Quarton Heath
Thirty seven miles southeast of Erus
"They look a bit shaken." said Dr. Orson Carrick as he sat in one of the base's observation rooms and compared the prisoner notes in his hands to the people themselves through the security cameras. Several SOABs, upon seeing the devastating impact of the AAA bombing campaign, surrendered or were left behind and captured by Aemen and Achesian forces who promptly sent them to Reiterhof, where they were then transported to Quarton Heath, one of Reginald's best kept secrets and a highly secure facility located in the middle of a wooded shrubland away from prying eyes. Quarton had been established since the days of Reginald's grandfather, Stephen XI, under the command of the Ministry of Initiative. It was what was referred to in all official documentation as a 'centre for research into deterrence warfare.' What deterrence warfare actually meant to the other nations of Septentrion is entirely up for interpretation, but to the Aemen monarchy it was a way of using brutal psychological experiments to win conflicts.
"What do you expect? The guards aren't particularly friendly towards them." added Dr. Edward Winslow who was stood beside him, reading through the session notes of previous days. Carrick and Winslow were part of the facility's leading research team and had previously worked on projects for the University of Marresburg. Now, under personal invitation from Prince Tavish, they had joined Quarton Heath's staff and were spearheading the way into winning back the Sellenland from behind the scenes. "Defining characteristics of motivation include nationalistic beliefs, hatred towards monarchal authority and profound symptoms of an Us vs. Them mentality. Prisoners 2B and 3A are the first we'll be focusing on for weak-point detection, they're currently exhibiting signs of PTSD possibly due to the bombing campaign. I suggest photographic and audio stimulation to see if this is correct."
Carrick observed Prisoner 2B and Prisoner 3A through the cameras. 2B was sat down, huddled in the corner of his cell and was a noticeable victim of the bombing; his right arm and parts of his neck were scarred with the tell tale signs of burn marks. 3A, meanwhile, was more active and banging against the walls of his room, screaming obscenities in Wankan and demanding to know why he was locked up. Carrick rubbed his chin as he observed the man's manic actions. "Record both prisoners' sleeping patterns after today's session. We'll check it against the behaviour of the others to see if there is a common factor amongst them." He stood up, moving towards the room's exit with the prisoner profiles in his hand. "I'm going to get a coffee. It'll be a long day if 3A's going to act like that for the next twelve hours."
Winslow turned on his heel to face his colleague, briefly stalling the progress of the notes he was taking. "Get me one too will you? I need to feel revitalised for my observation today."
As Carrick walked out into the hospital-like hallway, he took a moment to reflect about what this was all for. Carrick didn't often like to involve himself in the nasty stuff that did happen at Quarton, he left that to the doctors with the stronger stomachs and the sadistic streaks, but, in the name of progress, discovery and victory, he was more than happy to indulge in the preliminary checks, bringing out any mental defects or flaws in the captive SOABs before seeking something that linked them all together, something that Bezuidenhout could use to his advantage on the battlefield.
Kronstadt
Rote Haus
Day 3
0800 Hours
[Transcript of the Security Councils meeting on Day Three of the Sellenland Conflict]
Generalfeldmarschall Ludwig von der Leijen [CINC-Sellenland]: Frau Kanzlerin, you must give me permission to use combat helicopters immediately. Our troops are already engaging the enemy on 69.
Ulrike Meinhof [Chancellor]: Herr Vonderlein, sending Panzers to the Sellenland already poses great political risks. Helicopters will likely break our façade almost immediately.
Generalfeldmarschall Ludwig von der Leijen: You're threatening to undermine the drive to Reiterhof. Any delay will only result in more AAA troops landing in the warzone which will threaten to turn this into a long, drawn-out conflict. The longer the conflict, the lower the chance of complete victory, and the lower the benefits, as we will be relying more and more on oil imports from NAZI nations.
Admiral Franz Kanaris [Abwehr Director]: It is true. AAA choppers are flying all day and all night to bring in troops and supplies. Thousands of troops are in the area, and thousands more are arriving. Engineers are already building a second airfield at Reiterhof to allow more rapid deployment of forces to the Sellenland.
