NationStates Jolt Archive

"Operation Open-Eyes?"

"Yes, Comrade Premier. You open your eyes when you wake."

Premier Zhao shook his head at Defence Minister Qong's terrible pun. With the collapse of Squornshelan authority, Wake Island had opened up as a prime target for Eastasian expansion. It was situated next to Islandia State (the union between the Marshalls and Marianas) and would provide yet another strategic location for facility construction. It was unlikely to be a particularly bloody affair due to the size of the island compared to the size of the Eastasian naval presence nearby, but Central Command were taking no chances.

"So would we add it to Islandia State or would it be controlled directly by Central Command?"

"Well Comrade Premier, we're planning to have it under direct Navy jurisdiction. With any luck we can capture it without damaging too much of the present facilities but if necessary we can rebuild. Do I have authorisation?"

Premier Zhao groaned. "Alright, just don't foul it up. We're riding a high at the moment with the acquisition of Nepali State and the upcoming summit; I don't want a bloodbath, no matter how strategic the place is."

Minister Qong finished outlining Operation Open-Eyes to the cabinet and grinned at his colleagues.

"Any questions?"

Foreign Minister Bei raised his hand. "Why now, and why with force? We have the leaders of the EOL and Cotland coming to Beijing for talks, but you wish to overshadow that by attacking Wake Island! Let us try diplomacy first; it's a small island, cut off from their former administration. By all means station a force nearby just in case, but if we can convince them to join us then it'll be completely intact. I realise that you'll probably tear the place down and rebuild it according to Navy specifications anyway, but they may have intelligence about foreign fleet movements."

Qong shook his head. "This is why you should stick to the Foreign Ministry. Wake Island is a small island, most of which is a military facility. If there was any useful intelligence then we would have intercepted it and already used it. I mean no disrespect, but we know what we are doing. We'll be quiet, and we won't overshadow the Allied-Eastasian Summit. Besides, the media doesn't have to report about Wake until it's been captured, and we can leave official announcement of that until after the summit is over."

The build-up for Operation Open-Eyes was not expected to take particularly long. Defence Minister Qong flew out to Majuro, capital of Islandia State, to get a closer look at the action; while there he made a few speeches about Eastasian power and how the military was a key factor in the UER's continued prosperity.

The Second and Third Projection Fleets were in town for 'parade purposes', with a sail-by planned followed by an Open Day; there would also be the standard recruitment drive in case any of the locals had a sudden surge of patriotism. Everything was being handled so that if the personnel on Wake Island found out about the fleets, they wouldn't necessarily suspect anything.

The plan was to stage an amphibious assault with air cover while simultaneously dropping paratroopers, a tactic which was Qong's favourite island assault plan because it looked and sounded impressive. The paratroopers were being flown in from the mainland UER and required some time to prepare, but Qong was confident that Wake Island could be taken within a week at the most.

OOC Are some sinos gunna die pappy?

Yes boy...yes...

OOC Are some sinos gunna die pappy?

Yes boy...yes...

OOC: Well, that was a meaningful contribution.

The Second and Third Projection Fleets made their way out of harbour at the dead of night, reaching their staging positions in a couple of hours; the paratroopers were stationed back at Majuro waiting for their signal. Defence Minister Qong strode into the command centre of Majuro's Armed Forces Base to personally supervise the operation; he wasn't actually going to micromanage, but if it looked like he had then he might be able to grab more prestige.

"Go."

The one word, broadcast to the Fleets, signalled the beginning. Squadrons of Su-30MKKs began overflying Wake Island, targeting anti-air defenses and any aircraft on the ground. Meanwhile, the Fleets began moving on the southern shore in order to deliver the marines carried onboard. Back in Majuro, the paratroopers were given clearance for deployment; once in the air, the aircraft made for Wilkes Island and Peale Island, the outlying areas of Wake. As usual, Eastasian broadcasts began at the same time as the attack, calling for a quick capitulation. The island was told that a quick capitulation would mean a rapid return to normalcy and a massive improvement in living standards as Wake Island would become an integral part of the United Eastasian Republic.

Inside the Ministry of Intelligence, the Eastasian team had dedicated itself to three things: the upcoming summit in Beijing, normal Eastasian priorities, and the campaign on Wake Island. An Abaddon and Sehnsucht were on patrol to the south of the Hawaiian islands, monitoring what they could, trying to determine if the Eastasians were going to move past Wake Island. Stretching out so far as Wake Island did would give them excellent strategic capabilities against the Empire in Hawaii, if war broke out, something that they would have to counter, immediately. The Eastasian team knew that the Eastasian government wasn't about to start a war with the Empire and that the powers in charge had no intentions of ever starting a war with the Empire. They felt safe, for now. They knew though that elements within the Eastasian government were hell bent on forcing communism down the throat of every "imperialist" nation out there and that if there was a coup or revolution and they gained power, Wake Island would become a major liability. The Eastasians had protracted themselves out, into the Pacific Ocean and that was a move they definitely watched carefully. A sign at the front door read, "Enter ye into the realm where Imperialism is cursed at but where it is practiced so thoroughly." It was amusing to everyone and after a stressing day they needed that small, little laugh just before they went home.

Certainly this would be a topic at the summit.

Peake Island and Wilkes Island fell with very little effort, but that was mainly due to the sparse population rather than any skill on the part of the invaders. The Eastasian flag was raised on both islands as what little population existed on them received handouts of food and money to show that the invaders were there for their benefit. Defence Minister Qong was overjoyed to hear of the initial success, but decided against informing Beijing until Wake Island itself was under Eastasian control.

