Rebuilding the Great Empire - Timurids AAR (Death and Taxes MOD)

blklizard · Oct 25, 2014

Chapter 172

Battle of Delhi (Part 5)

Panzer Division Arrival

On July 31, the Mughals Twenty Second Army was down to roughly sixty thousand men. They were completely surrounded and the situation looked very dire. Ammunition and supplies were running low which meant the soldiers had to fight close quarters soon. On the morning of July 31, the British were preparing for an assault that would hopefully eliminate the last of the Mughals forces. There was silence while both sides prepared for what they expected to be the final battle in the open field. The Mughals soldiers were nervous but they refused to lower their weapons and be branded as cowards. The British, after their heavy losses, wanted to eliminate the last of these enemy soldiers before claiming their prize, Delhi. The silence was shattered, however, not by the war cries of soldiers but, instead, of unfamiliar machinery. Both sides turned to find the source of the sound and they would soon catch sight of tanks arriving from the northeast. To the dismay of British soldiers, the tanks carried the Mughals flag meaning that more Mughals reinforcements have arrived onto the battlefield. British generals were at first stunned by the display of tanks in the vicinity as they believed that the Mughals haven't even began production of tanks. Once the tanks were within range, the machine guns on them opened fire and mowed down British soldiers. British infantry foolishly aimed their machine guns and rifles at the tanks but their weapons did little to penetrate the armor. Realizing their helplessness, the British infantry began to rout and the situation got out of control. The generals have lost control of their men and, as a result, were forced to retreat.

Ambush from the Rear

The British were so caught up with their encirclement that they failed to realized the Mughals forces creating a larger encirclement. The Mughals infantry had swung around the British forces and established a line of defense in the rear. The original plan was to engage the enemy from behind and sandwich the British soldiers in the middle. Luckily, the complete rout of British forces made their life easier by herding the enemy into Mughals defensive lines. What would surprise the British generals would be the Mughals tank destroyers that arrived at their rear. The British generals have finally put their dozen or so Vickers Medium Mark I to work. At a speed of 24 km/h, the tanks could safely transport the generals out of harm's way despite the relative discomfort in the compact space. It would appear that their cowardice in escaping first would cost them their lives once the Vickers got in range of the Mughals' Panzerjäger I. With a few well placed shots, the Mughals tank destroyers quickly demolished the Vickers resulting in a dozen flaming wrecks. The British generals were, mercifully, instantly killed and spared the fate of being burnt alive. The head of the British forces were dead and the remaining soldiers, four hundred thousand men or so, were on their own.

Initially, the British soldiers were so disorganized that they ran into enemy machine gun fire without realizing it. Soon, a few of the officers were able to reorganize a small number of soldiers and began a concentrate charge at the Mughals defensive line. While many have failed, a few did find weaker sections of the defense and managed to break through. Their breakthroughs would create disruption within the Mughals ranks and chaos would ensue. While Mughals soldiers were rushing to plug in the holes, the British infantry continued to charge forward. It must be noted that, while the British has lost their discipline and organization, the Mughals still faced a force that was practically equal in numbers. The two sides were engaged in fierce fight while the Panzer II were closing the distance and mowing down the British soldiers that strayed in the rear. The sixty thousand Mughals soldiers that were encircled earlier also joined the fight. They were forced to grab British weapons which still had plenty of ammunition before they could engage the enemy. The British soldiers were sandwiched in the middle but they continued to resist. It was a massacre that saw blood of British soldiers dyeing the ground red. Eventually, the British soldiers surrender with roughly two hundred thousand men left. They saw no way out and hoped that the Mughals would show mercy.

Outcome

The Mughals have successfully defended their capital. The cost of the defense has been high though with the Mughals losing nearly four hundred thousand men. In addition, much of Delhi was burnt down and it would take a few decades before the capital could be restored to its former glory. In the final stages, the Mughals still lost seventy thousand men or so which was surprisingly low compared to the two hundred thousand casualties of the British. A total of of 1.2 million soldiers died in the battle of Delhi making it the most deadly conflict thus far. The British came close to taking the Mughals capital with only twenty thousand men or so defending the city following the great blaze. The arrival of the reinforcements couldn't have been more timely as a delay of a single day may have changed the final outcome greatly. Still, the Mughals were victorious and their panzer divisions proved to be very capable on the battlefield. Because all the British soldiers were either killed or captured, the enemy won't know about the Mughals armored division until their arrival on the European front. This would be an advantage that the Mughals would take advantage during their counterattack to retake Saxony.

The defeat for the British in this campaign would also threaten their position in Asia. The British has committed a massive force in the battle of Delhi which severely weakened their defenses in the Persia region. With the major British defeat and the arrival of more Mughals reinforcements, the British would eventually be forced to evacuated their troops knowing that they couldn't hold against the Mughals counterattack. Brittany forces would, therefore, be once again alone on the Asian front fighting against the Mughals. To many historians, the battle of Delhi marked the turning point of the war. Up to this point, the coalition of Britain, Spain, France and Brittany (along with other minor participants) were on the offensive and made major progress in advancing deeper into enemy territory. Following the battle of Delhi, the coalition realized that they were stretched too thin and, with their high casualties following each victory, they were struggling to properly reinforce their lines. The Mughals, despite their many setbacks, had the manpower and industrial capacity to regroup and prepare for a major counterattack. In a way, the battle of Delhi was a last ditch effort by the British to end the war quickly. Whether or not the capture of Delhi would spell the end of the war, no one can say for sure. One thing we are sure was that the British failed and their defeat would cost them dearly.

blklizard · Oct 27, 2014

Chapter 173 (1894)

European Frontier

Liberation of Berlin [see next chapter]

Asian Frontier

Persia

Since the victory at Delhi, the Mughals didn't wait too long before they move to liberate the Persian region. When the cavalrymen unmounted in the battle, their horses have stayed calm and not one fled from the battlefield. The horses were rewarded a couple of excellent meals before they were mounted for battle. New riders were assigned as most of the previous cavalrymen fell in battle during the enemy encirclement. The new cavalrymen, along with the Panzer division, headed southwest and, with incredible speed, overwhelmed the local British garrisons without raising the alarm. The cavalry and armored division worked swiftly to liberate the lands around Hormuz while remaining under the radar, so to speak considering radars weren't invented yet. Before the new year, Hormuz was the last city under British control and the defenders were clueless that they were alone deep in enemy territory. The Mughals infantry core has made its way to a town only half a day march from Hormuz and, on the second of January, they would begin their siege that would retake the metropolis for the Mughals.

Oman

The British general in Hormuz wanted to expand southwards by occupying Northern Oman. With their powerful naval presence, it would be very difficult for the Mughals to mount a counterattack. Northern Oman would not only serve as an outpost but, with control of both sides of the Strait of Hormuz, it would be that much more difficult for the Mughals to retake the metropolis before more British reinforcements can arrive. Confident that he could easily spare troops to strike at Oman, the general ordered a Colonel to lead three thousand men southwards. He expected his men to win within a week and didn't even bother requesting naval support. Unknown to the British, a group of militias, numbering up to two thousand men, were set up just across the strait preparing for an enemy attack. The militias have been waiting since Hormuz fell to British troops and they finally got a chance to see action. They waited for the British regiment to be unloaded onto land and march right towards them. The militias were trained to overcome the local climate and they hid under a cover that made them merge with their surroundings. To the British soldiers, they would appear as nothing more than the local terrain. The militias waited patiently until their leader ordered them to strike. The leader waited for the British to be only meters away from their position before calling to his men. The call startled the British and, before they could react, they were faced with machine gun fire and rifle fire nearly point blank range. The British soldiers were mowed down instantly and those that didn't die from the barrage were immediately captured as prisoners. The British attempt to move south was thwarted and, with the loss of three thousand men, Hormuz was weakened greatly in its defense.

Yemen

While the Brittany advances in Southern India were halted, a small Brittany force arrived off the coast of Yemen hoping to establish an outpost there. The plan was to create an outpost reporting any Mughals forces traveling through the Arabian Peninsula to Hormuz. The real goal, apparently, was the Brittany government wanting fresh batches of Yemen coffee beans that has become a delicacy in North America. Expecting hardly any resistance, the government officials believed that they could make a quick profit from the raids. A single battalion was unloaded onto Yemen with the Lieutenant Colonel given a map of all the local coffee plantations. The Lieutenant Colonel and his soldiers were so confident with their easy task that they failed to realized local militias keeping an eye on them. The Lieutenant Colonel chose to swing around to the furthest plantation and work their way to the coast. They entered the thick vegetation expecting no resistance and their mistake would cost them their lives. The local militias were trained for guerrilla warfare in the local hills with vegetation hiding them from enemy eyes. The militias waited until the Brittany regiment entered an open space with no cover before opening fire. The militias were provided some LMG which they used to quickly mow down the enemy. The Lieutenant Colonel was so surprised by the ambush that he was frozen in place until a bullet ended his life. A few Brittany managed to escape the massacre but, being in foreign unfamiliar territory, they were hunted down before becoming prisoners. The militias then used the prisoners to capture a few transport vessels that would be wonderful addition to the Mughals navy.

Southern India

Brittany forces worked quickly to occupy Southern India. They would have pushed further north had disease not hit them hard. Dozens of soldiers were dying each day as the Brittany army was severely weakened after a month or so. Seeing no chance of pushing further with so many infirm soldiers among their ranks, the Brittany generals ordered their advances halted and further expansion delayed. Still, the medics in the Brittany army were struggling to deal with the disease that took them by storm. The locals living under Brittany rule didn't have solutions either as they claimed that they were immune to the disease that has been native to Southern India for centuries. Thus, Brittany forces were stuck until they get fresh men off boats from North America or Australia. Meanwhile, the ill were quarantined as the medics tried their best to save as many as they could. With news that British forces were defeated at Delhi, the Brittany generals had a meeting regarding their position. Their numbers dropped heavily due to disease and Mughals troops were expected to arrive soon. While the discussions were ongoing, there were talks starting to develop regarding a full evacuation returning all of Southern India to the Mughals. The Brittany forces in Asia were in no condition to fight and a retreat before the enemy arrived meant that they could get everyone out with minimal losses. It was becoming obvious that they simply lacked the manpower to hold Southern India against the Mughals who seemed to never run out of men.

African Frontier

Southern Ethiopia

The Mughals general in Southern Ethiopia worked quickly in pursuit of the enemy. With only half his men with him, he was forced to recruit locally for inexperienced soldiers to bolster his ranks. The general, however, wasn't incompetent when it came to organizing his troops. Instead of merging the inexperienced men with the regular soldiers, he assigned the recruits into small groups waiting in the rear and, once the two sides engaged, they would move into a pincer position to flank the enemy. Even if their performance were expected to be suboptimal, their presence would disrupt the enemy and thus lowering the overall casualties. In July, Mughals scouts discovered the whereabouts of the main British force. The British soldiers were resting in a small abandoned village waiting until the temperature dropped before moving further towards the coast. While they rested, the Mughals encircled them while digging shallow trenches to aid holding their position. The new recruits, having lived in the region since birth, were ordered to gather water and other supplies for the regulars. Unknown to the Mughals, the British force has been ravaged by disease and, since their supplies ran out few days prior, the British soldiers were in no condition to fight. When the air got cooler, the British soldiers reluctantly got up and continued their journey to the coast. When they caught sight of the Mughals soldiers cutting off their retreat, nearly all the British soldiers dropped their weapons to surrender. The few that refused charged forward only to be gunned down quickly. The Mughals general proceeded to retake the remainder of Ethiopia without any resistance with all the British deserters surrendering on sight.