Generalfeldmarschall Ludwig von der Leijen: Frau Kanzlerin, if we capture Reiterhof, even if official war is declared, Aemen will never be able to recapture the Sellenland. The closest town is several hundred kilometers away, and organizing a defense in the mountain will be extremely easy and cost-efficient.
Heinrich von Preisen [Foreign Minister]: We have discussed this before. An official war will be only used as a last resort. With the Sylvans buddying up with the AAA, an open war may lead to consequences beyond imagination.
Ulrike Meinhof [Chancellor]: Or not. The majority of the population seems to be understandably very much in support of the Sellenwankers and we have many MP's, even within our party, calling for the 'defense of the Sellenland'. A war might just unite the Volksrepublik and make our citizens stop fighting amongst themselves over petty issues. War is peace, quite literally. Herr Vonderlein, you have my permission to use rotary wing aircraft. However, promise me that you will use them sparingly, and do all you can to hide their identity.
Generalfeldmarschall Ludwig von der Leijen: Doing otherwise would be irrational. As with the armor, we'll continue with the claim that they're supplied by the Red Security Company.
Ulrike Meinhof: Good; that brings us to the second point. Herr Zusak, thank you for the report on the estimates of the presence of natural resources in the Sellenland. Could you please give us a brief overview?
Siegfried Zusak [Econ. Minister]: The report, which you all have, is a result of several weeks of investigations by numerous civilian scientists in the employ of the Wirtschaftsministerium and the Abwehr in the weeks preceding the invasion, which have been updated by the teams dispatched with Wankan forces to the Sellenland and who are currently operating without the former restrictions in the territory.
The Sellenland sits on a gigantic pile of energy resources, along with valuable minerals like silver, diamond and gold. More time will be needed to get a more accurate picture of the concentrations of the latter. The basins in the north are where massive oilfields are located, containing a rough estimate of 1.2 billion barrels of oil, along with huge reserves of natural gas and oil shale. These fields alone could reduce Wankas domestic oil production deficit to nearly nothing. Then there are the numerous uranium deposits scattered throughout the location, along with possibly over five billion tonnes of coal. Of course, these are only initial estimates; heavy equipment will be required to give us more accurate numbers. All in all, if the entire area were to be developed, it would seriously kickstart our economy for the 21st Century. However-
Ulrike Meinhof: Why hasn't the Aemen government exploited these reserves yet? For forty something years, it has been sitting around twiddling its thumbs with seemingly enough energy and oil under its grounds to supply the entire world!
Siegfried Zusak: I was coming to that. With the Sellenland so detached from the rest of Aemen, it has never seriously bothered to look for resources in the area. Practically, for them, it's going to be a real logistical pain to be able to fully exploit it, not even considering the potential environmental damage such operations might cause. In addition, it is, or was, an attractive spot for tourists, ecotourists, naturists… which in itself has generated some serious income, in addition to a clean image for the monarchy.
Admiral Franz Kanaris: The Sellenland is home to a vast, near-untouched ecosystem and contains the rarest animal species on earth, for example the famous Lucos Humus Septentrius. Were we to blow off the tops of the Allgäuer mountains to dig for coal, we're risking the extinction of these species. Not to mention the side-effects of the change in wind direction and speeds, which might result in global…
Ulrike Meinhof: Genug, enough! Franz, I never knew you joined the Green camp. I'll stop you right there before you start fantasizing about climate change and saving insects. I was just wondering just how beneficial this war that we just started, would be. Dankeschön, Herr Zusak. I understand your concerns about the environment, but we have to provide for a hundred fifty million hungry people which happen to be on this piece of land we're governing. We will worry about that once the oil rigs are drilling, Sellenwankers are mining and the economy is skyrocketing. For now, there is a war to be fought. Hopefully, a secret war; but if necessary, an open war.
Admiral Franz Kanaris: Frau Meinhof, you do not understand. We will take years to build the necessary infrastructure, and by then irreparable damage to the environment will be done and will give you problems which cannot be solved by a great economy.
