3.25
Emdeman
The Atlantic Federation
- Location
- Australia
It takes some time to gather your high ranking officers, as they arrive from their various positions. The meeting occurs in one of the empty farmhouses between Herea and Nicopol. The current strategic situation is a grim one.
Each block is a minimum of 10k troops.
You don't have any sizeable enemy forces near you apart from Sinope but it is a small consolation to what you must do next. The bulk of the Federation forces are arrayed around Baku. It is a strong defensive position and heavily fortified. Which was why the main thrust of the initial Imperial offensives was to encircle it from the eastern side. This was stopped as the Federation moved most of its forces to block the Empire. Months of grinding warfare followed. The Empire had secretly moved a few formations to the other flank, next to the sea, in anticipation of supporting a successful landing. Whether that will proceed now is anyone's guess. Meanwhile in Aland, the frontlines are more fluid and dispersed given the terrain and other factors.
Raeder: Doable.
Giraud: Too risky. We have an opportunity here to alter the dynamics of the whole front. We should seize the chance, not stay in one place.
Surena: Didn't you just contradict yourself?
Giraud: What I mean Lexi is that we're too stationary. Being predictable would be a mistake.
Pydan: I am tentatively in favour, but I don't like the losses we'd take.
Nivelle: I am in favour.
Baumann: I don't like it. Our tanks would be at a disadvantage against elite infantry in ideal urban defensive terrain.
Mueller: I agree with the Colonel.
Vorbeck: And there is no guarantee we'd capture the ships intact. It could all be for naught.
Pydan: But we'd finish our goal quickly and escape in a timely manner. The longer we stay the more our condition will deteriorate.
Rudolf: We also have the captured artillery for use.
Baumann: That would take time Hapsburg. Time we have in short supply.
Nivelle: This plan has many risks but we don't have many better options.
Giraud: Aren't we a little shorthanded to break through the front?
Vorbeck: General Chainy's forces will try to assist, the problem is coordination.
Rudolf: Will General Chainy actually be able to support us?
Pydan: He was preparing to attack according to the original plans. I have no idea whats transpired in the time since.
Baumann: This plan looks good. We smash through the enemy with all our might.
Nivelle: Aren't there more than forty thousand enemy troops in the way?
Baumann: Chainy will launch a parallel offensive.
Surena: Will his forces be ready to resume the offensive after their last frontal attack?
Rudolf: Yes, yes, all speculation. The problem with getting close to the frontline is that it makes it easier for the enemy to shift forces to interdict us.
Raeder: That is a risk we'll have to overcome.
Vorbeck: I'm concerned about the chance of naval intervention after Merovia, given that we are close to the coast.
Pydan: I would rate it as small to moderate.
From your new subordinates you glean that General Chainy has a bit of a reputation for being somewhat free with the lives of his men.
That might actually be to your benefit.
However, the original plan relied on having a full army of 60-70 thousand troops. Not the 12 thousand or so you currently possess.
***
Surena: Is there a chance we could find a strong defensive position to fortify?
Giraud: That would surrender all the initiative.
Pydan: But we would have less general deterioration and supply concerns.
Baumann: Wouldn't we eventually exhaust everything Peedan?
Pydan: We wouldn't if we foraged more-
Surena: Cut that out and act your age gentlemen.
Mueller: The problem I see is that we'd basically be waiting to be saved.
Rudolf: The Federation would move a lot of forces against us, though it will cause a lot of disruption.
Nivelle: I think this strategy would be good against numerically superior enemy. But we would eventually be overwhelmed.
Vorbeck: The issue is finding an appropriate place... among other things.
Clink: How about we just surrender now instead?
Awkward silence fills the room as no one else dignifies that with a response.
During all this planning an idea sprouts in your mind. It is a crazy idea but given what you know of the strategic situation it could be viable.
Rudolf: Does anyone know the situation of the forces in Aland? I find the dispersed nature of the frontline strange.
Most reply with negatives.
Nivelle: There does seem to be a bit of back and forth going on.
Pydan: I have heard somewhat reliable rumours that there is one of the Old Blood present among the armies in Aland.
Giraud: No way.
General murmurs of disbelief fill the room. As people confront previous unverified hearsay of the Empire deploying something new, or rather something very old. You have a hard time believing it yourself.
