Realizations

Colonel Green listened with total disbelief, as officer after officer briefed the assembled staff on the still confused situation. The meeting had been going on for two long hours already, with no end in sight. The entire senior leadership of the Westfor Northern Army Group and all of their assigned support units were still trying to understand and react to the massive invasion by the Bloc Alliance. The General staff would decide what to do based on the information they were hearing at this meeting. From Colonel Green’s position there were very limited choices left open to the Command group. The Army Group was being attacked by an estimated 100+ enemy divisions and support units. Which meant that the Northern Group was out manned by more than 3 to 1. The numbers were staggering, almost none of the prewar defensive plans and theories had survived the last 48 hours under fire. From what he had heard, the other two Army Groups in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) were in the same dire situation.

“At this point sir, we are looking at overwhelming Bloc forces attacking into the eastern districts of Westfor. None of our Firebases or border defenses was able to stop the enemy, for more than several hours at most. All along our 14,000 mile border has been crossed, invaded by the first echelons of the huge Bloc Alliance. In our Northern Army Group’s area of responsibility we have identified over 100 enemy divisions and other units. This Corps is their 1st echelon units, their top of the line equipment and troops. We can expect their follow on forces to be 2nd and finally 3rd echelon troops, of course these are manned by reserve troops, and are lacking training and equipment. Currently we have lost the bulk of 3 divisions in the initial attack, they were simply overrun.” The tired looking Operations officer stated slowly, reading from a collection of notes.

“Orders have been issued to withdraw to our new defensive lines, located 50 miles from the border. We have instructed police and security units to maintain open roads for military traffic. The civilian population is pretty much on it’s own in the areas being contested.”

“Major how are the preparation coming along with the new defensive line?” General Simms asked.
“We are currently at 60% completion of defensive line Razor, located on the western side of this river. The operations officer pointed to the digital map of the area.
“ By tonight both the 290th Division and 12th Armored Division should arrive online, we will be at 100% with more than half of our forces assigned to the line.”

“And if the line does not stop the enemy, what then?”

“Sir we have the preliminary plans for the next defensive line “sword’, but it will only have seven uncommitted Divisions to man it. At that point all of our current reserves will be committed to the fight. We are still at least two weeks away from any reinforcements arriving.”

General Simms turned to his Air Force Staff Officer, you could see the pressure on his face.
“Air Commander, how are your units, and what are they doing?”

“We have lost 27% of our operational bases and aircraft, and crews. The damn Bloc surface to surface missiles have cost us a lot of casualties. We are receiving replacement aircraft and crews from uncommitted Westfor districts. Our available air wings are running continuous air strikes against the Bloc formations. We are concentrating on the deep strike missions, we’re witling them down a bit sir!”

“Good, keep it up Commander, every tank, and APC you kill helps us on the ground. A little bright news, huh boys”. Simms attempt a humor fell flat. He then stood up and straighten his uniform, he then stared at the entire group as if trying to gage the people before him.
“We have a huge task before us, we must defend our homeland. The enemy is very strong, but he is not invincible, he is not unbeatable. I have requested reinforcement from Central Command, but as you know every Group commander has also asked for help. The next several days will be tough, we have to stop the invading horde and hold on until we are strong enough to drive the Blocheads back across the border. I want every commander to go back to their units and instruct the troops to what is expected and demanded of them. Those of you that have orders move out, those of you that don’t you will shortly. Remember… We Serve the State!”

With that the entire group snapped to attention, saluted the General, and shouted, “We serve the State!”

Firebase Bravo 74

A high velocity “clang” resulted when a Bloc Alliance tank shell bounced off the armored front slope of the heavy gun turret. It wasn’t the first round that had bounced off the forty-inch thick composite armor plate. But it was still disturbing.
“Gunner tank one o’clock!” Screamed the turret commander.

“Identified! Firing!” Responded the gunner as he fired the gun turret’s 180mm main rifled gun. The round traveled the 1,000 meters, striking the maneuvering Bloc tank, resulting in an explosion that ripped the vehicle apart.

