expansion The Shfakien War (Advocatian and Ionian Expansion IC)

[Advocatius]

The Shfakien War

Synopsis: The dagger of war strikes all across the Aurelian continent and the wurld, and the forgotten empires of Europa seek a return to their power. In the Shfakien region deep in the heart of the continent, the Imperial State of Tengrolhan, led by the fascist Uridhaach party, they seek the reformation of the long-lost Empire that once dominated the Aurelian continent. It begins to militarises and aligns themselves with the likes of Anglia and the Occidental-Azanian Pact, tensions rise, and it sparks a conflict against the Socialist Federal Republic of Advocatius and the Federal Republic of Ionio, that the region has not seen in decades.

Duration: 4 December 2022—Present

Timeline:

• Several towns in southern Advocatius are invaded by Tengrolhan. (4/12/2022)
• Ionio declares a state of emergency. (12/12/2022)
• Beginning of the Battle of Montpellier (12/12/2022)
• Tengrolhan declares war on Ionio. (23/12/2022)
• Advocatius initiates Operation Excelsior, halting Tengrolhan's advance. (12/01/2023)
• Beginnings of the Battles of Monterosso and Tropea. (22/02/2023)
• Sinking of the Frigate, Forward Unto Dawn. (23/03/2023)
• Tengrolhan begins the long awaited assault towards Hovd. (05/05/2023)
• The Defense of Hovd begins. (13/05/2023)
• Tengrolhan's forces are defeated at Hovd during Operation: Kotov Syndrome. (22/05/2023)

Edited May 22 by Advocatius
update (see edit history)

[Advocatius]

Zannud, Southeastern Advocatius, 19:00 4/12/2022

Along the top-half of the river Bana was the small town of only 1200 people called Zannud. They were directly next to the Tengrolhan border. It was no wonder the military had set up a garrison close to the bridge leading to the town. Next to the river below was a small fishing hut which Altasain's father built. Despite is obviously being used for her father's fishing, she herself had used it as a quiet place to relax and study, hoping to become smart enough to move to a city with a University, perhaps Hovd.

Within the moonlight, she had sat on her desk reading history books of the revolution before a bang. She initially thought it was fireworks coming from the town, until another from a different direction. From then on, she could hear more and more, before a few dozen yells could be heard from both sides of the bridge. She tried to go outside, but her father came in.

"What are those noises?"

"Get under your desk, now!"

They both scurried under the desks as the noise got louder. She could hear faint shouts as she attempted to look out the window next to a bookshelf to try and see what was going on. Soldiers retreated further uphill, looking through a crack in the wall. She got the faintest view of a vehicle travelling across the bridge carrying. They were Anglian soldiers…
 

---

Emergency Broadcast

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program with an extremely important message. 15 minutes ago, forces of the Imperial State of Tengrolhan, struck several towns in Advocatius' southern border. This has been identified by personnel of the Defence force. According to reports, they have seen soldiers of Anglia. As with many of our Aurelian allies, Advocatius has officially entered a state of war. This next message is being broadcasted directly from the Premier office of Victoires.

"My fellow Advocatians. I speak to you now as your Premier. In this hour, armed forced of Tengrolhan with the aid of Great Anglia, have launched an invasion of our southern border. I say this with a heavy heart. Advocatius for the first time in decades is declaring a state of war. I have faith that no matter what, our Republic will live on. Long live Advocatius."

As stated by the Defence Ministry, we heavily advise evacuation for those who live near the southern border. The following list is of towns that have been struck by Tengrolhan forces.

• Zannud
• Iltan
• Hasun

Edited April 30 by Advocatius
fixed the structure (see edit history)

[Ionio]

A secret meeting of the Ionian government with the current military forces was taking place in the bunker under the presidential house. Everyone was worried about a war that was now inevitable. The first person to speak was the head of the Ionian intelligence agency. 

"From our information, we have Tengrolhan and OCA are assembling the 'army along the Ionian border. We know that Anglian military ships are coming to help Tengrolhan's forces. National security is in danger."

Immediately, the army chief of staff spoke.

"With the satellite images provided to us by our friends at Anatea, we can strike preemptively. "

Immediately a verbal brawl broke out among the various people, but they calmed down when the president began to speak

“Let us all calm down. Ionian is at war, but not officially. Let us help our Advocatian friends, but we must prepare for the worst. First, I order an emergency evacuation of people living within 400 km of the Tengrolhan border. Call up the reservists and start compulsory military conscription for all those eligible people who are not attending college.”

Defense minister begins speaking:

"I'm in favor with compulsory military conscription, but respecting people who go to 'university because we would need people with degrees for war, also for reconstruction. We have to take into consideration that it takes more or less 1 month. We have logistical problems in moving people between east and west of the country. I require help. My ministry cannot do everything alone."

"You anticipated the speech I was giving."

President John Colucci shows everyone a signed paper

"This paper here is a presidential 'emergency law that I created. From now on, the bureaucracy is minimized. Any national defense project is automatically approved and does not have to go through environmental sustainability legislation. So I want all ministries, even the most insignificant one, to cooperate with each other. In addition, I have issued the directive that all activities that must be carried out in the various anti-aircraft bunkers as a precautionary measure"

Everyone was shocked by the president's words but could understand the gravity of the situation

"The whole area near the river must be mined, and the highways must be converted into makeshift airports. It is only a matter of time before Ionian enters the war, and that is why we must fortify the territory along the border as best we can. Most likely there will be a naval battle and that is why I want all military departments to be on high alert. "

Chief of defense staff start speaking

"President. We can do what we can since it may be a matter of days or minutes before they hit us, but I think we also have to establish a whole new military strategy"

"What do you propose?"

"We need to have a hybrid war.  On the one hand, we use conventional tactics and indiscriminate bombing of civilian and military targets. If we hit civilian targets, we can incite people to rebel against their government and foster a path to peace. But on the 'other hand, we can use targeted cyberattacks against civilian and military infrastructure and completely cripple them. In addition, we can use civilian drones and convert them into military drones that can be used for targeted and specific attacks"

"This is a very interesting idea. Sure it may ruin the reputation of the government on the issue of human rights, but we are at war, and I was elected to protect my nation. So it has been decided. I want these things to be implemented immediately, and we attack only if Ionio is attacked."

Everyone nodded and went to carry out the orders the president gave

[Ionio]

December 20

Tengrolhan attacks the Ionian. The situation at the border is critical

Tengrolhan military army as it enters the village of Tonda

It was a foregone conclusion that Tengrolhan would attack Ionio. But the real question was: when would it happen? In the end, the question was answered today. At 7:00 a.m. on December 23, Tengrolhan declared war on Ionia. And with the complicity of OCA aid, it invaded the northern territory of Ionio.  

Ionio's first line of defense was the Cervaro River. There, defensive works were built to stall the invaders. In fact, casualties were recorded in the invading forces caused by mines.  Because of this alarm, preventive measures have been adopted. People living up to 400 kilometers from the border were ordered to evacuate and were preventively relocated to other cities. 