European Frontier

Asian Frontier

African Frontier

blklizard · Oct 29, 2014

Chapter 174

Liberation of Berlin (Part 1)

Location: Berlin, Great Britain
Date: 26 August 1893 - 3 February 1895 (17 month, 1 weeks and 1 day)
Result: Decisive Mughals Victory
Territorial Changes: Berlin liberated from occupation

Belligerents:
-Great Britain (GB) // -Mughals (MUG)
-France (FRA) // -Saxony (SAX)

Commanders and leaders:
-General Dakota Gorsuch (GB)
-General Marcel Marling (GB)
-General Jovany Fairey (GB)
-General Shamar Tippit (GB)
-General Thaddée Lemire (FRA)

//

-General Urakov Victorovich (MUG)
-General Andropov Olegovich (MUG)
-General Phillip Steichen (SAX) [after January 24, 1894]
-General Eugen Laar (SAX) [after January 24, 1894]
-General Laurens Heitler (SAX) [after January 24, 1894]

Units involved:
-Second Army (GB)
-Third Army (GB)
-Fourth Army (GB)
-Fifth Army (GB)
-First Army (FRA)

//

-Fifteenth Army (MUG)
-Sixteenth Army (MUG)
-Ninth Army (SAX) [By January 24]
-Tenth Army (SAX) [By January 24]
-Eleventh Army (SAX) [By January 24]

Strength:
-521,830

//

-384,000
-922,560 [By January 24]

Casualties and losses:
-516,612 casualties // -314,880 casualties

Background

The Saxony nation has been a close friend of the Mughals for nearly a century and the Mughals were always pained to know that their ally's homeland was under enemy occupation. If it weren't for the quick mobilization of troops to Eastern Europe, the combination of British and French forces may have made progress as far as Russia. With the enemy advances halted at the Mughals-Saxony border, the Mughals were shipping men, weapons and equipment to the border as they prepared for a major offensive to retake Saxony territory. Beginning May of 1893, the Mughals began their offensives into occupied Saxony territory. For the attackers, they must first face a defensive line called the Gorsuch Line. On paper, the defensive line was an incredible feat considering the time restraint. The British boasted that the line could buy them time indefinitely until further reinforcements could arrive. In practice, it proved to be quite the opposite as Mughals forces pierced right through the middle. Not only was the defensive line relatively easy to break through but the Mughals also suffered very few casualties. The collapse in the middle suddenly rendered the defensive line useless. British and French generals realized that any delayed retreat could result in an encirclement by Mughals forces. In the hours following the collapse of the defensive line, the British and French forces were in full retreat with the Mughals forces in close pursuit.

During the chaos of retreat, British and French forces were split up and several French armies, the Fourth, Fifth and Eighth, were chased down and surrendered following encirclement. The remaining French forces, except one, ran for their lives and the Mughals gave up chasing after them. Two Mughals armies, the Fifteenth and Sixteenth, marched straight for the Saxony capital, Berlin. The city has been occupied for nearly 2 years and the Mughals wished to retake it. First, they wanted to demoralize the enemy by liberating a city that was seen as a great victory for the enemy. Secondly, liberating the city would give hope to the Saxony citizens living in Mughals territory. It wasn't clear on the situation within the city of Berlin since it was taken but the city, even if stripped bare, remained the capital for the German people. While all the civilians were evacuated from the city before it fell, many German people still wished to return to the place they were born and raised in. The British and French generals realized the importance of the city as well so five armies retreated into the city of Berlin to defend it against the Mughals attack. Entering the city provided them with walls as cover and time to regroup as they prepared for a long siege.

Adam Rinkleff · Oct 30, 2014

What mod is this?

blklizard · Oct 30, 2014

Adam Rinkleff said:
What mod is this?

Death and Taxes v.9.3. There's v10._ but I couldn't use it since it breaks my game.

Chapter 175

Liberation of Berlin (Part 2)

Preparations

The British and French forces that retreated into Berlin were prepared for a long siege. They have already stocked up plenty of food and supplies in Berlin fearing this kind of situation would develop. While the British generals may agree that they didn't expect to fall back to this plan so quickly, they have foreseen this outcome and felt they were prepared for it. Without any civilians inside the city, only a few patrols were needed to guard the city which did little to bolster the garrison within the city. Still, the forces that garrisoned the city were confident that they could hold out against enemy forces. Since the fall of Berlin, British engineers have filled in the breaches and even thickened the walls. Berlin was, arguably, even more difficult to break through, especially considering that the Mughals forces didn't have any field guns with them. The British and French generals have studied the city fortification carefully after taking Berlin and quickly dispatched their soldiers to the necessary points to maximum coverage and firepower as soon as they entered Berlin. The garrison within the city was estimated to be up to five hundred twenty two thousand men which was nearly seventy thousand more than the Saxony garrison in the Battle of Berlin. With the extra men, the garrison was actually in a better position to hold the city and high casualties were expected for the Mughals.

Encirclement

Two Mughals Armies, the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Army, were assigned to encircle the city. Note that the order was to encircle and not take the city. There were two reasons for such an order. First, the Mughals knew that the enemy outnumbered them while, luckily, their enemy didn't have the information yet. Attacking an enemy that's in a defensive position and outnumbers them seemed like a suicidal approach. The Mughals wanted to take back the city but they weren't willing to throw away the lives of their men to do it. Secondly, there were three Saxony Armies that will meet up with the Mughals forces. Berlin was, after all, a Saxony capital and the Saxony forces wanted to take part in retaking their city. Initially, the Mughals high command was hesitant to agree to such a decision since it could put their troops at risk. However, further evaluation and intelligence alerted them of the fact that the defenders outnumbered the attackers. Thus, they had no choice but to agree with the Saxony forces leaving at once from Moscow to Berlin. Meanwhile, the Fifteenth Army was assigned to hold the northern and eastern parts of the city while the Sixteenth Army covered the southern and western parts. For these two armies, they didn't have to worry about their rear and flanks as Mughals forces were already pushing forward to push back other enemy forces. Their objective was simply maintain siege until Saxony reinforcements arrived.

The First Counterattack

Two months passed and the garrison was surprised to see no advances from the enemy. The Mughals didn't even fire their mortars to weaken the defenders slightly which seemed odd to the generals inside the city. General Gorsuch was especially puzzled and took some time on the walls to analyze his enemy. The Mughals appeared to be dug in but they were making no progress forward. The fact that they were holding must imply something. Gorsuch thought for a few days and came to the realization that they must be waiting for reinforcements. The fact that they haven't struck must mean his forces outnumber the attackers. With that in mind, Gorsuch immediately organized a meeting with the other generals. He explained to them that they have the numbers advantage and should attempt a counterattack to lift the siege. The other generals were doubtful at first, especially the French General Lemire. After some logic deducing, Gorsuch was able to convince General Marling and General Tippit. Between the three generals, they had almost four hundred thousand men. Willing to take a gamble, the three generals assembled their men and prepared for a counterattack. Hoping that their actions would surprise the Mughals, they exited the city and began their attack immediately. The timing of the attack did come as an attack but the Mughals were still, nonetheless, prepared for an attack, or so they believed.

The British soldiers charged forward with their first wave mowed down almost instantly. Still, they kept putting pressure and their well placed grenades soon created an opening. By eliminating a few Mughals machine gun nests, the firepower from the enemy from the vicinity weakened greatly. This was the break the British were looking for as they slowly, but surely, overwhelmed the Mughals soldiers. The British forces were attacking in a spearhead formation hoping to break through the defensive line utterly and force a retreat from the enemy. They were succeeding in the early stages as the Mughals struggled to plug in the hole. The British forces that managed to get into the trenches Mughals dug were using it against their enemy. They managed to dig shallow trenches that would help them hold against the Mughals soldiers trying to plug the hole. The hole was becoming wider as more British soldiers poured in and force back the Mughals soldiers.It seemed like the British soldiers would soon overwhelm all the Mughals soldiers in the vicinity resulting in a rout for the enemy. A rout of the Mughals at this time would be a heavy blow for the attacker while providing the garrison many options. The idea of abandoning Berlin wasn't a far off plan when the generals entered the city. They knew that they would be eventually overwhelmed with Berlin as their burial site. If they could lift the siege, they would immediately set off to retreat eastwards to meet up with friendly forces and set up a new defensive line further back.

General Victorovich, a seasoned general who commanded the defenses of the first Siege of Petersburg, remained calm and analyzed the development of the battle. He realized that his soldiers were dying quickly to the British soldiers that have managed to dig into their new position. Continuing sending troops in would cost more lives and the general wanted to avoid that. Instead, he directed orders for his men to, instead of plugging the hole, go on the assault to cut off the British from their reinforcements rushing out of the city. Mughals soldiers began to charge towards the city at the British soldiers rushing to reinforce the men that have dug in. The strategy worked as the British suddenly finding themselves under heavy fire with chaos ensuing. The Mughals attack was so unexpected that some British soldiers began to retreat fearing that the enemy may have lured them out and use the opportunity to retake the city. As a result, the British reinforcements, a large portion of the force that was meant to leave the city, retreated back into the safety of the walls. Thus, the British soldiers that made progress earlier actually found themselves isolated and cut off from all reinforcements. They would be eventually eliminated but not before they dealt some casualties to the Mughals. The counterattack may have been a failure but the attempt proved to the garrison inside that they had a chance to break through as they plotted a new counterattack.

blklizard · Nov 2, 2014

Chapter 176

Liberation of Berlin (Part 3)

The Second Counterattack

General Victorovich walked the battlefield seeing corpses from both sides strewn across the trenches. He spoke with his officers to learn the development of the situation and sat down on a rock to think. Few minutes later, he ordered his men to dig a second trench behind the first while filling in the shallow trenches dug by the British soldiers. Next, he ordered mortars teams to move further back with their mortars trained on the outer trench. He returned to the rear where he communicated with headquarters to learn of the position of the Saxony forces. Victorovich didn't like the fact that they had to encircle the city leaving the enemy on the offensive. While an expert in defenses, Victorovich preferred to have walls for cover or, as the saying went, offense was the best defense. Waiting outside against an enemy that wasn't only more numerous but also had the option to focus on a single position was a poor situation to be in. Still, he had orders from the higher ups and he had the lives of his men to consider. A retreat now would mean his opponent attacking his rear resulting in high casualties. Thus, he devised a small change in hopes to repelling another counterattack, which he assumed was being planned right that moment, and dispelling the enemy's notion that they could break through. Victorovich's plan was a simple one and he would soon see it tested by a more ferocious counterattack by the garrison.

The garrison generals were working hard to devise another counterattack. The first counterattack almost succeeded but the unexpected maneuver by the Mughals halt it in its tracks. The generals were worked up that they could actually break through the encirclement seeing that Gorsuch was right with his theory that they outnumbered the Mughals. Because they were convinced that only doom awaited them if they remained trapped, the generals chose to gamble everything with this charge. The generals gathered all of their remaining men and, except for a small number to stand on the walls to deter Mughal attack, the remainder would be dedicated at the same point where the first counterattack took place. The generals were even equipped to join the charge as well. Their plan was to break through the Mughals encirclement and begin their immediate retreat westwards into friendly territory. The immediate retreat would improve their chances of getting away before the other Mughals forces in the vicinity could react. The soldiers standing on the walls were left to their own fate as the generals needed them to fool the Mughals that the garrison was determined to hold the city. The generals were soon ready with their preparations and marched out the city gate. The British and French soldiers advanced forward without hesitation towards the enemy who has reorganized their defenses and waited for the enemy to get within range of their weapons. Once the distance between the two sides closed, the Mughals machine guns opened fire and the initial stages seemed to be a rewind of the first counterattack.

Just as the first counterattack, the garrison army would break through and began to use the trenches to their advantage. The difference, however, was that mortar teams in the rear were already homing in on the position and laying down barrages. In the first few barrages, General Gorsuch was mortally wounded by a mortar shot while he was directing the soldiers in the trenches. The brave general was among the first British men to enter the trenches but his lack of caution would cost him his life and, eventually, the chance for their escape. The Mughals mortars continued to fire down but the dying general had the greatest effect on the British morale. Gorsuch was well liked by all his officers and soldiers and, with his dying breath, he told them to fight on. Gorsuch died minutes later leaving his men to fend for themselves. The combined fire from the soldiers in the second trench and the mortar barrages were dwindling the British numbers in the outer trench faster than they could reinforce. Meanwhile, Victorovich personally led the cavalry force to swing around to cut off the reinforcements from the city. The Mughals cavalry was indeed an incredible sight that made British and French soldiers froze in place. The several thousand cavalrymen, with Victorovich in the lead, slammed into the main body of the reinforcements sending men flying. The cavalry would fight in the midst of the enemy while Mughals infantry began to charge from the flanks into the chaos.