Sergeant Ron Church peered thru his commander’s gun site and gasped in horror. From his position he could see at least a brigade of Bloc Alliance tanks and armored vehicles approaching. The Bloc Mechanized Infantry Brigade had crossed the border and breached the thick minefields in minutes. For some unknown reason the Westfor Firebase commander held back permission to fire, even though the Bloc Troops had crossed the border. No one really expected 40 years of cold war would end this particular morning. The delay caused, a missed opportunity to punish the enemy as they were still stuck in the minefields. Command indecision might have caused Westfor lives. It wasn’t until the lead Bloc tank battalion was thru the minefields and deployed was the word finally given to fire. With a thunderous roar Firebase 74 opened fire. The first five Bloc tanks exploded under the impacts of the turret’s guns, the supporting infantry began to add their weapons too. Some where below in the Bloc formation a Commander quickly radioed for fire support, they needed help to get thru the minefields without too many casualties. Within minutes Bloc artillery started to land across the firebase’s front. High explosive artillery shells screamed in and exploded along Bravo 74, exposed infantry were cut down by the blistering shrapnel.

It had only been twenty minutes since the Westfor firebase opened fire on the invading Bloc vehicles and troops when they received the flash War-Alert message from Central Command. The word was slowly getting out that Westfor was at war with the Bloc Alliance. Sergeant Church and the other troops assigned to the Westfor Northern Army Group’s frontline firebases. These fixed positions were a marvel of military might. A dozen 100-ton heavy gun turrets provided direct fire with their 180mm main guns. To support the turrets, were machinegun bunkers, infantry trenches, and a six 8-inch artillery battery. Each firebase was supported by its neighboring identical twin, with interlocking fire the network of bases could lay down devastating fire into invading forces. The theory was that the firebases would inflict heavy Bloc casualties while Westfor Air Forces from Greenway Air Station would bomb the stalled enemy.

Sergeant Church used his gun site to scan for another target and quickly found one. Again his crew acted as one, reloaded the main gun and fired, killing another approaching Bloc vehicle. Church then looked out the vision block at nearest neighboring gun turret, gun number four. It was twisted and on fire, the fate of its ten-man crew was unknown. The lost of the turret created a gap in the firebase’s line, a gap that the attacking Bloc commander was trying to exploit.

Firebase Bravo 74’s six 8 –inch artillery began to fire high explosive rounds into the stacked up Bloc units still moving thru the minefields. The shells cut down exposed Bloc engineers as they removed more and more mines, trying to create more lanes thru the minefields. Finally three Bloc tanks with mine clearing plows appeared at the head of the exposed column and plowed a larger lane thru the obstacle.
Over the command network Sergeant Church could hear the battle staff radio for air support from Greenway Station. All calls for help went unanswered. Different network subscribers relayed information to the staff, as the battle continued. Church had been told that the Firebase system was suppose to hold back a Bloc attack for 48 hours without reinforcements from mobilizing Westfor Army Regiments. He was unsure if Bravo 74 and nearby Bravo 75 could hold out. From his position he could see heavy Westfor casualties at his firebase, he didn’t think Bravo 75 was doing any better. All he could do was to keep killing Bloc vehicles as they maneuvered toward Bravo 74.

Seventeen miles east of the Bravo 74, the Bloc 122nd Missile Brigade had just received final authorization from the command staff of the engaged 4225th Mechanized Division. They were assigned as direct support to the Division as they breached the Westfor border defenses. It was expected, and planned for. The 122nd was ready and the target coordinates already uploaded into the waiting SSM 9 missiles. Once final checks were complete, the brigade fired its 350 SSM 9s at three Westfor Firebases. In seconds all the missiles were away, and the 122nd began its time consuming reloading process. None of the brigade troops would see the fruits of their work.

