Chapter 11: Operation High-Tide (Preparations)

Present Day (5 weeks into Operation Sandstorm), Atlas Academy, Ironwood's Office

Ironwood was reading the latest combat reports of Operation Sandstorm, and to say it was a complete failure was an understatement. Despite the waves of reinforcements that was being thrown at the problem, no progress was being made, and the casualties kept growing. Next the various hunter groups were silent, despite them supposed to report as soon as they had entered the capital.

Ironwood sighed; he would order a general retreat if he could, but he was sadly outside of operational command. But even if he could, there was the issue of how to organize a mass retreat of soldiers from the landing sites.

The problem was that while Atlas could retreat easily with their airships, using the drones to distract the enemy, the Vale landing beaches had no such means of constructing a distraction. Indeed, Vale had dug in and gotten themselves stuck between the VNA defenses and the ocean, with no real way to retreat back to sea, as VNA artillery could pound the ever living shit out of any large landing craft capable of taking large number of soldiers.

Thus, he decided to get an outsider's opinion on what to do. And that meant getting ahold of Jaune. He knew Jaune was busy getting his forces ready (the first deliveries of his infantry weapons and light vehicles had arrive a few days before, and his forces were training to use the new weapon systems), but Ironwood need some good advice on how to get Vale to retreat from the beaches without it becoming an absolute bloodbath.

"General, it's good to hear from you, but what might you be needing?" Jaune asked as soon as the holographic message request was sent to him. Ironwood could see Jaune in his uniform, and to say it suited the young man was an understatement; he seemed to be one with it. Beside Jaune was Winter, who seemed to be exhausted, if the rings around her eyes were anything to go off of. Ironwood was glad that Lisa wasn't there; he did not want her knowing of Jaune's off world experience.

"Jaune, I know you are busy setting up to take the fight to the VNA, but alas, a meeting between the various commanders of Operation Sandstorm to discuss our next move is going to be held soon, and I need something to convince the others that a general retreat is needed," Ironwood stated. "What did Earth have as far as getting off a beach while being pressed against a significant force?"

"Fuck, sadly there isn't many examples of retreating off of beaches," Jaune admitted. "That is because before gunpowder most beach invasions were simply landing operations as no one would try and oppose a beach landing. And most beach retreats occurred when a force conducted a failed naval invasion, with one major exception. Thus, I can only think of two retreats that would be relevant, due to the size of Operation Sandstorm."

"The first was during the First World War, when the British forces needed to retreat from Gallipoli, much like the Valean army finds itself at this moment. The British tried to take Gallipoli, but had failed due to the high cliffs, machine guns, and being shot down upon by the Ottomans. Even the most liberal estimates on casualties on trying to retreat were around 50%."

"So how did the British get off the beaches?" Ironwood asked as he struggled a bit to entertain the idea that a retreat could see half of his force. It seemed impossible, but yet he knew better than to doubt Jaune just yet; the information Jaune gave to him about the GLA were very important, and Ironwood was able to use that information to inform a close circle of Atlesian Officers he knew were loyal and able to stay quiet to keep Atlesian casualties lower than what was being seen by Vale.

"Through deception and planning," Jaune said. "When the British General in charge decided the campaign had to be called off, he organized the retreat into three phases. The first phase was to at night take soldiers, stores, and whatever else was not needed out while keeping the pretense that they were doing nightly deliveries. In addition, British soldiers were told to remain silent, but when Ottoman forces came to within range, they were to lay down a barrage of fire onto them, to instill into the Ottomans that quiet trenches weren't empty trenches."

"The Next phase involved cutting down the amount of ground the British had to defend; this meant trenches that were abandoned were to be booby trapped and ammunition from units getting off the beaches were given to those not yet evacuated, so they could fire rounds faster without worrying about running out. The final phase was a general last-ditch retreat, where units simply retreat onto the last ships, taking what they could with them."

"How successful was this?" Winter had asked.

"Very successful, despite the general failure of the Gallipoli campaign; more than 83,000 soldiers evacuated from those beaches in about ten days, with maybe of dozen casualties as far as soldiers were concerned. There was a number of horses killed so the Ottomans couldn't use them, but by and large the evacuation was a success."

