Lower Jangsong Campaign: Difference between revisions
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| notes = The War League’s offensive has successfully seized control over key segments of the [[Trans-Keltian Express]], isolating [[Riddersborg]] from external reinforcements and supplies. The rapid nature of the offensive, combined with preemptive bombardment and a sustained blockade, has left Normarkian insurgents unable to mount a coordinated defense. However, resistance remains in fortified urban areas, suggesting an imminent battle for control of the city itself. | | notes = The War League’s offensive has successfully seized control over key segments of the [[Trans-Keltian Express]], isolating [[Riddersborg]] from external reinforcements and supplies. The rapid nature of the offensive, combined with preemptive bombardment and a sustained blockade, has left Normarkian insurgents unable to mount a coordinated defense. However, resistance remains in fortified urban areas, suggesting an imminent battle for control of the city itself. | ||
Revision as of 01:14, 11 March 2025
The Lower Jangsong Campaign was a large-scale military operation launched by the Bassaridian War League's New South Jangsong Division on 1/1/51 PSSC. Supported by the Hatch Ministry Division and the Vaeringheim Division, the campaign sought to eliminate Normarkian insurgents operating in the Normark–Lindley Passage, the city of Riddersborg, and the island of Aderstein. While originally conceived as a counter-insurgency effort aimed at halting continued attacks on Pelagia, the campaign rapidly escalated into a war of occupation as the Bassaridian War League sought to permanently secure its hold over the region and eliminate all remaining threats to its dominance in northern Keltia.
| Lower Jangsong Campaign | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:LowerJangsongCampaign.png The Lower Jangsong Campaign saw intense fighting along the Normark–Lindley Passage. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Hatch Ministry Command StaffFile:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Ground Units: 9,142 soldiers (7,398 active / 1,744 reserve) Naval Units: (45 ships total) Air Units: (20 aircraft total) | Normarkian insurgent forces based in Riddersborg, Aderstein, and the Normark–Lindley Passage Light vehicles, small arms, asymmetric guerrilla tactics, IEDs, and improvised fortifications |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Ground: 9,142 soldiers (7,398 active / 1,744 reserve) Naval: 45 warships | Estimated 4,000-5,000 insurgents at the start of the campaign |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Ongoing | Ongoing |
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| The campaign remains an ongoing effort to eliminate Normarkian resistance and secure Bassaridian control over the Normark–Lindley Passage, with continued counter-insurgency operations taking place in Riddersborg and Aderstein. | |||||||||
Background
Historical Context
The Lower Jangsong Campaign is the culmination of decades of geopolitical conflict over the strategically vital Gulf of Jangsong, the Strait of Haifa, and the trade corridors linking eastern and western Keltia. The region first became a battleground during the War of the Harpy, a protracted conflict characterized by piracy, guerrilla warfare, espionage, and terrorism. This war was primarily fought between the Haifo-Pallisican Imperial Trade Union and Natopia, two rival maritime powers seeking dominance over the Northern Strait of Haifa. After years of inconclusive fighting, the war ended in a stalemate, leaving the former territories of Normark politically divided between the Bassarid Kingdom of New Normark, a client state of the Haifo-Pallisicans, and the remnants of the Normarkian government still loyal to the Raspur Pact. The resulting fragmentation of the region set the stage for long-term instability.
The New South Jangsong Campaign, fought between 48.00 PSSC and 49.00 PSSC, saw the Bassaridian War League extend its influence into New South Jangsong by annexing its independent city-states. While the campaign officially integrated the region into Bassaridian rule, Normarkian resistance groups remained highly active, frequently launching raids against Bassaridian forces and infrastructure. These tensions remained unresolved, with the region functioning more as an occupied territory than a fully assimilated part of Bassaridia Vaeringheim.
The situation worsened with the outbreak of Northern Keltia respiratory syndrome, a deadly pandemic that devastated Raspur Pact-aligned nations, including Normark and Anahuaco, in 1738 AN. As NKRS swept through the region, its governments collapsed, leading to the East Keltian Collapse, a mass exodus in which citizens of Normark and Anahuaco fled to foreign countries, abandoning their homeland. The vacuum left behind was swiftly filled by Bassaridian forces, who sought to integrate the now largely empty region into their growing economic empire.
Recognizing the strategic consequences of Normark's collapse, the Raspur Pact launched Operation Northern Light, a major withdrawal operation aimed at extracting key personnel, military assets, and economic resources from Normark and Anahuaco before they fell completely under enemy control. While this evacuation allowed the Raspur Pact to preserve its most valuable assets, it also left behind a small but determined core of Normarkian resistance fighters, who regrouped in rural strongholds such as Riddersborg and Aderstein.
The Gulf of Jangsong Crucifixions, carried out in 50.42 PSSC by the rogue Alpazkigz Division, became the catalyst for a renewed wave of Normarkian insurgency. Seeking to enforce Bassaridian rule through fear, the Alpazkigz Division executed captured pro-Raspur fighters in a brutal display of power. This act of violence backfired spectacularly, enraging surviving Normarkians and inspiring a new phase of insurgent attacks, particularly against Pelagia, a key city in New South Jangsong. The Bassaridian response was swift: the Salt-Lindley Campaign was launched in 50.50 PSSC to decisively crush the insurgency. However, the campaign, despite its immense scale and cost, failed to fully eliminate the Normarkian resistance, as insurgents strategically withdrew to Riddersborg and Ardclach, where they rebuilt their forces. The continued threat posed by these resistance groups led directly to the initiation of the Lower Jangsong Campaign, which marked the beginning of a full-scale war of occupation.
Economic Factors
The economic landscape of New South Jangsong played a decisive role in shaping the Lower Jangsong Campaign, as the region had long been contested by rival trade interests. The collapse of Normark left its ports and commercial centers open for Bassaridian expansion, but also led to fierce competition between various economic powers.
The Port of the Bassarid Kingdom of New Normark, once a major hub for Pallisican-backed trade, was absorbed into the Port of Haifan Keltiania following the establishment of the Port of Vines. Later, with the establishment of Bassaridia Vaeringheim, the Port of Haifan Keltiania was itself consolidated into the General Port of Lake Morovia, which became the dominant economic hub in the region. However, Bassaridian economic dominance faced strong opposition from the ESB Group (Keltia), which sought to maintain Raspur-aligned trade interests and continued to fund Normarkian resistance fighters as part of its broader efforts to disrupt Bassaridian economic hegemony.
Beyond maritime trade, the Trans-Keltian Express played a vital role in the conflict. Historically, this major commercial railway network connected Normark to other Keltian trade hubs, ensuring the flow of goods across the continent. Following Normark’s collapse, control of the railway became a key strategic objective, with Normarkian insurgents frequently targeting railway hubs in an effort to disrupt Bassaridian military supply lines. The destruction of key railway infrastructure further escalated tensions and contributed to the overall instability of the region.
Geopolitical Tensions
The Lower Jangsong Campaign was not only a regional struggle but also a conflict between major geopolitical factions. With the collapse of Normark, the Bassaridian War League sought to consolidate its control over the Northern Strait of Haifa, a key maritime corridor for global trade. However, these efforts were met with continued resistance from pro-Raspur factions, who saw the Bassaridian expansion as a direct threat to their economic and military influence.
The Normark–Lindley Passage was of particular strategic importance, serving as a gateway for naval traffic between western and eastern Keltia. Securing this passage was essential for Bassaridian economic and military supremacy, but Normarkian insurgents, backed by remnants of the ESB Group (Keltia), actively resisted, attempting to maintain an open corridor for Raspur-aligned forces.
Religious Influence
Religious tensions played a crucial role in the conflict, with the Stripping Path historically serving as a disruptive force in the region. During the New South Jangsong Campaign, the Reformed Stripping Path emerged as a unifying movement, integrating Normarkian religious traditions with Haifan spiritual beliefs. However, many traditional Normarkian factions rejected the Reformed Stripping Path, further deepening the divide between Bassaridian loyalists and insurgents.
The presence of religious militias affiliated with both the Reformed Stripping Path and Normarkian nationalist movements added another layer of complexity to the Lower Jangsong Campaign, making it as much a cultural and ideological struggle as a military one.
Prelude to the Conflict
Although the Lower Jangsong Campaign was officially launched on 1/1/51 PSSC, military operations commenced earlier as the Bassaridian War League began coordinated attacks against Normarkian resistance forces in key strategic locations. On 179/3/50 PSSC, two cohortes of the New South Jangsong Division—designated NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2—initiated a sustained bombing campaign against Normarkian resistance installations positioned near major transportation corridors between Pelagia and Riddersborg. This aerial bombardment was designed to weaken Normarkian supply lines, disrupt their command structures, and pave the way for future ground operations.
Concurrently, the Hatch Ministry Division launched a naval operation aimed at disrupting and dismantling Normarkian supply lines throughout the Normark–Lindley Passage. This naval blockade cut off insurgent forces from receiving external support, depriving them of much-needed reinforcements, weapons, and supplies. Recognizing the effectiveness of these initial strikes, the Bassaridian War League expanded its operations further on 180/3/50 PSSC, with NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2 initiating a naval blockade of the island of Aderstein. This maneuver aimed to neutralize Normarkian forces regrouping in Ardclach, a key stronghold on the island.
These preemptive operations set the stage for the full-scale Lower Jangsong Campaign, which officially commenced on 1/1/51 PSSC. With the region already weakened by sustained airstrikes and naval blockades, Bassaridian forces moved quickly to implement a multi-pronged assault, seeking to eliminate Normarkian resistance once and for all.
Operation Details
Preliminary Operations
| Aerial Bombing and Naval Blockades of the Lower Jangsong Campaign | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:LowerJangsongCampaign.png The Lower Jangsong Campaign saw intense fighting along the Normark–Lindley Passage. |
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|
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff File:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Aerial Bombing Units: 4 Misttalon Class Heavy Bombers Naval Blockade Units: | Normarkian insurgent forces based in Riddersborg, Aderstein, and the Normark–Lindley Passage Light vehicles, small arms, asymmetric guerrilla tactics, IEDs, and improvised fortifications |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Total Ships: 45 warships Total Aircraft: 20 aircraft | Estimated 4,000-5,000 insurgents at the start of the campaign |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Not currently reported | Not currently reported | ||||||||
| The campaign successfully established Bassaridian air and naval superiority, eliminating the Normarkian resistance’s ability to conduct coordinated maritime and aerial operations. However, insurgents remain entrenched inland, shifting the campaign into a counter-insurgency and occupation phase. | |||||||||
Aerial Bombing Campaign of 179/3/50
The aerial bombing campaign of 179/3/50 PSSC – 1/1/51 PSSC marked the opening phase of the Lower Jangsong Campaign, as the Bassaridian War League sought to assert air superiority and cripple Normarkian resistance infrastructure ahead of an impending ground invasion. Conducted by NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2, with air support from the Hatch Ministry Division, the campaign focused on destroying key logistical hubs, defensive positions, and transportation networks in Riddersborg, the Normark–Lindley Passage, and surrounding villages and communities. Given the region’s arctic, coastal woodland terrain, the operation aimed to deny insurgents access to natural defensive cover and disrupt their ability to regroup or conduct counteroffensives.
