The Battle of Turpol

Originally codenamed "Entschlossen Lanzo" - Resolute Lanzo (Lanzo being the pet form of all names containing the word "Land") was a joint Coalition assault on Turpol to liberate it from Cysien occupation for good. It was liberally translated by foreign media as "Determined Lenny" after the operation was over and some files with the operation name were leaked.

## Background

The initial catalyst for the entire Turpol War was Cysien's illegal occupation of Turpol, which violated international norms and was widely condemned. Hoping to dislodge Cysien forces, the Coalition was formed in an effort to force the Cysiens out of Turpol, whether via diplomatic means or through force.

The twin disasters of Storm Bank and Vertinge Strait had effectively neutralized the Cysien Navy as a viable fighting force, clearing the way for a large scale amphibious assault. This invasion could ultimately achieve the primary objective of the entire war in ending the illegal occupation of Turpol, and as such the Coalition devoted enormous amounts of manpower and materiel to the endeavor.

Of particular note is the failed Henglaghen invasion of the island, which, although a catastrophic failure, presented the Coalition with an enormous amount of data with which to proceed in the assault. While the Henglaghen had capitalized on Cysine's naval impotence, their untested and untrained forces were virtually wiped out in the initial assault. The Coalition trained extensively, preparing for everything from amphibious assault to aerial insertion, and had developed a number of advanced weapon systems and tactical doctrines for the attack.

Ishwar, fearing the expansion of Coalition power into the East Seas, hoped to prevent a total victory and subsequent occupation by Lüttenberg, Astrian, or Astoran forces, and provided large quantities of war materiel including tanks, AA pieces, and small arms, before later sending troops. The intent was to force the Coalition into a stalemate, where a diplomatic solution favorable to Ishwar could be negotiated.

Cysien, for its part, simply sought to hold the island, and had invested a great deal of time and money building extensive trench lines and embedded weapons platforms in order to resist the assault.

## Coalition Plan

While the specifics of the plan were never released, some documents outlining the general orders were leaked months after the operation.

1. At 01:00, medium to high flying airships were to start bombing the three trench systems, San Martin, Astriar and Astoran naval task forces were to provide support to the airships in the form of naval bombardment. High flying airships were to bomb the AA encampment in the centre of the island. A Donnervogel gunship was also to be firing upon the AA base.
2. At 2:00 smaller low-flying fast moving airship were to drop off companies of the 1st elite airship assault battalion at the marked company landing areas, using the bombardment and darkness as cover. The three companies landing close to the cities were to clear any garrisons and clear the cities of any resistance, had they faced a superior enemy force they were withdraw. The two companies landing on the eastern beach were to clear a beachhead for the main landing force. The one company on the northern island was to clear the royal palace, following the same plan of action as the units clearing the cities. The two companies landing at the AA base were to clear it of any remaining resistance while disabling their AA capabilities. At the same time companies of Astoran marines would land in the cities and northern island to support the Lüttenberg forces.
3. At 2:45 the bombing of the AA site was to be stopped, allowing the ground forces to move in. The two companies were thought to make short work of the shellshocked AA crews, capture was preffered over deadly force. Messages urging the enemy forces to surrender were to be played from low flying airships
4. At 3:30 the low flying airships were to make another round of drops (marked with purple dashed ellipses), each of which was to be a company tasked with setting up ambushes and defenses along the main roads in order to prevent the enemy forces from relocating. As soon as they have set up, recon squads would move out to map out possible defensive lines for tactical withdrawal if delay tactics should be needed.
5. At 5:30 if the vanguard had given an all clear signal, a brigade of Astoran marines would land on the eastern beaches, two battalions would be providing support in securing the towns if needed, two would head towards the trench systems and two would head for the AA site, if the towns are secure the battalions would instead support the advance on the trench systems. If the western city had been secured, a brigade sized unit would be landing there as well. They would be sending four battalions to take over the westernmost trench system and one to secure the northern island while one would stay and hold the town.
6. At 10:00 when the marine brigades would have (at least mostly) finished their landings and would be heading towards their destinations, medium to high flying airships would start dropping airship assault battalions at the designated zones, from where they would meet up with the Astoran forces and launch assaults on the trench networks. Again capture was to be preferred to deadly force, as the war was against Cysien corrupt government, not their people. The airship and naval task force would stop the bombardment as the attack commenced.

Alternative landing zones for the main amphibious forces were marked with pink arrows on the assault plan, in case enemy resistance had proven too much to overcome or the terrain unsuitable for a landing. The vanguard marine companies would either find the nearest landable area or climb up a solid rock wall with their teeth, either way they were to reach their destinations. If any unit was to face superior enemy forces, they were to tactically withdraw using delay techniques and wait for the main amphibious forces to launch a counterattack. Was the capture of the AA base for some reason fail, the airship forces were to resume bombing.

