The Karshkan Campaign 1934

[VoxApocrypha]

General Anderson would direct that the majority of Marrish forces be deployed into the North-Western suburbs of Ouhred where they'd be able to support forces fighting Grinvelian probes and advance units with their artillery and infantry elements, as well their tanks would be valuable in pressing back Grinvelian heavy armor when it did show up on the front. Some of their field artillery and howitzers would be requested to establish interior defenses inside of the city, roughly only 20 of each in order to allow for the majority to remain with the Marrish units. Their aircraft would be directed to the makeshift landing strips out in the city's north east, where they'd be expected to help defend the city from Grinvelian air raids.

---

Defenses within the city continued to be built and added onto. 
In structures on practically every street, sniper positions were established. Beneath the roads, in areas they did not intend to defend, they set up demolition charges to collapse them into the sewers and such below ground. Similarly they set up preplanned demolition charges in areas that, should they lose control of, they'd be able to severely damage the mobility of enemy forces within by destroying road access and underground passageways so that the enemy could not use them to try to spread through the city, at least for the most part. Trench lines were dug in the earth and roadways using small explosives and pickaxes, tearing the road up and creating makeshift passages for vehicles with wooden logs, sheet metal, and concrete bariers.

Road signs, maps, tourist guides, anything that might aid the enemy in navigating the city, was destroyed. Maps of the city itself were given to officers, squad leaders and such, hand-drawn often. This went in the suburbs and the city proper, as well as anywhere else they could do it. Mine fields were also lain in sections of the city such as parks, undeveloped plots of land, and empty or abandoned buildings that were either too isolated to be of use, or too unstable to survive being attacked with higher caliber weapons. 

[Greywall]

Grinvel frontline units stabilized their engagements with the Rosark forces as CAS fighters provided close air support, and armored units were pressed to push the batteline Eastward. Heavy and medium tanks would be employed more and more to break the defenders. Two key points would be made to attack the enemy defense line, Grinvelian heavy armor would be concentrated at these points both of which were North of the city in an effort to circumvent the urban fighting and flank their supply lines. 

Infantry forces on the ground were ordered to push if possible. Using grenades to break up or force Roskanans out of cover. 

This worked until armored units ran into more landmines, forcing another slowdown in the advancement of Grinvelian forces. Infantry would be heavily utilized with armored units to scout ahead and disarm what they could find, artillery would be ordered to fire short barrages far range east to hit any Roskanan forces to avoid shelling front line units. 

[Greywall]

Casualties

Grinvel: 400 standard infantry, 200 heavy infantry, 10 heavy tanks, 4 medium tanks.
Roskana: 1,200 standard infantry, 400 heavy infantry, 20 light tanks
Marrlan: 200 standard infantry, 10 tankettes

[VoxApocrypha]

As the infantry began to scout ahead, the Roskanans funneled in where they were able, and began to lay into them with machine guns and sniper fire.
More batteries of Roskanan artillery began to open up on the Grinvelian forces as they tried to press further East, and Roskanan aircraft began to enter the engagement, harassing Grinvelian CAS fighters and reporting on their positions with the recon aircraft.

Anderson ordered an additional ten thousand heavy infantry with some other ten thousnd standard infantry north, to the villages of Adexo and Mendesho, which sat on a north-bound road heading to the east. These areas had to be secured where possible and heavily fortified, and as such, supply trucks and special infantry units, roughly a thousand special infantry, arrived to set up additional defenses, mine fields, and to emplace a number of their field guns, almost eighty of them, into positions to provide support by fire. As well, they moved twenty of the thirty eight siege guns in the area, into positions in the east of both villages, so that they would be able to directly support them.

The Roskanans as well would begin to set up positions of improvised anti-aircraft nests, with machine guns on tri-pods and stands.
Anderson would as well order a counter-offensive launched, giving over another twelve thousand standad infantry, four thousand carabineers, and thirty tankettes and a couple of landships, with the aim of hopefully slowing the enemy down long enough to establish their line there.

