Operation Northway
| Operation Northway | |||||||
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| Part of Wars of the Disinherited | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Raspur Pact
|  The Green  Confederacy of the Dispossessed.
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Operation Northway is the name given to the ongoing military conflict in the Kingdom of Moorland as elements of the Moorland Armed Forces continue their efforts to root out hostiles and remnants of the Confederacy of the Dispossessed.
Background
Plans for Operation Northway came about after the conclusion of Operation Southpaw wherein ongoing conversations with Normark and Mercury brought to the table the consideration for linking Moorland to the Trans-Keltian Express. The corridor between the three nations has long been a source of raids, which have increased with the rise of the Confederacy of the Dispossessed. In order for the rail line to be extended to the borders of Nevermoor, Moorland would need to extend security over the region and root out any hostile forces. Connecting the rail through Moorland and Mercury's common border has proven impractical due to the Dunn Mountains that run along the border. The only practical route to extend the rail is through hostile territory. In the fall of 1726, elements of the Nevermoor Knights moved into the area to begin securing the corridor, with tacit approval from Mercury and Normark.
Major Battles
Dunholm's Grave
The Battle of Dunholm's Grave was the first major confrontation between hostile forces and elements of the MAF. The location was thus named because it holds a large funeral mound and was, many years past, formerly Nova English territory. The mound, according to folklore, is rumored to be the final resting place of the Archbishop of Castrum Nazarene, Alfred Dunholm, whose body was spirited away from Fifth Isle and buried in a secret location. Hostile forces had taken up a position behind the mound, using it as a defensive bulwark. The Nevermoor Knights had been deployed from Nevermoor and as they crossed into the Green they were joined by The Holy Theban Legion that had crossed from their previous posting in the east. The two units coordinated to use a pincer maneuver, flanking the mound on either side rather than trying to advance over the structure. The Theban Legion, whose origins lay in the Church of the Holy Lance, were spurred to furor over the desecration of Dunholm's burial site, and fought with a fervor unseen before. The hostiles crumpled under the dual assault and soon broke ranks, fleeing south to join with reinforcements at the local stronghold of Blackend.
Blackend
Hostile forces had retreated to the village of Blackend by the spring of 1726, with both sides having hunkered down for the long northern winter. But as the spring thaw came, and the snow receded, both sides had used the winter to lick their wounds and regroup. This proved to be a poor decision on behalf of Moorland, as it gave the hostiles time to plot a more adequate defense. As the Theban Legion moved southeast it encountered muddy fields that horses slipped in, boots bogged down in, and tanks sunk to their undercarriage. It took a month to get the army across the plains to the outskirts of Blackend in what, during dry months, would have taken a third of the time. The Legion was also alone this time, with the Knights having stayed back to fortify Dunholm's Grave and allow a garrison to be established before working their way west toward Swordwood. As such the Thebans were wet and tired by the time they arrived, not a good combination for troops about to engage in combat. Conversely, hostile forces had been sitting tight in the comfort of the village's many crofts anticipating the arrival of the Moorlanders. To the Theban's advantage, hostile forces amounted to less than two-thirds the strength of the Legion, which also held superior firepower. Taking up behind a short hill and a small forest, the Theban Legion established their base camp from which to attack the village.
By the middle of 1727.1 the two sides began to engage in crossfire as the Legion tested the villages defenses. It was eventually decided that the lack of a perimeter wall save for some piled logs and hay bales that a direct assault would be best. Armored units were set to advance first and smash a clear road for ground forces to advance into the city. Due to the confined space of the crofts and hoping to limit civilian casualties, command opted to use ground troops to make a swift assault and enter homes individually, storming each residence to eliminate hostiles. While the initial armored advance was successful, as ground troops entered the village to storm the crofts they encountered tight quarters from which hostiles operated at a strong advantage, and began to take heavy losses. Command then ordered artillery to shell the center of the village, striking a munitions depot hidden in a barn, which detonated and leveled a large area, causing both hostile and friendly casualties. But in the resultant melee after the explosion, friendly forces were able to seize most of the homes by forces as hostiles began to flee the village. By the end of the day, despite steep casualties, the Legion prevailed and only a handful of hostiles were able to escape. The remainder were either killed in battle or captured. As such Blackend proved to be a decisive battle for the war effort.
Swordwood
Ahead of the advance upon Swordwood, a contingent of 3,077 militiamen of the Rural Defence Corps of Anahuaco, arrived after a series of forced matches and joined up with the main body of the Moorlandic invasion force, positioning themselves on the far left flank. This body of men had also, it transpired, been accompanied by a sizeable contingent of naval officers from the Admiralty of Haifa who were said to be conducting an armed "staff ride", in a convoy of well appointed all-terrain vehicles kitted as though to partake in a safari. Indeed, it was widely suspected that the majority had come north on a "jolly", hoping to bag some exotic Bassarid creatures, rather than out of any genuine commitment to the allied cause.
Elements of the Nevermoor Knights fought alongside the RDF forces at the small village of Swordwood. The Theban Legion, having suffered significant losses, remained garrisoned in Blackend to recuperate. With the greater force of hostiles virtually annihilated at Blackend, the taking of Swordwood was a relative simple task as it only contained the local garrison and the stragglers that had fled from the east. Artillery were able to blast a sizable hole in the city defenses, allowing armored forces to force entry into the city center. They were quickly followed by infantry, who were able to secure the village with minimal loss of life. The battle turned out to be a brief reprieve before marching west to Fire Hill where enemy forces had begun amassing from further afield.