The large chaos outside the city gate would soon prevent further reinforcements from exiting the city. With soldiers on both sides fighting close quarters, the garrison on the walls couldn't fire down without risking friendly fire. Victorovich's charge worked in that he trapped further enemy reinforcements in the city and prevented the enemy from using their numbers to their advantage. The death of Gorsuch and the chaos outside the walls soon saw shattered British forces retreating into the city. The men were told that they outnumber the enemy but the battlefield seemed to dictate the opposite. In addition, Mughals soldiers in the trench were shouting that Gorsuch was dead which dealt a major blow to their morale despite having no confirmation. The Mughals infantry and cavalrymen were also more fresh than their weary and low morale counterparts. As the battle dragged on, the British and French forces were slowly pushed back into the city. When the French general Lemire was killed in combat, all the French soldiers surrendered leaving the British soldiers in a complete rout. The British soldiers rushed back into the safety of the walls while Victorovich ordered his men to not follow. The French prisoners were herded behind the Mughals trench lines where they would be stripped of their uniform and weapons before their release. The Mughals general wasn't exactly in the mood of sparing men to keep watch over the prisoners.

The second counterattack was a major defeat for the garrison in more ways than one. First, the British General Gorsuch fell in battle resulting in a great loss to defenders who believed Gorsuch could get them through the tough times ahead. The other British generals were aware that none of them match Gorsuch in his military capabilities on the battlefield and began having doubts themselves. Secondly, the loss of the French general along with his soldiers was a terrible blow to the defenders who needed every single men they could muster. There was an estimation of nearly forty thousand French soldiers surrendering to the Mughals. These men have came a long way from home and many of them missed their home dearly. If their general hadn't fall in battle, they may have continued fighting. With the loss of two generals, the garrison refused to exit the safety of the walls. Conversely, the Mughals may have won a great victory but their losses were quite high as well. Victorovich was wounded during the melee engagement while almost sixty thousand Mughals soldiers lost their lives. The Saxony reinforcements weren't expected for another four months while the garrison was still likely to launch another attack. The atmosphere was tense for both sides and neither sides were sure when the next engagement would take place. For the next few months, both sides nursed their wounds and waited for the inevitable attack on the city to come.

blklizard · Nov 5, 2014

Chapter 177

Liberation of Berlin (Part 4)

Saxony Force Arrival

The two side were stuck in a stalemate with neither sides willing to commit to a direct assault. The stalemate did, however provide the attackers ample amount of time for their long awaited reinforcements to arrive. The Saxony Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Armies arrived on the January of 1894. These soldiers have evacuated Berlin before the city fell and many of them were emotional when they had a chance to look at the city once again. The Saxony armies brought with them six hundred thousand soldiers along with several of the newly designed field guns. The Saxony generals met with their Mughals counterparts and discussed over matters of battle. The meeting took a few days to conclude and the discussion got very heated at times. When the meeting was finally concluded, it was decided that the Saxony soldiers would engage first and, should they fail to take the city, Mughals soldiers can pick up where they failed. The two Mughals generals weren't thrilled by the idea but they understood the perspective of the Saxony generals who wanted to personally retake their capital. The Mughals forces would move further back to widen their encirclement while the Saxony soldiers took over their position. The arrival of the Saxony soldiers were soon reported to the garrison generals. For both sides, the generals knew that the stalemate was coming to an end as the two sides were ready to conclude the siege.

Heavy Bombardment

The Saxony generals were some of the best generals in the world. Thus, they were unwilling to send waves after waves of soldiers in which not only guaranteed high casualties but may end in failure. Instead, they brought out their field guns and began pounding away at the walls. The newly improved walls were doing well initially but the enemy field guns were taking a toll on them. The field guns continued to bombard while the garrison army hid behind cover with a few unfortunate souls getting hit by a straying artillery shot every now and then. While the bombardment was taking place, Saxony generals watched from the trenches for any cracks that may signify a soon to be breach. A month later, the cracks were showing but no breach has materialized yet which was quite frustrating for the Saxony generals. The field guns were close to using half their ammunition but the Saxony generals refused to call them off. While they understood that an inner wall existed, they knew that breaking through the outer wall would deal a severe blow to the enemy morale and may result in many enemy soldiers surrendering resulting in lower casualties for the attackers. Still, the walls were holding their own and breaches required another two months to form. The breaches were, unfortunately, narrow making it a choke point that greatly aided the defenders. Seeing their field gun ammunition dropping to a quarter of the original total supply, the field gun crews were ordered to rest while the Saxony infantry prepared their assault.

Frontal Assault

The time of waiting was over for the Saxony infantry who were eager to take part in retaking the capital. The soldiers all made sure their weapons were fully loaded before waiting for the order to attack. The order was given and massive number of Saxony infantry charged forward. The garrison was prepared for this moment as they waited for the enemy to get close enough before opening fire. Saxony soldiers were cut down by massive enemy fire but they kept charging. Remembering brave sacrifices of their friends and brothers that stayed behind to protect Berlin, along with the sacrifices made by the Mughals soldiers, these Saxony soldiers were determined to make their mark and retreat was not an option. Under heavy fire, the brave soldiers charged until they arrived beneath the city walls. The few attackers that entered the breaches were instantly mopped up by the waiting machine guns within the walls seeing the attackers not utilizing the breaches as a way of entry. The Saxony generals worried that this would happen and provided their men with grappling hooks. Several soldiers have already got their grappling hooks set up and were slowly scaling the walls. The garrison, seeing the enemy almost on the walls, rushed to intercept. While the defenders were busy dealing with scaling soldiers, more Saxony soldiers were arriving under the wall unscathed and they began returning fire against the enemy soldiers on the walls to provide some cover to those scaling. The attackers have suffered significant losses charging forward but they were slowly turning things around with their objective capturing the walls.

The struggle to control the walls lasted for nearly two weeks. Both sides suffered heavy casualties but the defenders were the ones suffering a massive morale blow. The outer walls has been captured by the Saxony forces and the garrison was forced to retreat. While a sizable force manned the inner wall, there was still a considerable number of British soldiers that were forced to garrison in the buildings outside the inner walls. For the attackers, they must win control of the streets and buildings before they could launch a proper attack on the inner wall. The Saxony generals met with the Mughals generals on the outer walls and stared into the empty city. Many Saxony soldiers were born in Berlin and they used the brief period of peace to recall childhood memories. The Saxony generals ordered their men to rest from their ordeal to take the outer walls. Many of the brave men were exhausted and the loss of their comrades had a negative psychological impact on the survivors. The defenders have been pushed further into the city with no chance of escape. However, the garrison was determined to resist to the end and, with so many of their men dead, the previously supply shortage no longer applied. The Saxony generals realized that the enemy wasn't going down without a fight which was more of a reason for their men to rest. It would be a grind out in the streets and the Saxony soldiers need to be ready.

For the next few months, the Saxony soldiers waited along the outer walls with a few patrols taking up position in the outer sections of the city. There were occasional attacks on the streets but those were small skirmishes accomplishing little. The Saxony generals were gathering information of enemy position with the small skirmishers as they tried to plot out routes of assault. Fighting in the streets of Berlin was going to be a very tough task with many of its narrow streets and tightly packed buildings. Lighting the city on fire wasn't an option which left gruesome street fights. While the attackers did have the numbers advantage, the narrow streets made many areas choke points with the defenders had first choice of strategic positions. In addition, the attackers weren't sure what surprises awaited them that weren't there before Berlin fell. As the Saxony forces prepared for fights in the street, the Mughals generals were contacting headquarter to learn about the progress of the other Mughals armies. They were relieved to hear that progress through occupied Saxony territory was going smoothly with little resistance from the enemy. It would appear that, since the collapse of the Gorsuch Line, the enemy has little else to halt the Mughals advance westwards.

blklizard · Nov 7, 2014

Chapter 178

Liberation of Berlin (Part 5)

Attack on the Streets

The Saxony soldiers, after a good rest, prepared their assault in the inner gate. What stood between them were the British soldiers that were housed up in the buildings and guarding the streets. The British soldiers weren't going down without a fight and the Saxony soldiers weren't expecting anything less from their enemy. Many Saxony soldiers were willing to die so that their capital could be returned to their people. This was part of the reason why they wanted the Mughals to stay back. The Saxony generals and their men had pride and felt that something like retaking the capital rest on their shoulders alone. While these men weren't afraid to die, they also believed that throwing their lives aimlessly was a waste. One wasn't remembered only in death but also in the number of enemies one take down. Even though no one kept track, the soldiers felt satisfaction if he, or even she with a considerable number of women joining the ranks of the Saxony army, could at least play a small part in the larger picture. Thus, the Saxony soldiers advanced without fear with only their objectives before them. They entered narrow streets where they were greeted by machine guns and snipers. On the main streets, they encounter heavy machine gun fire and grenades thrown from the rooftops. Still, they pressed on. They pushed the enemy back a street at a time, a building at a time. They kept coming and stepped over their fallen comrades to continue the fight.

The fighting in the streets lasted a few weeks. Both sides have suffered heavy casualties with the Saxony getting the worse out of it. They had to force through brutal choke points where the enemy was under cover and returning heavy fire. Many streets were set with landmines that killed the unsuspecting soldiers unfortunate enough to step on them. The battle on the main streets were especially bad since the British were able to concentrate fire and fight back wave after wave of enemy soldiers. It wasn't until the Saxony soldier captured the rooftops did they make progress by throwing well placed grenades into the enemy position. The slow progress made by the Saxony soldiers were annoying the Mughals soldiers outside the city who hasn't seen action for several months. They were getting restless but their generals haven't received orders to pull out. Until Berlin was completely liberated, the two Mughals armies were ordered to stay in position and provide aid if necessary. The Mughals generals and their officers received news of steady progress in the street and learned that the Saxony forces should reach the inner walls soon. Once the inner walls fell, the city would be liberated and they would proceed to join the other Mughals forces that were advancing further into Saxony liberating city after city. The progress of liberating Saxony from enemy occupation was going well and the soldiers hoped that they could still take part before it was over.

Attack on the Inner Wall

On February 1 of 1895, the Saxony soldiers arrived before the inner walls. Their streets fights have finally concluded with all of the British forces in the streets eliminated. With the death of those soldiers, the inner walls were the only obstacle standing in the way of the liberators. The Saxony generals ordered their field guns to moved into position to open fire on the inner walls. Unlike the outer walls, the inner walls weren't reinforced and breaches were already forming on that very day. The Saxony generals, however, ordered the field guns to keep firing until they ran out of ammunition. With so many lives lost to preserve the ammunition, they felt it was necessary to use up all the ammunition to minimize further casualties. The field guns fired for a day and two nights that saw the inner walls in ruins with no more British soldiers manning them. Breaches wide enough for several soldiers to walk side by side were created and even the gatehouse itself collapsed onto itself. The Saxony soldiers prepared themselves for the final assault and, on the order of the generals, charged into. They were met with some resistance but the field guns has dealt with most of the remaining garrison. Only a few remaining British soldiers resisted while most, roughly five thousand or so, have already lowered their weapons as an act of surrender. On February 3, Berlin was liberated from British occupation.

Outcome

The liberation of Berlin was seen as another great victory for Mughals and Saxony. They have defeated the advancing enemy forces that swept through Saxony like a storm. The victory would deal a blow to the enemy as they would view the loss of Berlin as the balance was shifting. When Berlin was liberated, much of Saxony was also liberated so its liberation signified that Saxony was a free nation once again. When the news of Berlin's liberation reached Moscow, there was great celebration amongst the Saxony population. The German people were already packing up their belongings hoping to return home. They knew that rebuilding take time and many of them missed their home dearly. Two Mughals armies, along with the other Saxony armies, would escort these people back to their home. The Saxony armies would have the sole objective of fending off any attacks from the enemy while the Mughals were expected to keep pushing westwards. Around this time, several new tank divisions were created for the Mughals and they would be making their way to the front lines. New reinforcements and equipment were expected to reach the battlefield soon with Mughals morale at its highest since the start of the war. Hoping to rise on their many great victories, the Mughals made it their main objective to continue pushing until they reached the Spanish border.

