Situation Foxtrot (SAO/Foxhole) [COMPLETE]

Operational Effects
- Planning +3
--Chemical Warfare Corps +1
- Command Staff +1
- Communications Center +1
- Combat Engineering +1
- Medical Section
- Commissariat
- Compressed Front Line -1
- Active Garrisons -1
- Border Crossing Limitations -1

Sum: +3

QRF
Proexi Mamluks: 6, +3 for Operational Effects, sum 9. Unit passes.

Logistics
Minos Supply Decicorps: 5, +3 for Operational Effects, sum 8, passes. Light Rail activates
Thetus Ring Supply Decicorps: 1, reroll from Medical Section.
Thetus Ring Supply Decicrops: Roll 2: 7, +3 for Operational Effects, sum 10, passes. Light Rail activates
Reflection Supply Decicorps: Roll 7, +3 for Operational Effects, sum 10, passes. Light Rail activates

Combat Arms
Nomarch's Own (Armored Cavalry): 2, +3 for Operational Effects, +1 for Chemical Warfare Corps, +1 for Vehicle Superiority, -1 for Trench Breaking. Sum 6, unit passes. Armored Support activates.
Oleander Light Guard: 10, +3 for Operational Effects, +1 for Chemical Warfare Corps, +1 for Armored Support, -1 for Trench Breaking. Sum 14, unit passes. Critical Rollover activates.
Tuatha 3rd Desatniki: 8, +3 for Operational Effects, +1 for Chemical Warfare Corps, +1 for Armored Support, +4 for Critical Rollover, -1 for Trench Breaking. Sum 16, Critical Rollover activates.
Velean 9th Grenadiers: 1, +3 for Operational Effects, +1 for Chemical Warfare Corps, +6 for Critical Rollover, -1 for Trench Breaking. Sum 10, Critical Rollover Activates.

Conclusions
Nomarch's Own (Armored Cavalry): After a rough start and trouble executing a rapid road march to the jump-off point in The Mox, the Nomarch's Own successfully breaches the border of Weathered Expanse, assaulting siegeworks around Necropolis and Kirkyard. Unfortunately, due to lack of regimental-scale infantry elements at the time of the attack, most units were rapidly and heavily damaged by Warden infantry anti-tank weapons. However, defenses shy of Necropolis were eliminated before the regiment was deemed inoperable before vehicles were abandoned and crew returned to Maiden's Veil.
Oleander Light Guard: Working quickly on the heels of the armored assault force, the Oleander Light Guard conducted a direct assault into Necropolis, decisively breaking the Warden entrenchments in a bayonet-and-grenade-point assault action. Quickly wiping out resistance, units then marched north to re-connect with Crow's Nest before barracking in the town for the night.
Tuatha 3rd Desatniki: Operating with a higher degree of motorization and armored car assets than the Light Guard, the desatniki directly moved to assault Frostmarch. Between weakened fortifications and ammo scarcity, the Warden defenders did not manage to remove critical assets before chemical warfare units managed to engage field defense points. The desatniki, moving forward, managed to capture Frostmarch, before exchanging scattered fires with the forward observation posts of the main defensive lines in the Rime Wastes.
Velean 9th Grenadiers: After a disaster convoy error that briefly sent the Grenadiers into- and engaging!- defenders in Viper's Pit, the Grenadiers managed to sort their order out and enter the field properly. Aside from small mopping-up actions, the Grenadiers were relatively unmolested until they advanced into the area of responsability of the Folkvangr's headquarters. Assaulting repeatedly into the fortifications there and around Shattered Advance, the unit managed to destroy Bastion Dunwall, heavily damage Bastion Revachol, and destroy the Shattered Advance relic base.

Summary
By utilizing a centrally-located supply point, large swaths of friendly hex control, and a willingness to rely on local supply after a grueling campaign, the enemy known as Overwatch/Kingmaker has conducted a horrifyingly effective counter-attack that has broken the First Siege of Foxcatcher. While ruinously expensive in terms of equipment- reports over between fifty and eighty abandoned mass production tanks remained in the AO after the operation have been observed- it can be safely taken that the relief of a Refinery Town was critical to the plans of the Colonial Forces. At present time, Warden casualties are expected to be very high, with three infantry and one light cavalry regiment routed and between 150 and 400 men KIA or MIA at present time. Present observations reveal that, while reinforced, all Colonial units involved in the operation (with the exception of the Nomarch's Own) seem to have ceased all offensive operation in Weathered Expanse, and reporting from Linn of Mercy and Godscrofts likewise reveals that enemy activity has reached an all-time low during this historic offensive assault.

