War of Unification (Vanuku)

A time of peace
Around the 2050s, the State now know as Vanuku was split into sperate Nations. The Vanuku Government of the Northern Mountain Ranges and down to the edge of Bay of Vahama, and the Southern Government of Caldonia, reaching across the southern lowlands bordering on what is now Magellu State, along with some other Provisional States, (Castell, Undasa, Princeton, Port Cook). Caldonia was Catholic; Vanuku was a new religious state under the Church of Vanuku. The Two Government generally got along well, apart from minor border dispute on the Vahama River, until the Rise in Power in Vanuku of Security Party in 2073. By 2078 the Party had raised a Grand Army, and unified some of the less loyal cities around the south (Princeton, Papel). In 2080, the Vanuku Government claimed all the land of the state of Vahama, robbing the Caldonians of Major Resources and population. The Caldon Government in Dunecun Declared War on August 20th 2090, The War of Unification had begun.

Battle of Homlinstag
The Caldon Army was larger then its Vanuk Counterpart, put poorly lead. The Command-in-Chief of the Army was Field Marshall Julius. Who believed that Caldon could never be defeated, and that any war with Vanuku would be over in weeks. The Caldon Army deployed 500,000 men of the First Army under the command of General Ismay to Homlinstag, a Vanuk City across the border. Ismay believed that Homlinstag would be well defended, and held his army back for a day before attacking the city. The city was abandoned by the Vanuk Army and Ismay’s First Army entered the city on the 5th of September. While the Caldon’s rested inside the city, the Vanuk 5th Division (numbering about 150,000), lead by Gen. Randloff surrounded the city. By morning on the 6th the Battle of Homlinstag began. Ismay ordered a forward push out of the city towards the north-west, committing 100,000 Soldiers to the movement. Randloff allowed the push to reach a ridge north of the city, where the Vanuk army had rested the night before. As the Caldon offensive reached the ridge, they where cut down by Vanuk artillery and machine gun fire. The Caldon’s retreated, followed by a Vanuk Regiment of 20,000 that followed them all the way into the city, which was already being siege by Randloff main force. Ismay panicked, and ordered his army to breakout back towards the Vahama River. The Offensive to breakout of Homlinstag cost 90,000 Caldon Soldiers, most losing there way out and running into Vanuk positions along the Hilton River in the city centre. By the time Ismay and his command made it to the Vahama, his army numbered only 230,000. Randloff was promoted to Field Marshall, Ismay was retired.

Siege of Fort Bartlet
Also now as the 1st Vahama River War. After the defeat of the Caldonian Army at Homlinstag, The Caldon General Staff ordered a retreat to Wiel. As the Caldon’s recovered, Randloff Planned his offensive, the Vanuk Army now numbering 800,000 along the Vahama River. Randloff knew that to attack Wiel head on would be costly, and may turn the war, with the Vahama River running to the east of the city and mostly forest surroundings, Wiel was an easy to defend City. What Randloff planned was to go round the city near the coast, capturing the Vahama River inlet to the sea, and the small port city there, and attacking Wiel from the along the river from the North. The small fishing city of Vahama was the target of the Vanuk Aggression. It was the only of crossing of the Vahama River apart from Wiel and was where the Vanuk 3rd Corps intended to attack. It was here that the Caldon Command, Con. Isaac Bartlet, constructed a Fort. The Forts Guard only numbered 12,000. But it was well designed and held months worth of supplies. On the 21st of September, the 3rd Corps attacked the Fort, hoping with the same day to be on the doorstep of Wiel. The Forts 60mm Guns destroyed the mobile Vanuku Army and by days end the 3rd Corps had dug in along the shore of the Vahama. With all of the Vanuku artillery near Wiel shelling the city, no heave fire power could be spared to attack the Fort. So the 23rd the 3rd Corps attacked again. This time reaching the Forts walls and making small skirmishes into the Fort. But again the fort held. This time though the Vanuk’s had burned Vahama to the ground. Randloff appointed General Lockmore to command the demoralised 3rd Corps. But even a new full frontal offensive on the 28th couldn’t break the fort. By October the 5th, Lockmore had received newly made Jut-12 Tanks. The First armoured warfare used in the War, and on the 7th, launched a new offensive on the Fort. Con. Bartlet knew they day was lost, and ordered the evacuation. The 3rd Corps Fought all 4 hours to enter the fort to find it empty. Randloff’s quick invasion of Wiel had failed, costing 100,000 Vanuku Troops along the Vahama River. With Wiel reinforced and fortified from the north, both sides settled in across the Vahama waiting for the next move.