"That's impressive, but do you think we have time for such a deception?" Ironwood asked. Jaune rubbed his chin as he contemplated the likely actions of the VNA.

"As the VNA is content with turning the beaches red with our blood, they may not seek to attack us any harder than they currently are," Jaune began. "However, if Qahira gets a notion that the armies are going to retreat, he may send his air force, regardless of how small it is, to strike a heavy blow by destroying the Vale Naval vessels partaking in the retreat. We could however take a page out of Operation Dynamo, which was again a British retreat, this time from an encirclement around Dunkirk when the German Wehrmacht."

"During the Second World War, when the Germans invaded France, they had cut off the British Expeditionary Force from the rest of France. Had Dunkirk fallen, it would've costed the British and the French over 338,000 soldiers, which would've left Britain with a skeleton army, and the French would be even worse off than they already were. The main reason the evacuation was a success was partially because the Germans halted their advance as their soldiers were exhausted simply getting to where they had gotten, and they had to simply rest up. The other major reason was that with the halt order, the German air force said they could take care of the pocket, but the RAF was able to deal with them largely before they could do serious damage."

"But the VNA won't stop their attacks, and they don't have the issue of needing to rest up after a string of battles," Winter pointed out. Jaune nodded.

"True, but we could begin by gathering as many small vessels as possible to use as evacuation ships, to mitiagate losses should the VNA decide to try their hand as sinking the ships, that way instead of hundreds or thousands depending on how big of ships you would've normally use, it be in the tens or twenties," Jaune pointed out. "We'll still need those big vessels to effectively get the troops back to Vale, but the bigger ships are vulnerable to the VNA artillery batteries."

"Alright, but what stops the VNA from bombing the vessels with their airforce?" Winter asked, and Ironwood was wondering this as well. Even if they used the little ships to get troops off the beaches and to the bigger vessels, those vessels would be vulnerable to air attack, even if they got out of the costal artillery firing range.

"For that, Atlas will need to send an air fleet," Jaune said. "I haven't been able to read how well the Atlas air fleet has been dealing with the VNA air force and add to the fact I wasn't so adept at integrating air-support into my strategies, so I don't know if it'll be a bloody affair."

"I've been reading over the reports," Winter chimed in. "Our Bullheads and Arrowheads struggle against the VNA fighters, though that is mostly due to the superior climb rates and top speed. It appears that in a turning dogfight that our Arrowheads and to a lesser extent our Bullheads can out maneuver the VNA fight. Their bombers and helicopters are much easier to deal with however. Also, now of our airships were downed by their fighters; the few losses were due to concentrated AA fire from the ground."

"That's good to know," Ironwood stated. "Then perhaps I can begin orchestrating a retreat from the beaches until we can do something to get up the beaches and past the first layer of VNA defenses."

"That would be best, but who knows how the VNA will react to our retreat," Jaune said. "If Qahira has his way unchallenged, then he might try creating GLA cells in the other kingdoms to ensure further war. We need to be wary of a possible GLA uprising elsewhere."

"I agree, which is why, when your forces are fully mobilized, I will have you begin showing your worth to the Atlas council by taking on areas heavily infested with Grimm," Ironwood informed Jaune. "We need to show the Council that your forces and unique equipment are more than enough to give us an upper hand against the VNA."

"Understood General," Jaune said. "I will have to see how my men are handling their new equipment."

Military Base 'Schwarze Ritter', Atlas, at Infantry Fire Range Alpha

Lisa was with her camera man, wearing a bulletproof vest that was similar to the ones the nearby soldiers were wearing and a Mk.3 integrated protection and comms helmet. It was designed to give soldiers protection from fragmentation, deafening noises, bright flashes (things all too common on the battlefield, especially with how the VNA fought as far as Lisa knew), as well as providing soldiers to talk to their squad mates and allow field officers to get ahold of their higher ups to relay new information or to receive new orders.

The reason she was wearing battlefield protection was because she was at one of the fire ranges at Jaune's base, and was informed that if she were to observe the live fire training exercise, she was to wear the protection. She was at first annoyed, thinking that the protection was overkill, but then she saw what was being wheeled out for the soldiers to train with, and she could say she felt a bit better having the protection.