Sergeant Church’s gun turret had just killed its eighth Bloc vehicle when the swarm of SSM9’s impacted on Bravo 74. Huge explosions erupted across the base destroying the base support facilities and killing Westfor personnel. From inside the gun turret the crew was shaken and looked up, expecting to see the incoming missiles. The 100-ton gun turret rocked as near misses hit all around them. Sergeant Church could see thru his vision blocks that heavy missiles and artillery were hitting Bravo 74, 75 and 76. Giant fiery blossoms rose up from the nearby Bravo 75. That’s when the lights went out across the firebase. Church was startled as all electrical power abruptly stopped. Everything inside the turret went dark, the lights, computers and communications all died. The only light came from a single emergency light down by the main gun’s breach and thru the vision blocks. Sergeant Church attempted to turn the turret, and knew they were in trouble. He rose up and looked thru a vision block back at the base interior. He could see only destroyed bunkers and buildings that once controlled the functions of the turrets and the base’s defenses. Somewhere out there the firebase’s underground generators had been knocked out. From his position just about all Westfor defensive positions were either destroyed or rendered useless. Sergeant Church quickly decided that they were finished, without electrical power the Firebase was defenseless. Without the gun turrets the approaching Bloc armored units would overrun the base unopposed.

“BAIL OUT!” Shouted the NCO as he pulled open the latch on the heavy hatch. He climbed out onto the pitted gun turret, his crew followed.

From the top of the turret Sergeant Church could see dozens of burning Bloc vehicles, a testimony of his firebase’s defenses. He also could see many more undamaged Bloc tanks and APCs maneuvering toward the silent Firebase. As his gun crew abandoned the gun turret Sergeant Church noted that most of the supporting infantry occupied trenches, and bunkers were also silent. Many of the defenders were either dead or had already abandoned the positions. From a distance the NCO could see groups of dismounted Bloc soldiers attacking the idle surviving turrets with flamethrowers and satchel charges. Weaponless, he never felt so helpless.

“Come on boys move!” Church yelled as several Bloc APCs crested the slight slope and began to dismount infantry squads. It was time to leave. In moments it seemed that the enemy would overrun Bravo 74. As he ran, leading his men from the useless turret, he looked over toward Bravo 75, from nearly a mile away he should have heard it’s gun turrets firing. He didn’t, he also didn’t hear any turrets firing from Bravo 76. It seemed that all three bases were crippled and about to be overrun.
As Sergeant Church ran for his life he had no way of knowing that the systematic destruction of Westfor’s defenses was being repeated almost everywhere.

Greenway Air Station

Lieutenant Jan Miller ran as fast as her legs could carry her. The heavy thump of twelve pairs of combat boots behind her inspired her not to suddenly stop or fall. The entire squadron ran hard was trying to get to their planes, the balloon had gone up. Loud klaxons blared out the emergency sortie alarm continuously as Miller entered the hanger that housed her Fighter-bomber. She smiled when she saw that Tech Sergeant Sims was already there.
“She’s all fueled up, you have four AAMs and four five hundred pounders. A full strike package, Lieutenant.”
“Thanks, Sergeant!’
Miller quickly walked the plane and then climbed into the tight cockpit, she then spun up the internal systems, and computers. She worked quickly, pre war standards for an emergency sortie was 10 minutes, in that time the entire squadron had to be airborne and heading to the border. The 302nd Fighter-bomber squadron’s mission was to support the Westfor Army Group (North) stationed east along the border. Heavily outnumbered, the army needed the Air Force to bomb the approaching Bloc legions. For thirty years this was the mission, and countless other pilots had flown dozens of other planes from Greenway. Unlike those however, these pilots were doing it for real, this was no drill.
The 302nd taxied in order and received updates as they began to roll onto the runways. It was at this time the first barrage of SSM 9s landed all across the Greenway Air Station. In all 40 missiles exploded, many destroying the hangers, buildings, and runways. Lieutenant Miller watched helplessly as the missiles landed all over, several landing right along the runway, destroying the first two 302nd fighter- bombers halfway thru their takeoff. She and the other pilots had nowhere to go, trapped in the planes with a ruined runway, Miller decided to climb out of her aircraft. Just then a SSM 9 landed twenty feet from Miller’s plane. The 12-ton aircraft flipped over, broke apart and exploded. Lieutenant Jan Miller died screaming along with many at Greenway Air station.