Surena: It does seem far fetched.
Pydan: My source does not usually to lie.
Vorbeck: Will we have the fuel and supplies to make it that far?
Raeder: We take it as we go.
Nivelle: Not the most reliable means to supply an army.
Rudolf: Thats putting it lightly.
Travel cross country to try and meet up with the Imperial army in Aland. It will cause maximum chaos and havoc along the entire frontline, providing many opportunities to hamstrung the Federation war effort. The thinner Federation line in Aland will be easier to breakthrough and rumour has it the Imperial forces have a Valkyria. Which would make breakthrough even easier.
[] Plan A: Try to take the port and evacuate back
Pros:
Quickest plan
Will likely only fight Federal forces in this sector and surrounding ones (if it goes to plan).
Potential to eliminate enemy battleship
Only plan that doesn't have you heavily outnumbered
Cons:
Minimal disruption to overall theatre operations
Fighting one of the most elite infantry formations in the Federation on unfavourable ground
Potential to get bogged down in urban fighting
Potential enemy could sabotage seagoing vessels in hail Mary move (if true would have to source friendly transports, increasing wait time)
No guarantee Navy can support evacuation
[] Plan B: Try to push up the coast and link up with the Army Group
Pros:
The original plan, should be easy to gain support among the other officers
Support should be available, General Chainy will likely order a parallel attack from the other side
Cons:
Moderate disruption to overall operations
Feds will be expecting this move
Simple for the enemy to shift units into your path to closer you get to frontlines
Breakthrough therefore likely to be the most difficult part
[] Plan C: Find a location to use as a bastion
Pros:
Should give better defensive staying power against large enemy forces.
Your forces aren't spread out
Less communication issues
Cons:
Haven't got a place in mind yet
Will give up the initiative
Passive, waiting to get saved.
[] Plan D: launch a wide-ranging attack cutting cross country
Pros:
Feds won't expect this at all
Maximum disruption of the entire theatre
Breakthrough will be much easier; semi-reliable reports Valkyria present with local imperial army defending Aland.
Puts serious distance between you and major enemy frontline military concentrations
Cons:
Long, difficult journey through unknown hostile territory
Once aware, the Federation forces will pursue
Too many issues to count
Probably insane
Each block is a minimum of 10k troops.
You don't have any sizeable enemy forces near you apart from Sinope but it is a small consolation to what you must do next. The bulk of the Federation forces are arrayed around Baku. It is a strong defensive position and heavily fortified. Which was why the main thrust of the initial Imperial offensives was to encircle it from the eastern side. This was stopped as the Federation moved most of its forces to block the Empire. Months of grinding warfare followed. The Empire had secretly moved a few formations to the other flank, next to the sea, in anticipation of supporting a successful landing. Whether that will proceed now is anyone's guess. Meanwhile in Aland, the frontlines are more fluid and dispersed given the terrain and other factors.
***
Rudolf: What are everyone's thoughts on taking this port and sailing back?
Raeder: Doable.
Giraud: Too risky. We have an opportunity here to alter the dynamics of the whole front. We should seize the chance, not stay in one place.
Surena: Didn't you just contradict yourself?
Giraud: What I mean Lexi is that we're too stationary. Being predictable would be a mistake.
Pydan: I am tentatively in favour, but I don't like the losses we'd take.
Nivelle: I am in favour.
Baumann: I don't like it. Our tanks would be at a disadvantage against elite infantry in ideal urban defensive terrain.
Mueller: I agree with the Colonel.
Vorbeck: And there is no guarantee we'd capture the ships intact. It could all be for naught.
Pydan: But we'd finish our goal quickly and escape in a timely manner. The longer we stay the more our condition will deteriorate.
Rudolf: We also have the captured artillery for use.
Baumann: That would take time Hapsburg. Time we have in short supply.
Nivelle: This plan has many risks but we don't have many better options.
***
Pydan: We could always proceed with the original plan.
Giraud: Aren't we a little shorthanded to break through the front?
Vorbeck: General Chainy's forces will try to assist, the problem is coordination.
Rudolf: Will General Chainy actually be able to support us?
Pydan: He was preparing to attack according to the original plans. I have no idea whats transpired in the time since.
Baumann: This plan looks good. We smash through the enemy with all our might.
