War of 1712
The War of 1712 saw a brief and inconclusive resumption of hostilities between the Benacian Union and Kalgachia following an effort by a cabal of officers in the Siyacher Army, allegedly of their own initiative, to depose the long-serving Ataman of the Upland Confederation, Varҳat Ҳazedinov, and consolidate control of the buffer states jointly administered by the Benacian Union and Kalgachia since the ending of the Inner Benacian Conflict.
OOC Context
A test of a wargaming idea.
Background
In 1708 AN the Salb IV “Aurangzeb” had entered Lepidopterum effectively unopposed. Additionally the invaders were able to reorganise Spindlelimb's Regiment into a light cavalry force of native and mixed-race collaborators. This considerable force was positioned across the railway linking the Black Brothers, the pro-Kalgachi Laq militia of the Upland Confederation, with the bountiful supply depots of the Kalgachi Defence Force in the mountain fastnesses of the Garden proper. Meanwhile, to the southwest, the Benacians had been prolific in raising kossar regiments, mercenary cavalry drawn from the Yehudi communities of Siyachia to bolster the Salb III and the 3 Kossarfördelningen, which together would hold the Upland Confederation in a vice-like grip.
Squeezed in this manner, as he had been ever since the Treaty of Gloomburg had ended the Inner Benacian Conflict, Varҳat Ҳazedinov had focused on a patient strategy of outlasting the Benacian encroachments which had seen the introduction of settlers and militias into the east of the country, in the midst of the forested zone bisected by three rivers flowing north to south. Focused upon maintaining the fortresses in his possession, and the integrity of the Black Brothers as a force in being, Varxat had been forced to bide his time as the east of the country was prised from his grasp.
The most westerly of the three rivers subjected to settlement was known as the Giḥón, upon which two settlements were founded, one in the north and one in the south and upon opposing banks of the river, east and west respectively. The middle river, the Pishon, flowed through the most densely forested part of the country and was graced by a single settlement. The final and most easterly river, the Hiddekel, had a fertile alluvial floodplain and received three settlements - two on the east bank in the north and one on the west bank in the south.
It is to the settlements along the east bank of the Hiddekel that a road from Sansabury was driven, and this river was crossed by means of a ferry that could travel either to an encampment on the opposite bank or further down river to the west bank settlement. Travel into the river valleys of the Pishon and the Giḥón was carried on by overland trails or by rotorcraft where they were available. Unlike the Hiddekel, the two western rivers had fordable points up river, and trails reflecting this. An Ashkenatzim road was known to have once passed east to west through the country but its whereabouts remained unknown for the greater part of the modern era.
Sixty thousand settlers were received into the Upland Confederation with the majority favouring the Hiddekel, where 48% of the veterans and their families received their grants, primarily in the form of plots of agricultural land. 30% of settlers found their way to the Gihón settlements, where plots were allocated with a view to establishing upland sheep farming. The remaining 22% of settlers had found their way into the valley of the Pishon, where claims were divided with a view to prospecting for minerals and for forestry work.
Varҳat Ҳazedinov had originally, in line with the doctrine taught to him by his initial handlers, had initially sought to wait out the “Archonic fixation” with his lands, and rely upon the self-destructive tendencies of Humanism to bring about the ruin of its adherents. However, by 1711, the Benacian Union showed no signs of imploding and Varxat himself was beginning to suffer the ravages of an indeterminate but evidently advanced old age. His adjutants, the Iezauli, began understandably to despair.
In the third month of 1711 AN, three of these iezauli had grotesquely beaten three Benacian defectors who had attempted to flee the Ketek Legion in Stonetree. Subsequently the Kalgachi border guards had ceremoniously returned two mutilated corpses, whilst disclaiming any knowledge as to the fate or whereabouts of the third. News of the incident was widely circulated amongst BUDF formations facing Kalgachi frontier in an effort to stir up indignation amongst the rank and file. Kalgachi sources subsequently characterised the incident as foiled infiltration attempt by the Military Intelligence Directorate of Benacia Command.
The incident, combined with the rumoured decrepitude of the Upland Confederation's ruler, encouraged the commander of the Army of Siyachia, Frainan Hohmin Farzad Riahi, to take his subordinate commanders into his confidence regarding the possibility of seizing control of the Upland Confederation via a coup de main; ostensibly for the purpose of exacting a suitable retribution upon the guilty iezauli, but in reality to effect a change of regime that was, in the opinion of many, long overdue.
By the fourth month of 1711 AN, the deteriorating quality of interactions with officers from the BUDF, never cordial but now downright hostile, was being reported with mounting consistency by their counterparts amongst the command cadres of Black Brothers. This, combined with the reports of mess-hall gossip by sympathetic informants in Spindlelimb's Regiment, caused increasing apprehension amongst the iezauli, and at last they were able to prevail upon the Ataman to dispatch a coded signal to the general staff of the KDF warning of a deterioration in the general condition of security in the Upland Confederation. The matter was passed by KDF Deep Command to the Foreign Powers Liaison, which was obliged to consult with the Directorate of the Tumultuous Wastes over several rounds of meetings, with additional input from KDF Intelligence Command and the Prefects.
