[War] Third Kylo-Jouranan War (1922)

[Kingdom of Kylvania]

WAR

Third Kylo-Jouranan War
Major Belligerents:

• Kingdom of Kylvania
  
• Republic of Jouran

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Allies:

• None.
  
• Republic of Ostereich (Free Forces)

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Initial Forces:

• Kingdom of Kylvania:
  -- 222,000 men
  -- 16,000 artillery pieces
  
• Republic of Jouran:
  -- 58,000 men
  -- 2,000 artillery pieces
  
• Republic of Ostereich (Free Forces)
  -- 20,000 men

TOTAL:[/color]
-- 222,000 men
-- 16,000 artillery pieces

TOTAL:[/color]
-- 78,000 men
-- 2,000 artillery pieces

Post Order
Republic of Jouran
Kingdom of Kylvania
ModMark

Background:

The history between the Republic of Jouran and the Kingdom of Kylvania has always been tenuous, but things became heated when in 1921, the Kylvania unexpectedly invaded and annexed the small nation of Ostereich. Close allies to the people of Ostereich, Jouran immediately condemned the action and required the immediate release of the Ostereich cabinet as well as the release of their lands. With the refusal by the Kylvanian government, Jouran declared war on January 19th, 1922, thus starting the Third Kylo-Jouranan War.

There are two fronts. The Kylo-Jouranan Front is the primary front, comprising the entire border between Kylvania and Jouran. It is mostly plains, with some forests interloping across the borders. The second front is the Osto-Kylvano Front is the entire nation of Ostereich. The Ostereich Free Army rose up as a mixed army of conscripts and infantry, it's intentions to defend the capital from the Kylvanian police forces that intend to retake it.

Timeline:
1922
January: Jouran declares war on Kylvania. Jouranan National Army begins a strategic retreat Eastward. Skirmish at Loni is a small scale battle between advancing Kylvanian Infantry and entrenched Jouranan units. Ends in a strategic Kylvanian victory.
February:

[Republic of Jouran]

Jouran National Army:
Commanding General: Field Marshal Theodore Von Bach

Initial Orders:
The initial declaration of war had caught the Jouranan National Army on the backfoot, with only a small force to oppose the Kylvanian juggernaut. Due to the extreme length of the front, digging in would be useless as the Kylvanian's would have the strength and numbers to simply go around any of the Jouran trench systems and invade the heartland of the country. Any new offensive would require at least two months of preparation as fresh Journan troops were trained and brought up to reinforce the front. The solution for the moment was to slow their advance to a crawl at all costs.

Via wire and messenger, the Ostereich Free Corp would be requested to withdraw back into Jouran to continue the fight against the Kylvanian's, with a fresh offensive launched to retake the country when new reinforcements had arrived. In the interim, three divisions of JNA infantry and one division of artillery will be mobilized in the province of Courland (center province / 4). One division of infantry will be mobilized in Karelia (5), and one division mobilized for the province of Attica (6). These independent divisions will act as a screen and form a primary harassing role against Kylvanian troops as they advance. If the Ostereich Free Corp agrees to withdraw, they will fall back into Karelia to bolster the guerilla action of the troops.

Tactics:
Hit and run attacks, attacking logistics and supply trains, commanders WILL NOT ENGAGE the Kylvanian Army in open battle where they can be surrounded and annihilated easily.

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First Infantry Division:
Courland:
Camp Fortitude:
The warning howl of a klaxon woke Corporal Hugh from his billet, sending him scrambling from his bunk with a collection of the rest of his platoon. '' Move, move. '' Officers shouted, the company came spilling out of their barracks. Off in the distance the rest of the regiment was forming into ranks. Rifles were hastily slung over shoulders, kits were gathered, until they had joined the rest of the regiment as the First Infantry Division groggily braced itself for the storm that had yet to arrive.

They waited for twenty minutes, only the clink of weapons and the shuffling of feet making any noise until the distant howl of a motor bike and a rider came into view. No one seemed to know what exactly what was going on but each man yearned to hear what the messenger had to say. The soldier saluted Colonel Valois as he emerged from a nearby command post, handing him a paper, before the bike was roaring off again down the road. Valois took his time reading over the content, Hugh could see the crest fallen look that came over his features before he turned to address his men.

'' ATTEN-SHUN. '' Two thousand pairs of boots immediately snapped to.