Right now, your current operation was hanging on the blade of a knife. With B-mat shortages and your supplies in disarray along with command staff issues- damn snipers- the hideously effective momentum you had built up as an assault brigade had been burned to the ground. Now, considering you'd captured a solid third of an entire hex? That wasn't an unreasonable trade in your eyes. However, the problem was quite simply that you didn't need to capture the entire hex: you needed to capture an assault route for a few weeks down the line.

Trying to drag your focus in, you got out a cigarette and stared at the map table in the relic base. China crayon marks scribbled over the glass tabletop, and you swore. It was decision time, eighteen hours into this operation. While your first mode was normally 'attack attack attack'... you really couldn't here.

Your armor regiment? High on ammunition, middle on armor and out of repairs. Push it too hard, and it would crack.

Artillery regiment? Commander MIA, main guns useless due to geography, secondary guns useless due to counterbattery, and plagued with supply shortages.

Infantry? Committed, digging in, and not something you'd ever had much luck with advancing using anyway.

Fine. This battle might still be balanced on the edge of a knife, but guess what? You weren't stupid enough to realize that was a final state. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear the results of a thousand battles.

"All forces," you said, getting on the all-band command circuit of your radio. "This is General Orr. Currently we have achieved operational goals: at this moment, we are moving to the second operational stage."

Or in other words, prepare to receive counterattack. At this point, every officer was familiar with how you planned- to use the word generously- your offensive operations. From the squad-scale firefights like your first disaster in the snows of Clanshead to the brigade scale brawl that was going on now, every operation had two stages. First, to complete the objective. Second, to keep the goblins from undoing the completion of the objective.

"Sergeant Jorn," you snapped at one of the nearby NCOs. "Give me your coat."

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"They've got snipers," you said carefully, "and we don't have time for me to fully swap uniforms. Give me your coat."

Shrugging, the sergeant handed you his coat. Throwing it on top of your officer's regalia, you tossed your hat on a table and grabbed a Loughcaster before mussing up your blonde hair. Slinking out of the side of the Relic, you were unmolested by the rampaging snipers long enough to climb into a Dunne, and start hightailing it for the border. Thankfully, the radio was still in it. Getting on the armor channel, you started squawking.

"64e Armored, any nearby units, come in," you called out in Ukrainian, hoping for a response. "Come in, 64e Armored."

A moment later, a crackling voice came to you. "Ah, General, good to hear you again," one of the 64e said. "This is Captain Uhlman, are you on the road?"

"Affirmative, Captain. Do you have any assets spare around the fork in the road leading to the Clutch?"

It's not that you were afraid of snipers, but you really didn't want to get ambushed by partisans. Properly you should have brought some troopers with you, but caution wasn't your strong suit.

"Negative, General. That said, the 15th have a fire base in the Clutch they've been using as a resupply point, so call in on 000 435 and you should be able to connect to their command frequency."

"Wilco, thank you Captain. Orr, out."

With that, you changed over to the listed frequency, and butted in carefully. "15e Artillery, this is Orr. Are any assets free near the Clutch intersection?"

"Ah! Orr! Do not approach, do not approach!" you heard Silica calling out frantically. "They've sent another gunboat up the line, we're getting shelled here!"

"Wilco, not moving through," you said, pulling off to the side of the road and waiting. It wasn't long before a veritable convoy pulled up around you, nearly two dozen trucks waiting for the artillery duel between the 15e's shore battery and the marauding gunboats to finish. Eventually, Silica's voice came through on everyone's radio at once.

"All units, crossroads are no longer under threat. Come on through."

That done, you started rolling back through. It wasn't too much longer before you were over the hex border, decorative snow bringing enough of a chill to your bones to make you sneak out a cigarette. The arcid smoke cleared your mind as you entered the jump-off base, passing such cheerful signs as "DRIVING CODES ENFORCED WITH ANTI-TANK RIFLES" and "EAT GREEN TO SHOW THEM FEAR"

Such wonderful signage, really. Once you'd checked in and out of the field base, having made sure nothing was on fire and deliver your summary orders of 'fortify and get b-mats coming down' then it was up to Kirknell and Fort Viper. You should have had a driver for this, really, but sometimes it was good and soothing to have the road to yourself in a Dunne like those halcyon times like before you became any flavor of officer.

