, with the enemy's missiles used-up in a long-range attack, which they could not have expected to yield exactly stunning results, the initiative passes to Beth Gellert's Puffins. Re-forming in good time, the formation now prepares to make use of its own L'Angelot Maudit missiles, not altogether dissimilar to the enemy's R-77s. And the Soviets are determined to make their rockets count, so fire is held until the 80-kilometer mark is reached. With both formations closing on each other at high speed, presumably supersonic, that mark is reached within moments and in a flash the Soviet missiles are off, erupting from launch rails and already tracking French and Russian fighters in the quickly diminishing distance. Pilots are not, however, about to sit and wait to see what their missiles accomplish. Within moments the Leaguers and the Soviets ought to be within dogfighting range, and the Puffins make ready with DRAB ASRAAMs. Hopefully, by that time, the enemy's ranks will have been thinned appreciably.

There is, however, no telling what the enemy might do. Maybe the League fighters will back-off and leave the work to the long-range SAM systems aboard Russian cruisers and the Kuznetzov. Jamming, then, is kept-up in an attempt to make it as hard as possible for SAM radars to acquire real targets, and Vanguard-equipped Puffins decide to dump their Vanguards on Krivaks, Grishas, and other escort vessels doubtless making-up the A/S screen, the enemy ships least able to do all that much against a modern and determined anti-ship missile, even a subsonic one.

One thing is for certain, though. The battle off Mauritania will be a bloodbath. By historical standards it already is, given the amount of Indian sailors killed, and the total casualty count is only bound to climb. Ali Khan Marakkar, for instance, hasn't even used his most devastating capability just yet, and, likewise, Indian warships are only just beginning to enter P-700 range.

Port-aux-Francais, Kerguelen Islands

France, it is true, has indeed done the lion's share of land-taking over the course of the League War, but the exchange, one-sided as it is, is not exclusively one-sided. Hindustan, for instance, now holds territory south of the Cape of Good Hope.

In Port-aux-Francais, a Hindustani tricolor flies over a scientific crew and a small marine garrison where, months ago, there was a fleur de lys. The capital of the Kerguelen Islands isn't much to look at, consisting of a few dozen prefabricated sheds, a couple housing units, and a tank farm, and this isn't too surprising given that the islands have a maximum year-round population of around seventy. Under Union administration the population amounts to 78 people, some 50 scientists and 28 marines, making due with accommodations left behind by the Frenchmen. These are not exactly in the best state of repair, the settlement's French occupants having done their best to sabotage anything useful upon seeing INS Vishakhapatnam enter the Gulf of Morbihan. One of the accommodation blocks, for instance, is charred and blackened, having been set on fire by its former occupants, but there is enough space elsewhere to allow the Hindustanis relative comfort. Still, the island's new residents take advantage of every daylight hour to conduct repairs and carry out improvements, for instance replacing smashed windows and fixing broken generators. The marines do their fair share of work as well, and on top of repair work they dig a few slit trenches and foxholes for use if Port-aux-Francais ever comes under enemy attack. The heavy work-load is in many ways fortunate, since, on a remote and relatively desolate island group, idleness is to be avoided at all costs, lest it give way to boredom and indiscipline.

As of yet there are no aviation facilities on the Kerguelen Islands, but the 58-meter tender INS Petrel is moored in the Gulf of Morbihan, its ten-man crew also conducting scientific missions and assisting work in and around Port-aux-Francais. Two weeks more and the Petrel's place should be taken over by INS Tern, an identical ship that ought to come loaded with fresh provisions and construction supplies. If things go as planned, Vishakhapatnam, on its next visit to the islands, ought to bring a Scottish Aviation Pioneer, along with equipment and provisions needed to re-establish the other settlements and research stations on the Islands.

For the garrison commander, a marine Lieutenant, it is always important to consider the military side of things, and, despite the low likelihood of enemy attack, he takes precautions against French or other saboteurs and commandos, who might, he reasons, be deployed by submarine and who could easily go un-detected in Grand Terre's vast interior or jagged coastline. Every day patrols set out from Port-aux-Francais, men armed with SLRs and often supported by a motorboat, with orders to look for signs of an enemy landing. It does not, though, make sense to disperse such a small force at all greatly, so the bulk of marines remain close to the main settlement, manning machine gun nests and watching the surrounding waters for signs of hostile activity.

Gurguvungunit

11-08-2007, 03:23

Several Kilometres Distant

"Damn, they look like they know what they're doing." Lieutenant Peter North bent over the radar plot, examining the progress of the battle so far. His comment, elicited by the Soviets' fairly skilled dodging of the missile salvo, fell rather flatly in the near-silent CIC of HMS Inflexible, one of only a very few missile cruisers in the Royal Navy. Though there was still a lingering suspicion of Australasian tactics and commanders after the debacle at Cape Roca, the British had learned a healthy respect for their ex-ally-now-territory's design skills.

Inflexible was designed to monitor an entire fleet battle and select its targets accordingly, aided in no small way by the Quinntonian AEGIS system. She was an ideal picquet ship, as well as a fearsome surface combatant. Now being used in the former role, Inflexible's powerful sensor suite was trained on the unfolding battle. Gathered around the CIC's various screens and plots, Rear Admirals Thaddeus Wilberforce and Brendan Whyte watched intently as the two great fleets sent wave after wave of destruction at each other.

Currently, smart money rested with the Indians. Despite their overwhelming numerical disadvantage, the Indians had fought at sea many times before and sported perhaps the best dedicated anti-ship missiles in the world. They actually had the edge in naval aviation, and their commander had been in fleet combat before.

On the other hand, the League combined fleet had numerical superiority, crucial in the high-casualty environment of modern naval combat. In addition, the Tsar's submarine arm was not to be scoffed at, and both admirals knew that a well placed torpedo spread could spell doom for the small Indian fleet.

Whyte resisted the urge to lay down a bet.

The Estenlands

18-08-2007, 12:55

The missiles come ripping through the Royalist formation, doing heavier damage than their counter-parts, with 6 Tsarist and 3 French planes destroyed immediately, and 3 more Rafales and a couple of Su-33s taking flak damage enough to be turning back, a couple losing altitude and attitude control dropping at alarming rates.

The incoming pilots knew well what effect their long-range attack would have, and though the damage was light, the point held that it was damage. Somehow, an at the order of their command teams, they were being pushed to attack, to take the momentum of the air fight away from the Progs and push them beyond what they were willing to lose in this battle. From the Tsarist side, the losses that were being deemed acceptable at this stage were total. As long as the sea went red with the blood of the Soviets, as long as there was victory, the entire fleet was up for grabs.

In the cockpits, the French veterans of so many sea actions in the last several months took the lead and fired a short length missile only seconds after their long-range one, as the two groups hurtled towards each other. And just as suddenly, the entire air wing that was engaging the escorts dove as soon as missiles were away towards the bombers, the sudden change in course forcing blood from the extremities with G force, and opening up with a combination of short-range missiles and cannons.

The Russians followed suite, only a fraction of a second belying the lack of dog-fight experience, with most of their combat being against objects on the ground in Yugoslavia while the enemy air forces gave almost total air superiority. Still, they had seen combat, and recently, even with the few fighter willing to engage them, and they were very well trained, so executed the surprise manoeuvre expertly, the Su-33s particularly showing their famed agility. They took special pride in being able o do things at air shows that have only been rivalled in recent years by the raptor, and now they were eager to let the world see why they had given NATO strategists nightmares for the time prior to the Cold War.

Of course, they realised that the enemy escorts would now fall upon their unprotected backs, but in a perfectly timed multi-asset strategy, the fleet’s massive anti-air screen opened up on the escort’s positions with about three times as many missiles and additional arms as there were incoming fighters total, let alone escorts. Though the immense ground command control exercised by the Royalist command is sometimes criticised as destroying creativity in their pilots, this is one instance that it helps. The wall of fire only barely misses the diving fighters as they plummet towards their true targets.

The Russian Admiral in charge of this operation looks at the glowing icons in his CIC, and thinks that his family may have gotten a little safer at the Winter Palace with that play.

Gurguvungunit

20-08-2007, 22:40

El Escorial, Spain

Sir Andrew puffed uneasily on his cigar, sweating in the suit that he wore on his first state visit to Spain since the beginning of the League War. It had been a tense few moments, stepping off the plane to be received by a Spanish minister of state and a gaudily clad honour guard armed with sponsons and flags. The awkwardness had passed quickly enough, helped along by a firm handshake and a few words about 'pan-European co-operation'. Andrew was gratified indeed to see the Spanish willing to talk, although there was some doubt as to the usefulness of his trip.

As public relations stunts went, Strathairn's recent globe-hopping had done him good. After George Mainwaring's strikingly authoritarian government, the British people were rather pleased to see someone willing to make policy with words, rather than at the point of a gun. Mainwaring had done Britain good, nationalising important industries and forcing a modicum of stability on the very turbulent politics of the United Kingdom, but he had not made any friends doing it. When Strathairn was named the new prime minister, it was clear to him that he was profiting off of George Mainwaring's hard work. Britain's economy had begun its climb out of international obscurity, the military had proved itself worthy of funding for another few years, and people respected the British flag for the first time in half a century.

Forging peace was to be Strathairn's first test as a leader, and he seemed up to the task. His trip to New York, and thence to El Escorial, convinced the skeptics that his intent to talk to his enemies and allies alike was genuine. Now, to make good on the intent...

"Your Majesty," Strathairn inclined his head, signifying a bow if not actually performing one. Phillip VII, His Most Catholic Majesty, By the Grace of God the King of Spain, joined him on the Escorial's ornate balcony. He was dressed in the finery of a modern king-- suit and tie adorned with ribbons, cords and medals of indeterminate origin-- and he rather outshone Strathairn by dint of gold filigree and shiny buttons. For all his absurd raiment, though, the king was a man with a sharp mind.

"Mr. Strathairn," he replied, omitting Sir Andrew's honourific. "I imagine that this is not a social call." Strathairn, who had waited for perhaps a half an hour in the Escorial's audience chamber, ignored the jibe.

"No, I've come to speak with you about a delicate situation in Mauritania. Specifically, the populace there views Colonel Vall's government to be more legitimate than the one led by Mr. Taya, and I have been given cause to fear that they will not permit Mr. Taya to return to government peacefully. I have been in communication with Colonel Vall, who informs me that Mr. Taya will be permitted-- indeed, encouraged-- to run for election against him provided that Spanish troops leave Mauritania.

"It is not mine to dictate policy to your Majesty," Strathairn continued in a tone that suggested that it most certainly was, "but I must strongly encourage your Majesty to consider Vall's proposal. He has the people behind him, and the last thing that Africa needs at the moment is another nation forced to side with the Soviets because it feels that the West is ignoring its needs.

"Britain will, of course, abide by your decision in this matter. However, while our support of the League is not contingent on the outcome of this situation," once again, his tone indicated that it very well might be, "we would very much prefer that the people of Mauritania feel debt rather than hostility towards NATO and the League. I'm sure that your Majesty agrees?" Strathairn puffed on his cigar, and looked into the eyes of Phillip VII.

The Crooked Beat

21-08-2007, 22:47

Over the Atlantic

Though the results of the L'Angelot Maudit attack are indeed disappointing, the enemy in fact losing one less aircraft outright, even though the Soviet aviators did not spend their missiles in an ill-advised long-range volley that would, under usual circumstances, stand little chance of causing serious damage. Ten losses might, then, be attributed more to bad luck and the enemy's moderate advantage in early warning and intercept control, than to any particular manifestation of ability on the part of the Russian and French pilots.

Of course, with the enemy doubtless engaged in the business of avoiding incoming missiles, the Soviets hold the initiative as the engagement moves to short range. The escort doesn't do much good at all if it is far removed from the attack formation, so the Puffins assigned escort duty are further above the "bombers" than in front of or behind them. Enemy fighters trying to attack Vanguard-carrying airframes find themselves immediately engaged by very much armed and active Puffins at higher altitude. DRAB ASRAAMs are loosed at oncoming Rafales and Su-33s perhaps slightly before the enemy uses its own missiles, and each escorting Puffin carries four of the highly effective and modern, if not necessarily world-beating when compared to Yugoslavia's state-of-the-art Komarac or something like that, AAMs. Each of the 32 surviving escorts is prepared to use either one or two of its DRAB ASRAAMs over the forward aspect, saving the other two for use later on.

The Vanguard-carrying Puffins, at the most disadvantageous position of all, immediately let go of their ASMs, firing a total of 72 rockets in the direction of the Russian fleet, perhaps close enough to threaten screening warships, but not quite within range of the most valuable enemy warships. Pilots evade frantically, deploying flares and other decoy systems in a bid to escape highly dangerous R-73 missiles, and although the Soviets resort to every trick in the book and make full use of their training and experience, losses are heavy. Seven Puffins are shot down in the opening stages of the engagement as the formation tries to gain altitude and position on the enemy. But these Puffins too carry four DRAB ASRAAMs, and, once the initial shock of the attack has subsided, the Russians will find themselves engaged in a dogfight that is anything but one-sided. Puffins, V/STOL aircraft by design, are at least as maneuverable as the Su-33, and the fight is doubtless a close one as both sides struggle for survival, the difference between life and death always only a single mistake or misstep away.

Losses register too amongst the escorts, but they are not great, amounting to three Puffins destroyed and another two damaged, and the formation wastes no time in pursuing the enemy as it gives up altitude in its effort to strike at the attack group. DRAB ASRAAMs leap off launch rails and make for the Franco-Russian fighters, now a good deal easier to engage, while safety catches for the fighters' cannon are flipped open and pilots prepare to do battle in a more primitive manner.

The escorts' attack is cut short, though, when RWRs detect enemy SAM radars locking onto their aircraft and missile warning alarms sound again, but this time displays indicate the imminent arrival of S-300 missiles, rather than R-77s or R-73s. 216 incoming Russian SAMs! Certainly not something to be taken lightly, and Soviet pilots do their utmost to evade, but there isn't actually all that much to do besides deploy chaff and hope for the best. Fortunately, though, the Leaguers and the Soviets are all mixed-in, the dogfight being very much underway, and the Soviets not being so daft as to widely separate the escort from the formation under its protection. Of the 50-some Puffins remaining in the fight, a mere four aircraft escape damage, and they make for home as soon as possible, while another three limp along towards the carriers, with various bits of missile embedded into the fuselage and leaking fuel very badly. But the Russians could not have hoped, in such a confused jumble of aircraft, to avoid their own side at all effectively. Ali Khan Marakkar's naval aviation component may have been more or less wiped out, but almost certainly the Russian commander will find himself in much the same position.

Ali Khan Marakkar is taken by surprise at the enemy's choice of tactics. Indeed, he did not expect the Leaguers to use up just about all their S-300s at such an early stage, especially considering that the main exchange of missiles has not even occurred yet. Soviet fighters were ordered into the attack in the belief that the enemy would save one of its most potent weapons until it was absolutely needed, but, then again, one cannot safely base a strategy off mere assumptions.

Beddgelert

22-08-2007, 00:16

Heavy Soviet losses are painful to many, but the over-all mood of the Commonwealth is verging on jubilation as the Atlantic battle looks not unlikely to turn in India's favour when ship-to-ship missiles begin flying with the Christians' defences largely expended. Rather than criticising the Hindustani Admiral for losing so many men and machines, Commonwealthers listening to Gadar!'s reports on the battle widely adopt the not-so-catchy slogan, Don't let them get away, Ali!, fearing only that the enemy might turn tail and get off lightly while the Indians have lost most of their air cover.

Soviet aircraft continue to arrive in the western African Commonwealth, meanwhile, too distant and too recently for this battle, but, conflicting with the above slogan, available for a long slog should this clash prove indecisive.

The Crooked Beat

23-08-2007, 05:13

If Soviets find their losses in the naval aviation department painful, officers at the naval ministry agonize over the casualties suffered by the Hindustani navy as news filters back in from the battle. Already the IN has suffered its heaviest-ever losses in a single engagement times three, and a significant number of the fleet's surface warfare vessels have been sent to the bottom. Many expect the rest of the Marakkar's own ships to join the rest sooner rather than later.

And, as of yet, not for a single enemy warship sunk, only horribly-deployed, noisy, aged enemy submarine. No few Hindustanis begin to criticize the Marakkar for conducting himself in such a supposedly reckless manner, and a great many more heap scorn upon the naval ministry itself for having the Marakkar's force, large though it may be, attack an enemy fleet close to three times its size. Some point out that, in terms of effective, modern, and well-armed warships, the Indians probably have numbers on their side, but such heavy losses in men and ships contribute little towards deflecting such criticism.

However, in the naval ministry, optimists still deem it quite likely that, once the Marakkar's force is within Charioteer and Brahmos range, the Franco-Russian fleet will be in real trouble. Tests against IN warships suggested that three Brahmos were needed to hit a frigate under even heavy countermeasures, and most Russian ships aren't so well-protected. At least enough are apt to strike enemy warships to cause the Leaguers some serious problems. The navy, after all, did not put almost all its money into the construction of a world-beating ASM for nothing. Indeed, the Brahmos program derailed the IN's next destroyer program, which ought to have included some two dozen hulls. Fighting against the Italians, it is said, should not be taken too seriously. IAF units achieved better hit ratios with Sea Eagles during the Malacca War, so it is fairly obvious to the people concerned with that kind of thing that the 1-in-20 result was due to technical failures resulting from piss poor handling and downright dropping the things.

Russian missiles, Hindustanis reflect, while quite lethal, are indeed older, and perhaps more susceptible to countermeasures and jamming, certainly more so than the extremely modern Brahmos and Charioteer, and they are present on most Indian ships, rather than just a few large platforms, as is the case with the enemy. A relatively large number of Indian warships might be knocked-out and the fleet will still have the ability to direct devastating ordnance against the enemy, while, if the enemy's large cruisers are hit, the Leaguers will be at a severe disadvantage.

So the Marakkar, with this in mind, and conscious of the need to clear the West African coast of enemy warships, decides to keep going, straight into enemy missile range, while the pair of Hindustani Broadswords, hopefully camouflaged by jamming, probe around the edge of the League formation in an effort to get into Brahmos range early and perhaps sink some major surface combatants before the main body of the fleet becomes engaged.

The fleet, though, now only consists of combatants, the fleet train having been, of course, held back, and the carriers likewise redeployed, except for one, waiting for the last few Puffins to return.

Vecron

27-08-2007, 17:19

Mediterranean Sea
The Regia Marina has dropped enough sonobuoys so that a man walk from the heel of Italy to Yugoslavia without even to have to touch the water! Rome’s remaining Sauro submarines, corvettes, frigates even the Garibaldi are on the search for the subs that have been harassing League shipping for several days now, costing easily more than a million dollars in lost goods. The Maestrale class frigate Roma patrols the waters around a convoy of trade ships, searching tirelessly throughout the area, but never straying very far from the convoy, while 4 Roman corvettes and a De la Penne destroyer escort the ships, banging away with their active sonars. Captain Rosetti focuses his search on more shallow waters, knowing that would be the best place for a sub to hide, yet keeps on Yugoslavian coast which is at times all too near. The AB-212 helicopters that call the frigate home are constantly sent to flight to drop a new batch of sonobuoys to actively search the sea.

A flurry of activity from the sonar officer draws Rosetti’s attention. He walks over to the veteran officer who has served in the Marina for his entire life, “Got something,” he asks anxiously.

The man growled and shook his head, “Nah, I thought I had something but it slipped away.”

This seemed like it was the millionth “phantom” contact that the Marina came across. Every time it felt like they were close to localizing the sucker, he slipped away. “Tell me you recorded it this time.”

The officer nodded, “Yeah, I got it. I’ll start analyzing it right away.”

“Good,” Rosetti nodded, “Lets mark this site on the chart, he’s definitely headed for our shipping. We’ll continue on our usual search pattern. This thing’s cost Rome and the League a lot of money and lives, are you sure that what you heard was our target?”

“Capitano, once I’ve analyzed it and confirmed that it’s not just whales humping or something, I’ll know what to listen for, and I’ll find it for you, sir.”

“Get to work,” Rosetti ordered and returned to his usual spot on the bridge. They were getting close, it was only a matter of time now. But for now, the Roma continued her patrol pattern as though nothing had changed and sent the usual "possible sighting" report to the other escort ships and to Regia Marina HQ.

Meanwhile, further south, Rome’s 212 class submarines are sent out once more to attack Soviet shipping. Certainly with the approach of the Soviet fleet, success will be hard bought, but nothing like this is never easy. They move out from Roman waters, using shallow waters and moving as silently as possible, hunting a convoy of Soviet ships. They ignore the more heavily defended targets and try to avoid Soviet patrols, moving instead for the much smaller convoys, which may be carrying less valuable goods and less deserving of a full escort. Even for the proud Soviet Navy, it would be a hard task to defend every single supply moving to support such a massive campaign in Africa. It is hoped that the Soviet might spread out their ships to try to defend all their convoys and leave the more important ones that much more open to attack. The subs will stalk the lightly defended convoys, choosing targets carefully. The subs have their weapons hot and ready to rock, not willing to have to prepare them and risk them being detected like in the Scire incident. With their targets chosen, the subs release all six of their torpedoes, then dive deep and run back to Rome to re-circulate the air, arm the last of their torpedoes then head out once again.

Hail Caesar!

The Crooked Beat

28-08-2007, 06:56

The Ionian Sea

Italian warships are right to be on high alert in home waters because they are by no means alone. On the surface, granted, a League sailor is only apt to see the silhouettes of what are to him or her friendly vessels. But underwater, there are submarines from three or four nations lurking about, the crews in each one doubtless eager to avenge the grievous wrongs inflicted upon their parent countries by the Holy League. Maybe ten submarines in total, and probably more to follow, depending on what Soviet navy commanders decide to do, are available to the various nations ill-disposed towards the Holy League, plenty for the Italian warships to worry about.

The Hindustani submarine Faisalabad is therefore one of perhaps several leftist or associated SSKs operating against the League powers, and probably one of the quietest, so perhaps it has escaped detection by Italian warships despite their best efforts. Indeed, it was not the Faisalabad that launched any attack on merchant shipping. But with fairly attractive targets out and about, the captain quits shallower waters and heads away from the Greek coastline. It is not, of course, a very loud maneuver by any standard, and probably the Italians, or anybody else for that matter, will have a very hard time picking submarine noises in general out from their own screw noise and heavily-used active sonar. A Bihar-class boat, stealthier than most by a fair margin, will be only that much difficult to pick up, especially one handled well, rather than recklessly.

Neither is the Hindustani captain's course a straight line out into the Ionian sea. Still only moving at about seven knots, Faisalabad navigates a course designed to confuse searching warships, doubling back on itself, randomly changing heading, and always shifting depth. Six heavy Type 24 torpedoes sit ready in the tubes, and sonar operators listen carefully for any man-made noise. It is a target-rich environment, that much is certain, but at the same time it is easy to become complacent, and a single mistake could cost Captain Ramsingh his boat and his crew.

A submarine like Ramsingh's is probably a better defensive weapon than an offensive one, only capable of making 22 knots flat-out, so he is not eager to go and chase Italian frigates or the Garibaldi, in spite of trials that showed similar Collins-class SSKs equal to the task of taking-down a Quinntonian carrier battlegroup. An SSK is not, after all, a fleet submarine that is able to keep pace with fast-moving surface ships. At the same time he also does not relish the thought of trying to navigate Moroccan minefields between Sicily and Cape Bon, beyond which are the most important League shipping routes. So the Hindustani submariners continue their roundabout course towards the Strait of Otranto, hoping to encounter a worthwhile target. And, with the waters filled with so many submarines, Faisalabad's stealth carries with it another advantage, namely that other friendly boats will find it hard to detect, thus minimizing the chances of a friendly-fire incident.

Off Alexandria, Egypt

Vice Admiral Rajender Soni's 7th fleet makes good progress towards its destination in Libya, though the convoy under its escort is hardly the most impressive. Five converted freighters and troop ships, plus the warships themselves, transport just shy of 5,000 men and their equipment towards Benghazi, where they are slated to become part of General Dos Santos' VI Corps. It is, so far, one of very few proper convoys sent through the Suez Canal towards Libya, most resupply missions being flown by WIGs, very much impervious to submarines and torpedoes unless submariners get out on deck with shoulder-launched SAMs. And the threat of submarines is one that the IN takes very seriously, as evidenced by amount of escorts provided for five merchant vessels. Soni expects the attention of enemy submarines to be focused on his force, and he is as prepared as anybody can be to meet this threat.

INS Bihar moves out ahead of the main force, Captain I.K. Khan taking care not to stray into the engagement zones of screening Bengal-class corvettes. Enemy Type 212 submarines are very worrying and Soni is aware of the difficulty inherent in engaging such stealthy boats. The best he can do, he reasons, is to establish a strong A/S screen and watch carefully for any sign of underwater activity. INS Sawaj, a modern Bodkin-class frigate, maintains a close formation with the cargo vessels, acting as their last line of defense against incoming ordnance and the only Hindustani ship as of yet equipped with a hard-kill torpedo countermeasures system.

Of course, what Soni really hopes for is an enemy surface sortie, since, without a doubt, the Leaguers won't be pleased with a Hindustani cruiser, a frigate, and seven or eight corvettes kicking around in the Mediterranean.

Gurguvungunit

28-08-2007, 21:55

Off Cyprus

The buildup of forces in the Mediterranean was worrisome, of this there was no doubt. Britain's naval forces in the area, while considerably more numerous than either Italian or Progressive naval groups, are hamstrung by the non-aggression pacts and alliances that make them a neutral party in the dispute. While co-operation with the League is essentially limited to the sharing of low-level information, the same is true of Britain's relationship with Hindustan. This places British commanders in the rather uncomfortable position of being information brokers to both sides, and perhaps earns them few friends abroad.

London's position on the matter is of the wait-and-see variety. Shaken by the recent death of Prime Minister Mainwaring, His Majesty's government has largely withdrawn from international affairs as the new cabinet tries to get everything in order. It is perhaps a welcome breather for the Foreign Secretary and her staff, a chance to evaluate alliances and commitments made out of necessity. Cautious overtures are made towards the Soviets, suggesting that should Soviet advisers wish to observe elections in West Africa they will be supported in doing so by the British. After all, don't we all just want France the hell out of Africa?

And so: Cyprus. The current home of the Mediterranean Fleet, Cyprus' newly expanded seaport is a hub of NATO activity. German and British crews freely interact, and life is returning to normal after a drop in Contosian attacks. Housing is going up, and the temporary settlements are being closed as apartment complexes open. Off the coast, a constant patrol of destroyers and ASW helicopters guards against surprise attacks from the many submarines lurking in the Mediterranean, and new Astute class attack boats operate far from home. If anyone is inclined to start a war with Britain, they will find themselves menaced by what is perhaps the finest nuclear attack submarine in the world, certainly the equal of the Seawolf or its Soviet counterpart.

One such, the HMS Artful, observes the Hindustani 7th fleet from a respectable distance. It does not go to great pains to hide its presence, the opinion of its commander being that the patrol's purpose is to show the flag and remind everyone that the British are still here, and still very capable of clearing out the Mediterranean if it is deemed necessary. Still and all, British and Hindustani crews likely exchange waves and catcalls when the Artful is surfaced, trading on years of co-operation between their two nations. Indeed, the submarine spends a good deal more time surfaced than one would expect of a nuclear sub, perhaps as a warning to the Italians that though Britain might not be actively at war with the League, no treaty had yet been signed. The Empire and the League nations co-operated under the conditions of armistice, not alliance, and should Italy decide to push the bounds of that armistice Britain will respond in kind.

Gibraltar

"Well, I see the monkeys are still about," Captain Stephen Price, dressed in service whites appropriate to the heat of the day, stood with his hands clasped as he observed the Barbary Apes chittering in a nearby tree. His host, a Spanish colonel, laughed dryly. It was an uncomfortable moment, the British looking rather pleased with themselves and the Spanish somewhat scornful of the sometime occupiers of Gibraltar. Still and all, the procession of British and Spanish military officers continued the tour of the Rock with little conversation, but less outright hostility.

As per terms of the armistice agreement, Spain was to cede Gibraltar, defences intact, to the British. Failure to do so would invalidate the agreement. Accordingly, Captain Price and his staff was touring the Rock, preparing to receive the soon-to-be-appointed Governor General, and generally making preparations for the handover. A Fortress and Key flag was folded in Price's attache case, accompanied by the original Union Flag from the Governor General's residence. It was tattered and a bit soot-stained, but nobody had really suggested replacing it. In Price's jacket pocket were the keys to the fortress, carried out by Sir Viirgil Tempest Pollack, ex-Governor General, after the attack.

Price and his entourage passed the Governor General's residence and noted that the flagpole there, recently home to the flag of Spain, was bare. A nice touch, he thought wryly.

Far behind, now, the Barbary Apes chittered and screamed in the evening light.

Yugo Slavia

30-08-2007, 03:35

Socialist Republic of Croatia

A Dhruv helicopter configured for maritime patrol and SAR answers Rome's rather more OTT anti-submarine efforts as Belgrade prepares to remind the Italians that the Adriatic is far from being their own.

Evidently the Regia Marina means to close the Strait of Otranto to the JNA, but this little stretch of water is the prime focus of all Yugoslav naval operation in the western theatre. To Hell with the rest of the Mediterranean, this strait caries lifeblood from the heart of the SFRY.

Launched from the island of Vis, a Brom anti-ship cruise missile flies southwest into presently empty waters, exploding less than an hour before the Regia Marina's next patrol passes across its flight-path.

A test, officially, but also a clear warning: Italy's big ships are little more than a liability in the confined waters of this sea, and Yugoslavia's vessels will come and go as they please until Rome is willing to sacrifice its fleet to stop them.

Dubrovnik, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Heading out of Yugoslav waters at last, the ferry Putnik cruises slowly south, bound for the Syrian Arab Republic with twenty-four tourists and half a dozen diplomats and business envoys. She heads through the Strait of Otranto with Yugoslavian colours flying and a relaxed mood amongst the passengers, glad to be getting a holiday in the sun after all the tensions their nation has experienced with the Holy League and the awkward presence of Soviet forces in the Balkans. Following Putnik is a small merchant vessel carrying Yugoslav manufactures for sale in the Middle East, with plans to bring back foodstuffs and fuels.

In the noisy wake of the quite unusually aged, slow, and loud-running civilian ships, several small JNA submarines crawl on electric drive and in death-defyingly tight formation.

Vecron

30-08-2007, 18:35

Strait of Otranto

The Regia Marina and the captains of the freighters are well aware of the danger of the narrow waters of the Strait. Shipping is advised to avoid the Yugoslav coast entirely. In response to the “missile test” all diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia is broken and all Roman diplomats recalled.