The campaign began on 179/3/50 PSSC, with a coordinated wave of strategic bombing raids targeting enemy supply depots, communications hubs, and fortified positions. At dawn, formations of Misttalon Class Heavy Bombers commenced high-altitude saturation bombing runs, focusing on key supply caches and ammunition depots within Riddersborg and adjacent rural settlements that had been repurposed as staging grounds for insurgent forces. These initial attacks resulted in extensive damage to infrastructure, with secondary explosions confirming the destruction of multiple fuel and munitions stockpiles. In parallel, Chrysos Class Sea Bombers carried out a series of low-altitude precision strikes on coastal resupply points and small-scale Normarkian naval assets, targeting clandestine insurgent efforts to move supplies along the coast. Several small craft and hidden supply caches were destroyed, effectively limiting the insurgents’ ability to reinforce their positions via maritime routes.
As the bombing campaign progressed, Bassaridian air forces expanded their operations to target key transportation routes, particularly along the Trans-Keltian Express, which had been instrumental in facilitating Normarkian troop movements and supply distribution. Multiple rail bridges and train depots were destroyed, severely disrupting the insurgents’ ability to shift forces between Riddersborg, Aderstein, and the interior forested regions. The destruction of highway corridors and key logistical routes further hindered Normarkian mobility, forcing many insurgent fighters to abandon vehicles in favor of smaller, more mobile units that could traverse the rugged terrain on foot.
By 180/3/50 PSSC, Bassaridian bombers intensified their strikes on enemy fortifications along the Normark–Lindley Passage, where insurgents had established a network of defensive bunkers, camouflaged encampments, and fortified outposts along ridgelines and cliffs. Bunker-busting ordnance was deployed to collapse reinforced underground structures, while Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters, escorted by Symphonara Class Compound Intercepts, carried out targeted air-to-ground missile strikes against Normarkian artillery positions, concealed machine-gun nests, and ambush points. The effectiveness of these operations was evident by the widespread destruction of Normarkian defensive emplacements, with large swaths of the woodland ridges along the passage reduced to cratered, smoldering ruins.
By the third day of the campaign, 181/3/50 PSSC, the focus of air operations shifted toward urban suppression in and around Riddersborg, particularly in peripheral villages and settlements where insurgent fighters had dug in among civilian structures, repurposing homes and administrative buildings into defensive strongpoints. Bassaridian forces, aware of the challenges associated with direct urban combat, deployed precision-guided munitions to neutralize known insurgent-held structures while minimizing collateral damage. Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters and Catonis Class Unmanned Aircraft conducted continuous surveillance operations, identifying high-value enemy targets and marking them for destruction. These aerial units played a key role in tracking enemy troop movements, ensuring that insurgents attempting to retreat or reposition were effectively interdicted by further bombing runs.
On the final day of the campaign, 1/1/51 PSSC, the heaviest strikes were carried out against enemy strongholds in remote woodland encampments, where surviving insurgent elements had fled following the destruction of urban staging areas. Deep-penetration ordnance was used to collapse cave entrances, tunnel systems, and makeshift bunker complexes, depriving the insurgents of defensible terrain. Meanwhile, coordinated electronic warfare efforts disrupted Normarkian resistance communications, with strikes targeting radio towers, encrypted relay stations, and makeshift command centers hidden in forested areas. By nightfall, Bassaridian forces had effectively eliminated the majority of enemy anti-aircraft defenses, ensuring that subsequent aerial operations could proceed with minimal resistance.
The four-day bombing campaign had a devastating impact on Normarkian insurgent operations. Over 80% of supply routes in the affected regions were neutralized, crippling the enemy’s ability to maintain a cohesive, well-supplied fighting force. The destruction of railway links, bridges, and roads rendered large-scale enemy troop movements virtually impossible, forcing insurgents to rely on small, fragmented units operating in isolated locations. The collapse of fortified positions along the Normark–Lindley Passage removed one of the most significant defensive obstacles to the impending Bassaridian ground invasion.
Despite these successes, the bombing campaign did not result in a complete collapse of Normarkian resistance. Many insurgents retreated deeper into the arctic woodlands, utilizing underground tunnels, fortified encampments, and mobile guerrilla tactics to evade capture. With the air phase of the Lower Jangsong Campaign completed, Bassaridian forces shifted their focus to ground operations, beginning preparations for a full-scale land invasion of Riddersborg, Aderstein, and surrounding areas. The destruction wrought by the bombing campaign had shattered Normarkian logistics, but the fight for complete control of the region was far from over.
The naval operations of 179/3/50 PSSC – 180/3/50 PSSC marked the second major phase of the Lower Jangsong Campaign, as the Hatch Ministry Division and later the New South Jangsong Division launched a large-scale naval blockade and bombardment campaign aimed at cutting off Normarkian insurgent supply routes along the Normark–Lindley Passage and eliminating enemy maritime operations. Given the arctic, coastal woodland terrain of Western Jangsong and Aderstein, Bassaridian naval forces focused on chokepoint control, destruction of insurgent logistics hubs, and precision bombardments of fortified enemy positions along the frozen coastline and key river crossings.
The Hatch Ministry’s initial naval operations began on 179/3/50 PSSC, with the deployment of a blockade task force consisting of two Tartarian Amphibious Assault Craft, eight Ismael Class Privateer Commissions, two Aetherium Class Patrol Ships, two Saluria Class Gunboats, and one Cetus Class Attack Craft. These ships moved swiftly to intercept and neutralize Normarkian maritime traffic, focusing on known coastal supply routes used by insurgents to move weapons, munitions, and reinforcements between Riddersborg, Aderstein, and smaller coastal settlements.
The opening phase of the naval operation consisted of interdiction and blockade enforcement, as Aetherium Class Patrol Ships patrolled the Normark–Lindley Passage, monitoring enemy vessel movements and enforcing Bassaridian control over key chokepoints and supply lanes. Ismael Class Privateer Ships engaged in high-speed pursuit and interdiction missions, capturing or destroying multiple Normarkian resupply craft attempting to bypass the blockade. Meanwhile, Saluria Class Gunboats conducted shore bombardments against known insurgent coastal encampments, using long-range naval artillery to target enemy supply depots, fortifications, and concealed bunkers.
As night fell on 179/3/50 PSSC, the Hatch Ministry Division intensified bombardment operations, deploying Tartarian Amphibious Assault Craft to conduct shoreline suppression operations. These vessels launched precision-guided missile strikes against Normarkian-controlled villages and outposts, while gun crews rained continuous shellfire on enemy artillery positions and encampments. By the morning of 180/3/50 PSSC, intelligence reports confirmed that multiple Normarkian supply caches had been destroyed, and enemy attempts to evacuate coastal settlements had been severely disrupted.
On 180/3/50 PSSC, the New South Jangsong Division expanded the naval operation, reinforcing the blockade with one Xylanda Class Attack Submarine, two Saluria Class Gunboats, two Cetus Class Attack Craft, two Vaeringheim Class Corvettes, two Sylvapolis Class Frigates, three Aetherium Class Patrol Ships, and two Tartarian Amphibious Assault Craft. These additional forces extended the blockade perimeter, reinforcing maritime control and allowing for sustained naval bombardment operations.
With greater firepower and intelligence support, Bassaridian naval forces launched aerial reconnaissance missions using Catonis Class Unmanned Aircraft, identifying hidden insurgent resupply points and concealed fortifications along the fjords and wooded inlets. This intelligence enabled coordinated naval and aerial strikes, as Cetus Class Attack Craft and Ismael Class Privateer Ships launched missile barrages against known insurgent strongholds. Meanwhile, the Xylanda Class Attack Submarine patrolled deep waters off the Normarkian coast, intercepting suspected insurgent vessels attempting to resupply forces inland.
By nightfall on 180/3/50 PSSC, the Normarkian insurgents had lost complete control of their maritime resupply routes, with Bassaridian forces firmly in control of the Normark–Lindley Passage. Isolated Normarkian resistance cells attempted to counter the blockade, launching hit-and-run raids using small boats, rafts, and repurposed fishing vessels. However, Aetherium Class Patrol Ships and Saluria Class Gunboats conducted extensive patrol and counter-mine operations, ensuring that no major insurgent naval presence could survive.
By the conclusion of the expanded naval operations, Bassaridian forces had crippled Normarkian maritime capabilities, destroyed all major enemy supply caches along the coast, and established an unchallenged blockade. While the Normarkian resistance had suffered heavy losses, many fighters retreated inland, preparing for prolonged asymmetric warfare in the forests and frozen tundra. With Bassaridian forces fully in control of the sea, the focus of the Lower Jangsong Campaign shifted toward ground invasion and urban warfare, as the War League prepared to seize Normarkian strongholds in Riddersborg and Aderstein and eliminate remaining insurgent forces.
Campaign Operations
Ground Offensive of 1/1/51 PSSC
| Ground Offensive of 1/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:LowerJangsongCampaign.png Bassaridian armored units advancing through snow-covered terrain toward Normarkian-occupied railway stations. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff File:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Ground Assault Units: Approx. 6,500 soldiers (5,200 active / 1,300 reserve) Artillery and Fire Support: Logistics and Engineering Support: Aerial Support: | Normarkian insurgent forces based in Riddersborg, surrounding villages, and rail junctions Light vehicles, small arms, asymmetric guerrilla tactics, IEDs, and improvised fortifications |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Ground Forces: Approx. 6,500 personnel Tanks and Armored Vehicles: 127 | |||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Not currently reported | Not currently reported | ||||||||
| The War League’s offensive has successfully seized control over key segments of the Trans-Keltian Express, isolating Riddersborg from external reinforcements and supplies. The rapid nature of the offensive, combined with preemptive bombardment and a sustained blockade, has left Normarkian insurgents unable to mount a coordinated defense. However, resistance remains in fortified urban areas, suggesting an imminent battle for control of the city itself. | |||||||||
The formal commencement of ground operations on 1/1/51 PSSC marked the first major land offensive of the Lower Jangsong Campaign, as the Bassaridian War League, following days of sustained aerial bombardment and an ongoing naval blockade, launched a high-speed, mechanized assault northward. The operation was spearheaded by NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2, supported by artillery and logistics elements from the Hatch Ministry Division, with reconnaissance and flanking operations conducted by a Vaeringheim Division Centuriae. The primary objective of this intense northern push was to seize and fortify the rail infrastructure of the Trans-Keltian Express, capturing key depots, supply hubs, and road networks leading toward Riddersborg. The assault proceeded with methodical but overwhelming force, as Bassaridian troops stormed through enemy-held railway stations, bridge crossings, and transport hubs, progressively weakening the Normarkian insurgents and isolating Riddersborg from external reinforcements.
