Cronan Theatre of the Second Great War
| Cronan Theatre | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Second Great War | |||||||
 (Clockwise from top left) A tank of the Arcerion Armoured Corp's Royal Arcerion Dragoons engages Capetian troops during urban fighting; An Arcer submarine of the Royal Arcerion Submarine Service on patrol in the Songun Sea; Members of the Royal Moorden Regiment conduct a clearance of a destroyed baseball diamond in The Cape; Convoy ships group together to run the Songun Straits Gap during the mid war. | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Arcerion Paulastra Burgundie |
 The Cape | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~22,000 | Heavy, no official number declared by The Cape | ||||||
The Cronan Theatre of the Second Great War was one of the secondary theatres of combat during the Second Great War. It saw continued fighting of varying intensity across the Southern portion of the continent as well as smaller island raiding actions in the Polynesian Sea, Sea of Orixtal, and Okatian Sea. The war in Crona started later than the outbreak of hostilities in Sarpedon and Levantia, due to the delayed entry of The Cape into the conflict. Despite continued engagements and conflicts elsewhere in Ixnay, the Second Great War ended with the joint Arco-Capetian Armistice of 1943, also known as the Songun Declaration, which ended open hostilities between the two nations. Arcerion and Burgundie fought The Cape in several major land engagements along the Capetian Peninsula, as well as significant naval actions throughout the Songun Sea.
Prelude to War
Prior to the war, Arcerion had just concluded several years of direct combat operations against Ardmore, during which its Armed Forces were unsuccessful in their attempt to uphold the Ardmori Royal Family and prevent the Kingdom of Ardmore from collapsing. As part of the withdraw, Arcerion helped resettle thousands of Ardmori citizens and was undergoing a significant economic and cultural post-war boom from both the Ardmori intelligentsia that had emigrated, as well as the significant investments from wealthy Ardmori businesspeople who fled the new communist regiment of the Ardmori Cooperative.
By 1934, Arcerion was a modern, industrial state with a strong, diversified economy and was considered to be one of the fastest growing nations in Crona. By this time, The Cape had a newly formed socialist government, and there was no normalized diplomatic relationship between Kurst and Cape Town. The Cape's new government was seeking to engage with larger economies to help export raw natural resources and finished goods to help boost its flailing economy that was struggling to compete with its northern Neighbor, Paulastra, and was becoming increasingly threatened by the Arcer economy, which was set to collapse most native industry in The Cape by the mid-1940s due to its pro-business and free market policies. On New Year's Day the Cape prepared a delegation to travel to the now wartime capital of Caphiria, Venceia.
Caphirian Affair
The Capetian delegation depart by seaplane in April of 1935, arriving in Caphiria two weeks later after engine trouble forced them to remain in Pelaxia for several days for engine repairs. Upon arriving, the delegation offered to enter into an alliance with Caphiria, from which Caphiria would be free to use Capetian bases and also stage troops in the South of Crona. Strategically, the Cape allows Caphiria to place significant pressure on St. Brendan's Strait, effectively jeopardizing the Western approaches to the Odoneru Ocean and preventing Urcea from receiving a significant amount of trade. In return, the Capetians would receive a significant amount of industrial planners and civil engineers from Caphiria to help mold their economy along socialist lines with expertise provided from their new Sarpedonian allies. Concurrent to this, Caphiria would send several battalions of troops to help train the Capetian Armed Forces, which were now The new communist government of the Cape makes successful contact with Caphiria in May 1935 and the two sides begin negotiations. An alliance of convenience, not unlike Caphiria's commitments in Alshar and Audonia, is on the table, as Caphiria is very interested in the strategic utility and pressure that the Cape and Vachena could exert on Vallos. Submarine bases in the Cape would also allow Caphiria, at least in theory, to heavily disrupt allied reinforcement efforts to their western colonies and would allow significant control over the western Odoneru. The Cape is primarily interested in weapons. Urcean intelligence learns of these developments by the end of May and forwards them on to Kurst. The Arco government issues a formal letter of protest but bides its time.
November 14, 1935. Caphirian submarine based out of new pens in the Cape sinks an Arcerion cargo ship bound for Urcea, which explodes upon being hit. Arco government confirms it was delivering weapons to Levantia; Caphirians insist this was an unfortunate military necessity while Arcos argue that commerce is perfectly legal. After two weeks of negotiations between the two sides, Arcerion unilaterally cuts off negotiations and begins Operation Lightfoot, the invasion of the Cape. Capetian and Caphirian governments maintain that Arco government was negotiating in bad faith and was buying time to begin the invasion. Arco government claims that Caphiria was stringing it along until they could provide reinforcements to the Cape.
Outbreak of War in Ixnay
Impacts on Crona
Arcer Response
fresh off of ardmori civil war in 1931
Prep for war
secret support for burgundie and urcea
Capetian Response
Early War (1935-1938)
Caphirian Affair
1936ish Lightfoot
Mid War (1938-1940)
More fighting in Sarpedon and Crona in 1938. Capetian forces are making gains by this point (?). Faneria reaches its greatest point of advance (?) before newly available R&IA troops and Urcean military as well as improved Fiannrian army jointly push back Fanerians and surround their breakthrough. General fighting everywhere.
lightfoot done by 1938, arco withdrawal from mainland (occupies islands until end war)
1939 1940 commando raids along the coast of the cape to keep them down and out
Late War (1941-1943)
submarine actions and convoy running
continued commando raids (solemia islands, lotoa, escal, coribus)
End of Hostilities and Armistice
full arco withdrawal
prevention of the cape from being major combatant or supporting caphiria
strengthened arco-burg relationship
---Existing Lore---
During the Second Great War Acer submarines saw extensive action against The Capetian Navy, operating in the Songun Sea and the Polynesian Sea. This was part of the larger Arcer naval mission to deny the Capetian Navy freedom of navigation and freedom of movement in the Songun sea, as well as conduct sea lane denial and commercial raiding to prevent the Cape from receiving the necessary materials and supplies it required to sustain its own war effort. Arcer submarines achieved the most success, as the Arcer surface fleet and Capetian Navy's capital ships never engaged directly in a major battle, the largest being a few smaller flotilla-sized actions between groups of escort ships that happened to make chance contact. Submarines operated under the umbrella mission of Operation Forefront, however under the command of Rear Admiral Lawrence Arthur Coxley, who was acting as Commander, Submarine Force, the Arcer Subsurface fleet operated under Operation Flyhook, which was the sea lane denial, commerce raiding, and minelaying conducted by the submarine force at this time.
Overall, Arcer submarines achieved great effect, sinking dozens of Capetian, Caphirian, and Corummese-flagged merchantmen, as well as a number of smaller Capetian warships of corvette and frigate-size. Moderate damage was done to Capetian major capital ships, although none were sunk, just forced into shipyards for repairs. During the war, four Arcer submarines were damaged by enemy fire or anti-submarine warfare, and an additional two were lost. His Majesty's Arcer Submarine Superior, was destroyed by enemy surface vessels, likely due to depth charges and being unable to surface in 1951. HMAS Typhoon was lost with all hands during an emergency dive rehearsal as part of crew training in the Malentine Sea, where it sunk to 300 meters and was destroyed. The legacy of the war continues to influence modern Arcer submarine doctrine. An emphasis on torpedo and mine warfare are consistently emphasized as the most important aspects of the Service's capabilities, and while it maintains the ability to launch cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles, these are considered of secondary nature.