Ulrike Meinhof: Herr Admiral, have you not been following the news? Aemen aircraft have been burning your precious ecosystems to the ground with napalm. By the end of the war, I assure you, there will be nothing but bare mountaintops, with resources ready to be exploited by a rejuvenated generation of Wankers. The meeting is adjourned; I will see you all tomorrow, here, at the same time. 'ch diene das Vadderland.
Near Horb
Day 3
0900 Hours
Gefreiter Heinz Schulemann navigated his way through the thick forest, which was the best way to quietly approach the strategic village of Horb, a settlement which straddled a mountain overlooking Highway 68. The Wankan 77th Mountain Infantry Regiment was engaged in a race against the Achesian forces to capture the village, and the regiment commander was determined to get there first. So despite the threat of the AAA aircraft, he'd sent part of his reconnaissance company down the highway to be able to reach Horb quicker.
The local SOAB forces, particularly the troops under the command of the Spezialeinsatzkommando Sellenland (SEKS), were doing a good job in monitoring the activity of the enemy forces. Armed with the knowledge that no Achesian units had reached Horb yet, the company Hauptmann directed his troops straight toward the village.
Schulemann, in his Spähpanzer Fuchs armored reconnaissance vehicle, sighted the isolated village first. The recon section, consisting of five recon vehicles, formed into a wedge, with the four Schützenpanzer-12 IFV's interspersed with them. As one, the formation appeared out of the cover of the dense vegetation, driving quickly up along a bumpy side road leading to Horb from the south-east. No resistance was expected, and none was met as they passed by the first abandoned huts. One of the Schützenpanzers stopped while the rest continued on, its troops quickly dismounting to search the houses.
The first sign of trouble came from behind them. The search platoon had crashed open the first door when they were met with automatic rifle fire. Before the unit could react, dark shadows appeared in the windows of the huts in front of the formation. Two rockets raced out, accompanied by noisy machinegun fire which tore through the peaceful silence. One of them detonated on the front left tire of Schulemann's Spähpanzer, causing it to make a 90 degree turn and grinding it to a standstill. Bullets pinged noisily on the armor of the Luchs as Schulemann regained control of himself.
"RRRRRAAUS! Raus aus dem Panzer!" ("Out! Out of the vehicle!")
Schulemann obliged, grabbing his MP-13 and tumbled out of the vehicle. And just in time, too. Seconds later, the Luchs was hit by two more rockets which wrecked the vehicle and instantly killed the gunner who'd remained inside. All around him, the automatic 20mm and 30mm cannon fire of the Wankan vehicles chattered in response to the contact, flattening the huts in front of them. Dismounted Gebirgsjäger accompanied the vehicles as they advanced in face of the fire. Schulemann, firing his submachine gun at the enemy, ran over to another Luchs whose crew were busily attempting to fix the vehicles wheels under fire. The Wankans continued advancing, the troops finding cover from the moving vehicles. Fierce close combat fighting occurred as the light infantry sought to clear the cellars of the destroyed huts of Achesian infantrymen. Nevertheless, the resistance soon proved to be too strong for the Wankan recon company, and the company commander had no choice but to retreat. Harassed by Achesian fire all along the way, the company finally reached the safety of the forest once again, and the commander paused to calculate his losses. Schulemann's Luchs had been destroyed, along with another Schützenpanzer, both of which lay abandoned on the battlefield. Three Luchs were damaged, but could still move, while a Schützenpanzer was heavily damaged. The explosive-reactive armor had seemingly worked as planned, although it would certainly take awhile for the damaged vehicles to return to combat. Ten men lay dead, along with another fifteen wounded, most casualties coming from the armor crewmen being incinerated in their vehicles. The wounded were quickly whisked off back to Siegen, while the remaining troops set up monitoring posts along the forest outline. Soon, entire battalions of Gebirgsjäger would be arriving, who would kick the Achesians out of Horb- for now, the commander relayed the information to the regiment headquarters, and ensured that the SEKS troopers would be given a serious telling-off.
