[Brave new World] 8- Ceann Sleà

[StuccoFresco]

The Varna Pocket has been crushed. As the Yugoslavian armies advance, the British have decided to retreat and cling to their last strongholds in Bulgaria and Hungary. One of those strongholds is Burgas: here they scored one of their biggest victories of the 1942 campaign, trapping an entire Yugoslavian Armija and crushing it.

It’s time to take it back, and with the Yugoslavians busy all over the front, it was decided for logistical and political issues it would be the Irish to do it. The remaining Irish units have been concentrated on this front, ready to strike.

The British could be pushed out with a constant, slow advance, but the Joint Operations’ Command decided against it. The losses suffered here and in the Byzantine campaigns are shaking the British Commonwealth: many federal authorities have been protesting against the cost of these wars, and the population is rapidly going weary of the conscription. In the southern provinces, the ones most affected by the conscription, there had been revolts.

The Command thinks a series of rapid, flashy defeats could tip the scales and trigger a revolution, so the objective is not just retaking Burgas but also encircling and forcing a lot of British units to surrender en masse. For this task, we’ll field whatever units available, meaning that several elite Divisions (like the 15th Meichnithe) won’t take part in the battle because they are still too battered to recover in time by the start of the Operation. It sucks, and it will mean that the enemy will enjoy a numerical advantage.




25/5/1944
So, the plan is to break the enemy flanks and converge in the middle, encircling the center. Many units are still understrength, so I decide to use the ample supplies to reinforce them. The II Còr Turais will attack the northern flank; it has a lot of veteran Coisithe Divisions that I will send in to absorb eventual counterattacks and soften up the enemy; the 18th Meichnithe Division and the 40th Armurtha Division will wait for a weak spot to be identified and they will pound it until a breakthrough is achieved.

In front of them lies the Sunhaven Corps, mostly entrenched infantry with anti-tank and artillery support; those Infantry Divisions won’t be easy to break through, but they aren’t armed with the latest equipment: the enemy is running low on reserves and supplies it seems. On the contrary, the months-long buildup we prepared for this Operation has allowed us to upgrade many units to a 1944 standard. Our Airtléire Regiments are all equipped with the latest Zairian 100mm long range howitzers, for example.

The I Còr Turais in the middle of our line is not an assault formation: it relies on four Coisithe Division equipped to 1942 standards to just keep the enemy center under pressure and prevent it from sending reinforcements to the flanks, as well as prevent it from eventually withdrawing unhindered. It has two Airtleire Regiments and an Heavy Artillery one with it to pose a real threat to the enemy lines.

In the south, the V Còr Turais has the 25th Meichnithe Division and the 7th Armurtha Division leading the offensive, bolstered by two Mhotaraithe Divisions in the second echelon and plenty of artillery support. It has two options for breaking through the enemy’s southern flank: crossing the hills directly toward the town Peshera, or passing between Peshera and the city of Tarnovo. I choose the latter: the ground is more favorable to armored units.



26/5/1944
In the north, I send the 4th and 6th Mhotaraithe Divisions on the hills, flanking the enemy lines. The 18th Meichnithe Division follows the leading elements, with the 80° Sealgair Brigade providing AA cover.

The British have tried some local counterattack, but our Coisithe Divisions and a rapid armored thrust by the 40th Armurtha Division with its new up-armored tanks have crushed them and opened a breach in the enemy lines. The entire II Còr Turais is shifting north to exploit the gap in the next few days. The 80th Coisithe Division is keeping up the pressure against the enemy front to avoid a redeployment that could plug the aforementioned gap.

The I Còr Turais is similarily shifting north to keep up and prevent any enemy unit to send reinforcements north. The 105th Coisithe Division is the only one mantaining its position further south. There is a wide and growing gap between I and V Còr Turais, but the enemy doesn’t have any armor to exploit it so I feel it’s safe to keep going.

In the south, the V Còr Turais has found a weakness in the lines of the British 278th Infantry Division; the 7th Armurtha Division and the 25th Meichnithe Division have launched an assault, but failed to completely destroy one of the enemy Regiments. The Còr has nonetheless shifted north to exploit what seems to be a rather wide gap between the enemy flank and the center: the entire 8th Mhotaraithe Division has filtered through it.

Enemy Bombers have relentlessly targeted our artillery units, destroying close to a hundred guns in the first day; our ground AA has exacted a heavy toll, and the Eitleog Wings have piled in, wiping out an entire Bomber Wing and decimating another. The British Fighters on their part have almost obliterated the 15th Boumadoir Wing, but the brand new Cardiff Plant F5 “Awyrwyliwr” Interceptors proved to be a match even for the latest S/F-6d “Pleiades” British Fighters. The air war starts strong, but I think I can rely on my strong ground AA cover to deal with the enemy attacks.