When Berlin was liberated, Saxony soldiers searched every inch of the city for any hiding British soldiers or landmines. Their search yielded nothing but they were still stuck with the five thousand or so British prisoners. Initially, the Saxony generals were surprised by the number of men that surrendered. However, they would soon realize that the prisoners were all wounded men that were put behind the walls. The British generals bravely placed wounded men in the rear while putting nearly all their able bodied soldiers outside the wall. Their action did explain the incredible resistance in the streets that cost Saxony so many of her men. Unlike the French soldiers released earlier, these wounded men couldn't hope to survive in the wilderness on their own. The Saxony generals weren't heartless and, after some discussion, agreed to deliver the men to Russia where they would be provided medical care. They will be kept under watch and most likely won't see anymore action till the end of the war. A small force was assembled to escort the wounded men out of Berlin eastwards to Russia after the British soldiers gave up their weapons and uniforms. The Liberation of Berlin was a bloody affair seeing a total loss of nearly eight hundred fifty thousand men. While most of their casualties were British men, no one was comfortable with so many men giving up their lives for the vile British government.

blklizard · Nov 9, 2014

Chapter 179 (1895 [Part 1])

European Frontier

Saxony Territory

While the Liberation of Berlin was taking place, Mughals forces moved swiftly to liberate rest of Saxony. Since breaking through the Gorsuch Line, the enemy was in full retreat and the Mughals pursued relentlessly. The enemy was in such disorder that, instead of taking up defensive positions in cities or towns, they fled with the sole objective of reaching France. The communication between the enemy Armies was severed and the only thing on the soldiers' mind was self-preservation. The Mughals did meet some resistance with some new garrisons but the fights were short and casualties for the attacker was at a minimal. The Mughals pushed on not willing to give the enemy a time to regroup. Every Mughals Army that was operating in Saxony was given sufficient food and supplies for a few months while supply routes were already put in place. The Mughals generals have spent nearly a year to plan out the entire counterattack and their plans seemed to be bearing fruit. Truth be told, the Mughals didn't expected such a rapid advance into Saxony territory. The Gorsuch Line was expected to hinder their progress but the defensive line proved to be useless at halting the Mughals for even a week. The complete collapse of the enemy forces also benefited the attackers due to lack of any resistance. The liberation of Saxony was expected to end within a few months, depending on the distance covered by the Mughals soldiers each day.

Northern Italy

With the rapid advances in Saxony, a few Mughals Armies were redirected to Northern Italy which has been under Spanish occupation since the early parts of the war. Unlike their British and French counterparts, the Spanish forces were well prepared and have already set up multiple defensive lines. The Spanish soldiers were prepared for a grueling fight with all their fortifications built and trenches dug. When the Mughals soldiers first arrived, they were shocked to see a calm enemy that was ready to face them. The Mughals generals leading the campaign into Italy didn't rush into an assault but, instead, told their troops to dig in as they analyze the enemy defenses. After a brief scan, the generals were convinced that the Spanish Armies meant business and quickly relayed their findings to headquarters. The situation was reported to headquarters and the generals were given orders to break through the defensive line and proceed to liberate rest of Italy. With the order given, the generals worked quickly to bring their artillery to the front where they would be used to soften up the enemy. Meanwhile, the generals organized meetings with their officers while waited for their tanks which were expected to arrive in a week or two. The generals finally got a chance to see the effectiveness of their tanks in actual battle.

Field guns on both sides fired at the enemy position resulting in both sides suffering some casualties. However, the tide of the battle changed the moment Mughals tanks were deployed into battle. Two armored divisions, consisting of T-26, were sent into the no man's land with infantry following behind. The Spanish troops were surprised to see Mughals tanks which their intelligence failed to report to their generals. The Spanish infantry fired at the tanks but failed to do much, if any, damage. The T-26 closed the distance and provided cover to Mughals infantry following in the rear. Soon, the T-26 let loose the machine guns and quickly mowed down the first line of enemy soldiers. As the tanks proceeded to the second line, the infantry quickly entered the enemy trenches and began firing back at the enemy. At this point, the Mughals pushed forward to secure their capture of the first defensive line. This process repeated for several time until all the enemy trenches were captured. The Mughals suffered low casualties compared to their enemy while the T-26 performed almost flawlessly. The enemy, with any anti-tank weapons, were unable to get through their armor making them practically invincible. A few grenades did stop two T-26 in their tracks but Mughals engineers put the two tanks back into service in two hours.

The Mughals didn't stop there as they continued their push forward. The routing Spanish soldiers fled into cities where they hope to hold the enemy until reinforcements arrived. A few Spanish Armies were called up from central Italy to halt the Mughals advance. While the T-26 performed very well on the open field, their performance in the initial stages of the siege proved to be limited. Thus, the Mughals Armies required their field guns to bombard the enemy walls until breaches wide enough for the tanks to enter through were created. During their rout, the Spanish left behind not only supplies and ammunition but also many of their newly developed field guns. The Mughals engineers quickly learned how to utilize these field guns which also contributed to breaking down of the enemy defense. The sieges were slow but, once breaches were creating and T-26 entered through them, they were all but finished. The sieges did, however, delay the advance for the Mughals and allowed the Spanish Armies called up from central Italy to build one last defensive line at Verona. Breaking through the defensive line meant victory for the Mughals but failure to do so would give the Spanish soldiers a morale boost and time for reinforcements to arrive from Iberia.

The defensive line at Verona was called the Martin Line. This was the last ditch effort for the Spanish forces in the region to halt the enemy advances. The T-26 tanks were the decisive factor for the enemy's victories and the Spanish dedicated all their remaining men to fight back the enemy. The line was named after Spanish general Rodrigo Martin who was the highest ranking military officer in occupied Italy. Martin was convinced that one defensive line was needed since it would merge all Spanish forces together in a final desperation. The Mughals have been riding on victories and their morale was high. With the cities only lasting a few months at most, Martin ordered multiple trench lines to be dug while having his men bring forth the anti-tank weapons captured in the Battle of Cuneo. Martin knew he needed everything at his disposal for victory to be possible. Three months later, the Mughals have arrived and Martin could only pray his defense was enough. A dozen or so trench lines were dug out and the anti-tank weapons were in position where they could provide sufficient cover while staying in relative safety. The Mughals Armies halted and dug into their position where they appeared to be resting. Martin was certain that the battle would commence in the New Year.

blklizard · Nov 11, 2014

Chapter 180 (1895 [Part 2])

European Frontier

Scandinavia

While progress was made in liberating Saxony, a large Mughals force was given the order to liberate Scandinavia from enemy control. Several Mughals armies were situated in St. Petersburg and, on the March of 1895, began their advance into enemy territory. The initial objective was to liberate Finland from enemy occupation. At the moment, the British forces in Finland has set up several forts hoping to act as the first line of defense. The forts were temporary fortifications that acted as lookout for the British should the Mughals attempt an invasion. However, the fort garrisons weren't very alert because they didn't anticipate a counterattack so soon. After the Mughals intelligence has learned of the strength within each fort and even the weaknesses of the forts, the Mughals generals chose the moment to strike. The Mughals generals hoped to take their enemy by surprise by traveling under the cover of night. Upon reaching before the fort walls, the Mughals soldiers scaled the walls and quietly dispatched the lookouts. Then, the gates were opened and the garrison was overwhelmed. By taking the forts quietly and quickly, the main British forces in the cities further back weren't alerted of the Mughals advance. The cities were reported to be even better fortified making sieges bloody and long. However, the Mughals, with the element of surprise on their side, could take the cities with far less casualties and a lot less time.

As expected, the British garrisons in the cities were ready for an attack which was a blessing for the Mughals forces. Once again, night became the Mughals generals' best friend which they used very effectively. The walls were scaled and several cities were taken without even a gun fired. However, an unfortunate turn of events had the British garrison in one city to fight back. The soldiers that scaled the walls had just opened the gates when the British garrison intercepted them. A brief firefight would ensue seeing the British retake the gate. Knowing that they have lost the element of surprise, the Mughals organized a direct assault on the city. It was only a few minutes before midnight which saw most of the British garrison still in bed. Thus, they required time to man the walls while the Mughals forces were attacking fiercely hoping to take control of the walls before it was manned. The few British soldiers at the walls fought valiantly but they were eventually overwhelmed and the walls belonged to the Mughals. However, the British soldiers within the city still resisted and used the buildings and streets as the battlefield. The ensuing skirmishes within the city was bloody with far more civilian casualties than soldier casualties. The remaining British soldiers were eventually rounded up or killed and Finland was liberated. With the Finland region liberated, the Mughals could proceed to liberate rest of Scandinavia where the enemy was believed to be the weakest.

The civilians within the cities in the Finland region welcomed back the Mughals soldiers. It was learned later that the British soldiers mistreated the civilians greatly following their two failed attempts in capturing St. Petersburg. Many young women were forced to provide services to the soldiers while young men were executed when a British soldier felt like it. The Finnish people were forming small resistances and looked for chances to overthrow their oppressive overlords. Had the Mughals not arrive, the resistance probably would have begin their operations and more civilians would no doubt be killed. The Mughals generals were especially worried about the Norway and Sweden region which has been under occupation for far longer. There hasn't been any news of resistance in those regions but that didn't mean such resistances hasn't formed. The British were once honorable people but war has changed many of their men to animals. Following many of their losses, British soldiers would no doubt take their frustrations out of vulnerable civilians. With the fear of the atrocities committed by the British along with intelligence supporting the idea rest of Scandinavia was lightly defended, the Mughals generals ordered their men to force march to liberate Scandinavia as quickly as possible. Not only were civilians needed saving but the generals also knew the importance of the Swedish iron that were integral to their war efforts. Liberating all of Scandinavia would be the key for the Mughals to winning the war which has already lasted far too long.

The Mughals soldiers cannot cross the strait for two simple reasons. First, British ships would no doubt be guarding it making crossing nearly impossible. Even if the crossing was possible, the Mughals would expose their position alerting the enemy of their attack. Thus, the Mughals soldiers had to travel northwards before swinging westwards into Sweden region. The few British patrols that were in the area were taken by surprise and surrendered without any resistance. Progress were quickly made and the Mughals swept west liberating towns that were lightly guarded by poorly armed garrison. The towns were seen as so useless that the British didn't even bother placing proper garrisons there. Soon, the Mughals learned of a man that was viewed as a Swedish hero. A man, called Ingemar Lindgren, has been leading the Swedish resistance and has achieved many incredible feats. He has managed to cut off many supply routes of the British while setting up many ambushes that saw British losing many men. The British forces in the region put a large bounty on his head but he has evaded all capture. It was pure coincidence that Ingemar was raiding a town to kill the oppressive British garrison when a Mughals army encircled the town. Ingemar was shocked to learn the town was surrounded and ordered his men to quickly man the mans to fend off the attack. However, the Mughals already captured the gate and Ingemar's men were surrounded in the town center. Just as fate played a hand, the Mughals general, Samuel Lindgren, was an uncle of Ingemar. The uncle immediately got off his horse and embraced the nephew he thought he lost.