As the loud surface ships travel through the Strait of Otranto, a single Sauro, with her torpedoes armed and ready to fire, surfaces several kilometers away, but well within torpedo range. With the loud prop of the ships in front of them, it would prove difficult for the enemy to have heard the approach of the Sauro rigged for silent running, but then the Sauro wouldn’t hear them either. And even if they did, they must remember that a fleet of Roman ships are right behind their sub, and after a few days of unsuccessful searches, they are rather trigger happy. If the Slavs want to play hard ball, Rome is ready to play.

Meanwhile, the Roma, who has cut her patrol short and is now heading back the other way, slowing down near the spot the phantom contact was last heard. Commander Rosetti pushes the patrol a little farther than he should and is about to turn around, defeated once again when the sonar officer called to him, “I think I got him, sir. I can barely hear him, he must have gone deeper, it’s not enough for the computer to get a lock. His course is strange, sir, it’s headed back out to the Mediterranean.”

“Keep an ear on him, if he turns let me know,” Rosetti ordered, “there’s no reason for him to leave yet. He’s not done. And if we can hear him, he can hear us. Is there any shipping that’s supposed to come through here?”

“I have no other contacts.”

“None, Capitano,” his ExO informed him.

“See if you can divert one here,” Rosetti said, “Nothing big, but if we were to rendezvous with one, it would explain our position here.”

“As ordered, sir.”

Off Alexandria

The Scire and the Todaro keep their distance from the convoy and are not about to go near the front of the convoy, the most logical place to put the deadly Soviet Bihar subs. The Todaro takes a more direct approach, perpendicular to their course, and the Scire prowls in more towards the aft of the ships. The Scire moves as close as she dares, going no closer than 12 km away, with the Todaro hanging back to 18 km. Their torpedo tubes are primed and ready. The Scire chooses the transport and two other ships in the convoy, and creates a firing solution for her torpedoes. Meanwhile, the Todaro takes two of the most outbound escorts, as a test of their countermeasures. They release all six of their French ECAN F17 (OOC: Hope this is all right, the usual armament for U212 is German torpedo. I didn’t think this would go over well, I thought that the logical assumption would be for French torpedoes.). Once the fish are away, the subs don’t wait to see the results, leaving the torpedoes to their on board homing devices while their sonar officers listen intently for the results. They turn back home and dive down to hug the bottom of shallower waters, heading for the European coastline to follow it back home.

OOC-More to come, I have to go to work now, dammit!

The Crooked Beat

31-08-2007, 07:00

Off the Strait of Otranto

Captain Ramsingh is very deeply perplexed by the presence of an Italian frigate near his position, the same one that has been in the habit of showing-up inconveniently close to INS Faisalabad many times now. Italian Maestrale class frigates may be capable A/S warships, but they aren't so capable as to allow the tracking of a state-of-the-art AIP attack submarine, running very very quietly and slowly, from any distance except right on top of the damn thing, and, even then, the advantage would likely remain with the submarine. Bad luck, therefore, is probably the most accurate explanation, and it is not be the first time that an IN submariner fell victim to a bad roll of the cosmic dice.

Of course, though, something ought to be done about the situation, resolves Captain Ramsingh. The frigate (if, indeed, it hears Faisalabad) is very close by, certainly well within the 40-kilometer maximum range of the Type 24 heavy torpedo. If the Italian sonar operator has enough contacts to plot a halfway accurate course, it must be closer still. Ramsingh has six 533mm Type 24s loaded and ready to fire, and finding a firing solution on the enemy frigate is no great challenge either.

Well-trained and eager to avenge the losses already suffered by Hindustani forces in the Mediterranean, the Hindustani submariners carry out their tasks with the efficiency and competence that ought to be expected of them, and in near total silence as well. The helmsman duly turns the submarine about and heads, slowly and silently, nearer towards the surface. Ramsingh orders speed cut to four knots, an extra-safe rate of travel since probably anything under ten knots is next to undetectable. And certainly, with the enemy frigate so close, even if the Italian captain ran his ship up to full speed immediately and made for somewhere entirely different, Ramsingh would probably still be able to get a shot off.

In a matter of minutes, INS Faisalabad is in position and ready to attack the Italian frigate Roma. Orders are communicated silently, with nods and hand signals, so as to absolutely minimize the submarine's acoustic signature. Ramsingh watches the gauges and the display screens, and, once he judges the time right for the attack, he nods to the torpedo officer. Not more than a few seconds after, six Type 24s rush out of the six forward tubes, making for the Italian frigate at 50 knots. Four of them are fairly straightforward passive/active seekers, generalist weapons just as suited towards attacking submarines as surface ships, and quite capable at both. Two, however, are fitted with new wake-homing seekers, making them all but useless against submarines but absolutely devastating in fights against warships. Quite maneuverable, capable of re-targeting, and fast, Faisalabad's torpedoes would seem to stand a good chance of hitting the enemy warship, which is, as far as the Hindustanis know, not equipped with a hard-kill anti-torpedo system and fitted with nothing special in the way of electronic and acoustic countermeasures. Even if Roma does fool all of Faisalabad's passive/active Type 24s, there are still two wake homers to deal with, and those are essentially unavoidable unless the ship is, well, making no wake. Even one of the heavy Type 24s would probably be more than up to the task of sinking the ship, in terms of explosive power, and there are six on the way.

Faisalabad is not about to stick around and watch, though. Certainly any submarine captain knows better than to linger around the scene of an attack, and, for all Ramsingh knows, the frigate's AB-212 might be nearby. Having hopefully gained the initiative by attacking first, perhaps surprising the Italian warship, Faisalabad dives below the thermocline layer and tries its best to exit the area in time.

Off Alexandria

The Italian submarine attack surprises nobody, the Hindustanis being well aware of the danger represented by submarines in the same vein as the U-212 class. Italians, for their part, will find that attacking the convoy isn't so straightforward as launching some torpedoes at ships traveling in a closely-packed cluster. Patrolling around the cargo ships are some eight Bengal-class corvettes, a class of warship particularly well-suited to antisubmarine warfare, especially in its Bengal-B variant, of which three are on hand. A fair few helicopters are also present in the area, a total of eight corvette-based Dhruvs plus two Merlins off INS Derawar and a third off INS Sawaj.

No strangers to combat, the IN captains react quickly to the enemy submarine attack, but from the start it looks set to cause some fairly serious problems for the IN. Few warships, after all, rely on any kind of sure-fire defense against wake-homing torpedoes.

INS Sawaj quickly accelerates to a full 29 knots, heeling over on one side as the helmsman throws the frigate into a hard turn to starboard. Equipped with a Soviet-made Seahammer anti-torpedo system, it is no coincidence that Sawaj forms the innermost protective screen for the cargo and troop transports. Rockets fire from their launchers on deck, splashing down into the Mediterranean moments later, followed by a multitude of underwater explosions reminiscent of the depth charges used similarly sixty years ago. In this manner all the torpedoes fired by the submarine Scire are detonated prematurely, and Sawaj meets its expectation as close escort. Crewmen are back out on deck in no time at all, and they hurry to reload the Seahammer launchers. Her embarked Merlin, meanwhile, works with the corvette Rajgarh and the submarine chasers Bombard and Daring to locate the offending submarine, the ships using their active sonars to try and overcome the Scire's very quiet propulsion system and hydrodynamic characteristics. Being quite close to the Italian submarine, IN captains and crews work as fast as possible to complete the engagement before their enemy gets away, and already six 324mm Type 17 light torpedoes and four 533mm Type 24s are in the water, seeking targets with their active sonars.

Corvettes in the outer screen, though, aren't as well-protected. The two ships nearest to Todaro, INS Bengal and INS Damoh, each find themselves being tracked by three torpedoes, and captains order flank speed in an effort to outmaneuver the Italian weapons. Decoys are shot into the water and the two corvettes make wild evasive maneuvers, but it is ultimately a useless endeavor. Bengal, the name-ship, is lost fairly early on. Hit by two F 17s, she explodes and sinks quickly with all hands. Damoh, in a better position, manages to evade the enemy torpedoes for some time, but the result is largely the same. A single F 17 strikes Damoh in the stern, ripping the end of the ship off, and like INS Bengal she too does not take long before joining the rest of the sunken warships on the bottom of the Mediterranean. Fifteen survivors are able to scramble off the corvette before it sinks.

Two warships are lost, but, hopefully, not without cost to the enemy. A/S helicopters airborne at the time of the attack, notably one of the cruiser Derawar's new Merlin HM1s, are quick to arrive at the position indicated by Damoh before its destruction. Dipping sonars are deployed while four other corvettes, among them two of the highly advanced, A/S-specialized Bengal-B variant, use active sonar in a bid to locate the Italian submarines, which ought not to be too far away, and which are still quite difficult to detect using passive sonar only. Type 17 torpedoes begin to splash down and seek Italian U-212s in active mode, while incoming corvettes get ready with their own Type 24s. Like the Bihar Class, the U-212 is reported to have a formidable countermeasures suite, but it is hoped that the coordinated torpedo attacks of ten helicopters and four superb A/S warships will be enough to overwhelm the Tau system before the enemy has a chance to escape below the thermocline layer or outside the practical range of active sonar.

Gurguvungunit

31-08-2007, 22:41

Hindustani 7th Fleet, off Alexandria

Taken by surprise, the crew of HMS Artful find themselves more than a bit unprepared for combat nearby. With torpedoes present and seeking targets, the Artful would be well served by being somewhere else, but for the moment its commander must content himself with remaining out of the way. Indian crews, consumed as they are by resisting a submarine attack, will probably not notice the nuclear boat slipping beneath the surface and diving for the thermocline at a stately six knots. Somewhat removed from the battle itself, the Artful endeavours to stay out of the way of their Hindustani and Italian counterparts, content to observe the complex and deadly ballet of antisubmarine warfare.

As the battle itself moves further from the 7th Fleet, the Artful's commander orders her to the surface again and makes best cruising speed for the disrupted Hindustani formation. When his boat comes close enough, the commander climbs out of the control room and mounts the sail, megaphone in hand.

"Ahoy, Hindustani fleet!" The commander notes the cool professionalism of the Indians as they work to normalise their formation and rescue survivors, and nods appreciatively to himself. "This is commander David Yardley of the HMS Artful. Do you require assistance?"

The submarine itself slows to a more civilised ten knots as it nears the sinking wreck of INS Damoh, and British sailors present on the boat's deck can be seen casting life preservers, ropes and other lines to the Indians who were struggling at sea. Medical personnel are on hand, ready to assist if necessary. Although Artful's presence might not be strictly necessary for the rescue effort, which can probably be handled effectively by the Indians themselves, respect for the Indian Navy compels Artful's commander to render what aid he can.

Beddgelert

03-09-2007, 10:17

Le mariage est comme une forteresse assiegee;
ceux qui sont dehors veulent y entrer,
et ceux qui sont dedans veulent en sortir.

Marriage is like a fortress besieged;
those who are outside want to get in,
and those who are inside want to get out.

Marriage, the Dark Continent. Shiva couldn't keep his thoughts from turning sour, married aboard ship, it seemed like a great idea when he and Sorcha boarded the converted liner Spirit of Galle, all red flags and three-rifle salutes, quite set for honeymooning in the warzone.

Now the ship approached Tripoli and things seemed quite different. An Ysbyty Class hospital ship could be seen off-shore, HAL Dhruv helicopters ferrying the city's sick along with wounded soldiers to the big white hulk. And twice as many helicopters going the other way, bringing men, women, and equipment ashore from the great raft of Indian ships on the Gulf of Sidra. As more and more humanity came to Africa by sea, by air, and by something in-between -two WIGs hurtled by just as Shiva passed over this thought-, arriving at Tripoli, Zanzibar, Wavis Bay, and soon the west, it seemed that this sorry continent offered every way in and only one way out.

Thiruvananthapuram to Tripoli, that was the route taken by Shiva and his new bride.

While en route, reports of enemy submarine activity along the final leg of the trip between India and Libya elicted amongst the majority of Soviet crews and passengers less fear than that naive excitement that so often sends boys to war for this cause or that. Still, even amongst the old salts who know better there was little sign of disquiet at the thought of a U-212 or some other hostile boat beneath.

"Let them have a crack if they dare!" cry teenage Geletians, shaking fists at the sea.

"With this much traffic and so few [French/Italian/Spanish] submarines the odds are against our ship ever even being attacked." reason the veterans of Madagascar.

They may have a point. Cast an eye out from one ship and you see ten more right away. Sit on the banks of the Suez and you realise that Cairo, in its neutrality, is taking more now in transit fees than ever before in history, one Indian ship following the next, leaving hardly any time for the day's south-north convoy, even now jostling to get back to the sub-continent and collect more of the green and the keen.

The Crooked Beat

05-09-2007, 03:37

In the Mediterranean

For Hindustani sailors in the water, the arrival of HMS Artful is a very welcome occurrence. They likely would only have had to wait a few more minutes before another corvette or some motor launches arrived on-scene to pick them up, but what counts is that they are rescued as quickly as possible. All the Hindustanis are covered in a thick coat of oil and some have serious burns, and if the British sailors haven't yet seen any combat the sight of those men crawling up the side of their submarine ought to bring the very brutal and bloody reality of warfare into sharp focus. Just slipping below the surface is the wreck of Damoh, now the final resting place of some sixty Indian sailors, and not far away, of course, Bengal went down with all hands.

In spite of their injured state, the fifteen survivors line up behind Artful's sail and salute their ship as its prow sinks out of view. Safe for now, they salute the British commander and wait for the medical orderlies' instructions.

Rajender Soni isn't exactly in a position to communicate with Commander Yardley by megaphone, but he is quick to raise Artful by radio.

"Attention British submarine Artful, this is Vice Admiral Rajender Soni. The Indian Navy owes you its deepest gratitude for the assistance that you have rendered to us this day. Advise that you maintain your present position and we will have a launch out to retrieve our sailors, over."

Though Mumbai and London might not see eye to eye, and that much is fairly certain, it must be apparent to any nearby observer that the link between the INU and Britain remains quite strong. To imagine the Hindustani and British navies fighting each other, under the present circumstances, and especially after Artful's rescue of the survivors off Damoh, is difficult, and it might be reasonable to assume that commanders on both sides would simply lack the inclination to fire upon one another and call the exchange at all honorable.

Vecron

07-09-2007, 21:21

The Roma

Commander Rosetti is not all that surprised by the sound of torpedoes homing in on his boat, he knew that he was making his ship a target, he just thought that he had a little more time. Rosetti barks his orders with immediate effect from the crew as the frigate increases to flank and takes a hard turn to port. Roma launches her countermeasures, but Rosetti is doubtful that they will get away despite the desperate efforts her crew. One of the torpedoes detonates prematurely, setting off a chain reaction with two more nearby. The last torpedo, which had momentarily lost its target in the bubbles of Roma’s countermeasures, reacquires its target and comes charging in after a slight detour. But the wake homing torpedoes hit first, ripping the aft of the frigate to shreds, letting water flood her compartments. Rosetti orders the men to abandon ship, making sure his sonar officer gets off first along with a bundle of tapes and disks clasped tightly in his arms, and ensures that a distress call is sent to Rome. Before even two rafts can safely be lowered, the last torpedo slams into the bow of Roma, sending a flurry of secondary explosions to tear her, and one of the trailing rafts, to shreds. One raft escapes the inferno, with a young man, clutching to the hope of the Roman waters to his chest.

The Regia Marina responds upon receiving the message as two EH-101 helicopters launch from the coast of Italy to save the stranded sailors and drop an active sonobuoy to try and find the aggressor sub. It is doubtful that they will find anything, since the sub most likely traveled on in the time it took the helicopters to arrive, but if it does, the chopper has two torpedoes waiting to be dropped.

Scire and Todaro

The two subs dive hard and fast for the thermocline, seeing it as the salvation of their boats. Once the Type 17 torpedoes enter the water, the subs turn away from their splash and release their countermeasures. One torpedo loses its target completely and continues on in a straight line, another detonates just a few meters away from Todaro, rocking the boat violently. The ship holds together and continues down. Once below the thermocline layer, and run toward the coast of Europe at full speed. Their captains know that they do not have the speed of the corvettes, but they are drawing a number of Soviet boats away from their fleet and that could prove useful. They decrease the angle of the dive and get as close to the surface as they can, hoping to confuse active sonar with ground echoes instead of sub echoes. Meanwhile they arm their torpedoes once more, hoping to get another shot at a chasing corvette.

Satellites pick up the emergence of the Artful and the aid it gives to the Hindustanis. The Regia Marina begins to question British involvement in Africa. They had appeared to be preparing to blockade the entrance into the Mediterranean from the Suez to prevent Soviet reinforcements. So why now are they helping the people they were supposed to be barring the way to? Which side were the British really on?

Hail Caesar!

The Crooked Beat

08-09-2007, 01:11

Near the Strait of Otranto

INS Faisalabad wins the distinction of being the first Hindustani Navy vessel to sink an enemy surface warship since the Malacca War, but it is a cold comfort given the grievous losses already suffered by Rajender Soni's 7th fleet further to the east. The submarine dives and moves off to the southeast at five knots. A single success does not give Faisalabad license to quit patrol early, and especially not with such a minimal enemy presence in the immediate area. Faisalabad's patrol ought to see it remaining in the Ionian Sea, and Ramsingh has every intention of lingering around the mouth of the Gulf of Taranto until his boat is immediately and directly threatened, and, given the number of anti-Leaguer submarines operating in the Mediterranean, the Italian Navy doesn't have only the extremely quiet, top of the line Faisalabad to worry about, a boat that is, for the most part, not at all detectable.

SSKs in general tend to run very quietly, and, for Ramsingh, it is still a mystery as to how the Italians happened to get themselves right on top of him like they did. The Indian Navy lost enough men in the past to faulty and outdated equipment, and, in the Bihar-class boats, the Naval Ministry made absolutely sure that it had a world-class submarine, on par with or superior to anything else in service anywhere. Extensive testing should have ironed-out all the noise problems that are bound to arise in a brand-new boat, and, indeed, if any characteristic propeller resonation or other fatal flaw was present in the design, the IN would have found it out by now. Bihar-class boats have by now been running in home waters for the better part of four years, after all. Doubtless all submarines have their particular acoustic signature, but that of AIP submarines is necessarily faint and minimal, to the point where a successful engagement probably depends heavily on active sonar and aggressive movements on the part of the submarine, as well as very close proximity. Do the Italians possess particularly effective sonar technology? Ramsingh cannot rule that out, but then again Rome would have to be running well ahead of the pack in that regard. Perhaps the Italian Navy learned the details of Faisalabad's patrol in advance. That too is a possibility that Ramsingh is not willing to discount, but a narrow one, since such information was never transmitted, but conveyed directly to Ramsingh by courier. For the time being, Ramsingh attributes Roma's former presence to simple bad luck, the same kind that has dogged Hindustani submariners since the first ill-fated T, U, and V-class boats went out after Bedgellen shipping. At the same time Ramsingh proceeds with caution, his hydrophone operators listening very carefully to the surrounding waters, lest another Italian try and sneak up on them.

Nearing Benghazi

The 7th Fleet's A/S screen does not try and pursue Italian U-212s, which are barely, if at all, audible, and which are no longer readily detectable through the use of active sonar. Rajender Soni knows that his mission is to escort a troop convoy to Tripoli, and he isn't about to lose any more of his already-depleted escort force to a potentially fruitless chase when there could very well be more enemy boats in the area. Losses are indeed painful and most Hindustanis would prefer to have something to show for their injuries, but there are more important things to take care of. After the survivors from INS Damoh are aboard the cruiser Derawar, Soni moves off towards Libya at fifteen knots, just about all the troop transports can manage.

Aboard INS Bihar itself, Admiral Khan is of course aware of the fighting that took place behind him. Judging that it was a submarine attack, he puts his boat in the likely path of any Italians trying to make it back to port. Though unable to thwart the attack completely, being well out ahead of Soni's formation and anyway not likely able to hear U-212s running silent in the first place, Khan might just be able to snap at them on their return journey. Certainly the Italians will have a hard time hearing him, but, if Scire and Todaro are rushing, and if he judges their course correctly, Khan might just hear them.

Gurguvungunit

16-09-2007, 06:39

Ft. Ste. Jeanne, Algeria

Lieutenant General David Pearson, wearing the informal uniform of a British officer on active duty and looking dull beside his brilliantly-clad French opposite numbers, stood hunched over a relief map of North Africa. His eyes traced the roads of the Kingdom of Algeria, wondering how Patton, Montgomery and Rommel had found viable supply lines through that empty expanse.

"General," he said, drawing the Duc du Normandie's attention to the map. "Might I offer a suggestion regarding Plan Yellow?" Normandie nodded and looked to where Pearson's finger indicated, a narrow track leading through Djanet and thence to Lybia. "You sought to launch a diversionary assault through Djanet, did you not?" Normandie did not respond to the question, the blue lines sketched on the map making it clear enough.

"Sir, I should point out that making such an assault is needlessly difficult, considering the impracticability of the Djanet road and the further difficulty of making any useful sally into Algeria. Instead, I should suggest another direction for the feint, make your diversion through Ghadamis, the site of your planned attack. Then, take the bulk of your armed forces through El Oued, make a run through Tunisia and attack via the Medenine-Zuwarah road. It's ambitious, I'll grant you, but the Soviets will concentrate on the Ghadamis front while you can land a series of armoured and mechanized attacks on Zuwaraha. That column will be fast moving, the goal of which will be to hit Zuwaraha quickly enough to secure a port of supply. Then you can make a follow up attack with regular infantry and artillery on the Ghadamis-Nalut road."

Lagouhat, Staging Area

When you paint a Centurion tank, attach various gaudy pennants and guidons, rip off its side skirts and otherwise cause it grief, you are left with an armoured vehicle that well resembles an AMX-30B2, the second-tier tank of the French Army decked out for war. Similarly, two columns of engineers and support staff armed with FAMAS and sitting in trucks with bolted-on 'armour plate' appeared very much like a standard unit of French troops on the march, riding their motley collection of IFVs. Add a few more trucks with rather unconvincing 'howitzers' of metal tubing, and you have what looks to be the core of a fast-moving attack force hell-bent upon destruction.

The British troops who had created this rather amusing 'mechanized column' were themselves engineers, specifically a company of same led by Captain Balenda. Coffee in hand and burnoose died around her dirty-blonde hair, Balenda giggled in a most un-officerly fashion at the ruse constructed by her company. Around, French soldiers could be seen gawking, laughing or generally wasting time off duty watching 'those peculiar Englishmen' do their work.

The French were decent men, Hannah reflected as she ducked under a metal tubing 'howitzer barrel'. They weren't Royal Marines, of course, and many of them were surprised to see a woman in the military, but they were generally respectful and good natured. Some held rather backward views on the subjects of race, religion and government, but so did many rural Britons. In the final assessment, she found it difficult to hate the big, friendly young soldiers quartered all about her in Ft. Ste. Jeanne. Much the same way, she expected, she'd find it hard to dislike the rowdy Geletian marines in Libya or the solid, kind Hindustanis.

If anything, Hannah hoped that this whole messy business could be averted. The Indians could go home, the French could make amends and repairs to ECOWAS as best they could, and the British could provide a lubricating layer between all involved. She hopped up on the frame of an ersatz AMX-30 and sipped her drink, careful to hide the Star of David that dangled about her neck deep within her tunic. No need to frighten the French overmuch, she thought ruefully. Too many years of propaganda by their government probably hadn't left the most enlightened attitude towards Jews instilled in their minds, and Hannah was just as pleased as not to avoid an incident.

Hindustani 7th Fleet

Her great pump-jets in station-keeping mode, the HMS Artful remained on the surface as Hindustani sailors were passed off to the motor launch. British medical personnel and emergency-trained sailors, their first-aid duties done, were relieved to see their charges into more capable and well-equipped hands than their own. After all, a submarine's medical stores are limited, and there had been no time nor any need to bring the wounded below to a medical bay.

Even so, Commander Yardley is saddled with the melancholy task of handing over a few dead sailors recovered from the sea, which he does in person and with murmured apologies. They are his first dead bodies of his first real war, and he is taken aback by their appearance. So like sleep, he reflects, and yet so unlike. He sees the Hindustani medical personnel off of his boat, and then retreats to his conn for a brief conversation with Rajendar Sonji in which he pays the admiral his complements and wishes him godspeed.

With that duty complete, the Artful slips once again beneath the Mediterranean's waves. As she goes, a boatswain pipes honours for the Damoh and Bengal before scrambling down the hatchway and dogging it shut behind him. Despite the armistice between Italy and Britain, there are few on-board who are not tempted to go hunting for Scire and Todaro themselves, and let the diplomats handle the ensuing mess. Being professional submariners, of course, they don't. Even so, the temptation is strong.

The Crooked Beat

28-09-2007, 01:51

Tripoli

Soni's navigation of the Gulf of Sidra is, as ought to be expected with so many Soviet warships around, uneventful. After the costly Italian submarine attack, it is a welcome change, but, at the same time, the Hindustani sailors are eager to get back into the fighting, this time unencumbered by a slow-moving convoy.

The 89th Brigade, meanwhile, disembarks in good order. Hindustani infantrymen do their best to find shade while vehicle crews sort-out the transportation arrangements. If it wasn't for their INSAS assault rifles and Australasian-style divisional insignia, they'd look almost identical to the British Indian Army soldiers who took part in the 8th Army's Libyan campaign. There are also tankers from the Guards Tank Brigade, operating a detachment of 20 MT-3s, who wear insignia and uniforms ultimately derived from the Polish Army.

Many of the Brigade's officers and NCOs have seen their own share of campaigning, and there aren't many in the INA's standing force wearing sergeant's stripes or epaulets who haven't been in combat. For most junior officers, this means the Rajasthan operation, but there is a good proportion of Malacca War veterans and even a few who fought at Andong. This wealth of experience is a source of confidence for the Hindustani troopers, as is the INA's history of fighting, and often winning, battles against numerically superior opponents. And the 89th Brigade is only one small part of a very large Soviet and Libyan front, which may well achieve numerical parity with the enemy. All the more reason, INA troopers say, to expect a victory.

Unlike the 233rd and 159th Brigades, the 89th is a fully mechanized formation, complete with attached tank, artillery, air defense, and logistics units..a small piece of the 10th Division, which, if things go as planned, ought to show up brigade by brigade over the next few weeks. Surely the parachutists and commandos have their uses, and they are all very good soldiers, but they are simply not equipped for mechanized warfare. Easy to deploy and able to stand effectively in defense though they may be, the 233rd and the 159th Parachute Brigades would likely be more useful elsewhere or in their intended role. The Planning Office in Mumbai and General Dos Santos' headquarters in Benghazi are therefore very eager to replace the light brigades with the 10th Division's heavy formations and Guards Tank Regiments. But, of course, VI Corps is subordinate to the overall Soviet command in Libya, and, ultimately, if anything happens, it happens when the Soviets say so.

Senegal

Libya, doubtless, is foremost in the minds of strategic planners on all sides of the present conflict, but, though the French offensive there has largely died-down, ECOWAS remains a major concern for the UDF. Versailles' rather unexpected and somewhat unwelcome decision to halt its ill-advised campaign against the ECOWAS states has of course rendered Mahendra Patel's 4th Army and its mission more or less moot, but the Planning Office in Mumbai remains very much intent on bolstering ECOMOG to the greatest extent possible. And though the 150,000-strong 4th Army, at least the greater part of it, may never leave the Indian Subcontinent, marine companies arrive at Dakar and Conakry on a regular basis.

Commander Parkash Jadav is in command of the Hindustani contingent in Senegal. Though, presently, it only numbers about 400 personnel, Jadav holds the rank of a regimental commander, and with any luck he will have a whole regiment in the near future. Jadav is a marine, as indicated by his navy rank and the anchors on his epaulets, and an experienced one at that, though it is hard to find a UDF marine that hasn't had any combat experience. Like many, he was present at Miyako Jima, and witnessed the eradication of a large portion of the invasion force at the hands of Bonstockian nuclear artillery.

He wades into what is a very complicated military situation. Senegal, as things now stand, is defended by the militaries of four nations. Besides the Senegalese troops and the Indians, there are close to 14,000 Malian soldiers in Senegal, who were able to escape Mali itself after the French failed to cut the road through Kayes. In terms of numbers Senegal is well-protected, with some 38,000 regular soldiers ready to repulse any attack made against its borders. But those 38,000 are not even fully motorized, to say nothing of armor and artillery support. Air resupply from the African Commonwealth goes a little ways towards evening-out the balance of forces, delivering SAMs and ATGWs, but such equipment arrives in small quantities and does not even approach requirements. Language poses a problem as well, though only from the Indian standpoint, and by some estimates just about every French-speaking Hindustani of military age is somewhere in West Africa or headed there, such is the need for translators and signalers.

But, of course, with French soldiers withdrawing from their positions across West Africa, defeat is just about the last thing on most ECOMOG soldiers' minds. Indeed, preparations are underway for an attempt at Kayes, albeit one that won't risk more than five thousand out of the 38,000 available troops. If the Kayes operation is successful, and if the Frenchmen and their allies prove to be scarce or not present altogether in western Mali, it is certainly Jadav's intention to recapture the place and, perhaps, threaten the French force in Burkina Faso at the same time. In the meantime, Hindustani marines train alongside Malian and Senegalese brigades, doing their best to pick up French and Wolof as they go along. Though nominally absorbed into ECOMOG, the Indians and ECOMOG proper are not exactly systems-integrated, and the Hindustani marines anyway try to identify the biggest problems before battle is joined and the Indians find themselves doing one thing while the Senegalese do something else entirely.

President Wade continues to meet with envoys from NATO, principally Britain, and these foreign diplomats are, now and again, invited out to watch military maneuvers or the arrival of some unit or another from overseas. Wade does his best to explain Senegal's difficult position and the difficult position that ECOWAS as a whole finds itself in nowadays, but as NATO's relationship with the French grows so does Dakar's impatience with British pledges. Diplomatic traffic is heavy between Dakar, Conakry, and Accra, and it is suggested that, as soon as possible, the ECOWAS organization hold a major summit. There is also general agreement between Kufuor, Wade, and Kouyate that Colonel Vall's Mauritania ought to be re-admitted, and Nouakchott is soon informed of this. Also discussed is a three-power defense agreement between those same three most powerful militaries in ECOWAS, designed ultimately to turn ECOMOG into a force more capable of defending ECOWAS against foreign aggressors.

Gurguvungunit

29-09-2007, 06:01

OOC: It should be noted that most of France's intransigence on this matter is to do with the fact that France is not here right now, and cannot formulate a response. So in that sense, the British really are doing the best they can!

Senegalese Border, Kayes Pass

"Clear out, monsigneur," Colonel Hebrey said in accented French. "We're taking over guard duty for this sector, I believe these are your orders?" Hebrey, a grey haired infantryman, produced a creased envelope from his breast pocket and offered it to the French colonel in command of local defence. "Oh, and before you leave? Perhaps it would be prudent to stay out of Kayes town, the people there were rather agitated when we passed through-- and we were flying the Union Flag. You follow, I'm sure?"