Fort Viper, when you got there, was a disaster though. Your communications regiment was running around like terrified ducklings, and the minute you stepped out of your Dunne it was almost like your presence had a palpable calming aura as the chaos visibly decreased. Striding into the citadel, you got to the main operations desk and the map tables.

"All hands, status report," you said calmly.

"Crow's Nest is breaking!"

"Necropolis is down!"

"Battery Dunwall has lost its primary bunker core and moving to secondaries! CV teams are getting torn to pieces, they can't rebuild!"

"Enemy raiders in south Viper's Pit!"

Oh hell. They were panicking. Pulling out your Cascadier, it wasn't a second's work to stitch three new bullet holes into the ceiling as you demanded quiet. That shut the screaming children up at least. Getting another cigarette out- and blessing the fact you weren't using your actual lungs for this- you lit it up with a powerful draw and stared at the map table again.

"Desk one, status report."

Desk one, internal communications. "B-mats are moving, but ammunition's getting snarled up. Worse, the entire 163rd Motor Rifles have gone dark, we can't keep track of them. Considering the 15th is engaging riverine assets, though, we're not totally hosed: they might just be dealing with the sniper problem. Otherwise, the 62 and 64th are still advancing, trying to anchor off on local terrain features. The Spitrocks/Deadland road is completely cut, and forward firebases are locking down the Bubble Basin and have guns over the Bleating Plateau."

All good news- except from the downed logistics.

"Desk two, status report."

Desk two, external communication. "Argo's militia aren't moving yet, they're still gathering arms and equipment. More importantly, we're getting hammered all across Weathered Expanse- they're even breaking into Bastion Dunwell! We think they're going for the Intelligence Center!"

You nodded. Bad news, but understandable bad news- and it meant you could push in the Marban's Hollow operation potentially. Except you'd already ordered an operational halt. Fuck. Pulling on your cigarette hard enough to make the cherry glow like a demon, you stared at the maps. This wasn't ideal at all.

"Desk three, status report."

Desk three, supplies and logistics. "We've got the material across the board, ma'am, but we don't have the last leg assets. With the 241st recovering, we're pushing a lot of load onto regimental logistics vehicles, so unit waste is fairly high due to the fact they can't get tailored logistics pulls. More importantly, due to the 40mm shell windfall, we've got a lot of shipping crates tied up in holding the wrong materials to send."

Well, if you hadn't already called an operational halt, that would kill things dead as a doornail. You ran a heavy brigade. That meant that supplies were your lifeblood, and without it things would very quickly and painfully come to a halt. You'd learned your lesson in Weathered Advance, thank you very much.

"Desk four, status report."

Desk four, intelligence. "Right now we've been supplying Intel Station fires to all the forces wrapped up in Weathered Expanse in order to try and provide damage control. Colonel Argo is indicating that its a blasted massacre though: her regiments didn't have time to get a chain of command sorted out and our dependants in Bastion Revachol have had to do a lot of coordination to prevent some serious issues. Our militia to hold the line in the new sectors can't get moved yet either: Argo doesn't have the transport assets for it."

"It's just a few busses!" you snapped. "Where did she muster these militia from, anyway?"

Desk four looked at Desk two, who looked at Desk three. "Moors."

"Fucking christ that city," you muttered, tapping some ash off your cigarette. "Alright, new plan. Desk one: get the Commandos on the job of resuscitating the 163e. Their leadership is dead in the water and their infantry are stuck playing second fiddle to the armor and mechanized units, this is a problem we need to get fixed. Desk two: start screaming bloody murder at the GWRR people. There's a rail route from Moors to all our affected areas, I don't care what shape the militia is in. We can scrape their bodies out of dugouts if they die when they get there. We need warm bodies on the line, and we need it now. Desk three: Make sure Theresa knows how invested I am in this. She has unlimited power of unfucking at the moment, use it. Desk four, get me some intel fires on Maiden's Veil. If they've blown their load on this offensive, I need to know."

All the desks immediately got back to work, before you stared at your chair carefully. If you sat down again, you'd risk drifting off. That'd be a problem. You needed to be at your best to command, though, and there were some reports that needed to be looked over from the field commanders. You wouldn't nod off, right?

///

"Orr? Wake up, Orr!"

