The Aragon Reunion

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: War thread for Aragon and Portugal. Unless others intervene, posting order is:

Aragon
Portugal (NPN)

[Avalanche]

The Portuguese had no doubt considered an Aragonese invasion a stark possibility, and our recent movements near the border were liable to be cause for concern, but the worst would not be confirmed until it was too late to prepare. The declaration of hostilities came mere hours before Aragonese jets screamed across the skies of Trás-os-Montes and troops flooded in from Verín and Badajoz. A surprise to be sure, but an inevitable one.

The invasion was split between two fronts, Attack Force North forged south from Verín under General de ejército Nazaret Catalán while Attack Force South struck westwards from Badajoz led by La Providència herself. Attack Force South was comprised of First Army and the Royal Legion with the Frogmen as their vanguard. Meanwhile, Attack Force North consisted of Second Army with close air support from the 1st Fighter Wing and 1st Bomber Wing. Back home, reservists and the 2nd Fighter Wing laid ready to respond to any counter-offensive.

While a Portuguese naval response was not considered likely, it would be foolish to rule out a suicidal final stand from such a conniving bunch. Hence, the coastguard was put on alert, launching land-based maritime surveillance aircraft for early warning and transferring their warships to military command. The Armada, still at port, is roused to mobilise defensive screening formations of destroyers, helicopters, and combat air patrols from the Sant Jordi near the southwest coast of Aragon to intercept any attacks that sought to target our naval capabilities. If they went for León, it would have to make do with only missile boats and aircraft.

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Attack Force North's offensive involved advance under air cover. Two squadrons of fighters reconnoitred ahead of the ground forces, primarily slinging anti-radiation missiles and precision-guided bombs to eliminate anti-air threats as they encountered them, with limited air-to-air missiles for seeing off any hostile air before retreating. Two other squadrons rendered close air support, armed with gun pods and unguided bombs to take out targets marked by ground forces. The two bomber squadrons were reserved for striking hard targets. The remaining fighter squadron had a full load of A2A missiles and escorted the other friendly aircraft on their missions, forcing an intense rotation schedule on the pilots.

The ground forces led with a mechanised push spearheaded by armour that sped across the landscape to meet hostiles as spotted by friendly aircraft, with further direction from observation helicopters and air assault infantry support courtesy of their aviation brigades. The rest of the army followed as quickly as they could, to fill gaps in the forming line and support the mechanised vanguard where necessary, consisting of motorised infantry, self-propelled guns, truck-based rocket artillery systems, and attack helicopters.

Attack Force South's offensive had to make do, at least initially, without proper air cover. Instead, they relied on special forces commandos, armoured reconnaissance elements, and attack and observation helicopters to scout and probe ahead of the main armoured push and motorised follow-up, but otherwise used the same tactics as Attack Force North, albeit frequently deploying their surface-to-air missile batteries to cover their advance.

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The following are attacking into 111 from 109:

• 3 Armour
• 3 Mechanised Infantry
• 6 Motorised Infantry
• 3 Artillery
• 3 Helicopters
• 5 Fighters
• 2 Bombers

The following are attacking into 112 from 110:

• 4 Armour
• 4 Mechanised Infantry
• 8 Motorised Infantry
• 4 Artillery
• 4 Helicopters
• 2 Light Infantry

Possible advantages not mentioned in prose:

• The 2 Light Infantry units have been trained for the last 2 years as special forces (The Frogmen).
• In 112, 1 Armour, 1 Mech. Inf., 2 Mot. Inf., 1 Artillery, and 1 Helicopter have been trained for the last 2 years as elite troops (The Royal Legion).
• Those elite troops are bolstered by the more highly trained royal guard (The Order of The Thistle).
• The monarch is present on the field to boost morale (La Providència).
• This surprise attack was pre-planned.

[Markus Wilding]

In a way, sending the advance envoy with a verbal declaration of war had been the sort of confirmation Portugal needed. Many within the military and civil service believed Aragon intended to invade, especially after the spy was caught, but the envoy provided concrete evidence towards this idea. The Portuguese military was not a modern, well-equipped force, but it would fight to its last dying breath regardless. Incoming Aragonese infantry were met almost immediately at the border by Portuguese border patrols that fell back upon first contact, preferring to draw the enemy in to half-prepared ambush positions granted by a delayed response to the declaration of war. Anti-radiation missiles did indeed hit their mark, mostly striking at the long-range missile sites around Lisbon intended to protect it from enemy air attack, while the Aragonese and Portuguese air forces tangled in the skies above aiming to match modern fighter jets against early postwar jets with middling success. Out at sea, a cohort of Portuguese missile boats headed to the north, attacking Aragonese shipping vessels, while in the southwest coast, Aragonese naval vessels pick up unidentified contacts on sonar.