Battle of the Gulf
In 2080, The Caldonian Navy had 12 Cruisers and 2 battleships, with a flotilla of small ships. The Vanuku Navy however, had 5 Cruiser and some small ships. But the Vanuku Navy had more port on the Gulf, and a small fleet of Submarines based out of the Hilton River in Homlinstag. Caldonia saw a chance for a victory, a defeat of the Vanuku Navy would allow Caldonian control of shipping in the Gulf. After the stalemate on the Vahama River, Caldonia began shelling Banstill in 2083, the Vanuku Capital, from the sea. They manage to destroy 3 Cruisers in harbour there. The Commander of the Caldon Navy, Admiral McNairy, declared that the Caldonian Navy controlled the Gulf, and dared the Vanuks to attack. Left with only two cruisers, the Vanuk Navy knew a one on one battle would be a disaster. But Victory had to be achieved at sea, the blockade of the Vanuku Coast was costing there armies at the front. Randloff told the Government that if the Blockade was not broken, he could not launch a successful offensive. So the Vanuku Government turned to there Sub Fleet, Commanded by Admiral Gray. Gray’s fleet was only 6 subs, but that was more then the Caldonian Navy. And in the Summer of 2084, Gray began his offensive. Within the first week of operation in the Vanuku Gulf, he had sunk the Caldon Crusier Sinclear, and the destroyers Ajax, Bernard, and Clemons, with the loss of only one of his own sub. By 2086 the Vanuku Sub Fleet reached 18, sinking Cargo and Warships across the Gulf. The Biggest kill coming for the Sinking of the Battleship Mary Ann. The Caldon Navy never conceded the Gulf until 2128. Building there own sub fleet and more Cruisers. But that battles during the 2090s let enough supplies into Vanuku to continue the War.

War of the Vahama River
With Both sides settling in for a stand off across the River, No actually real fighting occurred between the too sides for around 8 years. In that time the City of Wiel was daily bombed, and the Vanuk Position over the river increasingly found holes in the Caldon Defense. The years also saw two peace conferences held in Homlinstag and Papel. But with either side willing to make concessions, the war continued. When finally the Vanuku Army decided to attack in 2098, The Wiel defences where around breaking point. The years of bombardment had left the fort broken and disabled. Randloff order the 5th Corps combined with the 2nd armoured to attack the city at dawn on April the 1st. The Vanuks made it to the rivers eastern back by 10am and began to break there way into the fortifications. The Caldon Commander of the City, General Finlay, ordered all availably troops from around the city to the river, hoping to just hold the 5th Corps long enough for reinforces to arrive on the 3rd. By dawn on the 2nd, the 2nd armour had entered the city itself and street fighting had begun. Both sides held different side of the city centre when on the 3rd Reinforcements arrived from balcay. It was at this time that the 5th Corps dug in, allowing Lockmore’s 3rd Corps to launch a new offensive, supported by the Princeton Legion, across the Vahama near the coast and made great head way across land making to within 50km of Balcay itself.

With the fears of a rout, Finlay ordered a tactical withdrawal of Wiel the city finally falling on the 14th. The Vahama was now well within Vanuku Control, and the western part of the Caldonian Union was lost.

Invasion of Castell and the Peace of Balcay
Neutral Castell was now a border state of Vanuku. With the Caldonian line being pushed back to what is now the Cha’katura Border. Castell Ambassador to Vanuku insisted on Castell Independence, even proposing a loose alliance. But with the success of the Vahama Campaign, General Yull was given command of the 4th Corps and ordered to invade Castell. In January of 2101, the Vanuku Army opened a three pronged offensives into the State, The Castell army was under the direct command of the Duke of Castell, and with little military knowledge and tactical advice, the army suffered great loss for the 10 day offensive toward the Capital, Castell. On the 11th day of the offensive, Yull meet with the Duke outside the city. The Duke offered peace, and Vanuku annex all but the city of Castell itself. It pushed the Frontier with Caldonia right to the border with modern day Bomotos. With the shock defeat of Castell, the Caldonian 2nd Army around Balcay where now surrounded on the west and south fronts, and with the sea to the east. Balcay was a easy target. General Finlay ordered the population of Balcay to arm themselves and fight with the Army, they refused, and when Finlay ordered into the city to conscript, the city rebelled. The City officials declared the city open, and invited the Vanuku Army in to talk peace. ‘The Peace of Balcay’ speared the city from war and occupation. Finlay stepped down and General Isaac Bartlet was Given Command of the 2nd Army. Retreating back to Bomotos.