British and French soldiers comingled awkwardly, the Englishmen's hands creeping towards their rifles now and again as a knot of French filed past. It was an enmity as old as their respective nations, not likely to be soon forgotten even in the face of French co-operation. That said, the command transfer went off fairly well-- no knife fights.

The keen observer would note that the British were dressed a bit for show. They weren't wearing helmets or kevlar, rather sporting boonie-hats and riding in open-topped Land Rovers. The Warrior IFVs had remained at the depot, although a number of prime movers could be seen bringing up a conspicuous field gun or two as an insurance policy. In the main, though, Kayes Pass would be defended by mortars and bullets if attacked. The hope, of course, was that diplomatic efforts in Senegal would succeed where France's military had failed, and combat would be averted.

But this was no way to run a war, and 1st Brigade, The Rifles found itself in the desert, guarding a lonely pass and watching the retreat of the French column.

Versailles

"Dr. Sarkozy, a pleasure." Sir Andrew Strathairn felt uncomfortable in the palace of the Sun King, but he didn't show it. The first visit to a new capital was always awkward, that their two nations had been exchanging missiles only eight months ago made this one worse still. Short wars left long memories, and Andrew had no doubt that someone very near to him would like to run him through with a ceremonial sword. And swords there were in abundance, the event being something of a grand soiree in honour of, of all things, peace and stability in Africa. Lilting music in the grand French style played in the background, liveried footmen provided livery nibbles*, and stunning ladies in glittering dresses dazzled the assembled politicians. French, still the language of Europe's diplomacy, mingled with tobacco smoke and champagne. Andrew breathed deeply; this was the diplomacy of his fathers, done in salons and over dinner. On his arm, Christina smiled and elbowed him in the ribs. Dear God, the woman could read his mind, he swore.

Prime Minister Sarkozy of France, so unlike M. de Maurepas, smiled and left the knot of nobles in which he had been inculcated, and greeted the two of them warmly. He looked fresh and energetic, that election afterglow still fresh about his features. He could still smile, and his eyes didn't lie. Andrew missed that, sometimes.

"A pleasure," he said, shaking the French minister's hand. "I must say, we English never really did master the art of salon diplomacy as the French did."

*I'm sorry! I couldn't resist.

The Crooked Beat

02-10-2007, 01:52

Kayes, Mali

Malian irregulars watch the French withdrawal from the hills around Kayes, and their cheers, along with those of Kayes' civilian population, are likely audible for some distance. It is indeed a time for celebration, France having, it appears, abandoned its colonial ambitions, and doubtless that decision was reached at least in part due to the ferocious resistance put forth by West Africans.

Those same irregulars also watch the Union Flag being raised at former French outposts with suspicion. Having seen the French off, the Malians are at the same time not at all eager to have another potential colonial power in the area. But the English are not the French, and where the French are murderers and terrorists, as evidenced by their sacking of Bamako, and, indeed, their conduct across the West African theater, the British can be dealt with and negotiated with.

Colonel Hebrey is not at long in the region before he is visited by a Malian delegation. It is headed by a regular army sergeant, one of the soldiers assigned to the rear guard when the ECOMOG force in Mali conducted its retreat into Senegal, and besides the sergeant there are four other irregulars, wearing bits and pieces of uniform kit with civilian clothes, and carrying MAS-36 or MAS-49 rifles. They probably wouldn't impress anyone with their appearance, or their smell for that matter, having been long in the field, but they are able soldiers, whatever they might have lacked in training by now accounted-for by very real combat experience.

The Sergeant, the only one who does any saluting, identifies himself as Sergent-Chef Amadu Toro, and, while he is indeed only a Sergeant, he presently commands a mixed force of Malian Army troops and irregulars significantly larger than an infantry section. Though he is not yet sufficiently trusting of the British to give any sense of its size, Toro does mention that his commandant was killed over the course of the fighting, and none of the subalterns have escaped injury or death since. His first order of business, he says, is therefore to take care of his wounded, and Hebrey is asked if the British would treat at least a portion of the Malian casualties. It is a request that probably takes longer to articulate than usual, since Sergent-Chef Toro is not by any means fluent in French, and he doesn't speak a word of English. Being only a sergeant, Toro explains, he is not in a position to negotiate anything further, and he promises to return as soon as possible with a proper delegation, including the Mayor of Kayes and most local men of importance.

Authorities in Dakar are, of course, well-informed of the goings-on around Kayes. The Malian Army still operates a transmitter in Kayes town, though that by now transmits almost entirely Morse code. Couriers regularly make the trip to Senegal by motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot, and, likewise, several detachments of Malian soldiers have made their way back into the country in order to act as observation and liaison teams. The British take-over is not badly-received, though doubtless some Indians would have preferred that the French remain on the West African front and in so doing waste their forces in a hopeless counterinsurgency campaign. It is decided that, as soon as possible, two Malian regiments, perhaps accompanied by a troop of Hindustani light tanks, should make their way up to Kayes and re-assert the Republic of Mali's authority over at least that portion of its territory. Unioners in Senegal are entirely confident that the British will support and welcome this undertaking, and ECOMOG officers are likewise sure of Britain's generally good intent.

Gurguvungunit

02-10-2007, 05:29

Kayes Pass, 1st Battalion, The Rifles, HQ

Colonel Hebrey is surprised by the quick Malian appearance, but he hides his surprise well and motions for an interpreter to join him in the shade of the HQ Tent. Passable though his French may be, Hebrey doesn't trust it to see him through anything like a negotiation, and is relieved when Lieutenant Marchant appears.

Hebrey returns Toro's salute and patiently hears the non-commissioned officer out before responding, speaking slowly so as to give the expatriot Frenchman Marchant a chance to process and parse his speech before giving it in his native tongue. Regarding Toro's request for medical aid, Hebrey is quick to assure the sergeant that the battalion's medics will be more than willing to assist his injured men. He invites Toro to send the wounded who are safe to move to the HQ's medical tent, whereupon he indicates a much sandbagged facility inherited from the French garrison. The colonel also suggests that a medical team could be sent to Toro's own camp to treat the very severely wounded, or at least to deliver aid supplies that the Malians must almost certainly lack after weeks in the field.

The Malian soldiers who accompanied Toro are generally respected by the British, who will often nod in passing to them. If nothing else, this is a sign of respect from one professional to another. There is some concern within the British camp that the Malians will attempt to seize Kayes Pass, because by terms of the armistice Britain will be obligated to defend French 'borders' until such point as Versailles agrees to withdraw its troops as per Britain's urgent requests. There is an open question as to whether or not the 1st Battalion will be willing to shed blood in the defence of territory widely considered to belong to the Malians in any case. Certainly they would do so only under protest and with the greatest reluctance.

Beyond the camp itself, advanced scouting parties and picquets note the increased prevalence of Malian troops in the area, and report as such back to their local command posts. The 1st Battalion's takeover of the area around Kayes is fairly complete, benefiting as it does from the fortifications already built by the French occupying forces. Any incursion by Malian or Hindustani forces cannot fail to go unnoticed, although as before, it would probably be looked upon as a good thing and go largely unopposed.

Meanwhile, pressure on the French government to withdraw from Mali will only increase, probably helped along in no small way by the fact that British soldiers now hold the gateway to the nation.

President Wade's invitations for British and NATO observers do not go unheeded, and the ECOMOG will almost certainly be watched keenly by diplomats and military officers alike. Impressed by their dedication and largely sympathetic, British officers engage in the occasional meet and greet operation, shaking hands and expressing their admiration for the Republic of Mali's forces. Wade himself is told that Britain fully appreciates the difficulty of playing host to a variety of displaced governments, and he is assured that Britain will continue to support the cause of African independence. Perhaps not with guns or with training like the Indians, but better to see the French off without a fight than risk terrible bloodshed removing them. As President Wade almost certainly understands, diplomacy is a slow and complex process which requires far more time than outright war, and produced far fewer concrete returns. The British envoys assure him that they are doing everything in their power and that should his government find itself in need of anything, London will be more than happy to provide what it can.

The Crooked Beat

06-10-2007, 01:25

(OCC: Hmm... perhaps what's happened so far in Kayes is pushing things a bit, so perhaps it would be best to hold off on that for the time being. I dunno.)

Mumbai

The Defense Ministry's Planning Office is, as ever, very busy. With three major operations underway and another due to start in the near future, Unioners work double shifts just to keep on top of what has to be done, and some don't go home for two or three days. Of course, the UDF's planners are a strange bunch, and few would rather be doing anything else.

Plan Yellow is easily their biggest concern, and the planners are by no means pleased with the situation in Africa. Libya, most agree, is an important piece of territory, providing the Indians with bases on the Mediterranean from which enemy navies might be challenged in home waters, and allowing for the support and reinforcement of Yugoslavia, which, if not explicitly allied with the Indians, has a fairly amiable relationship with Hindustan. At the same time the Unioners are quite wary of pouring too many men into Libya. This is not due to the Suez Canal Authority's occasional hostility or anything to that effect, since, if push ever came to shove, Soviet and Hindustani marines would be more than capable of seizing the Canal Zone, and, furthermore, there are almost certainly enough men and supplies in Libya already to oppose any League invasion attempt.

Nigeria's army is preparing to carry out a major maneuver, and that much has been established beyond reasonable doubt. What is confusing about this, and what the planners know about Plan Yellow, is that the Nigerian Army should be trying to attack Libya from the south. This, they reflect, would be a very fortunate development, since the enemy's attack force would have to cross over a thousand kilometers of Nigerien desert, just about empty of roads and railroads, and where sources of water are few and far between. And then, of course, there is only more of the same terrain in Libya until one reaches the Mediterranean. It is a mammoth undertaking, and one that the planners believe to be not worth the trouble. They also examine the prospect of Nigerian soldiers shipping up the road network that runs through Niger and into Algeria, and joining the French attack that will almost certainly come through Tunisia, but that too is deemed an inconveniently long and difficult route.

Alternative interpretations of Plan Yellow are pursued, and Raipur is informed of these by courier. Enemy deception is to be expected, and likewise the Planning Office does its best to consider and evaluate every possibility, so that nothing comes as a surprise.

Walvis Bay

At one o'clock in the morning the UDF's 10th Fleet, by now twice reinforced and in the company of an equally large, if not larger, Soviet formation, arrives off Namibia's chief port, making the bay's semi-permanent flotilla of sailboats and yachts look especially insignificant. It is clear and the moon is not out, so the navigation lights aboard the dozens of Indian warships just a few miles out are by no means an eyesore.

A helicopter is sent out from INS Dadra & Nagar Haveli to recover the newest codebooks and dispatches, while, in the meantime, the fleet steams right through, making a slowish, but still respectable, 15 knots. Reinforcements, Admiral Tariq Singh can say with some degree of confidence, are on their way, and the embattled Marakkar to the north may well take comfort in the fact that there is a fleet, within its ranks three cruisers and several additional aircraft carriers, headed to his assistance. Admiral Singh can only regret the fact that his force was still in Indonesia at the time of the 1st Fleet's deployment, and, therefore, the Marakkar had to set out with less than the Surface Action Fleet's full strength. With any luck, Indian reinforcements ought to show up in theater within the week, soon enough, Admiral Singh reasons, to make-up for any setbacks that the Marakkar might suffer in the first stage of the battle.

Included in the dispatches returned to the carrier, however, is a very thick and heavy file, stamped "Top Secret" and obviously hot off the presses. The title page bears the characteristically blunt and ominous title "ECOMOG evacuation plan," and this of course does little to cheer the Admiral. As usual, the UDF is planning (or at least trying to plan) for all contingencies...

Nova Gaul

11-10-2007, 01:32

Slightly taller than Conan, and much heavier, Baal-pteor loomed before him, a daunting image of muscular development. His mighty arms were unnaturally long, and his great hands opened and closed, twitching convulsively. Conan released his imprisoned sword and fell silent, watching his enemy through slitted lids.

“Your head, Franconian!” taunted Baal-pteor. “I shall take, with my bare hands, twisting it from your shoulders as the head of a fowl is twisted! Thus the sons of Igovia offer sacrifice to Igo! Barbarian, you look upon a Strangler of the Pit! I was chosen by the dark priests of Igo in my infancy, and throughout childhood, boyhood and youth, I was trained in the art of slaying with the naked hands—for only thus are the sacrifices enacted. Igo loves blood, and we waste not a drop from the victim’s veins! When I was a child they gave me infants to throttle; when I was a boy I strangled young girls; as a youth, women, old men, and young boys. Not until I reached my full manhood was I given a strong man to slay on the altar of the Pit.

“For years I offered sacrifice to Igo. Hundreds of necks have snapped between these fingers…”he worked them before the Franconian’s angry eyes. “Why I fled from outermost darkness to become Igo’s servant is no concern of yours. In a moment you will be beyond curiosity. The priests of Igovia, the Stranglers of Igo, are strong beyond the belief of men. And I am stronger than any. With my hands, barbarian, I shall break your neck!”

And like the stroke of twin cobras, the great hands closed of Conan’s throat. The Franconian made no attempt to dodge or fend them away, but his own hands darted to the Igovian’s bull-neck. Baal-pteor’s black eyes widened as he felt the thick cords of muscle that protected the barbarian’s throat. With a snarl he exerted his inhuman strength, and knots and lumps and ropes of thews rose along his massive arms. And then a choking gasp burst from him as Conan’s fingers locked on his throat. For an instant they stood there like statues, their faces masks of effort, veins beginning to stand out purply on their temples. Conan’s thin lips drew back from his teeth in a grinning snarl. Baal’s eyes were distended; in them grew an awful surprise and the glimmer of fear. They stood motionless as images, except for the expanding of their muscles on rigid arms and braced legs, but strength beyond common conception was warring there—strength that might have uprooted trees and crushed the skulls of bullocks.

The wind whistled suddenly from between Baal-pteor’s parted teeth, his face was growing purple. Fear flooded his eyes. His thews seemed ready to burst from his arms and shoulder, yet the muscles of the Franconian’s neck did not give, they felt like masses of woven iron cords under his desperate fingers. But his own flesh was giving way under the iron fingers of the Franconian which ground deeper and deeper into the yielding throat-muscles, crushing them in upon jugular and wind-pipe.

The statuesque immobility of the pair gave way to sudden, frenzied motion, as the Igovian began to wrench and heave, seeking to throw himself backward. He let go of Conan’s throat and grasped his wrists, trying to tear away those inexorable fingers.

With a sudden lunge Conan bore him backward until the small of his back crashed against the table. And still farther over its edge Conan bent him, back and back, until his spine was ready to snap.

Conan’s low laugh was merciless as the ring of steel.

“You fool!” he all but whispered. “I think you never saw a man from the West before. Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Franconian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man—like this!”

And with a savage wrench he twisted Baal-pteor’s head around until the ghastly face leered over the left shoulder, and the vertebrae snapped like a rotten branch.

Conan hurled the flopping corpse to the floor, turned and took his sword with strength, and braced his feet against the floor—ready for whatever Hell sent against him.

From Conan, the Franconian: The Man-Eaters of Igovia
Released by HMCM Louis XX’s Interior Ministry, Anno Domini 2000
(Based on the Conan story of R. E. Howard The Man-Eaters of Zamboula)

Battle of the African Coast

The admiral’s bridge, high in the conning tower of the Cherbourg Battleship HMCMS Roi de Soleil was silent for a moment. The interior silence, undisturbed now save for electronic clicking, whistling, and gurgling, contrasted vividly with exterior tumult: con trails from missiles, soft blues, fluorescent greens and glittering silvers, both enemy and friendly, lit the evening with colors more resplendent than those of nature. Ferocious jets whipped about the battle line of Christendom’s greatest hope, Her most magnificent endeavor since the heathen Muslims were routed at the Battle of Lepanto. That glorious clash marked the first great Holy League in Europe, which commenced hundreds of years of life and light. So now were these proud sons of Christ, loyal servants of the true order, inviolate, eternal, taking up the armor of justice to save Europe, won before so dearly from pagans, demagogues, and the minions of hell most foul.

But the jets are what Le Merechal de Gras du Mont, Grand Admiral of the Holy League Fleet, stared out at from the silence of an impromptu conference. Christendom’s knights rode these steel steeds now, either to or from the great battle all about, despite grievous losses incarnations of warrior poets; the progeny of the Milvian Bridge, Tours’ fields, la Reconquista and Poltava’s steppes. Russian, Italian, and Spanish vessels manned by the naval lords of Europe are all linked into the silence, via coded lines of satellite, and wait from le Merechal’s apology for summoning such a conference in the midst of a conflagration exponential.

“Well, messieurs, what think you?” queried the Admiral. Silence was his response. But le Comte de Gars du Mont was patient even in the tumult: well did he know what was being asked of his brethren. Yet well too did he know their mettle, their honor, their courage, their blood. The answers were never for a moment in doubt, it came in over the audio system.

“Bozhe Tsarya Khrani.”

“Viva el Rey.”

“Ave Caesar.”

“Vive le Roi,” finished le Merechal, his throat swelling tight with righteous emotion. “God is with us, brothers all, let us therefore commit ourselves to action and worry not about what foul obstacles stand in our way. The eyes of history, seraphim and demons watch us all today. If we must lay down our lives for the Right, let it be done with praise of Christ upon our lips and weapons of war in our hands. Deus Vult!”

“Deus Vult!” they echoed in unison.

Seconds before the critical order had to be issued, a few lines from du Mont’s days at the Academy came to him unexpected. They were from the Chinese military philosopher, Sun Tzu.

Anciently the skillful warriors first made themselves invincible and awaited the enemy’s moment of vulnerability…the recollection was cut short as a deadly Indian Brahmo ASM, which had transversed the waves of CIWIS fire and zipping anti-missile missiles emanating from the fleets of Christ’s Lieutenants, slammed into HMCMS Darter, a Brest-class frigate. The frigate was picketing the hulking French battleship line, and so made itself most vulnerable to the sub-continental barrage. The base of her conning tower erupted into smoke and fire, her command crew immolated in the blink of an eye. Only by the Grace of God was the Darters second in command, fortuitously in the engine room, able to steer her out of the line of battle and north to safety.

Then, unperturbed only as a veteran of naval combat can be, as only a victor against the mighty Anglo armada was able to be, le Merechal recalled the rest of Master Sun Tzu’s dictum…For invincibility depends of one’s self: the enemy’s vulnerability on him. It follows that those skilled in war can make themselves invincible but cannot cause an enemy to be certainly vulnerable. Le Comte de Gras du Mont walked over from the conference table, spread with charts and electronic radar and satellite feeds, and prepared to make his announcement. Yet ere he did Sun Tzu called to him with a concluding thought.

“That which depends on me, I can do; that which depends on the enemy cannot be certain.” He pressed down the transmitter, and cleared his throat as the static sounded, as the ensign played the bugle foretelling a decision of command. Therefore it is said that one may know how to win, but cannot necessarily do so. Wherefore always remember: Invincibility lies always in the defense, but the possibility of victory lies always in the attack.

“Now hear this, now hear this. Messieurs, rig for a line of combat. All stations to battle preparation. Stand by for a general attack.” No sooner had the admiral finished than claxons wailed, crews let out a hurrah, and the turbines cranked up to full register. Even over the roar of gathering power the Admiral’s voice was heard one last time, augmenting the martial summoning rather than imposing itself upon it. “Courage, Christians, well shall have them yet!” Whereupon alarms, grinding engines, sailors running pell-mell overtook even the noise of fire spitting CIWIS systems, or the quick furtive zipping of missiles. All along the Grand Fleet, from the nearest Russian submarine to the farthest Spanish destroyer, the pride of Europe swung into action with a terrestrial defiance even Conan the Franconian might envy.

And the maneuvers revealed thus. The Holy League Fleet, save the tender ships hastily making flank speed north, was coming about to engage directly with the communist flotilla.

…the Attack

Attack Maneuver +1 Hour

The Russian surface contingent, with the most effective missilery, maintained their cruise and position at the northern periphery of the Grand Fleet, along with the aircraft carriers of the French and Spanish fleets. Their turn, like the outermost vortex of a frightening whirlpool, was the most gradual. Under the cold and calculating mind of the Tsar’s naval kingpin from the Winter Palace the Russians prepared for ASM wave attacks en masse against, solely, the Hindustani and Begdellan missile cruisers, recognizing that the single greatest enemy of the Holy League at the moment were Brahmo missiles spawned from the fetid pit of Hindustan. Meanwhile the Grand Fleet’s air support, mauled already by the soviets, switched to a defensive mode, an umbrella of defense, to protect the ships of Europe’s Kings in sync with their potent air defenses.

The Italian picket fleet made the next turn, along with Spanish support ships, setting up a light support line to protect the ponderous aircraft carriers of the Grand Fleet. Another wave of air defense against the wicked Igovian ship missilery.

Attack Maneuver +1.5 Hours

But it would eventually congeal for the soviets, who by now must have noticed a large change in Holy League tactics, what truly was afoot when, just as in the Glorious 12th of June a line of heavy armor, able to withstand equally heavy punishment and laden with CIWIS and AMMs, made a breakneck turn and with nuclear powered generators flaring to the red in flank speed careened down towards the center of the sub-continental line. The Hindustanis and Igovians had not broken up their fleet. Now the big guns were coming to them.

The core of the attack was three Cherbourg-class French Battleships: the Strasbourg, the Charles X, and le Merechal’s flagship Roi de Soleil. Aiding the heavy line were Spain’s three Castellan-class Heavy Cruisers: the Charles V, the Ciudad de Madrid and the Philip II. In tow also were the two daunting Roycelandian Dreadnaughts flying the fleur-de-lys, bought long ago by Versailles, the Bon Homme Royce and the Titan. Supporting the main battle line were 5 Marseilles-class Light Cruisers, 5 Roik bought Heavy Destroyers, 10 Brest-class Frigates, and 5 Spanish Frigates of the Line.

Attack Maneuver +2 Hours

And the Holy League Fleet’s vast submarine force, headed by Russia’s top notch attack submarines, was fanned out to defend the fleet from enemy submarine forces, on a mission of hostile defense. No longer in separate groups, they, like the attack fleet, came together with the purpose of a single goal.

Battle of the African Coast, cont’d

So there it was, an attack by the Grand Fleet. It was pointless to hang about and wait for Indian Brahmos…in this instance all favored the attack, wherein lay the hope of a true victory. It would be some time before contact was made, but the communists now had a very difficult decision to make: were they willing to fight in close quarters, which the soon indubitably would be compelled to do, or fall back and regroup for long range missile and air attacks?

As for le Merechal de Gras du Mont and his companions, the Lieutenants of God, tranquility reigned even to a greater extent than the rain of zipping ASM missiles and flashing CIWIS defenses. Whether the Indians chose to acknowledge the fact or not, the Holy League navies were fresh from combat against the much vaunted Anglo fleet, and against all odds had survived with favorable results. The Indian force, two times smaller at least than the European fleet, had sailed half way around the world, powered in great extent by their own hot air, to win an easy victory, their advantage a piece of technology, and a piece at that not unnumbered.

As well, in the final philosophical analysis, the Holy League had a gigantic advantage. For they of Crown, Court and Christ believed in the power of a wrathful God, surrounded by gleaming legions of painfully beautiful angels prepared perpetually to storm the gates of hell. They raised their voices to heaven in peace, when they fought, and when they died. Against that the communists believed in a perverted schema of secular humanism peppered with the scribbling of Marx, a fat lecher, and Graeme Igo, a raving madman. All along the Grand Fleet, many Christians would make the ultimate sacrifice, and ‘yea though they sailed across the sea of the shadow of death, they would fear no evil.’

A battle of ideology, maybe even greater than that of naval armament, was rising to fruition. History watched.

((Now, before I get a bunch of complaints of fake moves or ‘too much, too quick’ I just want to point out this was in large part a ceremonial post, as I really don’t have the resources right to even list the entirety of the Holy League Fleet, much less that of Hindustan and Beth Gellert. I am just taking the reigns of the naval battle, one I sought to avoid as I am not as tech-inclined as LRR is. However with Quinn wading through a Masters degree and with AMW faltering without the naval battle being concluded, I had no choice. This is just a basic layout of a plan, and I would appreciate very much a slow response from LRR, so we can ‘get our bearings’ to use naval nomenclature. It is my introduction to the naval battle, that is all; once again please give me room to respond before we really dig in here. Quinn, if anything I have hinted at in the above post is contrary to any of your actions simply chime in with the comment and it will be amended. Vecron, please feel to adjust if I misrepresented what Rome has involved. As a matter of fact I would be delighted if Quinn and Vecron can keep posting as yourselves, that of course would be blissfully ideal. Por favor! I posted off the premise that it would be better to resume events now than to wait another month or so while I compile things, and furthermore, if LRR is willing, that such a compilation can be expedited and made more enjoyable through posts warming up to larger battle. As a matter of fact, LRR, maybe you could cater your response so I know what ships you have and where they are? That’d be grand. And please, LRR once again, keep in mind the maneuver has only just begun. I pray you do not use my tech. ineptitude against me, at least for the first couple posts. This is very hard for me to do (massively difficult especially considering I am resuming from Quinn after his own style), a huge high tech. naval battle, so thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Also, I noticed a lot of activity going on in Libya. As far as I am concerned there has been no activity there since BG and I engaged in a series of dogfights, which had to be postponed in light of the unconcluded naval battle. I am not saying moves there are invalid, only that they will have to wait until the timeline gets to them, i.e. the Progressive alliance cannot move armies there willy-nilly in an interim, and for that matter neither can I.

And it is good to post again too, ciao mes amis!))

Gurguvungunit

12-10-2007, 02:21

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=534425
^OOC Thread, just in case y'all forgot^

Beddgelert

12-10-2007, 04:43

With a great distance still between their fleets, Sovietists at least will be delighted to see the enemy turning to engage. With Russia's best missiles expended and India's on their way, the main fear of Igovians was that the enemy would escape far enough towards the coast to receive shore-based aviation support. To see ships charging, and to find submarines dashing along to support them, that was almost too much to hope for: Indian submarines can virtually sit still, silent, and take their pick of obvious targets, Soviet boats at least able to have their torpedoes swim out quietly rather than launching them, especially since the enemy is a closing target and there is little need for haste.

Still, the fleet's response is down to the Hindustani admiral... unless he tries to stop Geletians from causing a massacre, in which case one must merely wish him good luck and dive for cover.

Soviet Cosmonautical forces at least are on a tighter rein, and the Atlantic battle is their major object. The Holy League's forces in theatre will find their satellite data increasingly hard to come by as PCC micro-orbiters and parasites crash into French and Russian satellites or latch on and scramble their circuits and data, and almost daily it seems that the People's Cosmonautical Co-operative is launching more anti-satellite weapons from Chennai, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere. A handfull of more conventional surface-to-space missiles are launched as well and blast League satellites over the Atlantic. The Soviet decision to drop the strategic nuclear arsenal and free-up hundreds of ICBMs for other duties seems perhaps more clear even as the League's vision of the earth from above becomes less so.

(OOC: Good to see some things moving again. I'm sure that LRR and whoever is taking over League operations will fill in the detail on NG's general action. I just wanted to remind everyone of independent Soviet actions, and the nature of the Soviet crews theoretically under the Hindustani Admiral's command!)

Vecron

12-10-2007, 21:42

OOC: Well, NG, I actually don't have any ships committed to the naval battle (I know, not the news you want to hear). But I have committed some ships to the fleet in the Mediterranean to help with the assault on Tripoli and am waiting for any instructions on how to best help Plan Yellow.

Gurguvungunit

13-10-2007, 08:41

Portsmouth

A dockside observer would be astounded, no doubt, to see part of a ship's midsection dangling from cranes above his head. Even moreso for the fact that, judging by the size of the hull and the complex construction of her bulkheads, she was easily comparable in size to the Quinntonian Iowa or any of her sisters, but designed upon the lines of a modern missile cruiser. Great rectangular holes cut in her deck made space for VLS cells and RAM pods, and sealed containers brought down the Thames under guard contained sensitive radar units.

The ship was growing.

BAE Systems Test Field, outside of Manchester

"Systems check!" Doctor Eberhard Kluge bent over his laptop and scanned the data readouts and temperature checks for anomalies. "Ignition system checks out. Airfoils check out. Guidance system... within parameters."

Closer to the test subject, an engineer in BAE whites touched his volt meter to various connection points, inspecting the subject for electrical anomalies that would interfere with the experiment. "Reading clear flow from guidance computer to engines and airfoils. Bit jumpy on the radar, but we should be fine for launch." Kluge nodded and input some values into the fields on his computer before turning to his colleague, Doctor Ivan Ulianov, attache from the Tsar. Ulianov leaned over and inspected the laptop for himself before giving a terse nod of his own.

"Begin test fire," Kluge said. "Clear the subject and release the carriage." The engineer yanked a few bolts from the subject's cradle before jogging back towards Kluge and Ulianov. The two doctors observed from behind a few centimetres of plexiglass, and once the engineer had safely joined them Kluge keyed in a sequence on his keyboard.

The subject, a large missile whose nose took the shape of a truncated cone and whose midsection sported four rather impressive guidance fins, belched fire and shot from its mounting frame. The ballistic trajectory was traced in red on Kluge's screen, following exactly the path expected considering the guidance orders it had been given.

And then, all of a sudden, it didn't. The missile performed an unlikely twist in the air, leaving a corkscrew of smoke and flame behind it, the character of which changed from an encouraging light grey to nearly black.

"Doctor?" Ulianov appeared rather amused. "Your missile is misbehaving." Said missile, its guidance clearly much abused by something, flamed out momentarily and then sputtered. It glided groundwards, engine dead, and impacted the damp English countryside in a much dented and charred state.

"The bloody hell happened?" The engineer was already on his way, accompanied by several more as-yet untasked BAE employees. They travelled by land rover, not really relishing the idea of an eighteen hundred metre round-trip on foot.

Fifteen minutes of driving, poking, swearing and more driving later, they returned the verdict. Test subject Longbow-X1 had impacted with a sparrow of the common European variety, causing catastrophic failure of the intake ram which prevented proper functioning of the ramjet engine. Ulianov looked smug.

"You see now why we included the cowling on our Yakhont, yes?"

The Crooked Beat

15-10-2007, 02:37

(OCC: To tell you the truth I'm pretty damn confused right now, so everyone ought not to take what I post here too seriously, and, likewise, I'll try and limit its scope as best as possible.)

The Atlantic Battle

For Hindustan, the battle with the Holy League off West Africa is already a disaster. Ali Khan Marakkar rounded the Cape of Good Hope with 15 surface combatants, and he will return with, at most, six. Such losses are unheard-of in the Indian National Navy, which rarely lost two warships in the same engagement, let alone nine.