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OOC: Portuguese tactics are as follows;

- General withdrawal into Portugal's hill northern terrain and urbanized areas in southern Portugal
- Interdiction attacks on Aragonese supply lines into Portugal
- Naval interdiction and convoy hunting off northern coast
- Prepared ambushes and defensive structures intended to provide obstacles to Aragonese advances

Portuguese numbers:

Territory 111
2 units artillery
4 units motorized
1 unit armor
1 unit light
4 units fighters
1 unit bombers
1 unit coastal warships

Territory 112
2 units artillery
4 units motorized
2 units armor
1 unit light
4 units fighters
1 unit bombers

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: Combat results for the first round of combat between Portugal and Aragon.

Territory 111

In their attacks, Aragon rolled a 5 and a 9 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 Portugal. A bombing campaign resulted in 1 unit of Industry lost, 1 unit of additional ground losses, 3 Industry damaged and 2 units of additional ground damages for Portugal.

In their attacks, Portugal rolled a 3 and a 4 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 1 unit of ground losses, 1 unit of ground damages, 1 unit of air losses and 1 unit of air damages for Aragon. A bombing campaign resulted in 1 additional ground unit lost and damaged for Aragon.

Territory 112

In their attacks, Aragon rolled a 5 and a 4 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 5 units of ground losses, 6 units of ground damages, 4 units of air losses and 5 units of air damages for Portugal.

In their attacks, Portugal rolled a 6 and a 4 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 1 unit of ground losses, 1 unit of ground damages, 2 units of air losses and 2 units of air damages for Aragon. A bombing campaign resulted in 1 additional ground unit lost and damaged for Aragon.

[Avalanche]

Then fight to the dying breath the Portuguese shall. With the Portuguese army thoroughly broken in the North and their forces in the South shattering, the merciless Aragonese advance slowed and casualties were evacuated.

Attack Force North, having eliminated all obvious resistance on the ground, cautiously moved in small dispersed groups to minimise the effectiveness of Portuguese air-to-ground still in the area. Attack Force North used their aerial reconnaissance assets to identify any pockets of resistance that remained, surround them, and then shell the ever-loving hell out of their positions. The 1st Bomber Wing retreated to friendly airspace while the 2nd Fighter Wing moved in to support the 1st Fighter Wing in the North, both taking full air-to-air missions to eliminate Portuguese aircraft.

Attack Force South pushed, albeit cautiously, onward to Lisbon. Using their aerial and armoured reconnaissance forces, they identified enemy forces and strong points along their path. As they encountered them, Attack Force South used their armour to flank these enemy positions and encircled them with their mechanised troops, then proceeded to shell them mercilessly for hours while they set up to push in and take the positions. Whether trench, hill, or city, the procedure was the same. Meanwhile, mobilised by transport helicopters, their commandos covered the army's flanks and rear to provide early warning against any possible attacks by Portuguese regulars and eliminate any suspected irregulars.

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In the Bay of Biscay, Aragonese frigates and missile boats clashed with Portuguese missile boats, though the Aragonese were guided by maritime aviation from land-based fixed-wing aircraft and the frigates' rotary-wing aircraft. The frigates escorted shipping, while the missile boats hunted the Portuguese missile boats. When they clashed, both frigate and missile boat relied on their guns, the former armed with dual 30mm CIWS and the latter with sextuple 76mm autocannons.

Meanwhile off the Strait of Gibraltar, the Armada raises alarms. It would be too great of a risk to not assume the sonar contacts weren't Portuguese submarines. The detecting vessels launched anti-submarine missiles and torpedoes towards the contacts before retreating at best speed away. This would remain the prevailing strategy of the Armada until it could be believed the submarine threat was over. The Sant Jordi was immediately sent with a small detachment of escorts across the strait to dock at one of the ports on the Eastern coast of Aragon.

In territory 111, Aragon lost 2 Motorised Infantry and 1 Fighters, and 2 Mot. Inf. and 1 Fighters were damaged.

In territory 112, Aragon lost 2 Mot. Inf. and 2 Helicopters, and 2 Mot. Inf. and 2 Helicopters were damaged.

Aragon withdraws all damaged units and 2 Bombers to core territories.

Aragon moves 5 Fighters into 111.

Aragon commits 2 Light Warships and 1 Coastal Warships to the Northern waters, and 3 Medium Warships to the Southern waters.

1 Heavy Carrier is docked at port in 113, escorted by 1 Medium Warships that will be moving back to the Southern waters at earliest convenience rather than docking as well.