27/5/1944
The II Còr has broken through the Sunhaven Corps and is now swinging south. A combination of Mhotaraithe and Coisithe Divisions dealt with most of the enemy’s anti-tank defenses, allowing for the 40th Armurtha to achieve a breakthrough that led to the encirclement and quick destruction of at least two enemy Infantry Divisions.

The I Còr is successfully dealing with the enemy center; thanks to the Zairian 200mm heavy artillery guns, the 102nd Coisithe Division is soundly beating the British 273rd Infantry Division. The 100th Coisithe Division has joined the 80th Division in securing the II Còr Turais’ southern flank.

In the south, the V Còr Turais has encountered more problems: the enemy Bombers keep targeting our artillery, and the British 276th Infantry Division is pushing against the Còr’s open northen flank. The 8th Mhotaraithe Division has rushed forward through the gap it found, but has been halted by the 39° Ironsides Brigade garrisoning a nearby village. This Brigade is equipped with the latest British assault guns: the AG-44 “Behemoth”, heavily armored and armed with a massive 180mm gun. It’s a fearsome formation that will need to be softened by our CAS Wings. Despite having broken a hole in the enemy’s southern flank, the V Còr’s penetration has found a dangerous roadblock in front of it and is being squeezed on both flanks.

The air war sees another British Bomber Wing destroyed, but this time the British Fighters were present en masse and the 11th Eitleog Wing has been decimated.

[StuccoFresco]

DublinWorks D/1944
Following the high losses of the 1943’s clashes against the British new heavy tanks, DublinWorks was forced to step up its game. The D/1944 featured a longer hull, heavier armor, and a new 82mm gun that promised to threaten the hulking British behemoths at a reasonable combat range.

The bigger hull was covered with heavier armor, up to 70mm on the frontal plate and turret, and mounted a bigger engine to compensate. It was still not enough to survive direct hits from the British 90mm shells under a 700m range, but at least the Irish tankers wouldn’t have to dodge potential killshots from 2000m away.

Overall, it was still a vastly inferior design, but respected the Irish parameter regarding armor production limits, and provided a much needed boost in tank vs tank situations. Tankers were still expected to use their superior mobility to avoid incoming fire and find favorable angles, but the improvement was very noticeable.

[StuccoFresco]

28/5/1944
I divide the advancing II Còr in two: the armored echelon (comprised of the 40th Armurtha, the 18th Meichnithe and both 4th and 6th Mhotaraithe Divisions) advances toward Svilengrad, engaging and decimating the British 155th Motorized Division that was concentrating for a counterattack; the rest, mostly infantry, concentrates against the British infantry southwest of the town. There is an enemy fortified area there as well.

The I Còr is still moving northeast, pushing in the same direction: only the 103rd and 105th Coisithe Divisions are keeping their position in the center.

The V Còr have been "saved" by our CAS Wings: the 3rd and 4th Boumadoir Wings equipped with their new Aviofactory C-3 planes inflict tremendous losses to the British 39° Ironsides: the PTB bomblets aren't a guarantee kill against the heavy AR-44 heavy tanks, but they are enough to immobilize it for a bit and make it an easier prey for the powerful 40mm gun. After the air attacks, the 7th Armurtha Division charges in against the shellshocked British Brigade and routs it. The road ahead now wide open, the 8th Mhotaraithe Division advances trying to cut off the entire British XIX Infantry Corps from supplies. Meanwhile, the 25th Meichnithe Division and the 3rd Mhotaraithe Division are fighting off the British infantry that was trying to hit the flanks of the Còr. It seems for now that the situation could be kept under control, especially if the 8th Mhotaraithe manages to cut off the enemy supply lines.



29/5/1944
The II Còr seems to have quite some time to decide on its course of action. I wonder if it's already possible to close the trap on the enemy's center, so I send the 4th and 6th Mhotaraithe Divisions south from Svilengrad; unfortunately, the town of Harmanli turns out to be well fortified and garrisoned by the British 274th Infantry Division. Further aerial recon shows an entire Infantry Corps (in reality the second echelons of both the Adelaide and Stonecradle Corps) behind the British first line, so a quick drive with motorized troops is out of the question. The II and V Còr will have to push further east before closing the trap.

The I Còr is still fighting with the British infantry in the center, with little gain overall but fulfilling its mission.