A major disaster for Hindustan, but, for the Indians taken together, the battle is far from over. Probably due to their more modern, generally better-protected warships, Soviet sailors have suffered relatively light casualties. Where the Marakkar's own 1st Fleet might be shattered, the Indian fleet as a whole is still a highly potent fighting force, which includes at least 40 major surface warships and four fleet submarines. Perhaps the enemy has more hulls in the battle than the Indians, but the most of these, as the Marakkar realizes, are extremely limited in terms of their combat effectiveness. The Russian fleet, for one, is full of A/S corvettes and frigates, and the only Russian ships that might actually stand a chance in a one-on-one encounter with a Soviet frigate are the Kirov and Slava Class heavy cruisers. According to available intelligence, the Russians only field six of them. French warships may be superior to their Russian counterparts in terms of construction quality, but the fact remains that none of them carry a long-range ASM and none of the frigates are equipped with a vertical-launch system for their SAMs. Whereas all the Soviets, and indeed the surviving Hindustanis as well, can launch a volley of missiles to meet any incoming air threat, Frenchmen, at least those aboard their frigates, will only be able to spit-out their own SAMs one at a time, a severe liability in modern naval warfare, especially when facing anti-ship missiles that can only really be defeated by the best SAMs and lots of them. The same, the Marakkar is certain, goes for the Italians, though the Spaniards may well have arrived with some of their superb Alvaro de Bazan class frigates. Indeed, unless the League managed to undertake a gigantic naval expansion program in total secrecy, nothing else could be the case.

The only questionable element in the League fleet, is, of course, its battleships and light cruisers. These do not concern the Marakkar, a veteran destroyer commander, too greatly. Experience has taught him how to deal with such things, and if the French expect to catch him in gun range they don't know very much about the nature of naval warfare in India for the past 50 years. As far as the Indians are concerned the real threat remains that posed by the Russians' long-range missiles, a threat that they can still counter effectively with SCS-400 missiles.

With the carriers and fleet train withdrawing towards friendly ports in the south to await reinforcements, orders go out from INS Zhob to break escort formation and re-order into battle divisions, more appropriate for a surface action group including almost solely skirmishing vessels. Immediately the destroyer mentality kicks in, and flank speed is made. Together with the Soviet Chainmail-class cruiser, INS Zhob, INS Sadiqabad, INS Rahimyar Khan and CS Petropavlovsk make-up the Flag Squadron. Ten skirmishing divisions are formed out of the remaining escorts, INS Vikram taking the place of the sunk CS Greyhound. INS Srivardhan, her decks crowded with over 300 rescued sailors, a handful of them Russian submariners, is ordered to make for port after conducting the attack that apparently put a French frigate out of action. Her ten Brahmos missiles did not have exactly the desired effect, and under most circumstances Darter would be dealing with far more than a destroyed superstructure after being hit with a Brahmos, but doubtless the Leaguers had to use a fair few of their SAMs to bring those ten missiles down, and those are empty VLS tubes or magazine spaces for when the main attack comes.

Soviet captains and sailors, especially aggressive, confident, and by no means afraid of death, are very happy with the change of tactics and formation. They must, the Marakkar thinks, be pleased that battle is finally being joined in earnest, and that, for the first time in the engagement, the two surface fleets will have the opportunity to attack one another directly. And in the likely event that he dies, Ali Khan Marakkar is further confident in that the Soviets will be entirely capable of carrying-on with the battle themselves.

It isn't at all long before AEW helicopters flying out ahead of the Indian ships pick-up the telltale signature of incoming ASMs. Not yet Exocets or short-range Russian weapons, but, of all things, the well-respected and quite worrying P-500 and P-700, since, at this distance, the League will find itself incapable of lashing-out with anything else. For this onslaught the Indians are ready.

Aboard INS Vikram

"Air alert! 104 hostile contacts inbound at supersonic speed, designate 40 P-700, 64 P-500!"
"Incoming enemy missiles! All crew prepare to engage!"

INS Vikram (Hero in English) is one of the UDF's newest warships and is fitted accordingly, with the latest radar, self-protection, and weapons systems. An experienced crew and veteran captain prepare to meet the incoming Russian ASMs, confident that their training and their superb new vessel will carry them through. The Russian missiles are still a ways off, so Vikram and the three other Soviet frigates in her division don't yet take any evasive action. Reversing direction in a bid to out-range the Russian missiles would not likely work in this instance, given that both the enemy's missile types are presently well within their engagement envelopes. Sure enough, it is not long before single P-500s, flying high to guide the rest of the deadly formation, and then the main body of low-flying Russian missiles, appears on the radar scopes. Radar also shows airborne Sea Kings, Ka-32BGs, and Dhruvs acting as missile decoys, fitted with equipment that both mimics the radar emissions of the warships in the main battlegroup and attempts to jam the P-500's terminal-stage active radar at least.

The Hindustanis at the radar scopes watch as a fair few of the Slava-launched P-500s, the older of the two missile types, veer off course and track the decoys. This does not elicit any emotional response from the command crew, who are well aware of the fact that the 40 most dangerous missiles, and 20 P-500s, are still very much on course and inbound. Not a dozen kilometers away, though, an air defense division consisting of Gauntlet Class frigates swings into action. Cheers do ring out as the Soviet warships in that division let loose with 36 SCS-400 missiles, the Indians' best defense against Russian P-700s. Radar contacts come together and disappear as all three Gauntlet divisions, some 14 hulls total, defend the fleet, firing some 112 SCS-400s at the incoming missiles. The Soviet Chainmail-class cruiser adds 16 of its own missiles to the effort. Surviving Type 42s also empty their VLS cells, having used-up most of their ordnance earlier to defeat the thousand or so incoming, but very slow-moving, anti-ship configured Kh-55 cruise missiles.

Dozens of Russian missiles are blotted out of existence over a hundred kilometers away from the Indian fleet by the large, fast, and powerful SCS-400 SAMs, treating a few outlying AEW helicopter crews to a frightening and quite unwanted fireworks display. Sea King and Ka-32BG pilots (or at least the Hindustani Sea King pilots, seeing as many of them are adherents to some religion) pray that their IFF transponders perform up to standard, because, if they don't, Soviet SAMs designed to shoot down the most modern fighter aircraft and missiles ought not to have much trouble at all engaging slow-moving helicopters.

The jubilation is short-lived, however. It soon becomes clear that, in spite of everything, 15 P-700s and three P-500s were able to penetrate the barrage. A small number of enemy missiles maybe, but enough to cause damage of a most serious nature.

"Two missiles tracking! Designate one P-700 and one P-500 at supersonic speed!"
"Engage targets!"

Vikram's captain knows full well the danger that he and his crew presently faces. Two very fast and very large ASMs are tracking his ship, which has already expended half its compliment of Loviatar-S SAMs. The frigate maneuvers to face the P-500, giving the forward 30mm CIWS gun a clear shot while the remaining Loviatars are used against the P-700.

The Loviatars close in on the enemy P-700 and blow it to bits, but the P-500, on paper the less dangerous of the two missiles, is still very much on its way. Decoy launchers fire chaff rounds in an effort to steer the missile away from Vikram, but it is no use, and the 30mm CIWS gun, the ship's last line of defense, is activated. The action takes place very quickly, and, two hundred meters off Vikram's starboard bow, the P-500 explodes. Missile fragments, some of them actually pieces of armor, pass through the frigate's unarmored superstructure easily, causing 15 injuries, some of them quite serious, and putting the same CIWS gun that destroyed the missile out of action. Other than that, however, the Vikram is one of the lucky ones. Three Bodkin Class frigates are hit, despite the best efforts of their squadron mates and escorts, along with two Gauntlets, serving to demonstrate in a most bloody manner the fact that even the most modern and well-protected warships are susceptible to equally modern and lethal ASMs. Every one of these vessels is destroyed completely, generally with heavy casualties. Unarmored escort vessels do not generally take impacts with objects moving at over two times the speed of sound at all well, especially when those objects are carrying several hundred kilograms of explosives at the same time. Vikram's own motor launches retrieve 59 survivors from CS Mikhail Bakunin, which was, minutes ago, obliterated by a pair of P-700s.

Aboard INS Rahimyar Khan

Captain Peral picks himself up off the floor of his destroyer's bridge, which is by now slick with blood, some of it Peral's own. With all its Akash SAMs spent, Rahimyar Khan was left without its most potent anti-missile defenses, and a single P-500 managed to get past the CIWS and decoys, duly slamming into the funnel and scattering burning debris across the deck.

It is a miracle, reflects, Peral, that his ship's back isn't broken, given the size of the P-500's warhead. Medical personnel are soon on the bridge to deal with casualties there, and, wiping the blood out from his eyes, Peral goes outside to look at the back end of the Rahimyar Khan. Aft of the bridge there is not much in the way of superstructure, and collapsed radar masts lie twisted and blackened across the deck. Damage control parties in fire-retardant gear do their best to control the fires and evacuate casualties, many of whom survived the sinking of other Hindustani Type 42s. By now the turbines, though still entirely functional, have been shut down, leaving the ship dead in the water so the damage control parties don't have as difficult a time fighting the flames.

The hull might be together, but, according to Peral's executive officer, who is on scene to inspect the damage, there is significant damage down to the waterline and a large crater of wreckage, the likes of which has already started to flood. And the fires raging in the crater itself, says Commander Yali, are further weakening the already-damaged hull amidships.

"That's it, then, Yali. It would appear that she is lost. All hands, prepare to abandon ship!"

INS Sadiqabad comes alongside Rahimyar Khan and lowers its motor launches, ready to receive the stricken destroyer's crew as it takes to the water. Captain Peral is, as per tradition, the last to leave the destroyer, which is then sunk by close-range fire from Sadiqabad's 4.5 inch gun. It is the fifth Hindustani Type 42 lost in the fight so far, and, hopefully, the last.

Not far from the wreck of Rahimyar Khan, CS Petropavlovsk makes slow headway, having been struck in the bow by a P-700 missile. The gunboat is by no means destroyed, but her bows are sheared off and she sits low in the water, making only nine knots. Damage control parties work feverishly to control flooding in the lower compartments before the machinery spaces are put out of action.

Six warships destroyed and a seventh heavily damaged; it is not the result that Ali Khan Marakkar would have hoped for, but one that is by no means unexpected. The Indians have, more or less, run the Russian gauntlet, and shortly they will be able to deliver, perhaps at shorter range, their own devastating missile barrage, larger and using more modern ordnance. The Brahmos itself will likely play a minimal role in the attack, given that all but three Brahmos-carrying platforms have yet to be sunk or withdrawn, but the Soviets operate the very similar Charioteer. Split into divisions and with no carriers or fleet train to protect, the Marakkar's fleet is a good deal more flexible, very much like the destroyer formations that the Indian Navy used to good effect in the past. Quick to maneuver and not bound to any particular formation, the Indians are well-organized to avoid just the kind of pincer maneuver that the French seem to be planning. They will get to within 200 kilometers of their targets, launch their missiles, and get out of there before enemy battleships are anywhere near within gun range. With another strong Soviet task force and the Hindustani 10th Fleet a few days' sailing away, the Marakkar plans to do as much damage as possible now and come back later to finish the job, so that the Indians' severe numerical disadvantage is offset somewhat.

(OCC: I'm not going to launch my missiles in this post, since NG said he wanted to take things slowly and the firing of about 190 ASMs against the Franco-Russian fleet would seem to be a fairly important event, and maybe even what I've done now might be too much too soon.

Anyway, right now there are 22 Bodkin-class general warfare frigates (one of them Hindustani), 12 Gauntlet-class fleet defense frigates, two Type 42 destroyers, one Chainmail-class cruiser, and one Black Flag-class heavy gunboat (with damage as described above, armament still mostly operable but severely reduced speed) in the Indian fleet. So far the Indians have lost some 20 warships (18 sunk, 2 withdrawn) and just about their entire air wing, with CS Petropavlovsk heavily damaged and likely to be withdrawn in the near future before it is in danger of being left behind.

One thing has me a bit confused, though: after launching their Charioteers against the enemy fleet, the four Soviet Anunkais moved north to interdict Spanish reinforcements that, it appears, have already arrived. Would it be reasonable to assume that they are, in light of that, in front of the enemy fleet, waiting to launch torpedoes at it?)

Beddgelert

16-10-2007, 08:49

(OOC: Yes... ah, nevermind, I suppose I'll try to use IC to confirm any unclear Soviet positions. I'm having trouble remembering exactly what's where, myself! Did I mention bringing any Ortiagon SSKs in this fleet, or the secondary one that's on its way? If I didn't, we'll assume a few with the reinforcements, the Oceanic Guard reactivating older Hounds to boost numbers in the Indian Ocean in the short term. Er, this will be where we are, and what we will do when the HL players and LRR are ready for it to be done.)

This sea battle, it seems to the Igovians, probably ranks with the likes of Jutland and... well, the recent Anglo-French engagement, as amongst the absolute biggest since the end of the age of sail, and certainly it must be the biggest in which Indian forces have taken a leading role. Certainly the Principality and the First Commonwealth never saw action like this on the waves, and virtually all are glad to have experienced Union officers directing the dispersal and attitude of the surface element.

With surface fleets still a few hundred kilometres apart, though closing fast, the Commonwealth Oceanic Guard's present quartet of Anunkai Class SSGNs is indeed to be found -or more likely not- between the two sides, running at near standstill speed on secondary electric drive... probably the quietest that any nuclear boat in the world can be. The Christian fleet is well within missile range for these vessels, but 517mm torpedoes are the order of the day. With the League's forces engaged in an all out charge there seems virtually no chance of them detecting the Anunkais -which are already picking their targets (including enemy submarines, moving much faster and as such louder than they)- before it's too late.

All four Captains intend to have guided torpedoes swim out at minimal speed and wait until only hundreds of metres remain between they and charging targets before throttling up for an attack run. This means that the enemy will almost certainly not detect torpedo launches, almost certainly not realise how many submarines are in front of them or exactly where they are, and have at most a few seconds after detecting closing torpedoes before suffering multiple impacts at flank speed. When the Soviet boats know their first torpedoes to be throttling up, they will probably launch second spreads, possibly including straight-running torpedoes aimed by best-guess to interdict enemy ships that swerve to avoid tracking torpedoes and presumably deploy countermeasures.

...There after it is not really the Soviet way to attempt an escape. There won't be enough torpedoes in the water to destroy every enemy ship, and while any are afloat and weapons remain in Soviet magazines, the Anunkai will be as likely to creep in amongst scattering, sinking, and charging League vessels to continue the attack.

While Geletians are not renowned or generally enthusiastic mariners, and while these submariners may well get themselves into a deadly tight spot by pressing their attack, it is true at least that what little spirituality remains in their race makes the ocean a good place to die. If anything in the universe has supernatural associations for the Indian Celts it is water, into which sacrifices have been made since pre-history. Those who have died, and those that will die, are glad at least to have their bodies accepted by what their ancestors believed to be the gateway to another world.

This is especially significant aboard Petropavlovsk. The ship herself is marked for death here, and, the Soviets being aware of this before she sailed on what is planned as her last sortie, she is crewed largely only by the most fanatical, the most crazy, or simply those in India who find themselves bored of life. The Black Flag Class was never a good design, never popular, and always home to angry crews, and, even wounded, Petropavlovsk is likely to fight on until the end to which she and her hands are already resigned. To die in victory, after all, is the best way for a Geletian, and if the French want a gun duel they may yet find one wounded old warrior prepared to give it, especially if it helps her comrades to beat a tactical retreat.

Nova Gaul

16-10-2007, 23:41

Concessions…

The last French marines are evacuated by Australasian and British forces from New Caledonia (thence to France), where they lately surrendered Ft. St. Martin to the Empire along with the Island which hosted it, at roughly the same time as the last of the Bourbon troops leave Gibraltar. It is a major step which proves the French and their allies made good on their earlier promises to Britain, Australasia, and the United States of Quinntonia.

In Portugal Spanish troops have nearly totally evacuated, and await only the arrival of German Peacekeepers as per the London Accords.

Battle of the African Coast

((Please see comments below about my naval post.))

The proud line of the Holy League fleet, the French and Spanish line of war with modern battleships and cruisers, cut south majestically. Admiral de Gras du Mont was quite cognizant of the capabilities of Indian missilery, and was only too aware of how French missilery compared to theirs. There was no denying it; even now the Bourbon navy force was dreading the immanent Hindustani barrage. It was only a mater of time, and de Gras could not avoid the inevitable. He hoped, however, they would survive it. Though the Progressives forces would be sorely mistaken if they believed the French Cherbourg battleships and to some extent the Spanish Castellan heavy
cruisers did not have multiple SAM response systems, the Cherbourg’s at least having been designed to withstand just such a missile assault, having been designed to weather it and continue on and engage relatively lighter ships with heavier guns. All this was of little consolation to le Merechal, as he would have to weather a horrendous Soviet missile assault in person.

He was therefore, having made his plans and dealt successfully with the English likewise before, committed to his maneuver. The Franco-Spanish battle-line, augmented with two Roycelandian Dreadnaughts, thundered towards the Hindustani fleet. He sought to force the Hindustanis to make a decision: to stay and conduct missile salvos against the Holy League fleet, and expose themselves to a closer engagement where French second-tier anti-ship missiles like the Exocet II came into play, along with perhaps actual running gun battles, or withdraw and take secondary shots, bereft in full maneuvers of total missile accuracy. So the Franco-Russo-Spanish fleet continues to draw out the play, hunkering down and keeping heir grit.

As he continued of his way, le Merechal instructed his Russian allies to deploy all their weaponry against the communists. He asked them to, even in the face of an immanent assault, to let loose with more P-500’s under their stores were depleted. One thing the Holy League intended to exploit was it proximity to supplies, and the Progressive distance from revictualing. Air attacks had to continue.

Meanwhile, far from marching in Napoleonic formation as the Soviets seemed to believe, Holy League submersibles were preparing for massed attacks against Progressive undersea forces. Not so far ahead of the battle line to be without support, the Russian Alpha class submarines, paired with the French Nantes class, top tier attack subs all, collate sonar and satellite reports, and prepare possible attack vectors the purpose of which is to simply eliminate the Soviet submarine as threats to the battleships. In a moments notices they intend to fan out, zip away, and fight in territory that suits them, not trot along twelve feet and surfaced form the Charles X.

The French, together with their allies, need a decisive victory. The French crown in particular was willing to risk a decisive defeat for a victory, but if the Soviet navy regrouped together and stronger all shall have been for naught. It was indeed hard to imagine any sort of success in Africa against massed enemy armies if their navy, at least an element of it, could not be destroyed so close to home waters. To that end Monsieur l’Admiral de Gras du Mont, who had been critically wounded in the Glorious 12th of June. His aim would astound the Soviets; he wanted to go in full bore to engage even their carriers now moving south. He wanted the Spanish fleet to join in him a nautical pincer movement and together route the Progressive fleet. He would be satisfied though, in reality, if he could even get in blows of his own similar to those struck already by the Russians.

One more element was yet to come into play, but it did so now. This tactic was again gained from l’Admirals encounter against the British on the 12th of June. Taking off from Las Palmas in the Canary Island came the Cherubim Wing of the Ordu du Saint-Esprit, seventy-two Roycelandian made Lancaster-II Strategic Bombers. They were far away from the conflict as yet, but as they evidenced in their thunderous take of from the Island, nothing so much like heavy cavalry rushing in to aid the beleaguered, in hours they would be in range to launch their Exocet Mk. III’s, the first of several hundred completed at the Royal Armory in Lille. These missiles were basically copies of the Russian P-500, designed to be launched from the air. Their target was, if possible, communist aircraft carriers. If not, they were to primarily target the Soviet cruiser line and secondarily deploy against anything in range. Escorting them are three squadrons of Dassault Rafales, thirty-six aircraft, of the Spanish two squadrons from the El Cid Wing and one of the French Knights Errant Wing. If the socialists unleash their weaponry against the Christian forces in a veritable orgy of missile salvos, as they looked poised to do, the bombers and their perhaps unknown armament (with Progressives no doubt suspecting the bombers carried the earlier Exocet Mk. I) would come as an unwelcome addition to Soviet strategy.

But the order of the hour was to wait for the incoming Progressive missile assault. And to the Russians, turn out your missiles again and again. Continuously. Obdure went the motto in Latin: Endure! In that hour the sons of Europe did not falter.

Ft. Kourou, New Provence

Once again running smoothly under French control the headquarters of The Royal Academy, tucked away in the jungles of South America, had not been idle in registering Soviet anti-satellite moves. The latest data showed Soviet machines had indeed significantly affected the French satellite network, causing the loss of some seven modules. While at such levels the French network would not be critically affected for some time, the Igovian technology was not ‘godlike’ after all, Versailles could hardly ignore such direct threats to its vitality.

French technology, it is true, was never geared towards developing such weapons, despite criticism the Restoration military had focused on several key areas and concentrated on them. Regrettably at this time advanced satellites warfare had not been among those key areas, but France was not a billions plus bloc of Hindus and Celts after all. Indeed, Versailles efforts at producing a stealth bomber proved so price prohibitive the project was cut after only producing several prototypes, the failed Dassault Martel project. What was well within the Academy’s ability was what was decided upon: a two prong solution to the Soviet satellite warfare initiative.

On the one hand satellites, throughout the Holy League but coordinated by the cutting edge French facility in Guiana, were fixed with frequency modulation systems. The coded fluctuations distorted the satellites exact coordinates, and in the vastness of space even a centimeter would be enough between existence and destruction. The other prong was simpler: launch more satellites. Many commercial models which had lain in inactivity since the commencement of hostilities, deployed via the superb Ariane system, were basically retooled for intelligence and military operating platforms. What resulted was a burgeoning secondary network, which would in the mean time serve as a band-aid against further Igovian space warfare. Daily launches, fueled by the surplus of commercial models abandoned in the atmosphere of total war, now characterized the once again functioning base.

Canal+ International News Release

Patrice Besenubinga
Lagos, Nigeria AP- Shortly after dawn the results of the provisional elections in Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Togo, Benin were announced and released to the public. The Union for a Popular African Movement, an occident-friendly coalition which has vowed to restore order, immediately assuage the dilapidated humanitarian situation, and set up a program for equal rights under the law has won in all five states, albeit with narrow margins in Cote d’Ivoire. Other than the general elections themselves voters in Togo and Benin voted to unify their two fractured states, that particular vote winning by a substantial margin. Prince Emanuel Joseph-Desire Mobutu, who won by the largest margin a mandate as constitutional monarch under parliament, declared today ‘a most positive development, one that commences Africa’s prosperity and social justice’. Preliminary results suggest competition parties, notably a host of well organized socialist and right-wing alliances in Burkina Faso have come in close behind UMPA candidates. Speaking at a victory conference in Ouagadougou amid his peers, Sultan Walid of Mali, Prince Leopold of Togo-Benin, Prince Ferdinand of Cote d’Ivoire, and President Taya of Mauritania (about whom more later) Joseph-Desire Mobutu SeSe Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Benga, who has assumed the mantle of UMPA’s leading voice, assured the eyes of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and all the ‘goodly countries of the world’ that “the Union for a Popular African Movement has assumed an awesome responsibility. Not only are we faced with the challenge of rebuilding states destroyed by corruption, war, and rebel insurgency, we must build an infrastructure which can heal Mother Africa’s grievous wounds. But we do not forget that it was the Kingdom’s of Europe which gave us legs to stand on…legs than will never stand for the sinister and warlike encroaches of the Soviet Commonwealth and Hindustan.” He concluded his thoughts “yet most of all we must build consensus with other parties to build a successful, and functioning, prosperity in West Africa. I, and the UMPA government which I serve, anxiously await the participation of Mother Africa’s copious and manifold political ideologies.”

The provisional government was elected to serve for only one year, and it is indeed a pressing question to see whether or not the Union for a Popular African Movement will be able to make good on its many promises. Quinntonian observers, along with British officials, have been invited by the UMPA electees to donate aid if they so pleased, as well as monitor within reason the actions of the new government.

Niger, in similar news, passed a referendum which supported the presence of Nigerian peace-keepers, human aid workers, and administrators. One anonymous marketer in Niamey was quoted as saying “now is the time for Niger and Nigeria to come together, not apart. No more fighting; lets work on what can help Africa.”

L’Hotel Mercure Silmande, Ouagadougou, French Front Command

The hotel, formerly a neglected three-star affair, more like two, nevertheless was the largest and fortuitously most luxurious of the constructs in Ouagadougou. After weeks of occupation it now boasted steel and concrete reinforced walls, sandbagged anti-aircraft equipped balconies, and layers of razor wired -trenches protecting it from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the liberated West African city. Within in its bolstered exterior the French Front Command, the single nexus of His Most Christian Majesty’s African war effort south of High Command in Fte. Ste. Jeanne d’Arc, high ranking officers poured over satellite and intelligence relays managing the minutiae of the conflict. African coalition grandees, such as the Prince Leopold, lived within its apartments.

Spending a pleasant repast in one of these chambers even now was President Taya, who, though ruler of Mauritania, seemed to spend most of his time gallivanting around to win support. His bed was large and comfortable; the nightstand beside it was littered with several drained liquor and champagne bottles, dirty plates with bits of foods still on them, and cigarette butts which had been put out in the food on the plates. It was just a little after dawn, not minutes after the press release of election results. He was snoring indulgently, the thick curtains shutting out the blinding morning light. The TV, having played its fare share of DVD reruns of Taya’s speeches, was now the static of white and black.

The curtains were thrown back with military precision shortly after the trio of black uniformed agents strode into the President’s apartment, the door snapped back so quickly that the sound was hushed.

“Bon jour Monsieur le President!” greeted the officer as Taya blink and squirmed around, groggy and still trying to get his bearings.

The three men were Marechaussee, with black uniforms, black jackboots, and a stainless steel deaths-head emblem on their collars. The officer wore a fine silver cravat in stark contrast to his somber uniform, bedecked with a small gold fleur-de-lys and some like silver epaulets. “Pray forgive me from interrupting your slumber, but you are late for your rendezvous with destiny. I am Major Auguste Chambert, Marechaussee Special Security Detachment, 1st African Battalion.”

An hotel aide brought in a tray laden with breakfast food, which is to say a small glass of orange juice, a slightly larger cup of coffee, and two plaster croissants. “Some reading material for breakfast,” the major put down a thin wax paper classified dispatch, next to one of the heavy duty croissants.

Taya, having downed his luke-warm coffee with a thirsty hang-over gulp, lets his bleary eyes scan over the document. They popped wide open. “You cannot be serious!”

“Indeed,” said the major, nodding purposefully over two valets who had come in and begun to pack up Taya’s things “I am. Please do eat up, Monsieur le President. We have a long journey, and little time. But do not worry, I will be there to protect you every step of the way.” With quick reflexes Chambert cut and buttered a slice of croissant, handing it to Taya, who ate it mechanically. He ate another, then washed it down with the orange juice. “Why, though? Why do I have to go back to Mauritania?”

“I’m perfectly happy here right now!”

At this point Taya’s goods were packed, and a train of valets was hauling them from the room. One of the Marechaussee agents removed the breakfast tray. He then helped Taya up, and into a freshly tailored quasi-military uniform.

“Well, Monsieur le President,” answered Major Chambert “, it’s fairly simple. How can we, in the universal sense, form a legitimate government in Africa when our most legitimate figure doesn’t have the balls to take charge of his own distraught country! Now hear this, Excellency, the victory lamp is on, and in a short period of time, so help me God, you’re going to be giving a press conference in Mauritania. And, so help you God, the Most Christian King, our boss, who has been getting very annoyed lately, will be watching that. No worries, sir” said Chambert as he personally put a dashing sash on Taya, “we’ll take care of this fascist General whose been giving you headaches—we are meeting one of France’s best agents en route. You, Monsieur le President, are getting back in the saddle!”

Preparations complete the dressed and irritable President of Mauritania was shepherded out of his suite by the formidable trio. They made fine time through the hotel corridors, emerging eventually in one of the hotels concrete driveways. A lengthy convoy of armored vans, treaded vehicles, a few light tanks, trucks, and military cars was coiled about, like a snake getting ready to move with the day. Upon seeing President Taya a non-commissioned officer waved his arm, and the engines turned over.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to fly?” asked Taya, perturbed at the prospect of a long and bumpy convoy through the bush.

“Maybe. But we wouldn’t want a viper-hidden Soviet jet taking a good share of our hopes for West Africa up in one snatch, would we? It’s a clear road, and besides, it’s more heroic if you go this way. ‘Taya returns home astride a tank’ and so on.”

A company of French regulars, along with some Algerians, hopped into their trucks. Mauritania’s rightful leader was brought to a large armored vehicle, treaded, which presently lowered its back ramp.

It revealed Sultan Walid, Muslim and jazz connoisseur, in robes more fitting 101 Arabian Nights than the modern world, snorting mightily cocaine off a small mirror. Evicted from Rajasthan by communists, he was nevertheless one of the staunchest supporters of the Bourbon Dynasty the world over. King Louis-Auguste looked after his own. He was taking the convoy to Mali’s new capital, Timbuktu. That was one stop before Mauritania.

“Ahhh, hah hah hah,” chortled the Sultan, a ten pound ruby embedded turban placed precariously atop his head, before going down to inhale more of the narcotic. He looked up laughing and glassy eyed. “What is dis, a car-pool? Hah hah hah. I just bought a palace in Timbuktu! Well, for de road?” asked the Sultan, offering the steel inhaler and cocaine mirror to President Taya.

President Taya looked at him, shrugged, got in and took both. Major Chambert nodded and smiled, climbing in with his fellow agents after the President. Even before the ramp was raised the convoy set off with a rumble.

Nouakchott, Mauritania

The war seemed very far away from Nouakchott that evening. As well it should, by all appearances it would either continue on neutral, or, if the military junta had its way, find its way to bargaining with the socialists. But as of now, they at least had peace.

The market was winding down, a perfect evening the tableau. People went about their business, here and there merchants trying to hoc a few more products before days end. In the old quarter of the city, hub of its social life, such as it was, a marriage party was underway. In an old inn, rented out for the occasion, hundreds packed inside feasted and danced. Music that some westerners might called shrill emanated from flutes, and feet stomped on the floor in ecstasy as the pretty bride and handsome groom bowed before guests wishing them well. Bright awnings hung over the assemblage. They were celebrating the marriage of one Karim Kuerimi. His father, a man of the people but with newfound means, was Mustafar Kuerimi, a colonel in the governing junta which had replaced the absent president. While not the junta’s headman the colonel was an integral figure, a nexus of communication between the disparate officers of the military regime.

