Battle of Ferville

[aimway921]

Reports from the air recon that the UST artillery still existed and hammered the brave men trying to claw their way into the enemy lines were all that was needed for Colonel Gerchin, commanding the new guns purchased from UKUG, to do something unprecedented. Defying his orders from above, he ordered all his guns to switch back to bombarding the UST artillery.

The infantry meanwhile halted their advance, taking cover in the shell craters as well as the positions they were able to take from UST so far, including the remnants of the Genta Line. Many of the soldiers not preoccupied with actively shooting at UST soldiers began digging small trenches and individual foxholes, doing anything they can to reduce the staggering losses. Many of the LMG crews would also take shelter in these new earthworks. Should the UST decide to counterattack again, instead of a continuous line they would find a layered defense, with most of the positions overlapping their fields of fire with the others. The tankettes, meanwhile, began rolling back for refueling. Final victory seemed to be slipping through Lishenko's fingers, with the possibility of either a UST counterattack as the current charge lost it's steam, or the UST force managing to safely retreat.

The mood in Lishenko's HQ turned from sour to bright once again, however, when an officer entered and passed an envelope to the general. In it was a cryptic message consisting of just a few words. "The steel ones are here."

Stepping outside the building used as the HQ, Lishenko looked towards the West road. He had to use his binoculars to see them, but there they were - 10 ambiguous tarp-covered white shapes kicking up clouds of orange smoke and brown dust were making their way towards Ferville. The Landships have arrived.

Orders were passed down the lines. The attack is to be resumed when the tankettes come back to the front after refueling.

Joining the tankettes would be, however, the Landships. With this new weapon, a new tactic would also be used. The Lanships would be put into a wedge formation, with the vehicles being spread out about 50 meters from each other. Once in range, they would begin laying suppressive fire in the direction of the UST soldiers from their many machine guns. 4 front facing guns per tank, making it 40 total machine guns raining lead into the blue uniforms, all at once, all the while getting closer with each minute. Whenever spotted, they would focus all of their firepower onto what remained of UST machine guns, gatling guns and field artillery guns. Emboldened by the sight of the new steel beasts that came to assist them, the Ashinaran infantry attacked with a new vigor.

[Artsy Astra]

The MEF kept up the pressure, pressing further into the UST trench line. The artillery corps continued to hammer any reinforcements or forces attempting to leave as the Army and Marines continued to push through the tide of blue. Field guns began shifting fire to machine gun positions, and if they were close enough, enemy artillery batteries they could see. Some infantry began to dig in at the newly captured trench line but most continued the offensive.

[Greywall]

UST

Crossroads

The UST engaged the Frannerre, large wide infantry firefights broke out for several miles as they tried to find a way around the Frannerre but to no avail. The UST commanders pushed their infantry hard knowing they could be cut off from Juaz and encircled if they failed. 

Rear lines

The Frannerre charge forced a cut in the flow of UST to the detached force in the crossroads, they pulled machine guns and fired at the cavalry but now faced the daunting task of dislodging them to reconnect their forces. 

Front lines 

UST artillery fired without end, a level of panic was settling in for them as the enemy assault piled on. At the trenches the UST tried to use range combat to fend off the enemy assault. Pulling out was simply not happening with the Frannerre cutting them off and Taronki ordered his men to dig in and fight hard. 

They brutalized the Frannerre, Marrlan and Tafatu forces until the sight of Ashinarians flooding in came with the sight of slow moving metal beasts in the distance, "What the hell is even that?" one soldier said, "Fire fire fire fire!" an officer replied. By the time the enemy armor reached the line the UST fell completely back to their interior defense, Taronki looked out to see his lines shattering with a massive enemy surge, "Empty the artillery on the line now!" "But sir?!" "Do it now or we're all dead now now now!". The UST artillery now fired directly on the frontline slaughtering their own men to stop the advance. "Get set, this is it men, you hold this fucking line and you send them to hell or you go yourselves!" Taronki roared. He pulled his saber out as his men prepared the last defense of the interior encampment. 

