Year 1915 A.C. Cold Season, Combat Phase
Salviosi Successes
This season we have expanded our
Entrenchment in the Savannah, raising it to
Two(2) and granting
(Radio Coverage) in the area. We have also found and begun exploiting a deposit of
Gavrillium in the
Lowlands.
As a result of the newfound
Gavrillium resource we anticipate the following changes to our Armory:
The
GGG-12 and the
Charybdis become
(CHEAP).
Abberan Advancements
Proposal: ARA-1915NC-AAL "Neptune"
The Neptune heavily armored lander is a naval ship coming in under a hundred meters.
It has been designed with a cealium lift system, purely to ensure that the hull does not sink itself underneath its size to weight ratio on the open ocean. This lift system is of course much weaker than that of a sky ship.
The outside of the lander is equipped with thick armour, and covered in a series of small-aligned cealium nodes. These nodes are designed to push incoming fire down or off to the side, turning a hit into a miss or a richet, protecting the Ship from the FBJ bullets by robbing them of kinetic energy and causing them to not hit the ship in the first place.These are in place above the ship as well, deflecting incoming shells into the waters around it.
When it makes impact with the shores of the beach, the prow will open, turning into a landing ramp and opening the gullet of the beast, releasing the tanks and infantry within.
Up to 4 gendarme tanks or 8 Caliburns can be held within the stomach of this heavily armored behemoth, along with a company of soldiers, who have been crammed into this hold for the short journey between abberan territory and salviosi beaches.
This is a very vulnerable process, and so, The Neptune is armed to suppress enemy forces on the beach to give our landing troops the best chances they have.
To help protect the ship during travel from air raids and to clear the beaches during landing, the Top of the ship mounts two large, squat turrets designed to shoot at incoming enemy Ships and suppress enemy fortifications.
These turret are a 60mm duel barreled autocannon, using its two barreled nature to continue firing far in excess of what a single barrel could do before overheating and wearing away.
It is the hope of the Abberan research department, that between the landing capacity of the ship and with enough Neptune’s it will be able to clear enemies from landings zones while protecting itself from incoming Charybdis on an attack run.
Difficulty: Ludicrous
Result: 3 (4+2+1-4) 4 (4+3+1-4) 8 (6+5+1-4) = Average
The Neptune is quite the undertaking, and to our knowledge, much like the fairy tale character from our children's books, is the current king of the waves - between the Harren Island combatants, at least.
While we do not necessarily have the infrastructure to support a fleet, or even enter open ocean, we've managed over the past few years to build and support some sort of naval capabilities between us and Salvios. While we did not expect a proposal of this magnitude, there is no denying that it actually works. The massive Neptune shouldn't float, especially with a full load, but does thanks to a weaker version of the lifting system used in the Orleans and it's variant. Aligned Caelium nodes are embedded around the 100mm armor (150mm at the Conning Tower and the front hatch/ramp) that, when activated, are meant to deflect incoming fire. The system drains it's power stores (separate from the rest of the ship's, thankfully) quicker than they can recharge, and due to the pushing nature of Aligned Caelium, cannot be maintained for more than a few seconds at a time lest the ship begin to buckle. The interior of the Neptune is spacious enough to hold a company of soldiers as well as four Gendarmes or eight Caliburns. It does get cramped and there is nowhere to strap anyone down to, though the vehicles are secured. Exiting the Neptune can be tedious, as either the vehicles or infantry need to file out before the other to minimize running people over. The propeller-driven ship can reach speeds of twelve knots (or around 22 kph).
Atop the ship are a pair of turrets carrying a single-barreled 60mm autocannon. There were attempts to construct a double-barreled model, however it wasn't going over quite right and we needed to move on lest the rest of the Neptune suffer for it. It fires 80 rounds per minute and the autoloading system only rarely malfunctions.
The Neptune costs 8 Ore, 4 Caelium, 5 Gavrillium, and 3 Chemical Compounds, making it a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Proposal: Nodens "Neptune" Variant Assault lander
The Neptune currently suffers from overreach, as such the nodens is a project dedicated to scaling pack the impressive Neptune into a more manageable variant. Both the Neptune and the Nodens will have parts of its armoring and hull replaced with Caelum steel in key parts, The aim of this revision in the Neptune and the nodens, which share a very similar hull, is to decrease the needed amount of metal done to a more manageable cost.
