Battle of Ferville

[callmedelta]

Their flanking attempt defeated and under fire from Union artillery, the Franerri cavalry would make a fighting withdrawal back to their own lines and attempt to bait the Union's own cavalry into chasing them. Franerri artillery would hammer away as fast as they could at the Union's line while they still had the advantage of range while the infantry would continue to dig in around the artillery.

[aimway921]

As snow began covering the Ashinaran battle line, the foxes knew it was their time to shine. While only a very small portion of the current assembled force has experience in winter combat - and even that was only one battle (Le Troi) - they knew that their nature gave them an advantage over the fur-less humans who needed more warm clothes to bear with the cold. Mortars have been pounding the UST line for several days, aiming both for their men and their morale. Occasionally, they would also turn their volleys towards the assumed UST artillery positions, approximated based on the arcs of the incoming shells. In addition, runners were sent to the Marrlan force. Artillery was bugging the hell out of General Yarimenko, and he refused to budge on his decision to not send in the tankettes while UST's artillery is active. Figuring that the Old World has brought superior weaponry with them, the messengers brought a request for Marrlan artillery to focus their efforts on eradicating their UST counterpart from existence.

During those several days, the Infantry to the back was ordered to break camp, while Infantry to the front - to dig basic trenches. Soon enough, a section of 4,000 soldiers would be ordered to assault a region of the UST line where, according to scout and observer reports, the enemy defense seemed to be the weakest. Artillery would give them covering fire until they would enter effective rifle firing range, from where they would have to storm the enemy line, potentially performing a bayonet charge as a final push. Should they succeed, they would then have to send a runner for more regiments to pull up, while holding their new position from UST counterattack. Of those 4,000 soldiers, 500 would be Heavy Infantry armed with repeating rifles and machine guns, while 6 Tachankas would support them with covering fire from their flanks.

In the meantime, Lishenko realized a grave blunder he has made. Tarafan was too far away to use his recon aircraft - both due to the aircraft's range, and due to how long it would take for information to travel between his frontline HQ, set up in a small village not far from Ferville's Western side, and the airfield in Tarafan. Luckily, Ferville was surrounded by farmland. Lots of flat fields, that only need a little trampling to be transformed into runways. Lishenko has sent high ranking officers from his Headquarters General Staff to negotiate with several farm owners to lease their fields for this purpose, offering silver equivalent to the money that they would otherwise would have made from the crops from those fields, plus a little extra for the trouble of hosting a military unit on their land - but only the best deal be taken. They only needed one decently sized field.

[Greywall]

--UST--

The Dragoon commander would tell the bulk of his forces to pull back, their job was to secure the flank not drive a wedge though he would send scouts ahead to pursue the Frannerre. When the dragoon commander saw the Tafatu forces surging down the center and the Ashinara firing relentlessly at the trench line he would order a charge directly at the Tafatu.

At the trench line UST infantry were bearing down from the mass of Ashinara artillery, "Return fire!" UST officers would bellow out as their own guns fired at the Ashinara and Tafatu who were in range. Troops received more injuries from debris being kicked up by the shelling than direct fire with several UST troops suffering head injuries. "Here they come!" UST troops propped themselves up and began firing into the Tafatu tearing them apart with rifle and Gatling gun fire.

Any Ashinara advancement was met with the same response, though shaken the UST troops were still determined to hold their trench.

--Tafatu--

The conscript force broke ranks and chaos ensued, the mass of human beings were being torn to shreds by UST fire causing mass panic and several Tafatu to commit mistakes that got them killed. The middle attack was utterly devastated as rebels slowly pulled back to the city in a disorganized manner, Omani shook his head as his force was butchered. They simply were not trained nor equipped to take on a well dug in opponent.

Kendaya approached his general, "we need to advance under artillery fire, let the 1st take lead and your forces support from the rear and flank." But as he said that the sound of deafening hooves filled the area as UST dragoons massacred the remaining Tafatu left out. "Fire FIRE FIRE!" Omani yelled as rebels fired from the city at any Dragoons they could hit. The Dragoons pulled closer to their trench line out of range and proceeded to charge toward the Ashinara position to test them or at the least give their comrades some relief. "Dammit, this is bad, regroup now!" Kendaya ordered.