The Ionian military's chief of staff stated that the situation is very critical, and a long war is on the horizon. The cities most at risk are the towns of Monterosso and Tropea where a defensive line is being built, and it is anticipated that there will be a major battle on this front.  

Tonight there will be the president's emergency speech for the critical situation Ionian is facing.  Ionio's financial market has collapsed because of the war, and prices of solar panels and microchips have increased by 50% because of the closure of quartzite mines located in the territory invaded by Tengrolhan forces. Quartzite ores along with sand are used to obtain silicon and consequently the production of solar panels and microchips.

Edited April 20 by Ionio
fix date (see edit history)

[Advocatius]

23/12/2022

Tengrolhan invades Ionio

Just today, Tengrolhan has begun an invasion of our staunch ally @Ionio, in an attack reminiscent of the one against us just only a few weeks ago now. A statement from our Premier Louis Monet has been given. He stated that: “Both Ionio and Advocatius are being attacked by an imperialistic regime under the guise and order of the tyrannical Anglia. Now we shall do is strike back, together this threat shall be neutralised, and to hope peace can be restored within our region, and that is my firm belief, long live Advocatius, and long live Ionio.”

---

Strikes against Advocatian energy and military Infrastructure

Today, forces of Tengrolhan conducted numerous simultaneous air raids against energy and military infrastructure, which have been reported. Several nearby towns were hit as well. Tengrolhan continues its advances by striking targets vital to Advocatian defense. Civilians have unfortunately come in the cross fire, with an estimated 16 deaths and many more injuries alongside. The Advocatian military has begun a fierce defense of our homeland, and it is that we must hope that we can prevail in these trying times, against the imperialist threats of Aurelia and beyond.

---

Operation Excelsior, 75 km South of Hovd, 12/01/2023

The 21st Aerial Drop Shock Trooper (ADST) Battalion was referred to as "the tip of the spear" by former Field Marshal Christopher Cooper. It is the most potent and tactically mobile of the Advocatian Defense Force's battalions. It is part of the ADST Regiment, the most elite of all of Advocatius' military forces, as a showcase of the nations' strength. They are a key part in its defensive operations against the invading forces of Tengrolhan.

Operation Excelsior's objectives were simple: strike hard at Tengrolhan's main battle group in the centre to slow down future advances. The 21st was to drop into the airfield south of the captured city of Tasun and secure it to allow helicopters to drop in more squads. Then head north and take out Tengrolhan defensive positions and seize them to give way to the 3rd and 18th Infantry battalions as they would push into the city, hopefully managing to recapture the city and hurt any strategic advance towards Hovd.

The hatch door creaked open. The green light flashed as the jump masters yelled: "Go, go, go!". Simultaneously, a sea of soldiers leaped from the sky's and pulled their parachutes, coordinating where to land under the indiscriminate fire of Tengrolhan forces. The gust of winds feeling like bullets on their own. Some soldiers had been shot down but as they would descend, they would find cover in the nearby woods, landing feet first into hell.

They soon after secured defensive positions alongside the treeline. A flood of bullets hailed from the base. As soldiers found safe spots they fired back, the conscripts of Tengrolhan were useful in numbers. But against the 21st, they were cannon-fodder. Still, they held up their positions for quite some time, taking down as many soldiers as possible. As they scrambled, it became clear that despite even in number. This was a losing fight. As they fled north, the sounds of bullets halted. Half of the platoon were either dead or wounded. But they still completed their objective, and sent the “all clear” for the rest of the Battalion to land. Now they headed north.

[Ionio]

Feb. 19 - Monterosso military base

At the Monterosso military base, soldiers were preparing for the upcoming battle against Tengrolhan's forces.  First Lieutenant Luca Santoro went to the main hall, where Colonel Gabriele Greco was standing.

"Lieutenant Santoro. How did that little battle go at the village called Zollino?"

"Bad. Our forces are retreating toward Monterosso. Those bastards from Tengrolhan and Anglia almost overwhelmed us. We lost five men, but we managed to escape and save the civilians. "

"I'm sorry you lost 5 men.  But you should consider yourself lucky that you got out of that hell alive. I heard that the battles in the villages near Tropea are more violent than here, and we are losing more men there than here. The important thing that civilians are safe, although I think there are civilians hiding in the basements of their homes. Although I heard that there are many civilian casualties because of this stupid war."

"Yes. We have seen that Tengrolhan's forces tend to kill without distinguishing between civilians and the military. They are just bastard people. The situation is critical at the front and will be even more so here and in Tropea."

"I heard. Tengrolhan's forces are converging on Tropea and Monterosso. There will be a big, decisive battle in these towns. The central command are sending us men and war material. But now they have given us instructions to evacuate civilians from the city and move them to the countryside for safety."

"They fear there will be a very violent battle?"

"Yes. Seeing what is happening in Anatea and Louvier the central command is preparing for violent battles. That's why they are sending military special units. They are alerting the air forces and a naval battle is expected in Tropea."

"Do you think we can win the war? Because I think if the nations of Aurelia help each other, we can eliminate the threat of Anglia from our continent."

"I am confident, too. Santoro. You have the day off today to get some rest. I want my men rested when Tengrolhan's forces arrive. "

"Yes Mr. Colonel!"

Luca Santoro left the main hall to go to the dormitories to get some rest before Tengrolhan's forces arrived at Monterosso.

 

Edited April 20 by Ionio
spelling (see edit history)

[Advocatius]

Operation Excelsior Phase 2, 75 km South of Hovd, 12/01/2023

After the all clear signal was received and air superiority was established within the designated perimeter, Operation Excelsior was now entering phase 2. With the aforementioned air superiority, the Advocatian air force was to conduct are raids on identified Tengrolhan FOB's to quell fast response units. It allowed Advocatian grounds units the time required for an assault. The 21st battalion was to split off into three separate groups, and attack Tengrolhan defensive positions, designated: Alpha, Bravo and Charlie. This allowed a distraction for the other Battalions to take out the other defensive lines in the east and west and force Tengrolhan out of Tasun, securing a strategic victory on the front.

The plan was initiated. The three groups set off, with close air support. As the groups came up to their associated points, they attacked at roughly the same time, with numerous casualties coming in the early part of the battle. Battles continued and evolved into heavy units taking pot shots at defensive positions. At Bravo, some men started moving along a treeline, hitting some Tengrolhan forces off guard and knocking down quite a few. They scurried to take out the Advocatians approaching by the treeline. This left a gap in their perimeter, which was exploited as forces began moving up through cover and hitting their weak spot, and managing to take control of Bravo.

At Alpha, Tengrolhan held a discernible advantage. With more men than expected, they managed to hold off the Advocatian approach, resorting to calling in air support. A helicopter moved close below ground to be out of range for some Anti-Aircraft posts further west, which have yet to be attacked by air raids, or were not verified in the planning stage. They began pushing forward, but with heavy casualties. Eventually their advance was halted, which gave ample time for Tengrolhan to retreat to better positions, at that point Alpha had been captured, but the position could be held for long without reinforcements.