Finally, in the sixth month of 1711 AN, an encrypted signal was dispatched, via a microburst transmission, to the KDF mission at the Military Coordination Council in Stonetree. After a lengthy decryption process involving a series of analogue mechanical devices, a meeting was convened on 13.VI.1711 AN at which a Captain Bertrand Allan Probity, the interpreter and acting head of mission, was obliged to read a lengthy démarche to the Tribune Iago Ohler, representative of the Bureau for Relations with Foreign Powers for Benacia Command, who noted that the complaints would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for investigation without undertaking to provide any form of redress. This said, Iago yielded to another tribune, this one being a certain Johann Norrell from the External Service of the Benacian Union, who in turn read out his own litany of complaints, culminating in a denunciation of the treatment of the previously mentioned defectors. To this, Captain Probity tartly remarked that, had the the trio been genuinely attempting to defect, whatever treatment the Black Brothers had dispensed upon them would have been a mercy compared to the agonies that would have awaited them if they had been consigned to the Benacian Labour Reserve. This remark infuriated the Tribune Norrell, who exclaimed that the Kalgachi were in no position to complain about the use of forced labour nor the treatment of traitors. He also noted that the failure to return the defectors, alive and intact, to await the lawful judgement of the Union-State was contrary to the spirit of the Convention. To this, Captain Probity retorted that if the convention was to be adhered to, the tribune of the Benacian Union would remove himself from the meeting, as the policy of the Garden was to negotiate with the organ grinder, rather than the monkey. Further acrimonious words were exchanged, and although the records do not indicate which of the parties threw the first punch, a flurry of accusations and complaints were to pass between the KDF, Benacia Command, and the High Presidium of the Benacian Union, with no party willing to admit fault.
In consequence of the growing diplomatic spat, Eckehard Maier the Benacian head of mission at the Fastenborg Keep in Kalgachia, was obliged to host a visit by one Ilessa Rubinevna, a Commissioner from the Directorate of the Tumultuous Wastes, on 19.VI.1711 AN, who bore the unwelcome news that the Benacian Union Kalgachia Aligned Corridor Exchange was to be closed to military traffic with immediate effect, and that work crews from the Benacian Labour Reserve were to be withdrawn from Kalgachia Proper by the end of the month. Maier, in contrast to his colleague in Stonetree, managed to maintain the semblance of civility, and merely remarked that there might be difficulties in adhering to such a regrettably tight schedule, before offering the commissioner another pastry.
Notice of the demand was expedited post haste to the Commission for Foreign Affairs in Chryse. The response was comparatively mild, a formal protest followed by an undertaking to comply – provided that guarantees would be forthcoming concerning any articles of machine equipment which it may not be feasible to evacuate within the specified time. Maier was able to call upon the surface-level offices of the Directorate of the Tumultuous Wastes within the same day as the receipt of the initial demand. The duty keybearer of the office promised that a response would be given within twenty-four hours.
Campaign
Initial skirmishes
| Date | Map | Attacker Action | Defender Action | Scoring | Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 7.VII.1712 AN |  |
In the early hours of 7.VII.1712 AN seven regiments of kossars, raised from the population of Siyachia in 1708 AN, crossed into the three river valleys of the eastern Upland Confederation. The region having been previously settled by veterans of the Black Legions had a minimal presence of forces of the nominal Kalgachi-appointed government. | Routine patrolling of the frontiers by the Black Brothers. | Question: Is the incursion discovered? Scoring system: 1 - Incredible Failure, 2-5 - Extreme Failure, 6-9 - Moderate Failure, 10 - Neutral, 11-14 - Moderate Success, 15-19 - Extreme Success, and 20 - Incredible Success.
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After Israilov's Regiment passed unopposed to secure its objectives, Yudaev and Mavet's Regiments of Kossars blundered into skilfully laid ambushes prepared by the Black Brothers and were thrown into disorder. Whilst Baruch's Regiment of Kossars and the 1st Regiment of Registered Kossars reached their objectives unopposed, the 2nd and 3rd Regiments of Registered Kossars were discovered by KDF reconnaissance flights hastily launched from Gravelbottom Airport.
In all, the effort of the BUDF to infiltrate forces into the eastern portion of the Upland Confederation was an absolute failure, and in consequence the main garrisons of the Black Brothers in the west of the country, along with the KDF itself, were placed onto the highest state of alert. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spindlelimb's Regiment probes the defences of the 5th Regiment of the Black Brothers. | 5th Regiment of the Black Brothers defends the western approaches to Beltz, the main settlement of the Upland Confederation. The 21st Battalion defended the main road into Beltz from Lepidopterum from prepared positions. All defenders placed onto alert following reports of a major incursion in the east. |  infantry (2,018pts) + 4x artillery pieces (40pts) + attacker terrain penalty (-30%) + SNAFU bonus (3) = 1,444
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In spite of a stout defence, Spindlelimb's Regiment was able to force the road to Beltz, obliging the 5th Regiment to shift reinforcements to the scene of the fighting in order to prevent their right flank from being turned.