[Greywall]

Ferville casualties

UST losses: 503 infantry, 25 dragoons, 50 field guns

Frannerre losses: 102 carabiners

Tafatu losses: 763 conscripts

Ashinara losses: 89 infantry

[Artsy Astra]

The Marrlan Marines and Army assisting the Tafatu assault would be riddled as well some able to pull out thanks to the smoke but many falling to the Gatling guns. Once the survivors returned to their lines they began tending to their wounded and rotating in fresh men and women. The Army would attempt to dig in at the city's edge, with Machine gunners properly filling out buildings on the city's edge and heavy machine gun teams being brought up. The Marines would prepare to assist in the 2nd assault with the Tafatu. Commander Helga and General Grendel would group up with General Kendaya to try and better coordinate the Marrlan support.

The Mortar teams would finally find positions and set up, firing at the UST trenches in a general bombardment. Some field guns would slowly be brought up from their positions in the streets, the majority remaining ready in case of a counter-assault that reached the inside of the city. They would also begin firing at the UST line, specifically aiming for the presumed locations of the Gatling guns in an attempt to silence them. General Grendel would receive the Ashinaran request for artillery support and have about 30 of their batteries break off to assist them, they would begin setting up and waiting for a rough grid reference from their allies to begin their bombardment.

The remaining howitzers would attempt to find positions to assist the Tafatu counterassault, the city proving quite difficult to set up in and the general not wanting to risk bringing them out of the limits. They would attempt an off-kilter mixed smoke and HE shell bombardment of the UST line.

[callmedelta]

With the Tafatu breaking, Franerre couldn't just wait and be a thorn in the Union's side. It was time to be a dagger. The Franerri lines were still just under 8km away from the Union's, the maximum range of their artillery. Now, the Franerri began to gradually walk their artillery and infantry forward while maintaining their bombardment on the Union the best they could until they had advanced just under 2km, roughly just outside the Union artillery's range if Le Troi was anything to go by. Once they had made it to the edge of the safe zone, the Franerri infantry charged while their artillery guns thundered at the Union, firing off shells as fast as they could until the Franerri infantry had closed close enough to where they'd be at risk for hitting their own men, the artillery slowing their bombardment and shifting targets further back in the line.

[aimway921]

Ashinaran artillery kept on hammering the UST lines, as the 4,000 charging soldiers approached what was deemed to be the weakest section in the UST line. Once the observers at the Ashinaran line, through their binoculars, could see their comrades get close enough to start ducking for cover in the snow and opening fire from their rifles, the artillery was ordered to divert their fire on the two flanks of the sector being assaulted. The last couple hundred yards would be the deadliest for the regiments assaulting the UST line, as they opened a salvo, reloaded, charged a bit closer, and then repeated the whole process over and over until finally being close enough to surge into a violent bayonet charge.

Meanwhile, the Marrlan artillery that was pulled to help silence the UST artillery was given the presumed location of the enemy guns, with a simple request - pound them into the freezing ground.

At the same time, further down the line, a small unit of 200 Special Infantry had a bright idea. Captain Daniil Kshus commanded the 3rd Ranger Company. They specialized in underhand tactics, small-scale raids and camouflage. Granted, before this they only had experience in the jungles of their homeland - and even that - at military exercises - but adaptation to the conditions they were thrown in was also their specialty. Using white bed sheets looted both from their own beds and from the abandoned houses left by the evacuating citizens of Ferville, they made primitive white ponchos and hooded head coverings to act as snow camouflage. Taking some explosives with them, they would attempt to sneak past the UST defenders in the dark of night, using their superior fox vision to their advantage. Should they succeed, they would proceed to search for undestroyed artillery, supply stockpiles, and most importantly - the HQ of the UST commander.

[Greywall]

--Tafatu--

Tafatu forces regrouped with the Marrlan and 1st army group, with the mass of artillery pouring onto the UST line Omani gave the order and organized ranks began marching from the ruined edge of the city, "Forward companies, fix bayonets!" cried out Omani now riding with his command leaving Kendaya in charge of the rear. Despite the heavy artillery fire from allies, UST forces numbered in the thousands began to fire from their position, it wasn't creating the same result with professional troops as the 1st army began moving up taking cover where they could and firing cover fire for advancing groups. Using Marrlan provided weapons gave them a distinct edge being able to fire more than one round at a time.