You nodded off. Of course. Raising one eyelid and your hat brim as you looked over at Silica staring at you nervously, you grabbed a cup of still-warm coffee. "Yes?"

"I got the 15th back operational and beat the raiders, Orr, but it's uh, er…" Silica said, touching her fingers together nervously. "Well, see, General-"

"Silica, I'm not going to be mad, just spit it out please."

"I may have kinda gotten all your Wolfhounds blown up."

Eh? That wasn't that bad though? It wasn't good, but it was certainly forgivable. "So get some of the ones out of the reserves then?"

"No, I did that," Silica explained, wincing. "Those got blown up too."

"Ah, hm."

Alright, you were starting to see the issue. "Is Asuna back up and at it?"

"Yeah, which is why I got sent back here. She's kind of really mad at me. Also the 163e is mad at me too."

"What did they do?"

"I, er…" Silica held her forefingers together for a minute, before tapping the back of one hand to her forehead. "I made an oops?"

"Define 'oops' please Silica."

"I, er, might have gotten them to re-dress their lines. Aggressively. With a tank."

"Where did you get a tank?"

"The 64e. It was a command tank."

You just groaned. Great. "We're going into a defensive stance anyway, so whatever. I'll handle the blowback, go get your communications kiddies sorted out please. I need a status report on our HQ, and then we can figure out next steps or the Colonial rearguard can decide to start shit."

Unfortunately, the Colonials didn't actually want to start shit. The most opposition your forward elements of the 62e, 64e, and 163e reported was light tanks with casemated guns taking pokes at your fortifications, which were generally answered in a fusillade of tank fire and rockets. Things generally progressed with light skirmishing and the occasional artillery duel, but the front was running shockingly cold- to the point you could actually afford to stand Silica down for a few hours, then take your own power nap in the Fort Viper barracks.

Things didn't stay cold for one day, either. It stayed cold long enough that combat rotations stood down, a handful of intermediate supply centers went up behind the lines, and for the Colonials to start trying to raid your rear by local forces from Deadlands. It seemed that the Oleander Light Guard was the heart of the motivated Colonial forces, and they were tied up balls deep in your defensive lines around Shattered Advance. The fire control direction network for heavy guns you'd poured so much time and energy into was proving its merit right now, with the gunners savaging the enemy attempts to bring artillery into the equation. Unfortunately, you'd built the defenses with the assumption a fairly heavy direct-fire artillery regiment would be in residence: as such, enemy armor was working painfully effectively at reducing your fortifications. Thankfully, Argo had managed to get her militia some Wolfhounds from somewhere, but, well: militia.

The one time you came to visit you nearly had to kill some of them to make a point about who's base it really was, and their defense was lackadasial at best. For all Argo might be an intel goddess, her hired hands came pre-sullied and were likely as disposable as she could get on short notice.

Fortunately for everyone involved, the militia that came in to backstop you in Marban's Hollow were better behaved. They weren't professional troops by any stretch of the imagination, but these ones were smart enough to keep solid watch schedules and obey base planning guidelines so that armor forces could transit their fortifications. As fortifications went from field designs to more permanent works, you breathed a sigh of relief.

It was back to the grindstone on preparing to conquer Deadlands.

///


Unit Statuses

1st Brigade, Folkvangr (Overall Status): Good Supply, Good Morale, Poor Cohesion. Units are currently configured in Battalion Combat Teams due to loss of cohesion in previous offensive actions. Logistics apparatuses are not yet damaged, but last leg logistics is jammed due to trucking losses.

-15e Flying Artillery: Fair Supply, Fair Morale, Low Cohesion. Unit is lacking significant portions of their ToE due to combat equipment losses, but personnel are all available. Unit is still largely spread out amongst BCTs with noncombat elements at the operational jump-off point.
-62e Grenadiers: Fair Supply, Good Morale, Excellent cohesion. Unit has lost a large number of IFVs and APCs in operational combat, but has secured excellent defensive positions and can bring all organic heavy weapons to bear on targets.
-64e Armored Cavalry: Good Supply, Excellent Morale, Poor Cohesion. Unit is widely distributed to assist in QRF duties, with main armor companies forming the core of BCT units employed in holding shut the Bleating Plateau. However, all armored units need Garage repairs to refresh armor, and soldiers are having communications issues.
-163e Motor Rifles: Fair Supply, Poor Morale, Low Cohesion. Unit is widely distributed supporting BCTs in the Bleating Plateau areas and in QRF platoons protecting the roadways for logistics security. Most heavy weapons and armored vehicles have been destroyed or disabled, and local basing has not allowed for units to regain cohesion and reintegrate to central command structures.