Charlie was the closest to Advocatian controlled territory, this allowed elements of the 18th to ambush forces of Tengrolhan from their exposed angle. A haze of bullets flooded the Tengrolhan defensive line, with air support Tengrolhan forces were forced to retreat into the inner city as rapid response units operating inside the city came to aid and reinforce a defensive perimeter. Across the front, firing began to slow. First, Bravo gave off the ready signal, then Charlie, then Alpha. As soon as the first flicked up, the full force of the 18th and the 3rd pushed into Tengrolhan controlled areas. The push was aided by the elements of the 28th mentioned prior to head off and reimburse positions at Bravo and Charlie. 

The main assault came in hard, attempting to sort of squeeze Tengrolhan out of Tasun, nearly encircling it with overwhelming firepower. This was all to avoid urban warfare in Tasun, every general's nightmare and something that could risk civilian casualties. Unfortunately so, while Tengrolhan was retreating, they were still holding out strong. Firefights came about on the streets, civilians rushing inside to whichever place was nearby, tanks rolling on the streets, as casualties, sometimes not military, were being taken all across the city. A slow push began, Tengrolhan even scoring some victories as it appeared platoons were split off in and out of enemy territory.

Bravo and Charlie had their reinforcements arrive duly in time for an attempted reclamation of the post to try to hold onto Tasun. The 28th arrived to hold off the Tengrolhan assault. They were pushed back. Soldiers on both sides were exhausted, moving sluggishly, only hoping that either side would retreat. This came suddenly when what seemed to be a direct order from the General, Tengrolhan fled back, not without relentlessly firing everything they had to cover their retreat. Air raids on suspected routes for their retreat. After a whole day fighting non-stop, they were exhausted, but they completed their objective suffering many casualties but with hope this could stop their assault, they could hail as heroes.

---

Victory on the frontlines

After weeks of brutal fighting from our brave and courageous soldiers, a great victory is achieved for Advocatius and it's people. The formerly captured city of Tasun, has been liberated by our defenders. A statement from the head of the Army, Field Marshal Pierre-Luc Petit, said: "This is a great victory for our nation, this cruel invasion from Tengrolhan has been halted, and I have without a shadow of a doubt, this will be the beginning of further victories across the battlefield, and victory in this war." Tengrolhan advance has seemingly slowed down presumably as a result of this great victory, they now know the ferocity and perseverance of the Advocatian people, we shall not fall no matter the cost. Long live Advocatius! Vive le Avouélos!

[Ionio]

Feb 20 - San Foca

In the conference room of the presidential palace. All the generals were seeing maps and discussing possible strategies they should take for the upcoming battles of Monterosso and Tropea. The president was listening to all the possible strategies that the generals were discussing, and finally the president decided to take the floor.

"What I see that the situation in Tropea and Monterosso is critical. There are civilians that we have not been able to evacuate from the towns. Knowing those in Tengrolhan the two battles will be very violent. "

"Our men have already arrived at the ground. We should probably use aviation to disorient the Tengrolhan military a bit, but in Monterosso the battle will be on the roads."

"Good point, General Antonio De Angelis. To be sure. Have we sent the tanks to Monterosso?"

"Yes. We have the 10th battalion, 4th mechanized brigade and 7th air squadron operating in Monterosso. "

"As for in Tropea, how are we doing?"

"In Tropea we have a special situation since it is a coastal town. We have 13th battalion, 10th mechanized brigade, 12th air squadron and also the naval fleet. The submarines are deployed in a nearby position from the city to carry out surprise attacks against Tengrolhan's naval fleet. "

"It seems that we are ready for these decisive battles."

"Yes Mr. President. We are also ready to carry out hacking attacks against Tengrolhan and disrupt field communications. "

"In the event that we repel the invaders, how do we proceed with the 'attack?"

"If we win both battles, we have the army ready to advance to the pre-war borders and in case invade their enemy territory."

"If we lose the battle?"

"In that case, we must use all our forces and repel the invaders. We cannot endanger Taranto and San Foca. If not, it would be a big problem for Ionio."

"I don't want it either, but it is a hypothesis to consider. Battles are unpredictable, especially in urban places."

"Confirmed. We have the advantage that there are partisans in the occupied territories who are doing sabotage against the enemies. If we intensify the actions of our partisans, we can have a better chance of winning these battles."

"That sounds like a very good plan to me. You have my approval. Now we must be rested and wait for our enemy to attack "

Edited April 20 by Ionio
wrong date (see edit history)

[Advocatius]

Advocatian Frigate Forward Unto Dawn, West Typhon Sea, 23/03/2023

Frigate Captain, Jack Roland, CO
Lieutenant, Evan Harper, XO
FRAS Forward Unto Dawn
West Typhon Sea

Personnel Report, LT Harper, 0800 -- "The Forward Unto Dawn has been deployed numerous times during the war already, in accordance with Destroyer Alexandre-Corin Picard, we've been raiding Tengrolhan and OCA naval vessels up and down the coast, we've been ordered further towards land to engage Tengrolhan convoys close along the shore. I previously asked about air defences, but Commander Roland was persistent with the assumption that the Alexandre-Corin Picard superior anti-air capabilities could protect the Forward Unto Dawn when it couldn't, I remain skeptical. As of now we are moving as scheduled." 

Personal Report, LT Harper, 0900 -- "We've moved further up the coast and radar has identified a few convoys, protected by what appears to be a couple corvettes or maybe even Frigates. Tengrolhan and the OCA had been beefing up it's coastal defence and the protection of convoys, but more recent raids by other vessels and the more focus against Ionio's fleet have appeared to have pushed the bulk of their naval forces away further from Advocatian operations. Not a large set we've come across but still enough to be worth to target, we're ready to engage." -- "Missiles have been launched, we're expecting return fire anytime soon."

Personnel Report, LT Harper, 0930 -- "Post engagement, we did engage, possibly sinking a convoy and corvettes but they had better defences then expecting, the Dawn's been hit by 2 anti-air missiles. The f*cking aa system had trouble locking onto the missiles, the worst possible time, the Picard managed to cover us for a while, and once our defences were up we managed all of them, but those 2 managed to slip through. A fire was caused and the munitions f*cking exploded. I've been trying to assist, hopefully we can get back to Advocatius.

Personnel Report, LT Harper, 1120 -- "The ship has grinded to a halt, we're close to Advocatius, they've dispatched a Sealion I think it's the Vaquita and a tugboat, hopefully we can be pulled ashore before we begin taking in anymore water." -- "We don't have enough time... Roland's issued an abandoned ship order."

Corvette Captain, Pierre Cooper, CO
Ensign First Class, Harry Osborne, XO
FRAS Vaquita
East Baie d'Ailénor

Ship Report, CC Cooper -- "The Forward Unto Dawn... has sunk."

---

Frigate Forward Unto Dawn sinks

Today from the frontlines, the Advocatian Frigate, Forward Unto Dawn, after conducting offensive operations in the west Typhon, was reportedly sunk by two anti-ship missiles earlier today. The ship was alongside the Destroyer Alexandre-Corin Picard, and after attacking enemy vessels of Tengrolhan, was attacked by the remaining vessels, resulting in a fire being started on board, and before it was managed to be put out the munitions on board exploded. The ship began it's voyage home but the damage experienced caused the ship to slow, after the corvette Vaquita and a Tugboat arrived, the ship was already taking on water, and later sunk, some were able to swim to safety, but many died.