While the Bassaridian War League pursued this offensive with full commitment, the operation risked provoking broader geopolitical conflicts due to the complete lack of involvement from the nations actually connected by the Trans-Keltian Express and responsible for its management. The decision to militarily seize and fortify sections of a critical multinational rail network was certain to be controversial, as it effectively placed a key segment of the express under Bassaridian military control, without consultation from the broader international community. However, War League strategists, after carefully weighing these assumed risks, deemed them relatively inconsequential, proceeding with the invasion under the justification of counter-insurgency operations and the strategic necessity of controlling Normarkian-held infrastructure.
First Engagement: The Battle for Skallgard Depot
The first major clash of the campaign erupted at Skallgard Depot, a strategic railway hub situated at the confluence of three major supply routes, where Normarkian forces had hastily established defensive barricades and fortified the station’s warehouses, loading docks, and control towers. The Bassaridian advance began at dawn, with the New South Jangsong Division’s forward armored units rolling into position, deploying Syrinx Class Armored Infantry Vehicles, Arachne Class Light Tanks, and Makra Class Battle Tanks into assault formations.
As the first Manipuli of NSJ infantry dismounted, the Hatch Ministry’s artillery units initiated a sustained bombardment, targeting Normarkian machine-gun nests, sniper emplacements, and concealed mortar positions. Explosions rippled across the depot, tearing through railway storage buildings and makeshift enemy barracks, forcing the insurgents into a rapid retreat toward the main control tower. Two Manipuli of infantry, armed with Kalithros Class Rifles and supported by Cathartes Class RPGs, stormed the platforms and switching yards, engaging in close-quarters combat as they cleared enemy strongpoints with sustained rifle fire and grenade assaults.
The turning point of the battle came as Thalassa Class Main Battle Tanks rolled into the railyard, using high-explosive shells to demolish a reinforced insurgent holdout in the main depot hall, collapsing the structure and eliminating the last major pocket of resistance. By midmorning, Skallgard Depot was fully secured, its tracks cleared of wreckage and its switchyards reactivated, allowing for the immediate resupply of advancing Bassaridian columns.
Second Engagement: The Capture of Draugrfell Junction
Following the rapid victory at Skallgard, Bassaridian forces pressed onward, their momentum carrying them deeper into Normarkian-held territory. The next key objective was Draugrfell Junction, a rail and road crossing that had been repurposed by Normarkian insurgents as a command hub and defensive chokepoint. The location, perched atop a snow-covered valley, offered natural defensive advantages, with frozen rivers on either side and dense tree lines concealing enemy snipers and ambush teams.
The first attack wave was led by three Ordinis of infantry, advancing under the cover of smoke deployed by mechanized artillery crews. Onceanic Recon Vehicles maneuvered ahead of the columns, mapping out hidden enemy fortifications and marking targets for artillery support. Normarkian insurgents, realizing the ferocity of the Bassaridian push, detonated a pre-set explosive charge, destroying one of the railway bridges in an attempt to halt the advance.
In response, engineer teams, escorted by Vaeringheim Centuriae infantry, rapidly deployed Icaria Class Mine Clearance Vehicles to clear IEDs while combat engineers worked to stabilize the remaining bridge structures. The battle escalated as three Manipuli of NSJ infantry engaged enemy strongpoints along the junction, flushing insurgents out of their snow-covered barricades with sustained gunfire from Regavis Class DMRs.
Positioning for the Siege of Riddersborg
With the Trans-Keltian Express rail depots fully secured, Bassaridian forces consolidated their territorial gains, reinforcing captured outposts and fortifying roads leading toward Riddersborg. While Normarkian forces remained in disarray, retreating further north into urban fortifications and underground bunkers, their ability to maneuver had been completely crippled. However, Bassaridian military planners remained aware that their seizure of a key international railway system carried significant geopolitical risks.
The decision to proceed with military control over the Trans-Keltian Express, without consultation from the nations officially connected to and responsible for its management, was highly controversial. War League strategists debated whether the offensive might provoke diplomatic responses from external actors. Ultimately, however, the operation was deemed a necessary step for strategic dominance over Western Jangsong, and the potential for international backlash was considered relatively inconsequential compared to the immediate tactical benefits of controlling the railway. With full command over the region’s transport corridors, the Bassaridian War League had established the conditions necessary for an eventual siege of Riddersborg, securing a decisive advantage as the campaign moved into its next phase.
Advance Toward Riddersborg: 2/1/51 PSSC
| Advance Toward Riddersborg: 2/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:LowerJangsongCampaign.png Bassaridian armored units advancing through snow-covered terrain toward Normarkian-occupied railway stations. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff File:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Ground Assault Units: Approx. 7,200 soldiers (5,900 active / 1,300 reserve) Artillery and Fire Support: Logistics and Engineering Support: Aerial Support: | Normarkian insurgent forces based in Riddersborg, surrounding villages, and defensive corridors Light vehicles, small arms, asymmetric guerrilla tactics, IEDs, and entrenched fortifications |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Ground Forces: Approx. 7,200 personnel Tanks and Armored Vehicles: 121 | Estimated 3,500-4,500 insurgents at the start of the engagement |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 500 killed 1,500 wounded | 2,000 killed 3,500 wounded 2,000 captured |
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| The War League’s offensive has successfully secured all approach routes to Riddersborg, isolating the city from external reinforcements and resupply. The Bassaridian forces have established a dominant position around the city’s perimeter, but Normarkian insurgents are expected to engage in prolonged urban resistance as the War League prepares for the next phase: the Siege of Riddersborg. | |||||||||
Following the Battle for Skallgard Depot and the Capture of Draugrfell Junction, the Bassaridian War League launched the next phase of its ground offensive on 2/1/51 PSSC, continuing its methodical push northward along the Trans-Keltian Express toward the Normarkian defensive perimeter surrounding Riddersborg. Despite sustaining moderate personnel and equipment losses, the momentum of the assault remained strong, as War League forces systematically captured and fortified key railway stations, supply hubs, and strategic transport routes, ensuring that Normarkian forces would be fully isolated within the city.
With the southern and western railway corridors secured, High Command ordered the deployment of two additional cohortes from the New South Jangsong Division, reinforcing the frontline assault with fresh troops. These forces, while not yet available for direct combat, were expected to be fully integrated into the operation within days, allowing for a final, concentrated push into Riddersborg. Until then, Bassaridian units already engaged in combat operations would need to maintain their advance and secure remaining outposts along the Trans-Keltian Express.
Engagement at Svartholm Bridge
The first major engagement of the renewed offensive took place at Svartholm Bridge, a crucial railway and roadway crossing spanning a frozen river, where retreating Normarkian fighters had concentrated their remaining defensive forces following their defeat at Draugrfell Junction. Recognizing the importance of maintaining control over this bottleneck, insurgents reinforced the bridge’s northern approaches, constructing makeshift bunkers, trench networks, and machine-gun nests, while also rigging the bridge with explosive charges to prevent Bassaridian forces from utilizing it for their continued advance.
At first light, four Ordinis of mechanized infantry from NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1, supported by Syrinx Class Armored Infantry Vehicles and Arachne Class Light Tanks, advanced toward the bridge under cover of dense morning fog. Onceanic Recon Vehicles were the first to reach the site, mapping enemy fortifications and identifying concealed sniper nests, before the main force attempted to cross the bridge.
The Normarkian defenders, positioned along the far bank, initiated the battle with a preemptive detonation, collapsing a portion of the railway track and forcing the advancing forces to halt their mechanized units to prevent losses to the ice-covered river below. With machine-gun fire raining down from concealed positions, the leading Contubernia of infantry took immediate casualties, forcing troops to take cover behind railcars and embankments, engaging in a sustained firefight with Kalithros Class Rifles and Harpyia Class Submachine Guns.
To break the stalemate, Hatch Ministry artillery elements positioned along the ridgelines south of the bridge initiated a sustained bombardment, using Aetheris Class Towed Howitzers and Iynas Class Field Guns to systematically eliminate Normarkian defensive positions along the opposite riverbank.
With Normarkian resistance weakening, a coordinated push was launched by two Manipuli of NSJ infantry, moving in fireteams consisting of paired Contubernia equipped with Regavis Class DMRs and Cathartes Class RPGs. The final breach came as combat engineers, escorted by armored infantry, advanced under the cover of smoke grenades, utilizing Icaria Class Mine Clearance Vehicles to clear the remaining explosive traps blocking the crossing. By mid-morning, the bridge was fully secured, allowing for continued mechanized movement toward Riddersborg.
Skirmishes in the Winterwood Highlands
As the southern mechanized column continued its advance, the western flank of the assault encountered persistent resistance in the Winterwood Highlands, where Normarkian insurgents had regrouped within dense forests and high ridgelines. Utilizing terrain advantages, hidden sniper positions, and mobile fighting groups, insurgents attempted to stall Bassaridian troop movements with hit-and-run ambushes along narrow roads and frozen paths.
Recognizing the danger of prolonged asymmetric warfare in the highlands, two Ordinis of NSJ infantry were tasked with conducting sweeping clearance operations, supported by Catonis Class Unmanned Aircraft, which provided continuous aerial surveillance to track insurgent movements through the dense woodland terrain. Vaeringheim Centuriae scouts, mounted in Onceanic Recon Vehicles, identified high-value enemy targets and countered sniper nests using Regavis Class DMRs.
Over the course of two days of sustained skirmishes, Bassaridian forces methodically flushed insurgents out of their fortified positions, using artillery suppression, helicopter gunship strikes, and precision fire tactics. By nightfall on 2/1/51 PSSC, Normarkian fighters had withdrawn further into the wilderness north of Riddersborg, ceding control of the final highland positions to War League forces.
Battle of Hagafell Pass
Following the seizure of Svartholm Bridge, War League forces advanced into the heavily forested Hagafell Pass, where Normarkian insurgents had constructed a final major defensive line before the outskirts of Riddersborg. The pass, characterized by steep cliffs, ice-covered trails, and narrow transport corridors, provided significant defensive advantages for the insurgents, who had entrenched themselves with reinforced bunkers, hidden artillery positions, and overlapping fields of fire.
The assault on Hagafell Pass began at dawn, with three Manipuli of NSJ infantry advancing through the valley floor, supported by armored spearheads consisting of Arachne Class Light Tanks and Makra Class Battle Tanks. The fighting was intense and prolonged, as insurgents fought fiercely to defend their positions, using pre-positioned mortars and rocket launchers to disrupt Bassaridian armored movements.
As the battle raged on, Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters, operating from forward airbases south of the engagement, launched aerial suppression strikes, targeting Normarkian gun emplacements and observation posts. The decisive moment came when combat engineers, escorted by mechanized infantry, breached the final insurgent bunkers, clearing the last of the enemy’s fixed defenses and forcing a full-scale retreat toward Riddersborg.