The quartermasters had wheeled out on large carts a wide variety of weapons. First was the basic fair; assault rifles, pistols, what she assumed were submachine guns, shotguns, and simple hand grenades. Then came the bigger items; large, long-barreled sniper rifles, massive rocket launchers with equally massive warheads, and slimmer but more complicated missile launchers. Finally came the weapons that Lisa wondered why the hell Jaune thought any soldier needed, before remembering the bloodbath on the Vacuo beaches; heavy man portable mortars and heavy tripod mounted machine guns that fired grenades.

She watched as the soldiers began using the assault rifles, which she began to compare to Vale's VMR-45. To say the new rifle smoked the VMR-45 was an understatement; the new rifle had a higher rate of fire, large ammo capacity, had an integrated scope over the VMR's iron sights, and was smaller than the VMR-45, which was rather long and barrel-heavy if she recalled.

"Enjoying yourself?" a voice asked her, causing her to jump slightly and turning to whoever spoke, only to see that it was Jaune.

"Don't sneak up on me," she said, slapping his chest in minor annoyance to being snuck up on, before realizing that she had slapped a Colonel on his base. But Jaune's response shocked her; he simply let out a slight chuckle.

"Ah, not the first time someone slapped me for sneaking up on them," Jaune said. "At least this time it wasn't my face. So, what are your thoughts on the soldiers?"

"I don't know," Lisa replied. "I been here at the base for a bit now, so I should know the soldiers, but I can't get a feel for them like other soldiers I've interviewed in the past. They seem more…I don't know how to explain, professional perhaps?" Jaune nodded.

"I run a tighter shift around here than most bases," Jaune explained. "They wake up when commanded, eat what they are rationed, do their exercises to the utmost of their ability, being punished when they fail or decide to lash out against their peers or instructors, and rest when the day is over. I wouldn't use the word professional; I'd say they are more disciplined than other soldiers."

"I see," Lisa said, and in a way, she did. The soldiers she interviewed in the wake of a Grimm attack or after a major incident were a lot more care free than the men and women at Schwarze Ritter. They would joke, get drunk, goof around, and never seemed like they were super serious about what they were doing. Perhaps it was different when they were in the middle of a mission, but she didn't really know.

But the soldiers of Schwarze Ritter were always serious. They took to their drills and exercises with no degree of uncertainty, they never messed about causing trouble, and those that did were quickly forced to change as the others would look down on them. It was a lot more serious here than at other bases, and it showed in minor ways.

She had yet to see a blemish on the soldiers' uniforms, their beds were immaculately made, and no one had as far as she had seen shirked any of their duties. This was a far cry from the likes of bases in say Vale, where she often would end up having to deal with a soldier trying to hit on her, while drunk. Needless to say, being at Schwarze Ritter was a more enlightening experience than she was expecting, even if she hadn't been able to interview Jaune as much as she would have liked.

"Would you be interested in using one of the HKFN-22?" Jaune inquired, indicating to Lisa one of the rifles.

"Uh, sure, but I've never fired a rifle before," Lisa said. The closest she got to shooting was a simple two barrel derringer pistol that she only shot twice, both times at what she would swear was most definitely not a rat but some kind of Grimm, definitely not a rat. Jaune shrugged.

"It isn't a problem; everyone that wants to learn something has to start somewhere, so I'll treat you like a fresh face recruit," Jaune stated before leading Lisa to one of the HKFN-22 rifles and handed it to her, before he began discussing safety.

Lisa knew most of them as she had heard it from instructors on other bases, but Jaune went one step further, detailing what to do and what not to do if the rifle malfunctioned in some capacity. He explained how he grew to hate rookies who, in a moment of utter and profound stupidity, looked down a barrel when a gun failed to fire. He then went on to how to hold and use the rifle.

Holding the blocky looking rifle was interesting to Lisa. For one it was lighter than she was expecting, less than the weight of a gallon of milk. Second, unlike Atlas's current rifle which had an awkward buttock which she saw no one ever use, the HKFN didn't have a buttstock in the traditional sense; there was a place to rest your chin on, but it looked like it housed internal components. But the rifle was infinitely easier to hold by the placement of a pistol grip next to the trigger, and a handguard in front of the trigger, unlike Atlas's rifle where you had to sort of hold it in the air to shoot. The weirdest thing about the rifle was she couldn't figure out where the magazine went; there wasn't a magazine well to slot a mag into.

