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.
Date 1934-1943 Location Crona Result LOTA Victory
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

trade and diplomacy

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

Early War (1934-1938)

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)

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---

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.

---

---

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.