NationStates Jolt Archive

The Al Khalifa...the rulers of the lands of Qatar and Bahrain, had always been a blight on the map next to the Imperial Subject of Greater Oman. They sat in the way of Imperial shipping, their dimunitive tarriffs becoming quite a nuisance over the years. But soon, the Al Khalifa, and all of the lands they controlled, would cease to be free. After a year of planning and discussing with his fellow military comrades, Viceroy Sagen had mailed his plan to the Chancellor to seek his approval.

The plan outlined a quick, efficient and aggressive attack on mainland Qatar which would be followed up by a bloackade of the remaining Al Khalifas on Bahrain which would hopefully lead to a rapid capitulation. The Chancellor had approved, and soon, with the Telegraph reaching the Viceroy's offices in Dubai, the plan would unwind.

Ar Ruways, Greater Oman

With the Imperial Call to Arms made official, elements of the FVSM and KV were soon mobilized to the staging area being set up for the subjugation. The Viceroy, under permission from the Chancellor, had acquired the services of merchant shippers in the area to assist in the transportation of soldiers on the six hour ferry ride to the landing location designated on a beach just south of the town of Al Sa'id. The Invasion Force consisted of the following units:

(FVSM)
VIII Corps
-22nd Division
-23rd Division
-24th Division
~29,460 Soldiers

(KV)
VII Gruppe
VIII Gruppe
~10,036 Soldiers

Total: 39,496 Soldiers

(NMN)
Escort Flotilla
-4 Coastal Gunboats
-2 Gunboats
-2 Armored Cruisers
-3 Protected Cruisers
-1 Steam Frigate
-100 Merchant Transport Vessels

Al Said, Bahrian

Al Mujdeen was rather bewildered. Whats so many ships doing off his coast? "SOUND THE ALARM!" he yelled. The Coastal battries were deployed immdiately. The Al Khalifaian Navy, made up of 2 Destroyers 5 Corvettes and 12 Gunboats had been sent to counter this threat. In Qatar, about 2000 troops have been ordered to fortified positions. They camped at sand dunes about 15m high, some in mini pillboxes ready to fire at the invading army below. The main question was, where were they going to land 1st?

Landing Beach, 3nm South of Al Sa'id

The Merchant ships ground to a halt about 100 yards out from the beach and allowed the infantry to board the tendor boats taking them ashore. On the larger vessels, 75mm Artillery was being loaded onto large barges and shoved ashore, with Soldiers from the KV picking them up and pulling them onto the beach.

Meanwhile, the Flotilla began firing on the shore positions with their larger guns, making sure to expose themselves as little as possible to the enemy shore positions. An enemy naval force had yet to bear down on them, so for now, the soldiers would continue unloading as planned as long as the fire support held up.

Landing beach

Only about 140 men were waiting for them at this position, however there were entrenched and the artillery fire was not very effective, mainly due to the sand. One hit a trench killing 5 troops in it, however the rest were ready to fire upon the landing troops. The overall Commander of the defense of Qatar had very limited resources, however gambled and weaken defense from other beaches to contain the enemy on the landing beach. He had one battery of 75mm costal guns ready to fire onto the beach when the enemy landed as well.

The KV's (Arab Conscripted Soldiers) landed first, rushing up for cover under the enemy fire. An MG team had set itself up in a crater on the beach and started gunning up on top of the hill at the defenders to give the KV's some covering fire. The Naval craft continued firing on the enemy at the dunes, despite the little casualties it was causing.

The Qatar defenders sat back, they only took 3 losses so far since the landing, they gave return fire and in a case of 'taking your own medicine' they returned fire with their own MGs. The Coastal battries too fired at the beach from Al S'aid. The Commander seeing that these were not their regular and were in fact Colonial troops, they sent a messager saying, "There is no point to fight, surrender now, and your lives will be spared."