The Tratsburg Offensive
The Caldonian Army now held the line along the modern day Bomotos Border. The major command along the line was at Tratsburg, in the centre of the line. General Yull committed the 4th Corps to capture the town in December 2101. The Offensive slowly grew to a stop and by January Caldon troops under the command of Field Marshall Julius began to push the line back, with only 2km between Tratsburg and the front. Yull called up reserve from Papel and even some units of Randloffs 5th Corps to restart the offensive, but this only managed to hold the line. By February of 2102 the Offensive had reversed, the Caldon Armoured Division pushed the Front future back and even past it’s starting point. The situation was made worse when the Papel Soldiers were ordered home after a Rebellion in the state. Yull was ordered to hold Castell at all cost. Randloff and Lockmore both lost division from there Armies to hold Yulls line, which ground to a halt 30km east of Castell. In June Yull reopened the front and managed to make it within 20km of Tratsburg again, but that where the line stopped. Once again the Caldonian Army held the line, and held up the Vanuku Invasion. The total losses for Vanuku were 620,128 during the campaign, with Caldonian casualties around 400,000.

Randloffs War
Field Marshall Randloff had by 2109 again gained enough forces to launch his own invasion of Caldonia, after the Vanuku loss at Tratsburg. Yull and Lockmore were too hold the rest of the line while Randloff attacked along the coast. In June Randloff committed 5th Corps and 2 armoured divisions along the coast so to sweep down on Dunecun. The attack when horrible, the weather meant the armoured Divisions where slowing moving, and picked of by Caldonian fixed positions, and the strength of the Caldonian army was underestimated in most areas. The advance reached the town of Pulmore in the centre of the state before it halted. Tried, wet and with supplies cut by Caldonian forces. The 5th Corps had loss half it’s fighting force within 6 days of the invasion. General Thomas of the Caldonia North Army, which was position just east of Port Cook, launched a counter-attack on the 3rd of July, the by now the weather had cleared and The North Army made great headway into the Vanuku defence. Along with General Bartlet from the south, who retook Pulmore on the 9th, the Vanuku front line began to fall back towards the border. When Bartlet made it to the border north of Tratsburg, he launched a new attack into Vanuku held territory. The offensive meant that the Randloff Army in Caldonia fighting the North Army could soon be cut off. Field Marshall Julius Ordered more troops to Bartlets 7th army to hopeful retake Balcay. Bartlet knew this was impossible, but when reaching the coast, continued the fight westwards. The North Army had by now pushed Randloff back to the settlement of Kerlin on the border, but couldn’t commit enough troops to a offensive to take the town, and Randloff held the line. Bartlets 7th Army finally was held up by the Vanuku 2nd Corps commanded by General Hathor. By the beginning of July, Bartlet had withdrawn from Vanuku territory. And Hathors 2nd Corp lifted the siege at Kerlin, in which Field Marshall Randloff was killed. ‘Randloff War’ had cost 714,512 Vanuku lives, And 414,015 Caldonian, with little change on the frontline.

Battle for Bomotos
In 2113 the Vanuku Army opened Hostilities again with what General Lockmore called the A hard slog battle that saw us fighting for every inch of land. On February 5th, the Three Corps of the Vanuk Army, Lockmores 3rd Corps, Hathors 2nd and Yulls 4th broke the dawn quiet with a 2 hour artillery assault on Caldonian positions. The Offensive had no clear objective, just to attack and overrun the Caldon Army. Field Marshall Julius ordered all forces to the front. Every last man they could spare where sent into the defensive. On the 7th of February Tratsburg fell, and by the 21st the North Army was run out of the Northern Point of the state by Hathors 2nd Corps. The Gripe around Dunecun was tightening.