Horb, Sellenland-
As the fighting faded and the dust settled Sur Dieter Albrecht and his fellow Achesian soldiers climbed from his Mora MRAP to survey the damage. Several buildings were reduced to splinters from the latest attack by the Wankers. The dust nearly covered his entire suit of armor in a film, making the black lion on a field of yellow hard to see. He was sworn to House Speech but Sur Albrecht had a oath to the Army, as part of long standing tradition of household knights being loaned out to serve in the Royal Armed Forces. The chips of wood and stone crushed under his boots as he stepped around the rubble of the building, he soon came upon what was left of the men he had take up post here, the upper torso of a young man at arms, his one remaining eye gazing at the sky where his soul returned to. Albrecht covered his nose from the wretched smell of the burning and exposed flesh around him. There wasn't much left of these men, it would be a tough fight to keep this town.
Behind him the crushing of debris came closer and a young boy of no more than 15 stood there. "Sur, same thing for the other eastern posts. 8 Total dead." The boy reported.
"Thank you Gotthilf." He nodded to his squire, still holding his glove to his nose. He soon stepped back towards his MRAP and signaled for his radioman to bring him the coms. A more salty experienced soldier ran up with the radio strapped to his back and handed Sur Albrecht the radio. "Get me headquarters." He ordered. With a few clicks of a button and turning of a dial the static soon gave way with a clear channel for the knight to speak through. "Razor Actual, this is Razor Blue. Heavy contact with enemy, suspect main attack to be on position Hangman. Request direct fire support our way."
The men around the knight began to spread out, rifles in hand treading ever so carefully as they knew somewhere a Wanker was watching them. But it was a trust in their overwatch that they would find the scout before enemy fire found them. A couple men at arms began placing crew served weapons in various positions such as ditches and upper levels of houses. Others set up ATGM missiles to prepare to direct fire onto them. These men were used to traveling light, as they were the Air Dragoons, Sky warriors if you may. Achesias commanders felt safe putting them in a hot situation to let it work itself out.
"Razor Blue, confirmed, you have 155mm batteries on your direction. Send in targets when ready."
"Roger, targets will be..." Sur Albrecht went on for a minute giving the targets to the fire base just 10 miles behind their position. They would be very ready for the next attack.
The 120th Air Dragoon's, IV Legion, 3rd Battalion had 840 troopers in Horb at present time. This was not its full strength but in fact just 3 companies worth of soldiers. They had arrived via helicopter just 8 hours to set up a defensive position after the first few engagements between Achesia and Wanka, and with Horb being at a crossroads between the two forces it was key that this village be secured. High headquarters assured Sur Albrecht that reinforcements in the form of two companies of Royal Rangers would arrive within the hour but he knew that their time tables were always wrong.Plan goes out the window as soon as the first shot is fired, that saying was rolling through his head constantly, an idiom many sadly stuck to in the Army, but he knew only piss poor plans went out any window. Knowing he was outnumbered he had prepared for the worst possible scenario of being overrun by superior Wankan numbers. He had rigged the first threshold of the village with claymore mines and anti tank mines along the roadway. As soon as they set foot within the village they would be blown to bits by the booby traps while being cut down by fire from Achesian infantry teams. With the direct fire support he was able to pre target designated positions all along the hillside and tree line, so at the first sign of Wankan advance he would rain steel on their heads from their field artillery.
It was a well thought out plan, he imparted much of this strategic thinking upon his squire who stood by him waiting for the inevitable, they would be take up positions near the front of their forces lines. It was important for the men to see their Knight Commanders at the front, it took grit to lead Achesian Men, they would not follow just anyone. That was Albrecht's first lesson to young Gotthilf. Often these squires or young knights come from privileged Titleian families, and their soldiers from nothing more than a step above the rest. This gap often created for interesting situations, it wasn't unheard of a cock sure privileged knight to catch a bullet in the back during a heavy engagement, or a grenade to appear at their feet when they were not paying attention. So it was important to remind Gotthilf that if he wished to lead Achesian Men to glory and honor the name of their House, he better realize the enemy isn't the only one who will potentially kill him. But for the most part Sur Albrecht's Dragoons respected him, for his leadership and his prowess in battle.