Both the Neptune and the Nodens will have their generators updated with capacitor systems similar to the sparkpacks, allowing the generators to output more power, providing more of the very lifeblood of abberan vehicles and decreasing the number of promethium rods that are consumed to feed the beasts in the long term.
Additionally, due to the sheer lack of anything having worked on increasing the strength of the promethium generator before, the design teams has added a faraday cage around the piezoelectric vice mechanism and a series of surge protectors to protect against any case of the explodies this time around.
The cargo bay floor has been changed to have a series of small D rings embed in it, allowing the soldiers to tie their packs to it or hang items on the D-rings attached to the wall. This also allows the bay to be used for cargo, allowing it to be strapped down unto these D rings that are built into the floor.
The design team would like to remind the grunts that being required to file out, after the tanks is the point due to the tanks being essentially a large wall, compared to the fleshy meat bags taking cover inside the barrel (like fish) behind these tanks, providing them some protection against small arms and machine gun fire.
The Nodens and the Neptune have 1 grand difference, even with all of the similar revisions they are currently undergoing. The Nodens assault lander, will have its aligned cealium shielding system removed, cheapening the whole ship due to a much-lessened chemical cost, Aligned cealium cost and power cost. This along with the Above ore saving measures should allow us to deploy a large number of these landers upon the enemy shores.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Results: 3 (4+1-2) 10 (6+6-2) = Above Average
The Nodens is, ultimately, a stripped-down Neptune. They are both now made with Caelium Steel armor, reducing the costs associated with the lifting engines keeping them afloat. Capacitors and surge protectors are added to the power system, and numerous measures put in place to ensure power distribution remains consistent throughout the ship. The upgrades to the system provide a slight increase in Gavrillium Efficiency. Rows of D-rings are bolted into the floors and walls to allow equipment to be safely attached, now providing only an occasional tripping hazard when in use (the rings fold flush with the hull when not in use). The Gravity Deflectors get a slight increase in time to use thanks to more precise power distribution.
The Nodens separates itself from the Neptune at this point by having it's Gravity Deflector System removed, greatly cheapening production of the landing assault craft.
The Neptune sees the costs of the lifting engines practically disappear, only to be replaced by the cost for Caelium Steel. Gavrillium costs are reduced in exchange for Ore cost. The Neptune now costs 9 Ore, 4 Caelium, 3 Gavrillium, and 3 Chemical Compounds, remaining a (NATIONAL EFFORT) for the time being. The changes it has received do see top speed increase to 18 knots/33kph.
The Nodens however sees a reduced cost of 8 Ore, 4 Caelium, and 2 Gavrillium, making it (VERY EXPENSIVE).
CHAPTER FOUR: A VALIANT EFFORT
Part One: The Price of A Kilometer
With the war expanding from a simple fight over a city into a multi-front conflict the soldiers still in Harren City were given the orders to take it and end the fight there at all costs, a command they were very willing to fulfill. A few weeks into the season we began increasingly probing the Abberan lines. While they began as scouting missions, eventually raids were run that ended in the destruction of strongpoints here or there with the new
'Avalanche' Combat Engineering Kit. The explosives also gave the
Avalanche soldiers the capability of destroying
Gendarmes quite handily should they be prepared for one. Eventually the probing stopped for a few days, and then...
Cool rains fell one midseason morning when the air filled with the
crack of a
Senapang followed by the death of an Abberan messenger unlucky enough to get caught crossing the street. A few minutes later a second soldier a block away was killed as he peered out of a window. For a few hours the Abberan lines were harassed by our skilled snipers in this manner before the barely audible hum of the
Charybdises joined in. They passed over the infantry in search of relatively easy airborne prey, though not without firing shots at a few more exposed targets. Led by
Apibarus and
Sleds, we then launched their massed infantry offensive on the Abberan line.