The city itself remained in a state of near perpetual fortification, building itself up and intaking a vast amount of supplies despite bombing raids and shelling, food and ammo scavenged from Ouhred itself, and delivered from the supply lines in the north and east. Even if they were cut off, the Grinvelians wouldn't be able to take the city for probably months, assuming rations held out.

[Artsy Astra]

Marrish units rotated around to supporting forces in the Suburbs taking most of their armor and artillery with them. The requested artillery was provided with an additional 5 pieces of both. Heavy tanks would being actively hunting enemy armor, the tankettes would support infantry and engage lighter enemy armor and vehicles. Marrish infantry would begin digging in and creating better defenses as the Marines began a small counter-attack to further slow the enemy advance and give friendly forces time to re-adjust and prepare. They used their grenade launchers to fire at enemy positions and armor, aiming specifically for engine decks to send shrapnel into the engines and disable them.

Marrish air units supported the Roskanan fighters, the lone Warshark the expeditionary force had acted as a flight leader to the Starwolves as they cut into the Grinvelian air units. Recon planes would run quick sorties to look for enemy artillery positions and supply points.

[Greywall]

The game had changed, Fiegler found resistance around Ouhred harsher than anything else so far in the Roskanan invasion. 

He ordered a risky massive assault following a large scale artillery barrage on enemy positions, Grinvelians surged forward with armored units that sped ahead of their infantry counterparts in orange and black smoke columns. The prattling of rifle and machine gun fire along with heavy ordnance fire would deafen the landscape for the day. 

Bright white snow would be turned blackened burnt craters or shades of crimson red from both sides engaging the other. In another risky move, Fiegler ordered his aerial units to begin air supremacy operations and for his bombers and CAS fighters to hit ground units during the assault. 

Grinvelian fighters would engage Marrish fighters providing air support over Ouhred, the skies of Ouhred suddenly became a massive air battle between Grinvelian fighters against Roskanans and Marrish fighters. 

[VoxApocrypha]

The Showdown begins.

 The Roskanans put up a stiff resistance, now refusing to budge until the last moment, often too late, fanatically determined as General Anderson roared out defiance against the invaders through loud speakers placed at street corners.

 The artillery's effect was substantially reduced thanks to the amount of structural cover there was to absorb the fire, even attacks requiring a substantial amount of firepower to break down the stone and metal architecture that made Roskanan cities so hardy, and insulated their buildings against the harsh affects of winter. Moving many of their batteries of artillery up closer to the field of battle so that they could make use of them for a proper surprise strike against the Grinvelian army, they moved them to the edges of the built up outer-districts of the city's north, and set them up to fire.

 Once the attack by the Grinvelian ground forces began in earnest, Roskanan artillery began to fire stopping barrages along preplanned paths and areas of contact that were fighting against Grinvelian troops. They were losing ground to them, but the Grinvelians would not gain that ground without bloodshed, a lot of it. The Roskanans fought in small groups that made ample use of their small unit mobility to move from place to place, evacuating buildings before being overrun and often disappearing into back alleys and preplanned escape routes to avoid Grinvelian troops. Molotovs were tossed from rooftops, snipers attacked them from every angle, targeting infantry, officers, tankers. 
 
 Streams of tracers from the city filled the sky as they tried to intercept Grinvelian bombers in the air, make-shift anti-aircraft emplacements scattered all over the city itself under the cover of large buildings and dense urban build up. 
Tire fires, lit by the Roskanans in small areas of clear ground, filled the air with smoke to obscure bomber visibility, while Anderson ordered his entire air force into the fight over Ouhred. Even if they lost air parity, their enemy would be reduced in combat air power. 

 While fighting began to reach into the outer areas of the city, Anderson as well ordered that field guns and artillery pieces, roughly a hundred of each, be brought into the city and put into depression dug in the earth on roads and at street corners to act as anti-tank emplacements, so that they would be able to directly engage Grinvelian tanks when they'd enter the streets. Everyone was called to arms.

 He ordered another twelve thousand of his bicycle infantry to the front line to further delay the Grinvelians as long as possible, and he let the artillery fully off the leash. If it was in range, they were to shoot at it, no holds barred. The siege artillery was ordered to target any Grinvelian batteries they identified for counter-battery, putting their firepower to use more to defend against enemy guns. 