Westfor Atlantic Squadron

The fleet squadron was sailing at a crisp 30 knots halfway thru it’s three-week training exercise. The fleet had new raw crews assigned and three new vessel class ships. Navy Command wanted a full fleet exercise to work up the readiness of Westfor’s most important asset in the Atlantic. Sixteen ships of all types cut thru the mild waves as they sailed eastward. The heavy Command Cruiser San Lo sailed close to the Nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier Nordic Sun at the center of the fleet, with destroyers and support ships in formation. For most of the day the squadron ran several different battle drills and scenarios. This was then suspended at the top of the hour as usual, to coincide with a shift change and the noontime meal. It was the way things were done, during peacetime. No one knew that the attack on Hotel six four was going on at the same exact time. With precise timing, 150 seas launched cruise missiles launched from twenty-one undetected Bloc Alliance diesel submarines. Instantly across the fleet sonar and radar detected the launches and the first flight of the missiles. But at a range inside the fleet’s screen of Destroyers, and attacking at every direction of the compass, there wasn’t much the fleet could do. Across the fleet ship Captains screamed orders, their ships each responding as fast as they could. The combat ships, like the San Lo and the Nordic Sun, countermeasures were fired off to decoy the inbound missiles, the unarmed support vessels only could turn and attempt to run. The Bloc Alliance had planned this attack for the last four years, endless computer scenarios, and full on rehearsals had proved that the operation had an 82% chance of success. The SSM 9.2 anti ship missile was a navy version of the Bloc mainstay surface-to-surface missile created ten years ago. Each one-ton missile carried a thousand pounds of high explosives, and was capable of near mach 1 speeds.
The Atlantic Squadron was just starting to react to the attack when the first sub launched missile slammed into the Destroyer Merlin. The Merlin exploded, and split in half. The Cruiser San Lo was able to fire off several SAM missiles in an attempt to shoot down the incoming anti ship missiles. The Bloc planners had been very concerned about the capabilities of the Westfor Fleet; ands had tasked 25 missiles at each centerpiece of the Squadron. The Fleet fired off SAMs as quickly as possible, desperate to down as many attacking missiles. But the Bloc attack was well within the SAM’s range, which effectively cut into the Fleet’s options and response time.
Within six minutes the Westfor Atlantic Squadron was wrecked, eleven ships were struck; the Command Cruiser San Lo was ablaze and adrift. The Aircraft Carrier Nordic Sun was struck by seventeen SSM9.2s; it stayed afloat, burning for twenty minutes, before it sunk with almost all hands. Only five ships remained undamaged, four support ships and one Destroyer. It was then that the senior ship Captain received the War-Alert message that the war had started.

Ashford Station

Thirteen miles west of Hotel six four stood Westfor Army base called Ashford Station. The small intelligence base was built thirty plus years ago to collect Bloc Alliance radio traffic, and analyze the transmissions. In addition to sophisticated antennas and radio dishes, the base housed 750 Intel specialists, admin clerks, and other support soldiers. With the exception of the 40 Military Police assigned to Ashford Station, there were no other combat troops. The base was never designed to hold off a determined full out assault. When the Bloc artillery shifted from Hotel six four to Ashford Station, there was little cover for the Westfor troops. Two battalions of Bloc Artillery fired over forty-eight high explosive and thermite rounds into Ashford Station killing dozens of unprepared soldiers. Total chaos reined when the first wave of Bloc helicopter infantry landed just as their artillery troops ended their attack. In the end it took the Bloc Alliance only eight minutes to capture Ashford Station, this was way ahead of any prewar predictions.

