Operation Nyoka

[aimway921]

"That sounds like a plan," Admiral replied. "We'll send our fastest ship to conduct scouting operations. In the meantime, I have a suggestion of my own.

First of all, before we begin the invasion, we send them a message, offering them to surrender. Spirits Above know, enough lives were already taken by this war. Should they refuse, however, we would proceed with the invasion. You should strike first East of Noscovo. Having a larger force, you would attract the majority of their defenses, whatever they could muster up in their last ditch effort. 30 minutes later we shall strike West of the city, and hit them from behind.

Of course, before we do any of that, we need to take care of the remnants of their navy. I would prefer if we could lock them in the harbor somehow, so that we could get our hands on their ships after their capitulation, but if not, we'll have to sink their ships using our battleships."

[callmedelta]

Captain Woodward nodded in agreement. "I'm no General, so you'd have to confer with him over the strategy on the ground, but it sounds agreeable to me. As far as the Union navy is concerned, their guns could pose a threat to our forces on the ground. If they start to fire on our troops, I think it's best if we send them to the bottom. If there's nothing else we need to discuss, we can make our way back to port and call up the fleet."

[aimway921]

"I believe it would be best to join our Battleships together then and go attack the enemy fleet, say, except for one battleship for both landing groups to provide artillery support with their naval guns. The rest of the ships should escort the troop transports."

As discussion of the next step had been wrapped up, the Admiral returned to ARS Svarog. Relaying the information to his officers, the battlefleet began changing formation. Flag signals were sent out to the rest of the fleet hanging just before the horizon, to get closer. After the Admiral relayed the information to the Marine General, the fleet has split up. The battleships charted a course directly for Noscovo bay where the enemy fleet was presumed to be licking their wounds, while the rest of the ships, accompanying the Marine transports, proceeded to sail to an area East of Noscovo. Meanwhile, the fastest ship in the fleet - which happened to be a half-empty coal tanker carrying reserve fuel for the fleet, the contents of which were distributed among the other ships, was sent to scout out the UST shoreline.

[Greywall]

The UST navy had left at its disposal 3 ironclad battleships and 12 monitors, the other surviving monitors stripped for coastal defenses and even beached because they needed repairs and due to the blockade the Union simply didn't have the parts needed.

The capital received the much needed flux of reinforcements of the 6th army, bulking the Southern coastal army back to 100,000. All of this was given up by eager hungry sailors who encountered the Ashinara for some food.

[aimway921]

As the designated reconnaissance vessel returned, it brought it's report, first to the Ashinaran flagship, which they then transmitted over the wireless to the Franerri, along with a suggested initial plan of action. They would show their full fleet of battleships to the Noscovo harbor at horizon distance, but but first send the same reconnaissance vessel - as one of the fastest available ships, and one that is unarmed - to deliver an offer of surrender to the UST Navy.

[callmedelta]

It took some time for the Franerri fleet to gather. Many vessels were on patrol, the only communication from base being the fuel tending ships constantly running back and forth from port. As soon as the fleet was assembled in Zedonia, it sailed for the Union coast with the full compliment of vessels.

Aboard the Franerri Flagship, the KFS Desterque

"Are you and those foxes insane?" General Lumine asked Admiral Denis Baudelaire. "We have a grand total of 25,000 men under our command. I don't care how many naval guns we have or how demoralized the Union is, I would be hesitant to conduct this operation if the manpower was 4 to 1 in our advantage. With the manpower 1 to 4 this is a bloody suicide mission. Unless you want to bombard Noscovo until it's nothing but a pile of rubble with a white flag over it, that is. We need to try and scout some other place to invade the Union coast if we are going to go through with this - which I still have my reservations about."

Admiral Baudelaire sighed and turned to the wireless operator. "Get the General's message cleaned up and send it to the Ashinarans, please. Unprofessional though he may have been, he's right."

[Greywall]

The navy had one response, No, Noscovo prepared itself for direct attack for the first time in its history. The people realized Okeena lied about the naval war being won, they funneled out of the city fleeing wherever they could as Union soldiers brought in whatever field guns were left of the Union Army. Okeena watched from the Palace as his soldiers raced down the streets toward the bay.

Two additional Caravels were beached to use their side guns as coastal defenses. The last one taken to a rural port West. The war had reached Noscovo, something that was promised would never be possible.