'' Jouran is at war with Kylvania. The regiment, along with the rest of the division will begin gathering at the town of Mon's. I expect each and everyone of you to carry out your duty. We are charged with holding the borderlands until reinforcements reach us. It will not be easy. The enemy outnumbers us greatly but we have faced great odds before as have our forefathers. They have triumphed and so will we. Be strong, be brave, and think of the families you protect. '' Valois said, saluting the soldiers. '' We leave within three hours. Dismissed '' With that, the formation broke up as troops hastily began loading carriages and trucks with supplies. More would follow in the coming days as the sheer logistical challenge of feeding, supplying, and housing thousands of men began in earnest.

[Kingdom of Kylvania]

Kingdom of Kylvania
Kylvanian Grand Armee Headquarters, Kevestra, Kylvania

" The Jouranans themselves pose a lesser threat in this new age. It is apparent they have fallen into decadence. Their paper strength is the same as ours .. after they have called up the entirety of their reserves, although it is possible they will attempt to pluck from their under eighteen and over forty-five manpower pool. " General von Grunchin droned on, the thick haze of smoke that coated the room added to the discomfort. " However, they strength is not equal to our own. It is well known that a majority of their army is composed of irregulars; part time conscripts. High Command feels that even at a numerical parity, they cannot withstand our assault. "

" Excellent, General. We will move against them at once. Initial reports that only a single Division holds the entire Karelian line, over 190 miles long. We will concentrate our forces here at the center, although it may be late February or March before we are truly ready at the front lines. As of currently, only our initial forces are present on the front. " Minister Joachim added, and gave a nod to a nearby Kylvanian Officer, who stepped up and began speaking.

" Thank you, Minister. I am General Fornov, Commander of Army Group Ostereich. I command 30,000 soldiers who were briefly kicked out of the Ostereich capital. The Free Ostereich forces rose up with the Jouranan declaration of war, but they are conscripts and retaking the city should be complete by March. Following the annexation of the city, I will regroup with the 3rd Kylvanian Army under von Grunchin."

The plans were in place.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kylo-Jouranan Front
Kylvanian 3rd Army, Field Headquarters
28 miles from the border

With General von Grunchin in Kivestra with the sudden declaration of war, Colonel Mikhail Sunters was in charge. The Kylvanian 3rd Army had been split into three strategic pieces. 96,000 men were already in position, while 120,000 or so were being mobilized from the inner lands. They didn't have to wait long, on the 19th of January, Colonel Sunters received word via telegram that the army was to move out across the border. The orders were as follows:

KYLVANIAN 3RD ARMY // OPERATIONAL ORDERS

-- Army Group Karelia will move into Karelia; 36,000 men, 4,000 artillery pieces (2 Infantry Divisions / 2 Artillery Divisions)
-- Army Group Center will move into Courland; 38,000 men, 2,000 artillery pieces (3 Infantry Divisions / 1 Artillery Division)
-- Army Group North will move into Attica; 18,000 men, 2,000 artillery pieces (1 Infantry Division / 1 Artillery Division)

Orders also reached General Fornov in Ostereich.

KYLVANIAN ARMY GROUP OSTEREICH // OPERATIONAL ORDERS

-- Army Group Ostereich will move into Ostereich; 30,000 men (3 Infantry Divisions)

Lastly, orders were dispatched to the Kylvanian 4th Army

KYLVANIAN 5TH ARMY // OPERATIONAL ORDERS

-- Kylvanian 5th Army will mobilize and head to the Kylo-Jouran border. (112,000 soldiers, 8,000 artillery pieces)

[Kingdom of Kylvania]

JANUARY

• Kylvanian 3rd Army: The Kylvanians moved across the border, all along it's axis with no resistance. Entirely afoot, it took the Kylvanians nearly all of the month to fully cross the border. Morale was relatively high, as they were on the offensive, but the cold weather seemed to slow them down as light snowfall and short days forced the various divisions to stop and set up camp as the sun died.
  
  
• Jouranan National Army: Continues to strategically fall back with the Kylvanians mostly a day or two's march away, although in some instances surprise marches by the Kylvanians force the Jouranans into fighting action, such as around the small Jouranan town of Loni in southwest Courland. They fought for a few days before retreating. They are giving up land to the Kylvanians, but slowly and surely Jouranan National units are meeting up with units that have mobilized from the East. Morale is high.
  
