Ardmori Civil War: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict          = Ardmori Civil War

The Royal Family, appalled that the socialist uprising was now turning into a full fledged rebellion, began tasking the Army with hunting down the dissenters and subversives, essentially in an attempt to go onto the offensive and crush the communists. Lacking the effective equipment or training to do so, the clumsy attempts by the Army were either thwarted by sympathetic soldiers leaking plans of attack, or through commander's general incompetence at combatting insurgent forces. Weapons continued to be smuggled in, stolen from private warehouses, or looted from Army store depots throughout Ardmore, as Brigades of socialists began arming themselves.  

== Early War (1927-1929) ==

=== Initial Conflicts ===

Ardghar and Ros Mac by March of 1927 were barely on speaking terms, with their respective aides and advisors communicating by letter and telegram to communicate the respective leaders' intentions. Ardghar formed the National Ardmori Front (NAF), his effort to still achieve a political solution, and with only a singular brigade of supporters and not nearly enough equipment, withdrew to a satellite island to leave Ros Mac's newly established Ardmori Liberation Army (NLA, sometimes referred to as the 'National Liberation Army') on the North Island near Killinmuir, a major port city, and to continue to receive weapons and foreign fighters into the fledgling Liberation brigades (LBs).  

Ardghar's strategy was to win over the support of the local populace with an increased reliance and effort to conduct union sign ups, political petitions, and where necessary apply armed force to force Royal sympathizers out when necessary. Favouring a long-term solution, and working with the Crown to show that they would not concede their demands but rather wished to work towards a common solution for the establishment of a Constitutional Republic, this was wildly opposed to Ros Mac's plan, which called for the violent overthrow of the Royal Family and government through a bloody revolution and national struggle against the upper classes.  

==== Battle of Hellman ====

Hellman, a small community in the suburbs outside the largest city of Kilinmuir, was a convenient location for Ros Mac's 1st and 2nd Liberation Brigades of the National Liberation Army. Deploying 2 infantry brigades, the Chief of the Army General Staff, General Dunsworthe had both the initiative and the element of surprise. Attacking mid-morning on March 12th, they engaged elements foraging for food and shaking down civilians in outlying villages, infantry and armoured car units managing to rout the counterattacking forces, which lacked heavy equipment and weapons and were routed back to Hellman proper. Ros Mac, panicked at the thought of losing everything so early in the campaign, ordered a general retreat. In the ensuing panic, much of the 2nd Brigade was badly mauled by Royalist forces during their retreat Northward.

Ros Mac's decision was to withdraw to the port of Tuton, where they had been smuggling most of their light weapons and preparing trucks to establish motorised regiments to more quickly move about the country. The garrison commander, upon learning of the rout, began to prep the town for an urban defense, including a heated argument with the Harbourmaster's Office regarding sinking coal freighters in the port's mouth to prevent the Royal Navy from entering. On the March to the Southeast, Ros Mac was now relying on veterans and former Army officers to stall and delay the Royalist forces as they chased them up the Northern coast along the Ardmori Gulf. The 2nd Brigade was now nearly half strength with deserters and casualties, many of the wounded forced to be left behind due to the lack of ambulances or horse carts from which they could transport the non-ambulatory. The larger loss was the multiple caches of weapons, including machineguns, that had been left in Kilinmuir and Hellman. The Battle was considered a defeat for the Socialist forces, and as they withdrew towards Tuton they would continue to lose support, many of those no longer believing in Ros Mac's ability to command a military force and flocked to join Ardghar's Ardmori Front.  

north island, loyalists smash commies

==== Battle of Tuton ====

arrival of Arco paras, catch brigades retreating from hellman and destroy them, prevent them from evacuating most troops from the port

==== Battle of Elliston ====

arco paras and light rifles battling in hills, commies lose

==== Siege of Wolford ====

tobrukl-esque, commies caught by loyalists

-wavering ardmori support increases burden on arco troops

=== Evacuation of Taernsby ===

-arco generals see writing on the wall, begin an evacuation a la Manila to get loyalists to the north island

==== Battles of the Southern Marches ====

''See: [[Operation Smatter]]''

[[Category:Ardmore]]

-arco withdrawal from Levantia