[Greywall]

Casualties

Grinvel: 980 light infantry, 300 heavy infantry, 10 light tanks, 10 monoplane fighters, 10 armored cars
Roskana: 1,200 light infantry, 400 standard infantry, 12 light tanks, 5 monoplane fighters
Marrlan: 500 heavy infantry, 200 standard infantry, 90 special infantry, 1 heavy tank

[Greywall]

Grinvel ground forces found themselves in a large active battlezone in the Ouhred suburbs with the Marrish and Roskanans. Infantry squads would be running full sprint to active firefights popping up as the main front began picking up with deadly consequences. 

Winter had hit its absolute lowest point in temperature for Reseria, making the situation even more bitter for the ground infantry fighting on the frontline. Grinvelian troops began pillaging local housing for furniture and clothing to burn in fires to stay warm as front line troops hammered Roskanan forces. Several Grinvelian soldiers found their opponents finally holding ground despite the heavy losses they would inflict, frontline commanders reported back to rear command that Ouhred was becoming a much more heavy commitment. Fiegler decided to take matters into his own hands, demanding the logistical engineers send him more ammunition for artillery and gasoline for a proper armored assault. 

"Mueller be damned, we are running out of fuel fast here, and i'll be damned if I get stuck in the blizzard like this!" his demands finally rang true as logistical officers confirmed shipments of fuel and ammo to the Roskanan front, allowing Fiegler to use trucks that had been sitting idly by to at the very least, get the shit here next season. By next season unless the Roskanans and Marrish repelled the assault or pushed back, Grinvel could take Ouhred. 

Grinvel troops fighting in the Ouhred suburbs

[VoxApocrypha]

 The Roskanans were not content to sit idly by, and they were not willing to allow the Grinvelians either rest, or safety. As the defenders they held an advantage in both positioning and knowledge of the terrain, and they would make use of it to ensure that their enemy did not manage to break their line, and as well to disrupt the line of their enemy. 

 Anderson committed another 8,000 dragoons, and 5,000 standard infantry to the frontline to keep pouring on the men to stabilize the line, while an additional 100 armored cars towing 100 field guns were dispatched to the front. The guns were set up to provide local fire support, being that 60 were given over to proper artillery purposes as indirect fire, and the other 28 being dedicated to anti-armor and vehicle duties. The armored cars were told to support the infantry as they tried to push back out into the surburbs, with the field guns being used as fire support to attack any concentrations of Grinvelian units, be that armor or infantry. Twelve of the guns were being pushed by Roskanan infantrymen, using the gunshield for cover from small arms, so that they would then be able to fire it at structures and fortified positions. 

 Below ground in the sewers, the Roskanans had sent almost 2 thousand standard infantry beneath the battle, with an additional 1000 special infantry units, with explosives. They began to move to intersections and roads that had been caught behind the enemy's line, and started to place explosives in strategic areas to cause collapses at every intersection. This he hoped would heavily disrupt their ability to move supplies and vehicles using the main roadways closer to the city. The Roskanan Artillery all the while continued to fire at their enemies. 

 Once it was in place, they prepared the tunnels for demolitions too, so that they'd not be pursued back through them, and it would deny the enemy a means to get beneath their feet like the Roskanans had.

 Any identifiable glow from fires was a target to Roskanan guns, and Anderson ordered his troops to routinely avoid using any open flame in the open ground, or near windows. 
 Anderson as well, ordered the water system to the outlying areas to be shut off.

[Artsy Astra]

Marrish forces would not leave their brother nation undefended and rose to the occasion alongside them. The buildings on the outskirts and within the city itself became small fortresses. Sandbags were piled in windows and traps were laid in predicted areas of traffic. Thermite grenades were laid to destroy or damage tank tracks and AT rifle and Imolator teams were posted in areas that allowed them to fire down onto the lightly armored roofs of enemy armor as they passed. These weapons would also be shared with their national-kin where possible.
Marines would screen ahead of the Roskanan gun teams while army units covered them from buildings while fortifying them, and setting areas for traps when they had to evacuate. As per the new Marrish tradition, a set of wire cutters was left for any Grinnish invader to stumble upon before they tripped the explosive gift.