(Picture taken onboard the Vaquita minutes before the Dawn sunk)

The Forward Unto Dawn was named after the first vessel the Socialist Federal Republic ever built and operated, when it was decommissioned in 2011, there were many who wished to maintain it's legacy, so the ship set to be named the Saviour was renamed the Forward Unto Dawn out of respect for Advocatius' first ship, and when it was commissioned in 2018 it was one of Advocatius' most advanced vessels. The ship was a symbol for Advocatius and its naval strength, and it's sinkage is a great tragedy, but we shall not let it bring us down, for we will continue fighting for our Motherland, and our spirit will lead us to victory against Tengrolhan. Long Live Advocatius! Vive le Avouélos!

Edited March 26 by Advocatius
changed commission date to fit future naval plans (see edit history)

[Advocatius]

Montpellier, Southeast Advocatius, 30/03/2023

Forces of Tengrolhan began attacks on Montpellier on the 12th of December 2022, Advocatius recognised the oncoming assault on the city quite early on, and had dispatched 3 battalions to organise the defense of the city, when the Tengrolhan forces finally came, a mass artillery barrage came firing hundreds of shells upon them, yet Tengrolhan had still a majority of it's forces intact, and attacked the city with all of it's might. Advocatian troops scrambled for a stiff defense, very quickly it became a bloodbath, neither side had been prepared for such conditions, spirits of men broken as artillery hailed from the sky upon one-another.

Artillery was the deciding factor of the battle, the land had been scared by thousands upon thousands of shells. Yet still neither side had the upper hand, as days passed the grueling battlefield became frozen, a stalemate, soldiers would charge blindly without any hope or chance of ever coming back. It remained this way for months, until Operation Excelsior, with the loss of Tasun it was a strategic defeat, it halted their advance towards Hovd, with this they sought to secure the frontline, and Montpellier was placed in an important logistical position, pressure was placed upon the capture of the city, both sides had managed to reimburse their positions.

With this the still ongoing battle reached a boiling point, yet another wave after wave of men throwing themselves against each other, and the heaviest rainfall in decades made it even worse, crack of the lightning splitting the ground, thunder sounding as artillery pounded positions, switching from firing on mass to more strategic to take out mechanised units, which had became either the bane of an infantrymen, or their saving grace on the shattered streets of the city. Among the cities fields, due to the heavy rainfall the ground turned to mud, tanks, IFV's and other vehicles were left caught in the mud, forcing crews to abandon their vehicle or risk being obliterated by artillery.

Now ever since then every soldier on the frontlines of the city had the gruesome imagery of this on their minds, soldiers being pummeled by falling artillery almost indistinguishable from thunder, their blood being swept away by rain. Reaping across the battlefield was indiscriminate bombardments, days, weeks, and months rolled by and it seemed like nothing in the frontlines had changed, still with this in the back of their head, the thoughts of death, they still fought. The battle had become a symbol of the Advocatian will to resist, to fight back and to defeat any adversary they encountered, now they needed that strength more then ever, the fate of Advocatius rested upon them

It'd been over 100 days since the first shots were fired, the 8th Battalion was now one of the primary defenders of the city, their motto was "Resist and Bite" and that coincidence with their objective, launching artillery from the backlines as counter-battery, anytime Tengrolhan launched a barrage, they would reciprocate. They were one of the few things keeping Advocatian lines at Montpellier from collapsing, they had gained notoriety amongst the army for their determination and key role in the staunch defense of the Motherland, they had even begun accepting requests from people to write words on artillery shells before they were fired, one of the most popular ever since the 23rd of march, "Remember the Dawn" in memory of the ship and men sunk on that day, slowly becoming the motto of the war against Tengrolhan.

For the average soldier, they were fueled by strong patriotism and will to fight for their motherland, yet they still feared death, to wake up and see fields of artillery rained hellfire upon each other, grass grows, birds fly, and huge storms of hundreds if not thousands of shells came careening from the sky. To live in conditions which some have compared to stalemates and bloodbaths of the Europan Long War, it cannot be understated the suffering. There were no signs of any end to it in sight, for as long as the battle would rage and the death toll heightened, on both sides neither would waver their positions, and slowly high command of both would start reconsidering every soldier they sent to die.

("No mans land" in Montpellier)

Edited March 30 by Advocatius
Wrong date lol (see edit history)

[Ionio]

Feb 22

Tengrolhan attacks Monterosso and Tropea. 

Firefighters intervene to put out a fire and save lives trapped by a partial collapse caused by a missile launched from Tengrolhan

At dawn Tengrolhan's military forces began attacking Monterosso and Tropea bringing the invasion into full swing. A very violent street battle is currently underway, and people who have not been able to escape are advised to take refuge in the nearest antibunker or in the basements of buildings. 

Many buildings have been damaged by military clashes including buildings far from the war front where firefighters have been able to intervene to put out fires but the situation is very dangerous because of the risk of being hit by misilli launched by Tengrolhan forces with the complicity of Anglia's forces

The situation is currently evolving, and we cannot make predictions about the situation in the two cities because of the violent clashes on the streets. Stay tuned for more news

[Advocatius]

Ministry of Armed Forces, Victoires, 28/04/2023

Premier Louis Monet was escorted by his guards to the war room, where his Generals sat eagerly awaiting his arrival. As he walked in, he was greeted by a standing salute, followed by all of them sitting down. The war in Advocatius had drawn too a grinding halt since Operation Excelsior, the war had turned into one of attrition, nowhere was this more evident than Montpellier, but on most of the frontlines it sought a brutal fighting through mountainous and hilly terrain, both sides ambushing each other with light vehicles, and artillery platforms attacking enemy infrastructure to quell any forces attempting sneak attacks.

"So, Gentlemen. Any updates on our overall war effort?" Louis spoke in a harsh, bitter tone. Being the Premier, the 'beacon' of Advocatius during what was it's most trying time had taken it's toll on him, stressing him out eagerly awaiting for something, anything to tip the balance of power.

General Harrison Armstrong replied - "Well, Tengrolhan has been prioritising the destruction of artillery units in battlegroup centre. It was for this reason due to the lack of mobility in our towed units, alongside the important addition of what is basically an airstrike with less cost and less risk we are purchasing the Iverican UCAG I 'Elefante' hopefully allowing us to support our men on the frontlines with more efficiency and less risk of losing artillery units, and battering the f*ck out of any advancing force." letting out a soft chuckle, Louis had always wondered how Armstrong had remained optimistic during such horrific times.

"If they're focusing battlegroup centre, it means they have something planned for it. Potter, has Intelligence picked something up that can tell us anything?" Field Marshal Pierre-Luc Petit's voice elevated above all else, having served during the Revolution his voice scarred from wounds he had received during march on Victoires in 1984. "That line is the only thing holding off Tengrolhan from Hovd and their long terms strategic goals."