Final Approach Toward Riddersborg
By the evening of 2/1/51 PSSC, Bassaridian forces had secured all approach routes to Riddersborg, completing the encirclement of the city. With all Normarkian supply lines severed, the War League’s forces prepared for the final phase of the campaign: the siege of Riddersborg.
Day One of the Siege of Riddersborg: 3/1/51 PSSC
| Day One of the Siege of Riddersborg: 3/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:LowerJangsongCampaign.png Bassaridian forces establishing positions along the outskirts of Riddersborg. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff File:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Ground Assault Units: Approx. 6,900 soldiers (6,500 active / 400 reserve) Artillery and Fire Support: Logistics and Engineering Support: Aerial Support: | Normarkian insurgent forces based in defensive villages, road networks, and fortified corridors surrounding Riddersborg Light vehicles, small arms, asymmetric guerrilla tactics, IEDs, and entrenched fortifications |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Ground Forces: Approx. 6,900 personnel Tanks and Armored Vehicles: 113 | Estimated 2,000-2,500 insurgents at the start of the engagement |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 1,200 killed 3,500 wounded | 5,000 killed 6,000 wounded 3,500 captured |
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| The War League’s offensive has successfully eliminated all external Normarkian defenses outside Riddersborg, securing final approach routes to the city. Insurgents remain entrenched within the urban center, where prolonged street-to-street combat is expected in the next phase of the campaign. | |||||||||
Following the encirclement of Riddersborg on 2/1/51 PSSC, the Bassaridian War League initiated full-scale siege operations, engaging remaining Normarkian defensive positions surrounding the city in a coordinated effort to eliminate external resistance and establish forward staging areas. With all major transit corridors under War League control, the primary objective of this phase was to secure every approach route, clear enemy strongholds in fortified villages, and eliminate remaining insurgent positions along the Trans-Keltian Express, ensuring an unobstructed push into Riddersborg's urban core in the coming days.
As part of the siege effort, the Bassaridian War League imposed a strict blockade on all foreign commercial and passenger traffic moving through the region, citing the necessity of ensuring the safety of foreign nationals during this period of heightened conflict. Trains carrying passengers and cargo from nations of northern and northeastern Keltia were prevented from passing through the war zone, instead being re-routed back to their departure points under strict military oversight. This decision effectively severed all international transit through the occupied railway network, reinforcing the War League’s dominance over the region’s logistical infrastructure and eliminating the possibility of external interference in the siege.
Despite suffering significant attrition during their retreat, Normarkian insurgents had entrenched themselves in a final network of defensive villages, road junctions, and supply depots, constructing makeshift bunkers, sniper nests, and interlocking kill zones to slow the Bassaridian advance. Recognizing the imminence of urban combat, insurgent commanders prioritized delaying actions, deploying sniper teams, IED ambush squads, and mobile guerrilla units to maximize casualties before retreating into Riddersborg proper.
The War League’s assault force, consisting of NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2, elements of the Hatch Ministry Division, and a Vaeringheim Division Centuriae, executed a three-pronged attack across the northern, western, and eastern approach routes, combining mechanized assaults, precision artillery bombardment, and close-quarters infantry maneuvers to systematically eliminate Normarkian resistance.
Assault on the Outer Defensive Villages
At first light on 3/1/51 PSSC, Bassaridian forces launched simultaneous attacks on fortified villages surrounding Riddersborg, beginning with the assault on Jarnholm, a strategically positioned settlement controlling one of the main approach roads leading into the city. The first wave of the attack, led by two Manipuli of mechanized infantry from NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1, was heavily supported by armored units, including Syrinx Class Armored Infantry Vehicles and Arachne Class Light Tanks, designed to punch through Normarkian barricades and allow infantry to clear the village street by street.
Upon reaching the outskirts of Jarnholm, Bassaridian forces encountered immediate resistance, as Normarkian insurgents, positioned in concealed firing points within the ruins of the village, engaged with machine-gun bursts, RPG fire, and sniper overwatch teams. The first Contubernia of infantry was forced into defensive positions, returning fire with Kalithros Class Rifles and Harpyia Class Submachine Guns while armored units moved forward to suppress enemy resistance.
With Normarkian sniper fire slowing progress, Hatch Ministry artillery batteries, positioned on overwatch ridges south of Jarnholm, delivered a sustained barrage using Aetheris Class Towed Howitzers and Iynas Class Field Guns, systematically eliminating enemy machine-gun positions and destroying concealed ammunition stores. As smoke and debris engulfed the village, two Ordinis of infantry launched a final coordinated push, moving through the village in fireteams, engaging in close-quarters combat with Normarkian defenders inside collapsed structures and narrow alleyways. By midday, Jarnholm had fallen, allowing combat engineers to establish a forward operating base for continued operations.
The Battle for Vargfjell Depot
With Jarnholm secured, Bassaridian forces moved to capture Vargfjell Depot, the last major transit and supply hub before Riddersborg. The depot had been transformed into a hardened Normarkian defensive point, reinforced with makeshift bunkers, anti-tank emplacements, and interconnected defensive positions spread across the rail yard and maintenance structures.
The battle commenced with a combined mechanized and aerial assault, as Thalassa Class Main Battle Tanks and Makra Class Battle Tanks targeted insurgent gun emplacements and fortified structures. Three Ordinis of infantry advanced alongside armored elements, utilizing smoke cover and suppressive fire to clear the facility building by building.
As the fighting intensified, Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters conducted precision missile strikes, neutralizing enemy defensive strongholds and preventing insurgents from retreating deeper into the city. After hours of intense combat, Vargfjell Depot was fully secured, cutting off the last viable supply route into Riddersborg.
Securing the Blockade and Final Roadway Defenses
With all external supply hubs captured, the Bassaridian blockade of Riddersborg was solidified, ensuring complete military control over the region’s infrastructure. As part of ongoing security measures, War League forces maintained strict control over railway and roadway networks, preventing the movement of all foreign commercial and passenger traffic through the war zone. Any trains carrying passengers or cargo from nations of northern and northeastern Keltia were intercepted and rerouted back to their points of departure, ensuring that civilian casualties were avoided while military operations continued unabated.
Meanwhile, final roadway clearing operations were conducted, as Normarkian fighters attempted to stage last-ditch ambushes along primary approach roads. Hatch Ministry artillery, positioned on elevated firing platforms, provided sustained bombardments, neutralizing Normarkian defensive positions and securing the last external barricades.
Positioning for the Siege of Riddersborg
By nightfall on 3/1/51 PSSC, all external Normarkian forces had been eliminated, with every approach route and logistics hub now under Bassaridian control. With two additional cohortes from the New South Jangsong Division en route, the War League prepared for the final push into the city, ensuring that no outside forces could interfere in the upcoming battle.
While victory was assured, the battle for Riddersborg was about to enter its most brutal phase yet.
Day Two of the Siege of Riddersborg: 5/1/51 PSSC
| Day Two of the Siege of Riddersborg: 5/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:LowerJangsongCampaign.png Bassaridian forces advancing deeper into the city of Riddersborg. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff File:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Ground Assault Units: Approx. 9,400 soldiers (9,000 active / 400 reserve) Artillery and Fire Support: Naval Blockade and Bombardment Units: Aerial Support: | Normarkian insurgent forces based in heavily fortified urban sectors of Riddersborg Light vehicles, small arms, asymmetric guerrilla tactics, IEDs, and entrenched fortifications |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Ground Forces: Approx. 9,400 personnel Tanks and Armored Vehicles: 146 | Estimated 1,500-2,000 insurgents at the start of the engagement |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Ongoing | Ongoing |
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| The War League’s forces successfully pushed deeper into Riddersborg, capturing key industrial, government, and residential districts. A combined naval and aerial bombardment has devastated insurgent coastal defenses, cutting off all maritime escape routes and severing enemy resupply chains. Normarkian insurgents remain entrenched within the city’s inner core, where the most intense street-to-street combat is expected in the coming days. Despite the presence of the Ford Islands Taskforce, Bassaridian forces remain committed to fully occupying the city. | |||||||||
Following the full encirclement of Riddersborg on 3/1/51 PSSC, the Bassaridian War League commenced the second phase of siege operations on 5/1/51 PSSC, launching a coordinated offensive involving ground, naval, and aerial operations. This phase marked a transition from containment to direct engagements inside the city, as Bassaridian forces sought to break through the outer districts, neutralize remaining Normarkian defensive positions along the coastline, and secure full dominance over the airspace and maritime approaches.
With the arrival of two additional cohortes from the New South Jangsong Division (NSJ Cohors 3 and NSJ Cohors 4), Bassaridian commanders restructured their assault formations, incorporating fresh Contubernia, Manipuli, and Ordinis into their tactical framework, ensuring a continuous and unrelenting advance through Riddersborg’s heavily fortified sectors. Simultaneously, a Bassaridian naval bombardment force of 12 warships, including Vaeringheim Class Corvettes, Sylvapolis Class Frigates, Saluria Class Gunboats, and Cetus Class Attack Craft, established a coastal fire support perimeter, launching sustained artillery barrages against Normarkian fortifications along the waterfront. Aerial forces, including Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters, Misttalon Class Heavy Bombers, and Catonis Class Unmanned Aircraft, conducted precision-guided strikes on enemy strongholds, ensuring synchronized firepower across all domains of battle.
The War League continued to enforce a complete blockade of all foreign commercial and passenger traffic, preventing any foreign trains or convoys from passing through the war zone, while simultaneously rerouting all shipments from northern and northeastern Keltia to their departure points. Meanwhile, the deployment of the Ford Islands Taskforce by Moorland signaled mounting international scrutiny over the conflict, yet Bassaridian commanders remained focused on their full occupation of Riddersborg, ensuring no foreign intervention could alter the course of the campaign.
Opening Assault on Riddersborg’s Outer Districts
At first light on 5/1/51 PSSC, Bassaridian forces initiated a multi-pronged assault on Riddersborg’s outer districts, engaging entrenched Normarkian forces in urban combat. Unlike previous engagements in open terrain and fortified villages, this phase required meticulous coordination between infantry and mechanized units, precision artillery fire, and layered aerial and naval support to methodically dismantle enemy defensive structures and maintain momentum through contested city streets.
The War League structured its assault formations into three primary operational prongs, each composed of Centuriae, Manipuli, and Ordinis, ensuring that each combat element was adequately supported by mechanized firepower and artillery cover. NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2 launched the southern assault into the industrial sector, focusing on capturing rail intersections, manufacturing plants, and warehouses that had been converted into makeshift fortifications by Normarkian insurgents. NSJ Cohors 3 led a determined offensive against the city’s government and administrative district, engaging enemy command units entrenched in law enforcement headquarters and municipal buildings. NSJ Cohors 4 executed house-to-house clearing operations in Riddersborg’s residential and commercial sectors, where insurgents had barricaded themselves within apartment complexes and marketplaces, using civilian infrastructure as defensive strongholds.