-241e Research: Good Supply, Poor Morale, Good Cohesion. This unit is shaken by its early decapitation in offensive operations, but have not suffered serious material losses. However, due to lower average skill, morale and cohesion have been severely impacted.
-142 Locomotive: Excellent Supply, Good Morale, Good Cohesion. This unit as a backline logistics regiment has not been directly affected by the combat operation, but has not handled the departure from planned equipment expenditure gracefully.
-13e Transshipment: Excellent Supply, Good Morale, Good Cohesion. This unit as a backline logistics regiment has not been directly affected by the combat operation, but has not handled the departure from planned equipment expenditure gracefully.
-9e Sustainment: Fair Supply, Good Morale, Fair Cohesion. The unit most tasked with last leg logisitcs, this unit has been hit unduely hard by enemy partisans. Despite this, rapid respawn and a steady supply of vehicles has kept them operating at reasonable power.

-26e Commando: Poor Supply, Good Morale, Good Cohesion. This unit has expended their personal stores of equipment to flush out numerous enemy snipers and artillery spotters in Marban's Hollow, and is requesting downtime to aquisition more of their unique kit: several pieces of which seem to be repurposed enemy tools.
-72 Signals: Excellent supply, Fair Morale, Fair Cohesion. This unit is physically intact, but mentally shaken due to being at the information epicenter of a brigade level operation without constant oversight from higher-ranked and ideally older officers.


///

VOTING (by plan)

1st Brigade, Folkvangr, Staff Company
-[] [Folkvangr] Support another regiment (Grants 1x bonus action)
--[] [Folkvangr] Write-in regiment & Topic
-[] [Folkvangr] Organize rolling rest and refit periods for the Brigade
-[] [Folkvangr] Engage in diplomacy with another Brigade
--[] Write-in Brigade & Topic
-[] [Folkvangr] Collect and Analyze Data
--[] Write-in Topic
-[] [Folkvangr] Attempt to recruit another regiment into the Brigade.
-[] [Folkvangr] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Continue planning Deadlands assault
--[] Write in operational details.

15e Regiment, High King's Valkyries, Flying Artillery
-[] [15e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [15e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [15e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [15e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [15e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [15e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)

9e Regiment, Balfour Bitches, Sustainment
-[] [9e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [9e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [9e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [9e] Procure supplies for regimental adjustment
--[] Write-in regiment and supplies to procure
-[] [9e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)

62e Regiment, The Weathered Line, Grenadiers
-[] [62e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [62e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [62e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [62e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [62e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [62e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)

64e Regiment, Golden Mail, Armored Cavalry
-[] [64e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [64e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [64e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [64e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [64e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [64e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)

163e Regiment, Motor Rifles
-[] [163e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [163e] Engage in offensive operations…
--[] …in Marban
--[] …in Foxcatcher
--[] …in Deadlands
--[] …elsewhere (write-in)
-[] [163e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [163e] Fortify an area
--[] Write in an existent fort or location to take and hold.
-[] [163e] Begin planning a combat operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [163e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)

241e Regiment, Research
-[] [241e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [241e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [241e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [241e] Procure supplies for regimental adjustment
--[] Write-in regiment and supplies to procure
-[] [241e] Develop specific prototype equipment for the Brigade
-[] [241e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)

142e Regiment, East Trains, Locomotive
-[] [142e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [142e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [142e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [142e] Procure supplies for regimental adjustment
--[] Write-in regiment and supplies to procure
-[] [142e] Perform supplies transshipment to focus on one front
--[] Write-in receiving unit/stockpile town
-[] [142e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)

26e Regiment, Commando
-[] [26e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [26e] Conduct resupply and training operations
-[] [26e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [26e] Search for Relic Bases and Caches
-[] [26e] Perform Operational Reconnaissance

72e Regiment, Signals
-[] [72e] Adjust Manning, Doctrine, or other Regimental Operation
--[] Write-in Adjustments
-[] [72e] Conduct training operations
-[] [72e] Begin planning an operation
--[] Write in operational details.
-[] [72e] Establish a communication link to another Regiment or Brigade
--[] Write-in target
-[] [72e] Operate Intelligence Center(s)
-[] [72e] Donate help to Brigade Staff (Grants one Staff Action)