He wore his uniform at his sons wedding not as an ostentatious gesture, but rather to demonstrate he still cared about the people he served. Yes, this fellow was a regular pillar of the community. Some of his junior officers and attachés were about, forming the more intimate brand of alliances with Mustafar’s family that more often than not in this area of the world assured power. Everyone laughed and danced. His wife, in burka at his side, pushed him over to take a picture with the family. As the bulb flashed again and again, another robed man among the endless line of guests placed his gift, a large bucket of dates, and the wedding altar. More guests came and went with gifts. The father of the groom, the good colonel, was asked to dance with the bride, whose father had passed long ago. The crowd formed a circle around the couple, clapping and calling out good natured remarks.

The guest who left the dates was two blocks away, in the market district at a kebab stand, when sheets of fire and thunder exploded out from the inn. It was high quality plastic-explosive, and with such amounts every building for hundreds of feet around the demolished inn was hit by the report and debris. The explosions rocked on several times before the huge black plume of smoke went up, carrying what was left of Colonel Kuerimi upwards.

The man did not flinch, did not stop munching on the spiced beef, as he watched another explosion lash out at the far end of the market, near one of the crowded baker’s squares. Another giant plume of smoke and flame, the ineffectual sirens of a third world fire department wheezing slowly on their way. He did not forget the third bomb, the largest of the three. And he did not need turn to look in the distance behind him to hear the report, the one of the bomb that exploded the impoverished city’s main radio relay system. Lastly before he went his way to investigate the damage like any concerned passer by he also heard the rallying cry of “Death to the enemies of General Vall!” (*Sp?) Many cries rang out like that over the city, with a group calling itself the “General’s Front” claiming responsibility for the attacks.

All in all in was a modest welcome for the Scarlet Pimpernel, who had not been to Nouakchott before.

((A word about the fleet battle. I hope I made clear the Spanish were still on their way and had not joined the battle altogether yet in the above post. Save for the Spanish line ships, which had been sailing with the French since the 12th of June. I tried to make such a massive subject readable, and tried to respond as best I could to LRR’s previous post. Next post I will also have such specifics as sub totals, ship to boot—sorry I haven’t gotten to that but since we haven’t engaged directly with those yet, probably not until next turn, I thought it would be ok. And about airplanes…that is going to be very difficult for me to get involved with. I mean Wingert and LRR are in pitched battles, so I am not going to move on those just yet…if I’m wrong please correct me. I thank LRR for sort of giving me a move and leeway there…at least I think so, right?...and I did my best to return the favor. I am just taking this all one step at a time, as you all know his is baffling to me in regards to technology but I am doing my best to keep pace. And in regard to questions that have arisen as to the extent of French territory in Africa. It is all in the posts, but synopsized: Mali has been occupied, except for the extreme west of the Kayes Pass, and the K. of Algeria is mostly invested there. Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso would represent the most complete occupation by French forces; and Cote d’Ivoire is at best ‘nominally’ occupied. Niger is firmly under the Nigerians I believe. And once again if I missed anything here I will amend on the flip side. Ciao.))

The Crooked Beat

19-10-2007, 03:35

(OCC: You did send Ortiagon Class SSKs into the Atlantic, but the Marakkar has them blockading the Nigerian coastline right now. The only Indian submarines directly involved in the northern battle are Anunkais, which themselves would have been used to block Spanish reinforcements, but I'm not entirely sure whether the Spanish have arrived already or are yet to show up.

As you can doubtless tell, I don't really know how to use fleet submarines effectively, and if you have any advice on any aspect of strategy, it would be much appreciated. ;)

Eh, anyway...)

The Atlantic Battle

It may be some consolation to the Frenchmen that Ali Khan Marakkar is almost completely dismissive of the capabilities of French battleships, and, more than anything, wants to eliminate the Russian missile-carrying cruisers, the likes of which have already expended their missile armament. Reloading is, of course, quite possible, but not underway and at combat speeds. Battleships, the Marakkar reasons, are only really effective when they bring their main armament to bear, and the Indians have no intention whatsoever of allowing the French to get that close.

Though the Marakkar does not yet know it, the French commander appears to have seriously misread his intentions. The Indians have a single missile salvo to expend against their enemies, their ships being frigates and escort vessels limited in size and thus not capable of carrying any great number of the already large and heavy Charioteer and Brahmos missiles. After that is expended, from well outside the engagement envelope of enemy missiles, the fleet will turn around and head for friendly ports in the African Commonwealth, where, the French must be aware, resupply is very much possible. There is no sense sticking-around to fight the Frenchmen where they have a clear and undoubted advantage, of course, and to pit the often completely un-armored escort vessels against battleships and cruisers would be foolish in the extreme. Contrary to the Merechal's expectations, Ali Khan Marakkar is faced with no either-or choice. It is simply a matter of steaming so far in one direction, letting loose with missile ordnance, and then turning about to head the other way. The Indian ASMs do not require external course updates or anything of that sort, and many of them are, thanks to the use of VLS cells, capable of engaging targets anywhere in relation to the launch platform, even directly astern.

Charging ahead at about 25 knots, the formation finally reaches the 220-kilometer mark, still well outside the reach of any enemy missile. At long last, the order goes out across the fleet: All ships, attack!

Brahmos and Charioteer missiles, Indian battleship-killers meant to counter the European navies in a less-expensive and non-linear fashion, leap out of launch cells and armored boxes and rocket northwards, attaining supersonic cruise speed within moments. Small and stealthy, they will make very very difficult targets, even harder to hit than the larger Russian P-500s and P-700s, and even one of those took an average of three or four SCS-400s to achieve a kill. They are, furthermore, fully operative naval variants, checked and re-checked in Zanzibar, not the faulty and mishandled models sent to Libya, which nonetheless managed to sink an enemy frigate. It is as close to a glorious sight as the Indians have seen so far, though the old salts in the Hindustani and Soviet navies know full well that the men on the receiving end are in for a thoroughly horrible time. Each of the 22 surviving Bodkins fires six missiles, their entire compliment of long-range ASMs, but, for the 21 Igovian examples, there still exist on board some eight Vanguards, short-range weapons for skirmishing at closer quarters should such become necessary later on. Added to that are 48 Charioteers launched by CS Ood, by a fair margin the Marakkar's most capable and effective vessel, and 12 sent forth by the crippled Petropavlovsk, whose speed may be reduced but whose fighting spirit and morale is as high as ever. INS Zhob and INS Sadiqabad launch eight Brahmos between them, after hastily clearing survivors from the vicinity of the armored box launchers.

Exactly 200 Indian anti-ship missiles head off towards the enemy fleet, each one of them already traveling at supersonic speed. They are programmed to go after the larger targets, primarily Tsarist heavy cruisers and French ships of the line. Perhaps the world's best ASMs, they more than anything else stand a chance of hitting their targets, and not even a heavily-armored French battleship could call itself capable of shrugging-off a hit from 200 kilograms of high explosive traveling at close to three times the speed of sound. Certainly the Russian captains in their splinter-shielded Kirovs and Slavas must be especially worried, since there are amongst the Indian missiles variants designed specifically to home-in on the radars carried by those ships.

The French admiral is right to be concerned. Brahmos and Charioteer missiles flying towards him are not something that the Frenchmen or Russians can simply sweep away, not by any means. They will approach the enemy fleet at a speed well in excess of most other modern anti-ship missiles, presenting very small and very fast-moving targets to enemy radars. Designed to prioritize targets, and to give priority to the largest, the Indian missiles will, for the most part, not go after the escort vessels, so the Leaguers will have a difficult time in trying to use their dozens of tin cans as a cushion for their largest and most expensive assets. French battleships and cruisers may have multi-layered SAM systems, but, then again, so does every modern warship worth its salt, and short-range systems especially will doubtless find it extremely difficult to successfully engage the 3,000-kilogram weapons as they scream in at close to three times the speed of sound.

For the first time in the fight the Leaguers will feel the heat, and while they deal with more immediate problems the Indians plan to withdraw. INS Zhob gives the order: new course south by southwest, 25 knots. All in all the Marakkar is thoroughly displeased with his performance, and, quite likely, he will resign his position and return to service on the destroyer as a midshipman within the space of a month. A bloodbath ought to be expected in modern naval warfare, but India's naval expedition to West Africa can be viewed as particularly unnecessary and futile. Another week spent waiting and the Indians would have perhaps twice as many ships, including at least four cruisers, possibly a battleship, and as many as seven aircraft carriers, two of them full-sized CTOL vessels. In their rush to meet the enemy in battle the Indians, and the Planning Office especially, committed a serious and wasteful blunder. Mumbai's failure to anticipate a Russian entry into the war has proven especially ruinous, since, so far, not a single French munition has caused a casualty in the Marakkar's force, and if the Russians had maintained their non-belligerency over two thousand Indian sailors would still be alive.

A propaganda victory for the French, most likely, since the Indians did indeed quit the field first, but like most propaganda victories an inconclusive engagement strategically speaking. Hindustani and Soviet warships will rendezvous with their fleet train off Conakry, there to re-arm and refuel. No further expeditions north will be undertaken until reinforcements, about four days away, arrive in-theater. Special requests are sent to India asking for replacement Puffins as well, so that, if and when the fleet goes back into battle, it will have a full air wing.

Aboard CS Dacoit

The sailors aboard the Petropavlovsk aren't the only ones on a suicide mission. Just ahead of the charging League fleet are four Soviet Anunkai submarines, remaining almost stationary and therefore extremely quiet. Russian and French attack submarines zipping about will have a tough time picking-up any of the Soviet boats over their own noise and that of the multitude of League warships in the immediate vicinity. The Alfas especially, although some of the world's best-performing submarines, are handicapped when it comes to anti-submarine operations, having been designed to attack primarily surface targets.

Soviets on the Anunkai-class SSN Dacoit are anxious and ready for action, their fear mitigated by their eagerness to score kills amongst the League fleet. Four 517mm torpedoes, plus a 670mm heavy, are in the already-flooded tubes, ready to be fired once the sonar operators choose a suitable target. Already the Leaguers are in torpedo range, but the Soviets are determined to wait as long as possible before firing, in order to maximize their chances of scoring a hit. A submarine may be the best weapon to use against a submarine, but the way the Leaguers are using theirs doesn't do any good at all, and Soviet submariners are not as of yet concerned about being detected.

Finally, the hydrophone operator chooses a good target. A French cruiser section, distance ten kilometers, high speed, ten degrees to port. With a single word all the built-up tension is released, and the five Igovian torpedoes swim silently out of their tubes, shortly afterwards starting their motors and accelerating to over 40 knots while the men and women in the torpedo room rush to load another volley. For a submarine crew, sticking around to volley-fire torpedoes is a death sentence, since it won't take long for A/S assets to fix their position. Then again, the Soviets do not intend to come out of it alive, and suitable compensation for their sacrifice will be the havoc and losses caused amongst the enemy fleet by the Anunkais. Three others besides Dacoit act in a similar fashion, waiting until the League warships are right on top of them before firing, and then preparing another set of fish as quickly as possible.

(OCC: I can see how people might take issue with the submarine action, so if anybody feels particularly strongly about that section it is open for discussion. I remember having the Soviet submarines go north to intercept the Spanish reinforcements, but, if there are already a substantial number of Spanish ships in the League formation, there would really be no point. The Marakkar of course does not really have any way to communicate with the Anunkais, which, likewise, cannot easily communicate with one another. The area between the Canary Islands and Cap Vert is their patrol area, and I'd think that the Soviets would be very eager to attack even the crushingly larger League force.)

Beddgelert

19-10-2007, 09:24

(OOC: Yeah, I thought it best to try explaining a few things in the OOC thread, if anyone's interested in discussing bits and pieces, so that's that...)

As the Indian fleet begins to wheel around, CS Petropavlovsk necessarily brings up the rear. At nine knots she is liable to be run-down by French fast battleships if the chase continues, so while other Indians hope for the missile barrage and submarine ambush to break the League's charge, the gunboat's dirt and blood covered crew load munitions and ready countermeasures, making sure to close blast doors and secure remaining bulkheads. Aft a single heavy turret points three 11" (279mm) rifles in the direction from which the enemy might appear, while amidships two 6" (155mm) quick-firing guns swivel backwards. If she's caught, Petropavlovsk will surely turn and fight, bringing another 6" gun and her forward 3x11" turret to bear. Against even one French battleship the Black Flag Class boat is out-gunned and out-paced, and probably under-armoured (though not by much), but she has a hide tough enough to take a few more hits yet, and her primary battery is at least sufficient to give a Cherbourg a bloody nose, seriously worry a Roik warship, and to quite obliterate anything else in the League arsenal, so long as it gets half a chance.

It is an important duty, this rearguard, and everyone aboard Petropavlovsk appreciates that France's fast battleships are designed specifically to chase-down an opponent in the position of the Marakkar's fleet as it rushes to resupply and regroup. In choosing to board the old gunboat Igovians could not help hearing from some remote place their Internationale... they have themselves decided their duty, and have decided to do it well. As it is put now by one crew member in words that the Admiral de Gras du Mont would understand, Free French Volunteer Comrade Lieutenant Bédard declares simply, "On ne passe pas!"

...Frankly, if his comrades aboard Dacoit -India's armed robber- have anything to do with it -which they most assuredly shall- they won't get the chance even to try!

Elsewhere

Heading up towards the battle with what Gadar! still insists is history's most powerful fighting assemblage, Commonwealth Ship Communism ventures out of the Indian Ocean for the first time. Never has an Indian battleship roamed so far, and the deployment is not without controversy. Communism's 16"/52 calibre rifles are said to be the most high-pressure naval guns in the world, capable of out-ranging League gunnery even without their long-range 11" sub-calibre munitions, but this is so only because the ship was built for local operation. She is supposed to stay close to India's vast shipyards so as to be readily able to replace guns that suffer exceptionally rapid wear once firing. One or two engagements and her gunnery will suffer.

Still, one or two engagements with her and League shipping is likely to suffer all the more! That's the spirit...

The Crooked Beat

23-10-2007, 02:47

The Gulf of Taranto

Doubtless the Italian Navy has its hands full in the Mediterranean, with a fair few enemy submarines kicking about, boats from Libya and Hindustan at least and possibly from Yugoslavia as well eager to send Roman shipping to the bottom of the sea. Mumbai would like to keep it that way, of course, with the Italians unable to contribute in a meaningful way to operations in the West African theater.

Aboard INS Faisalabad, spirits are high after the sinking of the frigate Roma, which at the very least avenged the loss of Barmer. It is a situation quite dissimilar to that faced by Hindustani submariners during the first decades of the Indo-Bedgellen war, when squeamish commanders and badly outdated equipment kept morale low and sinkings rare. The UDF's submarines have already sunk an enemy frigate directly, and Barmer, despite its amateurish loss, managed to cause the sinking of one Italian boat, heavily damaging at least one other in the same encounter. So it is that Captain Ramsingh decides to test the capabilities of his boat, and, creeping along at a silent five knots, he enters the Gulf of Taranto. The hydrophone operators can already hear enemy corvettes patrolling that vital body of water, and more likely than not there are patrol aircraft and helicopters nearby as well. But submariners, Ramsingh reflects, are meant to take risks, and like fighter pilots they need to be aggressive rather than evasive.

Six 533mm torpedoes are ready in the tubes and there are another six reloads, hopefully enough to do some significant damage to enemy warships operating out of the port of Taranto, historically the Italian Navy's main anchorage. Very quiet, covered in sound-absorbing tiles, and built with non-ferrous materials, Faisalabad will be, as ever, extremely difficult to detect. The Regia Marina must know that there are submarines about, but it will not be easy for the Italians to attribute the Roma's sinking to any one boat in particular. For all the Italians know it could have been a Libyan Hound-class SSK. Likewise Ramsingh is under the impression that there will be a good deal of "friendly" submarine traffic off southern Italy, the likes of which Faisalabad might blend in with.

An unhappy scenario for any surface navy, doubtless, and Captain Ramsingh intends to make the absolute best of his boat's first war patrol.

Pipavav, Gujarat State

"Quick, Mahmud, you scoundrel! Tie off those lines! You there, throw that hose overboard and start the bilge pump!"
"Stop your yelling, you fat old bastard! You expect us to work under such abuse?"

A pair of Hindustani tugboats is at work off the Pipavav ship-breaking yard in Gujarat, breaking-up a raft of some eight ex-Soviet Hound Class diesel-electric attack submarines, initially sent up the coast for scrapping but now slated for refurbishment and return to service by the naval ministry. Things are not progressing quite as quickly as the captain of tug B-74 would like, and as a result both he and the crew are quite irritable, arguing constantly and swearing as sailors and dockworkers are inclined to, and being generally unpleasant. Moving the 1,200-ton submarines is not a particularly difficult task in and of itself, but the tugboat crews are in unfamiliar territory with regards to submarines, and more than one man has slipped off the deck or a narrow wooden gangplank. After a long struggle, B-74 and B-11 are finally able to get the Hounds separated and ready for towing. By mid afternoon, both tugs are headed towards the shipyard at Diu, each with four rather rusty submarines in tow, and with crews very much ready for the end of their working day.

The eight boats, designated S57 through S64, are in for about two months of intensive and comprehensive refit in drydock, designed to make them once again combat-capable and slightly modern. Old diesel motors will be torn-out and replaced with modern UTS diesel generators on shock-absorbing mounts, sonar equipment will be re-installed along with fire control computers...indeed, just about the whole forward section of the submarines will be cut off and replaced, and, by the end of it, the Hounds ought to be good for a few more years of active service. With war against the League underway, expansion of the IN's oft-neglected submarine arm is of course deemed a high priority, and, though the Hounds might not be modern designs by any standard, they are at least already built and it is cheaper to refurbish them than to construct all-new vessels from the ground up.

Eight for the IN will join a number of Hounds that have, reportedly, already been put back in Soviet service, freeing-up more capable and modern SSKs in both nations for operations further afield.

Gurguvungunit

27-10-2007, 09:56

OOC: Edited because the New Caledonia fort is Ft. St. Martin, not Ft. Kourou. That's all.

Gibraltar

It was good to be home again. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment marched through the streets of the Rock to the slow tap of drums. No pipes played, no skirl of horns cut the morning air. After all, they were not returned as conquering heroes. They had been invited by their conquerors, and they were humiliated for it. Amongst the regiment's men, Gibraltarians all, the popular response to the situation was 'never again'. Never again would the English be driven from the Rock. Never again would Gibraltar fall to invaders. The people of the Rock were as English as the citizens of Manchester, Dover or York, and they would never again fall under the heel of a foreign jackboot.

Sir Viirgil Tempest-Pollack was dead, crushed in the rubble and dragged, half-dressed and dead, from under the concrete of a fallen breastwork. His post was open, and King Godfrey had a man to fill it in the form of Lieutenant General Charles Quincannon. Quincannon was a scarred, irascible Scot, a veteran of police actions in Ireland, the war in the Falklands, and most recently come from the African theatre. His third star was new and uncomfortable, but the erstwhile division commander was pleased with his new post. Gibraltar was the imperial possession of the British Empire, and Charles Quincannon would defend it with his life and all his skill, if necessary. Though he rode in an uncovered land rover, his mind was already at work rebuilding the shattered fortifications of the Rock. Reinforced concrete, SAM sites, minefields and concertina wire swirled through his head, the lines drawn and redrawn to build enfilades, false approaches and force-pockets against landward attack. Seaward attack would be dealt with by the Navy, whose commitment to the Rock would include HMS Invincible as well as a permanent smattering of destroyers, frigates and submarines. Naval invaders would be met by a bolstered air wing, RAF Gibraltar, consisting of two squadrons of Harrier GR.11s and one of Tornadoes. It was the largest permanent overseas force in the Empire, disregarding the ones in America and Australia, as befitted the most vital choke-point in Europe.

The Rock would never fall again.

New Caledonia

"Whew, glad to see them gone." Captain Hannah Balenda wiped her forehead as the French filed aboard their aircraft, the last transport off of the former-island possession of the Sun King. Recently transferred from Africa, Balenda's company had been charged with the inspection and renovation of Fort St. Martin, France's warren of tunnels, bunkers and SAM sites that put even the Maginot Line and Atlantic Wall to shame in terms of sheer scale. Hannah, a practised engineer, could only wonder at the time and money spent on making the super fort secure. Corridors and installations showed aboveground as low hills and concrete outcroppings, but from below what appeared to be isolated casements were shown to be mere aspects of a greater whole.

The nerve centre, written in gilt French, currently went by the name of 'the Big Lillypad', since nobody in the company really spoke the language. It was a cavernous room, really a series of smaller rooms that converged on a single point. At the centre of what could really only be described as a wheel, a situation table and a ring of monitors displayed the geopolitical situation and the island itself. From here, a king could launch a hundred nuclear missiles at his chosen target. From here, a single man could bring death to a world.

Of course, that assumed that the magazines were full. This was not the case, and Hannah had been there too. The silos were perhaps the most frightening of all, great holes bored into the earth like the tunnels of a giant worm. Rings of access galleries gave imaginary technicians the ability to see to their massive charges, and hoses that fed them gasses and fuels hung from hooks. Nearly fifty feet above, the silo doors let sunlight in, the French having left them open and allowed native birds to roost. If the MoD wanted nukes here, Hannah had thought with a resigned grin, it would be her job to clear out the birds. Welcome to the British Army, here's your gun. Now go muck out the birdcage.

Vecron

27-10-2007, 21:11

Roman Home Waters

The Regia Marina are on high alert, if they had their way, the entire Mediterranean would be void of any Soviet ships, military or civilian. But home security is the first priority before they can even start worrying about the open sea. Those Sauro subs which are still operational begin to mine the Strait of Otranto and the entrance to the Gulf of Taranto as priorities since there is many a target that would prove appetizing to any enemy. Merchant ships are restricted to a safe course through the mines, though no reason is given to them except that they stray from those courses at their own risk. At least once a week those safe courses are changed to prevent any spies from receiving the plans.

The sinking of the Roma has everyone on edge, but word has spread throughout the Regia Marina that survivors have delivered recordings of what may be the sub that hit them. Though no one can be sure of where the sub came from, the message is clear: their home is not the safe haven many would like it to be. It is just an extra motivation to the sailors, no one wants to be the next victim, and they will work all the harder to ensure that doesn’t happen.

Out in the Dangerous Mediterranean

Once they realize that the Soviets aren’t giving chase, the captains of the Scire and Todaro relax somewhat, but they realize that the Mediterranean is not the Roman water that it was in ancient times and is now rife with enemies. They snorkel the air in waters clear of contact, still far away from home. Both subs rearm their torpedo tubes, each still having six fish left to fire and three more weeks before they absolutely have to head back to Italy. So they go out on the hunt again, most of the Soviet shipping might be from WIGs, but naval shipping hasn’t completely gone the way of the Dodo. So they wait.

Roman Home Front

Casualties were mounting, and Rome hadn’t even declared war yet, they may have underestimated these Soviets, but no more. Caesar Romulus Magnus appoints Senator Decimus Severus to oversee and implement a series of price and wage controls on the economy, even placing controls on jobs, all in attempt to speed up military production. The Roman fleet of decommissioned Sauros is put into dry docks for upgrades and refits, in an effort to make more silent and update the software and sonar equipment. Similar programs are put together for the Vittoria Veneto class helicopter cruisers, designed specifically for ASW, and 2 Audace class destroyers and 4 Lupo class frigates. The Cavour and the 2 new Orizzonte class frigates make their way ever closer to completion with each passing day. Meanwhile, work on the new carrier progresses somewhat slowly with other projects taking a fair chunk of the budget. The Tsar and the Caesar have agreed that the carrier will carry a complement of Su-33s from Russia, likely to provide a great force to be reckoned with when the ship is complete. Rome’s coming involvement in the war and Plan Yellow will doubtlessly require the strength of the navy to win this war. If the war is to be won on the water, Caesar Romulus, his staff and the Senate want to be sure that they have all the tools they can get. Meanwhile, officials from the Regia Aeronautica meet with officials from the Russian air force and speak of acquiring some of the Russian’s venerable missiles and research modifying Eurofighters, Tornadoes and AMX bombers to carry them.

Hail Caesar!

Nova Gaul

29-10-2007, 20:36

Battle of the African Coast*

The Holy League fleet had committed itself fully to a maneuver of attack, its battle line at nuclear powered flank speed, when the communist missile barrage came upon them. Le Merechal de Gras du Mont, a superbly erudite man, recalled words for the occasion first fashioned by the scions of the west long ago as the angry red blips on the large satellite readout screen hurtled towards his fleet. His command staff behind him on the admiral’s bridge in the conning tower he recited the phrase in its original Latin (according to Cicero), heard by those about him.

“Exercitus noster est magnus,” inquit Persicus, “et propter numerum sagittarum nostrarum caelum non videbitis!”

Tum Lacedaemonius respondet: “In umbra, igitur, pugnabimus!”**

And the missiles from hell impacted against the fleet of God. Here is the layout of the Grand Fleet as the socialist attack struck them:

The Russian fleet hung above the battle line—now descended—in launch formation. The Spanish fleet came down from the northwest, not having yet joined the Russian and French in full. And the French battle line sped south in a bee line against the hordes of hell.

All said and done it was the French and Spanish battle line that encountered the sub-continental salvo first. De Gras du Mont had a fine view of the assault from his conning tower. The reds blips got close, and then the Holy League ships burst into action. Alarms became synonymous with frantic action. At a near distance the French battleships, Roycelandian dreadnaughts, and Spanish heavy cruisers engaged their surface to air missile systems, launching hundreds of angry little anti-missile missiles in clusters against the harrowing attack. In a half a minute timeframe the zipping defenders, affectionately called ‘fairies’ by the French sailors, were a kinetic cloud about God’s lieutenants. The Soviets were mistaken in one part, at least, about the Holy League flotilla: the Roycelandian dreadnaughts Bon Homme Royce and Titan were fully equipped with VLS delivery, and had the battle been but a few weeks longer in coming so would have the French and Spanish. Stationed as they were in the center of the line they spewed forth the anti-missile missile copiously, providing a solid core. Seconds later ghastly explosions rent the sky, all around, showering the once pristine atmosphere in oddly beautiful multi-chromatic clouds of fiery debris. Less than two breaths later, indeed much less than a single breath, CIWIS and PHALANX systems roared to life along the battleship line. Walls of near molten lead swept the sky against the Indian’s deathly Brahmos and Charioteer missiles. Exploding communist missiles came in now, detonating in some cases only a few hundred meters from the flotilla.

Then, despite the utmost exertion of courage, there were the sickeningly bright explosions of Brahmos and Charioteer missiles impacting against the deployed Holy League battle line. Most sailors could not hear the screeching impact of the communist warheads themselves, the alarms were far too loud; the roar of the CIWIS systems, swiveling about with robotic precision, were defeanening. The admiral himself, Monsieur le Merechal de Gras du Mont, on the Cherbourg flagship, his flagship Roi de Soleil third in the line, thought he could actually make out six incoming Brahmos ASMs as they swept in towards the Strasbourg, the lead ship in the formation. She had the courage to take the post of lead ship, she needed every ounce of that courage now. Desperate use of the CIWIS systems, to the extent that it seemed half the ship spat out flickering flame, knocked two of the communist missiles out at point blank range, singing hair on those sailors unfortunate enough to be above decks.

But four made it through. They rather looked like deathly roses blooming on the unhappy Cherbourg class battleship, one at the forecastle, one at the rear of the superstructure against the second emissions tower. Sailors with hair singed found cuticles were the least of their worries: the front left section of the bow was wrenched asunder in showers of sparks and white hot iron, leaving a gaping burning hole in its wake, dozens of screaming sailors scattering all about as the alarms changed from ‘emergency’ to ‘received impact’. But it was the second of the Brahmos that scored the real damage. The entire rear half of the superstructure melted away in blue flames and horrible black smoke after a direct hit, a bull’s eye if you will, by the foul and dastardly Brahmos. Alarms wavered, croaked, and lost energy as the ships power grid fluctuated, explosions popping here and there amid the torn rear superstructure. That was when the other two Brahmos slid into the Strasbourg, and by the grace of God took a less savage toll than their compatriots. The one hit the Strasbourg along the keel, in one of the most armored areas of the battleship, and save a teeth clenching explosion greatly rebounded. The other smacked into the battleships far aft, behind the number four turret, and besides exploding a fair portion of the aft deck and killing a dozen sailors petered out. All that was little consolation to the crew, however, as a secondary explosion, when the fire had reached an unevacuated Exocet II cell, took out the auxiliary bridge and left a second gaping hole along the bow line, spitting out thick black smoke.

Her captain, le Comte de Basse, was forced to signal the flagship and the admiral vis-à-vis signal ribbons due to a nearly complete loss of power:

Power down ¾…nuclear reactor contained—barely…dropping out of line…Vive le Roi.

Sadly, having lost over five hundred of her crew at only the first count, but still under her own power and after four direct hits from the communists’ best, the fire and smoke enshrouded ship used what little power she had left to turn northeast and flee the line. Yet her conning tower stood high and proud, the fleur-de-lys snapped crisply in the wind, and the Strasbourg would live to fight on another day.

But, again sadly, she was not the only hit pounded by the truly deadly communist missile salvo. Past the flaming CIWIS systems, beyond the vicious counter strike of anti-missile missiles who took a proud toll, the Brahmos and Charioteers continued to sweep in. A huge explosion added more smoke to an already fumy afternoon as the Ciudad de Madrid, less armored than the Cherbourg-class ships as a Castellan-class heavy cruiser, took a Charioteer directly to the port astern. A gaping black hole and much death and confusion resulted, but she sailed on, though was forced to fall back to the rear of the line. The Roi de Soleil, she who took a hit during the Glorious 12th of June, took another as a Brahmos careened straight into the number one turret. It was a testimony to the peerless construction of the Cherbourg class battleship that only the turret itself was gutted, and that with a minimal explosion. The fire was soon allayed by a quite functioning response team. And the Louis XIV, again a superbly built Cherbourg class battleship which guarded the rear of the line, as dangerous as the fore, sustained a ferocious impact against the lower superstructure. The attack had much bark but little bite on that particular target: being so armored the Louis XIV did not explode, but nevertheless there was loss of life and capability as the ships command fled to the better defended auxiliary bridge. The Roik dreadnaughts fared the best in the strike, HMCMS Titan taking with quiet stoicism a Charioteer against the armored hull.

Far less fortunate than the proper battle line were its escort ships. Arrayed aside the main targets of the communist salvo, despite not being targeted themselves per se, several ships of the Holy League fleets took grievous casualties. The brave Roik bought heavy destroyer Sampson took two direct hits from two incoming Charioteer missiles. She sank, near instantly, with all hands in a melee of flame and explosion. The Marseilles-class light cruiser Nike took a direct hit to the number two turret, followed by a Brahmos landing against a ‘sweet spot’ in the aft against the propeller platform. Lacking the superb compartmentalized armor of a Cherbourg, lacking too its sheer volume of armor, the damage was no contained to the turret. HMCMS Nike was forced out of the line, but inching away soon had to be evacuated. She did not sink immediately, but exploded on the surface long into the night, sinking in sections. The poor Marseilles-class cruiser was ill fated: her large size probably signaled the targeting mix up, but her light equipage doomed her to the keen assault. The Spanish frigate-of-the-line Esmeralda suffered a similar fate…hit by a single Brahmos she had at least time to evacuate her crew before going to Davy Jones’ Locker.