The first major engagement erupted in the industrial sector, where Normarkian forces had transformed supply depots and shipping yards into layered defensive positions, constructing machine-gun nests, sniper perches, and reinforced barricades to slow Bassaridian advances. As Bassaridian mechanized columns pushed forward, the leading Manipuli of NSJ infantry came under immediate and sustained enemy fire, forcing a tactical redeployment of Contubernia squads into staggered formations to mitigate exposure to sniper fire and RPG strikes.
To neutralize enemy strongholds, Hatch Ministry artillery detachments initiated a sustained bombardment using Aetheris Class Towed Howitzers and Iynas Class Field Guns, targeting high-value enemy positions with precision shelling. As the artillery bombardment weakened Normarkian fortifications, Thalassa Class Main Battle Tanks advanced through fire-damaged thoroughfares, breaching enemy barricades and enabling infantry Ordinis to storm occupied structures. By mid-afternoon, Bassaridian forces had successfully secured the industrial sector, forcing Normarkian remnants to retreat toward the inner city.
As ground forces launched their urban offensive, a coordinated naval bombardment force of 12 warships established a fire support perimeter along Riddersborg’s waterfront, engaging Normarkian insurgents positioned within dockyards, commercial ports, and coastal storage depots. This force was composed of 4 Vaeringheim Class Corvettes and 4 Sylvapolis Class Frigates, providing long-range naval fire support, while 2 Saluria Class Gunboats and 2 Cetus Class Attack Craft maneuvered along the shoreline, executing close-range fire support and rapid missile strikes.
By midday, the naval artillery barrage had devastated enemy coastal defenses, forcing Normarkian fighters to abandon their waterfront positions and retreat deeper into the urban center.
As naval bombardments targeted enemy positions along the waterfront, Bassaridian aerial units executed precision strikes in tandem with naval and ground operations. The airborne component of the campaign included 4 Misttalon Class Heavy Bombers and 5 Chrysos Class Sea Bombers, which launched strategic strikes against enemy supply lines, command hubs, and artillery installations.
Low-altitude Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters, operating in coordination with Cetus Class Attack Craft, engaged Normarkian anti-aircraft positions and insurgent sniper teams, ensuring Bassaridian air superiority while supporting ground and naval operations.
Positioning for the Next Phase of the Siege
By nightfall on 5/1/51 PSSC, Bassaridian forces had successfully secured nearly half of Riddersborg, capturing key industrial, administrative, and residential districts. The combined ground, naval, and aerial assault had left the Normarkian resistance significantly weakened, forcing insurgents to retreat into the heavily fortified city center, where the final and most intense phase of urban combat was expected to take place.
Despite the presence of the Ford Islands Taskforce, Bassaridian forces remained committed to the full occupation of Riddersborg. With air and naval superiority fully established, and ground forces firmly entrenched in the outer city, the War League’s commanders prepared for the final offensive that would bring Riddersborg fully under Bassaridian control in the days to come.
| Naval and Aerial Bombardment of Ardclach: 7/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:NavalBombardmentAderstein.png Bassaridian naval vessels engaging Normarkian coastal defenses in Ardclach. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces (disbanding) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership (surrendered) |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Naval Bombardment and Blockade Units: 4 Vaeringheim Class Corvettes Aerial Support: Psychological Warfare Operations: | Government of Ardclach (surrendered) Normarkian insurgent remnants expelled to Arctic |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Naval Units: 14 warships Aircraft: 19 helicopters, bombers, and UAVs | Insurgents expelled; remaining forces disarmed |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Ongoing | Ongoing |
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| The government of Ardclach has formally surrendered to Bassaridian forces, citing a desire to avoid further destruction. Remaining insurgent forces have been disarmed and expelled to the Arctic north of Keltia. Hatch Ministry forces are preparing for a phased occupation of the city, with political representatives of Bassaridia Vaeringheim already entering to begin annexation negotiations. Military operations remain ongoing to ensure full compliance with the surrender agreement. | |||||||||
On 7/1/51 PSSC, as Bassaridian forces intensified their offensive within Riddersborg, the Hatch Ministry initiated a large-scale naval and aerial bombardment of Ardclach, the final major Normarkian insurgent stronghold on Aderstein. Conducted by four Hatch Ministry Cohortes, the operation marked the opening phase of a broader campaign aimed at securing total control over Aderstein, eliminating remaining Normarkian resistance, and preempting any potential counteroffensives against Bassaridian forces engaged on the mainland.
The bombardment was designed not only to cripple enemy fortifications and military infrastructure but also to exert psychological pressure on the defenders of Ardclach, compelling them to surrender before a full-scale Bassaridian invasion. As artillery shells and missiles rained down on the city, Bassaridian aircraft dropped thousands of leaflets over Ardclach, informing civilians and insurgents alike of the imminent fall of Riddersborg, the inevitability of Bassaridian victory, and the futility of continued resistance. These leaflets urged the city’s inhabitants to surrender immediately, emphasizing that further defiance would only result in total devastation when War League ground forces launched their final assault. Intelligence gathered from intercepted Normarkian communications suggested growing internal dissent among insurgent ranks, with some fighters abandoning their positions while others fortified themselves in the city’s underground tunnel networks.
At dawn on 7/1/51 PSSC, four Hatch Ministry Cohortes mobilized a naval strike force off the southern coast of Aderstein, initiating a sustained and systematic barrage against Normarkian coastal defenses in and around Ardclach’s harbor district. The task force, composed of 14 warships, positioned itself in a semi-circle around the city’s waterfront, ensuring that enemy forces could not maneuver along the shoreline or escape to deeper inland positions.
The centerpiece of the bombardment fleet included 4 Vaeringheim Class Corvettes and 4 Sylvapolis Class Frigates, providing long-range artillery support, targeting Normarkian bunkers, supply depots, and command posts situated along the coastline. Vaeringheim Class Corvettes fired precision-guided naval artillery, systematically destroying enemy fortifications lining the city’s docks and piers, while Sylvapolis Class Frigates launched missile strikes against reinforced positions deeper in the city, preventing insurgents from using warehouse structures and former military offices as fallback points.
Supporting these heavy warships were 3 Saluria Class Gunboats and 3 Cetus Class Attack Craft, which moved closer to the coast, using high-speed missile strikes and rapid-fire deck guns to suppress enemy shore batteries and anti-aircraft emplacements. As the gunboats engaged Normarkian snipers positioned in high-rise port structures, attack craft maneuvered through tight waterways, eliminating hidden insurgent positions along Ardclach’s narrow harbor inlets.
The first artillery salvo, launched just before sunrise, was designed to disable Normarkian coastal fortifications before aerial forces commenced their attack. As the barrage intensified, targeted strikes were directed at dockyard storage facilities, repurposed civilian structures used as armories, and fortified harbor defenses. With enemy artillery positions and defensive structures crumbling, Bassaridian warships methodically expanded their bombardment, ensuring that Normarkian forces could not mount an effective counterattack from the coastline.
Aerial Bombardment and Psychological Warfare Operations
As the naval bombardment gained momentum, Bassaridian aerial forces launched a coordinated precision strike campaign, systematically dismantling enemy defensive networks and key infrastructure throughout Ardclach. The Hatch Ministry Air Command deployed 4 Misttalon Class Heavy Bombers and 5 Chrysos Class Sea Bombers, executing high-altitude bombing runs on Normarkian command centers, weapons caches, and critical logistics hubs. These strikes were carefully timed to coincide with naval shelling, ensuring that enemy defensive lines crumbled in a coordinated and overwhelming attack.
At low altitude, 6 Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters conducted precision-guided rocket strikes against Normarkian sniper nests and artillery emplacements, ensuring that insurgent forces could not effectively return fire against Bassaridian ships. These helicopters, escorted by Symphonara Class Compound Intercepts, maintained air superiority, preventing Normarkian forces from deploying drones or salvaged aircraft for reconnaissance or counterattacks.
In addition to direct combat operations, Bassaridian aerial squadrons conducted extensive psychological warfare operations, dropping thousands of leaflets over Ardclach, urging surrender. These leaflets, written in both Normarkian and Haifan dialects, emphasized the War League’s overwhelming military dominance, the collapse of Normarkian forces in Riddersborg, and the futility of continued resistance. Intelligence gathered from intercepted enemy communications suggested growing panic among the insurgent ranks, with some fighters deserting their posts, while others reinforced their remaining underground tunnel networks, preparing for what they believed would be a final stand.
Strategic Impact and Next Steps
By midday on 7/1/51 PSSC, Ardclach was engulfed in flames, with entire districts along the coastline reduced to rubble under the relentless bombardment. Smoke billowed from shattered military bunkers, collapsing infrastructure, and burning fuel depots, as Bassaridian forces continued their artillery and missile barrages with unrelenting precision.
With no remaining operational coastal defenses, Normarkian forces were forced to retreat further inland, abandoning their last artillery positions and seeking refuge within underground bunkers and tunnel systems beneath the city. Civilians, caught between insurgent barricades and the oncoming Bassaridian assault, began fleeing en masse toward designated surrender zones, where they hoped to avoid the destruction unfolding around them.
With Bassaridian warships maintaining an ironclad blockade around Aderstein, and Bassaridian aerial dominance ensuring continuous surveillance and fire support, the War League’s commanders began the next stage of the campaign: the direct amphibious invasion of Ardclach. The devastation inflicted by the bombardment had effectively neutralized the enemy’s ability to mount a coordinated defense, paving the way for a full-scale landing operation in the coming weeks.
Even as the siege continued, Hatch Ministry reconnaissance squadrons monitored enemy movements, identifying remaining insurgent hideouts and tracking surviving command elements as they prepared for a desperate last stand. With Riddersborg nearing complete capture, and Ardclach under constant attack, the War League’s campaign in Western Jangsong entered its final, decisive stage, with Bassaridian forces on the brink of securing absolute control over both Aderstein and the mainland.
Surrender of Ardclach: 8/1/51 PSSC
After 24 hours of sustained naval and aerial bombardment, the government of Ardclach formally surrendered to the Bassaridian War League on 8/1/51 PSSC, citing a desire to prevent the total destruction of the city and avoid a full-scale invasion by Hatch Ministry forces. The decision followed widespread devastation inflicted by Bassaridian warships and bombers, which had obliterated key defensive positions, destroyed critical supply depots, and severed all remaining lines of communication between Ardclach and insurgent forces on the mainland. With coastal fortifications in ruins, the city cut off from external support, and psychological warfare operations successfully undermining morale, the governing council of Ardclach concluded that further resistance was futile.
In its official declaration of surrender, the government of Ardclach ordered the immediate disarmament of all Normarkian insurgents within the city limits, recognizing that continued defiance would only lead to greater destruction and loss of life. Insurgent fighters who refused to lay down their arms were declared enemies of the state, and the city government decreed their immediate expulsion to the frozen Arctic north of Keltia. This measure was intended to permanently remove hostile elements while preserving the stability of Ardclach, preventing a drawn-out insurgency from taking root within the city itself. The surrender agreement also mandated that all remaining Normarkian-aligned militia groups dissolve and hand over any remaining stockpiles of arms and munitions to designated authorities, ensuring that the city was fully demilitarized ahead of Bassaridian occupation.