Marrish artillery would launch their steel rain at any advancing troops to delay their advance as much as possible, following marking flares launched by signalmen and other forward observers.

Marrish armor would continue their previous orders, heavy armor hunting armor, tankettes supporting infantry.

Recon flight would continue to look for any sign of Grinvish units hiding in the frigid landscape before calling their positions in after landing or firing flares over their positions, forcing them to move or be bombarded. Offensive air units continued to run CAP as efficiently as they could, the Starwolves still following the Warkshark as the flight lead.

[Greywall]

Casualties

Grinvel: 150 mechanized standard infantry, 200 standard infantry, 20 field guns, 20 light tanks
Roskana: 740 standard infantry, 10 field guns, 5 light tanks
Marrlan: 300 standard infantry, 5 field guns, 10 special infantry

[Greywall]

Fiegler's hands shook from the harsh winter cold, he lit a cigarette as he pulled his winter coat tighter around himself as some of his staff struggled to get a portable heater to work in his tent. He stood over a map with his top officers for a meeting he needed to have with them. 

"Gentlemen, the enemy are bleeding but still hold this city, hell the Marrish destroyed some of our artillery support. I want no more excuses, utilize the motorized infantry and take this damn city now." Fiegler took a long drag off his cigarette before proceeding again, "We smash here, at the North. Use the rapid delivery of troops and fresh bodies to the urban front. I want our fucking armored corp sent around the countryside and work in tandem with our remaining foot infantry to encircle the city once and for all. Use the last of our damn fuel if you have to I want this done now." 

The Officers nodded, but one spoke up "With all due respect, Herr Fiegler, you have at your disposal several hundreds of chlorine cannisters. Why not shell the city into submission as Field Marshall Mueller would?" the room was silent, the other officers kept their heads bowed and eyes on the map. Fiegler took a drag off and slowly wrapped his head in a scarf before he addressed the officer, "What Mueller did...killed civilians. Killed thousands of people with no remorse, no honor, we are the Reich we are the Black Empire of Reseria. Our ancestors would not take kindly such horrid acts of cruelty-"

"But surely you can see-"

Fiegler cut off the officer, "I understand! Brother. I understand...but we are not butchering these people we defeat them in battle. As honor demands, fairly on the battlefield, as true Grinvelians. No short cuts, no mass murdering civilians..." the room remained quiet. "I know our Galran allies, have...intentions with the Festrians. The Shazzak. The Rel. Anything not human, but so long as I command the Northern Army we fight as Grinvelians...not Galrans. Understood?"

The Officers verbally affirmed their commander, "Then take this damn city. FUR DAS REICH!" 

"FUR DAS REICH!" they in unison shouted. 


Fiegler's new plan was to no longer spare the fuel. With supplies promised next season his trucks began pushing infantry rapidly into the city of Ouhred, replenishing assault groups and weary frontline troops as the fresh men took up the fight allowing the exhausted survivors repreive to head back to the rear lines. On the outer flank of the city, Zhest and heavy tanks began moving with large groupings of foot soldiers to push the countryside flank and cut off Ouhred from the rest of Roskana. 

50 medium tanks
30 heavy tanks
12,000 standard infantry

The cold winter of Reseria hammers the Grinvelian Army

[VoxApocrypha]

"Children of Roskana. Protectors of our motherland." The voice of General Anderson rose on the speakers in the early hours of the morning, as the fighting began to pick up, reports making it back to his office earlier in the night as recon units had seen the movement of enemy troops and the return of hostile trucks and armor.

"You are about to embark on the greatest journey of your lives." He'd say. "Our enemy is determined to seize this city. Even now they advance into the suburbs, pushing towards the heart of this mighty metropolis with the aim to conquer it - if they take it, they will push onward. They will take Tiir. They will lay siege to Auran itself."