But, after the gashing and furious assault the thundered along the Grand Fleet’s battle line, the Roi de Soleil led the attack past the smoke and flame, her pennants white and airy. Behind her came the Charles X, a Cherbourg unscathed. Then the Louis XIV, at full steam and bearing a proud scar of war. Then the dreadnaughts Titan and Bon Homme Royce; followed by the Charles V, Philip II and Ciudad de Madrid of the Castellan-class. Alongside them at flank speed too were their escort and picket ships, those who had come through: 4 Marseilles-class light cruisers, 4 Roycelandian heavy destroyers, ten Brest class frigates and 4 Spanish frigates-of-the-line.

It was a terrible assault. In quality and quantity, quite unexpectedly at least to the French, it far outclassed what the Anglos had loosed during the Glorious 12th of June. But the battle line had weathered it. Indeed, as the Indians were about to find out, at least in respect to the French ships, the fight they fought was their prima causa for being: battleships and support ships able to withstand an aerial or ship based missile attack, then close the distance and attack with their own missiles before entering gun range. And the battle line, under Monsieur le Merechal de Gras du Mont, did just that. From his conning tower the figures came in. Unharmed personally after this assault the admiral swung into action.

“Come about to 38 degrees captain. Plot your solutions! Bring us into the wind, Monsieur de Launay! Into the wind! ” The admiral hung on tight to the railing as the massive battleship groaned as she came out of evasive maneuver needed to sustain her through the socialist strike.

Now several nautical miles beyond the smoke and debris that hung low over the ocean, marking that clear afternoon where the communists had struck at those who served God’s lieutenants, the visually stunning ships of the Holy League, especially the white enameled hulls of the French Cherbourgs (no matter scars of smoke and flame thereabouts) cut through the water at a clean forty knots, waves cascading along the heavily armored hulls. Now, in range for the first time of the battle, the French fleet would strike with their own missiles: Exocet IIs, with a farther range and more tangible impact than the earlier premier model.

“Ready, Your Grace!” yelled captain of the Roi de Soleil le Baron de Launay, hunched closely over a radar feed abutting a ship’s situation monitor. “Have confirmed solutions on Indian capital ships,” he went on, “awaiting your orders, sir!”

Past the emotion of attack and the terror of defense l’Admiral de Gras du Mont merely nodded. He was a brilliant solider, and his mind was charting strategies more rapidly now than a targeting computer. “You may fire all batteries captain.” Now the French would answer the Soviets with a withering missile volley of their own, while breathing down their necks. Granted, the missiles were in large part inferior to those of the Indians, as recent events had shown. However, what they lacked in technological advancement they made up for in numbers, and a closer range…oh yes, they were supersonic as well. And one had to wonder after deftly shrugging off so many qualitatively intense Tsarist Russian missile strikes how many more SAMs they had tucked away on their expeditionary fleet.

It was with deafening cheers on the part of the French, who had gained a baptism of fire at the Glorious 12th of June and had now undergone their confirmation of the faith, watched their Exocet IIs propelled forward with flashes, chemical trails, and supersonic booms against the red menace. From each of the remaining in-line Cherbourgs came twenty Exocet IIs. Of these a full forty were targeted against the CS Ood. The remaining twenty, those launched by the Roi de Soleil, set off against the Petropavlovsk, which was in a far closer range. Fifteen Exocets apiece were launched from the Bon Homme Royce and the Titan, these zipping off, fifteen to a target, against the INS Zhob and Sadiqabad. The Castellan-class Heavy Cruisers each deployed ten Exocet IIs, keeping ten each in reserve, these targeting at random the smaller Soviet and Indian frigates and cruisers. Holy League support ships launched no ASMs, being stockpiled before battle as they were with anti-missile missiles and other surface to air units, which had certainly put the Armada’s battle line in good stead against the previous and withering communist barrage.

As the French and Spanish ships, with their Roycelandian bought aids, executed the thrilling maneuver at breakneck speeds, waves breaking and spraying grandly against the hulls, le Merechal de Gras du Mont, hanging on for his life to the railing in the conning tower against the tight turn, watched his ace come into play. Seventy-two Lancaster-II strategic bombers were now entering range, and appearing in green icons on the overarching tactical satellite display. They were a surprise: the Indians and hard line communists doubtless had picked them up on their course south from the Canary Islands and imagined them laden with Exocets, either Mk. I or II, and so discounted them as a threat until they would have been much closer. However, the Cherubim wing had been fitted with exceptional weapons, some one-hundred and forty-four Exocet Mk. IIIs, which were in reality nothing more than exactly copied Russian P-500s especially equipped for air launch against naval targets. Their fighter escorts pulled to the side as the strategic bombers lowered the two ponderous anti-ship missiles through the bomb bays on their carousels. Far beyond the range of even an Exocet II the bombers let the missiles fly down and zoom away, two apiece, before making the unwieldy turn north back to Las Palmas and the Canary Islands. The Exocet IIIs, all 140 of them, again basically Russian P-500s, matched the earlier supersonic volley of the Soviets as they assumed a random targeting pattern against the sub-continental fleet.

Having endured a ghastly assault le Merechal de Gras du Mont, one of the Kingdom of France’s finest military minds, had brought all elements possible into play against the communists in one fell swoop. Now with a nod to captain le Baron de Launay he issued yet another order. “Change course to 70 degrees, set ballasts for a attack run. Set a course at flank speed for the Petropavlovsk, and get me firing solutions for our guns. Have the Philip II and Charles V assume a support parallel and instruct them to prepare solutions for their Exocets at close range. Inform the Titan to follow us and to set her guns along ours. Signals only. Now captain, turn this ballerina ‘round again! And give us the fife and drums monsieur!”

The captain’s subsequent compliance was immediate. The Roi de Soleil broke from the first battle-line along with the Philip II, Charles V, and theTitan to form a second line, this one to cut down the beleaguered communist bulwark Petropavlovsk, which formed too tempting a target to resist. Meanwhile the first battle line continued south in the wake of their missile launch at forty knots, engines grinding toward 110% on the nuclear reactors. And all this occurred as the speakers, previously blasting the alarms and Brahmos and Charioteers impacted, switch to La Marche de la Prince d’Orange, a Restorationist mainstay, known in Anglo countries as Liliburlero, stirred the sailors with frenzy beyond exhaustion. Every note of the fife and pounding of the kettle drum reminded the sons of France, and of Bourbon Spain, what the fought for, and that with God’s will, it would be achieved.

So it went. The Holy League fleet, having weathered and endured one of the most potent missile salvos in history, now continued dead set on its course to smash the Soviets and their Indian lackeys. And now as the Indians awaited Exocet missile strikes from on sea, and what amounted to another P-500 strike from on high, their radars would pick up another surprise, the final and hitherto unforeseen element of God Lieutenant’s brave and bloody strategy for the battle of the African Coast: the Tsarist Nigerian Navy, such as it was, moved slowly up from the south, on a course to intercept the Indians and Soviets who were pulling back. Under normal circumstances the disparate and rather hodgepodge Nigerians would only make Soviets laugh. However, under present circumstances, Versailles, El Escorial, and the Kremlin believed this would disconcert rather than humor these wave riding demons of hell, for it placed the sub-continentals thus: awaiting a voluminous counter-strike with missiles airborne already against them, they would have to encounter what was basically a force designed to stall them, and being so stalled when their supplies must be close to running out. Of course, clever minds would realize exactly what the plan entailed…it would give a chance for the Holy League heavy battle line to come directly in contact with the communists, and give them an up close and personal blast with their heavy guns, a maneuver innate in the Cherbourgs conception. The Marakkar will not be afforded an opportunity to leave the field of battle as soon as he would have wished.

Submarines

Meanwhile, immediately before the Bourbon battle line received the missilery of hell, the small French Brest-class frigate Cougar, front picket ship of the flotilla, made sonar contact with what appeared to be an indefinite number of communist submarines. Apparently they were laying in wait for either the French and Spanish battle line or, more possibly, for the main Spanish surface fleet to link up with the main armada.

The Cougar, equipped with two submarine hunting helicopters for her mission, swiftly deployed them to investigate further. But upon hearing of the contact, French and Russian commanders did not hesitate: the 3rd and 5th submersible squadrons, composed of three French Nantes-class submarines***, RN-4, RN-11, and RN-12 and a trio of Russian Alpha-class boats, deployed immediately at attack speeds toward the targets, what was in reality a quartet of Soviet Anunkai submersibles. On the part of the French it took half of their submarine force attacked to the armada to execute the maneuver, but le Merechal accepted whatever was to come under his responsibility.

They came in at a fair distance, blaring sonar pings to flush out the communists, so their approach would be far from a surprise…indeed in this matter the Soviets, whose exact position was still unknown, had the advantage, but one that decreased with each shrieking ping of the sonar.

* ((Okay. So. Before I get started here I also want to say I intend to post, God and time willing, a comprehensive casualty list accrued by France and her allies in the war thus far. Now that things are moving again I think such is important. Now. For the missile attack I shared it equally among the French and Russian fleets. Wingert, I hope, will be chiming in about his section, as I have more than enough trouble keeping track what happens to the French alone. I did not speak for the Spanish as you did not mention them, and I suppose there is a question of range as well. And what exactly is the air-fighter situation right now? At any rate my main formula in order to make the naval battle workable has been this: give attack, accept attack, and so on. I hope this is working for you guys, I know how complicated this is. In regards to the submarines I am a bit lost, but responded as I thought best. Complaints are of course welcome, and I will not go on in that regard at the risk of repeating myself yet again. Still, I must say for such a mammoth undertaking, everyone is doing well.))

** “Our army is great,” the Persian stated, “and on account of the number of our arrows you shall not see the sky!”

To which a Spartan replied: “We will fight therefore in the shade!”

***Nantes-class submarines are exactly equivalent to real-life American Los Angeles class attack vessels.

Gurguvungunit

29-10-2007, 22:23

OOC: NG, fine writing. Please see OOC thread for some technical questions that I have for ya.

Nova Gaul

29-10-2007, 22:58

Off now, sorry. Maybe you could TG me or offsite forums? Ciao.

The Crooked Beat

03-11-2007, 07:05

The Indian Fleet

Ali Khan Marakkar could not be called exactly terrified of the French even now, knowing full well that not a single Indian sailor has yet been killed by a Frenchman, and the French, if anything, are only capitalizing on gains already made by the Russians. Indeed, if the Russians had not been around it would seem fair to say that France would have lost most, if not all of its battleships.

The French line, if indeed it is still able to make anything close to its full speed, still has a significant task ahead of it in catching-up to the Marakkar's force, which itself is making flank speed to the south, intent on reaching Conakry and friendly air cover. French battleships may find themselves increasingly on their own, as they out-pace their own escorts and provide nothing short of ideal targets for lurking Soviet submarines, which hardly need to move in order to complete their engagement. Perhaps the naval ministry and Parliament committed a grave error in sending the Marakkar to West Africa in the first place, but the French, reflects the Indian commander, have yet to prove themselves halfway competent sailors. Ali Khan Marakkar is of course by no means pleased with the day's events, but he considers the losses caused by his missile strike quite satisfying. The Cherbourgs he could really care less about. As long as Russia's missile cruisers are sent to the bottom, which ought not to be any great feat, the French battleships will be naked and defenseless against any follow-up Indian fleet, which will not be depleted in advance by a Tsarist submarine and anti-ship missile strike.

Of course, there are still the Frog bombers.

"Air contacts, sir! Designate hostile heavy bombers, high altitude, range 450...warning, missile launch! Designate 144 hostile contacts, incoming at high speed!"

The Marakkar, it must be said, does not anticipate this move on the part of the Frenchmen. It is, after all, difficult for Indian analysts to pin-down exactly how many Lancasters (though Hindustanis generally try to avoid this name) that the French still have, after their disastrous attempt to terror-bomb Tripoli. And likewise it is an attack that he can't do very much about, having already spent the lion's share of the fleet's SAMs in combating the last three waves of enemy ordnance. Radar operators aboard the Indian warships watch as the cloud of contacts draws ever closer, spelling death for hundreds more, but at the same time seeming to confirm the battleship's tactical irrelevance.

Some 56 SCS-400 missiles are the Indians' best defense against the incoming French weapons, and these together manage to shoot-down some 41 P-500s. Electronic countermeasures mounted aboard airborne Sea Kings and Ka-32BGs, by now low on fuel and often not intent on returning to their ships, account for a further 49 missiles. But with almost all the shorter-range missiles used-up, and with gun-based CIWS systems proven only marginally effective against such large, fast things do indeed look bleak. 40mm and 30mm close-defense guns fire in a desperate last-ditch defense against the fast-closing enemy missiles, and a fair few are indeed downed, but losses are expectedly very heavy.

INS Zhob, her decks crowded with survivors from other sunken warships, is destroyed completely, hit by no fewer than three P-500s. Needless to say, there are no survivors, and every one of the almost 550 Indians aboard her is killed, Ali Khan Marakkar included. INS Sadiqabad suffers a similar fate; her forward 40mm mount manages to down one P-500, but a second impacts aft, blowing off the stern. Some of Sadiqabad's crew, though, manages to make it off the rapidly-sinking bow section, and some men abandon ship for the second or third time in the engagement.

Vikram, the surviving Hindustani Bodkin, manages, somehow, to avoid any direct hits, but near-misses pepper the unarmored hull with shrapnel and flaming propellant. It isn't long before she develops a significant list, and, despite the best efforts of her veteran crew, the frigate drops back and finally stops, her engine compartment flooded. With great emotion the captain gives the order to abandon ship, and he sees to it that his wounded are evacuated first, followed by the survivors aboard and then by his remaining able crewmen. No casualties are suffered in the evacuation, and no sailor who isn't already dead goes down with the ship. By the time the captain abandons Vikram, she is heeled completely over to one side and partially submerged.

The Soviets suffer badly as well, losing no fewer than eight Bodkins and six Gauntlets to the enemy barrage, but several of their frigates stand up quite well to near-exploding P-500s and, though peppered with holes and often missing deck fixtures, continue steaming along at 30 knots. Most importantly, CS Ood, the new flagship, remains unscathed, and the Soviet commander, at least as experienced as the late Marakkar, maintains the southerly course and flank speed. Three Soviet frigates, Duir, Wat Tyler, and Livingstone Miyanda promptly break formation and circle-back, eager to pick-up as many survivors as possible, and at great risk to themselves their crews lower the launches and the scrambling nets. Decks are packed before the frigate captains deem it prudent to depart, not at all far ahead of the Frenchmen, who will at least have a few hundred less Indian sailors to machine-gun in the water. The remainder, still close to two hundred men, do their best to move east, out of the path of the Frenchmen and towards the friendly coastline of West Africa. INS Srivardhan, docked at the French-built naval yard in Dakar, prepares to sortie out at the head of a rescue flotilla once the French have passed. Having been withdrawn from the battle early due to the fact that she was packed to the brim with survivors, Srivardhan looks to be the only Hindustani surface combatant that took part in fighting against the League and made it out alive.

Submarines

Soviet submariners, meanwhile, prepare themselves for their own part in the engagement. French battleships, charging forward at high speed and leaving their own escorts in the dust, could hardly be making more inviting targets. Dacoit quickly computes a solution for the Spanish cruisers, which, given their speed, may well not even hear the five inbound torpedoes, while Tower, sitting almost perfectly motionless, draws a bead on Sun King, and lets loose with five fish, all of them set to maximum speed. Four are 517mm weapons, active-homers set to track the French battleship's hull, and the fifth is a mammoth 670mm device, designed to break the back of an enemy battleship or carrier. Wake-homing, it is next to impossible to evade. And likewise, given the Frenchmens' speed, they may well not even hear the incoming torpedoes until they go off.

Russian and French submarines are also very much audible, and they don't greatly concern Soviet crews just yet. CS Aurora, not presented with a clean shot against the charging French line, changes course and prepares to engage the loud Alfas and Nantes, 517mm weapons ready in the tubes and set to wire-guided mode.

CS Communard, meanwhile, takes aim on the Roycelandian-built Titan, and, like the others, lets loose with all five torpedo tubes against a target that is probably not equipped to listen for torpedoes, much less when at high speed.

With this first salvo the Soviets hope to do some damage. Already crews in the torpedo rooms are engaged in reloading as fast as possible, eager to hit the hated Frenchmen and Spaniards again. The Leaguers, who may suspect an enemy submarine presence, will certainly know for sure when torpedoes start exploding, but hopefully the four Anunkais will be able to get-off a few worthwhile volleys before their position becomes wholly untenable and the enemy A/S screen moves-in.

Beddgelert

03-11-2007, 07:42

(OOC: Erk, I should have got this in yesterday, but hadn't time. Might want to re-do some things...)

French heavy bombers preparing to sortie from the Canary islands were, of course, observed for hours by the People's Cosmonautical Co-operative and GSIC, the latter body wasting little time in alerting both the Marakkar's fleet and friendly interceptor bases in Africa.

Before the first French bomber was airborne Soviet Marathon tanker and AEW aircraft were given new courses, and Kan-gel and Hobgoblin fighters were scrambling from Senegal and Gambia. By the time the enormous French wing was formed up, scores of Indian interceptors were airborne and making at great speed in small flights towards the threat.

Hobgoblins, armed with Meteor missiles, were on hand only to tackle French fighter escorts, but observing that these were tied to the lumbering bombers Soviet pilots became emboldened, and few held serious fears even for the less stealthy and far from agile Kan-gels tasked with taking out the Lancasters with less impressive but longer-ranged AAELRS missiles.

NT-7 Kan-gels engage thursty afterburners on the outbound leg of their mission, knowing that they can refuel on the wing during the return journey. Coming in at a terrifying Mach 3, the Kan-gels ultimately left their Hobgoblin escorts behind and began to loose AAELRS missiles at significantly more than 100km distance from their large closing targets, the French bombers. First two interceptors launch eight missiles between them, and then peel off and head back to base, then four arrive moments later to launch sixteen, then four more, and four more, until all fourteen interceptors in the Conakry squadron have dispensed their fifty-six long-range missiles.

Fourteen Hobgoblins come later, taking time to form for battle, assuming that by now the enemy is at least disrupted. Their under-wing Meteors are loosed against targets identified as French fighter escorts from beyond the enemy's reach before they close to finish-off fighter and bomber alike with more Meteors and DRAB-ASRAAM stored internally. Helped by Marathon AEW and shared target handling radars the Hobgoblin pick the best angle of attack against the mass of slower-moving enemy aircraft and go into the fight with some enthusiasm.

One of these days the French will learn to stop throwing resources at bomber and battleship programmes!

Kan-gels, of course, still have under-wing pilons bearing little DRAB ASRAAM of their own, plus integral 30mm aviation cannon, and while the sometimes fifty-tonne aircraft are hardly nimble they are capable of speed beyond Mach 3 and are secondarily tasked with attempting to down any anti-ship missiles that the bombers may manage to loose.

The Soviet interception force, twenty-eight aircraft in all, may seem small next to the League's attacking group, but this only makes it easier to get the flight into position in good time and to fuel the sortie with a number of tankers.

Gurguvungunit

03-11-2007, 19:49

Falkland Islands Command, Royal Navy

The Type 42 Destroyer HMS Manchester would look very at home indeed in India's destroyer line, her age and general feeling of being used lent her a grace that was lacking in the Royal Navy's newest warships. Her crew, veterans all, accomplished the task of casting off in relatively short order, giving waves and whistles to the civilians that crowded the docks. The ship's commander, a captain Moresby, paced the command deck with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his teeth clenched around a cigarette. Moresby scratched meditatively at his chin and stared at the choppy South-Atlantic sea. To port, the RFA Fort Rosalie, a stores ship capable of limited repairs and fitted somewhat for hospital duty, lagged slightly behind the destroyer. To stoarboard, the larger Fort Victoria cut the chop rather more effectively than her small cousin, easily keeping pace with the thoroughbread Destroyer's cruising speed. Forming the aftmost point of the diamond was the HMS Endurance, a bright red icebreaker that looked rather out of place beside her sea-grey fleetmates.

"Lieutenant Reynolds," Moresby said. "Please direct Fort Rosalie and Endurance to detail north and rendezvous with the League fleet. Have them render assistance as needed." Reynolds saluted crisply and made his way to the radio, where he began passing orders.

"The captain's complements, and will HMS Endurance detail north..." Moresby tuned him out.

"Lieutenant Brown, whistle up the Indian fleet and inform them that the repair/resupply ship Fort Victoria is inbound and will offer assistance to any ships as needed. And pass the word to the surgeon, have him prepare to receive casualties. Ensign Dawkins, have the helicopter crew prep to make at-sea recoveries."

Moresby settled against the rail to wait. His little flotilla was still several hours, best speed, from either fleet. By the same token, however, a naval officer was not wont to leave his comrades without help if he could render it. Someday, Moresby thought, he might be fighting to keep the Manchester afloat, and if an Indian captain or a League detachment were nearby, he hoped that either would see fit to render aid. All men were brothers after the battles were done and the men were fighting to stay alive at sea.

Gibraltar

"Right now, engage the winch." Chief Petty Officer Taylor clung to the rail of the chartered recovery vessel Bonaventure Ricardo and watched the twin steel cables tighten against their load. They were attached to a sunken frigate, a navigational hazard at the bottom of Gibraltar harbour, which had been mostly cleared by a succession of Spanish and French divers but which was still a danger to deep-draught warships. Taylor's job was to supervise the removal of its main superstructure, leaving only the keel embedded in the mud.

The harbour itself had been fairly well repaired by the Leaguers, and Taylor noted a dock that appeared to have been lengthened to accommodate a full carrier. That was, as he recalled, a project that the RN had been planning for some time, thereby allowing the Rock to serve as a base to one fleet carrier while giving facilities to dock a second. After several embarrassing instances in which a Nimitz class was denied docking because the only large slip was full, someone in Parliament had managed to appropriate funds to expand the docks. But then, the League had done it for them, and the money could go to something useful, like a battery of SAMs.

It wasn't Taylor's concern. He only had to dredge up the superstructure of a MEKO frigate.

The Rock, Elsewhere

The bunkers had been smashed beyond recognition, the artillery unsited and the trenches filled with rubble. The extensive fortifications that had defended Gibraltar for five-hundred years had been utterly annihilated by modern artillery. It was time to start again. The trenches would be filled and a new network of underground tunnels would be built. Forts would give way to seemingly isolated blockhouses of re-enforced concrete, accessible, once again, from underground. Batteries of artillery would go in favour of mobile SAM trucks and rocket artillery, less vulnerable to preplanned counter-battery fire. The narrow strip of land that connected the Rock to the mainland was to be mined, but for the single road that crossed the border.

It was expensive, certainly, but nobody questioned that it was necessary. Without Gibraltar, the Royal Navy had been forced to operate without its most vital possession in the Mediterranean. Projecting force against the League and onto the African continent was made that much more complex. In the next war, if there was to be a next war, the navy would not be so handicapped.

Fleur de Liles

17-11-2007, 23:36

(This thread has frankly become too cluttered. I am creating a new thread for the Portugal affair. http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=13223850.)

Spyr

29-11-2007, 22:01

[OOC: Was holding off so as not to interrupt the flow of the naval battle, but will get this out while there’s a pause].

Nouakchott, Mauritania

For a people gripped by expectation of Moroccan troops arriving shortly… and Spanish bombs in the interim… explosions in the streets were frightening but hardly surprising. Most of the citizenry, assuming bombers overhead, dispersed from markets and streets into the relative cover of surrounding buildings, while here and there the gleam of tracers out of anti-aircraft guns could be glimpsed against the darkening sky, likely striking down a bird or two mistaken for Mirages by panicked gunners.

Communications in the city, difficult at the best of times, break down even further… a single television station and just over a dozen radio broadcasters are present across the country, some already lost to earlier bombing and the Moroccan advance. Instead, word-of-mouth and the buzz of cellular phones marks the spread of news across the city.

The ‘General’s Front’ would find itself rather short of believers as it shouted its message to the world, an extremist group amongst several which were suspect: perhaps loyalists to the deposed President Taya, perhaps the followers of a radical Islamic scholar, perhaps assassins sent by Barcelona to strike down their enemies. But to most, encouraged by the calls of policemen on the streets, the simplest explanation is considered most likely: somewhere in the sky, League Lancasters or Rafales return to Moroccan bases after having launched their payloads of bombs or missiles. It will be some time before the inhabitants of Nouakchott cease to see bombers in every cloud and flock of gulls.

If the Scarlet Pimpernel’s goal was death in a market, he can certainly be pleased… Mauritania, even in its wartime state, can hardly be considered secure from the planting of bombs or the smuggling of explosives. If his aim was to create impression of a further coup by Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, however, he has displayed a profound ignorance of political realities in Mauritania.

To much of the civil populace, Colonel Vall remains a popular figure for leading the ouster of Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, and for supporting constitutional reforms in the aftermath. His refusal to take up the post of President further endeared him, and his promise to cede power after national elections gained further weight after a referendum and municipal elections widely viewed as fair and forthright. Seizure of power in the mold of his deposed predecessor, and particularly doing so by indiscriminate killing of fellow officers and numerous civilians, would cost him much support amongst the people, at a time when the rationale of war has already given him access to Presidential powers. If he had wanted it, he could have taken it years ago, and for him to do so now in such brutish fashion seems a rather ludicrous proposition.

More to the point, if there was action to be taken against Vall it would have to come from within the military. In addition to Vall and the deceased Col. Kuerimi, Mauritania is ruled by fifteen other officers, all colonels themselves, who together make up the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, and constitute the highest ranks of the military itself. They are the commanders of each region in Mauritania, along with the head of the navy, medical, and logistics departments… each a power base in its own right. Despite most having been promoted under Taya, they all joined the coup against him, such complete agreement the reason for the bloodless nature of the event. If Vall wanted to take power absolutely, the rest of the council would have to be brought along or dealt with, and the killing of a single regional commander and a market full of shoppers would get him at best one sixteenth of the way to the goal. Some commanders recognize that, with troops tied up fighting in the North, Vall might think himself able to secure further power in the capital and demand their support after-the-fact, leaving them few options to actively oppose him, but if that were the case then the colonel would not have acted through terrorist agents: Vall’s popularity within the military saw him elevated to chairman of the MCJD, but his place on the Council came from his post as commander of Mauritania’s Sûreté Nationale, which currently makes up the bulk of military forces in Nouakchott. Vall has participated in two coups, and in the suppression of several more, not an amateur at the process by any means: even if one set aside all reason and assumed him to be gripped by sudden-onset megalomania, he would have done a better job than this.

Vall himself does not bother with a denial of responsibility… no need to give credit there. Officially, the line follows public opinion… the attacks were airstrikes by a malicious enemy intent on sowing fear and pain. Privately, however, with access to police reports and radar data, the colonel suspects the incident was caused by agents on the ground.
There is little that can be done to secure the borders, and the resources are not available to spend weeks sorting through forensic evidence. Sûreté officers are warned to be on the lookout for suspicious activities, and the populace is told to be on the lookout for the ‘dangers of war, including aircraft and saboteurs’. More information is not conveyed due to Vall’s fear about the reaction of the populace… if they thought Europeans or Taya loyalists responsible, they might take justice into their own hands, and Mauritania did not need images of Caucasians being beaten to death appearing on Anglo-Quinntonian television screens.

Nova Gaul

04-12-2007, 02:02

((I have soo much to respoond too; thanks for the update too Spyr. Please nobody go too much nuts after this...I have printed everything recent out (over 20 pages) and will read until I can post of Wednesday, or the latest Friday. Good Lord, but the writing is superb. God Bless AMW. Ciao!))

Fleur de Liles

04-12-2007, 02:31

NG we are discussing the naval battle on the OOC thread. Here is the link if you've forgotten: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=534425&page=5

Gurguvungunit

04-12-2007, 05:40

London

With little now to convince Parliament of his usefulness, President Taya finds that support from Britain has dried up completely. In a series of press releases, both Parliament and No. 10 Downing Street call for Taya's formal resignation and pledge support to Colonel Vall's government in Mauritania. British soldiers, whose numbers in West Africa are steadily growing, are not mentioned explicitly; however any informed reader will note that Britain's opinions are backed by a significant military presence in the region. Indeed, apart from Hindustan it might be said that Britain remained the only nation currently deployed to West Africa with any amount of respect by the area's citizens, and so it was hoped that London's declaration on the matter would simply settle things.

If not, British forces were informed rather quietly that they had the authority to arrest President Taya and deliver him to Colonel Vall's interim government. France, it seemed clear, was essentially done as a legitimate force in African affairs, and all that remained was for NATO and the Comintern to curry favour amongst local governments.

The bombing was decried as a 'poor attempt to discredit Colonel Vall's interim ruling council, which holds the support of a democratic majority amongst Mauritanian citizens'. France, rather more quietly, was warned to stop mucking about, the clear implication being that Britain's navy stood in perfect position to bar the League fleet from its own harbours should France prove less than willing to fold on the matter.

West Bank, Suez Canal

The fortifications were going up slowly, informed in many ways by such things as the M-T-L Stop Line or the Maginot Line, formidable arrays of pillboxes, artillery and concertina wire that, even if made somewhat obsolete by the high-mobility environment of modern war, could easily hold off an attack lacking massive artillery and air support. The Said-Suez Line, named for its north-south termini, served as both a fall-back position and a jumping-off point for any strikes by the British Army, and it was backed up by an extensive NATO air group operating out of Ismailie.

The S-S Line served one other important purpose, Ismailie and Suez were both rail termini for an extensive network that connected much of urbanized Egypt, and ran through As Sallum on the Libyan border. That town was heavily fortified as well, currently home to three companies of heavy infantry, their AFVs and light artillery units making As Sallum a rather uninviting target. The town itself was not home to many soldiers, their posts being a series of overlapping fire-bases in the rocky desert a few miles without the town. It was, however, the centre of the defensive works, because As Sallum was a stop on a rail line that ran into Libyan territory. The rails themselves were watched carefully for incoming armed traffic, the deployment of which by the Commonwealth would certainly be an act of war.

Defenses between As Sallum and the S-S Line were spotty, although cities like Cairo could expect a rather strong, swift response if threatened. The assumption was that Indian heavy infantry and armour would be restricted to rail and road connections, the lack of which further inland would channel any attack through Britain's points of strongest defence. Three companies in As Sallum were a substantial force, but not by comparison to the 14,000 soldiers either already in Egypt or en route via ship or plane. Plans called for columns of armour and mechanized infantry to move along the rail lines to As Sallum for an immediate attack on Libya in the event of war, their flanks secured by quick-moving light infantry making use of trucks, small APCs, or in extreme cases their own feet. 4th Division's 14,000 would serve as a spearhead, followed by a mix of British 3rd Division and Quinntonian troops, as well as a few from Roycelandian East Africa.