Highway 69
The Sellenland
Day 3, 04:10 Hours
It all started incredibly quickly. The recon team had spotted movement and engaged Wankan lookouts in a brief exchange of gunfire before retreating as the rumbling of the Usurper tanks began to move up to the front. Armoured personnel carriers carrying the bulk of the infantry force weren't far behind, but the convoy's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Harald Furst, had decided to switch the armoured tanks to the head of the convoy, intending to use them as a steel battering ram to smash his way to Krakenhof. Furst wasn't like the other Aemen soldiers in appearance, in fact, he was a purely ethnic Wankan. Furst's family, who had lived in the Sellenland since the remnants of the Wankan monarchy invaded, had sworn allegiance to Reginald shortly after Aemen soldiers achieved victory in 1982 and added the Sellenland to their King's possessions. One of the incredibly few Wankan families to do so, and one of the even fewer to be successful in Aemen, Furst, on the recommendation of his father, remained with the military after his compulsory service ended in 1996 and progressed steadily through its ranks, eventually finding himself here, in his ancestral home and commanding his people's ancient enemies against them. For Furst, there were no conflicting morals; his King had spoken and he would obey, reaping the glory and prestige that would only be obtained with a decisive victory.
The fog obscured most of the battlefield from above, meaning the Aemen were unable to utilise their advantage of air support which came in the form of four GR4A Harpy strike jets circling just outside of range. They were watching over the progress of the back of the convoy, making sure no sneak attacks from the Wankans caught the 47th and its support in a pincer.
The Usurpers' speed increased as they rushed forward, hoping to plant themselves right in front of the line of fire to emulate their previous encounter with the Wankan ambush and allow the infantry carriers time and cover to deploy. The first shot was fired as a lucky Aemen tank shell screamed out of the barrel, parting the mist temporarily and striking one of the grey Wankan vehicles as they emerged from their hiding places. This temporary advantage was one Furst intended to capitalise on. From the back of the convoy, being wired in to the tank radios and their updates from the front, he planned to adapt accordingly and let the battle play out with the intent of only going one way: Forward.
Wankan tanks poured from the mountains, rolling over rocks and the bodies of the three casualties of the first encounter between the recon team and the lookouts. They outnumbered the Aemen Usurpers and pressed towards them, firing off shells at the vague lumbering silhouettes in the fog, taking one of the tanks out with concentrated fire and causing it to explode. As bits of enflamed metal splattered onto the chassis of the now-destoryed tank's comrades, the other Usurpers primed their main guns and unleashed a flurry of shells in the direction of their Wankan counterparts. Explosion after explosion tore apart the highway, but neither side was backing down as both armoured forces manoeuvred into positions behind large dislodged boulders and piles of rocks that temporarily shielded them from enemy fire. By this time, the Aemen APCs, nicknamed 'Cauldrons', had unloaded the infantry behind the Usurper line, bringing with them a large amount of anti-tank weapons. Furst's intent was to brute force his way through and wipe out the entranced mountain positions of the Wankans through air and artillery strikes with tanks destroying positions closer to the convoy. To achieve this, he needed the enemy armour eliminated incredibly quickly.
As several squads moved up to the front, joining the Usurpers behind the boulders, shots suddenly rang out from the elevated sides of the highway, striking several Aemen soldiers dead.
"Snipers! Over the sides!" yelled one of the sergeants. The snipers must have been barely able to see the hurrying shadows of the Aemen infantry through the fog, but it was enough for them to risk a shot. The anti-tank squads dropped their equipment over the sides of the highway, jumping over it themselves shortly after and falling into shallow rocky crevasses that made up the highway's sides and began to sneak along them with the intent to get a clear shot on the Wankan armour.