Tafatu

Tafatu forces pushed up with Marrlan and Frannerre forces after the Ashinara armor arrived, the constant artillery bombardments and aerial strikes had heavily bled the UST forces allowing them to push in. The Union's best army was being destroyed before the Tafatu when the sound of artillery fell directly where the fighting was. Omani was shocked at the Union's willingness to kill their own but knew it was a sign they were losing badly. "Keep up the pressure, it's almost over." 

[Greywall]

Casualties

UST: 12,435
Frannerre: 7,943
Ashinara: 4,341
Tafatu: 5,909
Marrlan: 2,003

[callmedelta]

Crossroads

The rider from Juaz had returned, bringing with them a fresh 50,000 Standard Infantry, 50,000 Heavy Infantry, and 1,000 Artillery to the battle. The cavalry disengaged their skirmishing action, retreating to friendly lines while the artillery began to pound the forward elements of the retreating Union forces. For them, there would be no escape, only surrender.

Rear

With the front line cut, the cavalry continued to fight in the gap in the line. The forces on either side of the cavalry were too large to charge through. leaving the only options to fight in place or retreat. For the time being, they would count on the infantry elements on the frontlines to link up with them.

Frontlines

The Franerri infantry was forces to stop their advance as the artillery rained down around themselves and their foe. Those who were inside Union trenches had the blessing of cover to try and shield them from artillery, those men who had chosen to stay out of the melee and fire from above not so lucky. By the time the smoke and the dust had cleared, the initial Franerri wave was in chaos. Men lay dead or dying out in the fields, some still hiding in cover from the artillery. Most men managed to stand up and recover, though now they were confused and orderless. Any semblance of command had broken down, some men tending to the wounded, others trying to hold in place for a Union counterattack that would likely never arrive, some trying to reestablish enough coordination between the men to restart the offensive, and yet others still beginning a retreat towards friendly lines.

The battle was too close to let up now. General Claude spurred more waves of infantry onward, trying to carry those survivors from the bombardment forward with the weight and momentum of their fellows.

[aimway921]

The tanks increased their pressure. Most of the crews quickly figured out that they can be more effective if they only fire 2 of their 4 machine guns at a time, allowing them to keep firing from the other 2 while the first 2 we're reloading. This they could keep up unending continuous fire.

Most of the infantry made it into the forward UST trench that they have captured as the enemy retreated to their main encampment.

Back at the HQ, however, the mood was somber. A new casualty tally came in. Thousands more have died again during the last attack. Why wasn't Taronki calling for a ceasfire? Was he refusing to acknowledge the hopeless of his situation? Or did he have reinforcements coming in from Juaz, and was just holding on until they arrive? In any case, he sent out runners to the Franerri, Tafatu and Marrlan commanders, proposing to try give Taronki an offer of surrender to finally end this damn bloodbath.

[Artsy Astra]

The MEF continued to fortify the captured trench as the Marines and Army went on while the Beast Hunters finally stopped and held at the captured trench to rest and recuperate. The artillery continued its campaign of bombardment.

General Grendel would respond promptly with a no. He wanted to kill one of their experienced generals if possible by well and truly surrounding him and demolishing him. He clearly wasn't in the mood for talking himself. If the attack stagnated, however, he would be willing to agree and parlay with the hostile general.

[Greywall]

12 years ago...

The wheat fields of Ferville go for miles, golden rows stretching as far as the eye can see, the wind making it dance softly and slowly sending rippled waves across its surface. Warm spring air carried the smells of fresh ground being broken as farmers harvested their crops, Ferville was a jewel of the North, historically a Tafatu bread basket that fed Central touli. The region was always quiet even in the city of Ferville, the people lived happy solemn lives, food was plentiful here and sold cheaply before being shipped out. Children ran down the streets playing, the elderly sat and mused over stories or telling jokes to one another, a young couple sat at a park bench unable to fight their desires and embracing in one another kissing. Ferville was a beautiful place, it even introduced new things to the Tafatu such as coffee shops serving Nevarran coffee. 