[aimway921]

After receiving the message, the Ashinaran commanders have thought of a new tactic on how to finally break the union. Sending a message back detailing a new plan of action, Franerre should land their forces in Pozhal. If what scarce reports that made it's way out of that region, there should be a substantial rebel presence that could hopefully be negotiated into joining our side. Meanwhile the Ashinaran force would do the same, except they would head for Zest Grav. They would then head towards Noscovo from either side, using the navy to communicate between the two forces. The main part of the navy would continue to hang around Noscovo, effectively blockading the city itself, making them constantly expect an attack that might or might not ever come.

[callmedelta]

Finding the Ashinaran plan of action much more agreeable now, the 10,000 Standard Infantry and 10,000 Marines of the Franerri Army would set sail for the city of Pozhal, taking with them an escort of 2 Battleships, 2 Light Cruisers and 2 Torpedo Destroyers. The remainder of the fleet would stay around Noscovo.

[Greywall]

The pozhal harbor had long fallen to Bian control when Ashinara and Frannerre showed up. Distant gunfire in the western city would be heard indicating the UST was struggling here as well.

Bian commanders would await the arrival of the Frannerre.

Meanwhile, Khoza's forces would meet the Ashinarians in Zhest Gav, the city now flying the flag of the new Tafatu Republic. 

[aimway921]

The new Republican flag was not yet known to Admiral Kolvan, as his flotilla has set sail before that flag has been adopted. He would first send a smaller ship under a white flag to find out the situation in Zhest Gav, wether the forces meeting them were friendly, neutral or hostile. Once the allegiance of Khoza has been confirmed, Svarog herself would pull in to the docks, and Admiral Kolvan would step down to meet with commander of the local forces, Khoza.

[Greywall]

Captain Otuka would greet his Ashinarian comrade, “welcome to Zhest Gav, I wish it were under better circumstances. I’ll be short, we have 30,000 men ready to March east and engage a UST force assembling a few hundred miles from the capital. It seems that okeena is determined to hole up there.”

Several tribal warriors looked in awe of the Ashinaria having never seen them before, “they are fox people?” “So fluffy, but do they not get hot?” “They are rather short” some of the comments made could be easily heard but for the most part it was from curiosity not prejudice.

[aimway921]

"What is the quality of your men? How well are they armed and trained?" General Verlivesky, the commander of the Marines who have already started to unload from the ships asked, before elaborating on the status of his own force. "I've got 5,000 highly trained Marines armed to the teeth with latest weaponry.

"Furthermore," the Admiral picked up, "I've got a total of 8 powerful naval guns on battleships and cruisers that would be able to provide artillery support, as long as you don't get too far from the shore. These are much more powerful than land based artillery. In addition, our Franerri allied, with a force of 20,000 soldiers have set sail for Pozhal, where they would land, hopefully rendezvous with a friendly force as we have with you, if such exists there, and begin their march on Noscovo from the East. This way we would force Okeena do split his force and deliver him a defeat in detail."

"The only threat that remains is Okeena's own navy. As of latest information we have - which is yesterday, they have 3 battleships, same as us, and 12 monitors, which are far from being as dangerous, but still should not be dismissed as a threat. If we have to fight back against them, my guns would not be able to provide support to you with shore bombardments."



Meanwhile, the Marines who have already stepped down on shore have began fraternizing with their new and unexpected allies. "I wish," one of the Marines, a volunteer from Kyograd, former university student, replied to the comment about their fur making them hot. "It helps us keep cool in the heat of our tropical homeland, but we quite nearly froze to death while waiting over the winter in Mil'Nor. Thankfully we were able to purchase warm clothes there to supplement our uniforms."

[callmedelta]

Seeing the city under the command of a power that at the very least wasn't hostile, General Lumine and Admiral Baudelaire would step out on the shore to greet...whoever these people were. They came ashore with a small guard to ensure their safety. "My name is General Lumine of the Kingdom of Franerre, and this is my compatriot Admiral Baudelaire. Who are you, and under what flag do you serve? You certainly don't look like soldiers of the Union."

[Greywall]

Pozhal


“I am captain Fong, I serve the Bianjingren rebellion. Our people are fighting for independence against the union of south touli. Have you come to support us? Or them?”

The sounds of intensifying gunfire could be heard as in the distance the kithium and bian forces were launching their assault.


————-

Zhest Gav

“They are warriors, each one having shown their worth in battle. If we move we can engage this force okeena has sent, though those warships are a problem.”