The V Còr is reorganizing after finishing off the British 39° Ironsides: the 8th Mhotaraithe closes off the supplies to the British southern flank, the 3rd Mhotaraithe is still fighting off the British 276th Infantry Division, but it's winning the battle, and the 25th Meichnithe is fending off the British 12th Infantry Division pushing from the south. It will take time to establish a coherent front and resume the advance again.



30/5/1944
In the north, the II Còr has resumed its advance, calling back the Mhotaraithe Divisions from the previously planned southern diversion and concentrating just west of Razgrad. The town is a known British stronghold, and we believe one of their combined arms Battlegroup is there. Back west, the 82nd and 86th Coisithe Divisions also start marching eastward.

The center of the battlefield sees the same skirmishes between the I Còr and the Adelaide Corps; my artillery is slowly grinding the enemy down, but I'm determined in not overextending trying an actual offensive. I decided to leave the destruction of the encircled 272nd Infantry Division to the 100th and 80th Coisithe Division; both Divisions are formally assigned to the II Còr, but they are more or less permanently attached to the I Còr instead.

Extricating the V Còr is proving irritatingly slow, but finally I can form a spearhead with the 25th Meichnithe Division and the 7th Armurtha Division. The 8th Mhotaraithe has to stay back and clear the way for the Còr HQ and the artillery to follow the spearhead. Reconnessaince flights spots the heavily armed 46th Armored Division of the III Battlegroup southwest of Vratsa, another British stronghold. I was thinking of crossing the river northwest of the town, but those tanks will surely intercept me. I will have to use my Sealgair Brigades to lure them into a trap.

[StuccoFresco]

UlsterWorks U-10 “Lann”
The “Lann” (lance) is the latest Irish tank destroyer design, introduced just as the British unveiled their most advanced heavy tank in 1943, and then their new assault guns in 1944. It follows the same principle of the U-6b: a fixed superstructure with a very big anti-tank gun. This time the UlsterWorks commissioned a high-velocity version of the 75mm gun mounted on the D/1944 medium tanks instead of designing a new one. The 75mm HVAT was more than enough to pierce the frontal armor of the British heavy tanks from 700m, evening the odds of tank engagements.

The weight of the new gun and the improved armor requested by the War Bureau slowed the vehicle considerably: the U-10 had more trouble traversing muddy terrain, inclines, and generally skipping from cover to cover. The Sealgair doctrine thus shifted from fighting ambush to ambush to a combined operations one, where the tank destroyers were intermixed within other units’ formations. The U-10 platoons would stay just behind the first line and rush forward whenever enemy tanks showed up before reversing to safety once the threat was dealt with or the enemy threatened a breakthrough.

[StuccoFresco]

31/5/1944
II Còr takes up positions in front of Razgrad and the British I Battlegroup; my intent is to lure the enemy 3rd Armored Division into attacking my lines and decimating it with my Sealgair Brigades.

No big news in the central part of the front.

In the south, the V Còr is finishing off the last British units threatening the southern flank, but the British 276th Infantry Division keep attacking from the north. Incredibly annoying, and it's stalling my entire offensive. I'm wary of approaching the 46th Armored Division, maybe I'll try some air attack first.



1/6/1944
The enemy's 3rd Armored Division tears through the 18th Meichnithe Division's ranks, it simply tears through them. The veteran unit organizes a precise, well coordinated assault that at the cost of at best a dozen tanks it breaks through my front and opens a direct path to the II Còr's HQ. The British "Destroyer" tanks roll forward and despite being intercepted by two Sealgair Brigades firing into the advancing tanks' flanks, manages to wipe out the HQ entirely. It's a severe loss: the entire Còr will operate at a reduced efficiency. Meanwhile, the British 99th Motorized Division assaults my northern flank, but despite inflicting some casualties it doesn't seem able to pose a real threat.

My retaliation starts with heavy air attacks hitting the 16° Ironsides Brigade that was trying to exploit the breakthrough, then an artillery barrage preceding a counterattack by the 40th Armurtha Division. The leading enemy armored regiment is overwhelmed, his tired tankers unable to properly counter the Irish lighter but faster and hard-hitting counterparts. In the north, another long artillery preparation precedes another armored counterattack that cripples the British 99th Motorized Division. The 82nd Coisithe Division, which had just arrived at the front, takes part in the attack.

The loss of the II Còr's HQ forces me to send forward the I Còr's one: I can't lead an offensive without having an HQ close to the front. The 80th and 100th Coisithe Divisions have finished off the British mobile forces northeast of Harmanli, so I decide to send them forward with the II Còr.