One of the people enjoying this new luxury was Jamora Taronki, a major in the UST army. He was on leave following a successful campaign purging roving bandits in the Central Union, he also was waiting for his comrade in arms who assisted him in defeating the bandits. "Taronki!" he turned to see the portly man walking toward him, "Falalu, finally. Did you stop to eat on your way here?" Taronki laughed. Falalu snorted before making an order at the counter, "Nevarran coffee, black with sugar." Falalu sat down slowly, it was hard to imagine this man was a soldier given his husky appearance. "You hear about these Kithium savages? Trouble on the border again, President Okeena thinks war is coming." Falalu said before thanking the waitress for bringing his coffee out. "Another war? Damn this Okeena enjoys bloodshed, what does General Hoki think?" Falalu shook his head after taking a sip of coffee, "Doesn't matter what he thinks, Okeena wants the Kithium League to know who runs Central touli and he intends to crush them, we have orders to prepare for all out war." Taronki shook his head, "pompous leaders sending men to war while they sit in Noscovo in comfort, maybe its best, we break the league and war won't come here at the least." Taronki took his cup and began drinking it looking over the city before his eyes drifted to the UST flag flying in the horizon. 

Today that flag flew tattered amid greying skies of autumn rainfall, gunfire drowned out any sounds of men screaming below as Taronki tried to rally his men. Machine guns, rifles, artillery fired at the enemy as the UST made its last stand. " Do not yield! Fight on!" he yelled, Union soldiers fought in the mud filled trench firing on the advancing horde before them. "I'm running low on ammo!" "there's too many!" these were Taronki's best men and they were breaking. The artillery did the most damage to the enemy as rifle fire from the Union dwindled to desperate attempts to scramble for ammunition. Taronki knew what was coming, the end of this bloody battle. He grabbed his chief officer, "destroy the artillery, prepare for parlay." 
"Sir?"
"The enemy will not benefit our lost guns go destroy them." 

Amid the hail of gunfire Union operators fired one last salvo before destroying the kumo artillery guns. Machine guns fired their last belts of ammunition and infantrymen held onto empty rifles, white flags appeared as UST infantry raised up with their arms up. "Men, lay down your arms! It's over! Come out!" Taronki called, he was beaten. Through the longest battle in his entire career, the Union army was defeated. Cut off from the South and out of supplies he knew to fight on would be suicide. His men came out of their mud flooded holes tired and broken. 
The rain pelted them as they exited their encampment and Taronki stood at the center with sword in hand. The first commander that reached him would take it as a sign of surrender. 

--Tafatu--

The Tafatu took considerable losses in the last push but seeing the surrendering UST didn't send them into cheers or even motions of celebration. They knew the deathroll of this battle, it was a horrid price to pay for their freedom. But with this victory, Tafatu was finally free from the Union. 

[Greywall]

Casualties

UST: 4,903
Frannerre: 934
Ashinara: 403
Tafatu: 431
Marrlan: 201

[aimway921]

In the chaos of the battle, only a few soldiers spotted the white flags right away. Soon enough, the cry "cease fire" could be heard along all Ashinaran positions. Only the landships and tankettes kept on firing their machine guns for several more minutes until finally the officers outside managed to grab their attention and order them to cease fire.

Under a white flag of his own, General Lishenko personally rode out to parlay, accompanied by a squadron of elite mounted Carabineers as his security detail.

[callmedelta]

The Franerri main line stopped firing along with the Ashinarans, the entire line seemingly a letting out a sigh of relief. Cavalry skirmishes continued up and down the line of battle as white flags were continually raised. Eventually, the battle came to a full stop, and Major General Levasseur was able to ride up with his cavalry to the Union camp, around the same time General Tauroneo was able to walk up. "Great news, General," Levasseur said, "General Claude seized Juaz without a fight; we're ready to march south as soon as the battle here is finished. We'll march all the way to Noscovo now."