The amphibious landing on Wake's southern shore was encountering unexpectedly tough resistance from the military personnel present, despite constant offers of amnesty if they surrendered. The Eastasian marines were making very gradual progress, but losses were starting to occur; Qong regarded this as a momentary problem, but had faith that the superior numbers and firepower of the Eastasian forces would win out. As a contingency, he requested that the Projection Fleets be prepared to attack the fort from two sides; the Second Fleet stayed in position to the south while the Third Fleet began moving to the eastern coast of Wake.

The Eastasian marines fell back temporarily as their air support began strafing the Wake defenders; Hind gunships were flying from Majuro to the Fleets, which were now acting as staging areas for the air assault. Combined with the constant flyovers from carrier-based Su-30s, the sky over Wake Island was firmly held by the Eastasians.

The Eastasians also continued their negotiation efforts. Stating that the situation was clearly hopeless and that the only question was how many of the defenders would be dead by the end of the assault, the invaders called for surrender, offering an amnesty for the defending forces as well as immediate medical assistance for any wounded. Every time the offer was made, the assault momentarily halted; if no answer was received, then the assault simply continued.

The constant air assaults began to take their toll on the Wake defenders, and the Eastasians began to smell blood. The marines relaunched their assault on Wake Island's southern positions, successfuly overwhelming the exhausted and gradually demoralised opposition. Any prisoners taken were treated exceptionally well, being cared for by Eastasian medical teams and remaining unhassled by political officers.

With the marines advancing on the Wake Island military facility itself from the south, Defence Minister Qong called for a second wave of paratroopers to be dropped; these paratroopers were deployed to the north of the facility, as always supported by aircraft from the nearby Projection Fleets. With the base being advanced upon from two directions, no reinforcements and no resupply possible for the defenders, Qong broadcast yet anothe rmessage to the base, decribing in detail the hopeless situation. He reminded them that their former government no longer existed and that the United Eastasian Republic would take the facility with or without their surrender. He also stated that if they surrendered then the UER would do its utmost to reunite them with any family that they had in the former Squornshelous territories.

Spy satellites were eyeing Wake Island day in and day out. The Ministry of Intelligence was keeping a close eye on the island from 6,750 miles away. With the Emperor meeting with the Premier in Beijing, the situation on Wake Island was worthy of mention. It was strategically close to Hawaii and what its purpose was, for the Eastasians, was definitely in question. The Empire and the Eastasian Republic were both allies, in some respect. Ecnomically, they saw fit to agree. Ideologically and politically it was far different. Militarily, things were shaky. With the move on Wake Island, the Empire had some cause for concern and as they stomped on the island, claiming it in the name of the UER, the Ministry of Intelligence began to sweat.

Defence Minister Qong almost performed a jig as Wake Island's remaining commanding officer sent word of his intention to surrender to the overwhelming Eastasian force laying siege to the base. The order to lay down arms was not accepted by all defenders, and the Eastasians had to forcibly pacify certain pockets of resistance, but the island was won; yet another addition to the United Eastasian Republic.

The surviving defenders were herded onto helicopters which took them to Majuro via the Projection Fleets; once in the city, they were taken to a military hospital so that they could be treated for their wounds. The commander was given priority due to the desire to have Wake formally surrendered as soon as possible; to that end, Defence Minister Qong brought the necessary documents with him when he visited the hospital. Once the papers were signed, Qong bid the troops a hasty farewell before boarding a flight back to Beijing.

The Eastasian Naval Command was left to garrison Wake and begin rebuilding efforts; the Defence Ministry had made it clear that Wake was to rebuilt as soon as possible. The navy were promised funding to turn Wake into a true fortress island, the first link in what the Eastasian government euphemistically called 'Operation: Bamboo Curtain'.

Minister Qong was warmly congratulated by Premier Zhao for his success in capturing Wake Island, although Foreign Minister Bei was less than impressed that he had been frozen out of the situation. There had been discussions abou the Foreign Ministry solving the Wake situation through diplomacy, yet the Defence Ministry had won the right to resolve it; Bei decided that next time it would be the Foreign Ministry showered with praise.

The official announcement of Wake Island's capture was trumpeted across the UER with public celebrations being organised by local Party committees; once again, the UER had taken actions to ensure security and stability for its population. The genuine public reaction was one of acceptance and relief; it was not a liberation on the scale of Korea or other past campaigns, but it obviously played an important part in the Republic's defensive plans.

As promised, the prisoners of war captured by the Eastasians were treated exceptionally well, receiving the finest care available while their families were located in former Squornshelan territories; once their families were located, they were given free transport to their homelands. As for the Eastasian losses, Premier Zhao ordered Minister Qong to visit every family that had lost a loved one to pay his respects and provide details of their condolence package.

On Wake Island itself, the Eastasian Naval Command set about reconstructing the facility according to Eastasian designs; the Defence Ministry released substantial extra funding to pay for the reconstruction. Wake Island would be rebuilt into a cornerstone of the UER's defensive strategy, garrisoned by the very best that the navy had to offer.

The Ministry of Intelligence and the Ministry of Defense watched as the Eastasians concluded their takeover of Wake Island. Construction began immediately it seemed and that was worrisome, to a fashion. Spy satellites kept constant watch over the island, just to make sure they knew what was going on but, for now, it was time for the ships to withdraw and they all did, moving further away and back to port or to their usual patrols. Wake Island was kept on the target list, in the event that war broke out between the UER and the Empire but that seemed highly unlikely in any near future.