As the tank battle continued, with the boulders being used for cover beginning to split apart from the sheer force they were facing and both tank groups being forced into the open, a fresh wave of assault infantry from the Aemen convoy rushed to the front, intending to support the tanks from clashes with enemy infantry. Furst listened in on the radio from his camp at the base of the mountain, hearing of the snipers and the dug in position of the Wankans along the highway. He was holding the Harpies back for now, determined to use them only when the fog had cleared enough for Wankan positions to be properly targeted; any strikes committed blindly could prove disastrous for the Aemen convoy, as well as Furst's ambitions.
The Sellenland
Highway 69
Day 3, ca. 0440 Hours
The cannon boomed loudly as the gunner fired yet another shot at an Aemen Usurper tank which Hauptmann Katsnaroff had marked. His driver reversed the Panzer-90 Gepard tank back into cover of a large boulder, which rocked almost instantaneously with two shell impacts. The gun was reloaded, and the driver moved tank back up to its defensive hulldown position.
"Schützenpanzer, um die Elf… Feuer!"
The tank rocked backwards as it released another shell, this one screaming toward an exposed Aemen IFV whose ammunition rack detonated, sending the turret rocketing into the air. Meanwhile, voices shouted desperately in Katsnaroff's headpiece, barely audible in the midst of the heavy cannon fire.
"… Achtung… feindliche 'fantrie… erster Zug zieht zurück… dritter Zug, bitte Deckung geben…""…nicht möglich… dritter Zug ist komplett vernichtet… ziehn' zu Fuss zrück…""… Janoschhhh, halt' die verdammte Infanterie weg… AHHHH… du LIEBER Gott… bin getroffen…"
The withdrawal was not going well. Katsnaroff could see his tank commanders desperately firing the mounted 12.7mm machine guns at the advancing Aemen assault infantry, who were using rocket launchers and anti-tank missiles to great effect. On the right side of the highway, one of his platoons had all of its tanks not only disabled, but were left as smoking wrecks due to the heavy enemy fire. Its surviving crews, numbering six tankers altogether, were left behind as the Wankers made their withdrawal, which was further hindered by numerous massive boulders which broke off due to shell impacts and littered the highway and retreat paths. The six tankers had to fend for themselves using their MP-13 submachine guns, and, as they stood no chance against the hundreds of Aemen infantrymen rapidly advancing, soon surrendered.
The Füsilier platoon which was aiding Katsnaroff's force proved to be ineffective; their unconcentrated firing, in addition to the fire support given by the Schützenpanzer-10 IFV's proved insufficient in repelling the Aemen infantry. By the time the second armor group, which had advanced to cover their withdrawal, had taken over the fight, Katsnaroff had only six operational tanks out of fourteen left with most tank crews of the damaged/disabled either dead or in enemy hands. It was nothing but a disaster; the Aemen advance continued unhindered with not a sign of slowing down. Katsnaroff's "Company", which was of platoon size, was absorbed into Panzerbatallion Nr. 2701's second company which was trying to stem the Aemen advance. After a twenty minute rest, where his "company"'s ammunition and fuel was replenished, he was plunged straight into battle again. By this time he and his troops were near exhaustion after over two hours of nonstop fighting, and were practically freezing to death. It wasn't about to get better, either. As the started to sun shine its rays through the dust, the fog began to clear. Up to now, there were only two occasions when the Ozelot's radars had detected and launched missiles at the enemy aircraft overhead, and on both occasions the radars quickly lost track of the targets, the missiles flying into empty space, the aircraft not bothering the ground troops. However, with the sky clearing, there was bound to be AAA air activity- which spelt trouble for the planned massed counterattack. Even without air support, the casualties of the initial tank battles already numbered half a battalions' worth of vehicles- some twenty burning or abandoned tanks.