Potter had been silent during this meeting seemingly nervous, as if he had picked up on something, something groundbreaking - "Well, Intelligence has reported mass formations of Tengrolhan forces and equipment close to the frontlines in betwixt Montpellier and Tasun, the only gateway since Tasun's recapture and the stalemate at Montpellier that could lead their army into Hovd."

"And how can we be sure this will be an organised attack on Hovd, Tengrolhan's army is grinding itself to pieces. Advocatius has the manpower and production capability to keep up this current war of attrition, Tengrolhan is struggling to supply it's men at salients, any attempt to take Hovd would be suicidal, perhaps this could just be a simple reimbursement of their frontlines." Harrison interjecting, seemingly bewildered.

"We need to stay vigilant, we can't just write this off, should any attack on Hovd succeed. Advocatius will have lost a staggering amount of men, equipment and have no way to continue this war. We need to devote more men to battlegroup centre, organise a layered defense along any possible advance to Hovd, this country depends on it." Louis was visibly sweating, an attack on Hovd? He didn't wish to be the Premier that would see his country's defeat, and wanted to take every opportunity to stop that from happening.

"Understood, Premier Monet." - prior to giving off a short salute once more before exiting the building. As Louis was escorted back to the Premier's Palace by his 1st Battalion, what he had formerly been the commander of, standing aside the Premiers gave him the motivation to pick up the wurld of politics, never could be have predicted what his Premiership would lead through. He sat down in his office chair, he thought to himself of his situation, he picked out one of his @Florentian cigars and one of their fine bourbons. A sense of stress had plagued him since the day the war began, preferring to calm himself with such items of quality. Yet he could do no less than to serve his people and his country, hoping for the sake of everyone they could win.
 

---

Murakh, 60 km South of Hovd, 28/04/2023

Staff Sergeant Jean Lavigne was a Tank Commander operating a C-44 "Mangouste" Light Tank. He had been stationed along the frontlines close to the small town of Murakh, he would patrol through high points along the terrain, ambushing any Tengrolhan forces coming their way. He was far from fighting among major battles in places like Montpellier, something he had always thought senior officers obsessed over, never looking at how him and forces like his were the main line defense of Advocatius against what he had maintained as an Anglian puppet state, only to cause the suffering of Aurelia. He felt surrounded, coated in 30+ tonnes of steel didn't make him feel any better, just waiting for the day and artillery shell would crash into him and his tank.

Murakh had been a frontline town for a couple months now, surrounded by the hilly terrain of the Tengrol Autonomous Republic, it made the area deadly to traverse. Sometimes there would be artillery barrages beating against the cliffs making roads untraversable, other times they'd be lying low in the bottom of valleys taking cover, sniping targets from far away. The C-34 Mangouste was Advocatius' main frontline tank that served against Tengrolhan, most of the time their C-85 Chacal MBT's, based on the Volscian T-80, could barely operate in such terrain and conditions. He had wondered to himself why they hadn't tried to develop an MBT that could properly operate in the terrain, or it was already in the works, nothing he would know.

Supporting patrols through the ridgeline of mountains, moving ahead to intercept enemy armoured fighting vehicles, sometimes leading into the town itself and carefully picking off enemy tanks through tight corners, all as he commanded, yet he felt he lacked control. Being what felt like locked in an armoured box as he'd see infantry take behind him for cover, it felt daunting, yet he and his crew had slowly been making a name for themselves, they would always be first to arrive for support and last to leave any armoured duel, some marking it as "impressive", what they had been doing from the day they started rolling over the landscape.

(Lavigne's C-44 Mangouste)

Edited May 20 by Advocatius
ITS 44 NWO AAAAAAAAAAJ (see edit history)

[Ionio]

Battle of Monterosso International Airport (Feb. 23)

At 5:45: AM, there was a calm at the Monterosso International Airport, but that silence was interrupted by the sounds of helicopters of the Tengrolhan military forces that were trying to occupy the airport. Sirens began to be heard everywhere, and it was a sign that the battle of Monterosso had begun. Ionian military forces activated to counter-attack. Soldiers began to take up defensive positions, while armored vehicles were moving to occupy established positions to repel enemy attacks.

Tengrolhan's helicopters managed to land selected soldiers near the airport to try to capture it, but the soldiers found strong resistance from the Ionian army. After a few hours it was evident that Tengrolhan's army was sending more and more men to try to take the airport but since the Ionian army had prepared in advance and managed to resist, causing violent clashes inside the airport.

Seeing that the battle of the 'airport was leading toward victory for the Ionian forces, the Tengrolhan military command had decided to send a column of tanks. When they arrived near the airport, they were overwhelmed by fire from the Ionian forces, as the road to the airport had to cross a hill where the Ionian army had hidden to attack against the invading forces. The trap had worked, destroying 12 trucks and 6 tanks, but the Ionian army nevertheless lost men.

After a day of violent clashes, the airport was still in the hands of the Ionian army, decreeing a victory but with many casualties in men and vehicles. The airport emerged damaged from the clashes, but many basic facilities were still standing. Wounded soldiers were transported to the medical center at the 'airport, while some soldiers saw the hill that had become a death zone because Tengrolhan military forces were behind the hill.

During the night the new reinforcements sent by the Ionian general command arrived, and as the soldiers took up defense positions, the sounds of fighting taking place in the city could be heard.

[Advocatius]

Office of the Premier, Victoires, 05/05/2023

Premier Louis Monet had been long awaiting the word of his generals of this perceived incoming Tengrolhan offensive, stressing him to such points where he would not be able to sleep at night. He could only think of his wife and children, and what would happen if it would be Advocatius would fall to Tengrolhan, what would happen to them. He had been laying in his chair watching out the window seeing the river outside the Premier Palace, such a beautiful site he thought.

A rush of steps could be heard careening down the hallway leading to his office, Field Marshal Pierre-Luc Petit emerged from the door. Louis from the moment he saw his face knew that the long awaited assault had come, he didn't need explaining, he looked down at his desk as he stood up in anticipation. "So, has what we had suspected been true?"

Pierre gritted his teeth as he delivered the news. "Tengrolhan has moved wait appears to be a force 12 battalion large into a offensive at what we had suspected to be the area of their attack, but the force was much larger than suspected and our first lines of defense have been forced to retreat to the fallback line."

"Shit," Louis became appeared startled at what he had heard. "So what does this mean for Advocatius?" Seemingly feeling genuine worry within his voice

"Well it means that we've had to lose a lot of good men in our first couple battles, however this could be a blessing in disguise - driving so many forces into a small gap will overstretch Tengrolhan's forces, and put more of our forces on the immediate first stages of the incoming battle." Pierre delivered these words with conviction, but Louis had noticed a slight tremor in his voice, could be his injuries, or could be him coping with the situation, but no time to ask him he thought.

"Lets hope you're right with your assumption, should we fail, our nation could be left in the hands of what will not be Tengrolhan but the puppeteers of Anglia and the Occidental-Azanian Pact, aiding Tengrolhan only for themselves, the capture of Hovd by their forces should not happen under any circumstances." Delivering these words with tenacity, Pierre exited the office, stepping off in the same manner as he did entering. Louis walked over to the window seeing ships in the river pass by, he sighed, looking over his country almost letting a tear out, he would fight for the survival of Advocatius, whatever it takes.