Despite the official surrender, Bassaridian forces did not immediately enter Ardclach, instead choosing to prepare for an orderly and strategic occupation in the coming days. Over the next several days, Hatch Ministry forces planned and coordinated their movements, organizing logistics, supply chains, and security measures to ensure a controlled entry into the city that would prevent any last-minute insurgent activity. While military forces remained stationed outside of the city, political representatives from Bassaridia Vaeringheim entered Ardclach under armed escort, accompanied by small security contingents, to begin immediate negotiations with the city’s leadership. These negotiations focused on securing Ardclach’s formal integration into Bassaridian administrative and economic structures, with diplomatic envoys offering governance proposals, security guarantees, and economic incentives to solidify the city’s transition into the War League’s sphere of influence.
The government of Ardclach, seeking long-term stability and protection, agreed to recognize Hatch Ministry forces as a peacekeeping authority and permitted their phased deployment into key security sectors. Meanwhile, discussions began over the formal annexation of Ardclach and the island of Aderstein into Bassaridia Vaeringheim, with city officials expressing a willingness to explore full integration in exchange for guarantees of economic reconstruction and political autonomy within a Bassaridian-led regional framework.
With Ardclach’s government now aligned with Bassaridia Vaeringheim and all hostile elements removed, the War League’s military command finalized their plans for occupation, with Hatch Ministry forces scheduled to begin their deployment in the following days. As the War League solidified its hold over Aderstein, Bassaridian forces prepared to deliver the final blow to the Normarkian resistance in Riddersborg, ensuring absolute control over Western Jangsong and securing Bassaridian dominance over the entire region.
Day Three of the Siege of Riddersborg: 10/1/51 PSSC
| Day Three of the Siege of Riddersborg: 10/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:RiddersborgUrbanCombat.png Bassaridian forces engaging insurgents in the inner districts of Riddersborg. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces (splintered) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff File:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership (disbanding) |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Ground Assault Units: Approx. 7,800 soldiers (7,400 active / 400 reserve) Artillery and Fire Support: Naval Blockade and Bombardment Units: Aerial Support: | Normarkian insurgent forces splintered into isolated resistance cells Light vehicles, small arms, asymmetric guerrilla tactics, IEDs, and urban tunnel networks |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Ground Forces: Approx. 7,800 personnel Tanks and Armored Vehicles: 120 | Estimated 400-600 insurgents remaining |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Estimated 1,600 killed or wounded | Estimated 1,500-1,800 insurgents killed or captured |
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| Bassaridian forces have successfully occupied nearly all of Riddersborg, capturing the final government and administrative districts while eliminating remaining coordinated insurgent resistance. Only scattered, uncoordinated Normarkian fighters remain, embedded in urban ruins and tunnel networks. Despite the near-total loss of their forces, the government of Riddersborg continues to refuse an official surrender, leaving War League commanders to prepare for final pacification operations. | |||||||||
With the outer districts of Riddersborg secured and the War League’s forces entrenched within key government, industrial, and residential areas, Bassaridian commanders initiated the final phase of the siege on 10/1/51 PSSC, targeting the last remaining Normarkian insurgent strongholds within the city's heavily fortified inner districts. Despite suffering catastrophic losses, complete isolation, and the official surrender of Ardclach on 8/1/51 PSSC, the Normarkian government of Riddersborg refused to issue a formal surrender, forcing the War League’s forces to conduct a final series of urban clearing operations to completely neutralize remaining insurgent resistance.
By this stage of the siege, insurgent forces were no longer fighting as a cohesive military entity but rather as isolated, highly fragmented cells, operating in small Contubernia-sized squads hidden within bunkers, tunnel networks, and fortified buildings. These remaining fighters relied on sniper fire, IED ambushes, and last-ditch suicide attacks to inflict as many casualties as possible before their inevitable defeat. Bassaridian War League combat engineers, mechanized infantry, and assault teams were now engaged in the most grueling phase of the operation—eliminating every last insurgent holdout, building by building, street by street.
Despite their hopeless strategic position, Normarkian elements continued their doomed resistance efforts, attempting to stall Bassaridian War League advances through extensive use of underground tunnels, fortified municipal buildings, and high-rise structures that had been converted into defensive redoubts. However, with War League forces having achieved absolute air and naval superiority, and possessing overwhelming numbers, firepower, and tactical coordination, the outcome of the battle was now simply a matter of time.
Final Assault on the Inner Districts
At dawn on 10/1/51 PSSC, Bassaridian forces launched their final coordinated offensive into the city’s core, targeting the last remaining insurgent strongholds in government buildings, cultural landmarks, and urban defensive fortifications. Unlike earlier engagements, which saw organized Normarkian battalions engaging in structured resistance, the defenders in the inner districts fought in highly fragmented formations, operating as isolated cells rather than a unified force.
The assault was divided into three primary engagements, each handled by different elements of the War League’s forces. NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2 advanced into the city’s government sector, targeting the last remaining Normarkian command posts, police headquarters, and fortified judicial buildings. NSJ Cohors 3 launched a push through the financial and commercial districts, engaging insurgents who had barricaded themselves within high-rise office buildings, banks, and former administrative centers. Meanwhile, NSJ Cohors 4 focused on eliminating insurgent holdouts in cultural and historical sites, where Normarkian fighters had established sniper nests and last-ditch barricades using repurposed civilian structures.
The assault into the government sector was spearheaded by five Centuriae, with Ordinis breaching the outer perimeter of the municipal district under the cover of suppressive fire from Syrinx Class Armored Infantry Vehicles. Combat engineers operating Icaria Class Mine Clearance Vehicles moved forward, dismantling fortified barricades and clearing explosive traps laid by retreating insurgents. As the leading Manipuli stormed key administrative buildings, they encountered hardened enemy resistance in the form of well-positioned snipers and makeshift machine-gun nests, forcing Contubernia-sized fireteams to utilize close-quarters weapons, grenades, and riot shields to breach deeper into the district.
The financial and commercial districts saw a similarly intense battle, with NSJ Cohors 3 deploying a combined force of mechanized and airborne infantry. Three Turmae of armored units, including Thalassa Class Main Battle Tanks, advanced through the central avenues, engaging enemy fighters dug into collapsed buildings and repurposed corporate offices. Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters conducted precision rocket strikes against enemy snipers positioned in high-rise structures, while Catonis Class Unmanned Aircraft provided real-time surveillance to infantry advancing along the ground. By mid-morning, insurgent resistance in this sector had been reduced to scattered, leaderless cells, forced to fight with whatever limited ammunition remained.
In the historical districts, where Normarkian insurgents had converted museums, theaters, and archives into fortresses, Bassaridian forces encountered intense room-to-room fighting as enemy fighters barricaded themselves inside thick-walled stone structures. NSJ Cohors 4 deployed specialized breaching Manipuli, utilizing explosive charges to force entry into heavily defended locations, while Ordinis with Regavis Class DMRs provided overwatch, ensuring that enemy fighters attempting to escape through concealed exits were eliminated before reaching other defensive positions.
As the ground offensive pushed into the last Normarkian defensive sectors, Bassaridian naval and aerial forces continued to play a pivotal role in crushing any remaining resistance, ensuring that no escape routes remained open for enemy forces attempting to retreat or regroup.
Vaeringheim Class Corvettes and Sylvapolis Class Frigates repositioned along the coast, launching naval artillery strikes against suspected enemy hideouts along the city’s waterfront and port infrastructure. Simultaneously, Saluria Class Gunboats and Cetus Class Attack Craft patrolled the bay, engaging small boats and makeshift rafts used by insurgents in desperate escape attempts. By midday, Bassaridian warships had obliterated the last remaining functional port facilities, sealing the fate of any Normarkian forces still attempting to flee the city.
In the skies, Bassaridian air forces conducted the final phase of strategic bombardments, with Misttalon Class Heavy Bombers and Chrysos Class Sea Bombers systematically leveling the last known insurgent safe houses and weapons caches. Catonis Class Unmanned Aircraft continuously monitored the battlefield, tracking all enemy movement and marking final resistance positions for artillery and aerial bombardment.
Collapse of Normarkian Resistance
By nightfall on 10/1/51 PSSC, virtually the entire city of Riddersborg was under Bassaridian control, with only isolated pockets of insurgent fighters continuing to resist from underground tunnels and the ruins of collapsed buildings. Despite complete territorial losses, the government of Riddersborg still refused to issue an official surrender, maintaining an official stance of defiance despite being functionally incapable of organizing further resistance.
With Riddersborg effectively conquered and Ardclach’s government having surrendered the day before, Bassaridian commanders now shifted focus toward fully integrating the newly occupied territories into War League control, securing logistical routes, and preparing for final stabilization efforts across Western Jangsong.
Deployment of Peacekeeping Forces to Ardclach: 11/1/51 PSSC
| Deployment of Peacekeeping Forces to Ardclach: 11/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Post-Conflict Stabilization Operations | |||||||||
File:ArdclachPeacekeeping.png Hatch Ministry forces securing key infrastructure in Ardclach. |
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|
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| Government of Ardclach (cooperating) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff | Government of Ardclach Transition Council |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Peacekeeping and Security Forces: Approx. 1,875 soldiers (active) / 938 (reserve) Infrastructure Security and Clearance Units: Aerial Support and Reconnaissance: | Government of Ardclach Transition Council Newly established Municipal Legislature under Bassaridian Constitution of 50.43 PSSC |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Peacekeeping Forces: Approx. 1,875 active personnel / 938 reserves Tanks and Armored Vehicles: 11 | Government and security forces cooperating with Bassaridian oversight |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| None reported | None reported |
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| Bassaridian peacekeeping forces have begun securing Ardclach, ensuring its integration into Bassaridian Normark. The city is adopting governance structures in alignment with the Bassaridian Constitution of 50.43 PSSC and will serve as the capital of the newly established territory. Until full annexation, Ardclach’s economy is being integrated into the General Port of Lake Morovia, with economic stabilization efforts facilitated by investments from the New South Jangsong Division. | |||||||||
Following the surrender of Ardclach on 8/1/51 PSSC, the Hatch Ministry initiated the phased deployment of peacekeeping forces into the city on 11/1/51 PSSC, marking the beginning of a systematic transition from military operations to civilian governance under Bassaridian administration. This deployment was overseen by a single Cohors of Hatch Ministry forces, as the remaining three Cohortes remained actively engaged in the battle for Riddersborg. The primary objectives of the operation included securing strategic infrastructure, initiating governance reforms, and facilitating the economic integration of Ardclach into Bassaridian Normark.