Ingemar was the Brigadier General that escaped Narvik and saw the horror with his own eyes. For the next six years or so, he led his men and valiantly fought the British. Along the way, he recruited more of his countrymen and continued the resistance. For the six long years, Ingemar and his men lived in substandard conditions but they carried on. As their victories grew, Ingemar's name was better known and all British soldiers and officers know him by reputation. Ingemar, since seeing the massacre at Narvik, vowed to keep resisting till his death. He never counted on Mughals forces to arrive which was why he was surprised to learn of the Mughals army that surrounded the town. Being reunited with his uncle, Ingemar volunteered to be a scout to help guide the way. His men also volunteered and they were soon found in every Mughals armies in the Scandinavia campaign. With the guides, the Mughals armies progressed faster and nearly two thirds of Scandinavia was liberated without the British alerted of the progress. Around that time, several cities in Norway and Sweden region erupted with the people rising up against the British. The mistreatment has pushed these people to their limits and they wanted their freedom. The British forces in the region struggled to put down the rebels which made the lives of the Mughals armies much easier. With aid from within, several key cities were captured with minimal losses and, by December 25, all of Scandinavia was liberated from British control. A few surviving British men did return to Great Britain to report the news but Scandinavia was forever out of their reach.

blklizard · Nov 12, 2014

Chapter 181 (1895 [Part 3])

Asian Frontier

Hormuz

The siege began on the second of January and Mughals field guns bombarded the city walls. The sudden assault by the Mughals created panic within the walls as the garrison weren't expecting any enemy forces in the vicinity. The British general in the city tried to call for reinforcements but his pleas fell on deaf ears. The armies he assumed to be sieging Delhi has been annihilated while the British navy was near South Africa on their patrols. The garrison was isolated and, with the encirclement, trapped without a way out. The garrison was quite depleted since a general sent three thousand men to their doom in Oman. Things were looking grim for the defenders and the enemy field guns were already creating breaches along the fortifications. The bombardment lasted another hour or so before the Mughals infantry charged to storm the breaches. When they entered the breaches, the Mughals soldiers were surprised to see the British garrison was already tied up and gathered at the gatehouse. The locals have formed a resistance and used the chaos to overwhelm the defenders. Thus, the entire battle, except for a few unlucky British soldiers blown apart by Mughals artillery, saw hardly any bloodshed. Hormuz was taken with minimal losses and the only enemy presence was in southern India. Liberating Hormuz was important as the Mughals dislodged the final British foothold in Asia. Unknown to the Mughals, the British has already abandoned Asia before the attack on Hormuz began. A mole within the Mughals intelligence reported the annihilation of the five armies which convinced the British government to pull all their ships from the area. This also explained why the ships were near South Africa as they were returning home.

Southern India

A similar situation was developing in Southern India where Brittany forces were pulling out of the region. Disease has severely weakened their ability to continue fighting and several ships have arrived in Ceylon to take the ill soldiers home. The remaining able-bodied men were all garrisoned in Ceylon where their navy could aid in the repelling the Mughals offensive. The Mughals forces sent to the region were surprised by the lack of enemy forces and only learned about the evacuation from the locals. They soon learned about the Brittany forces still controlling Ceylon that was a part of Mughals territory. The Mughals soldiers wanted to take back their land but crossing the strait was made impossible by the enemy ships. Thus, the Mughals brought along field guns and opened fire on enemy ships. The field guns, with their accuracy and surprising firepower, were soon sinking Brittany ships left and right. The Brittany navy, of course, fought back by bombarding the land but the Mughals soldiers had cover. The battle lasted a few hours and the Brittany navy got the worst of it. With the enemy navy retreating, Mughals forces began their cross of the strait to retake Ceylon. Despite many men evacuated due to illness, there were still many Brittany infantry guarding the island and they fought with ferocity. The Mughals lost many men but they eventually broke through the many defensive lines. The remaining Brittany soldiers either escaped by boat or surrendered to the enemy. The battle saw the last of enemy occupation in Asia gone with only Mughals possession in Western Europe needing liberation.

European Frontier

Asian Frontier

blklizard · Nov 13, 2014

Chapter 182 (1896 [Part 1])

European Frontier

Saxony Territory

The Mughals continued their push westwards through Saxony territory. The British and French soldiers in occupation have already begun their full retreat to friendly territory where they hoped to be reinforced. Along the way, the Mughals encountered many atrocities committed by the enemy that included, but not limited to, massacres of entire village populations and tests of chemical weapons on innocent civilians. The tests alarmed the Mughals generals the most as they suggest that the enemy might be considering the use of an entirely different weapon against the Mughals. Because the enemy retreat was rather hasty, some of their chemicals were left behind and the Mughals generals immediately sent the samples back to Russia where scientists would do tests to determine just how dangerous the weapons were. From the corpses, the generals were convinced that these weapons, under the right circumstances, would be deadly. They weren't taking any chances and decided to halt their advance at the Mughals-French border until they find a countermeasure to the dangerous weapons the enemy was researching. Meanwhile, many Saxony civilians were happy to see the Mughals soldiers marching into their cities, towns or villages and tried to persuade the soldiers to stay overnight for feasts and celebration. However, the Mughals soldiers refused the generous offer knowing that there were still places to liberate and enemies to defeat. Before the new years, the Mughals armies have liberated all of Saxony territory and arrived at the French border.

Northern Italy

The Mughals armies finally arrived at the Martin Line where they were surprised to see such a dedicated enemy. Once again, the T-26 were sent in first to break through the enemy trench lines but these tanks, while built to withstand machine guns very well, stood little chance against the anti-tank weapons Spanish soldiers confiscated from the Mughals. The tank division was eliminated quickly and the Mughals generals realized that they definitely had a tough task ahead of them. Bringing in their field guns, they began bombarding the first few trench lines while Mughals infantry charged at the enemy. Because many Mughals armies merged for this campaign, their field guns numbered into the hundreds and the resulting bombardment was so devastating that the enemy couldn't hope to come out of their trench without being blown apart. The Mughals infantry crossed the no man's land and entered the trenches where they began fighting melee with the enemy. The bombardments were ceased when the Mughals infantry made it to the trench and all one could hear on the battlefield was the cries of wounded men in the trenches. The brief engagement lasted an hour or so with the Mughals capturing the first three trenches. The small victory, however, saw many Mughals soldiers dead and a lot more enemy soldiers dead.

With the initial success, the Mughals generals repeated their bombardment with the next few trench lines. The Spanish armies simply had no answer to this strategy and Martin realized that his men were sitting ducks out there. With a bold move, he ordered a large force to sneak to the enemy flanks and commit a counterattack. There was a chance such a large force could be spotted but Martin saw no other way. He didn't have enough field guns to counter the enemy's fierce firepower and remaining passive would only ensure defeat. Thus, the best Spanish infantry secretly flanked along the outside and managed to catch the Mughals flank completely off guard. The sudden appearance of the Spanish soldiers had the Mughals scrambling in dealing with the sudden attack. Many Mughals died in the flank attack but the Spanish soldiers, outnumbered greatly, were eventually forced to retreat after too many casualties. They have dealt a minor blow to the enemy's number but the Mughals were far from being halted in their advances. The Mughals generals immediately sent more men to guard the flanks and the rear while their field guns kept providing support fire for the infantry charging at the enemy trench lines. Slowly, but surely, the Mughals had half of the trench lines and were hungry for more.

Martin could see his lines crumbling under pressure. He may have dealt a blow to the Mughals tanks but the fact that he was vastly outmatched put him in a perilous situation. His officers tried to convince him to retreat but he said the following to his men:

I am a general assigned to Italy. I have orders to hold this land that we liberated from the Mughals. It doesn't matter what enemy we faced. We will continue to carry out the order until we are either victorious or dead. You see those Mughals soldiers charging at us? They too have an order. They are ordered to retake Italy and they are willing to lose their lives to accomplish that. You know what I admire about the Mughals? They are honorable men that are willing to fight to the last man instead of giving up their position. We, the Spanish, are no different. We can be pushed back but we will keep fighting until a bullet goes through our head. Let me tell you this. I will not back down from this battlefield. I cannot back down from this battlefield! A defeat here would mean we lose Italy. So, retreating would only delay in inevitable. If we win, I want to be one of the first to see it. If we lose, I want to be remembered as the last few men resisting against overwhelming odds. So, don't fear the enemy. They are men like us. Let us keep fighting and, if we must fall, let us fall with honor against a worthy opponent!

Despite Martin's speech, his men were losing ground steadily. The fierce bombardments and determined Mughals soldiers had them losing one trench line after another. The Mughals infantry was closing in on the Spanish headquarter and Martin gave orders for every men to get a weapon to fight to the end. Because Martin didn't retreat, none of his soldiers backed off one step which was an incredible feat considering how quickly the French and British soldiers abandoned their posts. Soon, the Spanish headquarter was surrounded and the Mughals offered the Spanish soldiers a chance to surrender. Martin stood atop a mound and scoffed at the offer. He stated that they, the Spanish soldiers, would fight to their very end. His only request was that the wounded Spanish prisoners would be treated justly. The Mughals, seeing the enemy refusing to surrender, chose to give their enemy the honorable end they wanted. Three waves were needed before the headquarter was overwhelmed. Martin killed many Mughals soldiers before he was hacked down. The Spanish armies in Italy, after gathering at the Martin Line, was annihilated with considerable losses for the Mughals. For the next few months, the Mughals liberated the rest of Italy before they begin their march to liberate the southern France region.

blklizard · Nov 16, 2014

Chapter 183 (1896 [Part 2])

European Frontier

Central Italy

Since breaking through the Martin Line, the Mughals forces met no real resistance in central Italy. The garrisons consisted of locals and they immediately surrendered upon seeing large enemy forces marching their direction. While this region was liberated, the response towards the liberation was divided. Some viewed rule of Mughals to be more ideal while others preferred a European power as their ruler. Thus, the population in Italy was divided and the Mughals forces must deal with the division. The conflicts, however, could not be put down swiftly because, by the time the Mughals arrived, bad blood already flowed between the two groups. Those that supported the Spanish occupation were given wealth, status and land while the other group was oppressed which created much bitterness and hatred. The Mughals generals has hoped to pacify the region quickly so they can proceed to the southern France region. However, the growing conflict made it impossible for them to turn a blind eye. Forced into the conflict, the Mughals joined with those that supported them and quickly put down the many rebellions rising across central Italy. However, the Mughals generals still tried to avoid as much of bloodshed as possible by shipping the captured rebels to neighboring Italian states or, in a few rare cases, to Ottoman territory. All Spanish soldiers and those discontent with Mughals rule were removed from Italy seeing the Mughals finally turning their focus to liberating their territory in southern France. These forces would, however, wait until the spring of the following year before they mount a new offensive westwards.

Paris

General Huber was inspecting the walls when he was notified of enemy forces in the vicinity. His men immediately manned the wall waiting for an assault. The enemy consisted of French and British soldiers that appeared to be extremely well armed. Huber waited on the gatehouse for the enemy to encircle his city starting the siege but these soldiers seemed to have ignored Paris altogether. Huber was puzzled that the enemy has given up retaking Paris, not that he minded the peace and quiet. Huber thoroughly enjoyed exploring the palace that held many secrets and knew that he may not have another chance in the near future. For several weeks, there were talks from refugees about the Mughals mounting a counteroffensive though the talks contradicted each other. Some said the Mughals would arrive in Paris within a month while others said the Mughals advance was halted and all hope of retaking Saxony was lost. The city of Paris provided Huber and his men plenty of food and supplies while its thick walls protected them against any small attacks thus far. Huber was almost certain that the enemy spotted was given the order to take Paris and he was disappointed to see them go. He returned to inspecting the walls while snow fell steadily to cover the ground in the region. The defenders welcomed the change in weather as it reminded them of their home they left so long ago.

European Frontier

blklizard · Nov 18, 2014

Chapter 184 (1897 [Part 1])

European Frontier

Belgium Region

The Mughals arrived at the Mughals-Burgundian border at around the same time they arrived at the Mughals-French border. It has been a long time since the Mughals faced off against the Burgundian armies that haven't participated in the push into Saxony. The Burgundian government saw their armies better utilized if they stayed in friendly territory instead of pushing deep into enemy territory. The fact that British and French forces were pushed back convinced them that they have made the right decision. The tattered French and British armies arrived in the Belgium region relieved to see the Burgundian armies already setting up defenses for the Mughals counterattack. These tattered forces were given a short rest before they were redeployed onto the front lines to fight alongside Burgundian soldiers. For the Mughals, taking over Burgundy was going to be a tough task with the Burgundian armies at full strength and well armed. The Mughals generals that arrived at the front lines first hesitated to engage the enemy before reinforcements arrived. Thus, they dug into their position and kept a watch for enemy movements. They soon determined that the Burgundian forces weren't going to mount a counterattack as they were determined to hold their position against all enemy forces.