Fire Hill
By the time the Knights arrived at Fire Hill, hostile forces had taken and fortified the high ground, forcing the Moorlanders to halt out of firing range and make camp. Enemy forces did not immediately engage and were not prepared to make an offensive. Clearly they had dug in to their present position anticipating a defensive battle. Luckily the Knights were soon joined by the Brotherhood of The Holy Lance, who had finally arrived after a long trek west from Newcastle-Upon-Eastmoor. With them were their 152mm towed artillery, which were immediately set in a position to begin shelling the village. Holed up tightly as they were in the village, enemy forces began to take heavy losses and were forced to engage with MAF units on the ground. As more of the Lancers trickled in, they also arrived with an MLRS, which began to rocket the city and shatter the walls of the village utterly.
As it no longer became tenable for hostiles to stay in the village for defense, they began an offensive in earnest against the MAF, charging out of the city in a frontal assault. It was a brief engagement, and as it turned out, was a ruse to allow hostiles to escape west towards Grand Oak. Although hostiles who had engaged the MAF took heavy losses, they distracted the main contingent long enough for a good forty percent of their force to escape east. Eventually these forces too broke and scattered; although the Knights and Lancers were able to capture a good many. Unfortunately for the village of Fire Hill, the combination of shelling and rocket fire destroyed a good ninety-five percent of the structures, caused fires to break out, and forced the villagers to flee. By the end of the evening, Fire Hill had been reduced to ashes.
Grand Oak
Following the victory at Fire Hill, only a small garrison was left in place at the charred remnants of the village while the rest of the MAF immediately moved west towards Grand Oak. Hostile forces had begun amassing the last of their strength around this area, having faced increasing pressure from Normark at Markenvjall and River's Edge. Although the Nevermoor Knights moved west to engage at Grand Oak, the expected reinforcements did not arrive. Due to the Burwood Wildfires, all non-essential MAF had been recalled back to Moorland to help with fighting the blaze. With the situation being thus, command ordered the Knights to make camp about ten miles east of Grand Oak and await further instructions. With the need for more able-bodied soldiers, King MacMartin ordered the national reserves mustered to supply troops wherever needed. But until those forces could be gathered, the Knights were on their own.
It took until XV.1727 for reinforcements to arrive, but arrive they did. An additional force of eight-thousand reservists from the National Fryd arrived to support the Knights, allowing the army to advance to siege position and begin shelling Grand Oak. By this time, hostile forces had been aware that MAF troops were on the move in advance and began to evacuate further east towards River's Edge. Knowing that they couldn't sustain a prolonged siege, they instead opted to strip the village of anything valuable and set fire to the remainder. By the time the Knights arrived within a few miles of the village, the plumes of smoke indicated something was awry. Upon approaching closer they found the village devoid of all life and a burnt out shell. Even the crop fields around the outside of the village walls had been burnt. They took the village without firing a single shot, but knew that the penultimate confrontation was yet to come.
Markenvjall
Since the beginning of the Cerulean war earlier in the year, the rail network and rolling-stock of Normark had been commandeered by the Nordhaer in order to facilitate the mobilisation efforts and thereafter to sustain the ongoing campaign of conquest in the west. These actions also had an effect on the operation of the Trans-Keltian Express within the territory of Normark.
River's Edge
Skirting around Markenvjall, the Nevermoor Knights and Brotherhood of the Holy Lance, the latter of which had rejoined the fray after recuperating for several months and receiving reinforcements from the National Fryd, made directly for River's Edge. The spring thaw of 1728 had cleared the landscape of snow, but the ground was still cold enough to remain frozen and allow troops to move quickly. Considered to be the final holdout of hostiles in the area, scouts had reported the last remnants of the Disinherited amassing at the small town. Estimates placed the number of hostiles at around 4,000 soldiers; most of which had already fought in previous battles, suggesting that many could be fighting while wounded or suffering from exhaustion. MAF forces made a fast push west, wasting no time and not halting, hoping to catch the enemy by surprise after a few months of zero engagement. Within a few days they arrived outside of River's Edge and immediately began bombarding the town with artillery. Communication was made via radio with the hostiles and safe passage was allowed for wounded to be transported to hospitals and for those who surrendered to be guaranteed safe accommodation until a military tribunal could safely dispatch them back into society as non-combatants. Several dozen wounded were evacuated, but few soldiers agreed to put down their arms, and so shelling began again, this time in earnest.
While artillery continued to shell the town, helicopters arrived from the east and began hitting specific targets with rocket fire, particularly those within the center of the complex. By the third day of bombardment the outer walls had been reduced to rubble and shelling ceased as ground troops made an offensive in the town's center square. Enemy forces were heavily bloodied by the time ground troops arrived, but still the fighting was intense in close quarters. Tanks were brought in to hit buildings where suspected hostiles were hiding, while foot soldiers went door-to-door to flush out each building. The task was tedious and slow the advance, but it was a necessary precaution to guarantee the MAF couldn't be outflanked. After several hours of fighting the rebel commander came forward waving a white flag of surrender. Accordingly the remaining enemy soldiers were rounded up and placed under arrest as the Knights took up garrison duty and began restoring order. By IV.1728 the fighting had finally come to an end and Moorland emerged victorious over the Dispossessed once again.