Nivelle: Aren't there more than forty thousand enemy troops in the way?
Baumann: Chainy will launch a parallel offensive.
Surena: Will his forces be ready to resume the offensive after their last frontal attack?
Rudolf: Yes, yes, all speculation. The problem with getting close to the frontline is that it makes it easier for the enemy to shift forces to interdict us.
Raeder: That is a risk we'll have to overcome.
Vorbeck: I'm concerned about the chance of naval intervention after Merovia, given that we are close to the coast.
Pydan: I would rate it as small to moderate.
***
From your new subordinates you glean that General Chainy has a bit of a reputation for being somewhat free with the lives of his men.
That might actually be to your benefit.
However, the original plan relied on having a full army of 60-70 thousand troops. Not the 12 thousand or so you currently possess.
***
Surena: Is there a chance we could find a strong defensive position to fortify?
Giraud: That would surrender all the initiative.
Pydan: But we would have less general deterioration and supply concerns.
Baumann: Wouldn't we eventually exhaust everything Peedan?
Pydan: We wouldn't if we foraged more-
Surena: Cut that out and act your age gentlemen.
Mueller: The problem I see is that we'd basically be waiting to be saved.
Rudolf: The Federation would move a lot of forces against us, though it will cause a lot of disruption.
Nivelle: I think this strategy would be good against numerically superior enemy. But we would eventually be overwhelmed.
Vorbeck: The issue is finding an appropriate place... among other things.
***
Clink: How about we just surrender now instead?
Awkward silence fills the room as no one else dignifies that with a response.
***
During all this planning an idea sprouts in your mind. It is a crazy idea but given what you know of the strategic situation it could be viable.
Rudolf: Does anyone know the situation of the forces in Aland? I find the dispersed nature of the frontline strange.
Most reply with negatives.
Nivelle: There does seem to be a bit of back and forth going on.
Pydan: I have heard somewhat reliable rumours that there is one of the Old Blood present among the armies in Aland.
Giraud: No way.
General murmurs of disbelief fill the room. As people confront previous unverified hearsay of the Empire deploying something new, or rather something very old. You have a hard time believing it yourself.
Surena: It does seem far fetched.
Pydan: My source does not usually to lie.
Vorbeck: Will we have the fuel and supplies to make it that far?
Raeder: We take it as we go.
Nivelle: Not the most reliable means to supply an army.
Rudolf: Thats putting it lightly.
***
Travel cross country to try and meet up with the Imperial army in Aland. It will cause maximum chaos and havoc along the entire frontline, providing many opportunities to hamstrung the Federation war effort. The thinner Federation line in Aland will be easier to breakthrough and rumour has it the Imperial forces have a Valkyria. Which would make breakthrough even easier.
***
[] Plan A: Try to take the port and evacuate back
Quickest plan
Will likely only fight Federal forces in this sector and surrounding ones (if it goes to plan).
Potential to eliminate enemy battleship
Only plan that doesn't have you heavily outnumbered
Cons:
Minimal disruption to overall theatre operations
Fighting one of the most elite infantry formations in the Federation on unfavourable ground
Potential to get bogged down in urban fighting
Potential enemy could sabotage seagoing vessels in hail Mary move (if true would have to source friendly transports, increasing wait time)
No guarantee Navy can support evacuation
[] Plan B: Try to push up the coast and link up with the Army Group
The original plan, should be easy to gain support among the other officers
Support should be available, General Chainy will likely order a parallel attack from the other side
Cons:
Moderate disruption to overall operations
Feds will be expecting this move
Simple for the enemy to shift units into your path to closer you get to frontlines
Breakthrough therefore likely to be the most difficult part
[] Plan C: Find a location to use as a bastion
Should give better defensive staying power against large enemy forces.
Your forces aren't spread out
Less communication issues
Cons:
Haven't got a place in mind yet
Will give up the initiative
Passive, waiting to get saved.
[] Plan D: launch a wide-ranging attack cutting cross country
Feds won't expect this at all
Maximum disruption of the entire theatre
Breakthrough will be much easier; semi-reliable reports Valkyria present with local imperial army defending Aland.
Puts serious distance between you and major enemy frontline military concentrations
Cons:
Long, difficult journey through unknown hostile territory
Once aware, the Federation forces will pursue
Too many issues to count
Probably insane
