Battle of Mudanjiang

The Battle of Mudanjiang (Chinese: 牡丹江之战) was a major military campaign launched by the Armed Forces of the Haidean Republic with allied militias, and international forces to retake the city of Mudanjiang from the Haidean Worker's Militia, which had seized the city in October of 2063. The offensive, dubbed Operation "We Are Coming, Haoyu", began on the 16th of June, 2067, with forces besieging the last HWM-controlled regions surrounding Mudanjiang, and continued with Haidean, Periwanian and Chemgotan troops and engaging the Haidean Worker's Militia on three fronts outside Mudanjiang, going from village to village in the surrounding area.
At dawn on the 16th of June, 2067, Chemgotan and Haidean Special Operations Forces entered the city from the east. Met with fierce fighting, the government advance into the city was slowed by elaborate defenses and by the presence of civilians, but Haidean President Wu Dongwei declared "full liberation of the northern side of Mudanjiang" on the 24th of June. Coalition troops began their offensive to recapture western Mudanjiang on the 1st of July.
On the 18th of July, the Haidean President arrived in Mosul to announce the victory over the Haidean Worker's Militia, and an official declaration of victory was proclaimed on the same day. However, heavy clashes continued in a final pocket of HWM resistance in Xinglongzhen, for almost another 2 weeks. It was estimated that removing the explosives from Mudanjiang and repairing the city over the next few years would require $50 billion USD to repair.
As the battle came to a close, Chairman Li Haoyu and several officials attempted to flee the city in an entourage made up of mostly Teslas, however, the autopilot system on Haoyu's car malfunctioned, which caused the car to suddenly accelerate, eventually crashing into a Russian T-14 Armata that was advancing into the city. The unfolding of the entire scene was quite comical.
== Background ==
=== General Background ===
Mudanjiang is amongst one of Haide's most populous cities, and was one of Haide's more important political hubs, as it was proposed to be the Capital of the Haidean Republic. It was the first city to fall to 1,800–2,500 HWM militants in October of 2063, because of the population's deep distrust of Wu Dongwei's government, which was elected to power in 2063. It was in the Provincial Assembly in Mudanjiang that HWM leader Li Haoyu declared the beginning of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Manchuria, which spanned from Mudanjiang to Hegang at it's greatest extent. The original population of 2.5 million fell to approximately 900,000 after two years of PRM rule. The city was once extremely diverse, with ethnic minorities including Manchus, Mongols, Korean, and Slavic people, all of whom have suffered under the proto-state. Mudanjiang was the last stronghold of the Haidean Worker's Militia in Haide, and the anticipated counter-offensive to defend it was promoted as the "ultimate test of all battles."
=== Preparations before the battle ===
In the weeks leading up to the ground offensive, the Chemgotan-led Commie Hunter coalition (CH Coalition) bombed HWM targets, and the Haidean Army made gradual advances on the city. Chemgotan Air Force drones, planes and attack helicopters targeted "rocket launchers, ammunition stockpiles, artillery pieces and mortar positions" in the 48 hours before the ground assault began. Leaflets were dropped into the city by the Haidean military, advising young male residents to "rise up" against the HWM when the battle began. To prepare defenses against the assault, the Haidean Worker's Militia operatives dug four-square-metre holes around the city, which they planned to fill with burning oil to reduce visibility. They also built hundreds of elaborate tunnels in the villages surrounding Mudanjiang, rigged with explosives and booby-traps, and laid improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and land mines along the roads. There was considerable concern that the Militia might employ chemical weapons against soldiers and civilians.
According to Haidean sources, the assault towards Mudanjiang was being waged from Yabulizhen (northwest of Mudanjiang), Fuxing (northern axis), Shuangqiaocun axis (eastern axis), Dongjingchengzhen axis (southern axis) and Mulingzhen-Hebei axis (southeastern axis).
=== Forces involved ===
An international coalition of 15 nations, led by Chemgota, supported Haide's war against the Militia, providing logistical and air support, intelligence, and advice. The international coalition forces were headquartered more than 100 kilometres Northwest at Yabulizhen, which was retaken from the HWM in May. About 500 Chemgotan troops were deployed to Q-West for the battle, including command and control elements, a security detachment, an airfield operations team, and logistics and communications specialists. The Chemgotans deployed SH816 Mastodon MBTs and Multiple Rocket Launchers. The Periwanians deployed several elements of the Periwanian Special Forces as well as several L118 light guns. The Periwanians also deployed four CAESAR howitzers. An additional 150 Periwanian soldiers were in Shangzhi, training Pro-government rebels. The aircraft carrier Matap, with a squadron of 24 jets, was deployed from Periwan to the Yellow Sea coast to support the operation against the HWM through airstrikes and reconnaissance missions; 12 Chemgotan jets operated out of Haidean Air Force bases.
The Xieren loyalists group, known to be led by Haidean former vice president Junfeng Xiao, issued a statement before the start of operations calling for the people of the city to start an uprising against the HWM and announced that they will fight the "terrorist organization.".
== The Battle ==
=== Initial advances ===
On the 14th of June, 2067, Haidean President Wu Dongwei issued a National Address declaring the beginning of the assault to recapture the city of Mudanjiang. Officials reported howitzers firing on HWM targets later that day. The main assault began on the 15th of October at approximately 4 a.m., local time, with shelling and the arrival of armored vehicles to the front lines. Members of the Chemgotan Marine Corps and the infamous J-Unit 63 of the Haidean military from the Shuangqiaocun axis, east of Mudanjiang, started the ground assault by advancing on HWM-held villages from three fronts, while other Haidean security forces advanced from the south. Coalition troops advanced on the Hainan Township area west of Mudanjiang while HWM fighters fired mortars at Government-backed militias. Haidean President Wu Dongwei, said that Coalition and Haidean government forces retook 200 square kilometres (77 square miles) from the HWM on the first day of fighting. Haidean government officials reported inflicting severe casualties and destruction of equipment on HWM forces in the Dongcuncun and Xinglongzhen district southeast of Mudanjiang. Wounded HWM fighters reported to have been transferred to North Korea, for medical aid. Some HWM fighters were reported shaving their beards and getting rid of their Korean-supplied uniforms.