Not that it would matter much; von der Leijen insisted that it had to be carried out, and all Wankan assets in the north would be committed to the assault. Along the Aemen supply lines, SEKS forces were ordered to spare no man in attacks on AAA forces. Snipers were had already gathered in the area and took on their sniping roles, trying to get as many kills as possible despite the weather. In the mountains south of Highway 69, Gebirgsjäger battalions readied themselves to launch attacks on the Aemen formations right flank. Two attack helicopter squadrons, numbering thirty KH-13 Löwin gunships, were spread across the central mountains and Ellenburg itself in secret camouflaged hangars, placed on high readiness; it was hoped that their presence would shock the Aemen troops and do enough damage to crush their morale (and then it was also hoped that the gunships could clear out in time to escape punishment by Aemen fighters).
The time ticked on. At nine o'clock, Katsnaroff wondered how he was still alive. Earlier, his Gepard had taken three direct hits in quick succession, and he was the only crew member to survive. Bloodied and dazed, he had clambered off the burning tank, and lay on the ground as the battle raged around him. Luckily for him, a group of retreating Füsiliers crossed his path and picked the captain up- when he had his next scrape with death. A mortar shell exploded right behind the squad, and the young female sergeant carrying him shielded him from the blast. He'd taken her name down with shaking hands, determined that he was to bring the news of her death to her family himself.
Not that he'd had much time to think about the comrades he'd lost in such a quick succession. After getting treated in a makeshift field hospital, where it was discovered that he was only superficially wounded, he was pressed into action again. A tank commander of one of the 7th's Panzer battalions had been killed exposing himself to enemy fire, and so he found himself once again commanding a platoon, again waiting to make contact with the enemy advance. This time, however, in a solid, well-prepared bunker-like fighting position for his tank, well lodged into the slope of the mountain. Thousands of SOAB fighters had been involved, assisted by troops and heavy engineering vehicles of the Wankan Army, in building an extensive defensive network and hundreds of fighting positions for the army troops. The junction was vital; its capture would cut off thousands of troops, militia and material in the north who currently guarded the resource-rich oil fields and basins. Even now, the men and women, many of them civilians, toiled away; they worked much more efficiently than the Wankan troops who struggled in the thin and cold atmosphere. Activity was reduced, however, as the risk of air attacks increased.
Hundreds of vehicles had been assembled in staging areas on the outskirts of Echterdorf and around the junction. The 7th Füsilier-Division had been further reinforced by an independent Panzer battalion, which would spearhead the counterattack. They would be closely supported by the 7th's 22nd Füsilier-Regiment whose mechanized troops, mounted on Schützenpanzer-10's, would play the exact same supporting role that the Aemen assault infantry had been playing. Katsnaroff had the luck to find himself in the 22nd's Panzer battalion, which would be the first line of reserves for the leading column of tanks. But while these represented the main force, hundreds of other vehicles were also present, crammed into this one small space. Batteries of mobile SAM systems were brought dangerously to the front, many dozens more would line themselves along the road. Engineer vehicles prepared themselves to pave the roads to allow the rapid transportation of supplies by the hundreds of trucks filled to the brim with munitions, fuel, basic food rations, drinking water, medications… enough, hopefully, to sustain the drive forward for a significant amount of time if necessary. Wiesel mortar, anti-tank and anti-aircraft versions of the Gebirgsjäger added to the confused mix of troops; even self-propelled artillery battalions were brought to firing positions (however, they were not to be fired, as the risk of fratricide, due to the proximity and predicted fluidity of the fighting, was nearly 1).