The V Còr's artillery and HQs have reached the armored vanguards; tomorrow I'll resume the advance toward Razgrad. The 8th Mhotaraithe joins the advance, while the 3rd Mhotaraite is still fighting the British infantry.



2/6/1944
The Bulgarian Partizanski movement strikes! Numerous Partizanski Battalions show up in several small towns and villages, forcing the British to send their Motorized Regiments to quell the revolt before the partisans start cutting off roads and rails. In the northeast of the battlefield, a Partizanski Battalion that was hiding in the hills occupies a stretch of railroad and sabotage it, derailing and then destroying a train full of supplies.

The enemy armor keeps hitting away at my troops in the north, but the Sealgair's tank destroyers are starting to take a toll. An heavy tank Regiment is destroyed during a counterattack by the 40th Armurtha, and another one is still recovering from yesterday's heavy losses. The enemy's 99th Motorized Division and the 16° Ironsides have been crippled as well. Elements of two other Motorized Divisions, the 38th and 58th, are trying to attack my southeastern flank. My CAS planes are still pummeling the enemy armor.

In the south, the V Còr has decided to challenge the British 46th Armored Brigade. Let's see how it goes.




3/6/1944
The brave Partizanski are tying up several British Motorized Regiments, and aside from crashing an entire train, they also blew up a road and a railroad bridge south of Burgas, further reducing the enemy's supplies.

Near Razgrad, the 3rd Armored Division has kept attacking for much of the morning, but has been gradually ground down by anti-tank fire. When the 40th Armurtha Division counterattacks in the evening, the British Division evaporates. The 16° Ironsides and the 99th Motorized Division are decimated as well: it seems that the II Còr has free reign to engage the Razgrad fortified area now that the I Còr's HQ (now renamed) and the infantry have reached the front. The I Battlegroup's HQ has also been almost destroyed.

The I Còr, meanwhile, is facing a British infantry counteroffensive, but thanks to its ample artillery park it's holding out well.

The V Còr, instead, has suffered heavy losses. The enemy's 46th Armored Division has been joined by the 113th Motorized Division, and after a heavy artillery barrage has inflicted grievous losses to the 25th Meichnithe Division, reducing it to a single Regiment. The 7th Armurtha Division has counterattacked the enemy armor, destroying a weakened Regiment and decimating another, but the mechanized losses are bad news. I also had to commit my CAS Wings to help with the counterattack, and now I'm out of Interceptor cover. Bad, bad news.

[StuccoFresco]

Cardiff Plant F5 “Awyrwyliwr”
Despite the success of the Finn&West’s designs, by 1944 the Irish aviation needed a fighter better suited to dogfight: the high losses of MK1 and MK3 airframes as well as pilots were starting to weigh heavily on the country. The Cardiff Plant, a nationalized amalgam of several pre-unification industries in Galles, had always been a renowned producer of high-performance engines. By 1942 it added a design department to its structure and started developing its own airframes.

In 1944, their latest design was accepted into service. The F5 “Awyrwyliwr” (Skyguard) was an impressive plane: slightly slower than the F&W MK3, but extremely maneuverable and much better equipped to face British fighters. Its armament featured two 15mm rapid-fire cannons and four 8mm machineguns, that gave it both anti-bomber and anti-fighter firepower and thus better flexibility. The rate of climb wasn’t as excellent as the MK3, but the engine was much more reliable when pulling high-G maneuvers, especially when diving. Irish pilots learned to capitalize on their newfound mobility in the air, leading to reduced casualties rates.

[StuccoFresco]

4/6/1944
The II Còr has liquidated the British presence around Razgrad, and has started pounding the town's fortifications to prepare the infantry assaults. I send the 6th Mhotaraithe, 40th Armurtha and 18th Meichnithe south; their new mission is to link up with the struggling V Còr and help it conquer Vratsa.

Heavy fighting goes on in the west, where the 102nd and 103rd Coisithe Division have fought off several British infantry attacks. Those Divisions are holding off a much bigger force and keeping the Adelaide and Stonecradle Corps from sending forces elsewhere for more than 10 days.

The V Còr has used the 7th Armurtha Division to crush the enemy attack: the British 46th Armored Division has been decimated by the tank destroyers and the armored assaults and is now in tatters. The British motorized forces have suffered high losses as well. The battle seems to be going well, but the Còr has now a severely reduced strength and its formation is very fragmented. Recon flights have confirmed that Vratsa is heavily fortified, and that the British 15° Ironsides Brigade garrisons the town. The 3rd Mhotaraithe Division has finally broken the British 276th Infantry Division and will soon join the advance on Vratsa.