Vehicles on both sides were of limited use for both sides as infantry was regularly equipped with weaponry capable of damaging enemy armor. The
Gendarmes had a
slightly easier time of it, needing only to hunker down and wait for the enemy to expose itself. The
Sleds however served very well in setting up an immediate defense for any taken ground. While the
Avalanches and
Collisions kept to small arms and melee weapons, the
FMJ/G ammunition and strength-amplifying myomer give them more than enough ability to engage
Paladins and
Crusaders at any range. Infantry from both sides is well-prepared for the close, brutal fighting the city has offered for the past couple years, and while nothing was added to the enemy armory this season to aid in the ground war, one major thing changed. Their K-wool protection has increased survivability of their infantry, that is a frustrating certainty. During an attack an injured soldier is still often out of the fight, however when defending they don't need to worry about things like "keeping up" and "charging". As long as they can use a weapon they can hold ground, and the Abberans were unwilling to freely give ground. While the combat engineers and heavy weapons could freely fire on targets in the open, they needed to clear every building room-by-room and often with unarmored infantry. With a static defense in place this task became much more difficult, though the
M3 frag grenades aided in the endeavor. With a
Sickle in every squad and a
Draco or
Modea otherwise, Abberan infantry has much more overall firepower in enclosed spaces. We maintain better control of the streets though, and kept constant pressure on the Abberans. Day by bloody day a building or two would be liberated from Abberan hands, though not without an increasingly steeper cost in lives.
Things looked pretty grim for the Salviosi offensive this season until two weeks into the push when we launched a massed
Perahudara assault. With total control of the skies, although vulnerable to most gunfire, our skyborne transports were able to drop infantry and Power Armor among their forces, on rooftops, and anywhere else we could slide into. While being inside one of those flying cans was definitely unenviable, it pulled attention from the front and allowed us to progress while pinching the forces between the front line and the deployment of
Perahudaras. Eventually the order to fall back was given to the Abberan forces in Harren City. This was no easy retreat, however. The Abberan forces made us pay for every step we took,
Crusaders and jump-pack
Nikes proving especially capable of harassing our forces in this environment. Abberan forces suffer heavier losses this season than they have previously as a result of the orders to hold ground and being unable to do so.
It was a valiant effort, and ultimately we were
just able to best Abberan forces in the city, resulting in a
Salviosi Victory! Salvios control of Harren City rises to 100%.
You can now fortify and assign resources to the city. Harren City has no resource cap, and operations can be continually expanded upon.
Part Two: The Cliffs of Abbera
The first step in our invasion was the deployment of
LEA-13 aircraft across the strait and into the Abberan mountains. They initially drew a bit of fire, if only for sport, before we began to respond to the gunfire with distant strafing runs from
Charybdises. After thorough mapping of the area and weeks of planning, the attack came in the form of
Perahudaras and
Apibarus supported by a large number of
Charybdises. The amphibious craft directed themselves to the small shorelines where they could disgorge their troops - cliffs and narrow passes prevented the
Apibarus from pushing very far into the mountains. The
Perahudaras had an easier time of it, at least until trying to land. With combat generally restricted to basic infantry, the portability of the Abberan heavy weapons as well as their
Nike armor and jump-pack, they were able to quickly position and reposition as necessary to fire upon invaders.
We had a hard enough time as it was however, at least at first. With the
Orleans capable of using it's main gun at will for the first time in the war, and in a theater where neither side was able to field many large pieces on the ground, it was able to make an impact once more. Shells flew over mountains and into the strait as we were crossing, with a few unlucky hits destroying some
Apibarus before the airships were driven off. While defenses in the area were sparse, there was a
Scythe,
Sickle, or
Halberd around seemingly every corner and riddling every mountainface.
Perahudaras were readily filled with holes, their cargo of infantry suffering for the lack of armor plating. On the occasion that a
Perahudara did manage to land, it wasn't long before the highly mobile Abberan infantry would pounce, repositioning their heavy weapons and using their
Wickermen to provide cover in exposed passes and valleys. While the
Charybdis once again controls the skies, limited infantry capability hampered the invasion efforts in the area, resulting in the attack grinding to a halt. With our forces needing to improvise cover from the elements while the Abberans have some sort of infrastructure (and infernal K-Wool), morale and effectiveness hastily drop as the invasion goes from one day of fighting to two, to five. Pockets of Salviosi infantry try to hold out, but ultimately they are forced to retreat, surrender, or die.
With the limited equipment able to be brought to bear in the North Peaks, the Abberan focus on improving their basic infantry has paid off for them. The invasion has failed, resulting in a
Salviosi Defeat! Control of the North Peaks remains 0%.