[Markus Wilding]

Initial meetings with Aragonese troops had not gone well for Portugal. At least half the military was lost in short order, and senior generals quickly killed by Aragonese bombs or commando raids. Somehow, holding the south had not gone catastrophically horrible, leaving Portugal to fight another day with the last remnants of her military locking themselves in the Lisbon Politburo and proclaiming they would rather die than face the jackboot of La Provi. Portugal's old MiG-type fighters wouldn't last long, and her weary, embittered army was quickly realizing it was on the losing end of this war, but they still had courage and boldness in their hearts to fight. Anything to avoid the sickening prospect of living under the Aragonese monarch.

Out at sea, the Portuguese navy had not yet begun to fight, and if the armada positioned before it was anything to go off of, maybe its fight would be over before it started. Still, the collected missile boats sailed out to contest the Aragonese navy, perhaps knowing it was destined for a doomed fate. In the south, Portuguese submarines - previously hidden but now caught in the open - desperately fought to at least keep the Aragonese navy afraid and on its toes for a while longer.

OOC: Portugal takes the following casualties:

Territory 111
2 units armor lost
1 unit light lost
2 units motorized lost
2 units motorized damaged
2 units artillery damaged
Double damage leads to loss of 1 further unit of motorized and artillery for Portugal.
1 unit bombers lost
3 units fighters lost
1 unit fighters damaged - double damage leads to loss

Territory 112
1 unit light lost
1 unit armor lost
4 units motorized lost
2 units artillery damaged - double damage leads to loss
Portugal has no more ground units which can sustain losses in this territory.
1 unit fighters lost
1 unit bombers damaged
1 unit fighters damaged
All Portuguese air units move to Territory 111.

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: Combat results for Territory 112 and naval combat:

Territory 111

In their attacks, Aragon rolled a 6 and an 8 for ground and air actions, respectively. This results in 6 units of ground losses, 7 units of ground damages, 3 units of air losses and 4 units of air damages for Portugal. A bombing campaign resulted in 3 Industry lost, 2 units of ground losses, 5 Industry damaged and 3 units of ground damages.

In their attacks, Portugal rolled an 8 for ground and air actions. This results in 1 unit of ground losses, 1 unit of ground damages, 1 unit of air losses and 1 unit of air damages for Aragon. A bombing campaign resulted in an additional 1 unit of ground losses and damages.

Naval War

In their attacks, Aragon rolled a 9 for naval actions. This results in 1 unit of naval losses and 1 unit of naval damages for Portugal.

In their attacks, Portugal rolled a 5 for naval actions. This results in 1 unit of naval losses and 1 unit of naval damages for Portugal.

[Avalanche]

Tenaciously as the Portuguese held and ferociously as they made their stand, they were simply no match for the overwhelming force they threw themselves against. For as much damage as they could inflict upon their conquerors, they lost twice more and with fewer numbers to begin with, it was of course only a matter of time. Worst of all, however, was the time itself. At every turn, they had simply been crushed by Aragonese forces. It had been like a tidal wave sweeping over them, of blood and fire. Just like her first campaign, against the communists in Spain, La Provi thought as she stepped victoriously through the ruined streets of Lisbon. The artillery had shelled the fair city fiercely for some time before her combined forces stormed through the city, cutting down all before them. It was quiet now, besides the occasional scattered rifle reports as the Royal Legion combed the area, pulling the remaining socialist rats out from their holes and capturing or executing them as they went. Eventually, she reached her destination, El Palau de Sant Benet, the seat of the Portuguese parliament. It would be from there she would broadcast her victory, though for most listeners it would be over radio rather than television, but it would have to suffice.

The equipment hastily set up, from the rostrum La Provi spoke. She announced her victory over the traitorous communist regime that for so long occupied her rightful lands, and, now that it had been crushed, extended an offer to those who would still fight in its name and resist their natural sovereign, that if they should lay down their arms and give their surrender, their lives, as well as the countless collateral deaths their continued defiance would force, would be spared, and the road to not only rebuilding their devastated homeland but lifting it up to the heights of the rest of her realm would progress much faster. But that if they should choose to continue their resistance, then they would be annihilated just the same as those before them.

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On land, Aragon loses 1 Artillery, 1 Motorised Infantry, and 1 Fighter. 2 units of Mot. Inf. and 1 Fighter were damaged.

At sea, Aragon loses 1 Light Warships. 1 Medium Warships was damaged.

[Markus Wilding]

With the rather convincing military defeat of its forces, the Portuguese navy opted to surrender and scuttled their remaining submarines rather than hand them over to Aragon.