Cascadia

[Markus Wilding]

Cascadia. A quiet, relatively reclusive nation that rarely strayed from the principles of its founders or its actual borders, save to intervene in Mexican adventures and committing to the occasional peacekeeping duty worldwide. Cascadia had kept itself free from the trappings of the German Flu's resurgence, and had even managed to keep itself outside of destructive wars and foreign intrigue.

That was soon to change with the murmurs of war across the border with the SRA.

[Markus Wilding]

Operation Whistleblower had been an invasion long-planned and revised several times over. Unbeknownst to the Cascadians, the Socialists had infiltrated their government and knew almost everything they needed, from the most recent comms encryption codes to the exact deployment of Cascadian military units.

The initial assault was paired with a mass communications blackout coordinated by the CIA, which succeeds in disrupting Cascadian communications and radar surveillance. This in turn provided the perfect opening for the SRA's Airborne corps to deploy straight into the heart of California, landing near Fresno and immediately besieging the Cascadian military bases in the area. This was coordinated with an invasion from Nevada and Utah involving the SRA's 1st, 5th, and 9th Army Groups that drove for objectives in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and northern California, covered by airstrikes, close gunship support, and precise artillery strikes mixed with a liberal application of rocket artillery. Overhead in California, American and Cascadian fighter jets clashed with one another as the SRAAF bombarded strategic positions and permanently silenced certain radar outposts, further adding to the confusion that no doubt was seeping through Cascadian command.

Held in reserve for the Americans were the men and women of the 3rd, 4th and 8th Army Groups, though whispered rumors in the 16th Infantry Division claimed that the Marines were being prepared in Panama to conduct an amphibious landing in Oregon. Either way, this would be the first serious test of America's New Way Forward for airborne operations, testing the theory of deploying a fully mechanized airborne division into active combat alongside the newly-built AC-130 gunships that accompanied American bombers and provided direct fire support. For now, Cascadian naval supremacy in the Pacific was unchallenged, though nobody could quite say what lurked under the waters.

OOC:

SRA deployments consist of:

To Territory 37:
5 armor
4 artillery
6 moto
3 mech
7 helicopters
13 units fighters
3 units bombers

[Markus Wilding]

Cascadia had been wondering when the invasion would come. Honestly, it came as a surprise that the American invasion wasn't also coupled with a joint Irish assault, and lacking the familiar black star of the Victorian Royal Army Pilot Services. Either way, surprise had been achieved by the Americans and while Cascadia was caught unawares by the invasion, it would not remain that way for long.

Immediately following the confirmed approach of American units from the border, soldiers of the Cascadian Army fell back to strategic points within California, intent on drawing the Americans into disadvantageous positions and fighting a war of attrition, with the roads to San Francisco mined on all possible approaches as martial law was declared. As long as the invaders from the East threatened Cascadia, the Cascadian people would fight. Civilians were offered cash rewards for informing the Cascadian Army of the location of American airborne infantry and vehicles around Fresno and other locales. In general, delaying actions and leading the Americans to the mountains were the primary goals as the Cascadians traded artillery fire and missiles with one another.

Meanwhile, Cascadian troops in Oregon moved out to challenge the tiny American garrison in Utah, intent on disrupting enemy supply lines and forcing the American's National Guard troops to withdraw or destroy them entirely. This was done in conjunction with an assault of the Cascadian Army and Air Force from Washington aimed for Idaho and Montana, where a second echelon of American troops lay waiting for orders to move. Not much was expected to be gained from the counter-invasion of Idaho and Montana, though the Cascadian military had some good hopes up for the assault on Utah, committing the entirety of the 2nd Cascadian Army Group to the area.

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: In this round, the SRA attacked Cascadia in Territory 37.

In this round, Cascadia attacked the SRA in Territory 34 and 33. The SRA's units retreated from Territory 34 to Territory 32. Cascadia now has Limited Control of Territory 34. The SRA's single unit of light infantry will suffer a Support and Tactics penalty if it is attacked in the next round of combat.