---

Fallback Line, 23km South of Hovd, 05/05/2023

Staff Sergeant Jean Lavigne had felt that they had left to the fallback line too prematurely, believing they still had the capabilities to hold off Tengrolhan directly, but who knows what the generals above him had cooking up as a strategy, how would he know any better, he may be venerated as one of Advocatius' best tank commanders but it is not like that was a rank in the Military. Him and his crew were escorting a group of VBTT-40 Tortue armoured personnel carriers bringing men to the fallback line along a muddy road, the rain recently had actually down a good job of slowing Tengrolhan down enough to give more time for the escorts to flee and you know not get blasted by an artillery shell sent from heaven.

He thought to himself, he had been on the frontlines for months now and this was the most drastic change, he would be in one of the major battles, as opposed to the mountainous terrain and ambushes he had been used to, as opposed to everywhere else he had been this would be flat, even terrain, perhaps he'd even get to see what those C-85 Chacal main battle tanks were made of on a battlefield. In the back of his head he wondered, what if this became the second Montpellier? What if he would have to deal with the fields of mud, the barrage of artillery. His brother was sent to Montpellier, he became an artilleryman for the 8th battalion, one day a shell came crashing down and... he was gone.

It had been growing late and he had become tired, nothing much to do other than just sit there waiting for his slow hunk of metal to get to the destination, it was like the tank was anchoring the Tortue's from their top speed and reaching the destination in time, he was bored out of his skull, only thing keeping him going is that had they been left behind and Tengrolhan caught up, they would be alone and practically defenceless against anything they would throw at him, that kept him awake, before he had even realised the sky got brighter, bloody hell it had been an entire day, and they still had not arrived, but the location was in sight, just hoping he got an opportunity to stretch his legs.

(The Three VBTT-40 Tortue APC's Lavigne is escorting on their way to the fallback line)

By the time they arrived the sun had risen again, Lavigne during his approach had seen more infantry than he had during all of his time on the frontlines combined, aided by waves of infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers, in the distance of the backlines groups of artillery assembled and tanks where pointed towards chokepoints they could pin down heavily armed vehicles to give opportunity for infantry to react to the incoming assault, it was a sight to behold. He was set to be stationed nearby elements of the 3rd Battalion, who some might know as taking part in Tasun, they'd experienced a lot in the war and new how major battles played out. He was glad to have their experience.

He exited his tank to get some much needed rest - he did have the time after all with some estimating that Tengrolhan would only arrive to Hovd in a couple of days, some much needed time to rest and much needed times to reflect. He thought about his mother, father and sister back home and what had... happened to his brother just 2 months back, he chuckled to himself that maybe he would get the payback he so desperately craved, something for closure knowing that his brother had not died for the sake of Advocatius in vain, he readied himself mentally for what would approach, it'll be devastating, only hoping that the men he would fight alongside with would fight with at the very least half the spirit his brother had, for Advocatius and it's people.

(Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion preparing for the Defense of Hovd)

[Ionio]

Feb 23-28 - Monterosso - Suburban battle. 
Tengrolhan's forces attempted to penetrate the outlying neighborhoods of Monterosso. The battle was very bloody and lasted 5 days, with Tengrolhan forces capturing the outlying neighborhoods. The Ionian forces had to retreat toward the Arno River. During this period, Tengrolhan forces tried to capture the Monterosso International Airport without success, suffering heavy defeats.

March 1-8 - Monterosso - Battle of the Bridges.
Tengrolhan's forces tried to penetrate inside the historic center of Monterosso without success. The battle was also difficult due to weather conditions, with heavy rains that had swollen the river. After several clashes, the Ionian generals had decided to implement a military plan that involved destroying the bridges, creating a trap for Tengrolhan's military forces. After a long discussion, it was decided to implement the plan called Operation Flood. The operation consisted of the Ionian forces that were fighting retreating into the old town, creating a false retreat while military personnel specialized in demolitions installed explosive charges in the bridges. Seeing the retreat of the Ionian military forces, the Tengrolhan forces decided to head for the bridges hoping to end the battle and complete the siege, but when they were almost done crossing the bridges the charges exploded destroying the bridges causing military and military vehicles to plunge into the river. Among the casualties was an infamous colonel of the Tengrolhan military forces. While the destruction of bridges was happening, the Ionian forces responded with heavy artillery, causing a defeat to the Tengrolhan forces.

March 9-18 - Monterosso - War of attrition
After Operation Flood was a success they switched to a war of attrition where Tengrolhan forces had to resist not only Ionian military attacks but also partisan actions and resistance movements causing heavy casualties. The Ionian military forces were able to repel several offensives even at night by Tengrolhan.  Tengrolhan forces had made several attempts to build pontoon bridges, but the Ionian forces managed to destroy them easily, causing losses of military assets and also Tengrolhan military personnel.

March 19-22 - Monterosso - Battle of Arcetri
The Battle of Arcetri was the fastest battle in which Tengrolhan's forces were heavily defeated with many casualties. In the battle, the Ionian area force managed to effectively bombard Tengrolhan's missile launcher positions, further weakening the enemy forces. The Ionian military forces succeeded in capturing the entire city of Monterosso except the Rifredi district where Tengrolhan's military command post was located.

March 23 - Monterosso - Monterosso Military Headquarters.
The Ionian military generals were discussing how to execute the 'final attack that will enable them to defeat Tengrolhan's forces and begin the reconquest of the occupied territories. The news that reached Tropea was very frightening but encouraging, and with the new reinforcements that St. Phocas had sent, there was hope for the better. All the highways had become makeshift military airfields, which made it difficult for Tengrolhan's forces to hit the various military airfields. General Carlo Costa had devised a plan of a total attack on all fronts to take the Rifredi district and conclude the Battle of Monterosso.  The 'final attack was planned for March 25 while a military action was now taking place to wear down the enemy forces even more.

[Ionio]

March 24 - Monterosso - Battle of Monterosso

Early in the morning the Ionian military command began military operations to end the Battle of Monterosso and begin the counter offensive and recapture the occupied territories. The military operation began during dawn by having the Ionian Air Force activated to destroy enemy positions as much as possible.

At the same time, the army was launching multi-point attacks on Tengrolhan forces to create a distraction while the real attack was about to come from their rear.

Special military departments parachuted into the enemy area during the night to initiate the final attack and capture the enemy military base.  The operation was proceeding with excellent results for the Ionian military as it was challenging the Tengrolhan military. The enemies retreated to the perimeter of their military base, creating a death zone around the base where snipers from both deployments fired at the slightest sign of movement. The stalemate lasted throughout the rest of the day until deep into the night where the special military team managed to sneak inside the military base to plant the explosive charges to launch the real military attack.

