Operation Kraken

Operation Kraken
Part of the Final War of the Deluge
Aquila N-17 provides cover fire for Tierradorian ground forces in the Battle of Lu!ket
Date January 29 – December 19, 2021 Location Southern Varshan Result Coalition victory Varshani Navy and Air Force decimated Complete naval blockade of the Varshani southern coast Varshani mining and energy industries crippled
Belligerents
Alstin Tierrador Porlos Supported by: Urcea	Varshan
Commanders and leaders
Benjamin Ryder Nolan Reeves Ipana II Maté Utuqaat Juso Tulotas Daniel Lopes	Hevovitastamiutsto Letul Kashia Palét Hutul
Units involved
URAF Tierrador Army/Tierrador Air Force PGDF	Varshani Armed Forces
Strength
210,000 troops, 165 ships, and 680 aircraft 161,000 troops, 21 ships, and 350 aircraft 30,000 troops, 10 ships, and 39 aircraft	306,000 troops, 153 ships, and 830 aircraft
Casualties and losses
__ ships, ___ killed, ____ wounded 4,512 killed, 7,140 wounded, 21 aircraft lost 565 killed, 844 wounded, 5 aircraft lost	84,552 killed, 121,905 wounded, 149 ships lost, 659 aircraft lost

Operation Kraken was a naval and air operation which was part of the Final War of the Deluge. The operation occurred following a failed Varshani invasion of the U.R. Province of Veraise in late 2020. Notable targets for this operation included several Varshani ports along its southern coast, along with key energy and mineral-producing cities in the southeastern mountains. The operation alone resulted in the total decimation of the Varshani Navy, the Varshani Air Force, along with the complete cutoff of the southeastern portion from the rest of the country and a total naval blockade which was achieved following Operation Jonah. Operation Kraken is said to have crippled a good portion of Varshan's economy. The advantages provided by South Cronan forces allowed for the LoN coalition forces to make a deep push towards the Varshani capital city of Anzo.

Background

The decision for a Tierradorian ground-based mobilization had been suggested numerous times by Premier Spiro Sauga in 2020, following the initial outbreak of the war. While the Qangreč had staunchly denied, the subsequent 2020 Varshani invasion of Veraise would force them to change their minds. High-ranking military officers from Tierrador, Porlos, and Alstin met numerous times throughout December and planned for an Alstinian naval campaign with 165 ships creating a massive blockade spanning the Varshani southern coast, accompanied by Tierradorian land invasion in the southeast corridor from the featured a total of approximately 161,000 Tierradorian ground and marine troops, supported by 30,000 Porlosi Ground Forces, along with 350 total aircraft deployed from the Tierrador Air Force and 21 ships from the Tierrador Navy's Orixtal Fleet.

Both Woqali Ipana II and the Tierradorian public approved of military action against Varshan, given historical tensions between Zurgite Varshan and the Qabóri Woqalate.

Summary of operations

Naval campaign

UR Naval Blockade of Southern Coast

Decimation of Eastern Varshani Naval Forces

Invasion of Southern Varshan

Formation of AEF-V, commanded by General Nolan Reeves

LoN push into Stia-Dica

Initial Tierro-Porlosi mobilizations into southeast Varshan

The TDF allocated for 161,000 total troops to be deployed, with Ulunkheria and Telohakee combining for 60% of troops' origin. About 12,000 troops were deployed from Porlosi-hosted TDF bases in Waatijia, Anteerii, and Pacuí, which were established during the initial stages of the Deluge. Tierrador did not immediately mobilize outside of Porlos until February 6, almost a week following the first naval campaign and Alstinian counteroffensive. In that weeklong period, the Tierrador Air Force mobilized a total of 15 surveillance drones to find potential weaknesses in major Varshani cities, including Lu!ket, Pekkutl, and Tultultek. PGDF General Daniel Lopes would begin the operation by mobilizing 8,000 marine troops to conduct amphibious landings into the Asakolu Bay on February 6. The next day, the troops would land in Okuhetl, joined by 14,000 Tierradorian marine troops. This would begin the Battle of Asakolu Bay, with the Tierro-Porlosi marines making considerable progress against Okuhetl. On February 10, 18,000 TDF and 4,000 PGDF ground troops were moved into Veraise to assist in the counter-invasion efforts. Deployments into Varshan and Veraise would increase slowly for the next couple of weeks, with the main focus being acquiring a foothold into Varshani territory through the Asakolu Bay.

Along with the counter-invasion on the ground, the Tierrador Air Force launched a series of airstrikes across multiple Varshani military, mining, and energy sites, including Okuhetl, Lu!ket, Pekkutl, Ketulbe, Tasult, and Me!kep. This dealt a massive blow to the Varshani Air Force, with half of Varshani aircraft being destroyed in the strikes, as it was mainly concentrated across the country's southeastern highlands. Most Varshani ground and air defenses were crippled, and the destruction of many roads and bridges had all but cut off southeast Varshan from the rest of the country. The airstrikes would last for eight days, and had intentionally targeted military installations and resource reserves scattered across those six cities and in surrounding areas. This had also affected the dwindling invading forces in Veraise, with most of its supply lines going from southeast Varshan into Veraise that funneled reinforcements and equipments had been cut off, which had practically given Alstin the high ground in counter-invasion efforts.