Territory 37

In their attacks, the SRA rolled a 5 and 10 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 7 units of ground losses, 8 units of ground damages, 1 unit of air losses, and 2 units of air damages for Cascadia. A bombing campaign resulted in 1 Industry lost, 1 ground unit lost, 3 Industry damaged and 2 units of ground damages.

In their attacks, Cascadia rolled a 3 and a 5 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 5 units of ground losses, 6 units of ground damages, 1 unit of air losses, and 2 units of air damages for the SRA. A bombing campaign resulted in an additional 1 unit of ground losses and 2 units of ground damages.

Territory 33

In their attacks, Cascadia rolled a 10 and a 7 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 2 units of ground losses, 3 units of ground damages, 1 unit of air losses and 1 unit of air damages for the SRA. A bombing campaign resulted in 1 Industry lost, 1 unit of ground losses, 3 Industry damaged and 2 units of ground damages.

In their attacks, the SRA rolled a 6 and a 7 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 2 units of ground losses, 3 units of ground damages, 1 unit of air losses and 1 unit of air damages for Cascadia. A bombing campaign resulted in an additional 1 unit of ground losses and 2 units of ground damages.

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: The SRA took the following casualties:

Territory 37

3 units motorized infantry lost
3 units armor lost
4 artillery damaged
2 units armor damaged
2 units motorized damaged
1 unit helicopters lost
2 units bombers damaged

Territory 33
2 units mechanized lost
1 unit armor lost
1 unit motorized lost
3 artillery damaged
2 units armor damaged
1 unit fighters lost
1 unit bombers damaged

---

Cascadia took the following casualties:

Territory 37

4 units light infantry lost
2 units mechanized lost
1 unit armor lost
1 unit artillery lost
1 unit artillery damaged - double damage leads to loss as there are no other valid ground units to take damages
1 unit helicopters lost
1 unit helicopters damaged
1 unit bombers damaged

Territory 33
2 units light infantry lost
1 unit motorized lost
1 unit motorized damaged
2 units artillery damaged
1 unit armor damaged - double damage leads to loss
1 unit helicopters lost
1 unit bombers damaged

[Markus Wilding]

The Socialist Republic Army's entry into California did not go as expected. Firstly, the anemic combat performance of the M551 Hancock would have to be investigated - though well after the war had concluded - and the reports from Arizona and Utah that Cascadian troops had pushed back the National Guard did not inspire the soldiers that they would not be cut off at any moment. However, like any military venture, there were positives to outweigh the negative. For one, the men and women of the 19th Infantry Division "Blue Ridge Devils" were first to enter San Francisco, declaring martial law within the first few hours of their arrival. That didn't stop many privates and sergeants from partaking in "liberating" stores of their beer and wine, but the strategically vital city had been captured, in itself a serious blow to the Cascadians. The 101st and 82nd Airborne both conducted their landings beautifully, with minimal losses aside from the casualties sustained by their armored corps, and by all accounts they were prepared to engage in their next round of combat. Meanwhile, the Cascadian forces in California had been annihilated, while forces in Montana reported a tough fight with the Cascadians in the Idaho mountains.

General Kauffmann decided that the best strategy available to him and his men was to collect in Oregon, consolidate and regroup. Only then could they hope to defeat the Cascadians. The forces in California and Idaho surged northwest, aiming to trap the Cascadians and force a tough battle. If the Cascadians elected not to pursue, then the Socialist Republic Army would have free reign to occupy and annihilate the remnants of the Cascadian's air forces and its bases.

[Markus Wilding]

Occupying Utah and Arizona was helpful - for one, it showed the SRA was not invincible. It showed that war could come to the homes of the Communists, that not even the newly conquered states could be safe forever. However, the push into American land came at the cost of losing California, and judging by how the American armies surged north, close to losing Oregon and Washington too. Therefore, with the chaos of an occupied California and withdrawing from hostile land behind them, the Cascadian military stood up for their final fight in Oregon. it had to be here, where the mass of the entire Cascadian military stood up to the battered expeditionary forces of the Socialists.