  
• Combat: The Kylvanians met only minor resistance from fleeing Jouranan units who would never stop and pick a fight. Notable skirmishes include:
  

  Skirmish at Loni: (January 21st - January 24th) -- Jouranan Infantry 37th, 38th, and 39th Light Regiments fought in the small town in and around Loni for three days, while Kylvanian artillery units were slowed in the heavy snow drifts and couldn't offer fire support. The regiments finally evacuated after an admirable Kylvanian charge by the 12th Regiment, 17th Kylvanian Regulars who took the town Chapel from entrenched Jouranans. (419 Kylvanian dead, 89 Jouranan dead)
  Battle of Ostereich: (January 14th - Ongoing) -- Army Group Ostereich advances southward into the capital, encircling it's northern half and beginning the urban siege of the city. With no artillery, it will be a hard fought battle, but they are fighting mostly irregulars and guerrillas. By the end of January, the Kylvanians have captured 12% of the city so far, setting up their headquarters in the Ostereich 173rd Street Hospital. (1,119 Kylvanians dead, 1,887 Ostereichs dead)

  
  
  Although the continued fallback by Jouranan soldiers was a frustrating and otherwise effective tactic, many Jouranan civilians in the small, rural settlements were being captured in droves. They were treated amiably, being regularly fed and cared for even in the light snow. Probing tactics by the Kylvanians proved ineffective as the Jouranans never halted their fallback, and they never seemed to commit to battle.
  
  
• Movement: The Jouranan National Army continues to strategically fallback, giving up land as it buys time for the mobilization of troops from the interior of the country.
  
  
• Weather: February looks to have increased snow fall and lower temperatures. Look for snowfalls of 2" to 3" every week.
  
  
• Logistics: The Jouranans have 100% Logistics due to being at home. The Kylvanians are at 92% due to proximity, but some snowfall is causing some supplies to be delivered late. The slow, meticulous forward advance however helps their plight.

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[Republic of Jouran]

Kylo-Jouran Front:
It had been a painful strategy. Trading space for time had spared the JNA from being annihilated but it had also surrendered large portions of the borderlands to the Kylvanian invaders. It wouldn't be until late February that it became obvious that the Jouranan's were done retreating. With the linkup of fresh regiments from the interior of the nation, over one hundred thousand troops could now be mustered to commit to the fight. The effects would first be felt in the province of Courland where Field Marshal Theodore Von Bach's First Army, now augmented with fresh units launched a counterattack on the Kylvanian 3rd Army (Army Group Center). The Journan hope is that due to the slow movement of the Kylvanian force in the initial invasion and the fresh snowfall, any new reinforcements from Kylvania will be slow in coming to the rescue of the now outnumbered Kylvanian troops over the next few weeks.

In Karelia, General Gottfried Hendrick had assumed command of the newly formed JNA Second Army and like Von Bach launched a fresh counteroffensive to reverse enemy gains in the region with the hope of kicking them back towards the border. Attica however had become a different story, a single conscript division had been dispatched to primarily continue the stalemate in the region and force combat to a standstill with hit and run attacks and a slow grinding retreat.

Courland:
First Army:
Commander: Field Marshal Theodore Von Bach
5 Infantry Divisions (50,000 men)
3 Conscript Divisions (36,000 men)
2 Artillery Divisions (16,000 men / 4,000 guns)

Karelia:
Second Army:
General Gottfried Hendrick
4 Infantry Divisions (40,000 men)
4 Conscript Divisions (48,000 men)
2 Artillery Divisions (16,000 men / 4,000 guns)

Attica:
Third Army:
Lieutenant General Janz Corbus
1 Infantry Division (10,000 men)
1 Conscript Division (12,000 men)

[Kingdom of Kylvania]

Kylo-Jouranan Front

KYLVANIAN 3RD ARMY

Courland

February 4th, 1922

The Kylvanians were ordered on all fronts to halt once the Jouranans turned back to face them. General von Grunchin sent runners, messengers and telegrams to all marching units to halt. They would built an axis of defense, hole up in houses, build foxholes and prepare for the Jouranans to throw them back. They would need to await the arrival of the Kylvanian 5th Army to rendezvous with them before they could continue to push into Jouran. Artillery were ordered to prepare for initial barrages as Jouranan troops came into position. The General Staff of the Kylvanian 3rd Army would make their new station at the captured town of Loni, and they would set their headquarters at the chapel. Wounded soldiers would be sent here and a telegraph line would be set to be able to reach back to Kivestra, though how long such an endeavor would take was unknown.