Rebel artillery batteries finally setup began firing to provide more cover, pillars of dirt and debris would be kicked up by the coalition shelling at the UST forces, the Tafatu forces now confident in their approach with Marrlan supporters among them and the Ashinara pushing on their flank. In the mass of gunfire and chaos they heard the Frannerre charge, Omani ordered a full charge as artillery shells pulverized the Union line.

--UST--

UST forces were completely being hammered down, the mass shelling was tearing their forward defenses apart as they funneled men from the rear lines to replenish the mincemeat victims. UST artillery was now firing at the advancing armies while taking hits themselves. Genta found himself in a dangerous situation, his gatling gun line was being deleted by enemy artillery fire and his infantry were being shelled into oblivion before they could make an effective volley worthy of stopping their advance. "Pull up our reserves!, get those artillery guns out of here! Where are my cavalry!?" he ordered about. The dragoons had fallen back to the rear and asked for orders, Genta wanted them to move North to flank the Frannerre advance on the flatter territories, he dispatched them but was facing a much larger problem. Morale was tanking fast.

UST infantry were being funneled into the ruined trenches filled with hamburger meat men made from mortar rounds and long range guns. The advancing forces were almost on top of them too, as they desperately fired into the cold winter field in front of them. Genta was running out of options, he could fall them to rear trenches but beyond that he had nothing to hold off the enemy in the event he had to call a retreat. "Tell our guns to hold, have them fire at the advancing forces." Genta changed his mind on the artillery, his officers showed confusion, "Sir, they're at the mercy of enemy artillery if they remain..." Genta looked at them "If they don't we lose, we can't lose here. The war is lost if we lose Ferville." Genta waved over an officer in charge of the forward defenses, "We have no choice, order a full assault." the officer gave a puzzled look, "sir?" Genta rolled his eyes, "Order 10,000 of our men to sally forth we need to buy some time." the officer knew Genta was sending these men to die, if anything to just die and buy time. The officer made his way back to the brutal front as enemy artillery fell around, "Alright! We're going over the top!" the men looked horrified, "Fix bayonets!" thousands of nervous infantry began fixing their bayonets onto their Berdan rifles and loading rounds if they hadn't. The officer placed a bugle at his lips, closed his eyes and said a silent prayer before blowing.

Thousands of UST infantry began climbing out of the trench out into the open yelling charging at the coalition forces firing their rifles and making the suicide charge as behind them other companies took their place at the front. Genta watched from his tent, knowing he had already lost the battle but needed to buy time.

[Greywall]

Casualties

UST losses 234
Tafatu 23
Frannerre 45
Ashinara 56
Marrlan 32

[Artsy Astra]

A marine officer would reach the edge of a shell crater before ushering his men on, "Keep putting the pressure on chums! They'll break!" Marrlan Marines continued their combined charge with the Tafatu hoping their shotguns and grenades would see them through the counterassault. The Army had another idea falling to their core doctrine of defense, they began holding positions in what cover they could find in the field hoping the countercharge would break upon their line. A few machine gun teams attempted to find purchase and begin firing before the wall of men descended on them. The men and women armed with the infamous "POS" hoped for fewer jams.

The army units back at the city limits had made some headway in entrenching their positions. Foxholes and dirt mounds covered their positions and heavy machine guns were being brought up to defend the line finally having a closer position beyond buildings. Trenches were beginning to take shape, but no significant lines were made yet.

The Marrlan artillery corps would continue their bombardment of the enemy trench line and would continue pounding the enemy artillery and infantry mercilessly, although they would begin to walk their fire forward as friendly forces continued to advance. The battery officers waiting for the order to cease-fire to prevent hitting friend over foe.

[aimway921]

Ashinaran officers were baffled by what they saw. Pelted by artillery and now facing an Ashinaran assault, the UST infantry has sallied out across the entire fronline! Either they severely underestimated the amount of troops the Coalition had, or were truly desperate. Nontheless, the foxes were determined to make the UST pay for this tactical blunder. The shorter-ranged Ashinaran field artillery roared to life, while the entrenched Heavy Infantry's machine guns began to sing. Faster and more accurate than the UST's own Gatlings, they were determined to drown the UST advance in blood.

