Operation Armory

== Operation Armory ==
Operation Armory is the name given to an ongoing operation started in 2007 by the United Commonwealth that seeks to outfit the Church of Yelloman with modern weaponry and munitions. Due to the isolated nature of the Church of Yelloman and their difficult location, almost all arms have to be smuggled across Virginia Creek and the White Sands Beach, however with ongoing efforts to quell the operation smuggling missions occurred on Nelson Island.
=== Initial Steps ===
Following the White Sands Beach Agreement of 2007, Jacob Lee met with Franklin McClinton, a representative of the United Commonwealth at Citadel Solis in order to determine the first supply of armaments that would be given to the Church of Yelloman. After a period of haggling the Commonwealth agreed to supply the following:
* ~50 M14 Rifles
* ~20 M14A1 Automatic Rifles
* ~1,000 rounds of ammunition
* 2 M79 Grenade Launchers
* ~60 Grenades
* 1 M1 Bazooka
The delivery of these items would be able to easily take place at White Sands Beach, where small boats would deliver the information to then be carried into the Monaska Mountains via Virginia Creek by Church members. These new armaments would be used to great effect at one of the closing engagements of the Kodiak Civil War, the Skirmish at Mount Aprilis.
=== Use of Weaponry at Skirmish at Mount Aprilis ===
On February 2nd forces of Only the Hated were making a move against Mount Aprilis in an attempt to cut off Fort Fides and starve out the defenders. However during this engagement, they met the newly arrived Commonwealth weapons. Notably in their advance on the mountain, Church fighters fired down from the peak with M79 grenade launchers and their supply of hand grenades. Amidst the sudden hail of explosives, an estimated 20 OtH militiamen were wounded. This caused a complete collapse of the advance, resulting in a fighting withdraw. The Church fighters loved their new weaponry and were eager to prove its use, using it in other notable engagements, such as:
* February 4th, column of Oblast soldiers is fired upon by a Church fighter brandishing an M1 bazooka. The unexpected explosive fire caused a panic that lead the forward guard to surrender themselves as the rest retreated, believing the force to be large, however they surrendered to 4 Church fighters.
* February 8th, amidst Collins discussions with Anton Vardayn, Church fighters ambush an OtH encampment near Pillar Point using M14A1 rifles, pouring automatic fire into the camp. 4 are killed in the initial burst of gunfire before Church members are driven off.
=== Initial Impacts ===
Other than the improvement in combat ability, the new weaponry increased the morale of the Church fighters, as well as the anxiety of the Kodiak Oblast and Only the Hated. It is speculated that the presence of Church bodyguards brandishing M14s in the meetings with both Anton Vardayn and Johan Basel, a calculated move by Robert Collins to emphasize the growing power of the Church. The image of the Church fighters inexplicably having improved firearms even after years of war caused confusion and fear amongst the Church's opponents.
As new shipments successfully arrived to the Church, Collins was able to begin a more organized form of the Church's combat groups. The newly reorganized squads consisted of a squad leader with an M3 grease gun, and 6 riflemen with M14s and a machinegunner with an M14A1, and projected the new Church efforts of modernization. However only around 3 of these improved squads were successfully rolled out by 2008, with equipment still severely lacking. Collins gained much mileage out of these squads however, having them patrol the newly defined boundaries of the Church to project power. Briefly they replaced Yelloman's Missionaries in their role as Collins security detail, with their organized nature and newly rolled out uniforms gaining Collins' favor. In light of this, Collins decided to handpick Church members to serve as his bodyguard, which would number about 25 men by 2015.
=== Ambush at White Sands Beach 2014 ===
In early September 2014, EO had learned of the ongoing operation to arm the forces of the Church of Yelloman by their rival, the United Commonwealth. EO reconnaissance units staked out near White Sands Beach from the 5th to the 9th, in that time spotting a civilian boat move in very close to the beach, before rowboats came from the shore and met on the boat, eventually returning to the shore in multiple trips with crates. The EO scouts reported this information to the EO leadership, and plans for an intervention were made. 
On September 13th 2014 EO special forces would land North of White Sands Beach, hitting the beach at 3:00 AM and beginning their trek South. They settled in a ridge just North of the beach. The force, consisting of just 20 men split into two teams, alpha and bravo. Alpha team was armed with long range rifles, flare guns, and a few light machine guns. Bravo team was located to the Southwest of the beach, positioned to try and prevent a withdrawal of UC forces. At 5:00 AM a civilian fishing boat captained by UC troops approached the beach and was reported by bravo team. At 5:05 members of the Church were spotted on the beach waiting to receive the shipment, along with several rowboats to bring back the supplies. A church member, presumed to be some logistical officer, met with the UC officer aboard the boat and around 5:10 the first crate was loaded. Alpha and bravo team prepared for the right time and began picking targets. At 5:20 when 3 crates were ashore and the 4th on the way, the order to open fire was given. Alpha team’s sharpshooters took down every church member aboard the rowboat carrying supplies, before firing upon the soldiers guarding the supplies. When panic set in, flares were shot in the direction of the church soldiers, illuminating the beach and making them easy targets. At that instant, machine gun fire raked the beach, killing a further 5 church members. The boat immediately began to withdraw from the beach, before being hit by fire from bravo team. The UC soldier captaining the boat was killed, leaving the boat dead in the water. Gunfire was exchanged between the boat and bravo team before eventually the defenders were killed. Bravo team brought out an AT rocket launcher and fired upon the boat. The shot hit the munitions that were not successfully delivered, causing a massive explosion that sunk the boat. 
Turning away from the sunk boat, bravo team advanced onto the beach. Church members were pushing towards alpha team to attempt to neutralize them, leaving the supplies unguarded. Bravo team swept onto the beach and planted explosives in the supply crates. Upon receiving the signal that the explosives were set, alpha team withdrew North to where they kept their dinghies. Bravo team withdrew to the woods, waiting for the church members to abandon the area. After 30 minutes of church members sweeping the area, they began attempting to move them back towards the Monaska mountains. However, due to their casualties they lacked manpower to efficiently return them. After a few members picked up the first crate they began walking it up a hill, at which point bravo team detonated the explosives. The church members were incinerated and the remaining crates exploded, leaving nothing but shrapnel.
=== Aftermath of the Ambush ===
By the afternoon of the 13th both Yelloman and UC command had learned of the disaster at White Sands Beach, and communicated with each other to try and determine a new avenue for the gunrunning operation. Prophet Robert Collins met with The General at the beach, both under heavy guard, to determine what might happen next. 
The General was incredibly displeased with the lost material, lamenting that the lost shipment would set them back by at least two weeks worth of ammunition. Collins pleaded with The General to take immediate action, insisting the OtH must be responsible and that a large attack must be carried out. The General shot down these requests and instead pushed for a change of location for gunrunning. He assured Collins that the Commonwealth would find a more suitable location from which they could supply Yelloman troops, one that would be at risk of attack by EO. 
Commonwealth leadership in Kodiak decided that the easiest location would be Spruce Island, a largely uninhabited area except for the small Order of St Nilus who had a compound on the Southern end of the island. Commonwealth strategic commander Patrick Grant organized an expedition to Spruce Island in order to scope it out for gunrunning, an event that would indirectly lead to the Spruce Island Incident.