Hotel six four

The Company Commander watched as the attached engineers worked on dismantling the Westfor mine field and obstacles. From where he stood atop the heavily cratered hilltop he looked back down the highway. A long line of tanks, APCs, assault guns, and transports waited for the engineers to remove the worst of the barricades. The Bloc 972nd Mechanized Division and support units would be coming down this very highway followed by six more divisions. Looking up he watched a huge flight of heavy lift helicopters fly past heading further into the enemy’s homeland. The Commander felt enormous pride, see so much of his country’s military might on display. He was proud of his company and their small part of the invasion.

Hotel six four

Once again Sergeant James walked to the edge of the trench line. The stocky NCO was more than slightly concerned; one of his patrols was overdue. From the top of hill Hotel six four the border guard sergeant could see a half-mile in all directions. The hill was the most dominate position in the entire river valley; only the old, unused hard top highway was as noticeable. Sergeant James cursed under his breath, worried that the new squad leader had gotten his first patrol lost. The understaffed Border Guard Battalion had been sending untrained troops to learn their jobs at Hotel Six four for years. The rugged terrain and remoteness provided a good real world training area. The sergeant had brought three squads up to Hotel Six Four for a five-day rotation at the desolate outpost. One squad had just returned from their patrol of key points along the Westfor side of the border. Another squad was manning the outpost themselves. It was only Corporal Oliver’s squad that seemed to have gotten lost. Sergeant James was trying to maintain his cool, he damn well didn’t want to radio back to Battalion that he had lost a patrol. He just hoped that the idiots hadn’t crossed over the border into the Bloc Alliance. That would be very bad. He knew the Bloc Alliance had two huge operating bases on the other side of the border. He was also sure they ran patrols like his on their sides. In his fifteen years with the Border Guards, there had been unsanctioned border crossings, most ended peacefully. Some not.
The sergeant unconsciously looked down at the old four-lane hardtop road, he traced it up to the border. Forty plus years ago, before Westfor or the Bloc Alliance the highway had been used to transport people and goods between both countries. Now the last three hundred meters on the Westfor’s side was heavily mined. Every year an Army detachment came out to inspect, and maintain the land mines. Not being a soldier, James kept far away from the field. He wasn’t sure if they were supposed to keep the Bloc Alliance out or just off the highway. Hell if the Bloc Army came rolling down the highway, there were several things he and his platoon was suppose to do. He was totally unsure what would happen after that. The nearest Westfor Army outpost was thirteen miles away.

“Sergeant! Sergeant James!”

Sergeant James turned to see Private Hass running as fast as he could, screaming his head off. The sergeant hoped that Jones and Sandoval weren’t fighting again. There were days like this when all he seemed to do was baby-sit

“Over there! Over There!” The young, out of breath private shouted as he met up with the Border Guard sergeant.

Sergeant James looked over to were the man was pointing toward, half expecting to see Corporal Oliver’s lost patrol. Instead he saw, men in rubber boats paddling across the river, ten boats in all. Staring dumbstruck, James and the private stared as the boats made there way across the river, moving with great practiced speed and efficiency. That’s strange, thought the sergeant, why would somebody be crossing the river? He then noticed the entire far skyline suddenly lit up in a series of tremendous flashes, like the worse lightning he had ever saw. As the flashes continued, James noticed that the flashes were only on the Bloc Alliance’s side.

Corporal Oliver had just broken thru the dense tree line, happy that he had finally figured out the route back to Hotel six four. His five-man patrol was upset with him for getting them lost for several hours but he was sure they would soon forget. Yeah once back at the outpost, with some hot food and cold drinks, everything would be soon forgotten. Oliver paused to look up at lonely hilltop just as it disappeared under several dozen massive explosions. Bloc Alliance fired three battalions worth of heavy, and light artillery at Hotel six four. Even from his position Oliver was hammered by the power of the artillery impacting on the hilltop. Unsure as to what to do the patrol just stood there and watched as the last artillery rounds landed on the hilltop, only smoke rose from Hotel six four. Unappreciated by the patrol, the Bloc artillery had shifted to it’s next set of targets. The patrol was still standing there undecided when the men from the rubber boats found them and gunned them down without any remorse.