The line was meant to stretch from Army Group North to Army Group South, though ostensibly thin in some places, artillery would be strategically utilized to attack assaulting Jouranan units until reinforcements could be used. If committed to battle, additional strategies would be used.

[Kingdom of Kylvania]

FEBRUARY

• Kylvanian 3rd Army: The Kylvanians halted their march and begin to prepare for the inevitable incoming attacks from the bolstered Jouranan National Army. They now outnumber the Kylvanian 3rd Army, but the overall quality of their troops is much lower than the Kylvanians. The weather conditions make it both ideal for defending, but also difficult for defenders who are trying to build foxholes in the frozen earth. The Kylvanian 3rd Army has paused along it's axis of attack, roughly halfway through the provinces of Attica, Courland and Karelia. Morale is high. The soldiers are relatively fresh, but somewhat tired from having to march so far.
  
  
• Jouranan National Army: Their numbers now swelled with elements of conscript units and Infantry Divisions from further inland, General Theodore von Bach has commanded the Jouranan 1st Army to turn around and begin it's own attack against the Kylvanian attackers. von Bach knows the Kylvanians have not continued to pursue them and instead are setting up defenses along a stringing line of Jouranan captured towns. The fact that the Jouranans left in such a hurry means all towns were taken wholly intact for the Kylvanians to use. Jouranan morale is high but they too are slightly fatigued from all the marching through their snow trodden land.
  
  
• Combat: In all three provinces combat has broken out. It is relatively even, with Jouranan casualties being higher as Jouranan commanders order their attacking conscript divisions across the field against slightly entrenched Kylvanian troops.
  

  Battle of Mishen: (February 6th - Ongoing) -- A relatively large commercial town near the middle of Karelia, Mishen is actually not what's at stake, because the Kylvanians control it, but the oncoming surge of attackers attacking the entrenched Kylvanians less than a mile outside the town is what gave the battle it's name. The first wave has proven mostly ineffective, with a handful of companies destroyed by concentrated Kylvanian rifle fire. Most Kylvanian artillery is assembled either in Mishen, or right outside it with barrages coming quite frequently. (197 Kylvanians killed, 567 Jouranans killed)
  
  Battle of Kruvl Forest: (February 9th -- Ongoing) -- The battle of Kruvl Forest is one gruesome for both Kylvanian and Jouranan soldier both. The Kylvanian battle line runs right through Kruvl Forest in Attica, and it has been especially difficult for the entrenched Kylvanian soldiers to see the Jouranan attackers until they are a handful of yards away. Secondly, Kylvanian artillery is having a difficult time firing their guns because of the heavy foliage. The line is holding, with Kylvanians sitting in foxholes while Jouranans march through the trees looking for the enemy. Unless something is done by one side, the Battle of Kruvl Forest looks to be a real meatgrinder. (144 Kylvanians killed, 268 Jouranans killed)
  
  Battle of Verruchtberg: (February 21st - Ongoing) So far the largest engagement to be had with the majority of the Kylvanian 3rd Army and the Jouranan 1st Army gearing up here. Stationed around the large industrial center of Verruchtberg. The Kylvanian 3rd Army is already risking entrapment as swathes of Jouranans advance from the East. Casualties are looking high on both sides but the battle is now pitched. Kylvanians fire from building windows and erected barricades, huge batteries of Kylvanian artillery smash Jouranan companies in the open field, while at the same time Jouranan artillery is constantly battering the town and Jouranan infantry and conscript units are beginning to enter the city from the North, South and East and begin intense urban fighting. (3,419 Kylvanians dead, 5,071 Jouranans dead)
  
  Battle of Ostereich: (January 14th - Ongoing) -- The Kylvanians now control 39% of the city, with the Monument of the Ostereich now firmly under control by the Kylvanians. Casualties are rising, but it's evident that at this point, victory in the Ostereich is now inevitable. (4,157 Kylvanians killed, 9,532 Ostereichans dead)

  
  
  
• Movement: The Kylvanian 3rd Army is now partially entrenched along all fronts and holding. The Jouranan National Army, spearheaded by the Jouranan 1st Army has now met them and both armies can only attempt strategical retreats, or breakthroughs by slight re-maneuvering of their pitched divisions.
  