The occupation strategy was executed in phases, ensuring stability while gradually implementing the administrative and economic policies of Bassaridia Vaeringheim. Centuriae of mechanized infantry were tasked with establishing perimeter security, ensuring that all entry points to the city were monitored and controlled to prevent unauthorized movements and any possible resurgence of insurgent activity. Turmae of engineers deployed Icaria Class Mine Clearance Vehicles to sweep through previously contested areas, ensuring the removal of any residual explosive devices or sabotage efforts left behind by retreating insurgents. Ordinis assigned to civil administration assisted local authorities in restoring municipal services, including transportation, law enforcement, and communication networks.
As Bassaridian forces secured their positions in Ardclach, diplomatic envoys and economic representatives from Bassaridia Vaeringheim entered the city, initiating formal negotiations to fully integrate Aderstein into the Bassaridian political and economic framework. This process, now fully underway, was expected to culminate in the future, formal annexation of the region before the administrative council of the MCS, ensuring that Ardclach and Riddersborg would be recognized as part of Bassaridia Vaeringheim’s expanding territorial dominion. As part of this agreement, Ardclach and, by extension, the broader region of Bassaridian Normark, were required to sever all existing trade ties with the ESB Group (Keltia) and any other Raspur Pact-affiliated trade networks, redirecting all commercial activity exclusively through the General Port of Lake Morovia.
Political Agreements and the Formation of Bassaridian Normark
As negotiations between Bassaridian representatives and Ardclach’s government progressed, a series of agreements were reached, laying the foundation for the full annexation of Aderstein into Bassaridia Vaeringheim. The most significant outcome was the establishment of Bassaridian Normark as a new territorial entity, encompassing Ardclach as its capital and, upon its inevitable surrender, Riddersborg as a secondary administrative and military hub.
Under these agreements, Ardclach’s governance structure was required to undergo reforms to align with the principles enshrined in the Bassaridian Constitution of 50.43 PSSC. These reforms mandated the establishment of municipal legislative bodies in accordance with national governance standards, ensuring that the city’s administrative structure mirrored the tiered governance model of Bassaridia Vaeringheim.
Ardclach’s new municipal legislature would consist of a two-house system, integrating representation from military, economic, and religious sectors. The lower house would be composed of elected civilian representatives, ensuring the representation of local populations in governance, while the upper house would be composed of three military leaders representing local security interests, three business leaders representing major companies affiliated with the General Port of Lake Morovia, and three representatives of the predominant religion operating in the region. This structure ensured that all facets of governance—military, economic, and spiritual—remained in balance, consistent with Bassaridian constitutional principles.
A key provision of the agreements granted Ardclach the distinction of serving as the capital of Bassaridian Normark and the future seat of the Regional Investor of Bassaridian Normark, an economic authority tasked with overseeing trade, commerce, and industrial development in the newly acquired territory. Until this Regional Investor was formally appointed, Ardclach and the people of Aderstein were granted immediate access to trade networks facilitated by the General Port of Lake Morovia, allowing them to benefit from direct investment and economic expansion initiatives led by the New South Jangsong Division.
As part of the territorial integration process, all trade previously conducted with the ESB Group (Keltia) and other Raspur Pact-affiliated commercial entities was ordered to cease immediately. Any facilities previously operated by ESB Group or other Raspur-linked trade organizations were to be transferred at once to the direct authority of the Merchant General of the General Port of Lake Morovia, ensuring complete economic realignment in favor of Bassaridian-controlled trade networks. A special commission, operating under the supervision of the Merchant General, was formed to oversee the seizure and reassignment of ESB-affiliated warehouses, shipping terminals, and logistics hubs, ensuring that all former Raspur-aligned infrastructure was repurposed for use under Bassaridian administration.
With these economic and political reforms now fully underway, Ardclach’s integration into Bassaridia Vaeringheim was proceeding rapidly, with trade, governance, and security measures being implemented to facilitate the complete absorption of Aderstein into the War League’s sphere of control.
Operational Execution of the Occupation
With the political agreements finalized, Hatch Ministry forces proceeded with the structured occupation of Ardclach, ensuring the stability and security of the city as it transitioned into the Bassaridian governance system. The single Cohors assigned to peacekeeping operations was divided into Centuriae, each tasked with specific duties relating to security, infrastructure, and civil administration.
The first stage of the occupation was dedicated to securing strategic infrastructure, with Contubernia stationed at all major transit routes, ensuring that roads, railway networks, and ports remained under firm Bassaridian control. Ordinis were deployed to conduct structural inspections of key municipal buildings, identifying locations suitable for the new Bassaridian administrative headquarters, as well as military and economic oversight offices. All former ESB-controlled trade facilities were placed under direct supervision of the Merchant General’s office, ensuring a complete transition of commercial power into Bassaridian hands.
Simultaneously, economic stabilization operations were launched, as Bassaridian trade envoys and infrastructure planners worked in collaboration with Ardclach’s newly restructured government to reopen commercial and industrial sectors. The reopening of Ardclach’s port under Bassaridian oversight was designated as a priority, allowing regional trade operations to resume in alignment with the economic policies of the General Port of Lake Morovia. To ensure the seamless integration of Ardclach’s economy into Bassaridian commercial networks, Manipuli of financial and trade advisors assisted local businesses in aligning their operations with War League economic policies.
By the end of the first week of occupation, Ardclach was fully secured, with Bassaridian military, administrative, and economic oversight firmly in place, ensuring that the process of full integration into Bassaridia Vaeringheim was proceeding without interruption.
Strategic and Economic Significance of the Annexation
The annexation of Aderstein marked a major expansion of Bassaridian influence in northern Keltia, providing the War League with a new military and economic hub in the region. With Ardclach serving as the capital of Bassaridian Normark, the region was now positioned as a key administrative and trade center, facilitating military coordination and economic development in the newly acquired territories.
The economic benefits of annexation were immediately evident, with trade and commerce reopening under Bassaridian supervision, allowing businesses in Aderstein to integrate into national markets through the General Port of Lake Morovia. The New South Jangsong Division played a critical role in investment and infrastructure development, ensuring that Ardclach’s economic framework was built to align with national policies while fostering sustainable growth.
With the occupation of Ardclach now fully underway and the process of formal annexation progressing toward its final administrative stages, Bassaridian forces prepared to shift their focus back to the final pacification of Riddersborg, where the last remnants of Normarkian resistance continued to hold out against the inevitable conquest of the city. The complete pacification of Western Jangsong was now merely a matter of time, with Bassaridia Vaeringheim securing its dominance over the region.
Day Four of the Siege of Riddersborg: 13/1/51 PSSC
| Day Four of the Siege of Riddersborg: 13/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:RiddersborgUrbanCombat.png Bassaridian forces engaging the last insurgent holdouts in Riddersborg. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Forces (fully defeated) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff File:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | File:NormarkianResistanceFlag.png Normarkian Resistance Leadership (disbanded) |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Ground Assault Units: Approx. 6,900 soldiers (6,500 active / 400 reserve) Artillery and Fire Support: Naval Blockade and Bombardment Units: Aerial Support: | Scattered Normarkian fighters in isolated ruins and tunnels, no organized resistance remaining |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Ground Forces: Approx. 6,900 personnel Tanks and Armored Vehicles: 105 | Estimated fewer than 100 insurgents attempting to hide in ruins |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Ongoing | Ongoing |
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| Bassaridian forces have successfully eliminated all remaining Normarkian resistance in Riddersborg, fully occupying the city. The last insurgents have either been killed, captured, or fled into isolated ruins, with no remaining coordinated resistance efforts. Despite total defeat, the government of Riddersborg refuses to surrender, though this refusal holds no military or strategic weight. War League commanders are now shifting toward final stabilization operations and political integration efforts within Bassaridian Normark. | |||||||||
With nearly all of Riddersborg under Bassaridian control, the final phase of the siege began on 13/1/51 PSSC, the first day of Eosena, marking the ultimate collapse of Normarkian resistance in the city. The final remnants of insurgent fighters—leaderless, fragmented, and vastly outnumbered—mounted their last stand amid the ruins, but it was a doomed effort against the overwhelming strength of the War League’s forces. After days of relentless coordinated assaults, the final sweep of the city commenced, targeting the last known insurgent redoubts hidden within devastated municipal districts, collapsed tunnels, and urban ruins.
Unlike the ferocious urban battles of the previous days, where Normarkian fighters staged desperate rearguard actions, this final operation was largely one-sided, with Bassaridian mechanized columns advancing unopposed through the shattered streets. Insurgents were reduced to scattered resistance, firing sporadic shots before being hunted down and eliminated. By nightfall, every district of Riddersborg had fallen, and the city was fully occupied by War League forces, marking the end of the Normarkian resistance in Western Jangsong.
Despite this absolute strategic defeat, the government of Riddersborg refused to issue a formal surrender, maintaining a defiant, but meaningless, symbolic stance against occupation. With no organized military, no command structure, and no remaining strongholds, this refusal held no practical significance, and Bassaridian commanders proceeded as though the city was already annexed.
Final Sweep of the Last Insurgent Holdouts
At dawn on 13/1/51 PSSC, the last major counter-insurgency operation began, targeting the final Normarkian holdouts that had taken refuge in collapsed buildings, underground tunnel systems, and isolated municipal ruins. NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2 spearheaded the advance into the final contested districts, methodically clearing out insurgent fighters barricaded inside abandoned administrative buildings, law enforcement offices, and makeshift bunkers. Each block was retaken with calculated efficiency, as Contubernia worked in staggered formations, flushing out any remaining insurgents with controlled explosive breaching charges and suppressive fire.
In the former government district, insurgents attempted to launch last-ditch ambushes, utilizing booby-trapped corridors, sniper positions hidden in collapsed infrastructure, and narrow passageways riddled with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). However, the War League’s forces had anticipated this resistance, deploying Syrinx Class Armored Infantry Vehicles in a multi-layered assault, systematically dismantling enemy barricades and cutting off all routes of escape. Combat engineers operating Icaria Class Mine Clearance Vehicles advanced under covering fire, detonating and clearing the last explosive hazards, ensuring that no further resistance could take root. By midday, the last administrative buildings had been secured, leaving only small pockets of fighters scattered throughout the ruins of the city center.
Meanwhile, NSJ Cohors 3 and NSJ Cohors 4 focused on securing the city’s underground infrastructure, where insurgents had sought refuge in abandoned subway stations, maintenance tunnels, and repurposed bunkers beneath collapsed buildings. Bassaridian intelligence had already mapped these tunnels using Catonis Class Unmanned Aircraft, providing precise locations of remaining insurgent strongholds, allowing for coordinated strikes to breach and flood these tunnels with clearing teams. Specialized Ordinis squads, trained in subterranean warfare, moved in using incendiary devices, flashbangs, and thermobaric grenades, ensuring swift elimination of all resistance.
By late afternoon, the final insurgent escape routes had been blocked, with hundreds of fighters either killed in combat or captured while attempting to flee through secondary tunnel exits. Any remaining pockets of resistance were either buried under collapsed structures or neutralized in close-quarter combat as Bassaridian fireteams conducted final sweeps.