She turned her mind away from the mystery as Jaune spoke and saw him bring up a long magazine.

"This is the magazine for the HKFN-22," Jaune began. "It holds the 5.7x33mm caseless round and holds a total of fifty rounds. Now to load the rifle, you'll need to slide it along this guide this way-"here Jaune showed Lisa the end where the round would feed into the rifle from "-and then you rotate this little switch to feed the first round into the action. Your rifle has the space for two more magazines, located here and here, that you can use by pressing this button here to release the magazines from their holding."

Jaune went on a bit before stepping back, giving Lisa a firing lane to use. After fiddling with the rifle to get used to the ergonomics which she didn't have too big an issue with, she then loaded a magazine into the rifle and rotated the switch as Jaune instructed her to do, and raised the rifle to her shoulder and aimed through the scope. Through the simple crosshairs with a red center cross for easy ID'ing of the center, she lined it up to the target and pulled the trigger.

She could hear three reports, albeit it sounded a bit like someone was ripping aluminum foil, before she felt the recoil, and even them it didn't really feel that bad. She looked at the target and saw three tightly grouped holes just up and to the left of the bullseye. She squeezed the trigger again, and was impressed to see that again the rounds landed in a similar sized grouping, although she was a bit more off, though she chalked that up to her and not the rifle.

She continued to fire until she ran out, and she realized one thing; she would not be fit for a sniper. Seriously, with 50 rounds, you would think that at least 1 bullet would land bullseyes, but at 150 yards, she failed to do that. Oh, all the rounds did hit, but Lisa knew that long range shooting required precision, precision she sorely lacked.

"Well, that's pretty damn good, at least for a complete novice," Jaune said. "I know the first time I was handed a rifle, I could barely hit the target. Then again, I was using an older rifle that was chambered in a much larger round. Still Lisa, you did pretty good for your first time."

Lisa smiled, quite glad for the praise from Jaune.

"Thanks," Lisa said, handing the HKFN-22 back to Jaune.

"Not a problem, although would you like to try out some of the other weapons?" Jaune inquired. Lisa paused, considering how much better of a report she could do with some range time. That, and it would give her some more time with the Colonel.

"Sure, so what's next?" Jaune pointed at one of the smaller weapons, the ones that looked like a SMG.

"Here, try this."

Password Required

Input Password

Access Granted Commander

Searching for 'ECA Infantry Dossiers'

Found 9 dossiers, please select a dossier.

All dossiers selected, please wait as dossiers are opened.

First Dossier-Felin Rifleman

Description: While the various national militaries still operate a lot of domestically produced equipment, the Continental Army has decided in favour of the French 'Felin' programme when it came to choosing a standardised infantry doctrine for the joint European task force. As such, infantry formations that partake in ECA operations receive state-of-the-art body armour and communications equipment of French design.

With the 1970s FAMAS rifle starting to show its age, a new replacement was found in the form of the HKFN-22, a cooperative design by German and Belgian manufacturers that married the compact space age frame of the cancelled G11 rifle with a powered up version of the armour-piercing 5.7mm cartridge used in the P90 PDW. In a further effort to combat the near-total Russian air supremacy during the war, many Felins were also equipped with shoulder-fired Starstreak MANPADS, a peculiar anti-air missile of British origin that releases three self-guided submunitions upon reaching a certain altitude to ensure a hit.

Second Dossier- Panzerfaust Soldier

Description: Ever since the Second World War, tank crews have learned to cringe with fear upon hearing the German word 'Panzerfaust' (literally 'tank fist'). The latest model of this time-tested weapon design went into full mass-production and is currently being issued to the many brave volunteers that want to make a difference. Thanks to the Panzerfaust's amateur-friendly configuration and its powerful shaped charge anti-tank projectiles, chances are indeed high that a large difference will be made against the relentless onslaught of Russian tanks.