Yull ordered an all out assault on Pulmore to open the road to Dunecun. He committed all of his Corps, as well as 3 Division of Armour and a regiment of Castell Troops. Against this wall of 300,000 odd Troops stood Bartlets 7th Army, numbering 120,000 defending Pulmore. On the morning of the 3rd of March, the 6th Armoured Division launched a forward assault on the city, drive deep gaps in the defence. Yull believed that already the 7th Army was weaken, and committed his entire Force. Bartlet had however allowed the assault to succeed and as he predicted, Yull launch a forward offensive at noon without seeing Bartlets full force. Within the city was the 11th Anti-armoured Regiment of the Caldonian Army. When Yulls Tanks appeared again, they where hit with massive bombard of anti-tank fire, routing the Armoured advance. Yull didn’t call off the assault; believe the Garrison was spent for it reserved. Yulls 4th Corps began to enter the town by 3pm after long defensive battles around the city. Within the city, Bartlets troops easily out manoeuvred Yulls and within four hours the 4th Corps was retreating from the city, losing 114,000 men in the action.

The Second Battle of Pulmore was an inspiration for the Caldon Army, and managed to hold the line in almost all areas. General Bartlet was given complete control of the Caldon Army. But the Vanuk Offensive and lines where to big to push back, and by the April, Pulmore had falling to Hathors 2nd Corps. But the whole Offensive had cost once again too many lives for Vanuk Army, Some 1,000,000 Vanuku and allied forces die during the 3 Month campaign. The Caldonian loses where much better, losing around 890,000 and great stretches of land.

The War settled in again as a stalemate. The Vanuku Government suffering internal Damage and trying to control the Communist state of Cha’Katura, as well as a power struggle in the Security Party Regime.

Dunecun, Rebellion and the end of the Union
In 2123 The Vanuk Army hadn’t move for the line they took up at the end of April 2113. The ten year absents of action of the front meant that the defence of both sides was strong. That being said, stability for Vanuku and home was more of a problem. Around the mountains of the Northern Sovesta Alps, a Militia group know as the Vanuku Peoples Front (VPF) was causing internal troubles in Vanuku. It wasn’t until Internal power struggle in the security party had end in 2118 with the victory of President Adams did the Vanuku Army act against the rebels. At the battle of Isle-on-Port the VPF militia army of 56,000 drew lines against the Vanuk Army of 80,000, commanded by General Teesdale. The battle was a rout of the VFP who retreated into the Mountains again to engage in gorilla warfare. This meant that again the attention was turned to Caldonia. By 2125 The Vanuk army had been reinforced. The 2,500,000 strong forced but 700,000 Caldonian Soldiers across the no mans land of the enemy lines. The entire Front was no more the 60km from Dunecun, leaving the Caldonians with very little defensive lines if the Vanuks broke though. General Hathor was promoted to Field Marshall and Commander of the entire Army. His idea was simply, launch a massive assault on the forts that defended Dunecun and take the city, using Armour superiority and large amounts of Troops. Plans took there time. Caldon forts where very well constructed under the command of General Bartlet. But finally in on the 1st of March, 2127, the attack began. The Vanuk Army broke though in the early hours of the morning across a wide front. Armoured and artillery division smashing great holes in the Caldon fortification. A series of Counter-attack did little to slow the assault, and by the days end, Vanuk army could see Dunecun. The next day saw the bloodiest battles of the war, with the Vanuk 3rd Corps suffering 230,000 casualties in 1 hour of fighting. The days action had lead in a Vanuk retreat from some forward positions. But overall no change had occurred. The day saw the loss of some 890,000 Vanuks, and 427,000 Caldons. The Second Offensive on the 4th saw the collapse of the Caldon defence and a dash by the Vanuk 2nd Corps to Dunecun before Bartlet could defend the city. Bartlet made it 10 minutes before the 2nd Corps and a bitter street battle was fought before the Caldon army threw off the attack. But the action meant the Caldon army now only number some 200,000 Men, with only lightly armoured forts protection the city. The 900,000 man strong Vanuk Army outside had suffered major casualties in the days attack, but now had the Caldon Army on the ropes. General Bartlet managed to hold the city for enough Seven Days. Losing only 65,013 men in the siege, as apposed to the Vanuk loses of 249,134. Bartlet, along with many other members of the Caldonian Government escaped the city on the 11th to other nations. Some even returned to Vanuku during the 2150s. The War officially didn’t end to 2133 when the last of the Catholic Fighters in the hills in southern Bomotos surrendered in the Peace of Tratsburg. Ending any Caldonian Claims to Vanuku territory and allowing the Fighters to return to there homes, and retaining Catholic claims to Bomotos under the Vanuku Government.