With only isolated pockets of resistance left within the ruins, Bassaridian naval and aerial forces maintained their dominance, ensuring that no Normarkian forces could attempt escape, regroup, or launch counteroffensives beyond the city limits.
Along the coastline, Vaeringheim Class Corvettes and Sylvapolis Class Frigates continued heavy bombardments, targeting the last known enemy weapons caches and suspected underground bunkers beneath the city’s waterfront district. Saluria Class Gunboats and Cetus Class Attack Craft patrolled the bay, launching precision missile strikes against any remaining structures suspected of housing enemy combatants. By midday, the entire waterfront was reduced to rubble, severing any possibility of insurgents escaping through maritime routes.
Above the war-torn city, Bassaridian air forces executed their final coordinated bombing runs, with Misttalon Class Heavy Bombers and Chrysos Class Sea Bombers conducting precision strikes on identified enemy positions. Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters provided direct fire support, sweeping over the city in search of final insurgent groups attempting to relocate. The last enemy safehouses and command outposts were obliterated, ensuring that no organized Normarkian resistance remained.
Collapse of Resistance and the Complete Occupation of Riddersborg
By nightfall on 13/1/51 PSSC, the entire city of Riddersborg was firmly under Bassaridian control, with all districts secured and occupied by War League forces. The last organized resistance had been completely wiped out, with the final insurgents either captured, killed, or driven into hiding within isolated ruins. Without supplies, reinforcements, or leadership, the remaining fighters were incapable of launching any meaningful opposition, effectively marking the total military conquest of the city.
Despite this absolute victory, the government of Riddersborg still refused to issue a formal surrender, maintaining a symbolic yet hollow position of defiance. However, with no remaining army, infrastructure, or leadership, this refusal was purely performative, and Bassaridian commanders proceeded as though Riddersborg was already annexed.
With the battle concluded, the War League’s attention shifted toward final pacification, securing logistical networks, and establishing full administrative control over the city’s governance and population.
Strategic and Political Impact of the Fall of Riddersborg
The defeat of the Normarkian insurgency in Riddersborg marked the final step in the complete military conquest of Western Jangsong. With Ardclach already secured and operating under Bassaridian administration, Riddersborg was now set to become a critical stronghold in the newly formed territory of Bassaridian Normark.
The economic and trade networks of Riddersborg, once aligned with the Normarkian state, were now rapidly being redirected toward the General Port of Lake Morovia, ensuring that all former Normarkian assets were incorporated into the War League’s economic system. Former ESB Group (Keltia) trade facilities and any other Raspur-affiliated businesses in the region were seized and placed under the authority of the Merchant General, reinforcing Bassaridian economic dominance in the newly annexed territories.
With Riddersborg fully occupied and all insurgent resistance eliminated, Bassaridian commanders shifted focus to full-scale occupation, stabilization, and the finalization of Riddersborg’s political integration into the governance framework of Bassaridian Normark. With no remaining threats, Bassaridia Vaeringheim’s complete dominance over Western Jangsong was now an undeniable reality.
Day Five of the Siege of Riddersborg: 15/1/51 PSSC
| Day Five of the Siege of Riddersborg: 15/1/51 PSSC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bassaridian War League Counter-Insurgency Operations | |||||||||
File:RiddersborgUrbanCombat.png Bassaridian forces securing key government and transportation infrastructure in Riddersborg. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Bassaridian War League
| Government of Riddersborg (surrendered) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Hatch Ministry Command Staff File:NewSouthJangsongDivisionFlag.png NSJ Division Command Staff | Government of Riddersborg Transition Council |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Ground Assault Units: Approx. 6,500 soldiers (6,200 active / 300 reserve) Artillery and Fire Support: Naval Blockade and Bombardment Units: Aerial Support: | Government of Riddersborg Transition Council Newly established Municipal Legislature under Bassaridian Constitution of 50.43 PSSC |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Peacekeeping Forces: Approx. 6,500 personnel Tanks and Armored Vehicles: 99 | Government of Riddersborg cooperates under Bassaridian administration |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Estimated 2,800 killed or wounded | All remaining insurgents surrendered, captured, or exiled |
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| The government of Riddersborg has formally surrendered to Bassaridian forces, ordering all insurgents to lay down their arms on threat of exile. As part of the surrender agreement, Riddersborg has been fully annexed into Bassaridian Normark under terms identical to Ardclach, including the permanent transfer of the Trans-Keltian Express to the Bassaridian War League. The railway blockade imposed on 1/1/51 PSSC will be lifted within one week, under strict Bassaridian oversight. City leaders opposed to annexation have been arrested and transported to Vaeringheim to await trial. | |||||||||
The final day of the siege of Riddersborg began on 15/1/51 PSSC, marking the end of one of the most grueling and strategically significant battles of the Lower Jangsong Campaign. With no remaining organized resistance, Bassaridian forces fully secured the city, sweeping through every remaining district to consolidate their control. By dawn, the last isolated Normarkian insurgents were either captured, eliminated, or driven into hiding, leaving no viable military opposition within the city limits.
Faced with complete occupation, mounting civilian unrest, and the growing realization that continued defiance would only result in further political instability, the government of Riddersborg formally surrendered at midday. The announcement marked the official end of the battle, with city leaders issuing an order for all remaining insurgents to lay down their arms or face immediate exile. With this act, Bassaridia Vaeringheim’s total control over Western Jangsong was solidified, and Riddersborg’s transition into Bassaridian Normark was set into motion.
Despite the unconditional surrender, certain elements of the Riddersborg government refused to recognize the annexation, leading to the immediate arrest and transport of all officials opposing Bassaridian rule to Vaeringheim, where they would await trial for obstruction and sedition. The remaining provisional leadership quickly moved to finalize negotiations, agreeing to terms of annexation identical to those accepted by Ardclach, formally integrating Riddersborg into Bassaridian Normark.
Additionally, as part of the surrender agreement, Riddersborg agreed to permanently transfer control of the Trans-Keltian Express to the Bassaridian War League, ceding all operational authority over the railway network. In response, Bassaridian forces agreed to lift the blockade on the railway—imposed on 1/1/51 PSSC—within one week, allowing for the gradual resumption of trade and civilian travel under strict Bassaridian oversight.
Final Operations and Securing the City
By the time the surrender was announced, Bassaridian forces had already established near-total dominance over Riddersborg’s urban landscape, with fully operational security zones, checkpoints, and logistics hubs ensuring that no potential threats remained. Contubernia of mechanized infantry moved methodically through the last contested areas, ensuring complete stabilization of the city’s commercial, government, and residential sectors.
In the former municipal district, NSJ Cohors Pelagia 1 and NSJ Cohors 2 established command outposts in key administrative buildings, transforming former government offices into the new provisional headquarters for the War League’s military administration. Meanwhile, NSJ Cohors 3 took control of Riddersborg’s transportation infrastructure, deploying Ordinis tasked with monitoring and securing major roadways, railway lines, and depots in preparation for the restoration of controlled transit operations under Bassaridian oversight.
One of the final key operations of the day involved neutralizing the last suspected insurgent tunnels and hideouts, primarily in the ruins of the old commercial district and the city’s underground infrastructure. NSJ Cohors 4, alongside combat engineers, deployed Icaria Class Mine Clearance Vehicles and Syrinx Class Armored Infantry Vehicles, sealing all remaining access points to underground tunnels and demolishing any remaining insurgent supply caches. By late afternoon, no viable resistance structures remained, and Bassaridian units had begun preparations for full-scale occupation governance.
While the bulk of Bassaridian ground operations were focused on securing the last remnants of Riddersborg’s infrastructure, naval and aerial forces continued their mission to enforce absolute regional control.
In Riddersborg Bay, Vaeringheim Class Corvettes and Sylvapolis Class Frigates remained positioned along the waterfront, ensuring that no last-ditch escape attempts via sea were made. Patrolling Saluria Class Gunboats and Cetus Class Attack Craft intercepted any remaining insurgent watercraft, confirming that the city’s naval defenses had been completely neutralized.
Simultaneously, Bassaridian air units executed final security operations over the city, with Misttalon Class Heavy Bombers conducting the last scheduled reconnaissance and suppression bombing runs, ensuring that no remaining enemy fortifications or escape routes remained intact. Low-altitude sweeps by Thalassa Class Attack Helicopters patrolled the city’s outskirts, ready to intercept and eliminate any attempted regrouping of resistance fighters beyond the city’s borders.
With full control of Riddersborg’s airspace and waters secured, Bassaridian commanders confirmed that the city was now fully pacified and under their jurisdiction.
Surrender of Riddersborg and Terms of Annexation
At midday on 15/1/51 PSSC, after extensive negotiations with Bassaridian military and political envoys, the government of Riddersborg officially surrendered, bringing the siege to its formal conclusion.
As part of the terms of surrender, the city’s leadership ordered all remaining insurgents to disarm immediately, threatening exile to the Arctic north of Keltia for any combatants refusing to comply. Bassaridian peacekeeping forces were granted unrestricted access to all government facilities, and Riddersborg’s economy, trade, and infrastructure were placed under Bassaridian administrative control.
In line with the surrender agreement previously established in Ardclach, Riddersborg’s governmental structure was reorganized to align with the governance model outlined in the Bassaridian Constitution of 50.43 PSSC. The city was formally integrated into Bassaridian Normark, with Riddersborg designated as its secondary administrative and military hub, following Ardclach as the regional capital.
Additionally, as part of the surrender terms, Riddersborg agreed to permanently transfer control of the Trans-Keltian Express to the Bassaridian War League, relinquishing all authority over one of Northern Keltia’s most strategically vital transportation networks. In return, Bassaridian forces committed to lifting the railway blockade within one week, allowing for the resumption of controlled trade and passenger transit under strict oversight.
In the aftermath of the surrender, all city officials who opposed Bassaridian rule were immediately arrested, placed under military custody, and transported to Vaeringheim to await trial for obstruction, sedition, and interference in the annexation process.
Conclusion of the Siege and Strategic Impact
With the surrender of Riddersborg, the Lower Jangsong Campaign reached its final military milestone, securing Bassaridia Vaeringheim’s total dominance over Western Jangsong. With Ardclach and Riddersborg now both formally under Bassaridian rule, the region was fully incorporated into Bassaridian Normark, marking one of the largest territorial expansions in recent history.
The economic benefits of the annexation were immediate, as the city’s industries and commercial centers were integrated into the General Port of Lake Morovia, cutting all former Normarkian ties to the ESB Group (Keltia) and other Raspur-affiliated networks. All ESB trade facilities were placed under direct supervision of the Merchant General, ensuring that Bassaridian economic interests fully controlled regional commerce.
With Bassaridian military forces shifting from active combat to occupation and stabilization operations, the focus now turned toward governance, economic restructuring, and reinforcing military control over the newly acquired territory.
With no remaining organized opposition in Western Jangsong, Bassaridia Vaeringheim’s conquest was now fully realized.