Part Three: Northmen on the Shores
We knew what was coming. How could we not?
Massive ships prepared to launch for one of the largest amphibious invasions the modern world had seen. Patrolling aircraft reported back what they saw - a fleet of unexpectedly large ships built to cross the strait - and so we dug our heels into the ground and waited.
They set off on a foggy morning, using the low clouds to provide cover from above. Built more for hovering over solid land than water, a couple of their small transport vehicles suffer malfunctions during the crossing and dooming more than a few soldiers to a frigid watery grave.
Charybdises are forced to dividing their attention between the
Orleans support raining artillery down on the defensive positions and the transports moving en masse below. Now however, the aircraft needed to deal with the 60mm guns on the
Neptune and
Nodens. While by no means perfect, they at least provide some level of threat and deterrence against the long-unopposed Salviosi craft. Even adding in fire from the Salviosi artillery and bunker guns, the crossing was going well for Abbera.
We had long expected an attack on this front, however. The beaches were overlooked by lines of trenches and bunkers. At least one
GGG-12,
LGG-12, or
Senapang Var. S. kept watch over every centimeter of the half-kilometer between the waves and defenses. Gunfire and explosions peppered the Abberan transports. A number of
Scylla bunker guns managed to do some relatively minor damage to a few
Nodens, and one was sunk with all hands on board after the deck was struck twice in the same spot by artillery and she cracked in half. The
Neptune, followed by the battered
Nodens ships, eventually opened their maws and let loose the mass of infantry and armor inside. The front of the ships dropping open provided perfect targets for our guns, with
Gendarmes being struck by heavy weapons as they exited the ship, though those that weren't immediately disabled managed to make fair progress on the frozen clay and dirt of the beach. Infantry fared no better as our rapid-fire weapons sprayed into the ships.
Wickermen popped all along the beach providing ample cover, but still the approach was bloody and hard-fought.
The mass of hovering transports provided a great threat to our lines, able to rapidly exploit weakpoints left by
Orleans bombardment. Barbed wire and landmines did little to stop the movement of the hovercraft, and so they were able to bypass a majority of the obstacles that would have provided clearer chokepoints for us. Though
very costly, once again Abbera's highly mobile infantry allowed them to reposition at will, and do so with some pretty hefty weaponry. The
Wickerman reared it's ugly head again as a fairly effective means of clearing trenches and pillboxes - the cup launcher increasing their usefulness exponentially. Eventually a breakthrough was forced and pressure on the beach slowly lifted as the first line of trenches was secure.
Our artillery did not perform nearly as well as anticipated. That said, the fighting was
very close, with their forces only managing to maintain a small foothold by the end of the season. All things considered, it is still a
Salviosi Defeat! Salvios now controls 90% of the Savannah.----------------
This season we
Captured Harren City,
Lost the North Peaks Assault, and
Gave Ground in the Savannah. It seems that both armies were better offensively than defensively this season as a whole, though the combat in the mountains expresses some shortcomings in our base infantry (at least as opposed to Abbera). Also of note, it seems Abbera pulled forces from other fronts to bolster their Savannah offensive. While the changes of manpower didn't have much of an impact this season, it is something to keep in mind.
We have also received a request from the League: the war has ground to a halt on all fronts, and some ideas are being formulated as to how to break the stalemate. Each nation has been tasked with a different option to work out, and yours is to make a vehicle, suit of armor, gun, set of equipment...something, but you are to put every ounce of effort into it possible. All costs will be covered by the Leagues's coffers.
This is the free design for the National Effort you guys will be designing this turn. You also have your normal Design action.
While the capture of Harren is monumental, our victory cannot overshadow our losses. The enemy is on our turf, and we can't say the same.
RE: The Special Design-It will be tasked with fighting a similar effort coming out of the Abberan labs.
-If something is designed or revise that could directly upgrade this design, it will do so automatically unless otherwise requested.
-The design will always be a
(NATIONAL EFFORT).
-Include whether or not it's meant to be an
(OFFENSIVE) or
(DEFENSIVE) design.
-Difficulty for this design will be reduced.
-Feel free to ask questions.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
Poll
2 (14.3%)
Author
Topic: Industrialized Warfare: Salvios Thread / 1917 A.C. Cold Season (COMPLETE) (Read 93717 times)