Ford Islands Taskforce

Ford Islands Taskforce
Date 1741.14 AN - Location the Green • Moorland Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Moorland Supported by:	the Green

The Ford Islands Taskforce (FIT) is the name assigned to Moorland's military operation on the Ford Islands. The objective of the operation being to secure Moorland's trade routes along the Normark–Lindley Passage from the Strait of Haifa west along Mercury and to provide protection for the inhabitants of the islands, most of which are of Bosworthian descent and related to the Nova English rootstock of Moorland.

Background

Following the Bassaridian War League launching the Lower Jangsong Campaign against Normarkian resistance fighters, Moorland's trade routes along the Strait of Haifa became threatened by these actions. King MacMartin received several pleas for protection from the inhabitants of the Ford Islands, who are descendants of Bosworth and share common Nova English ancestry. As such, Moorland vowed to send aid and secure the islands against encroachment by the war league, who has already begun occupying Atherstone to the west. The goal of Moorland is to keep the conflict bloodless, as the kingdom was cordially invited to provide protection to the isles and is not contesting the war league's attack on Atherstone or Riddersborg.

Maneuvers

Landfall on Genitsa

The Port Neil Battlegroup dropped anchor off the harbor of Plantagenet after making the long trip around northeast Keltia. The small harbor being too shallow to bring the larger vessels in closer to shore, amphibious transports transferred troops to the mainland. The taskforce began immediately to establish a base camp and begin transferring supplies and munitions from the battlegroup. Once APCs were unloaded, a small contingent was dispatched to the south along the North Shore Road to South Lynford where they secured that village.

In addition to the military component, a team of government and diplomatic staff also accompanied the battlegroup and immediately met with local officials. Plans for defense of the islands were discussed and long-term goals for the protection of the islands, including the establishment of a permanent security force. Local officials expressed the desire to retain their longstanding autonomy, but agreed that some concessions would have to be made for incorporation into Moorland. Without officials from Questing present, it was decided to delay any final decisions until that island was secured and the government from both islands could meet with Moorland's envoys to work out a governance plan.