Soldiers would begin lifting their heads in trenches, or hiding holes in the sub basements of buildings. Some in structures as tall as five story apartment complexes, and others in the tunnels beneath the roads and sewers. The voice echoed over radio and speakers alike, carrying through the air and charging it with a growing energy. Men began to gather around radios or near windows, lifting their heads or even lifting their helmets to hear it better.

Anderson continued.
"It is our duty as the defenders of our nation, our people, to stand our ground and stop this. This far, and no further. We will not let Grinvel push us back! For every inch they have taken from us, we will soak the soil in a gallon of their blood! Every inch they try to take here, we will leave a sea of crimson to wash the soil of their footsteps! We will not give! We will not break!"

"Do not let up!" He'd shout, sending electricity through the air as people began to bristle. "Not one step back! This is our city! This is our nation! This is Roskana! We are the Iron people! Show them we will not be broken!"

Cheers and shouts began to erupt and rise from the fortifications and streets, Anderson's speech having drawn a latent fury from within the hearts of those he was charged with leading. Even the many civilian conscripts and volunteers rose to their feet, taking up arms.

"Serve with honor, my comrades." He'd finish. "Steel yourselves. Our time comes. For Roskana!"

---

Anderson's speech had ignited a greater spirit of resistance, and it was likely many more outside the city had heard it. It'd start to spread, and he intended it to be such.

But within the battlespace, the surge of activity that they'd seen from the Grinvelians was the prelude to an attack. While they were preparing for things in the city proper, about to deploy more troops to the suburbs and outer districts, the advance into the countryside would find itself quickly met with opposing fire from an entrenched enemy that was now not only motivated, but utterly incensed. And more were already about to join them, as an additional 6,000 carabineers, the last of the reserve carabineer units, were ordered to reinforce the already present forces at the critical villages of Adexo and Mendsho, the two primary roadways that would allow for the enemy to break around for an encirclement.

With the bridge across the nearby river having been destroyed by the Roskanans, they had few options to advance.
While the Roskanans may not have had tanks, they had will.

The area was heavily fortified, heavily. Long lines of trenches and pillboxes made from sandbags and wooden logs created large fields of fire for emplaced machine guns and anti-tank rifles donated by the Marrish, the cover ahead of these cleared for two kilometers in the predicted path of advance. Field artillery batteries were set up between the three lines of trenches before each village, with 60 guns in each, a total of 120. These guns would be used as both anti-tank guns, and local artillery support for the already present 11,000 light infantry, and 7000 heavy infantry present in the area. There were more troops on their way, but it'd take them time to get here, and these men would have to make due with what they had.

The Roskanans had funneled almost eighty new armored cars and five of their landships into the area, while another 40 howitzers had been emplaced. It was practically the entire reserve of artillery. With 38 of the 50 siege guns in their arsenal now in these two villages, it'd be a deadly battlefield, and heavily defended.

The roads were mined, the fields ahead of the trenches were mined, the air around it patrolled now by the Roskanan air force.
While it was the shortest route around, this would by no means be easy. Of that Anderson had made sure.

Once contact would be made, the Roskanans would deploy 10 of the twelve bomber biplanes, and all 10 of their monoplane interceptors into the air over the area to cover them, ordered to target the armor. The Siege artillery would begin hammering down on the Grinvelians as well, with the howitzers to support them. 

[Artsy Astra]

Marrish forces cheered on with their Roskanan comrades. The rousing speech filling them with a further sense of pride and the fire of Rosark cultural patriotism. Marrish troops rallied with their Roskanan counterparts and held all previous positions. The consistent Rosark strategy of laying traps continued, buildings designated by Roskanan forces as disposable were rigged to blow or fall over in some way with either explosives or thermite. "Concrete Dead Falling" as it was called, using entire buildings to kill enemy forces and block further traversal through an area.

MArines harried Grinvish forces with quick attacks, firing grenades and other ordnance at them before retreating quickly to confuse and delay the enemy as they advanced. Artillery continued carrying out fire missions diligently on targets actively engaging friendly forces and other things spotted by recon flights within their range. Wickerman teams continued their campaign of area denial and terror via flame.

The airforce would fly escort for the Roskanan bombers as recon flights continued around the clock.