## Battle

### Initial bombardment and vanguard units

The initial bombardment started exactly as planned. At 01:01 medium to high flying Lüttenberg airships began bombing the three trench systems, while San Martin, Astriar and Astoran naval task forces provided fierce naval bombardment. High flying airships targeted the central AA batteries.

At 2:00 smaller low-flying fast moving airship dropped off companies of the 1st airship assault battalion, using the bombardment and darkness as cover. However, strong winds complicated the insertion, and the high speed of the airships and the nighttime conditions broke the cohesion

of the airborne units, with many of the companies ending up separated. The three companies dropped around

the cities were discovered by the garrisons and engaged in fierce firefights, suffering losses. As a result, they were unable to achieve their objectives and withdrew towards the shore, waiting for reinforcements.

Two companies were successfully landed on the eastern beach, but were also quickly engaged by local forces once they were discovered. Another company was landed on the Turop Palace and engaged a mixture of Ishwar and Cysien troops. Outnumbered, they were unable to clear the palace and were also forced to

withdraw. Two companies were dropped over the AA base, but as the second company began it's jump it was beset upon by AA fire and suffered high casualties. Astoran marines were set to land on the northern island and the cities, but suffered some delays in the low light conditions and their progress was relatively slow.

At 2:41 the bombing of the AA site was stopped, and the landed commandos moved in to clear the encampment. One company at nearly full strength wiped out the AA site's defenders and seized some range finding equipment. Despite attempts to allow the surrender of Cysien forces, the low light conditions, along with language barriers and general panic saw no prisoners taken at this point.

At 3:32, the low flying airships began another round of drops of companies tasked with setting up ambushes and defenses along the main roads in order to prevent the enemy forces from relocating. With the AA batteries

silenced, the drops occured with no complications. Recon squads began working on determining potential avenues of escape.

### Main assault

At 5:30, a brigade of Astoran marines landed on the eastern beaches despite the airborne troops' failure to establish a secure beachhead. The remaining Lüttenberg commandos, backed by the freshly landed Astorans, overwhelmed the exhausted defenders. The commandos retreating from the cities linked up with the forces

    coming from the beaches, and made a second assault on the cities. Although the defenders were prepared, they were also exhausted and shell shocked, and eventually the Coalition forces made deep inroads into the cities. An additional brigade of Astoran marines landed in the west to support actions there.

At 10:03, medium to high flying airships started dropping airship assault battalions at the designated zones behind the Cysien defensive lines. However, problems in communication between Astoran and Lüttenberg high commands meant that Lüttenberg paratroopers advanced on the trenches unaware that the majority of the Astoran marines remained bogged down in the fierce city fighting. As such, they faced extremely heavy fire and were forced to retreat in the morning light as they attampted to advance on the Cysien garrisons.

By 12:00, the north Island, the north and east cities had all been effectively occupied by the attacking Coalition forces. Although none of the trenches had fallen. In the west and the south, the cities remained heavily contested, with the majority of coalition forces in the south having been disorganized and forced to retreat. The palace still remained standing.

Casualty rates were high across the board. Particularly affected were the airborne commandos, who operated under extremely difficult conditions while outnumbered and outgunned. The Cysien death toll was particularly high, however, having been exhausted and demoralized by extensive shore and air bombing. Still, the majority of combat units remained at operational strength, and high command seemed to remain more or less intact for the time being.

### The Continuing Battle

As the main assault on Turpol ended, the entry of Ishwar into this war forced San Martin to withdraw from the coalition.

> *"This is really bad, I can't stay on both sides!"* - Words from Ron Ventura Martin, King of San Martin
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After Turpol was invaded by Coalition forces, most of it was quickly overtaken. Only the main trench systems, the imperial palace built on the northern island, and a few small cities are still held by Cysienese and Ishwar
forces. Many Turpol citizens, caught in the crossfire, flooded into the small pockets of Cysien and Ishwar forces left on the island.

While some objectives of the assault were left incomplete, in general the whole assault on Turpol was a success for the Coalition. Even though the harsh weather and stronger AA capabilities than anticipated complicated the air drops, the airship assault troops managed to complete their main objective of taking out the AA battery situated deep inland. Even though the casualties were high, the worst could be avoided thanks to commands to withdraw and wait for reinforcements when facing a superior force. A few airships needed repairs due to flying low to drop off troops and being hit by AA cannons. As no incendiary shells had been developed at this point, most of the artillery shells were reported to have gone straight through the canvas hull of the airships and only minor repairs to a few ruptured gas cells were needed.

A few days were given during which any Turpolese civilians and surrendering Cysien troops could exit the towns under siege by the Coalition. However, the reality was that this option was rarely taken. At the same time the trench networks were under constant bombardment, with only small breaks to allow surrendering troops to leave their positions, coalition armor was used to break any remaining pockets of resistance in the trenches, which were few and far in between owing to the constant demoralizing bombardment and general low morale. Another factor that helped in capturing the trench systems was that all their defenses were orientated towards the beaches, under constant bombardment they were unable to effectively relocate their weapon positions. The coalition forces attacking from behind also cut off all their logistics and combat service support.