It was truly an ambitious endeavor, and one that had been meticulously planned and organized. At 9:30am, on the strategically important 20-meter long bridge to the south of the small villages of Wolfsbach, civilian trucks approached the Aemen military checkpoint from both sides. Dozens of SOAB militiamen jumped out of the vehicles, violently surprising and killing the Aemen troops guarding the bridge with heavy automatic fire. Once the bridge had been secured, dozens more SEKs fighters appeared, carrying heavy weaponry. Immediately, under the direction of the three-man Abwehr leadership, the SEKs troops, in the first offensive since the day before, set up defensive fighting positions around the bridge. In the near vicinity of the bridge, military and suspected military supply convoys were targeted by RPG-armed RAPEs and were either destroyed or hijacked. They were here to stay, with the orders of holding on to the bridge as long as physically possible. As one group rapidly set up heavy weapon positions in the multiple buildings around the bridge, the other began laying anti-tank and anti-personnel mines on both approaches to the bridge. In the air, six stealthy TH-90 Fuchs utility choppers navigated their way cautiously forward, maintaining a dangerously low altitude and sticking close to the mountains. Up to now, all Wankan chopper activity was limited to such hazardous maneuvers which significantly minimized detection, but also proved to be very dangerous. Two choppers had already been brought down in non-combat related accidents, and that number was sure to rise. Nevertheless, it was important to the counterattack that the bridge was to be held so that supplies would be cut off to the Aemen 47th. The six choppers were loaded with a company-sized unit composed of elite, handpicked troops of the 75. Sturmbatallion named "Sondergruppe Hartmann", after its commander. The 75th's troops were dedicated military special operations forces, specially trained for situations like these, and von der Leijen would now rely on them to cause a major headache to the Aemen commanders.
After receiving just two hours of rest, the Generalfeldmarschall von der Leijens voice crackled in Katsnaroff's earpiece. Although it was just over 10 o'clock in the morning, a layer of light mist still hung in the air, and the temperature had increased to a more comfortable 5 degrees Celcius.
"Ehrenwerte Soldaten und Offiziere der Volksrepublik! Der Feind naht; bereitet euch für den Angriff vor. Vergesst nicht: Fahrkarte bis zur Endstation! Wir werden uns nur in eine Richtung bewegen- und zwar VORWÄRTS! Die Zukunft des Sellenlandes, und unsere Ehre, steht auf dem Spiel… enttäuscht das Vaterland nicht!" ("Honorable soldiers and officers of the People's Republic! The enemy is approaching, prepare to attack. Remember: Don't stop until you reach the objective! We will only move in one direction- and that is forwards! The future of the Sellenland, and our honor, is in your hands… don't disappoint the fatherland!")
As if on cue, the rhythmic cannon fire suddenly became amplified; a platoon of Gepards retreated down the highway, their cannons firing at targets clouded in the fog. Commands and shouts went through the air and the radio as the Wankan vehicles rolled out of their staging points. The retreating tank platoon, with one of its tanks' turret clearly shot out of shape, was bypassed by the armor of the leading Panzer battalion. These were closely followed by the 22nd's mechanized companies, whose troops were ready to dismount to provide the Gepards with close infantry support. Further back, in the third line, were Wiesel weapons carriers and mobile FLAK vehicles. These were followed by thousands of combat reserves of the who would quickly replace any losses on the frontline. The Generalfeldmarschall had made it clear that there was no turning back now; the leading elements were to push, push, push regardless of the situation. The next few hours would depend on whether the Aemen troops decided to try and hold their ground, or fall back; Katsnaroff hoped for the latter, or else the battle would turn into one hell of a messy, close combat fight…
On the mountain ridges overlooking Highway 69 from the south, troops of two battalions of the 75th Gebirgsjägerregiment appeared in a flanking attack on the Aemen formation. Several companies made their way down to fight from a closer distance, but most stayed on the ridge line. The Wiesel mortar-carriers which was practically the only vehicle that could drive up there began bombarding the Highway, supported by long-range recoilless rifle fire and infantry mortar fire. Anti-tank guided missiles swerved down the slopes, heading towards the Aemen armored vehicles caught within their sights.
While this was going on, forward air controllers on the ground each marked their targets, lasing the lead tanks which appeared out of the mist. From behind the mountain peaks, ten lurking Löwin gunships rose into the air, each armed with an array of anti-tank missiles, short range anti-air missiles and rockets. A massive salvo of anti-tank guided missiles was quickly released toward the menacing Usurpers; however, due to the interference of the fog, many quickly lost their lock on their targets. The gunships made their way back out of sight, heading back to base to be rearmed for their next fire support mission. The next ten gunships, hovering in cover of the mountains, took over, quickly overflying the advancing Wankan columns…