Those preparations were still underway, most of which were being handled by battalions of Roycelandian engineers on loan from their stations in the Sudan. The lack of a decent railroad between Wadi Haifa and Aswan was certainly a problem from a logistics standpoint, and the laying of narrow-gauge track was contracted out to a number of British and Roycelandian companies as a stopgap measure. That track would, if possible, be replaced with standard-gauge as traffic and supply needs increased. If nothing else came of it, the links would provide Egypt and Roycelandian Sudan with a vital trade link.

The Suez itself underwent a few quiet improvements, including the addition of a number of anti-aircraft guns and missiles, most of them portable. The obvious counter to the Said-Suez Line was to bomb it to hell, and a series of mobile SAM launchers and updated gun trucks sought to make that proposition less attractive to the Soviets.

Few expected anything besides war in response to Soviet India's tacit support for the Dra-Poel, and the preparations went on with a clear eye toward defending against the Soviets. The Sinai Peninsula, so far essentially left alone, was built up by elements of the Egyptian army working with British advisers. Its coastline, notably in Sharm ash Shaykh and At Tur, saw the addition of a pair each of portable AShM launchers and a number of Egyptian troops to discourage amphibious operations. The Jordanian-Israeli border was essentially left alone; neutral powers were of little concern to the stretched Egyptian Army. A few armoured cavalry troops, a mix of Quinntonian and British, monitored the border for any crossings. Things appeared quiet, for which the various area commanders were thankful indeed. War would come, but not today.

Beddgelert

04-12-2007, 07:29

Needless to say, the beginings of major British military deployment to neutral Egypt causes outrage in the Commonwealth, which promptly moves numerous warships from Eritrea and Libya to show the flag and shadow British shipments. Soviet diplomats in Cairo strongly suggest that Egypt remove the British and return to its neutrality lest British provocations, such as the downing of a Soviet WIG and an assault on the People's Cosmonautical Co-operative, force the Commonwealth Guard to drop bombs on Egyptian soil in order to remove a British threat. The British may try to present this as Soviet brinksmanship, but bearing in mind the existance of neutrality treaties and the precedent set in the destruction of mighty Bonstock it can hardly be taken as unusual behaviour.

Egypt's military, the Indians point out at any press conference even approaching the subject of northeastern Africa in any way, is at least a match for that of the United Kingdom, indeed, on ground it probably is rather stronger.

London too is criticised for involving Egypt, and popularly ridiculed for thinking that it could bully Cairo as if this were the old Empire.

In West Africa, meanwhile, British illusions are unlikely to help the progress of their ambition. More than two thousand mechanised semi-elite Soviet Marines in Senegal represent greater than 10% of Britain's total regular infantry strength prior to the rise of the new government there, and they have been well received. That they arrived quite some time before the British and as part of a force that has already saved thousands of African lives certainly hasn't hurt their ambitions.

Still, it does appear that as the British build-up forces the Indians are easing off. Raipur does not want to terrify administrations or strain local resources in the event that the Suez situation has a negative impact on supply.

Quarter of a million Soviet personnel are on the continent according to latest reports, 200,000 in Libya, 2,500 in Senegal, several thousand in each of the African Commonwealth, Namibia, and Tanzania, several thousand scattered across the rest of ECOWAS primarily in liaison and advisory roles, and the rest in East Gabon, Angola, Madagascar, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Eritrea in roughly descending order, while a few may be present in Western Sahara, attempting to re-establish the Commonwealth's role as the Polisario's best friend, and small teams are in the CAR and Chad attempting to assuage governmental concerns about heavy Soviet traffic and Indian support for Libya.

Gurguvungunit

04-12-2007, 10:27

OOC: Two hundred thousand? Oh my. Well then. *calls up reserves*
Obviously closing the Suez to Indian military shipping would cause a war, but really I think we're there already: it just remains to be seen which side starts shooting. Um, at any rate, your supply situation is dependent upon the Suez corridor, right?

Something I think I should point out, and I've been meaning to put a thread up here, but Egypt has become something of a puppet state to NATO in the past year, ever since the Suez Crisis. Way I see it: Cairo pretty much folded to Roycelandian, British and Quinntonian demands regarding the Suez, got paid a handsome amount of money for it, and has hosted British troops in one form or another since then. If you go back to the Suez Crisis thread, you'll find references made to two-thousand odd Australasian and British marines in Port Said, so I don't think this is entirely without precedent.

I've held off posting ICly because this was supposed to be a surprise, NATO's control wasn't supposed to be evident until it was, in fact, control. I suppose I could have laid more groundwork so as to make it clear, but whatever.

Fleur de Liles

04-12-2007, 18:01

OOC: Yeah.... I remember talking about puppeting Egypt and how we agreed not to do it because of the uproar it caused last time. Too close to godmodding in my opinion and I think its generous of BG to accept your post when we didn't lay any groundwork for the control of Egypt.

Gurguvungunit

05-12-2007, 02:58

OOC: As I recall, we decided not to post a thread about it and keep it quiet so as not to ruffle feathers and such, but that we'd sort of quietly absorb Egypt since it's the site of NATO's major strategic advantage at the moment. I frankly don't see how we have a hope in hell if we don't secure the Canal Zone immediately, and puppeting Egypt is pretty much the only way to go about it. More discussion can happen on the OOC thread, but let's try to keep DC clear of this stuff.

Vecron

05-12-2007, 05:00

OOC: Gurg’s sub post on the OOC thread has inspired me. Thanks.

Taranto Naval Base

A single technician, Admiral Nico Moretti and Umberto Moreno, sonar officer of the late Roma, sat and stood in front of a computer screen watching intently as the computer went through its analysis. Yet once again the computer came up negative, it couldn’t identify anything man made on the recording that Moreno had brought back with him. That was their fifteenth try with all kinds of amplifiers, isolations and algorithms put onto the recording.

“Sorry, Mr. Moreno,” the technician said, “I still can’t find anything man-made on this recording, aside of course from the Roma’s own engines.”

“I know I heard it,” Moreno cried.

“Look son,” Moretti said in a condescending tone, “whatever you heard wasn’t a sub, those things are pretty much impossible to hear, unless they want you to hear them. By then you’re either dead or surrounded. You probably heard whales humping or a small quake on the bottom of the sea.”

“Sir,” Moreno replied, fighting to keep his emotions in check, “with all due respect, sir, I know what I heard.”

“Only if you have freakishly good hearing,” the technician muttered under his breath.

“I heard that!”

“That’s enough,” Moretti boomed, “Moreno go back to your barracks, there’s nothing more you can do here.”

“Aye sir,” Moreno said resigned and walked out of the office.

“You’re sure there’s nothing on there,” Moreno asked the technician.

“If there was I would have found it by now,” the technician replied. Moretti nodded, clapping the back of his fist into the palm of his hand. He turned around and headed for the door when the technician called to him, “What if there is a sub on this recording? It’s awfully close to the Bay.”

“I know. It’s exactly where I would go,” Moretti replied, pausing at the door, “Keep at it, Mister, if there is a sub on there I need to know.”

“Yessir.”

Bay of Taranto

With the loss of the Roma so close to Roman lands and the Bay of Taranto, and the “phantom” sub contact the Regia Marina is taking little chances in the bay. With many millions of dollars of goods transported through the bay, and some of Rome’s key naval bases here, it made a perfect target for enemy subs looking for an easy target. Thus, protecting the bay became a prime concern. Sauro submarines mining the bay are given precise courses before their mining missions at the mouth of the bay and any ship caught out of place is immediately assumed to be an enemy, until it was proven otherwise. It could certainly lead to some horrible incidents, but the discipline of the Roman crews ensures that the risk is as small.

Patrolling throughout the bay are three pairs of corvettes, some of them newly repaired from the Yugoslav conflict and one pair Maestrale class frigates. They cruise along at 5 knots, pinging away with their active sonar, and sending their AB-212 helicopters out with towed active sonar arrays and magnetic anomaly detectors. There were only so many places an enemy sub could hide, and only so long that they could wait. Sooner or later, they would make a mistake.

Scire and Todaro

The captain of Scire decides its time to turn back and refuel his engines on the Lada-class sub. But instead of heading back to Rome for fuel, he turns toward the Black Sea. He is certain that the Russians would be willing to resupply his ship.

The Todaro on the other hand can stay out just a little longer. She prowls closer to the Suez Canal and watches for signs of a Soviet ship passing through to provide supplies to Africa. Certainly the Soviets depend more on WIGs, but ships are still an asset in transporting supplies. The added bonus is that only a limited number of ships may pass through the canal, and when the right target came through, Todaro would strike.

Hail Caesar!

Nova Gaul

06-12-2007, 02:13

((I originally intended to do a lengthier post, in which I fleshed out the ‘back story’ if you will. Yet regrettably there is no time for that. I thought you all would appreciate a smaller post to contribute to AMW rather than none at all and several days before a larger one. Voila. About the naval battle, since I do not have the leisure of time to vote of the OOC page: I am going to withdraw; I have no time to spend another five months on technical minutiae. I do agree with what Fleur said about making things simpler. And I will not get on my dice soapbox again. But that is still days in the making, and here is something. I have a lot more to say, all stuck in my head, but it will have to wait for the next time. Ciao.))

London
At the abode of the Sun King a massive ‘Grand Conclave’ of the Estates General prepares to meet in the gargantuan Hall of Greater pleasures at Versailles, even now legions of carpenters and technicians scurried about like so many ants to prepare the royal dais, aristocratic armchairs and bourgeois benches. The newly elected constitutional monarchs of West Africa are already lodged in comfortable Paris hotels, awaiting the mounted cavalcade that will take them to Versailles: Emanuel I of Burkina Faso, Leopold I of Togo-Benin, Teodoro Obiang of Cote d’Ivoire, and Sultan Walid of Mali. On the agenda is a comprehensive treaty of many factors…only some offered publicly in the hours before the conclaves outset…between the Kingdom of France and Togo-Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali. Ambassadors Extraordinary from Rome, the Kremlin, and the Escorial are in attendance, along with the ruler of Tsarist Nigeria President Mubarak. Even Marshal Chakwe of Ethiopia, recently a gadfly about the Courts of Europe and one interested in procuring a rich blue marriage, would be attending in fill uniform. And conspicuous among them all is President Taya of Mauritania, recognized by all present as the legitimate leader of that state. But as musicians tune their viols and trumpets that bright, crisp Versailles morning and Garde Suisse troops maneuver with equal crispness a new envoy from that gilded paradise was landing in foggy London in a fleur-de-lys emblazoned Airbus-230.

Monsieur le Marquis de St. Leger was the first ‘regular’ ambassador, Ambassador in the Ordinary according to Versailles’ terminology, to reside in London since the days of Prime Minister Chaffin. He makes his way at one to Whitehall, and at once the canny septuagenarian, chosen for his childhood about Buckingham Palace, presents his mission to Prime Minister Straitharn. He makes the case and position of His Christian Majesty Louis-Auguste quite clear. Primarily the Kingdom of France was ready and eager to sign a non-aggression pact, in perpetuity, with the Empire. As a sign of surety M. le Marquis offered the handing over of Gibraltar, moreover the surrender of France’s huge Pacific outpost, New Caledonia, to His Britannic Majesty. He continues by suggesting France and the Anglos have at this point far more in common than not. Following a tacit statement that “We both agree, I think, that the future outcome of Mauritania’s administration is best left in the hands of native Mauritanians” and promises to halt any direct influence in that country, be it from France, Spain, or Morocco. And, a singularly important point, M. de St. Leger informs Sir Andrew that Versailles would be totally amenable to a ‘pacifying British presence in Egypt’ and that such a presence would be infinitely more beneficial than a nefarious Soviet presence. In short order he states his opinion (or rather an opinion delivered to him ere he left France in the form of a charismatic rant from King Louis-Auguste about ‘wicked sub-continentals’) that if the British in fact do not establish a firm presence, it will only be weeks before revolutionary hordes, even worse Islamic revolutionary hordes storm Cairo. Indeed, he plays on this as the reason “His Most Christian Majesty saw fit to protect several African nations himself.”

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Monsieur le Marechal de la Tour du Pin, Supreme Commander of the Allied African Expeditionary Force, gives a long awaited announcement from Holy League Front Headquarters at L’Hotel Mercure Silmande. The Marshal declares His Most Christian Majesty’s pleasure: that with the apparent cessation of hostilities with Soviet forces directly in Africa (evidence the gradual call-back of Plan Yellow, which would have seen Libya invaded and ‘the war’ ratcheted up several notches) the Kingdoms of France, of Algeria, of Spain, of Tulgary and the Sultanate of Morocco will begin the slow process of withdrawing troops from the Dark Continent.

“This will of course be a graduated process” says the superbly attired French Field marshal, “while the provisional governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo-Benin are settling in, we project no more than two, perhaps three, battalions a month will be able to return to Europe and their North African homelands.” In other words he makes it absolutely clear that a large Holy League military presence will be in Africa for years to come. “In time we may be able to expedite this process to returning maybe even an entire division each month to their homes, but of course this is dependant on the situation of our West African allies.”

Continuing on he affirms what many have guessed: that the Kingdom of France at least, and very possibly the entirety of the Holy League, shall keep a permanent presence in West Africa, although in the best case scenario this will be a force not numbering more than one hundred-thousand soldiers (excluding the Kingdom of Algeria). To this end he also announces the intended construction of a French super-fort, modeled on Fte. Ste. Jeanne d’Arc in Laghout, Algeria, about ten miles outside of Ouagadougou. Needless to say, such a fort, which many in court circles predict will bear the name Ft. St. Louis, would be the center point of Holy League forces in sub-Saharan Africa.

Also a second declaration, this one made by Emanuel I (Mobutu SeSe Seko) before he jetted off to Paris, announces the formation of a pan West African self-defense conglomeration, formed under the UMPA (Union for a Popular African Movement) aegis: La Force Publique. To assuage nerves Emanuel I claims that this, in large share, is the reason why so many French and Allied troops must remain in Africa for so long…such a force will take years to build. But they have a building block in Prince Leopold’s Royal African Militia, which has operated for the duration of the war in Togo-Benin, and is entirely composed of black Africans.

Somewhere very secret…

It had never been attempted before, but it had to be attempted now. On some channel, if such a channel could even be found to exist, Versailles attempts to contact the Igovian Soviet Commonwealth. The reason? The Kingdom of France, in order to assure a full-scale war against the Indian powers does not erupt again overnight, uber-subtly seeks a ‘temporary armistice’ with the ISC on behalf of the Holy League. Realists could not deny the quintessentially disparate ideologies of the two states would cause them to go to direct and open war again soon, but in the meantime, from all appearances, both sides would not mind a breather. And neither sides wants a nuclear war.

So there it is. The offer, such as it is, is made. The only alternative, it seems, in the wake of a formal ceasefire, is continued and large scale warfare in Africa. Something either side, at this point, has much to loose from. And without a formal ceasefire, as all know, the two states certainly do not trust each other enough to halt campaigning.

Beddgelert

06-12-2007, 08:52

While the Indian masses are far from keen to allow the Holy League, especially as it begins to show weakness, to escape destruction, the Supreme War Soviet has its own ideas. And the Supreme War Soviet is what the French manage to contact.

Being caught negotiating with the French would spell the end for the political careers of any of the SWS's members, but their actions probably give Versailles cause to believe in their complicity with the armistice.

In Libya, Adiatorix moves the major mobile elements of his 200,000 strong Indian force, along with Namibian, Tanzanian, Zambian, Zimbabwean, Madagascarn, Gabonese, Free Portuguese, Nepali, Bangladeshi, Vietnamese, Laotian, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Guyanan, and Venezuelan units from the western frontiers towards the Egyptian border, leaving Libyan and Free French forces primarily responsible for the defence of the Algerian and Tunisian borders with Indian technical support.

Major components of the Soviet reinforcement fleet bound for the Atlantic confrontation put in at friendly African ports, some already turning for home.

Plans for deployment of further corps into Africa seem to run aground as the SWS establishes new Liberation Soviets and turns its attentions to the bringing about of internal revolution across Africa and major projects are prepared in Latin America.

Guyana

In Guyana, a territory only recently divided and partially introduced to radical leftist ideas, Igovian influence over-takes an infant and ever weakening Anarchan movement as the South Guyanan Soviet State is proclaimed.

With half of Guyana's population being of Indian origin, the Igovians find themselves fitting in more easily, and propaganda against Roycelandian domination of the north is widely disseminated.

Portuguese leftists (who, of course, make up the bulk of that nation's population) unwelcome in their German-Quinntonian dominated homeland also find South Guyana an inviting home owing to the number of Portuguese speakers and the development boom that is just getting under way with tens of millions of dollars in Soviet aid.

Amerindians, meanwhile, are further empowered and encouraged to establish their own pantisoctratic phalansteries along tribal lines, preserving their cultures while also modernising their living conditions. Tribes such as the Macushi, likely to have up to half a dozen communes, are even courted as possible carriers of the revolution to Brazil, where their ethno-linguistic peers live in similar conditions of marginalisation previously existant in Guyana.

Of Guyana's pre-division territories, just five constitute the sparsely populated Soviet State of South Guyana. They are Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, and East Berbice-Corentyne, though the last territory is incomplete, with its more populated northern extremes part of the Roycelandian territory of North Guyana. Soviet surveys indicate a population not greater than 150,000 for all of South Guyana, about a quarter of the population of the northern Roycelandian section, which in terms of area is far smaller.

Now unable to trade with any of its former key export partners, landlocked Igovian South Guyana will find markets for its bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, and folk crafts in Indian and the neighbouring Neo Anarchan communes. Soviet aid this year is expected to be worth at least a quarter of the state's GDP.

(OOC: Got to go, out of time!)

Fleur de Liles

07-12-2007, 20:12

Guyana

The Soviet upheaval in Guyana was considered a shock in Germany as Germany, like Quinntonia, had always enjoyed a strong relationship with the former Neo Anarchan state. This strong relationship included agreements for international teachers, and missions and aid from Germany to Guyana. To date, the German government, not counting the larger amount of aid from individuals and churches, had given low interest loans amounting to 23 million Deutsche Marks to Guyana. This aid was given to help ease the foreign exchanges costs, improve their economic recovery, and for a tropical forest sustainability fund. Moreover, in addition to the activities of the German government the German Rotes Kreuz missionaries and aid workers had a long history of working and proclaiming the gospel in Guyana. In particular the missionaries had significantly helped in the Guyanese flood in 2005 were generally very well respected and loved by the Guyanese.

So far response to the new Soviet puppet government was limited as aid worker and missionaries continued to reap the bountiful harvest and bring pagans to Christ. However, they did begin to prepare for evacuation in case the Soviets sponsored another homicidal killing spree as they did in Dra-pol. Vast quantities of Bibles were distributed to all the churches in Guyana and hidden before they could be seized by Soviet authorities. In case of persecution they would have the Word so firmly ingrained in their hearts that not even the devil could remove it. Churches began holding prayer vigils as they prayed for tolerance with the new regime. But just in case, they also began talking with the imams and religious leaders for the Hindu and began discussing on possible strategies should they be subjected to persecution.

The Crooked Beat

08-12-2007, 02:43

The Mediterranean

Faisalabad, for all the ability of its captain and the training of its crew, in spite of its stealthy and modern construction, is still anything but immune from perhaps the submarine's worst enemy, the naval mine. Though equipped with a mine-avoidance sonar, Faisalabad would risk immediate detection by making use of it, and the captain would of course prefer the possibility of death over the certainty of death just about any day. But, sure enough, the Hindustani submarine is not long in the Gulf of Taranto before it runs afoul of a freshly-laid Italian minefield. Patrolling warships will almost certainly pick-up the explosion, and, on the surface, they may find a small oil slick and some debris, a sure sign of the death of a submarine.

In Tripoli, VI Corps command adds the names of the 27 crew members to the list of UDF personnel missing in action after Faisalabad fails to show up in Libyan waters at the end of its patrol. It is another sobering loss, coming right after Barmer's similar failure to report, and does much to discourage the Naval Ministry from expanding its submarine operations in the Mediterranean. Only one of the three Hindustani submarines, INS Bihar, remains operational, and even then planners in Tripoli cannot be certain of that for a few days more at least. Captained by a longtime submariner, one who holds the rank of Vice Admiral, no less, Bihar is expected to have more to show for its patrol by the time it returns to Libya.

Vice Admiral Rajender Soni's task force, meanwhile, heads back out into the Mediterranean, making for the Suez Canal at around 15 knots. Sawaj and Derawar provide close escort for the merchants and troop transports that brought the 89th Brigade to Tripoli some days earlier, while the five surviving Bengal class corvettes and submarine chasers provide something of an A/S screen ahead of the formation. Enemy submarines lurking around the mouth of the Suez Canal will doubtless know that the Hindustanis are coming, and there is little that Soni can do to prevent that, so corvette crews are not shy about using active sonar, and at irregular intervals they ping the surrounding waters furiously, hoping to catch nearby submarines off-guard. Lynx and Dhruv antisubmarine helicopters fly off each one of the surviving corvettes and the Sawaj, armed with Type 17 homing torpedoes and fitted with MAD drogues and dipping sonar. Indian sailors are quite aware that a highly advanced AIP boat may, in spite of everything, still manage to close-in and make an attack, but they imagine that they stand a better chance than most of detecting and deterring League submarines.

Narsinghpur and Rajgarh, B variants designed almost solely for anti-submarine work, deploy their variable-depth sonars as the convoy nears the north end of the Suez Canal, trading maneuverability and speed for the ability to peer beneath the thermocline layer with highly sensitive hydrophones.

Yugo Slavia

08-12-2007, 07:21

The Mediterranean

The Drava would have looked quite odd to anyone who could have seen her as she crawled across the greatest expanse of water that the Yugoslav navy ever dared to enter. Affixed to the fifty-five metre near thousand tonne whale was a suckling parasite, Vardar. At less than ninety tonnes the Una Class midget wasn't equal to a tenth of the Sava Class boat's displacement, but carrying four elite divers she was potentially more deadly.

Forty-four Yugoslavians and an Indian liaison officer* had a long wait as their vessels made just four knots, unable to go much faster without depleting their batteries. They had just one stop before Libya: Għawdex, the Ba'athist island in the Maltese archipelago. Drava would surface within spitting distance of potentially hostile forces on the Maltese mainland, assuming that a flag-flying visit by a Yugoslav submarine that had made no efforts to attack League shipping en route would not induce the Italians or others to launch a military operation on neutral Syrian territory.

After that, to Libya, and then onwards to war.

*Since the operation has been vaguely discussed with LRR I thought it apt to put a Hindustani on board, if he doesn't mind too much.

Gurguvungunit

10-12-2007, 00:56

OOC: Sorry for the delay.
Egypt

4th Division was hardly the last of Britain's slated troop deployments to Egypt, and its attached engineer brigade took its time in preparing Port Said to be the command post of a joint Egyptian-NATO force. Railways, perhaps the most efficient armour transport means available, were improved and re-enforced so as to better support the tremendous weight of a regiment of tanks or IFVs, and new piers were built to accommodate the near-constant stream of British transport vessels bearing supplies, ammunition and more soldiers. From Port Said they were borne by rail or, in a few cases, aircraft, to their final destinations. The majority of these were bound for As Sallum, home to an ever-growing base that now numbered nearly a full regiment of heavy infantry. The defensive works there were slowly growing, less the static defence of earlier wars and more a network of tracks and strongpoints designed to break up an assault. Minefields were laid along points of approach, well marked in Arabic and English alike. Even so, the possibility that civilians could be injured while off for a jaunt in the desert were above zero, and so the citizens of As Sallum were warned against approaching the 'danger zones' near British strongpoints.

St. Paul

The shipyards of St. Paul weren't really the equal of anything in Britain or Australia, lacking the big drydocks necessary to maintain a carrier battlegroup or construct anything larger than a destroyer. Indeed, most large construction in the Americas went to January River or Buenos Aires, taking advantage of both cities' larger docks and better infrastructure. St. Paul's smaller docks, used in peacetime to build merchant ships or small cutters, were instead devoted to the building of transports.

Much like in the Second World War, Britain's naval commitments far outstripped its ground capability and transport capacity, leaving its far-flung outposts vulnerable to a quick strike from land. The lesson learned at the hands of the Germans and Japanese, now allies themselves, went into the construction of a flotilla of simple, large transports whose sole purpose was the movement of troops and supplies from one point to another. Accordingly, St. Paul's slipways were filled with the keels of thirty-six transport vessels of the most basic type, essentially floating barracks with a pair of cranes for offloading light artillery and armour. No time could be spared for roll-on/roll-off capability or LCAC wells in the stern, just massive crew quarters that could fit nearly a thousand men in considerable discomfort. With twenty-eight transports reserved for the men of two divisions and a further eight for their vehicles, the fleets could, at best, move two divisions from point to point at one time, traveling in a pack. It was a return to the convoy ethos of the Second World War, a sign of Britain's certainty that nothing peaceful could result from recent events.

In two much larger slipways, built originally to provide for the construction of small fleet carriers, a pair of landing ship docks were building. Their flat decks, now taking the form of a series of girders, made them resemble small carriers. They were designed to carry helicopters enough to supply an amphibious force, and LCACs to land that force on an enemy beach. Clearly, Britain had plans for land operations beyond Egypt, for which the deep-bottomed transports would suffice. To require LSDs in the vein of the Quinntonian Wasp class, the Admiralty had to be expecting combat much further afield.

Buenos Aires

The southernmost city of British America was not the one that had stood there a year ago. New skyscrapers were going up, so far just towers of concrete that housed elevator assemblies and associated girders that would hold the shatterproof glass of their outer skins. Whole barrios were still undergoing relief efforts, their populations living in temporary housing provided by the engineer battalions that had spent their last few months clearing rubble from the city. Around the new construction ran the Berm, the fortress that had protected the city for the past two decades. It was dotted with pillboxes and roads, its design in many ways informing that of the S-S Line in Egypt. Unlike that line though, it was nearly empty.

You wouldn't notice at first, significant pains had been taken to make it look fully manned. Two companies of militia patrolled its length every night, backed up by a number of inflatable tanks built around the frame of jeepneys and land rovers. Field artillery was nothing more than tubes of machined metal stuck to a light frame of aluminum. The Berm was almost totally undefended.

Its three thousand defenders, coupled with the soldiers of the 7th American Division, were in Montevideo. There, they were marshaling for a northward attack into the former Anarchan states, should it become necessary. Supplies stockpiled for transport and field artillery was packed for rail shipment through the UDF, and there northward. Backroom dealing was still underway, hammering out the provisions under which a division of the British Army was to move through the territory of a not-wholly-trustworthy neighbour, and possibly fight alongside him. After all if this went wrong, British America would be left nearly undefended and open to attack, protected only by Roycelandian troops to the north and naval units patrolling the seas. Something of a gamble, but entirely worth it to secure the northern oil deposits.

Vecron

12-12-2007, 00:58

OOC: Taranto's a gulf? Man, I have to look at my map more often.

Gulf of Taranto

There is a very audible sigh of relief all throughout the Gulf of Taranto at the sound of the mine and the sight of debris and the oil slick rise to the surface. Rome's submarine rescue and salvage ship is sent out to the area, with an escort of minesweepers to clear a small path and work area for the ship. The salvage of an advanced Hindustan sub would be a great acquisition for the Regia Marina, though it is quite likely that the boat will be in pieces and worthless by the time it gets there. If so, the operation will be abandoned and the ship will turn back to port. Admiral Moretti is not willing to allow a submarine to come so close to Italy's waters again, and orders the continued mining to the entrance of the gulf, as well as mining the Strait of Otranto. Though in the Otranto, much thought is given to Yugolsavia and the mines extend as close to the Yugoslavan shore as the Sauro subs dare to go. If Yugoslav shipping should run afoul with a mine or two or ten c'est la vie as their French allies say. Of course safe routes are given to Italian shipping mere minutes before they launch, and any found astray will be deemed to be an enemy.

Patrols along the Italian coast, especially along the Adriatic are intensified as the Regia Marina slowly begins to heal the wounds of the recent Yugoslav conflict. The Marina will need her strength at full if she wishes to successfully eliminate the Soviets from the Mediterranean or must enter a conflict with Yugoslavia.

Near the Suez Canal

The Captain of the Todaro notes that the Soviet task force is much more prepared this time to tackle a submarine ambush than they were in their first encounter. He is not as much of a gambler as the Captain of the Scire is, especially with a multi-million dollar boat under his feet and the lives of about 40 men weighing on him. Yet his mission weighs heavily on his mind. Right now, he is hiding in the shallow waters near the Suez, but to attack would mean giving up his position, and that would most likely mean revealing his identity. Fortunately, the corvette line is heading toward him, and he can allow his torpedoes to swim out, rather than ejecting them with noisy compressed air. He makes his decision and prays to God with all his strength that he return to tell the tale. He moves into firing position as at a painstaking crawl, and acquires a firing solution. One wrong move and the Todaro will lit up like a Christmas tree in New York Times Square. Six torpedoes are locked onto two corvettes and the Captain orders the fish released. The torpedoes swim out silently, slowly, heart wrenchingly and shoot off a second later. Meanwhile the Todaro comes about, dives low and takes a silent run toward the Black Sea at ten knots. The Todaro will continue at this speed unless the enemy makes any sign of detecting her. "Please, God, let this work," the Captain of the Todaro prays inside of him while fighting to retain his steel expression.

The Roman Empire Prepares for War

Recent Yugoslav show boating off Malta as well as "missile tests" into the Adriatic have caused many officials in the Roman government to get serious about the socialist neighbor. Forces along the Yugoslav border are bolstered by an additional 10 armour legions and 20 infantry legions. The air base in Padua, which had served magnificently as the forward base in the last attack on Yugoslavia, is put on alert and multiple SIB fighter, attack, and bomber squadrons begin to do a bit of showboating on their own. T-65 Actis fighters participate in training exercises to reinforce AA and AG mission tactics and maneuvers, showing off their Typhoon-like capabilities. Meanwhile, the remaining 23 infantry and 10 armour legions are prepared, and with the permission of the Kings of France and Spain, will move into Spain and participate in a mass landing at Algeria to support embattled French, Spanish and Nigerian allies against the Soviets in Libya. These troops have a large number of the veterans who had fought bravely and valiantly in Austria.

Elsewhere, Roman reserves are called into action, giving the military another sixty legions to play with in defending the homeland as well as giving additional support to Yugoslav border forces, should Yugoslavia decide to get trigger happy and attack. Among the forces sent to the border will be a large massing of another 40 reserve legions while the remaining twenty will be arrayed for home defense.