In the various occupied population centers the fighting proved much more difficult. Infantry units supported by various armoured units cleared the areas house by house, block by block. Even though the progress was slow and casualties higher than elsewhere, the high command opted for this approach as not to level whole blocks of the Turpolese houses with artillery or airship bombardment

> *"We are here to end this illegal occupation, not to destroy the homes of these people. This is why we have allowed for the en masse evacuation of Turpol civilians and surrender of Cysien soldiers, the less shots are fired and the less blood is shed, the closer we get to our goal. Make no mistake though, we will root out all of the Cysien resistance one way or another, anyone delusional enough to blindly follow the words of a mad king will be dealt with using force."* - Generalleutnant Ulrich Krausser, commander of the coalition Turpolese contingent.
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On a few occasions airship assault troops were deployed directly above cities to secure high priority targets, though after having learnt from previous mistakes, weather was a huge factor in planning these assaults.

## Aftermath

With Cysien forces facing exhaustion and depletion in the protracted war of attrition, Cysien commanders on the ground eventually capitulated one by one. Within weeks, Turpol had been turned into a devastated wasteland, and casualties on all sides were exceedingly high.

With the defeat in Turpol, Perop had lost virtually all legitimacy with his public, and massive protests began throughout L'egant City.

> *We simply want our boys back! Ask any mother of a soldier what she wants from this war: the death of their child for the King, or an end to the fighting? We protest this war because we have never had a right to be in Turpol! Does the "Coalition" either? No! No one but the Turpolese should be in Turpol!*
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> -Ivan Olken, Cysien peace activist
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With much of the internal security forces having been pressed into frontline service, civil disorder spread throughout the nation, threatening to topple the embattled leader. Indeed, skirmishes broke out between rioters and Imperial army soldiers. A prominent military governor was even killed in a bomb attack, highlighting the extremely tense situation in Cysien.

The Ishwar, for their part, are widely seen to have given up on the Cysien leadership, and after the repeated demonstrations of tactical ineptitude and strategic hubris, Ishwar troops encircled and occupied the Royal Palace in L'egant City, facing little to no resistance. It is understood that this action is what prompted the Cysien king to sign the Karwia Accords, which effectively mark the end of hostilities and the end of the Turpol War. Turpol was then handed over to Mazkorvian peacekeepers, and the remaining Cysien, Ishwar, and Coalition troops were sent home.

    Tens of thousands of Turpol civilians are understood to have died in the conflict.

The Battle for Turpol remains a landmark event, in that it was the bloodiest and costliest single battle in the early 20th century. Over its course, a number of innovative tactics and experimental weapons were deployed, and planners around the world studied and continue to study this battle. The influence of this conflict cannot be understated. The tactics and technologies that debuted on Turpol would be absorbed and spread across the world. Combined arms, aerial bombardment, trench warfare, amphibious assault, armored warfare, urban combat and even aerial insertions all played a major role in the resolution of this battle.

The political tensions produced by this battle are also of pivotal importance. Cysien was effectively rendered an Ishwar satellite, while both Communist and Fascist elements within the population threatened the stability of the Perop regime. Meanwhile, Ishwar and Lüttenberg were placed in direct opposition, with Mazkorvia introduced as a mediator between the two. The ramifications of the incomplete nature of the resolution of this battle will likely be felt for many decades to come.

## Cysien propaganda

Throughout the campaign Cysien released a number of exaggerated and downright false news in order to keep it's citizens at bay as internal tensions were high in Cysien mainland. The most blatant example of such propaganda is that long after the island had been handed to the Mazkorvian peacekeepers, Cysien news reported continuing resistance to the Coalition invaders.

> *"Even though it looks grim for the citizens of Turpol, many of whom have flooded into the small pockets of allied forces defending against the tide, there is hope yet! The brave men of Cysien and Ishwar continue to hold back the monster Huns from complete takeover of the islands."* - Cysien news
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The reality was that once the siege of the two major cities started, the Coalition forces gave a few days for the civilian population to evacuate the area before engagements began. Most of the population used this chance, but some indeed remained behind. Those that fled their homes were housed in temporary refugee camps, provided by the coalition.

Cysien news also reported experimental weapons being smuggled to Turpol on board civilian ships. Coalition sources however indicate that only civilian ships to pass through the blockade were leaving Turpol with refugees and only a few humanitarian aid ships arrived from different coalition countries, those however landed far from the hostilities and were under constant guard.

While Cysien media accused the coalition forces of executing and torturing Turpol civilians, in Cysien anyone born in one of the coalition countries or a citizen of a coalition country was sent to a concentration camp as a war criminal. The prisoners in these camps were use as slave labor and after serving their sentence were to be executed.