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: In this round, the SRA moved its forces to Territory 36. Cascadia also moved its forces to Territory 36, save for forces in Territory 33 that retreated to 36. These units will impart a Tactics penalty on Cascadia's rolls for combat in this round.

Territory 36

In their attacks, the SRA rolled a 4 and a 10 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 6 units of ground losses, 7 units of ground damages, 1 unit of air losses and 2 units of air damages for Cascadia. A bombing campaign resulted in 1 Industry lost, 1 additional ground loss, 3 Industry damaged and 2 ground units damaged.

In their attacks, Cascadia rolled a 2 on both ground and air actions.This results in 5 units of ground losses, 6 units of ground damages, 5 units of air losses and 6 units of air damages for the SRA. A bombing campaign resulted in an additional 3 units of ground losses and 4 units of ground damages.

[Markus Wilding]

The Oregon Badlands, once a place of serenity and beauty, quickly became a scene of chaos as the American and Cascadian armies met upon its beige, sandy trails. The scene looked more like an anachronistic movie set rather than the field of battle for a modern war; a classical Old West backdrop stood behind heavy mechanized vehicles and dust-covered men wielding automatic weapons. Across the dunes where juniper trees and sagebrush grew, American M65 tanks and Cascadian M60s dueled at long range, covered by American rocket artillery that cratered the ground. Above them in the skies, the SRAAF and Cascadian Air Force clashed in a brutal, drawn-out fight that prevented American close-air support from contributing to the ground battle, but not stopping both sides from dropping ordnance upon each other. While the American Army Air Force focused primarily on destroying the Cascadian ability to generate new war material, the Cascadian Air Force was far more interested in destroying retreating Socialist Republic Army units, in both ways a slaughter that stained the badlands red.

Eventually as the red seeped into the sky as deeply as it filled the ground, night combat ensued. Infantry ducked behind rocks and traded shots at short range with the aid of their so-called "Starlight" scopes that, for the first time, allowed individual soldiers to see at night. The confusion of night combat did not go away with the advent of the short-ranged scopes, however, and the upended lava formations only disoriented troops on both sides further as American IFVs contributed fire support. Occasionally, rockets burst off in the night to destroy a vehicle - whether the offending rocket was Cascadian or American was impossible to determine.

At dawn, the results of a fourteen-hour firefight that determined the end of the American-Cascadian War was clear. Six months of brutal combat culminated in one decisive battle between the remains of the SRA's 101st Airborne, 3rd Armored Division, 11th Infantry Division and 19th Infantry Division versus the Cascadian 90th Infantry Division, 2nd Armored Division and 4th Mechanized Regiment. In the end, the badlands were dotted with Cascadian and American armored vehicles, the wrecks of SRAAF F-4s and Cascadian B-57s already beginning to decay away on the ground. The bodies had already been removed, interred in temporary graves hastily dug in the soft badlands soil and marked only with a rifle shoved muzzle-first into the ground and topped with a helmet - either an American "gumdrop" or a Cascadian "steel pot" - denoting the nationality of the fallen soldier. Four hours after dawn broke, the Cascadian government formally surrendered to Atlanta, its land occupied and her army defeated in open battle. Before the week ended, the flag of the Socialist Republics of America replaced the Cascadian flag above California, Oregon and Washington.

After nearly three decades, the Socialist Republics of America had finally realized its destiny of stretching from sea to shining sea.

[Markus Wilding]

OOC:

Cascadia cannot sustain all ground casualties inflicted upon it. As the SRA can reasonably occupy all Cascadian territories and prevent Cascadia from using its Industry, it is impossible for Cascadia to continue fighting, as Cascadian air units cannot base themselves from any territory and Cascadian naval units cannot contribute to ground combat. Therefore, this leads to Cascadia's formal surrender and subsequent annexation.

The SRA took the following casualties:

1 unit armor lost
2 units motorized infantry lost
5 units mechanized lost
7 units artillery damaged - double damage leads to loss
2 units armor damaged - double damage leads to loss
1 unit motorized infantry damaged - double damage leads to loss
5 units fighters lost
6 units fighters damaged