The low production cost and simplicity of the weapon do come at a price, though: Unlike many other modern anti-tank launchers, the Panzerfaust's projectile is entirely unguided, as it is indeed little more than a rocket propelled grenade. As such, it is not able to home in on a tank and is entirely worthless against airborne threats. However, the lack of guidance systems does allow for a much bigger explosive charge and in addition to that, the weapon is also compatible with a new type of anti-bunker vacuum warhead, capable of crushing and suffocating enemy infantry in cramped garrisons.

Third Dossier- Attack Dog

Description: Trained for its strength, intelligence and obedience, the German Shepherd is a relatively new breed that dates back to the late 19th century. Its traits make it a prime candidate for canine operations alongside police and military units, including those of the ECA. It goes without saying that the Attack Dog is only able to combat a very narrow variety of threats, but it mangles any infantry soldier foolish enough to venture near once it's off the leash and ordered to attack. In addition to that, the dog can detect covert infiltrators and sniff out explosives. Its specially designed tactical vest is also equipped with sensory and a 360 degree camera, making it useful for reconnaissance missions thanks to its agility and good sense of orientation. Finally, the vests can also be upgraded with ceramic armor inlays that provide a high level of protection against small arms.

Fourth Dossier- Combat Medic

Description: These field physicians possess all the necessary knowledge and equipment to heal European infantry forces out in the field and evacuate wounded comrades. Since their primary job is to provide emergency medical care, Medics are protected by the Geneva Convention and must not be attacked. However, in the light of numerous atrocities reportedly committed by General Aleksandr's barbaric Shock Divisions, many Medics have resorted to arming themselves with old, surplus machine pistols such as the Skorpion vz.61 or the Austrian TMP in order to protect themselves from attacks. This has the unfortunate side effect that the now-armed Medics lose their status as non-combatants and become valid targets, a circumstance that is nevertheless preferred over the possibility of running into a Shock Trooper while unarmed.

Fifth Dossier-Engineer

Description: In the aftermath of Operation Nemesis, the ECA offered lucrative jobs to civilian contractors who were willing to provide their specialized engineering skills for the reconstruction of North Africa. Over the following years, these men aided in the construction of modern hospitals, schools, roads and irrigation networks, laying the foundation for a new economic perspective in this region ravaged by warfare.

The contractors do not carry weapons and are regarded as non-combatants, to be escorted by armed ECA soldiers at all times but it has been reported that many of them try to make themselves useful during combat situations by repairing damaged military vehicles and using their technical skills to rapidly take control of key facilities on the battlefield.

Sixth Dossier- Combat Pioneer

Description: The European Combat Pioneers are highly trained specialists that are deployed for a variety of support tasks. Their primary weapon is the MP57 personal defence weapon, a rugged submachine gun which fires the smaller 28mm length version of the ECA's standard 5,7x50mm assault rifle round. In addition, they pack some serious firepower in the form of a portable 81mm infantry mortar, which can be loaded with three types of ammunition once properly deployed and calibrated: General purpose high-explosive rounds, airbursting canister shells for use against massed infantry and non-lethal tear gas canisters to irritate and disorient the enemy. Thanks to their advanced weapon training, the Pioneers are able to fire a quick barrage of ten explosive grenades without having to fortify their position, if the circumstances prohibit proper entrenchment. Rounding off this useful combination of ranged fire support and self-defence, the Pioneers can also plant a powerful shaped charge anti-vehicle mine to shatter enemy tanks.

Seventh Dossier-Grenadier

Description: Armed with a fully automatic 40mm grenade machine gun, these heavy weapons specialists can lay down a devastating barrage of suppressive fire, wrecking entire concentrations of light vehicles and infantry within seconds. The cumbersome weapon weights over 30 kilograms and needs to be mounted on a tripod in order to fire, which is why it takes the operator several seconds to set up or displace; an issue that should be considered when choosing a fighting position. Aside from the standard armour-piercing/high-explosive grenades, the weapon can also be loaded with a special rubber-capped anti-personnel round that is designed to bounce and detonate in the air, releasing a vicious hail of shrapnel that shreds even the most heavily entrenched enemies.