A month passed seeing Mughals reinforcements arriving at the front lines. The Mughals generals met up and devised a plan to break through the enemy defensive line and strike at the heart of Belgium where Burgundian headquarters was located. The main Mughals armies would soon be separated into three groups seeing one group in the middle while the other two groups covering the flanks. However, all this was merely a diversion as a detachment of Mughals forces were secretly traveling by water to bypass the enemy altogether. Under the cover of night, the Mughals detachment boarded some transports that moved steadily near the coast. The moon was behind clouds on that night making visibility on the water low allowing the detachment to arrive at their destination undetected. These soldiers would then sneak behind the Burgundian left flank (flank closest to the water) and dug into their position. The detachment also brought along a few field guns to quickly disrupt enemy lines. Once their preparations were made, the detachment opened fire on the Burgundian forces in their rear and chaos ensued. The Burgundian left flank instantly fell into chaos with the sudden attack from the rear seeing its soldiers trying to make sense of the situation in the darkness.

The Mughals forces facing the Burgundian left flank immediately engaged the enemy who were in disarray. The Mughals soldiers closed the distance without any Burgundian soldiers firing at them and suffered no casualty in crossing the no man's land between them. The Mughals detachment, seeing friendlies engaged with the enemy, ceased their field gun bombardment but continued to fire at the Burgundian soldiers rallied to overpower their position. The left flank was sandwiched and it soon collapsed leaving a break in the Burgundian defensive line. Without waiting for the enemy to respond, the Mughals armies circled around the rear of the center and right flank to complete the encirclement. The engagement at the left flank has woken the Burgundian officers at the center and right flank but they had no idea their flank has collapsed. They soon discovered that Mughals forces were at their rear cutting off their retreat. The dire situation suddenly dawned on the Burgundian generals who quickly organized fierce assaults to create an opening for retreat. However, their assaults would prove futile against the determined Mughals forces that guarded the rear. Meanwhile, the Mughals forces at the front closed the distance and, as a result, the Burgundian armies, along with the tatter British and French forces, surrendered.

The main force defending the Belgium region has been removed leaving the region as easy pickings for the Mughals. The Mughals armies didn't rest until all of Burgundian territory fell under their control. In addition, the armies reclaimed the occupied Mughals territories in the Belgium region receiving warm receptions from the local inhabitants. Because the Mughals struck so quickly, the French armies haven't even received the news yet and their border with Burgundy wasn't guarded. The Mughals were given a few days of rest before they would be redeployed. The main force was ordered to swing around the rear of enemy forces in the Alsace-Lorraine region where the two sides were already engaged in battle. A detachment, numbering fifty thousand men, was assigned to arrive at Paris to check up on a rumor. The rumor claimed that Saxony forces occupied Paris still and the enemy has yet to recapture the city. The rumor seemed inconceivable but, assuming the rumors were true, the Mughals generals wanted to confirm it as it would benefit their cause and propaganda greatly. Thus, the Mughals forces headed to their associated destinations as the battlefield once again returned onto French soil.

Paris

The snow made the progress to Paris slow but the Mughals detachment arrived at Paris eventually. To their surprise, the flags atop the gate and walls were indeed the Saxony flag. The Mughals detachment sent scouts nearby and learned that no enemy forces were nearby. They then marched towards Paris at a steady pace hoping to be recognized. Initially, the Saxony garrison was surprised to see an army approaching them with the Mughals flag. They assumed that the enemy was trying to trick them but, to be on the safe side, called General Huber. Huber immediately arrived at the gatehouse looking at the approaching army. He knew the flag was genuine but the enemy could capture it during their victories. What caught his eye was the discipline of these men. Huber has fought enough battles to know that, while the French forces were disciplined, they paled in comparison with the Mughals. The Mughals have survived for centuries because their armies were the best in the world. Of course, it helped that the officer leading the Mughals detachment just happened to be an old friend of Huber. Huber immediately ordered his men to open the gates with him first to greet his allies. The Mughals detachment then marched into the city while Huber and his old friend, Leopold Riess, chatted like the old friends they were. The detachment was ordered to stay and defend Paris if the rumors were true until the main Mughals forces break through the other fronts.

blklizard · Nov 20, 2014

Chapter 185 (1897 [Part 2])

European Frontier

Alsace-Lorraine

The Mughals generals found themselves returning to the Alsace-Lorraine battlefield. This region was once hotly contested but the collapse on the flanks had the Saxony and Mughals forces withdraw. There were many veterans part of the withdraw and most of them didn't expect to see the battlefield again in their lifetime. The enemy was, unlike the last time, in defensive positions prepared to face off against the Mughals. Several trench lines were dug out with masses of field guns in their rear providing support fire. The Mughals generals had their men mirror the enemy line as they prepared for the upcoming battles. Before they were willing to engage, the generals wanted new tank divisions to be on the forefront to breach the enemy line. During the wait, their infantry were well positioned as everyone waited patiently. The wait lasted a few weeks when the armored divisions finally arrived. There was a combination of Panzer II and T-26 with the tanks evenly spread out across the battlefield. The enemy caught sight of the tanks knowing that the battle was drawing near. There were flurries in the enemy lines as both side were as prepared as they could be for the onslaught. According to intelligence, the opposing side consisted of the tattered British and French forces that managed to flee from Gorsuch Line along with a British Army recently arriving on the continent and several French divisions. These were the very same forces that Huber saw atop the gatehouse.

The French divisions were the last recruits the French forces could muster in their territory. The war has devastated France the most seeing all their youths and men participating and dying in battles. Believing they could end the war swiftly, the French dedicated much of their resources in the war which proved to be a costly mistake. The French monarch was safely tucked away across the Atlantic where he was convinced out of reach of his enemies. Despite pleading from his subjects, the monarch refused to engage in any sort of peace talks. Paris has been under enemy occupation for a long time but the monarch knew that, as long as he was free, France would continue to resist. Contrary to his beliefs, the French people were getting weary of war and began opposing the war openly. The civilians lost fathers, brothers and sons in the war which sparked much outrage. Rumors were spreading that some French people were even willing to submit to the Mughals. The rumors, while unconfirmed, were very plausible seeing how the French people in Northern France and Southern France remained in contact despite territorial changes. French civilians living under Mughals rule saw the republic many times better than rule under a monarchy. Prior to the war, many French families sneaked past the border guards into Mughals territories being enticed to a better way of life. The occupation of Southern France by French forces ended that but the Mughals were fighting back to liberate the region. The French monarch would soon find his own people rising against him.

The two sides were stretched across with the Mughals ready to make the first move. They have reports of anti-tank guns spotted in the enemy ranks which would ruin the day of their armored divisions. However, they couldn't wait forever because they were worried to take casualties. As the generals prepared to order an assault, bombardments rained down upon the enemy's rear. The bombardments caught both sides by surprise seeing both sides frozen for an instant. The enemy finally reacted and rushed to take cover from the bombardment while detachments were sent to cover the rear. The Mughals generals were informed that reinforcements were striking the enemy's rear creating huge disruptions. With the enemy distracted, the generals ordered a frontal assault with their tanks taking the lead. The Mughals soldiers closed the distance and were soon under heavy fire as the enemy noticed their advance. The resistance would have been fierce had the disruption not succeed in diverting the enemy forces to two sides . Pockets of enemy resistance were silenced by the bombardments and the attacking side took advantage. The enemy forces stopped resisting with enemy generals trying for a tactical withdraw. However, the Mughals forces in their rear were pouring heavy fire which, with the push from the Mughals forces at the front, resulted in the withdraw developing into a full rout. The defending forces were shattered and, for the next hour or so, the remaining survivors all became prisoners herded to the Belgium region. The last defense into France was broken through with nothing else to halt the Mughals advance.

Northern France

Breaking through the enemy Alsace-Lorraine defensive line had the Mughals entering French territory unopposed. The French have pulled all their garrison forces for the final desperation act of halting the enemy advance but that proved to be a failure. The Mughals would move from cities to cities, towns to towns, facing hardly any resistances. The local population were relieved to see the invaders didn't pillage or raze their homes to the ground. Some even offered to give food to Mughals soldiers or even free housing. Of course, the Mughals soldier turned down the generous offers as they advanced seeing them eventually occupying all of Northern France. From some of the captured officers, the Mughals generals learned of the whereabouts of the French monarch which angered them greatly. The fact that the coward managed to flee to distant territories while his soldiers fought with their lives was unthinkable in Mughals. At Delhi, the Doge remained with the defenders and many believed that his insistence to stay was the key factor the metropolis held out against the British invasion. However, the absence of the French monarch brought up a more pressing matter. As the monarch expected, the Mughals have no one to discuss peace terms unless they could capture the monarch. The generals sent their concern over the radio before progressing down south. During the occupation of Northern France, the Mughals have uncovered no signs of chemical labs which brought up a new concern. They had reasons to believe the British were behind the tests of chemical weapons. The only good news was that the British forces at Alsace-Lorraine didn't have such weapons with them suggesting that the weapon has yet to be perfected.

Southern France

Liberating the Southern France region was slightly more difficult than occupying Northern France. The Spanish garrisons were fighting to the last men in holding their cities but it was a losing cause for them. However, the Mughals suffered a fair number of casualties since they set out in spring from Northern Italy. Southern France region was systematically liberated and the Spanish forces were pushed back. The liberation along the coast was more difficult as Spanish ships were providing support fire that devastated the Mughals forces venturing too close. The Mughals forces first liberated the inland territories before they dedicated all their forces in the coastal possessions. The Spanish ships were a major threat but they could only provide limited support as they soon learned. The Mughals dug trenches that brought the soldiers before the walls. The trenches provided excellent cover while those at the walls could move more freely since they knew the enemy wouldn't bombard the city walls resulting in aiding the attackers. The coastal possessions were liberated by fall and the Spanish navy was forced to withdraw. Southern France region was finally liberated since its occupation in the early parts of the war. The Mughals have made major advance that saw their occupied territory all liberated along with occupying French territory. Spain would need to be dealt with but the Mughals had two nations they must first target. Burgundy and Lorraine both have forces on the defensive and would remain a threat if left alone. The plan was occupy Burgundy and Lorraine before marching onwards to Spain.

European Frontier

blklizard · Nov 21, 2014

Chapter 186

Mughals Arsenal (1897)

Aviation

Fighter Aircraft

The liberation of Scandinavia sparked new research into aircraft, especially fighter aircraft. The Mughals have performed a few reconnaissance missions with aircraft but their uses seemed limited overall. The fierce push by the Mughals had the enemy routing most of the time and runways for the aircraft to take off was hardly existent. In addition, the limited fuel capacity saw short reconnaissance that yielded very little information. Thus, the idea of reconnaissance aircraft was scrapped while major interests developed in aircraft that could provide supporting fire for ground forces. Because aircraft was such a new invention, neither the British, Spanish nor their allies even began their development. Thus, the fighter aircraft developed by the Mughals would have the sole purpose of targeting ground troops. The fuel capacity was enlarged while multiple runways were built in the southern France region. The prototypes would be tested in actual battle at the Pyrenees as the engineers hoped to see how this aircraft would perform in the most extreme conditions. The earlier fighter aircraft were armed with machine guns that were meant to pour fire into the enemy from above where they had less cover. In the Pyrenees where the mountainous terrain would slow down the Mughals advance, the Mughals hoped their aircraft could help break through the enemy lines sooner.

Tanks

Panzer III (German)

The Panzer III was developed after many battles saw the Panzer II easily destroyed by enemy anti-tank weapons. The tank was expected to handle a lot more punishment ensuring it a better chance at breaking through enemy lines. The frontal armor of this tank was increased to 70 mm which made it possible to deal with most anti-tank fire unless fired at close range. The side and rear were 30 mm and 50 mm, respectively. While the side and rear couldn't take as much of a beating as the frontal armor, the idea was to only expose the front making these tanks tougher. These tanks were also designed to fight against enemy tanks that were reported to be making for the Pyrenees. The Spanish have spent lots of time and resources in tank development which saw a couple of their own models ready for actual combat. The tank's main armament was the 5 cm KwK 38 cannon that guaranteed penetration against all Spanish tanks they would face at the Pyrenees. The top speed was roughly 30 km/h while its operation range was 155 km though many were doubtful such was the case in mountainous terrain.