The calling of the reserves, plus the building projects of the Regia Aeronautica and the Regia Marina put a rather considerable strain on the Roman economy. In response Rome begins to release war bonds for citizens to buy at reasonable prices, as well as increased income, sales and corporate tax to be levied on the population. Even the church, which holds a small though considerable portion of land is approached to aid the war effort against the pagan hordes. Priests in Rome encourage the support of the Roman and Holy League cause, and a donation from the Church's treasury is offered, and is received graciously by the Caesar.

On television sets, radios, and streaming media across the country, Caesar Romulus approaches his people:

“Citizens of the Grand Empire of Rome, I come before you to address the great threat that visited us in this tumultuous time. Our brothers in France, Algeria, Nigeria, Spain and Russia are embroiled in a war against pagan Soviets in Africa, fighting to keep the stench of their communist and pagan evil from infecting the divine Western lands in Europe. That fight has spread and now threatens to involve all powers in this bright globe in the largest, most widespread conflict that history has ever seen. That fight has spread much closer to home than we have ever wanted it to be, it has spread to our waters, it has spread to the fair lands of Austria, it has spread to our very homes.

“Well I tell you now, that it stops here! This far, no further!

“I call on you, my Roman brothers and sisters, join us! Join us in our fight! Help make this world safer not only for you, but also for your children. This day I call on you, whatever may be given, I ask that you give it. This day, let us stand for together, let us stand against the Soviet beast and let us wipe these enemies of God clear from the face of the Earth! God is with us! Amen.”

OOC: I'll have to deal with exact numbers later, its too much for my exam racked brain to deal with. Suffice to say around 150, 000 regular troops are on the Yugoslav border, just sitting there for the moment, about 200,000 regular troops will, with the Spainish and French permission, move to Spain and land in Algeria. With the reserves about 100,000 troops are being arrayed for home defense and around another 200,000 troops are reinforcing the regular troops' position on the border.

Hail Caesar!

Teutonic Deutschland

12-12-2007, 03:10

Me Teutonic Deutschland tag

The Crooked Beat

12-12-2007, 04:00

(OCC: I don't have any problem with that, Yugoslavia. When an opportunity arises to cause France some trouble, there's bound to be no shortage of Hindustani volunteers.)

Near Port Said

Though they certainly suspect it, the Hindustani sailors are not certain that an enemy submarine is in the area until INS Rajgarh, a VDS-towing Bengal B corvette, is blown out of the water by a pair of Italian torpedoes, dropping back into the Mediterranean in two halves, which waste no time in exploding and sinking. Narsinghpur just narrowly avoids the same fate, her hydrophone operator detecting not a moment too soon the ominous sound of a running torpedo motor. Unlike Rajgarh, Narsinghpur has its variable-depth sonar reeled-in, and last-minute evasive maneuvers are able to save the ship. One Italian torpedo does, however, manage to re-target, and it impacts and almost completely obliterates the submarine chaser Bombard.

Aware of the capabilities of modern submarines, though, corvette captains are not altogether surprised by the attack, and they are quick to react. The remaining escorts ping furiously, supported by some five A/S helicopters and their own dipping sonars. It isn't long before sonar operators detect a contact, moving-off to the northwest at medium speed, and the corvettes converge on the indicated position with every intention of killing whatever is down there. Close to ten Type 17 lightweight torpedoes, the mainstay of Union anti-submarine forces, are sent-off against what is almost certain to be the Todaro, their active seekers apt to terrify any submariner, and, should that salvo fail to deliver, at least as many wait in torpedo tubes and on helicopter weapons stations. The Italians will be very hard-pressed to extricate themselves from such a situation, and the Unioners, for their part, are determined to have at least something to show for the loss of four warships and the better part of those four crews.

The submarine chaser Daring, meanwhile, splits-off from the corvette formation to retrieve the survivors from Rajgarh, the few that there are. That unfortunate corvette, outfitted with very modern equipment and crewed by highly trained and experienced sailors, serves as another example of just how dangerous the modern AIP submarine is, be it Italian, Hindustani or otherwise.

Conakry

Guineans, in spite of the state of the world around them, have at least some cause for happiness. Lansana Conte, unpopular and corrupt, is well and truly gone, packed off to Canada along with most of his cabinet, the office of President done away with and the office of Prime Minister filled with Lansana Kouyate, far more popular and far less powerful. The National Assembly, not many months earlier a toothless body overshadowed by the strong presidency, has also been largely rebuilt and established as, without question, the preeminent governing body in Guinea, and its membership overturned with a fresh round of elections. Conakry itself has by now come under the control of a directly-elected Municipal Council, whose members are subject to popular recall.

Democratization is, perhaps to the horror of western powers, not at all limited to the political sphere. Already in the capital several self-managed enterprises have sprung up, prominent among them the grandiosely-named National Arsenal, currently engaged in the manufacture of Stens, Brens, and SLRs for the Guinean Army. The all-important mining industry is under national control, and, though worker self-management is not likely to see implementation there in the near future, and the revenue is not yet present to offer any significant pay increases, Guinean miners benefit from improved safety procedures and shorter shifts. Guineans cannot exactly call what they've experienced over the past six months or so prosperity, but it does seem like a step in the right direction. Maybe ten of twenty years down the line, Guinea's standard of living might be at a more comfortable level.

At the same time few in Guinea, or, indeed, anywhere in ECOWAS, are apt to forget the fact that France remains in West Africa in strength, still guilty of the same horrible atrocities and just about universally hated from Zouerat to Porto Novo. France, it appears to many Guineans and to the Hindustani marines in Guinea, finally came around to seeing the rather ridiculous nature of its West African venture, though far too late to salvage the situation properly. Versailles, it seems, now has a guerrilla war of massive proportions on its hands, one very much of its own making, and one that has the potential to rage across an area much of the size of Western Europe. A coordinated, united, or focused effort it most certainly is not, but guerrillas in Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, and Togo are doing their utmost to create bloody mayhem. Guinea's Military Intelligence Bureau is eager to help towards that end, and shipments of small arms and liaison officers soon find their way across the porous border with Mali.

The UDF's small presence in Guinea, slowly approaching 5,000 personnel, 2,500 marines prominent among them, is not apt to grow at as great a rate as was initially planned, and quite likely the INA will never actually be able to deploy a Corps-level formation in West Africa, to say nothing of an Army. This does not cause too much worrying, given the fact that the French now find themselves in the middle of an intense counter-insurgency war, and few expect Versailles to try and push further when its conquests so far have proven anything but stable. And the battle off Cap Vert, though terribly painful for the Indians, also likely confined the main League surface navies to port for the foreseeable future.

Weapons deliveries to Guinea pick-up in frequency and magnitude, and, though far from modern, the Guinean military can at least point to certain modern capabilities and useful weapons systems. Some 30 HAL-built Golkonda jet fighters and conversion trainers arrive in Conakry to rebuild the Guinean Air Force's combat wing, almost non-existent since Guinea retired its handful of MiG-17s in the late 1980s. The fact that there are almost no Guinean pilots qualified on supersonic aircraft means that the shuttle pilots will almost certainly stay on with their aircraft for the foreseeable future, until there are enough trained pilots and ground crews for at least half of the delivered Golkondas. It isn't exactly a fearsome Air Force, even given its newfound status as the largest in independent West Africa, and nobody quite knows whether Guinea will still want or be able to fund it in ten years, but it is better than nothing.

Vecron

13-12-2007, 00:32

Todaro

The Captain of the Roman sub thought that they had almost gotten away. Then the sound of multiple pings banged his hull.

"We have been actively pinged from multiple positions sir!" The Captain growled, he knew this wouldn't be that easy. "Hydrophone, multiple torpedoes in the water!"

"Increase to flank, hard to starboard, release countermeasures!" The Captain yells, "How many torpedoes?"

"Ten, capitano!"

"Get us up on the surface! Emergency blow! Set a collision course for the nearest corvette! You heard me, a collision course!"

The Captain curses in several languages, including, but not limited to, Latin, Italian, French and English. The situation looked very grim, it was almost certain that the Todaro was going down. But it would try to take at least one more Soviet with her. Several torpedoes pick up on the countermeasures, and not the ship, detonating a couple meters away from her. The sudden increase in prop speeds causes a mass of noise for the torpedoes to chase and detonate less than a meter from the aft of the ship, shaking her to bit. One of the torpedoes strikes the bow of the Todaro, ripping her torpedo tubes to pieces. The crew worked as a disciplined unit and would have made their Roman parents proud and sealed off the damage sections. It was a miracle that the torpedo didn't inflict more damage, but the crew doesn't have time to think about it.

The Todaro had now turned straight for the lead corvette, her conning tower breaking the surface less than two kilometers off the bow of the Soviet vessel. The sub chugged along at 20 knots, her top speed after having received some damage to her engines. The Captain of the Todaro, heavily wounded from shrapnel has taken the dead sonar officer's post and directs the helm to make a hit on the corvette. But with the damage makes the Todaro handle like a dishwasher and two torpedoes had re-targeted her and were closing fast. The Soviet captain would only have to make one quick move to evade the sub, and if she did, the Todaro was dead. Fortune favors the bold. Time to find out if that's true.

Hail Caesar!
OOC: I know I'm really pushing the bounds of suspension of disbelief, but you have to admit, it's dramatic.

The Crooked Beat

13-12-2007, 04:04

Near Port Said

Hindustani captains are of course furious as the enemy submarine breaks the surface, furious mainly that a confirmed torpedo impact had failed to rip the boat to pieces, as should have been the case. The nearest corvette to Todaro is INS Graeme Igo, which immediately opens-up on the surfaced Italian with her twin 57mm artillery. Hitting the relatively slow-moving Todaro is no great challenge for a gun system designed to track and engage aircraft, and within a short time the Italians come under fire from the other three Bengals, unable to use their anti-ship missiles at such short distances but more than able to deliver crippling gunfire. Being rammed is not a great concern for Union captains, who are moving considerably faster than the enemy submarine, which, they believe, ought to sink soon anyway.

The corvettes get clear just the same, however, as a Merlin off INS Sawaj arrives to sink the damned Roman with four Sea Skua missiles. Though probably capable of doing a fair amount of damage to the enemy submarine, the 40mm and 57mm guns aboard the Union corvettes will take a while before actually causing their target to sink, and a Sea Skua will do the job quicker and cleaner.

At the mouth of the Suez Canal, meanwhile, the Union convoy itself prepares to make its transit, the necessary fees having been wired to Cairo in advance. With the Regia Marina's surface assets apparently tied-up in home waters, it does not make much sense having Sawaj and Derawar in the Mediterranean when they could be used elsewhere more effectively, so they also head towards the canal, meaning to rejoin the Home Fleet in the Arabian Sea.

Beddgelert

13-12-2007, 05:27

Soviet vessels headed into the Mediterranean by this stage are in many cases nearly empty. The COG and commandeered dual-use civilian vessels are now concerned mainly with evacuating a large part of the Libyan expeditionary force under Adiatorix, leaving just enough to bolster Libyan defences and provide a mobile threat to the British in Egypt. Rome may be finally sending forces to North Africa, but Raipur is virtually convinced that France does not intend to launch a full scale invasion of Soviet-backed Libya and few Indians hold much fear for Italian soldiery. The small forces that will stay to face any possible Italian threat are largely romantic Geletians who just want another crack at the Roman Legions that forced their forefathers out of Asia-Minor, and who in the main are from increasingly rare Druidic clans remaining within the more traditionalist tribes of Celtic India.

As ever, the Union's navy is recipient of frequent expressions of approval from the Commonwealth, as few Soviet warships have been free to escort friendly shipping in this dangerous theatre.

Gurguvungunit

14-12-2007, 01:49

OOC: Cool, submarine combat that makes sense on both sides! AMW's all grown up! I have no time, but here's what I can tap out before my... er... show opens.

IC:
London

Christina gulped her coffee, wincing as the liquid scalded her throat. Already tender from fighting off a cold, it wouldn't hold much of a voice and so she was restricted to emails.

To: Nicolas Sarkozy (n.sarkozy@versailles.co.fr)
From: Christina Lloyd (c.lloyd@foreignsecretary.co.uk)
Subject: West Africa
Message:
Msr. Sarkozy,

I hope this message finds you well. I regret that we are unable to talk in person, but I feel that I should commend you upon France's willingness to withdraw from West Africa with relative speed and good grace. I must communicate a few points which my government feels bear on your policies. Firstly, it seems clear that President Taya of Mauritania has lost any semblance of the popular mandate, and if we are democrats in truth we ought to respect their wishes. Colonel Vall and his provisional government have so far proven amenable to British aims and want nothing more than to be left alone; perhaps this is the attitude that we should foster in Africa? Your forces and those of the British Empire remain the most effective in West Africa, and the status quo there favours capitalism and the rule of law.

If we are ever to be anything but enemies, French and British governments should work together to foster a stable, politically legitimate West Africa. Let us start in Mauritania, and telegraph our shared commitment to the will of the people there. Our battle of hearts and minds must be won if we are to defeat the Soviets in war, and the best way to do this is show that we will support the decision of the people, so long as it poses no threat to our own security. Colonel Vall's provisional council is a liberal-market, republican one. Let us work together to support these governments, rather than incite more hatred by installing an unwanted leader.

I will be in contact further, but for now I await your response.

Regards,
C. Lloyd

OOC2: You might see more edits in the next few hours, for now I have to go!

Vecron

14-12-2007, 04:41

Near Port Said

The Todaro crawls ever closer to the Graeme Igo, trying to adjust her course as the speedy corvette tries to run away. Splashes from shells impacting the water surge all around her, and the Captain tries to chase them in a hope of dodging the Soviet fire. But the gun and missile barrage, as well as the two incoming torpedoes pretty much spell her doom before she can reach with a kilometer of her target. She gets it from both sides as a shell impacts her hull just at the base of the conning tower, killing pretty much everyone on the bridge and frying her electrical systems. The two torpedoes then rip into the ventral-stern of the boat, ripping apart her engines and causing secondary explosions to blow the ship into millions of tiny pieces. The Todaro was destroyed in an act of daring and unbelievable, if not stupid, courage in trying to take an enemy with her that the whole world had seen. The entire crew would receive, posthumously, the Order of the Roman Cross, the highest medal in the Empire, for their bravery. When her record would be reviewed by Roman brass, they would see two or three Soviet ships sunk to one Roman Lada-class sub. Not a bad ratio, but it still came at a high price.

Hail Caesar!

Nova Gaul

18-12-2007, 02:04

Heya all! This is just a ‘shout out’ to let you all know I am still alive! I will have something more substantial up by Friday. Ciao bella!))

To: Christina Lloyd (c.lloyd@foreignsecretary.co.uk)
From: Nicolas Sarkozy (n.sarkozy@versailles.co.fr)

Re: West Africa

Madame,

Thank you very much for you kind concern. I am not at great liberty to speak at the moment: as you are no doubt aware, a conclave shall convene immanently at Versailles, upon His Most Christian Majesty’s pleasure, whereupon the Kingdom of France shall finalize its presence in West Africa and its relation to the recently elected L’Union Pour Un Movement Populaire Africain, referred to in brevity as UMPA.

I am, however, at liberty ( ;) ) to say a few things on the matter. I sincerely hope that it has been made abundantly clear that the Kingdom of France has no intention of leaving Africa in force, as our valiant Marechal de la Tour du Pin illustrated, until the UMPA Governments and their legitimately elected constitutional monarchs have firmly established their administrations. Furthermore, I hope it is clear that this is a quest which may take years, decades even; and until the quest is completed le Royaume de France will actively ‘participate’ in the affairs of a woefully benighted West Africa. Though I may say optimistically that His Most Christian Majesty is confident in the popularity of these free and wonderful new governments, and anticipates negligible subversive activity.

Now, regarding Mauritania. Just this morning The Most Christian King Louis-Auguste imparted to me his deepest wishes for a Imperial recognition of these legitimate African administrations—that is to say the UMPA Governments and their constitutionally elected monarchs. Such a recognition would necessarily give le Royaume de France (et Spain et Rome et the Russias her valiant allies) great assurances of security. In turn, if our allies feel such security, His Most Christian Majesty may find a way to convince the people of le Patrie to embrace the heretofore wicked Mauritanian regime. This is not to overlook President Taya, who is the democratically elected President our Mauritania, as opposed to the denotatively illegal military junta which seems to find your favor. It is just to, well, engage in real politic. If there is no recognition of the new and legitimate West African governments, there is very little I can do to foster a sense of security if His Most Christian Majesty’s mind, and no doubt the Holy League en masse will maintain its support for President Taya.

On another note, I wish to commend Whitehall on its staunch support of a free Egypt, and indeed a free world, against the red menace. It would serve you well to remember that, at the end of the day, your share many more bonds with your neighbors across the straits than will the Pit of Hell in Igovia. I hope I have addressed your concerns, and eagerly await your next visit to le Chateau. Until our next meeting,

I remain, faithfully yours,

Nicolas Sarkozy
Prime Minister to His Most Christian Majesty,
Louis Auguste Rex,
King of France and Navarre, Grand Prince of Corsica, of Andorra, of Monaco, Grandmaster of the Most Valiant Orders of St. Louis and the Holy Spirit, Protector of the West African Peoples, Eldest Son of the Holy and Inviolate Catholic Church, Defender of the Faith and Lieutenant of the Holy League.

Spyr

25-12-2007, 23:49

South Atlantic Ocean, off Angola

The crew of the fleet carrier Unending Unity set about their assigned duties in typical Combine fashion, perfect coordination resulting from years of training and a relentless push to snuff out the sickness that was the individual. Yet, aboard the Unity, her sister Triumph of the Whole, and their accompanying escort screen, there was a slight tinge of uncertainty: the waters of the Atlantic were far different from the familiar shallows of the Persian Gulf, and each passing day put more distance between the flotilla and their collectivist homeland. Their purpose had once been to guard offshore rigs and tankers against potential agression from India or United Elias, but now the Combine required a different contribution: one of power projection out to distant West Africa. They would give their all, for nothing less would be acceptable, but success was far from guaranteed.

Three days behind the Soviet-Hindustani fleet, the vessels of the Combine keep a close eye on the battle between their Progressive allies and the League fleet. To reach the coast of the Western Sahara, Combine fleet tacticians know they will have to confront whatever remains of the feudal formation, and every blow struck recieves an approving nod. Indian casualties are largely deemed irrelevant... let Mumbai and the Geletians expend themselves first, to save the Combine's own from suffering losses.

Their proximity means that Combine vessels will be in position to cover retreating Indian vessels should they retreat back towards the 10th Fleet off Namibia. To this end, some additional fuel is expended to push vessels up to higher speeds... again, the Combine is not so much concerned for the survival of the Progressive fleet as it is to hit the League while its missile tubes lie empty and its aircraft thirst for aviation fuel. If the Indians can be pulled back into the fray, so much the better, but it is generally the hope of Combine tacticians that the European fleets will percieve the danger and evacuate back towards their home ports to recuperate, leaving time for the Armandians to reach their objective.

The Crooked Beat

31-12-2007, 02:39

(OCC: This is the summary asked-for by Quinn.)

Mumbai

There are a great many new faces at the Defense Ministry in the wake of what Unioners have taken to calling the Battle off Cap Vert, that disastrous naval engagement that lately took place between Cap Vert and Ras Nouadhibou. Among other things, the loss of such a large portion of the UDF's ocean-going fleet has triggered a wave of resignations, and the largest personnel turnover in the planning department's history.

As the survivors return to the Indian Subcontinent, and INS Srivardhan, the only Hindustani warship to survive the engagement, docks in Surat for the first time in almost a year, the Defense Ministry attempts to pin-down what went wrong, and tries to extract useful lessons from the experience.

Mistake number one, it appears, was the assumption that Russia would maintain its neutrality. The Indian fleet, which far outnumbered the French, could have expected a far more straightforward battle, which doubtless would have resulted in far lower losses. And after that, the choice to press on even after the Russians declared their intention to join the war, without waiting for reinforcements, also had serious bearing.

The Marakkar's force suffered heavily in its first encounter with Russian submarines, losing twelve ships including an aircraft carrier, and, though A/S escorts succeeded in destroying a number of enemy boats, the Russians could have caused more serious losses, or avoided that themselves, had they not rather foolishly expended their ammunition at maximum ranges and volley-fired torpedoes and missiles. Carrier aviation played a very small part in the engagement, serving, for the most part, only to drain Russian missile ordnance, but Union analysts are by no means prepared to dismiss the aircraft carrier as a weapon of the past. The aircraft carriers that were present, they point out, were mostly escort types, best-suited to antisubmarine warfare.

As expected, Russian anti-ship missiles caused the bulk of Indian casualties, and, though defense systems managed to down a great many of them, of the P-500 and P-700 weapons that did penetrate the missile screen, almost every one hit, and each hit caused the sinking or scuttling of an Indian ship. Likewise, however, the Indian anti-ship missiles were quite successful, effectively penetrating the (albeit depleted) enemy missile screen and sinking or crippling a great many League capital ships. At this, the Indian fleet, its missile silos empty, made for its fleet train and carriers off Conakry, and the League fleet, having itself taken losses that could not exactly be dismissed, and fearing enemy submarines, also turned and headed back to base. A French attempt to attack the retreating Indian fleet with heavy bombers was foiled by Soviet interceptors flying out of Dakar, and that, the UDF concludes, was the final part of the battle.

The result, it seems to the Unioners, is a Jutland-like situation, each side perhaps able to claim victory but any achievement tempered by heavy loss in equipment, and, even more serious, sailors. On the Union side there is no talk of victory, with all of one warship returning from West Africa in one piece, but India as a whole can perhaps claim to have denied the Holy League naval superiority in the theater. The Holy League, furthermore, threw just about everything it had into the battle, while the Marakkar's fleet, though certainly not a force that either Mumbai or Raipur could be excused for considering expendable, did not represent the whole of India's maritime strength. Soviet aircraft carriers all escaped without serious damage, after all, along with almost the whole of the support force.

Further to the south, the Nigerian Navy's attempt to influence the battle was checked by the efforts of a blockading Igovian submarine flotilla, which, if Union estimates are correct, managed to destroy a fair few enemy warships, enough anyway to send the Nigerians back to port.

Significant to UDF commanders is the very small role played by the battleship in the Battle off Cap Vert, taken as proof of that weapon's irrelevance in modern warfare. Not once did any two opposing warships come within gun range of one another, and the enemy's withdrawal prevented CS Petropavlovsk's suicide charge into League lines. Rather than being torn-apart in a heroic gun duel, she was towed back to Dakar by a Senegalese salvage tug and declared a constructive total loss. Doubtless the money spent worldwide on battleship construction would find far more gainful employment in the building of aircraft carriers, or so says the UDF.

As far as the Unioners are concerned, the Battle off Cap Vert underlines the growing importance and lethality of fleet submarines and carrier aviation, two weapons systems that were not present in sufficient numbers with the Marakkar's fleet. Long-range, supersonic anti-ship missiles were also, it seems, proven to be extremely deadly, and extremely difficult to defend-against even with modern and multi-layered defense systems.

It isn't long, then, before the UDF announces its recommendations for an expanded fleet submarine force and the construction of a conventional aircraft carrier. The launching of the IN's first Gauntlet-class frigate, after the completion of two Soviet-ordered hulls, is at least something to be happy about.

Beddgelert

31-12-2007, 04:48

The Commonwealth Guard finds little on which to disagree with its neighbour in assessment of the battle, though some fanatics express disappointment that more wasn't done in the closing stages. By and large these are headstrong tribal Celts who still hold traditional superstitious beliefs in another world and whose thousands of years of history exposes not more than a handful of battles concluded without total victory or 100% casualties, and they do not hold many strategically significant offices within the Guard.

Probably the most significant development so far as the Supreme War Soviet's planning offices are concerned is the stop on gathering of materials for the proposed CS Anarchism, supposed to be a sister to Utopia Class battleship Communism. It now appears that Communism will fly the flag as India's sole battleship in future, representing the superiority of Soviet technology in a Franco-Roycelandian specialty. Communism has set out this week across the Bay of Bengal. Her mission: obliteration of the government of the Republic of Cambodia and fire-support to the advancing forces of the Khmer Rouge. She will receive a classified level of Ortiagon Class SSK support.

Beyond that is simply a victory for a long significant lobby in the Guard for deployment of more submarine hulls. Compared to neighbouring China, many officers say, Soviet India's submarine service, though one of the world's most modern, is absolutely anemic in numeric strength. One Utopia Class battleship, it has been pointed out, displaces as much as more than two dozen Ortiagon Class submarines and requires more crew, and wouldn't have a hope in hell against such a force. Nor, for that matter, would all the combined navies of Europe.

A long term plan in the Commonwealth Oceanic Guard calls for a future force to be based around fleet and stealth submarines, transport/assault/ASuW/ASW WIGs, and small fleet aircraft carriers and mid-size multi-role surface ships of trimaran configuration.

For now, as the studies into a possible trimaran carrier for the current war indicated, this is very much a long term goal, and, for now, construction will focus on existing WIG, frigate, and submarine types.

Across the Commonwealth several medal ceremonies are carried out for surviving and lost personnel, a number of allied personnel are honoured with Soviet awards, and it is announced that the new Palace of the Soviets to be constructed in Calcutta will include a 'significant' memorial to the heroes of Cape Vert and the whole Final Conflict.

Quietly, a few high ranking officers are voted out of their posts, some for behaving rashly in not waiting for reinforcements, others conversely for being insufficiently bold and leaving many command decisions to the Hindustanis.

Quinntonian Dra-pol

31-12-2007, 07:43

Washington, D.C.

With wartime production coming up, and just as the commitment was made to enter Africa, Dra-pol, the eternal enemy of the USQ and all free peoples, seemed ready to unleash its psychotic fury upon the world again. PM Moerike was sitting at her desk in the Oval Office, across from the two living legends from Quinntonia’s storied and glorious past. Both were very old men, one a tireless worker of peace, another, a military man who had faced every Quinntonian enemy since WW2 as a young officer. This was Bishop-Governor Gerry Westgaard, and General Lee Gemby. Governor Westgaard was a minor military chaplain who just happened to be assigned to the shore party that brought Quinntonians and Dra-poel into conflict. He had felt guilty for that conflict and the deaths that ensued, but had brokered a peace and modernisation, the most massive missionary project in Quinntonia’s history, only to look into the face of pure evil when his peace process was used to brutally murder the over 100,000 aid workers that were in Dra-pol, watching for the first time in modern history thousands upon thousands of good Christians die on the cross. And then the real fight began, another 150,000 civilians were killed over the years of fighting, and another 100,000 Dra-poel in Quinntonian Dra-pol of various war-related causes. And then there were the military deaths; over two million Dra-poel, their lives needlessly wasted in massed human wave attacks on well-defended positions, not to mention the some 300,000 allied Hindustani, South Korean, Quinntonian, Canadian and Quinntonian troops. Yes, the death and carnage was worse than anything he could possibly conceptualise. And he had spent the rest of his life in perpetual penance, attempting to erase his guilt with massive acts of humanitarianism and good governance of the most gracious people on Earth, the Dra-poel of Quinntonian Dra-pol. They remembered the horrors of the old regime, and would never bow to them again.

The three talked, PM Moerike had already consulted with the Pentagon, the Council of Bishops, her Party and Cabinet, and every expert she could find on the subject. Now, armed with all of that knowledge, she turned to the next best thing to being able to ask Jesse Obed himself what she must do. She would ask those he trusted the most to bring his most difficult vision and commands to reality. They had talked for hours and hours by that time, and they would probably be calling for more coffee very shortly.

“There has to be some other way! This course is madness; do you not understand what you are proposing? You are proposing a conflict that would see Quinntonia take on the whole world! Do you know how many lives will have to be lost? Do you not realise the burden that you will be asking of your people? Even if we win, it is likely that Quinntonia will have to break itself in the effort, and have its global prestige go the way of the British Empire. Do you not see the suffering that you will unleash upon the world?”

“I know. I would rather have the people that I represent fall fighting for the right than grow fat while the rest of the world goes to pot.”

“She speaks the truth, Gerry. You may not like it, but we have all known it for some time. Look at the world, it is crumbling. The Soviets are advancing on every front; Spyr was one a beacon of hope alongside Hindustan in the Progressive Bloc, now she arms for war at a quickening pace in support of the most evil regime in the world. At best she can be seen as a buffer against the Tsarists, at worst, she remains a close a militarily powerful ally to our greatest enemy. Hindustan was always the closest ally or at least what we could call a friend in the Progressive Bloc, and though Mumbai remains a voice for calm within the Bloc, they have stated that they will stand against us if we get to close to the Subcontinent. We bled with them in Korea, for cripes sake! The British have proven to be a fair weather friend, from the reports coming out of Germany, I personally wonder if they have lost their collective minds, and Roycelandia is beginning to signal that they would like to sit this one out. We are staring a full-blown Restorationist movement that are family! Blood is thicker than water and the Tsar, though reports say that his health is failing, is the worst of the bunch - sitting on the largest nuclear stockpile in the world! Now that France controls West Africa, and it seems like the Soviets want the rest, Neo-Anarchos has collapses in on itself into their individual communes, and it looks as if the Combine is collapsing as well! With tensions between them and the Ignovians mounting, and whatever it is politically that seems to have lost any kind of coherent direction in the Combine, who knows what their future bodes! I mean, it is realistic that we could ride it out here on our continent here, but for how log, and we have to ask ourselves if we feel we have any responsibility to fight for the billions around the world that cannot fight for themselves. I know what a war like this would take to fight, let alone win, and I think that there is a reason that God has blessed us with this much power. We are to use it to help make the world better. I believe that this is the defining moment for Quinntonia. Begging your parden, but since the death of Jesse Obed, this nation has been one compromise after another. We lost all credibility on the world stage working with the Holy League. And we have stood by while the world’s people have begged us for our help! And now the monsters are awake again, now it is time for us, like St. George against the dragon, to stand in defence of the right. Mrs. Prime Minister, it is time to be bold.”

* * *

Many hours later, after securing the support of the arguably most well respected people in Quinntonia, she picked up the phone and called Versailles. Her terms were very simple.

1. France and her allies will remove themselves to their pre-war borders.

2. Quinntonia will take over the administration of the entirety of the disputed territory.

3. The African nations will then be rebuilt at Quinntonian expense, but war reparations of $50 billion USD paid over 7 years will be paid to the African states by the Bourbons.

4. If here is not immediate compliance with these terms, a state of war will exist between the USQ and the Bourbons.

5. If war comes to pass between our nations, we will not rest until every nobleman and women in Spain and France is in Quinntonian custody, with unconditional surrender the only option.

These are out terms. You have 24 hours to respond.

WWJD
Amen.

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