  
• Weather: The snowfall has steadied at about 3" inches a week. Fresh snow is on the ground every day. The average temperature during sunlight is about 24 degrees, and at night time, when the fighting has ceased about -4 degrees.
  
  
• Logistics: Due to their extreme size now, Jouran is at 88% Logistics with some minor problems keeping all the conscript units properly fed and their ammunition stores at maximum. Kylvania is at 84% Logistics because of how far they have traveled into Jouran and because Logistics units are supplying the Kylvanian 5th Army as well. Supplies intended to reach Kylvanian units by Monday usually aren't arriving until Tuesday and smart Kylvanian soldiers are rationing their food and cigarettes.

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[Republic of Jouran]

Courland:
Battle of Verruchtberg:
The constant barrage of Kylvanian artillery pieces had been a thorn in the side of the JNA First Army for more than a week now, but that was all about to change as fresh guns were dragged up through the snow. The Journan National Army had more than twice the amount of firepower available to suppress the enemy guns and they used that firepower ruthlessly. The artillery duel would extend to the interior of the town as well. Journan ground forces would vector in coordinates on enemy strong points to be reduced to rubble via radio or observation tower. They had also turned to shelling the road into town that was the Kylvanian Third Armies main supply route. Meanwhile, Von Bach's troops had begun the slow process of clearing the sniper infested buildings of enemy troops, often using grenades and the grittiness of close quarter combat to get the job done. IF Kylvanian gun's had been suppressed sufficiently enough at this point, the JNA Seventh Infantry Division had been ordered to attempt to try and maneuver to the West of Verruchtberg to cut off Kylvanian supplies and their last route of escape as Journan troops close in on the city from all sides.


Karelia:
Battle of Mishen:
The JNA had changed tack, rather than sending its conscripts across the field in mass human wave type assaults (without cover) against the partially entrenched troops it had instead turned to its artillery pieces with a short, sharp bombardment to clear the way at the percieved thinnest portions of the Kylvanian line. At dawn the next day, a sudden artillery barrage was launched by two divisions worth of JNA artillery pieces on trench positions of the enemy. Determined to flatten them and keep Kylvanian gun's quiet. This 'creeping' artillery barrage will act as a screen as Journan regulars advance forward during the attack (with the Kylvanian's hopefully due to the artillery having their heads pinned down). Journan conscript troops will follow behind in order to mop up enemy positions that still remain after the initial attack, using their numerical advantage in both regulars and conscripts to overwhelm the Kylvanians.



Attica:
Battle of Kruvl Forest:
General Corbus had not launched an all out attack on the forest. He lacked the men and resources to clear out the entrenched Kylvanian troops and instead had turned to small probing tactics to find out exactly where the Kylvanian line was at its thinnest.

[Kingdom of Kylvania]

Kylo-Jouranan Front

KYLVANIAN 3RD ARMY

Battle of Kruvl Forest

While the Jouranans probed the entrenched lines, the Kylvanians decided to merely reinforce their lines as strong as possible. Their artillery had largely become useless and General von Grunchin had sent orders ahead for the Artillery Division to stay at Kruvl Forest, but to limber the artillery and instead have the soldiery disperse as infantrymen to bolster their lines. The Kylvanians goal here was to use the small network of foxholes and heavy forest to bleed the Jouranans while the Kylvanian 5th Army prepared to reach them.

KRACK. The Oberst IV bolt-action rifle barked, half concealed from the position in the snow encrusted mound it sat atop. Corporal Sandst retracted the bolt than pushed it forward to chamber another round. To his rear sat Privates Lindsi and Private Tayvor.

" What are you shooting at, Sandst?! "

" .. He's dead. He might've been a scout. Get over here! "

The two soldiers gathered their rifles and scooted to either of Sandst's sides, their own rifles going down flat against the snow. The entire line was situated like this, every few meters and in some case feet there was a foxhole with two or three soldiers who patiently waited for the inevitable charge of Jouranan soldiers.

Battle of Mishen
[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Battle of Verruchtberg
[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]