Marder II (German)

The Panzer III, despite its design, was still meant to break through enemy lines and they were in limited numbers due to the Mughals armored production being still low. Panzer III possessed the armor to take on enemy machine guns and anti-tank weapons and should utilize it efficiently. Therefore, a new tank destroyer was designed to provide support fire against armored targets seeing the birth of the Marder II. The Saxony engineers intelligently used the Panzer II chassis as the chassis for the Marder II and added 7.5 cm Pak 40 gun to it. The design of this tank destroyer was focused on mobility which saw it moving at a top speed of 40 km/h and an operation range of 190 km. The higher top speed made it possible for this tank destroyer to move into position quicker while the operation range allowed it set up ambush for enemy armored divisions. However, the increased speed and operation range also meant the tank destroyer lacked armor resulting in its crew members vulnerable to enemy fire. Thus, this design was supposed to fight in the rear at a safe distance while Panzer III performed the frontal assault.

Hetzer (German)

The Jagdpanzer 38(t), commonly known as the Hetzer, was meant to be cost-effective. This tank destroyer was better armored than the Marder II with its 60 mm armor sloped back at 60 degrees from the vertical. It also possessed a 7.5 cm PaK 39 L/48 gun which was one of the deadliest guns of its time. The tank destroyer was reliable and, due to its dimensions, made it easily concealable. It was created to help mass produce a tank destroyer for the front lines where enemy armored divisions were rumored to be gathering. The Marder II, while capable of dealing with those tanks, were few in numbers and the Panzer II chassis was becoming outdated seeing fewer Marder II produced. The Hetzer served as a tank destroyer to fill the gap until either the Mughals factories increase output or a newer design was created to replace the Hetzer. The main problem with the Hetzer was that, with its small dimensions, the ammo capacity was severely limited which hindered the tank destroyer's ability to remain in battle for long. However, massing these tanks guarantee that enemy armored divisions have a bad day before they withdraw to be rearmed.

T-28 (Russian)

The T-28 possessed a main armament of 76.2mm KT-28 cannon armed with 70 rounds along with two 7.62mm machine gun. The tank, on paper, had the top speed of 37 km.h and an operational range of 220 km making it the furthest out of all the tanks designed in the war thus far. The frontal armor was 80 mm thick while the sides and rear were only 40 mm. All T-28 were designed to carry a radio but the tank never actually went into production. For one thing, the tank had unreliable engine and transmission seeing the prototypes encountering many mechanical breakdowns. Thus, no T-28 were reported to have seen any action following the many tests that saw the tank unreliability and inadequate in dealing with the anti-tank weapons developed by the enemy. However, some aspects of the tank weren't abandoned completely as Mughals engineers worked on a better design which they hoped to see some action. The T-28 would help propel the Mughals engineers into development of the KV line that would soon make its stage on the Spanish war front.

A-20 (Russian)

The A-20 was a prototype tank that was tested as the Mughals engineers worked towards a design that would be known as the T-34. The Mughals engineers were searching for a universal tank that would be versatile on all battlefields. With some ideas in mind, they first developed the prototype A-20 to test some hypothesis. The A-20 was lightly armored with 20 mm of armor all around which saw it unable to take much punishment from enemy fire. It was also armed with a 4.5 cm gun while carrying a new engine design and ran on wheels instead of caterpillar tracks. Overall, less maintenance and repair was needed for the A-20 due to lack of tracks which allowed the tank to reach a top speed of 85 km/h. The tank had incredible mobility but the Mughal engineers found little use for it due to its lack of armor. The German tank, Panzer III, might be slower but it could accomplish the objective of breaking through enemy lines. Therefore, the A-20, like the T-28, never seen any actual action and would serve to improve on future models. The future models focused on a very mobile tank that was more heavily armored.

Miscellaneous

Gas Masks

The discovery of the British tests in Saxony territories alarmed the Mughals military. With the acquisition of chemicals that were left behind, tests were made to confirm these chemicals to be chlorine gas which proved to be very deadly. After many tests were made, the Mughals military immediately ordered their engineers and scientists to come up with a countermeasure against such a deadly weapon. There seemed no way to halt the advance of the gas unless the wind just happened to blow in the opposite direction. Some scientists called it the silent killer which seemed to be a suitable title for this weapon. After a few weeks of hard work, the gas mask was created that provided the minimal protection. The gas mask would require several more months to be perfected but, during that time, all Mughals soldiers were given a mask anticipating such weapons to be utilized in the Pyrenees. For all the new recruits, the gas mask would become one of their basic gears before they were sent to the battlefield. The Mughals military, while discovering the weapon, has banned experiments to perfect the weapon. The poisonous gas was indiscriminate meaning it could harm soldiers from both side and it was viewed as a lowly way to win battles. In addition, they wished no agonizing death on anyone, including their enemies, if they could avoid it.

blklizard · Nov 24, 2014

Chapter 187 (1898 [Part 1])

European Frontier

Burgundy Territory

Since losing their territory in the Belgium region, the Burgundy military might was effectively reduced by half. The Burgundian government was beginning to regret its decision to join the war against the Mughals. Their answer to France's call to arms seemed a poor choice now that their mighty ally consisted of only a few holdings in the New World. France territory in Europe was completely occupied seeing Spain the only power on continental Europe to hold up against the Mughals. However, even Spain was forced back by Mughals advances leaving both Burgundy and Lorraine isolated in their fight against the powerful enemy. Burgundy has three armies left which were dedicated solely for self defense. Losing men in Belgium region was a terrible blow to a nation that had limits in massing armies. Knowing that the Mughals invasion would take place soon, the three Burgundian armies were all called back to the capital in a final desperation to repel the attackers. On the March of 1898, Mughals forces entered into Burgundian territory and, days later, arrived outside the capital. The garrisons in neighboring towns and cities mostly surrendered upon seeing the massive enemy force and knowing that their government abandoned them. The lack of resistance resulted in hardly any casualties for the Mughals when they arrived. The garrison was surprised when they received an offer from the Mughals generals. The offer was immediately relayed to the Burgundian monarch who discussed the peace terms with his subjects.

The peace terms with Burgundy saw the nation annul all its treaties with France and pay a hefty reparation. The Mughals, since occupying Northern France, needed to install new garrisons in the region to put down the few resistances that sprouted up. Burgundy may have participated in the war but they joined due to a call to arms. Their honorable response to their ally wasn't missed by the Mughals generals who were slightly distracted with the upcoming campaign in Iberia. Taking the Burgundian capital would no doubt cost the Mughals lots of men and time which would allow the Spanish to strengthen their defenses. When Burgundy does surrender, there was little the Mughals want from the nation. Taking territory would tie up more Mughals soldiers weakening the forces that will be attempting to break through the Pyrenees defense the Spanish have set up. Thus, the generals came up with generous peace terms and hoped the Burgundian monarch was wise enough to accept it. The Burgundian monarch, however, chose to turn down the offer in hope of keeping his honor intact. His subjects were divided on the offer and the monarch was close to agreeing when his son burst into the meeting room to persuade to keep fighting. The son was, unfortunately, a hot-blooded youth that clung onto the hope that the city defenses would hold. The monarch was touched of his son's passion that he chose war over peace. The fate of Burgundy would be sealed with that choice.

The Mughals leading the siege of the Burgundian capital were disappointed to hear the response. Their forces would encircle the city and the assault was well underway an hour later. Unlike battles in the past, the Mughals now had aircraft at their disposal to help break through the enemy defense. Despite being prototypes, the aircraft performed quite well seeing them flew incycles where their machine guns repeatedly mowed down enemy soldiers on the walls that provided no protection from above. A few innovative pilots brought grenades with them and wrapped it up in packages. Once they were above the city, they pulled the fuse and dropped the packages onto the defenders. Most were off mark but the few that hit were devastating. The sudden explosions raining from above had a severe impact on the defender's morale and some soldiers were already abandoning their posts. The aircraft continued their cycles and only left the battlefield to refuel and rearm before returning. The aircraft proved exceptionally dangerous since the enemy had no countermeasure against them. Rifles and machine guns prove to be insufficient against the aircraft body considering that, most of the time, they failed to hit the mark. The cycles of aircraft and their firepower demoralized the garrison while providing support to ground forces that would have otherwise faced fierce resistance. The capital fell in June seeing the Mughals suffer lower casualties due to air support.

Lorraine Territory

While the Mughals and Burgundian forces were duking it out, the nation of Lorraine was experiencing a revolution that have put the nation only steps from ruin. The people have risen against the Lorraine monarch but their conflict has entered a stalemate. The revolutionaries controlled half the nation while the monarch commanded the other half. Neither sides could advance further and both sides somehow forgot about the war that the monarch got his nation in. Like Burgundy, Lorraine joined the war hoping for the Mughals to be kicked out of Western Europe. Initially, there were successes and everything seemed dandy. However, the lower and middle class in Lorraine, due to the war, were subjected to high taxes while the upper class was basically spared from any taxation. The burden from the unfair taxes soon forced the people to rise up against the government in an attempt to install a republic in its place. The two Lorraine standing armies were made up of lower and middle class seeing the armies immediately defecting to the revolutionaries. The Lorraine government was forced to hire mercenaries for their cause which bankrupted them. As the revolution carried on, the nation of Lorraine was stepping closer towards complete collapse. Meanwhile, an unsuspecting Mughals force entered Lorraine without any clue of what transpired in the nation.

The Mughals forces entered the nation encountered no resistance which bothered the generals greatly. They sent scouts out to investigate if the enemy set up ambushes only to learn of the revolution that took hold of the nation. The two sides were so preoccupied with their conflict that the Mughals forces arrived behind the revolutionaries undetected. The Mughals soldiers got the attention of the revolutionaries and demanded their surrender. Sandwiched in the middle, the revolutionaries accepted the offer knowing that the Mughals would no doubt be more kind in their punishment. Around that time, the Lorraine treasury has depleted seeing the mercenaries furious that they weren't getting paid. In response, the mercenaries turned on the monarch and his forces seeing the Lorraine capital razed to the ground and most of its people slaughtered. The Mughals forces arrived to late to stop the destruction but they would eventually eliminate the mercenary armies. Lorraine was occupied with the only conflict occurring between the Mughals and the mercenary forces. The nation was in such bad shape that the Mughals had to annex it so they can send officials to speed up the rebuilding process. The people of Lorraine, having suffered enough from the revolution, chose to accept the annexation and wait to see whether Mughals rule was indeed the ideal choice.

blklizard · Nov 26, 2014

Chapter 188 (1898 [Part 2])

European Frontier

Pyrenees

The Spanish forces have been preparing their defenses in the Pyrenees for several months. While the loss of their forces in Italy did hurt them, the Spanish nation still had plenty of soldiers fighting at the front line. The Spanish generals, unlike their French and British counterparts, never expected a fierce push against the Mughals would last. They were hoping to capture key objectives that may serve their purpose better but, following their failure to capture the Suez Canal for a reasonable amount of time saw, the Spanish given up on attacking Mughals controlled territories altogether. Instead, they chose to defend their borders which, with their dominant navy, would halt all Mughals advances. Initially, plans were made for the forces in Italy to hold off the Mughals indefinitely while the Spanish navy evacuated the men. However, the Gorsuch Line fell so quickly that the plan was never implemented seeing all Spanish forces in Italy eliminated. The loss of Italy told the Spanish generals that the Mughals would arrive at Iberia soon and, luckily for the Spanish, several professional mapmakers were already charting out the Pyrenees. Being doubtful that British reinforcements would arrive, the Spanish forces dedicated nearly all their forces in Iberia at the Pyrenees. It was an accepted fact that, should the Mughals break through the mountain ranges, Iberia would fall. The Pyrenees was a natural barrier the Spanish decided to utilize fully. While the Mughals forces were busy liberating their territory and occupying Northern France, Spanish forces were already making preparations as the detailed maps of the Pyrenees were being made. After poring over every inch of the maps, the Spanish generals chose a few vital choke points which their men should hold with ease. These choke points were passes that Mughals must traverse through if their men hoped to enter Iberia. By setting up heavily defended machine gun nests, the Spanish soldiers had plenty of cover while still having the capabilities to fire down at their enemies.