At 3:00 AM on March 25 the explosive charges planted by the Ionian special units were detonated and then the Ionian army began to launch its final attack. After a half hour of violent clashes the Tengrolhan army surrendered allowing the Ionian military to arrest them and confiscate their military vehicles and equipment. Among those arrested were some infamous colonels famous for their brutality during the various battles.

March 25 was a day of celebration but also of planning for the counter-offensive. There were many secret documents in the enemy military base that allowed them to implement a strategy to strike and weaken the enemy more and more.

----------------------
March 26 - San Foca

In the Ionian General Military Command, activities were becoming increasingly hectic. With Tengrolhan's military documentation obtained from the Battle of Monterosso, new military strategies were being planned to make the counter-offensive to quickly conquer the occupied territories. Analysts were analyzing the documentation together with the generals.  General Carlo Costa was discussing with analyst Marco Bertinotti.

"What have we discovered from these secret documents?"

"We are still analyzing but there is interesting information that will be of use to our Advocatian friends who are fighting. But the most important thing that there is a ship containing military equipment for the Tengrolhan forces. It seems to be on its way to Tropea or nearby areas."

"I'd better call our intelligence. Maybe we can weaken the bastards even more."

[Advocatius]

Defense of Hovd, 23km South of Hovd, 13/05/2023

Staff Sergeant Jean Lavigne had been most of the time resting to prepare himself both physically and mentally for the upcoming battle, despite his brash demeanor and tough attitude as some would describe him, he was scared, petrified of what could happen. When he joined the Ground Forces he thought he could be the badass hero of war, saving the day like they did in movies, but this wasn't a movie, it was real. He was stationed ahead as one of the first lines of defense, setting to ambush and pin the heavy armoured vehicles Tengrolhan had been using to pierce through Advocatian line, while rapid response units would arrive and scrap them for parts.

He had heard that Tengrolhan's forces had been spotted on approach by recon units such as artillery spotters, today was the day, any minute now, he could imagine the clock ticking as he awaited the signal, for the first shots of the battle to be heard. His thoughts were interrupted by a  thunderous storm of artillery that was heard, the CCR-62 Ibex, or the 082 as the Tagmatines call it was set along the back of the fallback line and had had been used to great effect during the war of attrition so far down south. However, that was not what he could fixate on, the barrage could only mean one thing and one thing only... Tengrolhan had reached the fallback line, the Defense of Hovd had begun.

The forces of Tengrolhan were approaching among two major roads however now began splitting into a more spread out attack, the incoming assault was first met with the aforementioned artillery strikes, their aim mainly being to take out as many heavy armoured vehicles like tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to cripple Tengrolhan's armoured divisions which would be the backbone of the assault and mop away whatever infantry was left in the aftermath. However, artillery could only be so precise, about a few dozen vehicles had been destroyed however the main bulk of their assault pushed forward as infantry moved ahead to find any recon left behind.

The first wave of barrages also had a side effect of slowing down Tengrolhan to allow more time for their F-28 Warthog's to scramble and launch an organised, effective response to the attack, air strikes sweeping across the frontlines with enough force to overthrow an argic government, however, Tengrolhan had soon activated their anti-air countermeasures as the Warthog's were sort-of forced out of the angle of attack. By then a sizeable blow had been dealt to the forces of Tengrolhan but they had yet to break their resolve and seemingly insisted on continuing the battle, they continued their advance and eventually came across the first wave of Ground Forces, one of which was Lavigne.

(A group of CCR-62 Ibex's (082's) firing the first barrage of the battle.)

Lavigne and his crew were stationed ahead of the larger defensive line, the idea being that they could sneakingly stay out of enemy sight for long enough to get into a good position to take out the spearhead of armoured vehicle alongside groups of other tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, pinning them down with heavy fire whilst until backup had arrived with enough force to entirely decimate whatever had they locked down, fluid defense, basically. He awaited the attack patiently as suddenly the sounds of heavy machinery could be heard, it had finally come, they remained in the dense forest and bushes until they had eyes on target, 3 tanks at the forefront and many more on the way, alongside the other vehicle they opened fire on them.

They enemy tanks had clearly been caught of guard, Lavigne remarked how they probably expected them to be further back than this, they had destroyed on of the tanks and heavily damaged the others, but soon afterwards the enemy reinforcements came, and much faster than they anticipated, looks like everyone making mistakes today he thought to himself letting out a slight chuckle, attempting to mask how terrified he was. A mirage of enemy forces came battling through the forest as an array of fire sweeps through the area, taking out Advocatian positions with brutal firepower, in the time they had since arrived Lavigne counted down his fate, as shell just barely moved passed then and another nailing the aft of the vehicle scathing passed anything vital.

Then as the resolve of his unit was breaking, they were reimbursed by the 3rd battalion, he knew those soldiers were good, as they moved in they picked off the Tengrolhan assault and rushed to cover what remained of the holdout box, notably including Lavigne and his crew, they moved back out into the open now with the granted benefit of less fire being sent directly at him, as he sniped enemy vehicles covering the 3rd as they moved up securing nearby fields, but this could only last so long, as the frontlines closed in the battle became stiff, as everyone was fighting to hold on with what they had captured.

The stalemate at this time had drawn every soldier on the battlefield on both sides to a breaking point, firing on waves of bullets as artillery rocketed throughout the sky with the noise of them firing beating like a heart across the Eurth. The F-28 Warthog's flew overhead attacking Tengrolhan's backline positions, moving toward their supply line in the massive salient they had created, hoping to cut off their supply to allow relief for the Advocatian soldiers such as Lavigne in the mist of the fighting. He let out a deep sigh, being encased in a giant metal box only made him more more claustrophobic, and he was in terror as infantry only relying on nearby rocks or foxholes they dug, or as some on them became, graves.

By the time he realised the first day had nearly passed, Tengrolhan's forces were about 12 battalions large at this point and they had secured a lot of territory, but Advocatius still held what looked to be the advantage, as it seemed Tengrolhan was grinding it's forces against chokepoints hoping for a solid breakthrough. At this point even the average infantrymen with a brick for a mind had realised that this battle would be Tengrolhan's last chance for taking over Advocatius, throwing everything they had at Hovd. This ideology would serve to fuel every soldier Advocatius had at the frontlines, their families back home cheering them on, they were ready to put their lives on the line to defend Hovd. Tengrolhan had f*cked around and they were about to find out.

(Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion deploying from a VBCI-35A Renard Infantry Fighting Vehicle during the Defense of Hovd)

Edited May 13 by Advocatius
variant (see edit history)

[Advocatius]

Defense of Hovd, Operation: Kotov Syndrome, 23km South of Hovd, 22/05/2023

The battle raged on for days, Advocatius had launched staunch and fierce defense of the main line of contact, fending it off as Tengrolhan relentlessly assaulted the Advocatian defense positions every second of every day, before said battle many had been fearful that the Defense of Hovd would be a like second Montpellier, even Lavigne had that thought in the back of his head, maybe he would have ended up like his brother after all. Throughout the battle he was stationed as a forward unit all alone, sniping off armoured vehicles from long ranges, sometimes only being able to watch as his autoloader jammed, and those vehicles mauled through Advocatian infantry, his very friends; it had really changed how he viewed the battles he took part in.