The 4,000 Ashinaran troops who have already advanced for an assault, concentrated in a small section, met the sallying Unionites head on with a mix of rifle volleys and bayonet charges, aiming to capture a section of the UST trench.

[callmedelta]

Franerre's advancing infantry would meet the Union's sallying infantry in open battle, halting for the time being and using their overwhelming numerical superiority to beat back the charge. The artillery, in the meantime, used this opportunity to get one last good hammering in on the Union's trench line before the advancing infantry risked friendly fire. Franerre's own cavalry would sally forth and meet the Union's own for the second time, this time the situation reversed from before.

[Greywall]

--Tafatu--

Tafatu forces held their ground with the UST charge and began laying down sustained rifle fire from their position in the center. The madness of open ground warfare with little cover saw bullets exchanged freely between men on both sides at a fast pace. The UST charge however was being slaughtered by the sheer firepower they ran into.

"Dear God." Kendaya muttered as the waste of human life made him feel nauseous. It didn't matter if it was Union troops being killed, the lack of care of sending those men to their deaths showed Kendaya his enemy indeed did not care. Rebel forces held their ground with ease as allied support hammered and wiped out the suicide charge.

--UST--

The men brought up to the trench from the rear lines would watch in horror as the men charging ahead were met with hell. Droves of infantry were cut down by everything from rifle and machine gun fire to artillery. Screams of charging over the top quickly changed to screams of terror and panic as Union troops were being decimated quickly. The mass of bodies advanced very little as some Union soldiers dropped to the ground using the corpses of their fallen comrades as cover and firing in vain at anything in front of them. The oncoming fire being brought down on them was nonstop, some of them simply curled up in the mud crying having lost any sanity at the death and bloodied hell around them.

The large force would take time to be destroyed but it was clear it would be done if they remained in the open, Genta looked depressingly at wave of men being cut down when a rider came into his camp. "Commander Genta?" the rider asked, Genta nodded and before he could respond the rider said "General Taronki has arrived and is setting up his forces near your rear line. He needs you to buy time to set up artillery." Genta was shocked, he couldn't believe Taronki was here and now, "Our guns can't reach them at this range." he stated, the rider turned his horse to return but said "these aren't our guns, the Kumosenkan gave us guns that put all those damn traitors in range." The rider took off and sure enough word spread of clean and fresh Union troops coming up the road by the thousands.

Genta needed to buy Taronki time, so he played the only hand he had left. "Send another 20,000 forward."

Back at the trench the men watching the horror were now told they would be going over the top, "You can't be serious!" "I have a family!" "This is madness!" the soldiers all cried but they were silenced by their officers, "Any man who doesn't go over will be shot!" they pulled their revolvers out with some of them pulling the hammer back. The bugle call came and reluctantly the Union soldiers went over the top to join their dying comrades flooding the open field of death.

Taronki arrived with 400,000 troops, 700 field guns all Kumo guns, 4,400 carabineers and ordered new trench lines to be built further from Genta's position to protect the artillery being deployed.

[Greywall]

casualties for Ferville

UST losses 3,432
Frannerre losses 109
Ashinara losses 87
Tafatu losses 201
Marrlan losses 67

[Artsy Astra]

A machine gun team in no man's land cried out. "They just keep coming!" "Craig, Swing left damn it!" "Swinging left!" Marrlan Army forces continued to hold their positions in the field some began making small dirt mounds to get what little cover they could in the empty fields. The men and women were holding fast but began to worry about how many more waves of men that'd be sent at them. What wounded were able to be got to in time were hauled back towards the main city line. The Marines would continue to attempt and push through the UST's newest wall of flesh.

The Marrlan forces at the city limits would continue to entrench themselves. As they began to link their trenches, a hasty but effective line was forming. The Beast hunters held as rearguards had also set up some fortification in houses and streets. The field guns held in reserve had checkpoints and other things built around them to lock down the streets they watched over.

The artillery corps continued their bombardment to a fault. Mortars, Field guns, and Howitzers rained hell on those approaching the friendly line. Though again they would give concerned looks to their battery officers.