By February 19, Varshani forces had been completely pushed out of Veraise. On February 20, the United Republic allowed for a further 88,000 TDF and 16,000 PGDF ground troops to mobilize into the Varshani highlands from four different points across Veraise. Having not experienced many casualties in the counter-invasion of Veraise, Tierro-Alstinian forces were relatively confident in their abilities against the largely inexperienced and forcibly-conscripted Varshani defenses. Following a day-long campaign through Jaguar Pass, the Tierro-Alstinian divisions were ambushed by Varshani forces just outside of Pekkutl, beginning the Battle of Jaguar Pass. On February 23, after Okuhetl had been placed under Tierradorian control with few casualties, General Juso Tolutas diverted the last few waves of 13,000 TDF troops to the nearby coastal city of Ketulbe, reinforced by 8,000 troops from the Okuhetl front. Ketulbe was much more prepared, however, as they had kept troop carriers from landing for nearly two weeks, with many Varshani gunboats being stationed across the city's port launching heavy artillery fire towards Tierradorian ships. Ketulbe air defenses were able to down 13 Tierradorian jets along with only one ship, the destroyer WNV Sonaxa.

On the last day of February, the Tierrador Air Force had returned to striking the Port of Ketulbe. The strikes were almost non-stop, and lasted for a little over a week, and was able to destroy most of the Varshani ships stationed in the port along with aircraft landed in the nearby airport. By the second week of March, Ketulbe had fallen to Tierro-Porlosi forces, and the remaining forces had met up with Alstinian forces entering through Veraise, in the agricultural hub of Tklul'ei, which had been deserted by most of the plantation owners once word of the South Cronan campaign, with the slave populace still remaining. Most of the slaves were freed and transported back to Veraise. Meanwhile, the eastern ground invasions had seen urban fighting in one of the largest population centers in the Stia-Dica region, Pekkutl, for almost a month.

Further pushes into Stia-Dica

Forces marching in through Telokona had stayed mostly along the borderline with Varshan, looking mainly to ambush their remaining air defenses in Lu!ket, though this move had been delayed by a persistent holdup in Pekkutl, with the bulk of Tierradorian ground and air casualties stemming from. Despite the holdup, the TDF was able to keep control of most of the city's important areas, and had taken out most of its ground/air military assets, leaving the city vulnerable to more airstrikes against vital logistical centers. On March 14, the TDF and UR Army made a final push against the Pekkutl town center, which had been heavily fortified by Varshani defenses. The final battle would last for over a day, and the coalition was able to penetrate the fortifications and take full control of Pekkutl, declaring coalition victory on March 15. While Tierrador, Porlos, and Alstin had suffered minimal losses in the battle, it was estimated that the Varshani casualties totaled little over 15,000 as the TDF and PGDF continued movement further into Stia-Dica.

By March 24, Tierrador had swarmed into Stia-Dica across three massive points, with the majority of its forces pushing in towards Lu!ket. Lu!ket was the site of one of the largest Varshani air bases, along with it being the headquarters of its aerospace defense command systems. For this reason, Lu!ket would emerge into one of the most strategic and heavily-defended cities in Stia-Dica. Varshan had made attempts to rebuild Lu!ket in the short period following the Tierradorian airstrikes that occurred in January, but not before the city would come under heavy strategic bombings from the PMDF and the Tierrador Marine Corps. By this point, 158,000 total TDF personnel were in Stia-Dica, and while heavily outnumbered by the Varshani forces, they were able to push even further despite the holdups in Lu!ket and Pekkutl. By the beginning of April, Alstinian amphibious troops had landed on the southern coast of Varshan, capturing the ports of (city1) and (city2) simultaneously, and in just under a week. The UR's forces eventually split into three groups, which moved to assist the ground push through Stia-Dica.

Fighting in Lu!ket continued into April, with Varshani defenses holding their own quite well against the nonstop artillery fire and drone strikes from the Tierrador Air Force. By the second week of April, the Alstinian forces had arrived in Lu!ket, and allowed for the Coalition to push even further, as they had finally outnumbered Varshan by well over 15,000 troops. On the morning April 24, Tierrador's 15th and 23rd infantry divisions had marched about 23,500 troops across the Stia River with the Alstinian 6th Artillery Regiment providing cover fire through heavy bombardment. The artillery fire had forced Varshani troops to abandon their positions and regroup in Lu!ket's Arzalist temple, which allowed for the ground forces to essentially fracture the remaining regiments of the Varshani 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 10th Divisions, which were mostly spread out throughout the city.

On April 27, the Coalition had completely surrounded Lu!ket and forced the surrender of most Varshani ground defenses.

Aftermath

Main article: Stia-Dica Campaign

Media

The Tierradorian video game Recon 7: Deluge, released in 2032 features a story-mode centered around Operation Kraken and the Stia-Dica Campaign. The game also features many multiplayer maps based on real battle sites, such as Jaguar Pass, Asakolu Bay, and Lu!ket.

See also

Operation Jonah