5/6/1944
Razgrad is under siege by the 82nd and 86th Coisithe Divisions. The rest of the II Còr is heading south toward Vratsa.

In the west, the 102nd and 103rd Coisithe Divisions launch a counterattack against British infantry that pushes the enemy several kms back.

The V Còr is engaged by British Motorized troops as well as the 15° Ironsides. The battle is fierce and the losses considerable, but the British units are starting to waver. Their attack hasn’t forced the V Còr back, albeit it did put them on the defensive and depleted the 7th Armurtha Division’s strength.



6/6/1944
The II and V Còr are very close to linking up and encircling the British center.

Razgrad falls, and the Irish infantry splits: the 80th and 100th Coisithe Divisions will form a front at Panagyuristhe should the enemy try to escape through that. The rest will head toward Vratsa. There, the airfield has been attacked by the 6th Motorized Division, which has however been routed by a surprise counterattack by the British elite 59th Motorized Division. A subsequent series of maneuvers by the 40th Armurtha Division has ensured the encirclement of one of the British motorized regiments.

The V Còr has wiped out all the British units around it, making it possible to finally link up with the II Còr and form a defensive perimeter against the likely British attempted breakout as soon as the encirclement is complete.




7-8/6/1944
The encirclement is complete! Several British units outright surrender, and the rest are struggling to move east to escape the pocket.

The V and II Còr tighten the noose around Vratsa; only the 15° Ironsides Brigade is still active in the area, trying to counterattack whenever possible to stem the Irish tide. Our artillery Regiments have already started pounding the fortified town, and the infantry is descending from the north.

[StuccoFresco]

9-11/6/1944
Numerous British Infantry Divisions are trying to flee the pocket, but they are so far from safety that they are exhausting their supplies and fuel before even getting close. I use the V Còr and the 100th Coisithe Division to stop the ones that had a chance to flee, and the entire British center stops dead in its tracks. The 102nd, 103rd and 105th Coisithe Divisions are mopping up the British units closer to them, advancing toward

Vratsa falls, but as I placed the 40th Armurtha Division southeast of Burgas to exploit a possible weakness in the enemy’s defenses, the British 78th Armored Division counterattacks and decimates my tanks! At least, the loss of both Razgrad and Vratsa triggered yet another mass rout of conscripted Divisions.





12/6/1944
My response to the enemy’s armored counterattack is fierce: basically both II and V Còr concentrate their forces west of Burgas and hit back at the enemy heavy tanks, almost destroying a Regiment.



13-14/6/1944
The British tanks are followed by the 279th and 280th Infantry Division in a brave counteroffensive, but the combined force of the II and V Còr Turais is just too much: I have no problem breaking through their lines and encircling all of them. There is another Armored Regiment still active at Burgas, though.



15/6/1944
Knowing the Irish forces are close, Partizanski units in Burgas launch a revolt against the occupiers. Sadly, the city garrison is still determined to resist, and the nearby remaining Regiment of the 78th Armored Division attacks the insurgents immediately.




16/6/1944
Two Artillery Regiments are brought in range of Burgas’ fortified area. Infantry and armor start reducing the encircled British troops. Burgas’ airfields are under attack. In the west, the trapped British forces are now basically immobile and already disintegrating; my infantry is slowly turning them into prisoners of war, only fighting against the few companies still combat capable.


17/6/1944
After two days of intermittent shelling, the 18th and 25th Meicnithe Divisions lead the assault on Burgas supported by the 40th Armurtha Division. The locals wave Irish flags sewn for the occasion and take part in the fighting as much as they can by highlighting British strongholds, tending to the wounded and providing food and shelter. The assault is almost irresistible, and by dusk the fortified central area has been almost completely conquered.


18-24/6/1944
Burgas is finally liberated! The Irish and Yugoslavian flags fly over the Governor’s Palace as the population and troops celebrate together. The remaining British troops are being slowly mopped up, and the surviving Armored Regiment is targeted by air attacks. My infantry takes up position on the Danube’s shore and in front of the city’s bridges, waiting for an eventual British armored counterattack. The 75mm HVAT guns of the “Lann” tank destroyers peer over their covers, waiting for an opportunity to fire.

On the 19/6 an opportunity arises: knowing the Irish air attacks would have destroyed it anyway, the enemy Armored Regiment comes forward, but immediately stops as soon as its forward elements see the array of weapons pointed on the crossings, the attack is canceled. Annoyed, the Irish forces decide to sally forth after an artillery preparation of three hours, and after fierce fighting the last British armored unit is destroyed.

Nothing else of note happens: the battle is won, and despite considerable losses it has been a triumphant success!