Eighth Dossier-Heavy Sniper

Description: There are not many things that produce such profound feelings of terror and fear as the sight of a comrade's face exploding into a mass of red mist, followed by the delayed sound of a high-calibre rifle shot from far, far away. The ECA Heavy Snipers are long-range marksmanship experts and masters at this particularly insidious combat style. Armed with a high-powered AW50 anti-material rifle, these elite sharpshooters can cause catastrophic damage to personnel and light armoured vehicles alike once set up. Due to their costly equipment and extensive training, skilled sharpshooters have become a rare asset for the Europeans during the war. The UK Special Forces command still has the capacities for large scale sniper operations and lends its services extensively to General Charles Cutting of the British Army in support of the war effort.

Ninth Dossier-Commando

Description: With much of continental Europe under Russian control, the British Special Air Service, Royal Marine and Parachute Regiments remained some of the few special forces that still operated in direct coordination with ECA high command. The Commandos had their finest hour in the late autumn of 2048, after a sizeable detachment of Russian airborne troops had seized control of the European space centre in French Guiana in an attempt to shut down the Solaris network. With only a few firewalls between them and complete domination over Europe's most important power source, its satellite communications and space capabilities, the three elite units were dispatched to South America at once. After a dramatic night time insertion, the Commandos converged on the space port which was held by a large, dug-in VDV force. Against seemingly impossible odds, they managed to reach the command centre and re-routed control of the vital space assets to Spain, preventing a major disaster after the Russians had already used the satellite 'Newton' to fire a solar burst at the USS Spirit of Freedom off the coast of Ireland, rendering one of her flight decks inoperable and forcing the Americans to destroy the satellite with one of their own Particle Cannons.

In combat, the Commandos can only be called into action by experienced commanders. Armed with a customised spec ops modded rifle and specialized equipment, they will then covertly infiltrate the designated area on a moment's notice.

~Dossiers provided by Colonel Jaune Arc.

Dossiers Closed

Signing off Commander.

Author's Note: God damn it, sorry, it took so fucking long to get this chapter done. I kept running into ideas that didn't pan out, but now I got a solid idea on where I want to take the story right now. Anyway, let's get through the latest round of reviews shall we?

-Psihopatul: Thanks for the encouragement, and we shall see the aftermath of those hunter's demise and the effects it has on their family. Also, Remnants reactions to WMDs will be one of unprepared shock and horror; I won't say who is or what the first target will be, but it will disgust everyone due to how vile it was and the reasoning behind it.

-RaGex: Yes, all of the factions in one way or another will make an appearance in the story. I won't say who will make the next appearance, but it will be in the aftermath of the first use of WMDs in Remnant.

-ChronoHyperion: Thanks for the support, and maybe. Some I could see, others not so much. It'll have to depend on things progress.

-Blazblade: Oh yes, they will make an appearance, especially the Manticore. It's too awesome a unit not to include.

-ImaginationBurstingOut: CHAPTER OUT NOW!

-Edboy4926: Thanks for the kind words, and old Jimmy will get a chance. It'll take some time and a reveal that will hopefully be a shock to all, but needless to say, the Council will learn their place.

-Jonathan: Thanks for the recommendation, I'll have to go and read it.

.1: You thought toxin tractors were bad in C&C: ZH? Try the new Plague Duster that the GLA get in ROTR; it's a Bell 47 helicopter that carries stingers, ATGMS, and a bloody crop duster that carries chemical agents. Seriously it is the bane of any large infantry formation, as it can cover a lot of ground in chemicals.

And now onto some points about the story. This is the first in a 3-part Arc, that deals with getting the fuck off the beaches in the clusterfuck that was Operation Sandstorm. There's a reason I used Gallipoli and Dunkirk as the inspiration for how the soldiers of Vale are getting off that beach, and it's simple; I couldn't find any other large-scale examples. Seriously, before WW1, no nation tried to conduct large scale naval operations (that's not to say they weren't conducted on a smaller scale, but they were usually against a lightly defended section of beach or were smaller in scale). And even then, these two were the only times that the invasions have failed but a retreat was possible (that's why I'm not using the Dieppe Raid, which failed and resulted in 60% of the forces that made it ashore to be captured, killed, or wounded).

So yeah, the idea of evacuating from a beachhead is a nightmare, and it makes it worse that I only have these two examples to go on, so expect me to try and make things interesting with my ideas on how such an evacuation could go down.

That's it for now. So until the next chapter, please read, review, follow, and favorite, and I'll catch you guys next time.