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| 8.VII.1712 AN |  |
Mavet and Yudaev's Regiments of Kossars retired in disorder, back into the Governorate of Upper Lywall - there to reorganise. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moving at night, the IV Legion attempts to force entry into hex square D3, crossing the frontier into the Upland Confederation along the Lepidopterum-Gravya road. | The incursion can be opposed by the 2nd Regiment of the Black Brothers at Fort Otto and the 4th Regiment at Fort Anna, both in adjacent hexes. | Phase 1 (Discovery):
Phase 2 (Deployment): The patrol troop of the Second Regiment's Sixth Battalion has encountered the 1st Cohort of the 5th Motorised Infantry Regiment (IV Legion) in forested terrain.
Phase 3 (Battle): As an encounter battle, both parties carry the attacking penalty and lack any defensive bonus.
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Phase 1 (Discovery): In spite of rigorous attempts by the BUDF to disguise the movement of infantry, vehicles, and artillery pieces towards the border from Lepidopterum, the vanguard of the formation is discovered by the patrol company of the 2nd Regiment, which radios a succinct report of the contact back to regimental HQ in Fort Otto. Phase 2 (Deployment): As the discovering party, the patrol troop has the advantage, dismounting and forming a skirmish line under cover, it engaged the Horjin IFVs of the lead squadron of the enemy cohort as they passed along the road. The skirmish line of the Black Brothers is placed on the north side of the road, whilst the south side of the same is bounded by a fast flowing river. Whilst the Black Brothers are skilful in their deployment and use of ambush tactics, the legionaries prove to be no less resourceful - swiftly debussing from their armoured vehicles and aggressively deploying into troop-level skirmish lines in order to pin down and then out flank their opponents. The IFV's, remaining on the road, attempt to use their main armament to provide direct fire support to the legionaries as they advance. Phase 3 (Battle): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 Aviation Regiment, Sansabury, commences combat air patrol over Upland Confederation (4x F-9 Ashavan II) |
 1st Fast Operations Squadron, Gravelbottom Airport, scrambled two pairs of interceptors (4x Buzzard C-61 Jet Fighters) |
The Buzzard C-61 has a maximum speed of 2,330 kmh (Mach 2.19) and a service ceiling of 18,500m. The Buzzard is equipped with 4x "Dandelion" Anti-Air Missiles (passive infra-red homing, 6km range), while the Ashavan II carries 4x S-2 Standard Missiles (active RF seeker, 45km range). The Buzzards are directed by a ground-based air defence command network whilst the Ashavan II pilots received their mission profile from an AWACs aircraft further to the south. Both sides will try to gain a height advantage before engaging. The pilots of the Buzzards are considered to be better trained, with more flying hours, than their Benacian counterparts. | Based on the information provided, it is likely that the Buzzards would have an advantage in the air combat. Their faster speed and higher service ceiling would give them greater maneuverability and allow them to engage the Ashavan II from a position of superiority. Additionally, their ground-based air defence command network would provide them with better situational awareness and allow them to coordinate their attack more effectively. The longer range of the Ashavan II's missiles would provide them with some advantage, but the superior training and experience of the Buzzard pilots would likely outweigh this factor. It is possible that the Benacian pilots could use their AWACs aircraft to gain an advantage, but this would depend on the capabilities and positioning of the aircraft. Overall, it is difficult to predict the outcome of the air combat with certainty, but the Buzzards would likely have the upper hand.
In this scenario, it is likely that the Buzzards would gain a height advantage early in the combat and use their superior speed and maneuverability to engage the Ashavan II from above. The longer range of the Ashavan II's missiles would allow them to launch some counterattacks, but the Buzzards' ground-based air defence command network would allow them to avoid or evade these attacks and maintain their superiority. The superior training and experience of the Buzzard pilots would also give them an advantage in the dogfighting that would likely ensue. The outcome of the combat would depend on the specific tactics used by both sides and the individual skill of the pilots, but it is likely that the Buzzards would be able to shoot down at least one or two of the Ashavan IIs before breaking off the engagement. The Benacian pilots would probably be able to escape and regroup, but they would have suffered significant losses and their combat effectiveness would be degraded. Overall, the Buzzards would emerge victorious from the combat. |
Interim ceasefire
Following negotiations discretely overseen by the MTO and hosted by Hurmu, a ceasefire was agreed upon which allowed the Benacian Union Kalgachia Aligned Corridor Exchange to reopen for civilian traffic, and obtained an agreement from both parties that "first line" forces would return to their garrisons and not engage in any further hostilities against one-another. The agreement held for the greater part of the years 1713 AN and 1714 AN.