The day after first contact and once all sides had been properly dug in to their positions a brutal trade of bullets hailed from each side as they were battering one another, in terms of artillery, Advocatius held a distinct advantage, having fully mapped out the frontlines prior to the battle with a grid of target reference points allowing their artillery to be much more precise than that of Tengrolhan's, and complementing this was the first few @Iverican UCAG I Elefante's entering the fray, with their guided munitions allowing for what is basically a less risky and less expensive air strike. They prioritised the destruction of enemy support and supply units, hoping to cripple Tengrolhan's forces in a way which would force them to retreat, but for the first few days they wouldn't budge.

As they days were passing by and the dead were piling high, the mental effects of such a battle had begun to take their toll on him and his crew, they went sleepless having spent hours inside of their armoured box, he still felt... unsafe if that had made any sense. Him and other armoured fighting vehicles were stationed at the forefront as mentioned previously, over the course of the battle he noticed a very distinct difference in how the Advocatian Ground Forces were operating here as opposed to the mountains he had been used to fighting in artillery firing further and further out of his sight, mortars being the main equipment to be used in support of infantry, probably something about how they're harder to detect, they didn't want their artillery units to experience a full out barrage of counter-battery. Lavigne had previously wondered why the Advocatian Ground Forces had even bothered with the manufacturing C-30 main battle tanks, now that they could finally be put to good use and would fight along with him side-by-side, he was grateful for them, he watched in almost astonishment as their armour tanked full on rounds his that would have crippled his C-44, it had gave him a little bit of hope after all.

After the initial shock of the battle had worn off, Advocatian Command had fully planned out and organised a tactical response to ongoing situation, several new battalions were sent to reimburse defensive positions at where the main force of attack was centered, whilst more were placed among the eastern and western portions of the salient, ready to cut off the spearhead and hopefully encircle a large portion of their existing forces, or at least force most of them to retreat. It would remove the immense pressure on the units already serving at the forefront of the main battle such as Lavigne, especially with the fact that the new battalions arriving would have dozens of new tanks to pulverise those damn Tengrolhan soldiers.

The counter-attack, codenamed 'Operation: Kotov Syndrome' in reference to a chess term in which the enemy blunders and costs them the game, or as Tengrolhan will have costed themselves the war. It was launched as the combined forces of the 18th, 8th, 9th, 81st, 62nd and even the damn 21st Aerial Drop Shock Troopers, all spearheaded the pincer attack as they swept through heaps of Tengrolhan soldiers, with air strikes no longer needed at the main battle the F-28 Warthog's swept through Tengrolhan supply units caught up in the valleys moving towards Hovd, additionally destroying the infrastructure which Tengrolhan would require to make a retreat not be an absolute shitshow. All while the electronic warfare variant of the Warthog, the EF-28D Growler jammed Tengrolhan radar frequencies to keep their aerial units unaware of the operation so they wouldn't respond, and stopping the forces caught up at Hovd from knowing they had to retreat, a damn masterpiece of an operation.

Once Tengrolhan had realised what was going on reinforcements to Hovd had already arrived, and alongside dozens, maybe a hundred other tanks began a ruthless assault on the Tengrolhan lines, mortars barraging tanks and infantry fighting vehicles caught up at the main line of contact as they were pinned down by heavy fire hailing from the C-30 Chacal II's and C-44 Mangouste's, as the VBCI-35 Renard's sniped fleeing infantry units deploying Advocatian soldiers to hunt down the stragglers left behind, giving way for a mass Tengrolhan retreat while like thunder-strikes mass artillery barrages aimed for the fleeing armoured personnel carriers and pontoon bridges across the many rivers Tengrolhan was forced to cross while assaulting Hovd, and now would be forced to fleeing from Hovd, as they entered back into the cliffs and valleys aiming for loose rock formations to entrap most of them on the other side, leaving them for incoming Advocatian infantry to slaughter like sheep.

Lavigne pondered to himself as they rolled across the shell-stricken fields of what had once been the battle, tank tracks, craters, and the bodies of dead servicemen both Advocatian and Tengrolhan alike, he did not take joy in the blood shed by these people, Tengrolhan soldiers were fighting and dying the cause of imperialism, dying for the cause of that they could defeat Advocatius and Ionio and reform their long-lost great Tengrol Empire, dying for the cause of their politicians, lying to them to stuff their pockets with the cash stained with the blood of the thousands of young boys whose families now had to see one less seat at the dinner table, he prayed for the sake of those men and their families, that they would be remembered fondly not as invaders, but as who they were, just regular people, who were fed the lies of Imperialism and the glory of war; Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - the old lie.

(Advocatian LRU-15 Bison firing a "Tueur" cruise missile at retreating Tengrolhan soldiers during Operation: Kotov Syndrome.)

Edited May 22 by Advocatius
didn't attero updatus the date uwu death has come (see edit history)

[Ionio]

Feb 23 - Feb 28 - Tropea - Battle of the suburbs

Tengrolhan's forces attacked the city starting from the suburbs. During the battle, Tengrolhan's forces tried to invade the city by exploiting the beach but the choice was completely wrong because Ionian forces had undermined the beach causing a large number of casualties.  The battle was very violent but Ionian forces were defeated and retreated to the city center.

March 1 - March 8 - Tropea - Battle of the harbor

Tengrolhan's forces tried to seize the port of Tropea causing a violent clash from the military forces. The battle also took place in the sea where the Ionian naval forces managed to prevel even with air support. The battle was in full swing when the Ionian forces managed to sink several military ships that were important to Tengrolhan's plans. The battle was very violent and Tengrolhan's forces suffered a heavy defeat with many casualties and sunken ships indicating a clear message of revenge for sinking Advocatian Frigate Forward Unto Dawn

March 9 - March 19 - Tropea - War of attrition

The battle continued for several days with a stalemate. Tengrolhan's forces tried several times to invade the port without succeeding. The 'airport was also targeted but with little success. The war of attrition was very hard on both armies but the Ionian generals were confident that after this war of attrition the final attack could be launched

March 20 - March 24 - Tropea - Battle of the Swamps

Ionian military forces decided to launch a surprise attack using the marshes located near Tropea. The 'attack served as a distraction to Tengrolhan's forces while the real attack came toward the city. The 'operation proved successful because the Ionian army managed to seize missile launchers that Tengrolhan used to destroy cities.  With the 'acquisition of new military equipment the Ionian army was ready to deliver the coup de grace to the enemy

March 25 - March 27 - Tropea - Battle Of Tropea.

The Battle of Tropea began in the early morning with the aim of pushing the enemy forces out of Tropea as quickly as possible. The battle was very violent and resulted in numerous casualties. After several days Tengrolhan's forces were encircled. Tengrolhan's resistance was commendable but it was clear that the situation was desperate and it was only a matter of days or hours that the Ionian forces would kill them and so there was a rebellion by Tengrolhan's soldiers killing their colonel and they surrendered to the Ionian forces.  The Battle of Tropea ended on March 27 with an Ionian victory and the 'acquisition of military equipment as well as secret documents.