Meanwhile, Mughals forces waited outside the Pyrenees as they waited for reinforcements to arrive. Before venturing forward, the Mughals generals agreed that they needed to clear out any enemy forces in their rear. Allowing the enemy to move freely in their rear could create problems like supply route sabotage. Thus, the forces were sent to Burgundy and Lorraine while a sizable force remained at the Spanish border setting up camps. The Mughals were unfamiliar with the Pyrenees and there were only a few guides that were willing to help. These guides explained that the mountain ranges can be dangerous to even those that have traveled through it multiple times. For the armies that were expected to venture through, their chances of encountering accidents were a lot higher. In addition, they, to reach Iberia, must venture through the passes which were no doubt heavily guarded by Spanish forces. Choosing the western and eastern side of the mountain range also mattered greatly since there were some glaciers in the west while none were in the east. The east seemed like a safer approach since the Mughals had to deal with less unexpected weather and snow but the approach would also be more heavily guarded by the enemy. After much discussion between Mughals generals camping outside of Pyrenees, they have decided that their main force would travel along the eastern sections while detachments, those used to fighting in the Alps, went to the western sections where the passes might be less defended.

European Frontier

blklizard · Nov 26, 2014

Chapter 189 (1899)

European Frontier

Pyrenees

Following the annexation of Lorraine and complete occupation of Burgundy, the Mughals could proceed in pushing through the Pyrenees. The Spanish forces had ample of time to bolster their defenses in the mountain making advancing very difficult. The main force, as expected, would be marching through the eastern sections of the mountain range where no glaciers, but plenty of enemy forces, were expected to be situated. Several detachments were sent to the western sections where they would probe the enemy defenses before focusing on one single pass. Waiting until the spring of 1899, the Mughals forces head out into the unfamiliar terrain as they took on a very determine enemy. When the soldiers first entered the mountain range, they encountered hardly anything except for an occasional mountain goat or plant. As they closed in on the passes, the Spanish force suddenly opened fire. The Spanish soldiers, with cover and the height advantage, were firing with almost impunity from both sides of the paths while the Mughals soldiers struggled to find cover. The machine guns mowed down the Mughals forces and there was little they could do about it. Under ordinary circumstances, these kind of situation would force the Mughals to retreat and find a different path. However, the innovative Mughals had brought aircraft which had a clear view of the machine gun nests. Learning from the battles at Burgundy, each aircraft carried multiple packages of grenades which they threw onto the Spanish forces below. The fuses of the grenades were longer so that the packages would explode on they hit the ground which devastated the Spanish forces. The battle was slowly turning the Mughals' favor.

Despite suffering heavy casualties, the Mughals made steady progress forward with their fighters providing valuable cover fire. The fighters were such a new invention that the Spanish ground force had no idea how to deal with them. The packaged grenades were exceptionally dangerous if the pilots could get a package right into the machine gun nest where everyone inside was bombed to smithereens. The only reason the Mughals advances in the eastern section were slow was due to the aircraft needing to refuel and rearm with more packaged grenades. These took time as the fighters needed to travel long distances to provide the support. Meanwhile, Mughals forces in the western sections were surprised to see no enemy forces in the vicinity. Despite the lack of resistance, the dangerous terrain has already taken many lives affecting the morale of the men. The officers decided to venture through one of the safer passes hoping that the Spanish soldiers weren't guarding it. The detachment moved steadily forward while losing more men to mother nature. When they were crossing the pass, the detachment was surprised to learn that a small camp was set up near the exit of the pass. No one was on watch which suggested that all the Spanish soldiers were inside the tents keeping warm. The detachment silently encircled the tents with their weapons trained. Then, they cut open the tents with knives only to find drunk Spanish soldiers on the ground asleep. These prisoners were tied up before the detachment ventured forward to strike at the rear of the enemy.

The cycles performed by the Mughals aircraft were having a toll on the Spanish forces in the Pyrenees. They were losing ground steadily while the enemy seemed to have endless supply of men. The Mughals casualties haven't been this high since the early stages when the French, British and Spanish forces coordinated their push eastwards. Still, the Mughals pushed on knowing their enemy was breaking in morale and a few more assaults could rout the enemy. The detachments have swung around to the enemy's headquarter located in the rear by then where they set up their cover in the mountains before opening fire. The sudden ambush sent the men inside the headquarter into disarray as many tried to get a bearing on the situation. The Spanish generals ordered their men to dislodge the Mughals forces in the mountains but they were driven back wave after wave. The high losses was having an impact on the Spanish morale which forced the generals to abandon their position. Upon learning headquarter was under attack, the forces at the front lines mistakenly assumed that a large enemy force would soon cut off their retreat. With self preservation overcoming their discipline, the Spanish soldiers abandoned their position as they routed in Iberia. The detachments picked off the enemy soldiers whenever they were given the chance but they didn't give chase. Instead, they, along with their main force, worked together to control all the passes ensuring that their forces would enter Iberia in relative safety.

The grueling fight in the Pyrenees lasted seven months seeing high casualties for both sides with the Mughals suffering the most. The loss of soldiers was seen as a necessary sacrifice so that the Spanish threat would be eliminated. When all of Pyrenees was under Mughals control (at least, the major passes needed to ship men and supplies), the Mughals generals halted their advance giving their men rest and allowing the reinforcements to catch up. The armored divisions only provided limited contributions seeing their tracks unsuitable for the rocky terrain. However, these tank divisions would have their time to shine now that the Mughals arrived in Iberia where the terrain, while still mountainous overall, was more tank friendly compared to the Pyrenees. In addition, the fact that Spanish forces had time to set up defenses in the Pyrenees meant that they won't have equally fierce defenses in Iberia. The rest given to the Mughals forces might allow the enemy to regroup but, according to Mughals intelligence, the bulk of the Spanish armies were wiped out in the Pyrenees and only garrisons, along with a few surviving divisions, remained as resistance. Many historians agreed that the fighters were the major contributor to the victory. Their ability to dislodge enemies that were dug in made it possible for the Mughals to make progress while suffering considerably less men (though many would argue the casualties were still quite high).

Iberia

The news of Mughals breaking through the Pyrenees soon reached the governments in Iberia. The Spanish monarch turned insane learning of the development forcing the government to install a regency council in his place. The first action by the regency council was to speak with the Aragonese and Galician monarch arguing that they must stand together against this threat called Mughals. They stated that, once Spain fell, they would be next on the Mughals' list. After a month of discussion with their subjects, the twomonarchs agreed to aid Spain as they declared war on the Mughals seeing the Mughals at war with all the Iberian nations. Portugal, despite joining earlier with Great Britain, hasn't participated in any battles yet. The nation was rebuilding its army and going through a series of reform to improve the economy. In 1899, the Portuguese army and navy were ready for war but they arrived too late to aid the Spanish forces in Pyrenees. Instead, they had to set up defenses elsewhere where they hoped the Iberian alliance would be enough to halt the Mughals advances. The four nations banded together in a rare occasion against a common enemy but many at the time were doubtful they were enough. The Spanish regency council, despite persuading Aragon and Galicia to join, had already made plans seeing them and the insane monarch leave for the New World. The Portuguese monarch did the same taking with him his top officials. The abandonment of the monarchs would very soon have an impact on the defending forces that would soon face off against the seemingly invincible Mughals.

blklizard · Nov 28, 2014

Chapter 190

Mughals Arsenal (1899)

Tanks

Panzer IV (German)

The Panzer IV was originally designed as an infantry-support tank. However, the Panzer III's performance in the Pyrenees was abysmal to put it kindly. The Spanish factories have been producing a newly design heavy tank called the Char B1 which was too heavily armored for the Panzer III to handle. The Char B1 was slow making them suitable to holding the defensive line which halted Panzer III from advancing forward. To deal with the Char B1, Saxony engineers produced the new and improved Panzer, the Panzer IV. Armed with a 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 main gun and two machine guns, Panzer IVs were expected to penetrate Char B1 armor easily allowing them to replace their obsolete cousin. The tank's top speed of 42 km/h and 200 km operation range make it a much superior choice compared to the Panzer III. In addition, the Panzer IV's frontal armor was 80 mm thick resulting in it holding up better against enemy anti-tank weapons. When the prototypes appear to be robust and reliable, several armored divisions of Panzer IVs were set into production seeing many in action as soon as mid-1900.

StuG III (German)

The Sturmgeschütz III, commonly known as the StuG III, would soon be one of the dominant tank destroyers used by the Mughals army. Armed with a 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 gun along with a machine gun, the StuG III was a dangerous presence on the battlefield. The main gun of this tank destroyer was basically the same model as the gun used by the Panzer IV which made the gun production easier. The StuG III, like the Hetzer, has a small silhouette making it easily camouflaged and difficult to hit. In addition, these tank destroyers were quite cost effective compared to their counterparts seeing large numbers of them produced. Because this design was made so quickly after Hetzer was put into production, the number of Hetzers that actually seen combat was rather low as factories immediately set their production to building this better design. The primary role of this tank destroyer was holding the line while reinforcements head for the front lines. With a top speed of 40 km/h and operational range of 155 km, these tank destroyers were exceptionally suitable in fulfilling their roles as they moved swiftly while, with their relatively low operation range, not need to lead assaults.

KV-1 (Russian)

The T-28 design was scrapped quickly but it did contribute to the construction of the KV-1. The Russian tanks have taken a slightly different turn with the KV-1 design which focused on heavy armor. The KV-1 armor was set to 90 mm which was unthinkable at the time. The heavy armor practically made the tank invulnerable against all enemy anti-tank weapons. The tank was then armed with a 76.2 mm M1941 ZiS-5 gun and four machine guns making it quite dangerous on the battlefield. However, the KV-1 wasn't mass produced due to its two major flaws. First, the tank was exceptionally heavy with all its armor making its maneuverability low and the tank rarely ever reaches the top speed of 35 km/h it boasted. This made the tank too slow to keep up with friendly forces and difficult terrain, like those found in the Pyrenees, made it impossible for it to traverse through. To make matters worse, the tank only had an operational range of 140 km which didn't see the tank ever making it to the front lines. For the few KV-1s that were produced, none actually made it to the Pyrenees before the fight there was over. Secondly, the tank was difficult and expensive to produce. Such drawbacks hindered production when resources could be invested in better designs. Mughals engineers continued to perform tests with the KV-1 hoping for a new and improved design but the KV-1, like its predecessor, would be scrapped.

T-34 (Russian)

The many drawbacks for the Mughals engineers in their tank production was rather frustrating. Their Saxony counterparts were clearly coming out with more viable designs seeing their tanks participating in far more battles in the war. After much hard work, the Mughals engineers finally came up with what they would argue as the best medium tank design in history. The T-34 was created from the prototype, A-20, and seemed like the major breakthrough the Mughals engineers needed. The tank was armed with a 76.2 mm (3.00 in) F-34 tank gun and two machine guns but its strength was its agility. With a top speed of 53 km/h and operational range of 400 km, the T-34 was seen as the most ideal tank for spearheading attacks. Its frontal armor was an angled 43 mm armor which was enough to deal with standard anti-tank weapons at the time while its wide tracks, along with good suspension, allowed the T-34 to perform exceptionally well on the battlefield. Because of the high standards in production, the T-34, in some cases, excelled the reliability of the Panzer IV which put this tank as the new dominant spearhead medium tank for the Mughals forces. T-34s were immediately put into mass production as they were superior in so many ways compared to their predecessors. Like the Panzer IV, several T-34 armored divisions would see action in mid-1900.

Rebuilding the Great Empire - Timurids AAR (Death and Taxes MOD)

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